Goodbye is Not Forever: Chapter Sixteen

Labyrinth: Goodbye is Not Forever 

Chapter Sixteen: The Promise

Sarah clung desperately to her mother as years of sorrow and heartache overflowed from within and consumed her entirely. For so long the young woman had missed her deceased parent, for so many years she had wondered why she had been left behind, why she had been lost in the tidal wave of life. . . And now that Sarah was finally reunited with her loved one, all she could manage was relieved and bittersweet tears. Instead of enjoying the moment, she was floundering in the differing emotions. It was extremely maddening, but because of how much she was currently experiencing Sarah could do nothing to remedy this. It would seem she was missing the moment again.

The whole experience was like remembering a memory long forgotten; beautiful and seemingly real but still an obvious illusion. When Sarah woke up, Lillian would be gone once again. Nothing would have changed, and it was more than the young woman could bear.

"Please don't leave me," she whispered as she continued to cry into her mother's soft shoulder. "Please stay. . . I don't want to be alone anymore!"

"Hush, little bird," Lillian said lovingly. "You have never been alone, and you shall never be alone again. I promise."

Sarah cried harder at her mother's words, but as they sunk in she felt the small fingers of peace creeping up in her heart. Though nothing had truly changed . . . perhaps it would be alright. . . Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

"I love you so much," Sarah said, leaning in closer to smell the familiar rose scented perfume that had always been comforting to her as a child. "I never stopped."

"I know, Sarah. And I never stopped loving you."

The two fell into a comfortable silence after that, and though Sarah was still crying it wasn't so broken now. Slowly the sobs turned to silent tears, and the tears became hiccups, and then the hiccups became blissful sighs. And all the while, Lillian hummed a familiar tune; soothing her child with a lullaby she had sung to Sarah when she was little girl. It was haunting and calming at the same time, a brought back the happy warmth of childhood to the young woman's mind.

As the melody continued Sarah smiled, for she felt safe for the first time in years. Even if this was a dream, she was contented. Nothing could touch her now. Not as long as she had her mother and her good memories to fight back with.

Lillian kissed her daughter's forehead tenderly as the song came to a close, and both silently rejoiced that they had found one another again.

It was 3:23 in the morning and all was silent in the Underground realm of the Goblins. No one moved in the castle beyond the city's depths or the labyrinthine wall; save for one man. Though to be fair, even he was close to the sweet clutches of sleep.

Jareth, King of the Goblins, sat on one of the many balconies of his castle overlooking his kingdom, and with tired mismatched eyes looked out over the still world he ruled. Though he didn't see any of the beauty as he did so, for his mind was currently overrun by bothersome questions and unwelcome thoughts.

Lillian was with Sarah.

At the moment, this was the only coherent thought that he could form, and it was torturing him.

Sarah is with her . . . She's with Lillian.

Despite the anxious vigil the Goblin King had been keeping, he was not relived at the news. Oh no. Far from relieved; his emotions would be better explained as panicked despairif he was being truthful with himself. And for once Jareth was too tired to use any pretty illusions or sweet-tipped lies to distract himself. He was being forced to face the truth, and had been doing so for far longer than he would have liked.

If Lillian was with Sarah, it meant that the woman would tell her daughter everything, and his chance at happiness would be gone forever. If Sarah knew the truth . . . the past . . . she would react badly, and this time it would destroy him. . . Sure, he could have been a cruel bastard and blackmailed his beloved Labyrinth Champion again to make her stay. But for once, his inner villain wasn't forefront. And the more he thought about it, the more Jareth knew that he didn't have the heart to put Sarah through such a nasty ordeal again.

Though his petty threats wouldn't matter, as soon as Lillian explained everything to her child, and the choice would be completely out of his hands. With what Sarah would learn, she would despise him more than she ever had . . . and she would leave the Underground for the last time.

Please, he silently begged the night sky. Please don't tell her about the promise that I made to you, Lillian. Don't tell her about the connection we had. . . Don't ruin my last chance at love . . . Please. . .

Jareth closed his red rimmed eyes and felt his heart break all over again, when his pleas were carried away by the wind. Lillian Williams had died, with her love for the Goblin King meaning nothing in the end. And now Sarah's love would be beyond his reach too. . . The spirited girl would blame him for her mother's death, and he would have to claim responsibility.

