Categories > Comics > X-Men > Darkness and Light
Darkness and Light
Chapter 13: Endgame
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After all his boasting, all his power, and after every heinous act he did to his enemies...Apocalypse was still blinded by his own foolish pride. The form he had taken had come back to haunt him as he saw the identity of the person who threw the sword that was burning every ounce of evil flesh within the ancient madman. It was the man who he had worked so hard to hurt and destroy...It was the man he had believed to be dead after what he did to him. But Scott Summers was now standing there before him, watching as the body of the demon mutant was being consumed by a pure, white light.
"It's over Apocalypse...You lose."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
With a yell that echoed throughout the temple and beyond, the light from the power of Slayer's sword vanquished the ancient evil that had survived for so long. Then, in once last blinding flash...The demon mutant's body exploded, and in an instant...He was gone...Never to return again.
Through pain and exhaustion, the mutant warrior known as Slayer struggled to his feet and saw with his all-seeing eye the feat which had been accomplished. After taking his sword and putting it back in its case, he looked around at the room that Apocalypse had once commanded only to see nothingness in its wake. His sword had vanquished the demon mutant...But it wasn't by his hands. As powerful as he was...In the end it took only bravery and desire to fight to stop this ancient madman.
"He's gone...Apocalypse's is finally gone..." said Slayer as took in his surroundings.
But as he turned over towards Scott, who had been the one to step in and stop this evil force the ground shook with an ominous rumble. While Apocalypse was gone...The core of his machine was still active and getting stronger by the second. Even without the demon mutant there to control it, the power of the core would still go off and Apocalypse's plans will be finished one way or another. But before Slayer could contemplate how to deal with this, an urgent voice came from the other side of the room.
"Jack! Jack I need your help over here!" said Scott.
The mutant warrior turned to see Scott knelt beside the unconscious body of Jean Grey-Summers. Only now, the symbol on her forehead that had helped keep the Phoenix at bay was glowing with increasing brightness. Jean's body began to stir as the power of the Phoenix was yearning to awaken after its forced slumber.
"Oh no...The spell is wearing off!" said Slayer as he ran over towards his friends.
"We have to do something!" yelled Scott as he his hand on her head frantically tried to reach Jean psychically, but felt himself being shut out by the powerful force inside her. "If the Phoenix takes control of her...I may lose her again..."
"And if that core goes off...We're all dead anyway," said Slayer as he looked back towards the glowing light coming from the core.
"Well what do we do?!" asked Scott frantically, "There has to be something...Anything! Please Jack...Help me!"
Scott's words were now desperate as he could feel the Phoenix starting to overtake Jean from within. Slayer could only grunt in frustration as he looked back at the core and contemplated his situation.
'Time's up...What do I do now?' thought Slayer as he now stood in the presence of two world threatening forces.
His mind was going a million miles a second as he struggled to think of a way to get out of this. Clenching his fists in desperation, the mutant warrior continued to push his mind to the limit.
"Think Jack! Think! There's a way...I know there's one! Come on! Think!" said the mutant warrior aloud as he tried to make himself think ever harder on how to get through this situation.
"JACK!" yelled Scott as he struggled to keep Jean in control of herself.
"Come on Slayer...You can do this. Just..." suddenly the mutant warrior stopped himself as he looked back over at Scott as he nervously knelt by his wife, then he looked back at the core.
"Jack hurry!" urged Scott as the symbol on Jean's forehead began to fade as the Phoenix grew closer toward gaining control of her.
The symbol of the all-seeing eye once again started to glow. The look on Slayer's face changed as he kept shifting his view between the increasingly unstable core and the increasingly unstable Phoenix. Then...An idea came to him...One that defied all logic in every way he knew.
"No way..." said the mutant warrior to himself as he looked back at the core, "That would never work...Not in a million years. Unless..."
The mutant warrior then looked over at Scott, and the symbol on his eye grew even brighter.
"Jack! Time's running out!" yelled Scott who was getting more desperate with each passing second, worrying if he was going to lose the woman he loved all over again.
However, the mutant warrior stayed lost in thought as he kept looking at the core with the symbol on his eye glowing ever brighter.
"It's not possible...There's got to be another way," said Slayer as he struggled to think of another plan, but couldn't.
Then, his gaze shifted back towards Scott and Jean...The two young mutants that had been the main victims of Apocalypse's demented plans. Grunting in a fit of desperation, the mutant warrior then knew what had to be done...And he knew that there was no way around it.
"Shit...I guess I have no choice," said the mutant warrior as he stopped trying to think of another way, "Oh well...No guts, no glory."
Then, with another earth shaking rumble from the core, Jack "Slayer" Robinson ran back over towards Scott and Jean. To say that his plan was a long shot would be a gross understatement...But there was no other way. Time had run out...And now the end was up to them.
"Scott! Listen up!" yelled Slayer over the increasing noise of the core in the background, "That spell I used earlier is about to wear off. Jean's anger towards Apocalypse seems to have accelerated the process by feeding the darkness within the Phoenix! If it wakes up...It will be PISSED! And Jean may be lost forever..."
"I know this! But how do we stop it?!" yelled Scott as the noise within the room got louder by the second.
The mutant warrior took a deep breath as he prepared to outline a plan that had little, if any, chance of success. However, he knew Scott was too desperate to save her for any other alternative.
"As much a part of Jean that the Phoenix has become...It still is, and always will be, an intruder upon her being. It's not completely a dark manifestation of her powers...The Phoenix force only uses that as a catalyst."
"So what do we do?" asked Scott as he kept his hand upon Jean's head, trying to keep her in control for as long as he could.
"We have to separate the Phoenix from Jean's body!" replied Slayer.
"Are you crazy?! That thing will destroy us all!" yelled Scott upon hearing this so called solution.
"No!" said Slayer almost immediately in response, "The Phoenix force isn't evil believe it or not...It's just angry. It's been under the influence of so much hate and rage that it's once divine purity has been tainted! Part of it came from Jean's own emotions...But the main part of it is because the Phoenix is trapped...It's a prisoner! And it wants out! It doesn't like being in Jean's body any more than she likes having to deal with it! So the longer it stays inside her...The more malevolent it grows! The only way to stop it from becoming the evil it's starting to become...Is to set it free like it once was in days long past..."
