DISCLAIMER: I do not own Storm Hawks or anything associated with the show, this fanfic exists purely because I want it to, also, credit to the story's cover image goes to alienforceSH

Hello all and welcome back, this is chapter 3... I didn't expect this one to be as long as it turned out to be, but, there were certain things that I wanted to have happen in this chapter so... Anyway, today's guest star for the second Spirit is none other than the adorable and beautiful Tinker Bell from Disney's Peter Pan (the animated one), don't worry she has dialogue, would be pretty difficult otherwise. Many of you have probably figured out where this story is headed by now, but I still think I did a good enough job on this chapter for it to be entertaining (just wait till we get to the next chapter, then the real fun begins). Also just so we're clear, I like to think that Cyclonis has some form of Dissociative Identity Disorder (aka, Multiple Personality Disorder). This goes for her in general and not just in Fan Fiction (my own or otherwise) as we do see multiple mood swings from her throughout the show, ranging from just angry, to almost monstrous, as well as reminiscent. So I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that if some kind of tragic event did occur in Cyclonis's life, then it's fair to say she wouldn't really be right in the head, and could well have multiple sides to her personality

But you didn't come here for a lesson on Psychology (snickers to self), you came here to read a kick ass story (pardon my language)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, welcome back to... An Atmosian Tale


Chapter 3: "That is why they call it a present"

Cyclonis's eyes snapped open as she woke with a start, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her body covered in a light sheen of sweat. Then her eyes took in her room, safe and familiar, and she began to relax

A bad dream, it was only a bad dream

But if it was, then it was a particularly vivid dream, and accurate, everything about it that Cyclonis remembered had been spot on, and what she didn't remember she knew from what she'd been told or read. Her mother's death, the news about her father, her grandmother's harsh lessons... despite everything, she didn't resent her grandmother for what she had done, after all, Cyclonis had returned the action in kind and it had resulted in Anarchis's death. Indeed, Cyclonis still felt guilt over the action to this very day, but now she'd been able to view the events with a clearer perspective. Back then, she'd been afraid, angry and in pain – emotional if not physical – and those feelings had filled her mind so completely that she was unable to think clearly. The Spirit of Days gone by however had taken her back, had given her a very visual reminder of what had happened, and Cyclonis had viewed it all from an observers perspective, with a clear head, and what she had seen...

I did become a monster, a force of destruction... I forgot who I was... who I' am...

No, you ARE Master Cyclonis, the Storm, the Cyclone; you will sweep away ALL in your path and give Cyclonia the WORLD that is your destiny!

The voice was harsh and grating and caused Cyclonis to grip her head in pain, she recognized the voice from before, it had prompted her to begin searching for a way to get revenge on Piper. Was that it? Was this voice the darkness that her grandmother had caused to grow inside of her?

Cyclonis looked over to the door that led to the main room of her chambers, where her spell was

Do I really want this? Is this the path I've chosen... or simply the one I've been made to follow?

She shook her head in an attempt to clear it, these thoughts were a weakness, the past was dead and gone, there was nothing she could do to bring it back and she was a fool to fall for the spirit's game so easily

It was just a dream, now go back to sleep, tomorrow I'll cast the spell and watch as it destroys Piper and her friends

Oddly as Cyclonis lay back down to sleep, that thought no longer gave her the same satisfaction as it had while she had been crafting the spell. She ignored that however and was about to close her eyes, when a flickering light caught her attention, as did a voice

"Hmm, no not here, she must keep them somewhere... maybe over there?"

The moment Cyclonis heard the voice she tensed, who was in her room now

"No not here either, she must have some, I can't believe for a second that she doesn't have any," the voice said again

As Cyclonis listened, she realized that the voice sounded a lot like Piper; her anger began to rise again

That Skyknight is riffling through my things... how dare she!

