There were many other discussions that flowed into heated debates.
"You know nothing about me, Charles… yes we are friends, but you'll never know how they've treated me… and in turn how they'll soon treat you if they ever knew the truth!" snapped Erik, after yet another debate about their future plans for the school.
"I know humanity turned their back on you, but we never should, Erik." stated Charles, as Erik felt a slight pinch in his head.
"Damn it, Charles,' Erik snarled back at Charles. 'you know better than to go through my head!"
Charles here lowered the hand that he had only seconds ago raised to his temple. "Erik, revenge isn't the answer trust me… A school like ours can teach and show others that we can be one!"
"That then wouldn't be our school… that, my dearest friend, would just be yours."
"It'll be a dark path ahead, Erik, if you design a school where you guide mutants to hate humanity… as hate creates more fear and angry!"
Erik shook his head.
"You know somewhere deep inside I am right, I saw it I felt it." Charles first points a finger at Erik's head and then down to his heart.
"I don't need your lectures here, Charles… I just want to be a part of a school, that could create a better world for us mutants."
"Then stand by me… then we can help together!"
Erik just stared angrily at Charles, thinking things few, but then he turned his back and walked away.
.
Soon, after one hot fight, Erik went back to his room and in a hurry filled his bags.
The following morning, it was clear that he had made his decision to step fully away from the school.
Moira came before him and took hold of his forearm, turning him around to face her. "Please, don't do this Erik."
"I can't continue arguing with him… its no good for the both of us… and at this point in time he knows it too." Erik knowingly makes reference to Charles' abilities.
Charles had now come before them, seeing the anger in Erik's eyes. "Is there nothing I can say or do to stop this?" asked Charles, rubbing a hand over his mouth.
He merely shook his head in reply. "We are at different points here, Charles… you stick with thinking humanity will see us as equals… and see how that goes for you… whereas for me, I'll stick to thinking we mutants are better than humans and as such deserve better."
"And I will have to stop that.' stated Charles openly. 'If the time comes for it!"
Moira turned to look at Charles. "Both of you are as stubborn as each other... the day we drove up to this place, we all had the same wish... what changed... what drove you two down different channels!?"
"If I have to, Charles, I will find my own powerful mutants, have them use their powers to turn the tide in our favour."
"War in my eyes, Erik, has never gotten us anywhere."
"We'll have to see which side wins first, dear Charles…" and with that Erik pulled away from Moira and left.
.
- Africa -
A group of children, around the ages of 9-to-14, were running through the tents of their tiny camp after one another, being monitored by an old lady in their neighbourhood. Each child was holding a long reed-like stick, but it was the child who was the chaser for their turn that was allowed to use the stick. And with the other children trying to avoid being "it" with neither child, however, ran too far away to miss out on the fun of the game. There was fun and laughter had by all.
The boy who was the chaser at this point suddenly turned and went after one particular girl, who had a pretty young dark-skinned face and had unusual white hair.
"Ah, your it, Ororo!" he called out, as he lightly touched her on the shoulder with the stick.
She instantly chased after the other children this way and that, but to no avail.
"Come on, Ororo!"
"Yeah, Ororo over here..." tasted a boy, calling for Ororo to try and catch him.
"This way after me!" cried out another child, waving his hands to goat the young girl.
The young, Ororo, was just not fast enough, nor agile enough, to win. When it looked as if she would get a tag the boy in front was just toying with her and ran off, she tumbles and fell, landing on her stick, which then snapped in two.
.
She stands and dusts herself off.
The boy sees this and stops, turning to point it out to the others.
And when they all see this and that she had broken the stick, they begin to giggle.
"Come on now children, play nice… this is only a game after all." stated the elderly lady, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, who had governed the crowd.
He turned away and said he was sorry.
The elder first missed the initial flake of snow, but the children certainly didn't. It was a good ten seconds before she did, and by then the snow was falling thick, wafting down to only melt the very second it hit the hot African soil, that had never seen snow before.
.
Other adults turned and looked now, with worry and fearful looks that crossed their faces, soon the encampment had come to gather around this little child, staring up at the clear blue sky and the snow that falls from nowhere, from nothing, but all knew all too well that it was because of the girl before them.
The white-haired girl now had white glistening eyes, she drops to the ground and covers her head and stayed there in tears. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean it... I'm sorry!" The child here somehow realising too that she was behind this strange burst of weather.
Sadly though, it was only the elderly lady that stepped forward to offer the child support, love and comfort.
.