Gray and lifeless, the merpeople swam in and out of small water ducts throughout the large room. The walls themselves were made of damp rock the same color as the servants of the queen. Livia sat in the middle on a throne fashioned out of granite. It's speckled white and black shades the only thing that contrasted with the area.

She watched them as they swam around with no emotion. She had no emotion either and the thought pained her as she realized her world was almost completely devoid of life. She became powerful, but at a great cost. She would never know joy or happiness unless she drained emotion from another being.

So no creature in her world remembered their feelings. Mindless they followed her every command without a word. They knew their mistress would never be sated, but they didn't care. Yet Livia did and she knew she had to find new victims.

The thought of emotion in her mind she began to concentrate. 'Show me someone who knows of another place. A place with vibrant souls that would sustain me for more than just a fleeting moment. Show me these souls or show me someone who can help.' Sure enough the vision came to her of a powerful being she felt from another dimension. She concentrated more and closed her eyes. Knowing the being was purely evil did not make her wary and once she opened her eyes, she found him.
 
 

The Hobgoblin hummed to himself as he organized the bottles on the shelf. His scratchy, grating voice halted as he came to a blue vial. He lifted it up, blowing the light coat of dust off the glass to peer inside. He twisted his wide mouth into a grin.

"Ah, my Necrodemos, I almost forgot about you." He chuckled a little, and set the bottle down on his table. He continued to speak to the glass as he went back to sorting out his shelf. "You almost got away from me that last time. Such a clever pet you are. Do you hate that, when I call you my pet? I know you do. It radiates from you. But you are my pet." He sighed, picking the bottle up again to replace it on the newly cleared shelf. "There, back you go. Nice and neat."

He froze, black, monster eyes narrowing suspiciously. He sniffed. He whirled around to face a woman, but with his kind of eyes he could not see her features, her face. He could only see what lived on the inside, the hatred, the anger, the swirling, never-ending emptiness.

"You are not the creature I seek," she said.

"Then, pray tell, what is it you seek?" asked the Hobgoblin, unimpressed by her entrance to his lair. "I smell the scent of worlds on you, of worlds beyond this universe. Tell me what it is you have not found in your dimension, strange one."

The woman ignored him. She walked past him with purpose, her hand reaching for the blue vial he had only just placed on the shelf.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he hissed, moving to stop her.

She waved her hand, and he was blown out of her way as though he was no more than a dead leaf on a bitter autumn wind. He collapsed against a wall.

With the same hand, she continued to reach for the bottle, and touched it gently. She brought it down to her face, rubbing the smooth surface, running a finger along the hard, delicate length to the cork at the top. "I free you, dark creature." She dug a fingernail into the cork and popped it out.

A blue cloud swirled from the bottle like a whirlwind. From it emerged a handsome man with long, light brown hair that curled at the ends. His eyes were entirely black. He smiled at Livia. "Do I owe you three wishes now?"
 
 

Estella sat in one of her favorite rooms reading to her young son. Many times she told him stories she created herself or read from other books. He enjoyed every word immensely and seeing his delight she ran her fingers through his hair as she continued, "And the prince found his sister and reunited her with his family. They all lived happily ever after."

He giggled and leapt into her arms. Oren was just seven years old and was one of the most precious things to her. "So you liked it?" she asked awaiting a response she already knew the answer to.

"Yes." the prince giggled, "I always love your stories. The prince was so brave!"

Such simplistic words brought another smiles to her face. She kissed him lovingly on the cheek unaware her husband had entered the room.

"We need to talk." she said firmly. It was clear Jerin wasn't upset, but something concerned him.

"Oren, go find your grandmother and see if she can put you to bed."

The boy nodded obediently and left his parents.

Jerin sighed and sat beside his wife, "Your storytelling is a great gift you have my love, but you need to read other stories to him."

Estella put the book to the side, her eyes perplexed as she asked, "What do you mean exactly?"

"When Kirakah came back she said our daughter was alive but she didn't know where. I'm not saying we'll never find her, if possible we can live forever. What I am saying is you need to quit reminding our son about her. These stories of a prince saving his lost sister can have bad effects."

Estella trembled at his words but began to think about what he was saying. Stories had more of an impression on younger minds. "I don't want to give up hope Jerin and I don't want any of us to forget about her."

"We won't, it's not possible. The best thing we can do is hope Kirakah or someone finds a way to find our daughter. If you keep telling stories like this Oren might run away and find himself in a situation he can't handle. He's not going to find his sister."

Estella tried not to speak sharply but her words rose with emotion, "Then who is Jerin? I already lost Livia."

Jerin moved to look directly into Estella's eyes, "You need to be thankful for what you have, not mourn over what you lost. Remember that. You're a queen, a mother and a wife, not someone out on a crusade."

Estella wanted to say something else but as she opened her mouth a voice spoke telepathically in her head, "Estella...I must see you."

It was Charlatan.
 
 

Livia smirked, "I do not believe in creatures as silly as the Djinn, what I need from you is energy..life." the man was indeed handsome and she focused her own grey eyes, hoping he would sense her evil, and the void within her that needed to be filled with emotion, "I come from another realm, one which I have enslaved so I can gain sensations. I need emotions, I survive upon them. I sense you are a kindred spirit..perhaps we can help each other." she looked upon him again, awaiting a reply.

Necrodemos tilted his head to the side. He was comparatively clumsy outside of a mind--he thrived on creating worlds within worlds and destroying his targets from inside out. Standing there in an almost human form, he felt perhaps a little ridiculous as he tried, as humans do, to understand this lovely creature without being able to simply be within her mind. But he was still a strong being, and he did indeed feel the void inside her.

"You came all the way from another realm for me," he said at last, dreamy sarcasm dripping on the edges of his smooth voice. "For help. But let me ask you this, do you know what I am?"

Livia shook her head once, then waited for his answer.

"I am Necrodemos." The name meant nothing to her, and he could see it in her grey eyes. "I am an eater of emotions...as are you." He smiled. "So indeed," he continued, "we are kindreds. And we can help one another. I have a vendetta to settle with the residents of the Labyrinth..." He could see from the way her eyes lit she knew the place. "Surely there you will find the vibrant souls you need to sustain you." He bowed to Livia and extended his hand. "Allies?"
 
 

Multicolored threads danced along a loom for the fae goddess to see. She smiled and moved her fingers over them and watched what they wove. Even Euphoria stood in wonder. Sometimes her looms acted on their own accord but they were mostly inspired by her. This time they danced around the sides and center of the frame to reveal new worlds.

She continued to watch and flashed the threads a confused glance. Someone had crossed over and was about to create havoc with another. Sometimes stories were good and sometimes bad, but she had a feeling these two worlds were not created to merge.

