Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Author's Notes: I told you the next part would be longer! Anyway, a warning that I forgot to issue in the first part- this is not a nice-Jareth fic. Jareth is not nice at all- as you will see in this part. In fact, Jareth is probably nastier in this than he was in the film. I worked on the basis that he would probably be feeling bitter- Labyrinth being solved, Sarah rejecting his love, etc- and that's sort of why he's so nasty in this. I'll explore Jareth's reasons for his actions in more detail later in the fic- so please, no "You made Jareth too evil, we hunt you down with big sharp axes" (Although heavy blunt instruments are acceptable) . Also, at the other end of the spectrum, for those who have seen "Merlin" and think I'm not making Mab nasty enough, I am trying my hardest to avoid making her suddenly angelic, even though I don't think she was completely evil in the film. Once Frik and Merlin come into it she'll get plenty nasty and scheming again, but in this part Jareth has her at a disadvantage.
Thanks to Midnight Lady for reviewing! I actually think Merlin and Labyrinth cross over without too much difficulty- the idea of magic and other realms.
Chapter 1: Offers from an Old Friend
"Hello, Mab," said Jareth. "It's been a long time."
Evidently, it wasn't a joke.
"Jareth," she acknowledged coldly, glaring up at him. Of all the humans, demons, and other assorted beings that she would rather not bump into whilst in her current pitiful state, Jareth was right up there at the top. In fact, he also topped the list of people she would rather not have bumped into at all, in any state. She couldn't stand him. Arrogant and overly flashy, the Goblin King had been a thorn in Mab's side for as long as she could remember, mostly as an overly pushy admirer. Others might find Jareth handsome, and desire his attention, personally, Mab found him just plain irritating, and most of the time she wished he would meet a particularly nasty end. She would have been much happier without his attention. She thought he was petty, cruel, arrogant, up himself, nasty, devious- the list went on.
She could tell he was expecting her to say more- ask him what he was doing here, tell him to go away, or perhaps fling herself upon his mercy and ask him to get her out of this hellish existence. Mab snorted at the last thought.
"Well," she thought, "He'll have a long wait then, won't he?" And, sure enough, right on cue:
"Well, aren't you going to ask me what I'm here for?" Jareth asked, in his usual laid-back, arrogant tone. Mab pretended to ponder the question for a moment.
"No," she replied. He laughed.
"I see you haven't changed, Mab." Something about his tone made her hackles rise.
"I see you haven't changed either. Pity." she retorted. He just laughed again. She glared at him.
"You'll forgive me for not asking how you are," Jareth continued, "But," and at this he swept his arm around, indicating the area, "Under the circumstances, I didn't think you'd appreciate the question."
"Jareth, if you just came here to laugh at me, then I advise you to stop wasting your time and go back to that pit you call a kingdom. If you came to tell or ask me something, then get on with it." Mab snapped. Jareth shrugged.
"Very well. Actually, I did want to talk to you about something. I have a…" Jareth trailed off, "Sorry. I'm just not used to having to talk down at you."
"Oh, please excuse me for disturbing your fascinating discourse," Mab snapped sarcastically, pulling herself to her feet using the tree behind her, ignoring the hand Jareth held out to her. She hated the mocking laughter hidden behind Jareth's words. What right had he to laugh at her? He whose magical powers and skills had always been second to hers. He whose existence was so selfish and pointless. "Well?" she demanded. "What did you have to tell me?"
"I have a proposition for you." Mab's eyes narrowed.
"What kind of proposition?"
