Full description: "Tha an leanabh an duine agus draoidheachd thig ribh bho am fearann os cionn. Bithidh i sgoltadh an speur agus aonachadh fearann. Rìgh an fhearainn tuitidh dhi, agus tuitidh na reultan bho na speuran an aon àm tha i air a chrùnadh 'Bhanrigh. Ach thoir do cheart aire an dorchadas, 's dòcha airson a ghoid air falbh i airson math."
Long, long ago, before the Thùsail Kingdom was split apart, a Prophecy was spoken. It has defined the life of Jareth, the King of the Goblins, ever since he was young, and though he thought he had found the One, he will find her where he never thought to look.
Abigail Gray has only ever dreamed of magic and fantasy, but when her siblings get into a fight and a hasty wish is made, everything she has ever known will change and, perhaps, she shall conquer the Darkness, as well as her own heart.

'Ello! I'm K. Griffin!

Welcome to the Prologue of Wanderer of Rose, a fanfiction inspired by the fairy tales, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White.

Now, before I get any comments asking, this is NOT a J/S romance; it pairs Jareth with an OC of my creation and takes place after the events of Labyrinth, as in my story the movie was based off of real events. Jareth will think of Sarah for a while, but he will move on - because I personally don't think that he was truly in love with her, just had a bad case of unhealthy obsession.

Also, "Wanderer's Lullaby" by Adriana Figueroa inspired the title and a large part of the story. Go check it out; it's freaking amazing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth, though I do own a copy of the movie. Does that count? (Also own Abigail Gray, but that's kind of obvious...)

Wanderer of Rose

Prologue
Fairy Tales

Once Upon A Time . . .

Wait, wait, wait! No. I'm not having my story start like that; that's lame.

With all due respect, ma'am -

Why are you calling me "ma'am"? Do I look like I'm married?

. . . My apologies, miss.

Why are you calling me "miss" now? Do I look single or something?

But you just said -

Ah, never mind that. Now, shall we start the story?

. . . Yes, Milady. Ahem. Once Upon A Time -

No, no, no! My story can't start like that!

I am not beginning with your story, Milady.

Well, why not?

Because the King's story starts before yours.

Oh. That's a good point.

Thank you.

Very, very good point indeed.

. . .

Why didn't I think of that?

. . . Milady . . .

His story does begin before mine.

. . . Yes, it does.

But my story is more important!

. . .

So, therefore, my story should come first!

. . . Milady, with all due respect, we are behind schedule. We must start the story now.

After all, I am the one who saves the day in the end!

. . . Milady, if you let me tell His Majesty's story now, you may tell your own story in any way you wish.

Oh. Really?

Yes, really.

All right, then. Deal!

Very well, then. Now, as I was saying -

Any way I want?

. . . Yes.

No matter what?

Yes.

Are you sure?

Yes! Now, may I please start!?

'Course. Go on, then.

. . . Thank you. Now, ahem, as I was saying: Once Upon A Time -

Why do you start like that?

Because -

Is it a fairy tale or something?

In a manner of speaking -

'Cause that's a really cliche way to start a fairy tale.

. . .

Every fairy tale starts like that, it seems.

. . . Would you please shut up!?

. . .

Thank you.

. . . Why?

Argh! That's it! Where the Hell is the duct tape!

. . .

You deserved that.

I know.

There. Done!

Mmph-mmph!

Now, where was I?

Mmph-mmph-mm-mm.

Ah, that's right. Once Upon A Time, In A Land Far, Far Away, there was a man.

Mmph.

But this man was no ordinary man.

Mmph?

He was a Prince, soon to be a King!

Mm!

But the Kingdom this Prince was to inherit was admittedly doomed.

Mm?

The Kingdom's enemies from the North and the South had begun to invade, bringing with them the threat of a war their weak army could not survive.

Mm!

And the Kingdom's allies from the East and the West refused to help them against the invaders.

Mmph?

No one knew why, but their crops had begun to die rapidly, leading to a mass starvation. And as if that wasn't enough, the rivers had begun to dry up and a Plague was in the process of sweeping through the land, killing all regardless of gender, social status, or species.

Mm . . .

The Prince, desperate to heal his broken Kingdom and save it after his father, the King, was consumed by the Plague, went to the neighboring Kingdom of Fae. He requested audience with their High Queen, known to be favorable only when in a certain mood, but despite the rumors, she was the best hope the Prince had. So he went and begged for the Fae's help with his own Kingdom's problems.

Mmph!

The High Queen awarded the Prince with three impossible tasks, saying that only after he had completed all of them successfully would she consider such a concept. She also added that she would marry him if he succeeded.

