This is my disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth but I do own my original characters like Jareth and Sarah's kids and some of the random goblins and visiting nobility I throw in.
As just a slight "need to know" Jareth and Sarah had been married for 3 years, (let me know if you want me to write this story), Jareth ticked Sarah off and she went to live Aboveground leaving their son behind for Jareth, so he could have an heir. It's been 30 years since then, thank goodness Sarah's immortal now, and that's where we're picking up the story.
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle, beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as you an my-"
"Stop! Wait! Look, Sarah. Look at what I'm offering you. Your dreams."
"Well I don't want them."
"Sissy that's not the line." A chubby faced boy, age eight, pouted at his sister's stray words. His sandy locks of blonde hair were carried out of his emerald eyes by a stray gust of wind. He was holding a small doll in his hands. The "babe" that his sister was trying to win back. His face grew solemn.
"Fine if you won't follow the script then neither will I."
"I forgot my line."
"No you didn't. You've never forgotten a line. You have a photographic memory." His sister smiled. Her blue eyes sparkled with her mirth. Years ago she had dyed her blond hair to a dark brown with red and blonde streaks. She pushed a stubborn strand behind her ear and chewed her bottom lip lightly.
"Can we start over?" Her brother looked deep in thought.
"Alright from the first line of the final battle." They took their places again and the girl stepped forward.
"Give me the child." The sky above them growled.
"Sarah, beware. I have been generous up til now, but I can be cruel."
"Generous? What have you done that's generous?" Suddenly the sky opened up and rain began to fall down upon the pair.
"It looks like we should hurry home Oh Great Goblin King.' The boy chuckled and followed after his sister. They left the park and were happily running home through the rain. The little boy laughed as they splashed through big puddles just before reaching the house.
"Now remember no mention of life in the Underground to the mere mortal that occupies this house."
"Right. She must not find out that I, Jareth King of the Goblins, have come to woo her." He acted as if he was changing his appearance.
"Okay I'm ready." They stumbled onto the front porch and had just reached the door when it flew open.
"You two had me worried. It's a good thing you left Merlin here. I'd have had to send him into the garage." Merlin was the German shepherd puppy they had recently gotten. Sarah had let the children name him and they had both agreed on Merlin. Sarah smiled down at her children now soaked to the bone.
"Well get inside before you catch cold." She ushered them into the house closing the door firmly behind them.
"So where were you two?"
"Oh you know, we were just out like usual." Her mother gave her a funny look.
"And where is usual for you?"
"Anywhere that nature resides. Now if you'll excuse me I have lines and music to practice before dinner." Without another word the girl ran off to her room. Upon entering she locked the door. Her room suited her quite nicely. Her walls were a deep crimson that, in places, almost looked black, against one wall was her four poster canopy bed. The sheets were black silk. Her mother had griped for weeks but in the end had relented and bought them for her. Her vanity sat across from her door near her window. Stuffed animals sat around her window seat looking quite content with their lives. Her dresser stood next to the door. It doubled as a closet. The only other things that were in her room (AN: That her room would hold realistically.) were her desk, drawing table, and electric keyboard. She would have much rather had a piano but knew it was too expensive and would never fit in her room. She went to her desk and pulled out her script of the Phantom of the Opera. Flipping to one of the music scores she turned to her piano and began to play out her notes. Thanks to her photographic memory and her wonderful she had easily made Christine. She practiced to make herself feel better. All of her family knew that she didn't have to practice.
"Stupid photographic memory." She set down the script, moved over to her window, and began to sing softly to herself.
"Remember me, once in a while please promise me you'll try. When you find, that once again you long to take-" She paused at the sound of footsteps approaching her room. A gentle knocked sounded on her door.
"Who is it?"
"The Goblin King." She quickly stood to open the door.
"I thought we had an understanding. We wouldn't talk like that where the mere mortal could hear."
"Sorry but we need to talk about that." His seriousness startled her. She shooed him over to her bed. Then locked the door before sitting next him.
"Now keep your voice down so mom doesn't hear."
"When are we going to go back home?" She wondered how she was going to answer that question.
"I, honestly, don't know." He looked disappointed and the look made her wonder if he actually more mature then he should be for his age. The look was quickly replaced by a look of joy.
"The play is next week isn't it?" His sister smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Yes it is. After all winter is coming soon and it IS our autumn play."
"Don't take that tone with me. I'm the Mighty Goblin King." She laughed at that.
"I'm sorry Your Highness. Please forgive my forwardness."
