Chapter 2: Secrets

I still hadn't fully recovered from being...from getting my mind...I'm sorry, I-I just can't bring myself to say the word. I feel hurt...no, it's more then that. I feel violated. I feel violated, like somethings been taken from me. You...you can put the pieces together yourself.

After Master Cyclonis...did...that...she wasted no time in putting her newly stolen information to use. She called in her generals, (Dark Ace, Snipe, Ravess, Repton, and a dozen or so Talon generals) and gave them their orders. I was still on the floor of her chamber, curled into a ball, tears still sliding silently down my cheeks. I listened in horror as she gave each of them a target, along with all the information they'd need to beat down any resistance. Flight tactics, fighting styles, equipment load outs, bases of operations, even things as minor as personality quirks that could be exploited; everything I had ever learned about my fellow Skyknights was being turned into a weapon for their destruction right in front of me. Blizzaris, Sharr, Wallop; all would fall at the hand of Cyclonia.

As Master Cyclonis gave her orders, I realized that it wasn't just my memories she had taken from me; she'd also absorbed my skill for making plans. As she spoke, I had to admit despite myself that her plan for total domination of the Atmos was almost perfect. Realizing what I had just thought made me want to throw up.

My presence was not unnoticed. Every few minutes one of the generals, save for Dark Ace, would glance at me, though whether from curiosity, pity, or something else I don't know.

From the look of the generals, they were surprised, if not shocked, to hear their Master go into such detail over her battle plan. Eventually, one certain scale-covered general became irritated. "Excuse me for interrupting, Master," Sarcasm oozed from Repton's last word. "But since when do you call the shots so thorough?"

Cyclonis' eyes narrowed at him, but a smug smirk remained on her face. "If you must know, I will explain." She pointed her staff at me. I flinched instinctively, expecting some sort of attack. "I trust you know who this is?"

Repton snarled, though whether it was at me or her I don't know. "Of course I know who it is! It's that Storm Hawk brat on the Heli-scooter."

Cyclonis' smirk deepened. "If that's all you know about her, then now it's of no surprise why you've always failed me."

Repton let out a hiss, which Cyclonis ignored.

"Piper here is..." She looked down at me with a smug look. For some reason the look on her face didn't match the look in her eyes. "...or rather, was the Storm Hawks Battle Coordinator."

Battle Coordinator? I guess from a military point of view that's what I could be called. I still preferred the term tactics specialist, though.

Cyclonis continued. "In a way, that means that any loss you owe the Storm Hawks, you owe to her."

All eyes focused on me, each burning with some level of hate. Each Talon general looked me angrily, no doubt blaming me for each Talon that had been sent to the Wastelands thanks to me and my friends. Snipe, dumb brute that he was, took to this idea immediately as a look of rage formed on his face that I took to mean that all the hate for each individual Storm Hawk was now focused on me. Repton's lips pulled back in a snarl, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. Ravess' eye twitched, though her face remained impassive. Only Dark Ace seemed unaffected by Cyclonis' words, most likely because no matter what she said, Aerrow would always be his target.

Master Cyclonis took no notice of their anger. "That's when it came to me: If Piper's strategies are the reason that my forces have always failed me," At this, an emotion I couldn't place erupted in Dark Ace's eyes, a look that Master Cyclonis did not see. "I began to wonder, 'what would happen if I took the planning that let five teenagers bring an empire to its knees time and again, and applied it to an entire army?' That's what brought me to the creation of this." With that held her staff out in front of her, the pink crystal at the end of it giving off a bright glow.

Repton eyed the crystal warily, though at the same time he barked out a laugh. "A crystal? What could a single crystal do to bring about what you say?"

Master Cyclonis smirked again, only this time there was a darkness behind it. "Simply put: with this crystal, if someone won't tell me what I want..." She swung her staff around with one hand, aiming it at me again. "...I'll take it."

As if on cue, my body gave another involuntary spasm as another wave of phantom pain hit me. I tried to curl myself into an even tighter ball, my unblinking eyes locked on the glowing crystal pointed at me, a new flood of tears erupting from me.

