Disclaimer: Still don't own any of it.
Jareth wove skillfully through the crowd as he made his way to the cavernous stadium stage. At first self-conscious of standing out—human fashions seemed to flit in and out faster than a pixie could bite, he felt more at ease in the anonymous crowd. He slid past two women—at least he thought that they were women—one in a leopard print spandex cat costume and yellow cat's eye contacts and the other in a purple sequined outfit with hot pink hair and watched for the next opening. The throng pressed forward eagerly, and spaces seemed to disappear as quickly as they formed.
The concert apparently had excellent technicians. Every twenty feet were tall gothic columns with torches spewing Technicolor fire out the tops. Lighting technicians dodged roaming spotlights and glided around flashing strobes. Jareth raised a sardonic eyebrow at the people pushing past each other to get to the stadium—and being filmed for display on giant screens for those in the back. Jareth felt a causal elbow in his ribs as he tried to move forward, and a youth with a shock of neon green hair stomped in front of him.
"Crystal Dreaming" was rumored to be the hottest band since the Beatles. The lead singer—Crystal Dragon—was known both as a golden and platinum artist, but also internationally as a model. Now suddenly, she was also rising as a fashion designer. The concert had been sold out for well over six months and people were lining up to reserve tickets for the next performance two years from now. Out of boredom, Jareth had conjured up his backstage pass and reserved seating ticket, but had almost lost it to a punk kid in oversized sweats. The kid had snatched at the metallic lanyard, but had gotten Jareth's necklace instead. Jareth growled at the thought—and the slightly chaffed spot where the necklace had abraded his skin. The kid—who realized his mistake—vanished into the crowd before Jareth could get a hold on him.
Frustrated, Jareth vanished in a poof of magic to reappear in the wings of the stage. A harried looking blonde with blue streaks and a walkie-talkie attachment apparently growing out of her ear started, glanced at her clipboard and then stammered, "Are.... Are you with the warm-up band?" She glanced at his lanyard, and blushed. "I guess not. Let me call security to escort you to your seat." She listened to the crackle of the headset and barked into it, "Sam, I need security stage right to escort a guest."
A huge hulk of a man lumbered up after a moment, his snaggletooth smile above Jareth's head. Taking a glance at the pass, he smiled again. "If you'll follow me, please. It's easy to get lost in this rabbit warren. It's a maze of tunnels!"
"You don't say," Jareth muttered softly.
Jareth followed the man up to his "Gold Reserved Seating" box and took his seat. The auditorium housed a mere nine hundred house seats, but had a balcony for tiers of reserved seating for another two hundred. The back of the house was left open for "Lawn" seats, which were the cheapest seats available, but the best places went to the bold and obnoxious.
Settling in and propped on the armrests, Jareth watched the crowds below. The giant screens reflected the crowd. A group of boys who shouted at the sweeping camera and held up a banner saying "CRYSTAL WE LOVE YOU" and other sign appeared saying "CRYSTAL DREAMING is #1" and the cat dressed woman held up a sign saying "CRYSTAL KISS US". The spotlights roamed over the crowd and the gothic torches flared up and died back.
The crowd's noise filled the auditorium as the final preparations were made. Jareth's teeth hurt with the roar of the crowd and, if the twenty feet high stacks of speakers were indication, he'd have a headache at the end. Gritting his teeth, he watched the throngs below.
The house lights flashed and the crowd shifted. A chant began building—"Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON!"—and people began waving lighters in the air as the house lights dimmed.
"Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON!" They shouted, louder and louder.
With a flutter of sparkling strobes, the warm-up band walked on to stage. Jareth snorted. Their keyboard artist—obviously a little bit spacey—missed several of the complicated trills on his triple stacked keyboards and the lead singer's voice was only moderate, although you couldn't tell it since most of the selections were mainly screaming.
The audience got testy at the end of the first few songs and began chanting again, "Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON!" Jareth watched in amazement as they managed not to set anyone on fire as flaming lighters were waving back and forth.
