Disclaimer: Riona is the only character in this story of my own creation.
The rest belong to that immortal genius Jim Henson!
Author's Note: I would like to apologize for not updating until now. The last few weeks of my vacation were spent hanging out with my friends and doing my wretched summer assignment for English. Then once school started I realized that I would have to work once again. Also, for the past three days I have been without power, courtesy of Hurricane Isabel. So once again, I am sorry and though I will continue this story, I can't promise frequent updates because of my horrid class load. Now, to address Nicessus's questions: Why did Sarah slit her wrists? That is the same thing two of best friends asked me and I will tell you, as I told them that all would be revealed later on in the story. I know I'm mean, but oh well. Why is projection painful? This was definitely not a question I was expecting, but I'll try to answer it. You see, I've always thought that enabling one's soul to travel was a very difficult task that required much dedication and strength. So much in fact, that Riona, who does this repeatedly, is just plain exhausted. So now, since she has not had time to recuperate, she is losing so much strength, that every time she tries to project, it's basically like keeping a bad wound from healing. Whew, I think that will do it for now! ;) Enjoy the story everyone!
Chapter Four:
"Can you hear me Sarah?" Riona whispered gently.
"What will happen when she awakes?" murmured Jareth with apprehension.
"As I told you last night, it will not be easy. The shock of being alive will be troubling enough to her, but I doubt she will be comforted by the fact that she has returned to the Underground as well. How long ago was it that she defeated the labyrinth?" Riona smiled inwardly at the glare that Jareth shot her at the mention of his defeat. 'Ever the sore loser,' she mused.
"That occurred ten years ago, as well you know," Jareth replied darkly.
"Ah yes, how could I have forgotten?" she suppressed the laughter inside and turned her attention back to her patient. Before she could wake up the young woman, Jareth seized her shoulder and forced her to look at him.
"Riona, why did she do this to herself?" he asked, an uncertain look in his mismatched eyes.
Riona hesitated for a moment. As much as she wanted to answer Jareth's question, a part of her told her firmly to make him wait until Sarah was ready to tell him. She drew in a breath, "The girl's pain is her own and it will be she who deigns to inform you of it Jareth, not I." With that she spun around and went back to the task at hand.
"Now Sarah," Riona whispered softly, "I know you want to stay inside, but we did make an agreement. Wake up now."
*********************************************************
'Where am I?' she wondered. 'Everything is so bright.the light hurts my eyes. Wait.why should my eyes hurt? Shouldn't I be.oh god no. I'm alive!'
Jareth stared in shock as Sarah let out an anguished scream. He made a move to hold her still, but Riona held him back with a sharp order to let the girl be.
Sarah looked about franticly as she stumbled out of the bed and into a corner. She huddled in her long white nightgown, her arms curled protectively over her face as she sobbed into her sleeves.
"Is she mad?" stammered Jareth as he stared in confusion at the young woman in the corner.
Riona sighed wearily, "No she isn't mad, just terribly upset about being alive. This is worse than I had imagined, perhaps you should wait until later to talk to her."
"Please, let me help, Riona," Jareth stepped cautiously towards Sarah. He knelt in front of her and though she cowered away from him, he gently took hold of her hands. "There now," he whispered, "Let your arms down my dear, so I can see those eyes I've missed so."
To his surprise and Riona's, Sarah's arms slowly lowered from her face as her sobs ebbed away. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and her cheeks were stained red, but Jareth could still feel his heart race a bit faster as he gazed into her face. Remembering that he still held her hands, he lifted the back of one small hand to his lips and softly said, "Welcome home Sarah."
Jareth gazed back into her eyes and was startled by the pain he found there. Her bottom lip quivered slightly as she asked, "Why do you torment me so?"
"Torment?" Jareth said in confusion. "Don't you understand that my only wish is to please you?" He tried to clasp her hands reassuringly, but she pulled them back hastily into her lap.
"If that is your only wish, then you would have done well to let me die in peace," she whispered bitterly. Her eyes flashed, "As it is you have only prolonged my life for a short period."
Jareth was starting to lose patience with this conversation. "Meaning what, exactly?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Meaning that the next attempt I take on my life will be successful and no amount of your meddling will prevent me from gaining peace!" Sarah stared at Jareth with such hostility that he almost backed down. Almost.
"First, it was not solely my 'meddling' that brought you here. It was mainly due to Riona's hard work that you are still alive, something you should be thankful for. Also, in case you have forgotten Sarah, you forfeited your life that night, and since no one else claimed it, I am afraid that you are now bound to the Underground and myself forever."
Almost as quickly as it has appeared, the light in Sarah's gaze vanished. Her brow furrowed as she thought over what he had just said. 'Was it possible?' she wondered. 'Could she really be back in this dream of her youth forever?' She turned away from Jareth and stared silently out the window, not seeing and trying so desperately not to feel.
Jareth stood and stared at her back. He was shocked by how quickly she had retreated into herself. The Sarah he had known would have never backed down and would have kept on fighting. Then again, he mused, the Sarah he knew would never have given up her life.
Riona frowned and grabbed Jareth's chin, forcing him to look at her. She drew herself up to her full height, nearly matching his. "What do you think you are doing?" she hissed angrily in a language only Fae understood. "We are trying to heal this girl, not break her spirit even further than it already is! I know she was your opponent long ago, you fool, but this is not a game anymore!"
Jareth bared his teeth for a moment, but then sighed and shook his head angrily. "Fine then," he replied, "Forgive me Riona, I will no longer intrude on this matter unless you request it." He turned and stalked out of the chamber, slamming the door behind him.
