Sorry if I've missed anyone off, I deserve to be eaten alive. Big thankyous to everyone who reviewed. (Pie licks everyone) Oh yeah, one of my wolfy muses wanted a part in this so he decided to sprout wings and become a Wolfbat. Everyone say hello to Fang (my brother named him).

lyn: More is here

Miss Mary Lou: You are very obsessed! This chapter is for you. Here's the requested duel and violence.

Gi Xian: Are you daring to talk to me in baby language? Get her Pie! (Pie leaps on to Gi Xian and proceeds to lick her) Aww nuts!

ItsACrystalNothingMore: I like your story where you and a friend get sucked into the Labyrinth.

Moonjava: Thank you for still reviewing

Solea: Ugg, roaches! By the way I love your story. Is it really finished?

jumping-jo: Maybe I should blast the fairies (Pulls out a laser gun)

Lady of the Labyrinth: I think Cub likes to chew on Fairies (he he)

Angela: Thank you for the long review. I love getting long ones and thank you for being patient.

sparkling silver angel wings: I would hunt him down but I'd much rather have Jareth teach us.

FaitBloddlain: Cheers

Lady-Seoh-Phoenix: You may be able to out snarl me but no one can out snarl Pie. Go on Pie (Pie barks) No snarl (Pie looks confused) Forget it.

batteredchild: Cub is a wolf cub that has large bat wings, hence my calling him a Wolfbat.

Disclaimer: None of the original Labyrinth characters are mine however Fang is, even though he seems to have a mind of his own.


Chapter 4: Arena

Sarah's eyelids flickered and she rubbed them leisurely. Best sleep she'd had in a long time. Now, what was she doing? Opening her eyes she looked around her in shock. Somehow she'd ended up on a sort of mossy couch in the centre of a large forest. Dappled green light played across the grassy floor. That was weird. The forest hadn't been like this last time. Now she became aware of the hundreds of eyes watching her from the trees. The Fairies were perching on the trunks and branches, just staring at her. She shuddered. What was going on? There was a low snarl from next to her and she jumped to her feet. Standing behind her was another Wolfbat. He was very similar to Cub only his fur was grey and he was a lot bigger. This Wolfbat also seemed more hostile. Speaking of Cub, what had happened to him?

"Nice…er…thing." Sarah backed away nervously. The Wolfbat opened its wings and launched itself at her, bringing itself up short before it hit her. It proceeded to circle her in the air and eventually landed at her feet. Hackles raised it advanced towards her, snapping at the air near her feet. Sarah got the message and started to walk, the Wolfbat following.

Sarah hardly noticed the beauty of the forest she was walking through. Her mind just wandered to how much time she had left and how Toby was doing. When she came out of her thoughts she found herself standing in some sort of natural earth hollow. Its banks were lined with Fairies and Sarah shivered. They all looked bloodthirsty and she was reminded of the Roman Games. Sarah gasped. They wouldn't…but glancing around she realised the hollow looked exactly like some sort of arena. Oh heck!

The Fairies started to chatter in an unknown language and the Wolfbat let out an ear-piercing howl. Sarah jumped and scanned the arena frantically. What was happening? Her eyes locked onto the source of chaos and her mouth dropped open. Jareth strode into the arena opposite her and threw off the black cloak he was wearing revealing a sword buckled to his side. Sarah gaped at the tight black trousers and loose fitting poet shirt. He started to have a conversation with the fairy next to him. Sarah saw his head jerk in something like surprise and he met her eyes. An amused grin spread across his face. She gulped.

"Hello there Sarah," he approached her across the arena. Sarah stepped back and almost trod on the Wolfbat who gave a warning snarl.

"Hush Fang," Jareth ordered, "You may withdraw." Fang slunk away.

Sarah stared at Jareth, at once terrified and angry, "What's this about Jareth?"

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. Always assuming that I'm behind everything bad that happens to you."

"Well you are! You brought me here!"

"Sarah don't defy me," Jareth warned.

"I'm sick of you saying that," she muttered, "so if you had nothing to do with this what's going on?"

Jareth glanced at her. She seemed somewhat alarmed at what was happening, "The Fairies caught you I assume?"

"Yes" she hissed,

"The Fairies like to make sport of things they catch."

"Sport," Sarah squeaked,

"Fencing matches usually."

"And where do you come in?"

"Why, I'm the one they choose to fight the matches, I thought you'd have figured that out by now. I like to keep in practise." Jareth stated, mismatched eyes glittering in mischief.

"Is there anyway out of this?" Sarah asked desperately. There was NO WAY that she was going to face Jareth in a duel.

"Nope, you'll have to fight me to get out,"

Sarah franticly wracked her brain for an answer, "Couldn't you just call them off?"

"I could," Jareth admitted, "but where's the fun in that?" He smirked.

Sarah stared in disbelief, he couldn't be serious, but just one look at his face told her he was in deadly earnest. Oh she was going to get him for this.

Jareth saw her eyes spark angrily. This was going to be interesting, "Are you sure you know how to fence Sarah?" He taunted. He knew she could, she'd done it as a sport all through school and had been one of the best in her class. But he enjoyed seeing the look of fury on her face.