The band bowed and swiftly swept off the stage. The cheering crowd continued to roar "Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON!" The auditorium trembled at the noise and the rhythm of stomping and clapping. Jareth felt even the reserved box vibrating as everyone began clamoring.
"Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON!"
An enthusiastic announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeaker system. "Ladies and gentlemen. The Thunderdome and Mazerunner Productions are proud to present Crystal Dreaming."
The crowd roared in response.
A redheaded man in yellow spandex walked out onto the stage. The crowd went wild and signs popped up everywhere—including one saying "Topaz WE WANT YOU" held up by two guys--as he waved shyly and strutted over to his metallic red guitar.
Topaz started a wailing riff that died suddenly into a sharp rhythm that started the audience clapping and stomping. Suddenly, a tall Valkyrie of a woman wearing a soft green velvet dress and brown knee high boots answered his riff with one of her own from across the stage. Topaz responded with another wailing guitar and she trilled back, leaning her guitar up almost entirely vertical and spinning around. Jareth started as the man seated next to him bellowed "YOU GO, JADE!"
Jade and Topaz began a rhythmical, staccato beat on their guitars and a man in electric blue and a woman in cobalt—both of them with sky blue hair—strutted out to center stage and kissed. The crowd bellowed its approval and signs sprang up—"Lapis WE WANT YOU TOO" and "Sapphire is the MAN". Lapis strolled over next to Jade and picked up an electric blue saxophone and Sapphire sat down settled his rack of keyboards.
The saxophone let out a smoky, saucy melody and a woman in red satin spun out onto the stage with two drumsticks in her hand. Ruby had her own admirers, who began clapping and stomping as she smacked her drumsticks together and, with a laugh, she settled behind the drums.
A hush fell over the audience for a split second, as though it were holding its breath
The stage lights dimmed and a column of smoke spurted up in the middle of the stage. Tiny strobes flickered in the fog, like fireflies. Miniature lasers cut up through the empty swirls and the announcer's voice filled the auditorium.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment that you've been waiting for—"
The crowd's chant began again, swelling into a roar. "Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON! Drag-ON!"
"—it give us great pleasure to present....Crystal Dragon!"
A roil of flames shot up in the smoke and blue fireballs burst from the torches. The crowd screamed as a very feminine form appeared in the smoke. She raised her hand, silhouetted by the racing lasers.
Suddenly, she cracked a red and black bullwhip as the spot lights whipped to focus on her. She stood there proudly, listening coolly to the roar of the crowd, in skintight leather pants with open laces up to the waist and knee high stiletto boots, a tight black silk halter top and a bulky leather biker's jacket dripping with chains and sporting a flashing pair of handcuffs from one leather loop. She slowly turned to gaze at Jareth's box with mismatched eyes—one electric blue one and one of cruel, fiery red and ruffled her jet black hair and the white streak in it.
Crystal snapped her whip again over the crowd. Sliding out of the bulky leather coat—seeming to ignore the wave of catcalls and whistles—she tossed it aside as Ruby started a pounding rhythm. The two guitarists took it up, and the music swelled as Crystal strutted around the stage, cracking her whip in time. With a sassy sway of her hips, she lassoed a freestanding mike with it and snapped it to her.
The crowd roared again as she began singing. The entire stadium thundered in stomps and claps in time with the music. Crystal swung her hips around, spinning in time with the shadowy forms of the backup dancers.
Crystal strutted back and forth across the stage, the leather goddess before her worshippers, cracking her whip and singing. Jareth stared at her, watching as she finished the final chorus with three snaps of the whip and a flash of strobes.
The crowd went wild, then quieted instantly as Crystal held up her hand.
"Do you want more?" she asked in a sultry voice.
"YES!" the crowd shouted.
She pouted her full scarlet lips. "I didn't hear you! Do you want MORE?"
"MORE!" the crowd thundered.
"All right," she smiled. "I'll give you more—" The crowd's roar was deafening. "—more of the Limp Lizards!"
