A/N As always, I do not own Labyrinth. Thank you to my lovely friend who has gone through and edited everything for me. Please enjoy my story as I write just for fun. If you are feeling kind, please leave a review it is nice to have your feedback.

Chapter 14

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An eerie silence fell over the castle as numerous eyes watched the small, dishevelled party walk through the corridors towards the infirmary. From goblin to elf to fae, no one made a sound, but all lowered their heads at the sight that fell before them. Most of those invited for the King's dinner had already left, but among the few that remained stood the Dragon Lord. He felt Jareth's pain. He, himself, had danced with the girl, and found her utterly charming. He knew this girl was far more important to the Goblin King than he had originally imagined. He had heard the whispers from the court officials as Arden read forth the charges, and knew instantly it was a total fabrication. He knew the Goblin King too well. Yes, he could be decidedly cruel when warranted, but the way that girl had interacted with him earlier did not signal imprisonment or abuse at Jareth's hand. Quietly, Drago withdrew from the corridor; he had business to attend to.

As the King held the young girl in a protective embrace against his chest, they entered the infirmary. Greyson rushed forward to offer his aid only to be dismissed and directed towards Drake and the small boy.

Lillete stood to the side and watched with sorrow filled eyes as Jareth gently, but reluctantly, placed Sarah's body upon the crisp white sheets of the infirmary bed where she had lain only a few months previously. She kept a respectful distance while Jareth summoned a bowl. He placed a cloth into the water and began to gently tend to Sarah, washing the dirt and dried blood from her face. Slowly and cautiously, he cleaned each cut and graze, placing a gentle kiss upon each one as he went. So focused upon his task, Jareth was unaware of those that watched him. No one had ever seen their King act in such a manner.

Lillete moved from Jareth over to where Drake stood with Greyson and the young boy. She could see Greyson hard at work healing the boy's wounds. She noticed that, unlike his sister, his complexion was pink, yet his small body had similar bruising, and his blonde curls were stained a pink colour from some unseen bloody wound. Slowly, Lillete moved closer to Drake and looked up to meet his tear-filled eyes. She found in his eyes the answer to the question she did not wish to voice, before returning her gaze to the King. Surely, this was not the end. Amora had promised more for him than this, and for the first time in her long life, Lillete allowed her belief in the power of the Labyrinth spirit and Queen to waver.

Placing the cloth down into the bowl for the final time, Jareth then ran his hand along Sarah's hair, turning it from a tangled mess into long, shiny, flowing brunette locks once more. Then he placed his gloved hand to her face and gently stroked her cheek before he bent down and placed his lips upon hers.

"Sleep well, my beautiful Queen."

The occupants of the infirmary watched as Jareth gathered Sarah up into his arms once more and, without a single word, headed out of the room.

The sky above the Goblin Kingdom had become a bland grey, and the dusty pathways were lined with the inhabitants of the Goblin City as they received the news from the castle. As they waited for their King and Queen, small wails and cries filled the air, breaking the silence. Many eyes watched as the King descended the steps of the castle and walked through the streets, carrying the young girl in his arms. He had used his magic to dress them both, himself in his white poet's shirt, grey pants, and cloak decorated with owl feathers, and Sarah in a simple, flowing white gown. She resembled an angel draped in his arms, her brunette locks flowing down towards the ground. Her face, although clean, was a ghostly white and still bore the scratches and bruises from her ill treatment.

Hoggle bowed his head low and wiped a tear from his eye as the King passed. Sir Didymus, at his side, clutched his hat to his chest in a tight fist while Ludo let out a mournful howl at the sight of Sarah. Jareth remained emotionless, his face drawn as he headed towards the majestic Labyrinth that spread before him. Sarah's three friends fell silently into step behind their King to escort him along the final steps of his journey.

Drake stood with Lillete at his side and watched the pitiful scene play out in front of him from the castle steps. They had left Greyson in the infirmary to tend to the boy alone, feeling their support was greatly needed elsewhere. They had heard the whispered prayers Jareth offered up to the gods, and the promises he made if only he could have her back. Drake's eyes turned away for a moment as he felt the intense gaze of someone upon him, only to lock with those of the Dragon Lord, who stood just a few feet from him. As Drake looked on, Drago nodded his head towards him, seeking his consent before sending him a private message. Drake signalled his understanding before returning his attention back to Jareth. The sound of the goblins' mournful cries filled the air as they mourned for their Queen, and Jareth passed through the gate into the Labyrinth, which closed soundlessly behind him.