"Just worry about yourself Jareth," she growled and picked up a sword from nearby.

"Begin!" Jareth smiled and their swords clashed.

Sarah just focused on the two swords for the first few moments as the lessons she'd taken came flooding back to her. She found that Jareth was a very good fencer and was slightly concerned. He hadn't actually told her what happened to the losers of these duels. Sarah decided to take advantage of the fact that Jareth wasn't going to go anywhere to ask the one question that had she'd been burning to know the answer to since she'd dropped in,

"What have you done with Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didimus?"

"Hmm…" Jareth looked up from the swords, she was good, better than he'd thought.

"My friends?"

"Oh them," he would have waved a hand dismissively had he not been engaged, "I couldn't have them helping you again could I?"

"What did you do to them?" Sarah accused,

"I only put them in an oubliette,"

"You did WHAT!" Jareth was driven backwards by the force of her blows. He gazed at her; boy was she beautiful when she was angry.

"You act as though I'd killed them or tipped them into the bog, Sarah, which is exactly what they deserve for treason."

Sarah backed off momentarily, she hated to admit it but he was right. "Jareth you are impossible!"

"Thankyou," he gave a mock bow, "I am delighted to see I cause so much frustration. It becomes you when you're angry."

Sarah gritted her teeth and lunged again. "How dare you flirt with me? After bringing me here and…"

"Sarah!" Now Jareth's eyes were flashing, "How dare I? You, my dear Sarah, were the one that called me!"

"But I didn't mean to and you know it!"

Jareth lost his temper, "And whose fault was that? You know Sarah that every time you wished for me subconsciously I heard you. Every time you were in pain and your mind cried out, I heard you. Do you know how much that hurt me? That I could not come to you could not protect you! I need a verbalised wish to appear and I begged you to let me but you are so stubborn aren't you? You wouldn't do it! No, I had to drag you here on a technicality!" Shoot! She'd made him lose it. Oh crud! She'd made him admit he'd begged. Even worse, she'd made him admit she'd hurt him. 'There goes my dignity,' he thought bitterly. He had to get that back somehow.

Sarah seemed to digesting this as they continued to fence the swords a dancing blur. Was it true? No, she'd never wished for him subconsciously…had she?

"I never wished for you Jareth," better to deny it.

Jareth was really annoyed now. First she'd made him confess to a load of stuff he hadn't wanted to own up to, not even to himself and now she was denying everything. All right that tore it. No more messing around. Time for him to regain control of this situation.

Sarah was taken off guard by the sudden change in Jareth's attack. He was being more aggressive, his attacks more skilled. It took all her concentration to stop him break down her defences.

Jareth smiled in satisfaction at the look of fear that crossed her face.

Sarah was losing. She knew it. Her arm had gone numb from absorbing the blows and her breath was coming in short gasps. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a white blur. Gathering the remainder of her strength she drove towards Jareth. He took a step back and tripped over the small Wolfbat that had positioned itself behind him. Jareth kept his feet but his concentration had broken. Sarah took advantage and thrust her sword under his chin.

"I win!" She stated.

Jareth just looked at her, a crafty grin on his face. "You win?" he raised an eyebrow and vanished. Sarah stared at the empty space at the end of her sword. No way! That wasn't fair. She felt cold metal caress her throat and her breath caught.

"You win?" Jareth repeated in her ear.

Sarah had frozen in terror, "You cheated!" She choked out.

She heard Jareth chuckle. "I cheated? But Sarah, I believe the cub tripped me up, not you." Darn it, he was right again. She hated that.

"Now drop your sword," he hissed. Sarah felt his hot breath on her neck and shivered dropping her weapon. She could feel his body behind her. Sarah knew she was trembling but she wasn't sure if it was entirely from fear or something else. Like how close Jareth was standing to her.

"Surrender?" He teased from behind.

"Let me go Jareth." She bit her lip; best humble herself, "Please."

Jareth almost dropped his sword in shock.

"What happened to the fiery Sarah?" He asked.

"Fiery Sarah didn't have a sword pressed to her throat," she replied. Jareth smiled and removed the sword. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well continue," he gestured with one hand and bowed her past. "You," he pointed a finger at Cub, "I'll deal with you later." Then he vanished. Sarah couldn't believe he'd actually let her go. What was he planning? There had to be a catch. Nothing in the Underground came freely. Sarah remembered her brave rescuer and looked down at Cub, "Thankyou, so much for trying!" Cub barked and wagged his tail. He loped out the arena and Sarah followed.

Jareth balanced the crystal on one finger. That had been fun. Although he was still kicking himself for blurting out that stuff it seemed Sarah hadn't actually paid any attention to it. He saw Sarah had a thoughtful expression on her face. Thinking about why he let her go probably. Maybe she'd view him as less of a villain now…not that it would matter after he put his plan into fruition.


You aren't very nice Fang! (Fang gives a wolf smile) I didn't know how to make Jareth confess all that stuff because I just couldn't see him doing it voluntarily so I had him lose his temper.