Fooled Heart

A/N: Sorry guys, I've been busy lately! Here is another chapter! Please let me know what you think!





Fooled Heart



Chapter 13: Legend



Sarah stood still in the dark room, feeling Jareth leave her. She felt around in front of her until she hit a wall. The wall was damp and cold, obviously some sort of hard stone. She sunk against the wall to the ground, taking in the coolness of the rock against her back.



Sarah took a few moments to catch her breath from running. The smell of her enclosure reminded her of fireworks. 'A sulfur mine?' Sarah asked herself, 'He must have taken me here to hide my smell.'



Sarah tensed as she heard something rustling toward her. She held her breath and slowly brought her knees in toward her, careful to not make a sound.



"Sarah?" Jareth spoke softly, voice echoing through the enclosure.



"I'm here," Sarah said, relaxing.



"Sarah, what happened?" Toby's small voice echoed through the mine.



"Someone is after Sarah," Jareth explained, "It smelled her scent on you."



"Where are you, Sarah?" Toby said, shuffling around the tunnel with his hands spread in front of him.



Jareth conjured a crystal in his hand and suddenly the room was dimly lit. They were at an end of a tunnel, Sarah could see the supports holding up the earth above and tracks leading out below.



"Why didn't you do that before?" Sarah demanded.



"It takes a lot of power to transport people," Jareth snapped, "I had to recharge."



Toby sat against the wall next to his sister. There was a long silence before Sarah spoke.



"So, what is the plan now?"



"You will stay here and hide. When it is time for Toby's parents to come back, he will go home and you will come with me," Jareth stated.



"No!" Toby shouted, his voice echoing through the tunnel. "You can't go, Sarah!"



"You won't even know she is gone," Jareth said softly.



'Because you won't remember me,' Sarah thought, unable to look at her brother.



Toby settled against Sarah. She wrapped her arm around him, allowing him to lay his head against her, She pulled the small boy close and kissed the top of his head.



"I'll be able to see you soon?" Toby asked.



"Every night," Jareth responded before Sarah had even opened her mouth.



'What a liar,' she thought, staring daggers at the handsome Goblin King as he stood in the center of the tunnel. He made his way toward the wall and gracefully sat beside her.



"I will stay with you as much as I can," Jareth said softly, "But I am a king and I do have other duties to tend to."



"Why did you save me?" Sarah questioned. "If you have so much to do, why does the life one human matter to you?"



"I told you, Sarah. I can't bear to see you die," he whispered softly in her ear, sending chills down her spine. Toby relaxed against her. Jareth conjured another crystal, producing a lightweight grey blanket, which he draped over Toby and Sarah's lap. He smiled warmly at Sarah, who was in shock at Jareth's hospitality.



"This isn't real," Sarah shook her head, "I'm dreaming."



"You are not, Sarah. I know there is no way to prove it, but you are fully awake," Jareth said as he spread out leisurely on the ground beside her.



"I can't believe anything right now," Sarah said softy. The small boy beside her let out a sleepy grunt as he dozed against her.



"Sarah, I will do my best to keep you safe. If it is only a dream, it can't hurt you. Try to make the decisions you normally would; try to keep yourself safe. The most a dream can do is make you confused," Jareth said softly as he ran his fingers through his long blonde locks. "When you awaken, just try to separate reality from the dream world. That is the most you can do until I take you to the Underground."



"I can't just simply go with you," Sarah protested softly.



Jareth chuckled. "I know you won't give up without exploring all options. But Sarah, the only other option is to stay here and live with it. It doesn't seem that bad now, but he will eventually have such a hold on you that he will be controlling your body as you dream."



"Why is he doing this to me?" Sarah asked.



"He thinks it is the best way to win the crown," Jareth stated.



Sarah waited for an extended explanation. When only silence filled the mine, she spoke softly, "And what do I have to do with the crown?"



"You defeated the Labyrinth," Jareth said softly. Another long pause followed.



"And?"



"If I were to die without producing an heir, the Kingdom would go back to him," Jareth said, avoiding the original question.



"And what does that have to do with me?" Sarah questioned, getting tired of him avoiding the subject.



Jareth remained silent.



"Jareth, answer me," Sarah demanded.



"You're not going to like what I have to say," Jareth explained quietly, running his fingers through his hair again.



"Just spit it out already," Sarah demanded, careful to keep her voice down and not wake the sleeping boy beside her.



"According to legend," Jareth began, "The woman who defeats the Labyrinth and brings back the lost child becomes the Lady of the Labyrinth."



"I'm still not understanding why that ties me to Dimonis," Sarah spoke, not looking at Jareth. Truth be told, she did have an idea, but she wouldn't admit it.



"It is foretold that the Goblin King is to wed the Lady of the Labyrinth and produce two heirs," Jareth explained, careful not to look Sarah in the eye.



"I will not," Sarah spoke, anger rising in her voice. "I refuse to live my life by something that has been 'foretold'."



"I know," Jareth said softly, still not looking at the angered brunette.



"You know? Ha!" Sarah said sharply.



"I know you're angry, Sarah, but please stay calm. It is just legend. Yes, my people take our legends very seriously, but-" Jareth was cut off.



"I will have you know, I will never marry you, legend or not," Sarah hissed, careful not to raise her voice.



Jareth winced. Even though he knew she would be upset, he was hurt by her words. "Do you dislike me that much? Is the thought of being with me so repulsive that you will not even consider it?"



"I will not let someone else dictate my future," Sarah stated.



