Own nothing blah blah...I'm not worthy and all that.....now....to the story...
Jareth marched down the hallway, Sarah at his side. He had to make his father see his side. He refused to let go of Sarah now. He hopped that his father would understand. He needed her.
They stopped in front of a huge brown wooden door and Jareth took a calming breath. He looked over at Sarah.
"Are you ready Sarah? My father sits in this room. He's the one to worry about. My brothers too are stuffy bastards so be careful about what you say
He leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips before opening the door. The room was covered wall to wall with books, save a space for a fire place. There were several desks and a circle of leather chairs had been arranged in the center of the room. The king sat in the largest of these chairs and all four brothers in the others. There was one more chair left, this irked Jareth.
He lead Sarah to the chair and asked her to sit. He walked to the back of the chair and rested his hands on her shoulder.
"Father," Jareth said respectfully.
"Jareth," the king said without interest. "Would you like a drink?"
Jareth nodded and a glass of dark brown liquor was brought to him. He sipped at it as he watched his father.
"So Jareth," said one of the black hared brothers. "Who is your friend here?"
Jareth took a slow sip of his drink, not looking at his brother.
"I introduced her at the celebration. Weren't you paying attention Terran?"
His other brothers smiled slightly while Terran glared at Jareth.
"Jareth," his father said quickly. "What kingdom is she from?"
Jareth cleared his throat. "I think she can speak for herself father."
The king looked to Sarah. "Well Miss Williams?"
"I'm not from any kingdom really your majesty. I'm from America," she replied quietly, hoping no one would be able to hear her pounding heart.
"Earth, your majesty."
The king narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't aware that faes lived on Earth."
Sarah took a deep breath before answering. "I-I am mortal."
The king leaned back in his seat. "Jareth. Please explain this."
"Seven years ago, Ms. Williams solved my labyrinth. I had feeling for her so when she went back to her world I followed. I brought her back here to be with me."
"That still doesn't explain why she is in my home."
Jareth's free hand jerked on her shoulder and he took it away. After taking a gulp of his drink he looked back to his father.
"I brought her so I could present her to you. I wish for her to be my queen. I need the consent of my parent. That would be you."
His father stood up. "I know who I am to you. You either stop being a smart mouth or leave."
Jareth stood his ground.
The king looked at the four other brothers who were watching with great interest.
"I apologize my sons. I need to have a moment with Jareth. Please excuse us."
The four brothers nodded and left the room. The king turned to look at Jareth.
"You have presented her to me. Now take her back to her world."
Jareth squared his jaw. "Not without your consent."
The king looked to Sarah then back to Jareth.
"Take her into the restroom while we discus this please."
Jareth glared at his father but knelt beside Sarah.
"Come on," he said softly.
She stood and he lead her through a door that lead to a bathroom. He pulled out the chair in front of the mirror and asked her to sit.
Ignoring his request, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Jareth barely managed to hold onto his resolve. "It will be all right. I won't leave," he said stroking her hair and holding her to him.
"Are you sure I have to stay in here while my fate as well as yours is being discussed?" she whispered, wiping away a few tears.
Jareth nodded and kissed her cheek. "If it will keep him calm then yes."
Reluctantly, Sarah nodded and sat down, gripping his hands in hers. "I love you."
Jareth thought he was going to cry but he somehow managed to smile at her instead. He kissed her and leaned down to whisper into her ear.
"I love you too. Just be patient and try not to worry-"
"Jareth!"
He sighed. "Coming."
He smiled at her one more time before walking from the door, leaving the door ajar by accident.
Jareth looked at his father. "Please?"
"No," was all the king said. Jareth felt sick.
"Why?"
"She mortal Jareth. She will ruin the bloodline."
Jareth threw up his hands. "I'm already a mut!"
"Of fae blood."
"That makes no difference! I love her!"
"I will not allow it."
Jareth sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands. "You are so cruel father."
His father leaned over him. "You don't even now how cruel I can be Jareth. Do not defy me."
Jareth looked up at his father. "She will be my queen. She will stay with me."
The king glared at his son. "If you take her I will strip you of your power."
