Disclaimer: Larizel is the only character in this ENTIRE story that is mine. Jareth, Sarah and any other characters or Labyrinth concepts in this story ALL belong to the Henson Associates, Inc… and I even pulled a quote or two from the movie… but one of these days it shall not be so. I can dream right?

AN- Thank you for my comment unwritten. This is the second half of the Labyrinth... enjoy.

Chapter 14: Game Over

Larizel studied the two doors. On the right was a doorknocker with a ring in its mouth. It had a large funny nose and obviously over-sized mouth. The other was a knocker with a ring going through its pointed ears and a pushed in face with a small mouth and upturned nose.

"What are you staring at?" The pointed ear knocker spoke apparently annoyed. "It's very rude to just stand there and gawk at us."

"My apologizes. I meant no insult." Larizel felt bad for standing there like that. He was right it really was rude.

"What?" It appeared the ring in his ears hindered his hearing. The other knocker made an attempt to speak but failed with its ring in his mouth.

Larizel giggled and removed his ring. "Say it again." Her huge smile put them both at ease, even the grouchy deaf knocker.

"No point talking to him, he can't hear you. Hahahaha…" The knocker laughed deliriously at his own joke that no one else shared.

"I see your lips moving, but I can't hear a damn word you are saying." The other knocker growled.

Larizel looked back and forth between the two of them contemplating which way to go. "So which one should I go through?"

The knocker on her right questioned. "Well, where are you trying to go?"

"You have got to be fucking kidding me. This joke is extremely old. I am going to The Castle." Her eyes were glowing once more.

"Well it looks to me you're not going anywhere. You are just standing there." The knocker shot a snide comment at her before laughing once more.

Larizel really was losing her patience. She didn't have time to waste anymore. Not bothering to replace the ring in the other knocker's mouth she dropped it to the ground and instead knocked on the left door. As the door opened she threw her hair over her shoulder looking back at the obnoxious knocker. "Now I know why someone put a ring in your mouth." Before he could reply she walked through the door and shut it behind her. There standing in front of her was what looked like miles upon miles of trash and the goblin city gates in the distance. She was almost there, but not much time left.

Jareth laughed watching Sarah's face construct into disgusted. His voice purred to her quickly pissing her off more. "Looks like she just bypassed the forest and bog."

"What, but that's not fair!" She whined.

Jareth stepped down from his ledge and all but floated to his now unoccupied throne to lounge and gloat. It was definitely a lounging and gloating moment "Why is that, because she made a better decision than yourself? I didn't force you to choose the other door. Surely you didn't think that every decision you made in the Labyrinth was best, did you?" Tears welded up in her eyes. Jareth did feel a bit pity for her, but now was not the time for him to develop his emotional skills. "Huh, I guess you did."

Sarah held back her tears, but still turned away from Jareth to dwell momentarily in the pain of realization. Turning her attention back to Jareth she found herself with a devious smile gracing her lips. "She still won't make it. The only difference this has made is that she would have came close. Her time is running out." She indicated to the clock with her hand. Jareth knew she was right. There wasn't much time left.

Larizel made her way through the trash. It wasn't what she thought it would be. She was expecting tossed out food and empty containers, but it wasn't that at all. It was consumed with disregarded toys and furniture. Treasures that once belonged to someone, but now was junk in every sense to someone else.

"Where are you going young woman?" The haggard old woman must have been carrying everything she ever owned on her back.

Looking around Larizel realized that there were many creatures carrying large amounts of 'stuff' on their bodies. Taken aback Larizel redeemed herself. "Um… I'm heading to the castle."

"Oh and why would you want to do that? Everything you could possibly desire is right here." The woman pulled a guitar from one of the piles and handed it to her. "This is something you want to keep, right?"

Larizel gripped the guitar in her hand. It was the first one she had ever owned. She had destroyed it in a fit of rage after one of her heated fights with her mom. She strung her fingers over its strings nostalgically. It was absolutely impossible for it to be there, but it was. Her cared initials on the back deemed it so.

The woman approached once more. "And you'll want this." She handed Larizel a pair of Goth style knee-high boots with thick soles and high heels. They were her favorite shoes. She wore them at her first performance. She finally asked the woman. "What is it that you carry on your back?"

The old woman looked up confusion coming over her features. "Well this is everything I never want to let go of." The answer was so simple.

"But sometimes you have to let go." Larizel looked at the items in her hand. As much as she had loved them, she had let them go a long time ago. 'Larizel, the time.' She heard his voice in her head bringing her back to the task at hand. She dropped the items she held and darted for the gates to the goblin city.

