Disclaimer: I don't own it, I will never own it and you can look at my bank account to verify that. All I have is a DVD and a Jareth doll which is currently sat on my mantle piece and glaring at me. I don't own the source of part of my inspiration for Sarah's transformation either, that belongs to Terry Pratchett and the fact that I watch way too much t.v.

A/N: This is my next offering and as usual, the prologue is very short. This one is a little weird in my head so we'll see how it turns out as I write it. Like all of my fics, this is a work in progress and I ask that you all review because they always help me. All I ask is that you don't flame me. It's really quite simple; if you don't like it, don't read it.

Spirit Whisperer

Prologue.

Sarah sat in the park, a book in one hand as she idly plucked at the grass she was sat on. It was two days since she had defeated Jareth in the Labyrinth and after making a conscious effort not to argue with Karen and her father, not to resent Toby as much as she had been since he had been born, she was tired and needed her own space. Even though she had put away most of her toys and all the things which reminded her of the Labyrinth, she had not relinquished her love of a fantasy novel and the book she held in her hand was one which was obviously well read and loved, even though it was not the little red book she would have once turned to, it appeared to be the sort of book which she could easily lose herself in and yet leave at a moments notice at any place with no fear of finding her place upon taking it up at a later date. Rain began to fall softly about her, light and gentle, leaving a sheen on her hair and skin that glittered in the half light. At first she did not seem to notice it and it was not until tiny wet patches began to form on the paper that she realised she was getting wet and she let out a soft curse as she folded down the page and clambered to her feet.

The rain began to fall more heavily as she left the park and she began to run as she made her way through the back alleyways which would take her back to her home in the shortest time possible. It was as she turned into the last alley before the final stretch to home that she saw him and she knew instantly that he was of the same race as the Goblin King by the magic that seemed to radiate off him. He was tall and slim, though she could tell be the way his breeches clung to his muscular thighs that he was well built under his black poets shirt and flowing cape. His hair was long, tied into a ponytail with a piece of black ribbon. His eyes were deep pools of violet and his smile sent chills down her spine. The mere sight of him sent her skidding to a halt and she stared at him, book clutched to her heaving chest as the rain continued to fall around them.

"Hello, Sarah," his voice slid over her like warm honey, making her forget about the falling rain and the obvious danger that the creature in front of her represented. "I am Terval." He bowed slightly to her, a mocking bow rather than one of respect.

"Hello," she frowned a little, not sure how to react to him. He held up his hand and like Jareth had done two days before, a crystal appeared there. She managed to keep her face straight, no longer awed at the display of power from the coldly beautiful man in front of her.

"I bring you a gift, Sarah," he purred, his voice deep and dark, shaking her to the core of her being and making her take a wary step back as he held the crystal out to her.

"I've learnt that magical gifts come at a high price, Terval," she told him, clutching the book tighter to her chest as though it was some sort of shield from the magic she wanted little to do with. If Terval was upset by her reaction he did not show it, he simply brought the crystal closer to his chest, staring into it with his dangerous eyes and it was then that she noticed that it was tinged with a black which was beyond black.

"This is no ordinary gift for an ordinary girl, Sarah. This was my mother's and on her death she left it to whomever could defeat Jareth's Labyrinth. Congratulations." Wide emerald eyes looked at him and she stepped further back, still not trusting him, arms falling to her sides as she prepared to run. He smiled again and tossed the crystal towards her, she caught it, acting on impulse and instinct. It touched her fingers, vanishing in a burst of glittering light that travelled up her arms, bathing her in an icy chill and filling her with fear and an unknown strength, even as she felt her knees shaking enough that they threatened to give out on her. Terval's smile grew wider and more sinister as he watched the progress of the magic, waiting until it had completely enveloped her before vanishing without so much as a puff of smoke or burst of glitter. As far as flashy exits went, it left Sarah a little disappointed and more than a touch afraid. It took her a moment to return to her senses, the spell from the crystal still tingling over her skin, leaving her feeling full to bursting and she began to run again, noticing the rain which was still falling for the first time since she had seen Terval.

Light feet carried her across the tarmac and grass to the front porch of the old Victorian and she stood gasping beside the door as she looked at the sheet of water that was falling from the unforgiving clouds. Her book was a sodden mass of ruined paper and ink and she knew that even if she managed to get it dried out it was doubtful that it would be of any use to her again. She dropped it to the floor and gathered her loose hair in her hands, wringing it out over the decking and looking at her sodden shirt and jeans, knowing that she was going to catch it from Karen as she walked through the door. Sure enough, the door opened behind her and her stepmother instantly began shouting.

oOo

After three days of wondering and worrying that Terval's gift would cause her some problems, Sarah had not seen or noticed anything different from her usual everyday routine. Sometimes the streets seemed a little busier and people would wave to her that she did not know and no one else would notice, so she shrugged it off.

