Author's note: CHAPTER SEVEN, nearly there now. sorry for the wait, but exams are finished so you may not have to wait so long for the next update. a HUGE thank you to all my reviewers, i'll reply personally next time, i don't think i'm showing my gratitude enough for all your kind and supportive words. i'm glad you're enjoying this :) please, enjoy, x
Do We Win?
The Forbidden City is a place that Aerrow swore he'd never come back to, for the simple reason that whenever he explores the dank and eerie ruins, riddled with traps and dead-ends, naturally something bad happens; his experiences of the place were not ones he usually enjoyed reliving and the creature who once lived at the centre of the city – the Oracle – had caused Aerrow enough trouble to last for one lifetime … several, in fact. Now the Sky Knight couldn't help but feel resentful of the fact that a prophecy originating from the mystical being's stone had encouraged Piper to essentially sacrifice herself; although, when he realises that that was the cause of his resentment, the sentiment strengthens to one of controlled rage.
Silent, angry tears begin to flow over his cheeks but he brushes them away with the back of his hand; he's twenty-two for goodness sake! – He shouldn't be crying, he should be out there saving Piper, something he is currently making no progress with. Thankfully for the Sky Knight, he is alone; after leaving Terra Vapos, he requested that his team remain behind on the Condor. It may seem a little callous, but there is that distinct feeling inside of him that they are only slowing him down and with every passing minute, the mission the Dark Ace has assigned him becomes ever more personal; it was he who failed to recognise Piper's intentions on that night before the battle, and it was his actions that led to her believing that her subsequent fate was intended by the gods – Aerrow wasn't usually one to believe in fate or destiny, and yet had unintentionally convinced Piper that hers was already sealed.
Just thinking about that made Aerrow even angrier, he was supposed to be a leader, a shoulder to lean on – he wasn't supposed to encourage his team members to sacrifice themselves!
Pushing his thoughts and feelings to one side, the Storm Hawk decides it best to concentrate on where he's going; he's been here enough times to know where the centre of the city lies, but it wouldn't hurt to be careful. The stone pillars that have survived the battles fought here groan dangerously under the strain as Aerrow walks through the chambers to reach the treasury, pretty soon there won't be a city to visit when the whole place caves in; the Sky Knight just hopes that that doesn't happen with him still trapped inside, as he approaches his destination he cautiously avoids a trap he experienced last time he visited here. Though wary, his lips stretch into that familiar involuntary smile as he relives Piper's words…
"Don't worry; the traps are all in ruins too."
It had been one of those rare occasions where she'd been wrong, and Aerrow did not want a repeat of the ordeal of hanging from the ceiling; deciding it best to continue on foot into the treasury, he pulls his bike to a halt and clambers off, using one of his blades to light the way. The ruins are damp and make the floor slippery and soon the Sky Knight is forced to put away his weapon in order to begin climbing over the debris and rubble that blocks his path; the contents of a pack he is carrying over his shoulder clatter as his movements become less agile, the noise attracts his attention and his awareness of it seems to make the bag physically heavier – he frowns, aware that it is only a psychological reaction… but it is one that cannot be helped. The contents of the pack make him uncomfortable, they seem to play on his mind and steal his attention, making him think of only bad things; this is why he locked them away in the first place, it wasn't that they just reminded him of her, they only reminded him of the bad things.
Unlike the Piper that Aerrow sees from day to day, the Piper from his memories who is confident and loyal and happy and caring; the Piper that he sees when reminded of the artefacts with him now is the one formed from the memories of her last days, the scared Piper, the destroyed Piper… but her image is mixed with visions from his nightmares: a darker Piper, one tainted by obsession and power… a Piper too like Master Cyclonis.
After a moments deliberation, Aerrow takes to focusing on his surroundings once again; the treasury is in ruins but traces of the oracle's powers remains, the chamber walls luminous with pure crystal energy. Golden coins and sparkling jewels lay scattered about the floor, some smashed into tiny fragments as the roof and pillars caved in; finally, after manoeuvring over and around the obstacles, the Sky Knight finds himself nearing the centre of the room, a part of the chamber that has survived most of the damage, the altar steps still intact and the base of the oracle statue still recognisable from the time the Storm Hawk set the creature free. He stops as he reaches the top of the steps and stands there, patiently, not quite sure what to do and too afraid of being disappointed.
