Hawk's Eye-
Tiger's Eye had once asked a very sensible question, even if he hadn't realized it. In fact, Hawk's Eye had been so busy that even he hadn't really thought about it. Why did they have to search for Pegasus? It wasn't as if Pegasus was any threat to the circus or its people. Pegasus couldn't give the circus any power, the circus didn't work that way. In fact, Pegasus had absolutely nothing to do with the circus at all. So, why waste time hunting it?
Hawk's Eye enjoyed a good hunt as much as the next raptor, but this was a fruitless hunt. He didn't understand. The world grew fuzzy and Hawk began to wish he could shed his human form. How wonderful it would be to fly away from life and be free. No more Zerconia. No more responsibility. No more memories. How lovely to fly. Closer and closer to the sun, so close that it warmed his wings and his vision would grow blurred from the intense light.
Rest, sweetie. You're sick.
'But I have things to do.'
You need to get well first. Then you can be as busy as you like. Would you like a story?
'No. I have to think.' There must be something special about Pegasus, something that Zerconia would do anything to have. It was a powerful creature, that much was certain. To be able to hide in the mysterious dreams of mortal creatures was a marvelous ability. Dreams, themselves, were powerful. Hawk's Eye had no direct knowledge of dreams. He didn't dream. Not anymore. He had always had a nagging feeling that once, long ago, he had dreamed of something. It wasn't a big dream, just a little one, but it had been his. Now, he wasn't sure. They should all leave the circus, if that was possible. Hawk's Eye didn't think it was possible. The further away they got from the circus, the weaker they became. Maybe that was Zerconia's influence, again.
He's a bad person.
'Yes. I know. He's very bad. He hurts us. Not just us; everyone.'
Get away from him. I don't like him.
'Who are you?' That voice wasn't Tiger's Eye or Fish Eye. Hawk's Eye thought he might have been talking to himself. He'd never done that before, but who else would he be talking to? No one ever came in their chambers without permission. Fish Eye would kill them.
I am everything. Just rest for now. Later, go get her. Bring her back to me.
It seemed very obvious that the voice wanted the girl, Sarah. Hawk couldn't think of anyone else who was so important right now. Was it only a day ago that they'd found her picture in the mass confusion of the others pictures? She'd seemed so plain and ordinary. He would find her. Whether or not he brought her back was another question. It surely wasn't safe, not with Zerconia. If Sarah was Ringmaster, which she surely was, then Zerconia would kill her if he found out she was still alive. No. It would be better if they keep her away from the circus.
Hawk's Eye opened his eyes and looked around. Everything seemed normal. Fish Eye and Tiger's Eye were talking, their body language said that whatever they were talking about was very important, but Hawk's Eye couldn't make himself get out of bed. He didn't even want to move.
They were...arguing? Maybe. They did bicker a lot.
Does it hurt?
Yes. The pain was terrible and all the worse for trying to ignore it for so long. Hawk's Eye listened to Tiger's Eye and Fish Eye for a little while without really hearing them. He liked the sound of their voices, it relaxed him and made the pain bearable. Fish sounded so serious and Tiger was worried, but Hawk didn't know why. He thought he should ask them, but he was so tired.
Fish Eye thought he wanted to die. He didn't. Not really. Well...not much.
"You have to be strong, Hawk. I...I don't think I can be strong enough without you."
Well, that was just silly. Of course Fish Eye was strong enough. Tiger's Eye was strong, too. They just didn't realize it. Maybe he'd done them a disservice in trying to protect them all this time. They didn't know how to stand without him, or they didn't want to. Hawk's Eye let himself relax, feeling very safe with his dearest friends, the two people he loved most, so close. Whatever they were worried about, he wasn't sure. His chest burned, but he'd suffered worse. Guilt hurt more than anything Zerconia could do to him. Loneliness hurt more than guilt. Abandonment...the worst pain of all.
'Stop. Don't think about it. It wasn't...it wasn't like that.' He shivered and wondered why no one would give him a blanket. Something icy cold touched his chest and it hurt, but Hawk's Eye couldn't find the strength to protest.
They were talking again, but their voices were far away. What was the problem? It wasn't all that hard. They had to leave. It wasn't safe at home anymore, so they had to leave. Why all the talking? 'I'm so tired.' He just couldn't open his eyes, no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to help them, there was so much to do.
None of them dreamed. Not a single person of the Circus. It just wasn't possible. They weren't human, so their minds didn't work the same was as a human's would. Oh, they slept, but they wouldn't dream of the impossible or what might be in the future. Instead, they relived memories.
Dream-
Hawk's Eye spun the ball on his fingertip. It amused him and not much amused him. So he sat for hours on end spinning the ball of the tip of his finger. It was a bright pink ball and it was his favorite toy. When it spun so fast, he would sometimes think he could see things in the ball. He knew about such great magic as magic mirrors and seeing stone, and thought that maybe his toy might be one of those. Maybe it let him see the future. Maybe it wasn't the future, but something...else.
He could almost hear music when he spun his ball and he could almost see things...people...places in his ball. It was a gift. Everything Hawk's Eye had was a gift, but this was his favorite.
"My dear, will you come out of your dreams?"
"Dreams?" Hawk's Eye didn't stop the spinning ball, but let it continue on when he looked at the speaker. She lay in her bed, lounging back on a near mountain of pillows and she smiled so kindly at him. "What are dreams?" The room was comfortably cluttered with this and that, little dust collectors and pretty baubles. Little glass spheres hung from the ceiling and glimmered in the candlelight. Hawk's Eye sat, not on the bed with her, but on a low stool with his legs crossed at the ankles. He did not live in her chambers, but in his own room just a short distance down the hall. He liked being with her better. He felt warm when she was around and his room always seemed empty.
"Dreams are what you wish and what might be."
"I wish...?" Hawk's Eye thought it was a very strange thing to say. Wish was what you did when you needed or wanted something. He needed nothing and had everything he desired.
Her dark eyes twinkled merrily. "You wish for a world of far away wonder. Of grass and trees and stars in the sky. You wish for an ocean to swim in and never come out of because the water's so warm. There are lots of things to wish for, my dear." She always called him 'my dear' and Hawk's Eye liked it. It made him feel special. Of course, she was good to everyone, but he was the only one allowed in her chambers, the only one she called 'my dear'.