"I thought we could discuss it privately. Where we don't have all these…creatures staring at us." Mab glanced beyond Jareth, and saw that he spoke the truth- now that Jareth had struck up a conversation with her, she had become part of the focus of the staring and gossiping of the other travellers. She shot them all a glare which would have cut through diamond. Jareth gestured in the opposite direction from the curious crowds. "Shall we?" Mab shrugged indifferently- personally, she didn't see why Jareth couldn't make his "proposal", whatever it was, here, but he always had been prone to the dramatic- and went to step forward, once again ignoring the arm Jareth held out to her. However, as soon as she leant her weight on her injured ankle, a jolt of pain ran through it and it gave way. She gave a gasp of pain as she pitched forward. Jareth caught her before she hit the ground, and pulled her upright again (but, Mab noted with not inconsiderable irritation, leaving his arm wrapped around her waist once he had done so.) He smirked again.
"Very well," he said, unperturbed, "Since walking would seem to be off the agenda, we'll just have to improvise." He took out one of his crystal balls.
"You can't use magic here. There's nothing to draw power from." Mab informed Jareth.
"These crystals draw power from themselves, Mab, just as yours did in the Land of Magic. Surely you knew that," Jareth replied silkily. Mab glowered at him again.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, glancing at the crystal in his hand.
"You'll see," he replied, "Hold on tight." Mab stared questioningly at him. He turned to the gaggle of travellers behind them. "Goodbye all," he said, waving dramatically, before flinging the crystal ball to the ground. Mab rolled her eyes again at Jareth's pointless theatricals, before realising what he had said, and then what he was about to do. She gripped Jareth's shoulders tightly just as the crystal shattered on the ground, and suddenly, with a flash of light and a cloud of smoke they vanished.
Mab felt as though she'd been caught up in a hurricane. A force tore her and Jareth from where they stood, and suddenly they were flying through pitch blackness, lit only by the occasional flash of bluish lightening. Winds tore around them, pushing them along and spinning them around with dizzying, stomach-churning force, and causing Mab's waist length black hair to fly out behind her. She hated travelling through the vortex. She longed for the days when she'd been able to teleport herself wherever she needed to go. Clinging tightly to Jareth to prevent herself from being torn away from him and ending up Goddess-knows-where, one thought remained in the forefront of her mind.
"I am going to kill him when we get there. I am going to strangle him with my bare hands".
They landed suddenly and hard. Mab felt pain rush through her ankle again, and the room seemed to be spinning- though she realised that was due to her dizziness, and not to any motion of the room. She released Jareth as if she had just discovered that she'd been clinging to an angry scorpion. His arm remained around her waist.
"Let go of me, Jareth," Mab ordered, "I can stand by myself, you know." Jareth shrugged.
"As you wish." He let her go, and she promptly fell down. She heard Jareth snicker behind her. Waiting until the room stopped spinning around her, she pulled herself to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster, and turned to face him.
"Now. What. Do. You. Want." Mab hissed through gritted teeth. Jareth smiled at her before sauntering over to a chair and sitting on it. Evidently he intended to make himself feel at home.
"Now, now, Mab. Patience is a virtue, you know. What was the point in coming to a nice room with comfy chairs if you just want to stand up and leave as quickly as possible?"
"I've never found patience to be a virtue when you're involved, Jareth," Mab replied, "Where are we?" He shrugged.
"Nowhere. A room plucked out of somewhere in time, because I knew you wouldn't want to go to the Underground. Are you going to sit down?" Mab sat down in the nearest chair.
"I'm sitting. Now, is it within the realms of possibility that you might tell me what your 'proposal' is, or will there be any more pointless delays?" Jareth went to open his mouth, when a small goblin appeared in the room. Mab gritted her teeth. More delay, and a goblin for company. The denizens of Jareth's kingdom were truly revolting.
"Your Highness," it babbled in a high-pitched squeaky voice, rushing over to Jareth, "Your Highness, there is a fight going on in the Goblin City- someone let the Fireys in again, and they're causing chaos!" Jareth stood up, turning to Mab.
"It appears I've been unavoidably called away. My apologies. I'll return shortly." Mab stood, and went to demand that he stay and tell her what he wanted, but he'd already vanished. She sat down again.
