Chapter Thirty-Four: 'Joyful' Voices

"One crystal." That phrase seemed to keep repeating itself in her mind.

She walked towards the castle, the whole time knowing that she had failed the entire Underground and Jareth. She knew that she had to return, but she also knew that she could not face him with the knowledge that she had been unable to help him in his time of need. Only one crystal would certainly not be enough. Perhaps if she had even gotten two or three more, but no. She had not been lucky.

"I can't believe that I only have eight days left and I have one crystal. Three of them died when I reached them, five are gone, and there are only four more left. How will I ever find them in such a short time?" she asked.

Sarah threw her hands into the air and continued walking. She saw no point in trying anymore. After all, with about half of her time gone, how could she expect to search and return on time? It was either one or the other and she knew that if she didn't return on time, the one crystal she had managed to capture would be dead as well. She would have to hope that it could tide

the Underground over until she managed to find the rest. At least it could buy her a little bit of extra time.

Sarah paused in front of the sands that led into the Deadlands. She knew that she couldn't dare to travel through the cursed lands, but where else could she possibly go to head back to the castle? She did not know of any other more direct route. Sarah stood there for a few moments, debating whether or not she was strong enough to make it through the lands. She finally relented, knowing that she could not handle those voices preying on her mind again. She would have to find another way back. It could be longer, but it would probably be a lot less dangerous and stressful.

"I failed him," Sarah sighed as she turned her back on the Deadlands.

"Failed him," a voice responded from somewhere in the distance.

Sarah instantly stopped and listened for the strange voice that had echoed her moaning. Yet, it did not reply again. Perhaps it had only been her echo and not some other person, but it had sounded strangely different from her voice. It had sounded magical.

A brief musical tittering swept through the trees and to her ears. Sarah looked in every direction in search of the creature that was hiding from her. She did not see anything, but for some reason she didn't feel worried in the least. The laughter and playful voices very nearly excited her and made her feel utterly happy with life. She smiled and rushed around the forest, looking for the creature who had cast the marvelous spell over her.

"Where are you?" she called out.

There was no answer this time. Sarah's spirits instantly dropped. The thing had left her before she could talk to it. It had seemed like such a wonderful creature that could make her so happy. It would have been a nice companion to have on the last leg of her journey.

"Here...here...here...here...," the single word was repeated again and again from a hundred different places.

Sarah smiled again and laughed. Her worries were completely forgotten. She rushed around, chasing the 'here's' that resounded from everywhere around her. She did not grow tired or lose her breath while she ran to and fro around the trees and behind bushes. She laughed and smiled and very nearly started to dance with the joy that filled her heart as she rushed around.

Sarah stopped briefly, scanning the area for signs of the creatures once again. She wondered why they chose to avoid her, but she did not have a long rest. Soon the hundreds of voices began their calling once again. Sarah giggled and rushed around in a playful fashion.

"Here... over here...I'm here...come on," they continued calling and calling.

Sarah only laughed and chased after the voices and the creatures that owned them. She could never catch them. They must have been extremely quick beings, for she was running at her top speed. She did not receive so much as a glimpse of anything. They just called to her and she chased.

Soon she had no idea why she continued to try to find them. Sarah knew that it was pointless and a waste of precious time. However, their voices were so amazing and they made her feel so carefree. She had to know what they looked like so that she might remember them in years to come. Yet, her rational mind tried to argue and say that she would not be alive for years to come if she continued to act like such a fool. Sarah ignored the thought and raced around another tree as a stream of laughter erupted from one side.

"Oh, do come out! I can't continue chasing you all day," Sarah called into the forest.

There was no response. Yet, the voices continued to call and call for her to follow. With another involuntary laugh she did as she was told. Sarah was beginning to find this game quite annoying, what with searching and never finding anyone or anything. It began to make her feel a bit depressed and upset with whoever was forcing her to continue when she wanted very

much to stop and go on her way.

"Come on...follow us...I'm here...over here...," they chided.

Sarah fell to the ground, panting for breath. Yet, the urge to find the creatures was overpowering. She rose back to her feet and ran after them again. She was no longer laughing or happy. She was no longer able to run without growing tired. She was worn out and all she really wanted to do any longer was rest and then head back to the castle. However, Sarah had a bad feeling that whoever she was chasing would never allow her to do so.

"Please," Sarah begged as she huffed under a bush to look for another one who had only just laughed and now was surprisingly gone.

She was only answered by an orchestra of musical titters, giggles, and chuckles that echoed all around her. The sound was nearly as bad as the voices Sarah had heard in the Deadlands. Of course, those voices had only been prying. These were forcing her to chase after them and it was getting fairly annoying.

Once again Sarah fell to the ground, her long dark hair flipping over her eyes as she did so. She heard them calling her, but she could not follow any longer. She did not have anymore stamina. Soon she would be forced to crawl after the insolent creatures that did not care a bit for her

well-being. They simply saw her as something to play with. She felt herself raising up again against her will and begin to chase after more and more voices.

"Stop! I give up!" she cried as she sprinted down a grassy hill.

