Omake: Nightmare.
Set Between Chapters 11 and 12.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Heehehehehehehehehehehe.
Yihihihiheehehehehaaaahaahaahaaa.
The laughter was pounding in her ears, faces leering about her. Stretched silhouettes, outlines with hollow eyes and twisted smiles. All around her, towering up, closing in with the dark bodies. They leered and spun, spun and leered. Spinning and laughing, laughing and spinning. Around, and around…
Around, and around…
Around, and around…
They opened their mouths laughing, laughing at her, still laughing. Blood poured out, great waterfalls of red cascading from skyscrapers as they laughed at her. It splashed on her, grabbed at her in sucking waves, black blood, rotten blood, dead blood, dark blood, disgusting blood…
She screamed thrashing as the darkness crushed her, faces leering down while the walls pressed in. She was being crushed, suffocated… She beat at the walls, screaming while blood splashed onto her, rivulets running over her, spreading across her skin like spider-web veins. Down her mouth, into her throat, out her nose.
Blood.
Blood.
Blood!
She thrashed, a thousand pinpricks dancing across her skin. She coughed, hacking on dying blood. It stank, oh god it stank. They were inside her! She coughed again as the prickling grew worse, darkness pushing in at her. Another cough. She kept hacking, choking on blood. A wet squelch and she caught something as she hacked it up.
A bug.
She'd… coughed up a bug?
They were inside her.
She screamed, screamed again, even as more bugs crawled out of her mouth. Others were squirming, writhing beneath her skin. They were inside her, nibbling! They nibbling at her! Crawling under her skin, pushing out in like worms from an apple, she was rotten inside like the blood, blood, blood. She choked coughing, dying… More forced their way out of her head, her eyes popping out as insects pushed them aside.
She screamed, bashing at the walls and the figures pushing in. The blood kept falling, so, much, too much… It was already around her knees. She couldn't breathe couldn't think. The smell was creeping in, a stench that burnt, even as another bug wriggled out a nostril.
Make it stop, please make it stop. She wanted out. She wanted out! She wanted out!
The blood kept falling rising, like a dark ocean as her nose burned and skin crawled. They were laughing and laughing and laughing and…
She couldn't breathe, there was blood. She was drowning. The blood was over her head and she was thrashing in the darkness, couldn't see. She struggled, grasping for the surface. Air she needed air, she needed…
There was flash of light and she was alone.
The insects were gone, her skin her own and eyes whole. The laughter had ceased, gone with the leering faces. She was still in the blood though, or was it water? It no longer stank, but she was still underwater… and yet she could breathe?
She turned, searching, wondering where the light had come from.
A pleasant warmth pulsed in her hand, and she turned to look down, seeing the Keyblade resting in her hand. Her faithful companion, a weapon without peer. It would never abandon her… She knew it. The Keyblade would always be at her side, so long as she remained true to herself.
Then she saw it, rising up out of the ocean floor. A darkness, void upon midnight, darkness against the darkness. A silhouette she was painfully familiar with.
It was herself.
The same gawky long limbed frame, too thin and too knobbly. Around its head swirled her hair, spilling out into the ocean, moving as if with a life of its own. In its head glowed two yellow orbs in the place of eyes, and in its chest… where its heart should be was a hole… A heart shaped whole right the way through.
It horrified her.
It revolted her.
It terrified her in a way she couldn't describe.
Then it spoke, this… heartless her.
"You think your friends? You think she could ever like you? Love you? Don't delude yourself. Your nothing but a failure, a pathetic waste of space, you'll never have friends."
She swallowed, flinching as the words bit deep.
"T-that's not true. I h-have… Sabah. Sabah is my f-friend." She defended.
The Heartless cackled.
"Is she? Is she really? You thought Emma was your friend, look what happened. She abandoned you for Sophia. Betrayed you. Tore you down every day, stepped on your hopes, crushed your dreams. She took everything from you and when even that wasn't enough? When you had nothing left to lose, nothing but your life? She tried to kill you."The Heartless paused, tilting its head as Taylor shrank back.
The Heartless advanced a step.
"You loved Emma. You loved her. You loved her and she tried to kill you. Do you really think Sabah will be any different? You know she won't be. She'll betray you too and then you'll be alone. You'll always be alone." The Heartless mocked, leaning forward and waggling a finger at her.
She was crying. Tears rolled down her cheeks, dissolving into the darkness surrounding her, pressing in from all sides. It was Heartless was right.
She had loved Emma.
She had loved Emma.
