AN: Whew.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.

Frequencies and Currents

Chapter Eight

Kismet

Sarah didn't know how long she had run for. Once her legs had begun pumping, she didn't dare slow down. Something told her that what had just happened was a stroke of luck, her mere continued existence being proof of such.

As she slowed down, far from where the mouth of the cave had once stood like a silent sentinel, Sarah panted, resting her hands on her knees, fighting to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down her face despite the chilly air of the labyrinth, and she angrily shrugged off her jacket.

"STUPID!" She shrieked, uncaring of who heard her meltdown.

"IDIOT!"

"ASSHOLE!" She threw her head back and stomped her foot, wishing she could face the Goblin King here and now and claw his face to shreds. She had lost so much time and that visit with the soothsayer had been a complete waste. What a joke!

Sarah suddenly stopped her internal tirade at the sound of a soft coo.

Glancing up, already knowing what she would see, Sarah's expression darkened.

A barn owl softly hooted, ruffling its feathers and shaking its head. Its beak opened and closed wordlessly, as though it was trying to speak to her.

Never breaking eye contact with it, Sarah slowly knelt down, fingers groping for a loose rock. Succeeding in finding one, Sarah fingered the rough surface, hefting it in her right hand before winding her arm back and pelting it for all she was worth at the feathery visitor.

The owl hooted sharply, flapping its wings, and Sarah realized it was mocking her, for the rock had barely reached the lowest hanging branch of the tree.

"Well, fuck you too!" Sarah screeched.

The barn owl merely blinked, snapping its beak softly before propelling off into the air, weaving between tree branches before disappearing entirely.

Sarah stared off, the anger slowly ebbing away, leaving her with the vague sensation of having looked like an idiot. Whether that owl had been Jareth spying on her or not, it didn't change the fact that she was lost and no better off than she had been at the beginning of her journey.

As she began to walk around again, intermittently calling Hoggle's name, Sarah mulled over the soothsayer's words. She somehow had the answer? It had said this after acknowledging the Goblin King's claim to her...whatever that implied. It was odd to think that she supposedly had everything she needed to declare victory, because quite frankly, she was beginning to doubt she had any chance left in hell to win this game that didn't really feel like one anymore.

Much to Sarah's dismay, she began to dwell on the Goblin King himself. It was hard, she realized with distaste for herself, to ignore the curiosity and trill of excitement she felt around him. She knew it was pointless, because there was no reality in which she could tolerate the things he'd done to both her and Toby and still daydream about him, but in those moments when he had kissed her like it was the most natural thing in the world to do, her heart had betrayed her, even if only for a few seconds.

And that scared her.

Sarah had kept her heart guarded and her cards close to her chest. The love that she gave freely was reserved for her parents, friends, and above all, Toby. She had no doubt that her first journey through the labyrinth had strengthened her love for him into something unbreakable. Perhaps the only good thing to come out of that experience.

But the way she had been living her life...well, it was just like going through the motions.

She wanted normalcy - craved it - but a small part of her still had that childlike wonder that she had always found difficult to stifle. The jaunt through the Underground the first time had certainly done a large part in tamping it down, but the Goblin King's words had forced her to acknowledge more closely what her dreams actually were.

She didn't know that she had any, but the thought of giving it all up to Jareth before even getting a chance to walk out the gate felt miserable.

"SARAH!"

Jolted, Sarah glanced up. She could hear Hoggle's voice calling her name in the near distance. With a surge of relief, Sarah called his name in turn.

Eventually, through a challenging game of Marco Polo, they rejoined paths, where Hoggle instantly jumped to admonishing her for following the fairies like a dumb little goblin child.

Sarah supposed she deserved it.

"It wasn't completely in vain…" Sarah trailed off, mood souring when she remembered that the soothsayer hadn't really told her much. "I did run into the soothsayer. It's real," she finished softly.

Hoggle looked taken aback, terror in his eyes.

"So it's true? The thing's not just some story made up by good-for-nothin' goblins?"

