Authoress: (yawn) Just to tell you guys this is all my life
Zoe: Unfortunately this is all my life. Period
Jareth: Don't assume! This is not my life I swear!!
Authoress: Yeah right
Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth
Mirror
Finding my Courage
"I don't know if I can do this," I said.
"Do what?" my sister asked impatiently.
"This whole ball thing! What if I screw up? What if they don't like me? What if Jareth is still mad at me?"
"Arms up," the seamstress said and I held my arms out to my sides. I stood on a pedestal, Selena sat in front of me on a dark red stool, and a busying older woman kept doing circles around me, taking measurements.
"Sarah," Selena said sternly, getting up from her seat. "You need to calm down, take a deep breath and, snap out of it! You'll be fine. You're a dragon princess. It is very hard to sway us, scare us, or mess us up." The seamstress muttered something.
"Alright, but protect me from the wrath of the Goblin King," this was said in fake fear and we both laughed.
"Done," the seamstress said aloud. The one word was said with such force it knocked us out of our laughing. "Look in the mirror, child," the old woman said and pointed to a silver and gold mirror in the corner. I stepped down from the pedestal and approached the mirror.
I gasped as I looked at the person I didn't recognize. A girl with chestnut hair looked back at me. A dress had appeared on my form. I wore a long white and purple dress. The skirt had a design of purple dragon flying. The sleeves started just below my shoulders and billowed out in see three material. (AN: NO FREAKIN PUFFINESS) Slightly below the dragon in small words was the word 'Faysha'. I saw this and looked at the woman curiously.
"In Dracan, a almost dead language, it means 'Dreamer'. Never forget your dreams, child," the woman smiled to me. I smiled back at her.
"Alright Sarah put the dress away we need to give you your wings," Selena said mischievously. My mouth hung open.
"Did I hear you right?" I asked.
"Yes, m'lady all the royalty of dragons had wings for emergencies, but now they are mostly for show. Showing beauty, grace, and power. You'll notice your dress has no back, so your wings will fit nicely."
I processed this information in small bit then a big smile broke out on my face. I had wings! I closed my eyes and concentrated. The dress disappeared and was replaced by a simpler one with no back.
"Thank you!" I yelled to the lady as we ran off. She waved good bye at the door frame.
"Concentrate," Selena said for the twentieth time. She paced in front of me. It was aggravating.
"Selena stop your pacing or I'll blow you into the next room," I growled. Then I covered my mouth. Had I said that?!
"See, your tapping into your anger. That's not the right emotion to tap into," she said. She didn't seem fazed by the threat, though she stopped pacing.
I closed my eyes again. Think of the wind. The currents taking me higher into the clouds and air. I felt an itch on my back.
"See, that's all you had to do," I heard Selena say and I opened my eyes. On my back were to new appendages. They were scarlet and violet wings. I brought the tip of one in front of me. It felt scaly to the touch.
"They're beautiful!" I praised.
"Yup, and that's what you will be wearing to the ball. We both go in our wings and dresses. This is so great," she went starry eyed and I rolled my eyes. "I'll get to show up that prissy Vampire princess and maybe get revenge on some of the countesses who had a hand in the blind date crap," she said and I could see her eyes shade over with a red color.
I learned about this. The dragon people, or Draconions, show how they're feeling in many ways. Their eyes can change color along with wings, if they had any. This really only happens if the emotion is intense.
"Selena, now who's tapping into the wrong emotion?" I chided. She unclenched her fists and laughed nervously.
"Sorry, but usually when you go on a blind date you at least know you're going on one," she said with a sigh. She then turned to me. "You ready for tonight?"
"You shouldn't ask me that," I said and fingered the tip of my left wing. The floor then became very interesting. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. I looked up into the eyes of my older sister.
"Sarah, never forget that you have the courage of dragons running through your veins," she said wisely. I smiled. We shared a family hug. "Now let's get ourselves ready!" she pepped up rather quickly.
"I hope you never change," I told her.
"Don't worry Sarah, forever cannot stop me from being myself," she said triumphantly.
"Forever, that's not long at all," I whispered to myself as she walked to the closet get her dress.
Selena's dress was a crimson color with a black dragon sleeping on the skirt. It was a lot like mine. Except the word on hers was 'Lillin'. It meant bravery. I need more of that right now.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. What comes next?! Oh God I was so nervous. The blonde next to me had a large smile on her face. I'm glad she was happy about this.
"Sarah, we step out, the crowd notices, the guy announces us, and then we go down stairs to have some fun!" she told me reassuringly.
Oh yeah, that solved all my problems! Grr. What happens when I see Jareth? If he even came. What if I fall down the stairs? Hell, what if they girls hate me anyway?
"Sarah, your wings," she reminded me.
"Oh, sorry," I closed my eyes and I felt the two scaled, but leathery wings appear on my back. I felt my hand squeezed and I looked to my sister.
"Just call me if you need me. We dragon sisters have to stick together," she said. Light flood the hallway as the giant white and gold doors opened to the balcony of the stairwell.
