Early in the morning. Everyone of the students at the academy rose, and dressed in black, and we slipped in silence across the lawn. Even Penance joined us. Each of us wore black clothing that concealed us easily. In my hands I held a small wooden bottle that held pure forest bone, liquidized, and a single, perfect, red rose. Jono and I, inseprable since our ordeal, walked along side eachother to my garden. When we got there. I murmured a few words in rememberance of my daughter, and the forest that now protected her more strongly than ever. We each placed our roses at the foot of the tree, and I poured the Forest Bone over the tree's leaves, and they grew a little bit more.

We walked calmly back to the mansion, and got breakfast. It was this one day out of the that all of the forests across the world slept in silence. I was morose and quiet. And didn't speak very much throughout the entire day. When I did, it was in whispers to Jono, and Jono only.

That night, I walked down the stairs to my bedroom, Jono a little bit behind me. We moved off and went our seperate ways.

When I awoke, I was still tired, and my sight was blurry. I sensed something amiss, but it was too late, and I couldn't fight he who had come to me. Sabretooth. "DELPHINA, RUN!!!!!" Jubilee yelled. I tried, but he was too quick for me, and we were both knocked out.

Why he had taken Jubilee, who faced so much hell already, I do not know. Not after what Zero:Tolerance did to her. But I knew that Sabretooth was trying to get the information out of us about him. And would do anything. But he would not kill us, he needed us for the info that we could provide.

I sat there, with Jubilee's head in my lap. Staring at the metal of the wall in the cell. I then got a good look at what I now wore. Black clothe. A leotard, and pant legs that fell from my mid-thigh down. The same went to the sleeves of my arms. I turned my head and saw a young man lying there. Handsome features. fairly dark skin, hispanic, black hair, and I thought were beautiful eyes. Slowly his eyes opened to reveal brown ones, very beautiful brown eyes. "You new right chica?" He asked. I nodded solomnly. "Oh, name's Jose, and you are?" He asked, his accent thick, reminding me of Everett. "Delphina, this is Jubilee," I stated calmly. "So what'd you do to get here?" "I am a shapeshifter," he replied. "What about you?" "Jubes can do pyrotechic blasts, and I do this light thing that involves the elements. I dunno what its called though." I answered.

"Hey, Jose, who're you taking to?" Came another voice, distinctly female. "The new girls. One of 'ems still asleep, the others named Delphina," he stated. I lay Jubilee down, and got up, and walked over to the field that stopped us from getting to the other side. "What the hell is this?" I asked, rather stupidly. "That's the ebb field. Stops our powers, can't use them in here," he stated. "Oh happy day," I murmured, walking down to the other end of the cell. I heard a groan behind me, and I dutifully returned to Jubilee's side. "Not again," she moaned. "I feel the pain my sista', but there's nothing to be done about it," I stated solomnly. "Yo, Jose, where are we?" I asked. "None of us know really," he stated. "Well, that's a help," I remarked. I left Jubilee to herself, and fell into meditation, trying to get through to someone.

I succeeded, and was told that help would come, by a female. I pulled free from it, and explained this Jubilee. A moment later, I man came in. "Aaah, you awaken my pretties. I am Bloodscream, enjoy your stay here," He purred to Jubes and I, before becoming a sharp cruel human. "Today, you shall be tested. You will not resist, and if you die, you will die knowing that you died for humanity." The ebb fields were dropped and this big stupid guy with the IQ of a paper clip came in. No, wait the paper clips too intelligent, a rubber band; that's better.

He dragged me with everyone else along through halls and up lifts and stair cases. Only to be strapped to a table and be subjected to extreme pain. But I refused to show any signs of pain. I had been told by my many masters that showing pain is a sign of weakness, and it is, it truly is. But this was new. It felt like my body was on fire, like I was gonna explode. And then something frightening happened. I exploded. A psiconic blast much like Jono's blew my stomach open. And remained dominent. My wild eyes showed fear, and I was seriously frightened. I looked down, and my stomach was missing. But I was still alive. I apparently had a very strong blast. Because I knew that I would never eat. And end up living off of my psiconic energy like Jonothan.

