Author's Note: Hey guys! This is the story I promised was coming when I posted 'Wolves in the Dark.' You know. The one I said had a similar scenario? I promise there are going to be several more chapters, how many I'm not sure, but they're just not done yet.
Anyways, this was just supposed to be another one-shot but it turned into something much much longer. Ugh. I have so many story ideas for so many fandoms but I don't have the time to write them all so please bear with me as this story slowly forms.
I don't own Labyrinth!
Chapter 1
Rain and sleet fell in sheets; making the roads treacherous for anyone brave, or stupid, enough to try to navigate them, while thunder and lightening competed for space within the cloud-covered sky. The thunder was particularly annoyed tonight; growling long and deep as the lightening forked and danced across the sky in wild abandon. One lucky strike managed to hit a transformer, causing most of the town to lose power. A falling tree took care of the rest of said town.
It was a horrible night for anyone to be outside and, as such, most everyone in the town was snuggled up, nice and cozy, under blankets with hot drinks, of one sort or another, within their homes…I did say most everyone.
A lone, white barn owl tried desperately to navigate through the wind that had decided it would be good fun to blow the rain and sleet sideways. The owl blinked his second eyelid over in an effort to try to clear some of the ice from his eyes. It helped only marginally but that was enough for him to be able to see the telephone pole in his way; which he quickly swerved around before attempting to gain more height. The wind, deciding that playing with the owl was just as fun as playing with the rain, swirled around to the top of the owl and out from under it's wings. Suddenly finding nothing to support him, the owl dropped for a few seconds before laboring back up until he could find another breeze to carry him.
Jareth didn't know where this sudden storm had come from but he suspected that that this wasn't a natural storm. He'd smelled magic on the wind as he passed through the portal to the Above earlier and there were those who regarded manipulating the weather as child's play. Regardless of how the storm had come about then, Jareth was having difficulty finding the portal now.
He knew he should probably wait somewhere sheltered until the storm had passed but he had paperwork he needed to finish and he didn't relish the thought of having to stay up past midnight again just to get it done. Waiting until the next day to finish it wasn't an option, either, because that would just add to the load he already had for tomorrow. So here he was, out in a storm of magnificent proportions and doing everything in his power to keep from being blown about; which would have resulted in injuries that, again, he didn't have time for.
Jareth had been trying, unsuccessfully mind you, for several hours to get back Underground after having come Above when someone had wished away their daughter. He'd appeared in grand style, a little annoyed at having been called, and offered the wisher the choice he gave all wishers.
They had taken their dreams in exchange for the child.
Jareth had been so upset by this that he'd blindly flown back to where he had left the portal (He was always upset when someone didn't care enough for their children to try to get them back. Children were a gift that should be cherished), determined to lose himself in the paperwork he'd been called away from, only to find that the portal was not where he'd left it. Nor did it appear to be anywhere in the immediate vicinity.
Jareth had then cast out his senses to try to find it; rather perplexed since portals did NOT move on their own. He'd managed to pinpoint the stupid thing but as he'd gotten near, the portal had moved again. This process repeated itself several times before Jareth admitted that someone was toying with him. And just as soon as he found out who they were he was going to make their night just as unpleasant as they'd made his.
Unfortunately, Jareth wasn't even entirely sure where he was at the moment since he never really paid attention when he was called to retrieve a wished away anymore. He just appeared, took the child, offered the wisher their dreams or a chance to run the Labyrinth (very few chose to Run), before heading back Underground. Jareth used to pay attention, eager to see how the Aboveground changed, but over the years had slowly begun to care less and less about where he was called to as opposed to who he was called to. He wished now that he had paid attention because there might have been someone willing to help him close by or even a permanent door back to his world. Sadly, because of the storm, he was now unable to get his bearings.
"This is ridiculous," Jareth growled to himself, "It should not be this difficult to find the way back to the Underground."
Alas, the powers that be weren't listening.
So preoccupied with his thoughts, Jareth didn't noticed that he'd slowly been losing altitude until a tree suddenly appeared out of the rain in front of him. He quickly swerved but, as luck would have it, he seemed to have flown into a forest; there being another tree where he'd expected empty space. Jareth wasn't able to swerve in time and a sickening thud could be heard as he made contact with the new tree.
Unable to hold it in, Jareth cried out in pain when he hit the ground; where he lay, stunned, with the rain pounding down around him. After a moment he was able to pull himself together enough to change back into his Fae form. It hurt tremendously and he lay gasping for breath as he waited for the pain to lessen. As Jareth became more aware of his body, he realized it probably hadn't been the smartest idea to shift forms as he took stock of all the damage done but he needed to be able to let someone from his kingdom know about his condition. Slowly, Jareth pulled himself into a sitting position under the tree he'd collided with and leaned against the trunk.
