Chapter Forty-Four: The Light Of True Love

Sarah was instantly startled. She jumped at the voice that had sounded like it was right behind her. She paused, wondering if the person would speak again, so that she might confirm her suspicions that there was someone behind her, and not a trick her mind had played. Yet, there was nothing else, and Sarah sighed, knowing that she had made the voice up in her

imagination.

Yet, for one fleeting moment she was able to believe that it had been Jareth behind her, that he had not died and, in fact, he had gotten out of the throne himself. Sarah nearly laughed at her pathetic attempts to hide the fact that Jareth was gone. She was never going to be able to see him again. Once again, tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to wreak havoc upon her tired body.

"What am I to do?" Sarah asked, as she placed her hands on the windowsill.

She hung her head down and weeped. She was going crazy. That had to be the reason why she was hearing things and why she had a strange nagging feeling that there was someone behind her, watching her with eyes of the most remarkable, penetrating blue. A man who had stolen her heart and could never die because... because...

"Stop it Sarah!" she demanded.

She could not dwell on these fantasies, because they were just that, not real. She had a kingdom to see to, and could not ignore it simply because she had lost the love of her life. Sarah immediately whimpered at the thought and collapsed to her knees, her legs too weak to support her any longer. She draped one arm over the stone window sill and covered her head

with the other.

Even while she sobbed she could feel someone behind her, watching her display of emotions carefully. In fact, she could even feel the strange entity smiling a little at her actions. Sarah wiped at her eyes, once again cursing herself for believing that there was anyone else in the castle, save herself and a few ghosts.

Sarah took a few deep breaths, that hitched slightly from her tears, in order to calm herself. She could not have everyone see her crying so, when she went to inform them of what had happened. She had to be strong and know that life always had heartache. It was inevitable.

She turned around to leave the throne room, her eyes cast downward as she did so. There was no point to walk proud, as she felt she hadn't really succeeded at all. Sarah was convinced that her entire quest had been a complete and utter failure. If she had truly succeeded, then she would have Jareth by her side. He made a far better ruler than she ever would.

She stopped, noticing a strange black boot interrupting the stone floor she had been concentrating on. Sarah gazed at it for a moment, not able to connect the strange feeling she had been experiencing regarding this boot, that seemed to have a leg attached to it.

Sarah's gaze slowly made its way up, until she found herself staring at the back of a man's head. He stood there, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing off into the distance, as if in a trance. Sarah was utterly shocked. She gasped and backed away.

"I'm going crazy," Sarah whispered to herself.

The man's head cocked, his blonde hair flipping around his shoulders as he did so, and turned ever so slightly to listen to Sarah's ranting. She was sure that she noticed a flicker of a smile on the handsome face, but was not offered a good enough look. The man turned once again to gaze in the other direction.

"At first it was voices and winds, and that wasn't so bad. I could have lived with that. I cannot live with this image standing in front of me. I can't! Jareth, please, won't you allow me to heal?" she asked, more tears in her eyes.

The man before her chuckled. He shook his head, allowing his mane of blonde hair to drift around, reflecting the light from the rising sun in the process. His laugh held a wondrous musical quality to it, and very nearly convinced Sarah that this was, in fact, the man whom she loved and not a figment of her imagination. However, she would not allow herself to think that way. Once she discovered that this was a mirage, then she would go through all the pain and suffering again. She knew that she would not be able to handle that, not again.

"Sarah, why can you not believe?" the man asked.

He had lost his mirth with her doubting nature, and now seemed very serious. In fact, he seemed almost frightened. He paused a bit longer and then turned. His handsome face revealed the fear that his voice had held. His deep blue eyes that seemed like swirling waters, so filled with unknown mysteries, shone with a terror that Sarah could not deny.

She pressed herself closer to the wall, the stones digging into her back. Yet, she did not want to see him anymore. She could not stand to see his face, or hear his sweet alluring voice. He was dead, and she had witnessed it all. There was no possible way that this could be her love, alive. She blinked trying to force the apparition away, certain that her mind had fractured and concocted this elaborate day dream from her stress.

