Strangers When We Meet: a Labyrinth fanfiction by Melody Pope.
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, or David Bowie (dammit). Nor do I own his song that this fic is named after. ;D
A hostile shout pierced the otherwise serene night. In another room, a small baby cried, unaware of her parents' argument, but somehow sensing unrest.
"She's only a baby! Leave her alone!"
The father finished off his beer and tossed the bottle aside, adding to the already clamorous scene.
This made the baby wail even louder, sending the drunken father over the edge.
He grabbed the largest piece of the broken bottle and headed for the baby's room. The mother raced ahead of him and stood defensively in front of the cradle.
"You'll never hurt my Anna!" she shouted, with a startling venom in her voice.
By either his natural born stupidity, or the fact that he'd drunken himself moronic, the father moved in closer and closer, 'knowing' he could overpower his wife.
As he raised his makeshift weapon, the mother waged all of her hopes on a stupid, childish fairy tale.
"I wish..."
Anna bolted upright in bed. Beads of sweat ran down her neck, and she was gasping as if she'd just run a marathon. Her miniature pet dragon, Sapphire, who had been sleeping, cocked her head to one side as if to inquire about her owner's nightmare.
"It's the same one Saffy, the same one..." she trailed off.
For about a month now, she'd been having the same Hellish dream, the same reenactment of how she'd come to live in the Underground. Thoughts of this brought to mind her workday ahead. Funny how remembering a serious happening like that could lead to thoughts of something as mundane as a workday, Anna thought to herself.
Now, Jareth's castle wasn't a bad place to work if one enjoyed being bitched at every five minutes, for stupidly trivial things. Either Jareth was really picky, or the more likely option, he just liked being an ass.
Kitchen duty wasn't much fun, although there wasn't much to do unless cooking for creatures other than goblins (on that note, Anna couldn't understand why goblins had to have food cooked for them if they'd be just as or more content rummaging through the garbage). Kitchen and all of her other duties were tolerable, but it was cleanup duty that Anna really hated.
The goblins had lived for centuries, and they still managed to make dung beetles look like stupendous upholders of cleanliness.
As Anna looked at her own mismatched eyes in the bathroom mirror, she thought of another with a similar condition.
"Jareth is always such an ass to me when I'm working. You'd think he'd treat one of his best workers better..."
Now that she thought of it though, Anna couldn't really blame Jareth for being in such a foul mood all the time; ruling goblins would do that to a person, she imagined.
There was more to Jareth's mood than goblins, though. Jareth was not aware of some of the things she'd overheard, and things she'd come across while cleaning.
"Bye Saffy, I'm leaving!" Anna called behind herself as she walked out the door.
The forest was very quiet, which was extremely out of the ordinary. Usually, there was a group of loud goblins every once in a while, or a group of firies finishing up a night's partying. Today, Anna barely heard a sound, other than her own footsteps over the forest floor. She shrugged as she reached the designated spot for the morning portal. Twice a day, for ten minutes, a portal to the Goblin City opened here. It was used by employees of Jareth's that lived outside the castle, and was usable only to those with proper IDs, or their guests.
The magnificent fountain only looked strange and out of place because it was in the middle of nowhere. It would have fit in very nicely with the more elegant sections of Jareth's castle. There were some sections that, like the throne room, were downtrodden and overrun with goblins, but there was a portion where things were elegant and very classy. How Jareth kept the ultra destructive goblins out of there was anybody's guess.
Anna's train of thought was interrupted as a slight swooshing sound indicated that the portal was now open. Anna stepped over the ledge and right into the fountain. After a brief sensation of falling, Anna found herself standing on the ledge of a fountain in the Goblin City.
This fountain was a far cry from the one Anna had just left. This one was topped with hideous goblins. Some had missing eyes, fingers, or toes, and some were more piles of rubble than they were the figure of a goblin (which was almost an improvement, she smirked to herself).
It was not long before she was standing at the enormous front doors, which were open. Two creatures were standing guard, but they were so heavily armored, it wasn't clear if they were man, fae, elf, goblin, or what... Anna flashed her ID at them and headed for the posted schedules to see what she would be doing today.
She let out an audible groan; she was on cleaning duty today.
