Disclaimer: Yeah I didn't have anything to do with the Labyrinth movie or the book. But I did write this story, about the Labyrinth. Like I said, since Brian Henson is far too lazy to make a second movie, he's probably too lazy to sue me over it, either. But just in case, here ya go: It wasn't me, I didn't write it, blah! This chapter is better than the last one but you may get confused b/c it switches back and forth between Jareth, Sarah, and Adeira's view points quite often. And there are two scenes from the past (always in italics), which don't really have that much to do with each other, at first. But it is necessary for the plot, so onward we go...

Chapter 10: So Angry, So Dangerous

"I have a surprise for you," Jareth said, as he held the door for Sarah to enter his room. "It's not much, but I think you'll be pleased. I shall be back momentarily."

Without waiting for a response from her, he left the room and began walking down the hall. He left Sarah alone in the big empty room, wondering what he had in store for her. She had no idea what his gift would be. Maybe this was it, and she was about to be turned into a Goblin. Perhaps he had been planning this from the start. Slowly gaining her trust, until she let her guard down. And then…

He stepped back into the room to find Sarah seated timidly on his bed. She could see that Jareth was hiding something behind his back. A familiar "Mew!" gave his secret away. He handed her a small, fuzzy, blue-eyed friend.

"Butterfly!" Her face lit up excitedly as she practically snatched the small kitten from Jareth's grasp. "I thought I'd never see you again! I thought you were… gone forever. Jareth, where did you find him?"

"You forget that it was my companion that took him from you to begin with. I sent Kala after him to slow you down."

"But I saw her take him… He looked limp and lifeless, like he was dead."

"I ordered her not to harm him," He was growing rather bored with the conversation. "It's time we got to bed. I have an early day tomorrow, as do you."

Too tired to argue, Sarah yawned and placed Butterfly on the bed, indicating that it was a good idea. With a flick of his wrist, she was no longer wearing her white shirt and jeans, but a lovely black silk and lace nightgown. Despite the fact that it was a bit too revealing for her taste, she did not complain. Instead, she grabbed the gray and black tabby and climbed onto the bed to face the wall.

Within minutes, she was asleep, her dreams filled with bizarre images that came in fragments, and made no sense. Her last thoughts before going to sleep were of Jareth. He was supposed to be cruel and heartless, yet he had been so pleasant toward her today… He had even given Butterfly back to her. She no longer felt the resentment for him that she once had. What was this new feeling?
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Long ago… Shortly after Prince Jareth's cruelty had caused his beloved Seraseht to take her own life, Arietta the servant returns. She is holding a bundle of candles and she silently gives them to Jareth. He snatches them, then barks orders at her.

Princess Seraseht's still form is sprawled across a large altar in the center of a small, empty room. She is no longer wearing the gorgeous white ballroom gown that once covered her. In it's place, there is a heavily adorned black lace dress with red silk placed sparsely in patches, along the neck, arms, and skirt. Her pale lips and shiny hair make her look breathtakingly lovely, even in death.

Arietta mistakenly spills a bit of candle wax on her leg, earning her a quick slap from the dark prince. He is angered that her beauty will now be marred with a scar down her once perfect leg. Arietta's tears fall onto one of the candles, putting out the flame. She feels deeply hurt that the one she loves with all her heart was so cruel to her. And for the sake of another makes it that much worse.

The moment her insolent tears put out the sacred candle's flame is when he starts beating her. He starts with her face, causing her to be disfigured and grotesque and appearance. He works his way down the rest of her body, shouting a thousand curses as he continues his brutal assault. She never would have thought him to be capable of such cruelty.

Arietta's beaten body lies crumpled on the floor, in a sparkling pool of crimson blood. With her dying breath, she vows her eternal revenge upon the two lovers. A curse that will span several lifetimes…

Jareth must find a way to save his precious Seraseht. He ignores the blood-soaked servant's corpse that lies behind him. He also ignores her curse. Assembling the ceremonial candles into formation himself, he begins to pray.

