Mortal Beloved
(Chapter 19)
disclaimer; I do not own!
Jareth sat up, dazed, and took in his surroundings, he had had the weirdest dream. Looking around him once more, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, realising that it hadn't been a dream, It had been a nightmare.
Jareth gasped softly, as he sat up, and saw Sarah sprawled on top of him. Quickly, he turned her over in her arms, and checked for a pulse, nothing. Looking around desperately, Jareth spotted Findlay, laying down next to the still form of Alanya. Jareth climbed shakily to his feet, and headed over to him.
Grasping Findlay's collar, he stared into his friends eyes,
"What happened to Sarah?" he demanded furiously, "The last thing I remember was being wounded by Ragan's sword" he snapped, desperately searching the fey's eyes for an answer.
"She sacrificed herself for you" came a different voice, and both men turned to look at who it was. Approaching from nearby was Rohwan, Findlay held out his arms, and Rohwan embraced him,
"It's good to have you back my son" he stated, and then knelt down beside Alanya, grasping her clammy hand within his own, warmer one. Rohwan glanced at the lifeless woman,
"She was mortal, was she not?" he enquired, and Findlay nodded, and turned his head, as Jareth wandered back to Sarah.
Rohwan grinned suddenly, "I don't see what there is to be happy about at a time like this" he stated, upset. Rohwan's grin widened.
"There is hope for her yet" he answered cryptically. And Findlay wondered what on earth he was talking about.
* * *
Jareth grimaced, as he watched the father son reunion, it as always, only served as a grim reminder that he had had no family to speak of, and now he had lost the closest thing to it. Sarah, his Sarah, the one that had cared about him enough to make a sacrifice so great that it had taken her life.
Jareth rocked back on his heels and felt his conscience come at him like a wild beast, angry, and not in the mood to show any mercy what-so-ever.
Just as Jareth looked up, he saw two balls of energy, one white one green, approaching, coming down from the sky.
As Jareth realised who it was, he felt his hands clench at his sides, as uncontrollable rage coursed through him.
Fagan and Seran, the ones who had taken off as soon as he had been wounded, technically, it wasn't even him who had been wounded, Jareth thought to himself, feeling the anger rise and peak, just below the surface of his crystalline calm exterior.
The couple appeared before him, and Jareth had to restrain himself from laying into them. Instead, he glared, from under his long spiky lashes, a look that few could stand up to, and many had cowered beneath.
"Where the hell did you go?" Jareth demanded harshly, feeling Findlay come up beside him and place a comforting hand on his arm, yet Jareth didn't feel comforted, he felt mad.
* * *
Rohwan looked down at Alanya's body, which his father had temporarily left in his care. Although currently not breathing, he had every faith that the woman was going to be all right.
If what Rohwan had studied of fey blades, she should be coming around just about. Rohwan never finished the thought, as at that moment, an exited yell escaped his lips.
Findlay and Jareth both simultaneously turned to see what was wrong, and were met with the sight of Alanya's body being lifted off the ground, surrounded by a silver haze, Alanya's body was pulled up straight, and ribbons of silver and purple light swooped around her, enveloping her, Her head lolled forward, and then back, then, the neck regaining it's previous strength, was able to support it.
Alanya's hands and fingers flared out to the side, and there was a soft sigh on the wind, and a faint scent of lavenders spun around them, as her body was lowered gently, carefully to the ground.
As soon as the apparent transformation had ceased, Findlay rushed over to her and picked Alanya up from where she lay. Alanya blinked in confusion for a moment, before her gaze came to rest on Findlay, then, she smiled.
Jareth looked away, he was pleased to see that Alanya was ok, but what about Sarah? He thought wildly, she had barely begun her life as a fey and now it had been cruelly snatched away from her. Jareth found himself thinking, over and over, the phrase that Sarah had so frequently adopted when she had run his Labyrinth, It's not fair.
* * *
Findlay looked down at the woman he had in his arms, and was amazed, he didn't know what had just happened, but whatever it was, he was grateful.
Rohwan sauntered up, and grinned widely, and Findlay realised that that had been what he had been talking of, that he had known all along that that would happen.
"How, How did you know?" asked Findlay hoarsely, and Rohwan merely smiled,
"I studied the fey blade in significant detail, and came upon the fact that any human, mortal, that is wounded by the blade becomes a fey" he answered over the top of Alanya's dark head.
Findlay bent down to kiss her forehead, and only then noticed the tiny silver rune that indicated a new fey.
Impulsively, he wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her as tight as he could without hurting her. He was never going to let her go again.
* * *
Fagan and Seran stood off to one side, and Jareth approached them, with a wary look on his face. He had picked up Sarah's still body, and was holding it to him, gently brushing the stray brown locks out of her eyes.
