They began a careful search of the den, finding several contraptions of twisted metal. Wesley was uncertain if they were some form of art, or if there was a function of them, and so he decided that they should probably leave them very carefully alone. There was also a hollowed area lined with dried grass and leaves, possibly for sleeping purposes. The search ended in a hammered copper bowl, with five gleaming pearls inside.
"Five… Auntie O, and Logan, but… who else?" Evan's voice was low, uneasy.
Wesley looked over, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know. Possibly people who are currently hospitalized, or perhaps the people who bore those souls are now dead. We don't know… can't know unless we find the people and they wake up. Shall we take the bowl towards Logan, and then to Ororo?"
Evan began to walk towards the exit, the bowl held in slightly trembling hands. "Umm… what happens if I drop these?"
"Now you ask a question like that?" Kurt's worry was easy to hear.
Evan shrugged, glaring a bit at Kurt. "Better now than never, right? And… whoa!" He had forgotten about the fallen body of Logan, and tripped.
Pearls flew out of the bowl, and the boys both stared in shock as one pearl just… expanded into wisps of something that looked almost like shimmering fog.
"Oh no…" Evan gasped, looking shocked and horrified. Frantically, he started to look for the other fallen pearls.
The pale mist swirled slightly, and then it began to flow into Logan, passing through his nose and parted lips into his body, almost like watching something flow into a drain. A few very rapid heartbeats after the last of the mist was gone, Logan stirred, slowly sitting up. "What are you kids doing here?"
"He's alive!" Kurt's shout was jubilant.
"We had established that already. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he's awake?" Wesley smiled a little, pleased to find that the actual process of restoration was so simple. "But it is a very good thing to know."
Logan staggered stiffly to his feet, glaring at Wesley suspiciously. "Who're you?"
"Wesley Wyndham-Price. I own a bookstore in Bayville." He offered the hand that wasn't holding either the flashlight. "We killed the demon responsible."
"It vas teamwork." Kurt sounded almost cheerful, now that their teacher was better, no longer laying so corpselike on the ground.
"Huh." Logan briefly shook Wesley's hand, looking generally unhappy about the whole situation. "What's in the bowl?"
"Souls." Wesley wanted to clean his glasses, but resisted the urge. Now was not the time for something so… bookish. "One of them belongs to Ororo, and we don't know who the others came from, or if those people are even still alive."
"So that's what it did…" Logan shook his head, scowling. "Best get on back. Someone's probably worried about you kids by now."
By the time they made it to the mansion, which was quite impressive, Wesley was really wishing that they'd gone demon hunting in a car. His feet were getting sore, and it was quite awkward to carry a sword around like that.
Logan pushed the front doors open, and they all trailed in behind him, Evan still carrying the bowl of soul-pearls, and Kurt still blue and carrying three of Wesley's swords with him. Wesley trailed after, determined to see this through, to see Ororo well again. There were more people coming to look, some of them more teenagers from the local high school, and a bald man in a wheelchair, who was frowning slightly. Logan ignored them, and Wesley found himself just following along in Logan's wake.
He really should do something about that. Become a bit more independent, less likely to get swept along by someone… He made a mental note to start working on that after Ororo had woke up. Until then, it was actually quite useful that nobody seemed willing to try to stop them. Logan led them into a nearly concealed elevator, and they went downwards.
When the elevator doors whooshed open, there was a gleaming metallic hallway, lit with panels of light. It looked like something out of an expensive Hollywood movie. Logan growled slightly, as if he didn't like this area, but continued on, heading towards the right. Wesley found himself wondering not only how safe Logan actually was, but if he was the survivor of some dreadful and traumatic experience. Was there a reason for his apparent dislike of technological facilities?
Logan opened a door, revealing what looked remarkably like a hospital room, with a single occupant. Ororo was in the bed, still and unmoving, a slender tube of fluid going into her arm. Evan just froze, standing there, facing his aunt.
