Disclaimer: Basically the only thing I don't own in this is Jareth, the Underground, the Goblins and the Labyrinth. Everything else is pretty much mine! No stealing! (hisses)
Summary: How did Jareth come to be the King of Goblins? Simple. He asked for a story.
Age: Jareth and Jason are 13. Ryoko and Amarados are 12. Marie is 315.
Warning: Jareth is totally out of character.
Another warning: This story will be sad. You have been warned.
Another warning: This contains Heal Me, Hurt Me spoilers! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPOIL HEAL ME, HURT ME, READ THAT FIRST THEN READ THIS ONE! O' course, HMHM is so long that you might wanna read this just to understand it XD
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Mismatched Flowers
By Kadasa Mori
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Part I
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"Come back here you little brats! Come back here at once!"
"Run! Run!"
"Hurry!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
The leader of the small pack skidded and quickly turned to his right. "Come on! This way!" They raced through the winding alleyways, leaping over lounging dogs and garbage cans before they reached a huge cement wall, lined the entire way with thick bushes.
The young boy pulled back one of the bushes, the other three hurrying inside the hole in the wall. He quickly followed after them, staying out of sight of the large castle and any guards wandering about until they reached their hideaway in the garden in the back.
Smirking, he high-fived them. "Great job guys!"
A grinning redhead flopped back on the grass to munch at his stolen prize. "Aw come on. That was an easy snatch!"
A reddish-purplish haired youth, looking eerily like the other redhead, sat down beside him and snatched away the prize. "And there you were, huffing and puffing behind the rest of us, Ryoko."
Ryoko scowled, narrowing his gray eyes and snatching back the muffin. "I was right next to you Amdos!!!" Amarandos scowled back, his own silver blue eyes narrowed as well. He opened his mouth to argue when the third member spoke up.
"Come on guys! At least we got the muffins." He pulled out a blueberry one and bit into it happily. Grinning, he turned to the other three and pointed to a golden eye. "Besides, it's my sight that kept us out of trouble!"
The last member and leader of their small group leapt at him, noogie-ing short honey brown hair. "Yeah right Jason! It's my leadership that got us here!"
Jason let out a yelp and hurried to the other side of their circle, rubbing his head. "Jareth! That hurt!"
Jareth grinned widely, short wild blond hair pulled into a somewhat manageable ponytail, mismatched eyes vibrant against his skin. He pulled a muffin out and opened his mouth to take a bite when a hand grabbed it.
"Jareth! What have I told you about stealing?!"
He pouted and turned to the girl who'd arrived. "But… but Marie!!!"
"Don't you but Marie me!" the girl said in annoyance, not looking older than 25 but in reality was a few years past three centuries. She brushed back a loose strand of long black hair and bounced the muffin in the other hand. "I've told all four of you time and time again that you're not to steal from the bakery. We've had to repay the baker and his wife dozens of times for lost goods because of you!"
She smacked him upside the head then took a bite out of the muffin, turning on her heel and heading for the castle. Jareth pouted and grabbed another muffin out of the bag and took a vicious bite out of it.
"Your sister rocks Jareth." He scowled darkly at Ryoko who shrugged. "She's the only one who can yell at you!"
"Cept his mum and dad!" Amarandos chirped.
Ryoko scowled at him. "Shut up Amdos!"
"You shut up Ryoko!"
"Hey! Let's call Marie 'Terra' from now on!" Everyone blinked and turned to Jason. He blinked as well. "What?"
"Why Terra?" Ryoko asked, nose scrunching up in confusion.
"Cause I like that name."
Ryoko shrugged and took a bite out of his muffin. "Fine by me."
"Me too," Amarandos chirped.
Jareth sighed. "I suppose I have to tell her the news?" They all nodded happily and he sighed, then leaned back to finish off his muffin. "So how's your brother?" he asked the twins.
Amarandos began talking, mouth full of muffin, crumbs spewing out.
The redhead made a face, whether it was at his twin or his older brother, Jareth didn't know. "In love with some girl named Venus. She's an elf and doesn't think that 'being half elf and half wolf means that she should love him any less!'" He shuddered. "Nauseating it is."
