I dont own Labyrinth. Wait yes i do... clarify, i own the child Labyrinth and I own Tyson.

Chapter 26

First Wish

A pretty tune was wafting down the corridors in the Harpy palace. It floated lightly through the lighted corridors, past open windows and through ornate halls. On her hands and knees the singer, a maid, scrubbed the stone floors with a tattered rag. She paused for a minute and rinsed her cloth in a pail of soapy water. The song never faltered, the sweet tune drifted further down the corridor, echoing off the stone walls and floor she was currently cleaning.

Through a set of ornate doors with the crown seal on it Halien King of the Harpies sat at his desk listening to his wife the Queen read a missive from the High King.

…"Sarah has fallen pregnant with the Heir to the High Throne…"

With a shouted curse Halien launched himself out of the throne and began to pace his study, avoiding his queen's chair –he didn't want her to make good on her promise- he let out strings of creative curses. Hashi, the Harpy Queen smothered a smile and smoothed a wrinkle in her dress.

"Now My Lord, surely there is something more useful to do." She didn't disguise her amusement, if only to drive his irritation up.

"Like what My Dear?" The endearment was sharp and reprimanding, it coaxed her lips to twitch into a smile. Halien's response was to snap a ball of fire into existence "Do you even comprehend why this is bad?" He threw the flaming ball, with a spurt of aggression, at a beautifully crafted tapestry. It caught fire and was incinerated in seconds.

The Harpy Queen pursed her lips in annoyance, she had liked that tapestry.

"Yes Halien, of course I understand," she fought to keep her anger under control. Not only had he decimated a favourite tapestry that had been in the Harpy Royalty for generations, he was implying that she didn't know how to run her own kingdom. Getting up she crossed to her angry husband, ruby wings rustling in irritation.

"I was a queen before you came along. I understand running a kingdom and the strategies of power. You behave like you made me a queen." her sharp teeth bared back from her full crimson lips in anger, "I made you king. Never forget that!" Halien lips thinned and whitened with anger, he wasn't used to his wife being so vicious. Wielding her power with impressive practice, she had indeed been a queen longer than he had been a king. He bowed at the waist to his beautiful, albeit, carnivorous wife.

Hashi smiled delighted, silver eyes glittering she raised a bejeweled hand and ran it down his face; even such a small touch thrilled her. She did still love him. "You will be High King, love, I will make it so." Halien turned into her hand and stared into her silver eyes trying to read her mind. Hashi clicked her tongue at him and amusement showed in her eyes, he wasn't powerful enough to touch her guarded blocks.

"Call on your little Faerie Prince. We will make plans."

00000

High in the Aboveground two small children played in a sandbox. Their nanny, a respectable woman of 35 with eyes full of dreams, lounged on a bench nearby watching over them. To the left was a huge play area, equipped with tunnels, and slides, and windows with children's faces smiling out them. Multitudes of children were running around laughing, and playing with their imaginations. Mothers, friends and responsible adults stood around watching with hawk eyes, occasionally pushing a child on a swing, or picking up a wailing child from where it had fallen and banged its knees.

Across the street was a row of houses, in the second window of the fourth house was a small face in the bottom right hand corner. Alone and dwarfed by the world little Tyson sat on a window seat and watched the children play in the park. They were his own age, the very grown up age of five, precocious and aware Tyson wished he was one of them. In the room behind him nothing stirred, it was quiet but for the ticking of an ancient clock, that was exactly 13 minutes slow, sitting on a small table in the corner.

In the room beyond, was a small kitchenette, and beyond that two bedrooms and a bathroom. A sudden dry coughing started up in one of the bedrooms and the sound echoed through the little house. The five year old ignored it best he could and continued to watch the children play.

"Tyson!" The call was distant and grumpy. The small boy ignored it again, wishing hard that it wouldn't come again. He just wanted to sit there and believe he was there in the park with the other children and caring adults.

"Tyson! Boy! Get in here right now!" Without a sound, Tyson crept through the room, through the kitchenette and down the hall, past the bathroom and into one of the two bedrooms. It was dark, and over warm, there was a faint smell of cigarettes in the room, stale air circulated from a small fan. He hugged the walls trying to minimise his presence.

"Get me a drink."

With eerie silence Tyson did as he was told, concentrating not to spill a drop, he got the mixture perfect, and brought it back, being extra careful not to trip over the torn piece of carpet. He returned to his place by the door. Ice clinked in the glass as his last remaining relative downed the contents. His grandmother, and as far as he could tell, she didn't resemble anything like family.

