Jedi Knight Wolfepup bows down before the Council. Masters Diane, Discord, Thundercat (rubbing a paw along a muscled forearm), Chris Volger, Jane Silver, and CrazyCartoonJoker, look down upon her. Master Charmega gazes down from over (his/her?) nose and decrees, "Not Easy Being Fuzzy" WILL have a fifth chapter. It is the will of the Force.
Who am I to argue? ^_^;
Now, I was thinking (dangerous, I know), might as well get the OFFICIAL disclaimers out of the way. The Itex has nothing to do with Stars Wars, they came from me. They're all mine! BUT…even through Ce'it Ki Oshanna is my character, he is a Jedi inspired by Trip from Power Rangers Time Force. Don't ask, I was bored. And, believe it or not, if you trace Donnye back far enough, you'll get a Ninja Turtle of the same name. But name is where that one ends these days. Warp and the definition of the speed comes from Star Trek. The obvious hails from Marvel. Yes, when I was just a little cub, I watched entirely too much TV. ^_^;
So, sit back and enjoy! ^_^
Chapter Five
"Don't Drink the Water" Or Pizza Party and the Mersakii Security Blanket
A week had passed since the battle. Kurt, oddly enough on the advice of Ce'it, avoided teleporting. His head still throbbed, but not as much as it had. He rubbed his temple, the teacher in his math class long used to it. If they only knew how close they had come to losing Earth.
Rumors still flooded the school about an alien invasion, a war between two races to dominate the Earth. Satellite pictures from NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope were kept in closely guarded rooms. The tabloids reasoned that they hid the identities of the attackers. A few even went so far as to assume that one of the races was protecting Earth, a benign and noble race.
They had no idea how accurate they were.
The X-Men had lost their plane, the Black Bird. It had been sacrificed to protect the Earth, ramming into a Rylaxian ship. How it turned, he had no idea, though he suspected Mystique might have something to do with it. She seemed to have her hands in everything.
He had learned a valuable lesson as far as his power was concerned. Teleporting took energy, and transporting three people over a very long distance had killed him. But, Logan kept his body alive long enough for Ce'it to pull him back from the brink. He shuddered, suddenly very cold.
The professor had told him that not only did Ce'it save his life, he saw into the future. Kurt was now very much in awe of the Force. To him, it was mystery, hidden power, unknown strength.
But Ce'it had reached his limits as well. He was not a healer, his strength was not the Living Force, as he called it. He had used everything he had to bring Kurt back. He smiled slightly, and Ce'it said his headache would fade the same time his did.
The teacher excused the class, closing her book sharply. Kurt gathered up his books, stuffing them into his backpack. Evan, who had this class with him, hefted his backpack on his shoulder next to his own. Kurt started to protest, but Evan silenced it with a look.
"How you doin?" he had to have noticed the rubbing of his temple.
"Better, still have mein headache."
Evan grinned, "I have no doubt! I saw Ce-Sean in the hall today, he looks terrible."
Kurt was concerned, "But he didn't look bad this morning?"
He friend shrugged, but he couldn't stop the flash of concern in his eyes. "Let's go talk to him, and then let's go enjoy ourselves. It is Friday after all!"
Kurt had to grin at his friend's enthusiasm, "Ja."
Evan placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, waving his other hand in front of him, "I see you napping under a large tree. Scott, Jean and the others playing Frisbee in the sun."
He smiled, he had to agree with his friend's logic.
Kurt met Scott in the parking lot after school, looking over his shoulder at the building. "Kurt, what's wrong?" Jean easily picked up on his emotions. "Evan said Ce'it vasn't looking so good, so ve vent to say hi to him. But he vas not in his office. The secretary said that he had gone home early."
Scott had recovered well from the incident in the Black Bird. He leaned against the side of his car, watching Kitty and Rouge approach. "I say we pay him a visit."
Kurt smiled, hopping smoothly into the car, careful not to jar his head. Kitty slid into the seat next to his, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Evan sighed and rolled his eyes, climbing in next to him. Jean sat in the front next to Scott, and Rouge managed to squeeze in the back, her eyes twinkling in uncharacteristic happiness. She was becoming quite good at not touching anyone with her skin, especially Kurt, who needed what energy he had left.
"If yah don't mind, ah'd like to go back to tha mansion."
Scott nodded, turning the key in the ignition. "First stop, Xavier's School for the Gifted," he looked over at Jean, who rolled her eyes at his attempt at a joke. He shrugged, putting the car into gear and rolling out of the parking lot.