He prays to every known being in the universe. He prays to god, and to the devil; he prays to the fairies and the pixies; he prays to the pagan gods and goddesses; he prays to the ancient Greek gods, and to those of Rome; he prays to the wood nymphs and water nixies; he prays to the ghosts of his ancient past; until he had prayed to every known deity to save her. Still, none of them answered. And lastly, he prayed to the Goblins…

And who should answer that call, but the Goblin King himself. Dressed in all black, he holds an evil smile, and his eyes burn black like the fires of hell. Jareth only wants to save his darling princess, so he vows that he will do anything if only she will breath once more.

The evil king says that he must give up their first born child in order to revive the Princess. Jareth asks what fate awaits their future child, only to find that he will be made into a Goblin. However, left with no other choice, he only wants to save her. And so… He agrees….
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Something awoke her in the middle of the night. Sarah could see nothing but absolute darkness, that seemed to stretch on forever. She would have jumped up, but something held her to the bed. She could feel two strong arms encircling her, offering what comfort they could. Turning her head slightly, she thought she could see Jareth's face. He looked like such an angel when he slept.

That still didn't help her to stop feeling scared. She was in a strange place, and she felt alone. A purring sound filled her ears, and Sarah noticed Butterfly had been sleeping above her head. She placed a hand on him, and drifted off, back to her dreams…
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With one swift movement, her arm swept all of the ornaments off her dresser. Nevermind they were her only memories of home that she'd been able to bring with her, Adeira was pissed off. And rightly so. She'd been insulted all through dinner. It was her first day at Jareth's castle, and she'd barely seen the man. It just wasn't fair! Feelings of jealousy and rage continued to control her, just as they always had.

And it had cost her dearly, even if it was several lifetimes ago. What difference did it make? She was still paying for it.

Adeira knew she had to do something to get her way, she just had to. But what? That was when the vial of dark green liquid caught her eye. Yes, it would be perfect. Already she could taste her revenge. And it tasted so sweet. Victory would be hers, no matter what the cost.
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The second time she opened her sleepy eyes, it was still a little dark outside. The sunlight seemed to dance just below the horizon, as she turned her head to gaze out the window. She leapt up, and ran for the bathroom, climbing right over Jareth's sleeping form without a word.

Such sudden movement caused him to wake up, but he didn't see Sarah. He hoped she was okay… He didn't have time to check on her, he had matters of his own to attend to. Jareth leapt out the window, disappearing in the crisp morning air. He felt a twinge of regret for leaving her. What was wrong with him?

When Sarah returned to the small dusty room, she was alone. She could only hope Jareth hadn't left looking for her. But she hadn't had time to wake him.
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Sindel's cheery face brightened the doorway, as she sauntered into Sarah's room.

"Miss Sarah, I bring you breakfast in bed," She announced gleefully. "Courtesy of the Goblin King!"

"Thank you," She said, walking over to the bed. "But I am no longer in bed. It's hard to sleep on solid rock, and my head is killing me."

"Next time I'll bring you one of Kala's pillows. The throne room is full of them."

Sarah didn't even bother to restrain herself. As soon as Sindel put the tray down beside her, she began eating right away. She was starving, and the food was delicious.

"What exactly is Kala anyway?" Sarah asked, between bites.

"She's been here even longer than I have. I did notice that she has two different forms, one human and the other wolf. I'm not sure, but most of the Goblins say she's some kind of werewolf or something."

"Where did Jareth go?"

"Um, I think he had to deal with something. It is rumored that there is going to be an uprising amongst the Goblins, a sort of civil war. Only I don't think it will be so civil. As you may have noticed on your last visit to the Labyrinth, some Goblins sport red armor, while others wear blue. The colors represent two opposing sides. There is a lot of unrest within the Goblin city."

"Oh," Sarah thought back to the first time been to the city, back with her three good friends. "Yes, I did notice that. I always thought they were just different colors." Sarah shrugged. "So how did you end up as a servant here?"

