Disclaimer: Everyone in Gen X and Darkoth the Demon are Marvel's, everyone else is mine.

Author's Note: For those of you who have come in late, I suggest you read the first two stories "First Contact" and "The Askani Wars" in that order. If you don't feel like it here's what has happened (deep breath). Dawn Embers is a telepathic mutant who can summon the dead whose father helped found the FOH so when her mutant powers manifested she called her best friend Glenn Keaton for support. Glenn turned out to be a mutant as well and when they discovered a plot against Dawn's life they fled the boarding school she was staying at and went to the Massachusetts Academy for sanctuary. They met Gen X and were accepted into the group but soon afterwards Dawn's family was revealed to have been manipulated by Mr. Sinister, who killed her parents while she watched. He then injected Glenn with a poison of some sort before retreating, leaving Dawn with no choice to travel to the future with Rachel Summers, where she fought in a rebellion for about seven chapters. She discovered she had about two months to live before the Legacy Virus killed her, traveled back in time, missed by a dimension the first try and acquired the memories of her double, named Threnody, and then visited Glenn for a brief time on the second try. After that Apocalypse attacked and Dawn's deceased cousin Will blew up the stronghold once they had freed the captive Clan members, which p.o'd Apocalypse and caused him to attack them himself. Rachel sent her back in time before he got to her, but she found herself in a place filled with demons and confronted with a very large, purple demon bearing a glowing sword. Now I wonder who THAT could be...

Anyway, this chapter is mostly to tease you about upcoming story lines and tie up a loose end Marvel has currently forgotten, so enjoy, everybody!

For a moment we just stared at each other, I in confusion and fear and he in... sadness? I looked closer into those glowing yellow eyes and discovered them filled with barely healed pain, but understanding all the same. My telepathy, almost instinctively, touched his mind slightly, trying to figure out what his motives were. I found memories of great pain and a burning hate towards the man who had turned him into this... this demon. However, he had long since gotten over it, and was now trying his best to retain his humanity in a world populated by demons. A man cast in the form of a demon, stranded in a world containing only demons. It seemed... unfair, somehow, that he should have to suffer that way, but I sensed he had accepted his fate. The man once called Desmond Pitt, now known as Darkoth the Demon, was trying to make amends for the years he had spent wallowing in self pity and hate, which he had felt he had been doing by saving me from the demons of this dimension, Otherplace, which was actually kind of a rest stop between any dimension or time one would want. Seeing all this in his mind made me feel ashamed for being terrified of him, but I couldn't bring up an apology.

Darkoth looked at me for a moment longer, the turned to walk away, the sword gleaming brightly in the dull, dusty light of Otherplace. I bit my lip for a moment, my wings flexing and unflexing in uncertainty, and suddenly I sent, :Darkoth... wait.:

He turned towards me slowly, looking slightly confused. He had obviously expected me to have run away in terror by now. "Yes?" he asked me, his skull-like head standing out prominently in the darkness.

:I'm sorry... I was scared,: I stammered. :I... I didn't know.:

"Don't be sorry. I was only trying to do penance for years of sins. I myself have never seen an angel in Otherplace, let alone one so young."

I was puzzled for a second, but then realized he was referring to my wings, which I had extended when I had been attacked by the demons. They were a bit gashed, but nothing too severe. :Um... I don't mean to intrude, but from what I see in your memories, the Soulsword should make you absolute ruler of Otherplace, right?: I asked.

"Correct."

:And... it reflects on what the ruler desires, right? Then how come there are demons everywhere when all you want is peace?:

"It's... a long story."

:Please tell me. Maybe I can help you. It'd be the least I could do after you saved my life.: What little there was left to save, anyway...

Darkoth looked at me and sighed. "Very well. Months ago, in your time, a woman came to Otherplace. She was a sorceress, and her name was Shrill. She tried to destroy the sword, but since I need the sword to keep control of Otherplace I could not allow it. I would not give it to her to destroy, so she hurled her magicks at me. I carry the scars still..." he rubbed his chest, which had a deep, blackened pit in it, and I noticed several other such scars adorning his body. "...but even so she left empty handed when I used the sword to send her back to earth. However, my hold over the sword was weakened, and Otherplace began to get out of control. My hold over it vanished completely the day the sword was drawn by a member of the group who had originally helped me attain it: Kitty Pryde. Otherplace was out of control, and it remained that way until the sword returned here upon the defeat of it's final bearer, Margali Szardos. The sword returned... but so did Margali. I managed to wrest it from her in her weakened state, but she has recovered and, since she has the power of The Winding Way backing her and partial claim to the sword, she is sending demons after any newcomers, such as yourself. If I can not stop her she'll regain her full power and take the sword." Darkoth plunged the Soulsword into the ground and leaned on it. "The sword has a corrupting influence on people over time. I am immune, since I am no longer alive and my skeleton is laced with a similar metal, but Margali is quite mad. She has killed all ahead of her on The Winding Way and now uses their souls for her own purposes. If I could but free their spirits then perhaps I would have a chance."

