DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Storm Hawks, Characters, locations, equipment or anything associated with the show, this fanfic exists purely because I want it to
(The music to "We wish you a merry Christmas" begins playing)
I'm an Evil Dirty Bastard
I'm an Evil Dirty Bastard
I'm an Evil Dirty Bastard
And I killed Starling!
(Ducks for cover behind a bar as gunfire starts, once gunfire stops, jumps back up onto bar dressed in Mask costume complete with Martini in hand)
Did you miss me? (drinks from Martini which proceeds to drain from several holes in body) I guess not ; )
Ok, ok all joking aside guys I'm not the kinda guy who writes unhappy endings, I just couldn't resist trolling all of you ; ) As for this chapter I'm afraid my lips are sealed on this one, I'm too happy with the way it turned out to even remotely spoil what awaits you, however I can say this is the last chapter, that's right welcome to the finale, it's fairly long so I would suggest grabbing a drink, maybe some popcorn, then sit back and realx
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, Welcome to the finale of Choices
Chapter 10: A Test of the Heart
Tower Cyclonia
Everything was going according to plan, the Storm Hawks lead Snipe and Ravess along with a bunch of Talons on a merry chase through the halls of Tower Cyclonia, at each engagement point, Junko would open with a charge to break up their pursuers, neutralizing the most dangerous enemies with precise blows. Aerrow would then duck dodge and weave through the gaps, flowing like water completely untouchable, taking out the enemies Junko had missed, then they would fall back with Finn covering them while staying on the move, finally they would lead them to where Stork had setup a trap to slow the Cyclonians down before finding a new spot somewhere else to start the whole thing all over again. Things were going well, though the Storm Hawks could see they were pissing off the Cyclonian twins more and more as time went by, then as they were about to commit to a fourth engagement, the entire tower shook as lightning began going off in the air around the Terra, almost like the wrath of heaven had been unleashed, bringing an immediate halt to the fighting
"What in the Wastelands is going on!?" Finn shouted
As the tremors calmed down a little, Ravess glanced out a nearby window, what she saw turned her blood to ice, the red clouds of Cyclonia while not the most calm of skies, usually still move languidly around the Terra. Now however they were roiling like a storm wracked sea, and rushing towards the Terra, lightning firing in their bellies causing the very air to be charged with electricity. Despite the after tremors still occurring she rushed over to a nearby intercom and put it to Terra wide
"BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES; PUT ALL FUEL, CRYSTALS, ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DETONATED INTO SEALED STORAGE, THEN HAVE ALL CIVILIANS REPORT TO THEIR SHELTERS IMMEDIATELY!"
The order was met with instant obedience along with an alarm that began blaring across the Terra, meanwhile Ravess rushed off towards Cyclonis's chambers, Snipe and the Talons hot on her heels. Aerrow and the others looked at one another, a single thought on their mind, Piper and Starling, they rushed after the Twins, Aerrow quickly caught up with Ravess
"What's going on?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the noise of the storm and the alarm
Ravess glared at him, about to utter some sort of rage filled retort, until she saw that Aerrow was genuinely confused – and scared – so she just looked ahead as they continued running, "I don't know exactly, it's just something that the last Master Cyclonis warned me about," she said
Aerrow raised an eyebrow as Ravess continued, "The ceremony of coronation has special rituals that give each Master a unique connection to the Terra and the natural forces that surround it, it's part of the reason for the power of every Master crowned, their own abilities and skills are enhanced by the Terra's inherent power."
Aerrow looked at Ravess stunned, then a thought came to him, "Isn't that dangerous?"
Ravess nodded, "Yes it does carry its risks, but so long as the Master maintains a reasonably healthy state of mind and doesn't suffer any kind of severe emotional trauma things stay relatively normal, our current Master Cyclonis has had what you'd call an emotional storm cloud over her head since her sister disappeared six years ago, since then the Terra has been swathed in storm clouds, though they've stayed pretty mild, with only minor instances of instability, but now..." Ravess trailed off
"Something's happened, something to tip her over the edge," Aerrow breathed, real fear creeping into his voice
Ravess did not respond outside of a grim nod as they continued to race towards Master Cyclonis's Chambers
Lark's Room
Lark's scream was followed by the crash and boom of lightning and thunder going off all around the tower as well as the sound of wind now whipped up into a gale of fury, Piper watched as the windows shattered under the force they were put and covered her face as glass rained down from above them. Then everything began to calm, not to the state it had been, but enough that they weren't bracing themselves, then Lark's desperate voice filled the room
"Annie, p-please get up, A-Annie please a-answer me," Lark sobbed as she gripped Starling's arm and began shaking her, Starling was unresponsive however and Piper felt a lead weight drop into her stomach as Lark's head dropped to her chest and her sobs filled the room
Ace grabbed Repton and shook him hard, "You moron, you had one job, ONE job, we needed Anarchis alive!" he snarled
"It wasn't my fault she practically jumped onto my blade!" Repton retorted even as Starling's blood dripped from his sword to the floor
Piper was about to do something to shut the two of them up, when a cold, dark, resonant, distorted voice filled the room, as it did, the wind began to pick up again, and with cold understanding, Piper realised just how deep in the crapper they now were
"You killed her, you betrayed me, your nothing put two pieces of scum, trash that doesn't deserve to live!" as she spoke, Lark's head rose, her eyes were no longer dark violet, but pure black, like a sky shark's eyes, the very air seemed to crackle around her and the gale outside grew into its furious state once more
Ace and Repton looked at her with pure terror on their faces, "M-Master Cyclonis, please allow me to explain..." but Ace was interrupted by a lightning bolt fired at his head, that he only just managed to avoid
In response, he pushed Repton forward, "He's the one you want, he killed her not me!" Ace shouted
Repton whirled towards Ace, fear forgotten and a look of pure fury on his face, "What, this was YOUR idea; you told me if Anarchis didn't join us willingly to kill her brat of a sister!"
