Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my characters. By now you should know who they are. Any other new ones that appear are mine as well. You can't play with any of my toys until I'm done with them, and maybe not even then. Depending upon whether I like you. Other than that I don't own anything. It all belongs to Jim Henson and George Lucas, a pair of hedonists who aren't in to being charitable towards small time writers (namely me). Woe is me.
Author's Note: Tired, cranky, and bored. Not impressed with the world at the moment, and depressed due to the fact that the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped right out of his house, and I can't even get kidnapped when I'm walking alone in the dark all by my little lonesome. Trust me, if you were in my shoes at this point in time you'd understand the mass appeal that being abducted has right now. Maybe I should take out an ad in the chronicle. Anyway. On with what should turn out to be chapter nine. Note the 'should'.
"The Irony of it All"
Chapter Nine: "Setting the stage & staging the reunion"
"You nearly got us killed."
"I got us here on time, so that we wouldn't be killed Sarah. You know that if we had been late Miz Diedra would have skinned us. Admit it…I'm right."
Sarah rolled her eyes and neglected to answer in favor of grabbing her thick, raven's hair into a hasty topknot. It seemed to be her lot in life to be late just about everywhere, as Mac dutifully reminded her, and despite the red-head's extra precautionary methods to ensure the opposite, they had very nearly been late. As a result of fear (their coach was terrifying) Mac's driving had gotten a little reminiscent of James Bond. But hey…who said the yellow lights meant for you to slow down for the impending stop? In Mac's warped little world, they meant your last chance to continue before being detained for around five minutes longer than necessary.
Recalling their daredevil drive to get to the Fantasma's gym Sarah went a little pale. It probably had something to do with the fact that Mac couldn't seem to grasp the concept that cars had four wheels for a reason, and that driving on only two out of the four wasn't exactly a great idea. Sarah only sighed and accepted that there were some things about Mac that weren't going to change, and her driving skills were one of them.
Her head picked up sharply at the sound of the coach's voice.
"Okay everybody listen up! I need my starters and my centers up front, my base and fly duos take an extra ten to warm up, we got a new section to this music and if we're gonna get it right we're gonna have to break it down. This is gonna take time and it's gonna take guts. You whine once and you're gone. Got it?"
An affirmative "Yes Miz Diedra!" echoed across the gym walls.
Sarah's blood was already singing at the thought of the impending dance. As a child, her mother had decided she need some form of talent to cultivate and had signed Sarah up for dance. At first she had tried ballet as her mother had wanted, but had found that the intense rhythm she yearned for was denied her in that, and though ballet was wonderful, it didn't give her the flame, the sweat, or the heart pounding, blood electrified heat she had found in Jazz. It had blessed her with the fire that she hungered for, and like acting she preformed with an intensity that left no room for doubt of love. Sarah's passions were few but they were incredible in their scope and demands. A fool could see her desire for performance, and as such in both acting and her dancing she was often at the heart of everything, giving it everything she had, and in doing so, a life of it's own. In return, Sarah was given all that she wanted from them; joy.
As the music started up, wild, demanding and strong, Sarah allowed herself a soft smile. For awhile at least she could ignore the questions, the doubts, and the knowledge that somewhere in the mix of all this was regret.
"Come on Butterfly!" came Mac's excited demand. "Front and center, we have dancing to do." She was away to her position before Sarah could comment. Mac's love for dance was as great as Sarah's for some of the same and a few entirely different reasons. Mac's other passion however, lay in her art, and like Sarah, her passion brooked no room for second best. She was the best at what she did, and although she was raved over (when she begrudgingly allowed someone she didn't know to sneak a peek without breaking their fingers), she didn't really care. Something they both had in common was that what they did, they did for themselves.
Giving a rather dramatic roll of her eyes, Sarah took her hard won position at the center of the floor with Mac to her side, and another dancer named Gwen stationed opposite. The music picked up and as Sarah drew from the rhythm, she smiled once again because it was going to be a long, hot, and physically draining routine.