Wesley stepped closer, lifting the bowl from Evan's hands. He moved slowly, careful not to stumble or tremble as he approached Ororo. "She needs these a bit closer."
Wesley stopped, almost but not touching the bed that Ororo rested on. One of the pearls shimmered a bit, the colors shifting more, and it almost seemed to grow a bit before it unfolded, expanding out into a wispy mass of shimmering paleness. The pale tendrils slowly moved inside Ororo, and then she made a small noise, a little cough.
End part 6.
"Goodness! She's waking up! If you could please take a few steps back so that I may ensure my patient's safety…" There was a bound of motion, and a large form dressed only in a pair of pants and a lab coat, with blue fur over every visible bit of his body and sharp looking claws and teeth, as well as almost shockingly normal wire framed glasses was standing at the bed.
Wesley glanced over at Kurt, noting that the only apparent similarities were the blue fur and both being male. "Is blueness a common mutation then?"
"I don't know if there is such a thing as a common mutation." Kurt shrugged a little.
"I can't find any reason for it, but you are once again with us in the land of the living. Of course, I couldn't find any reason why you would not awaken sooner, but… Perhaps this gentleman can shed some light on the matter?" The blue doctor turned, looking right at Wesley.
Wesley felt a bit self conscious, especially with Ororo looking at him, her lovely blue eyes filled with questions. "Umm… there was a demon. The creature that attacked you in the park was a demon, and it took your soul out of your body, causing your collapse. Evan and Kurt came to my store trying to learn what the demon was, and we… went out and found it. After it was… no longer a problem..."
"You mean after you made it drop me, start howling, and chopped off it's ugly head." Evan interrupted, grinning at Wesley
"Yes, well… after we killed the demon, we found the bowl where it had placed the souls of it's victims." Wesley looked around for a small table where he could place the bowl.
"Including Logan. He looked almost dead." This was from Kurt, and his words prompted Logan to growl a little at him.
Wesley tried not to wince about the interruptions. "Yes, well… Logan's soul was restored to him, enabling him to wake up and lead us here. Once we were here, in this… umm, medical facility, it was simply a matter of bringing the soul-pearls close enough that yours would return to you."
"Simply? You fought a demon to rescue the soul of someone that you don't even know, and you say simply? I think that you underestimate yourself, sir." She smiled at him, looking oddly serious and joyful at the same time.
He felt himself blushing. "err… Wesley Wyndham-Price."
"Well, Wesley Wyndham-Price, I thank you most sincerely for this." Her smile was the most wonderful thing that he'd ever seen.
"I ahh… err… you're very welcome." Wesley knew that he was blushing, and stammering like an idiot. In that moment, he understood why people wished the ground would open up and swallow them. Why had it been so much easier to fight the demon than to speak to the lovely woman who'd been haunting his dreams?
She smiled at him, an expression that was surely more than worth fighting a demon for. "You must stay for dinner."
For a moment, Wesley felt lightheaded, and certain that he'd been hearing things. But Evan was making that odd sort of expression that teenagers got when the adults around them acted like… well, potentially interested, and Kurt was grinning like a blue loon, so he must have heard her correctly. "I would be delighted to stay."
"Good. Your accomplishment has been most impressive, but I believe it would be good to make certain there are no residual ill effects, and I do believe the Professor wishes to speak to Kurt and Evan." The blue doctor's words were a polite hint to leave the room. As everybody was slowly shuffling out, the doctor spoke again. "Logan, I believe you should come down later for an examination as well."
"Damn." Logan's half growled word was surely audible to everyone.
And Wesley found himself riding back up the elevator, and meandering out into the impressive entry hall, where Evan and Kurt were flocked by their friends, who seemed torn between impressed at what they'd done and worried. He heard several people ask if they'd been trying to get killed.
"If I might have a few words in private, Mr. Wyndham-Price?" A smooth, calm voice that somehow reminded him of most of his instructors from years past spoke. It was the man in the wheelchair.
