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The only difference between saints and sinners, is that every saint has a past, while every sinner has a future.
-Oscar Wilde

Trees towered above the life-rich, forest floor; their green tops creating a perfect canopy, and blocking out the otherwise blood-red sky. Roots reached over and around the bases of the towering columns, intertwined with moss and decorated with large green leaves and strikingly hued plants. Blues, yellows and violets coloured the different species of flora, the palette aided by the green that defined the hanging vines. The air was still and light, but eerily quiet. Bare feet dug into the moist soil, stepping gracefully over the familiar terrain and finding a slight clearing. Xierra looked around her, and smiled contently at the setting. It had been her hideaway for months now, removing her from the outside world and comforting her when she needed it the most. Sanity was encapsulated by this Amazonian haven.

"I've got to hand it to you, you've got one hell of an imagination." The man behind her mused. "Its always more fun moving through your mind, than it is moving through mine." He stepped next to her, meeting her emerald green eyes with his own of the same colour. 

"That statement would be mildly disturbing if... No, it is mildly disturbing." She joked. "Remember that you're a guest, so you can't just start kicking back here and taking vacations whenever you feel like it." She raised her brow quizzically, summing up her companion. He wore a deep blue kimono, built arms exposed, and his jet-black hair had been brought back into an imperfect samurai style. "You're looking awfully, eastern."

He looked down. "That's because I, would be the most recent visitor to the mountain Hakkotsu-San."

"You met with Ajari Joan?" She asked, wide eyed. "The Praying Priest? Wow, I'm impressed, big brother. Not many make it to him... not many want to."

"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures." His expression became sullen. "I've been across our world, gathering allies, but it seems the promise of a life of good, doesn't invoke the same kind of solidarity that it used to. The Upir, Wraith, the Lycanthrope, they've banded together and started their own recruitment program. Unfortunately, they're getting pretty good at it."

She ran a hand through her hair. "How many soldiers?"

"Three hundred thousand in the first wave alone." His deep tone only compounded the number. "Meyrin is having trouble holding them at the far borders. And there's something else." He looked down at her, watching as she stabbed her toe in the wet earth. "They know about him." Placing a hand on her cheek, he turned her to him. "They fight in his name. What happened, sis? Last time we spoke, he didn't even know how to activate his powers, let alone communicate across gateways."

"Noa..." She turned away. "He ripped what he needed to do just that, from me. I was caught off guard... he stole my knowledge and experience; the triggers for my abilities." She'd been dreading this conversation, but it needed to be said. "I called you here, to warn you that,"

"It's open season?" He finished.

"He's stronger than I am, Noa."

"Bullshit." He sing-songed, brow furrowed in mock seriousness. "There's no way that's even possible. You share the same life force, and yeah, it's pretty powerful, but it's still split down the middle. You're only as strong as he is, and vice versa." She shrugged. "You're just being a wuss."

"What? I'm not a wuss." She punched his arm, causing him to rub the sore spot. "Some people are actually pretty scared of me."

"Who?" Sarcastically. "Joking, joking." He said, lifting his arms in defeat. "Ouch, that actually hurts." Noa exclaimed, rubbing the spot again.

Xierra raised a knowing brow. "Yeah, remember that. You may be a king, but I reserve the right to take you down a peg or two." She sighed. "Another sign of the Ben Sídhe confidence in me."

"Well, maybe they were thinking about sparing you the added pressure of ruling, on top of everything else. Besides, you don't think I make a good king?" He added, over-acting a shot to the heart.

She nudged him playfully. "You know what I mean. Every ruler has been a daughter, since the start of our civilisation. I guess they weren't all too sure that I'm going to live long enough to do anything other than fight. But, in all honesty, you make a better king than I would've ever made a queen." With an honest smile, she kissed his cheek. "But that isn't saying much." She laughed.

"Who the hell are they anyway? I mean, they don't know everything." He said, trying to comfort her.

"Actually, they, do. It's all written down in that silver book that's been passed through the family. You know, the one with the prophecy and the predictions of future events. Barring the outcome of the whole 'good versus evil' battle, they pretty much wrote down everything. You becoming king, me doing... whatever I'm supposed to be doing."

Noa searched the setting for a moment. "Damnit woman, I'm trying to make you fell better here."

"Sorry." She smiled. "I promise that I'll let you make me feel better next time."

"Good." He nodded. "But seriously, I think that we can handle it." He looked up at the canopy, thinking back into their conversation. "It's a scary thought, but all that separates the two of you, is your minds. He's not stronger than you Zee, but if you let him screw around up here," Noa pointed to her temple, "you'll think that he is." She nodded in response. "Don't let it get to that. Promise me, that whatever's happening, you've got it covered. You're one of the strongest people I know, and if he pushes, you'd better be pushing back, hard."

Xierra smiled, thankful for her brother's words. "As long as you promise me the same."

