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"Jareth!" Sarah cried, her eyes wide. He looked at her and his fists clenched involuntarily at the sight. Her face was streaked with tears, and her cheeks flushed in anger and humiliation. Red welts were beginning to form from the torture she had endured. Jareth wanted nothing more than to run to her and free her from her chains; to take her in his arms and comfort her. But before he could make a move his attention was drawn to the shadow that hovered above her.
"Ah, so the Goblin King has come at last." The shadow sneered, his voice terrifying. It was unearthly and dark, yet frighteningly familiar. "And to think, Jareth, I was beginning to doubt you." The shadow figure turned back to Sarah and held up a strangely glowing hand. He reached out one dark finger and touched Sarah's calf, causing her to scream.
Jareth's face remained stoic, showing none of the rage that was building inside of him."You speak to me as though you know me." Jareth said calmly. Even as he attempted to hide his fury his eyes moved to Sarah once again. Her eyes were closed and she was trembling. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. He could feel her fear, but even more so her anger. Even in her current situation, her defiance was plainly evident. She would be okay, for now, but he had to find a way to get her out of this.
"Why Cousin." The shadow answered. "I'm hurt that you don't remember me. We were so very close once."
Cousin? Jareth's heart stopped momentarily. It couldn't be. In all the universe there was only one person that could speak to him thus, and his mind could not conceive of his presence, here in this mortal world.
"Bothvar?" Jareth asked, dreading the inevitable reply.
"Finally you drag your head out of the clouds." The shadow answered. "How have you been, dear Jareth? I trust you are well."
Jareth's teeth were clenched, weather in rage or fear he was not sure. He had already felt responsible for Sarah's current situation. After all, if this creature was after the wild magic that she had been granted while in his kingdom, then this was partly his fault. But something about that scenario had never made sense to the Goblin King. He had never heard of any ritual that could steal wild magic that had been given rightfully, let alone one as strange and gothic as this. Now he knew it was all a ruse, a deception meant to draw him out. It had worked perfectly. "Release the girl." He growled. "Your quarrel is with me."
"But Cousin," the shadow answered petulantly, "If I let the girl go, how will I ever get my revenge?" With that he burned Sarah again, this time leaving a deep red welt on her right flank.
Jareth lunged toward the shadow, but was stopped by an invisible barrier. Bothvar laughed as Jareth pushed against the barrier, fruitlessly attempting to break through. Again he burned Sarah, this time holding his hand to her flesh longer than before. Her screams tore at Jareth's heart. He pushed harder against the barrier, but it didn't budge.
"You're wasting your time, Jareth." Bothvar told him. "This barrier was made with earthly magic, and it doesn't bend to your will the way everything else in the universe does." The shadow pulled itself up, standing taller than before. Suddenly the shadows that formed it seemed to pull themselves into shape, and take on mass. Before his eyes the shadow transformed into the vision of his once beloved cousin, whom he had exiled from the underground hundreds of years before.
Sarah looked at the man that hovered over her. Long dark hair spilled over broad shoulders and framed a pale face that was remarkably similar to Jareth's. His eyes were deep brown, and flickered with the light of dark secrets and barely controlled evil. Sarah shuddered. Through her pain she had only managed to hear parts of the conversation, but she understood that this was some relative of Jareth's who now had reason to hate him. What she didn't understand was what it had to do with her.
"Please?" she begged, appealing to what she mistook for humanity in the now human form. "Please just let me go? I mean nothing to you."
Bothvar laughed, the sound slithering over her like snakes. "You seek to find a human soul that will take pity on you." He sneered. "And yet I have no soul at all. As for letting you go, why would I do that, when keeping you here is causing him so much pain." He grasped her upper arm, his burning touch leaving a circle of burned flesh. Sarah didn't cry out but new tears spilled down her face. Bothvar laughed again.
"Such a strong little thing." He said, looking at Jareth. "And lovely too. I can see how she stole your heart." He burned her again, nonchalantly, as though it were an afterthought. Sarah wanted to understand what he had just said, but pain clouded her thoughts. "You sent me to this horrible world, Jareth." Bothvar continued. "You took away everything I had, my magic, my title, my family, everything I loved."
Jareth was pacing the perimeter of the barrier, like a caged animal, testing it for weaknesses. Faintly he heard the rustle of movement behind him, and remembered the humans that had accompanied him here. He realized they were attempting to circle around and behind the clearing. He schooled his expression, not allowing himself to react. Perhaps they could find a way in if he kept Bothvar distracted.
