((Ok so this is a new chapter that I've written and so far I'm toying with the conversation piece. I'm not quite sure where I want it to go so It could change. It's a difficult piece that for sure! I hope you enjoy 😁 aithusas , I told you this was a tricky part 😞))
When Elaine finally opens her eyes, something she never expected to do, she is greeted by a dazzling white light - a kind she has never seen before. There have been a few times in her life where she has woken up in the strangest of places - not often the safest either. She'd usually take her time when coming to, surveying the surroundings as discreetly as possible to minimise the risk of being noticed or harmed. Except this time it was different, this world was different. There was nothing to distinguish, there was nothing in this world that she could see that could give her any clue as to where she was. Mainly due to the fact there was nothing to see, just an endless glow. Elaine is surrounded by a bright untarnished white light. She can only assume to be lying on the floor, the "world" lacks any sense of definition, to the point where it is disorientating, no floor, or walls or ceilings of any kind.
"Morgause?" a voice asks aloud. Elaine stops moving for a moment, the voice startled her but it isn't threatening in the slightest. She slowly turns around to face the direction the voice came from. There's a woman in a long purple gown, like the kind Morgana used to tell her about, watching her. In her hands she holds a golden cup. Surely this woman couldn't do her any harm if she knew Morgause.
"Oh," the woman says upon seeing it is Elaine, her expression changes slightly, "You are not Morgause".
Elaine shakes her head slightly, to scared to speak - although she knows she has to if she is going to get anywhere in this world.
"Who are you?" they ask in unison which is then followed by a deafening silence. No wind, rustle or hum cuts the still air. The woman waits expectantly but the words get caught in Elaine's throat. The woman, with long brown hair and a nice smile, which were the only real things Elaine was able to make out through the blinding light, shrugged it off.
"I'm the Lady of the Lake but you can call me Freya...given my, position I should know who you are but your arrival from the surface was not... Shall we say, expected" Freya seemed to say the last part with the air of embarrassment about her. Her chews her bottom lip briefly waiting for Elaine's reply. Elaine sits there looking at her, unsure of what to do or say. How could she not know who she is? This was foretold was it not?
"I'm Elaine" she says eventually not thinking. The strength of the blinding light that clouds her vision is giving her a headache, but when ever she closes her eyes she can see murky water and ribbon like shadows. There seemed to be no way to escape it. She holds her hands over her eyes, desperately trying to block it out.
"You can still see it can't you?" Freya asks, as if confirming her own suspicions. Elaine nods, "What are they?"
Another brief silence interrupts the moment Freya doesn't answer the question.
"Did they touch you?" She asks cautiously.
Elaine was about to interject with a strong no, but a memory stings in her mind. It was the same stinging sensation she had felt on her hand. She closes her eyes tight and she can see it - the ribbon like tentacle that flowed with the water with such grace. It...Elaine wouldn't of called it a touch herself, it was more of a tap in truth. A sharp one that hurt. She opens her eyes again, looking into her palms that cover her eyes, pulling her hands down slowly. The ghastly glow is quick to shed light on the situation that lies in her hand. All but her hand had healed in the water. All that remained was the incision she made during the "sacrifice" of sorts, but it had changed. A small, faded burn seemed to cling to the edge of it.
"No..." Elaine says quickly, the word just fell out of her mouth and hung in the air. Freya seemed to fear the thought of it and Elaine could sense it - feel the fear tear through her like a storm.
"Is this Avalon?" Elaine asks, trying to mask her fear by being inquisitive.
"Not quite, it's more of a middle ground - some call it the Gates but they are rarely used"
"Then why am I here?" Elaine asks."Why am I not in Avalon?"
"Well that's the point, you are not supposed to be?" Freya frowns, "I came here to retrieve Morgause, but you are not Morgause"
"I know that, but I did the deal. My life for Morgause's just like the crystals said!"
"What crystals?"
"The vision I saw in the crystal cave? Morgause was sent back to stop Morgana from declaring war? To stop the things to come"
"No crystals gave you that vision, though there are things to come - some could be catastrophic, but the crystals did not see the return of Morgause. That's why I was sent to bring her back, but you came back instead"
"I saw it in the crystals, I saw the vision!"
"No, you saw what you thought was right. The visions warned you of what was to come. I don't even know if anything can stop the torment which is to follow but I do know that Morgause's return was not predicted, neither was your decent"
"It's done now - can't I pass through to Avalon? I'm sure Morgause can stop it - I know what I saw Freya, I know what I chose!" Elaine fights back, climbing to her feet.
"That maybe so but your enchantment was not yet finished - I admit that fault was mine I came to late and you had spilt blood" she sighs.
"Well can't you return me? Let me finish it?"
"I don't have that power!"
"Then who does?!" Elaine yelled, "I know what I saw, what I had to do - it drove me half mad, I did it to save the people I care about Freya, I did it for Morgause to succeed where I could not. Please do not tell me it was in vain" Elaine says, her hands falling open to her sides in defeat, "I just wanted to do the right -"
"You let them touch you" Freya interrupts clocking her hand. Elaine looks down nervously, only to find the black burn like area had grown in size.
"Seven hells" she says startled, appalled by what she saw. She looks back at Freya with wide eyes.
"And you taught you to curse like that?!" A voice asks from behind. Elaine freezes.
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Rabbit Heart - Merlin Fanfiction
Fanfiction"This is a gift - it comes with a price, Who is the lamb? Who is the knife?" When Morgana departs to recruit members for her army, Elaine stumbles on a discovery that changes everything. Unexpected visitors throw loyalties out the window and a host...
