"Sky's Eclipse"
Chapter 23
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 and adult situations. Gavin King is Jareth, the Goblin King, for those who have jumped into the middle of the story. The names: Torok, the Troll King and Eunice St. Clair are characters borrowed from the 1986 movie Troll, but are not used in context with the movie inside my fanfiction in any way.
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 fanfiction. net, but sometimes I still miss a few flubs. Thank you!
Chapter Twenty-Three: It Just Goes On and On.
Sarah briskly walked out of the Glass Palace of the Troll King. Her jaw was set tightly and her face was stern. It was the same expression she wore when Mike Pierce used to hit on her. Again, Sarah knew there was another man trying to jump her. She just kept marching straight for about two hours without turning left or right.
Just like Jareth's Labyrinth, her voice resounded in her head.
No. No. She didn't even want to compare the two kings.
Jareth has a lot more class than this guy, Sarah thought as she hopped over another large tree root.
"Does he?"
"'Does he' what, my Dear?"
Sarah spun around and faced Gavin for the first time since she left the Glass Palace. I nearly forgot about him, she thought. "I'm sorry, I was thinking outloud, Gavin," Sarah apologized.
Gavin chuckled sympathetically, "That's quite all right, Sarah. In fact…blah…blah…blah…"
Sarah tuned out Gavin completely. Her thoughts turned back to brooding loudly in her mind. Nothing he said made much sense to her anyway. She just wanted to make one wish and bring Jareth down on top of the Troll King. Would Jareth actually help her?
Sarah stopped.
She just realized she was making assumptions about Jareth. Somewhere in her fantasy-induced womanhood, Sarah had made herself believe that Jareth was madly in love with her and would do anything for her. You jilted the Goblin King. Remember?
Sarah blinked.
Jareth hasn't shown up for eight years. Did you forget that too? He's avoiding you.
Sarah closed her eyes and relaxed her jaw. She bit her lip for a moment, as the world became a backdrop haze behind her. Her thoughts were so loud that they were practically another person arguing in her mind.
Sarah fought the urge to think anymore. She had less than thirteen hours to solve this… this…where was she?
Looking around for the first time, Sarah realized that she was deep in the heart of a dark, ominous, and overgrown forest. It was similar to the redwood forests in California, but the trees were heavy-laden with white, spider web-like moss and the trees were pitch-black. The forest floor contained unusual plastic-like flowers of bold pinks and blues. They looked like fake, giant Hibiscus plants. Fairies danced on their petals like twinkles of light.
Fairies!
Sarah jumped back startled. She nearly knocked Gavin over. Apologies were made quickly to her unfortunate companion, and then she pondered her next move. Sarah realized that, in her deep thought, she had completely forgotten to watch where she was heading. It was needless to say, somewhere in his elaborate palace of glass, the Troll King was laughing at Sarah's misfortune. If Gavin had tried to warn her earlier, she probably ignored him. She was about to turn and warn Gavin not to touch the flowers or the fairies, when she heard something.
Singing?
Yes, Sarah heard a woman singing somewhere nearby. The voice was positively hideous. Sarah grimaced. She would have given anything for Jareth's gorgeous, crooning songs right about now. Sarah turned to Gavin and remarked, "I supposed that's what's 'worse than death', hmm?"
Gavin laughed, "Such a pity there isn't an off switch like your father's radio."
"We should find that voice."
"Sarah," Gavin warned, "We need to keep moving. We're short on time and probably have a long distance to go."
Sarah ignored him again and turned around to find the voice. She almost wished that she were alone to solve Grimm's Wood by herself. Gavin shrugged. He knew Sarah wouldn't listen to him if he were Gavin or Jareth, so he just followed her without further protest. He figured that she was methodically solving Grimm's Woods in her mind.
Of course, nothing could have been further from the truth. Sarah kept herself under the delusion, that if time ran out, Jareth would save her. She was in the Underground, and there was something about this place that made her feel safe.
Safe?
Sarah shook off her thoughts again. The voice was getting close now. Sarah came to the base of a gigantic sand-colored tree. At least, it looked like a tree, with all of the vines growing up the side. It might have been a stone or brick wall, but it was tubular in shape. It was probably a massive round pillar made of sandstone. It seemed misplaced in Grimm's Wood. The voice continued to squeal ostentatiously and overbearingly. Sarah followed the perimeter of the pillar. She couldn't find the voice's owner, but knew she was right next to it. Perhaps the person is trapped within this wall, Sarah thought.
Sarah placed her ear against the wall. Gavin followed suit. It was a silly sight to see two grown adults eavesdropping on the side of a stone pillar. The voice thought so too as it asked, "What are you people doing?"
Sarah pulled away in shock. She looked around, but saw no one. The woman's voice shouted, "Up here! Look up!"
