Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow :D

Whoohoo! Snowday today!

Thanks to thelittlebird4 and starskulls :3

Thinking "Talking"

Piper sat hunched against the metal of the Condor balcony. The sunset mixed the clouds and the sky into a beautiful mass of streak on luscious streak of salmon pink and candlelight yellow.

No wonder he loved it up here, Piper thought. She corrected herself quickly. She didn't want to think of Aerrow in the past tense. She closed her eyes as she tried to comprehend the day's events and was struck by the swiftness of the day's events and was suddenly realised that she'd never spoken to him and they'd never made up after their argument.

I assumed that he'd be back, just took his presence for granted, she thought bitterly.

She heard the shaft door open and Finn call out her name.

"Piper?"

She shuffled further into the shadows and kept silent so that he wouldn't see her. So that he wouldn't see her cry.

After what seemed like an age, the door closed and Piper let out the small choked sob she'd held back.

Something soft pressed against her arm and she looked down to see Radarr watching her anxiously.

"You miss him too, don't you, Radarr? You want Aerrow to be back too."

Radarr pricked his ears at Aerrow's name then whimpered. He wanted to know where Aerrow had gone. Why wasn't he back yet?

He allowed Piper to pick him up and cuddle him against her chest.

Junko found them an hour later, asleep, each comforted by the other's grief.

Aerrow woke up, his arms chained together above his head to the wall.

There was nothing but darkness though it was different to the darkness in his dream.

How? Where?

The door slid open.

"Good evening, Aerrow."

"Cyclonis." He narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

The Dark Ace, who had been standing silently, albeit restlessly suddenly moved forwards and thrust a fist into Aerrow's stomach. Aerrow gasped and coughed.

"Don't answer back-" He drew his fist back to land another punch.

"The Dark Ace. That is enough."

"But master, he-"

"I said that it was enough. If you insist on destroying my collection then I will have to punish you. Hosts do not attack their guests."

The Dark Ace dropped his hand and moved further back into the shadows. Aerrow struggled to breathe; the ropes had prevented him from falling onto the ground but had meant that he had absorbed most of the impact.

"Well, Aerrow. I thought that your question was perfectly reasonable." She tilted his chin so that he looked up at her; her thumb and fingers locked in place around his face. Aerrow recoiled from her touch but Cyclonis' grip was surprisingly firm. She leaned in close so that her lips were almost touching his ear. Her breath tickled him as she spoke.

"How would you feel if I told you that you held a very dear place in my heart?"

He shifted slightly.

"I'd say that you want to kill me."

Cyclonis drew away with a light laugh then sighed theoretically.

"You really are a lot denser than I expected. After all, you were the one to see past Carver, were you not?"

Carver. The sky knight's mocking grin was the last thing he had seen.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" Cyclonis held the air of a young child about to unwrap a particularly exciting present.

"Don't play dumb with me! What happened to Carver?"

"He was a little weak for my taste." Her grin widened. "I had him put down."

The words left Aerrow more shocked than the blow which the Dark Ace had delivered. He'd certainly disliked the traitor but wasn't sure how he should respond to the news of his death.

And then he was shouting. Even later, he wasn't sure why he was shouting or even who he was shouting to.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHY DO YOU SERVE HER? YOU SAW WHAT SHE DID TO A LOYAL SUPPORTER! HE WANTED NOTHING BUT TO SERVER HER AND SHE-"

"The Dark Ace, please shut him up. We wouldn't want to wake up any of the other prisoners do we?"

Other prisoners? But the prison was empty. Shout loud enough to…

"He's shouting loud enough to wake the dead."

"With pleasure, Master Cyclonis."

He lunged forwards and punched Aerrow in the stomach again; effectively shutting him up. The Dark Ace grabbed a fistful of Aerrow's hair so that the younger man could not move.

"Listen well and learn quickly, Aerrow. We belong to Cyclonia; we are here because of our own free will. Don't ever forget that."

Ravess shifted slightly and Snipe shuffled into the shadows uncomfortably. The Dark Ace released Aerrow to stand sentry in the shadows again.

"Before I was so rudely interrupted," purred Cyclonis as if nothing had happened, "I was about to tell you just how much you mean to me…"

Aerrow froze in shock. Surely Cyclonis was not implying that…

"As a great warrior. The Dark Ace tells me that with a little more training, you'd make and excellent Talon. Now, join me and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."

Of course, he thought bitterly, building up her army was all she cared about.

Then out loud, with all the pride he could muster: "Sorry, Cyclonis. Not today."

Cyclonis flushed in rage.

"Fine. Know this well, sky knight," she spat the words like they were poison, "You've chosen the hard way. But I'll get you in the end; after all, Cyclonians are great at persuading people."

She swept out the room.

"Don't worry. I'll be back in a week to see if you have changed your mind," she called from the doorway. "Ravess, Snipe, go and prepare Aerrow's quarters for the next week. After all, we want him to be comfortable do we not?"

"Yes master," they droned like the mindless slaves they had become.

The Dark Ace smiled as he passed Aerrow. There was nothing to be said now; after all, there would be plenty of time for that later.

"Good night, Aerrow."

He closed the door and Aerrow was left with nothing but the suffocating darkness and his thoughts.

I really had issues with this chapter… I didn't like it…

I hope the next one will be better…