Felidae: Hi, and welcome to this "episode" of Minority Within Minority! I'll me your hostess here tonight -
Himeko: Wait, wait, wait. This isn't what's supposed to happen!
Felidae: Oh that's right ... I haven't done my disclaimer yet!
Himeko: ..::rubs temples::.. That wasn't what I meant ...
Felidae: Oh well. I don't own it! And for those of you who are new tonight, I'm the authoress and that over there ..::jerks thumb at Himeko::.. is one of the main characters who just happened upon our little play.
Himeko: It's not a play!
Felidae: Whatever! Anyway ... I was too lazy or uninspired to do this the last two times, so ... yeah ... on with the fic!
Chapter: Sadness
"And so, the Roman Empire collapsed under Romulus Augustulus," explained Ororo Munroe, alias Storm. "any questions?"
Himeko rolled her eyes, glancing out the window. Dark clouds covered the sky as rain pelted the mansion. She seemed in a better mood than usual, but her attitude still pushed people away.
"Himeko," Hogosha whispered, leaning slightly towards her roommate. "Himeko."
Himeko ignored her, watching the patterns the rain mad on the window.
Hogosha sighed. "Himeko, Rogue's at the door."
Himeko's head flew in the direction of the door. Rogue was outlined in the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt, Ororo, but could I borrow Himeko for a few moments?"
"I don't see why not," Ororo replied. "Go on, Himeko."
Himeko pushed her chair back and stood. Once in the hall, Rogue turned to her.
"Peter and I are leaving," Rogue said. "Your answer?"
"I ..." Himeko glanced back towards the classroom. "I can't ... I'm sorry."
Rogue nodded and forced a smile. "It's your choice. I'll ... uh, see you around then."
Himeko nodded. She watched Rogue walk away and then turned and fled. She didn't go back to the classroom, but instead went to her room.
"Himeko?" Hogosha gently opened the door of their room. The other girl hadn't attended her afternoon classes so Hogosha was worried. "Himeko-chan?"
"Rogue left," Himeko said numbly.
"And you didn't go with her?" Hogosha asked.
"Does it look like I did?!"
"Why not?"
"I don't know!" Himeko stood up suddenly, her body shaking with suppressed rage and despair. "I wanted to go, damn it! Why the hell didn't I go?!" She went over to the vampire painting and started to furiously attack it. "Why the hell didn't I go?!"
Hogosha watched Himeko with a look of amazement on her face. She'd never seen Himeko so angry. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her knuckles became red and raw. I don't want her to be sad, Hogosha realized as she reached forward to put a hand on Himeko's shoulder. "Himeko ..."
Himeko's arm flew back, throwing Hogosha's hand off her shoulder. "Why the hell didn't I go?" Himeko sank to the floor, burying her face in her hands.
"Himeko-chan ..." Hogosha bent down as her hair formed into drills. The drills grew and encircled the crying girl.
Himeko unconsciously snuggled up to Hogosha, crying into the other mutant's shirt. "I hate my life."
"Shh ... don't say that."
"I stayed because ... because she wanted me, but not you. You'd be all alone ..."
"I didn't know you cared."
"Neither did I." Himeko titled her face up. "It shouldn't matter to me that you'd be alone, but it does."
Hogosha's arms added to the comforting hug of her drills. "I'm glad you care, Himeko. I want you to be happy, not sad like you are now."
"I can never be happy."
"You can, and I won't ever give up until you are."
Himeko shook her head. "It's hopeless." Silence stretched between them until Hogosha's stomach rumbled.
"Are you hungry?" Hogosha asked, withdrawing her drills from around the other mutant.
"Not really. You go."
"Sure you'll be okay?"
"Get lost, Hogosha."
"Will the following students report to the Danger Room," came a voice over the loudspeaker.
Himeko jerked awake and glanced across the room at a still-sleeping Hogosha.
"Himeko Sorano, Hogosha Shiyama, Pietro Maximoff, Jubilation Lee, Shiro Yoshida, and Fixx."
Himeko sighed and climbed out of bed. "Hogosha, get up."
Hogosha groaned and rolled onto her back, revealing her naked chest. "Why do they do this in the middle of the night?" Himeko didn't answer, staring at Hogosha. "Earth to Himeko. You're staring."
Himeko suddenly shook her head and looked away. "Get dressed." She slid into the closet to change.
"Where's Pietro?" Himeko asked as she and Hogosha met up with Jubilation/Jubilee, Shiro/Sunfire, and Fixx.
"He went on ahead," Jubilee replied.
"Has he come back yet?"
"That's what worries me. He usually goes back and forth between us and the Danger Room."
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the mansion and Pietro rushed past. "Come on, the Danger Room is exploding!"
"Shiro, can you withstand it?" Jubilee asked.
"I think so," Shiro replied. "Go check it out."
"Right."
"The rest of us, get out of here."
The young mutants ran up the stairs into the silent corridor. Ororo met them in the front hall as another explosion rocked the mansion.
"What's going on?" Ororo demanded.
"According to Pietro, the Danger Room is exploding," Jubilee explained.
Hot fire suddenly exploded up behind them, licking at their clothes. The wood caught fire, sending smoke up into the air.
"Everyone out!" Ororo ordered.
"What about the others?!" Jenifer asked as they ran.
"Siryn -"
"Isn't here."
