When the Dreamer Wakes:
--------------------
Jareth peered deeply into the dark
eyes of the young girl. A confident, almost arrogant, smile graced
his lips. There would be no chance of being denied, not after all
that had occurred during her stay in the Labyrinth.
True, she was young and naive. She
was also stubborn and inventive; she had overcome obstacles that
others failed to even attempt. And she would be his.
Producing a
crystal sphere of perfect clarity and shape, he held it teasingly
before her as his mismatched eyes burned the memory of her features
into his mind.
"Look what I am offering you,
your dreams."
Her lips began moving, but her words were too
soft to catch.
"I ask for so little. Just let
me rule you... And you can have everything that you want."
She
muttered something to herself, swearing when she forgot the words.
"Just fear me, love me, do as I
say and I will be your slave," he murmured in a low
tone.
Finally, she remembered the words, spoke them, and his world
crumbled.
He idly spun a crystal around his
palm before tossing it across to the opposing wall, listening to it
shatter. He was exhausted after another sleepless night of tossing
and turning. His mood had not improved since she rejected his
magnanimous offer. Most of the goblins he ruled now ran in terror
when they heard the footfalls of his riding boots. Many had suffered
his wrath for being underfoot, occasionally resulting in being kicked
down the stairs that lead to the throne room.
Another crystal shattered.
His luncheon had long grown cold on
the small table that resided beside his desk. He hadn't touched
today's meals either, finding himself not in the least hungry. He
closed his eyes against the sun that peered out weakly from behind
storm clouds that cast long shadows over the Labyrinth.
Another crystal shattered.
Absently he reached for the first of
the scrolls that cluttered his desk, shoving all other papers onto
the floor before propping up his feet on the ancient wood. He leaned
back against the high back of his chair, balancing on the back two
legs of the chair. His head rolled back, his spiky blonde locks
falling in his eyes. With a sigh he opened the scroll and began to
read.
"The Queen of the Kirin
announces the birth of her first child," he absently muttered
out loud, his eyes skimming the parchment. "A son called
Antranig, heir of the Kirin kingdom."
Pale lashes drifted over mismatched
eyes as he relaxed the grip on the parchment, letting it fall into
his lap.
"The Kirin...well, it does seem
as if Michiko has done well for herself," he commented,
shattering another crystal.
The faint noise it made as it hit the
opposite wall was unheard by the Goblin King. He had paused, leaning
forward on his elbows. Michiko. His eyes narrowed in thought and he
closed his eyes. Quickly he transformed into an owl and flew out the
window.
--------------------
Ayame leaned down over the little
girl that had already snuggled herself down within the covers. She
laughed thinking on the child's antics that day. She was so much like
her mother was.
Ayame began to sing a soft little song to the
child, a few stray tears slipping silently and unnoticed down her
cheeks. Her voice trailed off as the child fell into a peaceful
sleep.
"Mother why do you cry when you put Sora to bed?
As a child I remember you crying as you sang me to sleep. Why are you
always so sad?" Ayame let her fingers linger over the child's
face as she looked at her daughter.
"Kameko have you ever
heard the western tale of the land of fairies?" She nodded her
head; modern Japan was very different than the Japan her mother grew
up in. Some said it had become to westernized, but then again the
whole world was mixing too much. Even the westerners were loosing
their culture as they added others into theirs. Soon one place would
be no different than the other.
"Of course, remember I
did live in America for three years before I realized where I
belonged." Ayame stood from the floor where she had been
kneeling before her granddaughter. She smoothed out her kimono and
gracefully slipped past her daughter.
"Come with me
Kameko, I most likely should have told you this a long time ago. But
I must tell you a story of a kind man who had to play the monster,
and the real monster who played the role of a big sister."
Perched on a nearby sakura branch, an
owl folded its wings, its head tilting to one side. This small temple
seemed a safe haven in the late night's wanderings. He knew this was
where she resided now. The dew was fresh and shining in the moonlight
and a light wind rustled through the trees. For now he was content to
watch. To watch and to wait for a glimpse of her. Then he would
decide how to proceed. One thing was for certain, however. He simply
had to see her.
