I hope y'all still have your seat belts on, 'cause it's time for…(dramatic spin-around pose with pointing finger)…PLOT TWISTING REVELATIONS!!!! SHAMALAMLAMLAMLAMA!!!!!! (gets clocked in head for being stupid)
You know, I realized another thing…Jemna's a lot like Ayame Sohma from Fruits Basket! (weirded out) She's somewhat careless, she's flamboyant, she's…I dunno! She's just her! Anyway, enjoy this PLOT TWISTING REVELATION! (And the romantic dance and song by Michael Bublé, which I don't own.)
"The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach; the best way to break security is through the kitchen."—H. M. Murdock, The A-Team
Chapter 10: Two Unexpected Guests
My kind are not prone to madness, but we can feel fear. I feel it now, in the most horrible sense of the word.I'm afraid; this dark dungeon seems to close in on me a little more every day.
What is day? This kingdom is so dark I don't even know the difference anymore!
But I can't give up; strength is deep in my kind. I must be true to who I am and believe in my queen.
Someone will save me.
Sarah felt so awkward leaving Jareth with Hoggle; Didymus was busy conversing with Jemna's captain of the guard and Ludo was entertaining the little ones. It was like leaving your boyfriend alone with your father, except she was worried about what Jareth would do to Hoggle.
"I never care much for parties," Hoggle said awkwardly, "Too many people around. Strangers and such." He rocked on his feet with his hands behind his back. Jareth silently agreed with him. Sure, he liked to be around people and stuff, and he knew a lot of his sister's subjects, but the present circumstance made him grimmer than usual.
"Listen, Your Highness," said Hoggle as he fidgeted, "I know you don't think much of me…but Sarah's my friend and I want to make sure she's happy, so just hear me out. (Pause) I want to know that you'll be good to her—good for her. I want to know that you'll take care of her and protect her with your life, that you'd never hurt her in any way."
"You needn't have asked that, Hoggle," the king replied in a murmur, "I've been taking care of and protecting her longer than she knows and always will. I don't know how confident I am about not hurting her—physically, I wouldn't harm so much as the hem of her dress. But emotionally, psychologically…" He looked away. "I wonder if I haven't done that already."
Hoggle looked where he was looking; Sarah was across the room with Jemna, exchanging polite words with concillmen.
"People who promise never to hurt the ones they love," Jareth continued, watching her, "are making a promise they don't know if they can keep. We can never know the future, so we must be sure of the promises we make. If you make one of those 'never' promises, you must be sure you can keep it. That's why I won't promise I'll never hurt her…I don't make promises I can't keep. I'll always look out for her, protect her, provide her with all she needs, be whatever she needs me to be for her…but I'm so afraid to hurt her that I can't promise I won't."
"I see," Hoggle nodded, "Don't want to jinx nothin.' Well, at least you're trying. Er…thanks, Your Majesty. I feel better knowing where your heart is where Sarah's concerned." Jareth scoffed.
"I'll not be asking for your blessing, dwarf," he said stonily. Hoggle smiled; the king was back to his shenanigans.
"That's okay, Your Majesty!" he chirped as he hobbled off, "You can have it anyway!"
"And don't you dare tell her what I said!" Jareth threatened.
"Wouldn't dream of it!" the dwarf waved. Jareth watched him go, then snapped his head in Toby's direction, his magic senses tingling.
"So, Toby," asked a gorgeous little elf girl, "what are goblins like?"
"A lot of fun," smiled Toby, "Kinda dirty, but they're so much fun to play with! And they like to sing and dance, but they're not that good at dancing."
"Hey, kids," called a little boy, "Look what I found!"
When Toby saw what it was the boy had found, he gasped with a small choke at the end, like Sarah sometimes did. The girl he was talking to looked curiously at him.
"Uh-oh."
"Sarah?" his small voice said meekly as he tugged on her sleeve. She turned to him and gasped shortly; he had a little girl by the hand with a scared look on her face…a human little girl!
"Molly Stevens?" she said, recognizing the child's strawberry blond hair and sparkly blue eyes.
