Disclaimer (a really long one): Boy, do I wish Kurt was mine... *squeezes plush Kurt doll with glee* Alas, it is not so. *Kurt doll pops* I don't own X-Men: Evolution, SOMEBODY does, out there... Hi! *waves* I don't own Xanth either- I know who that belongs to! Peirs Anthony! Do I get my cookie now? No? Damn. I DO own Miracle, Amarantha, and Princess Luna, and Katherine. Also, to appear later on in the story, I do own the girls' mother (if I said the name, it would give it all away... Shhh...), the girls' grandfather, David, Amethyst, Minuit, Tobias (sorta, give credit to K.A. Applegate), Toodles, and Colleen. As well as the Cave of Horrified Names. I also own the people not named, but will be soon- the princess, the knight, and the troupe director. Just in case you were wondering, merci! Now, don't take them from me please! As if you would want to. Kassandra Selenite belongs to Angel- Danke for letting me use Selene! I don't own The Enchanted Forest series- Patricia Wrede does, I think that's the name. The poem "Sweet and Low" was written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, but the melody I put it to is mine- even though you guys can't hear it, which is a shame. I don't own Dites-moi from South Pacific. That belongs to Rodgers and Hammerstien. Go out and buy the soundtrack, it's good. I don't own Fairy Tale- so sorry you guys couldn't hear it- that belongs to Enya, the singer. From the self-titled CD. I DO NOT own Cupid's Arrow Forum- that belonds to Mistress Elena. Here's the website if you want! http://disc.server.com/Indices/10714.html
(Mistress, if you're reading this, and totally pissed off at me, hey, I tried e-mailing you, and received no response. I took that as a yes. I couldn't wait forever.) I don't own Moonstone, and the poem Who Are My People? was written by Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni, even though I kinda... ruined... it. Yeah.
PS: Not all of the things mentioned in this disclaimer appear in the first chapter.
Author's Note: This is going to be a REALLY REALLY long story, I'm so sorry! But I guess it doesn't matter, if you guys think it's a good one. Keep in mind- quality over quantity! (PS: Hey, Angel, here's the portable fridge!)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chpt 1- Genesis
"Hey! Wait up!" Rogue shouted and waved as she ran up to Kitty, who turned around. (AN: SCAAAARY Southern accent! Damn Missourians! Ehh... heh heh... no offense... *ducks various flying projectiles* Sorry all you people out there that live in Missouri!)
"Oh, hey Rogue," Kitty said nervously. The two ladies continued walking down the corridors of Bayville High School. It was the last day of school, and all the students were totally happy to be free for the summer. "I, like, totally swear, I don't know how your CD player got into my backpack..."
Rogue gave her a wary eye. "Sure... anyway... Have you talked to the Professor lately?"
Kitty shook her head no. "Well... not about, like, anything special."
"Well, did ya hear? We're gettin' two new students! The Prof told me that they used to live in Florida. Imagine that? He says that they're used to travellin', so we have to make an extra effort to make them feel at home. Two girls, he said."
"Really? It's about time we, like, got more girls. Anything else?" The two roommates at the Xavier Institute reached the main doors, and stepped outside in the bright sunshine.
"Well, that's pretty much all the Prof told me, except that..." Rogue hesitated a bit and turned to her friend. "Are ya sure he didn't talk to you?"
"Yeah, I'm sure... why?"
"He told me that he would. It's pretty important... It effects us."
"Like, what do you mean?"
"We're gonna be split up."
"What?"
"The two students are sisters. The Prof feels that in order to meet more people, one of them should bunk with one of us... and the other bunk with one of us. I'm takin' the older one. She's fifteen. The other is fourteen... We're both moving out to join them. No one will have the room."
Kitty stared with shock at her friend. Ever since she started attending the Institute, she had always shared the same small room with Rogue. It had become... well, a normality in her life. Now they were being split up and moved out just so newcomers could open up more? It wasn't fair!
"Hey, Kitty! Rogue! Vant a ride home?" Off in the near distance, Kurt, with his thick German accent, waved to them, with Evan in the driver's seat of one of the Institute's jeeps. Jean had already taken off with Scott in his convertible.
Kitty eyed Spyke wearily. "Umm... Is he, like, driving?" she asked, nearing the car.
"Oh come on Kitty, you have no sense of adventure!" Rogue said, pulling her friend's hand in the direction of the automobile, with Evan smiling and Kurt shaking his head no.
"I'd say she has no sense at all. And, as they say, birds of a feather stick together!"
Rogue groaned. Avalanche appeared from behind a nearby tree.
"Lance, like, go away! It's like, helLO! You're sooooo annoying and I totally don't like you!"
"Aww, that's too bad, 'cause I sure as Hell love you baby!" he said to Kitty. She turned away in disgust.
"Hey, vatch it, dude," Kurt warned. He took a step forward. Kitty and Rogue dumped their backpacks in the jeep and turned to face Avalanche, along with Evan, his spikes revealed a little. Rogue began to take off her gloves. Avalanche held up his hands and backed away.
"Hey, I'll come back when the odds aren't against me," he said to Kitty. "But I promise, Kittycat, I'll come back for you. I promise." The fellow mutant jogged back to his friends, who had been waiting for him on the other side of the courtyard. Kitty wanted to gag.
"Ugh, like, EEEW! Like, so totally icksome! If he, like, ever calls me that again, I will, like, so totally kill him!"
"Ve'll be right behind you," Kurt reassured her. "Come on, let's get out of here." Something was weird about the way Kurt followed them into the car and drove off to the Institute, but Kitty just shrugged it off.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kitty hesitantly raised her fist to knock on Professor X's door, but she never got the chance.
*Please, come in, Kitty,* he said telepathically to her. Blushing, she opened the door. Professor X turned his wheelchair around to face her.
"Please sit down." He gestured to a nearby chair. Kitty sat, glancing nervously around the office.
"I know why you're here."
Kitty nodded.
"Please, Kitty. Learn to accept these changes for the better. Who knows, maybe you could meet a new friend out of all this. I assure you, I only have all of your interests in mind."
"Umm.. when are the girls coming?"
"They are coming on Sunday."
Kitty reacted with rage. "Like, that means I totally don't even have the summer!"
"Everything will turn out fine, Kitty. You will still see Rogue, and you have the extra time to become acquainted with your new roommate."
