Jareth took Estella's hand and
began walking her through a series of steps and corridors in the
Escher room, "Perhaps the best way to fool Livia would be to
disguise you."
Estella followed him but raised an eyebrow at what he said,
"What do you have in mind?"
"My magic can work to make you appear as someone else and
since Sarah isn't in my realm at this time but she is in yours,
perhaps it would be best to become her."
Estella nodded in agreement, "Normally I don't like the idea
but in this case it's the best thing to do." She put her
hands to he sides, "Ok master of illusions, work your
magic."
Jareth smiled and took out a crystal ball. Focusing upon it an
image of Sarah appeared. Her hair long and black it was fashioned
behind her face by silver leaves and threads and her dress was
long and white shining brightly as the image shifted a bit. The
bodice was tight but the skirt puffed out around her hips
accentuating her body. He smiled then moved the crystal away from
his eyes and looked at Estella. In moments she appeared exactly
like her.
"Uhm, gone a little bit extravagant have you?" the
storyteller blinked seeing herself in a large, elegant dress.
"I guess you never get a second chance to make a first
impression."
He tried not to laugh at her comment and took her hand. The king
walked quickly throughout a few more corridors until they were at
a short staircase. "Come on, this will take us to the throne
room."
She nodded and followed him as he held her hand tight. They
walked down a twisted staircase until they found Necrodemos and
Livia in the center of the room. Both looked up and Livia sneered
as she saw them. Jareth kept his confident stance and walked
closer to the two. Necrodemos seemed wary of their arrival which
made the king all the more confident. The lie was about to begin.
"My daughter, seems as if I have tricked you. With the help
of your aunt I have the ability to watch other dimensions and
with my power I have pulled you and your 'friends' back into
mine."
Livia shook her head in disbelief, "No, it can't be! I had
power here!"
At this time Estella felt she needed to intervene, "But I am
not yet part the other world, at least not yet. Can't you see
what he has done?"
Jareth nodded in response to what she said. Her disguise as Sarah
was working perfectly, "I am powerful here and while moreso
than you I offer a truce."
Necrodemos looked at him warily, "And why should we take a
truce?"
"Because I offer you the chance to drain most of the
creatures in my world but I want Sarah and our family to be safe.
It's a little price to pay don't you think?"
Livia smiled evilly. A simple lie would work for now, "Yes
father." She cooed, "I accept your truce."
"Good then." He replied, "I also ask that you
begin draining creatures tomorrow for I feel we all need to
rest."
Necrodemos rolled his eyes at his request, "Tomorrow many
will die." He responded not very happy with the idea of the
truce.
Estella nodded to Jareth and
leaned in closer to whisper to him. He looked to her and nodded
to Livia and Necrodemos, "We will be going for now, but you
will see us again later."
Livia hissed, "Oh I'm sure we will." She responded
folding her arms against her chest.
They left the others and once out of sight began running down a
series of dark halls. Jareth led her until a wide passageway was
in front of them, "This is where Aeris is I'm sure of it.
Jerin is probably in a series of rooms to your right. I'm going
to find her and you rescue Jerin then find the others."
She nodded and left him to find her husband. Not caring if anyone
heard her she shouted, "Jerin!" After a few moments her
cries were answered by a familiar voice.
She followed the voice into a dark room and gasped when she saw
him. He remainded chained to the wall with only a tourch giving
enough light to see. Hearing someone else enter he raised his
head, "Mother?" he asked in confusion, "How did
you get here?"
She ran to him and quickly embraced him, "It's me Estella
not Sarah. Jareth disguised me so we could trick Livia, we have
got to get you out of here and find Beauty!"
His eyes opened wide hearing this and he believed it. She moved
to the wall to unhinge the chains and taking a key formerly out
of Jerin's reach she unlocked the iron cuffs around his wrists.
Their hands grasped and held onto each other's tightly. "I
was so worried." Estella said between staggered breaths.
Jerin moved forward to wipe the tears of joy from her face,
"It'll be ok." He said, "But we don't have much
time let's get out of here."
*****
Jareth knew where Aeris had to
be…the dungeon. How perfectly sinister. He remembered
vividly the time she’d gone missing as a child and
they’d discovered her down there in the darkness, frightened
out of her wits. There could be no other place Necrodemos would
have placed her. And so it was down the dark stairs and into the
disused dungeon of his castle.
