Chpt 6- The Dangers of Playing Hide and Seek, and Three Witches Are Better Than One
"Are you okay now?" Kurt asked, concerned. He had placed Kitty in bed, after making sure she wasn't hurt anywhere.
"Yeah, I'm fine... I'm just totally tired right now," Kitt said, the exhaustion clear in her voice. "I'll be okay, after some rest..."
"You should go to sleep now."
"Mmm hmm... I feel so bad for you. First you take care of Mara, then me..."
Kurt shrugged. "I don't mind it."
There was an awkward silence which filled the air. Kurt shifted his feet nervously.
Kitty took a deep breath. "Do you like me, Kurt?"
"Huh? Oh, ja! You're a great friend, Kitty."
"That's not what I mean..."
Kurt blushed. "I... I... ja."
Kitty sat up and looked at him. "But your always making jokes and teasing me!"
"Kitty, I do zat to everyone. I just... try to put everyone in a better mood, I guess..." Kurt looked down. "Now you hate me."
"No!"
Kurt looked up. Kitty blushed. "I... I totally don't hate you! In fact, you've, like, been really nice to me, at times, and you've, like, saved my life once or twice.. okay, a lot. I don't hate you, Kurt..."
Kurt smiled. "Do you like me?" Kitty nodded, clutching the blankets with her hands, her ponytail bobbing up and down.
Kurt swished his tail absentmindedly and grinned. "You're not going to date Avalanche, are you?"
Kitty shook her head and crinkled her nose. "Like, totally icksome! No, I'm going to date some one else... Some one better, if he ever gets around to asking me."
Kurt paled. "Really? Who?" The swishing stopped.
Kitty sighed. "Like, YOU! Duh!" She looked down.
Kurt's color returned to his cheeks as he blushed. The swishing returned. "Oh, ja... Umm, Kitty?"
"Yes?"
"Vould you vant to.. I dunno, go to a movie sometime?"
Kitty grinned and nodded. Kurt smiled and kissed Kitty on the cheek.
"For now, go to sleep. I don't vant you exhausted."
Kurt backed away, ready to BAMF back to the Danger Room, but as soon as Kitty's eyes began to close, they opened again and she sat up with a gasp.
"Katherine!"
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Outside in the snow, cute little pawprints were quickly filled up and covered with the rapidly falling snowflakes. Katherine meowed and sat down. It had been hours since she had been put outside on the porch... and no one knew about the small tear she had put in the screen so she could get out and chase the snowflakes. She was tired, she was cold, she was hungry... and she was lost. Where was Master Kitty?
"Miaow! Reaow... Hisss!"
"Bonjour, Kathy..." An eerie voice said, not that Katherine knew the meaning. But she didn't like it.
A shadow fell onto Katherine, and she lept up and swatted at the coarse bag that trapped her, shaking off the pile of snowflakes that had accumulated on her. All at once, everything went dark. Katherine meowed and hissed and cried and tried to rip the material around her apart, but it was no use. Then she felt a jolt. She was thrown. She fell with a howl, and instantly fell into uncounciousness.
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"Katherine! Katherine! Professor, still no luck?" Kitty asked as she called for her pet.
They were all outside looking and calling for Katherine, even Kitty, who would never stay bedridden while her friends were outside trying to find her cat, no matter what anyone said.
"No, Kitty. I don't think she's even on the grounds."
"Oh, Professor! She can't have gone far! And I know Katherine, she would, like, NEVER try to run away!"
"It's not that she tried to run away, Kitty. I think she was kidnapped."
"Vouldn't it be catnapped, zen?"
"This is SERIOUS, Kurt!" Kitty glared at the fuzzy elf, who had BAMFed to her side just in time to hear the professor's presumptions.
Kurt winced, "Sorry, Katzchen."
The Prof chuckled. "I would guess Kurt is correct, in this case."
"Vait, I don't zink she's asleep. She might not be able to 'cat nap' vith a stranger."
"Kurt, that was, like, so totally bad," Kitty grimaced.
"I didn't zink so," Kurt shrugged.
The Prof's face turned grim. "I had picked up another mind, ten or fifteen minutes ago. It was not a new mind, so at first I wasn't concerned..." The Prof then closed his eyes and put two fingers to his temples. Kitty gasped.
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"Katherine! Katherine, where are you?" Mara looked around, seeing only trees, and snow. Snow on the ground, snow falling from the sky, snow on her hair and cloak...
"'Rantha? What's going on?" Mara turned and found her mother smiling kindly behind her.
"Mom!" Mara smiled and hugged Meos tight.
"Hello, little one," Meos looked around. "So, what's all the commotion about?"
"Katherine, Kitty's cat," Mara paused, said "Kitty's cat" again to herself, then giggled, "err, anyway, she's missing! We've looked all over the mansion, and we couldn't find her. So now we're checking the grounds."
"Has anyone had any luck?"
Mara shook her head. "Not that I know of. If they did, they should've told the Prof, and then he would've broadcasted the news to us. I haven't heard anything yet, so I'm assuming Kitty is still distraught over poor Katherine..."
"Oh, the poor dear."
"No, the poor cat. I don't think the Prof would let Kitty keep a deer at the Institute... let alone New York. Wait, maybe the Bronx Zoo..." Mara smirked.
Meos smiled. "Is there any chance that I could help?"
"Mom!" Mir came running over, her cloak billowing behind her, and squeezed her mother hello.
"Oh, my!" Meos kissed the top of Mir's head. "'Rantha told me all about poor Kitty's cat." Meos winked at Mara, who laughed. "Let's go see Professor Xavier, so I can help."
They walked out of the woods to where Kitty, Kurt, and the Prof where talking. Kitty and Kurt, at first, had their backs to Meos, Mir, and Mara, but when they heard the footsteps in the snow they whirled around angrily.
'Hey Kurt, Kitty, Prof, looks who's here!"
"Where's my Katherine?" Kitty pretty much attacked Meos.
"Now, Kitty, I'm not sure if she's the one who took Katherine-"
"I don't care! Where's my Katherine?"
"Kitty!" Mara stared with shock at her roommate. "You can't honestly think-"
"Yes I can! Kurt, let me go! The Prof told us everything, you'd better tell me what you've done with my Katherine, or else!"
"But, Kitty, I didn't take Katherine! Why would I have any reason to?"
"Nice try!"
"Kitty, my mom could never have taken Katherine! She's not like that!"
"Give me my Katherine!"
"Kitty, please, calm down." The Prof closed his eyes and put two ingers to his temples. Kitty's eyes closed and she knelt in the snow.
"Kitty..." Kurt's eyes were wide as he knelt next to his girlfriend.
