Not mine, copyright Labyrinth Enterprises (at least, that's what it says on my copy of the movie). Thank you Mr. Jim Henson way up high for creating such loveliness.
Diamond Tears
Chapter One: The beginning of a little adventure
Yesyesyesyesyesyes!
She, Karen, and dad had taken Toby to visit the -other- grandmother. The kind widow who fed Sarah soft drinks and hard apple-pie. Self baked my dear, please take, there is more.
She always seemed to be amazed how clever Toby was and how handsome Toby was and how Toby would become something someday. From that point proceeding to Sarah's grades and how she should do better.
Right.
So, in order to do better, Sarah had received permission to stay at home and study. Sarah had the whole afternoon to call upon the 'Goblin Gang' and to be up, up and away for five whole hours, what meant an easy ten in the Underground.
Yes!
Sarah sat down before her mirror and concentrated. Thinking of Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus and all the others. She thought of lush forests and barren deserts. Of star filled skies and dreams come true. And she said the magic words.
"Sometimes, for no reason at all, I need you. And I need you right now!"
For a moment- nothing. Then the image changed and she saw Ludo, sitting on his favorite rock against an ancient tree. Snoring loudly in the mid-morning sun. Lights danced around the leaves of the lush forest. A scene so filled with peace and tranquility- Sarah asked herself if the large brown bag at Ludo's side meant that he had taken the heads of the red Fire creatures and would only give them back in return of an undisturbed nap. Again.
Sarah laughed, it was quite a while she had visited the kindhearted beast. The mirror's glass started to ripple, become liquid mercury- a mere vale between this world and the other.
Sarah climbed the desk, touched the glass and shivered as her fingers passed through cold nothingness. Quickly she crawled through.
Jareth felt it, that by now familiar cold running up and down his spine. The chill that alerted him of his uninvited yet not completely unwelcome visitor. He sat up straight and smiled. It was time and he put down his work. Kingdom of chaos or no, some ruling had to be done here occasionally- even here there were taxes to collect, courts of justice to be held, dragons to be slain. All bringing with them a mighty load of paperwork which Jareth used to despise wholeheartedly. Since about a year the work had brought him tranquillity, distraction.
The King had his office in one of the tall towers, right above his private rooms. No one in his right mind would trouble him here and break his concentration. Except of course that heads carved in his old oak bureau kept chatting to each other and only the threat to reduce them to firewood would make them shut up. Not that Jareth ever would do something so drastic- the bureau had been in his family for generations and was one of his most trusted advisors.
Since he never allowed anyone up here, the dust was almost ankle deep- if it had a mind to settle at least. It usually stalked the occasional mouse or bookworm. Behind Jareth was the immense bookcase with all the leather bindings holding the laws of the land, as well as its history. As a mere prince Jareth had been forced by his teachers to study them all. He had hated his schooldays- sometimes forever does seem quite long indeed. Now he only used the books for reference and not even that often. The king knew his realm.
On the other end of the room hung a richly embroiled yet somewhat faded tapestry, showing a mediaeval hunting scene with lots of captured game, servants and fine weather. It was the only picture Jareth allowed in the castle of his family, depicting his grizzled father (who immediately after the making of the tapestry had done away with the false beard, hunched posture and enormous crown- he had only donned them after all because that was what a retiring Goblin king was supposed to look like. In fact, as a Fay he did not differ in appearance much from his son except for the ginger hair and the eyes that were -both blue-), his mother, a tall moon-hared Fay with mischievous brown eyes and a regal posture, himself holding hands with his two elder brothers who had traditionally disappeared while questing for the right to become king, and his twin sister.
Jareth never worried much about his brothers, though. Last he heard of them was that one of them was spotted in a place called Hawaii and the other worked on a very successful career as a singer, composer, actor, painter, whatnot. Both on Earth- of all places.
The sister was another matter, a scorch-mark the only indication of where her face might have been. She was the why of this tapestry- a reminder to remain vigilant forever.
Jareth put the goose-quill back in its inkwell. The inkwell immediately started muttering about quills being properly -cleaned- and -lids- being -useful- for not making the ink dry up. Chuckling and without any sincerity Jareth apologized to the inkwell, sanded his scribblings and blew the dust from the paper. It turned to silver and swiveled about, as if looking for some dustless spot to settle. Jareth rolled up his parchment and threw it away. The parchment obediently sprouted wings, flew to a large chest that opened en tried to settle between the letters and laws already there. Absentmindedly Jareth listened a moment to the protest of the other parchments.
"Too full, too full."
"No more room!"
"Too many!"
"Find your -own- chest!"
Impatiently the king snapped his fingers and without further ado, the chest closed with a bang, its heavy copper key turned in it's lock and jumped into Jareth's hand. The key was as about as long as the Kings forearm and Jareth placed it in the tiny pocket of his black velvet vest.
