The Way Forward Is Sometimes The Way Back:
Sequel to Labyrinth
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, shape, or form own Labyrinth, its characters, its scenes, or quotes. They all belong to the geniuses Jim Henson, George Lucas, David Bowie, Brian Froud, Dennis Lee, Terry Jones, & Trevor Jones. I only own this fanfic storyline and the characters I made up (if I make up any).
Note: Just a reminder, Sarah and Jareth are going to have flashbacks to Labyrinth throughout this fanfic, so their flashbacks, which will be a flashback of images, sounds, or both, with be written in Bold and Italics like this…
Note: If Jareth is going to sing aloud (not in flashbacks) it will be in Italics just like in subliminal thoughts, but since he is singing aloud it will be in "quotes"…
Chapter Nine: How You've Turned My World, You Precious Thing…
Sagira quietly came into Sarah's room, her presence unobserved. As she brought a new change of clothes in for her king, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. I know what it's like to miss the people you love, Your Majesty… Sagira thought, sadly.
The Goblin King had not left Sarah's side since she slipped into a coma three weeks ago. He hadn't eaten, changed his clothes, bathed, or had any real sleep in three weeks either. He'd change clothes occasionally at Sagira's request and Sagira had to have Midori step in and get the Goblin King to eat so he wouldn't completely starve. Sagira rarely saw him sleep, and when he did, he would wake almost immediately, as if he feared Sarah slipping farther and farther away from him.
Sagira was very much worried for Sarah. She had been helping Jareth tend to Sarah when she had been conscious, helping him change her, helping occasionally with the fits, bringing food. When she heard Sarah had slipped into a coma, Sagira had locked herself in her quarters and cried for hours. After the other servants were able to coax her out and she realized how selfish she was being, Sagira continued to help her King, trying to keep him from going out of his mind.
Sagira made her way to her King, a change of clothes on her arm. He didn't seem to be asleep, just unaware of anything around him. He was holding Sarah's hand, gazing at her intently as if trying to summon her from the dark recesses of her comatose trance. Sagira kept herself from gasping as she saw there were no gloves on the hands of her King. You have unquestionably transformed His Majesty, Sarah… Sagira thought, ruefully.
Sagira cautiously put a hand on His Majesty's shoulder. His Majesty had told her to disregard formalities, but Sagira was still hesitant. "Your Majesty…" she said, humbly.
Jareth did not turn to look at Sagira, but said, "Yes, Sagira…?"
"I've brought you a new change of clothes… You've been in those clothes too long, Your Highness…"
"It doesn't matter…" He said, beginning to stroke Sarah's hand gently.
Sagira became irked as she heard herself saying, "You cannot keep doing this! Going for days without eating or sleeping or bathing or changing your clothes…" Sagira continued fuming, as she heard herself continue, "She would not want to see you like this… Try to be rational…" Hearing how out of status she was behaving, Sagira cast her eyes down to the ground and added meekly, "…Your Highness…"
Sagira heard the Goblin King take a deep breath and she glanced up and saw him hang his head.
"I know… I'm being irrational and ridiculous and inane…" the Goblin King sighed, as Sagira heard him cry, "…I… I just can't leave her, Sagira… I can't… I told her I wouldn't leave her… I won't!"
Sagira, knowing she was out of place but not knowing what else to do, tried to comfort her king and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sarah knows you are taking care of her, but she would want you to take care of yourself too, Your Majesty…"
The Goblin King let out a shuddering breath, as he said, "I know… You're right, Sagira…" He chuckled then added, "And for the thousandth time, Sagira, call me Jareth… please…"
He began to slip back into misery, and Sagira gently rubbed his shoulder trying to calm him, to keep him from hyperventilating. She suddenly heard him say, "…She finally admitted it…"
Sagira became confused as she said, "Admitted what?"
"She loves me…She finally admitted she loves me…"
Sagira could feel Jareth's shoulders becoming rigid as he recalled what had happened, "Before she slipped into the coma… We were talking, she had just endured an especially brutal fit… She said she'd been thinking about love and why mortal people want it so much… She was even able to figure out why…"
"What did she say was the reason?" Sagira asked.
Jareth tore his gaze from Sarah for the first time and looked at Sagira, tears in his eyes.
"Because it's the closest thing they have to magic…" he choked out.
Sagira could feel tears welling up in her own eyes, knowing Sarah was so wise as to discern something with that much heart and soul. Sagira was surprised as she suddenly saw tears fall down the face she had come to know as merciless and cruel. He began to sob and Sagira held onto him comfortingly, feeling her own tears fall with Jareth's.
"I… can't… lose… her…" Jareth sobbed.
Sagira felt herself beginning to sob as well, as she choked out, "I know… I know…"
The two friends held each other and sobbed as their friend and love lay dormant in her lethargic stupor.
Another week went by and nothing changed. Sarah continued to lie in her coma with no indication of ever awakening. Jareth had begun to take care of himself a little bit more at Sagira's persistence of bathing, eating, and sleeping. But he still sat by Sarah's side, compelled to stay by her side so that he would be there the moment she woke up… if she ever did.
He had tried not to think about if Sarah never woke up, but as the days went by, he began to lose hope. Finally on one day, he refused to think pessimistically.
