On to the next one

[Demeter]

Demeter studied her daughter sitting next to her. She looked so different....so beautiful even in her pained state. Maybe that was what made her so beautiful? The fact that her daughter was sitting in front of her so vulnerable and raw....something that she lacked back in ancient Greece. It was a part of Persephone that she tried desperately to release...PULL OUT of her before she turned evil, but she couldn't. The darkness was too powerful and too all consuming. However sitting there now, Demeter could finally see the little girl before the darkness.

Persephone: "I can't....I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Do what? Feel emotions? Pain? Sadness? Persephone, those are all natural reactions to what has happened.

Persephone: "And what about anger? I'm FURIOUS with Delilah! How could she do this to us? How could she be so selfish to think that we wouldn't care if she died?! That this world would be a better place without her?! [her eyes start to fill with tears] I've lost so many people......some by my own hand.....that I don't know if I can do this anymore! I don't know if I can willingly subject myself to the possibility of loosing anyone else....especially if I'M the cause."

Demeter's expression was pained as she listened to her daughter unload all of what was building inside of her the past few days. The guilt, the anger, the pain, the uncertainty. It was even more telling that she STILL thought she was capable of killing her own friends...her own family. Without saying a word, Demeter pulled Persephone to her; that act alone causing her daughter to start to cry.

"Shhh...."

Gently stroking her hair, Demeter rested her chin on Persephone's head.

"You have changed so much sweetheart....you aren't capable of the acts you committed before. And you shouldn't question yourself or ALLOW anyone ELSE [Malice] to make you start questioning yourself of that fact. You have prooven yourself on this team and in this life. I've forgiven you....there's no need to hold onto the guilt. As for Delilah.....you have a right to be angry. Suicide is a selfish act, but it's the act of someone who literally believes it's their only way out of whatever demons are haunting them. I know how upsetting this situation has made you and everyone else on this team, but you must remember that you have all overcome so much. Delilah will be fine, however the wounds are still raw; both with her and with you."

Persephone began to sit back up; her face stained with tears still, however her eyes finally dry. Cupping her hand next to her daughters face, Demeter softly smiled.

"It will take time. But you are strong my love.You will overcome this hurdle, I promise you."

Persephone leaned forward, embracing her mother with a hug.

Persephone: "I love you."

Words that were not often spoken from her daughter, Demeter smiled, her own eyes glossing over with tears.

"I love you too."

 

[Seer]

from one place to another

<< and so as some hearts are soothed and spirits settled on the eve of the future, other hearts begin to beat anew with a chance few could imagine.>>

<< zooming around and out of the cliffside mansion out to the ocean...IN to the ocean's dark and swirling waters. the dark, cold "otherworld" that will welcome anyone willing to let go of their hold on life.>>

<< the waters flow an swirl, with even a fish or two swimming by.>>

<< zooming away from the ocean up, straight up....high into the air, the sky...higher still!>>

<< it gets rather quiet now with only the mist of water vapor and clouds in the line of vision. soon, the lines of sky and space blur, as does this natural dimension giving way to another supernatural dimension.>>

<< the thinest viel parts and gives way from our time and space to the "otherplace"...a dimension OUTSIDE of time and space.>>

<< Limbo- a seemingly endless realm full of darkness, cold and magick. large floating masses drift along the endless expanse while the skies rage with swelling black clouds and violet hued lightning bolts. demons of all sizes and shapes, some winged, some not can be seen at various places.>>

<< stepping discs open at random moments and points and just as quickly they close. from these discs , one could go ANYWHERE ANYTIME but while that may be a dream for some, for those who knew better, it is a nightmare waiting to happen as one could EASILY get lost...BURIED in the TIMESTREAM when falling through these discs.>>

<< zooming along, narrowly avoiding some demons here and there, there is one truly unique spot in this already mysterious realm. a garden oasis that commands its space, one that the demons KNOW not to cross into. A place that would make the garden of Eden seem COMMON.>>

<< it is a living testimony to the power, the WILL of one of the most powerful figures in Limbo, Ororo Monroe, the immortal weather goddes who once rode the winds on EARTH as an X-Man. Her story has woven into that of the Six's and other crosstime counterparts past present and future. mainstream and alternate.>>

<< her primary function is the guardian of the "DARK TRINITY", which itself is the living legacy of HECATE spread across the multiverse in three distinct manifestations- Spellbinder, Darkchilde and Magik. She has assisted each of the Dark Trinity and their friends/family time and again and along the way has earned the respect of many friend AND foe.>>

<< Here we find her, in the center of her sprawling, lush garden oasis, inside of her Citadle. on one of the floors in one of the rooms, lays a slumbering Delilah Trelevan. Time passes differently in Limbo than it does on Earth and so while only a week has passed on earth, MONTHS have passed in Limbo. Ororo had pulled Delilah back from passing on, successfully restored and revived her and then placed her in a deep sleep, appearing before her on the astral plane and helping her to regain herself...her SOUL. chasing away some emotional demons that harmed her....giving her time to truly REST.>>

<< but now, the time has come for Delilah to WAKE UP.>>

<< Ororo sits beside her as she lays in the canopy bed and waves her hand slowly as its shadow passes over Delilah's sleeping face. a small cloud forms with a gentle breeze and mist to stir Delilah from her sleep.>>

<< Delilah will STILL be surprised, believing that what she's experience was HER afterlife but now to see she is in fact ALIVE..and in the care of Ororo.>>

 

[MorningStar]

Darkness.