Cyclonis jumped out of bed and proceeded to grab a crystal which she used to flood the room with light, "So the Skyknight turns thief eh, we'll see how you like some time in the dungeons Piper!" Cyclonis exclaimed getting ready to fight, but Piper was nowhere to be seen, the room was empty except for Cyclonis. Cyclonis began looking around in confusion searching for Piper, when it became obvious however that Piper was not there, she sighed and gave up, turning back to the bed

"I think I need to stop working on crystals all night, their messing up my sleep pattern, and making me hear things that aren't there," Cyclonis muttered to herself

"Quite possibly," said the voice again startling Cyclonis as a small bright light flew up to her so it was right in her face, "But then again, it's also not a good idea to go to bed angry, ruins a good night's sleep that does."

Cyclonis gave a cry as she jumped away from this strange talking light; however her foot got caught on the corner of her bedside table causing her to lose her balance and topple over, landing hard on her back. The strange light gave a giggle as it flitted above her "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you," it said as it came to land on the bedside table Cyclonis had just tripped over. As it did, the light coming from it faded out a bit, allowing Cyclonis to see the source

It was a tiny person, wearing a green, strapless dress that came down to just above her knees, Cyclonis then started as she realized that the dress was made out of leaves, and that there was a pair of gossamer wings sprouting from this person's back. The little person smiled at her "Hello Cyclonis, pleased to meet you, I'm the Spirit of This day, but you can call me Gift," she said cheerily

Cyclonis now frowned as she sat up, "Gift?" she asked, "What kind of name is that?"

"My name, and it fits because of what I' am," the little pixie replied

Cyclonis continued to frown, "I don't get it."

Gift sighed, "have you ever heard the saying 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why they call it a present'?"

Cyclonis blinked, she'd heard of it yes, but had never really given it much thought before, now that she did, she realized that it made sense. Then Cyclonis fully processed everything Gift had said, "Wait a minute, you're not with those other two are you?" Cyclonis asked wearily

Gift giggled again, "Oh you mean Arygyn and History, yea they're friends of mine, History is a bit uptight though, and incredibly egocentric, believing the whole universe revolves around him, saying things like 'The past shapes the future, which is why it must be remembered and learned from'," Gift laughed

Cyclonis couldn't help but laugh along with her, until she remembered why this little pixie was here, "So you've come to tell me to not cast my spell as well have you?" she stated

Gift gave a small smile, "No silly, I know I can't convince you to do that, no one can," she said, that cheerful happy smile that reminded Cyclonis so much of Piper plastered on her face

"Then... why are you here?" Cyclonis asked confused

Here Gift leapt off the bedside table and into the air again, flitting around happily, "To remind you of what is truly important in life and show you everything you've been missing out on," she explained happily

Now Cyclonis raised an eyebrow, "Missing out on?"

"Yes, like fun, jokes, cake, sweets... oh and games, can't forget about games... then there's a good book, that's relaxing as well as fun... in short, living," Gift explained as she danced through the air

Cyclonis rolled her eyes as she stood back up, "I don't have time for such things, I'm the ruler of Terra Cyclonia, I have a war to run and an enemy to defeat... besides, such frivolous things are a waste of time anyway," Cyclonis replied

Gift puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, "Frivolous! What are you talking about, without these things what's the point to life," she exclaimed

Cyclonis waved her off however as she made her way back to bed, "There's plenty of point to my life without those things thank you very much, now if you could kindly leave so I can get some sleep..." but Cyclonis didn't get to finish as Gift flew straight into her face again, her aura now a little red

"You might be alive and believe you have a purpose, but you're not living, you're just going through a routine, day by day, wake up, find a way to conquer Atmos and destroy the Skyknights, enact a plan, whoops plan failed, go to bed, rinse and repeat the following morning," Gift stated, "That might be a life, but it's not living... living is spending time with friends, laughing and having fun, every day is a gift remember so treat it as such and don't just discard it idly."

The last part of Gift's speech was said with a passion that Cyclonis had never come across before, her aura changed as well, from red to blue as she spoke

Cyclonis stared at her a moment, before looking away, "You don't understand, I have duties, responsibilities, I can't just abandon them."

"I'm not telling you to, but everyone, even the Storm Hawks, always find some time in their day to just relax and be themselves and have fun," Gift replied, "Even your father, who was Master Cyclonis before you always found time to spend with you... you can as well."

