Piper blinked a few times in confusion. Although her vision was blurry, she could tell that she was indeed indoors, staring at a white ceiling.

"It's... over? I'm back?" Piper murmured to herself, but as she moved to rise from the bed, a tight, throbbing pain arose in her chest. She gasped and collapsed back, hand rising to the bandages on her torso.

She traced her hand along the bandages in surprise. She was still in the vision... but alive?

"This isn't how it happened, though," Piper continued with a sigh. "But..."

"Piper, you're awake!" a familiar voice called from where she assumed the door was. Footsteps traced over to her bed, until she saw Junko's sympathetic face come into view.

"Junko," Piper said, trying to bolster her voice with some forced enthusiasm. He was shaky, and she could tell he was on the edge of tears.

"What happened, Piper? You've been out for a few days," Junko said uncertainly. "Some girl showed up and got help to drag you to the hospital."

Piper opened her mouth in surprise, but cringed in pain and held her chest in response to unconsciously trying to sit upright again.

"Whoa, Piper, settle down," Junko said, patting her on the shoulder. "Look, I'm gonna go get everyone. Just wait here... I guess," he said with a halfhearted grin.

Piper watched him until he left her vision, and then stared at the ceiling.

You see that? she asked in her head. The worst Cyclonis... well, maybe not the worst, but definitely one of them... and she let me go. Your Cyclonis.

She clasped her hands together and waited. Maybe she was just talking to herself with no one listening, but...

She flinched, and brought her hand to her head. A sudden headache?

I know you can hear me! she called defiantly, a little more certain that she had an audience. If even your Cyclonis could find it in her heart to let me go... what you're doing must be wrong.

She could almost feel it now... annoyance, and maybe a little bit of anger. Something was definitely coming through.

Then again, maybe it isn't that she was the worst Cyclonis, but you were the worst Piper!

Piper felt a flash of white hot anger, and also the familiar sensation that the forces tethering her to this world were becoming weaker.

Piper viciously grabbed Cyclonis' staff and attempted to yank it out of her hands. Sufficiently rattled, Cyclonis shoved her staff forward to send her adversary stumbling back. Given a moment to breathe, Cyclonis glanced over at Starling. The purple-haired knight was shakily rising to her feet, and once there she ignited her nunchucks with a flash of light.

"Shut up!" Piper yelled, and when Cyclonis glanced back at her in surprise, she could see that the possessed girl was clutching her head yet again, but then opened her eyes and shot a flinty glare at Starling.

Starling rushed her in response, and they were soon locked in a melee of rapid blows and quick dodges. Cyclonis drew closer but flinched as she nearly caught a nunchuck swipe. She stood over an arm's length away, reluctant to catch a strike from either of the two. It was clear that Starling was at risk of losing - she had to do something.

"Starling, move!" Cyclonis called from a dead sprint.

Starling barely sidestepped as Cyclonis tackled Piper roughly to the ground. After a few seconds of confusion, Piper tried to throw Cyclonis off, but she had her pinned to the ground with her staff.

"Fight it, Piper!" Cyclonis ordered, prompting an unreadable change of expression from the possessed knight. Cyclonis turned back to Starling. "She has a crystal... take it, quickly!"

Starling stared at her blankly, but quickly dropped to frisk Piper for the crystal amidst the struggle.

Piper jostled Cyclonis enough to send her staff skittering a few feet away, but Cyclonis caught her with her shoulder and held her down for a few more seconds. She turned to look at her, but Piper was frozen with a dazed expression on her face, no longer resisting.

"The crystal... take it," Piper said in a foggy tone, raising her hand out of her pocket. Starling paused at the sight of the gleaming white helix-shaped stone, but accepted it.

The quiet lasted for a few more seconds, until Piper blinked a few times, holding her head. She tried to spring up, catching Starling on the way off the ground. The crystal tumbled to the cobblestone below.

