They were running into the very heart of the storm, the rain pelted down on them so that all three were soaked, and then the wind chilled them so that they ran slower and evaded falling things with more difficulty. Daniel Pearl was having the hardest time. The other two could run faster, Julien because he was a Vampyre and the invasion of reality didn't effect them, and Daniel because Dream had created him to run when things got too much to handle and the codes for it had been right there in Gabriel's lab.

The tower still stood before them, and as they raced toward it through the rain the land shook again with another violent slip between regions, and this one came from the point between Los Angeles and Limbo, it was one of the worst. And they were just steps away from the asphalt that had once been the hazy crossroads of Limbo. The ground broke open before them, formations of rock jutted up through the dark and silvery rain and at once Julien and Daniel who had their hands joined stopped and said, "It's like that scene in Fantasia!"

Daniel turned to look for the other Daniel, but couldn't see him.

Julien called up to the Djinn and told them to look for Daniel Pearl and then he pulled Daniel violently to one side and moved around the rock. "Keep running!" he shouted. "If you want to save anyone, it's better to stop the storm than to try to save them!"

They skidded across the wet asphalt then gained traction on the new surface and made a rush for the tower. Julien tugged at the pair of doors and one gave. Daniel slipped in, and then Julien came after, leaned back against the door.

"What the fuck?" Daniel asked.

"No," Julien moaned.

Daniel walked forward slowly and studied the strange staircases and ladders. "How does one get up?"

"Not the Maze!" Julien moaned loudly.

"You've been here?"

"I have nightmares about this place."

"I never dream."

Julien went to one of the dangerous looking ladders. "Usually, if you take the way you hate most, you get farther up," he said.

"Oh, then you've done this before," Daniel said.

"Yes, but I hate it. And I've never got to the top."

"Doesn't mean you won't this time."

"I know, the universe is depending on me getting you up there. Great." Julien made his way up steadily. When he came to the first dead end, he almost panicked. But Daniel said they would keep trying till they got there. So they went down a level and tried from there. Three times Julien met a dead end, but he never looked down until he knew he was at one.

He came to a very dark place that seemed made of acute and obtuse angles in some way that was meant to drive you mad. Julien chose a rather twisted hidden staircase and felt his way up.

"Dead end?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know, there's all this glittery stuff," and then he cried out, "Ow! Its glass all over the floor." Julien felt his way up the wall and stood up on the level floor. Daniel came up behind him.

"I think you found the top, Julien."

"Yeah, I guess I did. I don't see Joy," Julien said. He stumbled around on the uneven carpeting of glass shards. The tower shook and he was thrown to the side. He caught himself on one of the chains that held the couches above he floor. And then in the strange light that came dimly from the glass he saw that these pieces of glass were higher up. "This place is strange, I think it must have looked very different before the storm hit."

Daniel was wandering farther into the darkness. Julien followed after, glass crunching under his borrowed boots. His toes felt slightly squashed, worse because rain had run down into them and made his bare feet wet.

"There's a doorway," Daniel said, "quick, c'mere."

Julien ran over best he could on the shifting glass. They were in a dimly lit hall together. It was quiet. It was the sort of quiet that makes people in movies say: "Yeah, too quiet." Even the breathers were holding their breath, so as not to make noise. Daniel crept down the hall first and Julien followed. Daniel opened the door on his right and pushed it in. He shook his head. Julien glanced in as he passed, and then looked back, the room was messy, but it had in interesting smell. He wanted to explore that room, it made him think of rooms of boys he'd gone to high school with, long ago.

The room on the left was also empty, full of Indian artifacts and colorful silk. There was just one door left, and it was opposite a narrow staircase. Julien's jaw dropped, all along there had been this hidden staircase.

Daniel opened the door cautiously, it was as if they knew it would have to be the last door. They meant to sneak in, certainly, but the land shook again and Daniel was pitched into the room. Julien braced himself in the doorway and saw Joy laying on a large black bed and Mandy standing quite still. He had a line of turquoise eyeshadow over each lid, and it looked good on him. And he'd got false fangs in his mouth.

