Author's note: Yeah, I am unsure about this one. I have never written a Laby fic, but this idea won't leave me. So, I am testing it out. I don't really know what to rate it either because it is pretty damn innocent so far. I haven't even written a curse word yet. However, there will be blood, violence, swearing, and hints at lemonade later on possibly. Like I said, I am not sure yet. We will see. I will edit it as I go. Yes, the main pairing is indeed m/f. However, there will be hints of others in here. Btw, yes the title is different on AFF. It has been renamed due to cheesy retardation on the part of my scattered brain. The world really doesn't need another fic named after a song from the movie -derp-
Disclaimer: No, I do not own the movie Labyrinth, nor any of its characters, however there are several originals that will make an appearance her that are mine. I am making no profit other than my own enjoyment from this story. I also own none of the music featured here for they are all from David Bowie. Worship him. He is God. Enjoy.
Featherfall
Prologue
Warm air, spiraling and rising, tugging gently at her wings, lifted her into its comforting arms; arms that thrilled her and sent her heart into a delightful patter. Muscles in her wings stretched and contorted to the wind's caress and she could feel the movement of every darkly tinged feather. Her eyes flitted out over the world below, eyes zooming in on the moss covered stone, the twisted, enchanted trees, and even the rows upon rows of hedge that contorted into a dizzying pattern that seemed to have little reasoning. She watched those clever walls shift far below in the fading sunlight. They were familiar. However, the thought left her simple mind the moment that she wheeled to the left, feeling the strong currents of air tug and encase her. A delighted screech rushed from her open beak against the feeling. She felt free and fulfilled. Nothing else in the world mattered at all and she was content in the simplicity of everything.
And then a gentle whisper drifted across her feathers. It was soothing and seductive with an addictive flavor that peaked her curiosity. She needed to find the source of the sound, the vibration. Her wings snapped in tight to her body and she allowed herself to drop, gravity welcoming her hungrily. Her eyes dilated as the ground surged upward, but her decent was stopped by her large wings snapping out wide, muscles aching with the strain. She skimmed over the walls below, wings pumping the air hard to carry her as she allowed the glorious feeling to sweep her over the tops of the stone walls. They shifted almost longingly below her, as if envying the sky that held her. But she ignored it all in favor of finding that whisper. Again she heard it. It was her name. And oh was it such a exotic sound, rich, soft, like a brush of silk or smooth chocolate over gravel. It seared her from the inside out and beckoned her onward. She could not resist such a voice, nor did she want to. It was familiar, haunting, and altogether wonderful.
Her wings pumped harder at the air, feathers skimming over the tops of glittering leaves that reached after her as she passed. The voice was becoming stronger and rather than a whisper, her name had become a song. It strung together upon itself in a breathy stream of wisping syllables that held her enraptured. Her hazel eyes narrowed in as she spotted what appeared to be a tower jutting out from the shifting walls. Why did that look familiar as well? Her wings shifted to ease her into a wide circle around the structure and the voice murmured lovingly to her. It seemed so pleased to be close to her, so relieved. She craned her neck to look at the ancient stone that glistened in the fading sunlight with a magic older than the world itself. And then she spotted it, the source of the voice. Her eyes widened in realization, but her body continued to move closer to the large window that welcomed her with a hidden deceit. She needed to get away! She could not go inside of that tower!
Her deadly beak opened to let out a shriek of protest as her wings pounded against the think air to slow her momentum. Her talons stretched out wide and she alighted on something soft and yielding. Silken black fabric gave way easily beneath her claws, but they did not sink into the skin beneath. She felt powerless as her body settled comfortably atop the arm of the man that sent so many confused and mixed feeling spiraling through her. Being a bird, she was unable to comprehend most of them. However, she did understand that she needed to be away from him. A smile, one that was strangely sincere graced his features and his eyes, one an intense cobalt blue, the other a golden emerald green hue, watched her with what she could only guess was contentment.
Just as the sun barely touched the horizon, she became aware of her body shifting, elongating. Feathers melted away in a tingling sensation to reveal pale skin, wings condensed to shape arms, and her legs grew longer. All of this happened in a matter of seconds and though the change was certainly noticeable, the process was not. It were as though in one instant, she had been bird and the next, girl. The man had easily moved her into his arms once the change began and he waited patiently for it to finish. Her wide eyes turned to meet his even stare and confusion swirled about in those brown-green depths. He quirked a single elegant brow at her and that typical arrogant smirk that fit him so well stretched his mouth into a toothy grin.
