I'm home!
Oh, I never thought my messy room could seem so inviting! And when I say messy…I mean that you can only see a small smidge of floor…literally. Anyways…
Disclaimer: I just got back; do I hafta? I REFUSE to say that the Labyrinth does not belong to me!...oops…dammit!
Sarah stood on her balcony leaning on the railing with her forearms to overlook the Labyrinth. Letting out a soft sigh she lowered her head as she closed her eyes. It was the morning after the Ball and she couldn't help but feel uneasy. The Labyrinth tried to help her feel better, but it didn't work. She needed something…but she didn't know what it was. All she knew was that she couldn't find it here.
"Oh, Laby, how did all this happen to me? I was a simple girl trying to be a lawyer…and now I'm 'Lady Sarah, Conqueror of the Labyrinth'?" She smirked as she felt the Labyrinth shudder. "Be honest, did you let me win?" She opened one eye and quirked its brow. "Yeah, sure you didn't." Sighing she pushed away from the railing looking up into the sky. "Toby would love it here…actually, I think he did love it here," she chuckled. "If I only remembered then that babies are not turned into goblins. Actually, Jareth never actually said he would turn him into one; I put those words in his mouth."
"Did someone say my name?" the all too familiar voice asked appearing out of no where. Actually, he landed on the railing in owl form before morphing to his Fae one and leaning against said rail.
Sarah had no idea why his smirk made her blood race. Clearing her throat she looked back to the Labyrinth rolling her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a self-centered, arrogant prick?"
"My dear," he laughed, "you call me that everyday."
"Oh, right."
Jareth smiled softly at her as she leant her forearms back on the rail seemingly lost in thought. He did the same, but instead watched her from the corner of his eye. "Now, what was it you were talking about earlier, when you mentioned my name?"
"Huh? Oh, I was explaining to Laby on how I accidentally jumped to conclusions and placed my own words in your mouth. When I wished away Toby the only person who ever really said he'd be turned into a goblin was me. I guess I just wanted more drama, and whatnot. I just…I really hate Karen!"
Startled at her outburst Jareth blinked taken aback. "And this Karen…she is your stepmother?" He furrowed his brow slightly. Somewhere in his brain something was itching to be noticed, but it was too buried at the moment for it to come out.
"Yeah, Karen, the Wicked Stepmother of my life. Just…something about her rubs me the wrong ay, you know?" she said looking over at him. Sighing she shook her head. "I guess you don't. You don't have someone to nag at you twenty-four/seven. Or…however long days down here are; it seems to constantly change."
"Excuse me, but have you met my parents?"
Laughing Sarah consented. "Alright, so you do know somewhat. But Karen…I don't know…she just really hates me. I guess that's why I hate her. She…she wanted me to be somebody I wasn't, and whenever I did something remotely related to anything fantasy or to my stories she would get all puffed up and go on another lecture. It was like she despised childhood, or imagination, or something. Whenever I did something, like jump out of a tree and land almost perfectly (I now acknowledge this to be because of my being part Sidh), she would fume about it and mumble. At first I wanted to at least try to be nice to her, but she looked at me like a piece of filth. I…argh…I loathe her."
Brow still furrowed Jareth stood up straight. "What was Karen's maiden name?" he asked softly thinking back in time.
"Um, I think it was Karen…Prell. Why?"
The Goblin King's eyes lit up with recollection. He let out a laugh. "Oh, Sarah!" He chuckled covering his mouth with the back of his hand resting his elbow on his other arm near the wrist.
"What?" she asked in exasperation turning towards him.
"About thirty years ago a young girl wished away her little sister, and her name was Karen Prell!"
"WHAT!"
"Apparently Karen was fed up with her little sister, Anna-Marie, and felt like she was being childish. She remembered a book her sister had found at a New & Used book store but wouldn't let her buy it; it was too childish. Even back then she disliked childhood fancies. Well, anyway, she remembered what it was about; a young princess who wishes away a child and must face the horrible Goblin King! Well, when said Goblin King turns up because she, in annoyance, says the right words to wish a child away, she didn't know quite what to do. She took his trial but couldn't even get past the gate! Being alone outside the gates of the Labyrinth for thirteen hours really did not bode too well with her, I'm afraid, and neither did loosing. Even after having her memory wiped of the whole ordeal she came to have an even greater distaste for fantasy things. She forgot she had a little sister, but she hated all things 'make-believe'. Ah," he sighed, "if only she knew how real it was."
Sarah was speechless. "Karen, my Karen wished her sister away! I don't believe it!"
"You believe you are a creature of old lore slowly dying from some magickal headache unless you remember your past life, but you can't believe your stepmother tried to best the Labyrinth?" He quirked a brow.
