Title: Muse
Author: RebelRebelMonster
Summary: "I'm afraid, Sarah, dear, that you have no choice in the matter," replied Jareth, eyes twinkling. He lounged back in his armchair and casually pulled a crystal from thin air. It danced between his fingertips. "The Labyrinth—and I—have chosen you. You are, in every sense of the word, our muse."
Genre: Romance/Drama
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth—thanks, Jim Henson and Co., for this compelling story.
A/N: Well, friends, this is it. I'm sorry it took so long. Without further ado...epilogue part 2, and the end.

Epilogue Two
Underground
No one can blame you for walking away
Too much rejection
No love injection
Life can be easy
It's not always swell
Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl
'Cause it hurts like hell
But down in the Underground
You'll find someone true
Down in the Underground
A land serene
A crystal moon, ah, ah
It's only forever
Not long at all
Lost and lonely
That's Underground
Underground
("Underground", David Bowie, Labyrinth)

"Oh, if it isn't you."

"You," Toby rasped, "You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King."

As he looked up at the man standing over him, Toby had no doubt in his mind. The man towered over him; lithe and hard-lined, he was clothed entirely in black, including a heavy cloak that seemed to swirl around him. His face was all hard lines and impossible angles, giving him terrible beauty, with feral eyes—one dark, and one light. His lips were curled into an amused smirk.

"Bring her back," said Toby, his voice returning. Slowly, he staggered to his feet. To his own surprise, he was only a few inches shorter than the Goblin King, though he felt a lot smaller.

"What's said is said," said the King mysteriously, "The woman has wished herself away to me."

"She didn't know what she was saying!" Toby shouted, sudden anger causing his face to flush. His hands curled into fists and unconsciously, he took a step forward.

The Goblin King merely cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, she didn't?" he asked slyly, clearly amused. His casual indifference only made Toby angrier.

"I won't let you take her," he said furiously, "Not—not again."

The Goblin King's smirk turned into a wide, satisfied smile.

"You know very well where she is."

"Bring her back," said Toby icily.

The Goblin King laughed; a high, cold laugh that chilled Toby down to his bones. Still laughing, the King began to circle him.

"Lively little chap, aren't you?"

Toby scowled, but didn't say anything.

"I don't often let those who utter no words of meaning into my Labyrinth to reclaim those they've clearly lost," drawled the King, sounding utterly bored, "But in your case...well."

He stopped circling him then, halting directly in front of Toby so their eyes met—the look the King wore reminded Toby of an owl circling a mouse.

"I think I could make an exception."

Abruptly, the Goblin King grabbed hold of Toby's arm, but despite trying to jerk away, Toby couldn't—the King's grip was like an iron manacle around his forearm. In the space of a few seconds, the world turned upside down, causing his stomach to do flip flops and his previous dizziness to return full-force. Gritting his teeth, he shut his eyes until the spinning stopped.

It was over in mere moments. The King let go of him, and he blinked his eyes open. Breathing rapidly, he looked down onto a sight he had imagined nearly every day since childhood, but in seeing it now, realized his imagination could've never really done it justice: an endless, unsolvable maze that stretched for miles and miles. In its center near the horizon was a castle, which, from this far away, was dwarfed by the setting sun.

"She's there, in my castle," murmured the Goblin King to his left, pointing and startling Toby so much he swore he felt his heart jump in his ribcage. "Do you still want to look for her?"

"That's the castle beyond the Goblin City," Toby said quietly, his tone stony. He turned to look at the Goblin King again.

"Where is she?" he asked coolly, his eyes searching the King's for any hint.

"Foolish boy," chided the King, though his voice was still brimming with amusement, "I've just told you."

"Not Emily," said Toby curtly. The King's wicked grin widened further.

"Time is short," said the Goblin King, ignoring Toby's question. With a wave of his hand, a large, ornate clock with a face of thirteen appeared, floating in midair. "You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your friend becomes one of us...forever."

The Goblin King turned, seemingly to walk away, but then, to Toby's surprise, looked back over his shoulder at him wearing a roguish smirk.

"Oh, and Toby—remember, should you get lost, you can always…look to the stars."

"What?" Toby asked, puzzled, but the King only laughed again before vanishing into thin air.

Toby swore loudly, causing a harsh break in the stillness that surrounded him. Running another hand through his curly blonde hair, he tried to figure out a game plan. If he somehow managed to overlook the realization that the Labyrinth was real and that he now knew he wasn't a choice candidate for the madhouse (assuming, of course, that this all wasn't just a major delusion), then he had to figure out how the hell he was going to get through the Labyrinth and save Emily.

And…find Sarah.

She has to be here, he thought desperately, if the Labyrinth is real, Sarah is in it…somewhere.

He had to believe it. This place; his being here was the proof. All those years ago, he had seen her leave them, had felt her salty tears on his own chubby, childish cheeks, and had understood her reasoning. In the moment, it had all made sense. She needed to leave them to travel to the world of myths and magic to save the King, of course. She'd said goodbye, a real one, one with finality, but he'd still thought that she'd find a way to see him—a child's foolish wish, perhaps, but he'd believed that; he'd believed all of it. How couldn't he?

But, of course, as the years passed, he had grown up. He'd been forced to, in many ways—his parents, after all, denied that Sarah had ever come home at all, and had even made him see a shrink for a while to ensure that he didn't hold onto the fantasy. According to them, that day hadn't happened. They chose to believe in the logical, reasonable explanation—that their daughter had tragically gone missing in her youth, and was now…well, gone.

