"Then we are agreed?"
"We are," replied Fury. "The Council has agreed to recognize your as-of-yet unnamed nation, and we will set aside the city of Bayville for you and your people. In exchange for a cease fire on both sides."
"Or any aggressive moves of any nature," stated Scott, clearly outlining the new law he'd been working so hard to make. Fury nodded again. "Good. I'm glad we could come to an agreement about this."
"As am I," replied Fury. "I imagine we'll be speaking more in future. Fury out," he said, his image fading from the computer screen. Scott sighed, flipping off the screen. He sat back, rubbing his temples idly. Things were harder becoming diplomatic than blowing things apart with his optic blasts. Still, it was proving to be infinitely more productive.
Since the failure of Operation: Annihilation, the human forces had caved, giving up hope. Coupled with the massive casualties on both sides, they were ready to talk and end the senseless war. Already Scott and Fury had begun hammering out a treaty that would bring peace back to the planet Earth. It would be done before the month was out, and signed by both sides.
A gently nudge at Scott's side caused him to glance up, spotting Jean there, holding out some water. He eagerly took it, gulping it down. His mouth was dry from talking for so long with Fury.
"Thanks Jean," he said.
She smiled that quiet smile, turning to shuffle out of the room with the empty glass in her hands. Poor thing. Her mind had been all but half-fried during her own experiments in the human custody. Now she could barely together a coherent sentence, and coupled with her telekinetic powers, she was both unpredictable and unreliable.
Still, Scott couldn't help but smile every time he saw her.
"Any news?" asked Ororo, walking into the room as Jean left, easily side-stepping the redhead before she walked right into her.
"We've managed to work out a cease fire. Have Gauntlet withdraw his team from the southern border. But we'll leave Mastermind there just in case, to keep an eye on things."
"Still don't trust them, do you?" asked Ororo, folding her arms.
"Hell no," he replied with a smile.
They both shared a good laugh at that. And for the first time since the beginning of the war, the laughter flowed freely.
With the war over, a memorial was finally erected. They'd chosen the most appropriate spot in Bayville... the old Xavier mansion. It was under renovation, and soon would be ready for Scott and the others to move in and begin living above ground normally again. Other homes nearby were being renovated and repaired as well, for the other mutants. Part of his deal with the humans had included sending those still in camps and experimental programs to Bayville and shutting down said camps and experiments. So far, Fury had proved true to his word. Like Scott, he was tired of fighting.
The memorial was a simple obelisk, tapered to a fine tip, made of white marble. At the very top was the name that had led them all through years of fear, pain and doubt.
{Eric Magnus Lensherr - Magneto}
And beneath that, the name that had begun the war, and its first casualty. In whose memory it had been fought.
{Charles Francis Xavier - Professor X}
Below those two names followed a host of others, long and detailed, taking up every inch of available surface of the six foot high memorial. Each a name of a lost one, a comrade-in-arms, a friend, or a family member. It was to this place that Scott Summers turned his steps as the sun set over the horizon. He needed a chance to unwind.
Rogue was there when he arrived, staring up at the tip of the memorial, staring hard at the names of Eric and Charles. She glanced over at Scott as he arrived.
"Is it going well?"
"Decent," he replied, stepping beside her, also staring up at the names. "I sometimes wonder how you do it in your world... how you kept the peace. How Xavier did it."
"The X-Men," she replied, without hesitation.
"Be sure nice if they were around here," he remarked.
Rogue pondered that a moment, then smirked, reaching down and unbuckling the belt slung around her hips. Wasn't functional really, since her uniform was one-piece (besides, she'd need a replacement after all the fighting she'd been through) but this was important. Using her superhuman strength, she tore off the buckle with the distinct 'X' shape. Smiling, she offered it to Scott.
"What's this?" he asked, accepting it. Running his finger along the golden yellow edge, the black 'X' on the field of red.
"It's a symbol," she replied. "Use it, and form your own X-Men. And maybe they can help make this a better world."
He smiled, taking the buckle and placing it in his jacket. Then he took Rogue's hand, and shook it.
"You're leaving?" he asked quietly.
"You know I have to."
"We'll miss you here," he said. "I'll miss you..."
"Scott, no, we've been over this. Its not me you miss, its your Rogue... this world's Rogue."
"Who's you now... or you're her. Or..."
"No. I am me," she replied firmly. "And I want to go home."
Scott sighed. He recognized that tone. Zero chance of arguing.
"Then get home safely," he replied.
"Soon as someone shows up," she stated, glancing around. No sign of him still. Scott tilted his head curiously.
"Who're you waiting for?"
"Uh... that... that's me," interjected a third voice, as Kurt waved at them nervously, hanging upside down from a nearby dead tree. With practiced grace but little of his usual showing off, he flipped gracefully onto his feet and walked over towards the two of them. Another difference. Rogue would be happy to see her silly little bro fooling around back in her world. But at least she could make one last difference before she left.
