"You were shattered?" Shine said. "I have no memory of this."

"Why would you have any memory of it?" Frost asked.

"Oh, I remember--in the movie she got cracked," Wally said. "But she wasn't British in the movie."

"And I don't think she's the same Emma Frost either." Shine looked at Emma long and hard. 

"Who are you people?" Frost asked. "I don't understand. You have to explain, now. How did you know where I would be?"

 She frowned warily at them.

Mystique, rubbing her head, sulkily sat in one of the seat and crossed her arms and legs like she had no intention of helping.

"Before we tell you, please tell us what happened to you," Shine said gently. "That might determine what's the best info for us to tell you first."

"But I don't know," Frost said.

"Well, Emma--can I call you Emma?" Shine asked. "I feel weird saying Miss Frost."

"No one calls me that anyway, so do whatever you want," Frost said.

"Well, then, Emma, what is the very last thing you remember before the hideout?" Shine asked.

"I told you...shattering," Emma said saltily. "I remember nothing after that. I suppose my mind was too shattered to have memory or consciousness. My diamond form is virtually indestructible, so there is a possibility it survived somehow, alive, even in pieces. But how could it be put back together? I can't answer that."

"Me neither," Wally said. "Nothing I can remember. Shine?"

Shine tapped her chin. "I can think of only one thing: When I researched mutants, I did find out there was one who could sense jewels. If your form is truly diamond, is it plausible they could find all the pieces of it?"

Emma tapped her chin. "It's not implausible," she said. "But why would they?"

"Well, obviously not to get jewelry out of it," Shine said. "I'd guess, if so, they'd be hired by someone else. But there's also devices that could likely do the same, like a metal detector but for diamond, maybe. After all, all stones have their own frequency; it's not impossible... What year are you from?"

"Specifically? I believe it was 2014...or 15." Emma frowned. "It's...a little unclear."

"A little earlier than me," Shine said, "but later than here, for sure. You are currently in the 1980s."

"What?" Emma looked horrified. "I'm in the 80s? " She said it like it was  distasteful word.

"That was our reaction too," Wally said. "But it's actually pretty cool here."

"I was a child in the 80s," Emma said.

"So who wasn't?" Wally said.

"What happened to you to shatter you?" Shine asked Emma, more to the point.

Emma became guarded. "It's not really important. Some fight I was in..."

"It wouldn't be that easy to just break diamond like that," Shine said. "Who could you have been fighting? Do you remember?"

"No," Emma said.

"She's lying about that," Mystique said offhandedly.

"I know," Shine said, just as offhandedly.

"What? Why, you... How dare you!" Emma said.

"Clearly she doesn't want to tell us," Shine sighed, sitting in a different chair. "Let's leave it for now."

"Given what you know of Emma Frost," Mystique said, "isn't it possible she doesn't want to tell you because it was someone you'd like?"

The look Emma gave her was not to be described.

"Raven, you're good at this, and I love that and all," Shine said, "but for your own sake, please, stop trying to be clever. Leave her alone."

Mystique huffily turned away from Emma. "As long as you're aware of it, I have nothing more to add to this."

"If it comes to that, why is she working with you?" Emma said.

"How about this? If you don't want to tell us your secrets, you don't ask for ours," Shine said. "And also, no mind-reading her to find out. Or we'll have to resort to that with you."

"Can you do that?" Emma said.

"No, but Xavier and Jean can," Shine said. "So let's keep our problems to ourselves, how about that?"

"Wait...Xavier...he's around?" Emma said.

Morph almost choked. "Is he not in your dimension?"

"Well...he's not dead," Emma said. "But, last I heard, he was in a coma--not to be ended for 20 years."

"Wow," Wally said. "That's depressing. Glad we didn't go to that dimension."

"I admit, this is a little odd for me," Shine said. "Usually we deal in ultimate reality, and there is no alternate version, at least not one we have to worry about. I knew there were AUs in your world--" Talking to Wally. "-- But even with our experience, they are still a mystery, even to DJs, how they come about, how much bearing they have on reality. Still, no universe can be copied, and no human being can be copied either."

