W.I.T.C.H.E.: Evolution

By: Sokai

Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. - I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. Nor do I own Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men series franchise (even though this story isn't even really related to the series, at least not super super directly, anyway. Just don't want to hear law suit claims LoL). However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM both series.

Note: Feeling pretty bummed out by the seemingly utter lack of interest within the last chapter despite its length, so I don't really have much to say about this one. Just really ill timing, also, I suppose, given real life drama which had simultaneously occurred, so . . . yeah.

Anyway, enjoy, I suppose (and thank you, though, to the two I knew would have left a review, and have done for this story thus far. Always appreciated).

This chapter was created in August 2018, and finished September 2018.

Chapter Six

All things considered, if Hay Lin was going to be granted a half day of school, and all on account of a fellow student of Kandrakar's School for Gifted Youngsters having lost control of their powers, at least it had been done during such a beautiful day.

Of course, she still felt bad learning that it had been Cornelia, one of the institute's normally most studious residents, to have uncommonly give into "mounted stress," as Elyon had explained to her later on. And she especially felt rather saddened to suddenly have the school's future headmistress as her new roommate as a result, feeling honestly unsure of the overall development, for the most part.

Hay Lin didn't harbor any ill will toward Elyon, of course, nor did she generally regarding the rest of her schoolmates, from both Bayville High School, as well as 'K.S.G.Y.,' as she'd usually abbreviate it, personally. And she was also pretty sure that the two would get on famously as new bunk mates from then on.

After all, they'd managed to coexist underneath the same roof the past two years just fine, and did refer to one another as 'friends.'

Hay Lin was just going to miss the random antics, familiarity and honest comfort sharing the same bedroom as her best friend, Irma, that was all.

The two had immediately hit it off upon meeting one another during their simultaneous arrival to K.S.G.Y., in spite of the fact that Irma had apparently been far more outgoing, by comparison.

True, Hay Lin was rather friendly and warm, herself, in fact building up a reputation around the institute over time for sort of being one of its unofficial 'Welcoming Committee' members whenever new students would arrive.

All the same, she still had her now lingering moments of introversion as she'd gotten older, a trait which had truthfully always been a large part of her overall personality, especially having grown up within the Lin household an only child.

She imagined being this way helped fuel the overall person she was today, as well as the many different, and admittedly quirky interests she personally held.

After all, Hay Lin did manage to parley her avid involvement within various forms of art, including even occasionally sewing her own interestingly designed clothing into a small, yet still profitable business online. It was just under five months old and really only so far mainly featured some of the handmade jewelry she'd also create, but it was still something.

She also had to place majority of her earnings into the college fund her family had set up for her, one which her beloved grandmother now personally oversaw and made sure that she did so, but at least her professors had allowed Hay Lin the opportunity to take a chance upon her creations, upon herself in the first place.

And of that, she'd always be grateful.

Yep.

Being a bit introverted was something Hay Lin honestly considered to be a bit like a badge of honor of sorts, especially considering a great deal of others would promptly label it a hindrance - Including Irma, herself.

At least, initially.

She, too, had previously possessed the common, misconceived notion that all introverted individuals were shy, or woefully awkward socially, and were sometimes more trouble than they were worth by say, in comparison to the more extroverted, like the Hydrokinetic brunette.

And so it was to Irma's wonderful surprise that not only did Hay Lin also possess the gift of gab, like her – At least, admittedly more so whenever Hay Lin was around those she was familiar with, true – but that the duo shared a great deal in common within the general sense.

Eating food, to name one of their many, dual interests and shared pastimes, especially Irma's own cooking, which was always truly delectable to Hay Lin . . . yet a shame that the brunette wasn't often afforded the opportunity to whip up any new recipe ideas, as all of the meals served at Kandrakar's School for Gifted Youngsters were generally provided by its culinary staff.

. . . . At any rate, Hay Lin knew that she was definitely going to miss the frequent, weekend slumber parties, and secretly feasting on junk food late into the night together with Irma, now that the pair were no longer together as roommates.

Still, at least The Professor had placed Hay Lin with someone she actually got along with.

