Title: Animal and Elemental
Author's Note: I want to point out that Mona Leia made the image of Oriana used in the top banner. She's so awesome. :D * * * * * Chapter One A pink and black wolf with icy blue eyes trotted over the snow, sniffing at the air thoughtfully. She sneezed and snorted. Being near the road meant that a lot of dust got kicked up by passing trucks. Her nose was very sensitive. At least, when she was a wolf it was. She probably should have chosen the form of a falcon, but feathers weren’t as warm as fur. Luna’s ears perked up when she heard the roar of an engine in the distance. She closed her eyes and reopened them as a human, wearing her dark overcoat and black boots. She pulled the coat tighter about herself and waved at the dot of a vehicle in the distance. The truck drew closer and closer. It passed her at seventy miles per hour, sloughing snow onto her coat. She exclaimed and jumped back growling. “Thanks for nothing!” she screamed. She huffed and slapped the snow off of her coat, mumbling, “I’ll never get a ride this way.” She ran a hand through her short, pink and black hair, keeping her eyes peeled for another car. She didn’t know why she kept her hopes up. Even when a car did pass on this deserted stretch of road, they didn’t stop. She heard another engine, but the sound did not strike her ear until it was almost upon her. Her hearing was not as keen in human form. She waved her arms and jumped up and down. “Please stop,” she muttered. “Please stop.” The dark blue car screeched to a halt, and the passenger door opened. She hopped in without even looking at the driver. “Oh God,” she said, putting her nearly frozen hands to the heater. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell—” She stopped dead and stared at the man in the driver’s seat. His hair was dark and in some bizarre, horned style. His eyes were narrow but somehow large and very, very sharp. He was watching her closely. Even sitting down he seemed tall, and he was certainly well-muscled. Luna gulped nervously. “My name is Luna Cringe,” she said timidly. “Logan,” the man said, looking back to the road and accelerating down the highway. “And don’t mention it.” “Mention what?” she asked distractedly. “Picking you up,” he said. “It’s no problem.” “Oh,” she said, regaining her senses. His looks had shocked her at first, partly in their individuality and partly in their handsomeness. She was focused again now. “Where are you going?” “Where are you going?” he countered almost playfully but without a hint of a grin on his face. “I don’t know,” she said. “Away from the snow.” “Sounds like a plan,” he grumbled. “I’m going to Xavier’s Institute for the Gifted. I’m supposed to take you with me.” “What?” she asked, on guard at once. “I’m going to be straight with you,” he said. “I was sent here to pick you up.” “By who?” she snarled. She grabbed the door handle and jerked it, but the door was locked. “Stop the car! Let me out!” Logan gripped the steering wheel with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other. “Stop,” he said forcefully. “I don’t know what you want from me,” she seethed. “And I don’t want to know. You’re one of them, aren’t you!? You want to take me away and test me! Cut me open and figure out how I tick. Well, I don’t think you know what you’re in for.” Her voice deepened into a baritone growl, bordering on a roar. She sneered at him with a pink and black muzzle, her teeth bared and her ears pinned back. A set of razor-sharp claws ejected from the knuckles of the hand gripping her paw, and she froze. Logan, having stayed perfectly calm, grinned at her. “I wouldn’t if I were you,” he said. His expression softened. “You aren’t the only one.” The lioness stared at him and slowly morphed back into a very frightened and broken looking woman. “Who is Xavier?” she asked, her voice shaking. “A man who can help you,” Logan said. Luna nodded and decided to stay silent for the time being. * * * * * A tall, slender women walked down the side of the road, blowing on her gloved hands ever few moments, trying to keep them warm. Her long, gold and silver streaked hair was pulled back in a lose pony tail that hung down past her waist. "Blast this cold weather," she said to herself. She pulled off her right glove and produced a small fire ball which instantly warmed that hand. She brought her left hand next to it and sighed as they finally felt warm. Oriana's eyes, one gold and one silver, picked up the sight of car headlights coming towards her. She quickly put out the fire in her hand and slipped her glove back on, covering her gold painted fingernails. Many cars had passed by Oriana on this road, and she had given up trying to get one to stop. She ignored this car as it grew closer to her, and her eyes dropped to the ground before her. The car came up beside her, then stopped. Oriana stopped walking and brought her head up and looked at the dark blue car that had stopped. She could make out two figures already