A/N: There is a sex scene at the end of this chapter.

UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO
Chapter Two

Yes we're different, worlds apart. We're not the same.
We laughed and played at the start like in a game.
You could've stayed outside my heart, but in you came.
And here you'll stay, until it's time for you to go.

.

The Talon known as Oriole, was not a Talon at all.

He caught her unaware, unguarded, in the middle of slipping out of her red and green soldier's uniform to reveal the true colours of her loyalty underneath. The soldier reached into her shirt, pulled out a small blue crystal necklace hidden deep within her clothes and with a precise stroke of her finger, dropped the illusion. Blue hair, orange eyes, and her infamous brown skin.

The Dark Ace stared silently inn wonder. A Storm Hawk. Forgetting himself, his hand slipped and pushed the door inwards a tiny bit, creaking. Gave him away.

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Piper froze. Left herself vulnerable and that fraction of a moment was all the man needed to slip through the door and shut it behind him with a kick. With a deft twist of his wrist, he locked them in.

With a silent raging scream Piper lunged towards him, her hands like claws, and determined to fight for her freedom. He couldn't leave this room alive, her mission depended upon it. Four years spent here in this stone hell. No one knew she was undercover, not a soul. But the Dark Ace was clever and despite his advanced age, he was still strong with at least fifty pounds of body mass over her. Flicked the key as far away from them, he grabbed Piper's wrists and met her bared fangs with his own, felt the age-old rush of adrenaline that came with danger.

But Piper was in peak physical condition, in the prime of her life. Hardened with a steel edge from a world under oppressive rule, she was not the young, idealistic child who once fought with honour. She did not fight with the grace and master of Sky Fu, she was beyond that phrase. Her cover needed to be maintained. This man needed to be silenced.

She kicked him, headbutted him, took him out with an agile sweep behind the knees. If he gave her the chance, Dark Ace was sure she would have bitten him. But he remained clamped onto her, hindering her movements of escape with his vice-like grip around her body. They wrestled upon the dusty ground, boots scraping against each other, bruises forming everywhere. Flailing arms knocked over stacks of wooden chairs as they clattered down onto the unswept ground, stirred up spiralling clouds of filth.

So much noise he was sure the guards were on their way. He wanted to yell and scream at her to stay still, stop fighting, or else they would both be caught. The guards held no love for him, no one did anymore. His breath came in short gasps, a sign of his weakening state, but Piper was still going strong. The woman was smart, too smart, and every inch he relinquished she took venomously. This was a losing battle and only b sheer will did he persevere this long.

He had a bleeding nose, probably swollen, when she whipped her head backwards and struck him in the face. The force of the blow caused him to bite down on his tongue painfully, and he swore in pain. She was a fighter, this one. It was getting harder and harder to maintain his hold on her. She slithered out of his grasp and in a last desperate effort, Dark Ace seized a handful of the Talon uniform gathered around her waist.

"Wait. Stop. I don't want to hurt you." he wheezed.

The Storm Hawk sneered, hatred destroying her lovely face. He yanked at her clothing and she fell to the ground with a hard thump, twisted around and kicked his ribs. Spluttering and gasping at his chest, he finally let go.

Oh, what he had been reduced to. Did no one fear him now?

Four years living as a Cyclonian. Four years spent in subterfuge: signed up for the military, worked and trained and sweated under the Talon flag. Saluted Talon officers and other political officials who represented Master Cyclonis, and finally received her assignment as part of the queen's first guard.

She was good, fell in line with the other recruits while managing to show off a little bit of her hidden skills. No Sky Fu here thought, that would be a huge mistake. The younger bunkmates already knew what to expect, having gone through schooling at one of the many Junior Talon Academies.

Swallowing the tightness in her throat, Oriole the spy checked the wall of posted schedule in the lounge room next to the mess hall. A slender finger located her name, slid over to the right, and memorized the concise lines of tiny print.

The soldier's mind recalled the days of training, the expectant line of hopefuls who sought a position within the castle. Oriole hadn't been scared but contemplative. She knew she would get in on her first try, her superior told her against protocol. He was a nice man who looked out for her, and she suspected he was another rebel spy but didn't say so.

At six foot and five inches, Jack was a tall man with dusky skin and dirty blonde hair. Streaks of platinum yellow hung from the sides of his face, usually pulled back his curly waves into a low ponytail. Said he was from Terra Rex before the Talons came to save the people from the Rex Guardians, and the new rules dictated at least one person from every family joined the military reserves. Mandatory service. He volunteered in the place of his younger sister, and there was a young recruit here named Willow that reminded him of her.

