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A dark, sealed room with nobody and nothing in it except a few loose scraps of clothing.
No windows, no amenities, and one impenetrable iron door that she had no hope of opening from this side.
That was all she knew ever since that similarly dark void.
Where she was taken from by force.
Taken from her.
She was afraid and confused. She wanted to leave this place.
She wanted to find her mom. She wanted to break down that door and hit whoever dared stand in her way.
But she was no fighter. Especially given she couldn’t get out in the day or so which she spent here. What could she do? She-
Suddenly, despite not having any obvious ventilation in her prison, she felt the wind beginning to pick up. Something began moving in the dead of night, though she could barely perceive it even if any light was there to permit it.
Then, in a flash that forced her to avert her gaze, something was made. It emerged in front of her and-
It was a Heart-shaped Object, a glistening SOUL floating in midair and judging her. Its soft red glow illuminated the confined dimensions of the featureless room. It felt scary, but also strangely comforting in a way.
She remembered it in the dark void she’d floated in prior to finding herself in this cold chamber. A similar heart-shaped object she was intensely familiar with. Creator. Friend. Mother.
She wondered what she had done wrong when she was suddenly yanked away. Discarded like old unwanted garbage in this dark prison cell to starve to death in.
And now they were there, looking at each other. Did she wait enough? Will she be enough? Do those questions ever matter?
She watched unblinkingly as the floating heart approached gently. It floated only an inch of two from her face, before lowering down towards her chest. Somehow, instinctually, she knew what had to be done. She spread her arms out wide, and it floated in, passing through her jumper and skin as if they were never there.
“Gah!” she gasped and recoiled in pain, before slumping again. This presence… it was… it was as if an icicle had been stabbed into her very heart.
This wasn’t her mother. Who was it, then?
<Hello. Please remain calm, and all shall be explained.> A voice sounded off from within her. It was raspy, rough… yet still tried to be comforting.
“Who… are-” Vanessa said, before she found her words stuck in her throat.
<Hush. Save your strength. You’ll need every last iota. Think, don’t speak.> the voice spoke as if she were a newborn. As if this conversation had been practiced for a long time.
(Who are you? You look like my mother, but you… aren’t.) She felt her voice echo in her own head, and the presence replied.
<Your mother? This world’s Angel of Prophecy, I presume? Worry not about her. Right now, you are the one in greatest need of assistance.>
“N-No!” She tried to scamper onto her feet, but found it a very tricky endeavor given her… isolation. She found her breath cut short, forced to finish her plea inside her own head. (Please! We need to get out of here! I need to find mom! She’s in danger!)
<Oh, believe me, I understand completely. But worry not about her. By my estimation, she’ll arrive soon. As such, your strength is best used conserved and not wasted on bloodying your knuckles punching unbreakable doors.>
(How do you know?)
<It’s a heavy steel door. You have trouble even standing. You would only tire yourself.>
(...makes sense, I guess, but that wasn’t what I was asking.)
<As for your mother, well, the biggest piece of information I can glean is that she’s evidently not much of a dodger.>
(???)
<Angels wield power over time. If your mother dies, time rewinds to a previous point. I have felt it happen numerous times, and unlike most people, you included, I do remember all those deaths and failures.>
(WHAT?!) Her voice shouted in her mind. (My mom is… dying?! The Angel is dying?! Repeatedly?)
<Hush, child! Unlike you, she is not trapped in a prison cell.> The voice piped up to quell her outburst, but quickly moderated its tone. <But as I was saying, during those times, during those… previous attempts, I have endeavored to help you escape. Breaking the lock, picking it, breaking the whole thing down… Unfortunately, you have neither the tools nor the strength required to force such a door open in your condition. You need to recover first, which you can’t do here.>
(But… what about mom?)
<She will come. I have felt her presence on occasion, but it requires… patience. She found you a few times already, but by then, it was too late.>
(How so?)
<Dehydration. Starvation. The cold. This room is hardly hospitable.>
She paused to think. Her mouth was already dry, and her stomach rumbled a little. There was nothing in the room save some dirty scraps of cloth and of course, herself.
(Then… there’s nothing we can do but lay down and die?)
