Chapter 1
The First Meeting
------------------------
------------------------
--- "Have you reached Amethyst, professor?" Storm asked after several minutes, having realized that the youngest and newest inductee to the X-Men was missing.
--- "Yes, Storm," Xavier replied. "She's on her way back right now and should be here soon."
--- The X-Men were fairly well acquainted with Amethyst and her anomaly. However, the students were not. "Who's Amethyst?" one asked.
--- "One of the music teachers," replied another.
--- "Correct, Samuel," Xavier said. "She has a very unique gift, but you'll see her soon enough."
--- "Who's she this time?" Wolverine inquired. He'd gotten over the initial shock of being associated with another Mystique of sorts and had grown somewhat fond of her in a friendly kind of way.
--- The professor paused as he tried to think of who Amethyst was portraying this time. "Magneto, actually," he said finally. He received quite a few shocked looks and a look of fear from Rogue, who still couldn't put behind her the last encounter with him that she'd had. "I managed to provide her with a hair and she went out tonight to try and gain control over his abilities."
--- "Oh, that brings back a bundle of happy memories," Wolverine commented, half spiteful and half sarcastic. He didn't particularly relish the thought of having another person who could potentially stretch his metal-covered bones apart, especially if they looked like Magneto.
--- Cyclops grinned at the look on Logan's face. "Just think that she might come in handy some day. I can't always be there to save your butt, so if you have to have someone, Amethyst's not a bad choice."
--- Wolverine glared at Scott but kept his initial comment to himself in the youth's presence. Instead he said, "And to think that she also has the potential to turn into you. That's a scary thought."
--- "You'll never grow up" Storm commented to both of them, "will you?"
--- "I won't," Logan commented, rather proud of his mutation. Then he pointed his finger at Scott and said, "but he will."
--- "No wonder you aren't married," Cyclops retorted.
--- One of the students started to tire of the banter and asked, "So who are these people we're meeting?"
--- "I don't know exactly," Xavier replied. "A man I spoke to said that he was the…Tellsier of the Caputiel Draven. I've never heard of them before, though."
--- At that moment, Xavier's eyes turned towards the night sky, informing everyone that Amethyst was returning. A couple moments later she appeared, an exact duplicate of Magneto, complete with clothing and cape, though lacking the helmet he usually brought along. It was difficult not to be at least somewhat alarmed. Wolverine had even threatened her once – entirely on accident – saying that he would kill her if she didn't identify herself and prove who she was. Amethyst had been portraying the professor, but was able to walk around for some reason. That threat – along with Xavier's chastising – made that the only time she impersonated the professor.
--- Now, though, she arrived and landed quickly and silently. "Greetings, Professor Xavier," she said in Magneto's deep, masculine voice.
--- "Welcome back, Ms. Star," Charles replied.
--- Everyone greeted her warmly, though a slight tinge of anxiety went with everyone. She then took her right hand, reached up to her open mouth, and pulled out a hair that sat under her tongue. With her other hand, she reached down towards the belt she wore and selected a vial-like container labeled "Magneto" in her special code. She placed the hair inside of it and replaced the bottle to its place at her belt. She'd started a small collection of hairs from different people, each with their individual strengths and weaknesses.
--- Cyclops wanted her to prove who she was, but since Xavier was convinced that it was her, he wouldn't complain. His last experience with the villain had left a bit more than hatred in his heart and he was only too glad to avoid him. He, along with everyone else, though, watched as the young woman slowly began to change shape. Her hair color changed from dusty gray to dark brown with natural blonde highlights. Her body grew a couple of inches until she was as tall as Logan, though a fair bit thinner and harboring a somewhat wiry frame. Lastly, her face changed shape and her eyes turned the same color of an amethyst. The whole process took her a silent ten minutes to go through. Since she couldn't change the clothing that she wore, the clothing seemed stretched and she had to reach into a pocket to pull out a thin pair of glasses.
--- "So," she said in a deep but melodious voice, "what are we waiting here for?"
--- Xavier explained it once again and after that, the X-Men asked her what she'd been doing all night. She reported for about another ten minutes just to pass the time and then she started answering the questions that the ignorant students presented to her. Most of them weren't involved in music and so knew very little of the woman in the black and gray outfit. She was content to answer them and the others were content to listen, having nothing else to do until the Caputiel Draven arrived.
