The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Twenty-Two

We lay upon the desert sand

Covered by the wings of Night

You put your hand into my hand

And held me 'til the morning light

Morpheus returned to the sofa, which Julien had made the optimal listening position with his arrangement of speakers and balance of audio channels. He shortened his wings to sit comfortably, without withdrawing them into his body. Morpheus found the remote on the table and restarted the track from the beginning.

Morpheus didn't even hear Julien return, or sense his presence properly, until he knocked into his legs. Morpheus was forced to look up at Julien from a slight distance, so at first glance he only saw softly whiskered blue jeans and a brown leather belt. Somehow, they seemed to be wearing the same pale blue dress shirt, only Julien paired his with a canvas blazer a slightly darker gray than Morpheus' vest.

Morpheus shook his head. "You look good."

"I know." Julien sat down directly in front of him, on the table, so their legs touched. "Your tie's crooked." He put his hands to Morpheus to fix the tie, which was, honestly, exactly what Morpheus had expected to happen when River suggested he purposely put it askew.

Morpheus just smiled.

Julien put his hands atop Morpheus' knees, but he kept his fists balled-up.

"I'm back," Morpheus whispered.

"It's been three years."

"I was planning to come back. Ready. But, Steven summoned me from now."

"Almost. Almost three years."

"It didn't seem as long for me."

"I've missed you."

"I did miss you."

"I didn't believe you could stay away so long."

"I think Shade told the others not to disturb me."

"From all of us...because of me?"

"No. Not exactly. I really did have things to do. You know...."

"I love your song."

"I love you, but even after three...."

"Almost."

"Almost three years, you're still not ready."

"I never said I would be ready."

"Julien."

"Right now it's Athen."

"Is he OK?"

"No. He collapsed outside some club in Hollywood. He's here now, in his room. He can move, but he doesn't talk. He cries. Shade said maybe something's happened with Faye."

"How can I help?" Morpheus asked.

Julien reached for Morpheus' hands, which were either side his legs, and held them. "Be honest with me?"

"I am."

"Murph."

"I will."

"I know that you can see things. Sometimes you know things. Not only you, but you can. I don't know how. Magic mirrors, crystal balls, time travel, telepathy, rings carved from horn and tusk? Doesn't matter. I know. You need to tell me I'm right."

Morpheus knew he had made some of this clear, but otherwise, he suspected someone else had been talking. Though, it was possible, with time - three years maybe - Julien could have pieced together clues from Human historical sources; some of those guesses had been weirdly specific. But, that wasn't the same as having proof.