My first submission=) PLEASE be kind but all Reviews appreciated, of course.
!I own NONE of these characters!
There could be a sequel if y'all want one...
UNDERGROUND
It's Only Forever….
I
She stood in front of a crowded ballroom. The room was decorated beautifully. There were silver tables, silver chairs, and large baubles hanging from the ceiling, casting a heavenly light on the room. There were couples in bizarre masks and costumes dancing all around her. She was dressed in a beautiful silver gown and her hair was pulled back; away from her face. There was nothing obstructing her vision, and yet there seemed to be a light silvery fog hanging about the room, making it difficult to see everything clearly. She began searching the room. What exactly she was searching for she wasn't sure, but there was something in her mind egging her on, sending her hints that there was something in this room she needed to find. She squeezed her way through the crowd, searching…. At last, a tall masked figure in blue caught her attention. She stared; knowing that this was what she was looking for…what she had been searching for. The man in blue lowered his mask.
A sharp kick in the leg brought Sarah out of her dream. Her head, which had been balanced perilously on her hand, snapped up. The girl sitting next to her, Val, stared at her intensely out of the corner of her eye, tapping her notebook, hard. Sarah blinked and tried to come back to reality. The contents of the dream left her head immediately as she realized she had just fallen asleep in the middle of her English 450 class. Mr. Dassel was coming her way, still speaking.
"…only one to ever dispute Cavell's genius?" He was finishing a question. "Miss Williams? How about you?" he asked.
Sarah hesitated only a second. What was he asking? She couldn't remember what they had been talking about before she had fallen asleep. She turned to look at Val's notebook, to the words her pen was hitting. Nick Cavell's greatest triumph "The First Day"….only man to argue its theories…..she smiled and breathed a short sigh of relief.
"A fellow author, Jason Bimmerson. He said Cavell's idea's to create a new Utopia were not just impractical, but also immoral." She stated trying not to sound sleepy. Her professor smiled.
"Correct. He tried to use the inhumane conditions used in said novel to have Cavell…" Sarah sat back in her seat and breathed another sigh of relief. She gave a look of thanks to Val, who only shook her head in amazement.
Sarah and Val left class twenty minutes later, both smiling and happy that they had only one more class before Spring Break.
"I still can't believe how lucky you are sometimes," Val said. "The other seniors and I are having a hard enough time passing that class when we're awake. You're literally acing it in your sleep. No wonder they let you take upper level classes." Sarah, a college freshman, shook her head and smiled.
"Only in English and Writing." She said with a small laugh. "If I come out with at least a 'C' in Geometry and Economics it'll be a miracle." Sarah would never forget the look on her father and stepmother's faces when her guidance counselor told them Sarah had received a perfect score on her English placement test at orientation. He immediately had special permission written up so Sarah could be placed in a class "fit to accommodate her knowledge." It had been hard at first. Oh, the class work had been a piece of cake, but the seniors and graduate students weren't too happy with this freshman upstaging them. Valerie Day had been Sarah's only friend that year. Sarah looked around the campus as she thought. It made her a little sad to be reminded that her best friend would be graduating in a few short months. Sarah had been far too busy with school work to make friends in her dorm, and her outrageous fantasy stories in Advanced Creative Writing 300 hadn't earned her any friends in class either. This was why Sarah loved Val. She wasn't closed minded like everyone else at school. Val was a free spirit. She wasn't afraid to believe in the extraordinary, and she too often wrote about ideas that seemed a little out of this world.
"So," Val said a little slyly. "That must have been a…interesting dream you were having back there." She had an eyebrow up and was grinning as though she knew something Sarah didn't. Sarah stopped walking. The dream. She had almost forgotten. The dress, the ballroom, the man who she knew was behind the mask. She looked at the ground. Sarah mentally kicked herself. She hadn't had that dream in ages, she was sure she was done thinking about him. She wanted to forget it but Val was still talking. "So." She said coming closer and grinning. "Who's Jared?"
"Jare-d?" She repeated putting an emphasis on the 'd.' She didn't know anyone by that name.
"You whispered his name in your sleep." Val said. "It was real quiet but, yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what you said." Sarah felt her cheeks go red. Jared. It was so close to…. No. She couldn't have. But Val had heard her so apparently she could and she did.
"I don't know." She lied quietly. "I can't remember the dream that well." She shrugged and headed for the library, praying that Val would drop the subject. Val did, but looked a little disappointed as they headed into the library. The two girls walked into the computer lab, which mercifully had plenty of computers open. Sarah grabbed the nearest one and put her thumb drive in. She had fifteen minutes to print out her paper for her next class. It was a short story, so she knew it might take a while. Sarah pulled up the paper and pressed print.
"You really need your own printer." Val remarked.
"Yeah, money's a little tight right now." Sarah answered. I'm saving up for my own car, remember?" It was harder then it sounded. Sarah's stepmother had flat out refused to let her husband give Sarah any money for her car. The only job Sarah had was working at a little bookstore back in her home town every summer. The pay wasn't very good, but it was all she had. At the rate she was going, Sarah figured she would have enough money to buy herself a decent used car...in about twenty years. "I wish….I mean, I'd like to be able to get a job during the year but no one called about my résumés yet." Sarah shrugged unhappily.
"Yeah, sorry hun, but any good jobs to be had around hear are already taken. You could try…Jeez how long is that thing?" Val stared in amazement at the pile growing in the printing machine. "You did know the assignment was fifteen pages, not fifty."
"It's not fifty pages." Sarah said defensively. Val looked at her for a while and finally Sarah said, "Its thirty-two," sheepishly. Val's jaw dropped.
"You. Are. Crazy. I fail to see how one person can have as many ideas as you can." Sarah just shrugged modestly as she gathered up the now completely printed paper. After her little adventure four years ago, her imagination had no limitation. She frowned as she remembered that there was a certain friend of hers who was a little overdue for a visit.
It felt so good to turn in that last paper and finally be free of school work for the next two weeks. Val quickly went back to her apartment to pack for a trip she and five others were taking to Cancun. After reassuring Val that she really really didn't need to go (("I think Marcus has a thing for you)" Val had insisted) Sarah checked the lock on the door to her single room and faced the mirror.
"Hoggle, I need you." Sarah spoke loudly. She waited. She waited for almost ten minutes. This was very odd. It usually took about thirty seconds for her friends to hear and answer her call. Sarah sat down on her bed and faced the mirror. She remembered last week, she had called another one of her fiends, Sir Didymus, and he too had never appeared. Sarah hadn't thought too much on this at the time. The eccentric Sir Didymus was most likely on some crazy quest or in the midst of a battle with a vicious stone. It was very unlike Hoggle to not answer her. Then again, she thought, Hoggle might be with…him, and therefore unable to leave. Jar….. he might not be so happy to hear that her friends were still traveling out of the kingdom to see her. He had been pretty furious with Hoggle for betraying him in the first place; the very mention of Sarah's name would no doubt drive him into frenzy. Sarah closed her eyes. The memory was still so fresh. She could still see the long twisting pathways before her; smell that horrible bog; taste the poisoned peach; and behind it all, a pair of mismatched eyes.
Four years ago, Sarah Williams had accidently wished for goblins to take her baby stepbrother, Toby, away. She had been surprised and devastated when the King of the Goblins himself had shown up in her room and granted the wish. Sarah had begged him to return her brother, but it was no use. The only way the king would undo the wish was if Sarah could solve the giant Labyrinth outside his castle in the Underground in thirteen hours. He had cheated, used all sorts of magic and tricks, but Sarah, with the help of some new friends, made it in the nick of time. She defeated the king at his own game, took her brother home and never saw the Labyrinth or its king again. She felt guilty for calling her friends to her (The king surly must hate her guts for beating him) but they had insisted that there was no harm to them, and she did miss them so. That reminded her.
"Hoggle?" She asked the mirror. "Oh Hoggle please be o.k." she could feel tears welling in her eyes. What if He had found out? What if her dear friends were trapped in an oubliette? What if she never saw them again?
"Ahh feels good to be 'outta there, let me tell ya. hehehe." Came a gruff voice. Sarah looked up and turned around. There stood the dwarf Hoggle. He was wearing a huge grin that vanished the second he saw the tears in Sarah's eyes. "Sarah…What's wrong? What's happened?" He asked, concerned. Sarah got off the bed and knelt down to hug him.