"Umm, like, what is so special about these girls anyway?" So many thoughts swirled through Kitty's head. She knew she shouldn't be so rough on the Prof... especially since he had housed her, and trained her, and taken care of her.. of all of them...
"These girls are extremely powerful. The older one can perform "miracles" as she calls them. I believe it mainly focuses only on small medical conflicts, but we can change that. The younger one, the one you'll be sharing a room with, can make anything last forever, or at least for a little longer, as long as she touches it. Say, if she touches your new cd, for example... no matter what you could possibly do to destroy it, it will not break. But eventually it wwill wear off; that could be easily changed as well, for the better. Though she need not take the same precautions as Rogue."
Meaning that she could touch people. She didn't need to wear gloves and long sleeved shirts in the summer. Or at all. Rogue would hate her. Kitty sat back. "They would make great additions to the Team," she said in a half-there voice.
"Yes, they would. Imagine it, Kitty."
Kitty shifted uncomfortably and focused on the rogue... err, rug on the floor. (AN: Lol. The "Rogue" on the floor.... haha.)
"Why don't you join your friends down at the pool? I'm sure they miss your company."
Kitty nodded, bid farewell to her Professor, and walked out of the office, not a thought about the pool on her mind.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Amarantha? Are you packed yet?" Princess Luna asked her adopted niece at the dinner table on Saturday night. She was flying up to New York with the two girls Sunday morning, making sure they got there alright and settled in okay, then returning to Florida Sunday night.
Princess Luna sometimes wondered why she kept the title. She was no longer Princess; her father had married at last and produced a suitable heir, her half-brother Helios. But then again, the answer to her question always came back to her.
"Yes, Aunt PL." Amarantha answered. Mara's straight brown hair fell down her back to her waist, and for once it was tied back with a kerchief. She glanced at her sister with her green eyes flecked with light brown, then resumed picking at her food.
PL. Princess Luna's nickname, bestowed to her by her half sister, on their mother's side. That was why she retained the title Princess. If she didn't keep the 'P,' then she would be just 'L.' Wouldn't that be weird?
"And you, Miracle? Are you packed?"
"Yeah... I'm packed." The teenager's hair framed her face, held back only by a black headband. The short curls shone with a golden blonde hue. Miracle looked at her aunt with special eyes that changed color randomly. "Aunt PL? Tell me again why we're going there... To that 'Xavier Institute' place..."
PL sighed. "Professor Xavier invited both you and Mara to attend the Xavier Institute. Because you have special powers. You and your sister. You are lucky that your sister is going too. Mara wouldn't have to be left behind," PL said with a hard expression on her face.
"You have powers too, Aunt PL," Mara spoke up shyly.
PL looked at Amarantha. "That's different, Mara. You know that."
"I don't think so," Miracle said. She was stubborn in her ways, ruthless, yet kind in that gruff way. Mir was very unlike her sister, who was shy and sensitive, and aiming to please everyone at all times. The differences between the two were amazing, but the loving bond between them was even more.
PL glanced sharply at Miracle. "How so, Mira?"
"Aunt PL... it's Mir. PLain Mir," Miracle said, frustrated. Amarantha rolled her eyes. The girls couldn't stand it when their aunt called them Mira and Mara. It was so... juvenile. A hollow feeling twanged in their stomaches everytime the name was called in their direction. No, Mir sounded a lot more... suitable for her sister, while Amarantha still retained Mara. There was another name.... a nickname, that somebody had called her... but it was long forgotten, and she was sure no one had anything special for Mir, besides the obvious. So Mara stayed quiet. She could never cause her sister grief.
"Miracle..." PL warned.
"Isn't the reason why we're attending this Institute because we're mutants? We're different. We can do things regular people couldn't possibly dream of. Doesn't that apply to you too?"
"No, Miracle... it does not."
"Why not? You can do even more than one power. I've seen you, and so has Mara. It's amazing! Why, Aunt PL, you could even pass for-"
"That's enough, Miracle!" PL said, her tone of voice unmistakable.
Miracle lowered her head. "Yes, ma'am... I'm sorry."
After a moment, "May I please be excused?" With that, Amarantha left the table.
"Mara! You didn't finish your dinner!" PL called after her. Miracle glanced at her aunt with resentment, and then went to join her sister, leaving her food untouched. PL sighed and leaned back. She was all alone.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I totally can't believe we're doing this," Kitty said to Rogue as hey were packing. It was early Sunday morning, right after breakfast. The sisters would be coming in that day. "Like, even though we, like, fight alot..."
"Yeah... You're mah friend too." Rogue briefly glanced at her roommate and handed her a black blouse that lay on Kitty's bed. "Hey, wait a minute- isn't this mine?"
"Uhhh... I dunno!" Kitty looked at Rogue innocently.
"Alright, into MAH luggage you go!" Rogue shoved the blouse in her suitcase.
"Is there, like, any chance I could, like, BORROW it, later on? Like, Tuesday night?"
"What do you mean? Why?"
Kitty sighed with aggravation. "Fine, I won't, like, go through THAT lecture again. I'll just ask Jean. She has, like, a short black blouse that I could wear."
"Good luck," Rogue said. She stopped packing with a revelation, and looked at Kitty in a mysterious way. "Oh my gawd. We're actually doing this."
Kitty bit her lip, glanced at Rogue and started bawling. She crushed Rogue in a death-hug. "I'm, like, totally gonna miss you as a roommate," Kitty whispered.
"Yeah... same here..." Rogue whispered, fighting to keep the tears back, careful not to touch her friend to her exposed skin, if any at all. "Hey, get off!"
"Sorry..." Kitty let go and wiped the tears away. Out of all the X-Men team, she was closest to Rogue. It was kinda hard not to be; the girls were close in age, and they had, after all, shared a room, despite all the arguments. Until now. It was as if the frienship... weird as it was... would be gone if the room was, too.
"Now, you girls know, that would never be, right?"
The two girls looked at the direction the voice was coming from. With all the sadness and melancholy set in the air, the two girls didn't notice Jean enter the room.
"You two will always be friends. Strange ones, but friends nonetheless. Don't you ever forget that." Jean smiled. Kitty nodded and wiped the potential tears from her cheeks, while Rogue hiccuped.