"But they're merging aren't they?" she said. The threads shimmered in response and showed images of Livia and Necrodemos. She looked on and sensing the intense evil shook her head in response, "There is an unbalance here. Estella's adopted child was not meant to go outside her realm...she has gotten too powerful." the loom trembled in response. Though the threads acted on their own accord they knew how powerful The Fae Gatekeeper was and how terrible it would be to displease her.

"Shhhh, it's not your fault." she calmed the loom. It responded by taking away the images of the evil one and shining in a myriad of bright colors that fell into each other never holding one shade. "I am pleased you are happy." she told the threads, "But show me the faces of all the innocent ones."

Immediately the loom showed Estella who looked confused at her husband. Euphoria nodded in response, "Yes, she is the personification but show me another."

A variety of images flashed before her face until she noticed one and drew closer to the image, "Yes...I sense her power. It is not as great as it should be but she represents goodness."

Without a word Euphoria disappeared to meet the maiden and warn her.
 
 

"Charlatan is calling me." she said to Jerin as he followed her to the large entrance to the castle. The king had a displeased look upon his face but she didn't look behind her.

"Estella!" he barked as she began to open the door, "Even if it is her why should we let her in?"

The storyteller rolled her eyes, "She's not exactly my favorite person either Jerin but have some compassion. I doubt she would leave your uncle's side without warning to come if it wasn't important."

Jerin was about to say something but he heard a banging on the door. Estella quickly pulled and the door opened. With no surprise to Estella Charlatan stood there, heaving a sigh of relief.

"You took long enough." she said walking into the hall.

Jerin crossed his arms over his chest, "You gave no notice."

Charlatan looked away. Many years had passed and she still trembled when she thought of him. "I've been having bad dreams Estella, and they deal with Livia."

He scoffed in return, "So you are saying that you actually care for your child now?"

She turned around and glared at him, "I am not fit to be a mother! I'm not saying I want her back! I just want these nightmares to stop."

"Acting for your own well being? I'm not that surprised then."

Estella quickly walked to her husband's side, "Jerin that's enough, I don't think she's hear to start any trouble." she then looked back at her, "Please, tell me more about the visions."

"I'm in another world. Much like your labyrinth. Then I see her. I'm surprised at first because I've known for a long time she's been in Estella's 'water world' and drained it of its emotions. But I see her with another man, a handsome man but I sense they're both evil. She sneers at me then drains the emotions of all living creatures around her, then she comes for me." her tone changed to one of urgency, "Estella she's in another world I know it! We have to go there and stop her."

"I don't like this." Jerin interjected.

Estella sighed but for some strange reason sensed she was being truthful, "If you're right we must do something."

"And how do you suppose we tell if she's right or wrong? She could of learned magic to make you feel convinced."

"We need to find Kirakah. She can tell if Charlatan is lying or not. Even if she is telling the truth we'd still need her to cross over into the other dimension."

"Well you know as well as I do Beauty is on Akerion now, how do you manage to bring her here?"

Estella sighed and realized Jerin had a point. Only one did the storyteller reach Akerion and then it was by pure accident.
 
 

Aeris lay sleeping in her house in the woods at the edge of the Labyrinth. She was dreaming. Euphoria sensed it as she drew near. In dreams or in reality she could travel but why wake the Herald from her sweet sleep? It was a pity her visions had to be disturbed. The Fae Gatekeeper focused upon her mind and entered it. There she appeared in a swirl of powerful lights shimmering with different hues of the spectrum. She looked upon the young woman with a grim glance, "There are other worlds that exist. One has crossed over when she shouldn't and your life is threatened."

Aeris was amazed by the fae goddess as her wings spread out behind her perfect body. She blinked against the brilliant colors, trying to focus on the voice that came from it like a song. "Who...who are you and what do you mean by other worlds?"

"You must widen your narrow vision Herald. Though you have met many you haven't met enough. This one that threatens you steals emotion and is aligned with an old enemy. The name is Necrodemos."

Aeris felt her blood turning slowly to ice in her veins. Without knowing she did so, she reached up and touched the white streak on the left side of her hair...the streak Necrodemos had given her. She didn't believe what she heard, and didn't want to, but she managed to take a step closer and ask, "That's impossible, isn't it? The Hobgoblin imprisoned him."

Euphoria shook her head, "Nothing is impossible. You are only part of a story but the threads were supposed to weave your tales upon different looms. This did not happen. You must find the innocent one and when you see her double you will know I do not lie."

Aeris tried hard to understand. What was all this? Threads? Looms? And then she knew, as the stories from her youth came to her mind. This was the Fae Gatekeeper! "Wait!" she cried. "What do I do? How do I find the innocent one? And how can I fight this!?"

She extended a hand to Aeris and from her fingertip a thread spun and fell into her hand. Shimmering in multicolored hues like Euphoria's aura, the light of the thread danced in Aeris' wide, awestruck blue eyes. "This thread can only be used once. When you use it focus upon the person and hold it tightly. They will freeze in time for only a few minutes. This is all I can give you. Go now before it is too late."

Euphoria disappeared and returned back to her looms. The stories were merging and it was time to watch. But there was one essential character that needed to be included. With a twitch of her finger Euphoria moved Kirakah's thread into the twisted realm of the Labyrinth.
 
 

"Concentrate Julion." Beauty barked at her opponent. He wanted to fight her and the Akerian got what he wanted. She knew she would beat him, but she wanted to see how long he would last before defeat.

The young man sneered as he twirled two long staffs made of gray bamboo. "I can and will defeat you protector! You are without your sword."

Kirakah smirked, "I don't need it." she jumped into the air and somersaulted at least twenty feet above. Everyone in the small arena gazed upward in awe, "This is your last chance to yield before I force you." she said as she landed on a rail five feet from the high ceiling.

"Never!" Julion screamed as he bent his knees and positioned his staff to help hurl him in the air. To no one's surprise he wasn't able to jump half as high as she. Seeing this Beauty jumped from the rail and spinning around in the air, knocking him down with a powerful kick.

Julion fell to the ground screaming. Beauty smirked as his pride turned into cowardice, "No Akerian can beat me, it is decreed by our founders and creators. I am the protector for a reason."

"But you said you would become a servant if I win." he grumbled as he tried to rise.

"I am a servant to the people. Julion you will be the next one to rule the west side castle. If you serve the residents here I will serve you, but only as I see fit." she extended a hand, "I've met many princes and kings who have ruled the two castles. Very few Akerians live here because there is not enough room, but these fortresses are relatively safe. But we must have a good king to keep it so, I can teach you to be good. Do you yield?"

Julion nodded his head slightly after admitting defeat so easily. Beauty smiled yet when she reached to help the prince stand, she began fading away.
 
 

Kirakah opened her eyes as the area around her was changing. Disorientation was not common to the protector but she knew she wasn't in the arena anymore. With a sigh she began to focus and she noticed the walls around her were familiar.