Kameko just stared at her mother,
Goblin Kings and large stone mazes?! She shook her head and slipped
out of the little temple to walk in the small garden where she had
learned many a lesson about patience. She knew her mother had a hard
life, before her father died he used to scold her for getting cross
with her mother. Always saying this was not what she was raised to
be. She had always thought her mother hated her and her father
because she was suppose to be Geisha. She was used to lavish kimonos
and dancing and serving tea, and now she was caring for a child in a
small house on the outskirts of the village. It wasn't until her
father died when she was seven she realized it had been far from
missing the Geisha life that had been bothering her. That you she
hadn't realized the struggle for those after the war, it made sense
that her Geisha mother wouldn't want to care for a child then. Even
the larger Okiya had little money.
She passed by the sakura
and ran her fingers over the blossoms, so beautiful, and so fleeting.
It wouldn't be long before they would be gone. This was a lesson she
hadn't learn till her little Sora was born. She sighed returning into
the temple that had been her home since her father died. She needed
time to think on what her mother had said.
His eyes focused on her fingers tracing
over the sakura blossoms. Truly she had not changed one feature since
he last saw her. She was captivating and alluring with the pale
moonlight reflecting in her dark hair as her delicate fingers
withdrew from the sakura blossoms.
Unable to resist, he alighted from
the tree branch, returning to his aristocratic form and silently
walking up behind her, never shifting his gaze from the beautiful
woman stood lost in thought.
Kameko slipped her shoes off one by
one returning her feet to the soft slippers worn within the temple.
She stopped before taking the last step inside. She felt someone
behind her. Slowly she turned to meet the chilly eyes of the
intruder.
She stood shaking, her balance failing her as she
fell to her knees. She watched in horror as the man just watched her,
his eyes so cold she shivered.
"Surely I don't frighten you that
much," Jareth arched an eyebrow at the woman before him. "For
you I was not the villain and I am not the villain now."
Kameko
tried to back away, but while her kimono was much simpler than her
mother's it still got in the way.
"Ar-are you seeking
sanctuary?" She stuttered the first thing that came to mind.
Many who came to the temple were like them, simply seeking sanctuary.
He had to be some western traveler looking for a place to sleep and
rest for a few days. Surely he had to be, for he couldn't be who she
believed.
He pondered her words...Seeking
sanctuary...Perhaps, in a way, he was. He sought to forget,
to spend time with one who never truly left his mind.
"And if I am?" he asked in
a low tone, a faint smile playing across his lips. "Are you the
angel who can grant me such peace?"
Kameko shivered at his voice, it
really couldn't be him. Her mother was getting senile in her old age.
What she had told her was just the result of the loss of her mind,
the man standing before her could not be the same man from her
mother's story.
"I am no angel, but if it is peace
which you seek.." She paused as she looked up into his eyes,
his eyes!
"If it is peace which you seek, than Jareth
you shall find it here, my old friend." Ayame stepped behind her
daughter, the moonlight casting shadows on her now wrinkled face.
Jareth started at being called by
name, especially by this woman who bore a look of familiarity, but he
was unable to pinpoint who she was. It was then that his eyes passed
from one woman to the other.
"I am honored for your
hospitality, Ayame," he addressed the elder woman with a stately
bow. "I trust I have met your daughter," his eyes shifted
to the young woman as they bore a knowing expression. "She does
you credit. Simply beautiful, just like her mother."
Ayame smiled as stepped forward so
she could get a better look at Jareth.
"This is
Kameko." She lifted a hand to direct at her daughter. Kameko
looked at her mother before her eyes returned to the strange man.
Noting her mother's expression she stood and bowed to
Jareth.
"Excuse me sir, I did not realize who you were.
Please forgive me for my insolence." Ayame stood silently
waiting for what Jareth would do.
In two strides he was standing
directly before Kameko, watching her eyes shift so they were not
watching him directly. He smirked to himself as he caught her small
hand in his gloved one, brushing his thumb over the back of her palm
before lifting it to his lips.
"Beauty like insolence is in
the eye of the beholder. And I have accused you of nothing except
being beautiful."
She lifted her head to watch him
raise her hand to his lips. She remained calm, well as calm as one
could when a fairy tale creature was before you.
"Then
if you will excuse me, I shall get a place for you to sleep ready."
Ayame sighed, seeing Jareth after this long just made the memories of
her lost daughter the stronger.
Jareth held Kameko's small hand in
his, keeping his eyes locked with hers. He could read the
apprehension in her eyes and feel the shock of his presense coursing
through her veins.
So Ayame tells her daughter
stories of me, does she? he mused to himself as he allowed his
thumb to gently caress the area of her hand he had just kissed.