"Ah, hello Sarah. I've been waiting an awfully long time for you to answer my calls," He began in his rich baritone that held a bit of annoyance despite his efforts to conceal it. The melodious sound jolted her from her stunned state and she struggled to remove herself from the extremely intimate position he held her in. The black clad man seemed to anticipate her fighting, for he held tight, crossing the room in a few elegant steps before seating himself upon a simple high backed chair. He held her upon his lap, arm curled about her waist casually even as she thrashed angrily.
"Let me go, Goblin King!" She hissed out, eyes flashing in warning, though she knew very well that he was far more powerful, at least physically. His chuckle at her outburst had her temperature sky rocketing. The cheeky bastard! Oh what she would have given to punch the ass right then and there. The King lifted a gloved hand to lift a tendril of her long dark hair and he twirled it through his fingers as his eyes studied it. His expression softened into a somber calm that had Sarah's anger receding slightly. She had seen that look before on his beautiful face. But that had been nearly five years ago when she had fought against him for the return of her brother. He let out a soft, wistful sigh and turned his attention to her face.
"Still so defiant and quick to react. I don't have long so just allow me this simple pleasure for the moment," He murmured as he drew her head to rest against his slightly exposed chest, his face dipping to nuzzle against those soft strands that he adored. His eyes closed in contentment, just holding her there, his hand stroking her freckled cheek. Sarah was at a complete loss. Dazed by the strangeness of his behavior and the ominous feeling that had settled over her with his words, she could not find it in herself to fight him.
"What is going on, Jar-" A single finger stopped her before she could finish the name, miss-colored eyes watching her carefully.
"You mustn't say my name. Not yet. If you do, they will find us all too soon and then my time will be up. I can't explain much, for doing so will take too much time and it may attract their attention." He began, glad that she no longer resisted his hold. "In short, for the past twelve years, I have been in hiding. That is, five years in aboveground time. I am being hunted by those of my own race whom seek to bring me into exile or even death because of the events caused by you, my dear." Her jaw dropped open slightly and she felt a strange sinking sensation in her gut.
"You can't possibly be blaming me for this!" She yelped out, glaring heatedly at him again. He smiled fondly. Oh how he had missed her anger.
"But it is you whom has been the catalyst for these events, including the waning of my power and the slow decay of the Labyrinth. Because I had broken the rules, because you have defied the laws of this world with your very being, and because you denied me, the balance of power here has been upturned. However, it is my fault that I had gone through such bold steps to capture you in a game so as to lure you into my realm," He explained. Sarah bit her lower lip, eyes turning to look out the window as she pondered his words.
"So... why did you do it? Why me? Wasn't Toby all that you were after?" She asked in mild confusion. He grinned at her, but said nothing on it. A huff of frustration
escaped her lungs and she averted her gaze to the unfortunate stone floor. Why did he have to be so difficult? It was just like it had been all of those years ago. He evaded her questions with riddles and a well place smirk and pissed her off so much with just being in her presence. And yet, she strangely found herself enjoying the situation on some twisted masochistic level. He was a bastard and yet the fact that he was a bastard and hadn't changed sent thrills through her in a way that made her feel alive. "Will you at least tell me how I could have possibly started this all?" She felt him smile against her hair and was unable to suppress the butterflies that bounced about her stomach.
"You are human." He responded as though that simple fact answered it all. An almost animalistic growl rose from her throat against her annoyance with him. His laughter was light and oddly warm as opposed to the cold and dark tone it had taken on the last time she had faced him. Or had it really been so wicked? It had been a very long time ago, after all.
"So I, being human and getting through the labyrinth messed up everything including your powers. And now your kind is hunting you because you were beaten by a little girl." She stated bluntly, eyes glittering with challenge as she baited him. He did not disappoint her. His hold on her tightened and she could practically hear the man's teeth grinding together. A snide smirk curled the corners of her lips and she had to hold back her own smug laughter.
"Must you be so cruel, dear Sarah?" The king asked through his teeth, "And that is one way of thinking of it. Though, you didn't "beat" me, regardless of what your delusions have led you to believe." She raised an eyebrow and turned to look him in the eye, ignoring the way her heart skipped at being so ridiculously close to her childhood obsession.
"Oh, really?" She asked, "Then what exactly did I do?" He stared at her blankly, his indifferent mask hiding his shame and his pain along with the sharp barbs of anger that had rooted themselves within him after their last meeting. His gaze turned hard, showing a glimpse of that primal anger and Sarah tensed in his grasp.
