A/N- Thanks to everyone who replied to the last chapter, even if there weren't as many of you as I was hoping for! And many thanks to my beta, Gibby. It is only because of her this chapter is even semi-coherent.

Chapter Two

Jareth did not know what had caused the Labyrinth to rot, to begin a slow decay into stupidity. It had not been this way once, he knew. He sprawled over his throne, fluid muscles relaxing calmly. Once, there had been beauty here. He had ruled over ethereal creatures, and every day had been full of grace and culture. There had been been those who had ran the Labyrinth, but they had become part of his realm if they failed. He had been their king, and now...

He opened his eyes, allowing them to take a lazy sweep of the entire room. It was chaos. Small goblins were chattering amongst one another, and the whole palace was caked with grime and filth. Every day, he would wake, reveling in the memories of the former splendor of his kingdom before coming to rule over this stupidity. He was the Goblin King indeed, now, although he could almost feel what he had been before, could reach out to grasp it, touching the memories that lurked at the edges of his mind...

His thoughts were interrupted by a feeling, something that called to him with a succinct, clear voice from Aboveground. He calmly summoned up a crystal, posture remaining lazy but as soon as he saw the figure reflected in the sphere, something in him stood up, on edge. A part of him was ignited, and there was gleam to his eye, forcing his mouth agape in awe and bitterness...

Sarah stood in the crystal, singing, losing herself into the music. He could almost feel the exaltation that ran up and down her body, the heat of the stage lights on her form...

Jareth stood suddenly in a lithe, cat-like movement, realizing something. None of his creatures even looked up from their bizarre play, not even taking heed to the royalty and command that extended over his entire body.

But still, he murmured, voice velvety-soft, "I have a performance to catch, and I do believe I'm running late." Sharp teeth pointed in a malicious grin as he swept out of the room and into one of the corridors, preparing to enter the Aboveground in his mind.

------

Sarah finished the song, finishing the last, ringing high note of Christine easily, diaphragm was firm and vocal chords relaxed. She fell easily into her character. At first, she had been adverse to performing The Phantom of the Opera, figuring that it was out of her range and that she would not be able to identify enough with the heroine. But slowly learning the part and beginning to understand the Phantom had changed that, until the lines between actress and role blurred and bled into each other.

The boat on stage stopped, and the song faded around her. There was nothing in Sarah's mind that compared to the joy of being on stage. She could feel eyes watching her, thousands of eyes from the audience, and it did not frighten her. It thrilled her in a way that she could not describe, because she knew they watched with awe and envy, that they were slowly being caught up in the fabric she and the Phantom wove together.

When she performed, she fell into the character in an intense way, drawing upon her inner fantasy and empathy. She would slowly regain herself after everything was done, but right now... right now she would have answered to the name of Christine.

Music fell upon her ears, slowly pulling her into its warm embrace with the haunting, beautiful enchantment of "Music of the Night." She found that it was all-too-easy to allow herself to be seduced, entranced, vulnerable in a way that frightened her...

...heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination

The Phantom's eyes were on hers now, and he was as throughly pulled into the part as she was. He reminded her of someone else, someone whose name she cold not place... The unnamed figure's eyes had not been gray as were those of the Phantom now; they had been blue and they had burned.

Your eyes can be so cruel...

Sarah did not allow her composure to break, only taking in a small breath. Where had that come from? She could not think of him, not right now, not on stage, not while she was performing. She had done this a thousand times. What was different about this night?

Silently the senses abandon their defenses

Helpless to resist the notes I write

Her coworker, a man named Alan, had noticed her distraction, and was over-singing somewhat to compensate. She smiled, reassuring him, and allowed the music to enfold her again, losing herself in the rhythm. His hand reached out to hers, and as their fingertips touched, what felt like an electric shock ran through her. She knew it had nothing to do with the chemistry of their characters.

------

Jareth had retreated to the sanctuary of his elegant bedchamber. It was a place of quiet solitude, dark red drapes and stone floor never ceasing to reassure him with their solemn majesty. He sat quietly on a dark, wooden throne, eyes closed. He was not even aware of his surroundings, as deeply draped in magic as he was.

He felt her heartbeat as a steady pulse within him. Her soul called for his, pleading with a voice it did not know it had. He reached out with senses that reached beyond him, cloaked in his magic. With eyes that did not see and a touch that did not feel, he felt and saw. The defenses evoked by the slightest touch from him rose up, and he withdrew before she lowered them again. Her mind and her dreams were splayed before his fingertips, innocent and susceptible.