"You're totally right, Jean... we won't ever stop being friends." Kitty forced a smile. "Oh, by the way, could I borrow your black blou-"
"Forget it." Jean warned. "Besides, black isn't your color."
Kitty groaned. "But you haven't heard my reason yet!"
"I don't need to, Kitty. They're all the same."
Kitty pouted. Jean ignored her.
"Anyway, are you guys ready? I'll show you your rooms... and they aren't that far from each other," she said.
Kitty and Rogue looked at each other with revelation.
"We... we didn't think of that!"
Jean looked at the two girls. "What did you guys think? You two would be put on the farthest wings of the Institute?"
Kitty looked at her friend, returning the grin that appeared. "I... I, like, didn't know what to think."
"Listen, you guys aren't getting punished. Just a new room and roommate. The rooms are pratically next to each other."
All at once Kitty's grin disappeared. "And... who, exactly, is in between?"
Jean smirked. "Kurt Wagner."
Rogue could swear, the cat-like wail that emitted from her friend's throat could be heard all the way to Florida.
Good.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Miracle, Amarantha, I welcome you to the Xavier Institute." Charles Xavier greeted Amarantha and Miracle warmly in the courtyard. "This is my assistant, Ororo," he gestured to Storm at his side, who smiled kindly.
The two sisters were decked out as if they were at a funeral; their long black skirts and gloomy v-necked shirts exactly matched their mood. Their contrasting hair flowed freely with the wind. Their aunt, au contraire, was in a bright outfit that made her long sienna brown hair, with dark yellow streaks, seem as if it was mixed with gold. Her soft blue eyes sparkled, with her smile to match.
"Here, girls, you will learn to control your powers... correctly. You will attend Bayville High in the fall. In the meantime, enjoy your summer. You will learn from your roommates the specific times and such."
The sisters looked at each other with horror. "You mean... we're not bunking together?" Amarantha, having lived with their aunt in a tiny two bedroom house for so long, was used to sleeping with, and comforted by, the knowledge that her sister was sleeping right across the room. It was the same for Miracle.
"We found it would hinder your chances to meet new friends, if you did," Storm said. "You won't be exiled from each other- you're right next door to each other, pratically, and the Professor made sure your roommates are extremely nice. If you let us show you around, there is a chance we'll run into them."
Left with no other choice, Miracle and Amarantha followed Professor X and Storm into the huge, and what seemed to them, lonely, institute, their aunt close behind them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"No! Vait! Come back here!" Kurt's unmistakable voice could be heard, as well as several cat hisses and warning cries. His bathroom door was open.
"Kurt! Like, what are you doing with that poor cat!"
Kitty, who had unpacked everything, was phasing through the walls to get to Rogue's room. Just to see her friend before the sisters came. But of course, she was delayed by the site of Kurt, trying give a cute, lost, poor, innocent kitten... a bath.
Kurt looked up at Kitty. She could see several scratch marks on his arms and face, and he was covered with bubbles, which he then shook off.
"Hehe... I vas just trying to clean her up. See, underneath all zis dirt, she has such a beautiful mixture of colors. She's a local stray, I zink a mix between calico and tabby; she has mostly black and vhite fur, but I've noticed some orange patches here and zere. I vas just cleaning her up so I could give her a good home."
Kitty shook her head. "Cats hate baths, Kurt. She should be able to give herself a bath." She looked at the small kitten, who by now had jumped onto the floor and shaken all the mud off, and was contently sitting and licking her paw.
"Aww, come here, cutie..." Kitty picked up the stray and cradled her in her arms. The kitten purred loudly. "You're so young, most likely not even older than 10 days. Your mother probably abandoned you, didn't she? Probably has too many kids herself... Aww, don't worry, we'll take good care of you!"
The kitten pawed the air. Kitty laughed and looked into the adorable pair of baby blue eyes staring back up at her. "Ohhh... you like me, don't you? Oh, Kurt, you totally can't get rid of her!"
Kurt, who had stood up and silently watched the two, laughed. "Oh... maybe I could spare to part vith her." Kitty stared at him with shock, her mouth open. Kurt shook his head and laughed. "No... I meant, I'm giving her to you. You deserve her."
Kitty glanced from the kitten to Kurt, surprised. "You... you totally can't be serious." Kurt nodded. "Oh, you have, like, no idea how much this means to me!"
"Hey, I figured, it is your namesake; it fits. I..." Kurt lowered his head, in order for Kitty not to notice the purplish blush that suddenly appeared. "I named her Katherine."
"But, Kurt, my name is Katherine."
"You mean, it's not Kitty?"
Kitty glared. Kurt smiled and laughed. "I know. Zat's vhy... she sort of reminds me of you. Zat's another reason vhy you should take her. She's cute and fun to play with, and she carries herself vell. She knows exactly vhat she wants, vhen she vants it. And I'm sure vhen she gets to know you, she'll be zere always, just like a true friend. Just like you."
"You totally can't be serious."
"Oh, but I can. And I am."
"I... I just can't, like, accept her from you!"
Kurt laughed. "Trust me, you two vill get along just fine. Don't vorry about it."
Kitty looked down at her counterpart and smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Its a gift... an end-of-school-year gift."
"I..."
Kurt smiled. Kitty looked up at him and softly kissed him on the cheek. She quickly turned away so he couldn't see her blush.
"I'm gonna go visit Rogue now."
With that, Kitty ran through the wall into Rogue's new room, tightly clutching Katherine, leaving Kurt with his scratches and dazed expression.
"Wow." Only, with his accent, it sounded like "Vow." Cute, ain't it? ^_^
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Rogue! Look at what Kurt just totally gave me! ... Oh, Professor, I'm sorry..."
The Prof smiled. "Quite alright, Kitty."
"Oh, I totally forgot to ask... Can I keep her?"
The Prof chuckled. "Of course, Kitty. No need to ask. We'll talk more about it later."
Kitty then noticed Rogue's glum expression, and the three women behind the Professor. (Storm had left to get the girls' uniforms.)
As if reading Kitty's thoughts... which he could... the Prof then made introductions.
"Kitty, this is Miracle and Amarantha Meoskite, accompanied with their aunt, Miss... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your last name."
PL smiled. "Please, if you ever refer to me, refer to me as PL. Everyone does. It's quite easier, in fact. Even the girls call me Aunt PL."
