Chapter 13, enjoy!
not mine, I know, lord knows if it was mine, Stephanie and Ranger would be together, and there'd be more Diesel ~drool~
I Dream Of A Guardian
Stephanie sat up in the bed, her eyes wide, her chest heaving and her hands had a death grip on the blankets that were spread over her. She turned to Ranger's side of the bed, but found him gone. what time was it? Stephanie ran a hand through her wild curls and slid out of the bed. she walked into the bathroom, used the toilet and brushed her teeth. As she did, her thoughts lingered back to the dream she had. She had been having this dream for the last three days. She would be in this wooden hallway, which was dimly lit by small candles that was situated on the walls. At the end of the hallway had been an archway that was brightly lit.
Stephanie would walk down the hallway, go through the archway and come out into a massive circular room. The only item in the room was a huge water fountain, which was in the middle of the room. There were candles all over the room to light the area. It smelt of something earthy and fresh, making Stephanie relax. She wasn;t scared in the first place, but this place, it made her spidey senses flicker slightly.
She had sat down at the fountain, when she noticed something out the corner of her eye. Stephanie turned and yelped in shock, as the blurry figure of a woman stood on the other side of the fountain. It looked like a woman, the figure was so blurry, it could have been an effeminate man for all Stephanie could know. They were wearing something white, and they had long black hair, that was all Stephanie could see. The blurry figure tried to walk over to Stephanie, but found that they couldn't move. Stephaie could tell they were getting frustrated, by the way they stomped their foot and crossed their arms. It would have been hilarious, if It wasn't so freaky. As soon as thr figure found out that they couldn't speak to Stephanie, they had disappeared in a soft cloud of smoke. When they had left, so had the dream world, leaving Stephanie in a world of white. She had woken up the moment the world of white had appeared, but nonetheless, that was a freaky ass dream!
The second dream she had, she was in the same hallway, leading to the same room. She sat down in front of the fountain, and waited for the figure to appear. She was not disappointed. The figure did appear, and this time they were clearer now, and Stephanie could make out that it was a woman. She was wearing a white dress, and she did indeed have long hair. The woman had looked down at herself, smiled and tried to take a step. The moment she tried to walk, the room began to blur, and disappear along with the woman, who frowned and shook her, leaving Stephanie in the world of white again.
The most recent dream was like the last one, but when the woman popped up and began to move, the world didn't blurred and she didn't disappear. The woman smiled, doing a victory dance, befoe she pranced over to Stephanie, and opened her mouth to speak. When she tried to speak, she found that nothing came out of her mouth. she looked up to Stephanie, who was looking at with a face and mouthed, 'Can you hear me?" motioning to her ears.
When Stephanie shook her head no, she couldn't hear the woman. The woman pouted and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, the leaving with her and leaving Stephanie in a world of white again.
"Those were some strange dreams," Stephanie said, walking out the bathroom, and grabbing some clothes, "Maybe I should talk to someone about them."
Stephanie slipped on a pair of shorts, and a pink tank top, and made her way out into the living room, where Scarlet sat, sipping tea and reading a newspaper. Stephanie sat across from the woman, poured herself a cup of coffee from the service set that Ella had left and asked, "Where's Heidi, she's usually up by now, though lately she's been sleeping in."
"Oh, has she?" Scarlet asked, looking up from her paper, "Has she given you a reason why, she must be staying up all night doing her school work."
Stephanie shook her head, with a smile, "No, she finishes that all before you leave,y ou know that Scarlet, I don't know why she's sleeping in, her bedtime is at 8, and when we go in her room to check on her, she is fast asleep. When she comes in for breakfast, she looks like she hasn't had a wink of sleep."
Scarlet gave Stephanie a look, before she looked back at her paper. "Well, I'll be damned," She whispered to herself, "I thought she would have waited."
"Good morning," A tired voice said, making the two women look up from their breakfast, "Did you both sleep well."
"Holy shit!" Stephanie yelped, looking at the person in front of them, "Heidi! You looked like you were 10 yesterday! Now you look 15!"
Scarlet nodded her head and said, "Indeed, your accelerated growth, seemed to have a growth spurt in the night."
Heidi looked down at herself and said in a soft voice, "It did!" her hands flying to her chest, "I have boobies now!"
Heidi smiled and squeezed her breast, saying, "They're as big as yours Mommy!" making Stephanie groan and cover her face.
Scarlet looked over to Stephanie and said, with a leer, "No, Heidi, your breast are much larger, we should go out and get you bras."
Stephanie gave Scarlet a glare and said, "Don't encourage her! You skank!" earning a giggle from Scarlet and Heidi.
"I'm so hungry!" Heidi said, grabbing a box of cereal and pouring herself a bowl, "What are we doing today Scarlet? Chemistry? Shakespearian lit? Gothic history?"
"There's not much I can teach you now, little one," Scarlet said, looking over to Heidi, who deflated, "you've learned everything humanly possible, I do suggest that we go to park today, and read some Walk Whitman, he is a character I know you'll like reading."
