Chapter 26: Forbidden City
(Intro)
The Storm Hawks were on Terra Xoam, where there was an expedition led by famous explorer I.J. Domowick. Piper was a major fan of his. "When we meet him, let me do the talking. I.J. Domowick is a legend. So, don't do anything embarrassing." She said as they drove towards the expedition site. "What's so great about this guy anyway?" Aerrow asked out of jealousy. "He's only the most famous explorer in all of Atmos. He's smart, he's brave, he's adventurous, he's scientific." Piper explained. "Not to mention handsome, charming and successful." Skyla said with disgust. "And humble. Don't forget humble." Sky added, making Riggorix and Vuto chuckle. "I read all of Domowick's books. I even wrote him a fan letter once. But I'm just babbling now." Piper said, embarrassed.
Suddenly, a familiar female dropped down in their path. "BOO!" She screamed playfully. The Storm Hawks skidded to a stop in panic before getting a look at the girl's face. "Hi, guys." Peach greeted. "Peach?!" Piper asked in surprise. "Oh, it's so good to see you again, my old BFFs!" Peach squealed as he each gave the Storm Hawks a big hug. "So, this is the super happy variation of Master Cyclonis you guys told me about?" Vuto asked. "Yep. My name's Peach. Glad to meet you, new guy." Peach said, popping up next to Vuto. "Oh! Pretty fast. And name's Vuto. It's nice to meet-" Vuto said as he tried to shake Peach's hand, but she pulled him into a big hug. "First thing you gotta know about me, I'm a hugger." Peach said, letting him go to catch his breath. "What're you even doing here, Peach? We were on our way to Domowick's excavation site." Piper said. "I was looking for you guys. You are aware that Domowick's about to discover the secrets of the Forbidden City, right?" Peach asked. "You mean he actually found a way in?" Piper asked. "Yes. But unfortunately, that's why I was looking for you. You need to see who he has for help." Peach said with a hint of seriousness.
Later, Finn used his invisibility to make the team invisible, the Storm Hawks and Peach snuck into the excavation site and saw who was helping Domowick find a way into the Forbidden City. "Cyclonians!" Piper gasped in horror. There were hundreds of Talons digging with shovels and operating a giant drill under the supervision of Snipe, Ratharr and Argos, to whom Domowick himself was currently talking to. "Domowick's working for the Cyclonians?" Piper asked. "No. They're working for him. He made a deal with Master Cyclonis to find the Forbidden City, claiming that good help is hard to find." Peach explained. Piper couldn't believe it. One of her heroes was working with the Cyclonians. She was completely distraught.
Later, as the Storm Hawks and Peach returned to the Condor, hidden far from the expedition site, Piper looked at her book written by Domowick in disappointment. "Hey, Pipes. Domowick's just a pompous jerk. Don't let him get to you." Aerrow said, trying to comfort his girlfriend. "What exactly is Domowick after in the Forbidden City?" Skyla asked. "He's after the Oracle Crystal. It has the power to see the future." Piper said, turning to the page that tells about the Oracle Crystal. "The future? So, it could show anything." Finn guessed. Aerrow sat next to Piper as she threw her book away. "We have to beat them into the Forbidden City and find the crystal before Domowick does." She said. "Wait, wait, wait. Did you say into the Forbidden City? The death traps in there are legendary. Jagged spikes, walls that crush. I could learn so much." Riggorix said. "I also heard rumors that the ancients kept a huge storage of treasure inside somewhere, protected from those conceived by greed." Finn said. "How do we get in?" Aria asked. "I have just the thing. Give me a minute." Stork said.
