Regina: Okay, sorry for those of you who have been waiting for more of
'Beauty and the Beast', or 'Role Reversal', but I had more of 'Trial by
Fire' to write instead. I promise that the next chapter I write will be for
'Beauty and the Beast', and then 'Role Reversal'. But for those of you who
like 'Trial by Fire', then be happy, because this is the next bit!
Sorry this has taken me so long, it's just that school has started up again, and I have been busy working on my websites. Yes, websites, plural. The first one, Randomland, is my personal site, and it can be found The other one will not really be up for a while yet, although the front page is up now, if you want to go check it out. It's called 'Mutant High', and it's and X-Men movie site. It's focused more on the students at the school, but everything is told from a (fictional) student's point of view. The mutant, by the way, is Nicki, from 'God defend New Zealand', as I could not be stuffed thinking up a new character. The site will also have my interpretations of stuff that happened, which was not shown in the movies, like what happened after Colossus and co. made it out of the mansion after Stryker came along. Anyways, the site is although don't expect too much there just yet.
Gotta go, as I have more to write, and more of my websites to work on!
Trial by Fire
Chapter Seven: Lost in Flames
Ororo sat up with a start. "What?!" she demanded of the girl at her bedside.
"Amara's gone!" repeated Tabitha, obviously distraught at her friend's disappearance.
"What do you mean, 'gone'?" asked Ororo. "Are you sure she's just not somewhere else in the mansion?"
"I went past her bedroom, and the door was open. She wasn't in her bed!" added Tabitha abruptly. "So I looked around, and she wasn't anywhere. So I went back to her room, just in case - and it was still empty!"
"Where could she be?" asked Ororo, running a hand worriedly through her white hair.
"I don't know," replied Tabitha, 'but I think it has something to do with Pyro."
*
Amara wandered through the flames, searching. What it was that she was searching for she did not know, however she knew that she had to find it. If she didn't. . . it would be disaster.
These flames had filled her vision since her eyes had opened - how long ago that was, however, she did not know. In this state she had no sense of time, but no real reason for it either.
All that mattered was what she was looking for.
Nothing beyond the sphere of fire that surrounded her mattered, and she could not feel it either. She did not feel the ground beneath her feet change - from the smooth surface of flooring to the rough earth and grass. She did not realise that her hand had moved to open a door that had blocked her path, and she had not noticed that she was outside, no longer safe within the confines of the mansion.
She followed the thing that was calling her, drawing her towards it. It bade the fire inside of her to come to it, to merge, to blend, and to become strong.
Oh, how she wanted to find what she was looking for! How she wanted to know what siren song was calling her beyond the safety of her world! And how she wanted to be with it, to become one with it, for with it she belonged.
Suddenly a voice broke though her dreamworld, shattering the glass that had her cocooned, and dragging her out of the flames that kept her safe and warm.
"Amara?"
At the sound of the voice, something strange happened. Stranger than what had happened every time before. Instead of the voice sending her spiralling into heaven, or into chaos, it did the complete opposite.
It brought her crashing down to earth.
She re-entered her own body with such suddenness that she almost fell to her knees, the force that surrounded her was that strong.
But what was it?
Amara tried to get back to her feet, but the strain was too much. Everything went blurry, and the last thing that she could discern was the strong, but gentle arms that carried her away, and into the night.
*
Except for a few yawns here and there, the students of the Xavier Institute were wide awake, concern for the their friend and team-mate keeping sleep at bay.
Under the orders of the teachers, they had all been searching for the missing Amara, each one of them using their own unique talents to look for the girl. At least a dozen Jamies had scoured the mansion, looking for any clues as to where she might be.
They had found none.
Jean and Ororo had taken to the air, hoping to catch a glimpse of Amara.
But they, too, found none.
Logan used his extra keen senses, hoping to pick up Amara's trail.
It went cold as soon as he left her room.
And while everyone else searched the grounds, Xavier used Cerebro, hoping to find her.
But she was not using her powers.
Amara was gone, and from what it seemed, they had absolutely no ways to find her, or any clues to her whereabouts.
None whatsoever.
She had vanished.
*
The touch of a gentle hand brought Amara back to the real world. She expected to see Ororo there, perhaps, when she opened her eyes, or maybe Kitty there with some kind of horrible food to 'cure' her. Even Logan would have been a grateful sight, even though he would undoubtedly be angry with her for taking off in the middle of the night.
