AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey hey! I don't know where this came from or where it's going, but I really wanted to write a Laby fic, so here it is! :) Obviously, I don't own the Labyrinth plot, theme, etc, or any of the associated characters, events, script, places, etc. Please don't sue! :) Oh, before I forget: you'll probably notice that I tried to use some of the lines from the movie here, but I don't own it and couldn't remember the right lines. If someone out there is in a benevolent and giving mood, would you care to send the correct words my way? I would really appreciate it!! Also, I'm looking for a beta reader. Any takers?

Thanks for reading this nonsense! Read it, review it, and most importantly, enjoy it!!

~Teller

Poisoned Crystals: Prologue

"Lost Words of Power"

Sarah tapped her foot impatiently as she flipped through the pages of an ancient book, looking for information on Serbia for her history paper. The librarian glared at her, and she slowly stopped tapping her foot.

"Sorry," she whispered, a faint blush tinging her pale cheeks. The librarian looked away, and Sarah rolled her eyes. Her snobbish attitude reminded her vaguely of Jareth and his amazing pride . . .

As her thoughts drifted to the Labyrinth, she felt something tap the toe of her shoe. Curious, she glanced down, and shrieked in fear and surprise. It was a clear, spherical crystal, the special kind Jareth favored. Her foot slammed into the crystal with a terrific kick, which flew across the room and hit a pyramid of the newest books, knocking all of them over. The librarian, clearly scandalized, slammed her book shut and stood, drawing all five foot three of her tiny stature up to its full potential.

"Young lady, if you cannot control yourself I shall ask you to leave!" She hissed furiously, pointing at a sign that practically shouted 'QUIET.' Sarah flushed a brilliant scarlet and hurried to pick up all the books she had knocked over. The crystal shimmered in the light, and as she reached for it, the smooth surface glittered and turned into a copy of the book next to it. An all too familiar laugh sounded breath-takingly close to her ear, and she whipped around, looking for the Goblin King. He wasn't there, of course. Sarah shuddered and stacked all the books in the same pyramid it had been before her unfortunate aim had shattered it. "It's not fair, is it, Sarah?" His voice whispered huskily in her other ear. Her face quickly went from red to white as her back went rigid and her eyes widened, earning herself even more strange looks from passer-byes. She gathered her books and left the library, apologizing to the librarian once again as she left.

It had been three weeks since she had defeated Jareth, and every time she thought about the Labyrinth, one of those gods-cursed crystals had appeared. Today, aside from being her 16th birthday, was Halloween and the opening performance of the play (Labyrinth, of course), and she was dreading it. Of course, the director had said her performance had tripled in brilliance since the last practice they held in the park. It was after that practice -- Sarah had decided to stay and continue working on her lines -- that the owl had appeared and Jareth had turned Sarah's world upside down. She shook her head and walked in the front door.

"I'm home!" She called out.

"Oh, good," Karen responded, walking into the living room. She was dressed to go out. "Sarah, I'm so sorry to do this to you, but I have to go out now. I scheduled a manicure for today with Cindy and I can't back out on her this time, I just can't. I should be back before you leave for dress rehearsal." Sarah opened her mouth, but bit back the words just before they flew from her throat. It's not fair, she thought, then shook herself. I promised myself I wouldn't say -- even think -- that anymore, she thought furiously.

Karen looked surprised at her lack of protest. "Is that alright?" Sarah controlled herself and forced a nod out of rigid neck muscles that were cording out in a fantastic effort not to scream in frusturation. It was her sixteenth birthday, for crying out loud, and what did this witch land her with? Surprise surprise, babysitting Toby . . .

"I'll be watching Toby, then?" She asked calmly, unslinging her purse from her shoulder and putting it on a table nearby. Karen nodded.

"Yes, if that's alright with you."

"Fine with me," Sarah said, walking into the kitchen. Karen, shocked, followed.

"You're sure?"

"Yes," Sarah said, irritation tinging her words just slightly.

