Storms Collide ((Zane & Tori))

[tori]

The cool night air and stormy weather was exactly what Tori needed. She had been feeling a bit sluggish of late and the two elements helped revitalize her energy. Lightning zipped across the sky and with every roar of thunder Tori felt a shiver of pleasure run down her spine. Back in the States she did not often experience such storms and so every instance of one she made sure to enjoy. As the rain pounded the castle and its surrounding grounds, Tori lifted her face to the sky and reveled in the beauty of the night. After a moment of wide-eyed wonder at the magnitude of the storm, Tori hopped onto the ledge and sat with her legs dangling over the edge, allowing the rain to reach her.

She was soon quite wet but didn’t want to move as the feeling of the rain both soothed and revived her. As she sat and contemplated her life thus far at Hogwarts and at home, she couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. Her life had been so easy; her parents obviously cared for her and could deny her almost nothing. Money had never been an issue in their household but it did not overrule everything either. Was her life missing tragedy that was so prevalent in the lives of those surrounding her? It wasn’t that she desired trouble to befall her but it seemed that any moment could bring something…anything crashing down. What would it be? And how would she react if it did? These were the questions that plagued her as she gazed unseeing into the storm.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

It was a dark and stormy night. The irony of such was lost on Zee however as he stood at the base of the stairs leading up into the Astronomy Tower. He had not ascended those steps since the last Astronomy lesson, to which he had been late and lost points. That had been the last time he had seen Wysteria, though they'd exchanged no words. It was possibly her last night in the castle.

Now he was going back up there, back to where he had first met the Hufflepuff prefect who had become so important to him. She had given him a conscience, given him a soul, and then she was taken from him so suddenly that he still hadn't fully grasped the situation. He wanted to go back though. Perhaps to say goodbye, but more likely to hold onto what was left as tightly as he could. Zee looked down at the jasmine blossom he held in his hand, then shut his dark eyes tightly and inhaled deeply through his nose, drinking in the sweet scent. With his eyes closed and that scent filling his head, he could almost convince himself that she was there, standing so close to him.

Brushing away a troublesome tear, Zee began the trek up through the tower. The thunder shook his footing slightly as the accompanying lightning flashes periodically filled the stairway. It reminded him of the balance they were supposed to be maintaining between darkness and light. Zee was still skeptical about whether they would ultimately win this war, but he had plans. Plans to visit both Romania and eventually, the Shadow Realm. He would make them pay.

Reaching the top, Zee slipped through the doorway and froze. There on the ledge, sitting with her back to him and her legs hanging over the side, was a girl. It was well past curfew, no student should be here except for prefects. He couldn't make her out well from here with the driving rain and the flashes of lightning. All he was sure of was she was a slender girl with long dark hair, and she was up in the Astronomy Tower late at night, which to his desperate mind led to only one conclusion.

"Wy . . . Wysteria?"

[tori]

Tori was pulled from her thoughts as a voice called out behind her. She brushed the hair back from her face (in addition to some rain) and turned to determine who the speaker was. The name he called her by was familiar to her though she did not personally know the owner. She recognized the surprise in his voice and thought she detected agony as well. Thinking she should be a little friendlier, Tori swung her legs back atop the ledge and turned to face Zee, crossing her legs and scooting in slightly from the edge.

“Wysteria? No, I’m Tori. Tori Reed. I don’t know the circumstances of your coming up here but I hope that my being here hasn’t caused you distress. When I heard the storm outside I couldn’t resist the urge to enjoy it.” Noticing his prefect badge and realizing the time, “Am I to expect a lecture on being out at this late hour?”

Having never seen Zee before she hoped he might introduce himself as well. She was not afraid of a lecture, she’d had her share of them and what was one more? She knew that people often came up to the tower to get away from their problems; she had done the same plenty of times. No, it was not a lecture that worried her but the thought that she might be disturbing someone else’s time of solitude. If she had come up here for time alone, the last thing she would want to find is another occupying the space. But she was not going to assume that Zee wanted her gone unless he explicitly told her so.

Now that she was wet, when a gust of wind blew against her back she realized how cold she was. Cursing herself for leaving her coat in her room but too stubborn to move, she began to shiver and awaited Zee's response.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

How could she be here? Could D'rorah's source have been mistaken? Did she escape the Shadow-joined vampire? What will she think? Does she know about me? About my past, about how I'm an Elemental Master? And what's going to happen now that she's . . . no . . . it's not her.

