GLASS MEMORIES
written by
Echo
"Charles!" Emma awoke with a start. She was lying in the infirmary. The room was empty except for blink who was asleep in the bed next to her. Emma shook her head to clear her mind of the immages that were slowly fading. She was about to yell for Sean when he came running into the room.
"She's awake!" He yelled over his shoulder. There was relief written on his face as he stood next to her bed.
"How are ye feeling?"
"I'm fine!" She snapped swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She tried to stand up but her legs wouldn't support her. Sean caught her before she hit the floor.
"Your not well enough to stand yet i'm afraid. Only give yourself some time and you'll be back to your old mind reading self."
Emma looked up into the eyes of the woman standing in the doorway. She had a look of contempt but not hatred as she watched Sean help Emma back to the bed.
"Hello Moira," Emma smuggly replied, "weren't you supposed to be in confinement?"
"I changed my mind when I saw how much I was hurting the people I love." She shot a look of caring towards Sean but her look became serious when it returned to Emma. She help up her hand to ward off the next question she knew was coming.
"I haven't been near any of the children. Sean called me when you passed out. Beast couldn't come so I flew here. I've been in the infirmary the whole time."
"You flew? Here? To Massachusetts?" Her hand gripped Seans sleve with panick. "How long was I unconsious?"
"Three days. I called the mansion for Henry but noone picked up so I called Moira and she flew-"
"Three days?" Emma interupted. "I've been in a coma for three days!"
"Actually you weren't in a coma." Moira brought out the monitor with Emma's readings on it. "According to these readings you were asleep. A very deep sleep but your mind stayed connected with Clarice's. We couldn't risk the psychic feedback from you. You might have done severe damage to yourself or to Clarice"
Emma looked at the unconsious Clarice. "Is she in a coma?"
Moira didn't bother lying. "Yes, she is. She hasn't moved at all."
"Not since you entered her mind." Sean looked at her inquisitively. "What did you see in there that was so horrible your mind wouldn't let go of the lasses?"
"I saw...I-I don't quite know what I saw. It was a different world, I know that. I saw so many things." She looked up helplessly at Sean and Moira. "It feels like it was just a dream. It's hard to remember it now."
"You yelled 'Charles' when you woke up. Did something happen to Xavier?"
"I-yes, yes something did happen. I remember!" Her eyes grew wider and she looked at Sean. "He died, I saw him and he was dead!"
"Then Clarice was in the future? She saw an assassination of Charles?"
"No Sean, it wasn't the future. It was the past."
"When Stryfe shot Xavier." He looked at Moira. Both remembered the panic of that time. "But Xavier lived through that. He didn't die."
No- it wasn't there. It was before that, in-in a desert city I think. Charles was younger...he could still walk... Magneto was with him... Oh! Why can't I remember!" She slammed her fist down hard against the bed in frustration.
"It's alright Emma, you don't have to remember everything right now. The memories will come back to you soon."
"No! You don't understand. They're only partially her memories. It was something she saw so quickly. In a glass structure. She was fighting with someone. She only saw a brief glimpse. The rest of it is just a story she was told. It's her interpratation of that story!" She closed her eyes in anger then they flew open wide. "I- I can see it now. I understand. I was trying to hard." She looked up into Sean's eyes. "do you remember months ago when the X-Men went to Israel to stop Legion? He was there... there are others around him trying to stop him but I can't see them clearly, and Legion tried to kill Magneto and.... NO!"
Emma began to go into convulsions. The very reality that existed was shattered as Charles Xavier was killed by his son. With this realization Emma's brain activated a failsafe barier that shut off her consiousness.
"I need 90 cc's of adrenalin! Her heart stopped, we've got to reactivate it!"
"What about her brainwaves?"
"Still active, only it has high levels of activity."
Moira flew around the bed hooking up equipment and turning on moniters. Sean had been with her enough during medical emergency's that he knew how to help without getting in her way. Moira prepared the injection and was about to put it directly into Emma's heart when without warning her patient sat up. Calmly drawing in a breath with a gasp and opening her eyes she grabed Moira's wrist and twisted until the needle dropped.
"That will NOT be necessary. I'm fine. I understand what I saw. My mind will not shut down my body again." She climbed off the bed and marched out the door but stopped on the threshhold to turn around.
"Thank you Moira. I- I apreciate the fact that you were helping me. I didn't mean to sound harsh." She turned to look at Sean. "We need to have a meeting in your office, now." With that she turned and walked out.
"No problem," Moira muttered. "It's my job."
She then began cleaning up leaving only Sean to stare at the revived headmistress.

Sitting in Sean's office surrounded by her studen't and co-worker Emma felt like a queen. After arguing for a little more than an hour, Emma had convinced Sean that the student's needed to hear about what she had seen.
"Why don't ye just tell me what you found out? Then we can decide on whether to tell the student's."
"No the children need to hear this, all of it. Not just the pieces and parts we choose to tell them. They're worried enough as it is. I don't think they should have to wait longer for the truth."
