Disclaim Dance Magic Dance: I don't own own Labyrinth. Or that bad joke. Or the characters. Fun fanfic for fun. (oh gods i hate myself for that joke)

Thanks to tmwillson3 for Beta editing! I missed a lot and she saved me from a run on sentence this time. A really bad one. Thanks so much.

Also, this is a longer chapter than normal... have fun! :D


Sarah awoke covered in sweat.

The sky was still dark when Sarah pushed back the curtains surrounding her bed. She shivered as the cold air drifted in, but she had so much adrenaline pumping that she couldn't sit still.

Hopping out of bed, Sarah cringed when her bare feet hit the floor, but she still started pacing, thinking desperately.

This had never happened before.

Her dreams were just a blur of images, nothing distinct, nothing clear but the occasional moment that stuck out.

The world moved around her so quickly, the bodies dancing looked more like blurs than bodies. It was like watching a movie on fast forward, until everything started moving at normal speed, just for a moment.

Adelaide was dancing with the Goblin King, looking smugly over her shoulder to see if Sarah was jealous.

Blurs of dancing bodies.

Sarah danced with the Goblin King in the dress that Kaia was making her, matching his dress coat perfectly.

Blurs.

A knife. A hand. Blood.

Blurs. The dancing stops.

Adelaide looking furious, a large crowd, the Goblin King completely speechless while a man standing above everyone else looked amazed and confused.

The crowd parting.

Sarah didn't know what she'd witnessed beyond the vague idea that it must have been the ball, but the scary part was that Sarah rarely dreamt more than a day ahead at a time.

The ball was still – Sarah glanced at the clock – two days away. It was way too early to be dreaming about that.

The last time Sarah had dreamt this far ahead, it had only been to catch a glimpse of her great-grandmother dying in her sleep.

Sarah shivered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in vain.

Something big was going to happen, Sarah was sure of that. Something was going to happen at that ball that was going to put her on Adelaide's bad side, something that was going to render the Goblin King speechless, and shock the party-goers, but Sarah could not see what.

She shuttered.

Sarah didn't know what she could possibly do, but she knew she wouldn't able to sleep comfortably after this and went to the fireplace.

It took a little effort at her inexperienced hands, but Sarah got the fire going before she settled into the couch with one of the books that were still residents in her room and she began to read in the vain hope that she could discover something important.

[11]

Raineruima was mildly appalled when she discovered Sarah sleeping in her nightgown, exposed to the open air, on the couch with a book still open in her lap. A Lady should never sleep like that, especially not while she was the guest of a King. Raineruima was just grateful she was the only one to see Sarah like this and no other unexpected guests had tried to take a peek at the girl.

When the girl turned over in her sleep towards the back of the couch, Raineruima sighed.

She couldn't wake the girl up. She was a Dreamseer. Her dreams, no matter how trivial in appearance, were always important.

Instead, the elf set about making the room ready for the day. She pulled back and tied up the curtains around Sarah's bed, ran a hot bath so that it would still be warm for Sarah when she got in, found a dress for the girl to wear during the day and laid it out on the bed, and managed to grab a passing goblin and ordered it to bring up some breakfast.

By the time Raineruima had finished prepping Sarah's morning, the girl had started to stir, making an odd whimpering sound in her sleep.

Raineruima did not interfere with Sarah's dreams and merely sat in the chair nearby, waiting with a book in her lap like she had a few days before.

Suddenly, Sarah shot up with a gasp, startling Raineruima enough to yelp.

Sarah's eyes, still clouded with sleep, looked up at Raineruima with confusion.

"Ruima?" Sarah asked, trying to rub the sand out. "What are you doing here?"

"It's morning, my Lady," said Raineruima, closing her book softly. "It's time to get you ready for the day."

Sarah yawned.

"Do we have to?" asked Sarah. "Can't I just go back to sleep?"

Raineruima did not answer, but gave Sarah a disapproving look.

Though Sarah seemed to struggle with a decision for a moment, the girl got up and turned towards the bathroom before freezing in place and looking at the dress that Raineruima had laid out for her.

It was a nice, royal blue gown, very simple, with light beading on the front.

"Is-is that the dress I'll be wearing today?" Sarah asked nervously.

"Of course it is! Now go get in the bath before it gets cold!"

