The usual disclaimer... I don't own the characters, places, or words. I just arranged them.
"Come," Nerissa gestured for Jareth to be seated beside her. "Watch as your precious girl drinks from the water. One sip will send her into blissful fantasies. She will drink again and her fantasies will become nightmares. On her third sip, her mind will reveal such horrors that she will wish for death. And then she will throw herself into the pool and drown herself to end the agony that rips apart her mind."
Jareth leapt forward, hands extended for Nerissa's neck. She flicked her wrist and sent him flying across the room. "You cannot touch me in my own domain." She chided. "Now be a good boy and watch the show I have so carefully orchestrated for you."
"So peaceful." Sarah murmured to herself. Her hand plunged into the water causing ripples to form along its surface. She cupped the liquid in her hand and raised it to her lips. It was sweet and quite unlike anything she had ever tasted.
What was the Goblin King to do except watch? Nerissa was right; he could not harm her here. Magic did not work that way. He would seek vengeance, both of them knew that, but for now, there was nothing to do but stare into the pool and watch as Sarah killed herself.
Nerissa blew on the water displaying Sarah's likeness. The pool split so that half of it reflected Sarah's image while the other half depicted her hallucination.
In the hallucination reflection, Sarah was garbed in a white gown. Jareth silently congratulated himself for giving Sarah a more attractive dress in his own hallucination trap.
The similarity of Jareth and Nerissa's methods was not surprising; creatures who gained power by granting wishes thrived on unhinged reality. Guiding a subject to a state of detached reality only strengthened the wish-granter.
Sarah's mouth gaped as she considered herself. It would take a moment for her to find her place within the hallucination, but Nerissa's magic would have selected a fantasy that Sarah would have given anything to become reality. Even if she began to realise her present circumstances were too good to be true, she would opt to forgo her doubts because this place was exactly what she wanted.
There was a mirror on the wall near Sarah and upon sighting it, she hastened toward it. Her eyes blinked in surprise at the sight of herself in the mirror. Her hands raced to her hair, touching it as if to ensure the reflection was really hers. Up her hands went, feeling the jewelled tiara that had so artfully been wound in her hair.
Something startled her and so Sarah spun around. A man knelt behind her; he bowed his head when she turned. His lips formed the words, "Your majesty," and again Sarah's mouth gaped.
"You gave her a kingdom?" Jareth scoffed.
"I gave her what she longs for." Nerissa retorted. "Unlike the little fantasy you orchestrated for her, I have done no tampering whatsoever. A perfect trap."
Jareth did not respond as the man opened a door for Sarah. He knew where it would lead – a ballroom. Jareth involuntarily took a step forward. The where did not matter to him, but the who did.
When Sarah entered the ballroom, its occupants, previously engaged in frivolities, ceased their actions to pay their respect. Sarah turned a deep shade of crimson at their attention and admiration. No doubt, they were whispering, though not quietly, their admiration of her beauty and grace. Not that she did not deserve it; she suited the prestige and glamour of her fantasy role. Though Jareth and Nerissa could hear nothing of it, he knew how her magic would play out.
Her deepest longing and desires would be fulfilled – every insecurity would be addressed and made inconsequential. She would be the princess she had so often play-acted as, only now she would have a prince charming to play along with her.
Again, Jareth found himself moving nearer the pool; if he were not the proud and confident Goblin King he would have thought that he was nervous.
"It will not be long," Nerissa smiled. "She has already acclimated to the illusion without any trace of doubt."
Jareth's eyes drifted to the other half of the pool, the half depicting the real Sarah who gazed longingly at the magical water. Her hand was cupped and ready to draw a second drink; Nerissa was right, it would not be long.
In the hallucination, Sarah wandered amidst her people. They had resumed their dancing, feasting, and socializing. Young women rallied to her and offered sweet words, young men gallantly offered their arms, and old men bowed in respect. She was practically glowing with their adoration, but she did not linger with any of them. Her eyes searched the crowd as though there was someone she wished to find.
Then her eyes caught sight of him.
On the other side of the pool, the real Sarah scooped a handful of water.
Jareth and Nerissa leaned in close to their viewing pool. Sarah drew near to the man, to her prince.
Jareth's breath caught in his throat. Who would it be?
Hallucination-Sarah extended her arm to tap the man on his shoulder but, as if sensing her presence, he turned before the contact could be made.
Jareth hid his rejoicing behind a menacing chuckle for the man whom Sarah had sought, the man garbed as her prince, was none other than himself. She had not given up her infatuation with him though she had masked it so well.
Not wanting to allow the Goblin King a moment of elation, Nerissa turned to face him. "Bitter sweet, is it not?" She, like he, also hid her reaction to Sarah's choice of prince charming. Venom leaked from her lips as she turned the moment of Jareth's rejoicing into something to despair, "It will be her fantasy of you that will drive her to take the second sip. Then her sweet fantasy will turn dark and you will be the tormenter who causes her such anguish that she would rather drown herself than persevere."
Jareth's eyes flicked to the real Sarah. The water was at her lips, ready to be consumed. Don't, he silently willed her.
The Jareth prince charming held out his hand to his Sarah requesting a dance. She allowed him to lead her to the center of the dance floor and then, like they had done at the goblin masque, they danced.
Nerissa watched as Jareth's face hardened. He reached for his hands as though remembering her touch, wishing that it was he not his phantom dancing with her.
The real Sarah had her lips pressed against the magic water.
Then Jareth's eyebrow cocked and his lip twitched. Nerissa studied his expression, not willing to miss a moment of his torment. He must be masking his despair, she decided.
In the hallucination, Sarah's eyes widened. It felt too familiar to her and she knew something was wrong. She glanced from side to side, as she had done then. Then she pushed away from him and sprinted to the outskirts of the festivities. The people stopped to gawk as Sarah found the edge of the room. A stream of water fell from above, and instinctively Sarah plunged through it in her attempt to escape.
The splitting of the pool's images faded. Only the real Sarah remained in the waters.
Her fingers opened, draining the pooled water. She leapt to her feet and charged to the end of the chamber. She threw open the doors and suddenly she was in the room with Jareth and Nerissa.
Nerissa leapt to her feet. "Impossible!" She shrieked. "You are supposed to die."
Jareth wore the look of conquest that should have been displayed on Sarah's furious face. He stepped out of her way, allowing the girl direct access to the Faerie Queen.
Sarah did not even glance at Jareth as she stormed towards the Faerie Queen. "You have no power over me!" She screamed.
The world spun and contorted as Sarah returned to the Overworld. Nerissa screamed in pain and frustration. The tentacles of her power that had so tightly embraced Sarah were now ripped from their hold; Nerissa had never felt such agony.
She must have blacked out for the next thing Nerissa knew, the Goblin King was standing over her triumphantly. "You should have known that that fantasy would not work."
"This isn't over Goblin King." She swore.
His only remark was laughter that echoed around her even after he had disappeared.