An update! A really long time after I wanted to get it up. I'd say that I dropped the ball, but I think I lost the ball. It probably went to find other means of employment. Anyhow, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to anything, yada, yada, yada.

Italics Heartspeak/Telepathy

Between Dreams and Reality

By Lyra Matsuoka

Rated PG-13

Chapter 13 : At The Beginning

Darkness had odd way of enveloping the mind and soul, treating them as one entity until the time came for consciousness to return. Sarah had never been afraid of the dark; while other children shied away from the shadows she had embraced them as a place of perfect peace. Her first run of the Labyrinth had altered that image slightly, had convinced her that shadows could be dangerous. But then, so could the light. The light was calling to her now, and Sarah rose slowly from the cloak of gloom that had wrapped itself around her mind.

She was standing in the green field once again. She had returned to the place where she and Jareth joined their minds for the first time. But now, there was no forest across from the castle. There was only field and sky leading away from it, and the banners that flew from the turrets were still against their poles.

There's something I'm supposed to do, isn't there? But how would I know what to do? This is all new to me.

That is why you are here. There are things you need to learn, and you are here because this is the perfect place to learn them.

I can't see Jareth. I can't feel Jareth either, and the last time I was here his mind was so close to mine – where is he?

Busy. He has things to do just as you have.

There was a pause. Sarah knew that time had no meaning here. She was alone and there was no rush toward justice or a painful ending here. Here, she had no need to worry. But there was some reason why this place of peace and healing wasn't entirely wonderful. Someone...

Luster did this, didn't she?

Yes. She did. Now come. There is much to be done.

Sarah turned around and faced the castle she knew represented her inner mind and for lack of any other plan, began walking toward it. The drawbridge was lowered, the gates stood open, carved of wrought iron. They reminded her of a sketch done in her twelfth grade art class. She had not drawn them, but the girl who had had been dissatisfied with the result and was about to throw the sketch away when Sarah asked if she could have it. The girl had signed it with a flourish and turned it over, somewhat bewildered as to why anyone, let alone a girl she had barely spoken to, would want that sketch. But Sarah had seen magic in it, and had realized then that what she sought in art was a representation of magic in her world.

The gates were only the beginning. The castle was furnished entirely with things she had seen, admired, or altered from their existing form in her head. Tapestries displaying her favorite faerie tales hung on each of the walls, shining with rainbow colors. This was her mind, no doubt about it.

"Of course it's your mind. Where else are you, when you're unconscious?"

That seemed like a very reasonable question, and Sarah took a moment to ponder it before she realized that she hadn't spoken aloud. The question had come from somewhere else. Turning quickly, Sarah saw a small child standing next to a modern sculpture. A small child stood there, wearing a white dress with short puffed sleeves and a skirt comprised of several layers of tulle. She wore a sparkling plastic tiara on her head. Long brown hair and green eyes stared up at her as Sarah stared at a much younger version of herself. The girl smiled slowly and twisted from side to side, her hands behind her back.

"I've been waiting and waiting for you to arrive. I thought you were going to hover forever."

"Hover?"

"Try to wake up. When you're trying to wake up, you aren't all in your head. And you have to be all in your head for us to talk. So I've been waiting." Young Sarah stomped her foot and glared for a moment before relaxing into a smile as Older Sarah looked on in amazement. "So, come on. There's lots of things to see and do."

Sarah shook her head in confusion and looked down at her five-year-old self. "What's your name, sweet pea?"

Young Sarah smiled. "Honey. My name is Honey and I'm a Princess. Mommy and Daddy say so. Mommy says I'm sweet as honey and Daddy says I'm a princess."

Sarah nodded slowly. Yes. She remembered that. When she was five, she had answered to nothing but Honey for a month or longer. Her parents had been very accommodating.

"It's nice to meet you, Honey. My name is Sarah."

"I know," Honey said, nodding quickly. "You're me, but all grown up. The others will be here soon. We're all here together. This is gonna be fun!"

"Honey, I have to ask you a very important question. Can you tell me what happened to me?"

"I'll show you!" Honey ran off down the hall, her hair flying. She turned suddenly and saw that Sarah wasn't following her and ran back to take her hand. "Come on, come on! I'll show you!"

Sarah followed her much younger self without resistance, passing graceful archways and slim columns. Finally they arrived in a large open courtyard, and the large, still pool that sat in the center.

