A/N: More recognizable characters for you! This one's a short chapter...I just wanted to post something with a little more action in it. ;)
Disclaimer: Jareth, Sarah, Toby, and the whole 'Labyrinth' crew belong to Jim Henson and all of those folks. Characters not from 'Labyrinth' or other recognizable works are mine...unless I say otherwise. :P
* * *
Chapter Two
"It is not very often that a mortal finds his way this deep into the land of Faerie."
Oberon, King of the Fae, stood tall and imposing on the wide dais comprising one end of the throne room. Beside him sat his queen, Titania. Though they both shared typical faerie traits -- slim, arched eyebrows; high cheekbones; and delicate, almost marble-like skin -- they were otherwise vastly different in appearance. Oberon was dark of hair and eye, and while his wife also had alluring dark eyes, her hair was a wealth of golden curls. Oberon had the look of a person who could easily be mean -- almost like Jareth -- while Titania presented the very model of a genteel lady. Toby wished fervently that he could have been addressed by the queen rather than the intimidating king.
"I, uh…I wasn't trying--" Puck elbowed Toby sharply, bringing to the boy's attention the fact that he'd been mumbling too softly to hear. Panicked, his voice immediately picked up in volume and speed. "Iwasn'ttryingtogethereIwantedtogototheLabyrinth!"
Beside him, Puck chuckled softly in amusement. An eloquently arched eyebrow was the only response given from Oberon, and Toby suddenly felt like he was in one of those cop shows -- the part where the criminal gets interrogated by one very mean looking policeman.
"The Labyrinth, you said?" Titania inquired, her voice mellow and soothing. Toby gulped and nodded. "You must be Sarah's young brother. How did you come to be here instead of in the Underground?" At this question, Oberon looked meaningfully at Puck, but the impish fae merely shrugged.
"I wished," Toby explained. "Sarah said if I wished hard enough, I could visit her."
"But he wasn't clear in his wish," Puck added. "He wished to be on the kingdom's 'front doorstep', if I'm not mistaken."
"Because I heard Mom say that showing up on someone's doorstep without calling first was rude!" Toby defended indignantly, having heard the mocking tone in Puck's voice. This statement only caused the small fae to cackle with mirth. Even Titania and Oberon were smiling amusedly. Toby frowned in puzzlement before continuing meekly, "Isn't it?"
"Your mother was quite right," Titania assured, her smile warm. "However, the realm of Faerie seldom follows the same dictates of your world."
"Which is why we are portrayed as such malevolent spirits in storybooks," Puck expounded. "Before your world became so lax by way of manners, our brief forays were seen as terrible acts of mischief. Now, people seldom notice our presence!" He frowned. "Takes all the fun out of a good trick."
"Puck," Oberon said warningly, before looking back at Toby. "We believe your reasons for being here, but please understand that it is seldom allowed for denizens of the mortal realm to enter Faerie and then leave. We are a secretive people, and do not look well upon trespassers."
"But I didn't mean to trespass!" Toby defended, feeling panic rise within him once more. They wouldn't try to make him stay here permanently, would they?
"Nevertheless you have, and--"
"Oberon, be kind to the boy," Titania reproved. "He's frightened enough as it is." She smiled at Toby. "My husband is not normally so rude, but you have appeared at quite an inopportune time. An immensely important item has been stolen from within these very walls -- walls which we always assumed to be safe -- and Oberon and I are both most anxious to see it returned."
"I-I'm sorry," Toby said lamely, not knowing what response was appropriate in this case. Oberon seemed not to have noticed that the boy had even spoken. Instead, a new light shown in his eyes, as if he'd just thought of something brilliant.
"This item that has been stolen," he said slowly, still processing his thoughts. "It is of no consequence to you, being but a mortal child, but it is very important to us. By all appearances, it is a very ordinary adornment -- a crown of sorts, to those who know no better. But to those who possess magic strong enough, this item has more power than anything ever seen in Faerie. It is called the Imperial Diadem, a name which hardly does it justice."
"Why are you telling me this?" Toby inquired hesitantly in the pause that followed Oberon's story.
"In the wrong hands, the Diadem can become a powerful weapon of destruction," the king continued, acting as if he hadn't heard Toby's question at all. "The Unseelie Court has sought to obtain it for longer than you would be able to comprehend. Were they to finally make use of it, all the realms would be in grave danger. Death and darkness would rule all, and the infrequent raids of your world would become constant tortures. The same would happen here…and in the Underground.
