The Healing
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Labyrinth! Or anything from the Ronin Warriors seeing as Jareth's Brother in this one is based off vaguely off of Anubis's Character.
After a month since Sarah's victory over the Labyrinth.
"Sarah! Wake up or you're going to be running late!" Karen, her stepmother yelled up towards her daughter.
Sarah was already up, but in a daydream about the dance with a certain king- no she mentally berated herself. She wouldn't think about that again. She had been depressed about turning down the man of her dreams for Toby, but knew she had to. She cried in her sleep and knew it too because her pillow was soaked with her tears. Rushing down the steps after putting on her faithful loafers, and the same style jeans and shirts as always, this time in ocean blue and a tan vest, she ran down the stairs, not seeing Toby's toy nearing her steps.
She screamed as she tripped and tumbled down the stairs. Her world faded to darkness as she heard Karen's frantic movements until she succumbed to the darkness.
~^~^~^~
Waking to the sounds of beeps that can annoy any living soul after a while and a sterile smell that could only come from a doctor's room, she deducted without opening her eyes that she was in a hospital. How long she was unconscious, she couldn't say exactly. Opening her eyes, she saw the face of a nurse who looked relieved.
"Hello there Miss Williams. My name is Alona. You have been unconscious for three days now. We were becoming increasingly worried about you dear." She would have continued to rattle on had Sarah's croaky voice not interrupted her.
"What is wrong with my legs? I can't feel them at all?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in fear and dread.
"I'm sorry to say, your fall down the stairs resulted in you being paralyzed. Now that you're awake, we can run a few needed tests and then we can proceed to go to your insurance to help you with getting a wheelchair." She said as Sarah ignored the woman, her body having gone numb, well the rest of it that could feel anyways. Her life had now been turned upside down in the matter of minutes.
Eventually her family was allowed to see her. Toby was gurgling happily, not knowing the seriousness of the situation. Karen had the good graces to look sheepish.
"I'm sorry Sarah. I guess Toby dropped the toy and I never noticed it." She said softly, in apology.
"That's quite alright Karen. It's not your fault, you didn't know. Toby wouldn't try to hurt me anyways either." She said softly.
They noticed Robert, Sarah's father, had yet to say anything, as he remained silent.
"They signed you out. Let's all go home." He said like nothing had happened, which scared Karen a little and made Sarah stiffen.
The nurses helped Sarah into the wheelchair and went home where a pile of work was awaiting her. She delved into it, eager for distraction. When she finished, Robert had gone off to work, as did Karen, taking Toby with her to the daycare her work had set up for the working parents of her office. Left to her own devices, she decided to go to sleep when she finished, sleeping on the couch as she couldn't get up the stairs without help, if at all.
~^~^~^~
"My precious Sarah. I await the day you call on me again my love." A lovely British accent said within the realm of her dreams.
"Who are you?" she called out to have no one respond.
"He may only come when you welcome him back into your life." Said a softer, but definitely male voice, in a similar accent. Then her dream went into darkness, leaving her dreamless once more.
~^~^~^~
"Thank you brother for allowing me to say at least one thing to her, if only in her dreams." A blonde haired king said to his brother who had long, auburn hair who had a sky blue poet shirt with a crimson red vest over it. He had black leather pants and eyes of the inky blackness of the midnight sky.
"You're welcome my brother since you given me a gift of seeing the woman who caught my interest after my many years of loneliness. It's the least I could do." The man replied as they sighed and waited for the day when their beloved ladies would call on them.
~^~^~^~
After a year of depression where she even blamed the king of the goblins, though knowing it was to the accidental fault of her stepmother, whom she had grown close to over the year that caused it, out of the need to blame someone. She hadn't contacted her friends out of fear and shame.
'I can't call on them. They'd mock me if they saw me depressed and in a wheel chair.' She thought bitterly, even though she knew better.
Her father continued to try and make Sarah walk until one day she had had enough from him.
"You will listen to me young lady! If you want this bear, come and get him!" Her father said as he held the bear in question, Lancelot, over the trashcan.