"Okay Kurt, time to go," she said, hoisting him up, piggy-back style, onto her back. Her clung on for dear life as they lifted up into the air. Rogue waved one final time back down at Scott... silently wishing him luck. She hoped she'd managed to make a difference here.
And so Rogue and Kurt flew off, heading west. Into the setting sun. She kept one hand up to shield her eyes as she flew onwards. Tomorrow was the day. At the rate she flew, with a passenger, she'd be there by early morning.
Rosaline Jackson smiled as Gauntlet's team of youngsters came running up to her, shouting and clamoring almost all at once. One could hardly imagine most of them were already trained killers. They still acted like little kids.
"Willow, Willow!" they shouted, drawing nearer her and her mentor. "We planted all those seeds, just like you asked Willow."
"Thank you all," she replied graciously, thanking each one in turn. Theresa, Kevin, Jono, Masque (no one knew her real name, including herself), and Torpid (likewise). Her brother Day and Betsy were already inside the mansion, working on other projects. They all gave rushed back into the Xavier mansion to find other work to do, using their boundless childish energy and incredible power to make the Xavier Institute a place worth living. A home. Not some fortress that served the function of life, a place where they could truly enjoy living.
And now it was Rosaline's turn. She signaled to Ororo, who floated up into the sky and had storm clouds gather. Sending a gentle rain to caress the currently rocky, dusty, red mud grounds that covered the grounds of the mansion and, indeed, all of Bayville.
Time for some changes.
Rosaline gestured, and the seeds in the ground shuddered, moving to her will. They began to grow. They poked up out of the ground in small twos and threes, little patches of green in the red earth. Then they spread, flowing, filling the grounds until it was covered in thick layers of grass, and Rosaline eagerly slid off her boots to step into the wet grass and feel it between her toes. She sighed blissfully.
She'd missed that feeling.
So it was that she stretched out her hands, her work not done. As the storm raged above her, Ororo's work aiding her own, a tree grew from the ground, spreading out its limbs to capture the falling water. A small tree, but some day it would be strong, big and mighty. Rosaline would see to that. Waving her hands like a conductor, another tree arose from the ground. And another, and another.
Then, Rosaline sunk to the ground, exhausted, and Ororo ended her storm, drifting down to land beside her, helping the blonde-haired girl to her feet so they might both see the fruit of their labors.
It was beautiful.
Paradise on earth.
There was still more work to be done, to be sure. The city of Bayville needed work, as did countless places world wide. Part of the deal Scott was working out with the humans was to allow for mutual exchange of resources. That included the practical use of mutants powers.
It would be worth it, to make the world green again.
Scott sat down on his new bed, in the master bedroom of the Xavier Mansion, idly twirling a lock of auburn hair between his fingers. Over the years, he'd kept it, always at his side, in his pocket, beneath his pillow. It'd been his little piece of her that he'd kept with him always.
But now, he thought with a sigh, it was time to let go of the past... and look to the future. With tenderness, he placed the lock of hair in a small wooden box and placed it under his bed. Let go of the past, but not forget it.
"You seem upset," came a voice from the doorway. A purple-haired girl stood their, clad in the thinnest of black silks. Her eyes were yellow, with cat-like pupils, and Scott instantly recognized Mystique. "Need some company?"
"No," he replied. "Thank you Mystique," he added, as she sighed softly, shifting her body into a more presentable one and turning to walk out. "Although..."
"Yes?" she asked, turning back to face him.
"Its almost time for dinner, isn't it?" he asked.
"It is. Shall I send Jean up with some?"
Mystique might not've realized it, but nothing would've made him happier at the moment. He nodded. Mystique smiled knowingly as she turned her head, nodding, and walked away, striding off down the corridor.
Rogue landed, as she'd predicted, early in the morning right outside the hut. Giving a gentle shake to rouse her passenger (poor Kurt had fallen asleep midway there) she stepped over to knock on the plain wooden door, as she'd done almost a week ago.
And, as a week ago, before she could knock, a voice interrupted her.
"Come on in Rogue."
With a smirk, Rogue slid open the door without hesitation, having half-expected that. Amanda sat on her bed cross-legged. All the candles were already lit, giving the room a strange, otherworldly glow.
"You've been expecting me."
"I'd be a poor sorceress if I hadn't been," replied Amanda, not opening her eyes. She was deep in meditation. "Give me an additional moment, I shall be outside to perform the spell and send you home."
"Sure," replied Rogue, closing the door and leaving Amanda in private. Kurt had wandered over to the chicken pen, feeding the birds with a careworn expression on his face. Rogue smiled. She knew this was the best fate for them both. Kurt could keep Amanda grounded in reality, and Amanda could help Kurt recover from the torment he must've gone through as a slave to that damn chip.
Rogue grimaced, rubbing her temple. Her head still hurt on occasion, when she remembered. Her other self... she had been through such an experience. And worse. With practiced ease, Rogue pushed down those memories, sealing them away in the graveyard of her mind, and kept them in check until she needed them.
