"Sky's Eclipse"
Chapter 36
By Aiijuin
*Disclaimer: I don't own anything Jim Henson or Labyrinth. Gröeg was originally designed by Brian Froud and catalogued by Terry Jones in Brian Froud's "The Goblins of the Labyrinth". This fanfiction is rated M for some harsh language and adult situations. Gavin King is Jareth, the Goblin King, for those who have jumped into the middle of the story. Jeremy Eden is from the original Henson script of "Labyrinth" as the man who wrote the "Labyrinth" playbook that Sarah was reading from, in the beginning of the 1986 movie.
**NOTE: Story numbering is behind by 1 chapter, because there is a prelude, which is not considered a chapter. Fanfiction . net automatically assigns numbers to the chapters by default, which I have not control over. Thank you!
Chapter 36: Sarah, Sarah
Robert Williams came home from work that evening. He removed his suit coat and loosened his tie. Then, he proceeded into the dining area, where Karen had dinner set. Toby and Sarah had already been summoned and were heading down the stairs. Sarah hugged her father and smiled keenly as she walked past him. Toby was still yapping on his cellphone to B-Man about something related to music and guitars. Robert tapped his son on the shoulder and said, "Two minute warning, Toby. Finish the conversation and come to dinner."
Toby nodded.
Robert was in a solemn mood tonight. Karen sensed it as soon as the family assembled at the table. He gazed outward and shook his head. Finally, Karen asked, "Oh, Robert Dear, what is wrong? You look so down."
Sarah looked up from her salad and asked, "Daddy? What is it?"
Toby just munched at his dinner roll and waited for his dad to reply to the women. Robert sighed and then answered, "Hmm. Well, I haven't seen Mr. King for almost three weeks. I kept asking the staff if he took a unannounced vacation or had a business trip, but they said they didn't know."
"What about his secretary?" Karen asked. "Did she try his cellphone?"
Robert nodded, "We've tried everything except calling the police to investigate. I've been up to his house every night this week, and the curtains are drawn. There's just nobody home."
Toby looked at Sarah and asked jokingly, "Oh, my god! Like, what did you do to him at that Carnival, Sar?"
Sarah pursed her lips and gave her brother a 'don't be a moron' look. Karen turned to her stepdaughter and asked, "Did you two have a fight at the carnival, Sarah?"
Sarah shook her head and was a bit annoyed that Karen would pry for information like that. Still, Sarah thought back to the vague memories of Grimm's Wood and worried about Gavin. Although, she wasn't sure that the entire ordeal had truly occurred, nor did she have any knowledge about how everything regarding the Troll King had even been initiated, Gavin's tantrum as they were departing from the carnival insinuated that something had probably gone awry during her escape from Torok's lands. Sarah had made sure that she even watched her words throughout the carnival, and was pretty certain that she did not make any random wishes.
However, she thought and smiled, there was that one wish after the carnival…
After watching his sister brush off Gavin's disappearance, Toby figured he would take it upon himself to go find Mr. King that evening. He missed having someone intelligent to talk to about non-high school things. His best friend, B-Man, was okay to hang out with, but Gavin had better stories, plus he didn't swear every other word.
Toby laced up his black, leather boots, and placed an 'away' notification on his IM chat screen. He had his music turned low, so his mom and dad wouldn't bother him, and thus discover that he was out after curfew again. As the sun set beneath the tree line, Toby walked out of the front door right after he finished hooking his cellphone up to charge. Its battery had died fifteen minutes ago.
He put on a black sweater hat that matched his long-sleeved, sweater shirt and then he mounted his mountain bike. Quickly, he pedaled his way toward the Henkies Estate.
About fifteen minutes later, Toby reached the mansion. Everything was dark. Toby was about to knock at the front door, when he thought he saw a light coming from the side of the house where the study was. He decided to investigate the light source.
Toby tiptoed to the side of the yard and snuck past the main entry wall of the hedge maze. It was pitch dark outside when he reached the stairs leading up to the French doors.
Sure enough, the room was brightly illuminated with wax candles. Toby knew that he could not be seen outside with the bright lights blaring within …especially since he was completely dressed in black.
Much to his surprise, it appeared that Sarah had arrived at the mansion before him. She sat dressed in a silken pink gown and was seated next to a…a… glam rock star?
Toby shook his head, but couldn't tell. The man had black leather pants and high-rise black boots, with a silk white shirt. Most of his shirt was unbuttoned and he had Emo-styled, Goth-black, choppy hair.
The teen looked around the room, but couldn't see Mr. King within the group. He figured that Gavin was probably sitting in the massive desk chair that had its back facing the doors.
Sarah didn't look happy as she talked to the high-backed chair. Toby was curious, so he carefully and quietly pressed his ear against the glass panes to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"…And further more, don't think that I don't know when something is amiss!"
