Alia felt something snap inside at his plea.
"I won't," she answered. "I won't leave you." As she leaned forward to lay her head on his chest, everything rotated and shifted inside her to fall into place, as if she were a three dimensional puzzle solved by the correct placement of a key piece.
#And baby said, 'Dance, Magic, dance.'#
He held her tightly, so tightly she was sure she would have the pattern from his coat imprinted on her cheek. She shifted a little to move her arms around his waist and her face to his ruffled shirt inside the coat. Now she could hear and feel his heart racing.
As it finally slowed she thought to ask, "Is she still there?"
He felt for Caereh and shook his head. "No, there is no one near. We should go back."
"Not yet. You smeared your makeup." Alia tried unsuccessfully to suppress her giggle.
Tieran frowned and touched his face.
"Do you suppose Jareth has that problem?" Alia asked rhetorically as she felt for the pocket set into the voluminous skirts of the velvet ball gown. She found the small compact and handed it to him. "Here, see for yourself."
"How do we fix it?" he asked, frowning as he looked in the tiny mirror. The eyeshadow was migrating and he was looking more and more like a raccoon. Alia wondered if her makeup needed touching up as well.
"Aside from washing your face and starting over, I haven't got a clue. I've never worried that much about makeup. Put it on once and forget about it is my method. Can't you magic it? That's probably how Jareth does it." Alia giggled as she had a sudden vision of Jareth contorting his face in front of a mirror, applying mascara.
Tieran caught it and said, straight faced, "He would not do that. He does not wear mascara." Tieran burst out laughing and Alia joined him. Soon they were weak with laughter and leaning on each other for support. After several tries they finally managed to calm down. Tieran's makeup looked worse than ever, tears of laughter causing it to run down his face. That nearly started Alia off again, but she managed to control herself.
"I probably look the same way," she thought.
Tieran verified this for her by grinning when he looked at her. "Now we both need help. You are right, he probably does use magic. Let me see if I can manage it."
It proved easier than Tieran thought and soon they both looked presentable again. They entered the throng of the party and almost immediately Caereh pounced on them.
"Where have you two been? I've been looking everywhere for you."
"We were touching up my makeup," Tieran managed to answer with a perfectly straight face. Alia thought she would never have managed it. Heck, she barely kept from giggling just hearing it.
"It smears so easily doesn't it? I can't think how it happens. I hope you have been enjoying yourselves tonight."
That was a double entendre if Alia ever heard one. She chose to ignore the intent. "Yes, we are. What a wonderful idea to play the movie soundtrack. I didn't notice them playing scenes from the movie on that big screen earlier," Alia commented referring to what looked like an oversized television placed on the crosswalk over the elevators. The scene with the fireys had just finished and the scene where Sarah ate the peach was just starting, accompanying the music currently playing.
"They will be playing an animated clip instead of one from the movie later, in addition to the first episode complete with the voice over, music, and sound effects. I suggested that everyone would enjoy seeing their finished product." She turned to Tieran, a predatory look in her eyes. "The ballroom scene will be next. It's only appropriate that we dance for that one," she said pulling Tieran in the direction of the cleared floor where a few other couples were currently dancing.
Tieran shot Alia a worried, pleading glance. Alia smiled back reassuringly and told him, "I think I know exactly what she is going to do. Don't worry, I've got an idea."
As the pair walked to the dance-floor, Alia found a table at its perimeter with an empty seat. "Is this seat taken? No? Good. I've been on my feet all night."
As they whirled around the dance floor, mimicking the scene on the screen behind them, she watched them with a satisfied smile on her face. She had chosen this table just so she could see that screen. When the clock in the movie started striking, she deemed it the appropriate moment and started calmly across the dance floor.
"Excuse me. Pardon me. Oh, did I run into you? I am sorry! Pardon me. Excuse me."
Just as Sarah broke away from Jareth and ran in the movie, Alia reached Tieran and Caereh. Caereh/Sarah was attempting to change the course of the events of the movie by kissing Tieran/Jareth. Dancers had stopped when Alia approached and passed through. Now most of the floor was watching. Unfortunately, Tieran also saw her coming and was distracted long enough for Caereh to temporarily succeed. Alia put a sweet smile on her face and tapped Caereh on the shoulder.
