This came back from the dark.
This thought it would be only a small time.
It was not.
Although This tried, since the urge to rest had appeared, the dark did not open again.
In the darkness; the place this had started calling its Mindscape, this could not move things like before.
But this could still feel.
This had felt everything. From the time this was moved, up until now while This was wrapped inside something soft.
The storm of memories from earlier still hadn't settled inside This, but here in the Mindscape This had time, and was slowly going through each memory.
In Sansa's memories, the upright shapes were often called "people." This understood now that "people" and "humans" pointed to the same thing. The loud, soft, moving things that surrounded This.
This had also begun to understand more about itself, more specifically what Sansa called the "body".
It had eyes, the parts that let in light. It had hands, the gripping extensions that could tighten and soften. It had feet, the lower parts that had carried this through the white covering. And It had a heart, it's what kept humans alive.
These names and pieces had surfaced from the tangled memories.
As this turned the fragments over again and again, a clearer realization slowly formed.
This was inside Sansa's body.
The memories belonged to the person called Sansa Stark. The girl who had a family, who lived in a place called Winterfell.
But This still couldn't accept that it was now Sansa.
This was something else.. something that had been pulled from the darkness and forced into her.
Yet This was now trapped inside her. Sharing her eyes. Sharing her hands. Sharing her heart.
After a while in the Mindscape This had come to a middle ground with the new identity.
This was not Sansa.
But This was in Sansa.
And for now, there was no way to leave.
Slowly opening This's new, sticky eyes, Multiple shapes formed infront of it, the first thing This noticed where two familiar humans.
Infront of This was a girl human with brown hair. This was all this could understand from seeing. Yet This instantly recognized the human.
Mother. This human was Sansa's "mother".
This wasn't sure how to feel, in the memories this person was something very important to Sansa.
But for This, all he felt was curiousity. Curious as to why she was so important, Sansa seemed to think she was as important as This's 7,950,883,411 count.
Perhaps noticing This open it's eyes, the tall human stopped what she was doing and quickly moved toward This.
"Ah, Sansa! You're awake! Thank the gods, here honey quickly drink." The human spoke words in a tone This couldn't understand.
After sifting through so many memories in the Mindscape, This realized that humans had a way of communicating their thoughts with eachother, This still didn't understand what their thoughts meant, but had to come to understand a little of how they felt.
This woman seemed happy, although This didn't know why.
This could not do anything as a shape was shoved near it's face.
This did not know what to do.
The human kept pushing something near This, but This was unsure what was wanted.
"Sansa… don't be a child, you know this will help you. It's for the cold."
Sansa..
This clearly recognized the sound Sansa.
This thought. It seemed the human was thinking of Sansa, not this.
This wanted to give Sansa's thoughts, but This did not know how.
What did Sansa want to say?
This waited.
This wanted Sansa to think, but Sansa did not.
Seeing Sansa's awkward stance and lack of speech, Lady Stark spoke up for a third time.
"Mordane, would you?"
"Of course, m'lady."
This watched as the larger looking human quickly move toward Sansa.
Briefly, this felt an.. urge. To do something.
This didn't know what something was. Remembering the last time This listened to an urge, this hesitated. This didn't want to return to the darkness.
Regardless, This still gave in to curiosity. The moment it connected with the urge, Sansa quickly turned.
This was now looking at a tall, unmoving thing. It stayed still. It did not move. This looked at it.
"Sansa, stop that. Turn back here." The larger human spoke.
This couldn't see but understood the humans where speaking to Sansa again.
"Come now, my lady. It'll be quick."
This's new body was suddenly held by the larger human and moved against it's will, This was now looking directly at the two humans.
This copied the earlier urge and again moved away.
This didn't understand the humans, but This felt like it understood Sansa. If Sansa had an urge, and This did it. Then Sansa did it too.
This could now look at the unmoving thing anytime.
The loud human spoke again, this time louder. "Oh, for goodness sake. Mordane, hold her head steady, please."
The large human moved closer. Both where now working together to keep Sansa still.
This watched silently as an unknown thing came closer and closer. This did not mind, if anything, This felt curious why Sansa had that urge, did Sansa not like the humans?
This was thinking, until something was placed inside it's mouth.
Instantly, a strong sense, unknown to This exploded throughout its mouth.
This understood it instantly.
Disgust.
This hated it.
This wanted it out immediately.
This hated it with every part of This.
This wanted it out of its body now!