She couldn't imagine how Irma, or even Cornelia was presently feeling, now that the two were irreversibly thrust together from now, until graduation.

After both welcoming, as well as helping Hay Lin settle into her new dorm room, Elyon had naturally gone off in search of her blonde companion, while Hay Lin had announced she would go and do the same regarding Irma.

However, upon finding her, predictably so at the swimming pool (as she was well aware that really anything to do with water usually helped the brunette unwind after a trying sort of incident), Hay Lin was surprised to see that Irma was within rather high spirits.

"Oh, no, don't get me wrong, Hay Hay. I would love, love nothing more than to have you back as my roomie, to be sure. But . . . I dunno. Maybe your eternal optimism's rubbed off on me or something, because I've simply decided to give all of this . . . all of Cornelia a shot," Hay Lin had listened within honest astonishment upon having asked her closest companion how she was feeling about the overall situation.

Maybe it was because she knew her, more or less, inside and out which had given Hay Lin great pause regarding Irma's curiously nonchalant explanation, because something just didn't feel right.

Obviously, Hay Lin couldn't really put her finger on it, but she couldn't help but get the distinct feeling like there was definitely much, much more to the clearly unspoken story than what Irma was letting on. And considering the girl was generally cards up with her, it admittedly did make Hay Lin feel a tiny bit betrayed by her sudden concealment.

Regardless, she decided that she wouldn't pry all the same, especially considering it blatantly concerned Cornelia, as well.

Maybe something happened between the two of them which Irma obviously wasn't ready to divulge?

This was really the first time, after all, where they'd ever been forced to remain together, outside of Danger Room training sessions, at least. . . .

And so, instead, seeing that her best friend and former roommate had at least appeared to be all right and within curiously accepting spirits, Hay Lin had announced that she would check in on Irma in a little while, before deciding to take in a bit of fresh air off campus before lunchtime.

She'd originally planned on simply staying put somewhere outdoors about the mansion's expansive grounds during her free hour, as several of her fellow schoolmates had also chosen to do in between classes; however, for whatever the reason, the park was simply calling her name.

Good thing, too, that Hope Park was only about fifteen minutes or so away on foot, or else Hay Lin highly doubted that any of her professors would have allowed the clearance, considering the whole, as her Grandma Lin had referred to it, 'hullabaloo' at Bayville earlier that morning.

Of course, it probably helped that Professor Kandrakar was one of the park's top contributing financial patrons throughout the decades, so naturally was well aware of the vicinity . . . which was honestly impressive to Hay Lin all the same, considering that the park was comprised of over four hundred plus acres of land, in total.

But Hope Park was a well known, commonly frequented and flourishing spot for a lot of people within the City of Bayville in general, however, although it had become one of the main hangouts for particularly the younger crowd over time, what with its innumerable areas of activity to visit and to partake in.

It was where a good portion of both K.S.G.Y. and Bayville High School's athletes came to practice their sports within the appropriately designated areas, be it soccer, football, or volleyball to name a few.

It was also where families would bring their children on nature walks, or to play about upon one of the many erected playgrounds strewn about the park.

There was even, of course, birthday parties, in addition to lavish weddings held at Hope Park, it was just that encompassing and inviting of an atmosphere.

For the not so athletically inclined, such as Hay Lin, herself, there were, of course, far less active areas used to simply unwind, or to better take in the surrounding nature.

A few of her schoolmates from Bayville, for example, were into Birdwatching, she was aware, and noted that they, and several other people would head toward the park's indicated birding locations to consume themselves within the activity on a fairly regular basis.

And as for Hay Lin, specifically, she could usually be found somewhere around the luxuriously vast Hope Park Lake, where she'd just sit, taking in its unparalleled beauty, or randomly sketch out a few drawings of the elegant bevy of swans which would commonly frequent the area in the meanwhile.

Today, however, Hay Lin was feeling particularly itching to head over to the Loop, an area which was specifically reserved for Inline Skating . . . which was one of the few sporty activities both she and Irma would currently partake in, with Hay Lin, in fact, being the one to originally turn the brunette onto it in the first place and gave her lessons.

