A Matter of Alchemy
a Labyrinth ficlet by Mana Angel
A cat is a practical creature to have.
They clean up after themselves.
They only bother you when they absolutely need something.
And they're built to be self-sufficient -- the most they ever ask for is your attention.
Jareth wishes he had one.
It's a pity any cats in the Labyrinth have long since been stuck into a goblin's cooking pot.
So Jareth decides to make one.
It takes blood from his fingers and tears from his eyes; ashes from incense and the tiniest tailbone of a rat. Magic in the Labyrinth seems instantaneous, it's true; even here, however, the summoning of life requires artifice and ritual, and by the end of it, the Goblin King is sweating like a stallion who's been run too far and too fast, but it is worth it.
At least, until he sees what sits in the circle of ink and blood and feathers.
"What a pretty kitty," he murmurs, but there is no humor in his tired voice.
A cat the color of Sarah Williams' hair looks back at him disdainfully, silver eyes luminous. It miaows.
Another imperfect experiment.
The Goblin King sighs and waves a hand, obliterating the feline in a smudge of blood.
The room is full of such smudges.
For try as he might, Jareth cannot think about cats without thinking about the girl who doesn't resemble one in the least.
There goes my first and likely only attempt at Laby!Fic, which I have decided I am horrible at. :D
