Disclaimer: Labyrinth is not mine.
A/N: This story will be completed-I have three more chapters fully written, and plan 3-4 more after that. Expect postings a week a part, if interested.
Thank you to my reviewers: Danalas the Lady Chaos, daughterofthe1king, Nyakai, amitykunimoto, lonely 27, J Luc Picard, hazlgrnlizzy, notwritten, Cybernetic Mango, Corvidae, jen2137, The Lady of the Trees, and Kou Shun'u. You guys rock.
Enjoy!
Chapter 12: Shadowy Dealings
Sarah's screams were interwoven with the shape shifter's rising laugh. It was a mangled sound when combined—a high tremor tinged with the demonic howl of tortures unseen. As it rippled through her consciousness, Sarah fell into a silent shaking fit. The sweet juice of the plum burned on her tongue and she spat it out violently, wiping her sleeve to soak up what she hoped was every ounce. Even so, her brow continued to drip with a fresh layer of sweat. She was petrified.
The figure was still laughing. Somewhere between hot and cold, the girl forced her attention at the source of her terror.
The innocent pink facade was of course no more. The few seconds of shock had allowed the shape to form into what seemed an impossible presence; a humanoid of white smoke. Even in her hyper sensitive state, Sarah could make out ten deliberate fingers, two arms and legs, and a head of sorts. There were the two hollow eyes, crooked smirk and rounded ears…The gossamer clouds creating the being shone spectacularly in the sunlight, and the smoky substance seemed to be swimming inside the crude human mirror.
It was unmistakably alive, but not enough so that Sarah knew how to respond. And she was still panicking.
It's the shadow from the hedges! Oh god oh god oh god. What now, Sarah? What now! ThinkthinkthinkTHINK!
"It's no use you know. You've failed The Game already. One drop is all it takes". The voice was still tinged with mirth as it came closer, eying the trees instead of the girl. "Now what to do with you? We seem to be at a standstill".
Sarah could only gape in fear.
The shadow hummed to itself as it wound around the low tree just before her. "What a worthless heir you turned out to be…" A breathy sigh. "…And we had such high hope for you. He promised us so much, pleaded to allow you access to our gifts…" A glowing grin found its target.
Stall, Sarah, STALL! Just until you can get to that crystal. She eyed her pack beneath the smoke anxiously.
"If you p-plan to k-kill me, at least explain what you mean. My last wish of sorts".
"How bold you are to use our gifts against us". With a grand wave at the stone cupids still poised to fire, the shape slowly melted into the trunk of another tree. As Sarah watched the statues shift away from their ready position, the voice echoed louder.
"Such a wonderful thing, magic".
"Magic?" Sarah, still on the ground, inched a knee towards her bag.
"Dreams and desires, illusions of grandeur and mystique. The ability to bring something out of nothing and then wipe it out with a twist of an instance before it grows, wild and untamed, into reality. Into life". The shadow lept from the peach tree into a pear one nearby."It is the essence of my existence and every living thing in this realm".
"And just what are you?" Another knee closer.
"I am the nightmares and evils which haunt the mind. Part of the greatest living entity ever created…" The voice quieted momentarily, as if overpowered by its own splendor. "I am temptation, fear, power. The sins of this world and the next and the sorrows of those who fell before me. Greed, pride, sloth…" The smoke wisped across the face of the tree sensuously. "…lust".
Sarah was feet from her prize now, crawling steadily forwards.
"You have seen three of my faces. It is such a shame you cannot see the rest".
The voice didn't sound too apologetic to Sarah. Grabbing her pack, she blindly grabbed one of the crystals and spun back out. The trees still echoed with the smoke's amusement. Without a guess of which tree the mirage nested within, Sarah struggled with where to focus her attempt. There were easily fifty fruit trees to pick from. She closed her eyes to exemplify her sense of hearing. Sometimes, sight was distracting.
And she still had no idea what she was doing.
There was no time to practice. Sarah focused, pulling what spark of fear and anxiety had settled in her gut to the front of her mind. Just like a musician tapping the piano keys for the first time, she went into a nervous trance. It didn't need to be perfect, she thought. It just needed to be powerful enough to stun the figure. Perhaps even distract it long enough for her to escape. She'd already spat out more saliva than the lick of plum juice—perhaps she'd be able to count that as never indulging in gluttony. Damn spelled fruit.
It was her own fault, really. She'd read all the stories; Persephone and the pomegranate, Snow White and Eve and their apples. The Greek's even referred to the lotus fruit as a symbol of forgetfulness.
It figured.
She wished she'd known this charming piece of information prior to her first trip to a magical realm. But honestly, who would have thought mythology so akin to reality?
The crystal was slowly warming in her cupped hands. Sarah re-focused on finding an emotion.
Please be enough, hoped the girl. It had to be. There were still four sins left in the Game and there was no way in hell she'd fail because of cliché enchanted fruit. If, when, she made it out of the Underground, Sarah vowed to avoid them entirely. Damn fruit, indeed.
