This is not what I wished for

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Luna opened her eyes to the bright light on her face. She squinted and blinked, feeling confused. She found herself in her wide, fluffy bed from Ether. The curtains were drawn, and the window was open—a sign that Mother Delmyra, or perhaps her maid Athalie, had checked on her. Freshwater sat on the bedside table, alongside a towel and all the items prepared for the morning routine.

 From the commotion she heard in the inner courtyard, it was late in the morning. Servants were already at work, and the aroma of warm bread from the kitchen below her room enticed her senses. She turned to stretch but froze midway.

 Suddenly sitting up, panic gripped her as her mind felt blurry and confused. It had never been this fuzzy after transitioning between worlds. Luna shielded her eyes, recalling Tandru reading from the book of dragons just moments before. "Look, I'll show you," he had said. "Select the one you like most, and I'll sketch it for you." She had climbed up beside him, and Tandru had read aloud the descriptions of their powers or the meanings behind those she had chosen, but then it all went blank.

 "Aah!" Luna clutched her head in her hands and ran her fingers through her hair. "Mother Ira will chastise me for this."

 Fear surged in her chest, prompting her to quickly lay her head on the pillow and tightly close her eyes. She had to return immediately; Ira would be furious, and Tandru might mock her.

 That evening, Luna had the chance to hear Mother Ira using more than monosyllabic words and even see her smiling. Tandru's father was a cheerful man, and being around him created a relaxed atmosphere, reminding Luna of her father here in Ether.

 "My lady!"

 "Oh, no!" Luna squeezed her closed eyes even tighter when she heard Athalie's voice. "Have you awoken?"

 She felt tears welling up and knew she could no longer sleep; feeling rested, she was unable to return. "I would like to sleep some more," she exclaimed a bit too harshly.

 "Please, come; it is such a fair day, and your mother has prepared your favorite pie with blueberries."

 Luna opened her eyes and saw the always pleasant face of maid Athalie leaning over her, gazing tenderly at her with clear blue eyes. She threw herself directly into her arms. The maid stood still in surprise, then sat on the bed, embracing and gently rocking her.

 "Let's get you dressed, my sweet lady. By the way, I went to the barn this morning, and we have two new foals waiting to be admired and played with."

 "Did the mares give birth?" Luna broke free from the embrace so she could see Athalie's face, all worries forgotten.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ*☆ .☽. ☆ﾟ*｡ﾟ･ ───

 Timea ascended the stairs to the second floor, intending to quickly shower before getting into bed. Her mind lingered on Ira's reaction when Tandru stormed in to inform them that Luna had passed out.

 For a moment, Ira had worn the strangest expression, as if she had expected it and it had finally happened. Walking over to her child, whom they found lying on the floor, she displayed an uncommon nonchalance.

 "She's just sleeping. It happens to her now and then," Ira had stated plainly, without elaborating or seeming affected in any way. "Luna has narcolepsy; don't worry! We will go home now. Thank you for inviting us." She added, picking up the unconscious child.

Matthew offered to carry Luna home, and though Timea had tried to stop him, Tandru went with them. "She's just sleeping? Are you sure?" He walked beside Matthew, holding the little girl by one hand and didn't hold back from questioning Ira, which Timea had to admit she also wanted to do. Instead, she just looked after them helplessly.

 Timea had never heard of this medical condition before, but she understood that the child was sleeping. Yet, not worrying about falling seemed more than a little odd. What if she had hit her head?

 It wasn't just that; the whole evening seemed like Ira had made a tremendous effort to stay concentrated or make conversation, and her smiles seemed mechanical. What in the world had happened to the lovely person she remembered as a friend?

Before she reached the open door of his room, Tandru called out, "Mom?"

 "Yeah!" Timea replied as she leaned against the door frame and looked at him.

He wasn't in bed, as she expected, but bent over his sketchbook at the desk, drawing. Through the window in front of his desk, branches of bushes could be seen gently swaying, a sign that the wind had started and was lightly shaking them. Above them, she could see the lights of the downtown area of Timeless beyond the dark waters of the river.

 "Is there something wrong with Luna?" Tandru asked, turning his swivel chair to face her. "I mean, she was just sleeping, right? Don't you think Ira was a bit...?"

 "Worried?" Timea softened his intention. She went to sit on the edge of the bed next to his desk. "You see..." she pressed her lips for a second. "From what Ira had told me and from what I've just searched on the Internet, Luna has this kind of difficulty... Sometimes it's hard for her to stay awake."

 Confusion appeared on his face, and she tried to explain further. "What I want to say is that it's possible for her to suddenly fall asleep, and she is unable to control where and when it happens. She could be in her room, at school, or walking on the street..."

 His eyes widened. "That's dangerous!"

 "Of course it is," she mused. It was so obvious, even for a ten-year-old boy. It eluded her how Ira could have planned for Luna to walk to school alone. As if to answer herself, she continued, "It seems it hasn't happened as often as it used to." then added, "It had been almost five months since the last time."

 "Good thing you said that she would ride with us. We can keep an eye on her, right, Mom?"

Nodding, Timea had to laugh at her insightful son's good nature, ruffling his hair as she got up. "About that, I think it's time for us to sleep. You'll start your classes tomorrow."

 "Can I finish my drawing first?" He added quickly, "It won't take long," before she could protest.

She glanced briefly at the new dragon emerging from his drawing. "This one is purple and fluffy," she chuckled, raising her eyebrows slightly, and turned to Tandru to kiss his forehead. "No more than ten minutes."

 "Alright. Thanks, Mom!"

 "Nighty night, sweet baby boy!"

 "Mooom!" he whined as she left the room, giggling at his protests.