Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just a battered copy of the Labyrinth novel and a 'good condition' copy of the same book. That's it.

Ghosts of the Mind

Ch. 5: Abandon Hope All Who Enter Here

As much as Sarah hated the idea of doing anything that even remotely resembled obeying Jareth, when the guard delivered her dinner she devoured it telling herself that it wasn't because Jareth said to, but because she knew she'd need strength. That, and the fact that she didn't know whether the Council would even allow her basic provisions for her trip through the Labyrinth. Looking over the steaming bowl filled with a thick stew of meat and vegetables, she paused momentarily to wonder if it was safe to eat.

…The bastard already has me in his clutches, what reason could he possibly have to drug me now…. She thought ruefully, before digging into the bowl.

While goblin hospitality and attitude left much to be desired, the food itself was tasty, hearty and filling. Within minutes she had polished the bowl clean with the fresh bread and butter that came with it on the tray. The only remaining item was a single, perfectly ripe peach. Grasping it, Sarah wanted to squeeze it until the juice from the ruined flesh ran between her fingers to spill on the stone floor - then she thought better of it. As much as she might hate Jareth and his peach fetish, food was food and the more she had tucked away for her journey, the better off she would be. With a frustrated sigh, she laid the peach on the small table by the cot, next to the peach still left from breakfast.

Although she hadn't been tired when her dinner arrived, upon finishing it, Sarah felt a tidal wave of sleepiness wash over her. The feeling hit her so suddenly that she only had a moment to wonder if the food had actually been drugged, before she found herself curling up on the rickety cot and drifting into a deep sleep.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

Opening her eyes, Sarah found herself standing by the small stone fountain outside the entrance to the Labyrinth. Seeing a familiar form standing on the edge of the little pond, she rushed forward, her heart leaping at the sight.

"Hoggle!" she shouted as she raced toward him, only to stop short. "Hoggle!" she called again, a tremor of fear shaking her to her very core, when Hoggle didn't move or answer her call. "Hoggle?"

Her heart clenching painfully in her chest as she moved around the corner of the pond to face him, Sarah feared what she would see. Tears formed in her eyes as what she was seeing fully registered.

Hoggle, had been turned to stone.

"Oh Hoggle," she moaned, a slender hand reaching up to trace the bulbous cheeks and roughened face of her friend. "What happened?"

Sarah slumped to the edge of the fountain, next to the silent stone feet of her friend. Burying her head in her hands, she wept. Sarah wept for her friend - once her only link to this magical world, a friend she had neglected horribly and left to fend for himself in this changed and dangerous world. And she wept for herself.

"It is my fault…all my fault. If I only hadn't neglected you and left you alone. Why did Jareth have to do this, just to punish me," she whispered, her tears falling against Hoggle's stone feet, splashing against the dusty brown stone.

"You think too much of yourself, Precious if you think I did this to punish you," came the clipped reply from behind her.

Leaping to her feet, Sarah turned to see the Goblin King standing on the other side of the fountain, the heated wind that battered against the stone walls of the Labyrinth, swirling effortlessly around him, making the heavy leather of his cloak flap and lick at his calves.

"You… You bastard…" snarled Sarah, glaring at the unwelcome sight before her.

"Save your vitriol, Sarah. I didn't do this to punish you. In fact, I didn't do this at all," replied Jareth as he moved toward the still form of Hoggle. Frowning, he shook his head before turning his attention back toward Sarah. "While Hogwart is not my most loyal subject thanks to you, he had his uses and was usually pretty good and fulfilling them. I had no reason to put him out of commission. This," he said, gesturing at Hoggle's silent form, "…was solely the act of the Labyrinth."

"Stay away from him," yelled Sarah, angered by cavalier way Jareth seemed to regard the stone Hoggle. Rushing at Jareth, she began to beat at his chest, attempting to shove him away from her friend. "I know you had a hand in this. You stay away from him. You've done enough damage."

Gripping her wrists in his gloved hands, Jareth looked at the snapping and growling woman before him, his pale eyes grave and his voice surprisingly calm and quiet. "No, Sarah. I. Did. Not. Do. This," he said, biting off each word sharply to emphasize his point. "You must believe me Precious, no matter what you may think of me, I would not unduly harm my own subjects. Particularly one such as Hoggle, whose sole purpose is to protect my Labyrinth and those who enter her gates."

Angrily, Sarah jerked her hands free of Jareth's grip and collapsed on the stone-wall of the fountain once more, her hands running restlessly through her hair as she stared at Hoggle's still, stone feet. Cocking her head slightly, her hair sliding to partially cover her eyes, she glared balefully at Jareth before speaking.

