The Tale of Tara and Emiko

XXII

Tara woke up on a hard rock floor that most definitely wasn't her bed. The ceiling and walls were both made of the same substance, and on her left was a hallway that seemed to keep going on forever and ever.

"Where am I?" she whispered, the sound bouncing off the wide walls and multiplying to fill the room.

Suddenly, a stunningly beautiful girl came running up to Tara, her emerald green eyes wide. "There you are! I'm Selene, it's great to meet you! Uh, you're in a Multiversal Maze, a world between worlds. I heard you from back there, by the way. Sound travels fast here. You're Tara Grey, right? Come with me, your friend Emiko said she was looking for you!"

Tara was confused. "How do you know all this? How do you know me? Where the heck am I?"

"I already answered that one. And as for the other two, the Narrator so kindly told me! Come on, Emiko's waiting for you!"

Tara reluctantly got up, following Selene through the twisting corridors and winding halls. Eventually, they reached an open room where Emiko sat on the floor.

"Selene! You were right, you were right, you really found-TARA!" Emiko ran at Tara, hugging her tightly. "You're not dead!" she cried, relieved.

"Why would I be dead?" Tara asked, confused. "Never mind that, where the heck have you been? You just...disappeared! And I'm sorry for what happened at your party. If I'd known you'd try to drown me I'd have kept the test answer drama to myself."

"Drown you? Tara, what are you saying?" Emiko pulled away from the hug. "What are you wearing?"

Tara looked down at her oversized AC/DC t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. "Normal clothes. Duh. Did you get taller? What happened to the pastel highlights in your hair? And what are you wearing?"

Emiko glanced at her simple red sundress with rubies dotting the hem and waistline. "Normal clothes. And my hair's always been basic black?"

Selene sucked in a breath through her teeth. "This....is going to be hard to explain."

A voice suddenly spoke in all 3 girls' minds. No need, I said. I will clarify.

Tara and Emiko immediately flinched, startled. Emiko's fists clenched, arms going up into standard defensive posture. Selene simply smiled, the smart soul she was.

"That's the Narrator," she explained. "They're here to guide us. They're my friend, you can trust them."

You're in a maze of my design. No reason to worry, these halls are perfectly safe.

"I'll explain how you got here, and then the Narrator can tell you of their great plan to rewrite the world into a utopia," Selene said.

"Then explain," Tara muttered.

"So.....I kidnapped you. Both of you. With the Narrator's help," Selene abruptly replied.

"WHAT?!?" Tara and Emiko shouted in unison.

"Calm down, calm down! It's fine! Look, the Narrator froze your worlds too so it's all okay." Selene cringed, realizing how bad that sounded when Tara and Emiko's eyes widened, shocked and angry. "No! No, no no no no, it's not as bad as you think at all! Just that when you return to your previous lives, everything will be the same as it was when you left. Please don't hurt me, I know you two both can but I really mean you no harm. Don't shoot the messenger?" Selene tried to joke.

Tara sighed, still slightly alert. "Well, at least that provides some comfort. How did you find us? Why us? How do you know this 'Narrator' is trustworthy? And why do Emiko and I seem to know different versions of each other?"

Selene laughed awkwardly. "That's a lot of questions..."

"Better get on to answering them, then," Emiko said.

"Okay then." Selene thought for a moment. "Well, I didn't find you, the Narrator did, and they won't tell me how. They won't tell me a lot, actually, and claim that it's for my protection. But they promised me that I'll learn it all eventually, I'm sure I will."

"So if we're going along the same rules, this Narrator also won't tell you why they chose us," Tara reasoned.

"Actually, no! I chose you, Tara, because we needed someone smart and practical who could solve problems, someone well aware of when something's wrong so we could make it right. And Emiko, we needed you because you're not only a good physical fighter, you're also flexible. You go with the flow. Plus, you're really funny, friendly, and overall loyal and kind. The Narrator is trustable because they're the overlord of this world! A king's subjects are as important to him as the king is to them. Without people to rule over, he is powerless. We're the Narrator's only hope for a better world." Selene clapped her hands. "Is that all?"

"You missed a question," Emiko pointed out. Selene sighed.

"What?" she asked.

"Why do Tara and I know different versions of each other? Tara thinks I had colored hair, and I thought she was scheduled to be executed for treason sometime in the near future," Emiko asked.

"Uh...all the other ones die," Selene said. After seeing their shocked expressions, she quickly corrected herself. "But it's okay! They're not you! Well, they are you, but not this version of you, so that means that you won't die! You'll be fine."

What Selene means to say is that the yous that are here now are the best ones we could find that aren't dead or dying, I said. And Selene is right. I need you. If I lose you, I lose my power, and the hope for a better world to live in.

"One more question," Tara muttered. "Why are we here? What's this big goal you have about fixing the future?"

You are here to help me reshape our world. As of right now, power corrupts. Your leaders have grown corrupt and evil. But do not fear. With my supervision and your obedience, we can design a new way of life. A better life. The closest thing to paradise you mere mortals have ever seen!