Pairing: Undertaker/Kane (Mark/Kane)
Warnings: Original character, but I don't really think that's a warning.
Prompt: Spirits
Kane sits in front of the fireplace, legs crossed, and stares into it. He takes measured breaths and tries to concentrate, pushing his worry out of his mind. Mark has already left to go to the Council, leaving Kane on his own. Kane doesn't exactly mind that, but there's still something that's worrying him, something he can't shake off.
The fire springs to life in front of him and he calls it to him, letting it surround him with its heat. It calms him somewhat, but he still has worries. He reaches out to the ancient element, calling to the spirits that roam in the flames. They acknowledge his calls and the fire grows around him, swirling in a small tornado before taking on a vaguely human shape. It stands before him, regarding him interestedly. It's not often that they're called upon by one of such power and skill.
What do you wish to ask us, vampire? The spirit asks, voice a crackling hiss that Kane feels more than he hears.
"There is something coming, something ancient and powerful and dangerous. What is it?" Kane asks, voice tinged with desperation.
What makes you think we have any idea what goes on in the mortal realm? The spirit counters, the crackling louder.
"Please. You are everywhere here. You are all knowing. Please just let me know, so I can prepare for whatever it is." Kane pleads.
The spirit is silent for a while and Kane shifts restlessly, torn between wanting to demand answers from the spirit and his instinctive repsect towards the ancient element. Finally, the crackling hiss starts up again.
You are right. It is something powerful and ancient. Something no one and nothing - mortal and immortal, human and supernatural alike - has seen for centuries, perhaps longer. It is angry and it wants revenge.
"Revenge against who?" Kane asks with a sinking feeling in his gut. He fears he already knows the answer.
The one they call The Undertaker. The spirit hisses.
"Can you tell me what it is that seeks The Undertaker?" Kane asks, swallowing hard.
We cannot. The flame swells in irritation. Fire spirits hate being unable to see what they want. Not much can block their powers of observation and control.
"Thank you for your knowledge and strength." Kane murmurs, thoughts racing as he slowly breaks the connection between him and the fire spirit. The fire sinks back into the fireplace, slowly dying down until all that's left is burning embers.
Kane stands, stretching briefly, and begins to pace. He's got to get the Council and warn Mark about whatever it is that seeks him out. He can't just sit around and do nothing while some ancient, powerful force takes its revenge on his Sire. Mark doesn't even know that there's anything coming for him.
Kane stops in the middle of the room, focusing inward and reaching out along the bond that he and Mark share, wondering if Mark's blocked it yet. Mark had warned him that, during the Council, their bond was off limits due to the nature of the Council and they would be unable to communicate that way. Kane misses the comforting prescence of Mark in his mind, but pushes that away and focuses. He reaches along the bond and slams into what feels like a brick wall on Mark's side. This must be the block.
Kane opens his eyes and sighs in frustration, pulling the sparks from the embers towards him and creating a fireball in his hands which he tosses up and down, thinking. There's got to be something or someone that can help him get to the Council.
He catches the fireball in his hand and stares at it. There is one person, but Mark wouldn't be happy at all that Kane went to him for help. However, he's the only person Kane can think of that would even hear him out for something crazy like interrupting a Council of the Elders.
There's just one problem. He doesn't know where the other vampire is and, last he heard, no one else did either after he went into hiding for falling in love with a human and revealing his true nature to her and then refusing to turn her.
Shawn Michaels had disappeared and no one had heard from him since. Rumors had crept up and some even accused Mark of helping Shawn hide, but Kane had never asked Mark that, knowing it wasn't his place and understanding that Shawn had acted out of love.
He groans, realizing he's stuck again. The only other person that might know, even a little scrap of information, is Mark. Kane resists the urge to slam his fists into the walls and heaves a sigh. There's got to be someone else who could help him at least begin to track down Michaels.
When the answer comes to him, he feels like hitting himself in the face. He doesn't know why he didn't think of Mercy earlier. The nomad vampire knew almost everything about everyone that she had any interest in. Plus, she had seemed to like him the last time they had met. She might be willing to at least hear him out.
He glances down at the fireball still held in his hand. Mercy's element is fire, just like his, so that would make contacting her easier. He holds the fireball out in front of him and lets it expand, focusing on Mercy and her energy. Soon he feels the fire reach out to her and her reach out to it.
"Kane?" Mercy's voice comes from the fire, crackling slightly.
"I need your help." Kane says, deciding to cut right to the chase. He really doesn't have the time to beat around the bush and that's not really his style either.
"With what?" There's no hesitation in her voice, only curiosity.
"Finding Shawn Michaels." He says quickly, hoping she doesn't laugh at him.
"No one knows where he is or even if he's still alive. What do you need with him?" She says, still curious. At least she's not laughing at him.
"I know, but he's the only one I could think of that would be crazy enough to help me find the Council of the Elders." Kane winces, preparing for her to berate him for wanting something so impossible.
"Why do you need to find the Council?" She asks, voice calm, if a little confused now.
"Because there's something coming to attack Mark and I can't let that happen." Kane explains, not going into too much detail.
"Mark? Oh, The Undertaker. Well, I'll help you as best I can, but I can't promise you that we'll find Michaels." She says, a note of warning crackling through.
"That's all I ask. Thank you." Kane says in relief.
"Don't thank me just yet. There's a lot to be done and very little time to do it in, if you want to find the Council." Mercy says firmly.
"I know. Where are you?" He asks, reaching out further to her with the fire.
"Actually not far from you. I'll be there just before dawn." Mercy says, pushing her own power back to him, letting him get a feel for her location.
"Alright. I'll be waiting." He says and then the connection fades and he closes his hand over the fireball, extinguishing it.
He paces around the empty house, restless and worried. This may or may not be a good idea and it will definitely piss Mark off, but Kane is getting desperate and doesn't know what else to do. That heavy feeling in the air presses down against him and he needs to do something, anything to prevent it getting to Mark.
He just hopes he'll be enough to stop it.