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Chapter 10

Conflicting personalities equals loving hearts...

Charles soon found himself back in the moon kingdom. Except instead of in the library he finds himself next to the young woman, beside a roaring fire.

"It's the Sacred Fire from Mars...the Queen had allowed my family to create one so that we may continue or beliefs, and so that we may work together with her..."

"She sounded like a kind hearted woman..."

"Yes...the Princess's mother was warm and tried to think of the welfare of everyone who lived under her protection...still there was one planet she could not contact until they..."

"They what...?"

"Reached an understanding of our ways...I was consulting the sacred fire this day to show me what was to come...my senses were confused and I could not understand why. It was him...it was Jadeite that was affecting me. But I didn't know it at the time..."

Silently, she stares at the fire as if in a trance. Realizing what is happening; Charles stands back and watches as she seems to act out a memory.

Sacred Fire of Mars

Show me a vision

That troubles me

Send me the image

Of that which haunts me

Watching as she chants this over and over for about ten minutes, he watches as the flames flicker and the image of a short haired man comes into view. He has the blonde hair and the blue grey eyes, which observe everything. Looking back, he can sense the heart of the young woman beating faster and it is not one of fear...

"It was the first time I saw him..."

"Through the fire...?"

"Yes...I see many things in the fire...images of what is to come and what has been...always the fire shows me the truth. He was coming...I didn't know whether it was for the good...or the bad."

As the image disappears he finds himself on the balcony once more, with the other four girls who laugh and talk amongst themselves. At the arrival of the Prince and his generals, he watches as the temperamental young woman observes their arrival. The smile she once had turns into one of a frown as a certain man catches her eye upon him and he just looks at her.

As the violet eyes meet a grayish blue, he can sense the tension and the power crackling in that heated look. Whirling around and flouncing away, he in turn watches as the General cocks an eyebrow up in the air, with the hint of a smile.

"A challenge it is..."

"What a creep..."

"Raye...?" The blonde in the weird hairstyle asks. She had noticed her friend flouncing away angry and so she had followed. He notices the sweet smile she gives as the silvery hair seems to shine in the light.

"What is meatball head...?"

"RAYE! Knock that off...you know I don't like it...I was just wondering what's wrong...and who's a creep?"

Looking a little sheepish, Raye looks down at the ground as she gazes at her friend. "Sorry Serena...it's just the way that guy was looking at me...Like I was some piece of prime meat. It was really annoying."

"Raye...one of those cute eyes was staring at you? Which one?"

Looking into the infectious bubbly nature of the Princess, Charles can't help but smile as Raye does. No one can stay mad for long in this bright young woman's presence. "The one with the short blonde hair..."

The blue eyes widen with curiosity. About to say something else, they two whirl around to find a black cat with a crescent moon staring at them.

"Princess, your mother requests your presence in greeting our guests."

"Awww Luna do I have to..."

"Look Serena..." The cat growls out as she is about ready to take a swipe at one of her charges.

"All right, I will go..." The Princess says hurriedly. She remembers the last time she made Luna mad and she doesn't want to experience that again...taking off running, she starts heading towards the main court as Luna stays with Raye. Looking at the cat in confusion, Raye realizes what she is waiting for and begins heading that way to after the Princess.

Charles, chuckles as he follows behind, even back then it seems the black feline had a presence that emphasized no disorder. As he follows, they approach a grand hall where Raye takes her place with the other girls before the Princess.

"I hate all this..." The Princess was muttering, earning a smile from her friends.

"We don't like it either Serena..." Mina comments on.

"But you know how your mother insists..." Amy replies.

"Hush girls" Luna and Artemis state as they doors open. One by one each girl walks forward and finds that men from Earth have focused on them.

"Gentlemen of Earth I would like you first to meet the four Princesses of the inner planets as well as my daughter's sensh." The Queen says with an approving smile as they each approach the men who stand beside her.

"Princess Amy of Mercury...and Princess Lita of Jupiter." She indicates to the girls in blue and in green. Both doing a small curtsey to the gentleman, they stand to one side of the Queen who sits upon her throne. As Raye approaches with Mina, she finds the general who was staring before doing so again much to her irritation.

"Princess Raye of Mars is the one in red...and the one in orange the leader and Captain of the Senshi...Princess Mina of Venus."

As they curtsey, Raye hears a low wolf whistle causing her to flush in anger. As she rises back up and proceeds to stand to the other side, she finds herself standing next to the same general as the Princess is introduced to the Earth Prince.