"What does that mean?" Morph asked, putting the plane on autopilot (now that they were finally on course) so he could turn around and watch.

"It's a bit of Dimension Theory that's very hard to explain," Shine said, using her hands like she was a professor in college. "But let me see if I can.... We keep saying this is not our Emma Frost. But to be more specific, Emma Frost cannot be two people at the same time. No human soul is replicated exactly. But just like there're many people with the name John or Mark or even Ferdinand, and other more uncommon aliases, there can be people with the same name, same powers, and same basic personality, in alternate dimensions. And dimensions can carry the same name and same basic setting as each other. Legend has it at some point, ages ago, they all split off into different slices--like how an orange has different sections, but there is a rind around, containing it all."

She made a circular motion. "That rind is what DJs and other theorists call Ultimate Reality. It is never changed, never altered, and it runs through every world, every dimension, and every person. But just like every artist who draws a picture of the same thing will draw it a little differently, each world reflects that reality a little different. Some worse than others. There are universes that are nightmares of darkness and anger and hatred and have very little light. And there are others so upbeat that you'd find them sickening to live in, but even they have their problems. Some are so much like ours that they are hardly distinguishable from each other--others are so different, they seem like a dream in someone's head. But that's just the thing: Dreams that we have are often just pictures of other worlds. Visions, if you will. Who can conceive something if it is not based somewhat in reality?"

She paused, to see if they were following.

They weren't.

"Okay..." Morph said. "Go on."

"What does this have to do with me?" Emma asked. "Not being able to read your mind is so annoying."

"Yeah, must suck to just have to listen to me instead," Shine said dryly. "Okay, different artist, same object, you have that concept?"

"Yes," they said.

"So, going from that, the X-men are like those different pictures," Shine said. "Whatever in ultimate reality you are tied to, it puts on different faces, different people, because the creation always reflects the source. Each of you is distinct, unique, like any person would be, but you can be trying to capture essentially the same concept.... And different versions of you might get closer to it than others. Depends on how good you, as the artist, are. You see, we all are trying to paint a picture with our lives of the one part of the Ultimate Reality we know we reflect. Whatever mine is, I know it has to do with truth."

She spread her hands out. "I try to be honest, I try to use truth to help people, and my name even suggests clarity and light. That's no accident. So does Wally's, if you think about it. Now I can't know exactly what I'm tied to, I just know it has a theme that is best expressed to me in Truth. Some people have beauty, some have love, some have justice...and there're too many things to name. It can take your whole life for it to become clear to you what your purpose was. And I think only God really knows. We just get bits and pieces of it."

She paused again. "So far so good?"

"I think," Morph said.

"No," Emma said.

Mystique was just shaking her head.

"My point is, if there is something we'd call another version of us, it's still not us. It could not be us," Shine said. "But it could be almost impossible to tell the difference. Sometimes, I think there are multiple universes because something goes wrong with one, but the message is still needed.... I don't know--we're getting into theoretical theology at this stage, and I think God left it a mystery for a reason. How can we know His true purpose in all this? All I know is it is often through these people that the changes between worlds become the most clear and focused. DJs often fall in the path of such people. But sometimes they are just on their own, trying to figure it out. Now, I cannot tell you why this version of Emma Frost, who is not the Emma Frost we all know and ignore, is here, in this picture, instead of her own. But I do know that such encounters happen frequently in some worlds. I believe they might occur because of some error in the timeline, which in trying to repair itself, juggling around the people in both worlds, trying to find some way to get it back on track."

"Huh," Morph said. "You know your stuff, Shine. That is exactly what happens."

Then he realized that he'd probably just made a mistake.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"I'd like to know how you know of all people know this," Emma said. "For some reason, I cannot access all your memories enough to know, but I know you know."

Mystique stared at Morph like he'd turned into something quite unrecognizable.

Morph swallowed nervously. "Well, it's kind of on a need-to-know basis."