Once inside its walls, the sound of the goblins faded and Jareth, alone once more, was surrounded by silence. The walls moved, creating a direct passageway for their King to travel down. He moved slowly along the open pathway towards the central heart of the Labyrinth, and a breeze blew around them, making Jareth's cloak flutter with a winged-like effect. Reaching the clearing at the centre, he stopped. Where normally would stand a bare stone bench now stood one covered in tiny, shining objects. Glass, beads, and crystals as delicate as morning dew created an almost altar-like appearance. Gently, he lay Sarah's body upon the stone altar that lay at the foot of a burning white flame. As he released her, he buried his head within his hands.

"Giving up so soon, my love?"

Jareth's head shot up, anger filling him. How dare anyone interrupt him in his moment of sorrow? He immediately turned his head, ready to unleash his rage, but stopped frozen at the sight that met his eyes. There, in her eternal glory, stood his mother, her golden hair flowing slightly in the breeze. She was exactly as he remembered her as a child, those deep eyes filled with warmth and love, and her gentle, smiling face. He stood, simply staring at the figure in front of him, unable to believe his own eyes.

"Hello, Jareth."

Jareth crumbled as his control slipped, no longer able to cope with all the emotion that now flowed within his body. The pain of loss hurt, and his heart felt as if it was being crushed in his chest by an iron fist.

Amora crouched before her son and drew him into her embrace. As soon as she touched him, a warmth enveloped him, and Jareth felt at peace. He recognised that feeling immediately; that same warm embrace he had felt when he first stepped foot into the Labyrinth so many years ago. Finally, the hard dam broke and his tears began to fall. The Goblin King cried the tears of loss that he had held back for so many years, coupled with the onslaught of fresh hurt at losing Sarah.

Amora held her son close, gently rocking him in her arms as she let him cry out the pain that now engulfed his every cell. It was not a King she held, or a man of power, but the young boy she'd had to leave behind. By the time Jareth's tears had dried, and the anguished cries had turned to nothing more than slight hitches of breath, night had fallen, and the Labyrinth was bathed in silvery blue light as the moon shone down from a clear, calm sky.

Amora cupped Jareth's face within her hands and raised his head up to her. Jareth gazed in pure wonder as he breathed in the distinct scent of wildflowers that always accompanied his mother.

"How are you here? I don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "I'm hallucinating."

"My dear, darling son, I have always been here, although it was not necessary for me to reveal myself until now. The Labyrinth was a part of me before you were even born. You know my marriage was not one of love, but one by force. This is my home, one I wished to return to after my death to take my rightful place as the spirit. I guarded my secret well, but when you were born, I knew the time had come. I could sense its power in you. You may feel your father sent you here, but it was I that called for you. You hold so much power, Jareth, it is frightening. You can never release it to Gallen, as I never did to your father."

"What use is power when everything I hold dear is taken from me, and the one I love is gone?"

"No, Jareth, not gone, just lost, and desperately trying to find her way back."

Jareth shook his head as fresh tears formed within his eyes. "Mother, she is gone, she is cold. I can't sense her anymore."

"You are not looking in the right place, my love. You are searching with your head when you should search with your heart." The air around them shimmered, and the flame at the centre of the Labyrinth turned a brilliant blue. "Find her, Jareth, lead her back. Be true of heart and she will follow you. She waits for you. Time is short."

This was ridiculous, he had felt for Sarah's pulse, there was no heartbeat. He looked at her with a blank expression, unable to process the words she said, and the world around him began to shift. Confusion filled him as he watched his mother vanish into a sea of dancers, the ballroom materialising around him. A simple glimpse of white fabric caught his eye, and he spun to follow it through the crowd. This was just a dream-an old dream-but he did not care. He needed to hold her just once more, whether a dream or not. As Maker of Dreams and Granter of Wishes, just once, he would be selfish and fulfil his own.

Jareth moved around the ballroom, trying desperately to look for any sign of Sarah, but other than the occasional glimpse of brunette hair or white fabric, he failed. He moved towards the mirror and placed his hands upon the chair, ready to raise it aloft and shatter this nightmare. As his hands gripped the frame, two others slid over his. He raised his eyes up to find Sarah smiling at him.

"Your Majesty, I think that is my role."