Sarah shrugged, acting awfully nonchalant for someone who had nearly been crushed to death by rocks and dirt.

"And…?" Hoggle waited, bemused by Sarah's sudden reticence to talk. She was always chattering, whether you listened or not, so to see her holding back was suspicious.

"I asked it how to take away the Goblin King's power." She gave a humorless laugh. "Apparently I already know how. Which is stupid," Sarah added, "because I have nothing. I'm completely at a loss here, Hoggle. And we have what? Five hours left? Does that even matter?" She flicked angrily at her wristwatch, as though somehow blaming it for everything that had gone wrong.

Hoggle stared at Sarah, eyes drifting to where he sensed the mark, saw it glimmer.

And then he remembered the way the Goblin King tortured and teased him.

(You don't think a young girl could like a repulsive, little scab like you, do you…)

Those words, if Hoggle thought hard enough, still stung.

But they also revealed something telling, something that was becoming more evident as things came together.

The Goblin King was not as secure as he had initially appeared.

Oh, he could preen and condescend and mock all he wanted, but Hoggle knew with sudden clarity that Jareth was, above all else, afraid of losing control.

And Sarah Williams, his sweet, mortal friend, was like a cannonball aiming straight for Jareth's ego.

"But what if you did have the answer, Sarah?" Hoggle asked, almost afraid of sending Sarah's mood into a full on tempest. "I mean, the soothsayer, if it has in fact been real this whole time...well, I don't think it would lie to you?" He ended on a question, somewhat regretting everything tumbling out of his mouth at the moment.

Sarah's gaze turned sharp, almost accusatory.

"Is everyone here in the labyrinth suggesting I'm just flat out stupid now? Because that's what it's beginning to sound like!" Sarah snapped, feeling petulant.

Hoggle gave an exasperated groan in response, finding his tolerance for Sarah's bratty attitude diminished.

"I'm not tryin' to say you're stupid, Sarah!" Hoggle ground out, and sensing the edge in his tone, Sarah backed down with quiet disgruntlement.

"Well, suppose it is telling the truth...I don't even know where to start, Hoggle. I'm beginning to think I've been set on the path to failure before I ever had the chance to start." And it pained Sarah to realize that her fifteen year old self may have completely damned her future, all in the name of ignorance. She had made a deal without ever fully understanding the terms. How could she have?

Hoggle remained silent, afraid to open his mouth. Because truthfully, he had the same sentiment. He didn't truly understand what it meant to be marked by the mercurial ruler, but he figured it couldn't have been anything good. And again, his entire existence having been in the Underground, he had little understanding of how his world impacted someone like Sarah, a being from the Aboveground.

And well, Jareth had always been a nasty old snake, more acutely aware of the laws of their world and all the more capable of twisting them to his own needs.

Sarah was a worthy opponent, but again, Hoggle couldn't help but think she was out of her depth. And well, Hoggle was a coward, that much he could readily admit. Were it not for the charismatic pull of Sarah's smile and persuasive personality, he would've considered this a problem that didn't concern him.

"I suppose we have nothing to do but move forward," Sarah eventually stated, breaking Hoggle out of his reverie.

Hoggle felt dread crawl up and down his spine, as if the gnarled branches from the forest trees had mercilessly caught him in their snare.

The last time he had ventured to the Goblin City was still too fresh in his mind, and he could've readily gone without ever seeing it again. He was content to live his quiet life outside the city walls.

"Are...are you sure?"

Sarah quirked a brow, a small smirk touching her lips. "Scared, Hoggle?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed.

Sarah's smirk softened. "I know. Me too, if I'm being honest."

And it was true. Sarah was terrified. The stakes felt higher and it was obvious from the beginning that this was never really a game. Looking back, when she had first set off to complete the labyrinth as a teenager, it still felt mystical, like an adventuring rite of passage that the heroine of the story needed to go through.

But now?

