A/N: ugh...I'm so upset with this chapter still...even after rewriting it several times. And I have to apologize over and over for the HUGE delay in updating this chapter...I feel awful. Sadly, Jareth isn't in this chapter yet, but I promise you he will show up in the next one. As always I welcome any and all suggestions on how to improve my fic.

Title: Coincidental Destinies

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: short and sweet: I own Gendl, Lyn, Ary, all five of the previous Queens (though I think I've only used like three so far...). Anything else isn't mine.

Chapter 6

It was early morning when Sarah woke up again, the sun just peaking over the trees and greeting her through the opened balcony door. The first thing she noticed was that her back no longer hurt, and that there was something dry and scratchy resting over her shoulder blades. The next thing that floated into her realization was that her right arm was asleep from her laying on it all night...or however many nights she had been out, she thought bitterly.

            She was lifting herself gingerly into a sitting position when her chamber door swung open and Gendl stepped in.

            "Ah good, you are awake." He was all smiles this morning.

            "How long have I been sleeping?" She rubbed a hand sleepily over her eyes and then dragged it through her tangled hair.

            "Only for the one night." He assured, moving over to her and immediately rotating her so that he could look at her back. She heard him make a murmur of approval and felt his hands pressing into different spots on her back, the scratchiness was relieved when he pressed into the spot and she heard a sound like paper ripping. She looked over to see that he was removing these black chunks of dried fabric; he then made another noise of approval.

            "Well?"

            He lifted his bright gaze to meet hers, "Well what, my dear?"

            Sarah sighed, feeling slightly irritated that he wasn't telling her anything. "Well, how does it look?"

            "You are coming along brilliantly, the wounds are nearly all the way healed and there is no scarring whatsoever." He spoke with a smile in his voice, removing the last of the blackened fabric and massaging at the area. Sarah smiled and relaxed into his hands until he pulled away a few moments later and offered her a wrinkled hand, "Would you like to see them?"

            She nodded brightly and took his offered hand, letting him pull her to her feet. She had to take a moment to regain her balance on wobbling feet and get used to the feel of new weight pulling against her back. "They're heavy..."

Gendl chuckled gently and led her to the full-length mirror hanging against one wall, "Only because you are not used to them yet... You will hardly feel them after a few hours, I assure you."

Sarah started to reply but fell silent as she saw herself for the first time with her new wings. She could hardly believe it was still her that looked back from the clear reflection; she looked older somehow. Her features were sharper and more defined, her body slightly slimmer but more mature. Her eyes were a deeper green than before and her hair now shone with golden highlights in the morning sunlight that streamed in from the windows. She turned in place to look over the wings falling from her back. They were insect-like, the same as she had seen on her journey through the labyrinth. Hers were iridescent and fair but with flecks of a deep, rich purple that shimmered in the light.

She watched with an almost awed expression on her face as Gendl moved behind her and lifted one slender wing up with a gentle hand, stretching the new muscles that were still so unfamiliar to her. He repeated process with each wing and then nodded happily, "Good... Very good." He paused and offered her a wrinkled hand, "Well...shall we go?"

Sarah's dark brows furrowed gently with confusion, but she took his hand and allowed herself to be lead from the room, "Where are we going?"

"You will be having breakfast with Aidlyn in the gardens." He replied with another smile, keeping his gaze on the hallway in front of him. There was a moment of silence and then he spoke again, "You gave Lyn quite a scare last night." There was a laugh in his voice.

Sarah blushed despite herself, and lowered her bright gaze to her feet as they turned a corner into a hallway just like the last one, "I'm sorry... I just wasn't expecting..." She hesitated slightly, "Does it always hurt that much?"

"I am not exactly sure..." He sounded hesitant as well.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...when it happens to the rest of us we are only infants, so we do not remember the pain, nor are we able to express it." He explained, slowly, searching for the right words.

"But what about the other Queens? I mean, they had to have told somebody about it..."

