Disclaimer: I own no rights to this, all characters that you know and recognize belong to Jim Henson and those who worked on the movie. I make no money from this, merely enjoy the reviews from my lovely readers.

I am sorry that, once again, this story was delayed. My back was injured recently and I was unable to sit at a desk. Seeing as I only have a desktop computer…you can see why that would pose a problem. I am better now and am freaking PRAYING that nothing ELSE happens to me. LOL Thanks for sticking with me through the tough times guys, I love you all!

Escorting Medb to Damien's dinner was the last thing that Cyric wanted to do. It wasn't even because of his childhood feud with the young king or the fact that Damien had stolen more from his family than honor. It was the fact that he knew that more than Damien's petty political ambitions were going to be the talk at this party.

Jeaule had filled him in on the event that they had concocted to ruin Damien's hastily slapped together party. That gave him at least some small joy about all that was going to happen tonight. It would be quite fun to see Damien's careful political aims fall to pieces as the events of the night played out.

He had his part to play this in as well though and figured he might as well start now. As Medb finished dressing, Cyric crossed to her, conjuring and slipping a delicate yellow flower into her hair that didn't suit her at all, but she wouldn't care…it was the gesture that she would like.

"I suppose we shall find out tonight if Erina's grand plan is working." He slipped as much disdain as possible into his words, knowing he needed to get Medb agitated about the whole idea before they arrived.

"I suppose…" Medb attempted to shrug it off, but he had other plans.

"Though, I'm sure it if WERE working, we would have heard something by now." In the mirror, he saw the doubt flash in her eyes. "Surely, news of the king seeming to be amused by another woman would spread like wildfire." Fire flashed in her eyes before she stood and they teleported to Damien's castle.

It was decorated for the event all right, fairy lights were hanging everywhere, almost too many of them. Cyric could see that there were torches draped in golden, shimmering material lining the halls inside the castle as well as an overly ornate chandelier. It appeared that Damien was trying far too hard to impress everyone and the effect was merely pompous, but that wasn't shocking to Cyric at all.

"Yes well, I hope for her sake that I see something different," Medb answered through a smile as she handed their invitation to the guard. As they passed through the doors, the smile faded. "If I do not see something different however…it will be her last night in the Underground."

As they entered the dining hall a beautiful young Fae took them to their seats…at the far end of the table. Cyric had to bite his lip to keep the smile down. Medb, on the other hand, had no problem voicing her opinion, though she surely knew the reason for their seating.

"The far end of the table…?" She gave an indignant huff as she settled into the seat, cringing and frowning as if the seat cushion were made of shattered glass. With her nose turned up, she turned to Cyric, "This seat is for peasents…not a Queen." Inside he was wondering what the hell she wanted him to do about it, outside, his face was perfectly consoling.

"Oh my doesn't the Lady Sarah look beautiful tonight?" He heard the Lady Irelen say beside Medb. While Medb snorted derisively at the comment and the Lady Irelen curled her lip at her, Cyric's gaze sought Jeaule. When he found her, his heart went out to her.

To anyone else here, she looked beautiful and vibrant, but he could see the strain and sadness pulling at the corners of her lips, darkening the shocking gold of her eyes. She avoided his glance, but he'd known she would. They couldn't be seen staring at each other in public, he thought with a dark inner growl, but not for much longer. Soon she would be his to parade around as he saw fit.

"Oh yes, sit THEM next to King Damien, THAT'S fair" he heard Medb mumble next to him. He silently agreed with Damien's choice of seating, it would put him in a good light for most of his guests to honor Jareth and Sarah and condemn Medb. He was sure now that the little bastard was planning on smooth talking people into banding with him on some ridiculous quest of venture.

Once everyone was seated, Damien finally arrived, with all the pomp and swagger Cyric had imagined; he was shocked that the little freak didn't let doves fly or something equally as inane. Damien, for Cyric refused to call him a king, was dressed as absurdly as he had when he was younger, clothed thickly with vibrant colors too overpowering for his pallid complexion. His short, chubby body looked like a human beach ball in tonight's color choice of bright reds and blues.

His face was as pinched and round as Cyric remembered it from childhood, giving him the permanent expression of being in severe pain. That face was currently attempting to pull of a smile, though he merely looked constipated. He raised his meaty arms high above his head, to make everyone feel welcome Cyric imagined with a roll of his eyes.

