**Still not mine, just writing for fun**
Chapter Fourteen
Returned at last
Sarah couldn't stop the panic that rose as she fell through nothing, nor her small scream of fear, as she tumbled through the open air and with a resounding splash landed in deep water.
Cold enveloped all her senses, instinct had her breath held and her limbs churning the water seeking the surface. A hand grasped hers, at her side Jareth swam, pulling her toward the surface. They both burst through within moments, taking a much needed breath she sputtered, coughing out the water she couldn't keep out of her lungs in the initial plunge.
Hands still clasped together Jareth pulled her closer to him, he looked exhausted but was awake, wiping away the water from his face. Sarah couldn't keep her smile away at the sight, despite all the odds against them, they had made it back into his Kingdom.
Treading water Sarah threw her hands around his neck in a congratulatory hug. "You d-d-d did it!" she cheered through chattering teeth.
"We did, Precious," he sighed leaning into her hug.
"Sarah Friend!" Ludo said with a toothy grin, huge arms coming around them, Sarah's large furry friend hugged both her and his King in a group hug.
Sarah patted his arm, "Oh Ludo, th-th-thank you." She said as a shiver shook her.
Hoggle popped out of the water next, coughing as well, "Why'd ya have to open it above the lake?" he sputtered angrily at her side shaking his head.
Not far from them, standing on a pebbled shoreline, another friendly face met her gaze, "It seemed the most prudent Sir. I could not stop thine fall so twas the best I could manage!"
"Sir D-D-Didymus!" Shivering Sarah sighed in relief as she scanned their faces, all her friends, her heart warmed by their presence and timely help.
"Hurry, out with all thee!" Didymus insisted.
Jareth nodded first, heading to the shore Sarah watched him, amazed at how fast he seemed to be recovering.
Another shiver shook her as she swam toward the beach scanning the shoreline, this was definitely outside the Labyrinth. No walls in sight and only open land and a few tree's could be seen.
Dripping wet they all stood together. Hoggle stood grumbling as he began shaking his arms vigorously in an effort to remove the excess water. Ludo simply resorted to a full body shake down, not unlike a dog, the sight made Sarah giggle.
Jareth tried to wring out his black t-shirt, though he didn't seem to mind the wet, or perhaps he was still too tired to care?
"You have my thanks Sir Knight!" Jareth said, nodding approvingly at Didymus, who puffed up his small chest at the words.
At his heels Hoggle huffed, "Didn't do it for you," he mumbled.
Jareth glared down at the small dwarf, "Oh?" he wondered.
Hoggle wilted under his stare and as Sarah waded out of the water she almost worried for her friend, but Hoggle folded his arms in defiance. "I did this for Sarah," he insisted, though he looked guiltily at his feet "And maybe the kingdom," he admitted.
Sarah sighed happily, they were safe, cold but safe. Rubbing at her arms Sarah watched as Jareth looked down at the dwarf but the vengeful anger she recalled from her past wasn't there, in fact he simply looked grateful.
"Was this the extent of your planning?" Jareth wondered. "There isn't much out here," he continued.
Hoggle's jaw opened and he snorted. "We only had a few hours' warning," he complained. "This seemed the best spot!" he folded his little arms in annoyance.
Didymus nodded enthusiastically, "Tis the truth my King,"
"Yes, but there is almost nothing out this far!" He complained.
Hoggle snorted "We had t' go where there weren't no one!"
Sarah began wringing out her shirt edges, though she couldn't stop shivering as Ludo grumbled, shaking himself again.
Ambrosia began barking and they all went still. "What is it?" Didymus asked his cowardly mount.
Hoggle backed closer to Sarah's legs "Do ya think they found us out?" he wondered nervously.
Sarah was too cold to wonder about anything but finding warmth. Wet jeans were very uncomfortable and soggy shoes were worse.
"We need to move!" Jareth said decisively, he seemed almost completely normal again. He stood tall, his shoulders no longer hunched, and the almost ghostly pale face that Sarah was so used too, slowly gaining color. "That portal will be trackable, we need to get away from this area."