Jareth situated his shattered right arm in his lap and winced as another stab of pain flashed through him. Bird bones, being hollow so that they could fly, and so much more brittle than any other animal's, tended to break into more pieces and, unfortunately, any broken bones he gained in owl form tended to transfer over when he changed. He didn't even want to think about what else might be broken but, judging from the pain, Jareth suspected he had quite a few major injuries.
Lifting his left arm (thank goodness he was left handed and that his left arm had suffered very little damage) he summoned a crystal to try to get in touch with someone who could help him. Jareth twisted his lips in an ironic smile as he stared at it. It showed his state of mind over the most recent wished away that he hadn't thought to do this sooner. Jareth liked children; which is why he didn't mind being the Goblin King since he got to take care of all the ones who were wished away. He'd often taken care of his younger siblings when he still lived in his parent's palace; delighting in their innocence and exuberance for life. It was sad that so many children were unwanted but he made sure that he found homes where they would be cherished. It was the least he could do for them.
Pulling himself back to the task at hand, Jareth could feel himself going into shock and knew it was unlikely he would be conscious for much longer, he connected the crystal with a mirror that hung in his throne room (the one he actually used, not the Runner Throne Room where the wished aways were kept as whoever wished them away Ran for them). Jareth knew someone would be there considering how long he'd been gone. He loved being right…most of the time.
"Yer not lookin' too well Yer Majesty," A worried voice said, "What's happened?"
"Portal decided not to be where I left it," Jareth slurred.
'Oh that was not good', He thought.
"Big…big thunderstorm sprung up out of nowhere," Jareth continued; making an effort to get his speech pattern right, "Smelled magic as I came through. Think someone's messing with me. Going to make sure to pay them back in full once I get back."
Jareth took a moment to catch his breath.
"Really not feeling well Hoggle, so why don't I explain later and you figure out where I am now."
The dwarf in the crystal scowled, "Aye, Yer Majesty, I can do that just as soon as ye tell me what happened."
Jareth laughed at his friend's annoyance but gasped in pain as the action jostled what felt like several broken ribs. He moaned softly as he waited for his breath to come back. Hoggle was nearly frantic seeing his king in such a state but there was very little he could do until Jareth summoned a Beacon. The little he could do entailed calling Jareth's parents for help but Jareth would probably tip him straight into the Bog, if he didn't just strangle him first, if he did.
"I flew into a tree," Jareth managed to get out; gasping a little, "I couldn't see it because of the rain."
Hoggle's face turned several interesting shapes of red and purple before finally deciding on a nice plum color.
"Ye did what?!" He yelped. The fact that Jareth had said he'd flown into a tree took a second to penetrate but, when it did, Hoggle could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing as he took in Jareth's appearance. He was most certainly not an owl at the moment, "And I can see ye changed yer shape. Ye know better than to do that when ye're that badly hurt! Did ye hit yer head to addle yerself like that?!"
Jareth let his friend rant. It took a little while but he eventually pulled himself together until he was only silently fuming.
"Ye could have killed yerself, Majesty, and then where would we be?"
"I'm well aware that it wasn't the smartest move, Hoggle, but I didn't have much choice. I cannot make crystals as an owl."
Hoggle had to admit that Jareth had a point but that didn't mean he had to like it.
"Well where are ye?" Hoggle asked.
"I do not know," A strangled sound came from the crystal which Jareth promptly ignored, "I was planning on creating a Beacon so you could figure that out and tell me where I am and exactly who in the vicinity might be willing to help but, "An impish look entered his mismatched eyes, "I just wanted to make sure you were done lecturing me."
"Aye, I can do that," Hoggle replied testily; annoyed with Jareth's snark but wisely didn't comment on it. He paused as he waited for Jareth to make a move, "Well get on with it."
Jareth jerked a bit. He'd been drifting again. Trying to ignore the fact that he was quickly losing hold on reality, Jareth imbued the crystal in his hand with some of his power, thankful that it was hidden from everyone except those truly loyal to him, before setting it down beside him. Hoggle would let him know where he was and he could then tell the dwarf who would be the best option to offer aid. Unfortunately, he was closer to the abyss of unconsciousness than he had thought and, as he released the crystal, he fell over the edge into darkness.
