Chapter 11: Royal Treatment

BlueTiger321: Well, now the Storm Hawks and the Aang Gang definitely have their work cut out for them. Will things go smoothly for them in this chapter? You'll just have to read on and find out for yourselves.


Dusk had just reached its breaking point when the Condor flew through the skies. It had been quite some time since the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group left Terra Neverlandis after their battle with Ravess and Snipe. They all hoped to reach a new safe haven so they could rest and get to work on their next strategy.

Everyone sat in the bridge while they gazed out at the deep orange sky. Fatigue was now setting inside each of them and they did not know how much longer they could keep going until they all collapsed to the floor. But they knew they had to be diligent if they were going to be successful in their quest, because everyone in Atmos would depend on them.

Aerrow got up to the window to look out, his eyes closing momentarily and then snapping back open before he leaned on the glass. He looked out again, only to feel his eyes close shut once more. This time he was awakened when he felt a nudge against his leg. Looking down on the floor revealed to him Radarr, who gave out a worried chirp while trying to keep his friend focused.

"Hey, Aerrow?" said Katara. "Do you think we'll be able to find someplace soon?"

"Yeah," said Junko. "That last fight really took a lot out of us."

"I'm sure we'll find somewhere to rest," said Aerrow. "We've just gotta keep searching and we'll be there."

Sokka looked at his sister and could see the exhaustion in her eyes. He spoke up by saying, "Well, we better find it fast, or else Katara's gonna be really cranky if she doesn't get her beauty sleep. You see, there was one time when she argued with Toph while we all barely got any sleep, and then she—"

The story was interrupted when Sokka received a blow to the arm from Katara, who gave him a menacing look. To the boy it was the look that he was not supposed to continue with that story because he knew it was an unpleasant time for all his friends.

"Uh, never mind," said Sokka.

(A/N: I'm sure you all know that one part of The Chase where Katara had her ultra-crazy face! That's what I was going for here! XD)

Stork yawned while he still piloted his beloved ship. "Man, I sure hope we land soon," he said, "'cause even I can't fly without some rest. And you all better pray that I don't end up crashing us all into the Wasteland when I fall asleep at the controls."

Everyone gave the Merb a worried look. They didn't know if he was joking or if he was serious about his remark. Then they decided it would be better if they didn't ask him about it.

"Let's try to take our minds off sleep and think about what's going on for us right now," said Starling.

"Good idea," said Aang. "Well, I've gotta say that you're all doing your Bending really—"

"I can't take it anymore!" shouted Finn. "I've gotta get some sleep!"

The blonde sharpshooter yelped in surprise when he was hit in the back and fell face forward onto the table in the middle of the bridge. Toph stood behind with her fist extended while Finn sat up from the assault.

"Snap out of it, will ya?" said the blind girl. "I know it's hard for us right now, but we've gotta keep goin' no matter what."

Finn sighed with relief when he realized he almost lost his sanity. "Thanks, Toph. I needed that."

Toph once again knocked the marksman to the table again, making him yelp in pain when he hit the hard surface. Finn sat up again but this time gave the girl an exasperated look.

"Just making sure," said Toph.

Aerrow knew that he was about to lose his sanity as well if they find someplace to land. But then he remembered that his navigator was still trying to get a fix on their location. "Piper, have you found where we are yet?"

"I'm working on it," replied the girl. After looking at the charts in front of her and reading the ship's dials, she then realized what it all meant. "Guys, according to these coordinates, we should be approaching Terra Klockstoppia."

The boy Sky Knight couldn't believe his ears. "Terra Klockstoppia? Are you sure?"

"Positive," replied Piper. "There's no mistaking these readings."

"Yeah," Finn said while rolling his eyes, "because you're always so perfect."

A huff from Piper was the only response Finn had gotten. To her it was a big deal since this terra kind of held some value to her, and Finn's earlier comment was just another childish ridicule about her navigation abilities.

"What's so special about this place?" said Aang.

"You'll find out soon enough," Aerrow said with a smile. "Stork, full speed ahead."

The carrier pilot complied with his Sky Knight and pushed on the Condor's throttle to make it go faster. Everyone sat back to enjoy the ride as they passed through the clouds and noticed a wooden windmill with metal blades go right by the ship.

