Merv's Cafe was Sarah's favorite place, a modern, intimate coffee shop nestled into the corner of a busy main street. A hundred notebooks had been filled within these walls. Even more coffee had been drunk. When she almost failed her first math prereq, she spent all her study time holed up at the corner table. The one with the good lighting and cushioned seats and a nice thick dividing wall you could fire a gun behind and no one would hear it. Perfect for awkward conversations.
That table was currently occupied by three kids buried under a pile of biochemistry homework. Which was okay, because the main draw of the place was the food anyway. She could just die for a blueberry muffin with cream cheese. There was nothing better after a long day of class and getting accosted by fantasy creatures.
So of course they were all out of blueberry and only had poppyseed. Sarah hated poppyseed.
Sometimes normal life sucked ass, especially when it involved mythical fairy kings scarfing down scones when they were supposed to be explaining why they existed.
"This is lovely," Jareth said through a mouthful of sugar and dough. "I can't remember the last time I ate something so flavorful. Is this what you call frying?"
Sarah narrowed her eyes. With her arms folded, she looked like some no-nonsense interrogation specialist waiting to pick his brain apart. Except, in this case, she was more likely to go nuts herself. Assuming she hadn't already.
After Jareth finished his scone and dabbed his face with a napkin, he washed it down with a glass of water. "Ah, lovely. Shall we have another?"
"What the hell are we doing?" Sarah asked.
Jareth blinked. "I was asking if you wanted another. Or are you not going to finish that muffin?"
"You're supposed to be telling me what you're doing here," Sarah snapped, lowering her voice at the last second as a waitress walked by. "Instead, you're just stuffing your face."
"Forgive me, I haven't had a chance to eat today." Jareth pushed his empty plate aside. "It has been a rather stressful few weeks, you know."
She tried not to look at his arm, but that was next to impossible. The wound wasn't bleeding anymore, but that long line of red had to be an inch wide. It coagulated like human blood, further confounding her. Why hadn't anyone noticed the injured man eating pastries like nothing was wrong?
Hell, why hadn't they noticed him period? It wasn't like he'd disguised himself.
"Well, regardless, you are correct. We must get down to business." Jareth straightened his back, only wincing a tiny bit. "Now, how shall I begin? Once upon a time in a faraway land-"
"I'm out of here." Sarah started to stand.
Jareth raised his good hand. "I'm sorry. It has been a long time since this all started so I felt the reference was apt."
Sarah sat back down, not even knowing why she was doing it. Every part of her knew she should run. Go change her locks and adopt a Doberman. It must've been a spell that kept her sitting. She couldn't believe how much she wanted to believe that.
"All right," Jareth said, taking a breath. "One day, many centuries ago, a woman appeared in the heart of the High King's city. No one knew who she was or where she came from, but she made herself known right away with an attack on the High King's castle. Somehow, she made it all the way to his throne room, leaving hundreds of dead soldiers in her wake. Though her power was great, the High King and his sons easily defeated her. Before His Majesty could strike the final blow, she escaped, swearing that she would return and take his throne once and for all.
"That was the first of many battles. Every time she came back, she came back stronger. Harder to defeat. Every time, she slithered away before the king or his sons could put her down. She terrorized the surrounding villages. Killed the kings and queens of lesser kingdoms to build up her army. Some were loyal to her, but many were forced into fighting in her name. Their minds corrupted until they were little more than slobbering guard dogs rushing suicidally into battle. Millions were slaughtered at her whim. They were devastating times."
"Sounds like grade school," Sarah almost said. She saw the genuine anxiety in Jareth's eyes and stifled her sarcasm. "Were you part of that army?"
"Me?" Jareth blinked as if breaking out of a trance. "No, I wasn't born yet. They called her The Demoness. Not the most creative, but perfectly fitting. Several attempts were made on her life, but all failed. Her last encounter with the High King nearly ended in his death. That was her goal, of course. To destroy the royal family and rule over all the land. She might have succeeded, too, were it not for the Labyrinth."
"The Labyrinth stopped her?" Sarah asked.