And that's exactly what she wanted.
Meanwhile...
"Does she know about anything that was really going on last night?"
Jareth prowled the floor of the great library that could only be analogized to a caged hunter. Tiger, lion, wolf, panther…any would suit. It made little enough difference. He still roamed, restless, frustrated and angry at being helpless. Through all this it was his eyes that haunted his cousins the most, like the rest of his manner they hinted at a predator trapped in a gilded cage. Lost and tortured. Him, the Goblin King, for the sake of light! One of the most powerful beings in the entire Underground, lost over what to do about the fact that he had fallen and fallen hard for a mortal. To quickly, to early, and more than a little to much to take in at once, for a fifteen year old young woman who only thought it was all a game she had to play to win back her baby brother.
And every schoolchild knows that all games to be played needed a villain.
Biting off a frustrated curse, Jareth snapped back to the present and favored Toren with an angry glance at such a blatantly stupid question. "Toren, why do you insist upon asking either stupid questions, or questions to which you already know the answers to? Which by the way, makes those questions not only stupid, but inane and arbitrary as well?"
Toren gestured with his hands in defeat. The lancing session that Sinoa had predicted was going to take place had done so sooner than either had expected. The next morning to be precise, and while both he and his sister were relieved that he was no longer denying help, and small doses of comfort, it would have been nice to have a little time to prepare for the tenacity of hurricane Jareth. He raised his hands one again in concession, and looked somewhat helplessly toward his sister. It didn't take a genius or one of their private (at least what was supposed to be private) conversations to figure out what that look meant. In lieu of S.O.S Toren's look plainly shouted S.M.A.! (If you can't glean the meaning of those letters I sure as Hell ain't inclined to educate you. And yes dammit, I know that I said 'ain't'. I'm from southeast Texas, and it's summer, therefore I'm allowed, so shut up.)
Taking pity on her brother Sinoa allowed her brother to tag her into the ring so to speak. Confronting Jareth was never easy, even when the duo tag-teamed the irate monarch. Steadying herself Sinoa confronted Jareth with as much false bravado as she could muster. It wasn't much.
"Jareth, Toren didn't mean it in entirely that context. What he meant was were there any subtleties that the mortal could have picked up on?"
Jareth turned and pounced on Sinoa. "First of all, you idiots, 'the mortal' has a name. It's Sarah. Use it. And as far as Sarah picking up on any hidden meanings, she had her hands full defeating my supposedly 'undefeatable' kingdom remember? She solved what was thrown at her in obstacles, I wasn't near her enough for her to feel anything else."
Cautiously Sinoa once again regrouped and tried a different line of approach. "Jareth…I know you had to have at least spent some time with her over the course of thirteen hours. Are you sure?..I mean, if this mort…if Sarah is the one you're bonded to-"
"She is." The clipped tone allowed no room for doubt. If Jareth felt it this strongly then it was understood and final. For the rest of time, all other emotions Jareth felt, would pale in comparison to what he had felt for his Sarah.
Sinoa accepted this information with a small incline of her head and continued unperturbed, "-then when you were with her, you should have been able to understand and empathize with her on an emotional level. What did she feel?"
Jareth turned toward the sunlit window of his sanctuary, once again cursing himself for allowing his cousins' damnable interference. Now they wanted for him to share what precious time he had spent with Sarah so that they could dissect it. The unfairness of it all made him want to howl with rage. In order for tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum to see if it was even worth trying to formulate a plan that may or may not work, he had to recount the few real moments of intimacy he had had with Sarah.
But what was the alternative?
Sighing in great reluctance, Jareth straightened but did not turn. Quietly he spoke, "Three times I felt her confusion. In the Oubliette, when we danced in her crystal dream, and in the Escher Room for the final scene." Jareth gave a short bitter laugh before continuing, "I put everything I was allowed into those last few lines, although I had to abide by the rules same as she. She knew, at least some small part of her knew, that I really did at least care for her. She had no idea I was completely in love with her until the last moment as the Escher Room came apart, and even now she'll deny it to herself. This is all too new to her, but the light dawned on her as I fell and in the foyer of her home later. There was regret there, and something she didn't identify as concern or caring, but I did."
