Disclaimer: The following is an old Labyrinth fan fiction I wrote for a Labyrinth fan fiction group years. Labyrinth belongs to Henson. Most, if not all, of the Labyrinth fan fiction I am going to post here is at least ten years old, if not older. You will see the original dates they were written placed into these documents. These fan fictions predate the canon of Return to Labyrinth.
To: .
Subject: [labyfic] The Fanciful Place (Part 1 of 4)
From:
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 16:44:53 EDT
--------
This was my first attempt at play. I had never written a play
before, and the first time I posted this I realized that there were flaws in
it, and I altered the name slightly. This is my only play, in one act.
Labyrinth inspired, and Jareth is mentioned, very fondly, and is important to
the story. I have an alternate version that I may try to publish where I had
changed the name Jareth to Jeremy because the original reference was too
vague to sound like our Jareth. And the version I first gave was less
Labyrinth related then it should have been and there were spots where I had
accidentally called Jareth Jeremy as I did in the alternate version. I've
corrected that and made it purely certain that it's Jareth I'm talking about
and not some vague look-alike.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fanciful Place:
A play in one act:
Cast of characters:
Rhyne------------------------------------Rhyne is a somewhat handsome man
at the age of twenty-nine. He is tall
and slender. His hair is a light
copper. His eyes are an icy blue. His
hair is a careless, curly mop on his
head. He wears wire framed
spectacles and somewhat drab
clothes. He is a nonconformist but
clearly a good natured man.
Simon--------------------------------- Simon is a cynical older gentleman. He is
clearly a well off older man. He is
dressed well but is very bland and dull.
Henry-----------------------------------Henry is a peer of Rhyne's. In
appearance he is very similar to Rhyne
only with darker hair and he does not
wear spectacles. He dresses
carelessly and though he used to be
something of a dreamer he seems to
slowly be molding in to something
rather like Simon. He is deeply afraid
of things which are against
convention. He is also a bit of a
brown noser towards Simon. He is
in his early thirties and stands just a
trifle bit shorter then Rhyne.
Marie----------------------------------- Marie is a comely, slender young woman
with wide, intelligent eyes. She has
long, cascading black hair. She
wears a long, old fashioned dress.
She is very fond and somewhat
protective of Rhyne. She and Linda
appear to be in their early twenties.
Linda----------------------------------- Linda is a tall, thin woman. She is very
beautiful but not very practical. She
dresses very similar to Marie. She has
curly red hair. She and Marie appear
to be in their early twenties.
Frederick -------------------------------- Frederick is a naive child. He is
somewhat plump and very simple
minded. He is no more then ten
years old at best.
To: .
Subject: [labyfic] The Fanciful Place (Part 2 of 4)
From:
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 16:45:04 EDT
--------
The Fanciful Place:
A play in one act:
(Scene 1: Act 1 of one)
Setting:
Mansion int: A sitting room, dimly lit at early evening.
Peculiar shadows play upon the wall. Outside a bitter December wind howls as
if wishing to gain entree in to the old, English style, gothic mansion.
Frederick:
(Frederick is Seated upon the sofa nearest to the window. He is small
enough where he can perilously and carelessly position himself, straddling
upon it's back. He is looking out at the gray sky outside of the window
behind him, which means that he is not directing the audience at all.)
Do you think that he'll be able to make it in this weather?
(He asked this to an older gentleman, whom we shall later introduce
as being Simon. To the far right of the stage Simon is seated in an
armchair, cattycorner in the room, nearest the fireplace where a small, cozy
fire burns and crackle. The fire is the reason for the peculiar shadows
playing upon the old, stone brick walls of the room.)
Simon:
(Simon had been smoking upon a pipe. He places down the pipe after a
few moments. He bad completely ignored the boy, hearing the light footfalls
of another entering the room.)
