A Thousand Years The song is by Sting...story by me.....I dont own anything, though owning Jareth might be nice. ;-) Enjoy and tell me what you think!

A Thousand Years
by Empress_Sarah

Late at night in a girl's room, a radio plays a sad love song. She looks up from her book to hear its title and its words. She turns to her mirror and see's a vision in her mirror of a man in deep thought in a throne of sorts. She seems to recognize him and tried to speak to him, yet realizes he somehow cannot hear her, she can only see and hear him. The song eerily sweeps through her ears in the background as she listens........

"A thousand years, a thousand more
A thousand times a million doors to eternity"

Over a thousand years I have endured, yet never in this expanse of time did I ever once feel regret or longing for the past. Never did I feel lonely or weak. I was the Goblin King and had no need for such feelings. I never needed friends or companions, surprisingly I did have a few, though some felt compelled to damn their friendship with me and sever whatever links we may have shared. I was cruel, I shall admit, but how else was I to be?

"I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times
An endless turning stairway climbs
To a tower of souls"

I have an entire kingdom at my command and control. It's expanse is wide ad unending. I have whatever I want, whenever I want it, and can do or be as I please. I have taken the children of mortals as my occuation as long as I can remember. I have walked the staircases of my Escher room time and again, memorizing each twist and turn, like the maze of my soul.

"If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars
The towers rise to numberless floors in space"

I have fought many battles in my life against many kingdoms and their kings. I had many victories and never any losses. Yet never had I ever had a battle with my own heart. Never had I lost. I never let my heart beat me to the center of the labyrinth of my soul.

"I could shed another million tears, a million breaths
A million names but only one true face"

Above all of this, I had never cried. Not even when my mother ceased to breathe life into her immortal body. For even then I knew she still existed as the magic of the land and was always with me. No images ever haunted my dreams at night, nothing ever plagued my conscience. Never had I been taunted over and over again by a face in my mind.

"A million roads, a million fears
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty"

Now things have changed. Nothing is as it used to be. The future is uncertain, something I have never expierienced before. There are a million days, months, years ahead of me, yet now I cant seem to look forward to it at all.

"I could speak another million lies, a million songs
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time"

I can try to keep telling myself that things will go back to normal, that I will forget it all. But I have tried, to no avail, to forget the memory. Time does not seem to let me let it go. But why? Why now of all times? But then something like this never happened before.

"But if there was a single truth, a single light
A single thought, a single touch of grace"

The truth is written forever in the pages of that book, written only for her. A web spun by the fates themselves, I suppose. Why I never believed that she would actually do it, I shall never know. Maybe it was I thought that since no one had beaten me before, what could this mortal girl really do? What she could do indeed.

"Then following this single point, this single flame
This single haunted memory of your face"

I cannot forget her. I cannot make her face leave my mind no matter what I try to do to rid myself of it. I guess I finally have to admit that I have faltered and she has pierced my very heart. In that moment of weakness I let my heart win the race to the center of my soul.

"I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like Galaxies in my head"

Now with this knowledge I spend my days watching and wondering. What will I do now? In all the thousands of years without ever loving a single soul besides my mother and father's I have come to love her. She who defeated me. The only one to conquer such a task. Oh the clouded thoughts that live in my mind!

"I maybe numberless, I may be innocent
I may know many things, I may be ignorant"

I know that I am immortal and she is not, but she could be! If she would ever consent to be my queen, oh what happiness! At one time I thought I knew it all, but now I know that is not true. For I dont ever know if she will love me.

"Or I could ride with the kings and conquer many lands
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands"

I could go on with my life as it was and pretend she never was, but she will always be there. She has changed me. I am astounded at the fact that I would give it all up for her. The entire existance I have led , I would give for a moment with her as my own.

"I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times
Reborn a fortune's child to judge another's crimes
Or wera this pilgrims cloak, or be a common thief
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief"

I wouldnt care if I had to be a beggar or commoner the rest of my days, if that is what it would take to be with her. My beloved. Yes that is true. Maybe the reason I never loved is becaus my heart has always waited for her. The fates weave such intricacies.

"I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like Galaxies in my head"

My dearheart, if only you could hear how my soul cries for you. You solved not only the Labyrinth I created from my mind, but you solved the labyrinth of my heart. As soon as you came, you were gone leaving me with things I had never expierienced before. Loneliness. Defeat. Love.

"On and on the mysteries unwind themselves
Eternities still unsaid"

Was there anything you would have done diffrently love? If your brother had not been at stake would you have taken my offering then? No, you wouldnt. You would want an equal balance of love and power. But how I would give you that now if you would only ask.

"Til you love me"

But how could you love me? Im just the cruel Goblin King.

The girl has long been crying now and wipes the tears from her face, placing her hand on his face in the mirror. She silently wishes to be there with him and is startled to see an old friend appear next to her.

"Hoggle?*sniff* What are you doing here?"
He points at the mirror.
"I wanted yous to see this."
"You...you are the one who allowed me to see this?"
"Of course...yous needs to see this. I know you went through a lot when yous was in the labyrinth, but I wanted you to see what hes went through too. Jareth and myself patched up our little diffrences after yous left and hes been in a state like this ever since then."
"Oh Hoggle..."
She went silent and tears began to flow again.
"Well, I guess Ill be goin now."
"Wait! Hoggle can you take me back with you?"
"If that is what you wish, but once yous go this time yous cant come back."
She looked around at her things in her apartment. There was nothing here that she needed. What she needed was there. She picked up the picture of her family and wiped her face.
"Lets go Hoggle."
He nodded and in a flash they were gone.

Jareth sat on his throne almost in tears. His heart was almost to the breaking point for the day. He placed his head in his hands and began to silently cry his tears of sorrow.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked up, ready to boot the Goblin who dared to touch him but stopped.
There in front of him was his beloved. He blinked to make sure she was real and she reached out to touch his face to assure him.
She was clad in the beautiful dress from th ballroom and he had to use all of his will from kissing her on the spot.

"How?"he tried to speak but she quieted him..
"Lets just say you have good friends Jareth." The sound of his name from her lips was almost too much for him.
"Sarah I.."
"Shh.....dont explain....just ask me....."she murmured in his ear.
He got on his knees and held her hands.
"My dearest, through dangers untold and hardships un-numbered I have fought my way here to my heart and soul, for my will is no longer as strong as yours, and my kingdom will never be as great....I would not offer to be your slave or for you to fear me.....just love me.....for you have all power over me.Be my queen."

The tears slipped from both their eyes and Sarah held his face in her hands.

"Yes Beloved. Yes I will. I love you."
"I love you too."
Then they kissed and Jareth felt his heart burst with joy. Sarah felt her heart leap as well and smiled as they parted.They both knew they would live on for more than just a thousand years, but forever, together.