It was only now that the Cyclonian generals put the pieces together. My presence, the state I was in, the odd crystal, their leader's sudden leap in battle coordination; all of it together formed a look of fear and horror on each of their faces, except for Dark Ace. Though he hid it well, I could see his features twist slightly as Master Cyclonis looked away from him. Was it my imagination, or did he almost look...disgusted?

When Cyclonis looked back at him, however, the look was gone.

The Cyclonian leader smirked. "I trust you now understand?"

Repton glowered at her, stepping back. Master Cyclonis turned around, facing her demonic- machine. Under his breath, Repton muttered, "Witch."

In a flash, Repton found the Mind-Absorption crystal an inch from his forehead. His eyes widened in shock as Cyclonis' narrowed, all traces of humor gone from her face. Her voice was emotionless as she spoke. "I suggest you watch your tongue, Raptor, unless you want to share the same fate of poor Piper over there." A smirk formed slowly. "Or maybe I should add Terra Bogaton to our list of targets?"

Rage burned in Repton's eyes, but he made no movement against her. "That won't be necessary." His voice was restrained, but honest.

Still smirking, Cyclonis once again turned her back to her generals. "Good. You all have your orders. All forces will take flight in two hours. Should you fail..." She let that hang in the air for a moment. "Dismissed."

All the generals moved to leave the chamber, some faster then others. All but one.

"Excuse me, your Highness..."

All the generals looked back at Dark Ace. The man (if you could call him that) had not moved.

Cyclonis was silent, unmoving.

Dark Ace continued. "Forgive me, but...what of Terra Atmosia?"

It was true; through all of Master Cyclonis' extensive coordination, there had been no mention of Terra Atmosia, arguably the most influential of all the Terras, and without a doubt, Cyclonia's largest threat.

Master Cyclonis didn't turn around. With her back still to her underlings, only I could see her face. Only I could see the determined look on her face as she spoke, her voice deathly serious. "I shall deal with Atmosia...myself."

Surprise and confusion danced in the eyes of the Cyclonian generals. Dark Ace, face impassive, bowed. "Understood, your majesty." Without another word, he walked out of the chamber, the other generals following suit.

Last out of the room, Repton slammed the chamber door behind him, sending a massive noise echoing of the walls. Once again I was alone with Master Cyclonis. Still crying, still trembling, I waited, for what I didn't know.

As silence enveloped the room, Master Cyclonis closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Had I been in a better state, I would have been surprised at how...depressed she sounded. This was further enforced as I watched her features change, all emotion leave her, until only a look of sadness remained. Somehow, it still got through to me that, in a matter of seconds, the evil, tyrannical leader of Cyclonia had been replaced with a sad, lonely girl.

And it was this same girl that slowly turned towards me. That strange softness had returned to her eyes, mixed with a sadness I didn't understand. My half-formed thoughts were shattered, however, when she took a step towards me.

Instantly I cringed back, my eyes locking back on to the glowing pink orb. All I could think of was the pain. I couldn't go through that again. I couldn't take it again. My mind was already shattered. Another round with that crystal would destroy me.

Seeing my reaction, Cyclonis stopped. Her eyes followed mine, resting on her terrifying creation. Slowly she looked between me and the crystal, as if deciding something. Finally she closed her eyes. She released her grip on her staff, letting her hand slip away from it. By means beyond my understanding, the staff drifted to her hellish machine, seemingly of its own volition, and was grabbed by one of the machines spider-like appendages.

With the crystal out of her grasp, my fear turned to confusion when she took another hesitant step towards me. She held her hands out in front of her, palms up, like I was some sort of frightened animal she didn't want to startle. With despair I realized that that was exactly the case.

Cyclonis continued forward until she was directly over me. Some strange emotion consumed her features. Uncertainty?

Slowly she knelt down next to me. My confusion growing, I kept my eyes focused on her, waiting for her to say something.

Suddenly she reached a hand out to me. I flinched back out of reflex. I shut my eyes, ready for...what I don't know. Just for some kind of pain.

It was that much more surprising, then, when I felt a warm, tentative touch on my cheek.

