Shan stood at the window in the conference room, looking out at the New York skyline. Illyana and Rahne (both in human form) sat at the table.

Shan said, "I'm not happy with this situation, Illyana."

"You didn't send me to make you happy," Illyana said. "You wanted me to find out if something paranormal was going on there and there was. The Wings of Needless Sorrow are back at Doctor Strange's, locked up under wards even I can't get through. And the wielder has been identified and locked up."

Shan turned around. "Yes, locked up in a mental hospital where he has to be restrained from clawing his own eyes out. What's your answer to that?"

"You didn't want a trail of dead bodies. His body is not dead."

"And on your say-so, Hatchi Corporation has made donations to local drug treatment programs."

"Good press for your company, Shan."

"I'm glad Belasco taught you public relations, Illyana."

"He didn't."

"My point exactly." Shan crossed to the table and leaned on it. "Then again, I haven't been out of the field so long that I forgot things can go sideways more often than not." Her eyes shifted to Rahne. "And you managed an…unexpected resource." She straightened up. "All right. I'm calling this a successful audition." She walked around the table. "You've got the job."

Illyana stood and they shook hands. Illyana said, "You won't regret it."

"We'll see." They released hands. "For now," Shan said, "the question is who's going to be added to the team. Any thoughts on that, Rahne?"

Rahne stood. "Can I have the night to think about it, Shan?"

"Take all the time you want, Rahne."

"Ok. Oh, Illyana, could you come here for a sec?"

The witch crossed to the werewolf. "What is it?"

Rahne's fist slammed into Illyana's jaw. Illyana staggered back.

Rahne said, "We understand each other?"

Illyana nodded.

Rahne nodded to Shan and left.

Illyana rubbed her jaw. "I think if she joins up, we'll have to check her strength level. I think her human form has leveled up a bit."

"Oh, you think so, do you?"

"Sorry…boss. What do you think?"

Shan grinned. "I think you just found your second-in-command."

Illyana rubbed her jaw. "Yeah, I suppose so. Meanwhile, why don't you tell me what this is really all about?"

Shan walked past Illyana, closed the door to the conference room, and turned to face her old teammate. "You could say it's a family matter…"

8

8

Rahne leaned against the window of her small apartment with her phone to her ear, listening to Dani Moonstar's voicemail greeting. She had asked around and no one had seen or heard from Dani for a couple of months, and that was on top of the soured relationships with Rahne. Still, Rahne felt she had to try to reach out. She had no problem with Illyana being team leader…in principle. But the unexpected turn in their relationship made being on Illyana's team problematic, and she felt she needed her old friend's advice before making her final decision.

At the beep, Rahne said, "Hi, Dani, it's me. I know it's been a while and I understand if you want to avoid me. But I could really use your input on something. Call me back." She hung up. "Or I'll just have to make up my own mind for one. And it's not like I've never done anything else I regret later."

A voice sounded from her bathroom. "Rahne?"

"Huh?"

Rahne entered the bathroom. She turned on the light and saw a goat skull floating in the mirror.

Rahne said, "Lilith?"

"Hi, Rahne," the demon said. "I just wanted to contact you one more time to say goodbye."

"You're not, uh, coming back?"

"Well, after being burned to a crisp, it's kind of hard to reestablish yourself. We really liked that town. But Satan and I found a pocket dimension a settled down in our own cozy dominion. We might have you and your friends over someday for a barbecue…or a fight. Either would be fun."

"Eh…I appreciate the sentiment. It was nice knowing you."

"Nice knowing you. And about the darkchilde…"

"My destiny lies with Illyana?"

"I wouldn't be that strong, but your life paths keep crossing. You may want to walk with her for a while. See what happens."

"I'll think about it, Lilith. 'Bye now."

"Goodbye, Rahne." The skull vanished.

8

8

Rahne finally made her decision as she ate breakfast the next morning. After she'd put her dishes away, she called Illyana and got voice mail. "Hey, Lass—call me." She hung up. She sat on a stool. A light circle appeared on the kitchen floor next to her.

"Guess she wants face time." Rahne hopped onto the circle. She landed in Limbo next to a queen size bed in the middle of castle courtyard, surrounded by burning torches.

Illyana was there in a black and red negligee. She snapped her fingers. Silver flames flashed around Rahne and her clothes were replaced by a strapless leather top, a matching sarong, and a collar around her neck.

Rahne's finger tugged a ring on the collar. "Cute. Is there a point to this?"

"Call it an in-joke." Illyana pushed Rahne onto the bed.

Rahne looked up into Illyana's eyes. "I'm not your property, Illyana."

Illyana smiled. "And I'm not entirely human. I'm even less human now than I was in the old days. I will never be…your ideal love. I can't be who you are. Can you accept me as I am?"

"I can try, as long as you respect me."

Illyana smiled. "Not a problem." And the witch kissed the werewolf.

8

8

Lying naked in Illyana's arms, Rahne chuckled.

"What?" the naked sorceress asked as she played with Rahne's hair.

"Something you said," Rahne said. "You were right. It's so easy to take this crazy life for granted. Think about back when we were at Xavier's. If any teenage girl other than me had said, 'Oh, that girl down the hall is a demon and I'm afraid she wants to eat my soul,' she would have been put on medication straight away. But that was my schoolmate."

"Eating your soul? You've known me for how long? I'm going to have to up my game."

"Point is, it's too easy to take all this for granted, and I shouldn't. I should be grateful for everything and everyone in this life…even the things that can still make my skin crawl. And if I'm making the biggest mistake of my life, I should at least enjoy it's a mistake no one else can make." She kissed Illyana.

"So…is this your needlessly emotional and long-winded way of saying you're joining the team?"

"'And Ruth said, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go."' I had to lose you once to realize how much you meant to me. I'm not going to let you go again, not without a say in the matter. If you lead the team, I'll follow you."

"In that case…" Illyana held her hand out. A stepping disk appeared above it and a folder fell onto her hand. The disk vanished, and she handed the folder to Rahne. "Some prospective candidates. If we can get them, your being onboard will make managing them easier."

Rahne flipped through the folder. "Are you serious? I'm beginning to wonder if how accidental any of this was."

"Pretty accidental, although I know you well enough to have been cautiously optimistic."

"You and me, Illyana, being together…that could make this awkward."

"Only if you make this awkward, Rahne…and I'll be counting on you to say so if it is. I need you to be you and be what I can't."

"The team's moral compass."

"Yes. And by the way, if I'd claimed your soul, it would be impossible for you to do that. So put your mind at ease about being my 'property.'"

"I see. And if you didn't need me to be a moral compass?"

"I still wouldn't because I love you just the way you are." She caressed Rahne's cheek and her voice softened: "It was so strange after I came back. You weren't there to quote scriptures at me, and no one would tell me what had happened. It didn't feel…complete. I wish I could bring everyone together, but if I have to choose, I'll start with you."

"Oh, shut up, you silly succubus."

They kissed again, and then Rahne said, "One more thing: next time you attract the attention of some lunatic who has a mind to burn you at the stake, don't you dare leave me behind. My life stopped being safe the day my father led a mob to kill me, and I won't have you treating me like a china doll. None of this 'Stay here where you'll be safe' crap. Or I'll be the one bringing the lighter fluid and the marshmallows. You understand me?"

Illyana smiled. "Perfectly. Welcome back to the New Mutants, Rahne Sinclair."

"When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed.
Don't resent me,
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory,
Leave out all the rest"

-Linkin Park, "Leave Out All the Rest"

THE BEGINNING