Jareth felt a small glint of hope. He placed a hand on her knee. "Sarah, ultimately the choice is yours," Jareth said softly.



Sarah allowed his hand to linger on her knee before speaking, "The answer will always be the same."



Jareth stood and turned his back to her. "Why will you not even consider it?"



"What happens if the Lady of the Labyrinth does not wed the Goblin King?" Sarah asked softly.



"The King will never produce an heir," he said softly, "Even if he takes another as his bride, they will never yield an heir."



"And what would happen to her?" Sarah asked.



"She will never restore the Labyrinth. She will live an average Aboveground life," Jareth said, "You will never be happy."



"I am happy with my life now. Well, before this dream thing started, I was happy," Sarah protested.



"Sarah, I know you will never be happy with being average," Jareth said softly as he turned to her. "Please, don't say no just yet."



"Jareth, I-"



"Sarah, please. You have time. I will keep you safe. I will-"



"Jareth. I can't talk about this now," Sarah said softly.



"I understand," Jareth said, nodding, "We have more important things. But now you know why he is doing this."



"To make me hate you," Sarah said.



"What do you mean? I was thinking he was going to keep you confused until you-" Jareth said, stopping suddenly.



"Until I what?"



"Until you want to end it," Jareth said, emphasizing the last two words. Sarah remained silent. She could sense the distress in his voice.



"Has it happened before?" Sarah asked finally.



"Yes," Jareth whispered.



"I'm sorry," Sarah said softly.



"Why do you think the dreams are made to make you hate me?" Jareth questioned.



"The dreams make you terrible," Sarah said, avoiding his gaze.



"How terrible?"



Sarah began explaining the contents of her forced dream, When she got to the ball, she stopped. Sarah just couldn't find the words to explain how horrified she was with the experience.



"You woke before the ball?" Jareth asked after a long pause.



"No," Sarah choked out, trying to cover her fear. "No. Dimonis escorted me to the ball. He introduced me to Lady Dina. Do you really have a sister?" Sarah asked, changing the subject.



"Yes. She is quite a lovely woman. She rules the Elven Kingdom with her husband, King Androy," Jareth explained. "Was there anything else that happened at the ball?"



"Yes," Sarah said, letting another pause pass between them. She shifted uncomfortably. "Dimonis took me out to the gardens and proposed. You came along and pulled me away."



"And the shock woke you up," Jareth said, nodding.



"No," Sarah began, "You attacked Dimonis and brought me to your bedchambers." Sarah buried her face in her hands. Jareth kneeled beside her and tilted her chin lightly to look her in the eyes.



"Tell me what happened, Sarah," he whispered.



Sarah explained every detail of the encounter. By the end of her story, her face was flushed bright red and the tears had begun forming in her eyes.



"I was scared," Sarah whispered, "It was so real."



"I know," Jareth said tenderly, "He gave me dreams like that, too."



"He did?" Sarah asked, eyes wide. The young boy beside her shifted and quickly fell back asleep. Sarah rubbed Toby's arm softly to give comfort.



"Dimonis planted similar images of him in my head," Jareth explained, "The pain of it seemed so real."



"You mean, in your dreams he-" Sarah stopped, not able to say the words. Jareth nodded. "I'm sorry, Jareth. I didn't realize."



"He is still in the beginning with you, Sarah," Jareth explained. "If things continue, worse things will happen. It will feel real. You will feel all the pain associated with it. And it may not be me that hurts you. It could be a complete stranger. It could be him. It might not even be...that. You could have a dream in which you are locked in a tiny uncomfortable box for days as someone views you from the outside."



"That is horrible," Sarah said.



"I don't want you hurting like that," Jareth said softly, placing a hand on her knee again.



"You can't change my mind that easily," Sarah said, placing her hand over his.



"Even if you have no intention of fulfilling the legend, I still want you to come back to the Underground. I need to make sure you are safe," Jareth said, squeezing her knee.



"I can't just leave my life here," Sarah protested.



"You can visit," Jareth said. Sarah gave him a questioning look. "Not in reality, only in dreams. But you can visit."



"I don't think that will be enough," she said.



"Think about it Sarah. I will make sure you are safe. I will make sure you have a roof over your head, even if you choose not to live in my castle. I will make sure you are living the best life you can within the Underground, even if it does not involve me," Jareth pleaded.



Sarah remained silent. She took her hand away from his and closed her eyes.



"Please, just consider it," Jareth said tenderly. He moved his hand from her knee.



"If we find him, can we stop him?" Sarah asked.



"Yes."



"After we stop him, may I return home?"



Jareth hesitated. He looked at her softly. Sarah's eyes were closed and her eyebrows drawn together in concentration. "If that is what you really want, Sarah. I will give you the option, but you will never be able to return if you choose to leave. That is not my decision, it is the law of the Underground."



"I understand," Sarah said quietly. "When Dad and Karen come back, I will go back to the Underground. We will figure out a way to stop Dimonis. I will give you my decision then."



"Thank you, Sarah." Jareth said, smiling at her. He cupped her face in his hands. Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a questioning look. "May I have a kiss, Sarah?"



Sarah bit her lip and pulled her face from his hands. "This isn't real," she stated plainly, "The real Jareth wouldn't ask." Her lips were met by his in a forceful kiss. As quickly as it happened, he stopped and pulled away. Sarah touched her lips with her fingertips. "Even if it is a dream, it can't hurt me," she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward her for another kiss.







AN: Well, that is nice. :D



I just wanted to let you all know that this will be a LONG story. The end is not coming anytime soon.