The two humans suddenly spoke lightly, it was a familiar happy tone This had seen in Sansas memories.
"Oh my, Sansa. Don't make such a terrible face. Don't look so dapper, dear. It will help you, I promise."
The large human beside it also looked happy.
"Quite the expression, my lady. But you'll feel better soon."
"Alright, that's good, but we still have a lot to talk about, young lady!"
The tall human, This recognized as mother moved closer, and stared deeply into This's eyes.
"Haah, Why did you even go out alone like that? Did you become crazy? Mordane told me everything. How you refused to respond to her and ran away!" Mother kept speaking in a tone that seemed on the borderline of anger and sadness.
This took everything she said in, ofcourse This still could not understand what she was saying and soon gave up on listening.
Mother continued for what this imagined would be 100 thoughts.
Eventually, she slowed down, took a heavy breath and looked deeply into This.
This paused.
This could not explain it.
But This felt… seen.
This did not know why, but This felt like it was being invaded.
Quickly thinking, this shut it's new eyes.
This did not know how it had controled them so easily.
But right now this felt.. Glad, glad that it could.
Within the darkness or better called it's Mindscape; This could feel mother still trying to invade, but quickly dived deeper into the darkness, shutting the feeling out completely.
This is safe.
This, unbeknownst to itself, let out a loud, relaxed sigh.
"…"
This was glad.
Even with the humans here.
This could still return to the darkness.
"…Are you ignoring me?"
This stared into the vast and bleak darkness.
This did not move and did not think.
This waited.
"Hah.. Fine, we will talk when you're ready, but I expect an answer by tomorrow morning, young lady."
This continued to wait.
"... And finish your milk. I don't want to see a single drop when I'm back."
This kept waiting.
This waited until this person had nothing left to say.
While waiting in the darkness, This heard mother and the larger human speak again, but it didn't feel directed toward This, nor Sansa.
Eventually This heard a loud creaking sound, then a small Click.
This waited silently for a moment before slowly opening Sansa's eyes, the humans where gone.
This is alone.
With the humans gone, This began to look around. The room was familiar to This, it was the place Sansa spent a large portion of her time in.
But This wasn't interested is simply seeing, This wanted to do what Sansa often did, moving.
This tried to remember the first urge it had felt when it was pulled here, but it couldn't.
Instead This felt other smaller urges instead.
Some made very small movements in its hands, while others made This very aware of its insides.
This spent time listening to each urge.
This enjoyed the process, it felt good.
If this understood Sansa, or the body better, This could maybe even move on its own, without the need for urges.
This didn't know what this would do, once it could move, but moving was enough.
This didn't think too much about what it would do. This wanted to understand the body because this liked it.
But This was still curious about things it didn't have answers for.
This thought back to the weird lines. It was the only thing that had given This clear understanding.
This began to think a lot, but the more This thought, the worse This moved Sansa.
Leaving these thoughts, This fully focused on every urge of Sansa's and moving.
After some time, this got bored and entered it's Mindscape, closing Sansa's eyes.
The darkness welcomed this.
Here, nothing could reach this.
Besides, the sounds... And the feelings.
This brought up the sounds from when the two humans were near This.
The words from the loud human appeared in This's thoughts.
All of them.
This started from the beginning.
"Ah, Sansa! You're awake! Thank the gods, here honey quickly drink."
This repeated it many times.
Then moved to the next thought.
"Sansa… don't be a child, you know this will help you. It's for the cold."
This replayed it slower.
Then repeated it again.
"You were out there for hours. In the snow. Alone."
This replayed all the thoughts many times. This often compared the words the humans spoke with the words in Sansas memories.
In a matter of minutes This began to understand what humans called talking.
This continued replaying.
This replayed it many, many times.
This stayed in the dark for a long time.
Replaying, Listening and Understanding.
When this finally opened Sansas eyes again, this understood more of the words spoken to it.
It seemed mother wanted to know "why" this had moved. This wasn't sure if it could tell mother why, but atleast it understood what the humans was saying.
This continued like this, replaying the humans words, and sifting through each memory.
For This thinking had only filled the nothing, but now, thinking let this understand.
This was glad.
This would learn everything.
Soon.
______________
Jon Snow POV
I kept thinking about the same thing.
Sansa laying in the snow, with only her cloak to keep her warm.
The calmness in her eyes when she looked at me.
The way she stared at me was like she had seen something. Something I hadnt.
