author: Lucinda
story #2 in Lingering Spirits trilogy.
rating: pg
disclaimer: not mine. Nobody from Marvel is mine.
distribution: please ask first.
The spirit of Madelyne felt it, like the astral plane had just shuddered, as if it were suddenly subject to the tides of the ocean, and tossed on the waves. Something very big had just happened, and it's ripple had shaken the astral plane the way an earthquake shakes the ground. She could also feel a new presence in the physical world, someone whose psionic abilities burned like a bright star, shining like a beacon. Where had this new presence come from? Had someone had vast gifts suddenly awakened? Had the Phoenix Force returned to earth? Could this possibly be from a child or young teenager's powers manifesting for the first time? Or had Sinister gone back to his cloning, trying to create another copy of Jean?
The only way to find out was to go there, to find the source of that power and see who or what it was. Fortunately, in the astral, she could literally travel at the speed of thought. It was a bare moment later that she found herself in a dark alley, looking at the collapsed form of a young man, perhaps twenty. He had brown hair falling around his head in an uneven cut, and he was dressed in strangely cut dark blue leather. There was something about him that looked almost familiar, as if he resembled someone that she had known.
The young man was trembling, and looked as if he were exhausted, or having some sort of bad reaction to something. "Please... someone... help me." His words were a ragged whisper, and there was something about his voice that was also familiar.
He looked so lost, so alone. Maybe he could offer him a bit of comfort. She reached out, intending to offer him the only thing a spirit could, a whisper that he wasn't alone. She could feel his mind recognize her presence, feel the hum of power from him in that sliver of contact. There was something almost familiar to the signature of his mind.
She felt raw power flood through her, a searing, white hot rush of energy, of pain and hope and life. It made her gasp, and blink back tears from her eyes even as she wondered why she would need to gasp, or when a spirit could cry.
She saw his hand, reaching out into the air, a silent plea for help to match the one that he had breathed moments before. Reaching, she felt her hand close over his, and she helped the young man to his feet. She was holding onto his hand, her hand was solid. She was solid, no longer a mere spirit watching the world. She breathed in, the air laden with so many scents and a bit of humidity, neither of which existed on the astral plane.
He looked up at her, and she saw the single lock of white hair that fell into his eyes, pretty hazel eyes that looked so familiar. Everything about him looked achingly familiar, almost like a younger version of Scott, but the shape of his face was subtly different, there was a hint more red to his hair, his cheekbones were a bit different. But there could be no doubt in her mind that he was related to the Summers family, related to Scott, the man that she had loved, and then had hated. One of the few people that she could never manage to be indifferent towards.
He spoke again, his voice a bit steadier, but his words shook her to the core. "I'm Nate Grey."
Almost automatically, she introduced herself "Madelyne Pryor", but her mind was spinning with questions. Nate Grey? Could this be her little boy, grown up? Had she been dead for that long? But no, this man, this Nate had only just appeared, as if newly created. If he hadn't been here minutes ago, where had he come from? How was it that he looked so much like Scott, and had the last name of Jean?
How was it that he had the power to let her live again? The power that had flooded her, had given her tangible form had been his. The amount of power that it would have taken... she could only imagine. Even Professor Xavier hadn't been able to bring back the dead. Wait, he was talking again...
"...some sort of weapon, but I don't want to be a weapon. I just want to be Nate, but I'm not sure who that is, what I can do, what I want to do. I thought I might be able to find out, but then everything got so bright, like an explosion, and I was falling. You helped me to my feet, but... I don't know where I am. I've never been here before." His voice was low, and he sounded somewhere between confused and numb and sorrowed.
"Then I guess you really do need a helping hand. I can try to help you. I know how you feel, how it feels to question your identity, to despair of having a purpose, or to have a purpose be the cause of your despair. Stick with me, I'll help you figure out everything that you need to know." She smiled at him, willing him to believe her.
He had brought her back with his power. What if it was only because of that power that she stayed? If that were the case, it would be best to stay near him, to make certain that he wanted her to stay until she could figure out the boundaries of her new existence.
"How would you know... oh, you're a psi also. Are you reading me?" Nate's voice held a bit of curiosity, but there was no sign that he was comparing her to Jean.
She linked her arm to his, feeling the warmth of his body and delighting in being able to feel again. "Only your face, sugar. I am a psi, but not on your level of power. But your face tells a lot, and it's saying that you're in pain, and upset. Let's go get you some food."
It was wonderful to have a body again. To live again. She didn't intend to let anyone take it from her again.