She had been here before when she brought an innocent one back home. But from what she knew Estella had no way of summoning her and she didn't think Jerin had the power either. One thing was for sure there must be some reason why she came back. In the distance she saw a familiar door. As she walked closer she realized this was Estella's favorite study. Without warning she quickly opened the door to see The Storyteller, one who looked just like her and Jerin.

She shifted her head as the three looked at her in surprise, "Would anyone of you mind telling me exactly why I am here?"

Estella quickly stood up, "Beauty!" she exclaimed, "We were just thinking about you."

Kirakah couldn't help but roll her eyes at that one, "Why am I not surprised." she then looked at the others and nodded, "Jerin." she said in greeting. Her gaze then turned to look at the doppelganger, "And you must be Charlatan. I have heard of you."

Charlatan smirked, "All good I'm afraid."

Beauty huffed then walked farther into the room, "Don't flatter yourself."

Jerin stood up to greet her, "This is a surprise for you as much as it is for us."

"So you are not responsible for bringing me here?"

"No and I doubt my father was either. Estella and Charlatan believe that Livia has gone to another world."

"I can tell you it's not my world but I have heard she is dangerous."

Kirakah sat down, obviously becoming more interested as they were about to reach the heart of the matter, "But please, continue."

"I have seen the world in dreams." Charlatan began, " And Estella says you can use your sword to create dimensional rifts."

"Yes I can though it might not work everytime. Sometimes I can end up in the wrong dimension where it's almost impossible to return."

"But it can work."

"Yes it /can/ but will it? The best chance it has of working is if I have a clear image of the world in my head."

"What if I describe the world to you, can it still work."

Beauty repeated herself, "Yes it can but will it?"

Estella raised her voice to interrupt the conversation, "Well we're going to give it a try."

Beauty shrugged, "Sure, I'm Immortal so if I get stuck I will probably be able to get back home eventually. And why wouldn't you go Estella? You live in the center of a Labyrinth for Akon's sake."

"I'm going as well." Jerin said, "Jareth and Sarah can take care of Oren. After the many times we've been separated Estella I'm not going to let it happen again."

Charlatan sighed as she approached Beauty. She didn't need Jerin coming with them. Her visions were hard enough to handle let alone remembering how badly she was in love with the king. But she didn't look at him as he spoke.

Beauty clapped her hands together and slowly began to separate them. A bright ray of light shined from her hands and as it dimmed her sword of crystal was revealed to the three.

"Ok Charltan." she said as she grabbed the hilt, "Tell me more about this 'world.'"
 
 

Aeris stood in the early morning light in the throne room of the Goblin King. She was nervous, gnawing her thumbnail, nibbling her lower lip, pacing. Jareth, leaning almost casually against the wall as he listened to her, didn’t like it one bit. He and Aeris had, for the most part, put their differences behind them since he’d discovered the truth about Sarah, that the girl who had defeated his Labyrinth would someday return to him. While she was more inclined to come to him with whatever worry she had now, he had the feeling that she might have run to the castle beyond the goblin city even if their animosity still stood.

"Tell me again," he said tiredly. She had awoken him less than an hour ago, rushing up to the castle and demanding to speak to him, but it hadn’t been a very sound sleep. He was troubled by dark dreams, dreams where he was an incarnation of ideas trying to exist as a man, dreams where he did terrible things under the power of a curse he’d borne from the time he’d taken his first breath. He was beginning to think her strange story and edgy behavior were connected to these dreams, and that they were more than just careless stories spun from his sleeping mind.

"I told you already," she answered impatiently. "I saw the Fae Gatekeeper. She gave me this…" Aeris held out the fabulous thread for a moment, and then clutched her hand around it again, holding it tightly. He realized with a start that this shining, multi-hued thread was a talisman to her, and she was gripping it for dear life. What was she afraid of?

"She told me that something was wrong," Aeris continued. "She told me that there were other worlds, and that I was a part of a story, and that somehow the threads had gotten…I don’t know, mixed up on the loom. Someone from another world has crossed into ours. Someone who steals emotion. And Necrodemos is with them."

Jareth took a deep breath. "Necrodemos is imprisoned with the Hobgoblin."

"The creature set him free," she said, with wide, fearful eyes. "Euphoria told me to find the innocent one…and that when I saw her double, I would know she did not lie."

"The innocent one and her double…" Jareth pondered aloud. "I can find anything in my Labyrinth," he said, without pride; it was a statement of fact. He produced a crystal in his hand. "The innocent one…"

(the rest of the parts are not numbered)

Aeris watched a picture form in the crystal. "That's my house," she said, her voice just a little proprietary.

But Jareth said nothing. He was staring into the crystal, mouth open, eyes registering nothing but shocked surprise.

"What?" Aeris demanded, leaning over his shoulder and peering into the clear ball. The crystal was focusing on a group of four people: two women, identical to one another in their striking beauty, a third woman who seemed to posses great strength and confidence, and then... Aeris knew what had shocked Jareth so. The third man was himself.

Aeris gasped and focused more closely on the face. No, it wasn't Jareth. The man was not exactly a carbon copy of the Goblin King. Actually, Aeris thought she could see the delicate features of Sarah Williams emerging through the harder lines of Jareth's face. This man could be none other than the son of Jareth and Sarah, and from the blank look of surprise on the Goblin King's face, she knew he recognized it as well.

But what about the two women? Aeris straightened up, Euphoria's words coming back to her. "When you see her double..." she said softly.

"The innocent one," Jareth confirmed, coming back to himself. "We'll have to bring them here."

                                   *****

Beauty turned and faced the others. "We are here."

Charlatan nodded excitedly. "Yes, this is what I saw."

Jerin glanced at her once, coldly, then looked back at Beauty. "What now?"

"We leave."

"Why?" asked Estella.

"Don't you sense it?" she asked the Storyteller. "The danger here?"

Estella sighed. "Yes. Livia."

"Has she been here?" asked Jerin.

"No," said Beauty. "But she is coming. And we are not ready to meet her."

"But where do we go?" Charlatan demanded. "We know nothing of this world."

"Then you must come with me."

They turned at the sound of the voice. Jareth stood there, his eyes fixed on Jerin, but the Goblin King looked somehow more human than he'd ever appeared to any of them. They knew without being told that he was the Jareth of this world. If it wasn't in his appearance, it was in his lingering gaze at the man who bore so much resemblance to him that gave him away.

Beauty nodded once. "We accept your invitation."

He produced a crystal, threw it into the air, and a bright light flashed. They were gone from the clearing.
 

Aeris looked at the group before them for a long while. They all demanded her attention, from the strange woman who seemed so calm and confident, to the two women who at once looked the same and infinitely different, to the man who could be none other than the son of Jareth and Sarah.

The strong one came forward first. "I am Beauty. This is Estella," she said, introducing the first of the red-haired girls. Aeris saw something in her eyes that immediately drew her, a quality of innocence that was missing from her mirror image. "Charlatan, Estella's doppelganger," said Beauty, indicating the twin. "And Jerin," she said at last. Aeris heard Jareth's breath catch at the sound of the man's name.