"You're forgiven this time but see that it doesn't happen again."
"Yes Your Highness." She bowed humbly and kissed the back of his hand. He quickly pulled it away and rubbed it on her bedspread.
"Ew sissy, that was gross. Now I'm gonna get cooties."
"Oh so the Great and Mighty Goblin King is afraid of cooties is he?" She tackled him from her sitting position and planted kisses all over his face.
"Mercy, I give up. It seems you've bested me again." She let him up and he giggled running to the door.
"Don't think I'll let you do that again. You may have won this battle but the war shall be mine." He raced out the door and down the hall to his room. She laughed and moved back to her window freezing when she got there. Perched next to her, on a tree branch, was a horned owl. She smiled at him and slowly eased her hand out to touch him.
"Hey there little guy. How long have you been there?" He let her stroke the feathers of his chest for a minute before nipping at her fingers.
"Alright I'll stop." She smiled out and watched him for a few minutes before he flew off with a knock on her door.
"It's time for dinner."
"Alright I'll be down in a minute." After closing her window she headed out her door unaware of the eyes that watched her from her vanity mirror. Heading into the bathroom she began to clean up for dinner. Hearing her brother run for the stairs she reached out catching him and hauled him into the bathroom.
"No good monarch goes to dinner without cleaning up first."
"I live with goblins. There's no such thing as clean." She smiled at him.
"You'll clean and you'll like it or no dinner for you."
"Why must I do this?"
"You must keep this illusion up for the mortal." His eyes sparkled and he placed his hands under the water.
"You're right of course. We must keep up the façade." Suddenly their mother was standing in the door.
"What are you two doing?"
"We're washing up for dinner mommy. To be respectable." His sister chuckled behind him and shut off the water.
"Respectful dear respectful." Their mother chuckled.
"I meant what you were talking about. You two have been washing before dinner since you were younger."
"Oh."
"Talking about when?"
"When your brother said you must keep up the façade." Sarah hadn't wondered how her son knew the word. She knew that he and his sister had a language all their own.
"We were reciting lines. That's all." Sarah nodded asking no more. She turned to her son smiling.
"Would you escort me down to the table?"
"It would be my pleasure." He took her hand, because he couldn't reach her arm, and led her down the stairs. Sarah's daughter followed behind slightly slower. As the pair reached the bottom they turned to wait for her. Both burst out laughing when they saw her. She had her arm in the air, like someone was escorting her down the stairs, her other hand was on the railing. Her head was held high with dignity. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the horned owl watching her from the front window. When she made it to the bottom she let herself join in the laughter and they all headed to the kitchen to eat. Dinner was a quiet affair. The only things said were questions of the day and to please pass something. After dinner was a different story. Sarah smiled as she watched her children from her place at the table. Her son had run out to go watch cartoons because it wasn't his night for dishes. Her daughter was cleaning the dishes from the table.
"So are you ready for the play?" Her daughter looked at her from the sink.
"Is that a trick question?" Sarah sighed.
"Krystal, you might have a photographic memory but that doesn't mean you'll be okay once you get in front of all those people."
"Mom I've done this many times before. I'll be fine. The only thing I'm worried about is my voice cracking when I sing. It is an opera after all."
"You'll be fine." Sarah had stopped herself from finishing that sentence. She had almost said, "You're your father's daughter," but that would cause questions to be asked.
"How can you be so sure?" The pain in her daughter's voice caused her to finish that sentence consequences be damned.
"You're your father's daughter. You'll do just fine." Her daughter smiled and went to hug her.
"Thank you." She then went back to her dishes. Her mother sat there in silence for a couple moments before rising.
"Don't dwell on it mom. It'll be okay." She turned and saw the shocked face of her mother before she nodded and left the room. She continued her dishes finishing quickly. Once done she headed back to her room. Locking her door again she pulled her sketchpad out from under her pillow and began to draw her latest dream. It was one that she had never had before. She had started having dreams like this when she was 4. Her early drawings were in a box in the back of her closet. She had learned not to show them to her mother. The first one her mother had seen she had taken and she had found it in the trash several days later. Deciding then that her mother shouldn't see them she had hidden them away. Her drawings now a days was definitely better then those of her younger days. She started out with the face of the latest character. He was an elderly grandfather figure. His face was that of a kindly old man. As she got to the top of his head she formed the base of a hat. She continued up the hat until she reached the face of a bird. Suddenly she couldn't remember exactly what it looked like and decided that she would stop until she could visualize him again. Flipping through her sketchpad she stopped at one of the many pictures she had done of a man. They had all been the same. A pair of mismatched eyes, wild platinum blonde hair, handsome appearance. All she had ever really drawn were face shots. She smiled down at the picture. It was the only way she had ever gotten to meet her father. Of course she knew he knew nothing of her but that didn't matter to her. She knew who he was, what he looked like, and it comforted her. A knock on the door startled her and she quickly hid the sketchpad.