Miracle rolled her eyes with grief, while Amarantha kept hers firmly planted on the ground. The Professor mentioned at Miracle.
"Miracle will be staying with Rogue here, while Amarantha," he mentioned towards the pale girl, "will be staying with you, Kitty. Now, I'll leave you all alone to become better acquainted with each other, while I talk with... err, PL."
The Professor wheeled out of the room, followed by PL, leaving the four girls to talk.
The silence... was deafening.
Finally, Amarantha broke the silence.
"Hello," she said in a soft, quiet voice as she cautiously approached Kitty. "My name is-"
"We know what your name is," Rogue said harshly. Amarantha looked as if she'd been slapped. It was then that chaos reigned, and everyone began screaming at once, with Kitty and her pleas with Rogue to calm down and be somewhat nice, and Miracle threatening Rogue that if she ever spoke that way again to her sister she would personally rip out her insides and spew them all over the floor. Words were exchanged, and it looked like Miracle was getting ready to do something drastic, and Rogue was reaching for her gloves, when Amarantha held out her hands and closed her eyes.
Everything stopped. Everyone was frozen in place. Amarantha opened her eyes.
"Look at you. All of you." She looked around. "We are going to be roommates. We can't afford to kill each other. Now, will you all please calm down enough so that I could let the second go on and release my powers?"
Amarantha let go of the second. Miracle looked at her sister, an unreadable expression on her face. Kitty and Rogue sat with shock. They weren't used to Amarantha's powers.
Amarantha continued. "Now, we're not here to hurt anybody. We're here because... Because Professor Xavier invited us. Because we want to learn. To learn anything, about us, about our people... anything more than what we could ever find out back ho.... I mean, back in Florida."
Miracle opened her mouth to say something, but her sister glared at her.
"No, Mir. This is home, now."
"You... you shouldn't judge home only on where you reside." Rogue hesitantly said through her thick (and scary) Southern accent. "I... I've learned that, through the years..."
Miracle looked at her harshly.
"How would you know, little miss hick?"
"What?!"
"Miracle!"
"Rogue!"
Both girls pouted.
"Hey, I haven't had the most wonderful life," Rogue said. "I've been in foster homes ever since I could remember. I have no clue who my parents are-"
"Join the club," Miracle looked at her with a new understanding. Amarantha perked up as well.
"-Or anythin' about mah background. And you know what's worse? I can't touch anybody. ANYBODY! If I do..."
"We all totally have our little sob stories here. Even Evan." (AN: Damn, I hate saying that. Even Evan. Tongue twister gone evil.)
"Evan?"
"One of the other mutants. One of the few who have family."
"Is your real name Rogue?" Miracle inquired. "If it is, welcome to the People With Their Names in the Dictionary Club. Amarantha and I are the only members so far..." she laughed.
"No... it's Marie. But everyone calls me Rogue, even teachers."
"My real name is Katherine. NOT Kitty." Kitty's eyes widen suddenly. "Oh, yeah! I, like, totally forgot! Rogue, look at what Kurt gave me!" She showed Katherine for all to see. "She's a stray he found, and wanted to give a good home. He named her Katherine," she blushed. Of course, Rogue started to tease her.
"I think somebody's got a crush!"
"Oh, Rogue, how can you, like, say that?"
"Like this, see: I think somebody's got a crush!" Rogue said in a sing-song tone. Kitty blushed crimson. Soon the two were holding a conversation of their own.
Meanwhile, Amarantha sighed.
"Well, so much for introductions."
Miracle placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Well... there's always lunch. Come on... let's explore a bit." She pulled her sister out the door. Their aunt and the Prof were nowhere to be seen. Amarantha demurred.
"But, Mir, we really should get to know Rogue and Kitty better..."
"Oh, come on, Mara, we could always do that at lunch." Mir's voice expressed her desire to explore the great estate.
"I..." Mara looked at her sister's hopeful face and gave in. "I suppose so."
"Great! Let's go this way!" Mir led the way, her sister's hand in her own.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was a while before the girls noticed that their new roommates had left.
"Oh, Rogue! They're, like, gone!" Kitty had glanced over and realized the door was open, the two sisters missing.
"Weren't we supposed to be doin' somethin' with them?"
Then the lunch bell rang out, reminding the girls that they were supposed to show the new students around, then bring them to the dining hall.
"Oops..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I expect only the best for my nieces," PL said bluntly, as she and the Prof slowly wandered around the Institute.
The Prof chuckled. "Why, of course, PL. Not just for them, but for everyone."
PL nodded. "Professor..."
"Please, call me Charles."
"Err... Charles. If the girls should ever... receive a visitor, please, check with me first."
"I'm... not sure I understand."
"You don't need to. Please, just reassure me, promise me, if ever the girls should receive a visitor, make sure you have my approval for the girls to see her... them." PL wasn't sure if her older half sister wouldn't tell her before she spontaneously decided to check in on her daughters, but she had to make sure. For their sake. Especially Miracle's. If SHE ever got hold of Miracle... all hope would be lost. She'd be gone... And poor Amarantha would be broken... she didn't have the same type of resolve her mother did...
The Prof felt it was none of his business to intrude. "Excuse me, PL? I said, I promise."
"Oh, thank you, Charles."
The lunch bell sounded then, and rang throughout the halls like church bells.
"Would you care to join us for lunch?" the Prof asked.
PL smiled, "Yes. I would like that very much."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Wow! Look, Mara, a pool!" The girls gazed around in awe. This was nothing like Florida, they had to admit! The mansion was huge, more like a grand hotel, compared to the tiny house they shared with their aunt in Florida. They had gone from the top floor to the basement, and they had seen no one. The girls looked at each other with that thought in mind.
"Maybe Rogue and Kitty are the only students here," Mara said.
"But didn't Kitty mention somebody? ...Kirk, or someone like that? Maybe it was Kane... and that Kevin dude..."
Then the girls heard the lunch bell echoing throughout the halls.
"Wow, lunch already? I'm starved!"
"Uhh.... one problem. Where exactly IS the dining hall?"
Miracle looked down the long hallway and sighed. "Uh oh..."
"It vould be a lot easier if you could teleport yourselves!"
The girls turned around to find a... (AN: BLUE GERMAN FUZZY ELF DUDE!) weird looking... oh hell a blue German fuzzy elf dude. With a German accent. And a tail. And weird hands.
