Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, no matter how much I do, it ain't happen'in
Last Time:
Wrenching himself away from the bleeding limb, Jareth gulped down air as his senses sparked and sizzled with newly absorbed magic. Looking down with sleep glazed eyes, the fae king found the mortal girl paler and breathing far shallower.
"Jaden," Jareth croaked turning the pale face toward him, but nothing in the slumbering façade changed. "May the Gods have mercy; what have I done?!"
However, the great and proud Goblin King couldn't say much more as the room and scenery of the infirmary around him swirled and reeled around in a whirl of dizziness and nausea. Jareth had enough strength to note it was the overwhelming intake of magical essence that did this to him. He hit the bed's pillows in an unconscious heap
And Jade slumbering the circle of his protective embrace, appeared to be smiling a very small near invisible smile.
This Time:
Daughter of the Labyrinth
Chapter 21- In Our Darkest Hour
"Jareth," spoke a rough voice as the Goblin King's shoulder was shaken. "Jareth wake up; its time."
Jareth groaned as his blue-black eyes flickered open. Glancing over his shoulder the King of Goblins found his father standing there shaking his shoulder rather rudely. "Father? Is it that time already?"
Sheera and Crow appeared at Vannor's side, grim and battle ready as ever. The trio nodded solemnly at the Goblin King's groggily spoken question.
"Let's go Jareth," encouraged the auburn haired thief with a smile as she stretched out her hand to her king. "The servants will look after Jaden till the battle is over."
At that the platinum haired fae took the offered hand and took to his feet, looking once more down at his intended. Her condition had not changed since last night thankfully. She was still hauntingly pale, her breath shallow and wet, and of course her wounds were still freely flowing. Lining over her form as if he was a guardian angel, Jareth kissed her brow delicately, for fear she might finally break.
"Forgive me Jaden," he murmured in her unhearing ear. "Whatever happens regret nothing and cherish everything we shared…remember that." And Jareth drew back slowly trying to ignore the bloodstained ivory sheets. Turning to his friends and family he nodded. "Let's end this once and for all."
With proud and long strides the four companions strode from the peaceful and quiet infirmary, with the servants bowing deeply in respect were ever they stood. It didn't take the four of them long to find they way to the courtyard, where Zaynon no doubt would be waiting. Course they expected Axel and Kraven to be there, but there was another there that surprised them all.
Jareth narrowed his eyes and he came to a halt some feet from his older brother's group, eyeing the turncoat viciously. "This is very out of character for you Uriel. I'm surprises you had the nerve to betray me."
Uriel glared from where he stood at Zaynon's side. "I have my reasons dear Jareth; I'm sure you could guess what my reason is."
"That I can dear Uriel," sneered the Goblin King as his sword hand clutched his weapon's hilt tighter. "You betrayed us all just to have me, even when I'd never be yours."
The young elf king snarled enraged. "I will have you, willingly or not! Zaynon promised me I could if I helped him in any way possible!"
Jareth chuckled malevolently at the naivety of Uriel's words, and the three at Jareth's back grinned as well. "You've been so manipulated Uriel. Do you really think Zaynon would let me live and hand me off to someone else, if he somehow he defeated me; highly unlikely."
The evergreen haired elf remained speechless as he gapped as his once friend. Turning to his new king the young man eyed Zaynon's grinning face. "Is that true Zaynon?"
"Course," chuckled the dark fae, his eyes twinkling manically. "I've been trying to kill Jareth for years now. If an opportunity arouse for me to slay him, do you really think I wouldn't take it just to give him to the likes of you?! To a love struck puppy demanding its toy…I don't think so."
The young elf king gazed traumatized up at the King of Dagon. "You…You lied to me!! You used me!!"
Zaynon's dark mocking mirth came again just slightly louder this time around. "And you were such the perfect little puppet too. So induced in the fantasy I wove for you, so obsessed with my little brother that you never noticed the obvious fact Uriel, that I wanted Jareth dead. You did certainly give me good entertainment before Jaden came along though." This time Zaynon laughed outwardly with his dark mirth, not a chuckle, no snicker of malice, but unhindered maniacal laughter.
"Disgusting," murmured Sheera, glowing at the handsome yet deadly male that was Zaynon. "He used Uriel's emotions against him; he's evil to the core."
