I couldn't believe what was going on.

Everything was falling apart. Literally.

My daughter Maggie was gone, probably dead if the bloody dress I held in my hands was any clue. Michael Carpenter was dying; he told me that he didn't deserve life after allowing my daughter to come to harm, he had given up. Charity was critically injured. Matthew and Alicia Carpenter were dead, Amanda was in critical condition, Hope and little Harry were in the care of the state until either of their parents pulled through, if they would at all.

Molly was sitting in Father Forthill's room, a blank look on her face as she held a cup of tea and had a blanket pulled over her. The poor girl had cracked clean through; she had done her best to save her family and ended up failing. With the fights she had been in previously when I had saved my daughter at Chichén Itzá and the loss she had as she tried to protect her family I don't blame her one bit, being a Sensitive upped the pain a hundred fold. I don't even know what happened to Daniel.

Murphy was in jail, Marcone was trying to get her out apparently but I don't know how or why or what strings he'd attach to her. Thomas, my brother, and his sister Lara were MIA as well.

Everyone I had ever held close to me was dead, dying, missing or broken. The only exception was Father Forthill who was standing by me trying to figure out what to say or do. Every so often he would raise an arm or open his mouth but nothing came of it.

I wasn't into the environment of the Church of Saint Mary of Angels; I was more into my mind as it replayed the events as pictures in my head over and over.

Michael's house in tatters, telling Father Forthill to get behind me.

Opening my Sight to see bodies of Guardian Angels flung around the street and area. Their 'blood' and 'feathers' were everywhere. The smells making me gag.

Running inside to find Molly broken on the living room floor kneeling beside her dead brother and sister. She didn't even look up at me. She was worse than when I had shown up as a ghost in Murphy's house. Telling Forthill to get her outside, watching him gently leading her out and she just followed for what seemed like lack of better things.

Blood inside the house, I didn't turn off my sight. Dead Guardian Angels here too. I called for Charity and Michael. I called for Harry and Daniel and Amanda and hope.

I went to her room first.

It was trashed. Blood and feathers everywhere. A dying Angel looked up at me and knew I saw him. Knew what I was looking for. "They took her. Follow… West… She is still alive. They didn't harm her, they just took her." I wanted to go but I heard another call. Muffled.

I ran to Michael's room where he lay in a pool of his own blood. Sirens were screaming in the distance. I dropped my sight. "Charity, in the bathroom… with everyone… Molly…downstairs…I couldn't… I'm so sorry Har…"

Murphy was arrested in response as a suspect. She had been there earlier and well the police can't prove that shades or something else was there.

I stared once more at the blood covered lilac dress in my hands. I think I said something. Forthill tried to lean close to me. Probably to hear what I was saying. He jumped backwards as I fell to my knees, threw my head back, closed my eyes and screamed tearing the dress almost in half.

Forthill knelt next to me as my scream echoed through the chapel, ringing off the pews and windows as it carried everything I had with it. I fell forward and Forthill grabbed me almost jolting back in reflex. "Dresden, you're burning up. We need to get you cooled down." He said as he sat me back in a kneeling position with me sitting on my legs. I felt hot. I knew what it was; everything piled up had thrown itself up against my will. I felt like I wanted to explode and I wasn't willing my power in any specific direction to keep it from building in a stressful situation, thus it was raising my core temperature. I stared up at the fresco ceiling trying to use the serene imagery to help me cool down before I really did explode.

"Why is it that whenever we meet in a church you are always screaming at something?" A familiar voice asked. Father Forthill looked past me and I twisted and ended up slumping against one of the pews as a man with golden hair, blue eyes wearing a white shirt and denim jeans walked towards us rubbing his ears as if I had screamed in them. He had apparently been in the chapel when I had screamed. I don't remember well if Forthill had covered his ears.

I blinked a moment then recognized him. The Watchman, Uriel. We had crossed paths lately a bit more than I liked although I don't know if he liked it or not. I wanted to say something; it was obvious that he was joking with me, at least trying to. There was nothing I could say so I just clumsily stood up with the Father's help. Forthill was about to welcome him when suddenly his eyes went wide.

Truthfully, I was waiting for it. Forthill could sense spirits, he couldn't see them but he could feel their presence like a soft cold wind coming from nowhere. He was also a man of very strong faith. I'm sure he recognized Uriel for what he really was. Stones and Stars, he probably knew who Uriel was. Forthill bowed his head and crossed himself as he stood a step behind me. I don't know if it was reverence, fear, faith or maybe a combination/none of the above.

