Connecting Threads

By Verdigris

A few years after her defeat of the Goblin King, Sarah's life is in danger when word travels to other parts of the Underground. Unable to use his power to bring Sarah into his protection in the Labyrinth, Jareth must keep watch over her in the aboveworld.

Author's Disclaimer: 11/25/05 Whoa nelly, originally this fic was posted earlier in the year with the name "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" and I had gotten sidetracked with school and never completed it past the first chapter. Currently there is another fic with the same name. Since I haven't updated since March, I just gave this one another name. The chapter has slightly altered since its first posting, but it is the same story as before. There are other finished chapters after this one )

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Chapter 1- The Presence in the Labyrinth

The sun was rising over the twisted walls of the Labyrinth just as its inhabitants were emerging from their homes. They slithered, jumped and ran around the walkways of the great maze to greet the new day. The rising sun continued its path over the rows of walls and through the cracks and tunnels until it washed over the large, gnarled castle in the center of the Labyrinth.

The goblins were noisily running about the throne room in the lower sector of the castle. Some were sprawled about, chattering to one another in their goblin tongue while others waited patiently for the King's entrance. Normally he rose with the sun to sit in his seat of power and begin his daily routine there. Much to the goblin's frustration he was late once again. Worriedly, the servant goblins wandered onto the immense staircase and waited in curious silence.

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Jareth had been up since dawn and his mismatched eyes gazed through the window of his bedchamber. He had been there for hours, his bare forearm resting on the cold glass of his window to watch the day begin. His eyes starred out into the maze from his window, watching and searching. With a snap of his fingers he was dressed and with a turn of his heel he walked through his door to the throne room to be begin his mundane day of work. He was late again, but Jareth did not care. For the past year he had become steadily sluggish with his schedule. It mattered little to him, arriving on the dot to his throne room. Deciding to take his time he walked slowly down the steps. He might as well enjoy the time he had to himself for soon his noisy, slobbery subjects would surround him. He lost himself to his thoughts as he traveled down the long winding steps, his black cape trailing behind.

Much at happened over the past two years, he pondered silently. The Labyrinth was back to its final state, much of it destroyed thanks to a certain mortal. It was not devastating, but the damage was immense and it took months of work to restore. She left as a quickly at she came with destruction in her wake and she had haunted his dreams ever since. Her eyes had shown so much strength when she spoke the final words, the very ones that kept him at bay and left him powerless against her. Jareth could sometimes feel those eyes on him as he walked through the maze alone and he shuddered. His thoughts were broken at the sound of clumsily pattering of feet slapping on the stone floor.

"S-s-s-s-sire!" A goblin wheezed out in a squeaky voice from the bottom of the staircase. He barely came up to his knee and had a long snipe nose with pointed ears.

Jareth turned his head and glared at the offending goblin, breaking out of his thoughts. "Yes?"

"Your breakfast, sire?"

He blinked once and muttered. "Two eggs with a few slices of bread." As the creature wobbled on his feet, trying to remember the order, Jareth rolled his eyes. "Oh hell, I'll be daring today. Make that with a side of bacon as well. Tell them to bring it out to my garden."

The goblin stumbled as he ran for the kitchens down the hall and hissed. "Right your Majesty! Right away!"

Jareth stepped out into the open air to a large beautiful garden full of every kind of flower imaginable. In the corner of his eye an even smaller goblin with a messenger bag full of papers came padding through one of the Goblin city streets. He did not seem to notice he was walking into Jareth's private garden. Jareth smirked, glancing around his surroundings to see if anyone was watching. He stood in the goblin's path and growled, "And just what do you think you are doing there?"

The goblin spun and nearly fell on his rear. He stared up at the Goblin King in surprise and horror, clutching at his heart, "Dear god Jareth, what are you trying to do? Scare an old goblin half to death?" Jareth laughed and sat down at one of his tables.

"Good morning, Gordin. What brings you limping into my garden?" A sneer like smile spread upon the king's face. "You look like you've lost something."

Gordin shook his head. "I have not. I've been pondering over something I read about in that book I found in your library." He looked up at his master and adjusted his glass goggles on the small leather hat between his ears. His gray, prune looking face smiled up at his king.

Jareth grinned and motioned for the goblin to sit at his table. "If it has anything to do with adding indoor pluming for the goblins I'm all ears." He removed his cape and hung it on one of the chars. "I am about to have breakfast, do you care for anything?"

"I would enjoy a few hot cakes if you don't mind, Jareth." Gordin climbed up the large chair, his short little legs dangled over edge of his seat.

Gordin was the only goblin alive in the entire Labyrinth allowed to call him by his first name. Goblins were nothing more than servants and subjects to him, but Gordin had always been the exception. The majority of them were simple minded, unintelligent and lazy, but Gordin was the complete opposite. He spent his time inventing contraptions for goblin use and researched books in the castle library. To Jareth, he was a genius to his kind. Like himself, he stood out like a sore thumb among the creatures of the Underground maze. Even though the Goblin King would have never consorted with something so vile of a creature, Gordin had out shown all of his goblin features and the two had become friends over time. The both of them kept it to themselves to keep the order of how things worked in the kingdom.

