A large tree rose above a crystal pond within a dark cave. The tree was very peculiar its bark was pristine white and it's leafs shined brighter than any star. Above the cave was a small round opening and from it shined the full moon. The light of the moon shined down onto the tree and still waters making the walls of the cave shine bright dance so elegantly.
"I'm finally here!" Breaking the silence of the cave was a young man drowned in a red tattered cloak. He held a large wooden staff which he held close to his person. The young man had a look of wisdom to him, as if the knowledge he held was beyond his years. The man lifted his staff and gently tapped the still waters of the cave which rippled reaching the great tree in its center. The young man kneeled down and began to chant.
"Within the border of light and dark
I call upon the holy spark
Flames of azure and hope alike
Now the tree of light you strike!"
While he chanted a ring of blue flames rose around him until a large stream of flame shot out and hit the tree setting it ablaze. Oddly the tree did not burn to ash; it just shined with an otherworldly beauty. The blue flames of the tree reached the pool of water and when they touched the flames vanished and the pool turned ink-black. The young man bowed on his hands and knees and called out over the pool of dark waters.
"Second son of the great moon, great serpent of the azure deeps, lord of death and keeper of the goddess' secrets, I call upon you this night and seek your audience." The waters of the pool churned and bubbled with life. Small fish pale and nearly translucent rose and splashed upon the water's surface. The young man smiled and pulled a small silver stone from his person. He tossed the stone into the water and the churning of the pool ceased, the odd fish were now floating calmly upon the inky waters. They were easily seen now, they appeared to be of the deep, fish that never seen the light of day. Something else was seen by the man, two large blue lights shined from opposite sides of the pool. The boy smiled and bowed respectively.
"Great one it is I William Kaplan, I have come here as you asked." The lights seemed to disappear for a moment and reappear three times and then one tilted and the other rose. Suddenly a deep voice echoed out from the pool making it vibrate.
'Yesssss…. I recall you now…. You look different from the lasssssst time we met.' The young man caressed his red cloak and in a sorrowful voice spoke.
"I'm wearing Skylars cloak… he didn't… make it on his quest and he sent it to me... as a reminder of him." The lights vanished for a long moment and returned with a bright flash of blue.
'Yesssss…. I sssssense him within the watersssss of my domain…. I will watch over him…. And sssssend him sssswiftly to mother.' From within the water raised a long slick tentacle; within its grasp was a small blue pearl. 'To prevent another from the sssssame fate.' The voice explained. The tentacle dropped the pear into the hands of the man and in thanks the man smiled.
"Thank you great one. But I don't think you called me here for just a healing tear." The waters rippled for a moment and the small fish scattered before returning to their peaceful swim.
'Yesssss…. I called you here for…. a very important resssssign…. Ssssskylar'ssssss brother isss in danger. My dear older brother issssss trying to awake.' The young man looked on confused.
"Shouldn't that be a good thing? Doesn't it mean the spell lady Aura cast worked?" the waters rippled and lights grew bright.
'It did work and that issss the problem… when mother brought me into the world I felt the remnantssss of my brother within the deepsss…. He wasssss furioussss…. Sssshould he take control of the boy all will bathe in hissss unending wrath.' The young man fell on his hands and knees and shook in horror. 'If masss death were to in ssssssew all will fall within the azure deepssss…. I do not know what ssssso much death will do to me…. I could turn like my brother and devourer the ssssssoulssss.'
"What do I do to stop this!? There must be something that could end his wrath!" the waters vibrated for a moment as the voice hummed in thought.
'You musssst purify him…. And sssssshould that fail… you mussssst… end…. The….. boy…' the waters churned and splashed in a flurry of fish until they all vanished into the inky waters. The water itself became clear and the boy rose to his feet. He rubbed his face and sighed.
"….Don't worry…. I won't let anything happen to your baby brother Sky…. I promise you he will be saved. No harm will come too little Devlin."
/X-Men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Four Days Earlier
'Loud yawn.' I giggled and rubbed Crest's head feeling pity for my fuzzy friend. He has been up with me as I practiced using my powers.
