Title: Between the Stars
Author: Etsuki-chan
Warnings: Rated M for language, possible violence, and possible mature content. (Possibility of attempted rape) I'll let you know before hand, 'kay?
Disclaimer: Honestly, if I owned the Labyrinth do you think it would have ended the way it did? (I don't own the Labyrinth…obviously)
A/N: Yay, I'm back! Okay so the reviews have gotten a little better, but I still need more! Thanks to all who reviewed (See bottom for specifics) and I'm still waiting for more!
Oh, by the way, when you see it means a switch in perspectives. (Sarah's dealings or Amber's…)
Chapter 4: Day 2; Sarah's Journey and Amber's choice"Oh, Jareth I hate you!" Sarah screamed as she rounded a corner for the sixth time and faced yet another dead-end. She had already wasted a whole day trying to figure out how to get in to the Labyrinth and now…she was completely lost. So far nothing was the same as it had been a year ago, and she was beginning to get pissed.
"You really shouldn't blame Jareth, my love. After all it was not he that wished his cousin away. And neither was it he who constructed the glorious art form in which you are now wandering," came a silky voice from above her.
Sarah jerked her gaze skyward to glare at the amused man who now sat upon one of the stone walls surrounding her, and gasped. He…he looked like Jareth. His midnight black hair was blowing casually in the breeze, and his sparkling green eyes stared down at her with a mixture of amusement and contempt.
"Who…" Sarah began in shock, "Who the hell are you?"
The man laughed, "Why, my love, I am hurt. You do not recognize your King when you see him? That seems to be an act of defiance if you ask my opinion."
"You…" Sarah said in bewilderment, "You're not Jareth."
"Indeed I am not," then man said, the smile melting from his face, "And I will thank you never to speak that name in reference to me again."
"But…" Sarah said shaking her head in confusion, "Jareth is the Goblin King, he…oh…you…you must be Kira, then?"
"Ha," Kira laughed tipping his head back in amusement, "You're rather slow on the up take, aren't you my love? I can't believe, honestly, that my cousin chose such a shallow girl like you for his love," his smile suddenly became dangerous, "Your cousin is a sweet girl, though. And she was much faster at figuring out my identity, anyway. I do wonder though, what will my cousin do with such a child when the thirteen days are up and he no longer has…power over her?"
"Wh…what?" Sarah looked lost, "Jareth said that…she'll disappear."
"Well those are the rules," Kira said nodding slightly in thought, "but since Jareth lost rule over the Labyrinth, the rules are mine to tamper with. Perhaps…perhaps I shall not let that girl go. Perhaps I'll take her…and keep her for my own."
"You…you leave my cousin alone!" Sarah shouted suddenly understanding the hidden threat hidden within Kira's words. If she didn't beat the Labyrinth in thirteen - no twelve –days, Amber would be taken away by this…monster.
Kira laughed in delight as she shouted, "Oh dear me, what a temper you have. But you need not worry, my love. I would do nothing to harm your cousin. No, that wouldn't be very nice now would it?" Sarah glared at him.
"But in all seriousness," Kira said dropping down from the wall with a quick leap, "I did not come here to discuss your cousin's future. No…I actually came to help you."
"Oh?" Sarah snapped suspiciously.
"Yes," Kira answered with a charming smile, "It had come to my attention that you have been lost within this maze for going on twenty four hours now. Is that correct?"
"Yeah, so?" Sarah said with a shrug.
"Well you must be quite tired then," Kira said leaning his back against the wall, "and probably hungry at that."
"And?" Sarah said, eyebrows raised in question. Kira smiled and formed a crystal in mid air. Tossing it to her Sarah instinctively caught the object, and found that as it touched her hand it was no longer a round crystal but a smooth fruit. A peach to be exact.
"I don't want it," Sarah snapped tossing it back to him. Kira laughed and caught it with a shrug.
"If you feel like starving yourself," Kira sighed, "I guess there will be no one to come to you poor cousin's rescue, after all. Oh well, the better for me, right?" He turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Sarah called out after him. He paused and glanced behind him with a slight smirk.
"Changed your mind, have you love?"
"I…" she began hesitantly, "Does…does it have to be a peach?" Again Kira laughed. Throwing the object over his shoulder he watched as Sarah once again caught it. This time it was an apple.
