Chapter Fourteen
Alice
"They invited us over for dinner?" Piper asked, shocked as I was.
"Yeah. Harrier thinks it's the least they could do for us." Junko said.
"That's nice." I said. I yawned a little as we walked down the overly decorated halls. "Seems interesting at least."
When I dragged Piper away, I had quickly explained that I just needed to get away from the boys. She asked why, and I said that Stork freaked me out a little.
"Here it is." Piper said. "This is the Library of Rex." She said as we entered the room. "I didn't get to explore it last time we were here so it's nice to be able to now."
"I'd imagine. I can't really blame you." I said as I scanned the room. There were high shelves stacked with books and little stepping stools all over the place for the hard to reach books. It was amazing. "There must be every book in Atmos here." I breathed.
"You two seem happy." Junko said.
"I'm a bookworm." I admitted proudly to my Wallop friend.
"I'm always happy with books around." Piper said as if she were repeating it to someone.
Junko nodded. "Well, I'm going to find the others. I'm not really the reading type."
I waved Junko off and he was gone. I decided to find some myths about Atmos, seeing as it was my favorite subject in school.
I ended up finding just what I was looking for; Myths and Lore of Atmos.
I sat in a plush chair, curled up with the book in my lap. There were stories about dragons, Terras, and even crystals in here.
Wow. I thought to myself. Terra Vapos seems kinda cool but scary at the same time.
I turned to the last chapter and did a double take. Terra…Wonder?
I scanned my mental dictionary.
Terra is another word for Earth, technically. Earth is land so…
"Are you kidding me?" I said aloud in realization.
Wonderland is a myth in Atmos.
I shook my head at the chapter. For shame. For shame. …or is it foreshadow?
I chuckled to myself as I continued to monologue mentally.
"What did you find?" Piper asked as she returned with a book on crystals.
"A place called Terra Wonder." I said aloud. "It's hidden from those who don't know it. Apparently, the place is supposed to house some power that only the Key Penchant can use. What the hell a Key Penchant is supposed to be is beyond me though. I wanna say "Chosen One" or "Prime Power" but who knows?"
Piper just smiled at me and we both read in silence. I couldn't believe what I was reading but I was actually reading about Wonderland, technically.
"Ahem." Someone cleared his throat, grabbing our attention. It was one of the Rex Guardians, the girl one. "Sorry, girls, but dinner is ready now."
"Oh, thank you." Piper said. We put down our books and followed the girl.
Upon entering the hall, I was greeted by a bright light which caused me to shield my eyes. In the room we entered, there was a huge table with the Rex Guardians and the Storm Hawks standing beside it. Harrier sat at the head of the table. There was three empty seats, one at the other end of the table where the girl Rex sat, one to Harrier's right hand side, and another between Aerrow and Stork.
"Welcome, ladies." Harrier said. I walked over to the empty seat between Aerrow and Stork. "Would you care to sit beside me, Miss Alice?" Harrier offered, motioning to the empty seat to his right.
I blinked and shrugged. "I suppose."
Piper took the spot I would have as I walked to the seat. Harrier pulled out the seat and I sat down, nodding in gratitude as he pushed me back in.
"Thank you, Harrier." I said politely.
"Anytime, Miss Alice."
I smiled at the title he'd officially given me.
Stork
I watched as Alice smiled gently at Harrier. How it made me seethe with rage. I blinked in confusion as I was served the human food.
Wait. Why does that make me angry? I looked over at Alice as she and Harrier were talking about something. Her and him…why don't I like that?
"So, what terra are you from, Miss Alice?" Harrier asked.
Alice blinked and looked over at Aerrow. "Go on." He said. "It's okay. You can trust the Rex Guardians."
"Trust us?" Harrier asked. "Why in Atmos would we not trust her?"
"Because I'm not really from Atmos." Alice said. The Rex Guardians looked at her in confusion and wonder. She smiled. "I'm not from the Far or Other Side either. I'm actually from Earth. Basically, it's another world that is the exact opposite of Atmos. Instead of skies around us, we have land. But, it's a massive amount of land that is over five-thousand miles of land on the continent I live on. A continent is a large mass of land above sea level. Oh! I forgot to tell you. The clouds are above our land and below us is the sea. Now, the continent I live on is one of seven in the world and the second or third smallest. I can't remember which. It's divided into three countries, and my country is divided into fifty states."
"My, my." Harrier said with awe. "That's quite a place you have to call home. Which…um…state do you live in?"