"Jareth saved me from a bad situation," She seemed hesitant to talk about it. "I would have died if not for him. I owe him a lifetime of servitude in return. My husband was a terrible man; a miserable excuse for a person. I loved him in spite of all that, as I was able to see past it. It was Jareth who saved me from him."

"Oh, that's so sad. I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Sindel interrupted her. "What happened is for the best."

"Is Jareth always this busy? It seems like he's always disappearing every chance he gets." Sarah sounded a bit hurt but she feigned curiosity.

"Don't worry, it used to bother me too. We're all used to it, he always has so much to do… Dealing with his subjects, planning for the feast, and trying to get Adeira to leave… No wonder he's so busy. Try not to take it personally."

"Wait, a feast?" She looked shocked. "Jareth never mentioned anything to me about a feast. That rat! And who is Adeira anyway? Why is she even here?"

"Oh, it's a ceremonial feast, a party of sorts that we have every year. It's no big deal, really. Don't worry about Adeira; he doesn't even want her here. She's just being a nuisance. Jareth's magic prevents anyone from entering his castle without his permission. But one of her ancestors put a curse on him, allowing her to break any spell he casts."

"What does that mean?" Sarah blinked in confusion. This was all news to her.

"It means she can come and go as she pleases, and no one can do anything about it."

"Then why give her a room here? And why serve her dinner? Maybe if he didn't treat her so nicely she would leave him alone."

"I doubt it," Sindel picked up the tray, now that Sarah had finished her breakfast. She sighed. "Matters of the heart are very complex."

"I know what you mean."

"Well, miss Sarah, I shall leave you to yourself now. Like Jareth, I also have many things that I must do."
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Needing some quiet time to think about all of the things that had happened recently, Sarah had been walking through the vast halls of the castle. She drifted from room to room, trying to find her way around. But she continued getting lost, no matter how hard she tried to memorize where things were. She noticed a certain green and red person coming toward her, and felt the instinctive urge to hide. She looked around for a corridor, a door, anything! But much to her increasing discomfort, there was nowhere to go but forward.

"Hello," Sarah managed, trying to sound at least somewhat friendly.

"Get lost," Adeira replied coldly. "I have no use for you. And neither does Jareth. You should leave."

"I tried to," Now she sounded hurt. "But all the doors and windows are sealed with some kind of magic, and there's no way out."

"There's always one way out," A smirk spread across Adeira's face.

"What's that?"

"Suicide."
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After their little encounter, Sarah was feeling weak and drained, as if she had run a mile. She had been walking for a while, and so she decided to go up to the throne room for a quick rest. Besides, she'd love to see what Jareth had been up to. Like, she would like to see what he'd been doing, she corrected.

As she approached the entrance to the ugly, dull room, Sarah noticed Kala was sitting on the throne. Goblins bustled about the room, doing various idiotic things, and some of them were drinking. Kala was in human form, and she held a dark yellow crystal in her hands. The long black and white sleeves of her intricate dress barely scraped the ground , as she moved the crystal from one black nail-polished finger to the other in a playful fashion. Sarah thought she could just make out Adeira's face in the crystal, but she couldn't be sure.

All of a sudden, Kala leapt to her feet, and seemed to glide right into her wolfish from. She dropped the crystal, and it gracefully vanished into oblivion. Sarah ducked back a bit, afraid she may have been noticed lurking near the door. Kala was now lying in the pit, looking the part of the moronic slobbering dog who knew nothing, nor cared.

In a flash, Jareth was in the room, pacing back and forth. His face twisted into a scowl, and he conjured a small crystal before sprawling himself across his ugly throne. Jareth chuckled to himself lightly, as he held a shiny clear orb between his dark leather fingers. An orb that showed… Carl?

"Such a pity," He sighed delightedly. "After all that trouble, he'll still never make it."

