CHAPTER 2 - In the Shadows

After leaving the teenager on the hill, Jareth flew over his domain. He wanted to assess possible dangers for the teen and redirect them if it was needed. Seeing there wasn't anything potentially life threatening at the moment, he went to the Children's Forest. He stayed in his owl form as he observed the inhabitants while he still had the element of surprise and stealth to ensure that all was well. Once spotted they recognized him or guessed it was him anyway and waved at him in acknowledgment and continued about their own business. Satisfied that all was as could be expected he completed his rounds by paying a visit to the Goblin Glade.

Once there, he resumed his Fae form and went in search of a particular Goblin. Naturally, said goblin wasn't there but away at the moment. The other goblins reassured their king they would send the Bookerie straight to the castle when he returned. Thanking them, Jareth did another circuit before returning to the castle. Striding through his home, he paused in the entrance of the throne room he used when dealing with the Wished Away. His eyes immediately focused on the only human in the room. Clad in an oversized Batman t-shirt, thumb in mouth, the four year old was watching the goblins' antics as they excitably tried to entertain the boy. Seeing the Goblin King, he took his thumb out of his mouth, tilted his head with a perplexed expression he asked, "Burdie?"

There weren't many times that Jareth had been taken by surprise, but having a young mortal child recognize him after only having seen him as an owl was one of those times. To say his interest was piqued would have been an understatement. Dipping his head in assent as he scrutinized the child, he mused, "How did you know that, I wonder?"

A smile lit up the boy's entire face, his amber eyes looking at the king unafraid. He came over to where Jareth had sat on his throne, hands on one of the curved ends as he nearly bounced on the balls of his feet. Full of excited curiosity he asked, "Burdie, are you th' real Goblin King? Like th' stories mommy says?"

"What stories?" Jareth picked the boy up and sat him on his lap always interested in the tales told of him and his subjects.

"Mommy usta tell me lotsa stories. All 'bouts goblins, kings, an' magic! Mommy says magic's real an' Max says nuh uh. I 'lieved mommy an', an' it's real!" His gaze never left that of the king's even as he took another breath to continue his excited chatter. "I tolds Max tha' you was all glowy in th' park but he didn't 'lieve me." Softer as if unsure he asked more than stated, "He 'lieves me now. Right?"

A dark amused smile crossed the monarch's face as he agreed, "I'm sure he undoubtedly believes." Jareth was rewarded with a beaming smile which softened his own. "What else did your mommy say about me?"

"Mommy says you's friends with th' tree peoples an' silkies, trolls an' elveses, an', an' dwarves an' goblins an'-" When the boy took a breath to breath, Jareth took advantage and interrupted.

"Your mommy told you all this?"

"Mhmm!" he nodded eagerly. "Max usta take me to see mommy at th' hopskittle. Mommy told me stories 'bout th' magic and creeters of th' Underground."

"Hospital?"

"Uh huh. Max says mommy's sick and the hopskittle gonna make her betters."

"I see," Jareth murmured with drawn brows. While he would get an impression for the person who called upon his goblins to take an unwanted child, he didn't get the complete picture such as the children's mother being sick in a hospital. That would cause resentment to build with the responsibility placed upon a teenager for the care of their younger sibling.

"Let's see how your brother is fairing, shall we?" Creating a crystal to call up the teenager's image, his lips quirked up in amusement as Seth gasped in appreciation at the magic. The boy leaned forward eagerly as he saw his brother. The duo watched with Jareth explaining what was happening when asked and providing commentary. That was until he saw where the teen was and his eyes widened. How he ended up near the Ellén Trechend, Jareth didn't know, but would look into. For now, he needed to quickly head that confrontation off.

"Watch him!" Jareth commanded his goblins as he placed Seth down amongst them to go deal with one of the more dangerous creatures that had come to his Labyrinth. He had believed it had been doused with a heavy sleep enchantment, but it seems he had been mistaken. Either that or someone had found a way to wake it deliberately.

Seth who had been allowed to hold the crystal as they watched Max, hadn't relinquished his hold when removed from the Goblin King's lap. He stared with huge eyes as his brother was in front of a huge creature! He dropped the orb in his fright as he instinctively tried to push the scary thing away from him. He paused in fright from where he'd been about seek out some kind of solace when he flickered. He'd flickered in front of someone that wasn't Max! That wasn't good! Whenever he did that his daddy got mad and Max got scared. Seth learned it was a bad thing and he shouldn't do it. He didn't mean to! He couldn't help it. Would the bird-man get mad like his daddy or scared like Max? He hoped not because he really liked the bird-man.