It enveloped Delilah like a blanket, thick and swirling.

Nothing.

And then suddenly, feeling returned. The light was blinding, even through her closed eyes.

Memories of wherever she had been were lost like dreams upon waking, no matter how she grasped at them. Her eyes fluttered.

And opened.

Her eyes found Ororo...and she smiled up into that glorious face...and then the memories of her human life returned, hitting her like a slap, and her face fell. She turned away from Ororo, burying her face in the pillow.

She knew where she was - she had woken here once before. But this time, she didn't want to.

She sobbed from the depths of herself.

"Why am I here?! What have you done?!"

 

[Ororo]

Limbo- the citadle

:: Ororo smiled at the young woman as she finally awakened from her slumber as Ororo's sleep spell had worn off 24 hours ago. ::

:: the young woman soon came to the realization of where she was, when she was and how she came to be here. now that she was fully conscious, she was still stuck in the last moment SHE remembered.::

She sobbed from the depths of herself.

"Why am I here?! What have you done?!"

:: Ororo looked upon her even as she began to react accordingly.::

Ororo: You're here because you needed my help.

I did what I must...I preserved a life.

:: she kept her answers short and to the point. there was plenty to discuss and Ororo knew how young people on modern day earth had a tendency to talk much and listen little. ::

:: Ororo kept a calm, gentle tone and demeanor. She knew Delilah was hurting. Ororo had STARTED the healing process but now Delilah would have to take the driver's seat.::

I brought you here to the tranquility and safety of my garden so that I could help bring you back to yourself and eventually, send you on your way. Your friends...you're family are waiting for you. they're deeply concerned about you. They tried their best to save you when they saw what happened, but ultimately it was beyond their power...and that is where I stepped in.

 

[MorningStar]

I did what I must...I preserved a life.

Delilah turned back over. She closed her eyes as if hiding from the world.

"They should have let me die."

Your friends...you're family are waiting for you.

Her eyes opened then, startled at the thought. The edge to her voice was gone, as she spoke to the woman who had cared for her in the past, and save Karen was the most dominant mother figure in her life.

"I...I...can't go back, Ororo. Not after...this."

She couldn't say the words.

But she knew she couldn't face her team mates. She felt so ashamed for the past, the things she'd done. Done to them. And if she had worried them now...how could she look them in the eyes? It was one more layer added to the weight on her shoulders, that she hadn't thought about them before she walked into the sea.

"It's there all the time - this churning inside me. The guilt, Ororo...the guilt - it's always there. What I've done. Eating me up inside. I can't shake it. Even if I tell myself it's okay...it isn't. I used to be a good person, I know I was. I did the right thing, at all costs. But now? Now I'm just a murderer. I'm no better than he was."

He of course, referred to Bishop.

 

[Ororo]

Limbo- the citadle

:: Ororo sat as still and patient as the massive oak tree in the center of her garden oasis as Delilah tossed and turned not only physically but mentally as well. She was truly at war with herself. the GUILT was swallowing all rational thought and what it left behind was consuming Delilah's vitality and mental stability.::

Ororo: You can go back. and you must.

"It's there all the time - this churning inside me. The guilt, Ororo...the guilt - it's always there. What I've done. Eating me up inside. I can't shake it. Even if I tell myself it's okay...it isn't. I used to be a good person, I know I was. I did the right thing, at all costs. But now? Now I'm just a murderer. I'm no better than he was."

He of course, referred to Bishop.

:: Ororo looks at Delilah calmly.::

You are not what the mortals called..."the messiah". You are not perfect...even the gods and goddesses of antiquity were not perfect. to hold yourself to some impossible standard only does YOU diservice.

:: it seemed rather surprising that Ororo would attempt to calm Delilah about feeling so guilty over killing someone, but if anyone could understand...it was Ororo, both as the leader of her OWN superhero team once and later as the immortal sorceress she'd now become but even BEYOND that....as a young girl forced to defend herself from a man...::

Delilah, I have lived longer than you have ever been alive. I have experienced many things both in the realm of humans and here in Limbo. As you live and learn it changes your perspective on things.

FLASH

a hot night in Cairo Eygpt. the back alleys of a merchant's market place. a young girl with silver hair and blue eyes, orphaned and fending for herself as thief and pickpocket has just fallen into the clutches of an older man with no scrupples and no restraint. that girl is Ororo!

The older man offered a hot meal and a place to sleep...but the cost was too high, too perverted! Even in her desperate state, she knew it was not for her but he wouldnt take no for an answer. he grabs her, HURTS her and now as she lays on the ground, terrified and pleading for him to leave her be, he stands over her like a predator in the forest sizing up its pray before he attempts to force himself on her.

Flashing images at different view points of the resulting struggle! painfully lingering views of Ororo's tear streaked face as she tries her best to free herself.

Finally, when that ultimate perverse moment is about to occurr, Ororo's survival instinct kicks in as she brings forth the knife she carries and with all her strength and will, she PLUNGES it into the horrid man's HEART. she pushes him off as DEATH welcomes him into her embrace and scrambles away, watching as he takes his last breath and dies in the alley.

FLASH

Ororo: To preserve a life sometimes you must TAKE a life. and in those very clear instances, there is no exception. There are some things...some people who do not deserve to live. They would see scores of lives ended in order to achieve their own foolish, misguided, EVIL goals!

