Disclaimer: All X-Men and X-Related Characters are a TM of Marvel Comics. The Umaros is a name I adapted from the Final Fantasy Series. Jered, the co-star of this story, is my creation. :) You can find the prologue for this story at either Lori's X-Men Page (http://web2.spydernet.com/lori/x-men.htm) or the Shifting Sands (http://shifting-sands.la.ca.us/~darqstar) Note: This IS the sequel to my story, "Mystic Shores", which I wrote back in February. I suggest you read that story first before you go any further. *** Return to Aberlie By Reuben Macapinlac *Supereub* June 1997 Chapter One "Frozen Wastelands" *** Remy, despite the cold air, felt his parched throat. He slowly awoke from his unconscience state, gazing at the icy blue walls around him. He leaned against the cold walls, the extending ice stones jabbed his back. He shook his head, resulting in flakes of snow to fall on his face. (Snow?) Remy thought. The cajun lifted himself up, only to fall over and land on his knees as he felt a sharp pain in his thighs. His ribs, legs, arms, even his head, ached beyond discomfort. "Damn homme," Remy whispered, his voice hoarse. "How in de world did I get to Frosty's playhouse?" Once again, Remy lifted himself off the ground, gripping the wall as he got up. He had been lying in a snow cave, God knows how long, and the worse thing of all...he was alone. "Hank! Logan! Jered!" Remy screamed, his lungs felt as though it were stabbed by a hundred tiny needles. (I can' be dead.) Remy exhaled. (Dis has happened to me before...but dat was just a dream. Unless...) The cajun pinched himself on the wrist, then realized that there was no way out. (Oh my!) Remy searched his pockets for a card. (Guess there ain't know way out of dis dream.) But how could it be a dream? He was dead...Jered and the others had crashed with him, after their controls were neutralized by the opposing planes. "No." he whispered. Remy took out a card, then squeezed it between his fingers and kinetically charged it. The card started to fizzle, then he threw it against the wall, cursing as loud as he could. BOOM! He buried his hands in his face, leaning against the wall. Someone could have survived a gunshot, but definitely not a plane crash. He had to face the facts...he was dead, stuck somewhere in the afterlife. Slowly, he took a few steps at a time, his boots digging into the white snow. His trenchcoat contained countless ice particles on them, he briefly brushed them off, then continued his way out. (Dere's got t' be someway out of here.) *** It had been more than two hours, and still no luck. The ice tunnel continued to lead downhill while the snow seemed to become thicker and thicker. The cave was dark, the only light that guided Remy was his kinetically charged card as it's radiant light reflected on the huge walls of ice. Everything was silent, and even the puddles of water which splashed after Remy had stepped on them seemed to be a loud disruption to this peace. Remy had began to shiver from the cold. His lip was blue, hair full of snow, and his forehead was hot, indicating that he had started to develop a cold. He sniffled as he passed through the dark tunnels. Suddenly, a loud roar echoed throughout the tunnel. The sound was distant, but heard well. The cajun froze in place, lowering his kinetically charged card as he kept attentive of another roar. He crept up against the wall, slowing his pace. The tunnel was silent...only the soft breeze could be heard. The roar he had heard was fierce, probably from some unknown creature who was familiar to these parts...wherever here was. Remy continued his trek down the tunnel, which seemed to be starting uphill. (Please let dere be a way out of here.) *** Even though he was not aware of the time of day, he had estimated that it was probably night, considering the exhaustion Remy felt. The cajun, trembling from the chilling air, sat himself gently on the ground. The cajun rested his face in his hands, his palms cold and surfaced with specks of ice. THOK! "Who's dere?!" Remy whispered, scrambling to his feet, acheing from his long walk up and down the tunnel. "..." (It was all in my mind) Remy thought as he sighed in relief, relaxing his shoulders. THOK! (Not!) the cajun clenched his fist, grabbing a pair of playing cards from his coat pocket. He crept several paces towards the sounds as he kinetically charged his weapons. Remy kept on walking. The cave, at this point, seemed to become lighter as the area had expanded. Ahead, Remy saw the shadowy forms of a cloaked figure. "Hold it, mon ami!" he cried. In an instant, several rays shot passed Remy, colliding against the wall with an explosion. His eyes widened, this stranger was firing at him! Immediately, Remy leaped to the right, then threw the cards at his adversary in mid-air. "Ugh!" the stranger dropped his weapon, grasping his hand. Remy landed on the ground, no hesitation as he sprinted towards his attacker and tackled him to the floor. Despite Remy's endless Danger Room training, this man was strong and skillful in his fighting techniques. With swift movements, Remy forced his adversary against the wall, his tanned arm crushing the attacker's throat. "Grk!" the stranger uttered, struggling with the cajun's arm. Remy slowly grabbed another card, he had already used half of his