I got this crazy idea from Ellen Weaver. No copyright infringement intended. I own Evan and various assorted goblins, but the majority belongs to Henson and the wonderful team behind Labyrinth. Enjoy!

It couldn't be long now. The goblin teacher Zeekin had already stopped talking, his large head bobbing back and forth on his thick neck, his eyes mostly closed. Just a few more moments and the goblin would be completely asleep, lulled into slumber by his own lesson. It happened every so often after tea and so every day Evan waited patiently and quietly for the moment when his teacher's breathing became deep and slow. When the goblin began to snore softly, Evan acted. On silent, booted feet, he crouched and snuck out of the room backward, keeping the goblin in his sights. Any sudden movement and Zeekin would wake up and immediately continue the lesson. And Evan had had enough of Underground geology for one afternoon. He made it out of the room without an incident and smiled broadly. Zeekin would stay asleep for at least another hour. That was plenty of time to go off and find something fun to do. After all, it was a beautiful summer day in the Underground.

Evaneth Williams made his way through the stone halls of his father's castle, the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. If a goblin were to see him they would smile and bow and skirt the sides of the halls to let him pass. As long as he did not run into one of the smarter goblins before he got to the secret passage he would be safe. Down the halls he went; not quite a run, but not walking either. Though he spent most of his childhood growing up in London, the castle was familiar to him. A few years ago he had caught several goblins sneaking ale into the castle through a secret passage, and it was here he was headed. Unfortunately, the secret passage was on the main floor of the castle, which meant that he was always in danger of getting caught by an adult figure, more specifically his mother. Sarah Williams was a well-loved queen and a wonderful mother, but she had the tendency to overprotect Evan. Even as he grew older she did not like him out of her sight for very long, and disliked not knowing where he was supposed to be. Evan shook his head as he snuck around a corner, keeping an eye out for goblins that might tattle on him. Sometimes his mother acted like he was going to get taken, which was absurd. No one in their right mind would try to harm Evan. Not with a father like the King of the Goblins.

Around the last corner, and the secret passage was in sight. Like most things in the Labyrinth, it was in plain sight, if you knew what to look for. Three large crates, larger than Evan, were stacked in a corner of the main hall. The crates all had intricate designs inlaid in the wood, twists and turns, and patterns that turned back on its self. If one looked straight into it, all you saw was the pattern, but Evan knew the trick. He ran across the hall, careful not to make a sound, and made a beeline for the crates. He did not stop, did not pause, he just ran straight into the crates and made an immediate left turn. The crates disguised the passage. Evan did not know how, and he did not care. He did know that if you kept going straight you hit a brick wall. Literally. He had had a bruise above his left eye for a week the first time he tried it. You also couldn't turn right. That had been another bruise. Left was the only way to turn. The crate wood gave away to stone, and as Evan continued down the twists and turns, the stone gave way to hard dirt. That was how you knew you were out of the castle. He slowed his pace, letting his fingers skim the walls of the passage. The Underground was alive with a very distinctive magic that tingled down Evan's fingers. Evan loved feeling the dirt. His father always wore gloves; Evan hated wearing gloves, even when circumstances demanded it. Gloves created a barrier between him and the world, a barrier that Evan would rather do without.

The passage narrowed and snaked first downhill and then uphill before widening again. Though Evan had taken the path many times, he was still filled with pleasure when he emerged into the sunlight in the middle of the brick maze. The Underground had so many different smells, smells that could never be found in the Above. Here, there was no pollution, no impurities in the air. Well, unless you counted the Bog of Eternal Stench, which was thankfully too far away to smell. Evan bounced on the balls of his feet and looked around, orienting himself. The secret passage did not always lead you out to the same location, but as far as Evan could tell, there were four main exits. He was happy that he was in the brick maze. This maze was central to most of the other paths. Currently, he could go two ways: left or right. Either would suffice, so left he went.

After only a few feet, the air before Evan crackled and popped and a small house-elf appeared in the middle of the path. The elf's ears were perked up slightly, his over-large eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion. "What is Princeling doing?"

Evan smiled and patted the elf on the head as he continued to walk down the path. "I'm exploring, Fren. Do you want to come?"

