Disclaimer: All Marvel characters belong to Marvel. All non-Marvel characters belong to the authors of this story. No money is being made off of this story.
Hope looks over at her "twin" and Hank's "twin". She is surprised at how much they looked like herself and Hank. The silvery tones of her mother's voice comes into her mind,
~I am sorry my child, I had forgotten to tell you of the dream creatures that I had sent, to make certain that you were not missed until it was time to come back. I hope that you will forgive me for not letting you know.~
/That is all right, Mother. I forgive you. I can see why you had forgotten to tell me. Amanda being alive, but lost, is enough news that would drive things of a persons mind for the moment./ Hope replies, her mind touching her mother's.
/How do I send them away?/she asks.
~Hope, they are a part of you, which is why Wolverine didn't even notice that two stand in's were with them. To "send"them away, all you and Hank need to do is stand beside them and then they will meld with you, and you will get the memories that they experienced just as if you were there.~Ymela smiling as she says this.
"Thank you, Mother," Hope says.
Hope is rather relieved that no one had asked when she and Hank got married, and that they hadn't really said much as to why she thought she was gone after her hugs. The concern over Amanda took precedence. She quickly whispers to Hank, and they go to their "twins" to do as Ymela had instructed them to do.
Just as Charles steps into the other realm to find Amanda, Hank and Hope meld with their dream-doubles. When that is done, Hope notices that Jubilee is next to them. She had realized that there had been two other Hank and Hopes.
"Okay, what is going on?" she whispers,"I was about to ask when did you have time to get married. And when were there two each of you."
Hope quickly explains what had happened.
Jubilee shakes her head, "No wonder Wolverine didn't notice a difference." She looks over to where the others are, watching and sending their love along with Charles. "We should get over there now."
Hope nods and accompanies her. Hank says to Hope,
"I'll tell Wolverine later, dearest." Taking her hand and going back to the others with her.
Jubilee smiles, "Hank certainly looks very happy," she says to herself. She joins with the others, concentrating on sending a lifeline of love to Amanda.
Dreamweaver
Amanda was alone. She had managed some time to herself away from the voice that tormented her existance. Whether she was asleep or dead, she knew she was in hell. There was no other way to describe what was happening to her. Everything she believed was being called into question; every thought, every emotion, every belief.
Amanda didn't want to believe the voice. She wanted to ignore it, but it had showed her too much. She saw the others moving on with their lives as if she didn't exist. They were marrying, dancing, and forming new schools. They didn't even have a funeral. Charles didn't even seem to care that she was gone.
A part of her kept telling her that this was a lie. It was a ruse used by the voice for what ever reason it had. Another part kept reminding her that it had been right before. She was so busy with her thoughts that she didn't notice a presence approaching her.
A.C.
Charles found it hard to navigate through the void, even though he had the use of his legs. When he had first gone through, he had been surprised to find himself standing in a dark void. He stood for a few seconds enjoying the use of his legs as he contemplated how to find Amanda.
He could feel the strength of the emotions of the group holding him and centering him in the midst of such darkness. Closing his eyes, he let his mind guide him towards Amanda. The further he went, the more difficult it was for him to lock onto her. It felt like it did five years ago when Anon had scattered her mind across the astral plane.
(God, please don't let that be the case.) he prayed.
/Be strong, Xavier. She is here and in need of our aid./ advised Thanagar.
(I was wondering if you two would be here.)
/We will always be here to aid the both of you, sir./ informed Azmaru.
(Do either of you know this realm?) questioned Xavier.
/No. This realm is darker than anything I have ever known. Be on guard. I think I spy her over yonder, but I sense a darker presence around her./ stated Thanagar.
Xavier spotted Amanda kneeling a few feet away from him. He tried to call out to her, but she appeared not to hear him. Then as suddenly as he saw her, she suddenly disappeared. Xavier could feel the presence Thanagar had sensed, and knew he had to act quickly to save her.
A.C.
Xavier walked slowly, watching for the ominous presence he'd felt earlier.
More images coalesced before his eyes, until finally he'd stepped out into Amanda's room. He saw her computer. The screensaver flashed "X-Men Rule!!!"
He walked on through into a hall with stairs at the end of it. At the bottom stood Amanda. She looked up, catching sight of Xavier, and ran through one of the doors.