"Watch, watch." Honey danced quickly around the pool, her arms embracing an invisible partner. Sarah watched with a smile on her lips, remembering the times she had danced with her father in just such a manner. Looking down at the pool, she saw the surface change. She watched the events she remembered passing before her eyes, watched her body fall limp to the ground, and watched as Luster was sentenced and carried away. The picture changed, showing Sarah her body, lying on the bed in her chambers. Jareth was there, holding her hand and watching over her. Her body contorted suddenly, lifting off the bed. Jareth held her all the while. The pool changed again, showing an unfamiliar room, lit with lamps made from various shades of colored glass. The Council stood around a large circular bed, in the middle of which lay Luster and Kemal. Both were dressed in simple white, Luster in a shift, Kemal in breeches. Luster was unconscious, limp in Kemal's embrace, as the council chanted slowly, enveloping the pair in magic. Kemal kissed Luster gently and closed his eyes.

"What is that? What are they doing to her?"

"The Prison of Dreams," came the answer, and Sarah turned away from the pond. There stood an older version of herself, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Sarah blinked, and her older self had changed, morphing into a woman in a business suit. Another blink and Older Sarah was pregnant. Another, and Older Sarah wore a long blue velvet gown with a golden coronet. Through it all, her face remained the same. Sarah stopped and shook her head. Older Sarah smiled.

"Don't worry, I won't stay long. But someone had to explain what was happening, and unfortunately, I'm the only one who can. I'll try to keep it brief."

"Okay," Sarah said, more than a little confused. "Could you try to hold on to one outfit and body shape? This is just a little on the strange side."

"I can try. But I'm your future. I can't stay the same for long, as your future is always changing. Try focusing on something. A person, a dream, a career path. That will help." Instantly, Older Sarah snapped into jeans and a t-shirt, her hair a ponytail. "Well. That was simple."

"That's a fairly generic look. I like that look."

"And still will in the future," Older Sarah smiled. "I'll be on my way shortly, but you should know this. You are undergoing a dangerous and potentially fatal transformation. Your body is being changed quickly and desperately in response to a command from the Throne of Light. As such, you are here to learn certain things you will need to know – such as how to control the new powers you will develop. And we are here to help you that."

"Could you vague that up for me?" Sarah asked with a wry smile. It was a bit disconcerting when both versions of herself gave her the same smile in return.

"There are very strict rules in the Underground regarding human visitors. Notice that I said 'visitors'. Humans are not welcome in the Underground for extended periods of time. They disrupt the balance, or some such nonsense. I'm sure there was a logical reason at one time, but it's been lost amongst fear, superstition and old fashioned hatred for so many millennia that not a single creature in the Underground, with the possible exception of the dragons, could tell you what those reasons are. But because of all that, the rules are strict and the punishments harsh when those rules are broken."

"And Luster broke the rules?"

"She started with breaking them. That was when she brought you to the Labyrinth at all. Then she jumped up and down on the pieces and crushed them into dust by allowing you to remain. Then she took the dust and scattered it to the four corners of the world when she changed you. So yes, she broke the rules."

"And that's her punishment? It looks like she's sleeping - don't these people have prisons?"

"Of course they do. But in order to change you, Luster joined fully with the Throne of Light. She used its energy and magic like a battery to fuel and strengthen her spell. And it worked," Older Sarah looked down into the pool of water and shook her head. "Boy, did it work. But there are always consequences. And this consequence was that Luster is now the Heir to the Throne of Light in truth. As such, she is too powerful for any cell or oubliette to hold her. She'd just blow it up and walk away unscathed. And so they turned to the Prison of Dreams with the Heir to the Throne of Fire as her jailer."

"What exactly is the Prison of Dreams?" Sarah asked, though she felt oddly detached from the question.

"Not important now. You have problems too. So, here's how this is going to work. You are going to learn to control some of your powers while your body changes, and when those two tasks are accomplished you get to wake up. Harder then it sounds, I'll tell you that right now. But you'll do just fine. Oh, just so you're aware, time moves differently here. So I'd stop worrying about Jareth and your friend and get to work. You wouldn't want to miss 100 years of your new life."

"Thanks. That's terribly encouraging."

"Don't mention it," Older Sarah said, and quietly turned away. She passed between two pillars, and vanished from view. Sarah watched her go, and turned back to Honey.

"Are you my coach?"

"Nope," Honey said, shaking her head back and forth. "I'm just supposed to show you here. Someone else will be here real soon, and then I get to go play."

"I hope it's not another me," Sarah said. "I'm not sure I could handle that."

"Someone, someone," Honey sing-songed, dancing around the fountain with her hands held high, the white skirt twirling out. Sarah smiled as she watched her, and looked back into the pool. Luster and Kemal were alone in the room now, their eyes closed. Jareth was still standing near Sarah's unconscious body, though he appeared to be making arrangements for another to sit with her for the time being. Sarah shook her head slowly.

"This is bizarre," she muttered. "I've never had a dream quite like this before."

"You've never been in quite this position before," came the reply. Sarah spun quickly and looked at the speaker.

"Mom?"

