Hi guys, I'm back again! I wanted to update yesterday, but this chapter didn't seem to flow so well for the past little while :P Then we had to out Ice Fishing. We didn't really catch anything. Except a Mud Puppy, which was really cool. We thought it was a kind of fish called a Ling at first. Then it started walking around on the ice, and we had to admit, it wasn't a fish. A Mud Puppy is a kind of large salamander, for those who don't know.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Here's chapter 7. Enjoy!

Persuasion

Piper was sitting with Mika in their prison cell, trying to keep her mind off of Aerrow. It was harder than she thought; Piper couldn't stop wondering whether her leader was still alive or not. The cell door opened, and she turned. Piper half expected it to be the guards coming back with news of Aerrow's death, or at least returning with a worsened Aerrow; it was way too early to get their daily rations of food or water. Instead they grabbed Piper under the arms and hauled her away.

"Piper!" Mika fought back tears. Piper was the only friend she had anywhere in Cyclonia. She remembered how Piper had promised to set her free. Mika wondered if there was a chance Piper and Aerrow could get away and save her. She settled down in the center of the cell, her hands folded anxiously on her lap. All she could do was wait and hope.

Hope was all she had left anymore.


Finn and Starling strode onto the bridge of the Condor. The Interceptor leaped a mile in the air when she saw Weaverbird coiled up in a corner. She strode over to the dozing Dragon, surprise and awe written all over her features.

"A Dragon?" Starling breathed, "But I thought they were extinct!" Finn shrugged.

"That's what we thought too. Until we met Weaverbird that is." Starling returned her gaze to the Dragoness. Weaverbird opened one eye, meeting the sky knight's olive gaze.

"Hello Starling." Weaverbird mumbled. Starling leaped back in shock.

"You can talk?" She asked warily, "And you know my name?" Weaverbird shifted slightly.

"Of course I can, and of course I do." Weaverbird replied, "We've met before." Starling looked perplexed. "On terra Saharr. Remember Weaver? That was me." Starling thought a moment, then comprehension dawned on her face. Now that she thought about it, Weaverbird's voice did sound familiar. Weaverbird sat up tiredly, her scales slightly grayer.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Finn asked, eyeing Weaverbird dubiously. The Dragoness returned the sharpshooter's bright blue gaze.

"I'll be fine; it's Aerrow you should be worried about. Whatever the Cyclonians are doing to him is draining a lot of energy, so he's had to draw on mine. I'm just worn out. That's all." Finn didn't look convinced. Weaverbird held his gaze, and he dropped the subject. Starling gave them a perplexed look.

"Long story." Finn muttered. Starling shook her head, trying to clear the jumble of thoughts.

"What's our plan?" Starling got down to business. Finn looked at her sheepishly.

"We haven't got one." Finn shrugged, "It was always Piper who was best at coming up with plans. We haven't been able to think of anything that would work." Starling sighed and put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. Weaverbird settled back into her corner.

"Whatever you decide to do it will have to be without me," Weaverbird warned, "I barely have the strength to stand, let alone fight."

"And try to remember, that there's an extremely thin chance that any of you will make it out alive," Stork called from the helm, "This is Cyclonia we're talking about after all."


Cyclonis had made a few changes to the Interrogator cell. The gargoyle statues were gone, leaving the corners starkly bare. A pair of chains had been attached to one wall. Piper was shackled to the chains when she was returned to the room.

Aerrow was once again bound in the Interrogator's shackles. He wasn't looking too good; the grey tinge in his skin hadn't receded and a trickle of blood issued from under the shackles around his wrists. The gash in his side had a nasty purple tinge around it. The infection in the wound was steadily growing worse.

"Aerrow," Piper breathed, getting as near to him as she possibly could. He didn't respond.

Cyclonis and the Dark Ace entered the room; the Dark Ace stood near the door, as if to prevent anyone from leaving or entering. Aerrow's eyes fluttered open. He blinked in surprise and concern when he caught sight of Piper chained to the wall. Then he shot the most contemptuous glare Piper had ever seen at Cyclonis. The ruler of Cyclonia gave a dark chuckle.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Cyclonis sighed, shaking her head, "Maybe your friend will have more sense." Cyclonis laid her hand on top of one of the yellow crystals. The sensation of being stabbed with hot knives engulfed Aerrow, and he cried out in pain. Piper gasped and tried to get to her friend, forgetting the chains that bound her to the wall. Cyclonis lifted her hand from the crystal and Aerrow fell limp, gasping for breath. Cyclonis turned to Piper.

"I haven't given up on you," she said, her purple eyes boring into Piper's amber ones, "I still want you to join me."

"Don't listen to her, Piper!" Aerrow gasped from the wall. Master Cyclonis shot him a contemptuous glance and laid her hand on the nest crystal in line. Aerrow gave another agonized cry. Piper wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Cyclonis continued over Aerrow's panting.

"Tell you what," Cyclonis offered conversationally, "Join me," her hand hovered over the next crystal, the first red one, "and his suffering will end. Refuse," Cyclonis' hand dropped a few inches, "Well, I think you can figure that one out for yourself." The hint of a smile played around Cyclonis' lips.

Piper looked past Master Cyclonis at Aerrow. He shook his head, silently mouthing the word 'no', his green eyes filled with desperation. For the first time since joining the Storm Hawks, Piper felt her confidence drain from her heart. She bit her lip and looked at the floor. Cyclonis raised an eyebrow, her fingertips nearly brushing the red crystal.

"Perhaps you need more incentive?" Cyclonis let her hand fall to the top of the crystal. Aerrow shuddered violently, his eyes shut tight.

"Don't listen to her, Piper!" Aerrow pleaded, his voice wracked with pain, "No matter what happens to me! Don't join her!" Cyclonis let her hand linger on the crystal for a while. Piper fell to her knees, tears falling freely from her eyes. Cyclonis smiled evilly, removing her hand from the crystal. Aerrow fell limp, shivering hard and breathing heavily.

"You can make it stop, Piper," Cyclonis gestured to the sky knight. Piper looked down, her eyes hooded. Cyclonis sneered at the girl, "You care too much, Piper. Especially for your sky knight. That's your weakness." Piper gave Cyclonis a sidelong glance, "Oh yes," Cyclonis continued, "I know how you feel about each other. The way you spoke so fondly of him. And the way he always seemed to fawn after you. They were impossible to miss." Cyclonis grinned as Piper's and Aerrow's faces flushed. Cyclonis chuckled.

"I see you need more time to decide. I'll be back later. Right now, I have other matters to attend to." Cyclonis turned on her heel, striding out of the holding cell. Dark Ace followed.

"It doesn't seem they will break any time soon. At least, the sky knight doesn't appear to be bending to your will so easily." The Dark Ace mused, more to himself than to his Master. Cyclonis heard, but disregarded the comment.

"I gave her the chance to join me willingly," Cyclonis muttered, "It seems I will have to take what I want by force. Don't worry about the sky knight. When his precious navigator breaks,

"So will he."

There you have it! Tell what you think of Master Cyclonis' parts. I'd like to know how well I'm pulling off the most evil character in the show.