Jason laughed. "I'm never gonna fall in love!"
Jareth nudged him. "What about that girl that's by the flower stand?! You're always fawning over her!"
"Am not!" Jason protested, turning pink.
"Are too!"
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Peering around the corner of the stone wall, Jareth spotted his sister and mother seated at a table in the garden, drinking tea and chatting about… whatever. He scowled slightly. He'd once listened in but all they talked about was who was getting married, who just had a baby, who was going out with who and 'girl stuff.'
Rolling his eyes he straightened and stepped out, walking towards them, chest puffed out importantly. He walked up to his sister and pointed to her. "Your name is now Terra!"
Marie raised an eyebrow at the same time as her mother and both turned to each other then back to Jareth. "Terra?"
He nodded and crossed his arms. "Terra."
Sighing heavily, she put her chin in her palm and her elbow on the table. "And why is my name Terra?"
He opened his mouth then shut it and shrugged. "Jason liked the name Terra and so do I so you're now Terra."
She sighed again then nodded. "Whatever." She turned back to Hotaru. "So, where was I?" Jareth blinked then pouted and hurried to her side and poked her. "What?"
"You're supposed to give me a name now!"
She rolled her eyes. "Fred. Go away."
"Ter-ra!"
"I'll think about it. Go find Jason." He grinned widely and took off.
Hotaru smiled at her daughter. "So what are you thinking of?"
Marie shrugged. "What's as different to Jareth as Marie is to Terra?" She sipped at her tea then scowled. "How the hell did he think up Terra?"
Hotaru giggled. "At least he has a pet name for you that isn't a swear word."
Marie shrugged. "I think it would've been better than Terra."
Chuckling, Hotaru picked up her tea, then set it down quickly in excitement. "Oh! Did you hear Ms. Bennett is getting married to Mr. Bingley? And her younger sister is marrying Mr. Darcy!"
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For the next week and a half, Jareth pestered his sister everyday for his new nickname. Every time she'd swat him away and tell him to give her some time to think about one. Today though he'd rounded up his 'gang' of trouble makers to pester her until she named him.
"Did ya think of a name yet?" Jareth asked, poking his sister.
She scowled and swatted at him. "Yes. You're a goblin. You all are!" She poked Jareth's forehead. "But you are King of the Goblins, you little brat."
Jareth blinked then grinned. "King of the Goblins!"
"Yes, yes. Now go away."
He grinned to his group. "Let's go goblins! We've a town to terrorize!"
Marie choked. "No! Wait! Jareth!" But it was too late as they tore out the front gates and towards town.
In only a week, it was common to hear people shouting "you little goblins!"
To which Jareth would look over his shoulder with a wicked grin and reply, "King of the Goblins!"
And Marie groaned and hung her head when people came to complain.
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"Terra!" Squeaking loudly, Marie fell forward, glad her father was there to catch her and save her from tumbling to the ground. She turned and found her brother hugging her tightly. He grinned up at her. "I missed you!"
She smiled. "I was gone for only three days my little goblin."
"King, Terra. King!"
"Yes, yes. My little Goblin King."
"Goblin King?" Glorificus asked, eyebrow rising.
"Yup!" Jareth held his chin high. "Terra gave me a nickname!"
"I know that my son," Glorificus said in amusement. "But I've only ever heard 'goblin', not the royalty version."
"Well she said I'm the Goblin King!"
Marie giggled as her father rolled his eyes, smile still on his face. "Yes. Well what does a Goblin King do?"
Jareth blinked. "Uh…" He glanced at Marie with a 'help!' look.
She giggled again then held herself proudly. "A Goblin King steals little children from their beds and turns them into Goblins!" She ticked Jareth's sides. "But one day he found his heir in you Jareth and turned you into the King of Goblins!"
Jareth laughed and batted her hands away. "You should make a story about me Terra!"
"You my dear little brother?" Marie asked, ruffling his hair. "There's not much to say. 'He was an annoying little brother who liked to steal muffins from the local baker.'"