Wesley really didn't want to start chatting with people, but… was there any sort of way to graciously refuse? He didn't see any. "Of course, please lead the way."
End part 7.
"Five… Auntie O, and Logan, but… who else?" Evan's voice was low, uneasy.
Wesley looked over, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know. Possibly people who are currently hospitalized, or perhaps the people who bore those souls are now dead. We don't know… can't know unless we find the people and they wake up. Shall we take the bowl towards Logan, and then to Ororo?"
Evan began to walk towards the exit, the bowl held in slightly trembling hands. "Umm… what happens if I drop these?"
"Now you ask a question like that?" Kurt's worry was easy to hear.
Evan shrugged, glaring a bit at Kurt. "Better now than never, right? And… whoa!" He had forgotten about the fallen body of Logan, and tripped.
Pearls flew out of the bowl, and the boys both stared in shock as one pearl just… expanded into wisps of something that looked almost like shimmering fog.
"Oh no…" Evan gasped, looking shocked and horrified. Frantically, he started to look for the other fallen pearls.
The pale mist swirled slightly, and then it began to flow into Logan, passing through his nose and parted lips into his body, almost like watching something flow into a drain. A few very rapid heartbeats after the last of the mist was gone, Logan stirred, slowly sitting up. "What are you kids doing here?"
"He's alive!" Kurt's shout was jubilant.
"We had established that already. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he's awake?" Wesley smiled a little, pleased to find that the actual process of restoration was so simple. "But it is a very good thing to know."
Logan staggered stiffly to his feet, glaring at Wesley suspiciously. "Who're you?"
"Wesley Wyndham-Price. I own a bookstore in Bayville." He offered the hand that wasn't holding either the flashlight. "We killed the demon responsible."
"It vas teamwork." Kurt sounded almost cheerful, now that their teacher was better, no longer laying so corpselike on the ground.
"Huh." Logan briefly shook Wesley's hand, looking generally unhappy about the whole situation. "What's in the bowl?"
"Souls." Wesley wanted to clean his glasses, but resisted the urge. Now was not the time for something so… bookish. "One of them belongs to Ororo, and we don't know who the others came from, or if those people are even still alive."
"So that's what it did…" Logan shook his head, scowling. "Best get on back. Someone's probably worried about you kids by now."
By the time they made it to the mansion, which was quite impressive, Wesley was really wishing that they'd gone demon hunting in a car. His feet were getting sore, and it was quite awkward to carry a sword around like that.
Logan pushed the front doors open, and they all trailed in behind him, Evan still carrying the bowl of soul-pearls, and Kurt still blue and carrying three of Wesley's swords with him. Wesley trailed after, determined to see this through, to see Ororo well again. There were more people coming to look, some of them more teenagers from the local high school, and a bald man in a wheelchair, who was frowning slightly. Logan ignored them, and Wesley found himself just following along in Logan's wake.
He really should do something about that. Become a bit more independent, less likely to get swept along by someone… He made a mental note to start working on that after Ororo had woke up. Until then, it was actually quite useful that nobody seemed willing to try to stop them. Logan led them into a nearly concealed elevator, and they went downwards.
When the elevator doors whooshed open, there was a gleaming metallic hallway, lit with panels of light. It looked like something out of an expensive Hollywood movie. Logan growled slightly, as if he didn't like this area, but continued on, heading towards the right. Wesley found himself wondering not only how safe Logan actually was, but if he was the survivor of some dreadful and traumatic experience. Was there a reason for his apparent dislike of technological facilities?
Logan opened a door, revealing what looked remarkably like a hospital room, with a single occupant. Ororo was in the bed, still and unmoving, a slender tube of fluid going into her arm. Evan just froze, standing there, facing his aunt.
Wesley stepped closer, lifting the bowl from Evan's hands. He moved slowly, careful not to stumble or tremble as he approached Ororo. "She needs these a bit closer."