--- After a further fifteen minutes of talking, they tired of it and mostly sat in silence for the remaining twenty or so minutes. Wolverine managed to fall asleep on the ground; Storm caused a rainless storm cloud to form over the school as a precaution; Scott spoke with the professor intermittently; Rogue carefully sat next to Bobby Drake (Iceman), though she was away from everyone else; Amethyst reclined on the ground and looked up at the stars; and the professor sat with his eyes closed, biding his time. The students had nothing to say outside of friendly chatter and so kept their mouths closed.
--- The Draven appeared very suddenly; suddenly there was no one nearby, and then all of a sudden 21 people showed up without any warning whatsoever. Everyone was startled and moved several steps away, on guard in case of an attack. All of the Draven had their heads down and their eyes closed and looked up as soon as they felt that the air around them had changed. The looks in their eyes showed an equal amount of surprise at seeing such a fairly large group of strangers. The Caputiel Draven was not used to dealing with groups of people, but rather individual mutants at a time.
--- It was a few moments before the Tellsier asked, "Who of you is Professor Charles Xavier?"
--- Xavier, who had been somewhat shielded by the bodies of everyone else wheeled forward, creating additional surprise from those who also weren't used to seeing crippled people. "I am. And I assume by the tone of your voice that you are Katch."
--- "You would assume correctly,"
--- "And I am Roan," one of the Draven said as he stepped forward. "I am the head of the Caputiel Draven." He then pointed to Katch and said, "The one you spoke to before was Katch, our Draven's Tellsier."
--- "What does that mean?" Storm asked curiously.
--- "He's a translocator and medium for the Draven." He paused again but only for a moment. "A Draven is a clan of mutants who all have the same abilities."
-- They all waited for Roan to say more about what those abilities were, but he did not. With impatience brewing in his tired head Wolverine asked, "And what would those abilities be?"
--- The Draven looked at each other, not sure whether or not they should tell. Not many knew about them and the rather that it stayed that way, lest an anti-mutant group of people come after them with hostile intentions. They'd dealt with it only once, but it wasn't a pleasant experience and one they didn't want to repeat.
--- "Where is Doctor Grey?" a woman named Dellre asked.
--- Before anyone could do or say anything, the professor said, "She is away from the school today." He said it in a manner that discouraged any further questions on the subject.
--- "How can we be sure that your intentions towards us are not hostile?" Cheas of the Draven asked.
--- Xavier was, of course, the first to come up with an idea. "Well, I suppose the most reasonable thing for us to do right now is to introduce ourselves so that our guests feel welcome." Wolverine rolled his eyes impatiently, not saying anything, but that gesture was ignored. "I believe you know my name and that I am telepathic. That was why I was able to detect you."
--- He looked to Rogue who was right next to him, indicating that she should go next. "I'm Rogue. I don't know what the correct term for my "powers" is…are, but just don't touch me."
--- "I'm Storm; weather manipulation."
--- "Wolverine; regenerative." He caused his claws to come out of his hand little bit, preferring them to see for themselves what else he had.
--- "Is an incessantly bad attitude a power?" Scott interjected. He was ignored, though.
--- "Amethyst Star," she said with a flair, a smile, and a slight bow. "Shape-shifter and power thief."
--- "Scott Summers, but you can call me Cyclops. I direct energy out through my eyes." He looked at Wolverine who was unsuccessfully trying to cover a smile.
--- "Bobby Drake, also called Iceman. I freeze…stuff." Rogue smiled as she stood by him.
--- Then the students introduced themselves one by one. Among those were an additional weather manipulator, a boy with super-speed, a flying fire-worker, an illusionist, a girl who could become invisible and had superb night vision, a boy with stupendous strength and an unusual knack for accuracy, and a girl with the power to control the emotions of others.
--- The Draven seemed more comfortable now, even though it was unnecessary what they had just done. It did form a bit more trust towards the X-Men and the students, though. "We already knew your powers," Teller of the Draven said. He smiled cheerfully and hoped his comment didn't offend them.
--- "Except about Amethyst, though," added Riko curiously. "Her power seemed to fluctuate so that we couldn't tell exactly. It seems to happen with shape-shifters and especially with her additional ability to change abilities."
--- Amethyst looked smug, but not overdoing it. She had an unfortunate talent for sarcasm that sometimes got carried away and tended to offend people at the wrong time.
--- "Now, who are you and what can you do?" Rogue asked, also trying not to be discourteous. She was, as usual, curious.
--- The Draven finally consented to tell them and Roan spoke for them once more. "This might take a little bit, just so you know. Anyway, as I said earlier, a Draven is a group of people who share the same powers. In this case, every one of us, with the exception of the Tellsier, has the ability to locate and track mutants over a large area for whatever reason necessary. We twenty belong to the Caputiel Draven and we work in just the continental United States. There are other Dravens in other countries, but I don't think I really need to get into that much.