Oriole liked him a lot, but never saw him again when she left his command.

There were twelve of them here who stood in front of the Talon Commander, Goose. She had hard, black eyes that stared through you and with a sniff of the nose, could smell sweaty fear from ten feet away without ever looking at you. She terrified people but she was a good superior. Stern and fair. Hadn't lost a battle yet and captured many rebels for her queen.

Oriole knew for sure she was part of the Rebellion, had switched sides over a year ago for personal reasons.

And they listened in silence as she spoke clear and loud, brooked no interruption as she handed them their new clothes.

They stared at the uniforms with wide, innocent eyes, believed the lies of the empire. The Free Atmos was a place of chaos where nothing got done and no one trusted each other. Under the unification of Master Cyclonis the world was whole again, a thousand different terras sealed together under a single flat, a supreme ruler. The Rebellion were a bunch of arsonists and bombers, who stole from the civilians and kidnapped their parents. The abandoned children had to live out their youth in the orphanages when it should have been their homes. So when you wear this Talon uniform and recite the national anthem, don't forget who you fought for. Terra Cyclonia, your mother, your home.

You were all so young to be orphans, and did you now the queen was one too? Yes, Master Cyclonis was also an orphan. Her parents murdered when she was barely a year old, probably by Atmosian assassins. Her grandmother, the dowager empress raised her all by herself. Taught her everything she needed to know about being a queen. Unite the kingdoms, master the crystals.

But Master Cyclonis sick and therefore the empire is sick, and she needs you now more than ever. She has no champion, no protector, and there are assassins everywhere. Spies from the Rebellion, who plot to murder the queen in her sleep. If you ever saw her you would understand. Always looks like she hasn't slept in days, always twitchy, very nervous.

It's hard being the queen – even harder when her first champion, the one they called the Dark Ace, let her down. They said he was conspiring to kill her, failed her so often she realized where his allegiances wandered off to. Of course he was never convicted, but he was the only one ever brought to trial. She owed him that. He denied all charges though, and our queen couldn't execute him in good conscience.

So all you young ones, and even some of the more mature adults like Oriole, listen up. We are the queen's army, the queen's guard. Our hearts and lives belong to Master Cyclonis and she needs up to rely on. Without her our nation would crumble into chaos and those filthy rebels would sweep over the castle like a stinking, putrid virus, and kill us all. They're wild, not civilized like us. They live under the mountains and sleep in the trees and dig holes to live in. Absolute animals. They probably don't even have indoor plumbing. Disgusting.

Some of you are greenhorns, but you all applied for this position and your superiors reviews all your applications. Others before you have tried, and failed. But you, all twelve of you here, passed. Here, when you guard this castle forget about your differences, your grudges, and the negative memories of your past. Here you are family and respect one another, whether you have green fur or pink skin. A leathery hide. Master Cyclonis is our future, drill that into your brains. She is our queen and our mother, and she protects this empire.

Oriole, come up here. Stand before me and recite your pledge.

With a raised chin and shining eyes, Oriole stood tall and placed her right hand over her heart. Did what she was told.

Master Cyclonis had taken Aerrow. Finally found the leader of the Storm Hawks, a constant thorn in her side. He was one of the many captains that led the Rebellion against her magnanimous rule, but now she had the rugged young man in her clutches, Finally.

Piper wanted to sob when she saw her former lover and best friend taken up to the podium of the throne room, but could not help him. Not by herself, not without a plan. Four long years had done little to dampen the love in her heart. Watched with horror as he struggled against his constraints, flanked on all four sides with armed Talons, and faced the mad queen.

He was supposed to get away, but the redhead would never leave a soldier behind. That's how they caught him, exploited his sense of heroism. The Rebellion won this last battle, succeeded in freeing the stockades from prisoners. They were all about freedom, and these people deserved a life without oppression. Aerrow was amazingly brave, fought the Talons and saved the prisoners. Everyone had gotten out safely and boarded the waiting ships, headed by Stork. All escaped, all but one.

Aerrow would rather fight capture than give Master Cyclonis another individual to execute, even if he was outflanked and outnumbered. Even if it meant being left behind. Besides, he knew she wouldn't kill him – not yet. He was too precious to dispose of so soon, she needed another pawn for The Binding. Only Sky Knights would do.

The Rebellion feared the throne room. Talons too. That was where the queen ruled with a cold heart, judged the worth of a prisoner's life with her clouded vision and doled out the punishment herself. Judge, Jury and Executioner. Absolute power. Either swear loyalty to her, or die. It was amazingly simple. Funny how so many refused.

