The Lovers, The Dreamers, And Me

by AngelGlass

Two years after her husband died, Sarah is doing her best to live a fulfilling life. Having read The Labyrinth with his Uncle Toby, Sarah's six-year-old son, Ben, makes a wish to meet the Goblin King. As they all spend time together, they grow to care for each other deeply. So deeply that perhaps, Jareth and Sarah will fall in love, even as imminent danger looms over them all.

20. Chapter 20

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The chapter was written before the war in Ukraine. Any similarities are entirely coincidental and I hesitated to post this due to it seeming like I was exploiting the situation for a fanfic. This chapter was inspired by many things, mainly human history itself, which goes to show that history really does repeat itself, I suppose.

However, that's unrelated to why it's taken me so long to post it. That's because I realized I had a huge plot hole and work got unexpectedly crazy so I didn't have time to edit the story because I would come back home and just sleep.

Know that any help to Ukraine is very helpful, even 5 Euros or USD goes a long way. I recommend donating directly to Ukrainian organizations if possible. If you are an animal lover, a lot of conservations need your help. Many local conservations in your country (like Kansas City Zoo) has set up funds to do just that. I myself donated to CARE (and international organization) but I will make another donation directly to Ukraine soon. If you have already done so, thank you for your help! One of my very good friends is in Ukraine and I'm very worried about them so this war is more personal to me for that very reason. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

---

"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."

-Mister Rogers

---

After a light meal, Jareth taught her some rudimentary magic.

Sarah looked through her crystal, moving blocks of stone miles away with her mind. She dropped them, exhausted, sweat dotting her brow. "How do you do this without getting so tired?"

Jareth handed her a handkerchief. She took it gratefully, wiping her forehead. "You're using energy from within, which is easier, but more tiring. Imagine walking instead of biking. It's faster to bike but more difficult when you first start out and more tiring after the same amount of time."

"I tried to use energy from the air around me like you said, but it's a lot harder than it looks," she said. Damn, was this how her students felt while she was teaching them?

He held out an ungloved hand to her. "Try to use mine."

She pursed her lips together, and despite the looming danger before them, she couldn't help but smile when Jareth gently nudged her fingers with his. "You sure? What if I use up your energy?"

"You won't use all of my energy, I will make sure of it." He pushed his hand closer to hers, placing a finger in hers.

She took his hand and tried to reach for his magic. She felt it intertwining with her hand like invisible threads tying them together. Jareth had explained earlier that everyone's magic had a distinct signature that was usually only felt when they shared energies like this. His magic was wild, well-controlled and comforting. She felt safe with his magic like a cocoon of soft blankets on a rainy day.

"Now," he whispered in her ear, curling his hand over hers. "Make a pyramid with those rocks next to the Wiseman's statue."

Sarah drew energy from him, a bit too much, making the rock fly through the air and hitting a statue that swore quite loudly. "Hey! Watch where you're going. Stupid rock."

She jumped, but Jareth steadied her. "Mistakes happen. Go slowly. Take a little at a time."

She breathed slowly. Ideally, she would learn how to move small things directly in front of her first, but she wanted to be able to use magic to aid Jareth if and when the time came. She pulled a little bit of his energy, trying to lift the rock. It floated slightly before falling back down. Determined, she harnessed more energy and lifted it, placing it on top of the other until she made a pyramid.

"See?" He put a proud hand on her shoulder. "You just need more practice. Think of the progress you've made already."

She chewed the inside of her cheek, unable to really revel in the happiness. "Just so you know, I hate your plan."

"Yes, I believe you've said that at least ten times since we started this practice session," he said boredly, doing his best to not take her bait.

"I'm serious," she looked right into his eyes, furious that he was being so calm about it. "It's not so much about being being queen in your absence. Since wishing Toby away, I've never been one to shirk from responsibilities and getting things done. Like you said, I have actual competent people like Samuel, Lorraine, and Mara to help me. It's the fact that you think you might not… come back."

They had yet to really discuss why he may not come back. For Jareth, he didn't want her to worry too much. For Sarah, she was terrified that saying she would make it come true if she said out loud her fears, they would come true somehow.

"I need to have contingencies." His icy, calm expression didn't change.

Sarah didn't budge in her stance, but she did look down in sadness. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"You know what hurts? Your lack of faith in me." He tossed a crystal in the air, spinning around and catching it. His tone was playful, but his eyes betrayed how frightened he really was. "I may get scratches from the Erlking, but I'm sure that I will be fine. I don't make bets without believing I will win." He stood over her, tall and radiating power.

She didn't back down from his stare. She didn't when she was a teen, she wasn't about to now. "I hope you know I only agreed to this because I know I can't change your mind."

He shook his head. "No, you won't."

They practiced drawing magic from the Labyrinth, coming to Sarah easier than taking Jareth's energy. He taught her how to use a crystal to track him while in the Labyrinth, and Sarah found that easier than anything she did. Probably because of her connection with the Labyrinth itself. She practiced more, not quite the best at aiming but was good enough.

At least, she hoped this was the case.

---

As Jareth got ready to send a reply to the Erlking, Sarah went to greet his family, not having done so yet. She was surprised to find Ben and Toby with them, but felt happy all the same. She curtsied. "Your Royal Highnesses."

She thought she had been nervous to meet them at the ball, but it didn't compare to now. While his parents had been nothing but kind to her, eventually, she and Jareth would take things to the next level and they may see her with more scrutiny if she was dating their son. It happened a few times with past boyfriends.

Besides, if things went well, perhaps they would be her family too one day. She valued their opinion of her just as she had once valued the opinion of Ethan's family.

Iliana waved it away, getting up from the floor to kiss her cheeks. "We can do away with titles here, my dear."

It was amazing to her that this was the same woman Jareth had described as loving her royal status when she was younger. Sarah supposed that Iliana really had learned about the important things in life, that titles were more or less arbitrary compared to the people that resided in the world. Perhaps one day, her mother, Linda, could be like her.

The desire was ambitious and unlikely to come true, but Sarah would still hold out on hope.

Julian sat on the floor with Ben, showing him some sort of block that reminded her of a Rubik's Cube. Ben waved at her. "Hi Mommy! Did you know that Julian is Mister Jareth's Daddy? And 'Liana is his Mommy? And Ruben and Ava are his brother and sister?"

"We're working on teaching him to say her name right," Toby said loud enough for Sarah to hear but not for Ben to.

"Is that so?" Sarah knelt down next to him, taking the block that he handed to her. "What do you think about that?"

"They can do magic too!" Ben showed her a doll he made out of paper. "'Liana made it dance for me."

Iliana waved her hand, the paper figure moving on its own like a puppet. Ben stared at it in awe. "Like that, Mommy!"

"Yes, I can see that!" Sarah watched with Ben, hoping she can learn how to make such sophisticated movements soon. The anxiety of it all landed in the pit of her stomach. She just got Ben back, what would happen if Jareth failed to negotiate with the Erlking?

Ben turned to Julian, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "If Mister Jareth is a king, why are you a prince?"

"Because I do not rule a kingdom, young one," he responded with a warm smile. He then spoke to Sarah. "I can tell he's yours. He's very intelligent."

Sarah grinned, needing the praise after all the turmoil that occurred. "Thank you. He gets a lot of that from his father too, and the people he interacts with like yourselves."

"You flatter us, dear." Iliana had that same mischievous twinkle in her eye that Jareth did. "How is Jareth? He hasn't seen us since this morning."

"Probably going hysterical," Ruben mumbled. "I know I would be."

"I tried to ask if he needed help, but he told me to go away." Ava rolled her eyes. She kissed Sarah's cheeks in greeting, lingering on a little longer than she had the princess to. "Pleased to formally meet you, My Lady."

"You don't have to call me that." Sarah couldn't stop staring at Ava. She looked so much like Jareth, it was uncanny. It seemed that she should have been Jareth's twin, not Ruben's. "Even your mother said we can do away with titles."

"I'd rather not incur my brother's wrath," Ruben said, kissing her cheeks as well. "He was very clear that you were to be treated like the Champion that you are during the party."

Sarah couldn't help but blush, something the whole family found especially endearing. "That's kind of him."

"And smart," Ava chimed in. "I'm not saying that he wouldn't do it anyway, but imagine how it would look if he was beaten by someone who wasn't that great. Elevating you make him appear stronger than if he dismissed you."

She supposed that was true. "Ah, I see."

"Hey, your turn, Ruben," Toby pointed at the chess board.

"Excuse me?" Ruben raised an eyebrow. "I am above playing with cheaters."

"I'm not cheating!" Toby groaned, face-palming. "When a pawn gets to the opposite end of the board, it turns into a queen."

"It does not!"

The two bickered and Sarah couldn't help but laugh a little. She sat next to Ben. "Hey buddy, I'm going to be busy today. So is Jareth. You stay with your Uncle Toby and we'll join you later, okay?"

"Okay Mommy." He hugged her.

"Bring us news when you can, please?" Julian asked her. "I know he's trying to protect us, but he needs protecting too."

Sarah knew that all too well. "I will, I promise."

---

A few days later

Sarah woke up before the sun was up, getting dressed and practicing some magic. She couldn't sleep longer than a few hours last night and it was driving her nuts. Something was happening and she couldn't shake off that bad feeling.

There was hardly any time to be alone with Jareth. He tried to supervise her magic or at least be around when she was practicing while he signed off on documents. She helped him with Goblin Court along with Samuel, who also thought she was amazing at it. Or she was helping playing host to his family along with Ben and Toby. Or she was discussing with Jareth and others other ways to further fortify military bases from the Erlking.