"Without my power the goblins will run free. You can't have that," Jareth said with a smirk.
His father laughed and strode a few feet away. "Your eldest brother Terran won't get my kingdom till I join the elders. I'll let him have your kingdom."
Jareth stood up, his eyes flashing..
"No!"
The king turned to him. "Don't you challenge me Jareth. I am so much more powerful than you. You cant' even touch me with your jewel magic."
Jareth was cut down to the roll of a little boy. "It was all you taught me."
"It was all you needed."
"You taught my brothers more."
"They are more capable."
"You gave them each a kingdom."
"They had earned it."
"You gave them a wife."
"They were lonely."
"You didn't give me anything."
"I fed, clothed and supported you didn't I?"
"Fed and clothed, but supported. No."
His father merely poured himself a drink.
"I had to make my kingdom."
His father laughed at him. "And look at how that turned out. You rule a bunch of stupid drooling goblins."
"I have found my love and you want to take her from me."
"She's mortal."
By now tears were running down Jareth's face but he still refused to cry. These were tears of rage.
"I won't let you."
His father glowered down at him. "We will see Jareth."
Sarah could bare standing by no longer. With a determined step she walked into the room and stood by Jareth's side.
"I will not leave," she said in a steady voice.
The kings eyes hardened. "Yes. You will."
The king spun a black crystal out of the air and held it up in his hand. Jareth's eyes widened and he held Sarah to himself and put his back to his father, shielding her when his father threw the crystal at her. In a flash Jareth was gone. The king raised an eyebrow.
"What have you done to him?" Sarah asked, tears trickling down her cheeks.
The king held up another crystal. "Find out."
He threw the crystal at her and everything went black.
Sarah opened her eyes slowly, the light making her head throb. She moaned and touched her face, finding a spot of blood at the corner of her mouth.
"Jareth?" she said in a hoarse voice, trying to sit up.
"I'm here," he said softly. He was laying on his side beside her. He reached over and stroked her hair. "Are you all right?"
Sarah shook her head and painfully slid over to him, snuggling against him.
He held her tightly to his chest. "It will pass. He's strong and your sensitive to magic. You'll feel better in a little while," he said soothingly.
She said nothing, but wept softly, trying to stop shaking.
Jareth swallowed hard. "He's cruel. I can't do anything. I have no power compared to him."
"You have a heart that loves, that's greater than all his powers," Sarah whispered, wrapping her arms around him.
Jareth felt hopeless. "Now you see why we don't speak much?"
Sarah nodded and tilted her head up, kissing him gently.
"Jareth," his fathers voice floated into the room. "You are needed in your kingdom."
Jareth looked at Sarah. "I love you," He said quickly before he disappeared.
"Wait, please take me with you," Sarah said, sitting up and looking around in despair.
Only silence answered her.
"Look, I know I agreed with you before that it was all a dream and it wasn't real, but now I have things to prove it was real. You're looking at pictures of the Labyrinth and I have a ballgown, earrings, and a bracelet that was given to me by Jareth," Sarah muttered, not looking up from where she lay on the couch.
"Hmm, while these are quite interesting pictures that you took Ms. Williams, there are many ways to alter photographs with the computer nowadays."
"I didn't alter them! Won't you listen. I was taken back to the Labyrinth by the Goblin King and I stayed there for a little over a week-"
"And that's when you said...'that his father "zapped" you back to your room, then "zapped" him back to the Labyrinth.' Am I correct?" the shrink asked, reading his notes.
"Yes, that's what I already told you."
"Now, what exactly do you mean by 'zapped'?"
"Zapping is kind of like warping, you instantly move from one place to another. I get a little ill every time it happens, but Jareth said that it's only because I'm mortal."
"Oh, so this Jareth is not mortal?"
"He's a fae, I already told you that. He's the Goblin King. You know, this is getting me know where. I'm through for the week," Sarah said angrily, standing and grabbing her purse before marching out of the office, ignoring the doctor's cries to come back.
It had been two months since she had last seen or heard from Jareth and she was beginning to fear she would never see him again. Every day seemed a little harder to bear and she wore the bracelet constantly.
