Toby slammed the lid down and turned to face the woman approaching him. "Stupid little boy. You would be the easiest to kill. But, I'm willing to negotiate because you are stupidly brave. You might be an asset. Perhaps I could use a fearless apprentice like you. Just get out of my way. "
Toby was much more frightened than he let on, but he refused to show her that. He held his hand up. "Back off."
The witch laughed. "Mortals are so amusing. But I'm growing bored. Live or die, child, makes no difference to me."
She flung more fire at him. It landed on the urn, melting it closed. "There, if you choose death, I can kill them at my leisure, once I have the Labyrinth. I can enjoy their long drawn out deaths in the tunnels. No food, no water, a few poisonous snakes, it could take several entertaining days. The halfling will likely die first, which will break Jareth. That will be so sweet to watch, as with every minute she will hate him more for causing your death, and hers."
When Toby said nothing, she heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm done with this boy, make a choice, live or die. Perhaps if you chose to live, I will let them go. Strip them of their powers and mortality, but they would be alive, and send them above. Consider it a gift."
Toby stared at her a long minute, his hand still raised, and remembered what Jareth taught him. He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses looking for something, anything...
"ANSWER ME! " The witch screeched at him.
When he looked again, her eyes were flames.
He smiled. "I choose life."
She grinned and put her hands down, thinking him a new ally.
All too easy, turning a mortal child.
It was all Toby needed, a few precious seconds.
He grabbed on to the power he found and pushed it out through his hands, and a white hot energy hit Kenna in the torso and began to burn her from the middle outward.
He pushed and pushed opening himself up completely. The stones beneath him bucked and he nearly fell, but he didn't stop.
All he could think about was his sister, the one person who had never failed him, was counting on him, and he wouldn't fail her. He had never told her, but he loved her as much as he knew she loved him. And she loved Jareth, and that made the man a brother, kind of.
His young body was weakening under the onslaught and he felt like he was on fire, the magic burned as hot as the sun, but he knew instinctively The Labyrinth would not let him die.
The witch was on the ground, writhing and shrieking as she burned, flames flying everywhere, hedges going up in flames.
Slowly, far too slowly, her power was sucked from her.
Toby didn't stop until she was a black smudge on the ground. The ashes that were once Kenna were caught upon the winds, and scattered until there was nothing.
When Toby finally lowered his arms, he fell to his knees, sweaty and exhausted. He felt like he was a ghost, transparent, almost empty. "I choose life, and I choose your death." He fell forward on the ground and slipped into unconsciousness.
******************
Sarah didn't know how long she laid there, clinging to Jareth, her tears pouring like rain. They felt the ground rumble beneath them and then suddenly it stopped.
"Sarah." Jareth whispered her name.
"What happened?"
"I'm not certain, but if Toby is dead Kenna will come for us next." He sat up and caressed her face. "Please Precious. Take the crystal and leave. I can't bare the thought of losing you too."
She shook her head. "I told you, I'm not leaving without you. I need to find Toby, I won't leave without him either." Her fingers gently traces his bruised face. "Plus I don't know where the crystal is."
"Stubborn woman." He sighed. "But that's part of the reason I love you."
Before she could reply, he kissed her. It wasn't a soft and tender kiss, nor was it a lustful and passionate one. No, this kiss was filled with all his feelings for her. He clung to her as he poured all his feelings into the kiss. When he finally pulled away, they were both panting for air.
"Goodbye my love." He whispered before shoving the crystal into her hands. "Labyrinth I wish for you to take Sarah home." He shoved her away from himself so he wouldn't be transported with her.
"Jareth!" She screamed his name as she felt the air around her shift as she was transported away from the tunnels.
A single tear rolled down the Goblin King's face as he watched her leave him, for what he was certain was the last time.
Sarah landed with a thud on top of a firm bed. She covered her eyes and cried. "No, no, I didn't want to leave him or Toby!"
She never noticed where exactly she had actually landed. Hearing noise from the Queen's chambers, several curious goblins snuck in the investigate. "Queenie?" Patch asked softly when he saw Sarah on the bed.
