Dark Beginnings - X-Men: Apocalypse

Prologue

The Nile Valley, 3600 BCE

She had come to Egypt in the form of a fallen star, all purple light and bright red hair, like a head full of flames. The then Pharaoh, En Sabah Nur, took an instant liking to her, and chose her to rule at his side. 

Until now. Now, she made the decision, and she chose to leave. 

From where she stood on the balcony, Nina overlooked the crowded street. It was packed full of people, all on their knees, bowing over and over again as the procession passed them. All bowing to him, their ruler, their god.

She hadn't wished to be a part of this procession, another procession, yet another display of power. At least he had honoured her wish for that this time. 

The procession was nearing the pyramid – soon they would be here. Soon, it would be time.

Too soon.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see one of the guards she was working with.

"My Lady." He bowed his head to her. " It is almost time."

"Yes." They spoke to each other in Egyptian. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." He sounded ready, ready to commit treason with her assistance, at her order.

"I do not think I am," she admitted. "You are sure about this? Certain?

 "It must be done."

"I know."

"They have arrived. It is time." He nodded out to the procession which was now at the base of the pyramid. She lingered behind. Were they really going to do this? Yes, yes they were. 

When she entered the pyramid she found it filled with guards. The new victim was laying motionless and unresponsive on the thick slab of stone in the centre of the inner chamber, right below the peak of the pyramid soaring above, one of two.

"Be ready," she whispered to a nearby guard. He gave her a brief but brisk nod in reply. 

The front entranceway to the pyramid was open, daylight streaming in.  Now he, En Sabah Nur, stood there, flanked, as usual,  by his Horsemen, four of them. Always four.

It was almost time - almost time for the Transference.

He came over to her, as he always did beforehand.  "My Love."

She forced a smile as she looked up at him.  "My Love."

"So begins another reign for us."

She gave a nod.  "So it begins."

Their attention turned to the man they had selected as En Sabah Nur's new body.  One of the Horsemen took a knife and cut the skin of the man's stomach - only for it to heal back almost instantly. 

"Now you will live forever, My Lord."

He must have liked what he saw. He turned back to her, to Nina, and took her hand. "You once confided to me that you stay young, that you go on living. Now we can both live forever."  Then, without another word, he lay down upon the second slab of stone. The  entrance  slammed closed, showering them  in darkness.   Nina's form  shook against the shadow, she praying it was not too obvious. They only had one chance. 

A  humming  sounded then as the pyramid walls were suddenly swirled in gold designs, caused by the sunlight striking the tip of the pyramid above them. The Horsemen began to chant, low and in perfect unison. The designs trailed along the floor now, slithering towards  the two stones at the centre where the god and his next victim lay.

She and the guard met eyes, exchanging a brief nod. He slammed the base of his spear into the ground, a signal to the others.

Following his signal, a distant crashing could be heard outside the pyramid walls, as well as shouting and commotion,  distant shouts of "Kill the god!" The betrayal had begun.

Immediately sensing trouble, the Horsemen  stopped  their chanting and sprang into action, protecting their master. The sudden commotion had not phased the two lying there upon the stones, had not phased the Transference. They  had to put an end to the ritual  before the Transference was complete. 

The guards inside were now rebelling as well, smashing the pyramid walls, trying to cut off the sunlight connection.  Many fell victim to the Horsemen and their enhanced powers. 

A new and sudden flash of blue snapped Nina's attention back to the stones.  Blue swirls of light were rising from the body of the Pharaoh, swirling down the stone on which he was laying, across the floor, and to where the victim lay on the other. The transferring of his consciousness was still taking place - soon the man would be the new En Sabah Nur.

She might still be able to save him from that fate. 

One of the Horsemen noticed her eyeing the two stones for they blocked her path.  She saw blue swirling around the man, changing him.

"No!" She fought to reach them.

"You betray him?" the Horseman hissed. 

"I am done with playing this game - his game."

The pyramid was crumbling around them, and yet the Transference still persisted. 

She saw only one way, only one possible solution - to go dark.

So, reaching deep within herself to the centre of her power, she tore open the Dark Dimension, grasping at her strongest power, calling to it for assistance. 

However, what she intended didn't happen.

As soon as it opened, almost as though it were protecting her, the Dark Dimension sucked her through into it, like a dark portal, which had never happened before, carrying her away, far away.

Everything went dark.

When she awoke, or came to rather, the Dark Dimension was closed again and she found herself very far way indeed.  It would take her some time, but eventually she would come to discover that she was in America, 1962.

Here she would find the X-Men, or rather they would find her.

Here, she would find her true family. 

(Hello and welcome to this continuation of my Deadpool and X-Men  stories :) This is a prequel, as you already know, but if you haven't read my other Nina stories, no worries! Welcome or welcome back!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed  this introduction! :))