Linda:
(Linda enters the scene, Stage left, through a door on the set,
or at least seeming for the audience. She appears to be worried, her
expression is weary and her lips are sealed in an attempt at
expressionless-ness but this only produces a frown. In her hands rests a
silver tray with a tea set upon it. She places the tray down upon the low
table near to Simon's armchair. She shakes her head doubtfully, perhaps
disapprovingly. )
Simon:
(Simon speaks up to Linda, completely ignoring the boy in the room as
if he were not there at all. It appears through his acts and expression that
he would rather the young boy were not there at all.)
Every year it is the same thing. Ever since his discovered
that book with supposed magical powers. It's not healthy. Someone should
take that thing away from him, I tell you. It's not natural, I tell you!
And how do we know it's even true. Passing in to other realities, exploring
other worlds, in deed! It's all nonsense! It's all just fanciful, these
places that he speaks to us of. He is probably mad. Why he very easily
could be-
Linda:
(Linda Interrupt Simon in mid-sentence, quite abruptly.)
Simon, please!
(Linda appears to have paled in the last few seconds. Stage
lighting upon her, dimming and white can emphasize this effect. )
If Rhyne says that it is possible to travel to these...
these... other places. Then I believe him!
Frederick:
(With a child's naivete and excitement, having not grasped the nature
of hers and Simon's discussion he looks over towards Linda, with a fond,
clearly familiar tone.)
Aunt Linda, do you think that he has brought me anything this time?
Linda:
(It appears that Linda was about to answer him but she is fast
distracted by the sudden appearance of another character.)
Henry:
(A man in his early thirties, with the expression and manners of
one in his mid to late teens enters the scene, stage right, with a less
graceful and more frantic entrance then Linda had provided. His clothes are
disheveled as if he had worn them for two days on. And his voice is
excited.)
He's coming! He's coming! Someone fetch Marie, Rhyne's home!
Linda:
(She stares wide eyed. Her countenance shows wonder. She
stands still with her arms limp at her sides. Her mouth hangs open.)
Frederick:
(Frederick leaps from the sofa and stares at the doorway as another
young man enters in to the room, stage right, the same way that Henry had
entered.)
Simon:
(Simon's expression remains entirely placid and emotionless as it
had from the start.)
Rhyne:
(Rhyne walks in to the room, stage left. He is dressed in
travelers' clothes. His hair is a curly, tangled mess.)
Hello, everyone! You would not believe it!
(Rhyne makes wide and exaggerated hand gestures to elaborate on this.)
Simon:
(He has shifted his position. He appears to be bored.
His head rests in his hand. His elbow of the arm attached to that hand is
upon the arm of the chair that he is seated in. He mutters in to his hand,
yet it is loud enough for the others to obviously hear him but politely
ignore his cynical nature.)
In deed...
Marie:
(Marie enters the room from another door, stage right. A few
meters in front of where Simon is seated. She exclaims in pure delight at
the sight of Rhyne.)
Rhyne!
Rhyne:
(Rhyne's expression exactly matches Marie's. He returns the
excitedly happy exclamation as he opens his arms wide for an embrace.)
Marie!
Marie:
(Marie rushes in to Rhyne's arms, embracing him tightly.)
Rhyne:
(Rhyne returns her embrace with a giddy chuckle.)
Marie:
(As she pulls from his arms and looks in to his eyes.)
Oh, it is so good to see you again, and to hear you laugh again, dear
brother.
(She moves over to the sofa and seats herself.)
Linda:
(Linda sits down beside Marie. Her hands rest upon her lap. She
raises her hand just once before placing it back upon her lap, to gesture for
Frederick to sit beside her.)
Frederick:
(Frederick acknowledges the implication and sits down between Linda
and Marie upon the sofa, squirming a bit. It is clear that the boy is unused
to sitting still for very long and is uncomfortable between these two young
women.)
To: .
Subject: [labyfic] The Fanciful Place (Part 3 of 4)
From:
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 16:45:17 EDT
--------
Rhyne:
(Rhyne takes center stage, standing in the middle of the room, as
if waiting for something to be said or done for him to speak or act upon it.)
Marie:
(Marie leans forward.)
Oh, Rhyne you have seen so many strange and wonderful things
on these journeys in to these other worlds. You've told us fantastic stories
of worlds made of mind boggling, and surreal puzzles and enigmas, castles,
and one world of Elfin like creatures. Do please tell us what did you see
this time?
