Chapter 9- Shadows of the Past
The world seemed to be in shades of gray. It was as if Sarah had entered a black and white photograph from the past. She looked around; the landscape, though gray, was familiar. Upon further examination, she could see that this was the same place where she had first arrived after calling the goblins when she was close to death in the city. In fact, she could see the two trees that she had used to satiate her hunger. One change remained, however; in front of the apple tree, a silver sword reflected the sun's light, and a precious gem embedded in its hilt sparkled.
Things began to make sense for Sarah. This was the underground founder's sword of immortality! And the gem must be the emerald. Was she there to witness Jareth's betrayal? As if to answer her thoughts, the goblin king himself appeared, barely missing the spot where she stood. He walked over to the sword and stood in front of it, then sunk to one knee. It was then that Sarah noticed that tears were streaming down his cheeks. She had never seen him so emotional, so vulnerable. Feeling her heart break, she walked toward him, intending to place a hand on his shoulder. When she tried, however, her hand went right through him. It was then that she remembered that she was inside an image of the past, and would not be able to interact with the scene before her.
"I refuse to be surrounded by the worst the world has to offer," the image of Jareth was saying softly. "I have not done anything to warrant this treatment. I can be cruel, yes, but I can also be generous. By Faol, I will not watch my kingdom torn apart by betrayal and ill deeds." The distraught king's voice rose with every word, and Sarah held her breath. In a mixture of fury and sadness, Jareth reached for the hilt of the sword. "I have no choice. I must try to reunite the forces of darkness and light, or my kingdom will be destroyed." He seemed to be trying to convince himself as well as the unseen forces acting upon him. Without another word, he yanked the emerald from the sword, and grasped it tightly in his fist as the world collapsed upon him.
A shriek filled the night, drowning the world in shadow. Despite the howling wind that seemed to emerge from the sword itself, the goblin king stood his ground. The ground shook, and the tree of life's roots were now visible. The roots wound around the sword, and thrust it into the earth, healing over the soil where the weapon had been. In the very air, darkness seemed to mingle with light, evil with good. It was a sense, nothing visibly different, but the environment changing completely. Sarah's gaze snapped back to Jareth as he moaned, sinking to the ground and lifting fearful eyes toward the sky, where the immense shadow was gathering. He moaned. "What have I done?"
Suddenly, the scene changed for Sarah. She seemed to float in place as images from the king's life flashed before her, too quickly to interpret. Just as suddenly, the images stopped, and she was standing in a large hall. It seemed to be some kind of courtroom. She was standing on an incline, looking down into the center of the room. Two figures stood there, apparently being examined. One she recognized, the reason for her journey through his mind. The other was a figure cloaked in white, who almost seemed to be glowing. The two seemed to be addressing the court, which Sarah now noticed was seated around her. Their height above the room's center no doubt served to intimidate the speaker. Jareth was speaking now, glancing only sporadically at his companion.
"We ask the court for assistance in dealing with the shadows that plague the underground." His voice was strong and clear, none of the emotion he had shown previously visible. Even in his humbled position, he seemed to intimidate the members of the court. "The shadow brings death to all, creatures of both light and dark," he continued. Sarah noticed that one member of the court, seated in the center of the ring, was dressed in red robes, while the others wore black. This leading member stood, and addressed the room.
"King Jareth, ruler over the goblins; King Madriel, ruler over the elves; members of the high court. For the past 200 years, we have feared the return of Lord Faor's shadow, due to a mistake made by you, Jareth, the king of the goblins. Now, the shadow has returned once more, and you, the instigator of this problem, are asking us for help."
"As am I," interrupted the white robed figure next to Jareth. Sarah's eyes grew wide as she saw the man flicker, as if he were a hologram.
"Madriel, you have been most wronged by this man," the court official continued. "Why do you continue to defend him?" This was a statement, not a question. "Jareth has made his bed, now he must lie on it. The responsibility for the darkness that befalls us is his, and his alone." While the court official yelled, Sarah had been descending the courtroom steps, trying to get closer to the two monarchs.
"Have none of us previously made mistakes?" Madriel flickered again as he answered. "King Jareth was deceived by a known scoundrel, a worm who goes by the name of Grishnak. No creature is completely evil or good, surely you should realize this," the image's white robes waved, despite the occasional flicker. Sarah glanced at Jareth, curious as to how he was reacting to Madriel's defense. She expected him to be nodding, or pleased with the turn of events. But his gaze was icy, his anger directed toward the King of the light. Sarah gasped at the intensity of his wrath. She was now even with the two monarchs, and could see that Madriel was, in fact, an image of sorts; he was translucent. As the court discussed the new information, Sarah watched the two kings.
