Breaking Barriers (Chapter 28 up)

Jareth watched Sarah disappear from within the scene in his crystal ball. He was astounded by the current of emotion she had put forth when reading the journal. Astounded and... pleased. Yes, he had specifically left that paragraph unharmed for the emotions it would undoubtedly invoke, but he had not been aware of her capacity for feeling. She had been an empty shell these past four years and unable to hold within her heart any emotion. He had doubted that she would ever go back to the way she had once been, but this recent evidence proved otherwise. Perhaps she still had a chance to regain at least some of the innocence he had seen in her before.

The effects of the spell had been executed more quickly than he had first thought as well. That must have also been made possible through her strong release of emotions. In fact, she would probably be here at any moment. But he was not too anxious. Jareth had ensured that the spell he had placed on the notebook would induce slumber. When she did arrive, she would probably not awaken for at least another eight hours or so. Her unconsciousness would provide a smooth transition for both Sarah and Jareth. If she had been awake during the spell, she may have realized what was happening to her and somehow thwarted his plans. Jareth did not underestimate the power of Sarah. She was unlearned, yes, but still capable.

Jareth tucked away his crystal ball within a pocket in his jacket and left his secret chamber. After walking through a short, dim corridor, he entered his sleeping chambers. He turned and faced the opening he had just exited. With a careless wave of his hand, he concealed the passageway between the two rooms so that there was no trace of a doorway. All that would meet the eyes of any intruder would be a blank wall. Once finished, he turned his back toward that same wall. There was one thing more that needed to be created before Sarah appeared. He had already formed her a bedroom that was right beside his in the outer hallway, but there was something to be done to make sure she wouldn't put one toe out of place once in the Underground. Of course, he had the use of his crystals, but he didn't want to rely on them too heavily. If she ever found some way to harness the magic in them, he wanted an alternative. Plus, he wanted to see with his own eyes some of the goings on of this young woman.

Jareth faced the wall that he knew divided the two bedrooms. Slowly, he brought his hands down to his sides and rolled his head forward until his chin rested on his chest. He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. Once he had his concentration firmly grasped, he reached deep within himself to find the magic. Deliberately, he brought his hands together until they touched back to back. Jareth curled his fingers around the air and pulled them apart as if he had two sliding doors within his hands. As he did so, a door frame appeared on the wall he was facing. As his hands grew further apart, the passageway that was forming beyond the door frame grew wider. Jareth's brow furrowed in concentration until he had the desired size for the hallway. Finally... slowly... he walked forward. He waved one hand before the doorway, concealing any evidence of it having been there. Jareth knew that the same thing would happen on the other side. He again lowered his hands to his side. His brow eased and he inhaled deeply. He opened his eyes and gazed almost reverently at his work. But he was not quite done.

Once again summoning the magic, he opened the corridor again. He walked inside, its dimly lit walls exactly as the passageway that led from his room to his secret chamber. Once to the end, he peered through the doorway on the other side and examined the room he had wrought for Sarah not too long ago. The Goblin King grinned to himself. Yes, this would suit his needs perfectly. However, there was still one catch. He did not want her to be able to see him from within her bedchamber. But this was easily remedied, Jareth thought to himself in amusement. The Goblin King again brought his hands before him and created a segment of glass that formed perfectly over the archway. At least, that's what it looked like from his point of view- a simple pane of glass. However, from within Sarah's chamber, it would appear as a mirror. Gold-gilded, in fact, if he had performed the spell correctly. And when he returned to his own bedchamber and hid the spell, the mirror would remain. As for his side of the corridor...perhaps a silly little landscape with bright colors and dreamscapes to fill the void. It was much too frivolous for his taste, but he didn't have the time to create a stunning work of art. Besides he could always change it in the future if he desired.

Now the only thing he needed to worry about was if she ever left her room and entered his before he could conceal the spell. If that happened, once he caught her he could destroy the spell and replace it with something else.