"So how do we set it free? There is a way isn't there?" asked Scott as time continued to tick away.
Slayer looked back up at the core and then back at Scott. The more he thought about this plan the more crazy it became. Never before had he attempted a feat of this magnitude with his power...But he had no choice as the room around them continued to rumble from powerful energy in the core that was aching to be released.
"There is only one way to separate the entity from Jean...But its EXTREAMLY risky!" yelled Slayer over the noise, "The only way to do this is through the power of an ancient spell that was once lost over great spans of time. The spell was used as a purification remedy for forces and beings that have been blackened by incessant darkness. I've never used it...The processes involved are infinitely complicated...And there's a very slim chance we'll survive even if it works! But it will save Jean!"
"Is there no other way?" said Scott as he looked back down a Jean and felt her struggle so hard against something that was trying to take control of every part of her.
"I'm sorry...But this is the only way!"
"What about the core?!" yelled Scott as another round of unstable bursts echoed throughout the room.
"I don't have the power to stop it...But the Phoenix does! If we release it...There may be a chance that it will use the energy within the core to heal itself from untold centuries of darkness and confinement...But then again that's a pretty remote chance!"
Scott didn't have a lot of time to consider this option...If the core didn't destroy them, then the Phoenix certainly would. He looked back down at the unconscious Jean and slowly stroked the side of her face. He had been through hell because of Apocalypse...But he had survived it because she helped give him the strength to persevere. All he wanted was to be with her after going through so much hardship...And even if this plan of action that Slayer was suggesting meant certain death...He was completely willing to go through with it for the sake of the world...And for the sake of Jean.
'I'm sorry it has to be this way Jean...I'm so sorry that I let you get hurt so much because I was too weak to fight off Apocalypse. But I'm through letting you get hurt...I'm through letting everybody I care about suffer. I wish I could make everything right for you, me, and everybody else that matters in my life. I don't know if you can hear me Jean...But I love you. Nothing will ever change that...Not Apocalypse, not the Phoenix, and not even death itself..."
Upon sending those last thoughts to his wife through their mind-link, Scott's decision became clear.
"Okay Jack...Do it! Cast the spell!" said Scott as he turned back towards the mutant warrior.
Slayer responded by shaking his head, for there was something else about this plan that he had yet to mention.
"That's just it...I can't cast it..." said Slayer, "It is you that must perform this feat in order to stop the Phoenix and save Jean."
"What?!" said Scott in response.
"Scott...You're the only one that can do this because you share a powerful bond with the host that the Phoenix is bound to. If I cast the spell it will either do nothing or make the situation worse..."
"But I don't know anything about magic! How can I cast this spell?!"
"We don't have a choice...You must cast it! I'll help by summoning all the metaphysical energy I can muster and channeling it through you. From this you'll be able to perform the spell...But it's a very dangerous venture due to your lack of knowledge in the mystic arts and because of how advanced this spell is. I cannot do this for you Scott...I can only show you the way...It is you that must walk the path or else everything around us goes up in holy flame!"
Scott felt the weight of the world thrust upon his tired shoulders. It was now up to him whether or not many innocent people die...And it was up to him whether or not his wife would suffer once more because of the entity that had possessed her for so long now. There was no other way around this...This was something that had to be done. Taking one last deep breath...Scott Summers prepared himself to walk whatever path stood before him.
"Okay Slayer...Let's do this!" said Scott as a new feeling of determination overcame him.
Jack "Slayer" Robinson let out a deep sigh as he prepared to push his skill and knowledge to the limits in order to save both his friends...And the world itself. The symbol on his hands and face began to glow once more as he prepared for the mother of all spells.
'This is a bad idea...But it's the only one that's left,' thought Slayer to himself as he readied himself for the toughest challenge his mastery of the mystic arts would face, 'If this is how I must save this world...And my new friends...So be it.'
With the glowing symbols on Slayer's hands and face getting brighter by the second, Scott grew more anxious knowing that he would have to perform the finally act of separating a powerful divine entity from the woman he loved. Slayer knew Scott was willing to do whatever it took to save Jean...He only hoped that this ancient spell would finally set them free after so many years of torment from something they had no hopes of controlling. It was now or never...The preparations were done...And time was up.
"Scott...Listen to me and do exactly as I say," said Slayer as he stood before his anxious friends, "Any single mistake in this spell could be catastrophic. Now...I need you to take your wife's hand and hold it close..."
Scott did this immediately, using both hands to grip the limp hand of his wife...The same hand that she wore her wedding ring on.
"Now close your eyes...And focus," said Slayers as another round of bursts erupted from the core.
However, these noises barely registered as Scott took several deep breaths. Through the presence of countless doubts, insecurities, and the fresh memory of a horrible nightmare that he had been stuck in for over a year...Scott managed to center his mind for the sake of what he knew he had to do in order to save Jean. Through their link, he felt her weak presence in the void of her unconscious mind.
"Listen to the sound of my voice Scott..." said Slayer, whose voice now seemed to be the only thing Scott was hearing now as all other noises mysteriously faded to nothing more than background whispers, "Concentrate all your energy, your chi, your very essence right before you. Negate all the negative feelings of bitterness, fear, and insecurity that plagues both your mind and Jean's. Focus with all your might...And repeat the words I speak...Repeat the words of the ancient spell 'The Hymn of the Heavens.'"
Slayer's mysterious words left Scott Summers in a strange, hypnotic state of calmness. The rumbling of the temple and the pulsating energy of the core no longer registered in his mind. Now, his focus was completely upon the girl that lay before him. Signs of the holy flames of the Phoenix began to manifest around her like an eerie halo. But still...That did not dissuade Scott or Slayer. This spell had to be cast...And whatever outcome it led to...They would accept.
Using the power he had been blessed with at birth, Jack Robinson began to channel every bit of metaphysical energy in to the weary body of Scott Summers. The mutant warrior knew he would strain himself greatly in doing this...But it was the only way. As he pushed his powers beyond his normal limits...A strange glowing aura surrounded Scott and Jean. Then, Slayer began to use his knowledge to begin the spell that Scott would have to cast. Only...This spell wasn't written or spoken...It was sung. Knowing that the time had finally come...The mutant warrior began to sing the ancient words to the hymn, and Scott soon followed, repeating every word in perfect harmony.