"Enjoy it, love," Kira called out as he faded from view, "That is, after all, the energy base you are going to need if you attempt to best my Labyrinth." Sigh, "Such a pity."
Sarah stared after him and then down at the apple. Sighing, she closed her fist around it and began walking once more. She'd eat it later, and only if she absolutely had to.
"Stop!" Amber called out in her sleep, "Oh, no please stop!"
Jareth jerked awake at the sound of the girl's ragged breathing. Standing, he drew near to the bed and glanced down into the terror filled face that was twisting in sleep.
"No," she moaned, "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry…I tried…please…mama make him stop…I tried my best, mommy, I'm sorry! Please…make him stop…"
"That's enough, child," Jareth ordered harshly, looming over the sleep entranced girl and seizing her shoulders roughly, "Open your eyes this instant! I order you to wake up now!"
Amber sat bolt upright with a terrified scream. Jerking herself out of Jareth's grip she squeaked in protest as he attempted to subdue her. Breathing hard Jareth gave up and sat down on the edge of the bed and glared at the now squealing girl.
"Get a hold of yourself," he snapped, "You're going to wake the whole damn castle with all that squawking!" Amber glanced up at him and took several deep breaths to calm her now pounding heart. Everything around her seemed to be spinning and she waited several moments before replying allowing the world time to right itself.
"Just had a nightmare," she explained lying back down and turning away from him in the dark so he wouldn't see the wild look in her eyes, "No big deal. Sorry I woke you."
Jareth watched her silently for a moment before speaking, "Who…who did you want your mother to protect you from?"
For a long moment Amber said nothing. Then softly she answered, "My father."
Jareth didn't say anything else. He simply rose and went back to his chair beside the window. They spent the rest of the night in silence, though neither of them slept again.
"Miss?" Krista called hesitantly through the door, as though afraid to open it. Amber couldn't help but smile at that.
"Come in, Krista," she said with a slight laugh. Krista opened the door carefully and entered with a tray of food.
"Lord Saige will be up shortly, Miss," she said politely as she set the food down in front of Amber, "He wants you to stay in bed until he has a chance to look at your head again. And His Majesty insists you eat your fill before hand."
"Oh," Amber sighed, "Right." Glancing at the plate before her she tried hard not to grimace.
"Is something the matter, Miss?" Krista asked, worry evident in her tome.
"Oh no," Amber said laughing lightly, "I've just never been much of a breakfast person. But this looks fine, I'm sure I can manage it this once. Thank you." Krista nodded and hurried out the door. The moment she was gone, Amber pushed the plate away in disgust and stood.
"I hate toast," she mumbled as she walked to the garbage and disposed of the mess on her plate. Setting the plate down, she smiled at her accomplishment. Even though it was a small consolation, she enjoyed thinking that she had beaten the King at something.
Nodding in satisfaction she made her way back to her bed, but paused as she passed the door. Biting her lip in thought she glanced at the clock and came to a split second decision. She had waited her whole life to be taken away from her pain, and now she had. She most definitely was not going to waste it. Grabbing a robe from her closet she slipped into it then out into the hall. Frowning at the gray stone all around her she made her way down the center stopping every now and then to glance into the rooms.
One room in particular got her attention the moment she glanced within. At first it appeared only to be a library, but upon closer inspection she came to realize this was definitely no ordinary library. For starters, the books in which it held were not storybooks but journals. Diaries. The Goblin King's diaries. And almost all of them had Sarah's face drawn across the cover.
Not being able to resist, Amber picked one of the books up off of a desk in the center of the room. Glancing down at the cover she gasped as a new face greeted her eyes. It was her own.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing!"
Amber whirled around to face the enraged figure before her.
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I know, another short chapter…sorry! I've been under so much stress lately. Anyway I thought this would be a pretty good place to end it. Oh and if you've read this far, I would really, really, really, really, like it if you would review! Please, I need something to keep me going!
Anij: So…would you trust Kira? Heh, anyway thanks so much for your continuing support! It means a lot! Hope to hear from you again!
notwritten: Thanks for the review! I promise, I'll try my best not to give up! And thank you again for the support!