sitting in the car. The window rolled down on the passenger’s side. "Are you going to stand out there admiring the car, or are you going to get in?" a male’s voice came. Oriana had to grin at the comment and went back to the passenger side door and opened it and climbed into the back seat. She scooted over to the middle seat and looked at the two people in the front seat. "Thanks," she said, looking from the man to the woman. The women turned and ice blue eyes met the gold and silver ones of Oriana. The women had somewhat of a frightened look in her eyes, and Oriana began to wonder if it was such a good idea getting into this car. "How far can you take me?" she asked, turning towards the driver. "The three of us are going to the same place," the man said as Oriana raised an eyebrow. "Xavier’s Institute for the Gifted. It’s not much farther down this road." "What if I want out before then?" Oriana asked. "Sorry, can't help you there. Both of you are supposed to be coming back with me," the man said, glancing in the rearview mirror. Oriana slid her hand towards the door handle and pulled on it but found it locked. "What is with you people and wanting to jump out of moving cars today?" he said, shaking his head slightly. Oriana's gold and silver eyes narrowed to slits as she pulled off her gloves. "I suggest you stop the car and let me out, now," she said, her voice harsh and commanding as a fire ball appeared in the palm of her hand which was next to the man’s head. "I suggest you put that fire out," he said and quickly put his hand in the back seat. Knives came out of his knuckles and touched Oriana's neck. Oriana swallowed and closed her palm, making the fire ball go out. "Good," he said, pulling his hand back up front, the knives going back. Oriana refused to let either of these people know just how scared she felt right now. "Since I seem to be stuck with you two, you might as well know my name," she said, sitting back in her seat. "I'm Oriana Lujayn." "Logan," the man said. "This is Luna Cringe. And that is where we are going," he said as the car turned down a long driveway. Oriana's eyes widened as she realized that the Institute was a mansion. Luna shared the wide-eyed expression, leaning toward the passenger window to gaze up at the building. “That’s the institute?” she asked Logan. “It’s huge.” “Yep,” Logan said simply, driving toward the parking garage. “Remind me of why I was trying to escape?” Oriana asked herself aloud. Luna snickered and looked back at her. “Some predicament, eh?” “You said it,” Oriana laughed, sounding breathless and amazed. “Last stop,” Logan said. He unlocked their doors and shut of the engine. “Aren’t you afraid we’ll run?” Luna asked, wondering if that was a wise question. “No,” he said. “Because, one, where would you go? Back on the road?” Luna and Oriana both looked embarrassed and shook their heads. “And, two,” Logan continued, grinning, “you couldn’t run if you wanted to.” Luna narrowed her eyes and got out the car, and Oriana followed. ”Which way, oh generous tour guide?” Luna asked Logan with boredom. “That way,” he said, pointing to a door across the garage. Oriana came up beside Luna. "Such a grand entrance," she said as the three of them entered the garage and then into the building. Oriana and Luna both looked around the halls with wide eyes. "I've never been in a place with this big in my entire life," Oriana said. "You can gawk at it later," Logan said. Oriana shot him a glare. "Right now, Professor Xavier wants to see you." Oriana shared a glance with Luna as the two followed Logan down the hall then into a large room. A bald man with a kind face sat behind a desk and smiled as the group walked in. "Please, have a seat," he said, motioning towards the chairs in the room. Oriana sat down and crossed her legs, leaning back in the seat, looking like she’d been here a thousand times, while Luna sat up straight and still looked a little nervous. “I bet you’re wondering why you are here,” Xavier said, smiling with a twinkle in his eye. “You could say that,” Luna said, feeling the urge to transform into some animal and protect herself. “You are here because you are mutants with spectacular gifts,” he said, sounding proud of them for simply being alive. “And I am here to help you learn to harness these gifts for the good of all.” “Who said we needed help?” Oriana asked defensively. “Are you saying you do not feel lost in a world of humans?” he asked. “Exhibiting strengths and powers you are only beginning to, and may never fully, understand?” “I get along all right,” Luna said. They jerked at the sound of the door opening. Five newcomers stepped into the room. Two men and three women. The first man to enter was conventionally good looking and wore red sunglasses. Two women came in after him. One had blazing red hair and a tall, supermodel build. The second had creamy, dark skin and white hair. The contrast was stark enough to make Luna stare a moment. When a blue man with yellow