But first things first, Jareth thought to himself.

He had seen Sarah lying on the bed in her chambers.

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Sarah floated on a cloud of nothingness. Somewhere deep within the recesses of her mind, Sarah embraced the nonexistence of her unconscious form. She had been living a lie for a long time now and her soul sang in the freedom that the restful slumber brought. She felt at peace with herself for the first time in what seemed like forever.

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Jareth watched as Sarah smiled in her sleep. How innocent she looked, Jareth thought to himself, bemused. How completely... vulnerable. Jareth found himself wondering what she was dreaming about and for a moment, curiosity almost overwhelmed him. How easy it would be to let the magic fill him once again and delve into her dream-ridden thoughts. Here in the Underground, her dreams were more easily minipulated and he doubtless could do such a thing if he tried. However, the Goblin King did set some moral boundaries for himself, and doing something to that extent was stretching them a little too far... even for him. But still, he had to admit to himself, such an exploration would surely be fascinating.

He tried to assuage himself by scrutinizing her sleeping form to the tiniest detail. For the first time in four long years Jareth was able to examine her with his own eyes. And for the first time ever he was able to do so without wondering what her reaction would be to such a searching look. He was not sure when another chance like this would arise. Needless to say, he regarded her with great ferocity.

She had changed, Jareth thought to himself. Not much in physical appearance, but very obviously in her demeanor. The change poured from her body like a beacon of light, despite her unconscious state. She was no longer a fifteen-year-old innocent, although her smile belied that fact. She was most definitely changed and entirely... a woman.

She was just as lovely, if not, more so, than when he had last seen her in person. And without conscious thought, the Goblin King felt his mask of indifference slipping away. Swiftly, he tried to grasp hold of it, but as his eyes took her in, Jareth's cool stare began to melt away. Her full lips were slightly open in slumber, but beautiful and perfect- a soft rosy red. Her eyes were gently closed; the dark lashes caressing her cheek looked as soft and delicate as a butterfly's wing.

Jareth had offered Sarah her dreams several times throughout her travels in the Labyrinth, but she had steadfastedly refused. Jareth held power over people's dreams, including his own, but as he gazed at Sarah, he realized somewhere in the back of his mind, that this was not entirely true. What he saw before him now was a dream made manifest, but no amount of magic would make this dream come alive. For just a moment, Jareth let Sarah's beauty surround him and let her warmth enter his heart. He took shelter in it, escaping the bitter cold he had known for so long. From his heart it surged into his blood stream and spread throughout his entire body. For one brief second, he closed his eyes and basked in this warmth.

It was only after he opened his eyes that he realized he was moving closer and closer to her sleeping body. Vaguely, he noticed his hand stretched out before her, ready to stroke the dark, silken hair. But with that glance at his hand came reality in swift pursuit. He jerked his hand away from her as if he had touched an open flame. The Goblin King's mask came back on.

Yes, those lips were lovely, but from those lips defiant words had fallen, words that had told him that she did not want the Goblin King and his dreams. Words that had kept him from coming near her until now.
And yes, her eyes were beautiful- gorgeous even. But they tormented him constantly, as if they knew some cruel, secret joke and that nothing he ever said or did would break their silent oath.

In a split second, Jareth had shut out his heart and mind. No, the only way he could take her would be to fight fire with fire- he must reciprocate the cruelty she had given him back to her. He wanted her to know what it felt like to feel the heat.

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A/N Oh dear, it appears that Jareth was behind the little notebook incident after all. And from the looks of it he DOES have some feelings for our little heroin... unfortunately he won't even admit these feelings to himself.

Okay, so first three chapters are up! With a simple review (or a few) I might be persuaded to put up more ;)

Thanks for reading~ TheArtist

(edit) I've been noticing there are a couple blank parts in my story where for whatever reason my copy/paste method decided not to work. If you check back later hopefully the missing parts will be filled in. Sorry for any inconvenience... darn technology *snarl*