Too antsy to read more on magic, she found that Jareth was also awake and in his office.

He had his back to her when she came in, hands clasped behind and staring at a window. When he heard her walk in, he turned to face her, looking as tired as she was. His face betrayed no surprise at seeing her there, as if he knew she would come to him in his hour of need. "I just received word that the Erlking will be here in a few hours. He has asked to meet me in front of the castle."

Sarah didn't say a word. She just walked to him, letting her broken expression tell him everything that was in her heart.

They pulled each other in for a desperate kiss, not having the time to really focus on how they felt about each other in the flurry of the past few days. There were moments where she wanted nothing more than to hold him, and Jareth felt the same, but their duties got in the way. And if there was anything Sarah learned from spending time with Jareth, sometimes duty had to come before the heart.

She melted into the embrace, opening her mouth to feel his tongue slide against hers sensually. He carried her to his desk, still kissing her with every ounce of adoration and passion that he could. It consumed her to the point where she almost forgot the horrors that lay behind and ahead of them.

Almost.

She pushed him a little, stopping the kiss before it could get more heated. The fear of losing him truly set in her bones, breaking her will into a million pieces. "Jareth, I don't want you to go to him." Her last encounter with the Erlking had created a chasm of a wound that was still fresh, and the last thing she wanted was for her beloved Jareth to face him again so quickly.

"I'm a king, Sarah," he said hoarsely, kissing her fingers. "I must put my kingdom before myself."

Sarah nodded. "I know. Leaders can't stay behind while the battle is happening. They have to be in the front, actually leading everyone. But," she caressed his cheek. "Not every leader is the man I love."

Jareth smiled softly, gently kissing her face. "If you asked it of me, I would abandon it for you. For the woman I love, I would be selfish." Though his words said one thing, his eyes said another, pleading for her to not put him in that position.

Sarah covered her face with her hands, trying to stop the tears. She couldn't bring herself to beg him to stay, not when his kingdom depended on him. She took a moment to breathe deeply, putting herself back together. She pulled him for a hug. "I know. I can't do that. I can't ask that of you." She sighed heavily. "You said so yesterday that there was a chance he could… eliminate you." She squeezed her eyes shut, tears falling to his shirt, no longer caring.

He enfolded her in his arms. Sarah listened to his heart beat against his chest, savoring the steady beat, realizing that it was in time with her own heart. Smiling at this, she tip toed so she could place a kiss on his neck. She squeezed him a little tighter.

Sarah had already gone through an incredible amount of loss in her life, and Jareth didn't want her to go through another. It pained him enough to think that he might not survive this encounter. However, it didn't compare to the thought of Sarah's grief should that happen. For Sarah, for his kingdom, he would not allow himself to fail. "While I know I set some contingencies, know that you won't lose me, Precious Thing. I promise you." He took her hand, flattening it against his own. "I swear this oath to you."

Their hands glowed then dimmed. Both looked at their joined hands, puzzled at the magic that just tied them together. Neither spoke of it, sensing the sacredness of what just occurred.

"Perhaps I should put you somewhere safe," he said softly. "Is there a particular place you'd like to go?"

Sarah shook her head firmly. "No. If you're going to stay here, then so will I. I won't abandon you. We'll do this together, okay? I love you. I won't leave you. And besides, if things get nasty, you need someone to lead along with you."

Jareth smiled. That made him even more in love and more sure of his decision to make her his regent in case things went south. He still wanted to cart her off to somewhere safe, but he knew better than to take away her agency. "And I love you, my Precious Sarah. This is why I trust you."

Sarah pulled him close again, pressing her lips to his cheek. They kissed again. Slower this time. More deliberate, memorizing the way the other person felt against them. Their scent. Their body. The sound of their breaths warming their faces.

Jareth pulled back to gaze at her, before he changed his mind and took them both to his bed. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes hooded, and lips swollen from the intensity. She had never looked lovelier, and he wanted to see her look like this forever.

Unbeknownst to him, Sarah was thinking the same. His smile was almost boyish, his hair a little brighter and wilder, his eyes glinting wickedly. She liked this side of him, the side that was happy.

The side that yearned for her.

---

An hour later, Sarah, Jareth's family, Mara, Lorraine, and Samuel gathered around a crystal. The Erlking had reached the castle and Jareth went with his army to speak with them.

Toby was with Ben and Sarah's three friends, who Jareth allowed back in the castle. She suspected he did this not only because he knew how much this meant to her, but because if something happened to him, she would need all the support she could get.

Sarah touched her lips with her fingers, still feeling the sensation Jareth's lips on hers. She wanted him back safe and sound as he had vowed.

As for Jareth, he tried to push thoughts of his kiss with Sarah out of his head, lest he get distracted. For a moment, he considered putting her somewhere safe and away from all of this without her consent.

But, as he thought more of it, he realized that if something bad were to happen, there was no one else better to replace him. Not only would she have the respect of the nobles as Champion, she already got the respect of many of his subjects who could relate to her more humble lifestyle in comparison to his.

Yes, this was the best place for her to be. He could only hope that she would be protected by his trusted people as he'd protect her.

The Erlking stood with an army of Raí, facing Jareth who had his own trusted guards. He angled his head up high, a sinister curve on his lip in an almost-smile. "Goblin King."

Jareth, glancing at the creatures on either side of the Erlking, glad that he was dressed in his all-black armor. A wise leader should be prepared for war, but should never use it as the first tactic. "Prince Anwir."

The smile crawled up on his face like a snake. "Have you come to inform me of your agreement?"

Jareth didn't even blink. "No."

The Erlking's eyebrows rose, in mock disbelief. "I see. Perhaps you need a little more convincing."

"I assure you, I do not. My kingdom is not up for negotiation. Where are my grandparents?"

The Erlking's haughty expression twisted to one of disgust. He no longer looked like the charming man who seduced the High King. "Both are in good health. Your grandmother is still in the palace, in a luxurious room with everything she would ever need. She has defied the High King and may have her status as his consort stripped should she continue to do so. Your grandfather has given me the rights to represent him, to come here. It was his idea, I might add."

In the past, Jareth would have called it a bluff. Now, after seeing how cozy his grandfather and the Erlking had been, he wasn't so sure that Anwir wasn't telling me the truth. "Why?"

"Who are you to question the will of the High King?" The Erlking challenged. "The Dreamworld is dangerous to us and humans. Your power has gone unchecked and untamed, otherwise how could I have escaped? Not that I'm complaining, just stating the facts."

What made this all the worse was the Erlking wasn't wrong. Shouldn't Jareth have the power to send the Erlking away? Why couldn't he?

"You post a danger to the Underground and you stand in the way of a united world with that of the mortals. If you cannot comply, then I will have no choice but to destroy it and you, for the danger that you pose. I would know very closely why, after being imprisoned wrongly."

While Jareth was certain that the kingdom itself and the dreamworld would survive (for the world of dreams was not one that could be destroyed so long as there were living beings), he did not want to risk the lives of his subjects. He did not work to give homes and a second chance of a happy life to the Wished-Aways just to sacrifice them in a twisted game of chess now. Their lives were not disposable, not any more than his.

He held up a crystal. "If you are so confident that you can rule the world of dreams, that you can rule dominion over the Labyrinth, then I suggest you run it. Every monarch has had to run through it all the way, why should you be any different?"

He had discussed this with Sarah, who actually came up with the idea herself. He thought it was brilliant.

The Erlking chuckled. "Run it like your little Champion did? Speaking of Sarah, where is she? Keep her somewhere safe, away from me? You have nothing to fear, save that she will find me more enticing than you once she comes around to the idea."

Jareth knew that the Erlking was just trying to rile him up. He would not allow this. It also brought him relief to hear that the Erlking thought Sarah was hiding. The last place he would expect Sarah to be was in the seat of power as his regent. "No. She ran it as a Wisher. Those terms are different, as the runner is not allowed to use magic and the Labyrinth's appearance is altered by their dreams and expectations. As you did not wish someone away, you will run for the throne where you will face the Labyrinth as it is, not with the safety net of your dreams being manipulated by a monarch. Will you or will you not?"

He seemed to think of this, mulling the idea around in his head. "I will, but under one condition." He stepped forward, open hand gesturing at Jareth. "You will run against me, and no one will be allowed to hinder the opponent person or to cause them harm. I will not run otherwise."

Tension built between them, the whole kingdom holding its breath as the unexpected offer came. They had planned for nearly ever answer but this, this obvious one. Jareth thought of Sarah, sitting in the throne with his trusted staff surrounding her. Forgive me, Sarah.

He swallowed thickly, not changing the expression in his icy mask. "We will both be stripped of our magic. No creature of the Underground outside the Labyrinth will allowed to aid either us. Your Raí will stay in the dream realm, until the end of the run. To make this fair, I will also relinquish my powers and status as the monarch of this land until it's over. We will be at the mercy of the labyrinth. Whoever reaches the center first at the end of thirteen hours, wins."

The Erlking raised his hand for a shake. "Deal."

Jareth placed his hand in his, shaking it.

---

Sarah stomped towards Jareth as he made his way in the throne room. "What were you thinking? I swear, if you die, I'll fucking kill you myself-"

Jareth put a hand up to her face, not looking at her.

Sarah wasn't about to put up with this. "You're just going to ignore me?"

Jareth faced everyone else, who either looked terrified or rightfully pissed, also yelling at him. He gestured for Sarah to come to his side. She still yelled at him, but complied all the same.