Jareth grasped her, pulling her into him and capturing her lips. He cared little if this was a dream. Just now he could hold her, feel her soft lips against his once more, the smoothness of her skin, and the flutter of her heart. He deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping past her parted lips. He consumed her like she was a feast offered to a starving man. His arms pulled her in even closer, and he cursed the stupid puffy dress she wore. This was his dream, the dress needed to go, and he quickly flicked his wrist. He heard Sarah gasp as the dress faded away and she stood before him in the nightdress she had worn in his chambers.

He clung to her as the world around them faded from one image to the next, everything played out before his eyes. He saw her short life, the young girl left heartbroken as her mother deserted her in favour of a new man. The bitter tears as her father introduced her new stepmother, and the anger at the discovery she was to have a brother. He saw the girl reciting plays in the park, her faithful dog at her side. Then, full of determination, her eyes filled with wonder as he appeared before her in her parent's room. Then once more, standing tall against a powerful King. Every aspect of her run through his Labyrinth was relived in that moment.

Then he watched the happiness and hope that had filled her on returning from his Labyrinth fade away as her belief in magic crumbled. As her will and strength fell as Gallen tortured her. He lived through every painful moment with her as he burned her skin, whipped her and beat her, starved and tormented her, hour upon hour and night after night. He lived and experienced every moment of Sarah's life from beginning to end.

Then, as everything moved back into focus, he found himself once more holding her in his arms in the ballroom, and there was only himself and Sarah. As he gazed into her eyes, he knew. This was her goodbye. He pulled her in close, capturing her mouth once more with his. His heart ached with the realisation of what was to come, but for now, he would hold her, taste her, and take every part of her-but it did not feel right. He was kissing her and it felt hollow, empty, and he watched as she faded from his embrace.

He turned away from the ballroom and raced through the Castle Beyond the Goblin City and out into the deserted streets. He didn't stop, but continued to run as fast as he could towards the Labyrinth and its heart. As he raced down the pathways, he could feel them shift away, allowing him access. The blinding light of the flame shone before him and Jareth ran, throwing himself into it without a single hesitation-and the world stopped.

He found himself surrounded by a swirling mist. He felt things pull at his ankles and legs, trying to pull him down, but he continued to move forward. And then he saw them, his mother on one side, the image he knew to be the Labyrinth on the other, and between them… Sarah.

Jareth froze as Sarah raised her eyes once more to meet his, their intense emerald green seemed to burn straight into his soul. "I will give up everything-the magic, the power, my whole world-just for you. Sarah, stay with me."

Amora smiled at her son as she felt the walls around his heart crumble away to allow this girl to enter. While her son was unaware, he had just taken the first step to reclaiming his heart's desire.

A flash of blue light blinded his vision and he opened his eyes to find himself with his head laid upon Sarah's chest. Slowly, he raised himself up and glanced around the clearing, but there was only himself and Sarah. It had simply been a dream, and the emptiness within his heart grew a little more. Jareth placed one last kiss upon her lips and turned away, heading back towards the castle. With each step he took, the sorrow he felt was replaced by anger. This would not go unpunished.

Jareth stormed through the castle gates with great determination, his boots echoing loudly throughout the halls. He sent out a summons to his General before he made his way straight to the dungeons below the castle. Seeing the General awaiting him with two other soldiers, he commanded that they fetch the girl. As he entered the dimly lit cell, he saw Kabe crouched in the corner. The sound of feet made Kabe look up, and he noticed Jareth stood mere feet from him. The man that had once stood tall and ruled his kitchen with an iron rod now glared at Jareth, his skin covered in deep wounds inflicted by Drake. Jareth turned his head away as the General and his soldiers entered with the forlorn looking figure of Anya between them.

"Restrain her," Jareth ordered before returning his attention back to Kabe.

The General led Anya to the far wall, and raising her hands above her head, he chained them in place before cuffing each ankle to hold her securely in place. Tears slid down Anya's cheeks as she begged Jareth for forgiveness. He raised his head up towards her, a sinister smile gracing his lips. Jareth flicked his wrist and a crystal appeared in his hand. He saw Kabe's eyes grow wide as he watched the glass orb. Jareth's voice held an almost calm quality, but anger radiated from his body in waves. He completely ignored the whimpering girl, his attention focused solely upon Kabe.

"Kabe, I've come to offer you a gift," Jareth stated "and release you from your prison."

Kabe stared at the crystal. He watched as it twisted effortlessly across Jareth's palm, almost floating from one hand to the other. A moment of hope filled him as he followed its path, before Jareth spoke again.

