Music is "Lord of the Rings Medley" by Lindsey Stirling.

Picture is Daveigh Chase (as Aspen Penrose. This is one of Glory's favorite pictures of her. It sits on her bedside table and a smaller copy is in her wallet.)

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

i fell apart many times
so.
what does that say about me
besides that
i live through
wars

- Unknown

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

{Three months later}

"You are in too deep this time. You know that, right?" Wanda mumbles, looking at me as I gaze out across the city of New York, standing at the very edge of the X-Mansion. "If you do this, there will be no going back. You could be killed."

I nod. "I know. I have to do this. He's my friend. He would do the same for me without thinking." I turn to her with tears in my eyes. "You don't have to come. I can do this alone."

She takes my hand and squeezes it gently. "Lead the way, Sister. I will follow you anywhere."

"Same here," Logan says, standing beside us, arms crossed. "I'm in for a good fight."

I nod, and without taking another breath, take a lead of faith and dive off the building.

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

{Twelve hours earlier}

Swing, punch, dodge, high kick, kidney jab. Moves I can do in under ten seconds, in that order. Between Steve and Logan's serious workouts over the past few months, I've never been in better physical shape than now. Goodbye, Mommy tummy! Helllllo, abs!

Ha! Just kidding. I still eat way too much pizza and strawberry milkshakes for abs.

"Again!" Steve says, holding the punching bag still as I take another swing. "Your aim is sloppy."

I grit my teeth and brush my sweaty, red hair from my forehead. "Sloppy, eh? Why don't you show me how it's done, Rogers?"

Steve smirks, backs up from the punching bag, raises an eyebrow, and waves me away. "Back up, Doll. I'll show you how it's done."

I roll my eyes and back up a couple steps.

"Maybe a little more..."

After stepping ten feet away, I place hand on my hip. "This far enough, Superman?"

He smirks and holds his fists up in front of his chest, in fighting position. "Watch and learn, Northern." Steve takes a couple swings, moving the punching bag pretty far, but nothing like I've seen before.

"Wooow, very impressive! I hate to say it, but your age is showing. My three month old, Ksenia, hits harder than you-"

Without letting me finish, Steve swings again, knocking the entire punching bag off it's place and causing it to fly across the room, hitting the X-Mansion gymnasium wall. He brushes his hands together and smirks again at me. "That good enough for you, Northern?"

I roll my eyes and throw my gloves at his face, which he catches, sadly. "Keep talking like that. Someday, I'll wipe that smirk off your face and you'll lose some teeth."

"Oh, God, please do," Bucky says, entering the room in only sweatpants with a towel thrown over his shoulder.

"Since when are you on her side?"

"Since she can almost spar you and beat you, of course!" Bucky grins widely and bumps his arm against Glory's, their personal greeting to each other. "Nice one, Слава," he says, uttering my name in Russian.

"I'm going to hit the showers, you guys. Have fun sparing."

As I leave, Bucky grabs the edge of the boxing ring and throws his body over in one, swift move, motioning for Steve to follow. "Haven't you already gotten your ass kicked once today, Barnes?"

"I still have the scars from Natasha's mean right hook. Bring it on!"

Chuckling, I open the door to find Rogue walking towards it. "I wouldn't try to workout right now," I warn. "Bucky and Steve are settling some score."

She nods. "Good to know. Ah was actually planning to go for a try at the simulation that Logan made in the Danger Room. Wanna come?"

I shake my head. "Not today, thanks though. I have somewhere I need to be."

"Next time?" Rogue suggests, walking towards the doors to the front office of the Tower.

I give her a thumbs up. "Absolutely. Enjoy the Danger Room!" I jog towards the elevator, trying to get to my lovely shower in my room as soon as possible.

As you might have noticed, quite a few things have happened and changed over the past couple months. After the night I found my premonition powers, we decided to stop fighting each other and start looking for Magneto. He was the big fish we needed to catch.

We never found him. He was lost in the wind. We found Genosha was gone. The entire island just gone. Disappeared from radar, satellite, even Cerebro. No one's seen or heard of Magneto, Polaris, Ultron, of the Brotherhood since that day.

