AN: Oh boy, really long chapter here. 6 pages. Go me. Well this chapter should start clearing some things up. A lot is revealed here. Enjoy!
To Xeli: I beat you, I beat you! Sorry. Couldn't resist. Thanks for the DB lollies btw!
To Helen: We're going to see David Bowie! Damn, how cool would it be if we could go together? That would be so fun! At least we are going at all. You'll have to tell me everything about the June show and I'll fill you in on the August show. : )
My thanks to Lostfeyth, Anne Marie, Silver Space, Labyrinthgrl87, crystalqueen, Helen, MissXeli, Redaura, Moon Blossom, Tira Wolf, Tifani Ferisu, JGK, Anita Knight, Charli, Ifonly, General Sephiroth, keikat25, for their continued reviews. My apologies if I forgot anyone. I got all the names off the current reviews page. If I missed you, it was not intentional! I love all of my reviews, Jareth clones to you all!
A plot revealed….
Sarah was not even aware that someone had entered the room until her brother's familiar arms circled her. She gazed up at him, tears streaming down her beautiful face.
"God Sarah, what happened? I heard you scream from all the way down the hall."
"Oh Toby, it's Jareth."
Toby looked past his sister's tear stained face and saw the Goblin King leaning against her. His head was leaning forward and he looked to be unconscious. "What happened to him? Did he just collapse like that? I mean that's kinda odd, seeing as you're the one who is pregnant."
Sarah was about to answer when she saw Meg standing over them. "Help me carry the King to hisss own bed, Ssir Toby." Toby had a million questions floating around in his mind right now. He had the suspicion that Sarah and Megmora knew what was going on and that they had been keeping it to themselves.
He nodded to the dragon, who was already attempting to lift the fallen King off of Sarah. Sarah had successfully gotten herself stuck underneath him when he had fallen.
"Are you all right Lady Ssarah?"
"I'm fine, Meg." She was already on her feet the moment Meg and Toby had lifted Jareth. They carried the unconscious King to his own bed, laying him down gently on the mattress. Meg pulled his boots from his feet and Sarah began helping her undo his cape. Stripped down to only his poet's shirt and tights, they pulled the blankets over him.
"It'sss worsse then I feared." Meg told Sarah grimly as she began to observe the king with her magic. "Ka mefarrre." She spit.
"Ka me far?" Toby echoed. "What does that mean?"
"Idiot or bafoon. In dragon, of coursssse." Meg told him.
"Why are you calling Jareth an idiot?" Toby asked. It was obvious from his expression that he was thoroughly confused.
"Becaussse he refussess to confide in othersss. Had he not been keeping everything to himssself, he might not have folded thiss quickly."
"What are you saying Meg?" Sarah asked her.
"I wasss worried that he was keeping thingss to himsself. I thought that sssince he had you, he might confide in you. But I learned from him the other night, that he wass keeping certain thingss to himsself. Not only hasss he had to deal with the dreamsss but the fearss, the emotionss that are asssociated with the dreamsss. He hasss bottled thingsss up within him, which in turn hasss made everything much worsse."
"Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" Toby asked the two ladies.
Meg sighed. "Sssomeone isss ssending the King nightmaress. No doubt a plot to take over hisss kingdom."
"That's what you think this is all about?" Sarah realized that she had never sat down and thought out someone's reason for doing this to Jareth.
"What elssse would it be?"
"But who?"
"It could be anyone. All they would need to do iss capture a Dreamweaver." Sarah's mouth opened and she was about to respond, but Meg cut her off. "The King tried to block the dream that was ssent to him. The magic collided and that isss mosst likely why he collapssed. It would be wisse for us to talk before he awakenss." She gestured for Sarah and Toby to join her by Jareth's desk on the far side of the large room.
"The two of you have me so confused right now." Toby said as they stood together.
"It sssoundsss confussing, but in reality, it'sss not." Meg told him as she leaned back against the desk. "While the Goblin Kingdom hasss not alwayss been the mosst dessireable Kingdom in the Underground, itss ssstatiss hass changed within the last 20 yearsss." Her eyes fell upon Sarah. "That would be your doing, yer Highnessss."
"My doing?"
Meg nodded. "You musst remember how the kingdom and the Labyrinth looked many yearsss ago, when you defeated it." Sarah nodded. "No one knowsss exactly why the King fixed up the Kingdom, made it a more dessirable place to live. He kicked the goblinsss out of the casstle, the trassh wass cleaned, cracksss in wallsss repaired. But then a few of usss have our theoriesss. I, being the closssesst thing to the King'sss advissor have been aware of hisss condition." Sarah stared back at her blankly.
