FicWad

Eternal Flame
Chapter 8: Chaos

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Through the thick jungle brush of the Congo jungle, Slayer, Logan, Ororo, Bobby, Dazzler, Piotr, and Kurt pushed through to the base of the temple. Jean was still ahead of them...Or at least, they thought it was Jean. She was still surrounded in the flames of the Phoenix and talking in two different voices. It was hard to know if she was still herself, but at the moment they had other problems to worry about.

"Get ready guys! I get the feeling that Warlord Xin's may send us a welcoming party," said Slayer, the mark on his eye glowing red as he took in the shadowy temple.

"Fine by me. Sounds like MY kind of party anyways!" growled Logan, his claws drawn and ready for anything.

"You and me, both Logan!" said Dazzler, looking ready for action.

"Why couldn't I have just called in sick today?" groaned Bobby, not sharing the same enthusiasm.

"Oh buck up, comrade!" said Piotr, sticking close to his whining friend, "Just, try to take your anger out on Warlord Xin."

"Easier said than done," sighed Ororo, still weary of fighting this entity that had been a part of every African child's nightmares.

The telepathic guidance of the Professor pushed them forward with the power of Phoenix leading the way. But as Jack as had warned, Warlord Xin was not taking any chances and several of his elite guard arose from the shadows along with a platoon of minions.

"Insolent mortals! You shall not pass! The ritual shall be complete!"

"Yeah, yeah...I know the drill," said an exasperated Slayer as he drew his magic sword, "Just be sure to send Mr. Jungle Shithead a message...He's still as ugly as an elephants ass."

"Bub, I know this sounds crazy, but I'm startin' to like ya!" grinned Logan.

However, the minions of Warlord Xin were not amused to say the least as their eyes began to glow bright red.

"You shall pay for your disrespect! The power of Horus is almost within the hands of our master! And rest assured, you will be the first to suffer his wrath!"

"My love...NO!"

"Oh boy, something tells me zhat zhis is going to get messy," mused Kurt as the ever volatile Phoenix grew more agitated.

"In that case, I guess it's good that I didn't wear clean underwear to day," said Bobby.

"Ugh, Bobby! Too much info!" exclaimed Ororo.

"Hey, these guys are still uglier," grinned Dazzler, her powers now illuminating the dense jungle shadows, "So let's rock!"

Just like last time, they were outnumbered and surrounded. But unlike last time, the stakes were higher and there was no element of surprise for Warlord Xin's minions. After facing them before, the X-men were more hardened towards the minions of darkness and armed with a strong resolve to save their friend and stop Warlord Xin no matter what he threw at them.

"Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floooooor!" yelled Dazzler, reciting more of her favorite rock lyrics from Drowning Pool as she unleashed a barrage of energy sparks that blinded and obliterated the dark minions.

"Nice touch, Ali!" yelled Slayer as he used his warrior skills to cut through several menacing minions who tried to dogpile him with some quick spin moves, "But try a different band every now and then!"

"Hey! You've got your tastes, warrior boy! I've got mine! And it fucking works!" she yelled, using the sound to create more energy bursts that mowed down waves of minions.

While Dazzler and Slayer took care of the initial rush, Storm was already high in the air creating cyclones so that no further rushes could be made. It was clear that these dark warriors relied heavily on numbers, but numbers wouldn't mean much if they couldn't get close.

"Guys! I'm trying to hold them back! But there's too many!" yelled Ororo as she stepped up the winds of her little cyclone to that of an F3 tornado.

"Its okay, Ro! You're doin' great!" encouraged Logan as he ripped through several oncoming minions, "Just keep as many back as ya can and we'll take care of the rest!"

"Yeah, piece of cake. I hope..." said Iceman as he was hit hard from the side by an oncoming minion.

"Don't worry, Iceman! I've got your back!" yelled Colossus as he charged the minion who hit his friend and knocked him into the next time zone with a forceful blow.

"It's not my back I'm worried about dude," groaned Bobby as he rubbed his now sore head, "These things are trying to take our heads off!"

"Yeah, that's one thing I forgot to mention about Warlord Xin..." grunted Slayer as he did a few quick slashes and eviscerated several more defending guards, "He likes to cut off the heads of his enemies and keep them as trophies."

"Great, NOW you tell us!" dreaded Bobby, now feeling lucky that he was only rammed and not decapitated.

