Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original toys. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. All run by Jim Henson and George Lucas. They monopolize all the great ideas and then refuse to share the wealth. Mean aren't they? I do however own all of my toys, meaning the new characters that have been making their debuts. I may be inclined to let some of you play with them in the future but only when I'm done with them, only if you ask, and only if I like you.
Author's Note: I don't have much to say at this point in time. Hell, I haven't even read any of my reviews for chapter's 5-7. This is the third chapter I've written without any idea of how y'all are responding to the ones that are already there. I'm going out on a limb here and assuming that you're enjoying them at least at least somewhat. This should hopefully be chapter ten. I'm not saying anything about it except that it'll be a first person point of view chapter, since it's been a while in between those and since I happen to like writing them. So sit back and do what you clicked here to do. Read.
The Irony of it All
Chapter ten: "The cost of loving"
Fae aren't exactly the best of people to batter with mixed emotions. It's not in our nature to be confused, kind of like how it's in human nature to be incredulous of what you don't understand. It's not anyone's fault really, we simply are what we are. Inevitably though, there are times when the lines blur and despite our best intentions, things go awry and we end up in positions that force us to deal with things that aren't in our nature to deal with. Situations we'd instinctively avoid if we had a choice in the matter. My cousin, Jareth is in such a position.
He's in love, and like all in love, at least for a time, he's going to be miserable. He's having to deal with some pretty intense confusion at the moment. Which again reverts back to the fact that Fae don't like to be confused, it puts us out of depth and when that happens unpredictability becomes our middle name. Assuming that we had middle names, which we don't, that nonsense is a purely human custom. It's hard to enough to figure out who you are when you have only one name and title to deal with, so why add to that confusion by lengthening the name you'll have to shoulder for your entire life? I swear, sometimes I think you humans revel in chaos. It excites you to some degree. Oh don't get me wrong, Fae enjoy a challenge as much as anybody, probably more than most. It's just that excitement fuels different kinds of mass emotions, most of which are synonymous with one another, minimizing mixed methodology. The less confusion the better. I suppose that ties into to our possession of magic.
It's not hard to surmise that magic running rampant about the realm wouldn't be a good thing. Of course it's used daily but it's used with practiced and precise control. Like you, Fae children must be instructed from a young age. Our classes are surprisingly similar, save for where we learn to control our magic, you are taught science. We're alike in that both of us are tutored in Literature, History (though you may gather that ours is more than slightly different from yours), Music & Mathematics. There was a time, eons ago where we were instructed together. Another story entirely. The happily ever after you seem to be so fond of procuring for the end of every story was not applied in that one. You'll come to understand this later. I've gotten off subject haven't I?
It's hard for you to deal with mixed emotions yes? But you figure that it's a part of life. And for you that may be true, but asking a Fae to deal with the likes of that is like asking fire to burn cold. Yes we fall in love, though we don't handle it the same way that humans do.
You think the confusion is any easier because we control magic? Hardly, in fact, they work on completely opposite principles. We're taught a degree of control to maintain from the time we're old enough to understand the word. Love and other strong emotions for members outside of the circle of loving family we're raised in, demand that we have confusion just as strong as the new emotions. So in all actuality, what basically happens is that our day to day routines are thrown into the sky and we're left to fall and land however we may. True, as in all stories some people's romances happen easier than others do. Unfortunately for Jareth he picked the hardest road of all. Never let it be said that my cousin ever turned down a challenge, and this time he picked the hardest one he's ever had. Jareth has fallen in love; no, more than that Jareth has bonded himself. To a mortal.
There is a fine line between love and actual bonding. Bonding to us is as final as your marriage vows. In fact, probably more so, because it's forever. Once it's there it's never going to end. Unlike your marriage vows which can be undone by signing a simple sheet of paper. Answer me this; how can you make a commitment of that magnitude and then let it fall apart for the most unbelievable reasons? How can you forget the tie you shared with that person. How do you ignore that you once loved them more than anyone else in the Aboveground? It's incomprehensible to us. The bond is sacred, it makes us whole, and for all time that bond will exist. The reason? We're born with soul mates aligned in the stars for us. They may already exist, or they may have yet to be born, but regardless, there is someone out there that is our soul mate. The trouble? Finding them. Of course our Great-grandmother has ways of going about that. How? She's Fate. No…I'm not kidding. I wish that I was. You think you have problems with your destiny, try having a Great-grandmother who writes it for you. She claims that she only spins what is meant to be, and that she shows no partiality towards anyone. Ya…right. That will be your little secret. It's not that she carries out her plans with malice, to get real honest she's made all the right matches and she's very good at what she does, but it's all done on her schedule, not ours. It's just that she can be a little…deceitful. At least you can pretend you don't believe in Fate, and the fact that she spins your destiny. You're wrong, but according to you ignorance is bliss (one of your confusing saying that may actually be onto something.) From the day we're born she plans our love. No she doesn't choose them; not even she has that much power, but find them? Arrange earlier than planned rendezvous? Orchestrate everything to her liking? Of course! (And by the way she doesn't get any less cunning with age.) She's one of the few true immortals and that means that in the eternity and beyond, she'll always be able to keep a close eye on her family, O joy. She's determined to see us bonded and very much in love with our soul mate much sooner than we'd like. Most of us would avoid love for as long as possible if we could, because once we're bonded it's forever.