Crying desperately, she tried, but fell out of her wheelchair. Her stepmother couldn't help her either, except to get back into the wheelchair. A sad smile was on her face as the young woman wheeled around, in a long green dress that could double as a nightgown should her parents leave the house, and left the house to find a place to cool off. Since her father knew of the park, she couldn't go there. She continued to wander around until she quite literally bumped into someone. A resounding 'oof' drew her attention.
"I'm sorry. Here, grip the arm of my wheelchair to gain your balance. I'm so sorry. I wasn't -" she started saying as the young brunette cut her off.
"It's quite alright. I'm fine really. But, have you seen my glasses? I can't see without them!" The young woman said despairingly.
Looking around, she saw them about an inch from her right hand to the north. She said as much and gained a word of thanks. Looking now, she saw the girl had almost shoulder length auburn hair that had a tint of chocolate weaved in it, she had on a pair of jeans and a simple white t- shirt and appeared to be in her early 20's, if that. The girl while not stunning was fairly pretty with a lack of makeup most women seem to find a need for. While most would say she's rather plain, to Sarah, the girl was beautiful.
"I'm Sarah." She stated as the girl got up and shook herself off.
"I'm Allie. It's nice to meet you. Is anything the matter? You look distressed." The other woman said to the paralyzed woman.
"My father's being a jerk and is trying to force me to walk. Meanwhile I can't. The doctors said it's a permanent thing." She said dejectedly.
"Let me guess. You need a place to stay for the night at least?" Allie said, guessing what was unspoken.
"It would help. I really don't want to see him again today." The chocolate haired woman said as the other woman smiled gently.
"You can stay with me tonight if you wish. It's a small place, but it does in a pinch if you want to," the other woman said to her, making a watery smile appear.
"Thank you." She said softly as they went off to her home for the night.
Upon reaching her house, they began to talk of their lives up to that point, having said her piece with leaving out the Labyrinth, she let Allie fill in her share.
"It started a while ago. Life's not fair, but to be honest, it was downright awful. My parents died when I was 15, so I had to take care of my brother and myself when we were put in foster care of awful people who abused us. Fearing what would happen if we were put into another foster home, I wished him away and made the goblin king there promise that my brother would be taken care of. He was sent to live with another pair of Faes. I don't care if you don't believe me, but I had no choice. At least he would ensure that he grew up right. I remained behind to take care of other kids when I could. I couldn't take what happened to him or myself to happen to others. I've never really had much faith in the male gender as I've had nothing but bad luck with any relationships I pursued." She said as Sarah cut her off to tell Allie of her stay in the Labyrinth. The woman looked intrigued as Sarah finished her story and the listener gave her a smile and a nod of approval of what she did to obtain her brother again.
"Now I think we've both had an exciting day and a huge day lay ahead of us. So let's go and rest up some ok?" the auburn haired woman said as they went to lie down. Sarah on a bed for once while Allie tucked herself into a sofa nearby.
Sleep wouldn't come easily for either as dreams of men whom adored them appeared, but always kept in the shadows. The name was on the tip of her tongue, but it wouldn't come that easily to either women. Night soon turned to day in which both women would be changed forever.
~^~^~^~
Deciding to escort Sarah home, they walked through the park to calm their overwhelming nerves.
"Everything will be fine Sarah. You'll see." She said to the woman in the wheelchair.
~^~^~^~
"I's wonderin whes Sarah is." A gravely voice said as he saw her room had been untouched for a while. Muttering the word "Strange," he left with no trace being left behind in his wake.
~^~^~^~
They made it to her house and entered, preparing themselves for the worst, but not the distress they really saw. Sarah was in her green gown and Allie in a pale blue dress that went to her knees.
Karen was upset that Sarah had left and was clutching Toby protectively behind her while her husband demanded that she forget his daughter and move on. When they saw her, Karen made a direct line for them, as if to protect them.
"I don't know who you are, but take my son and Sarah and leave for now. It's not safe with Robert being drunk!" She said as she hurried Toby into Sarah's open arms.