Later, Stork was putting something together inside the Condor while the others waited outside. As they waited, Junko and Judy were feasting on Glupee Fruit. "Glupee Fruit? How can you 2 stomach that stuff?" Finn asked in disgust. "Well, sure, they look nasty and they smell nasty, but they taste…well…okay, they're very chewy." Junko said, eating another fruit. "They grow like crazy around this terra. We've filled up a whole bag's worth." Judy said, holding up a bag filled with the fruit. "You 2." Finn groaned. Just then, Stork drove out of the Condor with his brand-new vehicle. Everyone was in awe. "I give you the Stork Mobile. Booby-trap detectors, indestructible tires, roll bars, parachutes, antilock brakes, 52 independent external airbags…and an ejector seat." He explained. "Why do you need an ejector seat?" Riggorix asked. "In case of unwanted passengers." Stork said. "Huh. Makes sense." Sky said. "Let's ride." Stork said. He stepped on the gas and drove down a hill, making the others cringe. "I don't think he meant to do that." Finn said. As Stork continued driving down the hill, he fiddled with the buttons, trying to find the antilock brakes. "Brakes! Brakes!" He exclaimed. When he reached the bottom of the hill, he drove into some bushes, setting off his airbags and his parachute. As he pulled himself out of the airbags, he spotted something. "Stork, are you okay?" Lavender asked as the team drove over to him. "I think I found something." Stork said.
What he found was a statue of the ancient Oracle. "Be careful. According to that traitor Domowick's book, the builders of the Forbidden City believed in tricks and hoaxes. First impressions are always wrong and nothing's what it seems." Piper explained as they examined the statue. "Looks like she's pointing away." Aerrow said. "He's right. She's pointing away from where the Forbidden City's supposed to be." Aria said. "I wonder…" Radarr started to say as he walked up to the statue. After staring for a bit, he looked at the statue's left arm and pulled it down like a lever. Just then, the statue spun around and pointed towards the mountain. And then, a secret passage opened in the mountain wall. "A secret passage!" Skyler said in surprise. "See? Not everything is what it seems. Good job, Radarr." Piper said. "No problem." Radarr said.
Later, they drove into the secret passage. Peach rode with Piper. As they drove to the end of the tunnel, they set their eyes on the greatest sight of their lives. The Forbidden City. "Wow." Aerrow said. "You said it." Aria said. "Hey, Stork. How about we try those booby-trap detectors?" Finn asked. Stork activated his booby-trap detectors and scanned around the area, letting off a loud alarm noise. Just then, the door slammed shut behind them. "Oh yeah. I was expecting that." Stork said. Everyone covered their ears due to the sound of the alarm before he turned it off. Suddenly, rocks started to form around them. And then, surrounding them, were several rock golems. "But I wasn't expecting that." Stork said as the golems started walking towards the Storm Hawks. "Should we fight?" Vuto asked. "No! Let me try and talk to them." Skyla said as she got off her skimmer. As the golems walked closer, Skyla walked up to them. "Stop." She said. The golems halted in their steps. "We're not here to fight. We're looking for the Oracle Crystal before the bad guys do. Will you let us pass in peace?" She explained. The golems looked at her and the others for a minute. Just then, they moved to the side, allowing them to pass by before they returned to being ordinary rock piles. The team was amazed by this. "What a woman." Radarr said in awe at his crush.
Meanwhile, the Cyclonians continued to drill into the mountain. "Could this take any longer? I've got fame and glory waiting for me in there." Domowick said as he paced back and forth impatiently. "We'll see about that." Snipe muttered as Ratharr and Argos snickered sinisterly.
Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks drove into the Forbidden City and started to look around. "Where to now, Pipes?" Skyla asked. "Well, they would've kept the crystal in the temple." Piper said. "All the buildings look alike. Which one's the temple?" Aerrow asked. "Hey, guys. Check this out." Twilight said, finding a miniature version of the Forbidden City. "What is this?" Riggorix asked. "It's a map." Piper said. "This is confusing. They should've put a 'You Are Here' on this thing." Junko said. Just then, Radarr and Mimi started terrorizing through the map like monsters. "Radarr, Mimi, quit fooling around." Aerrow said as Radarr and Mimi stopped playing. "You might break-" Just then, as Radarr leaned against one of the buildings, it sank into the map, causing it to trigger another trap. The map flipped to the side, causing the Storm Hawks all to fall into a pitfall. Luckily, they landed into another tunnel. "-something." Aerrow finished saying. "At least I landed on something soft and fuzzy." Junko said. "That's me!" Riggorix exclaimed, revealing that Junko landed on him. Junko quickly got off him and helped him up. "Interesting." Stork said as he examined the tunnel. "So, if we're gonna survive this most likely fatal ordeal, you're gonna have to do exactly what I say." He said. "Radarr, you go first." "Oh no. I'm not going first. I see what traps lie ahead in that tunnel." Radarr said. "I'll go first. How bad can it be?" Peach said as she walked up to the tunnel. "Just stay low." Stork said. As Peach started to walk into the tunnel, she stepped on a pressure plate. "Oh, this can't be good." She said. Suddenly, a trap activated and was about to crush her. "PEACH!" The Storm Hawks cried.
