Morningstar

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon

Delilah had dressed quickly, once everyone had agreed to get the hell out of her bedroom. They were going to contact Alison and Morgan, something Delilah was happy to avoid. And she had someone to see. She made her way to a brownstone on Central Park West. He may have been keeping an eye on her, but turnabout was fair play and SHE made sure to know where HE was at all times.

Granted, initially, it was about having the opportunity to KILL him, but now…

The anger was no longer all-consuming for her. She was still not ready to be sunshine and unicorns with Alison and Morgan – nor had she forgotten how Blaze had behaved towards her - but it wasn’t the only thing on her mind. There were things that needed to be discussed, questions that needed answers.

As she was about to enter the building, Maxim nearly ran into her as he exited. He was shrugging into a black leather jacket as he moved, and her presence definitely took him by surprise.

“Delilah.”

His gaze fell to the pendant around her neck. He took her forcefully by the arm and pulled her quickly back inside.

“Let go of me!”

She pulled her arm out of his grasp.

He gave her a perturbed look, then pulled out an identical pendant to her’s from beneath his t shirt.

Maxim: “Is this some witchy thing? ‘Cause if is, tell me now.”

She started to reply, but he held up a finger. He punched a code into a keypad, and a steel door opened. He motioned for her to enter before following and closing the door behind them. Inside was a small table and two chairs, a couch. She could see a small kitchen and a door which led, she assumed to the bedroom. Maxim flipped a switch and panels lowered over the windows.

He looked at her expectantly.

Maxim: “Well?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Well, what? I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do!”

She sat down at the small table.

“Did you have a dream? Faeries and candy ships and…Alexia as a little girl instead of a baby? And when you woke up, there was a necklace on your pillow, and when you touch it…”

Maxim sat down in the chair opposite her.

Maxim: “I can see her.”

Delilah nodded.

Maxim: “Do you think the necklaces…that they’re real?”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know…it feels real, you know? It doesn’t feel like a trick.”

Maxim: “Do you think it was Morgan or Alison…some…way to make you stop hating them?”

“By that logic it could have been you.”

He scoffed.

Maxim: “How in the hell would I get magic necklaces?”

Delilah nodded, conceding the point.

Maxim: “So what next?”

“I don’t know, I’ll see what I can find out. I’ll let you know. And tell me if anything else odd happens.”

Maxim reached across the table and put his hand near to her’s.

Maxim: “When I was dreaming, I didn’t want to wake up.”

She sighed.

“Maxim…”

Maxim: “Come on Delilah, it might not have been real but we were both there. We said the things we said…MEANT the things we said. Can’t we just? Try again?”

He shook his head.

"I'd burn this entire city down for you."

She pulled her hand back.

“You betrayed me, in the worst way.”

Maxim: “I know. And I’m sorry. I really am sorry. But you know why I did it.”

Delilah was silent. She did know.

Maxim: “Do you think…she was, what, eight? Do you think when she’s really eight she’ll be able to do those shield thingy’s. Control her powers, I mean. That would mean-”

“Seven years. Seven years and we could bring her home.”

He nodded. She looked down for a moment.

“She’s not safe here. Even if she could be with me. Staying with Ororo is the safest place for her right now. As much as I might hate it, it’s the right thing.”

She looked up.

“I understand that you were trying to save me, the only way you could. But I…I need time. I can’t just pretend like nothing happened.”

Maxim: “Okay.” He paused. "But I still want to rip that punk's head off every time I see him."

Delilah stood up to leave, ignoring his last comment.

“I’ll let you know what I find out.”

She turned away, but he called her back.

Maxim: “Delilah?”

She turned to face him.

Maxim: “Don’t be so hard on Alison. She only did what I asked her to. It’s not her fault.”

Delilah turned back towards the door.

“Goodbye Maxim.”

 

[Prophet]

:: They had been there for hours, going over every detail of the caper from all of their perspectives. Delilah had opted not to go, and after everything she had been through, they agreed that was fine. Besides, Cameron had been with Delilah for the majority of these events and could do his best to fill in the gaps on her behalf. They tried to contact both Alison and Morgan and had no success. Essentailly they had reached a dead end, no better off or more informed than they had been since waking up at The Parthenon. None of it made any sense. ::

"This is exhausting. Let's take a break. Sharon, thank you for staying, if anything comes to mind that we might have missed just shoot me a message and I'll meet you at The Watchtower. The rest of you, please try and rest and stay calm. The spa levels are open to those who need it and remember the private concierge service each of you have is still active. Whatever you want is at your fingertips, should you not feel the need to leave your room for awhile. I know I wouldn't. "

[turning to Blaze and Nicolas]

"Keep trying to reach Morgan. Both of you. I'll do the same with Alison. I'll reach out to Xavier and Hazel, see if he might have seen her or met up with her recently. We'll figure this out guys."

:: As everybody clammered out of The War Room II, Cameron plopped into a chair with an exasperated sigh, rubbing his eyes with his face. He was tired and annoyed. ::

"Come on you guys, where the hell are you?"

:: Cameron was to the point of which he would deal with this kind of avoidance any longer. Alison and Morgan NEEDED to be present, and they NEEDED to answer for what had hapened. They couldn't just pull of this kind of miracle and vanish into the sunlight. Deciding a little more aggressive action was necessary, Cameron dimmed the lights in the room, and closed his eyes, pushing into the Astral Plane with his mind. This was a place that Cameron was incredibly strong and powerful as he had spent a LOT of time here. People who faced Cameron in the Astral Plane would be hard pressed to best him. He figured if there was a way to find Alison, it would be here. His voice echoed out to Alison as he flew through the plane with incredible speed. ::

"Harbinger! Please! This is RIDICULOUS....where ARE you?!"

:: He cast his mind and spirit out over the plane, searching for her on every level until...he FOUND her. Appearing before her in his signature red electric energy signature, he faced his sister, debating whether to approach cautiously or chastise her. ::

"You mind explaining yourself? Why aren't you in New York and WHERE is Morgan? It's WILDLY irresponsible and HIGHLY unlike you. What's going on, Ali? What's wrong?"

 

[Harbinger]

"Harbinger! Please! This is RIDICULOUS....where ARE you?!"

:: He cast his mind and spirit out over the plane, searching for her on every level until...he FOUND her. Appearing before her in his signature red electric energy signature, he faced his sister, debating whether to approach cautiously or chastise her. ::

:: Prophet's approach across the astral plane was met head on by the definite arrival of Harbinger.::

I knew you'd come here, looking for me.


:: She said coldly as she stood before him in full astral form. Her colbalt blue aura contrasts with his red form. To see them together like this, from a distance, it would be a beautiful thing to behold, but with the passion of his heart be ENOUGH to breach the ICE of her defenses? He may have been heady from his BLASTING through her walls in their recent caper, but that was then. This is NOW.::

"You mind explaining yourself? "

But I don't really owe you an explanation, do I?