"Kansas. There is a small town in Kansas called Gaylord which is where I lived." Alice then scrunched her nose and smirked down the table. "I heard that little snicker, Finn. Anyway, I don't live there anymore and there's no way you can force me to." She said, smiling.
"Was there something wrong with Gaylord?" Piper asked.
"Everything." Alice said, stirring the soup listlessly as her face became blank. She sighed and for some reason that pained me. "I really did hate it there. The entire town was filled with idiots, jerks, and foolish officials." She looked up to look everyone in the eye. "I don't recommend it as a place to settle, let alone vacation."
Harrier stared at Alice. "You say it like you came from a difficult past."
At that point, I swear Alice was holding her breath, just begging for something to happen to disrupt the conversation.
BOOM!
Wish granted.
A man in a suit rushed in. "I'm sorry to interrupt," He said calmly. "But the Dark Ace is back."
"Rex Guardians, to your skimmers." Harrier said.
"Storm Hawks, let's ride!" Aerrow said.
We all rushed out of the room. "Alice!" I said as we got outside. There was an explosion as she turned to me.
"What?" She shouted over the screaming. My throat became dry as I dug through my mind. What in the world was I going to say? She then ran up to me to get closer. "Stork, what's wrong?" She asked.
I opened my mouth to start to say something but was interrupted but Aerrow calling us.
"Just tell me later." She said, grabbing my hand and pulling us toward the skimmers were my team and this terra's team were.
What if there isn't a later? I thought pessimistically.
I looked down at her small, pale hand in my large, green hand. The warmth of her skin…
"Stork." Aerrow said. "You and Piper are going to be getting the citizens to safety with two Rex Guardians. Alice, Finn, and Harrier; you'll be invading the ship to try to take it down. Careful."
"Right." The three said.
"Junko, everyone else. You're with me. We're going to distract the Talons and make sure they don't get in the way. Let's go!"
Alice looked at me. "Don't worry. We'll make it. We always do." She said, nodding.
Then she took off. Harrier offered her a seat on the back of his skimmer. She slipped behind him and I began to seethe again as I watched everyone take off.
"Let's go, Stork." Piper said beside me.
"Right." I said, looking away.
Alice
We tiptoed through the metal halls. Okay, the boys tiptoed. I was shifting my weight from foot to foot, glad for my soft soled shoes. I approached the corner of the wall and pressed myself against it. Looking around the corner, I saw two scrawny Talons with staffs guarding the engine room. One almost looked at me but didn't see me because I backed away from the edge quickly.
I turned to the two blondes. I held up two fingers to show that two Talons were guarding the door. I then pointed to myself.
"Miss Alice," Harrier whispered. "I'm sure your skills are good but do you really think you can take out two guards?"
"Trust her." Finn whispered. "Alice is pretty good at sneaking around. She's down some pretty neat stuff so far just being a Storm Hawk."
I sighed and looked up to see the piping. "Perfect." I whispered quietly to myself. "I need a boost." I told them.
Harrier cupped his hands together and I stepped in them. He pushed me up and I ended up grabbing the piping. I shivered a little at the touch of the piping.
"What's wrong?" Harrier asked.
"It's covered in slime." I whimpered. I stuck my tongue out in disgust and pulled myself up, wrapping my legs around it and swinging onto my stomach. "Create a commotion that'll get them to come out but stay hidden." I said.
The two nodded. What I saw next made me bite my lip to keep from laughing…they were fighting over some nonsense. Something about "The Code" and "The Challenge" followed by an argument over the rightful owner of some Phoenix Crystal.
"Hey! Who's there?" One of the guards shouted. I shooed the two quickly and they hid in a random supply closet, though I could hear Harrier protesting about the dust. The guard with a green mustache came out and looked around with his staff.
I slowly made my way through the piping to the door of the Engine Room. There I waited for the two to lower their guard. Green-Stache came back to his post.
"What was it?" The other one asked.
"I don't know. Probably some new recruits." Green-Stache said.
"Heh."
Their backs to the door, I lowered myself down as they continued their little conversation. I rested my back against the door casually as they kept talking.
"What do you think it was, girly?" Green-Stache asked me casually.
I shrugged. "Beats me. Probably some Sky Knights trying to play hero."
"Probably." The other said before they continued to watch the halls again.
Ten whole seconds later…
"HEY WA-" Before they could finish shouting their realization, I knocked them out with karate chops the back of their necks. I inhaled sharply as my right hand throbbed.
It still hurt from when I pounded it against the wall to the point of it bleeding. I shook off the pain as they fell to the floor instantly. "Okay, boys. Help me hide the bodies."
The two blondes came out and saw my work, instantly letting their jaws hang as I opened the door. I dragged Green-Stache into the Engine Room slowly.