"Well the only person I can see close to ye is…Jareth?" Hoggle, noticing that he was no longer looking at his king's face, changed the view on the mirror until it showed him Jareth again. He took in a panicked breath as he realized Jareth had lost consciousness.
"Oh this ain't good."
Hoggle turned to several goblins awaiting orders nearby and started barking instructions at them. Being Jareth's closest advisor and friend, he knew what needed to be done to try to hide how weak and vulnerable their king was from his enemies. There were far too many who would willingly take this chance to kill their weakened king.
The goblins, realizing that things had just gone from bad to worse, quickly scattered to do what the dwarf said. One goblin quickly made his way up to one of the towers in the castle to ring the bell there. It was a signal that would let everyone within the castle know that the one thing they all feared most had happened: their king was too injured to come home and they were now vulnerable to outside attack. Word spread quickly throughout the Goblin City and the Labyrinth that something had happened to Jareth and while everyone was greatly upset by the news, they didn't let that stop them from doing what needed to be done to ensure their safety until their king came back.
The Labyrinth was a much coveted commodity to most of the noble Fae in the Underground because of the power it wielded and, as such, many would swiftly descend upon it to try to take it over if there was even the slightest sign of weakness. No one else seemed to care that the Labyrinth was a sentient being; their only interest was in what it could give them should they become its ruler. Knowing this, Jareth had set up different defenses, complementing the Labyrinth's own natural defenses, over the years to protect them should he be injured and unable to return to them right away, much like the current situation, or killed. It was these defenses that the goblins raised at Hoggle's orders.
Shields appeared around the castle and Goblin City while smaller shields formed around the different gates dotting the outside wall of the Labyrinth. Spells were activated that would prevent anyone from appearing within the Labyrinth, whether they be friend or foe, while the Labyrinth closed off the outer gates to all travelers. Those outside the Labyrinth, who were meant to be inside, were called back in and those inside who weren't meant to be there were told to make their way outside.
Hoggle watched as all the safety measures were put into place. He was thankful that the Labyrinth had been getting steadily stronger over the last ten years; which was all thanks to a new influx of Belief from the Above. This in turn boosted Jareth's own power; making any of the defenses either king or sentient maze put into place much stronger than they would have been so many years before.
Hoggle allowed himself a small smile. This new power the Labyrinth had been receiving was due to a certain runner spreading her own brand of magic around the Above; whether she realized it or not. He wondered what Jareth's reaction would be should he ever find out.
Hoggle knew that because king and land were both stronger, that they could stay protected like this indefinitely. No one really wanted to stay locked up but they were all fiercely loyal to their king, despite what Hoggle and his friends had done once upon a time, and they would allow no other to take over the running of the Labyrinth. They were a land of misfits. Jareth had welcomed any and all who sought refuge here and they were grateful for that. They knew no one else would ever be that generous to them.
"What has happened, my friend?" Sir Didymus' worried voice asked from just behind Hoggle who jumped in response. He'd thought he was alone.
"Jareth's been stupid and gotten himself hurt," Hoggle growled without turning around. He was annoyed with Jareth, annoyed with the entire situation, and annoyed that they were going to have to ask the one person who it would probably kill Jareth to know had seen him in such a weakened state for help, "He didn't come back after he answered that wisher so I got worried and came here to see if he had connected with the mirror."
Hoggle paused and scowled at the memory.
"And?" Didymus prompted.
"And the stupid git decided it was a good idea to fly around in a thunderstorm tryin' to find the portal and flew into a tree."
Didymus blinked, "What?"
"He flew into a tree and then decided to change from owl to Fae just so he could more easily contact someone," Hoggle ground out.
Didymus, ever the peacekeeper, didn't say anything about his king's idiocy but he had plenty to think about said idiocy, "And he is where? I assume he was able to make a Beacon before he lost consciousness."
"Aye," Hoggle sighed. The two friends jumped as thunder rumbled overhead and rain began to pour outside the window. Neither had noticed the gathering clouds, "But the only person close by is…"
He couldn't finish but he didn't need to; Didymus new who he was talking about.
"She is not going to like this," Didymus stated.
"Neither of them are goin' to like this," Hoggle muttered.
"Well the two of them can put up with it," A cold voice said behind the two friends and they jumped again. Whirling around, they caught sight of who it was and suddenly were both in very deep bows, "I have worked too hard in my attempts to get them together again to let their pride get in the way now."
"Queen Titania. We did not realize you were here," Didymus stated as he rose from his bow.