"Please, do not haunt me," Sarah begged, her reddened eyes glimmering with sadness.

Jareth seemed to be hurt. He took a single step away, and almost seemed to fade. However, Sarah could not tell. She wanted this image to go away. Even if it was a ghost, he could have chosen a better time, like after she had managed to get control over her crazed emotions.

Jareth, on the other hand, could not wait. He shook his head, his eyes shining with hope and fear all at once. He held a hand out to her, and Sarah found herself very tempted to simply take it and give in to her psychosis. She could admit that she was crazy and go along with her

imaginary Goblin King. At least she would not have to be sad any longer.

She reached out with one hand, almost ready to touch him, to feel the reality that he was not made of flesh as he had once been, but of her imagination. Then she recoiled, a little too quickly. Jareth withdrew his hand, looking obviously hurt, and looked towards the window. His gaze passed over the improvements, and then his Labyrinth. He walked over to the

window, standing right beside the shivering Sarah.

"We saved it. It is beautiful now. The Deadlands should be gone, perhaps the goblins will fade away, to leave the Underground a pure and beautiful place, a land where you belong, as queen," Jareth stated, still gazing outside.

Sarah could feel the magic radiating off Jareth, and it surprised her. The only time she ever remembered a dream being so real, was when it had been conjured up by magic. This certainly looked like Jareth. Sarah scrutinized him entirely, as he stood before the window, but still could not find anything to assure her of the fact that this was not the real thing, other than the knowledge that he had died a few minutes earlier.

Sarah inched away from him, hoping that the more distance between them would make this image fade away. Yet, Jareth noticed her moving and turned, truly hurt that she would not want to be by his side. He walked with her, looking deep into her brown eyes as he did so.

"Jareth, I cannot live this false reality. I have to get the Underground back together. Don't you understand?" she asked.

Once again, Jareth winced and drew away, in obvious pain from her attempt to be rid of him. His image faded again, and this time Sarah noticed it. She was shocked, at his show of pain. Why would something that was not real feel such agony at her harsh words?

He looked up at her, trying with all his might to convince her to come to him, but he did not say a word. He knew that there had to be some way to persuade her. Jareth straightened himself and brushed at the pure white leather vest that he wore over a cream-colored poet shirt. There was not much time left.

"My love, do you truly wish me to be gone? All you must do is tell me so, and I will never be allowed to see you again," he stated, quite worried at what the outcome would be once Sarah had received such knowledge.

Sarah sighed, quite relieved to finally know the way to rid herself of this ghost. She readied herself to tell this strange entity to finally leave her, but she could not bring herself to speak. Something was not setting right with her, and Sarah could not quite put her finger on it. However, it had to do with Jareth, or her image of Jareth before her, and whether he

was real or not.

She turned from him, throwing her hands into the air, in defeat. She would be forced for all time to have to observe this figure that no one else could see. Everyone would think that she was insane, and there was nothing that she could do about it. It did not matter if this was only a figment of her imagination. The idea of never seeing Jareth again was the worst

outcome in any situation.

"I cannot do that. Please, Jareth, just let me be alone with my sorrows. I know that you are not real and cannot understand... Oh, now I'm talking to it! Sarah, what are you doing?" she demanded.

Jareth followed behind her, or what was left of him. He had faded much during the time she had taken thinking about what to do. He knew that time was short, and that she was still very far from convinced that he was really here.

"I love you forever, dear Sarah. I was led to believe that you felt the same way. If that was true, why can you not take a chance for love?" he questioned.

Sarah stopped dead in her tracks and her shoulders slumped. She did not know what to say, but she knew that she could not take anymore chances. Those same chances were what had caused this heartache in the first place. If she had never fallen in love with Jareth, never chanced fate in the way she had done, then she would not be suffering so at this very moment.