Years ago Gordin was found asleep in the castle library and Jareth had lashed out at him and nearly threw him in the bog of eternal stench. That was until he finally noticed that the goblin had been reading some of his human related books and had done so for years in hiding. He had also made complete sense out of them. Jareth had been fascinated with the aboveground world and had gathered a number of books on his short trips there. There were books on clock building, automobiles, histories of different cultures, and other books on science and nature. His duties as king never gave him the free time he wanted to research the inter workings of his human books, so he allowed Gordin to do it for him and report his findings. Gordin already gained an extensive amount of research on the subjects and the two were able to have long, intelligent conversations. The little goblin was the closest thing Jareth had to real companionship after being isolated in the Labyrinth for so many centuries.

"No, you shouldn't trouble yourself over my problems. I would enjoy a game of chess though." Jareth grinned and waved his hand and chess set complete with game pieces appeared on the table. Gordin chuckled merrily and rubbed his hands together. "Oh ho, I have a good feeling about this one."

"That you'll beat me, Gordy?" Jareth taunted and leaned over on the board and gave a menacing look at the goblin.

"I have beaten you before. Just not in awhile." Gordin fingered nervously on his small, droopy mustache. "But today may be your undoing," he added. Jareth silently winced at his choice of words, his mind drifting to the eyes that taunted him in his dreams. He ignored it and moved a pawn around the board.

Their chess games could last for hours on end and Jareth loved them. He could completely engross himself in the game and forget about the past. Gordin proved to be a tricky and skillful opponent. He was not sure how the goblin learned to play so well but then again things were not quite like they seemed in the Labyrinth. Breakfast was served and the two friends continued to play. Gordin stared at his chess pieces, screwing his eyes over what move he should make. Jareth waited patiently and sipped at his glass.

"We should dig in before breakfast gets cold." Gordin suggested, having to stand on his chair in order to grab his plate and reach the stack of hotcakes on the table. Jareth agreed and helped himself to his own meal.

Gordin sat back and politely put his napkin in his lap and reached for his glass of juice. The Goblin King motioned his hand at the stack of papers in his friend's bag. "What do you have in there?"

He cleared his throat, "Oh these? These are old plans I dug up from the Gate Defender I invented." Jareth raised an eyebrow. He remembered that 'thing'.

The goblin guards had become so lazy over time they could never be relied on when there was a force to be reckoned with at the gates. To remedy the situation Gordin had invented a large mechanical giant that would fend off any intruder by controlling it from a panel on top of the giant's head. He had gotten the idea from reading a few books Jareth had in his collection about modern machinery. Gordin has also ingeniously designed to meld into the entrance gate to surprise the oncoming attackers.

"You are not planning to make another are you?" Jareth asked with narrowed eyes. He had seen the downfall of the large device and it was not pretty. "That was more trouble than it was worth."

"I was completely caught by surprise when that dwarf jumped and threw me out of the Gate Defender. If I didn't have those Wind Flappers on my back I would have had a nasty fall." He took a bite of hotcake and looked as if he were in heaven. Every chance he got he always dined with the king. "Though I will update those canons in case we have another attack like the one two years ago."

"Indeed…" Jareth mumbled uncomfortably.

"I mean…" He said between bites, "If another one comes along like that human girl, we'll be ready for her!" Gordin laughed and reached for another hotcake. His laughter died when he noticed Jareth was glaring at his glass. The goblin bit his tongue, he had forgotten that his king was still sore about his defeat. The other goblins often spoke with interest of the girl who solved the Labyrinth and stared down The Goblin King, taking her baby brother with her. He would try to remember not to speak of her in front him again.

Gordin cleared his throat, smiling a big smile while reaching for a small pitcher on the table. "Could you please pass the Sarah…I mean syrup!" Gordin squealed and ducked down in his chair peeking his nose and eyes over the rim of the table.

Jareth shot a cold glance at his friend and snarled through his teeth. With a sharp motion of his hand, the chess game disappeared in a flash. "Thank you for your company Gordin, but I feel I have other things to attend to. I hope you have enjoyed your breakfast, you may show yourself out."

The goblin did not need to be told twice, he had a hit a nerve in the king and shoved another bite of hotcake in his mouth before rushing out of the garden. Friend or no friend, Gordin knew from past experiences that it was best to leave him be.

Jareth sat still in his seat, his eyes shut and his teeth clenched, not a bit sorry for snapping at the goblin. He abruptly sat up from his seat and headed for the outside gates of the city. Gordin hid behind the bushes, watching him leave in an aggressive matter. He shook his head slowly. He hoped in time he would come to terms with the past one day.