Daniel pushed himself up from the floor and went to the bed. He lifted Joy's face. She was laying there like a rag doll, limp and expressionless. Her mouth was slack as Daniel touched her cheek. "Joy," he said and then he kissed her.

And that was all there really was to it, but of course Daniel had to be the one to do it. And then he had to leave her and go to the other.

He looked down at the suspicious one and slapped his face so that he would look up at Daniel. And then Daniel spoke his name, "Misery," and he kissed him. And then to this one Daniel said, "You'll take me away instead of her, and you won't bother her. Don't wonder about her. It's not her job to make people miserable, you know. So stop chasing her and asking her for answers. Chase me."

"I thought that I had finally made something out of you," Misery said and he touched Daniel's face."

"It seems I changed. You'll have to start over."

Julien listened. "Has the storm stopped? Have you done it?"

As if in answer Joy rose from the bed on her own. "Julien, I thought you were dead," she said, "I want to go home."

They came from the tower, Julien carrying Joy in his arms, and Daniel leading Misery by the hand. And as they paused on the asphalt to survey the sky Morpheus hopped from the flying carpet and rushed to kiss Julien. They started walking again. Julien glanced up at the carpet and Pandora sitting on it, the looked at Morpheus. "You're all right," Julien said.

"Pandora saved me," Morpheus said breathlessly.

Julien glanced up at the girl hovering on a carpet.

"Come with us, OK?" Morpheus said.

Julien nodded. They followed Morpheus. The storm was settling down, but the damage remained. Morpheus was still coughing occasionally. The valley was still marked by torn and jagged ground and muddy pools. And as they walked the sky filled with Angels, The Ophanim, and various children of Night and they began singing.

Daniel Pearl joined them, muddy but unharmed, and then they heard someone calling from behind and three wet figures ran toward them, Shade and Anne, and Karen shivering behind them. And then Opium came, her feet squishing through the muddy puddles she walked through.

Morpheus had his Djinn don their pastel Chanel suits complete with ultra mini's and they sashayed on ahead of the others. The sky went violet overhead and then The Land itself began to move into its original state. And everyone but Morpheus and Pandora marveled at the things they saw around them, great flocks of Angels descending from the city shimmering above to right walls and rebuild the great palaces, houses, and castle.

With a groaning start The Land began to shift again, as silent and smooth as ever. And every so often one of the Earthlings would break their stride to stare dumbly at a hill gently rolling by, or a palace moving slowly across the horizon. And all the while there was singing as the Angels gave weight to their thoughts, and created.

Morpheus didn't feel sick anymore, and he took to the sky, sometimes flying at Pandora's side. She smiled at him, always, and looked quite happy with herself. And other times he flew close to Julien.

As they came near sleep's house Morpheus touched his feet to the grass and pointed it out to the others. And then as the regions shifted several of Morpheus' brothers crossed the lamentful river of fishes and birds and came into Sleep. They waved, but they went their way as the small group traveled toward Dream.

They came to the Lethe and rested. The sky was brilliant violet then as they settled down on the dewy green grass at the river's bank. It was near quiet then, but for a distant song. Morpheus sat down on the grass near Pandora's carpet and Julien came from Joy's sleeping body to sit beside him. Morpheus looked up and saw Jibril descending from above. A tear formed in the corner of his eye and fell as an orchid. Never had he seen Jibril so radiant, and after seeing him near death Morpheus was overwhelmed by his happiness.

From behind some others came. Gabriel and Raziel and with them refugees from Earth, Athen, and Angel, and so many others who had been lost. But there was no one that they didn't know well. Gabriel said that others had come through and that they still waited in Los Angeles.

"You're going to make us all forget, aren't you?" Julien asked.

It was Jibril that answered, hovering over the Lethe. "It's the last task required of me," he said. "I can't let you go remembering all this."