He stopped moving and met Bothvar's gaze. "You loved nothing and no one." He spat. "You only pretended to love in order to manipulate. How many of our kind died because of your deceptions, your lies?" Jareth stopped and closed his eyes, trying to collect himself and surprised at how easily the old wounds had been opened. Ancient memories flooded his mind as though they happened yesterday. He could smell the blood of the fallen, hear their screams, see their faces as they lay dying and dead in once green fields stained red. The war had ended centuries ago, but apparently the pain of it still lingered just beneath the surface.
When he opened his eyes again they were smoldering, and to his surprise Bothvar laughed. "Oh, Jareth, you always were so predictable. Your righteous indignation, your kingly wrath, what great sport it used to be to watch you rise to every occasion. How I've missed you, cousin. Nevertheless, it was you that banished me to this hell, and you who took away everything that I held dear. And so I feel obliged to return the favor."
Buffy and her friends had made their way to the other side, and Giles and Willow held their hands to their side of the barrier. Their eyes were closed and Jareth could tell they were chanting. The area around their hands seemed to be glowing. He was careful not to look at them, but kept his eyes fixed on Bothvar. He had to stall him, had to give the humans more time. "What do you mean?" Jareth asked, his tone neutral.
"I mean to hurt you, Cousin Dear." Bothvar sneered. "I've been waiting for this chance for hundreds of years, but you seemed unreachable. Then I felt wild magic enter my territory, not just any wild magic, but yours. It seemed I could smell you wherever I went. Imagine my surprise when I found this young girl, just dripping with your power. How very like you, Jareth, to mark your territory in such a way. What a lovely thing, the sort of thing you only do for someone you care for very deeply. I knew I had my chance, so I took her, and here you are. And I mean for you to watch while I hurt her, while I take her innocence, while I take her life. I mean for you stand powerless while the thing you love is taken from you. I mean to see you crushed under the weight of your own broken heart. That, Jareth, is what I mean."
With that Bothvar turned, meaning to carry out his threats against the girl. What he found was an empty slab and four broken chains. Behind him, he heard Jareth laughing. He wheeled around, his face a mixture of rage and confusion. "Dear Cousin," Jareth spat, relishing the fact that he had the upper hand for once, "I thought you learned when we were children never to take what's mine!" This last was more of a growl than a statement, and Jareth lunged toward Bothvar, the barrier having fallen moments before. He was across the clearing in a heartbeat, but Bothvar had already disappeared. Jareth sighed.
"He's gone!" Jareth called, and the Scoobies emerged into the clearing, Giles carrying Sarah in his arms. Jareth made his way to them quickly, looking at Sarah's still form and then at Giles. "Is she…." He began, unable to finish the sentence.
"She's sleeping." Giles answered.
Jareth nodded, and took her into his own arms. He spared a moment to survey her battered face, and the burns that covered her naked body. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her face filled fear and confusion and she began to struggle. "Shh, it's okay, Sarah, he's gone." Jareth said soothingly and she stopped fighting him. Then a new realization hit her.
"Oh God, I'm naked" she rasped and began to struggle once again. Jareth willed a blanket to appear and she found herself covered with soft thick fleece. She calmed down once again and allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. Soon her breathing was even and he knew she was asleep once again.
"Everyone gather round me and put your hands on my shoulders." He said.
"Where are we going now?" Xander asked.
"I assumed we would go back to your study," Jareth answered, "Unless you know of a better place."
"Can you take the directions out of my mind like you did with Miss Calandar?" Buffy asked.
"Of course." Jareth responded.
"Then we'll go to my house. I have a feeling this guy won't quit, and we have a lot to talk about. We might as well be somewhere comfortable while we do it."
"Very well then." Jareth conceded. "Concentrate on your home." He closed his eyes and once he knew where he was going they disappeared.
When they reappeared he found himself standing in some sort of hallway in front of a staircase that led upward. The house was quaint but neatly appointed. He heard a woman's voice coming from another room. "Buffy? Is that you?" Footsteps carried the voice closer and handsome middle aged woman emerged from an arched doorway at the foot of the stairs. She seemed to survey their group quickly, her eyes lingering on the Goblin King for a moment before falling to the battered girl he held in his arms.
"She's hurt?" the older woman said and Jareth nodded. Without missing a beat she took Jareth's elbow and led him into another room. "Here, put her down here." She motioned to a yellow couch that sat against a pair of windows. Then she turned to Buffy. "Just what's going on, young lady? It's too soon for the world to be ending again."
"Not the whole world this time, Mom." Buffy said. "Just little parts of it."
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've been SOOOO busy lately. Hope you like it. Please leave a contribution in the little box.