The chatting in the ballroom stopped and so did my heart. So many people. Even though my hair was tied back I felt like weight was just tossed on my head. Oh yeah, that's right, the silver tiara that sat on my head was kinda heavy.
"The Princesses Selena Reahune," Selena curtsied and turned to me. She interrupted the speaker.
"And my returned sister, Sarah Carol," she said and curtsied. I shot her a glare then looked out to the audience. They were bowing and curtsying too. It was rather shocking. What was more shocking was the figure that stood in the far corner. He was not bowing. He was holding a goblet that looked to be almost dropped. I couldn't help but smirk at the surprised look on the Goblin King's face.
"Let go Sarah, we must meet the people," Selena whispered from behind me. I tore my eyes from Jareth's and went down the stairs with my sister.
"Mother," we both said, like we practiced, as we curtsied to our mother. She nodded her head and motioned to the seats to her side. As we sat down and watched the people begin dancing again I let out a breath I had been holding.
"Stressful?" my mother asked.
"You have no idea," I said. I sat up straight again as some people came up to my mother.
"Your majesties," the four boys in front of us bowed and I smiled.
"May the cousins get the first dance," Drem said. I smiled and got up. I turned to mother and she nodded in permission. I placed my hand in Drems and we walked out onto the dance floor.
"Thank you so much, I'm so uptight," I confessed.
"Why, princess?" he asked.
"First, we are related, no formalities. Second the Goblin King is here and I don't know if I could face him. Again," I told him.
"Well, Sarah," he emphasized my name and I smiled, "He can't do anything, while he's in our territory," he pointed out. He twirled me.
"True," I said.
"By the way, would you like to meet our youngest brother?" he asked. My smile grew. "I'll take that as a yes," he twirled me again and when I turned around I was met by a little boy that only reach my waist.
"Well, hello there, you must be Seth," I said. The little boy blush. "Would you like to dance?" I asked him. He nodded.
"Yes, princess," he said quietly.
"You can call me Sarah," I told him, he seemed to calm down. I put my hands on his shoulder and hid hand on my waist.
I bet it was a strange, but cute, sight. He seemed to loosen up a little. I smiled down at him and he smiled back. We dance for a while.
"May I steal the lady away from you young lord?" a deep voice said. A voice I knew all too well. I prayed that the ten year old would just say no. Nope. Seth nodded and put my hand into a gloved one. I tensed up and my eyes went to floor next to me. "Are you going to stare at floor the whole time, your majesty?" he asked.
"If I must," I retorted, not taking my eyes away from the tile floor.
"Ah, so there is the fire," he said and I knew he was smirking. My wings turned into fire colors. I turned my head and my eyes met his. I knew they had turned a dark violet or red.
"Don't toy with me," I growled.
"Why would I toy with a royal?" he said innocently and held out his other hand. Not to make a scene I put my hand in his. We started dancing. Sensing my nerves, my wings turned into an icy blue.
"So you decided to come," I tried to start a conversation.
"I didn't even read the invite, if I knew it had your name in it," he paused, "I still would have come," he said.
"Believe it or not," I began slowly. This was going to be hard to say, "I'm glad you came," I let it out. One of his eyebrows raised. "Oh don't give me that. This is why I didn't want to talk to you. I feel like I'm being judged," I said.
"You're of royalty now, we are always being judged," he commented.
"But by each other? The least we could do is be better than the others," I said in all honestly.
"Why are you glad I came?" he asked. I was caught off guard.
"I-I wanted to, to um, to apologize," I stuttered out.
"Whatever for?" he twirled me and I took that moment to take a big breath.
"For acting like a child?" I supplied.
"Even though you were one?" he commented.
"Then for being selfish?"
"After being told what to do most of the time that woman lived in your house? I think I would be a little selfish too," he said. I gave up.
"Then I don't know what to apologize for," I confessed. He smirked.
"Can we talk somewhere else?" he asked. I looked to mother, my sister, than back to Jareth. I nodded and we headed towards the open balconies.
The night air greeted me and I accepted it openly. Jareth leaned against the railing watching me. I then got nervous under his eyes.
"Are you going to tell me what to apologize for?" I asked him. He pushed off the railing and came closer. Out of habit I stepped back once. Courage! I held my ground then.
"For not accepting my offer," he said bluntly.
"What?" I couldn't believe it. Was he serious. After damaging not only his pride and ego, but also his Labyrinth, he wanted me to apologize for not accepting that offer?
"You heard me," he said as her circled me.
"Wait, the offer you made after I jumped?" I asked. He nodded. I thought for a moment. Then I puffed up. "No." was all I said.
-------------------------------------------
Authoress: I'm leaving it here because that's already five pages
Zoe: CLIFFY!
Jareth: (snore)
Authoress: (looks un-amused) Zoe, get the whip cream and the gag
Zoe: (evil smile)
Authoress: Please review and maybe I wont torture Jareth, and that's a BIG maybe!