The blast had blown away my bindings, and everyone elses. We ran, but I made a wrong turn, and slammed into a young man, similar features to Bloodscream's, but yet not like his. I gasped. He looked at me a moment, and grasped me by the wrist. "Come on," he said, dragging me to a side lab, much smaller than the ones I had been subjected too thus far. He rummaged around in a drawer, and came out with a roll of clothe. He cleaned the wound, and wrapped the clothe around me. I thanked him, and asked who he was. He pushed some of his spikey red hair behind one ear. His green eyes surveying me. "I'm Starma. Bloodscream's son," he said solomnly. "Listen, you need to get out of here. This place is gonna blow. I think your father realizes that, but he doesn't care. He couldn't, he's grown to cold," I explained with a harshness, and desperation in my tone. I grabbed his arm, and tried to pull. He followed, and we made the inital escape that freed us. We landed in eachothers arms. Looking at the desperation, something happened and we connected for a moment. My lips touching his. And all agony was lost.

A moment later, Hank came out to meet me. I realized that Starma had gone, but left a small piece of paper in his place. I picked it up, and followed Hank back weakly. The others went home to their parents, and Jubes sat up front with Logan. I knew Jono was behind me, but I didn't care. I began crying, first lightly, then sobs of agony and angst. First I lose my daughter, then my ability to eat, to breathe. Just live off of my psiconic energy. 'Life hates me.' I thought, over and over again. I heard Jono get up, walk from the room.

Remy opened the door a moment later. "Hey Delphina," he said. "Just Delphi," I mumbled loud enough for him to hear. "Okay Delphi. Jono said you were bummed. Wanna talk p'tite?" He asked. "How would you feel if you lost your only daughter and then your ability to function as a normal human in a span of six monthes?" I asked, challenging him. "Devastated mon chere, devastated," he said quietly. "So don't tell me to feel better. I'll feel bad if I want. My life is over. Just kill me now. Why could I have just been killed when manifested itself? Why?!" I asked to really no one in peticular.

When we arrived back at the Mass. Academy, Logan, carrying me, Jono, and Jubilee emerged from the craft, walked solomnly across the ground. I was still sobbing into my father's shoulder, refusing to stop. Logan carried me down into my basement. But Emma stopped him. Saying that everyone, even Jono was moving into the upper quarters. "Ma'am, can I at least keep my nocturnal herbs down there. They need the dark," I asked quietly. "Of course. Logan, she's in the girls part of the attic," she said to him. And he carried me up the stairs. Apparently Jono was up there too, but in the boys part.

When we got there, I discovered that my furniture had been moved, and even my herbs were up there. Logan walked across the room, and lay me down in futon. I fell asleep almost instantly, and didn't awake until much later.

I opened my eyes, and heard some soft guitar playing in the next room. I recognised the song as one from my childhood:
The sky, the blue sky A murmuring voice Your dreams are now turning the wheel of stars I am always nowhere That is how I felt Until I sensed your eyes upon me. There is only one eclipsed moon in the corner of my heart. Shine down brightly enough to light up the narrowest of paths

I caught my breath, and opened the door a little, I saw Jono playing the song. Softly I opened the door a little more, and sang quietly. "Your dreams are now turning wheels of stars," I sang sweetly. He stopped and looked up at me. :You know this: He 'sounded' suprised. "Yeah, when I was a little girl, I lived with my grandparents, and Grandmum used to ding this to me," I explained. I looked away for a moment. "Things will never be the same, will they?" I asked quietly. He looked up me. :No, they won't, not for you anyways: he said quietly. :But you will eventually get used to it.: "How, when. I'll never be able to eat again, or breathe. My life is over Jono, can't you see?" I asked, more to myself than to him.

He looked at me a moment. :Why have you chosen me?: He asked. :To be a friend. When I'm just a freak?: "Jonothan Starsmore, you are not a freak. You are a beautiful young man, and might a say, you are hot as hell. You are not a freak. I on the other hand, blew half my stomach out, I have big feet, enormous hands, and I can't manage to lose ten pounds. I am the freak," I said flatly, without interruptions. I think I scared him. A moment later, a very large crashing sound emenated from my room. Realizing about the dangers of my herbs, I raced back into my adjacent bedroom to face a very angery Paige Guthrie. "What are you doing with Jono?!" She demanded. "Huh?! Nothing, we were just talking. . ." I started. "No, don't give me that Delphina. That boy is mine," she started. "WHAT?!?! Okay, I'll admit, I think he's hot as hell. But its not like I'll go to bed with him or anything. Sex isn't an easy thing when the guy doesn't have li. . ." I managed to stop myself, and calm down enough to speak in a kind tone.