Hawk's Eye thought about the question. "I don't dream, master. I just thought I saw something. It's pretty to look at. Thank you."
"Well, I had to get you a birthday gift, didn't I? You're ten now. Ten years since I made you."
"What's a birthday?"
"It's not important, I guess. I love you. So I gave you a gift."
Hawk's Eye continued spinning his pink ball and smiled when he looked into it. He didn't quite forget what she said, though. If he had a wish, what would it be? "I would wish for someone to sleep with." He said it softly and wasn't even really thinking when the words came out of his mouth.
"Oh?" She seemed to think it was funny and looked like she was trying to stop herself from laughing. Instead, she stood up and came to sit on the end of her bed closest to him. She was so beautiful. Hawk's Eye admired her more than anyone else he'd ever met, though he hadn't met many people in his short life. Her hair was quite short, cut just above her ears. She was curvy, with all bumps and lumps in just the right places. She felt so comfortable when he wanted a hug or needed someone to hold him. Her hands were the most beautiful thing about her, though. He hands were very soft, but the palms were rough and calloused. Just like she was. Beautiful and tough. Her nightgown was very long and night was the only time when Hawk's Eye ever saw her in any kind of a dress. Her nightgown was very pale and feminine, a stark contrast to her usual wear of top hat and tails. In fact, a good many of the times when they gave performances, the audience thought she was just a small man until they heard her speak. "What kind of person would you like to sleep with?"
Hawk's Eye let his ball drop into his hands and seriously thought about it. "Someone warm. I don't like to be all by myself when I'm sleeping. It gets lonely. Someone who will talk to me whenever I want. Someone pretty." Hawk's Eye liked beauty, like everyone else. He liked pretty things.
Ringmaster said nothing and kept smiling at him, but Hawk's Eye could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. After a few minutes, she said, "We'll see. I might be able to make you someone. A new friend. You'd like that?"
Hawk's Eye nodded, enthusiastically. "Someone my age!" The whole circus was made out of grownups and they all treated him like he didn't matter, just because he was small.
His last request made Ringmaster's smile falter a little and she reached out, touching his cheek gently. "I'm sorry, my dear. I hadn't thought of that when I made you. I wanted a child so badly. Someone small and sweet I could protect and take care of. I didn't think you'd be lonely."
If Hawk's Eye had one weakness it was Ringmaster and he shook his head to reassure her. "I'm not lonely." It was a lie, but Hawk's Eye would have lied a dozen times to stop her from looking so sad. "I'm just fine. You don't have to make me a friend. I'm happy with just you."
"Perhaps." She took her hand away and stood up so she could look down at him. "It's late, my dear. Why don't you get some sleep? In the morning, I'll see what I can do to make your wish come true." She kissed his forehead, like she did every night, and asked, "Would you like me to tuck you in?"
He didn't want her to feel badly and thought that maybe she still thought he was lonely. "No. I'm okay. Good night." He kissed her cheek and took his ball with him when he went to his room. His bed, huge as it was and covered with layers of heavy blankets, felt all the colder that night and Hawk's Eye didn't know why. Not only that, but he felt smaller than ever in the bed. Maybe it was because he was thinking about it too much or Ringmaster's subtle hints that she would do something about his loneliness.
The next morning, Hawk's Eye found Ringmaster in her chambers dressed in her usual black trousers and bright white shirt. Her short hair was neatly combed and she smiled brightly when he came in. "I've been waiting for you, sleepy head. Hand me my gloves, my dear."
She strode out of her chambers as soon as she was fully dressed, pulling on her black coat. Hawk's Eye grabbed Ringmaster's black walking stick with the gold pommel as they headed out; he knew she'd want it as soon as she realized she'd forgotten it. "Where are we going?" There must be something going on, Hawk's Eye had never seen Ringmaster in such a hurry to go anywhere.
"Somewhere special, my dear. Oh, my cane! How clever of you. Thank you." She took it with a firm grip but didn't even pause on their way. Everyone who saw them called out to Ringmaster and she smiled back in greeting. They were getting ready for a performance and everyone was really too busy to give them much thought, it seemed. Ringmaster didn't seem upset by this and put a hand on Hawk's Eye's shoulder when he started to fall behind. "We must get going. We have an appointment to make, so we can't stay long."
"Stay where?"
"Here. I'm not sure where, but Circus brought us here when I asked." Her smiled widened when they reached the large tent flap that led to the outside. "I can't go any further. You go out and I want you to find the one you want for a friend. Find the most beautiful thing you can find and that shall be your friend. There aren't any people on this world, but you'll have to watch out for other dangers. You must be very careful."
Hawk's Eye was very confused. "Go out? Out where?" He'd never been out of the Circus, Ringmaster always said he was too young.
"Outside the Circus." She pointed to the doorway that served to separate the Circus from the rest of everything. "I'm told it's beautiful, no matter where you go. Some places outside are filled with trees taller than the anything you can imagine. Sandy deserts as far as the eye can see and misty swamp so full of life. It sounds so lovely."
"Haven't you ever been to the outside?"
Ringmaster looked sad and Hawk's Eye was sorry he'd asked. "I don't get out much. Now, Circus had reassured me that you'll find what you're looking for here. It's all up to you. Find what you love and bring it back to me."
It felt like the most momentous event in his life and Hawk's Eye was suddenly terrified. He didn't even know what outside was like and he had to go all alone? Maybe it was a bad idea. He shouldn't have said anything when Ringmaster asked him what he wanted.
"Hawk," Ringmaster took Hawk's Eye by the shoulders and kissed his forehead. "You can do this. I believe in you."
That was all he needed for courage and Hawk's Eye went bravely out into the outside.
Hours later, muddy and sweating, Hawk's Eye returned to the Circus, hoping that he hadn't done something wrong. "Master!" He cried out as loudly as he could as soon as he was in the Circus. "Help!" Everyone was staring at him and he heard a few laughs at his expense, but didn't care.
She was with him in an instant and took in the problem with a giggle. "My dear, I thought you understood to bring back one."
"But, you said the prettiest one I want and I couldn't decide." In Hawk's Eye's arms, he held two animals he'd found. One of whom wasn't doing very well.
