By: Lisa Anne Hetu
Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel Comics, and I'm using them without permission.
The character called Phoenix (Elizabeth Xavier), who later becomes Silent Rose, belongs to
me.
The winter was slow approaching, but the X-Men didn't notice. Since Shatterstar's death
from the Legacy Virus, there was no true happiness within the mansion. Beast had
blamed the whole thing on himself and, despite their hardest efforts, none of his team
mates could make him think otherwise. Beast had sworn off his medical duty
completely, and even locked the med lab permanently, the very day Shatterstar was
buried. Beast rarely ever spoke to anyone unless he was spoken to, which was very
much a complete opposite to the bouncing joyful Beast who would babble for hours if he
wasn't stopped. Even the flowery articulation had left his speech, and Phoenix, who was
one of Beast's truest friends, would cry to see him so zombified and so out of touch with
the world. You see, Beast grew slightly more insane as each day past; not raging and
out of control, but quiet and isolated, and Beast spent all of his time in his room because
he refused to leave it.
Phoenix opened Beast's window and looked out. "It's getting colder outside,
Hank," she told him, "Come to the window and see the trees; they're very pretty with all
those colors."
Phoenix turned around and faced Beast, who sat quietly on the edge of his bed.
Phoenix walked over to him and took him by the hand. "Don't you want to see outside?"
she asked.
"Yes, outside..." Beast mumbled.
Phoenix pulled slightly on Beast's hand and guided him over to the window. "See
the pretty colors, Hank?" Phoenix said, trying to make him speak.
"It's cold, it wasn't cold the last time I went out" Beast said quietly.
"When was the last time you went out Hank?" Phoenix said, asking simple
questions to see if he was still in touch with reality.
"Shatterstar's funeral," Beast said, "That was less than three months ago, don't
you remember?"
"Yes, I remember," Phoenix said, "Listen, I have to go for now, think you'll be
okay?"
"Yes" said Beast, sitting in his chair, "close the window before you go, please"
"Okay, Hank" Phoenix said.
Phoenix was in her room, wiping away tears from thinking of Beast. She had sent
Wolverine away so she could be alone for a while. Phoenix usually met up with
Wolverine some time after visiting Beast, and he had always been there to give her a hug
and let her cry for a bit. Phoenix tossed her tissue into her waste basket, and sat heavily
on the edge of her bed. "Elizabeth Xavier, come with us" said a voice.
Phoenix looked up to see a few women, all identical, but nothing like she'd ever
seen before. "Who are you? How did you get in my room?" Phoenix said.
"No time to explain; your uncle has discovered that some of your team still lives
and he is coming to destroy this building." said one.
"Oh my God, the X-Men will die, I have to warn them!" Phoenix gasped, turning
toward her door.
"You can't help them, you must come" said another, grabbing her arm while the
third took her other arm.
"No, let me go!" cried Phoenix pulling against them with no luck, then, with a
scream, the room and the rest of her world disappeared.
Mother Askani watched over the child who had been brought into her world as she
had asked. The child was barely 20 years of age, younger than she had been in her time.
Slowly the child awoke, and jumped up in bed to find she was somewhere she had never
been. "Where am I?" she cried.
"Calm down child, you are safe, I am Mother Askani, here to help you."
"Mother, I don't know where I am, or where I came from, or even who I was and
who I am now." said the child.
Mother Askani smiled. "Don't be alarmed child, I will tell you all you need to know."
The child sat quietly in her bed, light shining on her short brown hair, and blue
eyes. Her only clothing was a robe that she wore under the blankets of the bed. "This
isn't your time child, but I have brought you here so you can save your friends from your
time. When it is time for you to return, it will be in the past and you won't be who you
were. You will be sent to change the future and save it from disaster. Who you were, no
longer exists, and therefore you have no need of this information. Anything you know
about your past, will come to you through memory, but I warn you child, anything you
recall won't tell you about your past; it will only be information you need in order to
succeed in your new mission, and it won't be much."
Mother Askani took a few paces and continued. "Your name is Rose Sunray
Askani'Child. It is the name you will go by here. You will remain here until it is time for
you to return to your father, who has already traveled back in time. While he grew up
here, your father's name was Nathan Dayspring Askani'Son. In time you will remember
him. Now come, I will teach you about your powers."
Rose Sunray Askani'Child was a telepath like her father, although she didn't share
his power of telekinesis. Rose could fly, unlike her father, and she was taught how to fly
safely and gracefully. One of Rose's blue eyes (the left eye) was covered by a round-
shaped visor. This eye could project a green kinetic beam, energy which was stored in
her body and given to her by the sun. Rose was like a plant in this way. Rose was
taught to control the strength and direction of her kinetic blasts, and just in the nick of
time.