Piper smiled as she recognized the windmill and was certain this was the place she knew it would be. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a large castle in the distance. From its enormous structure, Piper identified it as the castle of this terra's ruler.

The crystal mage turned her attention to the Avatar's group. "Guys, welcome to Terra Klockstoppia."

Aang and the others all stood up to get a view of the terra. Their impression of it wasn't different than what they saw of the terras they already visited, but they would have faith in what the others mentioned to them.

"So," said Zuko, "what should we expect from this place?"

"Oh, it's got a few surprises," said Piper.

"I can't believe I've never heard of this terra," said Starling. "How did you come across it?"

Piper recounted the first time she came to Terra Klockstoppia. "It all started back when I was mapping an uncharted area. I just happened to fly into this terra and meet up with the ruler."

"Yeah," said Aerrow. "I'm sure you'll all be in for the shock of your life."

The Avatar's group had been left puzzled by what the red-haired teen told them. They weren't sure what it meant, nor were they sure if Aerrow was being serious or making a joke. They thought it would be exciting if they would find out for themselves.

Stork gently landed the Condor down on a barren patch of ground and shut off the engines. When everything was settled, the group all walked out of the ship and headed down the ramp.

Appa had jumped off the runway and landed with a large thump that almost shook everyone in surprise. He then gave a large growl when he was joined up with his companion just as Momo flew up and landed on Aang's shoulders.

The group was about to head towards the castle when a trio of guards came up with their weapons raised.

"Halt!" said one of the guards. "Who goes there?"

The Storm Hawks walked out to answer for themselves with Aerrow getting up front.

"It's all right," said the Sky Knight. "We're the Storm Hawks."

"The Storm Hawks?" said another guard. "Explain yourselves!"

This time, Piper got up to answer. "We're friends of Princess Peregrine. We've come to speak with her."

The third guard approached the girl and his eyes were wide with amazement. He thought back and remembered how the princess was involved in an incident with these people and knew right then and there that the group could be trusted.

"You speak the truth," said guard three. "We shall take you to see the princess right away."

The Storm Hawks all smiled while the Avatar's group relaxed and all blew sighs of relief. Now they were finally going to see why their friends felt so eager to come to this place.

Everyone walked up to the castle when the guards stopped them before they could cross the stone bridge. The group was confused and thought they were done having to explain themselves.

"What's goin' on?" said Finn.

"I'm sorry," said guard three, "but your animal companions will have to wait in the stables; its basic regulation."

Radarr felt a little insulted by what the guard said. The little guy always thought himself as a member of the team, not as an animal. It wouldn't be fair to him that he had to be separated from his friends just so they could speak with someone they knew.

"But Radarr and I are close," said Aerrow.

"Yeah," said Aang. "The same with me, Appa and Momo."

"I'm sorry," said the guard, "but I cannot let you into the castle if you don't comply."

Piper could see this was a difficult situation and knew how to resolve it. "Maybe we should do what he says. After all, it's not like we're gonna be away from them forever. We'll just have a quick chat with the princess and then we can straighten this out."

Aerrow sighed. He still didn't like this rule, but he knew he had to follow it. "Okay," he said. "Radarr, you stay out here with Appa and Momo."

The co-pilot let out a displeased chirp and leapt off Aerrow's shoulders. Hearing that coming from his own friend made him rather upset and he didn't want to look at his friend right at that moment. On the inside he was a little hurt that he would be away from the boy and wished that it would not have to come to this.

Aang turned around to face his sky bison. "Hey, buddy," he said. "Sorry, but you'll have to wait out here for now. But at least you won't be alone."

Appa let out a growl while Momo flew up to join him on the saddle. Once it was done, the three animals walked off with the second guard to head for the stables.

The boy Sky Knight looked off worriedly and wondered if he said the wrong thing to his friend. "I hope Radarr's not too mad at me."

"He can't be," said Junko. "The little guy likes ya too much."

"He probably won't hold too big a grudge," said Stork, "if you can beg for his forgiveness."

Aerrow didn't contemplate his thoughts for too long as he joined the others into the castle where they would meet the princess. His mind was telling him not to spend too much time worrying about his friend since he knew that what he did was for Radarr's own good.

