(( Because this idea would not leave me alone, gosh darn it. XD I recently watched Labyrinth for the first time this week and...well this is what happened. It's short, I'm sorry. D: My goal was to keep the characters in character and let them take the story away, which they did. I hope I got them right! If anyone's got some constructive criticism on hand, fire away. But no flameys please!! They buuuurn. DX And forgive any discrepancies. I tried my best but remember I've only seen the movie once! D: Aaaand, the end. :'D Hope you enjoy! :'3
I'm pretty sure this fic is safe enough, but I gave it a T rating for my own safety, just in case I missed something. XD Unlikely, but you never knooow. D:
Labyrinth and all its goodness/character/and everything else belong to Henson, Lucas, and all those Labyrinth people.
Not me. :(
Labyrinth – Don't Forget ))
In a flurry of hugs and cheers, Sarah turned to her new friends with a smile full of relief and delight. Surrounded as she was by goblins of all sorts, she could scarcely believe that, just less than thirteen hours before, she'd been playing make-believe all alone. It was like magic. In fact it was magic! How lucky was she? All her life she'd wished she was in a fairy tale. And although she'd given it up for the sake of her brother, it had all ended up in her favor. Perhaps the imaginary wasn't quite as important to her anymore, but the friends that existed there were. Hmm. Imaginary friends. At her age? She laughed as she buried her face in Ludo's furry hug. These friends were quite real, thank you very much.
And yet the evening felt strangely off, as though something had been forgotten. Perhaps it was the strange sensation of having goblins partying in her bedroom while her parents remained apparently unsuspecting. Or the weary anxiety one feels after accomplishing a mighty task, fearing the sudden freedom. But Sarah didn't feel tired. Quite the contrary she felt strangely alert, eager and well rested, which, by the way, made absolutely no sense. But considering the insanity of the past couple hours, what did make sense anymore? And that strange feeling continued to linger, like the sensation of eyes following your every move.
It was somewhere between Sir Didymus' cry for a battle of Scrabble and the Fire Gang's call for a chilly down dance party that she finally saw it. A leering barn owl was perched outside her window, beady eyes capturing her own. It shifted on the tree branch, edging toward the shadows and away from the welcoming glow of her bedroom light, eyes never leaving her own. The gasp of realization was lost in her throat. Sarah recognized that owl, that Goblin King. (What could he possibly want now?) But this spanned only a moment before, so abruptly she'd almost thought she'd imagined it, the bird was gone, winging away into the ebony night. And despite her lingering frustration at all that His Majesty had put her through, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy. Never had an animal looked quite so lonely before.
"I'll be right back, everyone." She said suddenly, glancing over her shoulder again at her empty window. "One minute. Set up a game while I'm gone!" She added with a smile before they could question her. She slipped out into the hall, leaning against her door as she closed it, and noticing with a mixture of curiosity and relief that the sounds of chatter coming from her room never made it past the door way. It was as though, stepping outside, a muffle had fallen over her ears. The rest of the house was starkly quiet in comparison. She hesitated in the hall, hearing only the lonely creak of the old floorboards beneath her feet. But there was something that needed to be done before she could close this Labyrinth case.
Steeling herself, Sarah crept quietly past her parents' bedroom, resisting the urge to check again and make sure Toby was truly safe and there once more. Her knowing feet navigated around the squeakiest steps on the stairs, her tread muffled by socks. And all too soon she was standing before the front door, shoulders squared and arms at her sides. She had to be sure…She had to be sure this whole fiasco wouldn't happen again. Before she could lose her resolve, Sarah flicked back the lock and threw open the door to the night. A chilly breeze whistled past. She licked dry lips, scanning the area for something, someone who was not there, then whispered.
"Goblin King, Goblin King…"
She hesitated, as though expecting to suddenly be whisked away again without warning. You have no power over me. She recited the safety words in her mind. Then spoke again, this time with clarity.
"Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be. No wait..." What exactly had she said that had made the goblins appear? "I wish..." Her eyes widened. "I wish the Goblin King would come here…Right now." For the briefest of moments, Sarah thought nothing would happen. She had no way to know if her wish would work. Taking crying babies away seemed to be fine, but could she really summon King Jareth himself, just like that?
And then the shadow of wings brushed over her, and once again she watched in awe as the Goblin King transformed right before her. His eyes were defiant as he stalked closer, expression dark and almost feral. More dangerous than when she'd first encountered him, that's for sure, likely a result of his recent defeat. "You have no power over me." Sarah warned, trying very hard not to take a step back.
"After all that I've done for you." He stopped his advance well away from the door, but Sarah still felt trapped. "After all that I've done for you, you still persist in meddling."
"Meddling?" Sarah threw back, suddenly on the defensive. "I wasn't the one lurking outside my window."
He raised one elegant brow. "This is the last time I will answer to your petty, self-centered wishes, Sarah. What is it that you want?"
Sarah hesitated, not entirely sure how to respond to that. "Why were you watching us just now?" She demanded at last.
"I hope you do indeed realize that I am the Goblin King, Sarah. And half my court is currently running amuck in your room."
"…Alright…fair enough…"
"So when you're done abusing my powers, do be sure to send them back. Dealing with them is not your duty." His final words had more bite in them, sending a flash a realization to Sarah as Jareth turned to walk away.
"You're jealous." He stopped, turning to cast the steely look of a monarch down at a peasant.
"Jealous?" A mocking grin slashed across his mouth. "Don't flatter yourself, Sarah. Jealousy is not my reason for this little visit."
"Then what is?"
"I told you already."
"No, what is it really?"
In their bickering Sarah was surprised to realize they were now face to face, she stepping away from the safety of her home and he stalking closer once more. "You won my game, Sarah. I offered you the stars and you threw them back in my face. You matched my wits and solved what should be unsolvable. I have paid your due winnings and returned you to your home. You are something precious. And although I cannot have you that does not mean I will leave you in peace." Jareth smiled again, eyes alight with mischief. "This isn't over, Sarah."
"What do you mean?" She demanded, feeling heat rushing to her face. "You just said that I won!" She had to bite her tongue from declaring that he wasn't being fair. Again.
"Oh you did indeed win. Your will was, is, as strong as my own."
"And?"
He just smiled his awful taunting grin and held up his hand, a familiar orb materializing in his grasp. Sarah took a small step back. "A gift."
"I already told you, I won't take it." She declared bravely.
"This comes without charge.
"Somehow I find that hard to believe."
He chuckled but otherwise paid the remark no heed. "No repercussions, Sarah, just a request."
"And what's that?" Sarah asked warily as Jareth reached his hand out for hers, snatching her wrist gingerly in his own before she could react. He leaned in towards her ear with a whisper.
"That you don't forget."
By the time Sarah had flinched back The Goblin King was already an airborne owl, disappearing into the murky night sky. And the only reminder of their encounter was the perfectly round, clear crystal in her hand.