The fight raged on, wasting precious seconds while the ritual continued inside. Slayer knew it, Jean knew it, and Warlord Xin knew it. These minions weren't meant to kill them. They were just meant to slow them down. Slayer and Logan tried to slice their way through to the entrance, but Warlord Xin's elite guard kept summoning more minions to keep them at bay. And with no shortage of shadows under the jungle canopy, there were plenty of minions to go around.

Dazzler and Iceman were staying close behind Jack and Logan, using their powers at a distance in order to keep the swarming minions off their backs. Colossus and Nightcrawler guarded the flanks, using their hand to hand fighting skills to push back those who managed to endure Ororo's wind storms. And even though the young weather witch remained high above the chaos, occasionally calling lightning strikes on particularly pesky guards, that didn't stop a few minions from leaping up and grabbing her foot a few times.

"Argh! Damn! These things won't stop coming!" yelled Storm as she pushed her powers to the limit.

"And for good reason. The ritual is almost complete!"

The power of the Phoenix kept on growing. Nearly half the darkened minions being summoned by Warlord Xin's elite guard focused on restraining her. Needless to say, most of them were burnt to a crisp or ripped apart by telekinetic force, but their numbers along with Jean's inability to balance out the power of the Phoenix was starting to take its toll.

"Guys!" struggled Jean, trying desperately to maintain control, "I don't know how much longer I can..."

Then suddenly, she was hit hard by a minion who managed to sneak up behind her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" she yelled as she felt the dark minion pounce her like a jungle predator.

"Jean!" yelled Slayer as he tried to fight his way over towards her, only to meet with more resistance by Warlord Xin's elite guard.

"Shit! What's goin' on, bub?" yelled Logan over the growing noise, "What's happenin' to Jeannie?"

"The Phoenix is growing too unstable! I think the effect of the ritual is..."

But before Jack could even finish, the whole area around the temple was rocked by a deafening cry. It didn't sound at all like Jean. If anything, it sounded like that of a wounded bird. Her eyes turned bright orange as more flames inundated the area. It seemed to have a mind of its own, but that did not dissuade Warlord Xin's loyal minions.

"Hurry! Subdue her! Do NOT allow her to fight through!"

Just then, Slayer's eye flashed bright yellow as he shifted his attention back towards Warlord Xin's elite guards. And through his all seeing eye, he saw his chance.

"Phoenix! Can you hear me?!" he yelled over the noise, using his sword to cut through six pesky minions.

"Nnn...Slayer."

"The elite guards! They're summoning the minions! Attack them! They're trying to slow us down! We're running out of time! Come on! I know you can do it!"

Jean's fists clenched in a fit of rage as more minions tried to pounce her, showing no fear and acting out of pure loyalty to their master. But no amount of loyalty could stop the cosmic entity from finding its captive love. Using anger from both its own persona and that of Jean Grey, the immense fires of the Phoenix grew and in a heavy telekinetic burst, the surrounding minions were blown away.

This act nearly knocked the rest of the X-men off their feet. It even caused the still hovering Ororo to fall to the ground. But Jack seemed to know what was coming and he quickly turned away and took cover.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" he yelled as the symbols on his hand glowed bright purple and he cast a spell that encased them all in a glowing shield.

"ERRRR! XIN!!!!!!!!!!"

The sound of her yells echoed for miles as she rose up from the ground and took aim at Warlord Xin's elite guard.

"No! Stop her!"

But before they could summon more minions, they were hit with the fiery force of cosmic energy. It was more than even their imposing forms could bear and with cries of great anguish, the elite guards of Warlord Xin were forcefully demolecularized. And as a result, the rest of his minions disappeared as well, letting off one last cry of torment.

All the while, the X-men remained safely guarded by Slayer's chi shield. They were all in awe of the sheer force that Phoenix unleashed, yet there was still concern since this was still their friend and it was uncertain whether or not she was still a part of this being.

"This doesn't look good, guys!" said Iceman as he and the others watched Jean's floating form glow brilliantly in the golden flames.

"Hey, look on the bright side," said Slayer as he let down the shield, "She took down Warlord Xin's elite guard."

"Yeah, I'm ecstatic," said Dazzler, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"But is she still in there?" asked Ororo, showing more concern than cynicism, "Is there any piece of Jean left in that thing?"

"You'd be surprised, Storm," answered Slayer cryptically, "There's more Jean in there than you think. But for now, let's not worry about that. We have to get inside and stop the ritual!"

"Yes...I can feel my love's torment! Come! We must hurry! Our time is almost up!"

"Then let's not waste anymore of it!" grunted Logan, "Come on team! Let's get in there and stop this prick!"