"Bring them here. Fish mustn't be taken from the water, my dear. They tend to die." She stretched out her hand and the beautiful fish Hawk's Eye had found floated out of his arms. It's labored breathed was eased when Ringmaster twitched her fingers and it was suddenly inside a large ball of water, floating at face level with Ringmaster. "My, but he is lovely, isn't he? Such soft colors." She brushed her gloved fingers across the surface of the water bubble and the fish swam up to investigate what caused the ripple. "A good choice, my dear. And this one," She turned her attention to the other animal still in Hawk's Eye's arms. It was a tiny thing of lovely orange and black stripes. "Something like a tiger, I think. Not precisely, but very near."
"Are they what you wanted?"
"If they're what you want then, yes." She smiled and told him to follow her. Hawk's Eye did so without question. Once back in her chambers, Ringmaster turned her attention to the beautiful fish. "Be silent for a bit, my dear. This won't take too long." She held her hands out to the fish, palms out. Under her breath she began to whisper and mutter strange words Hawk's Eye just couldn't understand. It didn't even sound like a real language, but something was happening. Light pulsed out from Ringmaster's hands, a soft light that washed over the fish, and with that light, the fish began to change. It twisted and turned in the bubble of water, almost as if it was in pain. Then it began to thrash wildly for just a moment before the movement slowed and stopped altogether. For a terrible moment, Hawk's Eye thought the fish was dead.
Then there was another pulse of light much brighter and the fish was obscured. When Hawk's Eye could see it again, the fish was gone, replaced by a person. It was a boy with pale blue hair with silver threads. The boy had a few scales on his body and webbed fingers with claws. Hawk's Eye smiled. Perfect. His new friend was perfect.
The fish boy was lowered to the floor where Ringmaster quickly covered him with a blanket and held him closely. "There, there." Ringmaster soothed when the fish boy began to whine and wiggling, protesting this new sensation of life. "It's all right. You're safe."
"Does he understand you?"
"No more than you did at first." Ringmaster smiled at him. She picked up the boy in her arms and lay him on her bed. "He'll need to rest for now. Let's see your cat." She repeated the magic transformation with the cat and ended up, again, with a boy. This time, the boy's hair was the color of butter, but he, like Hawk's Eye and the fish boy, also had claws. "We'll have to think of names for them." Ringmaster told Hawk's Eye when she had both of the new boys comfortable on her bed. She thought for a moment, looking intently at Hawk's Eye. "I made them for you. They're my children as much as you are, so I suppose they'll be your brothers. You should all have matching names."
Hawk's Eye nodded, approvingly. "Good. Fish Eye and Tiger's Eye. Right?"
"Right."
End Dream-
Fish Eye-
Fish Eye rubbed the cold white cream on his hands, warming it a bit before he put it on Hawk's Eye's chest. He felt a bit bad doing it and worried that the cold would wake him just when Hawk's Eye had finally gotten to sleep. He needed all the rest he could get with that wound. "Don't cover him up." Fish Eye said when he saw Tiger's Eye going for a blanket at the foot of the bed. "Nothing can touch the wound until it's healed. We can't even bandage it." The burns, they must have been burns, were terrible and Fish Eye winced when he finally put his hands on them. He hated this. He really, really hated it. He could feel the heat of the burns even through the cold healing cream. If it was still hot more than an hour after the punishment then it must have been terrible when it had happened. 'And we couldn't do anything to help.'
Thankfully, Hawk's Eye didn't wake up while he was being tended to. He was still sound asleep when Fish Eye washed his hands carefully clean of the healing cream. While it was excellent stuff for wounds, it was also poisonous if accidentally ingested. "It's started bubbling." Tiger's Eye said, leaning over Hawk's Eye's body.
"Good. That means it's working. It shouldn't be long. A few hours or so." The cream would bubble and then start hissing. It wasn't a very pleasant healing process, but it would work.
"What should we do?" Tiger's Eye asked when Fish Eye came to sit with him. They sat on the bed with Hawk's Eye. Tiger's Eye had a mirror in his hands, studying his own reflection. "It was Jareth."
"I believe you." That didn't help Fish Eye to know what they should do, though. "He didn't recognize you."
"Yeah. That's weird, huh? He'd seen us all. You think he just forgot us? It's been a long time."
"Jareth never seemed the type to forget, did he?" How long had it been? Fish Eye had never tried to count time before, though he knew it was a common practice of Earth people. Had it been years since Ringmaster's death? She'd been cruelly betrayed by a trusted friend on a day that none of her children would ever forget. "Still, I suppose he must have. He wouldn't have attacked you, if he recognized you." It wasn't as if any of them were especially close to Jareth, the goblin King. They really didn't even know him other than on sight. He'd been benevolent towards the circus people for the Ringmaster's sake. If he thought she was gone, then what was to keep him kind? "Maybe things have changed."
"Everything has changed." Tiger's Eye lay down next to Hawk's Eye, though he still kept his mirror right in front of his face. "Jareth attacked me, but he was in that girl's dream. Sarah. He didn't say a thing about Ringmaster and I really think he was just protecting the girl." With a sigh, Tiger's Eye tossed the mirror aside. "I hate mirrors. She is Ringmaster, we both know it."
"We both BELIEVE it." Fish Eye corrected. There was proof of nothing. "I believe, and I think Hawk does, too. There's no way we can prove a thing." But, sometimes, belief was enough. "It would be quite the coincidence that Jareth just happens to be connected to her. He's connected to her dreams, her soul."
"You know it was his fault." Tiger's Eye said with more than a little hint of hate. "He killed her."
"No." Fish Eye corrected quickly. "It wasn't his fault, they were both betrayed. It was that Hoggle creature. What was he, a dwarf? A goblin? Something like that. It was his fault." Of course they knew who'd committed the crime. There wasn't a thing they could do about it, sadly. Hoggle was safe in the Labyrinth and it was likely that Jareth didn't even know he was harboring a murderer. If he knew, then the dwarf was long since dead and the question of revenge was obsolete. "We should go check on Sarah."
Tiger's Eye gave a rough laugh and rolled to his side to look at Fish Eye more closely. He raised a hand to stroke Fish Eye's delicate cheek. "You think those girls would hurt her? She's safe enough. We go to get her and Zerconia will find out. Besides, we can't leave Hawk alone."
"Why not? No one's going to come in here looking for us."
