Inside the dank cell which Mizumi had placed the late King of Labyrinth, Jareth sat with crossed legs on the floor, once in a while he'd shift to change positions into a slightly less uncomfortable one, but it wasn't like sitting on the floor was beneath him. It was just as it was; uncomfortable.

"Do you know what uses an ablation has Jareth? Do you know exactly what can be done with a piece of one that has been severed?" From the shadows the willowy figure of the Queen of Moraine stepped into light. No longer robed in white she wore thin veils of light blue and silver. Small gems hung sown into the gown which sparkled and shone when they were caught in the thin beams of light. From the ground shrouded in shadows his slight frown was invisible.

"I'm sure I could wager that you would tell me anyways…" He was not amused. Her laughed sent an unpleasant shrill of cold down his spine.

"Pity you have nothing left to wager… But you are correct. I will extend my hospitality and inform you. Perhaps you know more than just the one?... Could that have been why you have knowledge of your dear Sarah that you'd not have had before?" Again she laughed, but it was low and without love of any kind.

"Not so much. I asked her as straight as you sent me to your prison. Should you have the chance to confer with her perhaps you'll find out why I'd prefer a woman barely grown to yourself…" His words matched her, cold and aimed to maim and disarm.

"I see. Then I will inform you of what uses I still have for your girl-child should you find it in your interests to cross me. As you know very well, an ablation is mainly used to remove an aspect of one's self they feel better erased. As such something like this cannot be erased, merely removed. You should be happy Jareth, I returned with no harm done, the ablation I made for her. It was to remove her memories of 'you'… Just as I removed your 'love' for her… Such a pity. But I've not let her off the hook nor have I you for that matter. Should I destroy your ablation without returning her to you… the consequences could be severe… you could die… or that which was taken can never be reborn. So your love for Sarah… will never been again." Mizumi bent down and sat on a stool just out of reach of Jareth should he have chosen to move. "Also… if any ablation is similar to another person such as the striking likeness between Sarah and your very own personal ablation… should Sarah so much as touch her all that the ablation is will be transferred to her. That means that love which you had or have for her will be completely understood by her… On the down side… should the maker of such end the ablation during this transaction… Sarah would die. Mark my words Jareth… I would have no issue removing Sarah from the picture if you will not bow to me in turn. I see no down fall in allowing your love for her die aside from making you kneel to me slightly harder." A single jewelled finger reached out to him and touch his cheek and slide down to his chin.

"You play a dangerous game. Have you found the Pathmaker yet…? I doubt it seeing as you've yet to gloat about your triumph over Labyrinth. So even past the 13 years you've failed to gain Labyrinth and its King." His laughter forced a red flush to rise to the Queens own cheek. Her hand which had so softly touched his skin slapped him harder than a whip to a bare back. His face reeled to the side and as if his own head was too heavy he looked back to her with a malicious grin. "What a pity…" Before her own plans were set ablaze with rage she stormed from the cell and slammed the door. From outside Jareth could hear the low chant of Mizumi's henchmen and guard Esker before the click of her heels echoed off into silence.

"You make a bad enemy of my lady." Jareth did not answer and ignored the throb in his jaw and the ache in his arms as they remained pinned behind him to metal stake and chain.

"I had no intentions of making an enemy, but if I must be one, might as well play the part well…" He had no amusement in his voice. Jareth had no idea what Mizumi had done to warrant such a man such as Esker, but his motives and prospective never wavered.

"I do not care what harm may come to you, but it would be wise to please my Lady. It is in your best interest and the girl's interest that you do so. The Queen can be… demanding and harsh when things do not go she so plans…" Jareth scoffed and opened his mouth to stretch out his jaw.

"Sharing wisdom? Tell me Esker, why do you serve Mizumi so piously? What makes you serve her so willingly?" Esker never once looked into to make conversation; he spoke from where ever he was outside the door.

"Everyone has a price."

.

.

