Disclamier: I own nothing but my own characters and plot
Standing in the tunnel that led to the occupied oubliette, Jareth leaned against the wall and juggled three crystals in his hands, his mind replaying his converastion from last night.
With her promise not to go near the Seal ringing in his ears, the Goblin King knew he had brought time in order to find another solution to the problems in both worlds. No doubt that the solution would still need Sarah's blood but not her life, hopefully. At the same time, Jareth was angry that Sarah's time hidden from the High King was running out, his Grandmother had had 300 years as Champion before she gave up her life to save millions. Life was very unfair.
Hearing Hoggle lead their 'guest' towards him, Jareth snapped himself out of his thoughts and prepared to act innocent of knowing the Duke was in his oubliette.
"Yours Majesty," the dwarf greeted him, "here is the fae man I was talking about," sticking to the script they had discussed to make it look like a mistake.
Stepping into the light, the once tidy Duke was now unkept and in need of a good bath. His green and blue clothing was covered in dust and dirt and was also torn in many places.
"Duke Finbar," Jareth greeted with an innocently shocked expression, "I came as soon as I heard you were down here. My sincerest apologies that I didn't know sooner."
"King Jareth," the Duke bowed. "If I may ask, why was I put in one of your oubliettes?" Clearly he didn't remember anything that happened in the Aboveground that concerned the Goblin King and the Labyrinth's Champion. Jareth was glad about this as it gave Sarah more time.
"You know there is no love between you and my goblins," Jareth explained convincingly. "With the veil between both worlds torn, they can come and go more easily and of coruse their favourate game is putting people they don't like in oubliettes." What Jareth said was true and Duke Finbar accepted the explaination easily.
"I will return you to your estates so you may clean up, Duke," the Goblin King said, producing a crystal. "Safe travels," and with a smashing of crystal, the Duke disappeared leaving a serious Jareth and a worried Hoggle alone in the tunnel.
"Hoggle?"
"Yes, Majesty?" the dwarf asked, his voice steady.
"Find Sir Didymus and have him follow our friend the Duke," Jareth ordered, his voice grave. "Have him report to me if Finbar goes to the High King speaking of Sarah, as we must keep her safe for as long as possible."
"Yes, Majesty," Hoggle replied with a bow before heading down a tunnel that was only big enough for him and smaller creatures that lived in the Labrinth.
Moving as quickly as he could, the best friend of the Labyrinth's Champion, made his way towards the Bog of Eternal Stench. After all this time, Sir Didymus still lived at the Bog and had repaired the bridge with Hoggle and Ludo's help. It was now made of rock and wood and stood strong.
As Hoggle came through another tunnel, he was greeted with a horrid stench that the Bog was known for and the sight of Ludo decorating the bridge with flowers from the nearby woods. Sir Didymus was practicing his skills against a tree while his steed, Ambrocious, ran to him in greeting.
After giving the dog a biscuit, the dwarf interupted Sir Didymus' practice to tell him of his new mission.
"I shall leave immediately," Sir Didymus exclaimed after Hoggle had finished explaining the mission. "To protect the fair maiden, Lady Sarah, I shall keep a close eye on this villanous Duke and the evil High King!"
Watching his friend dash off, Hoggle signed and hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself because they all knew that their King wouldn't survive if Sarah died or was taken from him.
Sarah was sitting on one of the white stone benches in the Hedge maze when she saw Jareth come through one of the gaps. His pace was brisk, so he obviously had something on his mind. Not wanting to disturb him, Sarah watched him go and then turned back to face the hedge that was in front of her.
Feeling hands on her shoulders, she jumped slightly and turned her head to find the Goblin King looking down at her with a small smile and a question in his eyes.
"Sorry, precious," he said softly. "I didn't mean to make you jump. Is everything alright?"
"I'm fine," she replied with a smile of her own.
"If you're 'fine' then why are you holding on to this bench like your life depends on it?" looking down at her white knuckles with concern.
"I'm keeping my promise," Sarah said, not moving her hands.
"Explain, Sarah-mine."
