The Way Forward Is Sometimes The Way Back:
Sequel to Labyrinth
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, shape, or form own Labyrinth, its characters, its scenes, or quotes. They all belong to the geniuses Jim Henson, George Lucas, David Bowie, Brian Froud, Dennis Lee, Terry Jones, & Trevor Jones. I only own this fanfic storyline and the characters I made up (if I make up any).
Note: Just a reminder, Sarah and Jareth are going to have flashbacks to Labyrinth throughout this fanfic, so their flashbacks, which will be a flashback of images, sounds, or both, with be written in Bold and Italics like this…
Chapter Five: Things Aren't Always What They Seem… So You Can't Take Anything for Granted
After spending a week with her good friends, there was no doubt in Sarah's mind that she would be staying forever. Even though by accepting Jareth's offer she was immortal, Sarah would've been fine growing old and gray and even dying in the Underground, as long as she was surrounded by her friends.
As she sat in her room recalling the week's events, she brought her attention back to Jareth's offer. He's been so generous and I've never thanked him… or apologized for my rude behavior for that matter… But I haven't really seen or heard from Jareth much this past week… Sarah thought.
Suddenly the guilt that had been repressed since she'd been with her friends abruptly came flooding back to Sarah. The memory of how impulsive and childish, not to mention neurotic, she had been made Sarah flush with embarrassment. Just the sheer memory of it made Sarah ashamed of herself.
Sarah instantly got off her bed and moved towards the door. She stopped as she realized she hadn't changed her clothes since the middle of the week. She didn't smell like the Bog of Eternal Stench, but she didn't exactly smell like a bed of roses either. She drew a bath for herself, not wanting to feel self-conscious of her body odor around the Goblin Kind, and submerged herself into the temperate water.
She was pleased when she began the bath that there were bathing oils that were exactly like her perfumes at home. Her favorite scents were all lined in bottles on the marbled countertop and Sarah expertly mixed the right amounts of each scent into the water. As she bathed herself, Sarah's mind began to wander.
When does Jareth bathe? I mean, he must get dirty and he must clean himself… When does he do it? In between overseeing the goblins or taking baby brothers from naïve girls like me who obsess over fairytales…? Sarah suddenly realized what she was thinking and shook the thoughts from her head. My gosh! I'm not actually thinking about him bathing! What am I, 14? I can't believe I was actually thinking about that! Sarah continued to bathe herself and she tried to rationalize why her thoughts had strayed in that direction. I am not obsessed over him… I'm not… I'm… I'm fascinated by him… I'm fascinated by him… and frightened of him… fascinated and frightened… That fits how I feel perfectly…His whole existence fascinates me… but then it frightens me at the same time… How can that be? Sarah finished bathing herself as she questioned her view of Jareth. She made her way to her closet and began looking through the array of clothes.
Sarah found it hard for her to choose one outfit as she began to see more and more outfits that she only fantasized herself wearing. It would take her forever to wear every single outfit, but then Sarah laughed to herself as she realized… She was immortal! She actually would have forever to wear every single outfit.
She finally picked a silky pale purple blouse that she wore with a black skirt that went a little past her knees and dark purple slipper-like shoes. Sarah was fascinated with the chance of wearing a corset and wore one as well. When she stepped out of the closet she took a look at herself in her floor length mirror.
After studying herself for a moment, Sarah put her still long dark brown hair halfway up, just to get enough hair out of her face. When she was finally satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of her room.
Sarah wandered the cold, deserted halls of the castle, wondering how in the world she was going to find Jareth. He's a king, right… actually the King, how hard could it be to find him in his castle? She roamed through the winding hallways, looking in every room she came across.
Soon she heard the sounds of children laughing and giggling and playing. Captivated by the sounds, Sarah followed the sounds until she found herself in what appeared to be a nursery. Little goblin children, some not even reaching Sarah's waist were running around, playing, chasing each other; doing what any human child would do. Sarah was immediately charmed by their adorable innocence. She'd always loved children and their innocence. There is nothing more pure or innocent than a young child is, and Sarah was always drawn to such sweet innocence.