There are some people that love comes easily to. We're not them.
Great-grandmother Fate, whose over a thousand times removed has it in her head to see each one of her 'cygnets' as she calls us, happily settled, bonded and in love. For us that means we must go through the unhappy and unsettled stage of 'falling' in love to get to the 'settled', blissful stage. Funny how so many of our expressions are different, yet we both use 'falling in love'. Why do we 'fall' into love? Love is supposed to be wonderful isn't it? So why don't we soar into love, or embrace loving? I'll tell you why. Love hurts. Aptly and appropriately so does falling. It's unexpected, you can never catch yourself in time, and you always end up with bumps and bruises, albeit, some walk away with little more than a scrape while other's have more grievous injuries to deal with. And right now, if we had need of external healing assistance, Jareth would be wearing one of your body-casts. By the way, how exactly do you figure that's helping someone? To me it looks like nothing but a glorified torture device. The things some of you do. It's almost as bad as those among you who willingly stick metal needles under your skin and call it acupuncture therapy. Fae don't like sharp objects, especially, sharp metal objects. Long story. You and your close kinship with hateful iron…it's somewhat alarming. I'm off subject again aren't I?
It was somewhat of a shock when we (My brother Toren and I) found out that Jareth had an infatuation. Even more so when we discovered that it was with a young mortal. Sarah is her name. I guess that the reason we were so surprised was that out of all of us, Jareth had always had the most cynical attitude towards love. First to warn Great grandmother to stay out of his business. Too late. I'm sure she had her hand in this. It never should have happened so early. Although it's clear she his soul mate, and that he's bonded to her. He said so and that makes it true. Once it happens you can't deny it, you're certain, it's that simple. He's certain, and he hasn't ever denied it, except maybe in the beginning, to himself. The game they were drawn into playing made it all very clear though, at least in his eyes. And I suspect it's clear in her heart, whether her head acknowledges it or not. Not entirely sure how you manage to do that either. It has to be confusing. Again, everyone is what they are, and you humans are very puzzling people. But I'm betting that you think the same about us.
I can't really blame you. It's hard to understand what you don't have any real knowledge of. It's even harder for you because you have a basic fear a anything you can't understand. You seem to be very paranoid creatures. That's a very large part of my current concern, is this Sarah, whom Jareth appears to be bonded to and deeply in love with, going to be able to overcome her nature? She does have a slight advantage in that, dream magic, one of the few types of magic humans still possess, apparently runs strong in her. There's really nothing I can do about any this anyway, so worrying isn't all that beneficial, but I can't not worry. That doesn't make any sense. Now do you see my problem? I'm not even the one in love, and yet I've ended up confusing myself anyway. How do you do this?… I wonder how many times I've asked that question, or one similar to it these past few days. I don't think the total is countable. Most of all I wonder how my dear cousin is taking all of this.
He's always been the strongest in our little trio. The oldest and the most knowing of all our cousins, which there are twelve of us in all, and three more on the way. I'm not the youngest out of all the cousins but as far as everyone else is concerned I'm still a baby. Toren is second in line, and I'm fourth. The third is Uncle Hades' daughter, Fiametta. Surprisingly we get along, considering how different we are. Don't really know how Jareth, Toren, and I became a trio, it just kind of happened. Well, it was more along the lines of the fact that Toren and Jareth have always been best friends and I played the dogged tag-along for so long that they finally gave in and included me. Persistence is a virtue. One I'm glad I have these days. Trying to talk to Jareth when he doesn't want company is as difficult as convincing one of the stars to fall.
He needed it though, and even now Toren and I are trying to convince him that he has to see her, no matter the outcome. He'll agree eventually. He loves her, and somehow I know that she loves him. Even if she doesn't know it herself. (Once again you people are extremely confusing.) For now he's stuck in between knowing and not knowing, and it's weighing down his hope. He'd go through human hell for her, in fact I'd say that's exactly what he's doing. But such is the cost of love.
Great-grandmother Fate and grandfather Oberon should be very pleased with themselves. He's firmly ensnared. Thank the light they haven't started in on me. The way I see it forewarned is forearmed.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Author's Note: This didn't turn out the way I had planned. What's new? But I don't think it turned out bad. In really turned out to be more of an information chapter than a deep, theological one, but hey It was all information you needed.
I have a challenge for you. The name Fiametta has a meaning for me. It's an object that I'm quite fond of, but many know it. 1000 Bonus points if you can tell me what it is. And even more than that if you can tell me who's responsible for it's existence. If you can tell me that, I'll tell you the answer to any one question you have about my story. Anything you want to know about characters, plot, history, anything at all. Leave your guesses and your e-mail addresses (that rhymed!^_~) along with your question in the little blue box and I'll let you know if your inquiry gets answered. Just please don't ask me to explain the meaning of life. That one is rather difficult to explain and it gives me a headache. Ja Nae~Lauralye