Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and it's characters are the property of Nerd Corps

Because of my lack of a social life, i was able to spend most of the weekend typing up chapter two. I just want to thank the people who reviewed on chapter one, it really means alot to me, so THANKYOU! It makes me feel all bubbly inside knowing people actually like this :)

This chapter might be a little all over the place, but i hope it makes sense XD

~ Carnival A. Neon Hall

I hauled my bags up to Carnival A. Neon Hall.

All of the halls were named after famous terras – Tropica, Blizzaris, Atmosia… (although Atmosia Hall was only for the guys.) And then before the terras name they put a word that best sums up the terra. For example, Carnival A. Neon Hall. I don't know what the A. stands for. Probably for Acupuncture. Because that's exactly what you need after you get up all these stairs.

"Need some help?" A large, tubby man with small squinty eyes peeked his head out of a room labelled Dorm Monitor's Headquaters.

"Hi," I said, "I'm Piper. Are you the dorm adviser?"

"Yes, you can call me Mr. Moss." He smiled. His voice had a Texas drawl to it that sounded quite scary. A shiver went up my spine.

I looked around his office. A tin of brightly coloured feather quills, a foot-high stack of paper and a lamp filled the desk.

"I'll show you to your room. Your roommate moved in a couple of days ago. She's probably around her somewhere."

I had talked to my roomie a few days ago on the phone. Her name was Starling, and she was in ninth grade like me. It was her second year at Helix, and she was in the Advanced Sky Kinght group. I thought back to our conversation.

"Could you bring a microwave and a minifridge?" Starling asked.

"Anything else?"

"I don't mind bringing all the important stuff." Starling said.

I had my fingers crossed for a TV "Like what?" I asked.

"Like a vacuum, bathroom cleansers, a good mop and broom… those kind of things." Starling said. "My last roomie was a Mage, and so I know how to keep a room fresh and crystal dust-free." Her tone had been cheerful enough, but I wondered if she thought I was messy just because I was a Mage.

Mr Moss led me towards my room, where dad eventually caught up with us. Mr Moss dangled a shiny silver key in front of my face.

"Here is your dorm key," he said. "I'll be back in a little while to answer any questions you have about your orientation packet."

My fingers clutched the rough metal.

I stuck the key into the lock and turned it. The room was beautiful – spacious, with polished wood floors and furniture. There were two big windows with a gorgeous view of campus over each of our beds. Starling's bed, nestled under the second window, was directly across from mine. We each had a bed-side table. Piles of books lined Starling's, which means she was definitely a by-the-book kind of gal. Ha, just like me. Even the closets were huge! The soft beige walls looked as if they'd been painted yesterday.

A small coffee table in the centre of the room had a vase of orange lilies in the centre. My favourite colour. A few magazines were piled on the table. Paintings of the Beacon Tower and Timepulse Tower made the walls stand out. Starling must of done this.

Dad shuffled inside the room, arms laden with my bags of supplies. He placed some on top of my bed beneath a curtain-less window.

He helped me put away my clothes. In the closet, Starling's outfits hung neatly on the right side. My jeans and tank tops looked a little sad next to Starling's designer labels. Belted dresses, a box of pointy high heels and at least a two dozen ballet flats of every colour filled Starling's half of the closet. My shoe rack with my boots, tennis shoes and flip-flops looked shabby next to Starling's shiny shoeboxes.

My fingers skimmed the gold leather on one of the shoes. Size seven – like me. Maybe we could share. I knew Starling was from Terra Mesa - everyone who lived there was practically rich. I hope she won't mock my clothes.

After we finished the closet, I unloaded my study supplies onto my desk. Green and gold were my choice ink colours, but dad made me bring a couple of boring black and blue ones in case rainbow colours weren't serious enough for Helix.

I hooked up my laptop while Dad plugged in my electric blue desk light and stacked my notebooks next to my laptop. It was looking more and more like my room.

"Excuse me, Piper and Co," Mr Moss said, popping his head around the corner, with a devilish smile on his face that creeped me out. And what's with the Co? Am I like a company or something? "Piper, I wanted to take a second to highlight the major rules before your father leaves."

"Okay," I said, sitting on the bed beside Dad. Mr Moss took my desk chair. I was slightly surprised he fit into it.

"You've all read over the rules in the orientation booklet, right?" Mr Moss asked.