"Okay . . ." Karen said, picking up her jacket and purse. "I'll be back soon." Sarah nodded and pulled the orange juice out of the refridgerator. She poured herself a glass and went up to her room, pausing to check on Toby, who was napping in his crib. She couldn't stop herself from smiling faintly when she saw the way he clutched Lancelot, her old teddy bear, to his tiny chest. She ran a hand through his blonde curls and touched his cheek lightly.

Even if the Labyrinth was like something from a nightmare, at least it helped me see how unfair I was to Toby, she thought reluctantly. She hated acknowledging that Jareth had even done her a smidgeon of good. Toby stirred, and she pulled her hand away so she wouldn't wake him.

The babe with the power, a voice echoed in her head. Sarah blinked. Where had that come from? The voice had sounded like Jareth's. She shook her head and left the room, rubbing her temples.

"A nap isn't such a bad idea," she said out loud, leaving her door open so she could hear Toby if she woke up. "Maybe I can learn the rest of my lines through osmosis." She picked up her script and shoved it under her pillow before collapsing on to her bed. Why was she so tired?

Sarah dreamed of crystals and poisoned peaches, of ferocious fairies and a laughing Jareth holding a squalling Toby up by the ankle. Suddenly a clock struck thirteen, and Toby shuddered and convulsed, then transformed into a goblin. Laughing madly, Jarieth hurled the goblin-Toby at her, who hit her in the stomach and bit her on the right hand, hard. Sarah screamed, and sat up, her heart pounding wildly. Her right hand still hurt. She looked at it and was mystified to see bite marks on her hand, small punctures that glittered and disappeared as she watched. She shook her head for the umpteenth time that day, and stood from her bed just as Karen rushed in.

"Sarah, darling, are you all right?" She asked, hurrying over to Sarah and patting her hair and arms anxiously. "I came home and you were in your bed, so I let you finsih your nap. What happened? A bad dream?" Sarah nodded mutely.

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare," she said tiredly. Karen nodded, looking at her worriedly, but she turned and left the room. Sarah looked at her watch - 5:30 P.M. Dress rehearsal started at six. She pulled her script from under her pillow - "Stupid idea," she muttered to herself - and headed out the door to the theater.

* * *

The audience applauded as Sarah rushed off stage to change into her ball gown for the hallucination scene. She pulled off her jeans and over-large blouse -- did I ever find this attractive? she thought vaguely, tossing it on the floor as she reached for her elaborate dress. It isn't nearly as pretty as the real one, she decided, smoothing the pink silk and fastening large fake diamond earrings to her ears and a huge faux diamond necklace around her neck.

"On the contrary, I think the pink brings out lovely color in your cheeks," a mocking voice said from behind her. Sarah looked up in the mirror in shock. The goblin King lounged against the wall, a derisive smile playing about his lips.

"Jareth?" She whispered.

"Sarah, Sarah," he said, shaking his head mournfully. "If you didn't like that dress, why didn't you ask me for a different one?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked, still whispering - whether from fear or surprise she didn't know.

"Why, I've come to watch your performance, of course," he said, his derisive smile becoming even more cruel. "You liked the other dress better? Here," he snapped his fingers, and the voluminous, shimmering white gown appeared on the costume rack. "You were right. That one is much more . . . attractive . . . on you," he said, caressing her cheek gently. Sarah shuddered and looked away. "What is this?" Jareth mused in a whisper, his breath soft on her face. "Heartless Sarah, now mild and shy?" Sarah heard the laughter in his voice, and refused to let her temper burst. "What has happened to change you so from the determined young woman who got lost in my Labyrinth?" Sarah forced herself to meet his eyes.

"I'm still determined," she said quietly, staring down the blue and green eyes that met her gaze steadily. "And I was never lost in your horrible Labyrinth, for your information. As you may remember, I beat you. You still have no power over me." She reveled in the words, and felt her resolve build up as Jareth's look hardened.

"Very well," he snapped, turning her face away roughly. "I can see you are still as selfish as ever." He stepped back, and Sarah bit her lip. How did he always make her feel so guilty? She hadn't done anything wrong!