Jibril's servants Shadowscream and Nightangel came from the Cave of the Allegory with drinking goblets. They crossed the river and set these down.

"Everyone must drink," Gabriel said, "but, of course not Opium or Morpheus...or Pandora."

"And not Daniel, unless you want this all to happen again," Morpheus said and then he noticed most everyone was looking to the strangely built girl. She stood and giggled. Morpheus stood up and said he would fetch Julien some water. But Pandora detained him, put her arms about his neck and pressed her body close. He kissed her face.

And then Julien stood up and said, "Murph, who is this woman?"

Morpheus turned to defend her, but Pandora pushed him gently aside. She told him to go fetch the water. And as Morpheus went he turned back and saw Pandora whisper something to Julien. He returned with a goblet full of Lethe water and offered it to Julien. Pandora smiled and snatched the goblet. "Let me serve him," she said. And it was from Pandora's hand the goblet passed to Julien. "Drink this and remember me," Pandora hissed quietly.

Julien looked up at her as he drank, and then quite suddenly the goblet fell from his hand and Julien's eyes went wide. There was blood on his lips. "What did you do to him?" Morpheus asked.

"Sssh," Pandora hissed.

"It wasn't water," Julien whispered as he looked at Morpheus from the corner of his eyes. Morpheus looked down at the ground. It certainly looked like blood spilling from the goblet and soaking into the ground. The vine at his arm, Fred, writhed and snaked itself down to the ground.

Morpheus looked up and saw Gabriel was standing very close, goblet in hand. She took Julien by the arm. Yet it was Pandora she looked at. "Forgive me, Pandora, but I can't let him go remembering, even if you should want it."

Pandora rolled her eyes. "Gawd! This granting forgiveness stuff is such a bother, just give him the water if that's what you want to do, Gabri. I won't take out wrath on you or anything!"

Gabriel made Julien drink the water from the goblet.

And then Gabriel moved away.

"She knows who you are," Morpheus said.

"Oh yeah, I like showing up every time the world looks like it's going to end, scares the bejeezus out of 'em. Don't ask me why."

They took the waking path to Limbo. The Daniels were saying, "Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road? Follow the yellow brick road." And Misery was groaning. Pandora said she'd be nice, show Gabriel she wasn't so unfriendly, she'd open the portal between worlds for them, as long as they needed, so that all these bodies could just walk through. The Angels seemed to be afraid of her when they heard this. But they said she knew they couldn't do it.

"Yeah, I know," said Pandora.

They came to Limbo, and Morpheus saw that the other refugees had been gathered and were standing in the restored orange haze of Limbo. Guarded by several Ophanim, Athera, Skotos, and Leukos. Ariella wasn't to be seen.

Pandora walked ahead, clopping on the haze covered crossroads in her chopines. She made a small gesture, nothing very dramatic, and some distance before her a portal opened. It was a visible thing, an opening with orange mist swirling about it so that it seemed a tunnel formed before it. All the random refugees were given Lethe water brought by Gabriel, and they were the first to go through. Before each went through the image at the other end of the tunnel would change and they would see their home, or whatever place they had left. And then they would go through the tunnel.

And after all these strangers left it came time for the Vampyres, and their friends from Los Angeles to go. But the image on the other side was not the house in New Orleans where they had all come from. It was another place. Pandora turned slowly, still holding the portal open. "Sar Jibril," she called. And he came to her. "As each goes by give to them the false memory of a trip to New York. And I will send them there at a time after they came here. These ones knew some of what was going on before they came over. They will be less confused this way."

Jibril nodded and moved to the beginning of the tunnel of vapor. He sent Angel through first. And one by one other's went. When it came Julien's turn River called from his shoulder and Morpheus took his lizard back. Athen had been carrying Joy, who had been asleep for a while, and as it came his turn he was told by Gabriel to pass her to Daniel. Daniel and Joy were the next to last to go. And then Misery went. And Gabriel said that he had better leave with Daniel.

Pandora closed the portal. Everything was fine.