"No. I refuse to let him push anyone around like what he did to Sarah that day which made her run and us to meet. It felt like fate pushed us together with a shove, but I won't let him hurt anyone else." The woman said fiercely earning more love from the auburn haired man who watched her in spirit, praying for her safety and for her to call upon him.
'Call on the mystery man. Surely he could help you here.' Her heart urged her.
'What if he won't answer though? What if he's not real?' Her mind responded with despair at being let down so often in her life that she couldn't trust anything, especially a dream.
'Couldn't hurt to try though, could it?' her heart replied, and finally she gave in.
"I wish someone were here to help protect Sarah and her stepmother as well as the young Toby, right now!" forcing out the last two words as the lights dimmed then flickered off and suddenly a wind came from behind her. Standing next to her was the man who had been among her dreams so often. Next to him was another familiar face; it was Jareth the Goblin King.
"It's you! Who are you?" she whispered, directing her commend to the auburn haired man.
"My name is Sibuna, and I am the brother of the infamous Goblin King. It is a pleasure to meet you in person at long last, my angel." He replied as he steeled himself for the confrontation with the jerk of a father. Sibuna was dressed in all black, as was his brother. It seemed that leather was a favorite choice of material to the men the young woman dully noted.
The brothers noticed the girls had stiffened their postures as well, Jareth finally noticing Sarah was not making any try to stand at all. Deciding that once things were dealt with, namely Sarah's pathetic excuse of a father, then they would decide where to go from there. He wasn't going to push her when he knew that she could be as stubborn as he is and had not wanted to spoil the second chance he had been given by the woman who earned his respect for allowing him back into his Sarah's life.
Jareth having gone into full Goblin King mode, and his brother gone into the 'You-are-a-pathetic-excuse-of-a-man' mode, was also quite intimidating, but neither Sarah nor Allie would admit to that anytime soon. They protected the family as Sibuna turned to them.
"Angel, would you and these others rather spend some time at the Castle beyond the Goblin City, than to remain here any further? At least for now?" he asked, adding the last sentence on in fear she might turn him down.
Seeing the sight around her, she instantly knew it would be better there for all of them. So she decided to put in her two cents.
"Only if we can leave when we wish to return here." She said softly, somehow nervous being the center of his view.
"Yes, you may." He responded kindly, trying to make her feel more at ease around him.
Glancing around, she saw a nod of approval from the other two women and went with their decision. The brothers decided to let Robert rot in an oubliette for the time being until they could decide what to do with him. So with the toss of a crystal, Robert had vanished. Allie reached out to Sibuna's hand as Sarah gripped Toby and held Jareth's right hand while Karen took his left hand. Together the group disappeared, leaving only a pile of glitter behind in their wake.
Reappearing in the throne room, Jareth and Sarah immediately let go of their hands. He took in her form and then for the first time since he saw her that day, he figured out why she didn't get up.
'She couldn't.' he thought dully as it sank in.
"Sarah what happened?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I tripped on one of Toby's toys while going down the stairs. It rendered me unconscious and when I woke up a few days later, I found out I was paralyzed. I know you wouldn't do anything of the sort to me, part of me wanted to blame you, even though Karen admitted to having left the toy accidentally on the steps, not knowing Toby had dropped it. She and I have been closer than I was to the memory of my mother." She said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Karen had no idea how Sarah or the woman that was with her stepdaughter knew these two, but somehow all four were linked. She stood silently waiting for an explanation. Jareth knew that her stepmother would have to find out, so he pulled out a crystal with which detailed Sarah's journey, including the dangers she faced to rescue her brother.
"Karen, this will show you what happened after Sarah wished Toby to me. She fought bravely and won I might add. She is the only one to beat the Labyrinth though Allie has a different story to tell. So do not judge this other woman who is actually very kind and had a hard time leaving her brother in my care." He said as his crystal showed her entering the labyrinth, the numerous times she turned down a very tempting offer - her dreams, it showed her running from the cleaners, the Bog Of Eternal Stench, the final face off where Sarah had leapt from the ledge above Toby to get to him. And of how she turned down his offer for her to be with him to get Toby back, a decision that made Sarah the depressed woman she had become.