"Who is it?"
"Krystal I'm going to work now. Your Uncle Toby will be here to watch you in a little while. Be good for him alright?"
"Alright mom I will. Have a good night at work and be careful."
"I will. Get you and your brother to bed at a decent time alright?"
"Sure."
"I love you."
"I love you too mom." She heard the footsteps head further down the hall. Her mother had gone to talk to her brother. It was the same every night she went to work. As if she needed to know that they were there and alright before she could head out. It almost made her wonder if her mother feared that the Goblin King would come for them. She smiled at that. There were days, especially when her dreams were more realistic, that she wished her father would come and take them to the Underground that was their true home. Then there were days like today where just seeing his picture made her happy. The doorbell rang and she heard her mother scurry down the hall to get it. She knew the moment her Uncle entered. Stepping out of her door cautiously, so her brother wouldn't knock her over as he ran past, she made her way down the stairs to the front door where her Uncle already had her brother in his arms.
"Hey there squirt how's it going?" Her brother laughed and hugged Toby.
"It's wonderful Uncle Toby. Sis and I have so much to tell you." Her Uncle then looked at her.
"Hey kiddo. Come and give your Uncle a hug." She walked up to him and hugged him.
"Hello Uncle Toby. It really has been too long." Her mother kissed hers then her brother's foreheads.
"I'll see you all later. Now remember Toby they go to bed at a decent hour, no rough housing, no loud music, nothing scary to watch-"
"You mean no fun. I got it sis they'll be fine with me." Sarah smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out the door. Toby closed it behind her and smiled at the children.
"So, have either of you seen any goblins lately?" Krystal smiled at him.
"I saw a new one in my dreams. He was an elderly looking man with a bird on his hat. It talked to me." Her Uncle's eyes sparkled.
"Do you have a name to put with the face?"
"Not yet. Of course I don't even have a full face yet. My dreams don't stick with me like everything else does."
"Have you seen Jareth again yet?" Krystal shook her head sadly.
"No the only way I've seen father lately was when I was going through my sketchpad again." She sighed heavily and trudged up the stairs. Going to her room she grabbed her sketchpad and headed back down. By the time she got to the living room the pair had made themselves comfortable and were chatting about something or other. She plopped down next to her Uncle and flipped through her sketchpad. Stopping as she reached one of her newest pictures she pointed to one of the goblins in it.
"This is Hoggle. I remember you telling us he was one of mom's friends in the Labyrinth. I drew him the other day. The dream I had was interesting. I had been in the hedge maze when I suddenly bumped into him." She flipped to the hedge maze drawing then proceeded to show them where they had bumped into each other.
"He didn't know who I was and proceeded to tell me so. I told him that it wasn't easy to explain and that he wouldn't believe me even if I told him. He nodded at me saying that he probably wouldn't. He then told me that the Labyrinth was dangerous and I shouldn't be wandering through it. I told him I wasn't frightened of it. He smiled almost pityingly and informed me that with all the visiting Lords and Ladys I would have to be careful not to bump into one of them for they wouldn't take too kindly to me. I nodded then thanked him before continuing on my way." She glanced up to make sure that her Uncle and brother were both still paying attention. When she saw that they were she continued flipping to another picture.
"This one has no name yet. I drew him day before yesterday. I can't place him and I was hoping you could so that he doesn't go without a name. If you don't know then we're going to have issues because we all know that I can't go ask mom." She watched as her Uncle studied the picture. After a few moments he shook his head sadly.
"Sorry kiddo, until it comes to you he's just going to have to remain nameless. Remember I was only a child when I was taken away. I know the names but not the faces. It was your mother that ran the Labyrinth not me."
"Tell us the story again please Uncle Toby." He smiled down at the young boy.
"Of course I will." They settled down for a long story. All three of them knew the story by heart but both children had enjoyed listening to their Uncle retell it. Their Uncle began to speak of the homeland that they had only visited in their dreams. Both children would feel homesick for the cobble stones and the twisting passages of the Labyrinth. Though it was a place they didn't know personally, something inside them called out to it. The felt connected to each of the people and things their Uncle would mention. Krystal sighed when Toby began to speak of the throne room. Her brother giggled excitedly at the Bog of Eternal stench. They both smiled happily at the ballroom part. Krystal spoke up interrupting her Uncle.
