[Illyana Test Thread]

[just_a_phase]

The Red Room tries many things with many mutants.

Some of them--especially if there are complications, like DNA tainted by the Legacy Virus--fail.

Or, at least, the Red Room believes them to fail. Believes one particular attempt to bring back a mutant failed.

Magic--and Magik--can do amazing things, though, and is as much tied to a soul--to two souls, at that, soul mates without the romance, except as a might-have-been--as a body.

And in some cases, that can make a body.

And that body, once the soul is back in it, knows there's only one place to go. The soul needs its soul mate, and disoriented as Magik is, that's all she knows.

---

Kitty is busy in the workshop Piotr set up for her on their farm--and she'll never get over the fact that they have a farm, this farm--when she suddenly gasps and leans over, one hand flying to her chest. Flying to directly over her heart.

She's felt this before. Every time, though, it was tied to someone who she knows is dead. Knows is dead and mourns that fact.

--Except her last name is Rasputin, and her brother is a living example of the fact that death for mutants isn't always permanent.

"Can't be," she murmurs, but slowly turns around, watching the room.

Waiting, even if she doesn't realize it yet.

Comments

[illyana]

The soul and the mind weren't quite understanding yet what had happened; but what they did know was that the other half of her could help her get the answers she needed so that she could process everything that was happening with her mind and her body. As she let herself calm, felt her powers start to fill up the places that seemed to have been without them -- and her -- for so long, she let the bond lead her to the one person she knew she could trust.

It didn't take long, though, before she discovered that not only was her magic from her dominion over Limbo moving through her; but her mutant powers were coming back into sync with her as well.

She called up one of her stepping disks and allowed it to whirl up around her as she stepped down into it. A short stopover in Limbo, and then she went through another one that led her to a place that she wasn't expecting.

That second stepping disk swirled around her, and then she was stepping out of the disk of light into what looked like some kind of workshop.

She recognized the woman in front of her, though. She could have been dead for hundreds of years and her soul would have still recognized the other soul.

"Kitty." Illyana's voice was a little rough from disuse but it was there.

[just_a_phase]

It's not possible.

It's not possible, Kitty knows that, knows she held the little girl who was her best friend when she died.

But even though Illyana is older than Kitty's ever seen her before--younger than Kitty herself, but much older than 14--she's instantly recognizable. On every level.

So it's not possible--but after all, don't they excel at the impossible?

"Illyana!" Her arms immediately go around the other body, supporting as much as--more than--embracing.

And despite everything, wrapping her arms around the other woman to convince herself that this is really happening.

[illyana]

Illyana was quiet for a few moments, taking in all of the changes within herself and with Kitty. Her friend, her other part, looked a little older--but then again, Illyana wasn't sure how long she had been dead. And she knew that she had been dead, because she remembered everything that she had gone through before; everything that was then gone, and the life she knew was no more. She had several thoughts and memories in her head that were sometimes blindingly bright, and sometimes as dull as a gray sky.

She was still trying to get a good grasp on how her mind was working and trying not to say too much or too little right now. Have Kitty hugging her, feeling their souls connecting again, that helped some of the missing parts slide into place within her mind and her heart.

She would try not to admit how much she needed to hold onto her old friend and the mate to her soul. She was still a bit unsteady with everything and had questions.

[just_a_phase]

"Oh God, oh, God--and Piotr isn't here, dammit!"

She's nearly frantic as she tries to think of what to do. It's rare when Kitty is clueless, but it happens. This is one of the times it does, in fact, happen.

So she switches to Russian and resorts to training as much as what her heart says to do.

"//Yana, are you okay? Do you need--are you hurt? Do you need me to get you something?//"

[illyana]

"//He could hardly have known that his dead baby sister was going to show up.//"

That was as close to humor that she was able to get so far. This whole thing was confusing and painful.

The change to Russian helps a little bit. Even with the other languages Illyana could speak, Russian was her native one and it offered her some comfort right now. Comfort was something she was starting to realize she needed, and it didn't matter what kind.

"//I do not know, Kit. I'm alive, but I know that I should not be. I probably have some scrapes and bruises. I just... Kit, how has this happened?"

[just_a_phase]

She has some ideas on how this happened. Three spring to mind instantly. But she's not going to throw them at Illyana right now. She's seen her friend like this before, mostly after not-so-fun trips to Limbo, and so she resorts to what she did then.

"//First, Yana, we get you hot chocolate, and I check out those scrapes. Then we talk,//" she says firmly, steadying the younger woman on her feet and indicating another room.

"//And your brother could be here with his wife anyway,//" she says wryly, hoping the news will distract Illyana at least a little from--from whatever she's been through.