Fate could not be that kind to her, however, and as she was walking with Toby in the buggy and her father and stepmother just behind her, she saw a man across the street, a man who had once been a neighbour of theirs. At first she thought she had been mistaken, it could not have been Adrian Toms, because he had been killed in an accident several years before. When he smiled at her and waved, shouting her name in a barely audible whisper, she knew that it was him and that sparked a moment of fear in her. Was she losing her mind?

A moment later he was gone and Sarah brushed the incident aside, eager to let it be the stress and worry of the last week getting to her. With a shrug and a sigh she continued walking, listening to Karen complaining about the potential grass stains on clothing and the risks of Toby being stung or injured. It was enough to make her wish that she was losing her mind.

oOo

Sarah opened her eyes and yawned. The room was still dark but she could tell that something was not right. She pushed herself into a sitting position and reached over, switching on her bedside lamp and stifling a scream as she saw the man at the end of her bed. He was young, perhaps in his mid twenties, with curly blue/black hair and pale eyes, dark circles surrounded them and his skin was almost translucent. His jeans were covered in mud and his blue t-shirt had been splattered with blood. Something about him, aside from his presence there, was very wrong, the colour of him, whilst sharp, was somehow muted, completely unreal even though she knew he was there.

"Release me," he moaned, voice barely above a whisper, like it was coming from a far off place, oddly disjointed as he spoke.

"I don't understand," she kept her voice low, careful not to wake her family, the last thing she would need would be to explain why she was talking to herself first thing in the morning.

"Release me from this place. Send me on." He moved closer to her, his actions jerky and he seemed to flicker out of existence for a moment.

"I don't know how." She admitted, still not fully understanding and wishing that she did. Anger and desperation flitted across his face and for a moment his eyes seemed to glow red with something else. Then his expression became pleading and he spread his hands.

"You are a Spirit Whisperer, you speak with us, you see us and hear us. Everything that you need to know is there, trust your instincts, My Lady," he spoke with a respect that did not fit to his choice of clothing and she frowned, glancing over at the mirror and not seeing him there, knowing that he was either a figment of her imagination or he was telling the truth. She fervently hoped it was the latter.

Sarah took a deep breath, realising that, if the words of the ghost were the truth, this was her gift from Terval and she vowed that if she ever got her hands on him again she would make him pay for giving it to her. She closed her eyes and took another calming breath, trying to quell the panic that was rising up inside her as she thought about the prospect of seeing ghosts for the rest of her life. Searching her mind she found that she was drawing a blank, there was nothing there that she could use to fulfil the request of her unwanted guest.

"Just... just be at peace. Let go of that which keeps you here and move on without regret," she whispered finally, opening her eyes and seeing the glow of light about her hands as she spoke. The light flowed towards the young man and with a smile of thanks, he vanished.

oOo

Over the course of the next year, Sarah changed. She stopped wearing her long hair down, tying it back in a plait or up in a loose bun. She stopped wearing trousers, settling for long skirts in dark colours and tight shirts and gypsy cut tops. Her make-up went from minimal to dark, smoky grey and black eyeshadow and thick eyeliner and she began wearing an large silver ankh around her neck, suspended on a piece of thick black ribbon. The change troubled her family. She was always on edge, always jumping at the slightest sounds and strange things happened around her. Belongings mysteriously disappeared or broke, sometimes she could be heard talking in her room when it was known that there was no one in there with her and on several occasions she had been seen talking to herself whilst walking through the streets. She spent a lot of time in the library now, more than she ever had, looking through large old books and writing in a leather bound note book that no one could touch. Often Karen had seen her copying strange symbols into the book or in chalk onto the now exposed wooden floor of her room, symbols which were washed away after a couple of hours.

As Sarah withdrew more and more into herself, her family could only watch and worry as the once happy and sometimes moody teen became dark and brooding, accepting any task they asked her to perform with out comment or complaint. Robert watched as his sunny daughter was replaced with a stranger and he could only wonder what it was that had brought about the change.

oOo

Thank you for reading and please R&R, I'll update again by Tuesday next week. Again, I apologise that it's short.

Artemis