"The King fell in love with you, the moment he sssaw you. He had pined over you for 20 long yearsss. He dreamt of you every sssingle night, the dreamsss often keeping him awake well into the morning hoursss. My belief isss that he fixed up the Kingdom, jusst in casse you would one day return. He knew you would be older, more mature. And what grown mortal woman would ever want to rule the Goblin Kingdom asss it had been before? The King had let it fall into dissrepair. Goblinsss ruled the place more then he did at timesss. But he changed all that. Your return wass perhapss a small hope within him, and the chance of you actually returning, sssmaller then that. Yet you did return and King Jareth hass proudly sshown hisss sssubjectss and other noblesss that he hass a queen, a very beautiful and quite desssirable queen. Although you have not taken active duty, you are ssstill the Queen, by Underground law."
Meg sighed crossing her arms over her chest. "Ssso now, The Goblin Kingdom hass been resstored to itss former glory, iss better then itss former sself and sssitting in the throne isss a Queen whom isss not only beautiful, but unfamiliar with Underground law and cussstom. Trying to overthrow the King got no where, asss Gorgin will attesst to, ssso how does one get their grubby handsss on the Goblin Kingdom?"
Sarah gasped.
"They go for the Queen, manipulate her to get the crown…" Toby said.
"Yesss. Get the Goblin King out of the way by feeding him nightmaress, which will ressult in hiss downfall and ultimately hiss death and a grieving Queen is an eassy target."
"You think they plan to kill him?" Sarah asked horrified.
"Why elssse go through all the trouble of giving him dreamss, other then to kill him?"
"But Jareth is immortal! He can't die!" She cried out.
"Husssh child. Let the King ssssleep." Meg warned her. She turned to see that the Goblin King had shifted. He was lying on his side and for the moment still sleeping peacefully.
'But Jareth is immortal." Sarah whispered.
"Yess, he isss. But there are wayss to kill an immortal. Difficult wayss, grotesque wayss. But there isss alsso one way, that not many know about or think about. A lossss of control of magic can be the downfall of an immortal born. The King isss ssuch. If the nightmaress drive The King to the point where he can not tell dream from reality, the one who controlsss the nightmaress can then pussh him further, to the point where he can not control hisss own magic."
'I don't understand." Sarah told her honestly.
"The firssst 50 yearsss in the life of a magic are sspent teaching him or her control over their own power. Royalss esspecially need to be taught control. They harnessss more magic then commonerss, there fore they require greater control over it. If a magic lossess control over their power, they can do harm to living beingss, to kingdomss and in the end themsselvess, all without remembering they did sssuch. If King Jareth beginsss to losse control over hisss magic, he could hurt you, the baby, or Princesssss Aryanna. Asss hiss control weakenss further, hisss own magic would desstroy him and he would die."
Sarah sank into one of the chairs by Jareth's desk as she swallowed this information.
"I wisssh that I had put thisss all together sssooner." Meg told her sadly.
"You sound as if it's impossible to cure him of this." Sarah accused. "We don't even know if the purpose of the dreams is to destroy him."
"It'ss the only logical reasssson. And it iss nearly impossssible to undo the harm done by a Dreamweaver. It'ss even more imposssssible to ssstop them."
"What is a Dreamweaver?" Sarah asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"They are a ssmall creature, resssembling an elf. They can enter the mind in the form of dreamsss. Good or bad dreams. They usssually live beneath the sssurface and do not bother anyone. If fact they would rather be left alone. But if captured, they can be pussshed to do horrible things. The only way to ssstop them isss to kill them, which would cause irrepairable damage to the one they affected, or to enter the affected ones mind via a link and drive the Dreamweaver and the dreams away."
'Ok, let's hold up just a minute here." Sarah started. "You're telling me that the only way to save Jareth without him turning into a vegetable, is to enter his mind and drive the elf out."
'Correct."
'Ok so how do we do that?"
"It is not that simple lady Ssarah. Not many can perform a mind link and those that can, will not offer to do so easily. And it is a serious risk, to the one who offers to link with the affected. They too could be affected and could ultimately die."
"Yeah but I'm not a magic. I don't have the whole issue like Jareth does, where I have to control my magic. So wouldn't that change things?"
'Wait a minute, Sarah, I know you." Toby jumped in before Meg could answer. "Don't you dare even THINK about being the one to form a mind meld or whatever the hell the thing is caused with Jareth. This isn't like Star trek or something where everyone and everything ends up fine in the end. This is real life. You just heard Meg, you could die from this. And you're pregnant, so you'd kill the baby too."
"Meg, does that fact that I'm mortal and not magic change anything?" Sarah asked, practically ignoring her brother's concern. "Tell me the truth, Meg."
The dragon healer was silent for a moment as she gazed at the mortal Queen who stood before her and then at her brother, who was clearly unhappy with the situation that was suddenly brought to his attention. Meg cleared her throat before answering. "Thisss may be the one insstance where a mortal hasss more power then an immortal."
'Could I die?"
"It is alwaysss a possssibility, magic can be unssstable."
"I'll take the risk. I offer to be the one that helps Jareth through this."
"Oh my god, Sarah, you can't be serious!?"
'Toby, I appreciate your concern, but kindly shove it."
"What?"