"Not me! The Goblin King! Write a story about me!"
"Sure thing." She ruffled his hair. "Now father and I have rounds to make in town. Be a good little goblin."
He rolled his eyes. "King, Terra. King."
"Yes, yes. My little Goblin King."
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Jareth peeked around the corner to their 'secret spot', his and Marie's, only to find his sister seated on the grass, a book in one hand, quill in the other as she wrote and hummed at the same time.
"Terra?" he called hesitantly.
She looked up and smiled warmly. "Good day Jareth, my little goblin."
"King, Terra. King."
"Yes, yes. My little Goblin King. Come take a seat with me." He did so, curling up against her side.
"What are you writing?"
"A book."
"A book?! What's it about?"
She tickled his nose with the end of the quill. "You."
"Me?!"
"Yes." She laughed. "You. You and your goblin entourage. The History of the Goblin King!"
He smiled. "Will you read it to me?"
"When I'm finished."
"Are you almost done?"
"Almost."
"When will it be done?"
She laughed. "When you stop interrupting me and let me finish!"
"Oh! Okay!" He made the motion of zipping his lips and shuffled so his head rested on her thigh. She smiled and ran a hand through his hair before resting it over his arm and turning back to her book. He played with her ring, a thin silver ring with a circular green gem held up by two wings. Smiling, he shut his eyes, ears listening to the scratches of her writing, the wind whistling through the hedges and her soft humming.
This is the greatest place in the world, he thought, sinking into relaxation.
"Jareth?" He turned to look at her and she smiled. "It's getting close to lunch. Aren't you hungry?"
"Can't we eat out here?" he asked with a pout.
She giggled. "No my dear. Mother insists we eat inside."
"Aw…" Shifting, a spot of color caught his attention. "What's that?"
"Hm? What's what?"
He crawled over her legs and scurried to the corner of their hideaway. Reaching down, he pulled out the two spots of color and found two flowers wrapped around each other. He turned to Marie. "What are they?"
"Let's see." She took them and turned them around. "This one is a daisy and this one a pansy."
"Why are they growing here?"
She shrugged. "Someone must have planted them or a bird could've brought the seeds here and they planted themselves."
"Oh." He cocked his head at the flowers. "They're pretty."
She smiled. "The daisy represents innocence and the pansy represents a loved one, memories and whatnot."
"Hm…" He took them back and held the daisy up to the right side of her head then the pansy to the left. "Hmmm… the daisy looks better on you." He stuck it behind her ear and took the pansy for himself. He smiled at it then at her. "We're a pair of mismatched flowers."
She smiled and hugged him. "Yes we are, Jareth, my little goblin."
He rolled his eyes. "King, Terra. King."
"Yes, yes. My little Goblin King."
"Now let's go! I'm hungry."
She chuckled and stood, grabbing her things. She watched uneasily as he twirled the pansy. It was the 'memories of a loved one' that worried her. She took a deep breath and relaxed. Nothing was going to happen to him. She'd make sure of that.
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Humming to herself, Hotaru walked past the entry way to the garden, paused and backed up. With a sigh she walked into the room and took a seat beside her son who was staring out the window into the back yard.
"Staring won't make her appear any faster."
He sighed. "I know." With a pout he drew his knees up to his chin. "When's she gonna be back?"
Hotaru smiled patiently. "Soon Jareth." She ruffled his hair. "Soon." Standing, she continued on her previous course leaving the blond by himself… or so she thought.
"She gone?" Jason whispered.
"Yup!" Jareth replied with a grin, leaning over as Jason crawled out from under the bench. "Are you ready?"
"Yes sir, Goblin King sir!" Jason saluted and was whapped.
"Shh!" Jareth hissed. "Here she comes!" Jason grinned and hid quickly as Marie made her way in from the gardens having had a small tea party with some of the other girls in town.
"Terra!"
The girl turned and smiled warmly as her brother bounded into her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She hugged him tightly. "Hello Jareth, my little goblin."
