The Moon Mad King
by WhiteInfinity21
Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth.
Chapter 5- Year Four, Eighth Moon
Ever since the Lunar Solstice Festival over a year and a half ago, Jareth had been having increasing difficulty with performing the more magical aspects of his position. The power that he had so effortlessly wielded in the past seemed to be slowly leaking away, drying up like a river during a drought.
He could still properly carry out all of the duties that required the unique brand of magic that the Goblin Monarch used but it was taking more out of him than it should be. Jareth felt the strain of his gradually diminishing powers the hardest when he had to deal with Wish Aways or Runners. Nowadays dealing with them totally wiped him out. Thankfully so far nothing of any magical nature had ever come up during the recovery period he underwent after each Wish Away was dealt with.
Toby, Jareth had noticed, had become increasingly twitchy and jumpy during the times that the Goblin King had to collect Wish Aways or test the Runners. The prince had taken to shadowing the Goblin King during the rare times that a Runner was in the Labyrinth. Jareth decided that he would have to start taking his heir with him whenever he was summoned away to deal with a wished away child. Judging by the boy's sensitivity, it was long past time he should have done so.
Jareth had even caught Toby several times listening intently for something, as if the boy could sense a noise just beyond his range of hearing. The Goblin King had his suspicions about what the prince was doing, suspicions which later proved to be true as he spied Toby sneaking into a tunnel under the castle that led to the Labyrinth's Heart.
It seems that Toby has been communing with the ancient one, Jareth thought, I wonder how long this has been going on?
It was no coincidence, as he later found, that every time Jareth felt a slight drop in the power of his royal goblin magic, Prince Tobias had just connected with the ancient deity, the source of the power that was used by the Goblin Monarch. Luckily, it turned out that the Labyrinth rarely called Goblin Prince to its Heart, for if it had been doing so, the Goblin King would have found himself powerless within a year. But the Labyrinth knew that the twelve year old needed plenty of time to adjust to the changes done to him after each trip Toby made.In all, Toby had only visited the Heart a total of three times, averaging a trip about once every six months.
Sarah had not been surprised when her lover had told her about this. Her unimpressed reaction gave the impression that she had been expecting something of the sort for quite some time.
When asked why she she seemed so nonpulsed by this, Sarah replied, "moon magic is not compatible with many other forms of magic. Barring select spiritual and physic gifts and a few forms of personal magics, one has to be emptied of all other forms of competing magic before the dormant lunar gifts are able to manifest."
"Lovely," Jareth ground out, trying his best to ignore the throbbing headache that had descended upon him after his departure from the Labyrinth's Heart having taken care of a Wish Away.
"Don't worry, the process is practically painless," she cheerily remarked.
"Practically painless?" Jareth asked with a pause.
"Mmmm, yes," Sarah muttered, lost in thought, "about the only pain associated with the emergence of a Moon Child's lunar gifts is the clearing of debris from the previously unused pathways within a person's energy matrix that the moon magic flows along in. From what I've heard, most awakening Moon Children only experience some mild discomfort when this occurs. "
Jareth looked unconvinced.
"It's really no big deal," Sarah reassured him, "it is never fatal."
"And how will I know when this is happening to me?" Jareth pointedly asked, "the moon madness interferes with my duties too much as it is, I don't need another distraction added on top of what I already have."
"Aww, poor baby," Sarah crooned.
Jareth glowered at her.
"I see that someone is still in a snit," she teasingly noted.
"If you're not going to be useful, leave," Jareth snapped.
Sarah's laughter echoed back at him as she abruptly vanished from the spot she had been standing in that was covered in moonlight from outside the window of his study.
"Irritating chit," Jareth growled as he got up and closed the shutters to prevent any other unwanted interruptions that night from the mischievous Moon Child.
Still , Jareth couldn't stop the fond smile that formed on his lips. Much as her cheekiness irritated him, Jareth was also hopelessly charmed by it as well and couldn't help but love her for it (despite it too). Somehow Sarah's presence never failed to lift his spirits, no matter how deep of a funk he was indulging in. She seemed to have a sixth sense to know when her lover needed her.
The woman led the charmed, carefree existence typical of a Moon Child, one that Jareth greatly envied her for. Jareth knew that someday he too would be able to live as Sarah currently did. He was more than ready to do so, impatient even, but it would be many long years until he would be able to join Sarah.
The prospect of the long wait made him incredibly weary. But Jareth didn't have the time to indulge in such wistful musings, he had a kingdom to run and a heir to teach and prepare for the day that Toby would succeed him.
A king's work never ends.
Short chappie this time, but I promise to get the next one out in a few days after I finish writing it.
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