[There are lyrics to "As the world falls down" by David Bowie. I do not own the rights to the song.]
"Eve and the Forbidden fruit, Persephone and the pomegranate, Snow white and the apple, Sarah and the peach; what is it with women taking fruits evil beings? You would think after a while they would learn," the elf doctor ranted.
"Enough! Can you or can you not bring her back to life?" Jareth yelled.
"Yes, yes your majesty. There is an antidote for poisonous fruits over−" he opened a medicine cabinet full of potions, while running his finger over the labels, "Ah, yes. Here we are. The one good thing about being magically poisoned by fruits is that the victims never fully die. The spells can be broken easily if you have the right antidote or a strong enough force to make the victim awaken. There is only one side effect to this potion though."
"Please don't tell me she'll be asleep for a hundred years," Dillon cried weakly as he sat his younger brother on his lap. It hurt to keep him there, but he did not want the baby crawling around.
"No, that is only if you are pricked by an enchanted spinning wheel. The human will be stuck in a childlike state of mind for hours, and she will not remember any events past her childhood. So you will have to keep a close eye on her," the doctor explained.
"Understood," Jareth answered. The elf got on a stool to reach the Luna who was unconscious on the medical. He opened the vial of antidote, and tipped her head back. A dark green liquid poured down the girl's throat.
"Jareth?" Dillon asked.
"Yes?"
"When he said 'Sarah and the peach' was he talking about my mom?"
"Yes, I used a peach to get her to dream. It was a distraction to prevent her from completing the labyrinth on time," he explained.
"So that's why she won't eat peaches. She always said she was allergic," Dillon noted.
"I also resent being called an evil being, elf. Do not think I forgot what you had said."
"Yes, but seeing that I have revived both of these humans, I feel that you will find it in your heart to forgive me," the doctor smirked. Just as the king went to glare at the elf, Luna's eyes began to flutter. She let out an exaggerated on yawn and stretched her arms out, almost knocking the doctor off his stool. Howie jumped up and down on his brother's lap, causing him to cry out in pain. She sat up on the bed. Luna opened and closed her mouth a few times tasting the odd liquid on her tongue.
"Ew, it tastes like boogies!" she complained. Jareth was so ecstatic, he hugged the doctor. He thanked the doctor before attempting to help the girl off the table. She moved away from his hand. Her eyes were wide as she stared at everyone in the room. Her lip pouted and she began to cry. "Where's my mommy and daddy?"
"It is okay, my dear. Mommy and Daddy asked me to take care of you for a few days. Come to me," Jareth beckoned, she shook her head, "Why ever not?"
"Mommy says not to go with strangers cause they might try to hurt me," she explained.
"And she is absolutely right, but I am not a stranger. I am your friend, Jareth. I will not try to hurt you," Jareth told her while wiping her tears.
"Okay, but who is the guy and the baby? I like babies. It looks so cute like my baby brother Dillon. I love my brother more than anything in the whole wide world," she smiled while wrapping her arms around herself.
"I am your brother Dillon and this is your little brother Howie," Dillon responded.
"Dillon!" she hopped off the bed and gave him a painful hug, "How did you get so big?"
"Magic," he growled through clenched teeth.
"Yes, my dear. Now please let go of your brother. He is in a lot of pain, and you are also squishing the babe," he scolded and she obeyed, "Dillon keep an eye on her so I could go say goodbye to my sister. We will return to my castle shortly."
"Oh! You have a castle? Are you a handsome prince? Oh oh oh! Can I be your princess? Pretty please with ice cream and candy and sugar and sprinkles and a cherry on top," she squealed.
"I am a king and a high prince. If you are a good girl maybe I will let you be my high princess," Jareth assured her while patting her head. Jareth magically transported out of the room. Howie and Luna squealed at the sight. Luna stood next to the elf doctor. When she towered over him, she realized that she was not the size of a child anymore. She was a grown up. She looked over herself and down at her chest, and started giggling.
"Hey Dillon guess what? I got boobies! Just like Mommy!" she snickered. Dillon let out a small chuckle. The elf doctor was fed up with humans so he left the room to go on his break.