So it ends, before it's even begun.

"I can't live within you," the Goblin King admitted to everyone and no one, crying into himself as he slumped against the balcony. "My lovely Sarah. . . Gone."

"Sarah."

Sarah looked up at her mother with a warm smile, her sorrow having ultimately dissipated by this point. "Yes?"

Lillian looked back down at her daughter with a matching smile in turn, but her eyes betrayed other emotions. "You must go back now, sweetheart."

This made Sarah's face brow crease and a sad expression form on her pretty face, even though deep down she had known her mother would say it eventually. "Is there no way I can stay here with you? I . . . I don't want to go back. Not yet."

"I know you want to be with me, little bird, but it is not your time."

"Mom, I can't stand the thought of losing you again . . ."

Lillian held Sarah at arm's length and looked into her daughter's beautiful green eyes, studying her intently as her fingers cupped her face. And in that moment of observation Lillian was more proud of Sarah than ever before. For what she saw housed underneath the surface of her child was something truly remarkable to behold. It had always been there- reserved and waiting to bloom- but now its delicate petals were slowly opening, and the true magnificence was unfolding for all to see.

"You must live your life to the fullest before you can join me in the Realm of the Rulers, Sarah," Lillian said, after a long moment of silence. "You will never be without me again. But you must continue on your journey. There are things you have yet to do, people you have yet to save, a family of your own you have yet to cherish. And I would not take that from you for the world, my darling."

Several crystalline tears slid slowly down Sarah's pale cheeks, but she didn't fuss. Both mother and daughter knew that they had to part, and they wouldn't waste any more time on regret. Sarah had to live her life. She couldn't remain trapped in the past, like she had been for so many years. She had to move on. . . She had to create her own ending.

"You'll always be with me?"

"Always, my little bird, but you must be strong."

Sarah nodded, "For you, I will be."

Mother and daughter hugged once more before Lillian stood back and gestured for Sarah to follow her.

"You must return to the Goblin City, but before you do, there is something you must see."

The two women walked through the white cave and Sarah took the time to admire the beautiful walls that were completely covered with sparkly dust and glittery precious gemstones. She wouldn't see this place again until she died, and the young woman wanted to remember it for the rest of her life, as a reminder of what good things would come. As a reminder for her to keep trying, this was the best motivator.

After several minutes Lillian stopped and beckoned for Sarah to continue walking. "This is as far as I can go, Sarah. You must follow this passage and look into the Past, one last time, so that you will know what you must do. Once you've seen what you need to see, you'll be transported back to the Goblin City . . . and from there you will be free to make your own choice for your future."

Sarah made good on her promise to be strong and instead of crying and begging her mother to come with her, she merely kissed her cheek and whispered her parting words.

"I love you, mother."

"I love you too, Sarah."

Sarah smiled as she turned away from her mother, not knowing what she would face or what would happen. With firm steps she moved forward- forcing herself not to look back as she made her way along the passage. Sarah Williams had made a promise and she would keep it.

The passage way seemed to go on forever- an unknown amount of time passing by at a snail's pace- but Sarah never stopped walking. She couldn't, not now when she had come so far. With each resounding thrum of her steps the girl took heart, as she remembered her journey through the Labyrinth. Trial after trial had met her, and one after the other she had conquered them, with the help of her friends or by her own personal means. It had been a test of character as well as physical challenges, and by the end of her 13 hours Sarah had been a different person. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago now that she had run through the maze, trying to find her way to Toby. . . . Oh, how very long ago it seemed . . . another girl, another life. And here she was again, walking to find what she was looking for, changing with each second that passed as more became clear to her.

Sarah continued on for how long she didn't know, and began to grow tired. Though just as she was about to stop for a small rest, she saw the end come into view. The tunnel that had gone on forever now had an ending, a cavern door that led outward, drowned in the most brilliant white light.

As she moved closer, Sarah shielded her eyes, though had no fear as she came to stand before the cavern entrance. If she was to grow and learn anything from this; if she wished to finally take control of her life, her misgivings would have to be left behind. She had to be strong no matter what happened to her. Live or die, win or lose, she would try her best to succeed. She had mastered the Labyrinth and beaten scarce odds once before, and she would do so again.

