AN: When Erine says "Kah!" she says it sweet and short, in one tone of voice. Unlike when Kurt says "Ja!" he stretches it out a bit, going from one tone of voice to a lower one. Ja means yes and kah means okay. Just to let ya guys know. Or, as Erine would say, I you make know! Aaaiiiee!

Chapter Three: Catgirl
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"Excuse me..." said the figure in a sweet, high-pitched voice. Every syllable, every consonant, every vowel was pronounced articularly, as if English wasn't very familiar. Had to be a foreigner. (AN: Imagine Shampoo from Ranma 1/2. Same tone of voice and everything.) "Can please you help? I..."
"Hello? Who's there? Come, out of the night autumn chill, and into the light," Meos called out.
The figure cautiously stepped into the light of Ororo's greenhouse.
It was a girl... sort of. She looked like a hybrid beteween a cat and a human. Her cat ears were covered in black fur, with splotches of orange and white here and there. Her hair, up in a short high ponytail that only reached the back of her neck, was black with orange and white streaks. She had a long cat tail of the same color fur as well. Her nose was tinged pink, and the others knew it wasn't because of the cold. Right on each side of her mouth were two or three pairs of whiskers. Her fingernails were like claws; extremely long, and extremely sharp. The rest of her was human- quite human, in fact. The poor child was naked, exposing her beige skin to the cold. There were several cloth strips across her torso, but it was obviously not enough to battle against to cruel wind that chilled the air. No wonder she was shivering! The only other object she wore was a wide, purple leather choker around her neck, with silver buttons.
"Oh mon Dieu," Mara muttered to herself.
"Mein Gott..." Kurt couldn't help but say.
The others were left breathless.
"Oh my goodness! Come here, child. My name is Ms. Meos. I work here, at the Xavier Institute. You can trust me. Let's get you inside with some clothes on. For now, here's my cloak."
Meos wrapped the girl/cat in her cloak and showed her the way to the door, the others following them.
"You... not me hurt, kah?"
"Why of course not! I wouldn't hurt you. We're going to get you some clothes, and a nice fire... Are you hungry?"
"Eh? Oh, yes, I hungry! I no eat... dinner." The girl shrugged, then smiled up at Meos. She wasn't surprised when she noticed four incisor teeth, sharp like fangs. Meos also saw that her eyes were now blue, instead of the shade of green they had seen floating in the darkness behind Min.
"What is your name? Comment-tu t'appelle?"
"My sorry... I know not what you say. After the English."
"Oh, that's alright. I was talking in French."
"French? What be... French?"
"Oh boy. Honey, nevermind. What is your name?"
"Mine name? Mine name be..." The girl paused, her brow wrinkled in concentration. "...Erine!"
"Do you have a last name, Erine?"
"Last name? Oh, Kah... Calbby. Mine name last be Calbby."
"Calbby? Mara, do you know where that name originated?"
"No, Mom. I do not."
"Neither do I."
They reached the doors and went inside. Erine tripped on the rug, but Meos caught her in time.
"Careful..."
"I be fine!"
"I think I'm ready to like zis girl..." Kurt said with wonder. Rogue hit him in the side.
"Don't forget about Kitty, Elf!"
Kurt glared at Rogue as he rubbed his ribs.
"Erine..." Meos said. "Where did you come from? Where were you from?"
"Where be me from? I be from... home."
Meos sighed. "Where is home?"
"Here!"
Meos then noticed the Prof at the top of the stairs.
"Will someone please explain what is going on here?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, Professor!" The others rushed to their teacher, filling him in on the events that recently happened with a rush, leaving Meos at the bottom of the stairs, her arm around Erine protectively. Erine gazed up in wonder.
"So Katherine has disappeared for good, and this new girl appeared out of nowhere?"
"That's about it, Prof." Mir shrugged.
"Charles..." Meos spoke up. "Are you willing to turn away a lost, cold stranger, without food or clothes in a strange land, from your doorstep?"
The Prof looked shocked. "Why, of course not! Get that girl out of the cold immediately and into a new change of clothes this instant, Meos!"
"I be not... umm, cold! I can to be warm!" Erine closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly she glowed with a soft light. Meos jumped back, alarmed.
"Ouch! Oh, that burns!"
The light subsided as Erine opened her eyes, a silly grin on her face. "See? I can to be warm!"
The Prof stared with wonder. "A new mutant... Cerebro didn't detect any...unless she is a witch?"
"Witch? I be no witch. I be Erine!"
"No, Charles. I highly doubt she is a witch. She has no other powers, I believe. A witch would come better prepared... and clue herself in on the language."
Erine turned to Meos, hurt in her eyes. "Language? I know language! I be to teach very well during... 'special circumstances,' as teacher say!"