He conjured up a crystal and blew it to the wall. When touched by the bubble, the wall revealed an opening that had not been there. Jareth went through it and the wall closed. He walked the few winding steps down to his chambers and crossed them to the large three-way mirror.
The head above, welded into the gold frame blabbered its advice on clothing and hairstyles to the king, as it always did, and showed him the various ways Jareth would look like should he wear them.
The king knew he was vain- he thought himself to have every reason to -be- vain. He also made sure his vanity was justified. So he chose one of his shirts with the lace under his chin, a coat of claret velvet, breeches of brown doeskin and boots up to the thigh, the ones with the silver buckles. Jareth's sickle shaped pendant hung like a tassel from his shoulder and to look a tad more menacing, he chose a silver twinkling rapier to hug his side.
Jareth had always liked swordplay and, since he had been thought by the best, had become one if not the most notorious swordsman of all the realms.
It had taken him quite a bit more time to be able to actually -wear- one of those blades without constantly tripping over it.
Far, far away, almost at the other side of the realm, so far it neared the other lands of Myth, stood above the clouds the Marble castle of the Fay enchantress Enalkyrah, twin sister to the King of the Goblin realm.
Marble were her halls and marble was her heart, pure and white and colder than death itself.
So cold in fact that all those who might have loved her once shunned her now. Regal as was her mother, but without her mischief, wise as her father, yet far removed from his kindness, one eye brown and one eye blue and hair like silken moonlight.
She was the spitting image of her hated brother, the one who had cheated her of her throne, and therefore she would never show her face to the world. A cobweb vale, a cobweb gown, diamonds and pearls caught within its splendor.
Where he reigned in chaos, she dwelled in order. Her high halls were a spotless splendor of light and air and silver. Captured clouds kept them clean, never allowed to storm and thunder as was in their nature.
In her vaults she held her secrets and treasures. The stolen copies of the books in the King's library, the sword in the stone, the mirror of magic enabling her to look anywhere.
And her room of spells with her book of shadows and her copper cauldron in which she brew her potions- the only room in disarray and chaos, for this was her place of creation. And it is know that only from chaos comes the new.
This was the only dark place, yet it was her core, the center of her power. Here the walls and floor were made of black marble, here a fire always burned, here her herbs and ingredients and chemicals were kept.
Here Enalkyrah went whenever the chill she shared with her brother came over her. She was amazed to find that lately those mortals who came to the kingdom were no stolen babes or fretting siblings on the chase- No. In recent days, and those went back for a year now, it was one single woman-child who crossed the threshold- more amazingly, she did so of her own violation. A woman-child her hated brother had not the heart to stop- and therefore, the child had to be in possession of his heart!
A startling revelation, to say the least.
The girl was dangerous!
The girl was- useful.
For nothing from the Kingdom would truly choose to harm it's King, its ruler and protector.
Unless he was unable to be king.
Unless others where better loved. And Jareth, the fool, was more feared than loved.
For nothing from the Kingdom would truly choose to harm it's King.
Therefore, if harm was brought to him, it had to be harm from -elsewhere-.
For nothing the King would care about he would suspect. From this could be reasoned he would suspect nothing from the Woman-child.
Perfect.
The Mortals had such charming expressions. Like the one 'giving one enough rope to hang oneself'. Enalkyrah went to her mirror to watch. How would her twin choose to be hanged by this girl, she wondered?
Sarah stood from her crouch, she always landed on her hands and knees when she crept through the mirror. Happily she walked over to where Ludo snored. The lumps in his bag moved violently and high pitched voices protested the rudeness of their imprisonment. One little voice squealed that 'it was not fair!' Now where had she heard that one before?
A gruff but very welcome voice made her turn.
"Hi there, little missy!" Hoggle came walking down the path, his blue eyes shining and sparkling as the jewels that hung on his belt. Sarah ran to him and embraced him and exclaimed his name.
"Hoggle! Do you know how to wake Ludo?"
"Ye just did!"
Calling out to her dwarf-friend had indeed woken the gigantic beast, who sullenly scratched his head, blinked an smiled the friendly way only a monster with teeth to big for his mouth can smile.
"Sarwah!"
In turn, Sarah cuddled the nice monster and, pretending not to know already, asked about the bag. Ludo grunted.
"Fireys. They jump. Not like stones. Stones never jump."
"Except when you call for them."
"Stones friends."
"And a good thing that is too!" added Hoggle, who vividly remembered the little war with the goblin-army, when the stones had been so badly needed.
"Yes- but now you are awake- shouldn't you let them go? I mean, they can't like it much in that bag."
A soft, slightly menacing voice came from above.
"What now Sarah? A kind edge to your cruel heart?"
The three stared up through the branches and leaves of the ancient tree. And on one of them he sat, with a cocked head, a raised brow and a slight smile. In unison Hoggle and Sarah jelled.
"Jareth!" Then they bolted.