Now Cyclonis looked back at Gift, "How?" she asked

Gift smiled here, "I was hoping you would ask, quickly get dressed there's somewhere I want to take you," she said

Now Cyclonis raised an eyebrow, Gift just giggled in response, "Don't worry, it won't take long, just till the end of the day... then I'll leave you be," the last part was said with a small hint of sadness entering Gift's voice. Cyclonis wondered if she should ask about that, but Gift quickly shook it off as a happy smile returned to her face, "Come on get dressed, you don't want people to see you in your pj's do you?"

Cyclonis gave a tired sigh, she had a feeling that one way or another this spirit would get her to wherever she wanted to take her, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to see Master Cyclonis in her nightwear. So she started getting dressed, but as soon as she did, Gift interrupted "No not those dreary things!" she exclaimed

Cyclonis looked down at her royal robes, then looked up at Gift slightly annoyed, "What do you mean not these, these are my clothes!?" she said testily

"I meant something casual, you know, shirt and skirt, or maybe you prefer trousers, I don't know, just not those," Gift explained

Cyclonis rolled her eyes, "Well this is all I have," she replied

Gift shook her head and sighed, "Arygyn was right, we have a lot of work to do, and not much time."

Cyclonis raised an eyebrow in confusion and was about to say something when Gift spoke again, while flitting about her, "Well we'll just have to improvise, a touch here, a tuck there..." as she flitted from point to point about Cyclonis, Gift would wave her hands about, and some dust would be scattered over Cyclonis

"What are you doing!?" Cyclonis exclaimed, trying to follow Gift's movements

"Sorting out your new outfit for the day, now hold still," Gift replied before flitting back up so she was in front of Cyclonis about a foot away, "That should do it," as she spoke she waved her hand one last time, causing a cascade of dust to begin to fall over Cyclonis. As the dust began to settle, Cyclonis's clothes began changing, from the royal robes to an outfit that more closely resembled the one Piper wore. There were a couple of differences, for instance, the collar had a line of fur, and it was a different colour, more dark blues and violets than the light blue and orange of Piper's outfit

Gift examined her work, a broad smile on her face, then she flitted towards a nearby mirror, "Have a look," she said

Cyclonis followed hesitantly, then caught sight of her reflection, and it took her breath away, it reminded Cyclonis of the disguise she'd had while infiltrating the Condor, but this one was more her. Instead of the light and bright colours, the clothes had darker shades that complimented Cyclonis's natural look more and matched her hair colour, she certainly wouldn't have gotten away with these colours and the blond hair she had sported while infiltrating the Condor, it wouldn't have looked right.

Gift then appeared in her vision again, "Just a couple of finishing touches and I think we'll be ready." Gift waved her hand in front of Cyclonis's face this time, the dust appeared again, disorienting Cyclonis for a second, once she had recovered, she looked back at her reflection, and her mouth dropped open. Her hair, while still the same colour, had been styled so it now no longer hid her face through the use of a neatly done bun at the back of her head. The style the bun had been done in kept it from looking out of place on her young features. The dark rings around her eyes were also gone... well not entirely, but they were reduced giving them a more natural look and accentuating her eyes, rather than overpower them... Cyclonis took in her new look, and she had to admit, she liked what she saw

"There, finished, now we can go," Gift said, as she flung her hands into the air, causing dust to begin cascading around them both

"Heh wait a minute, where are you taking me!?" Cyclonis exclaimed as the two of them began to disappear from the room

Gift smiled, "To make some friends and hang out, you need it, it'll be a good learning experience," she replied

Cyclonis watched as her room disappeared around her, and was slowly replaced by... "Terra Neon!" Cyclonis exclaimed as the amusement Terra appeared around them

"Yep," Gift replied, "It's the perfect place to find and make friends."

Cyclonis looked at Gift incredulously as she ducked behind a nearby stand, "But it's an Atmosian Terra, and I'm an enemy of Atmos, if I'm seen I'll be arrested or worse!" Cyclonis hissed

Gift gave a huff, "You really think I'd be that stupid," she replied. Cyclonis looked at her confused as Gift continued, "I put a spell on the entire Terra, anyone on the Terra for the duration of this day will not recognize you as Master Cyclonis, even if they spot you from off the Terra, the moment they land and get closer to you, the spell will immediately take effect," Gift explained, then gestured off to her left away from Cyclonis towards the edge of the Terra, "Case in point."

