"Sky's Eclipse"
Chapter 54
By Aiijuin

*Disclaimer =Labyrinth (c) Henson, Lucas, Jones, Froud; Gröeg (c) Brian Froud, Winkin', Blinkin' & Nod (c) Mothergoose Nursery Rhymes. Torok is from 1986 movie Troll, but has been changed around to meet my story expectations.
Be warned: Although this is a Sarah/Jareth romance story, it is also a profoundly dark fairytale!
Rated M+(Adult Scenarios, Abrasive Language, Innuendos, Sensuality)
**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 54: At the Center

"WHAT the HELL!?!?!?!" Toby stammered furiously.

It was about the only reaction that he could currently conjure up, and even though the teen wanted to say about a million things, these were the only words that came from his lips. He was in utter shock at the sight of Gavin becoming Jareth, although a part of him felt that he should have already expected this.

Even the dwarves seemed utterly petrified, while the fairies hid under the leaves, which resulted in a vast array of shivering flora. The forest within the Isle had become completely quiet, save for Toby's strenuous breathing.

It took a minute or two for him to calm down. When Toby had finally found his voice, he said in a most distant and calm voice, "You were Gavin the whole time, weren't you? Somehow, it feels like I always knew, but didn't really want to believe it."

Jareth answered, "That's because I've allowed the spell that I've placed over you to wear off."

Toby remained silent as Jareth paused and then continued, "You didn't honestly think that Gavin and I really look that different, did you?"

"No," Toby began, "I suppose that only the hairstyle is different…."

After another disturbing silence Toby asked, "So, what now? Am I your prisoner… or am I your bait to capture my sister again? I mean, you hold all of the aces here, Goblin King, so it's your move now, I guess…"

Jareth furrowed his brow in frustration, "Do you think this is a game, Toby?"

"Isn't it? For you, I mean…" Toby questioned,

The dwarves' heads looked back and forth between the Goblin King and Toby as they exchanged words. Gröeg also followed the conversation intensively. Toby sounded unremarkably subdued, despite the shock of what was happening compounded with his ordinary erratic teenage behavior. For the first time, he actually sounded like a mature adult and not like an immature child.

Jareth sighed, "You remind me of your sister, right now…."

"Yeah?" Toby replied, "Well, you sound tired, right now…. Look. Just be honest with me. You're trying to discover the truth to help Sarah, right?"

Before Jareth could answer, Higgle interrupted, "How many times did I hafta' tell ya kid? Sarah the Goblin Queen's dead and lyin' in a glass coffin at the center of the forest!"

Jareth straightened up in agitation as Toby knelt down towards Higgle and asked politely, "Will you please take us to her?"

Higgle seemed anxious to do so, and his look-alikes weren't making his decision any easier. Hogshead, Hogwart, Haggle, Huggle, and Horrible were making negative gestures that insinuated 'No' and several of them where also shaking their heads.

Jareth narrowed his eyes in anger, but Toby asked, "Why won't you take us to her?"

Higgle looked to the five other dwarves and replied, "Well… we're not sure it's the best thing ta'do. If ya' go disturbin' the Goblin Queen, this place might fall down around us and kill us all…"

Horrible continued, "She used the last of her great power to build us a safe place ta' live outside of time and outside of th' Human Realm. She knew we were trapped here…"

Toby stood up and raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Jareth, "I guess that's why it's called the Isle Beyond Time. Makes sense… Look, um, dwarf-guy… Sorry, but I can't tell any of you apart. You all look the same to me."

Huggle began, "That's 'cause we're brothers. We're the seven dwarves…uh, actually, there used ta' be seven, but now there are only six… Hoggle ain't here with us."

Jareth muttered to himself, "I suppose this explains why I can never get that dwarf's name right…."

Toby didn't catch what Jareth had said and was about to ask, when the Goblin King turned to Higgle and explained, "It's a matter of urgency that you take us to Sarah the Goblin Queen. Something horrible is about to happen…"

Horrible looked up and was about to crack a joke, when Toby instinctively covered the dwarf's mouth. The teenager knew that Jareth wasn't in the mood for random humor right now. Toby stammered, "Please, please just take us to Sarah! As weird as this may sound, she's actually been expecting us, even though she's dead and all…"

Higgle rolled his eyes and answered, "Okay, fine. We'll take you to her, but you ain't the only one she's been expecting."

Toby blinked inquisitively at Jareth as Higgle finished, "It's a long way in, so I hope ya' don't mind walkin' on foot. I wouldn't recommend usin' any magic in here, since it won't work the way you think it will. This is probably because the Goblin Queen was very sick just before she died and her powers were pretty unpredictable at the end of her life."

