Sunshine and Serpents (Abandoned)

Women, Don't Play No Games

CAN YOU MAKE ME HOLY?

Sang

I landed on my back with a huff, glaring up at North, who was smirking down at me. "Not so cocky now, huh?" he teased, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

After my Ceremony the night before and the cleansing of my consciousness by Persephone, the Coven had decided it was time to start my training to defeat the Great Darkness. They were rather vague about what, or who, the Great Darkness was, and what role I had to play in defeating it. Persephone was just was just as confused as I was, her memories from the previous cycle fuzzy, and she decided to blame Hecate.

Jean and Emma decided I was to train with the boys who had elemental powers similar to the ones Persephone had, along with Victor to help with my telepathic abilities (Wanda was conspicuously absent, Persephone a smug presence in my head). The rest of the Coven had duties to fulfill with X-Men, who I had yet to meet, and left me alone with the boys, our telepathic link staying open. So, here I was, in a big room with padded walls, and Kota, Silas, and North were kicking my ass.

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled, rolling myself over and sitting up, my breaths coming out in gasps. Accessing Persephone's powers was much harder than I originally thought. Unlike my own powers, this was something foreign, something that was buried deep inside of my psyche. Persephone had offered to take control, but I refused, wanting to fight my own battles.

Come on, Sang, don't let these scions show you up, Betty chastised, and I mentally rolled my eyes.

I haven't had years to practice like you, Bets, I replied, my tone sharp.

Despite reassurance from Kota that I was doing great for a beginner, I was getting angry at myself. Jean had promised -Persephone had promised- that after my Ceremony, I would grow stronger, and that I could access these powers and protect myself, that I would be powerful. By how it looked so far, I was having doubts.

Don't get too angry, Sang, Persephone cooed, her mental presence a comforting pink. My host last cycle took a week to even figure out to talk to me, let alone use my powers, she reassured.

I'm not powerless Persephone, I snapped, pushing myself up and standing up. "Let's go again," I told North, my voice rather shaky.

North rose an eyebrow, his dark eyes questioning. "You sure, Baby? You're looking a little tired."

"Do you want to take a break?" Kota chimed in, giving me a soft smile.

"I'm fine," I replied sharply, pushing my hair out of my face. "Let's go again."

Silas and North exchanged a look, but North sighed and gave in, his body falling back into a fighting stance. When North had first showed me his powers earlier today, I was amazed, my eyes going wide at the ball of fire that appeared in his hands.

"What are you?" I blurted out, my cheeks going red. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I meant who-"

"It's okay," he replied, the flickering light playing with the planes of his face. "My patron is Sekhmet, ancient Egyptian goddess of war, fire, and bloodshed."

I raised an eyebrow, giving him a concerned look. "Bloodshed?" I questioned, turning to look at Kota. "Are you sure I should start out with North?"

Both North and Kota chuckled, and North waved a hand, dismissing my concern. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Besides," he said, smirking at Silas. "If I get too fiery, old Poseidon over here can put me out."

I shook myself out of my memories, turning my attention back to North. Seeing the look on my face, he tensed up, before throwing a fireball at me.

I ducked, doing a somersault, before popping up a few feet away. Okay, Sang, this time you're gonna do it, this time you're going to win, I chanted to myself, ducking another fireball. I pushed my natural abilities away, trying to tap into Persephone.

I dug in deep into my psyche, until I felt what I knew to be Persephone's consciousness. I had reached this place before, Victor had shown me how, but I could never plunge past that wall that separated me from her, mortal from goddess. I took a deep breath in, before I shot in, breaking the barrier. I could feel her shudder as I started to draw power from her, her memories flickering by. It was like trying to drawing a bucket of water from a deep well, and you don't know where's the end, and you don't quite know where the water is, but once you find it, you know and you start to draw it up. And I had found it.

Although it felt like an eternity had passed, in reality, it was only a few seconds. I reacted in time to throw up a wall of stone right before the fireball could hit me. The room went quiet, and North's mouth quirked up before he threw another one. I blocked it again, this time with a shield of vines that quickly burned up, and this time I was the one who was pushing him back.

This time, I was the one who was attacking, as I threw vines at him, trying to pull him towards me. He burned them off every time, his eyes seeming to burn. I let out a growl (or was it Persephone? I couldn't tell who was who, where I ended and where she began, where goddess started and mortal breathed), and pushed my hands out to the side, a sinkhole appearing where he stood.

North let out a surprised grunt as I pushed my hands back together, the ground solidifying around him. I could feel the power pulsing around me, feel the energy of the earth that pulsed beneath the building, feel the presence of all the plant life around me. I could feel... the Underworld.

Persephone froze inside of me as the thought echoed in my head. The Underworld, she breathed, memories of her life flashing through. Of a young girl sitting on a black throne, her expression blank as a lost soul pleaded its case to her husband- no, abductor. Of a teenager growing bones out of rocks and soil, creating her skeleton throne. Of a woman watching and hearing the screams of tormented souls, her eyes empty as a black shadow presses kisses to her neck. Of the same woman, now alone on the throne, her eyes glimmering and gluttonous as the power is drained out of the man in front of her, a crown appearing on her head out of thin air.

The Underworld.

"Good job, aggele mou!" Silas boomed, surprising me by wrapping his arms around me in a hug and spinning me around.

I let out a surprised laugh, my hands gripping his shoulders tightly. He set me back down gently, his dark eyes grinning as he babbled encouragements and congratulations.

"Thanks, Silas," I replied brightly, my cheeks a bright red. Victor and Kota repeated similar sentiments, both with pleased grins on their faces.

"Can you let me out now?" North grumbled, and I started in surprise, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry."

~~~

A-Report

Victor

Victor sat in his room, his mind uneasy. Although he was proud of Sang for tapping into her goddess' power, what he saw in her after... disturbed him. Her eyes went pure black, her aura going the same color as she stared down at the ground, her fists clenching.

Concerned, he pressed into her mind- carefully of course. Her first layer of defenses were still weak and he gently pushed through them before he could skim her thoughts and feelings. And all he could see was the Underworld. Well, what he assumed was the Underworld from the aura of darkness and sadness that pulsed from the memories.

He couldn't tell where Sang began and Persephone ended in these memories. He first saw Persephone sitting on a throne, draining the aura of a man that knelt in front her, but suddenly, the image flickered and it was Sang, and she was draining this man and she was laughing and oh god-

Victor rocketed out her mind with a gasp, noticing her eyes going back to their beautiful, normal, human green. But, yet, doubt still lingered in his mind.

What had they released onto the world?

AN:

Well, that was interesting... I'm back! School has been effing crazy, and I've been suuuuuper busy, but I'm back! Hope you guys missed me! I'm committed to finishing this story, and I know how I want to end this story. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Love, Persephone