The four figures seem so solitary and lonely. Logan, Etana, X-23 and Poison, carrying the coffin, followed by a tall, black-haired woman holding Jamie and Eva's hands. Eloise Circen seems unable to cope. Not surprising, seeing as she's only just got back from burying her parents. The Shi'ar may not have managed to kill her or Tora's kids, but thought nothing of exterminating Tora's parents. A woman who left the X-Men as she felt the superhero life wasn't hers is still hurt by us. The coffin-bearers stop, gently lowering the polished wood down with almost indescribable tenderness. Nightcrawler steps forward and speaks softly, crossing himself, administering the whispered prayer… "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" And Logan steps forward, his eyes downcast.
"For… For the briefest of moments, back on Utopia, I thought we had won. I thought we had won. And then I heard the scream. Tora was… she was beautiful, stubborn and always did what was right, not what was easiest. She was so strong and yet so… Never mind… I loved her… More than I ever really remember loving anyone. And…All I can do is make sure she didn't die in vain. She will be remembered."
He steps back, gulping slightly and it's a mark of how well I know him that I can see he's holding back the tears. Curt steps up. His eyes are red, but he doesn't look away.
"I was meant to be a killer. I was meant to be an assassin. I was meant to be bait. Maman made me so much more. She made me a human; a living, breathing person with my own thoughts, feelings and opinions. She showed me that how people saw you isn't necessarily what you have to be. They called her an animal as a child. But I think she later used that as a token of pride. Yes, she was an animal. But not in the way they meant. She was a caring mother, loving mate and loyal pack member. She turned their accusation on its head and made being an animal a good thing. And if being human…being human means being like the Shi'ar… Then I think I'll follow her in her ideology. Better to be a peaceful animal than a murderous human."
His face is streaked with tears and when he steps down, Speed puts an awkward arm around his shoulder. X-23 walks over, her face totally expressionless.
"I…I don't really know what to say… Tora… She was my sister…my mother…something. She looked out for me, but never tried to tell me what to do… Advised, but never ordered. She showed me that what was done to us… What they did to us was wrong but we didn't have to make that be us. We didn't have to be victims. We could be more than they wanted us to be. She showed me that if I want to beat them, I can't do it by hunting them down. I have to show them I don't care. That I've got over what they did to me. That I built my own life and they can't rule over me anymore. So I will. Because Tora wouldn't want me to let them win."
Her face is still impassive, stony. But when she walks away, there's the tiniest slump in her shoulders that states her grief. Eloise Circen walks over, leaning on a tall, brown-haired man who kisses her forehead before leaving her to talk.
"I…I never knew Marie Circen. But I did have the honour and the privilege of knowing Tora Logan. And a better sister I could not have asked for. She never tried to change me and was…she was so calm and collected. I feel she knew me better than I did myself at times. And… And now she's gone. I can't really say much more. People keep asking me how I feel. Ask me again in a few months. When it finally sinks in that she's dead. Because right now, I just feel numb. Thank you, to a sister so unique that I could never describe you."
She smiles weakly and walks off. The speeches come swiftly; Cyclops, talking about Tora's bravery in the face of danger; Hope Summers, talking about being raised by some thirty different Toras; Storm smiling through an anecdote about one of Tora's typically sarcastic statements in the face of danger. Nightcrawler…
"Tora… Tora showed both the best and the worst of humanity. She was imprisoned by the worst, who tried to turn her into a weapon for their own purposes. Yet she was always calm, forgiving and careful. She listened, never judged. She was the best. An inspiration. My hero. And without her, we have to be careful not to forget ourselves. Or her sacrifice. I…I have to say this… She would want me to… Gott ist gut."
He smiles weakly but when he gets down he goes to Logan, wrapping his arm around Logan's shoulders and rocking him slightly. Others go up. They simply repeat what those before them have said. But when Wanda steps up, icy silence ripples out. She coughs, clears her throat and begins.
"Tora was my friend. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say she was my best friend. There are some things that can't be created by anything else, and the pain of losing a child… That's one of them. We were friends through suffering and penance. Tora lived with guilt for things that were out of her control. She was forever torn by what she did or didn't do. I cared deeply for her and I will always know and live with the knowledge that it was my actions that killed her. And I know I will never forgive myself."
She stops and walks away, head down, not looking at anyone. And then Etana walks forward. She glances up, back down and them up. And begins…
