So, yesterday I watched Labyrinth for the first time, and my first thought was "Why have I never seen this before? It's far too awesome to miss!" And I was really disappointed with Sarah when she turned Jareth down. Sarah you idiot, when the Goblin King, who is incredibly sexy AND in love with you, offer you all he can give you, YOU TAKE IT! I would have! *grumbles about how Sarah is stupid*
Yeah, so this is just a rewrite of the end, where instead of telling Jareth he has no power over her Sarah takes what he's offering. Enjoy!
Sarah ran up the endless maze of stairs in the Escher room, trying to get to Toby, only to find that he kept moving out of her reach. This was Jareth's work, she was sure of it. The Goblin King seemed to love making things hard for her.
Gritting her teeth, she kept going until she reached a ledge and peered down to see Toby perched on the edge of a hole. "Toby!" She called out.
Her infant step-brother looked up at her, oblivious to the danger he was in should the thirteen hours run out. And the clock was dangerously close to reaching the time limit.
Sarah paused, weighing her options. Running around trying to catch up to her brother wasn't working, and she was running out of time. Steeling her resolve, she took a deep breath and jumped down.
To Sarah's amazement and annoyance, she kept falling until she landed in a sort of void, with bits and fragments of the Escher room floating around. That's when she felt it – Jareth's presence. She knew it was him. Whenever he was around his power would wrap around her like a blanket, making her feel sluggish and dream-like. She turned to see him enter from an archway, dressed in pale gray clothes and a cape that had been purposely torn to give an effect similar to feathers. His eyes bored into hers, a mask of indifference.
But Sarah was not about to be intimidated. "Give me the child." She commanded softly.
Jareth regarded her calmly for a few seconds. "Sarah, beware." He warned. "I have been generous, up until now. But I can be cruel."
"Generous?" Sarah questioned calmly. Somehow, she wasn't afraid. "What have you done that's generous?"
"Everything!" The Goblin King spat. "Everything you wanted, I have done. You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightened. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down," his voice grew increasingly louder. "And I have done it all for you!" He stepped closer, his eyes ablaze with anger and an emotion that Sarah was unable to place. "I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?"
Sarah refused to cower. She had come this far, she would see this through. "Through dangers untold, through hardships unnumbered," She recited in a low voice. "I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City." She took a step forward, and was pleased to see Jareth step back quickly. "My will is as strong as yours, and my-"
"Stop!" Jareth ordered, holding out a hand to silence her. "Wait. Look, Sarah, look what I'm offering you." He lifted his hand and a clear crystal orb materialized. "Your dreams."
Sarah paused. The orb seemed to call out to her, enticing her to reach out and take it. She pushed the feeling aside. "And my kingdom as great…" She repeated, and then, to her horror, she blanked on the next line.
"I ask for so little." Jareth said pleadingly. "Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."
She tried to look like she didn't care, but in reality, Sarah found herself so very tempted to give in to Jareth, to forget about Toby and stay by the Goblin King's side. Because no matter what her did, or how harshly he spoke to her, Sarah was undeniably drawn to him. His wildness attracted her – that magnificent mane of hair, those eyes that could shine with mirth or burn with rage depending on his mood, and his light-hearted manner that could easily change to fierce anger. Everything about him drew her in. he fascinated her.
No, she couldn't give in. She had to fight him until the end. Frantically, she searched her mind for the last line of the play, struggling to remember it. "My kingdom as great…" She repeated again. "Damn." She hissed, still unable to remember. "I can never remember that line.
Jareth looked at her enticingly. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say," He told her, holding out that forbidden orb. "And I will be your slave."
Sarah's heart thudded to a stop as Jareth's words hit home.
Love me.
He wanted her to love him? But why? Why would he care about that?
But when she looked into his eyes, she found her answer.
Because he loved her.
It should have been impossible. They had known each other for the span of less than thirteen hours. But there was no denying it. His love, his longing, was evident in his eyes. He needed her.
Sarah looked the Goblin King in the eye, her heart thudding like a jackhammer in her chest. Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded, reaching out and placing her fingertips on the orb.
The smile that appeared on Jareth's face took her breath away. It was the most genuine smile he had ever given her. Pure joy radiated from it. He stepped closer, wrapping a slender arm around Sarah's waist. "Thank you." He whispered into her ear.
Sarah looked up into his shining eyes and felt a ghost of a smile form on her lips. Suddenly, Jareth leaned in and captured her lips with his, causing Sarah to gasp. She was unsure of what to do at first, but when Jareth deepened the kiss instinct took over and her mouth moved against his. Her hands moved to grab handfuls of his shirt, clinging to him as if he were a lifeline.
When they broke apart to breathe again, Sarah was flushed and panting, gazing up at the Goblin King with wide eyes. "Whoa…" She said, somewhat breathlessly.
Jareth grasped her shoulders, smiling softly. "Whoa indeed." He replied. "Sarah, will you be my queen?"
"Yes." Sarah replied almost instantly. "I will."
Jareth's smile grew broader. "Then let us return to our kingdom."
Sarah nodded and Jareth took her by the hand, leading his queen back to the kingdom they would rule together. Behind them, the clock chimed the end of the thirteen hours, but the time limit didn't matter anymore. In Sarah's eyes, both of them had won.