"Ooh you said 'boobies.' I'm going to tell Jareth and then he won't make you a princess," Dillon mock threatened.
"No please. I'm sorry. Please don't tell Jareth. I'll do anything!" she pleaded.
"Okay I won't tell, but you have to carry Howie for me. You have to sit quietly on that chair with him on your lap. You can't get up until Jareth comes back, okay?" he asked. She nodded her head in response. Luna took the baby and carried her to the seat as he instructed. The babe nuzzled his head against her. She rubbed the baby and bounced on her lap like her mother used to do with Dillon. They waited in silence for what seemed like forever until Jareth finally returned.
While speaking to his sister, Jareth informed her of what happened to Luna and what Dillon had told him lead to that. He demanded that the pixie who attempted to kill her should be put to death. Lillian sympathized, but told him that she could not do that because she is Cyril's mistress. Cyril would become very unruly, if he could not use her as an outlet. Jareth yelled at his sister, complaining about her choosing her husband over her own twin. She then retorted by mentioning how he put his obsession with Sarah before her. He took a deep breath before returning to the infirmary.
"I will need the three of you to hold on to me. I will transport the three of us to the castle," Jareth instructed. Luna stood up, and Jareth wrapped his arm around both her and the babe. She held on to him tightly. Dillon grabbed hold of his arm with one hand, and used the other to grab hold of the wheel chair. In a flash they were inside a giant room. There was a large black framed canopy bed. It was large enough to fit ten people comfortably. Sheer navy blue fabric flowed from the top. The blankets and pillows made of dark blue and black satin. They were surrounded by stony grey walls. In the room there were three doors. One led to a hallway, the other to a bathroom, and the last to a walk in closet. There was a large desk to the right of bed, and a fireplace a few feet in front.
"I thought we were going to the goblin kingdom?" Dillon asked.
"We are there. This is my room. Being that none of you can fully take care of yourselves at this point, you will be staying here," the king informed.
"I am grateful for you saving me and all, but not enough to sleep in the same bed as you," he commented.
"Of course not, you and your sister will sleep there. I will make a separate bed for me and a crib for the baby," he clarified.
"I'm hungry," Luna whined.
"Me too, I didn't get to finish my breakfast because you know," Dillon added.
"Very well I will have food brought here shortly."
"Can we have some hot cocoa?" Luna requested. Jareth saddened a bit because he had often dreamt of drinking that drink they called hot cocoa with Sarah. He could not think like that any longer. He promised himself he was going to move on.
"I'm afraid that is not a drink found in the Underground," he informed. Dillon told him that he could help him make some. Jareth called Grog to watch Luna and Howie while they headed to the kitchen. Luna was a little fearful of the goblin at first, but she soon got used to him. When they got to the kitchen, all of the appliances were made of rusted metal. Jareth made a mental note to replace them later. The goblin chefs were shocked to see the king in their kitchen. He asked them to prepare a meal for the four of them as he conjured an apron for himself.
"Are you really gonna send us home once I heal fully?" Dillon asked.
"Yes."
"What are you getting out of this? Why did you keep us here in the first place?"
"I was using you and your siblings to lure your mother here because I fell in love with her after she defeated my labyrinth. While you were unconscious Luna found this out. We had a long conversation, and she suggested that I moved on. So I am," Jareth explained.
"I don't believe that. I think you agreed to take us home if she whored herself out to you."
"That is a very vulgar thing to say about your sister. The statement was also untrue. Now, what do we need to start making this drink?"
"First we need cocoa powder, dried milk, water, sugar, vanilla extract, and my mom likes to put a little peppermint, but that's optional," Dillon listed. Jareth searched the different cabinets and pantries to find the ingredients listed. "Why don't you just poof up the ingredients?
"Food is a natural resource. We cannot form food with magic without it having some side effect. I really do not wish poison Luna again if it is all the same to you," Jareth responded while getting a jar of sugar, three mugs that contained water, and a vial of vanilla extract.