"I hope it's not in the throne room." she remarked to herself as she headed there to ask Jareth where she would be needed.
The scene in the throne room was as it usually appeared; rotting food and rancid barrels of goblin ale were everywhere, and the live chickens and pigs were thoroughly enjoying using the floor as their personal lavatories.
Instead of being in his throne, though, Jareth was perched elegantly on his ledge of a windowsill. Anna knew Jareth only sat there when he was feeling particularly contemplative, or depressed, and that it was rarely a good idea to interrupt him while there, unless of course one had a sick obsession with angry lectures.
Not sure what else to do, Anna cleared her throat loudly, although how Jareth had heard it over the goblins' din, she wasn't sure.
Jareth's melancholy expression disappeared so fast, Anna was scarcely aware she'd seen it.
Jareth stepped off the ledge and straightened himself importantly. He was dressed very nicely indeed. He was wearing a grey vest layered over a jet black open shirt with flowing sleeves, sleeves that were very nearly too long for his already lanky arms. Black leggings rounded out his somber outfit. Anna had noted all this in a second.
"What do you want?" Jareth asked. His tone was slightly harsher than normal, even for him.
He was usually good at hiding this sort of true emotion, and Anna wondered if he thought he was doing it just then. She had half a notion to ask Jareth what was wrong, but she reluctantly decided against it.
"I was just wondering where my cleaning duties are needed today."
Jareth glanced around the room. He rolled his eyes, another thing Anna usually never saw him do.
"I'd tell you to clean this room, but seeing as it always seems to be a pit, it'd do little good."
Anna let out a breath she hadn't even realized that she'd been holding. The news that she didn't have to clean the throne room made her day a lot better than she'd have thought possible earlier that morning.
And yet... something didn't feel right. There was a tightness in her mind that told her that not all of Jareth's news would be what she wanted to hear. As if that were different from normal, she thought.
Just as she thought that, another odd thing popped out at her.
Although letting her out of cleaning the throne room was a nice gesture, she was almost certain that it was more out of reality than kindness on Jareth's part. Come to think of it, it might have even been criticism, which Jareth usually delighted in giving out.
For what seemed like a very long minute, Jareth stood silently, as if at war with himself.
"My study needs attending to, as do my private quarters." he spat finally.
Anna winced, although she was sure she hid it from Jareth.
Jareth really hated when his private sections of the castle had to be 'invaded'. He tried putting off these rooms until the very last. Eventually, every room needed cleaning, and if there was any fact about life that Jareth hated, it was that one. Girl solves his labyrinth, defeats his most powerful creatures; that was nothing. If having another Sarah come and muck stuff up in his maze would somehow make his private quarters never need cleaning again, Jareth would do it. It was that bad.
Again, Anna repressed the urge to ask Jareth what was wrong. She reminded herself it wasn't her place as she headed for the broom closet to get her cleaning things.
As she made her way down the seemingly endless corridors of Jareth's castle, Anna's mind was far, far away from the buckets in her hands. Was it normal to wonder all these things about Jareth? Was it normal to have such a business oriented relationship with a man and still want to reach out to him the way a friend would? Such were her thoughts, so deep that she very nearly passed Jareth's bedroom.
Feeling slightly sheepish, Anna pushed the door open.
Jareth's bedroom was another testament to his complexity. It was an eclectic mix of styles and tastes that would normally never be associated, but here worked together very well.
The room had a windowsill with a ledge, which seemed to be a recurring theme in Jareth's castle, for some reason. At this particular moment, the light through said window was pouring in on Jareth's desk. Not as grand as the ones in his study, this desk was still nicer than anything Anna owned.
As she got out her feather duster, Anna noticed yet another thing that, today, was out of place.
Jareth was never, ever one to leave his personal things lying about all willy nilly.
Anna rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't a trick of the light. She closed her eyes, telling herself it was not what it appeared, although when she opened them again, it was still there as plainly as the feather duster in her trembling hand.
Jareth had left his journal sitting right there in the open. What was even more startling than that was the fact that it was open. Such a seemingly mundane occurrence would have been nothing to write home about with anyone else, but with Jareth and his nearly obsessive stance on such things, it was quite alarming. Anna tried to continue her work, but curiosity got the better of her. She warily crept over to Jareth's desk, and before she knew what she was doing, she had taken a dive into Jareth's most private of all possessions.
