Tales from the Cave-Sleeping Beauty

Friends

Sixteen sad, lonely years passed for the King and Queen, patiently waiting for their daughter's sixteenth birthday. Then and only then would it be safe for her to return to her home planet and be reunited with her mother and father.

As for J'onn, the years seemed to go by quickly. He adored M'gann, and watched with love and pride as she blossomed into a beautiful young woman. True to the gifts of the Seven Sorceresses, M'gann grew up to be kind, smart, graceful and passionate, with the ability to sing and dance like an angel. Not too long after her fifteenth birthday, J'onn invited her to join a covert team of superheroes-in-training.

The Team started out with just her and four boys—Aqualad, apprentice of Aquaman; Robin, partner of Batman; Kid Flash, protege of the Flash; and last, but certainly not least, Superboy, Cadmus clone of Superman. Soon after, they added new female members to the Team—Artemis, new partner of Green Arrow; Zatanna, daughter of Zatara, and Rocket, protege of Icon.

And now, we return to our story, on the very day BEFORE M'gann's sixteenth birthday...

M'gann sat up in her pink butterfly bed and stretched her arms out as the sun shone through her bedroom window. She looked at her digital alarm clock—six-thirty A.M. "Time to greet the day!" She used her telekinesis to pull her outfit for the day out of the closet.  After brushing her hair and her teeth, she floated all the way into the living room.

There, she saw Superboy sitting on the couch, watching the static on the TV.  "Morning, Conner!", she said in her usual cheery tone of voice.  "Do you want me to cook you some breakfast?"  Conner didn't look back at her when he said, "No thanks.  After this show is over, I've got some packing to do."  Megan tilted her head innocently.  "Packing?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go visit the other Genomorphs in Cadmus.", he said, still staring at the set.  "I won't be back until the day after tomorrow."  M'gann felt her heart sink. "You're not going to be here tomorrow?" Conner shrugged. "Is there any reason I should be? Its not like Superman is gonna visit me here." He said that last part with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

M'gann looked down at her smooth green hands, planted firmly against the counter. "So...you can't recall any reason to be here tomorrow?" "Not one." He turned off the TV and stood up. "Well, better get crackin' on that suitcase. See you around, M'gann." He walked past her, not even giving her a sideways glance, and down the hall towards his bedroom.

M'gann watched him go as she walked over to the sofa and sat in the exact same spot he had. She looked back at her hands, a whirlwind of emotions swirling around in her chest. "Conner forgot my birthday?"  She felt sad.  She had had the biggest crush on Conner ever since his mumbled apology after the "Mister Twister Fiasco".  For a brief moment, she had seen a lonely person with the need to be loved, beneath the hard, tough exterior he always put up.

She had made it her mission to bring out that side in him.  They spent almost all their free time together, doing everything from reading books to playing board games.  M'gann loved seeing him relax and forget about how Superman constantly rejected him.  Just a few days ago, he had told her that he trusted her more than anyone else.  His words had made her heart soar.

And now he was going to be away during her sixteenth birthday.  She felt a few stroked of self-pity seep into her heart and her mind.  No!  I'm not going to feel sorry for myself!, she thought.  I'm not going to let Conner's forgetfulness spoil one of the most important birthdays of my life!  So what he he doesn't remember?  I'm going to have a wonderful time, with or without Conner!

She went into the kitchen and got to work in cooking her own breakfast, running over in her head the details of what she could do tomorrow.  She could go see a play, or spend the day on the beach, or even dress up, go to a club, and dance the night away.  Either way, she would end it with a birthday cake, a candle wish, and sharing the special dessert with her family and friends.  Conner or no Conner, she was determined to have the best birthday ever!