"Hoggle, I was so worried! You didn't come, I thought something had happened. I thought that Jareth..." she stopped suddenly. Even the sound of his name terrified her. She started shaking and looked around the room, as though expecting him to suddenly appear.
"It's alright," Hoggle said quietly. He patted her back a little awkwardly, not quite sure how to deal with a sobbing girl. Sir Didymus was much better with comfort then he was. "The Cleaners and the Bog of Eternal Stench combined couldn't keep me from you, you know that." he said proudly. Sarah sniffed and looked at him, smiling.
"I do know that." She said. Hoggle's smile widened. "I just jumped to the wrong conclusions. I'm sorry." She got up and blew her nose, feeling silly now.
"Yeah, well." Hoggle shifted nervously. "I do hafta be careful who I disappear around. After, well… after….you know. Jareth gave specific orders that no one was to visit the Aboveground, so I can't stay too long. And it would defiantly be pretty stupid for all three, or even two of us, to come together." Sarah nodded.
"Wait," Sarah remembered something. "You've all come before. Lots of times."
"Well that was before." Hoggle said, looking dreamily at Sarah's open jewelry box. The tiny man had a thing for shiny objects. "Right after you left, Jareth had a lot to deal with. Everything in the kingdom though it was pretty funny that a fifteen year old human girl solved the infamous Labyrinth. A lot of them mutinied. It took everything he had to keep the goblins from getting out of control." Sarah shivered again. She looked at the window to make sure it was locked. She didn't want to know what the King would do to her for dividing up his kingdom.
"What happened?" she asked quietly. She was worried for the creatures of the Underground, but also, for some reason, she was worried about Jareth. Did the goblins hurt him? Had they rebelled? Had there been some sort of horrible war? She wondered where this sudden concern for Jareth had come from. Till now, the thought of him had scarred her, given her nightmares. She shook her head and turned back to Hoggle. "What happened?" she repeated. He had been turning one of her rings over in his hands. He put it down and looked at her gravely.
"Well, he found the gang of mutineers. He…" Hoggle gulped. "…he tossed 'em all into the bog." Now it was Hoggle's turn to shiver. Sarah looked down. It was a fate too horrible to think about. But I can be cruel. An unwelcomed memory reminded her. Sarah went to the window and closed the shades, checking the lock again. Hoggle was still talking. "No one questioned or doubted Jareth after that except for this one pack 'a goblins. Jareth heard they had been meeting in private and were thinking about leaving the kingdom, but Jareth found 'em. He threw them into the Labyrinth and left 'em there wandering around hopelessly lost for five days. Needless to say the kingdom was pretty humbled after all 'a that." He bowed his head sadly. Sarah stood, shocked. She knew Jareth was pretty merciless, but she was still saddened by what he had done. Hoggle shrugged. "Knowing Jareth, things could have been much worse. But anyway, now that things have settled down, we gotta be more careful about leaving. He was so swamped with trouble before, we could disappear for hours and he wouldn't notice. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Sarah, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not give Jareth another reason to be mad at me." He finished, blushing a little. Sarah was very toutched at the sincerity of his words. She imagined Jareth, sitting in his castle, fuming, outraged at all of the trouble she had caused. Sarah's legs began to shake. She sat down.
"This is all my fault." She said simply. She had personally smelt the fumes that came from The Bog of Eternal Stench; she had been lost and scared in the Labyrinth; she felt horrible for having brought such suffering to the goblins. Her eyes welled up again. Now she just felt like a crybaby. She should be enjoying these precious moments with her friend, and instead she was crying her eyes out at every turn. She buried her face in her hands so Hoggle wouldn't see her tears.
"Sarah? Sarah…don't ever say that again." Hoggle sounded close to tears himself. "You did everything he asked of you. He made the rules, he broke them and you still won. You were wonderful." He had come over to her and placed his short arm around her shoulders. Sarah whipped her eyes.
"If only I hadn't been so selfish. If only I hadn't made that stupid wish in the first place." Sarah sobbed.
"Don't say that." Hoggle said sounding broken hearted. "Then I never would have met you." Sarah looked up and hugged him tight.
"Oh Hoggle, I didn't mean it like that. I only… Oh jeez, we need to stop this. Look at us. This was supposed to be a happy reunion and we're crying like a couple of old ladies." She was happy to hear Hoggle laugh. They spent the next few minutes talking about happier times. Sarah told Hoggle funny stories from her different classes, about a certain teacher she had who bore a striking resemblance to their friend Ludo. They were both in much better spirits when Hoggle felt he should say good-bye. Sarah hugged him tight before telling him for the hundredth time to be very careful. After swearing for the hundredth time that he would, Hoggle vanished. Sarah double, and then triple checked the locks on her windows and door, changed into her pajamas and went to bed. She lay there for a while thinking. Nobody, not even Hoggle, knew what had passed between the Goblin King and Sarah that night right before the thirteenth hour struck. Jareth had offered Sarah the chance to stay with him, to live in the Underground forever. Sarah had been tempted… so tempted… by the proposal. He had looked at her, spoken to her with such intensity, longing, and could it have been love? Sarah now knew that at some point, even if only for a moment, in that crazy mixed up world he ruled, Jareth had loved her. You asked that the baby be taken, I took him. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! That same voice reminded her. It made Sarah a little sad to recall these words. When she had been fifteen she wouldn't let anything change that she believed herself to be blameless for what had happened. She had refused to accept the fact that all of the trouble she had gotten herself into was because she had been careless and cruel. Jareth had been merciful to her by offering her a chance to reclaim her brother, and then had given her the offer of a lifetime. Then of course the ballroom…that beautiful dance….Sarah blushed under the covers as she remembered how good it felt to dance in his arms, and how sweet his voice had sounded. As the world falls down….Falling in love. Of course Sarah now knew this could no longer possible be the case. She had refused his offer, humiliated him and, she now knew, caused so much trouble for his land. She had broken his heart. And now she was sure this was one 'What if?' that would never be resolved. She finally fell asleep.
II
Outside, a beautiful white and gold barn owl sat on a branch outside of Sarah's window. It stared at her closed shades. The owl closed its eyes and the shades opened of their own accord. It cocked its head to the side and the lock on the window clicked open. The owl flew to the window and pushed its way inside the room. Once it was inside, it changed into its true form. A tall man with long blond hair, an extravagant blue and silver cape, and a set of mismatched eyes (one blue, one brown) now stood in Sarah's bedroom: Jareth the Goblin King. He chuckled softly as he looked at the window. As if a simple lock could keep him out! He closed the window quietly so the chilly breeze would not wake the sleeping Sarah. Jareth crossed his arms and looked down at her. This wasn't the first time he had visited her. In the months after her visit to his kingdom, he had come to her room often. He could never explain why, but he found her very presence soothing. But why is it so hard to be angry with her? He thought bitterly. Look at everything she put me through. My kingdom was nearly torn apart; I haven't slept in weeks, and all because of her. Yet, he never once blamed her for anything. He had been too furious with himself to even consider anger with her. Obviously he had made a mistake somewhere. She had made a wish, he had granted it. She craved adventure, he had given her one. She wanted an escape from the unfair life she led, so he had offered her a new world. He had brought every single one of her fantasies to life, but in the end, she had refused him. Jareth knelt down next to the sleeping girl. He brought his face as close to hers as he dared.
