The Underground existed as it had for many years. The Fae played their games and toyed with mortal's lives and remained as viciously capricious as ever. They were unchanging.
And as per ritual or tradition, Court gathered. The time was drawing near for the Teind; seven years were almost past. It had been seven years since the last Teind to hell and the Fae were convening to determine an answer to a problem they'd never encountered before.
There were no mortals in the Underground and the Fair Folk remained as unwilling as ever to sacrifice one of their own for the Teind.
So the Court had convened, factions formed of their own kinds were scattered about the room. Gathered in a prominent position near the forefront of the large hall were tall blond Fae, their faces all beautifully concerned as they anxiously waited for the Court to begin, their white robes made them stand out in contrast to the other colourfully dressed Fae.
"Where's the Goblin King?" One tall blond woman whispered imperiously to another man in concern. The man shrugged but peered about the room. If Jareth failed to show things could go badly indeed for the Tylwyth Teg.
The Fae had settled into seats ringing the hall and patiently waited for the formalities of introductions of the High King and Queen. Jareth had still to show. As the matter of the Teind came up, so did the ire and tempers of the Fae assembled increase.
"It's outrageous!" One spokesman proclaimed loudly as he moved to the centre of the hall to speak. "In this recent century we have been forced to spoon feed mortals legends in an effort to lure them down here. The Labyrinth is failing in its duties to procure mortals for us."
"The Labyrinth is not the problem." A smooth voice rang out in objection from the entrance and the assembled stood and bowed to greet Jareth, King of the Goblins and ruler of the Labyrinth. At such a meeting as this, Jareth held a lot of power.
Jareth turned a cool gaze to the man in the centre, ignored him and bowed formally to the high King and Queen who both inclined their blond heads regally. "My sincerest apologies for being late." He said flippantly. "There was an urgent matter with the Bog that needed direct attention."
Murmurs of laughter rose from the crowd and Jareth barely withheld a grimace of distaste. He hated Court with all its facades and veiled meanings and subtle politics. And those that were not so subtle. His eyes focused on the man in the centre of the assembly who still stood waiting to speak.
"My Lords and Ladies," Jareth moved to the centre as well and directed his comments at the High King and Queen. "It is not the Labyrinth that is at fault. It is simply that no mortals have been wished away for seven years."
The gaze of the man beside Jareth hardened. "So you say Jareth. But one must wonder if that is the case. Obviously the Labyrinth has not been working since the last mortals it encountered both left. It raises the question of its ability to function."
Jareth clenched his jaw and restrained his features from exhibiting any emotion that the memory of his defeat brought. "The Labyrinth was designed as an obstacle that could be beaten, difficult though it may be. It was beaten." His cheeks had a faint red spot on them as he recalled the humiliation he'd faced.
"Gentlemen!" The clear bell like voice of the High Queen rang out authoritatively and both Fae turned their angered faces to the monarch. "This is not the time to cast blame, but the time to find a solution. Regardless of whether the Labyrinth is at fault or not, the problem remains. We have not been able to take children for a century now as Iron slowly invades the Aboveground, and the Labyrinth has not proffered up any mortals as teind or otherwise."
The High King broke in. "We need a mortal within the next 6 months or we will be forced to pay with one of our own. Jareth, Tiernan, be seated." Jareth and Tiernan bowed and both walked stiffly to awaiting seats with the Tylwyth Teg. The High King resumed.
"If any of you have proposals I will now hear them." His lined face bore signs of weariness. He had weathered wars and shortages of mortals before, but never had the previous shortages born the potential to erupt into war between the Fae before, nor had they been on such a grand scale as this.
Jareth rolled a crystal idly around his palm as he listened to another half-brained idea to bring mortals to the Underground. Truly, couldn't they see that a more permanent solution was needed? The mortals weren't coming because they'd lost belief and forgotten the realm of fairy and dreams. They would face the same problem the next Teind if the problem wasn't fixed at it's source; the disbelief of humans.
Jareth's blond head rose from his position as he heard his title vocalized by the present speaker.