Why aren't you in New York and WHERE is Morgan? It's WILDLY irresponsible and HIGHLY unlike you.

You can respect HER need to be left alone, but not mine?

You violated my privacy, Cameron King.

Have you gotten so WRAPPED UP in your LATEST incarnation of life, that you've FORGOTTEN what boundaries I have established, and WHY!? Perhaps you don't know ME as well as you THINK.

Perhaps I should REMIND YOU...

:: But before she could grow in her anger and ERUPT at him, she abruptly STOPPED? She seemed to FALTER. There was no point in trying to intimidate him, or threaten him at this point. They BOTH knew what he'd seen in HER dream...her NIGHTMARE.::

What's going on, Ali? What's wrong?

UGH!!!

:: She relaxes her strong, imposing stance, and shakes her head::

DAMMIT! YOU WEREN'T supposed to see that! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED to be there!

You come to me NOW, asking me what's wrong. :: she replies with bitterness:: I know why you're REALLY here.

And to answer your question, YES, I was there. SO WAS MORGAN. We ALL were. But it wasn't MY doing.

:: Exhaling with agitation, she turns her back on Cameron's glowing red astral form, walking, pacing.::

Have you forgotten WHO WE ARE? The Six...AND our allies, even the MORTALS, like Maxim, that are tied to us, we are not BOUND UP by the physical concepts of time and space. Not when one of us can CIRCUMVENT time and space.

You want to know if it happened? YES, it happend. ALL of it...INCLUDING the nightmare that you saw me in. It ALL happened, but NOT the way our physical minds want to process it.

You saw what Morgan did, what I did...what EVERYONE did, the LENGTHS that we ALL went to in order to HELP Delilah, to save ALEXIA, and then to SAVE DELILAH! But now that it's over....now that we're all awake and back on earth...it's back to business as usual right?

"Morgan and Alison...horrible, evil, controlling bitches who ruin everyone's life and have no hearts."

Perhaps Morgan is not back, because she's realized she doesnt need to trade the infinite possibilities of LIMBO for the narrow, limited and ultimately too painful dynamics among this FUCKED UP "FAMILY." Not that I can BLAME her.

If you want to know anything ELSE about DELILAH and what happened, you'll have to talk to Morgan. But in your mind's eye...those mystic accents that you despise so much....you know what's real and what isnt....and you know that there are MANY facets of reality beside the one we operate in.

:: Cameron had come behind Alison, and put his hand on her shoulder, to which she VIOLENTLY spins around and slaps it away::

Take your hand OFF me.

I'm YOUR SISTER!

But UNTIL all of THIS that we just went through...you seemed to FORGET THAT. You were so BUSY coddling HER! You just ASSUMED that I'd recover. That's been your problem for a LONG TIME.

::Tears form in her eyes, black, tears that shimmer down her blue, glowing face::

I know you're resentful right now. But so am I!


You saw my dream, and realized that I was happiest when i was alone- but it never occurred to you WHY I would feel that way.

You don't like the way Morgan and I reflexively turn to each other, leaving you out in the cold. I'm your sister, and I should be turning to you, confiding in you more, regarding you as I do Morgan, correct?-

When have you EVER made that easy for me? If you know me so well, Cameron, WHEN would have been the time for me to do that with you? When you were DISAPPEARING every other moon cycle? Or when you were so busy putting Delilah back together, that you FORGOT that she wasn't the only one who was SHATTERED during the Blue Moon?


:: Inhaling slowly....exhaling slowly::

Morgan and I...we've seen each other at our absolute WORST, and in each case, one not only had sympathy but EMPATHY for the other. We understand each other's thought processes, and where as other people would balk or judge, we don't. In this world, even among people like us, that's RARE. Like it or not, Cameron, she and I were there for one another when NEITHER of us had the LUXURY of siblings. I....could be WEAK in front of her...and not ONCE did she make me REGRET IT. Can YOU say the same?

Not ONCE will you EVER here me questioning you about the nature of your relationship with Vivica. I can't. I haven't the right. She was there for you when I wasn't, when I, through no fault of my own, didn't even have recollection of you. She kept you alive. Because of her, you LIVED to meet and fullfill your destiny as part of the Six! There'll be things that the two of you reflexively relate to one another about that I'll not be apart of, and I accept that. You have to accept that about Morgan and Myself as well. That doesn't mean that you're LESS than her to me.

You're resentful, and so am I. That means that we BOTH are looking for something from each other that has not been properly addressed....we're looking FOR each other. Well now is the time to address it and be transparent. I'll even go first!
....

I made a mistake. I let my fear for Delilah's safety cloud my judgement. My precognition, my visions were true. But Morgan and I...we were operating out of a place of FEAR and in doing so, she and I both made a terrible mistake. Instead of letting trust, and love supplement our judgement, we rushed...and we denied our dear friend her choice, we denied her the trust that she's earned many times over, and did not give her the chance she deserved to be involved in the process. If the WORDS that Morgan and I could say would never be enough, then I trust our ACTIONS during this caper WERE.

::wiping tears away from her eyes, she addressed one last thing.::

We survived this....experience that we just went through...by no small means. LUCK had nothing to do with it, and it should NOT take DYING or watching somebody become a STAR, OR the darkchilde casting a spell that rends a piece of a soul from nine different people in order for us BOTH to realize that LIFE, and our ability to experience it, MOVE through it, is FRAGILE.

I love you, Cameron King. I may find peace and comfort and solitude, but you shouldn't judge me for that, or deny me that. You want me to know and accept you, you must extend the same courtesy to me. ONLY THEN, will the level of nuanced trust that you're looking for come about and STAY.

I do find peace and tranquility and solitude. Sometimes I NEED it. I am not ashamed of that and I will not apologize for it. You have your sources of strength, I have mine. BUT I am also not afraid to admit that...without YOU I....I wouldn't know this world anymore. You're my BLOOD. You're my ONLY living relative! During the Blue Moon, YOU saved my life. Beyond a most deft use of your power, you were magnificent all around, and in that moment, it was YOU that I depended on, not Morgan. I'll never forget that...and I look FORWARD to us coming together- not just in times of emergency or necessity.

I'm SORRY that I've made you feel that you aren't needed or valued by me, OR that I don't regard you as you feel that I should, but it's time for you to understand that you've made ME feel the same way during ALL of this SHIT that's happened after the Blue Moon. I HAVE FEELINGS just like you do, just like SHE does.

 

[Prophet]

Alison: "But I don't really owe you an explanation, do I?"

"Well, that's a respectful way to start things, thanks, Alison."

