I'm so sorry this took so long – it's been written for ages but lately, I
haven't gotten home until 10 or 11 at night… being a senior is extremely
exhausting (graduation in one month!)
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Chapter 19:
It landed in the outstretched palm of Narcissa. She looked at it in wonder, completely unaware of its importance.
Puck, not hearing the inevitable smashing sound, opened his eyes. Everyone was looking at Narcissa in shock. Rather, they were looking at the glass sphere in her hand in shock. The trickster recovered first, "Hold it tightly, 'Cissa!"
The command was unnecessary. Light began to stream forward from the crystal's depths once again. It spread quickly this time, almost aware of the danger in the air. The beams hit the ghosts and a rushing noise filled the cavern. The lemures were being sucked into the glass orb. Thousands were reduced to hundreds in seconds. Narcissa, finally understanding, held the crystal with reverence and determination. A hiss rose quickly, "If we go, you go too. To hell, evil one!"
Lemures screamed as his own subjects caught hold of him. They dragged him to the crystal and, so quickly that Puck was not sure how it happened, he became an unsolid form and flowed into the sphere. Within moments, the cave was dark and quiet once more. Puck stood and conjured a ball of flame in his hand. His powers were already returning.
"'Cissa! Are you alright?" he immediately turned to her.
"Fine. Just a splitting headache."
The trickster looked around. Wynne was on the ground in a dead faint and farther into the corner was Sobek. Narcissa gasped as the light fell upon him and rushed towards the crevice. "He's dead," she said bleakly. She had secretly hoped to punish Sobek for his betrayal herself.
Puck came over softly. "That's strange," he murmured, "How did he get here? His leg… it doesn't even look broken."
The queen did not hear him, "We must take his body back with us. As well as Wynne. Where's Jareth?"
It was Puck's turn to gasp as he raced over to Jareth, by the cave's entrance. Narcissa came after him but stopped short when she saw the blood on Jareth's black – clothed body. Attacking Lemures had sent him into unconsciousness. "He's so pale, Puck," she sobbed.
"Come, we must get him back as quickly as possible."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Titania and Oberon waited solemnly in the antechamber of Narcissa's apartments. Their joy of her return quickly faded when they saw the state of the trio. Puck and the young queen were on the point of collapse and Jareth was in critical condition. Sobek's body and the discovery of Wynne's betrayal brought more distress to the old royal couple.
Four people came into the room from different directions: Keziah from Morpheus's room, Apollo from Narcissa's chamber, Thoth came from Jareth's room and finally, a few seconds later, Giselle came from Puck's room. The four stood in silence until Oberon sighed, "You first, Thoth."
The Egyptian fae drew himself to his full height. He never had liked Sobek much, but the death still affected his sphere of fae culture. Now, he could repair the damage somewhat by caring for the broken Goblin King. "He will be weak for quite awhile but he will recover. He needs to replenish his lost blood but the actual wound will heal quickly enough. I even see signs of his powers returning."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Apollo and Giselle stepped forward. The young queen and her best friend would be fine as well. A little worse for wear, but nothing more. Finally, Keziah spoke up about her patient. "His powers were returned quickly enough, but he is still quite sick," she paused, taking in the concerned faces, "I think that it's sufficient though. He will survive with full abilities, as far as powers are concerned."
"Thank goodness," voiced Narcissa from her doorway. Oberon frowned; his daughter should be resting. "Oh Father," she said, seeing his face, "like you really expected me to stay in bed. I never listen to the doctor's orders." Apollo looked more unhappy than Oberon did.
"Let's just go to the library, okay, Father? I'll rest in there. We need to get this whole mess straightened out now."
In fifteen minutes, a large group of fae was assembled in the beautiful library. Narcissa settled into a warm chair by the fire and watched the sun rise in the sky over the veranda. This was the room that Lemures had watched and waited for her but strangely, the thought did not bother her. She supposed that she was simply too tired to care. Smiling to herself, she knew that as soon as she did care, the entire room would be redecorated. That would calm any thoughts about the incident.
