Hey people!

I've had only a few applications for the award – Toe walker and ChildOfWisdom – so more people send in why you are musical enough to win!

This chapter is for the awesome Jupiterrising2010 who helped me with several technical details :)

-Silverhand9028

Toby's POV

There were flames out the window - flickering, great, tongues of amber fire.

The flames belonged to a bird.

The bird was beautiful in an odd sort of way. It's eyes were shining like two little rubies and it's claws were golden. It was about the size of an eagle with the feathers of a pheasant.

"It's a phoenix," Veronica gasped.

I grabbed my sword – a short, leaf-shaped bronze one.

"There's no point!" Veronica scolded. "We're inside the plane. The phoenix is outside!"

Suddenly, a window smashed. The great fiery bird soared in. The plane wasn't very busy at all, but an air stewardess screamed "Eagle! Eagle on the plane!" and several people were hiding beneath the seats.

The bird flew down the aisle and came at us. Veronica swung her sword at the bird but it didn't seem to affect it. A bolt of red-hot fire was building up in it's claw. Quick as a flash, the fireball was released and I grabbed Veronica and hauled her down. The fire smashed into the seats we had just been sitting. I leapt onto a seat and jumped up, swinging my sword at it's throat. The bird dove away from my reach and launched a fireball...

… completely over our heads.

Veronica and I turned our heads, confused, as we saw another person behind us, swinging a spear. He had deeply tanned skin and chocolatey brown hair, combed stylishly. He was dressed in a leather jacket, designer jeans and fashionable sports trainers (A/N sneakers). I gasped as I recognised him

"Aston?" I breathed. The counsellor of the Aphrodite cabin turned his head and winked before continuing to stab the great bird with his spear.

"You can't kill it!" Veronica yelled, dropping back. "The phoenix is practically immortal. It can only die by ageing. Time is the only thing that kills it!"

Aston grinned, dodging several fiery bolts. "I have just the thing," he smirked.

The phoenix squawked and dove at me. I ducked and swiped up at it, but the bird swooped nimbly just out of reach.

Aston reached into his shirt and pulled out a tiny glowing pendant. He held it to his lips and whispered something under his breath...

Nothing happened.

Suddenly, the air around the Phoenix changed. You know when it's a hot day and you can see the steamy evaporation and everything looks blurry – it was like that. Suddenly, the great fiery bird changed. First it began to change colour: the amber and crimson and saffron and gold, all dulled before the bird was completely grey. It had stopped throwing fireballs around now – it was smaller... until... in a small flurry of feathers and fire, a little heap of ashes sat there.

"Quick, separate them!" yelled Veronica.

I grabbed a pile and threw them out of the window that the bird had smashed. Veronica ran off to the toilets and flushed some down. Aston put the rest in someone's glass of water.

"If they're quenched with water the fire of the bird can't continue. Because after Phoenixes die, they return to ashes, which the Phoenix is reborn from."

"Forget that," muttered Veronica. "Why are you here? Did you send the Phoenix?"

"How do you know it didn't just attack us?"
"Phoenixes are benign creatures – calm. They won't attack. Unless someone makes them attack..."

"But how did you do that?" I asked. "The ageing thing..."
"Time powers," Aston displayed the amulet. "This is from Chronos! So that he can rise!"
"Why do you need him to rise anyway?" asked Veronica. "He's a peaceful, calm god. Why is he attacking us?"
"It's not him that's attacking us!"

"Yes he is, of course he is! Who else is-"
"Oh my god..." screeched a voice. In a moment, we all realised there were passengers on the plane. Aston clicked his fingers. Suddenly, the mortals all settled down and continued.

"Just manipulating the mist," explained Aston. "Anyway, I'm going to Chicago for the same reason as you. I need to find the arrows of love – and sharpish!"
"Not if we get them first," I replied.

Unknown Person's POV

They haven't noticed me yet. Sitting at the back seat. A relation of my master sent the phoenix... and soon I shall send much more. Looks like Chicago is going to be more than just deep-dish pizzas and big skyscrapers... ha ha ha!

:O The Unknown Person has returned!

And clearly it's not Aston...

Veronica pic up later!

-Silverhand9028