"What are you doing Mother?! Amanda is innocent, she does not deserve to be here!" shouted Kurt angrily, turning on his demonic mother. To his surprise, Mystique only laughed.
"Of course she does, my son... I'm very proud of your work," she replied wickedly.
"What?!"
"You've forgotten?" asked Mystique, tilting her horned head to one side. "Oh I see, you must've forced yourself to forget to make your mission easier... allow me to explain. Because you seduced the girl..."
"Her name is Amanda!" roared Nightcrawler, clenching his hands into fists, even as his sharp nails dug into his palms.
"-Amanda-," repeated Mystique, humoring her son. "Because she fell in love with a demon, is doomed to remain here as well. It is always so delicious irony indeed to have the mighty fall so low."
"No!" shouted Kurt. He turned back to watch Amanda, who was squirming against her bonds as the red demons advanced upon her. "Let her go! I'll stay, just let her go! She doesn't belong to be here!"
"She does now," replied Mystique, giving an wickedly evil laugh, tilting his head back. Kurt watched in utter horror, and instinctively started to pray for salvation. Not for himself. He didn't deserve it, he was a demon. For Amanda.
"Now she spends an eternity in the flaming depths of Hell!" cackled Mystique. But her laugh was cut short this time. A bright blue flash appeared, a rip in the air, and all eyes, including the two blue demons, all the red ones, and Amanda, were drawn towards it. The tear ripped open, and out dropped two figures. The Professor, dropped down onto the rocks beneath them, somehow able to stand. But Rogue, the other figure, ripped through the air as fast as a bullet from a gun, heading straight towards Mystique.
"Put a sock in it, Momma!" she shouted, slamming her fist into the blue scaled face of her mother, sending the unholy bitch flying through the air to slam into a nearby rock oncropping. The absorbed powers of Magneto and the Juggernaut remained with her for the moment, though she doubted it would last for much longer. She could already feel Magneto's power starting to fade, as she dropped down onto the rocks next to Kurt, trying to ignore the thick stench of sulfur in the air.
"Rogue? What're you all doing here?!" asked Kurt. "Get out of here! I'm the only one who needs to stay," he added bitterly.
"This ain't hell, bro..." she replied. "And we ain't abandonin' ya."
"Get Amanda out of here first then!" he shouted, scooting away from her, not wanting his sister to be corrupted by him like his girlfriend.
That isn't Amanda, Kurt, said the Professor, speaking through straight to his mind. Look careful at what I shall now show you... he added. As he did, Kurt blinked his eyes, and as he did he saw thin blue energy lines connected between those present. From Xavier, to Jean to Scott to Rogue and even to himself. Some were thin, like his own to Xavier. The one that flowed between Rogue and the Professor was stronger. But the one between himself and Rogue was thick and powerful. It was a strong bond only siblings had (adopted or not). Yet nothing touched either Amanda, Mystique, or any of the demons present. Then, the lines vanished.
They are not connected because neither of them are real. They are creations of your mind, Kurt. This is all an elaborate nightmare.
"A nightmare... then... I'm not.... ahhhhh..." he cried out again softly, but not in pain this time. In relief, as his wings receded into his back, as did his claws and talons. Even the horns slid back into his skull painlessly, and with relief he patted his now bare (if furry) forehead.
Welcome back Kurt.
"I'm not... I'm not a demon..."
"Only an annoying brother," replied Rogue, giving Kurt a hug. "Come on... we gotta save the others."
"I am not yet beaten!" roared Mystique, rising up, her body shifting, growing. A great, gigantic purple dionsaur-dragon flowed above them now, roaring as the X-Men took up defensive positions. The red demons surged around beneath them, climbing the rocks, encircling them. "DIE!!"
Rogue leapt in front of Kurt, blocking the clawed hand heading down towards her with her gloved hands, pushing it away with what remained of the Juggernauts power.
Kurt. This is your mind. Your power here is the strongest.
"I understand," he replied. Slowly he stretched out his hand. His clothes shifted, becoming his X-Man uniform. And then, in his hand, he formed a cutlass. With a grin, he raised it in salute to the demonic version of his mother.
"Goodbye, Muzzer!" he said as he teleporting, appearing above her head, and diving downwards, slashing clear through her with his sword, as she split in two and disappaited into the flaming nothiness of hell. Kurt flipped, twirled, and landed with acrobatic grace with a low bow before the other X-Men.
"Vell... zat vas fun. Vhat's next?" he asked, sheathing the cutlass at his side. As he did, it disappated into mist.
"We still have to rescue the others," replied Xavier.
"Just lead the vay!" he replied happily, a grin plastered on the blue elf's features.
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Kitty screamed, long and loud, as she plummeted towards the earth's core, until her body painfully slammed into a rocky outgrowth, and she barely managed to hang on before her body went careening over the edge. Grimacing, painfully aware of the left arm she'd fallen on, she shifted into a sitting position, glad she'd been able to halt her horrible fall.
"Awww, is pretty kitty hurt? Let me kiss it and make it all better..." said Avalanche, as his form slipped out of the rocky wall next to her, solidifying into a stone version of himself. Kitty instinctively lashed out with her foot, hoping to dent his shin, but her boot slid through his leg, leaving no mark as she phased. However, when she tried to do the same it failed, and Avalanched struck her across the cheek, sending her reeling to the edge of her already tiny ledge.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" roared another voice, and Avalanche barely had time to glance up before a fist slammed right into his face, sending him against the wall and shattering his body. The stone fragments clattered to the ground, as his face careened off the edge and fell into the nothingness below. Kitty glanced up, gasping in shock.
It was Lance, but not the demonic version who'd sent her here. That one had been made of nothing more than rock and evil. This one was flesh, and he gazed down at her with nothing short of concern in his warm brown eyes. He held out a hand to her, and she noticed he was in his battle uniform, sans his helmet. His knuckles were bleeding from where he'd attacked his darker self.