"Stop this nonsense," Jareth spat at Madriel, under his breath. "What do you care what they say to me? You know as well as I that it is my mistake, and my reparations that will end this." His eyes narrowed. Madriel simply smiled softly.
"Jareth, everyone makes mistakes. Why should you fight this thing alone, when we can help each other?" Both monarchs struggled to keep their voices lower than the court officials could hear.
"I don't need help from a bodiless weakling," Jareth spat. "If the court will not aid me, so be it. What I don't understand are your motives for defending me. What do you have to gain by accepting me, the King of the goblins and the darkness, as a friend? You've had it good, and I destroyed that. Do you understand that? I took away your body, took away the endless good that you and your kingdom experienced, every day, every hour. I did. Defending me is a waste of your time, and I don't understand what you have to gain by it." Jareth looked away from his companion. Madriel looked toward the sky. Obviously, this would be more difficult than he had guessed. The goblin king was not ready to let anyone break the wall of ice he had built around his soul.
"Jareth," Madriel spoke calmly, "You must realize that the key to restoring the underground's balance lies within you. Because it was you who took the emerald, it was I who suffered, and who now has the short end of the stick. You must balance the forces of the underground further in favor of the light, or darkness will overcome all. You know as well as I that Lord Faor pledged upon his death that any imbalance in the underground between the light and darkness would result in his return and wrath upon the living. If you continue to fight the goodness inside you, my friend, we will continue to be attacked by the dark forces of the underground's founder. Please, think about what I have said," Madriel quickly finished, as the court's officials turned to face them once more.
"Foolish man," Jareth said under his breath. Madriel sighed, and they both faced the court once more.
"We have decided," the man in red robes declared. "I'm sorry, but the court believes that the burden of restoring peace to the underground lies with King Jareth. We cannot assist you." Eyes downcast, the two monarchs nodded. Madriel gave one last glance toward Jareth, then faded from sight. Jareth simply turned and stomped out the door to the court.
Sarah's world was changing again; she tried to focus on the quick succession of flashes but could not. Finally, the world slowed and stopped, and she was in a new scene. This time, the scene was familiar. She was in her very own room in her father's house! The only exception was the décor. Instead of sporting the relics of fantasy that had donned the room from her adolescence on, this room was fitted for a baby girl. A mobile spun above a crib, and baby pictures and bookshelves adorned the walls. Stuffed animals created a fuzzy zoo.
Sarah's jaw dropped. A woman with raven black hair had entered the room, carrying a tiny baby.
"Go to sleep now, Sarah," the woman said, lying the baby in the crib. She smiled down at the small girl.
"Linda!" A distant voice was calling the woman's name. As the present day Sarah watched these images from the past, her eyes welled up with tears.
"Momma," she breathed, under her breath. The baby whimpered softly as the woman closed the bedroom door, leaving the room. After a moment, all was still. The mobile moved softly from a breeze that was flowing in the open window. Then a bird appeared upon the windowsill. A raven, black feathers ruffling in the slight wind, peered into little Sarah's room, then flew inside and perched upon her crib. In a shuddering of light and sparkle of glitter, the bird transformed. In its place was none other than King Madriel.
Sarah almost laughed at the irony. While the goblin king could transform into an ivory white owl, this monarch of the light transformed into a dark raven. Light and dark were indeed mixed!
As Sarah watched, she noticed that the king had an object in his hand. She gasped as she recognized what it was. Leaning over the baby's crib, the king whispered something unintelligible. Then, finding a bookshelf high above the crib, he placed a red, leather bound book in between the children's books that were there already. In another flash of glitter, the king was gone, and a black raven flew out the window, and into the night.
The flashing images came again, but Sarah couldn't concentrate. She was thinking of her mother, and the book that had been bestowed upon her. She had remembered once asking her father where the book had come from, and his distracted answer that he had no idea. Her father's answer had only added to its mystery and appeal, and the fantasy world contained within it had become her mind's primary occupation. She lived by the creed set forth within it, and it had become her reason for existence.
The next scene before Sarah was also familiar. She was standing next to Jareth, overlooking an elaborate maze.
"It doesn't look too far," she was saying stubbornly.
