I want to thank lil' Gambit Lover and IvyZoe() for reviewing. I love
reviews, so keep 'um coming.
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Cyclops had lost his ability to love, to hate, to feel anything but sorrow. He was lost in a wasteland of regret from which he could not break free. He sat in the mountains on Earth, the only place where no one could find him. He knew this place from his time spent here when he was raised as a Mortal for protection from his evil father Sinister. Of his fellow Gods only one person knew of this place and she would not bother him. Storm, Goddess of the Earth, knew everything that was happening on her beloved planet.
But even his worries of Storm telling his family where he was could not be sustained for very long. His thoughts constantly circled around his son Morph. Sobs burst through his chest, as they had for the last few years. His wife, and their other children hurt also, but he could not think past his own heartache. He took Morph's life.
Lost in his misery Cyclops did not see the form of the Goddess Storm watching him from the mountain peaks. She felt for him. Her people felt for him. The sorrow over Morph's death did not begin and end with Cyclops, or even the Gods. Mortals felt the death of the God of Death also. They, her mortals, may have felt it more poignantly than any other Gods.
Without Morph they could not cross over into the Beyond. Those good souls that would have turned into stars waiting to be reborn were trapped on Earth, unable to die. Those not-so-good souls, who should have gone onto the Realms of the Dead where they waited for their sentences, were also stuck on Earth.
When Archangel took up the role of God of Death, the world shuddered. Death was now looked upon with fear and anger. Many feared that Jubilee would not take the good souls with her to be made into stars and leave Archangel with all Mortals. But the Goddess of the Stars did not let that happen, and all seemed to be well. Except with Cyclops and the other Gods.
Mortal-kind may forget about such an incident, but Gods have long memories. Turning her back on her King, Storm disappeared, heading home.
Home was a valley in a place where Mortals could not reach. It was a valley of life and beauty, much like the Goddess who made it her home.
"Mother?" asked a man's voice from behind a grove of trees.
"Who else would it be?" Storm asked with a smile.
Beast walked from his grove smiling, his brother Wolverine following behind. It was such a beautiful sight for Storm, seeing her children safe and at least a little happy. Archangel's henchman Sabretooth could not find them here.
Storm sighed, as the thought of Sabretooth destroyed her tranquil mood. No one knew why Sabretooth had pledged himself to Archangel's cause, but her sons were suffering as a result.
"How is Cyclops?" Wolverine asked, interrupting his mother's thoughts. Ever since Storm had given her sons life from the Earth itself, Wolverine, now God of Beasts, had never shown patience.
"As well as can be expected. I think that his thoughts turn to other things every now and again and he stops sobbing. It will be a long while until he realizes that there are others who mourn too, who have not sunk into such depression," Storm replied, thinking back to just moments before when she watched the King of the Gods.
Beast frowned, "Does he know about Jean?"
Storm shook her head, "He thinks mostly on Morph, and has not turned his thoughts to Jean to see how she fairs. If he had he would have been with her in a moment."
"Is she getting worse?" Wolverine asked quietly.
Beast turned to his brother, "Cecilia thinks so." Cecilia Reyes was the Goddess of Healing, and if she thought the Queen of the Gods was falling more and more into insanity, then it was true. "She and Domino spend much of their time with her."
"Domino?" Storm asked. "I thought she was trying to convince Nightcrawler to try to take his fa.Archangel's place. At least that's what Psylocke told me."
Beast nodded, "But she also spends time with her mother trying to help my wife restore her sanity."
Storm looked at Beast and smiled. Her thoughts drifted to a time when the three of them were not such a happy family. She remembered giving her children life, forming them out of the Earth herself. Her smile dimmed as she remembered Angel's fascination with them and later, when he became Archangel, his obsession with trying to control them.
But for now, her thoughts drifted to a time when she gave her sons to the Earth to care for. A time when her Beast and Wolverine declared themselves Gods of Nature and Beasts respectively. Storm remembered their first meeting, and her sons' fascination with her. At this point in their history, they had no idea who she was, and as such fell in love with her. There was even a huge battle between the brothers, which only ended when Storm intervened and turned their own subjects against them; the Earth rose and grabbed at Beast, and the animals held back their Wolverine. She told them then, that she was their mother and she could not love them in that way.
Since that day they have lived together in her valley with their families. Beast found love with the Goddess of Healing, Cecilia Reyes. Their children having found their own loves and own homes. Wolverine found love with Cecilia's sister Warbird, Goddess of Wisdom and Tactics. Their three children also have gone on to live by themselves.
Thinking of Wolverine's youngest child, Storm frowned. She loved Thunderbird dearly, but he was a child she couldn't figure out. He chose to be a god, but of nothing. He attached himself to his cousin and would not leave her side. He was nothing like his father, or his mother.
Beast spoke jarring Storm out of her thoughts of the past, "Mother? Are you alright?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Storm responded.
Wolverine laughed, "You got that faraway look in your eyes. Like you'd gone someplace else. We not good enough for ya?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Storm laughed out loud and put her arms around her sons, "There is no one I'd rather be with."
