Little stressed about work tomorrow so avoiding my problems by writing, I hope you enjoy…Sincerely, Reven Eid
P.S. Extra Kudos to those who can figure out the 3 songs I used
"Now listen here you pompous arrogant jerk! All this happened 'cause you decided to go on a walk about so those who you left behind had to come up with something and that something is where we are now so deal with it!"
Sarah was screaming at the top of her lungs banging on Jareth's door. He had woken now four days ago and had banned everyone from his room except for the goblins that were required to draw his bath and help him dress. Sarah knew that Jareth still wasn't up to full strength yet. He could conjure up his crystal's and find out what was going around this kingdom but he couldn't transport or for that matter transform so he was stuck in his room and throwing a fit like a two year old child.
Meeps was running towards Sarah with the castle skeleton's keys. Jareth had barred any goblin from helping Sarah less they suffered a dunking in the bog of eternal stench and Sarah cared too much for any of them to suffer such a fate so here she was doing it the human way, trying to talk some sense into the pompous jerk.
After several unsuccessful tries Sarah was able to unlock Jareth's door. He was sitting in his bed and when he saw her enter he turned to look out the window and away from her. Sarah was sick of it, she needed to get back home and she needed Jareth to turn back enough time so she could go back before it was too late. His unwillingness to accept the facts that was now his life was going to have to stop soon.
"Everyone out and no matter what you hear no one is to enter until his highness and I are done." The goblins scurried out of the room and closed the door behind them. Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus all stood outside torn between intervening or not.
"Jareth, look at me." Sarah said in her softest and most level voice she could muster but she knew she was nearing the breaking point. Jareth refused to even acknowledge Sarah's presence. Sarah let out a frustrated growl and took of her shoes as she dove into Jareth's bed. He was startled by her actions and even more so when she sat next to him and grabbed his face to look at her. "Listen here you child!" Jareth pushed himself away from Sarah and landed in a heap on the floor, "How dare you!" Sarah stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, "Well guess what I dare. I dare plenty. When you left everyone here in a lurch and your kingdom on the verge of being taken over by a band of nomads your people did the only thing that they could think of and reached for someone who they knew would take care of them." Sarah walked away from Jareth and headed to his bedroom window and looked at the Labyrinth. "I dare plenty because while in your desire to forget whatever it was you were trying to forget you left everyone else vulnerable. Your subjects were scared and you were off somewhere doing who knows what. So now you are stuck with the results of your vanity. You're a king, act like it."
Sarah walked out of Jareth's room and left him standing next to his bed. Jareth walked towards the window and looked out at his kingdom. He could feel the differences that had taken place in his absence. The expansion of his kingdom and all his newest subjects, Sarah was right, enough of being the child and to act like the king he had always been.
Sarah was startled when she heard the multiple footfalls outside the library and more so when eight goblin soldiers entered the library and surrounded her. Hoggle walked in slowly after them, "His highness is requesting your presence in the throne room. He isn't given you a choice." Sarah nodded and picked up the documents she had been going over and let herself be escorted to the throne room. Upon entering Sarah saw Jareth sitting in his throne. He still was a bit pale for her taste but if he was out of his room and that was a step in the right direction in her book. Sarah walked towards the table on the left of the throne room and laid her papers upon it and then turned towards Jareth and curtsied, "Your Highness." Jareth waved for the soldiers to leave and Hoggle closed the door after they had left and stood with his back to the doors. When Sarah and Jareth had had their confrontation that morning Jareth had called upon Hoggle and asked him to explain to him Sarah's presence. Before Hoggle could begin Sir Didymus walked into the room and had confronted Jareth, "The Lady has given up everything to come to our aid when you abandoned us. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for the Lady and nothing that I would ever do for you again, my allegiance is hers now." With that Ludo and Didymus walked out of the castle to wait for Sarah and her orders. Jareth turned his deadly stare towards Hoggle, "Explain Higgle!"
So Hoggle told him everything from the endless party's his perceived isolation and love and his desire to forget about Sarah and how that was the entire enchantress needed to enter his life. How he told all this to Sarah and then told him how he was desperate when the nobles kept coming asking for Jareth and he was running out of excuses and when the open declaration of war arrived at their doorstep there was no choice. Everyone through their hand in with Sarah and her plans. Everyone had been desperate and scared but they all preferred to die trying something, anything than just be taken over by anybody. Sarah's gamble had worked and now his kingdom had doubled in size and he had more subjects to add to his kingdom. To top it all off the entire surrounding kingdom's were wanting to pay tribute to him and offering their daughters in order to form an allegiance to the most powerful kingdom, his all thanks to their savior, the Lady, Sarah.
