Caustic
Part One, Chapter Two
"You took her away from us," he says. What she expects to be acidic and bitter has already solidified into hardened rock. It isn't an accusation, but a statement that can't be changed, Cyclonis looks surprised for the next sentence from his mouth makes little sense to her at all.
"You took Piper from us, so I took the Dark Ace from you."
That wasn't fair. The empress purses her mouth as her formal reply. True, she had taken Piper and yes, she did change her, but at least the former is still alive. She, on the other hand, has no one. Has run out of pawns to use, and Cyclonis learns quickly to rely on no one but herself, even in failure. The loneliness may have overwhelmed a lesser girl, but now it is only an afterthought.
The Sky Knight speaks again, and this time she listens closely. The toughened edge in his voice from years of poverty, the pride that cushions his tongue as the Oracle's Chosen One – all things that might have belonged to her, that should have belonged to her, but didn't. Aerrow has seen the world while she remained stationary in the castle, and she supposes playing the role of villain is the reason he became this way. But Aerrow doesn't suppose, he already knows.
"I have just one question for you," he points at her chest with one of his energy blades, and the girl decides that in her last hour she will humour him.
"Shoot."
An eerie light twinkles in his green eyes as he chuckles at his enemy's resolve; a true royal to the end. He makes up his mind before he parts his lips; before she speaks he knows what he is going to do. And he tells her in a hushed whisper,
"Master Cyclonis, do you want to burn?"