"ENOUGH!" at Lark's booming shout, the whole tower shook for the second time
"The two of you have committed treason of the HIGHEST degree, and for that, YOU. MUST. DIE!" Lark stuck her hand out towards her staff which flew towards her, then leveled it at Repton and Ace
Piper knew she had to do something, the storm outside was in some way connected to Lark, Piper didn't know how, but from how it had been responding to her emotions it could not be a coincidence. If Piper let this reach the inevitable conclusion, then things would only get worse, in one fell swoop, Repton and Ace had destroyed what Piper and Starling had achieved. Piper could not in good conscience let Starling's sacrifice be in vain, so despite every fibre of her being telling her that what she was doing was crazy and went completely against everything that rational sense said she should do, she ignored them, grabbed a leech crystal along with a crystal that could siphon energy safely, then leapt for Lark, using the leech crystal to draw away the electrical energy around her and then siphon it away safely so that as she wrapped her arms around Lark to restrain her, she would not get fried by the lightning crackling around her.
Lark reacted in shock to what Piper was doing, and even Repton and Ace were stunned so much that they remained rooted to the spot, "PIPER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Lark roared
Piper gritted her teeth as Lark struggled against her, luckily thanks to her crystal combo, Lark's powers were out of the equation, or this would have been over in five seconds flat, "Stopping you from becoming a murderer!" Piper exclaimed through gritted teeth
"GET OFF!" Lark shouted struggling harder to dislodge Piper
Suddenly the doors burst open and Ravess, Snipe, Aerrow, the rest of the Storm Hawks and a squad of Talons arrived, and stared in shock at what was happening
Aerrow spotted Starling first, "No," he breathed a look of pure shock and despair on his face, the other Storm Hawks did not look much better
Ace reacted quickly to the new situation, "Ravess, thank Atmos your here, the Storm Hawks and Starling were trying to kidnap our Empress!" he shouted
Ravess glanced at him, the blood on Repton's blade, Starling's body, and then looked to where Lark and Piper were struggling, and found she didn't know what to do, a simple kidnapping would not be enough to create the storm outside, and if Ace's words were true, then wouldn't he and Repton be helping get Piper off their Empress. She received her answers quickly enough
"LIAR, YOU KILLED MY SISTER, AND I'LL SEND YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL FOR IT, YOUR DEAD ACE, DEAD!" Lark roared as she continued to struggle against Piper who was now holding on for dear life
"Ravess I can explain later, right now you need to get Ace and Repton out of this room and lock them up somewhere, QUICKLY!" Piper shouted
Ravess looked back to Starling's body, with the new information, memories returned to her – and Snipe – and recognition dawned on their faces, they then turned towards Ace and Repton, the Storm Hawks forming up alongside them, "You killed a member of the Cyclonis family, our Royal family... you are traitors, and by the power vested in me as a General of Cyclonia, I hereby place the two of you under arrest, to answer for charges of treason!" Ravess exclaimed, tears streaming down her face as she did, while Snipe growled in anger charging up his crystal mace. Alongside them, Aerrow drew his dual blades, Junko slammed his knuckle busters together, and Finn loaded his crossbow, looks of pure fury on their faces.
Ace knew a lost situation when he saw it, there was nothing left to do but try to escape, "So be it," he growled before drawing his blade and slamming the point into the floor before the others had a chance to react. The action caused the floor beneath Repton and Ace to disintegrate and the two of them fell through to the floor below, despite the shock of it, Repton still managed to land on his feet and was after Ace in a heartbeat after landing.
Ravess, Snipe and the Storm Hawks went up to the edge of the hole and looked through, "We can't let them escape!" Aerrow exclaimed about to jump through after them
"Hold it; Master Cyclonis needs to be taken care of!" Ravess barked
They looked back to see Lark and Piper still struggling "I got it, just get them, don't let them get away with this!" Piper shouted
Ravess was torn; on the one hand her duty said she shouldn't leave the Master of Cyclonia like this, let alone with a Skyknight, on the other hand, they couldn't let Ace and Repton get away. Piper saw Ravess's indecision, "Ravess I give you my word as a Skyknight that Lark will not be harmed, and I will do everything in my power to calm her down!"
That did it, Ravess's eyes hardened and she turned back to the hole, before turning to Aerrow, "Find them, flush them out, Snipe and I will start locking down the tower, drive them into a corner!" she ordered, Aerrow just nodded before jumping through the hole, Finn and Junko right behind him
"Radar, Stork stay with Piper!" Aerrow shouted back as they landed, while Ravess and Snipe made for the door
"Talons, I want four men guarding these chambers, let no one in unless they are under my orders, IS THAT CLEAR!" Ravess shouted
"SIR YES SIR!" the Talons replied
"Good, the rest of you with me or my brother, spread the word, Tower Cyclonia is to be locked down and the traitors Ace and Repton brought to justice!" Ravess declared
"Stork get to the Condor, if Ace and Repton make it off the Terra we need a ship in the air!" Piper called, Stork just nodded and ran out after the Cyclonians. After he'd gone Lark and Piper were alone with Radar
Lark continued to struggle, then spoke again, her voice still had some distortion, but it was nowhere near as cold or dark as before, "Why are you doing this Piper, your letting them avoid the death they deserve, they killed Annie, my sister, your friend... you're just going to let them get away with that!?"
As Lark spoke her struggles decreased if only slightly, then Piper responded, "Of course not, Aerrow and the others will catch them, lock them up, then they'll be tried and found guilty, they will not get away with this."
