To my Readers:
I had lots of fun writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Much Love,
The People's Writer
FYI:
'Personal Thoughts'
~"Inner Voices"~
ESP
%The Written Word%
[Flashback]
"Normal Conversation (Duh)"
* Com Link or Telephone *
*Sound Effects (usually just Kurt's bamfing)
{Background noise--music, crowds, etc.}
-Tomoeda, Japan-
A long auburn lock fell into a girl's eyes. 'Dammit. I hate this long hair. Maybe I'll hack it off one day, its bothering me so much.' Her waist length-hair was pulled into a bun and it was now falling apart. An older version of the girl walked into her bedroom and as if she knew what she was thinking said, "Don't you dare." She tugged on the same tress that had been in Sakura's face earlier.
Sakura grinned as her mother came into her room. "Can you believe I am leaving for the States tomorrow?" Jin sighed. "No, what I can't believe is what a slob my daughter is." She glanced around the room with obvious disgust.
"Mo-ther!" Sakura said exasperatedly.
"Just kidding!" Mrs. Kinomoto took a deep breath.
"What I can't believe is that I'm going to be losing my daughter so quickly. And here I was, thinking that you wouldn't be leaving until you turned at least eighteen!" Jin pulled out a large handkerchief and blew her nose dramatically.
"I'm sorry mother. But at least you will have your okaa-san. Right?" Sakura smiled prettily at her mother who tweaked her cheek.
"At least you could have some time to yourself now!" Sakura put in, trying to bribe her mother into becoming happy.
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
The teenager pulled a stray lock loose from her bun and twirled it around her finger.
"We-ell..." She grinned. "Yea. I am."
"You little..." Jin began to tickle Sakura mercilessly.
Sakura and Jin's relationship was an unusual one for a parent and her daughter. They were extraordinarily close and it was made known. It had bonded even closer when her father had left the both of them for another woman when the child was but only ten. Mrs. Kinomoto had been devastated, but Sakura was secretly glad.
She knew her father was a drunk, and he would beat her whenever he felt right. Her mother had not known of these beatings, because Sakura begged her father to take the punishment out on her. Her mother adored Mr. Kinomoto and Sakura didn't want to break her heart.
Sakura sighed out loud as she thought about leaving her mother and her grandmother all alone.
"What are you thinking about, dear?"
Sakura unhappily frowned and said, "Leaving you and grand-mama all alone in Japan."
"It's ok. I know this is for the best. I knew your powers would 'kick' in sometime, sooner or later."
Sakura did a double take. "You knew?!"
"Of course! If you didn't get them from your father's bloodline, you would at least have inherited mine!"
"YOURS?" She exclaimed.
"Of course! Remember those stories I'd use to tell right before you went to bed?"
"Those stories of those magical kings and queens and their abilities?"
"Those are the ones. And what's more, they are the truth. They were of either Kietaro's stories or mine."
Sakura grimaced when her mother used her ex-father's name.
"Well, then... What is your power?"
"Watch this."
She concentrated on the cup of tea that had been placed on Sakura's nightstand previously. She tapped into her "power-line" and used that energy to channel it towards the liquid. The brown tea rose, little droplets at a time and finally formed a small globe of the flavored water. She finally lost her concentration and guided the tea back into its original captive place.
Jin wiped her brow tiredly. "I haven't done that in years."
Sakura looked at her mother with awe. 'Water manipulation' she whispered in the corner of her mind.
"Whoa! Where did you learn to do that?"
"With a man named Xavier. He is the head-master of the school you are going to be heading at." "It sure is a small world after all." She mumbled under her breath.
Sakura's mind wandered as she remembered the stranger people from her afternoon.
[Flashback]
'The people from the States were sure different!' Sakura thought. She had been discharged from the care of the hospital and now was taking her soon-to-be classmates and teacher around Japan.
Her mother had finally agreed with them to allow Sakura to go to a school; and that was of course after she had interrogated Mrs. Munroe with questions about it. Sakura wanted to go to the school; she definitely knew that she wouldn't been able to handle such power alone, and after that incident with that drunken man...
She shuddered involuntarily, and just prayed that something like that would never happen again, to anything, and that included both people she loved and those she hated. All she hoped was that the head-master could help her with her situation.
And, since she had always wanted to go to a school in the States, here was her chance, on a silver platter.
She strained to remember the name of the school. What was it called again? Oh yes. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
"And, this is Kohana Park." She pointed towards her left, still a little dazed from the whirlwind of events. "It means 'Little Flower' in Japanese."
The area she had implied with her indicated was a beautiful luscious vicinity. This district had been had been marked off as a 'City Park'. The grounds were littered with beautiful cherry blossoms as the sakura trees swayed in the breeze.
