Until the End

It was Tuesday, and the sky was covered in midnight black clouds. These misty banks perfectly mirrored the overall disposition of the Underground and the Goblin City.

The entire kingdom was in mourning- and so as was custom- the world was in a solitary state where no one ventured outside their door for a full week. This weekly hermitage was dedicated to the memory of the Queen who had passed on, and those she had left behind; as was tradition.

So far no one had broken this practice; save for one lone figure that currently traversed the empty streets and made her way to the large castle that loomed in the center of the city.

Her human clothing gave her away as a visitor to the magical realm, but her steps were confident. The obvious sign of someone who had walked the path many times before; someone who knew their way around.

The young woman continued onward even after she had passed into the bowels of the castle, and moved deeper into the dark stronghold.

She didn't know how long she walked, but soon enough the girl came to stand at her destination: the fable Escher Room.

Here in the fantastical room, gravity was a thing of fancy, and hundreds of staircases grew in all directions leading to unknown places or nowhere altogether. No one knew who had originally built the Escher, for it was older than time itself. It was a room of nonsense and broken dreams, lies and truths, and different perceptions. And it was here that the girl found what she was looking for.

There, resting in the exact center of the chaotic expanse- kneeling down with his head held in his hands- was the King of the Goblins.

The Fae Monarch had often been labeled handsome, but now there was no beauty to behold.

His physical perfection was still in place, but the spirit that gave life to that beauty had diminished. The lively Fae was now nothing more than a shell of his former self. This alone was why the girl had braved the dark clouds and abandoned streets of the Goblin City. Her reason for coming all this way was the King of the Goblins, the mystical being who she had called friend for many years.

The young woman silently made her way to him, trying each staircase with care and testing her patience in the process. It took more tries than she had hoped, but finally the girl came to stand on the solid ground where the Goblin King knelt.

Without a word or sound to announce herself, the young woman closed the distance between them and dropped to her knees beside the desolate figure. Then, without invitation or affirmation, she reached out her arms and wrapped them around the distraught Fae, pulling him into a tender hug.

At first the hug was only received, but then after several moments, it was returned.

"You came."

The young woman pulled back from the embrace to study the King that was now staring at her, and gave him a sad smile.

"Of course I did, Jareth. And if you had called me, I would have been here sooner."

The Goblin King gave a half-hearted nod, before he bowed his head once more. "I don't doubt you, Lyn. I just couldn't handle visitors . . . Not so soon after- . . ."

Even though he didn't finish, Lyn knew his reasoning. The young woman wrapped her arm around her companion's shoulders and gave him an encouraging squeeze, knowing that she had to be strong for him, no matter what it might cost her.

After a moment of silence Jareth spoke again, but this time his voice cracked with the strain and several tears fell from his mismatched eyes.

"I just can't believe she's gone. . . I keep waiting for her to come around the corner with that lovely smile of hers, ready to scold me for something I didn't do. . . But she doesn't . . . and she won't."

Lyn felt several tears run down her own cheeks as she watched her friend suffer, and wished there was something that she could do to lift the burden. But she couldn't. Nothing could.

"Sarah wouldn't want you to grieve," Lyn said quietly as she leaned into the King. "She would want you to be strong."

"I have no strength left," Jareth replied sorrowfully. "Without my Queen by my side, I'm useless."

"She'd probably agree with you," Lyn said with a soft chuckle, before she once more brought Jareth into a hug. The young woman had known the Goblin King for most of her life, and now after years of favors, it was time for her to truly stand by Jareth and show him that she wouldn't abandon him.

"There's nothing I can say to comfort you, Jareth. No matter how much I wish I could . . . But know that no matter what happens; you don't have to go through it alone. I'll be here with you every step of the way."

Jareth studied the girl before him for several long moments before he leaned forward and placed a kiss to her forehead. It was a gesture that he had done since she was a child. But as he did it now, Lyn could feel the gratitude behind it.

"Thank you, precious," he said as more tears clouded his eyes. "I couldn't do it without you."

Lyn gave him a teary smile as she held one of King's hands in her own smaller one. "I know, Jareth. . . You'd do the same for me."

After that, there was no more to be said, and the two friends sat in companionable silence.

Both cried freely at the loss of the Goblin Queen, and both took courage from one-another. As they had done since the beginning, and as they would do until the very end.

Author's Note:

This is an AU where Sarah loved/married Jareth and then died. (I know angsty and sad, but I had to write it.)

Not much to say about this, other than I'm sorry it's so short. The contest I'm posting this for stated that it couldn't be more than a 1,000 words. *le sigh*

Well, love you guys! Hope you are all doing well!

~Lyn Harkeran