"You really care about her."
"I find it hard not to. The three of you are very admirable people. I feel that in this short amount of time I have learned so much which seemed impossible at my age. It will be difficult to see you leave. If any of you wish to return, you are always welcome."
"Thanks because I'll need to seek refuge when my mom finds out that I wished us a way to a certain goblin king," Dillon jested. Jareth laughed in response. He asked a few of goblins where he could find the rest of the items he needed. They all stopped in their cooking to find what he was looking for. They climbed on counters, opening the cabinets, and brought all the things the king asked for.
"Excellent. What do we do now?"
"We need to heat up the water," Dillon informed and he jumped when the water in the mug started magically boiling, "Okie dokie . . . Um I guess you can put the peppermint leaf on the bottom, and a few drops of vanilla. As it cools you can add the powdered ingredients."
"This is quite exciting. I have never actually made anything in a kitchen before aside from mud pies that I made as a child," Jareth chuckled as he followed Dillon's orders.
"You used to make mud pies?"
"Yes and my goblins used to eat them," he tagged on with humor and a hint of shame.
"That's disgusting," Dillon smiled while shaking his head in disbelief. He never thought of the king actually being a child. For some reason he thought he was just born an adult. Hearing about him doing something normal as a child made him seem almost endearing.
"I meant for them to pretend to eat it, but the goblins did not understand. They seemed to enjoy it so I continued making it for them until my mother found out," he smirked at the memory. Jareth put the three warm mugs on the trays with the food that the goblins already made. Jareth wheeled Dillon to his room. Two goblin waiters followed behind them with trays of food. Down the hall they could hear Luna singing a familiar tune. It was a song that their mother used to sing to them as children. It was a song that Jareth himself wrote for Sarah many ages ago.
I'll paint you mornings of gold.
I'll spin you Valentine evenings.
Though we're strangers 'til now,
We're choosing the path
Between the stars.
I'll leave my love
Between the stars.
When Jareth and Dillon entered his room they saw Luna attempting to waltz with Howie in her arms. She was wearing the dress that Jareth made for Sarah at the ball in her dreams. He always kept in the back of his closet, and she must have gone exploring while they were in the kitchen. Luna looked as beautiful as her mother did in the dress. The same dark hair and piercing jade eyes that would make Aphrodite herself green with envy.
"Hey Jareth look, I'm a pretty pretty princess," Luna beamed twirling her dress as if to prove it was true.
"Ah yes my dear, I can see that. May I join your dance?" Jareth asked. She nodded. He wheeled Dillon of to the side, and she handed the baby to Grog. The goblins put the trays on his desk before exiting the room. Jareth wrapped his around her waist and led them into a dance as he continued the song.
As the pain sweeps through,
Makes no sense for you.
Every thrill is gone.
Wasn't too much fun at all,
But I'll be there for you
As the world falls down.
Dillon, Grog, and Howie clapped when Jareth and Luna bowed. Her eyes widened when she saw the desired cup of hot cocoa. Luna sat down on the bed as Jareth handed everyone their trays of food. Dillon and Jareth had unicorn steak with eggs. Luna had a few pancakes. Howie had cut up pieces of a sandwich with a Sippy cup of milk. Grog was feeding him while sneaking a few pieces for himself. Jareth magically started the fireplace as they all huddled up and ate their meal. They all let out sighs of content when they tried the first sip of their hot cocoa. The siblings giggled when the saw that Jareth had a line of hot cocoa on his upper lip. Luna wiped it off with her thumb and he pressed his lips against hers.
"That's icky!" she squealed while using her arm to wipe off his germs, causing everyone to laugh.
"Maybe it would be best if we go somewhere private," Sarah said while eyeing the people that were entering the room. Roberto nodded, and the four of them exited the room. They went to a secluded hallway.
"How are we supposed to get them back from the goblin king?" Toby asked.
"We have to wish him here. I guess we will have to complete the labyrinth to get them back," Sarah explained.
"Okay I am going to go along with this charade even though I think your nuts," Roberto stated.
