| Talisman explores the caverns beneath the citadel while searching for the X-Man Rachel Summers. Talisman finds Master Builder’s sketchbook, and when she is reunited with Kitty Pryde, the two find Rachel, but Rachel is too distraught and only after Kitty calms her, can they leave the Viking Village they discovered, though Earth-Mover creates an avalanche, hoping to prevent the young girls from revealing their findings. While escaping, Talisman comes in contact with the Fire Fountain itself, and she actually cancels it out for a moment. Afterwards, Kitty finds Wolverine, who was supposed to be in search of the missing Snowbird. Kitty tells Logan what she and the other girls found and reveals their suspicions about what is going on. Wolverine resumes his search for Snowbird and when he finds her, he has to battle Beastmaster and Pathfinder, which results in the death of Pathfinder. Back in the citadel, Rogue and Northstar share a dance, Northstar doing so to prove the others wrong, while Heather and Charles discuss the teams’ predicaments. Talisman meets with Sam Ross who reveals to her that the runestone she found is a dedication to Loki, which Loki (who has been keeping an eye on Talisman) sees. Back at the banquet, Wolverine returns with Snowbird and Beastmaster, whom he beat-up pretty bad, and when he reveals that the magics of the world are what feed the Fire Fountain and give people powers, though it kills anyone magical powers or a magical background. The X-Men and Alphans take sides and only nine are all that can prevent the others and the meta-humans from making this New World a reality. While in battle, Talisman learns that when one is given a power, it takes away their ability to create, dream and imagine. When she recalls this to the others, Loki appears and the heroes are forced with a predicament -–to accept Loki’s gift and change the world, despite the few it will kill in the process. Talisman proves a deciding factor as she convinces Madelyne not to accept Loki’s gift. When Madelyne rejects the gift, she is forced to then accept it back when her dear friend Sam Ross is injured. Before the heroes are forced to make any more choices, the Elder Gods appear and give Loki a warning. He gives the heroes one last chance to accept his gift, before they reject him again. They are forced to then face their own demons and flaws again and they think about what could have been. Snowbird is healed and like Northstar, leaves on her own, while the remaining Alphans, the X-Men and humans leave, only after Cyclops goes in search of a missing Rachel, who decides not to tell Scott she is his daughter. Within the destruction of the Fire Fountain, a single rose blooms. |
