AN: Sorry everybody that I took so long to get this part out. It seems as though my muse decided to go on strike. It was a long time in coming. At first, I was given the idea for this story, and I was on a role with it. The first fifteen chapters were easy to write, even with my lack of control over the story. Then, rather than continue with this, my mean muse decided to send me parts of ideas for other stories that I refused to write until I could get more of this one done. Finally, he left altogether in a huff. Only today has he returned, evidently taking up residence, for now, in a stuffed cat I own called Cogitare (the Latin verb for "to think" in case you were curious). When I moved the cat so my greyhound, Rex, wouldn't eat it, I was struck again. This time, I got the complete story! I finally know how this will end!! It seems that there will be about 25 chapters to this, so, it's not over yet!! Anyway, thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope that this chapter is worth the wait!!! Enjoy and REVIEW!! ~Saphire
Chapter sixteen: Theories
Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus all watched as D'Vinnian paced mumbling under his breath about Sarah and Jareth. After a few minutes, the Goblin Lord spun around and pointed an accusing finger in the trio's direction.
"And you three are her friends!"
Ludo nodded.
"That's right, we's Sarah's friends," Hoggle said, bristling.
Didymus stood from his seat and approached the king's advisor. He craned his neck to look up into D'Vinnian's face and did everything he could, short of growling, to look imposing.
"The Lady is a good, trustworthy friend, my lord."
"Yes, one who obliterated your home!"
"A task that the three of us helped her with. My brothers and I were just as prepared as she to face down King Jareth. We know now that we were wrong. And so does Sarah," the brave little knight replied, knowing he was way out-of-line.
He may have been friends with the king (he was, after all, a knight), but he should still have been more respectful of D'Vinnian and the station he held….at least in the public setting of the camp. But he was defending Sarah. Surely, Jareth would understand. D'Vinnian's odd green eyes widened, a gesture reminiscent of his royal cousin.
"Are you implying, Sir Didymus, that Sarah has learned the error of her ways?"
"Well," Hoggle spoke up, "She loves the Goblin King. That much is certain."
D'Vinnian abruptly took a seat with the three amigos, "Do tell, Hogwart."
The dwarf glared at the king's cousin, "Hoggle."
D'Vinnian smirked, "I know."
Hoggle sighed and shook his head before settling in to tell of Sarah's strange behavior.
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There. He had said it….and done so to her face. No more denying it, he had been in love with Sarah during their "game". And even though Sarah was shocked into silence now, Jareth knew already what he next question would be. She would want to know if he still loved her. Well? Did he? Was the haughty and almighty Goblin King still in love with the mortal woman, the human woman, standing before him now? Were his emotions the same for this new and old Sarah combined as they were for the young teenager he knew? Up until this moment, Jareth hadn't allowed himself to think about it. Now was his chance. After ten years, after the pain she caused, after she destroyed the Labyrinth, was he still hopelessly in love with her? The sun moved from behind a hazy cloud and caught on Sarah's engagement ring. Right. He had his answer. Before Sarah could find the phrases she needed to form her question, Jareth decided to end the conversation once and for all. His well-practiced mask of cool indifference was well in place now.
"As I said, though, Sarah," he stated, "the Sarah that I knew and loved was filled with an unstoppable spirit and a fire and passion for life. I know that Sarah is in you somewhere, but you are not her."
He took a moment to let his observation sink in, but was sure to continue before she thought to interrupt.
He shrugged, "Either way, all of that is in the past. This has nothing to do with love. This had to do with the Labyrinth. So none of this conversation truly bears any relevance."
Sarah stuttered for a while before opting to remain silent. Ever since Jareth had touched her chin, she'd felt as if she were falling. Suddenly, she was no longer sure if she was still falling or if she had hit the stony cold ground yet. The distinction was no longer clear. Nothing was clear to her anymore. She thought she had it all figured out. Jareth was the enemy. A seductive enemy in the guise of a prince charming, but still the adversary. The one to be beaten; the one to be destroyed. And Sarah had succeeded. Succeeded beyond any of her wildest expectations. But now, when she was more mature, the flaws of her youthful logic were agonizingly clear. Jareth had been an opponent, yes, but never the true enemy. Oh, how she wanted to call a time out and just digest all that had been happening to her. But, oddly enough, this was real, this magical world, and there were no time outs….even if time moved on a fae king's command (or at least used to).
Sensing that Jareth had ended the conversation before she even had a chance, Sarah finally drew her thoughts to the immediate situation and fumbled for something to say.
"That's - that's what I wanted to find you for," Sarah finally managed weakly.
Jareth could sense the confusion as it came from her in waves. He decided to ignore it, let it pass. Friends. Just friends.
"Find me for what, Sarah?" he asked.
Sarah took a deep breath to help steady her voice and clear her mind before speaking again, "The chasm that you - where I found you last night. It's growing, Jareth."
"What?" Jareth asked disbelievingly.
Sarah tugged on his sleeve, "Come with me, I'll show you."