Fren glanced back at the castle, rising high in the distance. "Fren always likes to explore with you, Prince…but, you should be inside."

"Nonsense." Evan glanced over his shoulder, noting Fren was following him, albeit slowly and constantly looking over his shoulder. "Look, Zeekin fell asleep, ok? To me, that sounds like recess." The elf still did not look convinced, so Evan stopped. "You don't have to come, Fren." Evan sniffed. "I guess I could go by myself." The elf looked hurt and scandalized. "I'd rather you did come, though. You are a great help." Evan meant that last whole-heartedly. The little house-elf had an uncanny ability to navigate the Labyrinth, a gift that Evan also shared. Together, they rarely got lost. Fren smiled broadly, perking up, and Evan knew he won. He turned back to the path. "Come on, then!"

Evan and Fren continued down the twisting and turning brick maze, using the bright summer sun and the castle to help orient them. It was unwise to rely too much on landmarks though, for the maze was tricky and liked to change its position to fool runners. Evan had been down this one path several times, so when he rounded a corner and came face to face with a dead end he was a little surprised. There had never been a dead end there before. Confused, he spun around, nearly tripping on Fren in the process. After a hasty apology, Evan frowned. The path before him was now a dead end, the brick wall blocking the path back. A little frustrated, Evan turned around again. Instead of the dead end, there were two wooden doors, both closed, and both unguarded.

"Oh for crying out loud," Evan stepped closer to the doors. Both seemed identical, but at one time there had been carvings etched into the wood. Too long ago though. Now the carvings were worn down and smooth, Evan couldn't make out the designs. He sat back on his heels, and considered the doors.

Fren came beside him and mimicked his stance. "Which one, Prince?"

"I don't know."

"Still have to choose."

"Yeah, I know. Which one would you choose, Fren?"

"Me?" Fren stood and considered the doors. "Never knowing around here. Left maybe."

Evan stood, taking a few steps to the left door. "Why left?"

The elf shrugged and looked down at his hands. "King is left handed. King is good. Left is a good way."

Laughing, Evan moved away from the left door to the right door and pushed it open. Though it obviously hadn't been used in a long time, the door swung open easily without a sound. The path through the doorway was well lit, even though the scenery changed drastically. Evan recognized the Fiery Forest. Every tree and bush, and even the path, was covered by glitter, a by-product of the furry Fieries. Grinning, Evan moved forward. He knew how to traverse the Fiery Forest. "What is it that Mother always says? This is a "piece of cake"!"

Evan put his foot down, put there was no path. The ground opened up beneath him and he fell, tumbling out of the daylight and into relative darkness. His stomach turned and he threw out his arms and legs, desperately trying to find something to hold on to that could halt his fall. He stopped abruptly when he landed on something hard, knocking the air out of his chest. Black and red spots danced before his eyes, and he blinked them away, hearing Fren's frantic calls from above his head. "Hold on, Fren," Evan wheezed as he tried to regain his breath. The elf quieted, and Evan's eyes began to adjust to the darkness around him. He had fallen quite a ways, and as he looked around, realized he had quite a ways to go. The ground was still far below him. Roots, gnarled and old and musty from the giant trees had managed to form a sort of net that caught Evan midair. No wonder his chest hurt. One of the thicker roots had stopped his fall, and Evan was still sprawled out along the root, arms and feet dangling above the ground. Fren's calls started up again, and Evan struggled to sit up. "I'm alright! Don't come down here, Fren!"

"What should Fren do?"

"Nothing. Just…give me a minute." He had fallen into some kind of large cavern. Up was out of the question. The hole he had fallen through was too far away from the net of roots. Evan was surprised that they caught him at all. Looking down gave him a queasy feeling. It was an awful long drop. It probably wouldn't kill him, he was too much of his father's son for that, but it would hurt. It would really, really hurt. Even if he was lucky enough to land on his feet, Evan had a feeling that he wouldn't escape that fall without some broken bones. No good. So, he looked around for another exit. The Labyrinth was full of hidden paths and exits. He had heard his father yell at one of the city goblins for getting lost one too many times. "Are you incompetent? There is always a way through the Labyrinth." Evan wasn't quite sure what "incompetent" meant, but he always associated it with goblins, and goblins were stupid. Evan was much smarter than a goblin: he would find a way out.

