She was dreaming; she knew she was dreaming because there was no box, there were no chains, but the air tasted unfamiliar and she did not recognize this room. Kirsty sat up in the bed - soft and welcoming - and looked down at herself. These weren't her normal pajamas; instead of a t-shirt she was wearing a long white gown that almost trailed the floor, in stark contrast to the black and blue-black sheets of some fine, lustrous material. She felt out of place amongst the dim candlelight, the dark iron-wrought chandelier that gleamed silver in the blue-white of the flames, the gray brickwork on the walls adorned with delicate black chains.

She did not recognize this room, but Kirsty had one idea as to its purpose and, more importantly, its owner. But that was impossible.

"Kirsty."

he was standing outside the doorway; for a second she saw only his silhouette, but it was impossible to mistake the halo of pins crowning his head as the Cenobite Prince stepped into the light. How dramatic, how exactly like she remembered him. Kirsty swallowed.

"You were dead," she whispered, and he smiled.

"I was indeed. May I come in?"

I'm pretty sure it's your room, she managed to think through the swirling shock and emotion bombarding her mind, but Kirsty nodded and slipped off the bed. She took a few steps closer and stopped a foot away, as did he. His skin looked icy in the light, and something in his eyes wasn't the way she remembered them.

"Are you real? I - I'm dreaming right now, but..."

"You think your own mind conjured me." She nodded. "You did not, Kirsty. I am as much the dreamer here as you are; and if I was somehow called to you, then you were just as much called to me." It was his voice, his words, clear and concise and not the angry version that haunted her guiltiest dreams. Kirsty swallowed, nodding again, and managed to find her words.

"I'm sorry," she said, and his expression shifted. "You... you died for me and Tiffany, after I gave you that picture, I'm so sorry-"

"You do not need to apologize." He held a hand to her and Kirsty felt herself reach for it; the Prince leaned forward to kiss the back of her own, and she let out a breath. "It was my choice. I would do it again."

"I don't want you to." It was out before she could stop herself, and he looked up at her almost with surprise; Kirsty stepped a bit closer, not knowing why. "Once was... more than enough." Part of her was afraid, even with his words, that this wasn't real. His hands closed around hers and he studied her eyes; she could almost sense him peering into her thoughts, looking for something. But what?

"Isn't that the question." Called it. He smiled. "I am as alive as you are now, you should know, not a phantom." She actually felt a wave of relief at that, but once again confusion took over, and her brow furrowed.

"How?" She asked, voice soft, and his other hand closed over the one holding hers. "I saw you... all of you." He was cold, but not stiff; the leather on his thumb was surprisingly warm as her traced over her skin.

"It was not our time," he said, "and the Labyrinth's power is sometimes unpredictable." She must have still looked confused. "I did die, Kirsty, but I was restored to life."

"But what happened?" Kirsty shook her head. "The Labyrinth brought you back - I thought the entity here was called Leviathan? Or are they separate? How did it-they- how would anyone know-"

"Kirsty, Kirsty." He squeezed her hand before finally letting it go, and she swallowed, mind still reeling. "This is but a dream. There is time to explain," he looked around the room, "but I can assure you that I am real, and alive, and here as much as you are. You do not need to be so concerned." But you died for me, she thought, but nodded nonetheless.

"How long does this last?" It was a clear question, the first grasped in a myriad of thoughts that were still struggling to align themselves. He turned his head, expression thoughtful, and nodded almost to himself.

"If I remember correctly, most dreams last for half an hour, perhaps a little less." He looked at her, and was something off about his eyes? "But I doubt the time within the dream runs the same as time without."

"So we could be here for a lot longer." That got him to smile, his hands folding behind his back.

"Indeed." He turned to the door. "Perhaps we can make something interesting of it. There is more beyond here; I awoke in a room such as this one, if that is the correct word for it."

"You know as well as I do." She looked to the door for the first time; shadows stretched at its edges, but she did not see anything beyond, or hear anything peculiar. 'What's out there?"

"I believe that is for us to find out." He started for the door, then paused and offered his arm. "Shall we?" Kirsty stared at it for a moment; who knew what could be out there, after all she'd seen the first time? But it was a dream; she had to be safe in her dreams, or at least she hoped she did. She nodded, and after a moment reached for him, pulling herself closer than she'd expected.

"Alright."

Getting all the drafts out now while the writing muscle is cooperating with me. This is gonna be another multi-part thing; what can I say, I had the itch and this has been sitting in my drafts since around the same time as I started Rapture, which I'll try to get done soon.

I don't know why I like having them go on walks either.

Let me know what you think, and be kind!