"We need to know," Emma said.

"Not that simple," Morph said.

Shine smiled. "I think I have it figured out, Morph, but you said not to say it if I did, so..."

"Who is he?" Mystique said oddly.

Shine shrugged. "I can't give it away. But, there is one thing. Morph, you're not from this dimension, are you?"

Silence.

"Technically that wasn't giving it away, right?" Shine looked at Wally.

"Maybe if you let me know what you figured out, I'd know," Wally said. "But that was one heck of a bomb you just dropped. Dude, seriously? Are you not?"

Morph swallowed again. "Well, uh...technically? No."

"Oh my." Emma covered her mouth. "Then...so I'm not the only one."

"Well, I wasn't kidnapped..." Morph said uneasily. "Funny, though, I have the strangest feeling you might be from the same dimension as me... Sometimes this thing can kind of guess..." He held up the Talis. "But you wouldn't know enough to answer that, would you?"

Mystique almost fell out of her seat.

"But this was supposed to be secret," Morph said. "You guys can't tell the X-men--they'd flip out. Only Xavier knows."

"He does?" Shine said.

"Not that much," Morph said. "Just about that part. I thought it was unfair if he didn't know that when I joined the X-men, but so much happened later, with Sinister and everything else, I'd almost forgotten it myself. But this is bringing it all back..."

"Hold on." Emma held up a hand. "So you're from...where I'm from... Then why have I never heard of you?"

"Oh, I  mean, probably the same reason I didn't have any idea who Rogue or Gambit were when I joined the X-men here," Morph said. "Different timelines... I mean, if you're from the 2000s, I left those X-men ages ago. I doubt most of them even remember I existed at all. Maybe Wolverine would--and Storm."

"Well, it's true, I'd never have known to ask either of them..." Emma said with difficulty.

"Why are you here, then?" Shine asked Morph. "I mean, aside from the thing you can't tell us, but why would you join a different team of X-men? Unless it's literally part of your mission..."

"No, that was kind of just one of those weird things that happens," Morph said. "I guess I missed the X-men, kind of...but I never fit in real well on the team in my own world...and they got new members, and I just...you know, I got caught up in my other...life.... But I missed my freaky family.... When I ended up here, I got involved with these X-men, and they were cool. It kind of felt like this was the right place to be, you know? It seems like maybe it was better to stick around here than unsettle everyone in the other dimension again by coming back from the dead, just about."

"But didn't that kind of happen here too?" Wally said.

"Well...brainwashed and kidnapped is a little easier to explain than from another dimension, isn't it?" Morph said.

"Wow," Emma said. "That is impressively complicated. And here most people would just show up and explain... You must really like these X-men."

"Well, can't blame him--they do grow on a person," Shine said. "I'd probably pick them too. If I got the choice. And since we were sent here, I assume we'd jibe better with them. But, Morph, how different is it?"

"Without speculating too much, since I've been gone a while, I'd say this world is...more...calm? Maybe?" Morph said.

He rubbed his head. "The truth is, maybe I was also just trying to put the past behind me, kind of. Things didn't...didn't end so well in some ways... I needed a different place...but I guess you can't really get rid of wanting to be around people you know."

"Whatever your story is, it sounds difficult," Shine said. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be." Morph forced a smile. "You probably know the whole thing yourself....the whole caught-between-worlds thing. Don't you ever feel like you want to be home? But you don't want to be at the same time?"

"I do, but I just can't picture meeting someone just like the ones at home, but wildly different also, and being okay with it," Shine said. "I guess it's just one aspect of dimension travel I've never understood how people live with."

"I guess it's not for everyone, but it works for me." Morph shrugged.

Emma just shook her head. "This doesn't help me... Leaving aside however you got here, and whatever reason you could possibly have for preferring to leave your own world, how do I get back?"

"Ah, well, there is that..." Morph said.

"Yeah, how did you get here at all?" Wally asked him. "Can you use it to go home?"

"I was kind of hoping you guys might be able to help with that," Morph said. "I can't actually do that. I don't have the control of it."