Xavier gave chase, only to find himself once again in the darkness. The sound of someone crying caught his attention.
"Help me! Please!"
Xavier moved through the void. A girl about seven years old sat kneeling, crying her eyes out. Xavier notes the girl bares a striking resemblance to Amanda. He drops to a knee to talk with her.
"What's wrong?"
"The darkness, it's after me. Help me, or it's going to get me."
The girl hugs Xavier tight and he picks her up. "I think we should go that way, mister." The girl says as she points at a light to their right. The girl's eyes shine as she smiles at Xavier.
"Just a little farther, mister."
A scream pierces through the blackness "CHARLES! NO!"
Chaos
Charles stopped where he stood. the voice sounded familiar, but he could not recognize it. He was not sure what was going on in this world, but he was sure that nothing was what it seemed. The voice could be a warning of some unknown danger, or it was an attempt to stop he from finding Amanda. The girl thrashing in his arms broke his chain of thought.
"Come on, mister, we have to go." stated the girl.
Charles looked at the girl as some insight flashed in his mind. He had assumed that the girl was the psychic image of Amanda's subconscious; however, with all that he felt about this place, Charles found himself wondering if that assumption was wise. Could light represent dark here? Could any innocent child be evil?
/Be wary, Xavier. We are not in your world, and thy are not sure of what is truth and what is a falsehood./ warned Azmaru.
(I had forgotten about you two. Can you sense Amanda anywhere?) questioned Xavier.
/She is everywhere and nowhere. She is all around this place, yet she does not stand out from the shadow./ informed Thanagar. "Mister, we have to hurry." stated the girl impatiently.
"What is in the light, my dear?" questioned Xavier.
"Safety." stated the girl with obvious annoyance.
/It could be a trap, Xavier./ warned Azmaru.
/He is right. Safety is not always the right path./ advised Thanagar.
Charles could tell the girl wanted to go; however, he knew he could not move carelessly. He was in an unknown world, and one wrong step could lead to danger. He would have to choose carefully.
A.C.
Cara groaned in pain. The amount of energy it took to help link everyone's emotions together was fast draining her resources, and the resources of her teammates. She worried about Sammi and Jamar. Strong though they were, keeping the portal open for so long was taking it's toll. Cara could feel their determination and courage, but also could feel the pain such a task caused them. They couldn't keep it up forever.
~Professor... please hurry... or both you and Amanda may be trapped forever.~ She thought.
Rainfall
Charles heard Cara's plea, and knew he needed to choose. Following his instincts, Charles put the girl down. The girl seemed confused by this, and looked hurtfully at Charles.
"I don't know who you are, but I know you are not Amanda. Where is she?" he demanded.
The girl stared at him for a few minutes, and then seemed to realize that the deception would not work. Slowly a dark twisted smile appeared on her face and her eyes turned black. Charles could feel the area start to grow cold. Everything grew dark.
"I underestimated you, Xavier." stated a demonic voice that came from the child's lips.
"Where is Amanda?" he demanded again.
"Oh, here and there. There is no real direction here. I like it that way. Oh, your little tricks won't work here. That stupid chain of love is pathetic. Amanda will soon realize how fake love is anyway. You have already moved on without her. She isn't even Vision X's leader. It took you very little time to choose another." explain the voice.
"What lies have you been feeding her?"
"I don't deal with lies, only the truth. You left her alone to face an enemy she couldn't defeat. You all sacrificed everything to help Cara and Sammi. Why didn't you help her?"
"You have been deceiving her. She knows we care for her. She knows we love her."
"If she knew, then why is she here?"
"Amanda, can you hear me?" shouted Xavier.
"I don't think she wants to see you." stated the voice.
"Amanda, I know you can hear me. I want you to listen to me. We all care about you. Vision X, the X-men and I all care for you. I love you. You have to stop doubting it. You have to start believing that people care for you, or no matter how many times they tell you, it won't matter. You have to believe you are capable of being loved, or you will never be able to feel love." pleaded Charles as he realized that she needed to free herself.
"What a cute little speech. You don't really expect her to believe it." taunted the voice.
Suddenly a movement caught their eyes. There, a few feet away, stood Amanda in her original Vision X uniform.
"Do you really love me, Charles?" she whispered.
