SIX MONTHS LATER...
Elaina sat by her window and stared out at the rich, grassy land that had grown up from the wasteland of what seemed like forever ago. She missed David and Gibbs. They must be frantic with worry....or maybe they have accepted the fact that she is dead (which she was, to them at least). She missed her little shed. She missed her world, her people.
Jareth had taught her so much, however. He had taught her how to use and develop her powers that had been gained from the kiss in the ballroom. He taught her how to use the mask that he had made for her so long ago. He had explained everything that had happened along the way. For instance, when she had landed in an unknown location with all her limbs broken, all that had happened was a miscalculation on Jareth's part (for which he apologized many times). She had landed in a world where mortals were never meant to be, and therefore the atmosphere itself had refused her. It was a common mistake, apparently, for the person who had sent her in the right direction had known just what to do.
There was an expected knock on the door. She let out a heavy sigh and got up off the windowsill. When the door was opened, Jareth was not there. Instead, there was a small boy standing before her. He couldn't have been more than eight years old and had ear-length brown hair. He was dressed as a human peasant and Elaina wondered why he was in Jareth's castle.
The little boy stared up at her with big, brown eyes, but said nothing. Instead, he took her hand and led her down the corridor.
"What is Jareth doing?" she thought. But the boy led her past the study, past Jareth's bedroom, down the long spiral staircase, past the kitchens where the cooks prepared their meals, and out onto the front steps. The boy pointed to the horizon. Elaina tried to look, but the sun was in her eyes. She shielded her face from the sun and squinted, trying to see.
Coming towards them, far off on the horizon, was a vast army of large, bulky creatures with swords. Elaina closed her eyes and concentrated on the minds of the things. She could tell that they were programmed, hypnotized, trained. All she could catch were flashes of red that were occasionally accompanied by flashing images of flames and the smell of burning flesh. It was obvious that they had been sent to kill them.
She opened her eyes, turned toward the castle and screamed like a small child afraid of a storm. "Jareth! Jareth, get out here!"
At that very second, Jareth stepped over the front doorsill, led by a small girl about the age of the boy that had led her there.
Jareth looked around, bemused. "What's going on?" He came up behind Elaina and stroked her hair. "What's wrong?"
Elaina sobbed and pointed to the horizon, where the troop of evil beings continued to get closer. "You tell me," she said.
Jareth screened his eyes from the sun, as well, and stared at the approaching army for a long time. He seemed to be considering something, but Elaina wasn't sure what. She tried to read his thoughts, but he was shutting her out. She felt hurt.
Finally, he turned to her and drew her close once again in an intimate embrace. They remained that way for a long while and when Jareth pulled away, Elaina saw tears in his eyes. He gave her a gentle kiss and took her firmly by the shoulders. "Elaina," he said, staring sadly into her eyes, "Go. Turn, run, go back to your world. You don't belong here, you never have. I will miss you terribly, but you have to go. Run, and don't look back."
She stared at him, studying his face, knowing not to question him but wanting to desperately. She flung her arms around his neck and gave him one last kiss, intended to rest forever on his lips. Then she turned and fled to the forest beyond the courtyard. She reached the courtyard fence, sprung up and over it into the courtyard, jumped the second fence and ran straight into the forest. Despite Jareth's warnings, she hid behind a huge tree and looked back at the battle scene.
The army was now yards from the castle with Jareth still standing on the front steps, defiantly staring his foe in the face. She began to run, but stopped, turned around and blew a kiss in the direction of the castle.
Suddenly, all of the hundreds of evil creatures transformed into little, wrinkled, ugly, yet harmless little beasts. They reminded her of the goblins in Gibbs' stories. She smiled at the bewildered expression that had taken over Jareth's face. She turned to leave, but once again, she had an idea. She blew another kiss to Jareth and up from the ground sprung a massive maze of twists, turns and detours.
"The Labyrinth." she whispered aloud to herself, "No one will ever get through that. Now, he'll be safe." She looked lovingly at Jareth once more, turned and fled.
When she reached a clearing, Elaina stopped to catch her breath. She turned her head up towards the sky, which was now a bright blue, closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air. She retrieved the mask from a small leather bag at her side, placed it over her eyes, tied the ribbons behind her head and whispered a single word: "Home".
