Author's note- No interlude between chapters 4 and 5. Why? Because nothing seemed to fit there. So I'm breaking the pattern. Variety is a good thing ^_^. Hey, if anyone here takes French and knows the verb endings for regular verbs, I'd like to know them. I remember very little French because I haven't touched the language for three years, and would like to try and be semi-accurate with gambit-speech. I'll be your best friend if you could email them to me or post them in a review! ^_^ Anyway, here's chapter 5. Suspense amounts! Enjoy everyone!


--Chapter 5: Flames--

It had been a shock to find the temple empty. The sacred temple of storms, beautiful and elegant was empty of the oracle. Sir Logan saw that in a flash. Sniffing the air, he realized that she hadn't been in there for at least a weak. He scent was faint. Very faint. Jean's scent was there, but he had known that she had gone to visit Ororo earlier so it was to be expected. But there was another scent too, this one unfamiliar. Cold. Hard. Not quite human. His ears pricked up as he heard the sound of an opening door.

"Who's there?" he called fiercely.

"Just me...Logan." the voice answered seeming unsure of the name. Ororo's voice. He sniffed again. Not her scent. It smelled wrong. Very wrong.

She stepped into the candlelight, revealing herself as Ororo. She appeared exactly like her. Chocolate skin. Snow hair. Ororo. No doubt of it. But her scent was wrong. She was lovely in the candlelight. Pale silver-white robe with a gold chord belt, and headdress of silver with a gold lightning bolt chain hanging right between her eyes. But it wasn't her. It was an illusion. He was sure of it.

"Where were ya darlin'?" he said after a moment of silence, "thought oracles weren't supposed to leave their temple!"

"I was just walking. That's all."

"Thought they locked the temple from the outside," his voice wasn't threatening, but confident, as one who knew that he was winning, "Only reason why I got in was 'cause I could slash the lock."

"Really, Logan, did you think that could keep me out?"

So much like her. He wanted to believe it. But he knew it wasn't. The mockery was infuriating. The savage beast in him couldn't take it. How dare this...creature...try and fool him! The fury grew.

"You're really somethin'. I would never have guessed if it wasn't for your scent!" his voice became fierce.

"Whatever do you mean?"

::SKNT:: Claws of adamantium flashed in the candlelit temple, sharp ends flashing dangerously close to her dark neck. "Who the hell are you?"

He could have sworn a knowing smile crossed her lips right before the African skin and pale hair faded and became blue with flaming red hair. She winked at him before turning into an exact mirror image of himself, and then aimed her own claws up flinging his hand back.

"In hell's name what the fuck are you? What did you do with Ro?"

The creature sneered and whispered in a challenging tone, "Some call me traitor of tradition. Some call me temptress elf. Some call me shape shifter of evil. I prefer Mystique, myself."

Claws swiped in fury. Claw to claw. Fist to fist.

"You didn't answer me! What the hell did you do with Ororo?"

"That's a secret you'll never know!"

He sprung at her in rage knocking her into the row of sacred candles. They toppled to the floor, the flame catching onto the wooden floor of the temple. A ring of fire, flames leaping and dancing in the dusk surrounded Sir Logan. Mystique grinned at him. She was not in the circle of dancing flames which began to leap higher and higher as they ravenously devoured the wooden floor below. Transforming back into her elfin form, she grin haughtily at the trapped Wolverine.

"Careless fool!" she scoffed before slipping out the door and rushing into the night.

In a rage, Logan rushed through the flames, ignoring the burning sensation as they charred his hairy flesh. Soon the burn marks softened and became pick scars, and slowly back to his normal skin tone. But it was too late. Mystique had already disappeared into the night.

Sniffing the air, he mounted Mariko and rode after her. She had unleashed his rage, his animalistic, dark side, and he would not stop until he had her blood. The only thing that may have quieted him down could have been Ororo's return. He would not rest until she was found.

As he rode off, the citizens of Tempesta began to open their windows and doors. They rushed out and crowded around the temple. Their temple. Their precious temple. The temple of the oracle. The temple that many had worked so hard to complete to every perfect detail. Once it had shone in radiance. But now it only shone with the engulfing, enveloping flames. Several children began to cry that the goddess had abandoned them. Most of the adults did not cry, but had the same thoughts as well. Couples held each other closely in helplessness. The oracle of storms was the legacy of Tempesta. Now it was being chared to ashes.