For a long time, he had hated them for it; internalizing his anger at them for their stubbornness and close-mindedness and only letting any of it out in other stories, other ways of escape. As he grew up, though, he he learned to let it go. Sometimes, he thought he saw glimpses of what they all knew the truth was on their faces, itching to be realized. In those moments—moments where the pain and the disbelief somehow seeped through his parents' hardened denial—he could understand why they chose to be ignorant.

He supposed that they did it, in part, for him; in an effort to find a way back to normal, if that existed at all. Either way, he had learned that for some people, the truth was just too hard. As Toby gazed down at the sweeping Labyrinth before him, trying to formulate some semblance of a plan, he supposed he couldn't really blame them. It was a daunting truth.

Sighing, Toby closed his eyes, trying to calm the swell of panic that still threatened to take over him. He had to remember that he at least had an advantage in this 13-hour game: he knew the story of this place,and of the only girl who had ever beaten it. Perhaps he could use that knowledge to get through it and rectify his own foolish mistake.

His resolve hardening, Toby picked his way down the mossy brown hill towards the entrance to the Labyrinth; two large, stone doors that glittered in the growing dusk.

Upon reaching the entrance, Toby suddenly felt small again. From atop the hill, the Labyrinth had seemed massive and (in some ways) impenetrable. Now, standing so close, he was even more intimidated. Carefully, he brushed a few fingertips across the rough-hewn stone before pushing against it. The doors didn't budge. Unsurprised, he put both hands on the dusty stone, preparing to push, when he heard a rustle off to his left.

"Who's there?" grumbled an oddly familiar voice that belonged to a creature Toby couldn't yet see.

Another voice joined the first, this one more high-pitched; clearly feminine.

"Did you hear someone, dearie?"

"I thought so," said the first voice slowly.

Panicking, Toby pushed against the double doors hard. To his relief, they swung open, and he bolted inside, immediately darting toward a path that took him right.

"Wait!" called the first voice from behind him, but Toby ignored it as he ran full-out on what seemed to be a straight passage. He ran until his lungs and legs were screaming, pure panic spurring him onward. When he finally felt safe enough to stop and look behind him, no one was there.

Breathing hard, Toby bent over, placing his hands on his knees.

"I…am out…of shape," he wheezed, his voice echoing slightly.

"You look alright to me, Mister!"

Toby nearly jumped out of his own skin. His heart still pounding (whether from running or the scare), he spun around in a circle, trying to locate the owner of the voice.

I'm losing it, he thought, there's no one-

"Oi! Down here!"

Toby looked down. Perched on a small outcropping of stone in the wall to his left sat a fat, fuzzy blue worm who was waving at him.

"'Ello!" called the worm. He wore a tiny red scarf around his neck and a congenial smile.

"Um, hello," Toby replied, still a bit stunned. Slowly, he sunk to his knees next to where the worm sat.

"You're…" he started, still trying to catch his breath, "A worm. A talking worm."

"That's right!" agreed the worm, nodding vigorously, "Whatcha runnin' for? There's no need to be scared of the gardener, you know."

"The…gardener?" asked Toby, glancing back the way he had come, "Was that the-?"

As a sudden realization hit him, he stood back up and swore again, kicking the opposite stone wall with his foot only to subsequently howl in pain.

"Whatcha do that for?" asked the worm curiously as Toby hopped on one foot.

"I'm so stupid!" growled Toby, "I panicked; I wasn't thinking…that must've been Hoggle—the dwarf back there! Right? And you, you're the worm!"

"That's right," corrected the worm, "And I 'spect that was Hoggle, seeing as he's the gardener. How'd you know us, then?"

"I'm…well, trying to get to the center of the Labyrinth, to the Goblin King's castle," said Toby, leaning against the opposite wall to massage his throbbing foot, "And I…well, I've heard of you before. Well, read about you, really. From another runner."

"Another runner, eh?" asked the worm, "Hmm, that is somethin'."

"Her name was Sarah," said Toby cautiously, unsure of how much to tell the little worm. Stupidly, he had run away from a known friend of Sarah's—at least, according to his childhood memory and his copy of the book. Truth be told, he wasn't sure how much stock he could put into either. What if things had changed, or it was a trick? For so long, he had unquestionably believed that if the Labyrinth was real, Sarah was alive and well there, ruling it alongside the King. Still, if that were true, wouldn't she have come to take Emily too?

The worm looked him up and down for a moment before speaking.

"Sarah, eh? Hmm. Sounds a wee familiar, I 'spose. Either way, you're going the wrong way. To get to the castle, you've got to go that way-" The worm pointed to Toby's left. "And you can't just keep ignoring openings, either, y'know."

"Openings?" Toby asked.

"Sure!" said the worm, "There's one right across there!" Again, the worm pointed toward a stretch of wall down a ways from Toby that, to the naked eye, seemed rather solid. Upon looking closer, Toby thought he could see the illusion. He jogged to where the worm pointed, and even though the wall there looked menacingly solid, he stretched his hands out in front of him and tried to walk through. Sure enough, he felt nothing but open air as he stepped forward into another passage.

"Wow, thanks!" Toby called back to the little worm as he peered down the new path.

"Come inside for a nice cup 'o' tea and meet the Missus," the worm called back. Toby turned back for a moment and smiled at the little worm.

"I'm sorry, I can't—I've got to get a move on. Thanks for your help!"

He waved goodbye, and as he turned back toward the new path, he thought he heard the little worm sigh and mutter something, but he didn't have time to spare, so he jogged onward.