Uriel smiled and nodded at Forthill, "It is an honor meeting you as well. But I fear I've not come for idle chitchat." I felt his piercing eyes on me. Something along the lines of a back bone suddenly appeared and I was standing a bit straighter. I knew that tone; it was one I had heard him use before, when he was talking about things not being balanced.

Uriel smiled at me, "I see you've… noticed." He said looking sadly at the torn dress in my hands. I looked up at him and took a step forwards, the fire from my magic was now fueling my soul and I was quickly going from insane to angry. "You knew… YOU KNEW! What happened…Now you show your face? You show your face to me after everything is already done. Then you presume to make a joke about it… I outta burn you alive now." I shouted. Forthill placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back a step. I realized I had thrown Maggie's bundled up dress at him. He had caught it gently and folded it as best he could.

I felt cold tears running down my face as I stared at him. I knew he wasn't here for me to yell at but I think he knew I had to get that out before he talked. I gasped for air, "What do you want Watchman?" I spat using his pseudonym. I normally called him by his name but at the moment I felt like being contrary.

"I want to help you. This isn't how it was supposed to be. The balance has been upheavaled." I gave him the look that asked why I should give a damn about it. "Because it is that very unbalance that has allowed this to happen. Think about it for a moment Dresden. Your daughter is now gone, yet according to the letter you had received she died three days into the future. How is that possible?" I paused and pulled out the shreds of paper from my pocket, a few fell to the floor. I had torn it up in pain and rage when I found the box outside. Now that it was pointed out to me I realized that the printed date on the bottom was Thursday, today was Tuesday.

I looked up at Uriel. "So why come to me? Aren't you the one who takes care of the balance?" I asked, oddly calmer now. I noticed Father Forthill had shuffled off to the hall where Molly now stood. He whispered something to her and they walked away from us. He probably felt that a discussion between Heaven and a broken Wizard should be done in private. I turned back to Uriel as he spoke. "I'm asking you to help in my stead, I cannot do this. Not alone." I blinked. "Sit down Dresden. You look like you are going to fall over." He said gently pushing my chest back so I'd sit in the pew. I obeyed as I looked up at him waiting for clarification. "I know what has caused it but it is beyond my ability to fix myself. What has happened here in this world has upset not just the balance of Good and Evil but of the Universes. You recall the seventh law." I nodded. "Thou shalt not look to the Outer Gates." Uriel nodded. "The Outer Gates are beyond even my knowledge yet I know that this has affected them deeply to the point where they are now uphaveled as well. I also know that the reasoning for taking your daughter," he said the word with respect looking at the dress in his hands as he gently passed it to me, "Was part of the cause. She is a different kind of wizard." I looked up at him. "What do you mean?" I asked. "I cannot explain it. Not to you." I stood then found myself wobbly and grabbed the back of the pew. "Like hell… you know so much about Maggie, tell me what is it? What is she?" Uriel put up his hands to calm me down. "It is not that I cannot tell you because I am not permitted. It is because the knowledge of what she is exceeds your ability as a person to understand." I looked at him scowling, "I can understand it perfectly." He closed his eyes shaking his head. "What color is the dress you hold?" I looked down. "Purple, like a lavender or lilac shade." He tilted his head. "What is purple, describe it to me." I opened my mouth and found that I couldn't, I could tell him it was a mixture of blue and red but I could see where this was going. The ability to describe color was beyond my ability to state. He opened his eyes and nodded as he proved his point to me.

"It is like you explaining color to me while I have my eyes closed. In a similar term she is lilac. I can say what she is with words but they bear no meaning to you. For now, until you gain the knowledge to understand what she is, simply know that she is what she is." I nodded. "When I do gain the knowledge you'll tell me right?" He didn't say any thing, then after a moment he sighed, "We shall see Dresden, while I understand why you want to know that may be forbidden knowledge for me to share. But I promise that if I gain such permission I shall send some form of word to you. I nodded then straightened. "So what do I do?" Uriel smiled. "You come with me. We have little time left to set things right before they become permanent. Father, you will look after the young woman correct?" Uriel turned from me to the Father. Forthill nodded. "I shall watch her Dresden, her and everyone else who comes here. Go, and may God be with you." He said making a cross. The familiar twang of his faith filled the air. Normally it was unnerving, now it was somewhat comforting.

I debated setting the dress down but instead shoved it in one of the pockets of my duster, a token to keep me set straight. Mab would hate me for leaving her like this but at the current moment it was apparent she was in danger as well. I took Uriel's hand and watched the Chapel shift from view.