"Hello, darling," Linda said, crossing to Sarah and enfolding her in an embrace. Honey came running toward them and threw herself at Linda's knees, nearly knocking her off balance. Linda knelt to embrace Honey and Sarah stood silently by, watching her mother and her younger self. It was then that Sarah noticed her mother did not seem to be that much older than she was herself.

"This doesn't make any sense," Sarah muttered.

"Of course it does, Sarah," Linda said, standing. "This is your mind, and all things here are your memories, altered to suit you. You could have called anyone. Your father, Karen, your boss, your third grade teacher – but you chose me, at this age, because of Honey and your reactions to her. So here I am. And a good thing, too. Darling," she said, turning to Honey, "why don't you go play in the garden. I'll be right here when you get back."

"Okay," Honey chirped, turning and running down the hall. Linda watched her with a gentle smile before turning back to Sarah.

"Now. You and I have a great deal of work to do."

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"Jareth, you know that the Council did only what had to be done."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have no interest whatsoever in dissecting the actions of the Underground Council."

"My granddaughter is paying the price for your desires!" Amalthea snapped out, her walking stick tapping quickly on the floor of his throne room. "And that is a price she was willing to pay. And because of her position, she remains untouched by the anger of the Council. You and your Sarah, on the other hand, are not. You are vulnerable, and so is she. You must find a way to shield yourself."

Jareth shook his head dismissively. "It has already been done, my lady. The Labyrinth will allow no one near this castle unless I allow them entrance. It is one useful aspect of ruling here. I rarely have uninvited guests."

"Very well. I cannot imagine the trouble will last long. Most of those who would desire to visit are mere curiosity seekers. They will lose interest after a time."

"I know."

"They will be fine, Jareth. Luster and Sarah are both strong and determined. Luster has magic on her side and the Prison of Dreams will not harm her physically."

"And mentally? What of that?"

Amalthea sighed and conjured a chair with a wave of her walking stick that she promptly sank into. "Kemal has loved Luster for a very long time, Jareth. He is jealous of you and the connection the two of you share. But he would never harm her, Jareth. Never. He would die first."

"I know you believe that, my lady. But I have no such guarantees."

"In that case, you shall have to accept mine. The Prison of Dreams is designed to hold a powerful magical being without physically harming them. The mind of the prisoner and the mind of the guard are linked, but the extent to which the prisoner is subject to the guard is entirely dependent on the will of the prisoner. Luster will be just fine."

"I know that. But I had no right to ask it of her."

"You did not ask. She gave. Take care of Sarah and be happy. I assure you, Luster will be fine."

With that, Amalthea rose and left the room. The armchair dissolved into glitter that disappeared as soon as it hit the ground. Jareth stayed in his throne, pondering the situation. Sarah lay unconscious in her bedchamber; a goblin maid was sitting with her now, with strict orders to contact him if she so much as stirred. Sarah had lain perfectly still since Luster had hit her with the transformation spell. The only indication she was alive was the shallow rise and fall of her chest.

Jareth had known for some time what the spell would accomplish. Luster had discussed it with him before she had brought Sarah to the Underground – they were both aware that the Council would never have allowed her to stay as a mortal. He knew that though Sarah's physical body was present in his castle, her mind was engaged elsewhere. She was adapting the changes occurring in her body. When she awoke, she would be one of the Fae, immortal and magical. She would be as he was, as the Council was, and they would have no choice but to allow Sarah to remain.

The consequences of this action had not yet played out entirely. Luster was trapped in the Prison of Dreams, Sarah was trapped in her mind and he himself was unable to leave his castle while Sarah was incapacitated. Jareth shook his head and strode off down the hall.

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"I can't do this," Sarah said. Her hair blew in the wind now whipping across the field. At least, she assumed it was blowing down on the field. Being on the parapet might have altered her sense of perception. Perhaps the wind wasn't blowing on the ground.

"You won't hurt yourself, Sarah. We're inside your mind."

"Very encouraging. I saw 'The Matrix' three times. I know that my mind makes it real. If I fall, I'll die."

"You can't die, Sarah. Not anymore. You can fade away, you can be killed with an iron weapon or with powerful magic, but a little fall won't kill you."

"Little fall? What about this huge drop makes you think 'little fall'?"

Linda laughed and tossed her hair back. Sarah was reminded strongly of her first day of kindergarten, when she had confessed her fear that no one would like her. Linda had looked just the same then, confident, carefree. Sarah sighed, remembering the results of that encounter. She had gone to kindergarten.

Which meant she would now jump off the wall and try to fly as commanded.

"You've already flown once before, haven't you?"

"Jareth was carrying me. Fine, fine. What do I do? Think lovely thoughts?"