"Sorry Crest, I appreciate you staying up with me tonight but I can handle it on my own." The professor aloud me a day off from classes to practice my umbrakenesis. I thought that practicing while it was dark out would make it easier to activate my power and he agreed to give me a night to try. So here I am in the front of the mansion cross legged in a nice warm hoodie with Crest by my side dosing off.
'Yawning bark.' I laughed and hugged his fuzzy head.
"You're sweet to be worried about me but I can handle myself. Plus we're in a gated area with a state of the art security system. Nothing other than a nuclear bomb could hurt me here Crest."
'Bark bark bark' to translate for you 'yah yah yah' he decided to lie down and stretched out onto the grass next to me. In a few seconds I started to hear him snoring softly. Giggling at his silliness I continued to concentrate on what the professor suggested for me. He said to try and feel different emotions or needs to pull out the power. I tried fear but that just made another wolf that snored along with the original. I tired bravery but that just made the flames. So far everything I tired didn't activate anything other than the wolves or fires.
"Ugh!" What else could I try? Needs I guessed but what need and for what reason? I mean I didn't even know what I could use darkness for anyway? I thought and thought and I came up with an idea. "Crest wake up!" jumping up Crest looked around confused and glared at me.
'Loud questioning bark?' I smiled and pointed to both of the wolves with a smile of determination.
"I need you both to attack me!"
'Louder questioning bark!?'
"To activate the power! Why do you think?" they both shook their fuzzy heads and I glared at them both. "Ok then we can stay up all night until I figure out something else." They gave each other a look and sighed.
'Agreeing bark' Victorious!
"Ok stand over there and wait for my signal." They obeyed and I stood ready with my hand out. "Ok the plan is to make a wall of darkness to block the attack. Ok on three. One, two, three!" they rushed at me getting closer and closer, seeing them both reminded me of the time Logan saved me. They really scared me then and just thinking about brought up those memories. Just as they were inches from my face…. they fell on top of me.
'Apologizing bark.' I sighed and petted their heads.
"Its ok guys…" I huffed and rose to my feet. "I'm going for a run." After a few minutes of lapping around the mansion I finally reached Crest and his clone who were asleep on the soft grass. I sat beside them and patted their heads.
"I don't get it guys… it's like I don't even have that power… whatever it does." I summoned a fire ball in my hand and watched the flames flicker and dance in my palm. The dancing fire almost hypnotized me with how beautiful it looked. I just wanted to keep it with me forever. "At least I can use you…."
Thinking to myself I consternated on making the flame cover my entire hand. I watched it for a while until suddenly my hand turned blue black and so did the flames. My hand looked amazing, the wrist and palm was completely black and my fingers were shining blue and the tips were clawed with candle size blue black flames. Above the hand in my palm was a small black ball that hand radiated what looked like smoke. I jumped up in joy holding the black ball in triumph.
"Crest look I did it I..." as I fist bumped the sky in joy the black ball flew high into the air and to our horror, exploded into a huge ball of blue black fire the size of a bus. It burned up and faded away leaving me standing there as still as possible. Crest and his clone dropped their jaws just staring at me shocked. "I… uhhh…. Think I'll… save that for an emergency…."
'Agreeing bark.'
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
It had been a pretty uneventful day and a half, since I learned how to use my Umbrakenesis. Tomorrow morning I would be spending my first survival week and with Logan. It was also the start of summer vacation, which is why the professor organized a week of it to teach his students Survival skills. Then the rest of the summer was ours to do with as we pleased.
I couldn't wait! Others dreaded going despite knowing that Logan wasn't going to be the teacher then. They were going to a summer camp while I got a one on one session with Logan. I had no idea what he had in store for me but I knew I could handle it now that I learned how to make an explosion the size of a bus.
