I

"He wished to be a hero… So naturally, I, the Labyrinth, gave him a monster to slay… Contrary to the Greeks' romantic beliefs, the circumstances behind the birth of the Minotaur were not arranged by the Greek gods. Nor were I build by a human craftsman.

I have always been. I am an intelligent, sentient, immortal being and I wield great power. I am blessed as well as burdened with the duty that befalls me: I am bound to fulfill the deepest and truest wishes of the miserable hearts. And it was a Heartwish that made me appear to the humans on the island of Crete, in the form of a great labyrinth of stone.

Theseus, a young prince at the time, was wishing with all his heart to be a hero and to be able to save his people from grave danger. Fate and I decided to help him prove himself by creating a monster for him to slay. A Minotaur.

The outcome was determined before Theseus sat a foot within my borders. The outcome was decided long before Theseus was even born. It was Fate and it was meant to happen all along.

The prince was given a red ball of yarn by the princess Ariadne. He tied it to the entrance of me and progressed through me. Despite the obvious willpower Theseus possessed, he was no match for me, Lady Sarah. I did not even care to resist his progress. I barely even cheated.

He unriddled me quite easily and made it to the center. Amongst the cold stonewalls, a desolate Minotaur bemoaned his creation and lonely existence. Theseus saw the Minotaur, but he did not see behind the gruesome façade of the monster.
Like all the following runners he saw, but he did not see.

As he decapitated the Minotaur, Theseus shouted "You no longer have any power over my people!"

Your eyes widen, Lady Sarah, I knew it would not be long until the realization would hit you.

Theseus returned home to be admired as a strong hero. The dead Minotaur on the other hand…

One thing you must understand about being immortal and intelligent, Lady Sarah, is that one gets bored incredibly easy. Earlier on, I would have teased, taunted and cheated runners to get out with my aggressions, but even that became tiring and trivial after a couple of thousand years.

Human emotions are so predictable, you see.

But Fate and I had created a creature as desolate and lonely as I. To this day I still am not sure how he came to be as such – perhaps I possess a subconscious like you do, and thus created his character in my image unintentionally. He was originally meant to be a fearsome, gruesome beast. I felt a bond with this creature, so after he was slayed by Theseus I gave him a name and placed his soul in a humanoid form.

Please refrain from mentioning the traitor's name in this sacred place, dearest Sarah.

But yes, the man you knew as the Goblin King was the Minotaur.

He proved a faithful companion to me. Never before had I had such intelligent conversations. He was weak, but my ruthless teaching through many centuries had hardened him sufficiently – or so I thought.

Besides companionship, his tasks were to aid me in my duty of fulfilling wishes. It became a rather fruitful arrangement; Being an incorporeal being has its disadvantages and a humanoid beast may go places an old maze may not.

Heartwishes are rare. But when a Heartwish rings true, they generally are very demanding. Oftentimes he and I were forced to change our exteriors – but we did it gladly. Anything to break the monotonousness is highly appreciated. It's precious even.

Do not snare at me, my dear.
He was right in one thing; you are a precious little thing.

Where was I?

Oh yes, Heartwishes are rare and few and – depending on the magnitude of the wish of course – often crave much time and effort. Yours were no different.

Please remain seated. I do not want to force you to stay still – but I will if required.

You see, Lady Sarah, it is said among humans that one ought to be careful about wishing, "because what one wish for might come true."

I made Jareth, but you made the Goblin King…"

(A/N) I do not own "Labyrinth" or any of its characters.

Chapter 1 of 10