A.C.
"Don't you know that by now?" questioned Charles.
"I thought I did. I'm not sure about anything now." replied Amanda from a distance.
"You have to believe me." replied Charles, who sensed that what he did or said now was important.
"I did that once. I believed this was all real, but then I woke up only to find it all a dream. I was alone again." Replied Amanda as she retreated further into the darkness.
"Amanda, I don't know what to say to you."
The dark figure laughed. It knew it had won. It could feel Amanda drawing further back into the darkness as the statement hung in the air.
/What are you doing, Xavier?/ hissed Thanagar.
(Trust me.) replied Charles.
"Amanda, you have to trust us. I, and your teammates, can tell you how we feel about you; however, if you don't believe us, then nothing we say matters. Yes, they elected Sammi as leader, but it was because they needed one. They are fighting to bring you back now because you're their friend. Cara is at the breaking point, but she is not giving up because she cares. We all do.
"This place is shaped by you. I think it was created by you. This is your doubt. You have to let go of it. You're the only one who can. Come home with me. Come home to your family." stated Charles as he held his hand towards her.
Amanda stared at the hand. Charles held his breath. Live or die, it was her choice. She had to do this. Slowly he saw her reach out towards him. He felt her hand in his, and pulled her in his arms and held her close. Slowly everything around them disappeared, leaving only a white void.
"Let's go home." whispered Charles into her head.
She smiled up at him and shook her head and walked with him into the light.
A.C.
With a blinding flash of light, the portal to the netherrealm drew closed. Cara and many of the others fell to the ground, exhausted. They had used up all of their resources and more, and were completely drained. Cara fought the exhaustion which threatened to claim her; fought the urge to give up, lay down and sleep. She drew herself up into a sitting position and looked over at Sammi and Jonas, who were nearby.
"Are they here? Did they make it?" she asked worriedly.
Sammi didn't answer. She didn't have the strength or heart. Bitter tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned and buried her face in Jonas's chest. She and Jamar had not been strong enough... though they had tried their hardest, they just could not keep the portal open any longer. Amanda and the Professor were lost forever in that awful void. They had failed.
Cara wept, overcome by the despair felt by her friends. Her heart was breaking. How could they come so close, only to fail now? Jamar attempted to draw her into his arms, but Cara pushed him away. She refused to be comforted. All was lost. Jamar read her thoughts through their psychic connection, and shook his head softly. He reached out to Cara again, in mind, body and heart.
~No, love. All is not lost. As long as we have hope in our hearts, all will never be lost. Look around you. We have each other, our future children, and our friends. Though the professor and Amanda may not be with us physically, they will always be with us in spirit, and in our hearts. They will never be lost. Don't shut out hope, Cara. And don't shut me out. Not when we need each other the most.~ he spoke softly in her mind.
Cara sat still, watching her beloved. He was so kind, so gentle, and she loved him with all her heart. She closed her eyes and threw her arms around his neck, holding him close.
"I'm sorry," she said in a shaky voice.
"It's alright, my love, It's alright," Jamar said, rocking her gently.
Something in the air alerted Storm; a stirring in the wind which felt unnatural to her. Cara and Jamar soon picked up on the change, as well as the others. Something was about to happen. Cara tensed up.
/Great./ she thought to herself. /It's probably a new villain coming to gloat and cause trouble for us in our time of misery. Can't we ever get a decent break? Why do things like this always happen to us?/
~Would we be Vision-X if they didn't?~ Eric thought to Cara on their twin link.
Cara looked across the clearing at her twin brother.
~Eric, this isn't the time to joke around. Can't you feel that there's something coming?~ she thought.
~Yes, Cara. I can,~ he thought back. ~Can't you? Can't you feel who it is?~
Cara's eyes opened wide, as she finally understood what her twin was telling her.
"It's THEM," she said softly.
A blinding flash of light tore through the dark clouds overhead, more brilliant than any light which they had ever seen before. It swept over the clearing, enveloping everyone and everything in sight. When the light receded, Leilee cried out with joy. For there, in the middle of the clearing, were Amanda and the Professor.
Tears softly rolled down Cara's cheeks, as a warm wave of hope and joy flowed through herself and her friends. They had succeeded. Amanda had come home.
Rainfall