Jareth had dismissed Hoggle after their long conversation. It was night once again but Jareth didn't want to go to sleep before he resolved this matter or put some semblance of order to this issue. He had dressed himself and had Hoggle help him walk to the throne room and then had Sarah brought to him.
"I have been told many things about you and what you have been doing in my absence." Sarah just stood and stared at Jareth, she was afraid of what he may say or do next but she would not let it show and simply nodded at his statement. "While I slept and my body tried to purge the enchantresses spells she had placed upon me I remember only bits of what you were telling me. Hoggle has filled in some gaps but there are still many things left for me to fully understand one of them being treaties that you have signed with not only my past but new subjects as well. As such tomorrow we shall begin discussing these matters first thing tomorrow morning in order to ensure a smooth transition from your command to my command. And afterwards I shall do ask you wish, return you to your family aboveground at a point in time before your absence is missed too much and to which it would make it impossible for you to return to your old life." Sarah let out a breath she wasn't even aware she had been holding. Had she heard right, Jareth would return her home and not only home but turn back time for her.
Sarah curtsied once more, "'Till morning your majesty." Jareth waved Sarah goodbye and Hoggle opened the throne room doors for her and they smiled to each other as she left. Hoggle closed the door after her and turned to Jareth, "Did she at any point ask about me or appear to be concerned for me?" Hoggle huffed and crossed his arms and then scratched behind his chin, how to answer such a complicated question, "She was. Don't knows that she'll admit it or knows it herself." Hoggle then walked up to Jareth and stood next to him and whispered to him, "If you wants hope forgets it and learn abouts her then decides if your memory is what you reallys love or her."
Hoggle stepped away and headed out of the throne room and the castle itself. He, Ludo and Didymus would come back tomorrow but from now until Sarah's departure they would sleep in Didymus hut located next to the bog.
The next morning found Sarah in the best mood she had been in days. She got herself together quickly and took with her every single piece of scroll, parchment, paper that would help Jareth learn what she had been up to. She left her journal behind because there were more question than answers in her journal. Questions she herself wasn't ready to ask out loud but, they didn't matter now. Sarah had hoped to be home in a week's time and well before the ball that they had been forced to agree to prove to the royals that Jareth was still in power.
Sarah entered the throne room and found Jareth seated at the strategy table going over documents already. "Sarah. Good morning, have you had breakfast yet." Sarah laid her load down and shook her head at Jareth's question, "Then by all means please eat and then we can begin." Sarah was about to protest but decided against it and accepted the food that Jareth had conjured at a new table he had also conjured up. As Sarah ate Jareth reviewed the items she had laid upon the table. He was especially interested in the map showing the new boundaries of his kingdom and the contracts that had been signed with his subjects granting them certain lands and freedoms. Before he had not really cared about those that dwelled in the Labyrinth each and every dweller was there seeking refugee and he had granted said refuge just to spite the pursuers and now each and every dweller was bound to him. His subjects had grown from simple goblins to the Fire Gangs, the Fairy's and the Stallions as Sarah called them.
He would allow those seeking it freedom from these contracts for he wanted no one bound to him but if what Hoggle said was true and his subjects now seemed happier then did he have a right to cancel the contracts. Sarah came towards him and took a seat next to Jareth, "What would you like to review first?"
As the hours progressed and the days passed by Jareth made some changes to Sarah and Hoggle decisions but majority he left intact. As he regained his physical strength and his magic came back at full power Sarah grew confident that everything would be okay for her friends, old and new.
The ball was only a day away and Sarah along with Jareth were deep in making last minute arrangements. This time no one would be staying at the castle and all those who attended would be gone long before the first rays of sunshine appeared on the horizon. All goblins were made aware that they were to accept nothing from any guest and that they themselves were not allowed to disappear anywhere with out a partner. Jareth was taking no risks with his guests. They hadn't heard from the enchantress in the days since Sarah and his subjects had freed him from her but that didn't mean she wouldn't show or make an attempt. She would be allowed entry and taken captive upon arriving at the ball personally by Sarah and Jareth. Jareth had initially not wanted Sarah to attend the ball but after discussing it with her, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus it was decided that she was probably better protected if she was in the same room as him that tucked away in her room where no one would hear her if she was attacked.
