chiv-id: Well, I'm a little disappointed that there are still only 2 reviews...I guess its because I didn't update soon enough...well, if I could possibly have more, maybe I'll type a little faster! Anyway, um, who'd like to do the disclaimer?

Finn: I want it! I want to do it!

Aerrow: Okay, Finn, you can do the disclaimer.

Finn: Aw yeah! Okay, so:

Disclaimer: chivalry-is-dead does not own Storm Hawks! (Starts yelling and smiling goofily)

Crystallin: So, Finn is like this all the time?

Piper: Yeah (sighs) unfortunately...

chiv-id: (sweatdrops) Well, err, just a little info here, you're going to learn a little bit more on Crystallin's and Piper's past, 'kay? Alright, on with the chapter!

Take It To The Sky

Chapter 3: The Past and the Present

"Six years ago…we were separated from each other, Piper, by the Cyclonians, under Master Cyclonis. And you're telling me Master Cyclonis is back?!? I thought he was destroyed by the previous Storm Hawks?" Crystallin commented incredulously with distaste, her eyes narrowing and her ears pressing flat to the back of her head, her tail twitching.

"Yes, but this Master Cyclonis is a girl and she's just as old as us," Piper tried to explain, knowing how…tentative Crystallin got whenever the subject of Cyclonians was brought up, "And she's been keeping us busy since she first began her conquest."

"Still…" Crystallin hissed, her delicate hands transforming into rock hard fists, "Why…why didn't Cyclonia just lay down and die!" Crystallin was now trembling with anger as she remembered the first time she encountered the former Master Cyclonis and his terrible armies of talons…

Flashback

"What's happening?" "It's Master Cyclonis!" "No! It cannot be!" "RUN!"

Everyone ran as the talons attacked the ancient dwelling, Terra Kiloyrean, their beautiful home bursting into flames wherever the talons flew over and landed in. Men, women, children, no one was spared as the destruction of the ancient race's home spread. A small child, only 6 years old, cowered beneath the imposing figure of the great and terrible Master Cyclonis, holding forth a wicked black metal staff, an oblivion crystal being shoved straight into the poor girl's face.

"We have the slaves you required, sir. Would you like us to exterminate the others?" asked a tall man with dark red eyes, black hair falling over those eyes that stared back up at his master while bowing to him. The dark master's smirk could be seen under the hood of his cloak, the man smirking back and stood straight, turning his back and ordering the talons to continue with the destruction, this time, though, no prisoners.

"Talons! Master Cyclonis withdraws his deed of mercy, continue with the destruction!" cried the dark man, the talons all crying out in sheer joy at the now withdrawn policy of mercy. The slaughter began, sprays of blood seen everywhere. The girl was still being held captive by Master Cyclonis, now turning back to her and ended his smirk with a grimace.

"It seems that your luck just ran out, little one," he whispered evilly, the girl shuddering at his words, "You have no purpose, be gone." He raised the staff about to obliterate her when a black panther with great white wings jumped in front and snarled at the Master, making him pause in surprise.

"Run!" cried the black panther, pouncing on the surprised sorcerer, the girl nodding back and fled, using her own wings to get away. She heard a dying yowl and looked at the panther, purple energy slowly torturing him into his more human form, a young man with black hair and dark black eyes staring at her retreating figure. Soon, the purple energy was gone and so was the light in the eyes, now dead and forever staring. The girl gave a wail, but did not go back as the dark master began firing bolts of oblivion crystal at her. Finally, she escaped, her family with her and few others, off the terra and away from their now desolate homeland. The child looked back one last time from the fleeing ship, her white hair trailed down her face, black curls shadowing her neck and shoulders. She peered down from the carrier and tears sprung from her sapphire eyes as she ran those beautiful blue eyes over her home, her once magnificent and scenic land.

"Crystallin, come away from the window," her mother called, walking over to her and pulling her away. Crystallin's eyes stayed glued to the sight however and a deep anguished moan sprang from her lips and she squat down and cried, her mother covering her in panic.

"You're not hurt are you?" asked Vaynna, concern welling up inside with the sorrow that she felt for her homeland. Crystallin shook her head and just kept crying for a while.

"Kane…he's…he's…" she sobbed, trying to get out the words that her friend was dead, the black panther that was her once good friend, gone. Her mother nodded in a sad understanding way and just petted her head soothingly until her tremors of sorrow were gone. Sniffing, Crystallin finally looked up and around, searching for someone.

"Piper…where is she?" she asked, looking her mother straight in the eye, pleading silently for her mother to tell her that Piper was alright.

"She's fine, she escaped just before they hit the terra…but I don't think we can see her if we could. The Cyclonians…they took many of our clan, Crystallin, enough to make more Kiloyreans of their own. They'll want to destroy us, just to make sure we don't ally with their enemies in Atmos. Please understand, if we try to visit Piper, or anyone else again…we'd put them in real danger. For their sake and ours, we must find another place to call our home, away from Cyclonia, and away from Atmos," Vaynna whispered, holding her daughter, her chin atop her daughter's head. Crystallin was in a small state of shock, but understood. It was as if seeing her friend die had caused her to mature into a more knowledgeable being and knew that even if she wanted to see Piper…it would be disastrous.

