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Taylor and the Dream

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Chapter 46
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    • Chapter 46





    I silently scramble down the hill overlooking the cave to the natural ledge where Victoria's sitting.


    After I've been sitting next to her for a few minutes, Victoria says, "It's strange, how so much can change in so little time."


    I smile and follow her gaze to the field where Amy is 'helping' Selene set up a fence around the vegetables to keep the carrots in and Victoria out. After a moment I say, "You've been going through more of your memories?"


    Victoria nods, "Yes mom. I… I never wanted to hurt her; just give her a place she could retreat to that Carol couldn't follow."


    I nod and pull her into a hug, "I know, and we've already spoken about it. I was just worried about you, as you don't normally sit and brood."


    Victoria chuckles darkly, "Maybe I should have done, before I mean, not since you saved me."


    I shake my head, "You were making the best decisions you could with what you knew. Your mother has her own problems that didn't help. But you hold no blame for the way your parents raised you."


    Victoria nods unhappily, "Yeah, I know. Both you and Auntie Selene have repeatedly told me that."


    I nod, "And it bears repeating. You also don't need to go through your memories on your own. Auntie Selene would be best, but you can also call me if you want to."


    "I know, but if I hadn't been avoiding the spiky memories, Amy wouldn't be like that."


    I nod again and hug her a little tighter, "While that's true, you also wouldn't have been able to grow up again and make some happy memories. I know three or four years isn't much compared to the rest of your life…"


    Victoria shakes her head vehemently, "No, it's been great. You were great, even when you weren't you were still better than her."


    I sigh as I gaze out over the valley and up to the almost complete house at the most upstream point of the stream. Well, it's more of a Greek temple made with wood and Japanese building techniques really, but according to Selene they were houses built to honor the gods.


    As Victoria starts to move, I say, "Victoria, before you go. I spent years out near the dream with Selene working through the memories I destroyed. You don't need to try and tackle this alone. I know Amy's currently going through her toddler stage, but she'll be mature enough that one of us can look after her for a week or so if you wanted Selene's help with your own memories."


    Victoria settles back down, "You did?"


    I nod, "That week that you had Big Sarah looking after you, I was deeper in the dream working on my memories with Selene."


    "But you know everything, and if you don't you work it out."


    I laugh, "I wish I knew everything. Actually, no I don't, I like learning stuff too much. You've seen Selene teaching me spear work and how to defend myself. I still go to her for help with lots of things, especially reading and writing Greek. But at the same time, I've been teaching her science too."


    Victoria sticks her tongue out, "I hate learning Greek. I don't know why we need to."


    "Don't you want to know more about where Auntie Selene grew up and what life was like for her?"


    Victoria nods, "Well, yeah, obviously."


    "Well, she lived in ancient Greece. What language do you think they used there?"


    Victoria sulks, "Greek, but it's so hard."


    I rub her back, "So was English, but you don't remember because you originally learnt it when you were young. As you didn't have magic then, I bet the memories are all fuzzy and indistinct."


    Victoria nods, "It's like watching those cartoons you let us watch from your memory."


    "How so?"


    "The way they'll sometimes jump to a different cartoon or episode, and they don't really look like life."


    I flush slightly, "Sorry, that's me getting distracted."


    Victora gives me a quick hug, "I love it, I, the old me, didn't watch those cartoons. She, she didn't really get to watch cartoons; Carol always put on educational programs. We always had to be the best you know. Then something happened and even that wasn't enough. I, I haven't looked at that memory yet. I… I found my trigger event."


    I look at her blankly, and Victoria adds, "Um, it's one of the terms people with powers use for the moment you get them. It's not quite true, I remembered it when I got back to the mortal world. I don't think I could ever feel the same way again with you and Aunt Selene."


    I nod as I think about my own memories and how it felt when Amy's magic mingled with my own. Hesitantly, I reach out along the link I have with Victoria as I say. "Victoria, I'm going to try and bring you into my inner world so that I can show you something. You might need to go into your own world as I'm doing it."


    Victoria nods, and I try to pull her into my inner world through the link.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════


    I've been in my inner world for what feels like ages when Victoria appears beside me. We stand there together, looking out over the bay at the cliffs that denote Amy's inner world. A somewhat welcome change, even if it's one that I know is just a matter of perception, and desire to give her the space she needs to grow into her own person.


    Eventually, Victoria points and asks, "Is that what you wanted to show me?"


