Chapter 9

"What, Jareth?" She grew frantic, how long had it been? She wondered.
Two years, the answer slammed into her, making it difficult to breathe. Two years? Her mind screamed, it couldn't have been two years. Toby had been four when she'd left. Now, if two years had passed, Toby was six. She'd missed two years of his life.
"No!" She cried, her voice breaking with sorrow. "Why? How could you?" she demanded of no one in particular.
I'm sorry. Jareth's voice drifted through her mind.
Shaking her head violently, Sarah instinctively felt for the cold, magickless world that was Aboveground. And crying, the Goblin Queen faded away.

Jareth watched her go and he was powerless to stop her. He'd meant to tell her how fast time was moving compared to the Underground. He'd meant to warn her that time was moving rapidly. Eventually it would slow and time would move faster in the Underground then Aboveground like it had during Sarah's first time. Time was a tricky thing when one wasn't used to the way it moved erratically. Only on certain months did the time move faster Underground then Above, but eventually the time would once again be half the rate Aboveground then Underground. Jareth wasn't sure if Sarah would forgive him for letting two years pass Above without her knowledge. He hoped getting her forgiveness would be possible in the first place.

Sarah stood beneath the shade of her once favorite tree in the park where she used to act out the Labyrinth story. In her mind's eye she could see herself in her white princess dress reciting her monologue.
"Give me the child," her thoughts drew her into the past and she could see herself as she had been. "Through dangers untold and hardships un-numbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, for my kingdom is as great."
The little boy who ran across the little bridge leading to the meadow broke Sarah's reminiscing. The little blonde boy was maybe six or seven years old, he was carrying a little red bouncy ball and when he threw it up in the air it landed only a few feet away from him making him pout, but soon the little boy laughed as a Shetland sheep dog ran to push the ball with his nose.
It looks like Ambrosias, thought Sarah, Sir Didymus's dog. At that thought something nagged at the back of Sarah's mind. The little boy and the dog looked so familiar.
"Merlin! You silly dog," the boy murmured watching the dog chase the ball ahead of him, "that's mine!"
Sarah's eyes widened. Merlin? Her thoughts were scattered, making the world spin. Sarah felt as if she were trying to grasp onto something that wasn't quite solid yet. If that was Merlin then the little boy was-.
"Toby!" Karen said sternly crossing the little stone bridge. "How many times have I told you not to run so far ahead of me?" Sarah's stepmother put her hands on her hips looking down at her son.
You've run so long, you've run so far. Jareth's voice echoed sing-song in her head.
"Mommy, that's not fair." Pouted Toby.
You say that so often, I wonder what your basis for comparison is. Jareth's voice echoed again, he seemed so close to her that Sarah whirled around to catch a glimpse of him. The world started to spin faster before Sarah's eyes, almost as if none of the things she were seeing were real. Her memories and her mind were getting scattered, almost like watching clips of three different movies, the scenes moving rapidly until it was just one big blur.
Sarah's knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground hard.
Life without you sunlight, love without your heartbeat. Jareth's voice held such sorrow Sarah felt a tear come to her eye. I can't live within you.
Sarah could feel her sanity slipping away. Her heart ached, it felt as if her heart would break into tiny shards that would cut her from the inside out and she didn't know why.

Sarah felt as if she were floating. Her body had no weight at all. Everything around her was quiet. She felt whole and relaxed. She knew who she was and her memories weren't threatening to overtake her sanity anymore.
"Queen Sarah," the voice asked of her, the voice rang almost like a bell, a pure voice. "Are you awake?"
Sarah had to force her eyes open. She didn't want to face where she was. It took two tries before Sarah could get her voice to work.
"Where am I?" Sarah asked her voice steady.
The creature before her was a tiny Fae. She had blue hair that trailed to the floor of the cavern. Sarah's eyes felt drawn to the little Fae. The sparkling cavern was relatively bigger than Sarah's Aboveground home had been. The cavern surrounded a waterfall and a lake that speckled greenish blue. IT reminded Sarah a little bit of Undine Lake.
The little blue haired Fae stood before Sarah watching her with patient blue-green eyes. The Fae came to just below Sarah's waist, she looked much like the little fairy doll Sarah used to have as a little girl.
"I am Asari," the Fae said, her voice the purest thing Sarah had ever heard. "I am the keeper of Undine Lake."
Sarah waited for Asari to continue but when she didn't Sarah asked, "Why am I here?"
Asari watched Sarah for a second before replying, "You called to out to me. You were suffering, Your Majesty."
Sarah looked down in confusion, her mind racing, "But why did you answer my call?" Sarah murmured.
Asari stepped closer to Sarah, her little arm raising and paused over her left arm where the lily mark was. "May I, Your Majesty?" She asked before she touched her finger to the lily.
Sarah had to shield her eyes when the lily started to shine brightly with a golden white light. Asari stepped back, the lily faded slightly but still shined.
"It seems the Undine Fae have chosen you, Queen Sarah." Asari stated her voice emotionless.
"Chosen me for what?" Sarah asked, the lily tingled slightly, but the glow had faded.
"Why to be the Guardian of course," Asari stated, "like I was Chosen and the Guardian before me."

