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Chapter 13
The Sign of a Rose Colored Earring...
Kansas...
The spires gleam an emerald color as the sun begins to shine, and yet the lightening continues. It acts like a ward, driving people away and yet the same time welcomes all life. The plants from within its range and in miles for any direction seem to grow strong and beautiful.
As a farmer, wakes up and looks out his window. He does a double take at the spires that glisten in his view from the sun. As he starts to moan about his crops, he sees that they are not crushed, but instead as if by magic, are fine for this Emerald Crystal floats on top of them as it rests upon a cloud.
Turning over to his wife, he shakes her shoulders gently. As she stirs, he can't seem to say anything as he simply points to the window...
Stunned like her husband, they calmly sit down and call the police...
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Xavier's School...Danger Room
The others watch from above in the danger room, as the two awakened generals show their skills against the holograms and machines of the computer's design. As they dive and parry against certain things, they see the unnatural grace and perfection that both Zoicite and Jadeite portray.
As Zoicite narrowly evades a beam from the side, Jadeite swirls in shadows as he summons a Spirit to protect him from behind.
"How do they do that with such ease...I mean they have been asleep for an awfully long time..." Kitty asks as she looks at both Raye and Amy.
"It is part of us I guess." Raye replies as Amy looks thoughtful.
"True...it is more a part of us. It is ingrained, we don't know how we wield the power that we have. We just do. By sharing their strength with one another though...we hope that their strength grows like ours did."
"What do you mean?" Charles asks as Eric takes over the controls.
"Originally...our strength was down to the simplest of attacks. We had not needed to use our full power for so long. We had forgotten. It was so peaceful on the Moon kingdom. Together though with training and the simple belief that we could make a difference...our power grew."
"Your power grew..."
"Yes...we have multiple attack abilities and powers; Venus has the most out of all of us. But her powers are still not as strong as that of the Outers, but that is taking into consideration the talismans that are possessed." Amy states as fact. "Her mind and brilliance though..."
"What brilliance...she can be just as bad as Serena..." Raye mutters under her breath.
Shaking her head, Amy just sends a look at Raye that causes the young woman to just turn away.
"You know it's true..."
"Still Raye...you didn't have to word it like that. Mina though is much better at you when it comes to strategy or are you still annoyed that she outmaneuvered you in that last game you played?"
"Mina?" The mutants in the room question as they listen to the two girls converse for a moment.
"Venus..." They reply to the questioning looks. Turning back to one another they continue the discussion as the others turn back to watch the generals fight and train. Both young men continue to fight but then pause as they feel a twitch happening in the Earth.
Although not as strong as they would if it was the Prince or their other two missing friends. It is definitely noticeable. Unaware of the approaching danger, they just stand there as something sneaks up upon them. Hitting the switch for safety protocols, the others watch as they gesture for the two Senshi to take a look.
"What's wrong with them?" Eric asks.
"I don't know?" Raye replies as Amy looks thoughtful. Pressing forward to the mike down below, she looks at her Zoicite with a questioning gaze. "Zoicite are you and Jadeite picking up something?"
Nodding his head, the two men close their eyes and teleport to their location. Both are focusing on the young women that they care about and as they appear, the Professor just looks at them with a curious gaze.
"What have you sensed?"
"A shift in the Earth's energy."
"Is it something against us..." Charles asks.
"No..." Jadeite answers. "It is good...it seems life has grown as a result of this."
"Life...?" Amy muses and then looks at Raye curiously. "You...think..."
"Sounds like her..."
The X-Men watch as the two girls converse and then nod. Turning to Charles and Eric, they voice their opinions. "It's Lita..."
"Lita?"
"Sailor Jupiter...the Eternal Senshi of Thunder..." Amy replies smiling. "She also has an affinity, because of her powers, with Nature. Things tend to grow in her presence..."
Nodding their head, they turn to discuss finding the Senshi with Amy and Zoicite as the others leave. Raye seeing Ororo's thoughtful gaze follows the older woman as she leaves.
"You know she is much like you..." Raye quietly says. The African woman with the sterling white hair stills for but a moment.
"How do you know how I am...?"
"You forget who I am before I am Mars...I am a Priestess...and we can sense when things trouble you. That and I kind of snooped...bad habit I picked up from the Princess." The young woman grumbles.
