Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. I really appreciate it! ~Lady
Sorrow
The bright orange-red sky hurts Sarah's eyes for a moment, and she shields them from the glare. They start to water but she swipes at them hurriedly. She turns around to thank Jareth for helping her, but he's already gone. Sarah stands there for a little longer, assessing her situation. Zeus had taken Mary once, even though Jareth had offered the stubbornly ruthless monarch gold, or anything else he could possibly want. Sarah frowns and pulls at her lip.
There had to be a way to free Mary once and for all. Unfortunately, Sarah can't think of one. Sure, if she hurries off and rescues Mary now it will buy her a little time, but there was no telling how long it would be before Zeus found Mary again.
Deciding that she better get started, Sarah starts down a long and winding corridor ahead of her. The sky overhead starts to dim, and Sarah begins to worry. She had been walking for longer than she had previously thought.
SSSssaarrraaaahhhh.
Her name is whispered on the breeze, and it floats to her, tickling her ear slightly. Sarah stops and glances around nervously, fighting the urge to run away from whatever could be calling her name.
A ball of light materializes before Sarah's eyes and it drifts closer to her as she watches in astonishment. Sarah blinks several times, not believing what she sees. "Follow me," the little ball of light says, and then giggles. Sarah stares harder at the light, and is able to make out a tiny figure in the middle of the light.
Sarah obediently does as she's told and follows the light as it starts to retreat. "What are you?"
"A Will-O-Wisp," the little being answers matter-of-factly.
"Where are you taking me?" Sarah asks curiously.
"You'll see." Sarah grimaces, she's tired of the enigmatic answers she's been receiving as of late. The Will-O-Wisp continues floating steadily onward, never once stopping for Sarah to catch up.
Sarah had been watching her surroundings carefully, trying to spot a familiar landmark, or anything that would tell her where the Will-O-Wisp was leading her. Sarah gasps. In front of her is a large reflecting pool. What elicited the gasp from Sarah's throat is a large, pale face staring back at her, a face that doesn't belong to Sarah. "I don't remember this part of the labyrinth," Sarah says, her eyes taking in everything.
The pool ripples with laughter. "That's because you weren't meant to find me the first time," a rough feminine voice filled with mirth states. Sarah crosses her arms over her chest, still skeptical.
"Then why am I here now?"
"Sit down child and let me tell you my story," the face says kindly, reminding Sarah of someone's grandmother. Sarah sits down beside the edge of the pool on a large rock.
"Once upon a time, as all good stories start, there was a queen that ruled over most of the Underground. I say most because The Goblin King still had his labyrinth and The Warrior King still had his forest. But, I ruled the majority of the land. That is until one day, I fell in love. This was a most startling revelation for me because I had never found anyone worthy enough to be my husband. He was handsome, kind, and most of all I thought he loved me equally in return. Unbeknownst to this old foolish queen, her handsome husband was no prince charming. He had his own plans. And, one day I was taking a dip in this reflecting pool, and he snuck up behind me and I've been here ever since."
Sarah's heart went out to this poor old woman that had been trapped in a pool for so long. "What happened after that. I mean, to your husband?" Sarah asks.
The poor pool continues, "He placed all the women in captivity and made a pact with Jareth and Zeus that for as long as I'm trapped no queen will ever rule again. Thus, it has been so ever since. But, you're going to change all that."
"Me?" Sarah asks in confusion. "What do I have to do with any of this?"
"You must travel to the lands west of here and find Danlire, my husband. He's the only person that knows how to free me from this pool, since he is the one that placed me here. It's a long and perilous journey; I will not deter you any longer. It's the only way to save your friend." With that the face vanishes from the surface of the pool.
Sarah is stunned. This pool had more faith in her than Sarah had in herself. It was unnerving, but Sarah knew she couldn't let the queen down. Besides, if the queen thought it would save Mary, Sarah was all for it.
Placing the hood of her cloak once more over her head, Sarah continues down the way she had come, alone.
