((Long ago,)) said the man with an inscrutable smile, ((there lived a witch.))

))God help you if you're referring to my age again,(( said the woman sitting in the chair across from him, her smoky carmine eyes narrow on his face.

((No, no, my dear,)) said the man, laughing a little. ((This is a legend. All legends must start out this way.))

The woman looked slightly mollified, but mostly still suspicious.

((As I was saying,)) continued the man patiently, ((this witch was very powerful, and skilled in many things. But she knew that she was not immortal, and so she began to train a young apprentice in her craft.)) The man's eyes seemed intense for a moment as they met the woman's.

))I've heard this one already,(( she said, but the man only smiled and said, ((Shh. Listen.)) When she said nothing in reply, he went on.

((Her apprentice was young and very intelligent, but very headstrong and apt to get into trouble. The witch did her best to help her apprentice without appearing to do so, for it would not do for the witch's apprentice to be unable to solve trivial problems without assistance. The apprentice learned quickly, and was a promising replacement for the witch, who wanted above all for her apprentice to be happy. Even if her apprentice had the tendency to argue with her and sometimes ignore her advice, the witch was patient. She taught her apprentice many forms of magic, hoping that one day her apprentice would grow into the power and use it wisely.))

))This story is boring,(( complained the woman. ))And I don't even have any alcohol. How am I supposed to ignore you if I don't have alcohol to get drunk with?((

The man chuckled, but his eyes were serious. ((You may want to pay attention, my dear,)) he said softly. ((This story is important.))

The woman frowned, but subsided.

((One day the witch had a strange vision. She saw far into the future, and she saw that her apprentice had taken her place, and was doing rather well, even though there was great danger abundant, for a terrible evil was trying to conquer all worlds.)) The man pretended not to notice that the woman had tensed and sat straighter in her chair, her jewel-toned eyes now sharp and wary. Satisfied that he had her full attention, he continued, ((The witch's apprentice was fighting against the evil, and in order to do so, had taken an apprentice of her own.))

The woman lifted one eyebrow. ))She had, had she?(( she murmured, as if amused at the idea.

((Yes,)) agreed the man. ((This new apprentice was very much like the witch's apprentice herself had been in her girlhood: very energetic and stubborn to a fault, never willing to take orders, and a magnet for all sort of trouble.))

))Ahem,(( said the woman pointedly.

The man only smiled at her. ((The witch saw that her apprentice's apprentice had a peculiar power, one that the witch had heard of, but never seen before with her own eyes.)) He paused.

The woman waited with an air of impatience.

((The apprentice's apprentice was a Dreamwalker.))

The woman's eyes widened.

))A Dreamwalker,(( she whispered, her eyes going out of focus as if she was looking at something inside of herself. ))One who walks through life in dreams and does not realize his own state of unconsciousness.((

((Yes,)) said the man. ((And the witch saw that her apprentice knew about the Dreamwalker, and also saw that the Dreamwalker was connected very tightly to others who were deeply involved in the fight against the evil moving over the worlds.))

))Connected how?(( said the woman sharply.

The man looked at her for a moment. ((The witch could not see,)) he said finally, but the woman snapped, ))But you can. Damn you, if there's a chance that this Dreamwalker can be of use to—((

((People,)) said the man gently, ((are not tools to be used, my dear lady.))

The woman looked as if she wanted to argue, but she only scowled. ))Speaks the hypocrite.((

The man shook his head with a small smile. ((I do not understand your persistence in casting me in the role of puppet-master, my dear.))

))The moon in the moon castle with a snow rabbit as a disguise?(( said the woman dryly, and was vindicated by the look of chagrin that crossed the man's face.

((Yes, well. That is not puppetry,)) said the man with great dignity, straightening his glasses. ((That is simply irresistible.))

The woman rolled her eyes. ))Back to your story, creep.((

The man wondered whether or not to protest the epithet, but graciously allowed it to pass. ((Agreed. The witch did not know how the Dreamwalker was connected to the fight, but she was certain that her apprentice would be able to figure it out.))