Heidi smiled and said, "That sounds like fun! Can you come too, Mommy, why are you still bounty hunting, Daddy told you that you can stop all together, and join Rangeman."
"I like Bounty hunting, besides, if I join Rangeman, that means I have to work out and give up all my sweets." Stephanie said with a wink to Heidi, who giggled, "And you know how much I love my sweets."
"Oh yes, we all know," Scarlet said with a smile, getting up from her seat, "hurry up and finish your breakfast, Heidi, and get dress, I'll go to my place and see if I can find a bra for you to wear."
Scarlet left the penthouse, leaving Heidi and Stephanie alone. Stephanie looked up at Heidi and said, "You grew five years overnight, what happened last night?"
"I don't know, Mommy," Heidi said with a shrug, going back to eat her cereal, "Maybe a freak accident."
Stephanie hummed and said, "Must be," but it didn't stop the odd feeling coursing over her body. As if Heidi wasn't telling her something
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
Heidi's growth wasn't a freak accident. Heidi knew why she grew five years in the span of 9 hours. She made herself grow five years. She wanted her body to be more mature, so she could handle what she was trying to do.
Scarlet had told her, three days ago about some kind of power, a power that she alone had. She could remember it so well, it felt as though Scarlet had told her about two minutes ago:
"I must confess, I thought I'd never be teaching you this type of power, you were the one who taught me this long ago, Gaia," Scarlet said, looking at nine year old girl, who kicked her legs, tilting her head to side, "I know what you want to do, Heidi, and I nearly forgotten this, but now, I remember."
"What are we going to learn, Auntie Scarlet?" Heidi asked, the woman, a smile on her face, "It must be something important, it has you in a tizzy!"
Scarlet smiled and said, sitting beside the girl, "Dreams, I'm going to teach you how to manipulate people's dreams, so you can appear in them."
"I can do that?" Heidi asked, her eyes wide with wonder, "But, how?"
"I shall show you, it requires much power from you, which is why I would recommend you practice by changing the dreams you have when you sleep. All you need to do, Heidi, is before you sleep, clear your head of all thoughts, and the *Morpheus should appear to you, and lead you to the bridge that will lead you to other people's dreams."
"Why are you telling me this, Scarlet?" Heidi asked, the woman who smiled and ran a hand over Heidi's head.
"Because, dreams are just another entrance to the soul, and that's where you want to go," Scarlet said cryptically, before she got up and said, "Now, let's read some American Lit."
Heidi looked up to Stephanie and smiled, watching the woman eat. It had taken her a few tries, in the small naps she took, but she had managed to find her mommy's dreams. The first night took a lot out of her. She had pictured a room, lit with candles and a huge water fountain in it. The place had her wondering why she knew about it. she was sure she'd never been to a room with a water fountain in it. When she saw her mommy sit down, she appeared, but, the world seemed blurry and fuzzy to her, and when she looked down a her hands, she saw that it was she who was the blurry one, and not the world, or Stephanie.
The morning after, she had been so tired, who knew that manipulating dreams could take so much out a person. She had gotten into the habit of taking naps during the day, If only to regain some energy that she lost while manipulating dreams. Ella must have told her daddy, because the other night he had scooped her up in his arms and asked if she was alright. Heidi's heart had clenched at the pure worry in his eyes but she assured him that she was fine, and that she was just fatigued from all of the things she and Scarlet did together. Her daddy had told her that if there was anything else going on, to tell him. The knowing look in his eyes had Heidi cringing on the inside. Her Daddy was too observant sometimes!
The second time around, she came in blurry free, but it was the world around them that was blurry. She took one step, and the world faded around her. it was frustrating to say the least. What was she doing wrong" she really wanted to get to her mommy and make her a Guardian. But how?
The answer came to her, while she was taking a nap. Morpheus, in the shape of Her daddy, had told her lightly, that maybe she should age her body, to make it easier to handle the power to manipulate dreams.
"It should not be a chore for you to age your body to a point where you can easily handle these transitions into different dreams," Morpheus said, looking at Heidi with a smile on his face, "You are a powerful deity, after all."
Morpheus did have a point, and so, after she had gone to bed, she had willed her body to grow, she had to, as she dreamt, she made her body grow. The last attempt was almost successful. She was clear, the room was clear, she could and could make her way over to her mommy. The moment she opened her mouth to speak, she found that she couldn't. she was so angry, she almost had it down pact too! Hopefully tonight, tonight, she would have gotten it all right.
Heidi was cut short from her musing, as Scarlet appeared with several different colored bras. She smiled to the two and said, "I didn't know which one to pick, so I bought them all with me!"
"Oh! I like the purple one!" Heidi said grabbing the frilly purple bra, "It's so cute! Wait….how do I put one of these on"
"Oh, well, let's go teach you how to wear a bra!" Scarlet said, lifting Heidi up and leading her to her bedroom, "And then we can go to the park!"