"Why are you here, Jareth? Did you come to gloat some more?"

Regarding her coolly, Jareth leisurely adjusted his gloves as he answered, his tone crisp and detatched, the faint trace of concern he had shown earlier, no more, "It is your dream, Sarah. You pulled me into it. So why don't you tell me what you want from me."

Turning away from her, Jareth walked toward the entrance gates of the Labyrinth, gliding a gloved hand over the seam where the two gates met, a grim smile tugging at his lips as he surveyed the outermost part of his once magnificent Labyrinth.

With a huff of frustration and a small snarl of irritation, Sarah ran a hand through her hair, feeling sand grinding between her fingers and the heavy strands. "I didn't pull you into anything, Goblin King. After the crap you pulled in court today, you are the last being on any plane of existence that I want to see or hear from. You can go to hell or wherever your kind goes that is dark, dank and evil for all I care!"

Jareth laughed, the sound low and dark as he looked at her, "While you may believe that my dear, I would not be here if you did not want me here."

"So, you did drug my dinner," Sarah said, her words a statement of fact rather than a question.

"Drug? No. Nothing so barbaric, merely a simple enchantment to help you sleep," came the smooth reply.

With a snort Sarah shook her head, watching him as he walked along the gate.

"A matter of semantics – potato, potato," grumbled Sarah, rubbing her hand over her face.

Glancing at her over his shoulder, Jareth paused his examination of the gates,"As I said before, Precious… the Labyrinth is a dangerous place to sleep these days. I wanted to ensure you managed to get some sleep while you are still safe. Believe me, Sarah, I want nothing more than for you to beat the Labyrinth and keep your life."

Watching Jareth run his hand over the entrance to the Labyrinth, Sarah felt a twinge inside herself. As mad as she was at him, he was the only person that even remotely qualified as a 'friendly face' in this changed environment and at the moment, Sarah was torn. She fervently hated him and felt he had betrayed her to the council, using them to have her made his slave. Yet, if she was honest with herself, she really didn't want to die – which meant she not only had to survive the Labyrinth, but make it to the Goblin Castle before her time ran out – and that would put her right back into Jareth's clutches. In the end, it always came back to that – she would belong to the Goblin King. Still, when she was being perfectly honest with herself, part of her (a very tiny part, but a part nonetheless) didn't mind the idea of being his. And it was that part that now fought free of the bonds that the rest of her psyche had thrust upon it, to speak from her heart for the first time since her latest journey with Jareth had begun.

"I wish I could believe you," she whispered so softly that she herself almost didn't hear the words falling from her lips, her eyes falling to her own hands, as they twisted in her lap.

In that instant Jareth was sitting beside her on the edge of the fountain, a gloved hand tenderly tipping her chin, bringing her face up to see him, "You can, Sarah. In fact, if you are to survive this, you must believe me. Any animosity I held toward your actions is long past. You won the challenge fairly, even by my standards. And while you carelessly tossed aside everything I offered you, and indeed Precious, I offered you everything you could dream of, and more, I hold you no ill will."

The wind around them picked up, buffeting them harshly with sand until it felt like they were being ground to dust. Sarah watched in horror as the sand pelted the stone Hoggle, who in mere minutes began to crumble.

"No!" she shrieked, throwing herself across the stone edge of the fountain, the stone remnants of Hoggle crumbling to powder in her fingers.

"Sarah," soothed Jareth, pulling her from the edge of the fountain and wrapping the sturdy leather of his cloak around them both, protecting them from the harsh wind and sand as it tore through the air. "This is but a dream, Sarah. You will encounter far more disturbing dreamscapes than this in your journey. Above all, you must remain aware that you are in a dream. You have to use that knowledge to help yourself where I can't. Remember that, Precious."

"A dream…."

"Yes, Sarah. Remember that and believe in me. Do those two things, and you will find what you need to get through the Labyrinth."

The wind picked up further, until Sarah found herself clinging to Jareth as the only solid thing that kept her from being blown away.

"Remember, Sarah…. "

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

Clinging to the threadbare woolen blanket of the cot, Sarah groaned as she was shaken awake by a very cranky goblin guard.

"Oi…You! Wake up! You got no time fer sleepin. Council wants you ready in an hour to go to the gates. Majesty says you're to wake up and I'm ta make sure ya eat. So eat!" he grumbled, thrusting a tray of food onto the foot of the bed, before stalking from the cell and slamming the door behind him.

