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Title: Music in the Key of X - The Dance
Author: Lori McDonald (lori@spydernet.net)
Disclaimer: Storm, Gambit and the X-Men belong to Marvel. The song in 
the story is called "The Orchard" and is written by Thomas Newman. I 
found it on the Phenomenon soundtrack.
Copywright: Lori McDonald March 1997

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Storm walked quietly down the trail in the forest behind the mansion, 
breathing softly the warm scents of the night and the perfume of flowers 
she'd tended herself. The lights of the mansion were mostly off as the 
majority of the X-Men had already gone to sleep, and the few glowing 
lights left on illuminated her way no more than the plethora of stars 
overhead did. Yet between them, they coated the forest in silver.

She felt restless, the stress of recent occurances building up in her, but 
she didn't want to release it in yet another sterile Danger Room session. 
She'd thought she could ease it by communion with her Goddess, but 
she was having no luck making any sort of contact with her.

From the mansion, she overheard the opening notes of a song played on 
a stereo and felt the strains of the instrumental tug at her to dance. She 
smiled. Perhaps this was what she needed. Dance had always been one 
of the most powerful ways to reach the gods. Her Goddess was no 
different.

As the drums started, she began to swing her hips back and forth, raising 
both arms over her head and beginning to turn, her shoulders and arms 
moving to the music.

A guitar started and she danced, her feet still firmly on the ground as she 
moved her upper body, her long hair swinging in the breeze she called 
up as her entire upper body twisted rhythmically. A smile touched her lips 
again and the weather responded with a wind that blew her hair straight 
up and sent ripples through the thin silk she wore.

Storm lifted off the ground, turning slowly as the music intensified. WIth 
each counterpoint of sound, she moved a hand, a leg, an arm, keeping 
up the beat while the branches of the trees danced with her, swaying, as 
did the flowers. The entire garden celebrated in the dance.

She heard a flute begin and leaves leaped up to swirl around her. She 
was one with the world. The drums played again and she rose higher, 
the beat in her heart, in her blood. She danced, and let her winds move 
her where they willed.

They moved her to a partner. One even more filled with life than the 
trees that moved below her.

He stood on the roof, watching her with no expression in his blood red 
eyes, then grinned when she spun and held a hand out to him invitingly. 
Stepping to the edge of the roof, he reached out and lightly brushed his 
hand against her outstretched palm. He didn't take it though, and she 
moved a little closer.

As if sensing a new participant, the music changed to an instrument she 
didn't recognize and he danced where he stood, never leaving the 
ground, but looking more like he could fly than she did. His feet firm on 
the slanting roof, he swayed his upper body, reaching towards her 
without making contact, then pulling away, bending his knees to keep his 
balance as he moved. Quickly, she joined him.

They danced together, not touching, and when the guitar sounded again, 
they were nose to nose, he on the edge of the roof, she off it, eyes 
closed, moving perfectly in time with the music and each other as if they 
were a single being.

In that oneness, Storm could feel her Goddess, dancing with them both, 
in them both, and as the end of the song trailed away and she drifted 
apart from him, afraid to say anything that would break the magic of the 
moment, a tear slipped down her cheek.

 
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