"Paige. Look. I respect your relationship with Jono. He's just. . . A close friend in my eyes. And no, I haven't had sex willingly before, just the one rape. . . I'm getting ahead of myself here. Look, if Jonothan has an interst in me, that's his desicion. But I have no desire to have an influence on his heart. As much I want to be his, and he mine own. I respect and care for him enough to let him make his own desicions," I explained solomnly, it hurt me, but I needed to admit this to myself as much as to Paige.

I then turned to see Jono standing in the door, I blushed deeply, and turned to run and take sanctum in my garden. I got there moments later, and fell to my knees. I didn't know who I had, or what weapons I had to fight with anymore. I withdrew the piece of paper from by bra, and opened it up. There was a note:

D, this is Starma, meet me at the foot bridge on the fifteenth of may; at 9 PM.

That was in two hours. I turned after a moment, I looked at Juniper, and began walk towards the house to change my clothes. It would take me two hours to walk there, as we were fairly isolated.

I changed quickly in a skirt and a t-shirt, and a pair of black boots. I pulled my hair up, and put my watch on. I moved in silence down the stairs, and out the door. I moved quickly across the ground, and into the silent woods. The only sounds were their whispering in my ears. I embraced it, and closed my eyes for a moment, leaning against a tree, and thinkng about my two years in Ireland, and how I would run through the woods after school, and get home to Grandmother, and Grandfather for an evening filled of work on various matters that humanity had since forgotten to attend.

I glanced at my watch, I had lost five minutes, and I began running harder. Sprinting and attempting not to break an ankle in these boots. I got to towne in the appointed time, and made my way to the bridge. He met up with me a moment later. "D, I need your help," Starma explained. "Dad's planning on killing Professor Xavier and taking his place. I need you get in contact with him, and tell him this, explain what's going to go down in 200 hours from now. For there will be no stopping Bloodscream at that point." "Of course, I can get the Professor to a place of safety. And keep him there, and contact everyone. I understand that time grows short, thank you Starma," I said, before kissing him on cheek, and starting the long and strenuous journey back home.

I got there, and made a phone call, pacing back and forth until Ororo picked up. "Ororo, get Professor Xavier on the line please," I requested, an urgency in my voice that was beyond most. She nodded, and put the call on his line. "Hello Delphina," he said. "Professor, a man named Bloodscream is coming in two humdred hours to kill you, and take your place. I called so that that could be prevented." I explained my tone in pure desperation. "I understand, but I do not have many hiding places," he explained. "I know one where you's be welcome Professor. It's at my maternal grandparents' house in Ireland," I explained solomnly. He understood, and the Professor had Logan drive me down there to tend to such things. I took care of it, and the Professor and I were soon on a plane for Dublin.

I took care of the Professor, and was settling back into my life, when Starma, Jubilee, Jono, Paige, Monet, Everett, Angelo came in contact with me. We were walking calmly along through the woods when we were overwhelmed my wolves. I stopped them, muttering about injured innocent creatures; and how people reacted to them based on stories and not experience. I moved softly forward, and leaned down, hte wolf bared it teeth at me, but I calmed it, stroking it and coaxing it. I finally got the advantage, and distracted it while I moved, and pulled the thorn from his front paw. He almost bit me, but I calmed him, and let them go.

"There, see, no harm done, just helping a fellow creature," I said, before many millions of small glowing lights dropped before me. And one of them, larger than the others dropped forward. "Delphina. What you have done just now, and have done in the past are noble. But in order to set things straight, and destroy Bloodscream. You must go through Ryukan's trials. Go forth, and heed my words. You are entering a beautiful, but deadly place. Beware." She then, and then, the forest was quiet for a moment, and the fareys dissapeared. Everything was normal for a moment, and then we were slammed screaming from our resident place, and brought to a new and challenging world.