He was heavy for a skinny man with a green mustache!
I looked to see the blondes still jaw-dropped. "You keep your mouths open like that, and flies will swarm in." I said, remember what my mother used to say.
Harrier was the first to recover. "My, my. Quite the skills you have. You're good enough to be a Sky Knight."
I smiled. "Thanks but we've got work to do right now."
We got to work trying to figure out the mechanics of the Engine Room. Finn growled. "Let's just press random buttons. We did it on Snipe's battleship and it worked just fine."
"Finn," Harrier said. "I don't think-"
Harrier didn't get to finish as Finn started to play with all the buttons. I watched him do it and decided it was worth a go. I began to press random buttons as Harrier protested.
"Just do it, Harrier." I said quickly as I pulled at a lever.
Harrier sounded like he was going to protest but someone interrupted.
"Well, well, well." The voice purred. "I come to see why the ship is acting up, and what do I find?" I looked over to meet the man's dark red eyes. "A Storm Hawk, A Rex Guardian, and a girl from another world in the Engine Room, trying to bring down the ship."
"Dark Ace." Harrier growled.
Dark Ace smiled evilly. "You escaped me last time, girl. You will not escape me this time."
I stepped forward to fight when the ship shook. Sirens began to go off.
"Way to go, Finn! Your plan worked!" I cheered.
"It did?" Everyone in the room asked, including Dark Ace.
I blinked. "Focus." I said seriously.
The ship rocked and roared. There was a hissing behind me. "Alice!" I heard one of them shout.
Everything was so odd. I felt something warm on my back. As I turned, I saw that one of the boilers, which was right behind me, was bright red.
I was yanked away as a popping sound deafened me. There was a falling sensation but I also felt arms around my body. However, those said arms became limp and I was released.
I looked to see that: 1) Harrier was the one that had me, and 2) He was unconscious!
I reacted as quick as I could as we fell through the skies. I glided to him and found his chute, pushing on the button quickly. He shot upward into the air. I gripped onto him as best as I could but couldn't.
I found myself freefalling down to Terra Rex. I grew fearful as I watched the terra coming closer.
I blocked my face with my arms so at least when my body was found, I'd be identified quick-
"I've got you!" Someone said as an arm wrapped around my waist. I realized that I was flying in a random direction. I looked at my savoir to see my favorite Wallop.
"Nice catch, Junko!" Aerrow called out as I got on the back of the skimmer.
Junko smiled. "You okay?" He asked.
"Sure am. Nice timing. I thought I was done for."
"You sound like Stork when you say that."
The Talons soon retreated after their carrier ship crashed into the Wastelands. Finn came on the front of Aerrow's skimmer with Harrier being on the back of another comrade's skimmer. The girl one.
We all gathered in a circle though I'd yet to see Stork.
"Nice work, everyone." Aerrow said as people began to cheer.
"Alice!"
"Huh?" I saw a green blur before I was consumed by a huge hug. "What the?" I asked as my face was buried into someone's green neck.
"Thank God you're okay!" Stork sighed, squeezing tighter. "I saw you falling and I thought you were a goner."
I gulped at the gentle, protective contact. "I'm not a goner." I said, reassuring him with a pat on the back. He just hugged me tighter. "But I may be if you don't stop crushing me!" I grunted.
Stork quickly released me and held a timid gaze into my eyes. "Sorry." He said.
"Wow, Stork." Finn said. "You're actually hugging a girl, and Alice to boot. You are so crushing!" Finn finished playfully, elbowing him.
I heard the last sentence and blushed a little. I faked a yawn. "Well, I'm exhausted. How about we call it for the night?" I said, just realizing that it was night time.
Everyone quickly agreed and we all retreated to the Condor.
Me: *Stretching my body to the sky* STREEEEEEEEEEETCHH!
Aerrow: What are you doing?
Finn: Probably trying to get taller.
*Dark Ace punches Finn*
Me: Thank you, Ace.
Dark Ace: No problem. That was a low blow.
*My back pops*
Me: Got it! Okay. So, this was the wrap up of Terra Rex. It was a use of this arc to introduce a little something about "Terra Wonder" which will be occuring right after Terra Neon. *Holy music plays in random place* The fuck?
Dark Ace: I think it's my turn again?
Me: Uh...*Flips through chapters* Yeah. Go on.
Dark Ace: Lupin, doesn't own Storm Hawks...blah blah blah...only Alice...blah blah blah...please review.
Me: Someone's lazy.
Dark Ace: You're writing it!
Me: You're point?
XD