After a while, the peaceful cooperation that had been going on started to fade again. The common cause we came together for, catching Magento, was no longer the priority. Bickering started up, and Tony could only prolong the inevitable Superhuman Registration Act for so long. We were forced to leave Stark Tower once more.

Charles Xavier kindly offered us a home with him and the X-Men. All of us are here: Steve, Nat, Bucky, Clint, Wanda and Pietro, Vision, Wade, Jessica, Scott, Kamala, and I. Some of us have gotten used to the accommodations more so than others, but we all call the Mansion home now. Many of us have made - or in my case, remade - friends. Pietro and Wanda feel at home with just about everyone, Clint and Nat get along well with Scott and Jean, Kamala practically worships the ground Ororo walks on, and of course Logan can't be rid of Deadpool.

My Next Generation Mutants live here now as well. After their rescue, we sent them here for safekeeping. They fit in like peas in a pod. Kitty and Morganna get along so well, and Kurt and Morgana have become very close friends. Very close, if you get my meaning.

It feels right to have everyone here, together, despite the war going on around us. The Mansion is a place of safety, thanks to Charles' efforts to keep the X-Men neutral. So far, it's worked, but there is never a guarantee if safety.

After washing the grease and sweat off my body, I put on some inconspicuous clothing. Today is both a very sad and very memorable day, and it deserves to be both remembered and celebrated. Because if we don't remember those who have come before us and fallen, what is the point of this war?

Pulling on a pair of black leggings, a black sweatshirt with a gold star in the center, a pair of sunglasses, black combat boots, a black beanie over top of a blonde wig, and some bright red lipstick, I pull the brown paper bag that sits on my dresser into my hands and head for the door.

No one bothers me on the way out, and for that I am very thankful. Charles told them what today is for me. Of course, they probably knew already. They knew he before I came to this world. Of course they would know my best friend's birthday.

Of course they would remember Aspen.

Who couldn't? That long, brown hair braided in elvish style. Those fake, pointy ears she always wore to freak people out. The wardrobe that consisted mostly of earthy toned tunics and leggings. The way she loved the Mother Earth, she called her Gaia, and everything on her. A vegan, she was. Avid Earth Day fanatic. Avid eco-friendly promoter. Avid animal rights warrior. That woman loved everyone. Everyone loves her.

Past tense on loved. Present tense on loves.

The miles flying towards her cemetery are heavy on my shoulders; I feel as if I might fall from the high altitudes. I thought I'd forgotten this pain, but I was so wrong. Time doesn't make the pain easier. That's the world's biggest lie. Time doesn't make it easier. Time makes it easier to hide. They left that part out in the self help books and Tumblr posts.

I still remember her arms reaching out towards me as she fell to her death at the hand of Killbane. I still remember the blood, the broken bones, the wave of guilt and regret and anger and hate. Oh God, the hate. I'd never felt my body on fire like that. I doubt I ever will again.

Of better yet, I remember her laugh. The way her eyes nearly shut as she giggled. The way she showed all her teeth in her wide smile. The way she would try not to laugh or smile at my attempts to make her laugh after we'd had an argument.

And boy, did we have them. Being best friends doesn't make you perfect. You'll have fights. You'll scream at each other at the top of your lungs. You'll wish you'd never met them some days.

And other days you'll wish you could stay by their side forever. Some days you'll be convinced that if you were gay and they weren't married, you'd marry them in a heartbeat. Some days it's easiest to think of them as a sister you never had.

She was mine.

No more.

The cherry blossom trees are blooming brightly in the late summer in her graveyard. Luckily, not many people are around, and so I venture into the sacred place, knowing exactly where my best friend was laid to rest. After all, I've memorized its location; I could find it in my sleep.

Her grave isn't very extravagant, though her family could easily have afforded such. She didn't want that. She said so in her Last Will and Testament. She wanted a sweet, simple gravestone that would "last the test of time." So that's what they did. They spent the extra on making her coffin and gravestone the most durable it could be. And she wanted flowers on her grave. Real flowers, not fake ones.

