Disclaimers: I don't own Labyrinth or any of the characters from that universe. I do however own the characters that I have created for this story.
This is my first story so um enjoy?
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"Come on Tito stop crying already! I need to finish this book report its due tomorrow before spring break!" Aceton sighed bouncing his foster baby brother on
his knee. The one year old just kept screaming and screaming. Aceton didn't know why, he'd fed him on time, burped him, checked to see if he was teething,
changed him. He just didn't know what was wrong with this kid. He looked down trying to type the essay on the book he chose. It was a book that he had
found in his mother's office, when she said he could pick a book from there. It was a small slender book bound in red leather, with just the title written on the
spine; Labyrinth. His mother had read him the story when he was a child. He had only written a few words when the eleven year old had to stop due to the
screeching infant.
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"I wish Labyrinth were real so I could send you away." He grumbled as Sarah, his mother walked in.
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"Aceton, I'm going to night class do you mind watching Tito until I get back?" She said as her son stood up aggravated.
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"How do you expect me to do my homework when I have to watch him, all he does is scream! Why can't you get a babysitter like a normal parent?" He asked
as Sarah sighed.
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"I told you, I'll try to get a babysitter if I get my new job." His mother said tiredly as the boy sighed.
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"Fine mom whatever, it's not like you care about me anyway, it's always about Tito." He said as his mother sighed.
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"I'll see you after class." She said softly closing the door leaving the house. Aceton growled angrily as his foster brother just screamed and screamed. Aceton
gave Tito a bottle setting him in his crib as he turned the lights off working by the light of his laptop.
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"I wish the goblins would take you away." He said bitterly to the baby screaming in his crib.
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"Right now." he whispered as the power shut off and lightning cracked from the window, and the room plunged into silence. Wait, silence.
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"Tito? Tito!" He yelled running over to see an empty crib.
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"Mom is definitely going to kill me." He said as a shadow was cast on the room. He looked up to see a tall man standing on the window sill. He wore heeled
black boots grey leggings a black vest and a cape over a white poet shirt. His face and hair perplexed Aceton they were familiar. The blonde hair styled in a
crazy mullet his eyes two different colors, one blue one green.
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"Well aren't you a young one, usually the ones who bargain away their siblings are at least four year older than you." The Goblin King said with a smirk.
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"I-I-I need to get my brother back. W-what are my options?" He asked as the Goblin King cocked his head.
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"You know who I am?" The man asked as the boy nodded.
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"You know where your brother is?" He asked as the boy nodded.
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"In the Goblin Castle beyond the Goblin City through the labyrinth." He said as the Goblin King smirked.
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"Such a little scholar, your choices are simple. You can stay here and I can erase all evidence your brother existed, and I can give you your hopes and dreams,
or you can run my Labyrinth attempting to save him." Jareth the Goblin King said showing the young boy a crystal.
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"A crystal ball can't give me what I want. It would take a miracle. Besides my mother would be depressed again, Tito makes her less depressed. I'm going to
run your Labyrinth your majesty." He said as the Goblin King chuckled.
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"Calling me your majesty is not necessary. Goblin King, or Jareth would do, or if you prefer Sir." The Goblin King said as he offered his gloved hand to the boy.
Aceton scribbled a note to his mother putting it on his desk.
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"My book report will have to wait." He said grabbed the man's hand with a hand fingers covered in band aids. Jareth looked at his other hand and found the
same thing on the boy's other hand. Aceton took some tissues shoving them in his pocket as he took the gloved hand and closed his eyes, when he opened
them up he was on a dirt path.
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"You have 13 hours to reach the castle." The Goblin King said as he disappeared to watch from his castle. Aceton broke into a sprint twisting and turning
through the labyrinth and even Jareth was surprised at how long he kept his pace up. He stopped to catch his breath. How long had he been running? Aceton
didn't know.
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"Ello." A voice said from right next to him. Aceton turned around.
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"who said that?" He asked as he looked around he saw a little blue worm sitting by a crevice in the rock wall.
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"It's a worm it didn't say anything. Right?" He said to himself as he saw the worm was wearing a top hat.
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"Care to have a cup a tea with the missus?" The little worm asked as Aceton looked at the worm.
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"I don't really like tea, but I'd find it a very big pleasure to meet your wife Sir, but how will I fit the hole to your home is very small." The boy said as the worm
chuckled.
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"It's only as big as you think it is, and you are only as big as you think you are." He said as Aceton thought of himself as a small person, a small version of
himself, and as he walked closer to the wall he realized the crevice wasn't as small as he thought it was, or rather he was no longer as big. As he walked inside
the crevice he found it to be a cozy little cabin with a crackling fire and soft comfy furniture.
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"The name's Boris, and this is the missus Lydia." The blue worm said now much bigger than before as he scooted over to a purple worm wearing a bonnet.
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"My name is Aceton. It's a pleasure to meet you both." He said politely as Boris led him to a seat by the fire.
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"You don't like tea? Neither did I at your age quite frankly how about some hot chocolate and biscuits?" Lydia asked as Aceton's stomach growled.