Jareth paused for a moment, realizing that it was a small flame of hope, a small, unbelievably feeble clasp to Sarah, but it was something, and as of now he had nothing else.
Sinoa was strung tightly and seeing Jareth, who was usually so amused, calm, or indifferent to the events unfolding around him, walking one those very disturbing 'tight-ropes' a few terribly strange humans dared to tread upon wasn't pleasant. In fact it was a little frightening. To go further would to have said that she was even somewhat angry, especially when she stopped to wonder if her great-grandmother Fate and grandfather Oberon were really cold-blooded enough to have somehow orchestrated this whole thing.
Sighing, she started to cross towards Jareth only to stop and turn back towards her brother. The only comfort or touch Jareth wouldn't shirk at the moment was his Sarah's. The only thing they could do was continue to probe and try to come up with a way out of this mess. When Toren's arms settled firmly over her shoulders she allowed herself to continue. " What about the other times? You said you were close in the Oubliette and once in a dream. Explain."
Not moving or changing his rigid posture Jareth exhaled a ragged breath and spoke once more. "In the Oubliette she was defiant, even when I literally looked down at her. The light in there was to dark for her to read the brief expression on my face and, well, you know the rules as well as I do, when I stepped back the game was on once again." He let loose a short chuckle, " I believe her exact words were that 'It's a piece of cake' a quaint human expression for irritatingly easy. Such defiance, it was as touching as it was amusing. By damn I was proud of her. She wouldn't life easy for me that's for sure. In supposed retaliation I threw a materialization illusion of the cleaners at her. She was never in any real danger, if she and Hogwart…Hogbrain…anyway, if they hadn't made out before the illusions reached them, it would have remained an illusion, nothing more, since they were out of harm's way, the actual cleaners were summoned and that was the end of it."
Toren's arms tightened around Sinoa and gave her the much-needed encouragement to continue. " What of the dance together in the crystal dream of her's? You must have felt something notable during that. After all the dreams are just that, and are controlled by the dreamer. Whatever occurred in the crystal would only have done so in accordance to her desire."
Jareth turned and faced the pair. "She was there, and she was glorious. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And she was lost. Looking for me, searching desperately because she was afraid. There were so many masks and always she felt me there, but was unable to reach me, so I sang. I put everything I felt for her into that song, and she found me. I don't remember who reached first, but we danced and it was so much more than it had been in her sleeping dreams. Both new and familiar all at once. She knew we had danced before, though I don't think she'll be able to connect the two. After all it was over two years ago when I first felt her call, trying desperately to find someone who loved her. The dream in the crystal search scene was a re-enactment of that. I'm sure of it."
Toren shifted slightly behind Sinoa and voiced the question that both were wondering. "If she had been looking for you and then finally after so much, had found you, why did she shatter her dreams? She would have woken eventually, and would have found that though the time had passed, it could still be hers, with out such a high price. She should have realized in those last waking moments that you never would have harmed anyone so dear to her."
"She knew, but remember, according to the rules of the game, everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems. In the end she knew, but still forsaked everything to ensure Toby's happiness before that of her own." Jareth gave a short pained laugh, "Just another of the many reasons I love her, including her determination and stubbornness, though they make things rather difficult." Sighing Jareth stalked once again to the window and gazed outward toward his Labyrinth, which was now lush and green, no longer blanketed under the guise of the game.
Stepping out or her brother's embrace Sinoa crossed and stood behind Jareth. "If you are truly bonded to her then you know that you have to see her. And if what you say is true, then if you tell her everything she'll be compelled to believe you. Some part of her has to."
Leaning back into her brother's embrace Sinoa hesitated. "Just one more question… does she have any idea what this could mean?"
