A/N: Hello. I've come back with an update for this story for whoever is still around to read it. Please give it a looksie. Enjoy.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jareth came flying as fast as he could when he heard Mai's screams. His heart froze with ice when he saw the hellish creatures that were coming towards the little princess, their jaws clicking as they grew ever closer to her. Mai was curled on the ground, her hands clasped to her ears, tears falling down her face as she was no doubt being tormented by the sounds of the dead.

Whoever is controlling these beasts must die, Jareth decided, landing beside his fiancée and sending out a wave of power that blasted the foul creatures back. With every beast they send, they mean to kill Mai in the most horrible manner. There seems to be no mercy in their hearts. They want to watch her die slowly, agonizing every moment. Who could be that cruel?

"Jareth! Mai!" Minthe called out, hurrying towards them with Avery at her side.

The beasts clicked and moved closer, though one turned his head and straightened his spine. Jareth didn't care what they did as long as they vanished. He worked together with his allies and tore at the beasts with magic, ripping them apart so that black blood sprayed all over the grass and his clothes. But none got on Mai, he made sure of that.

"Who sent you?" Avery growled, holding his sword to the throat of one of the beasts. "Name your Master, foul beast!"

The beast clicked and its red eyes narrowed. It tried to claw at Avery, but the vampire blood guard thrust his sword through its neck, killing it. Minthe brushed back a strand of white-blue hair and let out a satisfied sigh as the last of the beasts melted into the grass, taking their darkness and death sounds with them.

"Well, that was fun," she said, rubbing her hands together.

"But we didn't get anything useful out of them," Avery grumbled, wiping his sword clean before sheathing it.

Jareth ignored them and crouched down next to Mai, his one concern. She was still crying, but quietly now. Her eyes were tightly shut against the world and her hands were still covering her ears. She looked so pale laying there in the grass and she was shivering.

"Mai," Jareth said softly, gently placing a hand on hers.

The girl's entire body jerked and her eyes snapped open in alarm. She cried out and looked around wildly without lifting her head from the ground. Jareth met her gaze with what he hoped were soft eyes and Mai's tears fell, renewed. She pushed herself out of the fetal position on her side and instead sat with her knees pulled to her chest, crying into her arms.

"I heard them, Jareth," she cried, her voice muffled, but he understood. "I heard them all! Everyone that I've ever known that has passed away – they were all there! In my head! Whispering, talking, laughing! I – I can't – I couldn't – there was no end! They told me so many horrible things…promised so many evil things to come…and those things…they made it so cold, so dark…"

"They're gone now, Mai," Jareth told her softly, stroking her hair. "You're safe." For now.

"No, I'm not!" Mai exclaimed, shrugging him off and scooching away from him so she could look at him wild-eyed. "I heard the chains, Jareth! When you were coming – when she was coming!" She pointed at Minthe, who looked hurt to be pointed at. "Something bad is going to happen and it's going to happen whether or not you have a demigod on your side. It's going to happen whether or not you think you're prepared or not. We can't stop it from happening. We can't stop it from coming. We're fucked and I…I'm scared that this going to tear us farther apart than anything that we've experienced. I'm fucking scared!"

Jareth looked at her, unsure of what to do, what to say to make her feel better. What could he do? He felt just as helpless as she did at that moment. Something was coming and no matter what he did, it kept coming. Because he couldn't figure out who wanted to come between him and his beloved.

"Mai…"

Minthe snapped her fingers and Mai slumped over, unconscious. Avery growled and moved forward, putting himself at Mai's side, his hand resting on his sword's pommel and his fangs bared.

"What are you doing, demigod?" he demanded.

"Calming her down by making her sleep," Minthe told him as Jareth scooped Mai up in his arms. "If you haven't noticed by the crankiness of your attitude and the dark circles under her eyes, she hasn't been sleeping properly. Which means, her visions could be getting twisted and she needs to recharge for a bit. I've given her a few more hours that she'd probably not get on her own." She shrugged. "She can thank me later."

"I doubt that she will," Avery snarled, purple eyes flashing. "She doesn't like having her mind messed with nor having magics used on her."

Minthe pouted. "Not even yours, Jareth dear?"

Jareth shook his head. "Not even mine, Minthe."

"Oh boo," Minthe said, shaking her head. "I guess that's something I'll have to remember about working with Mai. Or she'll have to adapt because this person attacking her and your family looks like they mean business. I mean, Dire Messengers?"

Jareth looked down at Mai's unconscious face, wondering how many times he would have to see her this way in the coming days. He took his leave of the two and disappeared with Mai to his chambers, depositing her on his bed. His eyes caught sight of the blood on his clothes and he frowned as he thought about how that had touched the girl.

She shouldn't have even had to face those monsters in her lifetime…never crossed their path…read of their existence…breathed the same air as they did. Yet, there they were, mere feet away from her. If she had not screamed, if I had been a few minutes later…His hands curled into fists. There will be no mercy on this animal that seeks to destroy what is mine to love.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Mai sat before a lake in her dreams and looked out into the distance. She could hear birds singing on the wind, but didn't see the birds. It was a clear, peaceful day and clouds floated gently in the sky. She glanced down at the smooth rock she was sitting on and saw that she was barefoot and in a white dress that ancient priestesses were described as wearing.

Too bad I'm not pure enough to be a normal priestess…she mused, brushing back a strand of her hair. Maybe one of the special priestesses that mates during peak seasons to conjure high magics and prophecies, but not a normal one…She laughed lightly. Jareth would sign up for that so quick, I bet.

Her heart ached as she remembered how heartbroken Jareth had looked when he had looked at her after fighting so viciously. She hadn't seen him fight, her eyes had been closed, but she had heard him. That had been enough. Her mind had allowed her to know that he had rent beasts in pieces with his magic. And judging by the blood on him, her mind had been right.

Now, she was sleeping? And she was here, at peace, recovering.

But why here?

Answers.

The word seemed to pop up into her head without warning. Mai blinked and stared up at the sky. What answers exactly did she need because she knew she needed a lot? Almost all of them. And why here? Why couldn't they be given in a vision when she was awake?

Unimportant.

Well, that's rude, Mai thought, adjusting her position on the rock. I'd like to think that all my rambling questions are important in some way, but have it your way, whoever you are.

The breeze stirred her hair against her cheek again and Mai reached up to brush it away. Movement on the water caught her attention and the Halfling looked down at the crystal surface at the reflections in the water. A fish jumped out of the water and then when it landed back in the water, the ripples caused her reflection to shift and change into flashing scenes with sounds that echoed in her head mixed with a voice that sounded familiar and strange at the same time.

This…This is too much, Mai thought, staring at the images as they moved,

"Stay focused, My Daughter, and learn," a woman's voice whispered to her as a hand landed on her back.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: My update schedule is admittedly off. I update when my mood strikes me and when I get the chance to write which is not often anymore. So forgive me if this doesn't get updated for a while. I have other stories to tend to too, but I won't forget this one either. -Scarlet