[NOTICE] The Night the Light Went Out - Asrun (Daisicle)

[Guardian_Iris]

A twinkling butterfly flits around looking for the naiad known as Åsrun. Upon finding the beautiful sleeping pae, the butterfly flutters it's small wings and disappears into Åsrun's head.

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Åsrun wakes from the most restful, peaceful sleep she's ever experienced. With a yawn and stretch, she flutters her sleepy eyes to notice she's not where she remembered falling asleep. She's surrounded by white. Complete silence and not an aroma to behold. Afraid, for a moment, she had to check if she was breathing. No air. Her chest rose and fell as her gills pulled in an unknown substance that was keeping her alive.

Could she swim in this nothingness?

Åsrun frantically pat the 'ground' beneath her, trying to feel for an edge on what it was she was lying on. But that's when she noticed - she wasn't in water, but she didn't have her land legs either.

Åsrun's voice only echoed back to her when she called out. Was that an echo?

Inhaling deep, more of the strange fluid filled her gills. Whatever she was laying on disappeared and she was left floating in this nothingness. It didn't matter which way she swam. She could even tell if she was upside down or not. It was complete nothing. She didn't even know how long she existed in this place, or if days or months, or seasons had passed. Would her family miss her? Would anyone miss her or notice she was even gone?

A tiny dot appeared in the far distance. Was it really that far? It didn't matter because Åsrun was already speeding to the only object to exist in this nothingness. The feeling of being, of having, and surrounded by nothing was too hard to handle. That dot meant everything to her!

The faster she swam the fast the dot seemed to swim towards her. As the dot drew closer, Åsrun would notice that it was another Naiad. She was elated to find someone to to be here with her. Perhaps that naiad knew how to get out of this place.

When she was so near so could nearly make out it's features, she noticed it was a shade of herself. Moving as she did, mimicking everything. The shade echoed every word and sound Åsrun made. This was the source of her echoes.

As she reached to touch the shade, it reached for her too. Before their fingers could touch .... it grabbed her wrist. The shade changed into a twisted and wicked form of Åsrun. The more she struggled, the more this twisted visage laughed. Åsrun couldn't think, she struggled and felt hopelessness inside. Åsrun was battling even more than the twisted shade. But there was nothing to brace herself on to prevent the shade from pulling her in. But was "in"?

Åsrun woke up again. This time, in a dark, sticky mud. The place was lifeless and smelled of dirty, rotting swamp. She was able to swim still, which felt odd considering she was nowhere near water. Trees moved slowly around her, but would stop as soon as she turned to see what was watching her. She knew something - no, somethings - were watching her. Dread overcame all emotions. She swam slowly as if she knew where she was going, Where was she going? Åsrun was too afraid to call out in this place. She saw a light ahead and immediately swam towards it. Maybe it was a way out! Or maybe back to white nothingness, but what was worse?

A portal glowed blue and white and swirled in front of her. No sign where it went or what it does,

The shade of Åsrun appeared with its gaping maw hanging over her head. The drool fell on her shoulder, burning her skin. She didn't even second guess herself, she just fled through the portal without thought that there might not be anything on the other side.

Åsrun found herself in the same dreary darkness, but underwater. It was dark, but she could still see. The coral was all dead; the seaweed grew tall as mountains. She had to navigate through the seaweed, looking for a way out.

Success! But what was on the other side? She saw the palace, Alu Spring glowing in all its brilliance. In her disgust, she turned away, but then the light went out. It was not an ordinary light but absolute light. Åsrun was thrust into darkness with memories of the eternity she’d been stuck in white.

Slowly, tiny spots of light started to appear. The first being the brightest of them all. They popped up everywhere and faster. It looked like little stars in the night sky. Åsrun could feel the emotions of each one of them. Fear, sadness, anger, despair, grief and guilt... Not a single one was happy.

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What happens next?

It is up you to finish Åsrun's dream sequence!



You have until –March 12th, 2018--to complete the task in order to move on to the next step.

Daisicle