    I shake my head to pull myself back into the moment, and turn to face my forest. "No, it's in there."


    Victoria nods and follows me into my forest until we reach that tree stump.


    "This tree holds the event where I discovered the dream. You'd probably think that it's pretty important."


    Victoria nods, "Uh huh?"


    I shake my head, "While it might have been a defining moment in my life. The actually important memory happened nearly 10 months before that. It took me a while to work it out, and Selene only gave me hints. But these brambles that run through my forest, they're just the surface level associations between my memories. The stronger and more enduring links are between the roots. I split out this event into the beginning and end, and I'm leaving the bulk of it to return on its own."


    Victoria looks confused, "I don't get it."


    I lead Victoria over to a memory of mum reading to Emma and I, "This is one of my early memories. You can look if you want."


    Victoria looks at me for a second before she carefully touches the tree. After a few minutes she takes her hand away, "I have a few memories of Carol doing that with me, that was before Amy became my sister. I was always happy when she had time to do stuff with me."


    I nod, "That's good, and I hope they're happy memories for you. I needed Selene's help to turn this back into a happy memory for me. It's also one of the casualties of my uprooting that first tree I showed you. Come on, I'll show you a few more of my early memories."


    After a while, Victoria is hugging me happily while we walk through my memories. Then we come to the important memory. When we get there, I stop in surprise as where there used to be a tree is now a stone mausoleum with unidentifiable writing on the lid.


    Taking a deep breath, I point at the memory and say, "This is the key memory that links everything together. It's not a good memory, but it's the point where I stopped seeing Emma as my sister. I guess that's why it's turned into a tomb. What she did in this memory stomped all over her relationship with my mother and my friendship. Even that memory is tied up with this one." As Victoria reaches out to push the lid off the mausoleum, I add, "You don't need to look if you don't want to."


    Victoria hugs me and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before reaching out and pushing the lid off. I take a breath and join her in watching the death of my friendship with Emma.


    At the end of the memory, Victoria throws her arms around my neck and cries into my shoulder, "How could she do that to you?"


    I pat her on the back and lead her over to another memory that's changed, this one's now a memorial with a wreath at its base. "I'll show you. I went through this memory multiple times with Selene just to understand what I was seeing."


    We touch the memory together.


    As we follow younger me to Emma's house and the door open, I pause the memory and point at Emma's face and hair, "See how her hair is uneven and her eyes are puffy under her makeup?"


    Victoria nods.


    "Something happened to Emma between when I last saw her and now. She gained a memory like the one you just saw, or the one I'm not going to restore. But she didn't get powers out of it, at least I don't think she did. Come on, let's get back and start preparing food."


    Victoria stares at Emma for a bit longer before she looks back at me, "Thank you for showing me."


    I kiss her on the forehead, "You're welcome, and I hope it's helped show you that you don't need to go through your memories alone. Selene or I can both help you with these. Though Selene would be better for understanding what happened and dealing with it. It takes a lot of strength to ask for help, and I'd rather you do than end up like me and getting an intervention."


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════


    "I don't get it, why doesn't momma believe she's very good?"


    I shake my head and walk away from the cave where Victoria's talking to Selene. How do you explain that the things you've seen make the Endbringers look normal. That you theoretically have the power to stop them, but only if you're strong enough.


    I click my fingers and Grey's anatomy appears in my hands as I head over to the steps of the temple.


    Of how there's so much you need to learn if you're going to be good enough to keep them safe. I know it's probably irrational, as both Victoria and Amy are older and more experienced than I was. But when you've had to "Change their diapers" it gets harder to see them as being that old.


    As I sit down on the steps, I look down the valley and smile as I watch Amy playing in the laundry pool near the bottom. She's one of the reasons why I'm even going through this book. I supposed it's kind of funny that from one perspective, only a week ago I had no interest in learning medicine. Yet now I want to have enough of an understanding that neither Amy or Victoria will ever be trapped on Earth Bet, or even out here, because it's to dangerous for them to travel the dream.


    Taking a deep breath, I create a sensor on the end of my finger and open my book to the foot. I'm about to touch the sensor to my foot when Catlin appears at the entrance to the valley with two other people.


    I feel guilty about breathing a sigh of relief as I send the book back to the shelves as I teleport to stand next to Catlin.


    "Good afternoon Emissary, Lt O'Donnell, madam. I'm Berenike, or Taylor Hebert. Welcome to our home."