eyes and a tail entered the room, she stared at him instead, freezing up. She felt a bit more at ease when a young girl entered, her hair brown save one white streak, roughly the same shade as the dark-skinned woman’s. Xavier smiled. “I’d like you to meet some of the residents of this school,” Xavier said, gesturing to each as he said their names. “Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops. Jean Grey. Ororo Monroe, also known as Storm. Kurt Wagner, also known as Nightcrawler, and Rogue.” “Rogue?” Luna asked, smirking. “Are you telling me her parents named her that?” Rogue glared a moment but Xavier put up a hand to still her obvious irritation. Oriana grinned. "So what is it your offering us exactly?" "A warm place to stay, with people just like you, who won’t judge you. And a chance to learn how to use your gifts to their full potential," Xavier said with a warm smile. Oriana glanced at Luna then back towards Xavier. "Well, I’ll stay for a little while, just to see what it’s like here. But if I don't like, I'm gone," she said. Xavier nodded. "That is perfectly acceptable." Xavier turned his head towards Luna, who looked at each of the people gathered and shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said. She stood with her back to the Professor, ready to walk out the door. “Where will you go?” Xavier asked, his wheelchair edging closer to her. “Back on the road?” “Firstly, it’s none of your business,” Luna said, turning on him. “Secondly, I’ve done well enough on my own.” “I can see that,” he said gently. “But wouldn’t you want a bit of security? Just once?” “Just try it,” the blue man named Nightcrawler said behind her. “We don’t bite.” “You sure about that?” she asked, eyeing him carefully. “No,” Logan said. “But you have no other choice, do you?” Luna glared at him. “Fine. You’re on. But I’m not making any promises.” “We aren’t expecting any,” Xavier said, grinning. “Welcome to the Institute. Cyclops, Storm, show them their rooms.” Oriana grinned and stood up as Cyclops and Storm lead Luna and herself down the hall towards their rooms. "This is your room." Cyclops said, stopping as Strom took Luna one door down and showed her into her room. Cyclops opened the door to Oriana's room, and her eyes went wide. The room was huge! "Wow…" she said, glancing around. She walked over to the bed and flopped down onto it. "This is nice. Sure beats sleeping on the road." She sat up and glanced at Scott, whom she thought was very handsome. "If you need anything, let me know," he said. "Okay, I will." "Go ahead and get settled in. Supper is not for an hour and a half." With that he left, closing the door behind him. * * * * * Luna crept into the room, eyeing it cautiously. She heard Storm let out a slight laugh and turned. “What’s so funny?” Luna asked defensively. “Only a memory,” Storm said, her Kenyan accent soothing. “I remember that I was once like you. Distrustful of the kindness of others. I still am, but I learned to feel at home here.” Luna nodded and put her hand on the dresser by the door, touching it almost as if to make sure all of this was real. She looked at Storm again, furrowing her brow. “How did you first get here?” Luna asked her. “I picked the Professor’s pocket,” she said, grinning. “Then, I became a Goddess among my people. Then, I was taken in by the Institute.” “That’s insane,” Luna said with disbelief. “Tell me about it,” Storm said, smirking and leaving the room. She closed the door behind her, leaving Luna to her thoughts. And, oddly, her thoughts were of Logan, the mysterious, clawed man. She began to wonder all at once if he had actually wanted to help her, or if he was following orders. And what about her sudden companion, Oriana? She seemed to have been in a similar, if not exact, situation as Luna. Did all mutants seem to have this luck? She sighed, not wanting to over-think her own circumstances. She saw a desk across the room and walked to it, opening drawers experimentally and snooping with pleasure. Anything that saved her from thinking gave her pleasure. She shuffled through papers, notepads, paperclips, staples, pens. None of these things held her attention. She was hoping for something a little more fitting of a mystifying, enormous mansion. Like a secret envelope or file. The final drawer she opened revealed a black and pink book. She paused and picked it up almost reverently. “It matches my hair,” she mumbled whimsically. She opened the book and flipped through the pages. Each one was blank. “A journal?” She stopped at the first page and saw that one line was written in looping letters: The Journal of Luna Cringe. She turned with sudden paranoia but saw no one. It’s almost as if someone had known. But no one could have. She blinked and sat down in the office chair before the desk. She pulled a pen from the top drawer, laid the book in front of her with the first, blank page exposed, and began to write. Day 1….
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