FLASH

<< LIMBO! ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER REALITY>>

the screams of a little girl filled the area around them, and from the far right....they see a little girl. a little blonde hair girl in a pink dress and wearing the mysteious "beatrice medallion". running frantically for her life, she can't be anymore than 7 years old. Tears streaking down her panicked face.>>


<< the little girl is MORGAN...no, not really Morgan, but her cross time altnerate, Magik(Illyana) . the women have traveled BACK in time and are now in Limbo at the time when Magik had first arrived as a little girl, kidnapped by the evil demon mage Belasco.>>

<< as she runs, Belasco appears. the tall, striking man who is demonic appearence with a wicked grin on his face as he is instantly upon upon little Illyana>>

Belasco: THERE you are, you naughty girl. You've been most difficult and I am displeased. I am tired of your attitude, Illyana. Your precious x-men are DEAD, they cannot save you and now its time to take your medicine.

<< a truly horrific scene unfolds as Belasco yanks the child by her hair and pulls her to the ground. Standing over her, Belasco attacks her, physically assaulting her, beating her! she cries out in pain, begging for someone to help her, but her cries are only met with more physical abuse. it is truly a heart rending sight to behold>>

:: the winds in the labyrinth seemed to roar with anger themselves....answering the cries of the little girl, as lightning flickered in the far distant shadows...the bolts began to lash out forward toward the direction of where Belasco was.::

:: thunder crashed as well. someone was coming, and that someone was ANGRY. ::


woman's voice: BELASCO!!!!

:: a YOUNG Ororo swooped into view, flying at high speeds as she pushed more elemental chaos ahead of her.::

STORM was sporting a MOHAWK, and wearing a striking, provocative leather outfit consisting of a leather bodice which revealed cleavage, straps, thigh high boots and a black cape. a skull arorned the center of her bodice at the cleavage area. Storm looked unholy and sexy at the same time and she was ENRAGED. This must have been the way she was when she finally had begun to master the art of sorcerey in Limbo, which would mean her X-men had died not that long ago::

Storm: Belasco, you son of a bitch! It is not enough that you have destroyed my X-men, now you wish to harm this child as well!? did you think i would let you get away with this!? DID YOU THINK I'D LET YOU LIVE??

:: swooping down as she slams Belasco with a large boulder she carried with her winds, and lands....gesturing menacingly, bright yellow halo's of dark magick form around her hands::

I'm not just a mutant anymore, monster. I'm a sorceress....what YOU made me. Only you didnt realize that magick is apart of my heritage. I've watched as you destroyed the people I love, and now you try to destroy this child...NOW i'll SEE YOU DEAD!

:: Storm savagely attacks Belasco. lashing out at him with her mutant powers AND her magickal powers. the sight of her being so violent is shocking to the women of the Six. Storm cries out like a bird of prey as she makes pass after deadly pass against the demon mage, who attempts to defend himself.::

:: Storm herself seems more demonic at this point, her solid white eyes glowing, her teeth slightly fanged, and of course her unholy, erotic costume.::


:: she beats Belasco back viciously as the young Illyana slowly picks herself up and hides behind a large rock nearby...shaking with fear.::


:: Belasco falls before Storm's wrath, as she now stands over him...her clenched fists radiating with pulsating lightning as she growls with contempt::

Storm: what now oh demon mage, no sick retort, no mocking comment for me now that you cannot do anything MORE than you already have? are you so surprised that the student has SURPASSED her teacher?

Belasco: please......Storm, MERCY!! I BEG YOU!

Storm: YOU beg for MERCY? did you show any of that to my X-men when you MURDERED THEM!?

NEVER!....DIE YOU BASTARD!

SUPREME THUNDER...CRASH!


:: as the winds SPIN around the cavern, Lightning begins to flash and strike all around faster and faster coalescing into a monstrous single force, it is easy to forget just how primal and POWERFULL this elemental force is, but at this moment, the women of the Six are REMINDED as Storm lifts her hands high above....thunder CRASHES and BLASTS so hard that it ROCKS the labryinth HARD.....and LIGHTNING....CRASHES DOWN in such a BROARD , WIDE SCALE that it envelopes the ENTIRE area of the battle where Storm and Belasco are....Belasco screams are blood curdling as the savage blue/white lightning reduce him to nothing but ash and bones....at the high heeled boots of Storm...who stands triumphant.....::

:: she looks up in the air, closing her eyes as tears fall down her face::

Storm: it is done my friends...your deaths are avenged, Illyana is saved....and Belasco is destroyed.

:: she puts her hand over her heart...a look of pain on her face as she weeps...for her fallen X-men. Illyana cautiously comes close to her... As Storm's face contorts again with pain....this is the moment where Storm lost her last shred of innocence, her soul becoming tainted, CORRUPTED by the evil of dark magick..the evil she sought to destroy was now apart of her and that was the ultimate, ironic last lesson Belasco had instore for the weather witch.::

:: as she slowly bends down to pick up a still tearfull and frightened Illyana, Storm begins to softly comfort her as she carries her away, leaving Belasco's ashes to blow away in the winds. Soon she fades away::

FLASH

I have BEEN where you are, child. I have MADE the choice. To safe guard those i cared for...to avenge those i could NOT save. To save a life, to protect the lives of those you care about...you did what you had to do.

