Disclaimer: Only the character's not portrayed in the movie The Labyrinth
belongs to me. The wonderful Mr. Henson and Mr. Lucas own Sarah and Jareth
as well as the Labyrinth and all characters from the Labyrinth. I have
taken artistic license with it and I hope you enjoy it, but please, don't
sue me because I am not making any money off of this.
A/N: If you are confused please read "What Came Before" the prequel that I have written for the Labyrinth. This will explain about Arden and Emily and Annalisa. Please leave a little contribution in the review box! Thank you!
After The Storm
By Lady Devine
Prologue: Between the Worlds
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
It's time.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
The voices rang out to her through the veil.
Time.
Time was all she had really.
It's time now.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Apparently the time had come. She wondered what the time was for.
Time is running.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Time is flowing.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Time is coming.
She was losing herself. Slowly, fading into oblivion. A flash of bright light blinded her and she lost herself. She was crying, howling her anger to the world that she had forgotten something terribly important, but suddenly there was a warm body holding her and she forgot why she was crying in the first place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_See the man with the lonely eyes… take his hand… you'll be surprised_
The crystal glowed with Inner Light and Arden Le Fae watched her father with a compassionate smile. Her sharp features were a surprise to anyone that saw her, but her pupils, long and crescent moon shaped inside eyes that were one green and one blue had been a serious deterrent. They made people feel uncomfortable, as if she were planning on which herbs to put in the sauce she planned on baking them in. Her father looked remorseful. He had been like this her entire life. Moody, selfish and arrogant were words that described him perfectly, but today he looked sad as well. He stood at the plateau leading to the Labyrinth looking over his lands, the lands that he once shared, the lands that were once full of vitality, that were now brown and baron.
His blond hair hung around his face like a golden hallo and the wind whipped his cape about making him look quit dashing. Her father was a good man deep inside, Arden knew. She had spoken with her mother occasionally, when she would gain strength beyond the veil and come to her. It had happened regularly once a year until eventually her mother stopped coming. She had grown and taken over the Glade, keeping the people and creature's with in it safe from harm. There were no more druidic fae except her Aunt Emily. Emily was in her prime, barely a four hundred and twenty five, but her eyes were haunted and sad and she preferred the Meadow and the company of the Treants and Dryads to the Fae courts. So, when Arden was old enough to take the Glade she had left the castle of the Goblin King and took Emily with her.
Jareth continued to stair out at the Labyrinth and Arden grew weary of her Father's mopping. It had been four hundred years since her mother's death, but the man had become more and more with drawn, terrorizing the inhabitants of the Labyrinth and going to Earth nearly every day. She knew about the mortal woman that had captivated him, and she knew even though he was distant that the guilt was eating away at him. She wondered about her father, her mother on her rare visits had told her much of her father, but never mentioned visiting him, the she stopped coming. Arden supposed it must have been twenty-five or thirty years now, she wondered what happened to her mother, the woman never spoke of her time beyond the veil and Arden never asked. It was unwise to ask of things that she may (hopefully) never know.
Chapter 1: Hello Stranger.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Why did she always think of him on nights like this? She knew why, there was no fooling herself. She was lonely. He was the evil villain of her dreams, but she had moved beyond that, hadn't she? No, perhaps not. She was a woman now, grown into beautiful woman with a serene sense of the truth and false of things. Some things were real, weather you believed them or not, and some things were not, if you believed them or not. She found comfort in that, in that and the hum of the sewing machine.
_Things are not always what they seem in this place._
No, they hadn't been, but it was the same in the "Aboveground" as she had deemed it after her trip to the Labyrinth. Sometimes people where not what they seemed, and things changed rapidly. Sarah Williams had learned to be like a reed in a river after her adventure. Moving with out resistance, letting the tide carry her away to whatever interesting things would happen.
She knew why she thought of him, she didn't like it, but it was just the way things were. There was something about him, familiar and far away at the same time, which made her think of him when her life had taken a sharp turn. When work was not going as well as it should or bills were hard to pay she thought of him and wondered why she hadn't taken his offer.
