JARETH

"Damn it all to hades!" I said out loud as soon as I arrived back in my castle. I stormed to my throne room and told all the goblins to leave. They just stared at me as though they couldn't believe my sudden mood change from when they saw me last. Do they not know me after all these years? Volatile might as well have been my middle name.

"I said LEAVE!"

They finally scrambled and left, taking the blasted chickens with them. I plopped down in my throne chair and threw my face into my hands, feeling completely despondent with everything that occurred – once again – in such short time. Why must nothing be easy when it comes to Sarah? I hated leaving her like that, but we both needed time to think. It would be pure torment to wait until I could see her again. Patience was not my strong suit, either.

"You look like hell," came a sudden voice from the other side of the room. "Is everything alright?"

I looked up and saw Lucis, my advisor and closest friend, carrying a stack of papers which I assumed were responses from my fellow Fae and the other kingdoms letting me know they were planning on coming to my Fall Festival. He walked towards me and set the papers down on a nearby pillar.

"Jareth? Did something happen?" he continued to probe.

"If you were here these past seventy two hours, then you'd know. It's a rather long story otherwise," I told him, rubbing my forehead. "And please tell me you've gone through those responses so I don't have to."

Lucis let out a chuckle that sounded more like sneering. "Well, you did allow me the time off to visit my dying mother, but had I known you needed me here I would have of course come, your majesty. As for your question, yes, I've gone through these responses."

"Good," I mumbled. "How is your mother?" I already knew the answer of course, but I was trying to avoid the topic regarding Sarah.

Lucis raised his eyebrows as though he couldn't believe I had taken an interest in his mother's condition. I wasn't that cold. Lucis responded hesitantly and told me, "She'll be passing into the veil soon. It shouldn't be more than a day or two now."

I didn't know what to say, for I knew Lucis did not want my pity and he wasn't terribly close to his mother anyway. My own parents were better to Lucis than his growing up.

"So, are you going to tell me what transpired to put you in such a foul mood? Not that you're usually in a happy one these days," Lucis jokingly said.

I let out an irritable sigh, and figured I should probably tell him everything. But where to start? "Sarah is what happened," I decided to simply say.

Lucis stared at me incredulously, eyes wide open. "What? Surely you don't mean, that Sarah?"

"Of course I mean that Sarah. Is there any other?" I retorted.

"What do you mean then? What happened?" Lucis asked.

"I mean, she's accessible again. She said my name out loud three nights ago."

Lucis narrowed his eyes. "That's not possible."

"That's what I thought. But, it happened. Apparently…she had been dreaming about me for the past seven years. I've come to find out that through her…strong willpower, which I so generously appointed to her, she hung on to fragments of me. This…willpower acted as a counter to the memory spell, as the Labyrinth was kind enough to share with me."

"You spoke to the Labyrinth about this?" Lucis asked me skeptically.

"I had to," I argued. "I was afraid It intervened somehow, being that It shares a connection with all those who run the maze. I didn't think it was myself who caused everything. Though I can't say I regret doing so, even if it was in ignorance."

Lucis shook his head. "You mean to tell me that Sarah, the girl who bested you and was forced to retire her memories of everything involving the Labyrinth and yourself, has remembered you all this time through simple dreams. By sheer willpower. Do I have that correct?"

"So it would seem," I said tapping my riding crop against my boot.

"And she obtained this willpower, how, again?" Lucis asked.

"Because of that cursed book I gave her all those years ago. As you are well aware, she used those words against me the last time I saw her. I didn't have any control or influence over her per those words, thus I wasn't allowed to stay within her heart unless she wanted me to."

"Go on…," Lucis said.

I tightened my lips before I spoke again. "She also stated that her will was as strong as mine. Being that she is my equal, once again due to my generosity…she was seemingly allowed to share a bit of my own willpower, which meant she clearly wanted me to remain close to her heart on some subconscious level. She fought hard against the magic to do this, and succeeded."

Lucis scrunched his forehead as if this was all too crazy to comprehend. I couldn't agree more.