Her body went numb, momentarily and when feeling came back into her limbs, she was standing in her little shed. She burst through the door and ran into th blacksmith shop yelling David's name. She ran into the shop, but David wasn't there. She turned around and raced, instead to Gibbs' home. She didn't even bother watching out for his grandmother as she raced around to the back of the house. She looked through the window and saw Gibbs, now eighteen, sitting at his writing desk. She rapped furiously on the window, and was greeted with an amazed stare from Gibbs. Elaina gestured for him to open the window, which he did, the shocked expression never leaving his face. She climbed into his bedroom and clasped him tightly in a fervent embrace.
"Where...? How....?" Gibbs stuttered. He was looking at her, touching her face, studying her from every angle as if trying to reassure himself that she was actually there.
She giggled and told him to settle down. "I'm back," she said, "don't worry. I won't leave again."
He smiled and hugged her again. When they pulled away, Elaina asked him if he knew where David was. He hadn't seen him. She left to go find him, promising to meet Gibbs in the cave at eight.
She ran all around town looking for David. She found him in a little shop in the town square buying some exotic soaps from the sweet old man that ran the shop. He had a close connection with some sailors that always brought him back treasures from different places.
She took a breath. "David?"
David turned around slowly and just stared at her. He smiled and approached her slowly. He stroked the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. Taking her in a warm hug, he whispered in her ear: "Welcome home, darling."
She blinked back her tears and said, "Thank you. It's good to be home."
* * *
She met Gibbs in the cave at eight, as promised. They talked for hours and she told him about everything that had happened from the time Jareth took her away to her return, Gibbs listening intently to every word, syllable and breath in between.
Gibbs told her about everything that had happened since she was gone. His grandmother had passed away, new shops had opened, old ones had closed, etc, etc. She didn't find any of it very interesting, but she just loved being home again.
When they had both finished talking, they sat back and were silent for a moment. Out of the blue, Gibbs asked, "You really loved him, didn't you?"
Tears sprung to her eyes as she nodded. "Yes," she said as she wiped them away, "yes, I did."
Gibbs nodded and rocked back and forth gently, focusing his attention on something invisible.
Elaina got up and offered her arm to Gibbs. "Well, Sir Timothy, will thee walk with me back to my dwelling?"
Gibbs took the arm with a chuckle. "With pleasure, M'Lady."
They walked arm-in-arm back to her shed in complete silence. Gibbs kissed Elaina on the forehead and said goodnight. Elaina then went into her shed and slept a peaceful sleep filled with dreams of Jareth.
Elaina sat by her window and stared out at the rich, grassy land that had grown up from the wasteland of what seemed like forever ago. She missed David and Gibbs. They must be frantic with worry....or maybe they have accepted the fact that she is dead (which she was, to them at least). She missed her little shed. She missed her world, her people.
Jareth had taught her so much, however. He had taught her how to use and develop her powers that had been gained from the kiss in the ballroom. He taught her how to use the mask that he had made for her so long ago. He had explained everything that had happened along the way. For instance, when she had landed in an unknown location with all her limbs broken, all that had happened was a miscalculation on Jareth's part (for which he apologized many times). She had landed in a world where mortals were never meant to be, and therefore the atmosphere itself had refused her. It was a common mistake, apparently, for the person who had sent her in the right direction had known just what to do.
There was an expected knock on the door. She let out a heavy sigh and got up off the windowsill. When the door was opened, Jareth was not there. Instead, there was a small boy standing before her. He couldn't have been more than eight years old and had ear-length brown hair. He was dressed as a human peasant and Elaina wondered why he was in Jareth's castle.
The little boy stared up at her with big, brown eyes, but said nothing. Instead, he took her hand and led her down the corridor.
"What is Jareth doing?" she thought. But the boy led her past the study, past Jareth's bedroom, down the long spiral staircase, past the kitchens where the cooks prepared their meals, and out onto the front steps. The boy pointed to the horizon. Elaina tried to look, but the sun was in her eyes. She shielded her face from the sun and squinted, trying to see.
Coming towards them, far off on the horizon, was a vast army of large, bulky creatures with swords. Elaina closed her eyes and concentrated on the minds of the things. She could tell that they were programmed, hypnotized, trained. All she could catch were flashes of red that were occasionally accompanied by flashing images of flames and the smell of burning flesh. It was obvious that they had been sent to kill them.
She opened her eyes, turned toward the castle and screamed like a small child afraid of a storm. "Jareth! Jareth, get out here!"
At that very second, Jareth stepped over the front doorsill, led by a small girl about the age of the boy that had led her there.
Jareth looked around, bemused. "What's going on?" He came up behind Elaina and stroked her hair. "What's wrong?"
Elaina sobbed and pointed to the horizon, where the troop of evil beings continued to get closer. "You tell me," she said.
