5A/N: Here is my new one-shot I hope you all like it as much as I liked writing it. It is a crier but It does have a happy ending, so no worries there!
The Right Words
Toby gazed at his sister with tears in his blue eyes. Now twenty, he was a handsome young man with wild blonde locks and eyes the color of the sky. He stood tall over his sleeping sister like a guardian angel watching over a young charge. His sister had just turned thirty-three today but it was a bitter day.
Sarah was dying.
It was inevitable he supposed. Death was inevitable... but how he wished...
He shook his head at his thoughts. Wishing would do no good. A tear fell from his angelic face as he struggled not to cry. Crying would do no good. How he had wished and prayed to anyone up there who would listen but no answer came. The doctors said that it would come any day now. He would give anything to see his sister's smile again. It had been ten years since she was first diagnosed with cancer.
So he watched as his sister wasted away. His sister would call out names of people he didn't know in her pain induced sleep. One name in particular. "Jareth." He muttered to himself. He had no clue as to who the man was but his sister frequently call for him. He turned his face away from the sorrowful sight his sister made. She lay there so frail when she used to be so strong. He cringed at her coughing. He had gone through her things today. Sorting out what he wanted to keep and what needed to go to salvation army.
Soon he would be alone.
Soon his sister would be gone from this world. He growled with fury at his parents lack of feelings. They refused to come and see her. In fact the two of them hadn't seen hide nor hair of their parents in eight damn years. They had just dropped him off at his sister's house one day after a rather heated argument and left him in her care. The guardianship papers were signed a month later.
"Bastards." He whispered with a growl deep in his throat. His eyes flashing with pure hatred at his parents abandonment of them when he was just twelve years old. His sister was the only one he could count on and soon she would be gone too but for a different reason. He hated it. Every moment he went through her things, he hated every minute of it. He sighed as he returned to face his sister's form.
"You need to go home Toby."
He whirled around started at the voice. It was Christy the nurse's aid. He shook his head at her.
"I won't leave her."
Christy sighed as she looked at the young man before her. It was such a pity that this was happening to them. Cancer was such a horrid disease and Sarah was truly a sweetheart. They had just found the cancer to late this time. For ten years Sarah had battled for her life, always hanging on. Just when they were given cause to hope, that the cancer was in remission, the cancer would always return worse than before. Toby was such a great guy too. He took wonderful care of his sister and he was so handsome and kind. Sometimes she wished...
Now was not the time to think such things. She shook her head to clear away the wayward thoughts. "You need to rest Toby. Your sister wouldn't want you to deprive yourself of sleep just for her."
"Like you would know!" He sneered furiously at the woman before him. 'How dare she even think that I would leave Sarah now.' He thought as he glared at her. Christy sighed again and turned to leave the room. Just as she reached the door she stopped and turned back to face the young man who was still glaring at her. "I may not have known your sister long but I do know she wouldn't want this. She would want you to take care of yourself."
"Just go! Get out!" He ordered shaking with barely suppressed fury. Deep down he knew that she was right but he just couldn't do it. He would not leave his sister alone. Not when death was so close to her. He put his hands on the bed and bowed his head as the tears finally broke free. He grabbed the first thing he could and threw it with all his might at the wall. It was a little red book that he knew all to well. When his sister's sight had failed, he would stay by her side and read her to her. It was her favorite book. He went over to the wall and gently picked it up.
'The Labyrinth' He thought as he flipped carelessly through the pages. he could recite word for word. "What no one knew." He murmured to himself.
Struck with a thought, he opened it to the very first page and read the author's name. His head snapped up in shock. He wondered why he didn't see it before.
Written by:
Jareth, King of the Goblin City
Toby dropped the book as his mind raced furiously. Was this a joke? Could it be true? The person that his beloved sister cried out for... Jareth... He slumped against the wall in shock. Things starting to fall into place in his mind.
"Be very careful what you wish for Toby."
"Toby words have power."
*Flashback*
Toby came up behind his sister and wrapped her in hug as she brushed her long dark hair. "What is it Toby?" She asked curiously as she set the brush down and turning she returned his hug.
"Sis, have you ever been in love?"
Toby watched as his sister's emerald eyes faded into memories that he couldn't hope to follow. She gave him a distracted whimsical smile before nodding absently. "I fell in love only once."
"What happened?"
"He was someone I could never have. A king of a man. He was generous but he could be cruel too."