Ororo gasped as Jean and Kitty clapped appreciatively. Even Bobby, who didn't care much for nature, had to agree-this place was pleasing to the eye.
As the time neared to an end, she took them to a sea-side restaurant, with her mother's blessing of course, and had began to ask her many questions.
"What is it like, you know. In the States?"
"Its quite pretty actually, and it isn't all that bad." Jean said.
"Like, yea! Bayville's pretty cool, and like, the students at the Institute aren't that bad either. Bobby here," She jabbed him in the ribs "Is actually one of the little baddies."
"Ororo!" He complained.
"Don't look at me, boy. Fight your own battles." She grinned at the stunning Asian girl as she watched the two struggle.
"Other students?" She shyly asked, "What are they like?"
"Don't worry. They don't bite." Jean smiled as she held up a cup of an after-coffee dinner. "Well, Rhane does, but only to protect herself."
"B-bite?" Sakura faced towards Bobby with an alarmed face.
"Like, stop scaring her Bobby!" Kitty glared at the boy and said, "Don't worry. Her mutation is like, to become a wolf. So... I guess that would like, make her a were-wolf."
Sakura smiled nervously and explained herself. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm not much up for dogs. I was hurt quite a while ago, around five or so, by a large dog. I didn't know that the dog was a wild stray and I tried to pet it, but it turned around and bit me in the ribs. I-I haven't recovered since..." She whispered the last part out.
"No worries! Rahne wouldn't hurt you. She wouldn't touch a fly!" Jean tried to say, attempting to soothe the agitated girl.
Sakura's auburn locks began to fall into her face as she began to think of the memory. She kept wringing her hands as she remembered the horrible day.
"Oh my gosh! Like, Ororo! Look at that plant!"
The freshly cut plant, placed in a vase for decoration began to bloom and spread buds as it fed off of the girl's feelings. The plant's roots crawled rapidly out of the vase and onto Kitty's hands. The roots turned a dark hunter green hue as it spun frantically around her wrists. It latched onto her arms and began to grow with an intensity faster than before.
Kitty stifled a scream as the plant began to lock itself onto her wrist.
Ororo took charge of the situation and said, "Calm down Sakura. What calms you down?" She asked quickly, knowing that there was inadequate amount of time until someone began to notice.
Sakura grasped at what her teacher was saying and immediately began to sing. She hummed the tune to Braham's Lullaby as the plant began to weave back sleepily into its confined area.
She sighed immediately after the plant had been placed back. She glanced over at Kitty and apologized.
"I'm so sorry!" She said, ducking her head in embarrassment. Kitty patted her arm. She flinched. Kitty didn't take notice and continued. "It's ok. When I didn't have control over my power, I fell through my bed and into the basement." She shuddered. "And I like, think I landed on like, a spider."
Sakura laughed as she saw Kitty's mask of horror.
"Wait. Lemme get the straight. You fell through the ceiling, through your bed and landed in a dark basement, and what you worry about is a spider you squashed?" Bobby clarified.
"Like, duh! It was like, my favorite pair of pajamas." Kitty wrinkled her nose in disgust of thinking of anything on her clothes.
"Girls." He retorted.
Sakura smiled and had remembered the night from a week ago as she began to prepare for bed. She stretched herself out on the bed and leisurely inch her body in. Her mother poked her head in and said, "Better sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."
She closed her eyes as she began to dream of pleasant thoughts.
Her mother sneaked in and opened up her pack. 'She'll need this, I know she will.' She placed a package, wrapped in Sakura's favorite color, a dark sea foam green. She skillfully positioned it underneath all her clothes, at the very bottom. "Sleep well my daughter."
She walked over to her and placed a light kiss on her forehead.
-Japan International Airport-
Sakura nervously boarded the airplane. Her friends had left for America the night after Mrs. Kinomoto had agreed to Sakura's release. Now, she was worried.
What if the students didn't like her?
What if she was shunned?
What if... The questions rang throughout her mind as she sat down. *Ding! The bell to signal take-off was sounded in the cabin. Sakura straightened her hunter green turtleneck and pulled her dark hip hugging gray jeans out until it covered all over her body with the exception of the points of her white sneakers.
'Well, no point in worrying now. I guess I'll just have to deal with whatever comes my way.' Meanwhile, she had a great in-flight movie to watch.
-Bayville Airport-
"Vat does she look like? Tell me!" Kurt eagerly awaited the arrival for the new girl every day, even counting down the time.
He wasn't all that interested, but ever since he and Rogue found out that they were foster-siblings, he had taken a particular liking to annoying her to no end. He wasn't even supposed to come to the airport, but knowing he wouldn't stop, Rogue had begged the Professor in allowing Kurt to accompany Rouge and Kitty to the airport. Of course, the night before, Kurt had finally reached his maximum and she banned him from coming along.