They all began walking at a hurried pace, they were all talking but Sarah couldn't bring herself to care enough to pay attention. Shivering Sarah just followed while she continued wringing out her shirt.
So cold! She complained in her mind, trying to focus on following them.
It was oddly hard to think straight and more than once she realized that she had stopped walking and had to hurry to keep up.
Suddenly Ludo stood right in front of her, "Sarah Friend?" Ludo said, she patted his large furry arm and nodded but he didn't move.
"Sarah Friend!" He said again, this time louder and his words must have meant something to the others because they stopped and all eyes were suddenly on her.
"W-w-what?" she wondered, unable to stop the stuttering of her voice in the cold.
"Where?" Jareth insisted as he looked at Ludo.
To her surprise Ludo picked up her arm as if to show it to them.
Didymus gasped, Hoggle's mouth fell open and Jareth frowned. They all moved close to her, Sarah was suddenly worried, and so looked at her own arm.
On her hand there was a large black mark, not unlike ink, it blackened her skin. Shaking from the cold Sarah rubbed at it, but it persisted. "W-w-what i-is it-t?" she chattered.
"Art thou cold my lady?" Didymus wondered, face full of worry.
Sarah nodded, "Aren't, y-you a-a-all?"
Didymus shook his small head "Tis midsummer Lady." he said voice strained.
"Sarah," Jareth said, taking her arm, he looked closely at it. "What was it?" he asked.
Confused, Sarah only shook her head.
"Wraith," Hoggle whispered, fear laced his small eyes and Sarah felt panic rise inside her, all her friends looked somewhere between shocked and sick.
"Did it touch you?" Jareth demanded still holding her arm
Slowly Sarah nodded, her jaw shaking with the cold and her own fear.
"We need shelter now!" Jareth commanded. "I cannot do anything out in the open like this."
"Do? what can we even do, it was a wraith Jareth!" Hoggle demanded.
Sarah wobbled, suddenly unable to hold her own weight she might have fallen but Jareth held her up.
"Sarah?" Ludo groaned sadly.
"I will heal her!" Jareth ground out angrily.
"But, my King," Didymus began.
"Carry her!" Jareth demanded, cutting off whatever the small Knight meant to say. Eyes half shut Sarah felt him let her go and she all but fell into large fur covered arms that circled her and she was lifted from the ground. Sarah was finding it hard to think clearly and it was so cold! She ducked into Ludo's warm shoulder and tried to stop shivering.
"We are in the east?" Jareth asked.
"Yes your majesty!" Didymus confirmed.
They continued to talk but Sarah wasn't paying attention. She was so cold, something was wrong, but she was unable to care.
"Where are we gonna go?!" Demanded Hoggle, his voice rising above the others. "She knows all our homes, nowhere in the Labyrinth is safe!" he complained.
"I know one place, she may not know about it," Jareth said, his voice close by.
"We can't chance a "may not know" Jareth, this is Sarah!" Hoggle insisted.
"Silence!" Jareth hissed.
As a hand was pressed against her brow Sarah opened her eyes, looking into Jareth's concerned gaze, "Wh-What's wrong-g-g with m-m-me?" she whispered.
"Nothing I can't fix precious." he said, his face betrayed his worry and Sarah felt a deep cold fear grip her.
A shiver shook her and she closed her eyes against a sudden frigid cold that wrapped around her entire body.
She wanted to sleep. To drift away from the cold and find warmth.
Yes, sleep would be best...
"Stand together, it will make this easier." she heard Jareth say. "Unless you want to take the long way and walk Hogwit, stand closer!"
Ludo growled and then there was a now familiar sound of a sizzle pop and Sarah knew they moved even though her eyes remained closed.
~*o0o*~
Sarah existed somewhere between waking reality and the darkness of unconsciousness. Words and voices moved around her, though she had lost the ability to understand what was being said. Below her darkness pooled, a deep abyss that seemed to both pull on her, and call her at once. Somehow inviting, she was tempted to fall into nothing and rest forever...
