Chapter 11: Caught in a Gale

Piper's P.O.V.

Master Cyclonis is my girlfriend.

It's this thought that keeps replaying through my mind as the dented Switchblade cut through the orange tinted sky. A constant hum resonates from the engine into me, a faint ticking noise giving away that it's not at it's best. I keep the bike steady against the occasional updraft, assuring that we stay on course. It's bad enough I have to navigate on memory alone without the wind blowing us off course. Below us, an endless sea of clouds, hiding the nightmarish wastelands that lay beneath them.

I feel a small shift of weight on my back. A soft coo sounded in my ear as the girl behind me shifted in her sleep. It had been six hours since leaving Terra Amazonia. Six hours of nothing but watching the clouds drift by below. Cyclonis had fallen asleep an hour or two ago, simply out of boredom. I was starting to feel the wear and tear myself.

Subconsciously, my hand drifted from the handlebars to hers, her arms still wrapped tightly around my waist. I placed my hand over hers. As if in response, Cyclonis turned her head sideways, using my shoulder as a pillow.

A small smile crept across my lips. I feel... oh, it's so hard to describe. It's like there's two parts of me, each fighting for control:

One side is simply screaming to me that this is wrong. I mean, this is Master Cyclonis! Evil Empress of Cyclonia, leader of the Atmos' largest threat. I should be fighting her, not caring for her. After all, she practically shattered my mind. And even if that wasn't the case, were both girls. Despite what she told me, that still seemed... strange, to say the least.

But...on the other hand...

I tilted my head to the side, my cheek brushing against violet hair. Cyclonis nuzzled me back, sighing softly. I can picture the smile on her sleeping face. My grin widens.

On the other hand... everything just felt so right!

Looking back, I should have noticed what I felt. That strange, almost instinctual concern for her, that unexplained urge to look at her when we were wringing out our clothes; heck, looking back, how stupid was it of me to jump into that lake nude, with her just a few feet away? I was practically begging her to gawk at me. And... when she did see me... that feeling... maybe... I did what her to look at me?

I felt my cheeks warm at the thought, a small chuckle slipping through my lips. It was kind of funny, now that I thought about it. I was sending out and receiving so many signals from her, without even realizing it. I'd probably still be in denial if not for the kiss...

Oh God, that kiss!

That was just... just... wow! I'll freely admit that it took me by surprise, though looking back, it really shouldn't have. The look in her eyes, the tone of her voice; it was obvious what she was doing. Or, at least, it should have been. Honestly, the thought of kissing her had never been far from my mind since that dream. But that doesn't mean I expected her to actually do it!

But... when she did... I realized something. Now, I won't lie, the idea of being in a relationship, or rather, the idea of... loving someone in such away... it scares me. But, when she kissed me... I realized that it not just loving someone... it's being loved; that there's someone who has taken a part of they're heart, a part of they're life, and has chosen to give it to you. That may seem obvious, but, trust me, once that realization hits you, it changes things.

I break away from my thoughts and look up towards the sun. I was starting to worry by how low it had gotten. We had maybe an hour before the light faded, and I really didn't want to be in the air by then. I rubbed the exhaustion out of my eyes and scanned the horizon for the fiftieth time.

Clouds, clouds, clouds, land, clouds...

...

Land!?

I had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, there was a small dot on the horizon, which was rapidly growing in size as we neared.

Joy and relief flooded through me. Six hours of flying in broad daylight, no Timepulse, and yet we managed to make it. As the Terra grew closer, I could make out it's geography, confirming that we'd reached the right Terra.

I shook my shoulder a bit. "Cy, wake up. We're here." Cyclonis mumbled a bit in her sleep, but didn't wake. I shook my shoulder a little harder, causing her head to bounce lightly. "C'mon, Cy, wake up."

Rather then waking up, Cyclonis instead buried her head further into my shoulder and actually tightened her grip around my waist, forcing an involuntary squeak from me.

A small smirk formed on my lips. So that's how she wants to play it, huh?

I yanked back on the handlebars, sending us straight up. Cyclonis' eyes snapped open her mouth opening to say something, but I decided to cut her off. I did so by pulling harder on the handlebars.

Whatever she was going to say was replaced with a high-pitch scream as we suddenly found ourselves looking up at the clouds of the Wastelands. The loop only lasted for a moment before I straightened out the Switchblade. If I had thought Cyclonis' grip was strong before, now it felt like she was bruising my midriff.