:: Cameron looked at her with such frustration. Why did she always revert to this when dealing with him. ::

"You can't just do something like this and expect people don't have questions...or worse, tell them they are in no position to REQUEST an explanation."

:: He pressed further, asking her what was really going on in this situation. Ever since the Blue Moon she had been so fragile. She'd been so tense in a way that he had never seen, and she was reverting back to this ice cold harpy routine in order to protect herself and Cameron was getting TIRED. He was tired of her persona and TIRED of her self righteousness. He loved her with all of his heart, but it seemed like she pushed away at EVERY attempt he made to get closer to her. On the battlefield, they had never been more in sync. They worked BEAUTIFULLY together. They understood each other there, and they PLAYED off one another to make things happen. But when it came to the real life stuff, to the true nuts and bolts of their relationship, they remained disjointed and fractured. And Cameron couldn't understand why. ::

UGH!!!

:: She relaxes her strong, imposing stance, and shakes her head::

DAMMIT! YOU WEREN'T supposed to see that! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED to be there!

You come to me NOW, asking me what's wrong. :: she replies with bitterness:: I know why you're REALLY here.

And to answer your question, YES, I was there. SO WAS MORGAN. We ALL were. But it wasn't MY doing.

:: Exhaling with agitation, she turns her back on Cameron's glowing red astral form, walking, pacing.::

Have you forgotten WHO WE ARE? The Six...AND our allies, even the MORTALS, like Maxim, that are tied to us, we are not BOUND UP by the physical concepts of time and space. Not when one of us can CIRCUMVENT time and space.

You want to know if it happened? YES, it happend. ALL of it...INCLUDING the nightmare that you saw me in. It ALL happened, but NOT the way our physical minds want to process it.

You saw what Morgan did, what I did...what EVERYONE did, the LENGTHS that we ALL went to in order to HELP Delilah, to save ALEXIA, and then to SAVE DELILAH! But now that it's over....now that we're all awake and back on earth...it's back to business as usual right?

"Morgan and Alison...horrible, evil, controlling bitches who ruin everyone's life and have no hearts."

Perhaps Morgan is not back, because she's realized she doesnt need to trade the infinite possibilities of LIMBO for the narrow, limited and ultimately too painful dynamics among this FUCKED UP "FAMILY." Not that I can BLAME her.

If you want to know anything ELSE about DELILAH and what happened, you'll have to talk to Morgan. But in your mind's eye...those mystic accents that you despise so much....you know what's real and what isnt....and you know that there are MANY facets of reality beside the one we operate in.

"Well, for somebody who has yet to return to Earth and face the people who are supposed to be her family, you certainly have it ALL figured out, don't you?"

:: He went to reach for her, to hopefully placate her or to get her to a more receptive emotional state, but she responded with VENOM, with MALICE. ::

Alison: "Take your hand OFF me. I'm YOUR SISTER. But UNTIL all of THIS that we just went through...you seemed to FORGET THAT. You were so BUSY coddling HER. You just ASSUMED that I'd recover. That's been your problem for a LONG TIME."

"My problem or yours, Alison? Because I can bring you any number of people who will tell you that I've spent the last good part of a DECADE trying to PROVE to my sister that I love her and am WORTHY of her respect. Change your tone, because you're starting to piss me off."

Alison: "I know you're resentful right now. But so am I! You saw my dream, and realized that I was happiest when I was alone - but it never occured to you WHY I would feel that way. You don't like the way Morgan and I refexively turned to each other, leaving you out in the cold. I'm your sister, and I should be turning to you, confiding in you more, regarding you as I do Morgan, correct?"

"I had about a split second to respond to that. And I don't mind you and Morgan being a beacon of SUPPORT for each other, what I do mind is you two jumping on a negativity SPIRAL and using each other as back up in order to justify feelings that AREN'T coming from your higher self, have NO benefit in the bigger scheme of things, and DENIGRATE everything we've worked for over the years."

When have you EVER made that easy for me? If you know me so well, Cameron, WHEN would have been the time for me to do that with you? When you were DISAPPEARING every other moon cycle? Or when you were so busy putting Delilah back together, that you FORGOT that she wasn't the only one who was SHATTERED during the Blue Moon?


:: Inhaling slowly....exhaling slowly::

Morgan and I...we've seen each other at our absolute WORST, and in each case, one not only had sympathy but EMPATHY for the other. We understand each other's thought processes, and where as other people would balk or judge, we don't. In this world, even among people like us, that's RARE. Like it or not, Cameron, she and I were there for one another when NEITHER of us had the LUXURY of siblings. I....could be WEAK in front of her...and not ONCE did she make me REGRET IT. Can YOU say the same?

Not ONCE will you EVER here me questioning you about the nature of your relationship with Vivica. I can't. I haven't the right. She was there for you when I wasn't, when I, through no fault of my own, didn't even have recollection of you. She kept you alive. Because of her, you LIVED to meet and fullfill your destiny as part of the Six! There'll be things that the two of you reflexively relate to one another about that I'll not be apart of, and I accept that. You have to accept that about Morgan and Myself as well. That doesn't mean that you're LESS than her to me.

You're resentful, and so am I. That means that we BOTH are looking for something from each other that has not been properly addressed....we're looking FOR each other. Well now is the time to address it and be transparent. I'll even go first!

"Alison?"

:: Cameron was getting increasingly heated. ::

"Grow the fuck up. You can't simultaneously close yourself off from everybody around you and then get angry when people don't check up on you. When people expect you to be strong. That's how you've crafted it, even in your own DREAMS where you can be alone and free from the likes of your BROTHER, all of that, the way that people treat you? That's YOUR doing. YOU have built up the wall, enforced the "militia" and forced anybody who ever cared OUT, despite how much they want to get in. You've relied on Morgan for so many years, that any opinion or any advice outside of what she gives you, you IMMEDIATELY think as aggressive and uncouth, and that's not fair. Don't tell me you haven't had the chance, because by NOW? I've been here FAR LONGER than any period I've ever been gone, and I've been MORE than receptive to you. And I KNOW you've talked to Vivica, and turst me, she is somebody who looks at me and thinks I all but SACRIFICED my relationship with HER in order to be closer to YOU. So please, tell me again about the part i've played in us not being connected? Speak your RESENTMENT to me. Be transparent, by all means!"

:: He couldn't believe what he was hearing. ::

I made a mistake. I let my fear for Delilah's safety cloud my judgement. My precognition, my visions were true. But Morgan and I...we were operating out of a place of FEAR and in doing so, she and I both made a terrible mistake. Instead of letting trust, and love supplement our judgement, we rushed...and we denied our dear friend her choice, we denied her the trust that she's earned many times over, and did not give her the chance she deserved to be involved in the process. If the WORDS that Morgan and I could say would never be enough, then I trust our ACTIONS during this caper WERE.

