Back Aboveground, he sat on the floor, his long muscular legs crisscrossed, meditating. He would need all of his strength for the upcoming challenge. His breathing was slow and calm. He waited for five minutes, concentrating on his energy source. He realized that he would need all of it if he wished to try to defeat his younger brother. This was going to be the biggest challenge of his life; defeating his own blood.
From behind Jeremy, came a soft rustling of feathers and the swish of cloth. He turned around to find James grinning at him. He was clad in black breeches, a ruffled black poet shirt that exposed his gold amulet, a shiny black cape that brushed the floor and his black knee high boots. James flashed him a devilishly wicked smirk. He nodded his head in response.
"Hello James," he said calmly, standing up. He thought of a more appropriate outfit and it appeared in place of his designer jeans and white t-shirt. His outfit now consisted of white breeches and an ivory colored poet's shirt. His amulet pressed delicately on the very little bit of chest showing.
"Yes, hello," James sneered at his brother's change of attire. "Let's get started then, shall we?"
"Of course. Proceed."
James looked slightly taken aback but he quickly recovered. "You know, dear brother, that this prophecy must come true. I am destined to rule both worlds."
"Yes, I am quite well aware of the fact, thank you. You have mentioned it many a time," he said. He waved his hand and two small glasses and a large glass bottle full of wine appeared. "May I offer you something to drink?" he asked, uncorking the bottle and pouring the wine. He held one to James, who stared at the glass.
"I don't have time to drink, you idiot! I intend to do my business and get out of here before your pretty little wife comes home," he thundered.
"Yes, except my pretty little wife is actually on an important business trip right now," Jeremy said, fingering the rim of his glass. He took a small sip and looked back at James.
"Is that so? Then she'll return to find your dead body. What a pleasant surprise, eh?" James sneered. "But a queen can't rule without a king, can she?"
"I believe that it has occurred once or twice before—"
"Shut up. It was not a question."
"But you asked—"
"It was a fact!" James snapped impatiently. "That's where I come in. Everyone's in mourning for the great almighty king—"
"Thank you," Jeremy interrupted.
"Shut up!" James roared. "Anyways," his amber eyes flashed daggers, "I turn Linda's life into a living hell. She realizes that she can't handle being a queen and I convince her to hand your pathetic kingdom to me," he proclaimed. "Once Jareth is mortal, he will also hand over his kingdom because no one Underground wants a mortal ruler. They'll want me and I'll rule!"
"That's quite a plan there," Jeremy commented casually. "But, uh, what if someone were to stop you?"
James stood up abruptly. "Whom do you have in mind?"
"No one." James raised an eyebrow. "Oh alright. What about Sarah's daughter or even Sarah herself?" Jeremy asked.
James appeared to breath a sigh of relief. "Sarah's daughter is no threat to me. She's nothing but a child. Sarah is preparing herself to become Queen of Knaves a.k.a. my wife.
"By locking her in her bedroom? Brother, that is not the way to handle a woman, let alone, do I dare say, a fiancée?"
"You're the stupid Fae that who made the mistake of eloping with a mortal!"
"And what are you about to do with Sarah?"
There was a pause before James finally retorted, "She's not all that mortal."
"I know. That's why she's a threat to you," he replied.
"She doesn't even know how to use her powers!" James laughed.
She will soon enough and will catch you by surprise, Jeremy thought. Instead he said, "What if she doesn't marry you or at least want to?"
"She will or she'll watch her child be destroyed piece by piece."
"If you're ruling Underground and Aboveground, won't you rule Jareth too?" Jeremy asked cautiously. James' face turned from glee to confusion. Suddenly, it flashed with excitement as he realized what that meant.
"I get to kill him too," James breathed.
"I was actually hoping that you'd rule him, not commit another murder. Remember the prophecy. It says that Jareth's rights as a Fae will be taken and he shall become mortal—"
"Screw the prophecy! I'll do whatever the hell I feel like doing as long as I'm the ultimate ruler!" James declared. He glanced at Jeremy as though seeing him for the first time. "But, first I have to overcome the obstacles that are in my way." Black jets of light shot from his raised hand and flew at Jeremy. He was ready for it and defended himself by firing white jets of light out of his own hands. The two very different magics met in the middle and made one long gold beam. Neither brother could break it nor fight it. James inched his way slowly towards Jeremy. The beam between their outstretched hands began to vibrate uncontrollably.
