Banished

Chapter Three: Weaknesses

Apparently this holding cell, this gray town, doesn't have any sense of time. I fall asleep, I wake up, it's still gray outside. I eat food, I read a book, it's still gray outside. Is this what it's come to? Am I going to stay here for ... forever?

No. Nebula may be narcissistic and rude, but he's not a complete jerk. He already said he'd let me go. For now I have to stay in bed and wait.

I can't even get up, I'm so weak. I'm weak and ashamed. That "snow" really did a number on me, I guess.

The door swung open soundlessly. Nebula walked in, his face slightly saddened and quiet. He saw my pale face and rushed to the bed. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I snapped back, ashamed. "It's not like you aren't going to kill me in the morning," I grumbled.

"What was that? Kill you?! Why on earth would I do that?!"

"I don't know why on Earth, but you certainly tried to do it on the Moon."

"Iri, I was controlled!"

"That's what they all say - and don't call me Iri."

Nebula hardened his eyes. "Fine. If I can't make you understand that I wasn't myself, I'll leave." He turned away with a swoosh and walked out of the door. I sighed and slumped down in my covers. He had only been here for ten seconds and already I had scared him off.

I sighed and forced myself to sit up. I just needed to get out of the covers and then maybe I'd be able to get to the window three yards away.

My covers flew to the side and I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I took a deep breath and pushed myself up. I was wobbly at first, but as I began walking, I began to feel better.

I high stepped and stretched. I stretched my arms and I shook out my legs. Everything seemed in order. It was going great.

Now to make it to the windowsill, I thought desperately. My knees buckled after the third step. I gritted my teeth and flung myself at the windowsill. I latched on to the bench right under the wall and pulled myself onto the bench. I curled up with a pillow and started crying.

Is this what the great Iridescent had come to? Had she really been defeated by snow? Is she no more for the Guardians? Will she never make it out? This was impossible. I'm the Guardian of the Guardians! I'm the "Man" in the Moon! I'm never supposed to fall, and yet I had.

My door opened, but I barely registered the noise. I was still sobbing when I felt my bed move. I then felt a familiar presence. It was Lunadust.

Lunadust had become like a mother to me in the seemingly short time I was here. She would come to me and lay on my bed some nights and hum softly until I fell asleep. Other days she'd come with a bowl of some sort of delicacy desert when I was feeling down. Other times when life was at its most boring, Luna would come into my room and tell me stories of ages that were blocked from my ability to go.

It was a comfort when she jumped up onto my bed and lay down. She regarded me silently as I cried into my pillow. She didn't ask questions, she didn't try and comfort me, she didn't even try and talk to me.

And that's what I needed.

Today was different, though. She didn't jump up on the bed, she didn't lay down, and she didn't bring with her the friendly aura I had come to enjoy.

She marched right up to my bed and yanked the covers off. Once the covers came off, an unimaginable chill coursed through my body.

"Hey!" I growled, trying to wrench the covers back, but they disappeared.

"Nebulae wants you. Now."

"Couldn't he have asked me?" I whined, covering my arms and shivering.

"He is, through me. Now get your rear in motion and get up."

"B-but, Luna, I can't walk!"

"Sure you can," Luna said. She jumped onto my bed and nudged me. I staunchly refused and resisted her pushing and prodding. I could tell she was getting annoyed with me when she started pushing harder.

I fell to the ground and groaned. "Luna, I told you, I can't walk!"

The door creaked open, but my back was to the door so I couldn't tell who it was. I felt large hands on my back as I was pushed up. One hand slipped lower and cupped me under my knees. I was picked up and laid on the bed. It was then that I saw Nebulae had picked me up.

"Luna, what happened?"

"You had told me to tell her that you wanted to see her in the dining room. She claimed she couldn't walk and then I was pushing her off of the bed. She fell off and now you're here."

"This is strange," he whispered to himself. "She should have been better by now." He raised his voice. "Did you get out of bed, Iridescent?"

I swallowed shakily. "Um ... yes?"

Nebulae sighed, his eyes closing. "Well, I guess there's not much I can do. However, you should get out of this room. It's suffocating, isn't it? The color is so boring!"

"There is no color," I muttered.

"Exactly." Nebulae reached under me again and hefted me up. I was being carried bridal style and it felt weird. I was used to doing everything on my own. Lupa would only help me when I absolutely couldn't do anything - and even then that was iffy.

Nebulae must have noticed my hesitancy. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, just fine, but if you can put me down, that would be very fantastic. Thanks!"

Nebulae was quiet. He started walking toward the door.

My breaths became rapid and short. I hadn't been out of my bedroom in a long while. What would greet me outside of my room?