"Right behind you, comrade!" said Piotr as he and the others followed Jack and Phoenix into the darkened structure, not knowing whether or not they were already too late.

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Deep in the central chamber of the vast temple, Warlord Xin was chanting the last verses of the ancient ritual that would make him the true bearer of Horus now and forever. His booming voice echoed throughout the vast area, filling the ancient structure with his insidious tone.

All the while, Scott was languishing in great pain, feeling the fiery power of Horus tearing at him from within as it thrashed about within him, not wanting to be separated from its primary host. His ruby quartz visor had shattered, his eyes were glowing bright red, and he was surrounded in the chaotic flames of the divine entity. Only now, some of them were being drawn to Warlord Xin as he summoned the power to his darkened being, caring little about the young man's torment.

"Yes! YES!" proclaimed Warlord Xin as the figurines on the pedestal glowed in a bright orange flame while the crystal skull shot forth bolts of mystic energy that struck Horus down to it's core, "Under the power of the celestial psalm and the authority of my spiritual power, I channel thee into the core of my blackened soul! I summon thee to awaken! Forever severed from the mortal vessel and free to take on a new form! One that shall carry its power throughout the cosmos and instill order out of chaos!"

"NO! YOU SON OF A...AHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Scott, feeling as though he was being ripped apart from the inside while being burned alive on the outside.

He could feel it being ripped away from him...This power that he had finally assimilated with. It was so deeply linked to him. He could no longer deny the connection that Horus had with him. But now, that connection was on the verge of being permanently severed.

"Yes! Feel the power of the ancients, Horus!" yelled Warlord Xin as he prepared for the final step, "Leave this pitiful vessel! Assume a more rightful medium! Join me! Come to me! BE ONE WITH ME!"

The shadowy jungle entity was so close to amassing this great power that he could taste it. It was almost his...The power to create, destroy, and shape the universe as he saw fit. Once he had this power, no army or mystic would ever be able to contain him. Those that stood in his way would vanish with a mere thought. All he needed to do was say one final verse and assume that which he believed was rightfully his.

However, just as he prepared to state the final words of the ancient ritual, the X-men along with Slayer made it to the chamber. The mutant warrior could see that he was almost done. And if he wasn't stopped, then it would all be over. The X-men could feel it, Phoenix could feel it, and he could see it. It was all up to them to put a stop to this once and for all.

"At long last!" proclaimed Warlord Xin, "Ultimate power shall be mine!"

"Not today ugly!" yelled Slayer as he sprang into action.

With his magic sword firmly in hand, Slayer saw his chance and took it without hesitation. And in one, swift motion he threw his magic blade like a javelin, sending it speeding like a bullet directly at the altar where Warlord Xin was standing. However, it wasn't Xin that Slayer had targeted. No, it was something much more vital.

Warlord Xin was about to utter the final word, but before he could even lick his lips to begin, the flying sword sped right past him and hit the crystal skull that lay right in between the two figurines. And as soon as the enchanted blade made contact with the sinister relic, it shattered like a pane of glass, taking with it one of the most important pieces of the ritual.

"MY CHI SKULL!" yelled an enraged Warlord Xin.

"Sorry Xin. My finger must have slipped," said Slayer as he used his chi essence to summon his sword to return to his hands.

"You fool! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" he yelled as the altar and the chamber began to rumble from the agitated power of Horus that began to arise from its bound form.

"Other than seriously ruined your day? Haven't got a clue, bub," grunted Logan as he and the others struggled to maintain their balance.

Everybody tried to hold onto something. Even Warlord Xin was thrown off balance by what was happening. Back at the X-jet, the Professor had been monitoring activity within the temple and as soon as the shaking started, the readings went off the scale.

"Professor! Professor, what's happening?!" exclaimed Kitty as she and Warren were forced to hold onto something.

"I'm not sure, Kitty," said the Professor, doing a psychic scan in order to check on the state of his students, "But I...Oh no!"

Suddenly, he sensed something that he wished he hadn't. And outside, it was beginning to show as both Kitty and Warren were mesmerized by the sudden burst of activity upon the tip of the temple which had been glowing in a mysterious halo of light. Only now, it had changed colors to match the divine flames of Horus.

"Oh boy...I hope the others are okay," mused Warren.

However, such words didn't offer much comfort to those stuck on the inside. All they could do was wait and see what came of this. The only person who was completely indifferent to it all was Jean, who was just staring at the fiery activity with a look of awe upon her face, as if she were a young child staring up at the stars.

