A/N: Oh God, I'm so nervous to release this chapter, (wrings hands, takes a deep breath) – OK, here we go!
Please, please like it.
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Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or the characters in it, nor do I make any profit from this story in anyway.
Title: In Dreams, I Await Your Hand
Chapter Six:
Surprisingly, there was no pain. He thought he had been shot down by lightning after channeling energy from the labyrinth.
Groggy and disoriented, The Goblin King leans one hand onto the stone wall to help steady him. The soft crackle of static charge was slowly starting to dissipate. Into the darkness he peers and then realizes he is on a stairwell.
Trails and wisps of purple pink smoke drift off his white clothes.
White?
He looks down and sees that his outfit has changed. No midnight colored cape flutters behind his footsteps but a downy white mantle, hinged with a feathery material. He lifts his gloves and sees that they too are white.
Suddenly he looks upward, toward the entrance of the underground cave. A soft light highlights it opening.
Beyond that doorway he knew there were stars, floating pieces of his kingdom, and an unfulfilled contract between king and girl.
Beyond that doorway…
Sarah.
He knew if he had gone back and stopped the car wreck she would still die. Maybe not then but sooner than he wished. She was mortal.
If he could persuade her now, keep her here in the labyrinth from this point on, she would never grow old, never be in pain…in essence, she would live forever.
It is such a crucial moment. If she turns him down again, he would not be able to repeat this process, it would either kill him or the labyrinth. As such he had already done too much damage.
"But it will be worth it, if she lives," he breaths onto the cold stone wall. He momentarily rests his forehead against its cool rough surface. His heartbeat is loud and fast in his ears.
What if she does not want to live forever? His mind suddenly asks.
A white gloved hand punches the wall as a picture of her frail body being lifted from the car blooms in his mind. Blood streaking down her chin. The strange box next to her hospital bed with its ominous straight line…
His chest heaves at the involuntary image of her memory of him, holding a crystal out to her, fading into that unending darkness.
He could not bear her leaving.
"I will make her want me," he hears a harsh voice reply, rough with fatigue and anger.
With grim determination he ascends the stone steps, out into that dusty red rimmed light, and pauses.
It was just like his dreams.
Her back was to him. Her ebony black hair was long, covering most of the back of her white vest. Her hair slightly sways as she turns to him. The king feels himself exhale, a dull ache residing in his chest.
Sarah, alive and young, is full of angry indignation and yet a provoking determination.
He walks to her unbelieving, with his hands slightly outstretched, as if wanting to hold her but afraid she will fade away.
She cringes from him, suspicious, and steps back.
"Don't," he whispers, "please…" The question in his voice confuses her. She is shocked even more as the Goblin King uncharacteristically pulls her to him and holds her.
She looks up into his face startled. She had never seen him like this, so lost, in such pain, and yet he looks so relieved. Her mind races with accusations, and logically rationalizes that it is a last ditch effort to delay her, to keep her brother away.
But then she looks into his eyes.
His sigh wrenches her heart.
She has never been this close to him before, in no way looked beyond his role as evil Goblin King. She has never even noticed that his eyes are two different colors.
How can he look at me like that? She wonders, confused and yet lulled by his embrace. It's like… like… She rests her head on his chest and closes her eyes, and for a moment feel as if they are dancing.
Falling…falling in love.
He reluctantly pulls away from her. He smiles down at her. It is not the smile she saw when he entered Toby's room through the balcony. It did not promise mischief or pain. Goosebumps trail her arms and she blushes as she feels his hand, suddenly gloveless, trace a side of her cheek.
"Sarah…" he whispers like a gentle caress.
She pushes herself away roughly; the back of her hand swiping away what she felt was a mark, a hot brand left by a conniving king.
"G-Give me the child!" she stammers, unsure of herself, but in spite of it all determined to retrieve her brother.
He looks hurt; his face becomes pale in the soft moonlight. He frantically tries to grab her hand but she pulls away, afraid.
She does not know why she is crying.
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered" she says too quickly, shaking.
He grasps her hand and he gasps her name, her eyes widen, terrified.
"Time is short my love." He pulls out a crystal but now he is down on one knee, holding onto her with a desperate look in his eyes.
"W-what did you say?" she asks, unable to comprehend all the strange happenings at this moment. What was going on? Just a few minutes ago he was pointing to her with dangerous words and spiteful looks in the Escher room. What was it he said?
I move the stars for no one.
He opens his mouth and as if he read her mind, repeats the rest of the song, but to him there is new meaning to the words.
"Everything I've done I have done it all for you."
The orb is held not temptingly but in a frantic manner. His voice is soft, painful, affectionate…
"Sarah," he whispers, "I love you."
Sarah crushes her sight with the heels of her two hands and cries, willing herself to not look anymore. Her body is shaking.
