Disclaimer: I have pulled direct quotes from the movie Labyrinth. If I were getting any money for this I would pay royalties to Henson Associates, Inc. But I'm not so they can just keep looking at me like I'm crazy. That's right I'm talking to you buddy. Oh shit, here comes security again. One of you readers may have to come bail me out if you want to read the rest of this story.

AN- This story has been read by people in 11 different countries. I think that's just amazing. Thank you xSugarcoatedxStarlightx for your inspiring comment and to the girl in TN that added me to her myspace… thank you thank you. And unwritten it is always great when you check in. With all that said… here it is people.

Chapter 15: The Sacrifice

Larizel awoke on the floor of her living room. She slowly stood to her feet holding her head that was spinning. All at once everything rushed back to her, the Labyrinth, her defeat, and Jareth. "Oh my God. What have I done?" She was lost at what to do. She had failed him and now Sarah had full reign over the Labyrinth. She called out his name, but he did not answer. 'Was it all a dream?' She could no longer tell, but she felt it, the pain of loss. She began pacing the room unsure what to do. The longer she paced the more sure she was that it was not a dream. Jareth was in trouble. She had to do something and the words whisper through her soul. "The only way the soil can beat the tree is for a Fae with stronger powers to mix with the soil." She gasped and ran for her backdoor.

Sarah stood in the throne room smiling in her triumph. She held out a crystal to Jareth with a gleam in her eye. "I ask for so little," She imitated his every movement from so long ago. "Just let me rule you." Jareth grimaced hearing the same words coming from her mouth that he had spoken so long ago. The offer he once gave her that she declined was now the offer she gave to him. "Fear me, love me. Do as I say and I will be your slave."

"No Sarah, I can't." He looked into her eyes with rage.

"What a pity." She was having fun teasing him as he once teased her. Her persona of him was flawless as if she was reliving the moment. "Now you know how I felt, and yet you blamed me."

"The only person who ever blamed you was yourself. It was you that wished away your brother. It was you that refused my offer and now…" He decided on a whim to make her relive his worst moment of this haunting encounter. If she wanted to play role reversal he was going to give it to her. "You have no power over me Sarah." He managed to take on his usual facade as if he couldn't care less managing a smirk to crawl over his lips. His demeanor was still noble and proud. He would not falter to her.

Her laugh was deep and venomous. "Oh but I do Jareth. I have the power over everything. Everything that you love I now own. From the Labyrinth, to the creatures, even the bog of eternal stench is mine and I take it graciously, but most important of all, I own you." Her devious smile was unbearable, as he felt fully defeated and overthrown with no hope left. She was right. Everything was hers now and in that realization his wall of emotionless stone fell and his suffering showed which gave her more pleasure than she would have thought. She truly had won this time. She clicked her tongue on her teeth. "Tsk tsk, oh how the great Goblin King has fallen from grace." She walked her way slowly to him.

As she walked to him it seemed all was lost. His hollow heart stuttered as he searched for something to say, something to do, but there was nothing. For the first time in his entire life he was helpless. All at once Jareth felt a surge of energy and Sarah fell to her knees in agony. Her screams were deafening as they echoed through the throne room. In panic and unable to stop himself he ran to her side. Regardless of everything, first and foremost he still loved her and was terrified by her sudden pain. Not knowing what was happening or what to do he tried to hold her, but it was to no avail. She was hysterical as the pain was coursing through her body, as what she felt her soul being torn from the depths of her being.

Larizel searched the garden in the dark for the legendary tree. How was she supposed to know which oak it was? Three acres of garden and no time to spare there were so many oak trees how was she supposed to know which one? She ran franticly through the garden searching, hoping she wasn't too late. All at once she felt something calling to her. Not in words but in waves of energy as if she was caught in an undertow that was pulling to an area of the garden. There stood a tree she hadn't noticed until now. Its bark was black as onyx with vivid shades of violet and purple leaves. Even in the dark it seemed to glow. This had to be it, she confirmed herself

She ran to the tree dropping to her knees at its trunk. She removed a decorated pocketknife from her pocket that she had never used. It was given to her as a gift from her dad long ago. One of the few times he visited her for her birthday. He told her it would come in handy someday so for an unknown reason she still carried it. It was as if this was her destiny. Without another thought she slit her left wrist deep and let the blood roll off her fingertips into the soil. Her words were released from her soul as she cried out to the Labyrinth. "As the blood of Ravenite I beckon you! I bleed a sacrifice of myself to you! Of my power I command you! Restore Jareth to his position as your rightful ruler! Heal your pain and allow him to bond once more body and soul making you both whole once more!" She was starting to feel the dizziness of so much blood loss. Her world was spinning and she was feeling herself blacking out. She pulled the last of her strength from her soul and began to scream out through the Tree of Life to the Labyrinth. "For I am RAVENITE I am FAE of DEATH and I DEMAND you to OBEY my COMMAND!" She began to falter, but regained her consciousness for the moment and continued. "RESTORE what was once BROKEN, once DEFEATED, and once LOST!" She was shaking as she felt the tree's energy surrounding her as if she had its full attention and with her last breath she called out. "WITH MY BLOOD I DO DECREE. JARETH SHALL RULE THE UNDERGROUND NOW UNTIL FOREVER!" The world was swaying and she felt her heartbeat slow with a whisper she confessed, "I have nothing more to give you Jareth." Then she lost all consciousness.

