Disclaimer:

Standard disclaimers apply.

The Labyrinth is the property of Jim Henson and its scriptwriters, including but not limited to Dennis Lee, Terry Jones, Elaine May, and A.H.C. Smith. Characters and concept are used without permission and not for product.


Chapter 11- The Creation of the Labyrinth

In the world of Daven, the world of dreams and life, there is a council. The council is called The Council of Electants and it has many people in it from all different worlds. A few important people on this council are Exavanos, who you will hear much about later, Debranos and Ledouis. They aren't beings with body, but they are of spirit. They can change into whatever they want and they are immortal. Another member of this council you know well. This is the history of Jareth.

Yes, he was on the council way back in the day. Daven was dark and mysterious full of surprises and interest and so most immortals went there for excitement. After hundreds and hundreds of years living life gets meaningless and so surprises meant amusement and entertainment for the tired beings.

Every immortal was content. They were happy. They watched humans for amusement, looking down on them as little dolls. They never meddled though, for it was written in the walls that if an immortal should take up work that was not theirs, the penalty was worse than death.

But Jareth saw something they other immortals didn't see, or maybe they did see but ignored. He saw children growing up learning to be ashamed of their thoughts and their imagination. Little girls playing princess and being told they were too old or they had more important things to do. He decided that all parents were unfit because they discouraged the growth of their childrens mind.

One day he saw a baby crying, and he knew from the past with this father that he hated imagination, and the father was getting very irritated with the crying baby. Finally he said, "If you don't stop crying, I will send you away! I will be rid of you! I will call you away now." The father left the child then and Jareth saw a dark future for the child. In the midst of the night, he stole the child away and let the child live in Daven, safely hidden from the High Council and the creatures of the world.

Then the Council found out and Jareth had to be punished. He was cast from Daven and was forced into a new world. A dark and dismal world, where darkness was everywhere and the only creatures he had for company were goblins. The children became goblins, it is true, and they also never grew. In mind or body, the goblins were stunted to be childish and were taught to fear Jareth. Jareth never imagined this would happen, but he could not change what he had done, and he had to live with his mistake for the rest of his days.

He punished himself. He cut himself off from every person in the world and resented humans. How could they all be so foolish? He blamed them for the dying of worlds, for it was their faults, and blamed them for molding children into what they believed was right, not letting the child become their own person. He became cold and stolid, and he became extremely wise. He became cruel.

After hundreds of years, at the beginning of a new millennium a friend of his came to visit. Exavanos was known as the most powerful and wise of all the councilmen. He met with Jareth and told him of a new world. A world with color, intrigue, surprise and everything the immortals had been looking for, however it was cut off from strangers. The world was Sarah's, and it was at its prime. All the council members were amazed by this vast, never-ending world that was pure and innocent in its childishness.

The world had its own council. There were only 3 portals and Sarah had created them herself. Ardimus was the first, or as he was known, The Man in the Mirror. He is the heart of emotion and feeling. He is a romantic and keeps Sarah in white light, in innocence. He helps with the creation of new creatures.

The second member is named Dansius. Dansius is the inner judge of character, the way Sarah truly sees people. Even if she ignores Dansius, he is there, and he knows how she truly feels about people on the outside. For instance, if Toby were to meet Dansius, Dansius would be laughing constantly and smiling because of all the love Sarah has for him. If Mathew were to meet him, Dansius would be quiet and calm, almost unsure at him, because that is how Sarah felt. If he met Verna, he would be angry and annoyed at her.

The third and final member is the wisest and most kind. His name is Bretoniol and he is the truth of all that is avoided, and all problems ignored. These are problems that Sarah does not face, they bury themselves with Bretoniol and he tries to face them for her. He changes the weather and emotion of the Labyrinth, but not lately since the Labyrinth was dying and he lost almost all his power. An example of when he was using his power is when Sarah was in the Labyrinth trying to save Toby and the skies were a red and the Labyrinth was scary and unfair. The truth was, she wanted that unfairness because it was how she had felt in the real world and it was materializing in the Labyrinth. Never had Jareth been to a world that changed so much.

Exavanos showed pity to Jareth and asked him to rule this world. The pendant was given to him, giving him right to rule. It gave him a duty, a duty to protect and serve the world. Jareth refused saying he had no interest in this world, no interest in doing whatever a child asked him. No interest in being in contact with humans, for in his opinion, they were poison. So Exavanos brought him to Ardimus.


"Revanos Ardimus let me meet you to Jareth, from the world of Nye." Exavanos had said.

"Nye? What have you done to deserve such a fate?" Ardimus had asked. His voice was calm and serious, but nothing intimidated Jareth. Jareth intimidated all, including Exavanos.

"I felt I had a duty to help and save worlds, but I have learned that when a world decides to die, there is nothing I can do." Jareth watched with heavy eyes the pendent that hung in the distance. A crown that he was born to wear, such a prize to most members of the council. Ardimus laughed.

