Chapter Twenty-Seven

They'd been walking for what felt like hours and Bowie was slowing down from exhaustion. She lingered towards the back of the group with tired eyes and a flat expression. As much as she wished to be home in the comfort of warm blankets, she knew that was still a long ways away. When they began to pass through more of the forest with frozen peaches, Bowie began to wonder about Sarah.

She wondered if Sarah noticed she was gone, or it any time had passed since her disappearance. She wondered if Sarah would be frowning on her for going on such an adventure. She then laughed to herself, knowing that Sarah would've loved the fact she was living an adventure.

"I wouldn't advise walking any further." Bowie hadn't even realized the group had stopped and she continued until Jareth had placed an arm in front of her. She looked at him, confused, and then looked ahead of them to see what stopped them.

There was a clearing a few feet ahead of them - a perfect place to stop for the day, seeing as the sun was starting to set - but that wasn't what had them gazing ahead.

Bowie, at first, thought they were ice sculptures of goblins. Then, one of them moved with an icy spear and launched it at a nearby plant. The plant shattered into tiny pieces and the ice goblin laughed at its accomplishment.

"Glacies, I'm guessing?" Ashley asked, and there wasn't a response. They all seemed to know the answer. "Well, it looks like we're screwed."

"What do we do?" Hoggle asked. "There's six of 'em."

"Let's just go around," Bowie suggested. "We still need to find some food. Ashley, I know you've got to be-"

She stopped when she turned to look at her friend. Where she had stood just seconds prior was empty space, and Bowie looked around.

"Where'd she go?" she asked, and the others looked around.

"Must've hypnotized the young lady. I's heard that they does that," Hoggle said, pointing a finger at Bowie. "Hard telling where she's gone!"

"I'll follow her footsteps," Bowie said, then looked to the ground at the markings. She began to follow them around the clearing and within a few feet, she spotted her friend preparing to climb a wall.

"Ashley!" Bowie said, walking forward and grabbing her friend by the foot. "Get down from there!"

Ashley said nothing and continued to climb. She only stopped when two large, fuzzy hands grabbed her that she stopped and stared at Bowie.

Her eyes looked like they held ice within, and they were completely frozen over. Bowie gasped and took a step back, breathing heavy as she looked at her friend.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked in a panicked tone. She felt a hand on her shoulder, jumped, and looked up at Jareth. He didn't look surprised.

"One moment." He conjured a crystal ball, looked at it for a second, and blew it towards Ashley as if it was a bubble. It landed on the tip of her nose and disappeared within the blink of an eye.

The ice in Ashley's eyes melted and she blinked, revealing the natural color within.

"Did I pass out?" she asked casually, snuggling into Ludo. "Not that I mind. I was getting tired, anyways."

"You were under Mordecai's command. I reckon he was trying to get you away from us," Jareth said, then pinched the bridge of his nose. Bowie looked up at the wall, then to the group.

"Do you think-"

"Look there! Intruders!" The group turned as the six Glacies from before pointed sharp spears at them. Bowie was surprised when she felt one hit her thigh and break skin.

"Oh, great. Attack of the abominable gremlins," Ashley said with a groan. "Someone just go get a damn match and melt those things."

"Do you have one handy?" Bowie asked, glaring back at her friend. The glacies moved in closer and as they did, Bowie moved back until she was flat against Jareth. "I'll take that as a no."

"Nope. None."

"Well, I'm not going down without a fight. Ashley, where's your backpack?"

"Silence, prisoners!" One yelled, and Bowie went quiet before she felt a nudge on her shoulder.

"Okay, if this doesn't work, everyone scatter. If it does, kill them," Bowie said quietly under her breath.

"What are you planning?" Jareth asked back in her ear. She didn't respond and instead, took the backpack in her hand. As soon as she had a firm grip, she whipped it forward towards the spears of the glacies.

Just as she hoped, the force was enough to splinter them and they began to swing them. Jareth had to duck to move them, and Bowie swung the backpack again to destroy the weapons for good. When they were mere ice rods, the glacies looked at each other in confusion.

