What you don’t know will kill you

Jareth and Areyne materialized at the gates of Stark’s manor.  It was a terrifying monument to the demonic power of the Fae.  The entire estate was cast of blood red marble and blackened steel.  It was cold to look upon and would have instilled fear into the pair had their hearts not been steeled against the magic Stark had woven into the building.  Spires rose into the air and the courtyard was filled with dead roses and other rotting plants.  The place reeked of death and dark majik.  Jareth and Areyne looked at one another and nodded, they had to go forward.  Areyne voice, barely barely a whisper, broke the stillness.

“This place is a monument to his insanity.  Jareth, you must be prepared for the worst, for what you will see when we enter.  I know the pain he is capable of inflicting, and he lives for torture, do not let your rage blind you.  He may have hurt her….or worse.”

Jareth stared straight ahead, his countenance unwavering. “He will pay for the injustices he has brought to us, my friend.  And if anything has happened to Sarah, he will pay with his life.”

The two strode towards the large black double doors which swung open upon their approach.  Neither flinched.  The two walked in unison, their boots clicking on the blackened marble floor, walking straight ahead towards what must be the throne room.  The manor was simple in design, the only creativity Stark possessed was in his sick tortures, there he was a genius.  A staircase loomed before them, and without hesitation the two climbed.  Once at the top, two more doors stood.  A dull gray scalled creature stood before them, blocking their entrance into the throne room.  It stared at nothing, just lolled its lizard-like head back and forth and stared at nothing through vacant eye sockets.  Its tail followed its heads movements and flipped back and forth.  Drool slipped from its partially opened mouth and pooled on the floor at its feet.

Jareth moved towards the doors, and the creature blocked its path, moving painstakingly slowly.  Growing frustrated, Jareth growled.  “Let us pass.”

The creature turned its eyeless face towards Jareth and rasped a reply slowly, “No man of woman born may asssssk admittanccccce, nor be granted sssssuch without.” 

“Without what?”  Jareth growled through gritted teeth.  “I do not have time for this!”  Jareth called a crystal to his hand and threw it at the lizard creature.  The crystal encompassed the creature, but another appeared instantly where the first had been. 

“No man of woman born may assssssssssk admittancccccce, nor be granted ssssssuch without.”

Jareth reached to strike the creature but Areyne stopped him by placing her hand upon his shoulder.  She moved to stand in front of Jareth and stare into the creatures pathetic, lifeless eyes.  “May we pass?”  The creature tilted its head and spoke, “Woman may passsssssss, man may passsssssss besssssside woman.” And the creature turned to smoke before their eyes.  The doors opened to a stairway leading down.  Jareth and Areyne looked into one another’s eyes and nodded.  There was no turning back.  Mentally, Jareth asked “Are you ready?”  She simply nodded and the two started down the stairs. 

At the bottom of the stairs, the pair stood, staring in absolute shock.  They were only twenty yards from the throne, but the sight before them left both defenseless.  It was not at all the sight either expected.  Sarah being tortured or lying at his feet bruised and bloodied, not sitting on his lap giggling like a wood nymph.  The site was more than Jareth could bear.  Jareth’s rage overtook him as he bolted forward. At the same time Jareth’s rage was overtaking his sensibilities, Areryne stared open mouthed, before her was the man she had thought dead by Stark’s hand.  Xaven was sitting beside Stark, head dropped in defeat.  She tried to tell herself that this was some kind of trick, some illusion, but when he raised his head and she looked into his eyes, she knew it was him.  Areyene raced forward matching Jareth stride for stride, but got no further than five yards before both were stopped by some unseen force.  It was as if the two of them had hit a wall.  Areyene recoiled and landed hard on the floor.  Jareth threw his head back and let out a primal scream of unabashed rage.  Nothing would stop him.  He took a few steps back and threw crystal after crystal, but the shield holding him back did not budge.  Jareth could only seethe as Stark stood up, Sarah beside him smiling innocently.

Stark strode forward, Sarah and Xaven behind him.  He was only inches from Jareth, but the barrier in place was too strong to be breached.  Knowing that neither Sarah nor Xaven had any power, Stark had placed all his energy into constructing this shield, and it was indeed powerful.  Starks eyes told Jareth that all of his magical energy had been expended in creating this and the arrogance of such a move made Jareth’s soul burn.   Areyene simply stared past Stark into the eyes of the man she loved, too shocked for words.  With a deep growl of rage she began to pound on the cell that kept her from Xaven.  Xaven moved to kneel in front of her, but Stark viciously punched him in the face, sending him recoiling to his place beside Sarah.  Areyne began to conjure and orbs of fire, much akin to Jareth’s of crystal, were launched time and again from her hand.  Again the shield did not move.

Laughing, Sarah and Stark only stared at the two.