Zee's eyes had widened considerably at the thought that he was seeing his lost love. Now his entire being seemed to droop slightly, his eyes losing the gleam they had momentarily held. Zee wanted to scream at the girl for making him feel that false hope, but he simply didn't have the energy. And it was his fault that his mind was so willing to run to such impossible delights. Looking once more at the flower that lay in his palm, he delicately set it into his breast pocket and shook his head slightly.

"What? Lecture? Oh, the prefect . . . thing. No, I'm not going to give you a lecture. You're a big girl Tori. You can do what you wish and deal with the consequences. Just don't fall from the tower or get eaten by a Shadow. They'll blame me."

Zee's tone had had something of a bitter edge and he almost immediately regretted it. Angry as he was inside at himself and at the universe in general, he felt rather childish for taking it out on this girl. She was simply up here to enjoy the night, even if it did bend the rules slightly. Could he fault her for that? After all, he'd done the very same thing many times before becoming a Prefect. In fact this bore an uncanny resemblance to the situation in which he'd first met Wysteria.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. I hoped . . ."

Pausing, Zee shook his head again and brought his hand up as if he were rubbing grains of sleep from his eyes, when in truth they were tears he was removing.

"Forgive me Tori. I did not mean to be rude. I'm Zee. You should be careful being out late like this. There have been odd occurrences about the castle and grounds of late."

Zee took a few steps toward her as he spoke. Now he was giving her a vague warning, also much like Wysteria had given him when she'd come across him many nights ago. It seemed lifetimes ago now.

[tori]

Tori watched as Zee’s eyes dimmed and his posture deflated and wondered what his relationship with Wysteria had been. What made it so painful for him to believe for a moment that she could be here and then defeat him so when reality hit? She saw him look down at something in his hand and her curiosity rose even higher. As he began to speak her curiosity was replaced by annoyance, she heard the bitterness in his voice. True, no lecture was delivered but as he spoke she almost wished for one; she took his comment of her being a “big girl” as an insult. It seemed clear to her that he didn’t really care if she fell and while she wasn’t really worried about that, his tone did nothing to assuage her annoyance.

Her eyes flashed briefly as annoyance turned to anger but it quickly faded when she thought about how melancholy his whole demeanor had been. In her effort to tame her temper she tried to put people’s actions in context to allow herself a clearer mind. Obviously whatever had happened between Wysteria and Zee had a profound affect on him and she knew just as well as anyone how one’s emotions influence their speech. It surprised her how quickly he apologized and she greatly appreciated his words, even if it was not her presence he desired.

Before he brought his hand to his eyes, Tori thought she saw the gleam of tears but realized it could have been her imagination. Even so, her emotions again took a turn, this time towards sympathy. Perhaps she should allow him his privacy. Before she could move, he was again apologizing and she felt glad she had chosen not to lash out at him. This second word of caution felt much more sincere and she remembered the rumors regarding several students and the Forbidden Forest. Though she was daring, she was not stupid enough to wander into the Forest, especially after hours and she would make sure to be careful during the later hours. She was curious as to what he was alluding to though and when he stepped closer to her she chose to speak.

“It is very . . . nice to meet you, Zee. I have no fear of falling; flying is my favorite pastime after all. I appreciate your concern, though (whether real or not). I accept your apology and offer up my own. I’m not sure what exactly it is you had hoped for but I’m sorry that my presence seems to cause you so much turmoil. I do have to admit I’m curious about this danger you’re so vague about. (And what Wysteria means to you.) But if you’d rather not address that, I’ll leave you to your privacy.”

She hoped he would not ask her to leave as the storm still raged outside and she wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. But if that was his wish she would not deny him of it.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Zee's head was shaking before Tori had even finished speaking. She hadn't properly understood his reason for being upset. How could she? It seemed the school in general had not been informed of Wysteria's demise, and he wondered if the headmistress planned on keeping it quiet. His teeth ground together slightly at the thought of her sitting alone in her office drinking tea and laughing to herself at one more threat defeated. Pausing in his stride and turning his eyes to the stone floor beneath him, Zee tried to compose himself, taking several deep breaths. He raised his gaze back to the girl before him, his face again devoid of emotion.

"It's not your presence that bothers me Tori. It's that I thought you were her, and if she were here . . . It would just solve so much. But of course she isn't here. I was foolish to think otherwise. I am very foolish to still hope."