They did not listen to her. Instead they simply continued and strengthened their cries with more voices. It sounded like thousands of the magical beings were all around her, calling again and again. They would not relent or tire of the pathetic game. What amusement did they find in torturing her this way?

"No, no...don't quit...come on...we're right over here!" They giggled repeatedly.

Sarah moaned as she rushed around a bramble bush and succeeded in scratching up her legs. She winced in the pain and swiped away the fine droplets of scarlet red blood that pooled up and out of her thin cuts. She could not believe that they didn't care about her safety either. They were barbaric!

Sarah leaned against a tree and groaned a bit at the nagging feeling of the large crystal in her pack. It rubbed against her spine and only managed in causing her more discomfort. Sarah was granted with a brief brake as the beings only laughed hysterically. She reached back and plucked the orb that had been tediously wrapped in several large green leaves. She held it out

and gazed at the lovely lemon light that drifted all about it. It was so entirely beautiful and pure, perfect magic.

"Maybe..," she thought to herself as she carefully unwrapped the layers of leaves from the crystal's body.

The voices instantly began talking all together. They saw the crystal and they actually sounded afraid. Their calling was more urgent. They needed Sarah to listen and follow, to give up her orb and her plan to beat them. Yet, she paid them no attention. She did not even obey them, for the

crystal's magic took up all of her senses.

She held the crystal in her bare hands, willing away the dreams that instantly floated to her mind. She did not need it for pleasure such as that. She needed the orb for something more important. Sarah held it tightly, and squeezed her eyes closed in an attempt to concentrate entirely on the creatures that she could not see and the voices that were flying to her ears.

A single shriek called up from the mass of invisible creatures as they felt the power of the magic in the orb. The yellow light shone brilliantly and illuminated for miles around the forest. Sarah only closed her eyes tighter, trying not to allow herself to be injured by the intense glare

from the light.

It died down with a sudden clang that sounded a little like Kyper's musical golden balls. Sarah reopened her eyes with great caution. Yet, it was not needed. The yellow light had died down to a normal flickering glow. Sarah gazed at it for a brief time, allowing the image of Jareth's face to appear in her mind. She concentrated on it for a few fleeting moments and then broke her connection with the magical orb. She could not waste time with her dreams. It was pointless, considering that soon she would be with her love in the castle.

For a few seconds Sarah gazed at her open hands and then to the magical orb that sat, glowing weakly but steadily, upon the ground. She could not believe that she had harnessed the power in that crystal, even for such a short time. She, a normal girl from a normal town who had a normal life (until coming to the Underground) had controlled magic with her hands! She had actually succeeded in using it to block the voices from her mind! Sarah smiled joyfully and had to congratulate herself on a job well done.

Sarah wrapped the orb with ease so that she avoided any contact with her hands. She had had enough magic for one day. In fact, after all this, Sarah would be fairly sure that she had had enough magic for the rest of her life. She placed the orb back into her pack and pulled it on her shoulders. It jostled in the regular way and once again pressed into her back. Sarah sighed, but smiled anyway. The orb had saved her that day and she would just ignore the discomfort.

"Wait, don't go!" a tiny voice called from behind her.

Sarah stopped and let out a frustrated breath. These things did not understand that she had a schedule to keep. Their lives depended on it. In fact, the whole Underground depended on it. She did not have the time to make idle conversation with a creature that had obvious magical powers and enjoyed using them on innocent girls who were only trying to help and find the crystals. She relented, her curiosity greater than her anger, and spun around to see the mysterious being.

"What?" she asked as she turned to glare at the being who had caused her such pain and hardship.

The sight before her eyes simply amazed her and tore all other nasty comments right from her mouth before they could be voiced. Sarah stood there, wide-eyed and gaping at the glorious red shimmer that surrounded her. She could barely believe what she was seeing, but there it was right in front of her.

"What? Who are...?" Sarah could only stutter in the sight of the magical orb.

A tiny fairy lighted atop the crystal orb and giggled sweetly. It was the same annoying sound that had nearly driven her crazy a few minutes earlier. Sarah almost left right then and there and forgot the orb that was waiting for her to take it. Yet, she couldn't and she didn't. It was a chance that she would never, well, probably never, receive again.

"You are in search of the magical orbs. We saw the one you had and decided that you come to aid them in their time of need," the little fairy stated in a sugary sweet tone.

Sarah rolled her eyes, quite disgusted with the playful little woman. She had had enough games and just wanted to take the orb and be done with this part of the quest. However, the way the little pixie looked at her and the way she stood upon the crystal, told Sarah that this would take longer than she wanted. It would be worth it in the long run. After all, two crystals are far better than one.

"Yes, I need the crystals to return them to the Goblin King so that he can heal them and return the magic to the Underground," Sarah explained in a rushed voice.

She reached down to take the crystal orb, but the fairy jumped at her and blocked the magical sphere from her hands. The fairy smiled and tittered a bit more at Sarah and then sat on the crystal. She was not ready to give it up quite yet. Sarah sat down opposite the tiny sprite and waited to see just how long it would take to get going again.