'Now ah don't know why the Professor chose Kitty and me. He could've chosen Kurt for all ah care.' Rogue simmered over the thought and now she impatiently waited until the new recruit's plane had arrived.
"Kitty. What does this new gal look lahke?" Rogue asked exasperatedly.
"Like, ya know... " She trailed off.
"She's really pretty. She has like, gorgeous emerald eyes. She's got this like, stunning russet colored hair like yours 'cept lighter, and it spirals down to her waist. And like, it even is curly, like, all natural! Kinda like Jean's, but like, prettier. And she's skinny... like you. Actually, she looks a lot like you, except, she's like, Japanese!"
'God. Another preppy-wannabe.'
"You know, I swear, like, if I didn't know who she was, I would've guessed that like, she was your like, long lost twin or something."
"Except she's Japanese." Rogue put in.
"Right. Like, except for that."
'And she could 'prolly touch...' Rogue added mentally.
Kitty suddenly jerked Rogue's arm down. "Watch my arm, Kit! I'm not indestructahble, aftah all." the southern girl drawled lazily.
"Like, there she is!"
Standing from a distance, a girl fully covered from head to toe, with no skin showing what-so-ever, nervously held a bag and was shifting from foot to foot.
Kitty let go of Rogue's arm and ran up to the girl. Apparently this was the one, because her face lightened up and lost its tension. She grinned easily, showing off her straight white pearl-like teeth, which made Rogue seethe with envy.
'Anotha reason ta hate her more.'
-Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters/The Institute-
//Rogues POV//
As Rogue stepped out of the car, she was mildly surprised. The girl had proven her wrong. Actually, Sakura Kinomoto was indeed nearly like her.
And that surprised her even more.
She hated preps and jocks, ("Who didn't?" The Japanese girl had asked.) HATED any sort of pop or country music ("Britney Spears", and she shuddered. Rogue immediately agreed with her on that.), and most of all, for her own personal reasons, she hated touch.
'Ah think we're going to get along just fahne.' For the first time in all of Bayville history, Rogue smiled.
***************************************************** //Sakura's POV//
As soon as I got out of the car, I tried my best to smother a gasp. "This... is a house?" I said.
Suddenly a boy with hair so dark I could've sworn it looked blue bounded over to me. "Guten tag fräulein!*" [Good day, miss!] Without thinking, the first thing I said was, "Guter tag ebenso.*" [Good day as well.]
The boy started as he stared at me.
Rogue took a peek at me. "You speak German too?" She asked incredulously.
I nodded and embarrassedly rubbed it over my other arm.
"I'm sorry. I don't usually speak other languages... and if I was showing off..." I stopped talking.
Rogue brushed it off like it was nothing.
"Nah, don't worry about it sugar. I was just surprised. Now Kurt won't only bug me when he is on a sugar over-drive. Now he can drive you up the wall."
Appreciatively, she grinned as an after-thought.
"But now, is not a tahme ta talk. I'll take you to the professor. Kurt here can take care of your things." She pointed the teenager over to the trunk and pushed me in the house.
-Professor's Office-
Come in. Sakura pushed on the large brass handle as the door swung open. Sakura entered in hesitantly as Rogue nudged her in. She poked her head in and a white strand of hair landed in her face. "I'll get her set, Professor. She can bunk with me."
She then turned to Sakura and said, "Don't worry. He's nice. And, I'll wait for you after you're done talking with the Prof." She looked towards the elderly man and said, "Ya know what ta do after she's done!"
Rogue left as quickly as she had come in.
The Professor smiled as he told the nervous girl to sit down. "You must have done something she has liked, because I have never seen her take to a person so quickly!"
Charles smiled a comforting smile, as if he was trying to pacify some "inner beast" of hers.
"Don't worry Ms. Kinomoto. Or may I call you Sakura?"
Sakura ventured carefully. "You may do so, sir." Suddenly, the curiosity took over her.
"What was it like, working with my mother?"
He chuckled and said, "You do cut to the chase, don't you, Sakura?"
She smiled, unsure of what to respond back to the what seemed to her a grave man.
He smiled, with his fingers interlaced, propping his chin on top of them.
"No need to worry Sakura. This is a haven for mutants. And I will assure you, nothing will cause you harm while you are here."
Sakura double-took a look at the man before her. "How did you know what I was thinking?" She gasped.
"I am a telepathic. And the rest of the students here, are ones as well. I welcome you to the school for mutants." His eyes twinkled as he looked at the astonished girl.
"You may run along, I'm sure Rogue is beginning to get impatient waiting for you."
Sakura scrambled to get out of the chair and the serene room. She didn't mind the Professor, just that, she felt so out-of-place in a grand space like this, that it was beginning to intimidate her, even if it was just a little.
