Memories
Vases and Bookcases
Disclaimer: What do you think?
If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.
She stood quietly, waiting for the others to file in.
"You lot okay?"
"Logan got eviscerated after insulting the Leader but everyone's fine."
"What is it with him and insulting powerful evil men…or women?"
"Says the woman who spat in Doom's face when she was helpless."
"I was annoyed. I had a reason."
"You had a reason for insulting a megalomaniac?"
"Hey, I used to insult Sabretooth at the beginning. Not a mistake I will make again in a hurry. That man is nasty."
"Only you would call Sabretooth nasty."
"Hey, I prize sarcasm."
"And don't we all know it."
She laughed and Logan limped out. She immediately pretended to look annoyed.
"I let you go out and you come back in pieces."
"Says a woman who has died on me twice."
"Once."
"Twice."
"Once."
"Okay, okay. Died on me once and pretended to die in my arms once."
"That's better."
And then he hugged her.
"I missed your sarcastic comments."
"Like?"
"Well, no one called the Leader 'Big-Headed-Green-Boy."
"I only called him that once."
"And it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Why are you down here anyway?"
"Er…Cable's here. And he has a crazy merc in red and black. Who sounds…odd. I thought Scott should deal with this."
"You're giving Scott the horrible job?"
"It's his son. His problems."
"You are evil, you know that?"
"Of course. I would show you how evil, but then you'd go all hero on me."
"Are they flirting?"
"Bobby, shut up. And yes, I think they are flirting."
"That is just…weird…"
"Who's flirting?"
"Ah. Scott. Nathan's upstairs with someone called 'Deathpond'. I think that's what he said…"
"Deathpond…? Are you serious?"
"Look, that's what I thought Cable called him. I'm not an expert on these things."
"Says the woman who finds out what a villain's name is and then comes up with a derogatory version of it that soon becomes the real version. I never thought that 'Tame Brain' would stick."
"Look, Wild Heart was a stupid name to begin with. I just made it even sillier."
"Right. Let's go see my son."
"They were flirting…?"
"Drop it Icecube."
"Touchè Logan."
"Bobby, your accent is horrendous."
"Yeah well, I can't speak eight hundred languages."
"It's more like eight now Bobby."
"Yeah, it's still more than me."
They were laughing when they entered the room. Then Logan growled.
"Wilson…"
"Hey, if it isn't our resident grouchy-poo Logan! Say hello to your old buddy mate!"
"Wade…"
"Hey, you guys know each other?"
"Shut up Icecube. Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool."
"Oops. I called you Deathpond."
"Whoa! After this whole thing is over, do you want to come and get some tacos with me?"
Hank and Kurt immediately leapt over and caught Logan's arms. Unfortunately, no one thought to restrain Tora. There was a sickening thud and she stood, holding a stone vase over her head after hitting Deadpool right between the eyes.
"I. Don't. Date. Weirdos. I also happen to be married."
Cable looked as if he was trying to conceal a smirk.
"I did tell you Wade. Mrs Logan doesn't do chat-up lines."
"Wait, she's married to Wolverine? Why didn't you say…? Oh, I am so dead…"
"Didn't he always try to ask her out?"
"It was rather funny… Every time they met, he'd ask her to go on a date with him and she'd hit him with something heavy. It ended up becoming a ritual. They'd meet, he'd try to flirt, she'd hit him, they'd sue for grievous bodily harm and sexual harassment respectively."
"And Logan…?"
"Thought it was hilarious. And he didn't have to beat up Wade."
"Ahhh…Wade…"
"Lovesick cosmic entity alert! Quick, get the ice cubes!"
And Death sighed.
"Are you two always this immature?"
"Not very often. But sometimes we just have to be a little stupid. Here's the ice by the way. Three iced lemonades. At least I think they're lemonades… I haven't quite worked out how to make carbon dioxide out of nothing… Or lemons for that matter…"
She stopped in the garden, facing Jean. Or what looked like Jean anyway. They made an odd couple. A tall, thin woman dress in red and gold, fiery hair flicking in the breeze and the other, shorter, woman, dressed in jeans and a loose plain blue t-shirt, red and black hair not moving at all. At first glance, the first looked more powerful. And then you realized just how strong the wind was… And you realized that the second woman was not afraid. Not like the others.
"Who are you to stop me, Phoenix, Life Incarnate?"
"A good question. Unfortunately, I am Dragon. I am the only one who will stand up to you and not pull my punches despite the fact you are the best friend I could ever have. Because I know what it's like. The rolling, exhilarating darkness."
"You do not look like Dragon to me. Dragon knows all. And Dragon chooses not to live."
"A year behind darling. Because I am your best friend, sister and reflection, all rolled into one conveniently sized five foot four package."
"There is life in you…"
"Hole in one. Strictly speaking, I shouldn't be out here. Hank is going to kill me. But I'm the only one who understands. But there's something else Phoenix. I have an empathic link with Jean Grey-Summers. Not Phoenix to Dragon, but Jean to Tora. And Jean is screaming in my head. You aren't her. You're just wearing her body. And so I have no qualms whatsoever about doing this."
Her arms, which had been crossed over her chest, hands resting on shoulders, snapped down and the dragon burst around her, spinning towards Phoenix. The firebird instantly grappled with the waves.
"Again, we struggle. Odd isn't it. We never told the others the truth about us. Eternally fighting, to burn and to heal. And now we fight again."
