Revised version with a fix on (hopefully) all the errors. I'll agree, I didn't do the best with proof-reading this chapter. But I think I got it all, and now I'm off to mess with chapter 7
So here we see the next chapter. Only a few more chapters, and I'm still writing the last one. Just on a little side note, just to say and don't really care too much, I'm feeling kind of sick. Which only means I'll be sitting with my computer more to refine the next chapters more than getting up and doing really anything else at all.
Don't own Labyrinth.
Hope you like it!
"Sarah!" Irene shouted desperately, and I searched for them. She was carrying Toby towards where Dad was unconscious. He'd come too before I left- what happened?
"I'm so sorry." I collapsed to my knees beside them all. Toby was unconscious too, but in better condition. I hugged him, feeling his even breathing. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I tried to draw him away."
"That didn't work, Sarah." Irene glared at me. "Instead, you ran out when that other man came! The king, I bet. He was positively pissed off- he nearly burned us all to a crisp!"
I glanced around at the flames, which were dwindling to nothing now, save for the ring where I suspect they had disappeared from.
"I'm sorry." Was all I could say. I was shaking my head. No, this is terrible. It's all my fault.
"You better be!" She shouted at me, just when Dad started to come too again. Toby shifted in my arms, making me sigh in relief.
"Are you alright? Toby, talk to me." I insisted.
"You're squishing me." He moaned, clutching around his middle, where I barely had a grip.
"Are you alright?"
"I feel like a rocket that hit a tree." He moaned.
I laughed uneasily. "You kind of were."
"Toby." Irene motioned to take him. I helped him move over to her reluctantly, looking to my father, who was sitting up and holding his head.
"What happened?" He asked, but stopped when he realized Irene was preoccupied and it was me sitting there by myself. "Are you alright, Sarah?"
"I'm fine." I breathed, and he looked away, ending that conversation.
Actually, now that the situation had ended, I realized I'd gotten a rather nasty bruise along the side of my voice where the man had touched me. It had been only barely, but it left a mark as if a punch to the face. But that throbbing didn't really matter, because I was fine.
From out of nowhere, a dozen staffs fell flat pointing at us in a circle, having us completely surrounded. We all fell silent, staring at the soldier-like creatures around us. The very same ones from earlier, with the rest of the swarm standing behind the ones threatening us.
"What?" Irene demanded, tired of all of this.
"Kingy would like to see you's all at the Castle." the head one stated, kackling.
"What do you mean?" Dad asked, trying to clear things up.
"Kingy say we come, say we gets you." Another insisted, jabbing his staff at us and knocking his oversized helmet into his face. Which didn't really make him look threatening. Nevertheless, we knew better than to object.
So five minutes later, we were walking through the Labyrinth with a large escort, directly to the Castle. We were all thinking the same thing; the very person we had been warned to avoid had summoned us to his castle. The King who, apparently, hates humans. We were about to meet the one who's been in a particularly bad mood lately, and who had nearly burned the forest down and caused that earthquake.
I wasn't the only nervous one. The creatures esquarting us seemed eager, convinced of their king's cruelty. They were wondering what he'd do to us. The Bog, execution, torture, transfiguration, the list went on. What's going to happen to us?
We reached the outer gates of the castle, and were met with a busy market place, filled with the same sort of creatures as the ones that escorted us. Small, ugly creatures, humanoid, and filthy. Chickens ran around between buildings made of stone, and a rough ball game, which didn't seem to have any rules, transpired in a small courtyard we passed on our ways to another set of gates.
I watched and stared, even after the others had grown tired of it. They were fretting too much about our immediate future. I, however, was stuck on something else. These creatures, now that I saw them without the huge helmets, looked rather familiar. Where have I seen them before? I'm sure I have, but, I just can't place it.
"Halt!" The ones escorting us stopped abruptly, and I blinked in surprise. My fear of what was coming had been in hiatus while I was contemplating these creatures. But I was reminded once again, facing these large gate doors. "Kingy want to see you." They kackled evilly, excited to see what would happen. While he was talking, however, the others were pulling the doors open. Before the head one could say whatever else he was going to say, our escorts all rushed inside exitedly, forcing us in with them. "Hey!"