"What in Atmos' name was that for!?" She yelled in my ear, her voice higher than usual.

Rather then answering, I stated, smirk still in place, "You are a very heavy sleeper, sweetheart."

I waited for a witty retort, but none came. This confused me until my own words registered back to me.

Sweetheart? Where'd that come from?

The pressure around my waist lightened, the constriction becoming a comfortable embrace. I felt Cyclonis once again rest her head on my shoulder. Looking out the corner of my eye, I could see a slight blush in her cheeks. A small smile formed on her lips. "Y'know, for never having a girlfriend, you're pretty good at this."

Now it was my turn to blush. I forced myself to focus on the Terra in front of us. It wasn't very large, maybe ten miles from end to end. It was separated into three sections: two large islands and a narrow strip of land connecting them. On the hilly strip was a small town, a collection of small, rustic cottages. Atop the large of the two islands, which could actually be considered a small mountain, stood a large factory, Cyclonian in design. At one point it had terrified all who saw it, but what with the lack of smoke billowing from its stacks and the clear sunset lit sky, it seemed almost peaceful.

I turned the Switchblade towards the second, smaller island. More specifically, towards the single solitary house that dotted its surface.

I felt the pressure on my shoulder disappear, so I turned to look at my passenger. Cyclonis was peering over the side of the bike, analyzing the Terra. "This is..." Suddenly her head turned forwards, her eyes wide. "Piper, look out!"

My head snapped forward, just in time to see something white and bulky come flying towards us, various sized pipes sticking out of its surface.

I reflexively twisted the handlebars, attempting to spin the bike to avoid the makeshift missile. Unfortunately, my reflexes were tuned to that of my much more agile Heli-scooter. So when the slower Switchblade was only halfway through the spin, the incoming kitchen sink exploded against bike's wing, bending it inward.

This sent the bike into a death spin. I pulled vainly against the handlebars, trying desperately to keep it level. I only half registered Cyclonis' death-grip on my waist. The other part of my mind noted that we were now above the island... and that the ground was rapidly becoming much, much closer.

Thinking fast, my one hand left the handle bars and grasped Cyclonis'. "Cy!' I yelled over the howling wind. "When I say so, jump!" I could just barely hear the sound of her voice answer. I really hoped it was an affirmative. I counted in my head. Three... two...

"Now!"

Luckily my timing was right. We jumped right when the Switchblade was on its side, sending us flying away from the bike. In the split second before we hit the ground, I somehow spun around, facing Cyclonis. Acting on instinct, I pulled her close and held her for dear life, feeling her do the same. I closed my eyes

We hit the ground rolling. We bounced of the ground a few times, each time feeling like a punch to the back. After what seemed like an eternity, we stopped.

After the momentary shock left me, I became aware of a familiar warm feeling. Underneath me.

I slowly open my eyes, only to me met with two light violet eyes, inches from my own.

"Hi." She whispered breathlessly, a nervous smile gracing her lips.

"Hey." I answered back, just as quietly, my face burning.

Before the moment could get anymore awkward, I suddenly felt something grasp me around the ankles. Without warning, I was pulled off Cyclonis by my legs, until I found myself suspended upside-down under a tree. With a surprised yelp, Cyclonis was hoisted up next to me.

"Aha!" Suddenly a girl with black-green hair jumped in front of us, wielding a rusted spear. She wore kitchen pot like a helmet. When she spoke, it was with a deep ascent. "Now I have you, Cyclonian dogs! You will not terrorize my Terra... any... more..." She trailed off when she saw who she was yelling at, her fierce expression fading into confusion.

"Hey, Dove." I say nonchalantly.

"Piper?" She asked, disbelieving. Then she lowered her spear, a large grin spreading over her face. "Piper!" I was then treated to the awkwardness of an upside-down hug, Dove still managing to crush all the air out of my lungs. She pulled away, still beaming. "I can't believe you are here! When I saw the Switchblade, I assumed it was another scouting party, but instead, I find you!" Before I could speak, her gaze turned confused once more. "But, why were you riding a Switchblade? And why are you in those clothes? And why are you traveling with...?"

As her gaze turned to the side, I could feel apprehension grasp me as her now wide eyes fell on Cyclonis, who had watched Dove with a mix of amusement and nervousness.

The silence was suffocating as Dove's mind seemed to slowly comprehend who she was looking at. I was about to say something to try and explain, when Dove gasped, raised her spear, and took a defensive stance.