"There are so many things in this mortal coil that I regret. It's quite disgusting, actually.
The courts are in unrest again, and all on my account, although I do technically have the ability to get them off my back somewhat.
I have been avoiding jury duty again. Such a minor offense that would usually be treated as more of a misdemeanor with anyone else is seen as blasphemy with myself and my personal plight. I have reason to believe that this is due to the fact that I am the general nuisance when it comes to the inhabitants of the Underground. This fact wouldn't be nearly so unsettling if those involved would have the audacity to be honest with me. Still, as it is, they continue to alienate me, as if I weren't enough of an oddity by being a fae who rules goblins.
All of that would be painfully easy to deal with if it weren't for the other spectre looming over my head. Though I've tried many and many times to dispel this set of shackles, it continues to tighten around my conscience.
In many ways, I suppose I could blame Sarah for solidifying my descent into madness, although I'd have probably gotten there by myself anyway.
Still. I detest what I did to her. She was just a teenager; a lost, immature youth searching for herself, truth, and a reality she could grasp. I know in many ways she grew into a mature young woman after her journey into the Labyrinth. As innocent as it all seemed, though, she was in very real danger at more than one point, and I do not know what I would have done with myself if she had been harmed in any way.
As a romantic interest, Sarah's ship has sailed, but a small recess in the back of my mind will always wonder. Another fills my mind in this respect, but she will never, ever become aware. I see myself as a doomed creature, and I do not wish to doom others. It's perfectly all right with me if I go down in flames, but dragging others down is something I do not wish to repeat. So, I will leave her to live her life..."
Heavy footsteps broke Anna's reverie, and she slammed the book shut two seconds before Jareth burst into the room.
Seeing the anger and other emotions in Jareth's eyes, Anna quickly said
"I found this lying on your desk, sir..."
Jareth snatched the journal out of Anna's hand like it would disintegrate if she held it any longer.
"Get out." he whispered, with a slightly injured fire the likes of which Anna had never heard.
Anna stood, motionless and in shock. Her concern for Jareth had crescendoed so far, it was throbbing against the inside of her head.
"Please, I just want to..."
"GET OUT." Jareth bellowed.
Anna dropped her duster like a hot rock and sprinted out the door as a few hot tears escaped her eyes. She had half an urge to yell something to the effect of "Fuck it, I'm leaving!" Her urge for that, though, was not nearly as strong as her desire to help Jareth in any way possible, and if nothing else, she could at least finish her day's duties. She retrieved some supplies from a different closet and headed for Jareth's study.
Cleaning the study seemed to pass by in a blur, for Anna didn't want to be around long enough for Jareth to scream at again. The shouting, while it did bother her, didn't get to her nearly as much as his first, quiet warning.
She was just finishing scrubbing the floor when, once again, she heard familiar bootsteps, although these were more measured and calm than the previous ones had been
As Jareth stepped into the doorway, Anna quickly looked down and started scrubbing feverishly. She was trying very hard to pretend he wasn't there.
"I'd...like to apologize for that outburst."
Anna nearly spilled the bucket of mop water all down her front.
This was not the Jareth she knew. He rarely apologized for anything, and if he did, it was in mocking.
Anna slowly stood and looked Jareth in the eyes. For a millisecond before he regained his familiar façade of royal composure, she could tell he actually meant it. Although she couldn't quite bring herself to say it was nothing, her expression said she understood.
"Tomorrow, as you should already know, is the banquet, and I'll need you on kitchen duty to prepare some of the food."
Anna opened her mouth to ask if she'd also be serving the food, but Jareth kept right on talking.
"I have others hired for serving."
Anna's head turned slightly, as if to ask why.
Jareth seemed to choose his next words very carefully, which was also something he usually never worried about.
"I'm sure it is painfully obvious, but support for my kingdom has been, err, waning lately. As one of my better workers, I was hoping you'd be a guest..."
"To randomly mingle with the royalty you'll try to impress, I get it." Anna finished.