Well now, it felt entirely personal. The Goblin King was back with a vengeance, and she knew, despite how much it pained her to admit this, that her solving the labyrinth had never been of consequence to him. He may have lost that battle, but it seemed he had never intended on losing the war.

A piteous thought floated through Sarah's mind, soft and lamenting.

Why me? Why, why, why?

Sarah banished the thought. It wouldn't help her.

And so it was that Sarah and Hoggle trudged through the labyrinth, attempting to find their way to the center, with Sarah realizing that they had miraculously been able to get back onto the right path. Or well, what she assumed was the right path. One could never tell.

Looking up ahead, the castle, its largest tower once a mere speck of a monolith in the distance, was starting to take form. Sarah's heart swelled with hope which was immediately swallowed up by unease.

It wasn't lost on Sarah that the castle had once seemed so far away not too long ago. And she was aware she had lost time. Lots of it. Instinctively, Sarah knew the Goblin King was behind the manipulations of her journey. She was sure of it. It was almost like he was leading her to him.

It's a trap, it has to be.

Sarah slowly turned to Hoggle, who had all but fallen silent, enough that she had almost forgotten he was there.

"Hoggle...something doesn't feel right."

"I didn't realize some part of this was supposed to feel otherwise," Hoggle groused, flicking away an errant bug from his face.

"No, Hoggle," Sarah scowled. "Look." Sarah gestured off in the near distance toward the spires of the castle beyond the Goblin City.

Hoggle's eyes widened considerably at this. "Huh...don't suppose that was by accident?"

Sarah shook her head. "Definitely not. He's up to something," she returned, mouth setting in a firm line.

Hoggle almost opened his mouth to suggest that maybe they should turn back, call it a wash, but then thought better of it. Sarah was never one to back down from a challenge, whether she felt scared or not. Hoggle could've just as easily walked away, but with Sarah standing there so resolutely, it appeared he had no choice.

With wariness heavy in their steps, the pair continued their trek toward the Goblin City.

Soon enough, they stood outside the gates of the city. It was eerily quiet, not a soul present to greet them. Sarah had the sensation of being on a set, much like the ones she would work on during her summer jobs. It felt hollow, devoid of any life. In some ways, Sarah had to wonder if the Goblin King were mocking her.

It was a safe bet.

Regardless, Sarah wouldn't be cowed by anything the Goblin King threw her way. It was harder to make the same argument for Hoggle, who eyed every doorway with suspicion and fear.

"I'm getting the sense that nothing is here for us," Sarah whispered, though she guessed it was a pointless endeavor, as no one was around to eavesdrop. "He's toying with us, I'm almost positive."

Hoggle only snorted contemptuously in response but snatched the hem of Sarah's shirt all the same. Sarah only gave an amused grin in response to her friend's cowardice.

And so it was that they slowly found themselves winding through the haphazard streets of the Goblin City, without any of its namesake denizens in sight or any errant chickens clucking about aimlessly. Sarah suspected that if she and Hoggle were to open any of the doors to the little homes, no one would emerge.

The Goblin King was creating a direct path to the castle, inviting Sarah to join him in the belly of the beast.

As they approached the magnificent doors of the castle, Sarah turned to Hoggle, gently prying his knobby fingers from her shirt.

"Hoggle, maybe it's best we part ways from here." Her voice was firm but not unkind.

"What?! Why? You can't think I'd leave now!" Hoggle exclaimed, bewilderment coloring his tone. And he was bewildered, not only due to Sarah cutting their time short, but also the fact that he had very much been given an out from this awful situation, and here he stood, refusing to take it. Perhaps Hoggle wasn't as much of a coward as he thought.

Sarah gave a soft huff of laughter, though the mirth didn't reach her eyes. "Well, if I have any clue as to how the Goblin King operates, then I'd say that it's best I face him alone. Just like last time. Besides, it's been too easy all of a sudden. We find the soothsayer with little to no trouble, get back on the main path closer to the Goblin City than ever before, all with little to no interventions or traps. Isn't that strange to you?"

