Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Patterns ❯ Eternal Changes ( Chapter 2 )

 

~Harder to Breath~
How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable
So condescending unnecessarily critical
I have the tendency of getting very physical
So watch your step cause if I do you'll need a miracle

You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here
This Double Vision I was seeing is finally clear
You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone
Not fit to funkin' tread the ground I'm walking on

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe

.......................................................... ..................................................................

The afternoon sun warmed Airen's face. She shook her head when a butterfly perched on her cheek. It was startled into flight, beating its wings angrily before taking off. Airen opened her eyes, and stared into the sun until her eyes hurt. She closed them and barely registered that a cool breeze chilled her slightly.

Started, she leapt to her feet, and looked around. She was in an alleyway. She looked herself over, and found that all of her clothes from the previous day, down to her shoes, were on. Including, one additive: a sword. She stared at it. `I'd think that this was a dream if I could. I never dreamed before.'

 

Startled and confused, she drew the sword. She'd never held a sword before, much less worn one. The blade was a light blue, almost crystal like in its faded color. The blade shimmered in the sunlight, the edge obviously sharper than a razor. The hilt had a good grip to it, and she turned it slightly, studying it. It was beautiful and dangerous looking at the same time. She resheathed it before she accidently stabbed herself and sighed.

She walked towards the street and found a friend in her dream. It was Zenn. He walked past her without a glance, his eyes troubled. Airen leapt after him, following him until he realized that she was there.

“Jesus! What's your problem?” He snapped. His sandy-blonde hair was a bit too messy for Airen's liking. Also, his stance was too confident...

“I just wanted to say `hi' and ask why you're in my dream.” Airen said, keeping a sharp rein on her temper.

“Druggie! Get lost.” Zenn began to walk off. Airen grabbed his shoulder and grasped him firmly. “Let go or I'll call the cops.”

“What's wrong with you? Don't you remember me?” Zenn tried to jerk away, and Airen increased the pressure of her grip until he gasped in pain. “Zenn, it's me! Airen.”

“Help!” Zenn shouted. People had begun to stare at the sword-bearing figure that held a small boy in a one-handed death grip.

Airen's anger had risen slowly, but him trying to get her arrested and ignoring her at the same time was too much. She let go and smacked him hard across the face, sending him sprawling.

“Zenn Cress! How dare you...” She stepped menacingly forward. Suddenly, Zenn looked up at her, a bruise already forming on his delicate face.

“Airen?” He whispered. Airen bit her tongue to calm herself as she slowly nodded. “What happened? Where are we?” Her eyes softened as she realized that her friend had had no control of himself.

“Let's compare notes.” She said.

............................................................ ................................................................

A s the sun set in the west, Airen, Zenn, Jasmyn, Elise, and James, all friends from the club, traveled down the streets of the new town.

“And when Airen punched me,” Jasmyn, the last person to have joined the group that day continued, “I realized that something else had been controlling me...” She touched her black eye.

Airen look up at the appearing stars, guilt at hurting her friends welling up in her. She closed her eyes briefly to stop the oncoming tears. If she appeared weak now, the others would panic. She rested her hand on the hilt on her new sword and sighed.

.......................................................... ..................................................................

Elise watched Airen, wanting to comfort her friend. Although she appeared rough and slow in the head, she was the brightest among them, as well as the strongest. Also, she had never really hurt anyone, and had never raised a hand to her friends, even the ones that obviously got on the nerves. They, she got into arguments with until her quick mind and sharp tongue left them humbled.

She watched as Airen appeared to stargaze, but Elise wasn't fooled. Ever since she had gotten here she had had a strong `idea' in her mind of how others felt. Never before had she known that her bold, confidant friend was really delicate in her emotions.

Suddenly, she whipped around, feeling an odd confident-feeling coming up on them.

“Airen? Someone's coming.” She whispered. At her call, Airen and the others snapped to the defensive. Airen herded her friends and Elise into a nearby alley and drew her sword, hid it behind her sheath to conceal its deadly gleam, and stood before them.

`Airen's never had a sword before! How can she feel so confident that she can use it?' Elise mentally gasped. A tall, thickly built man stopped before the mouth of the alley, and gazed at Airen, his eyes intent.

“Try'n ta hide from me?” He grinned. Somehow Elise imagined that fangs would fit in his mouth better that the normal teeth he had. “Name's Logan. I was ask'd ta find five young mut'nts `round here. I figured you're them.”

“We aren't mutants... Logan... Just lost kids.” Airen sounded confidant, though she fumbled with his name. But Elise could feel the confusion and fear coming from her.

“Dun't lie ta me. I c'n smell that you're not be'n truthf'l. I wun't hurt ya... Nor your fr'ends.” He held out his hands.

Then Airen startled them all by asking, “Do you have claws?”

With a sigh, he produced six claws, three to a hand. Zenn backed away in fear.

