Chapter 2: What She Refused
(Author's Note: I realized that I had misspelled Jareth's name. I used Jereth instead of Jareth. Woops. Sorry if that annoyed you, fellow Labyrinth fans.)
The goblin hoard dumped Katie on the hill, overlooking the vast labyrinth, and scurried away. She stood up on shaky legs, holding onto the dead tree beside her for support, and dusted herself off. "What the hell were those things?" She asked herself, her eyes wide with fright.
"Goblins." Said a man's voice. She spun around and came face to face with a strange man with high arched eyebrows, mismatched eyes, and hair that stuck up everywhere on top of his head. "Who are you?" Katie asked, backing away from him. He gave a bow, "My name is Jareth. I'm the king of the Goblins and master of this labyrinth." He said charmingly, waving his gloved hand over the impressive expanse of the labyrinth. Katie glanced over her shoulder at the endless maze below them. "This is freaking impossible." She mumbled beneath her breath. The man danced around to stand at her side. "No, not impossible. It's been solved before. Once. By your mother, Sarah." He said with a little laugh as he said her name. "My mother? You know my mother?" Katie's head whirled. She was so confused. What was going on? Jareth nodded, "When she was a young girl, younger than yourself, she wished away her baby brother,. Because I loved her, I granted her wish. I sent my goblins to take the child. I thought that this would make her happy, but Sarah changed her mind. She wanted the babe back. And so I challenged her. If she could solve the labyrinth, I would return the babe to her and set her free. She won my challenge in the end."
"I must be dreaming." Katie whispered and discreetly pinched herself. Nothing. She was still there. It wasn't a dream. The goblins, the labyrinth and its king were all real. "What am I doing here?" She asked. With a flick of his wrist, three crystal balls magically appeared and he began to roll them across his knuckles. "You wished that the goblins would take you away, didn't you?" "Yea, but I didn't think it would happen." This kind of stuff was just in fairytales wasn't it? "I truly loved your mother. I would have given her the world if she had asked for it, but she refused my gifts and denied my love and my world. Now I have given you the same gifts as I bestowed upon her. I will grant your heart's every wish, all you have to do is surrender yourself to me and deny your life with your mother as she refused a life with me. Are you not happy? Do you wish to return to your mother? For if you do, you will have to solve my labyrinth and if you so choose to stay you can never see your mother again." The goblin king said, tossing his crystals up in the air. Katie thought for a moment. "I…I don't know what I want." She answered, truthfully. She felt like she was being pulled in two very different directions. On one hand, she was finally away from her parents rules, even if it was under weird circumstances, on the other did she really not want to see her mother ever again? Yes, she was angry with her, but did she truly hate her?
Jareth's smile vanished and he stopped toying with his crystals. He had not expected her to give such an answer. He thought she'd immediately challenge him, just like her mother, but this was not the case. Would she actually stay? Was he wrong to hope she would? Just by looking at the girl, he could tell that although she was her daughter, she was not Sarah. She was very different, both in looks and disposition. Perhaps he would succeed with her where he had failed with Sarah. "Katherine, would you like to see my castle?" he asked, extending his hand to her. She hesitated then finally took his hand. Where else did she have to go? With that, the two vanished in a cloud of glitter.
"Hoggle? Ludo? Sir Didymous? Anyone? Please, I need you." Sarah pleaded into the mirror. Nothing happened. Her old friends did not appear. "Damn!" Sarah growled, pounding her fist on the vanity. "Why won't it work anymore? I know it's been decades since I called on them, but they couldn't have forgotten about me. Could they?"
Katie cringed as a mob of disgusting little creatures cackled and cheered around her, tugging at her pant legs and sleeves. "Back off you little cretins." the king growled and they at once scattered. "Thanks." She muttered. "Of course. If they get on your nerves, feel free to step on their toes and kick them in their ugly little faces." He said, nonchalantly, as if it was perfectly okay. "That's a little harsh isn't it?" She said, flicking a tiny goblin off of her shoulder. "No, they actually like it. The number one rule for living with goblins is that everything bad is good and everything good is bad." He said in a musical tone. What was with this place? So confusing.
He led her through hall after hall, down staircases that ran upwards and up staircases that were actually upside down. All the while, Katie's mind was struggling to keep up with the senselessness of this world, where not even the laws of physics applied. Finally, they came to a pair of massive doors with door handles that looked something like dragons in flight. "This will be your room. The queen's chamber." He said and threw open the doors. Katie had to gasp for breath, for the sight that met her eyes took it away instantly. An enormous canopy bed, with spiraling wooden bed posts and rich, soft tapestries of silk and luscious satin. There was a vanity and mirror beside the bed that looked as if it were carved from crystal and there was a huge wardrobe filled to capacity with elegant dresses fit for any member of royalty, goblin or otherwise. It was a far cry from her cramped little bedroom in the apartment.