"Who are YOU?" Mara asked.
"I'm Kurt Vaugner. Who are you?"
"My name is Amarantha Owen Meoskite... and this is my sister, Miracle."
"Pleased to meet you... Oh ja, Prof said zere vould be new students... Vant a ride?"
"No, we-"
"Sure!"
Kurt pressed the little button on his watch and his human form appeared. The two siblings glanced at each other.
"Mara, we don't need help-"
"Mir, we couldn't possibly find-"
Kurt looked from one girl to the other and shrugged. "Okay, hold on!" He grabbed Mara with one hand and Mir with another, much to their surprise. (They could still feel the fur, and his three fingers, so they correctly assumed that it was only a hologram.) Then he BAMFed himself to the dining hall, this time with two passengers.
(Mistress, if you're reading this, and totally pissed off at me, hey, I tried e-mailing you, and received no response. I took that as a yes. I couldn't wait forever.) I don't own Moonstone, and the poem Who Are My People? was written by Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni, even though I kinda... ruined... it. Yeah.
PS: Not all of the things mentioned in this disclaimer appear in the first chapter.
Author's Note: This is going to be a REALLY REALLY long story, I'm so sorry! But I guess it doesn't matter, if you guys think it's a good one. Keep in mind- quality over quantity! (PS: Hey, Angel, here's the portable fridge!)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chpt 1- Genesis
"Hey! Wait up!" Rogue shouted and waved as she ran up to Kitty, who turned around. (AN: SCAAAARY Southern accent! Damn Missourians! Ehh... heh heh... no offense... *ducks various flying projectiles* Sorry all you people out there that live in Missouri!)
"Oh, hey Rogue," Kitty said nervously. The two ladies continued walking down the corridors of Bayville High School. It was the last day of school, and all the students were totally happy to be free for the summer. "I, like, totally swear, I don't know how your CD player got into my backpack..."
Rogue gave her a wary eye. "Sure... anyway... Have you talked to the Professor lately?"
Kitty shook her head no. "Well... not about, like, anything special."
"Well, did ya hear? We're gettin' two new students! The Prof told me that they used to live in Florida. Imagine that? He says that they're used to travellin', so we have to make an extra effort to make them feel at home. Two girls, he said."
"Really? It's about time we, like, got more girls. Anything else?" The two roommates at the Xavier Institute reached the main doors, and stepped outside in the bright sunshine.
"Well, that's pretty much all the Prof told me, except that..." Rogue hesitated a bit and turned to her friend. "Are ya sure he didn't talk to you?"
"Yeah, I'm sure... why?"
"He told me that he would. It's pretty important... It effects us."
"Like, what do you mean?"
"We're gonna be split up."
"What?"
"The two students are sisters. The Prof feels that in order to meet more people, one of them should bunk with one of us... and the other bunk with one of us. I'm takin' the older one. She's fifteen. The other is fourteen... We're both moving out to join them. No one will have the room."
Kitty stared with shock at her friend. Ever since she started attending the Institute, she had always shared the same small room with Rogue. It had become... well, a normality in her life. Now they were being split up and moved out just so newcomers could open up more? It wasn't fair!
"Hey, Kitty! Rogue! Vant a ride home?" Off in the near distance, Kurt, with his thick German accent, waved to them, with Evan in the driver's seat of one of the Institute's jeeps. Jean had already taken off with Scott in his convertible.
Kitty eyed Spyke wearily. "Umm... Is he, like, driving?" she asked, nearing the car.
"Oh come on Kitty, you have no sense of adventure!" Rogue said, pulling her friend's hand in the direction of the automobile, with Evan smiling and Kurt shaking his head no.
"I'd say she has no sense at all. And, as they say, birds of a feather stick together!"
Rogue groaned. Avalanche appeared from behind a nearby tree.
"Lance, like, go away! It's like, helLO! You're sooooo annoying and I totally don't like you!"
"Aww, that's too bad, 'cause I sure as Hell love you baby!" he said to Kitty. She turned away in disgust.
"Hey, vatch it, dude," Kurt warned. He took a step forward. Kitty and Rogue dumped their backpacks in the jeep and turned to face Avalanche, along with Evan, his spikes revealed a little. Rogue began to take off her gloves. Avalanche held up his hands and backed away.
"Hey, I'll come back when the odds aren't against me," he said to Kitty. "But I promise, Kittycat, I'll come back for you. I promise." The fellow mutant jogged back to his friends, who had been waiting for him on the other side of the courtyard. Kitty wanted to gag.
"Ugh, like, EEEW! Like, so totally icksome! If he, like, ever calls me that again, I will, like, so totally kill him!"
"Ve'll be right behind you," Kurt reassured her. "Come on, let's get out of here." Something was weird about the way Kurt followed them into the car and drove off to the Institute, but Kitty just shrugged it off.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kitty hesitantly raised her fist to knock on Professor X's door, but she never got the chance.
*Please, come in, Kitty,* he said telepathically to her. Blushing, she opened the door. Professor X turned his wheelchair around to face her.
"Please sit down." He gestured to a nearby chair. Kitty sat, glancing nervously around the office.
"I know why you're here."
Kitty nodded.
"Please, Kitty. Learn to accept these changes for the better. Who knows, maybe you could meet a new friend out of all this. I assure you, I only have all of your interests in mind."
"Umm.. when are the girls coming?"
"They are coming on Sunday."
Kitty reacted with rage. "Like, that means I totally don't even have the summer!"
"Everything will turn out fine, Kitty. You will still see Rogue, and you have the extra time to become acquainted with your new roommate."
"Umm, like, what is so special about these girls anyway?" So many thoughts swirled through Kitty's head. She knew she shouldn't be so rough on the Prof... especially since he had housed her, and trained her, and taken care of her.. of all of them...
"These girls are extremely powerful. The older one can perform "miracles" as she calls them. I believe it mainly focuses only on small medical conflicts, but we can change that. The younger one, the one you'll be sharing a room with, can make anything last forever, or at least for a little longer, as long as she touches it. Say, if she touches your new cd, for example... no matter what you could possibly do to destroy it, it will not break. But eventually it wwill wear off; that could be easily changed as well, for the better. Though she need not take the same precautions as Rogue."