"Su mei si han...Dao shin tzaku...Su mei si tan...Dao su runan..."
Like a mantra, the haunting tune of the hymn echoed through the room despite the loud presence of the core which seemed ready to go at any given moment. But they kept singing. Soon, Slayer stopped and only Scott sung the strange melody in a strange unknown language. Through the power Slayer had channeled in to him...The knowledge of the ancient spell was instilled through his mind. He kept singing as he held on to Jean's hand even tighter...Hoping to ward off the growing flames around her body. He kept singing...Even in the face of such enormous odds. The glowing aura around him and Jean only got brighter the more he sung. Slayer could only watch and continue to channel his energy in to Scott. Then...Through the soft glow, something happened...
As Scott continued to sing...He suddenly felt the mind link between him and Jean blow wide open. Closing his eyes to hold his concentration, Scott continued to sing...But something else was going on...Something that seemed to be a result of Jean despite her weakened state. Suddenly...Scott felt as if he was no longer in the strange room with Slayer and the ominous core that threatened so much. He felt his being thrust in through the path opened by the mind link. Scott kept on singing though...Trying to complete the spell. Then, as he took in the surroundings before him he realized where he was...The astral plane. Jean had used the mind link to allow him to enter the mysterious realm with its pristine sight of stars blanketing the crystal clear sky. As Scott took in this sight...He noticed something on a strange floating platform before him...
As he slowly made his way towards the center of this platform...He saw the unconscious body of Jean Grey lying before him. His voice grew softer as he continued to sing the ancient lyrics and knelt down to her side. Gently, he took her in his arms and began to softly stroke the side of her face. To him...She looked so beautiful in the picturesque starlight of the plane. He wanted to hold her like this forever. He wanted to always be here with her like this in such a beautiful state. As he gently held the woman he loved and continued to sing the ancient song...Powerful flames began to consume the sky around them. However, Scott just kept singing...Focusing entirely on Jean and nothing else. The flames around them grew more intense as Scott neared the end of the hymn. The flames grew increasingly lively as the moment of truth grew near. But even in the face of this...Scott stayed calm as he planted a soft kiss upon Jean's forehead...And finished the final line of the ancient spell...
"Suteke ne san...So mei naku...Lo ni kiera...Suteke me na...Suteke me na...Suteke me na..."
Then, a blinding flash sent the two of them back from the astral plane and back in to their bodies once more. The aura around them erupted in a blinding flash of yellow light that caused Slayer to fall back. Now he could only watch as the events before him began to unfold in a blinding display of light.
Scott still held on to Jean's hand as the light around them grew brighter. He held her close as he awaited the end result of their tireless efforts. As he watched, the fiery halo that had been growing around Jean's body began to concentrate around the center of Jean's body. The light surrounding them grew even brighter as a powerful force deep within the mind and body of Jean Grey began to surface after what seemed like an eternity of imprisonment. Through this act...A final deafening yell echoed throughout the temple and beyond.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The powerful yell came from none other than the holy Phoenix...As a gateway finally opened and its flames bellowed out of Jean's body at fantastic speeds. The fires of the holy entity were drawn towards the glowing core of Apocalypse's machine and soon the entire room became immersed in fiery light. When the final flames of the Phoenix exited Jean's body, the whole structure of the building began to shake violently. Slayer looked at the fiery core that now held the flames of the Phoenix and knew what was going to happen next.
"We have to get out of here! The core's gonna blow this place sky high!" yelled the mutant warrior over the noise.
Scott, who had finally snapped out of the daze that the spell had put him under, saw what he meant and quickly took Jean's still unconscious body in his arms. She weighed almost nothing to him in the face of such adrenaline, and even though he didn't know if the spell had worked or not...He knew they had to get out before they were crushed under the weight of the collapsing temple.
"Right! Let's go!" yelled Scott as he and Slayer made a mad dash towards the exit.
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Out with the rest of the team who had been battling Apocalypse's guardians and horsemen, they too felt the new urgency in wake of the collapsing temple around them. After Apocalypse fell...The markings and signs on his horsemen disappeared and Betsy, Emma, Piotr, and Magneto fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Upon the loss of Apocalypse's horsemen, they tried to join Jean and Slayer in the core...But the guardians wouldn't let them. But as soon as the temple started shaking...the mysterious demon guardians that had held he X-men back vanished in to dust as the stone columns began to crack under the temple's violent tremors.
"We have to get out of here!" yelled Storm as rocks from the ceiling began to fall.
"Not without the others!" yelled Warren as he flew down and scooped up the unconscious body of Betsy Braddock.
Kitty and Rogue went to retrieve Colossus and Logan fetched Emma Frost. However, Magneto was nowhere to be found in wake of Apocalypse's destruction. But they didn't have time to search as the walls of the temple continued to crumble around them. However, upon retrieving their lost, mind-controlled friends they noticed that there were still two missing.
"Is that everybody?!" yelled Beast over the growing noise around them.
"No! What about Jean and Slayer!?" yelled Logan, who was carrying the unconscious Emma Frost.
But before anyone could answer another deafening noise echoed throughout the room. It was the sound of rock and metal shattering like glass under the great weight of the structure.
"We're out of time Logan!" said Kurt as he teleported some of the others towards the center of the room where everyone had gathered, "We have to leave!"
"Not without them!" replied Logan even though he could no longer ignore the collapsing structure around him.
But as soon as Logan said that, a large chunk of the ceiling fell to the ground and blocked the entrance from where they had come from. More rocks fell as they scrambled to find another way out.
"Now what do we do?!" yelled Kitty in desperation as she saw the entrance blocked.
"We'll have to make an exit!" yelled Rogue as she was about to take to the air.
However, before any action was taken...Two figures came bursting through the rock that had blocked the entrance to the core. It was Scott and Slayer, and Scott still had Jean in his arms...
"Scott?!" exclaimed Storm in surprise, not expecting to see him running out of that room.
"No time to explain! We've got a building falling apart around us!" said Scott he and Slayer joined the others in the center of the chamber.
"No kidding! But the way we came is blocked now! We're going to have to make an exit ourselves!" yelled Gambit as he prepared a deck of cards.
"No wait!" yelled Slayer, stopping everybody before they could do anything else. "Gather around close...I've got an idea!"
