1.1 Chapter 3

".And he just fell over, passed out. How did I know I'd knock him out?"

Evan, Logan, Storm and Jean stood over Scott's prostrate form on the floor. A large welt was forming on his temple, where the ball had hit.

"I'm really sorry." Evan finished.

"Yeah, well, we'd better get him downstairs with the others. And put that damned ball away before ya knock anyone else out!" Logan snapped as he hefted Scott up. Jean stood next to him, and they both helped to drag him to the Infirmary.

"Honestly Auntie O, I didn't."

Storm sighed. "I know Evan. But we have to be careful. Let's go an check on the Professor while Logan cools off."



The wolves were monstrous, twice as big as they normally would be, with thick, matted hair and wild eyes. There were four of them, all bearing down on the three highschoolers with surprising speed.

Scott grabbed Rogue's gloved hand and began to run, and Kurt followed close behind. He could feel their breath on his lightly furred skin when everything changed.

It was suddenly dark again, the air chilled but not as cold as it had been in "Alaska". Kurt still couldn't wrap his mind around it- how could they be in one place, and then in another?

The graveyard was lit by the moon, the air still. Scott fell to his knees.

"Scott? Are you o." Rogue was cut off by his scream

.

"Oh God, oh God nooo."

In front of them were four gravestones.two for his parents, and one that had been freshly filled in. One that bore the name "Alex Summers".

Rogue dropped down beside him. "Scott! Scott, I don't know what this is, but it's not real. Alex is alive- you just talked to him a few days ago!"

Scott was slumped over know, his face in his hands. Rogue knew by the soft shaking in his shoulders that he was crying. She put her arm around him.

"Scott.Scott, it's not real. We're asleep, remember?"

The pieces finally fell in place for Kurt. "All of this, it's all our dreams. Somehow ve're together, and experiencing each other's dreams. Scott, do you dream about this? About being alone, even after you've found your brother?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah." He gasped, trying to compose himself. "I just wish he'd come to the Institute. That way, we'd be together, that way he can't die by some kind of, I don't know, freak accident like Mom and Dad did."

He took off his ruby quartz glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "You're right Kurt. I dream about this a lot."

"Well, we need to find someplace where we can just sit an' think." Rogue removed her arm from Scott and stood. "Over here. No one's gonna bother us in there."

They made their way to a crypt in the middle of the graveyard. "You have impeccable taste Rogue." Kurt said as they forced the door.

"Well, at least our powers work here." Scott said as he disintegrated the lock on the door with an optic blast.

"Ja, but vhat about the dreams ve have vhen we don't have powers?" Kurt asked as the walked down the steps.

The crypt was crammed full of stuff. An old TV sat in the corner, and a recliner stood next to it. Rogue plopped down into the chair, stirring the dust.

"Ew. This is weird." She said.

"Okay, so this is a kind of "shared dream" between the three of us. So it's safe to assume that whatever happens to us won't kill us, right?" Scott was feeling better now, and though shaken, he was back to himself.

"No, I don't know about that. The mind is a peculiar place- our bodies may still be fine, but who knows vhat may happen to us if something happens to our minds."

"I agree with Kurt." Rogue said. "Ah think we should find a safe place an' stay there until the others find a way to get us out."

A strange grating sound caught Kurt's attention, and he turned to the stone coffin in the middle of the crypt. It was moving. A pale hand pushed the top aside, and a head popped out.

"Oy! What're you bloody kids doin' in my crypt?" A voice shouted.

Rogue and Scott glared at Kurt as they shot up the stairs.

"Vhat? I like Buffy the Vampire Slayer- too bad she's not here instead." He gasped for air as he tried to keep up with the others. "She's hot!"



The scenery changed again, and the three found themselves in a grassy plain. The grass was greener than usual, populated by cartoonish daisies and trees.

"Well, we'll be safer here that anywhere else." Rouge commented.

"And how do you know this?" Scott questioned.

Rogue blushed. "Well, it's this dream I have." She said sheepishly. The two stood there, waiting for her explanation. "You see, I really liked these toys when I was a kid."

"Vhat toys are these?" Kurt asked. He jumped as a large, pastel pink horse nudged his head. "Mein Gott, get it avay from me!" He yelled.

The horse's violet eyes saddened, and her massive shoulders slumped. Rogue stepped towards it and stroked it's mane. "It's a My Little Pony, Kurt. This is Cotton Candy- she was my favorite."

Scott's jaw dropped.

"What? They make me happy. Anyway, these things are probably the least violent things you'll evah come across."





X-Men, report to the living room immediately! Jean, Logan, Storm, Hank, Kitty, and Evan all looked up as the voice echoes through their minds.

Kitty put down the test-tube she was drying gratefully. She and Dr. McCoy had been cleaning the lab for ages, and she was dying for an excuse to do something else.

She joined the others in the living room, where Professor Xavier waited.

"Like, what did you find out?" Kitty asked.

"I believe I have located the source of the disturbance. You must go there immediately. Hank and I will stay here with the others. And be careful- you must not fall asleep." The Professor explained. He watched as the remaining 5 X-Men hurried off to change into their uniforms, and hoped that they would make it back safely.