Max's body was rigid, and he couldn't breathe.

"Let it come, Maxie," a soft voice whispered, "let it come for me?"

He let his body tense, and his breathing cease. And the memories finally came.

First, all he saw was the girl. Tiny, fragile, and simply perfect. Her mass of silver and blue hair only added to her appeal, the deep green eyes, smooth pale skin, and imminent power radiated about her and charged her essence with beauty. She came running at him, flinging her arms around his waist. "MAXIE!" she shrieked with pure happiness in her voice. She looked up at him and grinned, a twinge of annoyance in her smile, "you grew up!"

"Yeah, I guess I did," he smiled back, lifting her easily, she weighed nothing at all.

"You said you never would, though!" she said lightly, looking at him lovingly.

"I did now?" he laughed, carrying her through the emptiness of his memories, reflective walls lined on either side of him.

"Yeah, don't you remember?"

"I thought I did," he sighed, looking at her sadly, "but I can't."

"Sure you can, Maxie," she grinned, absolute faith in him. "Remember for me!"

"I'll try," he sighed, and the girl hopped out of his arms.

"Come on," she smiled, taking his hand and leading him down the semi-corridor.

"Where are we going?"

"To remember," she smiled, squeezing his hand. "Don't be scared, I'm here, and I'll protect you."

"I know," he smiled, and held her hand. They walked quietly and flashes of color began to appear on the faces of the walls on either side of him. "What are those?" he asked, almost frightened.

"Memories," the girl replied, ever smiling.

He nodded, and they walked on. Soon color became faces, children along the walls. The girl most often, and himself, laughing together. "I remember you," he whispered, looking down at the girl. "Katydid," tears filled his eyes.

"My brother," she whispered, "don't cry, Maxie," she wavered in her smile, and a tear fell down her face.

"Oh god," his face twisted in perfect anguish, "I forgot you, my own sister!"

"NO!" she said sternly, "I made you forget. For your own good. Hearts break easily, like glass." She looked around. "We must hurry."

So they hurried on, and the faces on the wall blurred into moving images, laughter, tears, and soon they neared the end of the semi-corridor.

"Are you ready?" she asked quietly, looking up at him expectantly.

"Yes," he murmured, looking straight ahead. "Show me."

So they moved on slowly, and Max saw his sister, lead to her death.

The little girl with silver and blue hair skipped down a pebbled path, when two hooded figures came up beside her. "The time has come," they murmured, and the girl looked up sadly.

"Let me say one goodbye?" she asked sadly looking over her shoulder to her brother. The two figures nodded. She hurried over to her brother.

"Maxie?" she smiled, tears in her eyes.A huge hug from the boy her height.

"I love you Katydid," he said, and his voice cracked with emotion. She was simply a child.

"Maxie you know this is fate, I was chosen as a keeper, I was chosen as your keeper…" she trailed off, touching his cheek where the tears had made muddy tracks down his face.

"I know," he looked at her shoes…

Isabel Evans slammed the breaks of the jeep as a blinding vision filled her mind. Shoes, black maryjanes, and white stockings…

"I love you Katydid!" he cried after his sister, who smiled sadly and waved back as she joined the hooded women. He watched as the two women let their hoods fall, and flowing silver hair tumbled down one back, while short, untamed blonde hung about the other head like a strange, unruly halo. 'Like in my vision…' he thought disjointedly.

Then he saw himself, crying, curled up into a ball, sobbing his soul out. He'd lost his sister, his real sister. His blue haired Katydid, with the silver streaks and the green eyes.

He ached. His soul, his mind, and his heart felt empty without the little girl who woke up across the room from him. She felt it, wherever she was, because she would come and hold him in the night, and make sure he was safe.

He buried his face in his pillow, wanting nothing more than for his heartache to go away.

Somewhere, distantly, a little girl heard, and helped him in the only way she could. "I invoke the powers of my place, keeper of the lost, shatter and scrape, bring my brother to a new-world, without pain or fear. I take my burden gladly, as well as his pain. Flurry, and let him pass into this fate," tears were in her voice, but her expression was strong.

And all around Max glass shattered, raining down around him…

Michael felt the shatter, heard the cracking music of glass breaking, and nearly felt the shards stinging his skin. He curled himself up against the unreal shards and waited…

"Do you remember, Maxie?"

"I remember everything, Katydid," he said in a half-sob.