"The power of the Diadem is neither good nor evil -- such is the way of magic. It is the user who determines the purpose of the magic. The Seelie Court uses the Diadem's power to give life to the land, to nurture and heal and protect. The Unseelie Court would see its power used to bring death and decay. That, young mortal, is why the Imperial Diadem must be returned to us.
"It is why you must see it found."
* * *
"Are you sure you haven't just imagined it?" Jareth inquired, skepticism heavy in his voice. Sarah shook her head.
"It was real, Jareth," she told him firmly. "It was too far away for me to know exactly where it happened, but somebody made a wish fervently enough to bring them into this world." She paused a moment and swallowed. "I think it was Toby."
"Your brother?" Jareth turned quickly to look at his wife. The powers he had given her so many years ago -- the power of wishes and dreams -- had manifested itself in ways he could have never predicted. Just as he was able to sense when a person wished away an unwanted sibling, Sarah could sense the power of wishes within the Underground. She had become a guardian of sorts, a protector of people's hopes and wishes and dreams. It was a power Jareth would have once been irritated to discover she possessed. Now he found it complemented his own powers perfectly, just as she seemed to complement him.
If Toby truly had wished himself into the Underground, Sarah would know. Their kinship created bonds that transcended even the magic itself.
"I should have known he'd try to come here, even though I told him not to," Sarah fretted, pushing away from the window. At this admission, the Goblin King's suspicions were immediately aroused.
"What do you mean?" he demanded softly. "You didn't tell him how to find his way here, did you? Sarah, you know the dangers of this realm…"
"He knew to some extent already how to get here, though he hadn't truly realized it," Sarah protested. "He found his way here unaided during the battle with the Nightmares, if you'll remember."
"Yes, creatures which very nearly killed him…which still could kill him if he's landed himself outside the Labyrinth's walls. The Nightmares take their charges as guards very seriously. I doubt they'll remember your blood ties to Toby when the lust to kill has taken hold of them."
"For now, we won't have to worry about that," Sarah murmured. At her husband's questioning look, she continued, "He's not anywhere within the Underground. I think he's in Faerie."
"What?" Jareth exploded, causing Sarah to recoil despite herself. She realized almost immediately thereafter that the exclamation hadn't been born of anger, but rather fear…and this caused her no small amount of nervousness. What reason did the Goblin King have to be afraid of his own people?
As if sensing her worry, Jareth calmed himself and attempted to explain. "You've already discovered how different Faerie is from the Underground, Sarah. Magic is very prevalent here, but it is more…friendly, if you will, toward mortals. This place hasn't existed quite as long as Faerie has. Faerie has existed longer than the race of Man, longer even than those creatures who came before your kind. Consequently, the magic has changed and grown more feral, as have the creatures who inhabit that realm. "Toby faces no immediate harm from Oberon or Titania. However, he faces a very real threat in the rest of Faerie. Do you know exactly where he appeared?" Sarah shook her head, and Jareth sighed. "Then let us hope my uncle has found him, or else your brother might become a permanent -- and short-lived -- denizen of that realm."
* * *
Toby gaped, openmouthed, at the fae king. The man was joking, right? He didn't really expect Toby to go out and find some crown, did he?
Puck seemed to have had the same thoughts. "Surely you're jesting!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. "This boy could not even find his way out of the Phoenix Ring! How can you charge him with this task, when the first faerie trick will surely succeed in stopping him?"
"If the Unseelie Court has the Diadem, as I suspect it does, they will expect every possible force at my command to go after it. What they would never suspect is a harmless mortal challenging them. With no magic, he can slip through their defenses undetected, find the Imperial Diadem, and be safely back here before they've even realized what happened!" Oberon's plan seemed to have too many holes for Toby's liking. Once again, Puck agreed.
"Have you forgotten what the Unseelie Court does to hapless mortals? He will not appear as a threat to them, true enough, but he will look the part of a tantalizing plaything. A young and innocent mortal, right here in Faerie for them to use as they wish! They would not even have to expend the energy required to part the fabric between realms!"
Toby didn't like the sound of things. This…Unseelie Court…were they really that bad? Visions began to dance about in his mind, none of them at all appealing. With a shudder, he looked up at Oberon and murmured, "Couldn't you find some other mortal for this? I just want to get back to my sister!"
"I will see to it that you find your sister," Oberon assured, and Toby's hopes momentarily lifted. "However, I demand that you first complete this task. As a trespasser in my kingdom, you should consider yourself lucky that I have chosen such a generous fate. Other mortals have fared far worse in your place."