Everyone followed the guards into a large chamber where at the end was a throne situated high atop a raised platform and a long, elegant red carpet that stretched across the room. A chandelier was suspended from the ceiling and its crystals sparkled from the setting sun to cast bits of light around the room.

The group approached the throne where the princess was currently seated. The Storm Hawks already knew what to expect the moment they saw her face, but Starling and the others all gasped upon seeing the ruler.

"What is it?" asked Toph. "Can someone explain this to me?"

"I don't believe it!" said Katara.

Sokka rubbed his eyes and thought the image was a result of him being tired; seeing the exact same face had made him realize that it was real. "It's uncanny!" he said.

Princess Peregrine, the ruler of Terra Klockstoppia, stood up to greet her guests. The girl looked exactly like Piper, from her yellow eyes to her dark skin and midnight-blue hair. The only differences were that she was dressed in a long, flowing pink dress, her hair was done up in curls, and she wore a golden tiara on top of her head.

"Can this be real?" said Starling.

"What is it?" said Toph.

"It's the princess," Aang explained. "She looks exactly like Piper!"

Toph stood dumbfounded when she heard what Aang told her—it was not the answer she ever expected. "You're kidding, right?" She then punched Aang in the arm that made him yelp. "Way to tease the blind girl, Twinkle Toes!"

"Aang's not joking," said Zuko. "The princess actually looks like Piper."

"Princess," said another voice.

Everyone turned their heads to see another person enter the chamber. There they saw a middle-aged man walk up to them wearing a brown suit and his gray hair tied back into a ponytail. His brown eyes were narrowed as he walked across the room, staring intently at the princess along with the guests.

"Regent," said the princess. "What news do you have for me?"

The man referred to as the Regent stepped forth to give the princess an update, though he secretly despised everything about what he had become. "I'm here to report that the fruit bats have been fed, the annual Paint-Drying Tournament will begin next week, and the spaghetti trees have been harvested."

"Excellent work," said Peregrine.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The Regent then clenched his teeth while he bowed before the princess to show his respect while keeping in his contempt.

"Okay," said Sokka. "Can someone explain what's happened here?"

Piper turned around to face the group. "Well, you see, a long time ago, I flew my Heliscooter to map some uncharted terras, and that's when I wound up here and met Princess Peregrine."

"Please," said the princess. "You're still my friends, so you can just call me Perry."

The crystal mage was a little confused by the statement. "Really? I didn't think you'd be so casual anymore."

Perry chuckled. "Of course," she said. "Just because I'm a princess, it doesn't mean that I have to be entirely formal with my friends."

"Right," said Piper, and then turned back to the Avatar's group and Starling. "Anyway, Perry was cooped up in this castle and wanted to experience a life of adventure. So she switched places with me, albeit forcefully."

The princess smiled apologetically and gave a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm still sorry about that."

Piper continued the story. "So, I got to be treated to the life of a princess while Perry got to go on the Condor."

"Yeah," added Stork, "and she almost completely wrecked my ship in the process."

"I'm sorry about that, too," said Perry. "I never meant to cause any trouble for you."

"It's all in the past," said Aerrow, brushing it off like it was irrelevant.

Piper nodded and continued. "Well, shortly afterwards, the Night Crawlers had invaded Terra Klockstoppia to raid their crystals, which, at the time, were forbidden here. But then Perry came back to help me and we sent Cyclonis's goons packing."

After hearing the story, everyone now understood how the princess knew the Storm Hawks so well: it was by a chance encounter that their paths crossed but they could see that it was something that led to a good friendship.

"So," said Starling to Perry, "what did you think of the life of a Sky Knight squadron?"

"It really changed my life," replied the princess. "I thought that it was a way for me to escape my responsibilities when it actually opened my eyes to the truth. I was destined to become a ruler, and so I thought that I should take my authority seriously." A smirk then formed on her face. "Though, from time to time, I still like to have my own adventures."

Perry then reached behind her back and pulled up two hand puppets: one of a woman dressed in a purple gown and golden tiara, and the other of a beastly humanoid with bushy hair. She then made the woman puppet pull out a small wooden club that she used to hit the beast while the princess made grunting noises to show that the puppets were fighting.

The others all gave the princess an odd stare for her puppets, but Junko happily watched the display like a child looking at a candy store.

"Wow! That looks fun!" said the Wallop.

