Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I don't own anything here, apart from Siannagh and Salla, of course. Fun, this fanfic stuff, isn't it?
Imagine a dark cellar, tiny, cramped and low-roofed. Imagine the only light source being a small barred window a metre from the ground. Imagine a young girl, no older than seventeen or eighteen at the most, sat on a bundle of blankets shaped into a bed in the corner with a tattered brown bear on the 'pillow'. Imagine a one-year-old child, presumably female, in the girl's arms.
Charles Xavier didn't have to imagine this, for he was seeing it all right in front of him. Ororo, stood behind him, looked around in disgust. The stench of months, maybe years of neglect filled her senses and it was all she could do to steady her stomach.
"Don't be scared," comforted Xavier. "We are friends."
"You are not," hissed the half-naked girl. She glanced down and pulled a blanket up to t hide her nudity as well as to protect the little girl. "Get out."
"We've come to help."
"You're not really here."
"What is your child's name?" Ororo asked. IT was a sensible question. They didn't yet know anything much about either of them.
"Salla," replied the girl. "I am Siannagh."
"I am Ororo," smiled the woman who was otherwise known as Storm. "This is Charles Xavier."
"How long have you been here, Siannagh?" asked Xavier.
"Just over a year and a half," she said. She ran her fingers through the matted curls of Salla's hair impulsively. "Before Salla was born. I was bad, I didn't mean to kill the goldfish, but the water kept giving me pretty pictures to look at when I concentrated. Then my mother realised what I was… She knew Salla was going to be born soon and knew I would give her my disease so she kept me down here for safety. I did pass it on."
She pulled the blanket down slightly. On Salla's gaunt, terrified face, two jet black lines ran across the curve of her potential cheek-bones. A tiny silver horn protruded from between her eyebrows. Both Xavier and Ororo nodded as their suspicions were confirmed. These were the two mutants they had be looking for.
"How have you eaten?"
"Mother brings us down some food sometimes," she said. She paused and coughed delicately, covering her mouth with her fist. She was obviously slightly unwell, and no surprise from the conditions she was living in. "She wouldn't look at us or speak to us, though, no matter how hard I pleaded. She hasn't been down for a while now…Siannagh is hungry."
"Your mother left town," Xavier said, his voice full of regret for the poor girls. "We can help you, I promise. It is a wonder you beared this for so long, Siannagh and Salla. You are truly brave."
"Kurt is waiting outside," Ororo said. "Can you call him? We need to get these two into a kitchen and a bathroom, preferably ours."
//Kurt.//
//Ja, Professor?// came the instant telepathic reply as Charles sent the signal. //Need my help?//
//Come here.//
BAMF. The crouching blue elf appeared behind Charles and Ororo, his yellow eyes glinting in the darkness. There was enough light to see him, however, streaming through the window but even that was dulled by the amount of dust.
The affect was instantaneous. Siannagh lept up, the dropping blankets taking away the last of her dignity. She huddled her daughter to her chest, fear filling her eyes. She pulled out a hand from the tangled grip and pointed a finger accusingly at Kurt. A piercing scream echoed from her mouth and the baby began to wail.
Kurt looked shocked and turned away, hurt in his eyes. Charles lowered his gaze to avoid hurting the scarp of pride that could have remained in Siannagh's opened soul. Ororo glared at them and rushed forward, placing a comforting arm around Siannagh.
"Siannagh!" whispered Ororo in her softest voice. "Don't panic. Kurt! Turn on your watch."
He did as he was told, trying not to be offended by the now dying scream. He knew nothing of this girl. Perhaps she was religious… His appearance had the 'demon' affect on quite a few people of that kind. Besides, he had appeared out of nowhere in front of two young strangers with his holowatch turned off.
//Don't take it to heart, Kurt,// Xavier mentally said. //It's not her fault.//
//I know, I am alright.//
When Xavier and Kurt dared to look back they saw Siannagh and Salla wrapped in a blanket, tightly embraced by concerned looking Storm.
"Siannagh, will you come with us?" asked Xavier. The frightened girl was still shaking. "We want to help you and your daughter."
//She is too young for a child,// Xavier sent to Kurt and Ororo. //I'm not sure I even want to know who the father is.//
//The poor girl,// responded Kurt.
//A whole year and a half locked away as an animal!// Ororo said. Her voice sounded angry, even in Charles' mind. //We have to ger her back, now.//
//Kurt, are we close enough?//
//Just under a mile from the institute,// Kurt said. //Ja, we are.//
"Why have you gone silent?" asked Siannagh, suspicion welling up in her eyes behind the witheld tears. "What are you doing?"
Kurt approached them in his now human form. Ororo shushed them reassuringly as he held on gently to the mother and daughter. Ororo let go of them and stood back a bit.
"I'll be back in a minute," grinned Kurt. "Hold on tight!"
As a last minute thought, he reached fown and retrieved the teddy from the bed. It looked well-loved or a least well hugged, with it's left eye gone and patches faded from it's oak-brown fur. Then, they were gone with a bamf and an elegant puff of brimstone, if brimstone can be elegant.