    Catlin gestures at the second woman, "This is Dr Jessica Yamada, she is an independent psychologist that the Pelham family has agreed they trust. I'm afraid that Mrs Dallon was not in a rational state of mind, so they didn't ask her."


    I nod, "Selene's just talking to Victoria about some personal stuff. Emissary, are you staying around, or returning to Earth Bet?"


    Catlin's smile is audible as she says, "I'll be staying the night and returning in the morning."


    I nod, "What time was it when you left?"


    O'Donnell frowns, "0327. Can we see Amy Dallon, as we are expected to make our report later today."


    I shake my head, "No, she's currently playing at the moment and Selene's acting as her mother. Besides, you're both going to be here for at least a few weeks while you learn how to use your new powers."


    "We can't afford to be here that long."


    I open my mouth to retort before pausing. A moment later I say, "Would it help if I said that Amy has already been here for over three months?"


    O'Donnell's mouth snaps closed and she digs through the briefcase that's at her side. A few minutes later she grimaces, "I apologize, I should have paid more attention to my briefing."


    I shrug, "It's fine, it took me a few trips to work it out myself. Even longer to really accept it. I'm just glad I got used to keeping a journal before I found my way out here."


    Jessica asks, "You said that we'd be spending a few weeks here. What will we be doing?"


    I levitate their bags into the air and start to walk towards the cave, "Let's head up to the living area and talk on the way. To start with, you'll be spending some time each day meditating to find your magic. Once you've found it, Selene or I will be teaching you how to control it, so that you can do basic stuff like this, cleaning, cutting, and repairing things."


    I jiggle their luggage for emphasis.


    Jessica nods, "What about the rest of our time?"


    I shrug, "Whatever you want. While you're not prisoners, we're not going to let you go until you show that you could make the journey on your own. Mainly because we don't want you to accidentally kill yourselves next time you stay up late, or decide to fly across the country and forget about timezones."


    O'Donnell takes a tape recorder from her pocket and clicks the record button a couple of times.


    I shake my head with a sigh, "Don't bother, electronics won't work this far out. I'm not sure clockwork would work either. What were you going to ask?"


    O'Donnell looks up, "You said timezones, what did you mean?"


    I turn around and walk backwards for a few paces, "I know that the Emissary told you about midnight."


    Jessica snorts a laugh and raises her hand, "I haven't seen any of those notes."


    I flash Jessica an apologetic smile before I turn around again. "Sorry about that. The Way into the Dream is only open during the hour after the solar midnight. That's when the sun is at the opposite side of the planet. However planes could take you across that zone sooner or later than you were expecting. Which, if you were expecting to sleep through it, could kill you. We all agree that letting you die because you don't know better is a poor way to engender trust."


    "What's it like being an apprentice?"


    "Do you mind holding off on that sort of question until we've gotten to know each other a bit better. I'm sure there's going to be all sorts of awkward questions like that when the reporter arrives."


    I can hear the smile in Jessica's voice as she says, "Sure. Why are they building a fence over there?"


    I glance over at the carrot patch, "We're trying to keep Victoria out of the carrots, and keep the carrots in the patch. The latest batch of seeds have adapted to the magic here, and keep trying to move to a better location. Which also happens to be where the beans are."


    O'Donnell frowns skeptically, "Really?"


    I nod, "Yep, they only do it at night though. Which was a pain, as the beans are one of our staple crops."


    The two of them fall silent for a few minutes as we walk up the valley. We're almost at the cooking fire when Jessica says, "Have you considered bringing some cattle or chickens here?"


    I nod, "We have, but we decided it would be needlessly cruel."


    "Oh?"


    "We couldn't keep them in the valley, as I'm sure they'd learn to teleport relatively quickly and get into our crops. But we couldn't protect them outside the valley, so they'd be easy prey to the various predators that live on this world. Same as we're housing you in the valley rather than in the cabin my dad built. The forest is safer than the plains and mountains, but it's not safe by any stretch of the imagination. And guns won't help you. On top of that, you won't have the benefit of magically outclassing everything here, and inadvertently causing the larger predators to avoid your camp."


    O'Donnell asks, "And how do we magically outclass everything?"