Piper rolled her eyes while she viewed her friend's silly antics. She thought she had now matured into the ruler she was but then realized that she was still a child and could hardly be blamed for her reasons. "I see you're still enjoying your time with Lady Ursula and Dr. Ogre."

Perry stopped her display and put away her puppets. "Yes. Well, enough about me. It's great that you've all come to Terra Klockstoppia." Her attention was now focused on the Avatar's group, and she didn't know who they were or why they were dressed in such unusual clothing. "Who are your companions?"

Each of them got up to introduce themselves. "My name's Aang."

"I'm Katara."

The girl's brother gave a slight bow to the princess. "I am Sokka, milady."

"The name's Toph."

"I'm Fire Lord Zuko. It's an honour to meet with you, Princess."

The Interceptor got up to the princess to give her greeting. "I'm Starling, the Sky Knight of the Interceptors from Terra Mesa."

Perry understood the woman from another terra, but still she could not fathom the others. "So, what terra do you all come from?"

"Actually," said Aerrow, "they're not from anywhere in Atmos; they come from a world that's parallel to ours."

The princess widened her eyes in surprise. "Seriously?" she said. "That's amazing! So why are you here?"

"We brought them here just so they could get to see our world," said Piper. "A long time ago, we met them when the Cyclonians tried to get rid of us. After a hair-raising adventure, we came back to Atmos and then defeated Cyclonia.

"We then managed to find our friends again, and that's why they're here now."

"But there's a whole new problem," said Aerrow. "One of Cyclonia's most dangerous people, the Dark Ace, has returned and now has more power than we could ever imagine. We've come here just so we can have a place to recuperate and so we can figure out our next plan so we can stop him."

"I know this is on such short notice," said Piper, "but will you please help us?"

Perry mulled over the request. She could see in everyone's eyes that they were serious about their predicament and they had come to her in their time of need. She thought it would be a risky move since her terra wasn't entirely prepared for such a threat, but then she remembered how the Storm Hawks had managed to save her home already—that was when their friendship had formed. Plus, she thought, it might be something to settle her need for an adventure once again.

"Very well," said the princess. "You may stay here for as long as you need. After all, I would do anything to help those who are close to me."

The group all smiled with praise. Now they would finally have a place where they could formulate their next move against the Dark Ace's forces.

"Thank you, Perry," said Aerrow. "I promise you, we'll do whatever it takes to make sure that all of Atmos is safe once again."

The princess turned around to face the Regent. "Would you please show our guests to their rooms?"

The Regent felt taken aback that the princess would give him such a demeaning order. Now he was filled with absolute rage but still contained it like a kettle holding in steam. "Yes, Your Highness," he said through a façade. "I would be delighted."

Everyone then followed the Regent out of the chamber, but Piper stayed momentarily as she pondered the Regent's reactions to Perry. Somehow, she got the feeling that he was up to something and it would involve her friend in a devastating way. The crystal mage narrowed her eyes and thought of what to do.


Night time had now reached Terra Klockstoppia, and every citizen was about to turn into their beds; everyone but one man.

The Regent paced angrily back and forth on the balcony of his quarters. He could not believe that he was forced to take directions from a teen-aged girl, especially after everything he had done to keep this kingdom in perfect order. It felt rather unjust to him since he was responsible for the day-to-day operations on Klockstoppia while the princess used to retreat to her own fantasy world. Now that she was in charge, she was bossing him around every chance she got.

He would not stand for this. The Regent sought things the way they used to be, where he took charge of everything in Klockstoppia and they would have no business with outsiders or crystals.

"It's not fair," said the man. "I shouldn't have to put up with this nonsense. I've built up this kingdom to what it is today, and that little airhead thinks she can just take my position? I should've taken over as ruler when I had the chance!"

The Regent was too busy ranting to take notice of five sky rides flying up behind him; his back was turned while he continued with his loathing of the princess.

"If only there were some way I could usurp the throne and take back what is rightfully mine," said the man, "then I wouldn't have to take any more grief from the princess or those wretched Storm Hawks!"

"I believe we can help each other," said a woman's voice.

The Regent felt startled by the voice, so he turned around and let out a gasp in shock to see a group of mysterious figures float before him. Their appearances were concealed by the darkness so he could not see their faces.