Sean had looked at her oddly but had nodded his consent. So now she sat looking at her students. They had all grown up so much in the past few months.
Jubilee,thought of as the first member of Generation X was carefree and didn't care about studying or classes. But she could care about someone with all her heart. She was able to come up with strategies and if she started studdying she would be a fine leader when she was older.
Everett, the second member was the most concerned out of anyone. He thought of everyone first and then himself. He was able to win his peer's trust with nothing more than a smile and once gained he would never betray it.
Paige was growing into a fine young woman. She was ingenius and unafraid of her future. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go and get it.
Angelo felt like the forever loner. He hated his powers and everything about them. But he didn't hate the fact that he was here learning how to control them.
Jono was getting more and more self assertive as the days went on. He was no longer ashamed of what he looked like. His new relationship with Paige had helped him in that aspect.
They were her students. She sat like a queen taking court. Emma hadn't been happy for awhile. Everyday with these student's had been a grim reminder of the Hellions. She wanted to make amends for the guilt she felt. She wasn't going to let anything happen to these students.
"So Emma, you gonna talk or just sit there and look commanding."
"Of course Jubilation, now that your ready we can begin." Emma stood up and walked to the interactive computer consul they had recently put in. She turned on the display and a picture of Blink apeared. The way they all remembered her. Quiet and shy. Short, elf-like and her hair a beautiful redish-purple color. "This is Blink, how we all last saw her. After Monet loaded Emplate into the computer she also added Blink." Emma pushed a few buttons and the picture changed. It was now a picture of harvest, the Phalnx that Blink had killed. "You all know that this is Harvest. Blink sacrificed her life to kill him."
Sean stood up and walked over to were Emma was standing. "As you all know Phalanx are able to look exactly like whomever they want. In the infirmary when Blink thought we were imposters she may have thought that we were Phalanx and that is why she reacted so hostily towards us."
"But that doesn't explain why she knew Chamber. Or how she knew Mondo."
"Were getting to that lass, give us a moment."
Emma walked to the center of the room. She stared at each of her students and then straight ahead at the wall. "I entered Clarice's mind earlier in the infirmary. I saw something in her mind that I need to share with the rest of you, if you'll let me."
"Uh-uh, on way! Your not stickin' any thoughts in my mind! We all saw you pass out, there's no way your brain waves are coming near mine!"
"Shut up Jubilee! Sit down and listen!"
Jubilee stared at Emma with shock, but she obeyed and sat down without a remark.
"Now what I was going to say is that I think I can filter the images, with Blink's help. They won't overload your synapses as they did mine. If you'll let me, i'll show you what she's been through."
No one said anything. They were all looking at Jubilee. She had sat up and was staring intently at Emma. She stood up and walked over to the teacher. Jubilee had never liked Emma, tolerated her, yes, but never liked her. To have this woman asking permision seemed ironic, but acceptable.
"Alright Frostie, I'll let you put those images in my head. But, I'm doing this for Blink. If we can figure out happend to her maybe we can help."
Paige stood up quickly. "Ms. Frost, I wouldn't mind one bit. If this is the way to help Clarice, then count me in."
Jono, Angelo, and Everett nodded their consent. "Alright the quickest way to do this if for all of us to hold hands."
"OK, now what Frostie." Jubilee's eyes were closed.
"Be patient Jubilee, this will take some time."
"Ya, whatever. Lets just get on with-"
She was cut off as she lost all feeling in her body. It only lasted a moment and when she opened her eyes it was to an unreal setting.
There was a juge black sky scape all around her. Pink waves of light floated by against the star studded background. Unfortunately this huge blackness also extended below her. Jubilee screamed as she started falling. She hadn't gone 6 feet when she was suddenly grabbed by her collar. She was dragged on top of what seemed to be a huge rock. She let the hands help her to her feet and looked up into Everett's smiling face.
"How's it hanging' Jubes?"
"Not funny!" She shrugged off his hands and glared at him until he stopped laughing. She then turned to look at Emma.
"Alright Frosty, where are we?"
"We are on the Astroplane."
"Technically we are all on an astroid. NO DUH! Where on the astroplane!?"
"The Astroplane doesn't have specific area codes. We also don't need this astroid but I thought all of your minds, yours especialy Jubilee, would be more able to handle the disoreation more if you were on solid ground."
"That was considerate of ye Emma, thank you. Whoa Jubilee! I don't hink so!" Sean intercepted Jubilee before she could fling herself at Emma. "Let's all take a breath and let Emma explain what's going on."
"Thanks Sean. First why don't I explain what's happened. You all are still in your own mind. I've just helped you into the place in your mind that gives you access into the Astroplane. This is the place where everyone of your thoughts goes through. It can only be accessed by telepaths or their guests."
"Thanks for the History lesson Chica but can we get on with this? Clarice is still unconscious in the infirmary, maybe we could help her out?"