"Sarah," he whispered very softly. "tell me, where did I go wrong?" he asked her sleeping form. Of course there was no answer. There was only the sound of her gentle breathing. Jareth moved back a little and looked at her. He knew that several mortal years had passed since he had seen her, but she looked very much the same. Her smooth ivory skin, long beautiful dark hair and, he knew, behind those sleeping eye lids, two big green eyes. He had always found her eyes so intriguing. He had seen so many emotions in those eyes; fear when she had first set eyes on him, pain when she thought her brother might be gone for good, pride and resentment as she referred to his Labyrinth as 'a piece of cake,' and in the ballroom…there was so much he saw in her. She had been confused and afraid at first, but once he had found her and taken her into his arms, the fear had left. It was only there for a moment but he knew what he had seen in her eyes; happiness, contentment, even…possibly, love? It was her dream come true, he was sure of that. Sarah wanted to live the life of a fairy tale, but for some reason he could never understand, she had thrown it all away when he laid it at her feet. Jareth sighed and stood. Humans…women for that matter…were just too complicated to understand. He couldn't even begin to guess how many headaches had resulted from him trying to figure this girl out. The King looked around the room. Her mother's Playbills from her Broadway days, newspaper clippings, and movie posters were everywhere as well as several pictures of Toby. Jareth had to smile at these. Ah, little Toby. Jareth had grown to like the boy during his short stay at the castle. His eyes were drawn to several pictures on Sarah's desk. There were some of her and her father and Toby, but many with her and another girl. Sarah was smiling brightly in every one of them. The Goblin King was slightly taken aback by Sarah's smile. He recalled sadly that she had never smiled at him before. It was possible the most beautiful…
"Jareth…." Came a soft voice behind him. Jareth turned quickly expecting to see a surprised Sarah looking at him, but she was still sleeping soundly. Jareth took a couple of steps towards her bed. Had he imagined it? No. He was sure he had heard it. Sarah had spoken his name in her sleep. Jareth recalled the night after she had beaten him. The same thing had happened; his name, spoken oh, so softly, in her sleep. He had been shocked. He had returned every night after for a week, but it had never happened again, until now. Jareth reached out his hand, about to touch her face, but pulled back at the last moment. This was not the right time. He changed back into owl form and flew out of the window, magically closing and locking it behind him.
Sarah slept in the next morning. When she awoke, she smiled at the birds singing happily outside her window. Her smile widened. No more school work for two whole weeks. Sarah lay in bed for a while when her happy thoughts were interrupted by her memory. The dream. She'd had it again. The silver ballroom, the dancing figures, Jareth waiting for her. Sarah couldn't understand why this dream was coming back to her. Why now? It had been so long since she had thought of Jareth. She had always avoided talking about him whenever her friends came to visit. Was it a warning? Was Jareth coming to claim revenge on her? Sarah's good mood vanished. She was very distracted as she showered and got dressed. She decided to go out. There was less chance of Jareth trying something if she was out in the open. Sarah started towards her and Val's favorite spot on the campus. A beautiful little balcony on the forth floor of the library. It was the perfect size for two people. Sarah and Val had spent many a happy hour studying here. It was also a place of sanctuary for both girls. It seemed as though no other student knew about this balcony. The forth floor was small and had no computers, just several old textbooks, so it was rarely visited in the first place. Only a true bookworm like Sarah could have found it. It was most definitely a place were Sarah felt safe. Sure enough, as soon as she gazed over the campus from her favorite spot, she felt much better. She immediately felt silly for her earlier thoughts about Jareth. She hadn't seen or heard from him for almost five years. Why would he be coming for her now? Besides, Sarah was almost positive he couldn't come to the Aboveground unless he was called. Sarah breathed in the warm air and relaxed.
Sarah retreated into the library for a moment to grab a book. When she came back out, she saw it; black smoke rising out of one of the buildings. A fire. Sarah dropped her book and ran out of the library as fast as she could. As she ran towards the smoke she could hear sirens in the distance, coming closer. There was a large group of students and faculty standing outside of the smoking building that Sarah recognized as the Music Performance building. The fire didn't look bad. The fire trucks seemed to get in out easily. The building was still standing, just a little black around the edges. One lady was getting oxygen from a machine, but didn't seem to be hurt. A policeman and a fireman went over to her. Sarah and several other students moved closer to eavesdrop.
"I heard noise coming from my classroom." She began shakily. "It sounded like someone was playing the drums and maracas. And there was a lot of laughing. I was sure I had locked the room before I had left so I went to investigate. The door was locked when I got to it, so I still don't understand how someone could have gotten in. I opened the door and…and there was this huge fire in the middle of the room, and these people all dressed in red were dancing around it like it was a bonfire. I screamed and suddenly the fire exploded. My whole room was on fire! I ran into the hall, pulled the fire alarm and ran out as fast as I could." She finished, still shaking a little. "Was anyone hurt?" she asked suddenly.
"No," the fire chief answered. "Everyone's out. No one dressed in red, though. Are you sure that's what you saw?" the woman nodded. He opened his mouth to ask more questions, but at that moment some policemen came over to get rid of the crowd. Everyone walked away, talking in quick low tones about what they had just heard. Sarah headed back to the library. This was very odd, who would start a fire in the music building? And dressed in bright red, didn't sound like they were too keen on not being seen… Sarah stopped in her tracks. Something in red, dancing and playing music around a bonfire. There was only one type of creature she knew who acted this way, but it couldn't be. It was impossible. There was no way they could be here on campus, she hadn't called them…and Sarah was pretty sure no one else knew how to. That was when a bright flash of red caught her attention in the bushes. She turned. The leaves in the bush were rustling, and she could hear high pitched giggling coming from it. There was no one else around. Sarah walked over towards the sound of the noise. She was about three feet away from the bush when a feathery head popped out. Sarah jumped back, her scream caught in her throat. The beak on the head grinned and laughed.
"I remember you!" it cackled. "You gonna come back to party with us? Maybe this time we get you to take off ya head!" With that it gave another evil cackle and disappeared. Sarah backed farther away from the bushed.
"No." she said out loud. Fireys. Here. It was impossible. How could they have traveled out of the kingdom without Jareth knowing? Sarah shook her head and headed back to the dorm thinking furiously the whole way. Maybe there was someone else in school who knew the ways of the Labyrinth. She figured long ago that she couldn't be the only one who had read that book. But you are the only one who believed in it. She reminded herself. No, they must have come of their own accord. After all, what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and had given her special powers. Sarah recalled the words of the book. She was the only one with the power to summon the goblins and she certainly hadn't called the fireys to her world. Sarah reached her room. She went to close the windows before summoning Hoggle. Maybe he knew what was going on. Hoggle had chased off the fireys before, he should be able to do it again. Sarah reached out to close the window when something caught her eye. There was a large white feather stuck to the side of the window. It was so white it seemed to glow in the sun, and there were flecks of gold in it. Sarah's blood ran cold. There was only one owl she knew that had feathers like that was…..
"Jareth!" she spoke with a sudden outburst of breath. But she had been so sure that he couldn't come unless called. She had been so sure. But apparently I was wrong. Sarah spun around and scanned the room, as though expecting him to be standing there. Sarah gulped as she realized that there was only one way to settle this once and for all. She didn't need to call Hoggle. Jareth was the only one who could clean up this mess. Sarah moved very slowly to the mirror. She was shaking; she didn't have anything to protect herself.
"I wish…." What if he comes and he's angry?
"I wish…." What if he doesn't come at all? Maybe he set the fireys on the campus to punish me? To destroy my world just as I had almost destroyed his? What if he's sitting in his castle right now laughing at me?
"I wish…" Sarah took a deep breath and stepped up to the mirror. She didn't have any other choice. What if next time the fireys decided to have some fun, someone got hurt…or worse? Sarah could never live with that on her conscience. She had to try.
"I wish the Goblin King would come to me" she spoke loudly and without fear. "Right now."
Jareth, in the few moments before Sarah mad her wish, was facing some problems of his own.
"What do you mean 'they're gone'?" he spat at one of his goblin guards. The guard shook in the presence of his angry king.
"W-W-W-We searched the forest, s-s-sire," he stammered. "There's n-n-no sign of them anywhere."
"Well then," Jareth got down on one knee so that he and the poor goblin were eye-to-eye. "Get back out there and search the rest of the grounds. All of it. And don't come back until they're found. Well, what are you waiting for? GO!" he shouted at the little army of searchers. They scrambled over themselves to get to the door. Jareth went to his thrown and collapsed in it. Just when things seemed to be calming down. These creatures are more trouble then they're worth. He thought angrily as he laid back and closed his eyes. Then, in the back of his head he heard a voice. Her voice. Sarah had made a wish. Jareth grinned widely before vanishing.
"My, my, Sarah. Look how you've grown." Sarah would know that voice anywhere. It sent shivers down her spine. She turned, and there was Jareth, The Goblin King standing in her room. Right in front of the door. Blocking my way out! Sarah thought with sudden panic. She took a couple of steps back.
"Stay back." She warned. Jareth raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believed it was you who called on me." He replied. "Why so hostel?"