_I certainly hope you are what you seem._
Yes, Jareth may have been exactly what he seemed, a lonely, pathetic creature that had catered to her ever whim and yes, he had been generous. It had taken her a long time to admit it, but finally, when she had been a woman for a long time she realized that he had simply done everything for her. Everything to make her happy, but she had to win. She had to have the last word, and she went home to her boring little life in a boring little town and then later she moved to another boring little town in Maine, and bought a boring little house and was living her boring life quite happily with out him.
So, now it was twelve years later. Twelve years of dreams that changed from the innocent to the not so innocent. Twelve years of trying to get the courage to speak to the white barn owl that perched outside of her house nightly Sarah Williams: the woman, decided to see if Jareth, King of the Goblins was really watching over her.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
She walked out onto the veranda, a cup of coffee in her hand. It was too hot, but she was feeling cold in the pit of her stomach. Her gown moved like liquid around her legs, giving her a surreal quality. Her long chocolate colored hair was touched with silver and hung in a thick braid down her back. She was beautiful, in the way that all women are beautiful but she also managed to have creamy unblemished skin and a quick smile.
Lonely, yes she was lonely. She had found early on that the sweaty, inexperienced groping and sloppy uncontrolled passion didn't suit her very well. She had indeed taken lovers but it was never anything that lasted more then a night. Never a long term relationship. That didn't entice her. The fair-haired lover in her dreams was the only man she was interested in anything permanent with, and she wasn't sure she was interested in that either.
The white barn owl sat perched on her porch swing. She smiled and nodded at it, as was her usual greeting. "You know, I dream of you still." She said quietly, taking a sip of her coffee before continuing. She didn't think he would take her bait so easily, and he didn't. "Always the same until I was a woman. Always the ball room, but when I grew older they changed, from simple dances to long conversations about the origins of the dwarves and Fairies to bouts of unbridled passion in the oubliette, so dark I could only feel you, and listen to your labored breathing and whimpers." She sounded far away, as if she was there and simply narrating for the bird. Her voice whisper soft with longing. "But of course, it doesn't matter, love doesn't come into play between a King of a mythical land and a mere…"
"Shut up, Sarah." His voice sent shivers down her spine. "You know not what you do." His voice was delightfully low, like syrup assaulting her senses. Jareth had been found guilty of watching over her in the last years, and though his guilt was a dagger in his back he could not stop loving her. Could not stop thinking of her fair skin and defiant nature, could not pull himself away from her day after day.
"Jareth," she said softly, not knowing if she should believe that he was actually there with her. His hair was different, cut to his shoulders and framing his face, she decided immediately that she hated it, though she did like the long black cloak he wore over his britches and loose shirt. He looked pained by her presence, "You look so sad."
He studied her for a moment, like had many a day. Watching her large hazel eyes for some truth, knowing that there was something familiar there but was afraid to ask why. Annalisa was gone, and would be gone forever, he would never see her again, even when he had grown tired of this place and ascended he would be there alone. Why did he feel so damn guilty? Arden would understand, wouldn't she? She was a grown woman now, the ruler of her own lands. Protecting what her mother loved, loving what her mother loved. Doing so much and making her life worth the sacrifice that Annalisa had made to have her.
"What do you want of me Sarah? To mock me for loving you?" He looked at her, his eyes full of something she could not quite place. It certainly wasn't love or admiration, but his eyes shined, perhaps with tears.
"I… I don't know what I want. It was a silly idea to try to talk with you. I apologize for bothering you." She turned away, and half expected him to be gone when she turned back, but still he stood there, his cloak moving gently in the wind and his hair wild about his face. His eyes were so expressive and true. "I suppose that I have always dreamed of calling you to me and asking if you would consider making your offer to me again."
Never had Jareth been more surprised in his life except when a woman was involved. His beloved wife had been fond of keeping him on his toes. He almost wished that Sarah and Annalisa could meet. They would make an incredible pair. He conjured a crystal and waved it in his hands, gracefully, watching her eyes as they followed it. "I can still give you your dreams, precious Sarah. Just say the words and everything you desire will be yours."
