Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, that belongs to the awesome late Jim Henson and awesome still kicking it Brian Froud and the still sexy David Bowie. Thanks guys for such an such a wonderful movie!
Warnings: This story is rated for mild language, some violence, David Bowie's Area, and of course sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Oh yeah and David Bowie's Area, I mention this twice because there is going to be a lot of it.
Current Music: Be My Wife by David Bowie
Chapter Five:
Be My Wife
Sarah backed away slowly from this beast-like version of Jareth that gazed at her with pure hatred. If looks could kill then Sarah would have been eviscerated by now. Her Jareth had placed himself between her and this angry creature. Both versions of the Goblin King were nursing identical wounds, what startled Sarah was the creature was sporting a black eye, like the one she gave her Jareth the night before. There was no doubt in her mind that these two were once the same being that drew her to the labyrinth nearly a year ago. There was one question that stood out, one she needed answered. "How did you get like this, Jareth?"
The gentle Jareth Sarah was falling for did not answer her, but the other one, the vicious one glaring at her did. He brought up a single clawed finger toward her that trembled with anger. His raspy voice sputtered with venom. "YOU! You did this to me, you wretched girl! You split me in half! You stole my power! You destroyed my kingdom! And as we speak you continue to bring death to what is left of my labyrinth! Have you any idea how much I sacrificed to get what you took from me?"
The accusations stung Sarah. She felt like she was eight again and her father was yelling at her for breaking his expensive new watch. Her eyes were stinging and starting to tear. Sarah didn't want to start crying in front of this beast-like version of her love and tried unsuccessfully to hold back her tears. "I didn't do anything! If I did something wrong then let me try to fix it. I'll make it right, I promise!"
The gentle Jareth pulled his love into his arms, to shield her from the more brutal version of himself. He knew that his other self's words were true but making Sarah cry was not how fix what happened. He glared at the creature, "Leave Sarah be! You're scaring her! I know she broke our heart but it was misunderstanding and she is fixing it. If you are me then you would remember why we fell in love with her."
The creature in front of them laughed harshly. "Love? I remember indulging a selfish spoiled brat of girl because of a fleeting fascination, a mistake I will not make again. We do not love, it is a weakness. If you were me you would remember what love has brought us in the past. It can only bring pain and grief! Don't you remember clawing your way to power when you started with literally nothing but your life? I do and I will not give that up for that little chit!"
Sarah flinched at his words and Jareth looked at the beastly version of himself with disgust. "I remember nothing of our past or even how I became Goblin King but after listening to you I don't want to know. You can keep your stupid power and your crown, oh Goblin King, I would rather be simple Jareth with the love of this 'little chit'!" Jareth then kissed the top of Sarah's head proudly.
The Goblin King growled and seethed with fury, "So be it, but that wretched girl will pay for what she has done out of her flesh!"
A familiar voice rang out, "Mama! Dada!" A child pleading for help. 'Toby!' Sarah and Jareth both thought in unison and their hearts sank like a lead weight. Immediately they broke into a run to Toby's aid. The Goblin King lunged for Sarah again only for Jareth to pull her out of the way. The Goblin King's claws buried themselves into wall where they were stuck. They took the opportunity to run while the Goblin King was trying to free himself.
The two of them burst through the door into Toby's room and a horrifying but familiar stench hit them. Toby was struggling in the arms of someone or something that looked like Sarah but wasn't. This other Sarah gazed at them with eyes as dark as the bottom of an abyss and it radiated an almost palpable aura of evil. Sarah's doppelganger was in the process of dragging a struggling Toby through his mirror. Sarah and Jareth quickly grabbed hold of Toby's outstretched arm. From the mirror thick tendrils of black vines emerged, ensnaring Toby and piercing him with large thorns. Toby wailed in pain and Sarah was kicking the creature, trying to get it off of her brother. The rank stench was overpowering.
The Goblin King, whom had managed to free himself, charged into the room and straight for the other Sarah. With a chilling howl the Goblin King buried his claws into other Sarah causing it to let go of Toby. The last view they saw was the Goblin King's lion-like tail disappearing into a bleak landscape that Jareth immediately recognized as the labyrinth.
