The shadows cast by lonely trees lengthened as the hobgoblin gardener / fairy-slayer walked happily home, humming to himself content with another hard day's work complete. It wasn't easy keeping the grounds of the labyrinth fairy-free, but as His Majesty commands.
"Higgle, I would like a word with you," the hobgoblin jumped nearly out of his skin in fright.
"Hoggle, your Majesty."
"Whatever. Did that human pass your way earlier?"
"You mean the tall chap who didn't speak much?"
"That sounds about right...I'll take that as a yes, then?" Jareth glowered at the cowering Hoggle.
"Well, you see's I tried to tell him..."
"Hogwart, at any time did you bother trying to stop him?"
"Well, not precisely, you see..."
"So you just let him waltz right past you, climb the tree, and up the walls?" His voice rose angrily. Hoggle began to shake with fear.
"Yes, but he looked pretty big, if you don't mind me saying..."
"Where you at any point going to tell me about him solving the labyrinth from above?" Jareth's finger jabbed painfully into Hoggle's chest. "Or have you already forgotten your punishment for the last time you aided a human against me?"
Hoggle shook his head violently from side to side. "Your Majesty, I meant nothin by it....I kinda figured you would know what he was intending to do."
Jareth sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Everything was going marvelously. The human was still far from solving the labyrinth even if he did cheat by walking the walls. Elyssa was safely in his grasp - remembering how she defiantly stood against him made his blood burn like liquid fire. Jareth was going to enjoy ensnaring the little chit in his seductive web. So why am I so tired, he wondered.
Jareth shot Hoggle a look that could sour milk. "If I think for one instant that you are working against me again, this time it won't be the bog that I dip you in." In a flash of glitter, Jareth disappeared.
Hoggle wiped his brow with the back of one hand. "Whew....I gotta get another job."
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Michael hugged the wall, silently inching his way along. Several feet below him twenty different goblins in mismatched armor, all of which was entirely too big, scampered around in chaotic circles, constantly bumping into each other and knocking themselves down. Each goblin was armed with a long pike with a really nasty looking sharp-toothed creature attached to the end. Michael wasn't worried about the goblins - it was those creepy little bitey things that gave him the creeps. Unfortunately, he'd progressed far enough into the labyrinth that the walls had lowered. If just one of those goblins managed to notice him, it wouldn't take much for the creepy critters to reach.
Little by little, Michael managed to squeak past the imbecilic guardsmen. So much for the Goblin King trying to kill me, he chuckled to himself. What where they going to do, gnaw me to death? Now that he was relatively clear of danger, Michael stood up on the wall, taking a moment to catch his bearings.
When Michael first looked at the Labyrinth, he knew there was no way he would be able to through in thirteen hours if he had to walk underneath all of those walls. Hell, he thought ruefully, I can't even do one of those damn paper mazes without getting a headache. If he was going to get to Elyssa, he had to take the highroad - and it wasn't cheating. The rules were to solve the labyrinth...no one said how to go about it.
At first, the going was pretty difficult. There were large gaps between the walls - Michael had to depend on his training to make some of the jumps, but he did it. Now the light was quickly fading, but at least the walls were closer together, if a bit irregular in shape.
Staring at the castle, he imagined Elyssa trapped inside. A sense of urgency filled him with dread. Michael hurried on, determined to save her at any cost.
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Holding her breath, Elyssa peered into the crystal watching Michael as he maneuvered through the labyrinth. It was maddening watching him leap precariously from wall to wall. I hope you know what your doing...
Elyssa tore her eyes away from the crystal and stood. She slowly began to walk around the circumference of the room, working blood into her cramped muscles. It seemed like hours sense Jareth had left her alone, locked in what she could only imagine was his throne room. The only entrance was locked - she had checked that almost immediately after Jareth disappeared. Although there were windows, they were placed too high in the ceiling to see out of, let alone sneak through.
Jareth - what the hell am I supposed to do about him, she wondered furiously. Every time he gets near me, I either want to kill him or melt into jelly - my idiotic mind can't seem to decide. Yes he was sexy, yes she found him attractive - but I've dated plenty of men who were sexy and attractive, and I've never had this problem! She began to gnaw her fist in frustration. I've got to get out of here...Michael, please, please, please...
Elyssa moved back to the crystal, watching desperately. Fear snaked it's poisonous fingers into her heart and mind. What if Jareth won't let us leave....?
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Relief flooded over Michael - he could finally see the end of the labyrinth. Ahead lay a gigantic garbage heap, but beyond that stood a walled city surrounding the castle. Moonlight lit the snaking path leading to the castle. Only a few more calculated jumps, then he was only a hop, skip and a jump away from his goal.
"Turn back now, my friend, before it's too late." The sudden nearness of Jareth's voice almost threw Michael off balance enough to fall, but he quickly re-centered himself.