Hold on, you can do it, Jeremy thought. He imagined his brother chained to the floor. James immediately collapsed on the floor and struggled to free himself as chains slid over his wrists and ankles. Jeremy moved his hand to the side and the gold beam vanished. A moment later, James was back on his feet and throwing a black flaming ball at Jeremy. He ducked behind his desk and heard the ball make contact. He looked up to see a large burnt hole in the wood. Thinking quickly, he aimed a crystal at James through the hole. It changed into a white bubble, trapping James within its confinements. James banged on the bubble furiously, but nothing happened. A small smile pulled at the corners of Jeremy's mouth.
"I think you've learned your lesson," he said.
Suddenly, Jeremy's feet left the study floor and landed on a cold tiled floor. A pair of black boots within a bubble landed beside him. Pain flashed through his body, blinding him momentarily. He collapsed on his knees heavily as the pain took over his mind. He pressed his palms to his head. It hurt so much. This must be what it feels like to die, he thought.
"Where are we?" he forced the words from his throat.
"Just giving you a little taste of what Jareth's been going through," James cackled. Jeremy glanced up. His brother was smirking at him from inside his bubble. "Weakening you up a wee bit!"
"Duel like…a real…Fae!" Jeremy spat. Gasping for breath, he continued. "A…a sword fight…No magic. Who ever wins…gets to…live. Who ever…bleeds first…spends eternity locked…in my dungeons!"
"Agreed," James sneered. The brothers disappeared from the church and reappeared in Jeremy's dueling room in his castle. Jeremy landed with a soft thud as his boots clicked on the white marble floor. James did the same yet as he landed the bubble surrounding him popped. In its place, two large iron and silver swords floated in midair. James snatched a protective glove and his silver and black handled sword and pointed it at Jeremy.
Jeremy also reached for a glove and his sword, pulling it swiftly towards him. He ran his fingers over the pure silver hilt, the dove engraved on the hilt and the small diamonds that were its magnificent eyes. The sword was lightweight and ready to fight anything thrown at it.
James attacked as Jeremy looked up expectantly. He parried quickly, knowing that James would make the first move. He changed from defense to offense and attacked James' left side. The attack was blocked with a swift parry. He altered the sword to aim for James' right knee. A rip of cloth was heard as James' sword ripped through Jeremy's poet shirt. Jeremy gazed at the sleeve and the red liquid seeping through it.
"It appears that I have won," James laughed. "But since it is you who has lost, I feel obliged to change the rules a wee bit. I think I'll be killing you now."
"Go ahead," Jeremy replied with a nod of his head. James raised his sword above his head, the blade aimed at Jeremy's chest. It glinted dangerously in the sunlight that shone through the high windows. Behind his back, he waved his right hand. On his chest, a clear protective boundary appeared. He could feel it press upon his chest. James drove the blade down into Jeremy's chest.
"Ah!" he gasped. His hand clutched his heart but it actually was a tickling feeling with the protective boundary on it. Dragon blood began pouring out from his skin. James pulled the sword out, obviously satisfied. Blood coated the sword. James laughed and kicked Jeremy once for good luck. Jeremy rolled his eyes into the back of his head and lay still on the ground. There was a rustle of wings and James was gone. Jeremy slowly opened his eyes and stood up. He removed the boundary with a final wave of his hand.
"Thank the heavens that's over," he muttered.
------------------------------------
The ground reappeared beneath Ro's shoes and she breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced about their location. This place was oddly familiar to her. It hit her; this was her backyard. There was her pretend theater and all of her costumes and 'junk'. "Why are we here?" she demanded, glancing up at the large blue Victorian house.
"I found out that the church that Jareth is in is just down the street from your house. This is your house, right?" Cleo asked.
"Wp vwkqor jm jo; wmlrqgor olr gwkdty'm lzir zofrt!" Beau chimed.
"'Of course it is!' Beau, shut up," she mimicked. "Just double checking."
"Yeah, it is!" Ro exclaimed furiously.
"What? Do you not want to be here?" Cleo asked.