Airen showed her sword and sheathed it. “Cress, don't be afraid. He's from the X-Men.” Logan's eyebrows rose. “We aren't mutants, sir. But we aren't from around here. As a matter of fact, we're not even from this world. Could you help us?”

Elise wasn't alone at gaping at her. It was a basic rule that Airen didn't address someone as `sir' unless she trusted and respected them whole- heartedly. Another rule was that she never asked anyone anything. Much less a stranger who she hadn't spoken more than ten sentences with, two of them questions. And X-Men?

“I'm not the one ta help ya. The Prof. might be able ta, though.” Airen relaxed entirely to Elise's amazement.

“That would be great.” She said. Never once did she ask if everyone was okay with that. Elise decided to try something.

“What if we don't want to trust this... mutant? What will you do then?” Logan felt saddened by her words.

Airen, however, grinned; knowing that Elise was testing her. “Then you'll never get the chance to be around real mutants. Also, you'll have a horrible chance of figuring out how we got here, and an even worse one finding out how to get back.” She waited for anymore complaints. Elise felt Logan's confidence in Airen, the same feeling that everyone else gave her. Airen turned to Logan. “How do we get there?”

.................................................... ........................................................................

Airen stood sharply to attention as Professor Xavier entered the room. She'd always heard that he was the most powerful psychic in this world. His knowledge was endless as far as she was concerned.

“Welcome to our world.” Xavier said. “As you may know, I am Professor Charles Xavier, founder of Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Please, sit down.” He indicated five empty chairs. Logan leaned against the wall, watching like a guardian. Airen watched the others sit, though Xavier's eyes were on her.

Realizing that they were waiting for her before continuing, Airen swiftly said, “I don't like to sit.” Xavier shook his head briefly and smiled.

`I wonder. How does this world compare to the cartoons? The comics? What's real and what isn't? Are these people really who they seem to be?' With these and multiple other thoughts, Airen listened to Xavier explain the Institute's rules, the situation between humans and mutants, and tell them that all five of them were, in fact, mutants themselves.

Zenn shook his head. James glared as though insulted. Jasmyn and Elise spoke swiftly to each other in eagerness. Airen closed her eyes, remaining silent.

(You I worry about the most. With an adventurous heart and powerful mind, what will you do?) Airen looked at Xavier. He had his hand up to his head, and Airen didn't doubt his powers at all. She smiled.

(May I ask to meet Magneto?) Xavier frowned at this. (I probably might not join him, but it'd be nice to know how I stand in this world.)

(How would this help you?)

(Something just tells me that I'll learn a lot just by meeting him.)

............................................................ ................................................................

A fter the arrangements were made, Airen set off, walking briskly in no general direction. She had her sword strapped to her left hip, and her friends were safe and sound, learing about their powers. She felt comforted and confidant at these two factors. But confusion also brimmed her emotions. Why did she feel like she had to meet Magneto?

......................................................... ...................................................................

Magneto paced, his anger mounting. For the eighth time, he checked the paper he'd found on his desk that morning.

Magneto
I'm glad you agreed. I'll tell you my whole plan and if you're all that everyone claims you are, I'll show you how to create items that are just like the one I sent you. Meet me in the Bayville Park at 8:00 PM.

~Eternity~

Magneto clenched the paper in one large hand, the paper crumpled in submission. He was about to leave when a young man rushed up. By reflex, Magneto was about to blast him back when it hit him; `This kid is Eternity?'

With a grin, the young man nodded to Magneto, who glared. If Eternity took any notice of his lateness, he said nothing. Magneto stifled the urge to crush this young brat, but settled with crossing his arms.

“I can feel that you are indeed the almighty Magneto.” The said person snorted softly. “Before we go on, I have something to show you.” He knelt down beside his brief case and pulled out a common-looking watch. Magneto arched an eyebrow. “This device I've tried out myself. It increases the endurance, power, and all round stamina of any mutant.”

“And you would show me this why?” Magneto questioned. A warning feeling floated in the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

“Because I wish to give you it.” He held it out.

`If he's lying, this will indeed be an entertaining night.' Magneto thought as he took the offered watch and strapped it onto his wrist. He examined it, finding the button labeled `ACTIVATE', and pressed it. Immediately he felt the changes.

Eternity grinned. “I can't believe it. This was too easy.” Magneto suddenly felt exhausted. As he went down, he remembered hearing Eternity say, “Just send your Acolytes to find a person that could never exist and have you come on your own. Too trusting...” After that he remembered nothing.

......................................................... ...................................................................

Airen felt a chill run down her back as she neared the local park. She seriously doubted that the mutant that she was looking for was here, but she felt that she should go in. She bristled with a mixture of emotions as she drew towards the park. Uneasily she wished that she knew why her emotions were so insanely powerful about this place and about Magneto.

She hadn't gone two steps into the park when a blunt object clashed against her head. She drew her sword and slashed out, but could do no more before she blacked out.