"I DON'T WANT A TRIAL FOR THEM, I WANT THEM EXCEQUTED!" Lark screamed
"I know you're hurting right now Lark... I' am too, so is Aerrow, Finn, Junko, Stork, even Radar, we considered Starling a part of our squadron, and to us, our squadron is our family, you know that better than any Cyclonian... other than your sister," Piper replied her voice calm and clear despite the situation
Tears were streaming down Lark's cheeks as she looked down at Starling's body, Radar stood next to her, just outside the pool of blood, his ears drooped, a look of profound sadness on his face. Lark then squeezed her eyes shut as pain flared in her forehead, "Why... why won't you let me kill them, it's what they deserve, they've taken the only other member of my family away from me, and just when I got her back as well... so why won't you let me take revenge?"
Piper did not respond immediately, but she did begin to relax, as Lark had begun to do, then Piper spoke, her voice filled with sadness, "Two reasons, the first is your my friend, the friend I made before Terra Tundras, and I don't want to see you become a murderer, and that ties into the second reason."
"Which is?" Lark asked through her sobs
Piper forced herself to look at Starling, "Your sister wouldn't want you to take revenge,"
Lark looked back over her shoulder at Piper incredulously, "How do you know what she would have wanted!?" she exclaimed "After all, she took revenge on Repton for killing her squadron!"
Piper shook her head at that, "It wasn't a mission of revenge, it was a rescue mission, we were helping the Terradons escape while Starling played decoy and kept Repton busy, beating him in combat and reclaiming her squadron's shield was just a bonus for her, but that wasn't why she did it."
Lark looked back towards her sister, tears blurring her vision as Piper continued, "She wouldn't want you to take revenge just for her, to drag yourself down to Ace and Repton's level, she could have easily killed Repton on Terra Bogaton for what he did, but she didn't."
"And now because of that, she's been killed by him," Lark sobbed
Piper sighed, "I know, but Starling wouldn't care about that, all she would have cared about, all she's ever cared about, is keeping you safe."
At Piper's words, the anger and rage was finally snuffed out, its last embers cooling under Piper's gentle, soothing voice and Lark collapsed to her knees in tears with Piper beside her, no longer restraining her, but comforting her, holding her tight. Radar joined them and curled up in Lark's lap, purring comfortingly as he did so. As they sat there, a team of medics came into the room and began to tend to Starling, Piper did not have high hopes though, Starling had not moved since she had fallen, it was likely all the medics could do was confirm what they already knew, Starling was gone.
Tower Cyclonia
Dark Ace and Repton rushed down the halls towards the hanger where they'd left the other Raptors, hopefully, despite everything, they'd obeyed Repton's orders and were still there. As they rounded another corner however, Repton tackled the Dark Ace and shoved him against a wall, "What was all that about back in Cyclonis's Chambers, you threw me under a skybus!?" Repton growled angrily
Ace grunted as he tried to get some leverage on Repton, "This is hardly the time or place; we need to get out of here."
Repton snarled, "Correction, I'm going to get out of here, and I'll leave you as a distraction for our pursuers!"
"And do you know your way around a Terra wide lock-down!?" Ace retorted
Repton paused here then growled angrily and released Ace, "Which way?" he asked
Ace dusted himself off, then Aerrow, Finn and Junko came hurtling round the corner behind them, "THERE!" Aerrow yelled, blades drawn
"This way!" Ace shouted and took off down another hallway, as they ran Ace's mind was running a million miles an hour recalling all the old and forgotten routes he had discovered during his time here. At the same time he was admiring Ravess, clever using the Skyknights as hunting dogs to flush us out, while she, Snipe and the Talons busy themselves with locking down the Terra, that means we're on a tighter clock than I thought.
The chase took them through the center of the tower gradually going down until they reached the level of the hanger where they'd left the other Raptors, despite the speed of the Storm Hawks, Ace and Repton were able to stay just ahead of them thanks to Ace's foreknowledge of their route. The Storm Hawks quickly switched tactics, rather than catch their targets, they focused on keeping in the chase, just like during the morning runs back on Terra Mesa, we won't let you down Starling, we'll catch them, no matter what, Aerrow vowed silently, and from the looks in Junko and Finn's eyes, they were making the same vow.
Finally they reached the hanger, and to Repton and Ace's immense relief, the other Raptors were still there, they'd also managed to get some ground on their pursuers, however, Ravess had already ordered all nearby Talons to the Hanger, and the Storm Hawks were not far behind them.