"Why thank you love," smiled the Dark Prince brightly giving off an aura of misleading friendliness, leaving Sheera to flinch from the smile and the title of love. "But I think its time we began what we came out here for." Zaynon's signature grin graced his face now, the sweet smile extinguished. "But perhaps we should move this to a more open area; don't want my castle in shambles now do i?"
Jareth remained unfazed just emotionless and staring. "Outsides the castle gates then, in the nearly barren fields of your flowers?"
The elder brother grinned flashing ivory fangs. "Sounds perfect, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting...just like before..."
Turning on his black leather heels, Zaynon led the way to their dueling ground beyond the main gates. His men, Kraven and Axel followed after him obediently. Jareth was behind the murderous pair while Crow and Sheera were the ones loyally followed behind him. It was Vannor who brought up the rear, with the collar of Uriel's jerkin gripped in his hand dragging the elf along. No one trusted Uriel to not do something to throw the battle.
Upon reaching the fields laying outside the enormous and foreboding gates, Jareth felt wisps of wind whip his already chaotic hair about. The Goblin King could just see Jade's face with the wind blowing about her raven tresses; so beautiful, so magical and…Jareth remember the state in which Jade lay in. He grew sorrowful as a sour look appeared on his face as the image of a happy mortal girl disappeared. No matter how powerful or beautiful, Jade was still just that, a mortal; so breakable she was.
"Are you ready to die Jareth," sneered Zaynon as he drew his pristine blade standing a good ten feet away from his younger twin brother. "Course you will die here, along with you pathetic friends and the man I once called father."
Kraven and Axel took up their places before Crow and Sheera at Zaynon's challenging words.
Jareth glared as his mismatched eyes smoldered with built up ire. The King of Goblins grasped his own blade in a firm grip and gracefully but swiftly drew it. "I will not die here Zaynon; I made a promise to come home alive, along with everyone else. I never go back on me word!
"Promises are for the weak and hopeless; all promises are meant to be broken little brother! And I'll be the one to break this one for you!!"
"We'll just see about that!" roared Jareth as he sprang forward just as Zaynon did the same.
In a resounding clash of metal and sparking magic, the two brothers met with no holding back.
- O -
It was dark, and it was cold.
There was nothing in the murky blank oblivion that surrounded her. Nothing could be seen, but the black as she floated there on her back. She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed because it was so dark here. But when looking down at herself, she found she was clad in white. The dress she wore floated upward as if she was falling, but didn't' fell like she was falling at all.
She felt so out of it. She couldn't remember anything; couldn't fell anything, didn't want to do anything but float there in the empty oblivion. Something still nagged at the young woman dressed in flowing white. Something kept telling her deep down that this wasn't right, she had something important to do. She just couldn't figure out what. With nothing to remember how was she to figure out the strange empty-missing-something feeling.
"Where am I?" she quietly whispered aloud. She found that her voice was strange to her own ears as it reverberated back to her. The young and deeply confused girl raised her hand slowly to her face to stare blankly at it. "Who am I?"
"You called me by name a day and a half ago. Have you forgotten me so quickly my dear Jaden?" asked a velvety masculine voice through the empty darkness.
"Jaden…?" she breathed, slowly blinking. "Is that my name? Yes…I'm certain that, that is my name. But who are you?"
Out of the impenetrable darkness and image painted the once ebony backdrop. A tall majestic man stood above her, proud and true. He wore strange dark colored clothing and leather gloves, his hair and unruly mop of silvery strands. But he had no face, the darkness remained just there, eclipsing the man's face from memory. She opened her mouth to repeat her question, but the invisible mouth of the man answered her.
"Jareth."
"Jareth…" she breathed, enjoying the name on her lips and how it sent excited shivers through her floating body.
Jareth's voice came again, while the incomplete image of him bleed away to be once more replaced by the darkness. "I've been struggling on how to tell you this Jade. Jaden, I love you…I've watched you for so long, I can no longer hold myself back."
Drip…Drip…Drip
The sound filled the empty oblivion, as a smell perfumed the air. It was neither pleasant nor an unpleasant smell. It had a salty, rusty scent to it, metallic even one would say. Jade swore she recognized it for what it was, even if she could not see it.
Blood; blood was dripping somewhere out there in the bottomless pit of black, and dripping from something. Jade pondered on that till a sudden pain raced up her arms from her wrists. Raising her hand once more before her face, Jade found the cause, much to her horror. Her pale, thins wrists were deeply slashed.
"Is this death then…?" she asked only her voice was her answer as it echoed back, mocking her.
