Hey everyone- chances are I will go back and expand this slightly if people want and if I feel like it. I always go back even weeks later and edit. I was just afraid this thing would get long on me and I just don't really want to write a monster-length fic so please forgive me and read on…
Part 1: Unto Us a Child of Hope is Born
"If we can find the rhythm of time, we can fly once again. We live our lives wandering to the ends of the earth. Believing in you, now I begin my journey with you, in search of the light. … Closing off the way back, we walk on for eternity. We live our lives standing frozen to the spot, unable to cry out, for eternity…" – part of the English translation of Fukai Mori, the 2nd Inuyasha ending song, sung by Do As Infinity.
All the newspapers are ablaze with talk… with the news of Linda Williams, her husband, Thomas Williams, and their upcoming arrival. Everyone had heard of or had seen the upcoming star of the stage- this was big news, almost as much as when they eloped one seemingly random day two years ago. They met by chance two and a half years ago, but they had never made a secret of their intense love for each other. A short courtship led to a young, yet still loving marriage. At that time of her wedding, Linda Katrina Ostling Williams was only 20 years old. Loving and hopeful, she devoted her time to both her husband and her growing acting career on the horizon. Naturally, she was very busy, but she managed quite well until the day that she discovered that she was pregnant.
Linda was in absolute turmoil over the truth. She vacillated from joy to despair to anger to disappointment and then ran the gauntlet over and over again. As a woman, she was pleased because it had always been her dream to have a real family at some point and she knew it was also the fervent wish of her loving husband. As an actress, she could not be enamored with the timing. After all, as far as she knew, she had plenty of time to have children. What she did not know was that a malignant tumor already grew deep inside the tissue of her right breast.
After weighing all the options of the situation at hand, Linda knew that she could never forgive herself if she had an abortion and killed the baby. Although her career was important to her, she decided that life was more important and that maybe there was a reason for the child to be conceived at that time. After all, she was healthy and had not been taking any medications that would hurt the child. As time went on, she did not regret her decision but she intensely missed the stage during the months of the pregnancy when she could not work. Still, during those hard times, Tom was there for her, as the supportive husband that he was. He was so excited and his enthusiasm fed her joy.
After the long, grueling months of pregnancy, Sarah Williams was born and she looked so much like her beautiful mother, except that she had the hazel eyes of her father. When Linda brought the child to her breast, she knew that she could never harm her child and she hated herself for having thought of killing her dear daughter.
6 months later…
Her creativity squelched by the monotonous drudgery of housework and baby care, the young mother begins to despair and hate her life. One stormy night when her husband is far away on business, Linda holds up the crying, fussy child in frustration.
With a burst of frightening insight, the 22 year old mother holds up the child in a trance. Completely unaware of what she is doing, she calls out with her spirit for help. "Save me from this life- someone… anyone! I cannot withstand this pervasive boredom any longer!" She sits down on the four-poster bed with Sarah in her arms. Her eyes clear for a moment. "No, forgive me, Sarah darling. My responsibilities weigh hard on me and I feel ten years older than I am." She sighs and the child cries louder. "Oh hush, my Sarah." Looking fondly at the child, Linda shakes her head and holds her daughter close to her bosom. "No, this is not your fault. You are a blessing, in disguise you came, but a precious gift you have become." A couple of multi-colored bubbles appear behind her and begin to spin right there without her knowledge. The magic causes her pupils dilate until only a tiny bit of the bright green is visible.
Behind the mirror and hidden in other strategic places around the room, goblins ranging from large to small wait impatiently in the dark places where they cannot be seen. Their eyes widen as they notice the look in the young woman's eyes, for after all, although she is a mother, she is still young. They whisper to one another in the moments of intense silence. "Will she say it? No one has said it for such a long time."
"True, true. No wonder our majesty works extra hard on this one."
A third shakes its head. "You morons! Of course we are never called on; no one believes in us anymore because the old legends are dead. Our king has to work harder so that she will know what to say."
Behind them, a low voice crackles and laughs. "Youngsters- you believe it has been a long time? You are impatient and ignorant. Naturally it has been some time, too long, but still it is only time. Besides, who are you to speak of the master's intentions?"
The first narrows his eyes. "Who are you to say, old-timer? You should have stayed just behind in the castle."
The superior looks quite amused as he glances at the still-silent woman bouncing the girl-child on her knee. With a half-smile, the goblin defends his statements. "Who am I to say? Ha, you are so incredibly perceptive." He rolls his eyes to make sure that his sarcasm is understood by all. "Of course I am old, but time is relative. Do you know who I am?" Silence greets him and he shakes his head. "Your limited knowledge betrays you and so I will tell you this but one time, so listen well. I am the first goblin that served the first goblin king, the one who cast the spell that activated those words."
The young goblin sighs and looks slightly annoyed. "Yeah, what a wonderful speech," he says dryly. "So what?"
"So what?" He shakes his head and mumbles to himself. "They get stupider with every passing year, perhaps this time, perhaps finally…" The others look on and the old one sighs and does not bother to finish his rant. "Young ones, do you know the purpose of the spell?"
"To create more goblins of course."
"Yes, yes, and why is that?"
"Because… umm."
"Yes, the light of your brilliant mind blinds me. Dimwits, goblins have mostly been male and those females who do exist have, for the most part, been unable to conceive. So, this is important because?" They look at him blankly. "Ok forget that I asked in the first place. Our master's reign will one day end and his son, young master Jareth will need an influx of new blood shall we say? He will need more goblins to fulfill his dream of creating a labyrinth, like the prophecy said." He nods towards Linda with a wistful smile. "This mortal woman who stands before us is special and I presumptuously suspect that she has the power to renew the legend in the above world."
They roll their eyes. "Special? She doesn't look special or powerful- and more than that, she is simply a mortal, not even a mage. You are just full of hot air, old man."
"Fools, do you know nothing? Do not assume that everything is as it seems even in this other world. Now watch as the cycle begins…" They look away as the old goblin disappears into the darkness and do not notice when the old goblin's body magically becomes younger until he seems as young as any of them. The secret of his magic is safe- the magic that he learned from his first master.
Part 2: The Prophecy of the Labyrinth coming very, very soon! Please review, peeps! I'll love you forever and ever and ever… you get the point. This will be a short fic- I am already writing an epic and this is not it! Please tell me what you think!
Sorry it took so long to update- I've been pretty sick and haven't had much interest in writing. I'm back though! ^_^ Special thanks to my two reviewers so far- Jenny and JLF- thank you so much! I thoroughly appreciated your encouraging comments. On to the fic though…