AN: This story is fast approaching its end - I will be sad to see it over. I found this chapter quite hard to write, primarily because Jareth is such a difficult character to explain! I hope it reads well. Reviews are always welcome! I don't own any of the material from the Labyrinth. I did, however, buy a big glass marble the other day...


Sarah landed in the throne room of the castle, a room she had been in three times now. The first two times, it had been messy, dim and had a feeling of solemnity about it. Now, the change was clear – the room was ice cold, dark and there were cobwebs on everything. There was no magic in this room, it was dead. She ran to the window and looked out on her beloved Labyrinth, and cried aloud when she saw that the Bog of Eternal Stench had grown into an enveloping, revolting darkness that spread across the Labyrinth like a plague and destroyed everything in its path. The Bog had reached the city gates, and the goblins cast mediocre spells in an attempt to protect their city.

Spinning around frantically, Sarah looked for a place that Jareth might be. Oh, I wish I could find you.

Sarah had underestimated the power of her magic, as she was terrified when she was swept from her feet and thrown through a cloud of magic, landing headfirst in the Labyrinth's ball room. She sat up, rubbing her head, and looked around. The room was dimly lit, full of shadows and bubbles hovered around the empty space. Masquerade masks littered the ground and the spectre of dancing hung in the air. Shattered glass was strewn everywhere. In a corner, Sarah spotted Jareth propped up against a wall, looking pale and half-dead. He seemed blue instead of fleshy. She slowly approached him, avoiding the glass, and the sound of echoing footsteps made Jareth start and meet the sight of Sarah, looking fearful and cold.

"Sarah? Am I dreaming?"

"Would it matter if you were?"

Jareth looked confused.

"I can assure you I am real."

He snorted hollowly and withered a little.

"I cannot seem to assure you of anything, Sarah."

"Well, maybe try again. Tell me about you. Who are you? Are you human? Start at the beginning."

Jareth sat up.

"Very well. I may as well tell you, since I have nothing to lose. I am a Fae, Sarah. There are two kinds – Seelie and Unseelie. The Seelie Faes are benevolent, unless of course you cross them, and the Unseelie, well…let's just say they are the less friendly kind. My parents are both Unseelie Faes, and as a result brought me up to hate humans. They would rather harm one than help one. As a child they would tell me of a place where I could one day rule, a magical place where I could gather human slaves for their realm. When I was fifteen, I was appointed Goblin King of the Labyrinth. I had no choice but to accept the position, it was that or become a goblin.

"They owed a favour to the previous ruler, and to be honest they were not so bothered to see me go; they returned to the Realm of Faes without a second thought. I was angry that my parents had so easily given me up, and was ready to take my anger out on any human that wished away a child. However, when the first boy wished his baby brother away, I saw how beautiful and unique a human child was, and I suppose the Unseelie anger in me weakened.

"I transformed the Labyrinth into a world where forgotten children could live peacefully. I never wanted to turn the children into goblins, but I had to in order to keep them off the radar – I knew that the High Council of Faes would take them away if they were ever discovered. I looked after the Labyrinth and the inhabitants, but I never grew attached to those within it – I did not want to cause anyone harm should I ever leave; attachment is not desirable to me, or my parents. I was cruel only to be kind. That and the fact, well, I am a Fae after all – sometimes I cannot help but be cruel.

"I lost touch with my parents, though they used to visit and involve themselves in my business. They were naturally angered that they were not being sent any human slaves, and disowned me when I refused to marry any of their suggested brides. It was difficult to provide excuses to the High Court. I ruled alone for one thousand, three hundred years, and although I was all-powerful, people lost faith in me, people Overground stopped believing the myth, and so I lost power.

"But then I became alert to someone in the Overground who believed more in the Labyrinth than anyone else ever had, and I was excited. With more belief, I could make the Labyrinth stronger and then not answer to the High Court; my magic would be stronger.

"So I listened, and luckily that person wished her younger brother away. I was of course frightening; I played my part, and enjoyed toying with her, but the closer she got to the centre the more I realised how painful the thought of her leaving was. I understand that my attachment and desire to enforce my will over her got muddled, and I ruined my chance at happiness. I was stuck between the desire to love her, and have revenge on the girl who beat me and my Labyrinth.

"Once she left, the Labyrinth lost some of its sparkle, I grew more tired and realised that I had foolishly given the girl some of the Labyrinth's power, only for her to stop believing. I grew darker, I tried again, only to expose my heart once more and be rejected. I gave up on ever thinking she would see me as anything other than a ridiculous man in tights in a far off land, at the back of her imagination, in her fantasy. And that brings me to the present. After she left, everything fell apart. There was not enough power in me or the Labyrinth to keep either party going, and so we gave up, I retreated here. The worst of the matter was that in her second visit, much more of the Labyrinth's power had transferred into her, so when she wished me away I no longer had any power over her – I was entirely at her disposal, I was nothing. How can I be a king if my Labyrinth, my people and my lady disobey me? I offered her my love and she dashed away my dreams."

Sarah paused for thought.

"Jareth, I think we have different notions of what constitutes love."

