Part 9 (Fey tidings)

Hoggle had just made it to the gate's opening wall and was walking through the bricks. He batted away some thick eye-vy and stepped out into the moat. Or rather it used to be a kind of a moat. It never held water though. There was a deep crevice running all along the ground where long ago a great beast would troll the outer wall, its great tail so large it grooved out the ground. The beast had disappeared though long before the Sara Gal had come, and no one knew what had become of it. Though there were rumors that the beast just had yet to make a complete circle of the outer wall.

"Ello" a small voice greeted Hoggle. He looked down. "Ello, ello, right." Echoed three more tiny voices. Hoggle was looking down at a family of worms. The littlest one (who had responded with the 'right'" started to crawl towards the path Hoggle had just left.

Hoggle leaned down to the little family. "What news little one? Have you seen anything out of place?" The little worm continued to look at Hoggle. If it were at all possible the worm was giving him an incredulous look.

"Ain't seen nothin', but I bloody well felt something." The worm looked as his family started heading towards safety. Hoggle looked around, "Felt what ?" The little worm had no time to explain the nature of the Earth to a dwarf. If he had forgotten how to listen to the Earth, there was no point trying to explain it to him.

Just then a thunderous bump echoed through the walls followed by a great moaning sound. Hoggle was knocked on his butt as rubble began to fall around his ears. The little worm looked back at Hoggle and yelled, "Right, Ta for now. It was lovely speaking with you." As he sped away.

Hoggle shook his head and looked down the tunnel towards the great door. Someone was attacking, and they had found the Labyrinth's weakness! The walls were unfaultable, the rock callers had seen to it. But the door, the door was nothing. Held in place by magic, but once that magic was broken down, it was just a door. There was no way he could make it back to the castle. Hoggle realized that he had no weapons. Knowing this Hoggle began to run. He was after all a king of sorts in his own right, and he had his own warriors. They weren't much, but Hoggle's loyalties, though sometimes a bit confused, would always lay with Jareth and his little Sara gal.

Sara was looking out over the balcony. Her mind was racing. Karen, Karen, who was this person? Who was Karen to her? Why was she here? Where did she come from. Why did she feel like she has betrayed? The sound echoed faintly far away in the Goblin King's castle. At first Sara thought mistakenly it for the roll of distant thunder. She looked out towards the gate. Jareth came behind her, and followed her gaze. He knew that the memories were trying to come back to her. Jareth smiled as he thought of her confusion. It proved to him that she wasn't Fey struck after all. Though he would never admit it to anyone out loud he missed her fire. He simply loved pushing her buttons. Jareth's smile faltered however as he looked where Sara was looking.

There was a faint line of smoke coming from the main gate. It had a purple hue to it. A grim look came over the Goblin King's face. Summoning a crystal ball in his hand he gazed upon the outside gate. His suspicions confirmed Jareth turned, his white cape flying over his shoulder. Jareth went to his throne and sat down. Closing his eyes he summoned his magic, calling forth the magic he used many moon ago when his world was made. A magic that called to Sara. Sara, distracted by the power moved to his side and kneeled before him. All around every Goblin responded to the ebb of power, wherever they were they all stopped, turned to the castle and paid homage to their king. Adding to the power. The throne, which was once made of bone and metal, started to reform itself. Molding itself to Jareth in the form of armor. Jareth stood and the throne, still moving flowed onto his body.

Every Goblin in the land, near and far all gathered weapons of war and turned towards the gate. This was their kingdom, and no one was allowed in who wasn't invited first. Jareth appeared before the doors just as another blast was aimed splintered the ancient wood. He sighed and walked forward. He knew this day was coming.

Sara turned. She felt the call to war. But something inside her come rushing back to her mind. "I'm not a goblin." Sara fell to her knees and placed her hands to her head. She felt like her head would explode with pressure.

Cindy had just finished talking to the head of the Fey army. She knew that they had no chance against Jareth, but they would distract him nicely for her while she went to the Goblin King's castle. If Sara would not leave of her own accord. She, the Queen of the Gremlins, would see that that bothersome girl was taken care of. Once and for all. Cindy only hoped it wasn't too late. She had given special instructions to the Fey. She could only hope they listened and heeded her advice.

