[ The Start ]

I came to floating. Floating in an empty space of darkness that was frozen and unyielding, drifting and unmoving, thick and pitless. I floated, in a weightless pit of darkness-finding it hard to string together coherent thought.

My mind felt scattered-thoughts empty, blank, mixing. There was no sort of light that I could see, no sort of spark or lining of something else other than black. I couldn't see a thing. There was just darkness, utter, stark darkness that I could not look past, that I could not see through. What was happening?

Awareness seemed to come slowly, and with it facts. I was somehow becoming aware of all that was outside of my body-as if I was a stranger looking in and staring at another.

My eyes were closed. They were closed and I was frozen, continuing my float while my body lay incapable of movement. Yet I remained breathing. I was breathing, yes, slow breaths entering my nose and escaping through my barely open lips as my chest rose and fell so very softly. With my mask whipped free, my light hair was free to tousle around for all to see, my face with its scars utterly visible. My brows were furrowed and pinched as if with concentration.

If I attempted to move would I be able to? Would I be successful? I could only see if I tried and so I did. Trying to move an arm, I felt no sort of response, not even a twitch. A try at a finger resulted in nothing still. So it seemed I could not move at all. I tried another time, then a third, trying to move other parts to no avail.

What was going on?

I tried to feel for something, anything, summoning up the will to move again, even if it was to open my eyes. With my eyes I would be able to discern my surroundings, but nothing still. Okay so was I paralyzed? Poisoned? Asleep?

With slight frustration, I could only feel my lungs expand each and every time I breathed and pretended one particular breath was one of slight frustration. I toiled around in the recesses of my mind as I thought-curious and irritated-as my body floated in a perpetual numbness.

Suddenly brightness.

My eyes flashed open, blue eyes going wide and watering as I squinted and blinked rapidly, the sudden light filtering into my vision proving too much for me. I blinked and blinked again, disorientated and helpless against the blinding white filling my eyes. It was too bright-too bright and piercing, burning through my eyes and making me feel as if I had just been born yesterday. And I very well may have been the way I wished to cry out against the pain of having eyes that refused to adjust. Thank the Divines I only had to wait just a few moments later for it to subside.

Eventually light gave way to black, a sign of my vision clearing, and I took another breath. Black dots swam and danced before disappearing altogether. When they did, I looked on, already wide eyes growing wider with what I now saw with clear vision. I felt my breath hitch in breathless awe and I stared.

Stars.

Stars of all shapes and sizes surrounded me, a canopy formed above me in a dazzling array. It was as if the starriest night of all of Skyrim was staring down on me. Was I looking up at that sky? I looked around me, surprised to find my neck suddenly turning so I could look to my sides. There were only more stars, more lights, twinkling to my right and left, twinkling above and below me.

The starriest sky, I wasn't looking into it, no, I was in it. Floating in what appeared to be the sky. Although-it felt too heavy to qualify as such, too...slimy, too gelatinous as though I was laying in some sort of gel or...was submerged underwater. I felt heavy, yet I wasn't if I was able to remain in suspension. I could only look on in awe as stars glinted and twinkled before and around me.

I do not remember how long I lay floating there-wherever there was. I couldn't quite remember how I came to be wherever was anyway. And so I floated, remaining in stillness as my blonde hair moved, as my armored body remained. There was only stillness as I tried to recall details, but it was as if I was seeing through smoke and fog. The more I struggled to remember, the harder it became, until I couldn't think at all.

Just where was I? What was going on? What was happening here? My brows furrowed all sort of questions plagued me, beginning to penetrate my skull. I suddenly felt weary...

Did I even have to think at the moment? Wasn't I safe here wrapped and snug among the stars? Drowsiness came and I was suddenly so very tired-and loopy?-the feeling of weightlessness taking me, soothing and real. Peace came to me, overtaking my soul. A blanket of warmth took me, safe and secure. I closed my eyes, so relaxed and so sleepy everything felt so very heavy...Was there any harm in falling asleep, of giving myself to the dark?

I fell asleep-suspended in Divines knew what for Divines knew how long, utterly calm and content-until a peculiar thought snapped me out of my daze. The thought of where was he? I opened my eyes slowly, thinking what with vague confusion. What-what did I mean? Who was he?

I brought a gauntlet to my forehead, lips pursed, expression pinching into one of mass confusion and extreme concentration as I thought.

Who was he? Who was I thinking about? And why did I want to know where he was? He...he...he who?

It came to me, streaking across my mind like a lighting bolt, singeing my veins. I jolted, lurching up with a sharp gasp as his name whipped across the recesses of my mind.

