It had been six years since Jareth had lost Sarah. He watched her every day since then but, something had gone terribly wrong. When she denied his love his power of immortality seeped away from him. Somehow he had to tell her he loved her before he died. His age was catching up fast with him. Jareth knew that Sarah hated him but, he did not care. This information was something he had to tell her before he left her forever.
Sarah sat curled on her favorite oversized chair in the library, a pile of books surrounding her. She was working on her thesis paper for her dissertation on fantasy and mythology's impact on literature. Sarah was older and wiser but, she had the same stubbornness and beauty. The library was her sanctuary but, something felt so wrong. There was no sound. The quiet stillness that surrouned Sarah was uncharacteristic of the library. There was no rustle of pages, no click click of keys on the computer, and not the sound of the Liberians' voice telling people to be quiet.
"I'm glad you noticed me Sarah." Jareth smiled.
She turned to see him standing behind her, his cocky stance had not changed at all. His hair was a little more crazy and he was slightly pale. But, he captivated her all the same. She held her breathe wanting to hate him, cursing him for reentering her life.
"You? What do you want?" Sarah spat, standing up from the comfy arm chair.
"Please, Sarah I don't mean anything bad by this visit. I just want to talk to you." He sighed running his hands through his thick hair.
"Ha! What would you have to talk to me about?" Sarah laughed cruelly.
"Please Sarah just hear me out. I just want to tell you something. Can we talk?" he asked sadly his eyes tracing over her face memorizing every last detail.
"What choice do I have, Jareth." She said blandly tossing her long black locks over her shoulder. She could sense that she had hurt him and she wanted nothing more than to apologize and say she wanted to hear everything he had to say. But, she had to be strong.
"Forgive me Sarah. Please, I am sorry for everything that has happened between us. I wouldn't have taken Toby if I could have avoided it but, it was inevitable. I could not go against the rules no matter how much I wanted to. Sarah, when you said no to me at the end of the labyrinth something happened my immortality snapped, I became a mortal. I have left you alone these six years hoping that perhaps I would forget you. But, I could not forget you Sarah Williams because I love you." He sighed turning his face from her. He winced in pain and grabbed onto the arm of the large chair.
"Jareth, I'm sorry you lost your immortality," Sarah observed him more closely he was ragged and looked older, his spark was slowly fading from him. "When you asked me to stay with you I was just a child and I didn't know what to do. I was scared and naïve! Jareth, how much time do you have?"
"Not long—today is my last day. I just had to say good bye and I love you." He smiled, not his usual cruel devilish smile but, one of true love.
"Today?" Sarah repeated. She took her shaking hand and traced his face. He trembled at the feeling of her touch. The moment was different from any of Sarah's fantasies with her Prince Charming.
"Ahhh," he groaned in pain as he fell to the ground. "Sarah!"
"We need more time Jareth. I'm sorry I was so dumb and naïve and young. Please, don't die Jareth… I love you?! I don't know why I couldn't see that before Jareth but, I do! I didn't know what to tell you before and I was so confused I never forgot you either. All these years I have been wishing you would come to me." she cried falling to his side and placing his head onto her lap.
"I love you Sarah." He smiled pulling lightly on her black locks.
"Okay, Jareth let me tell you a story? Well, there was once this beautiful Princess and everyone wanted to marry her. So she came up with a plan to find her perfect man; a series of tests. There were only three men left and they would have to give her the most priceless object they had. The first man offered her the most beautiful jewels she had ever seen but, this was materialistic. He was not the one. The second man brought her the most beautiful mirrors made out of glass that would never dirty but, this showed his vanity. He was not the man she would marry. Then she went to the third and final man, a knight, he held out his pinky for her to wrap around his. She didn't understand at first but, then she realized it was something that was deeper than a material object. He was giving her his heart and trust. This showed his most priceless possession was trust and love. They were married and lived in bliss for five years but, a war broke out in the west and he had to go fight. So he promised her that he would come back. 10 years past and he didn't come home. Everyone thought that he was dead but, the Princess declined to believe it," Sarah paused as she saw the life leaving Jareth "Suitors came from all over the lands to woo her heart and gain territory but, she stayed firm in her love for her knight. One night a beggar came to the castle and begged to be shown to the Princess. When he came he held out his pinky and she knew it was the man she loved had come back. He had come even though he was ragged and dirty. He stayed for forty days and forty nights. On the fortieth night the Princess awoke to him not laying next to her. He was standing at the window, she called out to him. He turned tears streaming down his face. He told the princess that he had been able to come back because he promised her but, he was dead. He had to leave. But, he would always be with her. He would come back as the wind and be there to comfort her. This is what I used to dream of when I was little. When my love died of old age I wanted him to come back as the wind" Then, as Sarah finished Jareth closed his eyes.
"Jareth please come back as the wind. Come back to me."
"Sarah, I pro---"he began but, his breathing became heavier and harder. He struggled against the pain surging through his body, the smell of old books and dust made it harder for him to strive to survive. He held his heart and promised her in his mind. But, he couldn't hold on any longer. He went numb and cold in Sarah's arms.
"Jareth…Jareth? Jareth!! Don't leave me, don't leave me! Please Jareth don't be dead. I need you" Sarah screamed as she held his cold pale limp body in her arms.
Sarah awoke to the banging of the window against the wall. She must have left it open before she dozed off. The wind was violent. She wanted a cool breeze, she wanted the loving touch of Jareth on her skin. His sweet words to fill her ears but, he was dead so that was impossible.
"Sarah" the wind whispered as the current grew stronger around her. The papers around her apartment flew everywhere as she turned and turned in circles searching for the voice that called her name.
"Sarah,"
She heard it clearly this time it was Jareth's voice but, how could it be him if he wasn't alive.
"Sarah" She turned to be face to face to the man that she loved, the dead man she loved.
"Jareth!" she cried, her green eyes filling with tears of confusion.
"Sarah, my Sarah! I'm sorry it took so long for me to come see you…I had some business to attend to. I just came to say a formal good-bye to you. I mean without the whole me dying part." He grinned his crooked sweet smile that made Sarah's knees weak.
" Stay with me?" she asked weakly
"Sarah, you know better than to ask that. I can't this isn't my world or time to live. I know now that things happen for a reason like you winning the labyrinth." He sighed tracing the corners of her lips into a smile.
" Jareth then take me with you! Please I can't live without you!" she pleaded kissing his hand
"I can't Sarah!" he sighed "You have your whole life to live. When we meet again, tell me all the happiest memories you experinced from this life." He turned walking into the dissolving wall.
"Jareth wait!" Sarah cried running up to him "If you miss me, come back anytime. Even as the wind. Come back as the wind!" she smiled through her tears.
He bowed and walked into the fading wall. His tall lanky body began to blend in with the blue sky the wall had faded into.
"If you miss me, come back anytime. Even as the wind, come back as the wind." Sarah whispered once more to herself. Her heart didn't feel as heavy because she knew that love was in her path even if it wasn't with Jareth now. She let a small smile trace its way to her face
"Come back as the wind!"