Jareth slouched in his thrown. It had been over two month! His father had limited his magic. He wasn't allowed to leave the castle. He wasn't allowed to contact Sarah. He had been pulled away from her.
The first two weeks he had done nothing but cry but not he just felt numb. Days past with the same dullness over and over again. He was told that if he tried to contact Sarah his kingdom would be taken away and he would be put into a oubliette.
He sighed, wondering what Sarah was doing.
Sarah finally pulled up in front of her house, having almost caused an accident because tears had blurred her eyes when a David Bowie song came on the radio. She unlocked the door to her apartment, looking at the battered backpack in her room. It had appeared a few days after the disastrous reunion. Everything she had brought with her was in there, along with a small scrap of paper with three words written hurriedly on them. 'I love you.' The paper was now slipped between the pages of the book by her bed and she looked at it several times a day.
She sat down on her bed and exhaustion pulled her into a deep sleep.
Jareth was dreaming again. He was dancing with Sarah. it was one of the few freedoms he had left, his dreaming. He sighed and held her close.
"I miss you," he said sadly.
"I miss you too. You'll always have my heart," Sarah whispered, nestling her head beneath his chin. She had dreamed of him before, but it had never seemed this real.
"What?" she asked, looking up at him and kissing his cheeks.
He smiled. "Your here?" He shook his head. "Look Sarah if we are speaking to each other then I must tell you something. I'm trapped in my own castle. My father has limited my magic. I can't see you any more. I don't know what to do!"
Sarah felt a tear slide down her cheek and she pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss, not knowing how long she would stay with him.
He held her close and kissed her back. Then a thought struck him. He created a crystal and handed it to her.
"Here. I can't see you but you can watch me. At least then you'll know what's going on."
He stepped close again and lay his forehead on her shoulder, wishing he would wake up and have her be with him, knowing that wasn't possible.
Sarah sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, rubbing her cheek against his and wishing she would sleep forever.
Jareth swallowed, trying to keep himself together.
"Dream of me more often?"
"I'll dream whenever I can love," she whispered.
Jareth pulled away to look at her again but was already waking up. He was curled up in his thrown. His father stood in front of him. Jareth tensed. Did his father now about the dream?
Hello Jareth. I came to check on you.
Jareth relaxed. He would let his father finish talking to him then he would sleep some more and see if he could see Sarah again.
Sarah woke up, tears on her face. Turning her head, her eyes widened when she saw the crystal. It hadn't been just a dream! She sat up and grabbed it, thinking of Jareth.
A swirl of color filled the crystal before it cleared and she found herself looking at Jareth, his father standing beside him.
An idea struck her and she smiled. "I'm coming for you my love," she whispered, looking as Jareth's image faded.
Jareth listen to his father ramble on. When he left Jareth went to take a bath. He sat there, watching his rubber ducky float among the bubbles.
"Do you think I'll see them again?" he asked.
The duck gave no answer.
"I don't know either," he said with a sigh as he scooted down farther into the water.
'Rope to tie up enemies, scissors to cut the rope, firecrackers for diversion, a lighter for the firecracker, protein bars, and a water bottle, I know there's something else I'll need,' Sarah thought, looking at the items in her backpack. She opened the closet and slipped on a black sweatshirt over her top then saw a baseball bat leaning in the corner of the closet.
'Perfect!' she thought, picking it up and swinging it, glad she still remembered a little from when she had played softball in college. "And a bat to whack the crap out of anybody I meet along the way. I guess that's all," she murmured, slinging the backpack on her back and grabbing the bat and crystal.
"Take me to Jareth," she told it, frowning when nothing happened. Maybe his father's magic was disrupting everything in the Labyrinth.
"Take me to the doors of the Labyrinth," she told the crystal, smiling as she vanished.
Jareth had finished his bath and was perched in his window. Looking out over his labyrinth. He had made it. Now his father was ruling it through him. The thought made his blood boil with rage. He wondered what new twists his father had planted in the labyrinth, grateful Sarah was safe.
Sarah crept over to the Labyrinth doors once the spell of dizziness had faded. She found them with little difficulty, which made her worried.
"Open," she said in a sharp hiss, glad that her dark clothes blended with the night.
