AN: Alright, so this is my second labyfic. This is a fanfiction rather unlike the others that you usually read. I can promise you that this will be a refreshing change. If the pairing is anything it'll be Jareth/Sarah. However, this may turn into a depressing fic. Hope you enjoy!

Harsh Realities

(Prologue)

By: Narcoleptic Suicide

You've heard the story. The story in which the selfish young girl wishes away her bawling baby half-brother to the goblins and their King. In the story the girl travels and defeats the king's labyrinth, refusing her dreams in order to save him from the horrible fate of getting turned into a goblin. Of course, as all of our modern day tales go, the girl defeats the king, turning down all of his attempts to dissuade her from taking her brother back. The young heroine wins and the evil villain loses, ending up rejected in the rubble of his once magnificent Escher room. The girl then returns home with her brother, and throws a celebration with the denizens of the labyrinth (all aside form the king). This is where the story ends. The so-called "happy ending".

Many believe after the girl's harsh rejection of him, that the king would remain seemingly lifeless, dying inside from the rejection of his beloved. That eventually he might even come up with a clever plan to get her back and win her heart after a period of a few years. This never happened. I can assure you that this far-fetched fairytale ideal, will never take place as well.

The Goblin King isn't of a very mushy sort, as a matter of fact many would call him cruel, but any of his citizens would protest against the very idea of Jareth being called a villain. That would simply be ridiculous.

The Goblin King has no power over anyone aside the citizens of his kingdom unless of course they allow him to hold the power over them. Beware, once allowed, you will never again be considered an equal to Jareth. He will hold power over you for all eternity. Trust me, no matter how many people say that "Forever is not long at all" it's the longest thing there is.

Jareth has simply existed, since the beginning of the Undergroud, he is one of the few first generation fae, and is involved in both the Seelie and Unseelie courts. There are thirteen first generation fae and each is assigned to a very important station. Jareth was given the labyrinth as his post along with the title of " Lord of the Labyrinth". Later a race of strange creatures forged by the nightmares of children invaded his territory and became a nuisance that could not be terminated. They multiplied like rabbits. Soon, there were so many that a city was being built in the area around his castle. The creatures were named "Goblins" and adopted by the labyrinth as it's playful citizens. So, the "Lord of the Labyrinth" became the "King of the Goblins".

Jareth was an arrogant fae. He was powerful, reigned over a kingdom, and held control over a mighty unsolvable labyrinth. Not only that, but he was charming and extremely good-looking; he had bedded nearly every lady in both the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Once Jareth got the goblins, things got complicated. You see, the labyrinth lives off of the dreams of the mortals of the aboveground. As you know, along with dreams come nightmares, so the nightmares were released by the labyrinth as horrible looking little monsters that he had to rule. He then learned that because of the horrid little creatures, he had to respond to the wishes of any mortal whom wished someone away to the goblins. He was the "Goblin King" of course. Many people wished away children, siblings, mothers, and fathers. None ever defeated the labyrinth in the time limit of thirteen hours.

Then, sometime during the twentieth century, (around the 1980's he presumed) he felt the pull of a dreamer. This was odd. People had begun to lose faith in the Underground, many had stopped believing in it altogether. The fact that someone believed in him was strange, but the fact that it was strong enough to affect him in such a powerful way was astounding. He brought himself aboveground in his animalistic form, a white barn owl.

The girl was beautiful in human terms. Her long dark brown hair fluttered in the wind, somewhat restrained by the circlet of flowers that sat upon her head. She was dressed in an icy blue dress that clung to her maturing figure, under the dress she was wearing the odd blue pant the humans called "jeans". Her eyes were what captured him. Misty emeralds that stared ahead as she slowly walked forward, determination flashing within them. He listened closely to hear what she was saying.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city." The girl declared. At hearing this, Jareth felt a shiver go down in feathered back at the words. She knew of the labyrinth. She knew of him.

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great." She continued to her unknown audience. He had never heard the words spoken so determinedly, so truly. He had heard them before of course, but never with such conviction.

" …And my kingdom as great…" she muttered. " Damn, I can never remember that line."

"Perhaps you forget because you know it isn't true." The king thought to himself with a wicked grin.

" You have no power over me." She said dejectedly after reading the words from the red leather bound book in her hand. The clock tower struck the hour, and the mysterious girl took off, followed by her strange fluffy companion. Jareth soared into flight, following the strange mortal to her home.

" I'll have to keep an eye on this one." He told himself as he returned to his castle. " Perhaps she will become another wisher." He then summoned a crystal to his hand. An image of Sarah being in an argument over babysitting her baby half-brother was shown.