"H-h-hi, Sarah," she managed to say softly.
"What the devil is this?" cried Lord Gimble.
"Toby, what happened?" Sarah asked as she knelt to them to tend to Molly.
"I think I made a huge mistake," Toby explained, "I was playing with the kids and having so much fun I wished that Molly was here to see this! I guess I accidentally wished her here."
"Oh, Toby," said Sarah as she touched his head, "You know you have to be careful what you wish for." He bowed his head.
"I know," he said glumly, "I'm sorry."
"Toby," Molly asked quietly as she tugged his sleeve, "are these people elves?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "and I know how much you like stuff like this; that's why I wished you were here. I'm sorry I scared you, though."
"I'm not scared," she shook her pretty head, "I'm glad you wished me here! I've always wanted to see elves; they're so pretty!"
"Then let me introduce myself, my lovely wish-away!" Jemna piped up, "My name is Jemna, and this is my castle." She clapped once and the servant Bilba appeared.
"Bilba," said the queen, "please take this lovely young thing to the guest dressing room. Take some of the little girls along for company; you may go too, Toby. Just stand outside the door."
"Come on, Molly!" smiled Toby, taking her hand, "Elves make the prettiest dresses!" He led her away with Bilba and some of his elf companions. Sarah watched him go and noticed Jareth watching, too. Their eyes met and an understanding passed between them—an understanding that Sarah would have a few choice words for him at the earliest convenience and that Jareth looked forward to it with amusement.
"Sarah, Sarah! Look!" Toby called a little later, "Isn't she pretty?"
Sarah blinked and her breath caught: Molly was wearing a gold-colored dress with puffy short sleeves and a ballerina-type skirt. A string of light blue sapphires adorned her neck and a circle of blue impatiens was on her head. She looked gorgeous!
"What do you think, Sarah?" the girl asked shyly. Sarah smiled and knelt to her.
"I think Toby's the luckiest boy in the world for being friends with the prettiest girl ever," she smiled. The lights dimmed suddenly and everyone in the room turned to see the Elf Queen clinging a delicate glass with a spoon. The faint glow of sunset lit the room with soft gold.
"Friends," she announced, "the glorious sun that plays such a monumental role in our survival has cast its last glow on the day as we come together in celebration of another successful harvest. As your queen, I commend the winners of the Festival of Summer Games and count you as honored guests at the Sun Table."
Everyone applauded as the winners of the games waved from a long table with a sun tablecloth.
"Normally at this time, our own unicorn friend Amalthea makes an appearance and joins us," Jemna continued, "but sadly, she is unable to attend this year." Everyone looked sad. "At this time, I ask that we have a moment of silence for our lost friend as plans are made to rescue her."
A sad silence fell over the glorious beauty of the party; the fading sunlight slowly began to retreat from the room, as if reluctant to go. Sarah felt a hand gently grip her shoulder and she looked up into Jareth's eyes; the light turned his blue eye green and his brown eye golden. She couldn't move a muscle and she didn't want to try. What she wanted was to figure out why he was looking at her so intensely and so sadly.
She softly gasped when he moved his hand to the back corner of her head and made her lean toward him slightly; he leaned his head on hers, touching his lips to her hair with his eyes closed. He was so close to her, she could smell his cologne. That was strange; Sarah didn't remember him wearing cologne. It smelled incredible, whatever it was.
"Thank you," said Jemna, "And now I would like to invite my dear brother the Goblin King to join me in leading the first dance!"
Jareth grinned in that way he always did and tugged on the hem of his glove as he sauntered over and bowed to his sister, who curtsied and took his offered hand. After the two Fae siblings had danced for a bit, more people began to join in, including Toby and Molly. Didymus, Sarah was surprised to find, was dancing with Bilba, probably because she wasn't much taller than he was. Watching him dance made Sarah giggle.
Soon the song was over and Jemna announced the singer for the next dance, a handsome man dressed in black clothes that made him resemble Hamlet. He bowed and sat down at a sleek black baby grand piano, beautifully polished and shining in the last desperate glow of the sunset. He played up a gentle and sweet introduction that made Sarah feel soft inside.