The huge doors creaked open. Down either way, right or left, there were no turns. A full moon threw a silver lighting over everything.
Sarah ran as quietly as possible down the left corridor, keeping her hand on the right wall so she would know where the opening was.
She didn't know how long she had been running, but she knew it was much farther than last time. With a sigh, she sat down and wondered what to do.
"Ello again"
Sarah jumped slightly and looked down, smiling at the tiny worm.
"Please help me get to the castle in the center of the Labyrinth," she said softly.
"Well, try go'n through that door 's right across there. But don't you be go'n' the way ya did last time. The misses still want to meet you she does."
"I'm very sorry, but I don't have time to stay and chat. Thank you so much for your help, and say hello to your wife," Sarah said with a smile, walking through the opening which a moment ago had been a wall. She headed left, hoping it was a shorter way than last time.
After only a short time, she found herself staring at the two doors with the brass knockers, one with a ring in it's mouth, and one with a ring in its ears. Smiling at the familiar sight, she goes over to the one holding the ring in its mouth and raises the ring, letting it fall softly against the knocker. As the door opens, Sarah held her bat tightly, not knowing what there would be behind the door.
A fiery head looked out at her. They all jumped up and down, happily.
"It's da girl! Hey lady! You come to cheer up da king? It's been quiet here. Da's been no music, ya dig?"
"Shh!" Sarah said, looking around at them. "Get me through the forest and point me in the direction of the castle and I'll do everything I can to make sure that there's music again all right?"
They all bobbed their heads.
"Are there any enemies in the Labyrinth that you know of?" Sarah asked as she began following them.
They looked at her. "Not dat we has seen. But everyting is muted you know? No one is chilli'n any more. Even da goblins have been down in da dumps. Heck, we's start's to get down, an I don't mean in a good way eith'a."
"Well, I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Tanks lady. You sure know how ta keep ya head unda pressure!"
"Thanks," Sarah murmured, smiling as they reached the wall that divided the forest from the rest of the Labyrinth. This was going well so far, almost too well.
"Which way from here?"
They all pointed up.
"I can't fly," Sarah said with a groan, looking at the wall.
"Yous got rope?"
Sarah grinned and threw open her backpack, pulling out the yellow safety rope she had brought.
"Will this work?"
They nodded and took it from her. After making a loop one of the fireys flapped there ears and flew up with the rope in it's mouth. A moment later the robe was snugly slipped around a rock that stuck out a few inches from the top of the wall.
"Thank you all. Which way once I'm on the wall?" Sarah asked as she began to climb.
"We's don't know."
"Ah well, thanks again," Sarah called down softly to them as she untied the rope and began to run to her right, hoping it was the correct path.
Sarah had been running for several minutes when she heard a voice.
"Eay! Eay girl!"
She turned and found the old man and the bird hat sitting on a stone block. The hat was awake and, as usual, the old man was asleep.
"Thank you," Sarah said, kissing the hat on its cheek before continuing running. Slightly wary that no difficulty had presented itself yet, she counted off the openings, turning left at the eighth one.
The hat watched her run away. "Zee? She likes me!"
The old man grumbled.
Sarah ran until she reached a wall, and stopped, taking a sip of water from her bottle. Glancing up, she saw that night would soon be over. With a sigh she ran right, hoping that the hat spoke the truth.
Out of breath, she reached the gates to the Goblin City, still having not had a real challenge.
"Something is wrong," she muttered, slinking silently through the city.
The castle gates loomed in front of her and she looked at the open stretch, not seeing anyone. Crossing her fingers, she ran towards the gate, glad there was no moon to make her easily visible.
There was a crack and suddenly the king of the faes was standing over her, glaring down.
"Now what is a mortal child doing back here? I thought I sent you home."
"Do what you will, but I will be back," Sarah said, her heart pounding as she stood defiantly facing the king.
He smiled at her and made a crystal. He raised his eyebrows and tossed it to her.
Sarah reacted without thinking and brought the bat up, hitting a homerun with the crystal.
The kings eyes widened. He shrugged. "Fine. I don't need crystals."
