Power Games

Disclaimer, I don't own shit.

I've never written a Labyrinth fic before. I'm actually not too familiar with the universe, but lately I've been in a fantasy mood… and this came out. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure where this is going, or if I'll continue it. I've just been reading a few Labyrinth fics and was tired of the same soul mate concept, of Sarah being the sole champion, etc.

Please do leave all thoughts, comments, suggestions in a review or a PM! Really, I don't know too much of what I'm doing here.

Prologue

"Sarah, Miss Sarah, tell me about the sky!"

Sarah laughed as she swept Livaliy's hair from her face, as it had flown into a tangled mess hanging before the child's eyes in her excitement. "It was opposite from here," Sarah obliged, though she knew that Livaliy had heard her tell the scene enough to recite it. In fact, Sarah had once caught the little sprite reciting the scene to her doll as Sarah had once recited a certain play in a park. There was some irony in the fact that she had spent her whole life reading fairy tales, and here were two little phaerie children who wanted only stories of the Aboveground. "Here, the night claims the ground and the sky glows with stars. There, it's the sky that is swept in black, and the lights rise from the ground reaching for the curtain that hid away the sun."

"Was it like this?" Triefan squeezed his eyes shut in focus until his wings began to glow dimly, and he fluttered into the air.

Livaliy scowled at his interruption. "No, you look stupid."

"The Metal Forest didn't look half as handsome as you, Trief," Sarah cut in smoothly before the two could dissolve into quarrel. "Though," she allowed with a small smile, "it did have its charms."

"That's where you're from, right, Miss Sarah?" Livaliy said, beaming.

"Once," Sarah agreed, keeping a careful eye on Triefan as he began jumping on the oversized mushroom he was supposed to be sitting on. "I lived there once."

"Do you have any other stories about the Metal Dragons?" Triefan gave one last jump before he tucked his legs under and landed on the mushroom, bottom first, and bounced a few times.

Sarah winced. "Trains, Triefan," she corrected. She had once referred to the subway system as something akin to dragons that roared in the sweltering underground and carried you places, and the analogy stuck with Triefan. And then she had found out about the dragon race, and how they were a dangerous people to offend.

A knock on the door swallowed Triefan's retort, and the door opened to reveal their keeper. "One Toby," Ceira announced, as she always did, "for two sprites." From behind Ceira's skirts, Toby poked his head out with a grin that Sarah swore grew more and more impish every day.

"Not now!" Triefan complained. "Miss Sarah was just going to tell us about the Metal Dragons!"

"Trains," Sarah corrected again, "or next time there won't be any stories about them."

Triefan grumbled. "Fine, trains."

Ceira clicked her tongue against her mouth in disapproval, in that no-nonsense way that always grated on Sarah's nerves. Yes, the phaerie race dealt in trades, but Sarah had never seen someone interpret the phaerie rules quite as strictly and sternly as the pixie. Perhaps once she'd thought that pixies were the most mischievous of the phaeries – but then again, she had also once thought that that fairies weren't simply pests. Even so, most pixies Sarah could get along with – but Ceira pushed the concept of trade too far. Once, when Ceira had arrived in the middle of a story, Sarah had suggested that it wouldn't be a big deal if she finished. The way Ceira raged about indebtedness afterwards ensured that Sarah would never suggest such a thing again.

"One Toby was already returned," Ceira said, eyes flitting towards the human boy who was now plopped face down on the mushroom that served as their bed in their one-room home, "and now two sprites must be returned. That was the deal."

That had been one of the first things that Sarah had to learn quickly when she fell into the Underground. Phaeries dealt in trades. Dragons dealt in wisdom and riddles. And goblins – and goblins always in gambles. In games.

The others who had also fallen through the portal but didn't pick up the rules, or refused to comply – well, Sarah wasn't really sure what had happened to them. One day, they had simply disappeared.

"Go along now," Sarah instructed, lifting Livaliy from her lap as she stood. "I'll tell you a story first thing - " She swallowed her sentence before she offended the pixie with her assumptions. "I'll tell you a good one when next I see you."

Reluctantly the two phaerie children made their way to Ceira, who immediately grabbed both their hands. "Shall we extend the same deal tomorrow?"

"I accept the offer," Sarah recited.

"The deal is done." With that, the pixie spun on her toes and all three phaeries winked out of sight.

Barely a second of silence had passed when Toby said into the mushroom, "Finally." He rolled over. "I hate that part."

"You should learn the ways and the words of the phaerie," Sarah reminded him as she stood up to prepare dinner, before pausing. "In fact, that's what you're supposed to be learning. That was part of the deal."

