"Sky's Eclipse"
Chapter 45
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. Jeremy Eden is from the original Henson script of "Labyrinth" as the man who wrote the "Labyrinth" playbook that Sarah was reading from, in the beginning of the 1986 movie.
Be warned! Although this is a Sarah/Jareth romance story, it is also a profoundly dark fairytale!
**NOTE: Story numbering is behind by 1 chapter, because there is a prelude, which is not considered a chapter. Fanfiction . net automatically assigns numbers to the chapters by default, which I have not control over. Thank you!

Chapter 45: Paradise Lost & Found

"The HELL!?" Toby sputtered as he took three giant steps forward towards Jareth. "Is this some kind of sick joke!?!?"

It took both Gavin and Torok to restrain the seventeen year-old. Jareth raised his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes very expressively, but said nothing. Toby continued, "You've got some nerve playing games with us, while my sister is dying in a hospital somewhere and her illness is probably your fault too! If I ever get my hands around your neck, Jareth, first I'm gonna strangle you and then I'm going to kick the living shit out of you!"

Gavin winced, while Torok snickered, "Now, that's a hilarious thought."

"Oh, do shut up, Trollie!" Gavin replied as he tightened his grip on Toby's right arm.

Jareth walked down the stairs and started to speak in his strong English accent to the teen. He stated in a rather unamused voice, "First I would like to say, that I have never met you before in my entire life, boy."

"That's because the last time you met me I was wearing striped pajamas and diapers! I'm a lot older now," Toby spat. "Why don't you come closer and get a better look at me?"

Jareth didn't take the bait. He backed up again and continued, "Second, I would like to say that my name isn't 'Jareth', just for the record."

"Oh, right," Stammered Toby, "What do you call yourself these days? I can think of a couple of good names, just in case you've run out…"

At that Jareth tilted his head to the side and said, "And third, you're all trespassing on private property. That's why there are walls around my home, in case you failed to notice. Now, go away!"

As Jareth was about to return inside of the château, Toby shouted, "You shouldn't have opened your gates and let me in, if you didn't want me in here!

Jareth was about to close the white birch doors behind him as he responded, "I didn't let you in."

Toby pulled once more, but fell to his knees as Gavin and Torok pulled backwards. He screamed, "So you're just going to let Sarah DIE?!?"

Jareth spun around with his eyes wide in surprise, "Sarah? Your sister's name is Sarah?"

Gavin furrowed his brow as the d'Bourgeise Jareth came closer to Toby and knelt down by the boy. Torok asked candidly to anyone who would answer, "Hein? What is going on here? There is twisted magic that I have never seen before. Two Jare--"

"TOROK!" Gavin spat at the Troll King before he ruined his disguise.

The d'Bourgeise Jareth didn't acknowledge the Troll King or Gavin and instead lifted Toby's chin with his gloved hand. He asked boldly, "Why have you come here, boy? Is it because of your sister Sarah? Did she tell you to come here?"

Toby made a face and said, "No. A doctor told my family that my sister is dying of some disease, which was named after a lady that used to live in Southern France. So, we were going to that Estate 'place' in France until you interfered with your tricks again."

Gavin clarified Toby's words by adding, "Actually, we were going to the d'Bourgeise Estate to research about a man by the name of Sir Jeremy Eden."

Jareth shifted back to his feet and arched his left eyebrow. He asked, "Why are you curious about him?"

Gavin held up Sarah Williams' little red, leather-bound book with the title, "The Labyrinth" by Jeremy Eden and answered, "Because I think that he might have some answers for us about Sarah's fatal illness."

Jareth gently took the book from Gavin's hand and opened its cover. He whispered, "She put my name on this …."

Gavin replied, "I'm sorry? What did you say?"

Jareth answered, "The Marchioness, Lady Sarah Alvery d'Bourgeise or Lady Sarah, as she preferred to be called, placed my name on her spell instead of her own. I'm Sir Jeremy Eden."

Torok exclaimed, "Wait a minute! How many identities are you assuming nowadays, mon Frère? No wonder you have broken into two pieces and your powers are flipping back and forth!"

Jeremy Eden looked at Torok and answered, "I have no idea who this Jareth is, and I have no powers. I am just a human, like you, plus I am not your brother, Monsieur."

Torok slung his head back aristocratically and sniffled. He was miffed about being compared to a mortal. It made him feel like a lesser being and he was about to riposte at Jeremy, when Gavin interrupted, "Are you saying that the Marchioness wrote this book?"

Jeremy answered, "She was no Marchioness, Sir. Lady Sarah was the Great Goblin Queen."

Torok, Gavin, and Toby exchanged glances. Gavin asked, "How can you be Sir Jeremy Eden, when he lived four hundred years ago?"

Jeremy gestured the trio inside the doors of his château and beckoned, "Come inside. I was just about to have afternoon tea, and wouldn't mind a bit of company. I'll answer all of your questions in there."