"I can feel the Seal, it's pulling me to it," she stared at the hedge in front her like it wasn't there.
"It has something to show or tell you," Jareth explained, pulling one of her hands from the bench. "I will come with you and this isn't breaking the promise you made to me, ok?"
"Ok," and as soon as Sarah stood, her feet began moving in the direction they wished to go.
After ten minutes of walking in almost a straight line, the couple rounded a corner and Sarah's feet came to a halt. A few metres in front of them, the Seal sat in the ground and looked exactly as it did in her dreams, but what had Sarah speechless was the otherworldly woman who stood on the otherside of the Seal.
"Well, it's about time," the woman exclaimed, her voilet eyes shining and flicking her blond white hair over her shoulder. "Another hour and I was about to give up, what took you so long?"
"Sarah?" Jareth asked as she stood still as a statue, staring at nothing he could see.
"You can't see her, can you?" Sarah whispered to Jareth who still held her hand in his.
"No, precious, this is for you and you alone as you are the Champion of the Labyrinth."
With the reminder of her title, Sarah stepped toward the other woman and tried to think of something to say. Deciding that the most basic question was the best place to start, she asked the other woman her name.
"I am Abertha and fittingly it means 'Sacifice'," Abertha replied with a smile. "Nice to finally meet you Sarah."
"It's a beautiful name," Sarah said feeling Jareth's thumb rub her knuckles gently. "How can I help you?"
"Oh no, dear," Abertha waved away her offer, "I'm here to help you."
"How?"
"By answering any questions you may have about the Labyrinth or it's Seal."
"Will I need to give up my life to stop the War?" Sarah asked directly, holding Jareth's hand tighter.
"That will depend on you, my dear," Abetha answered her tone sober but hopeful.
"What do you mean?"
"The Seal requires a Sacifice which must be payed in your blood, what kind of Sacifice you give is up to you."
"I don't understand."
"Come here, my dear," the otherworldly woman waved Sarah to her.
Moving to stand right next to the Seal, Sarah kept hold of Jareth's hand and knew he was watching her closely.
"What do you see?" Aertha asked, looking at Sarah with a soft smile.
"A sun, phases of the moon and a dragon and phoenix flying intertwined, why?" Sarah answered and asked.
"You need to figure out what it means, as the Seal changes it's design for every Champion and only we can see it's true design," Abertha explained. "Don't ask me what it was for me, as I wont tell you."
"Wait, are you Jareth's Grandmother?" Sarah asked, awe and surprise colouring her voice. At her question, Jareth's head turned to the place that Sarah was taking to.
"Yes, dear, I am," she asked, looking at her grandson with a loving smile. "He looks like his grandfather."
"But with your colouring," Sarah stated with a smile.
"And my temper," the voilet eyed woman said with a laugh. "I have watched over them all since my death and wished I could stop them from being hurt, but that is the curse of being a child of a Champion," she added sadly.
"I will stop it, Abertha," Sarah said squaring her shoulders.
"Yes, I think you will," she said while looking Sarah in the eye. "Good luck, my dear and tell Jareth I love him and I'm proud of him."
"I will," Sarah replied watching as Abertha started to fade.
"If you have any questions, just call out to me," and with those final words, the previous Champion faded from Sarah's view.
Turning to face the Goblin King, Sarah could see many questions in his eyes. Deciding to just relay Abertha's message, she wrapped her arms around his waist while he wrapped his around her shoulders with one hand in her hair.
"Your grandmother told me to tell you she loves you and is very proud of you," feeling his arms tighen at her words, Sarah smiled feeling happy she could tell him that. After a few minutes, she raised her head to look at him only to have him claim her lips in a searing kiss that curled her toes and made embers burn in her lower abdomen.
"Jareth?" she whispered as he ended the kiss but still lightly rubbed her lips with his.
"Yes, precious," he whispered back.
"If I asked you to, would you tie me up?"
Authors note: If any of you have questions that I havent answered in this chapter please PM them to me and I will answer them in the story best I can. Please review!
