Rising from the Ashes

Meetings Gone Wrong

AN- I am sososososososo sorry I haven't updated in over two months again after I said I wouldn't D:'

I was having serious writer's block when it came to this chapter since there was so much conflict I needed to figure out before getting to the ending since I don't even know what I would've chosen had I not thrown in the extra alien factor into the already complex decision of the movie. Plus college was a real creativity killer way before finals weeks and the loooong drive back home last week and now I'm going to have a full time job for the summer in a week so I'm REALLY hoping that I'll still be able to find time to write in whatever free time I have...

On that, slightly depressing, note, many time skips and important moments ahead, but also extra long to at least slightly make up for the long wait ^^;

Ash's POV

I was surrounded by darkness and, no matter how far I walked, the darkness was still there, swallowing me up and threatening to overtake me as I started to hear anger and hate-filled voices screaming at me,

You were too late to save me yet you saved one of your own!

What have you done to our home?!

Go back to where you came from!

Just as I fell to my knees with tears streaming down my face as I tried to block out all the voices, suddenly it felt like I was enveloped in thick water that made all the voices disappear, but I could still feel my own conflicted thoughts about what I'm supposed to do; choose my people or the new home I've made for myself here on Earth...?

Abruptly, I saw a light through my closed eyes and I looked up to see a collection of the multicolored lights I saw after Sokovia had been saved. I felt a familiar presence with the lights and was reaching my hand out to them when I heard a neutral voice speak,

Wake up Lumna... It's time to choose...

With that, I snapped awake and I breathed deeply to calm my speedily beating hearts as I heard a voice in front of me,

"Ash?"

I looked up to see Nat leaning on the doorframe with her arms crossed and I asked as I sat up and rubbed my eyes,

"What time is it?"

"You've been sleeping for a while if that's what you're wondering"

After looking at the time, I realized it was almost afternoon and I had slept all of yesterday afternoon, last night, and most of this morning in probably the most peaceful sleep I had had in a long while, aside from that mysterious voice in my empty dream.

"You alright? I heard you talking in your sleep when I came to check on you last night and Wanda said you were having a nightmare before she came in here to make it stop, but she said you were still 'under a powerful influence.'"

"I just had a weird dream about lights talking and hearing the voices of everyone who ever thought I didn't belong on this planet and that I'm either too powerful to be here or not powerful enough to help... maybe they're right..."

"Hey, don't ever think like that." Nat came to sit next to me on my bed as she pulled me into a side hug, "There are always going to be people who say hateful things to people who are different, it's your choice how much power you let them take from you when you know just what you're capable of doing..."

I stayed silent as I considered her words before Nat patted my shoulder and got up to leave before turning back to tell me,

"Oh and Xay's here, he said he wanted to talk to you."