Sarah paused, looking at the dress with some level of dislike before running for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

[11]

After being subjected to Kaia for the second morning in a row, Sarah was even more impressed by the woman. The half-fae, half-goblin was able to sew with both hands at the same time while Sarah was standing in the dress, without pricking her once.

Whenever a pin had to be removed, Kaia would grab it with her teeth and spit it into the wall, where it would get lodged until she was ready to take it out.

Honestly, Sarah didn't know what else to expect from this woman, as she had two more mornings with her, but surely, things couldn't get stranger.

After that, Sarah had, once again, dined with the Goblin King, where she'd cautiously asked questions about what was going to happen at the ball, if there was anyone she was going to have to act a certain way towards, etc. All that he'd said was that the High King was going to be present and she would need to pay her respects towards him and his son. Nothing more.

After that, Sarah had gone back to her room to grab a book before heading outside to read in the garden.

She was scared, honestly. Sarah knew the kind of air that Adelaide gave off in her dreams – entitled and very much the "if you get my way, I'll eat you alive" kind of woman – but airs like that occasionally changed.

It was only early afternoon and Sarah was sitting in the garden with Raineruima a few benches off, lying under an umbrella. Apparently, when an elf her color burned, they turned an awful shade of yellow.

Sarah was watching Raineruima carefully out of the corner of her eye. She could tell that any second now, the elf would doze off and Sarah would be free to wander the garden with her book.

The mortal girl tried not to think too hard on the matter and instead focused on her book. The text was less of a dictionary of Marks, and was more of an in-depth book on major figures in Underground history with explanations of what their Marks were and how it influenced everything they did and why.

History had never been Sarah's favorite, but for some reason, this book had caught her attention.

So far, Sarah had only read three different tales, but they were certainly very interesting.

One had detailed the rise of the first High King. Apparently, when the man had come of age, a Mark appeared on his forehead, a crown with a sword and a heart inside of it. A great war broke out as a result as Marks depicting royalty often had a clear indicator of the land they would rule, yet this young man did not.

The man fought battles, worked tirelessly and ultimately came up with a proposition; all Kingdoms would be allowed to stay as they were, but they would have to answer to him as the High King, the King above them all. In order to stop the wars, the monarchs all agreed.

Another spoke of a poet who came of age and received the Mark of Scrutiny. According to the book, the Mark looked like a black flower and it had appeared below his collarbone. But because it was a lesser known Mark at the time, he didn't know what it represented and continued on his merry way, writing poems about what it could be. But his poetry began to take a very strange turn when he began writing about various people and what their marks were without ever having seen these people.

It turned out that the Mark of Scrutiny allowed the person who wore to think on a certain Mark and discover the identity of their bearer, and vice versa, think on a person and discover their Mark. Because of this, the poet gained so much attention, from power-hungry individuals seeking to find the strengths and weaknesses of their enemies, that the young man took his life to keep them from having his power.

The third had been a confusing story about… well, Sarah wasn't sure. It had talked about what she could only assume was some kind of spirit that had searched long and hard for a person to give something to, then it suddenly changed to a story about a little boy who liked to play tricks on people in the Aboveground.

The story said that the little boy accidentally fell through a hole into the Underground where he met goblins and as he was playing with them, a Mark appeared on him that was only described as a "winding road."

Sarah sighed, looking at the title of the next chapter. "The Elf of Farraigí."

She'd barely read the first paragraph of it and had become bored. This book had a tendency to be long-winded and as a result, Sarah had read entire pages only to find she had to go back and reread because she hadn't absorbed a single thing, or they just hadn't said much.

Sarah glanced over to Raineruima, whose eyes were now closed, but Sarah still couldn't be sure she was asleep before she let out another soft sigh.

"Come on, Sarah," she said to herself, "you can do this. Just keep reading. Everything will be fine."

On the Southern most peninsula of the island Farraigí, called such because the rulers of the Seas lived there, a town grew. This island has long been known as a prosperous trading post for good that come from the sea and a site for neutral ground negotiations between the aquatic species and those species that walk the land.

Farraigí, for a very long time, was nothing more than a fishing town. At the time of the birth of an elf named Hadrion, this was true as well.

It is said that she was born in the midst of a large storm, one that nearly threatened the whole town to be washed into the sea. The only reason that the town was not was due to the foresight of an elderly sea nymph that had seen many bad storms like that one in her youth.

Hadrion was born colored blue, with a silver birthmark on her cheek in the shape of a seven-pointed star.