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did let me know and if you didn't, well..let me know! Reviews and questions are always welcome!!!!!
Author's Note: I would like to apologize for not updating until now. The last few weeks of my vacation were spent hanging out with my friends and doing my wretched summer assignment for English. Then once school started I realized that I would have to work once again. Also, for the past three days I have been without power, courtesy of Hurricane Isabel. So once again, I am sorry and though I will continue this story, I can't promise frequent updates because of my horrid class load. Now, to address Nicessus's questions: Why did Sarah slit her wrists? That is the same thing two of best friends asked me and I will tell you, as I told them that all would be revealed later on in the story. I know I'm mean, but oh well. Why is projection painful? This was definitely not a question I was expecting, but I'll try to answer it. You see, I've always thought that enabling one's soul to travel was a very difficult task that required much dedication and strength. So much in fact, that Riona, who does this repeatedly, is just plain exhausted. So now, since she has not had time to recuperate, she is losing so much strength, that every time she tries to project, it's basically like keeping a bad wound from healing. Whew, I think that will do it for now! ;) Enjoy the story everyone!
Chapter Four:
"Can you hear me Sarah?" Riona whispered gently.
"What will happen when she awakes?" murmured Jareth with apprehension.
"As I told you last night, it will not be easy. The shock of being alive will be troubling enough to her, but I doubt she will be comforted by the fact that she has returned to the Underground as well. How long ago was it that she defeated the labyrinth?" Riona smiled inwardly at the glare that Jareth shot her at the mention of his defeat. 'Ever the sore loser,' she mused.
"That occurred ten years ago, as well you know," Jareth replied darkly.
"Ah yes, how could I have forgotten?" she suppressed the laughter inside and turned her attention back to her patient. Before she could wake up the young woman, Jareth seized her shoulder and forced her to look at him.
"Riona, why did she do this to herself?" he asked, an uncertain look in his mismatched eyes.
Riona hesitated for a moment. As much as she wanted to answer Jareth's question, a part of her told her firmly to make him wait until Sarah was ready to tell him. She drew in a breath, "The girl's pain is her own and it will be she who deigns to inform you of it Jareth, not I." With that she spun around and went back to the task at hand.
"Now Sarah," Riona whispered softly, "I know you want to stay inside, but we did make an agreement. Wake up now."
*********************************************************
'Where am I?' she wondered. 'Everything is so bright.the light hurts my eyes. Wait.why should my eyes hurt? Shouldn't I be.oh god no. I'm alive!'
Jareth stared in shock as Sarah let out an anguished scream. He made a move to hold her still, but Riona held him back with a sharp order to let the girl be.
Sarah looked about franticly as she stumbled out of the bed and into a corner. She huddled in her long white nightgown, her arms curled protectively over her face as she sobbed into her sleeves.
"Is she mad?" stammered Jareth as he stared in confusion at the young woman in the corner.
Riona sighed wearily, "No she isn't mad, just terribly upset about being alive. This is worse than I had imagined, perhaps you should wait until later to talk to her."
"Please, let me help, Riona," Jareth stepped cautiously towards Sarah. He knelt in front of her and though she cowered away from him, he gently took hold of her hands. "There now," he whispered, "Let your arms down my dear, so I can see those eyes I've missed so."
To his surprise and Riona's, Sarah's arms slowly lowered from her face as her sobs ebbed away. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and her cheeks were stained red, but Jareth could still feel his heart race a bit faster as he gazed into her face. Remembering that he still held her hands, he lifted the back of one small hand to his lips and softly said, "Welcome home Sarah."
Jareth gazed back into her eyes and was startled by the pain he found there. Her bottom lip quivered slightly as she asked, "Why do you torment me so?"
"Torment?" Jareth said in confusion. "Don't you understand that my only wish is to please you?" He tried to clasp her hands reassuringly, but she pulled them back hastily into her lap.
"If that is your only wish, then you would have done well to let me die in peace," she whispered bitterly. Her eyes flashed, "As it is you have only prolonged my life for a short period."
Jareth was starting to lose patience with this conversation. "Meaning what, exactly?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Meaning that the next attempt I take on my life will be successful and no amount of your meddling will prevent me from gaining peace!" Sarah stared at Jareth with such hostility that he almost backed down. Almost.
"First, it was not solely my 'meddling' that brought you here. It was mainly due to Riona's hard work that you are still alive, something you should be thankful for. Also, in case you have forgotten Sarah, you forfeited your life that night, and since no one else claimed it, I am afraid that you are now bound to the Underground and myself forever."
Almost as quickly as it has appeared, the light in Sarah's gaze vanished. Her brow furrowed as she thought over what he had just said. 'Was it possible?' she wondered. 'Could she really be back in this dream of her youth forever?' She turned away from Jareth and stared silently out the window, not seeing and trying so desperately not to feel.
Jareth stood and stared at her back. He was shocked by how quickly she had retreated into herself. The Sarah he had known would have never backed down and would have kept on fighting. Then again, he mused, the Sarah he knew would never have given up her life.
Riona frowned and grabbed Jareth's chin, forcing him to look at her. She drew herself up to her full height, nearly matching his. "What do you think you are doing?" she hissed angrily in a language only Fae understood. "We are trying to heal this girl, not break her spirit even further than it already is! I know she was your opponent long ago, you fool, but this is not a game anymore!"
Jareth bared his teeth for a moment, but then sighed and shook his head angrily. "Fine then," he replied, "Forgive me Riona, I will no longer intrude on this matter unless you request it." He turned and stalked out of the chamber, slamming the door behind him.
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did let me know and if you didn't, well..let me know! Reviews and questions are always welcome!!!!!