Terra Cognita by Betty Bokor
Jareth/Sarah. Sarah wants to go back.
Spoilers: The movie, the book, and some of the Return series.
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth original characters belong to The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Ltd. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

Terra Cognita

Chapter 1

Alice looked at her friend one more time, still doubting her sanity. They had been friends forever, since before kindergarten. They had counted on each other during the roughest times in high school. They had kept their friendship even after leaving their native town to go to different colleges. They were like sisters and they would do anything for the other one…

But this was just plainly insane.

Sarah was standing in front of her, checking her gear for the last time. She was wearing a long dress that seemed to have escaped from a fairy tale book, and handmade flat shoes. Her hair was up and ribbons and flowers adorned it gracefully. She would have looked ready to visit the closest Renaissance Fair if it weren't for the bulky backpack hanging from her shoulders.

"Okay… I think I'm ready," Sarah said nervously clutching a little red book in her hands.

Alice sat on the armchair and sighed. "Look, Sarah… I'm going to ask this again, just in case… I know we've talked about this, but the closer it gets, the crazier the whole thing seems to me… So, there it goes, for the last time: Are you sure? What if nothing happens? What if the guy never shows up and you don't go anywhere?" She paused for a second and considered her own question. "Well, that wouldn't be bad… But, what if you really disappear? Are you sure your parents will believe that story you sold them about going backpacking around the world… on your own? And if he gets here, are you really sure I have to tell him that I don't want to race the clock for you? That I don't care enough for you to even try the labyrinth thing? Or… or worse… what if… what if you never come back? Can I call him again somehow? Ask about you?"

Sarah knelt in front of her, put the book on the floor, and grabbed her hands in an attempt to calm her down. "We've discussed this. I've read the book very carefully. I know some things didn't exactly go as in the book the last time, but I don't know what the variables are, so I can't be sure of anything… Nevertheless, I have to try. You ‒more than anyone‒ you know how much I've obsessed about this since we were juniors in high school… Well, I'm twenty-two years old now, I finished college, I worked hard, I saved my own money… I've done everything my parents expected of me and now it's time to do what I want. And I want to go back. I want to see him again."

"I know, I know… But you have to understand… I wasn't there; I don't know how much of it is… is…"

"True?" Sarah interrupted. "You've meet my friends from the Underground, haven't you? You thought I was having a mental breakdown or something when I told you about the labyrinth, but, then, you met them. You know they're real."

"They are real… but what about him? Is he real? I've never seen him, have I? In all these years, he's never come with them."

"He's their king. There's no way he would lessen himself to come visit me, a nobody. I know he's still there, I know he's still the king, and I know he still takes care of the wished-away. That's all I need. I asked my friends many times and I always got the same answers. So, I want to see him and this is the only way I can think of. That's why I need your help."

"And what after you see him? What if he makes you become a goblin… or something worse?" She thought about it. "No; I can't think of anything worse," Alice added, worried.

"I don't know what will happen. And it truly doesn't matter. I need to see him. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him for almost eight years… You know where all my relationships have gone… straight to disaster, and it's all because of him. Nobody can compare to him. Nobody comes close."

"But, I told you, Sarah," Alice tried one more time; "I think you're in love with an ideal. You've idealized that man ‒or whatever he is, because you don't even know whether he's a man or not‒ and now you can't stop believing your own fantasy."

"Fine, let's say you're right;" Sarah conceded. "Let's say he's not as…" she took a deep breath, "not as amazing as I remember him, then, the only way to end this is to meet him again and prove myself wrong."

"And if you can't come back after that? You really don't remember, Sarah. Right after that night, you almost hated him. You were so happy that you had defeated him; you were ecstatic that you had recovered your brother. You didn't want to see the guy ever again…"

"But I was too young! I didn't understand what he was offering; I just said no because I wanted Toby back. My dad would have killed me if I had lost him… I would have killed myself."

"And what? Now you know what he was offering? Now you understand?"

Sarah sighed again. "I think I do. You know I can't be sure, but if there's any chance, even a little one, that he would allow me to stay there, maybe even ask me again… "

Alice sat back, feeling defeated. This was just a repetition of a conversation they had had several times before. She was going to do as Sarah wanted and she would deal with the consequences when the time came. There was nothing else she could do to dissuade her. Sarah had been planning this for too long and the moment had come to face it.

"Okay; let's do it," she said, trying to look confident.

Sarah picked up her book and stood up. "Yes!"

Alice grabbed her hands, closed her eyes, and repeated the words she had carefully learned. "I wish the goblins would come take you away right now!"

Less than a second passed before she felt Sarah had let go of her hands. She opened her eyes and was surprised by the complete darkness of the room. She raced to the wall to find the light switch and turned on the lights.

Sarah was not there; that was certain. But no magical king had come to offer her rescue. No trace of glitter had been left behind. No snickering goblins had mocked Alice for her foolishness…

Sarah was just gone and there was nothing she could do to bring her back.

A. N.: This is a very short story I wrote to give myself a push towards typing the end of Rites of Passage. Life has been awfully complicated lately, but I wanted to safeguard my little time to write.

The completed Terra Cognita will be published entirely between today and the first of January. Hope you enjoy!