With another round of loud rumbles from deep within the structure, the team had no time to debate. With large cracks now forming in the floor they scrambled in a large cluster around the mutant warrior. Soon, his hands began to glow in a mysterious purple light.
"Hang on everybody! This is going to be a rough ride!" yelled Slayer.
Everybody held their breath as the ceiling above them began to collapse and huge chunks of rock were now falling towards where they were standing. But before the rocks could impact...The team was enveloped in a mysterious purple fog and the impact never came.
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Outside the temple, the Professor was anxiously watching the temple where his team had entered to fight Apocalypse. The glowing on the top of the pyramid structure had now changed colors from a bright blue, to a fiery orange as the structure seemed to buckle under its own weight. As he watched the large structure collapse, he frantically called out to the others despite his already tired mind.
'Logan! Jean! Storm! Anybody! Are you all right!?' yelled the Professor through his mind as frantically searched for their presence.
But as the final support for the pyramid collapsed, a large purple haze engulfed the area back near the X-jet where they had landed initially. As the Professor anxiously waited for this strange fog to clear, he heard a jumbled cluster of voices come from the mist. Then, as the fog finally cleared, he was finally greeted with the presence of his entire team.
"Is everybody okay?" said the Professor as he rushed over towards the bewildered group of mutants.
"I think so..." said Ororo as she and the others tried to rub the pain in their head away after such a rough ride.
However...All the pain was eclipsed by a brilliant sight that began to unfold before them as the pyramid neared its ultimate destruction. As the team of young mutants eager watched on...A blinding flash erupted from the inside of the massive structure and the pyramid exploded in a powerful burst of light. As the rest of the team was forced to shield their eyes from such intense light, something began to happen in the rubble of the destroyed structure.
"Mien Gott..." said Kurt as he and the others looked on in awe.
"Oh my stars and garters..." said Beast as the dark clouds above quickly faded in wake of the pyramids destruction.
Over skies above them...A cluster of bright, glowing flames began to collect over the area where the core once stood. The whole area was engulfed in a fiery orange light that bathed the whole plateau in a soft, powerful glow. The cries of a jubilant entity echoed through the air as the flames took their final shape in a beautiful swirl of holy fire. Then...With one last great cry that echoed for miles...The Phoenix was finally reformed and now it stood...Free and untainted.
It was such a sight to behold...Never before had any of the X-men seen such a brilliant show of celestial majesty. Golden embers slowly rained down from the sky and gave off a gentle, warm feeling upon the group of mutants that had just saved the world as they knew it. Now, no hatred or malevolence was felt in the presence of such a being...Only joy now permeated as the vast cloud of darkness that had hung over the X-men for too long...Finally disappeared.
As the Phoenix soared gracefully through the sky, the members of the X-men couldn't help but smile at their accomplishment. Rogue and Remy stood in a gentle embrace as the warmth from the Phoenix helped set aside so many tribulations that were now behind them, Logan and Ororo unknowingly stood close as well, and others who had been out cold as a result of the battle finally came to under the gentle flames of the Phoenix.
"Warren..." said a weak voice, "Is that you, luv?"
Warren looked down at the source of the voice to see that it was none other than the woman he had believed to be dead for so long. It was the real, living Elizabeth Braddock. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked down at her tired form and smiled.
"Welcome back Betsy..."
Over with the unconscious Piotr Rasputin, a soft raspy voice was soon heard that sent a wave of emotion through the mind of young Kitty Pryde.
"Katya..." said the tired Russian, but he had no more strength to say more. However, to Kitty...It was more than enough.
"It's okay Peter...It's over now. Rest easy..." she said softly as she gently stroked the side of his face.
That which was once lost was now found again. The lives of the innocent had been freed from their dark confinement. So much time and so much pain had led up to this event...But no matter how bad it was...To the brave souls involved, it was worth it in the end.
As the Phoenix let out another round of cries that echoed throughout the sky, a single ball of gentle fire descended and lit the area surrounding Jean Grey-Summer's body, who was still safely being held in Scott's arms.
As the glow around them faded...Jean began to regain consciousness. She was tired and weak from everything that had happened to her on this fateful day...But now she was here in her husband's arms. No Phoenix...No entity...Just her and only her. As Scott's gaze drifted down at her tired from...He couldn't help but smile at what he had finally regained after so much hardship.
"Hey there beautiful...How do you feel?"
"Tired..." said Jean as she managed a smile, "Did it work? Is Apocalypse finally gone? Am I finally free?"
"It's okay Jean...It's finally over," said Scott softly as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, "Everything's going to be okay now..."
Jean felt like crying a river of tears upon hearing those words...It was finally over. The pain...The hurt...The suffering had finally come to an end. As she embraced the man she loved once more, they both soon found themselves looking back up at the sky where the majestic Phoenix continued to hover around them. Everyone around couldn't help but smile as the beauty of the scene before them as they continued to watch the holy being that now flew before them, letting out echo after echo of divine cries of joy.
"So what's it doing now?" asked the Professor as he stood by his students under the beautiful holy flames before them.
The mutant warrior who had done so much to help the young team of mutants just shook his head and smiled as he watched holy bird ascend to the heavens.
"If I'm not mistaken...I believe it's thanking us."
"Thanking us? For what?" asked Bobby as he stood mesmerized by the brilliant light show before them.
"We gave it a gift that all the power in the universe could never equate to. We gave it...Freedom. Now...It can finally return to the stars...Where all gods belong."
As the Phoenix continued to ascend towards the heavens, the rest of the team waved goodbye to the being that had been such a major part of their lives. No smile on the team was bigger than the one of Jean Grey as she said goodbye to the ancient force once last time. Even though a small piece of the Phoenix would forever remain within her...She gave once last thanks to the ancient force that had once been a part of her. And as the Phoenix gradually vanished in to the sky...There still echoed one last thought from the holy bird.
"Thank you..."
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AN: Well, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Tell me! This isn't the last chapter! There are still two parts left! Stay tuned, you won't want to miss it! I know some of you may not like what I've done to the plotline of the story, but this is just a something I wanted to write to fix some of the things in a way that would make a good story. I apologize if it upsets anybody, but please understand that I'm just trying to tell a story...That's it! Thank you and please don't forget to review! Send them to me at my email address or post them on the fanfiction website. Thanks for reading and best wishes to you all!