Jareth pursed his lips. "That is… complicated. You see, the Labyrinth has existed for longer than recorded history. Her origins are a mystery, and I've long since given up solving it. While the High King could never learn the secrets of her power, he did manage to harness it. When The Demoness was finally captured and tried for her crimes, he flung her into the deepest oubliette he could find and left her for dead. There she dwelt for a thousand years with nothing but worms and goblins for company. Well, almost nothing."
The waitress arrived with their check. Sarah almost asked her to split it, then realized a fae king probably didn't have much American money on him. She laid down a ten-dollar bill, trying not to look annoyed as Jareth continued the story.
"The whole time, she plotted her escape. She got out of the oubliette, but the Labyrinth's magic kept her contained within its walls. To pass the time, she began the foundations for the castle at the center of the maze. Created it amid a ramshackle goblin village. I don't like to think how she would have treated them."
"Don't you kick the goblins around?"
"Only when they want me to," Jareth replied. "It was during this time that she began to put her plan into motion. She had already laid the groundwork before her exile. Now it was just a matter of making sure she would be ready when the time came. So for the next few centuries, she got work training her heir."
Sarah blinked. "Her heir?"
"Of course," Jareth said, lacing his fingers together. "Every great conqueror needs one."
"So that's… you?"
Jareth smiled.
"Which means…"
"I'm her son, yes."
Sarah gave herself a moment to absorb that. It wasn't much different from the last few minutes. A guy at the counter ordered a sandwich and an employee went to throw out the garbage. When the moment passed something even less noteworthy was happening. Or so Sarah assumed. "This… Demoness person. She's your mother."
Jareth nodded. "Yes."
"Your mother is trying to kill me."
"Very much so, yes."
"And you just… spring that on me?"
"Would it make a difference if she were my aunt?"
"No, it's just-" Sarah swallowed and started over. "Most people aren't so casual about these things."
"Then you were expecting a dramatic reveal like something out of a book," Jareth said.
"Good point," Sarah muttered. "Okay, so The Demoness is your mother and she was trapped in the Labyrinth by the High King. What does that have to do with me?"
Jareth smiled. It reached as far as his nose. "Now there's the greatest question of all. What does it have to do with you, besides the obvious, of course."
Sarah nodded, bidding him continue. He stared at her instead, playing with the straw wrapper. Sarah nodded again. He started some more. The waitress came back to take her money. Sarah didn't even see her.
"Okay," she said.
"Okay," Jareth repeated.
"...are you going to explain?"
"Explain what?"
She was going to smack him. Hard. "What's this 'obvious' thing I apparently should know about?"
"Hmph, it's like Haggle taught you nothing that day."
"Hoggle! His name is Hoggle!" Sarah smacked the table, and now the waitress was staring. Great. "Look, no more games, please. Just tell me what's going on here."
"I was just about to," Jareth said like he had any right to be indignant. "But if you insist. I have ruled over the Labyrinth for many years… well, perhaps 'ruled over' is the wrong way to put it. Nothing and no one truly controls the Labyrinth. Anyone who tries, as The Demoness found out, tends to find themselves at a dead end. In a manner of speaking. It has taken me decades to foster the understanding and camaraderie the Labyrinth and I now have. I have learned many of her secrets, though there are still countless I will never know. She acts as a bridge between your world and ours. At one time, the Fae and the humans could interact as they pleased. Now we have been regulated to the stuff of each other's fantasies. Sometimes I marvel at how strange it is that I of all people could have been granted the privilege to know both realms so intimately, but I digress.
"While the Labyrinth's power is great it is not self-sustaining. It requires the guardianship of a mage who works in tandem with the ancient forces to maintain the barrier between one world and the next. It is something my mother was unable to achieve, hard as she tried. I like to think it's because the Labyrinth sensed the darkness of her intentions. I hate to think what would have happened if they had bonded. When The Demoness finally realized the Labyrinth would never obey her, she moved on to what you might call 'Plan B'."
"That was you," Sarah supplied. It hit her after the words were out that she sounded excited. Not just to get answers, but to know how the story ends.
"Precisely," Jareth said. "If she couldn't rule herself, ruling through me was the best alternative. From the moment I could walk, she trained me to succeed her. To accomplish all that she never could and more. She was… not a gentle teacher, as I'm sure you can imagine."