"My love...You're okay."

"Vhat's going on, Slayer?!" exclaimed Kurt.

"As much as I know you don't want to hear this, guys...I'm not entirely sure," said Jack as he and the others were knocked off balance by another violent tremor.

Then, a deafening roar that resembled that of a giant falcon arose from the center of the room and through a massive halo of golden flames, Horus ascended slowly into the air, still bound within the being of Scott Summers. And from the looks of it, all was not well with the conflicted entity.

"Freedom...Power...Strength. Yes, I can feel it! I can sense it! Yet it's still so..."

"Scott!" exclaimed Bobby as he returned to his feet, "Scott man! Can you hear me?"

"Scott...Yes. I can feel him too. He is...A part of me. His mind, body, and soul...So deeply linked...So deeply one with me."

"Wow, what's going on here?" said Storm as the shaking began to wane, "What's happening with this thing?"

Slayer took a look at the hovering entity before him, his eye now glowing bright orange, matching the fires of the holy flames. And as soon as he made out part of the enigmatic sight, he was drawn into a sense of great awe.

"I...I think the ritual confused him," said Slayer as he tried to decipher the visions, "The entity's is fragmented. He's confused, distraught, and unbalanced by what Warlord Xin did to him. He's trying to find a way to complete himself, but I can't quite make out what he's..."

Then, before Jack could even finish his musings, Warlord Xin erupted in a rage from the now useless altar.

"You little PEST!" he yelled, his sinister eyes now glowing with indescribable rage, "The ritual...It's ruined!"

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, asshole! But it doesn't look like you were doing us any favors with it," shot Dazzler.

"Insolent mortals! You have no idea what you've unleashed! Without the balance instigated from the ritual, Horus will destroy us all!"

"Correction...Destroy us both!" said Bobby, trying to sound determined.

"Seriously Bobby...Stop watching the Simpsons so much," said an exasperated Piotr, shaking his head in amazement that he could be quoting lines from a cartoon at a time like this.

"Sorry big guy," he shrugged, "It's what I do."

Such antics did not go over well with Warlord Xin. Of all the forces to thwart his plans, he couldn't believe that it had to be by these miniscule insects. He could stand being imprisoned by a team of powerful shamans, but he could NOT take being bested by such pitiful youths. It was nothing short of demeaning.

"You pathetic mortals will pay for what you've done!" he yelled as he took out his oversized sword and prepared for battle, "Even if we're all reduced to cosmic dust, I will make sure that I have your heads!"

"Yeah, real classy Xin," said Slayer as he firmly gripped his sword in preparation for yet another fight, "But if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

"Ha! I've bested you on more than one occasion, warrior! What makes you think you can beat me this time?"

"Uh, excuse me? Are we invisible or something?" said Bobby.

"Yeah, zhis time you'll have to beat all of us!" said a determined Kurt, always willing to fight against something demonic.

"And we sure as hell don't go down easy, bub!" growled the angry Wolverine, his claws ready for action.

However, despite this show of determination, Warlord Xin didn't look too threatened. He had faced plenty of opponents before and he had bested nearly all of them. What difference could a bunch of super powered misfits do anyways?

"Very well...If it is death you want, then death I shall bring you!" he bellowed.

Then, to even the odds, Warlord Xin used his vast dark powers to summon a new team of minions from the shadows. This time, he would not hold back. This time, his orders were to kill. And from the looks of it, every one of them looked hungry for blood. Yet despite this imposing show of force, the X-men remained unafraid.

"Seriously pal, these things are getting old!" said Dazzler as she prepared to rip into these dark minions.

"Yes, even I'm beginning to tire of them," said Ororo, still trying to hide her inherent fears of facing her childhood nightmares.

"Tire all you like, but you will all eventually succumb to the power of the shadows!" bellowed the ancient warlord as he pointed his oversized sword directly at his adversaries, "Now my minions! ATTACK!"

"Here we go again," muttered Slayer, his sights now on Warlord Xin as yet another swarm of his forces charged him and the X-men.

Like before, Warlord Xin's minions relied heavily on their numbers, but unlike last time, they weren't just throwing themselves at them. Under the ancient spirit's guidance, they seemed to have some real strategy now. They were breaking up into groups and platoons and concentrating their strength on one particular target at a time.

In response, the X-men stayed in a closely formed cluster, knowing that they couldn't risk being isolated. The fires of Horus were still growing and amassing and Jean was still in a daze, but at the moment, Slayer and the X-men had more immediate concerns to deal with.

