Author Notes-
Everything I know about Fae lore has been gleaned from Labyrinth fanfics especially all things fangamerbowiextreme, viciously witty, hachimunskitsune, and subtilior. Go read all their stuff.
Also, keep in mind while reading, not everything is what it seems.
Sarah woke with a jerk, flailing until she fell to the floor. Her fingers dug into the shag carpet the faint smell of cigarettes wafting up as her fingers flexed in the woven fibers. A beeping blared as the sound of her own heartbeat faded. She was back.
Pulling herself up, she sat once more on the threadbare couch that had been donated decades ago and currently lived in the basement of her local library. Gone was the dust and glitter. The air no longer a mix of ozone, flowers, and decomposition of the Underground. Velum, paper, and leather replaced their scents. She fumbled for the alarm on her wristwatch, pressing the buttons to stop the noise that issued from it. Luckily, no one else was around to be bothered.
The basement of the library was rarely frequented. The old volumes contained mostly outdated references and other materials only someone looking to do serious research would care to peruse. Sarah loved it.
She could come here and enjoy some peace and solitude. Things that were rare with a rambunctious four year old running amok. As much as she loved Toby, she found herself needing space. Needing to be able to do what she wanted instead of entertaining and waiting on her brother hand and foot. Needing to dream.
The dreams had come to her after her victory that night. The night she wished away her brother and overcame her resentment towards her new family to win him back. She had traversed the Labyrinth and all its treacherous turns, meeting friend and foe alike along the way, to triumph over its king. A king who had tricked and tormented her, tempting her with her own desires. Well, she got her dreams anyway. And what lovely dreams they were, or had been until this evening.
At first, they seemed to happen randomly, only coming to her sporadically. It wasn't until she went to stay with her grandma for a few weeks, learning to garden by day and dreaming every night of that sepia limestone landscape, that she realized those dreams only came to her when she slept away from home.
Sarah had explored the Labyrinth leisurely, taking time to appreciate the ancient relic of another world. How many people had tried and failed? How many had succeeded in its history?
Her victory gave her a sense of pride. It was the first time she achieved something more than a ribbon or prize at school that ultimately meant nothing in the grand scheme of life. No one would care if she had perfect attendance or good citizenship, but she would forever remember saving her baby brother from the king of the goblins.
The labyrinth had changed since her run. It was safe and comforting. Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered vanquished. She felt loved and protected within those walls where as before she had been no more than a foe to be broken.
The delight she felt when she discovered she could change her surroundings was a feeling she had only felt when she recited plays in the park. Alone, in control of herself, yet her imagination running wild. Run wild she did. She covered every inch she touched and passed with greenery and vibrant flowers. Ivy, jasmine, wisteria, roses, honeysuckle, all crept and climbed over the winding stony ramparts. Soft grass and mosses encircled cobblestones and flagstone pathways that appeared under her feet.
She suspected early on that her dreams might not be just dreams. No matter how much sunscreen her grandma slathered on her or how wide the brim of the hat thrust on her head was, she continued to tan and freckle. Harder to explain were the dirt on her feet and sand she found in her bed the next morning.
Sarah had learned to sleep in sturdier pajamas and wear slippers with soles after having to explain tears in her pants and socks with holes. Karen was certain at one point that Grandma Mary's house that moths or worse, mice.
Sleeping in the library brought its own problems. Grass stains on jeans, sneakers worn through after a few months. Her parents were convinced she had been sneaking out at night. There was no other way she could be damaging her clothing any other way. Her window was nailed shut but still her clothes needed mending and her shoes needed to be replaced.
And yet, still she sought out that escape whenever she could. Spending the night at a friend's house even though it meant enduring their constant chatter and gossip til the wee hours of the morning, weekends with her grandparents, and of course, naps in the library. She often told Karen or her father that she had plans to study just so she could sneak away to dream of the one place she felt that she had any true power. Now that summer was here she was having to make up dates and friends to meet in order to sneak away for long periods.