Amanda emerged in her white robes, carrying a small bag. As she walked over towards Rogue, she spared a glance Kurt's way. And a smile touched her lips. Rogue was right, they'd be much happier together.
"Alright, are you ready Rogue?" she asked softly.
"Sure... what do I need to do?" asked Rogue, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Remain still... and don't worry, your journey will be considerably smoother this time," replied Amanda, opening the bag and sprinkling a circle of salt around Rogue's ankles. "You will return to the exact time and place you vanished, I have compensated for the flow of the Way. There should be absolutely no trouble at all."
This complete, she tossed the bag aside and stepped back, murmuring in an ancient, undecipherable tongue. "Azeroth metrion zinthos... Annal nak thrak, usth beth bedtad, dok'kiel, kiente..." she chanted, her voice steadily growing in volume. The wind picked up, blowing up Amanda's dark locks and kicking up small clouds of dust as her hands focused on Rogue and her eyes turned entirely white and pupilless, like Storm's.
A shimmering dome of energy encased Rogue completely into a sphere, a sphere that pulsated the colors of the rainbow. Red, yellow, green, blue. Then black, and it shimmered, and Rogue watched from inside, this time thankfully feeling no pain from the strange phenomenon.
There was a brilliant flash of light, so bright and sudden Kurt shielded their eyes. When it had passed, Amanda blinked her eyes, clearing away the bright spots behind them. Even expecting it, she'd nearly been blinded. And then...
Rogue was gone.
Author's Notes:
And so the Alternate Universe has begun to lick its wounds and try to make peace and bring about a better future. There's your happy ending. AU Scott likes AU Jean? Noooo... impossible. Heh. And now the old Xavier mansion is going to soon be made nice and beautiful and everyone will be super mega extra happy. It's the super mega extra happy ending! And even Kurt and Amanda got reunited, wasn't that sweet? DayTripper's magic words were not gibberish, but pirated from 'Teen Titans' (the first three were commonly recited by lovable Raven) and the movie 'Excalibur' (Merlin and Morgana's charm of making). And now, back to the regular universe, for the exciting conclusion!
ViciousAssassin: A fair question. When phased gravity has no effect on Shadowcat. In the comics she was even able to fly when she phased. Not many surprises left, I think Magneto's end might've been the last character death. Now just a lot of plot wrapping up and happy reunions.
InsaneSketchbook: Evo's been fun, really, but its over, and when I say greener pastures I mean new categories of cartoons and anime to write about. And yeah, I had Magneto's death planned from the beginning since, come on, he was old. No Rebirth for him. Yes, the Marauders and Harpoon, got it in one.
DoubleL27: I figured Lance would, considering she's almost permanently phased now. I mean, what would you think? And yeah, I actually had Tabby not being blind planned out but, like Beast, wanted to make the audience think otherwise. Just to make you all sweat. You've seen in this chapter what Scott's done, next chapter you'll find out what happened to Rogue. Think Ascension future scenes.
Spectra2: Briefly she has Colossus', but his faded. The only people our Rogue has held onto long enough to permanently absorb are herself and Ms. Marvel. That's it. And don't worry, this story may be over but I plan to keep writing for a long time. Or at least, as long as I'm able to. Stupid real life. Cookies!
Risty: 'You bastard!' And body count? In writing this story, I killed off precisely twelve mutants (fourteen if you count AU Rogue and Ms. Marvel) and countless humans. And yeah I know, Kitty perma-phased is sad, but at least she's back with Lance. But at least they'll be happy together.
Rogue14: Cruel. But ah well, to each their own. You'd've probably acted much worse if I'd killed off Rogue. And yes, Rogue's finally gone home to her own world, and we are finally done with the alternate universe. Now let us never speak of it again.
DaughterofDeath: You know I wonder how you're going to review when this is done. Add a new story? Hehehe.
Stars-of-chaos: plays the bagpipes at the funeral I just appreciate happy, but realistic, endings. It is my curse.
Todd fan: I surely don't want to know what you're going to do to poor Beast. You're still driving him nuts as a teenager, last I looked. Him and most of the other X-Men, Brotherhood and Acolytes.
X00001: Is answer question? Peace happens of course. Slow, gradual, we-don't-trust-you kinda peace... but peace none-the-less.
Comet-hime: Reunited with his kids and wife, definitely. And now he's at peace... I don't think living Magneto ever really felt so peaceful in his life. Not the way Xavier has, even though he's lost his son, his half-brother, his wife -and- the woman he loves. Prolonged contact between Kitty and Lance with a restraining collar? Of course. And yes of course I left all your precious girls alone, didn't scar of maim them. If I did you'd never draw for me again.
Nessie6: I imagine Pietro and Eric, like the others who died in the fight, were re-united in their appropriate religious afterlife. And yes, of course Lance is going to be happier with his pretty kitty at his side. Or floating over his shoulder, whatever it happens to be.