"And you may want to check the bottom of your bag." He called out.
Sakura bowed respectively and left the vast library-like room.
Rogue was clearing her side of the dormitory as the Professor called out to her. Rogue. Sakura has finished speaking with me. You may come and get her now.
Rogue hurried, by jumping over her bed and ran out the door. Thanks, Professor!
As Sakura wandered out of the room, she stopped outside of the door way and then slipped down a staircase. As she sat up, she saw a patch of ice from the headmaster's doorway all the way down to where she had ended up.
'Bobby.' She thought murderously.
She rubbed her sore bottom and continued her pointless meandering around the vast corridors and rooms.
She was about to turn left, when she heard a loud clanging, couple doors down. She followed the sound and ended up in what she guessed was the kitchen. Only it didn't look like one.
It was swept all over...
With ice.
'Of course.' She thought.
The banging she had heard was coming from a corner. In the secluded are where there was a swinging door, a younger girl with honey-brown hair back in small pigtails sat in a mess of pots and pans.
"Are you alright?"
Immediately, Sakura ran over to the girl who was looking at her with her head cocked to the side.
And just as fast, Sakura wiped out.
"Not again!" She yelled out exasperatedly.
"Bobby got you too, huh?" She asked, in a dull voice.
"Yep." Sakura replied just as annoyed.
"Well, at least we can have some fun!" The girl meta-morphed into a great shaggy looking wolf and began to slide across the ice.
Right towards Sakura.
Of course the girl didn't know she was the new recruit.
Of course she didn't know she had an immense fear of dogs.
Of course, what else could Sakura do, but to throw up her arms in defense?
Or so she thought...
The room had been fully iced, through and through but the hanging plants in Sakura's corner broke free of its cage as Sakura's feelings rolled throughout the large hallway-like room. The vines began to grow and latched onto Sakura like the flower at the restaurant. Sakura wasn't frightened about this, because she was too focused on the sliding she-wolf that was coming closer and closer to her. In a split second, the plants wrapped Sakura in a enormous cocoon of green vines, intertwining and linking with each other as it formed a human bud-like figure around her. The cocoon was the length of the room and the top and bottom had a twisted-like appearance. The foliage around it had stretched out and supported the odd pen from all angles, the appearance of a spider's web and its meal in a silk cocoon coming to mind.
Rahne began to panic. 'Ohmigawd. This is the new recruit. The one that is afraid of dogs... Oh Lord, what have I done?' She started to gulp for air. 'Ohmigawd, ohmigawd, ohmigawd!' Suddenly a loud *bamf* caused Rahne to jump out of her reverie.
"Kurt!"
"Mien Gott*." [My God] Was all that came out of his mouth. "What happened?!" he immediately demanded.
"I don't know! Just get the Professor, and quick!"
Kurt *bamfed* out of the kitchen and into the Professor's study.
"Professor!"
I know Kurt. Teleport me to the kitchen and get Kitty. We will be needing her if Sakura cannot get out on her own.
"Right."
-Kitchen-
Charles Xavier was stumped. He had telepathically attempted to reach Sakura in her shell, but it was impossible. Kitty's phasing powers could not reach inside either. Rogue's deadly touch had no effect on the plants what-so-ever. This was the most confusing case he had gotten yet.
His newest convert, trapped in a live confinement, for a whole hour.
The students of the school had appeared in the kitchen minutes after Rahne had panicked. Rogue was the first one there, worried for her new friend.
"Professor?"
Sakura called out to the headmaster in worry.
They had found out voices could be heard from either side and the vines Sakura was wrapped in was breathable. But the confusing part was that it did not allow any sort of mutation to pass through, or to harm it. It was all natural.
Suddenly, a thought passed through Kitty's head. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it earlier?
"Sakura! SING."
Several students turned to give Kitty an odd look, but the russet haired girl immediately understood.
The first song that popped into her head was the lullaby from the restaurant incident.
Sakura opened her mouth and began to sing in a melodic, almost of like an angelic quality. "Lullaby, and goodnight, go to sleep little baby." The song soothed both her and the live imprisonment.
The plant did not need and more prodding, it began to open. Instead of it disappearing, the vines had morphed into a large blood-red rose. Its soft petals began to unfurl, one by one, the blossom undergoing a full bloom. The center petals, pink tinged with yellow expanded until it exposed Sakura, sitting on a "flower-chair". The vines pushed her upward, guiding her unsteady feet and other vines gently wrapped around her waist, pulling her to her feet.
"Always make this sort of entrance?" Rogue drawled.
Sakura just laughed.
To my lovely readers:
Did you enjoy this chapter? I hope you did, because I had loads of fun imagining this up! I hope you liked this chapter, because there are more to come!