"Mon Cherie," the 'glam rocker' began, "she is bound to show up sooner or later. Please! You're being to hard on him!"
"Torok," Sarah replied in disdain, "Don't start with me again! Its one excuse after another. What is going on in the Goblin Kingdom, Jar? And please tell me the truth this time!"
"How many times do I have to tell you," Replied the voice that sounded like Gavin's. "I simply don't know who you are talking about. I have no idea, Sashya! The only 'Sarah' that I know is a human and she lives not far from here."
"Yes," Torok stammered, "And this human femme is the one who destroyed our palace with rocks and burnt our ancient forest to the ground!"
Toby wanted to back away and race home upon hearing the conversation, but his curiosity riveted him to the doors.
Sashya continued, "And this is also the girl who defeated Jareth and his Labyrinth… Yes, I know. You've both told me this part over and over again. I'm not interested in your problems with this mortal girl, Darling. You should never have involved yourself with any mortal girls, if you catch my meaning...."
Torok squirmed a bit and wiped his brow with a red handkerchief. He nervously laughed and then returned his focus back to the desk chair. Gavin's voice spoke again, "This mortal girl is a great threat, Sashya. She's performing magic that is far beyond the capacity of any human. She's compromised my entire kingdom, and what if yours is next? What if this Sarah eventually domineers over the entire Underground and throws us all asunder?"
Sashya laughed, "Jareth, you began this war with the human, and you can finish it by yourself! I'll take no part in this, and Torok, you should not have brought the Troll Kingdom into this confrontation! Anyway, this Sarah-girl is your problem, not mine. I've only come to discover the whereabouts of my sister Sarah."
Gavin stood up from his chair, and Toby's eyes nearly boggled out of their sockets.
JARETH! His mind screamed as he began to back away from the door, but tripped down the stairs and tumbled backwards. He landed onto the ground with a thud, when he heard the French doors swing open. Toby crawled along the ground like a operational military soldier, until he managed to reach the other side of the marble staircase. He hunched into a corner, hoping that he hadn't been seen or heard. Toby could hear Jareth's voice directly above him on the balcony. He closed his eyes in regret and in pain from the fall.
Jareth snapped, "Sashya! You're being unreasonable!"
"Curse or no curse, Jareth, I want my sister back! Now, you had better find her, before I declare war on you and your kingdom. Then, you'll have to deal with an angry human woman and an angry immortal one," Sashya threatened.
"Oh, not another war between the goblins and the trolls," Jareth mumbled nonchalantly.
"I'm sorry, mon Frère," Torok apologized. "She is a bit grumpy lately, especially after the ordeal with my… um… children."
"It's not the children, Torok," Sashya bickered. "It's your infidelity issue while I was away."
As Jareth began to snicker, Sashya could be heard moving closer to him. She shouted, "Don't laugh, Jareth! When my sister Sarah comes back, and discovers what you've been up to… I shutter to think of the punishment that you'll have to endure, especially since her temper is far worse than mine, Goblin King!"
At that, a loud crack could be heard. Sashya vanished from the group, leaving Torok and Jareth alone. Jareth asked, "I have no idea to whom your Queen is refering, Trollie. I honestly don't. She can threaten me with war until she turns blue with yellow stripes, but I cannot remember what has never occurred."
"It is the curse, mon Frère. Sashya…Well, she has been under spell for such a long time, how could she know either way?" Torok asked. "I must return home for now, but good luck with your little trick against Miss Williams. She's terrible to be sure! As soon as you have won, please come by our new palace for dinner one evening. Sashya and I have rebuilt it, and it's more beautiful than before. Good bye, mon Ami!"
Another loud crack sounded and Toby could hear Jareth breathing alone on the balcony. Gröeg walked out to Jareth and said, "Sire?"
Jareth snapped, "Gröeg, make ready the ambush. As soon as Sarah comes back here, I'll snare her. No matter who has the power, she won't escape this time. I'm through toying with her!"
"Yes, Sire," replied Gröeg's familiar voice.
Jareth walked back inside the French doors and they swung closed behind him. The lights vanished, and Toby stood outside motionless and wide-eyed with his hands cupped over his mouth until dawn. He was too mortified about what he had overheard to move, and was too petrified that Jareth would reappear at any moment and use him as the bait for the trap against his sister.
When the sun had risen, Toby decided that it was time to sneak away. He grabbed his bike and walked it out towards the opposite side of the house, where the curtains were still covering the windows.
He had to skip school that day, and was sure he would be grounded for a year when his mom found out, but none of that mattered now. After passing the boundaries of Henkies Estate, Toby pedaled his bike as fast as he could, in order to get to Sarah before she attempted to visit 'Mr. King' in his mansion.