They followed behind the Jareth-look-alike wearily, and immediately entered into a Grand Foyer. It was the most breath taking architecture that Toby had ever laid eyes upon. All the ceramic trim was lined in gold and there were bright pastel colors upon the plaster walls. A vast chandelier made of diamonds, emeralds, and garnets hung from the arched ceiling and two grand staircases swept from both ends of the foyer that curved towards the center of the room. The second half of the ceiling, which lead up both staircases, was covered with a renaissance fresco of fabled characters that Toby recognized from bedtime stories as a child. The floors were covered in alternating black and white square-tiled marble with sweeping Italian woven rugs that ran the entire length of the great room.

However, what captured the attention of everybody was the great oil portrait that hung between the two staircases from the balcony. It was a woman who looked exactly like Sarah Williams. Her hair was in an upsweep with cascading pinned curls that fell all about her neck. She was dressed in a white gown that had a collar of lace at her throat and an intricate brocade about her neck. She wore a smug look upon her face that was akin to Mona Lisa's famous smile. Her piercing green eyes started directly at whoever entered into the château's doors.

Toby couldn't help pointing and saying, "Oh my god! That's my sister!"

Gavin prodded Toby from behind to get him to keep up with Jeremy, while Torok also had to be prodded thrice before he finally caught up. Jeremy didn't seem to take notice of the shocked expressions upon his guests. Gavin remarked, "So, you were Lady Sarah's consort, then?"

Sir Eden laughed, "Well, I suppose that's a fancy way of saying I was her prisoner for all these years."

Torok replied, "A spell? The Goblin Queen placed a spell upon you and you have lived trapped within here for all of these years, Monsieur?"

Jeremy nodded and said, "Yet, the irony of it is, even with her great powers, she could not save her self in the end."

Jeremy Eden directed them into a study, where a great library of bookshelves stood nearly fifteen feet high and rose to the ceiling. The shelves were filled with handwritten books, and there must have been thousands of them in total. There was a ladder that scrolled along the floor on wheels so Jeremy could reach the books near the top if he needed to.

On a small, round table near a fireplace stood a wide silver tray with a silver teacup. Sir Eden walked over to a closed cupboard, opened the door, and then grabbed four silver cups that matched the entire tea set. He removed a thick black iron kettle from the fireplace with a holder and added boiling water into the silver teacup. After he placed the kettle back into its holder, he grabbed four teabags from a bin and dropped them into the silver cups. From therein, he added water to the cups and distributed them to the three visitors, as he finally took a seat with his own cup in hand.

"Cream anyone?" Jeremy asked.

Torok and Gavin nodded, while Toby grimaced at the tea. He wasn't fond of it. Toby decided to ask questions to keep the others from thinking he was rude. He began, "Wow! I can't believe that this used to be the palace of the Goblin Queen! Although, the colors do look like they were decorated by a girl and stuff. Hey, what's with the masks all over the walls?"

Jeremy turned to glance at them and answered, "They are ceramic Venetian masks, which were imported directly from Italy. Lady Sarah held a Masque every Mid-Summer's Eve, and during the Autumnal and Spring Equinoxes. She was very fond of dancing, but enjoyed the idea of wearing a disguise while doing so. She considered it much more provocative."

"Oh," Toby replied unimpressed.

Jeremy continued with a smirk, "Actually, most of the things Lady Sarah did, were considered provocative and questionable four hundred years ago. She was definitely the talk of the townsfolk, as well as many of the prestigious Duchesses and Baronesses of the day."

After a pause, Sir Jeremy decided to switch the subject, "Forgive me. I'm rambling on here. You said you came here to help you sister Sarah. How old is she?"

Gavin answered before Toby could, "Thirty-two."

"Ah, now that is a problem… If I have my date correct today, then I assume it will be another five months, two weeks, and six days before she reaches thirty-three… am I correct?" Jeremy asked.

Toby's jaw dropped as he counted, "Well, I seemed to have lost track of time recently due to an illness of my own, but that sounds about right. Sarah was born on December nineteenth."

"As was Lady Sarah, and all of the other Sarahs that the Goblin Queen was born as for the time she has been a human in our world," Jeremy finished.

Torok responded, "Nonsense! An immortal should never be born like a human. We simply are! There isn't any finite point for our kind!"

Jeremy smirked and raised his pointed eyebrows as he said, "So, you're an immortal, like the Goblin Queen then?"

Gavin tightened his lips and threw Torok a dirty look. He knew bringing Torok was going to be problematic. Torok didn't care that his true nature had been revealed. He laughed and said, "But, of course! Le Roi des Lutins est mon beau-frère."

"Vous ne dites pas? Cela s'intéresse tout à fait!" Jeremy replied back to the Troll King. "Mmm, your brother-in-law you say… Then, you're saying that the Goblin Queen has a sister, aren't you?"

"Oui! My lovely wife, Sashya is the Goblin Queen's twin sister! They look nearly identical, but Sashya… she has the most beautiful hazel eyes," Torok finished, while making a Voila kissing gesture upon his fingertips.

Gavin rolled his eyes and interrupted Torok before he continued any further. "What can you tell us about the nature of Sarah's illness, Sir Eden?"

"It is not an illness, first of all, Monsieur. Mmm. Why don't I just start at the beginning to clarify things better?"

Gavin nodded and Jeremy began, "Once upon a time…"