Blackout

Astra concentrated on maintaining her balance, and managed - barely - to keep the barrel moving forward and to keep from slipping off. She noticed that she was breathing deeply, but was getting dizzy. She was now about a third of the way down the aisle. The room seemed to grow dim, and the laughter and murmering of the crowd grew incoherent. She thought that she heard a crack of thunder, and a cheer - or panic - ripple through the crowd. She was aware that she was falling, but very slowly. Her last thought as she fell into the crowd was that it was as if she were falling into the water of a pond, and she felt a little bit of a jolt as she landed into hands that formed that pond's surface.

When Astra came to ....

1. she was in a stable, barefoot and clad in a simple dress. She was unhurt, but noticed traces of light blue paint splattered across her left arm and shoulder.
2. she felt the cold of manacles against her wrist, a strong light in her eyes, and a feeling of deja vu. A voice from the shadows said, "You were looking for a dragon, princess?"
3. she was sitting in front of a desk, dressed in a pair of high heels and a bright but modest suit of some foreign land. Fred was standing in front of her, also clothed in the native costume of this land.

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