"Sky's Eclipse"
Chapter 16
By Aiijuin
*Disclaimer: I don't own anything Jim Henson or Labyrinth. Gröeg was originally designed by Brian Froud and catalogued by Terry Jones in Brian Froud's "The Goblins of the Labyrinth". This fanfiction is rated M for some harsh language (which is only used by Toby and Mike) and adult situations.
PS: Please let me know if I messed up anywhere with the grammar. I proofread about a dozen times before I post my chapters on , but sometimes I still miss a few flubs. Thank you!
**Revised: 09/10/2009 – Discontinuity of chapter numbers have been repaired, major grammatical errors were repaired, and "Irene" was replaced by "Karen" for Sarah's Stepmother, because 90% of all "Labyrinth" fanfictions use this name for Sarah's stepmother, and I don't know which is right, but I like Karen better for a nice stepmom.
Chapter Sixteen: Enter the Goblin Queen
Mike screamed at the top of his lungs, "PLEASE, PLEASE! GET ME AWAY FROM THIS CRAZY BITCH!!!"
He was mortified beyond rational thought. Sarah patted Mike on the head and shushed him. She smirked. Mike responded by saying, "Don't touch me! I want a lawyer!"
Toby looked to Gavin and asked, "You're a lawyer, right? I guess this case would be pretty hard to prove in a courtroom, huh?"
Gavin blinked and responded, "Actually, Master Williams, I'm absolutely sure this case would be tossed out immediately."
Sarah was poking and prodding Mike with her fingers. She wanted to make him feel as uncomfortable as he had made her feel earlier. She ripped at his tie like a feral animal. She popped the buttons off of his tuxedo shirt one by one and caressed his bare chest. Each time she made another advance on him, he cried out in terror.
Sarah laughed wickedly.
One of the tinier goblins grabbed Mike's dress shoe and pulled it off. The little creature placed it on its head like a helmet. The other goblins watched in envy. Several other goblins mimicked Mike's screams and facial expressions. They thought he was trying to begin a song like Jareth. One of the goblins said to another, "He's not as good a singer as our Great Goblin King, right?"
Michael shuttered.
He was tired of balancing on his knees, because the stone floor was making them ache. A red, hairy goblin tried to offer Mike a sausage on a stick, but he turned his head in repulsion. When the goblin that was picking at Mike's hair finally relented and left the man, a vulture from over Jareth's throne swooped in to take its place. Mike looked from the corner of his eyes and saw the gigantic bird. He fainted and flopped to the floor.
Sarah looked at her former supervisor and pouted, "Oh, my. He certainly wasn't very much fun, now was he? I guess I'll have to exchange him for another pet. Too bad. I liked the way he yelped."
The goblins prodded the fallen man with their bony little fingers. One goblin licked at Mike's face to see if he would taste good. "Yuck, too salty," said the goblin.
The vulture flew back to its place above the Goblin King's throne. At her last words, Sarah left the platform and made her way down to Toby and Gavin. She pulled out Jareth's infamous riding crop from her left hand. No one had noticed she had it before now. She placed its tip under Toby's chin and raised it. Toby asked, "Sarah?"
Sarah didn't acknowledge him, but muttered, "Mmm, no. You're much too young. I think I'll return you where I found you."
Toby couldn't respond. He was shocked at his sister's behavior. It was as if she had never met him before. She didn't even regard him as a familiar. Sarah glided over to Gavin next and brushed the tops of his shoulders with the crop. She made an Aww sound and clicked her tongue a couple of times before putting the riding crop under his chin and saying, "Well, now. You look promising. I think I should like to keep you about. You would make a nice man-slave. I wonder if Jareth will let me retain you. It's such a pity he hasn't been present lately. Mmn, since he's not here, I suppose I'll have to release you as well. No matter. You may leave the Labyrinth, but you will never escape. Eventually, it will call you back. It's only a matter of time."