From, The People's Writer :]
I had lots of fun writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Much Love,
The People's Writer
FYI:
'Personal Thoughts'
~"Inner Voices"~
ESP
%The Written Word%
[Flashback]
"Normal Conversation (Duh)"
* Com Link or Telephone *
*Sound Effects (usually just Kurt's bamfing)
{Background noise--music, crowds, etc.}
-Tomoeda, Japan-
A long auburn lock fell into a girl's eyes. 'Dammit. I hate this long hair. Maybe I'll hack it off one day, its bothering me so much.' Her waist length-hair was pulled into a bun and it was now falling apart. An older version of the girl walked into her bedroom and as if she knew what she was thinking said, "Don't you dare." She tugged on the same tress that had been in Sakura's face earlier.
Sakura grinned as her mother came into her room. "Can you believe I am leaving for the States tomorrow?" Jin sighed. "No, what I can't believe is what a slob my daughter is." She glanced around the room with obvious disgust.
"Mo-ther!" Sakura said exasperatedly.
"Just kidding!" Mrs. Kinomoto took a deep breath.
"What I can't believe is that I'm going to be losing my daughter so quickly. And here I was, thinking that you wouldn't be leaving until you turned at least eighteen!" Jin pulled out a large handkerchief and blew her nose dramatically.
"I'm sorry mother. But at least you will have your okaa-san. Right?" Sakura smiled prettily at her mother who tweaked her cheek.
"At least you could have some time to yourself now!" Sakura put in, trying to bribe her mother into becoming happy.
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
The teenager pulled a stray lock loose from her bun and twirled it around her finger.
"We-ell..." She grinned. "Yea. I am."
"You little..." Jin began to tickle Sakura mercilessly.
Sakura and Jin's relationship was an unusual one for a parent and her daughter. They were extraordinarily close and it was made known. It had bonded even closer when her father had left the both of them for another woman when the child was but only ten. Mrs. Kinomoto had been devastated, but Sakura was secretly glad.
She knew her father was a drunk, and he would beat her whenever he felt right. Her mother had not known of these beatings, because Sakura begged her father to take the punishment out on her. Her mother adored Mr. Kinomoto and Sakura didn't want to break her heart.
Sakura sighed out loud as she thought about leaving her mother and her grandmother all alone.
"What are you thinking about, dear?"
Sakura unhappily frowned and said, "Leaving you and grand-mama all alone in Japan."
"It's ok. I know this is for the best. I knew your powers would 'kick' in sometime, sooner or later."
Sakura did a double take. "You knew?!"
"Of course! If you didn't get them from your father's bloodline, you would at least have inherited mine!"
"YOURS?" She exclaimed.
"Of course! Remember those stories I'd use to tell right before you went to bed?"
"Those stories of those magical kings and queens and their abilities?"
"Those are the ones. And what's more, they are the truth. They were of either Kietaro's stories or mine."
Sakura grimaced when her mother used her ex-father's name.
"Well, then... What is your power?"
"Watch this."
She concentrated on the cup of tea that had been placed on Sakura's nightstand previously. She tapped into her "power-line" and used that energy to channel it towards the liquid. The brown tea rose, little droplets at a time and finally formed a small globe of the flavored water. She finally lost her concentration and guided the tea back into its original captive place.
Jin wiped her brow tiredly. "I haven't done that in years."
Sakura looked at her mother with awe. 'Water manipulation' she whispered in the corner of her mind.
"Whoa! Where did you learn to do that?"
"With a man named Xavier. He is the head-master of the school you are going to be heading at." "It sure is a small world after all." She mumbled under her breath.
Sakura's mind wandered as she remembered the stranger people from her afternoon.
[Flashback]
'The people from the States were sure different!' Sakura thought. She had been discharged from the care of the hospital and now was taking her soon-to-be classmates and teacher around Japan.
Her mother had finally agreed with them to allow Sakura to go to a school; and that was of course after she had interrogated Mrs. Munroe with questions about it. Sakura wanted to go to the school; she definitely knew that she wouldn't been able to handle such power alone, and after that incident with that drunken man...
She shuddered involuntarily, and just prayed that something like that would never happen again, to anything, and that included both people she loved and those she hated. All she hoped was that the head-master could help her with her situation.
And, since she had always wanted to go to a school in the States, here was her chance, on a silver platter.
She strained to remember the name of the school. What was it called again? Oh yes. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
"And, this is Kohana Park." She pointed towards her left, still a little dazed from the whirlwind of events. "It means 'Little Flower' in Japanese."
The area she had implied with her indicated was a beautiful luscious vicinity. This district had been had been marked off as a 'City Park'. The grounds were littered with beautiful cherry blossoms as the sakura trees swayed in the breeze.