Today, she had even more reason to hide. Her birthday. It was easy enough to say she was going to watch a movie with friends to celebrate turning eighteen. She looked up times and movies to see which one was playing at just the right time. This was a necessary deception. Not only did she want to escape to her beautiful dreamworld, she wanted to escape the annual birthday call.
Sarah's mother would call every year at the exact minute of her birth. And although it was thoughtful and nice to know her mother remembered her at least once a year. The calls always devolved into another way for her mother to brag about her fame, fortune, and of course, her latest fling. Whether her relationship was fresh and new or had gone up in flames, Sarah was sure to hear all about it. In return for all the juicy details, Sarah would be forced to either feign interest or console her through her heartbreak. She did not have the capacity to deal with her today. It was the one day that should be about her and was it too much to ask to just enjoy the day without entertaining her mother's need for attention? Yes, she gave birth to her but that wasn't the point of a birthday.
She looked at her watch. She had been eighteen for twenty whole minutes. Hopefully, her mother wouldn't try calling back until later, giving Sarah a much-needed reprieve.
Something more pressing weighed on her mind now as she noticed the blood on her knee, jeans frayed and ripped. She needed to think. Her dreams had never been troubling before. What had changed? Why? The safety of her dreams was compromised. If that was jeopardized what else was?
With some urgency, Sarah grabbed her things and headed up the stairs and out of the library. Her gut and mind at war, telling her to run home and calm down in turns. She wouldn't feel better until she saw Toby with her own eyes. Then she would be able to think about what her dreams could possibly mean.
Jareth felt the moment she left as the faint connection between them stretched thin between the two worlds. How often had he felt that ache turn to pain? Did she feel it too? A part of him hoped he did not suffer in solitude.
He continued on for hours, navigating the maze that once bent to his will. He knew approximately where she had been. He could see the brightly colored path she had carved for herself from his tower window. Utilizing a few short cuts and underground tunnels that only he was aware of, he was finally able to see just what his Sarah had been doing during her trips there. Though he suspected he already knew.
Rounding a corner, he saw the jungles of vines and flowers in the moonlight. Producing a knife with a flourish of his hand, he carved a sigil into the wall. The small symbol would allow him to transport himself there directly, overriding the labyrinth but not completely circumventing its protection. If he had to start at the beginning every day, he would eventually burn the whole thing to the ground and no one wanted that.
The Labyrinth had stood protecting his kingdom for eons. Although it possessed no spirit or soul, it did have an awareness. It had been loyal to the Goblin King for generations. Testing those foolish enough to wish away something precious to them and destroying those who meant harm. Although the number of runners and enemies had dwindled in recent centuries, all who had tried had failed. All save one.
Sarah was the first champion. The first to sacrifice her dreams. The first to befriend the subjects who should have been loyal to him and only him. The first to reject his offers. Everyone else who had ever run had eventually chosen their own selfish desires; wealth, fame, fortune. But not his Sarah. She had rescued her baby brother and in the process, stolen something else.
Never before had anyone challenged him the way she did. Provoking him. Foolish though that was. She was so unlike the courtiers with their intrigues and deceptions. Open, honest, and vulnerable. She had pleaded with him so sweetly. Any Fae would have found ways to manipulate the situation in their favor. But not her. Once she saw what was in store for her, she rose to the challenge. Spite and determination her only allies. He immediately knew he had to have her for his own.
It was unfathomable that she would reject him. He'd seen to it that she couldn't. One small bite of peach was enough to sow the seeds of a bond. Tenuous though it might be. It was still there. He would have used that bond to claim her too, but she did the unthinkable. She won.
She was whisked away, the Labyrinth protecting her, shielding her from him. Too old to turn, too young to keep.
Enraged, Jareth had spent months trying to gain control over the labyrinth once more. But it had new loyalties. It would not yield to him anymore than she had.
Only a few centuries ago, Sarah would have been a peasant and considered a woman of marriageable age. The life he could provide for her of magic and luxuries she'd never before beheld would have had her begging to be lifted from her life of poverty. But no, a pile of rubble changed allegiances and decided to adhere to the mortals' modern beliefs and expectations. Thus he had been bested by a child.