"It's further than you think, and time is short," Jareth answered. Sarah watched her younger self defiantly standing up to the goblin king. She wondered that she had ever been so shortsighted. She hadn't seen what was looking her straight in the face. Without warning, the world began to move again. Sarah was sure that she knew the next scene she would see; her rejection of the goblin king's plea. But before that scene, another surprised Sarah. She was in a hallway of what looked to be Jareth's castle. The goblin king himself hurried down the hallway, and disappeared into a room. Sarah followed.
"Madriel, you great idiot, you were right!" he suddenly shouted. In another moment, the air seemed to vibrate, and the white king stood in front of Jareth.
"I must be dreaming," Madriel said, "for I thought I heard the goblin king tell me that I was correct." Jareth smirked, for once treating his comrade civilly. "And what, dear friend, could have happened, to make king of ice begin to melt?"
"Not even you can annoy me today," Jareth answered, grinning. "For I have fallen in love with the most beautiful and stubborn mortal in all the aboveground." Despite the mixed compliment, Sarah felt her heart lurch at his declaration. Madriel was grinning and flickering in and out. Jareth was nearly bursting with pride. "Look," Jareth continued. He lifted a hand and formed a crystal. Within its depths, the two monarchs and the one unseen girl watched a 16 year old Sarah as she fought through the goblin city, alternately protecting and being protected by her three labyrinth friends. "Look at her determination," Jareth was continuing. "When she reaches my castle, I shall tell her what she has won. Her dreams, a place at my side, as my queen. Everything she has always wanted. If she only loves me, I shall be her slave." The king grinned at Madriel, sharing this news with the only friend he had.
Sarah turned her head. She knew what came next, knew the horrible mistake she had made. The world tilted and flashed past, bringing her to the edge of the world, the edge of her fantasy existence. She watched herself as she faced the goblin king. Watched him offer her whatever her heart desired. Why couldn't she have seen that the child was already won? The intimidating king bared his heart to her. He wanted only her love, her obedience, and everything she had ever longed for would be delivered to her. He wanted the only thing that she couldn't give. Power over her.
With an idly spoken phrase, the world tumbled. Sarah tumbled with it, the flashes before her now slowing. Jareth's look of disappointment, Madriel fading into nothingness, the feelings, such lack of hope. Mrs. Breanon, losing a child to the darkness. The labyrinth itself, groaning in pain as its inhabitants were mercilessly killed. A faceless shadow. A hooded figure. A glowing green emerald, the source of so much pain. Wide eyed, Sarah blinked back tears. Did he hold her responsible for all of this? Such hurt, such hopelessness. The world was still falling, tumbling, she reached out, trying to grasp anything solid.
With a thunderous jolt, the world stopped moving. A soft sound, like a crystal breaking, filled the silence.
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*SHOCK* 50 reviews! Thank you so much, everyone! I love reading reviews for this story! I was driving to work today and talking away to my car (who knows everything since I talk to it all the time) and managed to figure out the plotline for the rest of the story, so hopefully updates will be quick in coming! Also, anyone feel like contributing to a website? Read my bio for more info!
Pilas- Aww, thanks! Hehe, he's just so easy to love. ;-)
Born-Of-Elven-Blood- Thank you so much! I hope to post as quickly as possible, now that I know exactly where I'm going. This story has been pretty much writing itself, luckily!
Cherokeelady- Thank you! Yes, and you've picked up on another important plot point. Another challenge for Sarah, convincing Jareth that she was too young to understand the full implications of what happened. . .
draegon-fire- he's definitely not appreciative enough! Hopefully after seeing the glimpse of giddiness in this chapter, Sarah can understand the depth of his hurt.
Lady of Shallotte- Ha ha, no problem! And thanks! I've actually decided, since your comment, to make Madriel more of an influential character. So thanks so much for the continuing feedback!
Nekala- I'm so glad that you're getting into it! I'll keep going as soon as possible.
Sarah- Thanks! I hope your computer is feeling better!
Julia- Thank you! Uh oh, typos, huh? I think on that last chapter I finished it at 2am with my eyes half closed, and just wanted to get it posted, so that might explain why. . . I'll try to be more careful in the future!
Jessica White- I'm so glad you like it! I definitely suggest that you read more Labyrinth fan fics, there are so many wonderful ones out there. At the moment I've been reading the ones by Cormak. . . Really excellent writing. So many! And thanks for the input!
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