Meaning that she could touch people. She didn't need to wear gloves and long sleeved shirts in the summer. Or at all. Rogue would hate her. Kitty sat back. "They would make great additions to the Team," she said in a half-there voice.
"Yes, they would. Imagine it, Kitty."
Kitty shifted uncomfortably and focused on the rogue... err, rug on the floor. (AN: Lol. The "Rogue" on the floor.... haha.)
"Why don't you join your friends down at the pool? I'm sure they miss your company."
Kitty nodded, bid farewell to her Professor, and walked out of the office, not a thought about the pool on her mind.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Amarantha? Are you packed yet?" Princess Luna asked her adopted niece at the dinner table on Saturday night. She was flying up to New York with the two girls Sunday morning, making sure they got there alright and settled in okay, then returning to Florida Sunday night.
Princess Luna sometimes wondered why she kept the title. She was no longer Princess; her father had married at last and produced a suitable heir, her half-brother Helios. But then again, the answer to her question always came back to her.
"Yes, Aunt PL." Amarantha answered. Mara's straight brown hair fell down her back to her waist, and for once it was tied back with a kerchief. She glanced at her sister with her green eyes flecked with light brown, then resumed picking at her food.
PL. Princess Luna's nickname, bestowed to her by her half sister, on their mother's side. That was why she retained the title Princess. If she didn't keep the 'P,' then she would be just 'L.' Wouldn't that be weird?
"And you, Miracle? Are you packed?"
"Yeah... I'm packed." The teenager's hair framed her face, held back only by a black headband. The short curls shone with a golden blonde hue. Miracle looked at her aunt with special eyes that changed color randomly. "Aunt PL? Tell me again why we're going there... To that 'Xavier Institute' place..."
PL sighed. "Professor Xavier invited both you and Mara to attend the Xavier Institute. Because you have special powers. You and your sister. You are lucky that your sister is going too. Mara wouldn't have to be left behind," PL said with a hard expression on her face.
"You have powers too, Aunt PL," Mara spoke up shyly.
PL looked at Amarantha. "That's different, Mara. You know that."
"I don't think so," Miracle said. She was stubborn in her ways, ruthless, yet kind in that gruff way. Mir was very unlike her sister, who was shy and sensitive, and aiming to please everyone at all times. The differences between the two were amazing, but the loving bond between them was even more.
PL glanced sharply at Miracle. "How so, Mira?"
"Aunt PL... it's Mir. PLain Mir," Miracle said, frustrated. Amarantha rolled her eyes. The girls couldn't stand it when their aunt called them Mira and Mara. It was so... juvenile. A hollow feeling twanged in their stomaches everytime the name was called in their direction. No, Mir sounded a lot more... suitable for her sister, while Amarantha still retained Mara. There was another name.... a nickname, that somebody had called her... but it was long forgotten, and she was sure no one had anything special for Mir, besides the obvious. So Mara stayed quiet. She could never cause her sister grief.
"Miracle..." PL warned.
"Isn't the reason why we're attending this Institute because we're mutants? We're different. We can do things regular people couldn't possibly dream of. Doesn't that apply to you too?"
"No, Miracle... it does not."
"Why not? You can do even more than one power. I've seen you, and so has Mara. It's amazing! Why, Aunt PL, you could even pass for-"
"That's enough, Miracle!" PL said, her tone of voice unmistakable.
Miracle lowered her head. "Yes, ma'am... I'm sorry."
After a moment, "May I please be excused?" With that, Amarantha left the table.
"Mara! You didn't finish your dinner!" PL called after her. Miracle glanced at her aunt with resentment, and then went to join her sister, leaving her food untouched. PL sighed and leaned back. She was all alone.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I totally can't believe we're doing this," Kitty said to Rogue as hey were packing. It was early Sunday morning, right after breakfast. The sisters would be coming in that day. "Like, even though we, like, fight alot..."
"Yeah... You're mah friend too." Rogue briefly glanced at her roommate and handed her a black blouse that lay on Kitty's bed. "Hey, wait a minute- isn't this mine?"
"Uhhh... I dunno!" Kitty looked at Rogue innocently.
"Alright, into MAH luggage you go!" Rogue shoved the blouse in her suitcase.
"Is there, like, any chance I could, like, BORROW it, later on? Like, Tuesday night?"
"What do you mean? Why?"
Kitty sighed with aggravation. "Fine, I won't, like, go through THAT lecture again. I'll just ask Jean. She has, like, a short black blouse that I could wear."
"Good luck," Rogue said. She stopped packing with a revelation, and looked at Kitty in a mysterious way. "Oh my gawd. We're actually doing this."
Kitty bit her lip, glanced at Rogue and started bawling. She crushed Rogue in a death-hug. "I'm, like, totally gonna miss you as a roommate," Kitty whispered.
"Yeah... same here..." Rogue whispered, fighting to keep the tears back, careful not to touch her friend to her exposed skin, if any at all. "Hey, get off!"
"Sorry..." Kitty let go and wiped the tears away. Out of all the X-Men team, she was closest to Rogue. It was kinda hard not to be; the girls were close in age, and they had, after all, shared a room, despite all the arguments. Until now. It was as if the frienship... weird as it was... would be gone if the room was, too.
"Now, you girls know, that would never be, right?"
The two girls looked at the direction the voice was coming from. With all the sadness and melancholy set in the air, the two girls didn't notice Jean enter the room.
"You two will always be friends. Strange ones, but friends nonetheless. Don't you ever forget that." Jean smiled. Kitty nodded and wiped the potential tears from her cheeks, while Rogue hiccuped.
"You're totally right, Jean... we won't ever stop being friends." Kitty forced a smile. "Oh, by the way, could I borrow your black blou-"
"Forget it." Jean warned. "Besides, black isn't your color."
Kitty groaned. "But you haven't heard my reason yet!"
"I don't need to, Kitty. They're all the same."
Kitty pouted. Jean ignored her.
"Anyway, are you guys ready? I'll show you your rooms... and they aren't that far from each other," she said.
Kitty and Rogue looked at each other with revelation.
"We... we didn't think of that!"
Jean looked at the two girls. "What did you guys think? You two would be put on the farthest wings of the Institute?"
Kitty looked at her friend, returning the grin that appeared. "I... I, like, didn't know what to think."
"Listen, you guys aren't getting punished. Just a new room and roommate. The rooms are pratically next to each other."
