"Please lend me your strength
until I find my own
Without you the pain is amplified
not sure if I can do it on my own" ~Caroline Guedes, Lend Me Your Strength


Sarah could tell that the fires had been extinguished. The Wild Ones were gone all at once, as well as any proof that they had been there. A strong wind seemed to pick up in the distance, and closened to Sarah's immediate area at a rapid rate.

"Jareth?" Sarah tried to yell but only managed to croak softly. Suddenly even his insufferable presence would bring some normalcy to this falling shroud of dread. She desperately tried to feel even a trace of the power she'd felt atop the terrace just hours ago. But it now seemed to elude her entirely.

Whether by somehow managing to hear Sarah's soft cry, or by his own urge alone, Jareth was suddenly right in front of her, facing outwards in a protective stance. His glance back at her told her he had not been expecting this any more than she had. It also showed a ferocious rage building from deep within. A rage that eased her fear more than a little; she felt as if the new presence wouldn't stand a chance against this menacing Goblin King.

Until she saw it.

The Beast was slowly approaching them through a fog that had been newly misting in the air. He seemed exponentially more massive than when Sarah had seen him at a distance in the Underground. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end, her stomach knotted unlike anything she'd ever felt. Dark powers were at a palpable level. She couldn't even remember what courage felt like.

Jareth took a step back to be at her side, grabbing her hand with his ungloved one. Tiny sparks immediately emitted from Sarah's hand on contact. Her terror now beginning to subside, she looked into his eyes with a naked expression that revealed her fading fear, her sudden wonder, and her flicker of hope. The responding fierceness she found in him broke through to her very core, all her fear now dissipating.

The sparks from her hand now grew in intensity and traveled up her arm like a rapidly growing vine. The Beast let out a monstrous cry, the sound shaking the very earth they stood on. It bound towards them with heavy strides, and Sarah was now able to see glowing yellow eyes that seemed to burn even brighter than the bonfires had. Eyes that began to pierce into her, feeling almost as acute as if a sharp object were making contact with her skin. Defensive rage coursed through her whole being as she burned with the need to rid this creature's presence from her. The veins of electricity brightened blindingly just before leaving her in bolts that struck the Beast. Its outcry sounded throughout the realm, full of fury and pain. Less loudly, there was a human cry to be heard, with its own brand of fury. It wasn't until the Beast and its darkness finally vanished that Sarah realized that the sound was her own scream.

She quieted as the dark despair lifted from the land as quickly as it had appeared. Suddenly she felt nothing but absolute exhaustion, halfway collapsing just before Jareth's arm reflexively caught her.

Sarah didn't remember entering through the gate nor the castle doorway. She had no idea what room she was now lying in. A quick flash of panic sent her bolting upright, eyes frantically searching for Toby. She let out a deep breath as her bearings settled in, more recent memories pouring in to reassure her that Toby had been left safe at the inn.

Is it still the same night after we left him there? She wondered now, suddenly very disoriented time-wise. Same night of the Wild fire dance? Of...Her thoughts became less firm as the images of the horrifying creature flashed through her mind. Images of lightning striking him. Lightning she'd made.

Sarah shot out of the bed with dizzying speed, ignoring the head rush that followed. She sprinted towards the door, throwing it open before steadying herself.

The hallway before her was empty and quiet. She stepped out, realizing as she did so that she was barefoot as the cold marble shocked her feet in contrast to the plush rug she'd just stepped from. The feeling made her glance down quickly. Her bare feet seemed to be the only change; she was still in the dress she'd gotten from Ayleth, only now it was completely dried and clear of any signs of rain or exertions.

"Hello?" she called out almost tentatively. She stepped farther down the hallway, desperately looking around her for signs of anyone or at least where exactly she was within the fortress.

After a moment, she heard footsteps behind her. Whipping around, she saw Ayleth appearing from a nearby doorway.

"Sarah? Are you alright?" The queen's crystalline voice called.

"What happened? How...how long was I out?" Sarah tried to pick out the first of many questions that were tugging at her.

The queen neared Sarah and placed a hand lightly at her cheek. "Nearly a day. I believe your sudden rapid burst of power absolutely drained you. And unsurprisingly," an awe-inspired smile grew on her face. "I can still barely believe you sent the Beast away at such an early stage of magical development."

"Wait...'away'? So...he's gone now?" Sarah's eyes widened, voice sounding hopeful.

"I'm afraid not," Ayleth said with a small head shake. "Unfortunately, you did the only thing you were really able to do at your level of control, which was sending him back to the realm with which you have the strongest connection: the Underground." Sarah's shoulders slumped. "But everything is manageable for now," the queen supplied quickly.

"Yes, you were once again so quick to cause my kingdom chaos," came Jareth's usual taunting voice behind Sarah. She felt a sudden wave of relief mix with annoyance at the sound of it. And then came the undeniable warmth deep inside her that his voice always brought. Sarah suppressed any acknowledgement of the latter feeling.

