Here goes nothing!

Dancing Dragonflies. (Worm/ Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons)
Arc 1.1 Mom

Life sucks donkey dick and then you died. That is the undeniable truth of this world.

At least, that is how I saw it. This would help explain why my dad died of cancer when I was barely able to walk, or why my mom disappears for months to a year. Not surprising since Dad once mentioned he had found Mom when he too went on a long trip to some remote island and found her there. So the mom of Taylor Hebert is a mail order bride. Joy!

Yet Child Protection Services never got around to rescuing me from Mrs Hebert, deadbeat Mom extraordinaire. Maybe because she does some shady shit for them and their suit bosses. It's like Mom thinks I'm blind and hard of smelling to not notice the smell of cordite from the basement, or the explosives she hides in the bags of baking flour. I will leave aside all those guns of various shapes and sizes or all the body armour.

Mommy dearest never really left me wanting though. Whatever the hell she was doing, it paid rather well, which is why were still able to keep the house despite having only one source of erratic income.

Having Dad's old friend Mr Barnes pick up the slack on parenting duties helped a lot too, in keeping me relatively well adjusted. I only get into a few fights a year that actually required police intervention. A shame one of them involved his youngest daughter Emma who is also my former bestie.

So maybe I overreacted after she found a new friend and started to disassociate herself from me, publicly telling everyone I fear my mom's a psycho merc. I probably should not have broken Emma's nose with a punch, but no one gets to call my mom a raging psycho but me.

Mr Barnes was actually generous enough to post bail for me, after Mom skipped town again. He did mention in passing it was Mom's money, so he isn't that big a softie and he was pretty pissed over the surgery for his daughter's nose, but it's the thought that counts.

So after I ate a three day suspension for assault, provoked or not, no one in school really dared to start shit with the crazy half blond girl. There was one Madison who did try to superglue my seat, but after I smelled it- glue has that distinct smell and Mom uses stronger mixes for her traps round the house- I accidentally tripped next to her desk with my elbow aiming for her head.

I ate a week's suspension, but the cops couldn't get me to break and the cameras showed me tripping and I did injure myself. The Clements girl got a hospital stay and a concussion though, so it balances out.

I heard from the grapevine, meaning Mom bragged about it to me that she had visited the homes of the Superintendent of the School District and Principal Blackwell to persuade them to drop all charges. In a mask, at three in the morning, complete with many guns and a heated knife complete with a lecture on how much damage genitals can take from heated metal before it's completely useless. She didn't name me of course. Mom's crazy, not stupid and she merely insisted they drop ALL investigations ongoing.

So in the end, only that Sophia Hess still wanted to bring me down, or had the guts to try. And I guess she has connections since those tranquilizers she used on me probably didn't come easy. Nor were the zip ties she used to bind me as she dragged me to a dumpster and tossed me into it. Through the groggy haze, I swear I could hear Emma and the rest of her clique giggling at finally taking down that butch psycho.

I doubt they're that dumb to be talking shit about Sophia to her face, so they must be referring to me. Mom once remarked I somehow missed out on all her good looking genes when she bothered to visit me once in a while.

My limp body was hurled into the dumpster with great glee before it was closed. Sophia made a crack about taking out the trash, but it was so bad not even the awkward laughter could cover it up.

"Hey Tay?" I could hear Emma in her honeyed tones from beyond the dark surroundings of the dumpster. "The garbage men are on strike, so you can expect to be in her, for oh a week? Have fun!"

I'd swear bloody vengeance on her and promised to rip out her silicone nose, but my jaw muscles weren't working too well and the stench was making me gag while the bugs are making me jittery.

I had no idea how long I was stuffed in that hell, but I was finally able to move my mouth and took in a deep breath through my mouth before I got into a coughing fit. I suppose I went insane, or more insane considering who raised me.

So I did what Mom did when she was not on a psychotic high- sing.

I didn't recognise the words, but it sounded beautiful like Mom is when she isn't being a nutjob who resorts to violence at the slightest provocation.

Hajimari no hikari
Kirali... kirali
Owari no hikari
Lulala lila

The Light at the beginning, beautiful and shining. The Light at the end, burning out at the end of time.

Kaesan el ragna
Suna dokei wo
Toki wa afuren

The Gods who left at the end of time

The hourglass in which time overflows.

Utae... Utae
Ima futatsu no negai wa
Tsuyoku... Tsuyoku
Ten no konjiki to kirameku
Towa wo kataran

Sing... Sing, now, these two wishes
Strongly... Strongly shine of the gold of Heaven.
They speak of eternity.

Huh, someone is singing along with me in perfect synchronization. I squinted my eyes from the sudden light that invaded the darkness I was trapped in, and saw a face that was both welcome and loathed.

Golden blonde hair that flowed down to her hips, perfectly raised cheekbones and full, luscious lips with a natural gloss and ruby eyes. She gave me a wide grin, as if seeing her only child tied up and thrown in with the garbage was the most amusing thing in the world.

Considering her idea of a friendly greeting though, she probably thinks it is.

Crazy bitch.

"Hi Mom. How's my singing?" I croaked out through my dehydrated and cracking throat. My mother gave a chuckle before she pulled me out by the arms from the dumpster, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she removed the zip ties.

"Good, which I cannot say for the rest of you. How the hell did you end up here anyway? Lost a fight?"

I shot a glare to my mother as I brushed away the bugs crawling around me and the garbage still clinging to me. Priorities are an alien thing to her it seems.

"Darts and tranquilizers." Mom nodded at my explanation, before she proffered her advice.

"Told you to wear body armour." She helped massage my legs as I laid on the floor to get the blood flowing, before she stood up and offered me her hand.

"Well, enough moping around. I was almost lynched by my sister once and I didn't sit around crying my heart out! C'mon. Follow me and I will introduce Vilkiss and his new sibling to you!"

I glared at my mother, before sighing and deciding to go along with whatever shady character she wants me to meet after I went dumpster diving.

Ange Hebert, you're a horrible mother.