"We can't take her." Shine shook her head. "We'd have to have seen it, been there. And we can't just open doors to other dimensions either, not on the first visit. We have to be sent there. We could cause major problems if we try something like that without the green light from above."

She pointed upward. "Surely you understand that."

Morph winced. "A little too well, actually."

Mystique couldn't take this anymore.

"All right." She stood up. "Does someone want to tell me what exactly is going on here? Am I supposed to believe that Morph of all people has a whole other life that no one knows about, that Emma Frost has some kind of other dimensional twin who's apparently not as evil, and that you two somehow knew about this and have said nothing this entire time about it? This doesn't make any sense! How can there be two versions of the same world? Your explanation was ridiculous.... Reality is reality, isn't it?"

"Not everyone can handle this," Shine said, calmly. "Raven, please, you're only making it harder for yourself by freaking out. The best thing to do is not to overthink this sort of thing. We cannot possibly understand it. But people who just accept it and work with what they know tend to handle it better. People who try to understand it thoroughly tend to go mad."

That didn't help.

Mystique rubbed her head. "Go mad? I can see why. How are you not all mad?"

"We don't think too much," Wally said. "Try it, it's freeing."

"Shut up!" Mystique said.

"And I thought I was confused," Emma said. "Watching her, I almost feel calm by comparison. But what are you two? Are you whatever he is?"

"No," Shine said. "I don't believe so. And we're not supposed to just talk about it to everyone either. But I'll tell you this much--we're sort of like professional dimensional travelers. We have rules, codes, guidelines, and safety measures to make it okay for us to interfere, on a small scale, in other worlds' events. Mostly, we just live normal lives, really. But occasionally this sort of situation happens, and we have helped with it before. But I've never had to help someone who was kidnapped into another dimension before...but this whole thing has all the signs of a mad scientist on a crazy experimental spree, and I hate that. Suffice it to say, we're the best people you could have run into to help you. But even we are just human, and we can't explain all this perfectly."

Emma looked like she had a headache again. "Let's begin from the point where I'm somehow here," she said wearily. "Has it been done before? I mean...if it wasn't on purpose..."

"That is the weird part," Morph said. "I've never heard of this. I mean, sure, people get assassinated and stuff, but kidnapped?"

"And that's my limit," Mystique said.

She went to the back of the plane, as far away from them as possible.

"Not that it wasn't obvious," Emma said, "but she is furious at all of you. Why did you bring her? She's clearly not suited to this."

"She offered, and we needed the help," Shine said. "So...let's see... All we really know after all that is that this is not right... I'm sorry, Emma, without knowing who brought you here, I can't tell you what they want."

"If it helps," Morph said, "I was told that whoever it was was going to cause potential, world-ending problems if we didn't intercept them...so, we at least did that."

"What?!" Emma cried.

"Yeah, that was a lot to hit us with," Wally said.

"Not surprising, though. Usually that is the case," Shine said. "Oh, I hope it is not another DW... I really don't want to go through that again." She hugged her sides.

"To be fair," Wally said, "I don't think a DW would bother kidnapping Emma. Or hiding her in a weird lair. Seems like the classic messing with what they don't understand kind of scenario to me."

"Well, that's not so bad." Shine looked relieved. "In the meantime, Emma, you will have to come with us."

"Yeah, actually, that's what I heard too," Morph said. "A friend of mine is going to try to get here and take you home, but until they show up, I was told to keep an eye on you, so whoever it is doesn't find you...and the only place we can all do that is the Mansion."

"The X-mansion?" Emma said warily. "Are all the X-men there?"

"Yes, but, you know, they are not the ones you know," Shine said. "They are all different...so if there's any...well, bad blood between you, you don't have to worry about it."

"I see," Emma said. "Well, which ones are currently living there?"

"The standard team," Shine said. "Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Beast, Xavier, Jean Grey, Cyclops."

Emma winced visibly when she said the last two.

"And now Morph, us, the new students we've taken in, Colossus, Angel, and Jubilee--the junior members," Shine said. "Not that she likes being called that."