Ororo chuckles a bit as the young woman seems a little chagrined at her actions. Then looking at her with a curious gaze, she asks the question that has popped into her mind.
"Why do you say we are so much a like..."
"Searching for something...we know with Lita...she is trying to find love and a family she has yearned for...you I do not know. What is it that you search for?"
"Would you believe something akin to it? I love my family...but...it would be nice..."
"I know..."
Ororo smiles ruefully. Gesturing for the young priestess to follow her, Raye does so as Jadeite watches with a smile.
"My firebrand..." He whispers proudly of the young woman as she listens and converses with the older. Turning, he finds himself face to face with Logan, who growls.
"Zoicite can fight...how about you...up for a spar..."
Jadeite smiles as he whisks a sword from nowhere and Logan seems pleased. Turning around he leads the way, towards a practice room where the two go at it with pleasure.
As discussions between the two groups continue, back in the living room, Kurt is watching television, when a news break comes on. Groaning as it interrupts his favorite show, he pauses as sees glittering green spires, and the clouds of rain and thunder that it rests upon.
:PROFESSOR: The young German teenager thinks with all his might. Thus it causes the older man to pause, in mid-discussion, with the others as they now approach Cerebro.
"What is it Kurt?"
Kurt through his thoughts as he knows the Professor can hear him. Relays the news as he sees it on TV and the Professor nods his head. To confirm it, he doesn't say anything and just continues on to the computer. As he slides it upon his skull, he concentrates even more and finds a point in Kansas just as Kurt has confirmed.
The alterations to the computer that the two geniuses had done had broadened his range and ability so much in the detection of those who show mutant gifts. Already he and the others have picked up five new students who stay at the manor, with various abilities. With Eric now helping, those mutants have already under the leadership of both Scott and Lance have decided to build on to the grounds so that others may attend.
As he senses everything, his images in his mind start to become clearer and he can sense those around the palace of Emerald Crystals. Satisfied as his mind picks up a sleeping life inside, he is stunned as it centers on him as if wary. Allowing it to walk upon his mind, he feels the relief and the excitement as he shows images of Raye and Amy upon his skull.
A contented warmth encircles in anticipation. :Come soon...:
Pulling off Cerebro, he turns around and looks up at Amy, who is smiling as well. "She sensed me and Raye close by you. She knows you are coming."
"How could she...?" He asks out of curiosity.
"It is relative to who we were in the moon kingdom." Amy says with a wistful look. Zoicite placing a hand on her shoulder, allows her to look into his green eyes with her own blue and smile. Turning back to the professor, she continues...
"I may have been of Ice...but I am also called the Scout of Wisdom, Raye the Scout of War, Mina is the Scout of Love and so Lita is also the Scout of Protection. To get to her palace will be easy; to get inside is what will be hard."
"The lightening storms..."
"Yes..." Amy nods her head. "It will be hard...one must be quick as we are or be able to deflect the thunder bolts with their own."
Eric listening to the conversation is already thinking...as is Charles.
"Storm and my son..."
"Agreed..."
Setting the plans into action, Charles relays the mission to the older woman as Eric goes to find his son Pietro.
"I will be going to see your friend." She comments as Raye is next to her.
"Tell her hello for me."
"You are not coming?"
"No...I want to and so does Amy, but Luna I know wishes to go this time. She has been our friend for so long, we can not deny her."
Nodding her head in understanding, she goes to get ready. In the meantime, Eric has tracked down Pietro, who is grumbling about his lack of anything to do, for as a side of affect of his mutant ability he works everything way to fast.
"Son...how would you like to dodge bolts of lightening?" Eric says as Pietro, looks up at him.
"I would say depends...has anything to do with those girls and two guys...?"
"Yes...another one has been located and by all accounts, this one has bolts of lightening every few seconds protecting it. Storm will be helping by giving you cover, for those who can't avoid."
"I don't anything like that Dad...I am to fast remember..."
"Jean..." Is all Eric says to bring Pietro down. He remembers that the telekinetic had simply thought and caught him in mid run and would not let him go during one of their battles. When it came to time in the danger room, Quicksilver besides having to dodge Spike would have to try and get away from Jean as she would simply think and stop him in his tracks.
