Complete story — includes the ending
Over dinner, Dream and Delirium have little interest in the mortal food that their brother Destruction has made for them. Delirium explains the lengths to which she and Dream went to find Destruction, and Dream tells of how the rest of the family is; more or less the same. Finally, Destruction asks what they plan to do now that they've found him.
Delirium hopes that he will come back with them, and take up his post again. Dream explains that he came out of honour, having witnessed a mortal named Ruby killed as a result of their search. Destruction comments that Dream's feelings about Ruby suggest that he has changed significantly over the last 300 years. Eventually, though, he admits that Ruby's fate was likely the result of safety mechanisms he set up against being found when he left.
Destruction explains that he left because the Endless are not the agents of the domains over which they preside. Destruction occurs with or without him, and certainly has without his influence in the 300 years since he left. Likewise, each of them is but one side of a two-sided coin. Without destruction, there can be no creation. Without despair there can be no hope. Without dream - perhaps there can be no reality. Sadly, Destruction resigns himself to the fact that he must leave again, in order to escape his family.
Before going, he wraps up his sigil - a sword - in his handkerchief. He bequeaths his canine companion Barnabus to Delirium, as some consolation for the fact that he himself will not be rejoining them. He bids each of them farewell, and walks off into the stars.
Afterward, Delirium and Barnabus return to her domain, while Dream prepares to face his son one more time. He has a debt to repay him; he must kill Orpheus.
Delirium hopes that he will come back with them, and take up his post again. Dream explains that he came out of honour, having witnessed a mortal named Ruby killed as a result of their search. Destruction comments that Dream's feelings about Ruby suggest that he has changed significantly over the last 300 years. Eventually, though, he admits that Ruby's fate was likely the result of safety mechanisms he set up against being found when he left.
Destruction explains that he left because the Endless are not the agents of the domains over which they preside. Destruction occurs with or without him, and certainly has without his influence in the 300 years since he left. Likewise, each of them is but one side of a two-sided coin. Without destruction, there can be no creation. Without despair there can be no hope. Without dream - perhaps there can be no reality. Sadly, Destruction resigns himself to the fact that he must leave again, in order to escape his family.
Before going, he wraps up his sigil - a sword - in his handkerchief. He bequeaths his canine companion Barnabus to Delirium, as some consolation for the fact that he himself will not be rejoining them. He bids each of them farewell, and walks off into the stars.
Afterward, Delirium and Barnabus return to her domain, while Dream prepares to face his son one more time. He has a debt to repay him; he must kill Orpheus.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from DC Database contributors, Sandman Vol 2 48. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. · Content license