"Don't worry Kurt, she's just in a trance. I'll take her out of it as soon as we find out exactly what is going on."
Suddenly, a cloaked and hooded figure holding a thin whip appeared next to Meos and wrapped the whip around her neck, pratically choking her. Meos cried out.
*Everyone, return to the courtyard. There's an emergency!* The Prof thought out to everyone.
The cloaked figure had a star inside a circle, with squiggly lines raying from the points embroidered on her cloak, which was lined with a sickly yellow. Slowly the figure lowered her hood while retaining a grip on Meos. Underneath the hood was a young, feminine, pretty face, round and pale, with cold blue eyes and bright red lips, surrounded by curly blonde hair that reached her ankles. Her hands were covered with rings, and her necklaces sparkled together with the falling snowflakes. Her gold hoop earrings and her many bracelets jingled as she turned her head to whisper harshly in Meos's ear. "Bonjour, ma fille..."
Meos spoke with bitter hatred. "Bonjour... mère."
The woman shoved Meos to the snow with powerful force and focused on the group before her.
"No!" Mir reached out to her mother, who struggled to rise, but Mara pulled her back.
"It's HER!" she whispered. "It's Colleen!" Mir's eyes widened, and she nodded, understanding. Kurt gathered Kitty into his arms and backed up until he stood with the Professor.
*Where are the others? They should have been here by now!* The Prof thought. Then the answers to his question emerged from the woods.
Quicksilver zoomed to a few feet behind Colleen, and an unconcious Spyke fell from his shoulder to the cold, white snow. Toad dropped Rogue to the ground with gloved hands, and the Blob ("Eeeew!") carefully laid Jean to the floor. Avalanche ("Eeeew!") grinned as he brought Scott. Sabretooth dragged Logan through the snow with glee. Mystique sighed with aggravation as she lied Storm in front of her. All the X-Men were unconcious, and would probably be out for quite a while.
"Mother..." Kurt said to himself.
"What is your business here?" The Prof asked.
Meos quietly rose to her feet and tried to get to Mara and Mir, but she instantly fell when Colleen, with a smirk on her face, shot blue sparks at her.
Meos at first had been torn on teaching Mir and Mara more magic. If she didn't, they'd have no advantage when fighting. If she did, Colleen would be attracted to the new source of magic, and then realize that they were her grandchildren, and the nightmares would come true...
Now it was too late. Colleen was here, and Meos had unknowingly brought harm unto her children, and their friends.
"We have all waited for this day," Mystique smirked. "This time, we will have our way. WE will win, this time." She walked over to the Prof. "Meet our new teammate, Professor... Miss Colleen Meoskite."
Mara let out a cry.
"'Rantha! Mira! Get out! All of you, escape while you can-"
Colleen walked up to the struggling Meos and dug her boot into her back.
"Tais-toi!" she yelled. Her voice was harsh and cold, just like her yes... just like her.
Mir and Mara glanced at each other. Of all the languages they had learned, they had never been taught French! Now they knew why.
Toad laughed at them. "Hah-hah, you all don't know what she said," he taunted. "We all do... we have microchips in our brains, that translates every word she says!"
*Vhat brains?* Kurt thought to himself, as Toad continued teasing the X-Men that were awake.
Colleen, annoyed, threw blue sparks at Toad as well. He fell backward into the snow, quiet at last.
"Tais-toi, aussi," she muttered. She then focused on her new enemies.
"Donnez-moi la fille avec cheveux blonde et la fille à côté d'elle." Her voice was now coated with honey, and she smiled sweetly.
The Blob grabbed hold of Mir, and Avalanche grabbed hold of Mara, and brought them to Colleen. The sisters were frozen in fright. Meos struggled not to cry out.
Colleen studied the two sisters closely. She then peered at Miracle.
"Tu as inhérité mes cheveux..." Mir struggled under Colleen's hold. Colleen chuckled. "... et ma personnalité. Mais tu..." she turned to Mara, "tu n'as pas quelquechose de moi... peut-être la gentillenesse de ta mère... err, la gentillenesse de Maia..."
Colleen looked above their heads at the Prof, Kurt with Kitty, and the collection of X-Men members laying in the snow.
"Tuez-les," she said, her voice once again cruel and heartless.
"RUN!" Meos went pale as she translated for them.
The Brotherhood members charged the Professor, Kurt and Kitty, as Colleen disappeared with Mir, Mara, and Meos, without a trace.
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* "Bonjour, Kathy..." "Hello, Kathy..."
* "Bonjour, ma fille..." "Hello, my daughter."
* "Bonjour, mère..." "Hello, mother."
* "Tais-toi!" "Shut up!"
* "Tais-toi, aussi." "You shut up too."
* "Donnez-moi la fille avec cheveux blonde et la fille à côté elle."
"Give me the girl with blond hair and the girl next to her."
* "Tu as inhérité mes cheveux... et ma personnalité. Mais tu, tu n'as pas quelquechose de moi... peut-être la gentillenesse de ta mère... err, la gentillenesse de Maia..."
"You inherited my hair... and my personality. But you, you don't have anything from me... maybe your mother's kindness... err, Maia's kindness."
* "Tuez-les." "Kill them."
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Kurt winced and BAMFed away, still carrying Kitty.
"Kurt!" The Prof cried out.
"Nuh uh, I'm over here! Vhy don't you guys come and get me?" Kurt BAMFed to a few feet away, without Kitty.
"No one harm him!" Mystique shouted as the others rushed past her to get to the taunting prey.
"Nuh uh, over here! Hang on, Professor!" Kurt BAMFed to the Prof and held onto his wheelchair as he 'ported away.
"Fools!" Mystique shouted.
"Hey! I'm over here!" Kurt BAMFed to the edge of the woods, his hands free.
The Brotherhood panted as they ran across the field, only Quicksilver kinda... just, ran.
"Haha! Over here!" Kurt picked up the unconcious Rogue and 'ported out of sight as Quicksilver reached out for him.
"Don't you idiots see what he's doing?!" Mystique cried out.
"Hey Avalanche! Kitty said zat she'd rather date me zan you! Vhat are you going to do about ZAT, hmmm?"
Avalanche stomped his foot. A pile of snow fell on top of Kurt, who had been conveniently standing underneath a tree.
"THAT'S what I say about THAT, freak!"
Just as he neared the snow pile, it collasped in on itself, as Kurt BAMFed to where Jean was, collected her in his arms, and 'ported away.
"I work with nimrods." Mystique smacked her forehead.
"Hey, what do you want us to do lady?" Quicksilver yelled. "Get him or not?"
"Do whatever you have to do to stop him...." Quicksilver turned away, "EXCEPT kill him!"