"Of course you didn't. Not even my son knew I was here," She said quietly as she moved to sit down at the window. Hoggle stepped aside to allow her access before walking to stand by the mirror again. Titania held her hand out into the rain (the windows having no glass), letting the water run through her fingers. Eyes as blue as a bright summer sky peered at her hand sadly but her voice showed none of her inner turmoil, "I couldn't very well move the portal from outside the Labyrinth now, could I?"
"Did ye call up the storm as well, Majesty" Hoggle asked gruffly as he moved to the mirror to check on his still unconscious king. He knew it probably wasn't the smartest move, all but accusing one of the most powerful Fae of helping to cause her son's injury, but he was too annoyed to care at the moment. Hoggle almost couldn't believe she was the cause of all their most recent problems. Almost.
"No, I did not. While there are very few times such storms of that magnitude happen naturally, this is one of them," Titania replied after a moment. She shifted to look at the dwarf and her golden hair fell from where it was pinned on top of her head to swing around her hips. She huffed as she gathered it up again, "I did not mean for him to get injured."
It almost sounded like she was apologizing for helping to cause the situation in which their king had been injured. Hoggle merely nodded his acknowledgement and turned back to look at the mirror. Didymus too nodded his understanding but there was something he wanted to know.
"Is there anything you can do?" Didymus asked softly; a quiet hope in his voice.
Very few in the kingdom besides Jareth had the ability to go Above (the goblins being the exception since conventional rules did not seem to apply to them) and while some of them might be able to bring someone across, none could move their king even if he were to give them permission to do so. He was too powerful. The only hope they had was that someone on the other side could send him back or that his parent's could help, they being the High King and Queen, but Didymus's hopes fell as the queen shook her head.
"No," She replied softly; slumping a little against the wall, "There is not. It seems whatever the Fates have planned for him, they have used me to accomplish it and I refuse to do anything that might cause him more harm. No, you will need to contact that mortal girl for help. See if she can bring him back."
"That could trap her here and ye very well know it," Hoggle said in horror. The sour tone she'd used when talking about the girl did nothing to allay his nervousness; in fact, it made his agitation worse. Neither of the two advisors asked how she knew that Sarah was closest to Jareth. They'd learned long ago that there was very little the queen didn't know.
"Yes, but I give you my word that I will do everything I can to send her back should she not wish to stay right away," Titania answered tightly but she didn't look happy about it and every word was bitten to a staccato like shortness. She paused for a moment before continuing, "No matter how much I may wish to do otherwise."
"Why would you make such a promise, Majesty?" Didymus wanted to know; ignoring the Queen's last comment. Hoggle just scowled harder but knew when to keep his mouth shut. It was a well known fact that Titania didn't like Sarah but the queen would do anything for her son's happiness; whether he wanted her to or not.
"Perhaps because I feel guilty that my actions have led to him being so badly hurt and I know he would rather the girl stay here willingly than to have no other choice," She answered. They all sat in silence for a moment before she turned back to her son's two trusted advisors and friends, "Go. Contact the girl. We need to get him home as soon as possible."
Hoggle and Sir Didymus exchanged a look but went to the mirror to do as they were told. The need to do something to help get their king get back had been excruciatingly painful and they were thankful she was finally allowing them to alleviate that need.
The two friends were actually rather surprised that they'd managed to question her as long as they had, she usually having a much shorter temper that didn't allow for anyone to do anything except what they'd been told, but figured that she must just be worried about her son as she had said. They didn't realize that Titania had an ulterior motive; one to do with the girl who had beaten her son at his own game.
Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever trouble was about to come his way, Hoggle called out to the one person that might actually be able to save his king.
"Sarah," Hoggle called, "Sarah, we need to speak to ye."
"What is it?" A melodious voice answered from the mirror, "What's wrong?"
"We need your help," Didymus said solemnly.
By this point the voice was starting to sound a little worried as she asked what had happened and why they needed her. Titania suddenly had the undeniable urge to see the owner of this voice. She stepped to the side of the mirror where she could observe the girl without being seen. Her hair fell again but she ignored it. It would take much more patience than she had at the present to put it up again.
Eyes bright as emeralds watched her friends in trepidation while inky black hair fell in wet waves down her back. Her face was unadorned of the paint that mortals liked to wear and her clothes, a simple green dress with no visible jewelry, clung to her. It too was soaked, like her hair, and Titania gathered that the girl must have been caught out in the rain at some point. The girl was pretty enough, Titania allowed, but she didn't understand how she could have caught her son's attention.
Deciding she'd seen enough, and the urgent need for something to finally be done about helping her son making itself known spurring her into action, despite it coming from the girl she most despised because of the pain she'd caused her son, Titania moved to stand behind the other two before stating, "Because my son has been injured and you are the only one close enough to help him. You will go find him and bring him back here so that he may be healed of his injuries."