Sarah and Jareth hugged a crying Toby, comforting him. Jareth used a little magic to heal the wounds caused by the thorns. Now the only thing they saw in mirror was merely their own reflections and not the desolated labyrinth they caught a glimpse of. The whole ordeal left them both with few answers and many questions, some questions neither wanted answers to. They knew that they would have to face the Goblin King and that dark copy of Sarah eventually but right now they just wanted to be together.
Sarah was disturbed by the appearance of the thing that tried to hurt Toby. 'Why does that thing look like me? What going on? I don't have the kind of connection that Jareth and the Goblin King does. How did Jareth get split in two like that? Was it really my fault? And where is that stench coming from?' Sarah's train of thought was interrupted by a horrifying smell that still lingered in the room like a fart in a car. Sarah wondered if that thing that tried to hurt Toby came from the Bog of Eternal Stench. The stench considerably lessened when the Goblin King and her evil doppelganger disappeared but some of it still lingered. She sniffed around for the lingering source of the stench. It was coming from Toby. "Jareth, do you know how to get eau de bog off? I think my evil copycat went skinny dipping in The Bog of Eternal Stench."
Jareth nodded. "Yes, it's a concoction that I created. Don't tell anyone about it, otherwise my favorite threat won't be as effective. I'm going to need some tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, vodka and a stalk of celery to stir it with."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "You want to make a bloody mary at a time like this? My dad's got a well-stocked liquor cabinet if you want something a bit stronger but he keeps it locked."
Jareth snorted, "As tempting as it is right now no I do not plan to drink right now. A bloody mary is the secret to getting out the smell of the bog, though Toby will smell like a drunk hobo for a while."
Sarah giggled and just like that all the fear from moments ago vanished. "Seriously, a bloody mary? That's the secret to get eau de bog out? How'd you discover that?"
Jareth laughed and to Sarah it was one of the most wonderful sounds in the world. "This I do remember. I had flown back to my Kingdom after indulging in one of my favorite activities; watching you. One unfortunate goblin named Skidmark decided to break the highest law in the land on a bar bet. He went into the royal closet and stole a pair of my favorite leather trousers. The little bastard won the bet but lost my trousers into the bog. So I drop-kicked him into the bog and made him fish them out. I tried many things to get the smell out. Eventually I threw my drink at them in frustration and voila! I discovered that a bloody mary is the only thing that will get the smell out."
It didn't take long for them to get what they needed to de-stench Toby, Jareth picked the lock on her father's liquor cabinet using one of her hair pins. Toby splashed around in his tub of vodka and tomato juice happily. While Jareth and Sarah were scrubbing the stench off with clothespins on their noses. She thought about what Jareth said earlier, 'He said he liked watching me. How long as he watched me?' A part of Sarah couldn't help but feel a little creeped out by the fact that Jareth had been watching her for quite some time. The romantic side of her thought it was kinda sweet but she needed to know. After they rinsed off Toby and dried him off, Sarah asked Jareth, "How long have you been watching me?"
Jareth smiled softly at his love and made a crystal appear into his hand. "I can show you. This is the earliest memory I have. This is the day I first met you."
Sarah peered into the crystal at the images that were flickering in it and she was pulled into Jareth's memory.
Jareth, the Goblin King, was flying in the form of a snowy white barn owl in a place where the mortal world blurs with the Underground. Tonight was May Eve, Beltane, and Jareth felt the air humming with magic. This park was one such place where the two realms meet, a rarity in these days of doubt and disbelief in magic. Something had drawn him here, something inexplicable and he was determined to know what it was. The barking of a large english sheepdog drew his attention. There beside the dog sitting was young pubescent girl of about thirteen. They were sitting under an old oak tree that had a ring of mushrooms growing around it. He landed on a branch on the old oak tree to get a closer look. She was hugging her knees and softly sobbing into them. 'Why is this girl alone and crying? Doesn't she know better than to go near old oak trees or fairy rings? Especially on the night of Beltane. Beings like me could whisk her away and turn her into a goblin.' Jareth thought to himself with a smirk. When she lifted her head and Jareth saw her eyes for the first time, he felt like his heart was struck by lightning. She had striking green eyes that made Jareth feel like that they could pierce any soul. 'By the gods! Those eyes!'