He glanced around, searching, and within moments a shaft of light caught his eye. It was an odd bit of light, seeming to come out of nowhere to the lower left of the cave. Evan squinted, and his eyes widened. There were stairs! Stairs led straight to the light, which meant it must be a way out. There was a problem though. The stairs were upside down. From where he was sitting, he could reach the stairs, but he would be on the wrong side of them, the side the ended in the cavern wall. That would do him no good. He needed to get to the other side of the stairs. His father could do this, Evan thought a little bitterly. All he would have to do is think it, and the world would turn upside down. Well, maybe that was all Evan had to do too. He cleared his head, but kept his eyes on the door. "I just need the room to rotate. That's all, rotate." And rotate the room did. Evan clung to the root as the walls lurched around him, shifting their perspective. The cavern floor was above him now, Fren and the opening below, but as he looked to the stairs, he noticed that they remained the same. He still wouldn't be able to climb them. Evan shook his head and held on to the root as the room rotated back to its original position. "Think, Evan. Think." The stairs were upside down. Evan was right side up. If he flipped the room, the stairs were still upside down, and Evan was still right side up. "Maybe I need to be upside down too."

As carefully as he could, he maneuvered his feet and hands around the root. With one swing he would be upside down, dangling precariously above the cavern floor, but he would also be oriented with the stairs. He took a deep, calming breath, and swung over the root. His hands held, but one of his feet slipped, causing him to scramble for purchase. He regained control, but his heart was racing and he pressed his face against the root as he tried to catch his breath.

"What are you doing, child?"

The voice startled Evan slightly, even though he knew immediately who it belonged to. He tilted his head back, and there on the cavern floor was his father, Jareth, the Goblin King. He did not look angry, though he stood with his arms crossed not far from where Evan was dangling. "Hello, Father. I'm just exploring."

Jareth took a casual step closer, eyes never wavering from Evan's body. "I see. And where is your elf?"

"He's up on top. I didn't want him to get stuck down here." Evan watched as his father glanced up at the small opening. Fren's grey face peered over and he waved once before ducking down. Jareth took another step closer.

"I see." He looked around with interest as Evan remained upside down. "And do you have a plan out of this, Evaneth?"

"Yes, Father. I'm going to move there." He nodded to the stairs and the opening, and Jareth followed the gaze before returning his eyes to his son.

There was an uneasy silence. Evan did not know what his father would say or do, and in those instances, it was better to remain quiet. His father had cold eyes, calculating and piercing, and his head was tilted slightly to the side, a sign that he was thinking. Evan would wait. He readjusted his feet so that he could hold on a little more comfortably. After a few moments that seemed much longer to Evan, his father took a deep breath. "Do you need assistance, Evan?"

Both of Evan's pale eyebrows rose and he considered his father and the way his father was watching him. Could Evan use the help? Of course…but he did not think he needed it. Besides, he wanted to do this on his own, not with help from his father. His father never needed to prove anything to anyone, but suddenly Evan wanted to prove that he could do this, and on his own. "No thank you, Father. I can do this."

Jareth smirked and Evan knew he chose right. "Very well," he said with a small nod. "I know where this path leads. I will send Fren there to meet you."

"Thank you."

Jareth nodded again and took several steps back. Evan brought his neck back up to stare at the opening and the stairs. "One more thing, Evan." Evan dropped his head back to meet his father's eyes. "Do not stay out much longer. Your mother will worry." Once Evan nodded, Jareth continued stepping backward, fading away until there was nothing left. Oddly enough, a bit of the rock wall bore a resemblance to his father's face if Evan looked at it from the right angle. Evan shook off the encounter and returned his attention to the matter at hand.

The room spun again, gravity seemed to rearrange itself, and Evan found himself on top of the root staring straight at the stairs and the exit. He had done it. He had figured out this puzzle all by himself! Carefully he found footing on the root, trying his best not to pay attention to the world around him. It was a little dizzying to realize that the ceiling was now the ground and the ground was now the ceiling. Instead, Evan placed one foot before the other on the root, using his hands to steady his progress. Falling right now would not be any safer than before. One more step, one more step, one more step, and then his foot touched the stone stairway. Evan made a leap, landing on the stairs. He punched the air, proud of his accomplishment and started jogging up the stairs, making sure to stay away from the unguarded edges.

