PART TWO
Dream took a lover, and for a time, his realm knew only sunshine and happiness. Of course this didn't last, for dreams are not meant to be only joy and laughter. Dreams are also pain, and fear, and confusion, and more often than not, simply neutral, illogical madness. For a time though, all dreams were of happiness and love and sex and comfort, and a world awoke each morning with a feeling of contentment and pleasure.
Her name was not important. She was of the Fairie. Dream had had Fairie lovers before, he thought. The details of his past were not always clear to him, but he believed he had once loved Titania, the Queen of the Fey. She seemed to think so, and he had no reason to question her memories. It was a unique characteristic of Dream and his siblings to be able to die, and be reborn as something new, another aspect that was the same, but also quite different. Only Dream and his sister Despair had ever died.
Some time after the death of Dream, and the birth of the new Dream from the mortal child Daniel Hall, the ancient forces thought to overtake the realm of the Dreaming and have it for their own. They could have succeeded, for Dream was still unsure of his place and how best to rule the Dreaming, but the natural enmity between the two forces kept them at each others' throats even as they attempted to overthrow Dream of the Endless.
The forces of Chaos came first, as was fitting. They ripped through the Dreaming, leaving much of it in wild disrepair. Then came the forces of Order, and as they touched what Chaos had made it turned to silent rows of gray made of ones and zeros, and Dream, sitting in his castle at the heart of the Dreaming, lost touch with a part of his realm, a part of himself. Unable to sit by, he donned his armor and went out to fight these intruders, confidant that he could turn them quickly away.
Some time later, he realized that he was truly in trouble. His Fairie lover fled to her realm, frightened for herself and for her beloved. A world fell asleep to dreams unlike any they had ever known. Some of them didn't wake up, or were caught by the Chaos and driven mad. Some were killed in their dreams, and thus died in the Waking World, but they found themselves trapped as spirits, unable to pass into what comes after death. This came to the attention of Death, older sister to Dream, and thus were the other Endless caught in the struggle for the Dreaming.
They met at in the realm of Destiny, eldest of the Endless, they who are not Gods, they who simply are. Dream came, her face contorted with frustration that something was keeping her from fulfilling her role of ushering the dead to what comes after death. Dream did not come, for he was too concerned to leave his realm. Destruction did not come, for they did not know where he was, and he did not wish them to know. Despair came, as still and implacable as ever. Her twin Desire came, smoking its cigarettes and looking as though it was enjoying the trouble it's siblings were in. And Delirium came, trailing a swarm of small frogs and butterflies, and one dog named Barnabas.
"Why are we here?" Desire said in its slow drawl. Delirium covered her eyes with her hands and played peek-a-boo with herself.
"You know why we're here," Death said shortly. The others had not heard her so agitated in many millions of years. "This has to be dealt with."
"This is Dream's affair," Despair rasped. "We shouldn't interfere."
"your cigarette never goes out," Delirium said, resting her head on her shoulder and closing her green eye. "do you think i should get a cat to keep barnabas company? i think we should help dream, even if he isnt really dream. It would be right. Would you like a kitty to play with, barnabas?"
"No."
"I agree with Despair," Desire said, ignoring the youngest of its siblings. "We don't need to get involved with Dream's struggle. Either he works it out or he doesn't."
"You're not listening, Desire," Death said shortly. "This involves me now, and it's affecting Del too. It's only a matter of time before your realms are touched too. We need to do something."
"The forces of Chaos and Order touch us all," Destiny spoke. As always, the others were not sure whether he spoke, or simply read what was written in his book. "When Death is disturbed, it is unwise of us not to take notice."
"What do you expect us to do, then, oh mighty and all knowing one?"
"That is for you to decide," he replied emotionlessly.
"That is just like you Destiny," Death said. "You tell us we have to do something, then you refuse to help decide what to do."
"This is not like you sister," he replied. "My place is to observe, to read the book as it is written. You know this. I have called you together, you must come to a decision." Death sighed.
"you hate not being in charge. like dream. not dream though. the other one. the old one. Like him. he hated it when anyone else was right. but nooneshouldmesswithdeath. i know that."
"She's right," Despair said. "You're not like yourself." She set her hook in her cheek and tugged slightly. "You really want help?" Death smiled, shaking her head. She hadn't smiled since this had begun, and it wasn't like her.
"Why are you encouraging this? I would have thought you would refuse to get dragged into this. Oh well, I am leaving. You all can play at war, but I have had more than enough." With that, Desire stood, exhaled a puff of smoke and vanished into its own realm. The four remaining members of the Endless family were silent. Finally Death stood.
"I'm going to help Dream. Will any of you come with me?" Delirium bent herself backwards until her shaggy hair touched the ground, then she flipped herself back to a standing position.
"me and barnabas are coming. this'll be fun. but… but you have to promise not to yell at me. do you promise death?"
"I promise sister. Will you come Destiny?"
"No."
"Despair?"
"I'll come."
As his siblings vanished, Destiny sat and read his book. His eyes were dark, but he saw what was coming. He watched them go, and knew that the battle was now to begin in earnest.
