author: Lucinda
pairing: Willow/Jareth pairing #114 on the Quickie Challenge list
rating: pg 13
disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Labyrinth
distribution: Bite me please, WLS, nha, Quickie Challenge, yourmission anyone else please ask first
notes: AU season 7, based on rumors and spoilers mentioned
She'd gone to England to heal. Oh, sure the excuse had been that she had needed help with her magic, and it had been truthful. She'd needed help desperately, but not just with her magic. Willow had also needed a chance to let herself heal emotionally. She'd only just reconciled with Tara, only to have her die in her arms, to have held her as the light faded from her eyes, and the rosy blush faded from her cheeks forever.
They'd promised that everything would be better afterwards. After she'd healed, after her magic no longer ran rampant, responding to her every whim and emotion. After she'd had a chance to mourn Tara and her own actions. After she'd had a chance to come to terms with her visit to the dark side, her brief, rather frighteningly effective stint as the evil sorceress. That she could come back once she was better, and everything would be good again. Not quite the same as it had been before, but good.
They'd lied.
She hadn't expected everything to be the same, and nothing was. Xander and Anya were broken up, and Anya was once more a Vengeance demon. Buffy still blamed her for the terrible things that she had done, and didn't want her anywhere near Dawn. Dawny kept watching Willow with fearful eyes.
They told her that they knew she was better, that they weren't afraid of her anymore. But she knew better, she could see the fear in their eyes. They were afraid of her, and didn't even think that they could be honest about it.
Spike might not have been afraid, but she hadn't seen him anywhere. Apparently, he'd left town while she was evil, and nobody knew what had happened to him. She wasn't certain that anyone had made any efforts to find out.
Her parents had moved away, selling the house that they never lived in. Her friends... hah, friends? Did real friends fear you and then lie about it? Did she even have any friends? It was clear that the people who had once been her friends didn't welcome her back.
It was rather apparent that she was quite unwelcome.
She'd found herself spending vast amounts of time organizing Giles' books and creating a data base of demons and prophecies. It wasn't the most exciting thing, but nobody wanted her around them. That was when she found it, a book on the Goblin King, a powerful entity that took unwanted children away, causing them to vanish into the goblin kingdom forever, never to return to their families. Never to be seen again.
She'd been thinking that the people here, especially Dawn, would be very happy if she went away and never came back.
Willow read about this Goblin king very carefully, wanting to be certain if he was real, or simply a myth. But the more she read, the more it seemed likely that he was real, that his kingdom was real. That she could remove herself from the people who no longer wanted her near them.
But she still didn't want them to worry. She didn't want them to think that she'd gone evil again, didn't want them to make Giles worry that his efforts to teach her control had failed. So, very carefully, she wrote out a letter, leaving it just inside the cover of the book, the paper easily visible.
Carefully, she took a slow breath, and poke her words into the air, feeling the overwhelming power of the hellmouth take her words away. "I wish the goblins would take me away."
There was a blurring rush of wind, and she felt as if some force was spinning her around and around, and then she wasn't in Giles' room anymore. She was in a large room made from cut stone, and a throne sat along one wall. Lounging in the throne was... well, he wasn't a human man, but he most certainly didn't look anything like how Willow had pictured a goblin. Actually, he sort of reminded her of David Bowie in a weird sort of way...
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" His voice sounded almost amused, and she could feel the power behind it.
She looked at him, noticing all the strange little creatures around him. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "I... I wished myself away. This... if the book was right, this is the Goblin Kingdom, and you would be... Jareth the Goblin King?"
"I don't have very many people wishing their selves away on purpose. It takes a bit more than simply saying the words for it to work." There was something about his voice, something that hinted that Willow had caught his interest. "Why would you want to remove yourself permanently to the Goblin Kingdom, Willow?"
"...and he knows my name. The book didn't mention that part... umm, Because of everyone else... the people that used to be my friends. I did... I had some problems... big problems, and... I broke our friendship. They don't want me there anymore. It's too dangerous for me to stay feeling all hurtful and grieving and upset, so... I figured if I could go away somewhere that I could never endanger them again..." Her words were hesitant, and a part of Willow was wondering if maybe she shouldn't have just tried to move to another state instead.