Every time I visit, I plant a new flower for her. The first time it was the hardest, so I planted her favorite: Lilies. Last time it was Carnations. This time it's a simple Lavender plant; she always loved the smell.

As I take a seat in front of her grave, I see over her engraved name there is growing a Morning Glory vine. Navy, indigo, and fuchsia flowers are closed up from the mid-day heat.

That's all it took for my tears to start pouring.

"I told myself I wouldn't do this," I mumble, tears soaking my face. "I told myself I'm over crying. I didn't think I could anymore." I sniff and pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them like a small child. "I thought I could handle this, but I really can't. I can't face this war without you!" I bury my head into my knees. "What was I supposed to do? Just get on with life? I tried for a long time! Over a year I ignored the achy feeling in my chest every time I saw long brown hair, or bright almond eyes. You ruined freaking Lilies for me, you elf! I hope you're happy."

I let my arms drop to the soil below me as I take handfuls of it and run it through my fingers. "I used to sleep at night. I thought the dreams had gone, but they haven't. I see your face, dying, every night since I started having premonitions. And I know it's not my fault, but I can't seem to shake this heat of anger in my heart!"

I clench my fists so tightly that my fingernails dig into my palms. "I don't know what to do, Penzie. I'm so lost. I need your guidance. You were always the more level-headed of us two." I sniff and chuckle once through my tears at a fond memory. "Like the time I moved out from my Dad's house. You told me everything I'd need to do and helped me do it. I owe my sanity and safety to you."

I pause. "And I let you die. I don't deserve to be a hero. I'm no hero!" I turn my head up and shout into the sky. "I don't want to be a hero anymore!"

Golden sparks come from my palms, and I have to take several minutes of deep breathing to calm myself. The crying stops, and so do the tears. I'm a destructive force when angry like that. Last time it happened, I nearly killed Killbane.

"Who was I to think I could fix all this?" I mumble, my body sinking back to the ground, relaxed. "I was prepared to fight for this, but then I realized I'd be fighting alone. I don't have you anymore. I didn't realize how much that hurt." I sigh. "I guess your birthday brought out some buried feelings."

I lift my head and brush away my tears. "I'm sorry for yelling. If you can hear me, I'm sorry. I just... miss talking to you." I smile and lay a hand on her engraved name.

Aspen Elaine Penrose-Spencer
Born August 12, 1995 - Died November 17, 2020
Beloved Wife, Daughter, Sister, and Friend

And then, like the true Lord of the Rings super-nerd she was, she has this quote below:

End?
No, the journey doesn't end here.
Death is just another path,
One which we all must take.
The grey curtain of this world rolls back,
And all turns to silver glass.
And then you see it: white shores,
And beyond, a far green country,
Under a swift sunrise.

All you have to decide is what to do
With the time that is given to you.

- Gandalf the Grey

I smile at the worlds and reach for the brown paper bag. "I brought something for you. A couple things, actually." I first pull out the Lavender plant, placing it on the ground beside the grey stone. "Your favorite smell. I thought it might make everything around here smell nice."

Then comes out a small case of bird seed. You see, in her Will, Aspen asked for the gravestone to be made with a stone bowl on the top t place bird seeds or treats for the animals. I brought some today to fulfill her wishes. "A treat for the animals, and," I pull the last thing out from the bag, " a treat for you. I brought your favorite homemade vegan cookies. Don't worry. I checked to see if they were animal friendly first. You and your weirdo vegan diet. I tried to be vegan, honestly, but I can only be vegetarian." I chuckle to myself. "You always said I could never give up my strawberry milkshakes, and you were right. As per fricken usual."

I dig a hole for the plant and bury it to the left of her gravestone, place the seeds in the bowl, and leave the cookie on the top of the stone. My hand lingers on the stone, not wanting to leave. "I miss you, Penzie. I love you. Keep watch over me. You know how I get into trouble." I smile and kiss my fingers, then place them on her name. "Goodbye. I'll be back sooner than you think."