What felt like hours later, after getting stalled by many wrong turns and dead ends, Toby finally noticed a change in the Labyrinth walls—instead of dark, glittering gray stone that towered over him, he had emerged into shorter maze walls made yellow-gold by the dim sunlight that could now permeate the shadowy passages. Feeling restless but slightly more confident despite his dwindling time, Toby slowed his jog to a stroll, allowing himself to catch his breath a little.

Absentmindedly, he stuffed his hands into his pockets as he peered around another corner. Abruptly, he pulled his right hand back out of his trouser pocket—something sharp had pierced his palm. Curious, he fished back inside his right pocket and pulled out a pencil he must've squirreled away there earlier that day. Reeling slightly from thoughts of just how much his day had changed in mere moments, he had an idea as he stared at the pencil.

Casting furtive looks around him to ensure that he was alone, Toby quickly bent down toward the ground and made a small, scratchy mark on the stone.

"Breadcrumbs," he murmured to himself. Smugly, he jolted back up and stuffed the pencil back in his pocket as he walked onward. He continued to mark his way as he pushed forward through the many twists and turns of the Labyrinth, always squatting secretly along the paths he took. He highly doubted that if the Goblin King or any of his more loyal subjects knew of his activity, they wouldn't be pleased. The notion that he could hardly have been the first person to try it had occurred to him, of course, but he had to at least try to help himself a little.

After perhaps another hour of slow going (particularly because of his new need to stop fairly often), Toby's ears pricked at the distant sound of voices on the other side of a wall up ahead.

"-of course, of course-" said one voice, though it was hard to tell from the distance—their speech was muffled. Toby paused to listen to them as he drew a little closer on the other side of the wall. One, he could barely hear moving at all, but the other had a slower, heavy gait that seemed to rumble over the stone.

"Yes, yes!" piped up what Toby thought must be the smaller of the two creatures, "It is my duty to Milady, as you well know-"

The other voice gave a throaty, almost growling chuckle that sounded like it would've been alarming up close. As the voices continued to fade, Toby realized they were moving further and further away from him in another direction within the Labyrinth. Idly, he wondered if he should approach them, but thought better of it, and continued on the way he had intended.

Still thinking on the voices he had heard—for some reason, they seemed to nag at him like bothersome flies—he turned a corner and emerged in a path that led into a small cave of sorts. Cautiously, he entered the cave, feeling that the path had to continue through it. After taking only a few short strides inside, he was startled again by a sudden shout.

"Turn back!" called a deep, thunderous voice. Toby jumped for what felt like the millionth time that day, and turned to look behind him. Nothing was there. He took a step forward.

"Beeeeewaaaaaaare!" called another voice menacingly. It took Toby a moment, but finally he stopped looking down the passage and at the stone walls themselves—the walls were made of stone faces.

"Huh," Toby said.

"Look out, human!" cried one of the long stone faces, this one on his right. Getting annoyed, Toby paused in front of him.

"Does that mean I'm getting closer to the castle?" he asked pointedly.

"Well, I-" started the stone face in a deep baritone. Funnily enough, he actually seemed flustered. Toby didn't wait for him to finish; instead waving his hand at the whole lot of them in annoyance and trudging onward.

"I'm getting closer!" he called out to no one in particular as he found the cave's exit, finding sunlight again. It took all of his composure not to call out a gibe to the Goblin King himself, but he wasn't that foolish—after all, he didn't know how much time he actually had left. Having no real way to measure his progress irked him to no end, but he knew he had to keep his cool if he was going to make it all the way to the castle and find Emily.

And see Sarah.

At that thought, Toby walked onward, pausing every now and then to mark his progress on the stone below him. As he walked, he thought he caught the occasional errant noise—a twitch, a scrape, a shuffle—but he shook them off, not wanting to make himself more paranoid than he likely already was. Once, he thought he heard a little giggle, which forced him to stop and stare behind him.

No one was there. Even so, he took a few steps back the way he had come, searching. Cautiously, he peered around another corner, but again, no one and nothing was there. Sighing nervously, Toby ran a hand through his hair and looked toward the ground. He couldn't afford to lose focus, he had to keep-

Looking at the ground, Toby froze as his eyes surveyed the textured but unblemished stone.

His mark was gone.

Panicking slightly, Toby knelt and touched the stone floor, running his hands over the unmarked stone frantically. He had been marking every five stones for a while now, yet this one was unmarked.

"Someone's been...!" Toby spluttered, so frustrated by now that he couldn't finish his own sentence, "This place is so, so-"

"Unfair?"

A chorus of cackles sounded behind him. Toby spun around at the clamor, only to see two matching ornate doors that hadn't been there before. While the doors themselves were tall and beautifully carved with the faces of goblins, it was those guarding the double doors that commanded attention—two tall, two-headed, gangly goblins giggling at him from behind armored shields, one head peeking out from the top and the other from the bottom. The guards on the right wore blue, while the guards on the left wore red. Shaking his head both to be sure he was seeing correctly and to dispel the disquiet building inside his chest—they had seen him already, anyhow—he strode toward them.

"I remember you!" Toby suddenly exclaimed, recognizing the foursome (of sorts) from Sarah's story. His mood taking a drastic turn, he grinned excitedly, stepping closer to them. They flinched in unison.

"Pardon me," huffed the bottom blue guard, "But we've never met!"

"Well, no," said Toby, "But my sister, Sarah, she, uh...told me about you. Sort of."

All four guards looked at each other with raised eyebrows, then back at him, their faces suddenly impassive.

