Okay... now the countdown begins. I am hoping to finish this fanfic by Christmas Day, and so it will be one chapter updated per day. ALMOST guarenteed. The reason being is that this fanfic IS suppose to be Christmasy, and so it's best to finish it on Christmas. lol. What a way to go, huh? anyways, now it begins the Christmasy based part. Hope you like it!
Also, note that the Oracle says the 21st of December cause I wrote this last night. lol, so that means there may be two updated chapters today.

Please R&R!

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) of Ace Fipke and Nerd Corps

Chapter Nine: The Spirit of the Past

"Aerrow? Are you okay, buddy?" Junko asked worriedly, standing in Aerrow's doorway, watching the Sky Knight as he lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Radarr lay beside him, curled up in a ball, his eyes open, thinking.

The redhead sighed, "Yeah, Junko. I'm fine. I'm just a bit… shaken."

"We know how you feel," Finn said, walking into his room, "That's a low blow; forcing us to lose our Sky Knight in return for our navigator? It's just not right."

"But what else can we do?" Junko asked, "Cause if we just do nothing… Piper will never come back…"

"And we absolutely cannot let that happen," Aerrow announced determinedly, getting off his bed and looking at the two Storm Hawks. Radarr hopped onto his shoulder and squawked in agreement.

"But what other way can we save her?" Finn questioned, "It not like we can find a crystal to bring her back. There's no such thing as a Resurrection Crystal."

The redhead raised an eyebrow and gave a crooked grin. "Or is there?" he said, walking out of the room and heading to Piper's.

"Aerrow? What are you thinking?" Junko implored, confused.

"I'm thinking that if there is such thing as a Resurrection Crystal, it would be recorded in Piper's crystal log book," he replied, standing in front of Piper's door.

He opened it and gasped in shock. Piper's body was gone!

"Piper! Piper? Piper?!" he yelled, "What happened here?! Where did Piper go?!"

"Dude… that's just weird…" Finn trailed off, "Where could she be? It's not like she could have just gotten up and walked off somewhere."

Aerrow was devastated. First he had led Piper get killed. Second, he chose to save the Atmos instead of helping her, knowing it was the right thing to do. And now… he's lost her body. What kind of good Sky Knight boyfriend was he?

Suddenly, the ghostly figure of the Oracle floated from the ceiling in front of them. "Do not fear, your friend's body is with me," she reassured.

"Why did you take Piper?" Aerrow demanded angrily.

"I understood how you felt about choosing between her and saving the future, and so I am taking your navigator to meet four certain friends of mine. After visiting those four, she will be given a choice to either return here with the Storm Hawks or moving on into the next life," she explained.

"If she chooses to return to us, about what day will she be returning on?" Finn questioned.

The Oracle pointed to the calendar sitting on Piper's desk. "Today is the 21st of December. If Piper decides to return, she will be back on the 25th," she replied.

"On Christmas Day…" Junko trailed off.

"Can we do anything to help her?" Aerrow inquired desperately.

She shook her head. "No, you are not permitted to influence her decision. The decision is hers and hers alone," she stated bluntly.

The redhead bowed his head knowledgeable. "Very well, I will leave her in your care," he said, leaving the room.

The others followed him back to his own room, where he sat down, sighing, on his bed.

"Aerrow? So that's it? We're just going to leave her?" Junko asked, tears forming at the corner of his grey eyes.

"There's nothing we can do for Piper now. It's all up to her," Aerrow replied miserably.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Finn retorted, "What happens if she decides to leave us?"

The Sky Knight closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Then we are forced to accept her decision and continue our duty to save and protect Atmos," he forced himself to say. Please Piper, he thought urgently, You wouldn't really leave us, would you? Would you leave behind everything and everyone you know and move on into the afterlife? Would you really leave me? I love you…

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Piper opened her eyes to find herself lying on a white surface. She was still wearing her midnight blue dress, but the bloodstains were gone. When she touched her neck where the Dark Ace had formerly cut her, the wound was gone, like it had never happened. She sat up and looked around to find herself in the middle of nowhere. She was surrounded by white.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud.

Suddenly, a shimmering silhouette of a woman appeared before her. She could be fully seen now, and was wearing a long, flowing light green dress, with long brown hair and soft golden eyes. She was a slim figure and had a white Tiger Lily in her hair, tucked behind her right ear.

"Hello Piper," she greeted in a soft voice.

"W-Who are you?" Piper asked, amazed, "And how do you know my name?"

She giggled. "My name is Laura, and I am the Spirit of the Past. I know everything about you Piper," she replied.

"So, Laura," the navigator began, "where are we? And why am I here? Why are you here? I thought I was dead."

Laura's golden eyes softened. "Piper, you are dead. You are drifting in between both in the world of the living and the dead, because Death has claimed you but yet, you are still greatly needed by Aerrow and the Storm Hawks on Atmos. I am here to show you your past. After my visit, you will be visited by three other spirits; the Spirit of the Present, the Ghost of the Future, and the Angel of Love. Afterwards, you are to make a decision whether to return to the living, or choose to move on to the afterlife, where you will be promised eternal happiness," she explained.

"Of course I want to go back to Atmos! I've got people I love there!" Piper exclaimed impatiently.

"Believe me, Piper. The decision is a lot harder than it sounds. After you are visited by the other three spirits, I believe you will understand," the spirit retorted.

"So… are you like the 'Ghost of Christmas Past' from that Charles Dickens novel, 'A Christmas Carol'?" the navigator inquired curiously.

She shrugged easily. "I suppose, but we are different in various ways. Now come, it is time to revisit your past."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"I miss Piper already…" Junko sobbed, blowing his nose into a tissue. They were all on the Bridge, trying to continue on with life without Piper.

Finn placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to remain positive. "It's okay, Junko. Don't worry. Piper will come back, I just know it," he reassured, "She won't leave us."

"I really hope so, Finn," he replied, sniffing.

Aerrow looked at the Wallop with saddened eyes. "I do too, Junko. I do too."

Well.... here's this chapter. I'm not going to go into detail with Piper's past cause I have no idea how to do it, AND I want to keep things as it is and not go too OCC, cause I'm trying to imagine this as an actual episode. (Plus, there will be an Origin episode later on within the Storm Hawks 52-episode demands, so I want to keep things simple). Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter, and keep on it for the next few days. Remember! The countdown begins!

Please R&R! Much appreciated!