Chapter 7: Recon Mission
"Terra Histove? Are you serious?" Lyron asks. "That is only a legend."
"Says who?" Cyclonis asks, noticing something weird about the councilor.
He backs up a little, then says, "Well, uh…pretty much …everyone. Nobody has any proof its real."
"If nobody has proof, then why is there a passage of it in the book?" reasons Aerrow.
"Because…the author used the…rumors from sailors to put in his book."
The master examines Lyron and sees that he's edgy, his eyes darting around. "You know something about Terra Histove, don't you?"
"What? Of course not. Only what the rumors say about that terra."
"And you know more about the Shaders than you admit, considering your outburst before. Am I right?"
Lyron looks down, the others a little fidgety. "If you follow me, I'll tell you everything I know."
Cyclonis smiles at her victory, and the Storm Hawks and friends head to the council building. When they enter, Aerrow finds the same high table and chairs, where they were going to register before. The councilors continue heading behind the table, where a hidden door opens. The others are stunned by the sudden entrance, but continue following the Sky Knight Councilors. Soon, everyone walks into a storm hangar, where food, entertainment, and communication sit.
Lyron walks to one barrel and opens it to reveal, not food, but books. He takes a shadow-black book out and says, "This book has been passed down through many generations, ever since my great-great-grandfather found Terra Histove."
"So, Terra Histove is a real place." Piper states.
"Yes, it is. But no one can find it because it only appears to people by accident. If you want to find it, Terra Histove will never show you itself." Lyron hands the book to Aerrow, who says, "Thanks."
Radarr hands the councilor the library book. Lyron says, "Hopefully, you bring us another miracle, like the last time."
"Don't worry. Soon, the Shaders will be no more. C'mon, guys. We have work to do." The leader walks out of the cellar, followed by the others. Cyclonis thinks over at what the councilor said, wondering if she can still find Terra Histove herself.
After Aerrow explained to Stork what happened, everyone sit around the table, waiting for what the book has to say. Piper opens the dark manuscript and scans through the yellow pages, some stained with something red. "Is that blood?" Rike asks.
Piper says, "I hope not." She continues searches the pages, amazed at the information. "I don't believe it. This book is full of all the monsters and enemies all over Atmos. Even some that could only be in the other side."
"Are you serious?" exclaims Aerrow.
"Can we just get to the part about the Shaders?" Finn impatiently asks.
The navigator looks at him, bothered, then turns the page to the shadow people. "Here it is."
"There are different monsters all over Atmos, but of all of them, none is worse than the Shaders. These beings are made purely out of shadow, full of rage, but patience. Many have tried to destroy them, very few surviving to tell their tale.
"All the Shaders follow only one person. No one knows his real name, so he goes as Darkness, having a body full of peoples rage, fears, and desires inside. The Darkness uses trickery and hypnosis to make others do his bidding. Many people lost trust with their friends, even families, creating many wars, much to the pleasure of the Darkness.
"The Darkness has ruled Atmos for hundreds of years, and everyone would have fallen into despair if not for the hope of Atmosia. The Aurora Stone has lit the skies with light, vanquishing the darkness surrounding it. The Darkness has searched for a way to destroy the enemy, but could never get close to it.
"One day, a man has come up with a plan to overcome the darkness and destroy all the Shaders, and their master. Risking everything, Solomen Palon stole the Aurora Stone and, with his sky knight squadron, head to the Shader's homeland. Many people thought he was crazy and a traitor to steal their only hope, but many of Solomen's friends came and helped. A great war takes place, killing a great number of people. In the end, Solomen unleashes the full power of the Aurora Stone, sending all the Shaders to oblivion and destroying the Darkness. Sunlight rises for the first time in centuries to the terras, and everyone celebrates the great miracle. But it came with a price. The power proved too much for Solomen, so he sacrificed himself to keep the power from destroying all of Atmos.
"To this day, everyone remembers the day as the Great Miracle, and the people of Atmosia built a statue memorial in the center of the city, to honor our great hero."
"So that's who the statue is." says Aerrow. "At least we know how to defeat this Darkness."
