Spider and the Fly

A/N: I don't own Labyrinth or any of the characters appearing in the movie. I'm just a poor Goth girl with sugar-induced insomnia and who watches the movies waaaaaaaay too much to be considered healthy.


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"No!"

"There is no other way, Goblin King. Come, we do not have much time." She spoke calmly, as if she had no regrets. She seemed to have no emotions at all.

"I will not lose you again!"

"We all lose the ones we love, Goblin King. We all die alone, regardless of who is by our sides. We must walk the path alone, it is the way." Sarah looked out over the Labyrinth, her gaze focused on something in the distance. "Come. We must not tarry any longer. Time is fleeting."

Jareth followed Sarah to the wall where the Labyrinth had taken her. He stopped her once again.

"Sarah... this is the Heart of the Labyrinth. There is nothing beyond this point. We will be stepping into a maelstrom of magic."

"No, we will not." She shook her head. "The Labyrinth is dying, Jareth. We are dying as well; we just don't know it yet. Haven't you noticed? Our souls are all connected. The magic must be returned to the Heart."

"How?" He demanded, gripping her upper arms.

She gazed into his eyes, unafraid. "We are the Children, Jareth. Blessed by Sun and Moon. You are Strength and I am Magic made flesh."

"I still don't understand, Sarah."

She sighed, and pointed to the sky above them. "The Eclipse will come soon, the Moon hides the Sun from the Earth, but he still burns around her, giving us light, however darkened. It is a time of power and Wild Magic. It is a time of Life, and of Death. If we do not return the magic, we will all die, and both of our worlds will perish. Yours will die a physical death, and mine will die a spiritual death."

"How do you know all of this?" Jareth asked her, shaking her lightly.

"I saw it in a vision. We were chosen to do this. You were blessed because I was meant to come here. I was meant for you, at this time."

"Sarah... you're talking about Fate. Are you suggesting we were destined to die?"

"We're all destined to die, Jareth. Some of us are destined to die for a greater purpose than the rest." Sarah suddenly seemed tired and drawn. Jareth pulled her close and held her, supporting her.

"You're exhausted."

"My vision showed me a world of destruction, Jareth. The Labyrinth died as the last of the dreams disappeared. We will die well, having lost the part of our souls that is connected to the Labyrinth. The Aboveground would not survive losing the Underground."

"Did your vision show you how to save the Underground?" Jareth asked her.

"Yes."

"Then how do we do it, you frustrating little twit!" He said, shaking her gently by her shoulders but not meaning it.

She smiled sadly at him. "We wait here, my love. We wait until it's time."

"Well my dear, do you have a suggestion for something for us to do in that spare time?"

"Hold me?" she said plaintively. Jareth smiled as he picked her up and carried her to a bench that had appeared out of the wall across from them. Settling her in his lap, they waited.


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"Jareth, it's time."

Sarah stood in front of him, her appearance the same pristine white as yesterday, but her demeanor completely Sarah.

"Time? Time for what?"

"Look. The sun and moon are about to eclipse. We have to go." Sarah pulled at him until he stood up.

"Where are we going?"

"To the Heart."

"Sarah..."

"Yes?"

"I love you." Jareth said softly, before kissing her.

Sarah wrapped her arms around him – and pulled him backwards. Right before they fell through the wall to the Heart together, she whispered "I love you too."


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Jareth woke up, floating in the nether that was Between. He had been here before, many, many years ago, when the Tuatha had first crowned him as the Goblin King. Although he had been marked as a Sun Child, the Tuatha people, and specifically his parents, didn't trust his new abilities, and so sent him to the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth welcomed him, and gave him a part of its soul, taking a bit of his in return. Their bond gave him the ability to control the crystals, and the Labyrinth itself.

He had been Between Realms many times, but never before did he feel. It always took away your ability to move, to see, to hear. All that you could do was speak and listen to the Labyrinth as it spoke into your mind. But now, now he could feel, and move. And he saw Sarah looking back at him, smiling gently.

"It's time, Jareth."

"Do we have to do this, Sarah? I... not again. I can't lose you again."

"You won't lose me, Jareth." Sarah smiled, and kissed him. "No matter what happens to the dreamer, their dreams survive. And my happiest dreams were with you. We'll always be together, in some shape or form. But this isn't the time."

"No, it's not." He agreed, and helped her stand. "What must we do?"

"We must do what our Mother and Father do."

"Which is what?"

"Protect our children."