Hoggle had to admit it was. The last time they had trekked together through the labyrinth, the list of obstacles they encountered had seemed endless. The Bog of Eternal Stench, the fieries, dealing with Sir Didymus and Ludo to boot...of course he should've known things were going pretty swimmingly, all things considered.

But he had to wonder, what if things should be different this time around? Maybe Sarah needed the support of her friends. Why face the rotten bastard all on her own? Not that Hoggle had much faith in his abilities to do anything of consequence...but still.

"You shouldn't go off on your own!" Hoggle countered, voicing his thoughts aloud. "That's what happened last time, and I curse myself and the others for lettin' you do that."

"Oh, come on," Sarah admonished. "You know I chose to do that on my own. And I'd choose it again. The Goblin King has already threatened me and my brother...I can't afford to have you in trouble with him either," she finished, her tone deceptively light.

Hoggle searched Sarah's face, trying to determine if he should make the same mistake as last time. Because it had been a mistake, he was almost certain of it.

And as he looked deep into her eyes, he saw what he recognized was fear.

Sarah was scared, truly scared, and it affected him profoundly. Perhaps because when he was around her, he had been able to draw strength from Sarah's unwavering bravery. Despite being a human so far out of her depth, Sarah had inspired him to face challenges head on. Even if the lesson didn't quite stick, it left an impression.

But now she looked so far removed from that memory he had of her.

What was it about her world that changed her so?

Belatedly, Hoggle realized Sarah was repeating his name.

"Hoggle?!"

"Oh! Right...right. Sarah, what if...what if you shouldn't go alone? Isn't that what he wants, after all?"

"You're probably right," Sarah admitted. "But like I said, this issue...it's between him and I. It seems it always has been."

Hoggle had to snort with irritation. There was Sarah's valiant attempt at being the heroine. What an odd complex she touted.

Sensing that Hoggle was about to protest, Sarah quickly aimed for a different approach. "I just want you to be safe, Hoggle. That's important to me. Very important," she stressed. "You've already been such a huge help to me," she added. "How could I have ever gotten this far without you? My first true friend in the labyrinth."

Hoggle felt a blush flush his face, and he had to once again curse Sarah's dazzling smile.

(I have to face him alone…

...well, if that is the way it is done, then that is the way you must do it. But should you need us…)

"You know I'm here for you…" Hoggle finally stated rather lamely.

"Of course I do." Sarah stooped down to her knees and enveloped Hoggle in a hug. Hoggle, momentarily shocked, basked in the feeling of her embrace and tentatively wrapped his arms around her in response.

It was odd, Hoggle realized, to actually have a friend. An unlikely one, but a friend nonetheless. All his life he had looked out for himself and himself only. To have someone show him compassion regardless of his own selfish nature was an experience to say the least.

And now he felt at a loss, desperately wanting to repay the favor that was, for the second time, so freely given and unable to do anything about it.

Perhaps the only way to repay Sarah's generosity was to listen to her, to believe that she could handle the Goblin King on her own.

Hoggle found himself feverishly hoping that she would destroy Jareth, whatever the cost may be to the Underground. The last time she had been here, the labyrinth's defeat had been keenly felt by every denizen of the Underground, but it had easily righted itself. Besides, perhaps the Goblin King needed to be taken down a few pegs.

So with a heavy heart, Hoggle watched, rooted to his spot, as Sarah Williams approached the castle doors that seemed to open, instinctively accepting the guest they had been waiting for all along.

Stepping through the threshold of the castle doors was like stepping into a memory, one she had locked away in the far corners of her mind, the key having been thrown out almost immediately afterwards.

The opulence of the castle was stunning, and she absently admired the sheer magnificence of the space. The Goblin King certainly had a flair for the dramatics, and she had the intrusive thought of imagining him as a successful interior designer. Sarah had to snort with derision at the very idea. He could never belong in her world, and she wouldn't entertain it further.