"What do we have to know about this king before we wish him here?" Christina inquired.
"Well he's very frightening, crafty, and manipulative. Don't take anything he offers you. Don't make any deals with him. He may seem handsome and charming at times, so do not let him fool you. Do not act like you are more intelligent than he is because he will make things harder on you," she warned.
"Okay so let's call this guy," Toby demanded. Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"I wish the goblin king would come here right now!" Sarah shouted. The lights flashed and roar of thunder sounded in the distance. A flapping noise got louder and louder until a familiar white owl flew between them. Christina screamed when she saw the bird transform into a man. He wore the same dark clothes that he wore so many years ago. His features looked just as terrifying as they did when Sarah was a teenager. Despite the fact that he now had her children, she still found him incredibly beautiful. Sarah had to resist the urge to touch him to see if he was really there. Though Jareth kept a cool demeanor, his heart was racing. He could finally see the object of his obsession in person. He promised himself that he would move on, but that proved a lot more difficult when the woman was standing right in front of him.
"Why hello Sarah, it is pleasure seeing you again," Jareth smirked.
"You haven't changed a bit," she stated.
"I wish I could say the same. Time has really taken its toll on you. Do not mistake me. You are still beautiful, but there is a lot of innocence lost from your eyes. My dear Toby, you have gotten so big since the last time I have seen you."
"Yes that tends to happen over twenty something years," Toby snapped.
"So it does," Jareth agreed, "Tell me, how has life been treating all these years? Seeing that you have turned down your dreams to live a life of mediocrity, I assume it must be awful."
"Not as bad as yours because you have to live the rest of your life knowing you got bested by a teenage girl," she countered. Christina was the only one frightened by the entire situation. She could have sworn she saw a few furry things scurry in the shadows.
"I know that you guys are enjoying your trip down memory lane, but we do have some missing kids that I would like to see again," Roberto butted in. He summoned a few crystals, and it did a bit contact juggling with them.
"Straight to the point, I like that in person. I see you have chosen a suitable mate Sarah. Now when you say kids, do you mean a lovely dark-haired woman, a spikey headed teenage boy, and a round-faced baby?"
"I swear if you touched them−" Roberto started.
"Tsk, tsk, I do not believe that is the way to speak to someone you just met, especially not to a king," Jareth scolded, "They wished themselves to me, not the other way around."
"Enough with the games, where are my children?" Sarah questioned.
"You know very well where they are."
"So will I have to run the labyrinth?" she asked.
"You have already beaten the labyrinth there would be no challenge in that. Actually you, Toby, and your children are free to travel between the realms at any point, assuming you remember the right words," he explained.
"Then wouldn't it be easier if you just bring them here?"
"I wish I could, but I am afraid Dillon and Luna are not in the condition to travel. I could bring Howie here if you wish."
"You bastard, you hurt my babies!" Sarah screamed.
"Do not jump to conclusions, Sarah. Dillon fell of a Pegasus while at my castle. His external injuries were healed by a doctor, but he is still in a lot of pain. Going between realms could cripple him for life if he has not given the chance to fully heal. Luna was poisoned by a pixie in my sister's kingdom. We gave her the antidote, but now she will be stuck in a childlike set of mind for a few more hours. I assure you that I have never attended for this to happen," he enlightened, making the crystals in his hand disappear.
"So can we at least go and see them?" Roberto pleaded.
"You cannot because you are not a blood relative of Sarah. You would not be able to return without defeating the labyrinth once you get there which is a nearly impossible task. The same goes for your fiancé, Toby. I think it would be better for everyone to just wait until they are back to their usual state."
"Can't you use some magic spell to bring him back here?" Sarah pondered aloud.
"I do not know of any spell that is capable of that."
"Is there anyone else that knows?" Sarah begged with big doughy eyes. Jareth wanted desperately to give her anything her heart desired.