"Yes…mother, I understand," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around her mother in return. On the ship, what little was left of the Kiloyreans, huddled together on the ship in mass, surrounded by the many humans who stood to protect the Kiloyreans and gave up their own homes to protect the Kiloyreans in return. Everyone was terrified and distraught, but they held on and eventually found their new home after a small period of 6 months. Finally, they heard the news of Master Cyclonis being defeated by the Storm Hawks, brought in by a Sky Knight that had tagged along with the Kiloyreans and had just risked his life to see if the dark master was still about.

It seemed as if their lives had become so much bright that day…

End Flashback

"That day, everything was taken from us and the day Master Cyclonis was gone we were so happy. It seemed as if all the wrong doings in our world had disappeared, we were free, free from the reign of terror that he often plagued us with," tears began to form in her delicate blue eyes, "And now…and now…" Crystallin began to sob a little and Piper held her, stroking her head and putting her head on Crystallin's head. This only brought Crystallin more memories of the dreaded doomsday so long ago.

"And now Cyclonia and all of its evil is back!" she spat, pulling away from Piper, "I don't expect you to remember, but that day so many of my relatives died along with my friends. I saw Kane get murdered in front of my eyes!" At this Piper's eyes widened, remembering the boy with striking deep black eyes and tousled black hair, a smile on his face, 9 years old at the time Piper and Crystallin still played together. Piper didn't know that Kane had died, leaving just before the Cyclonians had landed, but remembering the desolation of viewing the homeland after…

Another Flashback

"Mom…who are they?" asked a 6-year-old Piper, pointing at the gigantic red blob of Cyclonian talons. Her mother blanched, along with the rest of the crew of their small ship. Hurriedly, they ducked into a blanket of clouds, shielding them in the dark of night against the terrible current of Cyclonian skimmers and carrier ships.

"Oh no…it cannot be," whispered Piper's mother, Piper's father rushing over to the periscope of the ship and turned on the night vision. He stared at the destruction of the home, putting it up on screen and ushering out Piper into her room. The crew all gasped at the slaughter and the destruction, but then heard a sobbing and found that Piper had snuck out and had watched it all happen as well.

"Dear…this isn't for you to see," her father said softly, gathering up his bundle of joy, now a bundle of terror-stricken Piper, to put her to sleep in her room.

"Dad…dad, what about Crystallin? What about Kane? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM?" she cried harshly, her sobs shaking her father's shoulder.

"I…I don't know. The best thing would be to go back down after the Cyclonians leave," her father whispered, kissing her forehead as he tucked her into bed. The next morning, the Cyclonians had finally ended their waves of destruction and flew away, thundering by a still unnoticed carrier of humans. Piper's father flew the ship back down and they all filed out single file, taking in the scenery.

The lush green fields were gone, only dark patches of blood stained into the hard rocky soil that was once rolling rivers and streams. Millions of foot prints were left, trampling the beautiful native plants that had once flourished. They came across many charred corpses, too burnt to tell their identity, only the skeletal bones of wings visible on the smoky dead were available to tell that it was the bodies of many Kiloyreans that littered the black and brown landscape that was once known as Terra Kiloyrean.

Everyone mourned the loss of such an innocent race, a special race indeed. With the power to manifest and cultivate crystals, it made them the most valuable species on the whole of Atmos. If not for them, there would be a major shortage of crystals, but with their species, they've kept the line of crystals going for all. Now, most of them were gone and the slow depletion of crystals began.

Piper looked at the destruction and tears welled in her beautiful golden eyes.

'Crystallin…Kane…where are you? Are you dead?' she thought, unbeknownst to her, she was standing at the base of Kane's corpse. Piper let loose her tears, spilling over as she too let loose a cry that made everyone break down and grieve the death of so many friends…

End Flashback

"I…I never knew, I'm sorry…" she whispered apologetically, feeling tears coming on as she realized how many people had been sacrificed that day.

"It's…it's not your fault, I shouldn't have spilled on you like that…" Crystallin apologized, wiping away both of their tears, "It's just that…I just wish that the Cyclonians had never existed. Forget the balance of good and evil. The fact is that there's a lot more evil in this world and the balance is already screwed!" Piper looked over to Crystallin, surprised she had used the word 'screwed'. Crystallin looked surprised as well, putting her hand to her lips as if to quell them. They looked over at each other and broke out in laughter, a soft quiet laughter that helped lighten the mood. Crystallin wiped her eyes again and smiled weakly, hugging Piper and looking over to the Storm Hawks.

"I am…happy you found more friends. Despite them being boys. How is it to live with only boys, I've tried to imagine it, but never could," questioned Crystallin, trying to get off of the terrible subject.