“You can stop wasting your energy, pet.  You will need it for later.” Stark sneered.  “Ahhhhh Jareth, so good of you to join us.  I believe you know my bride, Sarah.  You know,” and he turned to face Areyne, “I believe you know my other pet, don’t you?  He’s the one you left me for, isn’t he little whore?  He’s the one you chose to run to when I finished playing with you.  But I will never finish playing with you, whore, never.  You are mine.”  He rose from his kneeling position and stepped back a few paces.  “The two of you are just in time for the show!” He said waving his arms dramatically.  It was then that Jareth felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach.  “Jareth, Jareth, Jareth.  You think you are so powerful.  The fact is, yes, as you were thinking, this little shield is an embodiment of all of my power, but even that may not have held against a combined onslaught from the two of you.  So there,” he gestured grandly with his arm to a pedestal that sat beside his throne, on it, a small blue orb sat, the size of an apple, radiating a white glow that eminated to the ceiling and seemed to feed the shield, “lies the orb of Prometheus.  It is the orb of protection, and it is extremely powerful.  It grants me protection from all kinds of nasties, like you and, once combined with my majik, it was more than enough to stop you.”  He smiled and stepped only inches from Jareth’s face, his tone changing from condescending humor to a deep, seething, loathing anger “All this could have been avoided, all of this really wasn’t necessary.  You could have simply turned the Labyrinth over to me and been done with it.  But now, you have a front row seat to the consummation of our love, the death of Aeryne’s little friend, and the subsequent disembowelment of your human.  Then, you can watch as I take Aeryne and make her my own as well.  Then, while I have you trapped inside of one of my orbs, you can watch as I rule your Labyrinth.  Sound like a plan?  Well, on with the show!”  With that, he turned his back and began to walk to his throne.

Sarah walked to the edge of the shield and looked into Jareth’s eyes.  Her sweet smile was gone, replaced by a cold and sad look.  Closing her eyes, Jareth felt her inside his mind.

“I love you.  I always have.  I hope you can still love me through what I must do.”

Jareth’s rage was immediately replaced by confustion.  He pounded the shield, unsure as to how his Sarah could be talking with him.

“Trust in me, please.  Not even darkness could take my love from you.”

And that was all she said.  Sarah turned around and walked away.  Jareth’s horror was complete when she slipped off her gown in one fluid movement, allowing it to fall to the floor and revealing her in all of her nudity.  Her back was to Jareth, and all he could see was the sick smile of Stark as he licked his lips.  Xaven had slipped to stand beside the pedestal. 

“You do know the story behind the orb, don’t you X-ie?”  Stark asked as Sarah approached.  Xaven, remembering Sarah’s words and trusting in her, slipped back and took his place beside the throne.  “Good boy, you do know.”  Xaven looked towards Sarah, and for an instant, thought he saw a smile appear upon her lips, but it was gone before he knew if she had heard him.  Sarah slowly climbed the stairs to his throne and seductively ran her hand along his thigh as she made her way around to the back of the throne.  She leaned in close and licked his neck, letting her tongue slide up to his ear, she whispered into his ear as her hands massaged his shoulders, her hot breath burning in his ears.

In a voice that was both sweet and seductive, Sarah began to speak, “Do you remember, Stark, when I told you I would kill the man who dared try to take me from my love?” As she finished her sentence, Sarah slinked around to front on the stone chair that Stark sat upon and stood fully in front of him.

Stark’s eyes were focused on her body.  He could not take his eyes from her perfect breasts or her curving skin.  He licked his lips in anticipation, glancing up to watch the horrified look upon Jareth’s face. “Yes, yes, yes, I remember.  And I think you are, my little pet.  Killing him.  Look at him, look at the man you are killing.”

“I am” Sarah said, and with a graceful sweep of her hand, she picked up the crystal from its pedestal and held it in front of her.

“What are you doing?” Stark’s bemused expression turned to one of suspicion and anger.  His eyes narrowed and his voice seethed with hostility, “Be a good little bitch and put that down!  You shouldn’t even be able to touch it!  What do you think you are doing!  You are NOTHING!”  Stark voice became a scream as Sarah backed down the steps, and turned her back to him, hurling the orb with all of her strength against the shield.  The instant the orb left her hand, Stark was on her, tackling her and throwing her, face first, to the ground. 

The world stopped for Jareth the moment he saw her dress fall to the floor.  He watched in slow motion as her naked body, a body only he should have ever seen, touched Stark.  He saw as she leaned in and heard, somehow, what she whispered into his ear.  Realization struck him as though he had just dived into a icy pool of water.  Somehow Sarah had tapped into her Fae side and was using her limited magic to project her thoughts.  Still, she would be no match for Stark.  The slow-motion world continued before his eyes, and he saw her sweep the orb into her hands and walk down the stairs.  He saw Stark’s rage begin to build, he saw Sarah hurl the blue-white ball of light.  And then he saw her fall, and with her fall, all sense of control left his body.  Then the shield burst into millions of tiny crystal shards, all reflecting light and emitting a haze, and Jareth blindly strode into Stark’s inner sanctum.