He tapped his hand, not quite touching the injury. Sarah's eyes flicked to it, unintentionally as always. The burst of pain in her stomach was equally unwanted, but it wouldn't go away.
"As time went on, I grew weary of her madness and drive. I dared question her one day and it was weeks before I could walk without pain again. I decided to take matters into my own hands. It took me years to earn the Labyrinth's trust. I had to nurture it like seeds in the ground, convince her that I wasn't the Demon that woman wanted me to be. Once we'd built up camaraderie, I challenged The Demoness to a duel and banished her back into the oubliette. There she lingered for another thousand years, biding her time until she could escape." Jareth threw his head back, letting out a sigh. "It seems that time has finally come. I suppose I should've expected it. I just didn't think it would be this soon."
"A thousand years is soon?" Sarah asked.
"In all fairness, ten thousand years would've been too soon for me."
Sarah nodded. "Okay, so how did she get out?"
Any happiness in his face, superficial or otherwise, died in an instant. "I'm afraid, my dear, that's where you come in."
Before Sarah could ask, their last conversation on Friday night flashed through her mind. It had been so brief, and so mired in complete hysteria that any words exchanged between them blended into swill. Now that it was coming back, her stomach sank.
"You said I let her out," Sarah swallowed a shudder. "Did I really?"
"In a way," Jareth said. "You see, the Labyrinth doesn't just require power from me. She is of my world and yours. As one of the only conduits between the two worlds, she must remain in regular contact with humans. That is the true purpose of the runners. In times of old, running the Labyrinth was seen as a great challenge. A test of one's strength of mind and character. At times we would have runners by the dozens. Of course, this was long before my time when the doors were freely opened, but I've been able to get at least a few runners per season."
"So wait a minute," Sarah said, struggling to keep her voice down as a family of five took the table next to them. "You're saying the Labyrinth is… alive? And it feeds off the kids who run it."
"Not 'feeds', dearest, you make it sound so barbaric," Jareth said. "Anyone who dares run the Labyrinth has their reasons for doing so. Very strong reasons usually. Their determination to win is what gives the Labyrinth her energy. You might call it an equal exchange. She provides the game, the runners provide the power. And those who win gain not just the glory of success, but a piece of the Labyrinth's spirit will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Bringing good fortune to the lucky winner. Such has been with you since the day you defeated me."
Sarah, who had been listening contentedly to Jareth's speech, started. "I have a part of the Labyrinth inside me?"
"In your soul, yes," Jareth said.
"But… wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense!"
"Doesn't it?"
"No!" Sarah looked at her hands as if a piece of stone or grass would pop out and wave at her. "First off, what's this 'good fortune' I'm supposed to have? Like I can go out right now and win the lottery?"
"If you choose the right numbers, I suppose," Jareth grinned. He didn't stop even when Sarah balled a fist.
"Is it possible for you to give me a straight answer? Any straight answer at all?"
"Ask the right questions and we'll see."
"You know what? I'm not going to dignify that." Sarah leaned in like she was in any way intimidating. "I'm just going to ask, one more time, what any of this has to do with me? Why would your mother want to kill me if I'm the reason she got out? Seems like she should be thanking me."
"If she had any empathy at all for anyone, you'd be right," Jareth said, throwing an arm over the seat, "but just as the Labyrinth protects her champions, so do her champions protect her. At any given time, there must be at least one winner alive in this world. I am her connection to the Underground. You and those like you are her connection to the Aboveground. As long as both connections are fresh, no one person can ever claim dominion over her power. So you see, we are both in danger of her wrath. You are merely the more vulnerable target."
"So if she kills us both," Sarah said, "she gets the Labyrinth."
"She will certainly try," Jareth said, polishing off the rest of his drink. "I would like to say her efforts will prove futile, but it seems she's kept herself busy during her imprisonment. Her power is like nothing I've ever seen. If I had to guess, she found a crack within the foundation of her prison while I was confronting you at the end of your journey. The Labyrinth always takes a bit of damage during a run, but it usually fixes itself before the day is out. Yours, however, was a bit messier than others. Five years later, she's finally pushed herself out. Bit by bit. Drop by drop."