Sarah's eyes widened and reread that passage.

The Mark of the Dreamseer was a birthmark on an elf-child? No evidence Sarah had come across so far has shown her that a Mark could appear before the age of seven. Usually, Marks would appear on a person when they were just out of puberty.

No, Sarah couldn't believe it.

Off to her right, a soft snore rose from Raineruima, drawing Sarah's gaze away from her book.

A chill suddenly filled the air and Sarah shivered in fear, looking at the entrance to the hedge maze.

This was it.

[11]

Sarah was frustrated now. The way this story had been written was really bad. There was little to no focus; the story kept shifting attention away from Hadrion. When it did come back to her, it knew what to say.

As Hadrion had grown up she'd had dreams that would sometimes come true. If she didn't say anything about her dreams, nobody knew if it was a common occurrence, or possibly a constant one, but she grew up a quiet, confident, and mysterious child that very few understood.

When she was seven years old, she walked straight in to a business negotiation between the First High King and the King of the Merrow. They were startled when the child walked in, but she'd simply told them she knew what they needed to keep the peace and strengthen relations between the Merrow and other races.

Hadrion had led the kings down to the beach and carefully counted fifteen steps away from a piece of driftwood that had washed ashore. From there, she started digging in the sand carefully. The Kings had both watched skeptically until the little girl pulled a golden bracelet out of the sand. She told the Kings that many treasures like this one lay under the sea, along with many different kinds of food and cures for poisons for which there was none.

The little girl managed to successfully negotiate a treaty between two Kings that day. From that day on, however, the High King kept a very close eye on her.

As the town began to grow, so did Hadrion.

By the time she was seventeen, the girl had prevented several fires, a murder, and freed an innocent man before he could be executed.

The year she turned twenty-three, Hadrion was summoned to the High King's court. There, she was questioned and she was able to tell them what she was, because she had dreamed of what she would say to them. She was the first Dreamseer.

Sarah watched her surroundings from the corners of her eyes, trying not to walk into plants, walls, or the few statues that she passed and occasionally stopped to admire if she needed a brief break from the book.

It was terrifying and exciting to have a history of previous Dreamseers in her hands. Her power was pretty straightforward, but Sarah figured that maybe this could have more details if she just read further. Something subtly of the dreams, possibly how to shut them off for a night so she could just have a regular dream or no dreams at all.

Sarah turned a page, her eyes and feet constantly moving.

At age twenty-seven, Hadrion was married to a member of the High King's court, a young Fae man named Qwincell. The High King knew that her powers were growing and that she needed to remain in his court for both her safety and the safety of the realm, for, if her power were to fall into the wrong hands–

"Ah, you must be Sarah."

As Sarah's head snapped up, her eyes catching sight of the daring red gown before she met the woman's icy eyes. A chill crawled slowly down Sarah's spine.

"Who the hell are you?" Sarah didn't hide her confusion or her suspicion. She knew instinctively this woman could not be trusted, but Sarah was genuinely confused as to how she had managed to find her way here without even realizing.

Glancing down, Sarah caught sight of the scorched circle of bare land, where wildflowers had lived only moments before.

"Why, I'm Queen Adelaide of the Green Desert," the blonde woman explained. "But you knew that already didn't you?"

Adelaide's warm smile made Sarah feel like she was a piece of meat coated in a nice steak sauce with a side of potatoes and served up on silver platter to a lion.

Sarah had to think for a moment under this woman's intimidating gaze before she responded.

"Why would I know that?" asked Sarah, clutching the still open book in her hands and faking a little more confusion.

Alarms were ringing in the back of Sarah's mind as Adelaide's face flashed rage, like the lion was being held back so that it couldn't reach its meal.

When the Fae's face snapped back into a honey-sweet smile, Sarah had to fight the urge to run. Not yet. Sarah knew that she couldn't run yet.

A terrifying thought ran through Sarah's head.

I don't know my way back to the castle.

Adelaide forced a chuckle and took a few steps forwards, forcing Sarah a few steps back.

"You really think you can fool me, Dreamseer?"

Sarah kept up her act and raised an eyebrow at Adelaide.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sarah asked, her voice surprisingly calm. "Listen, I think you have the wrong person."

Adelaide's smile tightened.

"I assure you, I don't," the Fae stated. "You are the current Dreamseer, and you can ensure that I will get everything I want."

