Disclaimer: Firefly/Serenity and The Labyrinth, unfortunately, do not belong to me.
AN: Finally got this chapter up, I swear writer's block must have been created by some devious little gremlin. This chapter didn't flow quite as smoothly as the first so I apologize in advance for any strangeness, but read and enjoy. R&R! ^_^
Somewhere in the Black
Jareth could scarcely believe his ears.
:: She wanted to go with him. Runners weren't supposed to want to go to the Labyrinth, not unless they truly wanted to rescue those they had wished away. Wait if she was the runner, then who had she… ::
River giggled as she saw the Goblin Kings eyes widen in realization.
"You wished yourself away?!" The hushed whisper seemed forced, as if he would have rather shouted the words.
"Pretty glitter falling from the sky. Leafy branches and stone walls stretching far above. Strange creatures and a castle beyond the city. This girl wished to see it, so she said her right words." River spoke quietly, seriously, as if trying to make sure he understood.
Jareth shook his head, still not believing that he had been duped by this little chit of a girl. Never in the history of the Labyrinth had a person wished themselves away.
"Why…" he knelt in front of her, in order to better see into her face.
"She's wrong, broken, feng-le. She wishes to be fixed, whole, alive. She wishes to run for her dreams" River was speaking more strongly now, as if wanting to prove something.
Jareth drew himself up, gathering his cloak and power around himself. Taking on a more intimidating and threatening air, he spoke, "So be it. You have thirteen hours to run the Labyrinth, or you will become one of us forever." His voice had taken on an echoing quality, and thunder could be heard rolling in the distance.
River shivered and started to wonder if she had made the right decision.
"River! River, who are you talking to?"
River looked up at the Goblin King, her mouth forming a ring of horror. She didn't want to see her brother, she knew that Simon would try to run in her place. Knew that it would not heal her.
"We must leave. Now. I agree to your terms, Goblin King. I will run your Labyrinth." River spoke hurriedly.
Jareth nodded once, and started juggling a crystal. "Very well."
Simon ran up to River's door, to see a shower of glitter falling to the floor.
"River…"
At the entrance to the Labyrinth
They stood on a hill facing the entrance to the Labyrinth. The light had a quality that River had never seen before, as if it was being filtered before it reached her.
"You have thirteen hours, little girl. Use them well." Jareth conjured up the old clock, staring at the hands till they pointed at thirteen. "Thirteen hours, before you will become one of us forever."
River was staring at the clock, barely acknowledging Jareth's speech. "Thirteen, is twelve plus one, is six plus seven, is ten plus three. Three was the holy trinity. One is quite lonely. Together they make four and thirteen. Were you lonely and so picked thirteen, because four was too short? "
Jareth, midway through vanishing, froze, stared at River in shock and could think of nothing to say.
"Bovine. Definitely bovine in actions." Finished with her statement, River skipped down the hill towards the large gates to the Labyrinth.
Glaring at the girl's diminishing form, Jareth completed his transportation to the castle. Collapsing onto his throne, he conjured a crystal to watch River's introduction to the Labyrinth.
At the gates
River stared up at the large gates before, head cocked to the side as if listening to voices only she could hear.
"Pretty little flitting things that have a nasty bite, don't try and trick me." She chanted to the fairy that had flown up to her. The fairy pulled a face at her and flew off.
"A young girl with flowing hair and jewel green eyes was here before me, she met with the small cowardly hero… but he is not here to greet me." River shrugged in puzzlement before striding forward and pushing on the gate.
It swung open showing a glittering wall full of seeing lichen that blinked and followed her movements into the maze. She gazed left and then right, and turned towards the whisper in her mind. A little voice, sounding of Earth-that-was whispered gently through her thoughts. She paused and turned towards a little blue worm making its way out of a crack.
"'Allo," she said.
"'Allo!" he said back, looking slightly shocked at her appearance. "So would you like some tea? The missus loves company." He smiled invitingly at her.
"She would love to, but she has to reach the castle beyond the Goblin City nor does her mass compress to a small enough space to enter your dwelling. Her apologies to the missus." River ducked her head at the worm and turned around to face the opening in the wall, passing through and turning to the right.
"Wait! Don't go that way!" the worm called to River.
"You are but a worm, do you know the way to the castle beyond the Goblin City?"
"No, I'm just a worm, but the path to your left goes straight to that castle over yonder." He said, slightly indignant.
"Thank you." River smiled brightly at the worm and danced down the corridor.
"Strange girl, that one… the king has his work cut out for him," the worm chuckled to himself.
In the Castle
"Blast!" Jareth threw the crystal at the wall, "at this rate she'll be here in a few hours."
The goblins peered from around corners at the king. One brave soul piped up, "King not happy?"
Jareth whirled, but all the goblins had ducked back into their hiding places.
"No, King is not happy. Time to pay little River a visit," a devious grin lit his features at the thought.