Hello hello - I think its been about two years or so since my last update to this story. Recently been inspired to finish it, so I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
I do not own any of Jim Henson's characters.
The Goblin Kingdom was shadowed in a grey overcast, dark clouds blocking out the bleak remnants of sunlight. The very air brushed through the castle halls with an ominous chill. Something wicked brewed within the decaying walls of the Labyrinth, a crescendo of chaos waiting to spill out. Jareth tapped his fingers rhythmically against the arm of his chair as he absorbed the utter silence of his kingdom. He was, on the outside, the epitome of control. Yet a fevered pulse of madness lingered just beneath the gleam of mismatched eyes.
"It's been seven hours," the click of his tongue enunciates the sharp edge of his tone.
A crystal formed with a flick of his wrist and the mesmeric roll of his fingers was impatient and rapid as he glanced within it, further displeased by the absence of the one he sought to find.
"I am trying…" Sebastian's cool voice hummed back from the floor where he was sprawled, a tiny mobile of objects floating in rotation above his head, iridescent eyes so distant and fogged they had grown grey and lifeless.
The crystal snatched still in Jareth's hand, the precious stone cracking beneath the force of his grip. His restraint hung by the barest thread of reason, conscious that he couldn't afford to lash out at Sebastian until his Queen had been recovered.
"Try harder. Lest you convince me that your talents are in fact useless."
"Your precious Queen is but a sliver of reality away from our grasps. One pluck at the wrong thread and I might just unravel the seam of her existence. But if the King insists I rush…" a smirk spread on the impish King's lips, taunting at a time like this and not a sliver of shame in him.
The massive glass window behind Jareth cracked, a spider web of splintered glass spreading from one corner to the other under the pressure of his anger as it pulsed precariously in the air, suffocating the small room. Sebastian gave no response though, instead slipping deep between the veils of this world and the spirit realms beyond, deeply immersed within his own mind as he sifted through the layers of reality.
Jareth calmly reigned his power back in, reclining into his chair as he studied the sky outside once more. A flick of his wrist, and the cracked crystal spun once more, reflecting nothing, empty as it had been all night. Sebastian was rather fortunate he was of any use at the moment, but he always managed to position himself as such. Jareth knew the impish King had his own games in play, the apparent fall from grace as dark magic overcame him was only the first layer of his deviance. Sarah was beyond the Goblin King's reach once more, but he would allow his brother to fall further beyond that grip on reality in order to retrieve her.
Back and forth between those mystical veils did Sebastian wander, as he had for hours, intent on peeling back the one layer that blocked them from being able to see what had become of the Goblin Queen ever since she'd simply vanished into that black well. His mind sifted through the thin veils, delicately passing through them one by one, uncertain just how far he'd come or gone as he followed the very faint pulse of her heart that had snaked its way into his mind. His wavering coherency had grown so attuned to her existence that it fluttered like a blue bird in the depths of his mind. Treacherous thing it was, comical even, that he'd allowed himself to grow so fond of her to be so very aware of her – even as lost as she found herself now.
Perhaps he'd been a tad reckless to have led her down this road though… But these things were never much to bother over in the end. Humans, they were so painfully fragile.
Her world is effervescent, an orb of black that has swallowed her whole. She swims through black water, walks across a surface that should not exist in the small expanse of her eternal cage. Her mind expands and absorbs beyond her physical form, the darkness that surrounds her consumes what little consciousness she maintains.
Time no longer exists. There's no way of knowing how long she's been floating with her eyes wide open, unable to see in the darkness. Emptiness suffuses her to the core, a barren existence culminating as she dives further beneath the surface of her darkened world toward the erratic pulse of ecstasy that awaits her beyond, promising blissful rapture should she swallow enough of it into her body, succumbing to it.
Like a kiss it brushes her lips, coaxing her acceptance as it fills her from within, the sensation pulling taught at her skin, the very tips of her fingers tingling with each dose. Each time the darkness enters her, piercing deeper into her soul, it takes with her the memories of a past life, wiping away the filth of her humanity, purifying her of everything she had once been, making room for something more pure. She fights and resists the darkness that encroaches her mind like a fog, but she is losing, and she knows it. The memories were the first that it came for, wiping away any sense of who she was. She cannot recall why that matters anyway. But she knows she should fight.