He grinned up at her. "King of the Goblins, Terra! King!"
She ruffled his hair. "Yes, yes. My little Goblin King."
"Terra!"
Marie turned as another body collided with hers. She laughed. "Why hello Jason!" She blinked then scowled and put her hands on her hips. "Why are you two together? Whenever you're together you always create mischief. What did you do this time?"
Jareth and Jason bumped fists together. "Not even thirty seconds!" Jason cried happily, turning on his heel and running off.
Jareth laughed and hurried after his friend as his sister scowled in their direction. "You little goblins!!!"
"King, Terra! King!!!"
She rolled her eyes and muttered "why the hell did I ever think up that name?"
"Because you're an idiot," her mother supplied as she walked back through.
Marie sighed. "I hate my life."
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"'You… you have no power over me!' the princess cried defiantly.
"The Goblin King grasped at his chest as his world began crumbling down around him and he fell backwards off the platform. She gasped and hurried to the edge only to find a barn owl flying into the sky in a flurry of feathers.
"The stone beneath her feet crumbled and she found herself falling and falling into space. The ground solidified under her and she was back in her room in the castle. Blinking she looked around before she raced to her little brother's room.
"'He was sleeping soundly, thumb close to his mouth in case he needed it. Smiling, the young princess ran her fingers over his baby cheek then kissed his forehead and turned, walking back to her room. She opened the door with a sigh, wondering if she'd ever see her friends again, shutting it behind her and staring at the ground.
"'Hey! Why the long face?' She looked up sharply and found her friends sitting there waiting for her.
"'You came!' she cried and raced over to hug them.
"'Of course we came,' they replied. 'We're friends aren't we?'
"She nodded. 'Friends forever!' Their party lasted long into the night, the barn owl sitting outside going unnoticed as he flew into a full moon. The end."
Marie shut the red book finding four boys staring at her, gazes distant. She grinned. "Well. How was it?"
Jareth shook himself awake first and crossed his arms irritably. "The Goblin King wouldn't be so… so… so…"
"Mushy?" Ryoko supplied.
"Yeah! He wouldn't be so mushy!"
Maries rolled her eyes. "And how would you know? There isn't such a person."
He pointed to himself. "I'm the Goblin King and I say I wouldn't be so mushy!... wait…"
"Ryoko! Amarandos! Your mother's here!" Hotaru called from the castle.
They pouted and stood. "See ya later Jareth," Ryoko muttered, trudging towards the castle.
"Ah! Amdos left his scarf!" Jason chirped, grabbing it. "I'll go give it to him. Be back in a moment!"
Jareth and Marie watched him raced after the two, then tackle the red-purple-whatever-color-you-called-it haired boy, a scuffle breaking out before Hotaru and their mother shouted again and they raced for the castle.
He turned to his sister who set the book down, gently touching the petals of nearby flowers. "Terra… that really was too mushy. Girls are too mushy."
Marie rolled her eyes at him, taking the flowers and cutting the stems. "Jareth. One day you will break many girls' hearts." He scowled at her. "It's true." She tapped his nose. "But be careful when you find that special girl and decide not to change. You'll regret it little brother."
"Yah, yah." He waved her away. "I ain't going after girls. They've got cooties."
She smirked then grabbed his head and kissed it. "There! Now you're infected!"
He growled at her, wiping his forehead. "You don't count."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't count me as a girl?" she growled.
"Ouch… uh… I think I should run away…" They turned to Jason who'd just arrived, glancing nervously at Marie who smirked at him.
Jareth stood. "She's being a brat again."
Jason grinned widely. "Aw. She's so good at it too." Marie's eyes darkened dangerously as she stood. They squeaked, backing up quickly before turning and beginning to walk away quickly.
A sharp gasp made both of them turn and find her eyes wide. She turned and they followed her gaze. Jason's hand grabbed Jareth's arm quickly. A demon stood there, black flames flickering angrily, red spots for eyes narrowed and staring at Marie as it slowly descended upon her, ghostly black hands clawing for her face. Her body went limp, flowers dropping from her hands to litter the ground, eyes rolling back into her head.