[illyana]

Illyana had a few ideas of what might have happened to her, but they were probably not the same things that Kitty was thinking about what could have caused her to be in this condition.

"//Wife?//" She repeated as she followed Kitty to another room. She really wasn't that steady on her feet and she hoped like hell that it would change sooner than later."//Congratulations. I'm glad you two finally got your heads examined and remembered you belong together.//" She smiled at her. "//Do you have the fun stuff that we always used to use in hot chocolate that was going to lead to serious talks?//"

[just_a_phase]

One arm around Illyana until she has her friend settled on a chair in the kitchen; then the hot chocolate.

"//Nyet, Illyana. If your brother does come home, he'd kill me. You don't quite look legal drinking age.//"

Like that's ever mattered before. But she's not sure alcohol is a good idea for Illyana now, and she is sure that Piotr would not like her spiking his sister's hot chocolate.

"//...But maybe another day, da? And you can stop smirking. There were...a lot of things we had to deal with, before we could get to this 'man and wife' thing.//"

Many of which happened after Illyana's death, so she decides not to focus on any of them and instead gently sets the hot chocolate in front of Illyana before going to get the first aid kit from the cupboard.

With their lives, they have one in every room.

"//You look like you have some abrasions. Anything worse?//" With anyone else, she'd be wondering if this was Mystique or another shape-shifter.

But this is Illyana, and so she knows.

"//...And do you want to talk about what--what happened to you, whatever it was, now, or later, Snowflake?//" It's Piotr's pet name for her, but Kitty uses it gently as she leans over to carefully treat the first set of scrapes.

[illyana]

She pretended to pout just a little, but the thoughts weren't all connecting, As much as it would probably warm her and relax her, Kit was probably right. Having alcohol could adversely affect her until they had a better idea of what had happened to her and how she had ended up here and alive.

Not that she was complaining about being alive and with Kit again, she was just disoriented and feeling out of sync with things around her and she wanted that to just stop. It wasn't bad enough that she had the trauma of coming back to life? She had to have all of this confusion and her brain's inability yo string memories and thoughts better than it was.

She wanted Piotr to be here and hold her and call her Snowflake again so that she knew that things were going to be all right with him, too.

"//I want by big brother to be here, too, so you can both hug me and convince me this is happening and I'm not going crazyflakes again.//" Because that was a real and true worry within her mind. At Kit's question, she shrugged her shoulders lightly. "//My back and head hurt a little bit, but I'm guessing it can't be that bad since I got here mostly on my own two feet.//"

[just_a_phase]

That gets her a Look. "//You didn't exactly walk,//" she points out wryly, but Kitty just moves to gently check Illyana's back (bruised) and head, which looks fine.

That worries her a little, because she has a feeling the problem might be inside her head. Or to be precise, in her mind. Or her soul. Either/or. Or both. God, this is insane.

"//I can't believe you're here,//" Kitty murmurs, and pushes Illyana's hair back, carefully, from her face as she finally sits next to her. "//Now. Your brother, who's going to totally spaz, if with joy, is coming back in about an hour. Do you want to talk about--about what happened to you then? Or do you want to talk about it some now?//"

[illyana]

Illyana closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again.

"//I am really not sure of what happened to me, Kitty. I woke up and there was pain. There was pain through my head and my chest. I didn't even recognize where I was. I'm not sure I could even lead you back there if my life depended on it.//"

Illyana sighed and took a drink from her hot chocolate. "//The main things in my brain and in my soul was that I needed to get to you, The two haves needed to be whole. I can feel my sword within my reach, but the closer I got to you, the sense of it being within me solidified even more. That's how I knew I was going in the right way.//"

[just_a_phase]

She shifts over at that and pulls the younger woman into her arms.

(Well, Illyana was supposed to be younger than her, so she guesses this makes sense.)

Listening makes Kitty hurt for her, but after Illyana's done she thinks for a moment. "//You...when you...died...your sword went to me. Well, actually--I mean--part of you went to me. Into me. I think that's why you can't reach it.//" This, at least, she can try to help. "//We'll figure it out, kiddo. I promise. We'll figure out what happened, and we'll get you your sword, and if you want, you can be maid of honor at my wedding, since your brother and I did the justice of the peace thing to get it over with and are having the actual ceremony deal later.//"

Yes, she's a little desperate to comfort Illyana however she can.

[illyana]

Illyana was still for a second -- touch was still something that she was trying get adapted to again -- and then she leaned against Kitty. Even before she had de-aged, died or anything else, Kitty was always one of those anchors for Illyana that symbolized home. Being here now, she could feel her soul healing even more.