Henry:
(Henry moves like a loyal lap dog as he stands along side
Simon's armchair. He faces Rhyne. His tone is patronizing, and scoffing.)
Oh, yes, Rhyne. Do tell us.
(His eyes shift, bemused, towards Simon. He seems to relish the
situation.)
Simon:
(Sitting up straight now.)
Bah! Faery tales, all of it, these fanciful places. And I think
you're all mad for even humouring this rubbish!
Marie:
(Marie's eyes shift to Simon. Her expression is one of scorn and
dislike. She practically hisses.)
Simon, hush.
Rhyne:
(Rhyne's good spirits are unaltered by Simon's cynicism or
apparent bitterness towards him. In fact, as he faces Marie, Frederick and
Linda it seems that he has chosen, unconsciously to completely ignore Henry
and Simon all together. His expression and voice are chipper in sound and
appearance. He emphasizes when he speaks, in strange and sudden moments of
seemingly un-required excitement with exaggerated arm and hand gestures which
make what he says seem all the more grand to his audience.)
Well, it was the most fantastic thing. I came to this other world.
It was the most peculiar thing that I had ever seen. It was very much like
our world, in it's people, shape and substance but there was something
metaphysically different.
Linda:
(Linda looks upon Rhyne with wonder. She had been smoothing out
the lap of her dress with her dainty little hand.)
Metaphysically different? How so?
Rhyne:
Oh, well first let me tell you of what I did there, and then I'll
tell you of the strange differences that I saw.
Henry:
(Henry folds his arms. His tone is rather snobbish and similar to
Simon's cynical way.)
All right, Rhyne, tell us.
Rhyne:
First off, upon my arriving in to this strange new world of subtle
quirks and odd fancies I met the most unusual chap. And he was peculiar even
to the population there, let me tell you. His name was Jareth.
(He gestures with his hands towards his own features as he
describes Jareth's features.)
He had the most unusual way abou him, he did.
His eyes were the most peculiar shade. Jareth had peculiar
yet very alluring, slightly mismatched eyes. His eyes were blue, but
strangely mismatched in that his left pupil was just a bit enlarged. He had
gorgeous, long, yellow blond hair that hung lightly spiked and feathered on
his head. Jareth wore eccentric garments.
Jareth often wore tight black trousers. He wore a silk white
shirt with an opened 'V' neck lined collar. On his neck he wore on a chain;
hanging from his neck on this chain he wore a golden cicle pendent with the
silver coin within it's center. It looked like a triangular thing with it's
sides in-caved.
He wore leather boots and leather gloves over his long
slender hands. He was a truly a handsome creature. He looked to be about the
age of about thirty-eight, maybe thirty-nine years old.
He was fairly tall and thin with a feline like grace about
him.
Henry:
(Henry humours Rhyne as a friend would to a man going mad.)
But surely, Rhyne, there are men in our world with unusual
eyes and eccentric tastes in fashion and style. I'll admit that it's unusual
but it is not an oddity of circumstance.
Rhyne:
(Rhyne Glances over at Henry once and then looks back to
Linda, Frederick and Marie.)
In deed this is so. But none, I assure you, quite like Jareth.
Henry:
Then please-
(He gestures towards Rhyne with a careless motion of his arm.)
-carry on.
Rhyne:
(Rhyne looks back at Henry once.)
I shall.
(Rhyne returned his gaze to the three upon the sofa.)
Anyway, there was a cat-like grace to this Jareth fellow.
From his narrow, wiry frame to his high cheekbones, I could
swear to you that he was no ordinary creature, even for there. Why, I almost
suspected that he was in fact merely a visitor, such as myself, to that
world. I dared not confront him on this though for fear= that I may have been
mistaken. But the more I think on it, the more I am certain that he was not
from that reality as surely as I, myself was only visiting.
(He slams his right fist in to his left hand before carrying on. He
shakes his head in a serious expression but then smiles once more.)
