Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks or Labyrinth.

Chapter 11: Desirable Illusion

The Queen shot up from her throne, her screams echoing throughout the castle. Pain, she could feel it coursing through her entire body as she held her head with a shaky hand. Such were the consequences of using powerful magic only to have it backfire. All because some human brat wouldn't submit to her.

"Damn him… Damn that boy," she cursed, still shaken from the recoil. If he would've just submitted to her… But then, it was his determination and will that had made him so intriguing. A twisted smile slowly graced her face before the door was thrown open.

"Cyclonis!" She heard her champion call out as he entered the room. "Are you alright?! I sense a great disruption in the flow of magic and-!"

"I am fine… Only underestimated him; that's all." Cyclonis answered as she made eye contact with him. By this time, the pain from the backlash had subsided so she sat before him in a regal manner.

Still, he looked dubious as a dark expression gradually crossed his face. "I'll have the guards search for the boy. We will make sure that his transgression shall not go unpunished."

"No!" She sat up from her throne, staring him down with adamant dominance. "The time for the challenge is almost up. Only when the bell tolls its final chime will he be brought to the castle. Until then, I want you and your men to be patrolling the city. Is that clear?" Seeing his body shuffled, her eyes narrowed. "I said, is that clear?"

He looked stunned for a moment. But in the end, he regained his composure before bowing. "Of course, Master." With that, he took his leave.

Cyclonis watched as the doors behind him closed, resounding a solemn thump from across the room. She then relaxed a little bit on her throne while her mind strayed into her own doubts. She was definitely certain that Aerrow would not be able to find his friends before time was up. But that still didn't discern her from everything that could go wrong until that point. Hopefully, when this is all finished, he will still be in one piece at least.

"Oohh… Master?" a small voice cooed as she soon turned her attention to the two figures stirring near her throne. She had almost forgotten that she had kept those two closed by. They had become very fond of her in a short amount of time. Of course, that was partly due to the enchantment. But they were more sincere and pleasant than any of her own servants.

Reaching out to one of their faces, a soft girl's, Cyclonis gently rubbed her as if she were a kitten. "Ssshhh, it's alright. He'll be with us soon." Her face then darkened as she continued stroking her. "He will be…"

Outside of the wall that surrounded the Crystal City, there was a garbage dump. A definite anomaly for the realm itself yet its existence wasn't questioned by its residents. It was an accumulation of things lost or forgotten by humans. Whether it was from Fae collecting them over the ages or it appeared there one day, no one really knew. If anything, its origins were of little significance for anyone to care.

Among the piles of junk, there were many who had found refuge there. A majority of them were scavengers who had come to call this place home. Others were just those passing through, seeking sanctuary and such. One of those drifters had found a brief respite in there, huddled up by the fire and looking distraught.

"What have I done? What have I done?" Snipe murmured as he stared at the fire. His mind kept repeating him giving Aerrow the peach, emphasizing the anguish on his face. How could he have been so careless? He knew that it was enchanted, but he gave it to him anyway. Now, who knows what was happening to him at this very minute?

Snipe then shook his head, snapping out of his self-pity. Why was he even depressed about some human kid anyway? He was a troll. He shouldn't even care. Besides, they weren't friends. There wasn't a hint of kinship between him and Aerrow if anything.

Still, they had been at least civil despite their rough beginning, and he was friendlier to him than he needed to be. That was saying a lot given the circumstances. Thinking about it some more, his stomach churned again as he stared back into the fire.

"What have I done?" Snipe repeated as he curled up. "I hurt my only friend… That's what I've done."

On another trash mound not too far, there lay a young boy amongst the various pieces of junk. He stirred from his spot, stretching as he began to sit up. All the while, his head felt pounded with intense pressure. It soon started to clear up just to see the half-eaten peach in his hand.

"Gah!" He jumped up, dropping the peach as a worm slithered out of its core. He then paused for a moment, taking a look at his surroundings. Where was he anyway? More importantly, who was he? Aerrow? That name sounded familiar to him. Maybe he was Aerrow. That still didn't explain where he was… Or how he got here.

As he tried to figure out this and more, Aerrow heard something rustle near and turned to its source. He caught sight of a ghostly woman from the pile of junk. The clothes she wore covered up some of her light-blue skin. Underneath her unkempt hair, bright pupilless eyes stared at him. Though her presence seemed foreboding, he was willing to approach her. He needed answers and there wasn't anyone else around. Perhaps she knew something at the very least.