Karen felt a surge of respect for her stepdaughter and smiled gently at her. She then looked at the other young woman who was with their little group.
"Allie had a little brother whom she took care of since he was born, her parents dying at 15. After being put in a bad home in foster care, she wished him away as to protect him. She turned down her dreams because she felt bad that it was his only chance at a good life. I promised her to not turn him into a goblin and gave him over to a nice family that I know personally. In return for granting them a son, they allowed his sister to see him whenever she wished in mirrors anywhere she went. So she left, her brother's disappearance was still a mystery to all who didn't know what happened. She refused to tell them the truth, knowing they would think her insane. So she devoted her life to helping runaway children who needed a roof over their head while they sorted their lives out. Eventually her kindness reached our world and the attention of my brother whom I let visit her in her dreams to give her some sort of solace from her nightmares. In return, he allows me to reach into Sarah's dreams and soothe her sadness, though they couldn't know it was us until they wished for our help, even if it's inadvertently." The king explained to her, which showed that he held respect for her.
"We'll discuss what shall be done with Robert in the morning ladies and young Toby. As for now, why not rest. There is much tension in the air that needs to be relieved." Jareth said as everyone started wandering down a hallway, and he pointed out Karen's room, which had a spot for Toby in it, a room for Allie and a room for Sarah. Sibuna went in the room with Allie as Jareth went to help settle Sarah in some.
In Sarah's room.
"I'm so sorry about your paralyzed status my love." He whispered softly, not intending for Sarah to hear it, but she heard it anyways.
"Jareth, I'm sorry I turned you down. I really do love you." She replied gently as he came to her and kissed her softly, his tears mixing into their kiss as he rested a hand on one of her knees, rubbing it gently.
All too soon the kiss was ended, but he continued to massage her legs. Suddenly a startled cry from Sarah made Jareth end the wonderful treatment.
"My love, what is it?" he asked tentatively.
"I felt your hand in the massage. I'm getting feeling in my legs!" she said, utterly astonished.
He smiled gently as he helped her into the bed.
"Rest my love, tomorrow shall be a big day. I'll have servants tending to your needs should you wake up." He said as she merely nodded and he left, after his magic was used to change her into a simple nightgown that would be easier to sleep in than her current outfit was. He went back to the throne room to ponder some of the rather nasty options of what he could do to Robert.
Meanwhile this was all happening in Sarah's room, this is what occurred in Allie's room.
"So my brother went to the King and Queen of the Elves? Thank you very much for telling me Sibuna. Even though I knew he was in good hands, it fills my heart with joy knowing he's living a better life than what he had before." The young woman commented to Sibuna upon entering her room.
Sibuna had to smile at the gently protectiveness of the boy's sister. He knew she regretted having wished him away, but was happy to know he was happily living with his new family. He promised internally that they would come and visit tomorrow as to let the siblings get to know each other again. There would be a surprise for both her and Sarah, he already knew that while Jareth would ponder the girl's father's fate, he would have her friends from the labyrinth come to visit them. Suddenly the young woman looking up at him interrupted his thoughts.
"So, I take it that Robert is going to be in deep trouble? May I suggest a possibility for his fate?" she said with a wicked gleam that promised this idea to be a good one. He nodded as he mentally summoned his brother to her room to hear this idea.
Jareth walked in with a self-satisfied smirk as he leaned on a bedpost.
"Well?" his British accent drawled.
"How about we make him paralyzed then do to him what he tried to do to Sarah? Surely Karen knows many of the things he's done along with you two," she said, the wicked gleam spreading to her smirk.
"I like that idea! A taste of his own medicine." He said softly. He disappeared in a flash of light and leaving behind a trace of glitter only to reappear outside of Karen's room. He knocked to make sure he wouldn't be interrupting anything. When a 'come in' reached his ears, he went in to discuss notes of what Sarah's father had done to her.