"Hello your highness..." She hears a low whisper directed towards her. Knowing its coming from him she deliberately ignores him as he looks her over. As the Prince and Princess converse with the Queen, who has allowed her daughter to stand beside her directly, she feels his hand trying to grab hers.

To teach him a lesson, she calls upon the fire within her own body as the Senshi of her planet and sends him a feeling he won't forget.

"OOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Watching as he screams real loud, she smirks a little bit and tries not to make it obvious what she did. The Prince and everyone else whirling, she looks at him and dares him to say anything about her little lesson...

"Jadeite?" The Prince comments curiously.

Growling a little for he is not amused, the man known as Jadeite now, says something.

"It is nothing my Prince...just a cramp." He replies glaring at her. The others are watching, especially their closest friends, and they know something else happened and vowed to get the truth out of them later.

Walking away as they are dismissed, one by the one the four girls exit leaving the Princess who exits seconds later with a look on her face.

"Spill it Pyro what did you do!" The blond replies as she fixes her blue eyes upon her friend.

"Yeah Raye what did you do..."

"Or what did he do to merit it?

Looking as the other four including the Princess shoot questions at her, Raye yells in exasperation.

"HE GRABBED MY HAND OKAY!"

As the four look at one another, Lita asks the question that has popped into Charles mine as he to had not seen it clearly enough to be sure.

"Was that all..."

"It was enough..." The fiery young woman replies. As she walks off the others quiz her about it as they also quiz one another about the Prince and his generals.

Charles watching as they fade is joined moments later by an image of the young woman.

"Why did you burn him?"

"To be honest...I have no clue?" She replies as she shrugs. "I have often wondered why I did what I id...but it wasn't as if he didn't deserve it anyway..." She says huffily as the image changes and he finds himself going down the hall, by her side. And soon he sees an approaching general...

"Aaaahhh Princess Raye I presume?" He comments and Raye gets into a huff already.

"What you don't listen when someone is introduced?"

"Only when they are as lovely as yourself..."

Giving a little snort of derision, Raye walks past him and once again finds her hand being grabbed. About ready to burn him again with her power, he shakes his head...

"Now be good little hostess..."

Extremely annoyed by his tone, she delivers another burn twice as hot as the mild one she gave him before. But she is surprised as he doesn't yelp.

"Why aren't you screaming?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out my little firebrand."

"I AM NOT YOUR FIREBRAND!"

Making a commotion as the two bicker, others approach and can sense the power growing with the Martian Princess and the General simply smiles. Pulling her to his body, Raye is shocked into silence as he gives her a kiss that leaves her breathless.

As he breaks away, he smiles...

"With all the power and loveliness radiating from your body...didn't want you to combust or anything..." He continues on down the hall, leaving her silent. The servants watching as he disappears, yelp as fireballs start going in every direction as we now have one extremely psst off Senshi of fire.

"WHY THAT PUFFED UP EGOTISTICAL JERK!"

Charles watching as she storms off tries not to laugh himself. The situation as brazen and as hot as it once was funny, he makes a definite mental note to install more fire alarms, when they reawaken. Especially once they manage to locate this Jadeite...these two will make the fights between Kitty and Kurt seem nonexistent.

As the images change once more, he finds himself standing beside her as the young woman once again seems extremely annoyed.

Looking down upon the ground, he notices a dazed Jadeite, being helped up as the Prince and one of the other generals each had one of his arms around their necks.

"Go easy on the poor man..."

"Not my fault he's a glutton for punishment..." She comments with the hint of a smile. The two men look at one another and chuckle. They wonder what Jadeite did this time to infuriate the Princess from Mars, but they can wait and get it out of him later. Raye watches a they disappear...turning around she is confronted by a pair of blue eyes, and a pair of green.

"What did he do this time Raye?" Lita asks with a little bit of annoyance on her face.

Before she could say anything the Princess let out a little twitter. "He slapped her on her bottom..."

"You saw!"

"I was about to warn you!"

"Look Meatball Head!"

"Knock it off with the names Pyro..."

Lita shrugs, as she starts to break the two of them up. Both steaming mad at one another, she still sees the smiles and the unusual liveliness in the fire Senshi's eyes.

"He's starting to grow on you..."

Turning bright red with embarrassment, Raye shakes her head. "He is not!"

The Princess having studied that self same reaction for so long, in all the fights they have had since knowing one another. She slaps her hand over her mouth and giggles.

"Lita's right! Jadeite is growing on you..."

Watching as she denies it the girls disappear and he finds himself next to a smiling Raye...

