It was dark, and this time Sarah had no light to illuminate her way. She shuddered, the darkness seeming to beget an icy wind. She had no idea where she was, only that she was lost. Lost in the darkness, with no way back to...where was she from?
Sarah wrapped her arms tightly around herself, wishing for warmth as a cold breeze swept past her, tangling her hair as her fingers went numb.
And then, a fire roared to life in the periphery of her gaze, close enough that she could see the bright flames licking at the wood, and be lured to it's warm embrace.
Sarah walked trepidaciously to it, not sure if it was a trap, but anxious to be able to see her surroundings. The wind was colder now, more biting, and she hurried towards the light, hoping that it would bring her some warmth. Once she reached the flames, Sarah pulled her arms away from her, extending her fingers to the fire, rubbing them together and letting the heat warm her frozen skin.
Where the hell was she?
But the thought was quickly lost to the heady warmth of the fire, as Sarah drew ever closer to the blaze.
Then, through the fire, she caught sight of a pair of eyes, watching.
"H-hello?" came her halting voice, timid and afraid. Surely nothing good could come of the darkness, hiding in the shadows as it was. The form moved forward, and Sarah clutched her arms tightly around her again protectively. A hooded figure emerged from the darkness into the dull glow cast by the flickering of the fire, their long robes hiding all but the golden eyes that gleamed at her in the darkness.
It was disconcerting, to say the least.
Sarah drew back, away from the fire and into the darkness, but was stopped by a harsh wind that bit through her pants and light t-shirt. She was forced to return to the radius of the fire, eyeing the creature on the other side warily as it silently watched her.
"My dear, what are you doing out here in the cold?" The voice asked suddenly, sounding much more human than she expected, though there was an undercurrent of power there.
Sarah shook her head. "I'm not sure why I'm here," she said, wondering if this new figure could provide her answers.
The figure chuckled, tilting its head. "Well then, perhaps I can keep you company until your memory returns to you."
Sarah didn't trust this creature, not in the slightest, but she figured refusing its offer would be seen as rude, and might provoke it to attack her. It was safer to simply accept. Sarah noticed a log lying next to the right side of the fire, and edged closer to it, watching the figure with every step, and when it did not make a move towards her, she sat down on the edge of the log, letting the fire reflect off of her skin and warm her pale fingers.
When the figure moved forward, closer to the log, Sarah was so entranced by the fire and the flickering of the flames that she did not notice at first. Her body tensed as it crept closer, but it came only to rest on the opposite end of the log, sitting down.
The shadows were still deep around the figure, and Sarah tried to focus with her peripheral vision, hoping to make out more than simple black robes and golden eyes. But the figure remained shadowed from her, and without blatantly staring at it there was no way for her to see more details.
Sarah tried to ignore the way the creature made her heart beat a little faster.
Feeling a bit awkward, Sarah turned to peer at the dark figure. "Do you have a name?" She asked timidly, wondering if creatures of the dark had names at all, or if they simply grew from the shadows. The figure turned towards her, considering her question with the cock of his head.
"I have many names, child, but my true name...you can call me Pitch." Sarah considered, her mind trying to place the strange sounding name. It sounded familiar, but she knew of no humans named Pitch. Either way, it comforted her to know his name, and that it was not 'Crusher of Bones' or something equally as comforting.
"My name is Sarah," she offered quietly, hoping to spark some conversation. If she had the choice not to sit in silence, then she didn't want to.
"Ssarah.." The figure purred, sliding forward, and Sarah shivered. Maybe it had been a bad decision, trying to talk to him. "Tell me, Sarah..why do you shy away from the dark? Why stay at the fire, and not explore?" She pondered his question for a moment, considering.
"Fear...fear of the unknown, I suppose?" she answered, bringing one of her knees to her chest. The figure- Pitch-cocked his head, leaning forward.
"Surely you are not afraid of a little darkness, Sarah," he teased, inching forward. She looked away, unsure of how to respond, and when she turned back to reply, he had settled himself right beside her, finally close enough for her to make out his features, his hood pushed back from his face.
He was not nearly as gruesome as she had imagined. His skin was pale, ashen to an almost greyish tint, with cheekbones gaunt and eyes dark, but perhaps it was the shadows that drew the color from his skin. His nose was hawkish , and his golden eyes peered at her as she examined him. On the whole, he was not unattractive, but that did nothing to set Sarah's nerves to ease. Leaning closer, his eyes caught hers in their steady gaze.