Cyclonis looked in the direction of her gesture and felt her stomach drop, there coming straight for her was Piper of the Storm Hawks, the others following Piper hadn't noticed Cyclonis yet, but Piper had, and she did not look happy as her heliscooter made straight for her

Crap, what do I do, what do I do!?

Cyclonis quickly looked to Gift to ask for help, but the little Pixie was gone, "Gift? Gift!?" Cyclonis called, as she looked around frantically

Any further search however was put on hold as Piper's heliscooter landed and skid to a halt in front of Cyclonis, kicking up dust as it did. Cyclonis flinched, preparing for the worst as Piper's look of fury drew in closer... then nothing. Cyclonis looked back and saw a look of confusion on Piper's face, then one of panic, "Oh Atmos I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that, I thought you were someone else," Piper began to say quickly

Cyclonis felt a small flutter in her chest at the sound of Piper's voice, though she mistook that for the adrenaline rush of nearly being run over or captured. Then she heard Gift's voice inside her head, "Score one for the Pixie, and for the record Cyclonis, if you have anything you want to ask me, just think it."

"Good to know", Cyclonis replied, relieved that Gift's spell had actually worked, then turned to Piper, "No don't worry about it it's fine really," Cyclonis replied, wanting desperately to get away and calm her still frantically beating heart

"But I almost ran you over, that's not just something that can be let go, let me make it up to you somehow," Piper said as she quickly dismounted from the bike

"No really its fine, I've got to go now anyway so don't worry about it," Cyclonis said hurriedly as she quickly stepped around Piper's heliscooter and made to put as much distance between herself and the blue haired Skyknight as she possibly could

"Heh, what do you think you're doing young lady, get back there!" Gift snapped

"No, anyone but them, didn't History tell you how things turned out with them just yesterday," Cyclonis replied

"They don't recognize you, there's nothing to be afraid of, think of this as a do over, a chance to do the whole friend thing right," Gift said

"I don't want any friends, now just leave me alone!" Cyclonis shouted back in her head

"HISTORY!" Gift called, and before Cyclonis could brace herself, a flashback of Terra Tundras hit her

"You can act all tough and destroy the world, but you can't hide who you really are, a lonely girl who desperately wants a friend."

Piper's words reverberated around in Cyclonis's head, and the only thing she could think about was that it was true. Since losing her father, all she'd ever wanted was a friend, her grandmother certainly hadn't played with her or spent time with her after that point, outside of the lessons she forced upon Cyclonis. So for that entire decade she'd been lonely, and that loneliness had eaten away at her, so when she'd heard about Piper from her subordinates reports... a spark of hope had lit inside of her, a hope, that Piper could be the friend she was looking for

Any further thought in the matter was ended however when Cyclonis felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked round to see Piper standing next to her, looking at her concerned. "Heh are you sure you're okay?" she asked

Cyclonis nodded and replied, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Piper reached forward and captured a tear that had been sliding down Cyclonis's cheek, "This for one," she said, indicating the tear

Cyclonis quickly turned from Piper, and wiped the rest of her tears away. "Look I'm really sorry okay, just let me make it up to you," Piper said, her tone sounding so genuine that Cyclonis was drawn to it; she just wanted to turn around, collapse into Piper's arms and cry, to confess, apologize and beg for forgiveness.

"Stop running, this is what you've wanted since you were little, and you still have a chance to have it, even if it's only for a day," Gift said soothingly

Cyclonis felt the tears threatening to spill over again, then some new voices joined the conversation. "Heh Piper, what's going on?" Aerrow asked as he and the other Storm Hawks joined them

"Yea who's your friend?" Finn asked, his usual cocky self

"Oh I just met her... almost ran into her," Piper replied – the last part added with an embarrassed look

"Ran into her... with your heliscooter... is she all right?" Junko asked concerned

"I'm fine" Cyclonis replied tersely

Aerrow and the other's gave her an odd look, before Aerrow turned back to Piper, "How and or why did you run into her?" he asked

