X-Men: Evolution

Blood Magics

A/N: hey, sorry for the wait. Shortly after I updated last time, I got into writing in a couple of other stories. Once I finally got back into this one and wrote a little more, I suddenly got thrown into a couple very high-stress weeks, with a whole bunch of tests and assignments. Not to mention a couple of disasters, but trust me, you don't want to hear about it. Now that they're fixed, I'm back.

Also, just going to say, getting no reviews on my last chapter made me nervous. I thought I could be pretty happy with it, but no one told me what they thought at all, so that kind of slowed down the incentive to write. But, either way, here's the next one. Kind of short, I think, but it's here.

10. How Old Are You?

"To tell you what happened…" her father hesitated. "It's hard to know where to start…"

"Danielle." The Dragon's voice was clipped.

"Hmm?" her father looked at her hopefully.

"You called me Danielle. Was that my name?"

"Yes…" her father breathed, his voice whispery. There was sadness in his expression with the realization that she had forgotten her own name in the years that had passed. "Your name was… is… Danielle Deliah Nacrene."

The dragon snorted, a wisp of accompanying Shadow Fire flickering out and dissipating quickly. "Was, sure… is, no. I will not answer to that name. Call me Dragon. So, tell me. March 13, 2007. You ran. Did you panic? Were you horrified that your daughter was a freak?" her voice, already ice-cold and sharp as a steel blade, became even more so.

"Da- Dragon, please! I did panic, yes, but that was five years ago, before mutants were known! Had I known that's what you were, I never would have left. I swear that to you. But I had no idea what was happening to you, so yes, I panicked! Once I got out of the house, I remembered Xavier. I'd met him once before, at a discussion on genetics I'd gone to. Once I remembered him, I searched for a way to contact him. Eventually, I came across the information about this institute that had been built with his funding, so I came here hoping to find him. When I did, I explained what had happened, though I wasn't sure he would believe me at the time. But, he told me about mutants, and showed me that he was one. He told me, back then, that if you had physical mutations, it might be better for you to come to the institute, and that there was certainly a place for you.

"After that meeting, it took some time for me to grasp the fact that it was true. For quite awhile, I just couldn't believe it. It seemed unreal. When I finally accepted it, I went back. I wanted to share what I'd learned with… with you and your mother. By the time I got back, three months had passed… and it was too late. A… a neighbour told me about… your mother being found in an alley. But they had no word about you, so I spoke to the police. I told them everything I could without mentioning mutants. The police had figured it was a gang hit; it wasn't the first time. The gang in our old town was small, but sometimes got violent.

"I thought they might have taken you. For two years I kept in contact with the police force tasked with stopping the gang. At the end of the two years, the entire gang had been found and arrested. You were nowhere. And since you weren't with the gang… I was sure you'd died by then. The gang talked about that incident; the one who'd killed you mother was a former member who had since left the country. Her case was closed, and you became only a missing person's file.

"I couldn't stand being near our old house, not with all that had happened. I made sure the police could contact me if they ever found you, then I came back here to Bayville. I never forgot you. I never thought I'd have a chance to see you, or talk to you, ever again. Yet you were alive. And after all this time… here we are. I'm sorry. I really am. Danielle…" he trailed off and the dragon, who had not exactly relaxed but had un-tensed her muscles while he spoke, tensed again.

"Don't call me that!" she snarled. "Don't expect forgiveness from me, old man! I went through too much hell to forgive the person who caused the whole thing. If you hadn't left, Mama wouldn't've had to work late, and she wouldn't've been killed! I blame you! And don't call me Danielle! That's not my name- that's not who I am anymore! I'm Dragon!"

With a final snarl, Dragon launched herself off the chair and into the air, making sure to hit his head with both front paws as she took off. Flying through the halls at a rapid pace, she headed for her room.

In the dining room, Rahne excused herself from the table. Her head whirling with all that she'd heard, she followed Dragon's path down the halls and up the stairs. When she reached Dragon's door, she paused and took a steadying breath. Animals could sense a human's emotions, and if humans near them were freaked out, so were they. Dragon was a feral mutant; Rahne doubted that she wouldn't be able to tell. And dragon was already distressed enough. Rahne knocked, mostly as a courtesy, and entered. For a moment the room looked empty; then, Rahne spotted a black tail poking out from underneath the pillow in the middle of the bed.

Walking forward slowly (and a little nervously), Rahne let her eyes wander the room a little, noticing idly that the only things in the room that hadn't been there from the start of its' time as an extra room was dragon herself, and a small gold ring on the nightstand… Dragon's only possession.

Reaching the bed at last, Rahne sat down next to the pillow, avoiding Dragon's tail.

"Dragon?" she said uncertainly, and moved the pillow. Dragon looked up, and Rahne noticed that her eyes were swimming and red around the very edges, and the sheets under her were already damp.

"It's not really his fault, is it?" Dragon sniffed, more tear falling.

"No." Rahne said softly. Dragon made to lower her head again, but Rahne tucked her fingers under her chin and forced Dragon to look her in the eyes. "And it's not your fault either."

"Then whose is it?" Dragon hiccupped.

"Your mothers' death is the fault of the people who murdered her. They alone are responsible."

Snuffling, Dragon nodded. Though the tear didn't stop, she felt a little better. But not much.

"The- the last thing Mama said to m-me was, 'I love you.' Th-the last thing I said to her was, 'Why can't you get up, Mama?' I-I just… I didn't see…" Dragon took a deep, shaking breath.

"All this time, I've wished… I've wanted… to g-go back to that night and just say one more thing b-before she died… just have a chance to say one more thing… now I can't… and I… I never will…"

Rahne reached forward and grabbed the gold ring from the bedside table. Holding it out Dragon, she said,

"Your mom did love you. And because she loved you… loves you… I'm sure she knows. She knows. I'm sure she watches over you, every day. And I'm positive that the fact that you are here, alive and unhurt, makes her very happy."

Slowly, Dragon nodded. She pushed her muzzle against the ring in Rahne's hand before knocking it down and placing a paw on it. Then Dragon nuzzled her face against Rahne, who lay down and held her.

'Out on your own for that long…' Rahne thought to herself. 'No one to teach you about anything, no one to help you do anything… you made it, but… at what price? How confused is your mind? How far behind? Really… how old are you?'

"Rahne?" Dragon interrupted her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Can… can I call you a big sister?"

Rahne smiled and squeezed her. It may have been cheesy, but the only words she could find to bring out her mouth were,

"It would be an honor."

A/N: ok, there we are. Chapter 10. The next chapter has a few surprises in it… well, if you think it over, one of them might not be so surprising, but, there is at least one.

So… tomorrow is my birthday. I'm turning 20. Maybe you could leave a review, if only as a present?