"T-this is my room?" She stuttered, completely in shock. This room was far different from the rest of the castle, which was completely over run by Jareth's goblin subjects. "You like it?" Asked Jareth, leaning against the doorway and watching the girl practically swoon over the room he had originally had prepared for Sarah. "Like it? I love it! It's gorgeous!" Jareth was so delighted, he could not help but grin to himself.
"I am afraid I have some business to attend to at the moment. I will see you tonight, at dinner, Katherine." Katie stalled and shot a suspicious glare his way. "How do you know my name? I don't remember telling you." Jareth looked back at her through the doorway, his sharp goblin teeth showing in his smile, "I have known your name since the moment Sarah thought of it." He said, bowed, then walked quickly out of the room. Katie rushed to the door to stop him from leaving. She wanted to interrogate him further, but when she looked both ways down the hall, she found that the goblin king was nowhere to be seen.
"Come on! Come on! Hoggle! Somebody! Show yourselves to me!" Sarah screamed into the mirror, beating on it with her fists. Nothing happened of course. Magic has a tendency not to work when you absolutely need it to. Especially in matters of life and death. Sarah slumped in front of the mirror in defeat and sobbed. "Oh, have you been trying to contact your little friends?" snickered Jareth's all too pleasant voice. Sarah practically jumped into the mirror. "What have you done with them, you horrid goblin!" Jareth smirked at her, he was thoroughly enjoying observing the flustered state she was in. "I have done nothing to them, dear Sarah. I told you when I left this evening that you no longer have any power over me. Well, that goes for me, my kingdom, and everyone in it." Sarah's jaw dropped as the magnitude of his words hit her. Still he went on, "I have stripped you of your powers, something I should have done long ago, and have given them to your lovely daughter." Sarah leaned closer to the mirror's glass, "You better not have put her in your god forsaken labyrinth, Jareth, or so help me I'll…"
Jareth chuckled wickedly, "Or you'll what? You can't get into my world and you can't call on your friends to aid you. You're completely helpless. Besides, she isn't in the labyrinth."
"But you said." Sarah began. "I know what I said. I changed my mind. It seems, Katherine was more than happy to bend to my wishes. She's resting in her bedroom as we speak." He said. Sarah's temper boiled over with raw rage, "Don't you dare lay one finger on her!" She screamed at his reflection. "You made your choice long ago, girl!" He screamed back, his usual calm demeanor evaporating like water in the desert. "If you had accepted my proposal twenty years ago, all of this would have been avoided!" He bared his sharp teeth at her, his mismatched eyes glowering viciously, unveiling his much darker side. "You may have beaten my labyrinth, but you did not defeat me. I simply waited and watched as your once strong spirit was crushed beneath the weight of time and tragedy. Now, I will finally get what I long for." "No Jareth! Return Katie and I…I'll take her place. Take me, Jareth! Not my daughter!" The goblin king silently brushed his finger tips across his lips as he thought, then those lips parted slowly to utter the one word that would ensure the demise of Sarah's heart. "No." He vanished. "Jareth! Jareth!" Sarah screamed, but the image did not return.
Jareth sat back in his throne with a heavy sigh. Just six years ago, he would have taken her up on her offer, but after Paul entered the picture, he had begun to notice the little twelve year old daughter of his once greatest love. The girl who longed for a different world, and yet didn't know it. He couldn't give her the world she longed for, one where her father was still alive, but he hoped he could do something to make her happy. At least get her away from her evil step-father. How twisted this web had become. For him to love the mother then fall for the daughter. Twisted indeed. He had not told Sarah, and he didn't dare to, but the reason he had refused to take her instead, was because she wasn't what he wanted anymore. Or rather who.
"Hello, your highness. My butt looks as big as an eighteen wheeler in this dress. Don't you think so?" Katie said in a haughty voice, as she talked to herself in the mirror. She had pulled one of the regal fairytale dresses over her jeans and striped shirt. She was thoroughly enjoying poking fun at herself. "I think it looks quite nice." Said a small voice. Katie was caught completely off guard. She screamed and jumped up in the air. A very small goblin girl, with thin arms and legs, crazy white hair and pig like nose stared up at her. "How did you get in here?!" Katie huffed, her eyes still bugging out of her head. "Through the servant's door." The little girl pointed towards a small door on the far wall. Katie was fairly certain that it wasn't there earlier. Maybe it was and she just didn't notice it. She doubted that theory. So far as she could tell, the more ridiculous it is the more likely it is in this place. "I'm Squee. I was told to get you ready for dinner. You're not going like that are ya?" Said Squee. Katie looked down at herself and suddenly realized how weird she must look. Her cheeks blushed violently, "Oh, uh no, of course not." She stuttered, pulling off the dress. "Oh okay, let's take a look in your wardrobe then." The little goblin girl took her hand and led her over to the wardrobe.