The two women who were more moved swiftly, using instincts older than time itself. Back and forth, water and fire, past and future. Every world Phoenix burned, Dragon fought it for. And every world Dragon healed, Phoenix fought against. They were reflections and rivals. Equal and opposite forces. Old and new, used and unused life.
"TORA!"
"Get back Hank. This is my battle. My…raison d'être."
"Your reason to be? Tora?"
"The two children of life shalt fight for each world.
Neither can leave unless The Tribunal is told.
First is the Phoenix,
Fire and Life Incarnate,
Burns away the stagnant.
Second, the Dragon,
Water and Life Renewed,
Heals what is dying."
"Tora… You're five months along. You can't do this…"
"I can do this Hank. This is what I have to do."
And then the fire struck her temples. She screamed and the dragon flickered, before becoming even bigger.
"I don't want to do this. But I am duty personified. Oh, I'm quoting Discworld again, aren't I? I promised not to do that… Or quote Queen…"
"Dragon? Are you insane Sister?"
"Only enough to deal with life. I'm afraid you're totally insane. Bonkers. Crazy. Mad. Off the deep end. Daft. Loopy. Berserk. Barmy. Completely and utterly nuts. Oops, I'm rambling."
And then the dragon caught Phoenix and pulled her in towards Tora.
"Jean, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Now trust me."
And they both disappeared. Logan moved forward.
"TORA! Where is she!"
Hank froze, staring at the small device he was holding. Then he spoke very, very quietly.
"Would you believe, out of this multiverse?"
The others looked at him oddly.
"What?"
"Our Tora has disappeared from all universes. There isn't a trace of her anywhere."
xXx
They burst out of the water and Tora dragged Jean to the side of the pool.
"Well that went well."
Jean was gasping, flickering between red, green and white costumes.
"Tora…?"
"Look, I'm about to do something I only know the theory for. I have two options. One, remove the Phoenix from you forever by giving it space in my head, which is cluttered enough already, or Two, bond you fully, preventing Phoenix taking any other avatar and solving your minor insanity problem once and or all. Your choice."
And Jean looked at her.
"Take it."
And to save her friend, Tora did just that and the last of her humanity burned away, turning her into a being of pure energy, a tiny piece of personality in the being that was Phoenix-Dragon. And she went home, only to be shunned and trapped for her power. And she lay in the cell, silent and resentful until she had gathered her strength. And the universe burned as she gained her revenge. All who stood against her, all who tried to trap her, died begging for mercy. The Shi'ar, the Skrulls, the Kree, the K'Meer, all the heroes and villains of Earth as her powers swept out of control. And when she realized what she had become, she went to the Library where the shades of Tora and Jean were in that familiar pose. Jean lying on the ground, Tora leaning over her. And she whispered what would happen into their ears.
And Jean looked at her.
"Bond us."
And Tora pressed her hand to her friend's head and found the Phoenix there. She reached out, brought it all together and knitted the bird of the Phoenix with Jean's glowing, warm, alive mind, binding them together forever. Giving Phoenix true, genuine life and Jean all the power of Phoenix.
"You are Phoenix and Phoenix is you."
And she dropped down, exhausted. That had been the single most difficult thing she had ever done.
Now tell me you are not the true Dragon.
I did what I had to do.
Which means you are Dragon.
I am not.
"Tora, can you stop yelling."
"I'm not…"
"I can hear your thoughts…wait, I can hear your thoughts?"
"Don't look at me. Now, your body is still in a partial state of decomposition. The best plan of action is for me to return your body to Earth and leave your soul in the White Hot Room."
"How do you know about that?"
Tora pointed to the book on the pedestal, golden cover and pages with a Phoenix symbol picked out in fire.
"I sort of read it."
"You…YOU READ MY BOOK!"
"No. I read Phoenix's book. Jean Grey-Summers book is somewhere in the main Library. Only the cosmic entities books are kept in the Heart. Wait, I haven't got a clue about all of this… DRAGON!"
What followed was the incredibly interesting and slightly disturbing sight of two people having an argument using the same larynx, tongue and mouth. Unfortunately, it was impossible to tell who was who as the accents gradually slipped until they were screaming insults in a language older than the universe.
"Ast in rar kir br-"
The words were cut off and another voice, identical, started up.
"Ist mar del stu crrrt -"
"Crrrt? Stal mert ji swe na-"
"Excuse me?"
Two voices chorused in unison.
"What?"
"Can you stop doing that? It's creepy."
"What?"
"The interrupting each other from the same mouth."
"Were we? We were…"
And suddenly there was the sound of two laughs coming from one mouth.
"We'll see you Jean. Wait a bit, rest, heal. I'll be there."
"You'd better."
And Tora smiled as she stepped back into the pool, concentrating. This was really rather difficult…
xXx
"Our Tora has disappeared from all universes. There isn't a trace of her anywhere."
"I'm back."
"Tora? What the… JEAN!"
She looked down at Jean's body.
"What happened?"
"I gave her peace. I didn't kill her… I just gave her a respite."
"Tora?"
"She'll be back in about… one hundred and fifty years."
"Tora?"
"Look, don't ask. It's complicated."
"Where were you?"
"Er… Would you believe the Afterlife?"
A foot tapped.
"Look, Jean's place is a part of the Afterlife. I'm still not certain exactly where I went. And I can't say before you ask."
"Tora…"
"Don't. Ask."
And she suddenly collapsed in the snow. Hank and Logan picked her up.
"Don't worry. It's just exhaustion. I think…"
Jean smiled sadly.
"She did a good job. Since that day, I never knew where I ended and Phoenix began."
"Is that a good thing?"
"…Yes… I suppose it is…"