Bishop was as twisted...as evil as BELASCO. Perhaps worse because with a creature like Belasco, it was easy to see where he stood. Bishop was a wolf in sheeps clothing. He manipulated, he USED you as a catspaw....a stepping stone to HIS OWN END.

As "guilty" as you may feel now. Would have risked living with yourself after the deaths of your friends facilitated by him? would you have been able to live with knowing that he catalyzed a wave of mutant persecution the likes of which had never seen before? MANY innocents would have been murdered and soon, YOU would have joined the ranks of the dead at his alter.

:: harsh but true.::

You made the right choice. Difficult as it may have been, you did the right thing. Your friends did not know how deeply this affected you. But perhaps YOU do not now how much gratitude they have for your actions in Arklay Mansion? That you are all where you are NOW is in large part because of YOUR course of action THEN. You LIVE, the world remains safe and protected...the good FAR outweighs the "bad" [killing Bishop] and he has joined the ranks of Christopher Victory...in eternal damnation.

 

[MorningStar]

You can go back. and you must.

She looked pleadingly at the weather witch.

"Why are we forced to go on? Why are WE the ones who have to keep going, despite all the pain and loss and hardship. It's just not fair that we have to carry all these things with us that regular people don't even have to think about."

You are not what the mortals called..."the messiah". You are not perfect...even the gods and goddesses of antiquity were not perfect. to hold yourself to some impossible standard only does YOU diservice.

Though Ororo's words were meant to comfort her, the reference to Delilah as "the messiah" - as Sharon had so often spitefully referred to her - was a painful stab to her heart. The tears welled up in her eyes again.

"I don't think I'm perfect. But I've always seen clearly between right and wrong. But now...it's like I'm going through the world BLIND."

To preserve a life sometimes you must TAKE a life.

"But, Ororo, I didn't have to. I'm a mutant for god's sake! And he was a human. I didn't need to kill - I could have turned him over to the authorities. I WANTED to kill him. And I can't live with that."

Your friends did not know how deeply this affected you. But perhaps YOU do not now how much gratitude they have for your actions in Arklay Mansion?

Delilah shook her head and turned away again as she whispered.

"All they see is betrayal."

 

[Ororo]

Limbo- the citadle

She looked pleadingly at the weather witch.

"Why are we forced to go on? Why are WE the ones who have to keep going, despite all the pain and loss and hardship. It's just not fair that we have to carry all these things with us that regular people don't even have to think about."

Ororo: Because, child. to whom much is given...much is required. "regular" people dont survive infections by viruses that could ravage entire populations. "regular" people dont carry the legacy of HECATE in their blood line. "regular" people do not stand against the vast...TERRIBLE power of an entity like MYSTECH. The SIX are humanity's HOPE...and who BETTER for that to be, then FELLOW HUMANS? Lest you forget...mutants ARE human too. That is something your Bishop could notquite understand and I suspect that was a willfull lack of understanding on his part.

"I don't think I'm perfect. But I've always seen clearly between right and wrong. But now...it's like I'm going through the world BLIND."

:: Ororo takes Delilah's hand into her own, not wanting to cause the child any MORE sorrow or stress, but to help her see CLEARLY for her own sake.::

Delilah, I was once where you are but I suspect YOU never had to make the choice to kill someone at the age of 11. I did! and would I do it again? YES. there was no time to debate the merits of it. My my innocence as virgin...my LIFE were at stake.

"Right and Wrong" are such subjective and often LIMITING concepts. I have learned that MANY times over since my time on earth AND in limbo.

"But, Ororo, I didn't have to. I'm a mutant for god's sake!

Yes. You did.

And he was a human.

and you are not? mutants in general are not?

I didn't need to kill - I could have turned him over to the authorities. I WANTED to kill him. And I can't live with that."

Bishop lured you into his plans with a ruse. He used your heart, your nobel, trusting spirit as a MEANS to achieve HIS own end, child. When you finally saw clearly, you had LITTLE time to cope with the pain of the BETRAYAL from his deceit and the PARAMOUNT task of saving Silver Swan and The Six was at hand! You put your own feelings aside and you ACTED just as you should have to protect your friends...your FAMILY.

The outcome, as i said earlier, would have been MUCH worse had Bishop lived. His crusade would have grown from a one man vigilante act into some kind of rabid movement on par with the "burning times" in medieval europe. would that have been "RIGHT" to you, Delilah?

I have been where you are. I have FELT the pain of guilt, the LOSS of "innocence". It was in fact the last bitter lesson of Belasco's when I killed HIM to avenge my x-men and protect a crosstime alternate of Morgan (Magik) from his violating touch. My soul was forever tainted by dark magick. But what would have been worse? adhering to some rigid concept to exclusion of all else and watching somebody who needed my help DIE?

Delilah shook her head and turned away again as she whispered.

"All they see is betrayal."

Fond as I am of you, my child, I must confess that I find your blind devotion and resulting guilt to this man to be rather disturbing. It is taking so much away from you...to the point that you've robbed your FAMILY of the chance to try to help you!

As we speak, Alison, Haleigh and Persephone wait together. Alison contacted Morgan and she immediately arrived there and is waiting with them. They are waiting for you. you cannot speak OR assume for them Delilah. just as YOU have been given a precious 2nd chance, you must put aside this emotional dischord you have allowed into yourself and give THEM the chance to be there for you.