Areyne watched at Jareth’s feet, never taking her eyes from her lost love.  She watched as Sarah made her way around the throne and Xaven stood up, moving his lips as if casting some spell.  She was confused, as she saw the enchantment around his wrists, the same type of bracers that prinsoners wear to inhibit their magical abilities.  She watched as Sarah took the orb and threw it at the shield.  She watched as Stark leapt at her driving her to the ground.  She watched, just before the shield burst, as Xaven conjured a white orb and cast it at Stark’s back.  Then the shield shattered, and she heard Jareth’s deliberate footfalls walking blindly into the room.  Areyne cleared her throat and raced to his side.  With a few simple words, the smoke began to burn away, and Jareth saw his Sarah.

Sarah lay on the floor clutching her jaw.  It was bruised and bloodied from the fall, and her wrist was broken.  Jareth was beside her in an instant, his cloak around her shoulders.  Confustion, fear, anger, sadness, and concern all etched into his fine features.  Knowing she was safe with Areyne beside her, Jareth stood and turned, only anger was left in his eyes as he faced Stark.  Xaven stood in front of the bound Stark.

Jareth turned to look at the dark elf and then to Stark.  Stark lay on the floor bound in a sticky white substance that covered his body and mouth and inhibited his movements.  Jareth knelt, his eyes glaring dangerously into Stark’s.  Stark stared back, hatred seething.

“You’re right, you know.” Jareth whispered, “It didn’t have to be like this.  You could have just let me kill you the moment you stepped into my kingdom.  But then, that wouldn’t have been very fun for me, now would it have?”  Jareth stood to his full height and pulled a long dagger from his belt.

“Stop.” Her voice was quiet, but strong.  Her entire body showed of her ordeal, she was stronger for it, but there would be scars.  She was wrapped in Areyne’s cloak and she stood behind Jareth.  He was shaking with rage.  Sarah laid her hand upon Jareth’s shoulder.  He turned to face her, but couldn’t bring himself to look into her eyes.  She stepped in front of him and kneeled before Stark, staring him in the eyes.

“You survived for so long by stealing the happiness and love from others.  You harbor power as if it is the only means to an end for you.  Death would be a respite from your tortured existence.”  Sarah leaned in closer to him and stared him dead in the eyes, “and I am not that kind.”  She laid her hands upon his face and closed her eyes.  Just as she had done before with the bracers, she drained the dark majik from his body.  The darkness flowed from him and into her hands, changing from an inky black, to a pale green as it flowed into her, becoming a part of her essence.  When it was done, Stark lay on the floor helpless.  Sarah turned raised her hands, expelling the magic into the manor house.  Where there had been red and black darkness tainted marble, there was now white and silver.  Where there had been images of demons and portraits of Stark, there were now monuments to the Underground.  The garden bloomed and the entire manor became a temple to the light, to Sarah’s mother, Illianna.  When she finished expelling the magic, she collapsed into Jareth’s arms.  “His magic is gone now, his is still immortal but can never wield it again.  He is human.”  She closed her eyes and he picked her up.

Xaven walked over to stand in front of Jareth, offering to take Sarah from him for the moment.  Xaven bowed his head to the Goblin King, “I am Xaven of the Darken Fae.  I stood beside your Lady and protected her with what abilities I had under Stark’s control.  She never gave herself to him, he was never able to harm her short of what you witnessed.  I swear to you with my life.”

“I know he speaks the truth,” Areyne spoke now beside Xaven.  Jareth turned to her and she nodded.  Jareth then handed the sleeping Sarah to Xaven and kneeled down before Stark.

“I should kill you.  I should make you feel all of the pain you have inflicted upon all of those around you.  I should have you raped, tortured, disemboweld, lied to, gutted, murdered, and worse for the rest of eternity.  But that would never satiate my rage.  I would grow bitter if I let your deeds overcome me.  I would never be able to look at myself if I committed upon you the atrocities you have committed on countless fae.  Instead, I condemn you Stark.  Sarah, my mortal, the woman you sought to rape and murder, the woman you underestimated, has taken from you the only thing you ever desired, your power.  And so I condemn you, Stark.  I condemn you to live a life without magic.  Your body has been purged from the ability to ever use it.  I would send you above ground, but there you would be an equal to the people.  No, you will remain here on the grounds, warded and trapped in the temple of Illianna, the Fae your deeds had banished.  You will be the keeper of the grounds, forced to tend a place created by your dark magic.  You will neither be able to harm it nor be able to leave it, for it will be heavily warded by the magic that created it. Your magic.  So farewell, Stark.”  Jareth stood and walked toward Areyne, Xaven, and the sleeping Sarah.

He struggled his mouth free of the spider webbing, “Kill me, you coward!”  But Jareth kept walking.  “She tasted so good, Jareth.  That spot between her legs, dripping as I licked it…”  he didn’t finish the sentence.  Jareth was on him in an instant, his gloved fist connecting over and over again until Stark lay swollen and bleeding.  Jareth took his dagger and cut Stark down the left side of his face, leaving a biting scar from his forehead over his left eye down to his chin.

“I have nothing against killing you Stark, I just like watching your pain.” Jareth spat through gritted teeth. Kicking him once more in the side, and leaving him to wiggle his way out of the encasement, Jareth joined his companions and closed the main doors on Stark’s prison.