Chapter 4
No matter how hard she tried, Sarah couldn't get her mind to stop whirling in its frantic circles, desperately trying to figure out what was going on. Her episode in the kitchen continued to bother her and try as she might she couldn't shake the feeling that something, or someone, had messed with her mind and memories.
That boy, Toby, has something to do with this… But what? And there's someone else too. A man, older and powerful. She wasn't sure where these thoughts were coming from, but they seemed right. And while trying to remember Toby filled her with sorrow and a sense of loss, the thought of the man filled her with fiery anger and hate.
Back and forth she paced the length of her room, no closer to solving this mystery than she had been before. With a loud sigh she flopped onto the window seat, pulling up her legs and hugging her knees. This is driving me crazy! I can't even remember who these people are… What if I'm just cracking up? That thought stopped her. It hadn't occurred to her before that maybe she was going crazy.
She lay back against the cushion, letting her head rest against the cool pane of the window. I'm not crazy. All this has to be real. She felt a lump behind her and frowned, trying to get comfortable. The lump remained though. She plunged her hand down behind the cushion, angrily searching for the nuisance. Her hand closed around a small square object and she pulled it up seeing that it was a small, leather bound, red book.
This book… Why does it look so familiar? She frowned in concentration thinking hard about the book. That's right, on Halloween… I picked it out of the bookcase to read, but I fell asleep before I read more than a few pages. Idly she opened the book and began scanning the paragraphs. The story seemed awfully familiar to her, even though she didn't remember ever reading it. Maybe mom read it to me when I was little…
With nothing better to do she continued to peruse the book, laughing at odd bits and pieces. "Ow, it bit me!" The girl exclaimed. "Well what did you expect fairies to do?" Asked the grumpy dwarf.
On she read, skipping over large chunks, but getting the gist of the story. This all seems so familiar, she kept thinking to herself. She could clearly picture the high stone walls of the labyrinth, the image of the bad tempered dwarf came readily to her mind, and the sarcastically arrogant voice of the king rang in her ears.
Quickly now she thumbed through the story, the words flashing by too quickly to read, but still Sarah knew everything that happened, every word exchanged and every peril triumphed over by the brave girl.
Finally she reached the end of the book, the last page with the final scene between the girl and the king. "Give me the child," the girl said to the king. "Think of what I'm offering to you," the king told her in a cold voice. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I shall be your slave. The girl was hesitant for a moment, but then the words came to her allowing her to break the spell. "You have no power over me."
Sarah sat there stunned. "You have no power over me," she whispered aloud. Suddenly the searing pain from earlier was back, causing her to scream. With every heart beat it intensified, causing black spots to dance in front of her eyes. She sobbed out loud with each increase of pressure, feeling as if someone was cutting into her brain with a dull knife.
Suddenly names, faces, and feelings came flooding into her mind. Toby, her brother, her dear brother. Toby as a baby crying and Sarah pouting that she had to watch him. Wishing him away and fighting Jareth to get him back. Taking care of him over the years, being the one thing in his life that was always there. Cuddling him when he had bruised knees, helping with his homework, cheering him on at Little League games.
More faces came to her. The time she spent Underground came back in a flash flood. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, her three stalwart friends, helping her in any way they could to beat the tyrannical king. Jareth himself, cruel and heartless, throwing challenge after challenge her way in hopes of keeping her from her brother.
The final confrontation. Winning Toby back. The years in between, dreams and nightmares, always the same and always about the same wicked king. Finally, her mind showed her how it had all gone wrong. Jareth returning on Halloween, telling her that Toby was his and always had been, asking her to come Underground with him and becoming furious when she refused. And Christian, poor Christian, so sad but having to follow his king's orders.
"I'm sorry Lady Sarah," he said while holding her head between his strong hands, not allowing her to be free even as she fought him. "I wish there could be another way."
"Christian, don't!" She cried frantically, desperately trying to wrench herself away from him. "You don't have to listen to him! Don't make me forget my brother."
His eyes locked onto hers and her body was stilled. "I swear to you he will be proteced. I will keep him safe."
A tear escaped her eyes as she realized he was going to do it. "Please," she whispered one more time, knowing that it was useless.
Jareth's voice rang out from the doorway, tauntingly calling out, "Get on with it Christian; I grow weary of her caterwauling."
He nodded slightly, sadness and regret in his eyes. "Forgive me," he said to her.
Then nothing. Mind blank, being stripped of every memory having to do with Toby, Jareth, and the Underground.
The pain was gone. At least the pain in her head had dissipated, but now there was an ache in her chest, a heaviness to her heart that made it hard to breathe. "Damn you Jareth," she whispered out into the room.
Rage such as she had never known filled her and for a second everything seemed to be tinged in red. She wanted to scream, cry, hit something, or maybe all three. How dare he do this!? How dare he steal my memories!? Her thoughts were chaotic and her reasoning was out the window. With out even thinking about it she went to her vanity and sat down, calling out more forcefully than ever before, "Hoggle! I need you now!"
Her breathing was harsh and her fists kept clenching and unclenching. A snarl was torn from her lips as it took more than thirty seconds for the dwarf to appear. She opened her mouth to call him again when suddenly he appeared.
"Sarah?" Came the hoarse sounding voice. "Sarah, is that you?" His voice sounded confused but when he saw that it was indeed her, his face broke out into a giant grin. "It is you Sarah! But how, what's going on?"
"Hoggle," she said in an overly calm voice, "I will explain it all to you later. I need to know right now, how do I come through to the labyrinth?"
The usually bad tempered dwarf scratched his head and looked around worriedly. "Eh, Sarah, I don't really think that's allowed."
"I don't care Hoggle," she managed to grit out between her clenched teeth. "I need to know, is there a way or not?"