"Unless Zerconia wants to yell at us a bit. What if he sends someone to look for us and they find Hawk here, alone and helpless? Sarah will be safe with those girls for now. We have to wait 'till Hawk wakes up." Tiger's Eye said this was such authority that Fish Eye was startled and just nodded. When Tiger's Eye looked away from him, Fish Eye smiled, but said nothing. Tiger's Eye had made a decision on his own and, right or wrong, Fish Eye was proud of him.
"Fish?"
"Yes?"
"Even if Sarah isn't Ringmaster, I don't care." He nuzzled at Hawk's Eye's neck and gave a little whine of distress. "I think I'd sooner follow her for the rest of my life than Zerconia for another hour. Anyone's better than Zerconia."
Labyrinth-
Jareth-
They appeared in a nondescript hallway of the castle with Jareth holding Toby easily. "It's all right. You can relax. All over." Jareth patted Toby's back, he knew first hand how unnerving it was to make that first journey into the Labyrinth. The sudden vanishing , feeling of weightlessness and nothing, and then to be in the Labyrinth, was an staggering experience.
Toby shivered, not releasing Jareth's shirt from his little fingers. "I didn't like that. I don't want to do it again."
"It gets easier with time." Jareth reassured him. "Next time I'll take you flying, instead. You'll like that, it's much more fun. You were here before. Do you remember? Besides, you'll have to go again if we want to get Sarah. Right?"
Toby nodded, his eyes growing wide as Jareth carried him slowly down the hall. "I think...a little." He kept looking around, though there was little to see. Everything was made out of stone, the walls, floor, and ceiling. It could be changed, of course. The Labyrinth was nothing if not flexible. If he wished for it, the castle could be nothing more than a cozy little cottage with a thatched room and an herb garden. It wasn't as if Jareth really cared about his image. The goblins didn't even know what image was. In fact, there was no one to care but himself. The whole problem was the goblins, really. They didn't have enough will to stay away from him and a small cottage would be quickly overrun by them.
"You still look tired." Jareth said, looking at Toby's bloodshot eyes. He felt badly for waking Toby, but there hadn't been much of a choice. It wasn't as if it was the first time he'd taken a child in the middle of the night. Most of them were quite a bit younger and he hadn't had to worry much as they'd just kept sleeping when he picked them up. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"
Toby looked up at Jareth with suspicious eyes. "You said you'd get sissy. You promised."
"And I will, as soon as she tells me she wants to come." Of course that wouldn't happen, but why upset the child? Sarah wouldn't want to come with him anywhere, let alone make herself helpless in his world by voluntarily going with him. "You need to get some sleep. We'll go find your sissy later, when you've rested."
"I'm not that tired." Toby protested, though it was obviously a lie. The boy seemed very light, though solid. He was soft and Jareth liked that softness. It made Toby so easy to cuddle and he did just that, letting Toby snuggle into his chest while he carried him. The halls of the castle were rarely empty, but Jareth had arrived in the inner rooms of the castle, the rooms which were his and his alone. Of course, really, all the rooms were his. The whole castle was his. The whole of the Labyrinth was his...in a way.
He had a hard time keeping his eyes on Jareth, though. Everywhere they went, there seemed to be someone or something watching them. Reptilian birds soared through the skies of the Labyrinth and Toby stretched his neck to look at them every time they passed a window. In the halls were occasional goblins who chanced a glance at the new person their king had brought home as well as other creatures. Jareth even frowned to see a fairy fluttering in a dark corner. He would have to get Hoggle in to clear them out before it became an infestation. It was a nasty little job, but Hoggle enjoyed it.
After a short walk, Jareth turned a corner and all signs of life vanished. They were alone in this private part of the castle. His personal rooms were jealously guarded, a retreat away from the creatures he guarded and his responsibilities to them. Once they reached Jareth's bedchambers, he conjured a crystal and threw it to an empty space in the corner of the room. As soon as he released his will upon it, the crystal burst and left a child sized bed with heavy quilts and soft pillows.
"There," Jareth said, setting Toby down on the little bed. "How do you like it? It's yours, for now, at least." Toby would only need it for the time being. Only until Jareth found a way to help Sarah.
"It's nice. When are you going to get sissy?" Toby asked, yawing widely. It seemed that Toby had a one track mind, just like his sister.
"I'll let her know that you're with me. I'm sure she's worried by now. I have to check on her anyway." And may the fates protect anyone who would have harmed Sarah while he was gone. Not that Jareth had any kind of lingering tender feelings for her. No, he was just territorial. Sarah belonged to him and, therefore, it was unforgivable that anyone would lay hands on her.
Odd bit of logic.
Toby yawned and lay his head back, apparently accepting Jareth's words. "Okay. But can I have breakfast when I wake up? Sarah makes me eggs and sausages. Sometimes orange juice."
"Anything you like." Contrary to what many creatures thought, Jareth really was very fond of children. If he wasn't, he'd have gone mad long ago. Sad, really. All the children who'd been wished away over the years. Even now, when Jareth looked at his hordes of idiot goblins in the rude town surrounding the castle, that they were still children. Only their bodies had changed shape. That was why they acted the way they did, they still had the minds of whatever age they'd been when he took them. A two year old would stay a two year old, no matter what their shape might be. Their fighting, their inability to remember beyond a day or so, their sloth, everything was just how a child or an infant would behave. They had no concept of right or wrong or why it was important to keep themselves clean. They'd never learned good manners or how to 'play nice'. Some of them couldn't even speak., they'd been so young when he'd taken them.
If he kept Toby, then he would turn Toby into one of his creatures. It was either change him or let him die and Jareth wasn't willing to do that to any child. The Labyrinth wasn't able to support human life. There was something about the Labyrinth that made it impossible for humans to survive there more than a few precious hours. After that, they had to be modified into something that could live in the Labyrinth's confines. Thus, the goblins. Jareth really didn't know why, but there was something in the air or water. Maybe it was more basic than that. Maybe Labyrinth simply didn't like humans. Jareth didn't know and he wasn't going to ask.
