Sky Knight & Witch

by Unicornblossem13

Young Sky Knight Aerrow and his Squadron, the Storm Hawks, have recently joined the war between Atmos and Cyclonia. Riding powerful machine units called Chariots, they hope to put an end to the seemingly never-ending battle between good and evil. However, Aerrow soon crosses paths with the enigmatic Circe, leading him to question things about himself he longed to forget.

Hello, everyone, so great to see all you readers! I want to start off by saying that I enjoyed watching the Storm Hawks series. It did make for a fun watch, but I did feel it could use some touching up in some areas. This story will be more nitty-gritty compared to the original, so keep an eye out for that.

I was heavily inspired by various mecha anime and Greek mythology to write this story. As well as the Circe by Madeline Miller, which I highly recommend. I hope you all enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this fic.

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Sky Knight & Witch

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Chapter One: Age of Heroes (Part One)

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High above the sky is Atmos, a world filled with thousands of floating land masses known as Terras. Below is the deadliest area of all, the Wastelands. Filled with nothing but raging infernos and unimaginable nightmare creatures, the people of Atmos had to devise a new method of travel. This answer was in the form of flight.

The Atmosians could freely soar the skies safely thanks to the discovery of energy-generating crystals. As well as find various other uses for the precious minerals to help them in their daily lives. However, the peaceful days did not last forever.

Among the Terras, one rose to power before anyone could realize it. By the time they did, it was too late. The Cyclonian Empire became the greatest threat Atmos had ever seen, plotting to place the entire nation under its control.

The arrival of this evil led to the formation of the Sky Knights, brave warriors who fought against the forces of Cyclonia. Riding in powerful machine units known as Chariots, each Sky Knight and their Squadron could protect their respective Terra.

It wasn't until ten years ago that the fiercest battle between good and evil took place. With their ultimate combined forces, the Sky Knights were led by Lightning Strike, the greatest of all Sky Knights and leader of the famous Storm Hawks. With him at command, the kingdoms saw hope shine through the dark skies.

However, they did not account for the most unexpected variable. Lightning Strike was ultimately betrayed by his closest friend, a fellow Storm Hawk. He had turned traitor, and Cyclonia was victorious that day. The Storm Hawks fell, along with the allied Sky Knight Squadrons.

With the Storm Hawks and their ship, the Condor, gone, Cyclonia would continue its pursuit of total conquest. To this day, there seems to be no end in sight for this drawn-out war.

---

Aeaea was well known for its lush greenery. The large Terra was home to forests, meadows, hills, and a tall mountain. Its wildlife ranged from the shyest critters to the most ferocious of beasts. But they were not the only ones occupying this floating paradise.

Built in the middle of Aeaea was a city, a port stretching along its edge to allow ships to dock. Citizens bustled around the streets, going in and out of houses, stores, cafes, and many other buildings. It truly was beautiful.

However, it was nothing compared to the palace towering above the city. Standing proudly on the highest hill, the impressive structure was made of white marble, almost appearing to sparkle from the bright sun rays. This was the home of the sovereign who ruled over all of Terra Aeaea.

A large gray stone fence encased the entire palace, half as tall as the building itself. Set on top of it were long rows of metal spikes, their deadly sharp points daring anyone to attempt a climb over them. In front was a black iron, double gate with green ivy covering the stone that kept it in place.

Behind it was a long, wide golden pathway that led straight to the palace. Some believed it was real gold, others an impressively made imitation. Regardless, it was hard work to keep the beautiful shine. Right now, a female servant of the palace was in the middle of sweeping the path.

She was tall and slim, hair reaching the middle of her back in soft auburn curls. Her eyes resembled the seafoam of a wave crashing onto a beach, surrounded by the light green of her sclera. Her skin was a lovely shade of sapphire blue, blending well with the short-sleeved, dark green chiton she wore. A small golden sash was wrapped around her waist.

As she carefully swept, a gentle breeze blew locks of her hair into her face and she paused, tucking it behind the fin she had instead of an ear. She turned her head, smiling at the small birds twirling across the bright blue sky. With only the sun and white clouds about, it looked to be another lovely morning ahead of them.

Suddenly, a growl caused her to look away. A gray wolf stood, ears pinned back as sharp fangs unveiled themselves. The fur on the back of its neck stood on ends, its tail positioned in a half-curl. The reason for this pose was on the other side of the iron gate. Walking up the path leading from the city below, a man in a knee-length blue and white tunic was making his way over. Resting over his shoulder was a large satchel bag.

Instantly recognizing him, the woman set the broom aside and hurried over before the wolf could scare him away. "Down, boy." she placed a hand on the back of his neck, hoping to calm him.

It worked to a degree as the large canine ceased growling, but his ears were still practically molded to his head. His tail twitched anxiously as his eyes never moved from the man making his way to the front of the gate.

"Good morning to you, Miss Perse." he greeted politely, casting a wary glance at the beast standing at her side.

"Good morning to you as well." she smiled. "I must say that I'm a little surprised, this isn't the usual day we receive mail."

"No, ma'am, you're right about that. We got this letter just now at the post office and thought it best to bring it over right away." he dug into his satchel, pulling out a single envelope.

"For Her Ladyship, I take it." Perse reached between the bars and took it from him. She turned it around and saw a wax seal. Embedded into it was the symbol of a bird, a crow with its beak wide open in a shriek.

"Yes, and considering who it's from, we thought it best to deliver it at once."

"A very good decision on your part." the Aquanosian gave him a grateful smile. "I thank you for your time and swiftness on the matter. I will be sure that Milady will get this straight away."

"Speaking of, how is Her Ladyship doing?"

"Busy as always, I'm afraid."

"That's no good, young people her age should relax more."

"I will make sure to pass that along to her, too."

"Ah, maybe not mention I'm the one who said it." the postman chuckled sheepishly.

"Understood." Perse giggled. "Thank you once again." she waved goodbye to him as she turned and walked down the golden pathway, the wolf trailing beside her.

Resting on the wide palace steps, a tawny-colored lion was sunbathing. Chin resting on his front paws, the soft breeze blew his dark mane as his tail swished back and forth in contentment. A small sigh escaped through his nose.

Then one of his round ears twitched, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. Slowly, the large feline lifted his head and looked down. His eyes opened in time to see Perse and the wolf appear, already making their way up.

"I have a letter for Her Ladyship." the female servant spoke. "Do you know where she might be now?"

The lion got to his feet, quickly stretching his body as he yawned. Soon, he made his way up the remaining steps with the other two following. Passing by the white columns that helped to support the structure, they walked through the opened entrance and went down a hallway, passing other servants. The building could easily fit an entire city inside, so numerous hands went into its maintenance.

Perse exchanged quick pleasantries with a few of her fellow workers, being led through many turns, rooms, and hallways. It would be easy for anyone to get lost in the palace, but, being the longest-working servant, she was thankful for the years that helped her to become an expert on all its ins and outs. Because of that, she knew where they were going before they even went around the second corridor.

The lion had delivered her to a pair of large metal doors. Just behind them was the other side of the palace. It was one of the most private areas and was only accessible to Her Ladyship and very few others. Perse herself, included.

Grabbing a hold of the brass door handles with both hands, the Aquanosian pulled with all her strength. The large barriers gradually opened as she moved back, the lion and wolf slipping through the crack when it was wide enough for them. Perse went in next and closed the doors behind her. Whenever they were unlocked, Her Ladyship was always inside. This was her favorite spot in the whole building, after all.

Walking down a flight of marble stairs, Perse's sandaled feet settled on well-cut grass. Stretched out before her was the palace's expansive outdoor menagerie, easily called the most beautiful spot by those allowed to gaze upon it in full. Everywhere you looked there was some form of plant life.

Plant beds held flowers of various species; tulips, azaleas, camellias, peonies, lilies, and so many others one didn't know all their names. Rose bushes were scattered around, a rainbow of color invading your vision at every turn of the head. Across the whole menagerie were various trees, some bore fruit and others did not. Perse noted fondly the watermelon and pumpkin patches were growing splendidly. Her eyes then caught sight of the belladonna, wolf's bane, foxglove, and other plants that reminded her the menagerie could be as deadly as it was beautiful.

She passed a fountain carved into the shape of a dragon, clawed feet clutching a stone rock with wings spread wide. Its mouth was open in a fierce roar but spewed out a stream of water instead of fire, recycling into the round pool below.

Plants were not the only life the menagerie supported as Perse saw a pair of peacocks taking a drink from the fountain. A large boa constrictor slithered lazily on the branch of an apple tree before wrapping its long body around it loosely.

Various mammals, reptiles, and birds made themselves home in this part of the palace. Even the occasional pig would scamper across the grass now and then. An outsider would find it odd how none of the predators attempted to attack and eat the ones considered prey.

As the female servant came upon the hedge maze, briefly thinking Her Ladyship could be taking a walk inside it, she heard a familiar sound. A sound much like the cutting of scissors. Following it, she came to a spot where shrubbery of various sizes grew. Clipping away stray pieces of the plants was a single girl, a pair of pruning shears in her hand.

She looked no older than her early teens, her pale skin complimented by the sleeveless, dark purple chiton she wore, left shoulder exposed. A long, sheer light purple cloth was dangling behind her, attached to a pair of golden bracelets on her wrists. Black leather sandals covered her feet, which a red fox was absentmindedly doing figure eights around, with the straps reaching to her calves. Tightened around her waist was a black sash with a golden design that resembled vines. A laurel wreath crown made of gold leaves rested perfectly on her head of black hair.

The lion and wolf that accompanied Perse were there, too. The feline lounged on a nearby wooden bench while the canine obediently sat at the girl's side. A small group of warblers, doves, and hawks perched on the branches of trees, watching curiously from above.

"Excuse me." Perse made her presence known but felt the girl was aware of her arrival before she even touched the grass. "Milady."

Sharp, almond-shaped violet eyes turned to her, eyes that expressed authority and intellect despite their youthfulness.

"Perse." she greeted. "And here I thought I wouldn't see you until lunchtime."

"Forgive me for disturbing you, Your Ladyship." the older woman bowed her head.

"Oh, don't be." the girl's attention returned to the shrubby. "I was just removing unnecessary parts." she snipped a stray piece with one swift, expert squeeze of the shears. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"I know this is sudden, but this was just delivered." Perse held out the sealed envelope. "It's from her, Your Ladyship."

She stopped mid-cut, relaxed expression morphing into seriousness. Dropping the tool to the ground, she calmly walked over and took the source of nerves into her hand. With just a glance at the wax symbol, she tore it open and pulled out a folded letter. Perse held her breath, watching along with the animals as the young lady straightened out the piece of paper and silently read what was written. If it came from that person, the news would hardly be good.

"Heh." the corner of the black-haired girl's lip curled back into a humorless smirk, highlighting the beauty mark underneath her right eye. "Honestly, Clonie, you're becoming predictable."

"Lady Circe? What did Master Cyclonis write?"

"Oh, just the usual speech of how she has an extraordinary plan for conquering Atmos and how she would like me to be a part of it. Like I haven't heard that many times in the past year since she took over Cyclonia."

"Do you wish to respond, Milady?" Perse asked.

Circe looked at the letter once more, expression unreadable. The seconds ticked by slowly, time always seemed non-existent in the menagerie. Then she held the paper with both hands on the top and tore it two.

"That won't be necessary, my silence will be more than enough of an answer for her."

"Are you sure, Your Ladyship?" Perse couldn't help but ask as she watched the younger girl continue to rip the letter into smaller pieces. "Your sister is rather… persistent."

"That she is." the black-haired girl agreed. "But expanding control over Atmos is her thing, not mine. Besides, I haven't seen much of these big plans she's fond of talking about. I'll send something to her later, but, for now, let her do as she pleases."

"Yes, Your Ladyship. Please forgive me if I spoke out of turn."

"You know you're the only one who can get away with speaking to me like this, Perse." Circe smirked before tossing the torn letter.

A strong breeze came in, blowing them high into the air. She watched them dance and flutter in the wind, eventually taking her eyes away when they disappeared into the sky above. It was almost pathetic how she felt envious of scraps of paper.

Releasing a small sigh, she moved the long braid her hair was tied in to rest over her left shoulder, the end just an inch away from her hip. "Regardless of whether she has a plan or not, I can tell things are going to start changing, Perse."

"For better, or worse, My Lady?"

"That remains to be seen." the young girl's hand touched the crystal gem attached to the black choker around her neck, feeling the warmth and power tingling against her fingertips. It was amber in color, finely cut into the shape of a perfect oval half the size of her palm. In the middle was a black spot that resembled the slit pupil of a cat's. "That being said…" she looked back up towards the sky and smirked. "I do look forward to finding out."

If Circe was correct, and she always was, the winds were beginning to take a different form. A new era for Atmos was arriving.

---

Tires raced across the dirt ground below, the roaring engine echoing through the forest as the blue and red silver Chariot zipped around the trees. The silver emblem of a soaring hawk on the side was just a blur as the rider maneuvered further to the right to avoid hitting upcoming obstacles, his mop of bright red hair becoming more tousled in the wind.

"We're almost there, Raddar! Just hang on a little longer!" he took his emerald green eyes off the path for a moment to look back at his riding companion.

A rather strange, small creature that looked similar to a lemur. It had light blue fur, a lighter shade around its muzzle, a black nose, long ears, and a bushy tail. Purple hands and feet with working fingers were tipped with blunt claws. Dressed in a dark blue and purple bodysuit, a pair of goggles rested over pale yellow eyes to prevent dust from flying into them.

Suddenly, a sound came from behind them, another engine. Looking back, Raddar saw another motorcycle-like vehicle approaching them fast, this one blue and green. The one driving looked to be a male humanoid rhino with a head of short, greenish-blue hair, gray eyes, and a short horn resting just above his nostrils. He chittered a warning to the one sitting in front of him.

"Yeah, I see him." Aerrow replied. "But not for long." he grinned as he pulled back on the throttle.

The extra burst of speed pushed his Chariot up on the back tire for a moment before the front touched the ground again. Gripping the handlebars tightly, he easily dodged and drove around the trees. However, the one after them had a different method. Hitting the two brass knuckles over his gloves together, conjuring up a bright green glow, he settled for punching the foliage that got in his way, leaving stumps and trunks in his wake.

The two riders eventually made it out of the forest and into an open space. Not that far ahead, though, the edge of a cliff was waiting for them. Instead of slowing down, Aerrow made no hesitation in heading straight for it, soon sailing over and jumping into the sky. Raddar covered his eyes as gravity took effect and they began to fall.

Undeterred, the pale-skinned rider quickly hooked his foot under the gear shift pedal and pushed it up once. In front of him, the words "Cycle Mode" on the small black screen were replaced with "Flight Mode". In an instant, the wheels of the Chariot retracted into the bottom and two pairs of metal silver wings shot out of either side, one in the back and the other in the front. He pumped the throttle and bright blue flames burst from the exhaust pipes attached to the wings.

"Whoohoo!" he exclaimed as he pulled the vehicle up, taking them higher into the sky and doing a barrel roll before straightening out. "Not bad, huh, Raddar? You think we lost him?"