"Persistent?"

"Very..." She chuckles softly. "Lita was right...he was growing on me...but it was so annoying..." Taking on a sad little look...the images change and Charles finds himself standing to the side as she is talking to the young man or bickering with him again as the others like to put it.

"So leaving are you...?"

"Yes my little firebrand..." Jadeite comments, and as she whirls around to slap him, he catches her hand with ease as she glares at him.

"Would you miss me?"

"Of course not...it would be good riddance to see you go...I can finally have some peace."

As she finds herself looking into his blue grey eyes, his hands touch her cheek for as he does so; her body's reactions betray her.

"Liar..."

"I...I am not lying..." She shakily responds as she moves to him with her free hand. Catching the other with ease as well he pulls her to him, and holds both hands behind her back. Bringing his lips to hers, she struggles against his body, but as he refuses to let go, she can't help but find herself responding...

As he parts, he looks at her huskily, his eyes glazing with some emotion, which burns to her very soul. "I hope to see you again, my firebrand...I do love you..."

As he walks away leaving her stunned by his admission, she stands for a few moments and then whirls towards the teleporter, joining the Prince and the others...

Approaching and seeing the Princess and a couple of the others, she looks at him and he smiles.

"YOU JERK YOU BETTER COME BACK!"

Laughing, the image disappears...as the minds reawaken and he blinks to find himself back in reality. The young Priestess begins to frown as the memories resurface within her mind.

"He...He..."

"He loved you apparently...yes. No matter what you did to him...he always came back for more..."

Smiling softly, she nodded her head. As she gets up, she remembers that fateful day that the Moon Kingdom was destroyed and the look of hatred that was upon his face and those of the others.

"What happened to him though...after I saw him again...he came back...but he was different. I think that's why I couldn't use my full power that day...I couldn't kill him...I just couldn't!"

Running out the office door, the young woman cries. All those pent up emotions she had felt because of this general had risen to the surface like a firestorm and it was overwhelming. Wanting to chase after her, the others are forced to stay, by a single thought.

"Do not...she needs to figure out on her own..."

Reluctantly agreeing with the older man, they stay seated as the young woman continues to run.

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Elsewhere in the school Complex...

Logan works on chopping some wood. At the request of the Professor, and to give the young woman who is Mars a sense of comfort, they are giving her a room with a fireplace to sleep in. Stopping all of a sudden as his senses pick up the scent of spice and fire, he turns and notices the young woman running.

Stopping he holds out his arms to stop her. Reflexively, her hands hit his arm and his feels her searing hot touch. Wincing in pain, he doesn't let go. As she looks up at him, the flame gets hotter and hotter...still he doesn't let go.

"Why...let me go!"

"No doing..." Is all he says. Wincing and taking the pain as his skin starts to turn red, Raye stops as she feels it crackling. Letting go and just falling to her knees, the mutant holds her tight allowing her to sob on his shoulder as his body heals...

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The next day...

Thanks to Logan and his simple efforts of dealing with her, Raye had calmed down. It seems the temperamental young woman had found solace in the older mutant who was much like herself. Just as Amy had found someone to look up to in Beast, Raye had found one in Logan, temper and all.

Smiling as the priestess delighted in his efforts for wood, she was shown to a room with a fireplace, so that she could have her sacred fire. Hugging him in delight, she thanked everyone for what they had done. And as the others left for school, including Amy and Zoicite...the latter figuring he will go as well so that he can understand the world that he doesn't know, she sets about starting the sacred fire once more.

Making silent prayer under the watchful eye of Logan as she sits and prays, he is stunned as a fire seems to emit from her fingers and the wood lights up.

"There...its done..." She smiles.

"How did you do it?"

"Being what I am...the fire lives within me as the ice lives within Amy...essentially what we are is in our blood. The fire shows me things..."

Logan listening as she explains looks a little befuddled as she mentions its abilities..."Shows you...?"

Nodding her head and gesturing for him to kneel like she is, she begins to chant...

Sacred Fire

Show me that

Which hides from my sight...

Show me where we must go...

Show me what we must see...

As the young woman chants, Logan fidgets just a little, and stops as the fire blazes red. An image is now upon its surface. A stone tomb like the one before, surrounded by sand...as it becomes blurred another takes its place. A figure of a man with short hair...as that disappears all he says is what appears to be bluish-grey eyes...

Watching as she stiffens...he hears one word...not really a word but more of a name coming from her lips.

"Jadeite..."

"It seems he has arrived little one..." Logan says quietly. "I will go and inform the professor."

