Chapter Six

Epiphany

Reo opened his eyes to view blood red skies and dark clouds circling around him as he stood at the very top of Cyclonia's jagged tower; Firno was standing behind him, disturbing Reo in his thoughts; the dark haired shadow sat up and faced his kin.

"Something the matter, Brother?" He asked curiously as Firno looked at him from the dark, his fogged pupils giving his position away; a fault that was not of his own making; the younger brother smiled and shook his head.

"No, brother, I just came to see you, and to get a change to have a good look of where we are." He said softly in response as he looked out at the blood red sky; it was a stark contrast to the darkness that was the shadow realm…

"You best stay where it's dark, we don't want you to be seen." Reo said with a nod as he turned back to the sky watching the clouds pass by slowly as Skimmers and freighter transports came and went from the hanger bays several hundred feet below him.

"Of course...Reo?" Firno asked suddenly

"Yes?"

"Why did you agree? You told me, that as children you were hearing this Master Cyclonis calling you, why did you agree to follow her to Atmos?" Finro asked curiously; it made little sense in his mind.

"It's not like I had a choice." Reo said almost in a sulky tone. "That green flash must have separated us and Cyclonis had her chance to pluck me in her grasp."

"If that's so…then, that crystal is the only thing keeping you here, isn't it?" Firno asked curiously, he had tried himself to touch the crystal but there was some sort of barrier over it anyone tried to touch it they got shocked shadow and human alike.

Reo paused for a moment at this question before he sighed a little "...not exactly."

Aerrow buried his face in his hands, he the Sky Knight of the infamous new, young generation of Storm Hawks, was aboard his home, The Condor. He had led his small team of five through many adventures, but none like this; unnatural things were happening...and Aerrow couldn't find the answer. He stood up and sighed as he looked at his feet, no shadow was attached hat was just one of the strange things going on.

"Are you okay, Aerrow?" Piper, the crew's navigator and tactical advisor asked as yet again Aerrow wasn't concentrating on what he was doing, which wasn't like him at all.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine...just spooked by what's been going on…I dreamt of that boy again."

"The one that looks like you?" Piper asked with a raised eyebrow and the red haired teenager nodded.

"Yeah, but this time...he wasn't alone, it was strange, someone who looked a lot like Finn was there too this time." He explained.

"Hmm...maybe its-"

They were suddenly interrupted by Finn as he barged in the room. "Dude! My shadows gone too!" He panicked. The spiky blonde moved so the other two could see he too had no shadow, Piper's long black shadow was alone on the rivets.

"This is just getting stranger...and I can't think of what's happened to mine and Finn's shadows." Aerrow said with a frown; it was just too weird…

"Does it...matter? I mean, really, their just shadows." Piper said gingerly.

"Yes it does matter, something is wrong...and we're going to find out what, I can't shake the feeling this is something to do with Master Cyclonis."

"Dude, it's always about those guys." Finn sighed as he raked a hand through his hair.

"But it's a lead, Piper, set a course for Cyclonia...safest way possible."

"Ah man...make to the most dangerous place on Atmos." Finn paled. "I think I agree with Stork, were gonna be doomed"

Reo's ears suddenly twitched like a dog's when it had heard something of interest, and Firno stopped mid-sentence, both brothers turned to the wind, hair waving in the gale like long grass; a storm was coming, and it seemed to be rolling in fast.

"We better go before the storm hits." Firno placed a hand on Reo's shoulder to take him back but Reo never moved, as a creepy vampire like smile spread slowly on his normally stony face.

"I think I'll stay up here..." he whispered softly as he inhaled a lungful of the cold evening air.

"Its him isn't it...the 'other'." Firno whispered, understanding what was up in an instant; Reo nodded, eyes sparkling in a new evil hope.

"Finally..."

The Storm Hawks at this point had just flown up to the Cyclonian border, very low beneath the cloud layer, becoming more difficult to see through, nevertheless, Aerrow couldn't suppress the feeling that they were being watched somehow…

The Condor slipped into the sewer works silently despite its size and parked undetected in a pipe Aerrow walked to Stork, the Merbian pilot.

"Rest her here Stork, Finn, Junko and I will go up to the surface, Piper, you stay here and help Stork guard the Condor." Aerrow commanded before climbing to the Condor's roof, they all climbed up a ladder before the red head opened up the hatch that will open to one of the Cyclonian corridors. He slowly opened it and peered through, noticing it was empty, he opened it fully and climbed out, weapons at the ready.