"I'm learning. Or," Toby said, considering, "they're teaching me, at least. It's still stupid."

She privately thought that it was a little overdone as well, but Sarah kept her thoughts quiet as she eyed the boy who was being difficult. He's twelve, Sarah reminded herself. He's supposed to be difficult right now. "Well, as long as you're listening."

"I do listen," Toby said. "That's how I get all my information for free. No trade needed. I'm hungry."

Laughing, Sarah tossed an apple at his head, but he caught it just in time. "All right, you little information thief. As long as you don't get caught eavesdropping." There'd be no telling what would happen to the boy if someone found him listening in to the rewards of deals that he wasn't partaking in.

"Like today," Toby continued, his mouth full. "I found out that Kings and Queens across five different races are coming around here to prepare for the Bicentennial Power Games. The phaeries are hosting this time around. But we're going to get to see the dragons, the mer, the trolls, the dwarves, and the goblins."

Sarah's hand almost slipped on the knife she was holding. "Oh, really?"

"The elves are still deliberating, because that's how much they hate the dwarves. And I think the giants came in last in the previous games, so they're not allowed to participate until next time," Toby said as he tossed the apple core into the trash. "You know, when I finally finish all this schooling crap I think I'd like to see the goblin kingdom. Their method of payment sounds way better than this phaerie stuff. You just have to be good at winning, and then everything's yours. When is dinner ready?"

Of course. Of course he'd want to visit the goblin kingdom, of all kingdoms to choose from. After all that effort to save him from the Goblin King, Toby would just walk right back in with open arms without even knowing about that little piece of past. But of course, when she was sixteen she had no way of knowing that one day they'd both be stuck here, anyways.

Sarah swallowed her sigh and retorted, "It'd be ready sooner if you got your butt over here and helped." She finished dicing the roots and slid them into a bowl.

Four servings. One for her, one for Toby. One for their neighbor who liked growing vegetables more than cooking them, but enjoyed eating just the same. One for the pixie downstairs who was too old to climb stairs and was renting them the attic room for the price of dinner six out of seven days a week, plus the company while eating.

The last of which, really, was quite a steal of deal. A roof in exchange for dinner. It was a good thing Ceynen liked her cooking enough to continue the contract.

"Start simmering a quarter of the roots," she commanded. "Ceynen is too old to manage the crunch."

Two years since they the camping trip stole them from the Aboveground, and in those two years, Sarah thought she had managed her life and Toby's life quite well enough, thank you very much – even if it meant she was a little (all right, always) busy.

Toby didn't move for a moment until he finally rolled off the mushroom and trudged over to the counter, carefully measuring out a quarter. "Are we ever going to eat with what's-her-face again?"

Sarah thought about the human girl who they had fed for a year. She was only a little older than Toby and had fallen through at the same time, and Sarah had thought to help the girl out. Eventually the girl had gotten her life together and moved out on her own and took her indebtedness with her, and –

Sarah stopped. That was too phaerie of a thought for her. She was human, she reminded herself, and humans valued things differently. The important point was that Sarah hadn't heard from the girl since, and she hoped the girl was doing well.

"I doubt it, Tob," Sarah said. "Now hurry up and start mincing the bulbs."

...

Hello, Sarah.

The voice was deep, musical, with an edge of danger that sent shivers down her spine. Instinctively, she knew he was here. Childishly, she hoped that if she didn't respond, he would disappear.

Turn around.

She refused – and yet, even though her feet didn't move, she began to turn ever so slightly. Desperately she tried to resist, but movement was slow and she felt as if she was trying to move through molasses.

It was his magic. It was his goddamn magic, she knew.

"You have no power over me," she whispered, but if anything, she only began to turn faster to face –

Air.

Then, warm breath tickled her ear –

I'm still behind you.

With a jolt, Sarah sat upright, breath caught in her chest as she blinked, eyes slowly focusing.

She was at home. Beside her, Toby stirred slightly, but didn't wake up.

It was just a dream.

Slowly, as not to wake up her brother, she slid off the mushroom and padded across the room to pour a cup of water to calm her racing heart. When was the last time she had dreamed of the Goblin King? Probably during the month of living in the Underground. It had been a while.

It was all that talk about the games that had stirred up these dreams.

She huffed as she cupped the mug of water in her hands. Goblin King, she thought, sneering. She defeated him once when she was sixteen; she could defeat him again if need be. Especially now, when she knew the rules better.

But in the dark of night, she allowed herself to wonder what he looked like, the Goblin King. What he was doing now with the kingdom.

If he still remembered her.