"Relax, Sarah," Marissa whispered. "Close your eyes and think of Jareth with you in this room, think of how much you feel for him. Focus on how he's never needed anyone, but he still finds himself drawn to you. Focus on your pin, feel his emotions."

"I can't feel him," Sarah whispered back into the darkness. "I can't find him."

More words spoken that Sarah could not understand. Sarah was taking Marissa's magic into her, though she didn't understand how she was doing it. Her eyes closed and a long hallway appeared in front of her. Sarah was dressed in a simple white toga and white sandals. She glanced down at herself in surprise. Marissa's voice came echoing around her and she looked around wildly, trying to find the Crystal Queen.

"Your highness?"

"I am still in Jareth's room - as are you. I'm speaking to your soul now, look around. You are safe for the moment."

"For the moment? Where did my clothes go? How do I find Jareth?"

"This is how one is dressed in the world between worlds. You are an innocent, so you are in white. You will know where Jareth is soon enough. Do you see a door at the end of the hallway?"

"Y-yes, how did you know?"

"I can see into your mind as long as you are under my spell. Now listen carefully. Do not open the door, it leads to the Fade. Jareth has not yet reached the door either, as he still lives. But the door is calling to him, he is weakening. You are not to let him pass through that door. He may think you are not real, that his life is over - you must heal his heart, Sarah."

"How will I do that?" Sarah was frowning at the door as if it had thought to harm her because it was calling to Jareth.

"Your love will guide you Sarah, trust in it and all will be well."

"But what if he doesn't love me back?" The pain in her voice was raw and Marissa had to brace herself against the heartache she felt within the child.

"Sarah, love is not something you can bargain with - all you can do is tell him how you feel. After that, it either will work out the way we wish, or it will not. But you made a promise to love him and save him. Right now, that is all we have. It will have to be enough."

Sarah took a deep breath and walked toward the door to stand guard. She could hear someone walking toward her in the darkness, but not from the hallway. Whoever it was, was on the other side of the door. And the door knob was turning.

JSJSJ

Hoggle stood glaring at Rialta as she explained what they needed to do. "You're kidding me. You're gonna possess me?"

"Not possess, coexist," the princess said calmly. "My ring binds me to you, but the Avian guards would sense my magic if I followed you inside the castle. We'd never get near enough to Jareth to do him any good."

"And how do I knows you ain't gonna keep me prisoner in my own body? I got rights, ya know." He squinted as the apparition faded slightly then came back a bit stronger. "The rat has plenty of people helpin' him. My only concern is Sarah." His voice was that of a petulant child and Rialta was losing patience.

"And Sarah loves Jareth," Rialta explained, trying to not roll her eyes at Hoggle's sputter of disbelief. Sure, Sarah was fond of the king, Hoggle would even admit that she seemed to enjoy Jareth's company. But he didn't think Jareth understood how love worked in Sarah's world. You couldn't just order someone to love you. If you could - well, Hoggle wouldn't go down that road just now.

"She doesn't know what love is yet, she's a girl. He says he's gonna make her queen. But how do I know he'll let me talk to her after that? He don't exactly have a good history of honesty."

"He's being honest with Sarah - as much as he's ever been with anyone. I sense their bond through the pin she wears. Somehow, it works in much the way my ring does. Royal jewels seem to give me strength...it must be because all of the jewels have been blessed by the original Crystal King eons ago. His magic draws this world and the Fade together somehow."

"Well I don't understand and I don't care. I just want her to be safe. She's just a girl."

"A girl who won the Labyrinth and brushed off Devlin's attempt at seduction. She trusts in herself and in her king."

"Sarah is too trusting," Hoggle said firmly, placing his hands on his hips. "Sarah's got no clue how this world works or who her real friends are."

"You are her real friend and she knows it Hoggle. She needs you and right now," she faded in and out again, "I need you too. We have to get into Jareth's room and find his soul."

"Who says he has one?" At Rialta's look of disapproval, the dwarf sighed. "Fine, lead the way Princess. I'll hide you as best as I can. But there is no way I'm letting the rat's soul into me no matter how much you beg."

"Fair enough, Hoggle. We must hurry if we are to be in time."

JSJSJS

Devlin made his way to the small cottage where the little princess lived and put on a fake smile. No one had stopped him at the hangar so obviously the royals hadn't had time to warn their guards of the threat Devlin posed to their perfect little world. Devlin quickly cast a spell to lock Jenata's nanny in her room and walked out to the back of the house.

Jenata was playing with Alia out in the gardens. Could it be any more perfect? Both of them together - it would make his job that much simpler. He walked up to the garden gate and called out to his niece.

"Alia, it's time to go. Your grandfather says that we must return to Lordonia for a short while." Alia looked at him oddly, noticing his barely concealed anger. Something was wrong. Something huge, but Alia couldn't figure it out.

"Grandfather never mentioned going back there this morning," she said, moving closer to Jenata. Devlin blew out a breath of impatience.

"It was sudden. Come child, we must go." He raised his hand just as Jenata gasped, taking a step back.

"Alia, his eyes - look," Alia frowned as she looked at her uncle and saw swirling mists of magic. Dark, forbidden magic that her people had not used in centuries. And in that moment, Alia knew that her father had been working with Devlin to destroy her family. Her eyes grew bright with untapped power and she stared at him closely.

"Uncle?"

Devlin's blood red eyes stared into her disappointed gaze and Alia fell to the ground. "Alia," Jenata yelled. So distracted was she that she didn't notice Devlin raise his hand again and mentally command the princess to sleep. With a rush of power, and a flourish of his long black cloak, the villian disappeared with the two little girls.

JSJSJS

Jareth did not want to die, but realized life really had nothing to offer him. Sarah had tried to distract Devlin, lying to him saying that she loved Jareth to buy them more time until help arrived. Jareth understood, but his heart was broken. To be loved by Sarah would be like being reborn. This love in his chest constricted his soul, burned his mind with pain.

He entered the final hallway, the one that would bring him to the Fade. He tried not to think of Sarah, of her warmth, her smile, her easy way of getting him to believe in forever. And as he turned the final corner he froze in shock. Sarah was at the door leading to the Fade and her hand was reaching for the door knob.

"Sarah, no!"