"Oh it's so romantic." Her Uncle laughed and continued on. By the time he reached the final battle the young boy at his side was fighting to stay awake. He smiled down at the boy that had reminded him so much of him when he was younger. He looked at his niece who was anxiously waiting for him to finish the story. He smiled at her and she in turn smiled back.
"Will you help me finish the story?"
"You mean like act the rest of it out?"
"Yes I do."
"Can I play Jareth?" Her Uncle burst into laughter.
"May I ask why you wish to play Jareth?"
"Well it's just every time we act it out I have to be mom. Now don't get me wrong I like being the heroine but I wanna play the villain every now and again." Toby looked at his niece and realized that she was being completely serious.
"How about this, you play Sarah this time and I'll play Sarah next time. Is that more to your liking?"
"Yes but I'd just like to point out that I don't believe that dad's a villain even though I just pretty much said he was."
"You don't believe he's a villain huh?"
"Nope he just really loved mom. I mean think about that line at the beginning, 'But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl'. He loved her she just didn't understand." Toby smiled at his niece.
"You know you must be right."
"And how did you come to this conclusion?"
"Well I have you and your brother for a niece and nephew. Something must have happened between those two." Krystal nodded at him.
"Alright so are we going to do this or what?"
"Okay you start it." Krystal shook her head but began reciting the lines.
"Give me the child."
"Sarah, beware. I have been generous up til now, but I can be cruel."
"Generous? What have you done that's generous?"
"Everything! Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You coward before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you! I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?
"Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours, and my-"
"Stop! Wait! Look, Sarah. Look at what I'm offering you. Your dreams."
"And kingdom is great."
"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."
"Kingdom is great…damn! I can never remember that line."
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."
"My kingdom is great…my kingdom is great…You have no power over me. You have no power over me!" Krystal almost felt like crying by that point. He Uncle noticed this.
"Krystal hun what's wrong?"
"It's just so sad. He loved her and then she threw it all back in his face. I understand that she was too young to realize what he was offering her but still." Her Uncle smiled at her.
"So what do you want to do now?" Krystal looked over at her brother who had fallen asleep and chuckled.
"Maybe we should put him in bed." Her Uncle laughed, picked up her brother, and carried him to his room. He was back in minutes.
"Uncle Toby, do you think if I wished the goblins here I would get to see dad?" Her Uncle looked at her slightly saddened by the thought.
"I'm not sure but why would you want to wish yourself away? What if he didn't believe that you were his daughter?"
"I'd make him believe."
"How?"
"By showing him my magic." Without really thinking she summoned a crystal to her hand. All Toby could do was stare at her in awe. She smiled at him the then vanished the crystal.
"Do you think he would believe it now?" Her Uncle nodded slowly.
"I think he would but your mother would be devastated if you left. Not to mention I would sure miss you a heck of a lot." He hugged her tightly.
"I'd miss you too Uncle Toby. I think I'll head to bed and see if I can finish off this guy with the hat later." He kissed her forehead saying good night and watched her retreat to her room. Once safely in the confines of her room she changed into her pajamas. Plopping down on her bed she hoped she would meet the nice old man and his talking hat again. She drifted off to sleep.
Dream
Something wasn't right. The Labyrinth was dark and foreboding. It didn't look anything like she knew her homeland should. A sense of urgency and danger flooded her mind. All her senses were screaming for her to run and without even thinking about it her feet were taking her far from the spot she had occupied not a minute ago. She heard the sounds of someone pursuing her and quickened her pace. As she ran she watched as the Labyrinth around her transformed into something grotesque. She felt tears stream down her cheeks as the beautiful Labyrinth became something that didn't exist even in her worst nightmare. She knew that her body was tossing and turning on her bed struggling to get away. Suddenly there was a flash of light signaling that she had awoken. As her eyes adjusted she looked upon the familiar yet unfamiliar cobble stones of the ground that she was now laying on. Rising up she tried to get her bearings. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on her bed and then the dream. She was still trembling slightly from the shock of it all. Suddenly a thought hit her. The Labyrinth was in danger. Her home was being threatened, but that still didn't answer the question of where she was. Looking around she spotted an opening and walked through it. She was startled by a voice she had only been told about.
" 'Allo."
