As consciousness slipped in and out, I saw visions of these three people. A man, a woman and a girl who looked a little younger than me. The woman had curly auburn hair that cascaded down her back and over her shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her lips moved as she mumbled words I couldn't hear. The little girl looked just as terrible as the woman. Her soft brown hair was sticking out in different places, and her eyes were also red and puffy. Dark circles laced the bottom of her lids. The man was probably in the worst condition out of all the three. His hair was short and graying, but it stuck out in odd angles and looked as if it hadn't been washed in a while. His eyes were tired and drooping, and his face looked solemn. A single tear escaped his eyes as he mumbled just one word.

Piper was carefully steering the Condor towards Terra Atmosia for a well deserved break and some medical help for the strange girl that was brought on board. Stork silently walked out of sight towards his quarters. Since everyone else was doing fine, he thought it would be okay to tinker away at his new inventions to prevent a horribly early demise while on the way to Atmosia...or anytime for that matter.
With the thought of death on his mind, Stork quickened his pace (and his breathing) as he made his way to his room. He threw himself inside and turned to place his back against the cold metal of his door. His chest heaving in and out as his labored breath continued.

"Someday I'm going to die from all of this." he muttered under his breath and made his way toward the small worker's desk in the corner of his room. He hadn't even noticed the lump in his bed yet. Metal trinkets and gadgets littered the small desk, and tools were scattered in different places. Stork sat down and grabbed a wrench and started to work with a twisted piece of metal. There was a shuffling over by the bed, and the green merb jerked his head over in the direction. His yellow eyes were opened wide, and his pupils darted around in a panic.

I started to wake up, and the images of those people left me. I moved my body around to find a more comfortable spot...wait...I'm wasn't falling. Did that mean I was back in my own bed?

"Gaaah!"

The scream echoed through the room, and I bolted upright. I sat there looking at a very peculiar, although familiar, person. He had olive green skin that was darker around his eyes, and yellow eyes that were widened in fear. He was tall, and a bit lanky, but kind of cute all the same.

"Uh...hi?" I said timidly, and the strange person gave out a frightened squeak.

"Stork, what's wrong?" someone said as they ran into the room. It was that same familiar voice of my savior. I looked over to see a red-headed guy who looked to be a little younger than me. His emerald eyes were shifting from me and the person called 'Stork'.

"Oh, you're finally awake." he said after a moment. "Come with me. My crew and I have a few questions for you." He held out his hand for me, and I took it. Stork stood there against the wall for a moment longer, and I stood there, causing the red-head to look at me questioningly. I held my hand out for Stork and smiled politely at him, but he flinched a little. He held his hands close to his chest and edged his way past me.

'Wow...talk about paranoid...' I thought to myself before continuing on down some weird hall with my savior.

Aerrow walked the girl towards the main part of the Condor with Stork walking next to him.

"Hey Stork, why are you so jumpy?" Aerrow asked his fellow crew mate.

"Because...I didn't exactly expect to find some strange person in my room...probably here to bring upon an early demise." Stork said, the last part being under his breath. Aerrow chuckled a little having heard his friend's remarks and had grown accustomed to them.

"Don't worry Stork. I don't think she is here to hurt anyone." Aerrow, Stork and the new girl made it to the main part of the Condor, and while Stork went to take over with flying the large air ship, Aerrow led the girl over to the table where Finn, Junko and now Piper sat.

"So, I see you're finally awake." Piper said sweetly, and the girl looked over to her with drowsy eyes.

"Yeah...I guess." the stranger said. "Where am I?"

"You're aboard the Condor. Ya know, the air ship for the new Storm Hawks." Finn piped in, trying to impress the girl, but her eyes were on the green piolot. Now that she was really looking, she noticed things about him she overlooked earlier. He had small elongated cat-like ears that were perched on top of his head. One of his ears had two silver hoops in them. His green black hair was short in the back, but it grew in the front and framed his usually scared looking face. His body and limbs looks so frail that they could be snapped at any moment, but they somehow held the person all together.

"Stork." she whispered, and the carrier piolot's attention was jerked over to her.

I didn't know why, but I couldn't help but feel sort of connected to the one my savior called Stork. I slowly got up and walked over to him, and his body began to shake a bit.

"Hi." I said softly, and his shaking started to slow. He still looked a little nervous, so I just went out and said it. "I..know you from somewhere..."