~ Switch: Luna ~
The first thing Luna felt when she awoke was the cold. Still half-asleep, she curled against it, turning her face away from the air and deeper onto the softness beneath her. She shivered, then felt something warm, like a blanket, wrapped around her by gentle hands. She smiled, but then was shaken into wakefulness as someone began to lift her from the ground. Instinctively, she struggled and opened her eyes to see who held her, but it was still completely dark.
“Whoa, Princess, calm down now, it’s alright, we’ve got you,” the person carrying her said comfortingly. “Everything will be just fine.”
The voice was familiar, and Luna squinted into the darkness. “Captain Taris? Is that you?” Bright green spots dotted her vision now, almost like stars, but they offered no light on her surroundings.
“Yes, of course, my dearie,” the captain said, and she could hear the smile in his voice, “and it’s glad I am to see you. Are you hurt at all, Princess?”
The captain’s voice was comforting and Luna felt herself relax in his arms. Her limbs felt like useless lumps of clay, and the tiredness was coming back. “No, I’m fine,” she answered, already feeling herself slipping back into sleep. “It’s just…” Her voice trailed off as she fell once more into sleep.
“Luna, oh, Luna, wake up!” Rima’s voice jolted Luna out of sleep like a pail of ice cold water. She sat up straight and felt sheets and quilts beneath her fingers- she was in bed. At home.
“Rima, are you alright?” she said, rubbing her eyes. It was dark out again- she must have slept through the entire day. She heard Rima laughing in a relieved way, along with several other people. There must be several people in the room, Luna realized, squinting again. She still couldn’t see anything.
“Yes, I’m alright- of course, you ask me first,” Rima laughed, “but I’m not the one who was lost in the Great Forest for three days. Are you alright? You must be hungry.”
Luna’s eyes opened wide in astonishment. “Three days? I was in the forest for three days? It felt like only hours!” she said in surprise. She frowned in thought- it had seemed like such a short time… there was the gryphon, and then she’d gotten lost, thanks to the imp, and then… what had happened? She shook her head to clear it- it all felt like a dream. “Yes, I’m starved!” she announced. “Could you bring some food? And some light, please, a candle or something- it’s so dark in here!”
“Of course,” Rima replied, “Chari, go fetch some food- good filling stuff, if you would- and Tari, go get some more candles. Luna’s right, it’s far too dark in here- that fire doesn’t do a thing, you know. Oh, and someone, open the shutters, just a little, so’s to let the light in.”
Luna smiled to herself as Rima bossed the maids around, but then frowned again. “Fire?” she said quietly to herself, and suddenly she heard the distinct crackles of flame in the fireplace, to the left of her bed. She turned to it and felt gentle waves of heat come off it- they must have built it up for me, she thought tiredly- but there was no light. Nothing but blackness.
Something quivered inside her, like when she was walking and suddenly slipped and lost her footing. She heard the creak of the shutters opening, but still, no light.
“There, that’s much better,” she heard Rima say, as if far away.
“Rima,” she whispered, her voice a croak. She felt as though her heart had stopped. “Rima, where are you?”
Luna felt the bed depress as someone sat down, and then someone pat on the blankets. “Why, I’m right here, silly,” Rima said, close now. Then her voice grew laden with concern. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Rima, I… I can’t see you,” she whispered. She put her hand up to her eyes and felt to see if her eyes were open. She started breathing hard, as if she was running, but she couldn’t seem to get enough air. “I can’t see you, where are you?” she said louder, almost shouting. She felt her eyes again, but they were open. There was nothing there.
“Great Mila,” Luna heard Rima whisper, and she felt her sister grab her hand, but with a jerk she tore it away and began rubbing her eyes. Her hands grew wet as she felt tears start, but she couldn’t stop, there must be something in her eyes, there must be something-
She started talking again, almost screaming as she heard the room erupt into frantic movement:
“I can’t see, Rima, I can’t see!”