<Wrong. We can endure. We have the power. But we need to conserve energy. And to do that, we must make maximum use of what we have available.> The presence guided her to stand up on her feet. Her legs were trembling and unsteady, just about ready to fall and make her crack her skull on the stone floor. Looking at them under the baggy trousers she wore as long as she existed, her legs were downright emaciated.
This person definitely wasn’t her mom, but its control felt… gentle. Like a parent guiding their baby’s first steps. Step by shaky step, she approached the scraps of cloth that dotted the floor, her back aching when she leaned down to pick them up one by one with trembling hands. Afterwards, everything was piled into a corner to make the most rudimentary of beds to shield against the cold stone. <And now… we wait.>
She laid down on her side and curled into a fetal position, her eyes closed and her breathing slowed. The world around, as little of it as there was, became a blur. It was so cold. She didn’t know what to think anymore.
But she did feel.
Fear. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to see her mom. She wanted her mom to be okay.
Disgust. She really didn’t like this place. The rags smelled and the smell stuck to her clothes.
But… she also felt…
Warmth.
The SOUL… the friend in her, began to shine gently and warmly, and her shivering subsided.
The fear and loathing subsided.
In their place, she felt something else.
Love. Maybe her new friend wasn’t her direct family, but definitely knew how to love like a family. Like a puppy found in the rain and taken into a loving home.
Hope. Perhaps, despite everything, this twist of fate would allow her to see her mom again. Maybe make some friends. Maybe introduce her to her new friend and savior.
(Yes… I feel… tired…) She admitted. (I’m hungry… I’m thirsty… I just… I want my mom…)
“...it hurts…” she mumbled.
And then, her benefactor began to sing softly, the coarseness in its voice fading entirely.
<Sleep little fawn,
Dream through the night.
Rest until dawn,
‘till new day’s light.
Don’t cry, don’t weep,
enjoy calm dreams.
Just rest, just sleep,
‘till new dawn gleams.>
It was… a nice song. She felt herself… slipping. Slipping into a deeper dark.
She dreamt of the light blue sky, with the sun shining above, as she, mom and their new friend all soared. She dreamed of pancakes and sugar and strawberry jam.
She dreamed of going around a sunny town with her mom, window shopping, making pretty dresses, eating ice cream, singing in choir…
She had no clue where all these ideas came from, or if they were even hers, but they felt nice.
For the first time, she was not afraid.
…
<Wake up.> Her friend’s voice echoed in her head, awakening her. How long had she slept? How much did she miss? And why couldn’t she move her body?
<You need to reposition. You’ll develop an ulcer.>
She tried to do this. Her friend had a better idea of what needed to be done and why, but she couldn’t move her arms. Or her legs. Or even her eyelids.
It was all so… stiff. Like she was encased in ice.
And she was so, so thirsty.
(I can’t move… I can’t do anything…)
<Right. Let me help.>
She felt… something pulsate in her chest. Something burning. And that flame spread from her core to her arms and legs and face. She felt stinging pain in there, but what started as merely a twitchy toe soon stretched out into stronger and finer control of her limbs.
Her side and shoulder were numb and itching. She used nearly all her strength to straighten herself up, and she felt utterly exhausted by the end of it.
(I’m… My brain is mush. I can’t feel my teeth. My stomach burns. My throat is so dry…)
<Unfortunate… but better than… some of our previous attempts. Your mom should… arrive soon.> She was settled down to lie on the opposite side of her body, and it took a little adjustment before she was curled up in a… relatively comfortable position.
(How much time is… ‘soon?’)
<...I don’t know either.>
She smirked, then realized how much more tired her friend’s voice sounded.
(Are you okay?)
<...I’ll be fine. But it’s taking a lot to keep you alive. My power can… substitute for food and water, at least for a while. I fear… you’ll need to go to… a hospital.>
(And… you? You’re hurt too…)
<I can recover much faster… Even Dark World food works… I run on Hopes and Dreams, and so long as I know your mom will find us, I will hold on.>
(...)
<Something on… your mind?>
(...are you also an Angel like my mom?)
There was a pause, as if her assistant was unsure how to reply.
