When Jareth arrived at the castle in owl form, he flew straight to the throne room and swiped at his brother.
Garette jerked back, surprised, but then smiled as Jareth landed and transformed back to his human body.
"I've been waiting for you," said Garette, standing almost lazily.
"Let her go," hissed Jareth, fire burning in his eyes.
He pretended to think a moment. "No. No I don't think I will. But I will do this!" He swung his arms around and released a ball of fire at Jareth.
Jareth heard a cry as he was flung back against the wall. Wincing, he used the wall as support to help himself to his feet, barely registering the fact that he had been badly burned. Glancing up, he saw Sarah's astral body leaning against the wall of her prison. He could hear her cry his name faintly. And then Garette came into view, smirking and waiting for Jareth to make he next move, knowing that he had weakened him to make him lose power. Now Jareth was less than equal to his brother's power. But he would not give up. For Sarah's sake and his own pride, he would not give up.
With a word and a quick gesture he lit up the room. With a small smile he quickly moved in on Garette, who had been temporarily blinded by the light. Yes, the castle still obeyed him, he thought as he attacked Garette with a blast of ice.
Garette turned on him with a snarl, as his cuts bled shallowly.
"First blood," whispered Jareth. He quickly put up a shield as Garette attacked him with sharp shards of glass and metal. As he strained under the weight of keeping up the shield that drained his power he thought, So. This is how it will end.
"You're resistance is futile," said Garette almost lazily throwing knife after knife at Jareth. "You can't keep that up forever and defense never wins anything."
He was right. Jareth knew he was right. But he didn't have the power to attack and defend so he did the smart thing. Or what he hoped was the smart thing. Jareth let go of the shield and dodged while throwing his crystal ball at Garette. It struck and trapped him in a sphere, but Garette just laughed and popped it like a bubble.
"Is that the best you can do?" demanded Garette.
And it was. They both knew it. Jareth needed power, but had no source. The goblins had run like the cowards they were, not that they would have been much help anyway. And the other denizens of the labyrinth lived far from the castle.
Take this, he heard Sarah say telepathically. It should be enough to stop him.
Jareth examined the energy and did a double take while dodging daggers and ice. No. It's your life force. You'll die if I use it.
I'll die anyway if you don't, said Sarah sadly.
Jareth realized that she was right, but he still couldn't take it.
Oh, just use it you egotistical buffoon. Or he'll win.
I suppose I have no choice then.
No, retorted Sarah, you don't.
So he took her gift and felt the power coursing through his veins. He fairly glowed as he spoke to the cowering Garette in a voice the sounded through the labyrinth, and even to those on earth who could use magic.
"You have kidnapped Sarah, a sorceress, trapped her, attempted to murder me, the eldest son and ruler of the labyrinth. You have challenged me on unfair grounds and usurped my throne. These are crimes punishable by death. But unfortunately you are kin and I feel the blood ties to you, no matter how I try to deny it. For that I will not kill you, but strip you of your magic and send you throughout the land as a beggar, to be shunned by all. My word here is law and it is done."
With a cry, energy converged on Garette and then left him stripped of his powers. He was then teleported to the labyrinth.
Next he teleported Sarah's body to the throne room and freed her astral body. But instead of returning to her mortal body, she began to disappear.
Good bye Jareth, she whispered.
"No! Sarah come back!" cried Jareth throwing a loop of his magic at her to keep her here.
Stop you idiot! Let me go or you'll go with me!
"I don't care. Don't you get it yet? I love you! Oops," he murmured. "I didn't mean to say that."
You do? asked Sarah astonished. I though it was just...
"Just what?" asked Jareth, quickly losing strength as he kept Sarah anchored in his world.
She floated over to her body. Just me, she murmured as she returned to her body.
Jareth was startled at her words and then frantic as her body became an ashen gray. He felt for a pulse and found it, weak, but still there. Exhausted, Jareth carried her into his bedroom and layed her carefully on his bed. Next he sent for Hoggle.
When Hoggle arrived he took one look at Sarah and went to work healing her.
"That's the best I could do yer Majesty. Sarah's out of danger now.
Thank you Hoggle," he said holding his head in his hands.
"Er, if I can ask a favor," mumbled Hoggle.
"What is it?"
"Well, methinks Sarah's friends would like to see the little miss and she might like to see 'em," mumbled Hoggle.
"Go ahead," said Jareth tiredly. "Put them in any of the spare rooms."
Hoggle looked at him studiously. "I'm sure the little miss'll be all right," he said matter-of-factly as he left.
Jareth stayed by her bed for a whole week, only eating when Hoggle forced him to, and sleeping when he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.
On the seventh day he had just drifted off to sleep when he heard a groan. His eyes shot open and he appeared quickly at her side.
Sarah's eyes fluttered open. Jareth?" she murmured weakly.
"Sarah! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she reassured him attempting to sit up. "Ow."
"What is it?" asked Jareth frantically leaning towards her.
"I have the biggest headache ever."
"I was worried about you," Jareth said awkwardly, unused to showing his true feelings.
Sarah looked at him for a long moment and noticed how close they were. She leaned closer and their lips met.
Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus watched unnoticed from the doorway.
"Well, someone's finally outdone the king," said Hoggle.
"Good thing too," commented Sir Didymus. "He was getting so depressed, eh, Sir Ludo?"
"Jareth…friend," replied Ludo.
Wahoooo! I'm done! Finally! I think this fic has been going on longer than any other one I've written. Thanks to all readers and reviewers!
-Mystical Magician