"I must assume then that you know who I am," said Jareth. "And this is Aeris."

"We have come from a different world," began Estella. "We seek someone."

"Indeed," said Jareth. He walked slowly forward, closer to Jerin. "But first...tell me about your world."

Jerin nodded. "I live in the Labyrinth. I am the Goblin King, and Estella is my wife. I am the son of Jareth and the creator of the Labyrinth, Sarah."

"Sarah did not create the Labyrinth," declared Aeris.

"But she did..." insisted Estella.

"Excuse me," the Herald replied, bristling under the insinuation that she was merely the creation of Sarah Williams' teenage mind, "I have always lived in the Labyrinth. It has always been. Sarah came later, and only then because I painted her."

Charlatan tossed Aeris a bored glance. "And just who are you? God?"

"I'm the Herald."

"What's a Herald?" asked Estella.

"What do you mean what's a Herald?" cried Aeris. "What kind of world do you live in, anyway!?"

Beauty held up a hand. "Stop this." She waited for the silence to hold for a moment, and then went on. "The Labyrinth they come from was created by Sarah Williams. It did not exist before."

Jareth nodded. "And so what am I there? Another creation of her mind?"

"You are the son of an evil force, one of the cursed children from the rape of the force of magic."

Jareth recalled his dream with a start. So his nightmare had been someone else's reality. He found that he pitied his other self.

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?" Aeris asked him.

"Herald...hush."

"But it's different here?" asked Jerin.

Beauty looked at him. "Listen for your answer. The voices of history abound. There are layers of things that came before. There is a past beyond what we see here."

"I am descended from a line of goblin kings, not forces," said Jareth, a little proudly.

"We can stand here and talk about how different your worlds are all day," Beauty interrupted impatiently. The point is that someone from our world has crossed into yours and we must find her."

"Her?" asked Aeris.

"My daughter, Livia," said Estella softly. "She...she is cursed. She must drain emotion to live, and she has come here seeking fresh energy."

Aeris shivered. "It's worse than that. She's made a friend." Jareth noted that she was again holding that thread tightly in her hand, but said nothing and Aeris continued. "I have an old enemy. His name is Necrodemos. Your Livia has freed him. And now he will come looking for me."

Estella took one look at the girl and saw that her fear was not groundless. This Necrodemos was a force to be reckoned with. And she knew Beauty felt the same thing.

"Then there is no time to lose. We must..."

Estella's voice died away as Jareth produced a crystal. "Something is wrong," he said. "My goblins..."

In the crystal, they saw the image of a goblin. It sat, dull and lifeless, with gray, unblinking eyes.

"Livia," whispered Estella.

                                   *****

Livia walked with Necrodemos to the small house. Quaint as it was something about it made her quiver.

Necrodemos was about to ask but found he didn't need to, "They were here." She sneered.

He became even a bit more surprised as she seemed angry. "Who?" he asked thinking Livia was one without emotion.

She growled as her grey pupils almost rolled over in the back of her head, "Can't you sense them!" she yelled, "Can't you sense the goodness? The power?! It was Estella and my mother...and the protector."

"You know I don't know them." he huffed, "And I thought you were immune to emotional distress."

She narrowed her eyes upon him and for a brief instant a red hue tinged her pupils, "I am immune to happiness!" she shrieked. Slowly her aura began to radiate with shades of gray and red. She walked toward him, her hand outstretched, "Would you like to feel my pain?"

Necrodemos was not easily intimidated by any means and narrowed his eyes at her in return, "I thought we would be helping each other. Believe me my dear, I can be a force to reckon with."

Livia began to look more ghastly as her skin began to wrinkle, "Let me steal your feelings."

Necrodemos' eyes began to turn a deep red, "Let me steal your fear."

Livia began to breathe deeply and concentrated on her companion. "I have no emotion, my fear would not sate you." She began to concentrate, feeling a desire for sensations she didn't have. Would it be worth going up against him to satisfy her craving? A fight might weaken her so it was best to seek easy prey.

But the need for emotions was too high for rationality. Then she heard footsteps nearby. Her eyes red she turned around and there was a small goblin walking into the area. He seemed oblivious to danger and she knew this was her chance, "Listen and learn friend." she said as she sprang forward and grabbed the little creature.

He screamed in surprise but only for a moment. Livia was holding him tight and focusing upon him began to drain his emotions. "The first thing you need to do is sense 'feelings' within others. Then as you do draw it into yourself." she smiled widely as the goblin stood stiff. Then it turned pale and looked at her with gray eyes that couldn't blink.

Livia moaned in ecstasy and jumped up to look Necrodemos in the eye. For a brief moment her eyes were beautiful and entrancing just like Jareth’s. They glimmered as her skin took on a peach colored tint. He was surprised as Livia became very beautiful.

"YES!" she said in euphoria, "What a fucking rush!" With red lips she smiled, "See what a little emotion can do?"

Necrodemos stood in awe. Upon first meeting her she looking nothing like this, "What happened to you? A creature as myself is not easily surprised."

"This is my curse but as long as I have emotions I am completely. I have no emotions of my own, so I must steal them." she cooed with a voice sweeter than honey, "But it won't last long, want to see me practice on someone else?"

He looked at her with a wishful smile, "Yes." he said as he ran a finger along her cheek, "I would like to see more. Much, much more."

"Then let's go. Goodness has been here and I must feed from it, but I wonder..."

He sensed a thought on her mind and smirked easily, "Wonder what?"

"I'll drain every living thing here if I can but perhaps there is someone who I should drain above everyone else."

"And that is?"

"Beauty, the protector of Akerion. She is immortal and invulnerable, but if she's not invulnerable to me I can drain her forever."

They made their way into the Labyrinth.

Necrodemos smiled almost fondly, watching as Livia drained another goblin. Its fight died, the terror slipped out of its eyes, and it went that ghastly gray color. But Livia…she was beautiful, laughing, filled with life again.

The goblins had been few in the forest, though they hadn’t bothered to search for them there. Livia had said with a small, secret smile, "There will be many in the Labyrinth." And she had been right. When Livia and Necrodemos saw another goblin, one of them grabbed it, taking the emotion. The drained creatures had followed them along, stumbling almost comically—that is, except for the fact that they were frighteningly lifeless, a trail of gray goblin zombies.

Necrodemos concentrated on his own goblin, feeling the pulse of fear and horror as he pulled it from out of the little creature and into himself. He shivered as he lifted his hands away. He had taken much from these goblins, almost too much. He felt glutted with power. There was a great resource here in what Livia did. But even as he felt he could take no more, Livia was insatiable.

"Oh, give me that," she said, taking the creature out of his hands. "You never get all of it," she half-chided him. She finished off the goblin greedily, and it fell in with its companions.