Toby gazed down at his sister confused by her absent words. "Why could you never have him? Was he married or something?"
"No. Something else was more important at the time than my love for him." She said, her eyes coming back to the present.
"What could be more important than love." He asked shocked at such a thing. She just smiled and whispered as she stood to enfold him in her arms once again.
"You."
*End of flashback*
Toby's head shot up as he quickly picked up the book. "She didn't, she wouldn't..." He whispered as he stared at his sister while shaking his head in denial. His heart sank further as she called out for Jareth again. 'She did. It's real.' His heart leapt to his throat as he thought of the possibilities. 'Could it be possible? Is really there hope?'
He didn't know who Hoggle or the others were but if his sister believed so strongly that the goblin king was real...
He opened the book up and searched it with new eyes. He knew the words that were written... Would they work was the question.
There was only one way to find out.
Jareth groaned as yet another fae was thrust at him. His father had deemed it time for him marry and with his mother agreeing with his father, he had no choice. Today he was forced to choose a bride or one would be chosen for him. He glared at his smirking little brother. Damn Puck. If he were a betting fae and he was, Puck was behind this nonsense. The one he truly wanted was gone. He wondered if he was going to ever get over her. He shook his head.
Nope. She was the one. His perfect match.
It had been a bright march day when he had first saw her. Out in the park acting out her favorite scenes from Shakespeare. She had a wildness about her that made him want to know her more. She intrigued him like no other had and it wasn't long before he came to watch her every day. Ever so slowly he lost bits of his heart until she was all he could think about. The book he had written just for her did not lie when it said the goblin king had fallen in love with the young girl.
He sighed. If only she had chosen to stay. She would have been his queen. Yes she had been young at the time but what was age to fae? They were immortal and her life span would have been tied to his. She, herself, would have become fae. A changeling. She would have made a great queen. Her will was after all was as strong as his. He gave a slight frown at that. He couldn't watch her anymore. He couldn't bare to be reminded of what he had lost. She had beaten him at his own game. The first ever to do so.
If only she would call him. She never even called to her friends. He frowned fully at that. It wasn't like he actually gave her a reason to stay. In his desperate attempt to have her stay he forgot to tell her his love for her nor that she had already won the child back just by making the jump to him. He had just been so disappointed that she had wished the boy away to begin with, that he had acted cruely toward her. He made her run his labyrinth like all the others.
She wasn't like the others.
Jareth returned his thoughts to the present with another shake of his head. Life in the goblin kingdom had become grim with her rejection of him. He didn't sing anymore, in fact; he hadn't sang since that day. The day that she won the child, Toby, back. He just didn't have the heart for it. Part of him had still waited with hope.
Now he had no choice. His parents had taken that choice from him. He glared at the two in question. They just had to make this a spectacle. The entire court was here to witness him choose. They had all brought their daughters in hopes that one would spark his interest but none had so far. Mating was for life and the life of the fae were forever, unless they fazed into the resting realm.
He sighed again as a red-head was put in front of him. She smiled as he bowed to her, flashing a row of pretty white teeth. He shook his head and she pouted. Arabella had been after him for a long time, although he had repeatedly turned her down. She had no imagination and was just as money and status hungry as all the rest.
He suddenly looked up and toward his parents as the sound of bells ring echoed with in his ears. He had another call. His heart leapt with joy at having an excuse to post pone the inevitable. He watched as his parents sighed and gave a frosty nod of their own. Finding a bride would just have to wait for now. There was work to be done.
Toby's head whipped around to the window as thunder and lighting flashed and boomed suddenly. The storm raged on and Toby was surprised, the weather channel didn't call for thunder showers. Than without warning the window blew open and the lights went out. Toby threw the top half of his body over his sisters as an owl came rushing in.
"Where is the child boy?"
Toby whirled around to the voice behind him. There stood a tall man with wild blonde locks much like his own. He narrowed his eyes at the man's arrogant pose. His tears now dried as he looked on disbelieving. He couldn't believe that it worked.
"Come, come, boy. Where is the child you wished taken." Jareth drawled as he took stock of the young man before him. There was a familiarity about the boy that he just couldn't place. The fae narrowed his eyes at the boy. It didn't escape his notice that the boy resembled himself with his hair and height.
"You're him aren't you... You're Jareth the Goblin King!" Toby whispered in awe. He watched as the fae gave him a mocking bow.