Suddenly an especially adorable little goblin girl ran into Sarah's legs. "Oh!" Sarah cried in surprise, not even seeing where the little girl had come from. The little girl looked about 4 or 5 and her green skin was dirtied just like her straw-blonde pigtails.
"Make dem stop!" The little girl cried, wrapping her arms around Sarah's legs and crying into her knees.
"Oh, it's alright…" Sarah cooed to the little girl, rubbing her back comfortingly. Sarah held the girl's shoulders gently and came down to the girl's level and looked into her eyes and said softly. "Make who stop?"
The little girl took a chubby little finger and pointed it in the direction of two little goblin boys that were running towards them and grabbed onto Sarah, burying her face into Sarah's chest. Sarah held the little girl comfortingly as the little boys approached her.
"Now what are you two doing to this little girl?" Sarah asked diplomatically.
"Nuttin…" the boys mumbled, suddenly realizing they were in trouble.
The little girl took her face out from Sarah's chest and said sadly and unhappily, "They keep pulling my pigtails…" as she took hold of one of her pigtails.
"Oh…" Sarah said, as if sympathizing with the little girl. She looked at the little girl kindly and asked, "What's your name?"
The little girl stared at Sarah for a moment with her big eyes, the shyly said, "Mizelle…"
Sarah gave the little girl a friendly smile and attempted to make the girl feel better, "My name is Sarah, now don't worry, we'll sort this out…"
Sarah turned to the little boys and said, "Now that wasn't very nice for you two to do to Mizelle, now was it?"
The little boys shook their heads, looking distinctly guilty.
Sarah gave them a very motherly look and said, "Now what should you two say to Mizelle?"
The little boys shuffled their feet then mumbled, "We're sorry Mizelle…"
Sarah smiled at their blamelessness even in their guilt than said, "Alright you two, run along…"
The little boys ran off and began to play with other children.
Sarah turned her attention back to Mizelle. She brushed away the little girl's tears gently and fixed her messed hair. "There… all better…" Sarah said, smiling cheerfully.
Mizelle gave Sarah a timid smile and said softly, "Thank you…"
Sarah returned Mizelle's smile and Mizelle hugged Sarah and held onto Sarah's neck. Sarah hugged her back and picked her up and held her as a goblin woman approached them.
"Hello, dearie, you must be Sarah…" the little old woman said.
"Yes I am, I'm pleased to meet you…" Sarah smiled, still holding onto Mizelle.
"My name is Midori… I am in charge of the nursery…" the woman smiled at Sarah, then notice Mizelle latched to Sarah's neck, "Oh, I see little Mizelle has taken a liking to you…"
Sarah smiled as she stroked the little girl's back soothingly. "Yes, some little boys were picking on her and I sorted it out… I hope you don't mind my intervention…"
"Oh of course not, dearie! It always seems like Mizelle is being picked on… She's the shy one of the group… She actually doesn't really connect with a lot of the other children… In fact, she rarely connects with anyone… You're the first one she's taken a liking to in a long while… You and—" Midori stopped as she looked behind Sarah and bowed quickly said, "Your Highness… How nice of you to stop by, we've been expecting you…"
Sarah turned and was inches from Jareth. Before she could say something to him, Mizelle had lifted her head up and shrieked happily, "Jeer-ath!" She took her hands from Sarah's neck and essentially swung from Sarah to Jareth. Jareth chuckled as the other children came running to him at the sound of Mizelle's shriek.
"Jareth! Jareth!" the children screamed as they attempted to embrace him, obviously not caring he was their king. Jareth laughed as he began to greet the children by name, "Hello, Pavel… Hello, Oran… Yes, I see you Lutin…" The children were jumping on him so energetically Jareth almost fell over.
Sarah was able to step away from the herds of children and stand just beyond them, watching and laughing with Midori. "So how can I tell they've seen him before?" Sarah said, jokingly and Midori laughed.