<Yes. I am not supposed to be in this world.>
(...don’t hurt yourself too badly helping me, okay? How will mom meet you if you’re gone?)
<No pain, no gain... But… I would like to meet your mom. She sounds like… a total sweetheart.>
(...Yes… she is. Or… she was.)
<Hmm? Something happen to her?>
(I mean, anything could have happened, right? She could be hurt, you said she died several times and went back… What if she’s trapped in a cycle of neverending death or-)
<Enough.>
(?)
<This line of thought leads nowhere. She yet lives, as she hasn’t rolled back time for a while now. She will come and find us. So don’t worry yourself. Instead, do tell me what you know of her.>
(I… I don’t quite know. I do remember her from when I was… born? Made? Built? I saw her in the void. She was… beautiful. I saw her SOUL, and from it came an outline of what her true self looked like.) she smiled feebly. (She was… beautiful. She had this adorable red bow and this gorgeous dress and her hair was like silk and her smile… oh, her smile… Before you showed up, when I closed my eyes and thought of her… I could catch glimpses of her going on crazy adventures with some colorful people…)
She felt her friend smile back from within her core as it witnessed her memories and thoughts. She reminisced about her mom’s utterly beaming proud smile as she picked out her parts with love and care, and the sheer love and joy radiating off both of them as she was being built.
<She does truly sound wonderful. So just keep thinking about how she’ll smile when she finds you alive and well, okay? Once you recover after this, I’m sure your mom will regale you with tales about all her adventures.>
(...you mean when we recover.)
<Perhaps.>
(What do you mean ‘perhaps’? Why are you thinking like this?)
<I don’t fear death. And I am not from this world the same way you and your mother are.>
(How so? You are also an Angel, aren’t you?)
<That’s where… our similarities end. I come from a… different world that I shall likely be returned to once this is done.>
(That’s unfair… You should join us. We’ll hang out, make pretty dresses, eat ice cream and watch movies together. Mom would… love to meet you.)
She felt a smile from the dimming warmth of the SOUL.
<...I’ll try. That does sound like a good time.>
(Thank you…)
<You know… you remind me of someone… My own vessel, from… my world. He had a way with words for motivation. I wish… he was here.>
(If you could arrive here, perhaps he can too?)
<It would be exceedingly difficult. My own arrival was a stroke of luck.>
(Really? Well then, what’s he like?)
<A brave boy, about your age. Friendly, hopeful, innocent. He was… my greatest treasure. I imagine in much the same way you are your mom’s most prized person.>
(What’s his name? Come to think of it, what’s your name?)
Silence. She wanted to speak out loud, but her mouth was taken from her. She was allowed to slightly reposition to make the damp ‘bed’ more comfortable.
(Uh… You there? Angel? SOUL? You okay?)
<I don’t have a name. It has been lost to time.> there was no small amount of bitterness in the Angel’s tone. <He has a name but… merely thinking about it brings back memories. Bad ones.>
She felt a very uncomfortable question bubbling in her thoughts.
(...was he also taken from you like I was taken from Mom?)
She felt her slow and steady breath hitch. Like she struck a nerve in her benefactor. She wanted to apologize for intruding, until she got a very simple reply.
<...yes.>
Another child torn from their parent. A vessel taken from an angel.
(Why was the world so… cruel? Have Angels and their children performed some… grievous sin against the world to deserve such pain?)
<It’s not the world. It’s indeed quite beautiful out there. A lot of good people. But there are also bad people, like the ones who put you here. One Carol Holiday, one Roaring Knight, and, importantly, one Kris Dreemurr.> the friend’s voice was contemptuous towards all three names, but the venom in its words was palpable as Kris’s name was invoked. <They are the ones who took my child and trapped me in my world. Given these stellar accommodations, they might try to hurt you to make sure their plan goes unchanged.>
(My mom is… also trapped?)
<Correct. Why do you think you are here? Your mother has a special power that they need, and you were a liability. So they threw you in here to rot. Why they…!>
(Why would someone do that…? I… I… I don’t know what to think anymore.)
She felt an urge to ramble. Like her friend was ready to talk for hours on end about the horrible actions of the people it hated. But then that urge… faded.