~Thanks for reading!~
The bright orange-red sky hurts Sarah's eyes for a moment, and she shields them from the glare. They start to water but she swipes at them hurriedly. She turns around to thank Jareth for helping her, but he's already gone. Sarah stands there for a little longer, assessing her situation. Zeus had taken Mary once, even though Jareth had offered the stubbornly ruthless monarch gold, or anything else he could possibly want. Sarah frowns and pulls at her lip.
There had to be a way to free Mary once and for all. Unfortunately, Sarah can't think of one. Sure, if she hurries off and rescues Mary now it will buy her a little time, but there was no telling how long it would be before Zeus found Mary again.
Deciding that she better get started, Sarah starts down a long and winding corridor ahead of her. The sky overhead starts to dim, and Sarah begins to worry. She had been walking for longer than she had previously thought.
SSSssaarrraaaahhhh.
Her name is whispered on the breeze, and it floats to her, tickling her ear slightly. Sarah stops and glances around nervously, fighting the urge to run away from whatever could be calling her name.
A ball of light materializes before Sarah's eyes and it drifts closer to her as she watches in astonishment. Sarah blinks several times, not believing what she sees. "Follow me," the little ball of light says, and then giggles. Sarah stares harder at the light, and is able to make out a tiny figure in the middle of the light.
Sarah obediently does as she's told and follows the light as it starts to retreat. "What are you?"
"A Will-O-Wisp," the little being answers matter-of-factly.
"Where are you taking me?" Sarah asks curiously.
"You'll see." Sarah grimaces, she's tired of the enigmatic answers she's been receiving as of late. The Will-O-Wisp continues floating steadily onward, never once stopping for Sarah to catch up.
Sarah had been watching her surroundings carefully, trying to spot a familiar landmark, or anything that would tell her where the Will-O-Wisp was leading her. Sarah gasps. In front of her is a large reflecting pool. What elicited the gasp from Sarah's throat is a large, pale face staring back at her, a face that doesn't belong to Sarah. "I don't remember this part of the labyrinth," Sarah says, her eyes taking in everything.
The pool ripples with laughter. "That's because you weren't meant to find me the first time," a rough feminine voice filled with mirth states. Sarah crosses her arms over her chest, still skeptical.
"Then why am I here now?"
"Sit down child and let me tell you my story," the face says kindly, reminding Sarah of someone's grandmother. Sarah sits down beside the edge of the pool on a large rock.
"Once upon a time, as all good stories start, there was a queen that ruled over most of the Underground. I say most because The Goblin King still had his labyrinth and The Warrior King still had his forest. But, I ruled the majority of the land. That is until one day, I fell in love. This was a most startling revelation for me because I had never found anyone worthy enough to be my husband. He was handsome, kind, and most of all I thought he loved me equally in return. Unbeknownst to this old foolish queen, her handsome husband was no prince charming. He had his own plans. And, one day I was taking a dip in this reflecting pool, and he snuck up behind me and I've been here ever since."
Sarah's heart went out to this poor old woman that had been trapped in a pool for so long. "What happened after that. I mean, to your husband?" Sarah asks.
The poor pool continues, "He placed all the women in captivity and made a pact with Jareth and Zeus that for as long as I'm trapped no queen will ever rule again. Thus, it has been so ever since. But, you're going to change all that."
"Me?" Sarah asks in confusion. "What do I have to do with any of this?"
"You must travel to the lands west of here and find Danlire, my husband. He's the only person that knows how to free me from this pool, since he is the one that placed me here. It's a long and perilous journey; I will not deter you any longer. It's the only way to save your friend." With that the face vanishes from the surface of the pool.
Sarah is stunned. This pool had more faith in her than Sarah had in herself. It was unnerving, but Sarah knew she couldn't let the queen down. Besides, if the queen thought it would save Mary, Sarah was all for it.
Placing the hood of her cloak once more over her head, Sarah continues down the way she had come, alone.
~Thanks for reading!~