Piper could not afford to cry out. Not here, not now. Aerrow's screamed echoed in Piper's ears and multiplied within her, decibel by decibel, as Master Cyclonis shoved a red crystal into his heart. Cruel and slow. Like everyone else within sight, she watched the stone disappear into his body and envelop him in a malicious crimson glow. All she could do was stand guard like she was supposed to, pretend his cries weren't killing her inside. Aerrow was going to be fine... you'll see...

The otherworldly glow dissipated, seeped back into his body where it stained his mind. An unwilling servant to the queen, forced to obey her call by her tainted crystal magic. If he resisted the crystal inside would hurt him, squeeze his internal organs until he bent to her will. Eat away at his mind. Her fail safe perfected.

The last and greatest Sky Knight to serve as her partner for The Binding, the only one equally worthy to her power since the Dark Ace became useless. With Aerrow she would crush the Rebellion once and for all. Secure her dynasty with his blood, and beget his heirs. It would be glorious and fearsome, and she would take it all.

It was all going wrong, so horribly wrong. Aerrow wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to stay far away where he could fight Master Cyclonis at a distance while she infiltrated from the inside.

Four years she had been a Talon, worked her way through basic training and risen in the ranks. How many times had she fought against her friends, her own kin in spirit, and taken them down? They could never know and she could never tell. Marched them to the stockades, swallowed the guilt in her throat when they spat at her, insulted her uniform, and told her she was worse than shit to believe in the glory of Empire Cyclonia. It was a lie, a horrible, twisted lie. Master Cyclonis had them all fooled, and one day they would regret it.

Some of them even tried to kill her. Attempted to escape the overflowing prisoners, and with her pale skin and green hair, no one recognized her. The disguise was too good, even the Night Crawlers who intermittently deposited significant prisoners of war barely gave her more than a sniff. That was good, and yet terrifying. No one felt safe around those monsters.

Oriole rarely let down her illusion, could count on one hand the number of times she allowed herself to revert back to her true self, Piper of the Storm Hawks. She had searched the castle for abandoned rooms, paranoid she was being tailed, and gazed ruefully at the clouded mirrors. The brown face in the mirror was a welcome stranger, with her amber eyes and blue locks. The woman Aerrow fell for, the woman she hoped he still loved.

She had friends here, but they were Talons. Outsiders and insiders, working for the enemy. And she had no one to talk to, not about this. When she saw him for the first time, scuffed up and tied up, her heart leapt out of her throat and she wanted to fly over to him. Protect him within the wings of her arms and tell him she was all right. She had been preparing for the last battle, learned all sorts of things and watched the Master, and now life threw this spanner in the works.

Aerrow. Her future, her hope.

Oh, it was all so wrong. He wasn't going to be Aerrow the Sky Knight much longer if Master Cyclonis had her way. She was going to bestow him with a new title, strained to announce the joyful news when the warrior's mental barriers were torn down. She had plans for this one, and it was going to blast the Rebellion into oblivion.

Oriole heard the queen's voice in her head. It would not go away, it was everywhere.

The Dark Aerrow.

It had a lovely ring to it, did it not? Four smooth syllables that rolled off the tongue. Easy. Some might even call him handsome, and the queen could see it. Approved of public opinion. She liked it when he sneered at her, swore at her when he refused to bow. She liked to see him grovel when her red crystal squeezed his heart. He had a filthy tongue, and it made her laugh. People who made her laugh she liked to keep close. He was her guest, even if he was so rude.

So she gave him a gift. An impressive set of chambers to call his own, second in grandeur to hers. Of course it would be a cage, she couldn't have him sneaking away at night, unless it was to her bed. That indiscretion she would allow. Steel doors and steel bars, artificial painted windows to mimic the natural light. Newly refurbished. Rotating guards posted outside his confinement, two at a time, and all the entertainment he could want.

Books, newspapers. Even films. But no crystals, never crystals. She wouldn't allow him to keep his weapons of choice, his twin blades. They had pretty crystals in them, a pair of rare blue Strikers, so she would keep them safe until he chose to side with her. Crystals. Yes. Those were all for her. Anything else but that. All he had to do was ask.

Bitingly, Aerrow asked for his freedom, and again Master Cyclonis laughed.

Such a kidder.

Just wait until tomorrow. It would be a full day, full of training and she looked forward to seeing him sweat in pain and anger. They didn't have to be adversaries, he didn't have to have that crystal in his chest; it was his fault if he suffered. She thought him smarter than the rest. The Dark Aerrow certainly had the talent. If she used an Oblivion crystal on him now, what would be its effects? Would his mind be wiped clean? Or would the energy simply burn his skin to a crispy blackness? Did he like the taste of burnt bacon?

