Author's note: I don't own anything to do with the Labyrinth (except the soundtrack, which is awesome!). Names and places aside from those mentioned in the Labyrinth are cobbled together from an eclectic variety of sources. I ask for your forgiveness in advance, and as always, please review!
At the knocking on his door, Jareth raised his weary head. He had been deep in thought in his study, immersed in every book he could get his hands on that dealt with the Labyrinth and its magic. Sitting up straight and assuming a casual, unaffected expression, Jareth made a small gesture with his hand and the door opened. In walked his senior advisor, Benwyk. Benwyk approached his King directly, and spoke without preamble.
"There's been another disappearance, sire." Benwyk bowed his head, hating to be the bearer of bad news. Jareth felt another part of him turn towards despair: another disappearance? He couldn't take much more of this. Still, he needed the facts. "Where? When? Who?" Jareth barked out his questions in quick succession, some part of him knowing he needed to act the capable King even if he wasn't.
"In the eastern sector of the Labyrinth, sire. There was a community of dwarves living on the edge of the darkness. They had refused to leave, despite your most urgent warnings. One woman and her two children went to forage for roots and other food one morning. Her husband reported them missing after two days, and then he left to find them. That was a week ago, and no one has seen hide nor hair of them since."
Jareth stood, and clasped his hands behind his back, pacing while he thought. He came to an abrupt halt and faced Benwyk. In his most official voice, Jareth said, "From this moment on, no one is to live within one hundred meters of the darkness. Issue orders of mandatory evacuation. Those who do not have family or friends to give them berth shall find food and lodging in this castle. If any dwarves of that community wish to seek the missing, send them to me directly." Jareth stopped talking, and Benwyk nodded his head, bowing quickly before turning to leave.
Before he could stop himself, Jareth called out, "Oh, and Benwyk…" The named party turned to face his king. "What are their names?" Benwyk looked at the parchment in his hand. "The family Winfull, sire. Father, Diggle, Mother, Miriam, Son, Tadgh, and Daughter, Adonna." The king waved out his advisor as he returned to sit at his desk. Drawing a sheet of parchment towards him, Jareth picked up his quill and wrote, Family Winful, father Diggle, mother Miriam, son Tadgh, and daughter Adonna. Disappeared from eastern sector of Labyrinth, 20th May Official orders of mandatory evacuation issued. Search party pending. Setting down his quill, Jareth looked at the parchment, which was really a list of everything that had gone wrong in the Labyrinth in the past seven months.
The list was long. Certain entries jumped out at Jareth.
The first disappearance, nearly a month ago: 29th April, one Woodcutter, name Thineus Disby, reported missing after work-related venture near darkness. Warnings urging citizens of Labyrinth living near darkness to relocate issued.
2nd April, center of darkness discovered in eastern sector. Growth of darkness steady and impermeable to interference.
16th February, all borders of Labyrinth continuing to expand, unresponsive to attempts to return to original dimensions.
21st January, northern border of Labyrinth seen expanding into neighboring territory.
And the very first entry, made just two weeks after Sarah's defeat of the Labyrinth:
14th November, Shreville family of worms, Father Earnest, reports unauthorized rearrangement of Labyrinth walls and displacement of family home.
Jareth surveyed the piles of ancient books surrounding him. In none of them had he found any record of this ever happening before. He didn't know what was wrong with the Labyrinth. One thing that he had found out in his research was that the Labyrinth had never been beaten before. There was no precedent for both Sarah's triumph over the Labyrinth and the changes in the Labyrinth. That meant that there was a good likelihood the two events were linked: Sarah's actions – whether she had done something to the Labyrinth in her thirteen hours here, or simply the act of defeating the Labyrinth – had caused this change. There was no other explanation.
At first, Jareth had thought his powers somehow diminished, his broken heart to blame. He had traveled to visit the Shreville family of worms to see for himself just what the problem was. He had found them living under a piece of loose tile some distance away from their original home. Jareth hadn't wasted any time in reordering the walls of the Labyrinth – only a few had changed, it should have been easy. It wasn't. The moment his magic touched the Labyrinth, Jareth felt resistance. Only after increasing the flow of magic had he been able to evoke a change. Eventually, he had everything put to rights and the family restored to their original home.
And a month later, all his work had been undone. None of his repairs lasted longer than a month. In fact, the time they lasted seemed to decrease steadily, until he couldn't repair anything at all. His magic was useless on the Labyrinth. He was just as powerful as he ever was elsewhere, but it was as if the Labyrinth had refused to heed him. Then, six months after Sarah's defeat of the Labyrinth, one of his worst fears was realized: the darkness appeared.
As master of the Labyrinth, Jareth had always sensed this darkness, as much a part of the Labyrinth as its bricks and walls. It was as if the Labyrinth was a living being, and Jareth knew enough about magic to know not to doubt that possibility. All creatures have the capacity to do evil. It is part of their makeup. Most learn to repress it, to ignore it, to forget it even exists. They have the ability to do evil, but they choose not to. The darkness in the Labyrinth was just like a potential for evil, but Jareth had placed safeguards around this blackness to prevent its growth and manifestation. Never, in all the years he had reigned as Goblin King, had that darkness shown itself. But in six months after Sarah's conquest, it suddenly appears? The events had to be linked.
Now, after the disappearances of five of his subjects, Jareth was forced to consider his only remaining option. His magic didn't work against the Labyrinth. He could not find any solution elsewhere. And now, his subjects were in danger. His kingdom was in danger. It was time to look to the source of the problem: Sarah. As much as he hated to admit it, Jareth needed her help.