To celebrate their freedom from the soul crushing boredom of school work, the kids who went to the Bayville high school throw a summer dance in honor of their freedom. All of the students of the institute decided to attend the dance… that is except for the ones who couldn't because of their mutations. This included, Rogue, Kurt, Evan, Jamie and I. I heard Kurt and Scott yelling from all the way in the rec-room where Crest and I were lounging watching a movie. Something called Spirited Away. It was awesome! I loved Hayao Miyazaki's movies ever since I saw My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke. When I heard he made a new one I asked Logan to take me to the video store to buy it…. best twenty bucks I ever spent. I just got into the movie when the shouting started. I tried to concentrate on the movie but with all the other noise it was difficult so I paused the movie and turned to Crest.
"Crest…. Go kill the makers of noise!" I was joking of coarse… kind of… anyway Crest has never hurt anyone other than Logan who he just didn't like.
'Evil cackling bark!' He rushed off the couch and though the door. I just sat there waiting for the yelling to end and the screaming to begin. When it did I smiled to myself and waited for Crest to come back so I could start the movie. Honestly he liked it to. His face was glued to the screen until the yelling that is. He came back into the room panting satisfied.
'Bark bark!' translated… 'All done!' he took his seat next to me and I started the movie again. About a few minutes in Rogue and Kurt entered the room looking depressed.
"Let me guess… you two are bummed you could go to the dance." Kurt nodded and took a seat on the edge of the couch while Rogue slouched on the wall next to it.
"Not really… I'm not much for crowds. Kurt's taking it hard though and Evan went off on his skateboard.
"And Jamie?" she pointed up stairs,
"I think he's in his room writing in his…" Crest interrupted mad at the noise.
'Long annoyed howl.' Translated… 'Shut uuuuuup!' I chuckled and patted his head.
"What's eating him?" I pointed at the T.V
"We just bought a movie and he really likes it… I know you guys are bummed but you can always watch this with us." Sighing Kurt plopped his head on his hands and Rouge sat next to Crest and started petting him. Oddly enough her powers never worked on Crest so she enjoyed petting him, he trusted Rogue so he let her.
"What are you watching?" she asked. I picked up the cover and showed it to her. She smiled recognizing it. "Oh yah… I wanted to pick this up yesterday but I had homework." I smiled and pressed the rewind button much to Crest's disappointment howl.
After we got to about forty minutes in both Rogue and Kurt got out of their funk and were enjoying themselves. I was happy they were doing better but sadly it didn't last. A loud bang sounded though the entire mansion, Crest was not pleased. Growling in anger he rose off the couch and bolted down the hall with us on his tail.
"Wait up!" Rogue and Kurt ran after us, as we reached the main hall Crest and I were way faster than they were. we found a large hole where the door to the mansion used to be. I stood on the shattered remains surveying the damage.
"The professor is going to have a fit!" I looked behind me to see another hole leading deeper into the mansion. "This is not good not good at all! Where is Logan or Beast!?" Rogue shook her head.
"Logan went on an errand and beast and the professor are picking up Storm from the airport… I'll call Scott!" she ran to the phone while Crest and I rushed in the direction of the carnage. Kurt yelled after us.
"What are you doing!?" I pointed to the hole in the wall.
"I want to know what we're up against!" man it was a mess! Whatever it was it was big, bigger than the Blob. It left craters in the shape of huge footsteps. Crest growled but something in his voice sounded scared so I kneeled down and rubbed his head.
"It will be ok we can do this." I didn't know if I was trying to convince him or myself. I took a deep breath and continued down the broken halls until we began to hear stomping. There in the professor's office stood a tall… er… very tall buff man. He would have been hot if he didn't wear that round helmet over his head. Next to the man stood a blue skinned woman who reviled in his destructive rampage laughing like a maniac, that is… until he stomped on a metal wired helmet.
"Ugh you lummox! You destroyed what we came here for!" The man brushed off the woman quite literally she hit the wall from the force and fell to the ground with a grown. Even then I knew she was the resign for this destruction… but I still felt bad… or maybe I wanted answers. I rushed to her and lifted her into a sitting position.
"How do I stop this?" she tried to wake up but could only mutter an answer.