"How do we know you tell the truth?" the fairy asked.

Sarah shrugged. All the other creatures had been quick to believe her, even Thesper. She had heard that elves were fairly cautious creatures. Why should the fairies be any different and make matters difficult? There was no reason and that was her point. She would just have to wait for the fairy to decide when the crystal would be given away.

"It amazed us to see one of the orbs obey you as it did. That is why we will give you our crystal, but if we find out that you are a fake...," the tiny fairy glared at her and Sarah understood that she would not take kindly to being lied to.

Sarah simply shook her head in response to the pointless worries. They were not needed. Sarah reached out for the crystal again and the fairy blocked her hand with its body. Sarah sighed, waiting for the pixie to explain itself.

"I really do need to be going, if it is all the same to you. You see, I only have about seven days left to gather the remaining three crystals and return to the Goblin King's castle," Sarah tried to explain yet again.

The fairy observed her with scrutinizing glances. She then glanced back to the sparkling red orb and moved aside. Sarah grabbed it, forgetting about the magic that they held. Yet, this time she was not covered with her dreams, but instead granted with the ability to see events in the future.

At least, it was one possible future. Sarah saw the Underground in turmoil and everything that once lived turned to stone. The castle had fallen down and the entire goblin city was gone. Jareth, the man she did not think she could live without, stood outside of the castle in rags. His normal attire that added such a debonair quality to him, was dirty and torn. His hair hung in filthy strands around his face. His features were dirt-stained and gaunt. Sarah closed her eyes, not wanting to see anymore, but it would not go away. She was forced to look at him, this destroyed man who was once so great and splendid. Then the grays faded away to show the Underground in a lovelier state than it had ever been in. It was green and lush and enchanting, filled with magic and love. She saw all her friends grouped around the castle gates, well groomed and smiling at her. Jareth stood at the entrance to the castle. He had been dressed in a suit that put even the best tuxedo to shame. It was covered with rich golden trims followed from blue material. His hair was pulled back. Sarah liked it far better that way. She looked at herself and noticed that she wore her ballgown from her enchanting hallucination. Yet, upon her head rested a crown of lovely gold and sapphires and crystals. Flowing behind her in the breeze was a veil, crafted from a fine silk that brushed her face with a gentle kiss. She did not want to lose the vision, but she had a reality to return to.

Sarah dropped the crystal into her bag and opened her eyes. She was shocked once again. She knew that she had made a mistake the moment the crystal touched her hand, but never had she thought that the outcome would be this bad. It was night already and so she had lost another day of traveling. The fairy was gone, probably for several hours already. She made her way to her feet, only to find a piece of paper fall from her blue dress.

"What have we here?" Sarah asked as she reached down and brought the yellowed paper up to read.

It was a note, short and simple, written in small script. She decided that the fairy must have left it for her, considering that any other creature would have trouble forming the words so perfectly, but also so tiny. She had to squint just to read the note.

"'Since we are sure you tell the truth we will give you a clue

To return to castle far, a shorter route can mean help for you.

Simply take the tunnels far and wide that burrow very deep.

Perhaps you'll discover on your way the secret that they keep.

Do not hinder, don't slow down, for something evil soon appears

Your only hope lies in the mirrors of truth and love, and never fears

Remember well what we have said and you will surely be..

Our savior in this magic tale of love and tragedy!'" Sarah read.

She stuffed the note into her pack, debating which way the tunnels could be. Unfortunately, no one had been so kind as to provide her with a map. She instead decided to rest for the night and dwell upon the new problems in the morning. At least she had been granted with another crystal. That in itself was a great enough accomplishment for a good night's sleep as a reward.

Sarah trekked through some of the thick underbrush and, once she decided she was far enough away from any clearing, sat down to rest. She curled up beneath an ancient old tree that almost felt like a parental figure, so tall and comforting. She loved being in the forest, away from the vast openness and strange surroundings. Where all she could see was the pristine white that the moon cast upon her through the canopy overhead. A few snatches of black velvet sky scattered with flecks of sparkling stars, were noticeable through the thick layer of leaves through which she peered.

She finally laid down, once again using her bumpy pack as a pillow, and drifted off to a pleasant sleep. However, she was plagued by questions that only surfaced as her conscious mind drifted away. They were things that she was afraid to ask herself, because she did not know the answer. Her memory still was not what it had been, for many events were only dark spaces of

nothingness.

These questions were generally about Jareth and his changing attitudes. She could not deny her love towards him. Yet, there was something that frightened her and almost made her leery to love him. Jareth had some black mar in his soul that was growing as the magic failed and started to change and warp. She did not know how to slow it, or if it could be stopped, but she knew that she would not be able to live with Jareth if he was overcome by the blackness. She only wished that she had an answer to put her worried mind at rest. Yet, she did not, and so she was forced to toss and turn as she dwelled on the impossible question.

Perhaps the secret the tunnels held would be of some help to her. Perhaps they housed the answer to her every question... this and many others. Perhaps...