"You!" Her voice held a tone of anger, disbelief, and quite a bit of fear.

My diplomatic side kicked in, telling me to try and defuse the situation. "Dove, wait! I can explain..."

"Explain!?" Dove's gripped her spear harder, more fear leaking into her voice. She was losing her cool. "Piper, that's-"

"I know who she is." I cut her off. "Dove trust me, she's not a threat..."

"Not a threat!? Piper, that's Master Cyclonis! She's evil! She's dangerous!"

"I'm not the one pointing spears at people." Cyclonis retorted, her voice deadpan.

"Cy!" I snapped, throwing her an irritated look. "Not helping!"

Cyclonis stiffened at my tone. She looked down, abashed. "Sorry..." She mumbled.

Dove watched our quick exchange, her fear and anger fading, her former confusion escalating into complete bewilderment. She looked between us, apparently amazed that I was capable of making Master Cyclonis of all people apologize. She gave Cyclonis a long hard look, which Cyclonis returned, albeit with less scorn then I had anticipated. Finally, Dove tore here eyes from the Cyclonian queen, and stared firmly into my eyes. In her blue eyes I could see a desperate need for answers. "Piper," She started slowly. "I think we need to talk."

I let out a sigh of relief, now that the Rebel Duck had seemed to have calmed down. "You're right, we do. But, first, um... if you don't mind...?" I say looking down... or... up... at my bound ankles.

Dove tilted her head to the side, before comprehension washed over her. "Oh! Oh, oh just a moment!" With a swift movement Dove swung the tip of her spear across the ground, severing a taut rope hidden in the grass. Instinctively, I pushed my arms up at the falling sensation. It wasn't perfect, but I managed to land square, doing a small backflip to get back on my feet. As I bent down to undo the noose around my legs, I heard a pained grunt as Cyclonis hit the ground. Unprepared for the sudden fall, the Queen of Cyclonia had landed on her head.

I stifled a laugh as I untied my binds. Once free, I went over to her as she rubbed the sore spot on her head. "Need a little help?"

She sent me a small scowl, but I could see the joking shine in her eyes. "Help is unnecessary." With that, a tiny spark of electricity leapt from her finger tips, cutting through the ropes. As she pulled the rope away, her scowl morphed into a half-smile. "But... thank you anyways."

I smiled back and offered her a hand. Gratefully, she took it. "Don't mention it." I say as I pull her to her feet.

"Trust me, I won't." The jab held so little genuineness that I let out a small chuckle.

Looking back at Dove, I had to bite my tongue to keep from outright laughing. Eyes wide, mouth half-open, head tilted; this was the look of someone either questioning reality or their own sanity.

"Dove? You okay?"

Dove just shook her head slowly. "I... I'm starting to wonder."

I turned to Cyclonis. The girl was just staring at Dove, arms folded, her face neutral. But the way she seemed to shift from foot to foot constantly made it obvious that she was nervous, or, at the very least, uncomfortable.

I suddenly became aware of just how tense the air around us was, like a bomb was in front of us and we were just waiting to see who'd light it. This could turn bad real quick if I wasn't careful.

I took a deep breath, both to calm and steel myself. I let it out slowly, trying to force all tension out of my body. I put as genuine a smile as I could on my face and gave Cyclonis a long look, making sure she was looking in my eyes. "Cy, I'd like you to meet my friend Dove, Commander of the Rebel Ducks." Then, I turned to Dove, once again making sure our eyes locked before speaking. "Dove, this is Cyclonis. She's-"

" I know who she is." Dove cut me off with as hard a look as she could muster.

"-my girlfriend."

"Your girl..." If Dove's eyes weren't wide before, they sure as the Wastelands were now. She stared at me with the oddest look I'd ever seen. Something between bafflement, horror, and something... familiar, but seemingly out-of-place. "Girlfriend?" She asked breathlessly.

Why did I say that? I don't know what force compelled me to blurt that out, and the look on Cy's face told me that she didn't either, but it was too late to try and backpedal. Just try and explain. "Yes, Dove." I turned to Cy, a warm smile forming. She returned it, sending a feeling of lightness through my chest. "We're a couple."

Dove's eyes flitted rapidly between us, her face contorting with increasing disbelief. Her breathing grew rapid and choppy. Her eyes seemed unfocused. My eyes widened with comprehension.

