As the girl bounded down the hallway, she heard a familiar voice cry out behind her.
"Sarah!"
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw in astonishment that her friends…all of them…were running to catch up with her. The fox-knight, being the fastest while mounted on Ambrosius, was at her side first.
"Sir Didymus!" She exclaimed, "You and Ludo…?"
"Are unharmed, fret not," He finished, prodding his dog-steed to keep up with her, "But art thou?"
Sarah swallowed, turning back to face the hallway. Her emotions ran freely over her face, but she didn't care anymore. All that mattered was getting there in time.
"I'm fine, but Jareth isn't!" She said truthfully, fear in her eyes, "He's dying!"
Didymus nearly fell off his mount.
"Dying?"
"I have to find him! Please, do you know where he is?"
Realizing the severity of the situation, the fox-knight answered quickly.
"The king is being held in the throne room!"
Sarah thought back to her adventure from two weeks prior. She was fairly certain she could remember where the throne room was. She would be able to recognize the large stone doors, at any rate.
As they rounded the corner, the girl saw in alarm that the trolls she had pushed down the staircase had recovered, and were thundering down the other corridor. Her heart sunk.
There wasn't any time!
Suddenly, Didymus yanked Ambrosius to a halt, hopping deftly off his back and pulling his sword from its sheath.
"D-Didymus?" Sarah said, not understanding what her friend was doing.
Not glancing back, the fox-knight tossed a ring of keys back to her, which she caught clumsily.
"Hurry onward!" He urged, "Aid the king!"
A moment later, Leija, Turnok, Hoggle, and Ludo joined him, all poised for a fight.
"We'll take care of these fiends!" The goblin growled, wielding his trusty dagger.
Sarah faltered. The trolls were feet away, and more were pouring from the hallway.
"But…!"
"The king is the only one who can save the Labyrinth!" Leija exclaimed anxiously.
Hoggle gripped his hoe tightly, without the slightest tremor of fear. He stared hard into her eyes.
"We'll be fine! Go!"
Seeing his confidence, the girl nodded, and gave him a grateful smile. Turning down the opposite hall, she resumed her frenzied dash. Behind her, she heard the crash as the trolls reached her friends. The clangs of their weapons hitting the troll's thick armor resounded in the narrow corridor. Ludo let out a roar.
It took all of Sarah's will not to look back. She forced herself to keep running. She had to get to Jareth.
But even if she got to him, she still had to locate where Edorin had hidden his magic. There were only minutes to spare. What if the hour had just been an approximation? What if Jareth was already…?
No! Sarah shut her eyes, forcefully banishing such thoughts. Just get to Jareth, she thought, I'll figure out the rest later. Just get to Jareth!
Four minutes left.
She opened her eyes. She had to concentrate. The throne room was close by, and she couldn't afford to miss it the first time. The girl passed nearly five other hallways before she saw one that looked familiar.
Please, let this be the right one…! Sarah pleaded silently, sprinting down it.
Once inside the corridor, the girl instantly spotted the large stone doors, and her heart rejoiced.
Suddenly, a large beast appeared at the other end of the hall. Catching sight of her, it dug its claws into the stone floor, and screeched to a halt, allowing Sarah her first good look at it.
She gasped.
It was a jet-black wolf. Edorin.
The beast quickly overcame its shock. Letting out a furious howl, it charged at her, fangs bared.
But this time, the girl did not run.
Instead, Sarah yanked a lit torch from the wall and rushed towards him. Winding up, she swung the torch like a baseball bat. The blazing wood struck the wolf's skull with such force that it hurled the beast into the wall. The girl darted into the throne room, shoving her weight against the one open door.
The adrenalin coursing through her veins served her well. The heavy door groaned shut just as the wolf dragged itself to its feet. Sarah quickly barred it, and, panting, turned around.
Her blood ran cold.
The Goblin King hung limply from the ceiling, his eyes closed.
"J-Jareth!" Sarah cried.
Before she even realized it, she was at his side.
The Fae had lost the strength to cry out anymore. His breathing was raspy and labored, his pale skin soaked with cold sweat. He moaned quietly, his body trembling in pain.
Sarah fumbled with the keys Didymus had stolen, trying hurriedly to find the one that would fit the lock of his chains. She rammed it into the keyhole and turned. The shackles sprang open, and the Goblin King crumpled into her arms.
The girl knelt to the ground, laying him out on the floor.
"Jareth! Wake up!" She begged, desperately trying to rouse him, "Please, Jareth!"
His eyes opened slightly and stared at her, unfocused. There was a glimmer of recognition.
"…Sarah…?"
"Yes, it's me," she assured, rubbing his hand in between her own. It felt like ice. "Your magic! Do you know where Edorin is keeping your magic?"
Jareth gave a weak, half-shake of his head.