He slowly encompassed the music that was growing within her heart, holding it until he was part of it, woven into the pattern that the actors were making, becoming part of the song. As Sarah reached out to encapsulate that music with her soul, he waited...

------

The music was more a part of her then anything else, now. The song was not as naïve or as pure as it pretended to be; it was seduction, the slow awakening of her spirit. There was a darkness that lurked underneath the whole thing, that threatened to pull her under if she was not careful. The song was sheer passion, raw with the force of love.

She closed her eyes as the Phantom came close enough to touch her, withdrawing only at the last second before his hand could caress her face. This part of her job was all too easy to fall into, to get lost in.

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor

Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender

Behind her down-swept eyelashes, she saw... him. She opened her eyes, panicking before the music--before Jareth-- called to her, seducing her with promises of fulfillment... and she could not resist. She remembered everything that had passed before, and was caught in-between the adult world and fantasy before she surrendered.

He stood before her in her vision, her greatest threat, her greatest desire. She could sense that this was not a dream as the others had been; no, she was back in the Labyrinth, fighting him for her brother, except this time was different. His sharp, cold beauty regarded her, mocking her. His gaze, however, was not mocking or condescending; he seemed to burn with power and some kind of intensity that she had not seen in him before.

Turn your face away from the garish light of day

Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light

He beckoned to her with his intensity, with every fiber of power that seemed to radiate off his being. When his gaze met hers, she felt herself come ablaze with lust and need, even as she was vaguely aware of Alan touching her neck, caressing her softly like the thousands of times they had practiced.

And listen to the music of the night

She was no longer concentrating on the music; she had fallen into it, into the darker part where the Goblin King lurked.. In her mind, she saw the Goblin King sauntering over to her, and he seemed to be an animal after prey, every movement predatory and controlled. He reached out, touching her shoulder, fingers tracing lightly over her arm. She shivered, unable to control herself. A smile danced across his lips before it was gone.

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams

Purge all thoughts of the life you knew before

"You need me, Sarah," he whispered in her ear, voice at a low, dark pitch meant for her ears only. "And I need you." She jerked away from him in her vision. She had practiced what she was performing on stage so much that it did not require conscious thought. She could give her mind to Jareth while her body remained in the role of Christine.

Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar

And you'll live as you've never lived before

"I need nothing from you," she hissed, jerking away from his touch. The smirk on his lips faded, replaced with what she saw as anger.

"I have offered you everything," he growled, voice low and predatory in the back of his throat. "There is nothing that I can refuse you, Sarah."

She sneered then, contempt forming a thin veneer covering all the other emotions that simmered beneath her skin, threatening to run rampant.

Softly, deftly, music shall surround you

Feel it, hear it, closing in around you

The Phantom's arms had encircled her, and she was liquid in his embrace, even as it was not the Phantom she longed for. Jareth must have seen it in her eyes somehow, for he smiled quietly, lips pulling back to reveal pointed teeth. The Goblin King in her vision reached out tenderly, stroking her cheek from behind, and small flames of heat between their skin seemed to ignite at his touch. Sarah pulled away, feeling like she was tearing flesh from flesh.

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind

In this darkness which you know you cannot fight

"Everything you've done, you've done for me, right?" She threw his own words back at him, anger forming a thick, steady pulse within her. Her rage was irrational, and she did not know why he provoked such vehement feeling from her. All she felt were her teenage feelings, and the knowledge that sprung up from deep inside of her that she had to resist.

The look in his eyes was hard and demeaning, angry and far crueler then she'd ever seen him.

The darkness of the music of the night

"No matter how many pretty songs you sing, it always ends the same way."

Her voice had softened now, and she was coaxing, not accusing him.

Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world

Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before

The words to the song were bittersweet as she turned away so he could not see the tears she imagined to be on her cheeks.

"Leave me," she whispered softly, brokenly.

Let your soul take you where you long to be...

"Sarah," he breathed, a promise contained in those two syllables that she longed for with all her heart. The Phantom had moved away from her now, and emptiness pervaded her world, far more lasting then the apathy she usually experienced.

"Leave," she said again to the Goblin King, voice stronger, and he did.

... Only then can you belong to me.

Sarah took a shaky breath on stage, swaying for a moment as the audience looked on with astonished horror. She was cut off from the dream-world, and for a moment, everything spun wildly before she plummeted to the ground, body succumbing to the terror her mind had experienced.