She's not really going to-

(clunk!)

... yeah, she did.

Cy and I looked down at the prone Skyknight. I bent down and tapped the side of her head. Nothing. I looked up at Cy. "Out cold."

Cy knelt next to me, her eyes focused on Dove. "She okay?"

My gaze turned to her in surprise. I was a bit startled at just how... honestly concerned she sounded. I tore my gaze from her and looked back at Dove. "I think so. I guess it was just too much to take in." I glanced towards the cottage in the distance. I put my arm under Dove's and looked at Cy. "C'mon, help me get her up."

Cy seemed startled for a moment, but after a moment's hesitation, she did the same.

I pulled Dove's arm around my neck, Cy mirroring me. With a small huff, we hoisted the limp girl up, her arms hanging off our shoulders. I glanced over Dove's head at Cy. "You got her?" Cy simply nodded in response. "Good. Let's try and get her to the house."

Together, we started up the hill towards Dove's home, said girl hanging off of us, her feet dragging across the ground.. A small glint sparkled in the corner of my eye. Twisting my head, I saw the Switchblade, dented, damaged, yet somehow still in one piece, laying under a far off tree, a trail of upturned dirt and wrecked landscape marking its crash course.

"So, are we going to go through this with all the rest of your friends?"

I hadn't been expecting Cy to talk, and I definitely had not been expecting such a question. It wasn't a question of would she meet my friends as my girlfriend. It was of how I thought they'd react when she did. For some reason, the realization made me smile. "All? No. Most? Probably."

That got a small snort of laughter from the Cyclonian. "Marvelous," she mumbled sarcastically.

I chuckled lightly. "Let's just hope the next one to faint isn't Junko." Now Cy gave off a real laugh, that light, tinkling sound that ran at such odds with all I use to think of her. My mood suddenly too a turn for the somber as we trudged along. "You really want to meet my friends? My squad?"

Cy was silent. Then, she looked to the ground and let out a long sigh. "Want to? No. But..." She was silent again, gathering her thoughts. Before speaking again, she turned to me, a determined look in her light violet eyes. "... but I really want this to work. For us to work. But the only way for that to happen is for us to be open with each other. I want to be a part of you life. But, though I hate to say it, I know that the Storm Hawks are a large part of you life. If I want to be with you, I'll have to deal with them." She must have seen the half-believed alarm in my eyes, because she gave me an annoyed look. "Not like that. I just don't want you to have to hide our relationship from the Sto-... your friends.

"To answer your question, no, I don't want to meet your friends. But I'm going to do it anyway, for both of us. So you don't have to hide yourself from them..." She gave me a half-grin. "...and so I don't have to sneak through the Condor just to see you when I want."

A fresh blush colored my cheeks as I focused on the path in front of us. All the same, her words filled me with a sense of optimism I hadn't known I was lacking. "You've put a lot of thought into this." I noted.

Cy just kept smiling, but turned to face the path too. "I've spent the last year thinking and debating what I'd do in the unlikelihood that you procreated my feelings." She scoffed under her breath. "Now I'm just trying not to over think myself."

I nodded, not sure what else to say. Well, that's not true. There was one glaringly obvious thing that needed to be brought up, but I feared what Cy's reaction would be.

Then again, she's being open with me. I might as well voice my own concerns to her.

I took a breath, steeling myself. "Cy, aren't you worried about how they'll react, considering... who you are?"

Surprisingly, a small smile graced the pale girls lips. "I've thought about it. Honestly, that may not be as big an issue very soon."

I cocked an eyebrow, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

The house was now right in front of us. The lack of random yelling and airborne appliances told me that Wren, Dove's grandfather, was not home.

Cy gave me a long look, then shook her head. "I'll tell you later. Let's just say I've been contemplating something."

I couldn't help it. "What?"

Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet so strong it stirred something inside me.

"Peace."

A/n: Honestly, I was going to make this chapter longer, but this felt like a good cut-off point, plus I wanted to make sure you guys knew I was alive.

So... Dove. Show of hands, who saw that coming?

Okay, I need to be serious for a moment. I really need help. As you all may have guessed, I have no experience writing relationships, as I fear the above chapter shows. If anyone has any tips for me on how to improve my writing to make the relationship more believable while still sticking with the tone of the story, please leave said tips and/or notes in the reviews, or IM me.

Also, have any of you ever Googled 'do a barrel roll?' It's really cool!