Disclaimer: I own nothing of this, and I apologize to Jim Henson if this blatant perversness has scewed his once innocent child's fun, but people got to get their jollies from somewhere, and I'm not the first one to bend this kinda family fun movie.
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The air is crisp and clean after a hard rain. A breeze floats up to meet beating wings, and the figure gains altitude as it sails through the wind. The town comes into view, and all the dark homes mark the ending of a day, a community in slumber, and the start of a new. Except one house and one light.
The shadow hits the moonlight and it appears. It is an owl; gray, but it not at all drab. It descends toward the house, and lands on a branch parallel to the window of the room with the light. Inside there is a girl sitting at a vanity. She has had a hard day, but looks happy none-the-less.
Just then three creatures appear. A great hairy thing with big teeth that can barely fit in the room, a small, misshapen troll, and a fox atop a dog. The girl flips around in her chair and more creatures appear. A great party ensues, and the owl on the branch is watching the commosion.
Though this girl has had her problems, it seems that she has overcome them and hopefully she will learn through truimph and approach maturity and adulthood with a level head upon lifted shoulders.
It is then that the owl has seen enough. With one final glance at the lovely girl with a new smile, he opens his wings and takes flight, ascending through the branches and up and over the little town, disappearing into the night.
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Jareth turns back into human form just as he hits the ground. The thud he makes was not an accident, merely a way of expressing anger. No, he didn't lose the girl. He didn't even want her, he was just frustrated with his incapability at woeing her into his embrace. Jareth has always been a snake, but a snake with charm, charisma, and sex appeal. The fact that he couldn't get the affections of a sixteen-year-old girl was a real blow to his ego.
He saundered past the grassy grounds up to his castle. The goblins had all become aware of his defeat, so it was not suprising that he did not see one as he went through the hallways. Even though it was all planned and staged, he still felt awful at its conclusion. The Goblin King was not one for defeat, even though it was a deliberate dive.
In reaching the throne room, Jareth had already resolved to not let his emotions to get the best of him. He will just have to act like it was no big thing, and that though a mere girl had beat him and his labyrinth, that he was still the same man, power and all and that she won only because that was the way it was supposed to be.
He sat down on his throne in the circular room, welcoming the darkness. He was most suredly exhausted, but his chair, of course, always gave him a pick me up ego wise, and it helped him think. It was all ready dark in the room, but he put his head in his proped hand anyways.
After several minutes, Jareth had almost fallen asleep when he heard someone. He instantly sat up straight and looked out into the shadows. It was then that they stepped out.
She had long brown hair, and she wore an elegant white dress, with purple floral inlay down the front. Though she was of higher class in the Underground, her weathered features shown.
"What do you want," Jareth mumbled beyond his apparent misery.
"I wanted to thank you," she said, softly. Her voice was smooth and entirely feminine.
"Yes, well let us call it an anniversary gift, shall we?" He didn't sound like the gesture was all to his liking.
"You did a good thing Jareth. Now she can grow up."
"I quite enjoyed the attention," said Jareth, matter of factly.
"But Sarah needed to get beyond her child-hood fantasies and see--"
"Look, we went over this before, and I conceded did I not? I brought her here, I put out some of my best moves and she got the better of me. I did what you asked, Linda, and that's the last of it." The finality of his tone would have worked on any lesser being.
But not Linda. Tears started to well up in her eyes. She walked over to him and knealt so that she could properly be in his debt. "Though I am sad for perhaps losing her forever, I know this is the right thing to do. Whatever I can do to repay you will be done, for you have given me fufillment." Her voice started to waiver.
Jareth now truly looked at his old friend. She was truly in grief because she loved Sarah more than anything, and Jareth could see that. "I know you were worried about her. I was worried about you worrying about her. So if you believe it really was for the best, than there is nothing you can do to repay me. Your joy is enough." For the first time that night, he broke out a smile.
She smiled back and reached out for his hand. "For once my heart and my mind are in agreement that Sarah had to break away from her fantasies. Even I feel guilty about it all, but this was the best course of action. She would not have changed any other way, and I should know; she is my daughter of course."
Jareth stood up and Linda stood up with him. He kissed her forehead and brushed away her tears. "Go home, Linda. Be at peace, and no more worrying about her."
She nodded her compliance a disappeared back into the shadows.
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This is quite short, but it's just the prologue, and I'm kinda testing the waters as some would say. This is my first Labyrinth fic.