'Shove it, ok! The only man I ever truly loved is dying because of someone who doesn't have a name or a face right now. Someone out there is a coward who is using some elves to torture and kill him. What the hell will I have to live for if he dies?" She quickly turned to the healer. "Meg, who can do the mind link?"
'You have a daughter Sarah, a child on the way and as your dragon friend just kindly pointed out, you have a kingdom too!" Toby told her, trying to make her understand.
"He iss right lady Sssarah. Though the death of the King would be hard on uss all, you are extremely important right now." Meg agreed with Toby.
'I don't give a flying fuck how important I am right now!" she shouted. "The only thing I care about right now is seeing Jareth well again. I can't believe you're willing to give up this easily! Now either you can tell me who can do a mind link or I can ask someone else!" Sarah shouted at Meg.
Meg backed down and it was the first time that Sarah had seen the dragon become intimidated. The healer did not know who spoke right now, the temper of a mortal who was a mess due to her emotions because of her pregnancy or a woman who wanted to fight for the life of her lover. She realized it was probably a combination of the two.
'You're not going, Sarah. I forbid it." Came a cool male voice.
All heads turned toward the Goblin King's bed. Jareth was still lying on his back, head turned toward the small group, blankets draped over his feverish form.
"Your majesssty…" Meg started. "We did not know that you were awake…"
"I wanted it that way." He replied softly.
Sarah made her way to his bed, seating herself beside him. She reached to brush damp strands of hair from his eyes. 'How much did you hear?" The fear was thick in her voice. She didn't want Jareth to know that he was going to die.
"Enough…" He said softly. He reached up to stroke Sarah's cheek with one hand. The hand then fell to her round stomach and he pressed his palm against the fabric of her nightgown. He smiled, feeling his child move beneath. He then glanced at Megmora and Toby. "Leave us.." He told them.
'Your majesssty, that would not be wisse. Your condition…"
'I'm well aware of my condition and what I am capable of doing. I know the legends, the stories as well as you do. I promise she will be able to escape, should something go wrong." To reassure the dragon, he pulled forth a crystal, which he placed in one of Sarah's hands.
Meg nodded and began to leave, gesturing for Toby to do the same. "Let them be." Meg told the young man when he hesitated. Toby's eyes didn't leave Sarah's form, until he had left the room.
Sarah peered nervously into the crystal sphere that Jareth had given her. Her face was distorted, twisted in the glass. Exactly how she was feeling on the inside. She knew she had but to squeeze the crystal and she would be transported out of the room. Jareth's palm was still resting on her belly. He had not done that in days. Ever since the dreams had gotten worse. So much had happened in one night. The night before they were to be married.
She glanced at him, when his palm stopped moving. He looked fragile, nearly broken. He was no doubt trying to use all of his magic to fight the dreams.
"Promise me, that you won't go. That you won't attempt the mind link." She turned her face away from him, fighting back tears, as she squeezed her eyes closed. She lost the battle and the tears escaped, to trail down her cheeks. This whole situation was like one horrible nightmare. Oh how she wished it was…
She felt his fingers take her chin and he turned her face to him.
'Look at me, Sarah. Please." His voice was so soft. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision blurred by the tears in her eyes. Her eyes fell over him. He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "There is too much at stake. My kingdom needs a leader, my children need a mother…" he sat up in the bed, watching as she began to break down. He knew exactly what would happen to him, yet it felt like nothing compared to what she would have to deal with, should he die. She would have to run the kingdom without him, she'd have to raise the children without him, and she would have to face whomever it was that wanted him dead.
'Don't you offer to be the one to help me. It is too risky for anyone, especially you. You can not be selfish, dear Sarah. You're pregnant and should something go wrong, you and the baby would both die. That baby is the heir to my Kingdom, and my Kingdom will need a strong leader after I'm gone."
"Don't talk like that…" Sarah told him, putting a finger to his lips. He moved her hand away slowly and reached for her. She was hesitant at first, but eventually she gave in. She fell against him, burying her face into his neck, as she sobbed. His arms embraced her and he ran his bare hands up and down her back.
"Sarah, even if the dreams were to stop right here and now, there would be damage. It would be too dangerous for you and the children, for anyone to be around me."
She pulled away from him, looking intently into his eyes. 'I won't let this happen, I won't let them destroy you. After all we have been through, I'm not going to let this happen."
"You have no choice, and neither do I." He told her sadly. He knew half what to expect. A loss of control, a loss of his sanity, reality, and everything he held dear to him would be ripped from his grasp, from his mind. His own magic would destroy and kill him, slowly and painfully. He would ask Meg to hide him while it happened, so that Sarah and Ary would not be forced to watch him die miserably and painfully.
"We always have a choice."
"Promise me, you won't attempt it. Please Sarah. Please let me fade from this world with the knowledge that you and the children will be safe." She didn't answer and he bent his head to stare directly into her eyes. "Promise me, Sarah." He pleaded.
A tear streamed down her face.
'I promise…."