"I'm over HERE!" Kurt said in a singsong tone as he picked up Scott. "Oh, and I am NOT a freak!" he added before BAMFing outta there.
"Vhy can't you guys catch me?" Kurt snatched Storm and... yup, BAMFed away.
"Nope, nice try, I'm over here!" Kurt held onto Spyke's arms and... well, you guessed it.
"Somebody catch him!" Mystique yelled at the masses running around in circles.
"I don't need to walk around in circles!" Kurt sang to himself as he BAMFed to where Logan was.
"Ahem... somebody's been a naughty boy." Kurt slowly looked up into the eyes of his mother. "I would have to say you need to go to your room for a time out."
Kurt narrowed his eyes seriously. "I von't play zese games vith you, Mother. Not like vhat Colleen is doing vith Meos."
With that, he grabbed Logan's arm and BAMFed out of sight, dragging him along, leaving his mother and her "nimrods" in the snow.
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Rogue woke up to voices mixed together. She couldn't decipher who they belonged to, or what they said, and when she slowly opened her eyes, all she could see were blurs. She groaned.
"Hey, she's awake."
"Hey, Rogue..."
Rogue blinked as the blurs became her friends, and the voices were theirs. She sat and looked up at Shadowcat.
"Where the Hell are we?"
"Ze Brotherhood's new Paradise. Sanctuary- Ze Sequel."
"Kurt!" Shadowcat looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Sorry, Katzchen."
Rogue smiled. "Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, like, the worst casualty was Mr. Logan, who has a brutal headache. The rest just have, like, cuts and scrapes and, like, bruises..."
"You mean, black and blues."
"No... I mean, like, bruises!"
"Black and blues!"
"I hardly think it matters what you exactly call them, bub. If it hurts, it's not good," Wolverine said, annoyed.
Rogue glanced around, their argument forgotten. "Do they know we're here?"
"No." SHadowcat smiled. "Kurt, like, totally risked his life to, like, save us. He, like, teleported back and forth, and, like, transported us all here, one by one. It put such a total strain on him, for 'porting so far away, with so many passangers... He, like, totally faced the Brotherhood all alone. He so left them all in the courtyard. He was, like, so brave!"
Nightcrawler blushed. "It vasn't zat big of a deal... I vas ze only one concious zat could do anyzing... no offense, Professor... Vell, I couldn't just stand zere and let zem kill us."
"What were they doin' anyway?"
Kurt looked at the Professor and sighed.
"I think I'll explain, Kurt." The Prof quickly filled Rogue in on what had happened, as he knew it. Everyone was up by then, and they had all heard it, so they jst busied themselves with whatever. Nightcrawler added in missing... and overexaggerated... details.
"Rogue, Prof says they might, like, have Katherine!" Shadowcat glanced at her teacher. "We have to save them!"
"Well, yeah! I let Mara borrow my gold hoop earrings before school started. She never gave them back!"
"Oh, Rogue!" Cyclops groaned.
"I'm just kiddin'! I want them back safe and sound too." Rogue laughed. "Although, it's true, I ain't seen those earrings yet..."
"Vell, now zat you're up and alright, can ve go rescue zem now?" Nightcrawler whined.
"What are we wasting our time talking here for?" Wolverine extended his claws with a menacing glare.
"You're right Wolverine. But first, we need to form a plan..."
"What are we going to face in there?" Storm inquired.
"At the worst, Colleen. From, like, what we've totally seen so far, she's brutal," Shadowcat said.
"And French!" Nightcrawler added.
"Yeah, that's right! We have absolutely no idea what she's sayin'!" Rogue looked at Jean and the Professor. "Any chance that one of you could translate for us?"
Jean shook her head. "If I could, I could never get the message to you all in time."
"And I'm afraid I'm not going with you."
"But, like, Professor-"
"I'd only hinder you, Shadowcat. All of you. I will stay here, hidden. When you win, you can come back for me."
"As if we wouldn't!" Shadowcat exclaimed.
"When we win? Or if?" Rogue asked.
"Do you doubt yourself, Rogue?"
"No! You taught us well, it's just that, Colleen sounds so... so..."
"I trust in you, Rogue." The Prof smiled. "Now, rescue your friends."
"Let's go, X-Men!" Wolverine said.
"Ahem!" Rogue folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, glaring at Wolverine. Shadowcat pouted, placing her hands on her hips with a taught expression on her face. Storm and Jean just raised their eyebrows questioningly.
Wolverine sighed. "And women. There, happy?"
All the girls grinned.
"Yes, actually," Rogue said.
"Thanks!" said Kitty.
"It's about time we had some representation..." Storm muttered to herself.
"Anyway... let's go! Whoever we are..."
The Professor smirked to himself as they all left.
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Meos watched in horror as her mother laughed evilly in front of her. She looked just the same, filled with an evil aura that was sure to make even the bravest bear huddle up in a ball of fear. She watched her place her on the wall, in shackles, next to her daughters, both unconcious. They never had a chance.
"No!" Meos cried out, again and again, as if the words of protest were going to make the evil creature change her mind. Meos writhed about, trying to escape, to break free of the bonds that trapped her and her daughters to the wall. She couldn't operate her magic within the bounds and chains her mother had placed on her; that she had learned with pain and horror.
She watched as her mother took out her whip and cracked it against the air, making Meos flinch.
"No! Let them go! They didn't do anything to you, please! Let them go! I'll do anything, anything you want, but please, LET THEM GO!"
Meos's mother grinned silently, as if words would never express the feeling of satisfaction, then brought down the whip upon her red haired daughter-
"Hold it right there!" Scott shouted.
Colleen missed and whirled about. Meos let herself sag in the bonds, a feeling of relief overtaking her. Help was here... just like before.
Colleen laughed at the sight before her. A pathetic army, a pitiful crowd of superheroes. Superlosers was more like it. There was that man with the dorky sunglasses; and the man with metal claws- metal! Ha! The boy with "spikes" as he so called them- all pititful. And what was with that hair color? The creature with blue fur and a tail- Colleen bet he couldn't do much. Mystique's son; she'd have to be careful. The girl with her brown hair in a ponytail didn't look like she could do much either- she had been unconcious when she got there, wasn't that pathetic enough. The woman with red hair didn't look like much. Weakling. The black woman with white hair- probably unnatural, she was the same as the rest- pititful. The young girl with white streaks, she looked determined, but it was most likely a front- she would probably be the first to go.
"Pitoyable..." Colleen muttered, just to prove her point. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" she asked loudly.
Meos raised her head. *X-Men... From now on, you will understand every word Colleen Meoskite says. She will understand you anyway.*
With a jolt, they all suddenly heard Colleen talking... English?!