"Ok let's get out of here quick before the Storm Hawks arrive," Ace said mounting his Skyride
Suddenly Repton's blade sliced through the vital equipment necessary to unfurl the wings, making escape with it impossible, "Repton what are doing!?" Ace shouted only to be kicked off the skimmer before Repton mounted his own
"Paying you back for that stunt in Cyclonis's chambers, you'll be a perfect distraction for our pursuers while I escape," Repton replied, a smug smirk plastered on his face, "Thanks for showing me the way out," he finished before gunning his skimmer's engines and making for the hanger exit
As the Raptors left Ace in the dust, the Storm Hawks arrived, "Get after them, Ace is mine!" Aerrow shouted, Finn and Junko ran on by, with Finn firing off crossbow bolts taking out the two rear most Raptors, Junko ran up to them and knocked them out
Meanwhile, Ace stood and faced Aerrow, "So this is it eh, seems rather poetic that this be my final battle, to duel with the son of the man I murdered and betrayed," as Ace spoke he drew his sword from its place on his back and turned towards Aerrow, getting into a ready stance, "I won't go down easy Aerrow, this fight is the difference between life and death for me!" Ace shouted before charging Aerrow
The Raptors were pulling away from the Storm Hawks and were soon out of Finn's effective range, Talons appeared near the hanger entrance and tried to close it off, but the Raptors speed was too great, Repton could taste freedom. He glanced back to see Ace and Aerrow dueling, good riddance, suddenly Leugey, Hoerk and Spitz all slammed on their brakes and dropped behind him, "What are you doing!?" Repton shouted enraged
"Uhh, boss..." Hoerk called pointing ahead
Repton looked back towards where he was going, to see the hull of the Condor blocking his way, he snarled with anger – both too close and going too fast to stop now – and yanked on the handlebars to get his ride between the edge of the hanger door and the hull of the Condor. He zoomed through, but as he did his Skyride clipped the hull, Repton ignored it however as it only caused a minor jolt, once he was clear he unfurled the wings of his skimmer. He looked back at the Condor seeing the Merb Stork at the controls and barked a harsh laugh, before revving the engines, had Repton paid attention to the hit he'd taken, this would have been the last action he took. The damage his ride received had been to the fuel compartment, now it was leaking, flowing in a stream behind the vehicle due to the speed he was already going through the air, as such revving the engines had the following effect. It extended the length of the burner coming from the engines enabling it to ignite the leaking fuel; this then followed the trail back to the fuel compartment and proceeded to detonate it, in spectacular fashion. Luckily for Repton his thick scales protected him from the explosion, not so luckily his parachute was completely incinerated by said explosion, Repton now found himself sailing through open air, with nothing below him, except the clouds that beckoned him to the wastelands beneath, and it was a long way down. The last anyone heard of Repton was his scream of terror as he disappeared beneath the clouds
Back in the hanger Aerrow flowed around Ace's attacks fluidly, making sure to deliver strikes of his own whenever an opening was provided by Ace's over committing attacks, Ace snarled with anger swinging round, his blade slicing through the air, but Aerrow just ducked underneath, his movements flowing and coordinated. Finn and Junko returned now that the Raptors were in the Talon's custody but as they did, Aerrow held up a hand, "No this is my fight," he said simply, Finn and Junko stopped in their tracks and just nodded while moving to positions to jump in should Ace win, no matter who won the fight, Ace could not get away
"You've improved since last time Aerrow," Ace panted swinging his sword in another wild but powerful strike, which Aerrow easily flowed around, "Who's been training you?" Ace asked
"Starling!" Aerrow growled, and the look on his face told Ace one thing, he wasn't going to win, and with the other two Storm Hawks standing by, there was now no escape, Ace's words caused Aerrow to go on the offensive, but Ace had just as much trouble landing a blow as he did before. Aerrow's attacks however were precise and accurate, and after a flurry of blows were traded, Aerrow knocked Ace's sword from his hand and landed the traitor prone on the floor
Aerrow moved to stand over him, blade leveled at Ace, "Go on, finish it!" Ace snarled
Every fiber of Aerrow's being screamed at him to do just that, the man before him had betrayed the Storm Hawks, had killed Aerrow's own father, had killed countless other Skyknights, and now he was responsible for Starling's death as well. But despite all that, Aerrow knew what true justice demanded, and with a strained sigh, lowered his blade, before looking up at the nearby Talons. "He's all yours" Aerrow said stepping away, the Talons rushed in and restrained Ace before the man could react, though he did begin struggling, he looked to Aerrow as the Talons hauled him to his feet, Aerrow was picking up Ace's sword, "This however, rightfully belongs to me."
Ace gave a roar of fury and hate as the Talons dragged him away, Snipe and Ravess entered the Hanger through the same door Ace was dragged out of, "Take him to the dungeons, I want 3 men on his cell and another 12 on the main door!" Ravess ordered, to which the Talon's uttered affirmatives. The twins then made their way over to the Storm Hawks who were being watched by more Talons while the Raptors were also lead away to the dungeons, behind all this the Condor slowly docked inside the hanger before Stork emerged, Ravess turned to him first, "What of Repton?"
"His skimmer took some damage as he escaped, when he revved his engines the whole thing exploded on him, watched him fall into the wastelands," Stork said simply
Ravess gritted her teeth, "Damm, if that bastard is dead he won't stand trial," she turned to a group of Talons, "Go down to the wastelands and see if you can find him, if he is dead, fine, if not, bring him back alive."
"Sir Yes sir!" the Talons responded before moving off to their skimmers
"What of the Storm Hawks, general?" asked another Talon
Ravess and Snipe looked at the Storm Hawks, and they likewise looked back at them, Ravess then sighed, "Let them be, they helped us deliver justice today to the killers of Anarchis Cyclonis the Second, that's worth a temporary ceasefire," she said to which the Storm Hawks all gave her grateful smiles
"Yes sir" the Talon, who asked responded, and he and the others went to help with the clean up
"Come on, we'd better go give our report to Master Cyclonis," Ravess said turning to go and gesturing for the Storm Hawks to follow, which they did
Lark's Room (1 hour later)
Lark was sat in a chair by her bed staring at the body of her sister, Anarchis Cyclonis the Second to the people of Cyclonia, Starling of the Interceptors to the Storm Hawks, and Annie to her. Standing just behind and slightly to the side of her was Piper, a comforting hand on Lark's shoulder, arrayed around the room were the other members of the Storm Hawks, Ravess, Snipe and a number of Cyclonian generals who had just been informed of the situation. Radar sat curled in Lark's lap allowing Lark to stroke his fur as a source of comfort to her
The silence reigned for quite a while, no one daring to break it, then finally, after what seemed like an age, Lark spoke, "I never even got a chance to..." but Lark trailed off, her tears returning, Snipe and several of the generals bowed their heads, while others removed hats and placed them against their chests
Ravess then stepped forward, tears in her own eyes, "Despite everything, we will have a proper ceremony for her, at the end of the day she is still a Cyclonis and will be honoured as such," she stated, to which the generals gave murmurs of agreement. Lark merely turned towards Piper and began to sob again, her last family member gone, "This is all my fault, if I'd been quicker I could have stopped Repton, she'd still be alive," she whispered so only Piper could hear
"By that logic, I'm also to blame, you can't do that to yourself Lark, the people responsible for this are Ace and Repton, the former is now locked up and the latter is most likely dead, killed by his own stupidity," Piper replied
Lark gripped Piper's uniform tighter as the tears ran down her cheeks, one of the generals declared that he and his peers should start getting to work on any preparations that needed to be made, and that it was better if Lark have some time alone. The other generals agreed and began to file out, the general who had spoken was last and looked to the others, asking if they were coming, Ravess voiced her agreement and she, her brother and the Storm Hawks began to file out, until Lark spoke up, "No, the rest of you stay... please, I don't want to be alone." The others looked to the general, who just sighed, gave his condolences before bowing and left
Ravess, Snipe and the Storm Hawks formed up in a semicircle around the chair were Lark was sitting; Aerrow was about to speak – to say a few words – when a chuckling filled the room. Everyone turned towards the source of the sound, to see a man seated in a chair in the far corner of the room, the Storm Hawks at first mistook the man for Arygyn the Skeelur, but on closer inspection they could see distinct differences, firstly the colors that adorned his clothes were darker and more chaotic, his facial features also reflected this chaotic look, his white hair was frizzy and unkempt and was matched by a white goatee that dangled from under his chin. He also had one canine that seemed to protrude outwards slightly and a pair of mismatched eyes, one violet, the other emerald, and he was smiling at them with glee.