He felt horrible. His body was still not sure if there was anything in it, as much as Ce'it tried to tell it that is was very much empty. He shuddered again, fighting against the dry heaves. His back ached, his throat was on fire. He felt fine this morning, except for that headache. Another teacher, one whose eyes had followed him as soon as she discovered he was single, insisted that she help him.
Ce'it was far from Human. Half of what was in his fridge was poisonous to a Human, and half of what a Human ate was poisonous to him. He didn't heed his own counsel and didn't test the little white pill the teacher had given him.
He groaned, cursing himself. Aspirin, he was allergic to aspirin.
Someone knocked softly on the door. A quick brush with the Force and he knew Jean, Kurt, and Kitty stood on the other side. He tried to croak for them to enter, but the effort of speaking caused another coughing fit and a surge of more dry heaves. Their concern wafted to him.
He reached with the Force, touching Jean's mind. Her shock registered, then faded at his carefully thought words. Come in.
He could hear the doorknob rattle as they tried it. It was locked. But Kitty fixed that, reaching her hand through the door and unlocking it. "Ce'it? Where are you?" Jean's voice echoed through the apartment.
In here.
Ce'it was curled up on his side, drenched in sweat. Even the fur on his tail was soaked. Jean covered her mouth with her hand. Ce'it looked up at them with pained blue eyes. "Vat happened?"
Aspirin.
"Aspirin?" Jean was taken aback. "How could aspirin do this to you?!" She knelt next to him, her head inches from his eyes. She placed a hand on his forehead. Her skin was so cool. He closed his eyes momentarily.
Not Human.
Her mouth opened in an "O" of surprise. He doubted she had ever really though of how alien he was until now.
"You are allergic to aspirin?"
Kurt and Kitty gasped from behind her. He opened his eyes, looking up at them. He sent Jean a feeling of acceptance, of not caring if they decided to stay or not. He secretly wished they would. Call Donnye, number next to the phone.
She looked at him, "We can stay?"
Yes. His reply was curt, his head aching even greater.
Jean walked over to the phone, dialing. "Hello, Scott."
"He's sick."
"Aspirin."
"I'll explain later, I need to talk to Xavier, Ororo, or Logan."
"Yes, Logan, I know, training room."
She glanced over at Ce'it. Kitty had moved a chair next to him, and had a hand on his shoulder as he commenced with another bought of dry heaves. "But—oh, you heard that? That was Ce'it. Yes, we'll stay with him. You're coming over?" Another glance at Ce'it. "Okay." She set the phone done, looking around for Donnye's number. Notes scrawled in any language but English littered the stand. No wonder she had never seen Ce'it write, even being a teacher, he hid the fact that he couldn't write English. Her eyes passed over to school books in a careful pile next to the stand. "How to Read and Write"
He was learning how to write English. She picked one up, paging through it, his handwriting was angular, sharp with the lowercase letters darting below the line. But each letter was drawn with careful precision.
A slight mental nudge.
She turned to look at Ce'it. "I can't find his number. What language is this anyway?" She held up a random scrap of paper, the writing full of loops and characters. Almost like a cross between Chinese and script. That's the one. His mental voice was pained but amused.
She looked at the scrap in surprise. Sure enough, there was what looked to be a series of numbers on it, quick strokes of repeated lines. She looked closer, and beneath them, their English equivalents.
It didn't take long for Donnye to arrive. He placed a band around Ce'it wrist, a rather glovelike affair with a loop around the palm of the hand and a wider band around most of his forearm. Angular letters flitted across the surface in shades of red, yellow, and green. Donnye looked at Ce'it, amusement in his eyes.
Logan burst in, smelling of motorcycle and concern. Donnye looked up at him, "He'll be fine. He just needs rest." He tapped a yellow icon on the band. "This will ease the heavings, but I wouldn't suggest eating until the aspirin is purged from your system. This one," he tapped another yellow icon, "will help ease the ache."
Logan calmed down, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "How long?" Jean looked up at him, surprised. Very rarely did Logan ever show concern for anyone.
Ce'it's eyelids were becoming heavy, Donnye shook his shoulder slightly. "How long?"
Jean started, straining to hear his mental voice. Four hours since the aspirin. Don't know how long until I am better. The effort seemed to drain him. Kurt looked up at them, one fang flashing out as he chewed on his lip.
Donnye sighed. "He's been like this for a few hours, at least. The allergic reaction wasn't immediate."
"How do you know this?" Logan growled.
"The aspirin had to enter his bloodstream. We're lucky he had a small dose, anything much larger would have killed him."