All at once Kitty's grin disappeared. "And... who, exactly, is in between?"
Jean smirked. "Kurt Wagner."
Rogue could swear, the cat-like wail that emitted from her friend's throat could be heard all the way to Florida.
Good.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Miracle, Amarantha, I welcome you to the Xavier Institute." Charles Xavier greeted Amarantha and Miracle warmly in the courtyard. "This is my assistant, Ororo," he gestured to Storm at his side, who smiled kindly.
The two sisters were decked out as if they were at a funeral; their long black skirts and gloomy v-necked shirts exactly matched their mood. Their contrasting hair flowed freely with the wind. Their aunt, au contraire, was in a bright outfit that made her long sienna brown hair, with dark yellow streaks, seem as if it was mixed with gold. Her soft blue eyes sparkled, with her smile to match.
"Here, girls, you will learn to control your powers... correctly. You will attend Bayville High in the fall. In the meantime, enjoy your summer. You will learn from your roommates the specific times and such."
The sisters looked at each other with horror. "You mean... we're not bunking together?" Amarantha, having lived with their aunt in a tiny two bedroom house for so long, was used to sleeping with, and comforted by, the knowledge that her sister was sleeping right across the room. It was the same for Miracle.
"We found it would hinder your chances to meet new friends, if you did," Storm said. "You won't be exiled from each other- you're right next door to each other, pratically, and the Professor made sure your roommates are extremely nice. If you let us show you around, there is a chance we'll run into them."
Left with no other choice, Miracle and Amarantha followed Professor X and Storm into the huge, and what seemed to them, lonely, institute, their aunt close behind them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"No! Vait! Come back here!" Kurt's unmistakable voice could be heard, as well as several cat hisses and warning cries. His bathroom door was open.
"Kurt! Like, what are you doing with that poor cat!"
Kitty, who had unpacked everything, was phasing through the walls to get to Rogue's room. Just to see her friend before the sisters came. But of course, she was delayed by the site of Kurt, trying give a cute, lost, poor, innocent kitten... a bath.
Kurt looked up at Kitty. She could see several scratch marks on his arms and face, and he was covered with bubbles, which he then shook off.
"Hehe... I vas just trying to clean her up. See, underneath all zis dirt, she has such a beautiful mixture of colors. She's a local stray, I zink a mix between calico and tabby; she has mostly black and vhite fur, but I've noticed some orange patches here and zere. I vas just cleaning her up so I could give her a good home."
Kitty shook her head. "Cats hate baths, Kurt. She should be able to give herself a bath." She looked at the small kitten, who by now had jumped onto the floor and shaken all the mud off, and was contently sitting and licking her paw.
"Aww, come here, cutie..." Kitty picked up the stray and cradled her in her arms. The kitten purred loudly. "You're so young, most likely not even older than 10 days. Your mother probably abandoned you, didn't she? Probably has too many kids herself... Aww, don't worry, we'll take good care of you!"
The kitten pawed the air. Kitty laughed and looked into the adorable pair of baby blue eyes staring back up at her. "Ohhh... you like me, don't you? Oh, Kurt, you totally can't get rid of her!"
Kurt, who had stood up and silently watched the two, laughed. "Oh... maybe I could spare to part vith her." Kitty stared at him with shock, her mouth open. Kurt shook his head and laughed. "No... I meant, I'm giving her to you. You deserve her."
Kitty glanced from the kitten to Kurt, surprised. "You... you totally can't be serious." Kurt nodded. "Oh, you have, like, no idea how much this means to me!"
"Hey, I figured, it is your namesake; it fits. I..." Kurt lowered his head, in order for Kitty not to notice the purplish blush that suddenly appeared. "I named her Katherine."
"But, Kurt, my name is Katherine."
"You mean, it's not Kitty?"
Kitty glared. Kurt smiled and laughed. "I know. Zat's vhy... she sort of reminds me of you. Zat's another reason vhy you should take her. She's cute and fun to play with, and she carries herself vell. She knows exactly vhat she wants, vhen she vants it. And I'm sure vhen she gets to know you, she'll be zere always, just like a true friend. Just like you."
"You totally can't be serious."
"Oh, but I can. And I am."
"I... I just can't, like, accept her from you!"
Kurt laughed. "Trust me, you two vill get along just fine. Don't vorry about it."
Kitty looked down at her counterpart and smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Its a gift... an end-of-school-year gift."
"I..."
Kurt smiled. Kitty looked up at him and softly kissed him on the cheek. She quickly turned away so he couldn't see her blush.
"I'm gonna go visit Rogue now."
With that, Kitty ran through the wall into Rogue's new room, tightly clutching Katherine, leaving Kurt with his scratches and dazed expression.
"Wow." Only, with his accent, it sounded like "Vow." Cute, ain't it? ^_^
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Rogue! Look at what Kurt just totally gave me! ... Oh, Professor, I'm sorry..."
The Prof smiled. "Quite alright, Kitty."
"Oh, I totally forgot to ask... Can I keep her?"
The Prof chuckled. "Of course, Kitty. No need to ask. We'll talk more about it later."
Kitty then noticed Rogue's glum expression, and the three women behind the Professor. (Storm had left to get the girls' uniforms.)
As if reading Kitty's thoughts... which he could... the Prof then made introductions.
"Kitty, this is Miracle and Amarantha Meoskite, accompanied with their aunt, Miss... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your last name."
PL smiled. "Please, if you ever refer to me, refer to me as PL. Everyone does. It's quite easier, in fact. Even the girls call me Aunt PL."
Miracle rolled her eyes with grief, while Amarantha kept hers firmly planted on the ground. The Professor mentioned at Miracle.
"Miracle will be staying with Rogue here, while Amarantha," he mentioned towards the pale girl, "will be staying with you, Kitty. Now, I'll leave you all alone to become better acquainted with each other, while I talk with... err, PL."
The Professor wheeled out of the room, followed by PL, leaving the four girls to talk.
The silence... was deafening.
Finally, Amarantha broke the silence.
"Hello," she said in a soft, quiet voice as she cautiously approached Kitty. "My name is-"
"We know what your name is," Rogue said harshly. Amarantha looked as if she'd been slapped. It was then that chaos reigned, and everyone began screaming at once, with Kitty and her pleas with Rogue to calm down and be somewhat nice, and Miracle threatening Rogue that if she ever spoke that way again to her sister she would personally rip out her insides and spew them all over the floor. Words were exchanged, and it looked like Miracle was getting ready to do something drastic, and Rogue was reaching for her gloves, when Amarantha held out her hands and closed her eyes.