"…Goblin King can cross the border between the worlds with ease. Perhaps he can simply bring us a child and replace it with a stock."
Jareth smirked and rubbed his head. What fools. He stood languidly and spoke with unveiled condescension. "I would, but you see, as Ruler of the Labyrinth, I'm bound by rules. Rules which involve crossing to the Aboveground only on matters pertaining to the Labyrinth. I cannot break them without destroying the tie between myself and the Labyrinth." His smile was feral as he looked at the Fae. "And that of course would release the Labyrinth wild into the Underground, something that would be far worse than paying the Teind with one of our own."
The Fae stuttered. "Ah…then I withdraw my proposal." He hurried from the centre and retreated to his seat. Jareth nodded coolly and resumed his seat. Few stood up and offered ideas after that, there was really nothing they could think of and most were slowly coming to acknowledge what they'd all feared and dreaded. This time the Teind would be one of them.
Tiernan waited patiently, one arm held stiffly behind his back in a formal stance as he waited for the entrance of the High King.
"M'Lord." Tiernan bowed low, his bright green eyes flicking up to the king's face.
"Have a seat Tiernan." The King spoke without formality and inelegantly sat in an awaiting chair. "In such times as this we should not waste time on formality, old friend."
Tiernan grinned slightly and inclined his head in acquiescence. Though labelled old friend, he doubted how much actual testing their friendship could weather in way of difficulties.
"Wine?" The king offered a flagon to Tiernan who shook his head in the negative. "I'd rather my mind clear, Damon."
"Ah. Of course. You shan't mind if I have some though?" His brows raised in innocent query he pictured as a harmless individual. An image that allowed for many to underestimate the High King's abilities and nature. The King poured himself some wine and sighed appreciatively as he took a sip. Tiernan fidgeted restlessly.
"Alright Tiernan." The King waved a long hand at him. "You had something to discuss with me. You may begin."
Tiernan nodded fiercely and promptly stood up from his chair in agitation. "I believe that I have a solution to the matter of the Teind."
The King set down his wine hurriedly, his face serious. "Tiernan…" His voice warned.
"Hear my out My Lord." Tiernan hesitated and then at Damon's suspicious nod began. "The majority of us cannot cross to the mortal realm with ease. However there is one of us who can."
The king interrupted. "The Goblin King was correct when he mentioned he could not do so without the violation of certain rules."
Tiernan grinned slyly. "But what if we could get him to cross, still within the rules boundaries?"
The King's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Explain." He demanded.
"Jareth, the illustrious Goblin King," Tiernan's voice took on a note of loathing as he spat the title. "allowed the mortal who made it to the centre of the Labyrinth to leave."
"I fail to see how this is useful Tiernan. She won, beat the Labyrinth."
"No!" She did not beat the Labyrinth, though Jareth does prefer to share that lie in preference to the truth. You see, to truly beat the Labyrinth, one must make it out again, the same way one came in. When Jareth allowed her to return to her world without traversing the Labyrinth, she took memories of the Labyrinth, the Underground, and Jareth with her back to her world."
The King's face cleared in comprehension. "She is still bound to the Labyrinth through her very memories. Which means that the Goblin King can cross to her, and bring her back."
Tiernan grinned. "Precisely."
Damon stood. "It does bring up the question of why he allowed her to return without fully completing the Labyrinth doesn't it though?" His gaze was speculative and measuring as he looked at Tiernan whose eyes flickered before he responded.
"I'm not really sure what his motivations were My Lord." Tiernan lied.
Damon looked at him hard. "Tiernan, can you prove to me that this mortal is bound to the Labyrinth? I will need solid proof of this before I can act. And I would like some reassurance that this is not another attempt on your behalf to humiliate the Goblin King, or destroy his kingdom or something like that." His eyes were piercing.
Tiernan flushed and spoke almost chidingly. "Damon, though such things have been common in the past, I would not attempt something so gauche when our very existence is threatened. You may be assured that this is not a small and petty attempt to have revenge on the Goblin King."