"Won’t Lucas know his goblins have gone missing?" asked Necrodemos once, thoughtful.

"Lucas?" asked Livia, frowning confusion.

Necrodemos rolled his eyes in annoyance. Her universe was truly strange. There was little concept of the history that filled the Labyrinth he knew. He had preyed on Heralds for many, many centuries, but she had no idea what a Herald was. "Lucas, the Goblin King," he answered. "Although…" Necrodemos pondered. He had been away for some time. "Perhaps his son is now the king. That brat Jareth. This should be interesting."

"Jareth is the king," Livia confirmed. "And he is my father in my world." She sighed. "How I’d like to take him."

"How I’d like to see you do it," he said, touching her face. "How lovely you’d be, draining all that unspent emotion."

"You dawdle like an old man," Livia laughed, taking his hand and pulling him down the path they followed to the castle. "We will have our way with all of them," she promised. Just then, she spotted another goblin, and eyed it with hungry delight. "All of them."

                                   *****

Jareth twitched as he paced his throne room. He knew something was wrong when his servants were not populating the castle and carousing like they normally do. With a sigh he finally decided to produce a crystal ball to see what was happening.

As light shimmered and formed a round orb in his hand Beauty tensed and quickly grabbed her sword, "Danger!" she said, "By Akerion it's everywhere." the goblin king tensed as he saw a large army of goblins banging at the door. Behind the gray figures were two people shouting out orders in full confidence.

"Get the hell out of here!" Kirakah shouted, "They're coming!"

Jareth stood still, "I'm not leaving without a fight."

Aeris glanced at him and then back at Beauty. She knew there wasn’t much she could do to help, but if Jareth would stay, she would too. She reached into her pocket and fingered the thread Euphoria had given her.

Estella trembled unsure what she could do. She didn't want any harm to come to Livia but perhaps this had gone too far. "I don't want to leave." she trembled. Managing to speak with what courage she could she replied, "In fact I won't."

Beauty growled but didn't have time to argue. Moving quickly she began to tie a few trip wires at the main  entrance of the room. "You may have dug your grave Storyteller; just be sure you find a way out."

Estella became frightened by her words but Jerin moved quickly to her side. Not to much surprise Charlatan followed.

In a short moment a loud boom was heard and emotionless goblins ran through the main hallway of the castle. Jareth peered into his crystal ball opening as many Oubliettes as he could but there were not enough to catch them all. "Forgive me majesty." Kirakah said as she heard them down the hallway, "Sometimes a protector must kill."

"Then don't miss." came the reply. He had plans to use his magic, but sometimes magic wasn't fast enough.

The entrance to the throne room was suddenly flooded by the goblins. As they entered a large mass was stopped by the trip wire. Kirakah took advantage and jumped upon them and stunned many others with wound from her sword. She moved too fast to be seen by anyone's eye and already Estella began to move towards to entrance to the Escher room.

Then Kirakah sensed intense dread as Livia and Necrodemos came closer. She winced and found herself stomped under the feet of the goblins. Screaming in surprise she managed to fight her way through and get a clear view of the scene before her.

Her eyes first fell upon Necromedos who had Aeris in his grasp. The black eyes focused on the blue, and he began to become insubstantial, half reality, half strange blue smoke. "Oh, Aeris, the dreams I’ll make for you this time," his voice whispered like night wind in trees. "When I’m through with you, you won’t even know your own name…"

Aeris shook her head, nearly paralyzed with fear, unable to even take a breath. "No…" she mouthed.

"Oh, yes." He put one hand on the white streak he’d given her hair. "Who’ll save you now, sweet Herald?"

Kirakah leaped into the air and kicked him aside. In surprise he fell back and Aeris was released. "Don't you understand when a woman means no!" she said as she brought the tip of her sword to his neck. Necrodemos was frozen but something else caught Beauty unaware. Estella screamed and began to walk closer to Livia, "No please!" she screamed as Jerin was held tightly. Little by little she began draining his emotion and the Storyteller could feel it.

Kirakah kicked Necrodemos to the side. The impact of the blow was intense as he was knocked to the wall beside Aeris. In less than a second she took her sword and sliced Livia on the wrist to force her to drop Jerin.

Jerin fell to the ground and Beauty glared at her. Sword upon her neck she asked in fury, "Give me a reason not to end your miserable existence!"

Livia looked up at her with gray eyes and began speaking a language no one could understand. In an effort to comprehend her words she peered into Livia's mind to learn the language in less than a second.

It was then Beauty felt dread so intense that she could do nothing but scream. Overwhelmed by Livia's madness the protector was not ready to sense such anger. At that moment she was weak and Livia grabbed her sword.

Necrodemos grabbed Aeris and licked his lips as her fear came to surface again. He started the strange transformation once more, and slowly, surely, he was nothing but a swirling blue cloud, wrapping around the Herald. She looked at Jareth, too frightened to scream, her eyes wide pools of terror.. Finally, as the smoke that Necrodemos had become moved into her, she whispered, "The innocent one…protect her..." Then he was completely within her. For one moment, she stood, completely aware of what had happened to her, that she was now his. Her face was filled with blank awestruck horror and  understanding. Then she slipped into unconsciousness, into a sleep filled with Necrodemos’ nightmares. Jareth could only watch her, his helplessness and frustration  overpowering.

But the goblins were advancing on them all again. Jareth had no choice. Remembering Aeris’ warning, he and Jerin tried to move Charlatan and Estella into the Escher room.

"No one will find us in there!" Jareth shouted, "Move!"

Estella was almost to the entrance when a mass of goblins grabbed Jerin and pulled him back. Livia smirked while she began to drain Kirakah's emotions, "Hold him!" she yelled.

Jareth was almost dragging Estella into the Escher room while Charlatan screamed, "No! God damn it he's mine!"

Livia drained Beauty and began to stand up. Her body filled with new life and emotion she smiled, "Ok Mother I'll make a deal with you. Join my side and you can have him."

Estella shrieked hearing this but Jareth pushed her into the room. He shortly followed and Livia shouted, "Find them!" to a troop of goblins. Knowing Necrodemos was quite busy in Aeris’s mind, she turned her attention back to her mother, "I'll have him put in chains and you can visit him whenever you like." She said, "You can order the goblins to do with him as you will."

She fell to the floor in tears, "I want him to love me, I want him to love me freely."

Livia cast another glance at the captured Herald, "Freedom is something we all want, isn't it?
 

Jareth dragged Estella down the stairways of the Escher room. With every ounce of strength she resisted until he finally grabbed her and carried her while he ran. "You can't help him!" he screamed, "We need to hide at least for now."

The storyteller trembled and held onto Jareth tight. To her surprise he seemed to be running much faster as he carried her so she dare not struggle now.

"Close your eyes." he told her. Wincing she did as he said and the goblin king defied gravity by walking on the side of the stairs then under them. After a strange feeling of vertigo she opened her eyes and saw them walking through a wooden door that quickly shut behind them.