Jareth turned to Gröeg before they left and snapped, "You stay here and watch things for me.."

Gröeg sighed but nodded. He had wanted to enter the lands, but he had to be obedient towards his King's commands.

Toby shrugged and thought that nothing would surprise him anymore, but of course, again he was wrong. The six dwarves, the Goblin King, and Toby Williams traversed on foot towards the center of the Isle and ran into unexpected twists and turns that were completely preposterous. Sometimes gravity was working backwards, and it pulled the travelers up towards the skies.

Then, there was unusual weather.

Toby and Jareth were pummeled with raindrops one minute and the next minute it had rained white rose petals or bubbles or other random nonsensical things. He swore at one point that it literally rained cats and dogs, since he could hear barking and mewing in the trees overhead. Other random environmental craziness occurred as the magical King and the human boy drew closer and closer to the final resting place of the Goblin Queen.

There were also problems with time itself…

Since time didn't actually exist here, the sun and moon were constantly rising and setting in an inconsistent manner. The stars shifted all over the place without any pattern or path. This meant that everybody was either traveling in the extreme brightness of day or the utter darkness of night.

Nature was also botched up!

The waterfalls were flowing upwards, and the leaves from the trees fell in the same direction. Toby even had a school of fish swim by his face on dry land. He pinched himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

Figures that anything associated with the Goblin Kingdom ends up behaving like a dream, Toby thought.

It had felt like he and Jareth had been walking for days before they reached the center of the Isle, but he couldn't tell anymore. Toby couldn't keep track of anything in this place and wondered if Jareth was able to. Jareth had said nothing the entire time since leaving the beginning of the forest.

Finally, the travel party came to two massive living Sphinxes that guarded the entrance of Sarah's elaborate tomb. Toby looked at the threatening creatures as they observed Jareth and he through their slitted eyelids. Neither of them moved while the Goblin King stood between them. Toby hung close to Jareth, in order to be sure that he wouldn't be sliced into two pieces by their massive eagle's claws on their front feet, or the snakes that they had for tails wouldn't swing around and envenom him.

Higgle ushered the two visitors beyond the Sphinxes and they began to walk on a paved land of rubies, citrine, garnet, sapphires, and amethysts. One of the six dwarves explained how they had designed everything here and how they decided that it would be the Goblin Queen's final resting place.

Toby marveled at the sight as he glanced forward. In the center of the main area was a clear-glass coffin that was fashioned in an intricate gold and bronze trim. Two trees made of silver hung over the coffin like weeping willows. Pink cherry blossoms, white magnolia petals, and rose-colored plum blossoms floated throughout the air while spreading their fragrance and adding an ethereal quality to the setting. White moon fairies illuminated the branches of the silver trees, making it look as if Christmas lights were wrapped around the branches.

Toby stopped.

As he glanced at the coffin, he found that he couldn't go any further. Something retched at his heart, when he thought about seeing a woman who looked exactly like his sister lying dead in a glass box. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry, I just can't go any closer… It's too strange."

Jareth placed his hand on Toby's shoulder to let him know that he understood. Even the Goblin King, who was never afraid of anything, found himself immediately apprehensive as he walked closer and closer.

The six dwarves stopped walking forward as well, and removed their caps atop of their head in respect to their fallen Queen. The knelt low to the ground and awaited Jareth's next move.

Jareth inhaled deeply as he arrived at the side of the coffin. It didn't have a lid, but was lined with white and blue satin. He leaned over and peered inside.

Sure enough!

She looked identical to Sarah Williams in nearly everyway, except her face was pure white from death, but her lips were still pink and beautiful. The Goblin Queen had a serene look upon her face and looked almost as if she were about to awaken with a smile. Her hands had been neatly folded across her chest and under them were a bouquet of blue hydrangeas, peach roses, and white baby's breath. She had a golden crown placed upon her head that was inlaid with a multitude of priceless and rare gemstones of varying colors and sizes. Sarah wore a white gown with intricate gold and silver embroidery. The waistline rose high on her torso and sat just above her ribs. The neckline of her outfit sunk low and she had delicate white and pale-blue, puffed sleeves that were slightly off-the-shoulder. She wore a choker that wrapped loosely about her neck and was made of sparkling, white diamonds, and opals. Her hair hung loosely about her shoulders and several strands were neatly draped over her breasts and intertwined between her perfect fingers..