TBC------
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Labyrinth! Or anything from the Ronin Warriors seeing as Jareth's Brother in this one is based off vaguely off of Anubis's Character.
After a month since Sarah's victory over the Labyrinth.
"Sarah! Wake up or you're going to be running late!" Karen, her stepmother yelled up towards her daughter.
Sarah was already up, but in a daydream about the dance with a certain king- no she mentally berated herself. She wouldn't think about that again. She had been depressed about turning down the man of her dreams for Toby, but knew she had to. She cried in her sleep and knew it too because her pillow was soaked with her tears. Rushing down the steps after putting on her faithful loafers, and the same style jeans and shirts as always, this time in ocean blue and a tan vest, she ran down the stairs, not seeing Toby's toy nearing her steps.
She screamed as she tripped and tumbled down the stairs. Her world faded to darkness as she heard Karen's frantic movements until she succumbed to the darkness.
~^~^~^~
Waking to the sounds of beeps that can annoy any living soul after a while and a sterile smell that could only come from a doctor's room, she deducted without opening her eyes that she was in a hospital. How long she was unconscious, she couldn't say exactly. Opening her eyes, she saw the face of a nurse who looked relieved.
"Hello there Miss Williams. My name is Alona. You have been unconscious for three days now. We were becoming increasingly worried about you dear." She would have continued to rattle on had Sarah's croaky voice not interrupted her.
"What is wrong with my legs? I can't feel them at all?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in fear and dread.
"I'm sorry to say, your fall down the stairs resulted in you being paralyzed. Now that you're awake, we can run a few needed tests and then we can proceed to go to your insurance to help you with getting a wheelchair." She said as Sarah ignored the woman, her body having gone numb, well the rest of it that could feel anyways. Her life had now been turned upside down in the matter of minutes.
Eventually her family was allowed to see her. Toby was gurgling happily, not knowing the seriousness of the situation. Karen had the good graces to look sheepish.
"I'm sorry Sarah. I guess Toby dropped the toy and I never noticed it." She said softly, in apology.
"That's quite alright Karen. It's not your fault, you didn't know. Toby wouldn't try to hurt me anyways either." She said softly.
They noticed Robert, Sarah's father, had yet to say anything, as he remained silent.
"They signed you out. Let's all go home." He said like nothing had happened, which scared Karen a little and made Sarah stiffen.
The nurses helped Sarah into the wheelchair and went home where a pile of work was awaiting her. She delved into it, eager for distraction. When she finished, Robert had gone off to work, as did Karen, taking Toby with her to the daycare her work had set up for the working parents of her office. Left to her own devices, she decided to go to sleep when she finished, sleeping on the couch as she couldn't get up the stairs without help, if at all.
~^~^~^~
"My precious Sarah. I await the day you call on me again my love." A lovely British accent said within the realm of her dreams.
"Who are you?" she called out to have no one respond.
"He may only come when you welcome him back into your life." Said a softer, but definitely male voice, in a similar accent. Then her dream went into darkness, leaving her dreamless once more.
~^~^~^~
"Thank you brother for allowing me to say at least one thing to her, if only in her dreams." A blonde haired king said to his brother who had long, auburn hair who had a sky blue poet shirt with a crimson red vest over it. He had black leather pants and eyes of the inky blackness of the midnight sky.
"You're welcome my brother since you given me a gift of seeing the woman who caught my interest after my many years of loneliness. It's the least I could do." The man replied as they sighed and waited for the day when their beloved ladies would call on them.
~^~^~^~
After a year of depression where she even blamed the king of the goblins, though knowing it was to the accidental fault of her stepmother, whom she had grown close to over the year that caused it, out of the need to blame someone. She hadn't contacted her friends out of fear and shame.
'I can't call on them. They'd mock me if they saw me depressed and in a wheel chair.' She thought bitterly, even though she knew better.
Her father continued to try and make Sarah walk until one day she had had enough from him.
"You will listen to me young lady! If you want this bear, come and get him!" Her father said as he held the bear in question, Lancelot, over the trashcan.