"The question is; where are they living now?" Cyclonis asks.
Piper says, "That's a good question. Where are they living?"
Starling rubs her chin, thinking hard, then gets an idea. "Hey, guys, where did they first appear?"
Everyone turns to Cyclonis. She looks at them and asks, "You think their homeland is somewhere in Cyclonia?"
"It's just a suggestion."
"But a very good one." states Piper.
"How about a recon mission." suggests the interceptor.
"That's a great idea!" Piper cheers. "How about me and Cyclonis head to Cyclonia and search the whole place for-"
Suddenly, the radio statics and a voice appears, "Hello? Can anyone here me? We need help!"
The leader runs to it and calls back, "Hello, this is Aerrow of the Storm Hawks. What is the problem?"
"We are being attacked by…I don't know, shadow-things, and we cannot fight back. It's like they send fear to your soul!" from behind, they hear a scream and an explosion, and Aerrow asks, "Where are you?"
"Terra Blizzaris. You must hurry! They'll be here-" the line cuts off. Aerrow looks back to his team and asks, "Why Terra Blizzaris?"
"Isn't that terra closest to Cyclonia?" guesses Starling.
Cyclonis agrees, "She's right. It's the first terra I conquered."
The leader sighs, then says, "We'll have to split up. Piper, I'm sorry, but we'll need you to find a weakness against the Shaders. So Cyclonis and Starling will have to go to Cyclonia."
"Is there a reason you're teaming me with Cyclonis?"
"No reason. The rest will head to Terra Blizzaris and help the Absolute Zeros against these shadows. If we can't defeat them, then we'll have to evacuate the terra. We'll meet at Terra Bogaton."
"Uh, won't it be too hot for the Absolute Zeros?" Rike asks.
"I'll take a frost crystal so they can stay nice and cool." says Piper.
Aerrow asks, "Okay, everyone know the plan?"
The Storm Hawks all nod, and the leader orders, "Stork, take us to Terra Blizzaris."
"This is going to end in doom, I just know it." The carrier pilot powers the engines and shoots toward the terra.
The redhead turns to the two girls and says, "I suggest you two get going."
Starling hugs Rike a see-you-later and whispers, "Try not to get killed."
"Sis, you should know me by now." he jokes.
The two girls head to the hangar bay, but Cyclonis stops and turns back to the Storm Hawks. "Good luck." she says, then catches up to Starling.
The hangar doors open and Starling and Cyclonis flies to the once-great Cyclonia.
After about an hour, the small team enters night. They look around at the sudden darkness, and Starling asks, "Is it already night?"
"I don't think so. I think it's just the Shaders' darkness. It must be spreading across Atmos."
"All the more reason to find their place as fast as we can." The two speed up their travel, anxiety following. They start to feel cold and defenseless, and Cyclonis thinks, This is probably what they meant by feeling fear in their soul.
Soon, the two spot Cyclonia, or what's left of it. It looks like the Cyclonia the master saw in her nightmare, but with slightly better conditions. Rock crumbles to the Wastelands, the metal is slightly rusted, and the tower was twisted into something more menacing by the Shaders. Cyclonis looks around with unbelief on her face. "What did they do to my home?"
"Remember Cyclonis, this is just a recon mission. So please don't try and go after the Shaders."
"Alright."
The two fly below and park along the edge of the runway. They climb up and sneakily walk to the hangar doors, checking the area. Starling whispers, "Nobody here. I don't like it."
"Starling, why are we looking in here if they fell from the sky?"
"Because, if you look up, there's nothing there anymore. I think they turned Cyclonia into their homeland."
"That would explain for the feeling of darkness in the air, and the bleakness of everything."
"Let's try and find where the commanding room is, or, better yet, the Darkness himself." They run inside, making no noise on the metal, still no shadows. Cyclonis leads her friend through the hallways, searching all the rooms they find. The slowly climb higher into the tower, still finding nothing, or no one. "What's with the lack of Shaders? I was expecting them to be everywhere."
"I don't know, but I've got a feeling we're being watched." Starling says, and the master notices a hint in her voice. "Is there something wrong?"
"No. Why would there be?"