Toby might not even turn into a goblin. He could turn into a dwarf or maybe something entirely new. It wasn't unheard of for one of the new children to turn into something unique. It wasn't even Jareth's decision. He just released the power and Labyrinth shaped the child according to its wishes, not his. For all Jareth knew, Labyrinth would turn Toby into more walleyes. The plant-like eyes that grew on the stone walls of Labyrinth. They were useful, as Jareth could pluck images from any part of Labyrinth to see what was going on, but what a miserable existence. It was closer to being torture than Jareth liked to think about. Forever stuck in one place without ability to move or speak or even hear. Just to see. Jareth liked to think that the walleyes couldn't think, that perhaps Labyrinth was merciful enough to extinguish their consciousness. That would be kinder than leaving them as children who remembered running and playing. To extinguish a consciousness, though...that was close to murder.
The murder of a child.
Jareth shook his head and tried to rid himself of the morbid thoughts. 'What's gotten into me? I thought I was passed this.' It had been a very long time since he'd thought along these lines. He couldn't afford the depression it brought and, more importantly, Labyrinth didn't like him thinking like that.
"What's wrong?" Toby hadn't yet fallen asleep, though he was getting the dazed look a human usually got just before they succumbed to sleep.
"Nothing." A blatant lie. Well, it wasn't the first he'd told. He intended to leave Toby as soon as the child fell asleep, so he could take a look and find Sarah and see if she was safe, but as tired as he was, Toby didn't fall right to sleep. "I'm just thinking?"
"About sissy?"
"A little."
Toby nodded with the wisdom of a child. "Good. Sissy thinks about you a lot, too. She tells me stories about here. I think it's about here." He smiled, trusting as only a child can trust. "She tells me stories about magic and dwarfs and goblins and a king. She always tells me stories before bedtime." Something must have happened in his mind because Jareth saw something change in Toby's eyes. Like a connection was made. "It's bedtime now. I want a story."
Jareth raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Please? Sissy always does." He looked at Jareth with such innocent, pleading eyes, that Jareth was sure it was some kind of magic. He felt his resistance crumble. It was no glamour, Jareth knew, but just a child's wiles. Jareth really didn't have time for a story, though.
"I'm afraid I have to hurry. We want to know that Sarah's safe, don't we? Would music do, instead?" Music, he could do, easily. When Toby nodded Jareth conjured a crystal and let it float just a few inches above the palm of his gloved hand. This was a subtle magic, but rather easy. "Here." Jareth handed the sphere to Toby and the moment it touched his hands, the crystal began to glow and color swirled within it. Soft greens and pale pink mixed with gentle waves of yellow. Along with the moving colors there was a delicate music, like velvet, flowing from the crystal. There were no words, but the music itself was like a story. So long as Toby held it, the music would never repeat itself and keep changing the slow, dreamy melody.
"Wow." Toby breathed with a delighted smile. He settled back and held the crystal in both hands as he held it above his face. Finally, his eyes started to droop at the soft music though his smile didn't fade at all. "You made it."
"Yes, I did." Jareth couldn't help smiling. It was really no wonder that Sarah doted on this child so fiercely. Jareth was just getting comfortable when he felt a familiar sort of caress at the back of his neck. Like an invisible hand with dozens of fingers, it tickled at his skin. The feeling went much deeper than that, however. The fingers felt as if they sunk through his skin until they reached his spine and rubbed it, fondly. Jareth put a gloved hand on Toby's hair. "I must leave, but I promise I'll come back." The urgent fingers struck again, turning rough on his spine and Jareth winced. It wasn't exactly pain, but the feeling certainly wasn't pleasant. He knew, from experience, that the feeling would only get worse the longer he tried to ignore it. Labyrinth seriously disliked being ignored.
Toby nodded, but asked, "Are you okay? You don't look so good."
"Don't worry about me. Try to sleep and we can find Sarah when you wake up."
Toby kept his eyes on the crystal and Jareth knew he'd found the right toy. He had complete faith that Toby would be asleep in a matter of minutes and blew out the candles before he left the chambers. Jareth made sure he locked the door to his chambers so Toby wouldn't be disturbed as he slept. There was no reason to take the chance of Toby wandering off while Jareth was away.
"Your majesty?"
Jareth's most faithful retainer, Hoggle was as pathetic as ever, but he was, by far, the most useful person in the realm of the Labyrinth. Hoggle was a coward and a simpering sycophant by nature. He was also unfailingly loyal (but for that one incident with Sarah) and intelligent, traits that Jareth valued highly. A foul looking dwarf, short even for a dwarf, Hoggle was a sly, quick creature. He walked with a noticeable limp and it was that limp that kept Hoggle, normally, as far from Jareth as possible. Jareth was the only one who knew why Hoggle limped, but it was a painful story for Jareth. Ancient history, if one were thinking entirely about years, but the memory was still a raw wound in Jareth's heart.
"Yes?" The truth was that just looking at Hoggle made Jareth remember things he'd rather forget. It was so painful that Jareth had exiling poor Hoggle to door duty, a punishment that Hoggle didn't deserve. The most mind-numbingly boring job that one could imagine had to be door duty. All Hoggle did, all day, every day, was keep down the plague of fairies and answer the questions of anyone who happened to come to the great gate at the beginning of the Labyrinth. He would let them in and then lead them out, a long practiced deceit.
Hoggle looked away from Jareth's hard face, hunching over even more, if that was even possible. "I've done what you said, your majesty." Hoggle gave a meek, quick bow, nearly doubling over in the effort. "Saw where they taken her 'n all." He was naturally a hunchback, his spine having been unfortunately twisted from birth, and Labyrinth hadn't chosen to correct it. He was an ugly person with an ugly sense of humor and an even more vile compulsion to collect pretty things.
"I didn't ask you to watch Sarah." Jareth snapped. "I know where she is. I want to know where that other creature went. Did you find any sign of it?" That blonde creature and its two companions. As far from human as Jareth was, the only similarity was physically. Their motives were completely unknown and that, more than their apparent power, worried him.
Hoggle didn't look up, a bad sign. "Found 'em lurking around. Not them, rightly, but...well...traces of 'em. They were around. Then they just vanished."
Jareth sneered and put both hands on his hips, looking at Hoggle in disbelieve. "I find it hard to believe that you've lost track of them."
For the first time, Hoggle looked up, defiantly. It was a look that Jareth didn't get to see often. "I didn't lose 'em! It's jus' like I said. They vanished. Puff!" He threw his arms wide to illustrate "They handed the little missy off to some human females and..."
"They weren't human, but do continue."