"The….. Helmet…" She fell unconscious and I laid her down softly turning to Crest.
"You heard the lady. Knock off that helmet!"
'Bark!' we rushed after the man, Crest attacked first jumping onto the guy's back and biting at the clamps that held the helmet on to his shoulders. The man roared in anger and grabbed at Crest with a huge meaty hand and smashed him into the ground with a sickening crack.
"NOOOO!" I screamed in horror as Crest faded away in a puff of black smoke and ashes. The large man stopped on his ashes and turned to me.
"Where is Charles!?" In utter rage I rushed at him roaring. As I reached him my hands erupted in flamed claws I rushed at him clawing like a madman, the fire didn't faze him more than a moment until he got me into a choke hold with only one of his meaty hands. I squirmed and twisted in his grasp, still in morning for my fuzzy friend.
"You'll pay for what you've done!" tears began to fall from my eyes. The man lifted me to his face and glared into my watery eyes for a moment his gaze softened but still I could see deep inner rage.
"Wrong… Charles will be the one to pay." He dropped me and continued on his rampage. I cried there on the floor holding the ashes of my friend. My tears mixed into the ash as I cried.
"I'm sorry Crest…." As I sat there something happened. My tears shined and the ashes alit with fire. The fires twisted and molded into a familiar form of a wolf pup. "Crest!" the little whelp howled and whimpered in fear.
"Don't worry little guy." I lifted the pup into my hoodie and sat in defeat. Kurt finally reached us, seeing me on the ground he rushed to me thinking I was hurt. "I couldn't stop him… he's too powerful…"
"Who was it?" I shook my head and little Crest popped out of my hoodie and barked. "My god, wolf dude!… who is that strong!?" A roar erupted from underneath us as Rogue rushed to our side.
"It's no good, Scott thinks we're making it up!... We're on our own…" she noticed my shocked state. "What happened?"
"Devlin and Crest tried to fight the guy and lost…. Something happened to wolf dude and now he's…." she saw what was left of Crest and I saw the look of fear in her eye.
"….." I could even speak, I just hugged little Crest inside my hoodie. Rogue patted my back and kneeled in front of me. she looked scared but I could feel her bravery.
"I… I have a plan…. But I need your help." I looked up at her feeling small and hopeless… but I knew he needed to be stopped. I stood up and pulled Crest out of my hoodie and handed him to Kurt.
"Watch him for me…." Kurt nodded and I faced Rogue wiping the tears from my face. "What do you need me to do?"
"Lure him into the danger room and I'll do the rest." My eyes widened in astonishment, I knew what she was planning. I smiled full of hope and rushed out of the room heading for the elevator. I found the behemoth crushing the floor in rage. I smiled to myself and tossed a fire ball at the big jerk.
"Hay stupid! You want the professor!? Then follow me!" I rushed as fast as I could because the moment the words left my mouth the monstrous man charged my way. I ran down the metal halls just fast enough to stay reaching distance from him… glad I'm a great runner! Unfortunately I didn't take in consideration of the metal door. It took a few seconds to much to open… the monster caught me. Thinking as quickly as I could I tossed a fire ball into the eye hole within the metal helmet, he screamed in rage and dropped me to the floor. I jumped up as fast as I could and rushed inside the danger room. Once inside Rogue called out to me from within the control room up above, I used the elevator there and joined her inside.
"Where is Charles!" the moment the monster entered the room Rogue randomly pressed buttons and switches, to my amazement the room below erupted in activity. From metal clasps and tentacles, to rotating saws and large mechanical spiders that all assaulted the man in a flurry of metal and fire. Yet even with the countless assaults it only grassed him barley making him fall on his knees, the moment he was down Rogue pulled a leaver that made two huge metal tentacles entangle the man's massive arms holding him in place.
"I need back up!" She then ran to the elevator with me on her heels, once we we're down below she rushed at the man and grabbed onto the exposed flesh of his arms, to my amazement she began growing slightly taller while the man spasm and twisted in great pain. He quickly ripped out of the metal tentacles tearing them from the walls and backhanded Rogue. For a moment I thought she would have flown across the room but she held her ground only moving a few feet. I heard that she could take a small amount of other mutant's powers but I never seen it for myself.