Sarah processed this information. She shook her head, both in disbelief and to dislodge the less than savory mental images. "You make her sound like some kind of Cthulhu monster."
"If you mean she's an abomination risen from the depths of Hell to destroy everything in her path, then yes. That is correct." Jareth spoke with more bitterness than Sarah had ever heard from him. Even when he was setting the cleaners on her and Hoggle, he didn't sound this angry. It should've been scarier than it was, but instead, it filled Sarah with sadness. An odd sense of pity.
Sarah's psychology classes had taught her all the things about abusive and neglectful parents that real life had missed. While Linda Williams had never harmed her with her hands or her words, her absence did enough damage as Sarah went through her wild and hormone-addled teenage years feeling entirely alone and unloved. Karen did what she could, but while their relationship had greatly improved, Sarah never could stick that coveted 'M' word to her.
It was fine. Karen asked for nothing more than what Sarah was willing to give. Still, she wondered even now what it would be like to pick up the phone and call her mother just to talk about her day. Jessie did that all the time when they were roommates, laughing and gossiping while Sarah stuffed her face in a magazine and pretended not to listen. The last time she heard from Linda, it was a card for her sixteenth birthday. One month late.
Sarah thought about all that and felt like the biggest whiny asshole in the world. Which also wasn't fair because personal trauma was not a contest. Unless perhaps it was between an inattentive mother and an omnicidal maniac.
"Okay, well…" Was 'I'm sorry' a good start? Some people appreciated sympathy. Others would smack you for it. "So… what now? Is there anything I can do?"
Jareth shrugged. "Learn the advanced principles of magic so you can shove her into an oubliette the size of a can and then throw it into the ocean?"
Sarah stared at him, slack-jawed. "You're joking, right?"
"Obviously," Jareth replied, daring to look exasperated with her. "After all, I just told you, what do you think you can do? Keep your head down, don't talk to anyone you don't know, and let me do the oubliette shoving. That's our best chance at getting through this."
"You make it sound like I'm in witness protection."
"I am asking you to go about your days as normal."
"No, that is the exact opposite of what you're asking me," Sarah said. "How am I supposed to be normal with you and whoever else watching my every move?"
"If you want to live through this you will," Jareth said.
"Seriously? I didn't need to come here, you know," Sarah said, knowing what a child she sounded like but unable to stop. "I was perfectly happy with my ordinary life and my ordinary future until you came waltzing through my door."
"To protect you."
"What, like I'm some damsel in distress?"
"As long as a woman who can rip the skin from your bones with a thought is hunting you down, yes."
They were on their feet. Sarah didn't know when she stood up or if she did it first, but they were leaning over the table, noses pressed together like some kind of cartoon. The family at the next table was staring. A lot of people were staring. If Sarah were any less angry, she'd be humiliated. She already was a little bit, and that just made her angrier.
"Wait a minute, how do I know this is even real?" Sarah backed away. "I haven't seen any scary demon ladies trying to chop my head off recently. Maybe you're just making all this up for some kind of messed-up revenge plot. Earn my trust and then dump me in the ocean."
"You don't believe that," Jareth said, and unless Sarah was hallucinating, he looked panicked. "Sarah, everything I'm saying is the truth. Please, you must trust me."
"Trust you? You're basically a kidnapper. You took my brother and tried to trap me in an oubliette."
"I was playing the role you assigned me. I did only what you asked of me and I never lied to you once!"
"Yeah, I assigned it. I made you who you are." Sarah pointed a finger at him, stopping him in his tracks. "You know how I did that? The same way I've been talking to you for the last half hour. I have an overactive imagination."
She turned and walked to the door, not bothering to say goodbye. It wasn't like she owed him anything.
"Sarah, wait! The shadows-"
Sarah didn't hear the rest. The door closed behind her and cut her off from the madness. She walked past the windows with her eyes down, trusting her feet to guide her along the familiar path. When she looked back, she was alone. No one was following her. Not that anyone would.
Humming a song to distract herself, Sarah turned the corner onto a more brightly lit street and started for home.