NJ60

NJ 60

May 24, 2005

We had something really special happen tonight. I'm almost afraid to write it down in case I jinx things.

I was so afraid to call.

But…I did. I wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing.

And besides, I've missed him.

Johnathon just smiled at me, that smile enfolding me in his heart. I almost cried.

Fleur sat near and saw it and put her arms around me, smiling as she and Johnathon smiled at each other.

"Are you ready for this, Fleur?" he asked, serious. "It might be a little unnerving."

Fleur nodded her pale head and smiled widely. "Hell, hon. I've been in the web of a couple of people sized
spiders and come face to face with a dragonfly bigger than a 747."

He laughed as we all sat in the living room, with low light. I'd have had a fire lit but it's almost Summer and I
didn't want to warm the room. I already had the AC on. I settled for candles and incense.

Johnathon took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his hand holding mine. "All right. I think I'm ready."

I took a slow breath of my own. "Labyrinth," I said firmly.

Every shadow in the room came to life in a movement of exultation. I could practically hear them all
releasing a sound that I could swear sounded like "Yesssss!"

The shadows all rushed forward, covering Johnathon and turning him into a shadow of his own.

Fleur's eyes were wide but she remained silent, her mouth hanging open in awe as she watched.

I can imagine what she was feeling. I felt it every time he crossed between the walls.

The shadows formed another figure as Johnathon's form disappeared into them. His neck grew long, a
triangular head covered with spines formed. Heavy bodied, thick thighed, and very heavy clawed. A single
large delta wing lay folded against his back as his tail swept around, stopping to lay behind both Fleur and I.

She almost giggled.

I watched, as always, mesmerized.

Large, heavily lashed, whirling black opal eyes opened.

And he smiled.

Fleur did giggle then.

"Good evening, my love."

A thrill went through me at the sound of his voice. Thunder talking. It sent my soul soaring in ways that
nothing else can.

He looked to Fleur and then back to me. "Though you understand time does not flow for me as it does for
you, I have sorely missed you."

He turned to Fleur. "Good evening, Fleur. I wish to extend my thanks in your care of my Danny these
many trying days. I could think of no one better to have given her the care and support that you have
provided."

Fleur sat dumbstruck for a moment. I think that's the last thing she expected to hear a Dragon say. Most
especially this Dragon.

I almost laughed as I softly elbowed her.

She jerked and then nodded, still grinning widely. I think her smile muscles were stuck. "Y-y-you're
welcome…uh…sir?"

He chuckled. "Please, call me Labyrinth."

Her grin grew more wide if that was possible.

He turned back to me. "Are you enjoying your adventure, my love?"

"To Cyeatea?" I asked. "Yes. Immensely. I'm finally Dreamwalking! And Fleur, she's with me!"

He nodded. "Yes. Lord Bael thought you might need a friend to more fully enjoy Cyeatea, for now."

"It's been a hoot so far," from Fleur.

He looked to us both again. "I hear that Johnathon and yourself are putting your adventures to…what is it
called?…on-line comic format. Are you enjoying the task?"

I nodded enthusiastically, Fleur nodding with me. "We're having SO much fun. Both doing that and me
putting it down in my journal. Every time I sit down to write, it's almost like reliving it. And I'm starting to
feel the pull of movement all over again. It's been so long."

"Good. You are starting to move again. Learning to feel the walls. It has been long, my love. There are
other friends who have missed you as well."

"As well?" I considered his words. "You mean that I've met Ammie and Cleome before, don't you?"

He grinned widely, showing his black dagger teeth. "Are you not finding pleasure in the puzzles we have set
before you?"

Fleur and I looked at each other as excitement flushed through us. "Puzzles?" I ask. "There are puzzles?"

He grinned. "You will understand as your memories return. And as you experience the places between the
walls between the worlds."

"You are about to become quite busy, my love."

Fleur and I looked at each other, almost confused.

And Labyrinth laughed.

He bent his head down til his muzzle was only about two inches from my own nose. The fragrance of old
books filled my nostrils. He softly kissed my forehead.

"Now, you summoned me. Did you have a question or need?"

"Mostly I wanted to see if it still worked. Johnathon and I both were…concerned and curious. Was there a
reason you could not form while he was in the coma?"

The great black head nodded, his face growing sad. "Johnathon is a conduit of sorts and the path through
him was, for a lack of a better term, out of service for that time span."

I nodded, understanding in a vague sort of way. "There's really nothing else, for the moment, that I need of
you. Thank you, though, for coming."

He tilted his head in a look of curiosity. "My love, I will come whenever I hear you and the conduit is not
blocked. It was…unfortunate, but there does seem to have been a positive result from the accident."

My brows must have danced in confusion. I didn't understand what he'd said. Something positive? He had to
be kidding.

"Dreamwalking, my love. You are now Dreamwalking. The results of the accident combined with your grief
and frustration seem to have resulted in such a way that your mind grew receptive to movement outside of
your computer conduit. You are also writing. The comic is delightful and coming along well. You are
slowly regaining what you have lost. What is it you originally requested?"

I stared at him. "I wanted to remember."

And are you?

"Yes. Yes I think so. A little bit at a time."

The shadows began to move again. Flickering at the edges of my vision.

"Good. This is what we had hoped. You will quite possibly experience many a long adventure in
Cyeatea…and possibly other places."

"Other places? Not Cyeatea? Where?" I asked, surprised.

He shook his head, the shadows forming his body beginning to split. "That, you will have to remember, little
one. Remember that I am here, and that I love you."

I put my hand out, laying it on his soft chest. "Hearts love to thee."

His head tilted and his eyes almost seemed sad as I said the words that I suddenly remembered we told one
another every time he had to leave. He took hold of my tiny hand into his graceful palm.

"Hearts love to thee, until we meet again." The shadows flickered and split, racing through-out the room to
stop where they originated, settling back to becoming shadows that danced from the firelight.

And he was gone.

Fleur started breathing again.

I laughed quietly as Johnathon opened his big dark eyes, looking worried. "Did it work? Did he come?"

Fleur looked around the room once and then sprank up, sending a loud "WHOOP!" into the air, her arms
held high.

"Did he come? Damn straight! Every goddamn shadow in this room made him! It was amazin'! He was
georgeous! And his voice! Damn! Damn! Damn!"