"Ummmm, hey," he said to the strange woman. "I'm sure you're probably busy. But I don't know where I actually am. Can you help or at least tell me what this place is?"

The woman stared at him, tilting her head in a curious fashion. Then after a few mere seconds, she walked over to him, took his hand, and started to drag him along with her. His feet stumbled after hers for a bit, but he still followed. She may have some idea about where they were. He hoped that wherever she was leading him to get answers.

After walking for a while, the two came upon an opening between a couple of junk piles. They stopped in front of it with the strange woman letting go of his hand. She then walked through the opening, disappearing into it much to Aerrow's dismay. "Hey, wait!"

Aerrow rushed towards the crevasse into its dim void. Despite the darkness, he continued onward in hopes that there were some answers. He soon saw some light just up ahead. As he drew closer, he became enveloped in its blinding radiance when…

BANG!

In a flash of confetti and streamers, he found himself encircled by people applauding. It was a big crowd, and they were all dressed in fancy garbs, much like the one he had on. He blinked, having a million questions run through his head about this situation. His questions soon piled on when a man with red hair like his own popped right out of the crowd.

"Aerrow! Glad to see you finally show up," the man greeted as he clasped a hand on his shoulder. Despite his friendly demeanor, Aerrow stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's the matter, kiddo? Stunned to see your old man show up for once?"

"Excuse me… But who are you exactly?"

The man gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "Oh! Don't tell me you forgot your own father now?!"

"My… Father?" Aerrow tilted his head. His eyes glazed for a brief moment. "Oh, oh! Yea! Glad to see you too, Dad." He smiled, though his attention to the room full of strangers made him nervous. "Can you tell me why these people are here?"

"Geez, you sure are forgetful sometimes. We're celebrating your graduation from the academy! Top rank too from what I heard!" His father gave him a light elbow in the ribs.

His eyes widened upon hearing that. A top-rank graduate from the academy? He could hardly believe it and yet, his face swelled with pride for this achievement. He was a step closer to reaching his dream. His moment of success was soon interrupted when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.

"Congrats, Aerrow!" exclaimed a sprightly voice that rang in his ear. He glanced in its direction to see an unknown girl. But he felt a vague sense of familiarity surrounding her. Her round orange eyes sparkled with glee as she continued to hug him. "Oh! I knew you could do it, sweety-kins!"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow, bewildered by her overfriendliness with him. It only took a short while for his father to lean close to him. "Don't tell me you forgot about your girlfriend Perry too?"

"… No! No, of course not!" he replied, his eyes turning glassy again. Soon after, they went onto the festivity. It was an enjoyable party. A lot of people were there to congratulate him, including his distant aunt Starling. They had been praising him for how he was a remarkable student with great skill and drive. He was thrilled by their admiration for his achievement. But after some time, he found himself worn out from the festivities.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" Aerrow glanced over at his dad who was chatting with the headmaster. "I just need to sit down."

"… Yea, sure thing." He heard his father say, sounding concerned. He then headed towards one of the tables and sat down. He glanced back at the party, resting his head on his hand. Despite the bliss he had felt, there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure why though. As far as he could tell, there wasn't anything wrong.

Those thoughts were then interrupted when a voice asked, "Everything okay?"

Aerrow snapped his head up and looked over at the golden-haired woman. "Huh?! O-Oh yes. Yes! … Just great."

"Well, I would expect it to be." The woman smirked as she shifted forward. "Though, I think you still feel quite unhappy, right?"

"... A little bit," he muttered, averting his gaze from her golden eyes.

Despite his low tone, he could tell that she had heard him from her low chuckle. "I wouldn't be too surprised. This is everything you wanted yet there's still a hollowness within you. Such things can be taxing for people. Don't you agree?"

"Indeed," said the blind man right next to her. "What you tend to desire isn't what you truly seek."

Aerrow tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at the man's words. "Excuse me?"

"What he means is that the things we strived for usually blind us to our own truth." The golden-haired woman leaned in with a sly smile. "You thought that by following your father's footsteps, you would have a life worth being proud of. But even after gaining it, you still feel discontent."

"I guess…" Aerrow looked down at his feet, avoiding her piercing gaze.

He then cast a glance over at the blind man who had set down his own cup. "And in our pursuit, we tend to take granted our own blessings. We forget their value and discard them as though they were never notable. Such careless reasoning leaves one with deep scars of regret."