With a resigned sigh he told her, "Aye, there's a way." She looked at him expectantly and once more he sighed. "This time he'll leave me in the bog for good," he muttered, mostly to himself.
He reached his hand forward, but instead of touching glass it kept going through to her side. She placed her hand in his and with a gentle tug she went through the mirror. To Sarah it was no longer than a brief moment, somewhat jarring but not too unpleasant. She gave her friend a curt nod and said, "Thank you Hoggle." Looking around she noticed they were in a stone room, dirty and dingy, lit by several torches. "Are we in the castle?"
"Aye," the dwarf told her, "Over on the goblin side."
"Where is Jareth," She asked him quickly, her voice low in anger and her eyes telling Hoggle that there would be no point in lying to her.
"Well, eh, I don't rightly know," he tried to say, but her nostrils flared and her eyebrows lowered in a threatening manner. "He's usually in the throne room though this time of day," the scared dwarf blurted out.
Another curt nod was her reply and she quickly began to walk towards the door. "How do I get there?" She asked over her shoulder.
"The hallway goes straight there, you can't miss it," he called out to her. "Shall I accompany you Sarah?" He asked, dreading the answer.
She stopped, for once looking at him with out anger in her eyes and a soft smile lighting up her features. "No Hoggle, it's ok. I faced him by myself once before. Thank you for your help." With that she turned and left the room.
Hoggle was right, the hallway outside the door led her on a straight path towards her soon to be foe. As she made her way ever closer, she thought about what was to come. I gave Toby up because I couldn't stop him from naming him his heir and I couldn't keep Toby from something he really wanted. But how DARE that bastard think that I would let him take my memories? This time you've gone too far Jareth.
Her steps were hurried but forceful, her anger sustained by the horrible thing Jareth had done. Suddenly a thought broke through her cloudy haze and she stopped cold. What if he took Toby's memories too? What if my baby brother doesn't even remember me? That thought brought a chill to her heart and she now broke into a run, anxious to confront the Goblin King and see how far his treachery had gone.
In no time she made it to the end of the hallway and saw two giant double doors. Two medium sized goblins stood guard on either side, but neither of them so much as batted an eye as she walked purposely towards the door. With a giant heave she pushed one door open, stopping to take in the scene before her.
Jareth sat, in all his regal arrogance, in a simple throne. Dove gray breeches, black shirt and boots adorned his frame and his face was bearing a large scowl. Next to him, seated quietly but with a large grin on his face was a man that she did not recognize. He was handsome, oozing the same charm and sex appeal as Jareth. He wore tight leather breeches and a blood red shirt opened at the neck and displaying a large amount of chest. Across from the two seated was Toby wearing a miniature version of Jareth's garb and shouting angrily, while a much subdued Christian stood next to him, a calming hand resting on the boy's shoulder.
The sight of her brother nearly brought her to her knees. Her happiness swelled to see him once more and she thanked whatever deity it had been that allowed her to recover her memories. The door that she had been unconsciously clutching was released and she stumbled forward, into the light of the bright torches around the throne.
"Toby," she whispered, for a moment unable to raise her voice louder. But with a bit of determination she shouted out, "Toby!"
All four men stopped what they were doing to turn towards her. "Sarah!" Her little brother shouted out. With out missing a beat he ran towards, her leaping in the last few steps to fly into her arms.
"Toby," Sarah said again, the sound breaking as she chocked on a sob. Tightly she held her brother, burying her head against his blonde hair and letting her tears soak him. He too was crying, his sobs muffled against her chest as he returned her bear hug.
The siblings clung to each other for several moments, but when they had at last composed themselves somewhat they pulled apart. "Are you ok Toby?" She asked him worriedly, checking him over.
"Never better," he told her with a cheeky grin and stifling his sniffles.
Jareth's angry voice rang out from his chair, "Did you think I would beat him my dear?"
Cold fury darkened her eyes as she let go of her brother completely and turned to face the king. "I wouldn't put anything past you," she spat out. Marching towards him, she clenched her hands, nails biting into her flesh and drawing blood. "How could you do it you monster? How could you take even the very memory of him away from me?"
His tone was indifferent and his eyes bored. "I do as I please Sarah. You presume much to question me. Be glad that I forgive your impertinence time after time."
"Impertinence?" She shrieked, causing Toby and Christian to wince slightly. "You have yet to see impertinence!" With only that to serve as a warning, her hand flew back and struck him hard across his face.
Immediately Jareth jumped from his chair with a roar of fury. Instead of backing up as any sane person would do, Sarah stood toe to toe against him, looking for all the world as if she would hit him again. With out even looking at each other, Christian and the stranger where there, pulling the two combatives apart.
Even with the two separated, electricity crackled between them, almost enough to manifest physical sparks.
While Christian tried to speak in a low voice to Sarah, attempting to calm her, the unknown man holding Jareth seemed to be fighting a losing battle against his rising laughter. In a loud voice he said to Sarah, "My fair lady, if I didn't have to hold this rabid beast back I would be kissing you right now. Well done."
Other than the stranger's laughter, Jareth's muttered curse was the only thing heard in the quiet room.
I'm always having Sarah slap Jareth around... Kinky... :)
I hope you guys enjoy the excessive hunks walking around. I just couldn't resist, even though our beloved Jareth is more than enough. :) I hope you guys like this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write, especailly the end.
Somthing fun for those of you that have read The Challenge. There's a poll up in my profile asking for your opinion on how Lady Regna should bite the big one. :) The winning option just might make it into the sequel, so go cast your vote.
Big thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter. Let's hope you do so again. :) Just a few more days til Thanksgiving, here's hoping I can finish in time!