Jareth sighed and put his hand over his eyes, clasping his forehead.

"Clearly. I am from another time, Sarah. Where I come from, women marry at a young age and submit to their husbands. I am a man of great acquired customs, most of which you forced me to question."

Sarah sat down beside Jareth, who flinched slightly. They sat in silence for a minute or two.

"No one has ever scared me as much as you did when I was a girl – you were the villain and I had read about your terrible Labyrinth. I thought I had to beat you, to return home. I mean, how could you expect me to leave my family and my life, or doom my brother for that matter? But now… now I have nothing, I see how happy I could have been here."

"If I may ask, Sarah, what happened to your family?"

Sarah sighed and dipped her head slightly.

"My father died of cancer not long after I returned from the Labyrinth – Toby was so young he cannot remember Dad. Karen was nice to me for a while, but eventually lost her tether with me when I was seventeen. I used to act ridiculously for my age, drinking, smoking and the like. She wanted to put me into care, called me a bad influence on Toby, but I ran away and squatted for a year, finally getting a job in a bar and learning to make my way, taking acting courses and working. I have only seen them twice since; Toby knows who I am but is fourteen now, he doesn't really care much for me, and why should he really?"

"But do you not still love him?"

She thought about it carefully.

"I suppose I always will, but I don't miss him too much."

"Love is a strange emotion."

"I love the Labyrinth, I love that it is real and feel so lucky to have so much power here when I have so little power Overground. But most of all, I love that you kept trying. I love that you exist, that you aren't a figment of my adolescent brain. I had to lose everything to see what I could have had – you only visited me when I was at my lowest and showed me how life could be. Jareth, I couldn't live without you or your Labyrinth."

Sarah put her lips near his ear and sung softly into his ear, "Oh I do believe in you, yes I do."

Jareth closed his eyes and groaned. "You starve and near exhaust me," he moaned. He stared at her cautiously as she sang.

"Your eyes can be so cruel…" He sighed at her words.

Sarah smiled melancholically. "We have never spoken like this before. It feels strange. I feel like I'm not worthy to talk so intimately with the Goblin King."

"Ha! Look at me Sarah, I am a wreck."

"You are still just as terrible and devastating as when I first met you. I feel entirely inadequate, and to be honest I cannot understand why you care for me."

Some colour returned to Jareth's visage.

"Life has treated you badly in the Overground. Your self-esteem is lower than I anticipated, you always acted so confidently. You do not seem to realise how powerful or special you are; you have brought me back to life. Look, Sarah, I do not expect you to want to stay with me. You are welcome to stay in the Labyrinth, if we can save it, here in the castle, but I will keep out of your way."

"Jareth, I know you can live without me, you don't live within me, but the point is you don't have to live without me. The difference this time is that I want to let you rule me as my king, I want to fear you and your magic, and I want to love you as I always should have done. I will do as you say, so long as you still want to be my slave – no matter how contradictory that is! I will be your servant, or whatever you wish me to be."

Jareth closed his eyes in an attempt to calm his raging thoughts, then said, "Will you help me?"

"Yes."

Without warning, as Sarah planted a kiss on Jareth's forehead, the room exploded with colour and shattered, transporting the two back to the throne room. The smell of the Bog had travelled into the castle, and Jareth acted quickly, taking Sarah's hand and guiding her to the window. The Bog had broken the city walls and threatened to ruin the whole city, and goblins ran to the castle as the Bog infiltrated their homes. "Sarah." Jareth looked intently at her and carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He looked like a candle, about to go out. "I need you to use all your magic and banish the Bog to its original dwelling. You are the only one who can."

Sarah gazed at the Bog in fear.

"But Jareth, how can I? I am just a human girl!"

"You are a truly great woman. Sarah, remember when you told Toby the story of the Labyrinth that fateful night? What was the most important thing?"

Sarah cast her mind back and thought hard. Once upon a time…and the baby…after a hard day of housework…That was it! But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers.

"I have magic."

"Much magic, you have the power to wish great things. I need you to concentrate and wish the Bog back, or it will drown us all. Stand here, and concentrate on your greatest wish: the Labyrinth's safety."

He placed Sarah in the centre of the window and positioned her, his hands on her waist; she could feel them tremble. His hands moved to her arms and he pulled them out wide, her palms exposed to the Labyrinth. He placed his hands around her wrists and wind began to dance around them, until the two were at the centre of a vortex. Sarah could feel Jareth's hair blowing against her face.

"You must wish it away, say it NOW!"

"I WISH THE BOG OF ETERNAL STENCH WOULD RETURN TO ITS DWELLING! RIGHT NOW!"

The vortex surrounding them loosened and descended on the Bog, which was retreating at an elevated speed. It drained out of the city and Sarah could see on the horizon that it was returning to its original spot. The cloud lifted from the Labyrinth. The smell that had hung in the air was swept up by the vortex, which plunged into the centre of the Bog. The surface settled.

The magic connection broke and Sarah noticed how high the castle actually was; as the city began to spin in her vision her knees buckled and she passed out from exhaustion into Jareth's ready arms.