Well, he appeared to be in his late thirties, I should think,
though there was a boyish-ness to him that I simply can not explain.
It could have been the way his smile always seemed like such
a mischievous, playful, boyish smile. It was like a Cheshire cat's grin, it
was. His hair was truly this incredible yellow colour, like lemon drops in a
sweet shoppe window, or the sunlight in mid-summer. You would think him the
God Apollo by the way it shown like the very sun No, not from the God of the
sun, he was. He was no present from Apollo though Apollo must have blessed
him well with the gift for poetic ability, mind you. I dare say he must have
been some sort of messenger from Morphious, the God of dreams. Jareth, by
nature, I would say, would serve no man or deity but by nature I would think
he'd bend for the will of The God of dreams, for dreams were a key element to
winning Jareth's favour. And I can't quite put my finger on it, but I dare
say there was something almost... Magical about him.
Frederick:
(This has suddenly caught Frederick's interests. The boy seems
fascinated by any possible mention of the occult and any word said in the
slightest reference to such things causes his eyes to widen and for him to
lean forward slightly before after a moment or so retracting back against the
back cushions of the sofa.)
Magick? You think he was a sorcerer then, Rhyne?
(It appears that Frederick would take Rhyne's word as the
holy truth.)
Rhyne:
He just may well could have been, Frederick.
I don't know. I can't know for certain. Anyway, this handsome
chap, he was like an Adonis...
(He seems to lose himself in a dreamy thought, his eyes appear
to be glazing over before he manages to return to reality, and to= his story,
a few seconds later, not quite where he had left off. It seems that he had
been savouring a fond memory that he would rather never forget for th= e rest
of his life.)
Jareth and I, he traveled wi= th me quite a bit all over that
most remarkable and perplexing little world. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy my
amazement at it all, though I told him it was simply because I had never
traveled much a as lad and wished to now. You would have admired his voice,
Marie. He could sing like no other-
Simon:
(Simon interrupted Rhyne in mid-sentence.)
My God, Rhyne!
Rhyne:
(Rhyne is momentarily distracted by Simon. He turns to face
him.)
Hmmm?
Simon:
The way you speak of this man, one might think that you were in
love with him, Rhyne
Rhyne:
(A subtle blush comes in to Rhyne's cheeks as he averts his
eyes from Simon. He clears his throat, his index finger and thumb of his
right hand fumble with the edge of his shirt collar. It seems apparent that
there was some sort of romance between Rhyne and this Jareth that he has
spoken so mysterious and fondly of.)
Henry:
(Henry steps towards Rhyne, pointing an accusing finger at him.)
I knew it! I knew it!
(He looks towards Linda and Marie, and then looking back at
Simon before returning his gaze to Rhyne.)
I told you! I told you all, didn't I? Didn't I? I told you, I
did! I knew it. I knew it! I just knew it! I always knew. Rhyne has always
been the flashing, flamboyant and decadent tart! He's always preferred boys
to breasts! Rhyne:
(Rhyne's smile does not waver, his tone is teasing and without
malice.)
Honestly, Henry, is this the truth, do you think? Or is it
simply what you wish to believe?
(He makes a nonchalant hand gesture.)
Anyway, my dear fellow, whether or not I fancy a
handsome man or a pretty young girl for my caprice romances, that is not of
your concern, now is it? And I'll confess before you now, that I've had my
decent share of both and they were immensely pleasurable! Henry:
(Henry stares stunned. His mouth hangs open. He had not
expected such a confession. He had under estimated Rhyne's sense of self and
lack of conventional shame. He retracts back beside Simon's armchair, unable
to think things through properly.)
Linda:
(Linda stares in what appears to be pure shock.)
To: .
Subject: [labyfic] The Fanciful Place (Part 4 of 4)
From:
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 16:45:33 EDT
--------
Frederick:
(Frederick stares blankly. He does not quite u= nderstand what
has just been said.)
Simon:
(His emotionless expression has not changed. Simon seems very
indifferent.)