However, tormenting the daughter would need to wait. He desperately
wished to converse with Ayame. He loosened his grip on her hand,
allowing his fingers to trace hers as he dropped his hand.
Without further word Kameko left to
prepare one of the spare rooms. Ayame waited till her daughter was
gone before she turned to Jareth.
"Shall we take a walk
in the gardens?"
"I should enjoy a walk about
your terrain, Ayame," Jareth stately offered his arm to the
woman, setting his hand atop of hers. "What path shall we walk?"
Ayame smiled and leaned a little onto
Jareth, she was getting older and her bones were not as strong as
they once were.
"Take me by the sakura, it is lovely this
time of year."
Jareth steered them in the proper
direction, waiting for her to say something. Time had certainly
passed quickly since he last saw her. She was still beautiful, but
she was not the young woman who had first captured his attention.
However, all her physical traits that he once found so appealing had
been passed along to her daughter. Jareth shifted his eyes and could
catch a glimpse of Kameko bending to remove her shoes before entering
the temple.
Her long hair glistening in the
moonlight, her small frame straightening once both small shoes were
removed and set beside the archway. She disappeared into the darkness
that engulfed the inside of the temple.
He shifted his gaze back to her
mother. So she did manage to move on, to have other children...but
did she find happiness as well? He would find the answers to these
questions, but he would not broach the subject himself.
"It has been over thirty years
Jareth. I never thought I would see you again. Why have you come
after so long? What..." She trailed off, she wanted to ask
about her daughter. What had happened to her after she returned to
the little okiya? Had she been adopted by a family, or had she just
moved from place to place. She dearly wanted to know her dreams and
desires, had she married. And most of all did she know of her? But
she could not ask, the answers would not make her feel better. She
shook her head slightly and rested it on Jareth's shoulder as they
walked.
"I suppose I have come because the
Labyrinth is taxing. There is no peace there. Goblins underfoot and
wrecking my palace," Jareth answered her, turning his head so it
slightly rested on hers.
"I also bear news of Michiko.
She is to bear a son, Antranig, I believe is his name, the heir of
the Kirin kingdom." He paused, knowing she could not fathom who
Michiko was; this made him smile.
"I thought perhaps you would
wish to know these things."
The silk of Ayame's kimono rustled as
Jareth led her around the garden. She sighed softly at the mention of
the Kirin. She had often wondered about the Underground and whether
or not there were other kingdoms. So Japan's myths were
real.
"Michiko? Such a pretty name for a queen."
Pausing under the sakura Ayame turned to look at Jareth.
"But
these are not the reasons you have really come is it?" She noted
the look in his eyes. He had not changed a day since she had first
met him. Though now he looked tired, it was more than the
goblins.
"Do not worry, you are welcome to stay here as
long as you wish. And you do not have to tell me the real reason.
Just know I am here if you have need to speak." She lifted her
hand to his face, her now aging fingers trailing across his cheek and
lips.
"You haven't changed a bit Your Majesty." She
smiled thinking back to the Labyrinth. He had been kind to her,
something she had not expected from the villain.
Jareth bore her inspection of his
cheeks and lips mildly. No one had ever traced over his features so
tenderly. He wanted to tell her of Michiko, and all her vast
accomplishments, but knew now was not the time.
He searched her eyes, still finding
the spirit and grace that had first captured his attention. Ayame was
a remarkable woman, that he had to admit. And just being in her
presence was soothing his berated and weary heart. Anguish and
sleeplessness seemed to fade, even though he'd only been at the
temple such a short amount of time. He knew this was the right
decision.
Kameko watched as her mother and this
man walked around the garden. The way the two held onto each other
was strange, like a couple who had been together for years. Her eyes
widened as she saw her mother trace his face, she had never seen her
mother act this way. Not even with her
father.
--------------------
Ayame dropped her hand to
rest on his chest, her head following as she closed her eyes.
Standing there in his arms she was suddenly back in the Labyrinth
fighting for her child. A few tears forced themselves from her lids
to fall on her tiny feet.
Jareth wound his arms carefully around
Ayame's small form, holding her closely. He could feel a few tears
stain his shirt, but for once he didn't care. He had never wanted
anyone to beat the Labyrinth before, not even the latest girl with
her long dark hair and fantastic theatrical dreams could hold a
candle to Ayame.
There was so much he wished to say to
her. However words were not necessary now. As tenderly as possible,
he ran his hands lightly up and down her back, trying to ease the
pain of the memories that always haunted her.