"No!" she shouted. "I love my room but I hate this place! I hate being here and living with my self-centered mother. She's a cold hard b—"
"Whoa!" Cleo interrupted. "Why is she, um, so cold and hard?"
"Ever since my father died, she's ignored me and shut me out of her life! She hates me. All we do is fight and about everything! She used to care and love me but now she doesn't give a damn about anything that doesn't have to do with her!" Ro yelled.
"I'm sorry," Cleo whispered. She was close to tears.
"No, I'm sorry," Ro sighed heavily. "I've just been so angry at everything in my life, every since my dad died. I've thought about death many a time and just hoped that it would come quickly. But now that I know the Underground is a real place, I just hope that life there would be better than Aboveground. So far, it's sucked. I know that Jareth doesn't love me. He seems to be in love with another and is trying hard to hide it from me. At times I feel as though I'm being forced to marry him but the problem is, I don't even know him. I know he wouldn't try to hurt me but there's something going on here and I intend to figure out what it is," Ro proclaimed. Cleo flashed an uneasy glance at Beau.
"I don't what you're talking about," she said returning her gaze to Ro.
"Neither do I. I just think some funny stuff is going on here behind my back. I just want to know what it is."
"Do you still want to save Jareth?" Cleo asked cautiously.
Ro thought it over quickly and carefully. She couldn't let a defenseless, attacked even, man die. "Yes. Let's go before anyone sees me in this. People don't understand anything here," she said marching into the house. Beau and Cleo followed silently. Ro slammed the sliding glass door behind them. She walked through the kitchen and turned violently towards the grand maple staircase. She took the steps two at a time up the stairs. Cleo shot a 'Don't say anything or I'll kill you' look at Beau and hurried after Ro. Beau shrugged and floated up after the twins.
They passed at least three doors before they found Ro's room. Inside, the walls were painted a sky blue but was covered over with posters of M. C. Escher poster, a poster of a labyrinth, a poster of David Bowie, and a few other random ones of people they didn't recognize. A large mattress lay on the floor covered with a sky blue blanket. Two white pillows lay on the blanket. There was a white desk with a mirror above it in one corner. French doors led out to a very small balcony that overlooked small suburban area they lived in. As Cleo poked around, she noticed a small statue of Jareth on Ro's desk. There was a stuffed doll of a fiery on her dresser, a statue of Hoggle on her bookshelf. Maybe Ro really had no idea what she gotten into when she called on the goblins, Cleo thought. She had lived in her fantasy world and never really believed all of this could be true.
"I'm sorry that I was so short with you before but I've just been…moody lately and when I'm in a bad mood, I'll take the whole world down with me," Ro explained as she rummaged through a closet.
"Hey, no problem. I know you didn't mean it," Cleo laughed. "What do we have to do now?"
"We'll go in a few minutes to this church that you found out about," Ro replied. She stepped behind a dressing screen and began to change into a pair of jeans and a blouse. She took out the jewelry and brushed out her hair, pulling it into a ponytail. Finished, she faced Cleo.
"I don't know if I'll be able to go on the grounds though," Cleo said thoughtfully. "I am, after all, part Fae. All true goblins are part Fae."
"That's all right. I'm not a Fae so I can go on the grounds. I'll check. Okay, I'm ready to go," she said walking towards the door. "Come on Beau." She linked her arm through Cleo's arm. Her twin glanced at her startled but smiled back at her beautiful face. They hurried out the door and went slowly downstairs. Beau chimed anxiously behind them. Ro opened the front door and let Beau and Cleo go first. She closed the door tightly behind them and hurried down the stone front steps. The trio walked quickly to the church they had to search.
Fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at the church. Cleo took a few steps forward and gasped. Her insides shifted and she fell to her knees on the ground. Her head pounded, her blood rushed furiously inside her body and she felt sick to her stomach. Ro kneeled down next to her.
"We have to get you off the grounds!" she cried, dragging Cleo with her. A few steps later, Cleo lay on the ground.
"I'm okay," she panted. "I'm all right. Go and see if Jareth's in there." Ro nodded her head and started off towards the burnt church. She paused and turned back to Cleo.
"Are you sure this is the right place?"
Cleo nodded slightly and winced in pain. "Go!"