Ensuring his marking's safety with wards and protections, he returned to his chambers high above the labyrinth. He would return in the daylight to inspect the damage she had wrought. There was no point in clambering around in the dark, the colors of her labors muted by moonbeams and shadows.
His boots fell heavy on the wooden floors of his bedchambers, their sound resonating throughout the room. The wreckage of furniture, overturned tables, chairs smashed to splinters, littered the once elegant room. Here he had been forced to endure the knowledge that she was mere minutes away as the owl flies, yet completely beyond his reach for years.
Anger and impotence amalgamated, morphing his curiosity into obsession during those years. He thought of nothing but Sarah, planning, scheming, dreaming of all the ways he would get her and what he would do when he finally had her.
With a flick of his wrist and flourish of his fingers, he generated a crystal, perfectly round and transparent. But if he turned it this way…
He twisted the ball, balancing and rolling it over his hands. Now that she was of age, he should be able to scry a glimpse of her. The center of the crystal filled with a black haze. He barely registered the roar that ripped through his throat as he threw the crystal, shattering it against the stone wall, the shards glittering amongst the rest of the rubble.
How could one mortal girl cause so much chaos?
Candles were blown out though no wishes made. Cake eaten. Presents open. And one long phone call endured.
Sarah sat on the edge of her bed. Boxes half-filled sat in the middle of her floor. She had three weeks of summer before she left home to go to college. The last few days she had spent going through her belongings. The boxes were divided into two piles. A few were going to college with her. Pictures, knick-knacks, and books she wanted to decorate her dorm. The rest would go to the attic until she had her own place.
Although Sarah would always be welcome here, she knew Karen was looking forward to redecorating the room as a guest room. Soon her sanctuary would be just another extension of her stepmother. Sarah had already seen the Laura Ashley catalog and wallpaper samples covering the formal dining room table.
She rolled onto her stomach, picking at the thumbtacks that pinned her Escher poster to her wall, prying each one off then rolling up the poster. Underneath, the wild jungle of flowers and vines that her mother had picked out was the last remaining vestige of Linda's short time in the house, before leaving to find herself and a dozen or more beaus along the way. And soon all remnants of Sarah would disappear too.
But such was life, she supposed. Leaving the nest to find new adventures and make her way on her own. She didn't expect her room to remain a shrine, but she had hoped it would still be hers when she came home during the summers.
Only three more weeks. Maybe if she had been nicer from the beginning, Karen wouldn't be so ready to see her go. She thought they had mended bridges. Thought they had gotten on well since that night three years ago. Maybe she thought wrong.
Sarah rose, placing the cylindrical tube of paper next to her box labeled college. She lifted a framed picture of their family off of her desk, the four of them gathered around the Christmas tree last year, opening presents and smiling, and laid it gently in the box.
She assumed her father would miss her. She'd caught him looking at her baby book and could have sworn he got misty-eyed tonight lighting the eighteen candles on her cake. His hugs lasted longer and his "Hey, kiddos," were tinged with melancholy every time they passed each other.
Toby, on the other hand, had already tried to hide in her boxes going to college, adamant that she take him with her. She would miss his sticky little face. Not being here to watch him grow and develop his already cheeky personality made her heart sink. She stared at her empty shelves around the room. Their contents of board games, children's books, and stuffed animals currently residing in her brother's room. Would he even remember living with her? The stories she would tell him? The games they would play? Would he know that she loved him?
No. He would never know just how much she did. She hadn't even known how much until she wished him away. Remorse was quick to come and changed the course of Sarah's life and attitude. But regret was not.
Regret would mean wishing it had never happened. And she couldn't bring herself to feel that way. Sarah came back from the Labyrinth different. More mature and patient. Her lessons in the labyrinth lingering long after she left.
She wouldn't want to forget it, not that the dreams let her. She glanced at the pink clock on her nightstand. One o'clock. If she crawled in bed now, she could get a few hours before Toby bounded in to wake her up for cereal and cartoons. The rest of her packing could wait. She slipped into bed and clicked the switch on her lamp, staring at the shadows playing over her walls until her eyes could no longer be forced to stay open.
