Mary: "Markus, you really know how to dream up a beautiful landsc- what happened to your superhero outfit?!"

Markus looked down, startled to find himself back in normal clothing.

Markus: "I have no idea! I just kept thinking how ridiculous I felt- I guess we have the power to control things like that here."
Mary: "How handy. By the way, I didn't want to ask this before, but where exactly are we going?"

She looked pointedly at the back of Tristan's head. He'd stopped walking and was once again staring off over the horizon, his mind clearly a million miles away.

Markus: "Tristan?"

Tristan shrugged and started walking forward again, leaving the other two behind, still not turning around. Markus and Mary exchanged a confused look before following.

Mary: "What's up with him?"

Her voice was as quiet as she could manage it.

Markus: "If it was Emily instead of James, how would you feel?"
Mary: "Ready to kick some ass."
Markus: "He just shows it differently."
Mary: "Fair enough, I guess."

Tristan stopped suddenly in front of them, his head tilted slightly to one side as if he were listening to something almost inaudible. Mary and Markus caught up and looked around, neither quite sure what they were looking at or listening for.

They watched as Tristan took a single step away from them, and vanished in a crackling of static and sparks.

Mary: "What the…?"
Markus: "This must be a border between dream worlds- I bet James' is just a few steps away."

Tristan: "Emily…"

She didn't move or respond in any way, floating suspended above the ground before him. Her hair hung loose around her bare shoulders, her face a picture of peace and tranquility. From her back arched wings of silver, unfurled yet still.

She seemed to be shining from within; Tristan could hardly breathe. The very air seemed to be humming in a strange harmony, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. He reached his hand out to touch her, but stopped short. He was afraid to disturb her, the thought of breaking the serenity causing him to pull back.

Mary: "I thought you said she was gone."

Markus: "This isn't a normal dream-state."
Mary: "How so?"

Markus didn't answer right away, avoiding looking at Emily out of respect. He felt a rising tension inside himself, visiting memories he'd rather leave well enough alone.

Mary: "How isn't this a normal dream-state, Markus?"
Markus: "My grandmother… she must have done this for Emily."

Mary: "You're not making things any clearer."
Markus: "Sleep isn't always peaceful, dreams aren't always an incoherent collection of random images that the brain puts together from electric impulses."

Mary: "Are you talking about nightmares? Everyone has nightmares."
Markus: "Have you ever had nightmares that made you never want to sleep again?"
Mary: "Sure."
Markus: "Every night? For months?"

Mary: "Well… no."
Markus: "Sometimes bad things happen to people. Sometimes it's hard to move on, and the nightmares start to eat you alive. My grandmother knows ways to help you sleep without dreaming- it's not a permanent solution, just a temporary respite from the pain."

Mary glanced back to Emily.

Mary: "But Emily sleeps. Every night, all night, in fact."
Markus: "I'm not going to speculate on this, Mary- it's not my place. All I know is that she'll wake up well-rested and won't even remember my grandmother did anything for her."

Mary raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask her question, Markus was answering it.

Markus: "Nothing we say or do would get through to her at all- she can't see or hear us, not even as a part of any sort of dream. Right now, Emily's not even aware she's here- she's in a state of nothingness. Perfect tranquility- that's the gift my grandmother's given her."

Tristan sighed heavily, finally turning away from Emily. The sound startled Mary- she'd forgotten he was there at all.

Tristan: "Let's go- James needs us. Emily… is safe here."

Mary and Markus ran to catch up with Tristan, following him through the barrier between Emily & James' dream worlds and leaving Emily in her cocoon of oblivion.

Emily: "Tristan…"