Kurt was taken aback by his matter of fact tone. Donnye noticed his discomfort, passing his too-old eyes over the teen, "I'll admit it, I am as worried as you are. But I am old, Kurt. I have seen civilizations die in my wanderings. I am used to seeing death." He placed a hand on Ce'it's shoulder. The Jedi looked up at him, blinking slowly. "I'm just glad I don't have to see it now. Imagine what we would have to tell the school board! Let alone your Council!"
Ce'it smiled weakly. Donnye continued, standing up. "You get some sleep, I'll be back in the morning." Logan stopped him with a hand on his arm. He spoke, his voice low and growling, "You sure he's gonna be alright?"
Donnye glanced at the now asleep Ce'it, before looking back at Logan and nodding. "Yes."
Logan let go, scowling at him. "You had better be right."
Jean, Kurt, and Kitty decided to stay the night. Ce'it would from time to time mutter something soft in his fluid native tongue. Kitty discovered that the couch was a hideabed. She pulled it open, wrestling with the extra pillows. Kurt walked the short distance to the nearest video store and rented such classics as Top Secret, Zorro, the Gay Blade, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Spaceballs.
Kitty laughed at what Ce'it would think of the "Schawrtz". Kurt snuggled against Kitty, his eyes half-lidded in pleasure as the opening credits for Spaceballs scrolled up the screen. His belly growled.
"Kurt," Jean sighed, "Since you have memorized every pizza place in the State of New York, you call for pizza."
"Who's paying?"
They looked up at Ce'it, who stood in the doorway leaning against the frame. "How are you?" Kitty asked.
He yawned, padding over to a recliner, his tail dragging on the ground. "I've felt better." He glanced at the TV from under limp dark blue bangs. "Sleepover, huh?"
"Ja," Kurt smiled, bouncing off the couch turned bed. He proceeded to show Ce'it the movie selection. "Zorro the what blade?"
"Gay."
"Happy?"
Jean and Kitty looked at each other, before their defenses withered and they fell into a laughing heap on the bed.
Kurt shrugged, explaining the word's other meaning. Ce'it's eyes widened. "I had ze same problem."
Ce'it leaned his head back, eyeing the trio. "Order some pizza, I'll pay, but don't expect me to eat any of it. Oh," he held up a hand, stopping Kurt's mad rush for the phone, "Get drinks, too. I would advise against eating anything in the fridge."
Comprehension filled Jean's eyes. "That's right!" At the others' blank looks, she continued. "If some of what we eat is poison to him, then the same holds true for us."
Kitty looked at Ce'it. "Just what do you eat?"
"Go look," he waved at the fridge. Kurt looked over Kitty's shoulder as she opened the door. Rows of neatly labeled colorful containers filled it from top to bottom. Bottles, all labeled in Ce'it's loopy angular handwriting in his native language lined the door. Kitty couldn't help but smile. She reached in, pulling out a larger container. "Lettuce?"
"Not everything you eat is poison to me," Ce'it replied.
"What is this?" she pulled out a red container filled with shredded bits of leaves. The larger veins were red. She held it out to him. "Rhubarb leaves. Tastes great with ranch dressing."
Jean scowled as Kitty gingerly placed the container back in the fridge and closed the door. "That's, like, ew." Kitty wrinkled her nose.
"Poison to you, food to me," Ce'it quipped. "Does this ship ever stop coming?" He pointed to the screen. A very large ship flew past slowly.
"Eventually," Kurt replied, picking up the phone.
Three large pizzas, one of which was the sole resident of Kurt's stomach, two two-liters of soda, and two movies later, the group decided to call it a night. Ce'it was escorted back to his room by Jean. He had shown them where the extra blankets were kept.
Logan had a made a brief appearance not too long ago, carrying a backpack full of spare clothes. "No funny stuff," he warned them, his eyes on Kitty and Kurt.
They changed in the bathroom, Jean coming out in soft sweats and a teeshirt. Kitty was dressed in a long sleeping shirt and shorts. Kurt opted for a teeshirt and shorts, a hole cut in the latter for his tail.
The trio looked at the bed. "Who is going to sleep where?" Jean had her hands on her hips.
Kurt gathered up a large blanket, walking into Ce'it's room. He turned and winked at Kitty, "Sleep vell."
She sighed. Jean saw her look and smiled. "I know what it's like." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Give it time."
"I know."
Ce'it and Kurt were asleep well past Saturday Morning Cartoons. Kitty looked in on them. Ce'it had doffed something in the course of the night, a pile of soft gray fabric lay past the foot of his bed, but he otherwise looked comfortable. He lay sprawled on his back, dark gray sleep shirt rumpled, hair spread out his head, and tail firmly gripped in one hand.
