Title: The Gathering Night
Author: May Chang
Genre: AU(fantasy)
Pairings: past Gambit x Storm
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: "X-Men" is the property of Marvel.
Author's Note: I have no idea what I'm doing with this fic, only that it's experimental and will feature an assortment of characters. Warnings/genres and pairings will be updated as the fic goes on because to be honest, I don't even know where it's going.
Prologue
In the beginning there was only darkness. Then the Phoenix Queen and the Storm Goddess came, lighting the heavens with fire and lightening. The Phoenix Queen threw fire into the sky and the Sun was born. She threw a bolt before her and Gaia the earth was born. The Storm Goddess looked at Gaia and, plucking some hair from her head, she laid them down unto Gaia and created rivers. She blew on Gaia and the wind came. She raked her fingers through the earth and trees appeared.
The Phoenix Queen then dropped little flames onto the earth and both men and animals appeared. They smiled in delight at the sight and went down to join them.
With the light though came the darkness and the Dark God rose from the shadows. With him, he brought his demons and death to Gaia and to the people. He fought with the Phoenix Queen who thought the Dark God evil to herself and to Gaia. It was the Storm Goddess who came between them and spoke, "He is our brother for there must be a balance for everything. Accept him, my sister, for he is like us." The Dark God and the Phoenix Queen put away their swords and embraced one another as brother and sister, and peace came to the land again.
- The Book of Rain
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It was pure irony, the Dark God thought, as he watched Her followers raze the country-side. She was suppose to be one of the good gods, the one who cared for all living beings. He was suppose to be the one who killed them. Now as he looked over the battlefields, he couldn't help but wonder what had changed Her.
His love was terribly upset by what the Queen had done. The Dark God had no desire to cross the Queen himself; Her followers were great warriors and his thieves, assassin, even his demons, would not be able to go up against those who wielded both blade and Her fire. As the Dark Lord watched from where he stood, the sky darkened and rain began to fell.
His love, the Storm Goddess, was crying.
Raising his head up to the rain, the Dark God known as Death closed his eyes and stood there, feeling the rain fall on him. He didn't know how long he stood there before he heard footsteps behind him.
"Frightening, isn't it?" a voice said quietly. He opened his eyes and looked to his side. The Gray Lord stood beside him, looking out at the battlefield.
"I didn't think I'd be seeing you, Magnus," he replied before he shifted his attention back to the battlefield as well.
"You know me," Magnus replied with a slight shrug. "The most interesting thing about this is the fact that Her fighters are better than both of ours combined."
"Perhaps," the other replied. There was silence between the two.
"This shouldn't have happened," Magnus said after a while.
"No, it shouldn't have," the other agreed.
"Have you talked to our Storm Goddess?"
"She'll talk to you," he replied quietly. "She has no desire to talk to me."
"Hm." There was silence again and the battle raged on.
They stood outside her temple in the rain, waiting for her come down. She was standing at the very top of her temple, her head thrown back, her mouth opened in a silent scream as thunder and lightening rocked both the earth and heaven.
She was absolutely beautiful.
Magnus stood by him, watching her as well. He held a blank expression yet inside he understood her pain as he watched her and the sky scream and thunder. It was still raining when she finally flew down before them, soaking wet but standing proud.
"Magnus. Death," she greeted. She glances at him before she turns her attention to the Gray Lord. Magnus frowns slightly, the only evidence of his surprise that she truly had no desire to talk to the other.
"Ororo," Magnus replied with a nod.
"She must be stopped," she declared, arms crossing.
"Yes, She must," he agreed. Death stood there silently, studying her.
"Come," she said, turning to the gates. "I suppose we should plan for battle."
The temple was warm and Death couldn't help but welcome it. It reminded him of his time with his love before she turned away from him. He should have felt bitter about it, but he understood her reason for walking away.
They spent days, listening to his thieves, Magnus's sorcerers, Ororo's storm-riders, of information of Her warriors. They spent days working on a strategy on stopping her. They would be able to tire out Her warriors quickly, Death silently taking out companies in the night with his assassins and demons, while Magnus and Ororo would continued to hammer at Her forces in the day.
The strategy worked. In fact, the strategy worked too well. Tired, Her forces called for Her aid and She responded. They stood before Her, watching as She laughed in their faces.
"You cannot stop me!" She declared. Her eyes burned orange, and both Her red hair and red dress seemed to come alive like fire. "I am the Phoenix! None of you have the power to kill me!"
"Perhaps not," Magnus replied quietly, "but together we can stop you for now."
She laughed a cold laugh, one that sent shivers down Death's spine and, for the first time in his life, he felt fear. Looking at his love one last time, he nodded to her a farewell. She bowed her head before they looked at the Phoenix Queen and the three struck.
She survived the battle and so did Magnus. Death wasn't as fortunate. As he laid there, his head in her lap, she couldn't help but run her hand gently through his bloody white hair. Magnus looks down at them, sympathy in his eyes before he turns to the fallen Phoenix Queen. The Dark God's blood-red eyes fluttered opened slightly and a smile crossed his lips.
"Did we...?"
"We have stopped Her for the time," she replied with a shaky smile. "Magnus is sealing her away as we speak."
"Ah... That... is good...," he whispered. "I'm so... tired..."
"It was a good battle," she said. "Rest, my friend. Another day comes."
"Friend...," he breathed. "I... like that."
He smiles one last time to her before he closes his eyes. He never feels her tears falling onto his face nor does he feel the sunlight of a new dawn shine upon him.
-
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They struck down the Phoenix Queen but could not kill her for she was the one who created life. Before she fell the Phoenix Queen tried to destroy her twin the Storm Goddess so that mortals would never have rain again. Death though stepped before his sister and disappeared in a blaze of fire.
The Gray Lord and the Storm Goddess sealed away the Phoenix Queen before she could awake again. Then the Storm Goddess proclaimed to the people, "Let the day be remember to all! Let us all honor those who have passed on this day and forever!"
- The Book of Rain