My eyes flew open in shock and disbelief. Cyclonis stroked my cheek again with the back of her hand, slowly, as if she didn't even understand why she was doing this. Sadness hung over her like a cloak, and in her eyes was a pain that made no sense to me why it was there.

For a few minutes we stayed like that, the room silent exempt for the occasional whimper that escaped my mouth. To my amazement, I felt my trembling start to slow, my breathing start to steady. She was actually...comforting me.

In the back of my mind, a part of me was screaming. Why are you letting her do this? She nearly destroyed your mind! She's going to destroy your friends! Get up and do something!

Right now your probably wondering why I wasn't acting on these thoughts. The answer's simple: I didn't want to. After the pain I had just gone through, the fear I had drowned in being surrounded by the most evil people in all of Atmos, I welcomed any form comfort I could get. Even if it came from the person who had caused the pain.

That's not to say I completely lost all form of reason. I'm not stupid; I still remembered what she's done, what she was capable of, what she might still do. It's just that...looking into her eyes...seeing that pain...that loneliness...I got the feeling that...not that she wouldn't hurt me, but more like...like she didn't want to. I guess the best way to put it would be; she didn't ease my pain. She eased my trauma.

The silence was broken when she spoke, her voice little more then a whisper.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

For the first time since...that...anger welled up inside me. She was sorry? After what she had done, after what she had put me through, she was sorry? That anger quickly burned out when the deep sadness of her voice registered with me.

So many thoughts went through my head. So many questions, so many things to say. But with the pain I had gone through still fresh in my mind, all I could muster was, "W-Why?" Why did you hurt me? Why are you comforting me? Why do you look so sad?

Apparently she she took my question to mean the first. "I had to...I needed the information...I had to get it...I had to..." It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of what she was saying rather then me.

This was couldn't be real. This was some kind of trick. There was no way how someone as evil and manipulative as Master Cyclonis could possibly be this...innocent. This was the same girl who had captured a dozen Terras; who had laid waste to countless more. This was the same girl who had tricked me into trusting her, into letting her onto the Condor. The same girl who had electrocuted me mere moments after revealing her true colors, who had tried to blast me into oblivion...

Tried and failed.

My eyes widened slowly as realization settled in. That day, from so early in my career as a Storm Hawk, was still clear in my mind. The feelings of fear and betrayal as Cyclonis aimed that Oblivion crystal at me. My surprise and confusion as the crystal's energy dissipate harmlessly around me. My sadness at realizing that it had not all been a ruse, that she had truly become my friend, and that she had tossed our friendship aside once she had accomplished what she wanted.

Was that it? Somewhere deep inside her, did our friendship still exist? But then why did she betray me in the first place? Why put me through the pain that she just had? Why...?

It was too much. I couldn't process this all right then. With some effort, I forced my thoughts down, letting my mind come back to reality. Master Cyclonis still siting next to me, her hand still running slowly across my cheek. I had uncurled out of my ball and was now just laying limply on the ground. I looked up into her eyes, forcing myself to ignore the illogical sadness in them. "What are you going to do with me?" My voice was little more then a whisper, but I somehow managed to put my usual tone of voice into the words.

Cyclonis quickly broke her gaze. "I...I don't know..."

A pang of anger coursed through me. Quickly I grabbed her hand. Her eyes went back to mine as I gently pushed her hand away. "What do you mean 'you don't know?'"

Cyclonis dropped her gaze to the floor, closing her eyes. "It wasn't suppose to be you," she whispered.

I pushed myself up with one arm, my head level with hers. "What?" I asked in incredulously.

She shook her head briefly, then the quickly stood up. She took a few steps forward, pressing her hands against her head as if it hurt. Her voice much louder, she shouted, "They weren't suppose to capture you!"

In a flash, anger consumed me. I tried to stand, but my legs refused to move, so instead I glared at the back of her head. "Me? What do you mean that they weren't suppose to captured me? You just ranted to your lapdogs how this was your whole plan!"

Cyclonis' hands balled into fists, squeezing tuts of her hair in the process. "Please stop," she murmured.

I ignored her. "Why would you make that up? Better yet, if you did make it up, why shouldn't they of captured me? I only know as much as the rest of my squad. You could have gotten the same information from Aerrow or Junko..."