She approached the charred building cautiously. It looked as though it would fall at any second. She pushed open what remained of the doors. Inside was a long dark hallway filled with burnt portraits and statues. Ro stepped through the opening and the rubble crunched beneath his feet. Ro made her way to the end of the hallway. Upon reaching the opening at the end, she discovered Jareth, chained to a floor, sleeping. His wild hair had gone flat and was dull blonde. He was very pale and sickly. She couldn't help but gape at the sight of the powerful Goblin King weak and powerless.
"Oh Jareth," she whispered. "I'll be back with help soon!" His faced strained as he tried to see who was talking. "Oh, don't move! I'll be right back! I promise," she said before running out the church again.
-------------------------------
It was quiet, too quiet. The usually busy market place in the Goblin City was deserted. Maybe they were getting ready for Jareth and Rowena's 'wedding'. Hoggle glanced at the large gold clock in the center of the city. It was eleven o'clock. They still had two hours to find Rowena, get her away from Jareth, find Sarah and bring her to Jareth. There wasn't much time at all.
He stole a glance at Jaqualine. Her forehead was wrinkled in concentration. Her silver eyes were narrowed and her eyebrows were furrowed. A single purple curl hung in her face. He wondered what she was thinking about. Maybe the same thing he was; about the market being deserted.
"We must go in undetected," Jaqualine whispered to them as they approached the castle. He nodded and followed her lead. She slowly walked to the side of the castle to a large garden that gave privacy from peering eyes. They headed towards an overflowing vine. It was a grapevine that would make wine during the harvest. The grapes would make the Goblin City's famous peach wine. Jaqualine reached the vine first. "Wait here," she said to them and ascended the vine. Carefully and skillfully, she climbed the brown lattice that supported the growing grapes. Once she was about seven or eight feet in the air, she pushed a loose stone in the wall. The grapevine swung open. Jaqualine lost her footing on the lattice and dangled above their heads for a moment. She swung herself back on and climbed down.
Hoggle gaped at her as she jumped from the vine. "'Ow did ye—"
"Know?" She smiled mysteriously. "I used to live here. This leads from Jareth's bedroom incase he ever had to make a quick escape without magic or wanted someone to come and visit him undetected." She turned her back on Hoggle's awed face and hurried into the tunnel. Hoggle and Didymus followed her and the grapevine shut behind them. Jaqualine summoned a crystal and it turned into a purple candle.
"That is quite impressive, milady," Didymus' voice floated through the air to their ears in the semidarkness.
"Thank you, Sir Didymus. Follow me quickly," she replied. Their shadows were illuminated on the smooth walls. Minutes passed before Jaqualine spoke again. "Watch out for the stairs. We have an awful lot of climbing to do. And mind you, the stairs are spiral." Many more minutes passed with Didymus encouraging Ambrosius to keep climbing. Hoggle kept himself busy by counting the number of stairs. 57…58…59. Once he reached 136 he lost track.
A few more minutes and many more steps later, they bumped into what appeared to be a stonewall. Jaqualine ran her hands delicately over the wall. Hoggle couldn't see what she was doing for her body blocked his view but suddenly the wall slid up. Light filled the small stairwell.
"Mine eyes!" Didymus cried dramatically. Hoggle rolled his eyes to himself but not before Jaqualine saw. Turning away, she peered into the room. Nothing was wrong and she waved to them.
"Come on," she said. Ambrosius trotted nervously through the hole. Hoggle followed the large sheepdog and recognized the room as Jareth's bedroom. In the middle of the farthest wall stood an enormous black-framed canopy bed with sheer black curtains tied to the poles. Silk wine covers offset the black. Black and wine draperies adorned seven tall windows. Wood floors offset the color. The walls were painted a rich wine color. On the ceiling, a massive gold chandelier hung, its thousands of diamonds glistened in the hundreds of candles glow.
Jaqualine treaded towards a large black door. Shaking himself out of awe, Hoggle realized that she was leaving. He reached out to poke the terrier next to him and followed her quietly into a new room. Inside were hundreds of books lining the golden colored walls. A black leather couch sat before a blazing fire. Only one wall was bare save for the large portrait of a young woman. Her chocolate hair was curled and pinned off her face. Her stunning gray eyes danced on the canvas. Her lips were a perfect pout with a small gap showing off some of her perfect white teeth. Wearing a magnificent ball gown, she leaned slightly on a railing that overlooked the labyrinth. She looked happy and content and Hoggle knew that was how Sarah would have looked had she accepted Jareth's offer.