"Erine, who was your teacher?"
"'My teacher was'... friend."
"Who was that? Did they live here, in this land?"
Erine paused for a second, then nodded.
"Do we know him, or her?"
She paused for a second...
"I know not."
Meos sighed. "Come, Erine. Let's get you something to wear."
"I be warm!"
"You cannot live in here without clothes!"
Erine brightened... literally. "Live? Me live to can here?"
"Why, of course! Sure! Yes! You are a mutant... you are special, just like us."
Erine grinned. "Aaaiiiee!" She jumped for joy. Her stomache chose that moment to grumble. Erine blushed, then gasped with surprise.
"Aaaiiiee..." she giggled.
Everyone looked at each other. Meos shrugged.
"I can see someone is hungry," she smiled. "Lets go get you clothes, and some dinner."
Erine grinned. "Kah."
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The conversations between everyone, who had all gathered in the common room, immediately halted when Erine entered the room, fully clothed. Meos had her hands on the new girl's shoulders. Evidently she had her cloak back.
Erine smiled, and her fangs gleamed. Her black jeans reached her ankles, where white sneakers showed from underneath. Her thin, colorful tail flicked back and forth behind her. Her white silk shirt with a collar buttoned down the front. A few stray hairs escaped from the short ponytail high on her head. Up in the ponytail, it was hard to determine exactly how long her hair actually was, but the ponytail reached the back of her neck, so it must not have been too long. Still around her neck was the wide black leather choker with silver snaps.
"Umm... guys...," Meos began, "This is Erine Calbby. Her power is to generate heated light from her body. Professor, shall we see to a holograph generator for her?" The Prof nodded and handed Erine a small necklace, with a cute silver bell.
"Inside the bell is the same object that creates and projects Kurt's hologram, inside his watch. You just push the button on the back, like this," he demonstrated, and immediately Erine's tail disappeared, and her cat ears were replaced with human ears. Her whiskers disappeared, as well as her cute little button nose, which was replaced with a human one. Her fingernails "shrunk" to normal... feminine size.
"I thought a bell would be appropriate, in this case," Professor X said.
Erine curiously took the bell, and shook it.
"Aaaiiiee!" She laughed as the bell rang in a high pitch. Her fangs were gone, too. She danced in a circle, then hugged the Professor. "Bell be for me?"
"Yes, Erine. To keep."
"I like, I like! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Erine happily slipped the necklace over her head right away and grinned.
Meos then introduced Erine to everyone else, explaining their powers and stuff. They all said their hellos, et cetera.
"Kitty, our friend, is sick. She's upstairs in bed. Her power is to phaze through solid objects, and when she phazes through electronics, like computers, it causes it to short out and destroy itself," Meos explained.
"Zat's a very graphic detailed version. I've never heard zat one before!" Kurt commented. Meos winked.
"Kitty not be here?" Erine asked.
"Right, Erine." Meos smiled patiently.
"Oh! I her go to visit!" Erine smiled and left the room. Everyone looked at each other.
"Does she know where Kitty's room is?" Rogue asked.
"How could she? She just got here..." Mir said.
The others looked at each other and immediately sprang from their seats to find the lost girl.
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CREAK...
Kitty woke up with a start. She found that she was facing away from the door... something she didn't want to be doing at the moment. She was alone... but she wasn't alone.
CREAK...
Kitty tensed up. She wanted to cry out, but quickly bits her lips. If she gave away that she was awake... she might be dead. The room was barely lit, and was filled with a dusky ambience.
CREAK...
Kitty kept her eyes tightly squeezed shut.
CREAK...
"Kitty? Be you awake?"
Kitty glanced up to see a shadowy figure standing in front of her bed...
Kitty screamed. She screamed and screamed, stopping only for breath. She started to pound the figure with her fists, and kicked her feet inside her sheets, not quite sure of what she was exactly doing, hoping to make the frightening form go away, somehow. The figure yelped and backed away, the arms blocking it's head...
Suddenly light flooded the room, blinding Kitty, who's screams ended with a shriek as she buried her head into her pillow to block out the evil rays.
"What is going on here?" Kitty could hear Meos ask.
Kitty gasped for breath and looked up to see Erine ready to cry.
"OhmyGAWDsheliketotallyfreakedmeoutandIhadjustwokenuptohearlikefootstepsandthefloorboardswerelikecreakingjustlikeinthathorrormoviewherethatgirlgetstotallymurderedinhersleeponlyshewasn'tasleepshelikewakesuprightbeforetheystabhertodeathanywayIfeltlikethatgirlandwhenIlookeduptherewasthisfigureandHOWIwassupposedtoknowthatitwaswhoeverthisfreakisyougotmeandIlikefeltsototallyscaredandIlikethoughtitwasgonnalikekillmeorlikesomethinglikethatjustlikeinthatmovielikewherelikethatgirllikegetsliketotallylikemurderedinlikehersleeponlylikeshelikewasn'tlikeasleepandlike-"
"Katherine Felicia!" (AN: I made that up. I really don't know her middle name. I don't even think she has one. But, think about it, Katherine Felicia Pryde, it sounds kinda cool, rolls off your tongue the right way... Anyway I'm rambling... *~_^*)
Kitty shut her mouth.
