After the Earth was used up, we found a new solar system, and hundreds of new Earths were terra-formed and colonized. The central planets formed the Alliance and decided all the planets had to join under their rule. There was some disagreement on that point. After the War, many of the Independents who had fought and lost drifted to the edges of the system, far from Alliance control. Out here, people struggled to get by with the most basic technologies; a ship would bring you work, a gun would help you keep it. A captain's goal was simple: find a crew, find a job, keep flying.
The young, dark-haired girl shut the door behind her as she entered her small room. Here she was sheltered from the harsh words of her father and stepmother, Karen. Karen never once liked her, or even wanted her. She was always a reminder of her father's first love, and of her beautiful mother – Lin.
Lin had only been half-Chinese, but it was still enough to diminish her status among society in Ariel. Not only that, but she strongly opposed a Unification between all central and outer planets. She believed the Alliance would only bring anarchy and destruction to everyone if they were able to control the lives of everyone in the Universe.
"Not everyone wants to assimilate," she would often say among her lover's relatives. "It is our differences and the distinctions of our cultures that make human beings so unique and special. Why in the Universe would we need someone telling us how to think or how to act?"
Clearly, this did not still well with the supporters of Unification, which had turned out to be his entire social circle. And when Lin became pregnant with his child, it was pure scandal. Cast aside, the two impetuous lovers left the city and settled in the outskirts. It was not a hard life, but the shame of carrying a love child never entirely sat well with Richard, and Lin saw his disappointment everyday.
She soon gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. For both parents, the child had been a miracle. Never before in the family records had a girl been born to Richard's family line. His baby had been the first in quite possibly, centuries. Lin simply held a deep and unbreakable bond between mother and child. She swore that when her baby girl was born, her little body seemed to glow from the inside. A remarkable, white luminosity radiated from her baby's soft, delicate skin.
She named her Ivory.
Lin loved her child more than anything, and their years were spent in quiet solitude. Richard still mourned for the loss of his former life, but he stayed for the sake of his little miracle and for the mother, his one true love.
But Lin grew ill one night when Ivory was only twelve. No doctor from the city would come to their home, for fear of supporting a family of social exiles. The only person who would come was a nurse, recently retired from the city hospital. But there was not much she could do. The fever had taken hold of her internal organs, and it was not long before Lin gave in to her sudden illness. Before she died, she called her beloved daughter to her bedside and slipped a round, little jade into her hand. It was a simple carving of an owl. Only a few lines here and there indicated the wings and the head, but it was an owl nonetheless.
"Let it guide you through the darkness," she whispered to her child. "Have the wisdom to see, my precious little girl."
Soon after her mother died, her father was allowed to return to his family along with his child out of wedlock. Richard was welcomed back with open arms; it was almost as if his family and friends were glad that Lin, that little outspoken nuisance was gone.
But it was never easy for Ivory. She lived out her adolescent years living with wealth she had never before even hoped to dream of. But she was also constantly reminded of her status as a bastard child. Granted, there were times when she was treated with decency because she was the first girl to be born into the family bloodline. But it was her dear mother and the circumstances into which she was born that led to looks of disappointment and irritation, even from her own family.
Her father was of course oblivious to all of it. As his wealth and prestige in society grew, the interest in the well-being of his own daughter waned. His attention stayed on his work and on the new image he was working for himself. Soon, he met and married the daughter of his company's manager. She was slim, blond, and treated Ivory like the pebble in her shoe. Ivory never once had to cook or clean for her new stepmother, but Karen reminded her everyday of how, even at birth, how unwanted and unloved she truly was. Karen saw her stepdaughter as a threat; as a reminder of the Oriental beauty that her new husband had given everything up for. Somehow Karen knew Richard would never do that for her.
Her stepmother never had to tell Ivory that her father had lost all interest in his daughter, Ivory already knew that. So, she avoided Karen as much as she could and withdrew into herself more and more.
Ivory had a decent education growing up, but her teenage years became increasingly difficult with each passing year. The children at the private schools knew all about her mother and they taunted her without mercy. They called her gou and hunzaizi. Dog and bastard. She never told anyone about the other children. Who would listen or who would even care?
She often dreamed of having a coming-of-age celebration in her honor. A magnificent gala inside a grand ballroom with dozens of members from high society, complete with a floating chandelier. She would have worn a fairy-tale gown of silver and white. Her hair would be how she always wanted it – an elaborate construction of curls and silver jewels intertwined within her dark strands. Lithe and decadent dancers would prance along the floor all night, and she would often imagine the number of young men that would have asked her to dance.