Miraak!-Miraak was his name, and I suddenly had to find him. I did not know why I had to, but something about him was important-really important-and so I had to find him or else. Or else what?

But where was he? Where was he? The need to see him, touch him, feel him overrode the senses, everything in my mind screaming for him. I was suddenly on overdrive, my eyes darted to and fro as my body turned and moved in my search for him.

Panic surged, claiming me. My throat seized up and I felt as though tears were beginning to gather in my eyes. Where? Where? Where?! I was frantic for some untold reason, frightened and terrified as well and it only fed my panic and confusion-panic because I could not understand what was going on and confusion because, well, I understood nothing of this.

Somehow something permeated through my panic, whispering in my ear to turn and look eastward, to my far left and up.

My breath all but stilled, heart hammering in my chest, as relief charged through me. There he was. There he was! Over and beyond, wrapped in a cluster of stars and floating just as I was. He was utterly still just as I had been and for some reason that terrified me all the more. A scream tore out-though it was silent in this space-despair bubbled, coursing through me. More panic bloomed now that I was now focused on getting to him.

Without a thought or a moment's hesitation I was charging forward, exploding into action. I launched through the current of space that only seemed to grow more and more viscous the more I surged through it. I was battling a thick current, but I had to go, I had to push through. Heart hammering around in my chest, I pushed through-surging, charging, pushing, sweeping, flooding through a built resistance that rose and pushed back.

I had to get to Miraak. Had to get to Miraak.

One last final tug and I was there, reaching out with a hand as something like a pop sounded. I was suddenly there beside him and a few inches more had a hand grasping a robed arm. I held onto it as though it was a lifeline-and it very well might have been with the newfound relief I found pumping through me. I pulled myself to him, holding on, eyes clenching shut.

I had him. I had him, I thought with an almost crazed joy. He was safe because I had him. He was okay, he was okay. I opened my eyes to look at him. His mask glinted in the light, sinister in its gold color. Stray winds rustled his robes. Everything seemed fine and good. Although...he was so covered. I was tempted to remove the mask to see what lay beneath it for a moment and even found a slow hand inching up to do just that.

However I froze midway when something strange occurred. I sucked in a breath as the stars around me suddenly twinkled and flared for one last time. A burst of white and I shielded my eyes with an arm to protect myself against it.

I lowered my arm when it, confused and staring. The stars-they were gone, blinking out of existence. It-it was dark now, light existed no longer.

"..."

Even then he remained still, no sort of reaction coming from him, and I marveled as to why that was. Shouldn't he be awake? Responsive? I screamed his name. No sound emerged, the darkness swallowing my words. Something urged me to wake him up. Something screaming of the extreme importance of waking him. I shook him, hoping to illict a response by jarring him. Nothing. Not even one response.

More panic boiled in my gut, driving me wild, driving me crazy with its intensity. I shouted his name another time, then another, shaking him again. Nothing still. My heart felt as though it was ready to give.

I found myself rushing to shield my eyes when sudden light flashed once more. It was too bright, too luminescent. I opened my eyes when it receded, gasping when I saw the space was now tinted in green, sinuous tentacles filling the sky, yellow eyes looking down at me. Yellow eyes that smiled. Black tendrils reached out. I paled, blood running cold, and turned to Miraak, shaking him more violently.

Then everything changed.

Terrifying rumbling echoed. Things quaked. Things shook.

Rip.

Something told me to look down and I did, heart sinking.

Glass cracked.

I was suddenly greeted with the sight of a million mes clutching a still Miraak. My Daedric armor was caked with dirt and extreme amounts blood. Miraak's robes were drenched in blood, a large, gaping hole in his chest, his golden mask glinted, sinister with the light before us.

Clink.

I blinked, eyes widening, as the surface below us exploded, the glass scattering, breaking, broken. Shards of glass were everywhere, twinkling as they flew everywhere in this sinister place.

I was aware of floating for a second more until weight returned. I felt my weight. I was heavy. Gravity came.

I fell.

Like a shard of glass tumbling away and with a scream, I fell.

Little Sea Wind

Float in love's rain

Stars shine above

Little Sea Wind

Bask in earth's glow

Tides of fate have flown

Singing, soft singing permeated my senses, softly jostling me to a state of half-rest. The words were soothing, the voice calming and tranquil, freezing me. I slept, dark consuming me, yet the singing persisted, breaching past the walls of my ears. It continued for awhile, until it died down. Silence descended. For a very long while it descended, then there was speaking the next thing I knew there was a voice jarring me awake.

"Myrena, wake up! You have to wake up!" The voice was faint at first, then it grew, growing stronger until it was beckoning, sharp, and startling. I moaned as the voice continued to call, penetrating through the strange haze of sleep I found myself in.