The King chuckled and smiled broadly. Ludo still sat on his rock, stared after two of his four best friends and looked up at the Fay.
"And you, my fat fellow- Are you not going to run?" Jareth joked.
With a flash of pure brilliance Ludo got an idea. He opened his bag and the four Firey heads shot up high, yelling and screaming and not caring who they might bump in to. Or throw from branches for that matter.
One of Fireys got Jareth square on the jaw. He jelled, arms flaying, tried to regain his composure, tripped over his elegant rapiers blade that somehow was suddenly between his legs and fell with an audible thud not so elegantly on his rear on the forest floor.
Dazed the king sat there for a moment- and in that moment he heard the muffled sounds only an uppity girl would make when trying very hard not to laugh.
Ludo had disappeared from view, also hiding somewhere. Quite remarkable for such a large beast to so completely vanish. The heads of the Fireys bumped away over the forest trail in search of their bodies, chatting and arguing and laughing.
"Sarah, don't!" the dazed king heard the dwarfs voice warn, but apparently the girl gave that wise advise no heed for suddenly she stood before him with an outstretched hand and an odd expression of amusement and worry on her lovely young features.
"Are you alright? Can you get up?"
Ignoring the hand she offered Jareth stood in an oddly fluent motion.
"You should have -listened- to Hagwart."
"Hoggle!"
"Whatever!"
Jareth shrugged the dust from his clothing and stared at the girl through narrowed eyes, making him look a lot angrier and a lot more dangerous than he actually felt.
She had come to him. He could have hurt himself and she actually had come to him!
On the other hand, she had had a good laugh at his expense. Nobody dared to make fun of the Goblin King- at least not in his face! But then again, this was Sarah.
Jareth shrugged his shoulders and pulled his jacket straight. He made a small gesture and his offending blade disappeared. The girl had the gall to snicker at that.
"So- having a good time, my dear."
"I- er. Well actually. Yes."
Jareth circled her and whispered over her shoulder "And how do you enjoy my Labyrinth, this time." This move would send shivers up her spine and make the girl stand straight, he knew. He was not disappointed and smiled.
"A lot better."
"Than last time?"
Coming full circle he faced the child. She looked so small, so defiant.
Sarah looked the tall man straight in his oddly colored eyes. Sunset eyes, her mother had called eyes like that. One blue' one light brown- almost golden. They made her feel dizzy with their intensity.
And dammit- what did he know about 'last time'- had she ever been here with him -not- knowing? Sarah bit her lip.
"A lot better than when you stole Toby!"
"Stole him!" The king threw back his head and laughed. Amusemend sparkled in his eyes and it did something to Sarah's insides she had no name for. Omygosh- he was so beautiful! And evil and a trickster and lot of other bad things. She should not forget that!
"Stole him? My dear as you well know you asked me to -take- him! You even added a 'right now'." The king stepped back and made an old fashioned and very elegant bow.
"I did nothing more but your bidding milady. And how do you reward my generosity?"
Here we go again, Sarah thought, here he is with that generosity thing again- What is it with him that he thinks a girl -likes- to be frightened out of her scull, chased until she is bone tired and terrorized into the fear of losing a brother! She crossed her arms before her and looked at the king blankly without answering him. Which of course infuriated him.
"You reward it with trespassing! You reward it with enticing my subjects to enter
-your- world simply for a little chat! Don't you have friends of your own kind?"
Sarah's posture slumped ever so slightly. No, she did not have many friends of her-own- kind. Because she was different, because they did -not- believe in fairytales come true. Because she could never tell them or share. Because they thought her weird.
Jareth saw the green eyes shutting him out. He should not have said that, but the child's defiance did not exactly bring out the best in him.
"Well, it is time you learned a little lesson, my dear Sarah. This time you have wished yourself away."
"What!" Sarah said in total disbelief. "I did not -wish- myself away. I just -came- here. And besides, you don't actually have a sign here that says no trespassing! You have no right to keep me here!"
Jareth had turned his back on the girl and mouthed the words while she yelled them at him.
"It's not fair!"
"And scurrying through my domain without so much as a by your leave, scaring my unicorns-"
"Scaring!"
"Making my dwarfs late for their work in the mines-"
"It was just a party."
"Stealing my flowers-"
"They were not your flowers, the old hag grew them between her weeds and she did not like them! I did her a favor picking them."
Jareth turned to the girl and seemed to glide towards her, making Sarah step back against the old tree. Hands above her shoulders and face impossibly near he efficiently trapped her between his body and the trunk.
"A favor? Perhaps I should do you a favor then and transform you into another little hag instead of a goblinette?"
Sarah's blazing green eyes met his. She was too angry to be afraid anymore.
"I won't be one of yours- not ever! Not even if you do change me!"
Jareth closed his eyes for one short moment to dampen the emotion he felt- she might be right with that one. But never to be his- he shivered.