"A senseless brigade. I suppose you're here to rescue your little friends," she said. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble. I am the most celebrated and powerful witch in all the world," Meos rolled her eyes, "so you'll have just a little trouble getting past me. I have my own things to do..." Colleen glanced back at her prisoners, "so don't waste my time. I need to become... more acquainted with my daughter and my grandaughters."
She turned her head towards Meos. "And exactly WHO'S fault was it, Maia, that I had been killed savagely, deprived of my power AND my loving family, to be locked up inside an urn for eternity? Or at least until the cleaning ladies knocked the trunk it was in off the bookcase..." She lifted her daugher's chin with mock love. "Why, I do seem to recall, my 'dear'... it was YOURS!" Her face turned evil as she glared with hatred. "Is this how you treat your mother, girl?! Is this how you treat your own flesh and blood?! I taught you everything I could, child! This is how you repay me?!" She smirked. "Now, now everything will change." She twirled her whip around in the air. "You'll learn, once and for all-"
"Let zem go!" Nightcrawler said bravely.
Colleen laughed. "Oh yes, I will do exactly as you say. Oh, I'm quivering in my boots."
"Look, we don't know who the Hell you are," Wolverine extended his claws, "or where the Hell you came from. But we'll go easy on ya if you give up. Maybe."
"Come and try me, Wolfie."
Wolverine growled and attacked, swinging his blades through the air. Colleen put up her shield effortlessly, and Wolverine fell back with a smack. Colleen laughed and looked at Meos.
"Good help is so hard to find, these days... Maybe we could put an ad for new cleaning ladies in the newspaper together! Wouldn't that be fun, a mother-daughter project?" She laughed and turned to the group behind her. "Anyone else?"
"Colleen, let them be! It's me you want!" Meos shouted. "Remember, let them go... ALL of them, and I'll do anything you ask-"
"Give me your soul!" Colleen's eyes were wide as she turned and placed her face inches away from her daughter's.
"Go ahead and take it." Meos stuck out her chest.
Colleen smacked her. "Give it to me."
"I can't! You've bound my hands! Only you can unbind me, or take my soul away!"
"You know very well that I cannot take it from you... You must give it to me!" Colleen glared at Meos's face, now with a red handprint on her cheek, as well as tears. "Fine, idiot. Here. Here you go." Colleen released her from the chains and Meos fell to the floor and covered the back of her head with her hands, her knees tucked under her chest.
"Now, take off the necklace and give it to me. Give it to me, Maia!" Colleen screamed.
In the distance, Colleen heard a soft "BAMF." Suddenly, all attacks were taken place at once. Fire burned, metal slashed. Lightning struck and spikes speared through her. Colleen was frozen in place, and a chill ran through her, as if something had passed through her and rearranged her molecules. She felt herself feeling faint...
Then, intense pain. Every essence of her magic was being taken from her. She couldn't live without her magic, and it was being drawn from her. Her magic was her life, it was in her, it WAS her! Her magic was all she was, all she lived for! It was the reason why she was living to this day! No, no! This wasn't possible! She couldn't turn around, she couldn't do anything. The most "wonderful" witch in the world... fell to the floor in a heap.
Miracle and Amarantha groaned.
"Mom?"
Meos rose from the floor and looked at Miracle and Amarantha. She waved her hands, fighting the tears as the chains released them. The sisters fell to the floor.
"Are you girls alright?" Meos enclosed her daughters in a tight hug, kissing them both on the forehead.
"Yeah, Mom. We're okay... Hey Mir help us out."
Miracle closed her eyes and, with a soft glow, slowly healed her family's cuts, scrapes, bruises, and any other physical damage.
"Shhh..." Meos hugged her daughters closely once more. "Not another word. Go, go with your teammates. I will take care of-"
"Wait! Katherine!" Shadowcat cried out.
"Oh yes! Katherine!" Meos grinned, her eyes wide. "Here you go." She waved her arms around and muttered a few words to herself. They, of course, were in French. Mir and Mara looked at each other with awe as a tight-knit bag appeared before their mother. She opened her eyes and grabbed it before it fell.
"Reaow!"
"Oh, Katherine!" Shadowcat rushed over and released her pet from the prison she had been trapped in. "Oh, don't worry baby, I'm here, everything's alright. That mean nasty witch won't hurt you anymore... Oh my poor little girl!"
"Now you know how I feel," Meos smiled warmly.
Rogue gasped and turned to Mara. "You still have my earrings!"
"Huh?" She looked at her friend, puzzled.
"Remember the ones I gave you before school started?"
"Oh, those? I gave them to Mir a while ago!"
Rogue looked at Mir, expectantly, as well as Shadowcat and Mara.
"What?"
"Didn't you give those earrings to Rogue like I asked?"
"..."
"Miracle!"
"Sorry! I forgot- I still have them, Rogue... somewhere...."
Rogue groaned. "I'll neva get 'em back now!"
"Hurry, girls..." Meos looked at the group with worry. "Let's go, before she wakes up."
"You mean, she's not dead?"
"No, she's not. If she was, my soul would have returned to my body instead of staying enclosed in this necklace." Meos gestured at the pendant dangling from her neck.
"I say get rid of her right now!" Mir said, determined. "It's about time someone killed the ama, so we can finally go about our lives."
"Miracle Meoskite! Never use that kind of language again! If you are ever going to speak the Latin language, use it with pride and dignity, not when cursing someone out! Or at least in my presence..."
"Sorry Mom... Yes, ma'am."
Meos, after a while, shook her head sadly. "You are too much like me... like her. Go, Miracle. Take your sister, take your friends. Get out of here."
Miracle looked at her mother. "You're thinking of staying," she said quietly. This caught Amarantha's attention. "You're thinking of staying and killing her off, then destroying the place. And if something goes wrong, you'd be the only person to die. You're self-sacrificing, Mom. You're altruistic. You were going to stay behind."
"I don't want anything else horrible to happen, Mira-"
"We'll kill her together!" Mara cried out. "Three witches are better than one!"
Mir looked around. "We all can pitch in. Mom, you said so yourself, anyone can be a witch, if they wanted to. Well, now, I bet everyone here wants to help out."
"Now, girls-"
"I agree with Mir," Rogue spoke up. "I have a little bit of Colleen's powers, remember? I could give a little bit to everyone, to make them more skilled."
"It will work, I'm sure of it!" Mir assured.
Meos sighed. "Miracle Meoskite, if something goes wrong, you all will regret it for the rest of your short lives..."
"But it WILL work! You've got to trust us... and fast!" Mir glanced at the limp body on the floor.
Meos sighed. "...Everyone has to listen to what I say, got it? I'm in charge. If I tell you to run, you run, understand?"
"You're ze boss," Nightcrawler said.
