Chapter 1

Cassera Nikolai frowned as she looked around the all white room that she had found herself in upon waking up from a faint for the second time. She noticed that she had all kinds of wires attached to her body and figured she must be in a hospital. Maybe I'm really sick or something and that's why I'm having these weird fantasies, she thought to herself reasuringly. Just as she was starting to believe that maybe she was sick and not some kind of mutant a gruff looking man walked into the room. She figured he must be her doctor and said, "Hi, how am I doing? Am I going to be okay?"

The man frowned and said, "I guess. All you did was pass out a couple of times. It ain't no big deal. McCoy just wanted to make sure you were healthy. Says you passin out could be because of some medical reason. Honestly I wasn't listenin. I just came to give you these and to tell you not to worry. The professor'll be down here to talk to you soon." He tossed her a her jeans and t-shirt and walked out the door.

What's up with him, she wondered as she waited for whoever it was that was supposed to be checking on her next. She sighed and decided to take off the wires attached to her because they were starting to itch. Laying down on the hospital bed after getting dressed Cassy began to drift off to sleep. Just as her eyes drifted shut she heard the door open and sat up to see the big blue haired doctor walk in behind an elderly bald man in a wheelchair. "Um hi, sorry about the passin out thing, but I could've swore the guy you walked in with was blue with a pointy tail."

The doctor just chuckled and nodded. "I understand completely. My name is Dr. Hank McCoy. I'm just going to check your vital signs while Professor Xavier explains a few things to you."

"Uh sure," she said turning to look at the bald guy, "you must be Professor Xavier. I'm Cassy, but you probably already know that."

"Actually, we brought you here without knowing who you were. All we know is that you are like us. My name is Charles Xavier, and I am a mutant. As is Hank. This place we've brought you to is my school for mutants. It is just like any other school in that we make sure that each student is fully educated, but we also teach our students how to controll their powers, or gifts, as I like to think of them. Now yor powers for some reason manifested themselves rather late,but it's not unusual. You're just what I like to affectionately call a late bloomer. You don't have to stay here if you don't want to, but I sincerely hope that you do."

Hank finished checking her vital signs and said, "Well, you're completely healthy. Now, I know that what the professor's told you has come as a shock because your heartbeat tripled when you heard it, but it's the truth. It's not necessarily a bad thing though. Living here with other mutants and not having to hide who you really are is such an amazing feeling. It's as if you're completely free. Plus, the school is completely safe and nobody will ever know you're a mutant unless you tell them." He gave her a friendly smile and said, "I hope you stay. By the way, I love what you've done to your hair." He chuckled as he left the room leaving her alone with Professor Xavier.

Cassy stared at the professor trying to decide what she thought of him when she heard his voice say in her head, You don't have to be afraid. You see, I was telling the truth. This is my gift. I have telekenetic and psychic abilities. You, as far as I can tell, have the ability to control water and you have a psychic link with water creatures. There may be more to it than that. Only time will tell. I can also hear what you're thinking, but unless you're directing your thoughts at me I won't listen in.

Um, can you like hear me now?

Yes child, I can hear you as clear as if you were talking out loud. If you ever want to have a private conversation with me this is how you should go about it.

"Oh. Um I kinda have a question to ask you. I know it sounds crazy, but did all those things that I thought were dreams really happen or were they really dreams?" Cassy figured that she knew what his answer would be, but she had to hear it out loud or she'd never believe it herself.

"I'm sorry to say, but yes those things really happened. I wish for your sake that it were all a dream, but unfortunately those events took place in real life."

Cassy sighed, holding back her tears until she could be alone and said, "Thank you Professor. I appreciate your honesty. I think I would like to stay here, at least for a while. I think being here might do me some good. It might not help me feel better, but at least I might be less of a danger to people in the future."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, or at least as sure as I can be with everything that's happened. Oh, and Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for being willing to take me in. My name is Cassera Jasmine Nikolai and if given the chance I will repay your kindness."


Cassy sat in an overstuffed leather chair in Professor Xavier's office. They were trying to decide how to convince her parent's to let her stay at the institute. Well they weren't actually her parents, she was adopted by them when she was ten after her mother had died. They had been her mother's friends and couldn't have children of their own. When Cassy's mother had died of breast cancer not long after her tenth birthday the Christensen's had been more than happy to take her in and love her as if she were their own flesh and blood. Cassy thought about how no matter how nice Joni and Mike Christensen had been to her she had alwaysacted out and treated them like dirt. She looked up at Professor Xavier and said, "Um Professor, you could always tell my parents that your school is for helping children with disiplinary problemsor something along those lines."

"From what you'vetold me aboutyour behavior with your parents that might just work. I'm guessing they would never contact a school like that on their own, but if one were to contact them they would probably see it as a sign."

"Yeah, you can say you were contacted by the police after I got caught as a runaway. I really think it would work. I just hate lying about it. Hey, what if you said that my school had contacted you onaccount of my low grades. Since you sadi this is a school for gifted people that would probably work better because gifted could easily mean below average intellect, or above, like I'm not being challenged enough in school. My teachers really have said that, and my parents have been contacted by other schools but it was always too expensive."

"I think that's the best idea yet. I've decided that i'll tell them a combination of your low grades, bad attitude, and high IQ. What do you think?"

"I think you're brilliant Professor."

"I'm positive they'll allow you to stay so I'll have one of your new classmates come show you around while I'm gone. I always do these things in person. I'm glad to have met you Cassy, you seem like a very nice girl."

"Thank you, for everything. I guess it's time for me to learn the layout of my soon-to-be new home."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. If you will wait just one moment I'll have one of the girls you'll be rooming with sent in here to give you the grande tour." He sat silently in his chair for a moment with an expressionless face before smiling and saying, "One of your new roommates Jubilee will be in here shortly to show you around."