Stretching, Sarah watched him leave. "And a good morning to you too," she shouted with false cheerfulness at his retreating back, before muttering under her breath, "Asshat."

With a last stretch, she pulled herself upright, tucking her feet under the skirts of her dress with a frown as she looked at the wrinkles that creased the fabric.

"Hmm…I doubt I'll be given the option of a wardrobe change before they lead me to my doom," she grumbled, plucking the lid from her breakfast tray.

What she found on the tray surprised and dismayed her. A full breakfast filled the tray. On a plate was a large slice of ham that was more like a slab, as it hung over three sides of the plate. Laying on top of the slice of ham were three fried eggs. In another dish was a heaping serving of fried potatoes and onions. Next to that was a stack of three buckwheat pancakes filled with berries and smothered in syrup. Topping off the breakfast platter was a large bowl of fresh fruit. While the breakfast she was served was complete and as nice as she might find in any five-star hotel, Sarah immediately saw it for what it was meant to be – the last meal of the condemned woman.

"Fucking brilliant. Even the cooks think I'm doomed," she sighed, picking up a fork and plunging it into the bowl of fruit. As she brought a bite of pineapple and melon to her mouth, a crisply accented voice cut into her reverie.

"Actually, Precious… if the cooks had their way you'd be eating the same pottage made of beans and leftovers that the lowest ranking goblins in the castle eat. I informed them that you were to have the same breakfast I had. I'd feel better knowing you are facing the Labyrinth with a proper meal inside you."

Looking up, Sarah saw Jareth once more standing outside the cell door. His presence made her pause, the fork of fruit halfway to her mouth. Unlike the night before, she didn't feel the urge to scream at him, which vaguely puzzled her. Raising an eyebrow, she surveyed him, before gesturing with her fork, the fruit dripping juice upon the floor as she spoke, "And is this meal drugged like dinner was last night?"

Jareth merely chuckled and shook his head, an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Now Sarah, I thought I addressed that last night. It wasn't drugged, simply enchanted to ensure you got a good sleep."

Nibbling her lip, Sarah looked at him, her distrust plainly written upon her face. Yet, in the end, hunger and practicality won out as she finally slipped the bite of fruit into her mouth, silencing the mournful rumble of hunger her stomach had been in the process of giving.

"Besides," Jareth said with a wink, making Sarah stop in mid-chew, "giving you a sleep enchantment now would cause no end of problems, not the least of which would be the fact that it would be quite difficult for your to meet your deadline if you were sleeping. I'll save that for when you get to the castle, as I am sure you'll be in need of rest and relaxation."

With a sharp, barking laugh, Sarah viciously speared a bite of the soft and fluffy pancakes, "Don't do me any favors, Jareth."

Jareth smiled inwardly at Sarah's use of his name, as she thrust another bite of pancakes into her mouth. He was not sure how she would react to his presence this morning after the way she had screamed at him the night before, and he was somewhat surprised that she had not yelled at him, and was even addressing him by name – something he was not sure she had even realized that she had done.

Talking around the bite of pancake, Sarah continued, "When I get to the castle, I don't want anymore drugged or enchanted food – ever."

Raising an eyebrow, Jareth looked at the girl who had the audacity to address him in such a way, making such demands. As much as he was pleased that she wasn't cursing his very name at the moment, he couldn't let the comment pass.

"Let me remind you, Precious," he drawled, moving nearer to the bars set in the cell door as he watched her carefully, "when you reach the castle, my castle, you will fall under my control and should I wish you to eat enchanted food at every single meal, you will do so."

Sarah glared at Jareth as he stood by the door, angry at herself for having forgotten that simple, but oh-so-important part of the whole ordeal – if she survived the Labyrinth and won her life, she lost her freedom, a thought that alternately intrigued her and terrified her.

Jareth watched as Sarah dropped her fork on the plate with a jarring clatter. Slowly she untucked her legs and stalked across the cell until she was standing at the door. With only several inches of wood and iron between them, Jareth bit back a smile as an involuntary shiver shook her body. Gripping the bars of the door in her hands, she gazed at him, her green eyes seeming to search his face as if looking for an answer to a question not yet asked.

"You know I will not be an easy woman to keep, Jareth," she murmured quietly as she glared at him.

"I am quite well aware of that, and wouldn't expect anything else," he replied, unable to keep the amusement from his voice, until the deadly serious look in her eyes made his blood chill in his veins.

