Crystal Tears:
Written by: Dark Youko~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~
The Goblin King sat once more at the sill of his bedroom window, looking out at the fairy tale world in front of him, and after a moment he closed his eyes as a whisper of wind breezed over him, rustling his hair and clothing. It was the quiet moment between twilight and daybreak and he found himself holding his breath as he waited. His eyes opened as with a sudden burst of song a lark in the gardens hailed the sunlight bursting over the horizon. His breath left him in a slow sigh and he looked down once more in the magnificence of his kingdom.
The Labyrinth.
A collection of magical, spiritual, and physical entities that worked as one to create an ever-shifting maze that was almost like a hallucination. Jareth was allowed to build his Goblin City in the center for he'd long ago befriended the spirits of the Labyrinth. He'd known every twist and turn it could conjure even as a child.
And now he was the Goblin King, he who stole children and set the rules for the game of trying to win them back. He stole the children not for envy or cruelty, but to give himself a bit of companionship. But even long ago he'd found it hard to keep his small companions around for long. Either they would be won back or they'd become stout and stupid goblins that thought that bug-eating was quality entertainment. Now that he was older he missed having intelligent conversations. That's why he'd wanted Sarah to --
~To save me from myself.... ~ He thought, his eyebrows furrowing as his fingers tightened on the windowsill. He'd never wanted Toby...though the child would have been fun to have around. He'd wanted Sarah. He could have made her a queen...a goddess. She was already a goddess to him though...a shining jeweled butterfly that he'd tried to capture with everything that he'd had, reaching out to her as though he were drowning, only to have her flutter just out of reach. He would have followed her forever, hand outstretched to her shining, if only she hadn't so blatantly told him to go away.
-- You have no power over me. --
~Only my love, Sarah...and that couldn't hold you to me. ~ He closed his eyes from a pain that was almost a year old. He sighed heavily and leaned a bit against the side of the window, lifting one leg to curl it underneath him as he sat on the cushioned windowsill. ~Oh Sarah...why didn't you want to save me? ~
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Sarah smiled as she handed change to the woman who'd bought the stack of fairy tale books she'd had collected over the years. She'd only kept three out of a collection of about 50. Two books that her mother had given her as birthday presents, and the Labyrinth book. She kept that one locked in a box at the top of her closet. She never wanted to touch it or look at it again. It brought back bad memories. Memories of Jareth's face as she softly muttered the words she'd tried so hard to memorize. "You have no power over me."
The look of hurt and sorrow in his eyes had broken her heart and she'd wished in that moment to take back those hateful words, but she'd never said it aloud. For she knew that whenever she said any wish aloud somehow...someway...Jareth made it true. She gave a sigh as she closed the box holding the money she'd made selling some of the things she thought she wouldn't need anymore. Her books, some of her costumes, and a throng of posters that she'd taken off her walls were all put out onto the front lawn, waiting for new owners. Most of her toys and stuffed animals she'd given to Toby, and she thought it was a lot easier to sleep in a room that didn't hold so many reminders of her time in the Labyrinth.
As she packed up the last remnants of the garage sale and packed them into the garage for tomorrow's sale she tried to push back the uncomfortable thoughts she'd brought up about Jareth and the Labyrinth. Then she went back into the house for dinner and afterwards went upstairs to do the rest of her homework. The sight of the huge snow-white owl seated outside her window startled her, gazing at her with what almost looked like a sad expression. "GO AWAY!" She yelled, throwing a pillow at the white creature sitting on the tree branch outside, thumping the pillow uselessly off the windowpane onto the floor. The owl stayed rooted for a moment still giving her that sad look then it turned it's head and flew away.
She started to frown, then suddenly and completely unbidden she could hear the words of the song the goblin king had sang as she ran through the twists and turns of the Escher room…as she searched for her step-brother Toby.
~Live without the sunrise…Love without your heartbeat...I can't live within you…. ~
Sarah slowly sank down to her knees beside the bed, feeling an almost painful regret fly up into her chest that brought tears into her eyes as she mentally sobbed, ~Stop it Jareth…stop haunting me like this…you're breaking my heart…. ~
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"GO AWAY!" The words were a dagger through his once cold heart. Yet as always...Jareth followed her wishes, and flew away. Back to the Castle beyond the Goblin City. He lurched out of the owl's form, collapsing against his bed with a hollow noise much like a sob. He hadn't wanted to frighten or anger her... he only wanted to see her again. Just as Hoggle could see her. He had allowed the other creatures of the Labyrinth that had accompanied Sarah to visit her whenever she wished, but he would never allow himself to see her past the confines of a crystal or her bedroom window. She had to wish for him...that was the rule he'd made.