Ororo gasped as Jean and Kitty clapped appreciatively. Even Bobby, who didn't care much for nature, had to agree-this place was pleasing to the eye.
As the time neared to an end, she took them to a sea-side restaurant, with her mother's blessing of course, and had began to ask her many questions.
"What is it like, you know. In the States?"
"Its quite pretty actually, and it isn't all that bad." Jean said.
"Like, yea! Bayville's pretty cool, and like, the students at the Institute aren't that bad either. Bobby here," She jabbed him in the ribs "Is actually one of the little baddies."
"Ororo!" He complained.
"Don't look at me, boy. Fight your own battles." She grinned at the stunning Asian girl as she watched the two struggle.
"Other students?" She shyly asked, "What are they like?"
"Don't worry. They don't bite." Jean smiled as she held up a cup of an after-coffee dinner. "Well, Rhane does, but only to protect herself."
"B-bite?" Sakura faced towards Bobby with an alarmed face.
"Like, stop scaring her Bobby!" Kitty glared at the boy and said, "Don't worry. Her mutation is like, to become a wolf. So... I guess that would like, make her a were-wolf."
Sakura smiled nervously and explained herself. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm not much up for dogs. I was hurt quite a while ago, around five or so, by a large dog. I didn't know that the dog was a wild stray and I tried to pet it, but it turned around and bit me in the ribs. I-I haven't recovered since..." She whispered the last part out.
"No worries! Rahne wouldn't hurt you. She wouldn't touch a fly!" Jean tried to say, attempting to soothe the agitated girl.
Sakura's auburn locks began to fall into her face as she began to think of the memory. She kept wringing her hands as she remembered the horrible day.
"Oh my gosh! Like, Ororo! Look at that plant!"
The freshly cut plant, placed in a vase for decoration began to bloom and spread buds as it fed off of the girl's feelings. The plant's roots crawled rapidly out of the vase and onto Kitty's hands. The roots turned a dark hunter green hue as it spun frantically around her wrists. It latched onto her arms and began to grow with an intensity faster than before.
Kitty stifled a scream as the plant began to lock itself onto her wrist.
Ororo took charge of the situation and said, "Calm down Sakura. What calms you down?" She asked quickly, knowing that there was inadequate amount of time until someone began to notice.
Sakura grasped at what her teacher was saying and immediately began to sing. She hummed the tune to Braham's Lullaby as the plant began to weave back sleepily into its confined area.
She sighed immediately after the plant had been placed back. She glanced over at Kitty and apologized.
"I'm so sorry!" She said, ducking her head in embarrassment. Kitty patted her arm. She flinched. Kitty didn't take notice and continued. "It's ok. When I didn't have control over my power, I fell through my bed and into the basement." She shuddered. "And I like, think I landed on like, a spider."
Sakura laughed as she saw Kitty's mask of horror.
"Wait. Lemme get the straight. You fell through the ceiling, through your bed and landed in a dark basement, and what you worry about is a spider you squashed?" Bobby clarified.
"Like, duh! It was like, my favorite pair of pajamas." Kitty wrinkled her nose in disgust of thinking of anything on her clothes.
"Girls." He retorted.
Sakura smiled and had remembered the night from a week ago as she began to prepare for bed. She stretched herself out on the bed and leisurely inch her body in. Her mother poked her head in and said, "Better sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."
She closed her eyes as she began to dream of pleasant thoughts.
Her mother sneaked in and opened up her pack. 'She'll need this, I know she will.' She placed a package, wrapped in Sakura's favorite color, a dark sea foam green. She skillfully positioned it underneath all her clothes, at the very bottom. "Sleep well my daughter."
She walked over to her and placed a light kiss on her forehead.
-Japan International Airport-
Sakura nervously boarded the airplane. Her friends had left for America the night after Mrs. Kinomoto had agreed to Sakura's release. Now, she was worried.
What if the students didn't like her?
What if she was shunned?
What if... The questions rang throughout her mind as she sat down. *Ding! The bell to signal take-off was sounded in the cabin. Sakura straightened her hunter green turtleneck and pulled her dark hip hugging gray jeans out until it covered all over her body with the exception of the points of her white sneakers.
'Well, no point in worrying now. I guess I'll just have to deal with whatever comes my way.' Meanwhile, she had a great in-flight movie to watch.
-Bayville Airport-
"Vat does she look like? Tell me!" Kurt eagerly awaited the arrival for the new girl every day, even counting down the time.
He wasn't all that interested, but ever since he and Rogue found out that they were foster-siblings, he had taken a particular liking to annoying her to no end. He wasn't even supposed to come to the airport, but knowing he wouldn't stop, Rogue had begged the Professor in allowing Kurt to accompany Rouge and Kitty to the airport. Of course, the night before, Kurt had finally reached his maximum and she banned him from coming along.