Mm!

The Prince went on and completed each impossible task, moving forward only by the force of his loyalty to the Kingdom he was to rule.

Mmph! Mmph mm!

The Queen was moved by his continued efforts, even when the whole world seemed against him, and so she healed his broken Kingdom and offered a unison of their two Kingdoms solidified by their wedding.

Mm . . .

The Prince accepted, and the two were wedded at Autumn's Height.

Mm?

Autumn's Height is what you humans call the Fall Equinox.

Mm . . .

As I was saying, the united Kingdoms were henceforth known as Thùsail, and the powerful Kingdom lasted for centuries.

Mm.

However, nothing truly lasts forever, and Thùsail was split apart when the Seer spouted the Prophecy.

Mmph?

The Kingdom was split into the Four Great Courts. The Court of Spring, the Court of Summer, the Court of Autumn, and the Court of Winter. Within the Four Courts, there are a plethora of Kingdoms, but the Courts are all ruled by the High Kings and Queens, whom the Kings and Queens of the other Kingdoms must always bow to.

Mmph-mm.

However, our story is, for the most part, unaffected by the Seasonal Courts and, instead, focuses upon one Kingdom in particular: the Goblin Kingdom.

Mmph! Mmph! Mm!

Our story begins at the very start of the Goblin Kingdom, but as the history is far too long and far too complicated to explain within the allotted time, I shall merely give you a basic overview.

Mm!

The Goblin Kingdom started as a safe-haven for all children who were unwanted and unloved, a simple collection of huts and hovels that had been gifted to the first Goblin Queen, Fuàdæn, by the High King of the Autumn Court, his name lost to history. The collection of huts grew, of course, with Queen Fuàdæn's magic (1) and help from the High King, and eventually, a castle was built in the center of a great maze, designed to challenge any who would reclaim the lost children. The High King and Queen Fuàdæn fell in love, bonded by Magick (2) in the most wholesome of bonds, and Fuàdæn was chosen by Magick to become the new High Queen of the Autumn Court.

. . .

However, a vindictive sorceress who had hoped the honor of becoming High Queen would fall to her grew enraged at the audacity of the new High Queen of the Autumn Court, who refused to leave the castle in the center of the maze to protect the lost children. And so, the sorceress gathered all of her magic and cast a horrid spell, one that tainted the aegis of protection High Queen Fuàdæn had cast over her Kingdom, forcing any lost children who were not saved by their family to be turned into Goblins.

Mmph! Mmph! Mmph! Mm!

Yes, I know; it was a horrid thing to do.

Mm.

Ahem, anyway, so despite the sorceress' meddling, High Queen Fuàdæn did not leave her Kingdom, now dubbed the Kingdom of Goblins, and, instead, adapted to the change and cherished her subjects the same, regardless of their new forms.

Mm-mm-mm.

Yes, she was a wonderful Queen. Now, the sorceress, still determined to ruin High Queen Fuàdæn, summoned an elemental spirit and ordered it to destroy the castle and High Queen Fuàdæn with it. What she did not know was that, regardless of summoning the elemental, she did not control it.

Mmm . . .

The elemental was a powerful one, and she was enraged at both the orders and the darkness of the sorceress' soul. Instead of completing her task, she stole the sorceress' magic and bound herself to the maze surrounding High Queen Fuàdæn's Kingdom, creating the Labyrinth that exists today.

Mm mmph mm mm mmph?

The sorceress withered away without her magic, and she passed into the Void.

Mm mm mmph?

High Queen Fuàdæn and her husband lived very happily together for many years and had many children before they, too, traveled into the Void together. Their descendants rule the Goblin Kingdom to this day.

Mmph-mm!

Yes, him.

. . . Mmph mm mmph mm mmph mm?

Yes, you may.

. . .

. . .

Mmph mm mm-mmph?

Oh. Right.

Ah, it's so nice to be able to talk without that stupid piece of tape obstructing my mouth!

You had no problem making comments, with or without the tape.

Hey, it's my turn now!

Yes, Milady.

Okay, so, my story is not nearly as long as hers, nor is it so fantastical and inspirational and magical. Mine is rather boring in comparison.

I'll say.

I'll duct-tape your mouth shut if you don't let me tell my story.

. . .

Without your comments.

Very well, Milady.

Thank you.

. . .

Now, as I was saying, my story isn't nearly like hers - well, except for the very beginning. But the rest of the story more than makes up for the slightly extraordinary beginning, making my story almost entirely dull and boring.

. . .

However, in order to understand everything that will be recorded in this tome, I must tell you my story all the same. Please, do not forget, though, that magic is not so heavily a part of my story as it it hers.

