A/N: Wow! Another chapter! I'm so proud of myself...:) This chapter is dedicated to Arlena my new faithful fan. She flattered me enough for me to get out another chapter...even if it is a bit short. It's still something, right? I would have posted this a lot sooner but ffn took away my upload privileges after they found my Author's Note I had up for another story *grumbles* it's a stupid rule anyway...

OH! I have to tell you guys what I bought at the Renaissance Festival last week! There was this booth set up that was selling the same crystal sphere's that Jareth uses and they were even teaching people how to use them. I bought one and it's sooo much fun. If you want to check it out their web page is: www.tryouttoys.com have fun! *end commercial*

Title: Coincidental Destinies

Rating: I've had to up it to PG for a couple of bad words...no big deal. It's more of a just-to-cover my-butt-kind of thing. Hehe.

Disclaimer: I have a great fondness for disclaimers. Why? You ask. Well, it's because it gives me more chance to flaunt all of my wonderful creations and additions to this story. Kind of like my ego boost for the day ;) lol I own Gendl, Lyn, Ary, and the Essences.

Chapter 5

The lesson went by quickly after that, and Sarah couldn't believe how much progress she had made. By the time Lyn called the lesson to an end, Sarah had managed to bring out three of the five Essences and was able to identify them by their voices.

"I'm so proud of you Sarah...you are doing very well for your first night!" Sarah had to smile; Lyn was practically glowing.

"This is all so...so..." She yawned in the middle of her sentence, "...exciting. I'm sorry." The Essences didn't seem to be responding any more, it was very late and Sarah was exhausted. Her back was throbbing and bed looked really good right then, she twisted a hand back to massage at the sore muscles with a light grimace.

"That is quite all right...what's the matter?"

"It's just my back again." Sarah frowned, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be complaining this much." She returned her hand to her lap and bit her lower lip.

"No, no..." Lyn laughed lightly, "You have every right to complain...perhaps we should end for the night?"

"That might be a good idea."

Aidlyn nodded and stood. "I will have somebody come up and clear the dishes for you..." she gestured a hand to the pile of empty dinner plates on the table.

Sarah stood as well, very slowly and stiffly, "I'll see you tomorrow, right?" She hated the idea of being cooped up in her room alone for another day.

"Of course." She was walking to the door now, "and I will show you around the grounds as well. You should have seen them days ago." She sounded almost bitter, but covered it with a light smile.

"Days? I've only been here for like two or three..." Sarah was confused again; she sat herself on the edge of the bed and looked at Lyn.

"No...It has been many more, you were asleep—"

"I slept for maybe one day and then there was yesterday when you came in and talked to me and then today...three days!" Sarah interrupted; she wasn't sure why she was so upset about it. The thought of missing a portion of her life was unnerving to her.

"No, Sarah, you were asleep for much longer than that..."

"How long?" Her voice was slightly accusing.

"A fortnight." She hesitated, "give or take a few days."

"H-How long is that?" Now Sarah was afraid, again she didn't know why. Her emotions were running wild, caught up in a roller coaster, up and down and up and down. It was making her dizzy and confused.

"A fortnight is two weeks...you were asleep for maybe twelve days."

"Twelve days?" Her voice raised an octave, now she was angry, "How could that be? How could I sleep that long without knowing it? How could...Oh no! Toby's birthday!" She stood too quickly and a pain bolted up her back, she did her best to ignore it. She had always sent Toby something for his birthday; she couldn't believe she had missed it this time.

"Sarah, what are you talking about?" A wrinkle of concern spread over Aidlyn's brow, "I think you should lay down."

"I can't believe I missed it...my brother's birthday, you have to let me go see him!" Now she was upset, her mind was swirling.

"Sarah, you know that isn't possible right now, you need to rest, you aren't well."

"Listen to her." The voice was loud and commanding in Sarah's mind. It was the first Essence. It startled her at first, she wasn't used to voices yelling out in her mind. She calmed immediately and sunk back into her bed, tears moving down her face.

Aidlyn approached quickly, moving a hand over Sarah's brow, "I do not know what has come over you...I've never seen so much insanity. Take a deep breath."

Sarah did as she was told, but the air was cut short as a horrible wrench of pain shot into her back, it felt as if her spine was being ripped from her body. She cried out and arched her back as if to pull it away from the pain, "My-My back..." Her voice was a choked whisper; tears streaming down her face.

Lyn cursed in a language unknown to Sarah and immediately turned to pull down hard on a cord dangling from the ceiling beside the bed. Sarah didn't remember it being there. Ary rushed into the room, a scowl over her face, "Blazes! Are you trying to wake the entire household pulling on the cord like that?" Her anger was gone in a flash and concern registered, then fear when she saw Sarah doubled over on the bed, writhing in pain.

Lyn didn't give her much more chance to look, she was yelling now, "Yes, damnit! Get Gendl in here now!"

Ary bowed quickly and rushed off with only a hasty, "yes, milady" in her wake, she slammed the door in her hurry, it echoed in the room.

Aidlyn turned back to Sarah; she was clutching the blankets in tight fists now, crying out every time another bolt of pain hit her, "Shh, Sarah...it will all be over soon." Lyn offered gently.

The door burst open with another loud slam and Gendl rushed in, giving orders to servants that were following just behind him, "You go draw a hot bath, you and you prepare the dressings for the wounds, and you..." He pointed to Ary, "Get those clothes off of her...MOVE!" The servants jumped at his tone and rushed off to do their tasks, while two more servants hurried off with the plates that had been left on the table and Aidlyn backed away from the bed to watch and help wherever she could.

