AN: What would you do if I say: YES! SKYCLONE HAS WON! MY CHARACTER HAS HAD IT!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA...

He-he-he...

Chapter 30: Surrender.

Queen Skyla and Jade stood over the small ventilation hole. A soft light from a sphere Skyla had sent down seemed to send out a strange eerie signaling beam up to the heavens.

A current of nervous electric energy flowed through them as Slam joined their nervous watch.

"How are the others holding up?" Queen Skyla asked him immediately, though her eyes ever left the vent. Slam moved closer and stared down into the depths. A puff of wind lifted his hair.

"Camille's still holding up her wall so there's no telling what's behind it." He said breathless. "Angelica and Breeze had one hurricane but they dealt with it. Nothing since then. Any sign?"

Jade shook her head.

"Nothing." She replied. "Not even a call or sound."

Skyla shifted, her face tense. "Slam, could you fly around once, see whether she might've surfaced somewhere else. If the vents are like this, call down – maybe se can't get out."

Slam shared a look with Jade and nodded. When he left, Skyla ran her hand over her face. "I should never have let her go." She breathed. "I shouldn't have brought her here..."

Jade touched her shoulder. "You didn't have a choice Queen Skyla." She said softly. "There would've been no other way. And, she handled it. I'm sure she made it into the vent."
Skyla let out a breath and shook her head as she paced away from the hole.

"There is always another way Jade." She said. "I should've thought..."
She shook her head again and returned to her post. "She's just a little girl..."
Jade tried to give her an encouraging look. "I think she's anything but." She said with a smile. "She's very brave and very resourceful. Don't worry, she'll meet us here."

The older woman didn't say anything but Jade could almost hear her self berate herself. "She looked down the hole, silently praying that Joanie would get out safe. She knew that Skyla would never forgive herself if something happened to the girl. Jade knelt down next to the hole and peered into the darkness.

"Joanie!" She called down. "Joanie!" She waited for a reply.

Nothing.
Jade bit her lip.

"Joanie-Ellen!"

A cough echoed up from the depths.

"I'm coming!" Called the timid voice. "Please... wait. I'm coming."

Jade jumped up.

"Queen Skyla!" She exclaimed. "She's coming, I heard her, and she's coming!"
The woman turned around, her eyes shining with relief.

"Slam!" She called up. "Come here please!" She touched Jade's shoulder. "Go to the others, the moment she's out we leave."
Jade nodded and flew off.

Skyla hunched next to the vent. "Joanie, are you still there?"
Her reply was closer this time.

"I'm coming." The girl repeated, her voice thin. "Please hold on, I'm coming."
Queen Skyla looked up as Slam and Breeze landed next to her.

"We won't leave without you Joanie." She reassured the stricken child. "The moment she has the rope I want you two to pull her up." She told the boys in a soft whisper.

They nodded and took up their posts.
The first thing Skyla saw was a pale hand. Joanie pulled herself into the vertical part of the vent and looked up. Realizing what they were going to do, she enclosed bother her arms around it and clung to the rope.

"Now." Skyla said quickly.

Breeze and Slam got a firm grip and pulled back. Skyla stayed by the hole and, the moment Joanie was close to the top, reached in and pulled her up. As soon as she was outside Joanie wrapped her arms around the Queen's neck and pulled herself close to the woman. Without having to say a word the Queen and the boys flew up as one and joined the circling Skydancers.

As Skyla tightened her grip around the girl, Joanie closed her eyes and buried her face in the woman's neck.

They flew fast and far until they were well out of the Neatherrealm. They had heard a dull explosion but no one cared enough to wonder whether they were finally rid of Skyclone or not.

Looking down at the child in her arms, Queen Skyla motioned for the other's to descend.

"Let's take a moment." She said as they landed amongst the forage. The moonlight cast strange shadows around them. Skyla soughed out a sturdy looking plant stalk and sat down. She moved Joanie into a more into a comfortable position and gently started rubbing her back. Unlike the fist time the young girl hadn't jumped at the opportunity to get out of Skyla's grip. If anything, she had pulled herself closer and completely buried her face in the woman's long hair.

