Finding Love in a King

Chapter 1

Crystal Stairs

Crystal stairs, "Where will you lead,
offering steps in our time of need...
a luminous path from here it seems,
a crystal spiral of lucid dreams?"

Unlike crystallized memories destined never to grow;
you call us toward a future beyond what we know.
Like footsteps heard faintly in one's ear.
A journey of remembering held so dear.

Beyond imagination in a forgotten land,
crystal climbers reach out with a loving hand.
Lifting our hearts like magic it seems,
this staircase of crystal truly is made of dreams.

She felt rage rush through her form when her champion dared to oppose her King. She observes silently how he set slumped in his throne-like chair glaring down at one of his crystal spears, he closed his eyes while the girl who ran her Labyrinth celebrated her victory against the Goblin King. Tears gathered in reddish glowing eyes at the torment her King suffered by the hands of a mortal girl of fifteen.

How dear she, he offered the world to her, for her to be Queen of the Goblins. Yet a child dared to throw his offer in his face. Her eyes narrowed on the crystal, almost wanting to dispatch the girl for what she's done. The child raised her head to once again gaze at Jareth face and all she saw there was longing and want for the champion. Her eyes darkened in disgust that the girl might just have broken and shattered Jareth's soul.

Fay bond for life, for eternity. If her King bonded with her he would slowly perish from a very agonizing death, just because she dared to reject him. She required answers, she needed to give him hope that there was someone out there that was connected to his string of fate.

A chilling, petrifying smirk came to her face; it was time to see her sisters.

She turned sharply and with one last step, she vanished in a flare of glitter.

The child reappeared in a dimmed room, she looked around in annoyance. She thought that her beloved sisters would have at least came out to greet her. (Insert sarcasm) They haven't seen each other since she tilted her head trying to remember when she last saw them. Sixty years, no that's not right, one hundred, a scowl came to her sweet face trying to remember when she saw them last. No, several thousand years have passed since she came to be in the realm of wishes and dreams. The last time she saw them, she was being chosen to become one with the realm.

Such a pity, their reunion was going to be like this.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are." The child's eyes narrowed more at the mirrors that appeared in front of her. "You know why I'm here, I wish for you to tell me what is Jareth's string of fate. Where does his fate lead?"

She then hesitated, "Is there hope for him?" She whispered.

Three young girls flashed in front of her. "You know we cannot tell you about anyone's fate, that included mortal, Fay, or God or whatever." Young in appearance but wise in years. The three girls looked in their younger sisters grief stricken face.

Another said "You know better than to ask Laby"

The child now known as Laby glared at the use of her name from her once sisters. "I don't care; you will tell me or else." She growled out.

Her sisters froze in shock that she would threaten them over her King.

Laby's eyes glowed with power, "For years I've watched how he suffered over not having a mate to walk with him through his eternity. Fay are known to lose their sanity over this, I will not allow it…" She growled out between clenched teeth. "Even now, he's closer to losing his mind over what the mortal did."

"I will ask once more; it will be the only time I will ask. Is there hope for the Goblin King?"

Dayla the oldest of the Fates signed, she closed her eyes and connected to the strings of fate for all and forced Jareth's to the for the front of her magical eyes. She tilted her head with a frown when she started following to the end of his string and came to…. The frown darkened over her face…. It couldn't be… Impossible…. Her eyes snapped open in disbelief.

"Sisters look at his string of fate. You most see this as well." Laby glowered wondering what was it she saw.

Her other two sisters closed their eyes and followed the oldest. Their eyes snapped opened a few seconds later in shocked astonishment. All three of them turned to look in their eternal youngest sister eyes. She let out a small growl in annoyance. "What?"

Dayla glance at the other fates with another sign, May and Eve stood frozen in shock. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to tell her the news. "In ten years he will meet his match in a mortal, a mortal cloaked in destiny. She will come from power, but be warned there will be others that want her for who she is or what she is." Dayla bowed her head with saddened eyes. Then she spoke, "It will not be easy, but this child will come to him on her own free will."

Dayla hesitated, "Do you want him to be happy Laby?" She asked softly to her.

Laby frowned wondering why she was asking her this.

Dayla signed, "For him to be with his destined mate, he will face war upon his lands over her. She will be hunted because of who she is and what she became but her power will make the Goblin Kingdom whole once more. Like it was thousands of years ago, but it will not just be that Kingdom that she will make whole. Everywhere and everyone will feel the missing piece when she comes."

Laby eyes widened, "If this is what will happen that I will fight along with my King and future Queen."

She lowered her head then with a frown on her face, "Will she make him happy?"

May was the one who spoke "Yes, he will know the love of eternity as will she. When she comes, she will be feeling tormented by her past. Jareth most learn patiences. For him to know what love is, he most first asks before trying to take by force or trickery."

Laby eyes closed in relief at what her sisters told her. "Thank you."

She turned away to disappear back from wince she came, when her other sister spoke up, "He will not believe you when you return, to make him see, you will have to show proof that what you say is the truth."

Laby tilted her head thinking that she may be right. "What truth will make him believe."

