Memories

Awakening

Disclaimer: What do you think?

If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.

"Relax."

"I'm not happy about this. I don't like… I hate people in my mind."

Iain rested his hand on her forehead.

"You will be fine. I am here. Trust me."

She slowed her breathing and lay back.

"Show me."

The cloaked figures became humming and the lead one spoke in a soft voice.

"Inhale the vapours and relax. Let us in."

Her last thought was that even Eloise didn't have to go through this rigmarole.

She giggled and reached out to friend-funny-chubby-Iain and pulled his hair. He stuck his tongue out and she flicked paint at him. Soon they were covered in paint and the Nursemother tutted as she picked them up and carried them off for a bath.

Years slid by, memories sparking…

"Come on, Iain. It'll be fun."

"You said that last time."

"Oh, spoilsport. Come on, I wanna spy on the Council. They're talking about us again."

"Fine! But you take the blame this time."

"Of course I will."

Watching the Council, discovering that they thought she was the Dragon…

"I…I don't want you to do this… Others have been driven mad…"

"Iain, I'll be fine. I'll be more than fine. I promise you."

He looked so worried for her and on a wild impulse she dove forward and brushed her lips over his before pulling her hood over her head and walking into the Chambers.

Knowing, suddenly knowing who she was, what she was and the power, rushing through her, more vital than the very air she breathed. And walking out the Chambers as Dragon.

The look on Iain's face was pure relief, then amazement then…something akin to fear. She smiled at him, reached out with her power and let their minds touch; soft, intimate, caring. His eyes widened in shock then bliss as the calming thoughts she sent swept across his mind.

Announcing her choice of Voice, Iain's face as he realised she had publicly announced their link. Then to the garden for the Quickening.

Murmured words, soft whispers as the waterfall trickled, as they touched, body and mind in perfect unison.

Gathering strength, followers, preparing to lead them, to reshape the world. And then, the man who she met while she was outside the Halls, a man in a wheelchair who fixed his bright blue eyes on hers and then…then…

She staggered under the mental attack, struggled to fight him off but he was protected by bright flames, an echo of the Phoenix and then she was being torn apart and warm arms caught her as she fell; warm, strong arms and a low voice.

"I got her, Chuck. Now what?"

She tried to struggle, to get free, but she felt soothing hands on her forehead and remembered that this was just memories, that she couldn't be hurt.

Struggling as she felt her mind being torn through, as her memories were torn from her, as Dragon was forced into a tiny, cramped corner of her mind, as a new life was written for her and it was horrific.

She tried to scream but she couldn't and she wasn't certain if she was screaming in the past or the present.

She clutched her head, knowing something was wrong but not knowing what. And then she walked past the door and overheard her name. She edged over and pressed one ear to the door.

"She's breaking free, Chuck, we have to do something."

"I understand. Maybe… Maybe if she had something to keep her here, something that she will desperately want to believe is real. You say the others have no idea of the truth?"

"None at all."

"Then I think we'll have to go into our back-up plan. Do you agree?"

A snort.

"I know you do not want this, but we have to keep her here. If she got loose…"

"I know, Chuck, I know. But… really? Her?"

"Logan, you know what we have to do. You have to make her love… Wait! She's outside!"

And then she tried to scream as she felt him force his way back into her mind, wiping her knowledge of the conversation from her head.

She bucked upwards, trying to shout that this was all lies, that Logan wasn't a lie, that her marriage wasn't a lie, that she really loved him and he loved her back! But she couldn't.

The slightest look of repulsion in his eyes as he drew back from the kiss which was gone in less than a second. She ignored it, because she loved him and knew that he loved her as much as she did.

She tried to pull herself out of this stream, because it hurt so much, so very, very much. But she couldn't and was already being forced into the next memory.

Overhearing yet another conversation, one that brought memories rushing back.

"I hate doing this, Chuck. This ain't me. I can't keep pretending…"

"You have to. Unless you wish for her to follow the path that Jean followed, then you must keep her from remembering who she was."

"It's difficult. She keeps remembering. We need to deepen the telepathic stuff you do."

"Logan, to fully erase all her previous life, we'll need to remove her from all outside influences for a period of at least six months."

"Fake her death."

"What?"

"Pretend she gets killed on a mission somewhere. Do your stuff then make it turn out she wasn't dead after all. It worked with Jeannie. She still doesn't realise it was her all along and you just played with everyone's minds?"

"No, not yet."

"So it's decided? We fake her death, you do your stuff, she doesn't go crazy and destroy planets."

"You say she needs something to cement her in this life… Maybe if we gave her something else to think of…"

"What sort of thing?"

"Later… She's here… Listening… Again!"

And she tried to run but she was frozen as he tore through her once more.

She was screaming silently, her mouth open but no sound coming out. She was willing to do anything to stop this, trying to get out of this hellish version of reality that she didn't want to believe was real. And then she pulled herself out, jerking upright and sending the telepaths flying.

"I don't want to see anymore!"

The telepaths slipped away into the shadows as she clutched her head, her whole world shattering around her.

"I don't know what to believe! Bother lives can't be the truth but I… I can't believe… I don't want to…"

And Iain wrapped his arms around her and let her rest her head on his chest.

"I know. But you have to believe us."

Phoenix let out a little sigh.

"And then they go moaning when they get attacked by insane, extraordinarily powerful women."

"Jean?"

"Yes?"

"Not all of us are as bad as you."

"That's rich, coming for you, Ms I-Once-Totalled-Most-of-the-Midwest"

"Touché, my friend."