With a final deep breath for courage, Sarah closed her beautiful green eyes and walked straight into the blinding white light. Though there was no pain, she was immediately enveloped on all sides, and sucked into the cavern crevice.

When Sarah opened her eyes again, the white light had dimmed completely and she was no longer in a cave. Instead, she was in a void of black and grey. It was quite disconcerting to see, but Sarah shrugged it off and once more began walking. And as she grew accustomed to her surroundings, it was then that she felt recognition cloud the edges of her brain. . . She knew this place. . . She knew it well.

Sarah was in the Aboveground, in a city that was all too familiar. She was in her home town- or a strange, gray and black version of it anyway. Looking around, taking in the warehouses and crates, the young woman realized she was in the industrial part of the city. . . But then Sarah's green gaze settled on two people several feet away from her, and the world seemed to come to a standstill. Sarah's breath hitched in her throat and a low sob escaped her in a horrible, gut wrenching sound as all the details made themselves known to her senses. For the sight that met her was not what she had expected, nor in fact ever even dreamed possible.

The two people were talking quietly betwixt themselves, and Sarah drew closer so that she could hear them. . . For it was these two people she knew so well that made her now cry.

Jareth was kneeling on the ground beside someone- holding them with one arm- his head bowed in desperation and sorrow as his other hand hovered over the other figure's torso. He was obviously doing magic of some sort, for light was coming from his fingers tips as he moved them above the one he cradled to him.

Sarah felt a shaky gasp escape her lips, as she took in the scene; for it was Lillian Williams that Jareth was holding, and she was dying. The woman's body convulsed as blood flowed freely from her body in several spots. She was covered in her own blood; her clothes were ripped and her hair was matted. Lillian coughed violently as her lungs began to fill up with her own body fluid and sputtered helplessly.

Sarah heard ringing in her ears as she realized that she was seeing the past . . . her mother had left her forever when she was six years old. . . Lillian had been murdered one night on her way home from the Theater; she had been attacked and stabbed five times. . . The killer had never been found, and the case had closed when the killer never struck again. It had been clear-cut and cruel, and Sarah had never truly understood why.

The young woman would have stayed completely lost to her realizations and recollections if her mother's voice had resounded just then. Anxiously, Sarah once more returned her fevered attention to the scene before her, watching silently.

"J-Jareth," Lillian whispered holding his hand in her own as tightly as possible.

"Lillian, I will fix this," the Goblin King vowed frantically as he continued to try to use his magic to heal her. But it was quite clear that he had already failed. The knife wounds were too deep, and she had already lost too much blood. The damage was done.

"J-Jareth, listen to me."

The King lifted his eyes to the woman's and looked at her intently, "What is it?"

"Promise . . . promise me-"

"Promise you what, dear one?"

"Promise me that you'll watch over my daughter . . . . She will need someone to comfort her . . . when I am gone. Her father can't- can't do it on his own."

Jareth nodded once, tears rolling down his long cheekbones, "I swear on everything I hold dear; your daughter will want for nothing, dearest."

Lillian gave the King a gentle smile, "T-Thank you. . . . You must love her as I loved her. . . Protect my little girl, please."

"You know I will."

Lillian shuddered as her blood continued to flow out of her body in great gushes. She would be gone soon and Jareth, wanting to take her mind off the pain, asked her a question.

"What is her name, dear one? Your little girl?"

"Sarah," Lillian choked out, "S-Sarah."

"Sarah," Jareth repeated tenderly. "That's a lovely name."

Lillian held onto his hand as tightly as she could, though her strength had depleted into nearly nothing by this time.

"Jareth, you know I loved you when we met . . . but I'm not sorry I chose my husband. I'm not sorry I fell in love with him, and that we- . . . we married and had a family."

"You have never owed me an apology, Lillian," Jareth stated firmly, as more tears fell from his mismatched eyes. "What's done is done. He was able to make you happy, and that's all that matters."

Lillian smiled through the pain, at his admission. It seemed to be a relief to her that he held her no ill will. And then as one last breath escaped her lips, she whispered her farewell.