Just as Raddar put down his hands, something flew right by them, just narrowly missing the flying vehicle. Looking back, they saw the same humanoid rhino, his Chariot switched to Flight Mode as well.

"That answers that question." Aerrow said as their purser fired another projectile at them from one of his wings, a small missile with a painted-on face filled with glowing blue crystals. "Hang on tight, Raddar!"

As the sky lemur clutched onto his sides, the redhead pulled on the handlebars and caused his vehicle to spin in a wide circle. While they were in mid-spin, the attack sailed past them and into the distance.

"You missed!" he taunted as they returned to being right side up.

Then something collided with his ride twice, once on the front left wing and another near the engine. However, the attack didn't come from the rider behind them. From higher up, a yellow and blue Chariot flew in from the side. Sitting in the rider's seat was a fair-skinned, spiky-haired blond with eyes that were a deep blue.

"He may have, but Finn never misses!" the newcomer boasted.

"Radder, get that engine working!" Aerrow yelled as black smoke came out from where the second hit landed. The sound of it about to give out reached their ears as the vehicle started to lose altitude.

His riding companion dug through the small pack he wore, tossing out a variety of half-eaten foods he had left there and forgotten about. Eventually, he chittered excitedly when he pulled out just what he needed. A single wrench. Nimbly, Radder jumped from the back of the rider's seat and landed on top of the front right wing.

Above them, the blond rider pulled out a purple crystal-tipped arrow. Kissing it a few times, he pushed one of the buttons on his Chariot's handlebars, and a slot opened in the front. A crossbow came out and he loaded the projectile into it. A scope appeared on the vehicle's screen, bouncing around wildly before he aimed, focusing on the blue and red Chariot.

Raddar gave the engine a good few whacks, one more for good measure, and the worrisome sounds ceased. He chirped happily as the black smoke cleared as well. Before he could launch into a victory dance, Finn fired his arrow and hit the spot right next to him. An electrical shock ran through his small body, sparks of purple emitting from him as he stood erect.

"Yikes." Aerrow hissed as the effects of the attack eventually wore off. "Good work, Raddar." he praised as the flying vehicle stayed airborne. "How about we leave them in the clouds now?"

The sky lemur made a sound of agreement as he shook himself, leaping back into the spot behind the rider as he straightened out the Chariot. While Finn was loading in another arrow, the redhead put his foot under the gear shift pedal. This time, he pushed upwards twice and pulled on the handlebars, locking them in a vertical position.

"Let's show'em a thing or two, Jason." Aerrow grinned as "Battle Mode'' appeared on his screen.

The machine immediately began to change. The bottom part lowered and formed into a pair of mechanical legs while the top lifted and covered the rider and sky lemur, gaining a set of arms. The wings moved to the back of the now giant, humanoid robotic unit. Red, blue, and silver armor plating shone in the bright sun, a red glow on the visor of its head. The hawk emblem on the shoulder of its right arm gleamed proudly.

Finn fired his next attack and slots opened on the transformed Chariot's wrists. A pair of short twin daggers shot into its hands, soon coated in a bright blue energy. Effortlessly, it deflected the charged arrow with one of the weapons and sent it hurling back where it came from.

The blond screamed as his arsenal hit the vehicle, sending a painful electrical shock through it and his body. It was over as fast as it started, but his muscles twitched and jerked. "No fair!" he shouted as the other machine unit flew past him with new, impressive speed. "No way we're about to be shown up like that, right, Artemis?"

"I think we're in the clear now, Raddar." Aerrow told his riding partner from within his Chariot's closed-off cockpit, still able to see the outside thanks to the Jason's visual sensors. "They're not gonna stop us this time."

Once he said that, though, something huge appeared directly in front of them from below. Pulling on the handlebars, he made the machine unit halt in mid-air before it crashed with the blue and white carrier ship.

A tall and lanky male stood on the upper deck. He had light green skin and darker green hair, bangs falling over the right side of his face, features sharp and almost feline-like. A menacing look entered his dark eyes while he broke out into a matching grin.

"Gotcha, Sky Knight." he spoke lowly, traces of a snigger in his voice.

From his shoulder, Raddar chittered and pointed up. Aerrow looked and saw another transformed Chariot fly over the ship. It was smaller and had thinner armor, which was dark blue and orange with a glowing orange visor on its head. It held a long, staff-like weapon with an icy, glowing tip.

It shot a blast of energy and the Jason quickly maneuvered out of the way. The attack hit the middle of the carrier's long, wide landing strip below, and a thick sheet of ice spread out. The cockpit of the other machine unit opened.

A dark-skinned girl stood up, her dark blue hair kept out of her face by the orange headband she wore. Her copper-hazel eyes shone brightly with mirth as she looked down at the trapped Chariot, rivaling the blue crystal she wore about her neck.

"Freeze!" she said with a teasing wink.

Aerrow soon saw the other two riders he thought he left behind had caught up, both of their machine units in Battle Mode. The sniper's Chariot was more similar to the Jason, smaller but taller than the girl's. In its hand was a large, mechanical crossbow already loaded with a crystal-charged arrow, just waiting to be fired. The one belonging to the humanoid rhino was bulkier with thicker armor, a pair of heavy, bronze gauntlets covering its hands.

"Face it, Sky Knight!" the girl flew down in front of him, the cockpit still open. "You've been caught."

The redhead looked around him, trying to figure out how to escape. He was blocked at all sides, and they would surely attack if he tried anyway to leave. Except, maybe…

He glanced down at the unguarded space below him, and what laid further beyond it. A plan quickly formed in his mind. It was risky, and maybe a little stupid, but the easiest route was hardly ever exciting, wasn't it?

"You're surrounded! The only chance of getting away is if you were crazy enough to-"

The Jason made a sudden dive, speeding through the gap between the carrier's landing strip and one of the humongous engines. It quickly disappeared among the vast clouds.

"Dive into the Wastelands…" the girl finished awkwardly.

"So much for your big flanking maneuver." Finn remarked through the communication links established between their Chariots.

"I know a shortcut!" she plopped down in the cockpit, the hatch closing. "Follow me!"

Her machine unit flew off, the other two not far behind along with the carrier ship.

---

Aerrow never took his eyes off the clouds, minding how darker they became the further he flew the Jason down. "There's no way they would follow us through the Wastelands." he remarked as the masses gave way and revealed the dreaded area.

It was understandable why anyone wouldn't risk flying into it, much less go on foot. Nothing but tall, sharp molten stalagmites and pools of fiery lava that stretched for miles with no indication it stopped anywhere. Though there were no signs of life, it didn't mean the fearsome creatures that thrived in the environment were not lying in wait for their next victim. If they were lucky, the fires of the Wastelands would take them before the wildlife did.

"We'll be fine, Raddar." Aerrow told his riding partner, who clutched tightly at his back with a nervous trill.

He maneuvered Jason around the deadly rock formations with swift but careful movements. He had to be mindful of flying above the lava pools without risking an overheat. Up ahead, he spotted two dark masses surfacing from below the molten rock and stretching high into the air. Their giant, snake-like heads roared, jagged teeth greeting them with a sinister grin. Lava oozed out of the spots on the umber backs of their long, limbless bodies.

Raddar screeched as one of the lava eels leaped out of the fiery pool, hellish red eyes pinned on them. Aerrow, however, pressed down on the gear shift pedal twice and reverted the handlebars to the sideways position. The Jason returned to Flight Mode, flipping sideways to avoid the creature before it could snap its large jaw down and crush them into pieces. Its lighter underbelly sailed past them as it landed head-first back in the lava.

As the pilot dodged the second one, the sky lemur risked a peek by lifting his face from where he had pushed it against his companion's back. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as two more lava eels from another pool showed themselves. Their foul, sulfuric breath singed the ends of his short fur as the machine unit twisted and turned in the air to avoid them.

"See, nothing to worry about." Aerrow reassured him as they cleared the nightmare creatures.

Before Raddar could respond, he saw a pair of geysers shoot out wide streams of lava directly in front of them. A high-pitched squeak left his mouth as the Jason turned sideways and flew between the burning hot molten rock. Just as they got through and straightened out, another lava eel sprung up from the left.

The Chariot pulled up, the creature's teeth nearly grazing the exhaust pipes of the back wings as it rose towards the clouds. Raddar didn't allow himself to release the breath he was holding until they cleared from dark to white. Then the mechanical vehicle broke through the masses into the open sky. High above and safely away from the Wastelands.

"There it is, Raddar." Aerrow said, nodding ahead. "Terra Atmosia."

Not that far away was the capital of Atmos, a large, floating plateau-like landmass. From this distance, one could see the tower built on the highest point, a warm blue-purple light shining brightly from it.

"We're gonna make it!" the redhead reached into the small pouch strapped to his side and pulled out a single crystal. It was medium-sized and glowed a reddish-orange. Pushing one of the buttons on the right handlebar, a round metal slot placed just below it opened. "You wanna do the honor?" he asked his riding companion.

Raddar chirped, climbing up his shoulder, and grabbed the Booster Crystal. Aiming carefully, he tossed it into the slot, which closed once it dropped inside.

"Hang on tight!" Aerrow said before pumping the throttle back.

The sky lemur barely had time to get a grip on him as the flames of the wings turned bright orange. His lower body was airborne as the Chariot headed for Terra Atmosia with break-necking speed.

"Whoohoo!"

---

While people had made homes all over Terra Atmosia, the main city was built at its highest point. Apartments, shops, and restaurants, just about everything you would find in a highly populated area. However, the crowning achievement went to the tall white and gold tower where the Aurora Stone was kept.

Considered the largest crystal to have a refined state, the Aurora Stone could always be seen shining like a beacon from its resting place. Along with the Red Eagles, the Sky Knight Squadron charged with protecting the Terra, the citizens felt they had little to worry about regarding attacks from those who wished them harm. Yes, just about every day was filled with peace.

Until today, however.

To their great surprise, the people of Atmosia saw a small group of unknown Chariots come flying in through the clouds. When they were close enough to the ground, they shifted from Battle Mode to Cycle and landed. They didn't stop and raced down the wide cobblestone street. Thankfully, pedestrians were far enough out of the way to avoid the risk of getting hit.

The team of three headed for the large tree planted in the town center. The first one to reach it was a blond riding the blue and yellow Chariot. The wheels came to a screeching halt and he quickly touched the bark of the trunk with his hand, the other two pulling up just a second later.

"Ha! Yes! I did it! I'm the winner!" Finn cheered, clenching his free hand into a fist and pumping it into the air.

"You sure about that?" a voice asked from above.

Turning his head up, his smile of victory turned into an open-mouth gap at the sight of Aerrow casually standing on one of the thick tree branches. Beside him was Raddar and the parked Jason. With a grin, he gave a two-finger salute as the blond groaned and hung his head.

The redhead jumped down and easily landed on the ground. "And, in case anyone forgot, the last one to the tree has to do dishes on the Condor for a month."

The dark-skinned girl, Piper, and the humanoid rhino, Junko, immediately dismounted their Chariots and touched the tree simultaneously. Raddar came crashing to the ground in his efforts to jump. He stood on both feet in a daze and reached out a hand to the tree, but fell back down when all he touched was air. Just a few moments later, the green-skinned male from earlier came running down the street towards the group. When he reached them, he stopped to catch his breath, hands on his knees as sweat dripped down his face

"See…" Stork said in between breaths. "This is why… I never leave the ship." he straightened out and pointed his thumb in the direction behind him, the Condor parked on top of a hill in the distance.

Some of the citizens of Terra Atmosia gathered around to get a closer look at this peculiar group. They saw the hawk emblems on their Chariots and sewn onto the back of their uniforms and began to chatter curiously among themselves. It was a symbol known by everyone in Atmos, even after so many years.

"Dad, look! It's the Storm Hawks!" one little boy pointed excitedly.

Finn couldn't help but give a wide grin at the instant recognition. They were just starting as a Sky Knight Squadron and were already getting attention. It shouldn't be long before the fame starts to roll in. As well as with the girls.

"Those aren't the Storm Hawks." the boy's father said. "Not the real ones, anyway." he led his son away.

At that comment, people were quick to disperse, their minds made up that they were just a bunch of pretenders. After all, who could replace one of the greatest Sky Knight Squadrons to exist?

Aerrow noticed his team had started to look rather disheartened at the reaction they just received. "Come on, guys, we're here to do something about that." he reminded them.

"You think we can do something about this strange rash I have, too?" Stork asked, scratching the side of his neck.

"If you ask me, this is all a big waste of time." Finn commented as they walked down the street, leaving their Chariots parked around the tree.

"First, Finn, we didn't." Piper looked back at him, seeing him roll his eyes in response. "Second, even though Aerrow went through the trials and was rightfully knighted, we still have to register with the Sky Knight Council to be an official Squadron. It's just a formality."

"You don't think they'll make us take a test, do you?" Junko asked worriedly. "Because I'm lousy at tests."

"If it's a lab test, I vote for this one to take it." Stork pointed at Raddar, who growled at him as he picked at his nose.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Junko." Piper reassured the humanoid rhino, touching the rough, light-brown skin of his arm. "It's just signing documents, that's all. And, even if they did, I could help you ace any test they throw at us." she smiled, which he returned.

"Thanks, Piper."

The group arrived at the Sky Knight Council Hall, an impressive stone structure and one of the tallest buildings on Terra Atmosia. Second only to the Aurora Stone's tower, of course. They wasted no time in heading inside.

They soon found themselves staring at an old man sitting at a desk significantly taller than them. Quietly mumbling to himself, he looked over the registration form they admitted. The longer they waited, the more nervous they became. It didn't help that he would occasionally glance and observe them over the small, round glasses he wore. Just when things started to look unfavorable, he cleared his throat.

"It appears everything is in order." he said, making the team sigh with relief.

"See? Just a formality." Piper said.

"I'll need your names and positions for the registry." Councilor Jupiter told them as he opened a large, thick red book. He held up an ink pen while flipping to a fresh page. "As well as the Chariots you pilot."

"Yes, sir." Aerrow gave a quick salute. "Aerrow; Sky Knight, leader, and pilot of the Jason."

"Finn!" the blond made a pair of finger-guns. "Wingman, sharpshooter, and pilot of the Artemis."

"Junko." the Wallop gave a small wave. "Flight engineer and uh… heavy ballistics." he flexed his thick, muscular arms. "Also pilot of the Heracles."

"Piper." the only female member went next. "Navigation, tactics, and pilot of the Athena."

"Um, Stork." the Merb introduced himself before letting out a sudden sneeze. "Carrier pilot, mechanic, and no Chariot."

Raddar stepped forward, doing a quick session of punches before jumping and doing a small spin kick. The councilman gave him a strange look.

"And what would that be, some sort of pet?" he asked.

The sky lemur let out an offended chirp, soon baring his teeth in a growl. Before he could think of lunging at the old man, Aerrow held him in place by the shoulder.

"He prefers mission specialist." he explained. "We just call him Raddar, he's my co-pilot on the Jason."