He held out his hand, summing her amulet, holding it up. At this, everyone quieted. They all knew what it meant.

"To all the witnesses here, I hereby proclaim Lady Sarah Lynn Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth, as the interim Goblin Queen and my heir. She has all the rights and claims as a queen until the end of the Run or upon my death, including commanding loyalty from my subjects." He placed it over her head, then coming to stand next to her. "I say this with a clear conscious and without any mental reservations."

He raised an eyebrow at the group. Mara, Lorraine, and Samuel got to the ground on one knee. They crossed their right arms across their chests, bowing their heads. Mara spoke first, the others joining her as they said the words at the same time. "I declare my loyalty to Sarah, the Interim Queen of the Goblins. I vow to serve her patiently, honestly, and to do good to the Goblin Kingdom."

His family stared at him, still in grave shock. What surprised him most were how his siblings seemed to worry for him, their spoiled nature finally coming into contact with reality. He stopped them all before they could say anything. "This is just a precaution. I have every faith that I will rise victorious."

His father's exhausted, down trodden face made him even more sad. "Jareth, be careful, son. We will be here when you come back."

Jareth nodded, glad to hear that his father had faith in him. "I will, Father."

His mother came to hold his face and kiss his forehead, giving him her blessing. "Be safe, my eldest."

"I will, Mother."

Sarah, on the hand, was still outraged. Her jade eyes flamed with fury, but she said nothing of it. Though still furious, there was a calm current of thoughtfulness surrounding her. "You're really cutting yourself off from everyone, huh? No creature of the Underground besides those residing in the Labyrinth can aid you?" She looked at him knowingly.

Ah, so she did understand. Jareth smiled with pride. Of course she did, otherwise, he wouldn't have trusted her with his throne. "Yes. But he won't play fair. He'll play by the rules, but not fair."

Sarah's lip curled to a smirk. She scoffed, but he could see that she was still angry at him. Still, she would do what needed to be done. "No, he won't be fair. But that just means we have to stay one step ahead of him."

---

Jareth placed his hand on the wall. Just as he suspected, it no longer recognized him as the lord of this place, having relinquished his magic and his right as king for thirteen hours. He walked along the moss-covered walls, not coming across anything for a long time, even as he tried to search for openings.

It was strange to not feel the familiar hum of energy under his gloved fingertips, the current of power that protected him as he protected it.

He sighed, trying to not think of this as a possible mistake. He had to believe that he was doing the right thing, that he was going to succeed. That he would go back to Sarah and everything would be fine. If he did not, he already failed.

By the time he reached a pool of water, he expected that it had been a few hours since he had left the castle, but who really knew in a place that intertwined with dreams? Sitting down, he took a survey of the place. A beautiful river, the water clear with some rocks and sticks at the bottom, looking quite shallow. The current was very slow, enough that he could walk in it. He couldn't transform to fly, so walking straight in it was the next best thing.

Shedding his boots and strapping them to his back, he stepped in to wade in the water.

Terror seized him as his whole leg then body fell in, his lungs collapsing. He swam up just enough for one large gulp of air before he was pulled back in, shocked at the shallow water that was not so shallow after all.

While Jareth was a fantastic swimmer (he had to be, goblins tried to drown each other often and magic was sometimes too tiring to use), he never cared for it in deep places. Small lakes and pools were fine, but not something like this. It was as if something sinister was always hiding beneath the beautiful depths, waiting to strike at any time. Unlike the air, where everything was left exposed except for the clouds that could keep you safe.

He twisted, seeing the creature that grabbed his ankle, letting out a voiceless scream.

---

Prince Anwir walked along the Labyrinth, studying it closely. He placed his hand on the wall, feeling the warmth from the vines. "In thirteen hours, I will have dominion over this place."

He couldn't feel the energy of the maze yet but he knew that he would, once he had his magic back. There were tales of past Goblin Kings and Queens who got drunk on the power that The Labyrinth provided, dying an early death because they took on too much of it all at once by saturating their bodies with too much magic. Even for a fae. Some were wiser, like King Jareth, who was careful in when he would use his magic. As much as he detested the man, Anwir had to at least admit this in Jareth's favor.

Anwir wasn't so careless. He knew how to harness this ability without hurting himself in the long run. He had spent a long, long time crafting his revenge and escape. He wasn't about to let this child of a king beat him when he was so close.

Not when this was his birthright.

He found himself at the bottom of a seemingly endless flight of stairs, so much moss covering it that it was as if the stairs were made of moss itself, the cement barely peeking through. He stepped back some, stepping through with not only inhuman speed, but with the abilities that even the fae don't have.

When he reached the top, he found himself able to see the entire Labyrinth. He was so high up, he might as well have been at the top of the world. The castle was a tiny speck, a tower cutting through a cloud.

Seeing trees that were also high up, Prince Anwir jumped from tree to tree with his unnatural abilities. King Jareth had said no magic while in the Labyrinth, but he said nothing about consuming magic of dreamers to use before the Run.

---

Jareth woke up feeling numb.

He groaned, looking down to see his hands and feet bound with what appeared to be rope. Upon close inspection, he saw that it wasn't rope, but seaweed.

He floated, suspended by the seaweed. There was a bubble around his head, keeping him breathing but a gag was around his mouth. He was bounded so tightly, the circulation was cut off from his hands and feet.

Shit.

In the now murky water so far from the sun, it was almost impossible to see what was actually happening. He thought he saw something swim past him, but he couldn't be sure.

He turned his head to the right and jumped, a fish-like creature staring at him. He recognized the creature as one of the species of merfolk, the ones that caught him earlier.

Unlike other species of merfolk that lived amongst the faerie, the ones in the labyrinth were bloodthirsty and would not hesitate to eat them like piranhas. So why was he still alive?

The merfolk's mouth opened, revealing multiple rows of razor-sharp teeth coming to chomp at him. Jareth moved out of the way, lifting his hands up to shove into the mouth, cutting his hand but at least was able to cut through the binds. Twisting himself, he was now able to break apart the seaweed on his feet, though with a lot of effort. He grabbed the end of one of the plants and smacked the merfolk in the face.

He quickly swam away, going up as quick as he could but not so quick that his body wouldn't acclimate to the pressure as it lowered. The merfolk still caught up to him quickly, and he used a stick that floated up to him to jab it in the eye.

As it screamed in pain, Jareth could see into its mouth. In place of a tongue, he saw a disgusting looking bug, ashen gray and slimy with two beady eyes. He had heard of these creatures before, but hadn't ever encountered them. They were parasites, taking control of the merfolk and use their bodies to do their bidding until their hosts or themselves died. If they died before their host, the hosts would die soon as they wouldn't have the ability to swallow food without a tongue. If the hosts died first, they would take control of another victim, usually trying to keep them in a place before they would take over the body when they knew the host was dying.

The merfolk must be dying, and the parasite intended to make Jareth its next host.

He looked back at the merfolk's eyes, realizing that in trying to survive, he hadn't noticed how dead it seemed. How it was moving around like those of the undead. He felt sorry, and would have spared the merfolk's life if the parasite hadn't effectively killed it already.

Jareth swerved to the side, but was too slow. He was caught in a grip under the arm. Lifting his fist up, he collided it with one side of the gill, causing the grip to slacken. He quickly grabbed the merfolk's head and snapped it in half, ending its misery.

The parasite tried to attack him but he caught it between his hands and suffocated it before it could.

---

Anwir fell, coughing from the smoke in his lungs. The Winds of Fire blew at him while he was jumping in the trees, making him fall to the ground. Without the power of dreams he had consumed, he would have died.

It wouldn't do him good to get arrogant now, he had to remember that there was a goal to reach.

He thought of all the fae that would be united under his rule, with King Rian under his thumb. Anwir cared for the High King, but Rian was a fool who didn't know how to actually rule. He had seen this from the days when Rian was the crown prince, having spoken to him and hearing his intimate thoughts while in bed together. As soon as he came back to Rian's life, Anwir was made a trusted advisor and Rian took all of his advice, disregarding even his wife's thoughts.

He didn't mind, for he would rule for the both of them. He would once again open the borders between the faerie and the humans, not to mention the dreamworld. He could do so much with this power, to take revenge upon the people who disobeyed him. He would be the one everyone looked to, would be seen as glamorous and cherished.

Yes. They would do anything he asked of them to experience even a morsel of pleasure that he could provide.

Before his imprisonment, he learned how to create Raí. He had a connection to the world of dreams, reaching into the plane opposite reality to pull the fears, anger, and everything else fueled with darkness to create the Raí. They were not true sentient creatures, but rather, shadows of everything "wrong" with the world. He didn't see it this way, for even the perverted desires in his eyes had use in the world.

In the human world, they spoke his other name, Erlking, in fear instead of his true name. They would be consumed by him without realizing it, feeling euphoria before they suffered greatly. They were dispensable, too many of them existing anyway. He took their dreams one by one while he hibernated, slowly leeching their life force for himself, until Sarah Williams came to the Underground, her powers growing but unable to use it. He used her powers to come to the castle and took her son to feed off of his fears as it was easy to do that to a child, hoping to gain more and more power to face off with Jareth.

Unfortunately, that didn't work. He knew that the Goblin King cared too much for his sweet little human, and was prepared to bargain for her, though he wasn't sure how to do that. When Jareth offered to run, he took it.

He would win. It was always his destiny to win. It was his birthright to win.