"Who are you, how did you get in here!?" Ravess demanded
The man however ignored her as he stood and stepped into the light, fully revealing his face, Piper couldn't hold in a gasp as she recognized the features that Starling had described to her, "Your Discord Cyclonis," she breathed and everyone looked to her in shock at her words, everyone but Discord
"Correct my dear, I take it my grandniece told you about me," he replied assumedly, to which Piper only nodded
"Piper," Lark said, "You know him?"
Piper just stared Discord down, "Yes Starling told me about him, he's your granduncle, your grandmother's brother, Starling made a deal with him to save your life when you were ill, it's what started all this," Piper explained
Snipe reacted to this, "You mean you're the reason our princess is dead!" he yelled drawing his crystal mace, it disappeared almost as quickly as it was drawn, just popping out of existence, Snipe stared at his empty hands, then looked at Discord, who bore a smug look. Snipe gave a roar of anger and charged Discord, he didn't make it three feet before he was picked up and flung against a wall by a hue of red energy that also surrounded Discord's hand
"They'll be none of that barbaric violence around my grandniece's deathbed, show some respect, as for your accusation, it is correct that my deal with my grandniece led us into the reality we now inhabit, however, the current circumstances are a direct result of my grandniece's choices," Discord stated, "She knew that quite well, in fact it was the one of only two thoughts in her mind when she threw herself in front of the blade, the other being to protect her little sister." As he said the last part his gaze turned to Lark, and Piper did not like the look he gave her, like a predator that's sighted helpless prey
"Why are you here?" Piper demanded, "You got what you wanted, Starling paid your price, isn't that enough!"
Discord began laughing heartily at her words, "Oh my dear, you don't know how wrong you are, you see, I' am still to receive my price because Starling beat me," he explained, to looks of shock from everyone there
"What do you mean?" Lark asked
Discord zeroed in on her, "Simple my dear, when I made my deal with Starling I said and I quote, 'I'll make you a deal, and we shall see what's in your heart's,'" Discord said and seeing everyone's confusion he continued, "Within my deal was a test, a test of the heart, had my grandniece failed it I would have demanded my price, however, while it did take her sometime to figure it out, she did indeed pass my test, and beat me at my own game."
"Of course had she figured it out sooner she would not have needed to die, but my hands were tied with that, fate is a cruel game master, had she reconciled with you sooner Lark, she would have likely lived, thanks to her choices however, we are lead to this conclusion instead," Discord finished, the last part said as he gestured towards Starling's body
Lark also looked towards Starling, realizing for the first time just how much her sister had risked to keep her safe, then something popped into the forefront of her mind, "Wait, you said heart's not heart, but how's that possible, a person only has one heart?"
Discord smiled broadly, "Very good, I was wondering when you'd catch onto that," he replied chuckling, "You see this test was one of the bond between you and your sister, but such a test is worthless if only one member of that bond is tested, so now that we have determined that Starling has passed, it is your turn my dear," Discord explained, as he did he approached Lark and whipped his hand around in front of her face, when it stopped, he held a pure white stone in his previously empty fingers. "This is an Infinity stone, as I'm sure your aware, it has the power to grant any one wish that your heart desires, and it is all yours" he stated as he took one of Lark's hands and placed the stone into it before stepping away
Lark stared at the stone, then up at Discord, "Any wish, anything I want?" she asked in disbelief
Discord nodded and smiled like the Cheshire Cat, "Indeed, you could use that stone to end the war, bring about an end to more than a century of conflict, it would indeed be a noble action for the betterment of your people... or you could use it to save your sister, another noble action, repaying a life with a life," Discord mused, "Of course that's just a suggestion, the choice my dear is up to you."
Everything was silent for several moments, then Aerrow broke it, "The answer is obvious, save Starling, bring her back!" he exclaimed
Ravess then jumped in, "Your Highness as much as it pains me, that crystal could end the war, in our favor, think of the people your highness, if the war ended today think of how much suffering it would alleviate!"
