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

Three (Draft 3) "Hello, Pretty Pretty"

One advantage of having relatives in Dream was access to the Library of Fiction. It held copies of every story, even those lost or unpublished in the Empty World. When Morpheus exhausted his collection of comics and anime, he branched out into the Library's collection of Disney animated features and then Hollywood historical epics.

As much as he liked books, graphic novels, or animation, Morpheus loved the live-action movies for their casts of thousands he might imitate and the elaborate costumes. After watching Spartacus and The Fall of the Roman Empire back-to-back, Morpheus was intent on meeting real Romans. When he'd been to the Empty World, Rome had either been long past or barely a republic.

Morpheus assumed the form of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, and shifted through several diaphanous costumes as he collected the movies and placed them upon the return cart.

"Approach," Morpheus whispered and the presence of his two currently invisible Djinn was warm against his skin. He spread his wings and teleported from library viewing room to his mother's tower.

He alighted in the observation room in a green gown decorated with gold Egyptian motifs.

Mother looked up from the middle couch where she sat with a classical guitar on her left thigh. "Hey, Murph. Pretty dress."

"Formed every pleat!"

Mother smiled. "It's good work, but that silhouette."

"Not historically accurate?" Maybe to the decade in which Cleopatra had been filmed.

Mother's brows rose; she had a slight pock mark above her left brow.

Morpheus shifted to the most feminine version of herself as the tailored green gown shifted to a linen sheath dress. The beaded black hair remained, fringe of bangs now hanging over dark blue eyes with lids smudged in kohl.

Mother touched her right palm to her chest. "I didn't mean you had to change for me."

"It's OK." Morpheus leaned across Mother's guitar to kiss her forehead.

"I kinda thought when you did makeup or corsetry, it would be more my style."

Morpheus laughed and shifted back to his nearly male form. "Better?" He leaned in again so Mother might see his glittery silver eyeshadow.

Mother nodded. "I love all your forms. I trust you. You know? I trust you to choose your form."

"I know." Morpheus stood straight. "There hasn't been any word?"

"No. You'll know when you're needed for a task, Murph."

"Since no one's called, I thought I'd cross over, by myself. With the Djinn."

"As you wish." Mother smiled, then went back to tuning her guitar.

Morpheus collected a pair of decorative bottles from the chest in his room. There were still other gifts here, things he'd been given by Mother or guests at his Introduction, which he'd hardly seen or used. He lifted a green and gold brooch from atop the pile.

Morpheus unstopped the bottles and set them on his shelf of potted plants. He pricked his left thumb with the pin of the brooch and squeezed a drop of blood into Hyacinth's soil. He fed Clytie, Adonis, and Lotis in the same fashion. Morpheus then pressed his thumb to the opening of each bottle.

"Into the bottles," he whispered, "I will free you when we are past the void."

The Djinn first became visible, like diffuse clouds condensing to thickening fog, then immanated to the pair of bottles. Morpheus stoppered the bottles, then sent himself across the void.