"Stop there!" Another followed, trying to grab at us.
It was louder in here, with even more of the creatures. Only these were lazying around, drinking, and playing with the chickens.
This room looks vaguely familiar too... That window way up there, all the clutter... I think I've been here before...
There was a loud noise in the corner, snapping me out of it again. The creatures all fell quiet, and froze, staring at one point. I followed theirs, and my family's gaze towards a man, standing from an equally as familiar chair, walking towards us and kicking the creatures out of the way as he went. They weren't phased by it at all, only laughing under their breath and falling silent again. Some dashed out of the way quickly, and others waited for the kicks.
He was getting closer, looking irritatedly down at all the creatures in the way until the rest just walked out of the way and leaving a clear path directly to us. Dad shifted in front of us, Irene taking Toby's hand. I was pushed to the very back, not objecting. Or really doing much of anything at all- including breathing.
"S-stay back." Dad tried to be brave. "Leave us-"
"Alone?" The man stopped and crossed his arms to stare at Dad skeptically. "You know all about leaving well enough alone, don't you? Oh, I couldn't care less at the moment." he waved a hand and Dad took an involuntary step aside. Irene pulled Toby behind her.
"Don't touch my son." She trembled.
"The entire world doesn't revolve around your son." He scoffed, and waved his hand the other direction. They both stepped that direction, and Toby gasped in surprise. It was only then that he looked at me. I blinked, still staring at him.
All this time, and I hadn't once suspected... After all this time... all my doubts from earlier came up again. He was the terrifying, horrible, King of this land?
All of my fear and nervousness since this started vanished the instant his familiar grin spread over his face. Without giving any warning, I flung myself forward, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Jareth!"
He stumbled, not expecting me to jump on him. But his arms came up around me, and he regained stability.
"Sarah, calm down." He chuckled, amused at my antics. The pinge of fear that he wasn't the same as I'd remembered and would be upset by my actions disappeared completely. I pulled away and his arms loosened to let me move back, but didn't let go completely. "You're going to have a heart attack, if it keeps beating so quickly."
"What?" I blinked. He smirked again and laughed. "I knew I'd see you again! I can't believe this. I just knew I'd see you again!" I laughed, unable to get ahold of myself. I just couldn't believe it! The king is Jareth?
"Of course you did." He scoffed. "You made that wish. It was going to happen no matter the laws of the Underground."
I remembered the crystal he'd given me, and the wish. I'd never actually forgotten, for I keep waiting for it to come true.
"S-Sarah?" Irene stuttered, shocked at the situation. We both looked over, and he let me go completely. His grin fell, and I bit my lip.
"Yeah?"
"You know each other?" In that one question, she asked why we were all avoiding this castle and fearing it's king since we got here. I could answer that easily.
"Well, yea-"
"Far better than you do." Jareth stepped forward. "Was there a question there?"
"But... how?" Dad was just as confused.
"Same way I know those shadow creatures." I stepped out from behind Jareth, and paused when he looked at me cautiously. "And... where did they go? Jareth, what happened to that other man, and those creatures? Why are they after me again? I thought you said they'd leave me alone."
I felt far too comfortable here beside him, remembering old times. But I can't go all gooey right now.
"This is something I wanted to discuss with you." He looked back to me. "But perhaps at a better time. You are a difficult human to find, Precious." He mused. "I've been searching for you since you all entered my Labyrinth. Every time I got near, those creatures and their king would throw me off, or you'd be gone before I got there."
"This is all great and stuff, but why are we here?" Dad got up the nerve, coming to terms with the fact that Jareth was the good guy, if not somewhat reluctant towards them.
Jareth blinked, as if surprised by the question. "Why, would you rather be wandering my Labyrinth forever? Many humans have attempted to navigate it, very few have succeeded."
"That's not-" Dad began, only to be cut off by Jareth's chuckle. He looked at me with a delighted grin.