"Something like that. It has more to do with not letting gravity best you. Gravity doesn't apply to you if you do not want it to. Some rules can be bent. Others can be broken completely."

Sarah grinned at the 'Matrix' reference. "What, no pixie dust?"

"Stop talking and fly," Linda said clearly, and Sarah felt something push against her back. Before she could blink, she was airborn...and heading straight for the ground.

'I will not panic, I will not die, I don't want to be falling anymore!' Sarah thought frantically. And just like that, she wasn't. That was an improvement to her mind. She was no longer falling. Instead, she was suspended in space.

"Huh. That's interesting," Sarah muttered, looking at her body. "I used to live in a New York walk-up. Now I can fly."

"But you aren't flying, precisely," Linda said, floating down beside her.

"I've never noticed Jareth doing anything like this," Sarah muttered, looking at the distant ground.

"It isn't one of Jareth's skills. He is a shape shifter; he didn't fly with you – Luster helped you both fly. This is your power. You are doing this all on your own. Magic is very simple – there are skills all Fae have, and special skills, such as flying. Flying is one of yours. Give it a try."

Sarah took a deep breath and let herself fall.

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Time passed in Sarah's mind. She was aware of that, but unsure how much had passed precisely. The sun never really set in the castle, though it seemed to be late afternoon and early evening an awful lot. It occurred to Sarah that those were her favorite times of day, and that it might not be coincidence. There were lovely things in all the rooms; objects that she had owned and lost, paintings she had admired. The walls reflected memories if she concentrated hard enough, and those people she loved and remembered fondly would appear and converse with her if she wished it.

There were lessons with Linda on all aspects of her developing powers.

"It is necessary that you learn as much as you can before you awaken. If you awaken without some control over your powers you will be defenseless against the enemies who may stand against you," Linda said each day, and each day Sarah nodded and applied herself. There were spells to memorize, the simplest of which was transportation. Flying lessons continued, and recently Sarah had begun learning how to change her clothing, hair and makeup in an instant – glamour, she had decided, was her favorite so far.

Sarah spent a great deal of her free time around the reflecting pool. It had taken her a while, and a few lessons with Honey, but she had finally learned to operate it. The walls showed her what had been, and the pool showed her what was happening outside her mind, which gave her an anchor to the passing of time. As best she could figure, she'd been here about a month.

It was disturbing to watch her unconscious body writhe, so she tended to change the scene if Jareth happened to be in her chamber when she looked in on him. Sarah smiled, reflecting on the fact that she did spend a great deal of time watching him. Most of the time it was educational. She had learned a great deal more about the Underground and the Labyrinth in particular. She knew now that it was linked to Jareth, that it responded to his requests and to his emotional state when it was strong enough. She learned about the hierarchy of the Goblin City and of the goblin race in general, studied the patterns of the Fay, and generally absorbed information like a sponge. Of course, there wasn't much else to do.

One thing she could not discover, however, was the basic operating procedures for the Prison of Dreams. Though she tuned in to make certain that Luster wasn't being harmed, there was no visible change in the two unicorns. They honestly appeared as though they were sleeping.

"You seem puzzled."

Sarah turned and saw Older Sarah standing off to one side, leaning casually against an archway. Sarah, now used to seeing various incarnations of herself wandering about just smiled and turned back to the pool.

"I can't figure out what's going on there. The Prison of Dreams doesn't seem to make sense. They're sleeping, but I know it can't be that simple."

"It isn't. To be honest, it's fairly similar to where you are now, except you have complete control over your surroundings. It isn't quite that simple for one held in the Prison of Dreams. They're surroundings, clothing, occasionally even their feelings and words are controlled by their jailer. They are, in essence, held captive in their mind – physically unharmed but mentally vulnerable. The effects depend entirely on the mental strength of the prisoner, but the longer she spends in the prison, the greater the chances of permanent emotional scarring will be."

"But Kemal loves Luster. He would never hurt her," Sarah said, confused.

"No, he wouldn't. But not all prisoners are so lucky in their jailer."

"But, she did it for Jareth. For me...I mean, I asked her to do it..."

"Yes you did. And she did it willingly, for the two of you. And now she is paying the price."

"There's nothing I can do for her?"

"Try Remonia," Older Sarah turned and walked away. Sarah didn't try to keep her. She was focusing on the last few words her older self had spoken.

"Remonia?" Sarah muttered, and felt a jerk in the vicinity of her heart. "Remonia," she said again, this time with more force, and the jerk intensified into a constant pull in her chest.

"Remonia!" Sarah said once again, and almost doubled over at the pain in her chest. A few deep breaths and Sarah realized the feeling had vanished.

"Okay. That was nice and pointless," Sarah said.

"Hardly pointless," came the response. Sarah turned around and saw Luster standing in the middle of the pool.