888

The mess hall was far from its usual, bustling self in the summer holidays but it still had a cozy atmosphere. Shafts of sunlight streamed in through the high windows, warming the hall and bathing it in a golden glow. Most of the breakfast crowd of students were still there an hour and a half on, having nothing really pressing to tend to, if at all. The remaining spread of food in the center table was nothing spectacular, but good nonetheless with toast, bacon, eggs, cheese and fresh fruit. Containers of cereal and jugs of milk shared the spot on the end of the table. As if oblivious to the goings-on around her, Xierra sat on her own, staring ahead blankly. Rogue took a seat in front of her, followed by Bobby, who waved his hand in front of her eyes in an attempt to get a response.

"Hi guys." Xierra beamed, suddenly blinking.

"You have no idea how creepy you look doing that." Bobby said, polishing a bright red apple before taking a bite. "By the way, what exactly was that?"

"Long distance call." She answered, setting her unused plate to one side.

Rogue gestured for the apple, which he volunteered. "How's the connection?" The southern spitfire joked, handing back the fruit once she'd taken a bite.

"Good. I've got a great long distance provider." Xierra wasn't sure what had brought their company, but god knows she needed it. "Noa sends his regards. Oh, and Rogue, he asks that you give back his heart when you're done with it." She added, grin firmly in place.

Without realising it, she'd run her hand through her brown and white hair, grabbing just enough of it to allow the silky mane to fall seductively about her face. Her lips had turned up in a barely there smile. Bobby rolled his eyes. "He's in another dimension, and somehow he still manages to master flirting with you."

"What're you talkin' about, Bobby? He's jus' bein' sweet." She said, catching herself. "How is, his majesty, anyway?"

"Busy, but good."

"Bobby!" Peter clapped a large hand on his friends shoulder. "We are rounding up troops for a game of football. Are you interested?" Movement could be seen behind him, as a lot of the male students followed Scott after a few brief words from him. He tossed the egg-shaped ball from one hand to another as they marched out into the day.

"Why the hell not?" The young man shrugged, noticing the weight of the friendly paw.

"Are you ladies in?" Peter asked. It was clear that this wasn't going to be a game of touch football, and the question might seem out of place if it weren't directed at the two proverbial 'fortified women' of the team, who sat just there. 

"Ah don' know, Peter. Ah think Ah'll be happy ta just watch." She looked back at Xierra, who nodded in agreement. With that, the three of them stood and made their way outside. The guys were already beginning to sort themselves into teams as they reached the stone steps. Bobby smoothed down Rogue's hair, and kissed the spot gently, letting his own gloved hand slide down her cheek and over her lips. The tenderness of the gesture was not lost on her, but she did feel a slight shot of pain as he removed his gloves, and left them in her care. She lingered on a single thought as she watched him and Peter jog off to join the others. 

The day couldn't be more perfect; a poster for the normality that the institute enjoyed on increasing occasion. The rest of the school had come out to enjoy the game, students and teachers littering the stairs and grass. Jean waved a hand to the two of them, motioning for them to join her and Betsy. "You go ahead, I'll join you in a moment." Xierra said, eyes drifting to the far side of the field, at the boundary of trees. Accepting the statement, Rogue left to join the others.

Kai lay on his stomach, eyes closed, arms cushioning his head. He couldn't help but smile, enjoying the warmth that caressed his naked body. He wasn't sure why, but he'd felt the need to savour the day in all of its beauty, by responding in kind. He'd found a quiet little place just off the field, behind a boundary of trees. It was as far as he was willing to go, and he couldn't really care much who stumbled across him anyway. The night before had drained him. He'd left his father in the kitchen, explaining that he needed to, "hit the sack" and leaving to do that. Or so Logan believed. He hadn't quite been in the mood to sleep off the high that he'd felt, fighting side by side with his old man, and found his way back to the biker gang. They wouldn't be bothering either of them anymore... or anyone else for that matter. Yes, last night had been fun.

"Do you mind if I join you?" 

His smile widened. "What, no flowers, no first date?" He felt familiar cloth fall over his lower half. "Aw, yer just no fun." With some effort, he opened his eyes and sat up, tying his mother's African print sarong around his waist at Xierra's unspoken request. "To what do I owe the pleasure, angel?"

"You did something last night. I felt a strong shift in power." She folded her arms. "What did you do that would require that amount of energy?"

He furrowed his brow and pursed his lips quizzically, pretending to search hard for an answer. "Can't say I have any idea of what yer talkin' about. I came home, passed out; ask Logan if ya don't believe me."

"I don't." She turned her back to him, watching the game that played out in the distance. "You may have them fooled now, but they'll eventually see what you are, I'll make sure of that."

Kai laughed; a sound so infectiously cold, she had to grip her sides at the absence of any other comfort. "Them?" He asked, gesturing to the field. "They, are idiots! They couldn' see the clues if they'd been gift wrapped, tagged, an' stapled t' the side of their heads." He shouted, bowled over by the mere idea. "God, they are so caught up in the idea o' bein', normal, that they covet anything and anyone who is, without question. Even the resident genius has accepted the fact that I have no X-gene, case closed. Wouldn' he be shocked ta find out that I'm more powerful than any of 'em." He walked over to her. "Humanity is caged by its own conceit. A race so driven by an affirmation of self, that it hampers any advancement truly worth having. We're made of more than can be tested in lab, or viewed under a microscope, but they'll never realise that."