"Of course! You must be starved." My face was red, for my stomach had just grumbled loudly. "Come, Precious. My kitchens are at your service." He grabbed my arm and pulled me through the crowd of goblins- that's what he called them before. They were all goblins, so he was the Goblin King. Dad, Irene, and Toby followed behind, silent and intimidated by Jareth.
But I was having the time of my life. Now that I understood the situation, I was no longer afraid. The person I trusted most in the world, right beside me, and my family just behind. Everything about his castle fascinated me, or perhaps I was just over-excited upon seeing him again.
"We may talk in here." Jareth brought our journey to an end in a medium sized dining hall. The table was long for any normal house, but seemed small for what you'd expect at a castle. About ten seats total, four on either side and one at each end. He motioned for me to take the seat on his left, before sitting at one end. Everyone else just took seats closest; Dad and Irene across from me with Dad nearest Jareth, while Toby sat on my other side.
"But will you answer our questions?" Dad asked, skeptic of Jareth. I laughed, quickly covering my mouth. Everyone stared at me. "What's so funny?"
I glanced at them all, before swallowing and settling for a light grin. "Jareth doesn't usually give answers."
"I intend to today." He stared at me seriously. "But first, what would you like to eat? Whatever it is, the Brownies love to cook it."
"Can I have pizza?" Toby spoke up for the first time. Jareth looked to him, then back to me. I grinned at Toby- I loved that kid. After everything that's happened, that's the only thing he's really worried about.
"Of course." Jareth nodded, then reluctantly looked to Dad and Irene. "And you?"
"Just, whatever he's having." Irene was absolutely the most intimidated here. Dad glanced at me.
"Spaghetti, if that's alright. Sarah likes spaghetti."
"No she doesn't." Jareth raised an eyebrow. Dad looked shocked that this man would contradict his knowledge of his own child. "Sarah doesn't like the long noodles."
"Sarah?" Dad looked to me with skepticism, but I shrugged. Really, I hate spaghetti. "But..."
"Would you like chicken parmesan, then?" Jareth addressed me. I grinned and nodded.
"Thank you."
"You always eat spaghetti." Dad objected, utterly lost.
"It's not like I can turn it down." I shrugged again. "Family meal night, we all eat the same thing."
"You don't like spaghetti." He was so stuck on it, and Jareth was getting annoyed.
"No, she doesn't. Would you like to discuss her favorite color then? What a pity." He shook his head. "I was under the impression we were to have an intelligent conversation here."
"Y-yes." Irene put a hand on Dad's shoulder. "Why are we all here, at all?"
"Sarah says it's because I made that wish." Toby reminded, more at ease than the other two.
"That's only part of the reason." Jareth raised a finger to the boy. "But your sister made a wish before you, a far more powerful one. Her belief is stronger, and therefore her wish was also. But, either wish was just part of a much more grand scheme. The man you met, controlling the Shadow Reapers, he's been behind it all for fifteen years."
"When I was one?" I questioned. He looked to me, and I fell silent.
"Yes." He had something else to say on the subject, but didn't. I had a feeling we'd talk again when we were alone. "Both of your wishes were merely manipulated by Bartley. He and his kind produce none of their own magic. They are the Unseelie, condemned by the court long ago to the life of mortals. But they sought ways to steal others' magic and prolong their own lives, giving them power. That's why he's after you."
"Is he going to come after us again?" Dad questioned, finally over the spaghetti question. I wasn't quite sure why he was hung up on that for so long. Weird.
"No. He wouldn't dare." Jareth leaned back. "No matter how much magic he siphons and steals, he's of no threat to me. Sarah is quite safe, and he doesn't want the rest of you."
"Then why are we all here then?" Irene pursued.
"Because he wanted to use you against me." I could answer that one.
In no time at all, and with no apparent ordering, the brownies were already bringing trays of food out. Nothing was set down in front of Jareth, he only watched me eat for a minute until I came up for air.
"What happened?" He asked me, and I sensed his eyes zero in on the bruise.