"I haven't the slightest idea who Jubilee is," Emma said. "I recognize the others... So, Angel is not evil yet, I suppose--I mean..." She seemed to remember maybe she shouldn't have said that.

"Oh, he's been evil and cured already." Shine waved her hand. "We're still working with him on developing a better coping strategy and hopefully moving past it, but he's not a warrior of death."

"I see.... Sinister lost his toy, then?" Emma said.

"Sinister? It was Apocalypse," Morph said.

"Who is Apocalypse?" Emma asked.

Mystique laughed suddenly, from where she was standing. "A world where there is no Apocalypse? Sounds like a haven compared to this one."

"Funny." Emma looked at her. "You used to work for him."

"So she would know," Shine said. "And what did I say about secrets?"

"Well, sometimes it's not really something I think about." Emma shrugged. "I am a telepath."

"Think about it, then," Shine said firmly. "Now...how are we going to explain this to the others? They won't just let Emma Frost into the house unless we tell them it's not the one they know, but can they handle it?"

"They could handle that their future was different; I think they can handle this," Morph said. "But can we not tell them about me? I don't think I'm ready to explain it yet."

"We will not relate it, but, Morph, experience tells me it would be best not to keep hiding it," Shine said. "They must know who you are... By the way, was there a version of you here?"

"Oh, yeah...but he died," Morph said offhandedly. "At least, kind of."

Mystique looked choked.

"And I think we were pretty different," Morph went on, not noticing. "Sometimes you just are. I don't think he ever knew the X-men really, though. I've been the one who's been on the team the whole time. And this is me, really." He gestured at himself. "I just have my secrets, you know, like everyone. But not for a bad reason, just to protect them."

"You don't have to tell us," Wally said. "But you might have to tell them."

"And you think they will just let me in?" Emma said. "They have telepathy already. My powers are not necessary, therefore what reason do they have to trust me?"

"That would be an odd reason to trust you," Shine said, amused. "Well, Emma, I guess we should all introduce ourselves now. Shine Likstar West--please call me Shine."

"Wally West." Wally waved.

"Yes, and Kevin Sydney." Emma glanced at Morph. "And Raven Darkholme. I know already."

"What did you just say?" Morph said.

Mystique shot Emma a scathing look.

"Uh, Emma...her name was kind of a secret..." Shine said.

"How in the world was I supposed to know that?" Emma said. "You just told me your names. I thought we were doing introductions. I also have no code name, really. Everyone just calls me Frost. I suppose it fits."

"What is it with the girl telepaths and not having code names?" Wally wondered.

"Back up--Darkholme?" Morph said. "That's her last name? That's a real name?"

"If you're thinking it sounds like a clue character, then that is just what I said," Shine said.

"It does though!" Morph thought this was hilarious. "That's perfect!"

"I'd play that version," Wally said. "Like, a seven-member clue game would be cool. It's weird that there isn't one for black anyway, with the whole mystery thing and all."

"Shut up," Mystique said. "I don't use that name anyway. Likstar only gets away with it because of her inability to remember to use code names."

"Guilty as charged," Shine admitted. "I just can't think of people that way. Except Storm, but that's because Storm is easier to say.... I wish I could call her Ro, like Logan does--that would be so much easier--but that's kind of his thing. I don't want to steal it."

"I didn't think they were that close," Emma said.

"Oh, Emma, you are going to have a lot to get used to," Shine said dryly.

* * *

No one at the mansion had even noticed they were gone. It was just dawn when they returned.

Xavier got up shortly thereafter and came downstairs.

Shine and Wally snuck back into the house and opened the front door. Shine insisted that Emma shouldn't enter from the hanger, since it would probably freak everyone out too much.

Mystique went into the kitchen to make coffee and question why she'd chosen to come on the mission at all.

"Okay," Morph told Emma outside the door, "now...just remember, everyone may think you're our Frost at first...and I don't think Shine's explanation is going to help them understand, so let's just keep it simple, all right? But I'm sure they'll help us get you home once they know, so no sweat."