"He's enjoying this," she snarled mentally. Finally, the full extent of her exhaustion from walking through the void between worlds, and then travelling through the vortex caught up with her, and she rested her head back against a cushion and fell into blissful unconsciousness.
Mab opened her eyes later to find Jareth standing over her, watching her intensely. Embarrassed that he'd seen her show any sign of weakness and tiredness, she scrambled to sit up.
"Oh, please don't," drawled Jareth, "You look utterly charming when you're asleep." Mab shot him another glare, but her brain was still too busy waking up to think of a comeback. Jareth continued, "Even if you do talk in your sleep. What was it you were saying?" He asked, partly to himself, as though he was trying to remember, ""Merlin"? "Mordred"? Something along those lines, anyway." Mab froze. Merlin and Mordred- her two creations, one of whom had betrayed her, the other of whom had died, and who she had been unable to save. She couldn't think of either of them without it hurting, and Jareth's cruel reminder tore raw wounds at her heart. Overcome with the sudden urge to hurt Jareth back, she asked in a voice of pure poison.
"How is the Underground doing, Jareth? I recall something about someone solving your Labyrinth. A mortal girl. You're slipping, Jareth, you always boasted that it would never happen. Mind you, having a magical maze is one matter, but if you don't have the power and skill to keep it running, these things will happen." The last remark elicited a glare from Jareth. A vicious kind of triumph filled Mab's mind. One point to her. Then, astonishingly, Jareth smiled.
"Well, then, perhaps you'll be able to make some improvements to it." Mab stared at him, nonplussed. "Mab, you've lost everything- your kingdom, your sovereignty, your home. You can't tell me you like your life currently?"
"Of course not!" Mab snapped. If Jareth had just brought her here to rub salt in her wounds she really would hurt him.
"Then change it." Jareth said simply. He leaned in closer to her. "I can help you."
"Oh? And how do you propose to do that?" Mab asked sarcastically.
"Be mine. Be mine, and I will make you the Queen of the Underground."
There was total silence for a few moments. Mab stared at Jareth. He couldn't be serious. Of all the things she had expected him to suggest, this had not been one of them.
"You are joking?" Mab said slowly. Jareth shook his head.
"Why should I be? It makes sense. I desire you, I've never made a secret of it. And you're right, running the Underground is becoming harder- more anger in families, more people wishing their siblings- sometimes even themselves- away, and yet, fewer believers. Fewer people willing to admit to the existence of goblins or faeries, or those like you and I. I could use a co-ruler. And you, of course, will once more be a queen. You'll have your powers back; you'll be able to rule over the Underground. And you won't have to run anymore. No trying desperately to cling to the last shreds of your existence, just waiting for your time to run out- and it will, make no mistake-, no more tripping and falling and twisted ankles, no more not belonging. You can't tell me it's not a tempting offer." Mab took a moment to collect her thoughts. The offer of a kingdom, a realm to rule over was an offer that by all rights she should be clamouring for. She would have loved to believe that it came with no strings attached, but she had known Jareth too long for that. Firstly, she detested the Underground, its inhabitants and land, and its purpose- to trick the unsuspecting, longing and angry people of the world, to kidnap children, to weave powerful illusions to confuse and deceive those who wished themselves into Jareth's Labyrinth. Spending all of eternity there was not a prospect she relished. And, most importantly, the idea of being part of Jareth's property made her skin crawl.
"Jareth," Mab hissed in her serpent's voice, "I would rather fade away into nothing, I would rather become a mortal, than be part of your twisted kingdom, and there is no offer anyone in any realm could make that could entice me to go anywhere near you, never mind become your consort." Jareth nodded slowly, a sad expression on his face.
"Somehow I thought you might say that. You always were too stubborn and proud for your own good. Which is why…," at this, he pulled out another crystal ball (Somewhere at the back of Mab's mind, she idly wondered where he kept them all), "… I brought along a little bargaining tool." He held the crystal directly in front of Mab's face. Mab was about to ask him what he meant, when an image appeared in the crystal, and caused her to gasp in shock.