"…it's too late…"
"Don't say that!" Sarah exclaimed. Tears had begun to stream down her face. She didn't want to hear it; she didn't want to, even though, in the back of her mind, she knew it was true.
A sad smile parted his lips. The Goblin King shakily raised his hand, brushing it against her cheek. His gaze rested on her beautiful face.
"…Sarah…" He breathed.
Then, Jareth's mismatched eyes closed. His arm slid to the ground. Behind her, the clock began to chime the hour.
Booooooooooooooong…
"No, no!" The girl screamed, shaking him, "Jareth!"
Booooooooooooooong…
A ball of green electricity crackled to life in the center of the room. Seconds later, the Troll Lord himself emerged. He had resumed his normal form; however, now a large, blistered burn marred his face. But the girl did not even notice.
Booooooooooooooong…
Her hazel eyes remained on the blond Fae who lay before her. Shaking with grief, she threw herself over his chest, as if refusing to relinquish him.
"You can't die, Jareth!" She cried desperately, "You can't! The Labyrinth needs you! I need you!"
Behind her, Edorin was advancing. The wound she had given him was still searing, gnawing at his skin. Fury flared in his blue eyes. He did not know how the human girl had returned, but he would make sure she would suffer for it.
Booooooooooooooong…
Sarah bent over Jareth, her tears wetting his face.
"…I-I…I love you…" she whispered softly.
Suddenly, the ruby pendant around Edorin's neck shattered into a million tiny shards, the magic contained within it gushing out and vanishing into the ether. The Troll Lord roared in anger.
Hearing someone behind her, Sarah whirled around just in time to see Edorin fly at her. He seized her by the neck, thrusting her forcefully into the wall. Looking up, the girl found herself face to face with the enraged Fae. All traces of his reserved composure were gone; his countenance was now twisted in mad wrath, the burn from where she had hit him with the torch glowing bright red across half his face.
Bloodlust blazed in his eyes as his nails dug into her flesh. She cried out, struggling vainly in his painful grip.
"You wretched minx!" Edorin howled, "You will regret ever setting foot in the Underground!"
He pulled his right hand from her throat. A sphere of green, hissing sparks formed in his palm.
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut.
It was a strange thing. All the stories she had ever read said that in the instant before death, your life would flash before your eyes. But for her, only the last two weeks played through her head. Memories of the Labyrinth, and of the friends she had made…
And Jareth. Infuriating, childish, wonderful Jareth. By no means perfect, she knew well, but in hindsight, the love in his actions was evident. If only she had realized it sooner…
If only…
A scream abruptly ended her regretful reminiscing. Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped.
A crystal spear had pierced Edorin's shoulder. The raven haired Fae dropped Sarah, seizing the glittering lance, and trying to pry it from his body.
But before the girl could hit the floor, a rush of wind caught hold of her, and she was propelled to the other side of the room. As the wind dissipated, the scent of rosemary and pine caught her nose. Strong fingers gripped the small of her back and her legs. She became abruptly aware that she was being held by someone.
Her breath left her, and she twisted around.
It was Jareth.
"How?" The Troll Lord demanded furiously, wrenching himself from the crystal to face his newly-revived adversary. "It isn't possible! It is not possible!"
Instead of answering, the Goblin King lowered Sarah to the ground, and thrust his left arm into the air. More crystal spears erupted from the stone floor. Edorin barely had time to dodge before they impaled the space he had occupied seconds before. He conjured a ball of electricity and hurled it towards Jareth. He avoided it easily. Another gust of wind ripped through the throne room with the Goblin King riding on the crest, flying over the raven-haired Fae's head. As soon as Jareth's feet touched the ground, he raised both arms above his head. A forest of crystal stalagmites shattered the floor. Edorin jumped backward and threw another sphere of lightening, but the attack had caught him by surprise. He was off balance.
The blond-fae used the opportunity to summon the wind again, and shot towards his adversary at a dizzying speed. His boot caught the Troll Lord's chest, knocking the air from his lungs, and tossing him into the air. Before Edorin could hit the ground, Jareth swung his arm again, and two thick crystal spears blasted through the ruined floor. For a second, Sarah thought they would impale the raven-haired Fae, but inches before entering his body, Jareth swirled his hand in the air, and the crystal obediently split, remolding itself until it entirely encased Edorin's arms.
The Troll Lord howled in frustration, thrashing wildly, trying vainly to free his arms from their crystal manacles. The Goblin King lifted his right arm and rotated his wrist, and more crystal emerged, covering his legs. He continued to struggle, but it was useless.
Edorin had lost.
Before she even realized what she was doing, Sarah was running towards the blond Fae.
"Jareth!"
He turned in surprise, just as she threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. Then, a split second later, she let go, and slapped him – hard – across the face.
"S-S-Sarah?" He choked in bewilderment, his cheeks flushing madly, "What on earth…?"