When the summons from Hoggle and Sir Didymus had come, Sarah had just gotten back from a date. Said date had not gone well. Besides being a boring, self-centered, jerk, the man had had the gall to try to feel her up several times throughout the evening. She'd gotten so frustrated and angry that she'd finally told him to bring her back to her parent's house instead of her apartment; unable to stand being anywhere near him any longer. They hadn't even made it within two blocks of the house before her patience had snapped and she'd flung herself out of the car when he'd stopped at a stop sign. Sarah made a mental note to kill her friend Maggie who had set her up with this asshole. She'd insisted he was "dreamy and totally what you need."
Yeah. Right. Just like she needed an extra hole in her head.
When Karen had opened the door to find Sarah standing on the front porch dripping wet and positively fuming, she'd been unable to say anything but was not entirely surprised to see her. Karen took a startled moment to take in the appearance of the daughter of her heart. The poor girl was soaked from head to foot, shoes in hand, her makeup running, and her hair falling from where it had been pinned. This was hardly the first time she'd come here after a bad date but this was definitely the worst shape she'd ever been in; obviously having walked in the storm for some distance.
When his wife hadn't called out to let him know who was at the door, Robert had come to see for himself but, catching sight of Sarah, he stopped in his tracks at the state his daughter was in. He started to say something but Sarah cut him off.
"Don't," She growled as she slipped past Karen into the house, "Say a word."
Karen and Robert wisely let her pass as she stalked up the stairs to her old bedroom. They exchanged knowing glances before going back to what they had been doing before Sarah's appearance. They were used to such appearances by now and so knew to let her be. They didn't bother to ask if she was staying anymore, either, because, quite often, Sarah didn't know herself. Sometimes she would still be there in the morning and sometimes she wouldn't; having gone back to her apartment in the middle of the night.
Karen sighed to herself as she finished washing the dishes. Ever since Sarah had started dating the poor girl couldn't seem to catch a break. Karen didn't know of any of Sarah's dates that had actually gone well and had long ago stopped trying to set her up on dates herself. She was actually rather surprised Sarah had agreed to go on this one but figured she must have agreed just to get someone off her back. Karen didn't realize how close to the mark she'd come with that assumption.
Sarah stormed into her room, throwing her coat and purse in a chair, dropping her shoes on the on the floor by the bed, and viciously removing her jewelry, before launching herself onto her bed in a huff. Very little had changed in the old space but she found that fact soothing when she came home to visit. She allowed herself a few moments to wallow before getting up and going to her old vanity to see how much damage had been done to her hair and makeup. Sarah wanted to know if she could get away with heading back to her apartment now or if the makeup had to come off so she didn't scare the kiddies on her way back. Finding a kiddy terrifying worthy face, Sarah headed off to the bathroom to wash it. It was as she was coming back that she heard Hoggle calling her.
"Sarah," He called quietly so as not to alert anyone else in the house, "Sarah, we need to talk to ye."
"What is it?" She asked as she noticed Hoggle's strained voice and features, "What's wrong?"
"We need your help," Sir Didymus answered solemnly. Sarah saw how tense he was and felt her worry growing.
'It can't be anything wrong with them. They look fine but what if it's Jar-"
Ruthlessly, Sarah pushed that thought away, "What's happened? Why do you need my help"
She gasped as, easily, the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen stepped up behind her two friends. Bright blue eyes rimmed with the same markings as Jareth's, except in an almost silvery blue, stared at her in a calculating manner while golden curls fell down her back in ringlets. What gave her away as being something other than human were the knifelike points of her ears that peaked out from her hair. A light blue gown clung to her slender frame but it was the words she spoke in a voice that sounded like bells tolling that had Sarah thinking she might be in trouble, "Because my son has been injured and you are the only one close enough to help him. You will go find him and bring him back here so that he may be healed of his injuries."
"Your son?" Sarah asked cautiously as she looked between her friends and the unknown woman but she felt her back stiffen at the order. The woman's tone didn't help, either. For some unknown reason she got the feeling that this woman didn't like her much. She couldn't understand why since she was relatively sure she'd never met her before.
"Yes," The woman said imperiously, "You've met him before. His name is Jareth."
Sarah's confusion cleared and she felt her face closing down.
"Oh."
"Oh?!" Titania's worry made her temper short and she felt it snap at the girl's obvious dismissal of her son, "Is that all you have to say? My son has been injured and that is all you have to say?"