Sullen, he follows his father towards the X-Jet as the others watch with a mixture of confusion and glee.
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Elsewhere...
Apocalypse storms in anger at the appearance of the Emerald Palace of Thunder, his mind roaring with the hatred that eh and Chaos share for all that is good, he watches as it forces even the merest human away from its proud spires.
:Chaos it seems another has come:
:Do not fret Apocalypse, let them raise her. I know where those they seek are now and it will be a challenge for them to break through and wake them: Chaos responds with a chuckle. The fact that Chaos laughs causes Apocalypse to smile. Those surrounding them though tremble in fear.
For when Apocalypse smiles...people die.
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Three hours later...
Pietro was just looking up at the windows of the X-Jet with confusion and awe. The emerald spires glisten in the daylight, yet he can see clearly the thunder, and lightening illuminating its structures with intense power.
"Wow..." Pietro looks on with excitement as the bolts seem to surround the jet with fury. Not actually destroying it, but making it difficult for Artemis and Luna who are flying the plane. Kurt as the back up for escape, is holding on tail and all to the plane, with a greenish look to his blue furred skin.
Storm simply, sits in her chair and concentrates. As the bolts increase, the jet seems to steady for as it sits barrier of bolts itself that are deflecting those with ease. Landing quickly so as to not tire out the mutant, Storm along with Pietro and his father gather around Luna who simmers and hops onto the young man's shoulders.
"I will go with you, to aid you in locating Jupiter...once we have found her, it will stop."
Nodding his head, they look to storm, who calmly steps out to the elevator that leads up to the roof. Preparing for what will happen, as Eric opens the door, Pietro know in his Quicksilver frame of mind runs.
"LEFT!"
Running to the left, a bolt strikes where he stood a moment ago and now he understands as he proceeds to run, the bolts are moving much faster than he can go, and only though Storm's powers is allowed to use his speed to dodge what she can not block. Moving and leaping where he needs to, Luna holds on with her claws digging in as the young man, moves as fast as he can to approach the castle.
Reaching his destination, he finds himself approaching an emerald door, which before he even touches it, welcomes him with open arms. Speaking into the communicator, he relays the message that he is in.
"Be careful son...last few times we have been attacked. Call for Nightcrawler if you need to get out."
Nodding his head, he disappears into the palace. The others remain alert though as Storm maintains a barrier around the jet with help from Magneto. Their powers not quite meshing still provide enough of a shield from the elements that they remain safe.
Still on alert though, the two remain aware through the alertness of Artemis and Kurt, to their every sound and movement. As they simply wait for the thunder to stop...but pause as something is reflected in the shadows.
It glows and crackles with energy...and it shoots out towards them in a strike that is not intended to warn...but to kill.
In the Emerald Palace of Thunder...
Pietro looks around as he finds himself in a place filled with beauty. Luna, who seems a little frazzled by the speed of which the teenager had run and dodged, immediately leaps down to the ground. Her nose sniffing in the air, she seems to frown.
"I can't smell her..."
"What do you mean can't..."
"The rain is too much. All I smell is the water in the air from her storms." The cat grumbles loudly. "It figures, she might have anticipated this."
Pietro can't help but laugh as the feline frowns in thought. Often he has thought that about the other mutants that he attended school with. How they knew exactly what to say or do sometimes to stop him in his tracks. It was annoying...
Still watching as she sniffs the air, he feels a strange pulling sensation straight ahead. Walking as if being called, he goes down the hall, much to the confusion of his four footed companion. Continuing on with Luna at his heels, they stumble across a barrier of emerald light.
Within this barrier a young woman floats softly and she is beautiful. Her auburn hair in a high ponytail, she wears a simple sleeveless sheath of emerald green. It falls down to the floor along her slender form and is bordered with what seems to be tiny roses.
Looking around, he immediately spies the crystal formation. Right next to it though is the crystal heart...
"For once this should be simple...?"
"Wait don't touch it..." Luna cries out, but it is too late for as he picks it up, he is shocked with a huge volt of electricity.
Slightly dazed as the electricity shoots, through him, he growls with annoyance.
"How the hell am I supposed to pick it up and put it in there?"
The cat hisses at him, and then pauses as an idea hits her.
"How fast can you run?"
"Huh?"
"How fast can you run...especially in a small area...?"
"Why?"