The voice had quieted again, disappearing entirely within the garden. She needed more time. Why was it that when she tried to use the magic, it didn't want to cooperate? The oasis flare had been relatively sudden. Instinctual, even. Perhaps she was over thinking the whole process. She still needed more time.
Sarah was vaguely aware that her question hadn't been fully answered. Perhaps a token absurd comment would distract the shadow.
"So you're the devil then? Coming to drag me to Hell?" Her hands were glowing warmer now. Come on, damn it. Focus an emotion. I'm angry, pissed off in fact. I want a hot bath and a full meal and an extra large coffee. I'm so ready to call his Royal pain-in-the-ass out her and call HIM off too for starting this mess…some nerve he has, feeding me special peaches and pushing his magic off on me.
That seemed to do the trick. Whereas the crystal had begun a polished snow globe of silver dust, a crackling fire now nestled amongst her hands. It tickled and burned simultaneously, leaving Sarah with an urge to shake out heavy pins and needles. She strained to resist. There was no doubt as to why Jareth wore gloves.
Thinking of which, he's been relatively quiet. How… odd. She did a quick mental slap. Jeez, Sarah! On death's door here and still stuck in the clouds.
"The devil? How quaint". The voice was clearly to Sarah's left now, and she angled slightly."No, I'm not Lucifer. Nor am I delivering His prize. I am the soul of the Game. I am the soul of the Labyrinth".
The answer couldn't have startled Sarah more, and the change of emotion caused the wild magic in her hands to flicker violently. It was all too much to control—the fear, the anger, the unspoken wonder and confusion over the plausibility of souls to take shape. A giant maze couldn't possibly be alive, could it? What did that even mean? Walls and moss and hidden openings had no feelings, dreams or sinful desires. Rocks and bog water didn't struggle with morals. How did an oubliette determine right from wrong?
It was nonsensical. But then again, had anything made sense recently?
Sarah's unspoken word was the epitome of rhetorical questions. Where had she heard that nothing here was as it seemed? She had so many questions.
Can the bit of magic I have save me from the very place it came from?
It was the only shot she had at the moment. It had to work.
She let it go.
The sharp crack of power shook the surrounding trees like lightning striking a spark plug. The effect was blinding . Sarah fell backwards into her tree as white hot veins bounced like rubber off bark and branches to the sky. With the force of recoil, Sarah was certain she'd hit something more than just fruit trees. There had to be a greater force involved in the blow. Rubbing the sore spot on her head, she watched the sparked light fade into sunlight before giving way to the orchard greens.
But nothing had changed.
"What a pointless attempt. You may possess a part of my gift, but not enough to challenge the very soul of the Labyrinth itself". The shining face flowed from its trunk and floated before the girl. "You never deserved such magic".
But the voice had turned petulant now, like a toddler forced to share a favorite toy. It was the first genuine human emotion Sarah noticed. The shape's hollow eyes were clenched thin and its mouth scrunched up like silver ribbon. At any moment, she expected the shape to pound the ground childishly. It was a move she'd seen Toby pull off quite successfully.
"I never wanted this magic! I didn't ask for it! You let me out of this Game and I'll get Jareth to return it to you, I promise".
"You choose to…freely return the gifts? For an escape from a chance to rule?" The shadow watched Sarah's vehement nod. "I may be able to make an exception to the rules in this unusual case".
The Labyrinth clearly wanted its magic returned. The thought comforted the girl; she had a solid bargaining chip. And it didn't seem ready to kill her for it. Maybe it couldn't because of their shared magic? Sarah squirmed. God she hoped she wasn't falling into another trap.
The shape seemed to be thinking. Every few seconds, it would nod or frown pointedly, then resume a thoughtful stare.
"It would seem I can only bend Underground Law so much. You agree to return your magic, willingly and without coercion, and I can allow you through this stage without consequence".
"But wait, I want out—"
"That cannot be done. The offer already stands as generous".
Sarah barely resisted the urge to scoff. She'd tasted the fruit, so she desperately needed an out here. She'd just have to take it one step at a time. But it was best to clarify before agreeing to any more wagers-even though her decision was really set.
"Right. So after I've completed the Game, all of it, I promise out of my own free will, to return every bit of magic Jareth took from you".
The glimmer frowned. "And should you fail? My interests will be forgotten".
"Then figure out how to help me win. Aren't you the soul of the Game after all?" Her own boldness came as a shock. The realization that she possessed something the soul desired, but couldn't acquire on its own, was the strongest ammunition she'd had all Game. She had a second interest wanting her to succeed. In the flick of an instant, her own fortune had reversed.
"Wish it so".
"Pardon?"
"Wish your wager to me, and it is accepted".
"Oh, uhh…right. I wish that after I win the Game, all the magic given to me by Jareth will be returned, out of my own free will, to the Labyrinth". A shock ran through Sarah's spine as she finished the line.
"It is done". The voice reverberated through the fading orchard.
The fruit trees were vanishing into the walls, the stone cupids shrinking into nothingness. The deal was made. Sarah was too pleased to be wary. She was moving on to fight another battle and nothing was more important than survival. Especially not magic she barely knew how to control.
Just before the scene disappeared completely, Sarah heard the Labyrinth whisper one last thought. The statement shot through Sarah's heart.