***

It was two days before Rogue awoke. They had been the two longest days of his life. She had been weak from hunger, exhaustion, and fear, and sleeping outside on a cold, rainy , lightning-filled night under a sopping wet saddle blanket hadn't improved her condition at all. He was afraid she would never wake up. He sat in the tent he had made; close to the little fire that glowed in the twilight, as he stirred a pot of makeshift stew. Fortunately, she had stopped to rest not very far from a spot where he had set up camp earlier on his journey to Miracles, and had been able to retrieve a bag of wild rice from his emergency provisions. The silence was almost tangible. Not a leaf from a tree or a gust of wind disturbed it.

Suddenly, there was the rustle on the straw pallet where he had lain her down, and kept watchful vigil over her. A tiny moan, weak and muffled, escaped from her lips.

"So you've come back, chère." He whispered.

"R...r...r...remy..." she could barely speak.

"Oui, chère."

Her eyes blinked several times before opening.

"Mon dieu! Tres vert! I had forgotten..." he marveled at her eyes.

"How did you get here?" she asked, trying to sound tough despite her obvious invulnerability.

"I jus' happened to find your note, chère. But that wasn' enough. Gambit not rest 'til he found the real treasure."

"Flattery won't get you nowhere, thief!" she attempted to sit up and face him.

"Easy, chère. Don' move so quickly. You're too weak."

"Ah'm fine! Honestly, swamp-rat! Ah've no need for these precautions!" she said, but her words faded as she broke into a coughing spell.

"If ya call a fever, starvation, and chill fine, chère, then you be perfect!"

Rogue relented slightly. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Duex jours, ma pet'te."

"Two days!" she sputtered between coughs.

"Oui. Now jus' relax chère. Remy be fixing un petit diner."

"Dinner!" the thought of food was shocking. Rogue had not eaten solid food in five days, "What kind of dinner?"

He smiled weakly, "Ragout de riz." (A.N.- hope I got the grammar right there ^_^)

"Which would be what?"

"Rice stew."

"lovely." Her voice was sarcastic.

"Ma pet'te, what did ya expect in de middle of de wilderness? Fillet Minion, non?"

She mustered a laugh, then lay her head back on the pallet in exhaustion. "You didn't need to do this, Remy. Ah can take care of myself."

"I hardly call lie'n in a wet blanket in a lightning storm half dead takn' care of yourself, chère."

She groaned slightly and shut her eyes. He turned toward her and lay a gloved hand on her head and stroked her hair.

"Remy wake you up when dinner's ready," He whispered. He could rest easily now. She was alive.

***

Open air. Beautiful, fresh and clean air. Air not filled with incense, or the scent of burnt offerings. It filled her lungs as she stepped through the wall. It was a stormy night, and scented damp, but for the poor imprisoned oracle, it was beautiful. She was the first oracle: Katherine.

Once a week, she trusted herself to phase through the walls of the temple and walk at night. She knew, of course, that she couldn't do it for very long. She'd be betraying her duty to her city...to her father. But truthfully, she'd rather run through flame and fire than return to her holy prison. She only trusted herself for a single night, knowing full well if she had too large a taste of freedom, she would surely run away. And then she would be betraying everyone.

Yes it was a prison, a beautiful, purified, elegant cage. She was like a cat in many ways: couldn't bare to be locked up. Walking stealthily in the shadows, she walked to the edge of the hill the temple stood on and looked at the city of Kythe below. In the moonlight she could see tiny houses with adobe clay roofs, made of mud brick, windows illuminated with candles and lanterns. She could see the tall, green clock tower, carved elegantly with the visage of the eldest goddess. Physica.

Talking to the goddess was a curious thing. Even after having done it for years, Katherine was by no means used to it. She did not hate the goddess for doing this to her, as the first thing she learned was that the temples were the work of human speculation and not of the deities themselves. Physica was with her no matter what, speaking to her words of wisdom, prophesy, and comfort. Her melodious, omnipotent voice sang to Katherine at night when sleep would not find her. The goddess' soft, otherworldly hands would stroke her brow like a mother when she felt that she could not live imprisoned for very much longer.

"Goddess, will I ever be free?"