"They're pretty stupid, don't you think?" Ashley said, watching as Bowie landed another blow on one of the glacies. "You having a bad day, Bowie Babe?"

"A little help would be nice!" Bowie responded as she watched one of the six break into chunks of ice. She heard Ludo's scream and watched as rocks began to roll towards them. The glacies screamed and ran in the other direction, deep into the forest as the rocks chased them. Bowie smiled in success and handed the backpack to Ashley. She noticed the group looking at her strangely.

"What is it?"

"You were going to town with that backpack, is all. It's like that time when we went shopping and that guy tried to steal your purse. Remember? You beat the shit out of him with your umbrella." Bowie rolled her eyes and led the way to the clearing. She was happy when the group followed.

"He deserved it," she said softly, and sat down. Hoggle immediately went to work making a fire as Ludo sat down. Ashley scratched behind his ears.

"That was a wise decision you made. Brave, slightly dangerous, but you saved the group." Bowie looked over as Jareth sat next to her. She smiled softly and watched as Hoggle attempted to start a fire.

"I didn't feel like my journey was over yet," Bowie said simply. "It seemed like something Sarah would do."

At the mention of the name, the group went completely silent and didn't speak a word. Hoggle looked at Ludo with a sad gaze. Bowie sighed, then stood up.

"I'll go find firewood. Jareth, care to join?" The goblin king stood and followed her a few meters away from the group on the edge of the forest. She looked over a few leaves on a badly damaged tree, then sighed.

"Every time I talk about her, everyone goes quiet," Bowie said, and Jareth stiffened. "I know what happened. I know you loved her."

Ice seemed to form between them, and Bowie was surprised it wasn't literal.

"Do you still?" Jareth's eyes snapped back into reality and he looked down at her.

"No." She nodded in response, then went back to looking at the tree.

"It happened so long ago. I know that she isn't mad about it anymore. Still a little annoyed, but that's just Sarah. I know she misses Hoggle and Ludo more than anything," Bowie said, looking back at them. "She'd miss you, too, if things were different."

"How do you mean?" Jareth asked, glaring down at her. Bowie shrugged her shoulders as she picked up sticks from the ground.

"If you showed her you weren't a bad guy, because I don't think you are. You haven't really changed, but you've learned to be a nicer person." He raised an eyebrow at her and she stood level with him. They met eyes and locked them for a few seconds.

"I have, have I?" She nodded, and he looked at her for a few more seconds. "Victoria, I want to give you something, but you have to close your eyes."

"What?"

"Just do it." She looked hesitant, and she closed her eyes. As soon as she did, he placed his hands over her eyes and conjured two crystal balls. He willed them to do as he wished and watched as they disappeared into thin air. He smiled in success, then removed his hands.

"Open your eyes, Victoria." Her bright blue eyes slowly fluttered open, and a loud gasp escaped her lips.

All around her was the very thing she had always wanted to see - color. The shades were so much more beautiful than she ever thought, much more vivid than her imagination could ever dream.

For a moment, she couldn't believe what she was seeing - bright ice dulling vibrant colors from trees and flowers, a vibrant sunset she couldn't remember ever seeing before.

Suddenly tears sprang to her eyes and she held a hand to her mouth, flicking her eyes between the sunset and Jareth's blond hair. When she began to sob, Jareth placed an arm around her shoulder to pull her close.

"Why do you cry?" he asked softly, and she held her face in her hands as she leaned against him.

"Because . . ." She removed her hands from her face to look up at him. Her skin was red from the tears. "No one's ever given me something so meaningful. Something I . . . I can't even describe."

"Then I am happy to be the first," Jareth said, a little too proudly. She looked up at him with a soft smile, examining the color in his eyes.

"They're so much more beautiful with color," she said, then blushed when she realized what she said. "Your eyes are just . . . unique. And . . . what's the color?"

"Blue."

"Blue . . . That's what blue looks like." She smiled softly and wiped the frozen tears from her cheeks. "Thank you so much. It means the world to me."