Jareth strode through the Labyrinth, his eyes assaulted by the brightly colored flora and nose inundated with their heady perfumes. The quadrangles he entered were lush and welcoming. Columns rising from the foliage lined the paths. Gazebos with cushioned benches sat in the center of some while swings hanging from branches of ancient trees hid in the corners of others.
The effects were stunning. Each area more beautiful than the last. "Hardly a punishment, Sarah," he said, lifting a rose between his fingers.
As he had traversed Sarah's path, something vexed him about the circumjacent splendor. Perfection surrounded him and yet it felt more unnatural than any of the frights and monsters that used to lurk here.
No thorns, he realized. Not a single thorn, nor spines, nor prickles grew within these walls.
These were not the wishes and visions of a woman grown. The gardens were nothing more than a child's fantasy. Naive and perhaps willfully ignorant.
Jareth shook his head in consternation. Sarah, Sarah, Sarah . Thorns did not detract from a rose's beauty. They enhanced it. What good was anything easily gained? Her run should have taught her that.
The world must have a balance. Good and bad. Light and Dark. Pleasure and Pain. He would be all too happy to teach her those lessons. She needed someone to enlighten her.
All these years, Jareth raged against her refusal. Her rejection. These blooms and blossoms showcased her innocence when she first traversed the labyrinth. Perhaps she had not understood what he wanted from her. What she was turning down.
Jareth never considered that possibility before. All he knew was that he had been denied that which he wanted. Something that never happened.
Had she truly just been too young? The aging process of mortals had never made sense to him. For creatures that lived such short life spans, they seemed to take an absurd amount of that just learning how to survive. His own kind were quick to master themselves, their magic, their duties, their desires. The rest of their eons were spent in pursuit of those things which brought them pleasure in between the mundane. Parties, rituals, intrigues were common. Love, less so.
Taking out his knife, he once more carved his marking into the side of a column then forged ahead eager to see what else her early paths would illuminate for him. Know thy enemy. Though enemy she was not. She was his opponent. His prey. To know her dreams would only benefit his plans and make her easier to pursue. Easier to ensnare.
The last box had been carried to her dorm. Her parents and Toby waited by the car. Sarah took a second to look at them, memorize their faces, their gestures. Especially her little brother as he danced around their father, hanging on to his fingers. Misty-eyed and smiling Karen opened her arms to Sarah, enveloping her in a warm hug.
"Make sure you make friends with your roommate. Here's some money. Why don't you order the two of you some pizza while you unpack?" She reached into her purse and pulled out a bill, tucking it into Sarah's pocket. "And join some social clubs. I know college is supposed to be about learning but try to make some friends. The people you meet now could be the ones that you have forever. And-"
"Karen, she'll make plenty of friends. Won't you, Sare-Bear?" Robert traded his little boy for his little girl, passing Toby to Karen while taking Sarah into a tight hug. "We're so proud of you, honey. We know you're going to do great things. Just remember, should you need us, we're just a phone call away."
Sarah nodded ignoring the echoes of old friends in her mind. Friends she hadn't seen nor heard from since they made that same promise. Her family would never abandon her the way they had.
Your mother did , her brain reminded her.
Toby ran into her legs, wrapping his chubby arms around her knees. Prying him off, she scooped him up in her arms, snuggling into his neck, breathing in the scent of baby soap and cookies he had been bribed with to not run down the hallways while they carried the last of Sarah things upstairs.
Her throat grew thick with emotions as tears welled in her eyes. Would he think she abandoned him like her mother did her?
"I'm going to see you real soon, Tobes. And I call you on the phone, okay?"
He nodded as he tugged on the silver chain around her neck. His blonde hair and freckles dusting his little nose would change and grow too quickly. And she would miss all of it.
"I'm gonna miss you. I love you, Toby. You know that right?" Her voice was strangled with emotions she struggled to keep at bay, refusing to let those floodgates open.
"I love you too." He smiled and gave her a kiss that was wetter than it should have been, but she treasured it all the same.
