Phoenix Dawn
Summary: Strange sightings have been reported in Canada, close to Alkali Lake. Charles Xavier sends three newly recruited X-Men up to have a look, with Storm as a 'supervisor'. What they find isn't what they expected, and to make matters worse, panic erupts back at the Mansion when they wake up to find Scott and Logan gone, along with the Blackbird...
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you shall find in either X-Men movies, I only own the plot, or lack of, and any characters, settings or strange cults you don't recognize.
Setting: Written after X2, I don't know how long, pick a date coz I sure as hell don't know the dates. And please forgive my naiveness... I don't know anything about America, and was shocked yesterday to find out that New York is a city and a state! And as far as I can work out New York isn't even in New York... oh well...
Title subject to change...
A/N: Yes, this is my first official story posted on Fanfic! Whoop! It might not be that good, considering I'm not a good writer. But everyone needs their creative outlets, and considering how good I am at art... :-s
Anyway, hope you enjoy and more importantly, actually understand my ramblings. By the way, in case you don't know the Blackbird is the name of the X peeps jet.
Oh, I nearly forgot: All the horses in this story belong to me... mwahahaha
Chapter One – Sister
It was dark, the kind of blackness the enfolds you, and no matter how long you wait with your eyes open you never see anything. The pines swayed gently, just hearing them rasp together was proof enough that she was there, it was real and she was alive.
Slowly the moon rose, casting a pale light over the forest surrounding Alkali Lake.
The dam was once again full, the dark, cold water rippling under the moon's gaze. The moon's light did not penetrate into the forest, and on the ground it was still dark, but she still knew that she was alive.
The hours slowly dropped away, nothing changed. All she knew was the rise and fall of her own chest and the scurrying of rodents in the dark. For all she knew, for however long she had been lying there, anything could have happened.
It could have been hours, days, weeks, months maybe even years since that fateful day at Alkali Lake, when the dam walls had broken.
She knew closing her eyes would be fatal, as would be trying to move. So instead, she concentrated.
The earth beneath her was damp; she could feel it seeping through her clothes, smell its faint scent entwined in the air.
It was too hard, every thought felt like a razor racking her brain for answers. Waiting in the dark, she knew, even without thinking, that they would come for her. They had to come for her. They owed it to her.
---
Some time, about eight hours later, the sun's first rays filtered softly through the large windows of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Although it was barely 7:00am a large group of teenagers were clustered around the TV, yelling and whooping as they watched two football teams run up and down a field with, yes you got it, a football. There excessive yelling had woken Logan, who was striding towards the room with a heavy scowl on his face and he wished a heavy cricket bat in his hands. He thundered down the stairs; nearly have a mid-air collision with a young student running up the stairs. The child ran full pelt into his stomach, causing him to double over with shock.
"Oh my god! Mr er, Logan. I'm so sorry," she babbled jumping away. Logan muttered something, turning on the girl. She was petrified, curling up into a small ball on the stair. Logan sighed.
"Look kid, it's ok, you just frightened me." he said gruffly. "What did you think I was going to do, stab you?"
The girl nodded, too scared to speak. Logan sighed again, his foul mood instantly gone. He patted her on the head, unsure about what to do.
"Well, you run along now." he said, trying to imitate Scott's everything's-all-right voice. It didn't work. The child, thankfully, leapt up and continued her flight up the stairs.
Logan, trapped halfway down the stairs with no idea what he was going to do, continued downwards, mind wandering with the thoughts of the upcoming day. He mooched past the TV roomed filled with cheering kids down the hall to the kitchen.
The smell of cooking filled his nose the second he walked in, followed shortly by the sight of two girls, directed by Ororo, making breakfast.
"Hey Logan," Ororo said quickly, flustering about over the stove. Logan stood in the doorframe, not sure whether he wanted to enter the melee that was growing in the room.
"Don't come in," Ororo cried as one of the pots started to hiss, bubbling over onto the flames.
"Angelica, quickly turn the heat off," she snapped, throwing a sponge on the floor. Logan agreed, and continued past the kitchen. He saw Scott heading for the elevator, meaning he had finally gone mad and was trying to use Ceribro, or he was going for a session in the Danger Room. Fun.
"Hey," he said, coming up behind Scott.
"Oh hi," Scott muttered back, still half asleep.
"You going to the Danger Room," Logan asked, stepping into the lift.
"Probably, after I check on Emma and Derek."
Logan shifted uncomfortably. Emma and Derek were two new kids to the house. Logan had found them trying to pick his pocket in some back alley while he was in New York, and brought them back with three small holes in the arms each. He told the Professor it wasn't his fault, he didn't know they were kids, so the incident was forgiven and forgotten, but Logan still felt bad.
Both of them were malnourished and carried all kinds of viruses and god knows what, so Charles had sent them straight to the lab for a few days. Tessa, the new doctor who graced the house with her presence said they were going to be fine, not even a scar to show.
Logan had to admit they were tough, considering they were only eleven. As soon as they awoke they smiled and said it was cool, they were bound to get caught sometime.