As Sarah aimlessly trailed up one side of the grand, double bridal stairway, she felt like the castle was frozen in a moment of time, as though it had been eagerly awaiting to receive guests for a ball when the clock had stopped.

A sensation of nostalgia and melancholy washed over Sarah as her fingertips trailed over the bannister. She was surprised by it, but then, the labyrinth seemed to hold an echo of a simpler time in Sarah's life, whether or not she knew it back then. It reminded her of childhood, summers spent running through the park, the sweet taste of peaches that now spilled bitter juices.

And if she dwelled on it long enough, she remembered the rustle of silks and sparkle of gemstones, stars woven in her hair, creating mini galaxies.

Really, in some ways, it had been a lifetime ago.

(It's only forever, not long at all…)

It had all been fake, she had to remind herself of this fact.

Shaking away the thoughts, Sarah absently rubbed at her left wrist, feeling a gentle pulse. Brought to her senses, Sarah scowled and raised the affected wrist to the light, turning it this way and that. Much to her surprise, could've sworn she saw a brief glimmer. And this glimmering sparked an unbidden thought. Or perhaps it was a memory of a dream?

She vaguely recalled the feel of soft lips upon her wrist, right where the glimmer had caught her attention. The feel of those lips had electrified her, kept her rooted to her spot. Screwing her eyes shut, Sarah tried to pull more memories to the surface but found it was slipping from her fast, in a swirl of shimmering dust and white feathers.

With a sudden jolt, as though the ground had rocked beneath her feet, Sarah's eyes snapped open.

"No…" she whispered to herself. "No. No, no, no," she murmured with growing trepidation as she rubbed at her wrist for what felt like the thousandth time. She knew with every fiber of her being that the images that had just come to mind were not fabricated. She had been with Jareth, she had practically given herself to him without a second thought. That had to be the reason her wrist was throbbing the way it did.

Her mind couldn't stop replaying the way his lips feathered over the delicate skin of her wrist, the way it had made her shudder. And the way it had completely rendered her powerless to him.

This is what all the beings of the Underground seemed to be referencing. This mark. He had indeed left one, and Sarah had all but offered up herself on a silver platter. Nevermind had it been done willingly or not. It never seemed to matter regarding the Goblin King.

Fury swelled in her chest, threatening to burst with a raw, animalistic scream.

She had been cheated from the beginning. She was never going to win.

The only consolation, she decided, was that the second she laid eyes on him, she would tear him apart. She would draw blood and no, no she wouldn't stop there. She would destroy him. She would break every bone of his supernatural being and then she would put him back together just to do it all over again.

The viciousness of her thoughts would've terrified her on any other day, but Sarah Williams was not experiencing any other day.

She felt like she was swiftly heading toward hell, if she wasn't there already.

But no matter the course she was on, Sarah was dragging Jareth down with her.

Marching up the rest of the stairs, her anger fueling her like never before, Sarah marched through the halls of the castle like she was its rightful queen.

Sarah was drawn up short when she came across two large, open French doors, cream curtains silently billowing in the gentle breeze.

It should've surprised Sarah to see a twilit sky beyond the doors when the sun had just been out not moments before her arrival, but time was always an elusive thing here in the Underground.

Strangely, the rage that had guided Sarah to the castle had largely dissipated, seemingly having spent itself just by existing at all. A sense of resignation had taken its place and danced with another odd feeling...she couldn't exactly describe it, but the closest thing was déjà vu.

Her gaze slowly focused on the figure standing all the way at the edge of the balcony.

The Goblin King.

And he didn't even feel the need to turn around and face her. Still as much of a bastard as ever, Sarah thought dryly.

As if hearing her thoughts, which Sarah wasn't entirely sure he couldn't do, the Goblin King slowly turned, cape and hair fluttering softly with the cool night air.

He stood before her, resplendent in hues of midnight blue and silver. The faint thrum of electricity alit Sarah, and her body thrummed. It was hard to deny that being around him was intoxicating...even if it spelled trouble.