He had expected her to say no and walk off. He had expected her to give him that same defiant look and shake her head. He expected many things from her, and once again she surprised him. "Very well. I wish the Goblin King would take me away. Right now."
A/N: If you are confused please read "What Came Before" the prequel that I have written for the Labyrinth. This will explain about Arden and Emily and Annalisa. Please leave a little contribution in the review box! Thank you!
After The Storm
By Lady Devine
Prologue: Between the Worlds
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
It's time.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
The voices rang out to her through the veil.
Time.
Time was all she had really.
It's time now.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Apparently the time had come. She wondered what the time was for.
Time is running.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Time is flowing.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Time is coming.
She was losing herself. Slowly, fading into oblivion. A flash of bright light blinded her and she lost herself. She was crying, howling her anger to the world that she had forgotten something terribly important, but suddenly there was a warm body holding her and she forgot why she was crying in the first place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_See the man with the lonely eyes… take his hand… you'll be surprised_
The crystal glowed with Inner Light and Arden Le Fae watched her father with a compassionate smile. Her sharp features were a surprise to anyone that saw her, but her pupils, long and crescent moon shaped inside eyes that were one green and one blue had been a serious deterrent. They made people feel uncomfortable, as if she were planning on which herbs to put in the sauce she planned on baking them in. Her father looked remorseful. He had been like this her entire life. Moody, selfish and arrogant were words that described him perfectly, but today he looked sad as well. He stood at the plateau leading to the Labyrinth looking over his lands, the lands that he once shared, the lands that were once full of vitality, that were now brown and baron.
His blond hair hung around his face like a golden hallo and the wind whipped his cape about making him look quit dashing. Her father was a good man deep inside, Arden knew. She had spoken with her mother occasionally, when she would gain strength beyond the veil and come to her. It had happened regularly once a year until eventually her mother stopped coming. She had grown and taken over the Glade, keeping the people and creature's with in it safe from harm. There were no more druidic fae except her Aunt Emily. Emily was in her prime, barely a four hundred and twenty five, but her eyes were haunted and sad and she preferred the Meadow and the company of the Treants and Dryads to the Fae courts. So, when Arden was old enough to take the Glade she had left the castle of the Goblin King and took Emily with her.
Jareth continued to stair out at the Labyrinth and Arden grew weary of her Father's mopping. It had been four hundred years since her mother's death, but the man had become more and more with drawn, terrorizing the inhabitants of the Labyrinth and going to Earth nearly every day. She knew about the mortal woman that had captivated him, and she knew even though he was distant that the guilt was eating away at him. She wondered about her father, her mother on her rare visits had told her much of her father, but never mentioned visiting him, the she stopped coming. Arden supposed it must have been twenty-five or thirty years now, she wondered what happened to her mother, the woman never spoke of her time beyond the veil and Arden never asked. It was unwise to ask of things that she may (hopefully) never know.
Chapter 1: Hello Stranger.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Why did she always think of him on nights like this? She knew why, there was no fooling herself. She was lonely. He was the evil villain of her dreams, but she had moved beyond that, hadn't she? No, perhaps not. She was a woman now, grown into beautiful woman with a serene sense of the truth and false of things. Some things were real, weather you believed them or not, and some things were not, if you believed them or not. She found comfort in that, in that and the hum of the sewing machine.
_Things are not always what they seem in this place._
No, they hadn't been, but it was the same in the "Aboveground" as she had deemed it after her trip to the Labyrinth. Sometimes people where not what they seemed, and things changed rapidly. Sarah Williams had learned to be like a reed in a river after her adventure. Moving with out resistance, letting the tide carry her away to whatever interesting things would happen.
She knew why she thought of him, she didn't like it, but it was just the way things were. There was something about him, familiar and far away at the same time, which made her think of him when her life had taken a sharp turn. When work was not going as well as it should or bills were hard to pay she thought of him and wondered why she hadn't taken his offer.