'Now ah don't know why the Professor chose Kitty and me. He could've chosen Kurt for all ah care.' Rogue simmered over the thought and now she impatiently waited until the new recruit's plane had arrived.
"Kitty. What does this new gal look lahke?" Rogue asked exasperatedly.
"Like, ya know... " She trailed off.
"She's really pretty. She has like, gorgeous emerald eyes. She's got this like, stunning russet colored hair like yours 'cept lighter, and it spirals down to her waist. And like, it even is curly, like, all natural! Kinda like Jean's, but like, prettier. And she's skinny... like you. Actually, she looks a lot like you, except, she's like, Japanese!"
'God. Another preppy-wannabe.'
"You know, I swear, like, if I didn't know who she was, I would've guessed that like, she was your like, long lost twin or something."
"Except she's Japanese." Rogue put in.
"Right. Like, except for that."
'And she could 'prolly touch...' Rogue added mentally.
Kitty suddenly jerked Rogue's arm down. "Watch my arm, Kit! I'm not indestructahble, aftah all." the southern girl drawled lazily.
"Like, there she is!"
Standing from a distance, a girl fully covered from head to toe, with no skin showing what-so-ever, nervously held a bag and was shifting from foot to foot.
Kitty let go of Rogue's arm and ran up to the girl. Apparently this was the one, because her face lightened up and lost its tension. She grinned easily, showing off her straight white pearl-like teeth, which made Rogue seethe with envy.
'Anotha reason ta hate her more.'
-Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters/The Institute-
//Rogues POV//
As Rogue stepped out of the car, she was mildly surprised. The girl had proven her wrong. Actually, Sakura Kinomoto was indeed nearly like her.
And that surprised her even more.
She hated preps and jocks, ("Who didn't?" The Japanese girl had asked.) HATED any sort of pop or country music ("Britney Spears", and she shuddered. Rogue immediately agreed with her on that.), and most of all, for her own personal reasons, she hated touch.
'Ah think we're going to get along just fahne.' For the first time in all of Bayville history, Rogue smiled.
***************************************************** //Sakura's POV//
As soon as I got out of the car, I tried my best to smother a gasp. "This... is a house?" I said.
Suddenly a boy with hair so dark I could've sworn it looked blue bounded over to me. "Guten tag fräulein!*" [Good day, miss!] Without thinking, the first thing I said was, "Guter tag ebenso.*" [Good day as well.]
The boy started as he stared at me.
Rogue took a peek at me. "You speak German too?" She asked incredulously.
I nodded and embarrassedly rubbed it over my other arm.
"I'm sorry. I don't usually speak other languages... and if I was showing off..." I stopped talking.
Rogue brushed it off like it was nothing.
"Nah, don't worry about it sugar. I was just surprised. Now Kurt won't only bug me when he is on a sugar over-drive. Now he can drive you up the wall."
Appreciatively, she grinned as an after-thought.
"But now, is not a tahme ta talk. I'll take you to the professor. Kurt here can take care of your things." She pointed the teenager over to the trunk and pushed me in the house.
-Professor's Office-
Come in. Sakura pushed on the large brass handle as the door swung open. Sakura entered in hesitantly as Rogue nudged her in. She poked her head in and a white strand of hair landed in her face. "I'll get her set, Professor. She can bunk with me."
She then turned to Sakura and said, "Don't worry. He's nice. And, I'll wait for you after you're done talking with the Prof." She looked towards the elderly man and said, "Ya know what ta do after she's done!"
Rogue left as quickly as she had come in.
The Professor smiled as he told the nervous girl to sit down. "You must have done something she has liked, because I have never seen her take to a person so quickly!"
Charles smiled a comforting smile, as if he was trying to pacify some "inner beast" of hers.
"Don't worry Ms. Kinomoto. Or may I call you Sakura?"
Sakura ventured carefully. "You may do so, sir." Suddenly, the curiosity took over her.
"What was it like, working with my mother?"
He chuckled and said, "You do cut to the chase, don't you, Sakura?"
She smiled, unsure of what to respond back to the what seemed to her a grave man.
He smiled, with his fingers interlaced, propping his chin on top of them.
"No need to worry Sakura. This is a haven for mutants. And I will assure you, nothing will cause you harm while you are here."
Sakura double-took a look at the man before her. "How did you know what I was thinking?" She gasped.
"I am a telepathic. And the rest of the students here, are ones as well. I welcome you to the school for mutants." His eyes twinkled as he looked at the astonished girl.
"You may run along, I'm sure Rogue is beginning to get impatient waiting for you."
Sakura scrambled to get out of the chair and the serene room. She didn't mind the Professor, just that, she felt so out-of-place in a grand space like this, that it was beginning to intimidate her, even if it was just a little.