When he cleared the exit, he was unprepared for the sudden lurch of the world as it righted itself. His feet fell from beneath him and once again Evan found himself on his chest. This time at least he was on solid ground and not dangling in midair. As he stood, a stone slab covered the exit he had just used. There would be no going back that way. Well, that would just be fine. He smiled as Fren came bounding up to him, squeezing and hugging him, worry and concern etched all over his face.

"Is Prince hurt?"

"No," Evan laughed, "I'm alright, Fren. I'm alright. Calm down." He patted the elf's head and surveyed their surroundings. This part of the Labyrinth was unknown to him. The stones made one single path; the walls were high on either side, too high to climb. There was a dead end behind them, and what looked like a door in front of them, down at the end of the pathway. Evan scrunched his face suspiciously. "Too easy…" Still, forward seemed to be the only way to go, so forward Evan went. Immediately he knew something was wrong. For every step forward he took, the door became further away. He paused, glancing down at Fren.

"Maybe I try?" Evan gave a nod and the elf snapped his fingers and vanished in a puff of grey smoke and a pop. Usually the little elf reappeared where he wanted to go, but instead, there was a large crackle and Evan watched as Fren reappeared in the air, flying backward. Startled, Evan reached up and grabbed the elf before he hit anything, setting him down carefully. "Thank you, Prince! Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem," Evan replied distractedly. "Let's not do that again, hmm?" Evan began tapping his nose with his fingers, staring at the long path with a frown. He took another step forward, and the door moved away, so he took a step backward, and was delighted when the door appeared to move closer. However, he was only able to move a few feet backward before being stopped by the dead end. "Huh…" On a hunch, Evan turned his back toward the door and motioned to Fren to do the same. "Don't look behind you, ok? Not until we touch something."

Fren gave a shiver. "Don't like that."

Evan shared a lopsided grin, "Yeah, me either. But trust me on this, ok?" Fren nodded, and together they began walking backward toward the door. At first Evan was unsure if they were making progress, but slowly he noticed the walls along the side began to change, like they were walking alongside it. Fren also noticed, pointing excitedly. They kept going, unsure of the distance, until Evan's right heel hit stone. He pushed his back against the door, not wanting to turn around and end up at the beginning of the path again. With his fingers he felt along the wall until he grabbed what felt like a doorknob. Grinning broadly now, Evan gave it a twist and pushed. The door opened, and he and Fren fell backward through the doorway.

When Evan was able to detangle his limbs from Fren's, he climbed to his feet. They stood in the middle of one of the Labyrinth's orchards. The air was sweet with plums, cherries, apples, oranges, and even peaches. The groves were spread out as far as the eye could see, which was plenty far, for he and Fren stood upon a small hill. Blue skies were still above head, but the sun had shifted past the zenith. His mother really would start to worry soon. And yet, Evan could not resist walking down the hill to the orchards. He walked around the different trees, smiling and laughing as Fren tried to catch a fairy that was taunting him. Soon Evan came upon the peaches. The fruit was ripe on the tree, full and luscious and fuzzy. "Hey Fren, I think I have an idea." The little elf did not answer, though. He was too busy losing to the fairy. Evan laughed anyway and pulled down one large, ripe peach. "Come on, Fren. Leave the fairy alone. Let's go home."

Evan managed to sneak back into the castle without any incident, which he considered very lucky. Fren went his own way, and Evan went another. Goblins were moving throughout the castle, and as Evan moved passed the throne room, he saw why. It was later than he though, nearly five o'clock. Dinner would be soon. If he had been any later, he was sure to get yelled at by his mother. Speaking of which, he yanked a goblin servant out of the hall. "Hey, Boose, do you know where my mother is?"

Boose reclaimed his arm, and rolled his eyes. "Looking for the Prince, she is. Saw her in the Sitting Room last." Then the goblin took off running.

Dread tingled down Evan's spine. He considered himself a brave boy by most standards, but facing an angry mother was a daunting task. Still, maybe he wouldn't be in any real trouble. Not wanting to waste any time, he began running down the halls and stairs to the Sitting Room. He heard his Mother before he saw here, and he came to a stop outside the door.

