A Prophecy Speaks
a/n: I do not own labyrinth. The Henson people do. I wanted to thank everyone that has read and reviewed. I am so far into the story that I cannot stop now. And we are far from the end. Keep those reviews coming!
Editor's Note: By reading this you are agreeing to sell your soul to me, Ammendiana. I accept email and snail-mail.
Chapter 20 –or- Worlds Apart
As promised, the morning after her betrothal and coronation Sarah heard her name being whispered in the air. She walked over to her vanity mirror and concentrated on the source and willed the glass to see, just as Jareth had explained once. When she opened her eyes, she was looking through the mirror at her little brother. It was surreal.
Toby's room was a mess, and he did not look so hot either. She would help him clean his room when Jareth showed her how to change into her owl form and fly to the Aboveground. She needed to know that so that when he was gone she could answer the pleas for a baby to be taken. But for now, she wanted to know why her little brother looked like he had not had a decent night's sleep.
"Hi Toby," Sarah greeted him.
"You look different," Toby told her.
"I am not human anymore, Toby. Changing species will do that to you," Sarah replied.
"What are you then?" he asked, ever the curious boy.
"Fae. Immortal," she shrugged.
"Mom's taking a nap. Sarah, she is really sick." Toby told her. Sarah knew that was the reason her little brother looked tired. His only relative in the mortal realm other than Aunt Gladys was sick. She felt so bad that she could not be there for him yet.
"What's wrong with her?" Sarah asked.
"Some kind of acute leukemia," Toby told her. She could see he did not know what it fully meant.
"Who is taking care of you?" Sarah asked him.
"Aunt Gladys is here. She is in mom's room. Sarah, what will happen to me when Mom dies?" Toby asked her.
"How do you know she is going to die?", Sarah asked him.
"I overheard the doctors telling Aunt Gladys that the leukemia was terminal. Terminal means death. I am smart enough to know that."
Sarah was not happy. Poor Toby had no one. And after his mother died, he would be alone. Sarah was not going to let that happen.
"Toby, I have to go right now. I will not abandon you to Aunt Gladys. She can't cook and she smells like cats. Do me a favor, ok? Call on me tonight, after Karen has gone to bed. Can you do that?" Sarah asked him, and he nodded.
"I love you, Sarah," Toby said.
"Love you too, squirt," Sarah said before she brought herself back to reality.
"Jareth!" Sarah called as soon as the mirror cleared. Jareth popped up almost as soon as she said it, and she whirled around and he could see tears and desperation on her face.
"What's the matter, Sarah?" Jareth asked her.
"Tell me, right now, that we can bring Toby here to the palace to stay until his spirit fades." Sarah stared him down.
"Why would we need to? He has a mother in the mortal realm," Jareth reminded her.
"He won't have anyone except for me very soon," Sarah told him.
Jareth was slightly shocked, but recovered.
"Why?" he asked.
"His mother has acute leukemia. It is a terminal mortal disease. She is already so sick she cannot take care of him. Aunt Gladys is there but barely paying him any mind. Aunt Gladys is Karen's only living relative. She smells like cats," Sarah said as she wrinkled her nose.
Jareth knew what Sarah was asking for.
"Sarah, if you want to bring Toby here you have to know he will not be an immortal, a Fae. He will remain as he is, a mortal. He will age, he will die. Tell me you know this," Jareth told her.
"I know, but at least he would have me until then," Sarah told him.
Jareth nodded. He then sat about teaching her how to change into her owl form and how to fly. They could not do this without changing. He told her to envision the owl in her mind, and let herself flow into the image. The first time she did it her feathers were too short, the second time her wings were too long. When she finally got it and took flight, Jareth watched in awe as she glided easily on soft wings. Tonight they would fetch Toby from the mortal realm, and bring him here, where his real family was.
Later, Sarah checked the buttons on her white shirt. It had been a while since she had worn mortal clothes. Jareth looked distinctly uncomfortable in his jeans and button down shirt. His hair was magically short and he looked every inch a regular mortal. A very sexy mortal. He glared at her a little and she laughed. Jareth looked down at the sneakers on his feet Sarah had conjured and sighed. Sarah gave him a soft, lingering kiss that always made him feel like he did not want to wait until marriage.