"Stop her!" Cyclonis ordered Starling as she snatched up her staff.

Piper, locked in a struggle with Starling, glanced furiously at Cyclonis, but her expression shifted to one of surprise when she saw the monarch swing her staff at the Infinity Stone.

The pure white crystal shattered into hundreds of fragments on contact with the dark metal of Cyclonis' staff.

Starling froze in surprise when Piper immediately collapsed in her arms, but then she gently lowered her to the ground.

"Was I... mistaken?" Piper breathed, eyes closed. She slackened completely, evidently unconscious.

"So that crystal..." Starling murmured.

Cyclonis nodded, still struggling for breath. "Indeed," she said simply, before confirming that Piper was still in reasonable health. She sighed, and then glanced over at Starling. "Thank you for helping me save Piper's life."

Starling paused for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. Let's take her to the hospital... and maybe get someone to help your general," she added, gesturing a few yards over to the old man, who was still out cold.

"I suppose that would be the right thing to do," Cyclonis said stiffly. "Very well. Let's get going."

Piper blinked awake yet again, only to stare at the same ceiling.

"I'm still here?" she asked flatly, evidently displeased, and slowly leaned up in bed.

To her surprise, it didn't hurt nearly as bad as she thought it would, but she was still sore. She raised an eyebrow when with her somewhat blurry vision, she saw Cyclonis slumped in a chair placed next to her bed. She was fast asleep.

"That's not right... is this real?" she wondered aloud, and carefully prodded Cyclonis' shoulder a few times with her index finger.

Cyclonis breathed in sharply, eyes suddenly open, and stared blankly at Piper for a few seconds before relaxing somewhat.

"Piper," she said slowly. "You are... the right Piper, right?"

Piper raised an eyebrow. "I think so," she said thoughtfully, before reaching for Cyclonis' hand. It was cool and dry, befitting the monarch's temperament. "The stone..."

"I destroyed it," Cyclonis said flatly. Her expression softened somewhat afterward. "If you hadn't been able to break through, even for that moment..."

Piper nodded. "I barely remember it, but that sounds right," she said carefully. "I'm glad you stopped me."

"It wasn't you, Piper," Cyclonis reminded her.

She shook her head in response. "You say that, but..." she trailed off, and squeezed Cyclonis' hand. "Thanks. How're you here, though? Shouldn't someone have arrested you by now?"

Cyclonis smirked. "I would like to see someone try," she said coyly, but then glanced away, a serious expression taking hold. "Well, there should be a ceasefire in place now. Soon we will be at peace."

Piper's mouth opened slightly in surprise. "You did that? Really?"

The monarch nodded sagely. "Yes, indeed. Some rogue soldiers of mine attempted to sabotage the proceedings, as well, but after Starling, I, and, well, I suppose you," she added uncertainly, "defeated my disloyal general... it may have even helped the situation."

Her memory remained foggy, but Piper nodded. "I think... I remember seeing Starling."

The door abruptly opened, and Piper and Cyclonis hesitated, but released each other's hands as Aerrow strolled in. He paused just inside the room, clearly seeing the awkward exchange, but then turned to close the door behind him.

"Piper," he said concernedly, and then glanced to the right. "Cyclonis," he added dryly.

"Sky knight," Cyclonis greeted in her usual slimy, imperious tone.

"I didn't bring the rest of the team..." Aerrow said absently. "I didn't know how they would feel about Cyclonis being here."

"Aerrow," Piper began warily.

"It's fine, Piper," Aerrow said, raising a hand. "I couldn't believe Cyclonis met with the council... but now, I think maybe I understand."

Piper wanted to say, "It's not like that," but that would be a considerable lie, so she remained silent.

"I don't think I can ever forgive you, Cyclonis," Aerrow said sternly. "And maybe a lot of other people feel the same way."

Cyclonis stared him down unapologetically, and Piper frowned.

"But," he said, leaning against the door, "if you really mean to make peace like this... then thanks, Cyclonis."

