This is the Prelude to my Labyrinth fanfic. The prelude takes place directly after the movie. I'm going to post a 2-part prelude, 'cause I haven't finished the whole thing yet. This is part one. Enjoy, and PLEASE review!! ^_^;

DISLCAIMER!

The first bit, directly before the break, is taken from the Labyrinth Novel; I did not write it, nor do I own any of the characters or concepts. Everything following the break was written by me with the help of my husband, alas, we still don't own anything in it. Le Sigh.

Outside the dark window, the white owl had been perched with his claws hooked on a branch, an effigy of watching and waiting. Now he swooped away over the park, on silent velvet wings, up toward the full moon. Nobody saw him, white in the moonlight, black against the stars.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sarah hadn't the faintest idea the owl had been there, of course. She was far too busy celebrating with the various denizens of the labyrinth to even think to glance out the window. And the ensuing game of Scrabble was far too engrossing to let her think back on the evening's events, why, she hadn't even had time to notice who was there. There were so very many friends, all wonderful in their own ways, absolutely crowded into her room. Who could have expected her to notice he was missing?

'But I did..' Sarah sighed to herself as she turned in her bed for a countless time. "I said all of you....jerk." She mouthed quietly to the shadows, hurt that her invitation had been ignored as it had. There was an odd silence that followed, as if she could hear the fall of a shadow's footsteps, and then; "Yoo wish 'im??" Sarah startled, but kept her voice low as she blinked over the edge of her bed at the three-eyed goblin below. "Ah, no! I didn-"

"I 'an gets 'im if yoo do, or you says it." He smiled. At least, Sarah thought it was a smile. He did sound as though he were trying to be helpful. "Look, I appreciate it, but, I don't wi-" She caught herself, but that was close. Sarah sighed inwardly as she realized she needed to work on her vocabulary just as much as her personality. "Thank you. But don't tell him I said anything, ok?" Grinning toothily he nodded at her, a rapid, jerky movement, then darted back beneath the shadows. Back under her bed. Hesitantly,with the growing sense she really didn't want to know, Sarah peeked underneath her bed. But he was gone, and no horde of goblins awaited her, just a few boxes and a hairclip. She slowly settled back into the bed and returned to her internal reflections, both delighted and concerned that she was still seeing them. It was real, she knew that much. Hoggle had still been proudly displaying the bracelet she'd given him when she'd shooed everyone out, exhausted from her unexpected adventures, and the Wiseman's cup still held her ring. It was perhaps a bit suspicious that the boisterous celebration had at no point aroused the curiousity of her parents, but Sarah found that far easier to believe than nearly anything else that had happened that night. As for the whys and hows of it all, she wasn't about to test her sanity by trying to figure that out. The Underground and all those within existed, she could see them, and that was more than anything she'd ever hoped for. The newly matured Sarah drifted into a very deep and dreamless sleep, both physically and mentally tapped to exhaustion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

'Well. That could have gone better.' The thoughts of the Goblin King were sour indeed as he reflected on the evening's events and the stubborn girl who dared to defy him. "Insolent child." His hand reflexively clenched shut as he spoke, trapping a trinket he'd been holding within his grip. A mere instant later he purposefully struck out with his crop, sending a small hair-clip wearing goblin into one of the many piles of sleeping creatures in the room. The goblin decided to stay there, and soon fell asleep, the only intelligent thing it had done in quite some time. Standing now, Jareth paced about the room as his agitation grew, focusing on nothing but the image that was forever etched into his mind. "Does she really think me defeated? That I, -I,Jareth, The Goblin King," Here his words were laced with a foul distaste, but as he spoke the last word it rang out with such authority, such power, that its truth could not be doubted. His fist clenched tighter, and he was suddenly reminded of the tiny metal object he held within it. "Honestly." The word came out rather quietly, a long, already tired breath that had been further exhausted from being held so long. He unclenched his hand enough to massage the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "The foolish chit of a girl. Rising herself to such power on what? A whim. An ignorant, childish whim." He frowned at the pile of sleeping goblins curled near his throne and swiftly kicked one out of his way. He was trying to pace, here. Really.

"IT WAS THE CHICKENS!" It shrieked as it collected itself from across the room and ran out into the hallway, loudly. There was a good deal of muttering from the others as, half-asleep, they shifted and moved out of the danger zone. Well, the current danger zone. A squeaky protest rose from the pile. Then all was silent again, save for the musings of the King.

"Hmph. No power indeed. Not directly, perhaps.." A cruel smirk crossed his lips as he slid back into his throne, the jewel-tipped riding crop habitually tapping out a rhythm as he finally calmed himself enough to look at the object he'd been crushing in his palm. Such a small thing, yet it seemed to bring him some hidden amusement as he let it play across his hand, flipping end over end from one finger to the next; Sarah's ring, given to the Wiseman in payment, and now in Jareth's possession as ruler of the Labyrinth. The Goblin King could feel her essence within it. It obviously had been worn by her for some time, and bore some amount of importance. 'And now,' He thought, his amusement increasing, 'It is mine.' In mid-flip it ceased its spin and fell quickly back into his waiting palm which snapped shut around it, like some cleverly laid trap that had just been sprung. 'Just as she will be, in the proper time.'