Chapter One
She awoke the following morning around Six Fifteen, slowly blinking the sleep from her eyes. It was still dark outside but it was slowly getting lighter; the sun was rising. She stood and stretched, dressing in her usual jeans and white long-sleeved shirt and black over vest. As usual, she wore no shoes. She grabbed the iPod from her dresser and stored it safely in her pocket the headed to the bedside table. On top of it sat a small glass case. Enclosed in the glass where a pair of black rimmed sun-glasses with red shades. She carefully removed them from the case and set them above her head.
She had inherited part of her father's power, the optic blast, though not under the same conditions. While Scott had no real control over the beam, Cam was able to control it so long as she was untouched by sunlight. Once a single ray fell on her, she lost all ability to turn the beam off, hence the glasses.
They had originally belonged to her father. They had been his casual pair, that he wore when not in battle, but he had passed them on to her when he got a new pair. Of course, she too had a laser for battle, but it was designed slightly differently than her fathers. It sat above her head until she was ready to use it, when she could easily lower it for action.
She headed out of her dorm and locked the door behind her. It was early so she doubted that many students would be up but who knew what the X-Men would be doing. She headed for the cafeteria. She could usually find Logan there in the mornings and figured that would be her best bet of human interaction. She made her way down the huge staircase; she rarely used the elevator; and turned down the left hallway to get to the diner.
There where about twenty chairs seated around one table though the head spot remained chairless, for the Professor. And there, about halfway down the right side, sat Logan, alone, eating a huge sandwich. Cam rolled her eyes, smiled and headed down to sit beside him.
"Thank you for telling me about that school. I've done some research on it and I think that's where I want to go. I sent an email to the principle and am waiting for a reply."
"That's great kido. Hmm, I should probably give you the speech about not disturbing the normal humans and showing off and all that right?"
Cam laughed. "Like you're one to talk! Showing off. But naw, Daddy already gave me that talk."
"I'm glad. I wasn't prepared with a speech today."
Cam smiled and hugged her 'Uncle'. "You're the best."
"Iā¦didn't do anything."
"Oh silly Logan" She grinned and ruffled his hair before getting up and skipping away from the table. He raised his eyebrows as he watched her leave then shrugged, stuffing his mouth with his sandwich.
Cam headed down to the stables, located behind the tennis courts. Of all of the schools facility, the stables seemed to be the less known and the less used. She wasn't sure if she liked that or not. That meant it was usually the one place she could go to get away from everyone, but then it also meant that she rarely had anyone to ride with. She headed to the first stall on the left and listened fondly to the soft whistling that came from the stallion's nose.
Slowly and quietly, she opened the stall door and stood on the right of the sleeping horse. She got up close to his face, only a few inches away and said quietly: "Boo." Of course, any normal horse would have flipped and probably kicked her right in the stomach but the black and white painted Clydesdale just opened his eyes and looked at her, his expression a mix of annoyance, happiness and frustration.
"Hey! Don't give me that look, buster! You where asleep I had to!"
The horse neighed and flicked his tail in her direction, though it fell up short due to it's length.
"Do you want to go out? I know it's early but I'm board."
The huge horse whinnied and nodded his head fiercely.
"Great!" Cam grinned and lead the draft horse out of his stall and over to the post. She rummaged through the tack barn and found her English equipment, dragging it out to get him ready. He stood, patiently, as she donned him with the blanket then saddle, followed by the girth and bridle. She mounted then headed toward the ring.
Once there, she started him on a walk around the outside to warm up before taking him into a jog. It wasn't long before she was galloping around the outer ring. Then she slowed him down to a canter and turned him, heading for the first jump. He took it well and made it easily across turning almost on his own to line up for the next two jumps that stood only a few feet from each other.
The canter never faltered, nor did her posting as they took the two jumps. The first was about half a foot shorter than the second but they made it over both. Cam whooped loudly, not caring if anyone heard her. She was to far away from the dorms to wake anybody any way. She turned him into the last stretch of the course another two parter jump, though these stood about two and three feet high. They where nothing to the pair. "There's a good boy Arctic. You're a good boy aren't you!
Arcticsoul and the Chameleon had been together for longer than any other horse/mutant team at the school and they could out race, out jump, out rope or out barrel anybody at the school. The pair where made for each other, and as more than just friends, they where partners in battle as well. While most mutants preferred to go into their battles on foot or by the jet, Cam often took Arctic. He had been scientifically blessed with super speed and strength, thanks to Hank and the Professor and she rarely went into battle without him. The pair had always been and always would be together.
Cam jumped from his back, landing smoothly on the ground. She headed over to the center jump and started stacking the poles up. Six feet high it stood when she had finished. Six feet was Arctic's record. But today they would break that. She placed another pole on top to make the jump stand six foot five before turned and walking back to the huge horse. She grabbed his reigns and looked him in the eyes. "You ready bud?" He nodded his giant head and she swept swiftly onto his back. She took him at a trot halfway around the arena before getting him into a canter. Nearing the end of the turn they headed into a gallop. Then they where headed strait for it. At the exact moment, Cam leaned in close to the neck of her closest friend and his front legs cleared the poles. Remembering not to look back, Cam kept her eyes forward and waited for them to rush forward. Then, without warning, she heard clapping.
She slowed Arctic up and trotted around to stand in front of Ororo. "Oh Great Gods, we did it!" She nearly shrieked as she reached over and hugged Arctic's neck tightly. "I love you so much buddy, you're so amazing, you know that, purely amazing!"
"That was great Hun. You did great, you both did." Ororo reached up and patted the black and white horse's head. "You need to come in though. The Professor wants to speak with you. I can take him in if you'd like."
Cam dismounted and hugged her stallion again. "Thanks. And be sure to give him more apples and carrots than he can eat." The horse's eyes lit up at that as he neighed happily after his departing friend.