With this in mind, he grabbed a rock and threw it at a baby barn owl that happened to be roosting. It cried out in pain, and he chuckled at its misery.

---

Jareth did his best to dry his clothes, tempted to walk around naked but figured that would be a bad idea. If there were parasites that ate tongues, he didn't want to know what other appendages they might eat off of him. He was, after all, very proud and very attached to his… "royal jewels."

He wished that he could have his magic back, to have dry, warm clothing, but it wasn't meant to be. He sighed, and kept on trekking.

His stomach rumbled. What he wouldn't do for some of those cinnamon rolls that Sarah made. He would have to ask her to make more of those delectable pastries when all this was over. Just thinking of her brought a spring to his step. He was doing this for his kingdom, for the Underground. But he was also doing this for her.

He walked for a long time through incredibly rough terrain, avoiding anything and everything if possible, for he didn't know what he would find here. Eventually, he found himself in a forest, wondering where the labyrinth was taking him now. It often had a mind of its own, and much more dangerous with a monarch keeping it in check when there was a runner.

He heard a cry of a baby barn owl. Walking closer to the sound, he found it in a pile of leaves, little wings bent strangely. He picked it up, the little bird trying to peck him. "It's all right, I'm here. Don't peck me," he wagged a finger at it.

The little owlet stopped, understanding him. Ever since he was a child, Jareth had an understanding with owls, another sign as to why he was meant to be Goblin King. He held the owl in his hand, trying to inspect the wing. "Where are your parents, I wonder?"

He used two fingers to rub the owlet's head, the little raptor seeming to love it. If Jareth could use magic to transform into an owl right now, he would, just to groom it. "Your feathers are a mess."

It seemed to glare at him.

"Yes yes I know, my hair is a mess too. But in my defense, I was in water and almost get eaten by merfolk. Also, I deliberately like to have messy hair."

"*Screech!*"

He made a face at the little one. "Why are you screaming at me? I'm doing my best to groom you with my fingers, you ungrateful child."

Screech!

This time, the screeches came from all around them. Jareth looked up, seeing birds and other creatures fleeing from something.

He didn't hesitate. If the animals were running, so should he. Tucking the owlet in a pocket of his jacket, he ran.

He got onto a hill, turning to look. A nasty looking swamp-green and off-yellow colored fog was rolling towards them. As it hit birds, they would fall, a sizzling sound hitting them.

---

Near the middle of Jareth's Run, a crisis was on her hands.

"My Lady!" A scout ran to Sarah, gasping. "These - these people! They're approaching the castle. They are wearing the High King's uniform, but seem to be a random bunch instead of his official army. We have a few casualties with the soldiers up front trying to keep them away from the castle. A few have already died. They say this is in the name of Prince Anwir. What do we do?"

Everyone looked to Sarah. She could feel the bile reaching her throat, threatening to make her vomit all over the place with the feeling of uneasy inadequacy.

But this wasn't the time for that. Whether she was qualified or not, she was the person who commanded authority over the entire Goblin Kingdom. She thought through what to do before responding. "Put everyone in the castle on lockdown, bring them up here where security is the strongest. Get me a more accurate reading on how many invaders there are and make sure that different military units are ready to fight. If they are causing harm, do what you can to stop them, but do not kill unless it's clear that's what they're trying to do. I'm hypothesizing that they're here to seize the castle in expectation that His Majesty being gone makes it weaker." She let her eyes quickly flicker to Samuel and Lorraine, who gave a nod of agreement. Good, at least she was doing something right.

"And the invaders?"

She had a long chat with Toby about the Raí he found and the servants being seduced by the Erlking back in the Lunar Palace. She was sure that these were them. "Seize them and bring them to me. I want to talk to them, especially their leaders if they have some among them."

The scout bowed and left to relay her message. Sarah watched her quickly descend the stairs, thinking of how brave the people of this kingdom were. In many ways, she was an outsider, but she was also as much a part of this place as everyone else.

"Mommy?"

Ben took her out of her thoughts, patting her legs. She lifted him up as best she could, setting him on her lap. Since when did her baby get so big that she could hardly lift him up? "Hey honey. You should be with your Uncle Toby. But I'm very happy to see you."

She kissed his hair, grinning at the smell of cookies lingering.

Ben looked into the crystal where Jareth was trekking along the Labyrinth. "I'm scared, Mommy."

"Oh Ben, you have noth-"

She stopped suddenly, realizing what she was about to do. To wave away his concerns instead of addressing them as her therapist had told her. Eventually, he would learn to not say anything to upset her, keeping their discussions short and superficial instead of really getting at the root of things. Their trust would be lost and she would do the opposite of protecting him.

She was supposed to arm him with skills to live a healthy life despite the ugliness of the world. Not totally shield him from them when he was already in the thick of them.

She cleared her throat and tried again. "Why are you scared, baby? You can tell me how you feel. It's okay to feel scared. I'm glad you're talking to me."

He wrung his hands together. "I'm scared of the monsters. Will Mister Jareth be okay? His Mommy and Daddy said they're scared."

A piece of paper slid from his lap. Sarah picked it up, finding a drawing of a circles with eyes and a mouth, fat tears falling from the eyes.

She hugged him closer to her, willing to take all of his pain and uncertainty away. "You know what Mister Rogers said?"

At the mention of the kind man he had seen on television, Ben perked up slightly.

"He said that it's good to talk about scary things." She pulled back a bit to look at his face. "I believe that Jareth will be okay. He's strong. Just like you. But it's okay to be scared too. He's very scared right now."

"He is?" Ben asked, fascinated by the idea that the Goblin King could feel fear. He turned to the crystal, seeing him feel his way around.

"Oh yes, very scared. That's why he's brave, he's going to save his kingdom even if he's scared. He's a grownup, and a king. That's what kings do."

"Daddy died scared me," Ben whispered, his face falling. "And made me sad."

"It scared me too," she said, verbally acknowledging it in front of him for the first time. When she was a child, she would not have been so candid with her parents as Ben was with her. Perhaps she was doing something right, and it gave her a bit of comfort in the sea of her mistakes. "I didn't know what to do and I miss him very much. It's not good all the time to feel sad or scared, but sometimes it's good to feel scared."

She pulled back, looking into his eyes. "Mister Rogers said that when scary things happen, look for the helpers. You will always find the helpers. And you can be the helper too, sometimes. But for now, you don't have to do anything. Just be good for Uncle Toby and have fun playing with Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. You can cheer them up too."

She could feel Ben relax, his little muscles not so tense. They sat there for a while, thinking over her words. When he was done, Ben hopped off her lap. "I'm going to play marbles with Ludo and fight with Sir Didymus!"

She was glad that Toby would be there, although considering how her brother was into sword fighting, he might just end up making it worse. "Have fun! Let me know how it is. I love you."

Ben kissed her cheek without prompting. "I love you too, Mommy."

Samuel approached her shortly after, giving her another report about the invaders. Many were nobility that would have been frequent guests of the High King and Queen. Some were their servants who had been charmed by the Erlking. While the initial reports were correct in saying that they were a random bunch, they hadn't realized that it was random in the sense that there were those from all classes.

The thing they all had in common was their loyalty and proximity to the Erlking. In just a few days, he got the High King on his side and many people had automatically wanted his approval for this reason, falling for the charms and pushed to the extreme due to the stigma the Goblin Kingdom carried as the Lost and the Lonely.

They followed orders without understand why they were doing so. It wasn't something new, for most of world history was full of people following orders with the winner doing whatever they wanted. The scariest part was that even the most intelligent of beings could fall for these traps if they weren't careful.

There were already two dead soldiers and many others wounded. Sarah slumped in the throne, her head in her hands. She was responsible for the lives of so many, and to think that those soldiers fought and died for their sakes. It was something the soldiers knew they might have to do, but it didn't make her feel any better. "Is there a healer with the injured?"

"We're doing our best," Samuel said soberly. He sat next to her. "I'm sorry that you have to do this. I know it's overwhelming to say the least."

Sarah exhaled loudly. No turning back now. "No, I chose to do this. Jareth let me know that it's a possibility. Those poor, brave souls. Dying for what? Some insane evil overlord who has minions because they can't stop to think for two seconds why trusting a man who was imprisoned for a few thousand years by a former High Queen is a bad idea." She stood. "We need to make another plan for fortifying the castle and villages, keep everyone as safe as we can. Anyone who has medical expertise should help the healer and everyone else should assist if possible. Detain all of these invaders."

"I believe those are all commands His Majesty would have given," Samuel said. Now without the scout there, he could see the tense fear openly displayed on her face. He was glad to find her relaxing at his comment on Jareth.

Sarah was grateful to have him there. He never stepped out of line, just offered her advice and gave suggestions. She appreciated having all of them there and understood why Jareth held so much respect for this man. "Thank you, it's important for me to hear that. If there is nothing else that's pressing, I'm going to observe Jareth."

He bowed to her, something that she still wasn't used to. "My Lady."

Sarah nodded to him, sitting back in the throne to watch Jareth. Iliana and Julian opted to go together to aid with the wounded soldiers. Ava and Ruben sat on the steps next to Toby, who had Ben asleep in his lap, ready to aid Sarah whenever she needed it.

She watched as Jareth walked, trying to dry off his clothes from being in a river. She completely missed why he was even wet due to the invaders, but was glad to see him looking relatively fine.

"He'll be fine."

Sarah turned to see Ava by her side, looking at the crystal too. "He's strong."

She nodded, wanting this whole ordeal to end. To be in his arms at the end of the day. "I know. But without his magic?"