Quite suddenly Jareth was no longer passive but enraged.
"Could mean? Sinoa do you honestly think I give a damn about that stupid familial immortality legend !?! I don't care about the re-emergence, if you'll recall I seldom did. All I want is Sarah. We don't even know if that damnable legend is true, bedamned with whatever Great Grandmother Fate has hinted at! I don't care! It would be wise for you not to ever mention the possibility of ensnaring Sarah in that cursed whisper ever again. Don't think for one moment, my loving her has anything to do with that!"
Properly chastised, Sinoa took a step back from the onslaught of Jareth. "Alright, I understand. We won't mention it again. Now back to what I was saying before, if she is the one, you have to see her to explain what this means. There is no other way, unless she calls you back, and I have a feeling that is only going to happen if she realizes that you're literally the man of her dreams. Somehow I think that shocked isn't quite going to cover her reaction"
Sighing once again Jareth turned, "So how do I tell her…everything? I doubt there are instructions for how to deal with this. More's the pity" The last statement was muttered under his breath.
In helplessness the pair glanced at each other before looking towards Jareth. "We don't know. The only thing to do would be to bring her here and try to explain. First we have to figure out where she is though. When we-"
"She's at a dance practice. She convinced the others on the team that an extra practice would be beneficiary for all of them. It's at the Fantasma's gym, about a half hour from her house."
Neither Toren or Sinoa were surprised that Jareth knew immediately where she was. According to Jareth, they'd been bonded for quite some time, with or without her knowledge. From this point on he'd be able to find her anywhere, unless she willed it otherwise, and even that would take training, which as of now she didn't have and wasn't even aware that she needed.
The two snapped to attention when Jareth voiced a low and somewhat hesitant question. "What makes either of you so sure she'll want an explanation for any of this anyway?"
Sinoa whispered soft and low the only thing she knew to be true. "She loves you."
Jareth turned, about to speak and then hesitantly let the thought die unvoiced on his lips.
This time it was Toren who stepped forward. "Jareth, 'Noa is right. You know you have to see her. You have to explain if you've got any chance at all for this to work and the sooner the better. You know how Sarah's world works. They kill magic with their logic and their disdain, it's one of the reasons that our realms are drawing further apart. The lines aren't clear anymore and the longer she has time to convince herself that this night never happened the harder seeing her will become. It may take years for the rest of the world to convince her to forget. You say dream magic runs strong in her, how long will it take for her to come to believe that this was all nothing but a waking dream? There will come a day when she may even convince herself that her attempts at calling those loyal to her are nothing more than indulgent fantasies. You have to see her Jareth, and you have to see her now."
There was a slight pause before Toren added the one thing all would-be heroes need to hear. "You have to rescue her"
"If you'll recall Sarah is quite capable of rescuing herself and anyone else who happens to be in need of it. Just what am I to rescue her from?"
With great seriousness Toren stated simply. "From disbelief."
Gathering his courage and his faith in Sarah, Jareth gave a bittersweet smile. "Well then…what are we waiting for?"
And with that all three of them promptly disappeared.
Author's Note: Mood is much improved since my last note. I'm very pleased with this chapter, and I hope you've enjoyed. Hint for the ambitious reader; I dropped major breadcrumbs for you to follow. Be wary & be brave, for my path into the jeweled forest of the gingerbread house is a twisted one. As always, my challenge to you is to gather your courage and jump from the tip-top of the 'I don't have a clue' tree and see how many branches you hit on the way down. Don't worry, I have antiseptic and band-aides for your bruised ego at the bottom. From what I can tell the only brave soul who's dared to even guess at parts of my plot is the girl named
And yes sweet, you're right, Mac does know more than she's letting on. Thanks for being brave enough to try. Oh and before I go, I have a personal challenge for one person in particular. Cutiechelsey, you say that I'm your favorite reviewer. Just out of curiosity I'd like to know what you think, more specifically, am I torturing you as much as you are me? I sincerely hope so. chelsey, I