Jareth screened his eyes from the sun, as well, and stared at the approaching army for a long time. He seemed to be considering something, but Elaina wasn't sure what. She tried to read his thoughts, but he was shutting her out. She felt hurt.
Finally, he turned to her and drew her close once again in an intimate embrace. They remained that way for a long while and when Jareth pulled away, Elaina saw tears in his eyes. He gave her a gentle kiss and took her firmly by the shoulders. "Elaina," he said, staring sadly into her eyes, "Go. Turn, run, go back to your world. You don't belong here, you never have. I will miss you terribly, but you have to go. Run, and don't look back."
She stared at him, studying his face, knowing not to question him but wanting to desperately. She flung her arms around his neck and gave him one last kiss, intended to rest forever on his lips. Then she turned and fled to the forest beyond the courtyard. She reached the courtyard fence, sprung up and over it into the courtyard, jumped the second fence and ran straight into the forest. Despite Jareth's warnings, she hid behind a huge tree and looked back at the battle scene.
The army was now yards from the castle with Jareth still standing on the front steps, defiantly staring his foe in the face. She began to run, but stopped, turned around and blew a kiss in the direction of the castle.
Suddenly, all of the hundreds of evil creatures transformed into little, wrinkled, ugly, yet harmless little beasts. They reminded her of the goblins in Gibbs' stories. She smiled at the bewildered expression that had taken over Jareth's face. She turned to leave, but once again, she had an idea. She blew another kiss to Jareth and up from the ground sprung a massive maze of twists, turns and detours.
"The Labyrinth." she whispered aloud to herself, "No one will ever get through that. Now, he'll be safe." She looked lovingly at Jareth once more, turned and fled.
When she reached a clearing, Elaina stopped to catch her breath. She turned her head up towards the sky, which was now a bright blue, closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air. She retrieved the mask from a small leather bag at her side, placed it over her eyes, tied the ribbons behind her head and whispered a single word: "Home".
Her body went numb, momentarily and when feeling came back into her limbs, she was standing in her little shed. She burst through the door and ran into th blacksmith shop yelling David's name. She ran into the shop, but David wasn't there. She turned around and raced, instead to Gibbs' home. She didn't even bother watching out for his grandmother as she raced around to the back of the house. She looked through the window and saw Gibbs, now eighteen, sitting at his writing desk. She rapped furiously on the window, and was greeted with an amazed stare from Gibbs. Elaina gestured for him to open the window, which he did, the shocked expression never leaving his face. She climbed into his bedroom and clasped him tightly in a fervent embrace.
"Where...? How....?" Gibbs stuttered. He was looking at her, touching her face, studying her from every angle as if trying to reassure himself that she was actually there.
She giggled and told him to settle down. "I'm back," she said, "don't worry. I won't leave again."
He smiled and hugged her again. When they pulled away, Elaina asked him if he knew where David was. He hadn't seen him. She left to go find him, promising to meet Gibbs in the cave at eight.
She ran all around town looking for David. She found him in a little shop in the town square buying some exotic soaps from the sweet old man that ran the shop. He had a close connection with some sailors that always brought him back treasures from different places.
She took a breath. "David?"
David turned around slowly and just stared at her. He smiled and approached her slowly. He stroked the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. Taking her in a warm hug, he whispered in her ear: "Welcome home, darling."
She blinked back her tears and said, "Thank you. It's good to be home."
* * *
She met Gibbs in the cave at eight, as promised. They talked for hours and she told him about everything that had happened from the time Jareth took her away to her return, Gibbs listening intently to every word, syllable and breath in between.
Gibbs told her about everything that had happened since she was gone. His grandmother had passed away, new shops had opened, old ones had closed, etc, etc. She didn't find any of it very interesting, but she just loved being home again.
When they had both finished talking, they sat back and were silent for a moment. Out of the blue, Gibbs asked, "You really loved him, didn't you?"
Tears sprung to her eyes as she nodded. "Yes," she said as she wiped them away, "yes, I did."
Gibbs nodded and rocked back and forth gently, focusing his attention on something invisible.
Elaina got up and offered her arm to Gibbs. "Well, Sir Timothy, will thee walk with me back to my dwelling?"
Gibbs took the arm with a chuckle. "With pleasure, M'Lady."
They walked arm-in-arm back to her shed in complete silence. Gibbs kissed Elaina on the forehead and said goodnight. Elaina then went into her shed and slept a peaceful sleep filled with dreams of Jareth.