"I know it seems implausible but it's true," I stated. "I visited Sarah in her dream three nights ago, and I spoke to her in that dream. By doing this, I…I must have activated her repressed memories more and everything started to fall into place, albeit rather quickly. She wished upon me two more times after that in her mind, and I was obligated to come. Long story short, last night she wished that my presence was in real time, not in a dreamscape, and now I suppose we're back in each other's lives." Hopefully, I thought.

"What happened after she wished for you?" Lucis asked. "You appeared and didn't manage to drive her into insanity? How would she have known to even wish for something like that, Jareth? It seems rather sudden for her to have done such a thing if you say this all started to happen only three nights ago."

"She's been dreaming about me for seven years, Lucis," I asserted.

"Regardless, she probably only thought you were a figment of her imagination. So you, what? Tempted her? Seduced and manipulated her into wishing for you to show up in the flesh? Humans are fragile creatures, Jareth. Their minds work differently. You meddled."

"I merely moved things along at a faster pace, despite not wanting to originally," I countered. "After I spoke to the Labyrinth, I told myself I'd be patient but…"

"We all know you don't understand that term, Jareth." Lucis sighed. "I understand though- you've been longing for her since she ran the maze and you couldn't wait another minute till you had her in your arms again," he said rather mockingly. "How did she handle the series of events?"

I let out a small laugh. "She slapped me."

"Good," Lucis chuckled. "I like her already. Have you two spoken about everything?"

"Briefly," I said. "I tried telling her what I could. I left her home not too long ago, in fact. Ran into her lovely ex-mate too."

Lucis raised one eyebrow. "That couldn't have gone over well."

"We became best friends, what are you talking about?" I answered with a snicker.

"I'm sure you did. When will you see her again?" Lucis asked me.

I sighed again. "However long it takes for her to come to terms with everything. I interfered with that before, I shan't do it again."

"And if she calls for you in her dreams?" Lucis inquired.

"Then I have no choice but to indulge in her wish. I will do my best to refrain from certain…activities though, if that is what you are suggesting."

"Good luck with that," Lucis said. He went back to the pillar to grab the responses and stared at them for several seconds before he turned to me again. "Despite how odd this all is, I'm delighted to hear that Lady Sarah is within reach again, Jareth. I know how much she means to you. Perhaps…you can invite her to the Fall Festival?"

My ears twitched as Lucis said this. It wasn't a half bad idea. The ball was in nearly two months' time, surely Sarah would have processed everything by then. I hoped, anyway…

"That's not a bad idea, Lucis, thank you. I will be sure to send her an invite."

"Wonderful!" Lucis exclaimed. "Need I also remind you that we have a meeting with Lady Alina soon for the décor? I know you despise doing stuff like this, but seeing as you're the host I'm afraid it is rather important you show up."

I waved my hand passively at Lucis, indicating that I'd be there even though he was right- I abhorred such silly notions. The only reason I was even partaking in this trivial event was to keep the rest of the royals and their people happy. Damn politics. No one even likes the south anyway, they always complained it was too…southern. Whatever the hell that means.

"I shall fetch you in several hours then, your highness," Lucis told me.

"Why must you always be so formal, Lucis? We've known each other since we were children," I said.

"Habit, old friend. I will you soon." And with that he left me alone again to think over everything.

SARAH

It was raining outside when I stepped out of my apartment, making the New York City air even more humid than usual. I trudged as fast as I could in the rain to the psychic store to talk to Angel. I probably should have called her to let her know I was coming and make sure she was there, but I didn't want to waste time. I needed to talk to her about everything that transpired, and I hoped to god she'd believe me. She had to- she's the one who practically foretold all of it after all.

I reached the store about thirty minutes later and I was sopping wet. Why I didn't bring an umbrella confounds me; my mind must be totally disheveled right now. I walked in and looked around the shop, scanning to see if Angel was here. I suddenly felt something brush against my leg, making me jump and I looked down to see a black cat.

"That's Phoebe," said a familiar voice. "The store cat."

I looked back up and saw – thank goodness – Angel walking towards me. She was wearing a similar outfit to the one I saw her in yesterday, only instead of purple, her getup included a lot of green, making her black hair pop. I stepped away from the cat, which had rolled onto its side at this point, clearly wanting my attention.