"Okay guys! This is it!" growled Logan, feeling ready to tear into as many minions as Warlord Xin threw at him, "No more dickin' around! This time, we stop this prick once and for all!"

"Right! And that means targeting the big man himself!" said Slayer in response, firmly gripping his sword as his all seeing eye locked on the ancient madman who had inflicted so much cruelty on the world.

"But what about Scott and Jean?" asked Colossus, sticking close to Nightcrawler since they were both close range fighters.

"Don't worry about them," assured Slayer, his all seeing eye flashing a fiery orange, "I think they both know what they're doing."

Not arguing with the mutant warrior's power, the team of young mutants focused on the surrounding army. In response, the minions let out deafening screeches as they followed the will of their dark master, relentlessly charging the closely grouped team.

Dazzler struck first, using the high pitched noise to form powerful sparks that were stronger than the ones she was usually capable of. The acoustics of the confined area worked well to her advantage and her attacks were supplemented with Bobby and Ororo's, effectively mowing down the first wave.

"Come on feel the noise!" yelled Dazzler as the area around them erupted into a plethora of sparks, ice blasts, and lightning strikes.

"Spoken like a true punk rocker, Ali!" made Iceman as he froze a dozen minions that were trying to surround him and Ororo.

"Just shut up and freeze them, Iceman!" shot Wolverine as he went at full berserker, leaping headfirst into the swarm of shadowy guards, "Try to get us through to the big boss!"

"Yes, there is merely an army of shadows in our way!" said Kurt, pulling off some backflips while teleporting out of some tight spots in order to spread individual minions while Colossus took care of those that were unlucky enough to get close to them.

"Ha! Some army!" shot the Russian born mutant as he pummeled half a dozen unlucky minions at once.

While this was going on, Warlord Xin had his sights solely on Slayer...The man who had stopped the ritual before his ultimate triumph. For too long, this pestilent warrior had stood in his way. No matter how many times he managed to best him, he kept coming back like a cockroach. But this time, he would leave no room for escape.

"SLAYER!" yelled Warlord Xin as he walked with ease through the army of shadow minions towards his arch enemy.

The mutant warrior was still tearing through minions with slash after slash from his sword, moving at superhuman speeds to take down each dark warrior before it could touch him. He was focusing his efforts on protecting Jean, who remained in a strange trance. The fires of the Phoenix were still surrounding her body and her eyes were completely focused on the floating form of Scott Summers.

"Jean! Jean, come on!" he urged her as he leapt into the air and pulled off a quick spell that caused a powerful wave of mystic energy to clear the area, "You have to focus! Both you and Horus are in a state of chaos! You need to find balance! You need to..."

But before Slayer could finish his words, he was hit hard by a pestilent minion who had used his distracted state to his advantage. The mutant warrior was quick to recover and eviscerate the minion with his sword, but as soon as he recovered, the army of shadows suddenly stopped attacking and allowed their master to come through.

"You've meddled in my affairs for the last time, warrior!" said the ancient madman, his sword directly pointing towards Slayer, "The time for casual exchange is over! Now it's do or die!"

"Funny...If I hadn't already walked that road, I might actually be scared by that," quipped the mutant warrior, standing ready for battle.

But before the fight could rage any further, the power of Horus took action in its confused state. Seeing all this turmoil was an alien concept. All these new sensations, feelings, and thoughts were streaming through its immortal conscious, mixing closely with the mind and heart of Scott Summers. And the more it watched, the more confused it became.

"All this fighting...All this horror. The forces of darkness and light...The struggle between good and evil. So much hatred...Yet still, so much heart."

As Horus took in this sight, its fires grew increasingly agitated, causing Warlord Xin's minions to falter and the team of young mutants to grow increasingly anxious.

"Dude! What the hell is happening with that thing?!" said Bobby, having to shield his eyes from the growing flame as he fought off a few more minions.

"I'm not exactly sure, Iceman..." said Slayer as he and Warlord Xin continued to stare each other down in a death glare, "All I can see is confusion and chaos from within! I don't know what it's doing, but I think it may be trying to make sense of everything! And Scott's trying to help it!"

"Scott?! Is he still okay?" yelled Ororo as she was forced to take to the air in order to get out of a tight spot with two clusters of charging minions.

"Near as I can tell, both he and Horus are still a part of each other! I just don't know if one or the other will overcome the fight for control!"

Such uncertainty actually made Warlord Xin laugh maniacally, for these foolish mortals truly had no idea of how the divine worked.