Kameko took a step from the temple, she
did not wish to disterb her mother but it was getting late. She
waited a moment before walking fully out.
"Excuse me
Mother, Your Majesty, but I have prepared the room for you to sleep."
She bowed slightly as she waited for an answer.
Ayame lifted
her head and wiped away a few tears on her cheeks.
"Please
excuse me Jareth I don't normally do this. Come now, you look tired.
You should rest and in the morning we can speak again." She
pulled just slightly from his embrace and took his arm waiting for
him to lead the way back to the temple.
The temple was small and dark, lit only
by a few candles. Jareth allowed Ayame to lead him through the
corridors, knowing it was her daughter's soft footsteps that fell
behind them.
Ayame had changed a great deal since
he last beheld her. She was much older, her daughter nearing the age
when her mother set foot in the Labyrinth. Surely Kameko would never
have to do such a thing...Ayama would have seen to that.
Jareth thought about Michiko. Even
without her mother, she had grown into a graceful and beautiful young
woman. Jareth had always held her as his favorite, out of his
reverence for the small woman who had borne so much in hopes of
getting her baby girl back safely.
He glanced down at his gloved hands,
noticing the slight bulge that disfigured the slender pinkie finger.
He smiled a small smile, thinking that he would bestow this ring upon
Ayame during his stay with her...whether or not he would reveal
Michiko wore a similiar one would be left to another day.
Ayame stopped, causing Jareth to pull
away from his thoughts.
"You may sleep here. I will be
only a few rooms down. But if you need anything Kameko sleeps just in
that room. She will tend on you whatever you need." She pointed
to a room just across from where they stood.
Kameko shivered
slightly, from what her mother told her he was actualy nice. But
still he was a fantasy creature.
"Goodnight Jareth."
Ayame slipped back and bowed slightly before leaving to find rest
herself. Kameko waited until her mother was gone before nodding to
Jareth and backing away slowly unsure whether she should leave or
not.
Jareth noted that Kameko looked
hesitantly upon him. Perhaps her mother had told her the story of the
Labyrinth. It would explain the look of disbelief in her eyes. With a
bow to Kameko he smiled, his eyes gleaming with hidden mischief.
"Good night, Kameko," he
drawled with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I hope
your dreams bring pleasure." With one final glance over his
shoulder, and a wicked gleam in his eye, he disappeared into his dark
chambers.
Kameko shook and slipped into her room,
she pushed Jareth's last comments from her mind as her gaze fell on
her daughter, Sora.
She kneeled beside the bed and ran her
hand over the little girl's face. Her skin was much lighter than
her's and her hair slightly red. Sora's father had been an American.
Tall with a head of bright red hair that denoted his family's Irish
heritage. She pulled away from her daughter not wishing to think on
her late husband. Though as she laid herself down she knew her dreams
would be plagued with thoughts of that night.
He did not know what possessed him to
look into the dreams of the temple's inhabitants. He supposed it was
some sort of compelling curiosity as to how much Ayame had changed
and what her daughter was truly like.
In the first crystal,
he saw Ayame, fast asleep. At a first glance, she seemed to be
sleeping peacefully, but Jareth noted the trails down her cheeks left
by coursing tears. He set his lips to the crystal, closing his eyes.
He let out a low laugh as he watched Ayame smile in her sleep,
pulling her pillow closer to her.
The second crystal he gazed
into showed Kameko and a small child. Child? Jareth looked
again. Surely enough, Kameko held a small girl in her arms
protectively. A second later, Kameko pushed the little girl away and
began to toss and turn fitfully in her sleep. Jareth's eyes widened
in surprise. What secrets of her past was Kameko hiding? With a
mischevious gleam in his eye, he pressed his lips to this crystal.
However, he didn't watch the effects it produced on Kameko. Those he
would discover in the morning.
With a third crystal, he sent
dreams to the little one in Kameko's bed. She was a tiny little thing
with reddish tints to her hair and the fairest skin he'd seen.
Beautiful child. In a way, this little one reminded him of
Michiko.
Finally, the Goblin King kicked off his boots and
lay down on his bed, pulling his shirt over his head and the blankets
up to his waist. The cool breeze of the night's air drifted through
the windows of his room. He was soon asleep.
.......
Authors' Note: Hehe sorry it took so
long to get this one out. We have both been busy with other stories
and for Rhiannon taking photos for her stock account and Nerds
falling asleep at her computer. We hope it won't be so long for the
next chapter, but we can't promise anything.
