Just For Safe Keeping (TomTord)

Chapter 11: Bright Colors and Exposition

The group stared at Tiga Nalo.

Tom was the first to speak. "What do mean 'real mother'?"

Matt gasped loudly, "TORD HAS A MUM?!"

Edd snickered. "I thought he came out of a potato plant."

Tiga shook her head. "We don't have time for this! I'll tell you more when we're in the Dreamscape."

"The what now?"

Tiga groaned inwardly. "Do you want to save your boyfriend or not?"

Tom frowned. "How can we trust you? Why don't you save Tord yourself? You are his mother after all, right? I'm sure you could convince the, uh, whoever took Tord to go easy on him."

Tiga stared at the blue-clad male. "You are a difficult one, aren't you? I expected that you'd just want to hurry and save him. Well I guess I can't convince you to come by leading you blindly, so I'll explain a few things."

Tom smirked. "Good, but hurry cuz time is of the essence or what ever."

Tiga glared at him. "Maybe Tord just developed Stockholm Syndrome or something because you are very obnoxious. Anyway, I may be Tord's biological mother, but mothers of imagineers don't get to raise their children. At a very young age, Tord had to be taken away from me and raised by others in the Council. Those groups of people are called 'mother units'. So you see, I have no authority of what happens to Tord. That's why I'm going to need your help to break him out." She inhales. "So there's your answer. I'm not explaining the Dreamscape's society, that would take too long. Are we ready to go then?"

The three males blinked at her.

".............Yeah, ok." Tom replied.

"Wait, do we have to come too?" Edd piped up, gesturing to Matt and himself.

Tiga nodded. "We can use as much help as possible."

Edd pursed his lips. "Fine."

Tiga turned towards a wall. "Normally, I would use the Reality Warp, but I don't think mortals can go through it. At least not without consequence. Are you boys ready to travel through a portal?" She didn't wait for a response.
"Good."
She stuck her hand on the wall. A green light pulsed from her palm and into the paint. Soon, a tear opened up. It's interior was a swirly mesh of colors.

"Right through here. We'll enter the Dreamscape and sneak around the back of the Holding Chamber. We'll work out the rest of the plan once we get there."

Tom stared at the colorful void with unease. "We have to go through that?!"

"Yes Thomas. Now stop being difficult. Your friends already went through."

"Wha-" Tom glanced on either side of him. Sure enough, Edd and Matt were nowhere to be seen. "Well, I guess I don't have a choice now..." he grumbled.

Tiga's expression resembled something like a smirk. "No. I don't believe you do."

Tom glared at her and took a step towards the portal. He hesitated. Its swirls were making him queasy.

Tiga tapped her foot impatiently. "Go on."

Tom took a deep breath and jumped through the portal.

~*~

Bursts of sounds and images flooded his senses. His sight twisted and churned. Like a, maybe like a bad drug trip or something. Probably.

His body rapidly heated and cooled. Different emotions pelted him all at once. He felt tears run down his face. This was not an experience he wanted to have twice.

Finally, the assault stopped. He was in a greyish looking place. Random pieces of earth floated around, even occasional buildings crossed his sight.

"Tom!" A voice shouted .

He looked over, Matt and Edd stood on a plank of floating wood.

"It's about time you got here!"

"Yeah..." He muttered, still taking in the sights.

A hand fell on his shoulder. Tiga.

She sighed. "Welcome to the Dreamscape's prison area. Where all hope for future dies."