"Jareth, please, go look for him." His mother sounded genuinely worried, and a bit of guilt lodged itself in Evan's throat.

"This is not Above, Sarah," came his father's calm voice in response.

"I know…but still." There was a pause, and Evan peaked around the door, careful not to draw too much attention to himself. His mother was standing before his father, her long black hair braided down her back. She was wearing a soft white dress and black leather boots. Her hands were pressed against his father's chest, fingers holding his shirt. "I just hate not knowing."

Watching his parents interact was always interesting, though Evan could never really explain why. He watched as his father covered his mother's hands with his own, which were surprisingly not gloved, and bring them up to his lips. He kissed each hand, and continued to hold them as he glanced down. Whenever his father looked at his mother, especially when they were alone, his eyes softened. Evan liked seeing his father look at his mother. It made him feel like everything in the world would end up alright, as long as they were together. His father smiled, and pulled slightly away from Sarah, the softness in his eyes giving way to a mischievous glint. "Besides, Sarah, it seems your wayward son has appeared." He gestured to the door, and Evan knew he was caught.

He came in, briefly managing to look ashamed, and then he was gathered in a tight embrace. Sarah kneeled down and examined his dirty clothes and searched his face. "Are you alright? Where have you been? Are you hurt?"

"Mother…please." Evan tried to step away, but his mother was too quick, gathering him once more in a hug before releasing him. "I'm fine! I was just exploring. Besides, I brought you a gift." He twirled his hand in a practiced manner and the peach rolled down his shoulder to his outstretched hand.

Sarah looked at the fruit a moment before looking at Jareth, who was giving the peach an amused stare. "Did you…" her question died as Jareth gave a quick shake of the head. Sarah sighed, and smiled, though Evan could tell she wasn't exactly thrilled with his present, even though she took it graciously. With a sigh, she crossed her arms, and moved her head back and forth between her son and her husband before shaking her head. "I'm going to get ready for dinner. Speak with your son, Jareth."

Evan watched his mother go, feeling bad about making her worry. He crossed his arms and scuffed the floor with the toe of his boot. "Why doesn't she like me to have fun?" The question wasn't exactly aimed at anyone, so Evan was surprised when his father rested a hand on his shoulder.

"That is a long story." Answered his father dryly.

Evan sighed. "And I thought she liked peaches!"

"That is an even longer story." Jareth glanced down at his son. They were so similar. Their faces were nearly the same, though Evan's was not nearly as sharp. They had the same tone of voice, the same accent, the same tilt to their eyes, even the mismatched iris, though Evan's were blue and green instead of Jareth's blue and brown, the same wild, unruly blond hair. And yet, for all of that, Evan felt that his father was always far away, always out of arm's length. Except, maybe for his mother. Jareth echoed his son's previous sigh, and removed his hand. "Go change for dinner, Evaneth."

"Yes, Father." There was really nothing more to say. He was being dismissed, and so he turned to leave.

"Evan." His father's voice stopped him, and he turned around. His father was smiling, a true smile, a smile that Evan thought he reserved only for his mother. "You did well in the Labyrinth today."

"I…I did?"

Jareth closed the distance between them, and kneeled down so that their faces were at the same height. "Yes, very well. You have made me very proud today, even while you frightened your mother." The last was said with a conspiratorial smile that Evan was powerless not to share. "If she asks, tell her I reprimanded you." Evan nodded and tried to contain the laugh that was threatening to bubble forth. Jareth stood again, "Now go get ready for dinner."

Evan grinned, and ran out of the room. He barely got down the hall when he began to laugh. The day had started like any other, but had ended on such a high note. He made his father proud! His father! Proud! Of him! His chest swelled until he thought it would burst. Maybe his father wasn't so cold after all. After all, his father obviously loved his mother; it followed that he would love his son too. Evan ran to his room, and began changing into nicer dinner clothes, a small plan beginning to form. He didn't know how, he didn't know when, but he was going to continue making his father proud and his mother too. He was Evaneth Williams, crowned prince of the Labyrinth, son of Jareth and Sarah. He would live up to his name.