How could she fight this ecstasy, it beckons so sweetly. What a shame, to have lost any time enjoying this world that is hers by right. This world is her haven now, a blissful existential existence. Her body continues to grow numb but the peace it brings is intoxicating.
Amidst the bliss, there is a niggling burn as something tries to settle within her. She doesn't like this part of it, and she fights it every time. It is growing restless, as though it struggles to find something within her to latch onto. She can sense it is displeased with her, and each time that presence doesn't succeed in taking root it drags her further into shadows.
Years pass. Decades. Centuries perhaps. Or is it just seconds? This world has turned into one of shadows and faint whispers of voices she has long forgotten. Faces she no longer recognizes pass her by like ghosts in the haze of darkness, old memories perhaps, but she can't be sure they are even her own or simple tricks of the haze around her. She tries to recall, perhaps the answer is within her, but her head aches when she tries, so she doesn't ponder it long.
Occasionally, she finds herself walking across the expanse of her black void instead of floating. Dark water grows solid beneath her feet, unmoving as she steps slowly and blindly. Her body is frigid, this numb existence can no longer hide that fact, and she wonders if she is in fact dead. Perhaps it is just merely her soul trapped in this void.
A voice catches her mind's eye, a flicker of white light that flutters around her world like lightning bugs. The light burns out before she can reach it but for that brief second it is blinding. The ghostly faces return and are not far behind the lingering voices. They appear in static white light now, just barely visible in her dark void. She is certain she'd once known these faces, because they cause her numb limbs to tingle, a small flicker of resistance to the presence that tries to reside within her. The darkness invites her back in each time she sees these faces, a stronger wave of intoxicating obscurity, and she succumbs to the warm and erotic embrace of its power each time, a part of her screaming out in defiance from deep, deep within her mind.
One face comes back often, and she wonders if he is looking for her. He is beautiful, his eyes mismatched and dripping with a sparkling ire. She enjoys this face, almost as much as she enjoys the pitfall that swallows her when he appears.
She collapses, tired and cold, floating once again. A face appears not far off from where she floats on her back, one she has not seen before. Curious, she turns and swims slowly toward the ghostly face. This one's eyes are closed, head resting back as though in sleep with arms draped out beside him, keeping him propped up as he rests in the water with her. He is similar to the face that makes her heart ache, the one the darkness dislikes. Sharp, pretty, perhaps younger though he looks worse for wear than the other. Her heart does not ache when she stares at his barely there outline, but it does stutter. Should she know this face as well?
She circles the ghostly figure in slow laps, studying it. Her bones do not tingle like they had before with the other faces. No resistance has kicked in, and that terrifying dark abyss stays at bay as she studies him. She stops in front of him, this face that has not risen or spoken like the others. He rests, languid in her pool, as though he were truly here in her waters. Something like fear makes her lips draw back, as if to warn him away, but she knows she has long lost her voice and couldn't recall a language if she tried. In truth, she knows she is alone. The darkness has stripped her of time and memories, but she knows that she is beyond anyone else's reach. This is another cruel vision of a past she cannot recall, she is sure.
But he is so at ease in this abyss, and she isn't sure why the darkness has not stripped him from her sights yet. Why is it not suffocating her so that she can no longer see this figure?
Leaning in toward the ghostly face, she traces his finely pointed nose with a wet finger, dark water trailing down his ghostly cheek, and she gasps at the friction of sensation upon contact, jerking back as his head snaps up, black eyes piercing right through her. As though he could… see her…
The ghostly man smiles broadly, sharp teeth sparkling in her dark world.
"I've been looking for you, poppet," the ghost says, and she winces at the sharpness of the noise, so clear it burns her ears. The ghost taps his temple with a finely pointed claw as he continues, "I have left my eyes open far too long in search of you."
She frowns, the darkness emerging in a frantic pulse to pull her back into forgetfulness as it senses the intruder. It is a warm embrace, she aches for it, and she begins to follow it back down, down, down…
The ghost touches her, gripping her chin in its hand tightly, drawing her eyes back from the darkness till she is forced to meet his own.
"Not so fast, love. You've been having far too much fun in here."
His voice is merry, humorously mocking her like a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. She stares mutely in response. His smile deepens into a broad set of dangerous teeth in return. His gaze flickers to her right, as though he'd sensed something and those black orbs expand in… surprise? She can't look away to discover what he's seen in her cage with her.