"Myrena, my sweet, you have to wake up." The voice continued urgently. I felt more than sure that the owner to the voice would have been shaking me with their hands if they could, but there was no shaking. I remained untouched-or so I thought, as far as I knew I had no body. I felt as though I was floating in a murky sea of darkness, plunged in shadow and fear. I had no tangibility as far as I was concerned. Reduced to a mind who could only hear and feel a voice call out for me. I struggled through the drowsiness that had and was claiming me. Who was calling me? And why did such a voice sound so very familiar? It caused my heart to clench and squeeze, emotional pain shooting through. It was feminine, soft, warm, incredibly soothing and...

"Myrena..." She whispered. The ghost sensation of someone brushing my bangs back. My throat tightened for the action was too familiar to my heart and soul. It was something my mother always did. Something my mother endeavored to do every time she saw me. But I doubted it was her speaking to me, I doubted it was her touching me, it couldn't be, it couldn't. She couldn't be here in Skyrim, much less where ever I was at the present moment.

"Myr, you have to wake up, please..." The use of my pet name had tears prickling in my eyes and a pain like no other altering my core. It suddenly felt as though all breath had left me and I desperately tried to do as my mother told me-I tried to wake up. Crying, I struggled to open my eyes. Crying, I screamed for my eyes to open, and crying I struggled to move-to wake, and soon I did...

Crying, I was slammed awake.

I awoke with a gasp, lurching up sharply. Then I was falling back, heavy breaths leaving me as I found myself looking up at a ceiling, wide-eyed and sweating. My body shook, tangled in the bedsheets beneath me, my hands dug into the sheets, gauntlets clawed. I lay on my back, struggling for air as I stared up at the ceiling.

Talos, Mara, Julianos, Arkay and whoever else, had that all been a dream? Or had-had had all of that been real? It couldn't have been. It couldn't have.

I wouldn't have saved Miraak. I wouldn't have incurred the wrath of a Dark Prince. I wouldn't have done that, I was sure I wouldn't. That dream me was not me. It had been a nightmare, a terrible, terrible nightmar-

"...!"

A sudden pain-an intense one-shooting through my skull. A whimper escaped me. I turned over to my side and clutched my head as I held back a scream. Another flash of pain and I was lying on my back once again with a gasp. The pain was enough to pull the choked scream from me.

My vision wavered and the pain intensified, burning. I could only stare up and ahead. Then I saw it. Something, something was coming down from above. Somehow, I could see past the room's ceiling and was able to see an object falling, falling and getting bigger the closer and closer it got. What-what was that? It almost looked to be a...a person? I squinted in attempt to get a better look-not thinking much of a person falling through a ceiling-until it hit.

There was no time for me to react, to move, when it happened. A force that hurt and burned more than the combined hit of a thousand giants and twenty force shouts struck me, ramming into me mercilessly-assaulting my being.

I wheezed-seizing, back bowing with a strangled gasp. Then I fell back and fainted, surrendering to darkness.

I do not know when or how, but I woke again, unsure of how much time had passed. My head ached, my bowels churned, and my vision was bleary at best. I was disoriented. And in pain. It felt as if though there were a league of a million warriors clamoring and fighting within the confines of my mind. My throat was too dry and it even hurt to breath. I groaned, rising slowly to get to an upright position, struggling as all of me shook feebly, struggling as I attempted to use my arms to heft me up. I was, however, too weak for such an action, crumbling halfway on my sit up.

A few rattled breaths escaped me and I attempted to sit upright once more. The second time I was much more successful, fulfilling my goal-though more pain came. Now I tried looking around the room, wanting to get a good grip of my surroundings. But I was too weak to even hold my head up, my face falling as my spine bent and I hunched over, bowing. My chest rattled with every breath I took and my armor felt much too heavy. It was weighing me down now. All of me ached. I was weaker-ill.

I stayed slumped for a moment or two before attempting movement once more, wincing when I felt sharp pain lance across my shoulders and up my spine as I tried to move my arms and lift my chin. But I finally managed that, my vision blurring then straightening as I blearily looked ahead, eyes hooded. Just as I thought- I was at the inn. In the Retched Netch, in the room I had paid for. I do not know why I had any reason to believe, to think, to feel as though I was not there. I dropped my face into my gauntletted hands, closing my eyes and breathing out slowly. The disorientation I was feeling was slowly ebbing away-I tried to gather my bearings.

Images played in my head now-spinning-sensations, memories, feelings charging through my mind in flashes.