"What have you done this time Jaden?" snapped Jareth from the darkness.
Jade felt tears flow from her eyes as the mystery man's face became filled in from neck to lips. She had the sudden urge to kiss those haunting lips that belong to a faceless Jareth. She wanted to see his face; this man that she knew meant so much to her, yet could not remember his face. More salty droplets fell as Jade half floated; half fell into the impenetrable darkness.
"Jade!" cried out Jareth's voice again, but more concern and desperation lacing her name. "Jade can you hear me!? Jaden you can wake up now! I'm here; you're safe now! Jaden it's me Jareth, please wake up!!"
I'm here, were the words Jaden wanted to call out to him. I hear you Jareth, she wished to say, but couldn't speak past her devastated tears. He was calling to her; waiting for answer to show she was awake, but no answer came. This was death after all, wasn't it? There was no coming back from this…was there? Could she break through the endless shadow world she resided in, and greet the man she didn't know?
The darkness felt so heavy now, but Jade was always so stubborn to know when to quit. So spinning herself so she was vertical, the young woman looked above her as she propelled herself toward the voices above her.
"I'm coming," she half said half wept. She wept further with desperation, because she didn't even know if she was going anywhere without the scenery never changing.
"Another failure love," whispered Jareth's words through the void.
"No," Jade wept as she moved upward more feverishly as if she was swimming toward the surface of a body of water. And the weight of the shadows did fell like water to her as Jade swam upward. "I coming love," she murmured and suddenly filled with Jareth's singing voice.
How you've turned my world you precious thing
Your strive near exhausts me
Everything I've done
I've done for you
"Jareth!" Jade cried as tears continued to stream from her ears to float about her as if gravity no longer existed.
She heard his breath this time before he spoke again. "I'm so sorry Jaden; this wasn't how I wanted it. Please wake up love; I'll do anything...just wake up."
Jade heard the grief and desperation in Jareth's voice and she forced herself upward faster pace. She could just make out a pinprick of light now, and knew that was where she had to go. She had to reach there, and fast.
"Forgive me…" Jareth droned grief stricken.
"NOOO!!" she cried as she kicked harder, but strength was leaving her. Jareth, the true embodiment of Jareth was taking her strength. Jade knew deep down it was for a good reason, so she gave him what he needed of her. Jade just swam upward with all her might, reaching for that light at the end of the tunnel. Her strength was quickly waning, but Jaden fought on; she would make it, she was determined to make it.
I move the stars for no one
You've run so long; you've run so far
"Jaden," Jareth croaked. "May the Gods have mercy; what have I done!?"
The young teen reached upward, her tears still cascading from her eyes, but this time they flowed out of joy. She could his face now; see him as he was, majestic and drop-dead gorgeous. Her Jareth and he was asking the God's for mercy, why? She was almost there, the now body sized lighted hole in the darkness was only a foot away, she'd be there soon. Jade took a deep breath just as her pointer finger touched the light.
Your eyes can be so cruel
Just as I can be so cruel
Warmth enveloped Jade as she flowed through the white and bright portal. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the blinding light at bay. With a loud gasp as if she was breaking through the water after holding her breath for too long, Jade sat straight up.
Her breath was wheezy and coming in large gulps. Her emerald eyes were fuzzy and unable to focus for any length of time. The girl's body felt cold and clammy as well as extremely heavy with the lack of strength she once possessed. There was a ringing in her ears, but even that didn't drone out the gasps of shock and joyful prayers to the Gods
Turning her head sluggishly, Jade found the blurry images of Zaynon's servants. "Where…" she crocked with her dry and cotton filled mouth. "Where…am I?"
"Lady Jaden," exclaimed a joyful male voice. "You are in the infirmary of Lord Zaynon; you have been in a comatose for some days now. His Highness King Jareth will be ecstatic when he sees you are finally awake!"
At the mention of the Goblin King, Jade leapt upon the servant. "Jareth! Where's Jareth!? You have to tell me!!"
The servant, Spero as Jade remember held her fragile weight as he looked nervously in the teen's half-blinded eyes. "You need to rest My Lady, King Jareth will be fine."
"No," she barked fisting her hands in his tunic. "Tell me where he is now! I'll go to him with or without your help, but only one way will I be able to reach him safely."
Spero gulped uncertain, but nodded reluctantly. "Jareth's outside the castle gates fighting Master Zaynon, as well as his companions. But my Lady you mustn't go in your condition, you could die!"