Scott liked them because they were friendly, and were always smiling no matter what. Emma was cute, Derek was more silent, but was surprisingly smart for someone off the street. They were twins, both harbouring small signs of telekinetic powers.
"Oh right, well I guess I'll see you there." Logan said as they stepped out of the lift again.
Scott nodded, walking down the corridor to the lab. Logan walked over to the Danger Room, checking to see if anyone was there.
There was no one allotted on the timetable chart, so Logan ambled in, not really sure what he was going to do. He was surprised to find a boy sitting on the floor, engaged in a battle. The most astounding thing was that he looked like he was meditating, yet the holographic figures he was fighting were writhing in pain and basically getting their arses kicked.
The scene was interrupted by Scott turning off the computer.
"Jamie, what have I told you about the Danger Room," he said. The boy stood up, looking at Logan and Scott almost quizzically.
"Yes I know: I mustn't come down without an adult supervisor. Sorry, it won't happen again."
Scott smiled despite himself.
"I seriously doubt that, but you can go."
The boy, Jamie, nodded and scampered out, leaving Scott and Logan hovering in the room.
"So," Logan said lamely. Now he was down here he knew his did not want to fight a mutant hologram in the Danger Room, he, fact, was extremely bored and what he did feel like doing was going outside and having a smoke.
Scott thinking along the same lines, but instead of 'smoke' his thoughts were more 'create some more homework for the kids' type.
They stood in silence a little longer before a loud bang brought them back to earth. The noise was followed by another, more metallic thump and the sound of shuffling feet.
"That would be Emma?" Logan muttered, following Scott back to the lab. It was Emma, but she wasn't in the vicinity when the two ran into the room. Tessa was standing next to an empty bed with water splashed down the front of her and a very shocked expression on her face. Derek was up, his gaze intent on a smashed computer and an upturned metal trolley.
"Emma," Scott agreed, lifted the trolley back to its rightful position. Derek got out of the bed, walking over to Tessa. Tessa was in a state of shock, not believing what she just saw.
"Alright, what happened?" Scott asked kindly one the trolley was almost stable.
"She, she just..." Tessa stammered, bright blue eyes wide. "Threw it at me, then the computer blew up, and then, she just ran... I don't know why, she was so happy until then."
"I'll go find her," Logan volunteered, heading for the door.
"No," Derek said quietly, although everyone heard him. "I shall, she will trust me, she's my sister."
Logan shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Derek pulled a jumper over his tee shirt and quickly walked out of the room.
---
Dawn came to the forest, the sun melting the shadows that crept around the solitary figure. The lake lapped gently at the ground, its steady beat soothing her fears.
They had not come, not yet. With every minute that passed she felt herself sinking deeper, falling away from the Moon's light. But she could not go yet, not after what she had just done. The pain was receding, but she knew from experience that this was not a good sign. Her clear green eyes roved the surrounding trees, looking for any sign of life, anything.
The hours went by; she could see the sun dipping closer to the horizon. From what strength she had left she let a few tears drip into the soil. She let herself cry.
And then, she heard them.
She felt them first, the slight tremors in the earth, the pounding. It gave her strength, the knowledge that she would be found.
She heard them next, the short, ragged breaths, the ominous cracking of broken branches. She felt his power reach out, calling for her.
She answered with her own weakness; the Moon had not yet arisen to comfort her.
He was coming closer, drawn to her. The sun, his marker, blazed through the trees lighting her body as he drew close.
The hoof beats slowed and stopped, Helios pulled his steaming mount to a halt beside the immobile form. Dismounting and quickly called the others to his aid.
"Well, if it isn't who I think it is," he muttering, lifting the fragile body up. "Unfortunately for you, Moonrise is a long time away, so you will have to put up with my clumsy healing effort until then."
He gave her a lopsided grin, placing her gently on a beautiful mare that stood placidly by his side. She sighed and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the horse's neck.
"What on earth possessed you to do it?" Helios muttered, wrapping a long silky rope around her waist, securing her to the horse. She couldn't mind-speak until the moon rose, given her the power she so desperately needed, and physical speech was defiantly not on her able list. But the bond she shared with Helios provided a little relief from her silent torment.
Not earth. Her.
Helios reprimanded her gently, telling her not to waste her strength on abilities that she shouldn't while she was, in a polite form, dying. He turned to look where she directed him, and nearly fell over with shock.
"You found her?" he whispered, picking up the second form as gently as the first. He covered her with his cloak, not wanting the others to see her yet. He motioned a small boy over, calling for a horse. He tied her to the horse like he did the first, leading them both plus his own deep into the forest.
"So my dear, is this why you disappeared near Moontide. Such a reason!" He cried in mock disbelief. "Dear dear, there is no logic behind this whatsoever. When will you ever learn?"
Not logic.
She spoke to him, disobeying his command.
Sister.
Well, that's the end of Chapter 1.
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So, please press that button and I promise not to hand out bananas...
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