Chapter 14: Foresight
BlueTiger321: Hey, folks! So, after a heated battle, the gang is now on their way to their next destination. Maybe this time it will be something that will assist them in their goal... or maybe not. So read on and find out for yourselves.
The Condor drifted through the clouds, its massive hull tearing through them like they were nothing. It was a fine day for everyone onboard over their previous success against the Dark Ace's forces. Not only had they managed to defeat everyone in combat, but they also ended the vicious plot of the Regent and saved Terra Klockstoppia from an insidious control. Each of the members of the group had a good feeling that Princess Peregrine would now get the chance to rule freely without any worry as long as they would complete their mission.
The bridge of the ship was full of high-spirited energy after last night's venture. While everyone still remembered that the threat still lingered in the air, they couldn't help but feel good about what they did to their enemies and how they managed to help a friend in her time of need. Now they truly felt confident in their abilities; they were certain that Atmos would be saved.
Aerrow looked out the windshield along with Piper, Aang, Katara, Finn, Radarr, Starling and Junko. For once they actually felt calm during their flight, and it was all because they took the time to learn new skills they thought would be beneficial. It was such a pleasant feeling that none of them wanted it to end; they just wanted to keep flying through the sky without any worry.
But Aerrow knew that a Sky Knight's work was never finished. He took an oath when he was knighted that he would always serve the people of Atmos as long as he was still standing. Turning to his friends he said, "Well guys, I think it's time we discuss our next move."
"You're right," said Aang. "Last night was just the beginning. The Dark Ace is still out there, and who knows what he could be plotting right now."
Katara shivered with fright. "I still can't believe he managed to bring Hama and Long Feng here. I mean, the very fact that they've joined forces with the Dark Ace sends shivers down my spine."
"I'm guessing that you're not on good terms with them," said Starling. "I'm sorry I have to ask but exactly who are they?"
Aang decided to answer the question. "Long Feng used to be the advisor to the Earth King in our world. He worked behind the scenes to make it seem like the king was in power, when in reality he was pulling all the strings. He set everything up in the capital of Ba Sing Se to keep the war a secret. Anyone he thought who would appear out of line was dealt with in his own twisted fashion.
"Well, we managed to make the Earth King see what Long Feng was doing all along, so he was arrested. Then he worked with Azula to regain control, but then she double-crossed him and he was never seen again.
"The first time Aerrow and the others came to our world, we unexpectedly met up with him and he had found the dimension stone—the only thing the Storm Hawks needed to get home. But we defeated him and he was captured for his crimes."
Finn shook his head with frustration. "That clown really knows how to mess things up."
"So what's the deal with the old lady?" asked Junko.
"Hama?" said Katara. Her eyes looked down to the floor in worry as she answered the question. "She was from the Southern Water Tribe during my grandmother's time—that was the time when the Fire Nation declared war on the other kingdoms. She was taken prisoner when they invaded, and she developed a deep hatred for the Fire Nation for many years.
"When we met her, she seemed like a sweet, old woman who lived in the Fire Nation peacefully. But then we found out it was all a misconception. While in prison, she developed an advanced form of Waterbending that controls the fluids in a person's body. She called it Bloodbending, and she used it to imprison the people of the town where she lived."
Aerrow turned to the girl for a moment with a shocked expression on his face. "I remember you doing something like that," he said. "It was the night before we faced off against the Cyclonians and Azula."
Katara nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. What you saw that night was Bloodbending. It's a move that requires so much power that it can only be done on the night of a full moon. I learned how to use that awful technique, but it was only to stop Hama from what she was doing." Tears then streamed from Katara's eyes after remembering all the pain she endured that day.
Piper came up and placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry about what you went through, Katara," she said, "but you did the right thing. Hama had no right to make those people pay for all the suffering she went through, and you were able to stop her. If you hadn't been there then she would only cause more pain to the innocent."
The Water Tribe girl wiped her face with her hand and turned to the crystal mage, her eyes appearing as blue as sapphires. "Thank you, Piper, but this is still a burden I must carry, and I don't ever want it to happen to anyone else." She then gave her friend a stern look for she knew that what she would say next was serious. "I want you to promise me that you will never attempt to do Bloodbending."