Jareth heaved a sigh of relief and sat against a brown wall. The room wasn't large but it wasn't small from what she could see. Unfortunately no carpet adorned the tan colored floor and no furniture was available to sit upon.

"We'll be safe here." he said as she sat down across him.

"But we've got to get Jerin back."

"And my goblins."

"I don't know if you will get your servants back."

Jareth growled, "Who was that woman who changed them!"

Estella narrowed her eyes, a dreadful tone from her voice said, "In my world that is your daughter."

Jareth blinked and fell back against the wall completely, "My daughter? Exactly how many children did I have in your world?"

She began the story, "In my world you do not have vision. You have the power to make almost anything happen but you don't have the power to create new places. Because of what your father did you were cursed to fall in love but never be loved. That woman was Sarah Williams."

Jareth's eyes lit up at the mention of her name, "Go on."

"She came to your world to claim her baby brother. If she had thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth you would let him go. She didn't make it and you offered her a trade."

"Which was?"

"That she stay with you and love you as long as you let Toby, her brother, go."

Jareth became entranced by the story Estella told. As he wondered more about Sarah she continued, "Under a spell she loved you and Jerin was born. Then she woke from the spell and ran from you, leaving Jerin behind but not realizing it."

Estella began to remember what happened many years ago.  As she spoke she tried not to sound cross but her voice still wavered, "But you needed someone else to create a vision for you. You needed someone with a strong  imagination so you could have your 'world.' That someone was me. You kidnapped me so I could be your storyteller. What you didn't realize was your son fell madly in love with me and I with him."

Her voice began to break in between sobs and Jareth started to reach out with a hand to comfort her, "It's alright Estella, I'm not the Jareth you know. But please continue your story."

"Sarah came back to the Labyrinth and vanquished you. It was her world after all. You tried to kill Jerin by ripping out his heart. I tried to give him mine but Sarah took my heart and ripped it in two. So."

"You and Jerin have the same heart."

She wiped the tears from her face, "Yes. But as you were vanquished your sister, who was cursed to live in limbo, said she would take you to another realm. This place was a world that mirrored mine. In it was my doppelganger. You found her and enslaved her so she would create your new realm. She did so and you beat her and laid with her. Her child is Livia who is also your child. I adopted her for a brief moment. Charlatan hates you still and is madly in love with Jerin, but he is not in love with her.

"Time went on and after difficulties Jerin and I were married. Charlatan went to live with your brother and in one of my dreams I made a world of tears. You took the world and you and Livia lived there. The creator of that ocean of tears was a woman who could never stop crying. When Livia went against her, she became one who drains emotions to live which is what you see today."

Jareth continued to listen thinking he never heard a story like this in his life, "And Sarah?"

"After the world of water flooded and Sarah almost died you fell in love with her again. You see she asked Destiny to remove your curse and you were no longer bound by it so you weren't cursed to love her."

"But I still did." he asked in wonder.

"Yes you still loved her and she you. As we speak you and Sarah are living in the Labyrinth I am queen of watching my child Oren."

"That is an incredible story." the king said wondering if he could still believe it all, "I..don't know what to say."

"That's not important now." she said, "What is important is getting Jerin and the others back."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Perhaps one."

"And that is?"

"How powerful would Livia be in your world?"

"I am not sure, she has not come there since she changed."

"Well, what say we fool the others into thinking the dimensions have changed." He produced a crystal ball and looked into it, "This is my world and I am the master of illusion, it can be done."

                                   *****

Livia approached the protector as she began to waken. Beauty's essence strong she knew Kirakah would regenerate herself from anytime she drained her. A smile formed across her beautiful face but she could already feel the skin pull around her lips. More wrinkles would come soon so it was time to feed.

Beauty staggered and finally stood up. Her eyes narrowed on Livia she sneered, "Eventually I will be able to use my danger sense again. When you do I will be stronger and I will defeat you!"

Livia scowled and opened her grey eyes, "Not this time protector." She jumped forward before Kirakah could sense it and began to drain her emotions again. After a short while she fell back to the floor and Livia rose, free of wrinkles once more.

"You will..be defeated." she said as she fainted again. Livia only laughed and turned to find her companion.
 

He gave her no nightmares yet. He wandered, feeling her mind and soul, feeling the connection between them. Herald and Necrodemos. The victim and the destroyer. It was beautiful. He sought her out with slow, dark purpose. She was here inside her mind, hiding, cowering, waiting. He found her.

She sat curled up in a chair, watching a window. Snowflakes fell outside it in the night. It was some memory of hers, something good. It disgusted him. He couldn't wait to shatter her reverie.

She turned around in the chair, her eyes pleading. "Don't," she said softly.

"I must, Aeris. You know this."

"But you won't even let me surrender!" she cried.

"Your surrender would mean nothing. I only want the fear."

"And when there is no fear?"

He laughed softly. "There will be madness. And I will leave you." He made the scene change, into a misty place of towers and bridges. His old fearscape, each stone so lovingly constructed of her desires and  secrets. She had driven him out of here and destroyed it, but she  remembered it, and thus he could access it.

"Not again," she groaned. "I can't, I just can't..."

"Oh, Herald. You aren't being very sporting about this at all. I see so much in you. So much you must be saved from. To drive you mad might be a favor."

"What do you see?" she challenged.

His brow furrowed. It was true he did see things in her, things that could cause her great pain in her future. But what did it all mean? He didn't know. Prophecy wasn't his suit. But he didn't have to tell her that, did he? Let her figure it out.

"I see a bright fair sky above the Labyrinth. But a cloud hangs on the horizon, a cloud full of terrible things. I see a curse waiting to fall. And you, Herald, I see you at the center of a great lie."

"Shut up," she responded dully.

He turned his back on her and looked out into the mist. "This was my place once. You thought you were strong when you expelled me. But I was weakened and you were made stronger by intervention. Now we stand on proper footing. Poor Herald. Poor Aeris."

She balled her hands into fists, some of her numb fear going. "You wait and see," she warned.

"I will," he promised.

Livia entered the room, fresh and beautiful from her stolen emotions. She sang under her breath.

"Necrodemos?" she asked, looking down at the senseless Herald in the cell.

Aeris' eyes snapped open. The irises were a frightening black. "Yes, my dear?" she asked, in a dark voice not quite her own.

"So you are within her!" Livia knelt there. "How amazing..."

"Indeed," Necrodemos responded, favoring Livia with a sweet smile on Aeris' lips.

Her eyes went blue again. "Let me go!" Aeris shouted. But it was a momentary lapse. Necrodemos struggled briefly, took control, and Aeris' eyes were black once more as he pushed her back down inside her mind.

"It's rather involved for a feeding process, isn't it?" He looked out through the black eyes, down at the Herald's small artist's hands. "Such an intricate design. But how we fit together, she and I," he mused.