Jareth breathed in deeply. The sweet perfume from the flowers, the clean smell of the water, the soft wisp of the warm breeze all filling his senses. The effect was nearly intoxicating. The growth in this spot was much bigger than the other, and, standing at the chasm's edge with Sarah, he could only barely see where it stopped at the far border of his preternatural vision.
"Is this what is was like before?" Sarah's breathless whisper came through the king's thoughts.
He turned to find Sarah looking around her in awe.
"Yes," he answered, watching her against this background.
He couldn't deny her beauty, even in yesterday's clothes with her hair only finger-brushed.
Finally, she turned to him, "What could I possibly have to do with creating this?"
"Re-creating, really."
Sarah shrugged, "Same difference."
Jareth looked at her inquisitively and Sarah giggled, her tension and confusion from his admission temporarily forgotten,
"A saying."
The king gave a nod at her explanation. He turned his attention back from the girl standing with him to the scenery, deciding how to explain his theory to Sarah. Finally, without turning his attention from the waterfall, he began speaking.
"Sarah, what is one thing you learned about my Labyrinth in your past time here?" he asked with the voice of a teacher, trying so hard to not be condescending.
Sarah turned her attention to the king, drinking in his profile, then shaking her head to clear it before thoughts of earlier interrupted.
After a moment of hesitation, she answered quietly, "I suppose the biggest thing I learned is that nothing is what it seems."
The Goblin King grinned briefly, "Yes, true. But that's not what I'm referring to. Is there nothing else you have learned here?"
Sarah sighed and thought for a moment, "I learned a lot from this place, Jareth. But I can't think of anything that would help to rebuild it."
Finally, Jareth turned and looked at her, "Did you know that night is my favorite time of day, Sarah?"
Bewildered by the turn in this conversation, Sarah could only manage to shake her head no.
Jareth gave a short nod, "It is. Any guesses as to why?"
"Well, if this place is this gorgeous in daylight, I can imagine how it would be under the moonlight."
Jareth pointed at her, "Ah. And there you have almost stumbled upon it. The beauty of my kingdom at night is an added bonus, but not the only reason. What was it you mentioned, Sarah?"
Thinking over her words, Sarah took a guess, "The moonlight?"
Jareth nodded, "Exactly. The moon. The moon that you look upon here, Sarah, is the same one that you see Aboveground. It is one of the few things that our worlds share. Owls are another."
"But if we are 'Underground'…how can…?"
Jareth laughed lightly, but not mockingly, "We are not literally underground, Sarah. It is a hard concept to grasp and I wouldn't try to teach you right now. Just think of Underground as a name, the same as America or Europe."
Sarah thought for a split moment, but decided it would be better to just go along with Jareth on this one.
When she nodded, the Goblin King continued, "Anyway, the moon is a symbol for me, Sarah. Do you know where a large part of my magic comes from?"
"I have no clue, actually."
Jareth looked at her, "You answered too quickly. Think for a moment, Sarah."
Sarah thought back to her memories of ten years ago. She found that being back in the Labyrinth had helped her memories to come back crystal clear. Crystal! That's it!
"Your crystals, Jareth. Every time I saw you use magic, you used a crystal."
"Observant. But not completely correct. Sarah, what do the crystals remind you of? The shape, the clarity, the way they reflect the light," Jareth hinted, even going so far as to conger a crystal, holding it up in his palm for Sarah to examine.
Hesitantly, Sarah's hand rose to touch the smooth globe. The only other time she had attempted to catch one of Jareth's crystals, it had burst. Not wanting to shatter this one, she dropped her hand quickly to her side again. Jareth chuckled and reached his other hand forward, grasping her hand in his.
"You can touch it Sarah, I promise. It won't do anything to you and it won't break."
He guided her hand to the crystal in his palm and watched with a smile as she looked at it in awe. The way the sunlight filtered through the crystal made it almost look like it was glowing. Almost glowing as brightly as the moon had last night. Suddenly, Sarah looked up into Jareth's eyes that had been watching her intently. Their gazed locked for a split second, and Sarah blushed.
Then, she cleared her throat and glanced back at the crystal, "It reminds me of the moon last night."
Again, Jareth nodded, "Exactly. The crystals are just another symbol, Sarah."
He closed his hand around the crystal and it disappeared.
"The crystals aren't necessary for magic. I could just as easily do without them."
"Then why use them?"
Jareth shrugged, "They are just a manifestation of the magic I use. I find it easier when facing mortals. The concept of magic is so foreign to anyone Aboveground that they find it easier if there is something tangible, that they can see, that does the magic. Call it a courtesy. Besides, I like them. When looking at things, it's easier to use a crystal to project the image on as opposed to the mind's eye. Concentration is easier to keep. And, of course, they are a symbol of the moon, and thereby a symbol of the true source of the magic of this land. What does the moon mean to you, Sarah?"
Taking a breath, Sarah started to guess,
"It means night. Enchantment. A time to dream -"
"And there you have it."
"What? Dreams?"
"Precisely. Dreams are the source of magic for this land, myself included."
"Ok, I understand that, but what do dreams have to do with me rebuilding the Labyrinth?"
Jareth looked around him once more before turning back to Sarah, "I believe, dear Sarah, that it is your dreams that will rebuild this place."