"I promise," said Piper. "From what you've said, it sounds like a vile technique. Anyone who would ever use it on someone for their own gain is despicable."
Sokka walked up next to his sister and placed his arm around her waist, just like any sibling would do to ease the other's feelings. "Well, now we've gotten our weirdoes out of the way," he said. "So what's the deal with that other guy?"
"You mean Carver?" said Aerrow. "He was once the Sky Knight of a squadron called the Red Eagles. But he turned traitorous; he struck down his own teammates and stole a powerful crystal from Atmosia, the Aurora Stone. We stopped him and he was sent to prison for his crimes.
"But then a few months passed, and he had everyone convinced that he was under mind control by Cyclonis. He used that story to get out of prison and joined us."
Zuko walked over and heard the story. His eyes were wide open as he couldn't believe someone that decadent could ever be part of the Storm Hawks. "Are you serious? That jerk manipulated his way onto your team?"
"It's true," said Piper. "But the saddest part is that we actually let ourselves believe that Carver had changed. Well, everyone except Aerrow."
"That's right," said the boy Sky Knight. "I always suspected that Carver might be up to something, and I was right. While on our team, he thought of ways to try to get rid of me and take over as leader of the Storm Hawks. When all those attempts failed, he tried getting rid of me the old-fashioned way. But, as you can see, I'm still the leader and he was sent behind bars. Or, at least, he was."
Starling shook her head with total disdain. "Carver no longer has the right to call himself a Sky Knight; everything he's done goes completely against what we're supposed to do. I just hope that no other Sky Knights will act so diabolically."
"They won't," said Aerrow. "I've seen what the other Sky Knights have done, and none of them show any indication of becoming evil. I feel honoured battling alongside them and for all the morals they've vowed to uphold."
The Interceptor smiled at her fellow Sky Knight. Hearing what he said about every other Sky Knight in Atmos made her feel proud of whom she was and everything she had done for all the people she swore to protect. So now she just stood staring out into the sky along with her friends while they continued drifting without any clear indication of where they were headed next.
All was quiet on the bridge until Momo kind of got bored and so he decided to fly aimlessly around the room. Radarr saw this and chirruped with delight. Inside he felt both happy and jealous for the creature's ability to fly. What happened last night with Momo was a bad experience for him, but Radarr wanted to know what it felt like to fly freely without the need for a sky ride or someone else. Someday, he thought, he would like to try that on his own.
Toph grew irritable as she sat on the couch in the middle of the room. "So," she said, "any idea of where we're headed?"
"Not really," Aerrow admitted, turning away from the windshield. "I've been trying to figure out what we should be doing but I keep drawing a blank."
Aang joined with the red-haired teen. "I know what you mean. The situation with the Dark Ace is really stressful. If only we could find out some way about what's going to happen next, then we might be able to do something."
Piper turned around and pursed her lips after hearing what Aang said. A feeling of great thought came to her when she pieced together the way her friend said those words. To her there was only one being capable of foreseeing events before they take place, and she knew where to find her. "I think I've got it," she said.
Everyone turned around to face Piper to hear her suggestion, and they all hoped it would help them.
All eyes were on Piper, and so she said, "I think we should go to the Forbidden City to speak with the Oracle."
Finn cocked an eyebrow. "That's your plan?" he said with disbelief.
"Why not?" said the crystal mage. "We could ask her what the future will look like and see what the Dark Ace is up to."
"But how are we gonna do that?" said Junko. "Didn't Aerrow say that he destroyed the statue and set her free?"
"Yes," replied the girl, "but Aerrow and I also saw Master Cyclonis summon her back to the Forbidden City to demand where the key to the Farside was located. If I can re-enact the same power that Cyclonis used, we should be able to speak with the Oracle."
Aang thought hard about the idea. After a while he said, "I'm not really sure what you mean by this. But if you think it's worth trying, then let's do it."
"I don't see any other leads," said Aerrow. "All right, then." The Sky Knight turned to his carrier pilot. "Set a course for Terra Xoam, Stork."
