A/N: Holy crap, I can't believe it's been a year since I last update this story. I would apologize, but it would just seem empty at this point. I am finishing this story. I have always loved this story, but I admit that, like all of you, I'm excited to move onto my next piece.

Shoutouts to all my reviewers! A couple of notes: While I take issue with the way Kytherea expresses herself, I did fix the "intents and purposes" I did know that needed to be fixed, and had just forgotten to edit it. To AtharinatheFae: thanks for pointing that out, I just got my wires crossed. Faith has red hair. And regarding the (seemingly now infamous) why did Jareth think she was cheating: the Jareth portrayed in my story definitely wears his heart on his sleeve a lot of the time and I think he's been burned by love. In the next chapter, Morpheus is that voice of reason that calms Jareth down and reminds him not to get so emotional. I think even in the movie we see evidence that Jareth is passionate to the point of carelessness sometimes and I wanted to remind my readers of these things.

Part Six:

Thy End is Truth's and Beauty's Doom and Date

Chapter 29

The motley crew that stood before the doors to the castle beyond the Goblin City was a singular group, even within the Underground. Their leader, who was easily the most normal of the four, stood before the door and trembled. He was not good at difficult confrontations or conversations of any kind. It was a distinct personality trait of his and were it not for another party member's suddenly opening the door, he would never have entered the palace. Once inside, he found it marginally easier to make his way toward the west wing where the king's study was located.

As best as he could guess it was nearly midday in the Underground and that was usually the time that the Goblin King would be taking lunch in his study. Fortunately, the leader of the odd group had worked in the castle all his life and he knew it inch by inch. He only hoped that his sudden appearance in his former home would be met with less annoyed indifference than it always had for, in reality, what this group knew would save the Goblin Kingdom and maybe even the entire Underground. He could only hope that the king would listen.

Just outside the study he froze again; his breathing coming in gasps as he tried to raise his hand. True to form, it took another member of the party to move the situation forward by rapping sharply on the door with his small, saber-like cane. The door opened of its own accord and he saw that the room within contained nothing of what he had expected.

The desk immediately opposite the door was vacant and clean as though some servant had actually dared to clean the Goblin King's office. That was not nearly as shocking as the fact that the room was not empty. Seated at a second desk (which had not been there when last he'd seen it), a Fae woman sat with her head bent over a stack of civil books. Her long, dark hair obscured her face, but he could see, all too clearly, the medallion that dangled from her neck. This woman was not the queen of the wraiths or the sirens. Though he'd spent much of his life in the Underground, the symbol that the Fae woman wore was entirely foreign to him.

While the Fae had yet to look up at him, the other inhabitant of the room had. She was a little girl of maybe two or three years old, with long red hair who sat amidst an array of stuffed animals. This, of course, gave him pause. It was shocking enough to find a Goblin Queen in the King's study, but the presence of the little girl made him wonder how long he'd really been gone from the Underground. Had Jareth not only married but had a child as well?

While it seemed to the leader of that motley crew that his contemplation concerning the new additions to the castle had taken many minutes or hours, it was, in fact, only a few seconds after entering the room that his companion began pointing animatedly toward a toy that looked remarkably like him. He was about to speak, but the leader silently shushed him and waited for the Lady (likely Queen) to speak first.

"Hoggle?" Sarah leapt to her feet when she saw her friends standing the doorway to the study. They were dirty and thin and wearing ragged clothes, but they were alive and had somehow found their way home to her. For his part, Hoggle looked shocked to see her and she was hardly surprised that he was. Meanwhile, Didymus had leapt from his slightly worse-for-wear steed and prostrated himself at her feet and Ludo lumbered toward her and drew her into a crushing hug.

"Sawah friend!" She buried her face in the monster's crimson fur, wondering, for the millionth time with this was another dream like those she'd had before. It was too incredible to have them back after everything; she had been sure they were dead by now.

"I can't believe you're all here." She said, drawing herself up to her full height and making Hoggle look even shorter in comparison. She'd grown a few more inches since becoming a Fae and stood at about 5'11", only a few inches shorter than Jareth.

"Is that really you, Sarah?" She nodded, but Hoggle continued to look at her with suspicion and confusion, his gaze seemingly fixated on her spiraling medallion. "How'd you get here?"

"I was wished away by someone I once loved," She paused and she noticed the lack of sadness and wistfulness that would have once come with that statement. "but that was a long time ago and much has happened since." Faith had risen to her feet now and was standing beside Sarah, her Ludo doll dangling from her grasp. She held up her arms until Sarah scooped her up and held her at her hip and then pointed at Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus.

"Momma?" Faith still didn't speak much, but she'd taken to calling Sarah "mommy" and that was alright by her.