The soft interruption was enough to remind Hoggle who he was speaking to and Hoggle froze. He licked his lips with a fat tongue and seemed to shrink inward on himself. He had good cause to be afraid. He was intelligent and that meant he understood the vast power Jareth had at his disposal. He remembered, whereas most other creatures in Labyrinth didn't. Hoggle remembered what happened when Jareth was angered and he worked very hard to make sure Jareth didn't get angry. "Well...they watched and handed 'er over. Then they walked away 'n they was gone."
"That's all?" Jareth had expected more from Hoggle. There was a reason why it was Hoggle whose job it was to follow the Labyrinth's challengers around. He had an uncanny ability to find what he wanted to find, whether it was a lost challenger or a pretty bit of jewelry. Hoggle could find anything. It was an unusual and very useful talent. That he couldn't find the mysterious trio was highly unusual. That he had been defeated in something that involved Sarah was positively shocking.
Hoggle scuffled his feet and inched away from Jareth. "I'm still looking. Ain't givin' up on the little missy." He made as if to leave, but Jareth caught him by the ear and stopped him.
"I don't think so." Jareth squatted down so he could look Hoggle right in the eyes. Just as Jareth had known it would, it only made Hoggle more nervous and Hoggle squirmed, trying to get away from the fingers pinching his ear. "We both know that if you haven't found them by now, you won't until they want to be found. It all makes me very curious. So long as they stay away from Sarah, though, I really don't care where they are." The chances of them keeping away from Sarah, after going to her twice, was very slim. "I want you to go to Sarah and keep watch over her. Don't interfere and don't let yourself be seen. Those girls who have Sarah have power, but you should be able to evade them."
Hoggle nodded as best as he could with his ear still held prisoner. "Yes, yes your majesty. Sure will."
"This mission won't last long. I will return Toby to her shortly." The invisible fingers pulled at his spine, almost painfully, and Jareth released Hoggle.
"You took 'im again?!" Hoggle was startled enough to stare openly and quite rudely at Jareth. "Gor, little missy's gonna pitch a fit."
"Yes. I expect she will." He didn't mind. Sarah looked rather fetching when her eyes flashed and her cheeked turned pink. "At any rate, you keep those squinty eyes of yours on her. Alert me if any of those three who attacked her the first time try to contact her again. Here," He tossed a crystal to Hoggle and Hoggle peered into it as the faces of the three Jareth had seen before appeared in it. The pink haired man, the blue haired one, and the man with long yellow hair whom Jareth had nearly killed. When the crystal dissolved in Hoggle's small, warty hand he nodded his understanding and Jareth watched his most intelligent subject scamper away down the hallways.
They would try again. Why wouldn't they if Sarah was still vulnerable and injured?
Jareth disliked mysteries. First, the blonde man was trying to see into Sarah's soul and had managed to sneak a peek into the realm of the Labyrinth. Then three of them saved Sarah and took her away from that sad excuse of a family. Now, they managed to slip away from Hoggle. What were they? Not human. Not any kind of fey that existed on Earth. They weren't overtly malicious, but they had frightened Sarah. How had Sarah led that blonde one to the Labyrinth?
To many questions and not enough answers.
The pull on his spine was becoming a dull ache and Jareth muttered, "All right, all right. I'm coming. Honestly, give a person time to think, won't you?"
Jareth was not a free man. He hadn't been free since the first day he'd set foot in the realm of the Labyrinth and it was his master he was summons to meet. Through the halls of the castle to the Room of Stairs. If the Room of Stairs, where Sarah had begun the final ordeal of the Labyrinth, was the heart of the Labyrinth, then the spirit was something deeper. To find the spirit, one had to go through the Room of Stairs. Sarah had once found the perfect way of doing that when she'd come to rescue her brother. It was the same path Jareth followed as soon as he entered the Room of Stairs.
Jareth ignored the stairs to his right and went straight ahead, stopping only when he reached the edge. There it was. Below there were more stairs, endless stairs, and an impossible distance to jump. To jump would mean death. Jareth stepped off the landing and plummeted into empty space. It was a true leap of faith. He believed he would be safe, therefore he would be. Sarah had believed she could reach her brother, therefore she had. When Jareth's feet hit the ground, he was no longer in the Room of Stairs, but in a different place.
There were no walls, no ceiling. Blocks of stone floated aimlessly in the air as if a child had stopped built a castle of blocks and left the extra pieces strewn on the floor. In this place there was a feeling of age and pressure. There was a force pressing on Jareth and making his skin tingle. It was as if the invisible fingers on his spine had multiplied and now ran over his flesh, tantalizingly. There was no pain, now. It was one of the benefits of belonging to Labyrinth. It saw Jareth as its own plaything and sought to give Jareth pleasure, when he deserved it. Still, Jareth dreading what he would be commanded to do. It was never good, when Labyrinth wished to speak to him.
The child is mine, I claim him. The voice spoke and it was like a summer breeze, brushing lightly against Jareth's face.
Jareth trembled at the words. "The child is weak." He replied, keeping his voice calm. "He is dependant on his sister and without her, he would be useless. I respectfully advice against this."
As I knew you would, my pet. Do you forget so easily that you are mine? I know your thoughts and your reasoning. You would not have the child hate you, nor would you wish the ill will of his sister, the astonishing Sarah.
Jareth wanted to protest, but it would do no good. What Labyrinth wanted, it got. Jareth made sure of it. This time, though, Jareth had delivered what Labyrinth wanted right into its clutches. The many fingered hand at the back of Jareth's neck began to rub up and down, soothingly.
Do not worry, so, my pet. I would not have our dear Toby altered. At least, not in the way you are thinking." The fingers moved up to his face, stroking gently. "You have been too long alone and I think this solitude does you harm. One day, perhaps soon, you will long from release from me. You will desire the company of your own kind and then I should be alone. I can not allow that. What would happen to me without my pet? The child will be your replacement.
Jareth's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "No."
You defy me? The tender touch was gone and agony shot through Jareth's body. He stiffened and fought to cry out against the pain. Every inch of him felt like he was on fire, a nightmarish fire that sunk clear down to the bone. When it was gone, he fell to his hands and knees, panting. His long hair fell over his face and he was glad for the illusion of privacy. He didn't like to be seen so graceless.
"No." Jareth breathed as soon as he could force the words out. The fire was gone and the pain was fleeing. In another moment, he would feel as if nothing had happened. "I obey your command."