"The crystal will not hurt me as long as I remain in cat form. If you were to generate the speed or wind to lift it up. I can time my jump just right with your help and I can knock it into the keyhole.
Listening to the feline, Quicksilver nods his head. "It is best I hold on to you then as I run for once I stop..."
Luna nods her head ruefully. Not looking forward to another ride on the rollercoaster that is Quicksilver, she still does so for it means bringing back Lita.
"Let's do it..."
Holding onto the young mutant tight with her claws, Luna begins to feel the rapid wind as Quicksilver runs in a circle. He was lucky for when he dropped it from the initial shock it had given him space to move in.
Running, the wind his body generates from the running begins to puck up and lift the crystal from the ground. Moving as fast as his mutant abilities can, he is huffing by the time it halfway in the air.
"A little further..." Luna whispers.
"Don't know how...much...longer..."
"You can do it..."
A burst of speed overcomes him as he takes on a second wind. Running as if his life depended on it, Luna gets to ready leap...
"NOW STOP!"
Stopping Luna leaps from his arms as it begins to fall and flips her body and tail in such a way that it smacks the emerald crystal hard...sending it sailing into the keyhole.
With the minute it hints a bright flash of emerald thunder surrounds them both...
Outside...
The others manage to maintain a shield from the on blast of thunder, but it is starting to break.
"Can't hold it much longer..." Magneto mutters as he falls to his knees next to Storm who is running out of energy.
That is when it happens...the thunder stops and the lights clear...in front of them is simply a machine.
Pyramid like in structure; it shoots out another blast as it pulses. Within its confines they see how it boots up even more power intent on delivering a fatal blast. Closing their eyes as they are not sure they have the strength they watch as it is released, only to have it be blocked and absorbed by a young woman in green and pink.
Her hair is red and her green eyes watch the machine as it pauses to scan her.
"Everyone take cover...it's time to take this puppy out..."
Storm is amazed as what seems to be a lightening rod emerges from the young woman's tiara as it gathers the air, water and electricity becoming a visible lighting spark.
"I call upon my forefathers of Jupiter; send me a blast worthy of my family...JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!"
Out of nowhere a bolt bigger and brighter than any that she has ever called strikes this machine. It whirls as it absorbs the energy to its fullest, but it begins to whirl even faster for it has become too much.
Storm lifts up as the girl with the auburn hair, sprouts a pair of wings and flies to it.
"You ready..."
Storm nods her head as her eyes glow silver...
"Jupiter THUNDERCLAP ZAP!"
A ball of lightening forms inside the young woman's hands and she throws it at the machine as storm lifts it with the winds. It explodes in a rain of sparks, as both strikes hit it.
In satisfaction, the young woman nods to the older with a gesture of thanks.
"Thanks..."
"It is my pleasure Jupiter..." The regal woman replies.
Smiling as they fly down to the ground, the wings are disappearing and they watch as she concentrates and the crystal in her tiara glows. Soon the castle disappears...to join with the others.
Once it is done, a normal young woman stands in their place. She wears a green turtleneck and a pair of denim shorts.
Running as she sees two familiar shapes appear, Artemis and Luna both in their human forms are swept up into a hug.
"I have missed you guys..."
"We have missed you as well..." Artemis and Luna smile as the young woman cries in joy.
"Anyone else awake...?"
Luna holds out her arm, and she shrieks in joy as two very familiar heads appear on the viewer.
"LITA YOU HAVE GOT TO GET BACK HERE!" Raye replies before screaming at someone in the background. Amy just shakes her head as a commotion is heard.
"Just like old times huh Ames..."
Nodding her head happily, Amy waves goodbye. "See you later...hopefully by then I will have pried Raye from her attempt at murder..."
"Who is she trying to kill?"
"Um...I think you had better wait until you get here. Then the professor and the others can explain Lita. We will see you soon..."
"Okay Ames...I can't wait to see you guys again..."
"Same here..."
As they finish off the conversation, Lita finds herself being herded towards a plane. Looking a little nervous, she looks to the others afraid..."is there another way?"
"No..."
Gulping then...she mutters something that makes the others a little amused.
"I hate planes..."
Preparing her for the experience of Kurt...the others explain to Lita as they take their seats...what has been going on since she slept...it helps to ease her fears...