"Yes..." Emma looked nervous. "They had better. I don't fancy being stuck in this world for long. The technology I saw is so...old."

"That's nothing. Wait till you see the microwave," Morph joked.

She gave him a frosty look.

"Xavier!" Shine called, from outside his study. "We have a little situation you need to come attend to, right now."

"What is it?" Xavier came out.

"Okay...it'll be a lot, but just hear me out," Shine said. "Don't flip out, all right? It's not what it looks like, and I can verify she is not our enemy."

"Mrs. West, I can't read your mind, so if you expect me to know who it is you're talking about, you will have to just tell me," Xavier said.

"I'd rather just show you," Shine said. "You can read her mind, see if she's telling the truth, if it helps."

"Now I'm really nervous..." Xavier said.

They heard a thump from down the hall.

"I think Kitty might have fallen through her bedroom again..." Shine said.

Kitty had, in fact, done so. She kept having nightmares and activating her power by accident.

She rubbed her thighs and sighed. "Ouch..."

"Are you all right, Little Shadow?" Colossus asked, hearing it and coming down the hall. He must have been in the dining room.

"No!" Kitty said. "I'm tired of falling through the floor. Everyone who ever said they wished they could sink through the floor was a moron!"

Colossus seemed to find in Kitty's constant snark rather amusing. "Is all right. Is just one story," he said. "Colossus find last package of muffins."

Kitty smile wryly. "Well, I guess I should hurry before the other kids get a hold of them, then... But yeesh, how early is it?" She yawned and got to her feet. 

They came out of the hallway just in time to see Xavier and Shine open the door.

"Emma Frost!" Xavier cried.

Emma flinched. He might be the one other telepath she'd actually be afraid of.

But a moment later, Xavier looked perturbed. "I see," he said. "You're not...but perhaps I had better not say any more right now. I'm sorry...please come in."

Emma walked in like she was walking into a prison yard.

"Morph, what is this?" Xavier said. "Is it your past?"

"I feel more like it's my future," Morph said. "If that makes sense."

"Is it safe to bring her here?" Xavier asked.

"It was less safe anywhere else," Morph said.

He nodded. "Very well. The others will not be as ready as I am to believe this though. Even if I tell them. I remember how it was with Bishop..."

"Who is this lady?" Colossus asked.

"Whoa..." Kitty blinked at her. "That is...quite a costume..." She looked her up and down. "No way she's an X-man..."

"I beg your pardon?" Emma was insulted. 

"Emma Frost, meet Colossus and Kitty Pryde." Shine gestured at them. "You probably already know them, though, right? But not really."

"No...not like this." Emma was regarding them coolly. "I've not met Colossus at all, actually, and she's...very young. But this is the past... No, even then, she's still young."

"Excuse you?" Kitty said. "What other age should I be? Maybe you're just old."

"She's not that different," Emma said, turning away from her.

Shine laughed at the look on Kitty's face. "Kitty is a bit of a smart alec," she said. "But she grows on you."

"I am not a smart alec!" Kitty said. "I'm just not dumb!"

"Is not same thing?" Colossus said.

"English expression, Colossus," Kitty said.

"Oh..." Colossus still didn't understand why it would be a negative thing.

"What's all the commotion about?" Rogue came down the stairs. "I--" She stopped. "What in tarnation is she doin' here?!"

"Just what I was about to say." Logan came sprinting into the room, claws out. "Only not as nicely."

"Gambit want ta know de explanation also." Gambit was right behind them.

"Let's try to stay calm." Storm was there now.

"What's all the yelling about?" Scott and Jean came in a different way. "Aren't we--" They stopped dead short.

Emma turned paler than usual at this many people yelling at her.

She clenched her fists nervously.

"Everyone, calm down," Xavier said. "There is no danger at present. Let's keep our heads. There is a good explanation for this. Let's give them a chance to give it."

All eyes on them now.

Great...

[This ought to be fun.]