The King nodded in satisfaction. "Then I shall be off to present this idea to My Lady. Good day Tiernan." The King swept from the room and Tiernan wandered over to a window, his green eyes hard and jaw clenched.
And he had spoken the truth; it was indeed no small attempt to rid the Goblin King of his throne. For he intended to succeed this time and it was a rather large attempt. An attempt that he had planned out very meticulously. He knew that the real reason the mortal had returned to the Aboveground prematurely was that Jareth had developed a sentimental attachment to the mortal girl and her brother. A sentimentality that he intended to exploit to his own benefit.
It wasn't really a night any different than countless other nights. Sarah Williams, as she had many times before, got ready for bed and fell asleep. As per ritual, tucked her covers tightly around her chin. Protection of course. Protection from what or whom, Sarah had almost forgotten. It had been so long ago that she'd felt the overwhelmingly dark of an oubliette.
It wasn't really a night any different. Except of course that it was seven years. Seven years tonight she'd had that awful dream that had felt so real. But Sarah was a grown up, living on her own with a roommate and had given up childish dreams and fantasies long ago. So she fell asleep with her comforter held tightly around her chin and wrapped snugly around her body.
Some time during the night she woke up, confused and disoriented. Sarah rubbed a hand over her eyes and pushed dark hair out of bleary eyes. She reached for the lamp beside her bed, and then changed her mind. She wanted to avoid the momentary blindness the sudden light would give her.
She sat up yawned and frowned a bit then threw off her thick comforter mulishly. Scowling she swung her legs over the bed and stared at the dark wall. She was awake. All of a sudden she was wide-awake, it felt as if her body was thrumming with energy.
"Bloody hell." She muttered as she blinked furiously to remove errant bits of sleep from her eyes. Sarah stood and shuffled slowly to the door. She remembered that there was a little bottle of sleeping pills her parents had tucked away in the back of the medicine cabinet and she just knew that at least two of them had her name written on them. Not literally of course, but figuratively.
Moonlight shone through the windows of the house as Sarah shuffled down the hallway and down the stairs. It was bright enough to cast bluish squares of light on the carpets from the windowpanes, and Sarah didn't need to turn on any lights to navigate to the kitchen fro water and pills.
She was standing at the kitchen sink, her brow still frowning, a glass of water in one hand she'd already taken the pills when she smelled it.
She set her glass down and her shoulders tensed. There was the unmistakeable scent of magic in the air; the ripe smell of fresh fields and clear streams if she'd stopped to think about it. Instead she turned around.
Jareth frowned in irritation as he read the missive. If the other Fae were going to plague him with correspondence at such times as these, you'd think they'd have the decency to make it something important instead of invitations to revels. He ground his teeth and in an indulgent fit of ire, burned the parchment in a burst of magical flame. It was a small satisfaction, but small satisfactions were some of the only pleasures he could spend time on these days.
A small blurry ball was making its way shakily through the air towards him. Jareth sat up straight and put out a hand. The small fairy lit on his palm and leaned over to catch her breath.
"What news?" Jareth demanded quickly of the small creature, his narrow face stern and every inch an imperious Goblin King.
The fairy panted and gasped out her message. "Tiernan has been planning. I was in the High King's study and I overheard…he knows you sent her back before she finished…means to bring her to the Underground."
To Jareth's credit he barely flinched as the full import of the fairy's words became clear. Silently the little fairy waited, her wings slowly fanning herself. Jareth paused and then shook himself out of a small daze. "Thank you little biter." He said grimly to the fairy who grinned devilishly, winked and nipped his leather-clad palm affectionately before leaving.
Jareth sat back in his throne and looked blankly at the horde of eerily quiet goblins surrounding him. "Well." He said to them finally and he smiled to allay their fearful looks. "We are in a bit of a fix."
The goblins relaxed at his easily spoken words and mutterings broke out once more, but Jareth had retreated and left them to their own devices.
Jareth paced along the south embattlement of his castle, his cloak billowing restlessly behind him, hair whipped into his eyes. He ignored all the distractions, and thought fiercely.