HEY! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YET! REVIEW FIRST!
Chapter 13: Endgame
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After all his boasting, all his power, and after every heinous act he did to his enemies...Apocalypse was still blinded by his own foolish pride. The form he had taken had come back to haunt him as he saw the identity of the person who threw the sword that was burning every ounce of evil flesh within the ancient madman. It was the man who he had worked so hard to hurt and destroy...It was the man he had believed to be dead after what he did to him. But Scott Summers was now standing there before him, watching as the body of the demon mutant was being consumed by a pure, white light.
"It's over Apocalypse...You lose."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
With a yell that echoed throughout the temple and beyond, the light from the power of Slayer's sword vanquished the ancient evil that had survived for so long. Then, in once last blinding flash...The demon mutant's body exploded, and in an instant...He was gone...Never to return again.
Through pain and exhaustion, the mutant warrior known as Slayer struggled to his feet and saw with his all-seeing eye the feat which had been accomplished. After taking his sword and putting it back in its case, he looked around at the room that Apocalypse had once commanded only to see nothingness in its wake. His sword had vanquished the demon mutant...But it wasn't by his hands. As powerful as he was...In the end it took only bravery and desire to fight to stop this ancient madman.
"He's gone...Apocalypse's is finally gone..." said Slayer as took in his surroundings.
But as he turned over towards Scott, who had been the one to step in and stop this evil force the ground shook with an ominous rumble. While Apocalypse was gone...The core of his machine was still active and getting stronger by the second. Even without the demon mutant there to control it, the power of the core would still go off and Apocalypse's plans will be finished one way or another. But before Slayer could contemplate how to deal with this, an urgent voice came from the other side of the room.
"Jack! Jack I need your help over here!" said Scott.
The mutant warrior turned to see Scott knelt beside the unconscious body of Jean Grey-Summers. Only now, the symbol on her forehead that had helped keep the Phoenix at bay was glowing with increasing brightness. Jean's body began to stir as the power of the Phoenix was yearning to awaken after its forced slumber.
"Oh no...The spell is wearing off!" said Slayer as he ran over towards his friends.
"We have to do something!" yelled Scott as he his hand on her head frantically tried to reach Jean psychically, but felt himself being shut out by the powerful force inside her. "If the Phoenix takes control of her...I may lose her again..."
"And if that core goes off...We're all dead anyway," said Slayer as he looked back towards the glowing light coming from the core.
"Well what do we do?!" asked Scott frantically, "There has to be something...Anything! Please Jack...Help me!"
Scott's words were now desperate as he could feel the Phoenix starting to overtake Jean from within. Slayer could only grunt in frustration as he looked back at the core and contemplated his situation.
'Time's up...What do I do now?' thought Slayer as he now stood in the presence of two world threatening forces.
His mind was going a million miles a second as he struggled to think of a way to get out of this. Clenching his fists in desperation, the mutant warrior continued to push his mind to the limit.
"Think Jack! Think! There's a way...I know there's one! Come on! Think!" said the mutant warrior aloud as he tried to make himself think ever harder on how to get through this situation.
"JACK!" yelled Scott as he struggled to keep Jean in control of herself.
"Come on Slayer...You can do this. Just..." suddenly the mutant warrior stopped himself as he looked back over at Scott as he nervously knelt by his wife, then he looked back at the core.
"Jack hurry!" urged Scott as the symbol on Jean's forehead began to fade as the Phoenix grew closer toward gaining control of her.
The symbol of the all-seeing eye once again started to glow. The look on Slayer's face changed as he kept shifting his view between the increasingly unstable core and the increasingly unstable Phoenix. Then...An idea came to him...One that defied all logic in every way he knew.
"No way..." said the mutant warrior to himself as he looked back at the core, "That would never work...Not in a million years. Unless..."
The mutant warrior then looked over at Scott, and the symbol on his eye grew even brighter.
"Jack! Time's running out!" yelled Scott who was getting more desperate with each passing second, worrying if he was going to lose the woman he loved all over again.
However, the mutant warrior stayed lost in thought as he kept looking at the core with the symbol on his eye glowing ever brighter.
"It's not possible...There's got to be another way," said Slayer as he struggled to think of another plan, but couldn't.
Then, his gaze shifted back towards Scott and Jean...The two young mutants that had been the main victims of Apocalypse's demented plans. Grunting in a fit of desperation, the mutant warrior then knew what had to be done...And he knew that there was no way around it.
"Shit...I guess I have no choice," said the mutant warrior as he stopped trying to think of another way, "Oh well...No guts, no glory."
Then, with another earth shaking rumble from the core, Jack "Slayer" Robinson ran back over towards Scott and Jean. To say that his plan was a long shot would be a gross understatement...But there was no other way. Time had run out...And now the end was up to them.
"Scott! Listen up!" yelled Slayer over the increasing noise of the core in the background, "That spell I used earlier is about to wear off. Jean's anger towards Apocalypse seems to have accelerated the process by feeding the darkness within the Phoenix! If it wakes up...It will be PISSED! And Jean may be lost forever..."
"I know this! But how do we stop it?!" yelled Scott as the noise within the room got louder by the second.
The mutant warrior took a deep breath as he prepared to outline a plan that had little, if any, chance of success. However, he knew Scott was too desperate to save her for any other alternative.
"As much a part of Jean that the Phoenix has become...It still is, and always will be, an intruder upon her being. It's not completely a dark manifestation of her powers...The Phoenix force only uses that as a catalyst."
"So what do we do?" asked Scott as he kept his hand upon Jean's head, trying to keep her in control for as long as he could.
"We have to separate the Phoenix from Jean's body!" replied Slayer.
"Are you crazy?! That thing will destroy us all!" yelled Scott upon hearing this so called solution.
"No!" said Slayer almost immediately in response, "The Phoenix force isn't evil believe it or not...It's just angry. It's been under the influence of so much hate and rage that it's once divine purity has been tainted! Part of it came from Jean's own emotions...But the main part of it is because the Phoenix is trapped...It's a prisoner! And it wants out! It doesn't like being in Jean's body any more than she likes having to deal with it! So the longer it stays inside her...The more malevolent it grows! The only way to stop it from becoming the evil it's starting to become...Is to set it free like it once was in days long past..."