"Unfortunately that is not the case...you are the only human to ever become Queen."

Sarah lifted her gaze up to him in surprise, "The only one?"

He glanced at her only briefly and nodded, "Yes, the others were already faeries to begin with." He stopped in front of a door.

Sarah frowned, "But how is that possible? Why me?"

Gendl shook his head slowly, "I know not... I am only an old healer." He smiled and his eyes sparkled, "Ask Aidlyn these questions... She should at least be able to give you something close to an answer. "

Sarah nodded, "All right, I'll do just that."

He paused in front of a door and gestured towards it with a wrinkled hand, "Would you like to see your throne room?"

A rush ran through her and she smiled, voice falling to a happy murmur, "Ok..."

Gendl led her through a big darkly wooded doorway and then immediately through a huge archway that led to a big open room. There were brilliant stained glass windows that let in the warm sunlight and illuminated the room with a happy glow. Vivid tapestries decorated the stone walls and finely woven rugs in rich colors covered the floor, leaving only about two feet of gray stone to show between each one. At the end of the room there was an ornate but still moderately comfortable looking throne in the same dark wood as the doors and draped with deep purple cloths, two stairs led up to the raised area it sat upon.

Sarah's mouth dropped open. "Oh it's beautiful," she whispered. She gingerly stepped further into the room, testing the feel of the thick carpeting under her feet and looking up at the beautiful stained-glass windows and even further up to the arched cathedral-like ceilings, to finally let her gaze fall upon the throne itself.

Gendl stood just inside the opened doorway, hands folded in front of him, and watched her with a smile, "This is your private throne room."

"I have more?"

"Only one other, used for business matters and greeting guests."

"Oh..." Sarah moved to slide a hand over the soft fabric draped over her throne, smiling a bit.

"It used to be green." The happy whisper of the second essence crept into her mind and made her smile deepen. "Yes...green does suit this room." She murmured to herself, glancing around once more.

"Pardon?" Gendl lifted a brow in question.

Sarah shook her head, smiling at him, "It was nothing...may I sit?" she gestures a hand to the throne.

He laughed lightly, "You don't need my permission to sit in your own throne, majesty."

A blush crept into Sarah's cheeks but she moved up the two wide stone steps and sat gracefully in the throne, careful of her new wings. The cushions were soft and comfortable under her, and she would have sunken into them with a content sigh if excitement hadn't been bubbling up inside of her, not letting her relax properly. "Why were the colors changed?" she asked, the question finally getting the best of her.

"The royal colors change with every passing Queen...and according to your wings," he gestured a wrinkled hand, "purple is your color."

"And here I thought we were meeting for breakfast..." There was a pleased laugh in Aidlyn's words as she suddenly appeared in the doorway next to Gendl.

Sarah smiled brightly, "Good morning, Lyn."

Aidlyn's eyes sparkled with amusement, "Good morning, Sarah...I am glad to see you in such a cheery mood."

She blushed lightly, "I'm just...this is all so exciting."

Lyn nodded, glancing back at Gendl who was slipping out of the room, and then returning her gaze to Sarah, "Well? Let me see them!" she was smiling again, crossing the room quickly, like an excited child, to stand in front of Sarah.

*     *     *     *     *

"Sarah?... Sarah!"

Sarah's chin fell out of her hand and she jerked awake at Lyn's voice, glancing about as if she were confused as to where she was. Her gaze fell upon her advisor again and she sighed, "I'm sorry... we've just been at this for hours."

"I know Sarah, but these are things you need to know..."

"That's the thing, Lyn...I do know them." Sarah protested, drawing her hands up to her face and tiredly rubbing them over her eyes.

"We can never be too careful... this is very important"

Sarah only replied with a light exasperated sigh, not looking up from her hands yet. Both women had taken breakfast in the southern gardens of the castle, and after that Sarah had been given the entire tour... She wasn't even sure if she would remember all of it by the end of the day; there were so many rooms.