He would have to bring her. But before they asked. It was the only way he could control the situation. But then there was the question, why wasn't he willing to let her be the Teind. It was an easy solution.
Since he and only he had the power to cross to the Aboveground on Labyrinth business, they meant to make him cross over and bring her back because she'd never made it out from the centre. Oh she would have, if he'd given her those hours he stole back. No doubt about that. But she would have forgotten, forgotten everything.
"Foolish!" Jareth muttered. Emotion had clouded his judgement. If she wouldn't stay with him, he at least wanted her to remember him. It had been as much as a punishment as a…gift.
Jareth whirled and placed his hands on the castle wall and looked out, a fierce frown marring his features.
Admit it, he told himself, you still care for her. If not as a woman, than at the least as a worthy opponent. She doesn't deserve to die for making it to the centre.
Jareth convinced himself that was the only reason he cared if she was to be sacrificed; she was a worthy opponent and…and nothing! He scowled. He hated being forced to act and especially by Tiernan.
He sighed. He knew the answer.
There was nothing for it. She would have to come back one way or the other, and better it was on his terms now while they still had some time. Better it was now on his terms, than later on their terms.
Jareth wrapped his cloak around him and in dusting of glitter was gone.
Sarah's shoulders tensed even more as she took in the dark figure outlined by the moon. Déjà vu, her mind muttered at her snidely. It didn't take long for her to find her tongue.
"Why are you here?" She demanded in a fierce whisper.
Jareth cocked an eyebrow and looked at her steadily, an oblique look in his odd eyes as he stepped forward.
Sarah unconsciously stepped back and bumped into the counter. As she looked down in surprise, he came even closer. Her hands clenched on the countertop in fear even as she thought distractedly that she didn't have to look up quite so much anymore to meet his eyes.
She started at his voice.
"Why do you think I'm here?" His tone was insolent and mocking.
Sarah narrowed green eyes at him. "I haven't the faintest idea. No one has been wished away."
He smiled slowly and Sarah really, really did not like what the smile implied. "You don't need to be wished away for me to take you back."
"You can't!" Sarah gasped out.
Jareth laughed softly. "Because I have no power over you?" He 'tsk'ed quietly. "Fairytales are not always what they seem Sarah. Words do not always mean what they say."
Sarah could feel her heart pounding and her breath was getting shallow. Jareth watched her rising panic and sought to regain control. His face suddenly lost its mocking demeanour and was now frightening in its intensity and seriousness. "Sarah," he spoke harshly and she flinched once more. "your presence is required in my kingdom. You must come."
One gloved hand was held out to her and she felt such a strong desire to obey him, compelled. But something inside her balked at being told what to do by someone whom she'd almost succeeded in forgetting.
Jareth glared at her and with a sudden step was pressed against her and one arm was around her waist tightly. She started to scream but Jareth's hand quickly slid over her mouth to halt it.
The scent of magic and a flash of glitter and suddenly the hand was gone from her mouth, but there was no point in screaming now. A quick glance had told her all she needed to know. She was unmistakably in the castle, unmistakably down in the Underground once more.
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Disclaimer: Question: if this stuff were mine, would it be on a sight called Fanfiction? I thought not.
Author's Note:
This fic is a major re-write/overhaul of a story that's been in hard-copy for a while. As I began to work with it once more, I changed the plot drastically and added many things that will show up later. Inspiration for this story…well, there are many aspects and things that have been used in other stories, but "there is nothing new under the sun" and it would take way to long to cite the numerous fanfics I've read that will probably influenced this story.
I spell checked this one, but it was late at night and I don't have a beta so errors will probably be here. Point them out to me please.
Seeing as
this is a major re-write of a crappy story that was barely a plot outline,
research has gone into this. It will show more in later chapters. I've
obviously tweaked Celtic mythology to fit my purposes and the world that was
created in the movie, The Labyrinth. If that bugs you, well, no one's
forcing you to read this. Also on that note, if you can help me make it more
authentic and true to lore and still stay within my plot, then send me constructive
criticism and HELP! Shameless praise is welcome too of course^_~ (there will never be another AN as long as
this, I promise)