"Sarah," Jareth softly asked with a hand across her shoulders, "may I have this dance?" He took a moment to drink in the golden beauty of her eyes.
"Sure," she nodded. Just like in her dream, he took her hand and led her to the floor and just like in her dream, neither of them could look away. They began to dance as the singer crooned smoothly.
Can't believe it's over
I watched the whole thing fall
and I never saw the writing that was on the wall
If I only knew
the days were slipping past
that the good things never last,
that you were crying"I see Jemna likes crooners," said Sarah, "He's got such a smooth voice."
"Indeed," said the Goblin King.
"I saw you guys dance, too," she continued (duh—who didn't?), "You dance really well together!"
"Yes, well," he said rather sheepishly, "That's sort of a tradition for us. If you want to know the truth, she never dances with anyone else anymore."
That surprised Sarah; she looked around to see Jemna leaning on the doorway of the wall of windows, which was open. She couldn't see her face, but she guessed from the slackened posture, the limpness of her arm at her side, and the sideways angle of her head that she was sad.
Mmm…
Summer turned to winter
and the snow, it turned to rain
And the rain turned into tears upon your face
I hardly recognize
the girl you are today
And God, I hope it's not too late
Mmm, it's not too late
Sarah turned back to Jareth in confusion.
"Why not?" she asked sadly. He looked at her thoughtfully, then answered, "I'll let her tell you that when she's ready" as he swept her into the chorus. "For now, I want to think about you."
'Cause you are not alone
I'm always there with you
And we'll get lost together
until the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done,
and the darkness has won,
Babe, you're not lost…
When your world is crashing down,
and you cannot bear the thought,
I said babe, you're not lost
Jareth looked at her again with that intense stare and slid the side of his face against hers so that he looked behind her. She felt her neck prickle and broke a sweat.
"Tonight we make plans for the mission to the Gargoyle City," he whispered in her ear, "Do you feel at all prepared?"
"No," she said honestly when she remembered how to breathe, "but I didn't feel prepared for the Labyrinth, either." He chuckled in a short "hmph" kind of way. He admired that spark in her.
"You know, you didn't finish that sentence," he said, pulling back, "and I told you we'd finish our conversation."
"I know." Sarah's cheeks were a modestly pale shade of pink.
"So what were you going to say?" he asked with a surprising tone of tender care and concern in his voice that was so unlike him. Sarah lifted her sad eyes to his, her green orbs shining with tears, which surprised him.
"I was going to say that…" The words almost caught in her throat. "I missed you."
Now he was truly surprised; he knew that was it, but still…having her say it near tears when she looked so beautiful had hit him from left field!
"You missed me?" he repeated, almost in a whisper. He was humbled. She nodded, unable to speak.
Life can show no mercy
It can tear your soul apart
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy,
but you're not
Things have seemed to change
but one thing that's still the same
In my heart you have remained
And we can fly, fly,
Fly away…
As the chorus took a dramatic sweep, Jareth wrapped his arm completely around her and floated her over the dance floor while she kept telling herself not to cry and make him feel worse.
'Cause you are not alone!
It was true, but she hadn't known it for four years.
And I am there with you!
He had been all along and she'd had no idea.
And we'll get lost together
until the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done
and the darkness has won,
Babe, you're not lost…
When your world is crashing down
The tempo died down as the dancers slowed; Jareth kept his hold on Sarah and she just stood in an emotional paralysis with her hand on his shoulder and her face close to his throat. She thought about how alone she'd felt without him…
And you cannot bear the cross
How sad…how incomplete…how…
They stopped. Jareth pushed his face against hers again with his lips near her ear. He closed his eyes and sang quietly.
I said baby, you're not lost
That was it; that was how she'd felt without him! She'd felt lost.
He understood! Her eyes spilled over in spite of her and she buried her face in her hands; she at least had enough pride not to throw herself on him like some flimsy damsel (even though she'd pretty much done that in her room).