The warm-up band crept on stage as Topaz, Ruby and the rest set down their instruments.
The audience groaned and snarled.
Crystal snapped the whip a few more times and the Limp Lizards slunk offstage. Ruby snatched up her drumsticks and began mockingly beating the other drummer away from her stool, to the taunting of the audience.
The Valkyrie started stomping her feet and started a thrilling wail on her guitar. Topaz snatched up his guitar and answered back as Crystal jumped to center stage, spooking the slow moving lead of the Limp Lizards into running offstage.
Jade and Topaz's guitars seemed to call back and forth with electric intensity. Crystal even joined the competition, picking up a matte black guitar with a blue streak of lightning crossing it, as though she competed for the most complicated fretwork as well. No man with warm, red blood in his veins could have resisted the smoky siren's call as she lounged over Sapphire's keyboards. The next song, Lapis twirled out and Crystal wound around her—just barely not touching as their bodies swayed together.
Suddenly, the blue spotlights focused on Lapis entirely as the stage lights dimmed, as she swayed and her saxophone took over the song. She spun in a circle, her saxophone shimmering electric blue, and she sauntered over to Sapphire. In a taunting strut, she swirled around him as he pounded on his keyboards, their eyes meeting and then glancing away with a wail of the saxophone.
Suddenly the spotlights shifted, and one focused on an odd form huddled on the stage at Topaz's feet. From the shoes to the top of the floppy hat, the form couldn't have been more than two feet high, but in it's hand twirled three sparkling crystal balls. As the spotlight died on Lapis, Sapphire began a high, tinkling melody and Ruby began tapping the drums in time with the hypnotizing swirl of crystals.
With a sudden chord from the guitarists, the form stood up entirely, throwing aside the disguise and floppy hat. Crystal emerged in a sparkling white blouse, twirling the crystals with a sarcastic smile. Her microphone headset in sharp relief to her fair skin, she slid the center stage to begin again, her voice rising over the crowd as she twirled the crystals in their own spotlight.
Her voice wound around the final chorus, almost drowned out by the response to the crowd and the spotlight focused on the balls, twirling around and around as the stage lights dimmed. Then, as her notes died, the spotlight slowly faded to black as the spheres vanished one by one.
Jareth barely caught a breath before Topaz started up his guitar again. Lapis, Crystal and Ruby all were draped over center stage now. Suddenly, with a roll, they snapped up and began dancing with electric precision as Topaz and Sapphire sang.
Jareth stared, riveted by the performance. Even when she was not the only performer, Crystal's fiery presence demanded attention as she taunted her audience with musical visions of hot, steamy dreams. Saucy, smoky and exotically sweet, her voice dipped and soared like a dragon.
In a final flourish of the final song, Crystal stood posed in the middle of the stage. Bringing an arm up, she gestured at her band. Topaz sent out a final trill on his guitar, and then spun off-stage. Jade answered him back, and then disappeared offstage herself. Ruby twirled her drumsticks and with a sexy strut, disappeared. Sapphire stood and posed near one of the wings and Lapis ran and jumped into his arms. He held her overhead for a moment, then ever so delicately, brought her down low enough for a final kiss. The crowd cheered as Lapis dropped down like a cheerleader and the couple bowed and left the stage. Crystal stood alone for a moment, then, with a graceful bow, she strutted offstage.
The entire throng stood, clapping and shouting. Crystal led the others out and the entire band bowed again. The stage lights dimmed for a few seconds, and then rose as the crowd continued cheering. The band bowed again, smiling and waving occasionally at their fans. The lights dropped again and their shapes began moving off the stage.
After a full minute or two of cheering, clapping darkness, the lights rose again. Jareth watched as giant crystals dropped silently from the ceiling, hanging at seemingly random heights and somehow transforming the mundane stadium to a magical cave. The crowd roared again.
After a few moments, Ruby twirled back on stage, dressed in a rose-colored ball gown with an elaborate feathered mask in hand. She twirled idly around the stage, as though she didn't hear the din of the crowd. The giant screens flickered to life, showing the beginnings of a masquerade ball. Ruby winked and slid her mask down.