She cannot even breathe, the darkness pulls on her, its intensity swallowing her. The ghost does not release her to its hold, instead somehow keeping her from slipping into the dark pit within her mind with his own grip on her. His gaze returns to her, and they are more predatory than before. Has this ghost found his prey?
"Well isn't this unexpected," he chuckles. "You're going to owe me deeply for the years of recovery this is going to require, pet. We can arrange the details when you're in a less elusive state. Do me a favor, and start swimming, Sarah."
The ghost's figure bursts into a million shards of stardust, and with it a burst of white light erupted in the space around her.
Sarah… Sarah… the name echoed in the white light as it burned her eyes.
My name is Sarah, she thought as she tried to hide from the light. I am the Champion.
The darkness around her began to melt and shift, as though it too was being burned away by the light that the ghost had created. The light grew, expanding over the space, swallowing her as she threw up an arm to cover her eyes from the intensity of it. Dark magic pulsed through her body, so much of it already housed inside her, and she hadn't even been aware of it till now. The white light began to disipate and with it, the darkness began to thicken, the air disappearing from the space, and as the odd sensation of drowning began to spark inside of her burning lungs, she recalled what the ghost had said. Start swimming.
"How long do I have?" Sebastian asked, his dark excitement earning a deadly look from his brother.
"As long as you need. But don't keep me waiting," Jareth spoke evenly as he approached the Labyrinth.
Sebastian chuckled brightly. "Goodness, isn't it delightful the sacrilege we shall partake in this night?"
"Call it what you like. Distorting the fabric of time always bears repercussions."
"Don't pretend that you aren't a bit thrilled to be using such a gift, brother."
Jareth smirked at the jubilant Fae beside him, his dark magic and manic aura already jittery with anticipation for the hunt.
"Do try not to be overcome with awe," Jareth mocked, and with widespread hands, he ripped them both from the balance of time.
The world ceased to move, time stopped dead in its tracks, and it floated in limbo as he held it clasped between his palms, the power in his being rippling through the seams of reality till every fleck of life remained silent and still.
"Now, for the main act," he drawled charismatically, stepping toward the Labyrinth and casting the doors of it wide open with a flick of his wrist. The power it took to break the seal on this sentient being was enough to weaken him drastically, minute by minute warring with its ever powerful resistance to his intrusion. He could feel every fiber of its rage and retaliation to his hold over it. Sebastian joined him at the pried open entrance.
Jareth conjured a crystal in his palm. He spun it once, twice, and then he released it to the floor. The crystal took off instantly, its target already predesignated. His fist trembled from the magnitude of the Labyrinths strength as it fought his hold, desperate to regain control over its sanctuary.
"Run along, little brother. Go fetch my Queen."
Sebastian waltzed through the walls of the Labyrinth, gliding through with enigmatic, silent steps. A crackle infused the air, a sharp electrical current followed by a hollow iciness in his wake. The veils of this world quivered around him, his vision blurred as they beckoned, ready to rupture in a cascade of destruction should he reach out one claw and slice away at them. The Labyrinth's magic pulsed angrily, the effects of his attack still vibrating in after-shocks through its walls. The power that emanated infused his skin and bones, swam through silver blood till it pierced his heart and drank deep from the pool of his sanity.
Divine was this night, the moon so radiant in its pale lighting, the thirst of blood on his tongue. He had glimpsed the being that held her trapped in that lowly realm, and he found himself rather put off by another toying with his favorite human. Prowling closer to his destination, he sensed the shadow creatures as they followed behind, their tongues drooling in anticipation. He could feel their hunger, sense the simple rabid nature they housed, like wild dogs. Yet they remained at a distance, and he chuckled in amusement at their games. The veils around him quivered once more in reply, threatening to burst.
A copper tinge in the air kept him coherent, the wet dirt beneath his feet that had been stained black from the drench of her blood. It should unsettle him, the mere amount of it, and he cannot help but find the inkling of alarm that stutters inside his black heart vindictively charming. Foolish Sarah, to not have called for him as he'd told her too. He'd have found her so much sooner. She had a habit of making things far too difficult on herself.