Jareth assessed the rest of her face, though it was streaked with dirt and tears her beauty still shone through, she had raven hair, ivory skin and those eyes so green, 'She'll be quite the looker someday.' He thought to himself with a smirk. He also saw a sadness in her eyes that he had seen before in himself; 'She as lonely as I.' He listened intently to the troubles she told her dog, "Oh Merlin, First Mom leaves me to live out the dream life with a handsome man then Daddy remarries a horrid woman and now he's having a baby with her! Why couldn't Mom take me with her? I hate it here! Daddy has already replaced Mom! Is he replacing me next? Doesn't he love me anymore?"
The dog, Merlin, licked the girl's face in an attempt to cheer her up. Jareth ruffled his feathers angrily at the girl's neglectful parents. 'How could anyone just abandon her?' The girl sniffed and wiped away her tears. "I wish someone would come and take me away from this awful place! I wish a handsome prince will fall madly in love with me and marry me and live happily ever after, just like in the fairytales Mom used to read to me! Better yet a handsome and powerful king! Kings are better than princes, right Merlin?"
Jareth felt the magic of this place on this night with strength he had not felt in a long time. 'It's her! She is the one awakening the magic here! She must be a believer! Well, if her parents were foolish enough to abandon such a precious treasure than I'll be more than happy to have her.' He then decided to make his move. He saw the dog wisely back out of the fairy ring and run off. The girl looked up at the disappearing figure of her dog, "Merlin! Where are you- Ahh!"
Jareth took a misstep and fell off his perch in a undignified heap of feathers. He was glad that owls could not blush and he hooted pathetically. He was about to mentally berate himself until he heard the girl giggle and say, "Hello, I'm Sarah. Are you my handsome prince, come to marry me and live happily ever after?"
Jareth realized that he had oak leaves on his that made it look like he had a crown on. He puffed up happily because now he knew her name. "Even better Sarah! I'm the Goblin King. One handsome and powerful king, just as requested."
Sarah gasped and backed into the tree. "Did that owl just talk? I must be dreaming."
Jareth cocked his head curiously at Sarah, "Yes I can talk and more. Would you like to marry me? You did say wanted a king to take you away and marry you."
Sarah blinked and giggled again. "Yes, I did say that but I'm too young to get married. I know! I can promise that when I'm grown up we can get married and live happily ever after together."
Jareth wholeheartedly agreed with her, she was too young both physically and emotionally. 'Besides my kingdom and my castle are pig sties. Not to mention that I haven't worn clothes for several years but by the time she has blossomed into a woman I can take her to my castle without shame.' Jareth made his decision. "Then it's a promise? When you've grown up, you will marry me? And live happily ever after with me?" He stuck his claw out for her as a pinkie promise gesture.
Sarah smiled widely and eagerly grasped his claw with her pinkie. "Of course. I promise!"
Jareth felt the magic in the air bind their promise. There was no going back now, she was now his betrothed. The girl yawned, the powerful magic they wrought together had exhausted her. He heard a man call for Sarah and flew up back to his perch. It was her father and he was worried for his daughter. 'It seems like he had not abandoned Sarah after all. I shall still keep watch over my betrothed though.' Jareth watched as Sarah's father gently picked up his sleeping daughter and sigh with relief. Jareth flew off into the sky 'I must inform my subjects of the wonderful news: the Goblin King has found a Goblin Queen.'
