Memories
Ashes and Tears
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If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.
Tora stood behind Scott, eyes half-closed, the most dangerous and secret of Etana's vampire weapons in her large bag slung over one shoulder.
"Scott, whatever happens… I will fight at your side. I will fight for you. But we need to reconsider some of our tactics. I… I've been reading ahead."
"Other realities? What's the odds?"
"Bad. It all hinges on this call. There are two outcomes from this. The first gives us twelve-to-one odds in our favour. That's the outcome I know you're hoping for. With 'the plan' and all that. The other… six thousand-to-one chance of survival without becoming vampires."
"What do you think?"
"Bad. Very, very bad."
"You brokered the deal with Dracula. We're keeping him for later. Don't worry. We'll get Logan back."
"Did you just say 'I hope' under your breath Scott Summers?"
He turned, expecting to see the dark glare that he'd gotten used to seeing on Tora's face. Instead a slight smile played over her face, the little smirk she'd gained from Kurt. He was able to banter back a reply.
"Don't tell."
She winked and Scott blinked. Tora? Joking? Was the world ending? She shook her head slightly.
"I need to go back to my reality."
"Oh. You aren't our Tora?"
"Sorry."
"You better go."
And Tora's face slipped back into its severe mask, eyes clouding over with anger. Scott sighed and returned his attention to the call. The conversation with Xarus didn't go well. And then Logan stepped forward and Tora's lips slid back in a slight snarl, displaying her canines, which no longer looked long and sharp in relation to the vampires'.
Logan smirked at her.
"You look even more beautiful than ever darling. All the girls do."
"If you've cheated on me with a vampire Logan, I will kill you, undead or not. In fact, I'll call in Death's Left Hand. And we'll kill you together. Slowly and in an incredibly painful way, probably involving a volcano, a broken viola and three bottle of rice wine."
Ororo glanced at Tora.
"How do you manage that?"
"I don't want to spoil the surprise. Logan, word of warning. Attack Utopia and I'll be the one to kill you. I will kill every. Last. One. Of. You. Compris?"
"You don't kill sweetheart. We both know that."
"No. We don't. And if you bloodsuckers attack Utopia, you'll be endangering my children. And you know better than most what happens to those who hurt my kids Logan. They die. I am patient. I will wait and watch and then I will strike. And all that will be left is ashes. Ashes and tears."
She jabbed the button and severed the connection, turning round, hair flowing out behind her; Jeanne shifting from cat to tiger, solid fur and muscle to water and sea-spray. Tora was angry. And when Tora was angry, she lost control.
"Ohh! Exciting!"
"Death, can you contain your excitement until the popcorn's done?"
"You have popcorn!"
"Kinda. It's difficult to create basic elements, let alone plants. Once it's done, I'm relying on Phoenix here to cook it."
"If we're resorting to Earth teenagers from the early twenty-first century, can we play silly party games?"
"PHOENIX!"
"Oh yeah… I forgot you had problems with those…"
"Curt?"
"Yeah Maman?"
"In here."
She held the door open and Curt shot in.
"What?"
She held up a jar. Curt leant forward.
"Bottled Sunlight? Is that…?"
"Oui. Now, when we're attacked, I'm going to open it. I want you to protect Jubilee. Yes, I know about you and Jubilee."
"How!"
"I'm your mother."
"Oh… Is this about the all-seeing eye of Dragon that Uncle Xix keeps going on about?"
"No, this is the 'I am your mother and I know when you happen to be completely infatuated with your father's protégée'."
"Oh…"
"Right, back to the plan. Send out a web, or something to protect her. Because this light will burn through every single bloodsucker in its range."
"What about Dad?"
"Let me deal with your father."
She turned to leave but Curt grabbed her arm.
"You're going to kill him, aren't you?"
She stared at him for a long moment, eyes dark with something unreadable. Then she wrenched her arm free.
"If it comes to that…"
"Oh… Yay, Dark Tora! Is the popcorn ready?"
"Popcorn, Diet Coke and chocolate. Here you go."
"You're a marvellous host sweetie!"
"Thank you Death. But don't call me sweetie."
Proud and defiant. Tora standing on the cliff, her hair whipping around her face and she jerked her head impatiently to get a black strand from her eyes. She could see them, massing on the other side of the Bay. Waiting, just like she was. She saw their leader turn his head towards her, sense the smirk drawing across his face. She knew his night vision was now better than hers. So she cheated.