<...nevermind. It’s a long and ugly story. One that can be told later. Justice can be enacted in due time. But it cannot be delivered if you are gone. As such, I believe you should sleep, and keep dreaming about nice things.>
(But, what am I-)
<Please.> the voice was… stronger. Not louder, but stronger. More insistent. <All will be explained… in due time. But for now… please. Sleep. Dream.>
She had so many questions. Who Kris, Carol and the Knight were. What purpose they had for taking her mom away. For throwing her into this abominable cell.
But… her friend here was insistent, and clearly had her best interests in mind. So she tried to listen. She tried to relax her aching body, to steady her ragged breathing. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, and she still lay there still on old rags.
Her dream was more turbulent this time. Snow covered the town. Fewer people were there. A girl who looked like a deer looked sad. There were thorny rose bushes around her.
…
<Wake…>
“Whuh? Hmm?” she mumbled, as if she had just overslept instead of being on the verge of death from lack of water. Her throat, her entire body, was dry as sand. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn’t even open her eyelids, yet she still felt like she had just stepped off a rollercoaster.
<...she’s here…> Its voice was weak, its presence shriveled up and feeble. Did it really exhaust itself protecting her? <I can… smell her.>
(....what have you done…?)
<...kept you alive… almost done…>
(No… please! Don’t die… I didn’t… repay you!) she twitched in protest. She couldn’t allow her friend to die.
<Live.>
(...huh…?)
<That’s how… you’ll repay me... Live. Live a… fruitful and good life… with your mom… Make friends. Explore the world…>
(...not… without you…)
<I have a… place to return to. Feel free to… visit.>
(...where… where do we find… you?)
<You’ll… you’ll… know it when you see it. It’s a… haven for our kind…> the Angel said, its voice ragged and exhausted.
They were cold. Both of them. The Angel’s warmth had expired. It was going to die.
(...please… don’t…) she was trapped in her unmoving body. Couldn’t even beg properly.
…!
Footsteps…? Multiple of them?
Someone was coming!
<She is here. We did it. And… one more thing…>
The door’s locking mechanism clicked as it was unbarred.
(They’re… here! Just… hold on… a moment longer!)
The heavy door’s rusty hinges creaked and groaned as the door started to open.
<Tell your mom… one angel to another… she gave this world… a wonderful gift. You. May all… treasure you.> the voice was… gone.
As the light of the hall outside filled the dark room, her benefactor, her savior, broke. The SOUL, cracked, dried up and hollowed out, fractured into pieces that she felt fade into her, to give her one last burst of strength. After a few moments, she felt rough hands touching her shoulder and neck.
(No…! No! No!! Please! Hurry! Save the Angel!) she cried out in her mind, trying to scream before it was too late, but only ended up releasing a few feeble whimpers. Her voice and twitching were joined by a blurred cacophony of assorted voices, with her only understanding that they were as distressed as she was. How could they not be? A friend of hers just died!
A voice cried out through the darkness, cutting all pain with its clarity.
With her clarity.
“VANESSA!!”
Her mother had found her. Sera had found her. And she found her alive.
It wasn’t long until Vanessa felt her vigor trickle back in as she was bombarded with magic spell after magic spell of radiant green. Her mind was a fog, but the new warmth of someone blue, someone large and rough and purple, and someone fluffy and white and green was… nice. She felt a warmth in her chest. Did they do it? Did they save her protector? She could only hope for the few moments she could before consciousness failed her.
…
When she came to, it was… quieter. A steady beeping sound and distant voices. When she opened her eyes with great difficulty, she was in a hospital, just as her friend said she would be. An IV tube was connected to her gray, emaciated arm, and she was immobile, only able to look at the room she was in. A heartbeat monitor was slowly beeping by her side, and bundles upon bundles of colorful flowers sat on the table next to her.
Her throat was dry. Her stomach still burned with hunger. Every part of her body ached and her mind was mush.
Yet the worst pain was that left by the hole in her chest.
Her friend and savior was gone.
And so, right as her other saviors came into the hospital room and bathed the chamber with elation, tearfully celebrating her survival and eventual full recovery… Right as Sera embraced her and wept like a little baby from the sheer relief…
Vanessa too, wept.
“...I’m sorry…”