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* "Pitoyable." "Pitiful."
* "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" "What is this?"
"Are you okay now?" Kurt asked, concerned. He had placed Kitty in bed, after making sure she wasn't hurt anywhere.
"Yeah, I'm fine... I'm just totally tired right now," Kitt said, the exhaustion clear in her voice. "I'll be okay, after some rest..."
"You should go to sleep now."
"Mmm hmm... I feel so bad for you. First you take care of Mara, then me..."
Kurt shrugged. "I don't mind it."
There was an awkward silence which filled the air. Kurt shifted his feet nervously.
Kitty took a deep breath. "Do you like me, Kurt?"
"Huh? Oh, ja! You're a great friend, Kitty."
"That's not what I mean..."
Kurt blushed. "I... I... ja."
Kitty sat up and looked at him. "But your always making jokes and teasing me!"
"Kitty, I do zat to everyone. I just... try to put everyone in a better mood, I guess..." Kurt looked down. "Now you hate me."
"No!"
Kurt looked up. Kitty blushed. "I... I totally don't hate you! In fact, you've, like, been really nice to me, at times, and you've, like, saved my life once or twice.. okay, a lot. I don't hate you, Kurt..."
Kurt smiled. "Do you like me?" Kitty nodded, clutching the blankets with her hands, her ponytail bobbing up and down.
Kurt swished his tail absentmindedly and grinned. "You're not going to date Avalanche, are you?"
Kitty shook her head and crinkled her nose. "Like, totally icksome! No, I'm going to date some one else... Some one better, if he ever gets around to asking me."
Kurt paled. "Really? Who?" The swishing stopped.
Kitty sighed. "Like, YOU! Duh!" She looked down.
Kurt's color returned to his cheeks as he blushed. The swishing returned. "Oh, ja... Umm, Kitty?"
"Yes?"
"Vould you vant to.. I dunno, go to a movie sometime?"
Kitty grinned and nodded. Kurt smiled and kissed Kitty on the cheek.
"For now, go to sleep. I don't vant you exhausted."
Kurt backed away, ready to BAMF back to the Danger Room, but as soon as Kitty's eyes began to close, they opened again and she sat up with a gasp.
"Katherine!"
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Outside in the snow, cute little pawprints were quickly filled up and covered with the rapidly falling snowflakes. Katherine meowed and sat down. It had been hours since she had been put outside on the porch... and no one knew about the small tear she had put in the screen so she could get out and chase the snowflakes. She was tired, she was cold, she was hungry... and she was lost. Where was Master Kitty?
"Miaow! Reaow... Hisss!"
"Bonjour, Kathy..." An eerie voice said, not that Katherine knew the meaning. But she didn't like it.
A shadow fell onto Katherine, and she lept up and swatted at the coarse bag that trapped her, shaking off the pile of snowflakes that had accumulated on her. All at once, everything went dark. Katherine meowed and hissed and cried and tried to rip the material around her apart, but it was no use. Then she felt a jolt. She was thrown. She fell with a howl, and instantly fell into uncounciousness.
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"Katherine! Katherine! Professor, still no luck?" Kitty asked as she called for her pet.
They were all outside looking and calling for Katherine, even Kitty, who would never stay bedridden while her friends were outside trying to find her cat, no matter what anyone said.
"No, Kitty. I don't think she's even on the grounds."
"Oh, Professor! She can't have gone far! And I know Katherine, she would, like, NEVER try to run away!"
"It's not that she tried to run away, Kitty. I think she was kidnapped."
"Vouldn't it be catnapped, zen?"
"This is SERIOUS, Kurt!" Kitty glared at the fuzzy elf, who had BAMFed to her side just in time to hear the professor's presumptions.
Kurt winced, "Sorry, Katzchen."
The Prof chuckled. "I would guess Kurt is correct, in this case."
"Vait, I don't zink she's asleep. She might not be able to 'cat nap' vith a stranger."
"Kurt, that was, like, so totally bad," Kitty grimaced.
"I didn't zink so," Kurt shrugged.
The Prof's face turned grim. "I had picked up another mind, ten or fifteen minutes ago. It was not a new mind, so at first I wasn't concerned..." The Prof then closed his eyes and put two fingers to his temples. Kitty gasped.
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"Katherine! Katherine, where are you?" Mara looked around, seeing only trees, and snow. Snow on the ground, snow falling from the sky, snow on her hair and cloak...
"'Rantha? What's going on?" Mara turned and found her mother smiling kindly behind her.
"Mom!" Mara smiled and hugged Meos tight.
"Hello, little one," Meos looked around. "So, what's all the commotion about?"
"Katherine, Kitty's cat," Mara paused, said "Kitty's cat" again to herself, then giggled, "err, anyway, she's missing! We've looked all over the mansion, and we couldn't find her. So now we're checking the grounds."
"Has anyone had any luck?"
Mara shook her head. "Not that I know of. If they did, they should've told the Prof, and then he would've broadcasted the news to us. I haven't heard anything yet, so I'm assuming Kitty is still distraught over poor Katherine..."
"Oh, the poor dear."
"No, the poor cat. I don't think the Prof would let Kitty keep a deer at the Institute... let alone New York. Wait, maybe the Bronx Zoo..." Mara smirked.
Meos smiled. "Is there any chance that I could help?"
"Mom!" Mir came running over, her cloak billowing behind her, and squeezed her mother hello.
"Oh, my!" Meos kissed the top of Mir's head. "'Rantha told me all about poor Kitty's cat." Meos winked at Mara, who laughed. "Let's go see Professor Xavier, so I can help."
They walked out of the woods to where Kitty, Kurt, and the Prof where talking. Kitty and Kurt, at first, had their backs to Meos, Mir, and Mara, but when they heard the footsteps in the snow they whirled around angrily.
'Hey Kurt, Kitty, Prof, looks who's here!"
"Where's my Katherine?" Kitty pretty much attacked Meos.
"Now, Kitty, I'm not sure if she's the one who took Katherine-"
"I don't care! Where's my Katherine?"
"Kitty!" Mara stared with shock at her roommate. "You can't honestly think-"
"Yes I can! Kurt, let me go! The Prof told us everything, you'd better tell me what you've done with my Katherine, or else!"
"But, Kitty, I didn't take Katherine! Why would I have any reason to?"
"Nice try!"
"Kitty, my mom could never have taken Katherine! She's not like that!"
"Give me my Katherine!"
"Kitty, please, calm down." The Prof closed his eyes and put two ingers to his temples. Kitty's eyes closed and she knelt in the snow.
"Kitty..." Kurt's eyes were wide as he knelt next to his girlfriend.
"Don't worry Kurt, she's just in a trance. I'll take her out of it as soon as we find out exactly what is going on."