"Cute," I replied, not totally meaning it. Cats, especially black ones, weren't really my favorite.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon, Sarah," Angel told me.

"Yeah, sorry to just barge in on you like this, but I needed to talk to someone. Are… uh, are you free?" I asked.

Angel turned her head to look at the large clock that was hung near the cash register and faced me again, smiling. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. Look at you, you're all wet dear. Come, follow me."

Angel grabbed my hand and let me to the back of the store. I was shivering at this point, not only from being anxious, but this store was beyond freezing and I was soaked. She gave me a towel and took off a black t-shirt from one of the shelves and handed it to me. I thanked her and changed out of my wet top into the dry one she provided. I then used the towel to try my hair as much as I could, and put it in a braid to keep it away from my face. Once I was somewhat decent again, I handed her the towel back and she studied me.

"Is everything okay?" Angel asked me as she took the towel from my hand.

"Um. I don't know to be honest," I admitted. "Can we sit somewhere?"

"Of course, let's go back into the tarot room," Angel said and led me into the same room where she performed yesterday's reading.

We both sat down and I once again had no idea what to say. I found myself doing that a lot lately- becoming speechless. Luckily, Angel broke the ice first.

"So what troubles you, Sarah? I can sense that you've gone through something…peculiar."

I had to laugh at that, but it more of a manic laugh than anything. "You have no idea," I told her.

"Well, would you like to try and explain it to me?" she said in a calming voice.

I let out a sigh and started shaking my head nervously, for I had no idea where to start. I suppose just putting it right out there was the best place to begin.

"My dream came to life," I said point blank, putting my hands on my mouth. There, I had said it. I waited for Angel to say something, but she just stared at me, making me think I had made a horrible decision in coming here and telling her this.

Just when I was about to lose hope she spoke. "What do you mean by that, Sarah?"

Maybe I should switch gears, I thought. "Okay, do you know…anything about the Fae? Or something called…the Underground?"

Angel gave me a weird smile just then, like her life had just been made by my question. "The Underground, huh? Sit tight, Sarah."

She got up from her seat, and I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering where she was going. Hello, having a mental breakdown over here! Need assistance! I shook my legs in anticipation and Angel came back a couple of minutes later, holding a rather small looking book. She set it down on the table, and dust was sputtered everywhere, causing me to wave my hand back and forth in front of my face. The damn thing was as old as Zeus.

"What's this?" I asked.

"This…," Angel began. "Is a little mythology book Sarah, containing information about what you just mentioned: The Underground. I'm going to give this to you to read but…how did you come to hear about this place? Hardly anyone knows about it. It is a myth after all," she finished saying with some sarcasm laced in her voice, as if trying to test me.

"Uh…would you believe me if I told you?" I asked, letting out a nervous laugh and then gulped.

Angel continued to just smile at me. "I've heard of many strange things, Sarah. Not much surprises me, and I've always prided myself on believing the unbelievable or things that may seem…impossible."

I guess that explains her day job then. I chastised myself for thinking that; I should be grateful that someone like her would even consider believing me. She gave me a look that indicated I should be forthcoming and she was willing to listen. I took a deep breath and started telling her everything. I went over the entirety of my dreams briefly again and how they made me think there was a void in my life, then I recapped our reading from yesterday and how it led me to feeling inspired and bold in my recent dream with Jareth. I then told her all about him and that he sprang to life shortly after that dream, which led to…things and the conversation we had afterwards. I lastly told her about Paul and him showing up unexpectedly, and this morning's recent events.

When I was done, my mouth felt parched from talking so much. God it felt good to say all of that to someone else. Especially someone who wouldn't try and send me to the loony bin. Hopefully. Angel looked at me inquisitively and I once again had a feeling of regret wash over me, like I shouldn't have ever said anything.

"Well, Sarah," she finally said. "That is… quite the series of events. Just so I have this straight: the man whom you've been dreaming about for seven years showed up in reality after you confronted and wished for him; the two of you had relations; and he explained that he is Fae and the Goblin King from the Underground whom you met when you were fifteen…but your memories of this ordeal are gone. Do I have that correct?"

"Yeah, and then Paul showed up and all that good stuff," I said hastily.