"Sarah?" Jareth touched her arms as the song finished, "What's the matter? Why are you crying?" If there was one thing he couldn't handle, it was crying girls—not because he was a softie, but purely because it was like something broken that he didn't know how to fix!
"Come over here." Hoggle came over and herded her to a pillar in a less conspicuous part of the room. "There, there, that's a good girl; tell Hoggle what's wrong." He shot Jareth an ugly look, like it was his fault she was crying! Well…technically it was, but he didn't mean to!
"I say, Your Highness," piped up Sir Didymus, "Whatever is wrong with her ladyship?"
"I don't know," he said irritably, "Hoggle took her away." He watched Sarah sitting in a chair talking to Hoggle.
"Jareth!" Toby's happy voice called. He turned to see him leading Molly over to him by the hand.
"I want you to meet my friend!" he smiled, "This is Molly from school! She's in my class! Molly, this is the Goblin King from my stories!" She gasped.
"You're the Goblin King? Really?" she exclaimed. Jareth nodded and her cheeks turned pink; she was obviously in awe of him, especially since he towered over her.
"Oh!" she exhaled, "I have heard so much about you, Your Majesty! Toby writes stories about you and the goblins and he reads them in Show and Tell every week! You look just the way he always said you did! Can you really roll crystals on your hands?"
Jareth studied her for a moment; this child was very charming and had an aura he recognized from Sarah. Yes, she definitely had potential.
He chuckled and knelt on one knee with his fingers close together and a crystal appeared between them. Her doe brown eyes followed it wondrously as it rose and fell in its dance along his hands and arms until it rolled back to his fingertips. He held it out to Molly.
"Do you want it?" he offered. She reached out to touch the crystal and it popped like a bubble, releasing a beautiful butterfly. The two kids laughed; Toby remembered Jareth doing that to him once when he was three or four.
While he was entertaining Molly, Sarah was drying up and telling Hoggle what had happened.
"He didn't hurt yeh, did he?" asked the dwarf.
"No, Hoggle," she smiled, "We were dancing and talking and I…I told him I missed him while he was gone all those years. Then I started thinking about how else I'd felt and he…he sang the last line in the song to me. He said I wasn't lost." She hugged him. "He understands, Hoggle. He knows how I feel! He understands me. It just made me so happy."
"You felt lost?" he asked sadly, patting her arm, "What about me? And Ludo and Didymus?"
"I never felt lost with you, Hoggle," she said affectionately, "I love you guys. The time I spend with you three is the highlight of my day. It's just…you can't think about the Goblin City without thinking of the Goblin King. And…even though I love you and Ludo, and Didymus and Toby…Jareth is the only one who makes me feel free. He's the only one who can save me when I want to get away."
Hoggle held both of her hands gently.
"I'm no good with stuff like that," he said, "so I don't know what to tell you, except…You've always had the power to see him again. All you have to do is make the right call." Sarah smiled down at him.
"Thanks, Hoggle." She stood up. "Excuse me; I've got to find the bathroom."
It was on her way back that she ran into him.
She passed by a large open window with a cushioned bench as a sill when a velvety dark voice spoke her name.
"Sarah Williams?" The voice sent chills down her spine, like someone had dropped ice cubes down the back of her shirt. She turned her head to the right and saw a slender young man standing by the window. He was clothed in black; his shirt had no ruffles or frills, and the space that exposed his pale chest was very narrow. A black cape drifted lazily just below waist level. A crescent-shaped medallion—again, the same as Jareth's—hung at the bottom of the open V shape of his shirt. It had a purple amethyst in it, and it was glowing. His pants, like his shirt, were tight and accentuated his slight figure; his fluffy black hair was the only thing that fluttered in the night breeze from the window, barely touching the bottom of his neck and revealing a cold blue right eye and a dark purple left eye. He was deftly shuffling a deck of cards between his small, pale hands.
His smile was faint and chilling as he slowly walked to Sarah; he looked like a puff of wind could blow him over, but his presence was a warning sign to all that this man was not to be trifled with.