"Welcome to Cyclonia" a dark voice called out suddenly, Aerrow jumped and grabbed his twin blades now tense and fully on guard, Finn (the blonde spiky haired marksman) pointed his crossbow at where the voice was coming from, with Junko (a Wallop working as an engineer) behind him, cracking his knuckles.

"Who's there?" Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the corner...that voice. Where had he heard it before? Two eyes suddenly gleamed from the darkness, causing Finn to gulp. They were dark green and...red? A cruel spine-chilling toothy smile followed.

"Show yourself!" Aerrow growled as he swallowed down his fear.

"Certainly."

Aerrow almost dropped his blades, as a boy walked out of the shadows, if he wasn't wearing a Talon uniform and had a lot of black in his hair, Aerrow would have thought he was looking in the mirror! This boy couldn't have been human...Aerrow didn't have a twin-did he? ...No...this was the boy from his dreams...it felt to eerie to be real!

"W-who are you? What's going on?!" Aerrow raised his blades again and narrowed his eyes.

"Who am I? Well, I'm you of course…except I'm stronger, faster, smarter and more...unique."

"Huh?" Aerrow muttered.

"The names Reo War, and let me be the first to say goodbye." The heartless grin grew on Reo's face...

"Firno? Is Reo with you? That storm is getting pretty rough." Jade said as she walked into the room the three of them now shared as she pointed to the window just as a streak of red and white lightning cracked.

"He's...occupied." Firno replied; he was always honest even if he wasn't telling her the truth in any sort of detail.

"With what? Oh let me guess he's in the library right?." The lilac haired teen said with a faint smile; Reo spent half of his time with his nose in a book.

"Well...not exactly." Jades smile faded as he face became confused/

"Then…where is he?"

Just as she spoke, alarms started going off, and within seconds, Talons were running outside the room in a panic grabbing weapons and armour as they ran about; Jade picked up two words that pieced together all she needed to know...Storm Hawks.

She ran for the door but Firno blocked it from her with a slight sigh "I'm sorry, but I can't let you pass."

"Firno move! Reo's going to kill Aerrow!" Jade said as she tried to shove him aside but Firno hardly budged

"Exactly!" Firno said looking actually pleased about that.

Jade wasn't impressed; she wasn't even angry, if anything she was terrified; Reo and Firno were the first people let alone GUYS she'd learnt to open up to and trust, the first talons in years she didn't have to hide her real self from and now Firno was letting Reo KILL Aerrow!? "Listen to me you idiot! I read Cyclonis' book when we created you, if Aerrow dies so does Reo! I can't let that happen! Now move!!" She said before she shoved the surprised Firno aside and sprinted as fast as her legs could take her.

Aerrow gasped as Junko and Finn lay unconscious on the floor, Reo wasn't even breaking a sweat after dealing with his two friends, if anything he looked as relaxed as when he'd first appeared!

"Now, where were we Sky Knight?" Reo asked with a glare.

"This is wrong.." Aerrow backed away slightly, the strength...the power...none of it was like he had ever seen before!

"Ever wondered where you're shadow went?" Reo asked with a smirk, he even paused to let Aerrow glance at his feet. "That's right, human parasite, I'M your shadow! Want to know what you get when you re-arrange Aerrow?" Reo grinned evilly.

"Reo War...no..."

"Oh yes."

Reo sprang into attack and like his teacher the Dark Ace he gave no mercy, Aerrow was fast but Reo was even faster, the fight went on for a good long while at least half an hour and no matter what Aerrow seemed to do Reo easily blocked and countered; it was obvious that the red-headed Sky Knight never stood a chance, Reo even relaxed and fought like he would with Firno, cut him some slack. After all, it would be more humiliating that way, this was the high point of his life-no...this WAS his life!

However Reo gave Aerrow too much of an opening, because the red head noticed the green crystal fall out of his opponents collar, and something he young boy's gut instincts told him it was a weak spot. Before Reo could react, Aerrow swung his blade and made contact with the crystal, Reo gasped as it smashed into a thousand tiny pieces, and completely irreparable. Reo's eyes grew even angrier...and blazed red as his rage overwhelmed him.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Reo roared, his voice echoing in Aerrow's skull. Reo tripped Aerrow and raised both blades high above his head. This was it...it had to be; Reo brought down the blades.

He stopped.

"No!" Jade closed her eyes, as she got in between them and she sprawled herself in front of Aerrow almost too late; the blades were centimetres from her nose and the lilac haired girl could feel the heat of the blade and the crackling energy they emitted. Both Jade and Aerrow were panting in fear both wide and tense though both for different reasons as Reo froze, looking at Jade as he seemed to calm down if only a little. "Reo...please, I beg of you...don't kill him." Jade said as her tears welled up in her eyes; Reo looked so blood-thirsty...this was the very worst of him.