Kurt lay curled up on the floor, tail twitching in tune to whatever he was dreaming. The blankets were a mess, more of a cocoon than a blanket, and one bare two-toed fuzzy foot stuck out. Kitty couldn't help herself and she leaned over and tickled him.
His toes twitched, then his leg. She stopped his tail with her other hand. He looked up at her with one sleepy eye, "Gouten tag, Keety." (AN, sorry if I spelled it wrong.)
"Good morning." She smiled, straitening as she stood up. Ce'it looked at her with one sleepy eye. He saw her eyes pass over to his tail tip, still held securely in one hand.
He motioned to her with it. "I inherited this from my mother, a Mersakii." He rolled onto his side, levering himself up on his elbow. "It's called the 'Mersakii Security Blanket'." He let go of his tail.
Kitty hid a smile behind her hand.
Kurt sat up, stretching. He yawned, "How'd you sleep, Keety?"
She leaned against the door, arms wrapped around her waist. "Fine. But," she whispered, "Jean, like, snores."
He smiled.
Ce'it swung his long legs off of the bed, the blanket still over his waist. He glance down, then at the foot of the bed. "Kitty, if you don't mind?"
"Oh! Okay," she waved, waltzing out of the room.
Kurt smiled, bamfing out with a breeze of brimstone, then reappearing just as fast, blushing a deep purple. Something hit the wall. "Ah, bathroom's not empty."
Ce'it smiled, leaning over and grabbing his shorts. His tail stuck out, a furry counterbalance. Kurt pouted, plopping down on the floor, tail behind him, waving in the air. His back was to the Jedi, and his head was in his hand. "What's wrong?"
Kurt sighed, "Vat does Keety see in me? I mean, I have blue fur and a tail and," he held up his hands. "I don't know, Ce'it. I zink she vould be better vith someone else."
Ce'it leaned down, placing his hand on his shoulder. "I know how you feel."
Kurt turned on him, "How? You're not Human! You get to be with those zat look like you!" Kurt turned his back on him again. Ce'it sighed, sensing the boy's regret at his outburst.
"I'm not Mersakii, and I'm not Valterin. I'm not normal because I am a Jedi." He crouched in front of Kurt, forcing the youth to look at him. "You have what I can't. You belong here, on Earth. My home is Coruscant, many aarms away." Ce'it voice grew soft. "You can have a family, Kurt. I can't."
Kurt looked at him is shock. "Vy?"
"How much do you know of biology?"
He shrugged, "Not much."
"What do you get when you combine two different species?"
Kurt shrugged again, Ce'it continued, "Say, a horse and a donkey. Different species, but the result is a mule."
Kurt looked confused, "Mule?"
"You are a flesh and blood Human, right down to the last protein in your DNA." He sighed sadly. "I am like a mule, not of any one species."
"I don't get it."
"I can never have a family, Kurt."
Realization dawned on him, Ce'it continued speaking. "Look what you have here, Kurt. And don't try to hide it from me, either, I'm a Jedi, it's what I do." Humor twinkled in his dark eyes. "Kitty loves you very much, and I know you feel the same."
Kurt looked away, "but—"
Ce'it cut him off, "No but's, Kurt. Get dressed." He stood, a little shaky.
"You okay?"
The Jedi held up his arm, the black band still prominent. "I should be fine tomorrow." He glanced at the band. "The aspirin is almost gone."
Ce'it waited for Kurt to leave before plopping heavily down on the bed. As a Jedi, a family was a near impossibility, but at least most had a choice. His Master, an ancient Jedi Human named Tari (AN: See my Star wars stories for Tari's early years!) had a huge family. He had a mate, two children, a mother, a father, cousins, brothers, sisters, everything. Ce'it leaned his face in his hands. He had the Jedi Temple, but at times like this, it just didn't seem to be enough. Here, on Earth, there wasn't even another Jedi for him to talk to.
He looked up. The Council would be expecting an update soon.
"Vat took you so long?" Kurt looked up as Ce'it padded into the room. The couch was once again folded back into being a couch. The trio was camped out on the bed, munching on leftover pizza.
Ce'it plopped into the recliner. "The Council had to be updated. I should hear from them tomorrow."
"Council?" Kitty looked over at him.
"The Jedi Council. In short, they answer to the Galactic Senate, and I answer to them."
Jean and Kitty's mouth formed into "o's" of surprise. Kitty shook herself out of it first. "So, like, what now?"
"The Itex are going to be rebuilding Traddess for a while, and it's Saturday, so, we might as well go visit the Professor. How's the headache, Kurt?"
"Almost gone!" he smiled broadly.
Ce'it smiled, watching Jean stack the empty pizza boxes next to the garbage can. "Ready to leave whenever you are."