Oh, but the hour was getting late, and his queen was tired. Don't worry about the weapons, she was going to care for them as if they were her own. Goodnight, dear champion. I'll see you in the morning.

Sweet dreams, and think of Cyclonia.

For the first time in a long time, in what might have been years – Piper panicked.

Her heart was hurting, and everywhere she looked she felt pain. It was this place, this tomb for the oppressed, the castle of Cyclonia. How did people live here? How could they tolerate the murder of so many and still be okay with it? Where were their morals? Their integrity? Their empathy?

She hated it here. Had for a long time.

He didn't know why she came to him, so he didn't ask. Out of all the people she had known and trusted, Piper chose him for solace. He supposed he needed it too, had needed it for a long time but denied himself every opportunity to. He'd be watching her, thinking about her. He was a private man, and there was no one around whom he cared enough to share his miserable sorrows.

Maybe she saw him as a non-threat since that incident when he caught her changing, realized the young woman was really a Storm Hawk in subterfuge. She could have ended him there, silenced him permanently. In that dusty old room he'd seen what the Talons had done to the girl named Piper, killed her innocence and she'd stuffed the holes inside with revenge and loss. Dark Ace supposed he had those holes too. He was certainly responsible for some of the damage done.

If he was still loyal to Master Cyclonis he would have succeeded in capturing her, trussed her up and presented her before his queen. The monarch might have gazed upon him in appreciation, no longer the old and used up warrior she had cast out so carelessly. He was the only one of the original commanders who remained alive by her hand, everyone else had gone before him.

Sometimes they deserved it, plotted with the Rebellion to overtake the throne with a military coup. Sometimes they didn't, like Mr. Snipe whose stupidity and brute strength saved him long enough until his mistake. Until he made a stupid, harmless joke about Master Cyclonis in the entrance of the throne room, played along with the Talon guards not knowing his queen was behind him.

His execution had been swift and almost painless. Less than a minute. He wasn't that important to her.

"I – You. You shouldn't be here."

Piper kissed him first, dressed in the false colours of the empire and he thought it looked all wrong. She was like a bird, caged in this rotting, mouldy citadel of death when she should be outside this world, free and flying. He hadn't seen a blue sky in years. Couldn't remember what fresh air felt like. His wings had been clipped a long time ago, resigned to his role as the sole reminder of an age before the fall of the Free Atmos. An artifact of the past, buried and lost.

Victory was bittersweet in the end, and so was age, but this woman who pressed her hard body against his, who entered his private chambers without a second glance, embodied all those ideals of a different life. Even in her Talon uniform he knew there was a Storm Hawk under there. Could feel her wings beat.

She nursed the flickering beacon of hope within her breast. She was here in Cyclonia because she believed in her dreams along with countless others. And here he was, helping no one. Not even his old Master. Gathering dust and regret.

Her kiss was so sweet, and he ached with longing.

"I don't know what to call you," he chuckled ruefully, his hands upon her curled shoulders, and pushed her away. "Are you Oriole? Or are you Piper?"

She silenced him with another kiss. The sincerity made his cobweb burdened chest contract painfully. Reminded him he was still alive after all. Like presenting nectar to a blind man.

"Piper. Please call me Piper." She unbuckled his belt now, pressed her pelvis against his in need.

She was hurting, she felt so lost in this great stone castle and she had no one right now. She needed to save Aerrow, she needed to contact the Rebellion, she needed to do so much. The years of clever deception were grinding her down and this last disaster had done a number on her heart. She felt so burdened, and Master Cyclonis had effectively worn her out.

Why did the Dark Ace save her? Why did she let him go? She was so certain of his loyalty, his unshakeable fealty to the evil queen she spent the next few night after that incident in oppressive paranoia, terrified that around every corner there was a squadron of Talons out to get her. Mission blown. But Oriole – Piper – was no murderer. She didn't want to be one anymore.

She waited for the guards but there were none. The weeks passed and still her deception had not been revealed. The Rebellion was safe for now. She was safe. She could continue her role.

"Okay. Piper."

And then he kissed her. Kissed her passionately, held her close to his body with such adoration the woman allowed herself to forget. Leave her troubles outside his door like the Talon uniform she wore, and pick it up afterwards when their tryst was over. Because that's all this was, solace. Two broken people seeking comfort in each other.

"I don't want to see you with this face, I want to see who you are."

The woman almost smiled then, ducked her head in the shadow of her long mint-green hair and pulled out the necklace from her shirt. Turning around, she stroked the special edge of the crystal, let her facade melt away. Her skin was darker, her eyes a brilliant orange, her hair a smoky blue.