He looked at her, and Willow noticed that his eyes didn't match. One was dark, but the other was pale. "Is that the only reason that you left? To run away from your problems?"
She looked him in the eyes, her temper flaring a bit. "I did not just run away. I wasn't wanted or needed, and maybe this way, they can heal from the horrible things I did to them. They can heal and get on with their lives. Maybe... maybe I can heal a bit as well. Here, I won't always be reminded of what I did every time I go somewhere, every face I see."
"To heal from your pain, and to let those you care about heal. Do you want to forget everything? I can do that, make all the ugly memories just... fade away like the dew in the sunshine." His voice was slightly curious, and Willow had the odd sense that he was testing her.
She shook her head slightly. "I don't need to forget. It's good to remember what mistakes I've made so that I don't repeat them. But... I want the pain to fade some, enough that it doesn't hurt to think of their names, enough that seeing a sunrise doesn't make me hurt to remember how I almost got Dawn killed. The way to heal like that isn't magic spells... I sort of tried that once and it was a disaster. What I need is time, time where I'm away from everyone that I've wronged. Time where I can't hurt them anymore, even if only by them being forced to see me."
"Don't you think you'll miss some of the things from your home?" There was an odd note in his voice, as if he wasn't quite certain what to think of her.
She had a small, bitter smile as she considered his question and how to answer it. "Maybe... but I guess that means that by the time you get tired of having me here and really, really want me to be gone, I'll be ready to go."
With an almost theatrical wave, he gestured, as if telling her to make herself comfortable in the room with no chairs, only his throne and the small goblins. "Well then, make yourself comfortable. Do you really think I'll find your presence that tiresome?"
Willow gave him a glance, noticing all over again how his clothing clung to his body, showing every sleek muscle. Glancing back, she picked a spot, and reached with her power, causing the blocks of the floor to slide apart, and a stone chair arose, similar enough in style to blend with the room, but not impressive enough to be considered a throne of her own. Seating herself, Willow looked at him. "Why not? Everyone else has eventually gotten tired of having me around. My parents, Xander, Buffy... even Giles. Let's not even get into Oz and Tara... I can recognize a pattern. Everyone gets tired of having me around and leaves, either physically or emotionally. Why wouldn't you?"
"Really?" He'd suddenly sat up, as if astonished by her words. "How could... how did you do that? This is my kingdom..." His eyes had widened in surprise. Willow didn't think he was surprised very often.
"umm... the chair? It was just magic... and can I say that that is so much easier here than at home? I can do magic... it seems to be the biggest reason right now why I'm persona non grata with everyone that I know." Was it really that big of a deal to have produced a chair? It had been easy, as if the castle had wanted to rearrange itself.
There was a sparkle in his eyes, something that reminded Willow of when the bad guys had a devious plot in mind, although she really hoped that he wasn't a bad guy. If Jareth was a villain, then she was in so much trouble...
"I suppose you'll just have to stay here, in my kingdom, where magic is part of the natural order. If you need to refine your control, this is the perfect place. I also think..." Here he paused, glancing over her thoughtfully, and with a wave of his hand transforming her outfit into a flowing blue and gold velvet gown. "Perhaps your heart can heal. The goblin kingdom doesn't have to be a terrible place, fair Willow. In fact, it could be... most enjoyable. Perhaps you may never want to go home."
Glancing at the gown, Willow couldn't help but be impressed. It was beautiful, and while she knew it had been magic, had felt the stirring of power, it wasn't a trick that she could replicate. "Wow... snazzy dress. Healing would be good. Control... real control that is, would be very good as well. What I have now is no accidental leakages of power, which isn't the same as... well, changing blue jeans into a fancy velvet gown. Maybe I'll like it here after all..."
Jareth gave a gesture, and one of the goblins was ordered to show 'the Lady Willow' to a guest room. She barely caught his words as she left, as they were more directed to himself than to her.