"I mean, this is just too weird. I found the old Labyrinth book because I was walking home from school one day and felt the sudden urge to visit this New & Used bookstore that had been around for ages (I bet it's the same one Karen went to) and once I went there I felt like I was being pulled to a specific aisle to a specific bookshelf to a specific book. Actually, I didn't see what it was until I bought it and went to the park to read it. Dad got kind of angry at me because I was two hours late. I really liked the book though," she grinned up at him.
"Well, seeing on how the Labyrinth was one of your closest and dearest friends (besides me of course) I don't see why you shouldn't."
"But still…Karen ran the Labyrinth?" She couldn't believe it.
"No…she made it down the hill and to the gates…and that's it."
"I guess that's why she didn't like me...she never really liked 'kid stuff', and when she failed to rescue her sister (like everyone else except moi) it made her hate them even more. When she met me she sensed, subconsciously, the magick dormant within me and hated me off the bat. When I came back from the Labyrinth the magick was starting to be unleashed, plus the magick of the Labyrinth itself, and she was jealous for some unknown reason because I defeated what she couldn't! Yes! I so totally rock!"
"Er…riiiiiight."
"You know you love me," she grinned cutely cocking her head to the side.
"Yes I do," Jareth replied. He seemed shocked to his response but played it off. "But that doesn't mean I like you."
"Oh, you do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do no–"
But the Goblin King never got to finish his statement because Sarah promptly pushed him over the railing.
Jareth glared at Sarah still slightly miffed at the whole 'push you over the balcony' thing that morning. She, for her part, simply smiled and batted her lashes. He hated how cute she looked when she did that. Or the fact that she could win almost any argument doing that. "Alright," he growled, "Gavrillian isn't here so do your best to do your best."
"Jareth my dear, you have to need to worry. Just give me some magick and let's make this crystal!" she spaced the last four words for dramatic effect…or maybe the Anduilleaf tea was just getting to her again…
"This is no way to talk to a lady!" Sarah pouted crossing her arms. She had Jareth were down by a creek in the Labyrinth trying to catch some of the fish with their hands…or at least, Jareth was. They were about 12 and 13, and Jareth stood in the creek with shoes, shirt, and other random clothing off except for his breeches, which he had rolled up to just below his knees. Sarah, on the other hand, had on a light pink sundress her mother made her wear. Her shoes were discarded though, and the dress only went to about mid-calf.
"Well, when you see one let me know," the goblin Prince retorted leaning back into the water letting his hands brush against the surface of the creek. "Now get your bottom over here and help."
His statement was quickly followed by a splash and the Goblin Prince glared up position in the creek where the laughing girl in front of him had pushed him in.
(Place funky music here)
A slightly older Sarah and Jareth were at the same creek a few years later, only now Sarah had on clothing suitable for playing in water. Jareth, dressed similarly to how he had been last time, was busy trying to ensnare a fish.
Sarah averted her eyes from the Prince's (now defined) chest blaming her blushing face to the heat. Clearing her throat she glanced back down to the water. "Jareth, you're not going to catch it like that," she pointed out.
"What do you know? Of course I will," the prince retorted back. Striking he went to grab the fish…but missed.
"Told ya so," the little lady said placing her hands on her hips. Looking down at the water she quickly plunged her hand underneath and just as quickly retrieved it…with a flopping fish within her hand. "See?" Setting the fish back in the water she was about to remark on the prince's inability to do the simplest of things when she was assaulted by water. "Why you little twerp!" she shrieked shocked that he would do something like that.
Jareth, gloating about his small victory, was not ready to be jumped by the petite but far from weak half-Fae that lunged at him hurtling him, and her, back into the water. They splashed around for a while before Sarah claimed victory and they crawled out of the creek now thoroughly soaked. Laying on the incline that created the shore of the creek Sarah laughed softly looking over at Jareth. She swallowed when she noticed how the water made the sun glisten on her best friend's chest and abdomen. She turned her head away wondering why her own stomach felt so…fluttery.
Jareth, meanwhile, was trying hard not to notice how Sarah's soaked clothing clung to her body showing off her developing curves quite nicely. He bit his tongue to keep from commenting about it. Sure they were best friends, and very close to each other…but they weren't that close! He was not supposed to notice her curves! And her smile was not supposed to send shivers up his spine! And her laugh…Well, we won't go there.
(Insert Spice Girls music here…because British chicks kick ass)
"Jareth?" Sarah squeaked looking up at the sky.
"Yeah?" Jareth answered in the same small voice watching the fire in the sky seem to eat up the clouds.