Cyclonis' fists pushed deeper against her skull, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was balling her fists. "Be quiet..." she ordered, her voice restricted.

I was yelling now. "What makes me so special?"

Her staff broke free of the machines hold on it, flying back to it's master's hand. She whirled around, slamming the staff on the ground. "SHUT UP!" She shrieked, sending a storm of electricity into the air.

I was instantly struck dumb. Not by the terrifying show of power or the pink crystal that now glowed brightly. By her eyes. Wild and wide, like some animal backed into a corner, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. The distressed look on her face gave me the feeling that she was trying desperately not to break down and cry. I have the feeling that if given just a few moments longer, she would have.

For the second time, the chamber door burst open, revealing Dark Ace. "Your highness, are you okay? I thought I heard you yell."

Master Cyclonis quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, wiping away her tears. All the same, she kept her back to him as she spoke. "Just having some... issues with the prisoner." Though her words were cold and menacing, they didn't match up with the her expression as she kept her eyes locked on me.

Dark Ace walked forward. "What kind of issues?

Cyclonis barked out a laugh, which was bizarre as she had no smile. "She just hasn't learned how to speak to her new master. She still believes her comrades will rescue her."

I tried my best to keep my shock hidden. She knew I had given up that hope. She had literally ripped that piece of my despair from my mind herself. She was outright lying to the Dark Ace. Why?

Dark Ace walked up behind her. A smirk formed on his face. "Perhaps there is a way to remove that hope from her for good."

Cyclonis didn't turn to him, but her eyes shifted to the side, confused. "How so?"

"Well, your Highness, if it's rescue that she is hoping for, perhaps it would be best if she sees first hand what becomes of her would-be rescuers."

Master Cyclonis narrowed her eyes. "What are you suggesting?"

The traitorous ex-skyknight stared down at me as he spoke. His eyes were cold, so much so that he could have given a Blizzarian a chill. "Why don't you take poor...Piper here..." He said my name as if it were some kind of derogative. "...and have her on the bridge when you commence your attack on Atmosia?"

Master Cyclonis seemed even more confused. "Why would I do that?" She seemed to be asking herself rather then Dark Ace.

Dark Ace smiled coldly. "So she can be there to watch Atmosia burn. So that she can see all possibility of Cyclonia's defeat go up in smoke. She'll be there to watch her world crumble, until all that is left is your empire."

I sat there listening to every word, horrified. Simply listening to how they would destroy the Skyknights was sickening enough, but to be forced to watch it happen? To watch my friends die right in front of me? Like Aerrow...

As Dark Ace spoke, Master Cyclonis slowly nodded her head. The strange softness that had been held in her eyes started to fade, being replaced with a cold, hard look, mirroring Dark Ace.

Dark Ace continued, slowly pacing behind Master Cyclonis. "And besides, she would never believe what we tell her. She'd be no use to us if she constantly believed she'd be rescued by her long dead friends. She'd have to see it for herself, else she'd be in denial all the time."

"Yes..." Master Cyclonis' voice was cold, so much so that it sounded...empty. She smirked down at me. "That's what I have to do. Then you'll..." She turned towards the entrance. "Ravess!"

The female general appeared in the door way in less then five seconds. She did a quick bow. "Your Highness?"

"Take Piper to be cleaned up. Then take her to the bridge of my flagship. Keep her under guard at all times."

Confused, but knowing better then to question her queen, Ravess bowed again. "Your Majesty," she acknowledged. She moved quickly to my side. She motioned to help me up, but I swatted aside her hand. Amazingly, I was able to keep my feet under me as she led me out of the chamber. Two Talons waited at the door.

Before leaving the chamber, I looked back at Cyclonis' our eyes locking. For a brief instant, I thought I saw the softness in her eyes return, her expression turn sad. But then she closed her eyes, and the coldness returned, the sadness replaced with a smirk, mirrored by the man behind her.

A/n: Please don't flame me! This is my first attempt at something like this, and if it sucks, I apologize. Constructive criticism is appreciated, so please read and review.

P.S. Sorry for the lame chapter title. It's all I could think of.