An argument broke out between those who wanted to end the war and those who wanted Starling back (so basically, Snipe and Ravess on one side, the Storm Hawks on the other... well most of the Storm Hawks). Piper watched the argument as well as Lark, sitting there torn between two impossible decisions, then she looked at Discord, who just stood there smiling, Piper clenched her fists and drew in a breath, "QUIET!" she shouted, and quiet there was. Piper then turned to Lark, who was now staring at her, "Lark, I know this is a difficult decision to make, you might say an impossible one," Piper began before glancing at Discord, who just kept smiling that smug grin, "So don't make it, I know it hurts but whichever one you make it's going to be the wrong one!"
Lark blinked in surprise "What are you talking about?" she asked confused
"Think about it, if you end the war whether it's in Cyclonia's favor or not, you're letting Starling, your sister die, immediate fail! But if you use the stone to bring her back, then your condemning thousands of people to the suffering of war, also a fail! Even if you try and declare peace after bringing Starling back, there's no guarantee that it will take, whichever choice you make, something bad will happen to good people somewhere else, that's the difference between this choice and the one Starling made to save you from Repton," Piper explained
"Very true," Discord interrupted, "But then doing nothing and refusing to play my game brings about the same outcome," he said smiling
Piper ground her teeth in frustration, checkmate, in every sense of the word, this however still left Lark's choice, what should she do, how could they possibly beat Discord at his own game. Suddenly, Lark spoke, "I've made my decision."
Everyone looked to Lark, Discord looked like he was on the edge of his seat, anticipating what she would say next, "I'm sorry everyone, if you ever find out what I'm about to do, or if I tell you, I hope you can forgive me," Lark continued
"Oooh, your going that route are you, how interesting," Discord said gleefully
Piper panicked, "No Lark don't..." but Piper's words died away as Lark gripped the Infinity stone tightly in her hands and made her wish, causing a white light to engulf the room
Tower Cyclonia, Lark's Room, just over six years ago
Lark opened her eyes to see her room, now devoid of everyone except her, even Annie was gone from the bed, she looked over to the bedside table to where a calendar and clock resided, yes, I got not only the right day, but the right time as well, I should be entering any minute...
The doors to the room suddenly opened as a younger, nine year old version of Lark walked in looking exhausted, wow, I really was a wreck, 15YO Lark thought. 9YO Lark suddenly stopped after spotting her older self in the corner of her eye and turned towards her slowly eyes widening as the nine year old realized who was standing in front of her, "What in the wastelands!?" she exclaimed
15YO Lark quickly used her powers to close and lock the door to the room as well as turn on the lights, before facing her younger self, "Please stay calm, I know you must have a million questions right now, but it's important you hear what I have to say first," she said calmly and steadily
9YO Lark looked first to the door, then to her older self a look of confusion and amazement on her face, "Your me from the future aren't you!" she said, excitement coloring her voice
15YO Lark sighed and nodded, "Yes I' am, but that's not important right now..." Lark began but was interrupted
"Wow, I've always thought about how one might be able to use crystals to figure out how to travel through time, it would take tremendous energy, perhaps on the level of an Infinity stone and..." 9YO Lark's babbling was cut off and turned into a muffled protesting instead as her older self covered her mouth
Wow, this feels like talking to Piper again, 15YO Lark thought then shook her head we really were, perhaps even are so much alike. To her younger self she said rather sternly, "Look if it will shut you up, I used an Infinity stone to make a wish and travel back here, but how I did it is far less important than why understand?" 9YO Lark nodded, "Good, now I'm going to take my hand away, when I do you will be quiet so I can explain why I'm here got it?" another nod, so 15YO Lark took her hand away and went to sit down, she realized as she was doing it that she was about to sit down on the bed. Even though Annie was no longer there, 15YO Lark couldn't in good conscience sit where for her, Annie had been laying dead not 3 minutes ago, if this works though, that will never happen.
9YO Lark noticed how her older self stood up abruptly from making to sit down on the bed, and then switched to the chair, "What's the problem, it's your bed too technically?" she asked
15YO Lark sighed, "Because for me, 3 minutes ago, that was where Annie was lying after being killed by Repton," she explained, to which her younger self's eyes became as wide as dinner plates
"What!?" 9YO Lark exclaimed
15YO Lark nodded, "That's why I'm here, to try and prevent that from happening."
9YO Lark looked at her stunned, then frowned in confusion, "Wait, but then why come so far back, you must be the same age as Annie is now, which means that happens six years in the future, for that matter, why aren't you warning Annie herself?" she asked
"Because it wouldn't make a difference, this is the point that's in flux, it was my decision and therefore I can change it," 15YO Lark explained
9YO Lark looked at her curiously now, "What decision?" she asked
15YO Lark's gaze moved to their workbench, on top of which lay a number of crystal manipulating tools and some crystals, in particular, a set of four green/yellow crystals that gave off an eerie glow. 9YO Lark followed her older self's gaze, staring at the crystals for a moment before turning back to her older self who then spoke, "I need you to destroy those four crystals," she said simply
9YO Lark looked at her incredulously, "What, but those crystals have been such a big help, I'm able to learn so much more when I don't need to sleep, and you've benefited from that too, your living proof that they'll make us stronger!" she exclaimed
15YO Lark waited for her to finish, then spoke, "If you use those crystals, you will force Annie to make a decision that will alter our very reality, a reality that will then follow a series of events that ultimately lead to nothing but war and destruction for Atmos – including Cyclonia – and Annie's death."
Now 9YO Lark looked at her aghast, then gave a dry chuckle, "Yea right, like one decision could be that powerful..." she began, but 15YO Lark interrupted her
"Normally I would agree with you – how could one simple small decision change the entire world – well it did, and is going to, because you see, for most people, small decisions are nothing but ripples in the stream of fate, they can distort its surface for a moment but nothing more. There are people though, in the right time, the right place, people whose lives can affect 100's sometimes 1000's of others, and the choices they make in those lives can have the power to decide who lives and who dies."