As was becoming all too common for him, Zee again shook his head. He wasn't explaining much, but why should he? Who was she that she deserved to understand when even he did not? Wysteria was gone, and he had to deal with that. With another shake of his head, Zee turned his attention to Tori's other statement.

She wanted to know about the danger he referred to. This was somewhat ironic given how long he'd been trying to get the information out of both Wysteria and D'rorah. Now that he had it he understood why they'd been so cautious. If indeed he had been an agent of the Mage . . .

Could that be what Tori was? Had they known about his feelings for Wyst? Did they plant her there specifically because she resembled the dead girl from behind? Zee continued to feel foolish for going down that line of thought, and thought the notion exceedingly paranoid. Even if she were the Mage's woman, what would be the harm in revealing some knowledge of the Shadows? Caira already knew, or strongly suspected, that he was the Elemental Master of Metal. What more could they learn from what he would tell Tori?

"The danger is not great up here, but I strongly advise you to avoid the grounds past curfew, and never enter the forest. You know of dementors? These are worse. Patronuses do little against these Shadows and nothing you can do will harm them. No spell from a wand has but the slightest effect. If you enter there, you will not come out, though your body may. Shadows have been known to possess human bodies after draining the soul from them."

His words were grim and he knew it, but Zee wanted to make sure she understood the gravity of the situation. That said, he moved over to the wall and slid down it into a sitting position. His eyes never left his knees as he spoke.

"You need not leave if you wish to stay. I know I am not terribly pleasant company. If anyone finds us here . . ."

Again a parallel of his first meeting with Wysteria.

"I'll tell them you're here helping me with Astronomy. I did poorly last class, so it will seem plausible enough."

[tori]

Her curiosity was again ignited at his vague explanation alluding to Wysteria. She couldn't blame him for being so guarded; she herself was not one to divulge her true feelings unless she felt comfortable with the person. Though he told her it was not her presence that was the problem, the true problem was not much better. Tori was still not the one he longed for and there was nothing she could do to change that. In the silence that followed his first statement, he seemed to be debating with himself about something.

He shook his head several times and it was not the first time that she wished he would just come out and say whatever was on his mind. Understanding that there was a reason behind his hesitations did not change the fact that she was growing tired of his avoidance of any real information. However, when he detailed the danger he had spoken of earlier she found her curiosity finally satisfied on one account.

Quite the jolly fellow.

After his cheery explanation of the Shadows he moved out of sight. Tori moved as well, turning her body so that her back rested against the wall of the ledge and her feet stretched out before her. Again lifting her face to the sky, she felt the few drops that were blown into their sanctuary. At Zee’s suggested excuse to why they were up in the tower, Tori almost snorted. Not a model student by a long shot she couldn’t imagine helping someone else in a subject she hardly understood. Sure, she enjoyed being up at midnight and gazing at the stars but to her it was a mindless activity, not something to be examined from an academic approach.

“While I would never claim brilliance, you’ve insulted my intelligence in asking if I know of dementors. I do appreciate your openness in regard to the Shadows and can assure you that I wouldn’t dream of entering the Forest. I know of the rumors surrounding the place. Although from your statement I’m beginning to wonder how fictional those rumors are.

“Speaking of openness…I don't want to be nosy but you’ve piqued my curiosity. What is it that happened to Wysteria? I haven’t seen her around in some time and her absence is obviously somehow the cause of your distress. Again, if you’d rather not tell me, I understand.”

Tori hoped that he wouldn’t be upset with her for asking such a question but she wished to better understand the circumstances surrounding this particular drama. She felt somewhat a part of it now and did not enjoy being in the dark. She also did not enjoy guessing games and felt that if she did not address this question it would continue to be one.

True, his words were not of the happy sort and she couldn’t deny that in his current state he was poor company. But there was something about him that drew her in, made her want to stay. Not only did she wish to better understand his sadness and possibly help diminish it, something underneath the sorrow was calling to her.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Zee was generally quite good at reading people, and in the past he would have taken Tori's claim of being insulted as a joke, and one that was very similar to those he would play. Any humor it held went by unnoticed however and instead of an amused smirk he merely shrugged.

"I meant no insult. I'm sorry if you took it that way. I thought perhaps you were . . . sheltered. I don't know. Perhaps you were kept away from all knowledge of darkness. I didn't mean to imply you were ignorant in general, just that that particular knowledge was something you may not possess. And you may stop wondering. The rumors may be exaggerated; the danger is not."