"Cat got your tongue?" Toby asked shrewdly, stepping even closer to them. He had dared to mention Sarah, and it seemed to catch them off guard (no pun intended). The top red guard huffed at him.

"Reverence is as reverence does," he said vaguely, "Behind these doors is what you seek, though we're not sure it's right thing!"

At that, all four guards burst into laughter again.

"How do you know what I'm looking for?"

"Every runner is looking for the same thing," scoffed the bottom blue guard. "One of them leads to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth, and the other one leads to…"

"Buh-buh-buh-buuuuuum-" cried the top blue guard.

"...Certain death!" finished the bottom blue guard, looking up at his partner. "I wanted to make the noise this time!"

"Oh, shut it," scoffed the top blue guard.

The red guards on the left snickered at that until Toby cleared his throat to get all of their attention.

"Right, I remember this bit," Toby started smugly. "Only you two-" he pointed to the top guards, "Can tell me which door is which, and I can only ask one of you. Oh, and one of you always tells the truth, and one of you always lies. That pretty much sum it up?"

At his quick appraisal, the foursome stared back at him, slightly aghast, but not unfriendly.

"Pretty much," shrugged the bottom red guard, chuckling again. He looked to his comrades, who all started to laugh.

"You weren't lying, were you?" asked the bottom blue guard, "You do know a little thing or two about this place!"

"No, I wasn't," said Toby seriously.

"Still, lad, you shouldn't take too much for granted," said the bottom blue guard wisely.

Toby frowned at that, and chose to nod gracefully at the advice, but said nothing. He turned back to the top two guards, looking between red and blue, before finally settling on the guard on the right; the one adorned in blue.

"You," he started, "My name is Toby. What is my name?"

The guard looked at him for a moment before answering.

"Your name is Toby," he said simply, his face impassive.

"So, you're the one who tells the truth," surmised Toby, "Which door leads to the castle, and which door leads to certain death?"

"My door leads to the castle," said the blue guard easily, "And the other door...to death!" He cackled, the others following suit.

At that, Toby smiled brightly, almost bounding forward to door on the right.

"Thanks!" he said to all four of them as the blue guards moved aside. Cautiously, he turned the handle on the door and peered forward. He remembered this part of Sarah's story well—then, she had fallen down a shaft of moving statue hands, but when he opened the door, he didn't see a hole to fall down, or even a true continuation of the path. Instead, he opened the door onto a dimly lit forest path, its trees glittering in the growing dusk.

"Wow," he murmured.

"Go on, lad," said one of the guards softly behind him. Toby listened, stepping forward onto the forest ground, and heard the door behind him close with a thud.

As he started to weave his way through the forest, he felt as if a hush had settled over the world of the Labyrinth, and over him. This forest was quiet, but a comfortable, comforting quiet that settled into his bones. He felt serene and with a sense of purpose as he walked on, surveying the flora and fauna with curiosity and awe. The trees and plants here felt more alive somehow; it wasn't hard, here of all places, for him to remember where he was.

He was jarred from his dreamlike pace at the terrifying sound of low growls.

Toby froze, the hair standing on the back of his neck, and slowly, carefully, turned his head to the left, towards the noise. He couldn't help it; he gasped.

Sarah was there—unchanged; not a day older than he had last seen her; wearing a gown made of starlight that glittered at him in the gloom. Around her, guarding her, were seven wolves—the pack of one, Toby realized—with keen, horrifying yellow eyes, their hackles raised.

Look to the stars, echoed Jareth's voice in his head.

Sarah was looking at him, judging his expression, her own pure green eyes staring at him with a mix of uncertainty and disbelief.

"It's you," he breathed, his voice coming out in barely more than a whisper.

There was a long moment between them. Then, suddenly, she shook her head slightly, and the wolves surrounding her relaxed, falling back into a semicircle flanking her.

"Toby?" she asked quietly. Her voice was music. In the moment that her words fell on his ears, Toby realized he had been wrong—though she may not have aged; though she may have looked the same in the ways a human could comprehend, she was different. It was obvious, now that he been clued in—she was of this world, not his. You could hear it in her voice.

"Yes," he whispered, and he felt as if he was the 10-year-old kid who had cried saying goodbye to her all over again.

Her face broke into a heartbreaking, breathtaking smile.

"No," she said quietly herself, tears coming to her eyes, "It can't be you. I'm dreaming."

"It is," he said more fervently, his voice taking on a childish stubbornness he would have normally been ashamed of, "It's me, Sarah! I know I shouldn't have come here, I know, but Emily—this woman I know, actually you know—she said she was your college roommate; anyway, it's a long story, but she wished herself away, and I-"

"Hush," Sarah said calmly, commandingly. If she was surprised at his explanation, she didn't show it. He felt his words slip away from him, as if she had control over his lips.

She walked toward him then, seeming to float more than stride. Though she came closer, the pack of one remained still and silent where she had stood. When she reached him, she grasped his hands in hers and looked up at him, her face serious. He went to speak, but then didn't, his words stalling in his throat. He marveled slightly at how small she was, standing this close to him—he was so much taller than her now.

"We can talk soon," she quietly, "I promise. Until then, I have something I have to do first."

"Okay," Toby said, his voice quavering slightly, "What do you have to do?"

Sarah smiled gently.

"See your heart," she said simply. Toby frowned, confused.

"Trust me," she said. She put a delicate hand on his chest, right on top of his heart, and he thought he felt a trickle of warmth enter there at her touch.

"Were you looking for me, Toby?" Sarah asked softly. Though her tone was gentle, her eyes held steel in them; he couldn't seem to look away.