As Toby fought down the acrid taste of fear that rose in his throat, he finally realized exactly how unpredictable the fae could be.
Disclaimer: Jareth, Sarah, Toby, and the whole 'Labyrinth' crew belong to Jim Henson and all of those folks. Characters not from 'Labyrinth' or other recognizable works are mine...unless I say otherwise. :P
Chapter Two
"It is not very often that a mortal finds his way this deep into the land of Faerie."
Oberon, King of the Fae, stood tall and imposing on the wide dais comprising one end of the throne room. Beside him sat his queen, Titania. Though they both shared typical faerie traits -- slim, arched eyebrows; high cheekbones; and delicate, almost marble-like skin -- they were otherwise vastly different in appearance. Oberon was dark of hair and eye, and while his wife also had alluring dark eyes, her hair was a wealth of golden curls. Oberon had the look of a person who could easily be mean -- almost like Jareth -- while Titania presented the very model of a genteel lady. Toby wished fervently that he could have been addressed by the queen rather than the intimidating king.
"I, uh…I wasn't trying--" Puck elbowed Toby sharply, bringing to the boy's attention the fact that he'd been mumbling too softly to hear. Panicked, his voice immediately picked up in volume and speed. "Iwasn'ttryingtogethereIwantedtogototheLabyrinth!"
Beside him, Puck chuckled softly in amusement. An eloquently arched eyebrow was the only response given from Oberon, and Toby suddenly felt like he was in one of those cop shows -- the part where the criminal gets interrogated by one very mean looking policeman.
"The Labyrinth, you said?" Titania inquired, her voice mellow and soothing. Toby gulped and nodded. "You must be Sarah's young brother. How did you come to be here instead of in the Underground?" At this question, Oberon looked meaningfully at Puck, but the impish fae merely shrugged.
"I wished," Toby explained. "Sarah said if I wished hard enough, I could visit her."
"But he wasn't clear in his wish," Puck added. "He wished to be on the kingdom's 'front doorstep', if I'm not mistaken."
"Because I heard Mom say that showing up on someone's doorstep without calling first was rude!" Toby defended indignantly, having heard the mocking tone in Puck's voice. This statement only caused the small fae to cackle with mirth. Even Titania and Oberon were smiling amusedly. Toby frowned in puzzlement before continuing meekly, "Isn't it?"
"Your mother was quite right," Titania assured, her smile warm. "However, the realm of Faerie seldom follows the same dictates of your world."
"Which is why we are portrayed as such malevolent spirits in storybooks," Puck expounded. "Before your world became so lax by way of manners, our brief forays were seen as terrible acts of mischief. Now, people seldom notice our presence!" He frowned. "Takes all the fun out of a good trick."
"Puck," Oberon said warningly, before looking back at Toby. "We believe your reasons for being here, but please understand that it is seldom allowed for denizens of the mortal realm to enter Faerie and then leave. We are a secretive people, and do not look well upon trespassers."
"But I didn't mean to trespass!" Toby defended, feeling panic rise within him once more. They wouldn't try to make him stay here permanently, would they?
"Nevertheless you have, and--"
"Oberon, be kind to the boy," Titania reproved. "He's frightened enough as it is." She smiled at Toby. "My husband is not normally so rude, but you have appeared at quite an inopportune time. An immensely important item has been stolen from within these very walls -- walls which we always assumed to be safe -- and Oberon and I are both most anxious to see it returned."
"I-I'm sorry," Toby said lamely, not knowing what response was appropriate in this case. Oberon seemed not to have noticed that the boy had even spoken. Instead, a new light shown in his eyes, as if he'd just thought of something brilliant.
"This item that has been stolen," he said slowly, still processing his thoughts. "It is of no consequence to you, being but a mortal child, but it is very important to us. By all appearances, it is a very ordinary adornment -- a crown of sorts, to those who know no better. But to those who possess magic strong enough, this item has more power than anything ever seen in Faerie. It is called the Imperial Diadem, a name which hardly does it justice."
"Why are you telling me this?" Toby inquired hesitantly in the pause that followed Oberon's story.
"In the wrong hands, the Diadem can become a powerful weapon of destruction," the king continued, acting as if he hadn't heard Toby's question at all. "The Unseelie Court has sought to obtain it for longer than you would be able to comprehend. Were they to finally make use of it, all the realms would be in grave danger. Death and darkness would rule all, and the infrequent raids of your world would become constant tortures. The same would happen here…and in the Underground.