inventory, and only had enough to satisfy him for a few more encounters. Slowly, he lifted the glowing card up to the stranger's face, then gasped and drew his arm away. "Remy?" the man whispered as a dim light reflected on the cajun's face. "Remy, its me...Jered." Jered rubbed his neck and gave a cough as Remy backed away. "I...I...I'm sorry," Remy apoligized. "I didn't know it was you, mon ami..." "It's quite all right." Jered chuckled. "I thought you were someone...or something else, I should have thought before I acted." "Yes," Remy agreed. "But anyway, where de hell were you? Where is everyone else?!" "Shh!" Jered covered Remy's mouth, his head turning left and right. "Don't speak so loud, the Umaros might here you." "Umaros?" Remy questioned. "Jered, where are we?" "You do not know?" Jered said. "We're in Aberlie...I thought you would get a hint by now." "Dat's not possible!" Remy protested. "Shh!" Jered repeated, then pointed at the ceiling of the caves. "They are just above us...if you wake them up, we're as good as dead." Ignoring Jered's warning, Remy was more puzzled at the fact that he was in Aberlie. "How did we get here?" Remy said. "Our plane...we crashed." "No." Jered replied. "While we were falling, I managed to transport us here..." "And how is dat, mon ami?" Remy interrupted. Jered grabbed a black device from his belt holder, then revealed it to Remy. "This," he muttered. "My dimensional transporter...it is a scientific device, with a hint of sorcery enchanted on it. This...my planeswalking key, is how we got here from your world." "Den where are we in Aberlie?" Remy asked, turning his back on Jered as he examined the walls of ice. "I never knew your land can be dis cold." Jered stepped forward, rubbing his hands together as he faced the floor. "That's the problem," he said. "We're not exactly in Aberlie." "Den where are we, mon ami?" Remy's eyes widened. "I thought you said dat we were in your world." "We are," Jered retorted. "I did not say we weren't. Do you remember our journey down to the Tuntar Empire during our last meeting?" "Yes." Remy sighed. "Good," Jered knelt on one knee, sketching an outline of the land with his finger on the thick snow, Remy knelt down and watched his fingers closely. "This whole area represents Aberlie, the main continent of our world." he drew an oval around the sketch. "And this is the magical barrier that the mighty sorcerer called Nostrat created to protect our land from the fierce blizzards some several hundred years ago. We remain outside the perimeters of Aberlie...in the frozen wastelands." Remy gulped. "Didn't you say dat every t'ing outside de magic barriers were destroyed?" "I'm afraid so," Jered said. "Our scientific technology was set back probably a century due to the destruction of our advanced civiliations." "So dat means dat we're stranded in dis frozen wasteland forever? Or at least till' we die from de cold." Remy folded his arms. "No, no, no," Jered protested. "We are barely in any danger. Even though some of my devices, including my transporter, were damaged and no longer able to function, I have sent a distress call via source detecter. Several fleets from Tuntar should be on their way." Remy began to laugh, heart filled with relief. "Jered," he said, placing a hand on the soldier's shoulder. "I underestimated you; your de type to be a war leader." "Good," Jered inserted the transporter device back into his belt loop. "I wouldn't want to think that I'm not qualified for my postion." "What do you mean?" Remy began to walk on, Jered continued beside him. "I thought you lived with Sophie in de forest." "Yes, that is true." Jered nodded. "But after our mission to Valhalla, Emperor Tourach of Tuntar decided that I should become one of his war leaders, to better his militia." "How?" Remy remained speechless. "When de M'Krann Crystal was destroyed, I had returned to my world." "Emperor Tourach had planned that to happen," Jered gripped his wrist, rotating it as he loosened it up. "The M'Krann Crystal merely transported all the foreign lifeforms back to their original realities..." RRRRAAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!! Both men halted at the piercing scream; Remy gulped as he saw the fierce looking creature in front of him. It seemed to be some sort of sasquatch, with dark purple skin and thick white fur. He appeared to be much taller than both men, his arms as thick as Remy's waist. The sasquatch's snow white eyes stared at them, sending a cold feeling up Remy's spine. "An Umaro!" Jered said, drawing his gun. "We can't run, these creatures are swift and quick. Hold until I give the signal!" Remy, too shocked to answer, drew a couple of his playing cards and activated them. He got into his fighting stance, ready to attack. (I really want t' get out of here.) END OF CHAPTER ONE Supereub *Reuben M.* supereub@lava.net Visit the X-Zone: Unoffical X-Men Fan Fiction Archive at: http://free.websight.com/Macapinlac4 __________________________________________________________ Sneak Preview of my Story: Triggered Monet: ACHOO! Sean: I dinnae think you... Jubilee: Uh, what happened to Sean? Angelo: I don't know, chica. *** Sean: should sneeze...lass? Wolverine: Err...hey Sean, what are you doin' here? Sean: Logan?! Where am I? Wolverine: Westchester, you dope. Sean: Uh-oh.