Yes. Jareth was a coward. He feared the pain that only Labyrinth could inflict. This wasn't even the worst of the pain. There had been other times when he'd been punished so badly that he couldn't walk away and had to stay in this place until he healed. Other times when his screams echoed in his ears for days and afterwards he would suffer nightmares so real that he would wake crying. He was a coward. He would obey and Labyrinth would have Toby, no matter the pain it would cause Toby or Sarah. If he did refuse, absolutely refuse and send Toby back to Earth, then...Jareth wasn't certain what would happen. He had never dared to so openly rebel. It was likely that he couldn't and that Labyrinth would have Toby despite Jareth's will.
Cools fingers touched his face and wounded softly through his coarse hair, a master petting its dog. Hold out your arms.
Jareth sat up straight and did as he was told, holding both arms before him. In an instant, Toby was there, sleeping so soundly that he didn't wake until Jareth curled his arms around the boy and held him close. Blonde curls and soft little mouth...Toby would hate him for this.
"Jareth?" Toby woken and looked around, confused. "What's happening?"
"Something important. Please, stay still and try to relax." He wanted to apologize for what was about to happen, but feared that would only frighten Toby. It had frightened him when he was the one being held and his predecessor, Han'nin, had apologized with tears in his eyes for what was about to happen. A metamorphosis. Had he once looked so innocent as Toby did? Had Han'nin wished for things to be different back then? "I won't leave you. I promise I won't leave you."
Toby clutched Jareth's hand as tightly as he could. "I don't want to be here. I wanna go back to bed?" It seemed that Jareth had picked the wrong thing to say after all.
Jareth couldn't muster a smile, not even to reassure Toby. Instead, he squeezed the little hand curled around his shirt and let Toby sit on his lap. "We can't go back to bed, yet. In just a little while we can. Everything will be alright. I know it's frightening, but I will be with you." What hypocrisy. There was nothing he could do to keep Toby safe in what was about to come. Nothing he could do to change what his master desired.
"Okay." Toby nodded, though his little body started to shake and he began to curl up, pulling his knees up to his chest and his chin down while turning even closer to Jareth, pressing his face against Jareth's chest. He felt unbelievably fragile. "I don't like it. It feels funny."
"Just hold on a little. It won't last long." At least it hadn't in Jareth's memory. It had only taken a few moments when he'd gone through it. He couldn't promise Toby that it wouldn't hurt. Changes were always painful. Because there was nothing he could do to protect the child in his arms, Jareth held him a little tighter and watched his face when the 'funny' feeling started to fade into pain. If he couldn't stop the pain, he felt bound to at least witness it.
Toby began to whimper and Jareth felt a ripple run down Toby's body. Not a shiver, but something deeper. Like the wave of the ocean, the force was physical and washed through Toby's entire body. His eyes rolled once and then the tears started. He sobbed unashamed and unable to speak through the pain. It went on for a relatively short time, but it was more than long enough. No one should have to see a child in pain.
When it stopped, Jareth knew at once. The power which rolled around Toby flared one last time, dragging an ear piercing scream from Toby's lips, before it left him, fading slightly as it went. Toby's mouth was, he'd screamed so loudly that he'd ripped the skin at the corners of his lips. He was now a limp weight in Jareth's arms and his eyes closed. He'd passed out.
'I woke up in the garden with Han'nin. A full day had passed and I cried in his lap because everything hurt so much.'
Jareth stood slowly, refusing to let himself shake. Of course, Labyrinth would know what he was feeling and how much its power had affect him, but he would not let it show. Pride. Useless, but still worth clinging to.
Let him rest, my pet.
"Yes." Jareth blinked and found himself in his own bedchambers again. Toby was still unconscious and his hand was starting to loosen from Jareth's shirt. There was nothing to do but put Toby to bed and hope for the best when he woke. When he, again, covered Toby up, Toby's eyes opened, surprising Jareth. "I didn't think you'd wake so quickly. How do you feel?"
Toby didn't answer. His eyes roved around the room very slowly before they focused on Jareth and those eyes were filled with pain. Jareth had expected that. What he wasn't expecting was that Toby's clear blue eyes were changed. Now, like Jareth, his eyes were mismatched green and brown.
Jareth shouldn't have been surprised. He had a vague memory of himself having hazel eyes before Han'nin had brought him to Labyrinth. It was just another change. That and the feeling of untapped power boiling inside of Toby.
'How am I going to explain this to Sarah?' Jareth pulled the blankets tightly around Toby's neck and pushed the thought aside. 'It doesn't matter what she thinks. She's nothing, just a human. She's mine, my toy. The only interesting thing that's happened around here for ages. She's nothing.' He HAD to embrace to that thought. Any idea that Sarah might be more than a pretty toy or an fascinating challenge was too much betrayal.
The moon was full, it always was. The crystal moon like glowing glass sphere was not just a some rock hung in space. The crystal moon was a gateway into the Labyrinth. Jareth didn't understand how it worked, only that it did. Or rather, that it had. No one had used that gateway for many, many years. Too many years to count. No one knew how to use that gateway. The fact was that the gateway wasn't a natural part of Labyrinth. Labyrinth had given its consent to having the gateway established, otherwise it couldn't have been done, but it had not made it.
"How did you do it, Sarah?" Jareth leaned on the window with both hands as he gazed out at the crystal moon. "How did you gain control of her power?"
When Toby woke up properly, it was a new day and his training had to begin. First thing, some hard truths. Jareth started before Toby even got out of bed. Best to get this sort of thing over with.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sore." Toby rolled his shoulders and rubbed the palms of his hands together. "I feel funny all over. Like I have bugs walking on me."
"That is Labyrinth's power. It has chosen you, Toby. Remember when you and I were in that strange place? When you started hurting so badly?" Toby shuddered and Jareth knew he remembered. "That place was Labyrinth and it wanted you to stay here. Labyrinth doesn't ask before it does, so it changed you. Now you have to stay here." How cruel was it to tell a child so bluntly that he couldn't be with the person he loved most? Again, how cruel would it be to wait and let him have the false hope? "This is your home now. You can't go back."
Toby's mouth was open as he tried to understand. "But...sissy..."
"We can go visit, if you like. I know where she is. She's safe, but hurt and worried about you. After you visit, you have to come back with me, though. You can't stay with her." Jareth kept his face carefully controlled and waited for the outburst he knew was coming.