Fear started to creep up inside the Regent's body; it was so great that he could not move or call the guards. All he could say was, "W-w-what do you want?"

The woman looked on with her yellow eyes through the darkness and made a short laugh. "Well," she said, "what would you say if I could help you get what you want?"

The Regent posed a curious look when he was asked the question. His face then contorted into a smirk when he realized that this was the chance he was hoping for: to get back his control over this terra. "I'm listening," he said.


Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group walked down the hallway that led to their guestrooms that the Regent had shown to them earlier. They were now feeling tired and could not wait to finally crawl into bed. Everyone soon let out a deep yawn as they walked and did not want to discuss anything further for the rest of the day.

"I can't wait to get some sleep," said Finn.

"You said it," said Sokka. "A day full of beating up bad guys and travelling from place to place can really take a lot out of you."

"I hope that Perry's servants were decent enough to thoroughly wash my sheets before I sleep," said Stork. "The thought of sleeping in used sheets just gives me the chills."

"Frankly I'd be happy to sleep on any decent bed," said Toph.

"I wonder if we made the right choice coming here?" said Katara. "I mean, we are kind of asking a lot from the princess."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind," said Starling. "She was kind enough to offer us such gracious hospitality after hearing what we're trying to accomplish."

"Yeah," said Aerrow. "And it's not like we could refuse, either. We need this time to prepare ourselves for whatever the Dark Ace is plotting."

Junko walked behind the others while he looked around and got the feeling that something was off. He cocked his head sideways and glanced around to count his friends. From where he was standing, he saw that only one person was missing from the group. "Hey, guys?" he said. "Where's Piper?"

Everyone stopped in the hallway when they also saw that Piper wasn't among them. They all thought it was strange that their friend would suddenly disappear like that since it wasn't like her.

"Piper!" called Aerrow.

Finn looked behind everyone and saw someone running towards them in the distance. Narrowing his eyes to get a better view, he made out the slender figure and the familiar dress. It then came to him when he knew who it was. "There she is!" he pointed out.

The others looked around and saw Piper return to them. The girl smiled when she was finally with the group.

"Sorry, guys," said the girl.

"Where were you?" asked Zuko.

Piper shifted her eyes around while she tried to figure out an explanation. "I... was looking around the castle, and I... sort of got lost."

Aerrow was a bit suspicious at first but then felt another yawn come to him. He was then happy with the response given by his teammate. "It's not important now. We're all here, so let's get some rest and get ready for tomorrow."

Nobody argued with Aerrow as they all headed for their rooms. Before any of them could open their doors, they all paused when they heard a loud shriek across the hallway that shook them out of their fatigue. From the sound of it, they figured the voice was female and it sounded extremely frightened—that's when they realized there's only one person in the castle who could emit such a terrified scream.

"The princess!" said Aerrow.

"It sounds like she's in trouble! We've gotta help her!" said Aang.

The group ran as fast as their legs would carry them down the hallway. If the princess truly was in danger, then they had to get to her as soon as possible. To Aerrow it was like his worst fears had come true: they came to seek refuge in Klockstoppia and ended up endangering Perry and everyone else who lived there. Well now, he thought, he was going to make up for his mistake and punish whoever was responsible.

Everyone ran down to the staircase before the chamber where they saw the giant doors opened, the guards on duty knocked unconscious, and a shadow moving into the room. It was then they figured that was where the princess was being held captive.

"Get ready, you guys!" said the red-haired teen.

Aerrow then drew his daggers from his back and ignited them while Finn brought out his crossbow, Starling drew her nunchucks, and Junko put on his Knuckle Busters and slammed them together to activate them. Piper had then brought out her staff and held it out in front of her. She then glanced away while she pressed the switch to extend it. Aerrow saw this and gave another suspicious glare at the girl, thinking it was strange that Piper would treat her own weapon poorly.

Aang had also brought out his staff while Sokka unsheathed his sword and the others got into their Bending stances. If this was what they thought it was, then they would be ready.

With a shout, Aerrow rushed through the door and got into a battle pose with his daggers extended. Everyone had followed the boy to do the same, and who was in the room left the Storm Hawks with flabbergasted expressions. The princess was now held struggling in the clutches of a man that Aerrow knew too well in his Sky Knight's squadron's suit and armour. A dagger was held in his right hand that was charged with red crystal energy and pointed dangerously close to the princess's throat.