"I have great many things I could say, Queen of Summer, but that doesn't mean I am going to say them," Sarah snapped, "Even I know better than to say something that might insult someone's child to their face."
Sarah didn't notice Hoggle and Sir Didymus slowly inching away from the two women. The two had known it probably wasn't a good idea for the women to meet, neither one being predisposed to think well of the other (especially Sarah after they'd told her some of the things the Summer Queen had said about her once the story of Sarah's Run, and what had happened after, had reached said Queen), but there wasn't really anything they could have done to stop it from happening at this point.
They watched nervously as Sarah continued her tirade and Titania's face turned red, "If you didn't already know, your son and I did not part on the best of terms," Sarah, of course, was already aware the Queen knew, having heard that fact from her friends, "and while I may be inclined to think better of your son now that I'm older, the fact still remains that we have not seen each other in a very long time. Now here you are, demanding that I need to go find him simply because you think he's hurt and I'm the only person who can help. Well tough luck but ordering me around isn't the way to get me to cooperate."
The two woman fumed at each other but a laugh sounded before anything else could be said (Or Titania got it in her head to try to strike at the girl before her; risk of alienating her son forever or not).
"She's right, Love," A man said in an amused tone as he walked up to Titania and put his arm around her. Sarah could only assume that this was Oberon, Jareth's father.
Without really realizing what she was doing, Sarah attempted to find similarities between the two men. He was very tall and lean like his son but that, along with the fact that they seemed to favor similar clothing (though his father's were a bit looser than his son's and matched his wife's), seemed to be where the similarities ended. Apparently, Jareth took more after his mother. Gold eyes danced merrily in his eternally young face as he smiled at her, the knowledge of what she was doing shining within, while his chestnut hair flowed freely down his back.
"She is not one of ours so we cannot order her to do as we wish."
Everyone, excepting Titania, gave the new arrival deep bows with murmured "Majesty"s.
"Oberon, she is the only one who can help him," Titania growled but he squeezed her side and she relented.
"You're just assuming he's hurt," Sarah said hotly before she caught sight of Didymus and Hoggle's expressions and her own became uncertain, "Aren't you?"
"No, Sarah," Hoggle said sadly. He walked over to the mirror and touched it, "We ain't."
Sarah was suddenly looking at an image she hoped never to see again. Jareth was lying slumped on the ground from where he appeared to have been leaning against a tree behind him. Mud covered him from head to foot after having been lying there in the rain for an unknown length of time. His hair, which seemed to be longer all around and more even, though it was hard to tell since it was wet, was matted with mud and blood. His black leather boots and pants looked to have survived whatever had happened to him mostly in tact with a few tears here and there.
His shirt was another matter. The white linen, ripped to the point of being nothing more than rags, was stained with blood from the injuries that she was able to see on his torso. His left hand clutched at his right arm which she was able to tell was broken in several places and she could just make out a compound fracture. What little Sarah could see of his face was bruised and swollen. A crystal sat on the ground beside him.
Sarah felt sick at the extent of the injuries she could make out but knew there were many more she couldn't see. The scene shifted again until she was looking at the gathered group on the other side of the mirror. Sarah couldn't help but feel grateful. She wasn't sure she was ready to face the feelings that sight had invoked. The group watched Sarah expectantly and she found she couldn't deny them this. No matter what she might have felt, or did feel, for the Goblin King, she would not let him die.
"Do you have a general idea of where he is?" She asked quietly and felt guilty at causing them to worry when she saw the relief on everyone's faces; most prominently on Oberon and Titania's.
"We know he's in the town where ye live somewhere," Hoggle answered eagerly which only made Sarah feel even more guilty at her flash of temper, "He seems to be in a forest from what I've been able to gather. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time getting a more exact location on him for some reason."
"A forest," Sarah murmured in thought as she tried to think of where that might be. She didn't really know of any forests in the area. Sure there were a lot of trees around but no forests. Unless…
"The park!" She cried in enlightenment and everyone on the other side of the mirror jumped, "It's not a forest but a park where I used to go to play."
Sarah was excited now as she realized she knew exactly where to find Jareth. She was so excited that she failed to hear her door open and her little brother walk up behind her dressed in his blue dragon pajamas.
"Sarah? Why are you being so loud?" The eleven year old asked as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. Catching sight of the people in the mirror he paused, "And why are there people standing on the other side of your mirror?"
Everyone froze in shock at the unexpected addition. Sarah recovered first but she just sighed at the intrusion. The others could only blink at her unconcern at the situation before them.
"They want me to help find the Goblin King," She answered her little brother.