"Please... Please you have to help her." Toby couldn't help but beg. His pride taking a back seat to his beloved sister's health. He turned toward the bed and waved the fae closer for a good look.
Jareth walked toward the bed silently and studied the figure carefully. It was a young woman. Her hair gone and she reeked of the sickness he first had smelled when he entered the room. "I don't take adults boy." He glanced at the man before him.
Toby felt tears fall from his eyes but he didn't care. The fae had to take his sister. He had to.
"Please!" He choked out anger and desperation growing. "You have to take us or does this book lie." He spat out holding up the book for the goblin king to see. Anger darkening within his sky eyes.
Jareth drew in a deep breath at the sight of the book. The book's gold letters shimmered in the lighting's light. Jareth grabbed the book away from the boy. He knew well what words the child was talking about. He turned back to the bed and stared hard at the woman lying there. Could it be? Was it her? His heart raced at the thought. Her will was as strong as his. It couldn't be. He watched as the woman took in a ragged breath and started to cough, blood coming up from the corner's of her mouth. He moved softly toward the bed and with a gentle hand he wiped the blood away.
"She calls for you, you know. Every night while she sleeps. She calls but you never answer. She told me once that she fell in love with a king of a man. One who was both generous and cruel but at the time I was more important than her own feelings. So what will you do Goblin King? Death could come for her any second. She has been waiting for you. Will you just let her die or do something about it?" Toby held his breath after he had spoke and waited for the king's response.
"She calls for me?" Jareth whispered in shock. Seeing the boy's nod, Jareth gently swept her into his arms and cradled her close to his body. His heart thumping violently in his chest. "Grab my sleeve Toby." He ordered quickly. Toby did as he was told and suddenly his head spun. He fell to the ground and cradled his head. The sick feeling in his stomach passing quickly. Looking up he saw the king standing next to him looking slightly amused.
Jareth started to walk forward toward double doors. He snapped his fingers and the doors flew open. The healers saw him immediately and ushered him and the boy inside. The healers in his parent's castle were the best of the best, if anyone could help his precious beloved, it was them. He stopped in front of a bed and at the healer's bidding he placed his beloved cargo upon it. The boy had followed him into the room and had stepped up to the bed. With an understanding nod to the healers, he grabbed the boy's arm and guided him out of the room.
"We are to stay out of the way Toby." He said as gently as he could. His heart still like a jack hammer within his chest.
"Can they heal her?"
Jareth looked at the boy by his side. "If anyone can than, these healers would be the ones." He looked toward the room and watched as the healers preformed spell after spell. He recognized most of them. One to help Sarah breathe easier, another to help with the pain. Hours flew by as they rushed in and out of the room. Jareth and Toby waited with bated breath for an answer. He finally turned to Toby and to a good long look at him. "Since you wished your sister and yourself away you both will be under my rule. There is no turning back. You will be residences of the goblin kingdom. Sarah, gods and goddesses willing, will be spared death and shall become fae and my queen. As for you, I once entertained the idea of making you my heir. If you wish it than that idea will still hold true. You would become fae as well."
Toby looked up at the king in shock. His heir. He nodded his head in consent.
"Then as my heir you will learn at my side. However it is not a easy position. You will have to take the children that are wished away, like I did with you."
Toby was suddenly struck with a thought. "How did a book written by you end up in my sister's possession?" He asked slowly
Jareth winced. "I wrote that book for your sister. It was to express my feelings toward her and make her aware of the Labyrinth and our world. I knew she was not happy with her life and I had hoped that she would wish herself away. Never did I expect her to wish away someone else." He sighed. "I fell in love with your sister when she was 13 years old. I would go to the park where she would play and watch her. At first it was out of curiosity, later it was out of love. I wrote the book for her when she was 14. Than when she was 15 she wished you away. I gave her the choice of her dreams or to run my Labyrinth. I had hope even than that she would offer herself in trade however instead she chose to run the labyrinth. Which she did and obviously won back the child." He grinned with pride at the woman within the room, before turning to Toby as he continued on.
"She made friends in the Labyrinth. Hoggle the dwarf, Sir Didymus one of my best knights..."
"Ludo!" Toby gasped recognizing the names from his sister's ramblings. Just as he was about to say more they were approached by one of the healers. It was a male with dark green hair and yellow eyes. Toby held his breath anxiously and waited for the man to speak.