The voice answering was breathy and mysterious, "Soon, my child. Soon. Patience. It will all come in good time. Wisdom will release you."

"Wisdom? But I have learned so much from you! How much more wisdom will I need to release me from this prison?"

Although she could not see the goddess, something in Katherine told her she was smiling.

"Come, Kitty, child, walk the streets like the stealthy cat you are! If you insist of returning at day break, you haven't much time."

Katherine smiled at the nickname and took the first step toward the city below, her pale blue oracle robe brushing the ground. She didn't know that the goddess' eyes were not the only pair upon her that night.

"So, little Kitty. Cat of the night. Shadow cat. Soon it will be the time for us to meet." He whispered.

***

"Daddy! You're home!" Jean cried with joy as the great procession finally reached the estate. She ran into the courtyard to greet him.

"Yes Jean! I have returned."

She hugged him lovingly, like a daughter should. "How did the council go?" She knew what the answer to his question would be. One didn't need the sight to guess.

"Not very promising, I'm afraid."

"What happened?"

"That sadistic bastard Lord Kelly and that simple-minded Lady Amberasia! Now tell me, Jean, when you are queen, will you rule with Xodus in your best interest or in your own interest?"

"Well...I...mean if I become queen of course I would rule with Xodus in mind, but daddy..."

"What is it with this if? You are a lady of noble breed, Jean. You were born to rule! Why do you say if?"

"Why is it a must that I will be queen? Don't I have a choice in the matter? But no! It's expected of me. All I hear these days is 'you are a queen, Jean, act like one' or 'You are to rule this kingdom, be sure to hold yourself with pride'! I'm sick of it! Utterly sick and tired of it!

Her father was about to respond when Scott rode up on his horse.

"I'm sorry to intrude, my lord, my lady, but something terrible has happened! The temple of storms has caught fire!"

"No..you don't mean...what about Ororo?!" Jean cried.

"Climb on! Maybe we can save her!" Scott urged.

"We'll never reach Tepesta in time."

"Tempesta is closer to Embyr than most cities. There's still a chance. Come!" He extended a hand and she mounted behind him.

"I'll be back father!" she called.

"Jean! Wait! We're not finished!" But the two had already ridden off into the darkness.

***

Meanwhile, in the dark prison, Ororo, still chained to the wall, had mostly come to her senses. There was a creak and moan, as if a door was being opened, and footsteps sounded on the cold stone floor, echoing through the cavernous dungeon.

Keys rattled, and a figure appeared in the dim light.

"By the goddess!" Ororo whispered, shocked at what she saw.

Before her eyes was a woman with skin as dark as hers, the same garb of the oracle of storms, and even the same flowing hair as she did. It was as peering into a mirror, except the reflection could change positions as it chose.

"Awake, are we?" the figure asked, in Ororo's voice.

"The holy goddess' name! Who are you? Are you me?"

The figure laughed in the same manner that Ororo would laugh.

"No, I'm afraid I am not you."

"Why am I here? How did I get here?"

The figure grinned mockingly, "You will soon see. For now, I have a proposition to make."

***

Kurt wasn't sure what he sought. He didn't even know where he was going. Perhaps it was to find his mother. Yes. That must have been it. As he approached Xodus, he thought over what had happened. He had left home. He had left everything he had ever known. His blue feet ached, as he walked along, swinging his tail behind him in rhythm to some silent song. It would be so much easier if he knew where his mother was. In that way, he could use his power, the transport, to go there. But he couldn't. Sighing, he decided to set up camp right on the outskirts of the kingdom. He was too tired to go any father.

***

Looking at the sky, the man shut his eyes. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill her. He didn't understand it. He had never had trouble killing anyone before. But he couldn't kill her. The assignment was simple. Nothing out of the ordinary. What made it so special that he couldn't raise his knife?

The assignment had been a typical one. Kill the first oracle. No different from killing, say, the Marquis de Lawrance or the Duke of Wilthryn. But something stopped him. What power did this normal girl possess that made her any different? He was no religious man. He knew that the girl had no protection from any sort of spirit, higher being, or goddess.

What made this...shadow cat, as thought of her fondly, so special that he couldn't kill her. Instead, something in him wanted nothing more than to open the door to her wooden cage and set the Kitty free.