"So why did you come here today, my dearest Sarah? Hm? For some fun? To see old friends? To have a little adventure?"
Suddenly the underbrush gave way to an outraged dwarf who could no longer watch his 'bestes' friend be terrorized. The friend he loved.
"You leave her alone- You leave her alone now - you-you-"
With all the agility and speed his short legs could muster, Hoggle burst into Jareth's back, who was forcibly thrown against a now gasping Sarah. For one short moment the Fay and the human were pushed against each other, feeling each other's warmth over the length of their bodies. Sarah gasped and Jareth held his breath- Then Jareth felt a sharp pain against his ankle as he was kicked by the outraged dwarf, and he felt a blow against his kidneys- for a coward, Hoggle certainly knew how to fight.
Maddened beyond belief by the attack, Jareth swung round, eyes blazing blue fire.
"Enough!" he screamed, as he knocked Hoggle of his feet with a simple backhand blow.
A wind suddenly gushed through the forest and made the trees sway violently, while the sky turned dark and the birds fell silent.
"No!" Sarah yelled and she squirmed herself free from behind the king, running towards her fallen friend, helping him halfway up, protecting him with her body.
Jareth neared them, a tall, dark figure, his hair wild and his eyes burning a pale fire, his voice a whisper.
"How dare you!"
Both Hoggle and Sarah tried to get away from him, but the howling gale kept them in place.
Lightning crackled and in it's outline Sarah saw the enormous figure of Ludo entering the clearing. Howling. The King put his hands to his ears, apparently offended by the sound and turned from his victims towards it. He never saw the large rock that came bouncing towards him hitting his left leg, throwing him off balance and making him fall flat on his back. Again. Immediately the storm and the wind subsided. The clearing was as tranquil and beautiful as it had been moments before.
Jareth tried to scramble up, but failed.
"There seems to be a reoccurring theme to today," he mumbled, slightly upset, rubbing his back. Sarah helped Hoggle to his feet and asked if he was all right. The dwarf, perplexed by his own outburst of heroism and in fear of its consequences, nodded and glanced at the king. Who was still, somewhat unceremoniously, seated on the ground. His eyes shot daggers at the dwarf. Not because Hoggle had had the audacity to attack him- no- he had done so to protect Sarah and such an action he could both forgive and be amused by. It certainly was something different from the little coward. No- his anger towards the dwarf was because Sarah was taking care of Hoggle and not of him. He was jealous and angry with himself for feeling the emotion.
Sarah turned to Jareth and noticed he was still sitting there, looking like a petulant little boy who was not having things his way. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, she could not repress a chuckle and gestured Ludo to come closer.
"Please Ludo, could you pick him up?"
Before Jareth could say anything to that one, the beast bent over him, grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up to a standing position.
"Sarah, this is exactly what I mean- your presence is corrupting my people and I won't stand for it!"
"Shall I ask Ludo to put you back than?" she asked innocently.
Seeing the large hands coming up from behind, the elegant king stepped quickly forward.
"That won't be necessary. I should throw you all into the Bog of Eternal Stench for this!"
"Well why don't you. We'll find our way out!" Sarah argued.
"Sarah, don't!" Hoggle pleaded.
Ludo, not really understanding what was going on, sat back on his favorite stone and watched, taking his clues from the girl.
"So you would like another trip through my Labyrinth, would you?"
"What I would like is to go home!"
"Forever and ever and ever?"
That silenced the girl.
"No- I thought not. You -like- it here Sarah."
Sarah did not answer, but grabbed hold of Hoggle's hand.
"You like it here, because you have-" Jareth made a distasteful face towards the dwarf, who tried to hide a little further behind Sarah "-friends- here. You like it because the land suits your imagination. Don't you understand what I'm offering girl? Don't you understand still?" Jareth actually looked a little hurt when he said that.
"You are offering me to be your prisoner- you are offering me to become a goblin!"
"Ah." Jareth's smile was back, a sad one, this time. "And you would do anything to escape that fate."
Proudly the girl answered. "Yes, if you mean me to find my way through your Labyrinth and solve it. Again."
Again, Jareth's eyes narrowed.
"Oh Sarah! Do you honestly believe I am going to repeat myself? Or that I do not know Hogbert here-"
"Hoggle!"
"Don't interrupt me! Now where was I?" he sighed, "Do you honestly believe that I would not know that your little chums here won't help you again? No, my dearest girl"
Sarah let go of Hoggle and stepped up to the king, until she stood practically toe to toe. And she looked up at him, straight into those mesmerizing eyes.
"I don't fear you. Or anything you could throw my way!"
"Oh really."
Jareth stared back with equal intensity. But he actually had to swallow before he could speak. Sarah was a beautiful child, yet when angered she was utterly breathtaking. Bending a little closer to her he whispered: "Then my dear child- I will let you go, and even give you permission to return as much as you like, if you get me one of the blue Eyes of the Red s'Quaerra."