::wiping tears away from her eyes, she addressed one last thing.::

We survived this....experience that we just went through...by no small means. LUCK had nothing to do with it, and it should NOT take DYING or watching somebody become a STAR, OR the darkchilde casting a spell that rends a piece of a soul from nine different people in order for us BOTH to realize that LIFE, and our ability to experience it, MOVE through it, is FRAGILE.

I love you, Cameron King. I may find peace and comfort and solitude, but you shouldn't judge me for that, or deny me that. You want me to know and accept you, you must extend the same courtesy to me. ONLY THEN, will the level of nuanced trust that you're looking for come about and STAY.

I do find peace and tranquility and solitude. Sometimes I NEED it. I am not ashamed of that and I will not apologize for it. You have your sources of strength, I have mine. BUT I am also not afraid to admit that...without YOU I....I wouldn't know this world anymore. You're my BLOOD. You're my ONLY living relative! During the Blue Moon, YOU saved my life. Beyond a most deft use of your power, you were magnificent all around, and in that moment, it was YOU that I depended on, not Morgan. I'll never forget that...and I look FORWARD to us coming together- not just in times of emergency or necessity.

I'm SORRY that I've made you feel that you aren't needed or valued by me, OR that I don't regard you as you feel that I should, but it's time for you to understand that you've made ME feel the same way during ALL of this SHIT that's happened after the Blue Moon. I HAVE FEELINGS just like you do.

[he furrowed his brow for a moment]

"Alison...thank you for your words..but I need you to know something. It may sound harsh, it may sound blunt, but I need to say this, and I need you to hear it. I saw your dreams. I know that you take comfort in being alone, in being in solitude. I get that, obviously I understand that, with my own "dissappearances" over the years, but the underlying issue here between us, at least for me, is THIS. I know our childhood was less than desirable, I know it was VIOLENT, and I know that there was a spell BARRING us from each for YEARS, but here's the thing. You abandoned me."

[Cameron looked away]

"You looked at my face, the face of a baby, and weighed that against your current situation...and you left me. You left me behind and you never thought of me again. And I can't sit here and judge your choices, Alison, because I wasn't in your shoes, and if I hadn't spent HOURS of my time trying to understand things from your perspective, we WOULDN'T have a relationship. Because you walked away, I lived on the STREETS, I begged for money, I stole, I lied, I slept in ALLEYS and I MURDERED somebody in order to feel accepted. So when you sit there, after EVERYTHING we've been through, after I've spent SO MUCH TIME..."

:: Cameron began to tear up. ::

"So much TIME trying to prove that I was good enough to sit at the same table as you, to see you..in your ultimate fantasy, after all this time, happiest BY YOURSELF....It KILLS me Alison. It REALLY kills me....Don't you understand? I don't want to sound uncaring or unconcerned...but The Blue Moon, Barbas, Diana...ALL of it, I survived through ALL of it for YOU. I've BEEN playing by your rules, I've BEEN approaching you at the level you want me to, I've BEEN respectful of your needs, I've BEEN open to you. I took one of your best friends under my wing and PROTECTED them because you and Morgan were TOO ANGRY to see the error of your ways, but I never separated from you. I tried to ACT like you. I tried to assess damage. I tried to go where I could shield against the most impact...and that was DELILAH. I've been trying to BE "Harbinger" during this time.."

:: He began to weep a bit. ::

"Everything I've done in the last decade has been to get closer to you, and here you sit, thinking I haven't done enough. Haven't understood you enough...and it just makes me like...unless I support your blindly, unless I just agree with whatever you say, I can never be enough. But that's not us, Alley Cat. You've ALWAYS shown me the error of my ways, and I was just trying to show you...the error of YOURS. That's all...."

:: Cameron GRABBED her, this time forcing his strength of the astral plane on her, keeping her in place. ::

"You HAVE to understand this, Alison. Above ALL the others...above Delilah, above Blaze...and honestly, above HALEIGH. I choose you. YOU are the one I want in my life, you are the ONLY one that matters...and if I've ever made you feel otherwise, I'll try harder...just please...please don't ABANDON me again. Not for Morgan, not for power, not for NOTHING. Please. I won't survive you leaving....but I'm..I'm strong enough not to force you to stay anymore..."

:: He tried to hold onto a shred of confidence. ::

"I've done my best...it may not be enough for you...but I've done my best. I wish you could see that...how much more do you want from me Alison? What else can I possibly do to make you stay? Because I'll do it...I'll do whatever it takes to FIX whatever this is between us. Because you are my HEART...you are my SOUL. You are my reason for living, and at some point I'm just going to need you to understand that."

 

[Harbinger]

The Astral Plane

::He pushed back. HARD. Her eyes narrow. She continues to regulate her breathing as she stares him down. She's either listening intently, or considering any number of ways to murder him WITHOUT A TRACE on the astral plane.::

:: But then...::

but the underlying issue here between us, at least for me, is THIS. I know our childhood was less than desirable, I know it was VIOLENT, and I know that there was a spell BARRING us from each for YEARS, but here's the thing. You abandoned me."

STOP RIGHT THERE. Don't you say that to me! I did not...

[Cameron looked away]

"You looked at my face, the face of a baby, and weighed that against your current situation...and you left me. You left me behind and you never thought of me again. And I can't sit here and judge your choices, Alison, because I wasn't in your shoes, and if I hadn't spent HOURS of my time trying to understand things from your perspective, we WOULDN'T have a relationship. Because you walked away, I lived on the STREETS, I begged for money, I stole, I lied, I slept in ALLEYS and I MURDERED somebody in order to feel accepted. So when you sit there, after EVERYTHING we've been through, after I've spent SO MUCH TIME..."

:: she balls her fist, clenching it tightly as SHE looks away. ::

Does he think I actually WANTED THAT for him!?

:: Cameron began to tear up. ::

"So much TIME trying to prove that I was good enough to sit at the same table as you, to see you..in your ultimate fantasy, after all this time, happiest BY YOURSELF....It KILLS me Alison. It REALLY kills me....Don't you understand? I don't want to sound uncaring or unconcerned...but The Blue Moon, Barbas, Diana...ALL of it, I survived through ALL of it for YOU. I've BEEN playing by your rules, I've BEEN approaching you at the level you want me to, I've BEEN respectful of your needs, I've BEEN open to you. I took one of your best friends under my wing and PROTECTED them because you and Morgan were TOO ANGRY to see the error of your ways, but I never separated from you. I tried to ACT like you. I tried to assess damage. I tried to go where I could shield against the most impact...and that was DELILAH. I've been trying to BE "Harbinger" during this time.."