"Right away," the Merb saluted.
The Condor tilted to its portside before settling once more, headed in the direction for the Forbidden City where the group would hope to find out what the future will hold for them.
Terra Xoam was filled with thick jungles and many rocky cliffs, and the Storm Hawks were currently driving through the terrain on their rides; even Stork joined them on his unique ride, the Stork-Mobile. Starling, having the fastest sky ride in all of Atmos, drove up front with Aerrow while the rest of the Storm Hawks drove behind them, and the Avatar's group flew above them on Appa.
The boy Sky Knight felt a little nervous upon seeing the Oracle again, especially after what happened the first time he was here. That day, he saw a future that was too horrid to even comprehend and it made him question his own abilities. But then he remembered that all his efforts to prevent that future were not in vain. With his team by his side, he could accomplish whatever challenges would await them.
"So," said Katara, "exactly what are we looking for here?"
"We're looking for the entrance into the Forbidden City," replied Aerrow.
"Yes," said Piper. "We need to find the Oracle and ask her what the future will be like so we can better prepare ourselves. This way, we'll be ready for the Dark Ace."
Stork heard the conversation and said, "And as long as we're there, I want to ask her if the cure for bog measles is ever discovered."
"And I can't wait to get some of the treasure," said Finn. "I know that Aerrow said there wasn't any, but I'm sure that I'll find it."
Sokka scoffed the idea. "You really believe in that drivel? We've had a run-in with a fortune teller once, and she had the people of a town hanging off her every word. Those people were complete suckers to believe in such garbage!"
"I must admit: it does sound rather foolish to me as well," said Starling. "But then again, when have the Storm Hawks ever been wrong about something? I have faith in them and I'll follow them into the unknown if I have to."
"From what I've already seen in this world, I'm willing to believe anything," said Zuko.
"Oh, it's as real as we are," said Aerrow. "I should know, because I saw a possible future that I hope will never happen."
The group remained in silence for the rest of the way until they all stopped at a large manmade opening in the side of a cliff. This is where the Storm Hawks knew Domiwick entered into the Forbidden City along with the Cyclonians. They all stared at the spot with angered expressions for having to encounter the scene of treachery.
"This is it," said Aerrow.
Appa grumbled at the entrance while Aang rubbed his hand over the sky bison's head.
"Sorry, guys," said the Avatar. "Appa hates going underground, so he'll have to stay out here."
"No problem," said Aerrow. "We can take you all in there on our Skimmers. Hop on!"
Appa landed on the ground and each member of the Avatar's group then headed for a different person to ride with: Aang and Momo with Aerrow and Radarr, Katara with Piper, Sokka with Finn, Toph with Junko, and Zuko with Starling.
The red-haired teen looked at everyone, smiled and said, "Now hang on, 'cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"
Everyone yelled happily as they drove into the entrance while Appa remained outside. Not long after they left, a rustle came from a set of bushes and a few figures appeared that startled Appa. The sky bison looked wide-eyed and then narrowed while growling. He didn't know whether these mysterious figures were trustworthy or not, but he decided not to take any chances for Aang's sake. So he quietly stepped away and hid amongst the foliage until it was safe.
Inside the cavern, the sounds of the sky rides echoed as they drove forward with their drivers and passengers seated on top. The group was lucky that the cracks along the surface of the cliff allowed sunlight in that was bright enough to give them clear visibility as they drove deeper into the depths.
Aerrow thought back about the first time they entered: how they found the real entrance into the Forbidden City, all the traps they had sprung just to get inside and uncover the mystery, and how he freed the Oracle after witnessing the future he saw. To him, it was a memory that he would never forget and he was glad that he was there to take the Oracle Crystal before the Cyclonians or Domiwick got to it.
Just then, everyone stopped again when they all saw up ahead a large stone structure with many buildings around it. Most of the buildings had fallen over due to the collapse that ensued the first time the Storm Hawks came but it still looked reasonably safe to progress.
"Are we there yet?" asked Toph.