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Jareth usually teleported about the Labyrinth, but when he lost his temper he took to storming around the maze to cool off. His boots were clicking heavily and repeatedly on the stone steps with his cold duel colored eyes staring straight forward. The creatures retreated and hid as he briskly stomped though, even the eye lichen sank back into the walls in fear. His temper was not letting up even when he entered the hedge maze, the halfway point in the Labyrinth.

He was out of breath and stopped short to rest and leaned on the wall. Angrily he kicked the back of his boot at the stone behind him and slumped down to rest on his heels and held his head in his hands. He had done this very same display earlier in the year and had continued to vent his anger this way.

She plagued him night and day and he was confused by the intense feelings that arose when he heard her name. Her eyes held him even in his dreams, holding him captive. Why did he feel this way for her? What did he feel? Hate? Sadness? Loneliness? How long would it take for him to forget her?

Jareth glanced up from his hands at the flat stones covering the floor. In the middle of a stone lay a worn red mark in the shape of an arrow. Sarah had made the mark with her lipstick when she was trying to keep track of where she was. As he gazed at the mark he could faintly hear the sound of her voice. He turned to the voice that seemed to come in front of him. It stopped and he shook his head, wondering if he was hearing things again.

He sighed, "A part of her has never truly left the labyrinth."

"Quite true, Goblin King." A weary, tired voice spoke from the corner of the hedge.

Jareth jumped to his feet, facing whoever was speaking to him. A stout figure was slowly hobbling toward him in ragged clothes, his sleepy eyes regarding his.

"Pardon?" Jareth tilted his head.

"I am agreeing with you," The Wiseman wheezed. "She has not left completely."

"How long have you been watching me?" Jareth squared his shoulders, hating to be taken by surprise.

"Oh, long enough your majesty. I have seen you wandering around these parts quite often," He said slowly, his eyelids drooping as he sat back on a stone chair near the wall.

"Hoo, hoo!" The bird hat swooped his neck toward him. "We see you all the time here, yes!"

The Wiseman growled, "Quiet. You keep out of this!"

"Aw nuts," it chirped.

Jareth rested his hands on his hips, staring down at the old man. "What were you saying about Sarah?"

"I said you were correct that she has not truly left." His hands folded in the robe on his lap. "A part of her has remained here."

The Goblin King's eyes widened slightly, bending down to the man. "What do you mean? I gave her freedom, she solved the Labyrinth and won the babe back."

"The Labyrinth gave her something as well." The Wiseman said in a matter of fact manner, adjusting his hat. "The power in which she held on you was given by the entity that is the Labyrinth. A gift so to speak."

Jareth stared at the maze around him. "She called upon the Labyrinth when she spoke…" He cleared his throat, "Those words…" You have no power over me. He felt a chill on his shoulder, but kept his stance and turned back to the Wiseman who had fallen asleep in his chair.

"Oh crap." The bird trilled impatiently. "He's out again."

The problem was solved when Jareth nudged the old man's leg with the toe of his boot. He awoke startled and continued where he left off, "Yes! Yes, yes, the Labyrinth. It gave her the power to return home and break the bind you had over her."

"I am the ruler and as a such only I can call upon its power." Jareth raised his voice, dumbfounded over what the Wiseman was telling him.

"But have you ever beaten the Labyrinth?" The Wiseman eyed him.

Jareth ground out. "Of course I have."

"Then why are you surprised that the Labyrinth gave part of itself to her as well?" The Wiseman asked softly, sitting back into the stone chair. "No one has solved the puzzle except that young girl and yourself. Part of that power will keep her here even if she never returns. For as long as she lives she will always be linked to it."

Jareth took this in, rubbing his chin in thought. That would explain why he sometimes felt her presence in the maze. She had more power within her than he ever thought possible. "What is the purpose of this gift?"

The Wiseman smiled, "As you know, things are not as they seem here. You will know in time."

"What are you hiding from me?" Jareth raised a brow at him and bared his teeth slightly.

"I am only telling you what The Labyrinth knows and nothing more. But I will say this. You and I are not the only ones in the Underground who know of this link. There is one enemy you have that has laid low for centuries, waiting to take the Labyrinth by force. It knows about Sarah and will use her to get to it. If they get to Sarah first…" The Wiseman's voice hushed into a very low pitch that came from the bottom of his throat. "There is no telling what unspeakable things could be done to this kingdom." He then added in a softer voice, "And her."

Jareth knew the Wiseman's words were true. The Labyrinth often spoke through him and only him. He had an enemy and it was out to attack the mortal girl. "Sarah." Jareth turned on his heel, running a hand through his wild hair and asked out loud. "She could have already been attacked?"

But when he turned around the Wiseman was gone.

"I suggest you think of something quick, Goblin King." The disembodied voice of the old man echoed in his ear.

TBC

Reviews are always welcome