He had once been a man and not a very good man at that but now he was a dream, a dream in the form of a raven, in the service of Morpheus, King of Dreams. And he liked being a dream, and being a raven, more than he had liked being a man. It was simple, better, he could fly, he couldn't fly as a man, and-

"Matthew."

As a man he would have jumped and clutched at his heart, but as a raven he beat his wings and flew from his perch, circling from it to see who had called him, but knowing the answer already. He flew downwardly, spiraling, until he came to rest on an arm, a pale arm sheaved by a black cloak. "What's up, Boss?"

The man, Dream, Morpheus, (he had so many goddamned NAMES, Matthew thought) tilted his head, his dark, star- filled eyes revealing nothing as to what he may be thinking. "There is a task I must lay before you," he said in a voice that was smooth, gentle and cold, all at once, a voice that still made Matthew's feathers want to stand on end.

"Sure boss, you know I live to serve," Matthew replied with a slight beating of his ebony wings.

"No Matthew, you do not. You do not live, but serve you shall." Morpheus's gaze left the raven and went to the horizon of the Dream World. He did not speak for what seemed to Matthew a very long moment and the raven began to stir restlessly on his master's arm. Finally, Morpheus spoke again. "There is a mortal. An author of sorts. A strange man to say the least, but..." again, the Dreamlord paused. "I want you to go to his residence, Matthew," he continued. "Go and tap on the doorway, and then perch on the window. And be very still, and very quiet, and do not tear your gaze from him...I will do the rest, I and my youngest sister...In a way, little bird, we will make you immortal." He paused...and smiled. Matthew was taken aback by it, since he so rarely did it at all. With something that could have been a shudder, had he still been human, Matthew took flight, to do his master's bidding.

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*Tap tap tap* annoying tapping, can't concentrate, what is it, what is it, too late, too late at night, no visitors, what do you want, what?!

*flut flut flut* wings, wings, a bird in flight, too loud, shouldn't be so loud, why is it so loud, stop damnit stop!

*Click...click* talons, I think, yes talons on the window, blasted bird, big black bird, no not so big, a pretty bird, look, look, a pretty black bird, but why is it looking, looking at me?...looking...

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In the Dreamworld, in his castle, sitting on his throne, Morpheus dipped his hand in a pouch, and pulled out a bit of white sand...

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looking, looking, why is it LOOKING at me, looking, shoo, go way *bang bang bang* should've scared it, not moving, not moving, why?

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...He brought the sand close to his face, to his mouth...

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looking, it's still, what does it want, won't go AWAY goddamnit, GODDAMNIT!

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...And he whispered, a single word, a single breath, and the sand...

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goddamned, black, bird

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...Drifted from his hand....

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the bird, the raven, it's a raven

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...And through Matthew's black beaded eyes, saw the man smile, and whisper a single phrase...

"Quoth the Raven, nevermore... only this and nothing more..."