Disclaimer: The X-Men are the property of Marvel. Golan and Cirrus belong exclusively to Star and are used with permission. Corrinth retains all rights to Ilehana Xavier and Ori. Lamby retains all rights to Blaze.

A/N: This story is a joint work between Lamby and Corrinth, based on Corrinth's X-Men the Movie fanfiction of the same name. The story starts here twenty-three years previous to Lamby's other Evo-fics and season two of X-Men Evolution. Reviews always welcome.

02

"Dad?" She called out to him softly, tugging at his hand. "Daddy?"

#I'm here, little one. # He hushed her softly as he came to, using telepathy to prevent waking his wife, who lay sleeping beside him. He turned over and lifted his three-year-old daughter into the bed. She clambered over him to lie between her parents, snuggling into his arms beneath the quilt. #Better? #

#Yes. Thanks Daddy. # Charles Xavier winced at the crude thought that was the beginnings of his mutant daughter's rudimentary telepathy. Normally, her experiments with the skill would amuse Xavier, but at unsuspecting times such as when he was drugged with sleep, the experience was a shock and often painful.

#Another nightmare, baby? #

#I would hardly have disturbed you otherwise. # She retorted tartly. Xavier sighed ruefully, half wishing that his daughter was not so intelligent. His genetic make-up had made its mark on his daughter that was for sure. The poor child even looked like him, except that she had her mother's nose and hair, thank goodness.........

#What about, little one? #

Ilehana chose not to answer, instead throwing a series of disturbing imagery at him - all sorts of fires, roaring with light and heat, feeding on everything around her, while in the middle of it all something danced and roared its defiance at the world around. His daughter looked so small and vulnerable, watching it all from the sidelines. Both mentally and physically, Charles wrapped her in a comforting embrace.

#So he controls fire...#

#She. She's female. Yes, fire... she's the most dangerous of them all, because of her wild side. There's an element of chaos within her - as if she doesn't know where she belongs. # Ilehana shuddered, her eyes flickering as the spasm of terror shot through her. Xavier acknowledged the fear in his daughter silently, holding her tight to him. In truth, he didn't understand the last statement, but this was just the next in a line of nightmares that had plagued his daughter over the last month. After each one, she would come to him, telling him of the beings, beings not people, he had quickly noted, that could be separated into male and female, each of whom controlled an element. There had been six so far, water, air, earth, thought, energy and now fire. How much more would the youngster have to go through, and what were these nightmares that molested Ilehana's sleep?

The Professor sighed heavily, and Ilehana found herself imitating him. Her adimantium spirit had proved itself resilient once more, and she found herself growing drowsy again. She smiled as her mother turned over to encase both her daughter and her husband in a warm embrace. Here, in this cocoon of love and friendship, she felt completely and utterly safe from the world and her dreams...

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It was hot in Tanta, Egypt, although a little cooler than it had been in Cairo. Fourteen-year-old Ilehana Xavier was glad of the slight decrease in temperature as she stepped down from the 4x4 with two of her classmates and teacher. Vixen was eager to be off and exploring. Something was calling to her, something definitive and yet intangible that pulled her to towards some unknown destination. She'd been feeling it ever since they had arrived in Cairo airport. What was causing it?

"Ilehana, don't wander too far." Her teacher called her back. Ilehana shook herself, unaware that she'd even been drifting away from the group. What was the matter with her?

Finally let loose to roam, Ilehana had lost no time in morphing into an African Wild Dog and setting off at the purposeful lope common to all canines, notebook and pen stuffed into her little rucksack. Set free, she let the 'calling' guide her, felt its magnetic pull on her increase, as did her pace. Ilehana found herself being drawn towards a cave formation in the midst of a dense oasis of trees.

Within the caves, she found them; ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Running her fingers over them, the teenager could almost feel some form of power pulsing through the rock. This was what she had come to find, she was sure of it. Yes, the pull was gone now, and she was almost hypnotised by the characters in front of her.

'The Guardian of Destiny who is Fire, whose desire to find her place burns within her.'

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Twenty-five-year-old Ilehana was a beautiful woman, outgrown the slight lankiness of her childhood and maturing into a graceful predator. She stood alone at the window of her Parisian hotel room, hunter's eyes watching the comings and goings of the people far below her. Uncomfortably she was reminded of a day not so very long ago when she had been similarly stood at her window in Bayville, watching for the arrival of a young girl named Jean Grey. She could only hope the individual she was waiting for tonight was nothing like Jean, or this whole enterprise would be a non-starter. Somehow though, she doubted it would be a problem.

An open-topped black sports car suddenly swerved across the road, landing rather than stopping right outside the hotel's smart entrance. The girl who climbed out was little more than that, maybe seventeen. The valet that asked her for her car keys had obviously never had his request laughed at before. Mere moments later, and Vixen answered the door before the redheaded girl had chance to summon a knock. Dripping in fashion, dressed in stiletto heels, tight black PVC trousers and a dark red leather zip-up jacket the girl's outfit left very little to the imagination. She wore her long curls loose down her back; diamonds glinting from multiple piercings and designer sunglasses perched on top of her head. Whoever had said crime doesn't pay was obviously not as good at it as the girl who introduced herself as Blaze.

"I here you're looking for the best thief in Paris." Blaze spoke with an English accent. "That would be me." There was only a trace of cockiness in her tone, and her smile was more friendly than challenging. But there was also an air of 'little girl lost' about this Blaze that made Ilehana feel that this life was not the one meant for her.

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me that the best Parisian thief isn't French." Ilehana offered in return, a slight smile revealing her teeth.

"Huh." Blaze snorted her laughter. "You want a specific artefact from a museum? Do you have the precise details?"

"Initially, yes, that's what I want. And the details are right here." Ilehana walked Blaze to a coffee table over which Vixen had spread her notes and laptop. Picking up a bland looking folder, she handed it to the thief. Briefly Blaze flicked through it, frowning, before she deposited it back on the table with a careless flick. "Don't you want to keep hold of that?"

"No, I'll remember." Blaze replied. "And beyond initially?"

"I also want the artefact returned to the museum..."

"You want what?" Blaze interrupted incredulously as Ilehana continued.

"The same night..."

"You're crazy." The English thief commented, but Ilehana wasn't done.

"And without anyone noticing that it's gone."

"Are you done?" Blaze asked, "Or would you like me to take it out of the security guard's hands as well? Did I mention that I think you're mad?"

"You also mentioned that you were the best." Vixen pointed out with a smile.

"Alright, I'll do it." Blaze dared herself. "But as its technically two break-ins, my fees double." Ilehana shrugged, money was not a problem. "And can you at least tell me why if all you want is to play with this thing for a bit you didn't just ask them at the museum?"

"I did." Vixen pointed out. "For some reason they didn't trust me with it."

"For some reason," Blaze grinned infectiously, "I think they may have been right."