He snapped his fingers and smiled as Sarah slowly disappeared.
Jareth marched down the hallway, Sarah at his side. He had to make his father see his side. He refused to let go of Sarah now. He hopped that his father would understand. He needed her.
They stopped in front of a huge brown wooden door and Jareth took a calming breath. He looked over at Sarah.
"Are you ready Sarah? My father sits in this room. He's the one to worry about. My brothers too are stuffy bastards so be careful about what you say
He leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips before opening the door. The room was covered wall to wall with books, save a space for a fire place. There were several desks and a circle of leather chairs had been arranged in the center of the room. The king sat in the largest of these chairs and all four brothers in the others. There was one more chair left, this irked Jareth.
He lead Sarah to the chair and asked her to sit. He walked to the back of the chair and rested his hands on her shoulder.
"Father," Jareth said respectfully.
"Jareth," the king said without interest. "Would you like a drink?"
Jareth nodded and a glass of dark brown liquor was brought to him. He sipped at it as he watched his father.
"So Jareth," said one of the black hared brothers. "Who is your friend here?"
Jareth took a slow sip of his drink, not looking at his brother.
"I introduced her at the celebration. Weren't you paying attention Terran?"
His other brothers smiled slightly while Terran glared at Jareth.
"Jareth," his father said quickly. "What kingdom is she from?"
Jareth cleared his throat. "I think she can speak for herself father."
The king looked to Sarah. "Well Miss Williams?"
"I'm not from any kingdom really your majesty. I'm from America," she replied quietly, hoping no one would be able to hear her pounding heart.
"Earth, your majesty."
The king narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't aware that faes lived on Earth."
Sarah took a deep breath before answering. "I-I am mortal."
The king leaned back in his seat. "Jareth. Please explain this."
"Seven years ago, Ms. Williams solved my labyrinth. I had feeling for her so when she went back to her world I followed. I brought her back here to be with me."
"That still doesn't explain why she is in my home."
Jareth's free hand jerked on her shoulder and he took it away. After taking a gulp of his drink he looked back to his father.
"I brought her so I could present her to you. I wish for her to be my queen. I need the consent of my parent. That would be you."
His father stood up. "I know who I am to you. You either stop being a smart mouth or leave."
Jareth stood his ground.
The king looked at the four other brothers who were watching with great interest.
"I apologize my sons. I need to have a moment with Jareth. Please excuse us."
The four brothers nodded and left the room. The king turned to look at Jareth.
"You have presented her to me. Now take her back to her world."
Jareth squared his jaw. "Not without your consent."
The king looked to Sarah then back to Jareth.
"Take her into the restroom while we discus this please."
Jareth glared at his father but knelt beside Sarah.
"Come on," he said softly.
She stood and he lead her through a door that lead to a bathroom. He pulled out the chair in front of the mirror and asked her to sit.
Ignoring his request, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Jareth barely managed to hold onto his resolve. "It will be all right. I won't leave," he said stroking her hair and holding her to him.
"Are you sure I have to stay in here while my fate as well as yours is being discussed?" she whispered, wiping away a few tears.
Jareth nodded and kissed her cheek. "If it will keep him calm then yes."
Reluctantly, Sarah nodded and sat down, gripping his hands in hers. "I love you."
Jareth thought he was going to cry but he somehow managed to smile at her instead. He kissed her and leaned down to whisper into her ear.
"I love you too. Just be patient and try not to worry-"
"Jareth!"
He sighed. "Coming."
He smiled at her one more time before walking from the door, leaving the door ajar by accident.
Jareth looked at his father. "Please?"
"No," was all the king said. Jareth felt sick.
"Why?"
"She mortal Jareth. She will ruin the bloodline."
Jareth threw up his hands. "I'm already a mut!"
"Of fae blood."
"That makes no difference! I love her!"
"I will not allow it."
Jareth sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands. "You are so cruel father."
His father leaned over him. "You don't even now how cruel I can be Jareth. Do not defy me."
Jareth looked up at his father. "She will be my queen. She will stay with me."
The king glared at his son. "If you take her I will strip you of your power."
"Without my power the goblins will run free. You can't have that," Jareth said with a smirk.