"Do you just enjoy scaring people like that?" Michael stared resolutely forward, ignoring Jareth as he approached from an adjoining wall.
"Michael...a big man like you, afraid of a - now what was it you called me? A skinny little ass like mine?" Jareth's feral grin exposed his teeth, gleaming in the moonlight.
"I'm not afraid of you - but if I were you, I'd be getting ready for a major can of whup-ass. It would seem that I beat your little labyrinth." He turned away, preparing to jump.
"I'm warning you one last time - give up now or you will never leave my labyrinth alive." The sincerity in Jareth's voice filled Michael with unease. Nice try, pal, but I'm on to you...
"Look bub - I'm tired of playing your little game. Why don't you just flitter back up to your castle and leave me in peace?" Michael turned away and leaped.
Jareth shook his head sadly, his lip curled in a derisive sneer. "I gave you the chance....such a pity."
Michael quickly recovered and stood up. His breath caught in his throat - instead of landing outside the labyrinth near the garbage heap, he was surrounded by four walls. "This has to be some kind of illusion," he muttered. Michael walked forward feeling the wall in front of him, but it was solid stone. "My god...it's a trap."
No sooner did the words leave his mouth, than the walls with a loud creaking noise began to converge.
I told you...you would never leave alive....
Michael's mouth was suddenly bone dry. The walls where impossibly high and steep - there was no way to climb them, nowhere to go.
Sinking to his knees, Michael stared into the night sky. Elyssa, I failed you....
***************************
"Jareth...," Elyssa screamed with all her might. "Where are you, you coward? Jareth.....?" Exhausted, she fell into a heap, crying desperately. She watched the walls slowly close in on Michael, inch by inch creeping ever closer. "Please, please no...," she whispered. "Not like this, please not like this."
"My dear girl, I heard you screaming from miles away, whatever is the matter?" Jareth entered the room in a flash of glitter, rearranging the lace cuffs at his wrists, completely nonchalant.
Elyssa jerked her head up, "Save him, you bastard."
Jareth kneeled down next to Elyssa, "Save who, sweetling?" Elyssa wanted to rip the smile off of his face.
"I'll stay with you for as long as you want, just please save his life," Elyssa begged. Tears poured out of her mossy eyes, streaming down her face. Her puffy face which still had the remnants of blood from the scratch a goblin had given was grimy. Her tattered clothes a mess. In what seemed like an eternity ago, Elyssa had put her hair up in a chignon to practice ballet - it now streamed down her back in curly disarray. However, somehow seeing her begging at his feet filled Jareth with a desire so strong, it was painful. He wanted this woman - wanted to feel her tight, sensual body stretched against his. Jareth concealed his rising passion, showing only disdain.
"You can't offer me something I already own, Elyssa." He eyed her suggestively, enjoying as always her discomfiture at his roving gaze.
Shame filled her heart - something about the though of this man "owning" repulsed her. She fought back the urge to clobber him with her sharp tongue. Michael was dying - he had fought so hard to save her time and time again. She couldn't let him die - not like this. He's all I have left...
Her mind raced, struggling to come up with a solution - with something to offer. Suddenly, she knew...swallowing hard, Elyssa closed her eyes.
"You're right," her voice sounded strange to her ears, "you do own me - my body that is. But you don't own my mind - or my obedience." Her heart screamed in protest, but her mind silenced it's voice - This is the only way....
Intrigued, Jareth urged Elyssa to continue. This was suddenly getting extremely interesting. "Go on..."
"Save him...please... If you do, I offer you my complete and total obedience - I won't fight you. Just please...don't hurt Michael." Elyssa hung her head low, but she forced the tears to stop falling. I won't let him see my weakness...I can't let him see me so vulnerable.
I am such a genius, and I don't even know how I do it, he shook his head in disbelief. Can this really be so easy....? "Elyssa," his voice was gentle, almost soothing, "Elyssa, look at me."
The change in his tone shocked Elyssa, but she leery of his kindness. She forced herself to look into his mismatched eyes, waiting for his cruelty to return.
"Elyssa, if you agree to this, you must know that you can never take it back...," his eyes searched hers for understanding.
"It's the only way..." she whispered through numb lips. "Besides it's only forever...not very long at all."
Jareth walked towards where Elyssa still kneeled on the ground. Bending down, he helped her to stand. The long day, and lack of food finally caught up with Elyssa. Her head swimming from Jareth's sudden nearness, Elyssa placed a hand against her forehead. Suddenly blackness clouded her vision, sending her spiraling into oblivion.
Deftly, Jareth swept Elyssa into his arms, gazing at her sleeping form. "You did that on purpose, didn't you...." Sighing, he carried Elyssa out of the throne room, deeper into the castle.