The redhead had been her best friend. She'd loved her as strongly as she'd loved her mother, maybe even more so. And Emma had betrayed her. She'd been so alone. It had hurt so much. To see her friend everyday, to see the same smile, the same face, the girl she had loved now twisted and cruel. To watch as Emma twisted everything they'd ever shared, everything she'd ever loved about her… To see all those twisted things, see them screwed up and then watch,feel as they were driven into her, stabbing her heart again and again until she was bled dry…. Until it hurt to even live, where getting out of bed every morning had seemed almost impossible…
Then Sabah had come and the pain had eased, disappeared as Sabah held her, comforted her. As Sabah told her own story of pain and loss, she'd felt… whole again. But… But… Sabah would betray her too. She'd loved Emma and Emma had betrayed her. Sabah would betray her too and she'd be alone again, so alone, all alone and…
A pulse of warmth.
She stopped, the Heartless inches from her face, fingers reaching out to curl in her hair, those yellow eyes staring into her own.
Another pulse, like a heartbeat, throbbing in her hand.
She looked down.
The Keyblade was there, glowing, pulsing with light. The Keyblade who would always be with her so long as she stayed strong. So long as she believed. She believed… She believed in Sabah. Her friend wasn't like that. Sabah knew loss, Sabah knew loneliness and pain… She believed in Sabah.
She believed in Sabah!
"You're wrong." She hissed, glaring into the things pitiless eyes.
The Heartless took a step back, but she took a step forward. It took another step back and Taylor pursued, each word she uttered making the Heartless retreat and she advanced, following it.
"You're wrong! Sabah won't betray me. Not now, not ever! She knows you, she knows what it's like. She knows how much the loneliness hurts. She knows what it's like to want friends so desperately you cry. And she's my friend. My Best friend. She won't betray me. And one day, one day I'll love her as much as I loved Emma and you… You'll never darken my heart ever again!" She roared, taking another step forward as the Heartless tripped, falling onto its back.
She snarled, raising the Keyblade up as it shone a brilliant white and the ocean was pushed back, the darkness retreating beneath her feet to reveal beautiful stained glass.
"Go back into the darkness where you belong, heartless!" She screamed, slamming the Keyblade down.
"Nooooooooooo!"
The Heartless screeched, thrashing as she cleaved it in two, the darkness dissipating, evaporating and disappearing.
The she was left alone staring down at her own face.
She looked about her, at this strange station. Her own image etched in the glass, curling about her mother's flute, clutching it to her with one hand. The other held the Keyblade, the Melody of the Lost. She focused on the rest, the other faces, each one smiling up at her. Mog, Boco, Sabah… Their faces stared back at her. Her friends.
She wasn't alone.
She refused to be alone ever again!
Taylor started, rolling off the couch to land with a crunch atop the Keyblade.
She blinked, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes while her heart raced. She was shaking, shivering, covered in a cold sweat. Her eyes darted about, looking searching. The laughing faces, the blood and insects… The awful stench that had bile crawling up her throat…
The Heartless…
Taylor gagged, picking herself up she rushed for the bathroom. Bolting inside she slumped over the toilet and started to be sick.
A few minutes later, Taylor carefully flushed the loo and staggered back out. She felt ill and woozy, scared and so very upset. She wanted someone there, wanted… wanted what Emma had used to do, had done when her mother died. Emma had dragged Taylor into her bed and they'd curled up together while Taylor cried, Emma whispering comforts into her ear.
She so desperately wanted that.
Taylor looked at Sabah's door, debating whether she should wake her friend and ask, or maybe just crawl into bed with her. It would be nice and warm, Sabah would hold her and hug and comfort her. The older girl would pull her closer, then Taylor would turn to her and their lips would…
A furious blushed erupted across her face, despite her still shivering body.
No. As much as she wanted to Taylor couldn't, couldn't go to bed with Sabah. There were too many connotations for that at their age. It might have been fine when she was younger, or even if Sabah had asked. But to crawl into her bed in the middle of the night?
She couldn't do that.
Taylor didn't want to wake Sabah up either, as her friend had a big job tomorrow, some custom fitting for a man who was flying up from New York specially to be fitted by Parian. Sabah would need all the rest she could get to cope with the stress. So… As much as she wanted to, she couldn't wake her friend.
She was still scared though, still wanted to be comforted.
"Kweh?" Taylor turned, looking at a sleepy Boco who was also looking at her.
"Wark." Boco gently trilled, tilting his head again.
Boco… Boco was her friend too. He wasn't Sabah but…
He was a giant stuffed toy. Effectively. One that was self-heating and comforting too.