Ava sat on the arm of the throne. "I wonder that too. Magic is so integral to the fae, it's who we are. Take that away and we feel lost." She touched the crystal gently. "Now knowing what danger he's in and how far he's willing to go to take care of the people he loves and the kingdom, I feel that I have gained some perspective. Ruben too."

"What?" Ruben heard his name, coming to join them.

Ava's eyes dropped. Her whole countenance was no longer bright and glamorous, but low and humble unlike that of a princess. "Just that… we're as entitled as Jareth called us. He told us that we were entitled and selfish."

Ruben rubbed the back of his neck, having the same look his eyes. "I was furious with him for calling us that, but he was right. He was upset at the flippant way we lived or viewed life in general. That we don't see the important things. And that we lack empathy."

Sarah felt bad for them. She knew what Jareth had said about them being different and no longer close, so she didn't dispute that. But it was clear that they wished to do better. To be better. "He has a way of saying things very bluntly. But you'll get a chance to tell him all that. And I don't think you two are without empathy, otherwise you wouldn't be here with me. Together, we'll defeat him."

The twins looked unsure about that. "The Erlking has an army of insane followers, Raí, and was able to break out of his prison, how can we defeat that?"

Sarah turned back to the crystal, more determined than ever. "We will. Everyone has a weakness, and we will exploit it."

She observed Jareth trekking through a forest, finding an owlet, tucking it in his jacket. Sarah beamed at how gentle he was, how he was speaking sweetly and with the utmost gentleness, reminding her of when he would play or speak with Ben. This was why she fell in love with him after all.

How could she not love him? He was good, kind, stubborn but also knew when to reflect and apologize. He was good with Ben and did his best despite the situation he was forced to be in, much like herself.

Ava sucked in a breath. "Jareth!"

Sarah watched in horror as some sort of deadly fog collided with trees, vaporizing the animals. Jareth took off, running with his fae speed but he wouldn't be able to run for too long, being as tired as he was. Using the crystal, she scouted for a place for him to stay, finding a cave.

Steadying her hands as best as she could, Sarah gave Jareth a magical push to make his strides longer and towards the cave. He landed inside, and she saw a boulder on the side, using her powers to push the stone to seal the mouth of it shut. It fell at one point, making her curse.

The fog was coming closer and closer. She held the amulet, feeling the Labyrinth's energy, drawing upon it to save its king. Once the stone was in place, she sealed it with mud just in time for the fog to pass over. She was sure that he would have been able to recede further into the cave for safety or move the boulder himself, but he needed his strength.

She looked to the twins, who released the breaths they were holding. "See? All we have to do is our best and hope that things would work out," she said with more confidence than how she actually felt inside.

---

Jareth collapsed, still holding the owlet. "That was close, wasn't it?"

It couldn't have been an accident that he came here, to this cave. He was ready to just run and run until he found a better place to go, perhaps a creature's residence or something like that. He felt a current of wind push him as he ran, and the boulder struggling to close seemingly on its own.

It had to be Sarah. He looked up with a proud smile. "Thank you, Sarah."

The owlet protested, snuggling against him. Jareth continued to pet its head with his finger. "I'm sorry, your little wing must still be in such pain. I'll help you mend it as soon as I am able, all right? Let me wrap it to stable it somewhat."

A glowing blue light was at the end of the cave. Jareth walked for what felt like hours, hyper aware of any creatures that could be hiding in the dark along with him. When it seemed that he would never reach the end, tiny dots of light were on the ceiling of the cave, like an interstellar sea of galaxies. It reminded him of the night he took Sarah and her family right before Ben had been kidnapped.

When he got to the end, he came across a circle of glowing blue crystals, vines encasing them like pillars. The crystals pulsed, swirls of magic encased in them.

"Jareth O'Rian," a voice echoed in his head. But it wasn't a true voice, it was more of concepts and thoughts belonging to someone else that his mind interpreted it to be words. "You have betrayed me. For that, you will face the consequences."

---

All around him was desert. Just endless sand, stretching in all directions with unbearable heat.

Anwir didn't like the way the Labyrinth twisted these obstacles, confusing him and making it so he didn't even know how one scenery changed into the next. He had already went through people-sized ants, plants that consumed people, slithering floors, and more. When he became king of this place, he would alter it so that he would have total control, not leaving any place wild like Jareth had done. He would twist it to serve him and him alone, destroying the parts of it that made the giant maze sentient.

Speaking of not realizing when scenery changed, the sun had set. Instead of it being unbearably hot like it had been earlier, it was now unbearably cold.

He came across two identical statues, the color of the desert he was in and in the shape of goats but with wings and the face of a fae. They glowed then dimmed, but perhaps it was only because of the trick of the light. He didn't dare go around them, just in case.

The ground rumbled. Anwir looked around for the source, only to find that the statues' eyes had opened, aglow with foreboding danger.

"Prince Anwir," they said to him, the voice echoed echoing across the sands, the grains skirting across his feet. "You seek to rule this place."

He raised his head up high. He would not shirk or pretend that he wasn't here to do just that. "I do."

"What makes you think that you deserve to be here? What can you offer this kingdom?"

He chuckled lowly "I offer my powers. You feel it too, and you know that I can and will control this place. I will lead the world to paradise, full of nothing but endless pleasure."

The statues paused their speech, but the sands around his feet swirled faster. "Endless pleasure for who? For you? Would you offer a choice for others to partake, or will you force them as you forced the world of dreams to create your slave shadows?"

Anwir flexed his hands, wishing that he had magic to strike them down for being so defiant. Perhaps it was a good thing that he didn't yet, for he would come back and let them know exactly who was in charge. "You will not speak to me this way. You will bow to me, your future king, soon enough."

The swirls of sand circled around him until a whirlwind surrounded him. He closed his eyes, coughing. When the sand calmed down, he found that there was a maze of mirrors surrounding him. He kept walking, trying to avoid looking at them but no matter how hard he tried, he was forced to at least glimpse at them.

Images of his prey unfolded, screaming and crying. Though he had grown numb to it over the years, the uncomfortable truth of his actions were sinking in.

And yet, he didn't regret it one bit. They chose to stand in his way, after all. In the way of his true potential. Besides, many enjoyed what he did to them.

As he kept walking, he realized he could hear their wails. Could see the ugliness of their bodies as they dried to husk after he consumed their powers. Could see the madness in their eyes as they were abandoned by their loved ones because of the dreams he inflicted upon them.

"Is this how you would treat the creatures who reside in me, Prince Anwir?"

He punched a mirror, breaking it easily with his fist. "It's my birthright, as you well know." Satisfied, he stepped over it and on his merry way.

Until he was blocked by the two statues.

He slid to a stop, carefully backing up at the eyes turning a dangerous green. "You assume that you gained these powers on your own instead of realizing that we are the ones who bestowed it upon you."

The sound of glass clashed together behind him. Anwir turned back to see the mirror shards aimed at him.

---

Jareth watched in horror as the crystals glowed brighter, aiming in the middle. His feet slid forward, like someone was pushing him towards the center of the crystals.

"Stop!" He called to the Labyrinth, for he was sure this was the Labyrinth speaking despite never hearing it speak to him in this way before. "I did not betray you!"

"You are willing to give up your crown and magic to run against someone who may very well win."

"Only if you let him," he gasped. He stopped sliding right as he reached the middle. The owlet screeched and shivered in his pocket.

"You know of all people that's not how I work."

Jareth hung his head in shame. "You're right." He slowly lifted his head. "But, I am confident that I will win."

"Really? What do you have that he doesn't?"

Jareth lifted his head up a little higher, unclenching his fists to look up at one of the orbs. "I have a queen."

Absolute silence rang in his ears. The owlet continued to shiver.

Jareth continued, focusing on projecting confidence of his victory instead of fear of failure. "She is more ready to be queen now than I had been when I first came here, if you recall. Should I fail, then she will lead this kingdom into prosperity."

"And if Prince Anwir makes it to the center? What will you do then, with your kingship stripped?"

Jareth swallowed thickly. He hoped that it wouldn't get to this, and despite the resentment he once harbored as king of a kingdom isolated from so many of his kind, he enjoyed the power that was granted (both magical and in politics) and the accomplishments that he had achieved. He had been king for so long, a large part of his identity was tied to it. He wasn't sure what he would do without the responsibility that he had on his shoulders.

Regardless, it didn't matter. He was one person in the grand scheme of things. He thought of Sarah, her sweet smile, jade eyes, her scent as he kissed her with his whole soul. He made a fist and flexed his hand, releasing the tension in his body. "Then I would vow to protect Sarah as the Goblin Queen for as long as I am able."

The crystals glowed brightly once, then dimmed. "Prove it."

Jareth bit the inside of his cheek. There was no going back from this. He knelt on one knee, crossing his right arm over his chest. He looked up, imagining that he was at Sarah's feet. That he could see her jade eyes. "I declare my loyalty to Sarah, the Interim Queen of the Goblins. I vow to serve her patiently, honestly, and to do good to the Goblin Kingdom for as long as I have breath in my body. Should I regain my kingship, I vow to still serve her, to protect her and to elevate her as my equal. Even if she chooses to not take up the mantle permanently."

His breath swirled in the cold air, lighting up. It floated up to the ceiling, where it dissipated.

"It is done."

The crystals glowed brightly, too bright for his eyes. He brought his other knee down, curling his body over the owlet protectively.

When the light died, he found himself in a swampy area, all evidence of the cave's existence gone.