Of course, the main reason Hay Lin personally enjoyed it so much was probably the same reason Irma enjoyed swimming, being Hydrokinetic and all: Because while she naturally wasn't free to fly any place she'd so choose, and at any time, at least with skating, Hay Lin could go as fast as she wanted, and still almost receive the similar sensations of gliding through the air, unencumbered.

Well, almost, anyway.

But it definitely helped that Hay Lin had natural dominion over air, and so could manipulate her speeds with little to no effort, nowadays.

And today was no different.

While normally waiting respectfully until she'd make her way to the Loop before donning her protective gear and skates, for whatever the reason, Hay Lin just couldn't help herself, as she was already whizzing down the pathways which were usually meant for just the walkers, or runners.

Although what she was doing wasn't technically against park rules, it was obviously a safety hazard for those around her, especially with the mounting velocity she was naturally gathering.

Somehow, however, a mixture of luck and Hay Lin's honest skill hadn't failed her just yet as she continued her speedy trek toward the skating area, calling out quick apologies and polite "Excuse me!"'s as she zigzagged in between fellow park goers.

As Hay Lin was coming onto a nearby bend, however, her momentum was suddenly too quick for even her to control, as she then collided, straight on into another individual the very moment they'd rounded the corner from the other side. . . .

"O-Oof!" she cried out, more so within alarm rather than pain, her entire body instantly scorching as she felt herself falling on top of her poor victim before she could stop herself.

Her embarrassment only grew that much more excruciating the very moment her brown eyes locked with the deep blue pair belonging to . . . a boy?

A boy?

Did she really just catapult herself onto someone of the opposite gender - Worse yet, someone who appeared to be a fellow teenager like herself, and was possibly close within age?

Not to say that Hay Lin was outright terrible when it came to being around guys, having a fair share of them as actual companions back at the institute, just like Irma did, for example.

And a good majority of said comrades, upon getting to know her, surprisingly had little to no real issue reconciling the fact that the Aerokinetic girl was a bit of an oddball, to put it politely, understanding that she'd usually march to the beat of her own drum alongside that generally carefree attitude of hers.

However, even Hay Lin would have still her moments, and would usually make it a point not to go and do anything too foolish around the male population if she could help it . . . especially given that she lived with them, and not to mention the glaring fact that her ever watchful grandmother was also around all of them twenty-four-seven. . . .

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorry!" Hay Lin practically yelped as she quickly scrambled off of the now . . . surprisingly smiling, raven haired male before wobbly rising to her feet. "H-Here! Let me help you up!"

". . . . S-Serves me right for looking down at my phone at just the 'right' time," the unknown male stated with a faint grunt as he gently cupped Hay Lin's gloved hand within his own, and used it to pull himself from off of the ground. He then dusted himself off a moment before flashing the now profusely blushing girl a broad grin. "Thanks, though. I'd hate to have bumped into a little kid, or someone's dog or something, instead. So, you know, your jolt was exactly what I needed to pay better attention."

Hay Lin suddenly found herself at a loss for words, as she could only stare, rather foolishly at that, back at the seemingly kind young man with honest hearts adorning her eyes.

What was this she was feeling?

Was this how Irma felt whenever she'd go on about whatever guy she liked that week, right before boldly asking him out on a date?

Was Hay Lin . . . in love?

No.

No, way.

It was too soon, too fast!

Besides, she wasn't honestly one to believe in love at first sight, anyway . . . the fact that she'd never experienced love in general before not in any way influencing that sentiment, either.

Still . . . there was certainly no denying that this boy, this . . . random, wonderfully handsome work of art was curiously making Hay Lin's entire body quiver, palms incredibly sweaty, and heart beat almost as fast as she'd previously been skating, the longer she somehow managed to continually hold his inviting gaze. . . .

"U-Uh . . . okay, then! I'm just gonna . . . go, I guess. Have a good one!" Hay Lin regrettably listened to the dreamy young fellow murmur awkwardly, upon realizing that she evidently hadn't any intention of responding back to him, before sidestepping around her and swiftly resumed his journey before their shared collision.