"Perhaps it's time the Goblin Kingdom and the Goblin King had a Queen. Who better than a lovely lady with the power?"
end Roses Fade.
pairing: Willow/Jareth pairing #114 on the Quickie Challenge list
rating: pg 13
disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Labyrinth
distribution: Bite me please, WLS, nha, Quickie Challenge, yourmission anyone else please ask first
notes: AU season 7, based on rumors and spoilers mentioned
She'd gone to England to heal. Oh, sure the excuse had been that she had needed help with her magic, and it had been truthful. She'd needed help desperately, but not just with her magic. Willow had also needed a chance to let herself heal emotionally. She'd only just reconciled with Tara, only to have her die in her arms, to have held her as the light faded from her eyes, and the rosy blush faded from her cheeks forever.
They'd promised that everything would be better afterwards. After she'd healed, after her magic no longer ran rampant, responding to her every whim and emotion. After she'd had a chance to mourn Tara and her own actions. After she'd had a chance to come to terms with her visit to the dark side, her brief, rather frighteningly effective stint as the evil sorceress. That she could come back once she was better, and everything would be good again. Not quite the same as it had been before, but good.
They'd lied.
She hadn't expected everything to be the same, and nothing was. Xander and Anya were broken up, and Anya was once more a Vengeance demon. Buffy still blamed her for the terrible things that she had done, and didn't want her anywhere near Dawn. Dawny kept watching Willow with fearful eyes.
They told her that they knew she was better, that they weren't afraid of her anymore. But she knew better, she could see the fear in their eyes. They were afraid of her, and didn't even think that they could be honest about it.
Spike might not have been afraid, but she hadn't seen him anywhere. Apparently, he'd left town while she was evil, and nobody knew what had happened to him. She wasn't certain that anyone had made any efforts to find out.
Her parents had moved away, selling the house that they never lived in. Her friends... hah, friends? Did real friends fear you and then lie about it? Did she even have any friends? It was clear that the people who had once been her friends didn't welcome her back.
It was rather apparent that she was quite unwelcome.
She'd found herself spending vast amounts of time organizing Giles' books and creating a data base of demons and prophecies. It wasn't the most exciting thing, but nobody wanted her around them. That was when she found it, a book on the Goblin King, a powerful entity that took unwanted children away, causing them to vanish into the goblin kingdom forever, never to return to their families. Never to be seen again.
She'd been thinking that the people here, especially Dawn, would be very happy if she went away and never came back.
Willow read about this Goblin king very carefully, wanting to be certain if he was real, or simply a myth. But the more she read, the more it seemed likely that he was real, that his kingdom was real. That she could remove herself from the people who no longer wanted her near them.
But she still didn't want them to worry. She didn't want them to think that she'd gone evil again, didn't want them to make Giles worry that his efforts to teach her control had failed. So, very carefully, she wrote out a letter, leaving it just inside the cover of the book, the paper easily visible.
Carefully, she took a slow breath, and poke her words into the air, feeling the overwhelming power of the hellmouth take her words away. "I wish the goblins would take me away."
There was a blurring rush of wind, and she felt as if some force was spinning her around and around, and then she wasn't in Giles' room anymore. She was in a large room made from cut stone, and a throne sat along one wall. Lounging in the throne was... well, he wasn't a human man, but he most certainly didn't look anything like how Willow had pictured a goblin. Actually, he sort of reminded her of David Bowie in a weird sort of way...
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" His voice sounded almost amused, and she could feel the power behind it.
She looked at him, noticing all the strange little creatures around him. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "I... I wished myself away. This... if the book was right, this is the Goblin Kingdom, and you would be... Jareth the Goblin King?"
"I don't have very many people wishing their selves away on purpose. It takes a bit more than simply saying the words for it to work." There was something about his voice, something that hinted that Willow had caught his interest. "Why would you want to remove yourself permanently to the Goblin Kingdom, Willow?"
"...and he knows my name. The book didn't mention that part... umm, Because of everyone else... the people that used to be my friends. I did... I had some problems... big problems, and... I broke our friendship. They don't want me there anymore. It's too dangerous for me to stay feeling all hurtful and grieving and upset, so... I figured if I could go away somewhere that I could never endanger them again..." Her words were hesitant, and a part of Willow was wondering if maybe she shouldn't have just tried to move to another state instead.