"What he's missing?" The little boy asked; suddenly awake.
"Injured and unconscious not missing but I know where to find him," She corrected.
The two siblings stared at each other for a moment before the younger sighed.
"I'll go get Mom and Dad," He muttered as he trudged out of her room.
Sarah turned back to her mirror and shrugged sheepishly as they gaped at her. They waited in silence for several moments before the sounds of muffled exclamations and people getting dressed could be heard from her parents' room.
"Sarah," Didymus said cautiously, "What's going on?"
"Well remember how you kept telling me nothing is as it seems?"
Didymus and Hoggle shared a look.
"Yeah," Hoggle answered.
"Well meet Lord Robert and Lady Karen of the Summer Court," Sarah said as her parents walked through the door of her bedroom. Robert was just finishing tying the belt on his dressing gown while Karen was finger combing her hair. Both froze as they caught sight of the Summer King and Queen.
"Um," Robert said intelligently as he looked at the gathered people, "Good evening, Your Majesties?"
Oberon, unable to hold his mirth in any longer, collapsed into a chair that appeared behind him. His peals of laughter rang out while Titania simply stared. Hoggle and Sir Didymus just looked confused for a moment before two and two finally added up to four. The two friends then added their own shocked looks to the mix as they stared at Sarah as the understanding that she hadn't told them any of this sunk in.
"My Lady?" Sir Didymus asked in a hurt tone.
"Later, Didymus," Sarah muttered quickly, "I promise I'll explain everything later."
She looked so agitated that Hoggle and Sir Didymus didn't press her but they were going to make sure she explained herself as she had promised. This was a big secret she'd been keeping from them.
During this exchange, Karen decided she wasn't about to meet her monarchs in her night clothes and promptly turned around to go back to her room to change. After a few seconds, Robert followed her lead. Everyone on the other side of the mirror, besides Oberon, who had yet to stop laughing, blinked after the now absent couple. Sarah took that moment to change her shoes to something she could walk around the park in the rain in and then grabbed her coat and umbrella. She was not about to hang around and risk getting caught up in coming conversation; so staying long enough to change out of her dress wasn't an option.
"I thought you weren't one of ours," Titania said stiffly behind her.
'Damn. Almost made it.'
"I'm not," Sarah snapped without turning from her goal that was the door, "I may have been born to a parent who was part of your court but I have never sworn any oaths to you so you hold no sway over me."
"But you're Fae-"
"Half-Fae," Sarah corrected; ignoring the twinge of inadequacy that fact caused, "Toby's the one who's full-blooded."
So saying, she shoved her brother (who had followed his parents back into the room before their sudden departure) in front of the two monarchs (Oberon had managed to stop laughing by this point), "Here talk to him"
Toby blinked up at Oberon and Titania, who stared back, before turning to call his sister on her sudden betrayal but she wasn't there. Her voice drifted up the stairs, "I have my phone so I'll call when I find him!"
The front door slammed shut and Toby turned back to the Summer Couple with a sigh.
"It's not fair," He muttered.
Sarah thanked her lucky stars that she was able to get away from the house before the inquiries started. Karen and her dad could handle all that. She chuckled as she remembered the aftermath of her Run.
After she'd Run the Labyrinth, Sarah had gone down to breakfast the next morning, hoping to forget about the whole ordeal and just start over with her brother and Karen. She hadn't expected there would be…leftovers.
She'd greeted her father good morning with a kiss on the cheek and then had given Karen a hug before sitting down to eat a bowl of cereal. She'd caught the look Robert and Karen had given each other but had assumed it was due to her behavior until her father had spoken.
"Sarah, why do you smell like magic?" Her father asked and Sarah had, quite literally, fallen out of her chair.
"What?" She asked shakily from the floor.
"Why do you smell like magic?" Karen reiterated.
"And goblin magic at that," Robert agreed.
"I think it's less of a question of why I smell like magic and more a question of how you know what magic smells like," Sarah said as she resettled herself in her chair. She'd hoped she could get away with redirecting the conversation but their looks said they weren't buying what she was selling.
Sarah braced herself for the coming storm, "I wished Toby away to the Goblin King?"
Her parents blinked at her for a moment before Karen collapsed into a chair, covered her face with her hands, and burst into tears. Her father couldn't get a word out for a long time; merely getting up to place an arm around his sobbing wife. Unable to take the sight, Sarah got up from the table, no longer hungry, to go and collect Toby while her parents came to grips with what she'd just told them. Her father's voice had stopped her before she'd left the room.
"We will be talking about this later," He said softly, "All of it."