Marie:
(Marie giggles, her small hand is over her mouth. All eyes seem to
turn upon her in this awkward, prolonging silence that has thankfully been
broken. )
Rhyne was never one for social constraints, convention, or public
conformity, the ideals of the majority, or the limitations of the individual
imposed upon him by this world. That is what I have always admired about
him. He is the perfect free spirit. His morals were designed to harm no one
but to please himself without the self-righteous fears of ages passed!
(Marie stands up.)
I applaud your free spirit, darling! Well done in doing as you
please! Well done!
(Marie claps her hands a few times before seating herself back
on to the sofa.)
Rhyne:
(Rhyne bows to her like a true gentleman.)
Thank you, love.
Marie:
Oh, please Rhyne, please do carry on with your story.
Linda:
(Linda seems to have momentarily forgotten the scandalous "Free
spirit" talk.)
Oh, yes, Rhyne. Please do.
Rhyne:
Now, I simply must tell you of the unusual nature of this
world that I visited! The fact is it exists solely upon the existence of
dreamers.
Henry:
Impossible!
Simon:
That's Preposterous!
Rhyne:
It's the God's honest truth! I swear it!
Simon:
Now, you're just talking nonsense and using the lord's name in
vain, I might add. Dreamers are idle. They are fanciers, that's all. They
sit and squander their lives away doing nothing more then escaping away from
reality as easily as a drunkard does with a bottle.
Henry:
Rhyne, everyone knows that it is best that to make one's dreams a
reality then to flitter one's reality away dreaming.
Rhyne:
That's true enough but if a dreamer acts upon his dreams then
the dreams of the dreamer and the dreamer's life is not a waste at all.
Allow me to explain it, the necessity of dreamers and their dreams within
this world that I have just come from.
Simon:
Please, by all means, do.
Rhyne:
That world can't move forward without dreams. Dreamers are
the ones who conceive of the ideas that cause that world to carry on as it
does. The world needs it's dreamers. Without them nothing can be sustained.
For if the world does not perpetually move forward it would surely die. The
universe that it exists within, much like our own, is ever expanding,
remaining the same and yet changing. Now if something does not change, does
not consent or bend to change it would break by it.
Without the dreams of the dreamers to create, to innovate, and
improve upon it's society that world would surely stagnate and die. You see,
like a shark in water, if it does not carry on moving, which it can only
accomplish by the will of dreams, it would die.
Dreams are the most precious things to that world of which I
speak. And the saddest tragedy of this world that I am telling you of, is
that though dreamers are as precious as gem stones there, they are
exceedingly rare. And the dreamers, the necessity for that world's survival,
are a dying lot. They are very nearly extinct.
Simon:
(Simon finally stands up and reveals his ability to show passion
as Rhyne has done all along.)
This is all rubbish, I tell you! It's all nonsense. Dreamers are
useless and idle. There are those who act, and there are those who sleep.
Those in the dreaming world accomplish nothing within the waking! You're an
idle fool, Rhyne and you say all this to appease your restless spirit to
justify the fact that you are nothing more then an idle dreamer, yourself and
you shall accomplish NOTHING by it! And you tell us these ridiculous stories
of this impossible, fanciful place.
Rhyne:
(Finally now Rhyne is angry. He steps towards Simon and the two are
nearly nose to nose.)
You cynical old fool! Don't you see? It's you, it's you and your
kind that are destroying our world as we know it. Your cynicism is a rouse
to hide your discontentment with the world around you!
(Rhyne makes a grand gesture around the room.)
You embrace your cynical nature at your discontentment of this
reality because to dream of anything better would break your heart. You are
too afraid. You're nothing more then a coward. A coward, that's what you
are. You are afraid to act upon any, if any impulse to change this world
around you!
I wept when I returned here. I wept because I knew that you and
your bitter, discontented, broken hearted, self-pitying, impassive, and
inactive, dispassionate lot were behind it all.
Linda:
(Linda stands up. She looks legitimately worried.)
Behind what, Rhyne?
Rhyne:
(Rhyne sighs deeply. He reaches up and his fingers rake through
his long bangs that brush in to his eyes. His arms then drop to his sides.