Hay Lin could only look on within continued silence as she watched the unknown boy rapidly retreat, her vocal chords suddenly feeling very constricted, and unable to utter even a singular word.

The tingling her entire body had been previously feeling curiously began to intensify within that moment, as well, causing Hay Lin to fleetingly liken it to the first time her flying capabilities had manifested. . . .

Great. I literally bump into an absolute hunk, and now is when my 'natural' motormouth decides to finally run out of juice! she silently lamented with an abrupt slap to her face out of frustration, as the raven maned teenager vanished from view within the distance . . . at the same time that she inexplicably did the same!

Hay Lin's brown eyes immediately widened within utter shock as her voice ironically then returned to her, a sharp cry of dismay escaping past her lips as she frantically waved the same hand she'd struck herself with into the air in front of her face . . . and saw nothing.

In fact, Hay Lin was unable to see the rest of her limbs, as she now lifted both arms up and moved them about alongside her wiggling legs. She knew they were still there – They had to be, obviously, as she could still feel the familiar, motor skill sensations coursing through her; however, now for whatever the reason, her entire body had been rendered completely invisible. . . .

". . . . H-How'd this happen? Where'd I go?" she breathed aloud as her concerned perplexity mounted, before at last realizing that she had effectively vanished into thin air while in public.

However this had happened, Hay Lin couldn't continue wondering about it, and having the mild meltdown she presently was while still within the park, not with so many other individuals around who might have witnessed the incident and, moreover, suddenly hear an disembodied voice carrying itself across the open atmosphere.

Thankfully, at least, there didn't seem to be a great deal of people within Hay Lin's immediate vicinity, as she nonetheless nearly swan dived into the nearby row of large bushes at her side.

"O-Okay . . . Okay, Hay Lin. Think. Do what the professors and Grandma have all trained you to do, and remember the three R's: 'Regroup,' 'Recuperate,' and 'Retrace Your Steps,'" she murmured to herself as she gingerly crouched down onto the ground within the center of the surrounding shrubbery. "At least this didn't happen while I was still in class back at Bayville or something. . . . A-All right, so . . . all I was doing was skating and enjoying myself as I usually do, until I'd then bumped into . . . 'Mister Handsome,' and then . . . this. . . . Wait a sec! T-That's it! I knew the feelings I was feeling wasn't anything . . . romantic! It had to be that my powers have somehow advanced even further! Of course!"

But . . . invisibility?

The having learned to fly, Hay Lin could understand, as it was directly connected to her ability to manipulate the air around her.

But how in the world was suddenly now being able to evidently become see through related?

It was times like these which made Hay Lin continually thankful to have been enrolled at Kandrakar's School for Gifted Youngsters the past two years, as she no longer had to attempt to figure everything out on her own, or with the well meaning, yet limited assistance from her parents.

"I've gotta get back to the institute and tell Grandma about this right away! B-But, first . . . I have to somehow figure out how to make myself visible again," Hay Lin murmured as she gently puckered up her lips within contemplation, before tardily drawing in a deep inhale as she quickly drew upon her training and focused upon her breathing.

Hay Lin then began to imagine herself within her mind's eye as she closed her actual ones, how she normally appeared, and how she had just a few minutes prior.

And although this particular mutant development was obviously brand new to her, Hay Lin was nonetheless now greatly acquainted with the familiar sensations which usually overcame her whenever regaining control over the rest of her abilities, as a warm, inviting wave of serenity then began to wash over and cleanse her body of any lingering distress.

Still feeling a little hesitant to reopen her eyes just yet, however, Hay Lin waited a moment before doing so, as she instead lifted her right hand directly in front of her, and proceeded to softly count to three.

"One . . . two . . . three!" the Aerokinetic teenager stated as she popped open her eyes on the last count, letting out a squeal of utter elation upon glimpsing at the familiar sight of her open palm and skinny fingers waving gaily back at her. "Ah haaa! It worked, it worked! Yes! Thank you, Grandma! Ohh, c'mere, hand! I missed seeing you!"