"Oh, the children do love his Majesty…They are always anxiously awaiting his daily visit…"
"He visits them everyday?" Sarah said, genuinely shocked.
"Oh of course. His Majesty always makes time to visit with the children. And they do love his visits. He always comes to read to them… We're always very grateful because it prepares them for naptime… Most of the time, he reads them to sleep…" Midori said thoughtfully, smiling at the King.
Sarah studied Midori's loving and appreciative expression then looked to Jareth. He was now kneeling down on the ground, the children circled around him, and he was conjuring crystal balls. He was making them do tricks, rolling them over his hands, then making it seem like he was pulling them magically from their ears. The children giggled happily as they watched.
Sarah couldn't help but smile as she watched him. It was a side of the Goblin King she had never seen. He was playful, impish, gentle, amiable, and he unmistakably adored the children. Deep down Sarah felt… tenderness for Jareth; not passion, indignation, obsession, fascination or fear, but tenderness. Seeing him so sincere and kind to the children made Sarah reconsider her perception of Jareth. Sure he could be vain, temperamental, and egotistical, but now she saw he could be unpretentious, generous and amiable. Sarah actually found… she liked him.
Jareth saw the other nursemaids waiting for the children to calm down and fall asleep to a story, so he quickly made the crystals disappear and said promisingly, "How about I read you squirts a story?"
The children cheered and rushed back into the nursery, assuming their storytime positions.
Jareth, moved towards Sarah, the children finally allowing him to move into the nursery. "So, what do you think? Of the nursery, I mean…A big shock?" He said to her.
Sarah smirked and replied, "Well not a big one… just a little, diminutive one…" making a small space between her thumb and forefinger.
Jareth chuckled as Sarah added, "I never would have thought in a million years you'd be the type to take to children…"
Jareth studied Sarah's expression then said simply, "Well… things aren't always what they seem in this place… So… you can't take anything for granted…" He walked on by Sarah and took his place on a chair in the center of the room.
Sarah stood there stunned, not expecting Jareth to say that. She stopped and thought about the phrase and realized it made complete sense in the new context she'd heard it.
Mizelle suddenly ran up to Sarah and took hold of her hand and began tugging her into the room, "Come, Miss Se-wah…"
The other children soon joined in with Mizelle. "Please, Miss Sarah… Sit with us, Miss Sarah!"
Sarah smiled and found she couldn't refuse the innocent and hopeful smiles that surrounded her. She let Mizelle lead her to the carpet and she took a seat with them on the floor. Mizelle left Sarah and ran up and climbed into Jareth's lap without hesitation. Another nursemaid came up to Sarah and handed her a little baby goblin. Sarah's eyes grew wide as she took the little baby in her arms. "He's so handsome! What's his name?"
"We call him Tino, my lady…" the nursemaid said, graciously bowing.
Sarah looked down on little Tino with complete adoration in her eyes as she cooed, "Hello, Tino… I'm Sarah… You've completely stolen my heart, Tino…" She cuddled the little goblin gently as it looked up at her with sleepy eyes. Tino suddenly firmly took hold of Sarah's pinkie. Tears began to built in Sarah's eyes as she saw the little green hand wrapped completely around her pinkie. She looked up and saw Jareth looking at her lovingly as he picked up a book and began to read it, Mizelle sitting in his lap, her head resting on his chest as she studied the pictures of the book.
As Jareth began to read, Sarah looked around at the children. They were all lying in sprawled out positions, completely absorbed in Jareth's reading. She smiled as she saw some beginning to doze off, some already in a deep sleep, mouths wide open. Sarah got comfortable as she cradled little Tino protectively, and rested her head against a wall.
Another nursemaid came and gave Sarah a soft blanket and a pillow and Sarah positioned herself. She listened to Jareth's soothing voice as she stroked Tino's arm softly, his little hand still latched on her pinkie. Sarah began to doze off to the sound of Jareth's voice, the last thing she saw was Tino's little hand on her pinkie.