His father laughed and strode a few feet away. "Your eldest brother Terran won't get my kingdom till I join the elders. I'll let him have your kingdom."
Jareth stood up, his eyes flashing..
"No!"
The king turned to him. "Don't you challenge me Jareth. I am so much more powerful than you. You cant' even touch me with your jewel magic."
Jareth was cut down to the roll of a little boy. "It was all you taught me."
"It was all you needed."
"You taught my brothers more."
"They are more capable."
"You gave them each a kingdom."
"They had earned it."
"You gave them a wife."
"They were lonely."
"You didn't give me anything."
"I fed, clothed and supported you didn't I?"
"Fed and clothed, but supported. No."
His father merely poured himself a drink.
"I had to make my kingdom."
His father laughed at him. "And look at how that turned out. You rule a bunch of stupid drooling goblins."
"I have found my love and you want to take her from me."
"She's mortal."
By now tears were running down Jareth's face but he still refused to cry. These were tears of rage.
"I won't let you."
His father glowered down at him. "We will see Jareth."
Sarah could bare standing by no longer. With a determined step she walked into the room and stood by Jareth's side.
"I will not leave," she said in a steady voice.
The kings eyes hardened. "Yes. You will."
The king spun a black crystal out of the air and held it up in his hand. Jareth's eyes widened and he held Sarah to himself and put his back to his father, shielding her when his father threw the crystal at her. In a flash Jareth was gone. The king raised an eyebrow.
"What have you done to him?" Sarah asked, tears trickling down her cheeks.
The king held up another crystal. "Find out."
He threw the crystal at her and everything went black.
Sarah opened her eyes slowly, the light making her head throb. She moaned and touched her face, finding a spot of blood at the corner of her mouth.
"Jareth?" she said in a hoarse voice, trying to sit up.
"I'm here," he said softly. He was laying on his side beside her. He reached over and stroked her hair. "Are you all right?"
Sarah shook her head and painfully slid over to him, snuggling against him.
He held her tightly to his chest. "It will pass. He's strong and your sensitive to magic. You'll feel better in a little while," he said soothingly.
She said nothing, but wept softly, trying to stop shaking.
Jareth swallowed hard. "He's cruel. I can't do anything. I have no power compared to him."
"You have a heart that loves, that's greater than all his powers," Sarah whispered, wrapping her arms around him.
Jareth felt hopeless. "Now you see why we don't speak much?"
Sarah nodded and tilted her head up, kissing him gently.
"Jareth," his fathers voice floated into the room. "You are needed in your kingdom."
Jareth looked at Sarah. "I love you," He said quickly before he disappeared.
"Wait, please take me with you," Sarah said, sitting up and looking around in despair.
Only silence answered her.
"Look, I know I agreed with you before that it was all a dream and it wasn't real, but now I have things to prove it was real. You're looking at pictures of the Labyrinth and I have a ballgown, earrings, and a bracelet that was given to me by Jareth," Sarah muttered, not looking up from where she lay on the couch.
"Hmm, while these are quite interesting pictures that you took Ms. Williams, there are many ways to alter photographs with the computer nowadays."
"I didn't alter them! Won't you listen. I was taken back to the Labyrinth by the Goblin King and I stayed there for a little over a week-"
"And that's when you said...'that his father "zapped" you back to your room, then "zapped" him back to the Labyrinth.' Am I correct?" the shrink asked, reading his notes.
"Yes, that's what I already told you."
"Now, what exactly do you mean by 'zapped'?"
"Zapping is kind of like warping, you instantly move from one place to another. I get a little ill every time it happens, but Jareth said that it's only because I'm mortal."
"Oh, so this Jareth is not mortal?"
"He's a fae, I already told you that. He's the Goblin King. You know, this is getting me know where. I'm through for the week," Sarah said angrily, standing and grabbing her purse before marching out of the office, ignoring the doctor's cries to come back.
It had been two months since she had last seen or heard from Jareth and she was beginning to fear she would never see him again. Every day seemed a little harder to bear and she wore the bracelet constantly.