"Yes, of course," he whispered, placing his much larger hand over hers on his chest, "I missed you, Sarah."

Something in Sarah's eyes seemed to break open, but there was something else there, too. Frustration? Disappointment? He couldn't tell, not exactly, especially since so much of what was in her eyes seemed to be closer to pain.

"I know," she said so softly he had to strain to hear her, even though she was standing right in front of him. "I missed you too. But I'm not why you came to the Underground, Toby. You didn't come with the Goblin King only to find me, did you?"

"No…" Toby agreed slowly. "I came for Emily. I had to save her, Sarah, she had no idea what it would mean when she said those words. I didn't know what it would mean; well, I did, but I didn't completely believe it...until it happened."

At that, Sarah's face broke into a wide smile, and her whole demeanor changed—it wasn't just her smile; her whole face lit up and something of the old Sarah seemed to come back into her. She looked more real, more tangible, more human.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, still grinning. At that, she dropped her hands from his chest and wrapped her arms around him in a back-breaking hug. Toby returned the embrace, grinning himself despite still being more than a little confused.

"What?" he asked as they broke apart from each other, "Was it something I said?"

"Yes...and no," Sarah said. Toby opened his mouth to speak again, but she waved away his words with an impatient air.

"We'll have more time to talk when we get to the castle," she explained as she grabbed his hand and began pulling him back towards the pack of one.

"What-" he started, glancing at the stoic wolves warily. Sarah glanced back at him, frowning slightly, and then seemed to realize the reason for his discomposure.

"They won't hurt you," she said gently as they reached the seven. As they approached, the wolves spoke in perfect unison in a high, keening, feminine voice.

"Will you go, our Queen?"

"Yes," Sarah said, "For now." She sighed and let go of Toby's hand so she could pat each wolf on their head, rubbing the soft fur of their ears. Toby watched in silence, both amazed and somewhat alarmed, until she grabbed his hand again and pulled him onward, past the pack of one and deeper into the forest.

They didn't travel very far; stopping abruptly when they reached a break in the trees, which opened up into a clearing. In its center was a small pool of impossibly black water that seemed to gleam at them in the dim light.

"Come with me," Sarah said.

"What are we doing?" Toby asked as they reached the edge of the pool. At that, Sarah squeezed his hand in hers.

"Trust me," she said again.

He looked at her, wondering for a second if he hadn't just fallen asleep back in his classroom and was dreaming all of this. After a brief moment, he nodded his agreement.

Sarah nodded back and then began to walk into the depths of the pool, pulling him with her. He hesitated, but then followed. Amazingly, as soon as his feet touched the wet, the world changed again, similarly to when the Goblin King had taken him here: a maddening array of colors and wind whipped around his face; somehow, he was in a tunnel of anything and everything imaginable—until he stepped through to the something else, to another side ofsomewhere.

Despite his profession in literature, if asked to describe the sensation, Toby felt it would've been impossible—particularly since it only seemed to last mere moments once he actually had emerged on the other side.

They came to in a small but brightly lit stone corridor. Or, at least, that was how it looked to Toby as he tried to recover from the journey, which had his head spinning.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked, concerned. Toby took a moment, waiting for the dizziness to subside a little more, and then focused on her face. He nodded firmly, rubbing his right temple.

"It can be a bit...difficult, the first few times," Sarah said.

"How did we…?" Toby asked, his voice trailing off. Sarah nodded her head to something behind him and he turned sharply, causing the dizziness to come back for a moment as he viewed a full-length, sparkling mirror on the wall directly behind them.

"The mirror?" he asked, turning back around.

"The mirror," Sarah murmured. She grabbed his arm, looping it through hers.

"Come," she said, her lips curling into a tight, tense grin, "Time to meet a King."

Toby gulped, and continued to let her pull him onward. They passed through corridor after corridor and passage after passage, with numerous dizzying staircases in between. Finally, after descending one final staircase, they emerged into a hall much larger than the others. A swell of noise so loud that it seemed to shake the foundation of the castle was coming from the end of hallway. Toby gulped, but Sarah did nothing by lead him on.

They reached the end of the hallway and turned right into a large, open archway that lead straight into the Goblin King's throne room. Toby barely had a moment to register what he was seeing as he saw it; the explosion of sound was far too distracting.

Toby blinked rapidly, surveying the room of heavy gray stone, unsure where to look—it was jam-packed full of goblins. Real goblins; goblins jumping, dancing, laughing, jeering...if he wasn't mistaken, he even saw a few here and there hanging off of the walls, the rafters, and even out of a large, open window overlooking the city. It was a scene he vaguely remembered, like a dream just after being jolted awake, but instead of feeling frightened or uneasy as he might've expected, instead, he felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

"The Queen!" chorused hundreds—no, thousands—of voices great and small.

"My dear Sarah," purred a low, amused voice, "Have you brought me a gift?"

Toby's head snapped up. There, at the back of the large room sat the Goblin King, lounging with casual grace on a throne set above the rest of them. There was another throne next to his as well, though it was empty. Toby looked at Sarah, and was surprised to see that she looked quite angry—it was a strange sight; seeing his sister's sweet face full of so much indignation.

"No," she said, her voice calm and cold. Her eyes left the King's in favor of the crowd of goblins below him, who, in the space of a breath, had all gone silent.

"The runner is pure of heart, and intention," she called out, her voice ringing with command, "Go now, friends. You may return to your homes."

At her words, the goblins—every single one of them—moved toward them. At first, Toby was confused, afraid they were going to maul them until the first bunch moved past them, out of the hall and toward the double doors that led out of the castle itself. They were obeying her.