Jade closed her green eyes, a tear finding its way down her cheek. "Either way I'm going to die, so I will die fighting." And with adrenaline giving her the needed strength, the young woman scrambled for the nearest window. There were gasps of horror from the woman, but Jade ignored them. "I'm coming Jareth," she breathed and jumped through the stained glass window.
Though I do beleive in you
The shattering of glass filled her ears as her body fell. However before she fell to her doom, Jade used the last of her magic to fly. The wind caught her and before the teen really knew what happened she was already nearing the outer gates. Though her vision was distorted and fuzzy, there was no mistaking who was who.
Vannor was not really battling she noticed from the air, but rather man handling a rather whipply struggeling Uriel. The young elf king looked to be in bad condition of his own. Obviously the little traitor was getting what he well deserved, and Jade encouraged it.
Sheera and Axel were circling each other, like stacking predators with daggers drawn instead of claws. Both were covered in wounds, both serious and minor. Sheera was drenched in her own blood, but from what Jade could tell, the majority of her wounds were minor. Axel on the other hand, was not nearly as drenched, but his wounds were bleeding profusely and the majority of his wounds were deep and well placed. Both pairs of daggers flashed and glistening in the pre-dawn light; the blood on the blades clearly visible.
Searching for Crow, Jade found him not on the ground, but in the air like harpies should. Crow was pummeling his older brother with fists and claws Jade had never seen before, while his mismatched wings beat the air. The siblings were bruised and blooding from fists and claws. Crow, like Sheera appeared to be holding his own well in the final battle taking place. However, neither were the first person on her list to help; it was Jareth.
Jareth, Jade noticed was not in the best of condition. Course neither was Zaynon in tip-top shape. Both covered in blood from the slashes and stabs the opponent aimed at them. And the terrain around the battling brothers was a reek as well. Craters were everywhere, and still smoking from impacted. This battle was not going well by Jade's point of few. The Dark Prince kept forcing Jareth back, putting him on the defense rather then offense. And to Jade she swore she saw Zaynon's lips move in a mocking half smile, accompanied by the looks of grief and doubt in her beloved's eyes. Turning her own emerald orbs on Zaynon to stare hard, she let her keen ears listen to the words Zaynon was spurting from his lips.
"She won't wake up Jareth," grinned Zaynon seeing the conflict in his younger sibling's eyes. "It's been to long; she's most certainly bleed out by now."
"Silence," snarled Jareth parrying another blow as he took a step back; still on the defense. "Jade will be wide awake and alive when I'm through with you."
The Dark Lord of Dagon snickered with malevolent mirth, slashing out at his twin. "You say that Jareth, put do you really believe it," asked Zaynon. "You're body language tells me yes, but your eyes tell me no. You don't believe she will live through this as much as I do. You took what power you could from her to be my equal. It will because of your selfish act that your poor Jaden will die!!"
Jareth slashed out and through a ball of fire at Zaynon who easily dodged it. The Goblin King remained stone faced as possible, but still Zaynon's words had cut deep. Sure, Jareth had take some of Jade's power to win, but now he was seriously questioning at what price. If he hadn't done it, he would have been nothing but a corpse on the ground long ago. But then Jade would may have lived, or was she really dead because he took the blood that she was already low on.
"Jaden," crocked the King of Goblins, his attention slacking from the task at hand.
Yes, I do
"Die Jareth," roared Zaynon as he leapt forward, sword posed to stab the young brother through the stomach. Lucky for Jareth that he pivoted and ended up at Zaynon's back.
Throwing another ball of magic at his older twin, Jareth used lightning this time.
"Ahhh!" roared the dark fae in partial pain as well as shock. Zaynon though quickly recovered and spun to face his opponent. "You seriously think you can win little brother!? You can't beat me; you can't kill me, because you still believe your beloved brother is still somewhere in me. The older brother you admired and trailed after like a little puppy! And when you can't kill me, you leave your precious Jaden to me!! JUST GIVE UP JARETH!! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME! NOT EVEN WHEN YOUR WOMAN'S LIFE IS ON THE LINE!!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!!" roared Jareth as he charged his brother in a state of rage. In doing so, with a mere flick of the wrist and sword Zaynon disarmed his younger twin. Jareth was skidding on the dry ground with random patches of Murder Me Not flowers around him.