"Yes," replied Piper. "This is the Forbidden City."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Aang. "Let's head in there and find the Oracle."
Everyone nodded and drove down the ramp and into the Forbidden City. Since they had already solved the puzzles of this area, they quickly drove through the obstacles with little trouble. In and around they all drove, passing through the labyrinth and stopping before the entranceway that led into the Oracle's chamber.
The Storm Hawks all parked their sky rides in a shadowy spot and got off along with their friends. They all looked into the chamber like something foreboding awaited once they stepped inside. But they knew they couldn't back down now; there was too much at stake for them to turn around and walk away, especially after coming this far.
Finn walked off to the side while admiring how much was left intact after the cave-in. "Well, at least we've already gotten rid of all the traps," he said.
No sooner did Finn say his comment when he stepped on a small switch in the floor. A rumbling was heard, and the blonde sharpshooter turned his head to see a piece of the wall was about to come down on him. Finn did the only thing he knew in this situation: he screamed.
Junko came rushing in with his Knuckle Busters ignited. Yelling as he ran, he punched through the wall and made it crumble to pieces right before him and his friend.
Finn was shaking with fear but managed to calm down enough to say, "Well, almost all of them."
Piper shook her head disapprovingly at Finn's mistake as she carried a book in her arms. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you don't touch anything," she said to the marksman.
Finn nodded in agreement and walked with everyone else into the chamber. There they saw bits of the ceiling on the floor along with gold coins scattered around the walls. Finn was the most excited to see the treasure to pay any notice to the pedestal where the Oracle statue once stood but was now split into shards.
"I knew it!" said Finn. "I knew there was treasure in here!"
"Finn, that's not why we're here," said Aerrow.
Piper sat the book on the steps and opened it up to a page that was full of words in the ancient Atmosian language. She then reached behind her back and pulled out the crystals she normally used to cast the Binding.
"What do we do now?" asked Zuko.
"We wait and let Piper do her work," replied Aerrow.
The crystal mage read from the book and spoke an incantation in a language that nobody ever recognized. Aerrow remembered Cyclonis used the exact words when she summoned the Oracle, so he knew that this plan was going to work.
Piper finished the incantation, and everyone watched with amazement as her crystals glowed with red and green light and the fragments of stone around the floor started to glow purple. They all gasped as the lights came out of the stones and melded together before the group that shifted around until it looked human. When the light stopped shifting, everyone saw an ethereal being stand before them shaped like a woman in a dress with long hair. She opened her eyes to reveal no pupils but they instead glowed with white light. Both Aerrow and Piper knew that this was the Oracle.
"Incredible," said Aang. "So this is the Oracle."
The Oracle looked at the Storm Hawks with a smile on her face, thinking they were the saviours of Atmos that she always foretold they would be. "Greetings," she said. "It is an honour to meet with the ones who are responsible for bringing peace and prosperity to our world."
Finn picked up a gold coin when he heard the compliment. "Yeah, well, that's just what we do: going around and givin' out peace and prosperity and stuff."
The only one who responded to the marksman's comment was Piper, and she rolled her eyes and grumbled in frustration as she watched Finn make a fool out of himself.
"So," said the Oracle, "may we discuss what brings you back here?"
Sokka gave the woman a doubtful glance. "Oh, please," he said. "Do we really have to stand here and listen to this prattle?"
Katara shushed her brother quiet while everyone else watched Aerrow walk up to the Oracle.
"Yes," said the red-haired teen. "As you may know, the Dark Ace has returned and is threatening to use his new powers to take control of Atmos. We came to talk to you to see what the future will hold for us and how we can prevent it."
The Oracle considered the Sky Knight's request. She knew that her powers would be crucial in their quest, which is the sole reason she was summoned here in the first place. "Of course," she said. "I may no longer have my crystal, but I still have some of my power left. I will do my best to show you what will happen." With a wave of her hands, she then bathed the room in purple light that activated her power.
Everyone was now viewing a possible future in which the Dark Ace had forcibly assumed control over Atmos. All around him the terras had been laid waste to with forests set ablaze and homes reduced to rubble, and every person cowered in fear before him.