"Sarah..."
Her name, how had she forgotten her name? In the place between, she couldn't tell where the voice came from. She tried to call out, to ask where they were and how to find them, but it was so dark and cold.
Maybe she could end this all if she just gave in, just fell into the nothingness...
A light began to shine, above the depths beneath her it sparkled like starlight.
Spreading light, moving before her eyes it danced, calling for her...
"Precious..."
Warmth, so much warmth and she was so cold.
"Jareth?" she wondered, looking again at the void below her, it still called, still beckoned her.
And yet, the King called, she didn't want to leave him, not yet...
Sarah reached, no longer wanting to know what the pool of nothing might hold, she reached for the warmth instead.
The darkness receded.
Light filled her senses.
Warmth surrounded her.
Sarah felt her body again, she was so tired, so weak. Her eyes wouldn't open but she felt arms around her holding her close.
Safe...
~*o0o*~
Sarah slowly returned to the waking world, blinking sandy eyes as she looked at the arched rocks above her. For several moments she watched light dance and move across the stones surface, making small sparkles shimmer on the large crystals that protruded from it.
Cave...? She thought, mind a little muddled. She remembered falling into water. Her friends...
Warm starlight calling...
Warm arms around her...
Sarah turned her head and looked at the merry blaze of a fire near her. Her eyes scanned for the faces she loved and found each in turn. Didymus leaned against a sleeping Ambrosia, snoring into his small hat that covered his face. Hoggle curled near him on a mat, a small blanket cast over him as he too slept soundly. Ludo was nearest to her, he leaned into the rock wall, large arms folded in his lap, his head flopped to the side as he slept.
They are all here, Sarah smiled, happy to have her friends back, No, wait, not all... Sarah couldn't see the Goblin King. Saddened for a moment that maybe he was already gone to continue his quest without her, Sarah pulled herself up onto her elbows. As the rest of the cave came into her field of vision, a set of mismatched eyes met hers.
Across from them, on the far side of the fire, sat the King. He reclined against the wall, one leg up his hand draped across it.
"Hi," she whispered, unsure what else to say. When he remained silent she sat up further, "What time is it?" she wondered.
Jareth closed his eyes, leaning his head back he sighed. "The deepest part of night, just before you could call it tomorrow." he said, a small grin on his face.
Sarah nodded, her memory had missing time, the last thing she remembered was a midday sun. "What happened?" she wondered.
"You were injured," he said, his eyes opened, meeting hers again, "The danger is past now." he added.
"I was so cold?" she wondered, thinking of the events following their fall into the lake. "Why?" she added, still unsure.
"The Queen sent a wraith." he stated his voice low with anger, "One touch is enough to kill a mortal in almost no time."
Sarah felt her heart clench, she remembered the thing touching her, but, "It only just brushed my hand?" she whispered, looking at where the black mark had been. Clear skin was all she found and she looked to Jareth for answers. "What happened?" she dared wonder.
"I was able to stop it," he admitted, taking a deep breath and shaking his head, "It was close, if we had still been in your world..." you would have died... The unspoken words hung in the air between them.
Sarah stood, taking the blanket with her she crossed over to him and sat at his side. He seemed so at ease now, yet Sarah couldn't resist the worry that ate at her. He must have used magic to help her, and after days watching him struggle she wanted to be sure he was all right, "Do you feel okay now?" she wondered.
A small smile curled his lips, "I will be myself again very soon." Jareth nodded, though he kept his eyes closed. As he reclined he looked quite calm and relaxed, and Sarah noted that his clothes had changed. The black t-shirt was gone, replaced by a loose white poet's shirt, his pants had been changed as well. Sarah watched him scanning his face, returned was the painted face she remembered, as well as the wild hair, (tinted with blue she noticed)
He looked just as she remembered. "That's good," Sarah nodded as well, a warmth filling her heart as she leaned against the stone beside him. "So," she began, now that he said he was okay she wanted to know how he helped her. "You can do, like, healing magic as well?" she wondered as she stifled a yawn.