Though summoned he was by the twisting pull in his gut upon the very silence of her existence. It was that emptiness in the space where her life had existed in his world that called him here. Humorous, that he'd felt anything at all when she'd simply evaporated from his senses, as though she'd never even existed in his radar. So into the mayhem of his relapse did he fall, and by the eighteenth hour had he stumbled upon her cage.
He turned a corner, grazing a hand upon a bloodied wall, and released a beastly chuckle that echoed in the space. She was just so precious a thing, doe eyes stripped of any sense or reason and looking as docile as a lamb in that abysmal pit. Poor little Sarah, caught in the belly of the beast… how it must adore the taste of her...
He approached his target, the well silent and ominous. It wavered when he neared, a ripple across the top that beckoned him closer. He'd never been so close to such darkness, even in all his meddling with the dark arts. His eyes bled black with desire for the power emanating from it. For a moment, he forgot entirely why he'd come, a hunger tearing through him that threatened to trip him over the edge and join the young Queen beyond its depths.
The Queen. Trapped beneath its surface by an ancient power. Sebastian smiled heinously at the well beneath his feet. Another time, another place, he might just lose himself to it.
Dropping to his knees and ripping his shirt off over his head, Sebastian cracked the joints in his neck with a sharp whip of his head before grasping the bloody stones in one hand and leaning forward sharply, the other arm pulled back above the black liquid as it squirmed beneath his gaze. A circle of white light formed in the center of the well, the liquid squirming to life in resistance as his power surged through its core, dragging his target toward him, till he sensed her just beyond the surface.
"I'd stand back if I were you," he quipped at the shadows that had begun to encroach him, before plunging his arm into the black water, sending a shudder of ripples careening over the wells surface.
Sarah felt pressure all around her as she tumbled, that white light latching onto her and dragging her through a dark funnel, crushing her body as she was forced to plummet, unsure if she was going up or down anymore. Her lungs were on the precipice of collapsing, the air seeming to have been siphoned away. She kicked and clawed her way through it, panic driving her toward any kind of escape, till one of her scrambling hands collided with something. In terror she tried to reel back but the thing latched onto her with a strength she could not claw free from. The hand began to drag her through the sludge, yanking her harshly toward it.
Something else wrapped tightly around her ankle, and tugged in the opposite direction. The stretch became painful quickly. She was trapped in a tug of war, and she felt as though she would be torn in two. Her body convulsed without oxygen, her eyes fluttered closed as she allowed hopelessness to swallow her. Just as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, the black liquid peeled back from her hand first as it broke the surface, the very air beyond burning like ice against her skin. She knew she was being pulled from this world into another, and as hope flared, her mind slipped and fell back into its darkness once more.
The mad King held tightly to her wrist, uncaring if it broke in the struggle between he and the Labyrinth's pull. And when the bone did finally snap as he dragged her closer to the surface, snaking and arm round her waist, both arms and chest submerged in the black water now in the struggle. He felt Sarah go limp in his arms as he encased her beneath the surface.
Sarah's aura went silent, his empathic powers unable to sense her as she was overtaken by the power that held possession of her soul. Sebastian's blood ran cold, ice crystalizing in his heart as the stutter in his hollow heart gave way to the torrent of power lurking beneath his skin. He smiled to himself as he gave himself over to it.
Seeping electrical spasms of magic dripped from his frame and he allowed the last remnants of his control to shatter. Power suffused his body, drinking in from the depths of his soul and mingling with the forbidden well of power he was submerged in, till it eclipsed within him, an overflow of magic that burst from the very seams of his body. An iridescent light sparked through the surface of his skin, forming into crystals upon his skin. They instantly fell from him like lethal raindrops, stabbing through the well's surface, shredding its darkness with their unholy light.
Something deep within that black well began shrieking as the assault tore through its veil of protection, yet still it vigilantly fought against his hold on its prisoner. The water vibrated and coursed around its stone edges violently as his dark magic assaulted it in a shower of crystallized shards. The beast within summoned its pets as it continued to shriek, and the Shades fell upon Sebastian's vulnerable back. They swooped in with their own feral cries, taking slices of his flesh with every attack. The Shades released screeching fury as they spat out his skin, unable to consume his tainted flesh. Sebastian laughed maniacally as they swarmed, over and over, hungry and deprived a meal.
