The Story of Us • Riven

Ch 49: Anti-Hero

"I should not be left to my own devices"

I finished the spell as a red force field formed around me. 

"Back up!" I yelled.  

I watched as Sky did as I said. Bloom and Riven's bodies were levitated in front of me as I tilted my head at the dirt. I held my hands out as a dark red beam left it. I screamed out in pain as I watched an outline of a body form. 

"It's working" Sky said. 

I tried controlling my breathing as the pain slowly went away. After a few minutes, a smile crept onto my face as the body of my mother was now in front of me. I stood up, walking to Sky as we watched impatiently, waiting for them to wake when I noticed my mothers fingers moving.

I stopped moving as her eyes opened. I grabbed onto Sky's arm, my breathing instantly slowing. She sat up, looking around confused until her eyes landed on me. Tears began falling down my face as I walked towards her. She stood up as I ran into her arms. 

"Briar?" She asked. "What did you do?"

I pulled apart from her, wiping my face. 

"I'm sorry.. for everything... I should've never been so mean to you.. you are my mother, I love you and I missed you" I said. 

"Oh, Briar" she said. 

"I know you said death must be respected but I can't.. I couldn't. If I had just kept a better eye on Bloom so she would've never let Rosalind out, you would've never died in the first place. Everything is my fault.." I said. "I messed up.. and I don't know what to do."

I began crying as she grabbed my face. 

"I don't know what to do with this power" I whispered. "I don't want it.."

"My sweet girl" she said. 

She wiped my tears as I leaned into her. I heard rustling behind her as she let me go. Riven was standing up as I ran towards him. I jumped into his arms as he held onto me tightly. 

"Bee" he said. 

"I thought I lost you" I said. 

I looked at him as he smirked. 

"Can't get rid of me that easily" he said. 

I laughed, crashing my lips onto his. He set me down as I looked at Bloom's still body. I walked towards it, kneeling down as I put my hand to her face. 

"She's so cold" I said. 

"She was drained, wasn't she?" My mother asked. 

"I think he took all of her magic" I said. 

"He?" She said. 

I looked over my shoulder as she feared for what I was going to say. 

"Alexsander Sallow" I said. 

"Briar.." she said. 

"I'm sorry.. Bloom was trapped there and I needed to get her" I said. "I can't bring her back, can I?"

"Not even magic of your caliber can bring her back" she said. 

I let out a deep breath, not wanting to face Sky. I held my hand out, letting the dirt absorb Bloom's body. I twisted my hand as flowers bloomed. I stood up, looking at my mother. 

"Will you tell me the truth of it?" I asked. 

"I always taught you not to trust others.. what have they told you?" She asked. 

"They first said Jean was my birth mother then I found out it was Wanda. Alexsander wants the Chaos Magic and I don't know why" I said. "They say he wants it to wreak havoc and if he gets it he'll destroy everything."

"We put Alexsander there because he was special. He was powerful, more powerful than any of us. He was good and pure at first but then.. he was madly in love with Jean Grey and when she died is when he went berserk" she said. 

"But how does Wanda factor into that?" I asked. 

"Wanda is not who she says she is. She manipulated Alexsander into having you. She's a very powerful witch and she used it to her advantage. She knew her first born child would have the Chaos Magic that corrupted her and wanted to get rid of it. She got attached to him being around, Bloom eventually being born" she said. "We meant to entrap Wanda too but someone got to her before we did."

"What did he do?" I asked. 

"He turned into someone I didn't know" she said. 

"Did Wanda really kill Jean?" I asked. 

"She knew that as long as Jean was alive she would never be able to have him" she said. 

I stood there, looking to the ground as my mind began spinning. 

"He wants to bring her back" I said. "He doesn't want it to destroy our world.. he wants to resurrect Jean."

I looked back to my mother as everything clicked. 

"He thought the Dragon Flame would bring her back.. but now he knows its the Chaos Magic" I said. 

"What are you going to do?" Riven asked. 

I turned around to Riven and Sky. 

"I'm going to talk to him" I said. 

I sat on the ground, closing my eyes as I took three deep breaths. I focused on my mind, entering his. I looked at him as he looked surprised but smiled anyway. 

"You ready to give it up?" He asked. 

"Why do you really want it?" I asked. 

"It's the most powerful magic known to man" he said. 

"Tell me the real reason" I said. 

He looked at me confused, his smile disappearing.

"I know you want it to bring back Jean" I said. "Because I did the same when I realized I could bring back the love of my life."

His face softened, turning from a villain he wanted everyone to see him as into a normal man. 

"You don't have to be the villain" I said. "I can help you if you promise never to contact me again."

"Why would you do that?" He asked. 

"I am only showing mercy to you because that is how my mother raised me. She did not raise me to let rage and revenge fuel me" I said. 

"Even after everything I did?" He asked. 

I shrugged as he put his hands to his head. 

"I just want my life to go back to normal" I said. 

"And Emma?" He asked. 

"I don't care what you do with the X-Men as long as they are taken care of" I said. "Just leave me out of it and I will resurrect Jean."

I opened my eyes before standing up. I turned around, walking towards Riven, throwing my arms around him.