"I have to...its my life." Reo said his face stony

"It doesn't have to be, and if you kill Aerrow you die too..." Jade said softly.

"I know, that's the point-!"

"Think about Firno!" She sad suddenly, this seemed to have an effect as Reo's face fell and he calmed down considerably. "Listen to me, you just brought him here...don't leave him now...please..." Jade begged she would have sunk on her knees and begged outright had the daggers not still being very close to her face.

"Brother..." Reo whispered softly before he pulled back and moved the blades away, the red in his eyes shrinking again and turning back to dark green

Aerrow didn't dare speak. This was all so alien, so WEIRD, a Talon protecting him? Was this a trick? No...it can't have been, the girl didn't have any reason to protect him if she was the enemy so why? The Sky Knight turned to face the sound of footsteps and saw another Talon approaching them; It was the other boy in his dream...Finn's shadow.

Reo fell to his knees and dropped his blades, only then did Jade notice the crystal was shattered; Reo stared at his mind-controlling crystal on the floor, green covering the floor like snow, he reached out to touch the fragments, before his eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out in Jades arms.

"Brother!" Firno ran to Reo at the lilac haired girl held him.

"He's okay Firno." Jade sighed in relief and crawled away from Aerrow. "He's just unconscious he should be fine."

Jade stood up after handing Reo over to his brother and turned to Aerrow "Please leave this place, before you are caught." She said softly not looking at him.

"I don't understand, he-"

"There is no time, Aerrow." The lilac haired talon interrupted "Please, take your team and leave now." Aerrow looked at the two dark mysterious boys kneeling behind Jade.

Firno stood rage pouring off him "You...you did this to him!" The younger shadow boy would have charged at the Sky Knight if it weren't for Jade. "You turned my brother into a monster!"

"I didn't mean to!" Aerrow backed away nervously, he was exhausted and in no condition to fight a second time.

"You destroyed him!"

"Firno! Aerrow has done nothing, it was Cyclonis!" Jade said as she grabbed his arm to stop him from getting within arms reach of the red haired Sky Knight

"I can help you!" Aerrow said suddenly.

"Aerrow, just go!" Jade shouted.

"But I-"

"NOW!"

Aerrow had no choice; he roused his fallen team makes and slunk away into the sewers and out of Cyclonia, back the way he had come.

Reo blinked awake, he lay still and listened, there were whispers... but he couldn't make out what they were saying, he groaned a little; he felt so weak...and tired, so he closed his eyes again…until he remember what had happened.

He snapped his eyes open and sat up straight, making Jade and Firno jump out of their skins. (so to speak in Firno's case). He could feel...he felt...sadness, disappointment, anger...and pain; he reached for his crystal but it was gone...Aerrow...

"Reo! Your finally awake! I'm so glad your okay" Jade beamed as she walked over and sat on the edge of his bed

"I-I'm not..." Reo whispered. "My crystal..."

"Yes...the Sky Knight broke it. Now you're free." Jade nodded with a smile; she was sure the crystal breaking could only be a GOOD thing.

"Free...? How so?" Reo tilted his head obviously not getting it.

"Cyclonis can't control you any more, you're your own person, but if she find's out the crystal is gone she'll try and take you back under control...please Reo, for us, don't let her."

Freedom: that was something Reo hadn't felt in a long time; as the days went by, Reo felt more and more human, he felt all sorts of strange emotions, which gave Jade more reasons to teach him all about humans the good and the bad and about how the mistakes of the past shouldn't be repeated. Reo sighed as he stood atop his favourite place on Cyclonia, the towers, he couldn't be truly free...he was still here after all; he and the others were still trapped like birds...

And with that thought...came an epiphany.

"We're going to-WHAT?!" Jade gasped.

"Take over Cyclonia." Reo said with no doubt.

"...But how?" Firno asked, pondering this enquiry.

"With force, it's the only way." Reo leant on the table with a scroll with his plans in front of him. "Then we can be truly free."

"B-but where will we go?" Jade asked nervously; there was no doubt she'd be going with them but…Cyclonia had been her 'home' almost all her life; she had hardly ever left the Terra, let alone live somewhere else.

"Where ever we want." Reo placed a hand on Jade's shoulder; the shadow not realizing it was making her blush terribly. "Atmos will open to all of us." Reo placed his other hand on his brother's firm shoulder. "Together..." Jade took a deep breath and nodded.

"Together" she said in agreement.

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