Jareth stopped at the door.

"Wear the dress I've given you," he ordered. "Not that ugly thing they've given you," he said, a sneer on his face. He glanced at her necklace, and made a disgusted noice in the back of his throat.

"That will never do," he said spitefully, striding back over to her. He touched her neck, and the fake diamond necklace disappeared, another one taking it's place. Sarah turned to the mirror, and gasped in pleasure despite herself. It was almost a choker in style, with long, three inch beads encircling her neck, forcing her to keep her head up in a queenly posture. Delicate diamonds and opals shimmered in an upside-down triangle over her collarbones, accentuating her pale skin. Instead of the large, drop shaped diamond earrings that had previously burdened her ears, new, light-weight dangly eardrops graced her lobes. One of the long three-inch beads hung from her ears, a tiny opal burning brilliantly beneath it.

"Why -" she asked, turning, but Jareth was gone. A slight frown brushed across her face as her eyes caught a white feather lying on the floor. The white dress beckoned to her from the clothes rack, and smiling in spite of herself, she donned it.

Perhaps he isn't so bad after all, she found herself thinking as the costumes director skidded in through the door. He gasped at her appearance.

"Where did you get that?" He demanded. "It's absolutely magnificent!"

"A - my grandmother gave it to me," she said, smiling mentally. What did the all mighty goblin King have to say to that? "She thought it fit my part."

"It does, it does!" He exclaimed, hurrying forward. "Quickly, I have to dress your hair. The stage is being set as we speak." Sarah hurried to the vanity, and the director pondered her reflection.

"The one we had set up before won't do with this dress. I'll have to try something else." Sarah nodded, and he came forward, bearing brush and comb. In moments her hair was styled, and when Sarah looked in the reflection, she gasped. It was the same as it had been during the peach-induced daydream!

"Where did you get the idea for this?" She asked in awe, touching the silk ribbons that wound through her ebony hair. He shrugged, making sure a bobby pin was secure in the back of her head.

"I don't know," he mumbled through a mouthful of comb. "It just sorta came to me." Sarah shook her head, and stood.

"Thank you so much," She said. The director nodded, and she hurried backstage.

The audience gasped as if they were one entity at her appearance on stage, and Sarah barely concealed a grin. She pushed through her fellow actors and actresses, allowing a confused look to possess her face. She looked around, and out of the corner of her eye saw Jareth dancing with her friend, Leanna. She did a classic double take, but the second time she looked, he was no longer there. She frowned, but continued playing her part, looking for the actor who had been chosen to play the Goblin King. He was allright, but couldn't nearly hit the mocking tones Jareth seemed born to speak.

There he was, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he was supposed to. She tried to get to him, but the actors played their parts well and blocked her from him. She felt a tap on her shoulder and found herself face to face with Jareth. She looked around -- Jason, the actor playing Jareth, was nowhere to be seen.

"What have you done with Jason?" She demanded in a hissing whisper.

"The imposter?" he questioned, looking deeply amused and pleased with himself. "He never had this part, or so everyone except you now thinks."

"Why not me?"

"If you do not know, I shall not tell you," he said, frowning at her. "Just accept that it was always I who had this part, always I who rehearsed with you." Sarah blinked. He was trying to trick her -- echoes rang through her head. 'Love me, fear me, just do as I ask and I will be your slave,' her memory demanded. She almost broke away from him, but remembered they were onstage.

"I will not accept that," she whispered furiously. "You have no power over me!"

No power over me . . . no power . . . the words sounded through her head. I just have to know and remember that, she thought determinedly, and he won't be able to hurt me. Jareth looked vaguely disappointed, but at the well practiced cue Sarah gave them, the dancers crowded them, seperating her from Jareth. She hurried stage right and picked up a chair, throwing it at the silver cloth that marked the boundaries of the 'crystal hallucination.' Backstage, someone broke a sheet of glass, and the silver cloth fell from the rafters as the lights went out. Sarah hurried to the wings to change back into her casual clothes. Jareth was in the dressing room.

"Damn you," he said. "Why do you resist me so?"