~Your wish is my command Sarah. Just say it aloud and it is yours...even if you wish to forget me. Just say it aloud and it shall be so. ~ He closed his eyes and for the first time in nearly a lifetime...a single crystalline tear trailed his fair cheek. ~Please Sarah. Forgive or forget me. Just don't leave me like this. ~
There was a knock on his door and he looked up quickly, brushing away the crystal tear with a swipe of his hand. He stood from his limp sorrowful position beside the bed and took a deep breath, slipping on the mask of cool calmness as he called, "Enter!"
A stout dwarf poked his head into the room, looking at him with wary eyes. "Your Highness?"
Jareth sighed. "Yes, Higgle what is it?"
"Err, Hoggle, sir... uhm. There seems to be a problem."
"What is it now?" He growled and Hoggle flinched then motioned to the Labyrinth outside his window. He frowned darkly, moving to the window. As soon as he looked out he knew something was wrong. Hoggle joined him as he gaped open-mouthed at the Labyrinth before him.
"It's happening all over the place, sire. Even the bog doesn't smell as bad as it did."
The gardens were withering before his eyes...the roses losing their pigments and bleeding red onto the leaves and pavement below as they bleached to an ugly brown. The walls were crumbling and several of the Labyrinth's creatures were taking refuge in the Goblin City, looking at their former home sadly as if betrayed. "I...don't understand." Jareth muttered, for once at a loss as to what was happening. He looked on for a moment then quickly turned and stormed out, causing Hoggle to jump nervously at his sudden movement.
He went past the throne room into the Escher room where he followed the winding steps for a moment until he came to an opening which his senses would have told him was down. He didn't think twice as he leapt into the opening with a flutter of his white feather-like robes, falling weightlessly into the heart of the Labyrinth. A place that seemed fragmented and broken and once he touched his feet down onto a solid mass he looked up, summoning a crystal into one hand. It shimmered slightly and when he let go it hovered in front of him. As he gazed into it he found himself drawn into what he would have called a dream...something he'd offered to Sarah. The true Being of the Labyrinth.
-- Jareth. --
"I'm here."
-- You have failed. You must take a queen. The circle is incomplete. Without two to govern my power...we shall all be devoured by it. --
"Why? The one I chose rejected us."
-- That is not important. Choose another. There must be two. --
"But--" He began, but suddenly felt a wracking pain seize his chest and he crumpled to his knees, clutching at the cloth of his tunic above his heart.
-- Do as I wish, Jareth! Or you will destroy a world of dreams with your arrogance! --
He gave a ragged cough and nodded, lowering his head despairingly. "I understand. I'll do as you ask."
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A month later:
"Sarah!" Sarah jumped and turned from the mirror where she'd been brushing her hair.
"Hoggle!" She cried in surprise, dropping the brush back to her vanity. "What are you doing here?"
"You'll never believe it Sarah! It's almost too crazy to believe!" Hoggle said excitedly, hopping off the bed to stand in front of her.
She smiled down at him. "What? Don't leave me in suspense."
"Jareth is getting married!" The gnome cackled and slapped his knee, still laughing as if it were the funniest thing in the world.
Sarah stared in shock for a moment then laughed as well. "Wow…who would have thought?"
Hoggle stopped laughing to look at her for a moment, raising one shaggy eyebrow. "You're looking kind of odd Sarah…you don't miss him do you?"
Sarah looked indignant for a moment then turned back to the mirror. "NO. Of course not!" She cried. "Who could miss an arrogant...presumptuous... JERK like him??" She felt something in her wince at the words and knew almost automatically that Jareth had heard her. She automatically regretted the words almost as soon as they flew out of her mouth.
"Oh." Hoggle grumbled knowingly. "I didn't think so...good thing."
"So...I guess Jareth finally managed to kidnap a girl that would want him. Good for him I suppose." She said, meaning every ounce of malice she put behind the words.
"Kidnap? Nah. This one just seemed to appear one day. No one ever saw her before...people would know her if they saw her too." He whistled a bit, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Quite a looker if ya ask me."
"Just appeared? That's odd." Sarah replied.
"Yeah...well I guess it was a good thing," Hoggle grunted as he hopped back onto the bed. "Because before that the Labyrinth was falling apart. Now that SHE's here everything is back to the way it should be...right down to those damned fairies."
"Well...that's good...." She muttered, lowering her eyes slightly.
"Yeah.... Well, I've got to get going." Hoggle said, swinging his legs a bit. "I just wanted to come and tell you the good news."
"Ok. Thanks, Hoggle." She smiled and waved to him. "I'll see you again later. Bye."
"Bye." Hoggle answered and waved before disappearing with a bit of gold glitters left behind.
She looked back to the mirror and picked up the brush again...brushing and thinking for a while before she finally lowered the brush back to the vanity with a bit more force than she'd intended. Finally she went to the closet and threw on a pair of jeans and a long baggy shirt. "I have to find out for myself."