But the most disturbing image the group saw was a large red crystal cast where the Beacon Tower of Terra Atmosia once stood, and trapped within it were the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group. All of them looked like they were screaming for their lives before they were trapped forever for all of Atmos to see what would happen if they defied the Dark Ace's rule.
The image faded out of everyone's minds and they were all left gasping with disbelief. They never thought that was what would happen should they fail.
"That's horrible," said Katara.
"I know!" said Sokka. "But the worst part is that I'll probably end up stuck in that crystal before I ask Suki out on a date."
"Don't kid yourself," said Toph. "I'm sure even she has high standards."
The Water Tribe boy narrowed his eyes angrily at the insult. "Oh, thanks a lot," he said sarcastically.
Aerrow looked up at the Oracle. "What do we have to do to make sure that never happens?"
"That was only a possible future," replied the Oracle. "All I can say is that the other world connected to Atmos is the key. The Avatar will be able to help you. I am afraid that is all I can offer. It is now up to you to see it done."
"Thank you, Oracle," said Piper. She removed her control on the spell she cast and let the Oracle go back to the place from where she came.
Before the Oracle's ethereal body faded away, her last words echoed throughout the room. "Good luck, Storm Hawks."
The group watched as the Oracle left them with her words still going through their minds. Now they had to figure out how the other world and Aang were going to help.
"Well, that was unexpected," said Zuko.
"I know," said Aang. "How do you figure I fit into this?"
Everyone's thoughts were interrupted when they all heard a loud sneeze. They turned around to see that Junko was the one who made it. The Wallop's eyes were now red and puffy, and he wiped his running nose with the back of his hand.
"Uh, guys?" said Junko. "I think we've got a problem." When he was finished, he exhaled another huge sneeze.
Aerrow knew that Junko's allergies were a dangerous matter. Narrowing his eyes he said, "You can say that again." He then turned to the others. "We need to hide, now!"
The Storm Hawks all dove behind the huge piles of gold coins while Starling and the Avatar's group were all confused by the other's sudden reactions; Junko having allergies did not seem that big a deal to them.
"What's going on?" said Starling.
Piper shushed the Interceptor. "Just be quiet and hide back here with us."
The others all shrugged their shoulders and joined with the Storm Hawks to stay in hiding. Now they all thought it was time to get some answers.
"Why are we hiding?" Katara whispered.
"Because Junko is allergic to two things, and they both mean trouble," replied Piper.
"Yeah," said Stork. "We always know to watch out when Junko starts sneezing, because it's a sure sign of either sky sharks or..." The Merb was about to say the other thing when he saw the entrance and ducked his head down while whispering a short whimper.
Aerrow looked at the entrance to see who was there. He recognized the band anywhere and he narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Murk Raiders!"
Everyone saw from behind their cover a group of three-toed and fingered creatures who were the Murk Raiders, the deadly pirates of Atmos that would plunder anything they set their sights on until there was nothing, or nobody, left. All of them wore ragged clothing while they clutched their double-edged cutlasses that glowed with purple crystal energy. They all looked around the room and shouted with cheers as they had finally found the treasure of a lifetime.
The Murk Raiders all walked into the room to allow their leader inside. He was a rather large being with black dreadlocks and a menacing reptilian right eye; where his left eye should be was a huge red scar that blinded it. His left arm had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic that had sharp claws. Like any other fighter in Atmos, he wore various armour plates over his black clothes that had the skull and cutlass insignia on his back, and a large blade was tucked into his belt. This Murk Raider was named Captain Scabulous.
Right behind the captain was his first mate, Eyeball. He was a portly creature with his stomach bulging out pass the waist of his pants while he wore a black vest. An eye patch was kept over his left eye to give his namesake, and his left leg had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic much like his captain's left arm.
Captain Scabulous looked around the room and laughed with a thick accent. "We've hit the mother lode, boys!" he said. "I knew this was the place!"
Eyeball laughed along with his captain. "So what are we gonna do with all this loot, Captain?"
