Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any character belonging to the Labyrinth. I do; however, claim all original characters in this story as my own.
Chapter 38 – The Dreamer Defined
Sarah awoke abruptly with Jareth sleeping heavily beside her. She smiled deeply and placed a soft kiss on his chest. She watched him sleep for a few moments, taking in every contour of his face and body. Her heart wanted to sing out her love for him as she recalled their union. She had never felt more alive than she did at that moment. For the first time in a very long time, she was genuinely happy.
Sarah was startled by a soft voice that beckoned her. She reluctantly rose from the massive bed and started to walk towards the voice. She had not had much time to familiarize herself with the bedchamber and she could not find her way in the dark room. She lifted up her hand and conjured a small crystal that emanated a soft orange hue to light her way.
"Sarah" the singsong voice called out again. It was very soothing and gentle and Sarah was drawn to it.
Sarah walked towards the sound of the voice which led her to the balcony of the bedchamber. She pushed open the large French doors and stepped onto the balcony. Her steps took her through a portal and when she emerged on the other side, she found herself once again in the Hall of Kings.
She walked around the room, still trying to locate the source of the mysterious voice. She turned a corner and come face to face with herself. She stared at her reflection for a moment before realizing it was a mirror that stood before her. She touched the glass and her reflection quickly changed to that of Navarra, "Hello Sarah," she spoke.
"Hello Navarra," Sarah replied.
Navarra matched Sarah's movements in the mirror as a reflection should. However, in an instant her movements changed. Slowly she gripped either side of the mirror and pulled herself out of it. It rippled much like a disturbed lake or pond. When Navarra was completely removed from the glass, she touched Sarah's hand and led her to the book shelf.
"Brenneth has informed me that you were never educated of the duties of the Dreamer," Navarra finally spoke.
Sarah nodded remembering the ancient King's displeasure that Sarah had not been informed, "Yes, well, Jareth never said anything but when he did all he said was that with powers over my dreams I could be great beyond measure."
Navarra nodded, "and so you are my dear, but you are much more than that as well."
Sarah tried to remember her conversation with Navarra's beloved, "Brenneth was angry at Jareth and he said something about what he risked by making me the Dreamer. What did he mean?"
Navarra pulled a slender book from the bookshelf and led Sarah to one of the couches in the room, "Jareth risked the fate of the world, all worlds, by giving to you something you were not ready for." Sarah stared at Navarra, not quite understanding. Navarra sat down, gestured for Sarah to join her and the she smiled softly, "Let me start from the very beginning."
Sarah sat down next to the tribal beauty and listened intently as she spoke of her heritage as the Dreamer.
"The Goblin Kings have ruled the whole of the Underground since the dawn of time. Their rule was commissioned by God and their role is to protect all creatures of the world, human and Fae. Their only limitation is that they cannot offer assistance at will, they have to be summoned."
Sarah interrupted her, "if they were commissioned by God then why a limitation?"
Navarra paused, "It did not used to be so, there was peace and prosperity. Man knew not of suffering and the world of the Faery was alive and well in his heart."
"What happened?" Sarah asked.
"The King's rule had been easy; he merely had to stand guard over dreams as they are the key to life. Then man made a choice that changed the world forever. The human bible refers to this choice as the apple in the garden of Eden. In truth it is much more than a fruit. The apple refers to man's pursuit of knowledge and with it came a thirst for power. This turned into greed, envy and vanity which bred hatred and thus evil spread in the world."
"So the story of Adam and Eve, that is a myth?" Sarah asked.
"Yes and no, my dear. It was a story made up to convey a truth; Adam was certainly not the first man nor Eve the first woman. They did exist but not in the way depicted in your book. Actually the fall of man happened millions of years after creation and the world had already been fully populated. The entire universe was Eden then, peace flowed through it all and it truly was good!" Navarra paused for a moment and the gestured to the book she had pulled from the shelf, "this book speaks of a prophecy," Navarra continued as she opened the book and read it aloud,
"The fall of man shall a prison make,
The lives and souls the dark one take.
Shielded from the divined sentry,
Nightmares now a window of entry.
The protector, a King by divine right,
Has lost the power to conquer the night.
Only when summoned shall he appear,
To the rules of the game he must adhere.
Never again to protect his wards,
From evil's ever amassing hordes.
To right the wrong; nightmares to cease,
A Dreamer shall awaken to restore the peace.
Love and beloved, a treasure to hold,
The woman, an Eve, with a heart of gold.
The King and Queen shall be reunited,
Adam and his woman no longer unrequited."
Sarah stared blankly at Navarra, "what does it all mean?"
Navarra smiled at Sarah, "I was supposed to be the Dreamer Sarah, and if Vasivitha had never interfered the history of the world would have played out much differently than it did. It is the destiny of the Dreamer to fight evil in the universe. This task may have been possible during my time; but that time has passed now and I am afraid that you have a large burden to bear."