--- "We're just the watchers, though. In order to get to our watching locations, we need a Tellsier to send us there. As you can tell, a Tellsier is a person with translocative powers and can send something from one spot to another instantaneously. The only drawback is that they have to know what the area looks like."
--- "Which is why you asked what this area looks like, correct?"
--- "Yes," Katch replied.
--- "Anyways," Roan continued, "we also use him when we need to find out whether or not a person is hostile or not. Our powers are limited and so we're only able to tell what powers a person has, how powerful they are, and where they are. We can't communicate to them so that's why we bring Katch along. He acts as our go-between and after he's done, he informs us of what he observes. Then we decide what our next course of action is. If they're good, we do nothing more. If they're hostile and they know where we are, we get away."
--- Xavier looked at them speculatively. The prospect of forming an alliance of sorts with these long-range trackers seemed pleasing to him. It would allow him the chance to aid other mutants much easier than he normally could. Then he could focus more on finding mutants who could possibly be teachers and open new establishments to teach and train mutants who had nowhere to turn. They, themselves, could possibly train others with similar talents so that there would be room for more students at his school. "Would you be willing to join with us?" he asked hopefully.
--- "Why?" Delver asked.
--- "Well, you could gain more people to work with your…Draven, and we could gain a much needed alliance. There aren't many groups willing to join the fight against mutant oppression.
--- "Our main mission," he went on to explain, "is to protect mutants, especially youth who have nowhere to turn for help. This is the only place where many children can be safe from non-mutants."
--- "I have an idea!" Amethyst said excitedly. Everyone turned their attention towards her, caught off guard by her sudden outburst. When she put her thoughts in order, she told everyone. "How about a trade…well, it's not really a trade, but it might be rather enlightening. The Draven can take me and I can become one of them for a while and they can teach me what they do. At the same time, the one I replace can stay here and help train some of the youth whose powers are similar. That way if either side had questions, there would be someone to answer them."
--- She stood there smiling, glad that she was able to think of an idea – she wasn't much of a decision maker or idea creator usually. But she was rewarded when the Tellsier finally said, "That is an excellent idea."
The First Meeting
------------------------
------------------------
--- "Have you reached Amethyst, professor?" Storm asked after several minutes, having realized that the youngest and newest inductee to the X-Men was missing.
--- "Yes, Storm," Xavier replied. "She's on her way back right now and should be here soon."
--- The X-Men were fairly well acquainted with Amethyst and her anomaly. However, the students were not. "Who's Amethyst?" one asked.
--- "One of the music teachers," replied another.
--- "Correct, Samuel," Xavier said. "She has a very unique gift, but you'll see her soon enough."
--- "Who's she this time?" Wolverine inquired. He'd gotten over the initial shock of being associated with another Mystique of sorts and had grown somewhat fond of her in a friendly kind of way.
--- The professor paused as he tried to think of who Amethyst was portraying this time. "Magneto, actually," he said finally. He received quite a few shocked looks and a look of fear from Rogue, who still couldn't put behind her the last encounter with him that she'd had. "I managed to provide her with a hair and she went out tonight to try and gain control over his abilities."
--- "Oh, that brings back a bundle of happy memories," Wolverine commented, half spiteful and half sarcastic. He didn't particularly relish the thought of having another person who could potentially stretch his metal-covered bones apart, especially if they looked like Magneto.
--- Cyclops grinned at the look on Logan's face. "Just think that she might come in handy some day. I can't always be there to save your butt, so if you have to have someone, Amethyst's not a bad choice."
--- Wolverine glared at Scott but kept his initial comment to himself in the youth's presence. Instead he said, "And to think that she also has the potential to turn into you. That's a scary thought."
--- "You'll never grow up" Storm commented to both of them, "will you?"
--- "I won't," Logan commented, rather proud of his mutation. Then he pointed his finger at Scott and said, "but he will."
--- "No wonder you aren't married," Cyclops retorted.
--- One of the students started to tire of the banter and asked, "So who are these people we're meeting?"
--- "I don't know exactly," Xavier replied. "A man I spoke to said that he was the…Tellsier of the Caputiel Draven. I've never heard of them before, though."