Suddenly, a cloaked and hooded figure holding a thin whip appeared next to Meos and wrapped the whip around her neck, pratically choking her. Meos cried out.
*Everyone, return to the courtyard. There's an emergency!* The Prof thought out to everyone.
The cloaked figure had a star inside a circle, with squiggly lines raying from the points embroidered on her cloak, which was lined with a sickly yellow. Slowly the figure lowered her hood while retaining a grip on Meos. Underneath the hood was a young, feminine, pretty face, round and pale, with cold blue eyes and bright red lips, surrounded by curly blonde hair that reached her ankles. Her hands were covered with rings, and her necklaces sparkled together with the falling snowflakes. Her gold hoop earrings and her many bracelets jingled as she turned her head to whisper harshly in Meos's ear. "Bonjour, ma fille..."
Meos spoke with bitter hatred. "Bonjour... mère."
The woman shoved Meos to the snow with powerful force and focused on the group before her.
"No!" Mir reached out to her mother, who struggled to rise, but Mara pulled her back.
"It's HER!" she whispered. "It's Colleen!" Mir's eyes widened, and she nodded, understanding. Kurt gathered Kitty into his arms and backed up until he stood with the Professor.
*Where are the others? They should have been here by now!* The Prof thought. Then the answers to his question emerged from the woods.
Quicksilver zoomed to a few feet behind Colleen, and an unconcious Spyke fell from his shoulder to the cold, white snow. Toad dropped Rogue to the ground with gloved hands, and the Blob ("Eeeew!") carefully laid Jean to the floor. Avalanche ("Eeeew!") grinned as he brought Scott. Sabretooth dragged Logan through the snow with glee. Mystique sighed with aggravation as she lied Storm in front of her. All the X-Men were unconcious, and would probably be out for quite a while.
"Mother..." Kurt said to himself.
"What is your business here?" The Prof asked.
Meos quietly rose to her feet and tried to get to Mara and Mir, but she instantly fell when Colleen, with a smirk on her face, shot blue sparks at her.
Meos at first had been torn on teaching Mir and Mara more magic. If she didn't, they'd have no advantage when fighting. If she did, Colleen would be attracted to the new source of magic, and then realize that they were her grandchildren, and the nightmares would come true...
Now it was too late. Colleen was here, and Meos had unknowingly brought harm unto her children, and their friends.
"We have all waited for this day," Mystique smirked. "This time, we will have our way. WE will win, this time." She walked over to the Prof. "Meet our new teammate, Professor... Miss Colleen Meoskite."
Mara let out a cry.
"'Rantha! Mira! Get out! All of you, escape while you can-"
Colleen walked up to the struggling Meos and dug her boot into her back.
"Tais-toi!" she yelled. Her voice was harsh and cold, just like her yes... just like her.
Mir and Mara glanced at each other. Of all the languages they had learned, they had never been taught French! Now they knew why.
Toad laughed at them. "Hah-hah, you all don't know what she said," he taunted. "We all do... we have microchips in our brains, that translates every word she says!"
*Vhat brains?* Kurt thought to himself, as Toad continued teasing the X-Men that were awake.
Colleen, annoyed, threw blue sparks at Toad as well. He fell backward into the snow, quiet at last.
"Tais-toi, aussi," she muttered. She then focused on her new enemies.
"Donnez-moi la fille avec cheveux blonde et la fille à côté d'elle." Her voice was now coated with honey, and she smiled sweetly.
The Blob grabbed hold of Mir, and Avalanche grabbed hold of Mara, and brought them to Colleen. The sisters were frozen in fright. Meos struggled not to cry out.
Colleen studied the two sisters closely. She then peered at Miracle.
"Tu as inhérité mes cheveux..." Mir struggled under Colleen's hold. Colleen chuckled. "... et ma personnalité. Mais tu..." she turned to Mara, "tu n'as pas quelquechose de moi... peut-être la gentillenesse de ta mère... err, la gentillenesse de Maia..."
Colleen looked above their heads at the Prof, Kurt with Kitty, and the collection of X-Men members laying in the snow.
"Tuez-les," she said, her voice once again cruel and heartless.
"RUN!" Meos went pale as she translated for them.
The Brotherhood members charged the Professor, Kurt and Kitty, as Colleen disappeared with Mir, Mara, and Meos, without a trace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* "Bonjour, Kathy..." "Hello, Kathy..."
* "Bonjour, ma fille..." "Hello, my daughter."
* "Bonjour, mère..." "Hello, mother."
* "Tais-toi!" "Shut up!"
* "Tais-toi, aussi." "You shut up too."
* "Donnez-moi la fille avec cheveux blonde et la fille à côté elle."
"Give me the girl with blond hair and the girl next to her."
* "Tu as inhérité mes cheveux... et ma personnalité. Mais tu, tu n'as pas quelquechose de moi... peut-être la gentillenesse de ta mère... err, la gentillenesse de Maia..."
"You inherited my hair... and my personality. But you, you don't have anything from me... maybe your mother's kindness... err, Maia's kindness."
* "Tuez-les." "Kill them."
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Kurt winced and BAMFed away, still carrying Kitty.
"Kurt!" The Prof cried out.
"Nuh uh, I'm over here! Vhy don't you guys come and get me?" Kurt BAMFed to a few feet away, without Kitty.
"No one harm him!" Mystique shouted as the others rushed past her to get to the taunting prey.
"Nuh uh, over here! Hang on, Professor!" Kurt BAMFed to the Prof and held onto his wheelchair as he 'ported away.
"Fools!" Mystique shouted.
"Hey! I'm over here!" Kurt BAMFed to the edge of the woods, his hands free.
The Brotherhood panted as they ran across the field, only Quicksilver kinda... just, ran.
"Haha! Over here!" Kurt picked up the unconcious Rogue and 'ported out of sight as Quicksilver reached out for him.
"Don't you idiots see what he's doing?!" Mystique cried out.
"Hey Avalanche! Kitty said zat she'd rather date me zan you! Vhat are you going to do about ZAT, hmmm?"
Avalanche stomped his foot. A pile of snow fell on top of Kurt, who had been conveniently standing underneath a tree.
"THAT'S what I say about THAT, freak!"
Just as he neared the snow pile, it collasped in on itself, as Kurt BAMFed to where Jean was, collected her in his arms, and 'ported away.
"I work with nimrods." Mystique smacked her forehead.
"Hey, what do you want us to do lady?" Quicksilver yelled. "Get him or not?"
"Do whatever you have to do to stop him...." Quicksilver turned away, "EXCEPT kill him!"
"I'm over HERE!" Kurt said in a singsong tone as he picked up Scott. "Oh, and I am NOT a freak!" he added before BAMFing outta there.