"Look," Sarah began, trying to hide the fear in her voice. "I don't want…I mean…this isn't about…before….I….I just want…I mean…I need…" she was babbling. Sarah took a deep breath and tried to start again. Jareth was laughing.
"Ah, Sarah. You always had such a way with words." He took two huge strides towards her, smiling. Sarah backed up some more. "Now," he continued smoothly. "What can I do for you? Sibling trouble again?" It was a low blow and he knew it. He couldn't blame Sarah for straightening up indignantly.
"The fireys are here." She said simply. She had expected him to laugh, to grin and say that he already knew this; that it was her problem now, and to disappear without another word. She didn't however, expect him to look confused.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked simply.
"The-your fireys. They're here on the campus. They started a fire in one of the buildings. I saw them." Jareth starred at her for a while. Finally, something like recognition spread across his face. He exhaled and looked down.
"Well…I suppose that would explain a lot. So that is how it works." He said, more to himself then to Sarah.
"Jareth," Sarah said quietly. He looked up when she addressed him by name. "Please, can you just get rid of them? They don't belong here, and you know it. Please?" she took a timid step towards him, but immediately regretted it. They were much too close now. Jareth regarded her for a moment, and then looked over her shoulder. Without a word he walked right passed her to the window and looked out.
Sarah waited patiently for him to say something, but when nothing came she summed up her courage.
"Jareth? Are you going to help me or not?" She asked. Jareth turned so fast it made her jump.
"I can't." was his only reply. Sarah's heart sank.
"What? But…you're the only one who can control them!" she said desperately.
"Sarah, there's nothing I can do." Jareth was looking at her with a very blank expression. It was making Sarah madder by the minute. How could he be so heartless?
"Jareth, listen to me. Those things are crazy. There's no telling what they'll do now that they're free on the city. They already did enough damage. It was pure luck no one was hurt. What's going to happen if they accidentally kill someone? I don't know if you remember, but they tried to rip my head off when I first met them!" Sarah stopped, unsure if bringing up her first trip to the Underground was such a good idea. Jareth was still regarding her calmly.
"Listen to me, Sarah. There's nothing I can do." He repeated. "They are no longer in my control. They've proved that by coming Aboveground without my permission." Sarah opened her mouth to say that her friends had been coming to see her without his permission, but stopped herself just in time.
"So that's it then." She truly felt stupid now. "We're all just at their mercy?" Jareth's eyes lit up. He gave a little grin and walked towards Sarah, who backed away with every step he took.
"I said I couldn't control them. I never said they were beyond control." Sarah's back hit the wall. Jareth must have seen the fear in her eyes because he stopped about two feet away from her.
"What does that mean?" She definitely regretted calling him now.
"You can control them." Jareth said this as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sarah blinked.
"What?" she blustered. "Jareth, please, I'm not in the mood for any of your games. I just want the fireys gone before they burn down the entire campus." Jareth straightened up and crossed his arms again.
"I'm not playing games with you, Sarah. You have the power to get rid of them. Just tell them to leave, you'll see what happens." He said finally. Sarah starred at him.
"I still don't understand." She said feeling a little dumb.
"Here, let me show you," Jareth replied with a half smile. Then, before Sarah could blink, Jareth had closed the space between them and grabbed her forearms tightly. They disappeared from the room before Sarah could scream.
Sarah hadn't time to react when Jareth had grabbed her. Suddenly she felt woozy, like she had just stepped off a long roller coaster. The feeling only lasted a second, and when it was over, she found her voice.
"Let me go!" she screamed at him. She began to thrash against his grip, but Jareth had released her. That surprise, added to the aftereffect of whatever he had just done, caused Sarah to fall to the ground, her head spinning.
"Sarah, be careful!" Jareth said curtly, but then his voice softened. "I apologize, Sarah. I've never tried that with a human being before." He held out a gloved hand to help her up. Sarah was surprised to hear such concern in his voice. She took his hand and he easily lifted her to her feet. Once she was up, he didn't let go of her hand. He pulled her close to him and placed his other arm around her back, as though to keep her from falling again. Their faces were inches apart. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. Sarah could see her reflection in his eyes. She hoped she wasn't blushing, that was the last thing she wanted him to see.
"I'm fine," she said a little breathlessly. Jareth released her slowly. Only then did she remember what had just happened. "What did you do? Where are we?" She was answered the second she looked around. They were facing the woods right behind her dorm. "You know we could have just taken the stairs." She remarked with a little grin, but Jareth was standing behind some tall bushes. He turned to Sarah, put a figure to his lips for silence, and pointed. There, at the end of a small sidewalk was a dumpster. The fireys were playing inside and all around it. They seemed to be taking out bits of trash, setting it on fire and throwing them into the air. They had been laughing so loud they didn't even hear Sarah and Jareth appear. Sarah didn't like being so close to them. She ran over to the bush were Jareth was standing. Jareth looked at her.
"Well, here's your chance. Send them away." He said simply. Sarah looked at him desperately.
"Jareth, please, for the last time, I don't know how!" she pleaded.
"Just tell then to go back to the Labyrinth. It'll work. Trust me." Jareth replied. Sarah looked at him. Trust him? How on Earth was she supposed to trust him, after he had cheated so much the last time? Sarah looked at the fireys. If someone didn't do something fast there was going to be a forest fire. Sarah took a deep breath and stepped out of the bush. She walked slowly towards the fireys.
"Um… hey…you all need…" but she stopped, fear choking her words as the fireys all looked up at once. Then, with several high pitched squeaks of glee, they all started towards her. Sarah screamed and threw her arms up to cover her face. "Go away!" she shrieked. "Back to the Underground! All of you!" Sarah braced herself for the collision she knew was coming. Several seconds passed but nothing happened. Sarah opened her eyes. There was no more yelling. She uncovered her face. They were gone. She turned to look at Jareth. He was looking at…Sarah took a little step back…one of those damn crystal balls. Jareth looked at her and smiled.
"It worked." He said with a laugh. Sarah starred at him in disbelief.
"Why did that work?" she asked. Jareth either didn't hear or ignored her.
"You know, it's funny," he said. "They're not really all bad. They can be a little eccentric at times, but the truth is, they would never really hurt anyone." He winked at her. "Surprised by your own power, are you?"
"Jareth, why are they obeying me?" Sarah demanded. Jareth sighed deeply.
"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked. Sarah couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. She gave him a sharp look as a response. He sighed and went back to looking at his crystal. "I'm warning you Sarah." He spoke softly, but with a commanding air. "You may not like what you hear. But once you hear it, there's no going back from it. I can't erase it from your mind. You'll have to live with it, deal with it in some way." Sarah blinked. She couldn't think of an answer that could be so horrible. And yet, there was something in Jareth's eyes. Was it pity? Sadness? He looked as though he was hopping he wouldn't have to give this news, whatever it was, to Sarah. But Sarah's curiosity was too strong.
"Tell me." She said. Jareth regarded her for a moment.
"Sarah, my Labyrinth is a very complex thing. It is not just stone walls, and twisting forests. It's alive. You saw how it changed, how it tried to fool you. That's because the Labyrinth was not made to be defeated. It was made to entrap, to cause those attempting to conquer it to become lost, to lose both their way and their minds." He paused. Sarah tried to take this all in.
"But, you can control the Labyrinth, can't you?" she asked. Jareth smiled.
"Yes, I can. Do you know why?" Sarah shook her head. "Because, Sarah, I was the first living creature to solve it. It started to grow around my castle on day. It was magic beyond my control. It wasn't long before it surrounded us completely. Now I of course could get myself where I needed to go easily, but I still had to do something about the Labyrinth. It was very powerful and I couldn't have it overthrowing me. So one day, I went in. It took much longer then thirteen hours, I assure you, but I solved it. And believe me Sarah, if you thought the Labyrinth was unfair before, that's nothing compared to what it was when it was wild. It didn't just try to trick you, it tried to kill you. You wouldn't have lasted five minutes. The point is I defeated it. Afterwards, it surrendered to me. It became my pet. It obeyed any order I gave it. I was its master all because I had solved it. Do you understand now?" Sarah thought she did. But if what he was suggesting was true…
"Sarah," Jareth spoke barely above a whisper. "You defeated the Labyrinth as well. Therefore, you now have control over it." Sarah just starred. She remembered the Labyrinth's massive size. How could any one being control all it?