"It must be in my nature," Sarah muttered, not surprised to see him. She picked up her clothes and stepped behind the screen, changing quickly into them.

"Here's your dress," she said, flinging it at him. "I won't throw the jewels. Some terrified part of me tells me they're real." She unfastened them and hurried out. "Here." she pressed them into his palm. "I hope you've decided to restore Jason to his rightful place."

"He is in his rightful place," Jareth insisted. "The audience. He was never born to be an actor."

"And you were?" Sarah asked scornfully, pulling ribbons and bobby pins out of her hair as fast as she could.

"No," he said. "I was born to be a king. As you were born to be a queen."

Sarah didn't like the implications of his words, so she quickly slipped her shoes on and hurried out the room.

"I don't believe in destiny or fate," she called imperiously over her shoulder, sprinting for stage. Jareth watched her go, a strange expression on his face.

Several scenes later, Sarah approached Jareth, a determined expression in her eyes as well as on her face.

"Give me the child," she said firmly. Jareth backed away, holding a crystal. He began to play with it, spinning it around his knuckles and making it disappear beneath his hand to reappear above it. Sarah stared, transfixed by the reflected and refracted daggers of light that spun off of it's perfectly smooth surface.

Don't!, A part of her mind shouted. Don't watch! Look away! The crystal is poison!

Sarah blinked, and tried to avert her gaze from the mystifying scene. She cleared her throat, and forced the lines out of stiff vocal cords.

"Give me the child . . . for I have come through the Labyrinth and made my way through the Goblin City. For my kingdom is as great . . ."

Suddenly Sarah's mind went blank. "For my kingdom is as great . . ." she murmured. Fear flooded her eyes. She couldn't remember the lines! Jareth's grin widened. Echoes rebounded off the inside of Sarah's mind, but she couldn't quite hear them. They were words of power . . . what kind of power? She struggled desperately against the spell, but it was like she had broken through a layer of ice in a pond and couldn't resurface through the thick layer of frozen water. She pounded against the mental barrier furiously, desperate to reach those whispers of magic. What were the words? Where were the words?

Love me, fear me, do as I ask and I will be your slave, an imploring voice sought. Sarah shook her head and began to panic. Someone was hissing at her from the wings, but she couldn't hear them either. She was trapped, trapped in a world of Jareth's echoes and Jareth's crystals; why was Jareth all she could think about when she only needed the right words, what was happening --

-- Suddenly a clock ominously began to strike. Jareth began to laugh. No, Sarah thought desperately, what was she supposed to say? The final gong tolled, and it was like she had broken through a glass wall. The crystal Jareth held in his hand shattered, and the words returned to her.

"You have no power over me," she whispered. Jareth continued laughing.

"Too late," he chuckled, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're too late!" Sarah shook her head.

"You have no power over me!" She screamed. Jareth grabbed her hand in a viselike grip.

"On the contrary, Sarah, you lost. I beat you, and now have power over you." She opened her mouth, and Jareth laid a gloved finger on her lips. "Now, now, Sarah," he whispered. "Don't tell me it isn't fair. Of course it isn't fair. Have I ever been fair to you?" He laughed and shook his head, stepping closer to her. "There's no reason I should start being fair now." Sarah pulled her head away, but found his grip on her wrist too strong for her to break.

"I wasn't going to say it isn't fair," she said. "I was going to say you have no power over me, because you don't," she said, falsely confident. "I was also going to say.... Hoggle!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "I need you! Ludo! Hoggle! Sir Didymus!" Jareth clamped a hand over her mouth forcefully.

"Don't do anything stupid, Sarah," he warned her in a growl. A quiet sleepiness broke over her, and she nodded faintly. He held out the crystal to her, and it shimmered a thousand different colors. She reached out to it, and in a flash of white light, they disappeared.

People in the audience stirred, and blinked.

"Good show . . ." Someone murmured vaguely.

"Yes, excellent." Someone else responded in a muffled voice. One by one, people stood and filed out of the theater, rubbing their heads confusedly. What had just happened?