Sarah had simply nodded before continuing upstairs; not bothering to ask what he'd meant by that last statement. Toby had been eager to get up when Sarah had opened the door and she'd smiled at his exuberance. After she'd changed and dressed him, she'd made her way back downstairs and to the kitchen so she could give him his breakfast but had frozen in the doorway at the sounds and looks of dismay from her parents.
"I thought you said you'd wished him away," Karen said finally; unable to believe what she was seeing.
"I did," Sarah answered. She was a little confused by their reactions, "But I won him back."
"You won him back?" Her father repeated in a strangled voice, "Sarah do you have any idea what you've done?"
"No?" She was starting to get worried. Her voice was getting higher and louder as she talked, "I mean, I have a general idea but I just thought the book was a story and I got angry and I wished for the goblins and then they came and I didn't mean to!"
Sarah herself was sobbing by the time she'd finished. Toby, noticing her upset, started trying to cheer is sister up but it was obvious she wasn't paying attention so he stopped. He would just have to wait until she quit crying.
"I won though," Sarah managed to get out through her tears, "I won and I got him back."
Robert and Karen had exchanged astonished looks at the fact that she had no idea what she'd managed to accomplish as much as at that she'd actually managed to beat the Goblin King at his own game.. They decided they wouldn't tell her that no one else in the history of the Labyrinth had ever been able to beat it but they did tell her how they knew what magic smelled like. Sarah had listened in quiet surprise as they informed her that her father and Karen were actually members of the Fae Summer Court.
They'd gone on to tell her about how Robert had first met her mother and how he'd fallen in love with her and her love for acting. He said that she'd once told him that she loved being able to make the characters she played real for a short time for the people watching her perform. Unfortunately, this love for the stage had pulled her away from him and Sarah. He'd made a brief sojourn back to the Underground to check in with the Summer King and Queen after Linda had left and that was how he'd met Karen.
Sarah snorted at the memories as she walked down the sidewalk. That had been an interesting day to say the least but after The Talk they'd begun to let their true natures shine through when it was just the four of them at home. The first time she'd seen what her father really looked like, Sarah couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She'd quickly squashed those feelings, chagrined at her immaturity. Sarah had grown up while she was in the Labyrinth and she was determined to live up to those lessons she had learned during her time there.
Sarah also resolutely pushed any thoughts of what Jareth would think if he knew her family history out of her mind.
Karen had eventually begun educating Sarah on what a lady of the Underground would need to know about etiquette, as well as, history, political alliances, and all the other nuances that made life in the Underground interesting. She'd born, with tolerant amusement, the etiquette lessons but she was thankful when they were over and Karen had declared she now knew everything she needed to act like a proper lady.
Sarah was a modern woman of the Aboveground so the whole "A lady is quiet and demure and never speaks unless spoken to" shit had really gotten on her nerves. She knew what she needed to be polite and not insult anyone but there was no way she was going to be a walking doormat. Karen had tried to explain to her over the years that that wasn't what it was like but she'd eventually given up; especially after the whole "Pleasing Your Husband" section of the lessons fiasco.
Sarah's only consolation for the years of torture was that Toby had to learn all that stuff now, too.
The other subjects were much more interesting; especially when Karen had informed her who exactly the Goblin King was. Sarah had been unable to believe she'd actually snubbed the High Prince. Of course, she didn't realize what he was offering until years later, but that didn't change the fact she'd told him no. She also couldn't regret her decision to choose Toby over the dreams he had offered her. Toby was infinitely more precious to her.
Sarah had also decided not to tell her parents about that final confrontation. She wasn't exactly sure how they would react but she found she really didn't want to know. That didn't stop Jareth's parents from finding out; however, which was a fact that Hoggle and the others had informed her of later on. Sarah was well aware that the Summer Queen didn't like her; a fact she'd made sure to tell Toby, just in case. Thankfully, the events of her Run weren't public knowledge so her parents didn't know anything about what had happened to her after a certain point. Sarah had made sure to give them the highly edited version of her Run.
Sarah looked up as she realized she was standing outside the entrance to the park. Rain was still falling in sheets but her umbrella kept most of it off of her, for which she was grateful. Unfortunately, it made visibility difficult but she was fairly certain she knew which part of the park Jareth was in and so she began to head in that direction.
"Well, come on feet," She muttered with a half smile at the memory of the first time she'd said those words. Sarah tried to ignore the shiver of anticipation that ran down her spine but she did admit that she was worried (for him or what seeing him again would be like, she didn't know). She wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been out here, "Let's go see if we can't find ourselves a Goblin King."