Crossposted from Sufficient Velocity.
And yes; I should probably be working on my other stories, but my muse wouldn't let this one go.
Yes, I know it's been done before; that's never stopped my muse before (or fanfiction for that matter). So without further ado:
A Dimensional Stroll (Worm/MtG)
Prologue: Nowhere Near Kansas
Taylor woke with a start.
The first thing she noticed was that this was not her despoiled locker. Looking around to try and get her bearings, she noticed that she was lying on some kind of hexagonal stone pedestal or alter.
She had a moment of panic at the thought that she'd been kidnapped by some sort of cult, before noticing that there was no one else around.
She was standing in some sort of shrine, from the looks of it. There was no ceiling, and she could see the full-moon directly overhead, which illuminated where she was lying. Strangely enough, despite it being January (and apparently nighttime), the temperature was comfortable.
She coaxed her body into a sitting position, feeling surprisingly good considering the ordeal she remembered.
Looking at her surroundings, she noticed that the shrine itself was pentagonal in shape. If she had to guess, she'd say that the whole place was maybe 50 feet in diameter. Standing in front of each wall was a statue holding an orb about the size of a grapefruit, each one glowing a different color. She couldn't really make out any details from where she sat, but the statues seemed to be... calling to her, somehow.
Shaking her head, she Hopped down from the alter. She was half convinced that this was some sort of dream, and that she was still trapped in the locker. Still, a dream is better than going back to that hell. Curious, and having nothing better to do, she walked over to where the statue holding the White orb was.
As she got close, she began to make out the features of the Statue. At first she thought it was a statue of her mother as an angel (complete with the wings) and dressed in some sort of armored robe, but it was off, somehow. It wasn't until she was standing directly in front of it that she realized that it wasn't her mother's image, but hers. Older somehow, and smiling serenely at her in a way that reminded her almost painfully of her mother, and beautiful in a way she couldn't describe, but definitely herself. One arm held a shield, while the other held the orb out for her.
Behind the statue was a beautiful mural of gently rolling plains, that seemed so incredibly lifelike she almost felt that she could feel the gentle breeze coming off the field, bringing the smell of the golden grass with it.
Turning to the orb, she began to understand. The statue was offering her power. The power that this statue offered was that of protection and order, and to a lesser extent: light, equality, justice, healing, honor, peace, righteousness, and law.
Taylor couldn't help a small bitter feeling welling up inside of her (and oddly echoed from where the dark purplish orb was). Peace and justice had been denied to her for so long, yet her before her was practically the physical embodiment of her dreams of heroism. Her heart ached with mixed emotions as she looked at the softly glowing golden-white orb before her.
She forced herself to turn around and look at something else. Looking towards where the green statue was, she began making her way over to it.
The mural on this wall was a breathtaking forest, teeming with life. Taylor could almost hear the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of animals.
The statue was once again of an older version of herself, but instead of an angel, this one looked like some form of elf. Her ears were pointed in an obvious fashion, and was holding a spear in one hand, while offering the orb in the other. Her outfit seemed to be made out of animal hides sewn together, and on her face was a feral grin, full of confidence. A part of Taylor idly wished that she could have such confidence in herself.
Much like the white one, the green orb was offering her power. It offered her the power of life and nature, and with it: primal might, instinct, evolution, kinship with great beasts and plants, and the order of nature.
Taylor hadn't been out in the wild much (summer-camp that fateful year that Emma turned against her being the extent of her practical experience), but she knew enough to know that Nature was about survival of the fittest. Even with the ability to run in a pack, she wasn't sure she was comfortable with that kind of lifestyle.
Deciding to continue her circle of the room, she began making her way over to the red orb.
The mural on this wall was of a group of rugged mountains standing proud against the elements. The whole thing had a sort of energy to it, and she half expected to hear the howling of the wind as it blew through the cliffs.
As she expected, statue was her and as different as the others. This one seemed to be standing straight up, looking forward with her expression defiant. Her hair appeared to be made out of fire, and her skin was speckled with what looked like pebbles growing out of it. She was clad in light-armor that looked like it had been through it's share of battle. In her right hand appeared to be holding an orb of fire, in the other, the red orb was held out for Taylor to take.
The orb offered her freedom and chaos. It offered passion, creativity, fury, and the raw power of fire, lightning and earth. In it she saw herself free from the chains of school, free of the shackles that society had pressed upon her, free to express herself like she once did.
Taylor almost cried at the sheer amount of emotions running through her as she gazed upon the red orb. If the white orb signified everything she aspired to be, then this one was the embodiment of everything she desired to be. She once again forced herself away from the orb.
The black orb was next.
The mural on this wall appeared to be of a dark swamp, dank and dreary, but with a dark beauty to it.
The statue of her was clad in a dress that seemed to hug her curves in just the right way to give her a seductive appearance without going into the 'slutty' territory. In fact, her entire posture seemed to ooze temptation in a way that
Taylor couldn't help but envy. The only thing unusual about her appearance were the two fangs that peaked out from under her upper lip. She held the orb enticingly in one hand, while the other held a dagger that, upon closer inspection, seemed to be carved to look like a drop of something was dripping from the end.
The orb's deep-violet glow seemed to tease her. It offered her dark power, to corrupt and destroy those who would go against her, great power as long as she was willing to pay the price for it. Power enough to destroy all that would threaten her and what's hers. Power that could destroy the Endbringers themselves.
Taylor wrenched herself away from the orb and forced herself to take a number of deep breaths. Despite having 'Bad Idea' written all over it, she couldn't help but long for that power. The power to make a those who hurt her suffer, and to take what should be hers and-
Shaking her head, she forces herself to continue walking to the last orb.
The mural by the blue orb was of an idyllic island. At first glance, everything about it seemed fairly simple, but as she stared, she noticed hundreds of little details hidden in the work that the artist must have hidden in. Despite this, she could almost feel the salty wind off the ocean and the call of a gull.
Once again, the statue was of her. The difference in this one was that she appeared to have fins on her arms and legs, and upon closer inspection, had fins where her ears would be and unobtrusive gills on her neck. She was clad in a simple robe, that had been tied in such a way that it would not tangle up if she were to go swimming in it. The statue was giving a slight knowing-smile that Taylor would favorably compare to the one on the Mona Lisa. In one hand, she held a book that was slightly open, as if she'd been reading it. The other hand almost reverently offered her the blue orb.
The blue orb did not offer her power in the form of reason and trickery. It offered her knowledge, intellect, and the ability to confound and outsmart her foes. A part of Taylor couldn't help but flash back to her mother's lessons about the importance of a good eduction and the ability of humans to use our brain to solve any problem. How 'Knowledge is Power'.
Taking a step backward, Taylor turns around and begins walking back to where the alter is, as if in a trance. Sitting there on top of it were the 5 orbs, each arranged in their respective corner.
And Taylor
Understood.
***
Taylor woke once again in a place she didn't recognize.
She was lying in a simple bed with rougher sheets than she was used to, the room was made out of stone, and she didn't see a lamp or light fixture anywhere. The only illumination was coming from the window.
Climbing out of bed (idly noting the simple nightgown she was in) she walked over to the window and
looked around.
In her shocked state, her mind couldn't help but wander to that old quote from the Wizard of Oz.
Yes, nowhere near Kansas.
***
Author's note: for those of you wondering, she ended up in Innistrad.
Also, I really need to get a beta, one of these days.