"I see." the councilor scratched at his white sideburns. "Regardless, the Council will be most pleased to learn a new Storm Hawks Squadron has formed after so long. Your predecessors were greatly admired, you have much to live up to, I must say."

"We're ready for anything, sir."

"Then just sign here, please." the older man held out the registry book and pen for him.

A grin formed on Aerrow's face as he stepped forward. After all the training and hard work he put in, he was about to become a real Sky Knight. His dream was finally turning into reality. All he needed to do now was write his signature.

Just as he was about to grab the pen, though, it was suddenly pulled from his reach. Surprised, the redhead looked up. Councilor Jupiter was fixing his glasses and looking more closely at his face.

"Wait a minute now…" he mumbled, a frown beginning to form. "How old are you again?"

Aerrow hoped he didn't see him flinch. "Oh, um… W-Well, I'm…"

"Speak up, young man."

"I might have turned fourteen this year…" he managed to say, trying not to sound as sheepish as he felt.

"What?!" the councilor practically jumped from his chair. "I've never heard of something so unprecedented. Candidates are meant to apply for admission to the Sky Knight Academy at the age of fourteen. Only after years of training are they expected to become official Sky Knights. There is no possible way you could have met the requirements and completed the trials so soon!"

"I was given special permission to be accepted at twelve, and was granted early graduation." Aerrow quickly told him. "It was all arranged by Ajax Alogo. Surely you know him, he's-"

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of who Ajax Alogo is. He was a fabulous Sky Knight, even if he did retire early. I heard he was now a teacher at the Academy, but to think he would allow a mere child to go this far into playing make-believe. It seems his judgment has been slipping as of late."

The redhead clenched his hand into a tight fist at that, his brows furrowing.

"I take it your so-called Squadron is within the same age group, as well?" Councilor Jupiter focused his spectacles on the rest of the team now.

"Uh…" Piper grabbed Stork's elbow and pulled him closer. "Stork is two years older than us if that helps any." she gave a nervous grin.

Not long after that, the unofficial Storm Hawks found the tall, double doors of the Sky Knight Council Hall shut in their faces.

"I told you it was a waste of time." Finn said as they walked down the building steps, kicking a stray rock.

"Okay, so we didn't get made official. But I'm still a Sky Knight, you're still my Squadron, and we're still a team, right?" Aerrow tried to reassure them.

"Oh, I'm only with you until something better comes along." Stork informed.

The others gave him blank stares. Then Piper released a sigh.

"I wish people could take us seriously, we're not just kids. We have the skills, we have the gear..."

"We have Finn." the blond interjected. "Chika-cha." he winked.

"Ugh." the dark-skinned girl rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Suddenly, they all heard a sound coming from the street, growing louder by the second. Turning their heads, the team saw a Squadron of Chariots turn a corner. They all bore the same color scheme, red and tan with bits of blue. However, the one leading the charge, a handsome young man with sandy brown hair and a goatee, had the emblem of a red eagle on the front of his vehicle instead of on the side like the others.

"Oh, wow! It's Carver and the Red Eagles!" Junko exclaimed.

The Squadron stopped in the middle of the street, where a crowd of citizens quickly gathered around them. They buzzed with excitement at the chance to talk and shake hands with the protectors of Atmosia. And get an autograph or two.

"Come on, let's go meet them!" Piper said before jogging ahead, the rest of the team following.

"Now there's a real Sky Knight Squadron." the father from earlier remarked as his son marveled at the Chariot he was allowed to touch.

The Storm Hawks had to put up a bit of fight to try and get to the front of the crowd for a closer look. It was a tight squeeze, and Raddar got his tail stepped on more than once, but they eventually managed to make it through. They were face-to-face with the famous Red Eagles, widely considered Atmos's best current Sky Knight Squadron.

"Excuse me, Carver." Aerrow approached the leader. "It's a real honor to meet you. My name is Aerrow, Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks." he held his hand out to the other.

Carver looked him over with scrutinizing, pale brown eyes. Then he took in the sight of the rest of the team. "Aren't you a little short to be a Sky Knight, kid?"

"What?" the redhead couldn't help but scowl.

"Word of advice, you wanna be the best of the best, you might wanna take the training wheels off your Chariot first." the older man smirked, earning a bout of laughter from the citizens who heard him.

Before Aerrow could retort, the Sky Knight revved up his machine unit and drove off, the rest of his Squadron close behind. People cheered as they rode towards the Aurora Stone's tower, soon scattering when they were out of sight.

"Well, that could have gone worse." Piper remarked.

"You know the old saying, never meet your heroes." Stork added.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could use a pick-me-up after the repeated put-downs." Finn said. "So who's up for ice cream? Piper's buying."

"Hey, I didn't-"

"Oh, me! Me!" Junko immediately raised his hand, drowning out the navigator's protest.

"Race ya there!" the blond exclaimed before dashing down the street.

"No fair, I didn't know we were starting now!" the Wallop went after him.

"You think they have anything with nuts? Because nuts and I are one combo that should not mix. Ever." Stork said as he and Raddar trailed along at a leisurely pace.

"Boys." Piper let out a sigh but soon gave a small smile. Maybe something sweet would brighten the mood a bit. "You coming, Aerrow?" she looked to where the redhead stood. "Aerrow?"

The young Sky Knight was staring at a giant television screen pinned up to one of the taller buildings of Atmoisa. It was set to the news channel, Insider Atmos, where a newscaster was talking about the current events taking place around the world.

"And with Terra Nocturna having fallen, the control Cyclonia seeks to have over Atmos continues to expand. While Sky Knight Squadrons valiantly fight back, there seems to be no end in sight for the war that has tragically plagued our world for over five centuries. While an exceeding number of Terras have been lost, the ones who truly suffer are the inhabitants. People are forced to submit themselves to the forces of Cyclonia, meeting an unimaginable fate should they refuse. Many families have been torn apart and…"

Aerrow tuned out the rest, getting the main idea. He thought back to what Councilor Jupiter had said before. It burned him to hear Ajax being disrespected. He was the man who took him in and was the only one who ever gave him a chance to achieve his dream. However, going off on the old man wouldn't have helped their situation. It would have just proved his point, that he was a little kid who thought going into battle was nothing more than a game.

But that was far from the truth. Having been orphaned at the age of four, he knew firsthand about the horrors of war. People were suffering and dying every day because of Cyclonia, and that includes Sky Knights. Yes, he was young, but he wanted to do something, to at least try and help those who needed it. Was that such a bad thing?

"Hey, earth to Aerrow." Piper stood beside him, shaking his shoulder and bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, Piper."

"Are you okay?" she looked concerned. "You were pretty out of it just now."

"Yeah... Yeah, I'll be fine. It just feels like it's been a long day."

"I know what you mean." a gentle smile came onto her face. "Come on, let's catch up with the others. Some ice cream will help stimulate those brain cells."

"That does sound good, actually." the redhead smiled back, allowing her to drag him along by the hand. He looked back at the television screen, the newscaster still talking about Cyclonia and the damage it continues to do. He let out a small sigh before turning his head away.

Perched on the branch of a nearby tree, a single black crow watched them curiously with beady, dark eyes. It hopped along the branch a few times, ruffling its feathers. Then it spread its wings and took the sky, caws echoing through the air.

---

If Terra Cyclonia could be described in one word, it would be corrupted. Lightning crashed against the dark red sky every so often with booming thunder. Thick, smoky clouds covered it, save for the tall, sharp rocks that stretched out and curved at the top. However, these rocks were the homes of many of the empire's citizens. They were all connected by stone and rope bridges, leading to the menacing metal tower above them. Built around the perimeters were watchtowers to keep an eye out for anyone foolish enough to try and sneak in.

Boasting the largest army in the known Atmos, and numerous other Terras under its control, Cyclonia had easily become known as the most powerful nation since it was first formed. Everyone in the world trembled with fear at the mention of the Cyclonian Empire and the one who ruled over it.

Master Cyclonis.

Inside a dark room, at the very top of the tower, a figure stood in front of a strange machine on an elevated platform. They were dressed in a long purplish-black robe, a hood covering their head. Small fingers pressed down on three sets of keyboards, resembling those of a typewriter. With each press, mechanical hands attached to the machine would move and insert various crystals into its mechanism.

Behind the figure, a group of people stood. It consisted of a fair-skinned woman with short magenta hair and gold eyes, a bow in her hand. Beside her was a tall, stocky, and muscular man with blue hair, dark eyes, and a light skin complexion. He shared similar facial features to the female archer and clutched a dangerous-looking mace.

Humanoid reptile-like creatures stood on the other side of the room. The leader, taller and darker than his companions, gave a small hiss of impatience for the meeting to begin.

"Once upon a time, Cyclonia ruled over all of Atmos." the hooded figure spoke, voice low and feminine. "But then the Sky Knights were formed and the balance shifted. I intend to set things back to how they once were when our Terra was at its most glorious." she continued to type away at the keys. "And it will be, once our Talons have permanently clipped the wings of those who stand in our way."

Just as she finished speaking, the door to the room opened. Everyone but the figure turned around. In walked a tall man, dark-haired and crimson-eyed, with a sword strapped to his back. In front of his armored uniform, a blood-red vulture was carved onto a silver chest plate.

"That would be my greatest pleasure, Master Cyclonis." he came to stand in front of the group.

"Ah, Dark Ace, so glad you could finally join us." the hooded figure said with a smirk.

"My apologies, I found myself busy dealing with some, shall we say, rebellious characters on one of your Terras." he replied, lifting his hand to his face. He used his thumb to wipe away a spot of something red and liquid from his cheek.

"Well, no matter. We were just getting to the important part."

"I could care less about your plans, Cyclonis!" the leader of humanoid reptiles, Repton, stepped forward. "What's in it for the Raptors?"

The top Cyclonis's hood split into spines and stood erect above her head. She turned around, violet eyes meeting the impatient, yellow ones glaring at her. "I could start by saying untold riches, but instead…"

Her arm came up, a bright red crystal clenched within her fingers. A beam of energy shot out and collided with the lizard man, wrapping around him like a giant hand. He was lifted into the air and pinned to the wall. He struggled, but, the more he did so, the more the attack intended to crush his body flat.

"I promise not to annihilate your pathetic, measly Terra Bogaton!" Cyclonis told him, eyes narrowed.

Lowering the crystal, the energy holding him up disappeared. Dark Ace smirked as the humanoid reptile crashed to the hard floor.

"How does that sound?"

"I-I believe…" Repton lifted himself, posture more submissive. "I believe we can agree on something."

"Good." Cyclonis smirked in satisfaction, the beauty mark underneath her left eye more prominent. She turned her gaze up to the skylight on the high ceiling. "Then let it begin. It's time to send a message to Atmos, that its future belongs to Cyclonia. It belongs… to me."

After the meeting was concluded and the plan of attack was established, the young ruler and her right hand were the first to leave the room. Walking down a long hallway, a sigh left her lips.

"Raptors are such a hassle to deal with." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "They are always demanding something."

"I agree, but they are useful where it matters."

"That's true enough." Cyclonis brushed her fingers through her chin-length, black hair. "If not, I would have had you wipe out that bunch ages ago."

"All you have to do is give the word, Master Cyclonis." Dark Ace held his arm against his chest, clenched fist touching his left shoulder.

"Not just yet, I'm afraid." she smirked at the older man as they turned a corner. "More importantly, what's the status of the letter I wrote?"

They came upon a tall metal door, a keypad planted in the wall beside it. She typed in a long series of numbers without looking. The door slid open and the pair walked inside, overhead lights switching on automatically.

In the workshop, the sovereign spent most of her time aside from her private office, busying herself with plans and experiments. One table was covered in papers of hand-drawn formulas. A workbench held different types of devices she had her engineers build to test the vast collection of crystals she kept organized on several shelves.

"It was delivered to Terra Aeaea, as you instructed." Dark Ace informed as Cyclonis went to a small table in the back of the room. "As far as I know, it was received by your sister. However, it doesn't seem she intends to send back a reply."

"Yes, I figured that would be the case." she said, flipping a nearby light switch.

Above her head, a dangling lamp turned on. Having designed it herself, it was powered by a Solar Crystal, offering natural sunlight to the only plant life in the workshop. A pair of pink roses sat in a pot of fresh soil, their thorny stems circling one another. Picking up a small watering can on the table, she dowsed them with just the right amount. After caring for these flowers for almost two years, she was proud to note not a single petal had wilted away since then. She had long memorized the instructions on how to nurture them.

"Once my plans for Atmos are set in motion, I'm sure Circe will be reaching out soon enough."

"Pardon my saying this, Master Cyclonis, but the princess does appear adamant about not getting involved in this whole matter." Dark Ace said.

"True, my sister prefers to stay out of this war. Living on that peaceful little Terra of hers. That being said…" Cyclonis gently caressed the roses in both hands, her black fingernails sticking out against their bright petals. "When Cyclonia finally has complete control over Atmos, I wonder how fast she'll change her mind." she smirked to herself.

---

(Terra Aeaea)

Running a Terra was no easy feat, any ruler would tell you that. There is a mountain of things to consider when you're charged with looking after a large city and its inhabitants. The people needed food, fresh water, money, medical care, clothes, and other miscellaneous items to satisfy them.

Terra Aeaea managed to get by on its own for the most part, farmers grew crops and kept livestock while professional doctors were always on call. The economy was also stable, everything was available at a reasonable price so the citizens could afford what they needed. However, there were times when supplies ran low and Circe had to contact outside sources.

Since she first took over Terra Aeaea, she refused to call on Cyclonia for help, even if her sister was now the one in charge. So she looked to merchants that flew all over Atmos, offering their services of gathering whatever a Terra needed or wanted that its people could not obtain themselves. After much research, Circe settled on one man who was a bit more expensive but yielded the best results in terms of quality and speed of deliverance. For the most part, they maintained an adequate business relationship. Lately, though, a small issue has come up.

That issue was currently being discussed in the throne room of Circe's palace. The floor was polished, white ceramic tile with a black damask pattern. In the middle was a long red carpet that led from the entrance to a small, elevated platform covered in similar fabric.

The young ruler sat on the tall golden throne with plush navy blue padding on the back and seat. Her elbow was settled on one of the arms, the side of her head resting against her fist as her eyes roamed over a slip of paper she held in her other hand. It was the invoice for the supplies she had ordered some time ago. Standing at her side was Perse, her lion lazily draped across her feet.

Not one sound was made in the vast room, nowhere near helping the nerves of the merchant who stood at the center. He knew something must be wrong once he docked his ship at Terra Aeaea's port. Instead of just dropping off the supplies he had delivered, he was shocked to be informed he had been summoned to the palace. The reason was unknown, but he was asked to bring the bill of everything gathered. Normally, he would get paid for his services by the harbourmaster and be on his way. However, it was the first time he was asked to meet with the ruler of the Terra he had done business with for the last four years to confirm a purchase. The silent atmosphere of the throne room was almost suffocating.

Circe lowered the invoice from her face and looked at the merchant. He was middle-aged, fit, and well-dressed with good features. Some would say he was attractive, even if the early stages of baldness were making itself known at the top of his head. She passed the list to Perse and sat up straighter.