Sarah and Gavin gaped upward in unison. There was a lovely blonde woman who sat at the frame of a window atop of the pillar. She was brushing the ends of her long blonde hair. She shouted, "What do you want?"
Sarah arched her neck backwards in order to talk to the woman's face, "Sorry, we heard you singing, and thought…" What the hell did you think, Sarah? Sarah shook her head. Sarah didn't know what Trolls looked like, but knew this was a human woman.
The woman asked, "You heard me singing? Did you like it?"
Sarah lied, "Oh, um, yes. Very nice."
"Liar," Gavin whispered in her ear with a smirk on his face and one eyebrow raised.
Sarah gave him a 'look' and returned her attention to the woman. She asked, "Are you okay? I mean, do you need any help?"
Gavin continued to mutter mischievously, "She needs loads of help with a voice like that…"
Sarah elbowed Gavin in the side and awaited the woman's answer. The blonde answered every one of Sarah's questions with another question, "What do you think?"
Sarah could play this game too, "I don't know, what do you think I think?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Sarah became exasperated. She didn't have time for word games. "Fine," she said, "We'll be leaving then. Goodbye."
Sarah spun around to walk away, when the woman pleaded, "Wait! I need help! Please, get me down from here! I'm trapped!"
Sarah looked at the side of the pillar. It was covered with vines. Sarah asked, "Is there a way you can get a foothold of the vines and climb down?"
The woman stood up at the window and rubbed at her rather large, round abdomen, "I would, but you see, I have a dilemma."
Sarah looked at Gavin and said, "She's pregnant."
Gavin shook his head and stammered, "No, Sarah. We really don't have time for this or her."
"She needs our help, Gavin."
Gavin looked to the left and right. He couldn't assist her in anyway. He made a vow with the Troll King. For Sarah's sake, he didn't want to break it.
She'll never give up, the voice of the tiny Goblin from long ago still resounded in his head. Gavin shrugged. As he looked up, Sarah had already begun to scale up the vines. It was harder than she had thought it would be. The vines were rough and cutting into her palms. Sarah winced. She knew it would be a painful trip back down. When Sarah reached the window, her hands were so bloody that she nearly lost her grip on the sill. The woman grabbed her hand to help Sarah.
"Wow, you're so brave for a girl," the woman marveled.
"Thanks," Sarah answered. "Do you have a cloth or bandages or something?"
The woman raced to her bed and tore at one of the sheets. "Here," She said, "Use this. The same thing happened to me, when I tried to escape from the trolls and climbed up here. It hurt so bad, that I didn't attempt to climb down again."
Sarah had to ask, "How did you survive in a place like this without food supplies or other amenities?"
The woman answered, "Well, there was food, water, and a bathroom when I need them. They just appear, you know, by magic."
Sarah blinked, "That's when I would have jumped from this window to get out."
"I tried," the woman said. "Each time, the Troll King came to me and pleaded, 'Stay just a little longer child, for your head is sleepy, and the day is late.'"
Sarah nodded, "The Troll King. I see. And you listened to him?"
"I couldn't help it," The woman whispered. "When he said that, I grew very sleepy and returned to my bed to sleep."
"Sounds like he placed a spell on you."
The woman nodded, "A powerful one, I'm afraid…. I'm sorry, what is your name?"
"Sarah."
"Oh! I'm Raquel. I'd like to say it's a pleasure to meet you, but there is only one kind of pleasure to be had in a place like this," Raquel finished as she rubbed her tummy.
Sarah exhaled, "The Troll King?"
Raquel nodded again. Now Sarah was inside, it was apparent that Raquel was a living, breathing Rapunzel. Her hair was extremely long. It trailed behind her in a train that must have extended about six feet back. Sarah asked, "How long have you been here, Raquel?"
"I don't know, Sarah. I was eleven when the Troll King stole me from my home."
Sarah forgot her manners and exclaimed, "That sick fuck!"
Raquel's eyes opened wide. She wasn't ready for Sarah's explicit language. Gavin shouted from below, "Sarah? Are you okay, my Dear?"
Sarah huffed and shouted back, "Yes!"
Raquel smiled, "Is that a man, you've brought with you? He sounds handsome."
Sarah raised her eyebrows, "Wait until the baby comes, then you won't want a guy to touch you again, or so I've heard from my stepmom and former co-workers."
Sarah was glancing around the room, trying to come up with a solution to their dilemma. Raquel continued to pat her stomach. Similar to Gavin, Raquel was a wanton rambler. She talked and talked and talked. Like Gavin, Sarah drowned out what the woman was saying the entire time. Sarah looked to the bed sheets. It would have been logical to use them instead of climbing on hair, like the fairytale. There weren't any briars below to fall into and go blind, like Rapunzel's prince had. Sarah pulled the bed dressings off and began to tie them together. It wouldn't be safe for the baby or Raquel to try and climb at this point. Raquel followed Sarah's actions, but looked up from the corner of her eye and said skeptically, "I've tried this before when I was thirteen, but the Troll King sees everything and we won't escape like this. He'll come and place a spell on us both."