Jareth slouched in his thrown. It had been over two month! His father had limited his magic. He wasn't allowed to leave the castle. He wasn't allowed to contact Sarah. He had been pulled away from her.
The first two weeks he had done nothing but cry but not he just felt numb. Days past with the same dullness over and over again. He was told that if he tried to contact Sarah his kingdom would be taken away and he would be put into a oubliette.
He sighed, wondering what Sarah was doing.
Sarah finally pulled up in front of her house, having almost caused an accident because tears had blurred her eyes when a David Bowie song came on the radio. She unlocked the door to her apartment, looking at the battered backpack in her room. It had appeared a few days after the disastrous reunion. Everything she had brought with her was in there, along with a small scrap of paper with three words written hurriedly on them. 'I love you.' The paper was now slipped between the pages of the book by her bed and she looked at it several times a day.
She sat down on her bed and exhaustion pulled her into a deep sleep.
Jareth was dreaming again. He was dancing with Sarah. it was one of the few freedoms he had left, his dreaming. He sighed and held her close.
"I miss you," he said sadly.
"I miss you too. You'll always have my heart," Sarah whispered, nestling her head beneath his chin. She had dreamed of him before, but it had never seemed this real.
"What?" she asked, looking up at him and kissing his cheeks.
He smiled. "Your here?" He shook his head. "Look Sarah if we are speaking to each other then I must tell you something. I'm trapped in my own castle. My father has limited my magic. I can't see you any more. I don't know what to do!"
Sarah felt a tear slide down her cheek and she pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss, not knowing how long she would stay with him.
He held her close and kissed her back. Then a thought struck him. He created a crystal and handed it to her.
"Here. I can't see you but you can watch me. At least then you'll know what's going on."
He stepped close again and lay his forehead on her shoulder, wishing he would wake up and have her be with him, knowing that wasn't possible.
Sarah sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, rubbing her cheek against his and wishing she would sleep forever.
Jareth swallowed, trying to keep himself together.
"Dream of me more often?"
"I'll dream whenever I can love," she whispered.
Jareth pulled away to look at her again but was already waking up. He was curled up in his thrown. His father stood in front of him. Jareth tensed. Did his father now about the dream?
Hello Jareth. I came to check on you.
Jareth relaxed. He would let his father finish talking to him then he would sleep some more and see if he could see Sarah again.
Sarah woke up, tears on her face. Turning her head, her eyes widened when she saw the crystal. It hadn't been just a dream! She sat up and grabbed it, thinking of Jareth.
A swirl of color filled the crystal before it cleared and she found herself looking at Jareth, his father standing beside him.
An idea struck her and she smiled. "I'm coming for you my love," she whispered, looking as Jareth's image faded.
Jareth listen to his father ramble on. When he left Jareth went to take a bath. He sat there, watching his rubber ducky float among the bubbles.
"Do you think I'll see them again?" he asked.
The duck gave no answer.
"I don't know either," he said with a sigh as he scooted down farther into the water.
'Rope to tie up enemies, scissors to cut the rope, firecrackers for diversion, a lighter for the firecracker, protein bars, and a water bottle, I know there's something else I'll need,' Sarah thought, looking at the items in her backpack. She opened the closet and slipped on a black sweatshirt over her top then saw a baseball bat leaning in the corner of the closet.
'Perfect!' she thought, picking it up and swinging it, glad she still remembered a little from when she had played softball in college. "And a bat to whack the crap out of anybody I meet along the way. I guess that's all," she murmured, slinging the backpack on her back and grabbing the bat and crystal.
"Take me to Jareth," she told it, frowning when nothing happened. Maybe his father's magic was disrupting everything in the Labyrinth.
"Take me to the doors of the Labyrinth," she told the crystal, smiling as she vanished.
Jareth had finished his bath and was perched in his window. Looking out over his labyrinth. He had made it. Now his father was ruling it through him. The thought made his blood boil with rage. He wondered what new twists his father had planted in the labyrinth, grateful Sarah was safe.
Sarah crept over to the Labyrinth doors once the spell of dizziness had faded. She found them with little difficulty, which made her worried.
"Open," she said in a sharp hiss, glad that her dark clothes blended with the night.