Just as soon as I utter those words, my cell rings in my back pocket. I quickly pull it out, eyes still glued to the stone, and say, "Glory here."

"Come back to the Mansion immediately," Logan says. "We've got a bit of a situation."

My heart sinks. "What kind of situation?"

"Your friend, Vlad, has been apprehended by the Pro-Registration task force. They're going to be moving him to the Negative Zone." I nearly drop my cell phone. "Glory? Glory, are you still-"

"-I'll be there in three minutes. Glory, out." I hit the end call button and take one last look at the grave of my best friend and smile. "I know what I have to do. Thank you, Aspen. I'll be back soon, and don't worry. I won't let anything happen to your husband."

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

Did I say three minutes to fly home? Ha ha, that's cute. It was more like thirty seconds.

Once I arrived, it took a total of three more seconds to fly into the Mansion and look around for my Next Gen. Mutants, the New Avengers, or the one who called me in: Logan.

I walk up to Ororo, urgently asking, "Where is Logan?"

"He is in the library with the Professor, I believe. What is the matter, Child? You look as if you have seen a ghost."

I rush towards the library, not stopping for anything. Bursting in, I see the Professor, Logan, Steve, Nat, and Wanda sitting at the largest table, talking. "Logan," I say, running to him, "Where is Vlad?"

Logan holds his hands up. "Calm down, Glory."

My eyes glow golden with impatient rage. "Where. Is. He?"

The Professor steps in, or rather, wheels in. "I found him with Cerebro just a few moments ago. We were going to wait to tell you until tomorrow because of what today means to you, but Logan felt that you would be very upset with us."

I nod to Logan. "He's right. Now, tell me where my best friend is and what the plan is to break him out."

The Professor pauses. "He's being held in a secure facility and awaiting transport to the Negative Zone. Tony Stark has him locked up personally for some reason."

"He locked up my best friend?" I nearly shout. "We have to go rescue him! What's the plan?"

Steve and the Professor look at each other. "There is no plan, Glory," Steve mumbles.

I growl, "I'm sorry. Could you speak up? It sounded like you said 'there's no plan'."

"There isn't a plan."

"Why the hell not?"

"One, it's too risky, and two, if we got caught, they would take us to the Negative Zone as well. We are the resistance. We can't risk more than one member for another."

"Then let me go alone! He would do the same for me in a heartbeat. He has. He's saved us all. Or have you forgotten his help in the Second Black Plague." I pause. "Because I haven't. I lost my best friend that day. My sister! I will not let her husband be lost, too. I promised!"

"I think your emotions are clouding your judgement," Scott Summers says.

I reach out my hand and throw him back against the wall. "Don't. You. Ever. Say that to me again. Understood?" He nods, and I let him go. "I'm going alone. I dare you to stop me."

Steve grabs my arm. "Glory, don't. For your safety, we will stop you. Think of your twins. Of Pietro."

I turn around, slowly, and glare at him, pulling my arm back with a jerk. "You'd do it for Bucky. You have done it for Bucky."

I turn to leave, but hear two pairs of footsteps following me. "Glory," Wanda's voice says.

"Save your breath, Wanda. I have to go."

"Glory, I-"

"-please don't?"

"I wasn't. I want-"

"-to stop me? Good luck with that. Bring it on. I can handle anything you throw at me."

"Shut up and listen to me, Sister!" I shut my mouth and listen to Wanda. "I'm going with you."

I raise an eyebrow. "Really? No catch? No trying to get me to stay?"

She rolls her eyes. "No. If it were my brother in that place, I would want him out." She smiles softly. "I know what you've lost, I know what he's lost, and I know what you mean to each other. I've read your thoughts, and his. You would do the same for me."

I smile with teary eyes. "Thank you, Wanda." I turn to the other person lagging behind us, Logan. "Are you going to stop us or join us?"

He comes to us, arms crossed. "I want to join."

"Why?"

"You're my favorite, kid," he smirks.

I laugh and grin at them both. "You guys are amazing. Suit up and meet me at the rooftop at nine. We'll leave after dark."

END CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.