They loaded up in the car, waving until they were out of sight. A tear spilled down her cheek. They would only be two hours away. Why did it seem like goodbye and not see you later?
Swiping her palm, against her cheek, she entered the student housing and climbing the two floors to her room. New chapters, new beginnings, new friends. This was the beginning of a new adventure. Not the ending.
After several pieces of pizza and much unpacking and organizing, Sarah climbed into bed. She was fortunate in her roommate. Koko was an exchange student from Japan. Sweet and quiet. They helped each other rearrange the furniture before commencing with all the real work.
It would take Sarah some getting used to but taking off her shoes before coming in was a small price to pay to make her roommate more comfortable so far from home.
Pulling her blanket to her chin, she took a deep breath. She hadn't slept away from home since her birthday. The last dream she had in the Labyrinth scared her more than she wanted to admit. Her parents thought her last-minute attempts to switch to a school closer to home was ridiculous and chalked it up to normal jitters about starting school.
Closing her eyes she prayed that her worries had been for nothing. They weren't.
Surrounded by fawning courtiers, each one vying for his attention, none knowing their attempts were futile, Jareth smothered a yawn. These prancing peacocks, painted and bedazzled with jewels and feathers were all the same. Calculating, insipid, cold.
Each and everyone fancied themselves a queen. None of them knew he had already chosen the one he would have. Not amongst the royals and nobility of the Fae as was expected. But a mortal girl.
He had not sensed her presence in almost a month. In that time, her paths with their gardens strengthened his resolve and desires. He needed to find her. Wanted her. Her sweetness. Innocence. Had he ever been so untouched by cynicism?
No. He had been raised to be always on guard. Play the game at court. Amass power. There was no room for something as pitiful as innocence.
And so he played his part. Moved his pieces on the board until his small and humble kingdom was respected and his power undeniable. The problem with power though was there were always those who would try to take it from you. Waiting for you to fail, to fall, to be defeated.
Jareth knew that rumors of a runner beating his labyrinth were whispered in darkened halls and hidden behind false smiles. He quelled such rumors as fast as he could, appearing at all social gatherings as though he had not lost control of his kingdom's main system of defense.
He surveyed the crowd gathered at the palace of the neighboring kingdom celebrating Lughnasadh. The first of the harvest gifts were strewn across tables and wine flowed freely. Music and dancing provided entertainment and distraction for those still sober enough to stand.
At one time, these bacchanalian feasts appealed to him. Pulling him into all the debauchery and depravity they displayed. Now he viewed them with thinly veiled contempt.
Sarah's vision of the labyrinth was intoxicating. More tempting than anything provided by his world. She had ideals and morals that were foreign to him. He had never encountered anyone who could face monsters and befriend them turning the whole world askew and still maintain her innocence.
He selfishly coveted it. Craved her, knowing he would only corrupt everything about her that made her so unique and enjoying that knowledge more than he cared to admit.
However, in order for him to get her, she would need to actually appear. He grew impatient waiting on her whims. The lack of control was driving him to the brink of madness. How much more was he to endure?
A feathered fan tapped his bedazzled shoulder. Red curls bounced as Orlaith batted her thick lashes at him. "Your majesty, you seem to be in need of companionship and diversion. Let me accompany you this evening." Her hand rested on his arm. Her enticements were well rehearsed, almost sounding sincere. Almost.
Jareth's lips curled into a smile as he stared down at her. Her olive dress exposed her shoulders and a generous amount of cleavage. "Tempting though your offer is, I'm afraid I must decline." His facade faltered as he felt the bond to Sarah grow stronger. "I'm afraid I must be leaving."
Her beguiling countenance turned to a sneer at his refusal. "I see. Something important to attend to at home? Perhaps the rumors others have been spreading are true."
Gripping the wrist of the hand she dared lay on him, he pulled the offending appendage off of him and dragged the minor courtier to the edge of the ballroom. "Rumors are just that. Empty stories. Otherwise, the rumors I've heard viciously spread about you and your darling son would leave your husband without a legitimate heir. It is lucky the guard he so favors suddenly disappeared."