Eve glided to her younger sister with a small smile, she raised her dainty hand.

In her hand, a crystal ball laid in the middle of her palm.

Laby blinked in slight amusement at the ball. She raised her hand for it with a small smile overcame her serious face. She glanced up hoping that none of them saw that. Until she saw their eyes sparkled with merriment. She scowled at them, she turned with nothing else to say she disappeared back to the Goblin Kingdom.

Dayla gave a small sign, "There is a war coming, the Miko of destiny at the center of it."

The other two sisters gave an incline of their heads to let her know they heard her.

Laby appeared in another flare of dust in front of her Majesty, her King.

"Laby, what are you doing here"

Her eyes darkened at her King's bowed head, it wasn't right for him to be so defeated. "Do you wish me to execute her? Like it was during the olden days."

Jareth head snapped up to stare in the anguished eyes of Labyrinth. His eyes went clouded in agony at what she was talking about. "No " He lowered his eyes again to the crystal ball he had in his fingers, watching how her slept since the party's been over. Then a small smile came to his face, "She will regret the day she denied me." His eyes then glittered with malice.

Laby's glowing eyes dimmed at her King's choice of words. "Forget her my Liege." She signed, "There is another."

Jareth eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

Chilling eyes meet reddish copper.

He ached, Gods did he ached. Jareth felt like his soul would fall into despair. Sarah, he offered her the world and yet she dared…. Malice once more hurdle threw his body for her. He never wanted to despise a mortal the way he despised her. He wanted to eradicate her, make her suffer the way she made him suffer. He would have given her back her brother as soon as she made to the castle, the boy would have been sent home. Why did she not understand that? He would have loved her until the end of time. It was only eternity not long at all. Now all was lost. Being tormented with the memories of Sarah, he wanted to scream at the Gods who put him there in this place as King.

"What do you mean?" He repeated with a hitch in his voice as his thoughts floated far away.

Laby took a deep breath wanting to get this out before she lost her nerve in front of her King. He was the only one she would have for King, there would be no other. So, she raised her hand waiting.

Jareth eyebrow hitched up at the way Laby was acting. His gaze went to her, a little girl between the ages of six and eight. Reddish brown hair dressed up in pigtails. Copper tinted eyes and the clothing she wore was a plain brown dress and little slip on brown shoes that made her look like she was a pauper in need.

He raised his palm up under her hand with a frown locking his mix match eyes with her copper gaze.

A crystal ball gently fell to his opened palm, he peered at it confused.

Until a flash of bright light overtook him…

What the bloody hell….. He stumbled back holding his hands to his eyes to block out the glaring vibrant light of hell. When he finally raised his head to look around…

A crease entered between his eyebrows, "Bloody Hell." He hissed out loud. Laby better has a rational explanation for sending him there. Holding his riding crop, he looked around with his eyebrow cracked up. Comprehension dawned, it looked…. He blinked then tilted his head, he saw a mortal bird flying to a tree, he was in the Above world then. Why was he there? He turned around slowly not really seeing anything at all. Trees and more bloody trees, his eyes traveled around watching how the mist encompass the forest. It was eerie, not a sound was heard over the quietude of the forest. Why was he here? Not comprehending any of the whys. He almost growled in annoyance, trying to understand this and trying to figure out why Laby sent him here was making his head pound.

Crackling of the leaves drew his attention downward to the forest ground…..

He turned sharply with magic ready just in case he needed to fight.

Until he saw a woman gliding out of the misted forest, coming towards him with a small gentle smile on her young face. Hair like the golden sun, deep ocean blue eyes, tall yet quite beautiful. A smirk came to his face watching her. He moved toward her and reached out to her hand so he could raise her knuckles to his smirking devious lips.

"M'dear Lady Fate, a pleasure." Jareth tilted his head looking at her with his eyes slightly glowing with power.

Dressed in tight leather pants and a loose linen shirt, not overly muscular, Jareth tall, lean form and lithe grace gave him an air of exotic sensuality. The oddness of his mix match eyes and flamboyant personal style only seem to enhance his mysterious appear. Dayla smiled at what she found, the child should have no problem with his looks at least. She hoped that she could get the Fay on track with what she wanted him to do. Jareth wasn't one to follow rules and he's known to do what he wanted, with the consequences be damned. She was surely going to have her work cut out that's for sure.

"Charming." Her smile turned into a grin. "You always know how to make a lady's head spin don't you."

Jareth smirked at her, "Of course" His gaze glanced around the darkened forest then turned his eyes back to Dayla. "Why am I here?"

The grin dropped off her face at the coldness of the question. How to answer that, she signed. "I wish to show you something. Something that you might want to see."

Jareth eyebrow rose up with what she said, "I see."

Dayla raised her hand hoping that Jareth would grab her hand without her forcing him. His mix-matched eyes started glowing with more of his power. She watched how he moved his hand to her palm. When he grasped her she couldn't help but sign in relief. He slowly put tucked her hand at his elbow.