"And you may want to check the bottom of your bag." He called out.
Sakura bowed respectively and left the vast library-like room.
Rogue was clearing her side of the dormitory as the Professor called out to her. Rogue. Sakura has finished speaking with me. You may come and get her now.
Rogue hurried, by jumping over her bed and ran out the door. Thanks, Professor!
As Sakura wandered out of the room, she stopped outside of the door way and then slipped down a staircase. As she sat up, she saw a patch of ice from the headmaster's doorway all the way down to where she had ended up.
'Bobby.' She thought murderously.
She rubbed her sore bottom and continued her pointless meandering around the vast corridors and rooms.
She was about to turn left, when she heard a loud clanging, couple doors down. She followed the sound and ended up in what she guessed was the kitchen. Only it didn't look like one.
It was swept all over...
With ice.
'Of course.' She thought.
The banging she had heard was coming from a corner. In the secluded are where there was a swinging door, a younger girl with honey-brown hair back in small pigtails sat in a mess of pots and pans.
"Are you alright?"
Immediately, Sakura ran over to the girl who was looking at her with her head cocked to the side.
And just as fast, Sakura wiped out.
"Not again!" She yelled out exasperatedly.
"Bobby got you too, huh?" She asked, in a dull voice.
"Yep." Sakura replied just as annoyed.
"Well, at least we can have some fun!" The girl meta-morphed into a great shaggy looking wolf and began to slide across the ice.
Right towards Sakura.
Of course the girl didn't know she was the new recruit.
Of course she didn't know she had an immense fear of dogs.
Of course, what else could Sakura do, but to throw up her arms in defense?
Or so she thought...
The room had been fully iced, through and through but the hanging plants in Sakura's corner broke free of its cage as Sakura's feelings rolled throughout the large hallway-like room. The vines began to grow and latched onto Sakura like the flower at the restaurant. Sakura wasn't frightened about this, because she was too focused on the sliding she-wolf that was coming closer and closer to her. In a split second, the plants wrapped Sakura in a enormous cocoon of green vines, intertwining and linking with each other as it formed a human bud-like figure around her. The cocoon was the length of the room and the top and bottom had a twisted-like appearance. The foliage around it had stretched out and supported the odd pen from all angles, the appearance of a spider's web and its meal in a silk cocoon coming to mind.
Rahne began to panic. 'Ohmigawd. This is the new recruit. The one that is afraid of dogs... Oh Lord, what have I done?' She started to gulp for air. 'Ohmigawd, ohmigawd, ohmigawd!' Suddenly a loud *bamf* caused Rahne to jump out of her reverie.
"Kurt!"
"Mien Gott*." [My God] Was all that came out of his mouth. "What happened?!" he immediately demanded.
"I don't know! Just get the Professor, and quick!"
Kurt *bamfed* out of the kitchen and into the Professor's study.
"Professor!"
I know Kurt. Teleport me to the kitchen and get Kitty. We will be needing her if Sakura cannot get out on her own.
"Right."
-Kitchen-
Charles Xavier was stumped. He had telepathically attempted to reach Sakura in her shell, but it was impossible. Kitty's phasing powers could not reach inside either. Rogue's deadly touch had no effect on the plants what-so-ever. This was the most confusing case he had gotten yet.
His newest convert, trapped in a live confinement, for a whole hour.
The students of the school had appeared in the kitchen minutes after Rahne had panicked. Rogue was the first one there, worried for her new friend.
"Professor?"
Sakura called out to the headmaster in worry.
They had found out voices could be heard from either side and the vines Sakura was wrapped in was breathable. But the confusing part was that it did not allow any sort of mutation to pass through, or to harm it. It was all natural.
Suddenly, a thought passed through Kitty's head. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it earlier?
"Sakura! SING."
Several students turned to give Kitty an odd look, but the russet haired girl immediately understood.
The first song that popped into her head was the lullaby from the restaurant incident.
Sakura opened her mouth and began to sing in a melodic, almost of like an angelic quality. "Lullaby, and goodnight, go to sleep little baby." The song soothed both her and the live imprisonment.
The plant did not need and more prodding, it began to open. Instead of it disappearing, the vines had morphed into a large blood-red rose. Its soft petals began to unfurl, one by one, the blossom undergoing a full bloom. The center petals, pink tinged with yellow expanded until it exposed Sakura, sitting on a "flower-chair". The vines pushed her upward, guiding her unsteady feet and other vines gently wrapped around her waist, pulling her to her feet.
"Always make this sort of entrance?" Rogue drawled.
Sakura just laughed.
To my lovely readers:
Did you enjoy this chapter? I hope you did, because I had loads of fun imagining this up! I hope you liked this chapter, because there are more to come!
From, The People's Writer :]