"These are friends of mine. See? Doesn't he look like your stufty?" Faith looked from her Ludo doll to the real thing and then nodded. Sarah looked back to her friends who were starring at Faith with a curiosity equal to the little girl's. "She was wished away and Jareth and I have adopted her. I suppose I have a lot to explain." With her free hand, Sarah produced a pink-filled crystal and shattered it on the floor. It took only a few moments for Baria to appear in the doorway and bow to Sarah's guests. "Baria, will you take Faith back our quarters where she can nap?"

"You don't want her back at the nursery?"

"No, she'll be fine in my room. She likes it there. Could you also have Gormack bring Jareth to the study and tell the kitchen we have extra guests? I know it's an awful lot…" Sarah paused. "I'll get Jareth, Baria, but could you tell the kitchens for me?" Baria giggled, probably at Sarah's indecisiveness, but gathered up Faith's toys and took the little girl out, leaving Sarah alone with the friends she hadn't seen in more than six years. She was more than a little flustered as she ushered them to seats and watched as Ludo took the place on the floor that Faith had just occupied.

"I'll get Jareth in a few minutes, but are you all alright?" Hoggle was still trembling but Sarah couldn't be sure if that was from his imprisonment, the journey or the fact that she was going to bring Jareth to the study soon.

"We're mostly alright. I think Partochile wanted us alive for somethin'. Can't say what though."

"Probably because he knows I'm here. Life would be easier if he were an idiot, but he's not and Jareth and I are trying to deal with it." She ran her hand across her forehead and pulled her hair up off her neck. "He's a bastard and he's proud of it, but there will be time to talk about the Deepground later. I bet your wondering how I ended up here."

The long, drawn-out version of Sarah's tale took nearly an hour and left all three of her friends nearly dumbfounded. Hoggle continued to stare at her long after she stopped speaking, but Sir Didymus leapt down from his steed and prostrated himself at her feet once again.

"Mighty Queen of the Goblins, I, Sir Didymus, bow to you." Sarah felt herself turning red.

"For Heaven's sake, Didymus, get up." The little dog didn't move.

"But, My Lady, I owe you my fealty."

"It doesn't mean you have to kneel all the time." Didymus finally rose to his feet. "No one kneels to me. I don't really like it." Sarah sighed as she heard her own stomach rumble. "I'd best get Jareth so we can have lunch."

….

"I can't believe you three made it back to the Underground." Jareth said, sipping on his tea as he looked at the three descendants of the Deepground. "I can't imagine the fury that Partochile is in."

"Or Keelie for that matter." He shuddered at the mention of the sorceress that had once been Sarah's dearest friend. The truth was that she frightened Jareth. He knew of Aboveground magic, but he'd never faced it in combat. For that matter, in his long life, Jareth had spent many years in study, disciplining his magic and honing his swordsmanship, but he'd never been in battle. This war with the Deepground would be the first for both him and his bride.

"How did you escape?" He was glad to hear Sarah ask the question. He'd been unwilling himself to force them to relive the experience if they'd already done so.

"Partochile is smarter than most in the Deepground, I s'pose." Hoggle said, his shaking finally beginning to subside. He'd been trembling since the moment Jareth had entered the room. "But he's got a big ego and he don't understand magic. If he'd understood it, he woulda never broken that crystal I had with me when I arrived."

"Your pass token." Jareth remembered giving them the pass token for their return to the Labyrinth. He'd been less than kind to them, but, regardless, he'd wanted them to know that they were more than welcome back in the Goblin Kingdom. In fact, Jareth had been skeptical of how he'd run the Labyrinth without Hoggle's help – though he'd never admit it.

"He threw it on the ground, I guess he thought it'd hurt my feelin's or something. I don't know. It made a big flashbang and everyone froze. It was like time'd froze or something."

"Ludo broke bars." The red monster had spoken up for the first time in Jareth's presence, possible ever.

"Ya, so Ludo broke the bars and we ran for a transport spot. They wasn't far behind us when we came through, but I think they was scared to follow us through."

"I'm not surprised, they're still missing scouts from the last time they braved the transports." Sarah's shifted to lean against him, and Jareth saw Hoggle visibly stiffen. It reminded him of when Sarah was fifteen and Hoggle had a crush on her.

"I'll put the three of you in some guest quarters. The kitchens are at your disposal and I'll have my physician come by to check on the three of you. You can stay here in the castle until you are feeling well enough to return to your places in the Labyrinth." Sarah's hand was resting on his leg and he knew she approved of his generosity. Sarah had brought that out in him for certain.

"I'll visit you all once you've rested some." With that, Gorim and Baria entered the room to lead Sarah's friends out. She rose from her place and embraced them each, handing them pink-filled crystals that would summon her presence before she returned to Jareth, draping herself on his lap. She rested her head on his chest and he buried his face in her hair as he held her. "I didn't think I'd ever see them again."

"I know, Love."

"Maybe this war is turning in our favor already." Jareth sighed: they could only hope so.