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Chapter 3

Finding Mercury...Part 1

"Antartica, you say?" The Professor quietly replies and both of his guests nod their head. "We will leave as soon as the X-Jet is configured for those temperatures.

"How long would it take?" Asks Luna as she returns to her cat form much to the surprise of the others in the room. Hopping into Artemis's human arms, the cat starts to purr almost automatically at the touch of his hands upon her fur.

Looking to Logan and Scott, the two think begin to think.

"If we start now a couple of days?" The teenager asks Logan.

"That would be pushing it, but I think so..." Logan replied. Artemis nods his head as Luna perches up upon his shoulder. Leaving the room, Xavier looks to those who have gathered.

"Bobby, your control of Ice will indeed be a boon upon this mission. We need Wolverine, Jean and Cyclops as well."

"What about us Professor?" Kitty and Kurt ask in unison. The disappointment on their faces is evident. "You two will be coming as well. Along with Storm, you will be back up..."

"Back up?"

"I have a feeling that the fighting will be nothing compared to what we have done before. Kurt your teleportation as well as Kitty's ability to walk through anything will be our escape should we need it."

"Yes Professor."

"Ororo...you already know what it is that I ask of you?"

The elegant African woman nods her head regally and says nothing. Turning she leaves, but in search for the felines. Wandering down the halls and checking the rooms, she eventually finds them both at the kitchen perched on the table in their cat forms. Frowning a little bit, she shakes her head as Artemis looks sheepish and Luna simply shrugs.

"I sense that you have questions for us?" Luna asks with a quiet kind of voice.

"Yes...I sense that is not all you have told us?" The woman replies. She observes as the two cats look at one another. "It is true we have not quite told you everything. But we can not...Observing what we did in the time stream we can not interfere as much as we would like to."

Satisfied for now, she continues to converse with the two asking them about their lives from the Moon Kingdom.

Meanwhile...

Apocalypse smiles as with the aid of chaos he begins to create beings with undeterminable power. Mentally shaping with the flick of his hand a creature starts to emerge. It is about six feet tall standing on its hind legs. It's tail whipping about, it snarls in a rage.

"There, there my pet..." Apocalypse comforts, as he strokes the scaled hide, and the creature snaps at him. Hitting it hard on its backside it growls, but grows respectful of his presence.

"What is it you order?" It hisses from between its fangs.

"Go...follow the X-men...and prevent them at all cost from releasing the Senshi. You are a creature to withstand any elements go and do my bidding."

Hissing in rage the creature stills as Apocalypse's eyes flash a pitch black, it shivers in fear as a new voice emits. "Once you do that, destroy the tomb of the Senshi they have found. No one must awaken them ever!"

"Yes, My Lord Chaos..."

The Lizard like creature turned and vanished into the darkness. Apocalypse/Chaos smiles evilly, out of the darkness comes another creature, much like the first except much, much bigger. "Go if they succeed to awaken the Senshi, you know what to do."

It licks its lips in delight and vanishes without a trace.

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Two days later...

The X-men along with Luna and Artemis are flying through the sky towards the Antarctic. Most of the X-men are bundled up in warm clothes, yet their new allies are not. Wondering they watch as both of them shimmer into larger feline forms. One black and one white, and roughly the size of a lion, the X-men watch in amazement as the fur seems to thicken automatically. Sensing that they must be getting closer as they fly over a vast icy desert, the X-Jet begins to descend.

"We are approaching the destination?"

The two cats nod and head towards the door. "We sense her near. Be alert...we also sense evil... Chaos has set out something for us..."

The X-men look at one another and make silent prayers. Ascending to above the jet, Storm's eyes glow silver, and as the wind picks up a blizzard covers the area. As they finally land, and the descent is released, the two cats are bestowed with tracking devices upon their ears should they lose those that follow them.

Now, Kitty and Kurt wait monitoring from the inside of the jet, alongside the Professor, as Iceman, Jean, Cyclops, and Wolverine set out after their feline guides on snowmobiles.

"IT IS FREEZING!" Jean exclaims as she shivers. Despite the intense fur and thermal coats that they wear to protect their skin, the cold still bites through their bodies. "Iceman can't you do something?"

The young man, much like the two felines is unmolested by the snow, for as the mutant of ice, it aids his powers. "Sorry Jean...this is beyond my ability so far, the best I can do is actually aid it and I don't think you would appreciate that."

The telepath grumbles a little and then an idea hits her. Gesturing for them to band together as she sits behind Scott, she concentrates and soon a shield is formed, to protect against the elements.

"That should help us a little bit. It will keep out the cold and allow us to see them better."

The cats seem to communicate with one another and then a thought appears in Jean's hand. "We need you to allow us to exit your shield. We are in tune with Mercury's location and your shield blocks out her presence."

Surprised at their thoughts, Jean thins out the shield enough that the two leave and continue running, with the four chasing after them. About 1 hour later, the X-Men notice something odd, as the snow seems to be almost dissipating. Parting if you will to guide them in...

"Iceman are you doing that?" Cyclops asks and is therefore surprised as the younger man shakes his head. "It's definitely not me..."

"It is Mercury, her spirit senses our presence..." Luna replies.

"The eternal blizzard she had created over this region is dissipating. Now we wait..."