Inside her own mind, Aeris was beginning to feel like a stranger. And she didn't like it. They stood on the bridge, Necrodemos looking out and speaking, his voice echoing around her. She could see in the swirling mist the image of Livia, leaning towards the bars of the cell. And she saw her own hand brush against Livia's. Necrodemos was flirting, she realized. It was in the lilt of his voice, the way he was moving her body around. And for one moment, Aeris' temper completely overcame her fear.

She grabbed Necrodemos' shirt, pulling him back for an instant to face her. "If you want to court that thing, you can do it in your own body." And she pushed him off the edge.

Aeris' body jerked away from the bars suddenly. In the place where she'd been was a cloud of blue smoke. It poured out of the cell, and Livia backed away.

Necrodemos leaned into the bars and reached, grabbing Aeris' hair. He pulled her to him. He breathed hard, his handsome face dark with fury.

"You bitch," he hissed. "You want to do it the hard way, eh?"

She struggled against his hold on her long black tresses, but her movements quickly ceased as Necrodemos began to drain her emotion. She registered one moment of horrible surprise before going completely limp.

"Now..." Necrodemos said, beginning to change again, preparing to re-enter the broken Herald. But Livia put her hand on his shoulder.

"Wait," she whispered. "There will be time. We have much to discuss that she mustn't hear. Come with me now."

He turned to her. Under other circumstances, he might have declined, but Livia glowed with the emotions she'd taken, and her beauty charmed. Together, they walked out of the room. But not before he knelt at the side of the Herald and touched the white streak in her hair through the bars. "Sleep well, Herald. When I return, you'll have no more rest."

Aeris lay turned away from the bars, her hands clenched in tight fists, her fear and frustration overwhelming her. As the pair of villains left, she reached down into her pocket.

The Gatekeeper's thread was still there.

                                   *****

Livia had ordered her servants to take Jerin to a dark room. Charlatan followed quickly knowing that resisting orders was not a wise idea.  A few candles were brought in and he was put in shackles. Remaining chained to the wall his eyes began to flutter open. In distress she fell to his side.

"What happened to me?" he grimaced taking note of the doppelganger.

Charlatan didn't know exactly how to explain things. Sighing she began, "Estella and Jareth got away. Livia said I could have you but I couldn't make you love me."

Jerin scowled and pulled against the chains, "Damn it Charlatan! You know now I don't love you and I never will!"

Emotions welling up inside her she quickly turned away. "Why do you have to make it so obvious Jerin?!" she screamed, "I can't help how I feel and no matter what I can do I can't give you your freedom."

He sighed and leaded his head against the wall. "How much influence do you have with your daughter?"

"I don't know Jerin. All I can guess is that I must have some influence with her or she would not of offered you to me." sighing again she slowly turned around to take a look at him, "But maybe if she didn't see you as a threat, she would give you more freedom."

"What are you talking about?" he said warily.

"If she thinks I'm on her side maybe you could submit to me. Say you love me and perhaps she will assume you are on her side as well."

Growling again his lip curled in rage, "I can't even say it."

Charlatan balled her hands up into fists and blinked her watery eyes, "Can't you even ACT like you care?" she screamed in fury.

"Get the hell out!" Jerin said pulling against the chains that bound him. Screaming, Charlatan left the room in a hurry.

                                   *****

Aeris lay silently, exactly in the place Necrodemos had left her. She could barely move, she was so weak from being drained by him. It had been a rushed thing, a sudden, brutal act, one neither of them had been prepared for, really. But her hand was on the thread Euphoria had given her, and she was determined that Necrodemos wasn’t getting into her head again without a fight.

She looked around the dungeon. She wondered if it was empty. She had been locked in it before, when she was ten years old. Jareth’s twin sister, Calypso, who had been showing the madness she would later embrace, had tricked her into a cell…the very one she was currently in. Necrodemos must have seen to that; only he would have known. She had been imprisoned for two whole days in there, weeping and frightened and hungry, losing all sense of time in the darkness. She had finally been discovered by goblin cook who was concerned that the strange noises from beneath the kitchen was a trapped bird or monster. It was one of her most unpleasant memories, and as she looked around in the half-light from the torches Livia and Necrodemos had left going on the wall, she felt fear  again…and she also felt manipulated and used. She reached out, grabbed one of the bars of the cell, and pulled herself up, her face set and angry.

"What a cheap trick," she muttered. "Really, Necrodemos…"

"Who’s there?"

Aeris quickly looked around. She saw nothing. "Who’s asking?"

"Charlatan."

Her blue eyes narrowed. "Get out. It’s not much, but it’s my dungeon, for now. And I would rather be left alone…"

The twin of the Storyteller wandered into the light, and Aeris saw with dismay that she firstly, had no intention of leaving, and secondly, that there was nothing Aeris could do about it. Furious, but too weak to do anything about it, she could only scowl as Charlatan advanced.

"I’m not bad," she said softly.

Aeris scoffed. "Right. You’re a real hero, Charlatan. A real hero…"

"You don’t have to be this way."

"Get me out of this cell and we’ll discuss it. Until then…" She managed a nonchalant shrug, but nearly lost her grip on the bars with the effort.

"What happened to you?" Charlatan asked softly.

Aeris felt self-pity well up and pushed it down. She cleared her throat. "Your daughter apparently taught Necrodemos a few new tricks. And unless I get out of here before they come back, I’m his for good."

She was silent.

Aeris shifted in position, tilting her head, looking out at the other woman. "Charlatan…that’s quite a name."

"Jerin gave it to me," she said, and her voice broke. "He said I was an imitation, a fake…" she sobbed. "But I was Estella! I…"

"You loved him," Aeris mused. But it was becoming harder and harder to remain detached from this weeping girl. Even in her fear, her heart went out to her. "And that part of it was real enough, wasn’t it?"

"I loved him," Charlatan said, wiping away tears. "I still do. But he hates me! All I wanted was something for myself! Didn’t I deserve that? After all that Jareth put me through!?"

Aeris nodded. "Yes, you did. But not Jerin. He belongs to Estella, Charlatan. And unless you see it, unless you let go of that dream of him, you will be very, very unhappy."

"I can’t help it!"

The Herald sighed, puzzling over it. Aeris could admit to herself that she knew very little about love, except that it was a power one didn’t trifle with. Her experience in it was limited, and she was suddenly frustrated by her inability to counsel Charlatan. So she told her what she believed, hoping she didn’t lead the young woman too far astray with her presumptions. "You can’t stop loving him, no. But think on this. If you truly love him as you say you do, can’t you let go of him? Can’t you do what he wants and let him be?"

Charlatan knelt down in front of the bars, and Aeris could feel a little of her strength returning. She reached out and touched Charlatan’s shoulder. "I do love him," the doppelganger sighed.