Now they were locked away in the vast library, and Lyn was drilling Sarah in everything from the History of the Underground and it's inhabitants to how to greet those inhabitants in their native languages. Of course, Sarah had been excited at first, soaking in everything like a sponge...but she soon began to realize that all of the information was already stored away in her subconscious by the five presences lingering there...and therefore, she soon became bored.

School had never been her forte anyhow.

Lyn frowned a bit, glancing down at the books and charts spread out between them, "Well..." she paused, lifting a slender hand to tap her chin thoughtfully. She knew for a fact that Sarah was bright... and no doubt the Queens were helping her along.

The advisor sighed finally, closing the book in front of her "All right... If you are absolutely sure that you are ready."

Sarah grinned, "I'm positive."

Aidlyn nodded, "Good. All right." She continued to close books and roll up scrolls to be put back on their shelves. "Perhaps now is a good time to speak to you about the ball."

A small shiver went through Sarah as memories of a previous ball filled her mind...she didn't want to think about it, not ever again. "Is... someone having a ball?" Her tone was tentative.

"Yes. Us." Aidlyn rose from her seat with an armful of books and Sarah immediately rose to follow her.

"What are you talking about?... we are?"

Lyn turned and lifted a brow at the blatant worry filling Sarah's tone, "Yes... to introduce you into the society." She frowned a bit and studied Sarah closely for a moment before turning again to begin setting the books away on their shelf.

Sarah inwardly cursed herself for being so obvious... She still hadn't decided whether or not it was a good idea to tell Lyn about her adventure through the Labyrinth... even when they had been talking about that particular kingdom earlier in the day she had held her tongue and tried desperately not to fidget in her seat. "Is it... going to be a masquerade?" she asked finally, her voice small.

Again Aidlyn gave her a look, and a shiver moved down Sarah's spine...did she know? "It could be, if you wanted it to." Her advisor replied finally, "I like the idea actually... It will be much more fun than the usual boring formal ball." Lyn smiled and all doubts flew from Sarah's mind... of course she didn't know. Though she would have to be careful in the future.

"I suppose..."

"I will begin sending the invitations then... and don't worry Sarah, it'll be a piece of cake." Smiling reassuringly and not noticing the tremble that ran through Sarah at her words.

A/N2: and of course...my thanks go out to ALL of my fabulous reviewers. Y'all are too good to me ^_~

Dulce Ambrosia: thank you very much...I'm glad I'm managing to keep it somewhat realistic (that had been one of my fears)

Lizz: thanks hun! ^_^

Starlight: no worries...he's coming next chapter!

Arlena: ugh, I know...I wouldn't want to be in Sarah's place, that's for sure.

Cyber Keiko: Thank you so much for your support...The queen's lifespan is shorter than a lot of fae...but definitly not human-type short ^_^ I'll go over all that....eventually.

Sailor Sirius: Here it is! ...or...there it was! I hope you enjoyed it even just a little bit (I hate this chapter! *shudders*)

Gwenevire: hehe I hope that was a good gasp

Draegon-fire: as I've said Jareth will be making his appearance next chapter....and I hadn't realized Gendl was so similar to Jareth...hmm

DarkAngel-Hotaru: thank you!

Christina: thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it ^_^

Katherine: yay, I'm so glad!

OriginalProxy: thank you, it's always a huge lift for me to hear how much my readers are enjoying the story.

Helin Lote: I'm sorry for the delay...and thank you for your support ^_^

Artemis Luna Diana: thank you

Moon Mage Megrim: whee! Thank you

Dragon Rae: I'm glad to see I have you hooked, hopefully you weren't very disappointed with this chapter *sigh* hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long

Ethereal-Athan: eep! I need to stop neglecting msn...it's all my fault! *sobs on her shoulder*

Darlene5: thank you sooo much! I'm so glad you are enjoying it ^_^

Special thanks goes out to Romm for her beta skills and thanks also go out to my good friend Lici for helping me out whenever she can. I love ya!