"You mean, I'm its master now?" she finally managed to say. Jareth rolled his eyes.
"Now really Sarah lets not get greedy." He said. "You can control certain parts of the Labyrinth, yes, but not the whole thing. You are only human after all. I'm guessing the certain parts you traveled, the creatures you met, have surrendered to you. That's why Haggle and your other little friends have been able to visit you without my permission." Sarah's face turned red and she opened her mouth to say something in their defense, but Jareth cut her of as though reading her mind. "Yes, yes! I know all about that, and in case you haven't noticed, I haven't hurt them. I've had much bigger problems to deal with thanks to our last little run in." Fear struck Sarah's heart. They had come back to that. She knew he was mad. She needed to get away from him. She tried to think of what to say to get rid of him. He mind was drawing blanks, and she was just standing there not saying anything.
"O.k." she said quickly. "Thank you very much. I'm glad you filled me in. Um…thanks." It pathetic, she knew. Before Jareth could react, she turned on her heal and walked quickly towards the door to her building, praying she'd make it before he called her back. She breathed a sigh of relief as she grasped the handle and turned. She gave a little scream of surprise as she saw Jareth standing behind it. His eyebrow was raised.
"I beg your pardon, but I'm not finished with you yet." Was all he said. Sarah backed away like a frightened animal. This was it. Jareth was still looking at her quizzically. "Sarah, what on earth is the matter with you? You're acting like Hogghead does whenever I try to talk to him." Sarah tried to maintain her distance.
"Jareth, can we please just not talk about what happened before?" she begged. Jareth smiled a frightening smile.
"Well I should think you enjoy a good brag. You never did get the chance to rub your victory in my face." Sarah couldn't tell if he was joking or not. All she knew was that they were completely alone back here. She tried to put on a brave face, but she knew her eyes were giving her away.
"I have nothing to say to you Jareth." Sarah said with as much strength as she could muster. "Please just go." Jareth continued to regard her with a confused expression. Sarah turned slowly to walk around the building. She barely made it three steps before she felt him behind her. He grabbed her wrists, firmly, but not painfully. He was so close; Sarah could feel his stomach against her back. She closed her eyes, her breath quickened. Jareth put his mouth to her ear and whispered.
"Sarah," his voice was low. It made the hair on the back of hr neck stand up. "What are you so frightened of? I've done nothing to harm you." Sarah closed her eyes tighter. "I'm not going to hurt you; you have my word as King." He released her and she spun around to face him.
"So I'm supposed to believe that you, the all powerful Goblin King, have no desire for revenge against the person who defeated your Labyrinth? Against the one who caused you to be humiliated in front of all of your subjects? None at all?" she sounded braver then she felt. Jareth looked at her. Suddenly he burst out laughing.
"Sarah is that really what this is about?" he choked out when his fit began to die down. He spread his arms wide. "You think I'm going to punish you for beating the Labyrinth?" Sarah blinked, more then surprised by his reaction.
"But…the goblins revolted. You kingdom was…" she tried to explain but Jareth cut her off.
"Yes, they were driving me crazy! Yes, it was tiresome to deal with, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Anyway, it's over now and with their tiny thought process they won't even remember it in a few days." Sarah starred at him, and then looked down at the ground so Jareth wouldn't see her face turn bright red. She felt like the world's biggest idiot. She had made herself look so weak and for no reason. There was no way Jareth could respect her now.
"I just thought…" she tried to meet his eyes. "Can we just forget it?" Jareth held up his hands in mock defense, still grinning wickedly. There was a moment of silence between them. Then something inside Sarah snapped. "How are you not angry?" Her voice had gone a little high pitched with anger. "You're really going to stand there and act like nothing happened? Like I didn't almost destroy your kingdom?" Jareth smile faded a little, but he was still laughing. This only made Sarah angrier.
"'Destroy my kingdom?' Now, Sarah I think that's being a little harsh. There was never any real danger, it was just…." But why am I lying to her? Why do I want to spare her feelings? Maybe a good dose of fear is what she needs. Why not take out some anger on her rather then the goblins for once? ' You know why' a voice in the back of his head reminded him. 'That's what you really want to let out, isn't it? Your feelings for this girl?' Jareth shook his head. He looked at Sarah. She was still fuming.
"I know what's been happening, o.k.?" she sounded like she'd been holding this in for a while. "Hoggle told me. The bog, trapping the goblins in the Labyrinth, I know everything." Jareth's eyes flashed a little dangerously.
"I see," he said in a deadly whisper. "So now you disapprove of how I discipline my own subjects? Just because you now have the slightest power over the Labyrinth does not mean you can tell me how to run my kingdom." He said. 'That's not why you're mad' his mind taunted him. 'You're mad because she brought up that infernal dwarf. That pathetic, cowardly, little scab, whose companionship she preferred over yours.' These ideas, more then Sarah's words, were infuriating him; just as Jareth's cool manner was upsetting Sarah more then the actual matter they were discussing.
"I'm not criticizing you, oh great and all powerful Goblin King," she said with a mocking bow. "But if you can honestly tell me that you inflicted such horrible punishments on your own subjects for something that was 'no big deal,' and yet you refuse to harbor any ill feelings towards the one who started it, then you are as cruel and unfair as you always claimed to be!" she finished out of breath. She saw Jareth's face tighten; a sure sign that he was really getting mad. When he spoke, it was no longer low and quiet, but loud.
"You see? This is your problem Sarah, you think you are the center of everything! It was bad enough that you were selfish in your own world, but now you think my world revolves you too? You just can't get it through your head that sometimes things happen without you being in the middle of them. Alright, maybe I lied, maybe the trouble in the kingdom was bad, but what does it matter now? There was trouble and I solved it. There! That's it! It's done!" Jareth stopped his rant and looked away from her. "You may have grown Sarah, but in many ways you are still just a child." He finished. He started to pace slowly along the wall of the building. Sarah stared at him wide eyed. She had seen him mad before, but had never personally heard him shout. No wonder the goblins feared him. Sarah summed up her courage enough to try to say something.
"I didn't mean to be selfish," she chose her words carefully. "The truth is I was afraid of you coming to take some sort of horrible revenge on me. I didn't know how you felt."
"You could have summoned me instead of worrying; this all could have been settled long ago." Was Jareth's only reply. Sara knew the smart thing to do would be to agree and drop the subject, but her mouth got the memo too late.
"Well I would have rather avoided the subject if I thought you were going to try to kill me…" Jareth turned sharply at these words. There was still anger on his face, but there was now fear and pain in his eyes.
"Kill you?" he said in a voice Sarah had never heard him use before. "Sarah, I could never ever hurt you in any way, do you understand that?" Sarah was surprised and touched by the tenderness in his voice. He certainly sounded sincere.
"Yes I do," she responded a little weekly. There was a very long awkward silence between them after that. Sarah was the one to break it. "So, I can really control bits of the Labyrinth now?" she asked conversationally. Jareth replied without looking at her.
"Yes," was all he said. Sarah tried again.
"Um…if you don't mind my asking, how are you so sure?" Jareth looked at her blankly.
"You saw it for yourself, you gave them and order, they obeyed." He answered. At least he's not mad anymore. Sarah thought. "Not to mention that fact that this is where they chose to come." When Sarah looked confused, he went on explaining. "The fireys are part of the Labyrinth. They could never leave it without my saying so. Now that they recognize you as their master, they can leave my domain of power, but can not travel far from yours. That's why they remained on this…what did you call it? 'Campus' Close to you." Sarah nodded her understanding.
"So," she asked looking out into the trees. "where do we go from here?" Jareth moved to stand closer to her.
"Well, you told the fireys to go to the Underground but you never mentioned that you wanted them to stay there, so I suppose there's a chance they may come back." Sarah's heart sank.
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked Jareth. He looked down at her. It hurt him to see her looking so lost.
"Are you still so opposed to staying in the Labyrinth with me?" he ventured. Sarah's eyes widened.
"I-I don't…Jareth you can't just…" she sputtered.
"I didn't think so." Jareth answered for her. "What are you going to do if they come back?" he asked. This caught Sarah a little off guard.
"I guess I'll just tell them to go back to the Underground and make sure I say 'stay there' this time." Sarah answered with a shrug. Jareth laughed softly.