_I certainly hope you are what you seem._
Yes, Jareth may have been exactly what he seemed, a lonely, pathetic creature that had catered to her ever whim and yes, he had been generous. It had taken her a long time to admit it, but finally, when she had been a woman for a long time she realized that he had simply done everything for her. Everything to make her happy, but she had to win. She had to have the last word, and she went home to her boring little life in a boring little town and then later she moved to another boring little town in Maine, and bought a boring little house and was living her boring life quite happily with out him.
So, now it was twelve years later. Twelve years of dreams that changed from the innocent to the not so innocent. Twelve years of trying to get the courage to speak to the white barn owl that perched outside of her house nightly Sarah Williams: the woman, decided to see if Jareth, King of the Goblins was really watching over her.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
She walked out onto the veranda, a cup of coffee in her hand. It was too hot, but she was feeling cold in the pit of her stomach. Her gown moved like liquid around her legs, giving her a surreal quality. Her long chocolate colored hair was touched with silver and hung in a thick braid down her back. She was beautiful, in the way that all women are beautiful but she also managed to have creamy unblemished skin and a quick smile.
Lonely, yes she was lonely. She had found early on that the sweaty, inexperienced groping and sloppy uncontrolled passion didn't suit her very well. She had indeed taken lovers but it was never anything that lasted more then a night. Never a long term relationship. That didn't entice her. The fair-haired lover in her dreams was the only man she was interested in anything permanent with, and she wasn't sure she was interested in that either.
The white barn owl sat perched on her porch swing. She smiled and nodded at it, as was her usual greeting. "You know, I dream of you still." She said quietly, taking a sip of her coffee before continuing. She didn't think he would take her bait so easily, and he didn't. "Always the same until I was a woman. Always the ball room, but when I grew older they changed, from simple dances to long conversations about the origins of the dwarves and Fairies to bouts of unbridled passion in the oubliette, so dark I could only feel you, and listen to your labored breathing and whimpers." She sounded far away, as if she was there and simply narrating for the bird. Her voice whisper soft with longing. "But of course, it doesn't matter, love doesn't come into play between a King of a mythical land and a mere…"
"Shut up, Sarah." His voice sent shivers down her spine. "You know not what you do." His voice was delightfully low, like syrup assaulting her senses. Jareth had been found guilty of watching over her in the last years, and though his guilt was a dagger in his back he could not stop loving her. Could not stop thinking of her fair skin and defiant nature, could not pull himself away from her day after day.
"Jareth," she said softly, not knowing if she should believe that he was actually there with her. His hair was different, cut to his shoulders and framing his face, she decided immediately that she hated it, though she did like the long black cloak he wore over his britches and loose shirt. He looked pained by her presence, "You look so sad."
He studied her for a moment, like had many a day. Watching her large hazel eyes for some truth, knowing that there was something familiar there but was afraid to ask why. Annalisa was gone, and would be gone forever, he would never see her again, even when he had grown tired of this place and ascended he would be there alone. Why did he feel so damn guilty? Arden would understand, wouldn't she? She was a grown woman now, the ruler of her own lands. Protecting what her mother loved, loving what her mother loved. Doing so much and making her life worth the sacrifice that Annalisa had made to have her.
"What do you want of me Sarah? To mock me for loving you?" He looked at her, his eyes full of something she could not quite place. It certainly wasn't love or admiration, but his eyes shined, perhaps with tears.
"I… I don't know what I want. It was a silly idea to try to talk with you. I apologize for bothering you." She turned away, and half expected him to be gone when she turned back, but still he stood there, his cloak moving gently in the wind and his hair wild about his face. His eyes were so expressive and true. "I suppose that I have always dreamed of calling you to me and asking if you would consider making your offer to me again."
Never had Jareth been more surprised in his life except when a woman was involved. His beloved wife had been fond of keeping him on his toes. He almost wished that Sarah and Annalisa could meet. They would make an incredible pair. He conjured a crystal and waved it in his hands, gracefully, watching her eyes as they followed it. "I can still give you your dreams, precious Sarah. Just say the words and everything you desire will be yours."
He had expected her to say no and walk off. He had expected her to give him that same defiant look and shake her head. He expected many things from her, and once again she surprised him. "Very well. I wish the Goblin King would take me away. Right now."