It had been three months since she had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and given another 7 months to live. She hadn't been sober since. Tyson had learnt quickly to get out of her way when he first came to live with her last year, now he had learnt more skills; how to fix drinks and feed himself. Well, when there was food, his grandmother hadn't been shopping in a while, there was little but tomato sauce and a jar of pickled onion left, and the litre of milk the milkman still delivered, even though Grandmother hadn't paid her bills in two months.

"You know Tyson, I never meant for any of this to happen." His grandmother rasped through her cracked lips. Her breathing was shallow and forced; like she had to put an extra effort into each life giving breath she took. Tyson was trying to remember a story his mother had told him before she had been killed in a car accident. When his grandmother started this speech she didn't stop for hours, in the beginning he had listened, but it was always the same; a way to put all the blame far away from herself and onto his dead parents.

The story his mother told was one that involved fantasy, and dangers untold. Love and a heroine that had said some magic words. He didn't remember what they were now. He had been young, and even his mother's dear face was receding from his memory, how could a few magic words still remain?

Meanwhile his grandmother was on a roll, referring to his mother, her daughter, as a 'heartless bitch for leaving him with her, and sticking all the responsibility on her shoulders' etc. Tyson wondered, not for the first time, whether his grandmother knew the story. He screwed up his courage and for the first time in his long five years he interrupted his grandmother.

"Granny, do you know the story about the Labyrinth?"

There was a shocked silence in the room, everything but the fan was silent.

"The Labyrinth?" his grandmother sounded surprised, like she hadn't heard those words in years, in fact she hadn't, the last time she had heard them was when she was telling her own daughter about the wonderful world of the Goblin King. "How do you know of the Labyrinth?"

"My mother told me." Tyson replied suspicious that she hadn't flown into a drunken rage, as she was prone to do.

"Yes, yes. Your mother would have told you that worthless story," the cynicism was cutting, "always following dreams, your mother. Never came down to earth and found a real man. Your father was a writer, you know. Worthless, just like her."

Tyson knew he had to interrupt once more, before she got started up again.

"Granny can you tell me the story?"

There was a pause for a moment and then a faint laugh, "I don't remember that rubbish, Stupid."

'What were the words?" he asked desperate feeling like she was reaching the end of her grace tether.

"The words?" another pause, then another faint chuckle, "oh yes the words." Tyson felt his heart constrict, there was something nasty in his grandmother's voice. It was promising something bad, usually pain. There was a deep rattling sound as his grandmother took a deep breath. Amongst the fear, his heart pounded with excitement, he knew that his life would change in the next few seconds.

"I wish the goblins would come take you away. Right now!"

00000

Sarah was feeling at peace. She was sitting beside Jareth on a picnic blanket in her favourite place-the garden- with her three brave friends, and her leopard cub Nemo. Her friends were talking loudly of the state of the garden and the Bog of Eternal Stench, Ludo wasn't part of that conversation he was walking slowly around in a circle trying to figure out what was grabbing his tail. Nemo was delighted with the orange line of fluff that kept moving and was having a full-out game. Jareth sat and laughed at it all, his happy laugh making Sarah smile. Occasionally he would put in his opinions into the conversation.

Sarah let the conversation of her companions roll over her and drifted inward sleepily a small smile lighting her face.

"Mommy." Sarah started the closed her eyes listening.

"Yes Labyrinth?"

After meeting Labyrinth outside dangerous circumstances she had taken an instant maternal liking to the little girl, talking to her regularly like Jareth used to do. Labyrinth was delighted about getting another brother or sister.

"Mommy you are going to go on a visit today." The little girl's voice was excited and giggly it made Sarah smile mentally at her.

"Oh? Where am I going?" she asked with surprise, Jareth hadn't mentioned anything.

A faint frown appeared between her eyes.

"Mommy?"

"Yes Labyrinth?"

"Do you feel it?"

"Feel what Sweetie?" Sarah went inside herself again searching for what ever was abnormal. Nothing.

"The pull of the Aboveground. You are the Goblin Queen, and someone is going to wish away a child." Sarah sighed heavily, since she had become the Goblin Queen she had not been summoned to take a child. Now it was happening.

"Thank you for telling me Labyrinth."