Gritting his teeth through another onslaught of the Shade's lashes, and as the final whites of his eyes became entirely engulfed in black, he pulled once more with enough force to crack the stones beneath his knees. Sarah finally broke through the surface, spattering up black liquid and heaving for air as she dug her nails into his arms. He didn't even notice the pain when she drew blood. That dark liquid wrapped like tentacles around her legs and tugged once more to draw her back in. Sebastian trapped her in one arm as he leaned forward, a set of razor claws slashing across the liquid tendrils that wrapped up her ankles, and they split like flesh in a spray of black, severing the grip that held her.
The well caved in on itself, its fury and might trembling the stone walls till they began to crumble to dust. The black liquid shot from its surface like a volcano erupting. Sebastian managed to stumble back far enough that the dark water couldn't reach her anymore.
Sarah felt barely conscious, perhaps still dreaming, or dead. Something lurched inside her body, causing every muscle to tense painfully. She struggled for several seconds to gain control of her limbs, to breathe the impure air around her.
The creature that had ripped her from the well pulled back, pushing up shakily on one hand as he stared down at her. It took her several seconds to recognize the body that covered her.
Black eyes, without a hint of iridescent blues stared down at her. The white haired, sharp toothed Fae's skin was showered in… blood. Between the crimson drops that ran through the strands of his unruly hair and sharpened face, was a subtle sparkling in his skin that matched the crystal raindrops he'd produced before, threatening to break free once more. The contact of his skin burned like dry ice against her own. She felt her hands raise up to touch the body that still crushed hers, but she barely registered the movement as her own. They cupped his cheeks, and she felt a smile draw on her lips that wasn't her own.
"Aren't you a lovely fiend," cooed a voice that was anything but his darling human's.
It was melodic, subtly deviant in a way her ever innocent aura had always been incapable of managing before. Sebastian's lips drew back in another feral smile. He saw the being that had latched to her soul within those jade eyes, and it stared back at him.
It was barely there, the ancient creature too weak to have set roots, but having fused with her long enough to have left remnants of itself as it had torn its way through her soul in this ritualistic passage of its power into her body. A flicker of pride beat in his chest, that she had fought it for so long, never fully succumbing. Had she succumbed to it, there'd be nothing left of her to save.
Sebastian leaned in close to her face, so coy was her smile, lovely skin dripping in blood, something beautiful in the way darkness and crimson suited her finely boned face.
"Come out, come out wherever you are, Sarah," he hummed darkly, his power brushing over her, that blistering light just beneath his skin. The darkness in her eyes waivered, a flash of recognition amidst the dark jade. The presence shuddered, and receaded deep within her soul.
Sarah heaved, air entering her lungs as though she'd still been smothered beneath the darkness that held her mind captive. Her hands gripped Sebastian's hair in a vice lock, terrified she would be taken hold of once more as her eyes roamed frantically.
"Hello, poppet," he smiled darkly at her, running the backs of his claws against her cheek gently, claws that had extended since she'd last seen them.
"Sebastian?" She managed with a broken voice.
Sebastian's cold gaze made no reaction, pulling her up into arms that were still coated in the black water.
No, not black, Sarah realized as she stared down at their bodies. Red. Dark red. Thick and sticky, like… blood. She prayed it wasn't theirs, even as her body began shaking, her hands clutching Sebastian's neck till her nails broke skin once more - uncaring if she hurt him, because terror suffused at the thought of being dragged away again into that darkness and that pain. A shuffle made him turn, and she spotted the whispy form of the Spirit hovering over the well, watching them. It seemed displeased, as it always had, but it made no move to harm them appearing frozen in place.
Sebastian winked at the Spirit, cheeky smirk as he turned to leave. Shrill howls filled the air from behind them, the shadows moving as Sarah watched them from over his shoulder.
"I'm going to need you to call your dogs off. I don't have much flesh left to stave them off," Sebastian mused calmly.
"What?" she choked out as the Shades gained on them.
"Now, deary," he spun in place, facing them as they closed in.
Sarah shifted in his arms, eyes going stark as they enclosed the space, their hungry snarls increasing. One lashed ahead of its brethren, reaching its tendril for Sebastian's face as it sped toward them.
"No," Sarah screamed, palm raised out at the creature as it made contact with Sebastian's cheek.