Piper's look became even more embarrassed, "I... thought she was Master Cyclonis for a second," she explained

"Not surprising, after the stunt that women pulled yesterday, can't imagine you'd be very happy to see her again so soon," Stork replied

The flash of anger that crossed Piper's face cut Cyclonis deep, but she didn't blame Piper for it, I hurt her, badly, she has every right to hate me

"Guys come on we're here to forget about yesterday and have some fun, relax," Aerrow stated, before turning to Cyclonis, "Your welcome to join us... um" Aerrow trailed off as he realised he didn't know her name

Ironic, we've already met, but because he doesn't recognize me... Cyclonis thought before replying. Her tongue automatically began to sound the C at the start of her name, as it did Cyclonis realised she couldn't say her real name – would kind of defeat the purpose of Gift's spell – so instead she came out with, "Cecilia."

Aerrow smiled and was about to reply when a ball of blue fur suddenly appeared in front of Cyclonis standing on a stack of boxes. It was Radarr, he did not look happy. Cyclonis tensed as he began point at her while doing Lark impressions, the others however just looked at him confused

"Crap I forgot, spells this complex don't work on animals," Gift hissed

"What why not?" Cyclonis asked concerned

"They're animal instincts are too strong, they see through them... don't worry though, the others are still under the effects, when I get a moment I'll have a word with him," Gift explained

The Storm Hawks continued to be confused by what Radarr was doing, and when he became frustrated he turned aggressive towards Cyclonis. Piper however intervened, "Radarr, come on, Cyclonis is the last person who would try the same plan twice the very next day, cool off."

Oh the irony Cyclonis thought to herself, mentally face palming, while Gift just giggled with glee

Radarr looked at the other Storm Hawks incredulously, then Aerrow spoke, "Look buddy, you were right yesterday, we all admit that, but Piper has a point, there's no way Cyclonis would come at us again this soon," he said, the others all murmuring agreement. Radarr, just frowned angrily and began walking off, as the others turned towards Cyclonis – who was the only one who still had vision of the Lemur Rabbit – she saw a small trail of gold dust move to Radarr

"Sorry about that," Aerrow apologized, "Like I said earlier, you're welcome to join us, after all, amusement parks are much better when you get to spend your time there with others." This was met with more agreement

"Thank you really... but I can't, I've got some important stuff to do and-" but Cyclonis was cut off as Piper interrupted her

"Oh come on please, I have to make up almost running you over somehow and this is perfect, how often is it that you get to spend time at Terra Neon anyway, the most fun Terra in the Atmos," she exclaimed as she took hold of Cyclonis's arm and practically dragged her through the gates into the Terra proper

"No wait, it's really no big deal, there's no need for you to feel like you owe me!" Cyclonis replied, her heart running a million miles an hour

"Nonsense, I'm a Skyknight, I can't just overlook almost running someone over, otherwise it's just asking for trouble, besides, it'll be a blast!" Piper replied

"Gift, help me!" Cyclonis hissed

Gift giggled as Cyclonis caught sight of her on Radarr's shoulder – the little blue fuzz ball looked thoroughly peeved, but seemed to have calmed down – "Sorry Cyclonis, you're on your own from here on out, good luck, have fun!" Gift called waving as Cyclonis was dragged by her worst enemy and one time friend, flanked and followed by that friend's team, into Terra Neon

It was in short, a hectic day, and Cyclonis only remembered small snippets. They had gone on one of the smaller coasters first, and while it was clear the Storm Hawks had at least been on a roller-coaster before – even if it wasn't the ones at Terra Neon – for Cyclonis it was a first, and she'd been terrified. She remembered thinking before she got on – or rather was pushed on by Piper – this thing can't possibly be safe, I mean, how does the whole thing not shake apart?

After finishing her first ride however, they arrived back in the station with Cyclonis panting from a mixture of fear and adrenaline. It had taken her all of 15 seconds to say "Again?" The Storm Hawks had been instantly supportive of her question, and with the line being short they had rushed immediately to the back of the Que. This resulted in a moment of pure hilarity for Cyclonis and the others, when Finn attempted to take a short cut over the railings and ended up tripping and falling face first into an older girl ahead of them in the Que – one guess as to where his initial fall ended – the girl had then proceeded to jump away from Finn – who fell the rest of the way to the ground – who stood back up, and then received a vicious slap to the face.