After taking a few more moments to plant feverish kisses of relieved jubilation upon both hands, forearms and knees for good measure, Hay Lin paused in order to recollect herself, before warily emerging from the bushes which had been her temporary haven.

Unfortunately for her, it had been at the same instant that a pair of older women, who were pushing two separate baby strollers on what appeared to be a leisurely stroll together throughout the park, were passing by.

"O-Oh!" both women cried out within simultaneous alarm as they witnessed some random teenager suddenly popping out of the greenery as though out within the open wilderness somewhere, rather than a community locale.

Hay Lin could only grin sheepishly a moment as she regrettably watched as one of the two infants, who'd been peacefully asleep, promptly wake up at the sound of the women's startled voices and began to cry as a result.

"U-Uh, sorry about that, ladies! A-And little baby! Shh, shhh. . . .! I was just, um . . . finishing up a nature assignment for school!" she apologized copiously as she wiped herself clean of debris, and then timely pulled out a few leaves which had gotten caught within the ventilation holes of her helmet. "Ooh, see? Yep! Found them! Heh, heh. . . ."

Hay Lin didn't wait for either women to respond, knowing that it most likely would not have been anything readily pleasant anyhow, judging by their blatantly nettled facial expressions. And so, after bestowing onto both ladies a crooked smile and giving a quick wave of goodbye, she took off, back within the direction she'd originally come from.

"You'd think, after all this time, that'd be a bit easier to do, after repeatedly being taught how to prepare ourselves for any incidents concerning our gifts while out and about within public!" Hay Lin groaned to herself with a shake of her head out of lingering abashment, as she sailed back down the pathway and took even more care not to slam into anyone else as she did so. "Anyway, I'd better hurry back home as fast as I can, before I end up doing another vanishing act, this time in front of the masses!"

She was late.

Of course she was. That girl never could be on time for much of anything, except perhaps mealtime . . . which certainly made this particular situation all the more ironic, given that the place of their impending meeting was at a diner.

Perhaps if the promise of money, or something else far more beneficial than 'simply wishing to catch up' had been placed upon the table, she would have arrived on time.

Perhaps.

Always the handful, that girl was. . . .

Nerissa Crossnic repeatedly stirred the piping hot cup of coffee she'd ordered for herself with increasing restlessness as she was forced to continue waiting for her absent companion, while at the same time surveying the surrounding area outside of the relatively empty establishment.

At times like these she greatly wished she had a trusty servant of some kind to take care of this meeting for her, as doing someone else's grunt work was traditionally beneath her.

Still, given the open promise of hopefully one day soon being in control of the entire world, Nerissa supposed she could grin and bear it just this once.

And besides, who better to wait for the guest of honor than . . . .

"Heyyy, Mom. Long time, no see," Nerissa nearly jumped out of her booth and spilled her coffee as she suddenly heard the familiar voice of the girl in question sound from behind her. "Well, geez. Don't go into cardiac arrest, got it? It's only me. I just came in through the other entrance."

Nerissa lightly scowled at the dismissive rudeness the younger girl regrettably usually possessed where she – Where anyone, really, was concerned, as she watched the redhead slide into the other side of the booth across from her.

"Hmph. 'Mom?' Since when do we bother to address me as such? Usually, it's only whenever you need something from me that we take the familial route, Sienna," Nerissa evenly remarked with narrowed, dark brown eyes as she slowly tucked a stray strand of her free flowing, back length and wavy ebony hair behind her ear. "Lovely dye job, again, I see. Chose red this time, did you? . . . . I'd say that it certainly better matches your fiery temper than your natural black. . . ."

"Well, I guess it'd take one to know one, wouldn't it, Nerissa? Guess that'd just make me a chip off the old, impulsive, and temperamental block, huh?" the girl known as Sienna bristly returned with a devious smirk, leaning back within her seat and running a relaxed hand through her dark red, spiky and pixie cut hair before continuing. "So! To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a belated birthday phone call last week and asking to see one another? . . . . Thanks for the gift, by the way. I absolutely loved – Oh, wait. That's right. You never got me anything, silly me."