---

"We have good news and bad news," the scout announced. "The bad news is that since our own soldiers have been going after them, the invaders are heading to the villages, threatening to raze the very ground they stand on. There are more deaths, civilian ones this time. A husband protecting his wife, but both died anyway. We were told the invaders laughed at their faces."

She detailed more of the cruelty, the likes that Sarah only thought was possible in fiction. The callous, uncaring attitudes as they tormented villagers horrified her more than any weapon of war.

It was one thing to destroy from afar. It was another to be up close and seeing the havoc that descended upon the innocents without an ounce of remorse.

Sarah pushed out the thoughts and fears the echoed in her head. "They're not going to stop."

"No, they won't."

Of course Anwir would have this happen. Even if he didn't tell them directly, she had no doubt he would approve and find this loophole especially while Jareth was running with him.

"How are the villagers responding?"

Despite being in the Underground for a relatively short amount of time, Sarah couldn't help but admit that there was a feeling of kinship and belonging to this place that she hadn't ever felt before. At no time in her life did Sarah feel totally belonged. There was almost always something. Even with Ethan, one of the best people she ever knew and loved her with all his heart, their arguments about his family sometimes made her feel as if she didn't really belong.

The Goblin Kingdom was made up of misfits. Of people who didn't feel belonged until they bonded with those who were also lonely. This was their home, after being chased out so many times in different kingdoms. Perhaps this was why she felt belonged here, because they understood. Because she was truly one of them. Because like them, she would do her best to protect her home and the people she cared about.

She would not let them down.

"Some are hiding, some escaping," the scout answered. "But most are gathering together to push back against invaders. They are adamant that they would stay to protect their homes and each other, no matter the cost. Right now there is a focus on creating weapons or blocking said invaders. Children and other vulnerable creatures are being told to hide."

"Provide any provisions that they would need," she found herself saying. "Make sure that there are soldiers and other powerful magicians positioned to not only fight, but to defend. Make sure that there are also healers and messengers on standby."

"How many soldiers?" Samuel asked her.

"As many as we can spare and more, if needs be." She cleared her throat, realizing how dehydrated she actually was from talking so much. "And the good news?"

"We have captured a couple leaders. They are in the dungeons now, ready to see you at any moment."

"Thank you. Let them come up in an hour or so. We will reward whoever aided in catching them."

Discussing with her team, they found a route that went underground so those who wanted to escape to safety, could. Some routes would lead right to the castle and Sarah announced that whoever was seeking refuge was allowed to come in, but would be watched by guards in case they were spies. "I want to go to the villages."

Samuel eyes shot up so far up his forehead, she was surprised that they didn't reach his hairline. "My Lady, it's dangerous-"

"I'm the interim queen," she reminded him. "It's the least I could do."

He looked at the crystal. "And what of assisting His Majesty?"

"He is my first priority," she said firmly, offended that Samuel would think otherwise. She already felt bad for not paying attention near the middle of his Run shortly before he found that owlet. "I'm not going to abandon him. I will never do that."

Samuel swallowed and hung his head. "It's not that, My Lady. His Majesty also gave us orders to keep you safe. You are safest here."

"But that's not what a true leader does. A true leader doesn't hide away, a true leader goes to the heart of the conflict." She sighed. "Do you think that I will be taking too many resources away from the people if I leave? I don't want to be another burden for you all to worry about. That would be my only reason for staying."

Samuel shook his head. "No, My Lady. I suppose… other than worrying for your safety and incurring His Majesty's wrath, I don't have a true reason to keep you here." A ghost of a smile came to his face at the mention of Jareth's wrath.

Sarah smiled with him. "Okay. Are you really opposed to me going? What if I was Jareth?"

Samuel huffed. She was too good. "No, I would not stop you or him. Just concerned for your safety."

"I appreciate it. But you and Mara will be with me, so I feel safe. I'm leaving Lorraine here just in case anything happens. My family and Jareth's as well."

He bowed deeply. "You are the queen right now, My Lady. We will follow your commands."

Sarah settled back, watching helplessly as Jareth was confronted by the Labyrinth for his decision. A small tear fell down her cheek as he declared his loyalty and the rest of his oath. Her amulet warmed against her chest, his oath tethering them together.

His parents watched her from afar, doing other duties that she had delegated (with Samuel's help). They played with Ben as Toby took a break from his rambunctious nephew, helping Hoggle serve food to everyone. Sir Didymus and Ludo were helping with fortifying the throne room with rocks, though Sir Didymus was jumping around more than actually helping.

Julian saw her pained expression and came to her. "How is Jareth?"

Though Jareth had his mother's eyes, inherited some of the softness that came from his father's. "Fine for the time being, I suppose."

He grabbed a chair and sat next to her. "Despite him being a king, Iliana and I are constantly worried. We were not the best of parents and we could have done better, but we love our children."

Sarah patted his arm sympathetically. "I know. I'm sure you're better parents than you give yourselves credit for. He's lucky to have you."

Julian grunted. "I'm not sure he feels the same way."

"He loves you, and respects you. That's really all you'd need to repair things," she said, looking sadly to the side. "I wish my late husband's family was like that. As for my own parents, we're working on it."

Julian gave her a sideways glance. "You're very much like Jareth."

The thought comforted and amused Sarah to think that she was like the scary Goblin King she had met when she was a teen. She had, of course, known that they were similar in many ways, but was curious to see what his father had to say. "How so?"

"Independent. Strong. A leader. And trying to fix your relationship with parents," he chuckled with her. He took his hand in hers, covering them with his gratefully. "Thank you for all you are doing."

Sarah squeezed his hand back. "Thank you for expressing your appreciation."

---

The shards of mirrors soared towards Prince Anwir. He harnessed the power of the dreamers that he had consumed, elegantly spinning to the side to evade the shards. He stood, fists clenched as he addressed the statues. "My first act as the Goblin King will be to alight this place in flames. I will erase it from this history of the fae, creating a new world with a new history. It's a shame you won't be here to see it."

He laughed lowly, not seeing the shards come right back him, lodging into his back. Prince Anwir doubled over, his screeching.

Visions swirled around the back of his eyelids now. Visions of those he had harmed. He could feel the pleasure then the inevitable torture that struck them, but tenfold for each victim.

He keeled over, vomiting all over himself. "No, stop," he gasped. "Make it stop!"

"Just as your victims begged you? Did you stop then?"

He tried to push away the emotions of his victims that still echoed in his mind as the owls worked hard to suffocate him. "No, they didn't feel this way! They enjoyed the physical torture. And if they didn't, they shouldn't have approached me."

"Oh? Even the children whose life-force you consumed?"

He screamed again. It went on for hours and hours, unable to break out of the cage. His screeches of pain could be felt all over the Labyrinth.

For the Labyrinth was in as much torment as he was from the connection they shared.

---

Sarah was dressed in black armor, adorned with dark makeup and her hair swept back for practicality. She wore combat boots, her eye makeup done in black by Lorraine and gloves on her hands like that of royalty. At the center of her breastplate was her silver amulet. She deliberately went with this look instead of a more dressy attire.

For this was war and she was the queen.

"Let them in," she told the Caption of the Guard.

Two prisoners were brought in, bound in chains. The guards instructed them to kneel before her. The prisoners would not comply, standing still. The guard brought a wooden stick to hit the back of their knees but Sarah held her hand out. "We will not sink down to their level."

The guard's eyebrows ever so slightly climbed higher, but she said nothing. "Yes, My Lady."

Samuel leaned into her so they couldn't hear their conversation. He made a motion with the scroll in his hand. "These are the same two that Toby and I had chatted with at the Lunar Palace."

"Thank you," she said, gesturing for him to wait at his seat. She cleared her throat. "What are your names?"

They said nothing. Just glared at her, their eyes dusted with dark circles.

"Very well." She held a hand out, and Samuel placed the scroll in her hand. She opened it, reading what it said. "Iona and Timothy, two servants of the High King's palace. We have reports that you two have somehow become leaders in this strange invasion, rallying even nobles behind you. It would be impressive had this been for a noble cause. You two could be using your influence to do some good in the world."

The woman, Iona, took loud and angry breaths before speaking. "You don't belong here. You don't deserve to wear that armor. Neither does Jareth."

"How dare you address him casually?" Sarah didn't bother to conceal her rage. "You will address him as His Majesty."

"He has been stripped of that title for thirteen hours. Or did you not remember?" Iona made a smug looking face that Sarah so badly wanted to slap. It didn't matter what they said, because to her, Jareth was still the king.

"Then you should remember to address him as the Prince of the High Court as the grandson of the High King," she replied. "The Labyrinth has chosen him. The High King put him here. And in turn, he has declared that I am the interim queen. Or does your disrespect go to the High King as well?"

Timothy tried to take a step forward in fury but the guard slapped his knee with the stick, forcing him to kneel. "I told you if you tried anything, I would do this to you."

He growled in pain. "Prince Anwir was falsely imprisoned! And Jareth, while not the one to imprison him, allowed him to stay here. He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Then why do you believe he's innocent? Why do you think he has the right to invade this kingdom with your pathetic, treasonous group? Why does he have the right to hold everyone in the High King's palace captive?"

"He is doing it in the orders of the High King," Iona answered. "He is trying to find peace to the Underground and Above. I'm disgusted that you don't care, since you're from there. Jareth has more or less declared war on the High King with his refusal, so it's fair game. Besides, this realm belongs to the faerie realm so it belongs to the High King. Prince Anwir was supposed to be the consort to the High King Rian, who has mourned the loss of his love and rightful companion for years! You are a callous pig who doesn't care that Queen Mór, a daughter of some air-headed noble is the High Queen that hardly tolerates her husband. She's power-hungry, and it's why he was sent to his prison."