Moments later, Kurt returned empty handed and repeated the process for Xavier and Ororo.
Imagine a dark cellar, tiny, cramped and low-roofed. Imagine the only light source being a small barred window a metre from the ground. Imagine a young girl, no older than seventeen or eighteen at the most, sat on a bundle of blankets shaped into a bed in the corner with a tattered brown bear on the 'pillow'. Imagine a one-year-old child, presumably female, in the girl's arms.
Charles Xavier didn't have to imagine this, for he was seeing it all right in front of him. Ororo, stood behind him, looked around in disgust. The stench of months, maybe years of neglect filled her senses and it was all she could do to steady her stomach.
"Don't be scared," comforted Xavier. "We are friends."
"You are not," hissed the half-naked girl. She glanced down and pulled a blanket up to t hide her nudity as well as to protect the little girl. "Get out."
"We've come to help."
"You're not really here."
"What is your child's name?" Ororo asked. IT was a sensible question. They didn't yet know anything much about either of them.
"Salla," replied the girl. "I am Siannagh."
"I am Ororo," smiled the woman who was otherwise known as Storm. "This is Charles Xavier."
"How long have you been here, Siannagh?" asked Xavier.
"Just over a year and a half," she said. She ran her fingers through the matted curls of Salla's hair impulsively. "Before Salla was born. I was bad, I didn't mean to kill the goldfish, but the water kept giving me pretty pictures to look at when I concentrated. Then my mother realised what I was… She knew Salla was going to be born soon and knew I would give her my disease so she kept me down here for safety. I did pass it on."
She pulled the blanket down slightly. On Salla's gaunt, terrified face, two jet black lines ran across the curve of her potential cheek-bones. A tiny silver horn protruded from between her eyebrows. Both Xavier and Ororo nodded as their suspicions were confirmed. These were the two mutants they had be looking for.
"How have you eaten?"
"Mother brings us down some food sometimes," she said. She paused and coughed delicately, covering her mouth with her fist. She was obviously slightly unwell, and no surprise from the conditions she was living in. "She wouldn't look at us or speak to us, though, no matter how hard I pleaded. She hasn't been down for a while now…Siannagh is hungry."
"Your mother left town," Xavier said, his voice full of regret for the poor girls. "We can help you, I promise. It is a wonder you beared this for so long, Siannagh and Salla. You are truly brave."
"Kurt is waiting outside," Ororo said. "Can you call him? We need to get these two into a kitchen and a bathroom, preferably ours."
//Kurt.//
//Ja, Professor?// came the instant telepathic reply as Charles sent the signal. //Need my help?//
//Come here.//
BAMF. The crouching blue elf appeared behind Charles and Ororo, his yellow eyes glinting in the darkness. There was enough light to see him, however, streaming through the window but even that was dulled by the amount of dust.
The affect was instantaneous. Siannagh lept up, the dropping blankets taking away the last of her dignity. She huddled her daughter to her chest, fear filling her eyes. She pulled out a hand from the tangled grip and pointed a finger accusingly at Kurt. A piercing scream echoed from her mouth and the baby began to wail.
Kurt looked shocked and turned away, hurt in his eyes. Charles lowered his gaze to avoid hurting the scarp of pride that could have remained in Siannagh's opened soul. Ororo glared at them and rushed forward, placing a comforting arm around Siannagh.
"Siannagh!" whispered Ororo in her softest voice. "Don't panic. Kurt! Turn on your watch."
He did as he was told, trying not to be offended by the now dying scream. He knew nothing of this girl. Perhaps she was religious… His appearance had the 'demon' affect on quite a few people of that kind. Besides, he had appeared out of nowhere in front of two young strangers with his holowatch turned off.
//Don't take it to heart, Kurt,// Xavier mentally said. //It's not her fault.//
//I know, I am alright.//
When Xavier and Kurt dared to look back they saw Siannagh and Salla wrapped in a blanket, tightly embraced by concerned looking Storm.
"Siannagh, will you come with us?" asked Xavier. The frightened girl was still shaking. "We want to help you and your daughter."
//She is too young for a child,// Xavier sent to Kurt and Ororo. //I'm not sure I even want to know who the father is.//
//The poor girl,// responded Kurt.
//A whole year and a half locked away as an animal!// Ororo said. Her voice sounded angry, even in Charles' mind. //We have to ger her back, now.//
//Kurt, are we close enough?//
//Just under a mile from the institute,// Kurt said. //Ja, we are.//
"Why have you gone silent?" asked Siannagh, suspicion welling up in her eyes behind the witheld tears. "What are you doing?"
Kurt approached them in his now human form. Ororo shushed them reassuringly as he held on gently to the mother and daughter. Ororo let go of them and stood back a bit.
"I'll be back in a minute," grinned Kurt. "Hold on tight!"
As a last minute thought, he reached fown and retrieved the teddy from the bed. It looked well-loved or a least well hugged, with it's left eye gone and patches faded from it's oak-brown fur. Then, they were gone with a bamf and an elegant puff of brimstone, if brimstone can be elegant.
Moments later, Kurt returned empty handed and repeated the process for Xavier and Ororo.