"You rejected my proposal." He stated coldly, eyes hard and locked upon her lovely face. Her stomach dropped out from her altogether. What was he talking about? The man looked feral, wild, his uneven mane of rich platinum and gold and metallic blue jutting out in those gravity defying angles, his sharp features looking far younger than they had in the past. But his eyes, two bursts of violent color had her feeling thankful that she hadn't been standing, for surely her legs would have given out.
"Proposal?" She asked meekly, trying to move as far away from him as possible. His arms kept her close, however, and his gaze darkened further, lips tugging down into a frown as he studied her. She really had no clue.
"It is not important now and there is little that can be done. What's said is said and in a few hours it won't matter at all," He bit out, turning his gaze away to look at the sun that was still descending toward the horizon. The moment that it moved entirely beneath the sky, his spell that had hidden him would fade. Normally he would have flown from the tower to seek another place of hiding. However, he had finally spoken to her. There was no need to hide any longer. He had only wanted to see her again.
"Are they really going to kill you?" She asked softly, unable to explain the pain that blossomed within her at the thought. It sickened her to think of him as dead, that he wasn't always going to be lurking in the nightmares and dreams of those aboveground and ruling the labyrinth below. She bit her lower lip as her brows furrowed together, her mind trying to concoct a world without her arch nemesis. She could not.
"Yes," He breathed quietly, "It is the way of our kind. Only the strongest may rule the Underground. For one to become king, the former king must be killed." His throat constricted when the scent of tears filled his senses along with her soft perfume of wildflowers and thunderstorms. He turned his startled gaze to her, stunned to see tears cascading from her closed eyes. His heart cried out in agony at the sight and yet soared in elation all at once. The king traced the tracks of salt water with a leather clad hand, drawing a gasp from her. Her reddened gaze flitted fearfully to his face before shying to the side of the room away from him. "Why do you cry, precious thing?" Sarah swallowed hard, her throat tight and unyielding from the swell of emotion and fear that had overtaken her. And shame also hung heavily over her tense shoulders.
"I don't want you to die," She whispered beneath a shaken breath and the blond man felt something within him snap and heat, sending tremors of fire rolling through his limbs. She was crying for him. His arms wound about her tightly, pulling her into his chest with a protective sort of need that he had not felt often and only toward the few family members that he had left. This was different, however. Her small hands fisted in his shirt and she buried her wet face in the crook of his neck. She never ceased to amaze and baffle him. The girl had all but hated him for his cruelty and yet here she was, crying for him and clinging to him as though he were going to be ripped away from her. Hope fluttered cautiously in his chest and he stroked her back soothingly. It had been centuries since he had held someone in such a way, and that someone hadn't been his obsession. Needless to say, he was overcome by the whole of it all. "Isn't there anything that can be done?"
"Perhaps, but I do not know of what. Fighting them is not an option at this point," He responded gently, feeling the ice that had formed over his mind and heart give way for her. Always for her. She hiccupped and wiped at her tears, leaning back slightly to look up at him. Though her face was stained with red from her tears and her hair was in disarray, she was breath taking to him. But, he could not give himself to her entirely, not after what had happened last time. He knew all too well what had to be done for his power to return, however, she would not do such a thing, especially for him. But, perhaps there was hope.
"Will they follow you no matter where you go?" She asked, her eyes gaining that determined spark that had ensnared him from the beginning. Her mind was turning with ideas and solutions, planning and seeking an answer to this puzzle. Though she had grown older, Sarah still held that imaginative mind that allowed her to break apart the mazes set before her to find the correct path, or so she hoped. The King raised an eyebrow at the question, raking his own mind as he caught on to what she was implying. Aside from him there were no goblins capable of jumping worlds without a great deal of power or the assistance of a human.
"They certainly would have a difficult time of it if I left the Underground..." He mumbled absently, his own thoughts racing to seek out loop holes. Unless another advanced goblin like him was called into the Above, he would be virtually untouchable. But, he wouldn't be able to do it alone. His questioning gaze met Sarah's and she folded her arms over her chest.
"You don't even have to ask. You may have been my enemy and you may be an arrogant, self-absorbed, heartless, cruel, sadistic-"
"Alright, I see your point." He interrupted her with a roll of his eyes. He didn't miss the amused smile that lit her features.