"And how do you intend to find them if they do come back? For all you know, they could have already returned." He leaned against a nearby tree. Sarah slumped.
"I don't know!" she looked at Jareth pleadingly. "This is a lot for one person to take in, you know. Can't I just wish them away?" A light bulb seemed to come on in Jareth's head.
"We could go back. If they're still there you can tell them in person." Sarah narrowed her eyes at him. Jareth returned the look. "Don't worry," he sighed. "I promise, I'll bring you back here afterwards."
"No tricks?" she prodded. Jareth smiled warmly.
"No tricks. My word as King." Sarah thought for a moment and then sighed.
"Alright, anything to keep those creatures away from here." Sarah looked at Jareth.
"Are you ready?" Jareth asked. Sarah nodded. After all of this time, she was going back. Jareth grinned at her. He spread his arms. "I'll have to hold you." Sarah sighed and went to him. Sure you do, she thought. She put her arms around Jareth's waist and placed her head against his chest. He in turn, placed his arms around her, tightly, but gently. For some reason, Sarah found herself liking the way this felt. It was like they were back in the ballroom. She felt safe, like a missing piece of her had just been found. She was very nervous at the same time. Back to the Labyrinth. What would happen when she got there? Where things still the same? Would Jareth keep his promise and take her home, or was this all part of his plan to trap her? She must have been shaking because Jareth put his head close to hers and said, "Close your eyes, and don't be afraid." Sarah did, and she wasn't. She felt the ground sway a little beneath her, felt the wind knocked out of her slightly. It only lasted a little longer then when he had transported then outside. When she opened her eyes, she was in a big beautiful forest surrounded by lush green trees. I'm back, she thought. It took her a while to realize that she was still holding on to Jareth. She looked up at him. He was grinning. "Welcome back, Sarah." He whispered. She let go of him and stepped back slowly, remembering her fall last time. She looked around.
"It's beautiful." She said. Jareth raised an eyebrow.
"It's the same as it was the first time you saw it." He remarked. Sarah turned to him.
"Well I was in a bit of a hurry the last time. I didn't really get the chance to sightsee." Sarah said, and for the first time since they had met, Sarah smiled at Jareth. It only lasted a moment, but Jareth knew he would never forget it. He was entranced. It was even more beautiful then the pictures he'd seen. He found himself feeling light headed. He had a very strong urge to take her in his arms again. The moment was interrupted by loud laughter and faint music drifting threw the air. "That must be them." Sarah said in a businesslike manner. She went off in the direction of the sound. Jareth followed; his head still full of Sarah's smile. Sarah found the fireys easily. Sarah approached the little dancing band this time without fear. "Alright all of you, you are to stay in the Labyrinth from now on. No one leaves for any reason. I never want you to go to the Aboveground again." The furries looked at her. One of them jumped forward.
"Awww come on boss, we just wanna have a good time!" he cackled. Sarah opened her mouth to retaliate, but Jareth took her arm and gently pulled her away form the group.
"Don't worry, that's all it'll take." He assured her. "Well, a promise is a promise. You'll want to leave now I take it." He opened his arms again and reached for her. Sarah pulled back.
"No!" she said. Jareth put his arms down and looked at her, surprised. "I mean…can't I stay a little while? I'd like to see my friends while I'm here, if that's alright." She looked at Jareth, who now looked annoyed for some reason.
Those damned creatures again? He thought, viciously. What was is they had that he didn't? They certainly hadn't offered Sarah her dreams, and everything she had ever wanted. Raw jealously filled Jareth.
"Whatever you wish, my lady," he said with a slight sneer. He was using that cruel sarcastic voice again. Sarah couldn't understand what she had done wrong but was in no mood to argue with him. He went to a tree and leaned against it, arms crossed, looking like an angry, pouting child. Sarah didn't have time to wonder what was wrong with him now. She turned to the forest and happily yelled.
"Hoggle! Sir Didymus! Ludo! Come here, I need you!" she had never felt happier to say the words. A wind rustled the trees and Hoggle appeared in the little clearing. Unfortunately, he saw Jareth first.
"Your Majesty!" he squeaked. "I-I-I-I don't…"
"Hoggle!" Sarah cried, beaming. The dwarf looked at her, his eyes huge. He looked back at Jareth, then to Sarah, then back to Jareth, and back to Sarah.
"Sarah what's…" he began, but Sarah cut him off by throwing herself on him in a huge hug.
"It's fine Hoggle, everything is fine!" she told him, laughing with joy. Hoggle sputtered, but hugged her back, and after a while he was laughing too. Neither of them could see, but Jareth was watching with a pained furious look on his face. While it was great to see Sarah smile again, he had also felt a cold wind hit his heart when she had flung herself at the dwarf. 'She's never greeted you that way' that voice was back. 'She recoiled from you the moment she saw you.' Jareth squared his jaw and looked away, his hear aching. There was another gust of wind and the sound of a fox's bark.
"My Lady!" came the delighted voice of Sir Didymus. Sarah, still on the ground, now flew at the fox. The tiny knight was knocked of his feet. Sarah rolled off him.
"Oh, are you all right?" she asked. The fox jumped right back up, took off his hat with a flourish and bowed.
"Think nothing of it, my dear Lady," he stated. "I would gladly be flung to the ground ten thousand times if it meant the chance of seeing your sweet face." He bowed again. Sarah kissed the tip of his nose. There was only one more person she needed…
"Sahwa!" Came a booming voice. The three friends looked up. Sarah got up and ran into the huge arms of their big hairy friend, Ludo. Ludo was very frightening at first glace, but all three of them knew he was as gentle as a bunny. Pretty soon, Sir Didymus, and Hoggle had joined Sarah and Ludo in a group hug.
"I still don't understand," Hoggle whispered once they had broken apart. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Jareth. Sarah sat back on the grass and looked at her three friends.
"It's a very long story, but what matters is that I'm here and…"
"You mean you're not even going to tell them the good news?" Jareth had spoken behind them. Hoggle jumped at his voice. Sarah looked at him. His face was stone.
"I just don't think they need to hear the whole story," Sarah said calmly, determined that nothing would spoil her reunion. Jareth met her eyes.
"Then just tell them the ending," she retaliated. He looked at the others. "You'll all be very pleased to know that I can no longer prevent you from visiting Miss Williams. I will not know when you leave the Underground nor for how long. You are simply at her beck and call." Jareth finished with his eyes on Sarah's. Ludo jumped in the air and yelled with delight. Hoggle and Sir Didymus looked at each other. Hoggle got up and humbly approached Jareth.
"Your Highness," he said in a shaky voice. "Were…does that mean…Your Majesty, were the rumors true?" he asked. Jareth never took his eyes off Sarah.
"Yes, Headwart, they were," he said loudly. Hoggle looked at Sarah in wonder.
Sir Didymus whispered, "My Lady," his voice filled with admiration. Sarah looked at them.
"You knew?" she asked in shock. "You knew I could control certain parts of the Labyrinth?" She looked and sounded a little betrayed.
"Please do not be angry with us, fair maiden," Sir Didymus put his paw on her hand. "It was all guess and speculation. No one was certain what was going on. It was gossip, nothing more." Sarah believed him. She stood up and faced Jareth.
"Well, thank you, Jareth for sharing that with everyone." she said in a snippy voice. She didn't care if she sounded pissed off, because the truth was, she was. And he had the nerve to call her the child? "Now if you don't mind, could we have a little bit of privacy?" Jareth gave her a very annoyed look. It was only then that Sarah remembered she was in the Underground, and that she needed Jareth to get home. "Please?" She added in an attempt to sound a little politer. Jareth looked at her coldly.
"Are you trying to order me from my own land?" Jareth said, his voice getting louder with every word.
"All I want is some time alone with my friends. Is that too much to ask? Besides, have you forgotten already? This Labyrinth isn't just your land anymore!" Sarah didn't care if he was mad. She was getting mad too. Why did he have to keep tormenting her like this?
"You want some time?" Jareth asked quietly, and Sarah got the feeling she had gone to far. "Oh I'll give you some time, my dear Sarah, how does a week sound? A month? Shall I return in a year and see if you want my company then?" Sarah almost fainted.
