Preface:

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The snow fell softly on the bare limbs of the sakura that framed the side of the little Okiya on the edge of the hanamachi. The sounds of the many Geisha inside drifted out of the window and could be heard many houses down. It was not the pleasant sound which normally echoed through the hanamachi, not the sound of the Geisha practicing the shamisen or even the sweet sound of their wooden shoes as they left to entertain clients. The raised voices were filled with anger and hate, and something else, something heartbreaking…..distress, or was it sorrow. Either way it was overwhelming.

"Ayame! Do you understand what disgrace you have brought this okiya? We are geisha not oiran, we do not sell our bodies!" Mother Shinju pulled back the small blanket which held the newly born child. She winced and roughly tossed the blanket back over the little face.

"But Okaa-san I didn't! You know I didn't! It wasn't my fault." Ayame clutched her little daughter to her chest, it wasn't her fault. Not really. She had trusted Katsuo, he had promised to one day become her Danna. She allowed herself something most other geisha worked hard to keep from, she fell in love. She didn't sell her body for fine silk kimonos, she didn't sell it for trinkets or hair combs. She gave it away for love. She had been foolish, and now there she was with a child in her arms, no Danna and Katsuo nowhere to be found.

"Oh it isn't? So you had no part in letting that man touch you? Your Onee-san Mayu has told me of the many nights you have spent with him, I doubt this would have gone on as long as it has if you did not want it." Mother swished her kimono as she moved about the wash room. She wasn't a cruel Geisha mother, she loved all the girls in her little okiya. But hers was not the most prominent okiya in the hanamachi. Her Geisha barely brought in enough money to feed and clothe them, this was the reason she had always been so strict with her girls. They couldn't afford to care for a child.

"Okaa-san please forgive me, I…." Ayame trailed off as the child in her arms began to stir. Mother sighed and shook her head.

"Ayame I do not know why I keep you around. You have no Danna. You are still in debt, haven't even paid off your purchase price. And now you bring in a child, another mouth to feed?! If it weren't for the promise I made your father I would sell you to the whore houses!" With that she left, she cursed herself sometimes for the deals she made. Ayame was beautiful and would have made much, but the Geisha were in decline and there were much more talented girls out there in much richer okiyas. Her little Geisha family house was as many put it, "quaint". Had they money enough to eat she wouldn't have cared that a few of her girls find themselves "companions", but times were lean and now there was a new child in the okiya. At least she could have hope that the girl would go to become a great geisha.

"I can't believe you! You have shamed Mother and you have shamed me. One thing I want to know Ayame, how did you keep this from us so long?" Mayu slipped into the room from just outside where she had been listening in.

"Onee-san I have done nothing that you have not done yourself, why do you reprimand me? I know about the child, your son. You gave birth to him when I was just a little girl, before I became your little sister. I watched everyday, Mother did not know you were very good at hiding it." Mayu cringed, how could she have known? She had taken great care to hide it. Something she had been taught by her Onee-san because of the strictness of Mother.

"You little….! Don't ever mention that again! I was at least smart to have the child away from the okiya and give the thing away. Now because of you all geisha here will be watched much more closely. We are already less free than other geisha!" Mayu unconsciously slipped her hand to cover her womb, she wasn't proud of what she had done. But for the sake of everyone she had to do it, just as Ayame.

"Onee-san?" Ayame held her daughter closer, the look in her big sister's eyes was disconcerting.

"Because of your deceit we have no time to find someone to take the child. Give it to me!" Mayu held out her hands but Ayame pulled away. What was wrong with her? Did she really expect her to let her do what she was planning?

"You can not keep the thing….I wonder…." Mayu leaned into the young geisha and child, she had heard of a story from the west. She was never that much of a believer in the old ways. Her mind was open to new ideas, and this was something she had wondered about since hearing the stories a few years ago.

"Maybe there is a way to be rid of the thing without killing it. All you have to do is wish it away." Ayame started bouncing the little one in her arms as she backed away.

"I will not get rid of my child!" Mayu rushed at her and pulled the child from her arms. She picked up a small pillow and glared at Ayame.

"What is it to be?"

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Ayame made her way through the Labyrinth, she had less then ten minutes left and she was still stuck in the courtyard with the wise man. She had just ran to the small closer with the two doors when she heard his voice.

"Time is up, the child stays." Jareth stood just in front of the stone chair the wise man always used. He watched as the little geisha slowly walked towards him. Out of all the girls who had ever wished their children away she was the only one he wanted to solve the Labyrinth. He knew what had happened, that she had been forced to wish the child away. But he could not control what had started, and he could not help.

"But…my daughter?" Ayame thought she would die right there, she had lost her child. She had not even been able to give her a name.

"She will be taken very well care of I promise. Ayame don't cry……" Jareth clenched his fists, he had never said to anyone ever what he was about to say to her now.

"Ayame I'm sorry." She nodded slowly as she felt his gloved hand slip under her chin.

"I could make you forget…" She gazed up into his deep eyes, it seemed unreal she could feel like she could trust the man who was taking her daughter away. But he wasn't a monster and had even voiced his respect for her, it was Mayu who had done this to her.

"No, I want to remember." Jareth took in a breath as he sent her back to the little okiya in Japan. In all his years he had never respected a mortal as much as he did that girl, she was the first out of all that had wished the child away to save it from death. He knew he would never forget her, and he vowed that he would care for her daughter. There was no lesson to be learned by her, the innocent hadn't the need for punishment.

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Authors' Note: Ok first off when it comes to the Geisha, we don't know too much about the culture. We tried to study up on it as much as we could, so please forgive us if we get something wrong, we are human and do make mistakes.

Now this story sort of just happened because of Rhia's love of Jareth and Japanese culture, and Nerds suggesting we take Jareth out of his element. This will be somewhat of a different story, and we know Jareth doesn't seem to act in character at times, such as this preface and the way he treated Ayame. But believe me it will be the same old arragant Jareth we know and love.

Ok, well we are working on the first chapter now, so hopefully look for it in a couple of days.

Disclaimer: Nope don't own a thing from the movie, don't ask us cause we don't own them!