It was an uncomfortable feeling, I wanted to chalk it up to her being half asleep at the time, but my instincts wouldn't allow me to accept it.
Seeing my younger sister, who I thought I had known, doing uncharacteristic actions , ontop of the cold calm I had seen made me wonder to the point of unease.
I had heard plenty folklore of old gods, demons and such; So maybe...
I scratched the back of my head and cut my thoughts there. There was no use of thinking like a sage did when I wasn't one.
Instead I kept walking down the Winterfell halls.
Today I would check on her, just for a moment.
Make sure she's all right.
Convincing myself like this, the tenseness between my chest loosened a little with each step I took toward the family wing.
I just needed to speak to her.
Then it would go away.
This much I was certain.
I turned the corner towards Sansas' room; whether by fortune or misfortune, I watched as the lady Stark and Mordane exited in tow.
Ducking behind the corner, I watched as the two conversed and walked in the other direction.
I held no shame in wanting to speak to my sister, but it didn't have to be known by the lady. There was no way Lady Stark would be pleased with me to speaking to her daughter after what happened last night.
Seeing the two ladies turn around the corner, I waited for a moment and began to walk towards the door.
Raising a hand, I thought about knocking but hesitated for a moment.
'Was this really a good decision?' It was still quite late into the night, and I was here, thinking of knocking on a lady's door because of a sort of superstition.
As much as I wanted to know how Sansa felt, and what she was thinking, I couldn't find the courage nor the right to knock on her door.
'..it's better this way, she must be tired.'
Lowering my hand, I stared at the door for a moment before turning around and heading to the maid's corridor.
I was hoping to find Sansas' personal maid, Septa Mordane, there.
____________________________
This gave up.
Thinking is boring sometimes.
This had soaked in all of the thoughts from the two humans. And sifted through what felt like a few grains on Sansas memories. Most this didn't understand. Some this did.
It was a shame the memories where not all useful, some where when Sansa was a small human, these memories had almost no understanding within them.
Although This often came across more recent memories, these often sparked understanding and inspiration within it.
But even This found it hard to watch all these thoughts and memories for so long
Lifting Sansas body with the human extensions This had come to know as hands, This now sat upright and could see everything in the room.
There weren't a lot of light things like the snow; instead everything Sansa could see was still and bland.
This wanted to move again. Not the simple movement of fingers or eyes, but like earlier when it had run.
This understood running happened because of Sansa, not This.
But now that Sansa wasn't helping. This struggled.
Slowly grasping the coordination of the body, This began to move Sansas legs inch by inch.
Eventually, This's legs were out of the softness that covered it previously, and sat upright with his feet dangling from the bed.
This stayed still for a moment, basking in the achievement.
But this needed more. This wanted to move.
Thinking of how humans moved, this tried to do the same.
Lowering itself further, this felt the floor below it. It brought a sharp, cold feeling similar to when this was in the snow.
This enjoyed the cold sensation for a moment, it somehow reminded it of the darkness, It provided This a slight comfort.
Done with the sensation This tried to make Sansas stand fully on the cold floor, but seemingly making a mistake, This ended up with his face flat against it instead.
This sat for a moment, relishing in the mix of heat and cold it's face now felt.
'Controlling a body is too hard.' This thought.
It was like thinking 10 different thoughts at the same time.
This tried again. Lifting it's face of the floor, while controlling Sansas' two arms to help push itself up. The entire process This had to think about everything it wanted to do with it's body while doing so.
Slowly, This had moved itslef into a more comfortable position.
This was now resting on the cold floor, it wasnt like withing the softness of the bed, but it was good enough.
Enjoying the feeling of cold, this didn't move Sansa for a while and existed in silence.
Then this got bored.
Trying again, This moved it's legs, but this time it also used the hands as support.
Slowly moving each body part with extreme control, This had found itself standing upright.
Not daring to move hastily and fall on the cold floor again, This analyzed and felt it's body thoroughly instead.
Looking around more this saw a shiny object hanging from the black walls.
Inside of it, there was something else. This took a long time, taking each step cautiously. But eventually, This found itself face to face with it, peering deep inside.
Inside the shape, This saw a human. At first, this was confused.
Then the confusion quickly settled into realization. The human This was looking atz was Sansa.
This had seen Sansa too many times in its memories to not instantly recognize the small human girls face.
This instinctively wanted to lift its hands to touch and feel the humans face, but held back incase it fell again.