"I am done playing around!" he charged at Rogue in a speed I didn't think he had and tossed her across the room leaving a dent in the wall. Even with his powers she could not stand up to his rage. "No more games! No more running! Where is my brother!"
"… You'll find nothing here…" My arms and legs erupted in flames until they began to shift and change into large claws. The fire blazed in dark flames that moved slowly across my body and into my vision. All I could see and all I could feel was rage… so much rage. I shook with it… it felt…. Good… "I won't let you….." the fires intensified until my whole being erupted in black flames. "Get out of here alive!" I jumped into the air feeling the darkness flow and struck out at the man's helmet. The moment I did it ripped into the metal leaving a large gap. I landed on top of his head and litteraly ripped the helmet off his head like a piece of paper and tossed it across the room with the same ease. The man looked in shock as I cupped his face with my hands. I stared into the man's eyes and saw something that made me shake in anticipation… fear!
'RRROOOAAARRR!' The man and I erupted in a pillar of blue black flames that reached the ceiling of the danger room and probably the room above….
'Ugh…' The man fell to the ground unconscious. Half of his face was still alit with black and blue fire. I never felt so strong so….. soooo…. Heh….hehe… Hahahahaha.
"HAHAHAAAAHHAAAA!" I stood above him howling in laughter, I could feel my enter body erupting in black smoke and fire…. And it felt great! I snickered and hugged my sides feeling intense joy in the man's defeat…. I don't know what came over me but I liked it!
"Devlin!" I stopped laughing and looked down at the open metal door of the danger room. There stood Logan and beside him Best, the professor, and a beautiful woman with Long white hair and dark skin.
"Hi Logan!" I spoke in an odd voice that sounded as if it was multiple people were speaking inside me. "Look! Look at him suffering!" I kneeled down and caressed the man's face he was actually very handsome but something was off and I frowned in disappointment. "… He's not burning…" I smiled so wide I thought my lips would tear. "I know! I'll rip out his throat!" I clawed my hand and grabbed onto the skin of his throat and began to pull.
"STOP IT!" I did and turned to Logan with an annoyed growl that sounded like a whole pack of wolves.
"Why!?" I thought to myself and before he could answer I did for him. I smiled wide again and chuckled maniacally. "You're right!... I should rip it out with my teeth!" I opened my mouth wider then I thought I could and bit down on the man's neck pulling the flesh as far as it could but it would not tear. I growled and thrashed my head trying to kill the wretch but it seemed impossible… until I tasted blood. Before I could finish pulling off the chunk of flesh Logan tackled me off him and tossed me to the ground and pined me under him. I growled and thrashed in his grasp.
"What's Wrong with you pup?!" I snickered and felt something odd inside myself. It felt like an echo, like a wave it hit me and I understood… it was a song. I chuckled to myself and began to sing.
[If you are near to the dark, I will tell you 'bout the sun! you are here no escape, from my visions of the world, you will cry all alone but it does not mean a thing to meeeee!]
In an explosion of black and blue flames I tossed Logan across the room and onto the wall. I smiled like a mad man and stood up using a long black and blue tail. The tail swayed behind me as I walked to my pray…. The man will die!
[Knowing the song I will sing, till the darkness comes to sleep, come to me I will tell 'bout the secret of the sun, it's in you, not in me, but it does not mean a thing to yoooouuu!]
I rose on top of the man and straddled his shoulders. I caressed his face with my clawed hand.
[The sun is in your eyes' the sun is in your ears, I hope you see the sun, sunk in the darkneeeeeessss!]
I grabbed at the man's throat and squeezed, he trembled under me choking softly.
[The sun is in your eyes, the sun is in your ears but you can't see the sun ever in the darknesssss.]
I felt the life flames of life slowly leaving the retched creature and in one last verse sang out in other glee!