We entered a strange dome area. The first thing I noticed were the three wardens and two angels who stood around a young woman; probably in her twenties, although to be honest something about her screamed immortal. The second thing I noticed was her guard. Two men and one woman wearing the familiar grey cloaks of the Wardens, in between them were two angels also bearing swords. It took me a moment to realize what I found so interesting about it. Then I realized it was because of the set up in how they were standing. A five pointed circle, a deosil.

What you have to understand about magic is that Circles are very important pieces of magic toolage. You can use them for magic of various kinds. One such thing is keeping something locked in. The woman was sealed inside a circle of the angels and wardens. Whoever she was, she was either someone to keep people away from or to keep her in. She looked at me for a moment then turned to Uriel, "Watchman, you have come at the eleventh hour it seems. This is the one whom you have chosen? She asked, her voice seemed to echo in the air although I get the feeling that while her mouth moved words were not coming out of it. Uriel nodded, The second is on his way. I looked at Uriel then blinked as a light formed. A strange hooded figure stood beside a man with a buzz cut and strange black armor. There was an insignia that said N7 on his chest. "So what exactly is this?" the man asked. "Where you may begin fixing the balance." An aged voice said from under the cowl. The Cowl turned towards me and Uriel, and apparently upon seeing Uriel he gave a low bow. "Chandoran, I see you have been called as well to perform a task." The man looked at Uriel and raised an eyebrow. "Chandoran? That's your name?"

I knew better than to hand Uriel a question like that. And something about Cowl told me that Uriel probably didn't call him by his 'name' either. Uriel gave a respectful nod to the Cowl and smiled. "I have. But now is not the time for chitchat, the eleventh hour is upon us, we must act now." He said turning to the woman. "Oracle. We have brought the two who will restore balance. You have been called by One Greater than you to fulfill your task as the Guard of Time."

The wardens immediately drew their swords. The Cowl raised a hand and a light shined on the blades. Even without my Sight I could see the indelible chains that bound the woman shatter. The Angels nodded and stepped backwards breaking the circle at Uriel's gesture. "Honored ones, please step forwards." The Cowl said in his elderly raspy voice.

"Your worlds have become unbalanced by the appearance of outside forces that have crossed the Outer Gates. You must find them and stop them before they destroy the world." He said. The man next to me took a step forwards. "Ever since I ran into you, you've given me nothing but riddles for answers. I'm not setting another step anywhere unti-"I gently touched his arm. "I've already asked that question. They can't. There are Cosmic Laws that say they have to play mysterious." He looked at me then at Uriel who smiled, shrugged and then nodded. He winked at the two of us, "Just go with it Commander."

"The balance has been destroyed. There are more worlds than the Universe you know Commander. There are boundaries put into place to keep such places away from yours. Beings have appeared that have upset that balance with the full intent to watch the multiverse collapse upon itself." Cowl replied. "The two of you are central to your respective Universes, however alone you cannot win. You must work together to stop these forces. Or what you have already lost will soon be considered nothing but a paper cut to the wounds you will later receive."

I placed my hand in my pocket. Maggie's dress met my hand; I didn't think that losing a child could be considered a paper cut to anything else. I'm sure parents out there will agree with me. So what could be worse, "What if we succeed in the balance?" I asked. I was pretty sure he covered the base of "failure".

Time will be restored to its true form and balance will ensure that the pain that has been caused will not happen as it was not meant to. Oracle replied this time in her weird disembodied voice. I need to learn how to do that. Commander N7 apparently took this as much as I did. I pulled my hand out of my pocket. "So where do we start?"

I have been given permission to reset Time one month into the past, no further. This is when the beings were first noticed in the Universe. However, balance of Time and Balance of the Universe are two different things. You must travel together in both of your worlds to discover what is going on.

I nodded, pretending I got it. I did kind of, she couldn't fix things so I could run around Chicago and Shepard could go wherever he was and we compare notes at the end of two weeks then spend the next two weeks kicking ass, taking names and chewing bubblegum and all. Things were tipsy-turvy and apparently the balance was now so bad that worlds were melding together. This is very bad even on a normal scale. I shuddered when I thought about the Veil of the Nevernever weakening almost ten years back. I was starting to understand the reasons for the Seventh Law.

"Let's do this then. Where to first?" I asked. Oracle shook her head, I do not know. The imbalance is beyond my knowledge. Commander N7 seemed to take this in stride more than I did. "Lets go. I'm ready." I nodded as well.

Oracle nodded as her eyes grew bright. She raised two delicate arms and a portal ripped open. "Time will be reset soon. You guys be careful. We'll be in touch if and when we can. We aren't going to leave you all high and dry in this. Be careful." Uriel said as we nodded and jumped through.