She turned to him, startled that he was so faint. She approached the image of the man she had loved, and still yearned for, and stopped, barely an inch from him. However, she could not stand there for long. Being so near to this image tugged at her mourning heart and sent her into fresh tears.

"I cannot take this any longer. I love you with all of my heart, all of my being, every thing I am. I can't look at this and see something that will never be mine because of fate! I say damn fate! Kill it a thousand times over! Yet, still I will not truly have my only love back, for he is dead and gone forever, never to return to me and mend my broken heart," she answered.

Jareth hung his head low, understanding that that was her final word on the matter. She would not relent from these thoughts that reality had set into her mind. She could not understand that things are not always as they seem. He had believed that she had learned all that she needed, but he had been sorely mistaken, and it had cost him his life and his second chance.

"If that is the way it must be, then that is the way I must do it. I shall always wish that things happened differently and that you were able to believe that things can always be changed," Jareth said and he stepped away.

Sarah watched as he turned to leave her, perhaps forever. She knew that it was stupid to feel such sorrow because a mirage was leaving her, but she did. There was something that was so real, even his aura of magic had been the same. She could no longer stand it. If she was faced with more tears, and heart-wrenching loss, then she would face it when it came. This was a

chance, she was sure, and she was letting it slip through her fingers because she was too afraid to try to make things work.

Sarah rushed forward, trying desperately to catch the fading Jareth before he simply vanished. He turned to her, his blue eyes immediately lighting up as he saw her running towards him. Jareth opened his arms, allowing her to come to him. She didn't hesitate again, nor did she wonder what would happen if there was nothing to catch her. She allowed her faith to control her actions.

Sarah fell into his arms, all at once feeling the magic that surrounded him, and felt the sweet music spread all throughout the castle. She pressed her head against his shoulder, wanting to remain in his strong arms for all time, but fearing that all good things had to come to an end.

"You have saved me once again, my love," he stated.

Sarah did not reply, but instead clutched him tightly. She did not want him to leave her, not again, not after all she had been through. She could never lose him. Sarah placed her hands into his wonderful blonde hair and savored the feeling, one she had thought she would never experience again.

With great ease he pushed her away, to arm's length, so that he might gaze into her beautiful face. Jareth cocked his head, observing the strange change that she had undergone. He laughed and then stroked her soft cheek, the feeling of magic surrounding her as it had always done with him.

"You have found your magic, Sarah," he said with a smile.

"I would have given any magic, anything, in order to see you again, even for a moment. Will you be forced to leave me again?" she asked, fearing the answer.

Jareth shook his head. He would never leave, until the time they were both taken from this world. Even then they would be together, forever, in eternity. He pulled her closer to emphasize his answer.

Sarah rushed forward, encompassed by a wave of passion and love so pure that it overwhelmed her being entirely, driving all thoughts from her mind. She was meant to be with Jareth, and even the little distance that separated them was far too much for her. She savored the perfection they held in their unity. It was as if, without the other, the one would simply cease to exist.

Jareth took her youthful face in his hands, and brought his lips to meet hers. They held each other, intertwined in an embrace filled with love and desire that would finally be allowed to be quenched. Their kiss, one so pure that it put any other love to shame, seemed to span all the boundaries and worlds that had been set between them. They burst through walls, and roles of enemies and such, in order to have their love, forever.

Outside the new day dawned, setting the stage for a beginning that would start everything anew. For this kiss, the key to all that had been promised in ancient books, riddles, and curses, had finally occurred. The entire Underground rejoiced as the curse was lifted from the land, leaving their world the magical way it had been when the Great and mighty Overseer originally created it from a vast nothingness. Creatures were free and happy, and stone that had tried so desperately to kill all that was good, was left to crumble, and turn to dust.

The light of true love had shone with that sun, and it had done as it shall always do until the end of time. It had conquered all, leaving Destruction destroyed.