Stephanie rolled her eyes and said, "I'm going to pick up some files, I'll uh-I'll be back…"
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
Stephanie was back in the hallway, in front of the archway that led to the large room with the water fountain in it. Stephanie walked through the archway, expecting no one to be there yet. She was surprised to see The woman sitting at the fountain, a slim hand playing in the water. Stephanie paused for a moment, and then walked up to the woman, who stopped playing in the water to look up at Stephanie. Stephanie gasped as deep amber eyes locked gazes with her blue eyes.
"Heidi?" Stephanie asked, looking at the woman who nodded her head, "How did you?-"
"I traveled here via your dreams, Mommy!" Heidi said getting up and hugging the woman, "I don't know why I look like this, who knows, Morpheus says it's something to do with the tree, but who cares! I can speak! Finally!"
Heidi sat Stephanie down beside her on the fountain and said in a soft voice, "There is a reason why I came here Mommy, I want you to become my Guardian, you're my mommy, and I want you with me…"
Stephanie smiled and said, "I can't, Scarlet said the process would kill me, the only reason why Ranger's a Guardian is because he was dead when it happened to him."
"I know that, but I found a way to give you the mark without killing you!" Heidi said bouncing on her perch, "Scarlet told me to use dreams to do it, and Morpheus told me to age physically to handle the power."
"Morpheus…dreams, well, I am dreaming, so it makes sense," Stephanie said watching Heidi's face light up, "Tell you what, go on and 'give' me the Guardian mark, if it'll make you feel better."
"I know you don't believe me now, Mommy, but when you wake up, you'll be my Guardian." Heidi said with a serious voice, grabbing Stephanie's wrist, "Now, hold on to your horses, it's going to be a bumpy ride."
Stephanie watched Heidi close her eyes, gripping her wrist in both slim hands. The sat in silence for a moment, before Stephanie looked down at the fountain and watched, transfixed as the water began to ripple along the surface. The water bowed and bent, before it shot up in the air and wrapped around her and Heidi who still had her eyes closed. It was an odd cocoon, Stephanie could feel water mist on her face as the water covered them both.
Stephanie watched as Heidi slowly opened her eyes, bending her head down and gripping Stephanie's wrist tighter, a bright light forming where her hands were clasped around Stephanie's wrist. Stephanie had to cover her eyes as the blinding light covered her, Heidi and the Cocoon of water. She felt Heidi lean up close to her, press her lips to her ear and whisper, "Time to wake up, Mommy."
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
Stephanie sat up in the bed, her eyes wide, her chest heaving and her hands had a death grip on the blankets that were spread over her. She turned to Ranger's side of the bed, but found him gone. what time was it? Stephanie ran a hand through her wild curls and slid out of the bed. She walked into the bathroom, used the toilet and brushed her teeth. As she did, her thoughts lingered back to the dream she had. Had that grown woman really had been Heidi? Would that be Heidi when she finally reached adulthood? Stephanie thought about the water cocoon, about the blinding light. That had been one crazy dream!
"One crazy drea-" Stephanie started, her hands running through her hair. Stephanie pulled her wrist down, and saw with horror, or amazement, that she indeed had the mark of the Guardian on her wrist. Heidi had not been lying. She had marked Stephanie in her dreams, and in turned, marked her in real life. How in the hell had Heidi achieve that?
Stephanie quickly ran out the bathroom, out into the living, past a stunned Scarlet and Ella, and into Heidi's bedroom, where the girl lay in bed, sleeping contently. Stephanie shook Heidi awake, earning a long groan from the girl asking, "Heidi, how'd you do it?! how did you mark me as a Guardian?"
Heidi cracked one eye open, and turned to Stephanie, who stood, hands on her hips, looking down at Heidi , who turned her one eye onto Stephanie's wrist. Heidi squealed and got up from the bed exclaiming, "It worked! I marked you!"
Stephanie let out an "Omph!" sound as Heidi hugged her. She wrapped her arms around the girl and looked down into her bright amber eyes, "But how, sweetheart? How did you?"
"There are other ways to see into your soul, you know, and Dreams happen to be one of them, what I did in your dreams, it happened in real life, now you can me with me forever!"
Stephanie hugged Heidi to her, looking up to see Scarlet watching the two. She had a smile on her face, and was holding a tattered book in one hand.
"I'll say, you are growing into yourself every day, Heidi, I'm glad to see it happen," Scarlet said, walking up to the two, "Now, Stephanie, we should have a serious discussion about Guardianship, it's a serious position, and I know you're not prepared for it, Jeanne will be training you from now on for 4 hours a day 6 days a week, let's go eat some breakfast!"
"What?" Stephanie whimpered, following Heidi and Scarlet out into the kitchen, " Training,6 days a week?!"
TBC….
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*Morpheus is the god of Dreams, Greek Mythology and all, wicked awesome junk!