"I suppose I can do some research or ask around," he sighed. They all jumped when Sarah wrapped her arms around her around his waist. Jareth attempted to distance himself from the hug. He did not want to breathe in her perfect scent or feel her perfect skin. Sarah relished the feel of his smooth chest plate against her. Maybe this was a way to get everything she wanted. She could have children, and Roberto can be there to visit. She could have her brother and her friends from the Underground. She can be with her first and only love. He could give Sarah her dreams.
"Thank you so much!" she cried, releasing him from her embrace. With the flick of a wrist all the surrounding walls disintegrated. The five adults were now in front of the labyrinth. There was a carriage with two Pegasus pulling it, and a goblin to drive it. Jareth stood at the door motioning for them to come in. Toby helped Christina in before the rest of them entered. The couples sat a cross from each other. Jareth sat next to Christina hoping to create some distance between him and Sarah. She was not too fond of this idea. Her wedding was tomorrow, and she was in a far off land with a creepy king, and weird hairy little things. Christina wanted her future niece and nephews to be safe just like everyone else, but she could not pretend to be brave. She nuzzled her head into Toby's chest and began sobbing. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her back in a comforting manner. As the carriage took off, Jareth began to pity bride-to-be. He wished to give her word of encouragement, but he knew he would just frighten her more.
The ride to the castle was silent except for the sound of Christina's sniveling. When the ride stopped, a goblin opened the door for them. Christina shrieked and clung to her husband. Sarah rolled her eyes at her before getting out of the carriage. Roberto followed close behind with his eye brows furrowed. He was clearly not pleased with this predicament they have found themselves in. Not only were his children in danger, but his wife actually hugged their captor. Toby held on to his future wife and they exited together. Jareth was the last to leave the carriage. He strolled out with a fake cockiness. The king wanted to make it seem as though her rejection never fazed him. He guided them into the castle and down several halls. He led them to the dining room so they could sit down and have a conversation.
"Where are they?" Roberto piped up after the long vgiuvgbsvjksbgyv
"They are in my chamber. I will have a goblin escort them here shortly," Jareth assured him. He whispered to a nearby goblin to retrieve the siblings. They all took seats at the long dining room table. "In the meantime, if any of you are hungry or thirsty, my goblins will be more than happy to serve you."
"I think I need a drink after the day we've had," Toby sighed.
"Well then, you are in for a treat. We have the finest wine the Underground has to offer," Jareth bragged. He clapped his hands so a goblin from the kitchen came out. The king ordered his servant to bring his guests some wine. The goblin quickly returned with a tray full of wine glasses, and placed them in front of the humans. Toby gulped his down. Being that he was rather heavy-set and he drank often, the alcohol did not overwhelm him. Christina let out a deep breath before taking a tiny sip. Sarah swished the wine around her mouth a little before swallowing. Roberto did not touch his drink. Toby nearly choked when he saw Luna entering the room with Dillon in a wheel chair. Grog was carrying Howie right beside them. Luna let go of Dillon's wheelchair, and ran up to Jareth. She sat on his lap, hugging and kissing him as she did so.
"Oh Jare Bear, you're back! That's going to be your new nickname. I picked myself. I missed you so much I thought head would explode. I love you this much" Luna squealed while stretching her arms to show him how much. Sarah covered her mouth in surprise. She hoped that it was just the potion talking, and her daughter really did not love the goblin king. It just had to be; no one was this intimate with someone that kept them captive.
"I love you too, my dear. Turn around, pumpkin, there are some people who are here to see you," he answered. The three siblings turned to see their parents and Toby and Christina.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Luna cried while hopping off Jareth. Howie cried out for his mother. She ran up to get him from the goblin. Dillon tried to wheel himself closer to them, but gave up because of the excruciating pain. Roberto got up to assist his son. Sarah wrapped her free arm around her mentally juvenile daughter. She kissed the top of her head, and a few tears escaped her.
"Te amo Papi," Dillon whispered to his father.
"I love you too, Mijo."
[Aww how sweet? They are happy and reunited, but how long can this feeling last? *Plays the beginning of Beethoven's 5th Symphony* So Sarah and Jareth see each other at last. Do you think they will try to be together again or will things get too complicated for them to handle? Until next time, Tata!]