Shadow's Son

Chapter 9: First Light

Today started out like any other day, with one difference, it was Valentine's Day. And like every one of the 6 school years before, the young dark haired girl spent most of her day crying when no one was looking. Why? Because as always, she hadn't received even a single valentine card or anonymous flower.

The reason this hurt so much, she had been hoping that the boy she loved more than words could describe would have sent her one. Instead, he spent his day chasing after a girl that would never love him back.

The young girl skipped the days final class, something she never usually did, to hide behind a tree while the tears slid down her cheeks.

The clouds drifted overhead as the time slipped away. But she stayed there, unmoving except for the occasional sob that made its way out of her chest. Lost to time, the sounds of approaching footsteps had her hurriedly wiping her eyes before whoever was coming could see her in this state.

The girl was about to get up and leave when an all too familiar voice drifted to her ears. "Hey, Tootie."

"Timmy?" She turned to see her beloved standing there, shoulders fallen, mirroring her own heartache. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." He replied while kicking a rock aside.

After the day she had, this was most confusing. "Why would you be looking for me?"

"I don't know." He plopped down beside her and laid back against the tree. "You're the only girl that doesn't completely ignore me, so I thought maybe I could ask you why other girls do that. What is it they want from us guys?"

She blushed despite her aching heart. "I can't speak for all the other girls, but I would be happy with a flower."

"Why, didn't you get any?" She shook her head for fear of the sob building in her chest again. "Here."

"What?" She turned to face him and the sight before her almost made her break down and cry in joy. Timmy was holding a single small red carnation, one of her favorite flowers.

He held it up a little higher and closer for her to take. "Will you be my valentine, Tootie?"

"Yes." She took the simple jester of affection, but was still hesitant to react too much as its suddenness. "But why me? Why now?"

"Because no girl shouldn't get a single flower." He smiled that smile that made her heart flutter like a hummingbirds wing.

"Oh thank you!" She leaned in a kissed him right on the lips.

Suddenly Timmy jumped back. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

"But you just said..." She trailed off now confused.

"I said you deserve a flower, I didn't say I like you or anything." He moved to get up until she latched onto his shirt.

"How can you do that?" Tears stung at her eyes again as she pleaded with him. "I've been waiting all day for you to give me a flower. How can you suddenly give me one, then say you don't love me?"

Timmy seemed to hesitate until he suddenly blurted out. "It's cause I don't love you."

In a single movement, Tootie jumped to her feet and ran away from the boy that had just ripped out her heart, leaving the flower forgotten on the ground as well. Even as she ran, his voice called out to her. "Tootie, wait, stop!"

But another sound was louder than he was. A screeching like nothing she had heard before. The sound was deafening and sudden. Her entire body became filled with pain almost as quickly as the noise that scared her. She felt light and heavy, it made her sick.

Then as soon as it all came, it was gone. Everything was replaced with a sense of peace. It was quiet. It was comfortable. She wanted to stay here forever. The question was, where was she?

She sat up to find she was sitting in a foggy area. It was almost hard to see, that was until she stood up. It was funny, she didn't even know she had been lying down. She could have sworn she was sitting under a tree.

Looking around, there wasn't much to see. A vast open space of fog and bright light. She was about to call out when a voice called to her first. "Greetings, child."

"Where am I?" She called out to the voice unconnected to a body.

"You are here." It replied.

"Where is here?" She asked more confused than before.

"Here is here. It is where all deemed worthy come." She was starting to think it would only speak in riddles.

"What am I worthy of exactly?" She prayed it wouldn't reply with another riddle.

"Joining us in the light, for you have done no evil deeds."

The gears turned in her head but she thought she had an answer. "Am I...dead?"

"Yes child, you're mortal life has ended, and much too early for someone so pure of heart as yourself." It stayed remarkably calm as it conveyed this tragic news.

"No, no, I can't be dead!" As her emotions rose, so did a pair of large white wings affixed to her back. She touched them and found she felt them. They were as real as she was. "But there's so much I wanted to do, wanted to experience. You have to send me back."

"I cannot." It replied.

"That's untrue." A new feminine voice called from the side. As Tootie turn to see, two small balls of light, one pink the other green, came drifting closer. As they came to a stop, they took on the form of two small angels with hair the same color as the lights they were just emanating. "There is a way you can sent her back to the mortal world. It could even benefit us."

"Explain yourself." The bodiless being suddenly commanded in a booming voice.

"You can send her back to the mortal realm as a warrior for our side." The pink haired angel conjured up an enormous book from thin air, though Tootie could not see what the contents were. "It could greatly tip the scales of this war. It is believed the other side has a warrior of there own."

"Wait, I'm not fighting anyone. I don't even know how to fight." Tootie protested the idea.

"My child, what if you had the power to effect monumental change? Would you let fear consume you? Or would you overcome?"

"It's not really that I'm afraid." Tootie cast her gaze downward. "I don't want to hurt anyone if I don't have to."

"Ah but you see young one, those you would be against, are those that have sided with our enemy." The voice reassured her worries.

"I still don't know how to fight." She replied, despite the fact she would like to help them if they were really in it to better the world. "How do you expect me to take on someone that wouldn't think twice about hurting others or myself? It's not like I'm that strong."

"What if the power we gave you would allow you to protect those who are dearest to you?" The small pink haired woman addressed her directly for the first time.

"Timmy." Tootie spoke his name aloud, knowing that he was really the reason she wanted to go back. She knew with time she could change his mind.

"You would still protect that boy even after all the mean things he's done to you?" The green haired one questioned her now.

"If it meant protecting Timmy, I would die all over again to spare him." Tootie answered immediately, as if the decision to sacrifice herself would be so easy.