"Then sissy can come live here, too."
"No, she can't. This place isn't healthy for Sarah. Living here will hurt her and you don't want to hurt your sissy, do you?"
Toby's face ran the gauntlet of emotions until he settled on anger. Toby, it seemed, had grown out of his screaming phase while still a child. Jareth had expected Toby to lash out with yelling and tears, a full-blown tantrum. It was what he'd done when he had been in Toby's position. Instead, Toby glared blackly at Jareth and abruptly turned around, facing the wall.
"Toby?"
Toby crossed his arms and didn't answer. Ah, the silent treatment.
"When you're ready to go see your sissy, let me know." Jareth stood up and went to sit in his chair by the fireplace. He could wait. They had all the time in the world.
It turned out that Toby had remarkable endurance and Jareth was half-way through a book when he felt a little hand on his elbow. "I wanna see sissy."
"All right, then." Jareth stood up, setting his book aside. "Firstly, you'll have to learn to use a bit of that power you have. This is something simple. I want you to do what I do." A simple thought was all that was needed and Jareth was in his favorite form of a large white owl. He couldn't describe it any better than that, there were no words to tell Toby how to change his shape. Fortunately, it was logical enough for a child.
Toby puzzled over it a bit, before he figured it out. He was, no doubt, able to feel Jareth's power as easily as Jareth could feel Toby's. It was only reasonable that Toby could understand exactly what Jareth had done. Toby's transformation was slower, more awkward, but the end result was very good. A small brown owl. Toby hadn't copied exactly, but, except for the color and size, everything looked perfect. For a first try, it was excellent.
"Now we fly." He took Toby for a few practice flights around the castle before leading him outside and to the mortal world.
It wasn't long before Jareth perched in an old tree with Toby at his side. It was the first 'trick' Toby had learned, the ability to shift his shape. It seemed only natural that Jareth teach Toby to take the shape of an owl. It was nicely inconspicuous and very mobile. In time it was likely that Toby would chose a favorite animal shape, just as Jareth had. Han'nin had favored the shape of a house cat. It was only preference that made Jareth chose an owl.
"Reach out to her, Toby." Jareth whispered. "Try to find your sissy."
Toby had taken the shape of a very small brown barn owl. He'd done it almost perfectly the first time. "How?" Toby looked around, made all the more interesting for him because now he could actually look behind himself. "You said you already knew where she was."
"I do, but you have to learn to do this. Just try. Think of her and think about how she makes you feel. You'll know where she is." Toby would have to start learning to understand and also use his power or it would consume him. This was how Han'nin had done it. Little lessons first, big ones later when he became more settled.
Toby took on a thoughtful expression. "I think I found her. It feels like she's that way. Over there." He flapped his wings, obviously still thinking that he could act like a human and just point his finger. Wings didn't work right for that.
"Good. Go to her, she's worried about you." Toby went and Jareth followed closely behind. Toby was still too young to know to watch out for predators. Away from Labyrinth he could die as easily as any mortal and little Toby's owl shape was a tempting treat to a passing hawk. They finally reached a large house which Jareth recognized as a kind of temple. Sarah was most definitely in there. Further proof was given when he saw, just outside an open window, Hoggle crouched down in what must have been a terribly uncomfortable position. He would stay there until Sarah moved or Jareth changed his orders.
"I HAVE to go back with you?" Toby asked, looking longingly at the open window. He knew Sarah was in there just as surely as Jareth did.
"Yes."
"Sissy will cry. She loves me."
"I know. If you don't go see her, she'll be even sadder. You go visit her and if she wants to see me, she'll call for me. After your visit, we must go back." Jareth looked away from Toby, back to the house that was sheltering Sarah and thought about the girl. Brave and strong, it was no wonder Toby would rather be with Sarah. "I understand that you don't want to come back, but..."
"But I do!"
"What?"
"I like turning into a bird." Toby sounded very sure. "I like your big castle and the magic bubble that plays music. I like the goblins and all your chickens. I like you. I don't like that room that hurt me and I REALLY don't like that I can't live with sissy. I want to go with you, but I want sissy, too."
"I wish I could give you both."
"Can't sissy visit?" His tone said that it wasn't good enough. He didn't want just visits, he wanted Sarah all the time.
"If she wants to." Yes, it would be good to have Sarah closer at hand. She belonged to him and if she was closer he could make sure no one laid hands on her again. So long as she didn't try to subvert Hoggle anymore than she already had. He was one of the few useful subjects he had. She'd already taken away the loyalty of Sir Didymus and the brute, Ludo.
Toby gave the owl equivalent of a smile and flew to a tree nearer the large house, just outside an open window. "She's here! She's here!"
Jareth didn't want to follow, but he would have to talk to Sarah sooner or later. Toby wouldn't be able to explain what was going on, he didn't understand it completely, either. He flew and landed next to Toby and there was Sarah. She looked cleaner and taken care of. Someone had the sense to take care of her wounds, that was good. She was sitting up and talking with the same girls Jareth had seen when he'd watched her earlier, though they were now out of those obscene outfits and wearing decent clothes.
Whatever they were talking about ended when Sarah happened to look up and spy Jareth and Toby. Toby couldn't contain himself any longer and took off. He transformed back to his human-like shape as soon as he rammed into Sarah, almost knocking her down.
Jareth could only watch for a minute before he took off, flying away from them. Away from Sarah.
'I do NOT care for her! She's not Ring!' But it was getting harder to ignore what he felt. Sarah was just a girl, she couldn't replace the one great love of his life. The pain clawing at his chest wasn't the touch of Labyrinth. It was the ache of memory and grief that had never quite faded. He'd felt it the moment he'd first seen her while she was playing dress-up in the park, wearing a gown that his love would never have worn. Sarah's eyes were so like Ring's eyes. Dead and dust, a treasure in his heart. No one could compare to Ringmaster. They had been perfectly suited to each other in every way. They were even the same type of creatures and spent every moment they could together.
So why was Jareth thinking about Sarah so much, lately? Why the rage when she'd been beaten? How could she open the gateway Ringmaster left behind?
No time for self-pity or reflection. He'd left Toby back there with those girls of questionable motives. Time to go back and, if nothing else, keep watch over the new prince of the Labyrinth.
To be continued...
Till next time, readers...