But his bag is growing heavier again, and though – at first – he thinks it his guilty conscience simply playing tricks with him again, he comes to realise that that is not the case; heart pounding against his ribs, he lowers the sack to the ground, pulls open the top and lowers his hand into it. His fingers explore the contents, cautiously avoiding something sharp and eventually discovering the object of his desire - something with a smooth, clean-cut edge that is warmer than it should be. The Sky Knight gulps, hesitates, before taking the object in his hand firmly and bringing it out so he can see it, emerald eyes widening when they fall upon the Oracle Stone resting in his palm, glowing a vibrant violet; his heart is now thundering inside of him, his fingers steadily turn white as they grip the crystal tighter as his emotions get the better of him all over again.
This is it, this is all that he has left of the girl he loved, this is the last thing Piper held, the stone that gave her a fighting chance, that protected her from Cyclonis… that encouraged her to become the woman she did; this stone was her destiny, it was fate that led to Aerrow offering it to her as a gift, the key that would take them to the Far Side, that would slowly ebb its way into all corners of her life and allow her to become the greatest Crystal Mage in history. He remains unblinking, gazing into the glowing crystal…
But now, the stone that not only came to represent Piper, and the love he held for her represents something a lot more sinister: the loss of Piper, and Aerrow's inability to save her.
Time passes, but then Aerrow begins to feel a different sensation within him and he stands up slowly, eyes moving from the stone to the altar, before starting to reach out his hand towards the ruins of the Oracle statue. He doesn't know what he's doing, but something of unknown origin inside of him does, something that is guiding him, urging him on… is it the stone?
He resists the temptation to stretch out his hand further – he grows suspicious that if it is the crystal controlling his movements, that it is all a trick, that the Oracle is taking the stone from him, the last essence of Piper. If the prophecy meant that she must sacrifice everything, does that mean everything that was a part of her? Is that why he never found her necklace? Firmly, Aerrow pulls his hand back, fingers clutching, protecting, the crystal he's hidden for so long…
No, no – he can't, he won't – he can't let it go. He can't lose her again. Not again.
Aerrow…
It's his, she is his – you can't take this from him; the stone is his, it's Piper, don't take her away from him, please…
Aerrow.
Tears are streaming down his cheeks, but the desperation has passed, a calming, soothing sensation is sweeping over him; the pull of the stone to the altar has lessened and finally, the Storm Hawk can relax his arm which he pulls towards him and strokes where his muscles now ache.
Aerrow.
Aerrow's eyes scan the area, there is a draft that wasn't there before and this makes him shiver; the feeling that he is not alone has returned, someone is with him who wasn't there before. It takes him a while to work out who it is, but once he realises, all the pain goes away.
Piper.
About time…
But where is she? There is no apparition this time, only that feeling of belonging, that sense of completeness she used to bring to his life; the crystal in his hand glows warmly, he stops and listens to it within him, finally understands what he has to do, finally accepts that sacrifices must be made. Sacrifices must always be made, Piper knew that, she was willing to give her life; the least Aerrow can do is sacrifice the stone.
I couldn't have put it better myself.
A smirk appears on the Sky Knight's face, wherever Piper is, whether she is part of the Atmos around him or just a figment of his imagination, he feels less afraid; this time, he stretches out his hand and holds out his arm towards the alter, the crystal glows brighter, the altar trembles with the reconnecting of the bond between Oracle and stone and suddenly the entire cavern is illuminated in luminescent colours, purples and blues and a shocking pure white all emerging from the steps before Aerrow who shields his delicate eyes from the blinding light.
His hand releases the stone, but instead of falling to the floor, it hovers in front of him, it's own light growing with size forming the vibrant silhouette of someone he recognises; at first his heart is in his throat, pounding with untold excitement as he mistakes the creature for Piper… but it calms, rather disappointed when the form of the Oracle becomes clearer. He steps back a little, face turned to stone as he waits for the being to settle and for the light to die away. Soon it does so, and the Sky Knight finds himself face to face with the ancient apparition, who is apparently less than impressed.
Aerrow doesn't care. He isn't all that happy either.
"You know," begins the Oracle, her tone sour and expression cold, "some might consider calling a spirit back a second time rude. Especially…" she lifts her hand, the crystal used to conjure her up levitating between her slender fingers, "… when the item used is something they offered as a gift."
"Don't lie." The Oracle is stunned by Aerrow's equally bitter tone, even he is rather taken aback, but he hides his inner surprise; "… the stone was the key, to so many things. You have played us all as pawns on a chessboard, this crystal was not a gift, you knew what would happen… in the end."