She stood outside the throne room on the balcony. Cindy watched Sara as she struggled to remember her life before the Labyrinth. Cindy looked into the sky. She had to stall a few more moments. Precious few. Now would be a lovely time for a little chat. Cindy, in all her glory stepped into the room. Sara's tear tracked face looked up at her.

Jareth walked through the doors to be greeted by a familiar sight. His brother. Naturally, who else would they send to stand before him than his own blood. In any other situation it would guarantee that neither one of them could ever win. Before he left, Jareth was actually beginning to gain power. Power he used to stand up for himself. But his brother had always, always been his pain. As it was their way, punishment was delivered by family for offences to the Queen of the Fey and her royal court. This included the Royal court themselves. And Jareth's brother, quite often was getting in trouble. Trouble that was blamed on the younger sibling, the one that had nothing, and no title to inherit. He had proved his point however. Jareth would no longer be the whipping boy of the future "Lord of Baradoth."

Memories did no justice to the man standing before him. Standing. The nerve. He should kneel before a King. Axima looked the same. Jareth wrinkled his nose, and he still reeked of spirits. Axima stood tall, his untamed mousy brown hair blowing about a rather drawn in face. He was so thin you could see the bones in his face covered by a thin off-white flesh. His eyes were the same pale blue that he remembered. He had once had nightmares about those wicked eyes. Now, Jareth just smiled. He meant nothing to him.

"Greetings Jareth or shall I call you Jaralon?" Axima sneered at his brother. Jareth looked at the mere 30 or so Fey "warriors" that his brother had brought. Is this what his brother thought of him? That he would need so few? Looking at the crowd he saw many familiar faces. Many bad memories stood before him. But it was so long ago. Jareth smiled, it was all nothing. His past meant nothing to him. Least of all his tormentors.

"Greetings? You bring me greetings with a sword in hand... What have you done now, Axima that you need so many whips?" Jareth said with a full out grin. Axima's eyes flashed with anger. His hand gripped the sword tightly. He had to go forward with the plan. Axima looked up to the sky. Almost time. Cindy's words were remembered. Jareth may indeed have bonded. If he had, nothing would harm him lest him and his mate were hit in the same spot, at the same time. But Axima highly doubted it. No one could love this worm of a brother. He who preferred the company of ...goblins. The very word disgusted him. This upstart who thought he was a king. The whelp needed to be beaten down and dragged back home. Just like old times.

- -

Cindy walked toward the kneeling Sara. "Poor child." Cindy hesitated, but finally put a hand on Sara's shoulder. "Would you like to remember?" Cindy removed a cube from he gown sleeve. "Would you like to see? " Cindy placed the cube in front off her face; the surface shimmered and then started to show Sara her past.

Memories flooded back to Sara. Karen giving her an awkward hug when they first met, her father reading her a bedtime story, friends from school, a play she had been in. Sara's eyes began to water again. She peered closer, "Tody, oh god Tody! Father!" Sara sobbed. Images of the funeral, of the aftermath, Of Karen laying on the floor, beyond help, a bottle in hand. Then the scenes changed, Jareth was there, Jareth was smiling wickedly as he shoved her into bed...Jareth as he...

Cindy screamed in outrage and threw the cube out the window. Sara stopped crying and a look of awe was crossing her face. Cindy's plan was backfiring. Sara wasn't supposed to see the good. Sara stood up and dried her eyes. She remembered. She waited for the anger to come, but found forgiveness instead. A glow of happiness. Wonderment at the surprise that she liked it here, she had no reason to go back. She was home.

Cindy screamed in outrage. The clock began to chime.

The doors to the labyrinth opened behind Jareth. Goblins in every shape and size began to file out and fall in behind their king. Hoggle, in full Dwarfen armor, came to stand beside Jareth. A small army of Brownies jumped around him.

Jareth stepped forward and withdrew his own sword. Goblin and Fey made, made of steel and cold iron. Jareth's sword would do some damage to Fey Blood. But not to him. Not to the true King. All around him his army ready themselves. A great battle cry of the Goblins filled the silence. "This ends today." Jareth charged his brother. They met with a clash of swords.

The clock chimes.