"So how do we set it free? There is a way isn't there?" asked Scott as time continued to tick away.
Slayer looked back up at the core and then back at Scott. The more he thought about this plan the more crazy it became. Never before had he attempted a feat of this magnitude with his power...But he had no choice as the room around them continued to rumble from powerful energy in the core that was aching to be released.
"There is only one way to separate the entity from Jean...But its EXTREAMLY risky!" yelled Slayer over the noise, "The only way to do this is through the power of an ancient spell that was once lost over great spans of time. The spell was used as a purification remedy for forces and beings that have been blackened by incessant darkness. I've never used it...The processes involved are infinitely complicated...And there's a very slim chance we'll survive even if it works! But it will save Jean!"
"Is there no other way?" said Scott as he looked back down a Jean and felt her struggle so hard against something that was trying to take control of every part of her.
"I'm sorry...But this is the only way!"
"What about the core?!" yelled Scott as another round of unstable bursts echoed throughout the room.
"I don't have the power to stop it...But the Phoenix does! If we release it...There may be a chance that it will use the energy within the core to heal itself from untold centuries of darkness and confinement...But then again that's a pretty remote chance!"
Scott didn't have a lot of time to consider this option...If the core didn't destroy them, then the Phoenix certainly would. He looked back down at the unconscious Jean and slowly stroked the side of her face. He had been through hell because of Apocalypse...But he had survived it because she helped give him the strength to persevere. All he wanted was to be with her after going through so much hardship...And even if this plan of action that Slayer was suggesting meant certain death...He was completely willing to go through with it for the sake of the world...And for the sake of Jean.
'I'm sorry it has to be this way Jean...I'm so sorry that I let you get hurt so much because I was too weak to fight off Apocalypse. But I'm through letting you get hurt...I'm through letting everybody I care about suffer. I wish I could make everything right for you, me, and everybody else that matters in my life. I don't know if you can hear me Jean...But I love you. Nothing will ever change that...Not Apocalypse, not the Phoenix, and not even death itself..."
Upon sending those last thoughts to his wife through their mind-link, Scott's decision became clear.
"Okay Jack...Do it! Cast the spell!" said Scott as he turned back towards the mutant warrior.
Slayer responded by shaking his head, for there was something else about this plan that he had yet to mention.
"That's just it...I can't cast it..." said Slayer, "It is you that must perform this feat in order to stop the Phoenix and save Jean."
"What?!" said Scott in response.
"Scott...You're the only one that can do this because you share a powerful bond with the host that the Phoenix is bound to. If I cast the spell it will either do nothing or make the situation worse..."
"But I don't know anything about magic! How can I cast this spell?!"
"We don't have a choice...You must cast it! I'll help by summoning all the metaphysical energy I can muster and channeling it through you. From this you'll be able to perform the spell...But it's a very dangerous venture due to your lack of knowledge in the mystic arts and because of how advanced this spell is. I cannot do this for you Scott...I can only show you the way...It is you that must walk the path or else everything around us goes up in holy flame!"
Scott felt the weight of the world thrust upon his tired shoulders. It was now up to him whether or not many innocent people die...And it was up to him whether or not his wife would suffer once more because of the entity that had possessed her for so long now. There was no other way around this...This was something that had to be done. Taking one last deep breath...Scott Summers prepared himself to walk whatever path stood before him.
"Okay Slayer...Let's do this!" said Scott as a new feeling of determination overcame him.
Jack "Slayer" Robinson let out a deep sigh as he prepared to push his skill and knowledge to the limits in order to save both his friends...And the world itself. The symbol on his hands and face began to glow once more as he prepared for the mother of all spells.
'This is a bad idea...But it's the only one that's left,' thought Slayer to himself as he readied himself for the toughest challenge his mastery of the mystic arts would face, 'If this is how I must save this world...And my new friends...So be it.'
With the glowing symbols on Slayer's hands and face getting brighter by the second, Scott grew more anxious knowing that he would have to perform the finally act of separating a powerful divine entity from the woman he loved. Slayer knew Scott was willing to do whatever it took to save Jean...He only hoped that this ancient spell would finally set them free after so many years of torment from something they had no hopes of controlling. It was now or never...The preparations were done...And time was up.
"Scott...Listen to me and do exactly as I say," said Slayer as he stood before his anxious friends, "Any single mistake in this spell could be catastrophic. Now...I need you to take your wife's hand and hold it close..."
Scott did this immediately, using both hands to grip the limp hand of his wife...The same hand that she wore her wedding ring on.
"Now close your eyes...And focus," said Slayers as another round of bursts erupted from the core.
However, these noises barely registered as Scott took several deep breaths. Through the presence of countless doubts, insecurities, and the fresh memory of a horrible nightmare that he had been stuck in for over a year...Scott managed to center his mind for the sake of what he knew he had to do in order to save Jean. Through their link, he felt her weak presence in the void of her unconscious mind.
"Listen to the sound of my voice Scott..." said Slayer, whose voice now seemed to be the only thing Scott was hearing now as all other noises mysteriously faded to nothing more than background whispers, "Concentrate all your energy, your chi, your very essence right before you. Negate all the negative feelings of bitterness, fear, and insecurity that plagues both your mind and Jean's. Focus with all your might...And repeat the words I speak...Repeat the words of the ancient spell 'The Hymn of the Heavens.'"
Slayer's mysterious words left Scott Summers in a strange, hypnotic state of calmness. The rumbling of the temple and the pulsating energy of the core no longer registered in his mind. Now, his focus was completely upon the girl that lay before him. Signs of the holy flames of the Phoenix began to manifest around her like an eerie halo. But still...That did not dissuade Scott or Slayer. This spell had to be cast...And whatever outcome it led to...They would accept.
Using the power he had been blessed with at birth, Jack Robinson began to channel every bit of metaphysical energy in to the weary body of Scott Summers. The mutant warrior knew he would strain himself greatly in doing this...But it was the only way. As he pushed his powers beyond his normal limits...A strange glowing aura surrounded Scott and Jean. Then, Slayer began to use his knowledge to begin the spell that Scott would have to cast. Only...This spell wasn't written or spoken...It was sung. Knowing that the time had finally come...The mutant warrior began to sing the ancient words to the hymn, and Scott soon followed, repeating every word in perfect harmony.