Jareth placed his hand upon her as he leaned in low towards her face.

Toby thought that the Goblin King was about to kiss her, when he noticed something else had captured his attention.

Sure enough, Jareth's interests had been drawn to another detail that he had not physically noticed by simply looking at Sarah. His hand rested upon a large swell of her abdomen.

Pregnant!

It was just like Toby had speculated on the flying shoe of Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod. The teenager was absolutely correct in his assumptions. Jareth glanced behind him in shock and Toby's eyes just returned a puzzled look.

Higgle, who seemed to be the leader of his brothers, walked up to Jareth and said, "Yeah… and then there's that problem…"

Jareth turned to the dwarf and asked, "She was like this when she died?"

Higgle shook his head, "No, she wasn't! She died being all thin-like, but she mentioned something about keeping the joy alive inside of her when she was gone….or somethin' like that…Anyway, it was her final words, besides your name, of course. Then, her tummy got pretty big and she's been that way for a very long time now…"

"The unborn child within her grew? Then it must still live…" Jareth stated wide-eyed, as he thought of little Nod on the flying shoe.

Higgle shrugged, "Guess so. Not really sure though. I just know that with your power you can save 'em…well, at least one of 'em. I know that you just can't save both. So, which will it be, then. Yer' Queen or yer' child?"

Toby raised a finger, "Why can't he just save both of them?"

Higgle shrugged, but Hogshead jumped into the conversation and answered, "'Cause we need one of 'em to hold up the foundations of the Isle, otherwise we'll all be smashed within. Queen Sarah's spell was a tricky one, but this place stands as long as either the baby or its mother remain in their eternal sleep."

Toby asked, "So, Queen Sarah is alive then…?"

Huggle threw up his arms in exasperation, "Don't you know nuttin'!? 'Eternal sleep' is a nice way of saying 'dead as a doorpost'."

Toby was confused and again he asked, "So, then Queen Sarah and her baby are both dead?"

Hogshead finally remarked, "No! The baby lives, but the mother is dead, however if ya' take both of 'em from here, then it undoes the spell, and this world comes falling down atop of us. Now, d'ya understand?"

Toby nodded.

The size of the Isle Beyond Time was unfathomed and the edge of the skies could not be seen. It was literally a universe within itself, so the teenager could only image the terror of having it crash down on top of every living thing within.

For the first time since he had arrived at the center of the Isle, Toby realized that Jareth was faced a very difficult decision. Young Williams couldn't imagine having to be confronted with a similar choice and wondered what he would decide if Jessica were in Queen Sarah's place and in the same predicament.

Toby waited patiently without a word. He knew that it wasn't his verdict to vote who should live and who should die in the end. Jareth had a very pensive look upon his face and the teenager could tell that he was having a difficult time deciding.

She must exactly like my sister, Toby pondered, knowing that if the Goblin Queen had looked like any other woman, then Jareth probably wouldn't have cared either way.

Finally, after a very long hour, or perhaps two… who can tell within the Isle?… Jareth placed his hand upon the Goblin Queen. He leaned in close over the coffin, as he had done so earlier, and Toby straightened up to see what the Goblin King was doing.

Sarah! He's going to save Queen Sarah, thought Toby as he bit his lip and held his breath in anticipation.

However, after a few seconds, Toby heard the sputtering cries of a very upset baby. He smiled. Within moments Jareth had turned around holding the shivering, wailing, little newborn.

Toby approached closer to the Goblin King, in order to see the new arrival.

Sure enough, in Jareth's arms was a black-haired little newborn. At the moment, the rescued baby was beet red from screaming and a bit slimy from just being delivered from his mother, but there was no doubt that the tiny child was alive and healthy.

Toby laughed joyfully. He didn't know why, but he was excited over Jareth's final choice in the end. Apparently, so were the dwarves, fairies, and even the curious, white barn owl that had returned shortly after the birth, because they were all fluttering and dancing about. Most of the forest had come alive again, however Queen Sarah remained still and dead within her coffin, and looked unscathed, except for the missing swell that once rose from under her satin gown.

Toby touched the baby's tiniest fingers as Jareth cradled the child near to his face. The Goblin King finally spoke, "It's a boy…and I think I'll call him 'Jareth', because he's got my eyes."

Toby chuckled and said, "I think you need glasses, Jareth! This baby has Sarah's eyes, right down to the color…. But, hey, if you want to call him 'Jareth', then that's your choice as his father…"

Jareth returned Toby's smile, that is until the teenager added, "…just don't turn him into a goblin by accident."