The test of loyalty

Aerrow lowered his blades. Stork's cold maroon eyes brought tears to his eyes. "Stork…"

"Like I just said!" Stork snarled. "Not anymore!"

Dark Ace stepped forward, smiling at Aerrow's misery. "That's right. He's with us now. He's pure Cyclonian."

"But Stork…" Aerrow said, glancing about at the others standing beside him. Piper had tears streaming down her cheeks, Junko was close to crying, Radarr was whimpering, and Finn had ceased trying to pull his foot from the gopher hole. The sky knight blinked as a sudden raindrop splashed on his face. He looked up and saw that the sky was covered with grey, dreary clouds. It began to rain.

"But Stork…" He repeated. "Think of all we've been through… when we all met, when we found the Condor, what we stand for…"

"It means nothing," Stork said firmly, his tone full of scorn.

"What about our good times?!" Aerrow shouted, his heart breaking. "When you first taught us the Merbian Crazy Face? When we rescued you from the two producers on Terra Neon because they liked your doom poetry? Babysitting Tinky? When you lead us through the Black Gorge? When you took down Repton and his brothers? Flying from the Murk Raiders? When you beat Snipe in the Forbidden City? Anything?"

"Nothing." Stork leaped high, his long green sword raised. The Storm Hawks scattered as the merb brought the blade crashing down into the ground where they stood seconds before. Stork bared his teeth at his dispersing former friends. Piper caught a glimpse of his teeth. They were pointed and long canine fangs curved over the lower molars.

Stork snarled like a wild dog. Piper lowered her staff, not wanting to shoot at her friend, but kept her guard up as the merb prowled back and forth before the scattered team. He definitely appeared taller, his shoulders broader and his arms and legs thicker. He walked like a straight posture too.

"Stork, listen to me," Piper said softly, choking back her grief as she gazed at her altered friend. "You're changed by a wrath crystal. Keep submitting to its power and your appearance and your mind will only become even more so. You'll be lost forever if you let yourself completely surrender to it."

"I am quite aware of what has taken place. And you know what?" Stork twirled his green blade at his side. "I don't care."

Aerrow saw his chance. The sky knight darted behind the preoccupied merb and leaped silently into the air. He had inactivated his daggers and held them by the blade, planning to strike Stork in the head with the hilt. The air whistled as he sped downward toward Stork's back, prepared to strike.

A green blade suddenly flicked almost lazily over the merb's shoulder and clipped Aerrow smartly under the chin. Blackness enveloped the sky knight's mind and he faintly felt himself flop onto the ground. All around him, from the second he fell, a blurry struggle took place, sending dirt flying over him. He heard his name being called as from a great distance, and then it was abruptly cut off.

Get up! Get up! Get up!

He lashed out with one hand, his fingers fumbling in the dirt. He pushed himself up onto his knees and blinked dimly in the dust. Someone bumped into him in the dusty confusion and Aerrow instinctively took a hold on the person's wrist. Luckily it was Piper and she helped him up. The dazed sky knight looked at her horrified face. "What?"

For an answer, she put a finger under his chin and withdrew it covered in red.

That's it.

Aerrow activated his blades and shot two bolts straight up in the air. The fighting ceased and everyone, friends and enemies, looked over at the sky knight.

Aerrow stood panting, blood running down from his chin to stain his uniform. The sky knight deactivated his blades and dropped them. Piper reluctantly backed away from him at his gesture. Aerrow unhooked the armor from his chest and let the metal plate fall to ground. He outspread his arms. "Stork, if you truly are evil, then strike me down. I'm the sky knight of this team, and you are still part of it. You are still my responsibility and I alone am to blame if you are lost."

Stork shifted his green sword in his hand, his maroon eyes darting from Aerrow to Piper, trying to find the catch.

"There's no trick," Aerrow said, stepping closer until he and Stork were barely two meters apart. The sky knight waved his squadron farther away.

"But Aerrow," Piper protested.

Aerrow shot her a sideways glance. "Just do it."

They obeyed. Aerrow turned back to Stork, his arms still outspread. Dark Ace looked like he was about to step in, but then seemed to think better of it.