    I give a thin smile as we reach the fire pit and turn around, "You either go back a couple of worlds, or you learn enough about your magic that you can survive moving further into the Dream. Baring in mind that if you get it wrong, you'll die. If you're unlucky, or careless, you could be attacked by a predator while you're adjusting to the new world, and die. And if you go too soon, you could permanently damage your magical body, meaning that trying to go further would kill you. But you'll understand why once you've learned enough about your magic that we're no longer keeping you anchored to this world. Suffice to say that last time Selene was on Earth Bet, only a small portion of blessed sought to follow the way into the dream, and an even smaller fraction ever made it this far. Anyway, this is the cooking area. Once you've got a handle on the basics of your magic, you'll be expected to help out with the daily chores."


    Jessica looks around thoughtfully, "I'm not sure how much use I'd be, as about all I can do is empty a tin of soup into a pan."


    I give her an encouraging smile, "Don't worry, we can teach you."


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Lt O'Donnell really needs to pull the stick out of her ass if she's going to start learning magic tomorrow. At least Jessica is more relaxed.


    I can also see why she was chosen as the trusted person, as she very quickly put Victoria at ease after Selene finished talking to her. It's just a shame that Amy decided that she was going to be difficult about getting dressed after Big Sarah made her wash the mud off after they finished working on the fence.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Well, it's taken a couple of days, but Susan (Lt O'Donnell) has finally started to relax. So have Victoria and Amy, which is good as it means that Amy's not being difficult anymore. Mind you, that might have more to do with Susan being exhausted by joining in with Victoria's spear practice. I might have snuck her a carrot for that, but…


    Jessica seems to have taken to talking to Selene about psychology when she's not practicing meditating or talking to the children. I think it's because she's not yet used to the lack of amenities. It's a good thing that Dad and Kurt aren't here at the moment.


    Selene agrees with me, and I just had an hour long lesson about the signs I was picking up on.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    That sucked. Big Sarah and I just took Susan hunting with us. On the plus side, she has a new appreciation about how dangerous this world is. On the down side, she's regrowing a foot after she stepped into a spider crab thing's burrow near the lake. Blasted thing's magic was almost undetectable until it grabbed her leg. To make things worse, there wasn't even much meat on the stupid thing. Ah well, I'm off hunting again.


    That was nice, Susan just apologized when I got back with another three crabs things. Selene mentioned that dad usually has to clear his beach of crabs whenever he comes to stay. Susan's also behaving more like the person I met in the hospital than the skeptical whatever she was before this. I guess it's because we could have just let her die and didn't.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    While Victoria was teaching Susan how to meditate, Big Sarah helped me to finish the roof of the temple. Now that it's watertight we can start working on interior decorations and Catlin's rooms.


    Susan and Jessica both made their promises at dinner, so that's a relief.


    Susan just made the mistake of pulling out a small sewing kit to fix a hole in her pants. Now Selene's got them learning to sew without their hands.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Wow time flies. Susan and Jessica have both been able to travel the dream on their own, so Big Sarah and Victoria are both going to take them back to Earth Bet. Big Sarah because I don't want Victoria stepping foot onto Earth Bet until Amy has recovered enough to get to the jungle with me. But Victoria needs to go with her so that I can help them get to the jungle now that the way is closed.


    Is it bad that I'm glad they're gone now? Or am I just glad that I'm not going to need to bring Jessica into my inner world so that she can see Amy's progress again? At least I got to see Jessica's inner world. Honestly, it's a bit creepy, as it's a mountain with a snow cap and a forest line that leads down into fog. But it's so quiet as there's no animal or insect life anywhere.
     
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    • Darkphoenixlady said:
    But it's so quiet as there's no animal or insect life anywhere.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    If I remember right, wasn't this a factor of how much power they have? That the closer they get to the Sea, the more real their inner worlds become? So there wouldn't be a complete ecosystem yet?

    I remember in the Harry Potter Dream story that their inner worlds would go into winter and die down when they needed to compress/suppress their magic...

    Or if not, then maybe that's just how she likes her world and doesn't want any bugs or animals on her mountain?
     
    Last edited:
    sdarian said:
    If I remember right, wasn't this a factor of how much power they have? That the closer they get to the Sea, the more real their inner worlds become? So there wouldn't be a complete ecosystem yet?

    A remember in the Harry Potter Dream story that their inner worlds would go into winter and die down when they needed to compress/suppress their magic...

    Or if not, then maybe that's just how she likes her world and doesn't want any bugs or animals on her mountain?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    You're remembering correctly.
     
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