"My friends," Cyric choked on a sip of water at that one, receiving several irritated glares from those around him. "I thank you all for coming tonight, I am sure we will all enjoy ourselves!" A polite cheer rang through the hall as dinner was wheeled out. Cyric imagined that Damien wanted to jump the cart as it came near him, but decorum disallowed it…he thought in Damien's haughty tones.

Cyric didn't much feel like eating as dinner wore on and he had to endure watching Erina look more and more agitated. He knew things were going to come to a pass soon and from the look on Jeaule's face, so did she.

"Jareth doesn't look at all interested in Erina if you ask me." Medb commented from beside him about halfway through the meal. "Her eyes glaze over bit by bit as she sees me watching her…she knows it isn't working either." Medb's voice took on a razor edge as she slapped her glass down on the table, earning another perturbed look from Lady Irelen. "Oh eat your food!"

"Well, I never" the Lady Irelen exclaimed as she turned herself as far from Medb as possible.

"I doubt that…" Medb muttered, stabbing a piece of steak she didn't intend to eat. Cyric sighed and took another bite of his steak; this was going to be a long night.

Everything was going according to plan so far. She'd taken quick glances down and Medb and could see that she wasn't pleased with how things had turned out with Jareth. It would be quite an explosion when Erina finally went, they were at the head of the table. Jareth was sitting closest to Damien, Sarah next to him, followed by herself, Maesia and Erina. So when Erina went, Damien would get a front row, center seat of the action.

Dinner wore on and Jeaule was actually getting anxious for it to happen, she could tell it would soon, but by the GODS she just wanted it to be over with already. Her stomach was so upset, she wasn't able to touch her desert, much to Damien's dismay.

"My dear, it's as stunning a creation as you are." She thanked the gods that she was able to control her gag reflex. Damien hitting on her had her stomach hurting even more. It wouldn't have been that bad, but every time he laughed, his neck fat jiggled in the most nauseating way.

That's when it happened.

Erina jumped out of her seat with a screech of anger and hurled her desert at Sarah, effectively ruining her gorgeous evening dress. Fingers curled into claws and eyes mad, Erina lunged for Sarah, but stopped short as Jeaule tripped her. Damien looked appalled as he snapped his fingers, summoning two guards that gripped Erina's arms.

"I'm sorry, Jareth, but I have to detain her." Jareth made a show of cleaning Sarah.

"No worries, friend. Do what you must with her." Erina's blood curdling cry was a sharp arrow to Jeaule's heart. When those angry sapphire eyes turned to her, she thought her heart would simply rend from her body.

"YOU!!!" Erina screamed as she tried to get at her sister. "It's all YOUR fault! You did something I know it! You're no sister of mine!" Her insults faded as she was dragged from the dining hall, but they were still crystal clear in Jeaule's mind. It killed her that the final things she would hear from her sister were full of so much hate. She couldn't admit that she'd thought she'd get more than that, but it would have made it hurt much less.

Or would it? She didn't know or care at the moment and felt Sarah's hand on her leg.

"I have had enough of this!" Medb's voice rang from the end of the hall. "I, for one, don't feel like staying in this sideshow dinner." She gestured for Cyric to come with her and he gave Jeaule one last comforting look before disappearing after Medb.

Confused whispers followed her disappearance. Everyone in the room knows what constant violence goes on in her castle, so everyone was confused as to why this small act should have bothered her. Jeaule's stomach felt like it filled with lead for she knew the exact reason behind Medb's strange behavior.

She was going to get rid of her sister tonight.

"I think we shall make our exit as well, my Chosen's friend has been quite ruffled and I believe she would benefit from some rest now." Jareth's words couldn't have been more appreciated at the moment.

"Oh, well…if you think you must." It was apparent that Damien didn't want them to go, naturally not, he hadn't pitched his idea yet. But she also knew that the tubby little man would never deny them their exit. With kind thanks to their host, they made their way back to the Goblin City.

The low rumble of thunder in the distance greeted their return.

"Are you ok, Jeaule?" Sarah's light worry did little to make her feel better. All she wanted at the moment was a bit of solitude with her raging thoughts. Turning to her friend she smiled, not a very convincing one, she knew…but a smile none the less.