"See, that is exactly why we need you, Revanos Jareth. The creator of this world is more than a child. She is something else. She thinks constantly, she imagines and believes. She knows of her world but knows not how to enter it."

"How old is the child?" Jareth asked.

"She has been in her world for 10 years."

"Does this mean that she would not forget about the world? She would not create a vast and inhabited world than destroy it without a care? If I took on such a world how could I not have these fears?"

"Well," Ardimus said with a smile, "He is extremely passionate about the worlds. Very impressive, Exavanos. I can see why you would choose such a worthy ruler." Ardimus paused. "To answer your question, Revanos Jareth, I can not give an immediate answer. Her imagination is extremely powerful, I mean look around you! Look outside this window! It is almost as great as the Wonder Lands, but of course, I cannot tell the future of the world. Exavanos, perhaps you can tell Jareth exactly why we have chosen him?"

Jareth looked over at wonder at the air and spirit of Exavanos. Exavanos seemed to whirl as he paused.

"Revanos Jareth, the child is going through a certain time of her life where she needs support. Her mother left her and is rarely seen, her father has a new family, and the child does not yet know her place in the world. She is lost, and so that is why the Labyrinth was created, a safe haven for her. The ruler of such a world should have already been created, but no. Go see Dansius and you will understand all."

"I could not be permitted into such a personal realm without the trust of the child herself." Jareth said coldly.

"That is exactly it!" Ardimus nearly shouted. "It is against all principles and laws of the worlds! Yet, here you are now…into the room of the child's emotions, standing before me! No other member of the council has gone through such a feat. You, my friend, have a purpose in this world. Please now, see Dansius. Look into the statues eye and you will see what your place is in the world of such a young child. Remember, Dansius only can tell the truth."

And so, Revanos Jareth and Revanos Exavanos walked down the Great Hall until they reached the dark room of Dansius.

"The child is truly lost." Said Exavanos, looking into the dark vast room with amazement. "And now we will be lost. We must call to Dansius." Jareth realized that the state of Sarah directly impacted Dansius's temple and by the coldness and drab of the room he knew her emotions were also reflected in the room.

"Revanos Jareth, I can sense your presence!" The loud voice was firm and almost scary.

"Can you?" Jareth asked, a scary undertone.

"Come hither, Revanos, and look into mine eye." Jareth saw a flash of red and walked forward. He reached his hand out until he felt the coldness of the statue. Dansius. While Ardimus was in a mirror, Dansius was a statue of an old man. Jareth looked up into the eye of Dansius and for the first time saw who he was to the child. What he would have to become if he took the pendent to the world. He was cruel, almost evil, surrounded by his goblins who were mean and spiteful, all childish. He was unfair and unjust, just as the world was to her. Jareth backed away.

"This is extraordinary…" Jareth said, clutching tightly to the riding crop in his hand. "She wishes me, as the chosen ruler of her world, to be cruel to her?"

"Surely you are mistaken." Exavanos asked in the background.

"I can not mistake what I see, and I see what she wishes me to be."

"The creator of this world wants entrance. Think of why each of us portals were created, Revanos. If thy can determine the questions in the Entrance of Heart, thy will take the pendent and rule this world forever."

"So it is written and so it shall be done…" Exavanos whispered to himself.

"The portals? When you say this you mean Ardimus and you?" Jareth asked.

"Forget not Bretoniol." Said Dansius.

"So, this is how she chooses to see me. This fictional Goblin King."

"You know what will happen to him if he underwent such a challenge? He would lose himself; he would actually become the Goblin King! He would get swept up in it and forget himself." Exavanos said.

"A small sacrifice for becoming the ruler of such a powerful and limitless world." Jareth skeptically said.

"She has chosen you for a reason, Revanos." Dansius whispered. "Meet with Bretoniol."

"Another portal to meet so I can hear more reasons to become ruler of this world?"

"No, I believe Bretoniol wishes you not to be the ruler." Exavanos spoke up.

"Before I leave you, Revanos Dansius, I wish to see how the child sees her world."

"Ridiculous, Revanos Jareth, she does not know of it!" Exavanos almost laughed. Dansius stayed quiet.

"She does know of it, and that is the only reason I am considering to even try to rule this world. Tell me how she sees her world, Dansius."

"Very well, look again." Dansius said slowly. Jareth moved in close and peered into the stone chiseled eye and saw the Labyrinth. Nothing was what it seemed and no one was kind except the most unlikely creatures. Jareth took a breath before backing away.

"Intriguing…" He whispered under his breath. "Take me to Bretoniol."

After a long walk they reached the door to meet Bretoniol. As the arched golden door slowly opened, a cloud of smoke and mist escaped the room.

"State your presence." The booming voice said.

