This chapter is dedicated to all S/J fans. May your fics stay fluffy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera or Labyrinth.
A/N: Okay, so this chapter has our very favorite Goblin King in it!!! -cheers- S/J, of course. Poor Erik!!!
Erik was minding his own business. Of this, he was very certain. He was simply sitting, and writing out a song that had been running through his head. It had been a fairly peaceful morning, with no interruptions, no stupid opera managers (they had decided to take a holiday) and no-one to threaten his precious Christine. That is, until that girl showed up…
"Excuse me, but can you help me find the center of the Labyrinth?" Erik leaped from his chair and whirled around, cape billowing. He was perfectly ready to say something scary and imposing, but the exotic appearance of the girl stopped him. She appeared to be wearing men's clothing!!!
Taking the wrong impression from his stunned silence, the brunette girl repeated herself.
"I don't mean to bother you, but I'm looking for the center of this Labyrinth; the castle beyond the Goblin City." Erik was silent. "How about the Bog of Eternal Stench?" the girl suggested. "I think I could find my way from there." Erik shook his head experimentally.
"Oh," the girl sighed. "you don't know where it is." Erik looked up.
"Who…who are you?" he asked at last. The girl smiled.
"My name's Sarah." She said kindly, extending a hand. When he didn't shake it, she continued; "Three years ago, I wished my little brother away to the goblins."
"That is unkind." Erik put in. Sarah laughed.
"Oh, yes; very unkind. But three days ago, the twerp wished me away to the goblins. I guess that's what I get for leaving 'Labyrinth' lying around…" Erik simply stared at her. Sarah sighed. "Look, if you're not going to be of any help…could you at least point me to the center of the maze?" Erik looked up.
"The maze underground?" he asked. Sarah nodded excitedly. Perhaps this was going somewhere.
"Exactly!" she cried. "Where is the home of the King of the Underground?" Erik gestured around him.
"I am Erik, and this is my home. Erik is the king of the night and of this underground as well. What do you want with Erik?" Sarah looked confused.
"You?" she asked, looking around her, as if expecting to see someone else standing there. "There must be some mistake. I'm looking for Jareth…The Goblin King? He's annoying…about so high….he plays with crystal balls? He's probably somewhere laughing his over-gelled head off." Erik frowned.
"Who is sending you to Erik?" he asked suspiciously. "Are you mad? Why are you wearing boy's clothing? Are you a spy? Who is sending you to spy on Erik?!?!?!?" Sarah took a step backwards.
"Sarah; you silly girl!" Erik promptly turned around to find that he was face-to-face with the oddest-looking man he had ever seen in his life. Erik was somewhat certain he was a man; but no man Erik had ever met wore the painted face of the theatre women. And all of those sparkles…
The strange man walked over to Sarah. "I look away for one minute and you manage to open a portal between universes. Honestly, Sarah; do I have to watch you every minute?" Sarah glared at him.
"Well if you hadn't brought me here in the first place; I wouldn't have been able to open a portal, Jareth!" she exclaimed. Jareth grinned mischievously. "What?" asked Sarah, looking uncomfortable.
"You enjoy saying my name." he accused with a laughing glint in his eye. "That is the only reason you said it just then."
"I do not! You pompous excuse for a-" Sarah was quickly cut off by Jareth.
"Temper, darling." He smirked. "Have you forgotten that you are on a time limit?" The shocked look on Sarah's face would have been comical; were it not for the fact that Erik was too shocked by the impropriety of the conversation…not to mention the impossibility.
"Send me back!" Sarah shrieked.
"With pleasure." Jareth returned, twirling a crystal that Erik could have sworn had not been there before. "I'll send you back…to the beginning." With far too much pleasure for Erik's comfort; Jareth threw a crystal at a shocked Sarah who promptly vanished into thin air. Erik had to work very hard not to scream. Jareth turned to him.
"I am truly sorry you had to see that." He inclined his head to where Sarah had been standing. "She's a bit of a fire sometimes." He smiled to himself. "I am asking for her hand when she fails the maze." For lack of something better to say; Erik managed to force out a quiet:
"Congratulations." Jareth nodded thoughtfully.
"We've been following her custom of 'dating' for a year, now. I don't honestly see how sitting in a dark theatre in which you cannot speak has any way of helping mature a relationship; but Sarah does insist." He smiled evilly. "Don't let her know; but it was me who had her little brother wish her away. She'll be mad at first; but then she'll think it romantic. She's odd that way." He pulled a crystal from nowhere and glanced at it. He laughed. "The silly girl is in an Oubliette!" he exclaimed. "I suppose I should get her out. Have fun with your visitors." He then vanished in a puff of glitter that sprayed all over Erik and his possessions.
Refusing to let the glitter-man's strange proclamation of "visitors" phase him; Erik quickly cleaned up the glitter and convinced himself that it had been nothing but an hunger-induced dream. And even if it had been real, it was over now; right? Erik was firmly convinced that the day's excitement had come to an end.
Poor, misguided Erik.
A/N: Who will be next to fall into our dear Phantom's lair?
Reviewers get some of the actual not real glitter from the chapter!!!