"Carver!" shouted Aerrow.

"Surprised?" said the former Red Eagle. "I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop in."

Starling shared Aerrow's rage. "You coward!" she said. "I can't believe you would resort to taking hostages! I'm ashamed to think that you were ever a Sky Knight!"

"Say what you want," said Carver, "but the fact remains that I have the princess. If you want her spared, then you'll have to do whatever I say."

"Oh yeah?" said Finn. "You and what army?"

Carver smirked. "So glad you asked."

At that moment, six figures stepped out from the shadows that each emitted devilish laughter. Everyone shifted their eyes around to see that they were Ravess, Snipe, Hoerk, Spitz, Lugey and Domiwick. They all had their weapons out and pointed at the group with malicious intent in their eyes.

"Looksss like you lossse," said Sptiz.

"Give up while you've got the chance," added Hoerk.

Ravess pointed with an arrow in her bow. "You have no way out of here, so do the right thing and drop your weapons."

Aerrow looked around the room with anger in his eyes. He then caught a glimpse of the princess's frightened look and knew that he couldn't let anything happen to her. It was hard as a Sky Knight for him to admit it, but he had to submit to his foes. Looking down in shame, the red-haired teen deactivated his weapons and dropped them to the floor.

Everyone else frowned at what their friend was doing but also knew they had to follow, so they all willingly let go of their weapons.

"Smart move," said Carver. "Now, restrain them!"

The group then saw droplets of water form out of thin air around them. Katara could already tell this was a Waterbending move but was powerless to stop it. Everyone then grunted as the water droplets attached themselves to their bodies and immediately transformed into ice. The group grunted as they were each encased in their restraints.

Everyone then turned their heads when they heard the laughter of an elderly woman, and there they saw two more figures emerging from the darkness: one was the woman making the laughter dressed in a red robe, and the other was a man dressed in elegant green and black clothing with his long black hair tied into a braid.

"Hama!" Katara shouted in disbelief.

"Long Feng!" shouted Sokka.

"How did you two get here?" Aang said in a demanding tone.

"You have the Dark Ace to thank for that," replied Long Feng.

"Yes," added Hama. "He was so kind to bring us here just so we could see the looks on your faces when we crush you like insects."

Another voice had echoed throughout the room. "Don't forget our deal," it said.

The voice came from where the giant doors were, and there stood the Regent with a pleasant grin on his face.

Piper gasped when she saw that the man the princess trusted was behind everything. "You!" she shouted angrily. "I should've known!"

The Regent walked into the room with a smug stride. His plan had worked: Terra Klockstoppia was now back under his control, all thanks to the efforts of these strange people.

"Yeah, yeah," said Carver to the Regent. "This place is yours as long as you hand over the Storm Hawks and their friends to us."

"Do with them whatever you wish," said the Regent, "but the princess is mine." He then got into the princess's face while she still struggled in Carver's grasp. "Sorry, but these fine people made me an offer that I couldn't refuse."

"How could you?" said Perry. "I trusted you more than anyone I ever knew and this is how you repay me?"

"Be quiet! I've worked too hard to shape this kingdom into the perfect image, and I won't let anyone—especially a snot-nosed brat like you—take it away from me!" He turned his attention to Ravess and her followers. "Throw them into the dungeon!"

Stork shivered as the ice quickly dropped his body temperature as it made contact with his skin. "Things just can't get any worse!"

"Great," said Snipe. "The Dark Ace will be here in moments to deal with 'em."

The Merb narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I stand corrected."

Piper looked up for a moment to see the princess give a wink to her while everyone else was carried away by Hama lifting up everyone by their icy restraints. They both knew what was going to happen at this point, but they did not know if it would work.


BlueTiger321: OMG! Now things are really turning interesting!

Perry: Whoo-hoo! Another adventure for me! I hope I get out of this one.

Piper: Hey, relax. You'll get your chance to shine.

Perry: Whatever. I'm just glad to finally make an appearance.

BlueTiger321: Well, I thought you deserved it. Anyway folks, stay tuned for the next chapter because it's gonna blow your mind! So, until next time...

Piper and Perry: Read and review!