NO! He told himself, I will not let our magic flicker out… She will come back to me… She has to… Our magic will bring her back to me… Our magic…
Jareth's thoughts began to dwindle as he heard himself singing, "How you've turned my world, you precious thing… You starve and near exhaust me… Everything I've done I've done for you… I move the stars for no one…" he grasped Sarah's hand as he continued, "You've run so long, you've run so far… Your eyes can be so cruel… Just as I can be so cruel… Though I do believe in you… Yes, I do! Live without your sunlight… Love without your heartbeat…"
He squeezed Sarah's hand, hopefully as he changed a word and utter the last lines, "I, I can't live… Without you…" He looked at Sarah's face hopefully, looking for some indication she had heard him. Her face had not changed, but deep down, Sarah felt a tugging in her soul at the sound of his voice calling to her.
Not seeing any change, Jareth hung his head, but then began to sing, woefully, "There's such a sad love… Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel, opened and closed within your eyes… I'll place the sky, within your eyes… There's such a fooled heart beating so fast, in search of new dreams… A love that will last within your heart… I place the moon within your heart…"
Thinking of her agonizing epileptic fits, he potently sang, "As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you… Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all… But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down!"
Jareth gripped her hand, as he vocalized, "Falling… It's falling… Falling in love…" He searched Sarah's face as he continued, "I'll paint you mornings of gold, I'll spin you Valentine evenings… Though we're strangers til now, we're choosing the path, between the stars… I'll lay my love between the stars… As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you… Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all… But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down!" He began to vocalize, and continued, "Falling… It's falling… It's falling… It's falling… It's falling, falling in love…"
Jareth felt the tears welling up in his eyes as he remembered Sarah lively and active. Suddenly, a small movement caught Jareth's eye; a flutter. Sarah's eyes began to flutter. A movement so meager sent waves of relief and encouragement through Jareth's body.
He gasped happily, choking back tears as he leaned closely to Sarah, stroking her face gently. "Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me?" Her eyes would flutter occasionally, but she made no other movements. Jareth leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Sarah's lips and proceeded to place tender kisses all over her face.
"Come back to me, Sarah… Come back to me… Let our magic lead you back…" He whispered.
Light flooded into Sarah's room, as Jareth began to stir. He remembered the previous night, Sarah's eyes fluttering at the sound of his voice, at the sound of their song. He knew he would try again today. He moved his head a bit, his long blonde locks trailing over Sarah's blanket. He remembered he had finally fallen asleep sitting by Sarah's side, his head on her bed, along her side.
Jareth murmured sleepily as he shifted, making himself as comfortable as he could be, leaning over a bed, half sitting. He told himself he would give himself a few more minutes, then he would stroke Sarah's face and sing to her more. That seemed to get the most response from her.
He felt fingertips stroke his blonde locks. He murmured at the sensation, feeling at peace. His eyes opened quickly, realizing he was alone in the room, except for…
He quickly turned his head and saw an awe inspiring, angelic smile on her face, that gazed down at him, full of spirit.
"Sarah…" he breathed. Before he could realize what he was doing, he was sitting on her bed, his arms wrapped around her, crying into her hair.
"I knew you would come back to me…" he cried happily into her hair.
"Our magic led me back…" she whispered.
"I knew it would!" he cried. He looked into her face, seeing tears of her own streaming down her face. He gently brushed them away and said, "You must never leave me again, Sarah, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't woken up…"
Sarah answered gently, brushing way his tears, "Even if I did, we would not stay apart… We couldn't… The magic will always bring me back to you…" Honesty and sincerity shined brightly in Sarah's eyes.
"Still… I risk losing you like this again…" Jareth said, seriously, "I want you to be mine… No matter what…"
"What?" Sarah asked, unsure of what Jareth was suggesting.
Jareth suddenly got off the bed, kneeled on the ground and conjured a crystal and held it out to her with his left hand.
"Sarah, I ask for so little… Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want…"
Sarah's eyes began to gather tears as she listened to Jareth's familiar words, knowing what he was asking of her.
"Just fear me, love me… Do as I say, Sarah, and I will be your slave…" Jareth continued.
"Jareth…" Sarah breathed, searching his eyes.
Jareth took Sarah's hand with his right one as he twisted his left wrist and the crystal changed into a sparkly engagement ring.
"Sarah Lynn Williams…" Jareth said, looking lovingly into Sarah's eyes, "…will you give me the honor of becoming my wife…?"
Tears of happiness welled up in Sarah's eyes as she felt herself nodding her head profusely.
"Yes… Yes, I will…"
Jareth smiled, slipping the ring onto Sarah's finger, then rose up and took Sarah's face in his hands. Sarah cried happily, placing her hands over Jareth's, enjoying the feeling of their skin touching. Jareth slowly brought his face to Sarah's and placed a warm kiss on Sarah's lips then he slowly and delicately placed small kisses on Sarah's tears.
Jareth looked deeply into Sarah's eyes as he said intently, "I vow I'll always be there for you…" He smiled as he added, "…as the world falls down…"
Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did… I couldn't stand to agonize Jareth for too long, and I'm sorry, but I'm dead set against the whole "Sleeping Beauty" concept of he sings to her, kisses her, and she awakes from her deep slumber as he does. I tried to make it more realistic by her regaining consciousness gradually overnight… And I had to get them engaged… You don't suffer and endure all that pain and agony and stay where you are in your relationship… Oh, and I just had to put in something for Sarah's middle name and I chose Lynn because that's Jennifer Connelly's middle name… I just liked the sound of those… "Sarah Lynn Williams"… "Jennifer Lynn Connelly"…