 

[MorningStar]

Because, child. To whom much is given...much is required.

She turned her head back to Ororo and sat up a little, the passion going back into her voice. Not quite anger...but urgency.

"Don't we deserve a real life too? Maybe I can't be the responsible one anymore. I'm just so...tired. Tired of...horrible things happening all around me and trying to stick my fingers in the holes in the dam. When I make a mistake, it affects the world and everyone around me. That is just so hard..."

Her voice trailed off. How could she make Ororo understand? Her mistakes cost lives - they weren't like other peoples'. She couldn't afford to lose her head, to let her emotions get the better of her. She just couldn't seem to get her old self back.

"Right and Wrong" are such subjective and often LIMITING concepts. I have learned that MANY times over since my time on earth AND in limbo.

"But how do I learn to believe that, Ororo? How can I?" she said softly.

She wasn't Haleigh. Haleigh could kill someone for the benefit of the world and not blink an eye or lose a single night's sleep. But Delilah didn't think she could ever be that way, as much as she might want to be.

Fond as I am of you, my child, I must confess that I find your blind devotion and resulting guilt to this man to be rather disturbing. It is taking so much away from you...to the point that you've robbed your FAMILY of the chance to try to help you!

"I...I can't talk to them about it. I'm too ashamed. I don't - I don't WANT to feel this way. And I can't see how they could understand why this bothers me so much. They don't understand, they never understood it. And if YOU can't - how could they ever? Especially now that I've lost Sharon to us anyway, after everything?"

As we speak, Alison, Haleigh and Persephone wait together. Alison contacted Morgan and she immediately arrived there and is waiting with them. They are waiting for you. you cannot speak OR assume for them Delilah. just as YOU have been given a precious 2nd chance, you must put aside this emotional dischord you have allowed into yourself and give THEM the chance to be there for you.

"I can't...not until I can move past this. Until then, it's like I'm betraying them all over again."

 

[Ororo]

Limbo- Ororo's citadle

"Don't we deserve a real life too? Maybe I can't be the responsible one anymore. I'm just so...tired. Tired of...horrible things happening all around me and trying to stick my fingers in the holes in the dam. When I make a mistake, it affects the world and everyone around me. That is just so hard..."

Ororo: Of course you do, child. I think of my own young, early life with the X-men. Though we had this tremendous responsibility resting on our shoulders...we were still wide eyed youth who wanted to LIVE our lives. we were HUMAN.

AS a human, you are bound to make mistakes. The mistakes you made have not had the negative impact on the world you feel they have...versus the WILLFULL, CALCULATED plans of a bigoted, hateful man bent on destroying an entire section of the human population....[Bishop]

"But how do I learn to believe that, Ororo? How can I?"

:: the young woman struggled to see Ororo's [and others like Haleigh or Alison] perspective on the concepts of "right and wrong".::

Short of living and learning? I do not know how else I could explain it. The good you have done, HOWEVER you may have had to go about it given the situation, far outweighs whatever "moral" consequence you might associate with it. You have to realize that in a world that you live, knowing what you know...things are not as simple...cut and dry as they might seem to a normal mortal. the "rules" set in a society that is at its core as corrupt as a rotten apple cannot govern you absolutely. you will box yourself in and make yourself less effective.


:: the young woman continued to remain ashamed, guilt ridden...::

"I...I can't talk to them about it. I'm too ashamed. I don't - I don't WANT to feel this way. And I can't see how they could understand why this bothers me so much. They don't understand, they never understood it. And if YOU can't - how could they ever? Especially now that I've lost Sharon to us anyway, after everything?"

:: as Ororo tried to encourage her to prepare to return to her waiting friends and family...::

"I can't...not until I can move past this. Until then, it's like I'm betraying them all over again."

:: Ororo sighed and looked upon Delilah. She had concern in her facial expression but her patience did not wane. She understood that Delilah had such high ideals and a strong conviction when it came to things like "right and wrong". Delilah didnt know it, but she TOTALLY reminded Ororo of HERSELF in earliest days following the manifestation of her mutant power over the weather, when she saw herself (and was worshipped) as a GODDESS, the caretaker of living things. She had such a strict view of taking another life....but circumstances FORCED that to change forever. She learned to adapt to the NEW reality and move accordingly. Delilah was not making that transition no matter HOW Ororo tried to appeal to her.::

:: pausing for a moment...a whispering wind flows through the mysterious citadle::

Tell me, child. What can I do to help you? You cannot go on like this and I will not allow you to remain here, hidden within these walls. That would not become you either.

 

[MorningStar]

Delilah sat up fully, and pulled her knees to her chest under the covers. As Ororo tried to explain her view of "the ends justify the means", Delilah rested her head on her knees, deep in thought.

Short of living and learning? I do not know how else I could explain it. The good you have done, HOWEVER you may have had to go about it given the situation, far outweighs whatever "moral" consequence you might associate with it. You have to realize that in a world that you live, knowing what you know...things are not as simple...cut and dry as they might seem to a normal mortal. the "rules" set in a society that is at its core as corrupt as a rotten apple cannot govern you absolutely. you will box yourself in and make yourself less effective.

Try as she might she didn't think she could learn to believe that whatever she did could be justified by making the world "a better place". As much as she wished she could, she just didn't believe that was in her.

She raised her head, and looked up into Ororo's concerned but wise face.