The small smile spread into a wide grin and he looked down at her, "Are you surprised?"
"I'm impressed" she corrected, pleased to see his face go still with shock, "You keep surprising me," she admitted bumping shoulders with him. "Whatever you did must have been some kind of good magic." she realized suddenly grinning up at him.
"So sure?" Jareth leaned closer, a wicked grin on his face, "I might have done any number of things, while you were unconscious." For a moment he was the villain again, but unlike so many times before, Sarah wasn't afraid. He played a villain quite well but Sarah was no longer fooled, she knew him now, she trusted him.
Sarah leaned in too, amused when he was the one who moved away from their closeness. "You have no power over me, remember?" she whispered. "You said it yourself Jareth, you cannot hurt me," Sarah said honestly, "you wouldn't." she added for good measure.
Jareth swallowed, reaching out his hand, Sarah thought he meant to touch her face, her heart fluttered in anticipation even. "Such confidence Sarah, you flatter me." He waved his hand instead, bringing a crystal into existence he flipped it before her face.
Forced to back up Sarah grinned at the orb, "Hey your magic works again!"
Jareth nodded, "Yes, but unfortunately the Labyrinth is somewhat torn between two masters," Sarah frowned and Jareth sighed. "With the key, Corvina holds most of the power, yet the Labyrinth seems to acknowledge my claim as well," he admitted.
"Corvina?" Sarah repeated, at last able to put a name to his enemy.
Jareth nodded, though he didn't elaborate.
Sarah pulled her blanket closer still feeling weak and tired as she relaxed into the cave wall. "Have you figured out what court she belongs to?" Sarah wondered.
Jareth forced a smile, "None," he said.
"What?" Sarah was confused.
"According to what your little friends have said," Jareth paused and with a small flick of his wrist the crystal was gone. "She is only half Fae, she is from your world." he finished at last. "Most of her followers that came once I was gone, they came from your world."
Sarah could only blink, "What does that mean?"
"Hard to say for sure. When the Dark court held the Labyrinth they would often hunt humans for sport, or for pleasure. Activity between the two was frequent." Jareth glared looking away from Sarah he sighed. "Many half Fae were born, some were taken back to the underground, but an unfortunate amount were left behind, abandoned within your realm by those who sired them.
"She's human?" Sarah breathed, the idea was fascinating while also terrifying, so many old tales spoke of such things all the time but to know it was all real...?
"Half," Jareth stressed. "It does somewhat explain her ability to use chaotic magic, as you said, humans are neither completely good nor evil." He smiled at her again though he didn't look at all happy. "Over the years, no matter who held the Labyrinth, the courts would meddle with humans and animals, creating monsters and creatures to do their bidding. Like the half Fae children they had, the creatures were also abandoned. It would seem she has called them to her." Jareth paused looking at his hands he called a crystal again and looked at it, "Perhaps she offers them a home?" he wondered quietly.
"Makes sense," Sarah admitted, "Hard to rule a Kingdom alone?"
Jareth didn't answer that he simply flicked the Crystal away again. "The good news is, that as a half Fae, it is unlikely she can fight me when a true confrontation happens."
Sarah almost sighed in relief. "Well, that's something right?" She yawned, sleepy again she leaned back into the wall. She wanted Jareth to succeed and for her friends to have their home safe again.
Jareth shrugged, "Unlikely, it is not a guarantee." He looked so unhappy. "I do not know what training she might have had, though it must have been some or she couldn't have gotten this far."
"Everything will work out," She said, though it felt a little cliché, Sarah did believe it. She patted his arm as she yawned again, "Thank you, for healing me." she added, smiling up at him.
He nodded, "Get some sleep Sarah," Jareth told her.
Sarah sighed and lay down where she had been sitting and curled up next to Jareth. Feeling safer and more at ease Sarah found herself relaxing, I'm just used to sleeping next to him... Sarah told herself.
Beside her Jareth didn't move though he remained sitting close, a fluttering feeling of contentment filled her as she drifted back into sleep.
*End*
**Up Next, Jareth faces uncomfortable truths.**