He looked at her, and Willow noticed that his eyes didn't match. One was dark, but the other was pale. "Is that the only reason that you left? To run away from your problems?"
She looked him in the eyes, her temper flaring a bit. "I did not just run away. I wasn't wanted or needed, and maybe this way, they can heal from the horrible things I did to them. They can heal and get on with their lives. Maybe... maybe I can heal a bit as well. Here, I won't always be reminded of what I did every time I go somewhere, every face I see."
"To heal from your pain, and to let those you care about heal. Do you want to forget everything? I can do that, make all the ugly memories just... fade away like the dew in the sunshine." His voice was slightly curious, and Willow had the odd sense that he was testing her.
She shook her head slightly. "I don't need to forget. It's good to remember what mistakes I've made so that I don't repeat them. But... I want the pain to fade some, enough that it doesn't hurt to think of their names, enough that seeing a sunrise doesn't make me hurt to remember how I almost got Dawn killed. The way to heal like that isn't magic spells... I sort of tried that once and it was a disaster. What I need is time, time where I'm away from everyone that I've wronged. Time where I can't hurt them anymore, even if only by them being forced to see me."
"Don't you think you'll miss some of the things from your home?" There was an odd note in his voice, as if he wasn't quite certain what to think of her.
She had a small, bitter smile as she considered his question and how to answer it. "Maybe... but I guess that means that by the time you get tired of having me here and really, really want me to be gone, I'll be ready to go."
With an almost theatrical wave, he gestured, as if telling her to make herself comfortable in the room with no chairs, only his throne and the small goblins. "Well then, make yourself comfortable. Do you really think I'll find your presence that tiresome?"
Willow gave him a glance, noticing all over again how his clothing clung to his body, showing every sleek muscle. Glancing back, she picked a spot, and reached with her power, causing the blocks of the floor to slide apart, and a stone chair arose, similar enough in style to blend with the room, but not impressive enough to be considered a throne of her own. Seating herself, Willow looked at him. "Why not? Everyone else has eventually gotten tired of having me around. My parents, Xander, Buffy... even Giles. Let's not even get into Oz and Tara... I can recognize a pattern. Everyone gets tired of having me around and leaves, either physically or emotionally. Why wouldn't you?"
"Really?" He'd suddenly sat up, as if astonished by her words. "How could... how did you do that? This is my kingdom..." His eyes had widened in surprise. Willow didn't think he was surprised very often.
"umm... the chair? It was just magic... and can I say that that is so much easier here than at home? I can do magic... it seems to be the biggest reason right now why I'm persona non grata with everyone that I know." Was it really that big of a deal to have produced a chair? It had been easy, as if the castle had wanted to rearrange itself.
There was a sparkle in his eyes, something that reminded Willow of when the bad guys had a devious plot in mind, although she really hoped that he wasn't a bad guy. If Jareth was a villain, then she was in so much trouble...
"I suppose you'll just have to stay here, in my kingdom, where magic is part of the natural order. If you need to refine your control, this is the perfect place. I also think..." Here he paused, glancing over her thoughtfully, and with a wave of his hand transforming her outfit into a flowing blue and gold velvet gown. "Perhaps your heart can heal. The goblin kingdom doesn't have to be a terrible place, fair Willow. In fact, it could be... most enjoyable. Perhaps you may never want to go home."
Glancing at the gown, Willow couldn't help but be impressed. It was beautiful, and while she knew it had been magic, had felt the stirring of power, it wasn't a trick that she could replicate. "Wow... snazzy dress. Healing would be good. Control... real control that is, would be very good as well. What I have now is no accidental leakages of power, which isn't the same as... well, changing blue jeans into a fancy velvet gown. Maybe I'll like it here after all..."
Jareth gave a gesture, and one of the goblins was ordered to show 'the Lady Willow' to a guest room. She barely caught his words as she left, as they were more directed to himself than to her.
"Perhaps it's time the Goblin Kingdom and the Goblin King had a Queen. Who better than a lovely lady with the power?"
end Roses Fade.