A look passed between the couple, and Fagan nodded,
"Jareth, we are now at peace, I thank you" Seran stated quietly, looking up to meet his changeling eyes, with her own softer green ones.
Her red hair flowed behind her and in her battle attire she truly did look the part of lost legend.
Jareth raised a sardonic brow, and was about to make a snide remark, when Fagan silenced him with a wave of his hand.
"As a thank you, we are going to let you in on a little secret, one that you may not utter to any soul apart from those who have fought this battle with you" he stated solemnly, and Jareth began to listen closely, genuinely surprised.
"There is a temple, the temple of sacrifice, not too far from here, It is a means to bring back those who sacrificed themselves for one they loved, or the greater good. We will take you there, but be warned, It does come with a price, a price you must be willing to pay" stated the past king gravely, and Jareth nodded numbly.
"Please, take us there" he implored, and Fagan nodded, suddenly he Findlay, Rohwan and Alanya were standing before an ancient stone temple, Jareth marvelled at the fact that he hadn't even known of it's existence.
Jareth quickly filled the others in on what was happening, and they all hurried inside the temple.
On the far side of the stone room that stretched out across a large distance, was a stone altar, on the altar was Sarah's body. Jareth started to run across the room, but stopped, as all of the torches in the room lit up, with a swoosh.
Before him appeared three pools, one, the first, was of fire. Jareth remembered Fagan's warning, and steeling his resolve, took a step into the water.
The fire burnt, it burnt away his clothes, and singed his body, yet that was not the worst of it. Suddenly his body was jolted, as memories invaded his mind,
Flashes of battles and bloodlust, of fiery carnage, of explosions, of betrayal. Once the flash of his memories had subsided, he gasped, and hurried to the other side of the pool, climbing out, and heading toward the next body of water.
Water, that was it, not cold, just temperate. Jareth received flashes of his youth, his childhood, idle and lazy days, his parents, almost always bust elsewhere, the indifference of everyone around him, that left him devoid of emotion, lifeless, like the water itself.
Jareth made his way to the edge of the water, and pulled himself out.
He stopped to rest a moment, exhausted, and then continued to the next body of water, the one made of ice. Ice so cold he had never felt the like, as he slipped into its clammy hold.
Halfway through the pool, Jareth was hurled backwards with the force of the memories that overtook him, Memories of the cruelness he had dealt out over the years, the mercy that he hadn't shown, his cold hard dealings, that showed no feelings, and finally, how he had tormented those that had been foolish enough to enter and attempt his labyrinth, one final flash, Sarah, saying the words, leaving him for once, the one that was shattered and broken.
Gasping for breath, Jareth pulled himself out of the frigid water, and instantly, he was clothed, black leathers and fur, silver glinting at his side. Jareth walked up to Sarah, but before he got there, he noticed the small inscription on the side of the stone altar,
"Speak of the love you have for the one you wish returned" it said simply, and Jareth grimaced, he had never been good with expressing his thoughts, feelings and emotions into words, but he knew for Sarah's sake, that he had to try.
Taking a deep breath, Jareth kept his eyes locked on Sarah's face.
"Uh, Sarah, I love you, not because you're a fey, not because your beautiful, but because your you, the one who dared to challenge me, the one who makes me realise my weaknesses, and helps me with them, the one I want to spend eternity and beyond with.." Jareth broke off, eyes gleaming with hope.
:The one I love" he finished, and gasped as their was a small strangled sound, he hurried up the steps of the altar, and knelt down so that he was level with her.
Jareth placed an arm around her, and pulled her to him.
"Your back! Your alive" he stated softly, and Sarah frowned slightly, then groaned, "Where am I?" she asked in confusion, eyes coming to rest upon Jareth's changeling ones.
"It's a long story" stated Jareth wryly, and Sarah smiled, Jareth smiled back, and realised that he had to ask what her answer would be. For a moment he felt pure vulnerability course through him, but then he gathered his courage.
"Sarah.." he began, voice trembling with the question his lips couldn't form.
Sarah's grin softened, "Yes" she stated, and Jareth didn't think he had heard her correctly, realising he had, he pulled her to him, and hugged her.
* * *
Alanya watched as Jareth emerged from the pools a second time, and she ran to her daughter, who welcomed her with open arms. She had just returned from rescuing the poor fey and people that Ragan had most ungraciously dumped in the bog, including Dranion, who was standing beside her now.
Alanya laughed and congratulated the couple as she was told the not at all unexpected news.
Alanya, desperate to try out her new fey powers, grasped the people around her, the people she loved most in the world, close to her.
Teleporting back to the castle, she knew it was going to be ok, it was all going to be ok.
Well, that was the final chapter. BUT THERE IS A EPILOGUE IF YOU WOULD LIKE!!!!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW XOXOXOX (SORRY IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG TO GET THIS UP!) Eve Lindsey.