Meos sighed. "That's better..."
Kitty whimpered softly and hugged her knees.
*I think I have a headache,* Meos thought to herself. She winced and rubbed her temples, trying to relieve the pain.
"Ms. Meos? What..." Kitty coughed till her throat was sore.
"Shhhh.... Kitty, it's okay. This is a new student, Erine Calbby."
"So late in the day?"
"We found her. Outside."
"..."
"Erine, how did you know this was Kitty's room?"
"I guess?" Erine sniffled.
Meos looked at her weirdly. "Oh, well, whatever," she said, shrugging it off. "Erine, it's alright..."
*Meos, is there a problem?* The Professor asked Meos telepathically.
*Uhh... No, not anymore. Erine just... scared Kitty a little. They're fine now.*
*Alright, then.*
"Kitty be sick? Kitty no be to good feel?"
"Yes, she's sick."
"I that see no. She be... not true?"
"Huh?" Kitty coughed harshly.
"Oh... I... understand. My sorry." Erine cocked her head to one side, her expression a sad one. "Kitty, you feel better, understand? My sorry, I you scare."
"Okay... Yes. It's... alright, I guess."
"Good... Maybe, I... give sleep?"
"Yes, you should let her rest," Meos said.
"Oh. Kah! Buh bye, Kitty! I you see tomorrow?"
"Uhh... yeah. Yeah, I guess I will see you tomorrow."
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed. "Good. Buh bye Kitty!" Erine walked out with a grin on her face. Meos shook her head and smiled.
"She's some character, isn't she Kitty? Very innocent, that girl."
"Oh my GAWD she, like, totally freaked me out! What is WITH that girl?"
"First of all, her mutation is, of course, the way she looks, and she can generate the heated light from her body." Meos paused to think. "She doesn't understand questions all too well... When you talk to her, talk to her without contractions, those can get confusing, and speak clearly. Not slowly. She isn't dumb. She's quite sharp, actually. And don't tell her that her English isn't that great, either! She gets real defensive about that. It seems that she knows the words, but not quite well, and she doesn't know where to put them. And I assume her vocabulary isn't very broad, either. She mentioned something about being taught under 'special circumstances...' Maybe she was taught English in a hurry. Wherever she used to be. She confuses all of us, Kitty. I think, from what I've seen, I understand her the most. I can actually understand what she's saying! English is a hard language to learn... maybe Kurt associates with her in that way as well. I don't think she's from around here... I think she's been alone for a long time. We don't know where she came from. Whenever we ask, she says, 'home!' She's extremely cheerful, considering that we found her pratically naked in the cold!"
"Wait a minute... she was, like, in THIS weather? Like, naked?"
"Yes. She only had a few strips of cloth around her torso, and some of those didn't even fit. I could barely get her shirt on, she twisted around so much. The poor girl can't even dress herself."
"Oh my gawd..."
"As for now, I hope she can manage to eat with utensils..."
"She sounds like a kindergardener, but she acts so inferior... Like an animal... Katherine! Ms. Meos, where is she? I totally need to know..."
Meos sighed. "I'm not sure, Kitty. Maybe I'll know in the morning."
Kitty whined. "Katherine!"
"Kitty, I promise. You will know in the morning."
Kitty pouted, then coughed again. "Ugh... She's, like, a total mystery, this 'Erine' girl. We really don't know much about her, do we?"
"No, we don't. Maybe we'll find out more tomorrow."
"Yeah..." Kitty sniffled. "Oh, no..."
"Kitty, good-night. Sleep well, and I'll see you tomorrow. As far as I know you are excused from tomorrow's training. It wouldn't make sense to beat what little strength you have left out of you in the Danger Room."
"Okay... G'night."
Meos shut the lights, backed out of the room, and went to close the door, but poked her head back in to say something. "Oh, and, another thing. Don't talk in dialects and accents to her- It just confuses her even more. I will talk with the others as well, including Rogue, Kurt, and Ororo. We all have to be careful around her. For now, good-night. Feel better! I promise, I will come see you tomorrow."
"Good night, Ms. Meos. Thanks. Don't forget about Katherine!"
The door closed behind Meos, silently enclosing Kitty's world in darkness. She sat, alone, and cried herself back to sleep.