"Hmm. Can I ask you a bit about Paul?" Angel asked out of the blue. "I need to understand how he plays a role in this."

"Plays a role? What do you mean?" I wanted to know.

"You said you started having these dreams seven years ago; when you started dating him. Is that correct?"

"Yeah…"

"So tell me about him," Angel probed.

"Uh, okay. Um..." Where to start? "He's my age. He's…very good looking. Really smart. Outgoing. Funny. He's going to law school right now. He's very type A personality. Charming…I don't know. Like I told you, he cheated on me, so he isn't that great even though he sounds like it. He's really good at making you feel important, but it's only because he needs something from you. He uses people. And he'd step all over anyone to get to the top. He manipulates very well."

"So why did you stay with him for that many years if he was like that?" Angel asked me.

"Because he was great in the beginning and I thought I loved him," I tried rationalizing. "He was my first boyfriend and the person I lost my virginity to, so…he mattered to me."

"Interesting," was all Angel said.

"What's so interesting about that?"

"Well...," Angel began. "It seems a little coincidental to me that your dreams of – may I just call him 'Jay?' – began when you offered your heart to someone else. It's almost as though you were fighting against yourself in some way…like you knew you had forgotten something and you needed a reminder. A reminder that your heart was not with the right soul."

I gulped and Angel continued. "You said Jay explained the strength of your willpower and how that was the reason your dreams of him came to be. It makes sense, Sarah. You were waging an internal battle with yourself to help you remember. While your willpower helped a little bit, it couldn't fully outdo the spell that he placed, but…it did something. And now look where you are. Once you and Paul broke up you found further strength to say Jay's name out loud, causing you to try harder to understand who he was. I find it to be hopelessly romantic if I do say so myself. You're in love with him. You just haven't fully realized it yet."

I couldn't believe what Angel had just told me. Love? How could I love Jareth? I hardly knew him. And after kidnapping my brother when I was only fifteen and making me run a maze, I highly doubt I'd fall in love with someone like that. Right?

"That's impossible, Angel," I said. "Even if I were in love with Jareth…which I'm not…it would be a part of me that I have no idea even exists. I don't remember meeting him, and it's almost like there's another side to myself that I'm not familiar with. I don't know that girl."

"That doesn't matter, Sarah," Angel said grabbing my hand. "What matters is that it was still you who ran the Labyrinth and met Jay. Even though you can't remember it, it did happen and your unconscious mind remembers it through that," she said pointing to my heart. "Have you thought about asking him for your memories back?"

"Yes, of course I have," I answered. "But I'm not sure I want to. I mean…a part of me does, but. I don't know, I think it would confuse me more. It'd be like reliving an entirely different me."

"I think you'd be surprised, Sarah. Give it some thought. I don't think it would do much to alter your perception of things like you think it would. In fact, I think it will give you clarity to everything and would help you come to terms with all of this. Right now you're trying to swim in an empty sea, and I'd imagine that would leave anyone to feel…mentally exhausted. Think about it, alright? It could bring you two closer. In the meantime…read that book I gave you. There should be a section that discusses the Underground, I remember stumbling upon it years ago. Maybe that will further entice you to want your memories back. It sounds like such a fascinating place."

I took the book off the table and looked at it. It couldn't hurt, right? I sat up from my chair and walked over to Angel to hug her.

"Thank you so much. For everything. For listening, for believing in me and not thinking I'm bat shit crazy. Seriously, I'd probably go crazy if I didn't have someone to talk to," I finished saying with a nervous laugh.

Angel gave me a look of gratitude as she pulled back from the hug and held onto my shoulders with both hands. "You're a strong woman, Sarah. Like I told you yesterday – open yourself up to the possibilities. It sounds to me like this Jay fellow is the one. I'll be here if you ever need anything."

I rolled my eyes but smiled at the same time. We said our goodbyes and I felt a million times better after talking to Angel. When I stepped outside, the rain had stopped and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in that after rain smell. It smells like Jareth. My eyes sprang back open from my thoughts of him. Oh Jareth, what to do with you? Angel seemed to be a huge advocate of him. What was up with her wanting to call him Jay? I still wasn't sure why she believed me so easily or how she even knew about the Underground. She had read about it, she said? So random and so…odd. Oh well, I suppose it's a good thing otherwise I'd for sure go crazy. I shrugged and began my walk back home to read the silly book Angel had given me.