"I know…" She moved closer. "Charlatan…let me out."

"I can’t."

"The keys are on the wall, over there. Please…"

"Is that why you were being nice to me?" she hissed, drawing away from Aeris, standing, her face dark. "Is that all you wanted?"

"No…Charlatan! I just…Let me out of here so we can talk!"

The beautiful woman outside the bars shook her head. "No. I don’t trust you."

"I want to be friends, Charlatan, but if you don’t let me out of here, there won’t be anything left of me to be friends with! I’ll be no better than those drained zombies of your daughter’s!"

"So what?" she cried. "So what? You’re just like everyone else! You just want me to give up and get out of everyone’s way! You don’t care about me! And I don’t care about you!"

"Please," Aeris breathed, reaching out from behind the bars, still too weak. Her arm dropped, she leaned her head against the bars, cursing herself for hurting Charlatan…and effectively destroying her only chance at getting out. "I only wanted to be friends," she whispered.

But Charlatan was gone.
 

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 have 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 remained chained to the wall with only a touch 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) advance 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.
 

Beauty's sword glimmered against the light as she stepped into the throne room with stealth. Jerin and Estella had already rescued her and they remained close behind to witness her next move. Kirakah hardly missed and while she was weak from Livia's attacks, she knew she had enough power to send Jareth's child back to her desolate realm. Sitting upon the curved throne she saw her watching over some of the goblins turned into zombie slaves.

Leaping out of the shadows Kirakah kicked one of the zombies out of the room. Livia saw the protector advance and cried out in rage. "I'll have your essence!" she shrieked, but Beauty had no fear of her words. In a matter of seconds the zombies were either decapitated by her sword or kicked out of the throne room.

Livia hissed and attempted to throw Beauty a frightening glance, "You're mine!" she screamed. Beauty merely smirked and held her sword in front of her, "And I thought men were possessive." she laughed. Livia didn't have the same sense of humor and ran towards her with her arms extended ready to clutch Kirakah into a tight grasp.

She easily dodged the attack with a quick spin of her body. Livia growled upon realizing her error but wasn't able to stop Beauty from cutting a portal from the air. Focusing upon her emotions Kirkah felt she had the correct dimension in mind and cooed at her enemy, "Time to go home Livia."

She growled in response as the portal glimmered in the middle of the room. It appeared as a large patch of light so Livia felt it was easy to avoid. Kirakah had other plans though and jumped away from it so fast it appeared as it was impossible to find her. Livia sneered and attempted to grab the protector nonetheless and after a series of advances found herself standing directly in front of the portal.

Kirakah wasted no time and extending her leg kicked the woman back into her world. She screamed at defeat and Beauty merely smirked as the portal closed behind her. Livia could be heard no more and Beauty called out to Jerin and Estella, "It's over now, I don't think she'll be coming back soon."

From the hallway, Aeris heard the voice of the protector. "Jareth…in the throne room…"

He nodded to her, still helping her along, though she could feel herself getting stronger by the second. "I know." They moved into the throne room, where Beauty stood in triumph, her eyes shining and her face flushed from the rush of battle.

Aeris smiled weakly. "You did it."

"And the other?" asked Estella. "What became of him?"

"He’s stopped…for now. I don’t know how long it will last. Or what we’ll do with him."

There was a silence, and Charlatan stepped into the room. Jerin’s eyes narrowed. "Come crawling back now that your daughter’s not on top of things?" he sneered. "You should have been pushed through the portal with her."

Aeris sighed and walked across the room. She got between Jerin and Charlatan, walking slowly and carefully, but with great purpose. "Leave her alone."

"Herald," he began, looking more like Jareth as he admonished her. "After what she did, you’re not going to—"

"In the end, Jerin, the only crime she committed was loving you. She might have been Estella. Once, she was Estella. Think on that before you speak to her again. Your words might not be so short on understanding…or kindness."

Charlatan made a soft sound behind her, and Aeris turned to see that tears were forming in her eyes. "You meant what you said in the dungeon…"

"Of course I did. I meant all of it." She looked back at Estella and Jerin. "I think…this is where we say goodbye."

Jareth nodded. "It would seem so."

Estella moved forward, extended her hand to Aeris. "In friendship, Herald."

"In friendship, Storyteller." They smiled together, the bond between them suddenly sealed. There was a nameless parallel between them, something almost mystical. Something that transcended dimensions.

Jerin looked at Jareth. "Father…I mean, Jareth…"

The Goblin King held up his hand. "It’s alright. I’m not your father. But I hope that if I am ever fortunate enough to have a son, he will grow to be the man you are."

"We must go," Kirakah warned. "While the portal is still open."

They began to walk towards the light, and suddenly, Aeris bowed. "Thank you, Protector," she said humbly. Jareth, to her surprise, did the same.

"And you are welcome," she replied, a smile touching her beautiful face. Estella slipped through the portal, Jerin close behind her. Charlatan began to move through, paused, turned to look at Aeris.

"Thank you, friend. I will think on what you said." She moved into the portal, and finally, with an almost nonchalant wave, Beauty went last. The light dimmed, the portal closed.

Aeris and Jareth stood silently watching the space where it had been. She started, remembering. "Necrodemos!"

They raced back down the corridor to where they’d left him…he was gone. But there was a note…

                                   *****

She walked beside the still form of Necrodemos smiling widely. Her long black hair waved around her supple shoulders and her observant blue eyes watched as the man slowly awoke from the power of Euphoria's thread. In seconds he walked toward the Herald after sniffing the air. The woman only snickered in return and chided, "Would not a rose by any other name smell as sweet?"

He laughed and reached out for her, "But you are the sweetest one Aeris and I live for your fear."

She laughed louder in response to his advance as a variety of colors swirled around her body, "But you also know in this realm nothing is as it seems."

Necrodemos slowly stepped back as the smell of roses left his senses. Before his eyes the vision of Aeris changed to reveal a tall woman with lavender hair and violet eyes. Glamour sparkled around her multicolored wings as they vibrated with magical energy. She gave him a sharp stare and asked, "Do you not know me?"

He nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Euphoria…" But there was fear inside him.

She sensed it and took a step closer. In her fine fingers glamour flashed and formed threads that glimmered in the light. "The victim now becomes the oppressor." She chided. She extended her hand to him and the threads shot out to wrap around his body. In moments he was completely covered by her magic and could do nothing to stop it.

She watched him squirm and looked upon the cocoon that held him tight. Focusing for a moment the threads shifted until they shrunk into a tiny bottle that held him captive. It was unsure how long it could hold him, but it would do for now, until Aeris could realize her full power and vanquish this threat forever.

Smiling, she picked up the bottle and it disappeared in her hand, back to its place on the shelf of the Hobgoblin’s rooms. "The fabric of dreams fulfills destiny with strong threads of fate." She left a note on the floor for the Herald, those words shining on the parchment in brilliant, changing hues.