But she could only dream of it. She knew she could never have a party like that. She had very few friends and the few boys who had the courage to approach her had lost interest very quickly.
At first, she thought something was wrong with her besides her status. But as one boy after another began to avoid her almost fearfully, she knew it was something else. Or rather, someone else. Ever since she was a little girl she always felt someone watching her; a masculine presence that felt nothing like her father's. This was something strange and alien to her when she was a child. But as she matured and began to blossom into a lovely young woman, the presence became stronger and much more real. It terrified her at first, but she soon realized it was only out of her own curiosity and excitement that caused her fears. He had never shown herself to her, but sometimes especially at night when she was alone in her room, she could hear a faint rustle just behind her, or on some nights she could breathe in the scent of heady spices and leather. She became lost sometimes in those brief sensations, and lost all track of time during these moments of quiet seduction between her and her phantom visitor. She never once questioned herself. She knew she wasn't crazy or painfully lonely. He was real. He never appeared to her anywhere else but here in her room when she was alone. And he never spoke a word to her - nor she to him.
But he was always there, and she always knew he was watching her from the shadows, where the candlelight could not reach, where she could not see. Yet she relished these moments and looked forward to them at almost every waking moment.
But one early morning, when Ivory was fifteen, a baby boy was born to Karen and Richard.
Tabor had bright blue eyes and blonde hair, just like his mother. He was spoiled and doted upon by every relative that came to visit him. But Ivory felt a very special connection with her half-brother, despite the fact that he was already favored over her. Perhaps it was because Tabor took to her naturally, or perhaps it was a maternal instinct on her part. She played with him, watched him while he slept, and loved him like a sister should. She called him Toby for short.
Ivory's natural affection to her baby brother and the delight on Toby's face whenever he caught sight of her only made Karen more jealous toward her stepdaughter. But it was not only that.
Ivory truly was becoming a beautiful woman-child, and despite the fact Karen had given birth to a male heir, she still saw her as a reminder of her husband's affair. Lin's exotic beauty had definitely passed on to her daughter. Ivory did not carry any heavy Asian features, but her hair was as black as an Oriental ebony pane, lips as soft and pink as a lotus flower, her skin was as flawless as a porcelain vase, and she carried herself as gracefully as a well-trained Companion.
But even though Richard was not at all attentive to his daughter, he could not just throw her out of the house. It would not sit well with others now that he once again well-established. Not only that, his beautiful daughter was all that was left of Lin.
Five years had passed. Five long years of looks of disregard from her family and of public snubs. She learned to build a defensive wall around herself at all times. She was invited out very rarely and only by her aging grandmother or an uncle who needed to fill an extra seat at the theater. She held her head high among the crowds and refused to let her stride waver or lip tremble at the looks or the whispers. The faces of disapproval soon enough changed to looks of pity.
"Such a beautiful, young woman," she would often hear, "if not for her mother… what a shame…"
She would return home afterwards, retreat to her room, and wait for her silent love to pass through and warm her miserable spirit. Tonight, when Karen and her father were fighting over her, tonight was one of those nights.
Her father knew Karen disliked, even hated his daughter but he could not believe she wanted to throw her out of the house. After an hour and a half of bickering and arguing, Richard had finally given in to his wife. Ivory would be sent away to live with relatives on an outer moon, far away from any of the central planets.
Karen had barged into her room soon afterwards and told Ivory through gritted teeth that she was to stay home and look after her stepbrother while they went to dinner and the theater. Even though there were several housekeepers that would have watched Toby, it didn't really matter to Ivory. She quietly agreed to watch her little brother, who was just about to turn five. And after her father and stepmother left, she sat inside her sanctuary, in darkness except for a few candles that dimly lit her room, casting a warm glow.
Ivory stared into her ornate vanity, into her own glittering, emerald eyes. She always knew she was different, she always had been. She never once felt like she belonged to this place, this world... She had always been alone, the outcast within society and her own family. And now, she knew she was being cast aside once again. She had heard almost every word her father and stepmother had said. She was going to leave the only home she ever knew. But it was never really a home to her. Not when she was always looked down on and mocked at every turn.
As the candlelight danced, licked, and tempted the shadows, she began to see tears forming in her eyes. She put a delicate hand to her soft cheek, and wondered how long she must wait before her phantom love would come to her.