"I don't know. You just sound a little…distracted."
"It's nothing. Just…nothing." the interceptor quickly says. Cyclonis starts to get worried about her, but she continues. Many empty rooms ahead, they find an office-like room, where a tall chair sits behind a table full of paper. Starling says, "Let me guess, your studies?"
"Uh huh."
"Do you have any maps? Maybe we can use those someday."
"Good idea. You keep watch, I'll find the maps." Cyclonis enters her studies, looking for the papers while the interceptor keeps an eye in the halls. The master digs through the desk, finding some old plans and notes, but not finding the maps. "C'mon. Where are those maps?"
Starling hears some footsteps on her right, and turns to see shadows on floors. "Cyclonis, someone's coming."
"Just a few more seconds." She starts searching her bookshelves, and the interceptor gets more fidgety as the shadows get closer. "C'mon, Cyclonis." Soon, a Shader appears in the hallway, Dark Ace with him. Starling gasps and hides behind a statue, watching the master still looking. The two enemies get closer, and Starling can hear what they're saying, "You sure you heard something, Snapjack?"
"I'm sure of it. Unlike you humans, we have great hearing, picking up a mouse's squeak from five yards."
"Well, I don't see how anyone could get in here. They're too afraid to come even close to this place."
"What about the girl?"
"Cyclonis? If she comes here, death is all she'll feel."
"You sure about that?"
Cyclonis spots a rolled up parchment, and smiles when they appear as maps. "Yes!" she whispers.
"Did you hear that?" the Shader asks. The master covers her mouth and starts looking for a hiding spot.
Dark Ace says, "Yes, I did. I think it came in this room."
Dark Ace and Snapjack enter the study and walk past where Starling is hiding. They look around the room, but all that appears are books, papers, and the desk and chair. "I guess we're just hearing things."
"Oh no. We Shaders don't mistake fake sounds with real."
"Then I guess your 'great hearing' is hearing someone talking behind that wall. Come on. We have work to do." He walks out the room, but Snapjack examines the room once more, eyes stopping at the desk. He growls softly, but turns and walks after Dark Ace. When their footsteps are gone, Cyclonis looks over the desk and sees Starling by the door. "Come on. We need to move now."
"I'm coming." She hops over the table and they both sneak out, watching for more Shaders. Soon, though, they reach the very top, where Cyclonis's experimental room is. She looks around, and finds that her machines were replaced with a gigantic chair. "This must be where the Darkness sits."
"And I think we've got everything we need. We should head back." says Starling.
After they close the door, the girls run back down the halls and stairs, hiding in shadows when Shaders appear. Miraculously, Starling and Cyclonis arrive at the hanger, unnoticed, where their skimmers are parked. Before they can hop on, someone behind them asks, "Where do you think you're going?"
The two turn around and see Dark Ace at the hangar doors. He smirks and snaps his fingers, and Shaders immediately surround the girls, blocking their way to the skimmers. Cyclonis and Starling grab their weapons, and the master says, "I was wondering why this was so easy."
"Like I said before, Cyclonis. If you come here, death is all you'll feel." Dark Ace says, grabbing his sword from his back. Two shadows capture Starling from behind, and pull her to the crowd. She struggles to free herself, but the Shaders' hands are like cables on her wrists.
Dark Ace utters, "Now, Cyclonis, we finish this once and for all."
"I couldn't agree more."
The veteran jumps up and swings his sword at Cyclonis, but she jumps back and strikes with her staff. The two clashes against each other, sending multicolor sparks in the air, much to the distaste of the Shaders. The master sweeps her blade end, and sends a purple ray toward Dark Ace, blasting him back. She smiles, but it vanishes when the veteran gets up. "Very good. I see that you've been working out."
"Thank you."
"But that still won't stop me from destroying you." He strikes from above, making Cyclonis block it, and kicks the braced leg. She shrieks as pain flows through her muscles. Dark Ace hops in the air, power surging through his body, and brings the energized blade down, shooting an electric beam. Cyclonis gasps just before she gets hit, and screams as a shocking pain spreads through her, multiplying on her injuries. The teen collides onto the floor, and Starling screams, "Cyclonis!"