It took a long while for all of the goblin citizens to noisily leave the hall; each, in turn, seemed to stall slightly as they passed him, their burgundy and black eyes bright and curious. All the while, the King said nothing, only sat in his throne with an air so effortlessly relaxed that Toby couldn't help but be a bit unnerved.

Finally, the last of the little goblins had cleared out of the hall, and the three of them were alone—one human, one Fae, and one...well, something else entirely. Unique. New.

"You claim, Sarah, that this boy is pure of heart," said the King, finally, his voice echoing across the now empty room of stone, "I ask, my Queen, for proof."

At the King's speech, Sarah strode forward across the empty space so abruptly that she had no trouble pulling Toby with her. They made it together a few paces before he unlooped his arm from hers, taking a step back. She stood in the middle of throne room, her body set like a coil about to spring; rigid with tension.

"How dare you," she said quietly. Despite the low volume of her speech, her words pierced the air.

"He's my brother," she said slowly, precisely; as if she meant to charge them with some hidden meaning, "You knew this, Jareth, and you didn't tell me. You gave me no warning of who this runner was."

The King's eyes narrowed. Quickly, he glanced at Toby, who hadn't missed the name Sarah had let slip.

Jareth, he thought, the name of the Goblin King.

"Sarah," Jareth began, his features returning to the impassive mask he usually wore, "Brother or not, he made his choice. You know the laws I am bound by."

A storm seemed to pass through Sarah's body at Jareth's rebuttal. In the space of a few breaths, her shoulders went from even tighter to trembling to casual, though you couldn't say she suddenly seemed relaxed. Toby walked a few paces forward in order to stand next to her and see her face. Once there, she smiled at him; a sad but reassuring smile. Then, she turned back to the King.

"I ask again," continued Jareth, his voice surprisingly much more gentle. His eyes were different too—no longer impassive, they held concern and hesitation. That, and it seemed he was only seeing Sarah.

"You say this boy, Toby, is pure of heart. Show it to me, my love, and I will release her."

Slowly, Sarah nodded. Surprised, Toby opened his mouth to protest, but Sarah curtly shook her head at him. He fell silent. What she did next was nothing short of—well, to Toby—magical.

Without a word, Sarah pressed her own palm over her chest, and took a deep breath in, closing her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes and removed her hand, holding her open palm out for them to see. In it, she held a tiny wisp of something that caused Toby's jaw to literally drop.

The wisp in Sarah's hand was like a tiny golden lantern, but no; it wasn't solid, was it? It dodged and danced through the air too much to be truly corporeal; it was as if Sarah had managed to catch a sliver of sunbeam or a speck of star and hold it in the palm of her hand.

"I took a piece of it," Sarah murmured softly, "A tiny, shining, scrap of a piece of Toby's soul for proof of the truth of his heart. To be returned to you, of course," she added, nodding respectfully at Toby, whose mouth was still wide open in shock and awe.

"That's part of my...my…" Toby started to say, but he lost his question before he could really start it.

Sarah smiled beautifully at him.

"Yes," she said softly. She looked back up at Jareth.

"If seeing this isn't enough proof for you, you only have to hear it to know the truth of it," she finished seriously. At that, she tapped the wisp of light and luminescence gently with her forefinger, and it sang a note that was so indescribably lovely, that, years and years later, Toby could only ever recall it while dreaming.

As the note faded away, Toby managed to tear his eyes away from the wisp of soul in Sarah's hand to look up at Jareth. The King's face was no longer hesitant or concerned; instead, he was beaming, and for the first time ever, Toby felt that he might be able to really understand why humans in stories always fell victim to the charm of the Fae, despite their better intuition—they were just too beautiful.

Still smiling, Jareth stood and abandoned his throne, moving with startling speed and grace down to the two of them. He drew closer to Sarah, placing a gloved hand on either side of her waist, and bowed his head to hers as they both peered down at the flickering wisp together.

"Your gift is true magic, Sarah, my love," Jareth said softly. Sarah looked up at him, smiling, and he bent down to kiss her lightly, careful to avoid touching the still dancing wisp in her hand. When they broke apart, the look that passed between them was so intimate that Toby immediately felt uncomfortable looking at them, much more so than when they had kissed. He cleared his throat loudly.

Thankfully, he got their attention. Both Sarah and Jareth tore their eyes away from each other, looking at Toby instead. Jareth removed his hands from Sarah's waist and took a step back. He inclined his head to Toby, then to Sarah, but said nothing more.

"You've proven your heart, Toby," said Sarah, smiling again. She held the wisp of light in her hand out to him. "Here—it's yours."

"What do I…?"

"All you need to do is hold it, and it will come back to you," Sarah explained softly.

Cautiously, Toby reached toward Sarah, holding out his hand. At that, the flickering wisp seemed to jump towards him, as if being pulled by a magnet, and in the space of a second, it came to rest in his palm, feeling like a faint, warm heartbeat fluttering against his skin. Mesmerized, Toby inhaled a deep breath, and the light seemed to sink into his skin then, warming him all over.

Toby shook his head, unsure what had happened. The light in his palm was gone, and the warmth was fading.

"What happened?" he asked, looking up the Sarah, "Did it—has it gone back inside of me?"

"Yes," she said, her tone still gentle. Looking at her face—full of concern and somehow, trepidation—Toby felt a mix of feelings stir in his chest.

"You have to know," he started, his voice feeling heavy in his throat, "I didn't come here just to save Emily. I came looking for you, too."

