Chapter 4: You will see.
Loving the debates. Question should i put a small entry on how the rules of how KH work? Such as what defines a heartless or a nobody in the prologue for people who are not quite sure about everything works. I know its easy to miss very subtle things KH which help see the bigger picture.
Not-Sophia hummed.
"I am really that bad?" she said crossing her arms in speculation, her face pondering. Taylor, not trusting herself not to say something regrettable to non-Sophia, turned and navigated the maze of school desks. Taylor tried to push her fear and rage back down inside her, as much as the girls were perfect copies of her bullies they were just that, copies. Not deserving of her anger. Taylor took a breath as she approached Madison.
Standing in front of her, and a little above her, Taylor took a troubling moment to think how little she actually knew about the petite girl with the serene expression before her.
Almost nothing. Madison was popular but that wasn't a huge selling mark for Taylor. Taylor was almost sure that the extend of what she knew about Madison was the same as she knew about Taylor. Scrapes from Emma and Sophia.
Madison was the weak link in the group, she lacked the enjoyment and game element that Sophia got from the day-to-day interactions. Emma was her best friend and seem to take the entire thing personally. Emma wanted something from her, what that was Taylor had no idea and she had a small feeling neither did Emma exactly.
Madison, however, had neither lost nor gained anything. It was the simple knowledge that you were popular if you bullied Taylor Herbert. If Sophia approved of you then the world spun just that bit sweeter.
It was for this reason that Taylor care the lest about Madison, because of this Taylor was the lest scared of her.
"Well?" Taylor said with the air of impatience. Madison tilted her head just a little, her blue clips shining.
"What do you want most out of life?" Madison asked almost child-like. Taylor wanted to be smart and say to get out of this place but there was just something about this place that wanted Taylor to be brutally honest. It felt good, very good to finally say this to someone.
Even if they were projections of her crumbling sanity. Taylor wasn't feeling especially picky at that moment.
"I want to be a hero." Taylor finally said quietly. Madison giggle and Taylor had a flash of panic that perhaps this was a huge joke but Madison just smiled at her.
"Is being a hero such a big deal?" her voice asked with a teasing tone. Taylor blinked at her.
Of course it was. The whole world changed the day Scion appeared. New morals were invented for them, new rules, new ways of life. Even if you didn't like them, you didn't deny their importance. Every young kid wanted to play heroes and villains.
The imperfections of the copies just grew with every second Taylor spent here.
Emma waited for her in the last corner.
Her red hair glowing slightly in the sunlight streaming through the classrooms windows. In all honesty Taylor wanted to avoid this confrontation.
Emma had been her best friend, Emma took to reminding Taylor of this fact constantly. Emma was beautiful, rumours was that she was waiting a few years but she was already being scoped for some photo shoot or other.
Taylor could call her ugly on the inside but it didn't change facts. Emma was always the brighter side of their dead friendship. Taylor was just more shy. That shyness turned into person who looked down on social gathers like high school.
"Emma." Taylor said tersely. Emma mouth smiled at the corners. She faced Taylor with no aggression but with the posture of greeting.
This hurt more than Taylor thought it should. Taylor had told herself that Emma was dirt and she didn't care about what the red-head thought of her anymore.
Lying to yourself only hurts if you have to face the truth it would seem.
Taylor wanted to accept this friendly face, warm expression around the eyes and say this was her Emma. The one that had went away.
"What is most important to you?" Her voice smooth and light. Taylor swallowed back her boiling emotions.
An easy question, When you had no friends there was only one thing left.
"My father." Taylor said with full confidence. This made Emma smile fully, a kind smile. Taylor's heart lurched at the sight and bit back a choke.
Before she could compose herself the voice spoke to her again. Taylor had been curious where that particular spout of insanity had wondered off to.
"You are afraid of Sophia.
You want to be a hero.
And your father is the most important thing to you.
You journey starts in the dead of night, keep strong and the stars will guide your way."
"My what?" Taylor said before the sunlight coming through the classroom windows suddenly reached blinding light levels.
Taylor threw up her arms to shield her stinging eyes. The light streamed on for another few seconds before it died down.
Taylor hesitantly lowered her arms and felt a good cry coming.
Another platform, Taylor swore inside.
Blinking the last of the stars away she took a long look at the platform before her.
Taylor stilled, breathed, then took a few steps and slowly sat down.
Her mother's face was full of life and love. Taylor had pictures, lots of pictures, of her mother in an easy to reach album, it was almost therapy for her to idly flip through happier times. This was more difficult.