Tell me, child. What can I do to help you? You cannot go on like this and I will not allow you to remain here, hidden within these walls. That would not become you either.

She had secretly hoped she would be allowed to stay here is Ororo's Oasis, as she had once before in her time of need. She thought for a second. Then she started to speak, stopped, and started again.

"Ororo...couldn't...couldn't YOU take my guilt away? Couldn't you do something that would make me stop feeling like this?"

 

[Ororo]

Limbo- the citadle

"Ororo...couldn't...couldn't YOU take my guilt away? Couldn't you do something that would make me stop feeling like this?"

:: Ororo looked at her solemnly and did not speak for a few moments that seemed to last like MINUTES.::

Ororo: What you are asking of me, I cannot give. It would beyond wrong of me to tamper with you in such a way. corrupted by dark magick as i am, i still retain my sense of self and my role as "guardian" to the dark trinity, and indirectly to those closest to each manifestation of that trinity, would not allow me to do such a thing...not without extreme necessity.

and yet, for you, THIS IS extreme because it threatens to permanently hinder you from living effectively and having healthy relationships with others.

:: she stands up.::

There is one alternative.

:: turning her back and walking a few steps away, and then turning back to face Delilah.::

But it is one that comes with risk. One that YOU must undertake on your own.

You must consult with ATHENA...and HECATE. I believe THEY will be able to do for you what I must not.

Be prepared for once you go and appeal their aid, the descision they make could change you forever!

I can send you there, via the time stream and Hecate will return you to Morgan's timeline.

Is this what you want, child?

 

[MorningStar]

She looked into Ororo's face hopefully - if the weather witch could do this for her, all her problems would be over. And she could go...go back.

What you are asking of me, I cannot give. It would beyond wrong of me to tamper with you in such a way. corrupted by dark magick as i am, i still retain my sense of self and my role as "guardian" to the dark trinity, and indirectly to those closest to each manifestation of that trinity, would not allow me to do such a thing...not without extreme necessity.

Delilah's face fell, but she nodded in understanding. She wouldn't ask Ororo to do something harmful to her, that wouldn't be fair. But then...

Ororo's warnings fell on deaf ears. Delilah's face brightened.

"Athena!" she gasped. The idea of approaching the goddess again was daunting to say the least. But could it be possible? Would they help her?

Is this what you want, child?

She sat up straight, throwing the covers off her legs.

"Yes, oh yes. That's what I want."

It seemed there was hope, after all.

 

[Ororo]

Limbo- the citadle

:: Ororo did not show any outward reaction as Delilah's face brightened up. She was so hopeful, so EAGER at the prospect of talking to the goddesses. Desperation sometimes lead to extreme choices. Ororo HERSELF knew that well when she turned to dark magick to compensate for her own mutant power over the weather which had begun to wane during her prolonged stay in limbo when she first arrived with her xmen all those moons ago. it was a decision that FOREVER changed her. She could empathize with Delilah, but she hoped Delilah had at least heard her warning and considered it.::

:: Delilah emerged from her bed, and was all too ready.::

Ororo: Then prepare yourself for you have chosen to take a path that will forever change you. Good luck, child. be ready to face what comes with that change. and may you find the recovery you are looking for.

Till next time...and hopefully under better circumstances.

:: Ororo smiles as she lifts her hands which are now encased in sparkling green halos of magick, winds swirl around her as cloak and hair flow. thunder crashes as she weaves a pattern of power to send Delilah out of the citadle, out of the GARDEN and into Limbo itself but timing it JUST right that Delilah appears and is immediately encompassed by a stepping disc that happened to open where she was appearing. Delilah was sent into the time stream...through limbo where ANYTIME and ANYPLACE was possible. ::

 

[Seer]

and so

<< ALL times and places were possible through Limbo...and thus...just about any LIFE you could imagine yourself was possible as well. The Six had seen it before, cross time alternates, traveling back to the past...to the future and everywhere in between. They knew it was there and in some cases it benefited them while in others it haunted or even threatened their lives.>>

<< Delilah asked for and risked alot in order to be rid of this guilt that was haunting her, but it was a chance she was willing to take.>>

<< after a wild impossible ride that was dreamy as it was unbelievable, the woman found herself tumbling out of a disc and now laying out in front of The Parthenon...she HAD in fact arrived in "Ancient" times, right outside of Athena's legendary temple. She'd been here before, with her team mates. But now that she was here alone, for a vastly different reason...it had a very different feel about it.>>

<< she would now find herself inside the temple, to that massive marbe statue of Athena that sat on a throne in the middle of the grand hall.>>

meanwhile

Greece, Minerva's Mansion

<< another day has passed and the four women, and now zach wait within the mansion, they find ways to distract themselves through the day and the safety of the mansion, being with Alison again all help but they ALL wonder what is taking so long with Delilah! surely Ororo would inform them if something had went WRONG. she was not one for deceipt OR hiding things...so what was it then?>>

<< Alison's precognition continued to show a tremendous "gray area" surrounding all timelines...probable or remote...concerning Delilah.>>

<< the subject of informing Nicolas, Karen and Michael about Delilah had come up. Morgan was against the idea of informing her mother, not wanting to bring her out of semi retirement and seeing how happen she'd been with michael. but she was in favor of contacting nicolas.>>

<< and so the remaining 4 are once again in Alison's executive study, at dusk, deciding if they should contact Nicolas or not.>>

 

[Black Widow]

"Why SHOULD we tell him ANYTHING? HE'S the one who left! He doesn't CARE about us! He's off playing Prince of Darkness or whatever. Let him have his childish, selfish fun."

