Recovery

Chapter 1

Three Years Ago, 1980

Letter to Xaviers School of Gifted Youngsters
'Terra Rewi. Mutant. 15 years of age.
     Mutation(s): Ecological Empathy, Plant Manipulation - Plant Mimicry - (limited/possible) Plant Magic, Enhanced Swordsmanship, (very limited) Environment creation
     Also known as Hanging Plant, Terrain, Midnight Flower
Place of birth: Dunedin, New Zealand
Scottish, Maori, English

     Terra hesitantly walks into the school, black jeans and a big black bomber jacket over a Queen shirt. Fixing her book bag straps, she glances around, watching students wander through the halls.

    Some students glance at her, looking at her visible mutation. Small vines wrap around her ankles, sometimes they show. Very tiny flowers blossom in her.

     It doesn't feel right here. It's all new here. Terra's never been to America. She hasn't even been out of the country before now. It's all so strange.

     She feels her uncle's hand rest on her shoulder. She looks up at him nervously. She starts to fiddle with the book bag strap.

     -Her uncle, Cypress Rewi, is a mutant also with nature-related powers. His powers are wood-based-

"Don't worry Lil' Clover, no need to worry. You will do well here. I know people who work here."

"Uncle Cypress, what if-"

"No what if's!" Cypress tells her as he looks up to see his buddy, Hank Mccoy, walking down the staircase of the mansion. "Hank! How are you?" He calls out as he approaches him.

"Cypress! It's good to see you! I'm good-" Hank smiles at him, but before he could say anything else.

"I see you're not blue!" Cypress states.

"And you're not a block of wood. How have you been doing?" Hank asks almost awkwardly.

"Wonderful. I'm here to drop off my niece, Terra, she will be going to school here now." Cypress turns around to see Terra awkwardly standing there, looking at her feet. "Terra, come here, you fool."

"Oh yes, Charles was just talking about new students the other day." Hank states as Terra shyly approaches the two men. "Hello Terra, I'm Hank Mccoy, I've worked with your uncle multiple times."

"Hi," Terra says quietly, clinging to her uncle's arm gently, giving Hank a small smile. Terra hesitantly shakes his hand. He could tell she is more nervous than any student he met on their first day.

"She's a bit shy, but she's alright," Cypress tells Hank.

"I see, let me take you to Charles. He must be in his office." Hank tells them.

"Thank you, Hank." Cypress states and starts to make small talk with Hank.

The group passes a red-haired girl, a book floating in front of her face. She immediately recognizes that it's telekinesis. She's seen it before. Terra thinks what that girl can do is amazing.

'Thank you' Terra hears in her head. The girl smiles at her as Terra looks at her wide-eyed. Terra blushes deeply. 'I can read minds, no need to freak out.' Terra smiles lightly and tries to focus on Cypress's and Hank's conversation.

"So, Terra, what type of classes do you like?"

"Science," Terra mutters to him. Hanks smiles and nods.

"I know she isn't the most specific person, but she likes chemistry and astronomy class back at her old school. She has a box of science fair trophies at home." Cypress states. Hank nods.

They finally reach Charles's office.

***

     "That was quite in an interesting written letter, Terra. In a way, it was straightforward." Charles states. Terra nods at him sheepishly. He can feel Terra's discomfort. He knows that she doesn't want to be here. It's all-new for her. She doesn't want them to know that she is struggling to talk.

     "Well, she tries to be." Cypress jokes as he glances at Terra weakly, watching her nervously tap her foot on the floor. A sighs lightly. "You know, she writes well. She just doesn't know how to get words out in the way she wants them."

     Terra looks around the office, admiring the architecture. The many books catch her eye. She bites her bottom lip. A leaf falls from her hair and into her lap.

     -Her hair isn't a mess. Leaves and little flowers reside in her hair. Sometimes she can fix her hair to make it look like she is wearing a flower crown.-

     Terra noticed tiny leaves floating around her hands. Her eyes widen and she closes her hands into fists. The tiny leaves drop in her lap.  She looks at Cypress, watching him talk.

     "So she is developing new mutations as you said over the phone?" Charles asks Cypress.

     "She seems to have more mutations or just some new aspects of her powers that she hasn't gotten under control yet. I've been getting worried that she wouldn't be able to hide them while she was at school, I don't want her to get hurt." Cypress states.

     "I understand your concern. Terra can stay here if she would like to, see if she likes it here, we can help her." Charles says, soon to look at Terra, who seems to be in a daze or eyeing a book. "She can take some classes if she would like it." That got her attention.

     "Even a science class?" Terra asks, taking her gaze off of the book she was looking at.

"Well, yes, of course." Charles nods lightly, smiling a little. "Even a science class." He watches Terra smile as she goes off into her little daze. He knows she is listening, yet her eyes lead her elsewhere. "We should go on a walk around." Charles glances at Cypress, who is too worried about Terra not focusing.

Charles quickly examines where Terra is looking again. A different book. A black leather cover with gold lettering on it. She admires it. Out of all the books with similar covers, she looks at that one.

"Would you like that, Terra?" Charles asks.

"I think that would be nice," Terra tells him, returning her eyes toward him. She smiles softly.

"Well come on you two. Hank, will you joins us please?" Charles states.

"Of course."

"Maybe you can show us what you can do, Terra."

"Okay."