His tone is quiet, rather like that of a man in mourning.)
Our world is dying.
Marie:
(Marie gasps.)
What? Why? How?
(Marie stands up and walks towards Rhyne.)
Are you certain?
Rhyne:
(Rhyne nods solemnly.)
Yes.... You see...
(Rhyne takes a deep breath before continuing on.)
Our world does often enough give birth to dreamers but it is
creatures such as Simon and Henry here that destroy them. I believe that may
be why I despise them so, and everything that they stand for.
You see, our dreamers do not stand a chance within our world.
The cynics knock them down or their wills are broken. These dreamers, they
make wonderful dreams and have ideas that could carry our world in to a new
age of enlightenment and thought provoking wonder and mysteries to explore
within our universe and within ourselves. But some are very weak. And they
surrender their own dreams and ideas for the ideals and desires of others and
then nothing of value can be accomplished. And they often die young, of a
broken heart, for in having surrendered their own dreamed and ideals for the
sake of the ideals and wants of others they can never truly be happy.
Oh, they often don't die, sometimes their fates are far crueler.
Sometimes they are transformed.
Frederick:
(Frederick had been watching all of this in confused wonder.)
Transformed? You mean like in the faery story where the prince
was turned in to a hideous beast?
Rhyne:
(Rhyne nods to Frederick)
Yes, rather. Only worse off. They lose their dreams and therefor
can't touch others. They can't change their world or cause it to move
forward. They can't share their dreams, ideas or beliefs with anyone else
for those things are lost to them. They become empty. They seem to me,
alone, like a jar of bright paint that had been poured out in to a river.
The bright colours that were never used only wash away and fade in the
lapping current of cold, splashing waves. The jar of paint had so much
potential to be used to create things of wonder and beauty and thought but
that was all lost...
And these empty creatures, these former dreamers, they become
creatures of mass production, cynical, indifferent, dispassionate, and
feinding, out to destroy the last of the dreamers. And these former beings
of creation become monsters of destruction out of jealousy for the potential
that they subconsciously see within other dreamers.
Their minds become bent and corrupted. Their spirits become
hideous. It's a terrible cycle, the birth and de-evolution of a dreamer in
to something monstrous to be the cause of the de-evolution of other dreamers.
And so THESE creatures exist!
(Now it was Rhyne's turn to point the accusing finger, and this
time it was justly pointed towards Simon and Henry.)
Henry:
(Henry stared at Rhyne with a blank expression of shock.)
Simon:
(Simon stared at Rhyne with a blank expression of shock.)
Marie:
Rhyne, if our world is doomed, as you say it is, and you had
been so very happy there with this Jareth fellow why did you come back?
Linda:
Yes, why?
Rhyne:
I shall tell you why, though I must confess now that I did
contemplate staying there. While with Jareth, I came to the revelation of
the fault of our world's existence which would surely lead to it's inevitable
destruction.
I decided to return, but this is not my home any longer that I have
had a taste of that strange other world.
(Rhyne shook his head.)
This world is incredibly drab and dreary in comparison. Where as
that world is pigmented in all sorts of vibrant colours and shades, this
world may as well have been painted by a melancholy artist in shades of gray,
black, and white pastels.
I decided that I would choose a handful of dreamers to return
with me to that other world as to grant them the true chance that they
honestly deserve as does that fantastic other world.
(Rhyne suddenly smiled.)
I have decided to take you with me. Marie, Linda, and
Frederick.
(Rhyne looked over at Henry.)
That which has been created can be destroyed, and that which has
fallen can rise again. If you are willing to embrace your dreams and your
sense of self, Henry, you may come with us.
Henry:
(Henry looked solemn and emotionally wounded for a brief moment. He
then looked up in to Rhyne's eyes, for Rhyne was always a few centimeters
taller then he.)
What is this fantastical other place?
Rhyne:
(Rhyne Smiled broadly as he wraps an arm around Henry.)
I think you might like it. It is a place of great
wonder. It's called Earth. Earth, my friend, it's called Earth.
(The end.)