"You fools...You really don't get it do you? The mortal vessel is being consumed!" he said with his sinister voice, "The same thing is happening to the Phoenix, only you all were stupid enough to believe that it could be controlled! Those that you call Scott Summers and Jean Grey are slowly being eaten right down to their souls! And once they are gone, then both entities will seek new sources to consume! And with their power, they'll decimate entire planets and star systems within the blink of an eye!"

The chilling words of Warlord Xin echoed all through the minds of the young team of mutants with dread, for the thought of their friends being eaten away by some cosmic force that they could not stop was definitely not a pleasant thought. But in the eyes of Slayer, he refused to believe as such.

"Don't listen to him guys! He's full of shit!" yelled Slayer, urging them to continue the fight.

"Am I? I am an immortal spirit! Who else could know the inner workings of such forces?"

That just got Jack to grin once more in response...An act that always pissed off Warlord Xin.

"You'd be surprised, Xin."

Then, before either fighter could make the first move, Jean snapped out of her daze as she engulfed herself in flames and ascended into the air to the same level as Horus. Some of the minions tried to stop her, but they were burnt to a crisp by the holy flames. And when the eyes of Horus met with that of Phoenix, something happened with them...Something on a level that even Slayer couldn't make out.

"My love...At long last, we have found each other."

As she hovered in the large ritual area just below the still glowing top of the structure, Horus reached out and gently caressed the young woman's beautiful face. Both their eyes were glowing brightly as they soon found themselves in a passionate embrace. They still looked so deeply confused, but now they were feeling something entirely different...Something that went beyond even their capability for understanding.

"Phoenix...Jean...Yes, I can feel you. Deep within my mind and through this mortal form, I can feel you."

"Uh...Could anyone tell me what the hell is going on here?!" said Dazzler, the flashing flames of the two immortal entities growing increasingly erratic.

"At this point, Ali...I think it's all up in the air," said Slayer, who couldn't even see with his all seeing eye what was going on.

The two immortal entities continued their embrace, gazing into one another's eyes with looks of indescribable passion. The mortal and immortal essences were now mixing on such a grand scale. Scott Summers and Jean Grey...Phoenix and Horus...It was all coming together not as a struggle, but as a feeling.

Yet still, there was so much confusion. Horus was still struggling to ascertain this power and this connection. And because of this, he couldn't contain this inner turmoil. He couldn't make order out of chaos.

"So confused...Cannot...Make sense of these...These feelings."

"Horus...Please!"

"I...I must go! Scott Summers...The power...Love...I must find that which is missing!"

"Missing?" said Slayer, growing increasingly curious as to just what was going on here.

Then, as the X-men, Slayer, and Warlord Xin struggled to ascertain what was happening, a blinding flash of fiery flames erupted from the being of Horus. And through the glowing tip of the vast temple, his immortal being assumed the form of a majestic falcon and shot off through the roof into the sky at impossible speeds.

And upon seeing this, the Phoenix felt it too and quickly followed suit.

"Wait my love! I'm coming with you!"

With another flash, the Phoenix shot through the opening of shattered stone that had been left in wake of Horus's departure. And for miles around, the amazing beauty of two fiery birds, one masculine and one feminine, could be seen by all, their divine flames filling the sky and showing just how powerful each force was

From the X-jet, such a spectacle didn't go unnoticed by the Kitty, Warren, and the Professor. It left all three of them in a state of awe, but the Xavier seemed most concerned.

"Wow..." said Warren, watching on with amazement at what he saw as the two immortal birds shot into the sky, "Scott...Jean..."

"Professor! Are they...Are they okay?" asked Kitty in a worried tone.

Professor Charles Xavier was not a man who was easily bewildered. His experiences had brought him plenty of strange sights. But upon sensing all the chaos through his telepathy, he was at a loss for words. And as much as it pained him, there was only one thing he could say in response.

"I don't know, Kitty. I honest to God don't know."

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AN: Talk about messy, eh? Everybody is now left in quite a harsh predicament and there's still a hard fight to be had! It's all coming to ahead my friends! Stay tuned to see how Phoenix and Horus seek out that which is confusing them so and stay tuned to see how the X-men and Slayer work to stop Warlord Xin once and for all! In the meantime, don't forget to REVIEW! Send me your feedback directly via email or post it on the fanfiction website! Thank you all for reading thus far and I wish you all the best!

GOOD AND EVIL! DARKNESS AND LIGHT! AND EACH OF THEM DEMAND REVIEWS!!!