"Vhy can't you guys catch me?" Kurt snatched Storm and... yup, BAMFed away.
"Nope, nice try, I'm over here!" Kurt held onto Spyke's arms and... well, you guessed it.
"Somebody catch him!" Mystique yelled at the masses running around in circles.
"I don't need to walk around in circles!" Kurt sang to himself as he BAMFed to where Logan was.
"Ahem... somebody's been a naughty boy." Kurt slowly looked up into the eyes of his mother. "I would have to say you need to go to your room for a time out."
Kurt narrowed his eyes seriously. "I von't play zese games vith you, Mother. Not like vhat Colleen is doing vith Meos."
With that, he grabbed Logan's arm and BAMFed out of sight, dragging him along, leaving his mother and her "nimrods" in the snow.
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Rogue woke up to voices mixed together. She couldn't decipher who they belonged to, or what they said, and when she slowly opened her eyes, all she could see were blurs. She groaned.
"Hey, she's awake."
"Hey, Rogue..."
Rogue blinked as the blurs became her friends, and the voices were theirs. She sat and looked up at Shadowcat.
"Where the Hell are we?"
"Ze Brotherhood's new Paradise. Sanctuary- Ze Sequel."
"Kurt!" Shadowcat looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Sorry, Katzchen."
Rogue smiled. "Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, like, the worst casualty was Mr. Logan, who has a brutal headache. The rest just have, like, cuts and scrapes and, like, bruises..."
"You mean, black and blues."
"No... I mean, like, bruises!"
"Black and blues!"
"I hardly think it matters what you exactly call them, bub. If it hurts, it's not good," Wolverine said, annoyed.
Rogue glanced around, their argument forgotten. "Do they know we're here?"
"No." SHadowcat smiled. "Kurt, like, totally risked his life to, like, save us. He, like, teleported back and forth, and, like, transported us all here, one by one. It put such a total strain on him, for 'porting so far away, with so many passangers... He, like, totally faced the Brotherhood all alone. He so left them all in the courtyard. He was, like, so brave!"
Nightcrawler blushed. "It vasn't zat big of a deal... I vas ze only one concious zat could do anyzing... no offense, Professor... Vell, I couldn't just stand zere and let zem kill us."
"What were they doin' anyway?"
Kurt looked at the Professor and sighed.
"I think I'll explain, Kurt." The Prof quickly filled Rogue in on what had happened, as he knew it. Everyone was up by then, and they had all heard it, so they jst busied themselves with whatever. Nightcrawler added in missing... and overexaggerated... details.
"Rogue, Prof says they might, like, have Katherine!" Shadowcat glanced at her teacher. "We have to save them!"
"Well, yeah! I let Mara borrow my gold hoop earrings before school started. She never gave them back!"
"Oh, Rogue!" Cyclops groaned.
"I'm just kiddin'! I want them back safe and sound too." Rogue laughed. "Although, it's true, I ain't seen those earrings yet..."
"Vell, now zat you're up and alright, can ve go rescue zem now?" Nightcrawler whined.
"What are we wasting our time talking here for?" Wolverine extended his claws with a menacing glare.
"You're right Wolverine. But first, we need to form a plan..."
"What are we going to face in there?" Storm inquired.
"At the worst, Colleen. From, like, what we've totally seen so far, she's brutal," Shadowcat said.
"And French!" Nightcrawler added.
"Yeah, that's right! We have absolutely no idea what she's sayin'!" Rogue looked at Jean and the Professor. "Any chance that one of you could translate for us?"
Jean shook her head. "If I could, I could never get the message to you all in time."
"And I'm afraid I'm not going with you."
"But, like, Professor-"
"I'd only hinder you, Shadowcat. All of you. I will stay here, hidden. When you win, you can come back for me."
"As if we wouldn't!" Shadowcat exclaimed.
"When we win? Or if?" Rogue asked.
"Do you doubt yourself, Rogue?"
"No! You taught us well, it's just that, Colleen sounds so... so..."
"I trust in you, Rogue." The Prof smiled. "Now, rescue your friends."
"Let's go, X-Men!" Wolverine said.
"Ahem!" Rogue folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, glaring at Wolverine. Shadowcat pouted, placing her hands on her hips with a taught expression on her face. Storm and Jean just raised their eyebrows questioningly.
Wolverine sighed. "And women. There, happy?"
All the girls grinned.
"Yes, actually," Rogue said.
"Thanks!" said Kitty.
"It's about time we had some representation..." Storm muttered to herself.
"Anyway... let's go! Whoever we are..."
The Professor smirked to himself as they all left.
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Meos watched in horror as her mother laughed evilly in front of her. She looked just the same, filled with an evil aura that was sure to make even the bravest bear huddle up in a ball of fear. She watched her place her on the wall, in shackles, next to her daughters, both unconcious. They never had a chance.
"No!" Meos cried out, again and again, as if the words of protest were going to make the evil creature change her mind. Meos writhed about, trying to escape, to break free of the bonds that trapped her and her daughters to the wall. She couldn't operate her magic within the bounds and chains her mother had placed on her; that she had learned with pain and horror.
She watched as her mother took out her whip and cracked it against the air, making Meos flinch.
"No! Let them go! They didn't do anything to you, please! Let them go! I'll do anything, anything you want, but please, LET THEM GO!"
Meos's mother grinned silently, as if words would never express the feeling of satisfaction, then brought down the whip upon her red haired daughter-
"Hold it right there!" Scott shouted.
Colleen missed and whirled about. Meos let herself sag in the bonds, a feeling of relief overtaking her. Help was here... just like before.
Colleen laughed at the sight before her. A pathetic army, a pitiful crowd of superheroes. Superlosers was more like it. There was that man with the dorky sunglasses; and the man with metal claws- metal! Ha! The boy with "spikes" as he so called them- all pititful. And what was with that hair color? The creature with blue fur and a tail- Colleen bet he couldn't do much. Mystique's son; she'd have to be careful. The girl with her brown hair in a ponytail didn't look like she could do much either- she had been unconcious when she got there, wasn't that pathetic enough. The woman with red hair didn't look like much. Weakling. The black woman with white hair- probably unnatural, she was the same as the rest- pititful. The young girl with white streaks, she looked determined, but it was most likely a front- she would probably be the first to go.
"Pitoyable..." Colleen muttered, just to prove her point. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" she asked loudly.
Meos raised her head. *X-Men... From now on, you will understand every word Colleen Meoskite says. She will understand you anyway.*
With a jolt, they all suddenly heard Colleen talking... English?!