"I will BE ok…but for now…I think I need to be alone." Sarah nodded in understanding before she turned down the hall. Jareth placed a hand on Jeaule's shoulder and squeezed slightly.

"It was a brave thing you did tonight." She didn't feel brave, she felt dirty and wicked.

"I did nothing." Jareth leaned down and kissed her cheek, giving her a sad smile.

"I know."

Storming into the dark and dank holding cells wasn't as difficult as Medb had thought it would be. She and Cyric had met with only one guard and he'd been easy enough to stun into blind silence. Then again, it's not as if the stupid girl was much of a threat, they must have seen the insanity in her eyes. Medb was sure her own mirrored it, though in a much different way, she was crazed with pure fury at the idiot girl for failing in this.

Medb was going to make sure it was the last thing Erina ever failed at.

The roughly built stone walls were damp with the moist air in these levels of the castle and Medb could feel it slicking on her skin. She hated the feeling and vowed to punish the girl all the more for the inconvenience of having to steal her from the depths of this poorly constructed dungeon.

Finally, Medb could hear the pounding of fists against a metal door and the demented screams coming from within. She didn't need to search for Erina at least, she thought with little satisfaction. Medb motioned for Cyric to open the door.

"Restrain the little fool right away, I don't wish to have to kill her here." No indeed, she thought as Cyric did as she bade, Medb had much better plans in store for Erina. "Hello." She kept her tone frosty and lethal, pleased when Erina's shrieking silenced and her skin paled at the sight of her.

"No…it was working…it WAS!!" Medb tuned out the rambling that commenced as the three transported to her kingdom. As always, the beautiful sound of men fighting to the death in a pathetic attempt for her love met her ears as they arrived. That sound alone was enough to silence the screeching beast that was Erina. Medb grabbed the girl's arm and wrenched her away from Cyric, leading her roughly into the castle, not caring that her hand would leave dark bruises on Erina's arms.

It wasn't like the girl would have them much longer.

She led the now silenced and yet still frenzied girl through the narrow, dimly lit hallways of her castle until they reached the destination Medb had been moving towards since Erina had disrupted that dinner, the courtroom. None of the judges on panel would go against her, paid as they were to judge as she would. The five in question appeared in their seats as she stormed through the doors, shoving Erina to the ground before them.

"This ridiculous excuse of a girl as disappointed and failed me for the last time! I demand she be tried!" The five knew automatically what they would do, it was as they always did, sentence the girl to a punishment of Medb's choosing. It was the best and only way to stay alive and well paid.

The obvious elder judge stood, watery, shifty eyes refusing to meet the gaze of anyone as a nervous hand raked through thinning white hair, "We submit her to a punishment of your choosing oh wise Queen." If she'd have been paying attention she would have heard Cyric's startled gasp from behind her, but her mind was reeling with the pleasure of getting to sentence Erina to the worst death she could imagine.

"I move to sacrifice her to the Demon Kindraa." Even the judges couldn't refrain from their horror-struck gasp of shock. It had been nearly a century since someone had been sacrificed to the Great Demon and it wasn't a sight anyone wished to see again, but it seemed that Medb had taken the choice out of it.

Cyric's jaw dropped at the harsh sentencing. It seemed like the whole courtroom took a simultaneous gasp at Medb's harsh sentence…or at least that's how Cyric made sense of the sudden heaviness in the air. Surely, Erina hadn't done enough to warrant such a terrible death? His dazed mind tried to rationalize it, finally deciding that this wasn't a punishment of Erina, but a way for Medb to keep from admitting that she was that much closer to losing everything she'd been working for. If she killed the poor, wild eyed girl currently balled on the floor screaming, it would be like she'd won something small back.

With that realization, he stepped out of the guard's way, knowing that he couldn't say a thing against this and knowing as well…that a part of him had wanted this. Though, he could never believe that he'd wanted so terrible an end for her, no one would wish this on anyone…except Medb.

"Are you coming, Cyric?" The woman in question snapped from across the room at him, shouting over Erina's shrieking. He could tell that she didn't care one way or another if he came or not, so opted to remain far away.

"I think I will watch it from the courtroom balcony." The words were like cotton in his mouth, causing it to dry up from the effort of getting them out. "It will be a much more splendid view," he offered, praying to the gods that she wouldn't want to join him, for he didn't plan to remain there.