She groans and grasps her staff, but the traitor steps on Cyclonis's arm, sending a world of pain everywhere. Tears form in her eyes, and the master looks up to the smirking face. "Do you have any lasts words, girl?"
Cyclonis growls at the words, but then smiles. "Yeah. I still have a trick up my sleeve." She kicks Dark Ace in the air and takes out her oblivion crystal, hidden in a pocket. When the veteran gets on his feet, he looks over to her and spots the dark purple crystal. "Uh oh."
"So long, traitor." The teen activates the rock, and a purple beam flies in the air. Starling gasps as the ray explodes, expecting to see the Dark Ace gone. But when the flash dims, the veteran looks up and sees a dumbfounded Cyclonis. "Wait, aren't I supposed to be somewhere else?" he asks.
"Uh, sir." A Shader taps his shoulder. "A Shader was in your way when the beam hit."
The Dark Ace looks back to the teen and smirks. "Nice try, Cyclonis."
She tries to shoot another ray, but the veteran is one step ahead of her and knocks the Oblivion Crystal to oblivion. He punches Cyclonis in the face, and the teen stumbles back. She looks up and quickly blocks a thrust from a glowing red blade. The master tries to force it away from her stomach, but the sword is slowly inching closer and closer. "Why do you still fight, even when the inevitable is staring right in your face?" Dark Ace asks.
"Because, I still have hope in my heart, and that keeps me motivated to destroy you and your army!"
"Hahahahaha! Hope? Such a pathetic emotion. You're parents had it too, and they were pathetic, like you."
A bubble breaks, and newfound anger fumes inside Cyclonis as her mother appears in her head. "Don't. Talk. About. My. Mother. Like. THAT!" She pushes the sword away, grabs Dark Ace's collar, and throws him back. The veteran bounces and crash into the metal, his back aching. Starling notices a purple aura starting to surround Cyclonis, and her eyes start to glow the same color. Dark Ace faces up and sees the rage-filled face, who says with a second voice behind, "How about you see what my mother and I can do."
The teen splits her staff into the blades and twirls into the air, Starling thunderstruck with her action. Cyclonis stops and arches her blades in the air, sending a violet energy ring flying around her. The Shaders scream as they come into contact with the energy, disintegrating into nothing. Starling closes her eyes in preparations of the ring, but a soothing sensation spreads instead, ridding all pains. Dark Ace is sent back by the ring, and screams as shocking pain passes through every molecule in his body, finally crashing through the wall.
Cyclonis floats down to the ground and lands on her feet, still looking at the veteran. He climbs out of the hole, bruised and cut, and asks, "How-how could you…?"
Starling gets up and walks to the master. "Cyclonis, do you have any idea what that was?"
"Uh, no. Not really." she answers, calming down.
"That move is the famous Thunder Talon! The most powerful move in all of Atmos! I've never seen it in action before."
The master smiles, but then turns her head at the sound of metal. Dark Ace moves to his feet, a scowl on his face, saying, "You've made a big mistake, Cyclonis."
"No. You've made the big mistake of betraying me, Ace."
The veteran growls and Shaders emerge from the air behind him. Starling prepares her nunchucks, but Cyclonis says, "We should leave now."
"Good idea."
The Shaders charge the girls, but they jump onto their skimmers and fly away from the dark terra. Some shadows grow wings and chase after the girls, but are slowly losing sight of them. Dark Ace watches them vanish, and he yells into the sky in rage.
Cyclonis looks back when she hears a scream, and smiles. Someone starts calling on the intercom, and Aerrow asks, "Cyclonis, can you hear me?Was your mission a success?"
"Yes, it was, Aerrow." Starling says. "In more than one way."
"What do you…never mind. Listen, we need you here on Terra Blizzaris. The army is stronger than we thought, and Rike seems to be losing his edge for some reason."
The master looks worriedly at Starling, who gasps. "We're on our way, Aerrow."
"Please hurry. We can't last much longer here!" The line cuts off.
Cyclonis looks over to the interceptor again, who looks anxious, and they speed faster to Terra Blizzaris.