As Sarah called out in agony Jareth was astonished to discover his power transferring from Sarah to him. Now he knew what pain she was in. It was the same pain he experienced when his powers were leaving him. He knew how cold and painful that hollowness felt. He tried to give her comfort, but he knew the pain would run its course. His mind was racing now overwhelmed with confusion. 'How could this be happening?' He didn't understand. 'Larizel was defeated by the Labyrinth there's no cause for this to be happening.' Then it occurred to him. His voice caught in his throat. "No, she wouldn't have." With his regained power he tried to reach out to her mind, but there was nothing.

Sarah's screaming knocked him back to the present. As he fell to his knees feeling the last of his power residing inside him he caressed her face as her screaming was slowly subsiding. He lingered over as she went silent becoming deathly still. He felt panic take over when she did not move or open her eyes. He touched her softly with tears in his eyes before he realized she was breathing. The color was coming back to her face. He lowered his lips close to her ear and whispered. "It's over Sarah." He gathered her into his arms lifting her like a sleeping child and walked down one of the vast hallways carrying her into a bedroom and laying her on the bed. Looking her over once more he immediately pulled out a crystal ball and in a burst of glitter and wind he was gone.

He urged the crystal to bring him to Larizel. When he found himself in the garden he felt terror take him over once more. He saw the Tree of Life in the distance and took off in a sprint. This is not something he would have ever asked her to do. There lying still in front of the tree was Larizel's body. Collapsing to the ground next to her he examined her over. Her skin was completely white and cold. Her blue lips seemed to hold no breath. Her wrist was covered in deep crimson with strands running down her arm and fingertips. He felt his heartbeat quicken as fear took over. 'She can't die. She's a Ravenite.' His attempt to comfort himself failed. He knew that it was possible for her to die, just not as impossible to survive. He waved his hand over her arm clearing away the blood and cut from her wrist without leaving a sign of even a small scar. He pulled her into his arms pressing his lips to hers searching for warmth of breath, but found none. He felt her heart faintly beating and spoke in hopes that she could hear him. "Hold on Larizel." He felt a single tear fall down his cheek. "You should have never done this. Not for me." He held her to his chest as guilt took over his body. "What the hell were you thinking? I should have never gotten you involved in this. It was fully selfish of me." With that he stood once more carrying another girl in his arms and transferred them both back to the castle.

In the same room she slept in before he laid Larizel on the bed that had become hers. He removed his gloves and laid his hand over her chest. Then moved down her arm that she had lost all her blood from. He urged his magic to flow into her, to heal her. Bringing his hand to her face to tuck some unruly strands of hair behind her ear. Disconnecting from her he replaced his gloves, sighing in relief as he watched color going back into her features and her breath became more apparent. 'Looks like she will survive after all.' He reassured himself. "You are a fool little girl, an absolute fool." He was angered for her putting him in such a position. What if he didn't make it to her in time? A thought tingled in the back of his mind. 'She wasn't planning on you saving her.' He quickly pushed it back. She was willing to die for him, planned on dieing for him. The mere thought aggravated him.

He turned on his heal to head to the door and out the room. His clicking heals on the stone floor were the only sound in the castle as he made his way through the hallways to check on Sarah. Opening the door quietly he took a glance at her. She was still dead asleep in her bed, but she was definitely breathing. "What am I going to do with you Sarah?" His voice held no intention of hiding his irritation at the circumstances he had been placed in. Sarah twitched a little in her sleep, perhaps in a slight nightmare, but he saw no reason to wake her. He was not ready to face either of them. Not yet.

AN: Muhahaha… did everyone forget about the tree? Alright we are closing in on the ending. I want to hear you want it. DO YOU WANT IT!? The final chapters were my hardest to write. I give props to alorindanya. She's the one that came up was the whole glove concept of it containing his power.

I am going to make a confession… the ending is not at all what I had planned it to be, but it's what the story developed to. It had a complete mind of it's own. Only two chapters left everyone. Will Larizel survive? What will happen to Sarah? And what can Jareth possibly say to either of them?