"Wouldn't want things to get too stale," Sarah retorted without turning, the beginnings of a smirk dancing on her lips with a touch of pride surfacing.

"And yet still I run to your cries for help." Jareth's soft yet strong comeback made Sarah turn to face him, expression a blend of indignation and protest.

"It appears that your help wasn't needed." Sarah tried to sound convincing with the partial lie, remembering that she in fact had only felt powerful once he'd appeared beside her. "I've been taking care of myself just fine since you took me from my home, apparently." The last word reflected the disdain she still felt for all the things he hadn't been telling her.

"It was no coincidence that your surge of power came when he did," Ayleth stated practically, as if she were the adult calmly settling the banter of children. "Don't forget that the magic within you originated from him."

Ayleth's words seemed simple enough, yet Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that more lie underneath them. Nor the sense that there was perhaps another reason she seemed to draw power from this former adversary of hers. She suddenly thought of the way the look in his eyes had ignited her on the terrace.

Sarah shook away her own contemplation, trying to come back down to earth and to the moment.

As she did so, the realization hit that Toby had been in the inn for almost two days.

"Toby!" She exclaimed. "I...need to see how he is." She wasn't sure exactly what to immediately request.

Jareth held a crystal to her wordlessly. The image within it soon came into focus: a perfectly safe yet worried Toby seeming to discuss something with Tybalt, Hoggle and Didymus, Ludo standing silently behind the group.

"Do you know what's going on?" Sarah suddenly wondered if Jareth was the only one that could really hear or understand the images in his crystals.

"He is attempting to make sure that you're okay," Jareth answered as he disappeared the ball, expression unreadable. "Apparently he had started to worry about you at some point last night...and the last image that kept showing on the mirror was of you walking towards a fire with a strange man." His lips twitched, a bit of humor now touching his eyes.

"Damn! The...festival," Sarah stumbled over voicing her thoughts in poor recap, now blushing and glancing towards the queen. The blush quickly blanched as she continued realizing why Toby couldn't see her. "Then the Beast! Shit! That must've been a long gap...and then did he only see me basically unconscious after that?" Sarah's unrest increased to agitation as she thought of the probability that Jareth hadn't made any effort to reassure her brother at all.

"He saw none of the Beast. I was able to get word to Tybalt earlier today, and I assure you he is calming the boy as we speak." Jareth's tone seemed almost bored, as if the whole thing was a waste of time and concern.

"It's been a day since he noticed something was wrong. Why is he just now being told that everything is fine?" The agitation was fully apparent in her voice now.

"Jareth has been a bit preoccupied," Ayleth offered, again significantly calmer than either of her two companions. "He needed to be sure that the Underground wasn't in any immediate grave danger..and that you were not either." Sarah frowned a little at that. "Both of our brothers have been quite worried about you, Sarah." The queen's voice lowered as she offered this simplified conclusion, her expression showing a glimpse of censure at Sarah's stubborn lack of understanding.

Emotions now somewhat torn, Sarah bit her lip and looked back at Jareth, whose expression was carefully masked. She didn't know what she should have expected to see in it, but she was left disappointed at the lack one.

"Alright," Sarah said after a pause and a long sigh. "What now then?"

"We're going to make sure you're completely rested, and then if so, we will call for King Leo to witness what you can do." Ayleth's eyes flickered to her brother. "And after that, if all goes well, you two will return to the Underground to work on ridding it of the Beast. Permanently." Her over-simplification offered no reassurance.

After food and a change of clothes - back to simple 'peasant' garb for Sarah, causing a short protest from Ayleth - the trio made their way back down to the foothills behind the fortress. Dusk was now beginning to fall, and Sarah couldn't suppress all of the strong feelings that were flooding in as they returned. The same place we danced. The same place we...she wouldn't animate the continuation, even in her own thoughts.

And near where the Beast descended with its foreboding darkness. Sarah was now visibly shivering.

She couldn't help but give a surprised smile as both of the royal siblings placed a hand on each of her shoulders, one emanating comfort and the other...a complicated mix of feelings. As always.

"Just relax," Ayleth's voice came softly. "Remember what you felt yesterday."

Sarah took in a deep breath as she tried to figure out how both were possible to do simultaneously. She let her eyes close, trying to grasp the seemingly distant memory of the connection she'd had with the conjured clouds. It soon brought her to a frustrating struggle against blatant failure.

"I just can't feel it now," Sarah sighed defeatedly. There were no magic storms brewing, the fire that had been in Jareth's eyes seemed extinguished today, and no terrifyingly imminent threats neared them. She wondered if those sources of inspiration were going to always be necessary, and suddenly felt even more defeated. Powerless, even.