Crying desperately, she tried, but fell out of her wheelchair. Her stepmother couldn't help her either, except to get back into the wheelchair. A sad smile was on her face as the young woman wheeled around, in a long green dress that could double as a nightgown should her parents leave the house, and left the house to find a place to cool off. Since her father knew of the park, she couldn't go there. She continued to wander around until she quite literally bumped into someone. A resounding 'oof' drew her attention.
"I'm sorry. Here, grip the arm of my wheelchair to gain your balance. I'm so sorry. I wasn't -" she started saying as the young brunette cut her off.
"It's quite alright. I'm fine really. But, have you seen my glasses? I can't see without them!" The young woman said despairingly.
Looking around, she saw them about an inch from her right hand to the north. She said as much and gained a word of thanks. Looking now, she saw the girl had almost shoulder length auburn hair that had a tint of chocolate weaved in it, she had on a pair of jeans and a simple white t- shirt and appeared to be in her early 20's, if that. The girl while not stunning was fairly pretty with a lack of makeup most women seem to find a need for. While most would say she's rather plain, to Sarah, the girl was beautiful.
"I'm Sarah." She stated as the girl got up and shook herself off.
"I'm Allie. It's nice to meet you. Is anything the matter? You look distressed." The other woman said to the paralyzed woman.
"My father's being a jerk and is trying to force me to walk. Meanwhile I can't. The doctors said it's a permanent thing." She said dejectedly.
"Let me guess. You need a place to stay for the night at least?" Allie said, guessing what was unspoken.
"It would help. I really don't want to see him again today." The chocolate haired woman said as the other woman smiled gently.
"You can stay with me tonight if you wish. It's a small place, but it does in a pinch if you want to," the other woman said to her, making a watery smile appear.
"Thank you." She said softly as they went off to her home for the night.
Upon reaching her house, they began to talk of their lives up to that point, having said her piece with leaving out the Labyrinth, she let Allie fill in her share.
"It started a while ago. Life's not fair, but to be honest, it was downright awful. My parents died when I was 15, so I had to take care of my brother and myself when we were put in foster care of awful people who abused us. Fearing what would happen if we were put into another foster home, I wished him away and made the goblin king there promise that my brother would be taken care of. He was sent to live with another pair of Faes. I don't care if you don't believe me, but I had no choice. At least he would ensure that he grew up right. I remained behind to take care of other kids when I could. I couldn't take what happened to him or myself to happen to others. I've never really had much faith in the male gender as I've had nothing but bad luck with any relationships I pursued." She said as Sarah cut her off to tell Allie of her stay in the Labyrinth. The woman looked intrigued as Sarah finished her story and the listener gave her a smile and a nod of approval of what she did to obtain her brother again.
"Now I think we've both had an exciting day and a huge day lay ahead of us. So let's go and rest up some ok?" the auburn haired woman said as they went to lie down. Sarah on a bed for once while Allie tucked herself into a sofa nearby.
Sleep wouldn't come easily for either as dreams of men whom adored them appeared, but always kept in the shadows. The name was on the tip of her tongue, but it wouldn't come that easily to either women. Night soon turned to day in which both women would be changed forever.
~^~^~^~
Deciding to escort Sarah home, they walked through the park to calm their overwhelming nerves.
"Everything will be fine Sarah. You'll see." She said to the woman in the wheelchair.
~^~^~^~
"I's wonderin whes Sarah is." A gravely voice said as he saw her room had been untouched for a while. Muttering the word "Strange," he left with no trace being left behind in his wake.
~^~^~^~
They made it to her house and entered, preparing themselves for the worst, but not the distress they really saw. Sarah was in her green gown and Allie in a pale blue dress that went to her knees.
Karen was upset that Sarah had left and was clutching Toby protectively behind her while her husband demanded that she forget his daughter and move on. When they saw her, Karen made a direct line for them, as if to protect them.
"I don't know who you are, but take my son and Sarah and leave for now. It's not safe with Robert being drunk!" She said as she hurried Toby into Sarah's open arms.