"Within this crystal, I hold every nightmare imaginable, and before you regain your freedom through death, I wish you to suffer every single one."

The last ounce of colour drained from Kabe's face as Jareth dropped the crystal to the ground at his feet. Jareth stood next to the horrified form of Anya as the hours passed, watching as the man before him cried and screamed, begging for mercy as he fought unimaginable horrors. Finally, the screams died away and his body became motionless. Jareth kicked the lifeless body over with his boot and stared into the dead man's face. Turning around slowly, the Goblin King locked his intense gaze upon Anya. He watched as the girl physically shook before him. With measured steps, he quickly covered the short distance between them and stood towering over her. Summoning his riding crop, he placed it under her chin, forcing her head up to face him.

"You," Jareth sneered, "have cost me something of great value." He lowered the crop down until it rested on her swollen stomach. "Therefore, I should return the favour."

Anya gasped, her eyes growing wide as she registered Jareth's intentions. She struggled against her restraints, her cries for forgiveness ringing through the air. Jareth grasped her hair in his fist and roughly pulled her head back before leaning in close. His eyes remained hard as he spoke. "Be thankful, girl, that I am not the monster Gallen is."

The sudden release of his hold caused Anya's head to fall forward.

"General, release her and escort her to Lillete."

The General released Anya from her bonds and she collapsed to the ground at Jareth's feet. "Thank you, your Majesty. I swear my loyalty to you, I will never betray you again."

"Believe me, girl, if you ever do, you will receive a fate far worse than Kabe. Do not make me regret my act of kindness." With a flick of his wrist, the dungeon door opened and he walked out, leaving the girl shaking behind him and Kabe's body to rot on the floor.

Jareth walked to his study, ignoring the many goblins that tried to grasp his attention as he passed. He stood at the balcony doors and watched the flickering blue flame of the Labyrinth, knowing his Sarah lay alone just below it. His anger still roared within him, and he snapped an angry "Enter!" as he heard the knock on the door. Turning slowly, Jareth found himself facing several Kings and Lords of the Underground, some of whom had been present at his dinner. And at the head of the large group stood Drago.

"Your Majesty, we are here to offer our sympathy and our support."

Jareth raised an eyebrow in surprise. Surely, he had misheard him. "Do you fully realise the sort of support I require, Drago?"

"We have discussed this at length and are all in agreement. He must be stopped for all our sakes."

"Then, you are all willing to pledge allegiance to me, to join me in this?" Jareth asked.

"We are."

"Then gather every available resource at your disposal and meet me here at dawn."

As the gathered men bowed, Jareth turned, dismissing the group, his attention now back to the Labyrinth. He would make him pay. He would ensure that his brother felt every single bit of pain that Sarah and all the others had experienced at his hand with much more intensity. And he would take joy in watching him beg for forgiveness which he would never grant. He knew his father would undoubtedly fight at Gallen's side, and it bothered him little; he would rid himself of both.

Jareth slumped into his chair, exhaustion finally overwhelming him. He placed his boots upon his desk and summoned a brandy to his hand before leaning his head back into the soft leather of his chair. Within minutes, his eyes had closed and the glass lay untouched, clenched within his fist.

"Jareth..."

He could hear her gentle voice calling to him through the mist, and he looked everywhere he could to find her.

"Jareth..."

Every way he turned there was still mist, and that voice, that gentle loving voice, still called his name.

"Jareth…"

He turned left and right. Where was she, why could he not see her? He slumped slowly to the ground, burying his head in his hands, and still she called to him. The sound of his name upon her lips driving him insane. He screamed into the empty air.

"Sarah!"

"Come for me, Jareth…"

"You are gone, I can't."

"Jareth, I do not want to be alone."

He felt the warmth of her hands upon him and he raised his head to peer into emerald green eyes.

"Don't leave me, help me find the way back." As Sarah placed her lips on Jareth's, they were engulfed once more in a fierce light.

Jareth woke with a start, dropping the glass from his hand and spilling the watery contents upon himself. He looked over towards the vast Labyrinth. Why did his mind torment him so? He had lost her, and yet she still tortured him, even in sleep. The orange light of the morning sunrise began to break across the sky, bathing the view below him in its golden haze as he watched it spread before him, bringing the day to life. He felt a sudden pulse within him, and the slightest pull on his heart. His breath caught in his throat as he recognised the feeling, although weak.

"Sarah…"

A/N If, like me you are a David Bowie fan you will no doubt know which song I was listening to at a certain point in this.