"It would appear that everything is in order." she spoke, making him give a small jump at her sudden voice. "As usual, you have done well in delivering what I requested."

"Of…" he cleared his throat. "Of course, Lady Circe. My company and I always obtain the best of the best. And we make sure they are brought on time."

"I am well aware, it's one of the reasons why I hired you over other candidates."

"I'm flattered, Your Ladyship. Some of what you asked wasn't easy to gather, and-"

"However…" Circe cut him off. "Recently, I couldn't help but notice that the price has been increasing with each delivery."

"Ah, that." the merchant licked his upper lip nervously, the tip of his tongue brushing against the small hairs of his mustache. "I understand if it's inconvenient, but one must consider many things in this line of work, such as fuel for the ship, purchasing the items, and so on. There are also taxes, bills, recession, and all that unpleasantness that comes with running a business."

"Yes, I have thought about those." she crossed one leg over the other. "What bothers me is that I have almost always ordered the same supplies from you for years. There have been a few odds and ends, but it remains unchanged for the most part. Even if you add the factors you mentioned, the total is nearly five times what it normally would be. I find such a steep price rather odd since I know you haven't had any problems in your business as of late."

Beads of sweat gathered in the middle of his eyebrows, trailing down his nose to his cheek. He wiped it away with a handkerchief. "I-It might seem unreasonable, Lady Circe. But please keep in mind that not all Terras have been as prosperous as yours, some of us do struggle in some areas financially. And I know you can certainly afford to pay a small overpriced bill such as this. Surely we can get past all this and carry on with our day." he wrung his hands together as he gave his best professional smile.

The lion raised his head from the floor, tail slapping against the surface impatiently. The beginnings of a low growl were in his throat as he trained amber eyes on the merchant. While he froze on the spot, Circe leaned over and put her fingers into the large feline's mane. She massaged the spot between his ears and he settled down with a hum.

Her eyes turned to the man who looked ready to drop if he didn't leave soon. While she could afford to pay the bill, there were projects she had plans to better use the money for. And it was all too clear he was underestimating her.

To the merchant, Circe was just a child given a role of authority too early. He was an adult, owner of a business that took him all over Atmos. Naturally, he believed he knew better than some girl playing the part of a ruler.

Circe will admit she was no businesswoman, and the only places she had ever lived were Terra Aeaea and Cyclonia. However, that did not mean she was a fool. And she was more than happy to let this man know.

"Mister Lombard, during your travels, is it fair to assume you're familiar with a Terra called Euphoria?"

He looked like he was about to faint, stammering over his words. "I-I… well, that is to say, I know of it… somewhat. B-But it's not the sort of place a young lady like yourself should…"

"Oh, I'm well aware of its reputation." Circe said, expression stony. "It's very famous for providing its guests with unforgettable and pleasurable experiences, fulfilling whatever it is they desire. For a certain fee, of course."

"I-I see…" Lombard's face was turning redder by the second. "I've only heard stories from others, I… I've never visited the Terra myself."

"Is that right?" without looking away, the young ruler raised her hand and gestured towards Perse.

The Aquanosian nodded in return and pulled out something tucked into the back of her sash. A single white envelope. Wordlessly, she walked over to the merchant, placed it in his hands, and returned to the side of her Ladyship.

Hands shaking, the man slowly opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside. His eyes widened so much they could have merged into one.

"It would seem you partake in quite a few interesting hobbies on Terra Euphoria, Mister Lombard." Circe said with a smirk as some of the photographs he held slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor.

In clear, colored resolution, the merchant was shown in graphic, compromising positions with various women, men, or both. A few were tamer, showing him in passionate lip-locking or groping sessions. More explicit ones, though, were taken in hotel rooms, the luxurious kind one couldn't pay with just any measly salary. The pictures also displayed his fondness for anything involving ropes, leather, a riding crop, and other toys that shall remain nameless. In the photos, he was always the recipient of these activities.

"Either your wife does not join you in these escapades, or she is very much unaware of them." the young ruler watched as the man sank to his knees, his horrified eyes never leaving the pictures. "Would you mind telling me which it is?"

"I… I love my wife." were the first things out of Lombard's mouth. "I love her, and our little family, I truly do. It-It's just… she doesn't share the same feelings for these as I do. And you must understand that everyone has their needs. Work gets so stressful at times, as well. But, please believe me when I say I never intended to cause any harm…." his head bowed in shame.

Circe stared at him blankly, rising from her throne, and walked down the platform steps. Her sandaled feet moved across the long stretch of carpet, stopping until she stood above the man. Hesitantly, he lifted his head to her, immediately meeting a cold, hard stare.

"Did I give any indication that I care whatsoever for the reason behind your illicit affairs?" she spoke calmly, but her displeasure was all too clear. "What I do care about is your intent to rob me so you could continue to support them. You can see how I find the thought of that distasteful, don't you?"

Though this girl was young, barely older than his own children, the intensity emitted from her body made Lombard shiver. The lion's predatory gaze was nothing compared to how she looked at him. The pressure of her eyes was too much, forcing him to shrink in on himself and almost curl into a ball on the carpet.

Circe crouched down and picked up one of the fallen photographs, holding it between her middle and index finger. "I can only imagine how much your home life would suffer if your private one came to light." she said, tone casual, as she stared impassively at the image of him naked with two women in graphic detail. "Not only that, but your business would also receive serious backlash when your other clients learn how you've been investing the money you overcharged them. That being said, Mister Lombard…"

The young ruler placed her free hand on the merchant's head, pushing it back until he was face-to-face with her. She smiled prettily and turned the picture around for him to see.

"Shall we renegotiate the price of my purchase?"

The discussion lasted barely a minute. A defeated Lombard walked out of the throne room, another servant waiting outside to escort him to the entrance. The doors closed behind him, leaving the two ladies and the lion.

"You managed to get the cost of the supplies for next to nothing, Your Ladyship." Perse remarked, impressed, as she came to stand by the younger girl. "But why did you not demand it all for free?"

"In the end, he is still a businessman and has to make a living." Circe collected the photographs on the floor and stood up. "Also, it would have looked odd if someone noticed he didn't charge me a thing for the order. If anyone asks questions, he can say I was given a special discount for being such a loyal customer over the years."

"I see." the Aquanosian took hold of the pictures when they were handed to her. "Out of curiosity, Milady, but will you be showing these to Mister Lombard's wife?"

"If I did that, I wouldn't have anything over him. The photos will come in handy if he attempts to step out of line again. Plus, they might be even more useful if I ever needed to request something off the record." the young ruler walked to the doors, the lion getting up and following her. "Besides, if he wishes to continue partaking in his dirty little secret, that is his decision."

"Still, having such affairs and going on about how he loves his wife and family…" Perse didn't bother to hide her disgust, nose wrinkling. "What a loathsome man."

"That he is." Circe agreed as they exited the throne room and walked down the corridor. "Of course, what else would you expect from people like him? They live to fulfill their own desires, regardless of who they hurt in the process. Practically everyone in Atmos is like that."

"Your cynicism has always unnerved me, Your Ladyship."

"Now you know I speak the truth, Perse. We've both seen our fair share of the true nature of people." the girl stroked the head of the large feline at her side.

They took a few more turns down the hallways, arriving at a pair of double doors. Pushing one open, they walked into a spacious office.

A wooden desk sat in the room, topped with a reading lamp, a pile of documents, a couple of pens, and an electronic tablet. One black leather chair was set behind it while two smaller chairs were placed on the other side. Pressed against the right wall, a leather sofa faced a series of floor-to-ceiling glass windows that gave a view to the outside, a generous amount of sunlight lighting the office.

On the back wall was a pair of filled bookcases. The books covered various subjects, such as; Atmos's history, the wonders and dangers of Aeaea, customs and culture of different Terras, and many more. In each corner of the office, potted plants bloomed a healthy green.

"Care for a quick game, Perse?" Circe walked over to the small table next to the windows, sitting in one of the chairs on either side.

"I feel like you only ask me because you already know the outcome." the older woman said, looking at the setup chessboard resting on the furniture's flat surface. While she considered herself a decent chess player, the rounds she went against Her Ladyship made her put her skills into perspective.

"It's always good to exercise your brain, keep it sharp. Of course, if you would rather spare yourself some humiliation…" the young ruler gave a teasing smirk.

While she was aware of the taunt, Perse was not one to back down from a challenge. She occupied the empty chair while the lion settled on the office's dark red fur rug.

"As always, you allow me to make the first move." the Aquanosian eyed her white pieces thoughtfully.

"If you let your opponent go first, you can come up with an idea on what they have planned." Circe straightened out her queen before leaning back in her seat.

"I take it this applies to real life." the taller woman took one of her pawns and moved it two squares.

"Naturally."

"Personally, I find chess to be easier than reality. It just seems more straightforward."

The young ruler hummed noncommittally, gaze never leaving the chessboard. "Did you know there are two types of people I favor?"

"Milady?" Perse looked at her curiously.

"There are the righteous fools, people who fight to defend their beliefs because they think them to be the correct path. They are even willing to die for them. And then you have the self-serving fools." Circe picked up her knight piece, staring as she twirled it between her fingers. "They are the ones that will do what they believe is best for themselves, taking every opportunity to ensure their own survival and interest."

"And why is it these people you think of so highly?"

"Because they're both the same." the Cyclonian girl smirked. "Once you figure out how a person works, what it is they desire, it's all too easy to get them to do what you want."

She set the black knight back on the board, right where she wanted it.

---

(Terra Atmosia)

Right outside the beacon tower, Carver parked his Chariot and dismounted. He walked up to the entrance, taking a moment to look towards the sky. Silently, he stared at the light that shone and protected the Terra.

"Pardon me, Carver, but what is it we're doing here?" asked one of the Red Eagles standing behind him.

"Just making a quick pick-up for someone." he replied, not taking his eyes off the light. A small exhale let him. After months of planning, the day was finally here. Everything was about to change.

For him, and Atmos.

"Sir, is something wrong?"

"That depends on your point of view." Carver's hand went to the weapon strapped to his side, grabbing the hilt. "Gentlemen… It's been an honor flying with you."

He spun around to face them, blade drawn.

---

"Okay, it's one thing if you wanna taste test like one scoop. But who in their right mind gets an entire sundae of ice cream that's octopus flavored? I mean, aren't you supposed to cook octopi on the grill instead of freezing it into a dessert?"

"It's actually not that bad once you give it a chance." Junko told Finn. A large glass bowl was set before him, filled with a small tower of red-colored ice cream scoops, topped with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, cherries, and bananas. "Here, just take a bite."

Finn and Stork both leaned back in their chairs when he held out a spoonful of his not-so-sweet treat, grimacing at the bits of tentacle they saw in it. There was one spot on it that looked terrifyingly similar to an eyeball.

"You know, uh… turns out, I'm allergic to anything with suction cups." the Merb informed.

"Yeah, I'm- I'm gonna have to pass on that, buddy." the blond nodded.

"Suit yourself." the Wallop shrugged before pulling back the ice cream and shoving it into his mouth. He soon made quick work of eating more of his sundae.

"Okay, I think I just lost my appetite. Forever." Stork said blankly, tossing his cone of plain vanilla into a nearby trash can. Finn gagged, trying his best to keep down his strawberry banana.

Not that far off, Piper giggled at the exchange before turning around, leaning her elbows against the stone railing. Accessed by a small flight of stairs, the ice cream parlor they found was on top of a patio. The counter the server stood behind held a handful of flavors, protected by the sun's bright rays by an awning. Around were chairs, tables, and benches for customers to sit down and enjoy their ice cream and other frozen treats available.

While taking a bite of her mango sherbet, Piper looked at the view of the city square. Children played innocently in the traffic-free streets, people going in and out of the stores and boutiques lined up in a row. Couples sat under planted trees or on the marble fountain spraying crystal-clear water. Everywhere she looked, everyone looked so peaceful and happy. It was understandable since Atmosia was considered one of the safest Terras in Atmos. And it was all thanks to the Aurora Stone and Red Eagles.

A small smile stretched across her face, glad some people could live without worrying constantly about Cyclonia and its forces. She just hoped it would last.

"You feeling any better, Aerrow?" Piper asked, turning her head to look at the Sky Knight standing beside her. "The ice cream helps, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it's great." was his only reply, attention also on the square. However, his expression was more serious. And, judging by the way it was melting, he hadn't even tasted his blueberry.

"Aerrow." she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a knowing look when he turned to her.

The redhead sighed. "I'm sorry, Piper." he handed the ice cream to Raddar, who had been eyeing it hungrily ever since it was handed to him. "I guess I have too much on my mind to have an appetite after all."

"Still thinking about earlier, with the Council and Carver." she stated, getting a nod in response. "I get how you feel, really. I don't want everyone to see us as children either, we've seen things most adults haven't. If only there was some way to change their minds." she sighed.

"The whole formality thing is a crock, anyway." Finn said as he and the others came over and joined them by the railing. "You know what Ajax would say if he was here right now? He would say that some page in a book, and a couple of old geezers who have never even seen the battlefield themselves, aren't what make a Sky Knight Squadron. And they can shove their rules up their you know what."

Piper chuckled a bit. "Yeah, he would definitely say that."

"He also told us that, even if they let us be official, we wouldn't have the easiest time." Junko added, taking another bite of his half-finished sundae.

"Maybe we should just count our losses and go back to Terra Thessaly." Stork said, shielding his eyes from the Wallop stuffing his face with ice cream and tentacles. "You know, while we still have some dignity left to squash."

"No way." Arrow spoke up, adamant. "Giving up now would make all the years of hard work we did for nothing. We can't call it quits at the first obstacle that shows itself. Things may not be going our way so far, but I'm just not going to roll over and let others decide we can't be a real Squadron."

"And Ajax would say, spoken like a true Sky Knight." Finn grinned.

Raddar chirped in agreement, giving a thumbs up as leftover ice cream covered his muzzle.

"You know we're with you Aerrow, no matter what." Piper told him. "I'm sure we'll get our chance to prove ourselves eventually."

"Oh, sure, opportunity is just gonna fall right out of the sky and land at our feet." Stork's voice was fully laced with sarcasm.

Literally one second later, the bright blue sky above them darkened. The wind picked up, blowing fiercely and sending lighter objects flying. Citizens looked about in shock, panic quickly arising among their confusion.

"Why did I have to say that?" the Merb bemoaned.

"The beacon tower!" Junko pointed towards the distance with his spoon, directly at the tall structure that no longer bore any light. "It stopped… beaconing!"

"Something's happened to the Aurora Stone!" Piper exclaimed.

"Storm Hawks, to the Chariots!" Aerrow quickly jumped to action. "We need to check this out!"

"Uh, you think I could just meet you back at the Condor, instead?" Stork asked, causing the two small silver hoops on his pointed left ear to jingle as it twitched nervously.

"Come on, dude!" Finn pushed at his back while Piper grabbed his arm. "Junko, we gotta go!"