"I have come to terms with the fact that if I win my life, I lose my freedom. I get that. It isn't fair, but what is said, is said. But know this, Goblin King," she continued, her voice steely in the silent hall of the dungeon, "if you think I'm going to roll over and let you hurt me or mistreat me, then you'd best let your Labyrinth kill me before I get to the castle – because I will make your life a living hell if you even think about abusing me."

A smirk tugged at his lips as he watched her face, admiring the way her finely edged teeth seemed to both caress each word, and sharply bite them off. She was truly a beauty, and worthy of any crown he could bestow upon her. Yet, in his mind's eye he suspected that she would be even more beautiful in finely wrought, fairy chains – and by rights, should she win her life, those chains would be a reality.

"My dear Sarah, while having you at my beck and call as a slave is in some ways, a dream come true," he chuckled, the sound a dark rumble that echoed in the dungeon hall, "mistreating you in anyway is the furthest thing from my mind."

"Then why would you agree to take me as a slave if I win?" she asked, her voice dropping further as she studied his face.

The Goblin King leaned in closer to the bars of the door, a gloved finger lightly caressing her fingers as they gripped the steel rods.

"Think it over, Precious," he replied silkily, a sly smile shining in his mismatched eyes as the light of understanding dawned for her.

Cocking her head slightly, Sarah studied him, her green eyes narrowing sharply as her mind worked over what he had said. Clearly, he had some reason for what he was doing and why, the question was – what. Seeing his supercilious smirk, Sarah felt herself torn between wanting to slap him and wipe the smirk from his face, and crush her lips to his.

… This was easier when I wanted to curse his name to the ends of the earth and back again…. She groaned inwardly. Then the answer hit her – not even an answer really, but her own words. Her own theory that she had dreamt up one night in her first year of graduate school, as she lounged in her studio apartment, drinking her way through several bottles of wine while mulling over the sensual darkness that was the Goblin King.

"There is a fine line between loathing, lust and love," Sarah whispered, before she was cut off by his clipped baritone.

"Precisely, Pet. And I intend to see just how blurred that line can become," Jareth replied, before stepping away from the cell door and vanishing in a swirl of silvery glitter

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

True to the decree of the Council, Sarah had been taken from her cell well before sunrise, a cadre of guards unceremoniously chaining her hands once more as she was led out of the dungeon cell. She had finished the last bites of her breakfast only minutes before the band of goblins had descended upon the cell – apparently she was a 'dangerous' prisoner that required a small army to move from one place to another. As she was pulled into the hallway, Sarah was momentarily concerned by the notable absence of the Goblin King, but wasn't given time to dwell on it. Once outside the cell, she felt that odd pulling sensation in her stomach, as if she had dropped from a great height, and the world around them spun away into a vibrant purple mist. Just as quickly as the dungeon hallway disappeared, Sarah and the Council members were standing outside in the grey-blue light of the pre-dawn period.

A cool breeze galloped up the sandy slope upon which Sarah now found herself, once more overlooking the Labyrinth – that is, what remained of the Labyrinth. Looking at the outer walls, she felt a tendril of icy fear run down her spine. Where before the walls were sturdy, brown sandstone, now they shimmered darkly, under a coating of obsidian dust. That alone was not the most disturbing part. On her first visit, Sarah remembered being able to see the castle far off in the distance at the middle of the Labyrinth, this time there was nothing in the distance except low-hanging dark clouds that rumbled ominously, as occasional flashes of violet and silver lightening streaked across the sky.

This was a thing of nightmares.

"Sarah Williams of the Aboveground, as ordered, you have three days to arrive safely at the Castle beyond the Goblin City," intoned the Council members as one voice. "If you arrive within the allotted time you shall be decreed property of the Goblin King and shall live or die at his whim. Should you fail to reach the castle, your life is forfeit and you will be transported to the High Court to await execution. Have you anything to say before the sentence is carried out?"

Frowning, Sarah considered her dress, shoes and the fact that she didn't have any provisions, except the peaches tucked into the pouch on her hip. Raising her head, she stared them in the eye as she opened her mouth to request some food at the very least, only to be cut off by an aggravated snort from behind her.

"I might have known you would attempt to change the start time," snarled Jareth, his voice cold as he addressed the Council members. "Did you honestly think you would be able to sneak her out of my own dungeon, let alone cheat by changing the time? While the Labyrinth may be deadly, rules are still rules. Three days from sun-up until sun-up. That was the decree."

Although they were still hooded in white, Sarah could feel the Council representatives glaring at Jareth. She wasn't sure how much Jareth was helping her case with his anger and the way he was speaking to the Council members.

"You dare accuse us of cheating, Goblin King?" asked the Council head, with an icy rasp.