"Thank you...maybe between Amy and Zoicite...they...they can find him, when they return."

Nodding his head, he leaves the young woman's room, and mentally starts calling out to the professor.

:Yes Logan:

:It seem another one has shown...:

:Do you know where:

:No...but according to Raye...Amy and Zoicite should be able to find him:

:Agreed, I will tell Eric and the others you prepare the jet for wherever we go:

:Already ahead of you:

Closing his thoughts, to the older mutant, the Professor gazes at the two felines who are perched upon his desk. Nodding their head, the white one jumps down and shimmers into his human form, and proceeds to join Logan as the black one does the same, she heads towards a young woman, who needs her...

Walking towards the room, she knocks to find her in the same position...

"Raye..."

"Luna...I'm scared...what if he doesn't remember?"

"He will Raye...he might not remember everything as Zoicite did, but he will remember you." The black haired woman replies. "After all those burnings and things you did to him...I think it would be kind of hard to forget...you made quite an impression if I recall..."

Smiling and laughing, Raye looks at Luna with renewed hope. "Thanks..."

"You are most welcome..."

Staying to keep her company, Luna, and Raye speak as Ororo returns with some clothes, that Raye can wear besides the Priestess outfit. As they convince the white haired woman to stay, the two older women and the young one are soon relaxed as they help keep the young woman's mind off what's at hand.

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Elsewhere...

Keeping with the alteration in plan, thanks to Chaos, he searches for a minion to strike back at the X-men and other mutants who have turned against him. Reflecting on what is to come, and the memories awarded to him, of Jadeite's power and knowledge of spiritual energy routes, he finds a being suitable for the job.

An oldie but a goody to paraphrase the stupid youth of the world, a lion roars in the distance. Bounding over to his hands, the one known as Leo the lion...named after the constellation has arrived.

"Go my pet...go and follow...make sure that they are slowed down in finding the others...we need the time to complete our plans."

Purring at the touch of his hands, the lion rubs himself around the legs, and then with a simple blink it disappears.

Chuckling, he turns to another in the shadows...

"Mystique how are we doing at locating them..."

"It will still be a while Lord Apocalypse..." The shape shifter replies. "But we are closer..."

"Good"

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Returning from school, Amy and Zoicite find themselves being called. Relaying what Logan had told them about what was seen in the sacred fire. The two immediately confer with one another as Amy brings out her computer.

Walking off together as they work on tracing the missing general, the Professor smiles as he look at his old friend.

"They should see it...using it with my help might allow them to track them down..."

Nodding his head in agreement, Eric steps out of the hall and stops them.

"Come with us...there is another computer that I and the professor wish to show you..."

Looking at one another curiously, the two follow the Professor and Eric as they head down towards the labs. Walking off the elevator, they continue to go down the hall. Bypassing the labs and everything and approaching what seems to be a giant X upon a door. Moving something that is at his eye level, it scans the professor momentarily, and as the door opens. Both Amy and Zoicite are stunned...

"What is this..."

"Meet Cerebro...it is what I use to track down newly awakened mutants and offer them a chance to come here and be at peace..."

"How?" Amy asks as Zoicite nods his head.

"Charles is considered to be the strongest telepath in the world. What Cerebro does is actually boost his power even more, and he can literally scan the entire globe..."

Looking at one another, the two confer as she continues to type on her computer. Satisfied that it will work, they turn and smile.

"You said the entire globe right...?"

"Yes..."

"May we make some alterations?" Zoicite replies, with a smile. The two older men nod their head and allow the young woman and her companion to work. Doing so, allows them a few moments and as they watch the younger ones work. Charles and Eric smile, for both seem to be in their element.

Minutes later, they are done and the two look curiously...

"Try it out professor...don't worry though it still will detect mutants, but it should detect other things as well." Amy states.

Nodding his head, he rolls forward and places Cerebro on his head. In doing so, the familiar rush of being connected has intensified, and soon, he is sensing not only the mutants, but something else. As the images reflect upon his minds eye, he sees the seal and the desert, which the others had described.

"I see the seal...he is close..."

"How close...?" Amy asks as she types rapidly in her computer.

"Not to far...am backing out some...hoping to see..."

Mentally as they listen, Charles seems to back out from the images, his mind centering on the closest life in the area if he can, he finds himself in a city full of people concentrating even further, he realizes as he gazes at signs for known landmarks in this area, he now knows where to go.

Taking Cerebro's head off of him, he turns to the others...

"We go to California...and the Death valley National Park..."