"I'd better go over to be there when Joy wakes," Opium said, "I'll make sure she's really OK, explain anything to them that seems confusing."

"Very good," said Jibril.

Opium glanced at Morpheus and then walked toward the tower.

He was standing with the Angels and Pandora. Jibril looked intently at him. He said, "you have done good, Morpheus. Joy should be much more stable now, there will be others to watch her from now on. You will not have to watch her for me anymore. You don't have to do anything just now."

Morpheus sighed deeply. "Thank You," he said.

"Ahem," coughed Pandora and then Morpheus looked at her. "Well I'd better be going," she said. She whistled and in a moment a dove descended through the haze and alighted on her head. She reached a long graceful hand up and snatched the bird by its legs. She offered the fluttering thing to Morpheus. "I'm sure Fred and the others will be hungry, and your Djinn," she said.

Morpheus took the bird from her, put it to sleep with a wave of his hand over its face then thanked her.

Pandora was gazing at the sleeping dove held against Morpheus' chest. "Well, there's a mercy I wouldn't have thought to grant," she said. "I'll leave now. Don't think of me too much, OK?"

"I'll try."

She sat down on her carpet, and then rose into the air. She waved, and then in a short blur of movement like a time-lapse photo of light, she was gone.

Morpheus took River, Fred, his Djinn, and the dove into the tower, thinking he'd sort of formed his own small court, and he wasn't even a full Angel. He took the back way up. He smiled thinking that he'd watched Julien climb the Maze all by himself. He wondered if that nightmare would ever come again to Julien.

He checked on the watching room, noticed that the mirrors were all restored and Opium had left the large mirror focused on herself. He saw that they were in a house that had many wooden floors and white walls and collected old furniture.

Morpheus went into his bedroom, restored to its usual cluttered state. He set River on the windowsill. And then he looked for a pot to put Fred in, but when he found one Fred constricted itself more tightly about Morpheus. "All right," Morpheus laughed, "I guess I'll have to keep you around."

"That plant thinks it's a lap dog," River said.

Morpheus set three bottles on his dresser He found an old knife somewhere and gashed the dove's throat. He let the blood shower down onto his collection of plants, and then as the blood slowed he dropped some into each of the three bottles. Then Morpheus told his Djinn to go into the bottles, and they went quickly, exhausted and hungry as he was.

Morpheus changed his clothes, realized most of his things were still in Los Angeles. But he found a pair of black leggings and a large silk shirt. And he made up his face anew with silver glitter and smoothed his fingers over his silver earrings, nosering and chain.

And when he was all dressed and everything seemed in order Morpheus focused his own mirror on Julien and saw he was attending a birthday party for Amadeo's daughter Caroline, her sixteenth. And he saw that the Jewel's home was crowded, and everyone was there, the entire brood of Vampyres, and Daniel Pearl and the two O 'Brien. And so many Jewel cousins, and many Faeries that were friends. A boy named Prince Phillip was sitting at Caroline's side, almost as old as her, dark blonde hair and very dark blue eyes, and dressed in a velvet doublet embroidered with gold thread.

So many of them flirted with each other, or sat about the large feast set out telling stories. Theo was flirting dangerously with Andrew. Thierry and Anne were giving each other long gazes across the space of the room, while Cat who was fourteen years older than Thierry stood behind him bent forward to kiss his neck. And Daniel and Karen sat between Joy and Athen, both being flirted with and thinking it innocent. And Julien was sitting on one of the couches with both D.D. and Miko. The both looked so dreamily at him, and he didn't seem to notice it.

Julien was saying that he had given up wanting to escape. He'd had his time in his dark and secret place, he didn't mind being in a crowd anymore, didn't mind them all thinking him family...much. He said that he would move into a place in New York, it was the city he died in, he thought it about time he tried living there. And of course his two admiring assistants said they'd help him find the perfect place.

Morpheus let the mirror darken. He smiled at his reflection. He pushed Fred down on one arm and picked up River from the sill. "Be back later, girls," he said then left with the sound of wings.