Jareth stood underneath the tree watching Toby toss the red ball in the air. He knew this was where Sarah had gone to when she went Aboveground. He could see the trail Sarah's magick had left, the trail held a hint of blue in it but was mostly white, markings of an Immortal bound to a King. There was a hint of purest green that had the hairs on the back of Jareth's neck standing on end.
Fool! He screamed at himself, how could you have let Sarah come Aboveground by herself her first time after becoming Immortal? Sarah's magick had gone haywire and in desperation had used the Link of the Lily to call upon Asari. Jareth had guessed what the lily had symbolized but he hadn't wanted it to be true.
"Asari!" Jareth's voice growled, pure power rolling through the command, "Asari, Guardian of the Waters and Undine, show yourself!"
Underground, the Labyrinth shifted restlessly.

"You called, Your Highness?" The voice asked sounding tiny.
"Where is she?" Jareth demanded his fists clenched tight. "Where is Sarah?" He couldn't help it, his voice was cruel.
"I am not the one you seek, Sire." Asari answered plainly.
"Asari, as High King, I command you bring me to her!" he barely controlled the urge of violence that lurked beneath the surface.
Curtsying slightly the Fae murmured, "I will take you to Asari."

Looking at Sarah, Jareth could feel the agony eating away at him. Her eyes were changing colors, that much registered in Jareth's mind, the lily tattoo had grown, it wove around her left arm until the vine ended on her hand and had a little lily bloom at the end. Her hair shone with a hint of blue and when she curtsied to him, Jareth knew she didn't recognize him as her husband, just the High King as she would only address him as Your Highness.
"How may I help you, Highness?" She asked, waiting, her hands clasped in a sign of servitude, a gesture Sarah wouldn't have recognized as such.
"Sarah," Jareth began, "Why are you down here?" His voice held the anguish he was feeling, his cold reserve shattered in that moment.
Her face didn't register the question, she didn't recognize even her name.
"I cannot answer that question, Sire." She answered at last, "I as Asari don't have the answer to it. I do not know this Sarah of which you speak."
"Sarah, you cannot be Asari." Jareth retorted his nerves all but shot his patience all but gone. "You are Queen you cannot be both."
"She has chosen," Asari replied, "She chose to take her place as Guardian!" Asari glared at him as she paced the Lake. "I am free and she is now bound."
"No she isn't," Jareth whirled on the little Fae. "The Undine haven't released you as Asari, little Fae, if they had, you wouldn't be here." He grabbed the little Fae around the neck and it took what little control he had to not snap her neck.
"She accepted!" Asari hissed, "I am free!"
Jareth could feel Asari's magick scorch his skin as she tried to escape, with a flick of his wrist a pair of golden shackles appeared on Asari's dainty wrists.
"Asari, you are still bound as Guardian," Jareth snarled, his smile revealing his pointed teeth. "Sarah may be brain washed but she is not bound as you are my dear."
Jareth turned and caressed a gloved hand down Sarah's cheek. "When she accepts her place as Guardian it will be when I step down as High King." Jareth maneuvered so that he stood behind Sarah. He draped his arms around her, one around her waist the other wrapped around her left shoulder down her front. His fingers skimmed down her left arm and Asari's eyes widened as the lily receded and the vine trailed back up her arm, vanishing until all that was left was the lily that marked her as potential Guardian. Jareth had to grit his teeth to keep himself from hurting Asari with the force of his power.
The shackles around Asari's wrists glowed brighter as she tried to force her spell on Sarah to grow. Jareth narrowed his eyes dangerously, "I wouldn't do it if I were you, little Fae."
Bowing her head the Fae said, "As you wish, High King." She might have admitted defeat now but Jareth could see her glare of defiance.
Underneath Jareth's arms, Sarah sighed and whispered, "Take me home," in a voice that held such agony.

Author's note: Please please please review! New chapters up soon! Hope you all have enjoyed the story thus far. Sorry the chapter was so short.