"Are you implying, little Sky Knight, that my intentions were not for good?"
"I am not saying that, Oracle; I am merely implying that you have been selfish. You knew the outcome of everything, you knew the parts we would play and you chose to keep certain things secret from us – there was never any direct answer, never any specific detail – only prophecies and visions and clues. Were you afraid that if you told us the truth, that we would have to sacrifice so much, we would not have fought? Did you think so little of us?"
During his speech, angry tears have formed in the Sky Knight's eyes but he brushes them away furiously; the Oracle, at first so angry and defensive, has cowed and looked away ashamedly. Her clear expression, usually so hard to read, is one of unadulterated guilt.
Silence falls between the pair, an uncomfortable silence, but Aerrow refuses to break it; this time, the Oracle will talk, she owes him that much at least. Finally, her spirit breaks; her thousand-year-strong self-admiration finally shatters with the truth.
"You are right, Aerrow, I have been unfair to you. You must… forgive me; I am sorry."
"Apologies aren't much good now." The Sky Knight remains unmoved; the apology has come eight years too late.
The apparition sees this and sighs sadly, finally prepared to reveal everything; she gestures to the crystal floating above her palm and turns to the young man with the fiery eyes. "How did you find this? Many supposed it lost once it was used to open the gate by Cyclonis."
"Piper." Aerrow answers, it seems to be an increasingly common explanation; "Piper found it, she used her gift to locate it; she said she could hear it, calling for her across the Far Side. She didn't stop until she'd discovered it."
"Yes, Piper… that girl was so gifted, brimming with power that even I will never fully comprehend. Do you know the history of this stone?" She nods before Aerrow can reply. "Of course you do, you wouldn't be here if you didn't. It was destined to find itself in Piper's hands, the Atmos intended so many things for her, and for you of course…" The Oracle pauses for a moment, then smiles with an air of mystery; "… tell me Aerrow, do you know that it was not you I expected to see that first time we met? For all my knowledge of the future, I couldn't see that Piper would prepare to fulfil her prophecy all those years in advance."
The Sky Knight does a double take, staring at the amused spirit; "… you mean, you were meant to meet Piper!"
"Yes, but an unexpected event occurred..."
The pair exchange glances, Aerrow turns away a little and recalls the moment that Piper had told him to go on ahead and leave her to deal with Domiwick, regardless of how much meeting the Oracle had meant to her; sacrifice appeared to be something Piper had been forced to live with. "…and I visited you instead."
"Indeed," the Oracle reflects at this point, her shimmering, ghostlike edge glowing in the dimming light; "your navigator, destined to sacrifice everything, the only being in the Atmos with the power to do so. It was never Piper's power that allowed her to defeat Cyclonis… it was her selflessness – that was the reason why she and Cyclonis could never be friends, they were two sides of the same coin, forever destined to oppose one another until the final battle when the one who sacrificed it all would be victorious. Sacrifice has always been the key."
Finally, the young man understands; "… that was Piper's prophecy, wasn't it? That is what you were supposed to tell her when you met her."
The Oracle does not say anything; instead she nods briefly and looks away; perhaps not daring to catch the emerald eye of the Sky Knight.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say that you wanted Piper instead of me!"
Aerrow's voice break with the bubbling rage but though his powerful, muscular form is intimidating, the Oracle finally finds the courage to face him with a cool and hard expression; "I did not tell her, Aerrow, for one simple reason: it was not to be. Destiny worked against me, something beyond my sight worked to ensure that I would meet you rather than Piper. The Atmos has its own way of doing things, Aerrow; I will admit that I was not too concerned about the change in plans, instead of a brave, young Crystal Mage, I met you; a brave, young Sky Knight whose compassion and kind heart not only gave me my freedom, but also convinced me that the key would eventually find its way into Piper's hands. Your love for her was obvious from the start; I knew you would do anything for her."
"And I still will do anything for her, if you will help me."
Silence falls, the Knight looks up into the ghostly face of the spirit timidly, like a little child desperate for a parent's protection.
"… will you help me?"
The Oracle looks down upon him kindly; "there is only one person who can help Piper now, and I am not one of them."
Aerrow cries out in frustration; "then what do I do!"