Diamond Tears
Chapter One: The beginning of a little adventure
Yesyesyesyesyesyes!
She, Karen, and dad had taken Toby to visit the -other- grandmother. The kind widow who fed Sarah soft drinks and hard apple-pie. Self baked my dear, please take, there is more.
She always seemed to be amazed how clever Toby was and how handsome Toby was and how Toby would become something someday. From that point proceeding to Sarah's grades and how she should do better.
Right.
So, in order to do better, Sarah had received permission to stay at home and study. Sarah had the whole afternoon to call upon the 'Goblin Gang' and to be up, up and away for five whole hours, what meant an easy ten in the Underground.
Yes!
Sarah sat down before her mirror and concentrated. Thinking of Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus and all the others. She thought of lush forests and barren deserts. Of star filled skies and dreams come true. And she said the magic words.
"Sometimes, for no reason at all, I need you. And I need you right now!"
For a moment- nothing. Then the image changed and she saw Ludo, sitting on his favorite rock against an ancient tree. Snoring loudly in the mid-morning sun. Lights danced around the leaves of the lush forest. A scene so filled with peace and tranquility- Sarah asked herself if the large brown bag at Ludo's side meant that he had taken the heads of the red Fire creatures and would only give them back in return of an undisturbed nap. Again.
Sarah laughed, it was quite a while she had visited the kindhearted beast. The mirror's glass started to ripple, become liquid mercury- a mere vale between this world and the other.
Sarah climbed the desk, touched the glass and shivered as her fingers passed through cold nothingness. Quickly she crawled through.
Jareth felt it, that by now familiar cold running up and down his spine. The chill that alerted him of his uninvited yet not completely unwelcome visitor. He sat up straight and smiled. It was time and he put down his work. Kingdom of chaos or no, some ruling had to be done here occasionally- even here there were taxes to collect, courts of justice to be held, dragons to be slain. All bringing with them a mighty load of paperwork which Jareth used to despise wholeheartedly. Since about a year the work had brought him tranquillity, distraction.
The King had his office in one of the tall towers, right above his private rooms. No one in his right mind would trouble him here and break his concentration. Except of course that heads carved in his old oak bureau kept chatting to each other and only the threat to reduce them to firewood would make them shut up. Not that Jareth ever would do something so drastic- the bureau had been in his family for generations and was one of his most trusted advisors.
Since he never allowed anyone up here, the dust was almost ankle deep- if it had a mind to settle at least. It usually stalked the occasional mouse or bookworm. Behind Jareth was the immense bookcase with all the leather bindings holding the laws of the land, as well as its history. As a mere prince Jareth had been forced by his teachers to study them all. He had hated his schooldays- sometimes forever does seem quite long indeed. Now he only used the books for reference and not even that often. The king knew his realm.
On the other end of the room hung a richly embroiled yet somewhat faded tapestry, showing a mediaeval hunting scene with lots of captured game, servants and fine weather. It was the only picture Jareth allowed in the castle of his family, depicting his grizzled father (who immediately after the making of the tapestry had done away with the false beard, hunched posture and enormous crown- he had only donned them after all because that was what a retiring Goblin king was supposed to look like. In fact, as a Fay he did not differ in appearance much from his son except for the ginger hair and the eyes that were -both blue-), his mother, a tall moon-hared Fay with mischievous brown eyes and a regal posture, himself holding hands with his two elder brothers who had traditionally disappeared while questing for the right to become king, and his twin sister.
Jareth never worried much about his brothers, though. Last he heard of them was that one of them was spotted in a place called Hawaii and the other worked on a very successful career as a singer, composer, actor, painter, whatnot. Both on Earth- of all places.
The sister was another matter, a scorch-mark the only indication of where her face might have been. She was the why of this tapestry- a reminder to remain vigilant forever.
Jareth put the goose-quill back in its inkwell. The inkwell immediately started muttering about quills being properly -cleaned- and -lids- being -useful- for not making the ink dry up. Chuckling and without any sincerity Jareth apologized to the inkwell, sanded his scribblings and blew the dust from the paper. It turned to silver and swiveled about, as if looking for some dustless spot to settle. Jareth rolled up his parchment and threw it away. The parchment obediently sprouted wings, flew to a large chest that opened en tried to settle between the letters and laws already there. Absentmindedly Jareth listened a moment to the protest of the other parchments.
"Too full, too full."
"No more room!"
"Too many!"
"Find your -own- chest!"
Impatiently the king snapped his fingers and without further ado, the chest closed with a bang, its heavy copper key turned in it's lock and jumped into Jareth's hand. The key was as about as long as the Kings forearm and Jareth placed it in the tiny pocket of his black velvet vest.
