Author's Note --- This is my first posted Labyrinth fanfic. No, I'm not taking a break on my other stories, I've just had this sitting around after working on it for about two years and I've finally decided to get it up and out there. Please read and review and if you so chose, ask questions, leave comments, etc on my forum for it. Thanks!
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Prologue --- "…As the world falls down…"
In the early evening, three bubbles made their way over a deserted city and through a dense forest. A teenage girl, sitting against a tree, watched them approach. In one of them was an elegantly dressed couple waltzing. In another was another couple dancing. In the last was her music box, playing its soothing high-pitched melody. She could see the female dancer on it spinning around, her brown curly hair flowing behind her. Slowly, the dancer became the girl.
The bubbles began to make their way back towards the city. A fox called out "Milady" for a third time and glanced for a last look at the forest they had just made their way out of. His shaggy white noble steed jumped back, startled, and he noticed the bubbles making their way towards them. The orange beast that stood next to him grunted in surprise at the bubbles. They watched the three bubbles become one and float towards the castle at the middle of the city. They quickly followed; hoping that the lady they were looking for was safe.
As the three companions followed the traveling bubble, they watched intrigued. They could see very little but what they could manage to make out was extraordinary. People were dressed up as though they were at a ball. They could see white walls lined with mirrors, enormous chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, adorned with ropes of pearls and they could hear a very faint melody playing.
Inside the bubble, standing off to one side, the girl observed quite a scene. Men and women flirting, dancing, laughing and having a good time flashed before her eyes. The men wore masks, wigs, breeches and loose shirts of many colors. The women wore large ball gowns, masks and sparkling jewelry. Music twinkled in the background, a song she knew so well.
As these people acted before her eyes, the girl stood quietly watching, wondering if she belonged here. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her. Her own large virginal white ball gown stood quietly around her legs. The long puffy sleeves swallowed her thin arms. Around her neck sat a large diamond necklace. Hanging from her ears were diamond chandelier earrings. Her long chocolate hair was curled and pulled back off her face with silver leaves threaded throughout.
She walked a few steps, staring at the people surrounding her. A woman's cackle startled the girl, causing her to look that way. One lone figure stood across the ballroom in the middle of the moving people, watching her. He lowered his black mask from his face as her eyes passed over him. She caught his eye and gasped silently.
There's such a sad love
Deep in your eyes
She stared longingly at the man who was decked out in black tights, a white ruffled poet shirt and a black frock with many blue jewels. He was singing so softly that she could barely hear the words. He smiled knowingly at her. Another man stepped in front of him, bowing to his partner. Once the man finally moved, he no longer stood there.
A kind of pale jewelOpen and closed within your eyes
I'll place the sky within your eyes
The girl edged her way past couples dancing, people laughing and having a good time. She arrived at the spot where the man had once stood. There was no sign of him. She glanced around the white room for a glimpse of him. She continued walking, not giving up hope.
There's such a fooled heartBeating so fast in search of new dreams
A man with a trunk beckoned to the girl as she eased her way past him. She paused for a second. He opened the trunk and out popped what she supposed to be a bird. She gasped in fright at the skinny neck with no feathers and bulging eyes. The couples surrounding her laughed at her.
A love that will last within your heart
I'll place the moon within your heart
She walked away from the cruel bunch, not caring to be with them. She had to find the strange man. She had not yet spotted him but felt sure that he was close by. Little did she know, he was standing right next to her, hidden behind a woman's fan. When she walked away, the woman lowered the fan and he grinned at her in thanks.
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill has gone
Wasn't too much fun at all
But I'll be there for you
As the world falls down
Falling
Falling
Falling in loveThough she could not see him, she heard him singing his song to her. She vaguely listened to the words as she hurried past people trying to find him. The song wasn't important; he was.
I'll paint you mornings of goldI'll spin you Valentine evenings
Though we're strangers till now
The girl stumbled into a group of three women standing in front of her. They gazed into mirrors that fit in the palms of their hands. In their other hands were large feathered fans, cutting off her path. As she glanced about, searching for another way to walk, the women slowly lowered their fans. She turned her attention to the opening. There stood the man.
We're choosing the path between the stars
I'll leave my love between the stars
Her lips parted slightly, quite involuntary, as she realized just how handsome he was. He had wild long blonde hair that was spiky on top and fell onto his shoulders, glowing mismatched eyes, one blue, the other brown. He was wearing a midnight blue frock coat covered in jewels over his black breeches and white ruffled poet shirt. He offered her a gloved hand and she accepted without hesitation.
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill has gone
Wasn't too much fun at all
Taking her into his arms, he led her into a waltz. Dancing past another couple, he pulled her close to him. After they had passed, he didn't let her go. She decided that she didn't mind being with him. She now listened to the song, realizing that she would be with him forever if she chose so. She gazed into his eyes, wondering if the things he told her were lies or that he truly loved her.
But I'll be there for you
As the world falls down
As they danced, she glanced at the gold clock on a wall and realized that it was almost twelve o'clock. Something was dreadfully wrong. She didn't know what it was but she could feel it. She gazed about and noticed how crowded in they were. The couples had stopped dancing and stood about, staring at them. The women's eyes laughed at her mockingly, the men smirked at her and their smirks were all too knowing.
FallingRealizing what these people wanted to see, the girl broke out of her silent trance and pushed the man away. The gold clock began to chime twelve. She struggled through the crowd, pushing her way past the people. He stopped singing to her but the music continued faintly and his smile turned to a worried frown as he watched as she ran away.
FallingHis eyes followed her retreating back. An eyebrow raised in confusion. He had just wanted to make her dreams come true and show her that he was truly a caring person, not just some terrible villain.
Falling in loveThe girl ran to the vacant tables tucked deep in a corner, far from everyone else. She quickly looked over the mirrored wall holding her in. She glanced around for something to break it with. A white chair lay just out of reach. She grabbed it and smashed it into the wall. The wall shattered but the wall, being not a wall but a bubble, popped and the girl was thrown out, floating into blackness.
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Somewhere, far away from this dream fantasy, a young woman woke up from her sleep, gasping for breath. She sat up in bed, thinking, as the sweat poured down her forehead and back. It was only a dream, a silly dream that could never happen. But to this woman it had happened once and was as real as herself.