"Don't ever do that to me again, you jerk!" She yelled, before wrapping her arms around him again and pulling him close, burying her face in his chest. "I thought…I thought you were dead…!"
Still blushing, Jareth finally managed a laugh.
"Dead? I was merely unconscious, you silly girl! Your medical skills need some improvement!"
He lowered his lips to her ear, softening his voice.
"Though, I don't know how much longer I would have lasted, without your help."
A few moments later, Jareth pulled away, looking thoroughly confused.
"But…how did you get back into the Underground?"
"By being just as stubborn as you are," Sarah said slyly, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, "That mirror didn't stand a chance."
Jareth stared at her, eyes wide.
"You…you broke through the portal? But how? That isn't possible! You'd need magic…!"
Sarah just smiled. The Goblin King gaped at her. As he opened his mouth to ask, the girl lightly pushed a finger to his lips.
"It can wait," she said, her brow furrowing, "Edorin might be defeated, but his trolls are still in the castle. Everyone was trying to hold them off so I could get to you."
Sarah expected Jareth's face to harden, for him to rush off to save his subjects, but he didn't. Instead, a familiar grin spread over his face.
"Then let's deal with the leftover rubbish now, shall we?"
Then he clapped his hands.
"This was a stupid idea!" Turnok yelled, ducking as a troll axe sliced over his head.
"I didn't hear ye offer any better ones!" Hoggle retorted, trying to block another from advancing down the hall. "Besides, it wasn't my idea!"
"Then whose was it?"
Ludo didn't say anything; He was busy chucking a troll back down the corridor.
"Wonderful strategy, eh? Ingenious in its simplicity!" Didymus laughed madly, zipping up and down the trolls as they fumbled to grab him. "These wretched beasts doth not stand a chance!"
"I remember now," Turnok muttered.
"We just have to hold out until Lady Sarah reaches our Lord!" Leija shouted over the clamor. She was doing her best to protect Ambrosius, who was panting so fast she feared he might keel over as any given second.
"If she reaches our Lord!" The goblin yelled grimly. The words has scarcely left his mouth before the troll he was fighting hit his mark, nailing him in his torso with the axe. The goblin was tossed into the air like a rag doll, and crashed loudly to the ground.
"Turnok!" Leija cried out, hurrying to his aid. Hoggle, who had also seen his fall, did the same.
Had it not been for his armor, Turnok would have most assuredly been dead. Hoggle tried to help him to his feet, but as soon as he attempted to sit up, he grumbled in pain, clutching at his chest.
"What's wrong? Are you injured?" Leija asked worriedly.
"Don't be stupid," The goblin growled, wincing, "I'm fine!"
But his second attempt to stand proved as ineffectual as his first, and he collapsed back onto the floor, wheezing.
"Yer the one who's bein' stupid!" Hoggle insisted, grabbing the goblin's arm. "Ye aren't fine! Yer hurt!"
"It's probably just a few broken ribs!" The Captain of the Guard protested, "I've gotten worse from His Majesty!"
The dwarf snorted.
"No doubt of it! Now close yer yap an' let us help ye!"
Before he could complain anymore, Leija took his other arm, and they dragged him backward, and out of harm's reach. The gnome girl looked back towards the never-ending barrage of trolls, her shoulders slumping. It was taking too long. Sarah should have already reached the King; either she had been attacked, or…
Suddenly, a thunderous clapping sound filled the hallways. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere, but, stranger still, appeared to have no visible source at all.
"Attention, please," A disembodied voice suddenly rang out, "Everyone, kindly stop your banging about and listen."
That voice! Leija knew that commanding, silken voice well.
"Mi'lord!" She gasped.
"Jareth?" Hoggle yelped.
"Where?" Turnok demanded, whipping his head around.
"This announcement is aimed mostly towards the armored behemoths mucking about my castle," the voice continued, with a note of resentment.
The trolls paused their attack, lowering their weapons slightly.
"Yes, you galumphing lunkheads, I'm talking to you," It clarified venomously, "Your illustrious leader has just been dealt a most humiliating defeat, so I will be the one giving the orders now. And my first order is this; any troll that wishes to remain intact, exit the castle immediately. Those that do not will be dealt with in an incredibly creative and painful way. I will give you twenty seconds to comply. Twenty…"
The trolls looked at each other in confusion.
"Nineteen…"
Being much more quick witted than goblins, the trolls realized that if the Troll Lord had been able, he would have already crushed the speaker's skull, and sent word to them to disregard the announcement. Since he had not, it could only mean the speaker was telling the truth.
"Eighteen…"
They also realized that the speaker was using a form of magic, and if he could use magic, he was certainly capable of carrying out his threats.
"Fifteen…"
And he was getting impatient.
"Ten…"
Then the trolls began to run.