Cold blue eyes never really looked at him as she nodded and strode from the room, beckoning the guards to drag Erina behind her. Cyric shivered as her screams faded away down the hall, thinking it a small comfort, for they would sound again soon as they entered the vast courtyard of the castle.

His eyes grazed over that courtyard right now, only a few people strolling through, merely enjoying the quickening wind, unaware of the horrors they were about to behold. And what a night it was, it seemed as if the sky already knew what it was about to watch over, for it was thick with dark, threatening clouds, the call and flash of thunder and lightning not far off. He could smell rain on the air, thick with the moisture of the impending storm.

As the first drops of rain fell on the aged stone of the courtyard, Erina's cries once again assaulted him. He watched with a heavy stomach as she was dragged by her arms over the rough stone, kicking and screaming, her fine dress, spotted with new rain, ripping on jagged edges of rock. Her legs were getting cut up, but she didn't seem to notice, all her eyes seemed to be locked on was an upside down view of the post that she would soon be shackled to.

Medb, eyes almost as psychotic as Erina's, waited by the post with a grin on her face that made his stomach churn. The heavy shackles were clamped around her wrists and the guards left Erina there to writhe in a desperate attempt to free herself. The blood came quickly as she struggled against her restraints, tearing at the soft skin on her wrists. Medb didn't seem to mind her fury and Cyric knew why.

Once the first drop of her blood hit the wood below her, it would summon Kindraa and would identify and condemn Erina as her victim. The rain, which was falling more ardently now, only aided in this, causing her blood to run down her arms in thin red rivers. Cyric had never seen a sacrifice to Kindraa, but he'd heard enough of it to know that it was one of the most gruesome things anyone could see in their lifetime. Medb had acquired the sacrificial alter from Kindraa herself when she'd formed the deal with her; it hadn't been used in nearly a century.

It seemed that the era of disuse was now at its end, for he heard Medb's triumphant shout and knew Erina's blood had fallen to the wooden alter below her. As spoken of in tales of this altar, Kindraa appeared, gathering herself from the shadows and forming her human façade.

He knew, as all other's who were watching knew, that the beautiful woman who was standing there now was not what she seemed. Her voluptuous build, deep chocolate colored hair and curving lips couldn't disguise the burning red eyes or the fact that the rain evaporated around her before it touched her skin. It merely became a smoky vapor around her that only made her seem all the more mystical.

"Who is this delectable little morsel you've offered to me, Medb?" Behind the honey soaked words, Cyric could hear the growling demon, discontent with being disturbed. Kindraa trailed an abnormally long, elegant finger over Erina's cheek, her fingernail leaving a slender trail of blood in its wake. Erina seemed to have lost the will to scream further, merely hung from the shackles she was bound with, shaking with the fear of what was to come.

"Her name is Erina, Great One." Something akin to a purr, yet far more frightening than any cat, emanated from the demon as she licked at the slice she'd created on Erina's cheek. Cyric wasn't sure he could watch much more of this, it was like a predator teasing its prey before it devoured it.

"She is quite tasty, this one…" Kindraa sighed as fire crackled to life at the ends of her fingers and at the tips of her hair. "So full of fear." Cyric flinched as Kindraa's features shifted, showing more of the demon beneath the human casing. Her skin stretched and looked almost like rock veined with molten lava, her mouth pulled back, seeming to unhinge, revealing devastatingly sharp teeth, but her eyes remained…those vicious red eyes.

He watched as the demon with a woman's body reared back, preparing to strike. Cyric knew he couldn't watch this, he didn't want to be here, he wanted to be with Jeaule. He should be with Jeaule, she would need him…someone, anyone tonight. Without looking back, he turned to teleport himself away from the carnage, Erina's final shriek falling on his ears as the room vanished around him.

There were only a few pages left in her tattered journal, but her grief stained words ripped from her and, through ink, were saved on the aged pages. Her tears splotched some of the words, but she didn't care. No one would ever read this journal, save for herself, and she knew that this night would forever be imprinted upon her soul.

A storm built up outside, seeming to grow with her grief and perhaps it was. Her window was open, the wind blowing her curtains into a maelstrom of white fabric. She didn't care that the wind and rain were intruding on her sorrow; she welcomed it with open arms and tears that poured as surely as the torrent of rain outside.