"Well, it's not easy let me tell you…Finn's probably the worst one. Stork mainly keeps to himself, Junko often tags along with Finn, but he's more level headed. Aerrow is a good guy, he listens to everyone's problems, even my own, and always tries to do the right thing," Piper replied, respecting Crystallin's wishes to not talk about the past, "But, I've always wanted to hang out with another girl, you know? Just to be girls…I actually experienced that once, but…she…she wasn't…" Crystallin's ears pressed to the sides of her head a little as she saw that her friend was upset. She crawled over a little and tried looking straight into her eyes.

"Piper…who was it? Did she hurt you?" asked Crystallin, Piper finally looking up and straight into Crystallin's eyes.

"It was Master Cyclonis and despite being the new dark master…mistress…new dark being, I knew she was lonely. One day, we were looking through some garbage and I found a map that looked important to the Cyclonians. We were caught in a storm and while I was trying to get the map, I got caught in the storm, you see, and then I was saved by her," Piper paused as Crystallin looked incredulous and a bit haughty, "I know, right? But the thing is that she wanted to assess me, to see what I could do, so she used a shielding crystal to change her looks and said her name was Lark instead. We talked and had some fun before we finally went to the terra that was on the map, called Terra Tundra. Cyclonis then asked me to join her, but I refused. Then we fought, but she knew my moves and she knew me. I also knew her, and I saw her as a lonely girl who wanted a friend…" Piper took a deep breath before continuing.

"Then, she tried to use an oblivion crystal on me, but it was a dud. It only works if you see them as an enemy, a hated enemy. I knew that if you befriended them, even if it was just a moment, it wouldn't work. And it didn't. Honestly, I'm still wondering if she's a dark master or a regular girl…" Piper ended, looking up to the heavens and wondering what the dark master was doing.

"Well, don't worry about. From what you're telling me, at least this person has a heart. The former Master Cyclonis…" Crystallin trailed off to shudder and give a small tremble, "Anyways, what have you been up to since you got here? I've just been here on this isle since the time of the Daehta, or Invasion, and there hasn't really been much excitement here to be honest."

"Well, all we've been doing is fighting the Cyclonians, we got into some pretty interesting situations though," Piper giggled, remembering when Finn had come down with Gorge Madness once and tried to eat his shoe.

"Well, tell me after because I think you're friends are trying to catch your attention…" Crystallin pointed to the other side of the pond where the boys were. Junko used his Knuckle-Busters and made a giant wave with Finn riding a board and Aerrow riding another board with Radarr on the sidelines trying not to get wet. Then, they crashed, to which Crystallin and Piper winced and muttered a soft "ooh…".

"Are you guys okay?" shouted Piper, Aerrow and Finn dragging themselves out of the pond and coughing, but turning and giving weak smiles, thumbs up.

"I bet these guys are going to be the death of themselves one day…" Piper sighed, smiling as she saw Radarr come over and pat Aerrow on the back a bit roughly to get the water out, causing Aerrow to cough even more.

"We're going to have a banquet to celebrate the twin's birth tonight. It wasn't expected until a month or two later, but we already had everything set up. Would you and the Storm Hawks like to go to the banquet tonight? The whole clan and our human friends will be there," Crystallin pleaded, her tail flopping to and fro in excitement.

"Of course! But…I have to warn you about their table manners…Aerrow's okay, but…the others…" Piper trailed off in emphasis on how bad the guys were at eating formally. Crystallin just smiled and even giggled a little.

"It's alright, the adults will be separated from the teens and the kids. Don't worry the kids will be separated from the teens, too," Crystallin reassured, getting a dreading look from Piper, "Now, you and your friends can chill here for a little while I talk to my mom a bit. We'll have to squeeze you in a bit since the table for the teens is a little small." Crystallin stood up, stretched a little and flexed, strong muscles rippling slightly underneath the surface of her near alabaster skin, particularly around her middle and her shoulders. Then she bounded away, Piper smiling after her and looked to the water's edge.

'She sure has changed since we were kids…she was kind of scrawny, but she's been working out…' Piper then looked up to see Junko still trying to get the water out of Finn, Aerrow and Radarr trying to get Finn out of the bone-crushing Heimlich maneuver. She giggled again, a little more nervously though.

'This is going to be so embarrassing,' thought Piper, smacking the palm of her hand onto her forehead as she saw Finn go partially blue and an apologetic Wallop shake the poor blonde surfer back to consciousness with Aerrow and Radarr getting water and spilling it on Finn's face.

chiv-id: I hope that you all liked this chapter!

Piper: I'm going to hate the next chapter, aren't I?

chiv-id: Well, err, I...maybeeehh...

Crystallin: Why? (so oblivious)

All Storm Hawks and chiv-id: (sweatdrop) Errr...nothing...

chiv-id: (still sweatdropping) Well, you will all just have to bear with the suspense until the next chapter, 'kay? See ya! Give me reviews! I need them!