DISCLAIMER: I claim Gorbath and all of his army. The rest is just wishful thinking.
Chapter 12
"STOP!" Sarah bellowed, in a voice that hardly sounded like her own.
And everything stopped.
The Warlord was stopped only a foot away from Sarah, his sword raised over his head. Sarah's hand was extended towards him and a glowing crystal floated on her palm. Jareth's pendant was around her neck. Toby gaped at her in awe.
Gorbath had a similar reaction. He stared at the royal medallion in pure astonishment.
"What? The power is yours?" His shocked expression became one of gloating triumph. "That pathetic fool. He at least stood a decent chance against me. You, my dear," he grinned slyly at Sarah, "are going to give me that pretty necklace of yours." He lowered his sword and reached for her.
"No," Sarah commanded. The Warlord's smile became slightly strained. "You were going to kill Toby and force me to marry you," she said in a voice colder than ice. "You probably would have killed Jareth and my friends after you had what you wanted." Gorbath's smile faltered for an instant.
"Come, my dear, do you think me so cruel? I was only trying to save your brother from the Goblin King. You know what would have happened if I had let Jareth remain in control, don't you?" Sarah froze. The thought had occurred to her the instant Jareth had remembered who he was. Gorbath, seeing her hesitation, pressed forward.
"All he thinks about is turning more children into goblins, punishing more innocents for his own tortured life. Any new ruler would show more mercy than him." He took another step towards Sarah. "Am I not merciful, Sarah?"
Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and realized what was happening.
"You, Gorbath?" She laughed, a harsh, unfeeling laugh. "You are nothing. Do you hear me? You are NOTHING!" Her last words were a battle cry and the air writhed with the power of the Labyrinth.
The Warlord had only an instant to gawk at the massive amounts of energy Sarah was channeling towards him before the magic engulfed him. He shrieked, the pathetic shriek of a demon caught in heavenly fire, and vanished into the light. When everyone could see again, Gorbath was gone and Sarah was glowing with the magic of the Labyrinth.
"Nothing..." she whispered.
Outside, a cry of alarm was heard. It was followed by other voices yelling in fear and terror. The glow around Sarah faded and she looked around with worried eyes.
"Oh, no! What's going on?" she said aloud. The screams died out suddenly, as if everyone outside of the throne room had vanished as quickly as their Warlord. Someone coughed behind her.
"The Warlord's army was made of Shadow Warriors," Jareth rasped. "Shadows can't survive without their leader." Sarah knelt quickly beside him and he smiled wanly at her. "You just destroyed every single invader."
Sarah blushed at this compliments and looked down. Her gaze fell on the medallion and she held it up to him with a smile.
"I guess you'll want this back now," she said, holding it out to him. Jareth only shook his head weakly.
"No, Sarah. I named you. There can be only one ruler of this kingdom." He looked at her with such as sad expression that Sarah felt tears gather in her eyes. Then he sighed and looked away. "Take care of my Labyrinth," he whispered, his eyes closing, his body going limp.
"What? Jareth, what does that mean?" She shook his shoulder lightly. He didn't move. He wasn't even breathing, Sarah realized in terror. Her eyes darted around the throne room. "Hoggle, what's going on?" she asked her old friend frantically. Hoggle was staring at her with a strange expression.
"Yer Majesty," he mumbled. Sarah gaped at him.
"What?" she asked. "No, that's not right. Jareth just let me borrow his magic..." Hoggle took a shuffling step forward and pointed at the medallion around Sarah's neck.
"That pendant is the symbol of royal power, Sarah. He named you our new ruler."
"No," Sarah whispered sadly, stroking Jareth's hair. "He had no right," she sobbed. "How could he do that?" Hoggle laid a hand on her arm lightly.
"He did it to save you, Sarah. Jareth knew he couldn't beat that Warlord, but he didn't want you to get hurt either." Hoggle seemed as surprised by his words as Sarah was. She stared morosely at Jareth for a minute.
"Then I name him ruler again," she said simply. Magic swirled around the room, around Jareth and Sarah. The medallion pulsed on her chest. Looking down at it, Sarah gasped. A brilliant light was twinkling around the pendant. Voices seemed to echo around the room.
"Your Majesty, it does not work that way," the voices chimed. "Jareth named a new ruler and his life is forfeit."
"What? No!" Sarah cried. Toby moved closer to his sister.
"Sarah, who are you talking to?" he asked in confusion, but Sarah was oblivious.
"There has to be a way to save him!" she shouted to the swirling magic, unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. The voices chattered in indecision for a moment before speaking in unison again.
"Yes," they chimed. "There is a way." Power seemed to flow through Sarah's body like water. All around her, she could hear voices echoing.
"Will you be my queen?" They were Gorbath's words.
"You will be my queen..." Sarah shivered at the haunting quality of the echo.
"I can't do that," she whispered. The magic swirled around her comfortingly.
"No, not that," the voices agreed.