"No. I refuse to let him push anyone around like what he did to Sarah that day which made her run and us to meet. It felt like fate pushed us together with a shove, but I won't let him hurt anyone else." The woman said fiercely earning more love from the auburn haired man who watched her in spirit, praying for her safety and for her to call upon him.
'Call on the mystery man. Surely he could help you here.' Her heart urged her.
'What if he won't answer though? What if he's not real?' Her mind responded with despair at being let down so often in her life that she couldn't trust anything, especially a dream.
'Couldn't hurt to try though, could it?' her heart replied, and finally she gave in.
"I wish someone were here to help protect Sarah and her stepmother as well as the young Toby, right now!" forcing out the last two words as the lights dimmed then flickered off and suddenly a wind came from behind her. Standing next to her was the man who had been among her dreams so often. Next to him was another familiar face; it was Jareth the Goblin King.
"It's you! Who are you?" she whispered, directing her commend to the auburn haired man.
"My name is Sibuna, and I am the brother of the infamous Goblin King. It is a pleasure to meet you in person at long last, my angel." He replied as he steeled himself for the confrontation with the jerk of a father. Sibuna was dressed in all black, as was his brother. It seemed that leather was a favorite choice of material to the men the young woman dully noted.
The brothers noticed the girls had stiffened their postures as well, Jareth finally noticing Sarah was not making any try to stand at all. Deciding that once things were dealt with, namely Sarah's pathetic excuse of a father, then they would decide where to go from there. He wasn't going to push her when he knew that she could be as stubborn as he is and had not wanted to spoil the second chance he had been given by the woman who earned his respect for allowing him back into his Sarah's life.
Jareth having gone into full Goblin King mode, and his brother gone into the 'You-are-a-pathetic-excuse-of-a-man' mode, was also quite intimidating, but neither Sarah nor Allie would admit to that anytime soon. They protected the family as Sibuna turned to them.
"Angel, would you and these others rather spend some time at the Castle beyond the Goblin City, than to remain here any further? At least for now?" he asked, adding the last sentence on in fear she might turn him down.
Seeing the sight around her, she instantly knew it would be better there for all of them. So she decided to put in her two cents.
"Only if we can leave when we wish to return here." She said softly, somehow nervous being the center of his view.
"Yes, you may." He responded kindly, trying to make her feel more at ease around him.
Glancing around, she saw a nod of approval from the other two women and went with their decision. The brothers decided to let Robert rot in an oubliette for the time being until they could decide what to do with him. So with the toss of a crystal, Robert had vanished. Allie reached out to Sibuna's hand as Sarah gripped Toby and held Jareth's right hand while Karen took his left hand. Together the group disappeared, leaving only a pile of glitter behind in their wake.
Reappearing in the throne room, Jareth and Sarah immediately let go of their hands. He took in her form and then for the first time since he saw her that day, he figured out why she didn't get up.
'She couldn't.' he thought dully as it sank in.
"Sarah what happened?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I tripped on one of Toby's toys while going down the stairs. It rendered me unconscious and when I woke up a few days later, I found out I was paralyzed. I know you wouldn't do anything of the sort to me, part of me wanted to blame you, even though Karen admitted to having left the toy accidentally on the steps, not knowing Toby had dropped it. She and I have been closer than I was to the memory of my mother." She said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Karen had no idea how Sarah or the woman that was with her stepdaughter knew these two, but somehow all four were linked. She stood silently waiting for an explanation. Jareth knew that her stepmother would have to find out, so he pulled out a crystal with which detailed Sarah's journey, including the dangers she faced to rescue her brother.
"Karen, this will show you what happened after Sarah wished Toby to me. She fought bravely and won I might add. She is the only one to beat the Labyrinth though Allie has a different story to tell. So do not judge this other woman who is actually very kind and had a hard time leaving her brother in my care." He said as his crystal showed her entering the labyrinth, the numerous times she turned down a very tempting offer - her dreams, it showed her running from the cleaners, the Bog Of Eternal Stench, the final face off where Sarah had leapt from the ledge above Toby to get to him. And of how she turned down his offer for her to be with him to get Toby back, a decision that made Sarah the depressed woman she had become.