The whole scenario had Cyclonis and the other Storm Hawks rolling around in fits of laughter at Finn's clumsiness, bad luck and pain. The next ride after their second go on the roller-coaster was a pendulum ride, again having no experience with rides whatsoever, the looming metal colossus filled her with terror as it swung up and down, side to side and even completely over, turning the riders upside down before righting itself. Once again however, after being encouraged to go on by both the Storm Hawks and Gift, Cyclonis found herself enjoying the ride. The adrenaline rush coming faster this time and leaving her just as breathless, in addition, since she was sat across from Piper this time – who was strapped into the seat in front of her – she was able to see her expressions of joy, giddiness and terror, and no doubt, Piper could see Cyclonis's face display these emotions too.

Next they decided to get lunch; they found a burger joint that also did other things like fish and chips, pizza and so forth. Junko of course went for the biggest burger on the menu – and then asked if it could be "super-sized" – Stork ordered a salad, though it was a large salad and did include bite sized portions of meats, as well as olives and dates. Finn and Aerrow ordered the super deluxe pizza, one half pepperoni for Finn the other with ham for Aerrow – Aerrow also shared his half with Radar, while Finn would inevitably give half of his to Junko – When Piper examined the menu, something caught her eye and she insisted that Cyclonis just had to try it, but wouldn't say what it was – she also made sure Cyclonis couldn't read her menu when she showed the waiter what it was they wanted to order – When their food arrived, Cyclonis was shocked when a massive pot of melted cheese was put in front of her and Piper, along with two baskets of stale bread cubes – the bread cubes had actually arrived first, giving Cyclonis her doubts as to what Piper had ordered – Of course the meal was a fondue, and it smelled heavenly

Everyone began digging in, the food was delicious in every sense of the word, and they even swapped bites to try out everyone else's meals. By the end of lunch they were all joking and laughing, Cyclonis actually found that she had more in common with the Storm Hawks than she initially realised. For example, she hadn't known that most of them were orphans as well – while Cyclonis did tell them that she no longer had a family, she was smart enough to not reveal the whole truth, but neither did she lie about anything – they didn't get bogged down in the depressing topics though and moved on to other things. Even Radarr was beginning to warm up to Cyclonis, after all, he was the only one who knew who she really was, and he could tell that she was changing, little by little.

After lunch, they decided to go on a ride that wouldn't cause them to up-chuck all the food they'd just eaten, so they settled on a water ride. The ride involved guests sitting in large ring boats that were floated along the current and had large circular rubber cushions around the edge to bounce them off the sides of the artificial river and any obstacles in their way. While it didn't have the same kind of adrenaline rush, it was by far the most fun ride yet, each and every one of them got soaked by the ride – thank Atmos it was a warm, sunny day – Cyclonis managed to stay dry right up until the end – having a good laugh at the other's expense along the way – where the whole team used their combined weight to turn the boat so that Cyclonis past straight underneath the last waterfall, completely soaking her. As well as the Storm Hawks laughter, Cyclonis was also able to make out Gift losing it in the back of her mind as the little pixie roared with laughter. Strangely, Cyclonis wasn't mad about the whole thing, firstly, because she had had a good laugh when they got soaked, and secondly, because it felt good, so good that she was soon laughing along with them – after glaring at them hard of course, but that didn't last long – After that they spent some time around the stands, they got cotton candy, ice cream, Finn went and won the whole team prizes at a shooting gallery game.

They each chose a prize from what was on offer, Cyclonis chose a model skimmer – but only because there weren't enough points left to get the big stuffed cat plush – at which point, Piper gave up her choice and entered the game herself, the combo of giving up her prize and scoring nearly as well as Finn allowed her to claim the cat plush, which she gave to Cyclonis. That was the point where Cyclonis felt her heart break, even though they didn't know who she really was, the Storm Hawks were still spending time with her, laughing with her, having fun with her. She felt guilt begin to creep up inside of her at hiding her identity from them, as she did; she received a warning from Gift

"Later Cyclonis, you can tell them later, in a way that won't shock them, if you tell them now and break the spell, they'll likely turn away from you at best... attack you, at worst," she cautioned

"I know," Cyclonis replied, "But I will tell them... one day."