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"Yes please ma'am, but after that I must be on my way, I have to get to the Goblin Castle beyond the Goblin City to save my foster brother." He said as Lydia
put the kettle on.
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"While you eat and rest your bones Boris will tell you the fastest way to get to the castle, nobody ever wants to stop for tea, especially the teenagers that
come here once in a while." Lydia said as Aceton thought back, Jareth had said he was the youngest runner so far.
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Jareth watched the boy in amazement through one of his crystal balls, he had gotten farther faster than any other runner, and yet he stopped to have tea with
the burrow worms? The burrow worms tended to be a bit of a chatty bunch but very helpful, never in all his years had a runner stop to talk to them for more
than a moment. He watched in interest from his throne room as the boy sipped hot chocolate as Boris the Burrow worm told him the quickest way through the
Labyrinth, or at least the one with the least perils.
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Jareth smirked, the path was a quick one, but it had a lot of distractions. Jareth cocked his head watching the boy, something about the boy seemed familiar, he
had a fire in his eyes, it reminded him of someone, but who? As he watched the boy exited the Burrow worm den, packed with food for the road and a bottle of
water supplied by the Burrow worms. Sarah The name tugged at the edge of his mind and his heterochromatic eyes widened, it was true this young boy
reminded him a lot of Sarah, but the boy's eyes were wrong, they were muddy brown. Not a pretty chocolate brown, but a lifeless brown. Almost like the eyes
were artificial, but the boy was all too real as he took off running along the path that Boris told him twisting and turning through the labyrinth.
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He was coming to an unexpected, and quite dangerous obstacle, that could stray him from his way. He watched as the boy ran into the correct tunnel, the one
that kept him on the fastest course to the Goblin City, but he would soon see what true fear is while in the Labyrinth. The cleaners. Aceton thought he was
doing well, he was following Boris's directions to the letter as he ran through the hollow tunnels of the labyrinth.
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"Maybe if I'm fast enough I'll be home before mom is and she'll never have to know that I tried to give away a brother that isn't even mine." He said to himself
as the tunnel was filled with a loud mechanical sound. He covered his ears as he turned in the direction of the sound, coming down the tunnel was this giant
machine, the front of it made up of giant razor sharp spinning blades. There was a gap at the top maybe four feet from the high ceiling. He stood stock still
hoping this would work, if not he was absolutely ready to run the other way, and find another way to the Goblin City. His hands started to glow as his breathing
came in short erratic bursts, as the cleaner approached.
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"Come on Aceton, eleven years of not using these powers. You got this." He said to himself as the cleaner got closer and closer. His hands glowed brighter and
just as it was about to pull him into those razor sharp teeth the machine stopped giving Aceton enough time to climb up and over it, just as it roared back to life
the goblin controlling it cursing him as he ran towards the Goblin City not sure how he stopped the cleaner, but very glad he did. He ran along the path through
the end of the tunnel and into a forest. As he ran down the path he heard the clicking of sticks and froze.
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"Oh no, I know what happens next." He said as a giant red bird jumped out in front of him laughing maniacally as the Fireys came out to play. They started to
toss their heads around and at one point a giant flying bird tried to snatch one of the Fireys' heads while they were playing but Aceton grabbing a tree climbing
up it and jumping catching the Firey head before the bird could snatch it away.
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"Damned Vulcan Snatchers! One time they stole Cheety's head and tried eating it, thanks little dude." The Firey whose head was in Aceton's hands said.
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"Uh no problem dude." Aceton said the head felt weird like hot plastic covered in wet paper and fur. He didn't like that feeling so he tossed the Firey back it's
head.
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"Hey Quiv what happened to the rules of you can only throw your own head?" one of the other Firey's said as Aceton shook his head.
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"I-I was just trying to return his head, my head doesn't come off like yours, a-and if it did I certainly wouldn't be able to play games with it like you guys can."
He said as one of the younger Firey's grabbed his neck trying to pull his head off as Aceton yelped.
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"Nope he's like the King his head don't come off!" He said as Quiv tossed Aceton a coconut.
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"Here this can be your head." He said as the boy nodded.
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"I'm trying to find my way to the Goblin City you guys know where it is?" He said as he
started to toss the coconut back and forth with Quiv.
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"Yeah I know it, we can show you the shortcut by the cliff." The Firey said as Aceton did a backflip catching the coconut before it could hit a tree.
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"Nice catch little dude you can chilly down with us any day." Crash said he was more orange than the other Fireys who seemed to be more red and white. He
was also bigger than the others by almost a foot. All of them were taller than Aceton who at eleven only stood five foot four inches high.
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"Come on little dude." Quiv said catching his head as he started walking through the forest, when he was away from the other Fireys he seemed almost calm
he still danced around and rolled his head around and occasionally used his hand as a match striker causing flames to shoot up. They walked past the end of
the forest to what appeared to be a cliff.