. . .

My story begins with the Labyrinth, and its infinitely powerful sentient spirit. In a time far before my life had begun, or even been thought of - the same for you as well, the spirit of the Labyrinth was overjoyed, for a multitude of reasons.

. . .

First, the current Goblin King had finally been given an heir, after years of trying with his Queen, and the resulting child was a healthy boy, one that the Labyrinth knew would become a powerful King one day. Peering into the babe's future, it saw nothing but good fortune and happiness in his reign, and beyond. The child, it knew, would be an excellent King of the Kingdom he was to inherit.

. . .

The second reason why the spirit of the Labyrinth was so happy was almost better, in its eyes; it had found the Child of Prophecy, the one destined to become the greatest Queen the Seasonal Courts had ever seen. True, the child had not yet been born and would not be born for quite some time, but, at last, the Labyrinth had found the child.

. . .

It gathered its magic, honing its sight into the future, and it began to craft its chosen child, a perfect match for the newborn Prince in every way imaginable. A girl, with skin fair as snow, lips red as blood, hair brown as chestnut tree. It gave her an indomitable spirit and bright, fiery green eyes to match. It crafted her with a penchant for magic and fantasy, a childish faith in that which cannot be explained. It gave her mental fortitude incomprehensible, inner fire eternal, passions unending, wit undying, tongue sharp as sharpened blade, but most of all, it gave her kindness and selflessness of which the world had never before seen.

. . .

Once that was done, the Labyrinth shrouded the child of its own creation in itself until the time came when it would be born. And when that time came, the child's parents were chosen carefully, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of humans scanned to find the perfect pair. At last, it found them, Joseph and Andrea Gray.

. . .

Having been married for not quite three years and still wholly in love with one another, they were the perfect choice. And so, the Labyrinth wrought its magic and settled its babe within Andrea's womb, mixing Magick and humanity into something that was not quite either yet both at the same time. The Child of Prophecy was hence born, without any fanfare or awards to be seen.

. . .

And it would remain that way until I, Abigail Gray, turned 17. Then . . . everything changed.

. . . Well said.

Shut up.

Yes, Milady.

You deserved that.

I know.

Next time on Wanderer of Rose:

. . . a flash of movement catches my eye and draws my attention. It disappears, though, gone in an instant; I carefully scan the blue skies peeking over the roof of the next-door building for the source of the movement I had spotted previously, but I find nothing. I am just about to give up when a tawny barn owl swoops by, in broad daylight.

"We both saw that owl?" I begin, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, and he nods.
"Yeah, I saw it." He looks over at me as we start to walk up the stairs, passing by laughing, rough-housing classmates. He makes a face when one of the stereotypical jocks almost bumps into me, glaring harshly at him - protective as always, but I shush him. "Aren't owls supposed to be nocturnal?"
"Yup," I reply, popping the 'P' as I turn to go up the second flight of stairs. I have to push a few people aside to make it up, garnering a few grumbles that Noah silences with another harsh glare. "Generally."
"But that's not what's concerning you," he guesses, trailing after me. "And it's not the Bell, is it?"

This girl - nay, this woman, for she possesses a captivating, worldly yet otherworldly, womanly beauty, the kind of which his Sarah never had - never had the chance to have.

With a jolt, Jareth realizes his turn in thoughts and curses mentally, hurriedly opening a portal back to his Labyrinth. Never again, he vows to himself, giving the lovely woman one last, appraising glance over his shoulder. Never again.

"Good luck," he says sincerely, wishing me the best in the hardships that are sure to come.
Because laying on the pavement, in the shadow of the neighboring building, is a feather. A tawny barn owl feather.

1 & 2: Magic VS Magick - In case you didn't realize by the variant spelling and capitalization, magic and Magick are two completely different things. They are similar, yes, as they both are unnatural by human logic, but they are still completely different. Magic is defined as the power within one's soul to break the laws of physics that define their particular world or elsewise do something that is highly illogical to happen; every person who possesses magic has a different type, a different variety or flavor - something keyed to who they are as a person. Meanwhile, Magick is the over-arcing power within the different Realms; Magick is sentient and can do everything that magic can, though it belongs to no one. On occasion, some may harness the power within Magick, but Magick will never belong to one person. Get the difference? (In all reality, though, if you're confused, PM me or comment below and I'll try to explain it some more.)

And done!

I finally finished it! You guys have no idea how long it took me to write this. It demanded to be written, but it just wouldn't come out, you know? God, this story is so freaking stubborn.

But, anyway, it's complete now. Feel free to let me know what you think. ;)

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