Chapter Seven

Sarah was bored out of her mind. Every day the same old thing, nothing ever really changed. Sarah wanted to scream from frustration. Walking home from after school rehearsal for the fall play, Sarah found herself thinking about the book that was tucked away in her back pack, The Labyrinth.
If only things like that were real.
"I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away, right now!" Sarah whispered under her breath as she crossed the street. A slight downpour had started that morning and had begun to pick up slightly and was now a heavy shower. Sarah pulled the hood of her sweatshirt tighter around her head. Miserably, continued walking home.
What, did you really expect something to happen? A little voice in Sarah's head ridiculed her. In truth, she knew nothing would happen, but she had hoped. Every now and then she found herself wondering why this world was so dull. This really couldn't be all there was. Where was magick and adventure but Sarah had been taught that real magick and creatures like the Fae didn't exist. It didn't stop her from wishing there was one.
As she crossed the street in front of her neighborhood Sarah was too lost in her thoughts to notice the truck speeding towards her.

He had to hurry. To get Sarah to pass the trials Mab had set, Jareth had to find a way for her to see the magick and power that surrounded him. Silently, Jareth followed her as she made her way home. I wasn't really Aboveground, they were very much Underground, but in Sarah's eyes and in Jareth's as well, they were walking the streets of any ordinary Aboveground town.
The squeals of tires on wet pavement shocked Jareth out of his worried stupor. Jareth sprang into action before he could think; he'd grabbed Sarah and pushed her out of the way. With a thought Jareth redirected the out of control vehicle away from where he and Sarah stood. Not caring where the reckless driver ended up, Jareth let the vehicle careen out of control, striking the side of another car going the opposite way.
The truck forgotten, Jareth worriedly glanced at Sarah, who sat in a puddle of water a few feet away from him. Her clothes were dry even though the rain still fell and the fact that she sat in water. Courtesy of the Demi Fae that had been smitten by the Queen-to-be Sarah could now control water. If she realized that fact, Jareth didn't know.

Sarah sat in the middle of the road, in shock, staring at the car that had missed hitting her by a hair and now was currently smashed into another car not ten feet away. Dimly, Sarah could hear the two drivers arguing but Sarah's main focus was not staring up at her blonde Knight in Shining Armor like a mindless bimbo. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah studied her savior dressed in all black clothing. He looked to be maybe a few years older than her, but not by much, his blonde hair was a mass of fly away locks. Vaguely, in the back of Sarah's mind, she registered that her clothes were dry, even though she sat in a puddle of water and rain still fell in sheets.
Finally, Sarah turned to look at the man who might just have saved her life and all she could do was blink up at him, her mind refusing to register anything other than shock. That was the exact moment that Sarah noticed a strange sort of light was emanating from him, the man gave off a blue-black aura that Sarah knew was in no way normal.

With a worried glance Jareth looked down at Sarah, she still sat there with a stunned expression on her face. "Sarah, are you alright?" He asked her, his brow creased in worry.
Her eyes widened when he said her name. Now he knew he'd have a hard time explaining things to her. "How do you know my name?" she asked, panic beginning to rise in her voice.
Jareth could see that Sarah was shivering, without a word he simply held out his hand to her and helped her to stand. "Come on, Sarah." He murmured, "We need to get you inside, you're shivering."
Jareth led her across the street and turned onto her block. She stiffened as he led the way to her house. He swore again for not letting her lead the way. "How do you know where I live?" her voice was almost near hysteric as she turned to face him with accusing eyes.

When her mysterious knight had first called her name, Sarah had shivered from the way that his voice had slithered down her spine. She'd found it sort of romantic that he'd saved her, but now things were getting a little too creepy. "I think you need to go." Sarah said, walking backwards in order to see him as she walked away, "Thank you….Jareth." She didn't know how she knew his name, she just did, and when she turned around and ran, Sarah didn't notice the little book that fell from the opened front pocket of her backpack.

He called after her, she heard him, she just didn't stop running, at least not until she was safely inside her house. She slammed the door and locked it after her. Her heart stammered in her chest. She was a little frightened, but more than that she wasn't bored anymore, she was terrified of what she had unleashed.