Karen felt a surge of respect for her stepdaughter and smiled gently at her. She then looked at the other young woman who was with their little group.
"Allie had a little brother whom she took care of since he was born, her parents dying at 15. After being put in a bad home in foster care, she wished him away as to protect him. She turned down her dreams because she felt bad that it was his only chance at a good life. I promised her to not turn him into a goblin and gave him over to a nice family that I know personally. In return for granting them a son, they allowed his sister to see him whenever she wished in mirrors anywhere she went. So she left, her brother's disappearance was still a mystery to all who didn't know what happened. She refused to tell them the truth, knowing they would think her insane. So she devoted her life to helping runaway children who needed a roof over their head while they sorted their lives out. Eventually her kindness reached our world and the attention of my brother whom I let visit her in her dreams to give her some sort of solace from her nightmares. In return, he allows me to reach into Sarah's dreams and soothe her sadness, though they couldn't know it was us until they wished for our help, even if it's inadvertently." The king explained to her, which showed that he held respect for her.
"We'll discuss what shall be done with Robert in the morning ladies and young Toby. As for now, why not rest. There is much tension in the air that needs to be relieved." Jareth said as everyone started wandering down a hallway, and he pointed out Karen's room, which had a spot for Toby in it, a room for Allie and a room for Sarah. Sibuna went in the room with Allie as Jareth went to help settle Sarah in some.
In Sarah's room.
"I'm so sorry about your paralyzed status my love." He whispered softly, not intending for Sarah to hear it, but she heard it anyways.
"Jareth, I'm sorry I turned you down. I really do love you." She replied gently as he came to her and kissed her softly, his tears mixing into their kiss as he rested a hand on one of her knees, rubbing it gently.
All too soon the kiss was ended, but he continued to massage her legs. Suddenly a startled cry from Sarah made Jareth end the wonderful treatment.
"My love, what is it?" he asked tentatively.
"I felt your hand in the massage. I'm getting feeling in my legs!" she said, utterly astonished.
He smiled gently as he helped her into the bed.
"Rest my love, tomorrow shall be a big day. I'll have servants tending to your needs should you wake up." He said as she merely nodded and he left, after his magic was used to change her into a simple nightgown that would be easier to sleep in than her current outfit was. He went back to the throne room to ponder some of the rather nasty options of what he could do to Robert.
Meanwhile this was all happening in Sarah's room, this is what occurred in Allie's room.
"So my brother went to the King and Queen of the Elves? Thank you very much for telling me Sibuna. Even though I knew he was in good hands, it fills my heart with joy knowing he's living a better life than what he had before." The young woman commented to Sibuna upon entering her room.
Sibuna had to smile at the gently protectiveness of the boy's sister. He knew she regretted having wished him away, but was happy to know he was happily living with his new family. He promised internally that they would come and visit tomorrow as to let the siblings get to know each other again. There would be a surprise for both her and Sarah, he already knew that while Jareth would ponder the girl's father's fate, he would have her friends from the labyrinth come to visit them. Suddenly the young woman looking up at him interrupted his thoughts.
"So, I take it that Robert is going to be in deep trouble? May I suggest a possibility for his fate?" she said with a wicked gleam that promised this idea to be a good one. He nodded as he mentally summoned his brother to her room to hear this idea.
Jareth walked in with a self-satisfied smirk as he leaned on a bedpost.
"Well?" his British accent drawled.
"How about we make him paralyzed then do to him what he tried to do to Sarah? Surely Karen knows many of the things he's done along with you two," she said, the wicked gleam spreading to her smirk.
"I like that idea! A taste of his own medicine." He said softly. He disappeared in a flash of light and leaving behind a trace of glitter only to reappear outside of Karen's room. He knocked to make sure he wouldn't be interrupting anything. When a 'come in' reached his ears, he went in to discuss notes of what Sarah's father had done to her.
TBC------