The Clan Askani lived in a mountain-type surrounding along with many wild
creatures such as Griffins and Dragons. Rose was out flying one day for fun, when a
griffin came through her path. Rose had never been this close to a griffin before and
became frightened, but still she attacked as she had been taught. Her green kinetic
beam shot from Rose's left eye, but being frightened as she was, Rose shot the beam at
the griffins chest instead of it's eye where she was meant to aim, and she hadn't blasted
the griffin as hard as she wanted to. The griffin was angry that Rose had shot it, so it
attacked her. Two seconds in the sky and the griffin had caught Rose by the neck,
piercing her throat with one of it's great talons. Rose barely was able to grab the knife
that was always in it's pocket tied just above her knee, and stabbed the griffin. Mother
Askani watched Rose fall from the sky as the griffin flew away screeching in pain. Mother
Askani and a few others from the clan came to Rose and saw that she had sliced off the
griffin's talon that had been lodged in her throat. Rose should have died from the griffin
attack, but the only thing keeping her from bleeding to death was the talon lodged in her
throat. Therefore the Clan Askani was able to save Rose's life with a price. Rose would
never speak again.
"Rose, are you awake child?" Mother Askani nudged Rose.
Rose opened her eyes to find a bandage around her neck and Mother Askani
watching over her. When she tried to answer nothing came out, not even a whisper.
"Don't try to speak child, you cannot," Mother Askani said, "We were able to save
your life, but the griffin's talon pierced your throat right through to your voice box and
damaged it. In order for your throat to heal properly we had to remove your voice. Your
mission will have to be delayed a while longer child, because you must heal first and I
must teach you about your telepathic powers, something I hadn't anticipated. Now,
because of your accident, it is necessary. Your telepathy will help you to speak."
Mother Askani looked down upon Rose and saw her sadness. So, Mother Askani
tried to cheer Rose up by saying "The Clan has given you a nickname while you were
asleep, your new nickname is Silent Rose. This name you will always remember, no
matter what time you are in; keep it well."
Rose smiled in thanks.
Silent Rose woke up the next morning, and sat up in bed. No one was around
watching over her any longer. She reached up to feel the bandage around her throat and
winced at the slight pain that still remained. Rose tied her robe around her and tried to
call out to the Mother Askani. The silence reminded her that she could no longer speak,
but she needed Mother's help. Rose closed her eyes and tried to give in to the voice of
her mind, tried to let it ring out in the ears of anyone she could reach. As best she knew
how, Rose called out telepathically #Mother, if you can hear me, I need your help.#
#Rose, I will get Mother for you, I hear your call.# said the voice that answered
back in her mind.
Soon Mother Askani came to Silent Rose. "I'm proud of you, my child, you are
teaching yourself to speak again," said Mother Askani, "On your own, you are able to
reach out to the other telepaths, therefore I will not delay your mission. You are as ready
as you need to be."
Silent Rose shook her head vigorously. "Do not be afraid Rose, with help from
fellow telepaths you will learn to speak to non-telepaths as well."
Rose smiled and held out a finger, asking Mother Askani to wait with her for a
minute. Mother Askani sat on the edge of the bed with Rose and Rose called out
#Sister's, I need a voice from one of you to talk to Mother.#
Suddenly one of the Askani sister's came in. "Rose, I will be your voice."
#Ask Mother if Jean Grey is one of the telepaths, whom she speaks of.# said
Rose telepathically.
"Mother, Rose wants to know if Jean Grey is a telepath of whom you spoke." said
the Askani.
"Yes Rose, Jean is one of them, one of your friends," said Mother Askani, "I see
your memory serves you well. Now come and we shall send you on your journey."
Silent Rose walked around that morning and, with the help of a fellow telepath,
spoke to the Clan Askani. Rose said good-bye to all her friends and she gave a special
hug to her Mother. Rose was afraid to begin her journey, but she knew it was necessary.
Slowly, Rose began to remember all her X-Men friends - Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine,
Jean, Psylocke, Rogue, Storm, Gambit, Cannonball, and her father Cable - and she knew
that one time, she cared for them all, and that she wouldn't let any harm come to them
now. Silent Rose knew that her journey would be a long and tedious one, but she also
knew that in the end, her mission would be worth it. With this thought in mind, her
sadness faded into a feeling of joy, but she didn't know that as soon as she was brought
back to her time, the Askani would no longer exist in her mind. With a smile to the Clan
Askani, Silent Rose nodded to the two that would bring her home, indicating that she was
ready to leave. They took her gently by the arms, and as before, in a time she barely
remembered, Silent Rose watched the world around her fade into nothingness. It
seemed that this time, however, the transition was alot less frightening because
somehow she remembered an older girl, so much like herself, but different, screaming
and crying with a distinct feeling that she would never see her friends alive again. Silent
Rose wondered if that feeling, the time before, would be proven otherwise if she had
anything to do with it.
THE END