--- At that moment, Xavier's eyes turned towards the night sky, informing everyone that Amethyst was returning. A couple moments later she appeared, an exact duplicate of Magneto, complete with clothing and cape, though lacking the helmet he usually brought along. It was difficult not to be at least somewhat alarmed. Wolverine had even threatened her once – entirely on accident – saying that he would kill her if she didn't identify herself and prove who she was. Amethyst had been portraying the professor, but was able to walk around for some reason. That threat – along with Xavier's chastising – made that the only time she impersonated the professor.
--- Now, though, she arrived and landed quickly and silently. "Greetings, Professor Xavier," she said in Magneto's deep, masculine voice.
--- "Welcome back, Ms. Star," Charles replied.
--- Everyone greeted her warmly, though a slight tinge of anxiety went with everyone. She then took her right hand, reached up to her open mouth, and pulled out a hair that sat under her tongue. With her other hand, she reached down towards the belt she wore and selected a vial-like container labeled "Magneto" in her special code. She placed the hair inside of it and replaced the bottle to its place at her belt. She'd started a small collection of hairs from different people, each with their individual strengths and weaknesses.
--- Cyclops wanted her to prove who she was, but since Xavier was convinced that it was her, he wouldn't complain. His last experience with the villain had left a bit more than hatred in his heart and he was only too glad to avoid him. He, along with everyone else, though, watched as the young woman slowly began to change shape. Her hair color changed from dusty gray to dark brown with natural blonde highlights. Her body grew a couple of inches until she was as tall as Logan, though a fair bit thinner and harboring a somewhat wiry frame. Lastly, her face changed shape and her eyes turned the same color of an amethyst. The whole process took her a silent ten minutes to go through. Since she couldn't change the clothing that she wore, the clothing seemed stretched and she had to reach into a pocket to pull out a thin pair of glasses.
--- "So," she said in a deep but melodious voice, "what are we waiting here for?"
--- Xavier explained it once again and after that, the X-Men asked her what she'd been doing all night. She reported for about another ten minutes just to pass the time and then she started answering the questions that the ignorant students presented to her. Most of them weren't involved in music and so knew very little of the woman in the black and gray outfit. She was content to answer them and the others were content to listen, having nothing else to do until the Caputiel Draven arrived.
--- After a further fifteen minutes of talking, they tired of it and mostly sat in silence for the remaining twenty or so minutes. Wolverine managed to fall asleep on the ground; Storm caused a rainless storm cloud to form over the school as a precaution; Scott spoke with the professor intermittently; Rogue carefully sat next to Bobby Drake (Iceman), though she was away from everyone else; Amethyst reclined on the ground and looked up at the stars; and the professor sat with his eyes closed, biding his time. The students had nothing to say outside of friendly chatter and so kept their mouths closed.
--- The Draven appeared very suddenly; suddenly there was no one nearby, and then all of a sudden 21 people showed up without any warning whatsoever. Everyone was startled and moved several steps away, on guard in case of an attack. All of the Draven had their heads down and their eyes closed and looked up as soon as they felt that the air around them had changed. The looks in their eyes showed an equal amount of surprise at seeing such a fairly large group of strangers. The Caputiel Draven was not used to dealing with groups of people, but rather individual mutants at a time.
--- It was a few moments before the Tellsier asked, "Who of you is Professor Charles Xavier?"
--- Xavier, who had been somewhat shielded by the bodies of everyone else wheeled forward, creating additional surprise from those who also weren't used to seeing crippled people. "I am. And I assume by the tone of your voice that you are Katch."
--- "You would assume correctly,"
--- "And I am Roan," one of the Draven said as he stepped forward. "I am the head of the Caputiel Draven." He then pointed to Katch and said, "The one you spoke to before was Katch, our Draven's Tellsier."
--- "What does that mean?" Storm asked curiously.
--- "He's a translocator and medium for the Draven." He paused again but only for a moment. "A Draven is a clan of mutants who all have the same abilities."
-- They all waited for Roan to say more about what those abilities were, but he did not. With impatience brewing in his tired head Wolverine asked, "And what would those abilities be?"
--- The Draven looked at each other, not sure whether or not they should tell. Not many knew about them and the rather that it stayed that way, lest an anti-mutant group of people come after them with hostile intentions. They'd dealt with it only once, but it wasn't a pleasant experience and one they didn't want to repeat.
--- "Where is Doctor Grey?" a woman named Dellre asked.
--- Before anyone could do or say anything, the professor said, "She is away from the school today." He said it in a manner that discouraged any further questions on the subject.
--- "How can we be sure that your intentions towards us are not hostile?" Cheas of the Draven asked.