"Oh, uh, right!" the Wallop looked at the sundae he had yet to finish. He looked back and forth between it and his team, who had already made their way to the street. Letting out a forlorn sigh, he tossed the bowl and spoon away and quickly followed after them.

The Squadron ran to the city center, climbing aboard their awaiting Chariots and starting them up. They wasted no time heading towards the tower, cobblestone giving way to a dirt path. Trees blurred in their eyes as they raced up the tall hill where the structure was built. It wasn't long before they made it to the top, and were greeted with the most unexpected, dreadful sight.

"What happened?" was all a stunned Finn could say, Stork riding in the back of the Artemis.

Though the doors to the tower were wide open, what lay before them was the center of their focus. Destroyed Chariots were scattered haphazardly on the ground, along with what remained of their pilots. The members of the Red Eagles Squadron were motionless, blood almost as red as the emblems they wore gathering underneath them to form a large pool.

"Oh my God…" Piper held a hand to her mouth, horrified along with the rest. This wasn't her or anyone else's first time seeing a dead body. However, it was never easy to see those lifeless, dull eyes staring up at you.

Aerrow had to get over his shock to look at the scene properly. Judging by the fresh wounds on the Red Eagles, they had met their end not that long ago. He also noted the lack of signs indicating a struggle, meaning their attacker caught them by surprise. Whoever it was, they were as strong as they were fast.

"Guys!" Junko shouted from where he was kneeling beside a fallen Red Eagle, Raddar sniffing him. "I think there's someone still alive!"

The rest of the team rushed over, Aerrow getting down next to the Wallop to check on the man. The front of his uniform was ripped apart, showing the deep wound on his chest. A large, ugly jagged scar was embedded in his skin, blood painting it a sickening crimson and almost covering the burn marks around it.

This was the work of a Firebolt Crystal, the go-to arsenal for the Talons of Cyclonia.

"Who did this to you?" Aerrow asked the Red Eagle member, who was struggling to breathe and keep his eyes open. "Was it the Cyclonians?"

"C-Car…" the man tried to speak, unexpectedly going into a coughing fit. Blood shot out of his mouth, even more gushing out of his wound.

"Aerrow, he needs medical attention right now!" Piper told the redhead.

"Uh, I don't think we'll have much time to get it." Stork spoke up. While he was a pessimist, it was obvious to him and everyone how this was going to end for the man.

The Red Eagle's hand came up, grabbing Aerrow's arm and making him look right into his eyes. The light was fading from them at an alarming rate.

"C-Carver…" he spoke weakly. "Crystal… get… h-help…" his fingers squeezed around the young Sky Knight briefly before they loosened, hand falling to the ground.

The Storm Hawks stared silently as Aerrow placed his fingers against the man's neck. After a moment, he let out a low exhale and leaned back. Closing the Red Eagle's eyelids, he stood up and looked at the others.

"Carver isn't here…" he said, pointing out the absence of the Squardon's leader. "He must have gone after whoever attacked them, trying to stop them from getting to the Aurora Stone."

"What should we do now, Aerrow?" Finn asked. "Call in for backup?"

"I'm all for getting far, far away from here." Stork interjected.

The redhead thought about it, the best course of action would be to inform the Sky Knight Council of what was happening. However, they were most likely already aware since the skies turned dark. Considering what happened to the other Red Eagles, and the dying man's last words, there was a chance Carver was injured and needed help. Regardless, he didn't have time to second-guess himself.

"We're going in." Aerrow told them, expression hardening. "If we go back now, it'll be too late. The Aurora Stone is in danger and it's our job as a Squadron to protect it. Are you all with me?"

Piper looked at the fallen Red Eagles, their skin pale and bloody. As unnerving as the scene was, she knew this was what they signed up for when they chose to become a Squadron together years ago. If she backed out now, she could never go forward again.

Steeling herself, Piper pulled out her crystal staff and looked at Aerrow, nodding firmly. Though initially hesitant, Finn and Junko pulled out their respective weapons. Raddar chattered from the ground, raring to go. Everyone looked at Stork expectantly.

"As much as I would love to run all the way back to the Condor…" he moved forward to avoid stepping in blood. "I feel safer sticking with all of you."

"Alright, Storm Hawks." Aerrow faced the opened tower doors, reaching behind him. He grabbed the handles of his twin blades strapped to his back and drew them. "Let's move out."

They hurried inside, going up the incredibly long, spiral staircase that led to the top of the tower. Every few steps or so, small droplets of blood were splattered on the stone surface.

"You would think this place would have like an elevator or something." Finn remarked in a hushed whisper, peeking over the edge of the staircase and taking in how far they had gone up. One wrong step and they would be as dead as the Red Eagles outside.

"At least, this way, we'll have the element of surprise." Piper told him.

"Still, whoever designed this tower could have bothered to install a guard rail." Stork complained, pressing his back against the wall and crawling slowly along.

"Just stay calm and keep an eye out." Aerrow said. "We're almost at the top. Hopefully, Carver's managed to hold the intruder off."

Soon enough, the team arrived on the landing that led to a large, circular room. Metal beams supported the roof and separated tall openings, which gave a bird's eye view of Terra Atmosia. In the center was an elevated platform with a pedestal hooked up to a mechanical device hanging above it. Where the Aurora Stone should have been, was only a vacant space.

"The Aurora Stone really has been taken." Piper voiced the obvious.

"The intruder had to have come the same way we did." Aerrow stated. "Unless they decided to jump, we would have come across them already. So they still have to be here."

"You would be right about that."

The group turned, seeing someone step out of the shadows on the other side of the room. The first thing they noticed was the bright blue-purple crystal encased in a metal wing. Immediately after, they realized who was holding it.

"Carver?" Aerrow blinked once in surprise. Taking a quick survey of the room, he confirmed that the only ones present were him, his team, and the other Sky Knight. In an instant, things began to click into place. "Don't tell me…"

"No!" Piper got the same idea, eyes widening in disbelief. "You can't be-"

"Taking the Aurora Stone to its new home on Cyclonia?" Carver walked up the platform steps, standing on top and looking down at the Squadron.

"You were totally right about the whole not meeting your heroes thing." Finn mumbled to Stork.

"How… How could you do this?!" Aerrow could barely hold back his anger. "You're supposed to be a Sky Knight!"

"A Sky Knight who sees which way the winds are blowing. Atmos can fight for as long and hard as it wants, but all it will do is prolong the inevitable. This war has been going on for too long, it's about time it ended. I just plan to be on the winning side when it does."

"And killing your Squadron? Was that part of your plan?"

Craver's expression was unreadable, looking at the crystal he held for a brief moment. "Some things are worth making sacrifices for." his voice was low, almost unheard by the group.

"Nothing good could ever come from trading the lives of others for your own gain." the redhead glared.

"You're too young to understand what it really means to survive, and I don't have time to explain it. I have a delivery to make for Master Cyclonis."

Aerrow brandished his blades. "I'm not letting you leave with that crystal."

"Heh." Carver smirked in amusement, pocketing the Aurora Stone. "You're welcome to try and stop me." he pulled out his sword, fresh blood running across the sharp blade's edge. Attached to the end of the hilt was a deep red crystal.

"A gift from Cyclonis, I take it?"

"There are quite a few perks to being one of her spies." the older man said as the Firebolt Crystal activated, covering his weapon in a matching glow of energy.

Aerrow's blades became covered in a similar glow but were bright sky-blue. The rest of the Storm Hawks stood at the sidelines, watching anxiously as the Sky Knights stared each other down. A single bolt of lightning crashed against the dark clouds outside, illuminating the room for one brief moment.

Carver made the first move, lunging off the platform with his sword poised to strike. Aerrow jumped out of the way before the attack could hit. When the other landed on the floor, he charged forward and slashed one of his blades at his chest. The older man blocked the weapon with his own, quickly moving his head back a split second later when its twin aimed for his neck.

The redhead moved back to put some distance between them. He saw Carver cut the air vertically, sending a jagged bolt of energy from his weapon straight for him. Leaping into the air, the attack scorched the spot he was just standing in. With a backflip, he landed on the platform and straightened out. His opponent grinned mockingly and beckoned him to come on with his hand.

Aerrow threw one of his blades at him, causing him to turn to the side and watch it become embedded into the ledge surrounding the room. Once distracted, the young Sky Knight jumped towards him, slashing down his other blade. However, Carver faced him in time to block it with his sword. The two pushed against one another, small sparks flying between their weapons. Physically stronger, the older man began to get the upper hand and forced the younger down.

Before his knees could touch the floor, the redhead hooked his foot around the other's ankle and pulled. The unexpected loss of balance made Carver fall back, but he recovered in time to push himself up with one hand and get on his feet again. He held up his sword and deflected the other's next attack, both blades clashing against one another repeatedly.

"You got this, Aerrow!" Finn cheered. "He's got this, right?" he asked the others.

"Aerrow might have talent and training, but Carver is way more experienced." Piper replied, not taking her eyes off the fight for even a moment. "Aerrow's at a real disadvantage."

Her statement was proven true as the older man now had the younger on the defensive. His attacks came in harder and swifter, barely giving the other a chance to breathe as he was forced back. The slashes he couldn't block, Aerrow felt them on his skin when they cut through his uniform. His arms, legs, and even his sides suffered from the blows. One wrong move and the next thing sliced open could be his throat.

When Carver pulled his sword back far enough, that's when an opportunity presented itself. Quickly, he raised his knee and slammed it against the other's stomach. This threw off his momentum and made him stagger. Now it was Aerrow's turn for offense.

Due to the lightness of his blade, his attacks came in even faster than his opponent's. Carver tried to stand his ground, but it became harder to keep up with the young Sky Knight. He slashed his sword vertically, sending out another energy blot. A split second before it could hit, Aerrow spun in a full circle. He felt the heat of the attack through his uniform as it shot past him to the other side of the room, hitting a column. As he faced his opponent again, he slashed his weapon.

Not enough time to block with his sword, Carver instinctively held up his arm. A loud cry escaped him as the blade sliced the exposed skin not protected by his arm guards. Jumping back, he looked at the blood flowing from the long gash in disbelief. It quickly gave way to anger as he turned his glaring eyes back on the redhead.

Aerrow charged and aimed his weapon at the older man. This time, Carver deflected it with his sword. His leg rose, kicking the other in the chest. The young Sky Knight fell to the ground, but he did a quick roll and got back on his feet. Blade poised to strike, he lunged at his opponent once more.

Carver blocked his attack again, his free hand curling into a fist and slamming hard against the younger one's stomach. Aerrow gave an air-less gasp, barely feeling his opponent grabbing and throwing him. He tumbled across the floor until his back hit the ledge. Regaining the ability to use his lungs, the redhead pushed himself up to one knee. He looked up, seeing his opponent stalking towards him.

"You made an oath…" Aerrow panted. "You swore to protect Atmos and its people. Was whatever Cyclnois offered you worth turning your back on everything?"

"You really fancy yourself a Sky Knight, don't you?" Carver sneered. "Things like honor and protecting the weak mean nothing in war. It's just too bad you won't be around long enough to realize that." he raised his sword.

The redhead held up his blade, barely making it in time to block the other. He fought against him, but his current position was making it difficult.

"Aerrow!" Piper went to try and help, but Junko held her back.

"Oh! Tell me when it's over!" Stork covered his eyes with his hands. Not even a second later, he peeked through his fingers.

"Did you honestly expect to beat me!" Carver pushed harder against him, the long blade getting dangerously closer to the younger's face

The hot energy surrounding the sword was felt on his skin. If he didn't do something soon, burn marks would be the least of his worries.

"You may have the uniform, the gear, the emblem, but that means nothing. In the end, you're nothing more than a little boy playing pretend."

Something was set alight in Aerrow, a mixture of anger and determination. He was getting tired of hearing people underestimating him. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on his weapon and looked straight at the other's face, eyes narrowed. "No. I'm. Not!"

With one hard push, the glow of his blade gave an almost blinding flash. This unexpected combo caused Carver to stumble back in surprise. Taking the chance, Aerrow shot to his feet and went to where his other blade was waiting, pulling it from the ledge.

He turned to his opponent and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he touched his two blades together and concentrated. The energy around them became bigger and brighter, causing the other Storm Hawks to shield their eyes. Though taken aback, Carver quickly recovered and charged forward, sword poised for one fatal attack.

Aerrow lifted the weapons above his head, feeling the power in them surging through him and coating his entire body in a sky-blue glow. When he opened his eyes, they were also glowing. With one swift motion, he brought the blades down and aimed them at the older man.

A great ball of energy shot out, going straight for Carver and hitting him dead center. In a bright flash of light, he was sent flying until he hit the pedestal. He landed unceremoniously on the platform, struggling to try and stand. Eventually, he collapsed completely, slipping off to the floor below and lying motionlessly.

Silence filled the room as everyone stared at the fallen, traitorous Sky Knight. A beat later, the rest of the Storm Hawks began to cheer as Aerrow put away his twin blades, the glow around him blinking out. He walked across the room and picked the Aurora Stone from the floor. It was knocked off Carver when his attack hit. Thankfully, it didn't appear to be damaged in any way.

"Aerrow, you did it!" Piper rushed over and hugged him around the neck. "That was incredible!"

"How did you do that just now?" Junko asked in amazement.

"Honestly, I'm not totally sure." Aerrow answered, using one arm to return Piper's embrace. "One second, I was struggling against Carver. The next, I was pulling off that move."

That was more or less true, it was the first time he had used such an attack. During his fight, the only thing on his mind was to win. Before he knew it, the idea for the move and how to do it came into his head. He remembered that Ajax and Piper once told him the Blue Striker Crystals powering his blades were as special as they were rare, the full extent of their capabilities still unknown. If that move was any indication, he had just unlocked one of them.

"We are definitely the real deal now, dude!" Finn exclaimed. "By the way, you got a name for that awesome move?"

"I think…" Aerrow mulled it over for a moment as he and Piper separated. "Lightning Claw has a nice ring to it." he smiled at his team.

Walking up the platform, he placed the Aurora Stone back on its pedestal. Hovering between it and the machine above, the crystal began to glow exponentially.

Outside, the dark cloud immediately disappeared, revealing the bright blue sky from earlier. The sun almost rivaled the bright light that once again shone from the top of the tower.

---

With the Aurora Stone returned to where it belonged, the Storm Hawks didn't have to wait long for the authorities of Atmosia to arrive on the scene. After not hearing from the Red Eagles, they came to see what the situation was. It wasn't hard to convince them of Carver and his treachery, not with the bodies of his former Squadron still lying outside the tower doors.

In less than half an hour, Aerrow and his team watched a handcuffed Carver being led away by a pair of guards. As they were passing them, he came to an abrupt stop and turned to the one who managed to beat him.

"You may think you've won, but the worst is yet to come. Your fighting is meaningless, the Cyclonia Empire will continue to rise. And…" he got in the younger boy's face, voice low with warning. "Master Cyclonis isn't fond of those who stand between her and what she wants."