Luckily, Peach leapt backwards, dodging the trap. The Storm Hawks looked on as the entire tunnel activated similar traps. "That would've hurt." Piper said. "Stork, can you disarm the trap?" Aria asked. "No. All my tools are in the Stork Mobile." Stork said. "Then I guess, we're taking the alternate route." Aerrow said, taking off his scarf and unveiling the Atomic Crystal. "Skylight Unite!" He called. The Storm Hawks, minus Vuto and Peach, transformed into the Skylight Guardians. Finn carried Vuto and Piper carried Peach as the Skylight Guardians flew over the trap. Junko started eating the Glupee Fruit he brought as they flew, annoying everyone with his noisy munching. "Could you not do that!" Riggorix exclaimed as he took the fruit and tossed it at the wall. "Aw." Junko whined. As they made it to the other side, the Skylight Guardians transformed back into their Storm Hawk forms. "That was so much fun!" Peach cheered. But then, Stork noticed a railing on the sides. "This rail! It can only mean that there's an enormous boulder up there triggered to roll after us." He said. "Wrong again, Stork. I had a vision to see that it's only a little boulder." Radarr said. The little boulder rolled towards the Storm Hawks and into a trigger space. "That's the best they could come up with?" Stork asked in disappointment. "Yeah. Good thing it was only a little boulder…before…it triggers…a bigger one." Radarr said with worry.
Just then, the little boulder started spinning in its spot. Everyone turned around as a bigger boulder started rolling right towards them. "Run!" Aerrow exclaimed. The Storm Hawks started running as the boulder rolled after them. But as they ran, they came up to a wall. "Dead-end!" Piper exclaimed. "I got it!" Skyla exclaimed. She motioned her arms and moved the rocks on the wall, opening a hole. Everyone leapt through the hole before the boulder hit it. But then, they slid down a steep slide, exited through another door and landed back in the Forbidden City. As everyone recovered, Finn noticed their rides in the exact same place where they left them. "Look! We're right back where we started!" He exclaimed. "Nothing in the Forbidden City is what it appears." Piper reminded. Suddenly, the building on the map that Radarr leaned up moved back up and then all of the buildings started to move. And just then, a temple emerged right in front of the Storm Hawks. "The temple! No wonder we couldn't see it before." Aerrow said. "It was hidden right under the city the whole time." Aria said. "So, what now, Piper?" Sky asked. "The Oracle Crystal will be in the treasure chamber." Piper said. "That would make perfect sense since the crystal would be their most important treasure of all." Skyla said. "Oh, we're in for some victory cake now, everyone!" Finn cheered. Just then, there was a rumbling sound. "We're also in for some competition." Aerrow said.
Just then, the Cyclonian drill had tunneled through the wall. Domowick, Snipe, Ratharr, Argos and the Talons drove right in through the tunnel and gazed upon the Forbidden City. "The Forbidden City, undisturbed for centuries. I'm making history!" Domowick cheered. But then, Snipe noticed the Storm Hawks within the city. "They put second place in those books?" He asked mockingly. "Let me guess. The Storm Hawks got here before us?" Argos asked. "You guess right." Ratharr said. "No matter. They won't make it to the temple alive. Stand aside." Domowick said. "Actually…we'll take it from here." Snipe said, knocking Domowick off his skimmer. Ratharr and Argos chuckled at the sight of the so-called adventurer laying in the dirt. "Thanks for pointing the way, Professor." Snipe said mockingly. "I had a deal! Master Cyclonis personally guaranteed-" Domowick tried to say. "Master Cyclonis doesn't need you anymore!" Snipe exclaimed before he, Ratharr, Argos and the Talons drove off towards the city. "You'll never survive in there without me! I wrote the book on this place! FOOLS!" Domowick exclaimed as they left him in the dust.
Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks drove into the temple and came up to a set of doors with what appeared to be a warning in between the doors. "What does it say?" Riggorix asked. "It says that only the swift and strong will survive the temple maze." Piper translated. "A maze? We don't have time for a maze! The Cyclonians are right behind us!" Finn exclaimed. "Then we gotta take the fight to them!" Riggorix exclaimed. "I second that amotion." Amy Lu said, pounding her fist. "Aerrow, Aria, take Piper and Peach and go! We'll stay behind and buy you some time!" Junko exclaimed. "Take my bag! Use it to hide the crystal if you can!" Finn exclaimed, tossing Aerrow his bag. "Radarr, Mimi, stay and help the others." Aerrow said. "You got it, Aerrow." Radarr said. "Good luck, guys." Mimi said. "Are you ready, girls?" Aerrow asked. "Always, bro!" Aria exclaimed. "Let's do it!" Piper exclaimed. "Just go full throttle and try not to hit anything!" Aerrow exclaimed. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!" Peach cheered as the 4 of them headed into the maze while the others turned around.
As 3 Talon scouts drove towards the entrance to the maze, they suddenly got a big surprise. Junko knocked one of them off his skimmer with his Plasma Busters. Amy Lu tossed an ice bolt at the ground, freezing it as the second Talon drove by, causing his skimmer to slip and slide and crash. Finn fired a light arrow at the third Talon's skimmer, causing the Talon to crash into his teammates. The Storm Hawks all laughed at their misfortune as the Talons started to run. The Storm Hawks drove after them until they stopped at the presence of the entire Cyclonian army, led by Snipe, Ratharr and Argos. "This happens to us way too much." Finn said. "Just how we like it." Skyler said. The Storm Hawks turned to Sky with sly smiles as he rubbed his hands together. The Cyclonians gasped as he motioned his hands and created a massive tidal wave, flushing the entire army out of the city. The Storm Hawks laughed and cheered in victory.
Meanwhile, Aerrow, Aria, Piper and Peach drove through the maze, made it through the many turns and finally made it to the end of the tunnel. Aria and Piper sighed with relief. "That…was…so fun." Peach said, trying to catch her breath. Just then, Aerrow looked around the room they were in. "Girls, look." He said. The girls looked ahead and saw a door. "The Inner Sanctum." Piper realized as the door started to open.
Meanwhile, as the Storm Hawks were driving back towards Aerrow and the girls, a door closed in behind them, and then another one closed in front of them, forcing them to stop their vehicles. "We're trapped!" Judy cried. Just then, Snipe, Ratharr and Argos appeared on the door's top from behind them, cackling and weapons ready.
Meanwhile, Aerrow, Aria, Piper and Peach were about to enter the treasure chamber. "Stop right there." A familiar voice said. The 4 turned around in surprise as Domowick walked out of the shadows and drew his Energy Machete. "Domowick!" Aerrow exclaimed as he and the girls drew their weapons. "The treasure chamber is mine and mine alone!" Domowick exclaimed. "We don't take orders from Cyclonian stooges." Aerrow said. Before anyone could make a move, Peach stopped them. "Leave him to me. You 3 go get the crystal." She said. "No, we should take him together." Piper said. "No, Piper. After seeing you hurt when I revealed his true self, this is personal." Peach said, readying her staff. "Get inside! Go!" Aerrow, Aria and Piper ran through the door. Domowick activated his machete's blade and started clashing with Peach's staff.
Meanwhile, Snipe, Ratharr and Argos leapt down to engage the Storm Hawks. "All that little washout did was spare us from taking a bath. But you've delayed us long enough! Once we have the Oracle Crystal and the Atomic Crystal after we're finished with you, Master Cyclonis will give us a medal! A promotion! A reward!" Snipe exclaimed. "He's pushing his luck, isn't he?" Argos whispered. "Finally noticed?" Ratharr whispered. But unknown to them, the Storm Hawks noticed that the Cyclonian generals were still soaked from Sky's tidal wave. "How about a free trip?" Stork asked, his hand sparking electricity. "Uh-oh." The Cyclonian generals said simultaneously with worry. Stork fired a lightning bolt, hitting the wet puddles. The 3 Cyclonians got shocked hard and were sent flying up into the tunnel roof.