Her eyes shone silver and she saw all. She knew from the mainland that two burning pinpricks had appeared, reminding the vampire's exactly who and what guarded Utopia. She raised a hand and let the water coil around her, letting it mist up, knowing it gave her an ethereal, otherworldly appearance. Intimidation wouldn't work on the generals but it probably would give the lower-downs something to think about. She was tempted to magnify her voice, but that would be slightly overdramatic. There was a cough behind her and she turned, smiling slightly when she saw Hope.
"Have you fought vampires before Hope?"
"No. Cable always told me to leave them to you. Or the other yous. Sorry, it's all rather confusing."
"Tell me about it. Look, I'm going to turn the lights out."
The mist dissipated, her eyes returned to gold and she sat down gracefully. Hope slumped down next to her. Tora sighed and stared up.
"He told me he loved me when we were on a hill, just watching the stars…"
Hope blinked.
"Wolverine?"
"Yeah." She chuckled slightly. "It wasn't really very romantic. We'd left separately to avoid suspicion and then at the restaurant he wanted to tell me what I was getting into. He told me everything he remembered. About how he wasn't exactly the perfect guy to get involved with. Especially seeing as I'd never been in a relationship before. I told him not to be so stupid and gave him directions to a park out of town. It was dark enough to see the stars and I'd checked out something with Beast beforehand. The Aurora… Have you ever seen the Northern Lights, Hope? No? Well they're beautiful… It's like the sky's on fire, with red and green flames, dancing around each other… And I was just watching them but I didn't realise that Logan was watching me. And then he just blurted out 'I love you'. I didn't believe him to begin with…"
She stared up, a tear trickling down one cheek. Hope stared at her for a long second.
"Have you ever told anyone that?"
Tora shook her head.
"No one."
"Why me?"
"I…I need to tell someone… Before… If Scott's plan fails, I'm the only one with the power to kill him… Maybe, I just need to get this out… If I kill him… I don't know what I'll do. Hope?"
"Yeah?"
"If I ever go bad, you might be the only one with the power to stop me. In that case, I give you permission to do what you have to."
"Why is everyone so afraid of you? I don't get it…"
Tora closed her eyes then sighed and opened them, fixing Hope in a hawk-like gaze.
"I'm dying."
"What…?"
"I'm going to die. I –accidentally- ended up making a bond with Kurt –Nightcrawler… And it linked us, close, too close. When he died… I was… I knew then I was going to die. We always do. When our Makrrrst dies, we can't bear to go on. I hoped it would be quick. It's not… It's drawing out, completely breaking me to shreds. I…I look in the mirror and my reflection taunts me. I'm dying Hope. But the way things are going, I'll end up killing everyone I care about in the process."
Hope stood up.
"Why me? Why are you doing this to me!"
Tora rose and stared at the girl.
"Because if you aren't careful, you'll become me. And I wouldn't wish that on anyone for the world."
Hope sniffed and Tora reached out a hand.
"I'm sorry…"
She brushed the tears aside but Hope shook her head violently.
"You don't understand! Cable wasn't the only one who was always there for me! You were always there! ALWAYS! And you never left me, not unless you had to! And now you want me to kill you, cos you think I'm the only one who'd be able to do it! I couldn't! I never could! It'd be like killing Cable! He was my dad and you were basically my mom! You even fought like parents are supposed to! You know, he'd be all for teaching me to handle a gun and you'd tell him I was too young! I was just a kid and you were always there! To pick me up, to dust me down, help me start again! When I hit puberty, Nathan just went all edgy and then jumped, just so we could find a version of you to explain it all to me! And then you ended up getting married to him and I had three years of being normal! I…I loved you like my mom… And you want me to kill you…"
"I'm sorry Hope… But…"
She stiffened as the alert siren sounded, chikted her claws out then ran towards the sea, leaving Hope standing shivering on the cliff, trying desperately not to cry.
"Aw… That's kinda sweet…"
Phoenix shook her head.
"Not really. You forget I lived in Hope's head for a while. She grew to hate Tora. After all, Tora was the one person Hope trusted and Tora betrayed her in the worst way possible. She left Hope."
"In other words, a totally average mother-daughter relationship."
"Well, just because your daughter tried to kill you, doesn't mean that all daughters are like that. Sorry… That was below the belt…"
For the masked woman had stormed off, snarling in rage.