"You're one to speak of conceit." She shot, turning around and facing him. "Seems you're forgetting that they've brought you to where you are. They've welcomed you, nurtured you, loved you." Faint tendrils of pure, green flame lit the corners of her eyes, falling across her temples.

"I don't need their love, anymore 'n I need the dirt on my feet. An' I'm not one t' confuse sincerity, with naivety." He quipped. "Simmer down, angel. You know that ya can't fight me until the time is right." Kai lifted a hand to her face, which she recoiled from. She shut her eyes tight, the flames slowly subsiding. "That's better."

"They're the best thing that'll ever happen to you, and more than you deserve." Xierra spat.

"Yer so wrong. They're the worst thing that could happen t' me, followin' a dream that's destined fer failure. They deny themselves, an' want fer lives they'll never have. I'm lucky not t' have fallen into that nightmare. Me, I want fer nothin'."

She studied his eyes, and all that lay behind them. Grinning: "I don't believe you." Had she not turned so suddenly, she would've caught the momentary lapse in his calm demeanor. As far as she was concerned, their powwow was over.

Kai caught up to her, grabbing her arm and wrapping his own across her chest as he stood behind. He brought his face in, his stubble cheek hard pressed against her soft one. "You on the other hand, I know exactly what ya want, with every fiber of your being... or should I say, who." He said, holding onto her as she tried to break from his grip. "A blind man could see how ya lust after him, steal a look when ya don't think he's watchin'. Ya think about him, dream about him, and everyday it eats away at ya a lil' more, that he'll never want you again." She stopped struggling, instead setting her eyes on the auburn haired running back as he congratulated Warren. "But it doesn't have to be that way; all it takes is a single thought an' you can make yerself happy." Whispering: "There's nothing wrong with making yourself happy."

She winced, hating herself for indulging in the thought, even if only for a moment. The players reset themselves. "Yes there is, when it comes at the expense of his free will. I won't do that to him. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life."

"It could be a very long life, why spend it alone?" He moved a strand of her hair back with his lips. "I suppose it's fer the best." He said lightly, though coupled with a sigh. "After all, his teeth will yellow, his burning eyes will loose their sight, his hair will grey and probably fall out. He'll break a few bones, just for good measure... maybe a hip or two. An' his powers will fade, an' his body will wither, an' all you'll be left with is dust. But you and I, we'll remain as we are until that fateful day... But what if we chose not to fight against each other?" The question seemed more for himself than for her, but still, her brow creased at the words. "What if we chose, to simply live our lives?"

"We can't. It's not what we were made for." A breeze drifted through the grounds.

"What can our keepers do? To force us to fight, would be to interfere; an act which they vowed to never carry out." He sensed her reluctance, another display of their empathic link. An urge to pull her close to him took over. "Can't you see? Good and evil compliment, co-exist. One can't be without the other. Why should it be any different for us? We could do whatever we wanted, answerable to no one." He brought her around, cradling her face in his hands, oblivious to the housemates that began to take shelter from the growing wind. "We're the only two of our kind, halves of a life force so powerful it had to be shared." Black liquid flowed through his veins, spreading to his eyes and joined only by a dark variation of the green flame he'd seen from her.

"Let go of me." She whispered, the scene sending her own defenses flaring as she grabbed his wrists. "Let go of me, now."

Seemingly oblivious to her order, he continued. "Imagine, calling on such a force with nothing more than a whim. Imagine what we could be. Imagine, what I, could be." His voice mutated, fierce, demonic, a shell of what it had once been. The same black veins etched from his darkening lips, rivaled in spectacle only by the protruding jaw bones that framed his now unrecognizable face. His grip on her tightened as he drew near. "So close, I can taste it." One moment of weakness on her part, would be all he needed to convert her.

Fear gripped Xierra, having finally met the true face of her destined enemy. But in the moments of time, stilled by him, she lost herself in his fixation for power. Her body felt the concentration of energy that spawned between them, inexorably converging on that single point. "Demon."

"No... god." His lips were but a breath away, aching for the single touch that would bring her to him.

He was ripped from where he stood, a bright flash of emerald unmistakable to the few eyes that watched from the mansion. Xierra broke from her trance, using her abilities to ensnare his limbs in the roots she summoned. She raised herself into the air, gliding to where he lay. "Give it your best shot, I dare ya. Send your armies; you've just given me all the encouragement I need to decimate every last regiment."

"And I'm sure you could." He shouted, relishing the rain that fell from the clouded sky. "But you're forgetting one thing." He laughed, paying no attention to the bonds that held him down. "Just who's got my back." Thunder boomed from above, shattering the windows of the institute's first floor. "Who needs an army?"

To Be Continued..





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