The night of the event Sarah stared at herself in the full length mirror and was at a loss of words for what she saw. She had been in a sense mummified. Jareth had sent Grench along with several young goblins to help Sarah get ready for tonight's event. Sarah was grateful for the assistance and was about to protest but then Grench explained to her why they were really there. "There will be many individuals with power who are not shy about using it but they need to be touching you to make it work.. Gloves and long sleeves are not enough to protect you but these wraps will." So Grench had stood on a chair and had whispered her incantations as she wrapped Sarah in the linen wraps. From her fingertips to the base of her chin line. Sarah's hair had been braided tight and hidden beneath a small emerald green head dress to accentuate her eyes and the dress she would be wearing. The dress that Jareth had asked her to wear was of the richest green she had ever seen. Depending on how the light hit the dress it appeared emerald green, then just green and sometimes even black.
While in attendance with Jareth they would enter separately so no one would grow suspicious. She would mingle with the guests but avoid conversation and dancing all the while keeping an eye out for the enchantress.
The ball was still in full swing even after what Sarah felt was hours. She kept glancing at the doors waiting for the enchantress to show but sill nothing. Sarah grew exhausted and made her way towards one of the windows that faced the Labyrinth for a breath of fresh air. She noticed a full moon and began to tap her fingers on the window sill to a song she remembered from her parent's youth. She turned to look at the attendees and begun to hum to keep herself entertained and was interrupted by Jareth's approach. "What do you think?" Sarah didn't turn to look at Jareth but knew what he was really asking, "I don't think she's coming." Jareth nodded and held his arm out for Sarah to take. They descended the steps and took the center of the ball room to lead the last dance of the night.
Sarah had been trying to work up the courage in the last days to ask the question that had been nagging in the back of her mind, "Jareth what do you remember about her?" Jareth turned to look at Sarah, "Is that what you really want to know?" Sarah shook her head no and just listened to Jareth talk. "When she came she promised me to help me forget. Forget many things but mainly you." Sarah tried to let go of Jareth and walk away but he held her in an iron grip, "I think its time we had this conversation, don't you?" Sarah didn't answer and just stared at Jareth's lips. "You must understand that you were like a shadow in my life next to me with every step that I took. You were an enigma and as much as a tried to reason you away you were always in my thoughts in my dreams. She promised to ensure that you would be forever lost to me that you would no longer be buried deep in me and that I would no longer burn for you."
Sarah was absorbing all of Jareth's words and felt horrible at this confession. She had thought of Jareth from time to time but never as intensely as he had. He had been a youthful challenge but it seemed that those few hours she had spent in his presence made such an impression on him that he risked much to forget her and what he felt for her.
"I was a fool Sarah. I let her lie to me by taking this feeling I had for you and she used it to transform herself into a similar image of you. Mind you she wasn't an exact duplicate but there were enough physical similarities to trick my heart into going with her. I was a fool and I should have just ripped my heart out and not let her fool it into believing her words. But if the events of the last days have shown me something is that you are not who I remembered." Sarah looked up to meet Jareth's eyes. "You are a much stronger and better person than I remember and my feelings for you have calmed down you could say and I see you as an equal. Not someone for me to rule over but perhaps dare I say it, a friend?" Sarah smiled at Jareth, she had been afraid that he would say he loved her more than before. While she had feelings for Jareth she didn't think that they were what one would call love. "Yes Jareth, friends." Jareth let go of Sarah and bowed to her while she curtsied.
Jareth went to his throne and Sarah to the window once more, "Everyone! The ball is over, good night!" The goblins rushed room and started rushing all the guests out. Jareth heard some of the protest but paid no heed to them. After everyone had been loaded in their perspective carriages Hoggle came to the throne room, "Everyone's gone." Sarah stepped away from the window and approached Jareth, "Jareth, I want to go home. I feel so alone here even with my friends I miss my family." Jareth was about to protest but Sarah plowed through, "Jareth I deserve more than this. I'm lucky I know having been here once more is more than any one who could have hoped for but I want to go home, I feel like I'm living someone else's life and I know why you think that I'm better of here but I believe in you, you don't need me anymore, let me go home. I'm done, I've done what I set out to do, and it'll all be alright everyone even you will be alright now. I want to go home."