Normally, interrupting Jareth wasn't a particularly great idea, but at this point, Anna cared very little.
"With all due respect, your majesty..." Anna changed her mind mid-sentence.
"Nevermind... When should I show up?"
"Seven thirty, sharp." Jareth said matter-of-factly.
A part of Anna wanted to thank Jareth, but she said nothing.
Almost as a side thought, Anna suddenly said
"Sir, the portal only opens twice a day..."
Jareth tossed her a small, plain pendant in the miniature of his favorite medium of magic; a crystal ball.
"This will get you here and back whenever it's required."
And with that, Jareth turned and left the room.
It was more receiving a useful tool than receiving a gift. Even so, Anna could not quash the flutter in her chest. Her hand had brushed Jareth's for a nanosecond, and still she trembled at the thought.
Was she starting to fall for the king of the Goblins?
"THAT'S STUPID!" she yelled, a little too loudly. She hastily slipped the long, tarnished chain around her neck and gathered up her cleaning things.
It was twilight in the Goblin City. It was the only time of day that one could hear themselves think in the throne room, as most of the goblins were down at the goblin pub, or at home.
The moonlight was the only light, but it was bright enough for Jareth to write by, so he did.
"Life can be splendid in so many ways. Sometimes, even the simplest of pleasures are the most rewarding. Recently life, that is to say, my life, has held none of these things. I can try to keep it secret. I can try as hard as I am physically and mentally able, and still, I feel my attempts are becoming futile.
Change is necessary for life to continue as it should, yet here I am, mindlessly lashing out, taking out my personal frustration on those few innocents whose perseverance and determination have allowed them to put up with me for so long. They have nothing to do with my problems. In fact, those things, that fact, is the only thing keeping me from diving off the asylum roof.
By now, my hostility is an automated response. I see no reason for me to be a complete arse all the time, it hasn't done any good thus far. I suppose by now, it's just a natural behavior. Instinct.
A defective, outdated defense mechanism, that's all it is. Then why, I ask myself, am I still doing it, with the knowledge that I have?
I fear I may never know the answer."
He let out a sigh and shut the book, setting it carefully on the ledge beside him.
He snapped his fingers, and a crystal ball materialized in his hands.
Normally, he'd have a slight issue with using his magic to eavesdrop on people. Now, he could care less. It didn't matter anymore, he told himself. 'Who fucking cares.'
Besides. She'd invaded his privacy, he shouldn't feel so bad about being curious about her private life.
"Saffy! I'm home!" Anna yelled as she came in the front door of her home. Sapphire fluttered in from the next room to give her owner a big, sloppy kiss.
"BLEH, Sapphire, I thought I told you to quit that." Anna shook her head.
Sapphire squeaked as if to ask how Anna's day went.
"Oh, besides being screamed at by His Majesty the twerp, my day was fine."
Sapphire raised an eyebrow.
Anna explained the incident, and the strange apology, but left out a couple of things that weren't essential to the story.
"He invited me to the banquet... He's trying to use me to impress the higher ups that'll be there."
She tugged on the chain around her neck. "This is how I'll get there..."
Sapphire beat her wings excitedly, causing Anna's hair to blow about.
Anna got a sly look on her face.
"Gee Saffy, you wouldn't want to GO to this banquet by any chance, would you?"
Sapphire squeaked so enthusiastically that wisps of smoke came out her nostrils.
"Okay okay, I'll bring you; now calm down before you hurt yourself."
Anna then went about the mundane task of getting Sapphire some food. As for herself, she didn't much feel like eating, so she opened a bottle of wine and got herself a glass.
Suddenly deciding the house was too stuffy, she made her way outside to sit on a tree stump not far from her yard.
The sky (what she could see of it, anyway) was only just showing the last signs of sunset; it was more or less the beautiful, starry nights that made her thankful to live in the forest. Off in the distance, she could just make out the tower of Jareth's castle. 'Funny', she thought. 'From out here, it looks so peaceful.'
She shook her head, still unsure what to make of the day's events.
Jareth snapped his fingers, and the crystal was gone.
Normally, he'd take offense to being referred to as a twerp, but he supposed his actions warranted such name calling.
--
More to come!