Her audacity to ask such a question surprised him, shook him out of his self absorbed stupor so that he looked up at her with a clarity that his eyes had not held so far that night. She was rather blunt with her speech, aiming right for what she wanted to say without hinting or dancing around it. So different from the way he'd trained himself to speak. So like Wysteria.

His vision seemed to unfocus again after only a few moments, and though his eyes remained on Tori, it did not seem as if he were seeing her. His words seemed almost more directed at himself. A barely audible whisper escaped from his lips, which were overly dry despite the wet conditions just past the ledge.

"I don't know."

Zee's head fell back, striking the stone wall with a dull thud. If it hurt, he gave no indication, merely shutting his eyes as he tried to sort through everything.

"She was capable. She had training. She was no damsel in distress. She knew how to fight them. If she truly held a part of them in her blood, then I'm sure she was quite formidable. But it had a Shadow. Yet she should have been able to handle those as well. But she would have needed someone to anchor her emotions . . . and Darko wasn't around. Damn that boy and his unbelievably stupid parents!"

Two tears leaked out of Zee's lowered eyelids, each running unattended down his cheeks.

[tori]

Tough crowd.

Only wishing to lighten the mood by her comment, she was a bit disheartened when he seemed to take it seriously. She sighed at his words but sat up a little straighter when she noticed that his gaze was clear for the first time. As their eyes met she knew he was really seeing her, not lost in a world she didn’t understand but desired to. It didn’t take long for them to return to their previous state though and she slumped against the wall a little as they did. Losing hope that he would be more open with her, she felt her heart squeeze as she listened to his next words and the anguish they held.

She winced as the thud of his head on the stone reached her ears. Again he was speaking but not to her; it was as though he was talking to himself. She was confused by much of what he said: the training he spoke of, something of blood, mention of the Shadows, emotions, and Alessandro Darko, a name she was familiar with. As he spoke she decided to move off the ledge and into a more sheltered area. The rain had subsided somewhat but to stay there much longer would have resulted in her being completely soaked. Before Zee finished speaking she had moved to a spot a few yards from where he sat. She brought her knees up, leaned her chin on them and wrapped her arms around her legs. Bringing her wand out of her back pocket, she waved it over her body and whispered a spell to make herself dry.

Shoving the wand back into her pocket, Tori looked up just as the tears rolled down Zee’s face. Sympathy now engulfed her; she desperately wanted to do something to bring him out of his funk. She hated seeing people depressed or in anything less than a cheery mood. Still not understanding the precise circumstances, she did understood that it was much more complicated than she had initially thought. Considering again for a moment that perhaps he would rather mourn in silence and privacy, she still couldn’t push aside the curiosity that nagged at her. Tori was not one to simply let things go, sometimes being selfish in her persistence. Perhaps all he wanted to do was wallow in his misery, to let it soak into his soul and devour his being, an undesirable end in her opinion. Chewing her lower lip a bit before she spoke, Tori scooted closer to Zee so she could speak softly and still be heard.

“I’m sorry you’re going through such an obviously emotional time. I wish there were something I could do to improve your circumstances. Yes, we just met...but the wish remains just the same. Still I have to ask again, what happened to Wysteria? You’ve thoroughly confused me in your supposed attempt to explain. Perhaps you don’t know everything but you certainly know enough to put you in such a state.”

She knew she sounded nosy and maybe had come across as a heartless jerk. It was not her intention but she hoped that Zee was smart enough and not too emotional to take it the wrong way. Her bluntness sometimes had the undesired effect of offending those who received her words. She hoped this would not be the case. Guessing games frustrated her and were not something she would hypocritically make someone else go through if it could be helped. As she waited for Zee’s reaction she again chewed her lower lip, the only sign that revealed her nervousness at his possible negative response.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

A slight twitch of his head which may have been a nod was all the response Tori received for several moments. She seemed more determined than he would have expected. Either she truly cared about why he was so upset or she was discourteously curious or she was (as he'd earlier suspected) an agent of Dark Phoenix's trying to grow close to him. Previously Zee would have scoffed at the notion of the first, but now knew it to be a possibility. The second was also possible but she seemed apologetic about asking so it seemed unlikely. The last . . . she did seem to be one the Mage might use. She gave off an air of friendly kindness much like Caira. Also much like Caira she was uncommonly pretty. The Zee of several months ago would have likely had improper things on his mind when he first met her. Now though his mind was quite full and the notion didn't even occur to him.

But again, so what if she was? That simply meant she already knew that Wysteria was dead. Again Zee could see no harm in revealing information to her that she would already know if she were his enemy. After several weak attempts at clearing his throat he gave up and spoke anyway, his voice cracking on the final word.