"All right you two. Stop gawking. You've seen Sarah before. We need to find Rowena," Jaqualine said. "I believe that I know where she is but you must be quiet and follow me silently." She turned abruptly to a door on the opposite wall. It creaked as she pulled the brass handle gently. Slowly, her head poked into what lay beyond the door. It popped back in and she motioned the other three. They entered a long hallway adorned with stone floors and pictures on stonewall. Jaqualine tiptoed a dozen or so steps before she stopped abruptly.
"What?" Hoggle whispered.
"This is Rowena's room," she responded.
"How can thee tell?" Didymus asked in a loud whisper. She shushed him with a shake of her head. Pushing the white door open, they entered open to find it empty.
"Where is she?" Hoggle said softly.
"I…I don't know," Jaqualine stammered desperately, her silver eyes darting from side to side.
"Do thee believe that His Majesty would have had anything to do with the Princess's disappearance?" Didymus spoke up.
She turned to look at the fox and anger clouded her eyes. "Jareth is a kind Fae except for the role he is forced to play as the Goblin King," she snapped.
Didymus appeared to be flustered. "I am terribly sorry, milady," he finally said and bowed.
She sighed. "No, I'm sorry. Everyone gets on his case that he's horrible but he really isn't. He has feelings too."
"Of course he does, milady," he said gently and bowed again. Once in a blue moon, His Majesty had been kind to him.
"'Ere! Look at this!" Hoggle exclaimed. Lying on the pink bedspread was a thick folded piece of parchment. Jaqualine scurried over and snatched it up. She unfolded it hurriedly.
"It's in another language!" she cried a moment later.
"Let me see it," Hoggle said kindly and pulled it gently out of her hands. He looked it over, realizing it was in Elvish, and translated in his head. He began to read the note in English for Jaqualine and Didymus,
"Do you wonder where we are?
We could be someplace very far.
Over the hills, under the sea,
These are places we could be.
A single portal left for you,
Brings you someplace new.
Solve my riddle if you must,
Don't bug us or you'll be a bust.
In this castle, the portal lies,
Hidden beneath every tie.
Where it can be seen by all,
But never can it fall.
No more can I say,
We must be on our way.' I don't understand what the portal could be," he admitted.
Jaqualine had sunk onto Rowena's bed. She was chewing her bottom lip, gazing off into space. "Read it again," she said, not taking her eyes off the wall. He did so. When he finished, she spoke softly. "Rowena is with someone else, which could be good or bad depending on who she's with. But she's not alone. I don't know where they are but there's a portal that will take us directly to them. They say not to bother them unless it's an emergency, which this is."
"But what about 'In this castle, your portal lies, hidden beneath every tie. Where it can be seen by all but never can it fall.'?" Didymus quoted from memory.
"It's here in the castle. It can be seen by all but it can't fall," she muttered.
"What can never fall in this castle?" Hoggle asked. Jaqualine stared at him startled. "What?" he asked confused.
"The tapestry!" she whispered excitedly.
"What?" they asked together.
"For thousands of years, a tapestry of the labyrinth has hung in the Great Hall. It has never been removed nor can it be. It's sealed to the labyrinth and the castle with magic from the creators. And the ties! You have to tie threads together if you want it to stay! It must be!" she cried, grabbing their wrists and pulling them after her.
Several staircases and hallways later, they stood panting before a large tapestry of the labyrinth. Gazing up at the colorful sight. Hoggle picked out his home, the castle and the Goblin City embedded in the picture. It was handsome old tapestry and it covered from ceiling to floor.
"Just how do we get to the portal, milady?" Didymus asked. Jaqualine put her hands on the tapestry and gently felt around.
"I'm not sure." She bit her lip and glanced at the letter again. "Hidden beneath every tie…" Her voice faded and she began to examine the tapestry carefully. Hoggle and Didymus glanced at each other and shrugged.