"It's… it's an incubo…" Jason whispered, hardly daring to breath. Jareth's eyes widened.
After moment Marie began screaming, trying to claw at her heart and face, nails drawing blood where they trailed. The demon began cackling. "MARIE!" Jareth screamed.
The incubo turned quickly, gaze falling on him. It pulled its hands back, releasing her from her nightmare. She fell back, eyes unseeing. The incubo grinned wickedly, eyes narrowed as he stared at Jareth who stood trembling. Jason inhaled sharply and tugged on Jareth's sleeve.
"Jare… come on… let's go… now!" Jareth just stared, frozen. The incubo turned in their direction. Jason turned on his heel and fled, screaming at the top of his lungs for help. Jareth just stared as it swooped up in front of him, spindly hands reaching for his face. The edges of his world were turning black, blood roiling in the back of his mind as untold horrors began creeping up on him.
"Get away from my son you demon!!!"
It looked up sharply then screamed as a ball of light raced for it. Darting out of the way, it hissed then disappeared. Glorificus knelt beside Jareth. "Son? Son, are you all right?"
"Ter…ra…" Jareth whispered.
The man frowned in confusion then turned quickly. "Marie?" He hurried over. "Marie?!"
Jareth's vision was fading. "Jareth!" Jason shouted, looking frantic and shaking his shoulder. "Jareth!!!"
Jason disappeared replaced with his mother's. "Jareth wake up!" she cried, eyes filling with tears. "Jareth!" He fell back as his world turned black.
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Groaning, he rolled over in his bed, wondering why his head felt so stuffy and warm. Stretching and feeling bones pop, he slowly opened an eye before shutting it, then reopening it a moment later and looking around his room.
How did I sleep in so late without father yelling at me? he thought curiously before heading for the bathroom to wash up then find Jason and terrorize Marie as usual. He froze, pulling his shirt on as everything returned to him quickly. Turning, and pulling the shirt on the rest of the way, he flew from the room and to his sister's bedroom.
He burst through the door and found her sitting wide eyed on her bed, gripping the sheets. "Terra!" he cried, racing for her side.
Marie reached for him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Oh gods… are you okay Jareth?!" she cried, eyes looking him over quickly.
"I'm fine Terra. I'm fine. Are you?"
"I'm fine too." She licked her lips nervously and looked around. "How about Jason? Is he all right?"
Jareth nodded slowly. "He's fine… are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes of course I am. Why do you ask?"
The door slammed opened. Jareth winced as her fingers became vice like and her eyes widened greatly, fear consuming her. She relaxed as her mother hugged her tightly. "Oh Marie!" she cried. "We were so worried!"
"I'm… I'm alright Mother. I'm fine."
Jareth swallowed uneasily as he saw the darkness in her eyes growing. He glanced at his father who looked pained. "Father?" he asked softly.
Glorificus looked down at him and smiled faintly. "It's alright son. We'll take care of her."
Jareth turned back to his sister as a tremor shot through her arm, hands twitching against her mother's back and eyes going mad. He shut his eyes and wished for time to reorder itself so this would have never happened.
In her room, the daisy wilted.
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Author's Note: Welcome to the story of how Jareth became the Goblin King.
HMHM readers will recognize many of the characters shown here. Gotta have many characters right? Now you've met Marie. I had her nicknamed Terra because I couldn't decide between Marie and Terra as her name. :D
Amarandos – (Greek) unfading
Twin to Ryoko, he's more of a 'little brother' character than a twin. He's a character I'm beginning to love but am also sad because he's died by the time HMHM came around. Only a few hundred years old and he was bitten by something while traveling in another kingdom and sadly died as a result of it. Bummer. :(
Anyway, the next chapter is the finale. See ya back at HMHM after that!
Kadasa Mori
P.S. Misses Bennetts, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley are characters from Pride and Prejudice. I've not read the book but seen the movie and fell in love. Unfortunately I don't have time for reading anything other than fanfic so the book shall stay un-read-ed for quite some time.