The Labyrinth: Reversed Perspective
Savagekitty
Chap. 12
Up the castle steps and into the quiet castle they went. The army had been almost obliterated by Ludo's rocks. Many of the ramshackle houses were destroyed, several were smoking or on fire from overturned stoves. Goblins ran hither and dither scattering chickens, trying to get away from the rolling stones as Jareth, Ludo, and Didymus slipped by them to enter the castle.
They ran through the large doors and right into what Jareth was sure was the throne room. He looked around at the empty cavernous room. Chickens were scattered here and there along with beer steins, straw, and scraps of food. It stank like a barn and Ludo put a hand over his nose. Jareth looked around, confused. He was sure he was at the right place. This had to be it.
"Sir Jareth!" Didymus pointed to a large clock that seemed suspended in the air. The hands were almost at 13.
"Oh God…" Jareth said. He spotted a staircase hidden behind the throne. That had to be it, the way to Toby. He started towards it, Didymus and Ludo following him. He turned to them and held up a hand, "Wait."
"Jaaareeethhh?" Ludo asked.
"Sir Jareth, you do not wish us to come?"
"It isn't that I don't wish it, Didymus. I think… I have to do this one my own. I got Toby into this…"
"Didymus nodded, "I understand, Sir Jareth. The knight on his lone quest for forgiveness. But… if you need us… we are here for you. All you have to do is call."
"Jaaareeettthhh frrrriiiiiiiend."
Jareth smiled to them then started, "Here." He pulled the tangle of jewelry from his belt, "If you see Hoggle… tell him he's a good man and that I thank him for his help."
"I will, Sir Jareth. Good luck." Didymus took the tangle.
Jareth turned, pausing and closed his eyes. They had helped him with so much. He shook his head and sprinted up the stairs, taking two at a time, which was difficult. The stairs spiraled tightly around and around, making Jareth dizzy. He lurched forward and missed his step. His ankle twisted and he sprawled into the ground, skidding forward across a glassy floor. He blinked in surprise and stood slowly. His own reflection stared back at him. He took a few tentative steps forward, his ankle throbbing wondering what had happened. He looked around, the stone step turned to glass. He knelt and tapped a knuckle on the floor. Glass, very strong and thick glass. He stood and put a hand out.
He could tell by the shadows that he was walking down a long hallway, but with the way the glass was cut, it was hard to tell where the walls stopped and started. He walked slowly, keeping his hands in front of him and stopped at what looked like the end of the hall. It was a dead end. He turned and found his pathway was gone, he was in a small box of glass. A shadow passed on his left side and he turned, arms out. His heart hammered, was this yet another trap? A cheat? Another shadow passed to his left and Jareth fell forward. He clattered to the stony floor. He gasped, his knees hitting the floor. He winced as he stood, pushing the hair from his eyes and then gasped again.
The room was massive, if it was really a room. Millions of steps, archways, staircases… was a life sized version of the Eshier painted that filled the elevator at home. He couldn't wrap his brain around it, the way this place was built, it was impossible.
"You have turned my world, you precious thing." Sarah voice echoed around him.
Jareth turned, feeling dizzy, his eyes couldn't focus here. He heard the clacking of heels on stone and felt something brush his shoulder. He turned and stumbled into a wall. She was standing next to him, wearing a pair of tight dove gray pants and a red leather vest that looks like armor. She stared at him before turned and walking down a short landing that led to stairs that ended in the ceiling.
She turned, pointing at him, angry, "You starve and near exhausted me. Everything I've done… I have done for you!"
"Who asked you to!" he shot back, trying to regain some balance.
"I move the stars for NO ONE!"
He staggered forward as she fell backward off the landing. He gasped and looked over the edge. He watched ash she calmly walked down a flight of stairs, Toby in her arms.
"TOBY!"
Jareth started down a flight of stairs, only to lose his balance and tumble. He landed at the bottom, his lip bloody and bruised from the sharp stone corners of the steps. He staggered up and raced up another flight. Up and down and down and up, when he thought he had her, she was on the other side of the room, or upside down above him. He stopped, gritting his teeth. He was bent over, panting, blood from his lip dripping on the ground. She stood across a large gap on another platform, Toby sitting at her feet playing with one of the crystal orbs she loved to play with.
"You bloody teasing…" He said as he straighten, his back creaking. She was smiling. She had the nerve to smile as he stood bleeding, bruised, battered, sweating, cold from the salt water drying on his clothes…
He started to jog and then run, using what little room he had. Closing the distance and then passing it, he leapt out into the empty air between his landing and hers. He hung, suspended, for a fraction of a second before falling. He scrabbled desperately towards Toby but Toby melted away, like sand in the wind.