"Let me finsh Angelo. Because this is in your mind you can be anything. 'I think therefore I am.' That's the basis of it. That's why I conjured up the astroid. It's also why Jubilee fell." Emma help up her hand to silence Jubilee's protests. "Hold on, this is worth your patience. When you saw there was nothing below your feet your brain came to the conclusion that you must be falling. Therefore, you were. It's simple really, if you think you can fly, you can." Emma demonstrated by floating a few feet off the astroid.
"Oh wonderful parlor trick Emma. Can we get on with it now?"
"Shut up Jube! Can she say a complete sentence without you freaking out and yelling at her!?"
"Listen Paige if she needed a defense she woulda hired a lawyer!"
Children! That is quite enough!" Emma's repremand was ment for both girls but she was glaring at Jubilee. "If we may proceed, we can get out of here sooner!"
"Sorry Miss Frost." Paige bit her lower lip. She hated when Emma was mad but usually it was at Sean or someone else, never her. Although she couldn't blame her, she was acting like a spoiled brat.
"I will make this as brief as possible. This is not the Blink we know, and I think I know why. Look over there." Emma pointed to a wood box just above them. It was small and looked battered and old. "That is Clarice's sych. That is what she has made her brain patterns to look like."
"But Miss Frost, how are we supposed to get in?"
"Very simply Everett, we don't. We get whovers in there to come out." Emma very slowly coaxed the wood boards apart. Slowly, one by one, boards came loose and fell into the dark oblivion. Inside was a girl. She was crouched in a corner shivering, not from cold but from fear. She looked about 10 and was dressed in a sweat shirt and jeans. She stared at the people on the astroid and burried her head farther into her chest.
"Go away!"
"We can't Clarice, we want to help." Emma's voice came out softer and more gentle than Sean had ever heard it before.
"You've already been here lady, I already told you what was wrong. You couldn't help, now go away!"
"I couldn't help because I was on my own. These are my friends, there your friends too, if you'll let them help."
"Please Clarice, tell us what's wrong." Paige looked imploringly at the girl who only returned it with a blank stare before returning her gaze to Emma.
"Don't make me tell them."
"I won't make you tell anyone, but they can't help if they don't know."
"How can they know!? How can I tell them what I've been through!? What I've seen!? How can they understand!?"
"Tell them, let them try."
"I won't tell you anything." She hung her head between her shoulders and then lifted it looking Emma straight in the eye. "But I'll show you."
Before the studen't eyes a jumble of images appeared. None making any sense until Emma began helping the girl sort through them until there was an order. So the student's stared as a lifetime of memories of horror and opresion filtered by. It was like watching a movie, Emma thought. But at least the children can start to understand.
They saw friends and enemies alike fklow through this play that had been scripted. Until the flash of light and the continued nothingness. They turned and stared at the girl curled up into a small ball leaning against nothing. How could anyone have survived such a world?
She looked up into their faces with tears streaming down hers. "How can anyone of you know what I have experienced?" The ten year old melted away to reveal the 16 year old Clarice. "How can I trust any of you? How can I understand what I'm supposed to do now?" She stared at them with confusion in her eyes and then understanding. She slowly stood up and looked Emma in the eye.
"I can't. I never will. I can't believe I thought I could. I should have died with the rest of them."
"Please Clarice, listen to me." Emma put her hand on clarice's arm to keep her there as much as for comfort. The astroid had vanished as Emma's concentration had been used in her effort to sift through Blink's memories. "We can help you, and you can help us." She looked imploringly at the girl. "We lost a good friend a while ago. She sacrificed herself so we could live. I don't want to lose her again. Let us help you."
Clarice looked into the hesitation and fear in Emma's eyes. "How can you help me?"
Emma sighed with relief. "The same way you helped us. We looked at your memories, now you look at mine. That will help your mental well-being but we have to go back and help your physical well-being."
Emma turned her back to the girl as the images began to play but was topped by a hand on her arm. "You'll be there when I wake up won't you?"
"Of course we will. We all will. I promise" The next breath Emma took was back in Sean's office. Her students were looking dizzy after their first experience on the Astroplane. But there was only one student Emma was worried about right now. She got up and walked quickly through the school. She didn't care if her students were following, they were, at a slowere pace, but behind her. Emma had made a promise. She usually tried not to, but this time she had, and it was a promise she intended to keep.
Clarice was just stirring as they came into the room. Emma pulled a chair next to her bedside waiting for her eyes to open.
Moira looked at Sean questioningly but he shook of her questions. "I'll explain it all to ye later Moira." She accepted this with a shrug and went back to her monitors.
Clarice opened her eyes slowly, not prepared for the bright lights. She sat up slowly and looked at each face individually. She had learned a great deal about each of them through Emma's memories. She longed to know each of them. She had lost so many friends, she didn't want to lose anymore.
Paige looked at her questioningly. "Are you alright Clarice?"
"I'm fine Paige, just fine." She smiled a wide grin, "call me Blink!"

Generation X and all other comic book characters featured on this page are (C) & TM MARVEL COMICS. This is a non profit page and I hope it does respect to these characters in the way that Marvel wrote them. This is my own story. Please don't steal it. Thanks!

clm@nbnet.nb.ca
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