"Su mei si han...Dao shin tzaku...Su mei si tan...Dao su runan..."
Like a mantra, the haunting tune of the hymn echoed through the room despite the loud presence of the core which seemed ready to go at any given moment. But they kept singing. Soon, Slayer stopped and only Scott sung the strange melody in a strange unknown language. Through the power Slayer had channeled in to him...The knowledge of the ancient spell was instilled through his mind. He kept singing as he held on to Jean's hand even tighter...Hoping to ward off the growing flames around her body. He kept singing...Even in the face of such enormous odds. The glowing aura around him and Jean only got brighter the more he sung. Slayer could only watch and continue to channel his energy in to Scott. Then...Through the soft glow, something happened...
As Scott continued to sing...He suddenly felt the mind link between him and Jean blow wide open. Closing his eyes to hold his concentration, Scott continued to sing...But something else was going on...Something that seemed to be a result of Jean despite her weakened state. Suddenly...Scott felt as if he was no longer in the strange room with Slayer and the ominous core that threatened so much. He felt his being thrust in through the path opened by the mind link. Scott kept on singing though...Trying to complete the spell. Then, as he took in the surroundings before him he realized where he was...The astral plane. Jean had used the mind link to allow him to enter the mysterious realm with its pristine sight of stars blanketing the crystal clear sky. As Scott took in this sight...He noticed something on a strange floating platform before him...
As he slowly made his way towards the center of this platform...He saw the unconscious body of Jean Grey lying before him. His voice grew softer as he continued to sing the ancient lyrics and knelt down to her side. Gently, he took her in his arms and began to softly stroke the side of her face. To him...She looked so beautiful in the picturesque starlight of the plane. He wanted to hold her like this forever. He wanted to always be here with her like this in such a beautiful state. As he gently held the woman he loved and continued to sing the ancient song...Powerful flames began to consume the sky around them. However, Scott just kept singing...Focusing entirely on Jean and nothing else. The flames around them grew more intense as Scott neared the end of the hymn. The flames grew increasingly lively as the moment of truth grew near. But even in the face of this...Scott stayed calm as he planted a soft kiss upon Jean's forehead...And finished the final line of the ancient spell...
"Suteke ne san...So mei naku...Lo ni kiera...Suteke me na...Suteke me na...Suteke me na..."
Then, a blinding flash sent the two of them back from the astral plane and back in to their bodies once more. The aura around them erupted in a blinding flash of yellow light that caused Slayer to fall back. Now he could only watch as the events before him began to unfold in a blinding display of light.
Scott still held on to Jean's hand as the light around them grew brighter. He held her close as he awaited the end result of their tireless efforts. As he watched, the fiery halo that had been growing around Jean's body began to concentrate around the center of Jean's body. The light surrounding them grew even brighter as a powerful force deep within the mind and body of Jean Grey began to surface after what seemed like an eternity of imprisonment. Through this act...A final deafening yell echoed throughout the temple and beyond.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The powerful yell came from none other than the holy Phoenix...As a gateway finally opened and its flames bellowed out of Jean's body at fantastic speeds. The fires of the holy entity were drawn towards the glowing core of Apocalypse's machine and soon the entire room became immersed in fiery light. When the final flames of the Phoenix exited Jean's body, the whole structure of the building began to shake violently. Slayer looked at the fiery core that now held the flames of the Phoenix and knew what was going to happen next.
"We have to get out of here! The core's gonna blow this place sky high!" yelled the mutant warrior over the noise.
Scott, who had finally snapped out of the daze that the spell had put him under, saw what he meant and quickly took Jean's still unconscious body in his arms. She weighed almost nothing to him in the face of such adrenaline, and even though he didn't know if the spell had worked or not...He knew they had to get out before they were crushed under the weight of the collapsing temple.
"Right! Let's go!" yelled Scott as he and Slayer made a mad dash towards the exit.
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Out with the rest of the team who had been battling Apocalypse's guardians and horsemen, they too felt the new urgency in wake of the collapsing temple around them. After Apocalypse fell...The markings and signs on his horsemen disappeared and Betsy, Emma, Piotr, and Magneto fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Upon the loss of Apocalypse's horsemen, they tried to join Jean and Slayer in the core...But the guardians wouldn't let them. But as soon as the temple started shaking...the mysterious demon guardians that had held he X-men back vanished in to dust as the stone columns began to crack under the temple's violent tremors.
"We have to get out of here!" yelled Storm as rocks from the ceiling began to fall.
"Not without the others!" yelled Warren as he flew down and scooped up the unconscious body of Betsy Braddock.
Kitty and Rogue went to retrieve Colossus and Logan fetched Emma Frost. However, Magneto was nowhere to be found in wake of Apocalypse's destruction. But they didn't have time to search as the walls of the temple continued to crumble around them. However, upon retrieving their lost, mind-controlled friends they noticed that there were still two missing.
"Is that everybody?!" yelled Beast over the growing noise around them.
"No! What about Jean and Slayer!?" yelled Logan, who was carrying the unconscious Emma Frost.
But before anyone could answer another deafening noise echoed throughout the room. It was the sound of rock and metal shattering like glass under the great weight of the structure.
"We're out of time Logan!" said Kurt as he teleported some of the others towards the center of the room where everyone had gathered, "We have to leave!"
"Not without them!" replied Logan even though he could no longer ignore the collapsing structure around him.
But as soon as Logan said that, a large chunk of the ceiling fell to the ground and blocked the entrance from where they had come from. More rocks fell as they scrambled to find another way out.
"Now what do we do?!" yelled Kitty in desperation as she saw the entrance blocked.
"We'll have to make an exit!" yelled Rogue as she was about to take to the air.
However, before any action was taken...Two figures came bursting through the rock that had blocked the entrance to the core. It was Scott and Slayer, and Scott still had Jean in his arms...
"Scott?!" exclaimed Storm in surprise, not expecting to see him running out of that room.
"No time to explain! We've got a building falling apart around us!" said Scott he and Slayer joined the others in the center of the chamber.
"No kidding! But the way we came is blocked now! We're going to have to make an exit ourselves!" yelled Gambit as he prepared a deck of cards.
"No wait!" yelled Slayer, stopping everybody before they could do anything else. "Gather around close...I've got an idea!"