--- Xavier was, of course, the first to come up with an idea. "Well, I suppose the most reasonable thing for us to do right now is to introduce ourselves so that our guests feel welcome." Wolverine rolled his eyes impatiently, not saying anything, but that gesture was ignored. "I believe you know my name and that I am telepathic. That was why I was able to detect you."
--- He looked to Rogue who was right next to him, indicating that she should go next. "I'm Rogue. I don't know what the correct term for my "powers" is…are, but just don't touch me."
--- "I'm Storm; weather manipulation."
--- "Wolverine; regenerative." He caused his claws to come out of his hand little bit, preferring them to see for themselves what else he had.
--- "Is an incessantly bad attitude a power?" Scott interjected. He was ignored, though.
--- "Amethyst Star," she said with a flair, a smile, and a slight bow. "Shape-shifter and power thief."
--- "Scott Summers, but you can call me Cyclops. I direct energy out through my eyes." He looked at Wolverine who was unsuccessfully trying to cover a smile.
--- "Bobby Drake, also called Iceman. I freeze…stuff." Rogue smiled as she stood by him.
--- Then the students introduced themselves one by one. Among those were an additional weather manipulator, a boy with super-speed, a flying fire-worker, an illusionist, a girl who could become invisible and had superb night vision, a boy with stupendous strength and an unusual knack for accuracy, and a girl with the power to control the emotions of others.
--- The Draven seemed more comfortable now, even though it was unnecessary what they had just done. It did form a bit more trust towards the X-Men and the students, though. "We already knew your powers," Teller of the Draven said. He smiled cheerfully and hoped his comment didn't offend them.
--- "Except about Amethyst, though," added Riko curiously. "Her power seemed to fluctuate so that we couldn't tell exactly. It seems to happen with shape-shifters and especially with her additional ability to change abilities."
--- Amethyst looked smug, but not overdoing it. She had an unfortunate talent for sarcasm that sometimes got carried away and tended to offend people at the wrong time.
--- "Now, who are you and what can you do?" Rogue asked, also trying not to be discourteous. She was, as usual, curious.
--- The Draven finally consented to tell them and Roan spoke for them once more. "This might take a little bit, just so you know. Anyway, as I said earlier, a Draven is a group of people who share the same powers. In this case, every one of us, with the exception of the Tellsier, has the ability to locate and track mutants over a large area for whatever reason necessary. We twenty belong to the Caputiel Draven and we work in just the continental United States. There are other Dravens in other countries, but I don't think I really need to get into that much.
--- "We're just the watchers, though. In order to get to our watching locations, we need a Tellsier to send us there. As you can tell, a Tellsier is a person with translocative powers and can send something from one spot to another instantaneously. The only drawback is that they have to know what the area looks like."
--- "Which is why you asked what this area looks like, correct?"
--- "Yes," Katch replied.
--- "Anyways," Roan continued, "we also use him when we need to find out whether or not a person is hostile or not. Our powers are limited and so we're only able to tell what powers a person has, how powerful they are, and where they are. We can't communicate to them so that's why we bring Katch along. He acts as our go-between and after he's done, he informs us of what he observes. Then we decide what our next course of action is. If they're good, we do nothing more. If they're hostile and they know where we are, we get away."
--- Xavier looked at them speculatively. The prospect of forming an alliance of sorts with these long-range trackers seemed pleasing to him. It would allow him the chance to aid other mutants much easier than he normally could. Then he could focus more on finding mutants who could possibly be teachers and open new establishments to teach and train mutants who had nowhere to turn. They, themselves, could possibly train others with similar talents so that there would be room for more students at his school. "Would you be willing to join with us?" he asked hopefully.
--- "Why?" Delver asked.
--- "Well, you could gain more people to work with your…Draven, and we could gain a much needed alliance. There aren't many groups willing to join the fight against mutant oppression.
--- "Our main mission," he went on to explain, "is to protect mutants, especially youth who have nowhere to turn for help. This is the only place where many children can be safe from non-mutants."
--- "I have an idea!" Amethyst said excitedly. Everyone turned their attention towards her, caught off guard by her sudden outburst. When she put her thoughts in order, she told everyone. "How about a trade…well, it's not really a trade, but it might be rather enlightening. The Draven can take me and I can become one of them for a while and they can teach me what they do. At the same time, the one I replace can stay here and help train some of the youth whose powers are similar. That way if either side had questions, there would be someone to answer them."
--- She stood there smiling, glad that she was able to think of an idea – she wasn't much of a decision maker or idea creator usually. But she was rewarded when the Tellsier finally said, "That is an excellent idea."