"Lance? What... what're you doing here?" she asked, scooting away from him fearfully.
"Kitty its okay... Jean brought me here... I'm here to help," he added, still holding out his hand. A shadow passed overhead and Kitty glanced up. Sure enough, there was Jean, floating in mid-air as she usually did.
"Kitty its alright, its just a dream... but Lance and I are real... just come with us, we're getting out of here. The Professor and the others are still helping the others," she shouted down at them.
"But... how did you get here?" asked Kitty, as she finally accepted Lance's hand. He helped her to her feet, smiling now that she was safe.
"Jean said I had some sort of bond with you... that the bond allowed her to bring people from their own dreams into other people's. I, uh... I guess... well," he started to stutter, blushing, and Kitty giggled. Some things never changed. She hugged Lance, burrying her head into his chest and strong arms.
"Thank you, Lance," she said softly.
Suddenly the ground started to shift again, and below them came the wicked, dark laughter of the Avalanche. The dark Lance, the dream one. The area started to shift, the walls closing shut on one another, and with a cry Kitty realized they were going to be crushed. Jean thrust out her hands, lifting the two of them up as all three raced towards the surface. Still, it was a long way up. And burdened by two passengers, Jean's powers started to flag as they neared the surface.
Angrily Lance thrust out his hand, and the ground slowed, the shaking diminishing. But his power here was limited, and Kitty's fears were too strong.
But so was her love of her friends.
The ground sealed shut at the surface, with all three burried below.
And then the three of them slid upwards and out of the solid ground as Kitty and Lance let go of Jean's waist, dropping to the ground as they became solid once more. Kitty collapsed into Lance's arms, unconscious, tired from the desperate move of phasing them all out of the earth.
"I wish I could help more, Red," said Lance, as he cradled Kitty's head in his hands. "But I don't think I can..."
"'fraid not," she replied, drifting down to join them. "Without a bond between others I can't bring you in... but now Kitty's safe, so I can return you to your own mind."
"Thanks," he replied, as Jean opened a bright blue rift, and Lance walked through it, sparing one final glance over his shoulder at Kitty. She was dreaming peacefully.
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Gradually, Ororo's cries for help died down, and she wept, fearful no one would ever find her in her tomb. She struggled feebly against the stone lid and the bandages that enwrapped her form, but she could barely breath in here, it was so close. And oxygen was slowly starting to diminish. She was going to die, with no one to save her.
Suddenly the lid above her shifted, and she seized onto this new hope, beating against it furiously, as hands slid the lid off and she saw the tired, weary face of Charles Xavier. She almost sobbed in relief. Quickly his hands tore from her the bandages that bound her arms and legs, helping her to sit up as she ripped them from her mouth, greedily sucking air into her tortured lungs.
"Relax, Ororo... everything will be fine now," he said, patting her back gently. She made no response, too busy trying to collect herself. But to her relief, she saw the stone passage was open, and beyond that... clear skies and sunlight. She almost fainted from relief. Gently, Charles helped her climb out of her sarcophagus, supporting her with one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder, helping her to stand as they made their way to the open skies and out of her nightmarish tomb.
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One by one, the X-Men started to sit up, clutching their heads in pain or relief, as their eyes opened. The heart rate monitor for Kitty went back to normal levels, and she was sleeping peacefully. Hank, nearby, smiled, as they came out of their dreams. Professor Xavier and Jean Grey, both deep in concentration, continued to liberate them from their awful nightmares, working slowly but steadily. In a short while it would all be over.
Logan was frowning though. They weren't out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.
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"What is happening?" cursed Mesmero, glancing at his unwitting pawn. The X-Men were starting to overpower her mental block. He needed to move them closer for her powers to amplify enough to destroy them.
Growling, Mesmero beckoned Danielle to stand, as the two of them scaled the walls of the Xavier Institute, making their way towards the foyer. Only Xavier would be any possible threat, and he was already weakening from his efforts. Easy prey for the mind of Mesmero.
Slowly, the two shadowed figures approached the Institute.
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Author's Notes:
Three more down, and now only New Recruits to go. For the record, I shall explain. Professor X and Jean Grey can enter anyone's dreams because they are telepaths. Also, if that person has a strong bond with someone who is a non-telepath (i.e. Scott and Jean in love, Kurt and Rogue as siblings, etc.) then once a link is made by the Prof or Jean, then they can come along as well for moral (and physical) support. Big ending coming up. And two more terrible nightmares to go.
Todd fan: Oh not at all. That'd be hardly any reason to cheer now, would it? *evil smirk*
Steven P. P: Glad you like it. Expect other Holiday stories as appropriate for the upcoming months.
Lupine Draconis: I'm playing upon the bonds between X-Men. Scott had to come before Rogue, and likely he'd want to rescue Jean first. But yeah, part of me would've rather just left Jean in her nightmare.
Rogue14: I'm not evil yet... I am about to be REALLY evil.
Snitter in Rivendell: Hope that wasn't too repetitive for ya. Don't worry, I got somethin' really special cooked up for the finale. And if you recall, nobody has any actual evidence yet it is Mesmero or Mirage. It's just Logan's theory.
Shaman Dani of the Flamingos: Glad you like it. And I love that rather long and compelling name of yours. Odd how you're name after a mutant... how's that workin' out for ya?
Elven lord mic: Well thank you, I shall indeed rock on. I am sure you can find Ascension part II on KazaA in a few days. However, if desperate for something quick, the final scene, involving Xavier's predictions for the future, are present on Beyond Evolution. Check it out. Though you may not be a Scott/Rogue fan, I hope you're not a Jean fan. *evil smirk*