"Jareth, NO!" she pleaded. Tears welled in her eyes. "You promised!" She didn't stop them as they began to make their way down her face. Jareth's face was a mask of furry, but Sarah saw something in his eyes that told her he intended to do no such thing. But Sarah would take no chances. "Jareth, I'm sorry if I was rude, please just give me some time with them. Of course you don't have to go anywhere that was stupid of me to say." Jareth's face looked like it might have softened, if it hadn't been for Hoggle.
"Don't 'pologize to him Sarah." His words were brave, but he was trembling horribly. "He's just bitter cuz now he knows he has no power over us! Now to anyone this might have seemed like a normal sentence, but it was the worst possible thing anyone could have said in Jareth's presence. Those were the words. The words Sarah had spoken to Jareth after he had offered her her dreams. The words she had used to beat him. The words she had used to reject him. Sarah's face went white. Jareth's did too, but that was the least frightening of what happened next. Jareth's eyes went large, his mouth went into such a grimace of furry it didn't look human. His fists were clenching and unclenching and his whole body seemed to radiate hate.
"What did you say to me?" he spat. His voice was a terrifying growl. "What did you say…you pathetic, cowardly, traitorous, little troll?!" with that, he lunged forward grabbed Hoggle by his vest and threw him into the neatest tree. Sarah screamed. Sir Didymus drew his sword and yelled, "Your Majesty! Still your temper!" But Jareth was blind to all around him. His long black cane appeared in his hand and he was after Hoggle again; whipping and thrashing at the dwarf as hard as he could. Sarah screamed again and ran after him; she grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off Hoggle.
"JARETH!" she screamed. "Jareth, STOP! PLEASE STOP!" she pulled as hard as she could, but he was too strong. He didn't even feel her. Sarah took a few steps back and then charged, tackling him. It worked, and Sarah fell to the ground on top of Jareth. She heard Hoggle scramble away, but just then Jareth threw her off him. She hit the ground next to Jareth and saw him raise his cane. He turned to her, ready to strike. Sarah didn't have time to react. But then he stopped. Jareth's arm stopped right over his head. He was looking at Sarah. His eyes were red with furry, but Sarah saw the furry leave them as he stared at her. She looked directly into his eyes and he into hers. It was as though the very sight of her was enough to banish his anger.
"Your Majesty!" Sir Didymus yelled. "I have been your loyal subject for many years, but if you do not lower your hand against Lady Sarah I'll have no choice but to rise to her defense!" Jareth's arm had been coming down even before the fox had spoke. Sarah had a feeling he didn't even hear them. He did however, hear what Ludo said next.
"King never hurt Sarah." He said loudly in his gruff voice. Jareth seemed to come out of his little trance. He stood up and looked at everyone. At Sir Didymus, standing with his sword drawn; at Hoggle quaking behind a tree; at Ludo, looking at Jareth with big eyes; and finally at Sarah, still on the ground.
"King loves Sarah." Ludo spoke again, with a small smile. Sarah felt the world slip out from underneath her. Her cheeks flushed, her heart quickened, and her mouth dried up. Ludo couldn't know such a thing, she tried to tell herself. He was simple minded, he didn't… but Sarah could no longer think. All she could hear were those three words repeating themselves over and over in her mind. Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it in her ears. It was a wonder no one else could hear it.
"What did he say?" Jareth asked very quietly. Sarah looked at him. His face was chalk- white. No one said anything. Ludo was smiling. Jareth didn't look at Sarah, he didn't meet her eyes. He simply vanished. He was gone from the woods. It only took Sarah a second to realize what and just happened.
"He left me." She said in a shocked voice. "He promised, HE PROMISED! JARE-E-E-ETH! She shrieked into the woods. She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't hold her. It was happening all over again. She was trapped. Sarah wobbled and fell back. Ludo caught her and placed her gently on the ground. Sir Didymus and Hoggle were instantly at her side. Hoggle put his arms around her as she leaned back against Ludo. Sir Didymus came to her shoulder. Sarah was sobbing beyond control now.
"There, there, my Lady," he spoke soothingly. "You are not alone, we are all here. We shall protect you, Lady Sarah, hush now."
"He left me…he left me…" was all Sarah could manage through her heart breaking sobs. Sir Didymus gently told her to hush again and Sarah leaned back and closed her eyes. They laid in this way for what felt like hours. Darkness soon began to creep over the forest, and Sarah eventually cried herself to sleep in her friend's arms. The four friends stayed like this for the rest of the night.
Jareth appeared in his thrown room. The goblins that had been in there quieted at the sight of him. Jareth turned to them all, his eyes firing up again.
"Get out," he said in a deadly voice. "GET OUT ALL OF YOU!" he screamed until his voice was hoarse. The goblins ran for it, never having seen their king this angry before. Jareth turned tables and chairs over, threw and kicked any goblin he could reach, until all of them were gone. He stood alone in the room. Then, with another growl of furry, he punched the stone wall as hard as he could. He slowly slid down until he was on the floor, his eyes burning. Then, for the first time in his whole life, Jareth wept.
III
Hoggle was the first to wake. The sun was barely creeping over the edge of the trees. Hoggle got up out of the sleeping group and tried to walk around a little. It was times like this he was glad he was such a tough skinned creature. The whipping from Jareth the previous day hadn't resulted in too much damage. His back was a little sore from where he had hit the tree, but other then that, he was fine. He stretched, trying to relieve his aching muscles. He looked back at Sarah. Poor Sarah. Hoggle's heart filled with a mixture of pity for Sarah, and hatred for Jareth. He didn't understand how Jareth could do this to her. After all, he knew Ludo had spoken the truth. It was pretty obvious to the entire kingdom that Jareth was head over heals for the girl who had beaten him. It was one of the reasons for the mutiny. Some of the more intelligent creatures had taken their king's newfound feelings as a sign of weakness. Whether or not Sarah felt similar feelings, Hoggle didn't know. Hopefully, Jareth would return soon and set things right.
Jareth hadn't slept the entire night. He sat in his thrown starring out of the window; out at the forest were he knew Sarah was. She was all Jareth could think about, ever since the monster had spoken those words. Jareth had tried to deny it. He had tried to convince himself that the monster didn't know what he was talking about, but it was no use. Nine hours of denial was no match for years of what was in his heart. There was no denying it. Yes, he loved Sarah. He had loved her even before they had met. When her mother had first read her the story of the Labyrinth, he had loved her. In the years that followed, even though Sarah was growing up, she still believed in the magical world, and Jareth had loved her. When she had cowered before him, and begged to have her brother returned to her, he had loved her. When he held her to him as they danced, he had loved her. Even when she had refused him, he had loved her. He loved her for her innocence, her belief in him, her bravery, and her belief in herself. Jareth cursed himself for the thousandth time for his stupid mistake. He had left her there. He had broken his promise to her and abandoned her. He would be extremely lucky if he was able to get within three feet of her without her ripping him to shreds, not that he would blame her. But you have to try, he reminded himself. After all of this, you can't spend all eternity wondering. You have to speak to her, no more games, no loosing your temper. Jareth summed every ounce of courage he possessed, and returned to the woods.
Hoggle jumped at least three feet in the air when he saw Jareth standing before him.
"Your Majesty," she said backing away. Jareth ignored him and walked over to where Sarah, Ludo and Sir Didymus were sleeping. He stared at them for a few moments then leaned down and gently extracted Sarah from the bunch. He lifted her up, holding her like a baby. She, thankfully, didn't wake. Hoggle watched the whole thing feeling so helpless. He knew Jareth wouldn't hurt Sarah, but he felt like she should say something. Jareth spoke before Hoggle could.
"I have to talk to her." He said simply. "You know I won't hurt her. I'll be sure she says good-bye before she leaves for home." Without another word, he disappeared. Hoggle gulped and looked at his friends. Something told him it was going to be quite exhausting trying to keep Sir Didymus from wanting to storm the castle after this.
