To the Victor

Finally! I know I've been keeping everybody waiting, and I am sorry. Once this next week is over, I'll be much more reliable. Promise! At least Jareth was kind enough to stop poking me long enough to get my work done. Anyway, a big thanks to my reviewers. You remind me why I keep writing! Our theme today is Mizu no Naka no Chiisana Taiyou sung by Hiro Yuuki of Weiss Kreuz. Round up the disclaimers again and have fun!

Ladymage ;)

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To the Victor Go the Spoils

Part 21 ~ Book of Kings

Staring at his flashing eyes and grim face, Sarah once more felt the frisson of fear run through her as it had when she first laid eyes on the Goblin King. No mistake, she was faced with the king, not the man. And she stood her ground.

"What. are. you. doing. here?" he ground out. "I told you to leave."

"And I told you, Jareth, that I wouldn't go. How could I leave when I thought you were dying?"

"Sarah, I am immortal. I don't die. This is a personal matter which you have no business meddling in!"

"Well, I didn't know that. I was just trying to make sure you're all right!"

"That isn't necessary, Sarah. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But I'm not going to leave you alone after what I just saw!"

"I don't need your pity, Sarah!" he snarled at her. "Why, why can you never do as I wish!"

"Because you have no power over me!" she hissed back him. Realizing what she'd said she clapped her hands over her mouth.

Jareth reeled back a step as though she had hit him. Then his face hardened and his eyes blazed. He quickly strode across the distance between them. "I don't, do I," he growled, grabbing Sarah by the back of the head before the girl could react and slamming his lips down on hers.

It was hard, angry, and punishing. Sarah pushed away and the Goblin King let her, looking down on her coldly. She stared at him wide-eyed in shock for several seconds. How could he do this? Her eyes began to water and before he could blink, she punched him in the stomach. "You bastard," she grated and ran before Jareth could regain his breath and notice the tears streaming from her cheeks.

Sarah ran to the only thing that seemed comforting in this place: the Labyrinth. She quickly found an entrance and made her way blindly through the passages, oddly enough encountering no dead ends or malicious traps.

Idiot! she berated herself. You should know better! He may not be evil incarnate, but he's still the Goblin King. What did you expect back there? Thanks? Perhaps, just perhaps, a little bit of human warmth? Not bloody likely, Sarah! He's immortal Fae and his definition is cruelty. So just accept it! That bastard, just what did he think he was doing! I ought to string him up by his nuts and see how he likes that!

She stopped exhausted, leaning against a wall covered in purple flowers striped with blue. But there were no more tears. Sarah had filled herself with righteous indignation and anger.

The girl was distracted by a nudge on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw that several of the flower-tipped vines were snuggling up to her like puppies. "You are gorgeous," she whispered, turning to offer them her hands. They nuzzled them, then bumped her fingers. She obliged, petting the flower "heads" and vines.

Sarah was so engrossed in her new friends that she jumped when she heard a voice behind her.

"You must be the new queen," it commented. "Welcome to the Labyrinth, Your Majesty." She whirled to face a small brown rabbit.

"Thank you," she replied. "But how did you know I'm the queen? And, if I'm not being too rude, who and what are you?"

"It's easy to tell," the rabbit replied. "Your positively covered with Labyrinthine magic and you're obviously not from here. Besides, who else except for Jareth can get within ten feet of snakeshead vines and not get bitten?"

"Bitten?" Sarah backed away from the vines, studying them dubiously.

"Didn't you know? The flowers are venemous and terribly fond of humans. To eat, that is. You shouldn't worry, though. Like I said, both you and King Jareth are the only ones who are perfectly safe; they like you. Oh, by the by, I'm Creo, local dust bunny."

"A dust bunny?" Sarah asked in disbelief, kneeling to peer at the small creature, who did indeed appear to be made of dirt, lint, and other bits and pieces. Regaining her composure, she held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Cleo. My name is Sarah." The bunny placed his paw in her hand and nodded.

"And I, too, am very pleased to meet you. Why, I haven't seen the Labyrinth look this cheerful in, oh, about a millennium, I believe."

"You're more than a millennium old?"

"That's right. Dust bunnies are nearly, but not quite, immortal. We also have perfect memories, by the way, which makes us the best chroniclers of Labyrinthine events. And none of us will ever pretend we know something. We share only information we are perfectly sure of."

"Oh. So why hasn't the Labyrinth been like this for a millennium?"