"Maybe we shouldn't have mixed Essence of Bog with the sewage…"
"Yeah…I agree…"
The two young Fae children watched for a few more minutes as the enraged Dragon Lord hurtled through the sky after being attacked by catapult-thrown waste. Then they quickly ran away hoping to find cover in the Labyrinth with the Fieries.
Sarah snorted as she slowly came back to reality. "Oh my, I feel sorry for Dracora's grandfather."
"I wouldn't. She annoys the hell out of me."
"I thought you liked her!"
"Well, I supposedly love you, remember, but you definitely annoy the hell out of me."
Picking up the skirts of her dress she clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth giving the Goblin King one final look before leaving the room. She began to aimlessly walk around the castle, ending up sitting on one of the ledges in the room in the Escher room. She wondered if it was coincidence or not the man who created the famous "Relativity" was named after the room so eerily matching his picture. She shrugged it off though with a shudder as she remembered that when she ran the Labyrinth there were snake engravings on the wall. If she remembered correctly pictures of something you feared or dislike appeared depending on who ran the Labyrinth.
Swinging her feet over the ledge she began to whistle thinking about her life Above.
She had realized she had become a lawyer because to her it seemed like the most 'grown up' career. Lawyers were backstabbing bastards that lied, cheated, and were overall plain mean. After her Labyrinth adventure she knew she had to grow up, and it made her want to grow up completely and leave her childhood behind. So she studied to become a lawyer. Whenever someone acted childish she usually frowned at then, and she realized that that was exactly what Karen did. She did not to become like Karen. Her one exception was Toby. She loved Toby so very much, and being around him seemed to almost unlock her childhood…but it wasn't enough. Her headaches usually hurt more when she was around him, because her Labyrinthian memories tried to resurface, but she kept pushing them down. She simply refused. But then the time came when she could refuse no more, and she had more than one childhood she must remember.
But at the moment she would give anything to see Toby again.
But she knew she couldn't.
She knew the answer…
But she didn't know if she could…
"What worries you my pet?" Jareth asked sitting down next to her on the ground…or wall…or ceiling…or wherever the hell they were situated at the moment.
"Jareth, I've been putting this off ever since I got here…but…how are they?" she near-whispered turning her head to look him sadly in the eyes. She didn't need to emphasize who 'they' were.
Jareth scowled down between his boot clad feet. He would never admit how jealous he had been that the young mortal girl (or so he had thought at the moment) would rather befriend a cowardly dwarf over him. Top it off with a giant beast and a not-all-there fox-dog-knight-thing that rides an even more cowardly dog and Jareth became thoroughly perplexed and outraged. Bring in the fact that Sarah was supposed to be his bestest best friend in both in Aboveground and Underground, and Jareth to this day was bemusedly livid. But sighing to her question he shrugged helplessly. "They have…thought it best not to associate too closely with the inner workings of the Labyrinth, lest they acquire my wrath. Sure, Sir Didymus could care less, but I fear that eye patch is tied to tight sometimes."
Sarah suppressed a giggle covering her mouth with her fingertips. "Didymus was a dear old knight, as well as a friend. I regret it has been so long since I last saw them. I doubt they would even talk to me now. I'm not so sure I would want them to," she admitted softly looking down sadly.
"And why is this?" the king asked with a quirked brow.
"Well, they wouldn't want to see me because I forgot them, and I don't think I could see them now…knowing what I know. I fear Hoggle would feel like I betrayed him or something. After all, you more than once threatened him with the Bog of Eternal Stench. You may be his sovereign, but I don't think he likes you very much," she added in a conspirator whisper.
"You don't say," Jareth whispered back.
Sarah nodded ominously. She then leaned back on her hands staring up…or down…or…whatever. "But, they are a link to my past, well, my new past; my past as Sarah Williams Aboveground Mortal. They, in a way, connect me to Toby. And I miss Toby dreadfully. Hoggle might not trust me, and Didymus may be a bit confused, but I'm positive Ludo would be glad to see me no matter what. He's such a kind beast."
"Unfortunately this one doesn't turn into some Prince Charming to your Beauty. The only Prince Charming you get is me," he grinned.
"Oh, yea me."
"That didn't sound sarcastic one bit," he drawled.
"Nope."
"Nope."
"Nope."
"Nope."
"Nope."
"Nope."
"Nope."
"No-…this needs to stop," Jareth sighed. They could continue for hours, and he had things to do. "Sarah, it is getting late. You should get to bed."
"And what about you?"
"I have some business to attend to first, but I'll be going to bed shortly. Now, up and at 'em," he said suddenly standing and helping Sarah to her feet. He led her to her room before going to his private study to work out the details of his newest scheme.
Well, it's a little past Five Thirty here, in the morning, on June Twelve, but I won't be posting this up for a while. So sorry.