End To Walk Again.
story #2 in Lingering Spirits trilogy.
rating: pg
disclaimer: not mine. Nobody from Marvel is mine.
distribution: please ask first.
The spirit of Madelyne felt it, like the astral plane had just shuddered, as if it were suddenly subject to the tides of the ocean, and tossed on the waves. Something very big had just happened, and it's ripple had shaken the astral plane the way an earthquake shakes the ground. She could also feel a new presence in the physical world, someone whose psionic abilities burned like a bright star, shining like a beacon. Where had this new presence come from? Had someone had vast gifts suddenly awakened? Had the Phoenix Force returned to earth? Could this possibly be from a child or young teenager's powers manifesting for the first time? Or had Sinister gone back to his cloning, trying to create another copy of Jean?
The only way to find out was to go there, to find the source of that power and see who or what it was. Fortunately, in the astral, she could literally travel at the speed of thought. It was a bare moment later that she found herself in a dark alley, looking at the collapsed form of a young man, perhaps twenty. He had brown hair falling around his head in an uneven cut, and he was dressed in strangely cut dark blue leather. There was something about him that looked almost familiar, as if he resembled someone that she had known.
The young man was trembling, and looked as if he were exhausted, or having some sort of bad reaction to something. "Please... someone... help me." His words were a ragged whisper, and there was something about his voice that was also familiar.
He looked so lost, so alone. Maybe he could offer him a bit of comfort. She reached out, intending to offer him the only thing a spirit could, a whisper that he wasn't alone. She could feel his mind recognize her presence, feel the hum of power from him in that sliver of contact. There was something almost familiar to the signature of his mind.
She felt raw power flood through her, a searing, white hot rush of energy, of pain and hope and life. It made her gasp, and blink back tears from her eyes even as she wondered why she would need to gasp, or when a spirit could cry.
She saw his hand, reaching out into the air, a silent plea for help to match the one that he had breathed moments before. Reaching, she felt her hand close over his, and she helped the young man to his feet. She was holding onto his hand, her hand was solid. She was solid, no longer a mere spirit watching the world. She breathed in, the air laden with so many scents and a bit of humidity, neither of which existed on the astral plane.
He looked up at her, and she saw the single lock of white hair that fell into his eyes, pretty hazel eyes that looked so familiar. Everything about him looked achingly familiar, almost like a younger version of Scott, but the shape of his face was subtly different, there was a hint more red to his hair, his cheekbones were a bit different. But there could be no doubt in her mind that he was related to the Summers family, related to Scott, the man that she had loved, and then had hated. One of the few people that she could never manage to be indifferent towards.
He spoke again, his voice a bit steadier, but his words shook her to the core. "I'm Nate Grey."
Almost automatically, she introduced herself "Madelyne Pryor", but her mind was spinning with questions. Nate Grey? Could this be her little boy, grown up? Had she been dead for that long? But no, this man, this Nate had only just appeared, as if newly created. If he hadn't been here minutes ago, where had he come from? How was it that he looked so much like Scott, and had the last name of Jean?
How was it that he had the power to let her live again? The power that had flooded her, had given her tangible form had been his. The amount of power that it would have taken... she could only imagine. Even Professor Xavier hadn't been able to bring back the dead. Wait, he was talking again...
"...some sort of weapon, but I don't want to be a weapon. I just want to be Nate, but I'm not sure who that is, what I can do, what I want to do. I thought I might be able to find out, but then everything got so bright, like an explosion, and I was falling. You helped me to my feet, but... I don't know where I am. I've never been here before." His voice was low, and he sounded somewhere between confused and numb and sorrowed.
"Then I guess you really do need a helping hand. I can try to help you. I know how you feel, how it feels to question your identity, to despair of having a purpose, or to have a purpose be the cause of your despair. Stick with me, I'll help you figure out everything that you need to know." She smiled at him, willing him to believe her.
He had brought her back with his power. What if it was only because of that power that she stayed? If that were the case, it would be best to stay near him, to make certain that he wanted her to stay until she could figure out the boundaries of her new existence.
"How would you know... oh, you're a psi also. Are you reading me?" Nate's voice held a bit of curiosity, but there was no sign that he was comparing her to Jean.
She linked her arm to his, feeling the warmth of his body and delighting in being able to feel again. "Only your face, sugar. I am a psi, but not on your level of power. But your face tells a lot, and it's saying that you're in pain, and upset. Let's go get you some food."
It was wonderful to have a body again. To live again. She didn't intend to let anyone take it from her again.
End To Walk Again.