Dancing on Strings

Inviting Fear

"Ah, well she's always welcome, just like you. Now."

He walked towards the first of the books that hovered close to the ground and held a hand towards her. She took it and stepped onto the pages.

"Music, music," he muttered to himself, walking away and pulling a book from a shelf. He opened it to reveal sheet music. "Maestro, if you would," he said gently and tapped the page.

Music drifted out of the air, a new different piece from the night before but still as beautiful and Mai smiled as she could feel the boundless energy begin to fill her again.

She looked towards Reve as he set the sheet music open on a table then held a hand to him.

"Won't you dance with me?" she asked and Reve threw up his hands, shaking his head in horror at the idea.

"Oh no! Not me. You do not want me as a partner. Should you ever desire a waltz, call on me, but I have no skill in your specialised art," he said, laughing at himself, before lowering his hands. "But, if you do want a partner."

He looked towards the other side of the book and Mai followed his gaze.

The light from the page began to shift and ripple. Then a column of light rose upwards until it took the form of a man with short hair who extended a hand towards her.

Mai stared at the golden hand for a moment, then carefully touched it.

It was solid and warm like the hand of a real man.

He gently drew her towards him and they began to dance, as easily as if they'd been dancing together all their lives.

Matching, turning, lifting and complimenting.

Then another hand appeared in front of her and she looked up to see another figure of a man, this one with longer hair, on the next book up, kneeling with his hand towards her.

She took it and he lifted her to his book as easily as if she were lighter than air.

Soon another pulled her to the next level, then another and another and another; each with his own uniquely silhouetted features of golden light.

Onwards and upwards, it was like dancing with princes from fairytales, like dancing with friends and lovers and gods and angels as she was lost in the time and music of it all.

Until she was done and she fell.

She didn't even wonder at it. She simply allowed her body to fold backwards, hair and gown flaring around her as she tumbled from the edge of the book that floated near the ceiling and fell through the air, watching books and golden princes rush by her, watching her go as she hurtled towards the ground.

Arms came around her as she landed with little more then a gasp and Reve grinned.

"Taking the shortcut down?" he asked smiling as he held her in his arms.

Mai blinked, then stared at him.

"Oh, I..." she looked up, back towards the distant ceiling. "I... oh dear."

Reve just laughed as he turned and walked back towards the exit, she still in her arms.

"It's alright, it's your dreams. When does one get the chance to simply feel the thrill of a fall from a great height with the knowledge that there is no pain or death at the end?"

Mai glanced back into the room. That certainly wasn't how her falling dreams usually felt like. Usually there was panic and fear as the ground raced up to meet her with open arms.

"Nightmares," Reve said and she looked at him. "I can see it in your eyes. You're thinking about nightmares. Lady Nightmare is the culprit there but you are safe in the land of dreams where one can freefall simply for fun."