She was only one and a half feet tall and she had a child's soft voice. Katie couldn't help but think how adorable Squee was. She had a strange urge to pick the goblin child up and squeeze her to death. She watched in amazement as the small creature climbed through the sea of dresses and threw a royal blue dress at her. "Put that one on. The king likes blue." Katie did as the goblin said. It was a lovely dress, better than she had thought just by looking at it. It had a high collar and ringed her throat and a heart shaped neckline, the corset was tight fitting but not so tight that she couldn't breath comfortably. The skirt of the dress was large and billowy, it had sparkling flecks of gold and silver throughout. That was right up Jareth's alley. "Do you always get this dressed up for dinner?" asked Katie as she watched Squee weave a blue ribbon though her blond hair. "No, but the king wanted you to look extra pretty." "I see, well I think you succeeded, Squee. This is the best I've ever looked." Squee beamed back at her, as she took a seat on Katie's shoulder. That's kind of sad when your make up and hair was done by a goblin child.
A loud knock on the door made the two jump. "It's the king." Squee whispered in a startled voice. She hopped down and scurried back out the servant's door. "Come in." Katie called. The door opened and Jareth, dressed in a sparkling blue jacket with a high collar, and a ruffled shirt entered the room. His attire made Katie think maybe, this dress of hers was a request and not just a coincidence. "My, how lovely you are." Jareth cooed. He took her hand and kissed it. "Um…thank you…you can stop kissing my hand now." She said, her cheeks reddening. He straitened himself and Katie discretely wiped her hand on her skirt. "Squee did a great job." "That she did. I will have to reward her later." He offered her his arm and she took it.
They walked along the curving, passageways. Walking in her ridiculously big skirts was surprisingly easy. It was almost weightless, which made no sense at all. "I am glad you have decided to stay for a while with me, before making a more permanent decision. It will give me the chance to show you how wonderful your life can be here. " Said Jareth. Katie smiled politely. "Are you enjoying yourself so far?" He asked as they rounded another bend. "Actually, I have a killer migraine right now." She sighed, pinching the place between her eyebrows. "Oh dear. I will have to whip up a tonic for you later."
Sarah sat at the vanity with her head gripped in her hands. Her tears were forming a puddle below her face. What could she do now? Her powers no longer worked, she could not make her friends appear, she couldn't go there herself, she definitely couldn't report this to the police. They'd probably just say she ran away on her own. Her eyes slowly drifted over to a picture that Katie had taped to the mirror. It was of Sarah, holding baby Katie. She was maybe nine months old at the time. At her side was her first husband, David, who was had little Toby on his shoulders. Sarah touched David's happy face with her finger tips. "David," she croaked, "If only you were here. You'd know what to do." David. It still hurt to think about him. There was still a giant whole in her heart, where his love used to be. How badly she needed to hear his voice again. Suddenly, the phone began to ring. Wiping her eyes and clearing her throat, Sarah picked up the phone.
"Sarah? Are you okay? I got this awful feeling." Hearing Toby's concerned voice made Sarah break down again. "No, no! I'm not alright. Jareth is back and he's taken Katie to the Labyrinth!" She cried. "I'll be there in like thirty minutes. Don't worry. We'll get her back." There was a loud click as Toby slammed the phone down.
Katie watched as the goblins, Jareth included, stuffed their faces with strange goblin food. You would think that they hadn't eaten in years the way they were shoving it in. Food was flying everywhere. She couldn't help it. She busted out laughing. All the goblins stopped eating and stared at her like she'd gone bonkers. "What's so funny?" asked Jareth, brushing crumbs out of the ruffles on his front. "You got me all dressed up for dinner and this is the way goblins eat!" She cried through giggle fits. She was laughing so hard, her ribs ached. Catching on to the joke, Jareth began to laugh as well. It never occurred to him that they ate like ravenous wolves. "Does it displease you? I'll order them to learn proper etiquette if you wish." He offered, ignoring the fact that his manners were just as bad. She shook her head, still giggling a little, "Nah, I like it. Table manners are such a drag." She grabbed a chicken-uh-thing leg and bit into it. "I don't know what it is, but it's sure tasty." She said, through a mouthful of food. Jareth stared in shock as he watched the girl devour her meal. Her manners were even worse than the goblins. The goblins were even cheering her on. "Go! Go! Go!" They jeered, as she chugged down a bottle of apple juice. Jareth smiled when she held up the empty juice bottle in victory. He was beginning to like this girl more and more. She was more like a goblin than he was.