Disclaimer: X Men belongs to Marvel and "The Nile" belongs to Carlos Santana. I do not own them; just borrowed them for my amusement.

The Nile

Remy rested in the bedroom of his dark apartment, alone with his thoughts. He sat at his desk which was a mess with scattered papers and empty liquor bottles. As he sighed, the scent of alcohol wafted from his breath. He was obviously drunk and not in a very stable mood.

The stereo in the room blared music from a local radio station. As the song ended, another one began to play. Remy's ears began to burn at the familiar sound of Santana's "The Nile". Remy snorted and drained the last toxic drop from some a Jack Daniel's bottle.

The first part of the song belted out ...

"Woke up into a dream
And I was walking
Up and down the streets
Of Cairo

And then I heard a voice
That said I know you
It's time for you to turn
And face me"

Clenching the now empty bottle in his hand, Remy's red eyes glared into the darkness of his room. The lyrics reminded him of her all too much right now, the one that he was trying not to think about. He drank his mind away into a stupor so that he could not remember the pain.

Without warning, tears began to pour down his cheeks, burning his eyes as they did. The song forced him to think of the memories that he had shared with her, the love and the happiness that they brought one another, and how they met, in Cairo.

"Her hair was long
Her eyes reached out and touched me
She said I know just
What it is you're after

Death is all around you
So you look for freedom
I know where to find it
Let's go to the river"

Suddenly, amidst the darkness, she stood on the other side of the bedroom, silent. Remy narrowed his eyes at his former Queen. She hurt him so much and he would never be able to forgive her. A smile crossed her face. A disgusting, menacing smile, as though all of the pain she had caused him was planned.

Remy screamed and threw the empty bottle at her. The glass bottle hit the wall next to his bed and shattered. She was gone. Collapsing into his arms, Remy cried. Now the intoxication that flowed through him along with the damned song that was playing caused him to hallucinate her being there.

"We sailed upon the Nile
I was enchanted
By the beauty in her magic
She showed me that my fears were unimportant

And then she touched me
With her vision
Her skin was dark
Her voice was liquid fire
She said I am your mate
And soul's desire"

His heart sank. He wanted his Goddess to be beside him again, the Goddess that he knew and loved. Not the one that he had seen tonight. She was vindictive and cruel. Remy did nothing to deserve the bitterness either. The other night they were in each other's arms, not wanting to move. Whereas tonight, she yelled at him, and even worse, took his ring off of her finger and threw it at him.

She was the one that was able to teach him how to love. She taught him how to open up and release his fears and pain. The one he loved was able to turn him into a proper man. But none of that mattered now, did it?

His eyes shifted towards the end of the desk, towards the ring that glistened in the moonlight from an opened window. With a heavy sigh, he brushed it off of the edge, allowing it to fall onto the floor. He didn't need it anymore.

"Love is all around you
Light is deep within you
Life is always flowing
Let's go down the river"

Gazing upwards again, he saw the Goddess stand in front of him once more. Her eyes were full of pain and regret and it looked like she hadn't slept at all. Remy quickly picked up another bottle. Another damned illusion! Before he could throw the bottle at it again, it spoke.

"Remy, please ..."

Remy lowered the bottle and narrowed his eyes at the illusion. Although it wasn't noticeable, his eyes stung from tears and his vision was clouded. The illusion slowly walked towards him, emotionless. A strand of hair fell in front of her face.

Through his tear stained eyes, Remy gazed around his room and realized that it was really his Goddess this time. She had come in through the large opened window. The Goddess placed a gentle and light hand on top of his and smiled slightly, showing that she was not there to scold him.

"Ororo ..."

"Remy, my dearest, I am so sorry ..."

Without another word, tears began to stream down Ororo's face and she collapsed in his arms, praying that he would forgive her. Tears began to fall from Remy's eyes as well and he clung on to her tightly, not wanting to release her. She was forgiven and the both of them sat in the darkness, in each other's arms in tears.