(Chapter 19)
disclaimer; I do not own!
Jareth sat up, dazed, and took in his surroundings, he had had the weirdest dream. Looking around him once more, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, realising that it hadn't been a dream, It had been a nightmare.
Jareth gasped softly, as he sat up, and saw Sarah sprawled on top of him. Quickly, he turned her over in her arms, and checked for a pulse, nothing. Looking around desperately, Jareth spotted Findlay, laying down next to the still form of Alanya. Jareth climbed shakily to his feet, and headed over to him.
Grasping Findlay's collar, he stared into his friends eyes,
"What happened to Sarah?" he demanded furiously, "The last thing I remember was being wounded by Ragan's sword" he snapped, desperately searching the fey's eyes for an answer.
"She sacrificed herself for you" came a different voice, and both men turned to look at who it was. Approaching from nearby was Rohwan, Findlay held out his arms, and Rohwan embraced him,
"It's good to have you back my son" he stated, and then knelt down beside Alanya, grasping her clammy hand within his own, warmer one. Rohwan glanced at the lifeless woman,
"She was mortal, was she not?" he enquired, and Findlay nodded, and turned his head, as Jareth wandered back to Sarah.
Rohwan grinned suddenly, "I don't see what there is to be happy about at a time like this" he stated, upset. Rohwan's grin widened.
"There is hope for her yet" he answered cryptically. And Findlay wondered what on earth he was talking about.
* * *
Jareth grimaced, as he watched the father son reunion, it as always, only served as a grim reminder that he had had no family to speak of, and now he had lost the closest thing to it. Sarah, his Sarah, the one that had cared about him enough to make a sacrifice so great that it had taken her life.
Jareth rocked back on his heels and felt his conscience come at him like a wild beast, angry, and not in the mood to show any mercy what-so-ever.
Just as Jareth looked up, he saw two balls of energy, one white one green, approaching, coming down from the sky.
As Jareth realised who it was, he felt his hands clench at his sides, as uncontrollable rage coursed through him.
Fagan and Seran, the ones who had taken off as soon as he had been wounded, technically, it wasn't even him who had been wounded, Jareth thought to himself, feeling the anger rise and peak, just below the surface of his crystalline calm exterior.
The couple appeared before him, and Jareth had to restrain himself from laying into them. Instead, he glared, from under his long spiky lashes, a look that few could stand up to, and many had cowered beneath.
"Where the hell did you go?" Jareth demanded harshly, feeling Findlay come up beside him and place a comforting hand on his arm, yet Jareth didn't feel comforted, he felt mad.
* * *
Rohwan looked down at Alanya's body, which his father had temporarily left in his care. Although currently not breathing, he had every faith that the woman was going to be all right.
If what Rohwan had studied of fey blades, she should be coming around just about. Rohwan never finished the thought, as at that moment, an exited yell escaped his lips.
Findlay and Jareth both simultaneously turned to see what was wrong, and were met with the sight of Alanya's body being lifted off the ground, surrounded by a silver haze, Alanya's body was pulled up straight, and ribbons of silver and purple light swooped around her, enveloping her, Her head lolled forward, and then back, then, the neck regaining it's previous strength, was able to support it.
Alanya's hands and fingers flared out to the side, and there was a soft sigh on the wind, and a faint scent of lavenders spun around them, as her body was lowered gently, carefully to the ground.
As soon as the apparent transformation had ceased, Findlay rushed over to her and picked Alanya up from where she lay. Alanya blinked in confusion for a moment, before her gaze came to rest on Findlay, then, she smiled.
Jareth looked away, he was pleased to see that Alanya was ok, but what about Sarah? He thought wildly, she had barely begun her life as a fey and now it had been cruelly snatched away from her. Jareth found himself thinking, over and over, the phrase that Sarah had so frequently adopted when she had run his Labyrinth, It's not fair.
* * *
Findlay looked down at the woman he had in his arms, and was amazed, he didn't know what had just happened, but whatever it was, he was grateful.
Rohwan sauntered up, and grinned widely, and Findlay realised that that had been what he had been talking of, that he had known all along that that would happen.
"How, How did you know?" asked Findlay hoarsely, and Rohwan merely smiled,
"I studied the fey blade in significant detail, and came upon the fact that any human, mortal, that is wounded by the blade becomes a fey" he answered over the top of Alanya's dark head.
Findlay bent down to kiss her forehead, and only then noticed the tiny silver rune that indicated a new fey.
Impulsively, he wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her as tight as he could without hurting her. He was never going to let her go again.
* * *
Fagan and Seran stood off to one side, and Jareth approached them, with a wary look on his face. He had picked up Sarah's still body, and was holding it to him, gently brushing the stray brown locks out of her eyes.