He fell, but not like a stone, more like through thick water. It was slow and deliberate. The steps and landings around him starting breaking apart. The whole world around him crumbled and he landed in the middle of the rubble. He landed softly, confused. The big clock that had teased him his whole journey sat in the air, both hands on 13.
"You've come so far only to fail."
He twisted as she walked from the shadowed archway. She wore a dark cloak made of glossy crow feathers. Her eyes glistened as she stopped a few lengths away from him.
"I did not fail. I ran your maze. You tripped me up over and over, you cheating wench. But I made it! I made it to your castle beyond the goblin city! Now give me Toby!" He took a step forward.
She didn't move, "You failed, Jareth."
He frowned, his anger boiling, "What is this? What this… POX! POX POX POX! Fucking Bloody POX!" He turned, gripping the sides of his head, "What!" he said, turning back to her, "We have a deal. I ran your labyrinth, I made it here before the clock struck 13! I found Toby, but you kept pulling him away." He was pointing at her, jabbing his finger as he yelled.
She calmly walked around him to the clock. She placed a hand on it and the clock melted away. A large mirror hung, reflecting everything, except her, she stood to the side, out of the mirror's eye. He stared at it, unable to understand. He didn't understand a lot about this place. He strode forward, "Another trick."
"No." She said quietly. "This wasn't about Toby. You failed him as soon as you wished him away. All your life has been leading up to this. You always thought you were better. I know you, Jareth. You take it like a man but deep down. So deep down you are just a sad little boy."
He narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of what she was saying, "I… this has nothing to do with our deal. Give me Toby."
She smiled sadly, "You have no power over me…"
Jareth gasped, feeling a stabbing pain shoot through his chest. His arms wrapped around it as he doubled over. She lifted his chin with one gloved finger and pointed to the mirror. He panted, lookup at the silvery glass. She moved away from him as he slowly straightened.
His reflection looked back at him, but it couldn't be him. His hair was longer, in a kind of chopped mullet, silver makeup made his eyes almond shaped, a white feathery cape covered his shoulders. He felt fear but his reflection was smug, snide almost. He raised a hand and the reflection did too, but with more grace and defiance in every movement.
"You… what are you showing me… Please… just give me Toby." He couldn't stop the fear leaking into his voice.
"It was never enough." She continued, "You did what you came here to do. It's finished."
The pain hit him again as he fell to his knees, crying out. He knew she was standing over him. He looked up, tears streaming down his face. She was looking down, her mouth curved in a frown, sadness filling her face like a cloud on a sunny day.
"The…" He gasped.
"The book? What book? You've read hundreds of books, thousands. Oh…" She walked around the back of the mirror and leaned on the other side. She looked him up and down, raking over every bruise, bloody spots on his shirt, the dirt on his pants, his tangle of hair, and back to his mis-matched eyes, "You think this is suppose to go as the book goes? What is this? A movie? Happy Endings? You take Toby out of here and all will be well? No… No, Jareth. It doesn't work that way."
She was on him before he could blink, gripping her collar and dragging him to the mirror. He flinched when he saw the clean and handsomely smug man in the mirror, but Sarah was different, she was small, meek, with defiantly beautiful eyes. Her hair was long and chestnut. The two reflected were total opposites, just like Jareth was to the man he stared back at.
"THIS!" She screamed as she shook his collar, "THIS IS HOW ITS SUPPOSE TO BE!"
"I don't understand!" Jareth struggled, "You crazy bitch. Let me go!"
She did, pushing him to the ground, looking at the girl in the mirror, "Everything is coked up here. Never how it's suppose to be. This place is falling apart at the seams and because of one simple…twist of fate…"
Jareth rolled onto his back, his arm throbbing, but his chest was on fire. He was sure a rib was broken. Her face appeared over his, "I will fix this. I had to keep you occupied while I worked my magic. It's finally finished. With every drop of blood you shred through the labyrinth, with every person you met, you left pieces of yourself and sewed the seeds."
She gently caressed his face, "You have no power over me." She said again and the pain shot through Jareth, making him scream.
"You have no POWER OVER ME!" She said, screaming the last words.
Her scream was over taken by his as he writhed on the floor. He convulsed on the ground, his body rigid as he jerked. Sarah planted a hand beside his head and threw a leg over him as he calmed, growing still. She hovered over him and pressed her body close, pressing her lips to his ear, "You have no power…over…me…" She whispered.
Jareth's eyes grew wide as everything end dark.
A/N: R&R!! Ok, So I said this was the last chapter, but it didn't turn out that way! Enjoy!