"//That doesn't surprise me in the slightest bit. We were always linked and knew it. I guess when I died, the part of me that made up my sword knew that you would keep me safe and would be protected by it.//"

She knew that she and Kitty could work together to help Illyana reclaim her sword and a part of herself again.

"//You guys didn't want to wait for a celebration?//"

[just_a_phase]

Years of living with Illyana have destroyed her ability to blush at anything said by the blonde.

There's no double to her double entendres.


"//Your brother and I have plenty of time to celebrate,//" she responds dryly, and smooths an errant strand of hair back. "//And we eloped. He thought it would be easier.//" So, not talking.

Surprised? Not at all.

[illyana]

Illyana hadn't been trying to make a entendre at all, but after she thought about her words, she had to agree that it was a pretty good comment. While normally she would have teased her friend about being so anxious to be with Piotr that she didn't want to wait and have a big wedding for everyone to come to and watch them finally get married.

But then, of course, she wasn't even sure how many of their friends or family were still alive to see the wedding.

"//Did you think that it would be easier if you two eloped?//"

[just_a_phase]

She never has to try, Kitty would like to point out. She just can twist anything.

Not that Kitty ever does.

Ahem.

That question makes her snort. "//Of course not. But I'm the cynic in our relationship. It balances out his Petey-Pureheart optimism.//"

Not...that Piotr hasn't become more cynical over time himself, but. Comparatively.

She neatly closes the first aid kit and puts it away, settling next to Illyana on the bench by the table. "//We're X-Men. No type of wedding for us was going to be easy. I just thought that we should get it done with before the next disaster of the week hit.//" Yana's temple gets a kiss, as Kitty's arm goes around her. "//Besides, you can be here for it this way.//"

[illyana]

"//Eloping would have made it harder for any enemies of the X-Men to find you and ruin your wedding day.//" She gave Kitty a smile that looked very dangerous, but wasn't at directed at her friend and sister. "//And now that I am here, they would not dare try to have a disaster at your wedding.//"

Because Illyana would quite happily make them into a disaster.

She was quiet for a few moments, trying to gather the words together to ask what she needed to know.

"Kitty?"

[just_a_phase]

She just sighs, hiding her smile. "//God, you're going to be bridemaidzilla, aren't you?//"

The arm around Illyana's shoulders tightens a little at the question. "Hmm?"

[illyana]

"//You deserve the perfect wedding day and as my sister and my soulmate, I will make sure that you do.//"

She looked into the distance for a very long time, completely quiet before she drew in a deep breath and then let it out again.

"//How long?//"

[just_a_phase]

"//Just don't use demons to ensure it, okay?//"

Then she's silent, trying what to say.

"//Too long.//" Softly said into blonde hair. "//Let's...do this one time through with your brother here, okay?//"

[illyana]

"//No demons unless anyone who thinks about attacking are demons.//"

Illyana nodded. It seemed like a fair request for them to wait to get all of the story together until Piotr was with them. They would only have to tell it to each other once and she would be able to be held by her brother again.

This time after she was quiet for a long moment again, she turned her head to look at Kitty, keeping her head against hers.

"//How far along are you? Does Piotr know?//"

[just_a_phase]

"//Fair enough,//" she laughs.

And then her smile freezes.

Because they've guessed. They've suspected. But that's different from knowing. And it's too early to test.






"What?"

[illyana]

"//You didn't know?//" Illyana said, confused as she looked at Kitty. "//You're going to have a baby. I can sense it.//"

She suddenly wondered if she was the bearer of unwanted news so soon after she was a part of her life again.

[just_a_phase]

And that makes her eyes close, because there's so much to catch Illyana up on, including the Red Room and the babies they made her lose after holding Kitty and Piotr captive in Genosha--and God, how can that be years ago?--but--

It's not a shock.

It's just...confirmation that she wasn't letting herself even hope for.

So when her eyes open, they're a little shiny, but not upset, and she just rests her chin on Yana's head.




"We wondered. We can't--it's early, Illyana. Very early. I haven't tried a test yet." More quietly, "But we wondered."

[illyana]

"//I'm sorry that you were unprepared for the news, Kit. I just thought that you knew or else I would never had said anything.//"

Well, she would have said something, just not on this night of all nights. She would have waited a few days as they got everything else straightened out.

[just_a_phase]

"//Shh. Hush. It's okay.//"

It's a lot. All of this is a lot.

But it's all, also, wonderfully, completely, entirely okay.

So she just wraps both arms around the smaller girl and whispers again, "It's okay."