:: He began to weep a bit. ::

:: Her eyes POP open. Her body JOLTS, and instinctively, she clutches at her chest...as if struck with sudden PAIN. For someone who was perceived as hard as MARBLE, to actually FIND her heart was to find the part she kept most under lock and key. Suddenly, this person whom she some how managed to LOVE, RESENT AND DESPISE all at once, had just drawn a bead on her heart, with the one thing that could get PAST her Marble shell. His words touched...STRUCK her the one place she couldn't defend anymore, not if she was going to be any good to him OR herself from this point forward.::

"Everything I've done in the last decade has been to get closer to you, and here you sit, thinking I haven't done enough. Haven't understood you enough...and it just makes me like...unless I support your blindly, unless I just agree with whatever you say, I can never be enough. But that's not us, Alley Cat. You've ALWAYS shown me the error of my ways, and I was just trying to show you...the error of YOURS. That's all...."

:: She begins to look like she did when her dream began to change to a NIGHTMARE, when emotions and the representations of them in her mind began to PULL HER OUT of her marble hard citadle. She struggles against feelings...MEMORIES. Shutting her eyes TIGHTLY as she trembles::

::FLASH!::

::Nearly 10 years ago. The Parthenon. The night that Morgan Victoria and Cameron King announced a business partnership and venture that would change the landscape of fashion, media and entertainment for a decade to come. It was a night unlike any other, for so many reasons. Including THIS moment::

you're in danger. in all ways....and all times and spaces. you nearly died just now. it is clear that you do not understand that you NEED to be with the Six.


There is nothing I or your sister Erika can do for you at this point...and this isnt like b efore..when i warned you of the coming Inferno. This is ...quite simply your life...and its direction.

the moment i laid eyes on you just now...i saw nothing but ruin. Adrian nearly killed you...and what if alexis hadnt heard or responded to your thought call??

:: she waited for Cameron to respond ..as she looked him dead in his dark eyes..with her own cobalt blue eyes:

:: The words hit Cameron like a freight train. This was different than the Inferno. There was death all around him. Which made sense, he had helped cause so much death in the past few months that he probably did have a lot of Karma built up againt him. He was just at an utter loss of what to do. He was trying to do the right thing by LEAVING the Six so that Morgan didn't have to deal with him and that nobody else would end up dead. He didn't know what to do anymore ::

"I know, Alison.. I know.. I am, I just don't know what to do anymore at this point. I thought leaving the Six would be the best for everyone. There is no way I can ever prove to Morgan that I am sorry.. I've just been dealing with a lot of things.. I've been having these dreams lately.. I am just confused.. but I REALLY AM trying to do the right thing at this point, I just don't know what it is..."

:: Cameron was being vulnerably honest with Alison. He was really torn. He KNEW he was at fault for the things that had happened, but it was like something was preventing him from dealing with it. It was like he had sealed off a part of his brain that allowed him to feel remorse or feel regret. When Blaze died, he didn't even shed a tear, not even when Haleigh died. It was as if he were a robot. Now that he had pushed Morgan to the breaking point and was at the point of where he NEEDED to deal and seek pennance for his problems, he couldn't ::

"I don't know.. Blame and taking responsibility has never been an easy thing for me to deal with.. it's just always has been like something I have never felt before.. I have never felt pain or regret or necessity for apology, until I met the Six and now there are just all these things that I am trying to deal with but it's like my brain isn't LETTING me, and I just don't know what to do.. I WANT to be a part of the Six, but not at the cost of another's life.. Alison.. you know a genetic defect in our family is that we don't trust anyone easily.. but what do you do, when.. when you can't trust YOURSELF?"

You're life is in your hands, but clearly the more you try to bushwack Morgan and others, the more it will come back against you. I think even without your psychic abilities, you can see that a change is needed. Erika's mistake was in coddling you. She was doing only what she could do..as it was her nature. But your older now..and that kind of thing is not going to help.

When tonight is over....i suggest you take inventory of yourself...and what lies ahead...for your own sake ...not to mention those who you are SUPPOSED to be working with in this group of SIX.

:: Cameron looked at his sister as she spoke the words of truth he had been needing to hear. He couldn't go placing blame on anyone else in the Six when he really needed to deal with his own issues and problems. He took his sister by the hand and squeezed it hard ::

"I promise you, Alison.. I will do that.

:: That memory, it was more than a mere snapshot of the past. It was the first REAL meeting of the minds Alison and Cameron had since they discovered the truth about each other during the formation of the Six, and POST-Inferno. Cameron allowed himself to not only to hear, but to LISTEN. He'd been able to do it, even THEN. Couldn't SHE, NOW?::

:: In the PRESENT, On the Astral Plane, As Alison struggled, and seemed to wince with PAIN...::

:: Cameron GRABBED her, this time forcing his strength of the astral plane on her, keeping her in place. ::

::GASP!?::

:: He took hold of her with such FORCE. She was so....OFF BALANCE now as she struggled with feelings and thoughts she could once dismiss or close out, and NOW he had her in his grasp! Her first instinct was to VIOLENTLY free herself! That's what happened when ANYONE got too close without HER time and choosing! He knew that, others had found out in PAINFUL ways. BUT on some level, she knew he wasn't doing this to hurt her! It was just as he had done on the Otherworld, he was making himself known and heard when it should matter the MOST.::

:: She turned away, shutting her eyes tightly and gritting her teeth::

:: He knew it was now or NEVER. she'd either allow herself to go through this with him, or she would strike out at him just as she would THEIR MOTHER or anyone ELSE she viewed as an existential THREAT::

:: But he did NOT give in to the FEAR that lingered somewhere in the back of his mind when it came to FEMALE MAGICK USERS. He wouldn't allow her to look away. He wouldn't allow her to try her best to CONCEAL her feelings in this moment::

"You HAVE to understand this, Alison. Above ALL the others...above Delilah, above Blaze...and honestly, above HALEIGH. I choose you. YOU are the one I want in my life, you are the ONLY one that matters...and if I've ever made you feel otherwise, I'll try harder...just please...please don't ABANDON me again. Not for Morgan, not for power, not for NOTHING. Please. I won't survive you leaving....but I'm..I'm strong enough not to force you to stay anymore..."

::He could see, for a moment, that EXACT same look of ABJECT TERROR that she had in her nightmare. Is THIS the kind of feeling he evoked from her he made a HEARTFELT plea? Was this the way she'd respond to ANYONE outside of Morgan and Ava if they got too close?!::

:: He tried to hold onto a shred of confidence. ::

"I've done my best...it may not be enough for you...but I've done my best. I wish you could see that...how much more do you want from me Alison? What else can I possibly do to make you stay? Because I'll do it...I'll do whatever it takes to FIX whatever this is between us. Because you are my HEART...you are my SOUL. You are my reason for living, and at some point I'm just going to need you to understand that."