Aerrow stared, unwavering, as Carver was grabbed by the guards and dragged away. He didn't take his eyes away until they were out of sight. A hand on his shoulder made him look at Piper, who smiled reassuringly at him. He returned the gesture.

Then the sound of someone clearing their throat made the Squadron turn their heads. Approaching them was Councilor Jupiter, flanked by two other council members.

"Pardon me, ah… Storm Hawks. We'd like a word with you if you don't mind."

"Ah ha! You see?" Finn nudged Junko. "I bet this is the part where they beg us to protect the Terra." he grinned excitedly.

---

After a meeting with the Sky Knight Council, the team returned to the Condor. They gathered in the bridge, which was located in the bow of the ship, to discuss the request that was asked of them. Long story short, it wasn't quite what they expected.

"I can't believe all they want us to do is go get help!" Finn complained, sitting at a large round table, the team's emblem painted on its surface.

"Finn! Because of Carver, Terra Atmosia is without a Sky Knight Squadron to protect it!" Piper, the only one not sitting down, pointed out. "And that includes the Aurora Stone!"

"Ah!" Aerrow hissed lowly, his body flinching. "A little bit more gentle there, Junko."

"Sorry about that." the Wallop apologized, his large pointed ears folding back in guilt. Carefully, he dabbed an alcohol-soaked cotton ball at one of the cuts on the redhead's arm. "If it helps, I don't think any of these will leave a scar."

"Good to hear, thanks." the Sky Knight smiled appreciatively.

"Aerrow, don't you think we could be doing something more useful rather than being the Council's lackeys?" Finn questioned.

"I know it's not ideal, Finn, but Piper has a point. Atmosia needs a Squadron before Cyclonia has a chance to attack. And it's an actual mission from the Sky Knight Council, this could be our chance to prove ourselves."

"What, and you kicking Carver's butt wasn't?" the blond scoffed, letting out a sigh soon after. "But if you think this is what we should do, might as well do it so good they've got no choice but to make us official."

"That's the spirit." Aerrow gave a small grin as Junko put bandages on his injuries. "We'll do a quick check to make sure we have everything we need before going to get reinforcements. I want us airborne in the next hour. Everyone, understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the rest of the team responded in unison.

Raddar chirped, standing up straight and giving a salute. The young Sky Knight rubbed his head, making his tail wag.

While the others went off to get a rundown on the ship, Aerrow stayed at the table and thought about their current situation. So much had gone down in such a short amount of time. They came to Terra Atmosia to become an official Squadron, only to be met with ridicule and doubt. Now they were going to leave with an important task at hand.

Recalling what Finn said earlier, there was a chance the Sky Knight Council would change their minds if they completed this mission as best they could. Getting reinforcements sounded easy enough, but Carver's betrayal reminded him that anything you least expected could happen whenever and wherever.

Standing up, Aerrow walked out of the bridge with Raddar beside him. He hoped this mission would go off without a hitch. But a feeling in his gut refused to let him believe that would come true.

---

(Terra Cyclonia)

The door to what was the former throne room split open, allowing Dark Ace to walk in, Ravess and Snipe trailing behind him. They came to stand on top of the enlarged crow symbol engraved on the floor. A few feet away, Cyclonis stood in front of her multi-armed, mechanical machine, typing away at the keyboards.

"Master Cyclonis." Dark Ace announced himself, placing his arm against his chest and bowing his head along with the two captains.

"I heard something very interesting not that long ago." the young sovereign spoke, keeping her back to them. "Carver has failed his mission in bringing the Aurora Stone. Not only that, but it turns out he was defeated by a Sky Knight who claims to be leading the Storm Hawks."

"It's just a rumor, Your Highness." he said without a shred of doubt in his voice. "The Storm Hawks were wiped out years ago."

Cyclonis slammed her fist on one of the keyboards. Dark Ace was the only one in the room who didn't flinch as the sound echoed off the walls. A tense silence followed soon after.

"Rumor or not, I want this dealt with immediately." the sovereign demanded, her tone leaving no room for questions. "Go to Atmosia and bring me the stone." she twisted her head far enough to grant them a view of her narrowed eye. "I expect this to be done with no mistakes."

"I will make sure that it doesn't." the older man vowed, bowing to her. He turned to the two standing behind him. "Ravess! Snipe! Gather your Talons, we'll be leaving at once."

As the three left, one of the Talon soldiers standing on guard discreetly watched through red visor goggles. When the door closed after them, they glanced to where Cyclonis silently fumed on the platform.

Staring at her machine, fists clenched at her sides, the sovereign almost felt her teeth crack from gritting them together fiercely. After months of planning, her scheme was already being uprooted by an unnamed Sky Knight. If they were in her presence right now, she would turn their brain to mush and watch the remains ooze out of their ears. No one was allowed to interfere with her goals and walk away like it was nothing.

In her seething thoughts, her mind drifted to Circe. She imagined the other girl by her side, smirking as she teased Cyclonis for needing to control her temper. Her sister was always the calm one, she never once saw her lose her cool, even when they were children. It was a fact that Circe would have handled this matter with more decorum.

Taking a deep breath, Cyclonis willed herself to relax, even if it was just a little bit. What happened with Carver was unfortunate, but she told herself it was only a small setback. There was still time for her plans to work. She had faith that Dark Ace would bring her the Aurora Stone, he wasn't made general of her army for no reason.

Placing her hands on the middle keyboard, Cyclonis decided she could afford to be patient for a while longer.

---

After checking their supplies and making sure the Condor was able to fly, it had a habit of being a bit temperamental in its condition, the Storm Hawks were now leaving Atmosia. All with ten minutes to spare. They gathered on the bridge again to discuss their next course of action.

Piper stood before the team, standing next to a map of Atmos propped up on a stand. She used a pointer to indicate where they were going. "We'll contact the Buff Buzzards of Terra Blusteria first, then make our way to Tropica. And, no, Finn, we will not have time for a surfing break."

The blond pouted, tossing away the surfboard he held under his arm. "You know, what exactly is the big deal about some dumb crystal, anyway?"

"You never did pay attention in Crystallography back at the Academy." the dark-skinned girl sighed. "The Aurora Stone is not some 'dumb crystal', it's the very symbol of Atmos."

"It's also the most powerful crystal to ever be found." Aerrow added. "That's more than enough reason for Cyclonis to want it."

"And, if she does manage to get her hands on it, let's not forget the eternal darkness, plague of evil, and endless suffering that would most certainly follow." Stork interjected.

"Okay, okay, I get the point." Finn said. "Crystal goes to Cyclonia, everyone is doomed."

"Exactly. Which is why we-"

Piper was suddenly cut off when an alarm sounded throughout the ship. Stork pulled down the bridge's periscope and looked through the ocular lenses, observing the area around them. He let out a nervous squeak and turned to the others.

"You know all that horrible stuff I mentioned? Well, looks like it's starting right now."

Aerrow took over the periscope, seeing what the Merb did. Flying over the clouds was a Cyclonian cruiser, easily four times bigger than the Condor. Around it was a horde of Talon soldiers on Chariots. It was all too clear where they were heading.

"The Cyclonians are already here." he told the team, putting the periscope up. "We won't have time to get help, we'll have to hold them off on our own."

The Squadron looked at one another, shocked their first real battle was so soon. This was not going to be a pretty fight.

"Everyone, battle stations!"

"Okay, uh…" Piper went over to the box she placed on the table and pulled out a map of the area, unrolling it as the other Chariot pilots rushed out of the bridge. "I can use my last Drizzle Crystal for cloud cover. And then we'll need some extra time for the Slim Sluggers to gel… What the heck am I saying, that's the worst plan ever!" the incessant buzzing of the alarm didn't help with her thinking, either.

"In light of my immediate demise, I, Stork, due hereby bequeath all my worldly possessions to… Oh, who am I kidding, they're all gonna be destroyed, anyway." Stork crumpled the paper he was writing on, tossing it away as he went over to the ship's controls.

---

In the hangar bay, Aerrow, Finn, and Junko were racing to get their Chariots ready for battle. They checked on fuel, ammunition, and crystal arsenal, making sure there was nothing wrong with the rides that could hinder them.

"Uh, Finn, you sure you need that many?" the Wallop asked, seeing the blond was stocking up the most on crystal-tipped arrows.

"Hey, Artemis and I are not taking any chances, buddy." he replied, loading an armful of the larger-sized projectiles for his Chariot's weapon.

Even though they still felt underprepared, the pilots had no choice but to be anything but. They climbed on their mechanical vehicles, starting them up and seeing all systems were a go on the screens. The young Sky Knight was placed in front while the other two were behind him.

"Alright, guys, this is the real deal." Aerrow told them, Raddar clinging to his back. "I'm sure you're nervous as all get out. I am, too. But this is our chance to prove to anyone who ever doubted us wrong. Just remember everything Ajax taught us and we'll be fine. And try not to… you know, get hit."

---

On the bridge, Piper and Stork overheard his speech through the intercom system. They looked at one another.

"Eh." the Merb shrugged, holding his hand flat and shaking it a bit.

---

"The beginning and middle weren't bad, but the ending needs a little work." Finn criticized

"You can give me notes later." Aerrow retorted. "Right now, we've got to fly. Stork, open the hangar!"

Almost immediately, a loud buzz sounded out and the hangar door began to lower. His grip on the handlebars tightened. As nervous as he felt about going into battle for the first time, he was just as anxious to get out there. He had been training for this since Ajax took him in when he was only ten years old. He had no intention of failing.

Once that blue sky was in full view, Aerrow pumped the throttle and the Jason took off. With Finn and Junko not far behind him, they raced across the Condor's landing strip, driving off the edge and into the air. Switching to Flight Mood, the wings of their Chariots extended and headed straight for the oncoming Cyclonian fleet.

"No matter what, keep them off Terra Atmosia!" the young Sky Knight told them through the vehicle's comm links.

"Roger that!" Finn and Junko responded.

---

"General, we have enemies incoming."

"I guess Terra Atmosia managed to find a replacement Squadron in time, after all." Dark Ace remarked, standing on the warship's bridge with its commander and officers. "How many are there?"

"From what we can tell, one carrier ship and three Chariot pilots."

"They must be quite an arrogant bunch to be coming at us with such low numbers." he smirked. "Tell Ravess and Snipe they are clear for launch. This shouldn't be too much of a challenge for them."

"Sir!"

---

"Here they come!" Aerrow saw the horde of Talons split into two groups.

One led by a man with blue hair, the other by a magenta-haired woman. Strangely enough, the Talons following her were playing violins while flying. They didn't have time to question that as they started to attack, shooting munitions right at them.

"Evade!" the young Sky Knight ordered.

The trio split up to avoid getting hit, quickly returning fire. They managed to take down some of the enemy forces before the rest got in for closer combat.

One Talon crashed the side of his Chariot into Junko's. Quickly, the Wallop hit his Knuckle Busters together, coating them in green energy. With a shout, he slammed one fist down on where the engine lay. The Talon began to go down, jumping off the vehicle and pulling the parachute on his back before he reached the clouds below.

The Wallop soon saw more coming after him, trying to avoid getting hit by their ammunition. He didn't have to worry about taking too much damage due to the Heracles's bulkier armor. Turning the Chariot around, he fired his crystal-filled missiles at the Talons. He managed to take down most of them, the enemy vehicles exploding upon contact.

As he went to face off against another one, something heavy suddenly hit the back of his ride. Surprised, Junko looked up and saw a midnight blue Chariot coming at him from above. The man riding it pointed his mace at him and the red spiked head flew from its handle, attached to a thick chain. He maneuvered out of the way, barely avoiding the attack. With a slow turn, he fired missiles and bullets at the enemy, but he couldn't land a hit.

On the other side of the battlefield, Finn was putting the crystal arrows he stockpiled to good use. With a wide variety, he either short-circuited the enemies' Chariots with Electro Crystals or froze their engines with Cryos. He even hit the Talon pilots with Paralyzers, knocking them unconscious and making them disappear into the clouds. Each shot he made hit its target.

"And they said I packed too many arrows." he said to himself, aiming with his Chariot's built-in crossbow.

Once he had another in his sights, he fired the crystal-tipped weapon. However, just before it could reach its mark, another arrow appeared out of nowhere and destroyed it. Gaping in shock, Finn turned to where it had come from. Flying in from the side with two Talons, the woman with magenta hair stood on the seat of her hot pink Chariot, holding a bow like a violin. She even ran an arrow across its bowstring as if she were playing it as one.

While he admitted she was good to look at, the blond did not like the menacing look on her face as she set her sights on him. Holding the bow correctly now, she loaded her crystal-tipped arrow and fired. He screamed as it hurled through the air, trying to move the Artemis out of the way. The attack hit one of his wings and sent him spiraling.

Finn managed to get his ride back under control, taking a moment to overcome his dizziness. Then he focused on the female archer and her cronies. Loading up more of his ammunition, he fired in rapid succession. His attacks hit the two Chariot engines of the Talons, both exploding.

"Chika-Cha!" he exclaimed victoriously. However, it was short-lived as the woman was now coming after him.

As he tried to hold her off, Aerrow was preoccupied himself. He flew swiftly around the ammo fired by the Talons he faced. With Raddar holding onto his back tightly, he maneuvered the Jason to turn sideways, flying right through the space between two enemy Chariots. Now behind them, he straightened out and opened fire on them. His attack hit one, making the pilot lose control and crash into another Talon. Their rides rapidly descended and disappeared into the clouds.

When another enemy came his way, he flew straight for him and pulled out one of his twin blades, sky-blue energy quickly coating it. The Talon aimed at him, soon pulling the trigger. Before the attack could land, the young Sky Knight dove his Chariot down. Below the enemy, he lifted his weapon and sliced it through the bottom of the machine unit. When he got to the other side, the Talon's ride exploded, and fiery pieces of it rained down.

---

"They're handling themselves pretty well out there." Piper said, observing the battle through the periscope. "Stork, get us closer to that cruiser and prepare to open fire. Just don't hit anyone we know, okay?"

"Aye! Aye!" he responded, steering the Condor towards the larger ship.

As they got closer, the navigator quickly started the cannons from the control panel. They extended out from the side of the carrier ship and shot large blasts of blue energy. Some of them hit the Talons that flew towards them.

The Merb maneuvered the Condor so it flew right by the other ship, going in the opposite direction as some of its attacks landed. However, the warship fired from its own numerous cannons with shoots of deadly red energy. Most managed to hit, but not the smaller ship. Instead, they collided with a blue, holographic energy shield. While it did protect the Condor from damage, the ones inside had to brace themselves from the harsh vibrations.

"Turn us around for another attack!" Piper ordered when the Condor made it past the Cyclonian ship, Stork quickly doing as she said.

---

"Bring up our energy shields! And get me a visual of that carrier ship!" Dark Ace demanded. "Let's see what Squadron we're dealing with here."

A large screen on the front of the bridge came to life, showing a view of the aerial battlefield. It switched between different scenes before finally focusing on their opponents. The general's eyes went impossibly wide once he saw the soaring hawk symbol painted on the enemy's ship.