Sapphire reappeared with Lapis on his arm, in full masquerade regalia down to Sapphire's navy overcoat, vest, black breeches and leather boots and Lapis' long blue dress, white opera gloves. Sapphire pulled down his golden half-mask with a long, crooked nose, kissed Lapis briefly, and then tied her white domino on. Lapis and Ruby greeted each other, echoing the scenes on the screens. Topaz entered a short time later in a yellow-brown frock coat and fawn colored breeches, escorting Jade who looked handsome in her emerald green velvet dress. The group seemed to talk for a moment—Topaz slapping his knee in mute laughter—and, as the guests on the screen milled about. Two white wooden doors appeared on the screen, which were then thrown open wide, showing the masquerade hall. The band broke up then, gliding to their places.
The song started softly and the stage lights dimmed as the shadowy forms of the background dancers took on the forms of the masque dancers, waltzing, and laughing in the background.
The music rose for a moment, and a pure white spotlight highlighted a final crystal dropping from the ceiling. In a burst of glitter and strobe, Crystal stepped out onto the stage.
Jareth almost echoed the crowd's low, steamy growl. Damn, he should have worn a looser pair of breeches. Crystal stood proudly in a low cut, white satin gown with pearly beads shimmering in the cool spotlight. The thin sheath hugged her full curves tightly, only the slit in the side going up to her ankle allowing her any movement. The dress swirled around her like a dream, her short dark hair somehow tamed down to fall charmingly around her and framing her face. A silver coronet with elaborate silver leaves and flowers woven around it sat upon her brow.
With an affected confusion, she walked around to the dancers and musicians, who pushed past her or turned away from her. The screens flickered between showing her video and close ups of the stage performers. Every so often, a wandering spotlight would capture a glowing crystal ball that would appear for a moment, and then vanish into the shadowy dancers.
A tall, slender dancer came forward and approached Crystal from behind. The dancer, in a metallic blue frock coat, white flounced cravat, black breeches and boots, held a black lacquered mask on a golden baton in front of his face, his wild blonde hair spiking around the mask. Crystal turned and saw the dancer, facing him, she and he began waltzing, perfectly in time and not touching as they spun in time with the other dancers.
The band played the intro bars and Crystal began to sing, a soft, soothing love song to the mysterious man who danced with her. The masquerade—a mix of shadowy figures—began to fade as the two dancers came closer, circling each other. The masquerade scenes on the screens faded to show the other dancers giving way to Crystal and her mysterious man as Crystal's voice rose to ask her lover not to vanish. Implore him not to leaver her cold and alone.
The giant screens showed close-ups of a gilded clock, striking midnight. Crystal looked around, in the middle of a chorus as the chimes echoed and re-echoed. Suddenly, the dancers swirled out onto the stage, obscuring the singer and blocking her from the taller man, who vanished in the crowd as the clock continued to chime. The dancers started swirling away, vanishing into the darkness of the wings as the music softened, then stopped as the clock chimed the thirteenth time and Crystal stood there in a slim black velvet sheath, softly singing the chorus all alone on stage as the images on the screens showed her cradling a crystal in her hand with a figure of her and her dancer in the middle of it. As her voice faded in the last echo of the chorus, the stage lights faded completely.
For a moment, there was a breathless hush of anticipation.
The crowd roared in response, crying out for more. The stage remained empty in the dimly lit stage lights and the house lights came on with a determined air. People began shuffling around, gathering up to leave.
The little blonde with blue streaks appeared in the back of the box with her clipboard and walkie-talkie still crackling in her ear. She cleared her voice and everyone turned to her.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your backstage tour will begin in a few moments, followed by a reception with the band. If you would please get out your passes—which are collectible—so that we can identify you, we would appreciate it. You will not be allowed backstage without a pass, and they will be checked..."
Jareth fiddled with his pass idly as the woman's voice faded. Something felt distinctly unique—like the brush of kismet. He frowned, realizing he had no words for it. The performance was superb, but something still nagged at him.