Jareth and Morpheus were helped into the room, despite both of their protestations. "I feel perfectly alright, Thoth," the Goblin King said loudly, "I have my powers and my shoulder is healing fine. I don't need your help!" In response, Thoth only nodded and proceeded to help His Majesty to his chair. Jareth sighed and gave up.
Narcissa saw that everyone was there and told Puck to tell their story. When he was finished, with a little help from Jareth, Narcissa told her father what happened before the Trickster and Goblin King showed up. When she began talking of Thor, tears gathered in her eyes and by the time she was done with the part about Laeli, Titania was crying as well.
Puck waited a few moments and then cleared his throat, "Well, that is all rather straight-forward, but there are a few questions. Like, what was up with Jareth's crystal before we found Narcissa? And who spoke to the two of us outside the cave? Then there was that whole incident of the chains falling off and Jareth getting advice from the voice again. And, I would love to figure out how a crystal heading for sharp rocks suddenly goes to the waiting hand of our queen."
There was a deafening silence. Then, Oberon mumbled audibly, "It's time to tell them, my love." Narcissa frowned as Titania nodded. She was not sure at all that this was the time.
"Actually, it would probably be best to let her explain it all," Titania responded. She looked directly at Narcissa. This time, Jareth frowned. The young queen had not been truthful with them, it seemed. But just as he was thinking this, a small servant girl stepped forward from a dark corner behind Narcissa's chair. He recognized her immediately as the maid from the kitchens, the one that was always in white, the one that was always dirty. A murmur of disapproval swept through the room. The girl barely took notice; she knew that her dress was filthy and her hair was unkempt. She curtsied to the Fae King and then to the rest of the fae.
Soon, she turned back to Oberon and smiled. He gave her a small grin and gestured in the air. A blue stream emanated from his hand towards the servant girl while all the fae watched, enrapt. It swirled about her until she was completely hidden and then, as fast as it had come, the mist vanished.
Jareth nearly fell out of his chair. In a gorgeous white and silver ball gown, the person before him was none other than his love, Sarah.
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Chapter 19:
It landed in the outstretched palm of Narcissa. She looked at it in wonder, completely unaware of its importance.
Puck, not hearing the inevitable smashing sound, opened his eyes. Everyone was looking at Narcissa in shock. Rather, they were looking at the glass sphere in her hand in shock. The trickster recovered first, "Hold it tightly, 'Cissa!"
The command was unnecessary. Light began to stream forward from the crystal's depths once again. It spread quickly this time, almost aware of the danger in the air. The beams hit the ghosts and a rushing noise filled the cavern. The lemures were being sucked into the glass orb. Thousands were reduced to hundreds in seconds. Narcissa, finally understanding, held the crystal with reverence and determination. A hiss rose quickly, "If we go, you go too. To hell, evil one!"
Lemures screamed as his own subjects caught hold of him. They dragged him to the crystal and, so quickly that Puck was not sure how it happened, he became an unsolid form and flowed into the sphere. Within moments, the cave was dark and quiet once more. Puck stood and conjured a ball of flame in his hand. His powers were already returning.
"'Cissa! Are you alright?" he immediately turned to her.
"Fine. Just a splitting headache."
The trickster looked around. Wynne was on the ground in a dead faint and farther into the corner was Sobek. Narcissa gasped as the light fell upon him and rushed towards the crevice. "He's dead," she said bleakly. She had secretly hoped to punish Sobek for his betrayal herself.
Puck came over softly. "That's strange," he murmured, "How did he get here? His leg… it doesn't even look broken."
The queen did not hear him, "We must take his body back with us. As well as Wynne. Where's Jareth?"
It was Puck's turn to gasp as he raced over to Jareth, by the cave's entrance. Narcissa came after him but stopped short when she saw the blood on Jareth's black – clothed body. Attacking Lemures had sent him into unconsciousness. "He's so pale, Puck," she sobbed.
