The Phoenix Risen

Chapter 9

The funeral was kept short and was held in the backyard behind the school a day later where a small cemetery was kept. All the students showed up, even a few that had graduated had come to mourn the loss of their professor, leader, family, and friend. Professor Xavier had touched all of them in one way or another; he had changed their lives for the better. Now he was dead. Storm would be taking charge of the school, though Scott was going to help out, but for today they would all mourn for their old leader. Lunar hadn't known Xavier as long as anyone else present but she had known him long enough to be grateful for giving her a second chance... and for teaching her how to be a hero. Her only regret was now the school was defenseless because she hadn't learned how to use Cerebro.

            "Here lies one of the greatest men on the planet, he was an important figure in all of our lives and will be missed greatly." Storm spoke up as she began her short speech. "I can only hope to come close to doing as much as he did for this school and everyone in it but I can guarantee that I will always do everything in my power to protect you, teach you, and help you for as long as this school stands under my protection. Charles Xavier vowed to keep this school open for people like us, mutants, and to show humans that we can all coexist together in peace... that is still our dream. Soon, I hope to make it a reality as Professor X wanted."

            After the speech a few students applauded while others continued to stand there solemnly or cry into a friends shoulder, Scott, Lunar saw, turned around and went back inside the school with an expressionless look on his face. It was then she realized that he had basically lost everything. Jean had left, his family was gone, and the man who had taken him in was now dead, the only thing he had were his friends. Lunar waited a few more minutes to pay her respects before going inside as well. She had made the decision to continue working on mastering Cerebro, the others needed her to succeed now more than ever. A fleeting image of Professor Xavier's worried expression filled her mind from the last time she'd failed, had he known he was going to die soon? Was that the reason he had pushed her so hard to try it towards the end?

            Lunar was so lost in those sudden thoughts that she nearly walked into Scott as he came out of the training room. "Lunar, what are you doing down here?"

            She jumped back and gave him a startled look before relaxing. "N-nothing... just thinking."

            Scott was silent for a few minutes and started to walk off before pausing and looking over his shoulder. "Don't do it, I know where you're going."

            "I don't know what you mean." She backed away a bit as she lied.

            Scott came back faster than she could react and pinned her to the wall by her shoulders. "You'll get yourself killed. Is that what you want? Do you think we want another mutant... another friend... dead? If you try using Cerebro you'll kill yourself."

            Had she really made her plan that obvious? Lunar shook her head before lifting it up to meet his gaze that was hidden by his glasses. "Scott I need to do this... please, I'm the only one here with some form of telepathy. I have to learn how to use Cerebro... to help."

            "I just lost two people I cared about most, I am not about to allow you to do something that could make me lose a third." He told her threateningly.

            Lunar gave him a desperate look. "Please Scott... Trust me. I can learn, I'll be fine."

            Scott gave her a long look as he contemplated her plea before closing his eyes, not that she could tell, and backing away. Lunar watched as he silently walked down the hall away from her and back to the main floor. Did that mean he was allowing her to go? Well of course it did, he just left in the opposite direction, the real question now was could she actually succeed in what she said she would do and manage to survive. Lunar really hoped she could, she didn't feel like dying at the moment. Her death, she had decided, would be saved for a future battle, not this.