"Aha!" she exclaimed. She grabbed two loose threads and tied them together. The tapestry began to glow and she stepped back. The woven picture slowly faded and they appeared in a very futuristic place. They gaped at where they were. Never had they seen paved roads or what looked like houses so clean and neat. But across the road stood a crumbling charred building. On a tower at the very top sat a crucifix.
"It's a church," Hoggle realized.
"Yes, but what on earth are they doing at church Aboveground, especially one that is burnt?" Jaqualine wondered. She looked at the building and saw a girl sitting alone on the sidewalk before the walkway to the church. She was wearing blue pants, a black blouse and unusual black shoes. She had chocolate brown hair that cascaded down her back. That must be Rowena, Jaqualine thought.
Didymus had the same thought and said, "Is that not Lady Rowena?"
"Yeah, let's go talk to 'er," Hoggle said.
"Wait," Jaqualine said as another girl emerged from the church. She was wearing a jeans, a white blouse and also had long chocolate hair.
"Or is that the lady?" Didymus questioned.
"I dunno," Hoggle said softly. The second one was motioning with her hands and speaking very quickly. The other slowly stood as though in pain. Her face expressed concern and worry.
"Excuse me!" Jaqualine cried, running towards them. They turned around, startled.
"Yes?" the second girl asked vigilantly.
"Which one of you is Lady Rowena, fiancée to King Jareth of the Goblin City?"
"I am," the identical girls said together. The second girl said something in the other's ear. She nodded and backed away.
"I am. May I help you?" she smiled sympathetically.
"We're 'ere to rescue you from Jareth," Hoggle said. The girl laughed slightly.
"Rescue me? I have just finished searching for my…fiancée. I could've used some rescuing before though," she said.
They gave her a puzzled look. "What?" Hoggle asked incredulously.
"What? That I needed rescuing before?"
"Nay, about searching for Jareth."
"Oh, Jareth has been kidnapped but I have found him," she said.
"He's been brought Aboveground?" Jaqualine asked. Bells rang in the background.
"Yes. He's locked in that church behind me. We could use some help if you don't mind as long as I know your names," the girl explained.
"I'm Jaqualine of the Salizkan and friend of Jareth. This is Hoggle, dwarf and guardian of the Entrance to the Labyrinth. This here is Sir Didymus, fox and the bravest knight you shall ever meet. And his noble steed, Ambrosius," she added quickly.
"I am pleased to meet you all. You know perfectly well who I am. This is Cleo; a goblin that's under a human transformation spell so no human questions her appearance and my trusted advisor. And those bells you might hear is Beau, our breeze friend and former nurse to Cleo."
"Dearest lady, why are you trying to rescue the man who's forcing you to marry him?" Didymus asked, suddenly. Jaqualine gasped. How could he ask such a thing? She watched Rowena carefully. She knelt down besides him and rubbed behind his ears.
"I'm not quite sure of that my self, good sire. I do not wish to marry him yet I cannot let a man die. And," she added standing up. "Please call me Ro." She looked over Hoggle and Sir Didymus and said, "I recognize you both. Pray tell, do you know Sarah Williams?"
"Ah! Sarah!" Hoggle exclaimed. "She was my good friend when she came to the labyrinth and when she was here to find—" Jaqualine slapped her hand over his mouth.
"So you do know my mother. She was here. And answer me this, does Jareth still love her?" Ro demanded. Jaqualine froze, her eyes darting between Hoggle and Ro.
"It isn't my place to tell you. It is Jareth's. If we rescue him quickly, he will explain it all to you for it is too complicated for me to tell," she decided quietly.
--------------------------------
Linda paced back and forth over the gold carpet that led to the two thrones. She had already bit her nails, tapped her foot and ran her fingers through her hair. She was running out of nervous habits to do. She had sent away the court that had surrounded her the moment she had appeared by pleading a dreadful headache. She started taping her index finger on her nose, wondering and waiting. Minutes passed and still no sign of Jeremy. She sighed and turned back towards the thrones and screamed.
"Waiting for me, darling?" Jeremy asked, laughter dancing behind his words.
"Y-you…you scared me! I was so worried! Oh, thank the heavens you're safe!" she exclaimed, her hand on her heart, catching her breath. He opened his arms and she fell into them gratefully. A terrible smell came from his clothes. "You smell like a dragon," she commented, eyebrow raised.
"You don't know the half of it," he replied.