"Ah... Bartley." I remembered the name Jareth had used. "It's nothing-"
But he didn't pay any attention, already taking one of his gloves off. I looked, curious. If I remember correctly, he always wears those. Doesn't he? No, he took one off before too, the last time one of those creatures scratched me. And when I had that gash in my arm.
Dad and Irene were staring by the time his bare hand went to my face again, just like seven years ago. I could actually feel the stinging of the deep bruise fading, disappearing completely by the time he pulled away and his eyes flickered to my arm. He repeated the process, and when he was done, I simply went back to eating. The only thing different from what I remember seven years ago is, my skin was warmer than before.
Dad coughed and I glanced up curiously. He was eyeing Jareth suspiciously.
"What?" I asked.
"Who are you, anyways?" Dad ignored me. Not that I wasn't used to it already. Toby was still scarfing down his pizza, having not noticed anything.
"The Goblin King." Jareth answered, then once again reluctantly, "Jareth."
"I've gathered what your name is, but who are you?" Dad pursued.
"Might you be a bit more specific?" He pursued.
"How do you know my daughter, why? What do you want from us? Why is it that everyone we met before coming here was convinced we were safest if we didn't come here?" He was still distrustful. I went back to my dinner, already knowing some of the answers and not really caring about the others.
"She made a wish one night, nearly eight years ago, and I continued to answer her wish for over a year before it became void. However, I think that wish has been reinstated, given recent events." He mused, glancing at me.
"Wishes, belief, that's all you're talking about. What's that got to do with anything?" Irene scoffed, always the skeptic of such things.
"As the Goblin King, I am charged with the wishes of human children. Some I must answer, others I don't have to. The stronger a human's belief, the more intuned with magic they are, and thus the more obligation I hold towards them." Jareth explained, conjuring a crystal to juggle. "But I may take any wish, and draw magic from it, manipulate it, and accomplish my own ends. Perhaps you're most familiar with my more malevolent work?"
"And my other questions?"
"I don't want anything from you." Jareth went on, before gesturing to me. "Sarah's the only one I want anything from, and we will be discussing that later, in better privacy. As for the warnings against coming here, I don't blame them one bit." He chuckled. "My Labyrinth is here to test humans. They wish their child away, here to me, and I give them the chance to win the child back. Most humans that come through here are selfish, no good, weezles that never retrieve the child. I have no fondness for these humans, so I'm not surprised that some of my subjects assume all humans are like that. It's been a great long time since they've seen one that isn't."
"I see." Irene was obviously skeptical of the idea that anyone wouldn't want their child back. "If Toby was here, I'd stop at nothing to save him."
"Would you do the same for Sarah?" He asked with a very serious face. I stopped, looking at him in surprise. Why would he ask that? Of course not, so why does it have to be said?
She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, before answering, "Of course."
"You hesitated." Jareth stated. "That hesitation is what this Labyrinth is here for. You would be tested to realize whether or not you truly do care enough for your child to retrieve them. Lying will only take you so far, and it is a rather bad practice to get into."
"Words are powerful." I mused, and Jareth smiled at me.
"That they are."
"But I would!" Irene insisted. Jareth just shook his head and let his crystal disappear. "You don't believe me?"
"It doesn't truly matter my opinion. But it's rather sad that you insist that when even Sarah knows better." He glanced to me again, then to my plate. "Are you done, Precious?"
"Yeah. I'm full."
"Then please, take a walk with me." He rose and held out a hand. I took it without hesitation, letting him help me to my feet. We left the others there without any more explanation. I trusted Jareth, for wherever we were going, and was looking forward to this talk. Whatever he had to say, it must be important.
This was their much-awaited reunion. Maybe not quite as epic as you'd hoped for, but you realize that now Sarah is old enough to realize that while she trusts him and missed him dearly, she barely knows him. Also, her family has been present thus far.
Next up, their conversation. What will be discussed, and will he finally give the answers that Sarah, and we, have been waiting for? Hmmm...
R&R, tell me if you like it or if anything is still a little too confusing.