"What a worthless heir, indeed. Wagering through a stage she'd already passed by refusing to swallow. I'll be watching closely, Sarah Williams".
Jareth sprung from his perch in concern.
Something was wrong. Something had happened. Why couldn't she be found on the Game map? There was no sign of her completing the third stage. There wasn't even the obligatory removal of names from the tally board. By all appearances, she was alive and well, somewhere in his Labyrinth. But he couldn't find her. Nobody in the room could.
"Where'd the mortal go? Her tracker is all fuzzy". A bidder near the board echoed Jareth's thoughts.
She had fallen into the orchard, slumbered, and awoken to some commotion. Then…nothing. Absolutely no trace of her next move. She had to still be alive. He would have known if the worst had occurred. He was certain of it. Or semi-confident at least. She had too great of an effect on him to vanish unnoticed.
Just where are you, Sarah? And what did you see?
He batted off the mob swarming closer and raced two steps at a time down the theatre and out the grand entrance. He needed space to collect himself. Perhaps the chaos of Bidders had hindered his connection to her. He could barely hear himself think, let alone listen for Sarah's call.
After securing an open stretch of hall, he allowed himself to collapse against one side. In his hunched position, he blocked out the surrounding noise and looked for some sign of her presence. She hadn't wished for him, of that he was certain. He would have felt the sharp tug of magic. And she clearly hadn't given up; the tracker would have done more than blank out. It just didn't make sense.
Had anyone been foolish enough to pass through the hall occupied by the brooding Goblin King in that instant, it was unlikely they'd ever pass again. The king was not one to give way to his emotions, good or otherwise. A public show of this weakness would be damning. Yet, he continued to slip farther down the wall until his breeches stretched out before him.
Until the moment of her disappearance, he had not allowed himself to dwell on ends which didn't include a victorious Sarah Williams. Her chances were dodgy at best from a knowledge standpoint and lord knew she hadn't mastered her magic yet.
But she had bypassed every expectation once before.
He had to keep that thought alive. She was a spirited, ingenious woman who had a gift of pushing her way into the hearts of any creature she met. That was her true magic. If there was a talent more necessary for a leader, he couldn't place it. He quirked a corner of his lip. She was irreplaceable.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled six times to signal the Game's mid-point. One of the heirs had fallen during the third task—the number of chimes was one less than before. His smirk fell with his stomach. Whether Sarah would meet him there was becoming more unlikely, but he fought to maintain some optimism. There had to be a reason why she'd been masked. Certainly, a lesser runner had been lost…
But he didn't remember any of the others failing gluttony during his watch.
His heart clenched tight. Oh Sarah, god's no…it's not possible. It can't be. He shook his head in disgust.
Oh gods, what have I done? Sarah, my Sarah…This is all my fault…
His composure was crumbling to sand. She'd left him before, but he'd known where to find her. He'd seen her live a beautiful life above, tempting mortals with her charms. She hadn't been his, but she'd been happy. What a fool he was to meddle. She didn't deserve this fate; forgotten by her world and dismissed by the Underground. Hiding his blurry eyes, he cradled his head deep in his lap.
I need you.
"Ex-excuse me? Sire?" The nervous voice caused Jareth's head to snap up with deathly speed.
"What!"
"Err…the uhh, the Watchers are all needed in the Great Hall…mid-way point and all…uhh, you know…to see—"
Jareth had pushed the stuttering attendant away before he lept to his feet. It seemed no where in the blasted tower could he find peace. The nerve of the High King and Queen to call him to watch the happy returns of all but his Sarah…rules be damned to Hell. He stalked off towards the meeting with the intent to hurl a very large crystal at the pair.
Something twinged. Shaking off a shock in his palms, he picked up his pace. He wasn't sure he could keep his emotions in check long enough to meet them. The last time the monarch had been so agitated also revolved around the raven haired beauty. His kingdom never fully repaired from that bend in control. The escher room had been a lost cause. And then this mess had begun.
He growled. The stress was unending.
The doors slammed open with the force of a storm as Jareth made his way through the crowd of Bidders. Adding to his distaste, the mass had tripled since his retreat. If he squinted, a few runners could be seen on the dais normally occupied by the High King, shaking hands and accepting favors. He didn't need to look twice to tell neither was Sarah.
"'Ey, watch where yeh walk Goblin King!" Something large and scaly slid past, knocking him completely off balance.
That damn ogre better sleep with one fucking eye open tonight…I don't give a shit what delegation I incite…
"Hey, Goblin King! Over here! You better be ready to explain yourself, or I'll-"
Jareth froze. The voice was delightfully angry.
"…I'll…Oh, I'll give you a piece of my mind…"
Then in an instant, his turn was sharp, his eyes full, and his throat dry as dust. In that single moment he forgot where he was entirely. It didn't matter. Nothing else had ever mattered—not like her. His feet moved on their own accord. He wasn't thinking.
With the world forgotten, he made a final stride in her direction and let his emotions untie his Labyrinthine magic. And within that single instant, he made another impulsive move.
He kissed her.