"Well, and here I thought you were going to keep a host waiting," he smiled humorlessly.

"Fashionably late, I guess," Sarah returned with a hint of snark.

"Hm," The Goblin King arched a brow as he eyed her rather disheveled state. Sarah flushed, feeling suddenly self conscious at the state she was in. She knew she looked half-crazed and on the edge of madness, but it was only because he had driven her to that point. Unlike him, she didn't get to have an intermission in their play. She didn't get to look poised and regal, but she still held her head up with pride.

"How's Hogwash?" He asked airily, turning back to gaze at the sky, as though he had lost interest already.

"Hoggle," Sarah corrected. "His name is Hoggle."

All the Goblin King seemed able to muster was a shrug. It touched a nerve, not that Sarah would admit it.

"Why did you do it?"

The Goblin King finally turned back to her, confusion written on his face. Sarah felt her anger kindled again, deep in her belly and rising swiftly to her chest. How dare he act like he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Does this ring a bell?" She whipped out her left wrist accusingly. "Why did you mark me?" Sarah snarled.

When he failed to respond, Sarah moved in on him like a bloodhound. "Lost for words, Goblin King?"

(Everything I've done, I've done for you…

...I move the stars for no one)

"What is it that one fellow from your world said, once upon a time? 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy'? Was that it?" He grinned.

It was Sarah's turn to arch a brow. The Goblin King, quoting Shakespeare? Truly, the world was going mad.

"Well, in any case, that line is certainly correct. No matter how much you think you know and understand, my dear hellcat, it's all insignificant." Sarah remained quiet, waiting to see where would lead her. "You could never grasp what I'm offering you, what I've been offering you."

"You've offered me nothing, Jareth…" Sarah whispered.

"Back on a first name basis, Sarah?" Jareth taunted.

Sarah easily batted away his attempt to throw her off course. "Everything you've ever offered to me has come with a price. Toby's life...my life."

Jareth laughed. "Well, contrary to popular belief, the best things in life aren't exactly free, now are they?" A beat of silence passed between them, Sarah unwilling to reply. She was rewarded for her efforts. "It was my mistake, I suppose, to trust that you could comprehend what I was trying to offer. To know an immortal is to know madness, isn't it? Your pithy notions of love pale in comparison to what you could've had here in the Underground." And the unspoken words seem to whisper and with me.

"What are you saying?" Sarah breathed out.

Love? Why on earth was he talking about love? This wasn't love, far from it. He couldn't possibly be insinuating that of all things. Sarah could feel a laugh bubbling to the surface, half hysterical.

Jareth made a small tutting sound, as though he had gone over this lesson a thousand times and his pupil was far from a quick study.

"No, no...I suppose I'll have to try something different, won't I?"

Sarah felt apprehension wash over her. Something didn't feel right.

The roar of her heartbeat filled her ears, everything else around her sounding distorted. Her balance felt off, and she couldn't tell if she was processing too slowly or too quickly. And then, the world began to tilt, her left wrist throbbing with a vengeance.

The Goblin King's powerful form seemed to begin falling sideways, or perhaps it was her.

The twilight sky filled her vision, the stars suddenly sparkling with fervor, white hot and shimmering. Sarah's throat was closing up, and she felt like she needed to pull in air before her lungs spasmed and seized entirely. Her hands were clammy and trembling, unable to hold still.

Was this a panic attack?

The last thing she recalled was her body crumpling, the Goblin King swiftly striding over to catch her in his arms.

Sarah's vision was blurring until she registered nothing but the hazy purples and blues of the sky above them. She had the faraway thought that in another time, this would've been beautiful.

Was this what it felt like to die? This detached sensation of noticing everything but feeling nothing? Feeling weightless?

Softly, in her ear, Sarah heard whispered words from the Goblin King as her eyes slowly drifted shut.

"Let's try this again, shall we?"

AN: Hope you're all doing well and please feel free to leave thoughts, comments, critiques. I welcome them all.