Jareth nodded, "Your right its time. Tomorrow after breakfast and after you've said goodbye to everyone I will send you home." Sarah couldn't help the tears that sprung from her eyes and she rushed Jareth and hugged him, "Thank you." Sarah stepped away and headed straight to her room to get ready to leave. She didn't know what being back home would bring but she was ready to go back.
The Enchantress hid in the shadows provided by the night. She had not attended the ball knowing it for the trap that it was. Her employer would be here the next morning and give Jareth and his precious Sarah a nasty surprise and she wouldn't miss it for the world.
Sarah awoke with the first rays of the sunrise with butterflies in her stomach. Today was the day, she was going home. She would miss her friends but she would still be in contact with them like before and Jareth and she had a friendship now, would it be more one day she didn't know but with him here and her there it was best left as it was.
Sarah walked to the throne room for one last breakfast meeting with Jareth and then she would go to say goodbye to her friends in the courtyard where Jareth would then transport her home.
As Sarah approached the throne room she heard glass breaking and screaming she started running and burst straight into a nightmare. Jareth was lying bleeding at the feet of his throne and nursing what appeared a broken wrist. Sarah couldn't stop herself and launched herself at the attacker screaming, "Hoggle! Didymus! Ludo! Help us!" Jareths attacker turned towards Sarah and Sarah froze, Sarah was staring at herself. The momentary lapse was all the attacker needed to launch Sarah against the now closed throne room doors and as Sarah fell she landed hard on her side knocking her shoulder out of its socket. Sarah screamed in pain and the attacker then grabbed Sarah by her good arm and launched her towards Jareth.
"Yes Sarah I am she who you wanted to meet last night. Not the Enchantress, she was merely the means to the end. That end being Jareth with me. Doing fool yourself into thinking I have lied to him for I am you." Sarah turned to look at Jareth to try to understand what was happening but he was just as confused as her. "Ooh that's right you don't remember do you. Ooh you poor baby well let me remind you when it was that you created me." Sarah shook her head to deny what she was saying, "No you lie I did no such thing." Sarah's doppelganger laughed a maniacal laugh and turned her cold eyes to her and Jareth, "Ooh but you did my dear. You did." You actually created me no more than what you would call eight months ago when you were at your graduation party."
Sarah's confusion was clearly written in her face, "Let me show you." The enchantress produced a hand held mirror and made it float towards Jareth and Sarah, "This was the night you threw caution to the wind and had a drink. Well you couldn't hold your liquor and so your friends put you in a bedroom and locked you in there to sleep your drunkenness away but instead you started to sing and I was born that night." Jareth and Sarah saw Sarah tumble out of bed towards the balcony doors and sit next to them and heard her singing.
Emptiness, you're the only one that responds
When everyone else leaves
The only one I can cry with
The only one who doesn't reproach me
And lets me cry until I am empty inside
Emptiness, I know that for a time
We were separated
And I broke the promise to not be unhappy
And now here I am once more crying
For having loved him so
Go find him wherever you may find him
And take him away from everyone
Take him from the hand and seal him up in his room
And take him wherever he wants to go until all he wants is to be torn apart
And make him feel what I am feeling right now that leaves me without the ability to breath
Emptiness emptiness emptiness
Do me a favor I beg of you
Make him feel what I feel
Emptiness emptiness emptiness
Do me a favor I beg of you
Let him know that I adore him
Emptiness
Emptiness in the dark of night
Or in the light of day
you tell me he won't return you give me no hope
but speak only the truth
Love him like no one has ever loved him
To the point that he want's to know nothing of his world
To the point that he doesn't recognize family
To the point that he can't fathom life without you
And for a mere kiss he will take all manner of scorn
And for him to dream while awake
And that his happiness lies in the crumbs of your affections
And that he thanks you on his knees crying
And then and only then
Let him know
That it was all because of me that you are there
That it was all because of me that he feels what he is now feeling
Emptiness emptiness emptiness
Do me a favor I beg of you
Make him feel what I feel
Emptiness emptiness emptiness
Do me a favor I beg of you
Let him know that I adore him
Emptiness
"So see Sarah this was all because of you and now its time for me to go back to where I belong since you have no more need for me." Sarah tried to scoot away from her doppelganger but then in a loud clap of thunder she was gone and a pain stronger than the one in her arm took residence in her heart and she knew the truth.
She had brought the destruction upon the Labrynith herself and all that Jareth had gone through had been to due to her ignorance and she couldn't help herself she began to cry. Cry big drops of despair knowing now that she had caused so much damage to her friends with her thoughtlessness.