Kitty looked him over. "Like, hologram?"
Ce'it thumbed his watched, Kurt following a few seconds later. Kitty almost seemed disappointed when Kurt looked like everyone else. Ce'it smiled, catching onto her brief rush of emotions. He stood slowly, wrapping his tail around his waist.
Kurt was the first out of the door, hopping down the stairs. He waited for them at Ce'it's car. For a second, he glanced at his reflection in the glassy black paintjob, brushing back his hair. He looked up as Ce'it walked closer. "Iz this made out of vat I think it is?"
Ce'it laughed, "No, I just got a good deal on a black one. What if it got in an accident?"
Jean looked at him pointedly. "What if you did?"
"I have ways not to be found," he shrugged, opening the passenger door. He reached back and unlocked the rear passenger door. Kitty and Kurt claimed the back seat, Jean next to Ce'it up front. He could sense her brimming with questions as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. What do you do now? I mean, now that the Rylax are gone?"
Ce'it looked grimly out at the road. "They aren't gone. As long as they walk the Four Winds of Beyond, or until they sign a peace treaty, they will be threat to the Itex and their allies."
"Their? You're not a part of them?"
"No," he shook his head. "I am a Jedi, and that is my first calling. But, the Council sensed something was going to happen here, and it was the will of the Force to send me here."
"Four Winds of Beyond, Force, what is this stuff?"
"The first one is what the Itex use to refer to Traveling Beyond the Barrier." At her blank stare, he continued. "Transdimensional travel. The other is what I use to do what I do. It is the energy given off by all living things."
Kitty giggled from the back seat, "You sound so, like, mystical or something."
He smiled, "Not too far from the truth. We're here." He put the car into park, turning off the engine. Kurt bamfed out of the car to announce their arrival.
Professor Xavier and Scott were waiting for them. They filled the double doors, Scott behind and to the left of the Xavier. "How are you?" Xavier looked straight at Ce'it, his eyes boring to the Jedi's. Somehow, Ce'it doubted that he would take "fine" as an answer. "Logan mentioned something about aspirin?"
A corner of Ce'it's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Turns out I'm allergic to the stuff."
Comprehension dawned in the Professor's eyes. "I see. I trust that you are better."
He shrugged, "A little off, but not for too much longer."
Xavier pivoted smoothly on one wheel, turning into the mansion. He spoke as he turned, "We received a communication from K'Payr not too long ago. Seems she wishes to speak with you."
A slim woman stood up gracefully, pushing her hair back with one hand. Ce'it nodded his greeting.
Her husky accent filled the room as she spoke. "We are going to be down for a few months. The front company will be functional, as will your end of the organization." She looked meaningfully at the X-Men. "Ce'it will stay here as a teacher and our liaison, for how long we do not know. The front company is a shipping firm, specializing in delicate and technological goods."
"Fitting," Xavier folded his hands in his lap.
She smiled, "And your plane will be repaired tomorrow."
"How is that possible?" Ce'it had to smile at the rush of surprise from the Professor.
She shrugged, "It was not difficult, when you have the technology of the stars behind you."
He smiled, "I see."
She looked away, her face somber. "I must go, not all of the families have been informed of the battle." Xavier raised a hand, beckoning Kurt forward, but K'Payr thumbed the watch on her wrist. "Keron." She vanished in a flash of yellow light.
"Vat vas that?"
Ce'it smiled, "A transporter, like what you do, only with machines. Much greater range."
"How much?" Kurt looked up at him, tail twitching.
He shrugged, "I have no idea, but when they were scouting this world, they transported in from Pluto, I think."
Kurt let out a low whistle, "Some range."
Ce'it walked around the couch, easing into it. "Are you alright?" the Professor asked, concerned.
"Yes, just tired."
Logan crossed his arms, looking down at Kitty, Jean, and Kurt. "You missed the practice." He looked pointedly at Kurt, "No teleporting in the danger room."
"Yes Mr. Logan," the trio said simultaneously.
Three hours later, Evan had something he wanted to show Kurt. Without a thought, he pushed the door to his room open, stepping aside and speaking, "Hey, buddy, I got something I wanna—" his sentence was cut short when his eyes fell upon Kurt and Kitty.
Kurt sat on the bed, shirtless, reading from the grammar book Ce'it had given him. Kitty was sitting behind him, brushing his back.
"Okaaayyyy," Evan turned on one heel and left the room.
"Vonder vat that was all about." Kurt shrugged, looking up from his reading.
Kitty paused in her brushing, shrugging, "Like, I don't know."
The end?
Hmmm…I dunno, I see potential for whatever it was that Yoda sensed. Any ideas?