Nerissa sighed deeply as she momentarily closed her eyes and gathered her patience, remembering swiftly why mother and daughter habitually needed space from one another, as they were admittedly far too much alike.

As the older woman reopened her eyes and was about to state the main reasoning for their meeting, Nerissa let out an immensely irritated gasp as she witnessed Sienna nonchalantly placing an unlit cigarette between her naturally full lips, and promptly snatched it away before she could have done.

"Excuse me? Do you have any idea what these can do to you? And since when did you pick up smoking in the first place?" she hissed within harsh reprimanding as she roughly broke the cigarette in half before her daughter could have retrieved it from her grasp.

"Oh, sure. Now we wanna play the 'Doting Mother' card, do we? I'm nineteen-years-old, now, you know; gotta kick that baby bird out of the nest sooner or later, right? Although, in your case, you were all too eager to get rid of me soon as I'd graduated from high school," Sienna shot back with a roll of her light brown eyes, absentmindedly scratching at her smooth, chocolate tinted skin before continuing. "And besides, we all gotta die some time – May as well choose how we make our grand exit."

Nerissa momentarily wondered the possible new company her daughter was keeping at her college across the country for her to not only pick up a rather unbecoming habit, but also suddenly be so fatalistic, before calmly lifting up her temporarily forgotten cup of coffee and took a slow sip.

"Yes . . . well. All the same, cut it out. It will give you nasty wrinkles, among other complications, as you should know – And I've spent far too much time properly grooming you when you were growing up to see it all go down the drain. . . . It's bad enough you continue to embarrass yourself with this ridiculous clown hair monstrosity you insist on keeping," she continued to nitpick, as she usually would regarding her daughter – Regarding pretty much anything, in all honesty.

Sienna tightly clenched her jaw at this and slowly drew in both her fists a moment, before visibly relaxing herself and forced a manufactured smile upon her otherwise flawless visage.

". . . . No, you're right. That's enough bonding for today, thank you, 'Mommy Dearest,'" she responded with a forced, saccharine sort of air running through her voice before clearing her throat and pressing on. "Sooo . . . why did you call me out here, anyway? And how'd you even know I was back in town to begin with?"

"Yes, well, a mother knows everything, sweetheart. . . . Once you'd decided to take the year off from school and go traveling, instead, as your last letter to me had described, I knew it was only a matter of time before you headed back my way – Hence the 'Mom' affection from before. So, how much are you after this time?" Nerissa explained evenly after having another, calming imbibe of her coffee. "You should know, however, that you'll get no handouts from me. I fully intend to be reimbursed and well compensated for any generous donation I might bestow, just as I'd done for your graduation. . . ."

Sienna scoffed dramatically at this, throwing her hands into the air for added effect.

"Well, of course! Just as it's always been with you, anyway. I do have to wonder what sort of 'reimbursement' you might have gotten out of having adopted me in the first place back when I was ten," she slung back within a slightly venomous tone, unbeknownst to her actually managing to cause a slight chip within the veneer her mother was usually profoundly adept within constructing around her truest emotions.

She knew she wasn't the perfect mother Sienna might have been hoping for once she'd become a part of her tiny family all those years ago, or was even mother material to begin with.

In fact, if both women stopped to really think about it (and she was sure Sienna already had), Nerissa hadn't any business being anywhere near children.

She hated them.

Well, majority of them, anyhow, especially the teenagers, with their uncouth and obnoxious mannerisms, and blatant dismissal of authority . . . just like her 'little Sienna,' in fact.

Still, Nerissa supposed she could have blamed the . . . admittedly impulsive decision, at least initially, on her hormones, having felt her meddlesome and very real biological clock ticking over time, in addition to . . . other reasons. . . .

It certainly didn't help that she was surrounded by children every day, ironically a guidance counselor to Bayville High School's student body for the last two years.

But then, that specific decision really hadn't been her own, had it, thanks to that absolutely insufferable man insisting that she place herself within the "center of it all, where we'll be able to better enact our plan of operation," as he'd explained upon her initial objection.