9YO Lark stared at her, then at the crystals, "But, I'll fall behind, I won't be able to learn as much," she said distantly
"Is it really worth your life, look at yourself, your running on fumes, your exhausted, and if you keep this up your body is going to break down and Annie will then do everything she can to save you, and while yes that is good and noble of her, the actions she takes to do that cause great harm for us and the rest of Atmos... so is it really worth it?" 15YO Lark asked
9YO Lark's gaze moved to her desk, where two holo-crystals sat, one depicted her and her grandmother about 5 years ago when Lark had first shown how gifted she was at Crystal Magecraft. The other was from much further back, to shortly after Lark had been born, it showed baby Lark swaddled in blankets in her grandmother's arms, next to her grandmother stood Lark's father, a tall and imposing man, the captured look on his face however was one of pride, and in front of him, with his hand on her shoulder stood six year old Annie, Lark's beloved sister, the person who had practically raised her.
Her gaze came back to the crystals, which she proceeded to levitate towards her from the workbench to where she sat on the bed, 15YO Lark watched her carefully, once the crystals were in her lap, 9YO Lark looked at the holo-crystals again, tears brimming in her eyes before closing them and flinging the sickly coloured enhancement crystals against a wall where they proceeded to shatter into a million dust fragments.
15YO Lark let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, then looked at her younger self who was curled up, feet up on the edge of the bed, knees against her chin, tears running down her cheeks. 15YO Lark now overcame her fear of the bed – chances were, the future she knew would never happen now – and sat down next to her younger self before putting an arm around her, pulling her into a hug, comforting her, "It'll be okay now, you'll see, you'll never have to live through what I did." They stayed like that for some time, before 15YO Lark spoke again, "Time for bed, you need your sleep, or this will have all been for nothing," she said and began helping her younger self get tucked in
After that 15YO Lark wasn't sure what to do, she'd thought it was possible she would disappear now her future was no longer relevant, since that didn't seem to be the case, she considered going out to one of the balconies to wait for sunrise. Before she could do that however, 9YO Lark called her back, "Wait, could you stay with me please, I'm scared, I don't want to be alone tonight." 15YO Lark smiled and nodded, for once, it was her turn to be the older sister, even if it was only once
So instead of leaving, she climbed into bed as well and pulled her younger self into her embrace "Good night Lark, sleep well," she said comfortingly to which her 9YO self gave a happy sigh and drifted off to sleep, 15YO Lark was right behind her.
The room was silent except for the breathing of the two girls, one 9 the other 15, next to the bed however stood Discord, smiling down at them, not a smug grin or smirk, just a simple, happy smile, well played Lark, well played. As this thought ran through his head the orange light of dawn appeared on the horizon, as the sun rose Discord began to disappear, so too did 15YO Lark, as sunlight claimed the room, the timeline adjusted itself to the new norm, wiping out a future that would now never exist.
Several hours later
Lark was awoken by the sound of someone knocking on her door and calling her name, "Princess Lark, your grandmother is calling you down for breakfast," came Lieutenant Ravess's voice through the door. Lark sat up in bed rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that the older version of her was gone, it was also clear that she hadn't got up and left as the covers were not disturbed, of course, if we successfully changed the timeline, then she wouldn't exist anymore, none of it would, it's all still in flux.
The knocking came again, louder this time "Princess is everything alright?" Ravess asked
Lark realized she needed to respond "Yes everything's fine, I was just exhausted last night, overslept, tell grandmother I'll be right down," Lark called
On the other side of the door Ravess and Snipe looked at each other in confusion, before shrugging, "Okay we'll pass the message along your highness," Ravess answered, before she and her brother moved away
Lark listened to their footsteps retreating down the hall as she got out of bed and looked out the window at the rising sun and clear sky, a second chance, to do things right, not many people get that, I'm not going to squander it, Lark looked to where the dust from the destroyed crystals had settled last night, a quick bolt of lightning vaporized the pile completely, wiping all trace of the damn crystals from existence, then she got changed into some fresh clothes before heading down to breakfast.
As Lark neared the dining room where she, Annie and grandmother usually had breakfast, she could hear the two of them talking, "Y-you really think I'm... ready?" Annie asked their grandmother
"I believe your getting close, you're certainly your father's daughter, strong, independent, determined and intelligent, I think you'll make a fine Queen Annie, and of course, you'll have your sister by your side to help you should you," their grandmother stated before Lark interrupted her as she walked in the door
"Get into any trouble," she said smirking
Annie and their grandmother turned to Lark, the former with a scowl and the latter with a smile, "You're the one always pulling pranks and yet I'm the one who's constantly blamed for them!" Annie exclaimed
Lark just stuck her tongue out her sister playfully, to which her sister reciprocated, before they burst into fits of laughter, their grandmother just smiled and waited for their mirth to die down before addressing Lark, "Feeling tired this morning?" she asked
Lark gave a sheepish look, "Yea, sorry grandma, guess I was pushing myself a little too hard, I'll be more careful from now on," she explained
Their grandmother just nodded, "Good, I think that should apply to you as well Annie, learning is all well and good, but it isn't worth ruining your health over."
Annie sighed, "Yes grandma." Lark giggled as she sat down at the table to eat breakfast, as they ate, her curiosity got the better of her, "What exactly were you two talking about before I came in? She asked
Annie responded immediately, "I was asking grandmother about the point of the war, and how no one seemed to know the real reason we were fighting it."