Kala let out a howl, as Jareth laughed deviously. Sarah became frightened, and bolted down the hall and out of sight.
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As if things weren't already bad enough. Sarah stumbled upon Adeira again, as she turned down the hall which lead to Jareth's bedroom. She tried to pass, but the tall slender redhead, dressed in dark green and ivory, wouldn't let her pass.

"Move," Sarah spoke to her harshly. "Let me pass, Adeira." She was speaking through clenched teeth. Tears threatened to fall now, but she didn't show it.

"You know," Her tone was more contemplative than anything. "Something about this situation strikes me as unfair."

"That's just the way life is."

"It is an injustice that you, a mere commoner, are permitted to share a room with the king, while I, a true princess, am being treated like a servant!" Adeira spat the words at her.

"A spoiled princess," Sarah rolled her eyes, annoyed. "No wonder Jareth doesn't want you around!"

"Sarah," She spun around to face the masculine voice behind her. It was Jareth. "Adeira, I'm surprised at both of you, behaving like that. There's no need to fight over me, ladies."

"Don't flatter yourself," Sarah muttered. Adeira was silent.

"Adeira, you have already been warned of your insolence. If your behavior continues, I shall have no other choice but to consider banishment as an alternative."

"I apologize," Adeira made a small, mock curtsy. "That was rude of me. It won't happen again." But Sarah had a sinking feeling that she was lying.

"Come, Sarah. I will escort you to your room."

He sidestepped Adeira, and took Sarah's hand in his. When they began walking away, Adeira began to cry and ran down the hall, her green skirt trailing behind her. Sarah turned to see, but all she saw was a flash of gold, as the girl turned the corner. She decided it was for the best, and continued to enjoy walking quietly with Jareth.
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When they had reached the room, he stood over her with one arm leaning against the wall. Sarah loved the way he looked when he did that. But she found she could not enjoy it, because he looked so angry, so dangerous. What a shame.

"Sarah, I must leave you now. I will be back soon."

The way he had said it made it sound like a warning. Without leaving her time to answer, Jareth stunned her by running his hand gracefully through her hair, making her shiver. In a gust of cold air, he was gone.
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Sarah had been lying on the bed, crying for hours. In her arms she clutched a pillow, burying her face in the soft fluff. It had probably been brought by Sindel, just as she had promised. Kala probably wouldn't want it back, now that it was soaked with Sarah's tears. She just knew he was with Adeira. He had to be.

At last, she had drifted off to sleep. Butterfly had climbed onto the bed in an effort to comfort her a few times. But, seeing that his attempts at helpfulness were not working, he had curled up under the window, soaking in the moonlight.

Jareth had returned from setting his traps in the Labyrinth for Carl. He hoped he had done enough to stop him, or at least slow him down. He had very little energy left, so his traps weren't exactly up to par. He knew Sarah must have thought he'd gone to comfort Adeira, but he couldn't care less about her. In his heart, he only cared for himself. Caring for others only lead to heartache, Jareth had learned that lesson long ago…

He sighed, and climbed into his rocky bed next to Sarah. Had she been crying? Jareth sensed a certain sadness around her when he curled up to her. What was with all these weeping women anyway? Oh well. He sighed again. It had been a long day indeed. Before much time had passed, Butterfly was sleeping on top of his chest, and they were all dreaming.
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She sits alone in a darkened room, rubbing her sore face where he had hit her. She examines her many bruises, treating them delicately. So tired of hurting, she does not want to hurt anymore. A curtain of long blonde strands shields her from the world.

Sindel gets up and gathers her courage. She goes to her three year old daughter's room without hesitation, though she is careful not to wake her cruel husband, who sleeps soundly, after giving her a thorough beating. She warns her daughter to be silent as they slip away into the night…
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In the next chapter, there are snakes, Carl, disappointment, important decisions, too much talking, Adeira leaving (Yay!) for now, Sarah getting kidnapped, a fight, and lots of other fun stuff. So make sure you keep an eye out for the next chapter, Yay!!! Be warned, it is never as simple as you think, and far more complicated than you can ever imagine. Yep, have fun.

-Kaline Reine