:: But even as she seemed like she would sooner turn to MARBLE in FACT as well as in NAME in that moment...something began to HAPPEN. If she wanted him to see her for who she is...NOT just a precog or tactician, but a HUMAN BEING with a heart and feelings...she to let him see....let him FEEL, LET HIM IN.::


:: Cameron began to hear a sound. It wasn't a power signature, or some indication of her getting ready to physically attack. It was something else. He heard...a HEART beat. Once....then again...and again still. Alison swallowed hard, and her body relaxed. She "exhaled" slowly...as her "HEART"...her EMOTIONAL core seemed to ACTIVATE, not with FEAR or ANGER...but with...

:: She shifts, extending her arms ::

I....

:: another beat::

:: With each passing moment...and beat...::

CAMERON.

:: She wraps her arms around him, and EMBRACES him, shuddering as she lets go of her hostility toward him and allows it to be replaced with another feeling::

I don't you want to burn yourself out, the way that I have. I don't want you to make the mistakes that I have made in becoming who I am now. The cost of being ME...all I need do is to look at you...and allow myself to REMEMBER all those years ago...and I can tell you that the COST of being me is TOO HIGH.

I protected you from our mother, doing things no child should have to, but I had no one to help me. When I was LOSING MY MIND from visions that I didn't understand, it drove me to FLEE our home. I need you to understand that It was NOT my intention to leave you behind. I was LOST...a passenger in my own mind and I was ....I NEEDED HELP. I NEVER would have left you under any other circumstance! You HAVE to know that! And if there was ANY way I would've become AWARE of you before the dawn of the Six, when you were living a life that no child should have to...OF COURSE I would have came for you without hesitation!

I can't change what happened to EITHER of us then. But I CAN do something about what happens now...what happen's NEXT.

:: Black, glowing tears fall from her face::

I don't want you to think, ANYMORE, that I can "take or leave" you.

:: with every beat, she found the strength to continue forward in this moment::

That's just not true. Even if I projected that at one time, it's a cruel deception that I dispell here and now.

You're not disposable to me. And I CAN'T have you in this world...feeling like that.

:: She lets go of him and moves back::

I'm a human being....not just a precog or a tactician. I've let my foresight lead the way for me for so long...it was a secret LUXURY for me to "FORGET" how to be lead with a HEART. I've forced a perception of me on others and it suited me...but in moments where I needed help, I...could not ask.

There's nothing worse than being hurt....scared....and unable to ask for help.

:: hear heart beats again across the astral plane::

I AM sorry for not responding to you in a way that you were looking for and NEEDED, SOONER. Once, I didn't know how....later...I refused. NOW, I realize how hurtful and damaging it is.

:: Placing her hand on her forehead as she bows her head::

I can't let you make the same mistakes that I have...and I can't continue to compound the ones I have not done an about face from. You've done so much since we rescued you from Barbas, and while there WAS once a time where I could have cared LESS how you felt about me and if you ever wanted to be around me, that's not the case anymore.

It takes a special kind of person...someone who at their core...has a loving heart...to WANT to seek out their sister, who has regularly held them at bay for so long. You can go anywhere in the world, and BUY people to amuse and entertain you...if it just came down to it, but still...you've sought ME out.

I thought I could "take it in stride." I tried to convince myself it was only a matter of time before you disappeared or did some careless and placed yourself in mortal peril again. But instead, you've proven that you DID heed my warning, all those years ago in the Parthenon. And NOW...here you are...trying to appeal to me.

I would be JUST AS CRUEL as our mother, if I didn't respond to you now, and no matter what Vivica, Delilah or anyone ELSE thinks...I AM NOT.

I've told so many others what THEY didn't deserve. Now...I admit...I don't deserve someone like you as my only living relative.

:: She had Morgan and Ava....and she loved them dearly. Nothing about that would change...but neither of them would be LINKED to her the way Cameron was. They, more than anyone else,"GOT her"...but HE EXPERIENCED her mindscape and her presence in a way that few others could, and IF they could, they 'd likely run screaming to the death but just as Harbinger never averted her EYES from her precognition, Cameron didn't avert his eyes from his cold, marble hard sister, and when he FINALLY was able to show her that he'd listened, and LEARNED...she ALMOST MISSED it, almost let him slip through her fingers!::

But just as the goddesses have given us all multiple chances, just as Spellbinder brought us together so that we could give Delilah another chance, I want you to know NOW, if you didn't before, that I'll VALUE YOU. I'll treat you with the kindness and dignity that you deserve and I'll SHARE with you the things that you've been seeking from me in full measure, without grudge.

I can't afford to be alone all the time...forever.

:: She looks at him::

And I would be BEYOND foolish to ignore someone OFFERING something to me that most spend their LIVES suffering over a lack of.

I DO love you, Cameron King. I'll make sure you feel that.

::Unfortunately...::

I can't come back to the Parthenon right now. It's not the right TIME.

 

[Prophet]

:: He knew it was taking every fiber of her being not to attack him, and to throw him off of her and deep into The Astral Plane. He could feel her energy swell up into her body. She looked at him with a mixture of anger and disgust, just as she did in her nightmare, however long ago that was on the earthly plane. Why was she making this so difficult. Why couldn't she ever just HEAR him and accept what he said at face value. Cameron was beginning to become furious at his sister, at all the energy and time he had spent in pleasing his sister, to get her to vocally and loudly proclaim her love for him, her RESPECT. Was he ever going to win this battle? ::

:: But then.. a sound. At first he didn't know what it was. An astral anamoly? A power signature? Then he realized. It was a heartbeat. A heartbeat that belonged to his sister. He could FEEL her emotions swirl around her body in a way that was just as violent as her power could be. Her emotions were disjointed, working in ways she hadn't allowed herself to do in a very long time. ::

:: Cameron began to hear a sound. It wasn't a power signature, or some indication of her getting ready to physically attack. It was something else. He heard...a HEART beat. Once....then again...and again still. Alison swallowed hard, and her body relaxed. She "exhaled" slowly...as her "HEART"...her EMOTIONAL core seemed to ACTIVATE, not with FEAR or ANGER...but with...

:: She shifts, extending her arms ::

I....

:: another beat::

:: With each passing moment...and beat...::

CAMERON.

:: She wraps her arms around him, and EMBRACES him, shuddering as she lets go of her hostility toward him and allows it to be replaced with another feeling::

I don't you want to burn yourself out, the way that I have. I don't want you to make the mistakes that I have made in becoming who I am now. The cost of being ME...all I need do is to look at you...and allow myself to REMEMBER all those years ago...and I can tell you that the COST of being me is TOO HIGH.