Meanwhile, Aerrow, Aria and Piper ran into the treasure chamber. There was another statue of the Oracle in the middle. The Oracle Crystal was right in her hands. "The Oracle Crystal. It's even more beautiful in person." Piper said in awe. Aerrow was about to take the crystal, but then he realized. "Wait. It's too easy. It's gotta be a trick." He said. "You're right, Aerrow. It could be another trap." Aria said. "Quite true, Aerrow, Aria and Piper." A voice said. Aerrow, Aria and Piper looked at the statue as a spirit appeared from it. "Not all is what it seems." The spirit said. "The spirit of the Oracle." Piper realized. "Incredible." Aria said in awe. "You know our names?" Aerrow asked.
Meanwhile, Peach and Domowick continued their fight in the Inner Sanctum. "Why are you working for the Cyclonians?" Peach asked as she blocked Domowick's machete. "You have no idea how the world works. Expeditions are costly." Domowick said. "And that makes it okay? You betrayed all of Atmos just to get your face in the history books! You really hurt my BFF!" Peach exclaimed, pushing Domowick back. "And you know what else? You're a real snob!" She exclaimed. Domowick shrugged at that and charged back in.
Meanwhile, back in the treasure chamber, Aerrow, Aria and Piper continued to speak with the Oracle. "I've been expecting you. All of you. After all, I can see the future. Multiple futures." The Oracle said. "We know. We have a lot of questions about the future." Piper said. "I know. But I think that Aerrow's question is the one that mostly matters." The Oracle said. Piper and Aria looked at Aerrow as he asked his question. "Is there a possible future where we win against Master Cyclonis?" He asked. "See for yourself." The Oracle said, using the crystal to show them a possible future.
[Vision]
Master Cyclonis had successfully rebuilt her Storm Engine, equipped with the Atomic Crystal. All of Atmos was in ruins, overrun by Cyclonians, Omentaurs, everything evil. The Storm Hawks, their pets and all of their allies were all in chains and enslaved.
[Vision End]
Aerrow, Aria and Piper were shocked at what they saw. "We can't let that happen." Aerrow said. "Is there a way to change that future?" Aria asked. "There is. Set me free and allow me to join you, and perhaps this new path will soon begin." The Oracle said, showing them a different future.
[Vision]
The Storm Hawks all stood among several different teams of heroes, forming great big team of heroes. Humans, creatures, slugs, dragons, robots, mutants, aliens, trolls, dinosaurs, superheroes, etc. Together, they charged into battle against the darkness of a great evil.
[Vision End]
The 3 Storm Hawks were in awe to see that and realize they'll meet new allies in the future. Knowing what he had to do, Aerrow drew one of his blades and struck the statue, destroying it and setting the Oracle's spirit free. "Thank you. Now use the Atomic Crystal." The Oracle said. Aerrow held out the Atomic Crystal as it started to glow. Suddenly, the Oracle's ghostly body slowly became flesh and blood, turning her human. As she landed on the ground, Aria and Piper helped her steady herself on her feet. The Oracle looked at her hands, seeing that she was human. "Thank you…Sky Knight." She said. Suddenly, the entire temple started to crumble. "The temple! It's falling apart!" Aria exclaimed. "Yes. Now that my spirit is set free, the temple can no longer support itself." The Oracle said. "We gotta go now!" Aerrow exclaimed. The 4 ran back towards the entrance as the chamber fell apart.
Meanwhile, as she continued to fight Domowick, Peach finally managed to defeat him and knock him down. "That's for Piper." She said. Just then, the Storm Hawks drove into the inner sanctum and surrounded Domowick. "This guy giving you trouble?" Junko said as everyone glared at Domowick, making him nervous. "Not anymore." Peach said proudly. "Everyone out! This place is coming down!" Aerrow exclaimed as he, Aria, Piper and the Oracle came running out. "Hey, who's the new girl?" Finn asked. "Tell you later. Move!" Aerrow exclaimed. "You heard him! Let's move!" Skyler exclaimed. The Storm Hawks drove out of the Inner Sanctum as Aerrow, Aria and Piper got back to their rides. Peach rode with Piper while the Oracle rode with Aerrow just as Domowick recovered. "Domowick! The Oracle Crystal is gone! Get out while you can!" Aerrow exclaimed. "I'll see for myself!" He said selfishly as he ran towards the treasure room. "DOMOWICK!" Piper exclaimed. "Let him be. We must leave now." The Oracle said. "She's right. Let's go." Aerrow said as he, Aria and Piper drove out of the Inner Sanctum and followed their team out of the Forbidden City, through the tunnel the Cyclonian drill made as the entire cave collapsed.