Sarah watched as Jareth stepped around her, surprised by the momentary scent of cinnamon and something darker, more exotic, that wafted around her as he stalked past to stand before the Council head.

"Yes. I do accuse you. Not only that, but you are being entirely cruel in sending her in unprepared. I must protest again. She did nothing worth punishing her for, at least grant her proper clothing and some food," Jareth demanded, his usually pale eyes darkened with anger as he stared down the Council members, the leather of his cloak creaking in the breeze that swirled around them.

To her great surprise, Sarah saw the head of the Council incline their head slightly and gesture in her direction.

"As you wish, Goblin King. You may dress her in as befitting a woman of her status in this kingdom and provide modest provisions for her sustenance," declared the head of the Council.

Bowing slightly to the Council, Jareth wasted no time in turning toward Sarah. With a wave of his hand the chains that bound her hands dissolved, Sarah rubbing her wrists where the heavy chains had chaifed her skin. She felt her skin tingle as if electrified as he stalked around her, before coming to stop in front of her once more. Deftly twisting his hand, a shimmering orb appeared in it and with a sly smirk, he dropped the crystal at her feet. Before she could blink, Sarah found herself clothed in a much more appropriate manner. Her feet were covered in sturdy leather boots, that were soft, yet strong. On her legs she found a pair of black leggings made of a thick, warm wool that skimmed her body closely enough that she would have no problem moving quickly if she needed to. Her torso was now covered in a long-sleeve, knee-length linen shift of silver, over which was a heavier weight, coarse linen tunic of dove grey. Shifting her posture, Sarah surveyed the fitted black leather jacket that topped off her traveling garb. Considering her outfit, she couldn't help but smile, fixing the Goblin King with a slight grin, he had dressed her to compliment what he was now wearing, the same outfit he had worn when he had come to taunt her in the tunnels on her first journey through the Labyrinth –her jacket even had the same asymmetrical cut and hardened shoulder spaulders that his did.

Looking at the ground once more, Sarah noticed that her leather satchel was sitting by Jareth's feet. Swiftly he bent, picking up the bag and holding it out to her, "I trust you will find adequate food in this bag. The water bottle inside has been enchanted so that it will refill as often as you need."

"Thank you," Sarah managed to mutter, taking the straps of the bag and slinging them over her shoulder, relishing the reassuring weight of the bag against her back.

As they stood on the hillside, the first rays of the sun rose behind them, however instead of the rosy warmth Sarah was used to seeing with the sunrise, the sun that rose over the Labyrinth cast an eerie blue-grey glow over the landscape, making the shadows dance as they lengthened, seeming to climb the walls of the Labyrinth as if they were alive.

"Come, Sarah," Jareth said, his voice quiet yet firm in the early morning silence. "It is time."

Sarah followed Jareth down the small hillside, their feet making faint crunching sounds in the dry, cracked soil. She was oddly relieved that the group of goblins and Council members stayed at the top of the slope. When they reached the gates, Jareth paused, turning to look at her. Unable to bear it if he were to look on her with pity or even with that smug smirk of his, Sarah stared resolutely at the great gate. As if reading her mind, Jareth lightly caressed her chin, tilting her head up until her eyes met his, surprising her with the concern that flashed in them, before they masked once more.

"Remember everything I have told you. The Labyrinth will use your fears and insecurities against you. You must believe in yourself and you must believe in me. Trust that you will find what you need. And above all, remember the story – every word of it."

With his final words to her still hanging in the air, the Goblin King ran his hand over the emblem that marked the door and stood back, as the great stone doors swung open. Peering into the darkened entry of the Labyrinth, Sarah felt her heart begin to thud wildly in her chest. Shaking her head, she stood up straight, her shoulders back and her head held high. She was the Champion of the Labyrinth. The only Champion of the Labyrinth, and the Labyrinth, even this twisted, macabre nightmare it had become, was hers by conquest – she just had to remind it of that fact.

"See you at the castle, Goblin King," she muttered, casting a quick look in Jareth's direction.

"I'll hold you to that, Precious."

Glancing down, Sarah gripped her satchel more firmly as she took her first step through the great gates, "Come on feet. Let's do this."

As Sarah stepped fully through the gates, they closed with a firm thud behind her, sealing her inside the dark and foreboding walls of the Labyrinth. Moving close to the wall, Jareth ran his fingers once more over the emblem of the kingdom that emblazoned the doors.

"Gods be with you, Precious."

And Jareth, the Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth, disappeared in a haze of golden glitter.