" Yes I do believe she will." he mused to himself with a laugh as he tossed the crystal into the air

The girl did wish away her half brother, the very night he discovered her as well. She had been simply delicious with her innocence. Asking politely for the return of her brother. She had even pushed aside his offer of giving her her dreams. The girl's name was Sarah. Sarah Williams. Her brother's name was Toby, he was a "lively little chap" as Jareth put it.

Sarah was a spoiled fifteen-year-old girl who buried herself in the fantastical as a way to distance herself from the betrayal of her mother just up and leaving her. She was stubborn with quite a temper to match. He didn't believe she would get very far, but he did get an odd feeling from the girl now and then. Somehow, the girl befriended two of the unfriendliest creatures in his labyrinth, along with a fox that not even he could force from his post at the bridge in the Bog of Eternal Stench. They helped her get deeper and deeper into his labyrinth. He had made many attempts to make her lose her track; he had sent the cleaners after her after she had smart mouthed him. His labyrinth, a piece of cake? Hah!
Ah, but she was courageous. She had even stopped in her running away from the hunk of metal and knives in order to help that dwarf Higgle- oh, excuse me, Hoggle-from getting killed. Jareth even went as far as a poisoned peach, with an after affect of amnesia, which he gave to Hoggle so that Sarah may receive his precious little gift. She made her way to the bog before he knew it, and that little dwarf had still not given the girl his gift. Eventually, the dwarf gave it to her after she claimed to be hungry. After taking a single bite, brilliant Sarah noticed that it was different than an ordinary peach. However it was too late for her to do anything about that. Hoggle ran, and her other friends continued on unknowingly forward, believing her to be right behind them.

Little did they know…

Jareth gave her a beautiful dream, a crystal ballroom, he danced and sung to her. She looked every bit the meaning of her name, "Princess". He began to realize how entranced by her he was becoming. He felt rapture for everything that she was. Her wide, innocent-looking eyes gazing up at him in wonder, now that had been a great dance. He knew that she was a far cry from being completely innocent. He knew that her eyes held the capability to be cruel, cruel like his were. Jareth began to realize just how very deep his feelings for this mortal were becoming. He wasn't sure what they were, but he knew that they existed.

However, Sarah broke free from the dream when the clock struck twelve, signaling that she had but an hour to free little Tobias. She shattered the dream. What a pity. Now she would have no memories and be alone. However, Sarah was to surprise him yet again, the girl-who-ate-the-peach-and-forgot-everything, remembered.

Sarah was reunited with her friends, much to Jareth's distaste. Not that it mattered; the traitors would be punished later. Especially that annoying little dwarf Hedgewart. Jareth sent out his goblin guard to deal with them. She overcame them too. She had overcome every single obstacle he had sent at her. Could she possibly win? No, that was impossible. It had never happened before, and there were people far better than Sarah Williams who had tried and failed to defeat his labyrinth. Jareth was wrong.

Not only had Sarah Williams defeated him and gotten her brother back, but she had rejected him. Ignored him as he begged her to listen to him. He offered her her dreams yet again, and the offer was immediately shot down.

" Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." Jareth had pleaded softly. He had thought he had her, she had stopped, forgotten the final line. He raised the crystal in her direction, offering it to her. Then it all shattered.

" You have no power over me." Sarah gasped out merely seconds before time was out. Jareth thought he saw tears in her eyes, but dismissed the idea as he tossed the crystal in her direction, a mournful look upon his face. The girl reached out to catch the crystal, and it disinigrated as soon as it touched her hand. Jareth transformed into an owl and returned her to her home, flying out the window.

The Goblin King watched as she celebrated her victory over him and his labyrinth. She deserved it, he figured. She was the first person to ever solve his labyrinth. He just hoped that it wouldn't become a fad. The last thing he needed would be to have a repeat of this experience, people may believe that he was getting lazy. He had a reputation to keep after all.

Jareth wondered how the courts would react to this, would it bode well? Like he cared. He was elder to every single one of those beings. Briefly he pondered over the idea of seeking revenge upon his cruel little Sarah. However decided it would be a waste of energy.

" I wonder when the next ball is?" he thought to himself and then grinned. Hey, he wasn't about to let one measly-but beautiful-mortal girl put him down. He was going to, what is it humans say? Ah, yes. " Get back up on the horse."

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AN: Alright, so I'll continue this soon. I hope to make this a long fanfic that I can update in my free time. I'll have a lot of it soon. One more week left in school after all! The prologue is almost four pages, so I hoped you like it. You won't have to worry about short chapters with me, so enjoy the fanfic!