Kindred Spirits

By: nyke

Chapter Two: A Bad Start

"What do you mean we're going to crash?!" Ryoko yelled at her ship. Ryo- Ohki solemnly answered that she hadn't accelerated enough leaving the atmosphere and the Earth's gravity had pulled them back to it. They were now headed towards an area in the northern United States. Ryoko braced herself as the ground displayed on the view screen rushed up to meet them.

Ryo-Ohki hit hard. Ryoko was thrown forward then back again as her ship slid along the ground, taking half the trees surrounding the area with it. She fell to the floor when Ryo-Ohki finally stopped. She checked herself for any injury. Other than a few cuts and bruises, she appeared to be all right. She phased outside to examine Ryo-Ohki. She was pretty banged up. Ryoko knew she could change into cabbit form, but it would be a while before she could morph into a functioning ship form. She needed time to heal.

This of course meant that they were stuck in this place, wherever it was.

She stood up and turned around to meet metal claws pointed at her chest.

**************************************************************************** ****************

Wolverine wasn't the first to hear the crash, but he was the first to get there. He was more than a little surprised by what he saw. An astoundingly beautiful woman was standing before what appeared to be a huge pile of some kind of brown crystal. She had spiky cyan hair and was wearing a pink and teal dress (Think OVA #1). He unsheathed his claws moved in behind her. She turned suddenly and they were face to face. He saw that her eyes were a golden yellow color that was pretty, but strange.

"What the hell is you're problem?" she demanded as she shoved him away from her. Logan took a step back, her strength catching him off guard. That was an out right challenge, wasn't it? He was about to respond when Scott walked into the newly formed clearing, followed by Jean, Xavier, Storm, and Marie.

"So Logan, I see you're still trying to start fights. I thought you were over that," Scott said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Before Logan could think of a crude retort, Xavier spoke up.

"Well, young lady, you seem to be in a bit of a predicament," Xavier said to Ryoko.

"You have no idea. Where am I?" she asked.

"Westchester, New York," Jean replied.

"New York?" Ryoko turned to Ryo-Ohki. "How did we get from Japan to America? We were only up there for ten minutes."

Ryo-Ohki miyaed a reply that only Ryoko understood.

"Um…Miss, why are you talking to that…thing?" Scott asked.

"'That thing' just so happens to be my ship," she answered. "Or at least what's left of it. Ryo-Ohki, can you morph back to cabbit form?"

Ryo-Ohki tried a few times before she finally got it. The others watched in shock as the pile of debris before them became a small brown animal that appeared to be a combination of a cat and a rabbit.

"It's so cute," Rogue said. "What is it?"

"It's a pain in the ass," Ryoko replied. She walked over to where the dazed Ryo-Ohki laid and picked her up.

"This isn't the best place to talk. Why don't you return to the school with us, and we can figure out how to help you," Xavier requested.

Ryoko was suspicious of everyone she met until they proved themselves. She didn't sense any immediate danger from the old man in the wheel chair, but she didn't trust him either. Yet she was stranded there, so she might as well accept whatever hospitality they offered. She nodded and they left the clearing.

As they approached the mansion, Ryoko stopped.

Did you feel that? she asked Ryo-Ohki through their telepathic link.

No. I didn't feel anything. Why? What is it?

I'm not sure. I just felt like Washu was in the area I could have sworn I heard her speak to me telepathically.

*Actually, that was me* A new voice cut into their conversation.

Who are you?

*Don't you recognize me? It's me. Xavier.*

Ryoko turned to face the man.

"Look, lets get one thing straight. My mind is my business. If there's one thing I hate it's someone trying to read Ryo-Ohki's mind, or mine so don't do that again," she said calmly yet her voice had a surprising menace to it.

"All right. If that's what you want, I won't," Xavier promised, not a hint of fear in his voice.

They entered the building.

"Well, I'll be in my office," Xavier said. "You can join me whenever you're ready. Logan, why don't you show her around?"

It wasn't a request. Logan was going to refuse, but he didn't want to cross the old man. "Sure," he said through clenched teeth. Scott was trying not to laugh and Ryoko was standing there looking confused.

Ryo-Ohki hoped onto Ryoko's shoulder, getting her attention.

"What about her?" Ryoko asked, indicating at the cabbit on her shoulder.

"I can take care of her for you," Rogue offered. Ryoko shrugged and Ryo- Ohki hoped off her shoulder and onto Rogue's.

"Come on. Lets get this over with," Logan said, already irritated.

**************************************************************************** ****************

Scott sat facing Xavier, who was seated at his desk.

"So, what can you tell about her?" Scott asked.

"Honestly? Absolutely nothing. Her mind is locked up tighter than anyone I've ever seen. Not to mention that when I tried to read her before, she almost threatened me against doing it again."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see if she will tell us. Other than that, unless she hurts someone, I don't see why we shouldn't let her stay. Did you get her name yet?"

"No. The only names I've gotten from her mind are Ryo-Ohki, the name of her ship and Washu, who she apparently feels some hostility towards. But I have discovered that she and her ship share some kind of telepathic bond.'

"But that doesn't help us much."

"So we wait then."

"Yeah. We wait."

Author's note: I've kind of gotten this story moving now. I know nothing much happened in this chapter, but things should start speeding up in the next few.