Rating: PG-13 still
Spoiler: (Chapter 2) Rhiannon introduces herself and learns a little about Logan.
Chapter Two: Crazy Horse
Rhiannon reared up and slammed her front hooves on the hood of the car as it rolled to a stop inches from them both.
The driver put the car into neutral then stuck his head out the window.
"What the hell are ya doin', ya crazy horse! Get outa the damn road." He honked the horn twice for good measure.
Rhiannon lowered her head towards the windshield and pinned her ears back. "Maybe if you would *back* *up* then I could put my feet down and we could make some progress!" she snapped.
"Holy shit! A talking horse!" The driver jammed the car into reverse and sped off backwards. Rhiannon's hooves slid off the hood of the car and thumped down dangerously close to Logan's head. She began to laugh. ~What an idiot! His expression was priceless-he was terrified! Of me!~
Logan was now staring up at a very broad belly. He had jerked his head out of harm's way when the horse's hooves touched down, then looked warily over his shoulder to see what it was going to do next.
~Well, if that don't beat all.~ The horse was laughing. Actually laughing. He looked at the skid marks left by the departing car. ~Why not? If it can talk it can laugh, right?…Wait a minute-a talking horse?~ He inhaled deeply, trying to sort out the scent of the horse from everything else he could smell. That horse/woman smell…could it–she- be a mutant?
Out of the blue, the horse's nose swung down into his field of vision. "Oh, you're awake." The head disappeared and he realized that the legs on either side of his head were now normal, stocky human legs clad in jeans and work boots. The legs stepped away from him then turned back and crouched down. A hand appeared and he followed it up to a young woman's face which was smiling happily at him.
"Are you all right?" Rhiannon asked. ~Damn, he isn't even scratched! I was right.~ "Sorry if I scared you. I tried to wake you up but it didn't work." She looked more closely at him. ~Hey-he's kind of sexy-in a wild sort of way.~ She mentally shook herself. ~ No-I can't think that –bad girl!~
Logan hesitated a second, then took her hand. ~Let's see if she's as strong as she looks.~ To his surprise she hoisted him easily to his feet. "I'm fine." He regarded her intently. "You're a mutant?"
She nodded. "My name's Rhiannon. I can shape shift. Well, sort of. Only into a horse or something like it. I can even be a unicorn if I concentrate. What about you?" She tilted her head to the side as she asked.
"Logan." He didn't know her, but some inner instinct told him he could trust her-at least a little. ~Hell, she could've been hit by that car. May as well tell her.~ " I heal really fast and I have heightened senses." He paused, uncertain if he should tell her about the claws.
"That explains why your bike is totaled but you don't have a scratch on you. I have heightened senses when I'm in horse form, but not when I'm human." She grinned. "I can fly too, if I shift into a winged horse, but that's a bit tricky. It uses a lot of energy." She frowned a little. "Do you lift weights or something? You're heavier than you look."
~Damn. Guess I have to tell her now. Why'd she have to be so smart?~ "No." He tried not to look angry but it wasn't easy. *snikt* Out came the claws. "Some *doctors*"-he almost spat the word out- "took advantage of my healing factor and covered my bones with metal, as well as giving me these." He held up one fist. "You ever heard of adamantium?"
Rhiannon shook her head. She didn't know what adamantium was, but she wasn't sure she wanted to ask, either.
She couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for Logan. The claws had frightened her at first and she had thought briefly about bolting, but once she realized he was angry at the "doctors" and not at her, she wasn't afraid of him anymore. Now she was outraged.
"Those weren't doctors," she said angrily. "They were butchers. I never understood why people have to be so mean to each other. Different doesn't always mean evil."
She closed her eyes in an effort to regain control of her emotions, but discovered that doing so was a mistake. It allowed her to remember, in rapid flashbacks, what school had been like-first she was the token "fat kid," then her mutation had surfaced and the teasing had doubled, going from bearable to nearly driving her round the bend. It wasn't her fault that she was a mutant! Why did that give others the right to tease her? ~Calm down, Rhiannon!~ she told herself. ~There isn't anything you can do about the past… Maybe you can help Logan with his future?~ That thought made her feel a little better, although she couldn't have said precisely why.
She opened her eyes and met Logan's intense but curious gaze. She was glad to see that he was no longer angry-if anything he seemed a little surprised by her reaction- and a quick glance showed her that he had re-sheathed the claws.
"Sorry. I get a little worked up sometimes. I'm very big on equal rights for everyone." She flashed him another smile. "Let's go see what we can do about your bike."
And she turned and headed off down the road.
Logan watched her a little, then he shrugged and headed off after her. Her outburst had surprised him but he felt a little confused as well. Most people were either afraid of him or, less commonly, they felt sorry for him. He couldn't remember anyone having ever been angry on his behalf. It was a strange feeling, but not any stranger than not knowing who you really were and having no way to find out.
He wondered briefly if Rhiannon would understand how that felt. ~Not like it matters. As soon as I get the bike goin' again, I'm gonna keep heading west.~
***
Little did he know that Fate had an entirely different idea.