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The sky began to darken as the moon began to slide over the sun, blocking out its light. Elithyl stood watching the sky at the top of the remnants of a tower at the Seers' Keep. Morrithyl walked up the stairs behind him, Lamath trailing behind her.

"It is time." He told them without turning.

His wife walked to his side and took his hand. "We swore once, that we would watch over each other, Elithyl. And when Lamath was born, we swore to watch over her as well. In this final hour, do not break the oath that we have upheld for centuries."

Lamath came and stood before her parents, watching the sky. "We will not die, Mother. The Children will save us."

"I hope you are right, my child." Morrithyl sighed. "Even Seers are fallible."


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Sarah and Jareth stood, holding hands and facing each other.

"I am a source of dreams, Jareth. The Labyrinth uses my dreams to create magic, and you use that magic to protect the land."

"Yes, Sarah. I understand now. But do you understand what it will do to you?"

"Yes. I do. I must give you my dreams, all of my dreams, and you must use them."

Jareth stared at her eyes, wondering if he would ever see the stars in her eyes again. "If I do this, Sarah, you will be an empty shell. You won't dream, you won't imagine, ever again."

"We have no other choice, Jareth." She shook her head and stepped closer. "Do it."

"Sarah-"

"Do it now!"

Jareth's heart broke as he looked into the eyes of her beloved- and stole the stars away.


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Jareth swayed slightly, the potency of all of Sarah's dreams more powerful than the strongest wine. The sheer amount of magic she carried within her dreams... it reminded him of why he loved her. He forced himself steady, and closed his eyes.


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The sun was completely gone, hidden by the moon. A freezing cold wind began whipping through the Underground, howling and chilling the souls of those who heard its cry. The ground began to shake and a howling noise filled the air. The three Seers stood tall on the tower remnants, waiting and watching the destruction of the world.

Jareth opened his eyes and stared at Sarah. She stared back at him, dull and lifeless. Her skin appeared grey and haggard, her eyes empty and flat.

He knew what she was seeing. He had finally accepted what they needed to do, and stood before her, dressed in the full glory of the Sun. As with Sarah, he was changed. He stood taller, stronger. Where Sarah had been silver, however, he was golden. She had been cold beauty, he was vibrant.

"Now, my Queen." He said softly, his voice carrying.

She smiled briefly before closing her eyes. Her grip tightened once more as she began to reflect the magic he was releasing, strengthening and causing the magic to grow.

"The Sun gives strength and protects." Jareth spoke to her.

"And the Moon guides and heals." Sarah replied, and together they released all their magic into the Heart of The Labyrinth.


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Elithyl grabbed Morrithyl and Lamath and held them close as the tower shook around them. He gave one last look at the sky before forcing his wife and daughter down the stairs to the relative safety of the un-ruined hall below. Eclipse be damned, he had his family to protect. He pulled them both to him and crouched over them, shielding them from whatever hell would come.


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Sarah was shimmering with a soft white glow, while Jareth blazed with golden light. Their eyes met for one, and for one last time, Jareth pulled Sarah to him and captured her lips.

And the world fell down.


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Elithyl and Morrithyl stared at each other. The shaking, wind, and the howling screams had stopped. Lamath stood up and smiled at her parents. "I told you, the Children would save us." She said in her clear voice. "Come and see."

Morrithyl shook her head as if to clear it. Elithyl helped her stand on wobbly legs. "What do you see?" he whispered to her.

"You can't feel it?" she hissed back, sagging against him. "It's returned!"

Lamath, acting like a child for once, grabbed her parents by the hand. She dragged them outside to look out on the Labyrinth. Morrithyl gasped and Elithyl stood still. The Seers' Keep had been restored to its full glory, and they could all feel the magic thrumming through the very air. Outside the Keeps' outer wall, they could see the forest had grown wild, and was pulsing with magic.

"Lamath... what happened to the Children?" Morrithyl asked carefully, holding onto her husband's arm. She looked at her daughter and waited.

Lamath close her eyes and was silent. Finally, she spoke. "The Children... I cannot see. Where they are there is no light, nor heat. There is nothing."

"Are they safe?"

"I do not see them. They are gone."


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Gasp! I know it's awfully short, but the next chapter should make up for it. Swear, promise, cross my heart and hope to... well, I DON'T hope to die. Just because I'm morbid and obssessed with the macabre does not mean I want to die from the bottom of my heart impure (internet cookie for whoever gets that reference). See you soon, lovelies.