I pondered this information a moment. If we could free the souls of the other magicians... could *I* do that? I DID have a limited degree over souls, but I'd never actually tried to FREE one before, let alone a MAGICIAN'S soul. I mean, the only type of people I had been able to call up had all been mutants, and I'd only really called three of them. Well, I felt like I was obligated to help Darkoth, even if HE didn't think so, so I decided to go for broke. Heck, I only had two months left anyway, and from Otherplace I could return to earth whenever I wanted to and still get back the minute I had left.

:I think I can help you there,: I sent. :My mutant power lets me call souls, so maybe if I can call the captive souls it'll release them.:

Darkoth looked thoughtful. "You could try, I suppose," he said, "But it is unnecessary."

:Nonsense. I owe you one. Give me a minute and we'll see what we can see.: I reached out with my telepathy first, trying to find the souls of the magicians first. If I reached out with no idea what to call there's no telling what I'd end up with.

I found them, chained around a certain spot in Otherplace. There were eight in all, four men and four women. Giles, eighty five years old, killed in his sleep. Aselma, thirty eight, murdered on her way home from work. Belden, forty six, killed in the middle of casting a defensive spell. Lodema, sixty two, butchered in a small, dirty alley. Covell, seventy nine, slain while feeding his cat. Sebastiane, fifty five, killed while walking her dog. Erastus, nineteen, murdered getting ready for a date. Ilona, twenty three, robbed of her own body and sentenced to a miserable half life among the dead. I felt such sorrow from these eight that it hit me in a huge wave of depression, blotting out my other senses. The magicians, sensing me, called out for help.

:Who are you?: Erastus asked me.

:What business have you in Otherplace?: that was Covell.

:Has Margali brought you here too?: Ilona sent.

:Calm down, calm down all of you,: I told them. :My name's Dawn Embers. I'm a mutant, and I'm going to try to use my power to free you.: Oh yeah, I'm REAL good at making reassuring speeches, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind. I reached for Ilona first, trying to catch her spirit with my powers.

What I got was a face full of magickal backlash.

"EYYYAHHH!" I cried, falling to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Darkoth said, bending over me.

:Yeah,: I replied, rubbing my head. :But my mouth'll never heal if I keep using it. Listen, I found the magicians, and I even started to pull one out, but Margali's built up shields or something, and I can't breach them. Let me ask them what they think I should do.: I tuned back in on the magicians and sent, :Ilona, are you all right?:

:Yes,: she replied. :But what of you?:

:Just a little singed,: I told her. :Do you guys know how I can get you out of here without getting, um, blasted?:

:If you distract Margali long enough her spells shall weaken,: sent Giles. :If you work fast enough she won't realize we have been released until it is too late.:

:Hmm...: I murmured. :Let me check back with Darkoth. HE can probably devise a distraction.: I tuned back in on Darkoth and sent, :I could free them, but you'd have to distract Margali long enough for me to break all of them free.:

"Will it work?" he asked. "I saved you to make amends for my past deeds, not to coerce you into helping me--"

:You didn't coerce me, this is of my own free will. I'm going to pay you back, whether you want me to or not, so you might as well make the best of it.:

Darkoth looked at me for a long moment. "Where did you learn such courage?" he asked.

:Actually it's more stubbornness then anything else,: I shrugged. :And if it IS courage I'm not using it very wisely. I'll probably get myself killed doing one of these stupid stunts one day.:

"Quite the contrary. Your courage does you credit. Your life has been shattered, your soul been ground into the dust, and yet still you rise above it. I see a strength in you I have seen in only one other, and it shall serve you well. Be strong, Dawn." He turned away, removing the sword from the dirt, and walked off towards where the souls were bound, and surely towards Margali as well.

:Tell me when it's safe to try again,: I sent to the magicians. We waited for several minutes and then suddenly Covell sent, :NOW!:

I knew I would get only one shot at this, so I pulled for all of them at once. Slowly the magickal web unraveled, freeing the eight little by little. I pulled harder, sweat beading my brow as Darkoth tore into Margali's forces, forcing the sorceress to concentrate on keeping her demons in thrall. I gave a tug with my mind and Ilona won free, followed by Aselma, Covell, Belden, Erastus, Sebastiane, Giles, and Lodema. I heard a thin scream in the distance as Margali realized half her power was gone, and felt Otherplace tremble as it struggled to free itself from her weakened grasp. The eight dead magicians wove a magickal shield to protect both me and Darkoth from the torrents of flame that poured out of the ground as it groaned and shrieked.

:God, I hate days like this,: I muttered.

"WE'RE not having too much fun, either!" Erastus retorted.