"Damn." Ororo thought for a moment. "I'll wake them." She stood away from her students and lifted herself into the air on the wind. A large storm cloud gathered above the mansion and there was a large flash of lighting followed closely by a thunderclap.
"That was extremely loud," Fixx said, uncovering her ears.
"I think that was the point," Pietro said.
A moment later, three students; Monet St. Croix/M, Paige Guthrie/Husk, and Jonothan Starsmore/Chamber; ran out of the mansion.
"Did any of the others -"Ororo started.
Monet shook her head. "There's some kind of spell or something over everyone who was sleeping."
"What happened to Mr. Cassidy?" Himeko asked suddenly, turning to Pietro.
"The console he was working at was the one that exploded," Pietro replied.
"But you said the Danger Room was what was exploding."
"It was. Cassidy tried to stop it and his console exploded! You think I would lie to you?!"
"No, I guess not."
"Is there anything we can do to stop the fire?" Hogosha asked.
Ororo shook her head. "I would try if I thought it would work."
Hogosha glanced at Himeko. "Your paintings."
"Damn it!" Himeko started back inside the mansion, but Hogosha's drills pulled her back. "Hogosha, let go!"
"No! You're not going in there! There's no way in hell you'd be able to save them!"
"No! Let go! Let me go!" As the flames leapt to the third floor, Himeko broke down sobbing. Hogosha drew her in and cradled her in her arms. "Mom ..."
Himeko woke with a start, drills sticking out from her head. Hogosha's arms were still around her, tightening a little as Himeko moved. Himeko felt her face flush as she snuggled back into her earlier position. Waking up like this felt ... right somehow.
You two look cute, Monet's voice said in Himeko's head.
Himeko peered at her classmate. Go to hell, bitch. She shivered a little as the memories of her dream came back. She'd been afraid, so afraid of her father as he had raped her. But now, it was impossible to be afraid of anything. Hogosha was here. Hogosha would help and protect her. Wait. What the hell was she thinking?! She didn't need anyone ... ever.
Underneath her, Hogosha shifted. "Morning."
"Hi," Himeko replied in her usual blunt speech. "Let go of me."
"No." Hogosha looked defiantly into Himeko's eyes. A hand came up to gently stroke the other mutant's cheek. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." For some reason, Himeko couldn't, and didn't want to, move away from that touch. "Let go."
This time, Hogosha nodded. "Just as long as you're okay." She released the older mutant and sat up.
"About time you two woke up," Ororo said. "We're leaving for the Institute."
"I'm not going," Himeko snapped. "There is no way in hell I'm going anywhere near that stupid crackpot. No way in hell."
"Himeko, you're going, and that's final."
Himeko just turned and started to walk away. "I'm leaving."
Pietro was quickly by her side. "Me too."
"I didn't ask for company."
"There's no way I'm letting two teenage mutants out on their own," Ororo said.
"You don't have much of a choice, now, do you?" Himeko replied. "Because I know there'll be someone, anyone else?"
Hogosha strode towards them. "I'm going."
"Me too," Fixx said.
"Anyone else?" Pietro asked.
No one came forward. "Shall we?" Himeko asked. "You two'll ride piggyback, it'll be faster that way."
"Where're we going?"
"Somewhere that's not here."
Later that night, the teens camped in a forest miles away from either the burned down mansion or the Institute.
"Xavier will find us, you know," Fixx pointed out, staring into the flames.
"I know," Himeko said before resuming her silence. Hogosha sat beside her, occasionally reaching out to rub Himeko's back. Pietro watched them with barely disguised jealousy.
"We're gonna need money," he pointed out.
Himeko reached into one of her pockets and withdrew several ATM cards. Hogosha recognized one that was hers.
"How'd you get that?!" Hogosha exclaimed, snatching at the card, only to have it jerked away from her.
"I grabbed it off your dresser," Himeko replied. "Figured you'd just lose it anyway. Don't worry, I'll keep it safe."
Pietro laughed. "You're good at reading people, Himeko."
"She's never going to date you," Fixx told him.
Pietro blushed. "Shut up."
"She has a point. You're not my style, P." Himeko resumed staring silently into the flames. She didn't look up when Pietro and Fix went to find a good spot for sleeping.
"You okay?" Hogosha asked.
Himeko shrugged. "Does it matter?"
"I think it does, and Pietro's dying to ask."
"I'm fine." Himeko's teeth clenched. "I'm fine," she repeated.
Hogosha nodded, but didn't fully accept the answer. "Ok. If you want to talk, I'm here."
"Go to bed."
"You should get some rest."
"Go to bed."
"You. I'll keep watch."
"Hogosha, go ... to ... bed."
"I said I'll keep watch."
Himeko decided to just ignore her, hoping it would work.
Felidae: Wohoo ... now it's the part where I get to tell you which mutants appeared in the story! Ororo Munroe/Storm, Himeko Sorano/Maneru, Hogosha Shiyama/Drills, Rogue, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Jubilation Lee/Jubilee, Shiro Yoshida/Sunfire, Fixx, Monet St. Croix/M, Paige Guthrie/Husk, and Jonothan Starsmore/Chamber (I keep wanting to put his last name as Summers for some reason ...)
Himeko: So ... why doesn't Fixx have a real name?
Felidae: It wasn't in that big X-men book I borrowed from H-chan ... that's why. And since she's a soul inside someone else's body ... I don't know where I was going with that.
Himeko: Baka
Felidae: You are too, so don't even go there.