Sarah's Phantom King

AN:I wish I owned the characters of 'Labyrinth'!…darn…didn't work…

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The ecstatic cheers were like the frantic beatings of her own heart as she stood on stage bowing with her fellow actors as the audience gave them a standing applause. Her green eyes sparkling with tears sought out her father, stepmother and Toby who stood in the front row her own smile reflected on their faces as they applauded her performance as Viola in the Shakespeare play 'Twelfth Night'. It had lasted three weeks and tonight was the final performance so like her fellow actors the tears streaming down her face revealed her joy and sorrow over the night.

"You were amaaaazing Sarah!" Toby cheered as he threw himself into her arms ignorant of the delicate costume she wore.

"Thank you Toby! I'm glad you enjoyed it, though how you could stand watching it four times in a row I will never know!' She laughed as she drew the fae looking boy closer to her. ' You must know all the lines better than I do."

She couldn't help but smile even brighter when he turned impish azure eyes on her. Looking back at that night five years ago she couldn't believe what she had done to this boy that she now held so dear. The incident still brought a feeling a shame and hate towards herself whenever she thought of how Toby was crying that night, how she had ignored him, goaded him and focused wholly upon herself. She had been the spoilt child that day. Hugging Toby fiercely to herself she smiled at her father and stepmother, returning their hug one handed and thanking them for their praise on her performance. The relationship with her stepmother had changed too. After 'The Incident' she was no longer so narrow minded about her fathers second wife, no longer viewing her as the 'Evil Stepmother' she had previously painted her to be. She was sure her father was pleased about the development between the two…especially as a lot less doors were slammed in the following years. Agreeing to see them back at home the next day Sarah tightly held the flowers her father and Toby had given her before going to her changing room to get ready for the celebratory party the theatre crew had planned.

She loved her dressing room though it was quite plain and simple seeing as it was her first prominent performance. The few flowers she had received, mainly from her family but one or two from hopeful admirers, sat in their vases on a table along with her script which was strewn about randomly…she still was not a particularly tidy person. As she took in the simple design of the room and its sunflower yellow walls it saddened her that the play was finishing and the possibility that she would never be in this room again caused her to change and dress slower than she could have, just to savour the excitement that still tingled through her body due to the performance and to carefully parcel each experience and emotion she had felt in this room during the gruelling weeks that lead to the bliss that was performing in a real play. Clad in tight black jeans, black boots and a red top with flowing sleeves and a low back she decided she was ready, she had even succeeded in scrubbing off a good portion of the makeup that had been plastered on her face, though she couldn't quite remove the mass of eyeliner that had been drawn on her. Thoughtlessly running a brush through her dark hair a few times, its red highlights glistening, she carefully replaced the brush, whispered a last goodbye to the room, before grabbing her little leather bag and leaving.

Lani was leaning on the wall outside her door, her fire like hair was bundled up upon her head with a few strands artistically falling around her face, her previous makeup which had transformed her into Maria, the Duchess Olivia's gentlewoman, had been thoroughly scrubbed away and replaced with design which emphasized her eyes giving her a smoky, wonton look. Sarah, who was rather incompitent when it came to fashion and makeup, stared in awe at her friend until the girl laughed slipping an arm around Sarah's stunned shoulders.

"What?" Lani giggled pulling Sarah along beside her as they made their way towards the meeting place.

"I'll never understand how you do all that stuff with makeup."

"Or maybe you're just too lazy." Opening her mouth to argue her defence Sarah comically blinked a few times before, grudgingly, nodding her agreement.

Arriving at the meeting place Sarah was quickly submerged in a wave of praise and hugs as fellow actors congratulated her on her performance and she on theirs. It struck her again that after this night she would never see these people again, like Larry the light technician who grabbed her in a bear hug roaring her praise, or Daphne who kissed her on both cheeks repeatedly praising her with 'bella'. Brushing aside the stray tear she joined the humming thong of actors, technicians, designers and director (who already seemed rather drunk) and started the short walk to 'Eden'.

Sarah had never been to Eden before, mainly because her pay cheque did not quite extend that far, but the joy and sadness that had encompassed the group since the finishing of the play had many feeling generous so many free drinks were sent her way. The bar was seductively decorated with red satin hanging from the ceiling, plush seats in a corner and plates piled high with apples on every surface.

Sarah wished they were peaches.

Sipping at her drink unenthusiastically, she didn't even know what it was Larry had just given it to her, and watched with a sigh as Lani danced a slow dance with Rowen who had played Feste. Watching the couple sway across the floor and the adoration that Lani was looking at Rowen with Sarah remembered her own dance. Her own song. Rubbing her head Sarah looked deep into her glass. She didn't was to remember that dance, she didn't want to remember the decadence, the gown, the fear.

She didn't want to remember 'Him'.

Taking a fortifying gulp of her drink Sarah started to stand deciding to be 'positive' and ask some random to dance when arms encircled her waist and a glitter from his right hand drew her gaze downwards.

It was a crystal ball.

Her indignation over the persons presumptuous action vanished and instead she felt herself stiffen, her body becoming highly sensitive as she collapsed back into her chair her head hitting the muscular chest behind her.

"Y…you!" She stammered her eyes staring straight ahead even as her hands gently touched one of his velvet sleeves, she was too afraid to turn around, too afraid to have her hopes smashed, but touching that red sleeve gave her hope. The movement of the ball brought her attention bat to his hand as his lithe fingers moved the ball back and fourth in a hypnotising manner.

"It's a present." The words whispered sultry against her ear and she could feel strands of his hair licking at her neck as he leaned forward and before her eyes the crystal ball turned into a peach.