Sarah gasped for breathe and felt almost as if someone dumped cold water over her, she was back in reality. She remembered that day and she cringed when she remembered that wishing away Toby wasn't the first reckless wish she had made. She felt a warm hand on her cheek and she looked up at Jareth. "I had forgotten that day, I thought it was only dream and dismissed it as such. I didn't know that I was playing with magic. I was only thirteen and I didn't know better. I didn't m-"
Jareth silenced with a finger upon her lips and with a stern gaze. "Don't tell me that you didn't mean it. It meant everything to me, I fell in love with you the moment that I saw you. For years I watched you grow up from afar and shared your joy and your sorrows and with each passing day I grew to love you more. I never intended to take your brother, the goblins did that on their own for what reason I can only guess, but I used that as an opportunity to help you grow as a person. You were in danger of becoming as selfish as your mother and I didn't want to marry someone like that. That night on May Eve we made a promise and a magical one at that, after all what's said is said. That kind of promise cannot be broken without dire consequences, magic is unpredictable, if broken it could-"
Jareth froze for a moment looking at Sarah like a deer in the headlights. Now she knew how she had broken him. The Goblin Kings bitter words came back to Sarah causing anger to bubble up inside her and it threatened to spill over. "It really is my fault. I make a stupid childish promise to marry you and because I didn't keep it you're the one who has to pay for it. It's not fair, is it?"
Jareth sighed sadly, when he spoke his voice was rough as if the words hurt him to say. "It never is, but that's the way it is."
Sarah remembered the exact wording of her promise to him and hugged the man she loved as she thought she found a loophole. "Wait! I haven't broken my promise! I said that I would marry you when I've grown up! I'm only sixteen, technically I haven't grown up yet. I'm still legally considered a kid until I'm eighteen. I can still keep my promise to you yet, right?"
The truth sat on Jareth's tongue like a little worm wriggling in his beak trying to work its way out. The truth that in his kingdom she was an adult, that they were already married, and the terrible truth behind the magic peach he had given her. The magic peach that took away any chance of her living a normal life as a human. The truth was that she broke her promise when she rejected him and failed to consummate their marriage. After all part of the promise was that they would live happily ever after. When she learned the truth she may never forgive him and she may forever hate him. She still needed to know, she would find out eventually and the longer he waited the more she'll hate him. He looked into her soul piercing green eyes, eyes that sparkled with love for him. The words tasted bitter as they sputtered out. "You are not a child anymore. In my eyes and in my kingdom you are a grown woman. The truth is-"
A loud thump and crash made them jump. It sounded like something jumped down from the roof to the ground. Sarah held tightly to her brother and with Jareth faithfully following they ran downstairs to investigate the sound. Sarah grabbed her grandmother's frying pan before going outside to see where the sound came from. The trio didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't the sight that greeted them. Sarah put down her frying pan, "A moose?"
It was the biggest moose Sarah had ever seen, it was about eight feet at the shoulder and its antlers were twice as wide as a man was tall. Sarah would sometimes sees moose around her small hometown but never any as strange or as large as this one. For starters it had a glowing red nose. What was also strange was that it had a bridle and saddle. It was currently eating her stepmother's prized azalea bushes. Toby clapped his hands excitedly since to him it looked like "Rudolph!"
Sarah corrected him. "No, Toby, Rudolph is a reindeer, not a moose. Though it does have the 'nose so bright.'"
Jareth sped past Sarah and Toby toward the weird moose and hugged it. "Rudolph! I actually remember you! My loyal and noble steed! I remember riding you around my kingdom and terrorizing goblins. We had so much fun!"
Sarah's mouth hung open then closed. Then she burst out laughing and snorting ungracefully as she pictured the goblins running from a red-nosed moose in terror. "A moose?! Your choice of steed is a moose?! Ha ha-I'm sorry Jareth, it's just that I pictured you riding something a bit more fearsome or majestic."
Jareth pouted and patted Rudolph affectionately who continued to eat the azaleas, "Hey! I'll have you know that Rudolph is both fearsome and majestic. Besides he's more of an Irish elk than a moose. I remember riding him to your world on Christmas Eve disguised as Santa Claus and giving you Christmas presents. Do you remember that poet shirt and brocade vest that you wore all the time? And your bear Lancelot? I gave those to you, they were all once mine."
Sarah's laughing died down and she blushed at the thought about unknowingly wearing Jareth's clothing all the time. It felt strangely intimate to wear something against her skin that was once against his. Her body flushed excitedly as she remembered just how her bare skin felt against his. She remembered waking up Christmas morning to those presents waiting for her in her bed. Suddenly she thought of Jareth sneaking into her room while she was asleep and doing who knows what to her. Sarah again felt squicked by Jareth's stalker habits. Yes, she thought it was rather sweet but there was a thin line between being romantic and being just plain creepy. "Wait a minute, I woke up and found those presents on my bed. Did you do something weird or nasty to me while I was sleeping?!"