Funny how Nerissa, who felt she was far more intelligent by comparison, was so far getting to do all the legwork and been reduced to being a 'Yes-Man,' while that imbecile got to do . . . God only knew what at that present moment.

Still, so long as he kept his end of the bargain, she'd play along until just the right time.

Until then, she still had work to do . . . which was where her charming daughter came into play.

Taking a deep breath, allowing her momentarily wounded emotions to subside before responding, Nerissa flashed as warm a smile as she could muster, as she carefully placed her coffee cup back onto the table.

"Hmm . . . yes, well. I did keep you in the end, didn't I? So that should count for something," she stated with another smile as she cleared away her throat before continuing. "Now, just listen, for once. The reason I'd asked to see you is because I do need your help with something. . . ."

"And there it is. I knew it. All right, let's hear it, then," Sienna huffed with a shake of her crimson colored head and tight smirk, choosing to bypass her mother's lacerating statement only moments before.

Bottom line, Nerissa was a bitch.

Sienna knew it, most people who'd taken the chance to get to know the woman in the past knew it (especially any would be steady boyfriends, hence her continually single status), and she was quite certain Nerissa, herself, knew it, as well.

She was always speaking before she thought, anyway . . . or, rather, was honestly just carrying on without a damn for anyone else's feelings, really.

After all, Sienna had learned that cutthroat, negative attitude from Nerissa firsthand while growing up, so she really shouldn't have been surprised, let alone no longer affected.

And if the shoes had been reversed, she probably would have honestly stated the very same, herself.

Still, damned if it didn't rightfully piss her straight off whenever she'd have to listen to her 'loving mother' go on and on about such things.

And, truth be told, if Nerissa wasn't more careful, the ticking time bomb she'd more or less directly cultivated within Sienna would soon one day go off right in her face . . . and given her naturally short temper, as well as her rather unique . . . abilities, it all made for a disaster just waiting to happen. . . .

". . . . As you've been very well aware, our kind has been forced to hide within plain sight amongst these . . . lowlifes for decades, even centuries, quite frankly," Sienna listened to Nerissa begin her explanation with limited interest, beginning to mindlessly tear away tiny bits of the previously folded up napkin which had been set in front of her to further illustrate the sentiment, "and although even I, too, have advised that you and I keep our noses clean in order to limit any unwanted attention . . . I'm here to tell you that those days will, at long last, be over. . . ."

Sienna nodded within mock intrigue while continuing to shred at her defenseless napkin.

"Uh huh, uh huh. Tell me more, Nerissa, even though I've honestly heard enough of the same talk back at 'Alcides University,' especially from some of the more 'enlightened' seniors," she stated with a tone which was full of theatrical peppiness.

She knew where this was going, after all. She'd heard it all before from her mother as a kid, to the point that it'd almost become a bedtime story of sorts, it was that repetitively ingrained within her mind.

Humans were dirt bags.

Mutants were the cream of the crop.

And therefore, the roles should be rightfully reversed, with mutants becoming the majority and be allowed to publicly use their abilities whenever they'd see fit and without fear.

And, in all honesty, on paper, it sounded rather ideal to Sienna, and she did agree with Nerissa's ideology . . . about eighty-eight percent of the way.

After all, now that she was an adult, on her own and within the college scene – Or was, prior to her having taken her hiatus, it really was becoming a bit more difficult for Sienna to better relate to her peers, even the few college bound mutants she'd become acquainted with during her first year at Alcides University.

But, by comparison, each of their abilities were, in her opinion, barely anything to even give a second thought to, let alone stress over ever being exposed for possessing.

Walking through walls? Oh, what a nuisance.

Reading minds? Talk about a headache, pun intended.

Super speed? Well, no longer needing to worry about general transportation, or scrounging up weekly gas money was just an absolute nightmare anyone could relate to.

No.

How about possessing literal fire breath, and spewing out actual, molten lava via the mouth, or being able to incinerate virtually anything just by touch, alone?

Or, even better, growing a pair of bat like wings made entirely of fire, which have the uniquely frustrating ability to simply regenerate . . . no matter how many times they'd been painfully severed from the body?