He conjured up a crystal and blew it to the wall. When touched by the bubble, the wall revealed an opening that had not been there. Jareth went through it and the wall closed. He walked the few winding steps down to his chambers and crossed them to the large three-way mirror.
The head above, welded into the gold frame blabbered its advice on clothing and hairstyles to the king, as it always did, and showed him the various ways Jareth would look like should he wear them.
The king knew he was vain- he thought himself to have every reason to -be- vain. He also made sure his vanity was justified. So he chose one of his shirts with the lace under his chin, a coat of claret velvet, breeches of brown doeskin and boots up to the thigh, the ones with the silver buckles. Jareth's sickle shaped pendant hung like a tassel from his shoulder and to look a tad more menacing, he chose a silver twinkling rapier to hug his side.
Jareth had always liked swordplay and, since he had been thought by the best, had become one if not the most notorious swordsman of all the realms.
It had taken him quite a bit more time to be able to actually -wear- one of those blades without constantly tripping over it.
Far, far away, almost at the other side of the realm, so far it neared the other lands of Myth, stood above the clouds the Marble castle of the Fay enchantress Enalkyrah, twin sister to the King of the Goblin realm.
Marble were her halls and marble was her heart, pure and white and colder than death itself.
So cold in fact that all those who might have loved her once shunned her now. Regal as was her mother, but without her mischief, wise as her father, yet far removed from his kindness, one eye brown and one eye blue and hair like silken moonlight.
She was the spitting image of her hated brother, the one who had cheated her of her throne, and therefore she would never show her face to the world. A cobweb vale, a cobweb gown, diamonds and pearls caught within its splendor.
Where he reigned in chaos, she dwelled in order. Her high halls were a spotless splendor of light and air and silver. Captured clouds kept them clean, never allowed to storm and thunder as was in their nature.
In her vaults she held her secrets and treasures. The stolen copies of the books in the King's library, the sword in the stone, the mirror of magic enabling her to look anywhere.
And her room of spells with her book of shadows and her copper cauldron in which she brew her potions- the only room in disarray and chaos, for this was her place of creation. And it is know that only from chaos comes the new.
This was the only dark place, yet it was her core, the center of her power. Here the walls and floor were made of black marble, here a fire always burned, here her herbs and ingredients and chemicals were kept.
Here Enalkyrah went whenever the chill she shared with her brother came over her. She was amazed to find that lately those mortals who came to the kingdom were no stolen babes or fretting siblings on the chase- No. In recent days, and those went back for a year now, it was one single woman-child who crossed the threshold- more amazingly, she did so of her own violation. A woman-child her hated brother had not the heart to stop- and therefore, the child had to be in possession of his heart!
A startling revelation, to say the least.
The girl was dangerous!
The girl was- useful.
For nothing from the Kingdom would truly choose to harm it's King, its ruler and protector.
Unless he was unable to be king.
Unless others where better loved. And Jareth, the fool, was more feared than loved.
For nothing from the Kingdom would truly choose to harm it's King.
Therefore, if harm was brought to him, it had to be harm from -elsewhere-.
For nothing the King would care about he would suspect. From this could be reasoned he would suspect nothing from the Woman-child.
Perfect.
The Mortals had such charming expressions. Like the one 'giving one enough rope to hang oneself'. Enalkyrah went to her mirror to watch. How would her twin choose to be hanged by this girl, she wondered?
Sarah stood from her crouch, she always landed on her hands and knees when she crept through the mirror. Happily she walked over to where Ludo snored. The lumps in his bag moved violently and high pitched voices protested the rudeness of their imprisonment. One little voice squealed that 'it was not fair!' Now where had she heard that one before?
A gruff but very welcome voice made her turn.
"Hi there, little missy!" Hoggle came walking down the path, his blue eyes shining and sparkling as the jewels that hung on his belt. Sarah ran to him and embraced him and exclaimed his name.
"Hoggle! Do you know how to wake Ludo?"
"Ye just did!"
Calling out to her dwarf-friend had indeed woken the gigantic beast, who sullenly scratched his head, blinked an smiled the friendly way only a monster with teeth to big for his mouth can smile.
"Sarwah!"
In turn, Sarah cuddled the nice monster and, pretending not to know already, asked about the bag. Ludo grunted.
"Fireys. They jump. Not like stones. Stones never jump."
"Except when you call for them."
"Stones friends."
"And a good thing that is too!" added Hoggle, who vividly remembered the little war with the goblin-army, when the stones had been so badly needed.
"Yes- but now you are awake- shouldn't you let them go? I mean, they can't like it much in that bag."
A soft, slightly menacing voice came from above.
"What now Sarah? A kind edge to your cruel heart?"
The three stared up through the branches and leaves of the ancient tree. And on one of them he sat, with a cocked head, a raised brow and a slight smile. In unison Hoggle and Sarah jelled.
"Jareth!" Then they bolted.
The King chuckled and smiled broadly. Ludo still sat on his rock, stared after two of his four best friends and looked up at the Fay.