"Wait for what?" Wolverine replies with a look of frustration upon his face.

"You will see...it will not be long now." Is all the cats say and about twenty minutes later, as the snow disappears a rumbling is heard from beneath them.

"What's going on?" The others cry out as the cats simply stand there. Luna turns and sends them all one simple thought. "The Ice Palace opens..."

Moments later, they look in awe as a structure of blue crystal erupts from the ground. Its glittering spires beckon to them with warmth from the bitter cold.

Approaching it slowly, Wolverine all of a sudden whirls around as he is tackled from behind.

"Die..." The creature hisses and slashes out at the X-men. Cyclop twirls his visor and an energy blast erupts as Jean starts to form giant balls of snow with her mind. In the meantime Iceman is about to cast a shield when he feels himself being pulled, by the two cats into the palace.

"What I have to go help them!"

Shimmering into their human forms, Luna and Artemis look at one another. "We shall do that Iceman...we can not explain now, for it is not us who can, you and only you can enter the ice palace, besides us."

"What?"

"The key to waking Mercury...is within you. Now hurry!"

Nodding his head, he enters the Ice Palace, and finds himself walking through a barrier of crystalline light of the purest blue.

Watching as the Mutant disappears, Artemis and Luna run towards the battle, and placing their hands upon Jean's shoulders, she is momentarily startled. "Call for them...tell them to come towards the palace. Once within range we can help you generate a shield to keep that creature out."

Jean, somehow trusting their plan nods, and sends out a message to both Wolverine and Cyclops who look the worse for wear. The scratches and cuts that it has inflicted upon their bodies are significant.

Artemis looks as Wolverine once again is slashed at from behind. "Cyclops, you must blast the creature away at my signal."

Giving a sign of readiness, Artemis studies, the battle, and at the right time...

"NOW!"

As the blast connects with the creature, and flies him away from Wolverine, A shield comes up from the connection between Artemis, Jean, and Luna. Constantly throwing itself against the shield, it screams in rage and anger.

"How long can it last?" Cyclops pants out as he catches his breath. "And just where is Iceman?"

"He is inside...and hopefully, he gets to Mercury before long..." Artemis replies through fritted teeth as a much harder hit rocks the shield. The X-Men feeling that rumble look up and they all see the much larger creature then the one from before, throwing itself against their one protection.

:Professor...if you can hear me...tell Kurt and Kitty to get ready...: Scott sends out with all his strength.

Inside the Ice Palace...

Bobby Drake also known as Iceman walks around confused. "This place is HUGE!"

Looking around, he feels a strange tingle coming from the east hall of the palace. Somehow trusting his instincts he heads that way and eventually finds himself in a room with a intense blue light in the center. Within its light a girl floats as if in mid air.

Her blue hair blending in with the light, it shines a radiance of warmth and coolness at the same time. Touching the barrier, he yelps as pulls back his hand as an intense cold, more than he has ever felt causes his fingers to go numb.

"Just how am I supposed to wake you?"

Looking around for the girl appears to be simply floating, in the blue light he takes in her dress and notices something. She is wearing what appears to be a dress and it flows from her body like that of an angel. Cut with a demure square neckline, the tiny puff sleeves flow into drapes of fabric down her arms. A glittering symbol appears on her forehead as once again he approaches.

"That symbol...I bet if I find it..."

Gazing at his surrounding he, notices what appears to be a star shaped formation with the symbol, in the middle. Within this formation, a heart shaped piece seems to be missing.

"Okay...where is the rest of it?"

About to start looking, he winces in pain as a thought comes through his head. :Iceman hurry, I don't know how much longer we can hold this thing off:

Looking frantically and seeing nothing, he looks at the girl and that's when he notices it, what she has clutched in her folded hands. A blue heart shaped crystal, rests within.

Knowing the light might freeze his arm, he looks around for something, anything to help him. He grows anxious as his search turns up nothing.

"How the hell do I get that crystal?" He mutters, when the cats' words echo through him.

:Remember the key is within you:

Taking their advice to heart, Bobby approaches and begins to shape with his mutant powers. Bringing it close to the light and the young woman, it seems to be working as he uses his powers to gently push the delicate crystal out of her hands and away from the light.

As it starts to push outside of the barrier, he sees a light emanating from within its crystal structure. Stopping as it begins to fall more towards the floor, he dives to catch it. Sighing as he does so, he feels the trembling of the palace around him...

:ICEMAN HURRY:

Running for the star formation, he is stunned as the smaller lizard, attacks him from behind, causing the crystal to fly, out of his hands.

As if in slow motion it moves, through the air, towards the star formation but falling short of its destination. Closing his eyes, thinking he has failed, the room explodes in a brilliant blue light.

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Having seen the little one shimmer and vanish, the larger one continues to pound against the shield with all its might. Grimacing in pain each time, the three, drop to their knees as it begins to blink and thin.

"I can't hold it much longer...the pressure it is causing...hurts..." Jean whimpers out as does Luna and Artemis cry out in pain. Wolverine and Cyclops manage to catch them falling and as the shield drops, the creature grins in maliciousness.

"You have failed..."

:Professor, Kitty, Kurt come and get us out of here now:

Momentarily managing to evade, the swing of the claws, they are surprised, as voice soft and almost musical calls out something from behind them.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody..."