"Listen to me… Aerrow, you and Piper were destined to be together: the binding was never a coincidence. You are connected in ways that you cannot understand, you remain with Piper and Piper remains with you – that is why you hear her, why you see her… and why you searched the entire of Terra Cyclonia for the fragments of the crystal now sitting in your bag…"
The spirit stops and looks expectantly at the Sky Knight who looks rather taken aback, the bag still hanging off his shoulder slips down to his hand and he pulls it open tenderly, still looking at the Oracle. "How did you know?"
"I may not see all events of the future, but things right in front of me I usually don't miss. Now, will you show me the shards?"
Aerrow nods, and slips to his knees, trembling hands delving into his sack cautiously, aware of the sharp pieces sitting at the bottom; he cups his hands around the diamond-edge contents and removes them, taking care to not drop a single one. What appears is a treasure trove of blood red crystal pieces, shimmering strangely as though still alive with the final drops of their ever draining power; the closer Aerrow holds them to the Oracle stone, the brighter they glow and the more they burn his skin. He bears the pain.
The Oracle watches intently, enraptured by the connection the stones share; "after all this time, Piper broke the stone without destroying it; amazing! She was more talented than I could ever have believed! And how much time it must have taken you to find every single piece… incredible!"
Aerrow isn't really concerned with the spirit's misjudgements, he's been living with the effects of them for over five years; all he wants to know is how to bring her back. The Oracle sees his lack of interest in her own amazement, coughs uncomfortably and continues her story.
"As you can see, the crystals have retained their special connection, therefore it is more than likely that one can be used to repair the other; in this case that lies with the Oracle Stone. Repair the Hypno Stone and you will be able to repair Piper's mind… after all, that is the real reason you are here… you knew you had to repair the Stone, but recently learnt information clouded your judgement."
The Sky Knight starts, falters. "Wh-what?"
The Oracle chuckles; "I appear to not be the only one who has kept certain things hidden; yes, you are here to help Piper, but you need to repair the Hypno Stone in order to retrieve her from the Dark Ace. Am I correct in this assumption? That you will risk the safety of the Atmos in order to get Piper back? The safety that Piper sacrificed her life for!"
The lack of a reply from Aerrow confirms her question; his cheeks turn red with shame, but as the silence lengthens, his fingers clutch at the fragments, their sharp edges breaking the skin and drawing small droplets of blood. "I have to try," tears build, "I love her."
He looks up at the Oracle pathetically, desperately and she is moved; her soft voice echoes throughout the cavern; "the only person who can utilise the powers of the Oracle stone… is Piper." She holds up her hand to silence the Sky Knight who prepares to question her words, "please, let me finish. The bond between you and your navigator, Aerrow, is beyond any power that has ever existed; the real Piper may be gone, but as I have said, part of her rests with you – you do not need the actual Piper, just a reflection, one upon which you can project the piece of her memory that remains with you."
"… but where do I find something capable of copying Piper? Is there a crystal that can do thatl?"
"I am sure there are some crystals throughout the Atmos that can manage such a feat, but time is running out, the Dark Ace grows impatient; tell me, young one… is your heart's desire Piper?"
"O-of course."
"Then there is only one creature you must visit… and you know where she lives…"
Finally, Aerrow realises what the Oracle is telling him. "Y-you mean… the Sky Siren?" He is excited all over again, the pieces are beginning to all fit into place; "… will she be able to…?
"As long as your head overpowers your heart then yes, you must trick the Siren into creating a Piper so real that the image becomes more like the actual navigator than you could ever imagine; if you fall for the Siren's powers however, if you let her image of Piper overwhelm you, if you do not keep your mission clear in your head then you will be lost forever. The darker Piper from your nightmares cannot taint the true Piper you wield in your soul. She is the key to repairing the stone, but you are the key to repairing Piper. Do not fail, brave Sky Knight."
Aerrow nods, "of course, of course! I shan't!"
He places the fragments back into his bag and retrieves the Oracle Stone from the spirit who gracefully floats back to her place on the altar, watching the young man beginning to turn and leave whilst she starts to fade away; but Aerrow stops and turns back to face her, she looks at him expectantly. He blushes, awkwardly. "Just... one more question…"
"… all this time and you still want to know the answer?"
He nods. She smiles.
"One day, Aerrow of the Storm Hawks; one day, you will win."
And with that, she disappears and the Sky Knight races away into the darkness towards his ride; finally, the Oracle is left to enjoy her eternal rest, the Forbidden City visited for the last time, the place having ultimately fulfilled its purpose and its guardian having cleared her conscience...