A look passed between the couple, and Fagan nodded,
"Jareth, we are now at peace, I thank you" Seran stated quietly, looking up to meet his changeling eyes, with her own softer green ones.
Her red hair flowed behind her and in her battle attire she truly did look the part of lost legend.
Jareth raised a sardonic brow, and was about to make a snide remark, when Fagan silenced him with a wave of his hand.
"As a thank you, we are going to let you in on a little secret, one that you may not utter to any soul apart from those who have fought this battle with you" he stated solemnly, and Jareth began to listen closely, genuinely surprised.
"There is a temple, the temple of sacrifice, not too far from here, It is a means to bring back those who sacrificed themselves for one they loved, or the greater good. We will take you there, but be warned, It does come with a price, a price you must be willing to pay" stated the past king gravely, and Jareth nodded numbly.
"Please, take us there" he implored, and Fagan nodded, suddenly he Findlay, Rohwan and Alanya were standing before an ancient stone temple, Jareth marvelled at the fact that he hadn't even known of it's existence.
Jareth quickly filled the others in on what was happening, and they all hurried inside the temple.
On the far side of the stone room that stretched out across a large distance, was a stone altar, on the altar was Sarah's body. Jareth started to run across the room, but stopped, as all of the torches in the room lit up, with a swoosh.
Before him appeared three pools, one, the first, was of fire. Jareth remembered Fagan's warning, and steeling his resolve, took a step into the water.
The fire burnt, it burnt away his clothes, and singed his body, yet that was not the worst of it. Suddenly his body was jolted, as memories invaded his mind,
Flashes of battles and bloodlust, of fiery carnage, of explosions, of betrayal. Once the flash of his memories had subsided, he gasped, and hurried to the other side of the pool, climbing out, and heading toward the next body of water.
Water, that was it, not cold, just temperate. Jareth received flashes of his youth, his childhood, idle and lazy days, his parents, almost always bust elsewhere, the indifference of everyone around him, that left him devoid of emotion, lifeless, like the water itself.
Jareth made his way to the edge of the water, and pulled himself out.
He stopped to rest a moment, exhausted, and then continued to the next body of water, the one made of ice. Ice so cold he had never felt the like, as he slipped into its clammy hold.
Halfway through the pool, Jareth was hurled backwards with the force of the memories that overtook him, Memories of the cruelness he had dealt out over the years, the mercy that he hadn't shown, his cold hard dealings, that showed no feelings, and finally, how he had tormented those that had been foolish enough to enter and attempt his labyrinth, one final flash, Sarah, saying the words, leaving him for once, the one that was shattered and broken.
Gasping for breath, Jareth pulled himself out of the frigid water, and instantly, he was clothed, black leathers and fur, silver glinting at his side. Jareth walked up to Sarah, but before he got there, he noticed the small inscription on the side of the stone altar,
"Speak of the love you have for the one you wish returned" it said simply, and Jareth grimaced, he had never been good with expressing his thoughts, feelings and emotions into words, but he knew for Sarah's sake, that he had to try.
Taking a deep breath, Jareth kept his eyes locked on Sarah's face.
"Uh, Sarah, I love you, not because you're a fey, not because your beautiful, but because your you, the one who dared to challenge me, the one who makes me realise my weaknesses, and helps me with them, the one I want to spend eternity and beyond with.." Jareth broke off, eyes gleaming with hope.
:The one I love" he finished, and gasped as their was a small strangled sound, he hurried up the steps of the altar, and knelt down so that he was level with her.
Jareth placed an arm around her, and pulled her to him.
"Your back! Your alive" he stated softly, and Sarah frowned slightly, then groaned, "Where am I?" she asked in confusion, eyes coming to rest upon Jareth's changeling ones.
"It's a long story" stated Jareth wryly, and Sarah smiled, Jareth smiled back, and realised that he had to ask what her answer would be. For a moment he felt pure vulnerability course through him, but then he gathered his courage.
"Sarah.." he began, voice trembling with the question his lips couldn't form.
Sarah's grin softened, "Yes" she stated, and Jareth didn't think he had heard her correctly, realising he had, he pulled her to him, and hugged her.
* * *
Alanya watched as Jareth emerged from the pools a second time, and she ran to her daughter, who welcomed her with open arms. She had just returned from rescuing the poor fey and people that Ragan had most ungraciously dumped in the bog, including Dranion, who was standing beside her now.
Alanya laughed and congratulated the couple as she was told the not at all unexpected news.
Alanya, desperate to try out her new fey powers, grasped the people around her, the people she loved most in the world, close to her.
Teleporting back to the castle, she knew it was going to be ok, it was all going to be ok.
Well, that was the final chapter. BUT THERE IS A EPILOGUE IF YOU WOULD LIKE!!!!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW XOXOXOX (SORRY IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG TO GET THIS UP!) Eve Lindsey.