[It does not much matter to MEEEEE!]
'That is enough!' I screamed in horror and pain. A voice echoed inside my head forcing me to push back my want for slather and gore. I screamed and trashed on the floor in pain until I felt the dark fire inside me subsided and burn away. 'Push it back Devlin this is not you!'
'RRRRROOOOOOAAAARRR!' I roared out and fell to the ground silent and gone. That last thing I could feel was someone lifting me in their arms.
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
I felt… cold… so cold… I could see nothing but black. Nothing but shadow, something was wrong.
"Master…." Deep within the dark a small flicker of blue shined in the distance.
'Who... who's there?...' I could barely speak or even think. It was like there was nothing left of me inside to act.
"It is us! We are finally closer to becoming one!" the fires blasted into a huge column of flames; From within stood a wolf with fur as pitch black as the world around it and eyes brighter then the inferno. On the chest of the wolf was a gaping hole that dripped with silver liquid as if it was blood.
'….W….what…. a….are…. you?' the wolf grinned showing rows of sharp silver fangs.
"We are the dark, the final emotions of the betrayed; we are the dark side of the crescent moon! The darkness within the heart, within the soul, within you!" The great beast howled and the darkness of the world around us faded away revealing a beautiful grove. The grove felt so familiar like I already been here. "Soon will be reunited; Light and dark as one! And when we are together again we will devourer all in existence for their betrayal! We will roam the land, the air, the sea and bring destruction like none have ever seen!"
'….Nnn…..No!...I….I can't….I won't let you hurt people!' the beast laughed.
"You will have no choice… you are but a fragment of our self, you maybe our master now but soon we will be master and you the weapon!" I could let this happen. I used all my strength and rose to my feet. 'No! We are in control now! You are to fade away, not us not now!'
"Y….Yes.. you.. will.. Now go away!" in a roar of pain the great wolf faded into the darkness and so did the grove… and myself.
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
I woke up tremendously sour, like I was running laps around the world or something. I tried to lift my head but I couldn't something was holding it down. I tried to raise my arms but they too were bound and my legs were in the same state. I started to panic and screamed very afraid.
"Help!" I squirmed and pulled at the restraints but to no avail, I don't know what came over me I just started screaming and flaying within the metal clamps. I could only look up at the metal ceiling screaming in fear. "AAAAAGGGHHH!"
"Pup stop, it's ok!" Logan stood into my field of vision I felt a little safer but still scared.
"Logan!? What's happening? please let me out! Please!" He quickly released the clamps holding me in place and once I was freed I clung to his chest crying and wheezing. I never liked being bound, ever! The thought of no freedom scared me to the core. I cried into his chest as he rubbed circles on my back.
"Sssshhh it's ok. I'm here pup. Calm down." I don't know how long he repeated those words but after a while I calmed down enough to remembered what happened to me.
"…. It was horrible… like… all that was good and bright within me….. Just vanished…. And that…. Thing! It took over me and made me do horrible things!" My hands balled into fists and tears ran down my face and into his shirt. "It…. m… made me hurt you…." My body shook and I raised my head to look into his eyes, they were filled with concern and sadness. I closed my eyes and rapped my hands around his neck pulling him into a hug. "I'm so sorry!" he held me tight in his arms and hushed me.
"It wasn't your fault pup! Chuck said something was controlling your head. He stopped it and gave you back control, it wasn't you!" I shook my head and pulled away.
"It was me…. another me I don't want to be ever again." I wiped the tears from my face and looked Logan in the eye. "Logan… I need you to promise me something…" my voice shook and I felt my stomach twist. "If it takes control of me….. If I lose all control…. I… I want you to!" before I could say it he grasped my shoulders and shook his head.
"It won't come to that pup!" he pulled me into another embrace and I held onto him like my life depended on it.
I knew it would come to that one day. There was no way around it, I knew what this thing was now, the thing within my dreams, the thing that followed me though my very birth and existence. The monster within my nightmares…. Oh goddess…. What am I becoming?
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\