"Fight evil?" Sarah was in a mild state of shock; she had seen the evils in her society and across the world, was peace even an option? Sarah felt her power swell within her, it felt like fire and she began to wonder about Navarra's past, "There is one thing I don't understand," Sarah stated.
"Ask," Navarra motioned for Sarah to speak her mind.
"I have felt the magnitude of the power I wield," Sarah began, "it is intense and I have seen what I can do with it. Why, then, were you unable to stop Vasivitha when she first cursed you?" Sarah thought of her fight with Luxiour. Vasivitha was nowhere near as powerful as he, yet Sarah had still overpowered him.
Navarra nodded, wishing she could have stopped Vasivitha. It would have spared everyone from much pain. She blinked back her tears and answered, "I had only just been made the Dreamer. My powers had not yet matured. You, my dear, have been the Dreamer for ten years. Your powers have been growing and evolving within you, even if they were beyond your control."
Sarah smiled consolingly. Both she and Navarra had been through hell but at least they have been released from their torments. She placed her hand on Navarra's in an attempt to ease her pain.
Navarra continued, "There is more I must tell you Sarah but you are going to have to forget your Sunday school lessons. As I said, the story of Adam and Eve is not true in the way it was written in the Bible. There was a fall and as I have already explained, the fall was not an apple it was a search for knowledge that begot evil and it did not begin with Adam and Eve."
Navarra turned the page in the book she held and showed Sarah an image of a man. He was tall and slender with wild hair and piercing blue eyes. He was hauntingly beautiful. "As I said, Adam and Eve did exist, but they were not the first humans, they were the first Fae. Adam was a Fae, Sarah," Navarra paused to look at the image of the first Fae for another moment, "and he was given dominion of the Underground; he was the first Goblin King. Eve was intended to be his bride and Queen, but she strayed from him. She was eventually seduced by the evil from above and welcomed a life of debauchery. For her betrayal, Adam banished her above where she became mortal and forgot about the Underground."
"And what of the Dreamer?"
"After Eve had lived out her short mortal life, God revealed to Adam his plan of salvation. He gave the Goblin King the power to bestow the gift of the Dreamer to a daughter of Eve. With this power she could return to the Underground and claim her place as Queen."
"Oh," Sarah responded softly, and then thinking back to all Navarra had explained, "so then I am a daughter of Eve?"
"Yes, as am I. And as the Dreamer you now have the power to fight evil. You have been given a large role in bringing peace back to the world of man." Navarra paused before placing her hand gently on Sarah's cheek, "You have a great destiny and it is only a shame it was forced upon you in ignorance."
"I guess that would explain why Brenneth was angry," Sarah paused, "so how do I fight evil?"
"Evil runs rampant in your world and it will take an eternity to clean the mess that has been made. Your duty is to protect all living creatures from their nightmares. Guard their dreams and keep their beliefs in fantasy alive. Eventually, they will reject the evil in their hearts. Also, you will save those who have embraced evil but have not been consumed by it. You have the power to heal their souls, to give them the inner strength to fight their own demons."
"What about Jesus and everything else in the bible? Is it all legend as well?" Sarah was afraid to hear the answer. She never really practiced her faith but it had always been a safe haven for her when she needed one.
"He certainly is not legend," Navarra answered, "we all have a role to play. We have all been called to join in restoring peace in one way or another. Some are called as Christians, others as Buddhists, Pagans, or Hindus and so on. Your calling is to be the Dreamer; it is all part of God's plan to restore peace. Do not concern yourself with trying to figure it out, focus only on doing your part." Navarra stood up to return the book to its rightful spot, "Sarah, there are some people who have been too corrupted with evil; there is no safe haven for them. They are beyond redemption and, ultimately, they will have to be removed."
"Will I have to kill them?" Sarah asked nerviously. She had destroyed Luxiour's body and she certainly had the power to kill, but she did not want to be a killer.
"No Sarah, you will not have to kill them. Your King will know how to deal with them as he has done so in the past. The difference is that with The Dreamer at his side, he will not require a summons to take a mortal away."
"Navarra, why didn't Jareth know of this?" Sarah asked, certainly such a great destiny would have been central to the Goblin Kings rule.
"He did not know because of Brenneth. In his grief, he never informed our child of his responsibility. The powers of the Dreamer were forgotten and the Goblin Kings hence found a new purpose, to protect the children. It is a noble purpose as is yours. I must take my leave of you now Sarah," Navarra embraced Sarah and kissed her gently on the cheek before walking back towards the mirror, "goodbye."
Sarah watched as Navarra stepped back into the mirror and faded away, "Goodbye Navarra," she whispered knowing this would probably be the last time she ever saw her.
A/N: I truly hope that this chapter does not offend. My intentions were to merely provide a more universal dimension to the Dreamer and her role in the world. To that end, I beleive I was successful. If any reader has found offense in this, I do humbly apologize.