"You believe that Prince Anwir was sent to his prison out of pettiness?" Not that it surprised Sarah to hear that's what they believed, he said that exact same thing to her in their last altercation. "So you've never heard of this atrocities he has inflicted on innocents? On how he would abuse children?"

Children like her own son, and he was one of the luckier ones. She would be damned if these assholes defended that monster from this.

"You say that like they wouldn't die in a few decades, they were human," Timothy countered. "They're disposable. The fae that claimed he did that were just framing him. He's innocent!"

Sarah blinked. She had expected full on denial that it ever happened, not justification to this extent. How could they be so brainwashed to believe that humans were worth less because they didn't live as long? They weren't insects or mere animals, but lived and breathed, had dreams and ambitions as the fae do. They fell in love and had rich traditions to live life as full as possible. They were still of the earth as much as anyone in the Underground.

There was no arguing on the value of human life to these unfeeling people, so she tried a different tactic. "Human babies are wished away and adopted by faerie and other magical families. As a result, they age as slowly as any other immortal creature. But even if they didn't, what is wrong with you? You believe him so much that you are willing to dismiss him taking the life force of babies and other children?"

"It's for the greater good!" Iona screamed at her.

"Get them out of my sight!" She demanded, done arguing with them.

As they were dragged out, she shouted "You don't deserve to be treated as prisoners, for prisoners get basic amenities. You deserve to be treated the same way you are treating the citizens of this kingdom!"

Slumping in the throne, Sarah let a few tears escape. She knew how cruel war could be and how awful humans can be, but to witness the justification of these atrocities up close made her want to vomit. It didn't feel real.

"My Lady?" Samuel slowly approached her.

"I'm fine." She wiped the tears off her face. "Let the next group in. The sooner we get done, the sooner we can go to the villages."

She had expected the invaders to share Timothy's and Iona's stance: firm in their convictions and beliefs. Many did. To her surprise, however, many of them pleaded guilty, expecting a lighter sentence. Many straight out lied, claiming that they hadn't in fact, hurt or killed anyone when the creatures of the kingdom pointed them out. They shifted the blame onto someone else, never taking responsibility. All of them cowards.

Some were feigning repentance, to which she did not stand for. One nobleman begged her to see his intent, and she refused to fall for it. "We have reports of you specifically laughing as you burned the crops. Even if you hadn't and just followed, you should know better! You should have stopped to think why you're following a criminal who was banished for so long. You should have paused and wondered why he was there instead of blindly following. You're telling me you didn't notice him imprisoning anyone who defied him?"

"But I have a family! I must comply for their safety!" Was his reason.

Sarah didn't buy it. First he claimed that he didn't know the danger that was happening, then claimed he was forced to comply once confronted? It didn't take a genius to smell bullshit. "No, you didn't. If you cared for your family, you would have done what you could to protect them from this monster by not letting him get this far. You saw all of this happening before it escalated and still you fell for his lies. What does that say about how weak the nobles are if they are easily led by a monster? You just follow the status quo?" She pointed at the door, speaking to a guard. "Take him back to his cell."

From others who were more willing, she extracted information out of them of the Erlking's plan. She learned that according to them, the High Queen and others did stay in the High King's palace comfortably with the High King supporting the Erlking the whole way, agreeing that the Goblin Kingdom should be fully under the jurisdiction of the High Court, to be controlled in every way and not just a separate entity that was only there in name. It seemed that he did not tell everyone everything and only a few knew where they were actually going to the Goblin Kingdom. While they were unsure, they were in too deep and kept on going, willing to do what they could for their leader.

Sarah was reminded very much of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, where Marc Antony carefully crafted his speech to turn the people against Brutus and other assassinators of Julius Caesar. How easy it was to turn the minds of people.

Still, something didn't add up.

"Something wrong, My Lady?" Samuel approached her.

She covered her chin in thought. "It just seems so… sudden. The Erlking coming back and all. I get that, revenge and power makes people do crazy things. Not to mention he's evil anyway with the abuse he's inflicted on others. But why does he want to take over the Goblin Kingdom? No, sorry, that's not what I meant," she said after Samuel gave her a strange look. "I mean, why does he think he can? To be a true king or queen, one must have a connection with the Labyrinth. It's why no one has tried to invade like this before. Something's missing."

She could feel the piece sliding into place in her mind but Samuel interrupted her. "I'm sure you are correct, and I hate to interrupt you, but you wanted to go to the villages?"

"Right right." She stood, sighing. "At least the fighting stopped."

Leaderless, the invaders either abandoned their mission or the people captured them themselves. The negotiation wasn't even needed, though they were on high alert in case they were struck again by another army. Citizens were still encouraged to evacuate or stay inside just in case there would be another attack and there were some already in the castle. She walked out of the throne room, saying goodbye to Jareth's family and her own family, Ben getting a kick out of her outfit.

And still they couldn't leave, for the Captain of the Guard asked her what to do about unruly prisoners. "We could just make them quiet, but usually there's some punishment added to them for such arrogance."

Sarah was so done with these prisoners. Besides, the Captain would know better than her. "You know, you can do whatever you-"

"Ladyyyyyyyyy!"

Blaggerspout ran towards her, his mouth opened in awe at her attire. She had allowed the goblins back into this area of the castle, missing them and feeling that even if things technically weren't "safe," the Erlking couldn't use magic to manipulate them during this time. Besides, they needed a place to stay as well just in case their homes were destroyed as well. "Woah! Lady look like a queen!"

She blushed a little. "Thank you-"

"HEY!" Blaggerspout called to the other goblins. "Lady is Queenie!"

They looked at her in awe. Evie's eyes shined, loving how powerful Sarah looked in her dark attire. "Wow! Queenie!"

"Queenie! Queenie!" They chanted, though not in synch. Some asked for her advice on chickens or whether they can abolish bog duty forever. Some asked where Kingy was and others wanted to know if they could eat olives.

"It's good to see you guys!" She said lovingly. Then had an idea, eyes twinkling at the Caption and Samuel. "Listen, do you guys want to help me and Kingy?"

"Yeah!" They shouted.

She pointed to the direction of the dungeons. "I want you guys to have a party in there. Bang some pots for the prisoners. Sing songs. Drink ale. But no chickens."

"Aww!"

"It's for their safety," she promised them. "And, you have to listen to what the Captain says when I'm gone. If I hear you didn't, I may be forced to bog you and I don't want to do that."

"NO BOG!" They yelled collectively in horror.

"Then it's a deal? I will make sure to make you all s'mores when all of this has calmed down."

It was going to be a tall order to get all of them s'mores but what the hell, they deserved it.

They cheered. "YAY! Party with Queenie!"

She turned to Captain Arthur. "All yours, Captain. You can come up with whatever system you need to control them. Feel free to use the mention of myself, His Majesty, and the bog to keep them in line."

He chuckled. "Yes, My Lady."

After mounting in the carriage, Sarah found that Samuel was staring at her with amusement. "Something funny, Samuel?" She asked teasingly, trying to lighten the situation.

The corner of his mouth twitched, breaking out into a smile. "Allowing the goblins to have a party in an enclosed space where the prisoners are? You are very cruel, My Lady."

Sarah laughed. "Nah, because if I was cruel, I would have dipped them into the bog already."

Samuel laughed heartily with her.

---

Jareth tried to wipe the mud out of his hair, but it was impossible to get it all out. "I must look ghastly."

The owlet screamed at him, not pleased either with the trapped wing under Jareth's coat. Jareth took the tiny bird out, inspecting it again. From the feather colors, he concluded that this was a little female, with her baby feathers still stuck to her. "Yes yes, I know you matter more than my hair."

He tried his best to clean her, but he could only do so much. He also created a splint out of small twigs to stabilize her wing. "I'm so sorry. And you must be in so much pain."

She snuggled in his hand, accepting his sympathy.

"You should have a name." Jareth tucked her back in, adding moss to his pockets as cushions. "I think I will name you… Agatha."

She made a disgruntled sound.

"No? Hmm. How about Jareth, after myself?"

An even louder protest.

"All right, you hate it, I understand." He rolled his eyes. "It was a perfectly fine name too. How about Mini?"

She shook her head, as if to chastise him.

He thought of more names he could give her. Finally, he thought of what this owl meant to him. How much more happy he was to have a companion, even a tiny owlet. "You know, I was feeling rather rotten when I came here. But you have given me hope. How does that sound? How about Hope?"

She turned her head a little, not looking annoyed. She pressed her fluffy face against his finger.

"Hope it is," he said, satisfied. "Little Hope."

They went through a few more obstacles. To his surprise, they ran into the Fire Gang, and he was able to outsmart them by snapping twigs from trees and tossing them. They weren't exactly very bright. Why Sarah decided to dream them into reality, he couldn't answer that.

It rained on them, but he trudged on. It was a more of a storm really, but he kept Hope warm and safe in his jacket. He climbed up a cliff, trying his best to secure himself with ropes he made out of tree vines. Jareth snarled at the sky, as this was the second time during his run that he was completely soaked. Just as he was cursing the sky, he felt it stop raining right above his head, like an umbrella. He grinned, knowing that it was Sarah. He blew her a kiss to let her know that he knew that the little things that helped him were from her.