"Revanos Exavanos, Member 5 of the Council and Revanos Jareth, current resident of the World of Nye."

"So you are who they are all talking about. I commend you, Revanos Jareth, I have never seen the portals shuffle in such excitement. I will respectfully invite you in, but hope you will not stay long, for I am sure you are tired of speech. Revanos Exavanos, I have heard much rumor of your respectable nature and kind personality and so hope you can learn to excuse my rudeness when I ask that Revanos Jareth enters alone."

"Of course, I bid you both goodbye." Exavanos said, and made his exit.

"Revanos Jareth-"

"Excuse me," Jareth interrupted, "before you continue I will ask that you clear some of this mist so I can see who I am speaking to." A laughter escaped the tired voice behind the mist.

"I heard of your personality. I heard you were a blunt man without humor, and I can see those were right. I also heard though that you had a certain element of kindness that no Council member could understand. I respect you. However, I hope you can understand this, not even the child herself can see me. I am in her subconscious. She can ignore me and pretend I am not there, but I am, and I see the truth in all things ignored The child cannot face something, she hides it within me. I know everything about her, and so even if I could reveal myself to you, I would not. I am a part of her, as all the portals are, and she expects us to protect her. To protect her secrets."

"I have heard you disapproved of me." Jareth spoke up.

"And how could I not? You becoming the ruler of this world compromises everything I believe. Let me explain this to you, all her misplaced anger and frustration went into the creation of this world. A great example of how something dark and unhealthy can turn into something beautiful and everlasting. Look at this rose." Jareth looked forward and an exquisite rose came into place. "A wonderful example of cause and effect. What is the purpose of a rose? It does not kill weeds, it does not keep the flies away, so why was it created?" Jareth reached out and lightly touched the petals.

"To bring beauty to the world." Jareth answered.

"It is all rather off topic. My job is to try to help Sarah face her problems. If you are the ruler of this world, it is just another way to misplace feelings. She would not face the anger and frustration of her everyday life, but channel those feelings of angst onto you, a stranger who has nothing to do with her real problems. How can she face problems and solve them when she is to worried about problems of the mythological kind."

"Revanos, your logical and informative truth must be correct. How come the other portals do not listen."

"They believe in the fact you were chosen for another purpose. A completely different purpose along with the misplaced angst. I disagree, and find that even if it is true, it can only bring trouble. Meddling is the worst kind."

"As you have probably heard among your other rumors, Revanos Bretoniol, I disagree. I find the human race flawed and we can help them. Why sit back and watch the ruin of a brilliant civilization?"

"You still have much to learn."

"I have been in the worlds for more than 10,000 years, Revanos." Jareth said coldly.

"I mean no disrespect. However, your passion for human life is refreshing. It was written in the walls of time that we live our lives and we let them live theirs. You must not meddle because it is a direct intrusion of the plans. The plans of life. If you go back and history and do something as small as a cough it will forever affect history, it is the same as meddling."

"Yes, but we see worlds die a slow death. How can they watch creatures die, innocent creatures die. And when the world falls apart and fades from existence we mourn for a day, but then celebrate the creation of a new world. Each council member assures each other, this world will never be erased! For it is too powerful! Then years later, poof the world has gone. If humans knew- "

"The worlds would not be how they are, Revanos Jareth."

"I do not wish to become the ruler of this world, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Alas, I do! For, she has imagined you, and now you will be created as the Goblin King no matter what."

"What do you mean, Revanos?" Jareth's voice became stern and scary.

"She fears you, yet she is fascinated by you. A connection has formed between the two of you, one that cannot be cut even by the mighty scissors of Nectar. You are bonded."

"Impossible! I have not even touched the walls of this palace!"

"Look, Revanos." And just like that Sarah was projected against the smoke of the room.

"Give me the child," Her sweet young voice said, "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," She took a step forward, "I have fought my way here to the castle, beyond the Goblin city to take back the child that you have stolen." Jareth froze as he felt it. He felt the connection. His breath caught in his throat and a small smile formed. She disappeared. It was the first time Jareth had ever laid eyes on the child. Her eyes were an intense green and she confronted him. The Goblin King. He could feel the title swelling in his heart.

"You feel it do you not?" Bretoniol asked. Jareth slowly nodded.

"Then, it looks as if there is nothing I can do. Take the pendent and rule this world. It is yours."

"And if I still deny it?"

"That empty feeling you feel right now will forever stay with you as you live in the dark world of Nye."


And with that, Jareth was shut from the temple and stood in the hall. The pendent swung heavily down the hall and he watched it. It glowed with warmth and power. His eyes closed as he stepped forward and reached out. The pendent reached his hand and as they met they nearly became one. The feeling was powerful. The pendent floated up and slowly fell down upon Jareth's cape. He moved to a nearby window and looked down at his new world. The Labyrinth was the world's name.