What about her brother? What about herself? Her family? What about him, this king who was nothing more than am arrogant tyrant a moment ago, but is now looking at her like she was beautiful, precious…
Did he know? Did he know that her dreams involved someone loving her like that, with that same look in his eyes?
Shielding her eyes she does not notice the Goblin King. He has stopped looking at her and is now absorbed by what he sees in the crystal.
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Time seems to stand still. The Goblin King knows she is confused and in pain but he can not help her. His attention is riveted to the crystal.
How? He wonders as the crystal shows flashes of imagery. Children laughing in the park.
With incredulity he realizes they are Sarah's children. Snippets of her older self being held by her husband. A child being cradled in the night comforted by her, a mother.
The orb flashed one last image before fading into a shiny blackness. Her smile. The smile she never wore in his presence.
It was his most favorite picture of her, being hugged from behind by her daughter, as she wore the large blue dress and straw hat. She was pregnant.
Sir Didymus's voice whispers in his distraught mind, "But sire, what of the children?"
The goblin king's heart stops. If he stops her from returning to her world, she would never marry. Never have a family. What would happen? Would they just…fade away?
A dim part of him could still hear Sarah before him, crying.
What am I doing?
He quickly stands up and backs away, the crystal tumbling from his fingers and shattering on the floor.
Sarah looks up, startled by the sound of glass breaking and sees that he is dazed.
"Jareth?" she questions. His eyes widen at her use of his name.
Suddenly, there is a shift in him; she could not describe it any other way, something about him changed…hardened. He pulls the cloak around him regally.
"Really Sarah, you are more naïve than I thought falling for that little bit."
Sarah blinks, taken aback by the king's sudden change in demeanor. Even his voice was now harsh and if anything, more cruel than she ever heard it before.
"W-what?" she asks stupidly.
He steels his gaze at her, ruthless, walking fiercely around her with his hands behind his back.
"Did you really think I had fallen in love with you?" He stops by her side and makes a disapproving sound. "My dear, you are not the only one interested in the arts of acting…" He folds his arms in front of his chest and leans against one of the walls, trying to look as disinterested as he could.
How he hated this. He could feel her shock and pain coming off in waves, and it was being caused by him.
Sarah…he thought sadly, I want you to be happy. Only now I realize…
"I was wrong," he says, his words meaning two different things to either person. Sarah saw this admission as a criticism of the strength of her will. She did not know how ashamed he felt at that moment.
"I was only trying to distract you," he says haughtily, "To win my little gam-"
A loud slap interrupted his sentence and echoed in the misty room.
The strike came fast but he was expecting it. A red handprint graced his cheek, as he kept his gaze averted from her. She was crying. He could feel it from the air in the room, hear it from her breathing. He did not have to look at her to see the pain he caused.
"Damn you!" she cried, just as the clock started to chime. Both knew that at the thirteenth peal everything would end one victor and one loser. Sarah was determined to be the victor in this game.
She scowled at the king who continued to look away from her. They both knew what she had to do. She advanced on him as she spoke.
"I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city…to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great!"
This time though she was sure of herself. There was no bumbling of the last lines. He was shocked when she angrily grabbed his pendant and pulled him to her so that they were face to face. She kissed him fiercely, and then shoved him back.
"You have no power over me."
The clock struck the thirteenth hour. The goblin King closed his eyes and sighed as he felt the familiar stirrings of magic. He sadly looked at Sarah one last time and mouthed the word, "goodbye." He vanished before he could see her confusion.
Suddenly there was the rush of wind all around him, hurting his ears; stars hurtled past him so fast that they were streaks of white light. He was falling back, back through time.
His body slammed into the hard sun baked dirt outside his castle wall. It was at the very least, unexpected. Aching, he turned so that he was now lying on his back. He brought a gloved hand up to see what color it was.
Black.
He brought his fingertips to his lips, and touched the blazing memory of her heated kiss.
It was all for nothing.
Into the sun he stared, not caring if he burned. Not caring if he lived or died at that moment.
Two figures in the distance on top of a high tower watch him.
"He failed," croaked Hoggle. Tears fall down as he cradles his face with one of his rough work worn hands. "Sarah is dead."
Sir Didymus, takes off his cap in tribute to his lady, and puts a comforting paw on Hoggle's shaking shoulder.
"He did not win, Sir Hoggle…But our king did not fail," the knight says solemnly.
Everything was right in the world to Sir Didymus. He smiled, knowing that he served a king he could count to make the right decisions. He looked over the edge and saw his grieving king; a king he knew, he would give his life for in service.
"Come Sir Hoggle," he asks gently, "his majesty is in need of us."
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A/N: Um…just so you know there will be one final chapter coming soon. But it will have to wait, since my family is visiting. Please don't send me to the bog (pretty please). If you see any mistakes notify me about them (spelling, grammar, etc), thanks everyone.