Sarah couldn't help but crack a skeptical smile.

"I really have no idea what you're talking about, lady," Sarah stated. "And I doubt I can help you."

Adelaide's smile softened and she forced her eyes too as well. Clearly, she was only getting more and more agitated.

"Where are you from, mortal?"

"I'm pretty sure Raineruima called it the 'Aboveground,'" said Sarah.

"And what are you doing in the Labyrinth?"

"I came back to visit for a while," Sarah explained coolly. "Jareth said I could stay as his guest as long as I didn't get into any trouble."

Adelaide's smile disappeared to a look of utter shock. She almost looked offended.

"What did you just say?" Adelaide asked, her voice betraying a trace of Sarah assumed was fear.

"Well, I mean, I beat the Labyrinth when I was fifteen," Sarah said in a rush, playing dumb. Her plan to use the Goblin King's name worked. Hopefully it would intimidate Adelaide enough to leave her alone. "I made some friends while I was here and–"

"No, I mean, what did you call the Goblin King?"

"His name," Sarah said, like she was speaking the obvious and was confused why. "Jareth. Why?"

Sarah's mouth tingled slightly as she said the Goblin King's name a second time and she wasn't sure why, but she ignored it.

"Why do you have permission to call him by his given name?" Adelaide asked, her brow starting to furrow.

Sarah prepared herself to run. She no longer felt safe enough to keep chatting with this woman.

"I didn't know I needed someone's permission to call them by their name," said Sarah. She wasn't lying.

Adelaide's rage boiled over and she practically seethed as she stared daggers into Sarah.

Sarah instinctively started to step back, getting some distance before she turned to run for it.

However, Sarah's back bumped into something instead and a warm smile snapped into place on Adelaide's face. A pair of hands rested on Sarah's shoulders and without even turning around, Sarah knew that the Goblin King was behind her.

[11]

When Jareth heard his name spoken by Sarah, he knew something was wrong. When he'd summoned the crystal to check in on her, things were worse than he feared. Adelaide was there.

He had watched the exchange between Sarah and Adelaide for a moment, until he saw a look on Adelaide's face that he had only ever seen on the face of a woman who had once tried to kill him.

Within seconds, Jareth was standing behind Sarah as she stepped back into him. Adelaide's face snapped into a warm smile and he gently rested his hands on Sarah's shoulders. More than anything, it was a show of his protection over Sarah.

"What are you doing here, Queen Adelaide?" Jareth demanded.

"Oh, I just wanted to meet your little pet, Your Majesty," Adelaide said calmly, trying very hard to keep her mask in place. "And I must say, you've got excellent taste in your playthings, she's very–"

"I believe you heard Sarah say it clearly," said Jareth, his voice hard like a stone wall. "She is both my guest and the Champion of the Labyrinth. She is no plaything."

"Oh, well then, my sincerest apologies," said Adelaide. She dipped into a small curtsy towards Sarah.

"Your apologies are not accepted," Jareth said coldly before Sarah could speak. "Now get out of my Kingdom."

Adelaide stiffened but nodded, then turned her gaze back on Sarah.

"I'll see you at the ball, Sarah," said Adelaide. The way it was spoken almost sounded like a threat, but before Jareth could act on that assumption, the woman had disappeared in a small shimmer of glitter.

Jareth glared at the spot before turning his attention to Sarah.

"What was that?" demanded Jareth.

"I have no idea," said Sarah, breaking from his grip to look him the eyes. "She just showed up out of nowhere and started spouting nonsense."

Something in Jareth didn't quite believe Sarah, but he didn't question her.

"Then why don't I escort you back to the castle and your maid," Jareth offered his arm to her.

Sarah looked at the castle, their general surroundings, and at the book in her hands as though she were debating her options before she let out a sigh and placed her hand carefully on his arm.

"Thanks."

"You are very welcome, Precious."

[11]


Howdy! So, fun stuff is happening! Also, like to point out, I rarely point stuff out without a reason for it and if I do, I don't mean to. Also, I don't like to just not explain things, like motivations and stuff. If I don't, it's probably because I forgot.

And great news! I fixed a few minor details I needed to clean up in the older chapters! Yay! Better yet, the next three or so chapters should be pretty ball centric. Meaning, if everything goes according to plan, chapter 13 will be when the ball begins. And I can't wait for the big surprise I have in store for you all. :)

Thanks for reading, have a nice current time of day or night!