I've been reading a few good short fics this past week, but all of them are un-finished! Ugh! So frustrating.

Well, I decided that I ought to take a lesson from this frustration and at least post more on my own stories, so as not to keep people waiting obscene amounts of time for updates.

So here ya go. Enjoy!

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Chapter 7

Jareth watched Toby play with the goblins while he sat on the throne, and occasionally glanced at a crystal ball as it showed him Sarah's progress through the maze. She'd chosen the correct doorway where the Red and Blue Guards protected one of the next entrance points to the inner maze, but she'd blindly missed the drop hole into the tunnel of Helping Hands. And it wasn't even as if the hole was hidden.

Jareth sighed, melancholy for a moment. He had had the Helping Hands installed in the maze for his beloved Olwyn, as a gift on her birthday about a decade or two ago. She had loved them- she could go down the tunnel and be suspended in air as they gave her a full body massage, or she could descend the tunnel of hands and go "rock climbing," back up them if she wished, which was something she had immediately taken to. When she was a younger child, her family had lived in the mountains and Jareth had known that was something she missed in the flat, arid land of the Labyrinth.

Jareth shook his head and watched as the girl fought with the Helping Hands, struggling to free herself from their grip, while they in turn, had to grip her harder to keep from dropping her into the oubliette below. Perhaps she would get trapped inside and finally give up, Jareth thought idly.

He stood and walked to the open window overlooking the goblin city and the Hedge Maze beyond it. One way or another, tonight both his and Olwyn's future would be changed forever. They would either win the infant Sarah had selfishly wished way, break the spell, and have an heir of their own, or they would be trapped as owls for eternity.

He had no doubt that if they did indeed lose the babe, he would be transformed into an owl along with Olwyn. He'd already been transforming into one at night for months, and he simply couldn't recall anymore how many times he had woken in the morning with rodent blood smeared across his face. He remembered the first time he had confronted Eselda in the dungeon with the battered mouse body he had found in his bed that morning, and the smug look on her face. This wasn't just about revenge anymore; she delighted at the predicament he had found himself in, she reveled in his worry and fear. He should have never confronted her, never given her the satisfaction of knowing he was furious with her.

He pounded his fist on the windowsill in frustration.

He had already taken precautionary measures for the safety of his kingdom in case they lost their battle tonight, for what owl could run an entire kingdom on it's own? Who, even goblins, would follow an owl as their monarch? The kingdom would fall into chaos and ruin without a leader.

Weeks prior, he had traveled to the kingdom beyond his lands, the mountainous Tindal region, and sought the help of their King. Thankfully, King Deriad was a friend of Jareth's, and was more than willing to offer whatever assistance he and his kingdom could, especially since Olwyn was once one of his people. Deriad's second-eldest son, Arioen, would be sent to act as King by Leave, and would rule Jareth's kingdom with the help of his father, until Jareth and Olwyn could be returned to power, if ever. It had been a sobering day, admitting to another, much less himself, that they may not win this battle, but it had had to be done.

Jareth turned and, once again, collapse into his throne in an undignified manner. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt the beginnings of a migraine starting, then froze as Hoghead's voice reached his ears from the crystal that sat on the arm of his throne.

"What is that, anyway?" the dwarf asked, a touch of cynicism in his voice.

"Plastic," Sarah replied, as she dangled the bracelet in front of the dwarf's eyes. Jareth's eyes narrowed as he watched the scene play out before him in the crystal. As he expected, Hoggle's face lit up.

"Oohhh." The dwarf shuffled forwards towards Sarah, drawn to the plastic beads the way a moth would be drawn to a fire. "Now, I don't promise nothin," he told her as he looked around nervously, "but, uh, I'll take you as far as I can, then you're on your own, right?"

"Right," Sarah nodded, and looking pleased, she placed the bracelet over his wrist. Jareth barely heard Hoggle's awed exclamation of "ooh, plastic!" as he threw the crystal onto the stone floor with all of his might. At the sound of the crystal shattering, the goblins all stopped to watch as their King strode from the room, a murderous intensity in his eyes.

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I know this one was short but there's more to come; I'm actually writing chapter 8 now as I am posting this, so hopefully a new update won't be too far off! Please read and review, I'm always curious to hear what you think (and Jareth is always excited to hear when people see his side of things, not just Sarah's!)