"Well, it's like this. You should know that you are not the first person who has wished away a child. Over the centuries many have wanted to be rid of their burdensome relative or charge. Of course, only a few can ever figure out the right words. So they wish their brother or sister or son or daughter or whatever away and are given the same options you were. Some say good riddance and are trapped into their dreams. They can never again join this world and the children are turned into goblins. And being a goblin means you take your chances here same as any other creature. More if you stick around the king. Anyway, others choose the same as you, and attempt to solve the Labyrinth. Most fail and end up either dead or lost in an oubliette or wander the Labyrinth until they die."

"How terrible! Shouldn't they be allowed to go? They did try after all, and that's what counts. The Labyrinth is a difficult puzzle."

"Well, as far as I can tell, it's more of a blessing for them. Going through the Labyrinth means they either felt guilty or afraid of their folks or actually did love the child. Once they fail, they usually feel that they can't go back and face what happened or that they have to do penance for their sin.' It's a silly notion, but being here makes them feel better, in a way."

"I-- I guess that makes sense," Sarah said slowly, thinking about how she would have felt if she hadn't succeeded in saving Toby.

"Glad you understand. You're a lot brighter than I expected. Some of the most successful people aren't really smart, you know, just tremendously stubborn. You're not quite as stubborn, I think, but you have a lot more intelligence. Anyway, the last time someone actually did succeed in defeating the Labyrinth was a thousand and twelve years ago. The young man's name was Philip and he was a terribly gentle soul. Sweetest human I ever knew. Anyway, he was given care of his little brother and while I never heard the entire story--Philip wouldn't speak of it--I got the feeling he said it more in jest than anything else. The little boy, Elis, was a bright looking lad about six or so and just as nice as Philip, though more selfish because he was younger, you understand. So Philip made it through the Labyrinth and rescued his brother, who was sent back to their farm. However, he felt terribly guilty he had allowed the entire thing to happen in the first place, so when the King told him he was the new King, Philip decided to exile himself to the Underground.

"However, this was the first time the King had ever been defeated. He was very angry and bitter. Though he respected Philip's orders, he treated the lad abominably. There wasn't too much after his initial rage, but he left the lad to his own devices, which meant he made quite a few nasty mistakes. He had magic, but no knowledge of how to control it. The Labyrinth's natural inhabitants, like the vines and myself, are friendly to their rulers, but those who are foreign, some species of faires, trolls, and such recognize no lord and can be very dangerous. He nearly got himself killed a number of times and the king only saved him when there was no other option. Eventually, though, Philip had him tutor him in magic, and he learned quickly. That was when the Labyrinth began to bloom, because, in spite of everything, Philip had fallen in love with Jareth.

"It was doomed from the beginning, of course, for Jareth still carried a deep resentment towards the lad. He would have nothing more to do with him than he had to. Still, Philip didn't realize how long and how fiercely hate could be fostered. For a while he was hopeful. He made the Labyrinth a thing of beauty and tried everything he could think of to gain the king's attention. Innocent! The only thing the king felt for him was a murderous hatred. It came to a head one day; Jareth icy cold on his throne, Philip, poor boy, at his knees pleading with him. Jareth rejected him in no uncertain terms. Philip ran, then, blindly through the labyrinth. No one really saw what happened, but he left a crystal message for the king, who brought his body back the next day. What was in that message is uncertain, but it changed the king. Oh, he was happy as a clam to be the sole ruler of the Labyrinth, but it was tempered somehow. But I'm sure I don't know of anything Philip could have done to make a dent in that man of stone. In any case, Philip was buried in one of the gardens on the far side of the Labyrinth. And that, as they say, was that."

Cleo looked up at Sarah expectantly. "That's so sad," she said quietly. "Poor, poor Philip. He deserved better than that. How could the king be so heartless?"

"He isn't heartless, lady, but he is extremely self-centered and distant. He and this land have existed for millennia. The Labyrinth is his other half and will always be his first concern. He hasn't had a true equal, so he believes himself to be the best, most important being in his world. In his lights, what he thinks and does must be the right way to be. What others want simply doesn't come into the equation. And if that changes..."

"So what if that changes?" Sarah asked. "Everything changes."

"Yes, but you see, that is the one thing he considers immutable, unchangeable. And that is the one thing he will fight like a lion to protect: his pride. However he treats you, lady, remember always that he is a dangerous man when crossed. Turn his world upside-down and you may very well end up wishing you were dead. So watch yourself, and him. He's also clever, which makes him all the more dangerous.

"But, if you'll excuse me, lady, it's high time I returned home for tea. So with your permission..." He began to hop blithely away.

"Wait!" Sarah called. "I know nothing in the Labyrinth is as it appears. So how are you dangerous?"

He turned and smiled, revealing well-pointed teeth. "Because, lady," he replied. "I have the same dietary tastes as the snakeshead." Creo vanished around the corner and Sarah was left alone once more.