Jareth gently laid Sarah on his bed. He then sat down beside her, and looked at her. Her face was so tearstained it was heartbreaking. The saddest part, however, was that there were still wet puddles around her eyes. She had been crying in her sleep. Jareth pulled a silk black handkerchief out of his pocket and gently dabbed at her eyes, trying not to wake her. He stopped when Sarah stirred slightly. Jareth got up and backed away. Sarah turned her head and went on sleeping. Jareth continued to look at her, his heart swelling well beyond his normal size. He cursed himself again and again and again for letting things turn into such a mess. He should have had this conversation with her long ago, rather then trying to trick her into staying with him. But I still don't know what I'm going to say! He thought miserably. How can I expect her to listen let alone believe me after everything I've done? It was then that Jareth remembered. Once, four years ago, and once just the other night, Sarah had spoken his name. Could that mean she possibly cared for him too? Was it possible that after all of this, she had been harboring the same feelings he had? It would certainly make this easier, he thought with a little smile. He heard a sound coming from the bed. Jareth looked up. Sarah was waking. Jareth braced himself. He knew this was going to be the worst part, getting her to remain calm enough to listen. Sarah yawned and stretched. She opened her eyes and immediately knew something was wrong. She was no longer lying with her friends in the woods; she was in a bed somewhere. She sat up and her eyes found Jareth. She glared at him, recalling the previous day.
"Where am I?" she demanded. Her voice was very hoarse. "What have you done with my friends?" she felt tears coming again. She felt so much hate for this man that she thought she had…but she didn't even want to think the word now.
"There're fine, Sarah, there still in the woods." Jareth answered. "I brought you here because I think we need to talk." When Sarah spoke, her voice was calm.
"I have nothing to say to you Jareth. I want to go home. I never should have come here." She said in a monotone voice. Jareth moved closer to the bed.
"Sarah, please," he begged. "You have to listen to what I have to say; afterwards I'll take you back and..if you choose...never bother you again." Sarah didn't reply. Jareth sat down on the bed next to her. Her hand came so fast he never could have seen it coming. Sarah slapped him, hard. It stung his cheek. He looked at Sarah. There was a very fierce fire in her eyes. "I deserved that." Jareth said truthfully. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Sarah slapped him again, and again, and again. Pretty soon she was hitting every bit of him she could reach. Jareth tried to block her hits without being too vicious. "Sarah….SARAH, STOP!" yelled, but Sarah wasn't listening. Finally, Jareth managed to get hold of both her wrists. When that didn't stop her thrashing, he did the only thing he could think. He pushed her down on the bed, pinning her underneath him.
"Get off me!" she yelled. She was crying horribly. Jareth tried to calm her but she was yelling and couldn't even hear him. Finally, Jareth let out everything inside his heart.
"DAMNIT SARAH!" he yelled, louder then her. She stopped yelling and looked at him, but continued to struggle. "The monster wasn't lying! I….I love you." He said simply and tenderly. That caused Sarah to stop thrashing. She looked at him, tears still streaming from those beautiful green eyes, her chest heaving from her efforts. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you and every second of every day after." He continued. "I should have told you long ago, but I couldn't, not after everything that happened. I thought it was pretty clear you wanted to remain as far from me as possible." He finished, looking at her softly. Sarah was no longer moving beneath his hands. Jareth slowly released her and sat up. Sarah sat up as well, the two never taking there eyes off each other.
"You broke your promise," Sarah said in a heartbreaking voice. Jareth reached up and placed his gloved hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. Sarah closed her eyes.
"I know," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. I could understand if you never forgave me. But I had to tell you the truth."
"You just left me there." She said, her eyes still closed, but she was now letting her head rest against Jareth's hand.
"It was…those words." Jareth tried to explain without letting his anger show. "Sarah, those words are what took you away from me. It just…drove me out of my mind. It was the memory of loosing you Sarah. I couldn't be sorrier. I can only beg your forgiveness. But I do love you Sarah, and that is one thing that will never change no matter what happens now." Sarah opened her eyes and looked at him long and hard. She backed up, away from his hand. Jareth braced himself for the pain he knew was coming. He was about to loose her all over again.
"I love you, too," Sarah's reply was so soft Jareth barely heard it. He looked at her in amazement. Did he really just hear what he thought he had?
"Sarah?" he said, his heart flying. There were still tears falling down her beautiful face.
"I guess I've always loved you," she said with a faint attempt at a smile. "I was always too scared to admit it. First I wasn't sure if I could trust you, then I thought you hated me, and now…." Jareth leaned in. "Now I just don't know what to think." Sarah began shaking with repressed sobs. Jareth went to her and took her in his arms.
"Sarah, listen to me," he whispered. "It's all in the past. We're together now. Whatever happens from here, we'll always be together, I promise." He pulled away to look at her. Sarah couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She shook her head lightly.
"I can't believe all of this is happening." She said breathlessly. Jareth looked down at her. He gently placed his hand under her chin and brought her face up to look at him.
"I know," he said. He placed his hands on either side of her face, and slowly began to bring their heads together.
"Jareth…" Sarah whispered when their lips were inches apart.
"Shhhhh…" Jareth calmed her. Their noses where touching. Jareth could feel Sarah's breath upon his face. Jareth kissed her. It was light and sweet but it was beautiful. Jareth felt their hearts connect, he felt Sarah's breathing mach his own. He felt her tears against his own cheeks. When they broke apart, Sarah kept her eyes closed. When she opened them again, they were bright and happier. She smiled and fell forward into Jareth's arms. He held her close as though he would never let go. They remained like this until Sarah spoke.
"What am I going to do?" She asked
"About what?" Jareth replied, concern in his voice. Sarah pulled out of the embrace, and looked Jareth in the eye.
"This doesn't change the fact that I can't stay here. I have to return home, Jareth." Jareth stood. He took Sarah's hand.
"I could never dream of asking you otherwise." He said. Sarah looked at him, her eyes wide.
"But…I do still need you. I could never erase you from my life, Jareth. I'll always need you." She said. Jareth could tell she meant it. He helped her to her feet.
"I'll always be there for you Sarah. I'll always be watching you, loving you, ready to answer your call should you ever need me." He kissed her forehead. "No I think you owe some friends of yours a good-bye." Sarah looked confused.
"Now? Already? But we just…" Jareth shook his head.
"Your life is not in this world Sarah. You must be able to detach yourself from it. Your friends and I are always there…should you need us." Sarah nodded. Jareth pulled her to him and brought them back to the forest. Hoggle was the only one still awake. He looked at Sarah when they appeared.
"Sarah!" he sounded like he had been worried about her. Sarah knelt down and looked him in the eye.
"Everything's alright now, Hoggle. I'm sorry I've caused so much stress for everyone." Hoggle looked shocked.
"Sarah, you ain't done nothin' wrong." He assured her. "We just want you to be o.k." Sarah looked at her other sleeping friends. She grinned at Hoggle before going over to them. She shook Sir Didymus gently. The foxed mustache twitched.
"grr…. what?what? grr. take you all on…" he muttered, half awake. Sarah laughed.
"Sir Didymus, it's me, wake up," Sarah whispered. The fox's eyes opened. He blinked at Sarah.
"My Lady," he glanced at Jareth. "Art thou all right?"
"I'm fine, Sir Didymus, thank you so much." She hugged him tightly. "I've got to get back now, but I'll call you all again soon. Tomorrow night, I promise. I'll bring food. We'll all have dinner and I'll tell you everything." She kissed the fox and looked at Ludo, who had woken sometime during her conversation.
"Sarwah go?" He asked. Sarah grinned.
"For now, Ludo, but I'm going to see you all again real soon." She hugged him too. "Thank you, Ludo." She whispered. He was smiling when she pulled away form him. Sarah walked over to Jareth. He put his arms around her. Sarah blew a kiss to her friends before they disappeared.
When Sarah opened her eyes, she was back in her room. It was still night there. Sarah yawned, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"You should probably get some more sleep." Jareth said, steering her to her bed. Sarah laid down gratefully. Jareth sat next to her again. Sarah grabbed his hand. For a long time, the King and the girl just looked at each other. "I love you," Jareth said at last.
"I know," was Sarah's reply. The both grinned. Jareth leaned down and gave Sarah a little kiss. "You'll be there, if I need you?" Sarah asked. Jareth looked at her.
"Only for forever," he grinned. Sarah lids were falling closed. "I'll have to return sometime, I own half the Labyrinth now, remember?" she smiled. Jareth narrowed his eyes.
"More like an eighth, really," he said sternly. Sarah grinned and closed her eyes, breathing peacefully. Jareth stood and backed away from the bed. He watched Sarah for a while before vanishing, leaving the girl who had been his enemy, his friend, his love, and his life, to her dreams.
The End.