Chapter 7

Sarah stared at one of the mysterious crystal balls. It didn't seem to bother her that she could wield the same power as Jareth. That thought worried her, though. But what worried her most was that she knew Brad was going to fail in solving the Labyrinth. The images through this crystal ball revealed that Brad was a bumbling idiot. Sarah cried out in frustration and threw the ball against a wall in the castle, letting it smash into a million little shards. She sighed.

"Well, at least I have forever to figure out why I have this power," she said bitterly. She had been in the ballroom for the past fifteen minutes, hoping that something would be revealed. She still didn't understand what had happened between her and Jareth just a short time ago here. She sighed again and sank down against one wall with her head in her hands. She no longer knew what to do.

Jareth sat on his throne, trying to be his usual imposing self, but his heart wasn't in it. Truth be told, his heart was probably wondering the castle in the possession of a certain brunette. He groaned knowing that he was in big trouble. If this Brad happened, by some miracle, to complete the Labyrinth, Sarah would be gone back to the Aboveground and Jareth would probably never have a chance to see her again. If Brad failed and the whole lot of them stayed in the Underground, Sarah would forever hold resentment towards Jareth. He just didn't know what to do.

"Why me?" he asked no one in particular, even though there was a swarm of goblins and teenagers in front of him. For some reason, Sarah and Lynn were the only ones brave enough to explore the castle.

"Figures she would be one of the ones that stayed out of my presence." Jareth concentrated and tried to find her in the castle. When he did, he noticed that not only could he detect her presence, but also the presence of a lot of magic, almost as much as he wielded.

"This cannot be good."

Two pale blue eyes watched both Sarah and Jareth.

"Why must you two deny so much? Especially you, milady. Well, my work is never done."

Sarah conjured up another crystal to check on Brad's progress. It wasn't a pretty sight. He was too far away, and unless Pelly and Grake knew the Labyrinth better than Jareth himself, Brad wasn't going to make it.

"Shit! I cannot be stuck here with him," she screamed. All of a sudden her world started to get very hazy, like a fog rolling into her mind.

"What's going on?"

There was no answer. Sarah tried to find a way out but all she saw in her mind's eye was fog. Then out of nowhere, an old woman with the most captivating pale blue eyes ever came into view.

"Who are you? What have you done to me?"

The old woman came a little closer than stopped. She kept silent for a minute, almost like she was thinking and then she began to speak.

"Who I am is of no consequence. I am here because of you. You cannot accept who you are or what you should be. You wield the power of the Underground. Use it, manipulate what you must."

With that, the woman was gone.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Sarah called out. The fog was already dissipating, though, and she was slowly coming back to her conscious body. When she felt like she could control her body again, she stood up.

"What did that woman mean, 'manipulate what you must?'"

Then it hit her.

"If I can control the same power as Jareth, then I can control the Labyrinth," Sarah realized. She quickly formed a crystal ball and watched Brad try to make it through the Labyrinth. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. When she opened them, she could see a bewildered Brad standing on a wide path that led straight to the castle, with no stops. It even blocked the Goblin City off from it.

"Run," Sarah said to Brad.

Brad looked around trying to decide where the voice came from, but couldn't find it. He began to run though, and he ran straight to the castle.

Meanwhile, Jareth had fallen asleep on his throne. He was dreaming of the dance in the ballroom with Sarah. All of a sudden Sarah froze and her green eyes turned pale blue. She started to speak, but it was not her voice, still he listened.

"The others my be gone, but she will stay. She will fulfill her destiny. Do not interfere in what shall be."

Jareth wanted to ask her what was happening, but he was rudely awakened by a goblin shaking him.

"WHAT?" screamed Jareth, not at all happy to have his sleep interrupted.

"Sorry, your highness, but the mortal is almost here!"

"Well then do something. Stop him."

"We can't, Sir. The city is blocked off from his path."

Jareth conjured up and crystal ball and looked at what the goblin was describing. He couldn't understand what was going on and didn't know what to do. Then he remembered that voice. Do not interfere in what shall be. He knew that he could do nothing, so he simply watched Brad walk up to the castle doors and open them.

Sarah was also watching Brad's progress and she slowly made her way into the throne room with a defiant smirk.

All of a sudden Brad burst into the room.

"I'm here. I beat the Labyrinth, now you have to let them go."

"Ahh," said Jareth, "you have not beaten me yet, though. And look, you only have two minutes left."

Jareth smiled triumphantly, knowing the boy didn't know the words. Sarah also smiled triumphantly.

"Brad," Sarah said, still smiling, "turn to Jareth and repeat after me. You have no power over me."

Brad had long ago stopped trying to figure everything out and did as Sarah commanded.

"You have no power over me."

Jareth smirked and shook his head. No one could tell, unless they looked into his eyes, how much Jareth was hurting at the thought of losing Sarah. He simply closed his eyes and threw his crystal ball in the air and when it popped everyone disappeared. Or so he thought.

"JARETH!"

Sarah's angry voice announced her presence. Jareth opened his eyes and stared at the very angry young woman.

"Jareth, send me back."

"I-I did," Jareth said, bewildered.

"Oh really, then why am I still here?" Sarah demanded.

"I don't know."