"Who…?" she started to ask, but then she knew. "Jathan…the Goblin King."
"My, what a sweet girl you are," he smiled wider, "Jemna certainly did you up right; I hope you're not bored by her little party."
His voice was like a delicately crafted knife neatly slicing through silk; Sarah couldn't stand it!
"I'm sorry," she said politely, "I have to get back. They'll be looking for me."
Sure enough, she could hear Toby calling her name and he sounded frantic. She guessed he felt Jathan's presence as well. She curtsied quickly and started to walk to the door.
"Before you go," he called, "I have something for you."
"Thank you, but I'm not comfortable accepting gifts from strangers," she lied.
"Not even something as simple as a Queen of Hearts?" He held a card between his two fingers. "It's only a card."
Every one of her instincts told her not to touch anything of his.
"I don't want it!" she snapped, her fear making her irritable, "You shouldn't even be here!"
He scowled and walked closer to her, showing her the card face-up.
"Don't you even want to know what it does?" he asked in a low, threatening tone.
"I believe the lady said she didn't want it," Jareth spoke from behind her, making her neck prickle with surprise. She could have cried with relief.
Jareth had felt his brother's presence immediately; the topaz in his medallion had started to pulse urgently, like a fire truck light. He'd had to trudge through all the party people, though, and that was why it had taken him so long. The emerald in Jemna's medallion had signaled her as well and she was right behind him in a heartbeat. The three of them could always find each other because their jewels, being from the Crown Collection of their father, always glowed when sensing the presence of its sibling(s).
Jathan's smile widened, but his eyes remained cold as he eyed his little brother. Jareth had about an inch on him and Jemna was the exact same height as Jathan.
"Well, well," he said, his eyes drifting between his siblings, "Doesn't this look familiar, teaming up against me. Some family reunion. Still playing with your silly little baubles, Jareth?"
"Still playing Old Maid with your parlor cards, Jathan?" he responded, "I don't believe you were invited here."
"Yes, well, after a lifetime of 'not being invited,' one learns to invite oneself," he answered, his voice laced with animosity.
"Jemna, take Sarah back inside," Jareth said, his eyes narrowed to slits. Jemna started to gently pull her aside, but Sarah stopped.
"I'm not going anywhere," she protested, surprised with herself. Where had that come from?
"Yes, we wouldn't want the innocent lady to see what kind of man you really are," Jathan goaded with bitter amusement. Before he could blink, he was sent flying sideways through the doors and slid across the ballroom floor on his back. Sarah gasped and Jemna gripped her arms from behind.
"Jarry!" gasped the queen, "Are you out of your mind?" Jareth didn't answer; his face was rigid with grim intensity and his aura sizzled with anger. He whipped his head to Sarah.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked. She shook her head. He stepped back into the ballroom, which was in an uproar. Toby had Molly behind him protectively, staring down at the Gargoyle King. Jathan lay sprawled on his back with elves standing around him in a circle at a safe distance.
"There's your unicorn thief!" Jareth pointed at him. The party guests murmured in confusion while Jathan slowly propped himself up on one hand, holding his side where Jareth's foot had been. He was seething with hatred.
"Leave my castle, Jathan," said Jemna calmly, "You are not welcome here." The utter loathing he looked at her with was the most horrifying expression Sarah had ever seen. How could anyone truly hate his sister so much?
"Whatever will poor Amalthea say," he sneered, "when I tell her how her queen wouldn't even receive me for a negotiation? You must not want her back."
"You admit you've kidnapped her," his sister replied, calmly as ever, "I know you, brother. You've not come to negotiate, but to gloat!"
"Once again, big sister's right," he said bitterly, "except for one thing: I also came to meet her." His cold eyes slid over to Sarah like a sword being unsheathed. She stood still with her feet firmly on the ground, staring defiantly back at him to cover up her terror. Molly was still cowering behind Toby, who held her hands and tried to look as brave as Sarah did.
Jemna narrowed her eyes as her elf knights surrounded him, arrows at the ready.