Toby's eyes flickered to Jareth's, but the Goblin King's face remained an impassive mask.

"We know that, Toby," Sarah said, "But you've also shown us that you had every intention of saving her, too. I can't...I can't explain it in any words you might understand, but-"

"Why?" Toby asked hotly, anger rising swiftly inside of him, "Because I'm human, I couldn't understand? I could, you know. I'm not a child. Years have past for me, Sarah, many long years."

Toby laughed humorlessly, running another hand through his hair and looking at the floor, as if that might help stopper his frustration; his hurt.

"I know," whispered Sarah, her voice small. The sound of it made Toby both regretful, and somehow even angrier. He looked back up at her, glaring.

"Why didn't you ever try to talk to me, Sarah? I must've sat in front of that mirror for hours and hours while Mom and Dad thought I was in my room or off somewhere else, just waiting. I knew you'd try. You had promised me. I asked you if I could try talking to you in the mirror, and you said, of course. Why didn't you?"

By then, Sarah's face was wet with tears. Toby almost—almost—wanted to take the words back, but he couldn't. They had been inside of him too long now to go unsaid at his only chance. Even though his eyes were fixed on Sarah, demanding an explanation, he could feel the fury radiating off of the Goblin King, still standing silent as a statue near them, but he didn't care. This was between him, and Sarah.

"I tried, Toby," said Sarah, her voice still soft, but so rough it made the regret pulse through Toby like an angry bout of illness, "I promise you, I tried. The way between worlds is not so easy. It was enough for me to come back here because I had become a part of this place, and then, it needed me. To go back home another time…"

"Why can't you go back?" he asked pointedly. "Just tell me why. Please."

Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, looking at a loss for the right words. At that, Jareth took a small step in front of her, blocking her slightly from Toby.

"Enough," he said coldly, his tone bright and terrifying. His eyes were glacial. "Have you come here only to inflict pain, boy?"

"Jareth," said Sarah, all trace of sadness gone from her. Instead, she seemed...not angry, no, but forceful nonetheless. At her tone, Jareth glanced over his shoulder to look at her before stepping away again. Once he was no longer between them, Sarah moved toward Toby, grasping his hands in hers once more.

"Toby," she started, her voice calm as she looked up into his eyes, "I'm sorry. I wish I had been able to find a way. You don't-" her voice shook, but her eyes remained locked on his, "You don't know how much it hurts me, every day, knowing that your life goes on, and I'm here, without you. I won't lie to you. I belong here; was meant to be here, but that doesn't make leaving you, or Dad, or Karen any easier. But it's the way it is."

Toby let out a long, rattling sigh. The sincerity shining out of Sarah's eyes alone made his anger ebb away, much as part of him wanted to hold onto it.

"I love you, you know," he said softly, squeezing her hands fondly, "Even though you're here, far away, I still love you. And I always believed you."

Sarah bit her lip, her eyes sparkling with the threat of tears again.

"I love you too."

A moment passed between them before Sarah let go of his hands, looking down and wiping her eyes.

"Jareth," she said, "Where is she?"

"Of course," said the King, his tone regal. Casually, he conjured a crystal out of thin air. It danced between his fingertips. He smirked at Toby, and held out the crystal.

"She's in a dream," he said softly. "Stand back, and I will bring her here."

Toby obeyed the King's command. Sarah did also, again looping her arm through Toby's. He couldn't make out much as it happened—there was a bright, blinding light, and an earsplitting sound like breaking glass, and then, as the light faded, he could see Emily standing near the King, looking unharmed and terrified.

As soon as she saw Toby, she ran forward and nearly jumped into his arms, sobbing onto his shirt. Sarah untangled herself from him and went to stand with Jareth, letting the woman have a little space.

"It's...it's real," she gasped through sobs, "I never thought...I mean, I did but...how it could be...this place...him...I just…"

As her sobs subsided slightly and her breathing calmed, Emily looked up at Toby standing there somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she blubbered, letting go of him and putting a safe distance between the two of them, "I know I barely know you and I got you into this mess, I just-"

"I came to find you," Toby said gently, interrupting her. He reached out for her hand. She took it, tears still running down her face, but she quieted some.

"I knew you would," she whispered, smiling slightly, "I knew you would know what to do. Sophie has always said you were the best teacher she's ever had, and my daughter is never wrong. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, smiling.

She let go his hand, and then slowly turned to face the royal couple behind her.

"Sarah?" she asked breathlessly, seeming surprised to see Sarah standing there, who, despite having been the same age as her in school, looked no older than the last time she had seen her nearly 15 years ago.

"Is that really…?"

Sarah smiled at her, and inclined her head. Thunderstruck, Emily glanced back at Toby, and then back to the King and Queen.

"Well," she said slowly, placing a hand over her heart, "Isn't that something."

At that, Jareth took a step forward, causing Emily to take a frightened step back. He raised an eyebrow, and spoke to both of them.

"Be mindful of your words," he said, his eyes bright and mischievous, "Particularly when reading stories—you never know who might be listening."

He looked back at a large, ornate clock with a face of thirteen that Toby hadn't noticed was there, and then at Sarah.

"Time is short. You must say your goodbyes, my love."

Sarah rushed forward, catching Toby in a tight hug. He hugged her back just as tightly.

"Goodbye," she said, her voice cracking.

"I don't care what he says," Toby whispered, "I'll tell the story, Sarah...a story about the Queen who wore the stars, who leads the good-hearted to victory. Your story. I promise."

