A Game of Life and Death
By: Lazeralk
A Labyrinth/Forbidden Game crossover
Dedicated to Taharkah Alexandra
Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 3: "Stages of Death"
0o0o0
"You see," he said. "When a mortal is taken into the Underground, they become linked to it. It's just something that happens, no one knows why, and they are filled with magic. Our historians believe that we, meaning people like Julian and I, were once humans who stayed in the Underground and became so full of magic that we changed completely and forever.
I assume you have heard of the strange mass killings that have taken place in the Aboveground?"
He waited while everyone nodded.
"All of the victims have one thing in common: they were all in the Underground at one point, and thus are linked to the power of the Underground in some way."
"Wait." Said Audrey, her brows creased together as she tried to piece together all the information she was getting.
"What exactly is the Underground?"
"The Underground, my dear, is everything that is magical. The Underground was created because people in the Aboveground believed in it. All the myths and stories and legends you've heard were very real at one point. Then people began to believe that if they stopped believing in us that we would go away. And we did, we went into the Underground where the magic and our own will supported our existence."
"So you're saying that people believed in you so you became real and then you believed in your self so you became real and when people stopped believing in you, you still believed in you so you couldn't die but you had to go away?" asked Audrey, her face drawn in concentration.
Jareth was silent for a moment.
"Yes. That about sums it up."
"Wait, I'm confused, what?" Said Michael.
"Never mind." Said Audrey.
"Anyway, I recently received a letter from the High Council of the Underground stating that the Shadowmen have ventured Aboveground and were killing everyone who had been touched by magic. That is why you were brought here, because we feared for you safety." Said Jareth, hugging the stiff Sarah tighter.
"Jareth?" she asked.
"Yes love?"
"Let me up."
He reluctantly released her and she stood, strode over to the bed and picked up her sleeping baby brother. She sat back down on the love seat, carefully avoiding touching Jareth as she rocked her brother slowly.
"How long are we stuck here?" she asked.
"Until the other Shadowmen cease their killing. They will hunt for you because you are mortal and because you have bested my Labyrinth and taken the magic it surrendered to you into the Aboveground."
"Wait, magic it surrendered?" asked Sarah as she forgot her pain in her confusion.
"Every game has a prize Sarah." He answered, twirling a crystal around his fingers.
Jenny grimaced and Julian smiled at the words he'd spoken to his own mortal pursuit.
"So, I have magic now?" she asked, suddenly not sure she should be holding Toby anymore. The child stirred for a moment before yawning loudly and blinking sleepily up at his sister.
"Hi Sarah." He said.
"Hi Toby. You remember Jareth right?" she asked softly.
"Yeah."
"Well, he brought us back to the Labyrinth so we're going to stay here for a while ok?" she told his as soothingly as she could.
"Why? You didn't wish me 'way 'gan did ya?" he asked yawning again.
"No, no nothing like that sweetling. We can't go home anymore, Dad and your mom…went away and they can't come back." She told him, hating the lie but knowing he wouldn't understand if she told him they were dead.
"Where did they go?" asked the child becoming more awake with each passing moment.
Jareth watched with worry as his Sarah gently told her brother that his parents had gone to a place where they would be happy and that he didn't need to worry about them anymore, that she would take good care of him. He could almost feel the pain she was in and it tore his heart up.
"To answer you previous question Sarah, you do have some magic, not much mind you but some. The Labyrinth will obey you because you defeated it, and you know that I am at you beck and call if you so wish it." He told her softly.
"Why couldn't you have gotten a guy like that?" asked Audrey to Jenny behind her hand. Jenny smiled and shook her head, glancing at Julian's frowning face.
"Thank you." Sarah was silent for a moment, her nose buried in Toby's baby fine blond hair.
"Its safe here?" she asked, her eyes on Jareth.
"You have my word."
She nodded, still holding her brother who was hugging her back, not sure why she was so uneasy.
"Then, I think I'd like to get some sleep now." She said looking around for the door out.
Jareth nodded, silently kicking himself for not realizing that she wouldn't want to stay in his room. He suddenly began to play host to his guests, turning crystals in his fingers and having rooms made up for each. He made sure to place Jenny's room next to Julian's and Tom's as far from them as possible. He also made sure Sarah had a room near his with a second smaller bed for Toby.