He took a break, sitting down. Hope decided to get out of his pocket for some exploration. He supposed it was a good thing to do, seeing as she was cooped up for hours in his jacket. She wandered to the thick trees, then started to scream.

"What now?" Jareth groaned, coming to her. "What did you-"

He stopped suddenly, not moving a muscle. Not even to breathe.

In front of him was the door of the gate leading to Goblin City, appearing out of nowhere. Just the door, nothing else.

In front of the door was a very haggard looking Erlking. Bloodshot eyes, scratches all over his body, and an expression that transcended hatred.

"You," he seethed at Jareth. "You did this to me."

Hope ran over to Jareth's boot, flapping her unhurt wing and screamed even more. Jareth picked her up, never taking his eyes off of the Erlking or the door. "I did nothing to you. I have yet to fulfill my promise in forcing you to watch as I take out your entrails for how you dared to harm Sarah."

The Erlking looked like he was about to charge, then quickly went for the door. Jareth took a rock out of his pocket (that he had grabbed just for an occasion such as this), chucking at him. To his shock, it bounced right off his head like it was a crumpled up piece of paper.

At a speed faster than should have been possible, the Erlking smashed Jareth to the ground, banging up his head. The Goblin King's face widened, for he should have the upper hand or on equal ground especially without magic. "How?" He croaked.

The Erlking's eyes widened in delight, laughing as a man would when he lost his mind. His grip on Jareth's wrists tightened, bones could be heard breaking. He let out one yell, then clamped his mouth shut, not wanting the Erlking to get any more satisfaction from his pain. Ignoring his pain and with what he was sure was Sarah's influence, Jareth used his legs to flip them over and crushed the Erlking in the stomach with the heel of his boot. There were times he could feel himself slide to safety or a breeze that would move in his direction.

They fought like this over and over with Jareth barely making any progress. He could tell that the Erlking was somehow enhanced due to magic, but was unsure how and why he was able to do so. Still, he fought, for he would not allow him to get to the castle. They could not risk this.

The Erlking was momentarily pulled back as Jareth landed a well-placed punched on his face. He snarled, knowing that some force was doing this to him. "I don't know who or what is helping you, but it's a pathetic attempt to stand in the way of peace to the two worlds."

Jareth didn't respond, just focused on his mission to stop him from getting to the center. In all his years as king, even when there were multiple Runners at the same time, they never made contact. It just wasn't done.

As they fought, even Sarah's magic couldn't help him to win. He landed against a boulder, his head smashing into the rocks, blood trickling out.

Anwir grabbed Jareth by the collar, laughing at his victory. He pushed against Sarah's magic, his hand reaching for the door to Goblin City.

---

When Sarah got to the villages, the people all stared at her, shocked that she was the one in charge. Yes, they had seen her not that long ago, but she was the Champion, a guest of the King enjoying Yule. They had respected her, felt comfortable around her but did not expect to see her dressed to aid them. To see her in a position of power was surprising, to say the least.

She had taken off her armor but kept on the practical pants and kept her face makeup free. The last thing she wanted was to intimidate the villagers or to dress in flowery dresses when she might have to trek through mud.

They spoke to the leaders of the villages, who spoke more to Samuel than her. If she hadn't been an outsider or felt so awkward at this new position, Sarah would have been offended. But it only made sense. Still, she felt helpless as they took a look at the surroundings.

Not only were some homes destroyed, but a library and a school. The invaders didn't care who or what they demolished.

"How are you?" She asked one family, who looked unsure about her.

"Devastated," the father replied. "Our home is destroyed and we have babies to care for."

She asked to embrace them, speaking with them more on what they would need. She focused on their story, knowing that there were many like them who had their lives turned upside down.

"Is there an inn nearby?" Sarah questioned. Once confirming this was so, she told Samuel that anyone who needed to stay at the inn should do so and they would compensate the cost through the Champion's treasury, something that had been set up for Sarah as she had an official place here from the moment she defeated Jareth.

At this, the villagers warmed up to her even more. She listened to all of their grievances. They asked what would happen now that they were displaced, and Sarah made sure to tell them that they would be taken care of and real plans would be made as soon as the King could join them. There would be plans for housing and other accommodations.

"But there is no replacement for the loss of a loved one or treasured belongings, I know," she said sympathetically, being open in her affection by embracing the families of soldiers who were killed.

The simple act of kindness and understanding softened the citizens. When she would be out of earshot, they would whisper that if the king married, they hoped it would be her.

She kept an eye on the crystal every now and then, wanting to aid him when possible. As her magic was still new, she was not consistent in drawing energy outside of herself, so it was important to conserve her energy until Jareth really needed her help.

After finding a lull in speaking to the villagers, she excused herself to watch Jareth. He had been crossing through a swamp, holding the owlet he named Hope. She gasped when she saw the Erlking, not expecting the Labyrinth to allow the two to cross paths.

Even without magic to aid him, Jareth's reflexes were incredibly fast to her untrained, human eyes. As they fought, she caught something else. "Is the Erlking using magic?"

Mara approached her, having made her way here after setting up stronger magical wards for Toby and Ben. Her eyes bulged. "It appears so."

"Isn't that against the rules?" Sarah shrieked.

"He must have found a loophole." Mara wrung her hands together. "We can't focus on that now. Both of them are close to Goblin City."

Sarah took a second to close off everything around her but Jareth. She tried to aid Jareth to push him to safety, but they were too fast. She wanted to blast a current of fire at the Erlking, but that would be harming him and against the rules. "Jareth!"

Samuel got there as soon as he could. "What's going on?"

Sarah was near hysterical now, hearing Jareth try to breathe and seeing his eyes opened in horror at how close he was to losing conscious.

Mara held Sarah, trying to console her. "I can't save him."

"Deep breaths, Sarah," she told her. "You can do this."

Trying to come up with another spell, they all watched as something remarkable happened. Hope, the owlet Jareth had brought along with him, hopped away, trying to communicate with other barn owls. Even though she was separated from Jareth and a wing broken, she persevered through her pain.

Sarah focused on Hope. She used a gentle breeze to carry her to a nest of other barn owls.

Soon, those barn owls got wind of what had happened, flying towards Jareth and the Erlking. Enchanted by the magic of the Labyrinth and of fae dreamers, they clawed the Erlking, making blood run down his face and pushing him down with the help of Sarah's powers.

Recognizing Jareth as one of their own, half of the barn owls tried to rouse him. Jareth's face and body was scarred, and Sarah had to hold back her own tears as she held her breath to see if he still was breathing. Hope hopped to his face, rubbing her head to his cheek.

Slowly, Jareth opened his eyes, straight fear seizing him until he looked at Hope. He sat up, covering himself with his hands.

Sarah put her hand on the crystal. "Jareth?"

---

They both could feel it when the thirteen hours were up. They were caged birds with bound wings, and now, they were free to fly.

Reaching up with his hand, he summoned his powers, blasting the owls that were in his way with a gust of wind. He was free from the confines of the mind torture.

Free to be king.

He brought his hands together, laughing at the now unconscious Jareth next to him. "My Raí, fetch Jareth. We will finish this and I will take my rightful place as the King."

The ground rumbled beneath him. "Yes, Master."

---

He stood right outside the gate to Goblin City, surrounded by his Raí. The Kingdom was no doubt weakened now with the amount of soldiers dead from his followers. It was foolish of whoever had been in charge while he was Running to think to save the citizens of the kingdom instead of themselves, because now, they weren't going to save anyone.

Plopped next to him was Jareth's lifeless body. With a victorious laugh, Anwir grabbed a fistful of hair, caked with mud, and held him up. "Champion Sarah! I know you're in there, hiding in some safe box he put you in. The thirteen hours are up! Come and see how your Jareth is now!"

---

Please don't kill me *hides* I promise that things will start to resolve next chapter! I will try to get that up soon but there's still some weird inconsistencies and I had decided at one point for their confession to be that chapter so it needs heavy editing lol. To be honest, I'm not totally satisfied with it, I hate writing chapters like this. I can never tell if I'm putting too much emotion/action or too little and I've reread this a million times, unsure of how it is. Let me know what you think.

Inspiration for all the creepy things in this chapter come from a lot of things, including real life creatures (yup, nightmare-inducing for sure).

The creepy parasite in the merfolk's mouth is called a tongue-eating louse that would eat away a fish's tongue and essentially replace it. It does other crazy shit but that's the gist of it, search it up at your own risk because oh my god I'm going to have nightmares about it. I don't know if I'm right or not about how the host actually dies if the parasite dies before the host but I know that they do which is, again, really creepy. Good news is that they don't hurt humans as far as I know.

Those goat-desert things are from me watching the Never Ending Story as a kid that scared the shit out of me lol. I know they weren't goats but the guardian sphinxes were the inspiration for them.

Everything else I basically made up, lol. As for the interactions with the invaders, I hope that I had Sarah handle it well. I want to show her inexperience but not that she is so unsure of herself that she can't do it. She's a strong woman and needs support but never a savior (some Miyazaki quote is similar to that).

The plot hole was that the Raí were with the fae invaders and had more of them intertwined in the story, but it didn't make sense because once the thirteen hours was up, wouldn't they tell the Erlking about Sarah being the interim queen? That was a big reason why this took so long to post. I apologize for that.

I absolutely HATED writing this chapter. It has taken me so long and I was so frustrated so if you're not a fan of it too, I understand lol. XD I hope to post the next chapter soon, I will do my best to find time to edit it so you all can have something sweet after this. I project a few days or so but who knows with how long this chapter took me.