It was a young man, not more than 22 in appearance. His black hair was quite long, reaching down to his shoulders, where it merged perfectly with his obsidian- black clothes. His eyes were a cold, icy blue. Normally the expression in his face was one of calculated anger, or vindictive delight, but in the image he looked rather bewildered and confused. He was turning his head to the sides, looking around himself, wherever he was, evidently very much alive and well, even though Mab knew that he had died many years ago.
"Mordred," she whispered longingly. The image was of Mordred, the son of King Arthur and his half-sister, the selfish and calculating Morgan Le Fay, Frik's former love, created partly through their brief encounter when Morgan had lured Arthur into her bed, and partly through Mab's sorcery. The boy who'd been raised to hate Arthur, and who Mab had trained to fight for the time he would lead his armies against his father, and take back Britain for the Old Ways, even as she'd lovingly spoilt and played with him in his and Morgan's home, Tintagel Castle. The boy who had brought his armies against Arthur, and slain the King, but not without paying a terrible price. He had killed Arthur, but not before Arthur had run him through with a sword. Mab's last champion, the last person to love her, the knight she hadn't been able to save from death. Mab swallowed her grief, trying to understand what Jareth was showing her. The view of the crystal panned back, showing Mordred's surroundings. A castle, of some kind. Pale stone walls, a straw covered floor, and a window, showing a vast maze outside. Mordred was in the Underground.
"I don't understand," she murmured, half to herself. Jareth removed the crystal from her eye line as it faded back to transparency.
"It's quite simple," he told her, "Your darling Mordred is in my castle, at the centre of my Labyrinth. He is my prisoner. Do you follow me so far?" Mab shook her head in denial.
"No," she said, "You're lying. Mordred's dead. He died years ago." Now it was Jareth's turn to roll his eyes at her.
"Don't be so naïve, Mab," he scoffed, "Time is twisted and distorted in the Underground, it exists outside of time. Do you honestly believe I couldn't have plucked him out of another time, before his death?" Mab shook her head again, but she knew what he was saying was true. It was entirely possible for Jareth to have done just that. Jareth continued. "If you want him back – and I assume you do – then you, Mab, will have to complete the challenge I set to all would-be rescuers. You'll have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth, or Mordred will be forever trapped in the Underground. And- because it's you- I thought we could up the stakes a little. If you fail to solve the Labyrinth, you're mine. No arguments, no more bargaining, no tricks on your part, no compromising. You will belong to me. If you succeed, I will send the both of you back to the Land of Magic, and you can attempt to reinstate the Old Ways again, if that's what you wish. You'll have your powers back in the Underground, obviously- magic is as potent there as it is in your Land of Magic. You won't be able to teleport though. That would make things much too easy." Mab's fists clenched in fury.
"And if I refuse to take up the challenge?" she asked. Jareth's face grew as hard and cold as stone.
"Then I'll have him executed. And I'll make sure that you're there to see it." Mab shuddered involuntarily. Jareth pulled her to her feet, and spun her around so that she could see a vague, blurry image of the Labyrinth that was forming behind where she had been sitting. Urging her forward, so that she stood mere inches away from the opening, he rested his hands on her shoulders from behind, and spoke into her ear. "So? Will you take up the challenge?" Mab stared into the entrance to the Underground.
"I have no choice." She replied bitterly. She felt Jareth shrug.
"True," he agreed cheerfully. Hate flowed through every fibre of her being, and his hands on her shoulders made her feel sick. Pushing her further forward, so that she teetered on the brink of the entrance, he leaned closer to her.
"Good luck. I'll see you at my castle. One way or another." He brushed his lips against her throat, but before she could object, Mab felt him push her forward and through the entrance to the Underground.
For a few moments, she felt herself falling through the air. Then she hit the ground, and darkness descended.