"The power of the Diadem is neither good nor evil -- such is the way of magic. It is the user who determines the purpose of the magic. The Seelie Court uses the Diadem's power to give life to the land, to nurture and heal and protect. The Unseelie Court would see its power used to bring death and decay. That, young mortal, is why the Imperial Diadem must be returned to us.
"It is why you must see it found."
"Are you sure you haven't just imagined it?" Jareth inquired, skepticism heavy in his voice. Sarah shook her head.
"It was real, Jareth," she told him firmly. "It was too far away for me to know exactly where it happened, but somebody made a wish fervently enough to bring them into this world." She paused a moment and swallowed. "I think it was Toby."
"Your brother?" Jareth turned quickly to look at his wife. The powers he had given her so many years ago -- the power of wishes and dreams -- had manifested itself in ways he could have never predicted. Just as he was able to sense when a person wished away an unwanted sibling, Sarah could sense the power of wishes within the Underground. She had become a guardian of sorts, a protector of people's hopes and wishes and dreams. It was a power Jareth would have once been irritated to discover she possessed. Now he found it complemented his own powers perfectly, just as she seemed to complement him.
If Toby truly had wished himself into the Underground, Sarah would know. Their kinship created bonds that transcended even the magic itself.
"I should have known he'd try to come here, even though I told him not to," Sarah fretted, pushing away from the window. At this admission, the Goblin King's suspicions were immediately aroused.
"What do you mean?" he demanded softly. "You didn't tell him how to find his way here, did you? Sarah, you know the dangers of this realm…"
"He knew to some extent already how to get here, though he hadn't truly realized it," Sarah protested. "He found his way here unaided during the battle with the Nightmares, if you'll remember."
"Yes, creatures which very nearly killed him…which still could kill him if he's landed himself outside the Labyrinth's walls. The Nightmares take their charges as guards very seriously. I doubt they'll remember your blood ties to Toby when the lust to kill has taken hold of them."
"For now, we won't have to worry about that," Sarah murmured. At her husband's questioning look, she continued, "He's not anywhere within the Underground. I think he's in Faerie."
"What?" Jareth exploded, causing Sarah to recoil despite herself. She realized almost immediately thereafter that the exclamation hadn't been born of anger, but rather fear…and this caused her no small amount of nervousness. What reason did the Goblin King have to be afraid of his own people?
As if sensing her worry, Jareth calmed himself and attempted to explain. "You've already discovered how different Faerie is from the Underground, Sarah. Magic is very prevalent here, but it is more…friendly, if you will, toward mortals. This place hasn't existed quite as long as Faerie has. Faerie has existed longer than the race of Man, longer even than those creatures who came before your kind. Consequently, the magic has changed and grown more feral, as have the creatures who inhabit that realm. "Toby faces no immediate harm from Oberon or Titania. However, he faces a very real threat in the rest of Faerie. Do you know exactly where he appeared?" Sarah shook her head, and Jareth sighed. "Then let us hope my uncle has found him, or else your brother might become a permanent -- and short-lived -- denizen of that realm."
Toby gaped, openmouthed, at the fae king. The man was joking, right? He didn't really expect Toby to go out and find some crown, did he?
Puck seemed to have had the same thoughts. "Surely you're jesting!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. "This boy could not even find his way out of the Phoenix Ring! How can you charge him with this task, when the first faerie trick will surely succeed in stopping him?"
"If the Unseelie Court has the Diadem, as I suspect it does, they will expect every possible force at my command to go after it. What they would never suspect is a harmless mortal challenging them. With no magic, he can slip through their defenses undetected, find the Imperial Diadem, and be safely back here before they've even realized what happened!" Oberon's plan seemed to have too many holes for Toby's liking. Once again, Puck agreed.
"Have you forgotten what the Unseelie Court does to hapless mortals? He will not appear as a threat to them, true enough, but he will look the part of a tantalizing plaything. A young and innocent mortal, right here in Faerie for them to use as they wish! They would not even have to expend the energy required to part the fabric between realms!"
Toby didn't like the sound of things. This…Unseelie Court…were they really that bad? Visions began to dance about in his mind, none of them at all appealing. With a shudder, he looked up at Oberon and murmured, "Couldn't you find some other mortal for this? I just want to get back to my sister!"
"I will see to it that you find your sister," Oberon assured, and Toby's hopes momentarily lifted. "However, I demand that you first complete this task. As a trespasser in my kingdom, you should consider yourself lucky that I have chosen such a generous fate. Other mortals have fared far worse in your place."
As Toby fought down the acrid taste of fear that rose in his throat, he finally realized exactly how unpredictable the fae could be.