Her painted pout fell open, eyebrows raised. "Who's been spreading such disgusting lies?"
"No doubt the same liars that have spread falsehoods about my kingdom," he replied casually. "But one must ask why they would want to paint us in such a light."
Squaring her shoulders, Orlaith composed herself flicking her fan open and sneering over his shoulder towards the Fae celebrating, blissfully unaware of their exchange. "Jealousy, of course. Obviously they are jealous of your power and of my having successfully provided an heir when so many have not."
"Of course. I hope you remember that the next time your hear anyone trying to claim knowledge of something they would certainly not be privy to."
She gave a small curtsy. "Yes, Your Majesty."
He nodded and took his leave heading towards the entrance of the palace. He needed to get outside so he could leave this blasted place. She was there. With his symbols waiting, he would be close enough to find her now.
As he appeared within the walls, he felt their bond winding its way through the Labyrinth. He turned a corner and another then doubled back. No matter which way he turned Sarah was nowhere to be found. She was here and yet not.
Rage filled his lungs. The Labyrinth had hidden her away in some other corner of itself.
Darkness surrounded her as she groped around. I wish I had some light. Flames burst into life above her, sitting in large bowls lining the tops of the walls. As her eyes adjusted to the flickering light that danced upon the stone, she turned in place.
Nothing. There was nothing growing in any direction. Her surroundings were bare. Devoid of life, save the all-seeing lichen that followed her every move. She had never been here before.
Why was this happening? Her answer came when she felt more than heard the angry howl that somehow seemed to resonate through her. She scanned each direction wondering which way. Which way would lead her to safety? Was there any place safe here anymore?
Without trying or thinking, greenery still followed in her wake, covering every surface. She wanted nothing more than to hide in it until she woke up, but she kept moving. Staying still even hidden seemed a foolish thing to do.
Why hadn't she taken these dreams more seriously? Researched ways to stop them?
What exactly would you have found? she asked herself. A one way ticket to the loony bin that's what. No book, no person would have been able to help her. She was alone.
Entering an open courtyard, she stopped to catch her breath as hedges twisted around, winding paths. Alone. Staring at the fires blazing above her, her heart sparked as an idea gave her new hope. Although she'd heard nothing from her friends since her travels maybe she could.
"I want my friends," she whispered. Closing her eyes, she listened for them. Ludo's loud steps, Sir Didymus riding Ambrosia with a call to arms, or Hoggle's reluctant bravery. Her arms wrapped around her waist. Lifting her head, she gazed at the now garden around her. Nothing had happened. Just the same as she called their names in her mirror at home.
Sighing, tried again. Say your right words. Closing her eyes once more, she steadied herself, tapping into her earnest desires to see them again. "I wish I could see my friends." When she opened her eyes this time, they were met with confirmation of her deepest fears.
Three marble statues now stood at the center of the quadrangle. Each one a perfect likeness of a friend she held dear to her heart. Ludo towering in the center with his sad sweet smile. Sir Didymus gallantly raising his staff pointing towards an unknown destination that he would never reach upon his noble steed who for once looked excited to follow his master's command. And Hoggle. With his rough sewn clothing and even rougher face, his expression was one of devotion and loyalty. A friend.
Her heart raced. Denial screaming from every ounce of her body. If this was the only way she could see her friends, surely that meant...
"Nooo!" She woke with a start, gripping her covers to her chest, her hair wet with tears matted to her neck as she sobbed, "They're dead. They can't be dead."
Her roommate's lamp clicked on filling the room with a soft orange glow as she stared at Sarah in fear.
Sarah finally knew who was after her and why. It seemed the Goblin King was hell bent on revenge. And her friends had paid the ultimate price.
Author's Note-So this will be a shorter series. I think 5-10 chapters...I am really bad at guesstimating how long something is going to take me to write. Lol. This will be a little darker but not super dark. There will be some non-con/dub-con but not in a traditional sense. If you have any questions or concerns you can message me on her or on tumblr...same name. If you like it, let me know. My muse and motivation thrive on reviews.