JARETH

I so badly wanted to kick a goblin in this moment. Lady Alina wouldn't stop talking to me and Lucis about the damn décor for my ballroom. Well, she was mainly talking to Lucis seeing as I had checked out long ago. I couldn't help but wonder what Sarah was doing, and it had only been several hours since I saw her last. I tried ignoring the fact that I detected her saying my name at some point during the day, my senses immediately being drawn towards her. She must have been talking about me to someone; that friend Alexa of hers perhaps? The thought of her talking about me made me smile.

"What do you think, your majesty?"

I broke out of the daze I was in and turned to Lady Alina who had just seemingly asked me a question, but of course I didn't hear her. "Yes, that would be marvelous Alina. I trust that anything you do to the ballroom will look magnificent."

I turned to Lucis, who had his brows furrowed and a smile on his face indicating he knew where my mind was at. I cleared my throat and walked towards Alina to finalize the details so she could leave quicker. I asked to see the papers she held in her hand and hurriedly read through the plans.

"This all looks fantastic," I told Alina. "Any final suggestions?"

Alina not so subtlety grazed my hand with hers as she took her papers from me and fluttered her eyelashes as she attempted to give me a smoldering gaze. "Perhaps we could discuss any final issues over some tea? Maybe somewhere, private?"

I had expected Alina to come on to me at some point in the day, seeing as we've shared some intimate times in the past. It just so happens that she's the best party planner nearby. Only now, the thought of fornicating with her made my stomach curl. While she was quite beautiful with her long auburn hair and blue eyes, I simply did not wish to bed anyone else. I told myself I'd try and be celibate until the day came when Sarah was ready to accept everything. I just hoped I wasn't being too optimistic in that regard.

I smiled appreciatively to Alina. "While that sounds…enticing, I'm afraid I have much to do today, Lady Alina. Perhaps some other time." She didn't hide her disappoint very well but what could she do?

"I understand, your majesty," she said. "I'm glad you're happy with the design plans. I will be back in four weeks' time to begin setting up. Perhaps we can talk then?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

Gods, she was relentless. "Yes, perhaps. Allow me to escort you out." I offered my elbow and she happily took it. I should have never been intimate with her, she was much too young for a Fae and was being exceptionally needy; not something I needed to deal with.

Once she was gone, Lucis found me walking back towards my study room and started laughing. "Oh, that was too rich. Poor Lady Alina, if only she knew. She looked so disheartened when you turned her down," he told me. "I never would have thought you of all people would say no to an opportunity for sex."

"Yes well, given the circumstances I think it's best to keep it in my breeches," I said.

"The circumstances that had you completely and wholly distracted during our meeting with Alina?" Lucis asked. "For all you know your ballroom will end up looking like a circus and you just agreed to it."

"If Alina ever wants to have another private moment with me, she knows better than to do something like that. Her skills as a decorator are without a doubt superb. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be left alone. Too much talking today."

I saw Lucis slightly roll his eyes as I walked past him to retreat to my study room. Once I got there I sat in my chair and desperately wanted to see what Sarah was up to, but I refused to intervene. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself when she told me I had been 'creepy' looking in on her through my crystals. She had no idea the kind of hold she had on me. I hoped I hadn't made a mistake by allowing her time to herself. I was sure this was the best way to go about things, but I hated not knowing what the outcome would be. I sincerely hoped everything would work out. It just had to.

I sighed and began the writing personal invitation to Sarah regarding the Fall Festival. I contemplated whether or not I should pour my feelings out into the letter or if I should just keep it simple. I went with the latter, for I refused to have her further 'creeped' out by my actions. When I was finally satisfied with what seemed like my tenth draft, I could hardly wait to send the invite to her. Time better fly by.

SARAH

Later that night, after I got ready for bed and comfortable in my sheets, I started reading the book Angel lent to me. I still found it so weird that she just happened to have a book on the Underground; who wrote this thing anyway? I looked at the book from cover to back, trying to decipher the author, but there wasn't one found. Whatever.