She argued bitterly, her layered anger at Nicolas showing. It wasn't just that he abandoned them, or that he chose Hellfire over them, though his deserting them opened old wounds about Cameron for Haleigh. It was more than that. 'Power without consequence' was very seductive. She had experienced that before. She had done as she pleased with no regard for others. It had been so very easy. The idea was alluring to her still, but the growth she had experienced during her time with the six would forever prevent her from returning to that lifestyle. She was better for it, and she didn't want to regress, but still, she secretly envied the freedom he suddenly had, that he could leave so easily and never look back, never feel the pull of responsibility that she felt. Haleigh herself could never leave that way. She considered this to be her family and was bound by love and obligation to protect them, to stay with them.

Zach took her hand gently, and she gave an annoyed sigh as she felt the resentment recede. Things had improved since Zach had arrived, for EVERYONE, but especially for Haleigh, and they all knew this was his doing. Though she had discouraged him coming, his powers were infinitely helpful. He had helped with subtlety, draining their anxiety and promoting a sense of hope, instilling a sense of calm among them. If he suffered under the weight of their emotions, he didn't let it show. Haleigh still had the dreams, and was still disturbed, but she didn't have anymore weeping fits and she could think and hear and talk about Delilah without having to struggle to keep her composure. She no longer needed to wear the stoic mask of self-control.

 

[Harbinger]

Minerva's mansion- Alison's study

:: Alison leaned back in her plush chair, with her fingers clasped under her chin w/ the two index fingers "steepled" up.::

Haleigh, he's not locked in some contract or anything. He choose to go spend time with his aunt, his only LIVING blood relative on the planet. surely you can understand why someone in that position might want to do that...especially given all that happened with Sharon and the rest of the team.

what REALLY bothers you? the fact that he took what probably was a very timely break, that he's with his aunt, whom you arent necessarily fond of or that his relationship to her granted him membership into the hellfire club?

Ultimately itll have to be decided by you three. Inspite of all his problems...and drama...he IS loyal to the team. But he also wants to know his aunt better. He wants to become a better, more effective fighter. I see that clearly. I wouldnt begrudge him of that

 

[Spellbinder]

Minerva's mansion

<< first Haleigh and then Alison >>

Haleigh, You said he LEFT with Dominique, not that you cast him out!

<< Morgan responded.>>

Both he AND Sharon left. Her departure was more acceptable? was that because you didnt like her and were glad to see her go?

<< Morgan couldnt help but wonder. she wasnt at all trying to be confrontational, BUT it was a reasonable curiosity given all that had happened during this last caper.>>

But with Nicolas there's almost this..."jealous" tone you have. I dont know...I think it was for the best that he did go with Dominique when he did. Maybe his time with her will have allowed him to work through some things. He was a tremendous asset to the team, brave...loyal...but there were times where he (like most of us at some point) rubbed more than a few of us the wrong way. and to be honest...SOMETIMES I think he WOULD be better off with her permanently. It would certainly make it harder for the Sisterhood to strike at us if ....when the truce comes to an end.

<< recalling some of her own not so pleasant moments with Nicolas....but then.>>

But BESIDE all that...

<< Morgan wrapped her arms around herself as she turned and looked out of one of the large viewing windows to the ocean>>

I just think he'd want to know. I think he'd want to be there for her, just like he was for Alison and Ava when they fell through one of my discs.

After all we've been through. You and I, Haleigh, are the only ORIGINAL members of the team on active duty (since Alison was now on "reserve" and residing in Greece) we've seen members come and go and those who have remained....we've all grown, come through some HARD times. Some of us have done terrible things that most would deem "unforgivable" but here we are just the same.

I just dont think we should shut him out on this.

I can place the call and tell him not to worry about coming. I think he cares enough about Delilah that he would want and deserves to know and unlike my mother and Michael, he is not "retired"...so that's another reason why I would rather inform him than the others.

 

[MorningStar]

Green halos of Ororo’s magick swirled about her. Delilah caught glimpses of the frightening world of Limbo before she felt that disorienting sensation and fell through one stepping disc and then out another.

She landed hard on the ground. Her vision clearing and having regained her “sea legs”, Delilah stood and brushed herself off. She found herself once again at the Parthenon – and not the hotel. And it wasn’t the modern tourist filled pile of rubble. She was back in ancient times. She looked down at herself to see that Ororo had thought to dress her in a modern but classically-inspired goddess dress.

The Temple of Athena loomed before her. She walked slowly, almost timidly inside, and was met by the massive statue of a seated Athena. Even in inanimate form, Athena’s strength and wisdom shone through.

Delilah took a deep, shakey breath. She had to do this, needed to do this. She couldn’t go forward without their help. She looked around her at the seemingly deserted temple. Her footfalls echoed against the smooth stone floor as she walked through the pronaos into the main temple and to the altar placed in front of the statue. There were several unlit lamps. Waving her hand over them, Delilah lit them and they flickered brightly.

No one appeared. She didn’t know what else to do, so she knelt and spoke to the air, a bit nervously.

“Goddesses Athena and Hecate…”

Her voice found strength as she continued.