The huge doors creaked open. Down either way, right or left, there were no turns. A full moon threw a silver lighting over everything.
Sarah ran as quietly as possible down the left corridor, keeping her hand on the right wall so she would know where the opening was.
She didn't know how long she had been running, but she knew it was much farther than last time. With a sigh, she sat down and wondered what to do.
"Ello again"
Sarah jumped slightly and looked down, smiling at the tiny worm.
"Please help me get to the castle in the center of the Labyrinth," she said softly.
"Well, try go'n through that door 's right across there. But don't you be go'n' the way ya did last time. The misses still want to meet you she does."
"I'm very sorry, but I don't have time to stay and chat. Thank you so much for your help, and say hello to your wife," Sarah said with a smile, walking through the opening which a moment ago had been a wall. She headed left, hoping it was a shorter way than last time.
After only a short time, she found herself staring at the two doors with the brass knockers, one with a ring in it's mouth, and one with a ring in its ears. Smiling at the familiar sight, she goes over to the one holding the ring in its mouth and raises the ring, letting it fall softly against the knocker. As the door opens, Sarah held her bat tightly, not knowing what there would be behind the door.
A fiery head looked out at her. They all jumped up and down, happily.
"It's da girl! Hey lady! You come to cheer up da king? It's been quiet here. Da's been no music, ya dig?"
"Shh!" Sarah said, looking around at them. "Get me through the forest and point me in the direction of the castle and I'll do everything I can to make sure that there's music again all right?"
They all bobbed their heads.
"Are there any enemies in the Labyrinth that you know of?" Sarah asked as she began following them.
They looked at her. "Not dat we has seen. But everyting is muted you know? No one is chilli'n any more. Even da goblins have been down in da dumps. Heck, we's start's to get down, an I don't mean in a good way eith'a."
"Well, I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Tanks lady. You sure know how ta keep ya head unda pressure!"
"Thanks," Sarah murmured, smiling as they reached the wall that divided the forest from the rest of the Labyrinth. This was going well so far, almost too well.
"Which way from here?"
They all pointed up.
"I can't fly," Sarah said with a groan, looking at the wall.
"Yous got rope?"
Sarah grinned and threw open her backpack, pulling out the yellow safety rope she had brought.
"Will this work?"
They nodded and took it from her. After making a loop one of the fireys flapped there ears and flew up with the rope in it's mouth. A moment later the robe was snugly slipped around a rock that stuck out a few inches from the top of the wall.
"Thank you all. Which way once I'm on the wall?" Sarah asked as she began to climb.
"We's don't know."
"Ah well, thanks again," Sarah called down softly to them as she untied the rope and began to run to her right, hoping it was the correct path.
Sarah had been running for several minutes when she heard a voice.
"Eay! Eay girl!"
She turned and found the old man and the bird hat sitting on a stone block. The hat was awake and, as usual, the old man was asleep.
"Thank you," Sarah said, kissing the hat on its cheek before continuing running. Slightly wary that no difficulty had presented itself yet, she counted off the openings, turning left at the eighth one.
The hat watched her run away. "Zee? She likes me!"
The old man grumbled.
Sarah ran until she reached a wall, and stopped, taking a sip of water from her bottle. Glancing up, she saw that night would soon be over. With a sigh she ran right, hoping that the hat spoke the truth.
Out of breath, she reached the gates to the Goblin City, still having not had a real challenge.
"Something is wrong," she muttered, slinking silently through the city.
The castle gates loomed in front of her and she looked at the open stretch, not seeing anyone. Crossing her fingers, she ran towards the gate, glad there was no moon to make her easily visible.
There was a crack and suddenly the king of the faes was standing over her, glaring down.
"Now what is a mortal child doing back here? I thought I sent you home."
"Do what you will, but I will be back," Sarah said, her heart pounding as she stood defiantly facing the king.
He smiled at her and made a crystal. He raised his eyebrows and tossed it to her.
Sarah reacted without thinking and brought the bat up, hitting a homerun with the crystal.
The kings eyes widened. He shrugged. "Fine. I don't need crystals."
He snapped his fingers and smiled as Sarah slowly disappeared.