"Do it," Dark Ace hissed, enjoying the moment.

The merb's haunting eyes flicked over his shoulder at the Talon. The green blade in his hand hummed.

Aerrow studied his former helmsman's face, searching for any hint of fear or regret.

Dark Ace became impatient as the seconds ticked by and Stork didn't do anything. "Hesitation against enemies of Cyclonia, Stork?"

"Don't rush me," Stork growled.

The Talon made as if to brush by him. "Then I'll do it myself."

The merb stopped him. "No."

"Then do it!"

"Don't give me orders!" Stork said angrily.

Dark Ace gawked at him. "What did you just say to me?"

"I. Said. Don't. Give. Me. Orders," the merb said dangerously.

"I am your superior!" Dark Ace declared, pointing his red blade at Stork. "I give the orders. You obey them!"

Stork lost all interest in Aerrow. The merb prowled back and forth before the Talon. "Oh yeah, tough guy? And what are you going to do to make me?"

Dark Ace choked in disbelief. "Ww… wha?" He regained himself and glared at the merb. Rage built up from his damaged ego and he swiped his red sword at him.

His angry roar died. Stork had caught the sword with one hand. The maroon eyes were almost lazy as the merb gripped the blade near the bottom with one hand, grasped the blazing tip with the other, and tied the blade into a knot as if the metal was putty.

The Talon gaped at his ruined sword. Stork bared his fangs. "Now who's superior?"

The other Talons were getting up from their butt kicking from the Storm Hawks. They were silent as they watched their leader nervously drop his destroyed sword and take a step back from the merb. Stork turned and fixed the Talons with a cold stare. "Anyone else want a neck to match the sword?"

They shook their heads. Stork put a hand on his belt. "Good." He suddenly whipped something out and hurled into the Storm Hawks' midst. Whatever it was exploded and they were all enveloped in a thick purple smoke.

Aerrow, coughing heavily and his eyes streaming, tried to rush toward Stork, but then collided with a person who looked like Finn. He hit the dirt and was immediately back up at the sound of a scream. It sounded like Junko. Aerrow turned about aimlessly in the dark smoke. "Junko! Junko!" Someone besides Finn moved at his left. "Piper?"

It was Dark Ace. The Talon fumbled for something in his own belt and brought out a small, clear crystal. He hurled it into the ground and it burst. The purple smoke dissolved into thin air.

Aerrow scrubbed his eyes with his sleeve and looked around. There were no Cyclonians (besides Dark Ace) in sight. Angry at himself for letting them get away, he searched the skies hopelessly. "Where did they go?!"

"Probably activated the cloaking crystal and flew off," Dark Ace grumbled. He bent down to retrieve his ruined sword, but stopped when Finn's foot stepped down on it and the sharpshooter pointed a loaded arrow in his face.

Darn it!" Aerrow kicked his chest plating. Piper placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and picked up the armor from the ground. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She had nothing to say.

"Say…" They all turned to look at Finn. The sharpshooter scratched his head. "Where's Junko?"

The terra shook at Aerrow outraged yell. "They took Junko!!!"

"Back already?" Cyclonis leaned forward in her throne, but her smirk faded when a lone figure walked to the base of the stairs. She bolted upright. "Where's Dark Ace?"

Stork stared straight ahead, maroon eyes hooded. "Fell. The sky knight got him in the back while the girl distracted him. I don't know if that killed him, but the fall certainly would."

His eyes rose to study the master's almost grief stricken face. "Don't even bother to look for the body. It probably burned up in the wastelands. The vehicle too."

Cyclonis' purple lips moved a little, and then she sat down. Her mouth was fixed in a devastated frown. For a long moment she was silent, and when she spoke, it was very soft and controlled. "Get Ravess and Snipe up here. We need a new plan to kill the Storm Hawks. I want them all dead and the sky knight's head on my throne. Go."

Stork bowed and walked out. A small smile sprang on his lips. Everything was a smooth sail from there.

I've noticed that less people are reviewing and reading my part 2 than my part 1. Is it because it's too long? Boring? Stupid? Pleeze make me feel better and just review, even if it's just to say hi or something. : p