Meanwhile, as Snipe, Ratharr and Argos drove into the treasure chamber, Domowick sat on the steps of the Oracle's pedestal, holding the piece that held the Oracle Crystal in disappointment before dropping it. The 3 Cyclonians laughed at his disappointment. "Can I have a lift?" Domowick asked. "You're the smart one. Find your own way out." Snipe said as he, Ratharr and Argos drove off. Domowick stood up as he took off his hat, left in ruin.
Meanwhile, as everyone returned to the Condor, the Oracle walked up to the team, now dressed in an official Storm Hawk uniform. "Everyone, meet our newest teammate. Odessa, the Oracle." Aerrow introduced. The team was surprised to hear that. "Greetings, Storm Hawks. I hope to prove myself for a brighter future for all of Atmos." The Oracle, now named Odessa, said. Later, as everyone was loading their rides aboard the Condor, Aerrow was at the edge, looking out at the horizon, thinking about the new allies he and his team were going to have in the future. "Hi." Piper said as she walked up to him. "Hey." Aerrow greeted. "You still thinking about what Odessa showed us?" Piper asked. "A little. Makes me wonder what other secrets lie out there." Aerrow said. "Me too." Piper said. "Here. Odessa wanted you to have this." Aerrow said, holding out Odessa's Oracle Crystal. Piper was in awe as she took it. "It's even more beautiful without its cage. I only wish I could rub it in Domowick's face." She said. "That guy was a slimeball." Aerrow said. "When Peach showed me what he was really like, I felt so stupid. But then I just felt sorry for him." Piper said. Aerrow wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders as they started walking back to the Condor. "You do realize you're now Atmos' most premiere expert on the Forbidden City." He said. "Maybe I should write a book." Piper joked. They both laughed as they walked back onto the Condor in each other's arms.
Later, after the Condor took off from Terra Xoam, as Piper examined the Oracle Crystal, Peach walked in her room. "Hey, BFF." She greeted. "Oh, hey, Peach." Piper greeted. "How you doing?" Peach asked. "Doing good. Listen, I wanted to thank you for showing me what Domowick was really like before something bad happened." Piper said. "Hey, it was nothing. I had to help my BFF." Peach said. "You know, we'd have to talk to Aerrow and Aria about it, but if you want to, you're welcome to stick around and join us." Piper offered. "You mean it?!" Peach asked excitedly. Piper nodded. Peach nearly squealed. "That's a nice offer, Piper. But I can't." She said. Piper was shocked by this. "Don't get me wrong. I'd love nothing more, but…I'm not ready yet." Peach said. Piper felt sad by this. "Well, I understand. Then, I guess this is goodbye for now." She said. "Aw, Pipey. Don't be sad. We'll see each other again when I'm ready." Peach said, bringing Piper into a hug. Piper sniffled as she hugged back.
Wow! How was that? The Storm Hawks meet up with Peach again as they were about to meet the famous explorer, I.J. Domowick, as he was about to discover the long-lost Forbidden City. But Peach reveals that Domowick is working for the Cyclonians. So, together, the Storm Hawks find the Forbidden City, work their way through the city traps, fight off the Cyclonians and Domowick, and locate the Inner Sanctum, where the ancient Oracle Crystal was being kept. And in doing so, they meet the ancient Oracle, now named Odessa, and experienced visions of the future. After freeing Odessa from her stone prison and turning her human again, the Storm Hawks leave the Forbidden City as it fell apart, leaving Domowick in a heap of failure. What new challenges will the Storm Hawks face next? Will Peach consider joining the Storm Hawks in the future? Leave a review if you want.
