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*sigh* ok. Notes in warning. I've been told this has done
before. FINE. Also, this was NOT going in the direction I
thought it would, and it's... Just read it.
Dedicated to Lynxie, the EvilKitten and rabid Maddie fan.
Dawn is Breaking Madelyne Pryor sat on the beach and pondered many things. Above her the sun was slowly sinking to the horizon, golden light falling around her in splashes and puddles. There used to be days she was happy. Oh, there had been days of sadness even back then. But now she was always unhappy. Scott, Alex, Nathan, Nate, even that blasted Sinister and N'astirh left her. Men had a way of doing that, of course. Sand, sea, sun and a towel. And memories. Memories she didn't want, didn't need, tried to avoid, tried to get rid of--the conflicting thoughts collided and she sighed. [I wonder if I could make glass out of this sand...] The thought jarred against the others. A commonplace, normal-ish, mental comment, it slammed into her thoughts and she snorted. [And I'm sitting here, feeling sorry for myself. Great, Maddie, just perfect. Maybe if you sit here and wallow long enough, the tide will come in and drown your sorry ass.] "That's an esteemable thought, my dear." The voice came from behind, and without even turning, she knew who it was. Selene, Black Queen of the London Hellfire club. "I'm glad you're having fun playing in my mind. Get. Out." "My apologies." Selene yawned. "You were broadcasting so loudly, I thought you were looking for some help." "Well, excuse me. I'll just go broadcast over to Brazil." Madelyne felt suddenly incredibly angry at everything. She was on her feet, glaring at Selene in an instant. "And you can just go, go, go--flonq yourself!" She froze and clapped a hand across her mouth. "Flonq?" Selene raised an eyebrow, "My dear, you do know who originally coined such an... anachronistic phrase, don't you?" Blinking, Madelyne found herself unconsciously flinching away from the answer. "No. I just... heard it, somewhere." "Well..." Selene paused to collect her thoughts and smile a bit slyly. "It was--" "Wait. You know what? I don't care." Maddie turned away from Selene with a disinterested shrug and looked out on the ocean. "Unless it involves ritual disembowelment with blunt spoons and splintered toothpicks..." She let her voice trail off on a slightly hopeful note. Selene's surprised and slightly delighted laugh was somewhat muffled as the Black Queen attempted to put her hand over her mouth. "You, you sounded almost--" "Bored?" Madelyne turned and looked at Selene, standing poised in the sunlight and sneered inwardly. Selene lookd like so much shadow and stick figure. "Yes, I guess I am. You see, I'm tired of it, Selene. Tired of it all. Your games, this world, betrayal." She turned to look back at the sun, its light golden and red. "Tired of life, Madelyne? Is that it, you're wanting death to take over. Tired of being a burden for those around you, tired of being left behind and alone?" The Black Queen snorted. "You don't have the gumption to end it all." "Who said anything about ending?" "But..." Selene stared in shock at the silvery golden veil that sprang up around her pupil--her ex-pupil. The glittery wings looked newly-formed, almost real. "I'm going home, Selene." Madelyne looked at her scornfully. "You'd never understand that, of course." She reached out and ruffled the 'feathers' that glowed around her. Selene reached out to tap into the blocks and holds she'd placed on the redhead's mind and found herself locked out. Instead of the open and cracked shields that had been there but a moment before, something crystalline in nature, and beautiful to behold, protected Pryor's mind. It was then that she began to fear what Madelyne had become. "What are you?" "I am... I'm not sure, anymore." Madelyne turned to the sun again. "I am... Madelyne Pryor. The Phoenix." She finished in a whisper. "But--" "It *is* possible, child." The voice had changed, become colder, more ancient. As if at the beginning of the change, it HAD been Madelyne, but at the end... It was something else all-together. "I am the universe, I am life, I am death. I am love, I am--oh, fuck it. I'm the Phoenix and I'm going home." The silvery wings flared with red flames and folded around the form of Madelyne Pryor. There was a flash and far up in the air Selene could see something golden floating towards the sun. Then it was gone. --- end Note: the disembowelment line is directly quoted from Lynxie, who was growling at someone on IRC. It is used with permission. ;)
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