Dreams of War

I ran up the stairs to my aunt's small apartment, taking the steps two at a time.
I barged through the door, a wild look on my face. Where were my friends? But maybe I was just worrying too much. maybe i just couldn't see them.
Just as my brain was about to make a rather rude comment to answer me, I heard loud sobs coming from the living room, and sighed from relief.
I ran there, of course, and saw Tane rocking a sobbing Cassie back and forth.

I rushed to them, and helped Spark console our poor Illusion.

"Phoebe?" Cass asked, sniffling a bit.

"Yes, Cassandra?" I responded, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I want revenge, but i know I can't get much done with my power. Are you willing to help me?" she asked, fury and determination mixing with the sorrow in her eyes.

"Yeah Illusion. I'll help you" I nodded solemnly.
We stayed silent for a while more, and i wondered why she had asked me for help, and not Tane. Surely she would have trusted him more than me, since she only met me not too long ago? But I didn't question her motives, I simply kept my mouth shut.

"Phoebe? Do you need my power?" Cassie broke the silence. My eyebrows shot up, and I stared at her for a moment. How did she know?

"Uh... Yeah, I'd like that. How did you know?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She shrugged.

"I figured you liked collecting powers, judging by how your eyes lit up when you used a new power" she said. I smiled at her, and nodded my head vigorously. Then, I took a small pocket-knife out of my pocket, and my friends looked at me warily.

"What are you going to do with that?" Spark questioned, eying the blade in my hands.

"What? Did you really think I was going to make-out with her? Sorry guys, I don't swing that way" they chuckled at me.

I took the opportunity, and grabbed Cassie's hand, slicing her finger then slicing my hand and making both meet quickly before my wound healed.
I felt the familiar tingly sensation run through my body, and smile excitedly.

"Wow! Your eyes just change colors! They're blue!" Spark said, rushing over.

"What?" I was now confused. Cassie looked a bit upset.

"Oh my god! They're purple now!" he was holding my face when it hit me. Maybe that was my body's way of taking the new power? Well, it was better than nothing.

I rushed to the nearest mirror, checking out my eyes with fascination. They were pink now.
"Spark! Could I have a paper and pen please!" I shouted at him. I wanted to write down all the colors and what emotions they represented.
He came back in with what I asked, and looked at me strangely.

I quickly grabbed them, and jotted down the colors.
Blue=Excitement
Purple=Confusion
Pink=Fascination

"There we go!" I said, handing the paper to Spark, for him to check it out.

"Is that all you can do?" Cassie came in, sounding upset.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't really know the full extent of any of my powers, and I think the only way I can find out is... Well, it's by practicing." I said, making a small flame appear in my hands.

They both nodded, understanding me.

"Of course. Well, I better get going. Spark, can I sleep at your place tonight?" Cassie asked, grief clouding her voice. I guess I understood, she needed someone she knew for more than a couple months.
He nodded, leading her out of the apartment just as Maggie was coming in.

"Where are you going, kids? I thought you might be staying over?" she asked, confused.

"Not tonight, miss Coleman" Tane said, smiling sweetly at her. She looked confused, but waved him off.

"No problems. Come again soon!" she called out to my friends leaving forms. I sighed, and sat on the couch. I rested my head back, and checked the time on my watch.
7 o'clock.

My stomach growled, and I remembered I hadn't eaten yet.
I got up, and strolled to the kitchen as quietly as possible, sneaking an apple from the fridge.

I heard a sigh come from the counter, and I looked a bit, to see aunt Margaret standing there, leaning on the countertop with her head down.

"You alright, Aunt Mags?" I asked, taking a bite of my apple.

"Oh! I didn't know you were still there!" she straightened up, and put a little cheer in her voice, but I could tell it was forced.
I rose an eyebrow at her, and she tried smiling, but it looked more like a grimace.

I jumped up on the counter beside her, and took another bite of my apple.

"Ok, Mags, spill" I said. She was never like this from all the time I knew her.
Even if she had a 10 year old daughter, me and my aunt were always very close. We could tell each-other almost anything, and that was a reason why I came here. We had made a treaty, when I was a kid, that nothing we told eachother was to come to the ears of my mother. Nothing.

She signaled me to wait a moment, before she went to check if Jasmine was sleeping. I knew she was, I could feel her, but i didn't need to say that. Or maybe it was time Maggie knew about me being a mutant.

When she came back, Maggie sat beside me on the counter.
"Phoebe, you know how we tell eachother everything, right?" she asked. I felt guilt claw at my conscience, but i nodded anyways.

"Well, I'm... I'm pregnant." she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. I could feel my jaw drop from its hinges. I was thoroughly shocked. An other kid?

"Who-" I cleared my throat when my voice came out strange, but she understood.

"His name's Victor. He's a mutant, Pheobe, but he's so sweet with me! I'm the only exception to his sarcastic remarks, and his evil-ness! I think... I think I might love him.." she said, a look of horror crossing her features.
The last time she fell in love was ten years ago. With Jasmine's father.
When he learned about her, he ditched Margaret and hooked up with a blond bimbo.

I rubbed by hand down my aunt's back, comforting her.

"Shhh, it's ok Maggie. I can test him if you want" I whispered, hugging my sobbing aunt.
We didn't say much for another hour, until Maggie calmed herself and i deemed it was time for her to know why I left my mother's place.

"Mags? Remember when I came here at first with my bag?" I asked. She looked at me with interest, and nodded.
She had never pressed for a reason, but i knew she was dying to know.

"Well... I really don't know how to say this, so I'll show you..." I said, backing up a bit and holding my hand out for her to see my palm. I showed her my powers.
My fire first, then the electricity I copied from Tane, and then I cut my hand and told her about Jasmine. Then I handed her the color chart.

"I think you can add Hazel for calm, and Orange for Shock"she said, chuckling. I chuckled too, and did as she suggested.
Hazel=Calm
Orange=Shock

"I say we have us some girl time." I said, pulling out the cookies and ice cream, and heading to the living room.

We spent the rest of the night watching girly chick-flicks, doing make-overs, gossiping about boys, and celebrities and playing truth or dare and such. It had been way too long since I had had a girl's night with aunt Mags, spilling all the dirt about everything, and then promising not to tell anyone.
Eventually, we went to bed with smiles on our faces.