Sarah was whimpering quietly, cheeks red and puffy from tears and knuckles white from the grip she had on the silky sheets. Ary rushed over to her and began hastily unfastening the hooks and buttons that ran up the back of Sarah's bodice on her dress and Sarah cried out every time the movements stirred her back. She was lying on her stomach again, head buried into the pillow, finding only small satisfaction in biting into the thick fabric of the pillowcase until her jaw ached. Her back was slowly revealed and the dress pulled off finally, in between her shoulder blades where two sores starting to form, dark red and raw, just starting to bleed.

"Wrap her in the sheet and get her into the bath quickly!" Gendl was still barking orders, helping the two servants prepare strips of cream-colored linen in a thick black herb substance.

Sarah's cold and sweaty form was wrapped tightly in one of the thin sheets of her bed, from only the breasts down, careful to give the wounds plenty of room and leaving her shoulders bare but her arms bound tightly, folded around her stomach. She was perfectly still now, passed out from the pain, as pale as the sheets.

She was lifted from her bed with the help of Aidlyn and quickly moved to the bath that was hot and waiting for her. They set her into the water, sheets and all, only her head remaining dry. She was starting to stir again, roused by the warm water and the yelling of orders all around, Aidlyn had moved back into the main room to get out of the way of the servants and Gendl had taken her place in the bathroom.

Sarah started to fidget in the water, only semi-conscious, struggling against the blankets, whimpering with pain. Gendl bent over the side of the bath and held her still; hands submerged up to his forearms, murmuring spells to hopefully ease her pain.

Sarah was hardly aware of everything that was going on, she was slipping in and out of consciousness, and every bolt of pain brought a frightening clear moment in her mind before dropping her back into fog. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, the servants were suddenly very still, only waiting. There was a sudden surge of blinding pain and Sarah cried out, a blood-curdling scream of torture, and she jolted against Gendl's hands, water turning a murky red with her blood as it sloshed over the sides of the tub. Blocking the view of her wings that had come jutting from her back under the water. Just as suddenly she was perfectly still again, hair matted to her forehead with sweat and head slumped to the side. She had passed out again.

With a low sigh Gendl lifted his arms from the water, and wiped them with one of the dark towels. Several silent servants lifted Sarah from the bath; the sheet still wrapped around her but now soaked and stained bright red. Gendl left the bathroom as the sheet was pulled from Sarah's deathly still body, her wings hanging limp underneath her, blood dripping from the tips as it ran from the wounds between her shoulder blades and down the length of the still perfectly clear wings.

They wrapped her in a several dark towels, careful of her new appendages and returned her to the bed, laying her on her stomach. Gendl moved quickly, taking the now black strips of linen and pressing them against the gaping wounds on her back, stopping the blood and closing up the gashes at the same time.

"How is she?" Aidlyn was the first to break the silence, stepping up next to the bed.

"She will be fine...the bleeding has stopped already." Gendl's voice was low and already tired.

"Will she scar?" Lyn's hands fidgeted nervously in front of her.

"It is too soon to tell. I think you worry too much." He was his grumpy old self again.

"Are you telling me that you are not worried?"

"That is exactly what I am saying. I don't go about believing in old tales when reality is right there in front of my nose." He turned to look at her, features softening. "You should go home to your family...there's nothing you can do right now."

Aidlyn frowned and glanced around the room, she hadn't even noticed the servants leave, but the room was empty now. They had even cleaned up the mess in the bathroom. "Are you going to stay with her?"

"Of course." Gendl nodded and peeled back the cast-like moldings that he had laid over the wounds, inspecting them closely and them smoothing the blackened and stiff fabric back down again, satisfied with his handy-work.

"I want you to inform me of any changes." She was all business now, to hide her worry, as she moved slowly towards the door.

"Goodnight, Aidlyn." He dismissed her, voice gruff and slightly irritated.

She frowned, "Goodnight, Gendl."

A/N 2: As always a big thanks goes out to ALL of my fabulous reviewers. You rock!

Cyber Keiko- How very observant of you…you seem to have this thing worked out better than I do ;) lol And I promise Jareth will appear soon, I just don't want to rush things (but feel free to yell at me if I'm dragging it out too much! :))

Ginnymanytongues- Another observant comment (I'm getting so many nowadays!) Yes, Queens do have a shorter life span than regular Fairies…I'll explain that more in the future, hopefully, remind me if I don't :)

Sway- oops, not out of the bedroom yet…next chapter, I promise.

Romm- Actually, that's something I really should address...thanks for reminding me. Yes they share memories, but Sarah must learn to tap into them first, and also to open her mind so they can see her memories. I might have her choose to block out that certain memory from them, who knows? :) And how the choosing process works is another one of those things that will come up in the future.

Charlie White- The flattery never seems to end from you, thanks for your support, luv!

Sparkle Weaver- I love what you said, "they spark the mischief within the light of good" it made me really sit back and think about it, and it brought a smile to my face for the rest of the day. :) Thank you

Silver Space- thankies

Xelena- yeppers, Essences = previous Queens. Thanks for reading!

Rhiannon Faylinn- it certainly would take a good amount of patience, I agree totally.

Arlena- *blushing furiously* wow, thank you so much.

Ethereal-Athan- I feel so awful for not being on…it's all my fault. But my grades are finally up, I just need to convince my parents of that. I'll get a note from my teacher or something. Hope to see you soon! (*big sloppy passionate kiss from Jareth*) ;) do you think they'll start to suspect something?

MEL- welp, here's more! Thank you for reading!