I protected you from our mother, doing things no child should have to, but I had no one to help me. When I was LOSING MY MIND from visions that I didn't understand, it drove me to FLEE our home. I need you to understand that It was NOT my intention to leave you behind. I was LOST...a passenger in my own mind and I was ....I NEEDED HELP. I NEVER would have left you under any other circumstance! You HAVE to know that! And if there was ANY way I would've become AWARE of you before the dawn of the Six, when you were living a life that no child should have to...OF COURSE I would have came for you without hesitation!

I can't change what happened to EITHER of us then. But I CAN do something about what happens now...what happen's NEXT.

:: Alison enveloped her brother in his arms, with a warmth and a sense of passion like she never had before. It was like he was experiencing this part of his sister that hadn't previously existed. A completely different side. She didn't want him to be like her, and if he was being honest, he wasn't trying to be HER, more than he was trying to be somebody that she respected, and those people had a very similar set of qualities. ::

"Alison...please..you don't ha--"

:: He was beginning to regret what he had just said and for a moment he was very uncomfortable. Cameron could navigate Alison's normal reflexes and functions, he was an expert at it, but he had no idea how to deal with this, deal with HER emotion. In this moment, he felt bad that he used her leaving him to hurt her, despite the fact that he felt very strongly about this. He had been trying to be this type of person that she wouldn't leave, the type of person that she would WANT to be around, because he was scared to death that having a family would be a temporary thing. But he still held anger about the situation. Alison was POWERFUL, she had proved herself to be the AUTHORITY of the King Family, outpowering both their mother and his sister Erika. Then how come she couldn't detect an active spell against her? How could she have not known about Erika's spell? HOW could she have not found him sooner? While these may have been superfluous feelings, and they might be more complicated than he'd like to admit, he was angry. Hearing her words just now, it brought him a bit of peace. Of absolution. He realized that he had been living in his own pain about the past, that maybe he didn't think about hers, and that wasn't fair. Cameron couldn't remember the details of their past despite his telepathic attempts, and all of this mysterious had left him confused and lost in his own journey. ::

:: Black, glowing tears fall from her face::

I don't want you to think, ANYMORE, that I can "take or leave" you.

:: with every beat, she found the strength to continue forward in this moment::

That's just not true. Even if I projected that at one time, it's a cruel deception that I dispell here and now.

You're not disposable to me. And I CAN'T have you in this world...feeling like that.

:: She lets go of him and moves back::

I'm a human being....not just a precog or a tactician. I've let my foresight lead the way for me for so long...it was a secret LUXURY for me to "FORGET" how to be lead with a HEART. I've forced a perception of me on others and it suited me...but in moments where I needed help, I...could not ask.

There's nothing worse than being hurt....scared....and unable to ask for help.

:: hear heart beats again across the astral plane::

I AM sorry for not responding to you in a way that you were looking for and NEEDED, SOONER. Once, I didn't know how....later...I refused. NOW, I realize how hurtful and damaging it is.

:: Placing her hand on her forehead as she bows her head::

I can't let you make the same mistakes that I have...and I can't continue to compound the ones I have not done an about face from. You've done so much since we rescued you from Barbas, and while there WAS once a time where I could have cared LESS how you felt about me and if you ever wanted to be around me, that's not the case anymore.

It takes a special kind of person...someone who at their core...has a loving heart...to WANT to seek out their sister, who has regularly held them at bay for so long. You can go anywhere in the world, and BUY people to amuse and entertain you...if it just came down to it, but still...you've sought ME out.

I thought I could "take it in stride." I tried to convince myself it was only a matter of time before you disappeared or did some careless and placed yourself in mortal peril again. But instead, you've proven that you DID heed my warning, all those years ago in the Parthenon. And NOW...here you are...trying to appeal to me.

I would be JUST AS CRUEL as our mother, if I didn't respond to you now, and no matter what Vivica, Delilah or anyone ELSE thinks...I AM NOT.

I've told so many others what THEY didn't deserve. Now...I admit...I don't deserve someone like you as my only living relative.

:: She said she was SORRY. She said she was human, and that she had made mistakes she wish she didn't make. She acknowledged him as her brother and she even went so far as to say that he was TOO GOOD for her. The deep well of emotion that Cameron was experiencing was confusing and beautiful and sad and angry all at the same time, so much so that he couldn't quite figure out a way to express it here and now, still so thrown off by what he was hearing. ::

"Alison..."

:: He embraced her, now crying as well. Feeling as if the last twenty four hours had been a great time of upheavel. Everything had been so uncertain. He couldn't tell if what he had just experienced with Delilah and Alexia and Badiane was real or not, he couldn't even been sure that THIS encounter was real. From the astral plane, Cameron could tell that there was a shift happening in their world, a delicate balance that was now tipping the scales in one direction. He could feel the winds of change flow through him, and he had reason to believe it wasn't just because of this tender moment. As he looked at his sister, he realized that now, more than ever, they NEEDED each other. She had FINALLY revealed a part of herself to him that he had wanted to see for a long time, and if they were EVER going to move to the next level of their relationship, he had no choice but to take this chance. ::

:: She had Morgan and Ava....and she loved them dearly. Nothing about that would change...but neither of them would be LINKED to her the way Cameron was. They, more than anyone else,"GOT her"...but HE EXPERIENCED her mindscape and her presence in a way that few others could, and IF they could, they 'd likely run screaming to the death but just as Harbinger never averted her EYES from her precognition, Cameron didn't avert his eyes from his cold, marble hard sister, and when he FINALLY was able to show her that he'd listened, and LEARNED...she ALMOST MISSED it, almost let him slip through her fingers!::

But just as the goddesses have given us all multiple chances, just as Spellbinder brought us together so that we could give Delilah another chance, I want you to know NOW, if you didn't before, that I'll VALUE YOU. I'll treat you with the kindness and dignity that you deserve and I'll SHARE with you the things that you've been seeking from me in full measure, without grudge.

I can't afford to be alone all the time...forever.

:: She looks at him::

And I would be BEYOND foolish to ignore someone OFFERING something to me that most spend their LIVES suffering over a lack of.

I DO love you, Cameron King. I'll make sure you feel that.

::Unfortunately...::

I can't come back to the Parthenon right now. It's not the right TIME.

"I just needed to hear you say it, Alison. I love you, and I promise...I've come back from hell and death, as have you, there is nothing in this world that can fracture us COMPLETELY...not Barbas, not MysTech, not our MOTHER, not MALICE."

[holding tightly]

"They tried to destroy our family...but they didn't anticipate your MIND or my HEART. They can never face off against THAT. You're right...you can't be alone all the time forever...and if you just trust me, I can show you how to fix that. Whenever you need it, whatever it looks like, I'm hear to help."

Alison: "I can't come back to the Parthenon right now. It's not the right TIME."

"I understand. We've already overwhelmed Delilah and people are on edge about what happened. I'll tell them what you've told me...and if they disagree...I will stand up for you. Let's start there..."