Everything stopped. Everyone was frozen in place. Amarantha opened her eyes.
"Look at you. All of you." She looked around. "We are going to be roommates. We can't afford to kill each other. Now, will you all please calm down enough so that I could let the second go on and release my powers?"
Amarantha let go of the second. Miracle looked at her sister, an unreadable expression on her face. Kitty and Rogue sat with shock. They weren't used to Amarantha's powers.
Amarantha continued. "Now, we're not here to hurt anybody. We're here because... Because Professor Xavier invited us. Because we want to learn. To learn anything, about us, about our people... anything more than what we could ever find out back ho.... I mean, back in Florida."
Miracle opened her mouth to say something, but her sister glared at her.
"No, Mir. This is home, now."
"You... you shouldn't judge home only on where you reside." Rogue hesitantly said through her thick (and scary) Southern accent. "I... I've learned that, through the years..."
Miracle looked at her harshly.
"How would you know, little miss hick?"
"What?!"
"Miracle!"
"Rogue!"
Both girls pouted.
"Hey, I haven't had the most wonderful life," Rogue said. "I've been in foster homes ever since I could remember. I have no clue who my parents are-"
"Join the club," Miracle looked at her with a new understanding. Amarantha perked up as well.
"-Or anythin' about mah background. And you know what's worse? I can't touch anybody. ANYBODY! If I do..."
"We all totally have our little sob stories here. Even Evan." (AN: Damn, I hate saying that. Even Evan. Tongue twister gone evil.)
"Evan?"
"One of the other mutants. One of the few who have family."
"Is your real name Rogue?" Miracle inquired. "If it is, welcome to the People With Their Names in the Dictionary Club. Amarantha and I are the only members so far..." she laughed.
"No... it's Marie. But everyone calls me Rogue, even teachers."
"My real name is Katherine. NOT Kitty." Kitty's eyes widen suddenly. "Oh, yeah! I, like, totally forgot! Rogue, look at what Kurt gave me!" She showed Katherine for all to see. "She's a stray he found, and wanted to give a good home. He named her Katherine," she blushed. Of course, Rogue started to tease her.
"I think somebody's got a crush!"
"Oh, Rogue, how can you, like, say that?"
"Like this, see: I think somebody's got a crush!" Rogue said in a sing-song tone. Kitty blushed crimson. Soon the two were holding a conversation of their own.
Meanwhile, Amarantha sighed.
"Well, so much for introductions."
Miracle placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Well... there's always lunch. Come on... let's explore a bit." She pulled her sister out the door. Their aunt and the Prof were nowhere to be seen. Amarantha demurred.
"But, Mir, we really should get to know Rogue and Kitty better..."
"Oh, come on, Mara, we could always do that at lunch." Mir's voice expressed her desire to explore the great estate.
"I..." Mara looked at her sister's hopeful face and gave in. "I suppose so."
"Great! Let's go this way!" Mir led the way, her sister's hand in her own.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was a while before the girls noticed that their new roommates had left.
"Oh, Rogue! They're, like, gone!" Kitty had glanced over and realized the door was open, the two sisters missing.
"Weren't we supposed to be doin' somethin' with them?"
Then the lunch bell rang out, reminding the girls that they were supposed to show the new students around, then bring them to the dining hall.
"Oops..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I expect only the best for my nieces," PL said bluntly, as she and the Prof slowly wandered around the Institute.
The Prof chuckled. "Why, of course, PL. Not just for them, but for everyone."
PL nodded. "Professor..."
"Please, call me Charles."
"Err... Charles. If the girls should ever... receive a visitor, please, check with me first."
"I'm... not sure I understand."
"You don't need to. Please, just reassure me, promise me, if ever the girls should receive a visitor, make sure you have my approval for the girls to see her... them." PL wasn't sure if her older half sister wouldn't tell her before she spontaneously decided to check in on her daughters, but she had to make sure. For their sake. Especially Miracle's. If SHE ever got hold of Miracle... all hope would be lost. She'd be gone... And poor Amarantha would be broken... she didn't have the same type of resolve her mother did...
The Prof felt it was none of his business to intrude. "Excuse me, PL? I said, I promise."
"Oh, thank you, Charles."
The lunch bell sounded then, and rang throughout the halls like church bells.
"Would you care to join us for lunch?" the Prof asked.
PL smiled, "Yes. I would like that very much."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Wow! Look, Mara, a pool!" The girls gazed around in awe. This was nothing like Florida, they had to admit! The mansion was huge, more like a grand hotel, compared to the tiny house they shared with their aunt in Florida. They had gone from the top floor to the basement, and they had seen no one. The girls looked at each other with that thought in mind.
"Maybe Rogue and Kitty are the only students here," Mara said.
"But didn't Kitty mention somebody? ...Kirk, or someone like that? Maybe it was Kane... and that Kevin dude..."
Then the girls heard the lunch bell echoing throughout the halls.
"Wow, lunch already? I'm starved!"
"Uhh.... one problem. Where exactly IS the dining hall?"
Miracle looked down the long hallway and sighed. "Uh oh..."
"It vould be a lot easier if you could teleport yourselves!"
The girls turned around to find a... (AN: BLUE GERMAN FUZZY ELF DUDE!) weird looking... oh hell a blue German fuzzy elf dude. With a German accent. And a tail. And weird hands.
"Who are YOU?" Mara asked.
"I'm Kurt Vaugner. Who are you?"
"My name is Amarantha Owen Meoskite... and this is my sister, Miracle."
"Pleased to meet you... Oh ja, Prof said zere vould be new students... Vant a ride?"
"No, we-"
"Sure!"
Kurt pressed the little button on his watch and his human form appeared. The two siblings glanced at each other.
"Mara, we don't need help-"
"Mir, we couldn't possibly find-"
Kurt looked from one girl to the other and shrugged. "Okay, hold on!" He grabbed Mara with one hand and Mir with another, much to their surprise. (They could still feel the fur, and his three fingers, so they correctly assumed that it was only a hologram.) Then he BAMFed himself to the dining hall, this time with two passengers.