Jareth rolled his eyes and his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Yes, I crept into your room whilst you slept, pulled down my trousers and put my balls into your mouth for my own sick pleasure. Ow!" Sarah punched him in the arm and Jareth said earnestly "Of course I didn't do anything to you! What kind of sick bastard do you take me for? You were still just a child back then. All I did was leave your gifts, stroke your hair and say 'Sweet dreams, my Sarah.' That's it, honest. I haven't even seen you naked until after you both defeated me and broke my heart. Besides as I recall my friend Old Nick, from whom I borrowed my clever disguise, threatened to feed my twig and berries to wolves if I so much as thought about doing naughty things to you under the mistletoe. I can't quite remember how long I've known Old Nick but I know he wasn't always as jolly as I remember him. Damn my memory! All I can remember of the bloke is lending him my goblins to help him and his elves make toys and drinking lots of eggnog with him."
Sarah hated to see her love look so lost, to see a very intelligent man like him lose his past entirely. She knew Jareth was being honest with her but when he spoke of his friend 'Old Nick' she giggled at the image her mind conjured. It was a familiar image but associating this figure with Jareth, the Goblin King was just too ridiculous. "Wait a sec, Jareth, is this friend of yours...?"
Jareth immediately saw where Sarah's train of thought was headed. "Yes Sarah, I was speaking of Santa Claus."
Sarah giggled as she pictured Jareth being threatened by Santa. "Seriously? The jolly fat guy with the beard and the red suit and gives out presents? That Santa Claus?"
They then heard a Scottish accent, one lacking any ill content. "Ho, Ho, Ho! Yes, the jolly fat man with the beard, the red suit and everything. Hello my old friend, Jareth the sundered Goblin King. I was just starting to enjoy my spring break, when I sensed an ill omen I couldn't shake."
Jareth, Sarah and Toby saw to their surprise, was none other than old Saint Nick who had a twinkle in his eyes. He was dressed in the familiar red shirt, but unusually enough he had on a grass skirt. He had in one hand a mai tai, and Williams' children didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. What was the most unusual thing of all, was that he was sitting on an eight-legged horse twenty hands tall. Sarah's mouth was hanging open in disbelief, as she saw Santa looking as ridiculous as purple roast beef. Sarah then let out a squeal, "You're Santa! You're actually real!"
Toby ran to Santa Claus and giggled in delight. Crying out Santa's name over and over and smiling so bright. Santa patted Toby's head, and turned to his sister and said, "I humbly come to you with a request of utmost importance. I ask you to go on a dangerous quest that will require his assistance."
Santa Claus pointed to Jareth, who took in a sharp breath. "What do you mean? I'll not endanger my queen!"
Santa pinched the bridge of his nose, and the seriousness of his voice rose. "The both of you, and the rest of this world are in great jeopardy! Those two creatures have destroyed most of the Labyrinth already! If the sundered king and broken land is not restored by Ostara's end, then all will be destroyed and a great evil will on this world descend!"
Sarah knew what Santa said was true, there were after all many a clue. She wanted to live a peaceful life with her new love, not be thrown into dangers untold with a careless shove. All this had happened because of her mistake, and she would fix it for her beloved Jareth's sake. Ostara the spring equinox ended tomorrow at sunset, and they only had until then to end the impending threat. "Then we are running out of time! And can we stop speaking in rhyme?!"
Author's Note: It wasn't easy rhyming for that long, please don't ask me to do that again. Dr Seuss I am not. Anyways for some reason I pictured this version of Santa Claus being played by Sean Connery. And yes for all you Norse mythology buffs out there, that is Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. I've been doing a little research and discovered that the Santa Claus we know today was originally the norse god Odin. During Yule, which was close to Christmas, Odin would leave gifts to children who left food for his horse in their boots near the chimney. To all my readers: thank you so much for the reviews and favorites and alerts! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy knowing someone is reading my fics and keeps me writing.