Dropping their heavy axes to the floor, the armored creatures abandoned their ranks entirely, and went sprinting down the halls, trying to find a way out. The disembodied voice continued to count down. The luckier ones reached a door; the majority had to throw themselves out a window and hope for the best. But there were a few hapless trolls, such as the ones Ludo had knocked senseless, that came to just as the countdown was ending.
"Three-two-one!"
The five trolls barely had time to realize what was happening, before they exploded in a brilliant shower of multi-hued sparks. As the embers smoldered into ash, Hoggle cast a glance down at Turnok, who was still staring wide-eyed at the remains.
"Yeah, that was definitely Jareth."
Sarah raised an eyebrow towards the blond Fae, who was grinning smugly.
"What did you just do to them?"
"Nothing that they didn't have coming," He replied, putting a hand on his hip. "Though Hogwart might whine about his eyebrows being singed off."
"You arrogant wretch…!"
They turned to see the Troll Lord glowering at them from his crystal confines, his abnormal blue eyes filled with hatred and frustration.
"Ah, yes," Jareth murmured, as if just remembering something, "I had forgotten all about you."
Rendered completely motionless, and unable to use his magic, Edorin could only watch as Jareth strided towards him, his mismatched eyes glinting dangerously.
"Now that I've got your undivided attention, I think it's time we had a heart to heart chat," Jareth said firmly. He came to a halt a few inches from his adversary and crossed his arms.
"You invaded my kingdom, turned my subjects to stone, took over my Labyrinth, and imprisoned me in my own castle, and quite frankly, I don't appreciate it."
The Goblin King rammed his fist into Edorin's stomach, making him grunt in pain, clenching his teeth.
"However," Jareth continued, as if nothing had happened, "I am a mature, gracious individual, so I'd be able to forgive those childish transgressions eventually. But then…"
He leaned over until his face was a mere inch from the Troll Lord's. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
"…then you went and hurt Sarah, and now, I'm afraid, all bets are off."
Jareth pulled his fist back and slammed it full force into the blistered burn on Edorin's face. He let out a scream of agony. The blond Fae waved his hand carelessly in the air, as if trying to shake something filthy off his knuckles.
"G-Go ahead, then," the Troll Lord managed, still breathless from the pain. He gazed at Jareth, meeting his mismatched eyes with his own piercing blue ones. "I will not beg for mercy. I have lost…you are the victor. End my life."
As Sarah watched, she saw something pass over Jareth's face. He raised his left arm, and for a moment, she thought he was going to do it. But then a devilish grin spread over his lips.
"Now where would be the fun in that?"
Edorin paled.
Jareth spread his fingers and shoved them against the raven-haired Fae's chest. The crystal holding him shattered to pieces. Immediately, green electricity began to dance along Jareth's outstretched arm and sink into his body. But it didn't look like he was in any pain; rather, it looked like Edorin was. He twisted miserably in the air, his mouth wide in a silent scream. His body began to change, shrinking and transforming, until he was no longer a man, but a black wolf. The crackling waves lessened to sparks, and finally stopped altogether.
The Troll Lord fell limply to the ground.
Sarah cautiously joined Jareth, gazing at the unconscious animal.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I did the exact same thing he had done to me," Jareth replied. He turned, revealing the ornate emerald amulet that had appeared around his neck. The center of it was sparkling with electricity. He tapped the jewel with his finger, grinning boyishly.
"You stole his magic!" The girl gasped.
"Confiscated," Jareth corrected, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "And before you go worrying your pretty little head, no, it won't kill him. A Fae can survive infinitely without their magic while in beast form. Besides…"
He looked back at the raven-haired wolf.
"I've always wanted a dog. With some training, discipline, and the ever-present threat of neutering, he should make a decent pet."
Without warning, the Goblin King seized Sarah's wrist and pulled her close, causing her cheeks to flush dark red. Before she could even ask what he was doing, magic swirled around them, and she found herself standing on the top-most balcony of the castle. The girl tried to yell at him for not warning her first, but found that he had once again stolen her breath away. Pretending not to notice, Jareth stepped forward, raising his arms.
"Now to put my kingdom back in order. It is high time I stopped ruling over stone statuary."
HEY ALL! Good lord it's been a long time since I updated. No doubt most of you thought I had just abandoned ship…T_T I'm really, really sorry about that. I've been really busy lately. I rolled up my sleeves and finally finished my novel, The Doll House. That being said, I also went on vacation to Hawaii, and well, quite honestly, I've just been plain lazy. But now, after a good swift kick in the rear, I'm back, and I'll be posting the FINAL chapter in no more than a week (yes, I'm setting a time limit for myself ^_^). Thank you all so much for putting up with a selfish wretch like me (I'M NOT WORTHY! *snivel*), and if you find it in your benevolent hearts, please review!