Suddenly Otherplace blanked, literally. It became a vast, white plane of nothingness, with the exception of two figures in the distance; Darkoth and Margali. Margali was on her knees before Darkoth, clutching her head in agony. She was green, literally, with dark green hair and ram-like horns on the sides of her head. She WAS mad, driven insane by the immense power of the Winding Way and the corrupting influence of the soulsword. I saw, deep in her mind, a tiny window of sanity, calling for help. All I could make out was one sentence that was repeated over and over again, whose four words sent pangs of sympathy through my soul.

:Kurt... Amanda... forgive me...:

Kurt Wagner. Amanda Sefton. Her daughter and foster son. I felt sorry for her, but there was nothing I could do to help her.

Darkoth simply formed a cage around the insane sorceress, knowing full well it wasn't her fault she was insane. I could tell he didn't have the heart to kill her, since she represented the only human company he would probably ever have in Otherplace. He turned his head towards me and was suddenly standing four feet away.

"It is done," he said. "Margali has been contained, but I fear there is nothing I can do to restore the poor woman's sanity."

:Maybe I'll be able to help her someday, when I've got more control over my telepathy,: I sent. :Right now I can't solve something like dementia, though. And I really should get back to school, I've got to get deliver some medicine to my friend.:

"Before you go, we must repay you for your kindness," Giles said. "Both of you. Lodema, read Dawn and tell her what to look for in her future."

The sorceress called Lodema moved towards me, her body a mere orange-pink glow. She touched me with her hands and I felt a tingle flow through my body. She pulled her hands away and said, "Darkness shall triumph, but you shall rise from the ashes of defeat. What you seek you shall not find, sending you again into a world of pain and bigotry. Remember things are not always what they seem, and you shall find allies in unexpected places. Shadows of your past shall find you again--if you desire to attain your true potential you must defeat them. Never lose your compassion, or risk becoming one of the enemy yourself. For every life you touch you shall gain power from the good you do them. And never forget, there are few things stronger in this world as the power of pure, unconditional love."

:Um.: I sent intelligently.

"You do not have to understand what Lodema has told you, merely keep them in mind," Aslema told me. "It will all make sense eventually."

:Err... sure. Whatever.: I was very, VERY confused by this point.

"And you, Darkoth," Giles said, turning to him, "though I fear we cannot undo what Doom had wrought on your flesh, we CAN extend your own shape shifting abilities to include your true form as well. I fear it will do you little good when you cannot leave Otherplace. Perhaps a time will come when you can find someone trustworthy to give the soulsword to, and thus be free of the burden of ruling Otherplace." As he spoke Giles and the others wove a spell around him, filling the air with magick. Darkoth's form flickered between that of a demon and a man for an instant, and settled back into a demon's form.

"You may change whenever you wish, and remain that was as long as you desire," Giles told him. Darkoth experimented, shifting to his human form and back again.

"Thank you," he said, smiling thinly. "It is what I have wanted ever since Doom changed me into a monster. However, in Otherplace a demon's form has some advantages, so I shall remain thus until I find a way to return to earth."

It was at his point I nearly fainted. The strain of keeping not one, not two, but EIGHT spirits in the real world was finally catching up to me.

"What's wrong?" Erastus asked me.

:I don't... think I can keep you all... here much longer,: I sent. Even as I said this their forms were wavering and fading, like holograms.

"It's all right," Belden said. "We should have passed on long ago. Fare well, travelers." I let them go, and almost passed out.

"I'm afraid I no longer have the power to send you home," Darkoth told me, "But if you have the power to summon souls, you shall be able to win free of this place all the same. A child, Illyana Rasputin, was once the master of Otherplace, and had the power to travel between here and earth. She is dead now, so perhaps you can find her and use her to leave."

:Worth a try,: I murmured. I reached into the netherworld and found a small, Russian child named Illyana. Her powers had been latent after she had been regressed to a child of seven or eight, but she had now had access to her full potential in death. I summoned a stepping disc and wound up in the last place one had been used: Times Square in New York City. I was panting, this exertion was taking it's toll on me. I aimed northward and came up in the middle of the woods; I had fallen way short. I jumped again; still in New York. I jumped again; STILL in New York, and in the woods again. I was never going to get to the Academy this way. If only I wasn't so blasted WEAK...

:Who are you?: came a gentle mind voice; a woman's.

:Who... are you?:

:Phoenix. I sensed you the moment you appeared in New York; a powerful young mutant does not simply appear out of thin air. But again, who are you?:

:Dawn... Embers...: I gasped. :Wait... you Jean Grey-Summers? Have message from... Rachel........*: I wasn't able to tell her more, I was cut off by unconsciousness. My last conscious thought was to wonder if I would EVER get back to my dying friend, and the only remaining piece of what had once been a normal life.

TEASER: A trip back to the Academy along with an X-Man or three. Of course, she'll have to tell Sean and Emma about Legacy, but what will they do when she does?