Dayla started walking with Jareth, a small smile came to her face at what she was about to say. "Every once in a while, a mortal has earned their away to be mated with an immortal. Usually when that happens, the female or male would have done something that would have gifted them with certain powers or they would be cloaked in destiny and prophecy. The Underground chooses new blood and power to come here when it's needed." She let go of his elbow and turned around to face him.

Jareth's eyes were cold and he turned to face her. "What does that have to do with myself and my Kingdom."

"The child you had here, Sarah was not your soul mate. There is another that needs your help and love. A girl that has given everything and had received nothing in return." Dayla frowned wanting him to understand what she was saying. "Would you like to see the girl that you could be happy with?"

Jareth eyes sparkled with his Fay power, he didn't want to understand what she was telling him. Sarah, the girl who fought her way to her brother wasn't for him. He felt his heartbeat pick up, he wanted to feel the love of eternity and yet what she was telling him that the one he chooses was not for him. That there was another, a girl who was his soul mate. "Why now? Why after all these years, these centuries would I finally have what I want? Why come to me now?" There was ice that could have formed with the words he sprouted.

"You always ask the questions that would be the hardest don't you?" She closed her eyes then reached for his hand so they could keep moving. "You weren't ready for what it entitled to have your soul mate." She rose her head to look in brown and blue eyes. "Your soulmate, who you would be with is no ordinary mortal. We had to wait for time to catch up with her before we could claim her for the Underground."

Jareth scowled at her, not at all liking where this conversation was going. He turned back and blinked in shock that they were no longer in the eerie forest. Now they were walking down one of the sidewalks the humans were so fond of. He looked around watching how the mortals walked like they were in a hurry. Mortal life burns so brightly and yet they burn out in a few short years. His eyes glared down at the Goddess wanting to know why he was there. Then his glare faded when another thought entered his mind. He opened his mouth and asked. "What did she do that warranted her to be mated to an immortal?"

Dayla smiled, at least he was curious to ask, it was something at least. " Everything was created for a purpose, even the Underground you governed. There is always a beginning and an ending. The Underground has created thousands of years ago but in the mortal plain," She frowned trying to make him understand was going to be harder than she thought. " it only happened five hundred years ago. Time has no meaning in the Underground, tell me Jareth have you heard on how it was created long ago?"

Jareth eyes narrowed, he looked around confused on why he was walking this path with a Goddess and having this conversation with her. "Of course, everyone that resides there have heard of the story of the mortal girl and her ragtag group fighting for a better future. It was said she helped defeat a threat to mortal and immortal alike. There was a great battle that lasted for three days with no end in sight. The girl was said that she fought by herself with her fallen friend's dead around her. When she felt defeat was inexorable, she used her remaining strength of power to kill him." Jareth frown, trying to remember but it's been years since he heard the story of the girl who saved all but lost everything… The Shikon Miko…..

He realized when he looked up and saw a lot of stairs in front of them, another frown came to his face more confused about this whole conversation than any of the one's he had with Sarah. He looked around, trying to figure out what the Goddess wanted from him. Not really understanding even by his surroundings as he looked around once more up he opened his mouth again to finish the story of the girl he always wanted to meet. It was said the realm he was King at was her deepest wishes and dreams. He frowned when he realized they were stopped at the stairs not going forward as of yet.

"It was said in that last moment before the evil could finish her off, she used what little strength she had and grabbed the power from his heart that he used to increase his power. She purified the darkness, to turn it pure once more. Before he grasped what happened, she put everything she ever was in it. Her thoughts, her memory's, her everything. That was the way The Underground was created was by her feelings." Jareth finished the history lesson. His eyes straying once more to the stairs.

Dayla smiled amused at the Goblin King, "The mortal never died as the story goes in the Underground, in that last moment before he could strike her down the Jewel put her back from where she came from. What most of The Underground doesn't realize without her the world she helped create would miss her as the thousands of years goes by. Without her, the realms would fade until there is nothing left. As you already seen, The Underground is fading. So it waited until the time would finally catch up, then it would have her as Queen."

Jareth head snapped to look at her in disbelief at what she was saying to him. "She's alive…."

"Right now, if you would have her; there will never be another, who would you choose the girl that left you or the girl who created the world you come from." Dayla almost wanted to laugh at his expression.

Jareth froze looking at the long stairs with shock. Sarah or a girl who needed him.

"Tell me, Goblin King, would you go up the crystal stairs of dreams and wishes or would you choose the darkness and lost hope of failure and loneliness."

"Your destiny and your fate are up to those crystal stairs."

Jareth froze in disbelief, who would he choose. The loneliness and torment he felt all his life could end if he just walked up those stairs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and moved forward to take the first step to the girl who was meant for him. As he stepped there, he paused in shock, when the stairs turned to crystal.

"Just what you will see is just the past. She will go to you in ten years from now. All you have to do is wait a few short more years." Jareth turned to face her, still on the first step and then he smiled and gave one last nod to her. Turned back around and walked up those stairs to face his destiny….. and… his future mate.

A/n

Hope you like never did a crossover with Inu/Labyrith

Please give me review tell me what you think….