I flipped through the pages until I found the section that discussed what I was looking for: The Underground. I started reading.

'The Underground is said to have been the dwelling place of the gods, comparable to the myths of Mount Olympus. Legend has it that the Underground was initially separated into eight kingdoms, though sometime later a ninth one was created near the northeast to maintain the peace. Each kingdom had its own ruler in this realm, and many people believed that the castles in the Underground were similar in design to those of their own nobility. The Underground could be reached from earth only for those who were touched by its magic or if they knew where the veil – leading straight to the heart of the Underground – was thinnest. Some believe that Ireland is where this veil can be found, but of course, no human has ever actually verified this.

To the cultures of earth, the Underground is mysterious, magical, primal, and terrifying. One of the many beings in the Underground are Fae; supreme beings which encompass a vast majority of the population within the realm. Fae are known to be alluring, sensual, and tricksters. They are not allowed to lie, but can withhold information or omit certain things to avoid telling the entire truth. Their powers range from mild to extremely powerful, and it is said that anyone who has ruled, or currently rules, over the southern kingdom contains the most sought after power due to their connection with the Labyrinth. It also said the southern kingdom was known to rule the Underground for millenniums because of their connection to the said entity until the Great War broke out, for many were tiring of the manic rulers over the years; hence why a ninth kingdom was created. Other beings here include elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, nymphs, centaurs, and several more.

This realm is also said to consist of many other deadly yet exotic creatures as well, like shadow wraiths, unicorns, dragons, pixies, and more. Other than the richness of varying colors, the trees resemble those of earth. They have the familiar trunks, branches and leaves, though due to the magic they contain, they might as well be alive. The trees and plant life of the Underground have formed connections between their roots and effectively act as neurons, creating a 'brain' of sorts that has achieved sentience, which is known to the beings of the Underground as the Labyrinth, which was mentioned briefly above.

The Labyrinth is the guiding force and deity of the Underground. The beings there believe that the Labyrinth acts to keep the ecosystem of the Underground in perfect equilibrium. It is sometimes theorized that all living things in the Underground connect to the Labyrinth through a neuro-system; this often explains why the beings dwelling in this realm have such a strong connection with nature and other creatures residing there. The Labyrinth is extremely powerful and exists in the southern region. It has existed since the dawn of time and can only be ruled and watched over by a powerful Fae. Because it was born in the southern region of the Underground, the king ruling there became the Supreme Being throughout the lands, though this changed years later.

There are many who exist in the Underground who still believe that their world should be ruled over by a Fae who is a direct descendant from the original bloodline of rulers over the Labyrinth. After the Great War ended, there were many who would not pledge their allegiance and loyalty to the new High King and Queen and were hence banished to live an immortal life Aboveground, never being able to return below again.

The new rulers of the southern kingdom began when…'

What the hell? The rest was scribbled out and I turned to the next page and it look as though several pages had been torn out. Why the hell would Angel give me this if there were pages missing? It seemed to start going into the history of the kingdoms, but now I'd never know! So far all this information sounded remotely similar to what Jareth told me, with the exception of a few more small details. This only gave me more of a reason to talk to him at some point so I could learn more. I was surprised at myself for even considering wanting to learn more.

I still couldn't believe that Jareth ruled over a kingdom that had such a huge responsibility to his entire world, yet he wasn't the big man on campus. I suppose it made sense though…everyone fears someone else who has too much control and power. I wonder if his fellow beings hate him because of his stature. It seems like many would, but then again maybe they wouldn't because of the responsibility that comes with his position. He has to rule over the Labyrinth and manage wished away kids? Good god. I guess only someone thirsty for power would want that position.

I closed the book, still miffed that pages were missing. Maybe I'd ask Angel where the heck they went off to. I became incredibly tired all of a sudden and told myself I should go to bed since I had to go into work tomorrow for real. Ugh. This week would definitely be a painful one to say the least.

I know, I know. No further romance and fluff between S+J yet, but I promise it's coming. Sometimes a story just needs more characters and additional information to keep things interesting, ya know? Stay tuned, next chapter will be fun, yay!