"Come, we must get him back as quickly as possible."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Titania and Oberon waited solemnly in the antechamber of Narcissa's apartments. Their joy of her return quickly faded when they saw the state of the trio. Puck and the young queen were on the point of collapse and Jareth was in critical condition. Sobek's body and the discovery of Wynne's betrayal brought more distress to the old royal couple.
Four people came into the room from different directions: Keziah from Morpheus's room, Apollo from Narcissa's chamber, Thoth came from Jareth's room and finally, a few seconds later, Giselle came from Puck's room. The four stood in silence until Oberon sighed, "You first, Thoth."
The Egyptian fae drew himself to his full height. He never had liked Sobek much, but the death still affected his sphere of fae culture. Now, he could repair the damage somewhat by caring for the broken Goblin King. "He will be weak for quite awhile but he will recover. He needs to replenish his lost blood but the actual wound will heal quickly enough. I even see signs of his powers returning."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Apollo and Giselle stepped forward. The young queen and her best friend would be fine as well. A little worse for wear, but nothing more. Finally, Keziah spoke up about her patient. "His powers were returned quickly enough, but he is still quite sick," she paused, taking in the concerned faces, "I think that it's sufficient though. He will survive with full abilities, as far as powers are concerned."
"Thank goodness," voiced Narcissa from her doorway. Oberon frowned; his daughter should be resting. "Oh Father," she said, seeing his face, "like you really expected me to stay in bed. I never listen to the doctor's orders." Apollo looked more unhappy than Oberon did.
"Let's just go to the library, okay, Father? I'll rest in there. We need to get this whole mess straightened out now."
In fifteen minutes, a large group of fae was assembled in the beautiful library. Narcissa settled into a warm chair by the fire and watched the sun rise in the sky over the veranda. This was the room that Lemures had watched and waited for her but strangely, the thought did not bother her. She supposed that she was simply too tired to care. Smiling to herself, she knew that as soon as she did care, the entire room would be redecorated. That would calm any thoughts about the incident.
Jareth and Morpheus were helped into the room, despite both of their protestations. "I feel perfectly alright, Thoth," the Goblin King said loudly, "I have my powers and my shoulder is healing fine. I don't need your help!" In response, Thoth only nodded and proceeded to help His Majesty to his chair. Jareth sighed and gave up.
Narcissa saw that everyone was there and told Puck to tell their story. When he was finished, with a little help from Jareth, Narcissa told her father what happened before the Trickster and Goblin King showed up. When she began talking of Thor, tears gathered in her eyes and by the time she was done with the part about Laeli, Titania was crying as well.
Puck waited a few moments and then cleared his throat, "Well, that is all rather straight-forward, but there are a few questions. Like, what was up with Jareth's crystal before we found Narcissa? And who spoke to the two of us outside the cave? Then there was that whole incident of the chains falling off and Jareth getting advice from the voice again. And, I would love to figure out how a crystal heading for sharp rocks suddenly goes to the waiting hand of our queen."
There was a deafening silence. Then, Oberon mumbled audibly, "It's time to tell them, my love." Narcissa frowned as Titania nodded. She was not sure at all that this was the time.
"Actually, it would probably be best to let her explain it all," Titania responded. She looked directly at Narcissa. This time, Jareth frowned. The young queen had not been truthful with them, it seemed. But just as he was thinking this, a small servant girl stepped forward from a dark corner behind Narcissa's chair. He recognized her immediately as the maid from the kitchens, the one that was always in white, the one that was always dirty. A murmur of disapproval swept through the room. The girl barely took notice; she knew that her dress was filthy and her hair was unkempt. She curtsied to the Fae King and then to the rest of the fae.
Soon, she turned back to Oberon and smiled. He gave her a small grin and gestured in the air. A blue stream emanated from his hand towards the servant girl while all the fae watched, enrapt. It swirled about her until she was completely hidden and then, as fast as it had come, the mist vanished.
Jareth nearly fell out of his chair. In a gorgeous white and silver ball gown, the person before him was none other than his love, Sarah.
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