This image of her mother seemed more important, closer to Taylor herself. Her mom had her arms wide open, with that sun dress that she claimed was her favourite because dad had spent ages saving for it for her birthday, almost inviting Taylor to come embrace her.
Taylor took back everything she had claimed before about this place. This, right here, was the cruelest and most sanity breaking thing the voice had thrown at her so far.
"The ache of the heart is good, to ache is to have. The darkness hungers for it, be careful." Voice called to her. Taylor turned and saw three shadows near the platforms edge.
Taylor quickly stood and panicked. She had forgotten to hold on to the dream staff and now she was defenceless with nowhere to run.
Taylor raised her hands in self-defence as the shadows drew near. To her shock, a flash white light filled her hands.
It was warm and when it faded, the staff was loose in her grip.
"Oh wow, I guess you're more than a stick," Taylor breathed aloud, then paused.
She had talked to the stick first, goddamnit.
Taylor took up a batters form and waited. She was at a safe enough distance that fleeing to the other side of the platform was an option.
Taylor felt a sense of thrill as the first shadow leapt at her.
With a grunt she swung the staff full force. The blue mouse head smashed into the body and it vanished in a cloud of darkness.
Taylor:1 shadows:0
The remaining ant creatures twitched their antennas. One flattened on to the ground and scattered away. The remaining one...ran.
Taylor had to keep herself from giggling at the absurd stomping and arm throwing the shadow was doing as it came near.
A flash of black came from the corner of her eyes and she jumped back in time to avoid a swipe from missing shadow.
Taylor gulped and made herself pay attention.
With a quick swing she whacked the shadow on the head, the staff glowed slightly as it connected, the shadow was flattened and flailed.
The second one rushed her and she stepped back out its reaching claws.
Taylor lashed out with a kick and it fell back, another swing of her staff erased the creature from view. The last shadow stared where the other one had vanished, then it just rushed her again.
These things weren't very smart, animal-like almost. A step and a swing had her alone on the platform again. Taylor let out a shivering breath.
This was easy part she reminded herself. If her mother showed up as a copy person, then Taylor would lose it.
"Hurry! The light is fading." The voice urged her onwards... to where? The light above her moved as she stared, the halo surround the platforms center trailed off to the edge and as it vanished, coloured glass pane stairs appeared quickly one after the other connecting to another platform altogether.
Taylor hesitate just a moment, staring at the rail-less, huge gapped stairs. Them the platform behind began to crack.
Decision made, she ran up the glass steps.
Shadows appeared to block her, but a few swipes of the wonder staff had sent them flying off the stairs,. They tailed after her, however, with a singular purpose that was starting to put her on edge. Taylor's feet clattered up the floating stairs.
When she reached the next platform the staircase cracked and fell, the shadows along with it. Taylor breathed a sigh of relief; an individual shadow was cute, forty was pushing horror levels.
Taylor slowly turned and peered at the platform, which was almost featureless. A single red heart sat in the middle.
After every other platform, this was almost disappointing. There was one major difference that she noticed.
In the center of this platform the light was more tight, thicker somehow.
As Taylor walked closer she felt the light wash over her, comforting her in ways she couldn't explain.
"The closer you are to the light, the darker the shadow you cast." The voice said with a tone of regret.
Taylor stared upwards confused. Shadow?
Turning she saw her own shadow, which had stretched to thin lengths, Then it began to bubble as it stretched.
It pulled itself up, her in every detail. Taylor stared into a black form with her face but with yellow orbs for eyes.
This.. couldn't be her. Taylor involuntary took a few steps back. A voice murmured into her ears. It was a new voice.
"Don't you recognizes yourself?"
Taylor tuned and ran to the edge, catching herself before she fell.
Taylor turned and saw something that would never leave her again.
Her shadow had grown larger. Her face smoothed then twisted into a bramble of thorns. The heart-shaped missing hole from her chest upset her the most however.
Taylor Herbert was not heartless. Taylor repeated this as a mantra.
The creäture stood far above her, barely fitting on the platform.
"Don't be afraid, You hold the mightiest weapon of all." The gentle voice was back.
It's confidence filled her with a shard of a hope. Taylor gripped the wonder staff.
"I'm scared." She said quietly. The voice answered for once.
"It's okay to be afraid. Just remember who is waiting for you."
Taylor sucked in breath. How could she forget? Dad was waiting for her. How long had she been here?
If she was missing then dad wouldn't sleep, he wouldn't eat, he wouldn't...
Taylor gripped the staff and stared at the creäture who lifted a single fist.
Taylor Hebert would not die
Taylor Hebert would live.
Taylor was so focused on her enemy that she didn't see the staff glowing ever so lightly.