Picking up the little red book, Jareth glanced at the title, The Labyrinth, even under a spell his Sarah still thought of the Underground. Smiling, Jareth held the little book up to his chest, cradling it as if it were a beloved child. With a smile lingering on his face, Jareth went and knocked on the front door. He wasn't sure she'd answer, but it was worth a try.
When she opened the door, he could tell she was shaking. "Sarah, you dropped this," he stated as he held the little book out to her and couldn't help but laugh when she snatched the book from him and clutched it protectively to her chest.
"T-thank you." She stammered.
"I take it The Labyrinth is your favorite too." He commented when she went to close the door on his face.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously to stare at him. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Through dangers untold and hardships un-numbered I have-."
"Fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City," she continued, her eyes gleaming.
"To take back the child you have stolen from me." Jareth said watching her closely.
"For my power is as great." She smiled up at him and by the ways her eyes lost their suspicion he could tell she was warming up to him.
"I don't know why she ever said, 'You have no power over me'." Jareth commented, tilting his head to the side in question. "I always thought she'd fallen in love with the Goblin King."
"She did." Sarah whispered, barely loud enough for Jareth to hear.
"How do you know?" he asked her, watching closely to her reaction.
"Well I-I think she did." Then she as if suddenly realizing he still stood in out in the rain, she asked, "Do you want to come in?"
Smiling, Jareth walked through the door.

Letting a stranger into the house, what were you thinking? A little voice scolded Sarah inside her head as she walked into the living room, you know better.
But he saved my life. So he can't be all that bad. She thought. Then she realized something.
"You never told me your name." Sarah said half turning to face him. True he hadn't told her his name, but somehow she'd known it.
"It's Jareth." He replied in that tone he had, almost sarcastic, very arrogant.
At that moment Sarah recognized the man standing before her; even his attitude was familiar to her. "You're him, aren't you?" she murmured, wonder in her voice. "You're the Goblin King."
Sarah saw his eyes widen when she said that, her heart felt as if it were stuck in her throat. "Not many people realize I've been named after him." Jareth admitted, "My mother had a sick sense of humor."
Sarah gave a bark of surprised laughter, "I don't think so." She said still smiling, "I think it suits you."

Jareth sat on the living room coach as Sarah ran upstairs to change her clothes. He furiously racked his brain to find a way to help Sarah to solve the trial. He knew if it was out right magick that he showed her, then the trial would be void. He just didn't know what approach would be best. When Sarah screamed, Jareth was by her side in a flash.

This isn't my room. It's not my house. It isn't real! Sarah screamed a scream any horror film would've loved to have.
She'd went to her room to go change out of her school clothes, but when she'd went up the stairs, a movement out of the corner of her eye had made her stop on the landing just down the hall from her room. If she looked out of the corner of her eye she could see past the walls of the house as if it were see through, but looking directly at the wall, it appeared to be solid. The walls began to shimmer from solid to transparent, Sarah couldn't help but scream.
When Jareth came running up the stairs she saw out of the corner of her eye an older man, one with long blonde fly away hair and an outfit of royal black attire. Sarah's eyes went wide a moment before she fainted, her hysteria taking over.

Jareth caught Sarah before she hit the floor. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. When he went to lay her on her bed he noticed the illusion of the house was wavering in and out. Looking down at Sarah's unconscious form, Jareth realized she had seen past the illusion, and that was the reason she had screamed. She could've also seen past the glamour he was under but he couldn't be absolutely certain.
"Sarah?" he pleaded, "Sarah, can you hear me? Wake up." The last was commanded with as little magick in his voice as he could with still having some influence. When she didn't open her eyes, all Jareth could do was cradle her in his arms until she woke up.

Sarah was dreaming about the Labyrinth and the Goblin King, but this dream was nothing new. She more than not always dreamt of the Goblin King and the day when he would come and take her away.
She knew she should quit fantasizing about such frivolous things, but she couldn't help it. She was enchanted by the Goblin King. She always imagined that he had long blonde hair and two different colored eyes, one black, one blue, and he always had an arrogant look on his face. There was always something cynical and arrogant about him. . Every guy she'd ever met or seen on the street, she compared them to the mighty Goblin King, and none could best him. In her mind the Goblin King was just this side of cruel, but had a caring way about him as well. He was perfect for her.
Except he wasn't real.
Until now.

Jareth could see the Labyrinth clearly now. He stood cradling Sarah in his arms; he bent to kiss her forehead and held her tighter to him. He knew she'd be able to beat the trial set out for her but he hadn't known she'd be able to do it in such a short time and without any help from him. She had even more power than he'd even thought possible.
She was almost as powerful as him and if she broke the spell this fast, her power was already stronger than that of Queen Mab. When Sarah's eyes fluttered open, Jareth smiled and couldn't wait to see the look on Mab and Nicneven's faces when he introduced them to the Goblin Queen.