"And you, my fat fellow- Are you not going to run?" Jareth joked.
With a flash of pure brilliance Ludo got an idea. He opened his bag and the four Firey heads shot up high, yelling and screaming and not caring who they might bump in to. Or throw from branches for that matter.
One of Fireys got Jareth square on the jaw. He jelled, arms flaying, tried to regain his composure, tripped over his elegant rapiers blade that somehow was suddenly between his legs and fell with an audible thud not so elegantly on his rear on the forest floor.
Dazed the king sat there for a moment- and in that moment he heard the muffled sounds only an uppity girl would make when trying very hard not to laugh.
Ludo had disappeared from view, also hiding somewhere. Quite remarkable for such a large beast to so completely vanish. The heads of the Fireys bumped away over the forest trail in search of their bodies, chatting and arguing and laughing.
"Sarah, don't!" the dazed king heard the dwarfs voice warn, but apparently the girl gave that wise advise no heed for suddenly she stood before him with an outstretched hand and an odd expression of amusement and worry on her lovely young features.
"Are you alright? Can you get up?"
Ignoring the hand she offered Jareth stood in an oddly fluent motion.
"You should have -listened- to Hagwart."
"Hoggle!"
"Whatever!"
Jareth shrugged the dust from his clothing and stared at the girl through narrowed eyes, making him look a lot angrier and a lot more dangerous than he actually felt.
She had come to him. He could have hurt himself and she actually had come to him!
On the other hand, she had had a good laugh at his expense. Nobody dared to make fun of the Goblin King- at least not in his face! But then again, this was Sarah.
Jareth shrugged his shoulders and pulled his jacket straight. He made a small gesture and his offending blade disappeared. The girl had the gall to snicker at that.
"So- having a good time, my dear."
"I- er. Well actually. Yes."
Jareth circled her and whispered over her shoulder "And how do you enjoy my Labyrinth, this time." This move would send shivers up her spine and make the girl stand straight, he knew. He was not disappointed and smiled.
"A lot better."
"Than last time?"
Coming full circle he faced the child. She looked so small, so defiant.
Sarah looked the tall man straight in his oddly colored eyes. Sunset eyes, her mother had called eyes like that. One blue' one light brown- almost golden. They made her feel dizzy with their intensity.
And dammit- what did he know about 'last time'- had she ever been here with him -not- knowing? Sarah bit her lip.
"A lot better than when you stole Toby!"
"Stole him!" The king threw back his head and laughed. Amusemend sparkled in his eyes and it did something to Sarah's insides she had no name for. Omygosh- he was so beautiful! And evil and a trickster and lot of other bad things. She should not forget that!
"Stole him? My dear as you well know you asked me to -take- him! You even added a 'right now'." The king stepped back and made an old fashioned and very elegant bow.
"I did nothing more but your bidding milady. And how do you reward my generosity?"
Here we go again, Sarah thought, here he is with that generosity thing again- What is it with him that he thinks a girl -likes- to be frightened out of her scull, chased until she is bone tired and terrorized into the fear of losing a brother! She crossed her arms before her and looked at the king blankly without answering him. Which of course infuriated him.
"You reward it with trespassing! You reward it with enticing my subjects to enter
-your- world simply for a little chat! Don't you have friends of your own kind?"
Sarah's posture slumped ever so slightly. No, she did not have many friends of her-own- kind. Because she was different, because they did -not- believe in fairytales come true. Because she could never tell them or share. Because they thought her weird.
Jareth saw the green eyes shutting him out. He should not have said that, but the child's defiance did not exactly bring out the best in him.
"Well, it is time you learned a little lesson, my dear Sarah. This time you have wished yourself away."
"What!" Sarah said in total disbelief. "I did not -wish- myself away. I just -came- here. And besides, you don't actually have a sign here that says no trespassing! You have no right to keep me here!"
Jareth had turned his back on the girl and mouthed the words while she yelled them at him.
"It's not fair!"
"And scurrying through my domain without so much as a by your leave, scaring my unicorns-"
"Scaring!"
"Making my dwarfs late for their work in the mines-"
"It was just a party."
"Stealing my flowers-"
"They were not your flowers, the old hag grew them between her weeds and she did not like them! I did her a favor picking them."
Jareth turned to the girl and seemed to glide towards her, making Sarah step back against the old tree. Hands above her shoulders and face impossibly near he efficiently trapped her between his body and the trunk.
"A favor? Perhaps I should do you a favor then and transform you into another little hag instead of a goblinette?"
Sarah's blazing green eyes met his. She was too angry to be afraid anymore.
"I won't be one of yours- not ever! Not even if you do change me!"
Jareth closed his eyes for one short moment to dampen the emotion he felt- she might be right with that one. But never to be his- he shivered.
"So why did you come here today, my dearest Sarah? Hm? For some fun? To see old friends? To have a little adventure?"