The final ride of the day was the biggest roller-coaster on the Terra, even though the day was drawing to a close there was still a long Que, not massive, but long, long enough for Cyclonis to talk with Piper while the guys were distracted

"Heh, can I ask you something Piper?" Cyclonis asked, while clutching the plush that Piper won for her

Piper gave her a small smile, "Sure," she replied

"Why are you all so friendly with me, I mean, you only just met me today, and with what you told me about what happened yesterday... well it just sounds like trusting strangers would be something you're not inclined to do right now, thanks to past experiences?" Cyclonis said

Piper blinked at that, then looked down at her feet as she leant against the railing while they waited in the Que, clearly deep in thought, then she spoke. "Yea, it's true, Cyclonis did rattle me, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt by what happened," she began – Cyclonis felt a small stab of pain like she had earlier back at the entrance – "But I can't just let one bad experience stop me from making friends, after all, friends are what's most important in life," Piper continued

Cyclonis frowned in confusion at this, "I thought you would have said your duty to Atmos is what's most important in life, I mean, when you consider what you're up against," she replied

Piper sighed and now turned to look up at the sky, "Yea I suppose my duty to Atmos is important and I don't neglect it, but that duty would mean nothing without my friends."

"What do you mean?" Cyclonis asked, still confused

Now Piper looked at Cyclonis, smiling as she did, "My friends are the reason I fight, are the thing that gives me the strength to fight, and not just these lovable buffoons," she stated, gesturing to the guys for the last part, "I have friends on other Terra's, some of them are Skyknights, others are just civilians, but all of them are an important part of why I fight." Piper turned to look at the sky again, "Whenever I feel out of my depth, or outmatched, in trouble or pain... I just think of all the people depending on me to win, and it's the same with my team, we all draw strength from each other and our other friends and comrades spread across Atmos."

Cyclonis stared at Piper for a moment stunned, the passion with which Piper had spoke was undeniable, and truthfully, she had seen exactly what Piper was talking about on Terra Tundras. Her thoughts were broken though when Piper put a hand on her shoulder, "I guess my answer to your question is, 'Even if making friends sometimes gets you hurt, you can't give up and stop, because you never know who might be around the next corner'."

Cyclonis smiled at that, but inside she felt terrible, "I'm tricking her again, lying to her... I can't do this, if she ever finds out, and she will-"

Gift interrupted her though, "This isn't like last time, last time you were acting the part of a friend, this time you're actually being a friend. You're listening, learning, experiencing, not just reciting lines or doing what you think is expected, you're behaving naturally. Even if Piper does find out, that's something she can't deny, which means when she does find out, she'll know that today, she got to see the real you."

Gift's words helped, but Cyclonis still felt terrible, she wanted so desperately to just reveal who she was to the Storm Hawks, despite knowing that doing so would be the worst thing she could do. Gift's reassurance however finally won the day, and Cyclonis held her tongue, but was even more resolved to tell at least Piper everything when this was over

Assuming of course I'm not just dreaming

Then they reached the front of the Que and got on the ride, like the first coaster, it was a huge adrenaline rush and Cyclonis laughed and screamed with joy and fear respectively as the coaster rushed along the tracks with the rest of them. Once they got off the day was coming to a close and most of the attractions were shutting up for the night, some of the more quiet ones remained open though. Cyclonis and the Storm Hawks spent a couple hours in the arcade, playing games like Air Hockey or Shoot Off, they went and got snacks for dinner and lastly caught a movie at the local theater. After leaving the theater, they began making their way back to where they'd met, at the entrance to Terra Neon

"What a day," Aerrow sighed as they approached their skimmers

"You can say that again, just what the doctor ordered," Finn agreed

Junko gave a big yawn, "Yea it was fun, we should come here more often."