Gavin raised his eyebrow. Sarah turned her back on Toby and Gavin. She waved the crop around several times like she was swooshing insects away. Then, she turned her head and snapped, "Release them!"
The guards cut the ropes from Gavin first, then Toby next. Toby rubbed his wrists. His hands had gone numb from being tied very tightly. Sarah looked into Gavin's eyes and pointed the crop threateningly at Mike, "Oh, and do take that thing with you. I shutter to think of that loathsome creature remaining here any longer and infecting this lovely place with its odious pheromones and reeking hog sweat everywhere. In my opinion, I don't even think the Bog deserves such a nasty punishment as to receive him."
Sarah finalized her speech by walking back up to Toby and Gavin. She handed the crop to another goblin. The goblin bowed as he took the item and carried it away. With her hands free, Sarah cupped them lightly under Toby and Gavin's faces. She hummed, "There is a lesson to be taught here, boys. Treat your ladies with respect, lest you meddle with the wrong one, and have to suffer consequences worse than the unfortunateMr. Pierce, here. I trust we understand each other?"
Toby clenched his jaw and nodded. His eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of his head. Gavin didn't respond verbally, nor did he react physically. As Jareth, he was utterly entranced by the thought of Sarah becoming his Goblin Queen.
She is undeniably perfect, he thought.
Sarah patted the sides of their faces and crooned, "Good boys. Now, it's time to send you home."
With that, she closed her fist, and placed it up to her mouth. When she opened it, she began to blow on her palm towards Toby and Gavin. A glitter-like substance dispersed like a cloud of smoke and began to encircle all three men. It became thicker and thicker, until Sarah could not be seen. They heard her whisper, "Wake up!"
Suddenly, they were back in Gavin's formal dining room. It was as if nothing had ever occurred. As before, Sarah sat next to Mike looking very uncomfortable. Robert and Karen were laughing at the last joke Gavin had made before Sarah had wished Mike away. Toby was seated next to that boring man who was, still, rattling about his lackluster boarding school saga. Sarah was about to order her fifth glass of champagne when Mike, passed out and fell face-first into his salad plate. He was buried nose-first in his green goddess salad dressing. Sarah raised her eyebrow and looked at Toby. She shook her head and pointed as if to say, "Would you look at this guy?"
Relieved, Sarah managed to enjoy the rest of her supper. The other man, who sat next to Mike, was embarrassed they were business associates. He ignored Mike completely and continued conversing with the board member who sat on the right side of him. Gavin and Toby couldn't wait for the banquet to end, so they could approach Sarah and question her in private. Sarah, for the most part, acted oblivious as to what had occurred. She began to strike a conversation with the servant who distributed her champagne.
Midnight rolled around, and Sarah did not partake in after-supper cocktails. She was already tipsy from drinking too much. She was afraid of what might happen if she became too drunk. She could only recall what her dorm-mate in college had told her she was like when she was 'smashed'. Sarah wanted to avoid such behavior at a black-tie function.
After all, Sarah chuckled, performing the catwalk-supermodel-strut on top of couches and wailing David Bowie's "Fashion" at the top of my lungs, while dressed in nothing but a tank top and lacy underwear, isn't exactly appropriate for a group of stuffy lawyers and board members. Maybe later, when I get home, I'll do it for old times sake.
Sarah ended up with his song stuck in her head the rest of the night. Especially, while she watched the board members turning to the "left" and to the "right" with bland, tense looks upon their faces.
She giggled.
It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, after all!
Michael Pierce, on the other hand, was not so fortunate, and had to be driven to the local hospital. It was later discovered that he had suffered acute alcohol poisoning. He was dismissed from the case, and his career was threatened, unless he sought professional alcohol and drug abuse counseling. Two weeks later, he was admitted to the psychiatric ward of a NYC hospital, because he claimed that there were goblins stealing his shoes.
Sarah never heard from or saw Mike again.