From her hand cracked a deadly pulse that swept across the path, the creature eviscerated into dust as the pulse passed through it. The others scrambled back upon her command, slipping into the shadows of the Labyrinth to disguise themselves from her though their hungry snarls, now hushed whistles, still came forth.
The pulse sent her into a daze, succumbing to the use of such power, so delicious it was…
Heavy heaving racked her attention back to the frame that held onto her. Sebastian had managed to prop himself against a wall, the newest of his wounds bleeding deeply down his cheek, dripping from his chin. The wraith had sliced him clean to the bone.
"Bash," she whispered as she waivered in consciousness, her fingers closely hovering over the wound apologetically.
"Scratches, poppet," he chuckled coldly as he began to walk again. She faded once more out of awareness, eyes glazed and mind deep, deep within that dark space that existed within her now.
"Lead us out, Sarah," he purred against her ear. How long had they been walking? When had he wrapped her in his shirt? Her feet felt ground but she had no energy to stand, Sebastian's arm wrapped around her waist as he stumbled slightly. He had to be more injured than she thought.
He sounded so distant from her, and she felt herself slipping as she whispered a plea to the stars, and a light formed before them, guiding them obediently.
"So good." She felt the chuckle in his chest from behind her as she tinkered on the edge, desperately clinging to the chill of his body, terrified of if or when she would be pulled back to coherency should she slip away once more.
He didn't make it far before he staggered, allowing himself to fall to his knees and then collapsing back on his heels as he dragged her pliant form down with him. She thought she saw the entrance of the labyrinth just a few yards away, but her focus was hazy.
Even in her disoriented state, Sarah could smell the stench of fresh blood all over him, her senses slowly returning to her. Distant jade eyes glanced back at the shadows behind them, and she noticed the trail of bloody pools that had followed them as he carried her from that place.
"You're bleeding. They hurt you," she managed to rasp as he tucked her head under his chin, his chest rattling with labored breaths.
"I've looked worse." Sarah managed to pull away enough to meet his eyes, and they chilled her once more. He was smiling, but it was gaunt and nightmarish in his current state.
"Jareth will have sensed your reappearance already, so it's best we do this now," His voice was strained and harsh as he grasped her wrist in one hand. "Do forgive me if this hurts," he spoke with amusement this time and before she had a chance to be curious, he bit down on her wrist, sharp teeth breaking skin instantly.
Her body pulsed angrily, the magic building, overflowing, suffocating as he released her instantly, tugging her open wound to his, allowing her wounded wrist to rest against his lacerated cheek, their blood mingling. Her palm crackled dangerously, her body vibrating defensively as it threatened to unleash on her attacker.
Sebastian grinned down at her, amused by the threat of her it seemed.
"A bond made in blood… is the fastest way to diffuse your power, lest you succumb and never awaken. Don't worry," he laughed bitterly, "This will hurt me far worse than you."
His black eyes grew vacant, even as Sarah began to rattle uncontrollably. It consumed, until she too felt weary from the indulgence and sensation overload of it. She was either going to explode or pass out. There wasn't an ounce of space to consider what Sebastian had just said, or what he'd done.
"Be a dear, and try not to incinerate us both ." The breathiness of his voice was markedly noticeable, as though he too struggled to stay awake amidst his wounds.
Sarah wasn't sure she was capable of anything, the darkness threatened her from deep within the abyss of her mind. She stared up at the starless sky above them, and knew that she was slipping away without anything further to grasp onto. Darkness consumed and swallowed her whole, and she watched as her palm that still rested against Sebastian's cheek began to emanate a dark light, the sensation warm and enigmatic.
Sebastian chuckled, a wet noise emitting from his chest as he did so.
"What a delight, poppet," he spoke past those killer teeth drawn back in a warped smile, and before she slipped away fully she felt the subtle pull of magic at her palm, as though he were drawing it from her, siphoning it as he'd once done to remove his own magic from her during training.
"Wait..." she tried to pull away, but fell into darkness before she could.
Jareth approached silently, the pair before him shrouded in shadows. He'd managed to successfully rework the fabric of time, seamlessly restarting the clock and releasing both this world and that of the world Sarah had been trapped within from his control. The tedious nature of the feet kept him preoccupied as the two had stumbled out of the Labyrinth's gates. As soon as Sarah was free he had sealed the doors, relief sweeping through him.