We both nodded. There were so many rules. When I'd gotten my orientation booklet in the mail a few weeks ago, I'd been, slightly excited. But the more I read, the scarier everything seemed. Classes were known to be super hard at Helix – it was the best school in Atmosia, and one of the best in the entire Atmos. Back home, I had report cards filled with As. I worried that it might not be so easy to get those As here.

Mr Moss smiled (erggh, not again) "Great! Then you already know that no boys are ever allowed in the dorms, you have to go to bed by ten thirty, and you have to keep a log of your study time. A half hour of studying is required each night per class. You'll turn in a study journal every Saturday."

Dad smiled at me.

I tried to pay attention to what Mr Moss was saying, but my mind, and my eyes, wondered. Outside my window, a cute guy with messy (but totally hot) red hair walked down the side-walk toward the parking lot. His skin, was a lovely milky colour, and his lips…is my mouth watering? I gasped when I saw his eyes; the most beautiful shade of green I've ever seen. He carried an energy blade in his right hand, ever so casually, as if it was totally normal to be carrying a weapon around campus. He grinned a devastatingly gorgeous smile and slapped palms with a guy who passed him. I almost fell off the bed watching him.

"Finally," Mr Moss said, jarring me out of my ogling, "you'll have to give me notice and get permission in advance if you want to do anything other than regular Helix-approved activities." Mr Moss got up and shook Dad's hand. "Come and see me if you have any questions."

"We will," Dad said. "Thank you." Mr Moss smirked to himself (or was it at us?) before hauling himself to his feet, and waddling out of the room.

"Let's grab your spare training boots from the ship before i leave," Dad said. My stomach dropped. I didn't want to be reminded that he'd be leaving soon.

We left Carnival and in the parking lot, I spotted Cyclonis a couple of metres away, standing next to a tall woman who looked rather old and with similar features to Cyclonis.

"Your mother just told me about your report card!" the woman, presumably her grand-mother, yelled. Her tone pierced my ear drums. She wore a long black gown with a hood. "Your grades will be better this semester or you're going home."

Cyclonis glanced around with an annoyed look in her violet eyes. "I'll do better." She said quietly.

Cyclonis's grandmother turned and walked rather quickly (she was rather strong for someone her age, who I'm guessing, was around sixty) to her private cruiser and slammed the hatch. Wow. Hardly anyone had their own ship. Only Sky Kinght's and, well Cyclonian's had their own ship. Wait, how could I be so stupid? Cyclonis! She was a Cyclonian! Well, that explains everything. Her grandmother was obviously the great Master Cyclonis herself, and she had sent her granddaughter to Atmosia's best Academy to become an expert Crystal Mage.

A few years ago I would have been terrified of attending a school with the latest Cyclonis. But ever since the Cyclonian's and the Sky Knight's came together as one, they have been treated as equals. Master Cyclonis (the grandmother, not the granddaughter) had realised that her ways were wrong, and had given up her dreams of becoming ruler of Atmos. To prove this, she gave the title to the rightful King, Lightning Strike. But the Cyclonian's had kept their Terra and their dark-ness, if that makes sense. For example, the dark clothes, the dark make-up, and the dark attitude.

By now the Cyclonian ship was out of sight. Cyclonis set her jaw and tilted her chin up.

"Cyclonis, are you okay?" I called softly.

She looked at me and turned quickly, hurrying away.

Dad had returned from the cruiser and handed me my boots. I wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thanks," I said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For everything." He let me go and put an arm around my shoulders as we started to walk back toward Carnival Hall.

"Well, this is it," He said. "This is where I leave you."

"I'm a little nervous," I said. I tried to keep my voice even. "It's weird that you aren't meeting my teachers like you always do."

"It's perfectly normal to be nervous," Dad said, giving me a squeeze. His bright amber eyes – the same as my own – searched my face. "Remember, you'll be coming home for long weekends."

"Right," I said. I thought of my cozy bed and familiar school back home. It was getting harder to stand there, knowing he was about to leave. I could feel a sigh escape my lips. "In three weeks."

He gave me a final hug. "You'll be fine. Love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

With a final wave, I turned back to my dorm room.

So there you go! Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Chapter 3 should be up in 3-4 days, depends on my school work. Being in the top grade SUCKS! Sometimes i wish i was not such a nerd ;)

Oh, and i know that the thing with Master Cyclonis grandmother giving up leadership of the Atmos is VERY unlikely, i figured it was best for my story. Hope it makes sense. And i hope someone noticed the slightly-vulnerable Cyclonis, you know, with her grandmother? Anyway, thanks guys and see you next chapter!