Zaynon stood above his brother, as he gasped for air; they both were. "How pathetic," sneered the dark son of the High King. "Women were always you weakness little brother. First that naïve Sarah; a young girl full of life and fie defeated you at your own game because you loved her too much to make her loose. Now Sarah's daughter will be your life's undoing. So in love with her she became your weakness that could be easily targeted and manipulated. How far you have fallen Jareth," and Zaynon proceeded to throw orbs of tainted blackness and agony at Jareth.
Again and again Jareth silently screamed with pain, but never one did he voice it. That was what Zaynon wanted after all, and he refused to give him the pleasure of seeing him in pain and broken. Soon though, even if it felt like an eternity to Jareth, the attacks halted. The proud Goblin King shacking painfully made his way to all fours, while groping for his sword before him.
Zaynon noticed this and kicked the blade aside in a cloud of ashen dirt. "Ready to gravel and pray for a quick death Jareth, cause if you do, I just might be merciful and generous enough to give you a quick death."
"Go to Hell," Jareth roughly responded trying to make it to his feet, but was soon kicked down onto his back by his elder twin brother.
Zaynon snarled down at him. "The only person going to Hell today is you, you worthless piece of shit!"
"Jareth!" cried out a horror struck Vannor from somewhere behind Zaynon.
Jareth heard the cry of his father, and heard it quickly cut off with a grunt sound. He didn't know who or what happened to his father but Jareth hoped Vannor was still alive. He had no strength left to do much other then to push himself to his elbows.
"Jaden…my love…" he breathed in devastation. "Forgive me and my failure…"
Mocking laughter was the Goblin King's only answer. "Do you really think you would be forgiven after what you've done!? I seriously doubt it!"
"Not…everyone is a cynic like you Zaynon."
The master of all that was dark and evil flicked his blade so it was pointed at Jareth's pale and exposed neck. "I think I've done enough to corrupt the mortal wench; it was fun while it lasted."
Live without your sunlight
Jareth glared and growled, eyes narrowing in clear contempt. "Jade was a pure soul through and through. You could never have corrupted her!"
"Ha!" exclaimed the ebony haired fae. "You already believe her dead Jareth; you're speaking in past tense!" The silver haired fae king's eyes widen at that realization. "So now I'll reunite you both in death! PARISH JARETH!!" And Zaynon drew back his sword for one final thrust through the heart.
"JAAAAREEEEEEH!!" screeched a voice Jareth recognized instantly but he thought it only his imagination. So putting the voice aside, Jareth used the last of his strength to summon his blade. He went to open his eyes to see his target but all he got was a blinding sunrise in his eyes. Shutting them quickly, the Goblin King trusted his instincts and thrust forward just as a shadow fell over him.
Love without your heartbeat
The sound of two blades meeting flesh sounded in Jareth's keen fae ears. But what surprised him was that he didn't feel any pain from his new stab wound; none at all. And his sword was in Zaynon's chest wasn't it; if it was, why wasn't his body falling? Why was Zaynon's shadow still just standing there?
Hesitantly opening a single blue eye, Jareth found only a silhouette of a person with the sun blazing behind them. He gazed dumbly as h took note of a pair of wings spread wide as if to shield him. Gazing down, Jareth found that his sword was stabbing through their shoulder and into a dumbfounded Zaynon's behind said angel. Zaynon's bladewas impaling the angel and stabing into the ground at Jareth's side, not inches from impaling him. This mystery creature had saved him and he had stabbed the creature through chest.
"Merciful Gods," Jareth breathed wanting to removed his blade but couldn't' move; his body wouldn't move.
And suddenly in an explosion of ivory feathers and the masking of the dawning sun, the truth came to the King of Goblins with a sickening realization. The creature that had saved his life was indeed an angel, but it was his angel that was laid out on his killing weapon.
"Jaden…"
I...I can't live within you...
A/N: there i'm done! Yippy for another chapter update right? And to all my readers i want to apologies for not update for so long. I have a reason...two reasons really. The first problem that came up was that my internet went down, don't ask me how it just did. And then not a day later my compute starts acting up because of some mysterious corrupted file (makes ghost noises and gestures). So that happened so i needed to send my computer into a store in town to get fixed clearly went into withdrawn without my computer, so pathetic...cost me a 150 freaking dollars! So now i have my computer, but still no effing internet, oh yeah...feel my depression. but i can use the college's internet, that's the upside, so hopefully you'll see the last chapter and epilogue coming up soon!
Thanks again for the wait!
BLAZE