His eyes faltered as though an arrow struck his heart. From the man's own words, he felt like he had those regrets too. But that seemed ridiculous. Pretty much all his loved ones were here to celebrate his graduation. Yet that unnerving feeling was still plaguing him.

"But that won't matter to you anyway," the woman said as she sipped her drink. "As far as you're concerned, you would rather stay here in your own perfect world. Isn't that right, Death?"

Quite Right.

In an instant, Aerrow snapped back up as he noticed the cloaked skeleton at the table. "Wait! What-?!"

"Aerrow!" The girl from before, Perry, popped up as she hugged him. "Come on! Let's check out the stars together!" Before he could say anything about it, he was whisked away by her. She had a good grip on him as she led. He didn't even get a chance to glance back at the guests at the table. While making their way outside, he managed to take another look at her. She was definitely friendly and energetic. But he couldn't help but feel that there was something familiar about her. One that made his heart ache.

The two finally made it to the outside balcony where Perry sprinted off towards the railing. Aerrow watched as she observed the starry sky, their sparkle reflected in her eyes. He couldn't help but smile at her childlike nature. But after some time, he began to feel weary once again.

"Is something wrong?" He heard Perry ask, immediately snapping out of his mood. He noticed the uneasiness in expression as she stared at him. A bewildering sight to say the least if for her earlier enthusiastic personality.

In response, he shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"You sure?" She tilted her head in a curious manner. "I mean, this is what you wanted your whole life, right?"

"Well, y-yea, I guess. It's just, well… I don't know." Aerrow looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck.

Despite his answer though, Perry moved closer into his personal space. "If there's a problem, I can improve it. Everything here is to be to your liking after all."

"Wh-What do you mean?" he questioned as he leaned away from her. Though he tried to remain rational, it was decreasing with each passing second.

"You wanted to go to Skies Academy and make it to the Elite Force. You wanted your father to be able to see you follow in his footsteps. You have everything you would ever want now and yet, you're still unhappy!" She clenched her hands, her face now flustered with fretfulness. "If there's anything wrong, anything at all, I can change it! So, tell me! Please!"

Aerrow stepped back, confused by her behavior. He already didn't know what was going on and now his "girlfriend" was acting strange. In his mind, he couldn't find any way to help her. But one thing kept repeating in his head. A single line that he gently recited, "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to the castle beyond the Crystal City to take back what you have…"

Then, it hit him. Like a ton of bricks, he finally realized why he felt so melancholy all this time. "… This… Isn't what I wanted."

Perry eased back a little upon hearing that. Tilting her head inquisitively, she said, "Is it though? This is everything you wanted your whole life, right?"

"Well, yea, I do want to go to Skies Academy and become part of the Elite Force. And yes, I do wish my dad was alive at times." Aerrow chuckled as he placed his on his neck. Then, he looked down and sighed. "But this… This isn't real. I want the world where my real friends are!"

At first, she looked shocked. But then, her eyes narrowed as her features began to change. She became taller and paler, with fangs growing from her mouth. As he watched in dread, she finally morphed into the woman he had met earlier in the trash heap.

With a glower, she was about to pounce until a sudden quake shook the balcony. The two tottered with Aerrow trying to check on what was going on now. From what he saw, it appeared that the entire place was breaking down with each passing second. One thing entered his mind, and its voice was short and swift.

"Run."

He took off like a rocket, leaving the woman behind. But it didn't do much as everything around him was crumbling down. Bit by bit, the place she held him in was falling into glass-like pieces. Just as he was about to make it to where he had entered, his step shattered the illusionary hall.

He could feel himself stumble as he started to fall into the darkness. He reached out above him, hoping to grab something. It wasn't going to end like this, not when his friends were still captive. He gritted, descending into the void below him.

Then, he felt someone grab his hand.

Author's Notes:

And with that, we're ending on a cliffhanger.

So where we last left, Aerrow leaves Cyclonis' illusion only to wind up in another one where he gets what he wanted. Of course, he's going to realize that's not what he truly wants and remember his quest. As to who helped him, you're going to have to find out in the next chapter.

As for the characters who were chatting with him, people who know me can tell that they're from Slayers, specifically the Lord of Nightmares and Rezo. Also, I added in Death. Yes, that Death from the Discworld series. Why is he there? I just thought it would be cool to have him pop up.

That's it for now, see you all next chapter.

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