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"Follow the cliff down the mountain to the bog down there, cross the bog and keep going. Good luck little dude, gotta go don't wanna miss the chilly downing.
Come back sometime maybe we can teach you how to take your head off next time!" Quiv called as Aceton
laughed.
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"You can sure try, but I'm not making any promises it will work!" He called as he walked the length of the cliff in the direction Quiv showed him. Far below he
saw the bog the Fireys mentioned, he had to be careful if he wasn't he would end up falling hundreds of feet to his death. As he walked along he heard crying
and turned. On the other side of the bog on a small ledge was a goblin child crying for its parents who were anxiously trying to reach it from the
other side of the cliff.
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Jareth watched the boy, he could easily just keep walking down the mountain across the bridge and straight to the Goblin City, but if he were to save the
Goblin Babe he would be back at the beginning of the labyrinth, back where he started with only three and a half short hours to go. He watched with wide eyes
as the boy took a running start jumping across the chasm he landed with stumbling feet onto the ledge with the goblin child who whimpered looking up at him.
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"I'm here to take you home okay? I'm gonna pick you and I want you to hold onto me as tight as you can okay?" He told the Goblin toddler who nodded as he
picked him up the toddler wrapped it's stubby arms around his neck holding on tight as Aceton started to climb. He was glad his mother let him have those
monthly rock climbing classes as he climbed the thirty some feet back up to the top he reached the top as two goblins cried in relief.
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"You saved Tobin, You saved our baby! You are a blessing!" The female goblin said hugging Aceton as he nodded watching the toddler walk home with his
family. As he walked back over to the cliff the ground beneath his feet crumbled and he started to fall. He was able to grab onto a rock a few feet below the top
of the cliff holding tight to the giant intrusion.
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"I-I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry you had to work so hard to raise me, and i'm sorry I complained about Tito, and I'm sorry that i make finding a boyfriend hard on
you." He said as his hands started to slip on the dirty rock.
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"I'll never be able to say I'm sorry for saying you don't care when you really do care." He whispered as his band aid covered fingers struggled to hold tight to
the rock. From the top of the cliff came a gloved hand.
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"Grab my hand." A voice said, but Aceton couldn't see who said it. He reached up grabbing the hand as the person it belonged to pulled the boy to safety.
When he looked up to thank who saved him he looked up to see the Goblin King catching his breath next to him on the ground.
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"Why did you save me? You could have let me fall and kept Tito instead of wasting your time saving me." The boy said as the man cocked his head.
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"None of the previous runners have risked their own lives for one of the creatures living here. When you were hanging there you didn't ask for mercy, you
apologized to your mother. I value bravery, and courage and honesty." He said smiling at the boy.
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"You're not as mean as my mom made you sound." Aceton said as Jareth chuckled.
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"How does your mother make me sound?" Hd asked as the boy rubbed the back of his head.
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"Cold, distant, manipulative." He said softly as the man sighed softly.
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"In some ways, your mother was right." He said as he stood up. Aceton stood up and walked to the beginning of the labyrinth.
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"What are you doing?" The Goblin King asked as Aceton looked at him.
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"I'm trying to get my brother back, I just have to start over now." He said as the man
shook his head tossing the boy a crystal, instinctively like a ball Aceton caught it, closing his eyes as bright light flashed in front of them. When he looked up he
was next to the bog, just outside the goblin City.
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"You have three hours to go Acenton, i won't be interfering again." The Goblin King's voice rang out. Aceton nodded jogging into the city running from one street
to the next. He went through twists and turns until he finally got to the Goblin Castle. Aceton saw the guards from across the courtyard square. He looked up
at the walls of the castle and a soft determined smirk fell across his lips.
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He waited until the goblin guards changed shift scrambling up the side of the tallest tower. He was like a spider, his feet and hands moving in a blur finding foot
holes in the uneven stones. He reached the window pulling himself in to find himself in the throne room of the Goblin King. He ran across the floor seeing his
foster brother in a playpen. He reached out and was inches from touching Tito when he disappeared.
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"Ah Ah Ah." The Goblin King's voice said as Tito floated away Aceton chasing him down the hallway, and down the stairs, and then up the stairs, and then down
the stairs. He was in the hall of staircases. He saw his brother on the stairs below him and jumped down catching him before the Jareth could pull him away yet
again. He grabbed Tito and with a flash of light they were back in Tito's nursery the goblin king standing on the window sill smiling.
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"Congratulations you've completed my maze, as your prize i give you two options. Stay here with your family, or come with me back to the Underground and
rule beside me as my heir and the prince." The goblin king said as Aceton for a moment thought it over. As he thought about it he heard the front door open
and the sound of hurried footsteps running up the stairs.
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"You gotta go, my moms home." He said as the Goblin King shook his head.
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"Not until you give me an answer." He said simply as the boy shook his head.
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"I don't have time! If she catches you we're both..." He trailed off as the door opened.
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"Busted." He said as his mother walked in. Jareth took a deep breath in shock, there in the doorway stood none other than Sarah Williams, the first champion
of the labyrinth.