With another round of loud rumbles from deep within the structure, the team had no time to debate. With large cracks now forming in the floor they scrambled in a large cluster around the mutant warrior. Soon, his hands began to glow in a mysterious purple light.
"Hang on everybody! This is going to be a rough ride!" yelled Slayer.
Everybody held their breath as the ceiling above them began to collapse and huge chunks of rock were now falling towards where they were standing. But before the rocks could impact...The team was enveloped in a mysterious purple fog and the impact never came.
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Outside the temple, the Professor was anxiously watching the temple where his team had entered to fight Apocalypse. The glowing on the top of the pyramid structure had now changed colors from a bright blue, to a fiery orange as the structure seemed to buckle under its own weight. As he watched the large structure collapse, he frantically called out to the others despite his already tired mind.
'Logan! Jean! Storm! Anybody! Are you all right!?' yelled the Professor through his mind as frantically searched for their presence.
But as the final support for the pyramid collapsed, a large purple haze engulfed the area back near the X-jet where they had landed initially. As the Professor anxiously waited for this strange fog to clear, he heard a jumbled cluster of voices come from the mist. Then, as the fog finally cleared, he was finally greeted with the presence of his entire team.
"Is everybody okay?" said the Professor as he rushed over towards the bewildered group of mutants.
"I think so..." said Ororo as she and the others tried to rub the pain in their head away after such a rough ride.
However...All the pain was eclipsed by a brilliant sight that began to unfold before them as the pyramid neared its ultimate destruction. As the team of young mutants eager watched on...A blinding flash erupted from the inside of the massive structure and the pyramid exploded in a powerful burst of light. As the rest of the team was forced to shield their eyes from such intense light, something began to happen in the rubble of the destroyed structure.
"Mien Gott..." said Kurt as he and the others looked on in awe.
"Oh my stars and garters..." said Beast as the dark clouds above quickly faded in wake of the pyramids destruction.
Over skies above them...A cluster of bright, glowing flames began to collect over the area where the core once stood. The whole area was engulfed in a fiery orange light that bathed the whole plateau in a soft, powerful glow. The cries of a jubilant entity echoed through the air as the flames took their final shape in a beautiful swirl of holy fire. Then...With one last great cry that echoed for miles...The Phoenix was finally reformed and now it stood...Free and untainted.
It was such a sight to behold...Never before had any of the X-men seen such a brilliant show of celestial majesty. Golden embers slowly rained down from the sky and gave off a gentle, warm feeling upon the group of mutants that had just saved the world as they knew it. Now, no hatred or malevolence was felt in the presence of such a being...Only joy now permeated as the vast cloud of darkness that had hung over the X-men for too long...Finally disappeared.
As the Phoenix soared gracefully through the sky, the members of the X-men couldn't help but smile at their accomplishment. Rogue and Remy stood in a gentle embrace as the warmth from the Phoenix helped set aside so many tribulations that were now behind them, Logan and Ororo unknowingly stood close as well, and others who had been out cold as a result of the battle finally came to under the gentle flames of the Phoenix.
"Warren..." said a weak voice, "Is that you, luv?"
Warren looked down at the source of the voice to see that it was none other than the woman he had believed to be dead for so long. It was the real, living Elizabeth Braddock. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked down at her tired form and smiled.
"Welcome back Betsy..."
Over with the unconscious Piotr Rasputin, a soft raspy voice was soon heard that sent a wave of emotion through the mind of young Kitty Pryde.
"Katya..." said the tired Russian, but he had no more strength to say more. However, to Kitty...It was more than enough.
"It's okay Peter...It's over now. Rest easy..." she said softly as she gently stroked the side of his face.
That which was once lost was now found again. The lives of the innocent had been freed from their dark confinement. So much time and so much pain had led up to this event...But no matter how bad it was...To the brave souls involved, it was worth it in the end.
As the Phoenix let out another round of cries that echoed throughout the sky, a single ball of gentle fire descended and lit the area surrounding Jean Grey-Summer's body, who was still safely being held in Scott's arms.
As the glow around them faded...Jean began to regain consciousness. She was tired and weak from everything that had happened to her on this fateful day...But now she was here in her husband's arms. No Phoenix...No entity...Just her and only her. As Scott's gaze drifted down at her tired from...He couldn't help but smile at what he had finally regained after so much hardship.
"Hey there beautiful...How do you feel?"
"Tired..." said Jean as she managed a smile, "Did it work? Is Apocalypse finally gone? Am I finally free?"
"It's okay Jean...It's finally over," said Scott softly as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, "Everything's going to be okay now..."
Jean felt like crying a river of tears upon hearing those words...It was finally over. The pain...The hurt...The suffering had finally come to an end. As she embraced the man she loved once more, they both soon found themselves looking back up at the sky where the majestic Phoenix continued to hover around them. Everyone around couldn't help but smile as the beauty of the scene before them as they continued to watch the holy being that now flew before them, letting out echo after echo of divine cries of joy.
"So what's it doing now?" asked the Professor as he stood by his students under the beautiful holy flames before them.
The mutant warrior who had done so much to help the young team of mutants just shook his head and smiled as he watched holy bird ascend to the heavens.
"If I'm not mistaken...I believe it's thanking us."
"Thanking us? For what?" asked Bobby as he stood mesmerized by the brilliant light show before them.
"We gave it a gift that all the power in the universe could never equate to. We gave it...Freedom. Now...It can finally return to the stars...Where all gods belong."
As the Phoenix continued to ascend towards the heavens, the rest of the team waved goodbye to the being that had been such a major part of their lives. No smile on the team was bigger than the one of Jean Grey as she said goodbye to the ancient force once last time. Even though a small piece of the Phoenix would forever remain within her...She gave once last thanks to the ancient force that had once been a part of her. And as the Phoenix gradually vanished in to the sky...There still echoed one last thought from the holy bird.
"Thank you..."
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AN: Well, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Tell me! This isn't the last chapter! There are still two parts left! Stay tuned, you won't want to miss it! I know some of you may not like what I've done to the plotline of the story, but this is just a something I wanted to write to fix some of the things in a way that would make a good story. I apologize if it upsets anybody, but please understand that I'm just trying to tell a story...That's it! Thank you and please don't forget to review! Send them to me at my email address or post them on the fanfiction website. Thanks for reading and best wishes to you all!
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