"Are you not afraid of me, my Sarah?" He probed deviously, his hand snaking up her back to tangle in her hair, holding her close to him and making it nearly impossible to escape, and Sarah found she was indeed afraid.
It seemed as though Pitch could sense her answer, for he leered, his fingers tightening in their hold on her hair, pulling her roughly up against his chest as Sarah's panic began to choke her.
"You glow with magic, Sssarah," the dark one said, his face close enough for her to flinch at his words. Her hands flew up to his chest, trying to push him away, to create some space between them, but he held her tightly, his iron grip at her head.
"Do you know what goes well with magic, my dear?" He asked silkily, his face pressed against the side of hers just enough for his breath to warm her ear. She struggled, trying to hit him, to snap his head up with the heel of her palm, but he caught her hands, holding them down at her waist while still holding her to him with his other hand.
"Shadowss." He hissed, answering his own question, his fingers loosing from her hair to trap her face, her gasp audible as shadows fed from his fingers, the darkness feeding through Sarah's veins and spreading from his touch, stretching across her pale skin in jagged lines, like a puzzle piece.
She was numb.
It was like ice, feeding through her veins, choking her thoughts and movements.
The fire that had so steadily burned beside them was suddenly blown out by a great gust of wind, strong enough to make Pitch lose his hold on Sarah's face. And standing behind her, looking angry enough to kill, was the King of Goblins.
Jareth strode forward quickly, his eyes ablaze as his black cape swirled behind him, his goblin armor striking an imposing figure.
Pitch straightened, rising to meet Jareth, a grin still adorning his gray countenance. "A pleasure to see you again, Goblin King," he says, bowing mockingly. Jareth snarled, stalking forward to put space between Pitch and Sarah. Pitch cocked his head, taking in Jareth's protective stance. "Are you friends with this girl, then? Or is she your pet, a future goblin for your kingdom?" He asked mischievously, smiling coldly as Sarah glared at him.
Jareth could feel a snarl building at the back of his throat, and already a crystal formed at his fingertips, waiting to be lobbed at the nightshade. Pitch seemed to consider this, but dismissed the fae's rage. "This is my domain, dear goblin king...and all that reside within it," he said, looking at Sarah intently. Grabbing Sarah around the waist, Jareth growled possessively, lobbing the crystal at Pitch. It broke at the shadow's feet, exploding into a bright flash of light and inevitable glitter just as Pitch summoned his mares, which deflected most of the blow, the intensity of the light causing them to evaporate. Pitch's grin had faded, taking a menacing scowl as his mares once again congregated around him, their glowing red eyes all turned on Sarah. She shuddered in Jareth's arms, clutching at the pendant she still wore, and Jareth's grip tightened around her.
The mares reared, their nostrils flared as they charged towards Jareth and Sarah, a sea of black crashing towards them. Jareth's hand shot out, blasting at the steeds with fae magic. But still they advanced, their sheer number overwhelming Jareth's magic. Alarmed, Sarah turned to glance at Jareth; the vision of him caused her heart to tighten in her chest. His hair was wild, brows drawn with concentration and mismatched eyes ablaze, the amount of power flowing through him enough to charge the air with static, his mouth a snarl as he hurled crystal after crystal at the steeds, the speed and accuracy impressive, yet surely a drain on his powers, if evidenced by his pale face.
It was not enough.
And Sarah was afraid.
Securing his hold around her, Jareth transported them deeper into the cave, far enough away to where Pitch and his mares were no longer visible, but his taunts echoed through the cave.
Sarah was trembling against him, and Jareth's heart clenched at her fear. It comforted him little that she had never been so terrified of him while running his labyrinth.
This was far different. Jareth fed off of wishes, of dreams.
Not fear.
The goblins were mischief, never darkness.
Sarah tried to pull herself together. She was helping no one by trembling in Jareth's arms and yet she could not pull away from him. Jareth's fingers came to her chin, pulling her head up to look him in the eyes. "Sarah" he said gently, and she finally met his gaze, her trembling finally subsiding. His gaze was intense, searching. "I won't let him hurt you," he said resolutely.
Sarah clenched her fists, looking away and trying not to think about the heavy beating of her heart.
No, it would not do well to dwell on that which she could not yet understand, or control.
"Come," Jareth said, his gloved hand tugging at her wrist. "We must destroy him." His eyes flashed dangerously, and he pulled her deeper into the cave.
AN: Thank you for all the support and patience, guys!