Taylor grabbed her blanket from where it had fallen on the floor, dismissing the Keyblade when she found it still there.
Carrying her bedding over, Taylor climbed up into Boco's nest, her night shirt feeling a little breezy with her bare legs this much closer to the open window. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up and closed it. Boco gently nudged her with his beak, then gestured to his side.
Taylor smiled, understanding his message.
"Thanks Boco." She whispered, as she set herself back down, before dropping to her knees and crawling up beside him. Turning over, Taylor lent back against Boco, relishing his warmth.
"Mmmh. Kupo, Taylor?" A sleepy Mog asked from atop Boco's back.
"Sorry." Taylor whispered. "I… I had a nightmare and…"
She trailed off, unsure how to relate the sheer horror of what she'd dreamed. The locker made real for her once again, the Heartless mocking her, tearing her down as she often tore herself down…
She shivered. She really wanted a hug right now.
"It's okay. We're here for you Taylor. You're our friend, kupo." Mog said, floating up and over to perch on her shoulder. Sitting there he yawned, burying himself in Taylor's hair as she snuggled back against Boco, using him like a giant, warm feather pillow.
"Thanks Mog. It… It means a lot to me." Taylor said, swallowing her tears.
Boco lent down, nuzzling her as Taylor pulled her blanket up, covering herself to keep arm. The chocobo extended a wing, draping it down over Taylor like an extra blanket as he tucked his head down next to hers.
Slowly, softly, with the warmth of her two friends beside her, embracing her, Taylor drifted back off to sleep and more peaceful dreams.
The next morning Sabah woke up first.
Sleepily, she stumbled out of her room, heading for the kitchen to put on the kettle and start a pot of tea. She was glad Taylor liked tea as much as she did; especially glad Taylor liked her tea with no sugar. Personally, Sabah couldn't stand sweet tea. She'd never had sugar growing up, so all the sweet food, the sugar added to everything in America… She didn't like it.
As she filled the kettle and clicked it on, Sabah turned and went to go wake up Taylor… Except her friend wasn't on the couch. Sabah checked the time, blearily looking at the clock on the microwave, hoping Mog hadn't disassembled it in the night.
5:18am. Taylor shouldn't be up yet, her friend got up like clockwork at 5:58, two minutes before the normal alarm. Sabah had set the alarm early today though. She had a special client flying up today, booked in at 10am, a Mr. Glenn Chambers. He was a PR rep from the Protectorate, and while she might not like the organization particularly… Getting some commission work for them, for formal costumes or suits for the Directors or maybe even some actual costumes for less combat oriented Capes… It would give her company a real boost and good injection of capital.
More, she wanted Taylor front and center to show off her costume as Portunes. So where was she? Taylor wouldn't have left for her run early, would she? Sabah checked and no, Taylor's running shoes were still by the door.
Looking about Sabah stopped, finally spotting her friend sleeping in the corner.
A sudden memory made Sabah pause on her way over to wake Taylor up. She remembered Taylor talking about photos, how they were one of the few things she had left to remember her mother by.
Smiling to herself Sabah went to fetch the camera.
A few minutes later, there was a click and flash.
With mumbled whimpers that were simply adorable Sabah watched Taylor come awake as she snapped another photo.
"Wha's ha… happen… happenin'?" Taylor mumbled, finishing with a jaw cracking yawn.
"Come on sleepy head, time to get up." Sabah said, as she turned away to hide the camera.
"Five more minutes?" Taylor asked hopefully, sounding incredibly sleepy. It was so cute Sabah wanted to say yes, but…
"Sorry Taylor but you need to get up. We've got to get ready to meet Mr. Chmabers and we'll need every minute to try out your new costume and get the dressing room ready." Sabah said, sounding a little guilty.
As Taylor grumbled to herself, getting up and heading to the kitchenette to make tea with the water which had just finished boiling, Sabah hurried away. In part to hide her blush at Taylor 'should be illegal' pajamas, it was just not fair running around in nothing but an oversized shirt and panties! The other part to hide the camera.
Sabah smiled as she re-entered her room. She'd loved the hair clips Taylor had given her, even if her friend didn't know what Lily's signified, she'd asked. Still, it had been a sweet gesture and a present she cherished and, one day, she hoped the sentiment the Lily represented would come true. But until then, she'd be the best friend she could to Taylor and so she was planning her own gift, a photo album of the memories they'd shared.
"Tea's ready!" Taylor called from the kitchen.
"Coming!" Sabah yelled back, hastily dropping the camera on her bed. For now though, the photos could wait. Hot tea and a big day awaited them.