He heard her chuckle slightly against his chest. After a moment, they broke away from each other, and Sarah smiled at Emily next to him before stepping back from the pair, holding an unsteady hand to cover her mouth.

Jareth stepped forward, holding another crystal in his palm.

"Take hold of each other's hands," he instructed. Toby and Emily obeyed him, glancing at each other.

He held out the crystal to Toby.

"A crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way..."

He grinned wickedly.

Toby reached out to take it, but then paused. His eyes found Sarah's.

"Sarah," he said, quietly, "Are you...are you happy?"

The smile that Sarah gave to then him was so beautiful, it matched Jareth's easily; in fact, it outstripped his by leaps and bounds.

"Oh yes," Sarah replied, her eyes wet, "Oh yes."

And at that, Toby smiled, and took hold of the offered crystal. Hand in hand with Emily, he was whisked away, back to the world of the waking.

The End

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...

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A/N: Well, that's it. I'm sad that's it over, really. For me, this has been a years-long idea, and to see it come to an end is both extremely gratifying, as well as sad. But, I'm just happy that there are people out there who also enjoyed it as much as me. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, following, favoriting, and leaving me such fantastic feedback in the form of reviews and messages. As writers yourselves, I'm sure you know how much this means, so again, thank you.

The one thing I'll say about this ending is that it was hard to write. To be honest, part of me wanted to leave it at part 1, but I had to continue. I had to let you guys know what Sarah had become, because to me, it's too important to who she is and her journey as a woman.

If anyone has questions about the ending, I will gladly answer them. Until then - my individual responses to you all:

whovianfangirl: Thanks so much for your review and your continued support over the chapters! Yes, Toby as a (I think probably pretty cute) English teacher. ;) I think it suits him.

maraudergurl2010: Thank you! Seriously, thank you so much. The epilogues are near and dear to my heart. In some ways, I think they tell more than the story itself. So, thank you—I'm glad you liked it, and that you also think it's its own little thing, too. :)

veronicaselene: Thank you, thank you! You've stuck the story for a long time, and you've always had such kind words for it. I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for your ongoing support and feedback.

SailorJollyRegina: And here it is! I hope you like part 2 as much as you like part 1, and that it helps resolve some of those unanswered questions. And yes, Robbie the class clown is a troublesome fellow, but he gets to the heart of things. Poor Toby, indeed. Emily/Mrs. Bennett, I think, is just more sensitive to magic than most. Anyway, thanks again for all of your continued support, and I'll look out for you on Tumblr too! You make me want to watch the Walking Dead just for Beth and Daryl (although now that I know what happens… :( ).

comical freaka: Thank you! I'll always take a fist pump. ;) Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

tmwillson3: I hope the romantic in you is satisfied! Still some things left unexplained, I grant you that, but I think resolution is finally here. :) The names for the students were inspired partly by names I thought sounded good and people I know...for instance, Katie is my sister's name, and Sophie is the name of my best friend. Robbie Colt, is, of course, the child Sarah taught in her class from chapter 1, many years later. Coincidences! Haha. Some of the others, though, were just names I thought sounded right. Anyway, thanks so much for always chatting with me, encouraging me, and following this story until the very end. You've been amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

BeaEllolabyrinth: Thank you! No sequel planned at the moment, but who knows? Thanks for reading and reviewing!

SunBlazer15: Wow, thank you! I've got to say, your review really helped spur this chapter along, because I was pretty stuck about halfway through when I got it, so again, thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. It really meant a lot, and I'm really pleased you like it so much, as well as think I handled Jareth. :)

belle: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you like epilogue part 2.

Whyndancer: I think I did the math, and it should be about 14-15 years after the end of the story. And I'm glad you like it! Toby is going to continue to tell the story...though I think next time, he'll be a lot more careful about the words that come out of people's mouths! ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing, as well as recommending this on Tumblr (seriously, seriously made my day)!

Panda: Haha I won't lie to you, I definitely thought about it, but I couldn't do that! Too much more story to tell, I think, and I wouldn't do that to you guys. Hmm...I may have to consider a one-shot sequel. No promises, but I will definitely consider a steamy one-shot sequel. ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Guest: Thanks! Hope you like the end. :)

PhantomPenguin: Agreed, better late than never! Your review was incredibly kind, thank you! I'm so glad you liked it and that you think it was well-written. I really appreciate that. Thanks again, so much! I hope you like the ending. :)

InkHeart17: Thank you! You know, the music aspect of this story turned out better than I could have hoped, so thank you, I'm really glad you liked it!

Gigi18: Today! Haha, thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope you like the end!

RORA: Haha I can't say how much your review both made me laugh and made me incredibly happy! Also, full disclosure, you pushed me to finish this today. So THANK YOU. Thank you so much! Also, I was infinitely pleased that we seem to agree about Sarah. For me, too, she was this kind of feminist icon when I was younger, and to this day. I think I mentioned this a few chapters back as well, but I really think she doesn't get enough credit for her incredible kindness and resolve, all because she acts the way anyone should expect her to in the film—like a 15 year old girl would! Anyway, it was really cool to hear that, especially "She loves with a love that is more than love." I completely and wholeheartedly agree—I just hope I've done her justice for you. (Oh, and the Worm? Who else could lead Toby the right way? ;) ) Anyway, I'm so happy that you like the story, and I hope you like the ending too! Thanks again, so much!

One final thing—if any of you are interested in what I was thinking of for Sarah's dress of starlight, I've added it to my profile (I photoshopped something a little bit to get more of the look I wanted). Thanks again to all of you—it's been a wonderful ride!

RebelRebel