DISCLAIMER: Labyrinth, not mine. Amblyn, Brien, Jack, etc… mine, but anyone is welcome to use them as long as they tell me.
Thanks again for the reviews, please keep writing them so I can tell if ya'll like the way the story is going. ~ mari
Kingdom Keepers
When Jack crossed through into the magic world, he wasn't sure whether to expect an army or an empty borderland plain to meet him. As it was, no one but a runty, obviously drunk little goblin was within sight at the portal entrance, and the desolate land allowed Jack to see for miles.
Still, he felt a sense of foreboding, and he felt that it would not be long before someone realized that he had crossed the magic portal. No, he didn't have enough power yet to mask such actions. If things went according to plan, he would soon.
He glanced down at Sarah, lying limp in his arms. She looked peaceful in her dreamless sleep, and it made him think of the first time he had seen her, when he had been getting familiar with the area around her college campus in his hawk form. He had caught sight of her searching for a class, looking young and lost and been struck by her beauty and innocence. It almost made him feel guilty about what he had planned for her.
Almost.
Then a young man, seeing her map and her frustration, had come over to her and moments later, led her, smiling, in the right direction. The opportunity had been one he couldn't miss, and he had taken over Jack's body, hoping that a cemented friendship would make it easier to get Sarah alone and disappear with her to the magic world. It annoyed him that his plans had come to this, kidnapping her by magical force in her dorm room, but things had been taking too long. Sarah was cautious, and wouldn't fall into any of the easy traps he set for her.
However, it was worth it, because having Sarah at his mercy gave him power over Jareth, and the Goblin King had ruled for too long with no one to oppose him. It was time for someone more worthy to take control of the Labyrinth kingdom, someone who wouldn't be content to keep peace with the human kingdoms and would war with them in pursuit of a larger, stronger, greater kingdom.
Jack shook his head as if to disengage himself from his thoughts, and took out a crystal. Shimmering at its center was a castle, creating an ominous image over a far-off borderland plain. The castle was his own, hidden by glamours deep in the most dangerous part of the borderlands. He was already King there, he had been fostering the position for years since Jareth had banished him, and the dark creatures that were his subjects would be more than happy to help with any of his plans, as long as it meant they would soon be the most honored subjects of a much greater kingdom.
He glanced again at Sarah's still form. Perhaps, when Jareth was gone, he would make Sarah his queen. For now she was just a pawn. Although Jareth had obviously not pinpointed his gate of entrance, he had no doubt that he knew Sarah was back, though not by what means. He would be searching for her, but he would not look for her at Caydliell.
"Take me to Caydliell." He commanded the crystal. Swirling dark, it obeyed. When he appeared in the throne room, he was no longer a friendly college student with careless good looks and a crooked smile. He looked the dark and dangerous king, and his advisors and various court members bowed at his entrance, awaiting instructions. He motioned to a man standing nearby. "You, then, take Sarah to her chambers. Do not harm her, but make sure she is locked in and post goblin guards outside her door."
"Very well, Your Highness." The man bowed and, taking Sarah in his arms, disappeared.
Jack turned, motioning to the head of his forces. "Rilen, I will require a small force at my disposal to travel with me to the gates of the goblin city. I doubt Jareth will have the foresight to harm us, but it doesn't hurt to keep up appearances."
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Hoggle looked out from his lookout post nervously. The area beyond the gates was still clear of everyone but a few goblin soldiers in the distance, but he had never had such an important duty before. Jareth would be displeased if he failed now that he no longer held the menial task of watching the mortal entrance to the Labyrinth. The little dwarf turned at the sound of a group of royal advisors walking hurriedly past arguing about troop movements, and then continued studying the land beyond the gate, including what he could see of the Labyrinth.
If anyone comes, sound the alarm. Keep all the Goblin City from harm.
He repeated his instructions, making them into a rhyme so he'd remember. Then he noticed that a group of borderland soldiers stood where moments before there had been nothing. He blinked in amazement, his eyes resting on their imposing leader, and widening in sudden recognition as his heart began to pound.
"Sir Braeden!" he gasped. "You were banished." he finished stupidly.
"Then shouldn't you sound the alarm, dwarf?" Braeden, known to Sarah as Jack, smiled wickedly at the terrified dwarf. Hoggle blinked in surprise and then began to shout.
"Jareth! Jareth! Borderland men at the gates!!!"
Mere seconds later, Jareth stood outside the gate facing the small, motley group of goblins, humans, and borderland creatures with a look on his face so terrifying it had Hoggle shrinking backwards into his guard tower.
"You had better have a good damn reason for being at my gates, Braeden. You will not find that my everlasting patience is in the mood to be tested right now."
Braeden smiled. "You will find patience for this, Your Highness." He said mockingly.
"Not bloody likely."
"I begin to see why you were so taken with Sarah that you allowed her to make a mockery of our labyrinth."
"No one less than Sarah would have been able to beat my labyrinth. What do you know of Sarah?"
"More than you'd think. She is staying with me now, in fact." Braeden had the satisfaction of watching Jareth's face, for just a fleeting moment register something beyond anger, belying something closer to fear and disbelief.
"What do you want from me, you little border trash, that you would use a mortal girl as your pawn?"
"Nothing more or less than your kingdom and your power, Jareth. Nothing less than what should be mine. You call the Labyrinth your own, but it was my father who built it. It was my father who made this kingdom what it is."
"This kingdom was a dark place in your father's time, and I will die before I see it that way again."
"Then Sarah will die. I give you thirteen hours to make a less rash decision. I know you both will appreciate the irony."
Jareth watched as Braeden and his men disappeared into the already darkening sky. Only Braeden could have managed this, to make him choose between Sarah and the safety of his entire kingdom and perhaps the entire magical world. Yes, Sarah would find irony if she knew of the time he had to decide between her life and his kingdom. But she would also find irony in the fact that the cause of all his troubles could all be similarly connected to one person.
He called for the head of the goblin armies. It was time to tell the troops that the person they sought, the person who had breached the mortal gateway and kidnapped his mortal love, was Braeden.
His brother.
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I hope you couldn't see that coming. Is that too clichéd? Oh well, I'm just writing it as I go along now so who knows if this all still makes sense. Review, please… :)