He set the crystals down and watched as the rolled to the feet of whoever they were supposed to guide.
"Right then, I suggest we all get some sleep, follow the crystals to your room and put them on the stand beside the bed, just tell the crystal if you need anything." He instructed.
The crystals began to roll and Jareth had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at the sight of seven mortal teenagers all walking towards the door with their eyes glued to their feet.
0o0o0
Sarah couldn't sleep. She told herself this was normal behavior for someone who had just seen her parents brutally murdered. Funny how the thought didn't comfort her much. She sighed, watching as Toby snoozed lightly in his small bed. The silk covers made him look more like a royal prince than her baby brother, whose sheets at home had large pictures of transformer robots on them. She pulled her knees up to her chest, sinking into the silk and down comforter on her own elaborate bed and smirked ruefully as she remembered her psychology class.
If she remembered correctly, denial was the first step in the process of death and dying. She wasn't dying, of course, but the steps would help her sort out her feelings and mourn properly. She scoffed. People were so arrogant, thinking that they could actually tell someone what the proper way to grieve for the death of a loved one was.
Ok, the next step is anger. A look of startled bewilderment came over her face and she had just enough time to think: 'What in God's name am I doing?' before she broke down and cried. She bit her lip and buried her face in her pillow trying to keep the great wracking sobs that shook her body from becoming to loud. It wouldn't do for her to wake Toby; she had to be strong for him. There wasn't anyone else left to do it for her.
When the sun came up the next morning, Sarah realized that she'd fallen asleep without even remembering. She felt exhausted, utterly drained after her silent outpour. Her white pillow had a kind of stain on it, tear stains. She touched it and it was still damp.
She drew in a great shuddering breath and tried not to start crying all over again. Jareth would laugh at her. She was supposed to be strong willed and all that.
A knock came at her door and she called to whoever it was to come in. It was Jareth, go figure.
"Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry Sarah." He told her gently, not willing to risk upsetting her.
"I'm not hungry." She told him bleakly.
"You have to eat Sarah." He told her with a frown.
"No I don't." she said impassively.
"Yes you do, and you're going to. Don't defy me Sarah, I am still King here." He said, his frown deepening into a scowl.
Sarah froze, her whole body going ridged.
"Get out." She hissed. Oh the nerve of the man! How dare he do this to her! First her parents are murdered, then she's kidnapped and now he's ordering her around like some common servant!
"You forget that this is my castle Sarah, you can't make me do anything." He retorted hotly. Who did she think she was? Just because he was drop dead in love with her didn't mean he was going to grovel at her feet. They'd be equals or nothing, as much as it hurt to say, but that was his final word. He was king and his pride simply would not allow him to act otherwise.
"Leave me alone!" she growled, her face still hidden from him. To think that she'd almost been convinced that he was a good guy! He hadn't changed a bit in three years, he was still haughty and arrogant and the most insanely aggravating person she knew! Why couldn't he just go away!
"No Sarah, I'm not leaving until you eat. As your king I command it." Why was she resisting him so much? It was just food. Why were women always so difficult?
"My king? My king? More like my kidnapper! And didn't you say that you were at my beck and call?" she demanded, rising her rage-filled eyes to meet his.
Jareth swallowed. Did he say that? Oops.
"I did." He admitted. Damnit! Why did he have to have such a big mouth?
"Then get lost!" she yelled, her voice waking Toby.
He growled at her but vanished in a shower of glitter.
"Sarah? What's going on?" asked Toby as he crawled out of bed.
Sarah groaned and rolled back over, not wanting to explain it.
"Go find Jareth and get some breakfast Toby, I'm gonna sleep some more." She told him, barely containing her anger. Stupid, stupid, stupid man!
"Um…ok?" said Toby as he edged out the door. He'd seen Sarah like this plenty of times before when she was angry with his Mom. Every day that she had to go see that doctor guy she came home like this and he did what ever he could to avoid her.
He slipped out of the room and wandered down the hall to find the guy he sister told him about all the time and get some food.
Sarah growled, punched her pillow and settled down. She lay there trying to go to sleep when she realized how good it felt to hit something. She sat back up and punched her pillow again. She guessed she was in the anger stage of the process. That thought didn't comfort her either, so she punched the pillow again.
0o0o0
End chapter 3