The others all watched with fear filling up inside them. The Storm Hawks and Starling knew that the Murk Raiders were definitely a force to be reckoned with, and it would be best to avoid a fight if they could. Their only way out was blocked and making another exit would only give themselves away. Aerrow figured that since they parked their sky rides in the shadows, the Murk Raiders had no idea that the group was here. So now they would have to wait and see what the pirates were going to do. But at that moment, Junko could feel another sneeze coming.
"Junko," Piper whispered, "you've got to hold it in."
The Wallop nodded and placed his hands over his mouth to quiet himself. He hoped that the sneeze wouldn't come out long enough so the others could get out of this dilemma.
"So glad you asked, Eyeball," said Captain Scabulous. "I think that with the treasure, we'll be able to get what we've always wanted the most but was taken out of our grasp: a brand new kitchen!"
The Murk Raiders all erupted with cheers while the others looked at them oddly. Using the gold to buy a new kitchen did not seem like the pirates at all.
"You know what this means?" said Scabulous. "No more splinters from wooden spoons, new non-stick pots and pans, and a full spice rack with more oregano than we can count! And the best part is that no one even knows we're here, so this treasure is as good as ours."
Suddenly, a loud sneeze came from behind the treasure and blew away a pile of gold coins. The Murk Raiders whipped themselves around to see what caused it and they all stood expressionless when they saw Junko and Finn crouching there. The Wallop let out a sheepish smile while he wiped away the snot from his nostrils.
Finn tried to think of an explanation. "Uh, surprise?" he said.
The Murk Raiders all growled as they recognized the two as members of the Storm Hawks, who always interfered with their plans to get rich. They all ignited their weapons and started to advance on them.
Seeing that their cover was now blown, Aerrow jumped out in front of Finn and Junko with his daggers ignited and the others soon followed.
"You again?" said the captain.
"Hey, Captain Scabulous," said the boy Sky Knight. "I should've figured that you'd be drawn to treasure."
"Well, I should've figured that you pests would always stick your noses in our business!"
Aang got up front to face the Murk Raiders. "I'm warning you: let us go, or we'll be forced to take you down."
Captain Scabulous merely stared at the boy like he was crazy, and then he couldn't help but erupt with laughter at the statement. The other Murk Raiders followed their captain and mocked the Avatar for what he said. When Scabulous finally settled down he said, "Boy, you obviously have no idea who you're messing with." He then pointed his ignited blade. "Now, if you all come quietly with us, then maybe you might live to be our slaves."
"I would rather die than join the likes of you," said Starling.
Scabulous had gotten the answer. "Then so be it!" he said, and then rushed in with his blade high above his head.
The other Murk Raiders followed their captain into battle while the others stood and waited for the right moment. All at once, Aang, Toph, Aerrow and Junko stomped their feet to the ground to raise stalagmites that surrounded the band of pirates. This sent a wave of confusion over the Murk Raiders as they all stopped and wondered what happened.
"What kind of sorcery is this?" said Scabulous.
"The kind that isn't sorcery!" replied Aerrow.
The boy Sky Knight then joined with the Avatar to send out a huge blast of air from their palms that blew right into the Murk Raiders and made some of them slide along the ground. Junko, with his allergies still acting up, did his own version of Airbending by sneezing so hard that he blew away whatever pirates were unlucky enough to stand in front of him.
Eyeball was looking worriedly just as the air stopped blowing. "Captain, what are we supposed to do?"
Scabulous blinked in surprise, which showed that even he was clueless about how to combat people with such strange powers. "Good question," he said.
The theatrics didn't stop as Starling, Zuko and Aang decided to show off their Firebending by waving flames around their hands that came dangerously close to the Murk Raiders. Aerrow, Piper and Katara had also bent water out of the crystal mage's water crystal that they used to lash Water Whips right near their feet. Soon all the Murk Raiders were backed against the wall while the group advanced on them.
Aerrow was now close to Captain Scabulous, so he decided now was the time to tell him. "We're not here to battle you. Our business is concluded here, so you can have all the treasure you want. If you'll let us leave without a fuss, then we won't have to fight."