"Wysteria was killed."

Saying it out loud . . . that was the first time he'd done so and it proved too much. Drawing his legs up to his chest, Zee buried his face in his knees and hugged his shins, his long hair falling about his head to completely obscure his face. His muffled sobs caused small tremors to move through his body almost constantly.

[tori]

At his words Tori stopped biting her lip and let her eyes go wide. This she had not expected. True, she hadn’t held any specific expectations for what his response would be, but this would not have made the list had there been one. Not only did his voice crack as he spoke, but afterwards his whole body seemed to cave with the emotion he was feeling. Now she understood the turmoil he was going through and his reaction was understandable. Obviously she didn’t know all the details of their relationship, but knowing that it involved death showed her just how grave this issue was. As his sobs filled her ears she felt she wanted to cry as well. Empathy was not uncommon for her and in such a case as this, it raged inside her. Unsure on how he would react, Tori moved still closer to where Zee sat, just close enough to touch him. She lightly placed her hand on his shoulder for a brief moment, letting it drop back to her lap after she completed the gesture. Sorrow filled her voice as she spoke.

“Words could never do such circumstances justice. But please know that I would never wish such things to befall anyone, even someone I’ve just met. I don’t know how you grieve but I do not want to impose upon you. If you’d rather sit in silence, I’ll comply. Or if you’d rather talk about it, I’ll listen. Again, I offer to vacate the area if that is your desire.”

Sighing as she finished her statement, Tori moved back against the cold stone wall. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the cool air as it brushed against her cheeks. Half an hour ago she had entered the tower to enjoy the storm. Now she found herself seemingly plunged into a murder mystery with no idea what the ending would be. This is what made Tori love life though, the strange occurrences, the unexpected twists and the dynamic characters. Perhaps this meeting would come to nothing, she and Zee would part ways and essentially ignore each other's presence. Or maybe this was the beginning of something more. Who knew?

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Zee wasn't sure what to think when he felt Tori's hand briefly on his shoulder. He did appreciate the attempted comfort, the simple gesture with which she meant to let him know that he wasn't alone. But Zee didn't believe her. He was very much alone and couldn't see that ever changing. What the slight pressure on his shoulder primarily reminded Zee of was when Wysteria had placed her chin on his shoulder one of the first times they'd been up there. So all that was really accomplished was driving Zee further into his melancholy despair.

Several minutes passed by without any external reaction from Zee. He merely sat there and wept, allowing the emotion to fully overwhelm him. His eyes and face had taken on a decidedly redder tone when he finally lifted his head and considered Tori. It made him feel a little guilty since she had been there first, but Zee did not enjoy there being any spectators to his complete emotional breakdown. This was his place however. His sanctuary.

"Forgive me Tori, but I would like to be alone. This place . . . it . . . it's past curfew anyway. You should be in bed. I assure you, this is not the last storm that will rage through the area."

Thudding his head unceremoniously back against the wall against which he sat, Zee closed his eyes and grew silent.

[tori]

Tori’s eyes remained closed as she awaited Zee’s reply; his weeping did nothing but dampen her spirits. Remembering that her purpose in coming to the tower (aside from enjoying the storm) was to get re-energized, the result had been the exact opposite. She returned to her thoughts previous to Zee’s appearance and found herself adding to the list of tragedies experienced by someone else. Perhaps part of the reason she so badly wanted to comfort him was because she knew how easy she had it. A part of her felt guilty for the smooth ride life seemed to have been thus far.

When he asked her to leave, she felt a splinter of sadness but didn’t blame him. They had just met and she would have wanted her privacy had their roles been reversed. Even before he finished speaking she had pushed herself up from the wall and turned slightly to face him. She considered placing her hand on his shoulder or extending it for a shake but decided against it. He hadn’t seemed thrilled at her previous touch and she didn’t wish to reap that result again.

Even though his eyes were closed she shrugged and said simply, “The storm’s basically died down anyhow. But the next one will no doubt find me here again. I bid you goodnight and hope that when next we meet it’ll be under happier circumstances.”

As she slipped through the doorway, she glanced once more at Zee and furrowed her brow at his depressing state. Gently closing the door behind her, she quietly descended the stairs, made her way through the common room and to her bed. Exhaustion taking over as she climbed under the covers, her last thoughts before she drifted off were in the tower with the boy whose tears had flooded her heart.