"We have managed to reverse the cancer that the woman was affected with. It had spread to her organs my lord. You were wise to bring the young woman here instead of your castle. You have good healers but they would not have been able to save her. As it is, we all are running on low energy. It took most of our strength to save her but she will recover. If you had waited another few minutes it would have been too late." The healer said clearly exhausted. Jareth grinned and clapped the man on the back.
"You have my thanks Darwyn. The other healers as well." The healer nodded and turned to re-enter the room. Toby's eyes were wide with unshed tears. "She's going to make it!" He exclaimed in relief. Jareth chuckled at the young man before him. "You were wise to call me when you did Toby. It is thanks to you that your sister is still alive. It is something to be proud of. You..."
Toby never heard what else was said. After 6 days with little food, no sleep, and the relief that his sister would live, his eyes closed and the world went black.
Sarah's emerald eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath. To her surprise there was no pain. She looked around and was surprised at what she saw. she gingerly sat up. Yup, there was no pain. She let herself grin at that. She looked around taking in her surroundings. She was in a beautiful room with doors to the left and right of her. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace right in front of her. She looked down to see that she was wearing a beautiful dark green nightgown.
"Where am I?" She wondered curiously. Her head was still a bit foggy and she wondered if she had died. It certainly would account for the beautiful decor. Getting out of the bed she stepped lightly up to the window and looked out. She gasped at what she saw. "The Labyrinth!" She cried and back away slowly. Turning on her heel she rushed to the door on the left and opened it to find a very large bathroom with what looked like a hot spring to the side of it. She stopped and stared into the mirror in front of her.
Her refection was one of beauty. Her hair was a shimmering dark brown which fell to her waist. Her face no longer pale and withdrawn but had a healthy glow. She couldn't believe it. She was back in the labyrinth and she was well. Her head was no longer bald but had hair and she was no longer sick! She backed out of the bathroom and went to the door a crossed the room. Pulling on it revealed a large hall way. She followed it down to stair case and began to descend. She worked her way through the maze that was Jareth's home and finally came to two large doors. She heard someone shouting and as she pulled the doors open she found Jareth with two other fae.
"Sorry to interrupt..." She trailed off her heart taking wing as she gazed at the man who held it. She watched as he crossed the room and swept her into a hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again love!" He whispered to her fiercely and she could feel his hand stroking her hair. Tears sprang to her eyes as the love she felt swelled to the surface. She pushed back slightly to look into his eyes. She was stunned to see the love that was in them. "Jareth I..." He put a finger to her lips and grinned. "Toby explained everything to me. I know that the reason you hadn't called any of us was that you didn't want you friends to worry, myself included."
Sarah could feel the tears that she had held back spring forth to fall gracefully down her cheeks. Jareth wiped them away and smiled gently at her.
"I thought I would never see you again... That you would hate me for..." Jareth put his fingers back up to hush her. "Whats done is done precious. We both said and did things that we didn't mean to or want to do. What matters is that we are together now and there is no child to keep us apart." He murmured as he waved his hand and formed a crystal.
Just as he was about to speak again he was interrupted by some one clearing their throat. They both turned to face the two fae from earlier. He glared at them while Sarah blushed like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Jareth sighed. "Mother, father, you will be introduced in good time. However I would ask that you leave she and I in peace to discuss a few things."
Sarah watched as the two fae winked out of sight before turning back to her beloved. He took the crystal in his hand and held it out to her. Sarah smiled at the familiar scene. "What is it?" She asked with a smile.
Jareth grinned and began to weave around in his hands. "It's a crystal, nothing more, but if you turn it this way it will give you your dreams. Do you accept it?"
Sarah smiled again at the familiar words than nodded her head knowing exactly what her dreams were. Jareth returned her smile with one of his own and placed the crystal in her out stretched hand. The crystal popped and in her hand lay an amulet identical to his own. Toby enter the room just in time to see them kiss and he gave a grin of his own.
"So I guess I should get used to calling you brother huh."
Jareth turned to face him while holding his beloved close. Sarah smiled at her brother. "How did you know Toby?"
Toby smirked. "Your not the only one who can say the right words."
A/N: Well that's it for this story. I am sorry if there were any misspelled words. The spell check isn't working properly on the computer. I am saving up to get one of my own but it is slow going. I hope you enjoyed my story and as always please review.