“Athena you once vowed to watch over us and help us when the occasion called for it. Hecate, you are the origin of magick and Morgan Victoria is your living avatar. I call upon you both now, I beseech your help. The guilt over the human that I killed – it cripples me and cripples my team. Please, please use your power to free me from my guilt so I can once again do good in this world.”

She paused then, before adding.

“I know I have no right to ask you this, but this is too much for me to overcome on my own. I see no other way. Ororo has sent me to you, she believes I am worth your efforts.”

Delilah wasn’t so sure she agreed with Ororo on that.

And still nothing happened. She felt no different, and neither of the two imposing and powerful goddesses appeared to her. She stood, and with a last glance around her, turned and left the temple.

 

[Black Widow]

Alison: Haleigh, he's not locked in some contract or anything. He chose to go spend time with his aunt--

"Yes, he CHOSE to leave us, and all his problems here. He CHOSE her. Over US. He thought she could love him more, or better, or WHATEVER. He thought life would be better there than it was with us. Well I hope he's happy. I hope he's positively JUBILANT, while the rest of us here are floundering in our problems."

She replied with rancor. Alison tried to ask what was REALLY bothering her, insisting that this little 'break' of his was both timely and beneficial.

"Timely? TIMELY?!? After everything that's happened you think that NOW is the best time for him to leave us? With Morgan gone, and my near FINAL death and then Sharon leaving, and Cameron's depression over her departure, and Ava very well considering leaving herself, you think his abandonment was timely? He left at the WORST possible time. And what if my sister HAD left?? And then Delilah-- Then it would just be me here. I would have left the moment her heart stopped beating. and THEN who would stand in the gap for the humans?? We can't ALL be so cavalier. We have a responsibility to EACH OTHER more than anything. And he disregarded that."

Alison: He wants to become a better, more effective fighter. I see that clearly. I wouldn't begrudge him of that.

"Was the time I spent with him in the Danger Room REGULARLY not accomplishing that?"

Morgan: Haleigh, you said he LEFT with Dominique, not that you cast him out! both he AND Sharon left. Her departure was more acceptable? was that because you didn't like her and were glad to see her go?

"I wasn't glad to see her go," she insisted. "but Sharon needed time apart from us like she needed AIR in her lungs and Sharon is only RECENTLY a super. She wasn't born with this, she was born HUMAN, and she needs to come to terms with HERSELF before she can integrate into our group--"

Morgan: But with Nicolas there's almost this... 'jealous' tone you have.

She had tried to keep it under control, but apparently the ONE person she tried to keep it from most had picked up on it. Haleigh looked momentarily wary, but the expression passed. It was a truth she didn't want to articulate. The relationship between Haleigh and Nicolas was something that every single person had a stake in, and it affected Morgan most of all. They had broken Morgan's heart with it, and it was one of the only things Haleigh was ashamed of. So she didn't want to admit aloud that she missed him, or that she was hurt that he'd thought Dominique could possibly love him more than they could -- than SHE could. but that wasn't the ONLY thing that was bothering her about his absence. It was simply the only thing she didn't want to say in present company. There were plenty of other, less taboo concerns, so she focused on those, and said nothing of her jealousy that he just MIGHT actually be better off with his aunt.

Morgan: and to be honest... SOMETIMES I think he WOULD be better off with her permanently. It would certainly make it harder for the Sisterhood to strike at us if... when the truce comes to an end.

"Oh, is THAT so? Because I beg to differ. They [the sisterhood] are NOT fools. IF the truce ever ends and he is still there, they will end the truce because he is WITH them, and no longer poses a threat. Which means he will be AGAINST us. And he knows FAR TOO MUCH about all of us as it is. The longer he stays with them, the more like THEM he will become. Sure, he can be impetuous sometimes, but he has a good heart and he wants to be a good man. They lack the ability to encourage him to be a good man. They will destroy everything that is good in him, without really trying. Their philosophies alone will turn his heart as black as theirs. Sharon I don't worry about, Sharon is a grown woman, set in her convictions. But Nicolas is what, 23 years old now? He's young, malleable, and still a child to them. They will groom him and make a marionette of him and he'll never even know it because THEY have the ability to conceal their thoughts and intentions from him. Whether or NOT Dominique has the best of intentions... Malice is there, and she reigns supreme in Hellfire. She lets the other queens THINK they have clout, but only so she can use them. The Loyalty of the sisterhood is only as strong as DIANA wants it to be. Never forget that Malice accrues assets like Trump does real estate.... and now Nicolas is in HER house."

Morgan: I just think he'd want to know. I think he'd want to be there for her, just like he was for Alison and Ava when they fell through one of my discs.

[scoffing] "Yeah right. He knew more about her state of mind than any of the rest of us. If he'd given a damn about being there for her then, he'd be here in this room right now."

She said, but without much conviction. She knew Nicolas had been trying NOT to hear Delilah's thoughts, out of respect for the fact that Delilah herself didn't like him in her head. But Haleigh wished he hadn't. If he could have seen this coming, surely he would have said or done something. She didn't blame him, but the should haves were still eating at her.

Morgan: I just don't think we should shut him out on this.

"Fine, whatever. Tell him if you must."

She assented with a shrug. She had already grown tired of this discussion. All she REALLY wanted at this point was to see Delilah walk through the door. Why hadn't Ororo kept them updated, at least? This waiting game was nothing but wretched agony.