". . . G-Goodnight, Goblin King."

Jareth cried silently and returned softly, "Goodnight, Lillian. . ."

Then, the Goblin King watched sorrowfully as the light faded from Lillian's lovely eyes, and she left him.

From her place behind him, Sarah witnessed her mother's death and slowly she sank to her knees. She had always wondered what had happened, and now she knew. . . This one moment was when her life had fallen apart, and it was the one thing that had been eating at the young woman from the inside out. Her mother's death had haunted her; sabotaged her chance at a normal life. Made her a solitary teenager, snappish with the woman who her father married and had another child with, made her bitter and spoiled; the loss of her mother had caused it all.

And yet, as she gazed at the crying figure of the Goblin King before her, Sarah felt hope kindle in her breast and remembered the promise she had made to her mother before leaving the Gateway of the Rulers. She had to let the past go. . . She had to continue to live. Her beginning had been sad, but that didn't mean her ending and middle had to be.

"Thank you for showing me, mother," Sarah whispered as the black and grey world began to spin around her. "I know what I want to do, now. I'm ready to try to move on."

Then the faded memory turn upside down and everything went black for Sarah once more, though this time she relaxed as she was lost to the abyss.

 

She was back in the present day Underground, of that much Sarah was certain. As she slowly opened her eyes and sat up from the bed she had been lying upon. She was in the Royal Chambers of the Castle beyond the Goblin City, but her mind had little time to take this in, for it was still reeling from what she had just seen. Her mother's death replayed over and over again as did Jareth's promise to the dying woman and Sarah's focus was set.

Was that why the Goblin King had grown so attached to her? Because he had promised her mother that he would take care of her? Was it her mother's wish that they be together?

The young woman's head was pounding rather viciously but she ignored it, as she moved to stand quietly from the bed. Once her feet had found their footing, Sarah immediately looked around the giant room for Jareth. And she was so caught up in her search that she didn't notice her long-lost friends sleeping on the floor, or Mariya the old goblin woman stir on the bed, where she had just awoken.

"He's out on the balcony," Mariya whispered matter-of-factly after a moment of watching the girl.

Sarah turned her head to look at the old goblin and she smiled at her. "Thank you, Mariya."

Mariya nodded to her, before she asked, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, I think I did." And as Sarah said it, she knew it was true.

The young champion of the Labyrinth had finally centered herself, and she now knew what she wanted out of life. She knew what she wanted to do with the future that was stretching out before her welcoming arms. There was no more fear, or doubt. Only excitement and awe at what was to come. It was a nice change from all the stress and second-guessing, and Sarah felt almost giddy as she walked away from the main part of the chamber and moved towards the balcony that rested outside of the adjacent room. She walked briskly, despite the pain in her legs and the numbness in her feet. She couldn't waste any more time, wouldn't waste it.

Upon entering the balcony, Sarah spotted Jareth immediately, though it was dark outside and there was no moon. The Goblin King wore his regular tight grey pants and nothing else; his hair was a messy disarray of golden and blue strands and his shoulders were rather slumped as if he had suffered a great physical blow.

He was standing with his back to her, and she could see him stiffen up when she approached.

"Come to bother me some more, Hedgewart?"

Sarah grinned. "No, I just wanted to tell you that my life isn't fair, and that your Labyrinth is a piece of cake."

Jareth turned around as fast as he could, his red rimmed eyes wide and a relieved expression covering his gaunt face as he beheld her. "Sarah!"

Sarah came to stand before him unabashed as she drew close enough to see the light reflecting off the stunning mismatched orbs.

"You look horrible," she commented truthfully and the Goblin King actually laughed. It was a pleasant sound that made Sarah's grin grow even wider than before.

"I've haven't slept in three days, you know." Jareth said, a matching smile overcoming his lips.

Sarah shook her head, "Why on earth would you do something like that?"

Jareth's smile left as he looked down into her bright green eyes. " . . . Because I was worried I had lost you."

Sarah felt something inside her give way as the King admitted that he had lost sleep for her.

The young girl for once pushed all past impressions and logic aside, and did what she had wanted to do for quite some time. Closing the space between them she stood up on tiptoes and brought her lips to Jareth's in a passionate, yet tender kiss.