With that she went downstairs and quietly got her jacket out of the closet downstairs. She silently slipped out the door and ran from her house to the park not far away. She'd played out the role of the princess in the Labyrinth story in this park...she'd played out a dream she'd never expected to come true. She looked around as if expecting to see Jareth already waiting for her and very softly she whispered, "Oh, Jareth.... I wish I could just talk to you..."
Suddenly behind her there was a fluttering noise like that of silk robes in wind and the sound of a rich, heavily accented voice behind her. "You called for me, Sarah?"
She turned quickly to see the Goblin King, in all his black robed glory, standing before her with his hands on both his hips as he looked at her with an almost cold expression behind his duel-colored eyes. She gulped slightly then stood straighter as she pushed a bit of dark brown hair from her eyes. "Jareth."
"Yes?" He answered, tilting his head a bit, like the owl whose form he so often assumed. "Remember, it was you who wanted to talk to me. So talk."
She frowned at him and took a step back unconsciously as she asked, "Is it true?"
"What?"
"That you're engaged."
"Yes." He answered evenly, the cold look in his eyes never faltering. "But what does it matter to you? You said no, if I remember correctly."
A stab of pain lanced through her heart and she glared at him. "Yeah. I did."
"Well then. Is that all you wanted?" He asked calmly.
"I suppose so." She answered almost snappishly.
"Good. Farewell then Sarah." He said and turned to walk into the shadows.
Then before he could disappear into the blackness Sarah called, "Wait." He looked over his shoulder at her and paused, waiting for her question. "Do you love her?"
His back went stiff and it looked as though the question had struck him like a blow. It was a long moment before he softly muttered. "No."
"Then why are you marrying her if I may ask?"
He turned slightly and she saw that his eyes were closed past an expression that was as close to pain as she'd ever seen on him. "I have to." He answered softly. "My home was dying. Without her it would crumble into nothing and take all your little friends and myself with it."
"Why are you telling me this, Jareth? Why didn't you just lie and say that you loved her?" She asked in amazement.
He didn't look at her as he answered, "I can't lie to you, Sarah."
"Why not?" She retorted.
"You never wished me to." He said softly, startling her.
"Then lie to me." She said, looking at him evenly and feeling a soft pity suddenly seize her.
He looked back at her evenly and said, "I hate you, Sarah."
It hit her like a board in the face. "Do you mean it?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
He shook his head and said, "It was the worst lie I could think of at the moment." Her eyes went wide in surprise and she saw him suddenly remember whom it was he was talking to. The look of cool indifference fell back into place and she found herself amazed by the sudden change from the Goblin King that stood before her and the sad handsome young man she'd barely glimpsed in him. "I've spent too much time here. I must go. Farewell Sarah."
Then with that he was gone, vanished into the dark, leaving her almost heart stricken. ~Oh, Jareth...if you can hear me, I'm sorry.... ~
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When Jareth returned, his fiancée was there waiting for him. Her name was Esme, and she was indeed a lovely creature, with a face that would have made Aphrodite weep with envy...but somewhere deep down there was something ugly about her. An ugliness that rose from spite out of her soul…she was a vengeful woman, as Jareth had come to realize, and easily turned towards bitterness...but she was as yet the only woman to accept him. Today she was clothed in a flow of crimson silks that swathed around her as if tussled by wind and her long black hair was ornately braided while half of the wave of black strands fell loose down her back. When he stepped into the room she turned a pair of glittering cat-green eyes at him while her crimson lips turned upwards in a lovely smile. "Hello, future husband." She greeted and he nodded slightly, his eyes dark with silent bitterness. "May I ask where you left to, my love?"
"A visit to an old friend." He answered dismissively and moved to take a seat at the throne behind the step where Esme sat.
"A friend...." She echoed and her smile faded a bit as she looked off and concluded with "Sarah?"
Jareth looked at her sharply, his brows creasing angrily. Only then did he see the palm sized crystal cradled in Esme's lap, which she was stroking her fingers over as if it were a favored pet. He abruptly stood and growled down at her, "May I do nothing without you forever spying on me, you insolent woman?"
Her smile fell into a lovely worried expression that he'd seen her assume hundreds of times in the past few weeks. "Forgive me, my darling...I simply worry about you. I am afraid you will again be taken in by that selfish girl...I love you, you know. I do not want to lose you."
He narrowed his eyes at the woman and moved to storm out of the room as he called, "If you love me, Esme, then respect me as well and cease your insistent spying!" Then with a loud slam of the door behind him he was gone, leaving Esme once more alone in an empty room.
"Forgive me my lord...but that is something that I cannot do." She whispered as she looked down into the crystal in her lap once more.
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That's it for now kiddies! Enjoy and do please review if you wanna see more. '' ~Dark Youko
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