"Stay where you are, Lord of Obsidian," she warned, "You've met Sarah already; now transform and leave us in peace."
Sarah walked down to face the Gargoyle King. Her shoulders were straight, her jaw set.
"Through the terrors of the night," she said formally, "and the sadness of the dark…I will shine in the blackness of your world and return what you have stolen…for where my heart shines…your shadow will never fall."
No one said anything for a while as the conqueror of the Labyrinth had a silent battle of wills with the Gargoyle King. Black fringes of mist began to issue from his body and he slowly smiled with a challenging gleam in his eye that said "bring it on." The black mist covered him and collapsed into itself until it became a crow with a purple-black beak. It swooped around Sarah and screeched at her—not cawed, screeched. It then flew fast at Jareth, flapped inches from his face, and screeched again before flying out of the ballroom.
A black feather drifted to the ground at Sarah's feet. She picked it up and held it in the palm of her hand; the guests were panicking, so Jemna got them all to calm down and commanded another song. Sarah didn't hear any of it.
Two gloved hands closed hers around the feather; she looked up to see the Goblin King looking intently into her eyes; his blue eye was alight with fire.
"I worked against you in the past, and I'm sorry," he murmured, "Will you let me work with you this time?"
"Of course, but…Are you okay with going against your own brother?" she asked. He glanced away for a second, then opened her hand and held up the crow's feather.
"You've seen what he's like," he answered, "He bears a hatred for me and Jemna that surpasses all sibling feuds, and it makes him dangerous. I know how he thinks and I know how he fights, but beyond that, I want to protect you. If Jathan were anyone else, I would still fight for you."
Sarah was deeply touched by his dedication and she slipped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. He was soft, especially with his poofy shirt, and he was warm with a wildly beating heart. She smiled; it was the first time she'd ever hugged him.
"I haven't forgotten what you said, either," she said, "You said you wanted to hold me. So hold me."
Was she for real? Was any of this for real? Goblin King or no, Jareth always thought himself so unworthy of her. Now she was letting him fight for her and asking him to hold her!
He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head on hers; he could feel her heart beating through her back and he felt a thrill inside. How many times had he watched her sleep and wanted to hold her like this, and protect her from the nightmares that must have plagued her? The agony of watching from afar seemed null and void now that she was in his arms like this, safe and protected.
Nearby, Molly asked Jemna, "Your Majesty? Who was that man?" The queen knelt to her with a smile.
"An angry middle child who's asking for attention."
Author's Review:
GAH!!!! I must apologize for the extreme lateness! I can explain, though! Recently I've started watching "Ouran High School Host Club" on , and it's really cute! I love Tamaki and Honey particularly! Now, then, let's see if there are any references this time…
Obviously, the singer at the ball is a fictional manifestation of Michael Bublé. I can't help it! (And I don't own him; if I did, he'd be singing me to sleep every night!)
Okay, explanation time about Jathan: He's my fan fiction manifestation of Alice Cooper with just a hint of Akito Sohma from Fruits Basket, which is almost what he completely became, but I put a stop to that. Tee-hee! I'm taking all the 60's and 70's singers and putting them in the same royal family!!! Except for Jemna, who is my fan fiction version of Enya…sort of. But mostly she's made up. I hope you guys like Jathan, despite his villany and all that. Oh, and there's a reason he turns into a crow instead of something regal and majestic like the other two.
Oh, yeah: Jemna's introduction of "I'm Jemna and this is my castle" is a tribute to "Return to Labyrinth" vol. 1 (btw, only one month until the 3rd volume comes out! SQUEE!)
And the part where Jareth tugs on his sleeve while he saunters over to his sister is a direct reference to Captain Von Trapp from "The Sound of Music." I thought such a gesture to be appropriate for someone like Jareth! ;)
Oh, and tell me what you think of Molly! She's cute, isn't she? (…) ISN'T SHE? (J/K!) So, yeah: Sorry for the delay! Darn that anime! It'll be the death of me someday…along with manga. :P See y'all next chapter!