"Concentrate," Jareth's whisper sent his hot breath to caress her ear and neck, causing a new kind of shiver. Sarah let her eyes close again, pushing away her own chagrin as she purposefully expanded on his tantalizing proximity. She let the small ember of heat grow as she focused heavily on how undone he'd made her feel at the festival of the Wild. With a deep breath she began to draw up the memory of the Beast's presence, striving to suppress the fear and unpleasantness that was tied to it. She instead focused on the ignition she'd felt when Jareth had appeared at her side, grabbing her hand and causing sparks almost immediately.

Before she realized how well her concentration was working, the beginnings of her lightning were springing from her hands. Both her eyes and her mind opened now, and she was suddenly able to see and feel everything surrounding her more than before. She could feel Ayleth's pleased state, Jareth's complex swirl of pride, fervor, and some sort of cautious anticipation. Two new presences were now approaching behind her, but her mind was not concerned about their arrival enough to focus on them. She stared towards the mountains, mentally reaching out and sensing the magic that seemed to hum within them. Resolving to create the storm entirely herself this time, her mind's eye honed in on the wind atop the mountains, the moisture in the air and in the grass, even the very temperatures and pressures that the air held. She found herself able to grasp all at once, and she could see clouds began to form through both natural vision and magical, seeing and feeling every element that was coming together.

Jareth gently touched her arm, as if sensing the exact moment she would need the boost. The contact was light and brief, his hand gloved, but it was enough to tip the scale of Sarah's senses. The sparks grew and were striking within the clouds in the blink of an eye. Panting heavily and smiling widely, Sarah turned to face the Fey behind her, now recognizing that Kings Leo and Egir had been the newcomers. Her smile wavered slightly, unsure of what to expect from the High King.

"It is promising," Leo's voice resonated. "Especially considering the amount of control she's showing in so little time. However," his face grew as stern as it had been in the Great Hall. "It will take more than a simple thunderstorm to deter the Beast. As you well know, King Jareth." Leo's brown eyes pierced into their subject. Mismatched eyes met their severeness with unaffected ease.

"That is indisputable indeed, High King." Sarah wasn't sure whether Jareth's mocking was too subtle for anyone else to catch. As she noticed Ayleth's reproachful glare, she guessed not.

King Leo glowered a brief moment before turning to Sarah, expression softening only slightly. "See that you heed all the advice you may gather here, and do not shadow the source of your powers entirely," he glanced meaningfully towards Jareth. "I do wish you the best, young one." With that he vanished, leaving Sarah somewhat shaken.

"Well, he certainly does know how to put a damper on high spirits, doesn't he?" Egir observed with a humored scoff. He grinned towards Sarah, who was battling between annoyance and laughter. "Never let anybody say that you're anything short of dazzling." He threw a wink her way before turning to leave, as if he was suddenly done with being entertained by the show.

The original trio stood in silence for a short moment, Sarah still looking in the direction that Egir had headed. Jareth's eyes were burning into Sarah as he watched her gaze. Ayleth was surveying the mountains almost wistfully.

"It's time." Jareth was the first to speak, voice only slightly giving away his distaste at the direction Sarah still faced. His breaking of the silence seemed to also break her of whatever thoughts she was having as she turned to face him with a puzzled look.

"Now?" I have hardly been awake more than an hour though, she thought. And why do you seem pissed? Her eyes squinted in a suspicious wondering.

"Oh? Getting comfortable were we?" Jareth's lips twitched, eyes now alighting with something Sarah still couldn't grasp.

Ayleth finally piped in, her words grounding as usual. "She's barely even recovered. You're pushing too fast." Something about her tone made Sarah suddenly think she'd been the older sibling during their mortality. The thought seemed vaguely important, but she didn't quite know why, nor was she able to ponder it for long.

"It is not by my timetable, Ayleth." Jareth sounded sharp with his sister for the first time since they arrived. The queen looked as perturbed as Sarah felt, though not as surprised. Jareth quelled his frustration, sighing slowly. "We need to return before any more unexpected visits occur. And she needs to reconnect with my realm." Though his tone had softened, it still remained urgent.

"We need to stop by to see Toby anyway," Sarah shamelessly added. Jareth shot her a look of pure irritation. "I need to see him after he had such a long day of worrying about me!" She forced her voice to reflect the strength she felt in her conviction.

Ayleth raised her eyebrows at her brother in a pleased expression that said, 'ha! We win.' Jareth's responding expression became almost combative.

"Please." Sarah's teeth almost clenched in painful suppression of her desire to argue as she tried to soften her voice. She was mostly unsuccessful. With a deep breath, she tried again. "Please?" Her tone now sounded almost demure.

Jareth raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. But he was won over well enough still. Even a forced plea sounding from Sarah's beautiful voice was stirring up mixed feelings inside him; he was both softening and hardening…

A smile began to curve one corner of his mouth. "Begging, are we?"

Sarah had to fight against showing him how mutinous she felt. He allowed himself to take brief pleasure in it before sobering with a sigh. "It's going to be a quick visit," he finally conceded, keeping his displeasure obvious in his tone. Sarah's only response was the briefest of grateful expressions ghosting over her face.


Please R&R! :)