Cyclonis narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but did not break eye contact.

Aerrow crossed his arms and looked down. "I didn't think someone like you was capable of doing anything good."

Cyclonis continued to inspect Aerrow for a moment. The room was silent, and Piper was having a difficult time reading the air between the two people in the room. Having two people that she had somehow managed to care about enormously hating each other was bad enough, but now she was looking at what could be a showdown between them that she would be powerless to stop.

"I appreciate that, sky knight," Cyclonis said simply, before her expression shifted slightly into what could be described as almost a smile.

Aerrow nodded, seemingly still wary. "Alright. Piper, everyone else will probably visit tomorrow. You'll have to explain some things to them, but... I'm glad you're okay," he said, before leaving.

Piper watched him exit and then glanced at the floor with a somber expression. She was grateful that no fight had erupted, but she was still concerned about Aerrow. The thought of the rest of her friends meeting Cyclonis the next day was concerning as well, but for some reason made her want to laugh, given the circumstances. She suppressed a chuckle, since it prompted some dull pain.

She glanced over at Cyclonis, who was evidently thinking roughly the same thing, judging by her grin.

"I'm afraid I'll make a rather poor impression on your friends if they catch me drooling at your bedside," Cyclonis said.

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Drooling because you're asleep or because..." she trailed off, prompting Cyclonis' eyes to widen after a few seconds.

Cyclonis crossed her arms. "I think you should be focusing on recovering, not flirting," she advised sternly, but allowed a small smile.

Piper sighed and sank back on her pillow. "That's probably true."

"After all, I'll need you in peak condition for what lies ahead," Cyclonis added slowly, drawing nearer.

With Cyclonis' porcelain skin and candy-colored eyes inches away from her, Piper felt a little heat begin to spread from her cheeks. Cyclonis laughed in response and leaned back.

"You were expecting a kiss, weren't you?" she asked coyly.

Piper reached for something to say, but found herself tongue-tied again when Cyclonis quickly pressed her lips to her cheek.

While Piper was scrambling to react to the situation, thoroughly flustered, Cyclonis reassumed as regal of a pose she could muster and continued, a bit more subdued.

"I'm referring to the peace treaty... and to what might happen afterward," Cyclonis explained. "I will certainly need your help, and maybe your team's help as well. There will be elements on both sides that will stand against this peace, as I'm sure you know, and we can't afford for that to happen."

Piper nodded, still slightly dazed. Many Cyclonians would definitely oppose the peace, and, unfortunately, it was likely that many Atmosians would as well. Who could blame them, really? For a lasting peace, they would have to be stopped. The alternative had to be prevented at all costs, even if some were dissatisfied.

"I'll be ready," Piper said, even as she glanced at her bandages. "When the time comes, anyway. And we'll have my team and the rest of the Sky Knights as well."

"We'll see how well they work with my Talons," Cyclonis murmured uncertainly, but then glanced back at Piper. "And perhaps in the days ahead we'll have an opportunity to spend some time together in calmer circumstances," she added, extending her hand.

Piper accepted the contact and sighed. "That sounds nice." She then watched Cyclonis' brows furrow as the monarch began to formulate what to say next.

"I love you, too," Piper said earnestly, gently tugging Cyclonis in for an embrace that prompted some throbbing, but manageable enough, pain.

In her arms, Piper pondered what Cyclonis had said back in what seemed like years ago – when Cyclonis had said that by working together, even the world could be theirs. The context had been a bit different back then, but, if they directed their efforts toward the common good of everyone in the Atmos...

Piper paused for a moment, concerned by the other girl's sudden, nearly imperceptible shaking.

"Cyclonis... are you crying?" Piper asked quietly.

When she received a muffled sob for a reply, Piper closed her eyes and sighed, gently laying her hand on the back of Cyclonis' head, against her soft, raven-black hair. In spite of everything, there was no place she'd rather be.