It was the ripple of familiar magic that had her slamming her journal shut and storing it away. Surely enough, Cyric was there when she turned. Her body lurched up, wanting to go to him, but the look on his face stopped her as sure as stone wall. He was plainly sickened by whatever scene he'd just left and her stomach dropped as she realized just what he must have witnessed. His eyes, drooped with sadness and worry for her, told her all she feared.

Her sister was dead.

Legs turned to jelly beneath her and the floor closed in quickly as she fell to it, Cyric rushing to her side. His arms wrapped around her tightly, as if he believed that his touch alone could protect her from all she was feeling. While it was gallant, sweet and did give her some measure of comfort, the empty, pulsing hole in her chest was unaffected.

"So soon, Cyric…?" Jeaule managed to choke it out, though the pain was numbing. "Why so soon?" Every emotion she'd bottled against her sister seemed to shatter under the crushing knowledge of her death. Jeaule had known this was going to happen, had even facilitated it and she had also known that it would hurt beyond measure, but nothing she could have imagined would have prepared her for this absolute pain.

"Medb was angry, love…" Cyric answered as he stroked her hair. "She needed to be appeased." Jeaule knew this even as her body shook with rage and sorrow.

"How-"

"No," Cyric cut her off swiftly. "That is not for you to worry over right now." She wanted to beat at him, to tell him that it was her sister and she had a right to know anything she wanted, but she knew that he was right, she wouldn't be able to handle knowing that yet. Defeated, she simply huddled herself in Cyric's arms and cried until her whole body was sore from it.

Calming down, Jeaule shifted away from him, a sudden thought coming to her that threatened to have her insides shifting on her all over again, "Why did you come here?" Her heart clenched as she thought of Medb killing him as well for not being there. "Won't Medb notice you're gone?" Her mind raced, wondering what she would do to him. "What if she-"

His lips cut her off, soft and gentle against hers and doing more to calm her hurt and nerves than words ever could, "It's ok, I don't think she is going to be caring about much tonight except for her small victory." She watched him cringe at his choice of words and cupped his cheek.

"It's true that this was a victory for her, I know that." Jeaule took a deep breath as she pulled herself up onto her bed and off the cold stone floor. "Just as I will always have to live with the knowledge that I worked my sister right into that fate." Cyric started to deny what she was saying, but she held up a tired hand. "It's true, don't try to deny it. I don't regret what I did, for it wasn't really my sister who died today, though it is my sister that I mourn."

She was pleased when he seemed to understand, moving to sit next to her, she was happy that she didn't need to explain herself. His arm wrapped around her again, not as a security blanket this time, but in silent comfort that was very welcome.

"I don't care if she misses me tonight," Cyric started. When her eyes grew large and worried, he put a finger to her lips. "You need me tonight and honestly…" he paused slightly, something haunted crossing his eyes. Whatever happened to her sister must have been something terrible for it to have bothered Cyric so deeply, "…I need you tonight as well."

She nodded and pressed a soothing kiss to his lips. Without words, they prepared for bed and slipped under her covers. Considering it was the first time she'd had a man in her bed, she was surprisingly unabashed by it. Though, that could very well have been because they weren't going to bed tonight as lovers, but as two people who merely loved and needed each other's comfort on this horrible night.

When he pulled her back against him, she sighed. The pain wasn't erased, but it did subside.

(A/N: Well, there's another chapter, kinda dark…I know, but this story is definitely going to be darker before it gets lighter. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, despite the death.

There will be a chapter of The Diary of Jeaule Olincamp to go along with this, though it will be posted in a few days. Hope you enjoy that when it comes out!

Readers who reviewed and made my backache temporarily better for my euphoria are: angelbabe2000 (Beans spilled soon!), BattleofEvermore (Yeah…she's a bit slow, but she's getting there.), BookwormBrea (I'm all kinds of excited that I got a song, hope Erina's demise pleased you!), darklady26 (As always, my loving sister…one of my favorite reviewers!), Kerichi (Yay for the fine line between respect and compliance!), LDeetz (Yay for reading everything at once! Now that's awesome! It's great to have you!), notwritten (Here's more for ya hun!), phantome101saz89 (Hoping, as always that I pleased you with Erina's demise!) & xfae-princessx