"Your chair?" Alia said as she held the chair she had been sitting in out to Caereh and gestured to a nearby window.
Those near enough to see and hear her comment, Amy and Thomas among them, caught the reference immediately and laughed. Caereh's face twisted as she realized the laughter was directed at her.
Alia simply stood there calmly, unsure whether Caereh would take her up on her offer and hurl the chair through the window in a fit of temper, or worse yet hurl it at Alia herself. The music, after a pause, had changed yet again, this time to the battle scene, judging by the clip on the screen. This music was getting too uncanny. Was this more of the prophecy at work?
Caereh, apparently unable to think of a retort or way to salvage her dignity at the expense of Alia's, stormed off into the crowd, the filmy silver and white of her dress again floating behind her. Alia made a mental note not to attempt storming off in huff while wearing gauze and gossamer. It ruined the whole effect.
"Oh, my. I'm afraid I've upset her," Alia said in mock seriousness and innocence as she watched her go.
"Now who will I dance with?" Tieran asked with mock petulance from close behind her.
Alia turned to find him wiping Caereh's lipstick off his face with a handkerchief. "I can't imagine," she said as she took the handkerchief from him to help.
"Are you going to finish the show?" Amy asked from nearby.
Alia looked around and blushed a little. She had forgotten they were still standing in the middle of the dance floor.
"Definitely not," Alia answered as she made her way off the dance floor. "That was my only routine. Aren't you worried about what she's going to do when you go back to work?"
Thomas shrugged. "What's she going to do? Fire the whole company? She made sure we all came, so we were all here to see it and there's no way she can know exactly who laughed at her."
The battle scene ended and the music paused while they prepared the animation for the next track. Thomas explained that the clip would be from some work animating the movie itself that they had started, then shelved. After a few minutes the room darkened and everyone turned to the big screen on the balcony to watch the clip as the music started. Alia, Tieran, Amy, and Thomas watched together from where they stood off to one side at the edge of the room.
The scene looked much as it had in the movie, a room full of stairs at every angle. The Sarah that rushed onto the landing looked more like Caereh than the actress who had played her in the movie, Alia thought, but that could have been her imagination. Then Jareth appeared and went through his routine.
"He looks pretty good. Did you work on him?" Alia whispered to Tieran.
#How you turn my world you precious thing,#
"No, but it does look like the imprinting animation," he answered as he watched the clip. "We will have to go find this clip and equipment later to make sure we have –" he glanced at where she had been standing.
#You starve and near exhaust me.#
He turned around to look for her and saw her being pulled off in the direction of the stairs to the balcony, her dress dark against a blot of white glowing in the light from the screen.
"Tieran, she has a knife. I think I may have gone too far with my little stunt."
"Try to stay calm," Tieran told her as he followed them.
"Easy for you to say, you're not the one being dragged up stairs backwards with a knife at your throat," Alia answered as Tieran caught up with them halfway up the stairs.
#Everything I've done I've done for you.#
"I told you if you kept running you would hit a dead end. Just look who's going to be dead. One way or another you'll be mine." Caereh hissed at him as she continued up the stairs.
#I move the stars for no one,#
Caereh's statement reminded Tieran of Jareth. "Alia, see if you can reach Jareth. Tell him what has happened. I have an idea."
"If she is such a problem to you, Caereh, why not wish her away to the goblins?" Tieran suggested.
#You've run so long, you've run so far,#
"Don't be ridiculous. That doesn't work. Don't you think that I've tried wishing myself away?"
#Your eyes can be so cruel.#
"Of course you cannot wish yourself away. You may only wish others away." "Did you tell him Alia?"
"Yes. What are you doing?"
"You will see. Trust me." "Go ahead, Caereh, wish her away. Perhaps the real Goblin King will come," Tieran encouraged Caereh as she reached the top of the stairs and continued to back away from him toward the viewing screen.
#Just as I can be so cruel.#
Caereh considered a moment then said, "I wish the goblins would come and take her away, right now."
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, rattling the glass in the walls of the atrium. The screen just behind Caereh flared and wavered for a moment, then settled and the clip was visible again.
#Though I do believe in you.#
"See," Caereh gloated. "She's still here. I told you it wouldn't work. The Goblin King does not come to take people away."
