Yo there. I'm StrawberryPanda2 and I'm bringing a new story to the stage. I'll try to make up for all the updates I missed but I won't promise anything. Besides, it's not like my life belongs to writing… Nevermind.

This is my new X-Men fanfic and I hope you enjoy.

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Raven

Prologue

"Who's to know if your soul will fade at all…" Hestia closed her eyes and listened to her favorite song by Seether. Now and then she would sing a few of the verses and grow silent again. Ailen had headphones on and beat her foot against the wall. The song ended and Hestia turned down her speakers as more music poured from her ipod.

"Ailen…" Hestia looked at the clock and back to Ailen. "Ailen you need to go home. It's time for your family to have dinner." Ailen kept jamming to her own music and ignored Hestia. The ravenette glared down at the cheerful girl right before kicking her.

"Yo! What the hell, Hestia?" Ailen pulled her headphones out and pouted at her "friend."

Hestia calmly replied, "It's time for you to go home. Good night." Before Ailen could say anything she was already being pushed out of Hestia's front door. Ailen turned around to hug Hestia only to get the door slammed in her face. Ailen huffed and walked away, already used to Hestia's uncaring nature.

Hestia, on the other hand, walked into the kitchen and pulled out cheese, bread, and butter. Before pulling anything else out she sniffed each of the ingredients to be sure they were still safe to use. Satisfied, Hestia grabbed a knife from one of the multiple brown drawers in the kitchen and a pan from the cabinet right beneath the silverware drawer.

Hestia's mother was the first to enter the kitchen and nod to Hestia. "Has Ailen left already?" Hestia ignored the question and started the stove to make grilled cheese.

"Yes, Mother." Hestia briefly glanced at her mother and turned her black eyes back to the stove.

"A pity. She could have eaten dinner with us." The elder woman left the kitchen after grabbing a bottle of water and left Hestia to her business. Hestia shook her head and felt her lips tug into a frown.

"How troublesome." Hestia spoke aloud before pulling into her thoughts. Edan jumped into the kitchen and hugged his older sister. Hestia resisted the urge to jump from the physical contact. Once over the shock, Hestia leveled a piercing glare on her brother. "Edan, do not play in the kitchen. Go wait at the dinner table."

Edan pouted and hugged his sister tighter. "Are we having grilled cheese tonight?"

Hestia, already irritable from Ailen's visit, frowned at Edan. "Do you not have eyes?" Edan laughed at his sister's question. They were all used to Hestia. She was always serious and hated silly questions. Edan, of course, loved this about Hestia and strove to be like her. He obviously had a long way to go.

Hestia flipped the sandwiches and pushed her brother off. "Get out Edan. Before you injure yourself again." Edan shook his head and plopped himself on the counter.

"I'll be staying here Hestia." Hestia sighed and went back to her cooking. Flipping the grilled cheese again she determined they were done and told Edan to get plates. Hestia turned off the stove and flipped the grilled cheese onto a plate and walked out of the kitchen into the dining room.

"Dinner's ready. Go get Dad." Edan started to run towards the stairs leading up to the rooms but was stopped by running into a large wall of muscle.

"I'm already here, Hestia. It smells delicious, as always." Mr. Amery sat at the head of the table and his children took their places on either side of him. His wife, Mrs. Amery, sat at the other end of the table.

"So, Hestia, tell us something good that happened today." Hestia went through her day in her head for a minute before answering.

"Mr. Hudson decided to enter my short story into a competition." Edan wowed his sister and eagerly asked more but was quickly shot down. Mr. and Mrs. Amery congratulated their daughter and ate for a few moments.

"Dear, tell us something good that happened today." Mr. Amery also took a minute to think.

"I came home early." Hestia eyed her father carefully. He only ever said that when he had nothing else to say. Their father worked as a supply sergeant in the Army and was very serious about his work. Sadly, his coworkers were not.

Hestia decided not to inquire about her father's day and instead turned to her brother. "Edan, tell us something good that happened to today." Edan bounced up and down in his seat. "Stop, you'll break the chair." Edan ceased his movement and a concentrated look overcame his face as he tried to copy his sister, who was sitting with her back straight.

Mrs. Amery prompted her son with the same question, causing him to lose his concentration. "Sorry. Um… I guess, I got a good grade on my English test." Mrs. Amery's eyes glowed.

"What did you get dear?" Edan sent a cautious look his sister's way before answering.

"A B?" Hestia's stony stare lightened and she smiled at Edan.

"Good job, Edan. I should take you out as a reward." Edan beamed at his sister.

"Yeah! Thanks, Hestia!" Mrs. Amery smiled at her husband and Edan's obvious love for his sister. Edan spent the rest of dinner with his chest stuck out with pride. Whenever Hestia, his perfect sister, complimented or praised him he felt overwhelmingly happy. In Edan's eyes, Hestia was on the top of the world.

"Mother," Hestia turned everyone's attention on her mother. "Tell us something good that happened today." Mrs. Amery smiled.

"Of course, my daughter made us a delicious meal." The rest of dinner was spent chatting. Hestia took the dishes after everyone was done and placed them in the sink, deciding to do them the next morning.

Hestia calmly walked to her room, bidding her family good night, and closed the door and locked it. Once inside the privacy of her room Hestia collapsed on the clean carpet. Her golden tanned hand reached down the back of her shirt and clutched the long aching skin tightly. Another pang of pain wracked her body and to keep from crying out she bit her wrist until it bled.

Staggering, the ravenette stood and tried to get to her bed only to collapse in pain again. Hestia's body jerked as another pang went through her. Her eyes closed, willing back the pain inside her mind. However, the pain persisted. It burned it's way throughout her body, seeming as if it was punishing her for ignoring it for so long.

Every night, Hestia was buckled under the throbbing pain that she tried her best to hide as the day went on. It would start in her back and slowly creep its way all around until her entire being hurt. Hestia found that tonight, the pain was different. It burned and pushed against her back, as if trying to get out.

The raven scratched at the center of the pain over and over again, only to get blood on her nails and she felt her skin splitting. Hestia lunged for her pillow and covered her face right before she screamed so no one would hear. The pain intensified and Hestia was beginning to get dizzy. The room faded in and out and became a light red, slowly getting darker.

That's when she heard it. There was a muggy sound that barely reached her ears. It sounded like bones snapping and a tearing sound filled her room. Hestia felt tears pouring down her cheeks but didn't attempt to stop them. The pain was too much.

Another snap and rip tore through the silence in her room along with another flash of pain. Over and over again the pain tore through her body, until Hestia couldn't take it anymore. Her hand scrambled to her back, as if to press away the pain and she felt it. Bone was slowly pushing itself out of her skin. Hestia tried to push it back in, but her efforts only seemed to hurry the process.

Before long, the snap and rip happened every other second. Finally, a loud pop filled the room and Hestia's pain slowly faded away. Hestia panted and wiped away her tears. The pain was finally over…

The girl stood, shakily, and walked over to her vanity mirror. What she saw almost made her faint. Two large, black wings emerged from her back and filled up her room. Both wings were folded in and still scraped against the walls. Hestia slowly reached her hand back and grasped one of the wings. Her eyes widened when she realized she could feel her hand against the wing.

Hestia then promptly freaked out. She clutched her hands to her head and started whispering to herself. Over and over she said it wasn't real, couldn't be real. Then she blacked out. Hestia thankfully welcomed the blissful oblivion and closed her eyes. Once she woke up, the wings would be gone…