Agee had prepared a room for Toby across the hall from Sarah's. It was very bare at Sarah's direct order. She wanted Toby to be at home here and felt he should pick out the decorations.
Sarah smoothed the front of Jareth's shirt and waited for Toby to call her.
It was not long before Sarah heard the call. She knew her brother well. She and Jareth turned into their owl forms and flew to the Aboveground.
In London, Toby stood in his bedroom waiting for his sister to show. His mother was not going to survive many more days, the cancer had just taken her too quick. It snuck up on you, according to the doctors. It made him very sad, and very angry. But the only ray of hope was that Sarah was taking him to the Underground to live with her. He could be just Toby down there.
A soft fluttering of wings outside his window caught his attention. He walked over and undid the latches. The two white owls flew into his room and slowly transformed into two mortal versions of his sister and the Goblin King. Toby cried and ran to Sarah, buring his face in her chest and sobbing. Jareth was understanding and left them alone for a moment.
After a few minutes Sarah pulled herself away from Toby. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she handed the boy to Jareth before walking out of the bedroom and down the hall.
Sarah walked into Karen's bedroom and found that Aunt Gladys was not in there. Sarah suspected she was downstairs, getting a nip of brandy. Sarah walked to the bed where Karen was breathing laboriously and looking half-dead.
"Karen? It's me, Sarah," Sarah said. Karen's eyes fluttered in recognition.
"Tooooooby," Karen said, weak as a kitten.
"I'm taking him with me, Karen. He knows you are dying. I am getting married to a wonderful man. I am not going to let Toby live with Aunt Gladys. I am going to take him tonight. And I promise I will take good care of him. I am sorry you are dying. I wish things could have been different between us," Sarah told her stepmother before she stepped out of the room.
Toby was not crying as much when she came back into the room.
"Toby, you need to go say goodbye to your mother," Sarah told him. He nodded and left the room.
Sarah looked at Jareth and he just sighed. Jareth had not known how badly cancer could affect a mortal.
Toby came back not a few minutes later with fresh tear stains on his face. He looked bravely at Sarah.
"What do you want to take with you, Toby?" Jareth asked him.
Toby indicated a few things, as well as all his clothes. Sarah also wished to take her vanity.
"For our daughter," Sarah told Jareth. His eyes shone.
Sooner than they thought, they had transported Toby to the Goblin City. Sarah showed him to his room, and used a crystal to change him into his pajamas. Sarah ushered him into bed.
"Close your eyes," Sarah told him, pressing a hand to his forehead. She sent a surge of power into his forehead that put him immediately to sleep.
"Does His Highness require anything else?" Agee asked her.
"His Highness," Sarah asked her.
"He is Your Majesty's brother, is he not?" Agee asked her.
"Yes, he is," Sarah told her.
"Since Your Majesty is Queen, His Highness is a Prince. Not one in line for the throne, but still a Royal Prince of the Goblin City," Agee explained.
Sarah laughed. Like an eleven-year-old boy needed more things to stroke his ego.
"No, His Highness just needs to sleep. In the morning please bring him scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. He will like that," Sarah told Agee. Agee made a note of it. Sarah retired to her rooms.
Jareth was sitting at a chair in his room, sipping a glass of wine when Sarah appeared. She walked to him and sat on his lap. He had changed back into his normal attire, and with a thought she was back in a nightgown and robe. She was tired.
"Where is the royal nursery?" Sarah asked him, surprised she had not asked before.
"There are three separate rooms. Toby is in one of them. There are two more next to it. I am surprised you have never seen them," Jareth told her.
Sarah just shrugged.
"When do you leave for The Woods?", Sarah asked him. The Woods were where the assorted magical creatures that did not have kingdoms lived. It was seen as common ground for everyone to have a meeting. Sarah would stay here and take care of business while Jareth went to find out what they were going to do about Nogrod's mad quest to take over the Underground.
"A month. Then I will be gone a month. I will come back exactly a month before the wedding," Jareth told her.
Sarah sighed and laid her head on his chest. It was not long before she got up to go to bed. Jareth kissed her before she left though, and she slept the dreamless sleep of someone who was entirely too tired.
Author's Note: A close relative of mine died of a form of acute leukemia. It sneaks up on you and kills you very quickly. Nasty disease. But I did not make it up. That is all.