But the face that was peering down at her, eyes full of concern, was not that of one of the mutants at the Institute.
"You 'k?" asked a voice, heavy with an Australian accent.
Instinct made Amara push him away with her hands, and she shuffled back as far as she could, trying to put as much distance between herself and the mutant in front of her.
Unfortunately, that was only about half a metre.
"Amara?" asked John. "You 'k?"
Amara tossed her head to the side, indignant. "No, I am not! How can you ask that when you have kidnapped me?!"
John paused. "Um, Amara? I didn't kidnap you."
"How stupid do I look?"
John didn't answer that question. "I didn't kidnap you," he repeated. "I found you, wandering in the middle of the night, and brought you here." He smiled brightly.
Amara looked around. She was sitting on a bed in what seemed to be a bedroom. A nice one, too. "Where is here?"
"Not Magneto's secret base, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not as dumb as I look, y'know."
Amara decided not to answer that question.
"Uh, huh." Amara wasn't convinced by all of this.
Suddenly, John jumped up from the chair he had been sitting on. "Where are my manners?!" He ran a hand through his hair, which, Amara noticed, were like flames, licking down towards his eyes, eyes which threatened to swallow her up and. . .
Amara shook her head, clearing it of. . . whatever it was.
"Would you like something to drink?"
Amara nodded, biting her tongue.
After a few moments, John returned from, what she assumed was, the kitchen, a mug in his hands. Steam rose up from inside the mug.
"Here you go." He handed the mug to Amara.
Carefully, Amara took it, and gingerly looked inside. It was hot chocolate, and from the looks of things, it was made just the way she liked it.
She smiled, briefly. "Thank you."
John seemed to blush, but he hid it well. "You're welcome, Amara."
Just as Amara raised the mug to her lips, a voice echoed in her mind. "Amara!" The sound of Xavier's voice - she knew instantly that it was his - caused such a fright that the mug fell out of her already trembling hands, and landed, ever so slowly, on the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.
"Oh, no! I'm sorry!" cried Amara softly, shifting off the bed so that she was on her knees next to the brown puddle that was still steaming slightly.
John seemed to have had the same idea, as suddenly Amara found herself on the floor, her eyes perfectly level with his.
And this time she could not escape.
She was so trapped in his eyes, so swallowed up by the sight of them, that she made no move to escape or resist, as he leaned forward. . . . . .and gently pressed his lips to hers.
Sorry this has taken me so long, it's just that school has started up again, and I have been busy working on my websites. Yes, websites, plural. The first one, Randomland, is my personal site, and it can be found The other one will not really be up for a while yet, although the front page is up now, if you want to go check it out. It's called 'Mutant High', and it's and X-Men movie site. It's focused more on the students at the school, but everything is told from a (fictional) student's point of view. The mutant, by the way, is Nicki, from 'God defend New Zealand', as I could not be stuffed thinking up a new character. The site will also have my interpretations of stuff that happened, which was not shown in the movies, like what happened after Colossus and co. made it out of the mansion after Stryker came along. Anyways, the site is although don't expect too much there just yet.
Gotta go, as I have more to write, and more of my websites to work on!
Trial by Fire
Chapter Seven: Lost in Flames
Ororo sat up with a start. "What?!" she demanded of the girl at her bedside.
"Amara's gone!" repeated Tabitha, obviously distraught at her friend's disappearance.
"What do you mean, 'gone'?" asked Ororo. "Are you sure she's just not somewhere else in the mansion?"
"I went past her bedroom, and the door was open. She wasn't in her bed!" added Tabitha abruptly. "So I looked around, and she wasn't anywhere. So I went back to her room, just in case - and it was still empty!"
"Where could she be?" asked Ororo, running a hand worriedly through her white hair.
"I don't know," replied Tabitha, 'but I think it has something to do with Pyro."
*
Amara wandered through the flames, searching. What it was that she was searching for she did not know, however she knew that she had to find it. If she didn't. . . it would be disaster.
These flames had filled her vision since her eyes had opened - how long ago that was, however, she did not know. In this state she had no sense of time, but no real reason for it either.
All that mattered was what she was looking for.
Nothing beyond the sphere of fire that surrounded her mattered, and she could not feel it either. She did not feel the ground beneath her feet change - from the smooth surface of flooring to the rough earth and grass. She did not realise that her hand had moved to open a door that had blocked her path, and she had not noticed that she was outside, no longer safe within the confines of the mansion.