"It can't be…" he didn't want to believe the rumor was true. There was no way the Storm Hawks could still be active, there hasn't been a word about them in ten years. If their carrier was flying in the air right now, then that means… "Show me the pilots! Now!" he barked.

Immediately, he saw Ravess in an archery match with a blond on a blue and yellow Chariot, the Artemis. Snipe chasing after a Wallop on one that was green and blue, the Heracles. But the one that truly captured his attention was the last pilot.

For one, brief moment, he thought he was staring at the face of a ghost. Red-haired, the pilot flew his red and blue Chariot and took out their Talon soldiers with surprising ease. Coming out of his state of shock, he realized this person was much younger than the one he thought he saw, eyes green instead of dark. The rider might be different, but there was no mistaking that Chariot.

"General?" the ship's commander watched him turn around and walk to the bridge door.

"I'm going out there." was all Dark Ace said, heading for the hanger bay.

---

"Storm Hawks! I think it's time to switch to Battle Mode." Aerrow said through the comms link after he destroyed two more Talon Chariots.

"I was hoping you would say that!" Junko replied, having trouble with the mace-wielder after him.

"About time, I say!" Finn fired an arrow at the female archer, but she easily deflected it with her own. "Time for you to shine, Artemis."

The three Storm Hawks pushed up the gear shifts of their Chariots twice, pulling the handlebars into the proper positions as "Battle Mode" appeared on their screens. Instantly, their machines shifted into their humanoid robotic unit forms, pulling out their respective weapons.

"Hey, Sis!" Snipe spoke into his machine's comms link. "I bet I can destroy one of them before you do!"

"Always the competitive musclehead." Ravess grumbled. "Talons, engage Battle Mode!" she ordered her followers.

Soon, the rest of the Cyclonia fleet were flying in their own transformed Chariots, holding weapons themselves. Ravess's bow loaded a crystal-tipped arrow from the palm while Snipe's held a mace with spikes even longer than his. The Talons were armed with swords or assault rifles.

"I believe in you, baby." Finn said as he had the Artemis aim at the female archer's unit with its crossbow.

He fired once he had her in his sight, the Electro Crystal arrow sailing through the air. However, she managed to dodge with a surprising amount of grace. Cursing, he quickly shot as many as possible, but all of his attacks were avoided or deflected with the enemy's bow.

"Do you honestly expect to hit me with that sloppy form?" Ravess mocked. "Allow Apollo and I to show you what real archery looks like."

Her Chariot pulled back its bowstring, not waiting a second before releasing. The Firebolt Crystal arrow hit the Artemis in the right leg, sparks of electricity and steam coming off it now. Finn tried to move it, but the mechanical body part was dead. He didn't have time to mourn as Ravess was already loading another arrow. Flying back to put distance between them, he didn't let up in trying to land a hit as they fired back and forth at one another.

Junko wasn't having an easy time himself. One of the Heracles's gauntlet-covered fists shot out to punch his opponent's Chariot, but its mace came down and stopped the attack dead cold. He tried to push against it, but it would barely move.

"When it comes to strength, no one beats the Kratos!" Snipe boasted with a laugh. Shoving the other Chariot's arm to the side, he hit it with the giant mace like a baseball bat.

Heracles was sent a few feet back across the air, barely having time to recover before he was attacked again. Junko brought up its arms to block the crystal-spiked mace as it repeatedly hit his machine. Each attack was hard and heavy, dents appearing in his armor every few strikes. When the Kratos swung its weapon over its head, the Wallop made his Chariot grab it by the wrists to keep it from coming down. He pulled back the other arm for a punch.

Then the knee of the enemy's Chariot came up and slammed into the middle of the other. Caught off guard, Junko accidentally released his hold, allowing the mace to hit his machine's back and force him down.

While fighting against a Talon, Aerrow saw the trouble his friend was in. "Junko!"

He quickly sliced the enemy Chariot right down the middle with his machine's blades. As it exploded, he turned around and sped to where the Wallop was fighting. However, before he could get any closer, a jagged bolt of red energy shot in front of him. Forced to come to a halt, he looked around to try and see where it came from.

More blots appeared, one clipping the Jason in the left wing. Aerrow raced across the sky, doing his best to avoid getting hit. It was difficult to locate the source of the attacks as they seemed to be coming from all sides, one after the other. Raddar chirped nervously from his back.

"I know, I know." the young Sky Knight patched his comms link to the Condor. "Piper! I've got someone on my tail, but I can't pinpoint their location. Think you can get eyes on them?"

---

"Just give me one sec." Piper replied, looking through the periscope as Stork dodged attacks from the enemy ship.

She spotted where Aerrow's Chariot was, seeing him flying around and dodging the energy blasts. Whoever was attacking him, they were not letting up for a moment. Following the Jason, she watched it fly above the Cyclonian cruiser. Then she spotted something glinting among the clouds.

"Aha! Aerrow, I got them! They're right on top of…" her voice became lost as the white masses cleared and revealed what they were hiding.

"Piper? What's wrong?" Stork asked when she suddenly went quiet.

"No… Oh no, no, no, no." Piper's face contorted to one of panic. She had heard stories and seen glimpses on the news, but she didn't think she would be seeing it with her very own eyes. And in their first battle, too. "Aerrow! Aerrow, get out of there now! It's the Chariot of the Dark Ace! It's the Achilles!"

---

"Piper, what-" Aerrow was cut off when a warning notification appeared on his screen. An unidentified object was coming in from above him.

Just as he turned the Jason around, something slammed against the Chariot's middle. He braced himself as he crashed into the warship. Raddar chittered, holding onto his neck to keep from flying around the cockpit. Regaining his senses, the redhead looked through the vision sensors and saw what hit them.

Standing above the Jason was a tall, menacing Chariot in all-black armor with crimson wings, and a bloody vulture on its chest. Its red visor glared down at the other mechanical unit it held in place with its foot. In its right hand was a longsword, the blade coated in red energy.

Aerrow quickly brought up his weapons, blocking the enemy's attack when it swung its own down on him. He struggled against it, sparks flying between the blades. He tried to get the Jason to kick it off, but it moved back before it could hit. Quickly getting his machine to its feet, he prepared to fight. However, to his surprise, the other went still and the cockpit opened. A man with black hair and dressed in armor stood up. Even more confusing was when he gestured that he do the same.

Radarr chirped when the young Sky Knight went to release the hatch. Grabbing his arm, he shook his furry head rapidly.

"It's probably a trick." Aerrow said. "But, still…" he looked back at the waiting man. "I feel like I have to do this. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Allowing the cockpit to open, he stood up and faced the enemy pilot. They stared at one another silently as the wind blew wildly, almost forgetting the ongoing battle around them. The young Sky Knight's eyes were cautious while the Cyclonian's were more stoic and analytical.

"And what's a fledgling like you doing piloting the Jason?" Dark Ace questioned.

So he was familiar with his Chariot. "It was given to me." Aerrow answered. "As my birthright."

"Birthright?" the older man scoffed. "Looks more like to me you inherited a flying coffin. Tell me, boy, what's your name?"

"Aerrow, Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks. I already know who you are, Dark Ace."

"Ah, how nice to know my reputation is well-known by the younger generation."

"What do you want?" the redhead asked, narrowing his eyes. He didn't have time to play games.

"I wanted to see for myself what the so-called new Storm Hawks are made of. So far? I'm not very impressed. It would be wise on your part to turn around and fly away while I have enough kindness in me to grant you the chance."

"I don't run from a fight." Aerrow stated firmly.

"Is that so?" Dark Ace smirked. "Have it your way. Who knows, you might be able to make me break a sweat."

The redhead glared as the general laughed and got back in the cockpit. He did the same, both of their hatches closing at once. The Achilles took to the air first, the Jason flying after it. They poised their weapons and struck, pushing against one another for a moment before backing away. The two Chariots streaked across the sky, blue and red lights flashing every time they crossed blades.

Meanwhile, Junko was still on the ropes in his fight against Snipe. After getting some distance between them, he fired a series of missiles from a launcher on his Chariot's wrist. The attack was a wasted effort as the Kratos easily knocked each one aside with its mace. It was soon on the Heracles, knocking its weapon against its arm.

The Wallop straightened his machine out, trying to figure out his next move. He wasn't much of a strategist, but he might be able to incapacitate his opponent in some way. Like his Chariot, the Kratos wasn't very fast, built mainly for strength. Maybe he could use that to his advantage somehow.

The enemy's machine charged at him again. Trying to avoid getting hit, he deflected the mace with the gauntlets when he couldn't dodge. His opponent certainly had a knack for close-quarters combat. The Kratos's leg came up and kicked the Heracles back a few feet once again.

"I got you now!" Snipe yelled, preparing for the final strike.

His Chariot raised its mace over its head and swung. Halfway down, much to his surprise, the Storm Hawk's machine maneuvered to the side to dodge. He didn't have time to prevent it from raising its arm and punching one of the Kratos's wings. Then the Heracles grabbed its arm, spun around once, and threw it across the sky. As Junko went to fly after him, a pair of Talon soldiers blocked his path.

Snipe managed to straighten himself out, but flying with one destroyed wing quickly proved to be difficult. "Ravess! I got a busted wing!" he yelled into the comms link.

"Why did I actually think you could do something right for once?" the magenta-haired woman sighed wearily. "Go back to the cruiser to get it fixed, I'll take care of the rest here."

"No way! I can still-"

"A damaged wing is one of the worst disadvantages to have in aerial combat." she cut him off firmly. "Even you should have enough sense to know that."

As much as Snipe hated to admit it, his sister was right. He took a moment to look back at the Chariot his Talons were distracting, teeth gritting in anger. Cursing to himself, he flew back to the cruiser in a lopsided manner.

After cutting the comms link with the other captain, Ravess gripped the handlebars of the Apollo and focused her attention on the Chariot she was facing. She moved it across the sky, effortlessly evading the arrows the other fired at her. He might have taken down her Talons, but his inadequate skills were nothing when up against hers. When there was enough distance between them, she loaded a Firebolt Crystal-tipped arrow into her machine's bow.

"You're all mine." Ravess aimed at the other Chariot.

"Here we go, Artemis." Finn told his machine as he focused its crossbow on his opponent.

When they had their targets lined up, they fired in unison. Halfway, the attacks collided and exploded in a bright flash of light. When it disappeared, the blond was taken aback that his opponent had already fired a second arrow. He couldn't move his Chariot in time and it was hit right in the middle of its head.

Electricity sparked all around the Artemis, the wing engines suddenly going out. It soon began to freefall through the air. Finn tried to reboot the system, but everything was dead.

"Man going down! Man going down!" he yelled, even though the comms link was unusable now.

Junko saw the Artemis dropping and slammed together the two Talon Chariots he was holding by the arms. Flying through the explosion they made, he went straight for the other machine unit. If he went as fast as the Heracles could go, he just might make it.

Before Finn could disappear into the clouds, Junko reached him and grabbed his Chariot by the wrist. He put a hand around the middle of the Artemis and slung its arm over his machine's shoulder.

"I gotcha, buddy, don't worry." the Wallop reassured as he flew to find a safe spot to land, avoiding the remaining Talons.

It didn't look like the Condor wasn't an ideal choice at the moment. It was side by side with the Cyclonian warship, taking more hits than it gave. With the shields having gone down earlier, there was nothing to protect it from the onslaught of energy blasts. A thick cloud of black smoke came from the right engine.

---

"Shields are down! And one of our engines is badly damaged!" Stork exclaimed as the carrier ship shook violently with each attack. "We're getting clobbered by that cruiser's cannons! Piper, if we don't get out of here now, we're gonna lose the Condor!"

"But what about the others?!"

"It's not safe for them to board at this rate! Tell them they'll have to land on Atmosia!"

As much as Piper didn't want to turn tail and run, she knew Stork had a point. If they didn't act fast, there might not be a Condor left to salvage at the end of the day. She patched herself through to the pilots' comm links.

"Attention, Storm Hawks! The Condor is making a tactical retreat! If you need to land, head straight for Terra Atmosia. Stork, fly us out of here!"

The Merb nodded and immediately turned the ship around.

---

The Heracles and Artemis followed the Condor to Atmosia, Talon Chariots chasing after them. As for the Jason, it was still locked in combat with the Achilles. It tried to gain the upper hand, but the other machine never once gave it an opening.

With each attack the Jason gave, its opponent would counter and launch its own strike. It hadn't even been able to land one hit on the other Chariot. Strong and fast, the Achilles only served as a testament to the skills of its pilot.

Aerrow slashed one of his machine's blades at his opponent, only to be blocked by its sword. He tried to stab it with the other, but it merely turned sideways to dodge. Then its leg came up and kicked the Jason in the head and sent it tumbling through the air.

The redhead set his unit upright, barely having time to deflect an energy blot aimed at him. He flew away to evade a whole barrage that followed behind it. Using the blades, he managed to block most of them. However, one clipped the Jason in the shoulder. Raddar chirped loudly inside the shaky cockpit.

"So all those stories about him being Cyclonia's best fighter weren't complete exaggerations." Aerrow remarked as he got his Chariot steady.

He saw a notification appear on the screen, an unknown comm link was trying to patch through to the Jason. Before he could block it, the voice of Dark Ace filled the cockpit.

"I must admit, you've lasted longer than most Sky Knights. It's rather impressive. For a fledgling, that is."

Aerrow glared at the screen, practically hearing the smirk on his face. "Are you even taking this seriously?" he questioned, not seeing any sign of his opponent. He turned on the Chariot's scanner.

"More than you, apparently. Did you think you and your little Squadron could stop our fleet, protect the Aurora Stone, and be hailed as heroes? That would be disappointingly naive of you."

"I know the cost of being a Sky Knight." the redhead kept his eyes on the screen as the scanner checked the immediate area around him. "Getting in a Chariot, going onto the battlefield, you face death every second. One mistake and that's it for you. Despite that, I'm prepared to face anything no matter how dangerous it may be." he spoke with conviction.

"Very good." Dark Ace sounded genuinely pleased. "Then you also know what I said earlier was true. You'll be buried in that Chariot of yours."

The scanner picked up something. Coming right behind him.

The Achilles burst through the clouds, sword in mid-swing. The Jason brought up one of its blades, barely blocking the attack in time. It struggled against the other Chariot, getting pushed back through the air.

"I've been expecting some fancy move from you, little fledgling." Dark Ace said. "Don't tell me this is all you have up your sleeve."

"You wanna see it that badly?" Aerrow narrowed his eyes. "I'll be more than happy to show you."

He raised the Jason's leg and placed its foot against the Achilles's middle, pushing to separate them. When he was far enough, he straightened it out and touched the twin blades together. Like his own, Blue Striker Crystals were planted in his machine's weapons. He didn't have to guess how hard it was to find them in a size big enough to power them. But, if he managed to pull off the Lightning Claw again, imagine how much more powerful it would be fired from the Chariot.

Aerrow shifted the blade's energy to gather and concentrate on a singular point, where they intersected. As the Jason lifted the weapons above its head, a glow soon encased the machine. He saw the Achilles closing in and his finger rested on the trigger of the handlebar. It was essential to wait for the right moment, he couldn't afford to miss.