"This."
End Chapter Twelve.
Chapter 12
"STOP!" Sarah bellowed, in a voice that hardly sounded like her own.
And everything stopped.
The Warlord was stopped only a foot away from Sarah, his sword raised over his head. Sarah's hand was extended towards him and a glowing crystal floated on her palm. Jareth's pendant was around her neck. Toby gaped at her in awe.
Gorbath had a similar reaction. He stared at the royal medallion in pure astonishment.
"What? The power is yours?" His shocked expression became one of gloating triumph. "That pathetic fool. He at least stood a decent chance against me. You, my dear," he grinned slyly at Sarah, "are going to give me that pretty necklace of yours." He lowered his sword and reached for her.
"No," Sarah commanded. The Warlord's smile became slightly strained. "You were going to kill Toby and force me to marry you," she said in a voice colder than ice. "You probably would have killed Jareth and my friends after you had what you wanted." Gorbath's smile faltered for an instant.
"Come, my dear, do you think me so cruel? I was only trying to save your brother from the Goblin King. You know what would have happened if I had let Jareth remain in control, don't you?" Sarah froze. The thought had occurred to her the instant Jareth had remembered who he was. Gorbath, seeing her hesitation, pressed forward.
"All he thinks about is turning more children into goblins, punishing more innocents for his own tortured life. Any new ruler would show more mercy than him." He took another step towards Sarah. "Am I not merciful, Sarah?"
Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and realized what was happening.
"You, Gorbath?" She laughed, a harsh, unfeeling laugh. "You are nothing. Do you hear me? You are NOTHING!" Her last words were a battle cry and the air writhed with the power of the Labyrinth.
The Warlord had only an instant to gawk at the massive amounts of energy Sarah was channeling towards him before the magic engulfed him. He shrieked, the pathetic shriek of a demon caught in heavenly fire, and vanished into the light. When everyone could see again, Gorbath was gone and Sarah was glowing with the magic of the Labyrinth.
"Nothing..." she whispered.
Outside, a cry of alarm was heard. It was followed by other voices yelling in fear and terror. The glow around Sarah faded and she looked around with worried eyes.
"Oh, no! What's going on?" she said aloud. The screams died out suddenly, as if everyone outside of the throne room had vanished as quickly as their Warlord. Someone coughed behind her.
"The Warlord's army was made of Shadow Warriors," Jareth rasped. "Shadows can't survive without their leader." Sarah knelt quickly beside him and he smiled wanly at her. "You just destroyed every single invader."
Sarah blushed at this compliments and looked down. Her gaze fell on the medallion and she held it up to him with a smile.
"I guess you'll want this back now," she said, holding it out to him. Jareth only shook his head weakly.
"No, Sarah. I named you. There can be only one ruler of this kingdom." He looked at her with such as sad expression that Sarah felt tears gather in her eyes. Then he sighed and looked away. "Take care of my Labyrinth," he whispered, his eyes closing, his body going limp.
"What? Jareth, what does that mean?" She shook his shoulder lightly. He didn't move. He wasn't even breathing, Sarah realized in terror. Her eyes darted around the throne room. "Hoggle, what's going on?" she asked her old friend frantically. Hoggle was staring at her with a strange expression.
"Yer Majesty," he mumbled. Sarah gaped at him.
"What?" she asked. "No, that's not right. Jareth just let me borrow his magic..." Hoggle took a shuffling step forward and pointed at the medallion around Sarah's neck.
"That pendant is the symbol of royal power, Sarah. He named you our new ruler."
"No," Sarah whispered sadly, stroking Jareth's hair. "He had no right," she sobbed. "How could he do that?" Hoggle laid a hand on her arm lightly.
"He did it to save you, Sarah. Jareth knew he couldn't beat that Warlord, but he didn't want you to get hurt either." Hoggle seemed as surprised by his words as Sarah was. She stared morosely at Jareth for a minute.
"Then I name him ruler again," she said simply. Magic swirled around the room, around Jareth and Sarah. The medallion pulsed on her chest. Looking down at it, Sarah gasped. A brilliant light was twinkling around the pendant. Voices seemed to echo around the room.
"Your Majesty, it does not work that way," the voices chimed. "Jareth named a new ruler and his life is forfeit."
"What? No!" Sarah cried. Toby moved closer to his sister.
"Sarah, who are you talking to?" he asked in confusion, but Sarah was oblivious.
"There has to be a way to save him!" she shouted to the swirling magic, unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. The voices chattered in indecision for a moment before speaking in unison again.
"Yes," they chimed. "There is a way." Power seemed to flow through Sarah's body like water. All around her, she could hear voices echoing.
"Will you be my queen?" They were Gorbath's words.
"You will be my queen..." Sarah shivered at the haunting quality of the echo.
"I can't do that," she whispered. The magic swirled around her comfortingly.
"No, not that," the voices agreed.
"This."
End Chapter Twelve.