Rachael Gray was sleeping in.
In her world there was no such thing as 'sleeping in'. Maybe for some random villager in some remote region but her experience never really allowed it.
Her astral form wandered the world as she slept. Invisibly, she walked the streets of Paris, Bali, El Salvador, Africa, Australia and in the U.S. – Maine.
Everywhere she saw smiling people dotting the crowds. People moved so bravely and confidently, as though they had no cares other than their own. Everyone glowed in their own robust astral light.
Kurt's don't a wonderful job with this world. It's so alive… Every corner.
In her reality, where her father Scott Summers had assumed the role of Excalibur's leader, most of the world was hitting hard times by now. Scott's 'Zero Tolerance' program to cease hostilities between mutant and human had been adopted as a model around the world.
And soon, any mutant evidencing a power was considered to be 'suspicious', and demanded 'dealing with'. Every abuse ever visited upon a minority suddenly became directed towards mutant-kind and every atrocity in history began to repeat itself in new locations across the globe.
Rachael found herself walking a deserted London street.
The front page of today's paper swept past her in the breeze as she watched some children playing.
"I get to be the mutant this time!" One of the little boys said, taking a flashlight from his friend. "You have to run and hide!"
"Who you gonna be?" His friend asked. "I want to be a good guy if I'm being the human."
The first boy considered. "Okay. You be Alistaire Stuart. And I'll be Magneto."
Magneto? Rachael looked interested. I haven't heard that name in a long time. Why do they think he's a bad guy?
"Awww… Alistaire can't stop Magneto!" The second child complained.
The first one puffed up his chest. "He's a member of Excalibur, ain't he?"
The second boy laughed. "Yeah, okay." He picked up a stick. "This will be my neutralizer pistol."
"Are you sure that's what it's called?"
The second boy smiled again. "Me Dad read it to me right out of the paper." He shrugged. "Now run off and I'll give you a head start."
And the first boy took off down an alley and the second turned away and began to count.
Rachael shook her head and then raised it. I'm near the coast. I bet I can see the lighthouse from here.
She strained to look and sure enough there it was. And in a flash of blinding speed, so was she, standing on the rocks and looking up at the deck.
Alistaire stood above with Betsy and Brian. Brian glowed the brightest, his power having been held in reserve as it developed, and now it was as strong a light as it could be without pushing his physical form to become something new.
Betsy had a bright glow about her too. It was a neon purple light that was quite airy and relaxing. But that was not always the case. Rachael could look within her soul and see the deep violet residue of her past, when her light wasn't allowed to shine as brightly as she would have liked.
Even so, such improvement! Rachael was stunned. On my world all people ever did was get stronger. They never changed any other way. But here… You can become anyone you want with just the effort and the chance…
And Kurt gives people their chance. She smiled. Not even the Kurt I remember as being my 'uncle' back in my world could do that for me. And this one… He does it without hesitation.
Alistaire caught her eye. While he was not as bright and did not project his light as strongly, she studied him closely. He appeared to be lit from within – by a single bright spot of bluish light that sat just behind and above his eyes. It glowed so brightly as to look solid, like a jewel – or the seed of a soul that had been planted in his mind.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Forge asked her, making her jump.
"Forge, what!"
He gestured behind them where his body sat cross-legged, with his eyes closed and wearing a soft and relaxed smile.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." He shrugged. "But you looked like you might want to talk."
She smiled. "And you saw me… how?"
He smiled at her. "This is an old Native American trick. Anyone can train their mind to step outside their body. It just takes effort and patience." He explained.
She looked down. "I do need to talk. But I don't know where to begin."
He gestured to some rocks and she sat down. He took a seat on one nearby. "We've all got difficult things to do here. I had to learn to fight. Look at my bodies face." He gestured in the general direction.
"Uh!" She shivered. "Were you learning to fight or to take a beating?"
"Both, probably." He shrugged. "Why don't you start with what you think you need to learn?"
She sighed gently. "I need to learn… Too much." She said, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't even know who the good guys are in this world. I heard some children talking about Magneto like he's some kind of evil mutant."
"That's because he kind of... is" Forge shrugged. "Why, what was he on your world?"
"A hero." She said sadly. "A dead hero who gave his life to save others."
Forge nodded. "And he inspired you?"
"Uh-hunh." She agreed. "To keep going when I thought I was done… I always figured that if he could give his life for his cause… then so could I."
Forge nodded thoughtfully. "I admire your dedication, but I think your world was a lot more accepting of death and casual losses. Kurt's told me that the X-Men have never had a fatality on the team."
"Really?" She shook her head. "How is that possible?"
"Good planning, lots of resources, and a total dedication to preserving life at all costs." Forge said. "Kurt's got it too. I know I'm in tons of danger by being here, but I've never felt safer."
"Me either." She agreed. "And no one's made any demands of me… I can't get over that." She smiled. "You know what Kurt told me?"
"What?"
"To help out when I knew I was the best person for the job." She smiled and shook her head. "He even said please."
Forge laughed. "Yeah, Kurt's a softy. But he means business. He's got about eighteen trials pending as a result of his campaign against The Hellfire Club. And from what I hear they've taken a lot of their activities underground."
Rachael sat quietly. "In my world my father executed more than thirty of them." She shook her head. "It was a huge mistake on his part."
"Death is not a solution to any real problem." Forge shrugged. "You can see that very clearly from here, on the astral level. Have you ever seen a soul leave a body?" He asked.
She shook her head 'no'. "I've never been able to relax enough to get here before. I knew how but… Mostly I was just a telekinetic brute on my world."
Forge smiled. "Well, this world responds pretty well to finesse too." He said. "But we can talk more when you're up and around for the day." He pointed to his right and Lucy stood there, staring at the two of them sitting on the rocks.
"How does she know we're here?" Rachael asked him.
"She and I have a psychic link. She can see me, and most of what I see too." He smiled. "I … never knew people could be this close."
Rachael bit her lip. My parents were the same way… She buried the thought.
"We'll talk more later." Forge said, and he vanished.
Suddenly his body jumped and his eyes fluttered open. "Hey Lucy, what's new?"
She beamed a smile at him that would have rivaled the lighthouses. "We have to go in to town." She told him.
"Oh?"
"Yes." She smiled. "And it's a surprise."
Forge smiled. What's she cooking up? "A surprise, hunh?"
She nodded. "It'll be good, I promise."
And Rachael saw her soul light up at the words "I promise".
Go Forge, she means it! Rachael whispered.
"Okay." Forge held up his hands in defeat. "Take me, I'm yours!" He said, falling towards her.
She caught him in a hug and smiled as she nuzzled him for a moment before looking at Rachael.
Lucy made eye contact with Rachael and mouthed the words "Remember that." Before leading him away.
Rachael smiled. I never knew you Lucy Logan. But I remember your … 'father' well enough. She smiled softly. He did great things, as I'm sure you will too.
She bit her lip slowly. Although… When my Logan lost his mate… She shivered. I can only pray for a better fate for you and Forge. She shrugged. And… no worries. He's yours… more than you know.
And nothing's going to change that. I can tell.