Raddar chirped nervously from his back, biting at his nails. He covered his eyes with his other hand.

"Not just yet…" the young Sky Knight said to himself, eyes never leaving his opponent.

Dark Ace got closer, brandishing his weapon and getting ready to strike. The distance between them shortened rapidly, he'd be on him in just a few seconds. When he passed the halfway mark, that's when the chance came up.

"Now!" Aerrow immediately lowered the blades and pulled the trigger.

A large ball of sky-blue energy shot from the weapons, flying straight for the Achilles. Dark Ace's eyes widened at the oncoming attack. It was half the size of his machine and he didn't have time to dodge. With no other choice, he held up the sword to block it, gripping the hilt in both hands.

The energy ball collided with his machine's weapon, forcing him back through the sky. He struggled to keep his position from wavering, the controls shaking in his hands. It was unknown how long he could hold the attack at bay.

Then, just as he was about to lose his grip, the collected energy dissipated into the air. The Achilles didn't drop its position, hovering in the sky. Dark Ace panted lightly as what just transpired fully registered in his mind. He had seen that attack before many times, but it was a first for him to be on the receiving end.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he caught a flash from above. Looking, the general saw the Jason coming straight for him, both blades slashing down. Instinctively, he held his machine's sword sideways, stopping the attack before it could hit him.

As they struggled against one another, Aerrow moved one of the weapons and aimed it at the machine's chest. Before it could hit its mark, the Achilles grabbed the other Chariot by the wrist. Its leg came up and kicked it away, soon grabbing it by the foot and giving it a pull. With the Jason off balance, Dark Ace stabbed the tip of the sword right in the middle of the unit, barely missing where the pilot was located.

Raddar screeched as sparks flew in the cockpit, feeling the Chariot beginning to fall. Aerrow tried to restart the system, hoping the engines would still be functional. Much to his relief, the wings fired up and the machine hovered in the air. He tested to find that the Jason could still move, but not by much.

While he thought about where he could land, the Achillies flew in from above. With one slash of its sword, it cut off the wing engines of the other machine unit. It then proceeded to kick it in the back. It pummeled through the air, heading straight for Terra Atmosia. It wouldn't be too long before they crashed into the center of the city.

"Brace yourself, Raddar! This is gonna get rough!" Aerrow told his riding partner, who clung tightly to his back.

Just as they were about to hit the Terra, the redhead quickly shifted into Cycle Mood. While the landing would be harder, at least there would be less damage to the city. The Chariot crashed front-first into the cobblestone street, knocking the pilot and sky lemur off and into the air.

Aerrow grabbed Raddar and curled his body around him, taking the brunt of the second landing they made. Tumbling across the street until finally coming to a stop, he laid still. When he tried to move, pain spread throughout his body and he groaned. The silver lining, it didn't feel like anything was broken. The sky lemur got out from under him and chirped worriedly.

"I'm okay, Raddar…" the young Sky Knight reassured him. "Just, ugh… need a second."

"Aerrow! Aerrow!" the rest of the Storm Hawks pushed their way through the small crowd that gathered around and rushed over to their fallen leader.

"Hey, you guys are alright…" Aerrow gave a weak smile of relief.

"Worry more about yourself right now!" Piper knelt beside him.

"Are you hurt badly?" Junko asked, ears anxiously pulled back against his head.

"Anything broken? Do you feel like we need to amputate something?" Stork questioned. "I got my own saw back on the ship."

"I don't, ah…" the young Sky Knight groaned lowly as the navigator carefully helped him sit up. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Stork."

"We should still get you checked out by a doctor." the Wallop suggested.

"Yeah, dude, that crash landing was insane." Finn agreed. "I'm amazed you're still in one piece."

Before Aerrow could respond, a large shadow fell over the group. Looking up, they saw the Achilles flying towards them. Citizens ran away screaming, but some stayed behind and watched as the machine unit shifted into Cycle Mode just before it touched the ground.

Dark Ace dismounted his Chariot, making his way over to Aerrow. A red energy-covered sword glowed in his hand. "This would be the part where I claim victory." he lifted the weapon, tip pointed at his throat.

Before he could get any closer, Junko and Finn got between him and the young Sky Knight, their weapons at the ready. Raddar jumped to the front, growling at the enemy pilot with teeth bared. Stork and Piper stayed closer to Aerrow, the navigator shielding him with most of her body. They knew they didn't stand a chance against the general of the entire Cyclonian army, but there was no way they would let him finish off their friend so easily.

Dark Ace stared impassively at the Squadron for a few, very tense seconds. He smirked and put his sword down. "Then again, since you're so young, I think it would be befitting to allow you to savor your defeat for the rest of your life."

The sky suddenly went dark, just as it was earlier that day. Roaring engines were heard and a small group of leftover Talon soldiers rode into the city center. They got closer to where Dark Ace stood and stopped their Chariots. One of them handed him the Aurora Stone, much to the shock of those who saw as he addressed the crowd.

"Your own sworn protector turns on you, and Atmos sends children instead of real Sky Knights. Truly pathetic." the general pocketed the crystal, sending one last sneer to Aerrow as he went back and mounted his black Chariot. "Be prepared to face the wrath of Cyclonia in the very near future."

Everyone could only watch helplessly as Dark Ace rode off with the Talon soldiers, shifting their Chariots into Flight Mood and taking to the air. A flash of lightning appeared and they vanished before their eyes.

Piper and Stork helped Aerrow to his feet, holding onto him to keep him steady. Some of the pain had subsided, but his body still ached terribly.

Councilor Jupiter stepped forward from the panicked crowd. "With the Aurora Stone in the hands of Cyclonis, the worst fate possible is about to be realized. If something is not done soon, the entirety of Atmos is doomed!"

"We'll get the crystal back." Aerrow told him. "We'll make sure of it."

"And what do you plan to do when you failed to get the protection it needed? Honestly, why did I think a group of children could follow one simple task?"

"Aerrow almost died trying to protect the Aurora Stone!" Piper immediately defended. "And we were about to go for backup when the Cyclonians showed, and-"

"It's okay, Piper." the redhead told her before looking at the older man. "I know how doubtful you are of me and my team. But, I swear on my honor as a Sky Knight, we'll go to Cyclonia ourselves and get the Aurora Stone back."

"We will?!" the rest of the Storm Hawks exclaimed.

Aerrow looked at his friends and smiled, giving an affirmative nod.

"Oh, we are so doomed." Stork said.

---

(Inside the Cyclonian cruiser)

"Why do we have to go back now?!" Snipe yelled from the catwalk of the hangar bay. "I wasn't done with the brat that damaged Kratos!"

"Our main objective was the Aurora Stone." Ravess said, standing next to him. "Now that we have it, there's no reason for us to stay longer than necessary."

"You're just saying that because you got to take down one. Meanwhile, I got a broken wing that's gonna keep me grounded for who knows how long!" he pointed down to where the maintenance crew was working on his Chariot's repair.

"The Talons are competent enough to have your machine fixed in plenty of time, Snipe." she crossed her arms. "Besides, you should have been more careful instead of swinging around like a barbarian."

"This coming from the woman who just did some fancy twirling in the air."

"It wasn't twirling, it was evasive maneuvering! There's no point in having strength if you can't execute it efficiently and beautifully."

"Please, my Kratos could kick your dainty Apollo's ass at any time. Even with one functioning wing."

"Why you…" Ravess glared at him fiercely. Then she saw someone coming their way and immediately stood at attention. "General Dark Ace. The commander informed us that we'll be heading straight for Cyclonia and that we should be arriving before the end of the day."

"Good." was all he said, not sparing the pair a glance as he walked past them. "Have the maintenance crew tend to the Achilles, I want it repaired before we reach Cyclonia."

"Repaired?" the woman exchanged a confused look with her brother. The general's Chariot being damaged in battle rarely happened, if at all.

The siblings turned their heads down to where his machine rested, some of the Talons looking it over closely. It was hard to see on the black armor, but the multiple cracks that spread throughout it were there.

---

Exiting the hangar bay and walking down a corridor, Dark Ace thought back to the fight against that boy calling himself a Sky Knight. If he hadn't blocked his attack before, or if it had more time to charge, his Chariot would be in far worse condition than it is now. How it vexed, letting himself nearly be overwhelmed by a young wanna-be who had a bout of dumb luck.

But that wasn't what got on his nerves the most. It was the fact that this pilot, this fledgling, was all too similar to him. His face, fighting style, and even his mannerisms were almost exactly the same. He was even flying his old Chariot, for Atmos's sake! The boy said the Jason was his birthright, that could only mean…

Coming to a stop next to a window, the general pulled out the memento he carried. A small, broken piece of silver metal, the kind found on armor. Its polished surface gleamed under the overhead lights.

This one thing reminded him of where he started from, and how he got to the position he held now. And what he did to get there.

Dark Ace looked through the glass, watching the view of the open sky pass by. He chose to rid the thought of the young Sky Knight from his mind. It didn't matter if that boy was like him, the chance of seeing his face again was unlikely. With how their battle ended, he wouldn't be getting back in a Chariot any time soon.

All that mattered now was returning to Cyclonia and offering Master Cyclonis her prize. What came after would be history in the making.

---

(Terra Thessaly)

"Instructor Alogo!"

The tanned man lying on the bench opened his eyes, blinking turquoise orbs against the sun's rays. He sat up and stretched out his arms, seeing one of the Academy's teaching assistants rushed over to him from across the training field.

"Apologies for disturbing your break, sir!" the young man saluted when he reached him.

"Nah, don't sweat it." Ajax yawned while he ran a hand through his dark brown hair, some of the shoulder-length locks tied in a small bun at the back of his head. "It must be some emergency, right?"

"Yes, sir! We just received word from the Sky Knight Council. The Aurora Stone has been taken from Atmosia, sir!"

He was more awake now, expression turning serious. Getting to his feet, he faced the shorter man. "I take it the Cyclonians are responsible?"

"That's correct. The Council said they want all Sky Knights to be prepared and expect the worst."

"I don't know what else we should be expecting." Ajax sighed. "And here I thought the Red Eagles would be able to handle something like this."

"Actually, sir, it was discovered that Sky Knight Carver was a double agent for Cyclonis. He killed his Squadron and attempted to take the Aurora Stone, but was thwarted by Sky Knight Aerrow and his team."

"Aerrow? Well, how about that." a gleam of pride entered his eyes as he straightened out his jacket and dusted off his loose pants. "That's one way to make a debut."

"A Cyclonian fleet arrived not that long afterwards to take the crystal." the teaching assistant informed. "The Storm Hawks tried to fight them off, but they were unsuccessful, I'm afraid."

"Ah, poor kids, nothing worse than losing your first real battle." Ajax craned his neck back to look at the sky, looking thoughtful. "Hmm, might have no choice, then…" he rubbed his stubbled chin.

"Sir?"

"Just thinking about how I'll be coming out of retirement for a while." he said with a grin.

---

(Terra Aeaea)

Perse's brows furrowed together, deeply concentrated gaze on the chessboard. Nothing had gone her way since they started playing and she was a few moves or less from losing. She was afraid there might not be much she could do to switch things around.

"Are you going to make your next move, Perse?" Circe asked, amusement all too clear in her tone.

"Just thinking, Milady…"

"You've been doing that for almost five minutes." the young ruler smirked, sitting casually as she watched the Aquanosian struggle. She had put up a valiant effort, but she had played against her enough times to figure out how her mind worked. All she had to do was wait for her turn and claim victory.

With much hesitation, Perse moved her remaining white bishop three squares diagonally. She sat back in her chair and watched helplessly as Her Ladyship reached for her piece. Before she could, though, the doors to the office suddenly slammed open. The lion on the rug raised his head to see what disturbed his nap.

It was a female servant completely covered in light blue fur. There were patches of white here and there, including her canine-like muzzle. Her shoulder-length hair was a dark shade of purple, matching her long, rabbit-like ears and the tufts of fur on her arms, legs, the four fingers of her hand-paws, and her three-clawed toed feet. Her black eyes were wide and frantic, erect tail poking out of her knee-length, pale blue chiton.

"Milady! I'm sorry for just bargin' in, but there's somethin' ya need to see right away!"

"Oh, thank Atmos…" Perse mumbled into her hands. If it was an urgent matter, the game could be called off and she would be spared a humiliating defeat.

"What's the matter, Cocoa?"

"Turn on the news!" the Blizzarian grabbed a remote control from Circe's desk and practically shoved it in her hand.

Not asking questions, the young ruler stood up and pointed the device at the far wall, pushing a button. A section of it opened up, revealing a flat television screen. Clicking a few more buttons, it came to life and switched to a live news coverage airing from Terra Atmosia.

"With the new Squadron calling themselves the Storm Hawks having failed to protect the Aurora Stone, all of Atmos finds itself gripped in fear. The Sky Knight Council has issued a state of emergency, calling all available Sky Knights to action to plot the next course of action. Later on, The King of Atmos will be releasing a statement to-"

"My, my, what a development." Circe mused. "So her letter wasn't all talk, she's finally putting one of her grand schemes into motion."

"What does Master Cyclonis intend to do with the Aurora Stone?" Cocoa asked, tail twitching nervously.

"Knowing Clonie, something over the top that will get everyone's attention." she placed the remote back on the desk. "Regarding these Storm Hawks, weren't they a Squadron that perished in the last major battle against Cyclonia?"

"Yes, Milady." Perse answered, still seated. "Many people thought they were gone for good, this is the first time I've heard about them in ten years."

"Hmm, most peculiar." the young ruler looked thoughtful. "Excuse me, ladies, but I need some fresh air. Oh, and Perse?"

"Yes, Your Ladyship?"

Circe walked past the table and reached down. "Checkmate." she moved her black knight piece.

"Ah!" the Aquanosian gasped, staring at her trapped king in shock.

"Nemean."

The lion rose, following the young ruler out of the room and walking down a long hallway. Her hand placed itself on his head, petting it as she kept her eyes forward.

"Ten years after their defeat, the Storm Hawks resurface right when my sister chooses to launch her big plan. Coincidences are such funny things." Circe chuckled before smirking. Her other hand came up to her neck and touched her amber-colored crystal. "Well, Clonie, what's your next move?"

---

(Terra Cyclonian)

"Master Cyclonis."

The sovereign turned from her machine and looked at Dark Ace as he came to stand before the platform. Getting down on one knee, he bowed his head and presented to her the Aurora Stone.

She let out a small, delighted gasp, taking the crystal into her hands to admire it more closely. "Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I knew you wouldn't fail me, Dark Ace."

"It was my pleasure, Your Highness." the older man got back on his feet.

"With this, the next phase of my plan can finally commence." Cyclonis looked up at the skylight, holding the Aurora Stone towards it. "Soon, very soon, all of Atmos will be mine. Just wait and see… Circe."

To be continued…

---

Thank you all for reading, please let me know what you thought about the chapter in the comments. I have plans to add more depth to the character, and I hope I did a good job on that so far. Be on the lookout for the next chapter in the future!