"Time is short child." The bodiless voice spoke again. "The time to choose is now, do you wish to stay here, or will you return and take arms against the darkness that is trying to consume the world you hold so dear?"

Tootie didn't need to give it anymore thought. If it meant going home, she would do whatever was necessary. "I'll do it."

"Very well, the decision is made. You shall return to Earth, with Cosmo and Wanda here to act as your teachers and guardians. They shall help you master the powers that will be bestowed upon you, and give you guidance in times of need. Now return to your body child, and hopefully, the next time we meet will be in the distant future."

A light flashed blindingly bright before fading to nothing. The next thing Tootie knew, pain returned. Certain parts of her body hurt more than others. Her left arm and right leg mostly. And her head worst of all. It felt like someone was pounding a hammer against her brain. A beeping nearby made her head hurt more, but as her eyes opened, Tootie saw something that made the pain more tolerable.

Sitting beside her, head laying on the bed, was Timmy. He looked like he could have been asleep.

"Timmy?" Her voice was a little rough from being dry, but nonetheless he bolted upright in his chair.

A look of shock crossed his face, quickly replaced with relief. "Tootie, I'm so glad you're okay."

She looked down at the wires and IV lines running to her body and almost chuckled. "Okay doesn't really seem to describe it."

"I know." Timmy scooted in closer and she reached for his hand, which was given instantly. "But the good news is, you're alive."

"What happened?" She asked, still not knowing what caused her to be there in what she assumed was a hospital.

"After I said those things," He didn't say exactly what was said, though the words still burned in the back of her head like a hot branding iron. "You ran away so fast, and a car sped around the corner. It was so unreal, when it hit you, you were thrown in the air like a ragdoll. When you landed on the ground again, I thought you were dead."

She felt bad about scaring him, but they were both to blame. He shouldn't have said such mean words, and she shouldn't have run into the street so recklessly.

"Actually, she was dead for about five minutes before the paramedics arrived." Called a voice from the door. The two teens turned to see a man in his mid forties with glasses standing there with a clipboard in hand.

"Who are you?" Asked Timmy before Tootie could get the same words out.

"I'm her doctor." He took off his glasses before approaching Tootie. "Dr. Studwell."

"Rip Studwell?" Timmy again interjected. "As in, stitched up my father after he won the miss Dimmsdale beauty pageant, Rip Studwell?"

"Ah, I remember that case." He smiled as the thought of sewing back together the man in a dress returned. "Wearing a dress won't run in the family now, will it?"

"Not likely." Timmy answered, despite Tootie's chuckle, before whispering to her. "He's a pro, you're in good hands."

"Indeed she is." He went about reading some of the machines and taking notes.

While he was doing that, several more adults entered the room, including both their parents, and a few other faces neither recognized. They all had the same worried expression, except his father who looked the worst of them all.

The first to speak though, wasn't one of their parents, but the strange man in a black dress shirt and pants. He reminded Timmy of his school counselor. When he did speak, it was directed at Tootie.

"If I may ask, how did this," He gestured to her injuries, which she could see now was an arm and leg covered in a cast, though she could feel other bandages all over her body. "Happen to you?"

"I ran into the street without looking." She looked down away from the man's gaze.

"Why did you run into the street?" His voice came softly, but she could hear the grave importance behind the question.

"It was my fault." Timmy answered in honest before she could make up something to keep him out of trouble. "I said some mean things that made her run away crying."

The man looked at his parents then turned on Timmy. "What did you say?"

"That I didn't love her." Timmy's shoulders fell, like a tremendous weight had been placed on them.

"Did you mean it?" The man's gaze never turned from Timmy as he questioned him.

"I don't know."

"Then if you knew it would make her cry, why did you say it?" There was something about the way this strange man was looking at her beloved that made Tootie want to smack him.

Timmy looked around, to her, their parents, even the doctor, who were all staring at him, before facing the man with all the questions again. "Because the voice in my head told me to say it."

"Was it Gary, son?" Timmy's father spoke for the first time since entering the room.

"Yes." Tears came to Timmy's eyes. Tears that showed he knew he'd done wrong and was ashamed of his actions.

Timmy's parent and the strange man left the room again, huddled in whispers, leaving the young boy sobbing before her. Tootie had never seen him like this, and it ached her to witness him falling apart. When they came back in the room, the man had a stern look in his eyes.

"Timmy, it is my strong belief that you are suffering from schizophrenia and must be put into therapy as well as placed on medication immediately. This should help with the voice in your head." He handed Timmy a small white pill.

Timmy, being barely 12 year old, stared at the pill in his hand. He looked like he was going to cry when he turned to his parents, followed by her parents, and finally to Tootie herself. "If it means I won't hurt you again, I won't miss a dose."

Timmy put it in his mouth before accepting a cup of water and downing it where he stood. Once it was gone, Timmy gave the cup back to the man in black. "Thank you for being so understanding and accepting."

The man left shortly after. Eventually both their parents stepped out of the room, though hers were hesitant about leaving him alone with her again.

Once everyone was gone, Timmy stepped closer to her hospital bed. "Tootie, I'm so sorry for what I said, if you'll have me, will you still be my valentine?"

"On one condition." He hung on the edge of his seat for her to finish. He looked like he'd say yes to cutting his own hand off if she demanded it. Instead she came up with something that would drive him closer to her in the end. "I'll be you valentine, if you promise to be my best friend in the whole world."

She lifted her unbroken arm and held out only her pinkie finger. Timmy sat speechless. For a second, she thought he'd say no. Then he did the most remarkable thing. He took her finger in his own, then leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'll be the bestest of all best friends. From now on, you and I are besties."