Sarah answered, "I doubt the Troll King has use for you anymore, Raquel. He's taken what he's wanted and has left you rot…so-to-speak."
Raquel nodded, "I suppose you're right. But he hasn't taken you, has he?"
"Um, no."
Raquel shook her head, "Then he'll come for you."
"Over Jareth's dead body," Sarah mumbled.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say, Sarah?"
"Never mind." What the girl didn't know is the Goblin King had fallen in love with her…
The knots were secured and Sarah tied the end of the sheets to the foot of the bed. She tugged several times to make sure the knot wouldn't loosen. She beckoned Raquel to grab hold of her shoulders. It was awkward, since Raquel had to turn sideways in order to properly piggyback upon Sarah. Sarah's eyes opened wide in strain. Raquel was already taller than Sarah by four inches and much heavier. Sarah felt the back pain begin as she maneuvered out the windowsill and unto the wall with Raquel riding griping tightly unto her shoulders. Gavin held the bottom of the sheet to keep the women steady. Sarah was reaching with her foot for the nearest vine to step on. That's when she heard a voice coming from the mirror.
"Stay just a little longer child, for your head is sleepy, and the day is late."
Raquel's hands loosened as she tried to break away from Sarah. Gavin's voice shouted from below, "Sarah, the girl is trying to climb back into the window!"
Sarah, momentarily dazed by the voice, snapped back into reality. She grabbed Raquel's foot, but lost her own footing and began to tumble to the bottom where Gavin stood. Raquel let out a yelp as she was taken down with Sarah's hand. Gavin looked up and mumbled, "I should have watched Sarah as an owl."
A second later, Sarah toppled on top of Gavin with Raquel following close behind. Needless to say, Gavin was aching everywhere. Sarah lay stunned momentarily. She had a bloody lip from Raquel's head landing on her face. Raquel would have landed harder, but her hair snagged on the vines and broke her fall. Raquel's scalp hurt and she tugged at her hair to help it release.
When everybody's wits had returned to them, they helped Raquel untangle and tie up her massive lengths of hair. Sarah patted Raquel's belly and asked, "Are you feeling okay?"
Raquel nodded. She didn't seem to hear Sarah. Raquel was doting on Gavin King. He was positively the most beautiful man she had ever seen. When the trio decided to continue through Grimm's Wood, Raquel hung on Gavin's arm the entire time…
…which was most unfortunate for him.
Sarah was happy for Gavin's distraction. She needed to solve this forest puzzle. Unlike Jareth's Labyrinth, she hadn't really seen the entire overview of Grimm's Wood. She had no idea how large it was. She kept walking forward in a straight line. Sarah couldn't walk as quickly as she had with Raquel tagging along. Every now and then, Gavin would shout, "Dear me, Sarah slow down!"
Sarah wasn't sure how much time she had left, but she had to persevere to complete this task or suffer the fate of Raquel.
At least Jareth didn't spread his lineage everywhere, Sarah thought.
Was she so sure of that completely? Sarah shook it off. If Sarah didn't get out of here, then Madame St. Clair's crazy prediction would come true. …Thirteen children…
Eugh!
The last thing she wanted was to touch the Troll King, let alone reproduce with him. Sarah stopped again. She hadn't thought of why. He wasn't ugly. He wasn't repulsive, except for his Don Juan personality. Something inside of her didn't like him at all.
He's a sexual predator and he has no power over you, her inner voice said candidly.
Several more hours passed, and Raquel's stomach growled. Sarah was feeling hungry too. She knew better than to eat anything offered freely in the Underground. She was afraid that even if the berries or nuts growing in the forest weren't poisoned, they might trap her into becoming a permanent resident forever. Sarah thought of the mythological tale of Persephone and the six pomegranate seeds. Sarah refused to belong to the Troll King, for even six minutes, let alone six months. She looked at Raquel and shuttered. She hoped Jareth wasn't hoping to do the same thing to her, when he brought her into his Labyrinth at fifteen.
Sarah scratched her head. She remembered it was her fault she had summoned Jareth to her. She called for him and wished her brother away. She initiated her own problems with the Goblin King. Suddenly, a sweet odor caught Sarah's attention. It was enticing. She turned in the direction from where it was coming from. Raquel had obviously caught whiff of the scent as well. She sniffed the air and began to follow Sarah. Gavin tried to protest. He was invulnerable to the spells and tricks of Grimm's Wood and it's inhabitants. He may have assumed a mortal form, but inside he would never be human. Even though he was grateful that Raquel had finally released his arm, he was disgruntled that his warnings were being deliberately ignored. Shrugging into the air, Gavin followed the women to the next trap of the Troll King.