Instead it settled with watching it silently.
Moving closer towards the image of Sansa this was seeing, This noticed that it too moved closer.
This thought for a moment before moving Sansas hand towards the human.
This placed it's hands on the humans face, but instead of the softness this had expected. This felt a still coldness.
This noticed that the human was holding its hand out touching This aswell.
This let go and stared.
'What is that? Is Sansa stuck?' The Sansa in the shape didn't have that soft feeling like the other humans did.
This had seen many memories of humans, in all of them, even in the angriest moments, still had a tinge of softness that This had no other way to explain.
Yet the Sansa This saw had none of that, instead all This could feel was a distinct coldness.
This came closer to the other Sansa again. This time covering a single eye with its finger
This watched as the human in the shiny object did the same. A tiny finger covered a single eye.
This stepped back again and watched the other Sansa step back too.
Not fully understanding, this stopped moving Sansa, letting her drop harshly to the cold floor.
This thought long.
Why did the human copy this? It had seen Sansa do something similar before, but it didn't make sense to it why there where two Sansas.
'Was the real Sansa trapped?'
Thinking of this's long time in the dark this felt an unknown feeling grow.
But like always. There was no answer.
This looked down and saw most of Sansa.
'Was this a human?'
If this was Sansa, and Sansa was human.. then maybe this is human. But This clearly remembered the shiny box saying This was a void. But could this even trust the box?
This moved even lower on the cold floor until all of Sansa felt the comforting chill.
This closed sansas eyes and didn't try to think. This enjoyed the sensations of darkness and frost, allowing the feelings to sink deep.
__________________________
I had been waiting for around 30 minutes now, but I was in no rush. I had arrived at the maids quarters soon, after I left my sister's room and waited quietly for Septa to arrive.
Eventually Septa Mordane had finally arrived with a large basket of dirty clothes.
"Septa," I said, drawing her attention.
Mordane looked up from the pile of clothes with a surprised but pleasant look.
"Jon Snow! Is something the matter?" She chirped as she placed the basket down.
"Nothing much, I'm just curious about Sansa's condition. How is she?"
Mordane let out a small laugh.
"Oh, the young lady? Hahaha, I have never seen a child look so disgusted by the taste of medicine. Her little face scrunched up like she had bitten a lemon. Lady Stark and I couldn't help laughing."
A polite smile appeared on my face while I listened.
"But she ignored us both. She wouldn't speak, wouldn't even look at us properly. Turned her head away every time we tried to give the medicine at first."
As she spoke, the smile on her face disappeared inch by inch. She seemed displeased about what had happened.
"Although for the most part she seems fine. Regardless, Jon, Lady Stark gave orders not to push her tonight."
She lifted an arm and patted me gently while speaking.
"Do not worry yourself over it. Sansa is safe in her bed. She will be her sweet self again soon, alright? You should go get some rest, Jon."
I nodded and ledt. I had nothing more to ask.
However the unease in my chest had not faded in the slightest. Had Sansa been her usual self, I would've let it be.
But even Lady Stark seems to see a problem.
Leaving the maids' quarters, I began to walk toward Sansa's room.
I needed to see her for myself.
_______________________________
The cold was nice. This liked it more than the warmth of It's bed.
This had drifted in and out of the darkness multiple times, This had also tried thinking.
But nothing felt as good as doing nothing on the cold.
Then an almost silent sound caught This's attention.
Looking towards the sound, this watched as the place mother had left through, slowly and silently creaked open. Through it a human appeared, looking directly at This.
The human looked familiar to This, it had seen its face before but was slightly unsure as to who it was, it resembles the one Sansa called father, but slightly different.
This looked deeply at the human. And so did the human at This.
This looked longer, not knowing what to do, until eventually the human spoke.
"Erm.. sorry, I didn't mean to catch you at a bad time."
Bad time..
The human kept moving its eyes between the floor and Sansa.
It seemed to be thinking about the cold floor too.
This instantly understood. The human wanted to enjoy the cold floor, but the time was bad.
This had come to understand these words through a mix of his own time in the darkness, and the memories of Sansa.
This didn't know how to make time good, so this did nothing, only looking more.
"..... I'll leave.." As quickly as the human came, it was gone.
....
This felt something was wrong. This didn't know why, but this felt, if the human wanted, it should have enjoyed the cold floor too.
Not thinking more, This let go, closing it's eyes and returnning to its Mindscape.