Wesley stopped, almost but not touching the bed that Ororo rested on. One of the pearls shimmered a bit, the colors shifting more, and it almost seemed to grow a bit before it unfolded, expanding out into a wispy mass of shimmering paleness. The pale tendrils slowly moved inside Ororo, and then she made a small noise, a little cough.
End part 6.
"Goodness! She's waking up! If you could please take a few steps back so that I may ensure my patient's safety…" There was a bound of motion, and a large form dressed only in a pair of pants and a lab coat, with blue fur over every visible bit of his body and sharp looking claws and teeth, as well as almost shockingly normal wire framed glasses was standing at the bed.
Wesley glanced over at Kurt, noting that the only apparent similarities were the blue fur and both being male. "Is blueness a common mutation then?"
"I don't know if there is such a thing as a common mutation." Kurt shrugged a little.
"I can't find any reason for it, but you are once again with us in the land of the living. Of course, I couldn't find any reason why you would not awaken sooner, but… Perhaps this gentleman can shed some light on the matter?" The blue doctor turned, looking right at Wesley.
Wesley felt a bit self conscious, especially with Ororo looking at him, her lovely blue eyes filled with questions. "Umm… there was a demon. The creature that attacked you in the park was a demon, and it took your soul out of your body, causing your collapse. Evan and Kurt came to my store trying to learn what the demon was, and we… went out and found it. After it was… no longer a problem..."
"You mean after you made it drop me, start howling, and chopped off it's ugly head." Evan interrupted, grinning at Wesley
"Yes, well… after we killed the demon, we found the bowl where it had placed the souls of it's victims." Wesley looked around for a small table where he could place the bowl.
"Including Logan. He looked almost dead." This was from Kurt, and his words prompted Logan to growl a little at him.
Wesley tried not to wince about the interruptions. "Yes, well… Logan's soul was restored to him, enabling him to wake up and lead us here. Once we were here, in this… umm, medical facility, it was simply a matter of bringing the soul-pearls close enough that yours would return to you."
"Simply? You fought a demon to rescue the soul of someone that you don't even know, and you say simply? I think that you underestimate yourself, sir." She smiled at him, looking oddly serious and joyful at the same time.
He felt himself blushing. "err… Wesley Wyndham-Price."
"Well, Wesley Wyndham-Price, I thank you most sincerely for this." Her smile was the most wonderful thing that he'd ever seen.
"I ahh… err… you're very welcome." Wesley knew that he was blushing, and stammering like an idiot. In that moment, he understood why people wished the ground would open up and swallow them. Why had it been so much easier to fight the demon than to speak to the lovely woman who'd been haunting his dreams?
She smiled at him, an expression that was surely more than worth fighting a demon for. "You must stay for dinner."
For a moment, Wesley felt lightheaded, and certain that he'd been hearing things. But Evan was making that odd sort of expression that teenagers got when the adults around them acted like… well, potentially interested, and Kurt was grinning like a blue loon, so he must have heard her correctly. "I would be delighted to stay."
"Good. Your accomplishment has been most impressive, but I believe it would be good to make certain there are no residual ill effects, and I do believe the Professor wishes to speak to Kurt and Evan." The blue doctor's words were a polite hint to leave the room. As everybody was slowly shuffling out, the doctor spoke again. "Logan, I believe you should come down later for an examination as well."
"Damn." Logan's half growled word was surely audible to everyone.
And Wesley found himself riding back up the elevator, and meandering out into the impressive entry hall, where Evan and Kurt were flocked by their friends, who seemed torn between impressed at what they'd done and worried. He heard several people ask if they'd been trying to get killed.
"If I might have a few words in private, Mr. Wyndham-Price?" A smooth, calm voice that somehow reminded him of most of his instructors from years past spoke. It was the man in the wheelchair.
Wesley really didn't want to start chatting with people, but… was there any sort of way to graciously refuse? He didn't see any. "Of course, please lead the way."
End part 7.