A/N: takes place in third season. Uther is still ruling, Morgona is still pretending to be nice when Merlin knows she's not. This story starts out really weird, but I swear it is relevant to the show, not random craziness. This is my first fanfic on this site, I've started others but haven't put them up yet…so yah. Enjoy!

BuBbLeS: pArT 1

Arthur opened his blue eyes, blonde hair falling into his face. He blinked rapidly, clearing the sleep from his eyes, and stretched. Wait a second. Where was he? Arthur looked around the room. He definitely didn't remember falling asleep here. In fact, he'd never been here in his life. The room in question wasn't really a room, more of a black open space. The darkness extended all around him, like an inky cloud. But then….where was the light coming from? Arthur could see himself perfectly fine, but everything outside of his 3 foot radius faded away to black.

He stood up rapidly and drew his sword, not wanting to be caught off guard if anything jumped out from the black emptiness that surrounded him. He swiveled around in a circle. Black. Black. Black. Arthur was overcome by the sudden paranoia and claustrophobia, which he'd never had before. He jerked around trying to see all the darkness at once, so he could keep anything at bay. A sudden panic stabbed him in the chest. He turned around desperately in another circle, flailing his sword wildly. He imagined he looked pretty stupid, but there was no way he'd be able to protect himself if something attacked him.

Arthur frantically tried to calm himself and took a deep breath.

Breathe.

Arthur rubbed his temples with his thumbs, trying to remember the last thing that happened. He'd been in his room, talking to Merlin….or was it his father? He smacked his forehead. He was the Prince! He should remember these things!

He sighed. Calm down.

Wait! What was that! He jerked suddenly to the left. He was sure he'd seen something out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned, it was gone. He was probably just imagining things. There was nothing there.

He sighed again. There it was again! He turned faster than before and was just able to catch the sight of a clear round bubble floating upward into the darkness.

What the hell?

Bubbles?

A thought stuck him. He let out an experimental breath. A bubble rose into the air. Or was it air really? It certainly felt like air. Could he really be underwater? He felt the urge to hold his breath, which was silly because he'd been breathing regularly the whole time; he'd just missed the bubbles in his panic-induced state. Being underwater might explain the darkness, but it didn't explain the light around him. He sighed again, releasing more bubbles.

He still had his sword out and was wearing the armor he usually wore when going to battle. His stared down at the piece of metal in his hands. This wasn't his sword. His sword was a shiny silvery-iron, with a well-worn leather hilt. This sword was iron, but it had a long strip of gold down the center and had archaic runes craved into the blade. It was strange though; he felt more comfortable with it than he did with his own sword. This sword had a sense of nobleness and greatness, but in his hands it had the feeling of rightness, like it belonged there. Again, strange. And slightly creepy.

Arthur shuffled his feet and noticed that he was standing on sand. Another point towards the underwater theory. He wondered how he had missed the sand puffs that danced around his feet as he moved them. Probably a result of his panic. Mental note- train the knights to be prepared for all situations, including blindness. He'd be sure to do that, if he ever figured out how to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE.

Deep breathes, Arthur, deep breathes.

Bubbles.

…

…

A firefly darted in the distance. Arthur blinked. No, it wasn't a firefly, just a light in the distance. Was there someone else in here?

"Hello?" He tentatively asked with no response.

"Anyone there?"

The light just danced around in stark contrast to the surrounding endless darkness.

Maybe it was a way out. Wasn't like there was anything else to do. Arthur took a step closer toward the light. His own light aura moved with him. He smiled in relief. At least he wasn't going to be in complete darkness. He ran, cautiously, at first, then faster as he realized there was nothing else around him to run into. His stamina had built up from years of training, and he kept up a steady pace as he moved through the thick blackness. Arthur ran faster as the light drew closer, no longer dancing like before. He was so close-it was right there, so blinding it overcame the darkness and him. He closed his eyes to shut out the light, but he could see it even through his eyelids. He stumbled forward, blinking furiously; he could almost see it-

Arthur gasped as he sat straight up in bed, soaked in sweat and clutching at the sheets.

What was that? Was it just a dream?

But it had been so real. None of his dreams were ever like that. He could still see spots from where the light blinded him. But it had to have been a dream…..

….right?

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