"A senseless brigade. I suppose you're here to rescue your little friends," she said. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble. I am the most celebrated and powerful witch in all the world," Meos rolled her eyes, "so you'll have just a little trouble getting past me. I have my own things to do..." Colleen glanced back at her prisoners, "so don't waste my time. I need to become... more acquainted with my daughter and my grandaughters."
She turned her head towards Meos. "And exactly WHO'S fault was it, Maia, that I had been killed savagely, deprived of my power AND my loving family, to be locked up inside an urn for eternity? Or at least until the cleaning ladies knocked the trunk it was in off the bookcase..." She lifted her daugher's chin with mock love. "Why, I do seem to recall, my 'dear'... it was YOURS!" Her face turned evil as she glared with hatred. "Is this how you treat your mother, girl?! Is this how you treat your own flesh and blood?! I taught you everything I could, child! This is how you repay me?!" She smirked. "Now, now everything will change." She twirled her whip around in the air. "You'll learn, once and for all-"
"Let zem go!" Nightcrawler said bravely.
Colleen laughed. "Oh yes, I will do exactly as you say. Oh, I'm quivering in my boots."
"Look, we don't know who the Hell you are," Wolverine extended his claws, "or where the Hell you came from. But we'll go easy on ya if you give up. Maybe."
"Come and try me, Wolfie."
Wolverine growled and attacked, swinging his blades through the air. Colleen put up her shield effortlessly, and Wolverine fell back with a smack. Colleen laughed and looked at Meos.
"Good help is so hard to find, these days... Maybe we could put an ad for new cleaning ladies in the newspaper together! Wouldn't that be fun, a mother-daughter project?" She laughed and turned to the group behind her. "Anyone else?"
"Colleen, let them be! It's me you want!" Meos shouted. "Remember, let them go... ALL of them, and I'll do anything you ask-"
"Give me your soul!" Colleen's eyes were wide as she turned and placed her face inches away from her daughter's.
"Go ahead and take it." Meos stuck out her chest.
Colleen smacked her. "Give it to me."
"I can't! You've bound my hands! Only you can unbind me, or take my soul away!"
"You know very well that I cannot take it from you... You must give it to me!" Colleen glared at Meos's face, now with a red handprint on her cheek, as well as tears. "Fine, idiot. Here. Here you go." Colleen released her from the chains and Meos fell to the floor and covered the back of her head with her hands, her knees tucked under her chest.
"Now, take off the necklace and give it to me. Give it to me, Maia!" Colleen screamed.
In the distance, Colleen heard a soft "BAMF." Suddenly, all attacks were taken place at once. Fire burned, metal slashed. Lightning struck and spikes speared through her. Colleen was frozen in place, and a chill ran through her, as if something had passed through her and rearranged her molecules. She felt herself feeling faint...
Then, intense pain. Every essence of her magic was being taken from her. She couldn't live without her magic, and it was being drawn from her. Her magic was her life, it was in her, it WAS her! Her magic was all she was, all she lived for! It was the reason why she was living to this day! No, no! This wasn't possible! She couldn't turn around, she couldn't do anything. The most "wonderful" witch in the world... fell to the floor in a heap.
Miracle and Amarantha groaned.
"Mom?"
Meos rose from the floor and looked at Miracle and Amarantha. She waved her hands, fighting the tears as the chains released them. The sisters fell to the floor.
"Are you girls alright?" Meos enclosed her daughters in a tight hug, kissing them both on the forehead.
"Yeah, Mom. We're okay... Hey Mir help us out."
Miracle closed her eyes and, with a soft glow, slowly healed her family's cuts, scrapes, bruises, and any other physical damage.
"Shhh..." Meos hugged her daughters closely once more. "Not another word. Go, go with your teammates. I will take care of-"
"Wait! Katherine!" Shadowcat cried out.
"Oh yes! Katherine!" Meos grinned, her eyes wide. "Here you go." She waved her arms around and muttered a few words to herself. They, of course, were in French. Mir and Mara looked at each other with awe as a tight-knit bag appeared before their mother. She opened her eyes and grabbed it before it fell.
"Reaow!"
"Oh, Katherine!" Shadowcat rushed over and released her pet from the prison she had been trapped in. "Oh, don't worry baby, I'm here, everything's alright. That mean nasty witch won't hurt you anymore... Oh my poor little girl!"
"Now you know how I feel," Meos smiled warmly.
Rogue gasped and turned to Mara. "You still have my earrings!"
"Huh?" She looked at her friend, puzzled.
"Remember the ones I gave you before school started?"
"Oh, those? I gave them to Mir a while ago!"
Rogue looked at Mir, expectantly, as well as Shadowcat and Mara.
"What?"
"Didn't you give those earrings to Rogue like I asked?"
"..."
"Miracle!"
"Sorry! I forgot- I still have them, Rogue... somewhere...."
Rogue groaned. "I'll neva get 'em back now!"
"Hurry, girls..." Meos looked at the group with worry. "Let's go, before she wakes up."
"You mean, she's not dead?"
"No, she's not. If she was, my soul would have returned to my body instead of staying enclosed in this necklace." Meos gestured at the pendant dangling from her neck.
"I say get rid of her right now!" Mir said, determined. "It's about time someone killed the ama, so we can finally go about our lives."
"Miracle Meoskite! Never use that kind of language again! If you are ever going to speak the Latin language, use it with pride and dignity, not when cursing someone out! Or at least in my presence..."
"Sorry Mom... Yes, ma'am."
Meos, after a while, shook her head sadly. "You are too much like me... like her. Go, Miracle. Take your sister, take your friends. Get out of here."
Miracle looked at her mother. "You're thinking of staying," she said quietly. This caught Amarantha's attention. "You're thinking of staying and killing her off, then destroying the place. And if something goes wrong, you'd be the only person to die. You're self-sacrificing, Mom. You're altruistic. You were going to stay behind."
"I don't want anything else horrible to happen, Mira-"
"We'll kill her together!" Mara cried out. "Three witches are better than one!"
Mir looked around. "We all can pitch in. Mom, you said so yourself, anyone can be a witch, if they wanted to. Well, now, I bet everyone here wants to help out."
"Now, girls-"
"I agree with Mir," Rogue spoke up. "I have a little bit of Colleen's powers, remember? I could give a little bit to everyone, to make them more skilled."
"It will work, I'm sure of it!" Mir assured.
Meos sighed. "Miracle Meoskite, if something goes wrong, you all will regret it for the rest of your short lives..."
"But it WILL work! You've got to trust us... and fast!" Mir glanced at the limp body on the floor.
Meos sighed. "...Everyone has to listen to what I say, got it? I'm in charge. If I tell you to run, you run, understand?"
"You're ze boss," Nightcrawler said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* "Pitoyable." "Pitiful."
* "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" "What is this?"