"Your Majesty, can you feel it?" The crone's voice had taken over the little girls and Sarah now knew how serious this was. She looked inwardly and searched again, it was like wading through dark water. After a couple of minutes she realised that she was looking to hard. She stilled and waited looking around her slowly. There! A slight tug, she could see it in her mind's eye. A slender, pale pink ribbon wrapped around her wrist and extending as far as her eye could see. Another tug came stronger this time.

"The tugging gets stronger the closer the child is to being wished away." The crone's voice got higher mid-sentence and became the little girls.

"Why would anyone wish away their child?" she sounded unhappy and Sarah felt the need to hug her. As soon as she thought it Labyrinth appeared in her mind and she wrapped metaphysical arms around her to comfort. Labyrinth snuggled into her arms and sighed happily. Then she pulled away and jumped down. She smiled mischievously at Sarah. "Better go now Mommy, Daddy will have a surprise for you."

"Goodbye Labyrinth." She faded from view and Sarah opened her eyes just as a foreign voice clouded her subconscious.

"I wish the Goblins would come and take you away. Right now!"

Sarah awoke with a start. She wasn't imagining it; those were the words, the cursed words that set a huge game in motion. She sat up and looked around bleary-eyed, it was night, pitch black and cold. Jareth lay on his back shirtless, face peaceful in sleep; hair in awesome disarray on the pillows, her eyes softened looking at him. Lifting a finger she looked at it regretfully, he really was so… nice… when he slept. She poked him hard in the side. There was a second delay on his reaction, which wasn't spectacular. He turned over. Sarah frowned in annoyance, "Jareth?" she said quietly, and shook him. Nada. Nothing. "You're joking." Sarah said in exasperation and rolled her eyes skyward.

The words had been said and Sarah knew diddly-squat about what was supposed to happen now.

"Jareth!" She repeated louder and poked him again. He sighed and opened an eye.

Finally, she thought irritated.

"What?" it was abrupt and cold. Sarah smirked, it always gave her pleasure to nettle him just a little, she hadn't matured all that much in the Labyrinth, she was still mischievous, and at odd times childish.

"The words have been said, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

"Oh."

It was the most emotionless she had ever heard his voice, and Jareth had a gift to drain all feeling from everything he did. A frown of worry began between her deep green eyes, Jareth couldn't see it in the darkness, but he could feel it, their soul bond was still strong, he felt all her emotions as if they were his. It was irritating, as he had spent years trying to shut out his own damned emotions.

He sat up and reached out a hand, which connected gently with her chin. He gathered her up into his arms, "Don't worry Sarah, it will be fine. I will come with you for your first time I think. You might need support, and…" he placed a teasing note in his voice, "someone to make sure you follow the rules."

She nodded consent and they got up and got dressed.

"Come with me Sarah, I have something for you." She took his offered hand, and they went quickly down a couple of corridors and into room that she wasn't very familiar with. Even with the light emanating from the crystal in Jareth's hand, it didn't look all that familiar.

As Jareth approached, a plain tapestry on the far wall moved aside and revealed another room. Jareth lit a torch and the rest of the tapers around the room sprung to life. Sarah let out an awed gasp. The room was covered from floor to ceiling in weapons. Everything she had ever seen on TV or in books, everything she had ever heard of was here, and some she had only imagined, some she had never even thought possible. It was impressive to say the least. The Goblin King, now High King, walked forward with sure footsteps and pulled Sarah along with him. They stopped at the front of a big glass case, in it was a dress. It wasn't just any dress; this was the Goblin Queen's battle dress.

Sarah stepped forward to get a better look and the glass around it faded away, sensing the magic of the Goblin King as well as the silent magic in the secret places of Sarah. It recognised her as Goblin Queen.

The dress was made of soft black leather, the skin of an animal long extinct. Silver studs in the shape of roses trailed over it in vague patterns, the neck was high and supported by metal that would stand up around her neck to frame her elegant chin. There were no sleeves on the dress, Sarah noticed. The material come up high to cover like a breastplate, from where there should be sleeves there were thin sheets of gold. Brow creased in puzzlement Sarah reached out and touched the gold sheets hanging down from the dress. They were soft and pliable; she wrapped one around her index finger.

"This is so pretty." She exclaimed running her hands over the studs.