She wasn't crying, but Skyla could feel warm tears in her neck.

She smiled gently and made a soothing sound.

"It's all right Joanie-Ellen." She murmured softly as she ran her hand through the child's short hair. "It's okay, you're safe now. You did so well, we're all so proud of you..."

It was then that the girl did start crying. Shifting so that she could wrap both arms around the woman's neck Joanie-Ellen's small frame started shaking with silent sobs.
Feeling a lump form in her own throat Skyla kept her arms around the child and started rocking her gently. She barely managed to keep her emotions in check.

A small distance from them the other Skydancers stood in a tight group.

Slam sighed and rested a hand on Jade's shoulder.

"You know what's a bummer." He said softly. "That Skyla can never have kids."
Angelica gave him a sharp look.

"Don't say that." She hissed. "We'll like... Find a way to free Skyler one of these days and then they can build a family. She's not that old yet."
Camille shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't think it's going to be that simple Angelica."

The blond girl wanted to say something snappish in return but Breeze stopped her with a hand on her back.

"At least Skyla has us till then." He said. "I mean, we have become like a family."

Everybody except Jade nodded their heads in agreement.
The dark-haired girl sighed and gave them a solemn look.

"It's not the same you guys." She said and looked back at the pair. "Not for her."
She squeezed Slam's hand which had managed to find its way into her own and slowly made her way to the stalk.
Skyla looked up when she approached and gave her a small smile. Jade didn't miss the moisture in her eyes. Joanie was still clinging to her as Skyla slowly ran her hand through her hair.
Jade sighed softly and hunched next to them so that she could look at Skyla and rest her hand on Joanie's shoulder.

"How's she doing?" She asked softly.
The woman allowed her hand to briefly rest over Jade's.

"Oh, she's fine." She said gently. "I think that everything just caught up with her... And, she has an incredible bump forming on her head. Joanie?"
The girl had moved so that she could look at Jade.
The dark-haired girl smiled at her. "You okay kid?"

Joanie bit her lip and nodded. She closed her eyes before looking up at Skyla.

The woman gave her a tender smile.

Joanie-Ellen stared at her for a very long time before she closed her eyes again, rubbed away a few rough tears and slowly got up out of Skyla's lap.

Regretting the loss of contact Queen Skyla folded her arms in her lab and watched the girl as she looked at her surroundings then up at the moon. She gingerly touched her cheek and winched before she looked down at her hands.

Skyla studied her critically. "Did he hurt you?" She asked softly.

Joanie looked at her, her dark eyes hidden in shadow.

"No." She said softly. "I've had worse." She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "I ah... Here.' She dug into her pocket and drew out two objects.

She handed the glove back to Skyla.

"I'm sorry, I spit on it, I think..." Her tone was quiet and unsure. "I ah, also found this."

Jade took the object as Skyla slipped on her glove.

The other Skydancers added their presence to the party. Breeze whispered a soft chant as he formed a ray of light between them.

For a moment it was as if they were standing in a soft patch of morning sunshine.

Joanie blinked in the light and moved back self consciously.

Jade studied the notebook. "I think this is the Tinker's." She exclaimed. "Go Joanie!"

The girl sniffed and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, not looking at any of them.

Breeze blinked and moved closer to her. "You have blood on you." He pointed out.

Joanie blinked and looked at her hands. "'Tis not mine." She muttered and stuffed her hands into her pocket.

Slam raised an eyebrow. "You're knife?"

"Still there."
The group nodded in comprehension. Everything had happened so fast that they hadn't seen how Joanie had escaped.
Skyla sighed and gave Joanie a solemn look. It had long since dawned on her that the kid had had a hard life.

"Come on." She said and motioned to Breeze. "Let's go."
She stepped up to Joanie as the boy let his light fade. "You want to fly with me?"
The girl didn't hesitate twice.

AN on next page.