Like most stadiums and auditoriums, the backstage was not nearly so glamorous as the performance showed. The "crystals" were huge hanging sheets of plastic that were folded into just enough facets to form a façade. The last crystal was the only one with an actual bottom. The lasers were displayed and strobes flashed, a hollow mockery of the first moments of the concert when one was close enough to see the gears and bulbs. Above the stage were huge pulleys and levers and counterweights, their oily sheen tarnishing in the lights as the stage was laid open for the curious and bored youths swept up the bits of paper, programs, ticket stubs, empty soda bottles and other trash.
It was almost sad, Jareth reflected. Like watching a spell burst around you and the glamour get swept away with nothing left to show for it.
The burly security guard lumbered in after the half hour tour, and started checking backstage passes again. He smiled at Jareth, waving him through a door to a hallway with garishly bright fluorescent lights and some kind of hideous dirty mint green paint over cinderblocks. Jareth shuddered for a moment at the monstrous surroundings. He wouldn't wish this somehow antiseptic and depressing color on anyone—even in the oubliette.
At the end of the hall, another security guard stood, waiting for all the guests to gather. Everyone would visit, briefly, the band's dressing rooms, and then go on to the reception. If everyone would please stay together and not linger and please not ask for autographs until the reception. No flash bulbs or photographs either. Please do not smoke and no chewing gum, candy, popcorn or other foods or drinks.
The crowd pressed forward, eager to snap up the bits of the "real lives" of the performers. The security guard—apparently bored with the routine—led the group past several large rooms of equipment and props. Someone tried to sneak a picture of the backup dancers and the guard relieved her of the camera. The group, cowed, surged forward again, and lurched down a tiny non-descript hallway with doors down both sides.
Jareth walked along with the crowd, wondering what would happen once the group started talking to each other. The group stopped suddenly and Jareth stumbled over a small man who jabbed him in the ribs sharply.
Crystal stood in the hallway in her glorious white dress, watching them with mocking eyes—one red and one blue. They looked him over and then glanced away, scanning the small crowd.
After three questions, which she answered in a low, sultry voice, she remarked, "I hope that you all have enjoyed the performance tonight, as well as your tour. We have a small reception set up in the green room—" She waved her hand down the hallway. "—And I look forward to seeing you all there. Please forgive me for not staying to answer questions longer—I'm afraid that I have out of town guests that I would like a few minutes with...."
Every man in the crowd—and two ladies—nodded gamely, hanging on to her every word. The security man started shuffling them all away, gathering Jareth up in the crowd, as Crystal laid her hand on Jareth's arm. "About time you got here," she purred, leading him into the dressing room and closing the door behind her.
Jareth took in only a cursory glance at the dressing room. A daybed rested in one corner and the obligatory dressing table took up one wall. A stack of papers and folders lay on one corner, along with a neatly packed makeup bag.
"Earth to Jareth. Earth to Jareth," purred Crystal.
Jareth started, stared at Crystal, as she stood in front of the closed door, proudly breathtaking.
"Surely you haven't forgotten me?" she mocked softly. She shrugged. "Ah well, as you frequently reminded me, life is not always fair."
With a sultry air, she sat down at the dressing table and pulled a small plastic case from her makeup case. With a disinterested air, she plucked the red contact from her eye and placed it carefully in its solution. She ran a brush through her hair, fluffing it. "Do you recognize me now, darling?"
"Sarah?" he croaked softly, staring into her eyes in the mirror.
She smiled softly, seductively, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "It's only been forever, not that long at all." Turning, she stood and approached him.
Abruptly Jareth felt like he was back in time, watching as Sarah approached him. Her eyes had been wide and crystal blue as she stared at him, approaching him at first timidly. Her confidence had grown, her voice swelling. Until she couldn't remember her words—then her confidence slid away, her eyes dropped and turned limpid.