"Yes, it is." Jareth replied, he reached over to touch one of the gold sheets and it sprung out and became as hard as diamond. Sarah turned started eyes to Jareth and he smiled in reassurance. "The sheets are spelled to protect the wearer, it will only remain soft for the one that is destined to wear it, so, in other words, the Goblin Queen. This is the Goblin Queen's battle armour; it hasn't been worn in generations as my father married my mother when he became High King. Everything on this dress is under a spell to protect its mistress, it will let nothing through, and it is what you will wear as your ceremonial robes, and part of that ceremony is the collection of the child.

"Wow," Sarah breathed, this was just so unbelievable. She tried to take the dress off the suspended hanger, but it was too heavy for her. "Jareth, how am I supposed to wear this if I can't lift it?"

"You have to will it on Sarah," Jareth smothered a chuckle.

"I knew it, nothing if ever easy in this place." She grumbled and closed her eyes tightly bending her will to the dress. She felt nothing happen and opened her eyes annoyed to remark on the difficulty of her life when she caught sight of her husband's awestruck face.

She turned to the case and the dress was missing, in place of it was the dress she had previously been wearing. She looked down herself and saw the mounds of skirt and metal. I'm going to take one step, fall over, and Jareth will laugh at me. She thought with dread, oh well here goes. She took a step towards him and didn't fall over, in fact quite the opposite. The skirts lifted themselves up and out of her way, it didn't matter which way she turned or pulled, the dress glided around her body, lifting out of her way and being as light as a ray of sun. If she didn't hear the clink of metal as it moved, she would have felt naked.

"Well what do you think?" She asked Jareth, whom was still having trouble closing his mouth.

"You look sensational." He breathed and grabbed her gently around the waist, the dress didn't respond, it knew he meant her no harm. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her roughly, she smirked against his persuasive mouth and kissed him back, feeling powerful in the dress and lead to dominate she fought his tongue and got ground. Jareth made a deep sound at the back of his throat and it made a bubble of happiness burst in her chest. The kiss turned gentle and long, but it had to end. They pulled back at the same time eyes lingering closed, lips an inch apart.

"Hmm," Sarah sighed and slowly opened her eyes. She loved kissing him; he was such a good kisser. Was it because they were soul bonded that he could take her to Heaven with the touch of his lips, or was it because he was Fey? Or was it none of the above, maybe it was just the small powerful emotion of love that could make her soar.

She turned away and thought about what she might look like in this dress. A mirror appeared to her right, and she caught it arriving in the corner of her eye. Smirking to herself she turned and caught her first look at herself. When the dress had been willed on it had had an interesting change on her appearance. Her hair was up in intricate waves and knots, and she was wearing dark eye makeup, hmm so not daytime wear? She thought then decided she didn't really care. The dress could make her makeup look like a clown if it wanted to; she was very pleased with it. The high neck accentuated her delicate neck and high cheekbones. She looked regal and older, so much older. Now it was time to work, "Jareth there is a child Aboveground who is waiting for us."

His image appeared in the mirror behind her, he was dressed in the same outfit he had been in when he had come to collect Toby. All black with that cape, Sarah had trouble focusing her eyes; there were just so many places to look.

Jareth chuckled with pleasure as he watched her lose track of her concentration, "come Sarah." He took her hand and squeezed it to get her attention back onto his eyes and off his trousers. "Sarah, remember the rules. Even if the wisher pleads and promises, we do not give back the child. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Sarah's reply was soft and slightly sad. Jareth felt concern for her; the first time was always hard. His first time had been tormenting, it was why he had cut off all emotion, feeling left him traumatised with dreams of mothers pleading for their children back, but not caring enough to make it through, children who were older and knew that this was so. Heartbreaking. Sarah straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

Jareth felt a stab of pride and Sarah smirked at him; she had felt that little emotion go through him.

"Lets go, My King."

"As you wish, Goblin Queen."

She placed her hand in his and he summoned a crystal with a flick of his wrist. He gave it to Sarah and she concentrated, the tugging was now insistent and continuous pulling in a direction, she focused on it and pushed her will into the crystal. The crystal popped gently and they disappeared to the Aboveground.

A/N: I found out this morning that I didnt get into the Writing course I wanted to do at University. Shattered. so I will continue on with my Business degree.

Im sorry it took so long for me to update. I hope you are still enjoying it.

Thank you to all my readers and reviewers.

oh-you-pretty-things , Elissa Alejandra, mariedulongcre, MaiLin , HarlyX5-657, Hya-chan, TearsOnIce, AnimeAlexis, Fae Rain, QueenTatooine, GaibsGirl, notwritten, LabyLvrPhx , Anij

Hugs

Cassee