She followed the thing that was calling her, drawing her towards it. It bade the fire inside of her to come to it, to merge, to blend, and to become strong.
Oh, how she wanted to find what she was looking for! How she wanted to know what siren song was calling her beyond the safety of her world! And how she wanted to be with it, to become one with it, for with it she belonged.
Suddenly a voice broke though her dreamworld, shattering the glass that had her cocooned, and dragging her out of the flames that kept her safe and warm.
"Amara?"
At the sound of the voice, something strange happened. Stranger than what had happened every time before. Instead of the voice sending her spiralling into heaven, or into chaos, it did the complete opposite.
It brought her crashing down to earth.
She re-entered her own body with such suddenness that she almost fell to her knees, the force that surrounded her was that strong.
But what was it?
Amara tried to get back to her feet, but the strain was too much. Everything went blurry, and the last thing that she could discern was the strong, but gentle arms that carried her away, and into the night.
*
Except for a few yawns here and there, the students of the Xavier Institute were wide awake, concern for the their friend and team-mate keeping sleep at bay.
Under the orders of the teachers, they had all been searching for the missing Amara, each one of them using their own unique talents to look for the girl. At least a dozen Jamies had scoured the mansion, looking for any clues as to where she might be.
They had found none.
Jean and Ororo had taken to the air, hoping to catch a glimpse of Amara.
But they, too, found none.
Logan used his extra keen senses, hoping to pick up Amara's trail.
It went cold as soon as he left her room.
And while everyone else searched the grounds, Xavier used Cerebro, hoping to find her.
But she was not using her powers.
Amara was gone, and from what it seemed, they had absolutely no ways to find her, or any clues to her whereabouts.
None whatsoever.
She had vanished.
*
The touch of a gentle hand brought Amara back to the real world. She expected to see Ororo there, perhaps, when she opened her eyes, or maybe Kitty there with some kind of horrible food to 'cure' her. Even Logan would have been a grateful sight, even though he would undoubtedly be angry with her for taking off in the middle of the night.
But the face that was peering down at her, eyes full of concern, was not that of one of the mutants at the Institute.
"You 'k?" asked a voice, heavy with an Australian accent.
Instinct made Amara push him away with her hands, and she shuffled back as far as she could, trying to put as much distance between herself and the mutant in front of her.
Unfortunately, that was only about half a metre.
"Amara?" asked John. "You 'k?"
Amara tossed her head to the side, indignant. "No, I am not! How can you ask that when you have kidnapped me?!"
John paused. "Um, Amara? I didn't kidnap you."
"How stupid do I look?"
John didn't answer that question. "I didn't kidnap you," he repeated. "I found you, wandering in the middle of the night, and brought you here." He smiled brightly.
Amara looked around. She was sitting on a bed in what seemed to be a bedroom. A nice one, too. "Where is here?"
"Not Magneto's secret base, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not as dumb as I look, y'know."
Amara decided not to answer that question.
"Uh, huh." Amara wasn't convinced by all of this.
Suddenly, John jumped up from the chair he had been sitting on. "Where are my manners?!" He ran a hand through his hair, which, Amara noticed, were like flames, licking down towards his eyes, eyes which threatened to swallow her up and. . .
Amara shook her head, clearing it of. . . whatever it was.
"Would you like something to drink?"
Amara nodded, biting her tongue.
After a few moments, John returned from, what she assumed was, the kitchen, a mug in his hands. Steam rose up from inside the mug.
"Here you go." He handed the mug to Amara.
Carefully, Amara took it, and gingerly looked inside. It was hot chocolate, and from the looks of things, it was made just the way she liked it.
She smiled, briefly. "Thank you."
John seemed to blush, but he hid it well. "You're welcome, Amara."
Just as Amara raised the mug to her lips, a voice echoed in her mind. "Amara!" The sound of Xavier's voice - she knew instantly that it was his - caused such a fright that the mug fell out of her already trembling hands, and landed, ever so slowly, on the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.
"Oh, no! I'm sorry!" cried Amara softly, shifting off the bed so that she was on her knees next to the brown puddle that was still steaming slightly.
John seemed to have had the same idea, as suddenly Amara found herself on the floor, her eyes perfectly level with his.
And this time she could not escape.
She was so trapped in his eyes, so swallowed up by the sight of them, that she made no move to escape or resist, as he leaned forward. . . . . .and gently pressed his lips to hers.