Cosette, Marius, Grantaire and Jehan all turned their heads sharply to the side, at the same time. A deep silence fell on the hall, while the four deities strained their ears to catch the voices that had distracted them.
Help! Someone help me!
Marius gasped. "It's Eponine! She's in distress! We must go at on-"
"Enjolras is screaming too" Grantaire interrupted him, calmly. "The same words. Cosette, you come with me. Jehan, go with Marius and help Eponine. Keep your minds open, we'll need to communicate at a distance"
The others nodded and hurried away.
Grantaire took Cosette's hand and asked "Ready?"
The goddess nodded, her mouth set in a straight line; they both closed their eyes and took off.
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Gods and goddesses have more than one way to travel. When they're in a hurry, in times such as these, they can tune their mind to the place they wish to go, or to the person they wish to see, and appear right there in an instant.
Grantaire and Cosette followed Enjolras' voice, and when they reopened their eyes they really didn't know what to expect. Certainly not the still blue waters of a mountain lake.
They looked around, blinking. The trees surrounding the lake swayed gently to the breeze; the roar of a waterfall and the loud chirping of birds covered any other sound. If Enjolras was nearby, he wouldn't be able to hear them. Exchanging a glance, Cosette and Grantaire split up, walking along the stony shore in search of the god of the sun.
After a while, just when Grantaire's thoughts grew more desperate and threatened to plummet into further darkness, a quiet whisper from the goddess of marriage reached his mind.
He's here.
Grantaire joined her in an instant. She was crouched under a tree, Enjolras' head cradled in her lap. He looked fine, if a little pale. His blue eyes were wide open, almost as if he was afraid of something. His dove was perched on Cosette's shoulder, looking down at him with such an anxious expression she looked almost human.
Grantaire kneeled down beside him and took his hand. Enjolras flinched, his head jerking frantically in all directions, his eyes wild.
"Enj… it's me. R. Don't you recognize me?" Grantaire asked, stunned.
Enjolras' expression instantly turned to regret. "Oh, R, I'm so sorry. It's just that I… I cannot…" His voice broke.
Cosette looked at Grantaire, her fair gaze pained. "He cannot see, Grantaire. There's only darkness around him. He's… he's blind."
Enjolras closed his eyes. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Grantaire watched him, his heart breaking.
"How did it happen?"
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"Please make it stop, please please PLEASE!" Eponine's sobs resonated throughout the cave.
Jehan and Marius had found her huddled on the sandy shore of the underground lake. The gentle waves kept her body and dress completely soaked, but she didn't seem to care. She was crying and wailing in pain, rocking back and forth, her hands pressed hard on her eyes. Her small frame was wracked by terrible sobs, she looked inconsolable: even her cat, who kept rubbing his head against her back, seemed incapable of rousing some reaction from her.
The two gods kneeled beside her; Marius started caressing her hair gently, while Jehan touched her hands, trying to pry them delicately off her face. Eponine did not budge. If anything, she pressed her hands harder on her face, and her crying doubled.
Marius spoke, softly. "Eponine, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Talk to us, Eponine, please."
"It's too bright… I can't see… my eyes, they HURT SO MUCH!" she screamed the last part, shaking and sobbing when Jehan wrapped her into his arms.
"Eponine, you must tell us what happened, so that we may help you. Please, talk to us" Jehan murmured into her hair.
"T-there was someone… a-a man, I believe… beyond the waterfall. I was drawn towards it, I don't know why, I-I don't think I was entirely in my right mind… and I raised m-my hand and he did the same and when our hands t-touched I was thrown backwards… and then…"
"…and then?" Marius prompted, pale and frightened like a child listening to a scary tale.
Eponine shook her head. "Then the l-light came. I can't see anything, there's too much light, it's l-like being in the same r-room with the sun. My eyes hurt, make it stop, make it stop, please!"
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Cosette? Grantaire?
We're here. We found him. How's Eponine?
She's… she's… oh gods, why, why must she be-
Marius means that Eponine is blind. She says her eyes hurt and all she can see is a bright white light, like… looking directly at the sun.
Oh gods, Jehan, are you sure? Enjolras is… he's…
He's blind too, Jehan. But he can only see darkness. He didn't recognize my presence, he was panicking.
What? What happened to him? Is he alright? Is he hurt?
Calm down, Marius. He's not hurt, but he's not alright, obviously. He said he was swimming in the lake when he glimpsed a shadow beyond the waterfall-
The waterfall? Cosette, where are you?
We're by a mountain lake. Why?
One of you, get in front of the waterfall. Now.
But-
No questions, one of you, go to the waterfall immediately!
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"R?"
"Marius!"
The two gods looked at each other, gobsmacked. Soaked to the bone, they both understood what had happened to their friends.
"Oh gods… oh gods…"
"Calm down, Marius. Go through the waterfall again, get back to Jehan and explain what happened. Come on." Grantaire squeezed Marius' hand and turned, heading back to Cosette and Enjolras.
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Jehan? Has Marius stopped hyperventilating?
Don't mock him, R, come on. This is serious. They met. They actually met for an instant.
And when their hands touched… what happened exactly? Why are they… like this?
I'm not sure, Cosette. But I fear their blindness has something to do with the spell cast on them. What do we do now?
I…
My love? Are you alright?
I'm not sure, actually… I… I'm afraid there's only one thing we can do. But… I dare not think of the consequences.
Tell us, sweet Cosette.
We need to tell Mother.
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New chapter! I hope you liked it, and I hope the different "voices" in italics weren't too hard to recognise ;)