Now she stalked him with a snow cat's grace, her gaze meeting his. He stepped backwards, unsure. "Sarah, wait—"
"Jareth? The terrifying King of the Goblins calling time-out?" she mocked him, advancing. "I don't believe it." She smiled widely.
Jareth's knees buckled and he dropped down on the bed. Sarah advanced slowly, stopping to scoop up one of the crystal spheres from the floor and to twirl it in her hand. Jareth cast only a wary glance at the crystal as she rolled it over her knuckles and flicked her wrist to send it rolling off the other hands fingers. It was her eyes that were more terrifying.
Sarah smile turned almost feral. Then, with a sudden unconcerned air, she purred, "If you hold it this way, then it will show you your dreams." She held the crystal still for a moment, peering at Jareth through it. "What are your dreams Jareth?"
Jareth whimpered a little, his mind whirling and his mouth going dry.
Sarah let the crystal twirl between her hands. For a moment more she stared at it, then stared into his eyes.
Jareth felt his toes curl in his boots, every fiber of his body scorched by her gaze.
Sarah moved forward, putting one knee on the bed beside him. Rolling the crystal between her fingers and into her palm, she leaned forward.
Jareth felt his eyes close as she leaned close. This was too much—too close to the dreams that he hoarded close to his heart—dreams of her desiring him as much as he desired her. He felt the creaky mattress shift beside him, heard the satin gone slide around her, heard her breath and smelled her light perfume. Taking in a stuttering breath, he willed himself to relax.
Sarah's lips brushed his lightly and Jareth almost crumpled against the bed. Taking the crystal, she brushed it against his cheek, smiling as his eyes flew open. She smiled again; rolling the coolly smooth crystal over his face and down his bare neck and chest, then letting it fall to the bed.
"So what are the great Goblin King's dreams?" she whispered softly.
Jareth whimpered as she spoke. "I dream... I dream...—" He moaned as her fingers brushed his chest. "I don't know what I dream."
Sarah smiled. "What do you dream?" At he soft panting, she whispered, "You grant so many dreams. So many wishes. Don't you have any of your own?"
Jareth fumbled for an answer. "I have many," he growled, trying desperately to hang on to wakefulness as Sarah began fiddling with a lock of his hair.
"Many?"
"Yes!"
She smiled. "Really?" She stood suddenly, chuckling as Jareth hissed at her movement. "What do you dream?"
Jareth's eyes slit open. "I dream of granting a wish..."
Sarah smiled. "I dream of making a wish."
Jareth sucked in a lungful of cool air—instantly tightening as her recognized her scent. "What wish do you have now? What dreams?"
Sarah twirled around a moment. "I have a dream of a masquerade and dancing with a King who sang to me."
Jareth stared at her openly, watching as she scooped up the crystal ball from the bed and slide it into its place in a travel case. She glided around the room, almost dancing, smiling a dreamy and secretive smile.
In a hoarse voice, he croaked, "Is that all you dream? Of a dance?"
She shook her head, her shorter hair flying out in feathery directions. "I dream of more—I dream of seeing the end of the ball. I dream of him singing to me, of him wanting my love...." She sighed softly, and began digging around in one of her bags. "I dream of him and his crystal balls and the real magic that they could create. I dream of forever."
Jareth drew in a long breath. Standing unsteadily, he watched her. "And what do you wish?"
Jareth heard the hiss of the long bullwhip only a scant half moment before it was wrapped around his waist. Suddenly, Sarah yanked the handle hard, jerking him towards her. "I wish to be with the Goblin King as his equal and Queen, right now!"
Sarah gasped as, with a sudden movement, the Goblin King vanished and the loops of leather fell limply to the ground. Suddenly, she felt him behind her, stroking her bare shoulders with the lightest touch of his fingertips. "Your wish is granted."
Author's Note: I am a big fan of Jareth/Sarah as a couple. But what if Sarah was the agressor--what if she turned the tables? :) Still don't own anything. Please R&R, particularly if you want me to send you the missing chapter where he meets the band members. ;) See how sneaky I am?