#Yes, I do.#
"Yes, I do."
The echo came from directly behind Caereh. She whirled with Alia to face it. The lightning flashed again to show Jareth, dressed in black and wine-red, standing in front of the screen. Someone from the floor below yelled, "Down in front! You're blocking the screen!"
"Yes!" thought Alia, then, "No!"
"No!" wailed Caereh. "It never worked for me. Why wouldn't you come for me?"
"Tieran, I don't want to be a goblin," Alia whimpered.
"Have faith in me," Tieran replied. "Nothing will happen to you."
Alia momentarily wondered how he was going to prevent it, but then she was distracted by Jareth and Caereh. Caereh was trying to bargain with Jareth.
#Live without the sunlight.#
"You cannot wish yourself away."
"Then take me instead of her," Caereh tried cajoling the Goblin King.
#Love without your heartbeat.#
"That is not the way it is done."
"That's the way it will be done this time," Caereh demanded.
#I can't live within you.#
"What's said is said. You wished her away, she is mine."
"No, I won't give her to you. You'll have to take me with you."
Jareth produced a crystal. He played with it for a while, illuminated by the storm and the glow from the screen. "Look what I am offering you," he quoted as expected and proffered the crystal to her, lightning reflections coruscating across its surface. "It will show you your dreams."
"I already know my dreams. Take me instead," Caereh said stubbornly.
"Jareth, this isn't working," Alia commented in a sing-song mental tone. "Can't you just take her?"
"You are no match for me, Caereh. Take the crystal and leave her to me. You will never see her again." "What makes you think I want her? Besides, as I told her, that's not the way it works."
#I can't live within you,#
"You wanted someone to fear you, to love you, to do as you say. I'll do that. Why won't you take me?" Caereh broke down and whined.
Jareth's exasperated sigh was lost in the deep sigh on the soundtrack.
"Do not defy me. I have been patient with you so far, but I am quickly reaching my limits. You will release her to me, now." Jareth held out a gloved hand imperiously and took a step toward Caereh and Alia. Caereh retreated a step and raised the knife to Alia's throat again.
"Or what? You'll take me and turn me into a goblin? Will she suit you just as well dead?"
"Alia, when I tell you, throw all your weight backward to shift her off balance," Tieran told Alia. He had been slowly inching his way toward Caereh and Alia as Jareth kept Caereh distracted. Now he was standing close behind them, waiting for a chance to take the knife from Caereh.
Jareth took another step forward and prepared to answer Caereh when Tieran signaled Alia.
"Now!"
Alia threw her weight back with as much force as she could muster and hoped that the movement away from the knife would be enough to prevent Caereh injuring her as she fell. As Alia moved, so did Tieran, darting forward to grab the hand with the knife. Alia's shove was enough to knock Caereh off balance and lose her grip on Alia, but not quite enough to cause her to lose her footing. Alia escaped and ran forward to stand near Jareth. She turned to watch Tieran struggling to get the knife away from Caereh just in time to see it slice through the ruffles and dark fabric of his sleeve.
Without thinking and before Jareth could catch her to hold her back, she ran back to help Tieran. She caught Caereh around the waist, trying to pull her away from Tieran.
Caereh twisted, kicked, and writhed, trying to get the hand holding the knife out of Tieran's grasp and free to use against this new adversary. She wrenched her hand free and threw Alia off balance in turn. She tried to turn within Alia's clasp and they broke away from Tieran. Alia staggered sideways and held as tightly to Caereh as she could, knowing that if her grasp became loose enough for Caereh to turn around Caereh would be able to reach her with the knife.
Unnoticed by either of them, Caereh's twisting and thrashing heaved them closer and closer to the railing. Tieran went after them again, still trying to relieve Caereh of the knife and pull them back. This caused Caereh to renew her struggles, heedless of the imminent danger to her own person.
Alia, intent on Caereh, only realized the peril when a particularly violent shove from Caereh – as Tieran finally pulled the knife away from her – overbalanced her and sent her over the railing, still clutching at Caereh.
#I... I can't live within you.#
The last thing Alia saw as she fell was Sarah, drifting down among the wreckage of the room of stairs on the screen above her.
Disclaimers, credits, trivia:
Labyrinth, etc. belong to the Jim Henson Company.