His relief was quickly replaced by apprehension when he finally came upon them.
Sebastian held her in his lap like a porcelain doll, his forehead resting on her shoulder, arm wrapped around her waist as though to keep her propped up. Sarah stared straight past Jareth with empty, jade eyes that glowed in otherworldly hues. They were both coated in blood, a mingling of their own, and a third that was grossly unnatural. She appeared docile, her body limp and relaxed, yet still she radiated magic so densely that he was sure she was hemorrhaging it. That didn't bode well for any of them.
"Sarah," he beckoned her with a level voice, but she did not acknowledge his presence.
"This crown is quite lovely on her, isn't it?" Sebastian drawled as he lifted his head. He petted her cheek gently before glancing back at Jareth.
The Labyrinth had not altered her to appear Unseelie as he'd thought it would, his glamour was completely stripped from her now. Instead, she looked preternatural, beneath the blood stains and dirt, her skin glimmered luminescent and her aura sparked with radiant green hues. She was an emerald stone dipped in holy waters, shimmering with a fire that smoldered from within. The scent of humanity was gone.
Jareth raised a hand, magic crackling brightly as he focused it on his brother. He was the one that now looked… Unseelie. Lost to the darkness, perhaps entirely.
"Release her, little brother," he maintained his level tone, but fear for Sarah mingled with hostility and protectiveness.
Sebastian didn't have to move though, because upon the sizzle of his magic in the air those hollow jade eyes finally settled upon him, and she stood. Sarah walked slowly toward him, her blood soaked body eerily hypnotic in its movements. The movements were not like Sarah's, far more fluid and unearthly. A frail hand tenderly grazed Jareth's cheek and she smiled up at him. This being was empty of Sarah, he could not see her in the depths of those eyes he knew so well. He encased her hand in his own, and pulled her into him with an arm around her waist, unsure what he might do if she did not return to him in this moment, the ground around them vibrating from the magic he was radiating, and the magic she was hemorrhaging.
"Sarah, darling," he murmured against her ear. The words were a broken beckoning.
She twitched, her shoulders stiffening and a pulse of magic so strong it cracked the ground beneath their feet.
"Jareth," Sarah murmured, still dazed as she nestled against his chest contentedly. The very scent of magic and leather began to draw her back from the very heinous darkness from within, his voice echoing in every corner of her mind.
"Careful, Jareth. She's unstable in this state," a taunting voice spoke from behind her.
Sarah turned on Sebastian with a terrifying glint of anger in her small frame. She was coming through the darkness more, and she recalled having been bit, her wrist still gaping. How dare he… She began to vibrate, a lash of dark energy erupting and – erratic as it was – managed to hit him. He grunted, lips pulled back in pain. It was impossible, but she was sure she heard several ribs crack upon the impact of her hit.
"Sarah," Jareth's measured voice called her back to him. She turned back, smiling once more upon meeting his dual eyes. They gleamed silver in their blue depths.
Sebastian stood fluidly, brushing his blood stained hair back, sharp tongue running across his tongue as though he savored the very taste of the darkness she permeated. Jareth tucked her carefully against himself, pressing her tightly into his chest as he nearly breathed a sigh of relief, till he noticed that his brothers scent still lingered thickly upon her. Dual eyes glinted dangerously as he inspected the faint remains of his brothers wounded cheek, his heinous unseelie features marked by more than just his own blood.
"What have you done?" Jareth asked darkly.
"She'll need time to adjust as vessel for all that power. I've simply tapped the fountain. Lest it all devour her."
"Was this your plan all along?" Jareth asked, time dangerously low, positioning Sarah behind him as he readied another blow that would dismember the Crystal King.
"I don't plan, Jareth. I simply do. Was it not you who came to me, seeking my protection? Should anything happen, you said."
It wasn't even a question. The sharp grin on the impish King's lips never faltered, an obscure sincerity in his words, despite the crime he'd committed against another Fae's Queen. A blood bond was one of the holiest of communions for their kind.
"I will bleed you until you are rid of her bond," Jareth remarked casually, though he saw red in his anger. "I'll never allow you to use her as your personal heroin again."
"Let's see if we all survive the next few days, Jareth. Our Sarah will need me more than you like, if you ever want her to fully return to you."
Sebastian grinned, and Jareth knew that hate had never lived so deeply within him till now.