"Ah if only it was so, if only the Atmos were at peace and had no need for Skyknights... but then of course, we'd have no money... no skimmers... and no ship," Stork stated

Everyone had a good laugh at that, then Piper turned to Cyclonis, "So Cecilia, where you staying?" she asked

"Oh you don't have to worry about me, I'll find somewhere," she replied, having already wished the subject wouldn't go here

"You mean you don't have a place already?" Aerrow asked surprised

"It's okay I'll fly or catch a ride to the nearest Terra, I'm sure I can find an Inn there somewhere

Piper shook her head, "No way, the Terra Neon region is dangerous at night, that's why they have places on the sub Terra's around it for people to stay in, besides, by the time you reach the nearest Terra, it'll be nearly dawn, even in a cruiser." The others all nodded in agreement

"I'll be fine guys really, you've done enough for me, it's been really fun, I enjoyed myself..." but Cyclonis trailed off as she felt pain come from Gift

"Gift, what's wrong?" Cyclonis asked

"You need to hide, quickly, my strength is failing, the spell will disintegrate soon," Gift replied

Cyclonis felt fear grip her stomach and send chills up her spine, but before she could look for a way out Piper spoke, "We've got plenty of room on the Condor you can spend the night with us, and we'll drop you wherever you want to go tomorrow."

"No!" Cyclonis cried, then caught herself and added "Thank you, really you've done enough... I have to go now," with that she turned and ran right back through the still open gates, pushing past some of the last departing guests. A couple of park security shouted after her, and then Piper who followed Cyclonis into the park

Cyclonis – unaware of Piper's pursuit – quickly ducked behind a stand set up near the wall of one of the buildings. Gift then speckled into view in front of her, and began to fall. Cyclonis caught her as she descended to her knees, gently holding the small Pixie, Gift was no longer glowing with an inner light, instead she was dully flickering, no, dying. "Gift, Gift what's wrong?" Cyclonis asked, concern filling her tones

Gift just smiled, "This day is coming to an end and soon a new one will begin, when that happens, this day will belong to History, which means there is no place for me."

Cyclonis felt a cold chill come over her at those words, "You're dying!?" she exclaimed

"I only live for a single day, as have all my sisters before me, as will all my sisters after me, everyday is a gift, how can we hope to teach that, if we do not treasure every moment of a day ourselves," Gift replied

Cyclonis felt helpless as she held the dying Pixie, "No please, there must be something I can do, too many I care about have died in my life, there has to be something I can do!?" Cyclonis begged

Gift's smile became wider, "So you do care, that's good, it means I did my job... never forget what you've learned today Cyclonis... Yesterday is History... Tomorrow is a Mystery..."

"But Today is a Gift," Cyclonis finished, tears streaming down her cheeks

Gift smiled and nodded as a cascade of dust began to descend upon them, as they began to disappear, Cyclonis looked up, straight into the eyes of Piper at the end of the alley, a look of utter shock and disbelief on her face which could only mean one thing, the spell wore off just after she found me, Cyclonis thought. Before the dust caused her to disappear from the alley completely, Cyclonis mouthed some final words to Piper, "I'm sorry."


Everyone, a moment of silence for our dearly departed Pixie (takes off hat and holds it against chest).

So chapter 3, hope you guys enjoyed it, I actually shed a few tears writing this one (sniff), anyway, I wanted to have Terra Neon be the place where this Spirit Lesson went down for a couple reasons. 1. It's really underused in the show (I think twice in all, then again, that goes for most of the Terra's), as such it means that we never quite see all of it, only small portions, I like to think that it is a full on amusement park like Disney World or Universal Studios. 2. What better place to have fun and make friends than the most fun place in the entire Atmos

Finally some of you may recognize Gift's quote near the start (Top marks to those who can give me the answer of where it's from in their reviews), as well as being incredibly fitting for what Gift wanted to teach Cyclonis, the quote is also where I finally thought of the names for the spirits beyond their roles. So History is the Spirit of Day's gone by, Gift is the Spirit of This day, and our final guest star, Mystery, is the spirit of Days yet to come, Past, Present and Future

Anyway, please leave a review (PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE ONE THE REVIEW BOX IS STILL EMPTY, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET BETTER IF YOU GUYS DON'T TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!) if you like this story and as always constructive criticism is welcome, see you all next time ; )