Dream took a lover, and for a time, his realm knew only sunshine and happiness. Of course this didn't last, for dreams are not meant to be only joy and laughter. Dreams are also pain, and fear, and confusion, and more often than not, simply neutral, illogical madness. For a time though, all dreams were of happiness and love and sex and comfort, and a world awoke each morning with a feeling of contentment and pleasure.
Her name was not important. She was of the Fairie. Dream had had Fairie lovers before, he thought. The details of his past were not always clear to him, but he believed he had once loved Titania, the Queen of the Fey. She seemed to think so, and he had no reason to question her memories. It was a unique characteristic of Dream and his siblings to be able to die, and be reborn as something new, another aspect that was the same, but also quite different. Only Dream and his sister Despair had ever died.
Some time after the death of Dream, and the birth of the new Dream from the mortal child Daniel Hall, the ancient forces thought to overtake the realm of the Dreaming and have it for their own. They could have succeeded, for Dream was still unsure of his place and how best to rule the Dreaming, but the natural enmity between the two forces kept them at each others' throats even as they attempted to overthrow Dream of the Endless.
The forces of Chaos came first, as was fitting. They ripped through the Dreaming, leaving much of it in wild disrepair. Then came the forces of Order, and as they touched what Chaos had made it turned to silent rows of gray made of ones and zeros, and Dream, sitting in his castle at the heart of the Dreaming, lost touch with a part of his realm, a part of himself. Unable to sit by, he donned his armor and went out to fight these intruders, confidant that he could turn them quickly away.
Some time later, he realized that he was truly in trouble. His Fairie lover fled to her realm, frightened for herself and for her beloved. A world fell asleep to dreams unlike any they had ever known. Some of them didn't wake up, or were caught by the Chaos and driven mad. Some were killed in their dreams, and thus died in the Waking World, but they found themselves trapped as spirits, unable to pass into what comes after death. This came to the attention of Death, older sister to Dream, and thus were the other Endless caught in the struggle for the Dreaming.
They met at in the realm of Destiny, eldest of the Endless, they who are not Gods, they who simply are. Dream came, her face contorted with frustration that something was keeping her from fulfilling her role of ushering the dead to what comes after death. Dream did not come, for he was too concerned to leave his realm. Destruction did not come, for they did not know where he was, and he did not wish them to know. Despair came, as still and implacable as ever. Her twin Desire came, smoking its cigarettes and looking as though it was enjoying the trouble it's siblings were in. And Delirium came, trailing a swarm of small frogs and butterflies, and one dog named Barnabas.
"Why are we here?" Desire said in its slow drawl. Delirium covered her eyes with her hands and played peek-a-boo with herself.
"You know why we're here," Death said shortly. The others had not heard her so agitated in many millions of years. "This has to be dealt with."
"This is Dream's affair," Despair rasped. "We shouldn't interfere."
"your cigarette never goes out," Delirium said, resting her head on her shoulder and closing her green eye. "do you think i should get a cat to keep barnabas company? i think we should help dream, even if he isnt really dream. It would be right. Would you like a kitty to play with, barnabas?"
"No."
"I agree with Despair," Desire said, ignoring the youngest of its siblings. "We don't need to get involved with Dream's struggle. Either he works it out or he doesn't."
"You're not listening, Desire," Death said shortly. "This involves me now, and it's affecting Del too. It's only a matter of time before your realms are touched too. We need to do something."
"The forces of Chaos and Order touch us all," Destiny spoke. As always, the others were not sure whether he spoke, or simply read what was written in his book. "When Death is disturbed, it is unwise of us not to take notice."
"What do you expect us to do, then, oh mighty and all knowing one?"
"That is for you to decide," he replied emotionlessly.
"That is just like you Destiny," Death said. "You tell us we have to do something, then you refuse to help decide what to do."
"This is not like you sister," he replied. "My place is to observe, to read the book as it is written. You know this. I have called you together, you must come to a decision." Death sighed.
"you hate not being in charge. like dream. not dream though. the other one. the old one. Like him. he hated it when anyone else was right. but nooneshouldmesswithdeath. i know that."
"She's right," Despair said. "You're not like yourself." She set her hook in her cheek and tugged slightly. "You really want help?" Death smiled, shaking her head. She hadn't smiled since this had begun, and it wasn't like her.
"Why are you encouraging this? I would have thought you would refuse to get dragged into this. Oh well, I am leaving. You all can play at war, but I have had more than enough." With that, Desire stood, exhaled a puff of smoke and vanished into its own realm. The four remaining members of the Endless family were silent. Finally Death stood.
"I'm going to help Dream. Will any of you come with me?" Delirium bent herself backwards until her shaggy hair touched the ground, then she flipped herself back to a standing position.
"me and barnabas are coming. this'll be fun. but… but you have to promise not to yell at me. do you promise death?"
"I promise sister. Will you come Destiny?"
"No."
"Despair?"
"I'll come."
As his siblings vanished, Destiny sat and read his book. His eyes were dark, but he saw what was coming. He watched them go, and knew that the battle was now to begin in earnest.