Sarah didn't like what Skub had to say about the Queen of Moraine. She was a thousand times crueller than Jareth and twice that in ruthlessness. She had three days to do something and make things right. Sadly she had no idea what that meant. Mizumi had a plan that Sarah knew nothing of, Jareth remained missing and Toby had to play his part as the new King of Labyrinth. Then there was the matter of the girl that looked like her... she didn't get the girls name, but she'd not mistake anyone that so much as resembled her.

"Damn him…" Sarah cursed her brother's lack of intelligence when he'd first gone to Labyrinth. He'd played into Jareth's hands and now it was up to Sarah to save him.

"Shh…" Skub huffed in annoyed silence. They climbed up a hill towards the single tree. It was bare off all leaves and the cold breeze which blew now made this trip seem ill started. She almost sighed again when the goblin disappeared into a bush and thrashed around. After a moment of stillness she heard his curse and he came out of the bush while brushing dirt off his shirt.

"Who'd leave something like this laying around? I didn't even see it till I was almost tripping over it…" He pointed to a small clear ball and walked over to kick it she picked him up to stop him before he got even close.

"Don't do that. Don't touch that thing." Sarah realized it for being one of Jareth's play things and wouldn't risk so much as laying a finger on it. Nor would she give him the satisfaction of leaving it here so he could claim it back.

"Put me down, put me down…" She let him down and started rummaging through her bag. "What are you doing now?" He looked at her with interest and all but forgot he'd been irate with being hefted around suddenly.

"This…" She bent over with a wash cloth she'd brought with her and picked up the crystal. It gleamed dimly and she was glad she'd been right. It seemed to her its magic would only work once touched… "Perfect." She tossed the ball into a side pocket, a smug look on her face. The last time she'd been stupid enough to touch something of 'his' she'd almost lost herself to a dream…

Even know she remembered this event most of all. The lights, the clothes, the singing and dancing… Jareth. Everything danced in that dream. It was the kind of dream that would never willingly come, more a daydream where the dreamer had complete control. Laughter and fun, dancing and a Cinderella setting. It was a beautiful and a painful memory for which both reasons made her wish to forget them, but no matter how many toys she'd thrown out and times she tried to grow up, that memory would never fade… A twisted memory of beauty held in the grasps of a man with whom seemingly didn't hear the word 'no' enough.

This got her thinking on something which made little to no sense… Jareth had said he'd played the role of the Goblin King from her story. Fashioned himself to be the bad guy so she could be the princess she'd dreamed of being. If all that was true then how was it that with a few words she over powered him? What had made it so; that he could no longer try and beat her? What did those words have over him?

"You have no power over me…"

Did he ever?... Was this elaborate plot of his to bring them to this moment in turn? Was all that lay in the past to bring them to the present? If so, what was her part, her role? Was this all pre-organized… Suddenly she felt ill. She knew very well that Jareth was capable of making her do much to what he wanted. He'd taken Toby has he'd wanted and she'd wanted, She traversed Labyrinth as the Heroine as they'd both wanted... only the end result made no sense. Why go through all of that to fail?

Why come to her home and leave so oddly?

Why did someone take her memories?

Why Toby as the Heir to Labyrinth?

Sarah took the crystal ball back from her backpack and stared at it, still without touching it. For just one moment she left her finger hovering over its unclouded depths and wondered. Did he want her to use this magic now or later?

"Should I or shouldn't I?" Using all the nerve in her to do what she thought was right she touched the soft curve of the crystal and it shone with bright light. Jareth's voice sang out as if she stood right beside her.

"Go back Sarah…"

She'd heard this once before. God's it was like she'd walked back in time…

"Go back before its too late…"

There was a pause but she could tell the message was not finished.

"Should you come and give chase… I warn you. I will not…"

And it ended, the message stopped. Whatever Jareth had said had been cut off and she took little heed in being threatened. She would not go back just like she would not go back last time he told her to. She would not be mollycoddled like a child and listen or hang on Jareth's every word. She would give chase and walk away unscathed just like before and he would be the lesser for it.