He sighed then, his breath hot against her neck, and she released the breath she had been holding.

"Thank you."

Piper turned around and gazed upon the Dark Ace. Pressed her fingers to his lips before he swooped down to meet her mouth again.

He was handsome like this, the dim light softened the harsh angles of his face. Made him look at least ten years younger. The Dark Ace had soft lips, something she hadn't thought possible with his perpetual frown, and his hands knew how to caress. He kissed her deeply, drinking her in, and Piper sighed against his mouth. Her body was waking, coming back to life with a primal urge. A basic demand. The need to feel loved.

It didn't matter if it was just this once, they both knew the unspoken rules of this midnight escapade. This was salvation, nothing more.

Hands tugged at her shirt, pulled the wrinkled fabric out of her trousers, and his fingers brushed the bare skin of her stomach. He knelt before her, kissed the flat of her belly with closed eyes that sent a comet of hot flame straight through her middle and down between her legs. A streak of fire that ignited her passion until it was too much to withhold.

They undressed each other, and time didn't matter. He thought her brave, standing naked before him, and perhaps he was a little ashamed of himself too, allowing this woman to see him so vulnerable. Or maybe it was his soul he wanted to hide.

When she kissed him, touched his body without hesitation or judgement, a little more of his anxieties melted away. He would be brave for her, imitate her strength, just this once. He led her to his bed, chest heaving with excitement, and made to turn off the lamp light beside his bed. A brown hand stopped him and his red eyes connected with hers. A question lay upon his lips.

"Don't. I want to see you in the light."

He smiled - a crooked, accidental thing, and Piper's heart felt immensely lighter. She kissed him again. Pulled him on top of her and they both groaned with the contact. She arched up against him, holding his head gently against her neck as he kissed her there. He took care not to mark her skin with his teeth, do nothing to betray her position. It was important to her. He left no physical mark that she could see.

If he could not be rough like she wanted, he could make it up to her in fervour. She stayed there long in his bed, and did not object when one orgasm ended and another began. She even allowed him to explore her; he pressed his palms against the dips of her back and memorized the shape of her knees. And to her everlasting surprise, she did the same.

He had a faint white scar on the left side of his face, on the apple of his cheek. The beginnings of crow's eyes when he squinted in the dark. A birthmark on his upper thigh, in the general shape of a gibbous moon. His left arm was injured permanently, when she did not know, but she could tell from the way he held himself over her the Dark Ace adjusted to that handicap a long, long time ago.

Their rolling movements were almost tender, almost evolved into a word not called sex – and Piper knew she was playing in dangerous territory. This man looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world. How could he do that? He knew what she was, what she had become. Even whispered her name (Piper, Piper) as he moved inside her, his dark eyelashes shut tight, their heads canted towards each other.

She wanted to say I love you, and hear the words I love you in return, but would probably regret it in the morning. It manifested illogically, floated like water at the top of her lungs. Threatened to rush out of her throat, hit the roof of her mouth and slip off her tongue. He was an excellent kisser, had she mentioned that? Oh, he was.

Caught up in the moment there was a high probability he would say it too, but only if she murmured it first. The mistake was looking into his red eyes - initiated contact. Out of curiosity more than anything else, she was trapped within his deep gaze. Her heart took flight from her chest. He was beautiful and she couldn't look away. A fatal error.

So she refused to say it. It would be unnecessarily cruel if it wasn't sincere. If it wasn't meant to endure.

Piper may be a spy, a warrior, a survivor – but she wasn't heartless. She wasn't like Master Cyclonis, so consumed with power the woman abandoned and reviled all symptoms of humanity. Here in his room she didn't have to be Oriole. Or a captain of the Rebellion. She was just a woman. And the man in her arms – he was just a man. Had a name outside of this room. Had a life.

Made mistakes.

Maybe live to see his next birthday.

They were the lucky ones to remember what life was like before Cyclonia won. Who could still count their birthdays and smile, albeit bitterly. They were still alive, while many others were not.

The woman slept in his arms, stress and exhaustion overcame her mind, and the Dark Ace remained awake beside her. He expected Piper to quickly take her fill of him and disappear just as suddenly, leaving him with a cold memory of a warm bed. But she remained. Perhaps deep inside her mind acknowledge the safety of this place. No one would think to bother the disgraced champion, no one ever did. The rebel found a rare sanctuary here, and in his own way he would protect her.

He whispered her name once more, two syllables that rolled off his tongue like honey. Tangy and sweet. Natural.

Here he would let her sleep as long as she needed, and he would not interfere with her rest.