"Y-You're awake...and I'm...not home.."
Relief swamped her senses as she tried not to cry more. Sarah struggled to sit up, wincing at her wounds, but did so after some effort. She spotted Patches almost immediately.
"Your King needs you. He's in the tunnels. Bring him here at once!" Patches immediately disappeared as he ran off to do her bidding.
"You three..." She demanded of the other goblins staring at her, finding her voice. "Take me to my brother. NOW."
*******************
When they found him, Sarah thought he was dead. She threw herself over his slight form, he was pale and so still.
His black armor had melted away to the jeans, t-shirt and sneakers he had been wearing. The shirt ironically depicted a cast of comic superheroes on it, his jeans torn and dirty.
"Toby, damn it, I'm so sorry. So fucking sorry. I did this. When I wished you away all those years ago. Not Jareth, it was me." She cradled him in her arms, weeping.
******************
Toby slowly came to the sound someone sobbing. Wetness fell on his face.
Was it raining? What's tickling me?
With some effort he lifted his arm to brush away the annoyance but couldn't reach the spot because something was blocking and limiting he movements.
He opened his eyes to discover is his sister was holding him in such a way her hair was the culprit.
"Mmph...ugh." he blinked a few times, before closing them for a few seconds. When he tried again Sarah was holding very still, her eyes staring right into his, inches away, in joy and wonder.
"Geez Sar, that's creepy."
He pushed at her but then she was squealing and hugging and he couldn't get away.
"Oh my God Toby I thought you were dead I love you so much and don't ever do that again! "
She clung to him. And he was getting annoyed. "I swear if kiss me I'll punch you. Gross." He started to wiggle around to turn away, just in case.
Sarah reluctantly loosened her grip. His color was coming back. She couldn't stop looking at him. As annoying as he was sometimes, she adored the kid. "I'm sorry, I just...I thought I'd killed you. "
"What? Why would you think that? Ah damn. My favorite jeans." Sarah stood and helped him up as inspected himself. "Nah. Sis, it's cool. Where's Jareth? "
He spun in a circle.
"I'm here." He came around the corner, supported by Ludo, and followed by Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius, and various goblins. He was still injured, but already better as The Labyrinth began to heal him.
Sarah ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, crying into his chest.
"More crying. What is it with girls and crying? " Toby limped over, his knee still sore.
Jareth chuckled as he held her close. "Someday, young warrior, you'll understand. Well inasmuch as any man can ever understand." He kissed Sarah on her forehead. "Let's go back to the castle and sort everything out."
Sarah grabbed her brother and everyone disappeared together.
******************
A few hours later, they'd managed a thorough inspection of the Labyrinth and its inhabitants either through crystal scrying or goblin emissaries. Finally able to rest, they all fell into seats in the dining hall as the castle inhabitants insisted on cooking them a 'welcome home' dinner.
Sarah had kept an eye on both Toby and Jareth who looked worse than she did but even she was pleasantly surprised that as the Labyrinth recovered from the curse, so did their health. By the time dinner was ready to be served, all three of them were mostly back to order. When she asked Jareth about it, he said as it repaired itself, so did it repair its stewards. She blinked at that, casting a questioning glance at Toby, and he nodded.
There was so much to take in, consider, and figure out, especially as it pertained to Toby.
"While we wait on dinner, I'd like to discuss what happens next. What do you two plan on doing now? Since everything's been sorted."
Sarah could hear the hesitancy and vulnerability in his voice and reached forward to grab his hand when she heard Toby speak.
"I can't leave mom and dad but can I visit you guys on weekends?"
Sarah smiled as Jareth looked hesitant towards Sarah, her heart squeezing at the hopeful look on his face when Toby implied she'd be staying.
"Would you like that, Jareth? If Toby visited us on the weekends?"
He grinned then, his eyes softening. "I'd like that very much." He murmured, his voice betraying his nerves as it trembled on a few words. "You'll be staying?"