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Cyclops had lost his ability to love, to hate, to feel anything but sorrow. He was lost in a wasteland of regret from which he could not break free. He sat in the mountains on Earth, the only place where no one could find him. He knew this place from his time spent here when he was raised as a Mortal for protection from his evil father Sinister. Of his fellow Gods only one person knew of this place and she would not bother him. Storm, Goddess of the Earth, knew everything that was happening on her beloved planet.
But even his worries of Storm telling his family where he was could not be sustained for very long. His thoughts constantly circled around his son Morph. Sobs burst through his chest, as they had for the last few years. His wife, and their other children hurt also, but he could not think past his own heartache. He took Morph's life.
Lost in his misery Cyclops did not see the form of the Goddess Storm watching him from the mountain peaks. She felt for him. Her people felt for him. The sorrow over Morph's death did not begin and end with Cyclops, or even the Gods. Mortals felt the death of the God of Death also. They, her mortals, may have felt it more poignantly than any other Gods.
Without Morph they could not cross over into the Beyond. Those good souls that would have turned into stars waiting to be reborn were trapped on Earth, unable to die. Those not-so-good souls, who should have gone onto the Realms of the Dead where they waited for their sentences, were also stuck on Earth.
When Archangel took up the role of God of Death, the world shuddered. Death was now looked upon with fear and anger. Many feared that Jubilee would not take the good souls with her to be made into stars and leave Archangel with all Mortals. But the Goddess of the Stars did not let that happen, and all seemed to be well. Except with Cyclops and the other Gods.
Mortal-kind may forget about such an incident, but Gods have long memories. Turning her back on her King, Storm disappeared, heading home.
Home was a valley in a place where Mortals could not reach. It was a valley of life and beauty, much like the Goddess who made it her home.
"Mother?" asked a man's voice from behind a grove of trees.
"Who else would it be?" Storm asked with a smile.
Beast walked from his grove smiling, his brother Wolverine following behind. It was such a beautiful sight for Storm, seeing her children safe and at least a little happy. Archangel's henchman Sabretooth could not find them here.
Storm sighed, as the thought of Sabretooth destroyed her tranquil mood. No one knew why Sabretooth had pledged himself to Archangel's cause, but her sons were suffering as a result.
"How is Cyclops?" Wolverine asked, interrupting his mother's thoughts. Ever since Storm had given her sons life from the Earth itself, Wolverine, now God of Beasts, had never shown patience.
"As well as can be expected. I think that his thoughts turn to other things every now and again and he stops sobbing. It will be a long while until he realizes that there are others who mourn too, who have not sunk into such depression," Storm replied, thinking back to just moments before when she watched the King of the Gods.
Beast frowned, "Does he know about Jean?"
Storm shook her head, "He thinks mostly on Morph, and has not turned his thoughts to Jean to see how she fairs. If he had he would have been with her in a moment."
"Is she getting worse?" Wolverine asked quietly.
Beast turned to his brother, "Cecilia thinks so." Cecilia Reyes was the Goddess of Healing, and if she thought the Queen of the Gods was falling more and more into insanity, then it was true. "She and Domino spend much of their time with her."
"Domino?" Storm asked. "I thought she was trying to convince Nightcrawler to try to take his fa.Archangel's place. At least that's what Psylocke told me."
Beast nodded, "But she also spends time with her mother trying to help my wife restore her sanity."
Storm looked at Beast and smiled. Her thoughts drifted to a time when the three of them were not such a happy family. She remembered giving her children life, forming them out of the Earth herself. Her smile dimmed as she remembered Angel's fascination with them and later, when he became Archangel, his obsession with trying to control them.
But for now, her thoughts drifted to a time when she gave her sons to the Earth to care for. A time when her Beast and Wolverine declared themselves Gods of Nature and Beasts respectively. Storm remembered their first meeting, and her sons' fascination with her. At this point in their history, they had no idea who she was, and as such fell in love with her. There was even a huge battle between the brothers, which only ended when Storm intervened and turned their own subjects against them; the Earth rose and grabbed at Beast, and the animals held back their Wolverine. She told them then, that she was their mother and she could not love them in that way.
Since that day they have lived together in her valley with their families. Beast found love with the Goddess of Healing, Cecilia Reyes. Their children having found their own loves and own homes. Wolverine found love with Cecilia's sister Warbird, Goddess of Wisdom and Tactics. Their three children also have gone on to live by themselves.
Thinking of Wolverine's youngest child, Storm frowned. She loved Thunderbird dearly, but he was a child she couldn't figure out. He chose to be a god, but of nothing. He attached himself to his cousin and would not leave her side. He was nothing like his father, or his mother.
Beast spoke jarring Storm out of her thoughts of the past, "Mother? Are you alright?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Storm responded.
Wolverine laughed, "You got that faraway look in your eyes. Like you'd gone someplace else. We not good enough for ya?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Storm laughed out loud and put her arms around her sons, "There is no one I'd rather be with."