It was not long.
A strong arm slipped suddenly around her waist. Ivory nearly fell over and screamed out of fright… she had never felt him touch her before. But he held her still as she hushed under the feel of one invisible hand smoothing her dark hair. She sat still out of fear, she could feel him touching her, but even as she gazed into her mirror, she still could not see so much as a face.
A soft, warm breath whispered across her cheek, and she shivered at the feel against her skin. A voice soon followed. A voice that was elegant and clipped; a strong British accent she would often hear among her father's peers. Her heart beat almost violently against her ribcage at the sound of it.
"Do not be afraid," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. "I adore you…"
Ivory almost collapsed into a fit of tears. No one had said anything like that to her in years; and the intensity in his voice terrified and excited her beyond reason.
He took her hand in his, grasping it tightly and kept the other on her waist. Ivory watched, amazed as her hand was lifted upward by an unseen force and stopped just at her eyelevel. She then felt soft, sweet kisses on each finger. She swooned and he tightened his arms about her. As she sat back upright, fighting for breath, her free hand rose and her fingers felt for a face in the still air.
Then he appeared before her. The aquiline features gazed down at her, beautiful and striking. Short, choppy locks of golden hair framed his elegant face and fell over his eyes, but it did not dull his intense gaze, it only added to his dark mystery and power. A mocking smile played at the corners of his lips as he gazed down at the young girl he held in his arms.
Ivory gasped at the truly magnificent man who was standing before her, studying her intently. She felt her breath catch when she looked into his eyes. He had beautiful eyes, exotically shaped, one blue as the sky, the other brown as the earth. She felt like they could see straight into her soul. His lips were thin yet sensual, and her young body ached to have them touch her own.
Then he spoke again, his voice as exquisite as he was. "You are young. But soon you will become of age. When that time comes, I will come for you and you shall be with me."
Ivory bit her lip, and looked away.
"Will you give yourself to me then?"
She finally raised her eyes to meet his face, which was hovering inches above her own. His hands were still resting possessively around her waist, holding her still. She hesitated, her lip trembled slightly but she soon found her voice. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly. "Yes I will."
At her submission, he smiled and lowered his lips slowly to hers, taking a long moment to taste her bottom lip. Ivory immediately surrendered to the gentle touch and dipped her head back. But his kiss was swift and chaste. Her love pulled away for a moment, resting his forehead against hers in a private, intimate embrace. "Remember your promise to me."
Ivory's eyes darted across his face, completely mesmerized by him. "Who are you?" she asked in a soft whisper.
He caught her hand again, bringing it intentionally to his heart, which was beating with a powerful rhythm that only served to frighten and excite her all over again. "I am Jareth," his accented voice gracing his tongue, "and I have waited nearly an eternity for you."
Ivory blinked. How could this man have been waiting for her? She was nobody. No one had ever wanted her, besides her mother. Why would he?
She began to tremble underneath his touch, but his face softened considerably and reached out to touch her delicate face. "I will never harm you, Ivory," he murmured soothingly, like a soft lullaby in her ear as he began to stroke her thick, dark hair. He spent the next several minutes comforting her, and studying her.
She was the exact replica of his Sarah. The hair, the face, the body… It was as if she had never died. He had even sensed the same spirit within her; though it had been quashed by these ignorant and undeserving mortals surrounding her. He had itched to break all of their pale necks at their mistreatment of her. But he bided his time. All of the years, the centuries of waiting was suddenly worth every moment. He had waited for this for a long time, and now here she was, back in his arms once again. And he had no intention of letting her go this time.
He took a lock of her hair and ran it between his gloved fingertips. How beautiful she was becoming. He had nearly forgotten how alluring and exquisite she had once been.
Ivory closed her eyes at his gentle touch. She began to feel wonderfully peaceful as a feeling of warmth emanating from him enveloped her. But when he rose to leave she felt panic at the loss of his presence and reached out for him, grabbing hold of his arm. "Please, don't go yet," she pleaded, and she could feel him hesitate for a fraction of a second. He sighed and reached down to put his arms around her. She gave in to his hold on her and allowed him to carry her to her small bed. He lay her down on her silken sheets and settled in next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she fell into sleep and he faded into the darkness once again.
Ivory woke with a start, sitting up in her bed. She had fallen asleep early tonight, and she had been dreaming… She dreamt of a stranger, who wasn't really a stranger to her. He finally appeared to her and promised to take her away when she came of age. It was a wonderful dream… wasn't it? Or had it been real?