Their grandmother sighed, "We can discuss it later you two, we're behind schedule as it is, so hurry and eat your breakfast then it's off to class," she said exasperated
Lark however – for some reason – felt that this was a topic that they should discuss now, "Well I want to know too," she pouted, making it obvious she wasn't going to comply with anything until she got an answer
Their grandmother sighed again, "Fine, as I told Annie, this war has been going on so long that no one remembers the real reason it began, but because of the complexities of war we can't simply turn around and end it, that just isn't done," she stated
"Why not?" Lark asked
"Because there are so many other things that need to be taken into consideration, and when the two of you are leading this Empire you will understand that," their grandmother explained
"Ok so it would take time, but why couldn't that process be started now?" Lark asked
Their grandmother opened her mouth to retort, but then suddenly closed it, as if she had had an epiphany, she then looked Lark directly in the eye, "Why the sudden interest in peace?" she asked
Lark just shrugged, "I just thought... me and Annie have lived our whole lives in this war, same with dad, mom and you, and all its brought us is pain," Lark looked down at the table here, "For me it's different than the two of you, my pain is loneliness, the only real friend I have is Annie, but for once, I'd like to actually make a friend, meet someone else, maybe someone from another Terra and become friends with them, but thanks to this war, I'll probably never do that." As Lark spoke, words echoed in her head, she could hear them, but they were so far away they sounded like they were from another life, "You can act all tough and destroy the world, but deep down you can't hide what you really are, a lonely girl who desperately wants a friend"
The three of them sat in silence for several moments, then their grandmother spoke, "Do you feel the same Annie, do you feel like it's time for a change, for the war to end?"
Lark looked to her sister, her dark violet hair hanging just above her emerald eyes, then she spoke "If the war continues, all its going to bring is more death and destruction, the cycle has to be broken at some point, and someone will have to do it eventually else one or both sides will be destroyed."
Their grandmother sat back and smiled "Well, well, seems you two have grown up, or are well on your way to," she said, then looked at Lark, "We'll talk later about your dream that you had."
Lark looked at her confused, "What dream I never mentioned any..." but her grandmother cut her off
"I may be old my dear, but I can still sense the use of powerful crystals in this tower, I know who visited you last night, and one day we'll tell your sister, but for now, best we discuss it later in private," she said
Lark's eyes widened with understanding, while Annie just looked between them confused, then their grandmother continued, "For now, I do agree with you, I just wasn't sure if the two of you truly felt this way after what happened with your father... so, I'm going to speak with the generals and nobles later today and begin making arrangements for a ceasefire, it's not peace, but it's at least a stepping stone towards that end, and a better future for my brave little birds," she said, smiling at the two of them, "I'm so proud of both of you, and I know you'll make me even prouder."
Epilogue (six years later)
Princess Lark and Annie Starling Cyclonis (she'd gotten her name officially changed on her 18th birthday) stood next to their grandmother's grave; beside them were five others and one Lemur-Rabbit. They were Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork and Radar, the new squadron of the Storm Hawks, a Skyknight squadron whose old members – most of whom were parents of the new squad – were due to retire soon. Lark and Annie had met them when their grandmother took them to Terra Atmosia for ceasefire negotiations six years ago, while their grandmother had been in talks, the two Cyclonian princesses had spent the day with Lightning Strike – the then leader of the Storm Hawks – and his family, it just so happened that on that day Finn and Piper had been at the house as well, and Stork and Junko had been invited to come play with them when Lightning had taken the whole group out to the park for a game of soccer. They'd become fast friends, Piper and Lark in particular as both of them were obsessed with crystals. The negotiations though strained had been successful and had ended with a ceasefire between the Cyclonian Empire and the Free Atmos. The two sides had then done everything in their power to keep it that way, even apprehending a Free Atmos terrorist who wanted to restart the war, his name was Ace, and he was Lightning Strike's personal protégé, up until he was caught. For six years the ceasefire held, now the woman who orchestrated it was dead, old age, finally claiming her, Annie was due to be crowned the new Master Cyclonis in the next few days, and she had already decided that the moment she was crowned, she would turn the ceasefire, into peace.
But before that, there was something she and Lark had to do, they looked at one another, silent words being exchanged between them, before nodding and turning to their friends, the Storm Hawks. "Guys, there's something we need to tell you," Annie began
"What is it Starling?" Aerrow asked, preferring to use her middle name (Annie didn't mind, she quite liked it actually)
"Annie and I have a secret," Lark said
"What secret?" Piper replied
Annie and Lark looked at one another again, before saying together, "We changed the future."
The Storm Hawks looked at the two of them incredulously, but before any of them could utter a word, the sisters continued, describing a world totally different from theirs, a world where fate had driven Annie and Lark apart, a world that had given Ace his chance to bring chaos and destruction to those around him, a world where most of the Storm Hawks were orphans, their parents slain at Ace's hand. When they were done, the Storm Hawks had one question, "How did you change that?"
The two sisters smiled at one another, "You guys helped, but it's a long story even so,"
The Storm Hawks looked at one another then looked at the sisters, "We've got time."
Lark and Annie both smiled, "Ok then, here goes... the unnamed Terra flashed with light as crystal shots flew back and forth, on one side, the Storm Hawks, aided by Starling of the Interceptors, on the other, the Talons of Cyclonia led by Master Cyclonis herself."
And the rest as they say is history.
The End
And there we have it my friends, hope you all enjoyed this, please leave a review if you did, also I've got an idea for a new story that I'll be putting together over the next week, so keep an eye out for that ; )
Next I'd like to thank Clockwork Orange for my first EVER review and for being one of my sources of inspiration for starting to write my own FanFic
I would also like to thank Miss Sophie Starlight for her consistent and hilarious reviews
Finally I would like to thank Omega Infinity as the author who got me interested in FanFics in the first place thanks to his Storm Hawk FanFic "The Strength in Weakness" if you haven't read it yet I seriously recommend you go do so RIGHT NOW!
That's all folks, see ya round (Strokes white goatee with glee while waving goodbye) ; )