She smiled and leaned forward, giving him a soft kiss. "Yes."
"Ew!" Toby made a face."At least even that wouldn't make me not want to eat. I'm starving to death here."
"We should do the right thing, and give our current employers notice." Jareth suggested. "It will only be a couple of weeks, and I have some other above ground business to tie up. What say you, oh Goblin Queen?"
She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, probably. Good idea. I was thinking, I would like to work for a while longer, but I swear I'll be home every night, if that's okay? We should probably keep a place there anyway."
Jareth's eyes twinkled at her as leaned in grinned wickedly."You may do what you please, love, as long as you're in my bed every night."
He tried to say it quietly enough to keep the boy from hearing but it was obvious by his expression he did. Before Toby could say anything, Jareth held up his hand. "I know, I know It's gross...ahh, dinner is served."
The Goblins paraded out of the kitchens with plates of food, followed by the castle cooks. They took great delight in presenting each dish and welcoming their monarchs.
The servants went around and filled plates, refilled the large wine cups for Jareth and Sarah, and plain juice for Toby.
Jareth ordered them to make sure Sarah's friends and all the goblins got a feast as well.
The cooks were dismissed and two goblin servants stood quietly to the side in case they were needed.
The dinner was fabulous as expected and before too long, they were full, as well as exhausted. Jareth had left and promised to return as he took Toby to his quarters for the night.
Idly wandering the halls, Sarah spotted Patches and his friend and smiled down at them as they stilled and did the goblin equivalency of a blush. "How long have you been there?"
"We were told to watch you, make sure you didn't need anything. Sorry Queenie."
Sarah waved a hand, touched Jareth thought of her. A random thought occurred to her then and she paused, looking down at them. "How was it you two were unaffected by the curse? You were awake and yourselves even before Jareth."
They looked between themselves and their grayish-green skin flushed pink again. "Um, well, we could...if you promise not to tell Kingy."
Sarah raised an eyebrow but nodded, looking over her shoulder to make sure they were alone and leaned down so Patches could whisper in her ear.
"Kingy was very sad when you left. He wouldn't say it, but he missed you. So we...left...to keep an eye on you. We hoped you'd miss Kingy too and you did, from your diary. We're sorry we spied but we were worried about Kingy. Then he went missing and we were so scared, we stayed with you. Then you fixed it all!"
Sarah paused and sucked in a sharp breath. "So you were why I always ran out of candy mysteriously?"
They at least had the audacity to look embarrassed but she smiled and hugged them. "You did good. Your secret is safe with me. I owe both a big bag of candy. Each."
Just then, Jareth walked around the corner and Patches shoved his companion down the hall to give the couple a private moment together.
Jareth stopped and took her in. She had changed back into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved fitted t shirt. And she was the most beautiful sight he had ever had the pleasure to see.
"What are *you* staring at?" She teased as she walked to him.
"You. Plan for it to happen often, because you are a vision." He opened his arms, and she stepped into them.
"About Toby, "He began. "He told me what happened. It's unprecedented. I need to do a great deal of research, but even I have never had that kind of power over The Labyrinth. He is a very special young man. I'll need to train him so he doesn't hurt himself, but he's a natural."
"Will you tell me? He shrugged it off when I asked."
"Yes, but let's go crawl into bed and rest." Jareth guided her to his rooms, now their rooms.
"I hope you aren't too tired. " She said suggestively, and moved her hand to squeeze his backside.
"Haha, no my little vixen, I'll never be too tired for you."
He opened the door and pulled her inside. The next thing Sarah knew she against the door, his lean body holding her there as his lips were on hers. She wound her arms over his shoulders and fingers through his hair.
After several more kisses he stopped and just held her there. "I promise, never, ever too tired."
"I love you, Jareth." She whispered against his lips.
"I love you, Sarah mine." He once more captured her lips, sealing their declarations with a searing kiss, as he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He carried her to the bed, and they gave in to the passion that was only getting stronger as the bond between king and queen solidified into permanence.
They were finally home.