First I remembered something slamming into me-hard and fast enough to cause me to faint. Before that I had experienced a dream-a dream in which I-I...I had been crying. I froze and blinked, eyes snapping open. If I touched my cheek would I fin- My breath hitched, lips parting as I stared down at the gauntlet I had pressed to my cheek. It was wet and shiny...with tears.

More images came-falling, stars, mask, gold, Miraak, Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora, running, fighting, dragons, light, Miraak, Daedra. acid, falling, drowning-run, run, run!

I sucked in a breath, stiffening, spine straightening. So it all hadn't been a dream... Not one bit of it-perhaps my mother and the stars had been, but everything else- the fighting, the battle, the saving. All that had not been fabrications of the mind. And if that was so then I had unleashed an evil upon the world. I had not only evoked the wrath of a Prince but released upon the world a threat that was unknowable. I had to get up, I had to move!

Teeth gritted, I shoved past my pain and got off the bed, ignoring just how jerky my movements were. It was hard to move, but I managed it. I got to my feet, but nearly stumbled forward as the world spun and my stomach lurched. Wrong choice! My mind screamed as I leaned one hand on the bed for support and pressed the other to my lips to prevent me from heaving. I had to wait a few moments for the dizziness to subside and then I was going forward-ignoring the way the world moved to and fro.

I did not care, I could not care, I had to keep moving. I had to leave the inn. I had to get to the Temple.

It only made sense. If I had brought Miraak with me to this realm, but he was not presently with me it only meant one thing and one thing only. He was at his temple. There was no other place he could be, and even if he had ended up anywhere else-well I would hunt him down and take him. I would not allow him to roam Tamriel freely! Gah, just what had I been thinking with this saving nonsense? Why had I even given into such a whim? Such an urge. I guess my loneliness was stronger than I thought.

There's no time to think about this now, he's out, he's free, get him!

But where was my pack? I needed my pack. I looked around the room, searching-my gaze going from the ground to the bed to the ground again. Nothing. I moved forward, left side leaning on the bed for support, and soon enough found it on the ground at the end of the bed. How had it gotten there? I picked it up. I assumed it was because of my restless movement-thrashing?- that it had somehow ended up here. Not that it mattered. I mentally shook myself. I had to stop thinking about things that did not matter. I shouldered my pack and looked forward, eyes on the door. I took a few deep breaths. I could do this! I stopped leaning on the bed and straightened up-fighting off the dizziness and black dots that came with it. Then I was moving forward-ignoring how I limped and lurched.

My determination was enough to carry me out my room-even when I shoved the door open and stumbled, even when I hobbled down the hall and even when I shambled into the main part of the inn.

Immediately I felt eyes on me. People were here, drinking, conversing, socializing, only signaling that it was either the daytime or yet again the night. Just how long had I been out? I didn't allow myself to think about it as I continued forward, eventually passing Geldis and his bar.

"Outlander!" The surprise and address in Geldis' voice was enough to almost make me stop and look back, but I did not even do that, continuing up the stairs with a labored breath or two.

"Not now, Geldis."

I was not sure if I yelled the words or spoke them softly-so weakly- that the Dunmer could not hear me. I did not stay long enough to know, already out the inn and now summoning Arvak to me. He emerged, purple flames fine and strong. He clomped toward me, but immediately sensed something was wrong. A loud and worried neigh escaped him as he drew closer and he seemed so very anxious. A small choked laugh escaped me and I gave my equine companion a weak but reassuring pet.

"I'm alright Arvak. I'm alright." Another pet and then I was getting on Arvak even as he gave another worried snort. I tied my pack behind me and gazed forward. "Just-just get me to the Temple, okay?"

He neighed and gave a snort, nodding. Then he was off. I leaned forward and down, hugging my horse to me and pressing my cheek against his neck as he bounded forward. I closed my eyes and sighed.

Author's Note: Well here we have the second chapter. This was just sitting there for a year or so. I edited the first portion too many times to count. Anyway, I figured I should just post the chapter (since I hope people are waiting for it, but it's okay if people have given up. I haven't updated in a year /sigh) I hope what happens in the first part is somewhat clear, if it isn't then I'll probably clarify them in later chapters?
I hope the chapter is enjoyable and I'm sorry it took so long. I really hope it was worth the wait, even if just a little. I'll be periodically editing this because I'm never really satisfied with my work.

The song that Myrena's mother sings is an original one. Shrugs I just made it up haha.

Thank you so much for all the reviews btw and follows! They make me really happy and actually motivate/drive me. Anytime I was writing I'd reread them/look at them. Once again thank you and I hope you enjoy this.

Oh yeah, I have a tumblr for this fanfic where I'll be posting art and little facts. So check it out . There's already some art of Myrena up!