:: Cameron closed his eyes as he began to channel his energy signature, though here it was not crackling and electric, but mystic and ethereal looking, almost plume like, it swirled around him as her own blue black energy began to swirl his as he channeled her power through her emotions, they drifted away from each other for a moment as the energy swirled together in a giant like ORB before exploding BRIGHTLY, leaving in the astral plane something that resembled a spectral STAR. ::

"In case we ever forget this conversation. In case we get lost..this SPECTRAL star will be here, as a mystical representation of this emotion. In case we ever forget...go here, touch the star and remember..."

:: He began to float away from her as he found himself in the darkened war room. The lights were still dim around him. He probably should have gone to find the others, but for now, he propped his legs on the table in front of him, leaned back in the chair and allowed himself to get lost in thought and possibility. Things with Delilah may still be up in the air, and she may NOT feel much differently about either Morgan or Alison after this, but at least there had been some good. Alexia was still alive, the world was in tact, and his sister, had FINALLY started the path to finding herself again. His family was alive, they were breathing, and as long as that was possible, there was a chance to make things even BETTER. ::

 

[MorningStar]

Delilah didn’t go immediately back to the Parthenon. There were too many thoughts in her head, too many questions. The strange necklaces, for one. But as much as she was used to being skeptical of everything, of always looking for the trap from the next adversary, she just didn’t in her heart believe that there was anything “bad” about them. And she didn’t think it was her just wanting it to be real. It felt real. Alexia felt real, at peace, happy. Surely if someone were trying to get at her this way, to torment her, they would show her her daughter in pain instead?

In spite of herself, she found herself wishing that Morgan were here. In the past, she was the person Delilah would have gone to. They would have worked out the magick angle together, Morgan would have allayed her fears about Alexia. She would have teleported to Limbo to check on Alexia herself. But with this rift between the two of them with no end in sight…

Delilah could not just pretend it had never happened. The things Morgan had done – SAID – no. The old Delilah would never have said anything at all, not even there that night on Aerie. She would have stayed silent and just taken it. Because Morgan was her friend and they didn’t fight about things that mattered. But that Delilah had been through too much to stay that way.

Delilah found herself taking a familiar route, one she had walked many times before. The ruins of the building were still there, as if even the scumbag real estate magnates of New York could feel the dark energy of the place. It was tainted now, forever, by what had happened here. But as she gazed on what was left of Illustra, where the strife between her and the rest of the Six had begun so long ago, it wasn’t the darkness she remembered. It was the good times, the way it had been between she, Morgan and Alison. She could feel them here, some remnant of mystickal energy or psychic connection, she didn’t know which.

She began to question herself: could she forgive them? Or would they forever be on opposite sides of a dividing line? She didn’t know the answer. But the fact that she could even ask the question had to mean that there was some hope, didn’t it?

Looking over the rubble, Delilah’s eye caught on something tiny, just sticking out of the broken concrete. Two flowers, one icy violet and one cobalt blue.

 

[Seer]

<<All the while, Some place else we move through...>>

<< The glow of a stepping disc.>>

<< The mists of the "Otherplace".>>

<< The Garden Oasis.>>

<< The Stone Citadle.>>

<< The Nursery.>>

<< On a large stone desk, on one side of the desk, we see a small pentagram of power, several bottles of curious ingredients, as well as pieces of the most exquisite gold, AND the even more curious holempathic matrix crystal! It is clear that something, talismans...GIFTS have been fashioned, created and then SENT ON to their intended recipients!>>

<< Further down that same large stone desk, we see a beautiful large book, with pages not unlike the Darkhold, pages that turn quickly.>>

<< Look more closely.>>

<< We see familiar images in the pages as they turn one by one. Beautifully drawn images of Badiane, Perle, the mysterious candy ships and the bouncing bon bon babies.>>

<< We see beautifully drawn pictures of Black Widow, Persephone, Ruby, Firebird, Rampage, Prophet, and then a TWO page spread of SILVER SWAN, Alexia's favorite WONDER WOMAN. Each image is drawn showing the person at his or her best, a most glorious moment, a valiant post and a beautiful display of power or courage.>>

<< We then see on the next pages, equally beautiful pictures of the witches Spellbinder and Harbinger each captured in a beautiful, triumphant pose, displaying their magicks. They are side by side, showing how unique they are, and yet, how WELL they go together, How EYE catching they are....just like the special, UNUSUAL flowers MorningStar has seen.>>

<< Another page- Maxim drawn to capture not only his stature, but his courage, against a mysterious background that looks like Minerva's Mansion at night>>

<< Pages turn again, to ANOTHER two page spread of MorningStar. The beautiful drawing features her progression little girl and childhood friend of Morgan, to police officer, to member of Valiant, to member of the Six, to motherhood, and finally and STAR and RAY OF LIGHT, with the faintest impression of a pair of violet and a pair of colbalt blue eyes bearing witness in the background of the star!>>

<< The next flip of the pages leads to yet ANOTHER two page spread, featuring MorningStar and Maxim, drawn in thoughtful poses, with a beautiful little girl playing in central park with her special dream faerie friend, Perle. the look on her face is such joy and happiness, and around her NECK? the same golden key/crystal necklace that MorningStar and Bishop now each have.>>

<< Another thing to note, is that on many of these pages, is more of that beautiful, and written, calligraphy text.>>

<< FINALLY on the last page, perhaps the most beautiful "splash" page one might imagine being drawn, showing MorningStar looking thoughtful and even hopeful, under the watchful gaze of the moon, as she looks upon what was once ILLUSTRA. In that picture, we see....>>

...Two flowers, one icy violet and one cobalt blue.

<< What Delilah sees, We see as well along with the WORDS written.>>

<< Words that, combined with these beautiful pictures, and the narration that only a gifted story teller could provide, make for the most amazing, beautiful, HOPEFUL adventure....>>

<< We see the HAND of ORORO, finish writing the last sentence of this story under the picture of MorningStar standing outside, under the moon, looking at Illustra and seeing those precious, unusual flowers.>>

<< And as the immortal weather witch FINISHES, she closes the book, and stands, making her way over to the gothic bassinet where little baby Alexia now sleeps, warm, comfortable and truly at peace right now.>>

Ororo: ... And that, my dear child, is the end of this story, of how your mother, your father, the wonderous silver swan, and all of their amazing, powerful friends made sure that your sweet dreams would forever be protected. Sleep now.

<< she smiles down at the sleeping baby, gently caressing her head, before moving away from the bassinet. She pauses, and looks out of the small, carved out window in this stone nursery. Past her garden oasis, past Limbo, she looks at US.>>

Ororo: Until next time.

<< And with that, she waves her hand and A rushing wind is heard. And we watch as the glowing orb that gently illuminated the room fades to black.>>