She looked up and saw it was only ten o'clock. It was still too early for her father and stepmother to come home. For all she knew, they wouldn't be coming back until the early hours of morning. Sometimes they wouldn't come back until the weekend was over.
She rose from her bed to check on Toby. His room was considerably larger than hers with much more things to entertain himself with during long, boring nights such as tonight. But Ivory found him sound asleep in his bed, his mouth slightly open. She went over to his bedside and tucked him into his blankets, then placed his favorite teddy bear, Lancelot in his tiny arms. She sighed openly as she gazed down at her little brother. He would have such a better life than she would ever have, and now she couldn't live out the rest of her days with him. She would be sent away from the only thing she ever loved in this house. She would be alone in a house among strange relatives who would only see her as a burden, not only that, but a bastard burden.
She slapped her tears away and rushed back into her room. The enormity of the situation came crashing down upon her and she collapsed on her bed in a fit of tears. Her body convulsed as a violent wave of sobs wracked her body. She was unwanted, unloved, and invisible to everyone around her. Except for one… but he had only been a dream. What if he never came? She had wanted so desperately to have someone to love her unconditionally and she wanted to return that love just as much. She had wanted so much to have a family that would take her in and make her one of their own. It had gotten to the point where she was becoming hopelessly desperate and was only imagining all of this and merely dreaming it, believing it was all real.
And as her tears subsided, she realized she would never have any of what she truly desired if she continued to stay here, or even if she left to that cursed outer moon. She put a hand over her quivering lips and wrapped her other arm around her now shaking body. She was afraid, deathly afraid of what she was about to do, but she had decided right then and there. She was going to leave on her own.
As she clumsily rustled around to find any remaining clothes she may need, her hand found what she could not leave without. Inside the little cedar box was the jade owl her mother had given her. She held it lovingly in her hand, looking down at the little creature. She sighed and kissed it before she slipped it into the fold of her satin overcoat. She had two suitcases packed along with a pack of food she had stolen from the kitchens. Speaking of which, she had never stolen from her father before, but now was a better time than ever. She reached into her fold again and clutched the large pouch of money she had taken from her father's office.
She would not leave a note. The near-bare closet and the large amount of money that was now missing was indication enough that she had left this house for good. Now all there was left to do was say good-bye to Toby.
Leaving her bags in the hallway, she snuck into his bedroom. He was still fast asleep. She wasn't sure if this was going to be any easier if he was asleep, if he had been awake he never would have let her go. But she had no choice.
She kneeled down at his bedside and stroked back his golden locks lovingly, taking in all of his innocent features before she felt the tears welling in her eyes again. She could not linger much longer – it was already close to midnight. She sniffed and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She rose and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
"I love you, Toby," she whispered, her lips still on his downy head. "If you should forget me… perhaps that would be best…"
She didn't want Karen telling him lies - what a horrible and indecent sister he had once had. Although Karen may be just as happy if Toby really did forget all about her.
She stopped in the doorway and turned back for one last look at her baby brother, sheltered by the soft moonlight. Finally, she looked away and reached for her suitcases. It would be difficult to carry all of this luggage out, but it would not be so difficult going out the back way. She knew all the security codes and the enormous dogs that guarded the house knew her by scent and by sight. She slipped out into the night and silently began to walk down the once-familiar streets of her fine quarter.
It would be easy to find a transport to the docks, and from there she could easily pay her way to Persephone where any ship was willing to take on passengers if the pay was right.
But there was one more thing she had to do. She doubted anyone would come looking for her; her stepmother would surely talk her father out of sending a full-on army to track her down. But she was not a prisoner of her former home, she had been out in society before, and people knew her as Ivory – Richard's miracle girl, who was also his love child. She would be recognized, and perhaps someone out for money would snatch her up and take her back for a possible reward. She had to change her name. Something simple and unrecognizable, but something that would suit her as well.
The name burst forth in her mind without a second thought – Sarah.
AN: So has anyone guessed it yet? Jess Readin did. I have a really good feeling about this fic and I'm super amazed at the amount of reviews from the first chapter alone. I love it! Thank you!! And the Chinese might be a little difficult since I don't know how to do any accents or anything on here. So bear with me on that for the time being. Thank you for all the reviews and the kind words, and I hope you enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoy writing it.
Shalom y Amor