Suddenly the underbrush gave way to an outraged dwarf who could no longer watch his 'bestes' friend be terrorized. The friend he loved.
"You leave her alone- You leave her alone now - you-you-"
With all the agility and speed his short legs could muster, Hoggle burst into Jareth's back, who was forcibly thrown against a now gasping Sarah. For one short moment the Fay and the human were pushed against each other, feeling each other's warmth over the length of their bodies. Sarah gasped and Jareth held his breath- Then Jareth felt a sharp pain against his ankle as he was kicked by the outraged dwarf, and he felt a blow against his kidneys- for a coward, Hoggle certainly knew how to fight.
Maddened beyond belief by the attack, Jareth swung round, eyes blazing blue fire.
"Enough!" he screamed, as he knocked Hoggle of his feet with a simple backhand blow.
A wind suddenly gushed through the forest and made the trees sway violently, while the sky turned dark and the birds fell silent.
"No!" Sarah yelled and she squirmed herself free from behind the king, running towards her fallen friend, helping him halfway up, protecting him with her body.
Jareth neared them, a tall, dark figure, his hair wild and his eyes burning a pale fire, his voice a whisper.
"How dare you!"
Both Hoggle and Sarah tried to get away from him, but the howling gale kept them in place.
Lightning crackled and in it's outline Sarah saw the enormous figure of Ludo entering the clearing. Howling. The King put his hands to his ears, apparently offended by the sound and turned from his victims towards it. He never saw the large rock that came bouncing towards him hitting his left leg, throwing him off balance and making him fall flat on his back. Again. Immediately the storm and the wind subsided. The clearing was as tranquil and beautiful as it had been moments before.
Jareth tried to scramble up, but failed.
"There seems to be a reoccurring theme to today," he mumbled, slightly upset, rubbing his back. Sarah helped Hoggle to his feet and asked if he was all right. The dwarf, perplexed by his own outburst of heroism and in fear of its consequences, nodded and glanced at the king. Who was still, somewhat unceremoniously, seated on the ground. His eyes shot daggers at the dwarf. Not because Hoggle had had the audacity to attack him- no- he had done so to protect Sarah and such an action he could both forgive and be amused by. It certainly was something different from the little coward. No- his anger towards the dwarf was because Sarah was taking care of Hoggle and not of him. He was jealous and angry with himself for feeling the emotion.
Sarah turned to Jareth and noticed he was still sitting there, looking like a petulant little boy who was not having things his way. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, she could not repress a chuckle and gestured Ludo to come closer.
"Please Ludo, could you pick him up?"
Before Jareth could say anything to that one, the beast bent over him, grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up to a standing position.
"Sarah, this is exactly what I mean- your presence is corrupting my people and I won't stand for it!"
"Shall I ask Ludo to put you back than?" she asked innocently.
Seeing the large hands coming up from behind, the elegant king stepped quickly forward.
"That won't be necessary. I should throw you all into the Bog of Eternal Stench for this!"
"Well why don't you. We'll find our way out!" Sarah argued.
"Sarah, don't!" Hoggle pleaded.
Ludo, not really understanding what was going on, sat back on his favorite stone and watched, taking his clues from the girl.
"So you would like another trip through my Labyrinth, would you?"
"What I would like is to go home!"
"Forever and ever and ever?"
That silenced the girl.
"No- I thought not. You -like- it here Sarah."
Sarah did not answer, but grabbed hold of Hoggle's hand.
"You like it here, because you have-" Jareth made a distasteful face towards the dwarf, who tried to hide a little further behind Sarah "-friends- here. You like it because the land suits your imagination. Don't you understand what I'm offering girl? Don't you understand still?" Jareth actually looked a little hurt when he said that.
"You are offering me to be your prisoner- you are offering me to become a goblin!"
"Ah." Jareth's smile was back, a sad one, this time. "And you would do anything to escape that fate."
Proudly the girl answered. "Yes, if you mean me to find my way through your Labyrinth and solve it. Again."
Again, Jareth's eyes narrowed.
"Oh Sarah! Do you honestly believe I am going to repeat myself? Or that I do not know Hogbert here-"
"Hoggle!"
"Don't interrupt me! Now where was I?" he sighed, "Do you honestly believe that I would not know that your little chums here won't help you again? No, my dearest girl"
Sarah let go of Hoggle and stepped up to the king, until she stood practically toe to toe. And she looked up at him, straight into those mesmerizing eyes.
"I don't fear you. Or anything you could throw my way!"
"Oh really."
Jareth stared back with equal intensity. But he actually had to swallow before he could speak. Sarah was a beautiful child, yet when angered she was utterly breathtaking. Bending a little closer to her he whispered: "Then my dear child- I will let you go, and even give you permission to return as much as you like, if you get me one of the blue Eyes of the Red s'Quaerra."