She was making her way there, slowing down to walk the last few feet. She wasn't sure what to expect. The opening to the gate was a huge stone arch with a simple wooden door leading into the city. There was no guard when she got there, which she felt was quite odd since surely Sarah would be sending out an army to prevent her from reaching the castle, but there was nothing. She tried to push the wooden doors open but they were locked. She wasn't sure how much time was left, but she knew it wasn't enough. She began walking along the outside of the walls. Surely there was another way in.

"Are you trying to get inside?" A small voice called from behind her. She turned to find a little goblin girl smiling at her. She put a finger to her lips. "Shhh… I have a way in that no one knows. It's my secret pathway. Come on I'll show you." The girl turned and ran the other way.

Larizel stood for a brief moment. 'This could be a trick… but what if it's not?' She half jogged after the girl catching up to her.

The girl stopped next to a wall with a large crack in it just large enough to squeeze threw. "See, this is it." Larizel examined it wearily. "Don't worry Larizel. Jareth sent me."

"How can I believe you?" Larizel's question was quite legitimate.

"Because you have seen me dropped into an oubliette and know I want my home to be saved." The little goblin smiled with green twisted teeth.

Larizel nodded to the girl and silently they both slid into the city. Larizel was surprised to find the city fully alive. Looking down at the girl in question. "I thought this place was deserted."

"Oh you mean after dark. As soon as the sun starts setting we have to hide or she'll drop us in an oubliette, or worse the bog of eternal stench. Her majesty hates us." She looked down twisting her foot into the ground. "I wasn't suppose to be out that late, but I started playing in the forest and got a little lost. It was too late and down into the oubliette I went."

Larizel smiled sweetly and kneeled to reach the small goblins eye level."Don't worry little one. It will all be over soon. Just show me which way to the castle."

Larizel followed the little goblin through the city streets. It seemed every creature they passed stop to look at her. As if she was being paraded down the street as a spectacle of some sort. She was getting edgy. Time was almost out.

Sarah watched the clock as it was down to mere seconds. With a cocky smile to Jareth she began to make her way down to the doors to greet their guest. Jareth placed his head it his hands. The breath in his lungs seemed to be choking him. Had Sarah really won? He could have assumed such from the beginning, but watching Larizel's determination he had hope, but with the first chime of the clock all hope was lost.

Seeing the castle stairs up ahead she took off running hearing the clock chiming. One, Two. She felt her heart pounding. Three, Four. She had three more, three more seconds. Five. Her tears were already starting to fall. Six. She ran up the stairs and swung open the front doors as the last chime went off. She smiled in triumph she had made it. "Oh my God I can't believe I did it! I made it to the castle."

A slow clapping came from behind her. As she spun around she found Sarah clapping for her with a smile she shouldn't have been wearing. Jareth stood far behind her almost hiding in the shadows. "The reason you can't believe it is because you didn't do it. So close though. You really had me worried there." Larizel's confusion gave her so much pleasure.

"No I made it to the castle, you lost." Larizel stood her ground. Feet planted ready to fight. Sarah was going back on her end of the deal.

Sarah made her way gracefully as she took a glance at Jareth who was turning deathly pale and starting to lose his balance. "So you did, but you see little Larizel. The game was for you to get to the throne room… not the castle. You lost."

Jareth was now lying on the ground in pain. His power was leaving him hollow, and who would have ever thought hollow would hurt this much, and once again Larizel saw the pain in his eyes that made her heart swallow her lungs and panic took over."No. I Made It Here! You Can't Do This!"

"Oh but I can, and I have. Thank you for getting Jareth to give me all of his power. I don't know what he'll do without it. What's a Fae without their power? What are they indeed?" She turned to look at Jareth lying on the floor in pain, but he made no noise. Regardless of the intense pain he wouldn't dare give her the pleasure of knowing how bad it hurt.

Larizel locked eyes with Jareth one last time and whispered in his mind. 'I'm sorry.' Her tears could no longer hold themselves back. All she saw in him was that pain. She didn't save him. She couldn't save him.

"And now Larizel… it is time for you to leave." Sarah created a crystal ball in her hand and tossed it at Larizel when it touched her she disappeared in a poof of purple and gold glitter.

Sarah turned her attention back to Jareth and another crystal formed. "Look Jareth, look what I am offering you… your dreams"

AN: I can just see you guys now at your computers in a panic. Like I said before these past two chapters were my hardest to write. Only three more chapters left. What more could possibly happen right? If you want to know… review review review. Tell me how bad you want it, cause it's just waiting to be posted.