He was right, he saw, as he turned to the cells and discovered
her there, sitting behind the bars. She had heard him come in,
and her face was anxious, fearful…she had thought he was
Necrodemos.
"Jareth?" she asked, peering at him in the dim light of
the torches.
"It’s me."
She let out a sound of relief that was almost a laugh. "Oh,
fates, Jareth, get me out of here…"
He waved a hand and the cell opened. She tried to stand, holding
onto the bars for support, and managed to finally pull herself
up. She glanced at Jareth. "Give me a hand, would you? What
took you so long?"
"Herald," he said patiently, "it’s been a
very long day. And you aren’t out of danger yet. Please
refrain from berating me until it’s over, if you don’t
mind." He slipped an arm around her waist and helped her out
of the cell.
He had to half-carry her out, slowing their progress considerably
as they searched for Estella and Jerin in the upper rooms.
"Jareth, please," she breathed. "Give me just a
minute…"
"We don’t have the time, Aeris," he told her,
pulling her a little farther. "Now you must try."
"I thought I was…"
The hallway they were moving through was still and quiet and
their voices echoed faintly. Jareth was feeling safer, surer that
he and Aeris would not be discovered. But they were close to the
throne room, and he put a finger to her lips, his eyes warning
her to stay silent.
"It’s no good," Necrodemos said softly, his voice
coming from further up ahead in the corridor. He slipped around
the corner, looking tired and wounded, his back to the wall.
"I can smell her, Jareth. The roses…" He took a
deep breath. "It’s useless to even attempt to escape.
There’s nowhere I can’t find her. Even in my captivity,
I could still catch the scent of roses." He pushed off the
wall and began to walk forward.
Jareth became aware that Aeris was trembling in his arms. He
pulled her tighter to him.
Necrodemos continued. His black eyes shone like the ebony of
piano keys, devoid of any life. "You were very clever, and
you’ve fooled Livia well. And myself for a second. But then
I thought…the Sarah of Livia’s world would not be so
young and so immaculately dressed. Only the Jareth of *my* world
would make her so…because he has no experience with any
other Sarah than the pretty young girl who defeated him.
That’s not really Sarah, is it? She’s the Storyteller.
Aren’t I clever?" He smiled, and Jareth felt chills
running up his own spine…and he wasn’t even the one
that thing dressed as a man wanted. And it (Jareth had, since
that smile, ceased to be able to think of it as even male)
advanced on them one step at a time. "You can’t stop me
from taking her…"
"I can try." He produced a crystal in his hand.
Necrodemos started to laugh. Aeris closed her eyes tightly, her
hands to her ears, but there was no escaping that sound. Jareth
felt the urge to run from it himself, and suspected the only
reason Aeris didn’t was that she couldn’t. "Oh,
mighty Goblin King!" he laughed. "Do your worst!"
Necrodemos simply walked forward.
Jareth threw the crystal, and Necrodemos caught it in his right
hand. It sat there in his palm, his fingers around it. It turned
from clear to opaque, and it crumbled in his hand like a sphere
of ashes.
Jareth’s eyes went wide. He glanced at Aeris, who was only
looking back at him with that still, frightened expression.
"I’m…I’m sorry…"
She reached up and pressed her finger to his lips this time, then
turned back to Necrodemos. "Fine," she said, uttering
her first words since the confrontation had begun. "Fine.
Come get me."
Necrodemos smiled, took another step forward. Aeris smiled
herself. It stopped, unnerved by her sudden, sunny smile. She
held up her fist, opened it. The thread from the Fae Gatekeeper
lay in it, shining, throwing brilliant light in mulit-colored
hues. And the light fell on Necrodemos, focused on him, grew
brighter. Then it dimmed. Necrodemos was left perfectly still, a
statue of a man, a monstrosity inside.
"Aeris…"
"Let’s find Estella and Jerin," she answered
quietly. "I don’t know how long this will last.
And…" she shuddered as she glanced at the thing again.
"I don’t think he likes it much. He’s not going to
be very happy when it wears off."
Together, they made their way through the hall, to Jerin and
Estella.