Finn perked up when he heard the ultimatum. "Hey!" he protested. "Why do they get to have all the treasure?"
"Because they're not the ones on an important mission," Piper explained.
Scabulous thought about it for a moment. He looked at his men and saw fear was now taking hold of them after witnessing such power coming from the group. The captain did not want to admit it since he thought it was a sign of weakness but he would have to comply with them. "Fine," he said. "You may go."
The group all smiled at seeing their plan work, so they released their Bending control and started walking out of the chamber. But Aerrow stop just short of the entryway to look Scabulous in the eye.
"You know," said the Sky Knight, "you were part of the resistance against Cyclonia."
"True," said Scabulous, "but that was a long time ago. Just because we fought alongside each other doesn't mean we're friends."
"But you should be grateful to us. If it wasn't for our efforts then you wouldn't have anywhere else to plunder. You should think about that."
The captain gave a short chuckle under his breath. "Sorry, lad, but I've already walked down this path for so long, and it's too late for me to turn back now." He turned to his men while they all gleefully ran up to grab whatever treasure they could carry. Still seeing Aerrow out of the corner of his eye he said, "Now get out of here, before I change my mind."
Aerrow walked out of the Oracle's chamber while leaving Captain Scabulous to mull over the last thing he said to him. Meanwhile the captain paused for a moment while he did think about what the boy said. When Cyclonia did try to take control over Atmos the Murk Raiders did fight alongside the Sky Knights, but it was only to cut a deal with them just so they could get him out of jail so he felt he had no reason to owe anything to anyone, especially the Storm Hawks. Still, he couldn't help but feel like there was something behind why they really came here.
The Condor had left Terra Xoam once everyone was back onboard. With their clue given to them by the Oracle, they were now going to focus on it to make sure that the future she showed to them would never become real.
Everyone sat in the bridge while they all tried to figure out what the Oracle meant.
"So what does it all mean, and how does Aang figure into it?" said Aerrow.
"I have no idea," said Piper.
Katara put her hand to her chin but then suddenly thought of the reason. "Wait a minute," she said. "The Oracle said that our world is the key and that Aang would help us, right? Well, what if that means we have to get everyone from our world to join in our quest? Aang is the Avatar, so that means he'll be able to convince everyone we know who's a good fighter to come over to Atmos and help us stop the Dark Ace."
Aerrow looked at Radarr as they exchanged quizzical glances. The idea seemed kind of farfetched since no one in the Avatar's world really had any reason to take part in this fight but it seemed like the most likely of options. The red-haired teen turned to Katara and said, "I don't see any other explanation."
"You're right; it does make sense," said Aang. "We know plenty of people from our world that would be willing to fight with us. If we can talk them into coming to Atmos, then we'd have a greater chance of fighting against the Dark Ace and everyone else who's joined him."
"So what?" said Stork. "Do you honestly think that random people you know are just gonna come help us in an instant? They hardly even know us! And I doubt they'll just rush off into a battle in another world, 'cause it really isn't any of their concern."
"We have to," said Aang. "You guys helped us stop a war when you came to our world, so now we have to tell everyone we know that the same thing is happening here."
"You can think of it as them returning the favour," said Sokka.
Starling looked at the Storm Hawks. "Well, what do you think?" she said. "Is it worth a try?"
The Storm Hawks looked at each other to see if anyone was willing to give any second thoughts. But they all looked with determination in their eyes. It was the look Aerrow recognized in his team that they were all going to bravely head into the unknown without any fear of what might lay in wait for them.
"Let's do it!" said Aerrow.
Piper nodded and headed out to the balcony with the dimension stone in her hands. She then got out her Binding crystals and used them to fire a red beam. The dimension stone levitated in the air before firing off a beam of green light that created the portal to the Avatar's world. When the portal was big enough, the Condor drove through it before it closed and vanished in a flash of light.
BlueTiger321: Ooh... This definitely looks interesting. Well folks, I want to stay that I'm going to be out of town on vacation for the next few days, so I probably won't be updating any time soon. But if I do, then you'll be in for another big surprise in the next chapter. So, until next time, please be sure to read and review.