Well, that was the lovely daily 'adventure' for Sienna, and honestly a large part of the reason she'd postponed her educational pursuits. . . .

She just needed to get away, travel around for a bit and be on her own for a while, while somehow getting her head together and trying to figure out precisely what she wanted out of life and how she'd even accomplish that, now that her Pyrokinetic based abilities had clearly now evolved to the point that she, herself, was slowly but surely becoming a living torch.

It was admittedly intimidating, to say the least, and Sienna's regrettably natural instinct was to immediately return home and seek help from the only family she'd ever known.

However, despite following through with the 'returning home' part, at least, back to Bayville, Sienna had yet to inform her mother of the recent developments, primarily due to the fact that she wasn't honestly sure Nerissa would even know what to do, let alone actually care.

And so, for now, Sienna had privately decided to simply come back home about a month ago, rent a little apartment in the area with the money Nerissa had given to her prior to departing for college (and clearly believed the younger girl hadn't smartly used sparingly), and deal with her newfound problem on her own as best she could.

If Nerissa wanted to believe that Sienna was simply after more money, or was being flippant about her education and general outlook on life, so be it.

Dismissive behavior ran in the family, after all.

Nerissa took a deeper gulp of her now lukewarm and half empty cup of coffee before responding, bestowing onto her nuisance of a daughter an unappreciative scowl.

"I would honestly think that you would be a bit more delighted by my news, rather than the continual display of derogation you've shown me so far, Sienna, dear. After all, given the things you can do, I know that it must have been incredibly frustrating to have to listen to me reminding you over and over to restrain yourself, especially while at school. It's really no wonder that you never had too many playmates growing up."

"Ever the 'tactful' mother of the year, you are," Sienna mumbled through slightly gritted teeth, both of her shoulder blades now beginning to itch tremendously, which she immediately knew was her cue to make a hasty exit. "At any rate, let me speed this up for you, since you're such a wonderful conversationalist: You're tired of mutants having to live in fear, worry, blah blah blah, and so you think you've finally found the end all solution which will make us be the big dogs for a change, is that it? Even if I believed it – Which I don't – what's in it for me?"

Sienna slowly raised an honestly perplexed eyebrow as she watched as Nerissa gave her an honestly alarming, and bone chilling smile.

"You see, my sweet, we're not simply just going to shift the balance between mutants and humans. We're going to obliterate it completely," she icily revealed with a growing smirk, knowing her daughter well enough to know that she had effectively now taken the bait at last.

Sienna began to uncomfortably shift within her seat, trying to ignore the growing, tickling sensations now rippling up and down her back as she allowed herself at least a few more moments to listen to the rest of Nerissa's admittedly interesting proposal.

"Oh yeah? And how, pray tell, are you going to do that?" she naturally queried, eyeballing her mother as the older woman calmly finished the rest of her coffee with perfect timing, setting it back down onto the table before slowly gazing back up at her.

". . . . By curing them, of course. . . ."

- End of Chapter Six

(A.N. Still not really feeling my usually peppy self, so this note, as well, won't be long.

Modeled 'Hope Park's' general layout and many activities to that of 'Prospect Park' within NYC, and to also make my life a bit easier by having it ideally become the frequently featured spot within future chapters, possibly.

Also just wanted to point out, in case it wasn't really easy to gather, that Sienna is Ember from both the comics and cartoon of W.I.T.C.H., although more so the cartoonverse version. Just made her an actual human, and gave her another relative name to her powers, was all. And since her voice had been provided by the incredibly awesome and talented Cree Summer, I'd just decidedly made Sienna/Ember African American in her honor, though I am aware Cree is mixed, herself.

Also, yeah, I suppose it was obvious that it was Eric whom Hay Lin had bumped into and met for the first time, there, but just wanted to clarify here in case some readers didn't fully realize that. Also wanted to sort of mimic the way she'd first seen him in the cartoon, as well as have him be the initial trigger for her invisibility powers to manifest themselves. Oh, and that the online shop the professors allowed her to create is basically like an Etsy shop, etc.)