))Of course she was,(( muttered the woman, nonplussed. ))That was always her excuse. 'You'll realize it someday.' Old bat.(( She gave the man a look of pure annoyance. ))I am never going to use those words on my apprentice. I know how frustrating it is to be told 'someday, someday,' all the time.((

((Yes,)) murmured the man. ((Character-building, isn't it?))

))Shut up, cretin.((

Again he ignored the insult and instead said, ((Well, that is your choice, of course. But to continue the story, the witch saw that her apprentice had discovered something of vital importance.))

The woman waited while the man paused for dramatic effect, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again.

((If the Dreamwalker was left to wander in dreams forever, and was not awakened, the fight against the evil would be lost.))

The woman inhaled slowly and exhaled just as slowly, as if counseling herself to be calm.

((Moreover, the witch's apprentice had found another, one with the power to awaken the Dreamwalker.))

The woman jerked forward. ))A Dreamwaker?((

The man nodded. ((The witch saw that her apprentice had done nearly everything in her power to bring the Dreamwalker and the Dreamwaker together, short of manipulating their hitsuzen. But time was running short, and the evil was growing strong.))

The man trailed off for so long that the woman frowned in concern. ))What happened then?(( she said in a soft voice.

He blinked, and looked up at her. ((The vision ended,)) he said quietly. ((The witch renewed her efforts to teach her apprentice the necessary magic to find the Dreamwalker and the Dreamwaker, and to fight the evil that would spread. And she waited.))

Silence descended after the man finished his legend, broken only by the sound of the fire crackling beside them. Both man and woman were lost in thought, in legend, in past and future.

Until, as it did so regularly, the present intruded upon the reverent quiet.

"MAAAAAAAASTER!" wailed the large cat-like creature as he flew into the room, his giant shimmering wings tinged a soft peach color by the firelight. "HE'S BEING UNREASONABLE AGAIN!"

"No, you are simply being ridiculous again," said the angel-like figure who entered the room, his silver eyes etched with irritation, his own wings hidden from view. "I am merely being practical in self-defense."

"SEE!" wailed the cat-like creature, burying his great armored face in the man's lap.

The angel-like figure sighed heavily. "Stop assaulting the Master, you ignoramus."

"MASTER, HE CALLED ME A—SOMETHING BAD. MAKE HIM TAKE IT BACK!" demanded the cat-like creature.

"Improve your vocabulary, fool."

"MAAAAASTEEEEEER…"

And while the man patted the cat-like creature's head and hummed reassuringly at the angel-like figure, his eyes and the woman's were locked together.

Time was running short, and the evil was growing strong, and they still had centuries to wait.

.1.

.0.

.4.

Yuuko-san, said the boy, and his voice was suddenly so strong, so confident, that she looked at him in surprise.

If there's a wish you'd like granted…if there's something that I can do… The boy took one of her hands in his, and she was almost stunned to feel the strength in his grip, the power rippling just under the skin.

I'll do my very best, he promised her, his eyes firm and unwaveringly fixed on hers. She felt her own eyes widen in shock, an emotion she hadn't allowed herself to express for too many centuries to count. He stood there, clad in his pajamas, tearstains trailing down his cheeks, those eyes so very bright and locked onto hers, and made her a promise, a promise that no one had made for her in so long that she'd forgotten the possibility of it had even existed.

So please tell me.

She stared at him—so fragile and so strong, so young and so very aged, having just had his life ripped out from under him and still making her that promise—and thought, damn it all, that creep had been right after all.

She was reminded of herself, the her of long ago, and felt humbled for the first time in years.

As she pulled him into her arms and embraced him with that feeling still coursing through her, in that instant before the dream faded and he was forced once again to walk through dreams, so far away from the world where he wanted to be, her eyes drifted closed, and she wished.

I wish for your safe return.

He faded from her arms.

Come back to us soon…Watanuki.