"Anyway, even though I don't fully trust you, I don't think that I could handle not acting when I am perfectly able to help you. Despite everything, you are important to me, Goblin King," She finished, badly hiding her flushing cheeks. Happiness lapped at his insides regardless of her insults and he buried his face in her thick hair, inhaling her scent deeply. Sarah felt her blush deepen from the act of affection and gratitude. Since when had he become so clingy? "W-what do I need to do?"
"You will awaken soon. When midnight comes tomorrow night, say my name. It MUST be exactly at midnight. I will come to you then. There are preparations to be made before I can join you in your world. If I do not make it, I want you to know that I am eternally grateful to you," He said against her ear, relishing in the shudder that moved through her. And then he was aware of a fist tightening in the hair at the back of his head, jerking him back almost roughly so that she could glare into his eyes. He was thrown by the act of near violence against his person and strangely excited by it, his brows rising in surprise.
"You WILL make it, understand? If you don't, I'll kill you myself," She hissed in warning, "I'm not about to lose my nemesis to a bunch of pathetic retards that chase chickens for entertainment." He smiled genuinely at her response, laughing lightly, his eyes alighting with that wicked fire that they hadn't held in so long. His hand cupped her cheek tenderly and he leaned in to brush his nose against her's as her grip loosened. She turned timid at their closeness, looking very much like a deer about to be flattened by an eighteen wheeler.
"At your command, Milady." He all but purred before placing a faint kiss upon her lips. The sharp jolt of lightning that shot through the both of them had the room crackling with energy. The young woman let out a soft gasp against the powerful sensation, feeling as though every nerve in her body were ablaze. And then he pulled back, dazed and longing. However, he knew not to press her too far. It was by a sheer miracle that she had accepted him so far. The air about them hummed with magic and the very stone beneath their feet seemed to sing. Sarah's heart had crawled up her throat so fast that she was sure she was going to choke on it. He had KISSED her! Sure she had been kissed before, but never by someone who made her feel like the world was going to end with just a brush of his lips. And she had liked it. A lot. Her blush deepened and spread until she was sure that she'd be stuck that way. The king looked as giddy as a little boy on Christmas morning. However, that boyish smile vanished when a sound similar to chimes echoed up through the window. Instantly, he was once again the cold, roguish, Goblin King that she remembered. He rose from the chair, taking her with him and moved to the window to look out over the labyrinth.
"Here come the hounds." He murmured softly. "You must leave now, Sarah. If they see you, it will alert them of our plan. I will conceal you as long as I can until you are safe. "
"What about you? They'll capture you," She argued, even as she felt the beginnings of feathers growing from her skin. The king gave her a small, grateful smile and pressed his lips to her forehead before she was consumed completely by the change. Her mind shifted finally, taking away all of her worries aside from the need to fly off. With a flourish of her nearly 5 foot wing span, her muscles lifted her, talons tucking in tight to her cream underside. The air happily cradled her and danced about her as she shot from the window. Primary feathers spread wide and she beat the air to gain more height over the labyrinth below. Thermals of heated air played across her underside, giving her the extra boost that she needed. Up and up she went, circling in wide graceful arcs. Each turn brought her higher into the star littered sky that was still tainted with the lingering orange of the sun. She cast hazel eyes upon the tower one last time, a call of longing rising from her throat before the thick cumulous clouds engulfed her within their welcoming depths.
With a gasp, Sarah Williams shot up from her bed, covers tangled about her sweat covered body and her hair falling in tangled waves. Her breathing was harsh and painful, as though she had been underwater for too long and the air that filled her lungs was far too much for her to take it. Cold chills sprang up all across her pale skin and she heaved a great sigh of relief at discovering her surroundings. She was in her room in the real world and no longer trapped within a dream. Sarah ran shaky hands through her hair with a nervous laugh. She was twenty one years old and still having silly dreams of the Goblin King of all things. He would not have summoned her of all people. Besides, to do so would have broken the deal they had made long ago. He was to never have any contact with them again, namely Toby. So, she deduced, it had to have been a dream and nothing more. The screech of her alarm clock had her jerking nearly a foot off of the bed until she realized where the terrible sound was coming from and slammed a hand down on it.
"Ugh, get a grip, Sarah," She muttered darkly. Her fingers snagged in her hair and she tugged at the tangle, her blood running cold when a strange texture registered against her skin. She pulled the object free from her hair and held it up in the faint light from her closed window. It was a single dark feather tinged in a burnt red about a foot long. The fine hair on her neck stood on end as realization grasped her in a constricting fist. The Labyrinth had touched her once again.
A/N: Reviewers make my muse work faster and also bring about artwork. 8D
-Riddy