Jareth paused having only taken a few strides before he felt a surge of power just as he saw the boy shimmer at the same moment out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw the child was regarding him warily, his entire small frame locked up in terror that quivered as if unsure to stay rooted to the spot or flee. The boy had used Fae magic. More specifically, Jareth's magic, and he drew his powers from the Labyrinth. How could a mortal child being doing the same?

As nonthreatening and gentle as he could, he asked, "What did you just do?"

"Flicker?" It was said with uncertainty. He was sleepy. That always happened after he flickered. He felt as if he'd been running and playing for hours and hours.

There were rules about taking children with any kind of magical heritage, particularly those that were Fae. He might need her help, but it would have to wait until Max gave up or his time ran out. It was a safety precaution that while there was a Runner in the Labyrinth, Jareth's kingdom was essentially in lock down. No one could enter or leave the realm. Speaking of the brother; Jareth quickly summoned a crystal and saw that the teenager had gotten around the danger he'd been in. He was in an oubliette. Frowning, he peered closer, troubled. There wasn't supposed to be water in any of his oubliettes. Neither was there supposed to be any creatures, yet there was definitely one inhabiting it now.

Quite familiar with everything that populated his kingdom as well as used to all the strange, bizarre, and terrifying creatures that humans dreamed up for his Labyrinth. Along with all the actual life forms that resided and called his domain home. It was the Labyrinth's job after all to use whatever it found when it tapped into a Runner's mind to try and dissuade them. To make them want to give up rather than continue. In the ones that it didn't break it, the challenges made the Runner overcome their fear.

"'m I in trouble?"

"No." If anyone would be in trouble, it would be Jareth. He gazed down at the half asleep child that had seemed to decide that the king wasn't going to harm him and relaxed. With an inquisitive gaze, he studied the boy. "Whom are your parents?"

"Mommy an' daddy."

"What are your mommy and daddy's names?"

Yawning, Seth shrugged as he rubbed at his eyes. "Mommy an' daddy."

Sighing, Jareth tried another approach that the child might understand. "What is your name?"

"Seth."

"Seth what?"

There was an incoherent mumble as he decided that the goblin he was leaning against would make a great pillow and fell asleep. The goblin in question stared at his king in wide eyed horror not knowing what to do having froze when Jareth shot him a glare when it went to shake the boy off. Picking up the four year old, he took him to the room adjacent the throne room that was used for the Wished Away while their guardian did their run.

Once Seth was tucked in, he conjured another crystal and frowned. Disconcerted, Jareth watched as Max found and started down the tunnel that would lead him to the mirror maze. It had been awhile since that path had been traversed. The last person who had the misfortune of taking that path hadn't gotten any further. They had given up not liking what they found there. The boy was done for. He would never make it to the castle in the allotted time at the pace he was going. Nor the choices he was making; which Jareth had a suspicion about whose fault that was.

Max was having second thoughts about the route he'd decided to take. He'd already almost been flame broiled (who kept something like that behind a door?!), crushed, skewered, and now he was waist deep in a dark pit after falling through a shaft of hands. The cool water was a balm for his sore and aching body though. The cold had numbed the worst of his pains he'd gotten from this twisted game. More than once, particularly now, he felt like giving up. He'd blinked back tears replacing everything else with anger. Anger at himself, at his father, at Seth, his aunt and uncle because if they hadn't left him with Seth he wouldn't be in this mess, his mother, and most definitely at a certain Goblin King. As well as the pixie claimed she was 'helping' him.

"I told you," she sounded rather smug and pleased with herself. "You should have said up."

"Shut up," he snapped back not really caring if he offended her at the moment to overwhelmed with everything else. She hadn't been the one that had hand grabbing her. She hadn't been the one in danger of being fried or eaten, or drowning! He was cold, sore, and just wanted to go home.

Shivering, he dug out the Zippo he'd stolen from a store on a dare from his friends and flicked the cap open. It took his shaky fingers a few times but it lit causing Max to sigh out in relief. Holding the lighter up above his head to give him a better light and allow him to have some kind of vision, he looked around. Squinting, he could just make out a ledge across the cavern about about chest hieght. Making his way carefully toward the ledge, he paused when he saw the water ripple. A ripple that hadn't been caused by him as it was a few feet away and coming towards him.

"His Majesty won't be too happy to know his oubliette is now a pool," the pixie grinned in delight oblivious to Max's growing worry and panic.

Swallowing nervously, he ignored the pixie as she alighted onto his shoulder once more and chattering in his ear. All his attention was on the thing that was moving closer to him, hidden from view by the dark and the water. As it went by him, a scene from one of his favorite movies came to his mind. It was from Star Wars and had to do with the heroes being in a trash compactor. There had been a creature living in it beneath the water that had pulled Luke under.

The teen jumped, almost dropping his lighter when he felt it brush past his legs. He moved more quickly towards the ledge after that, hoping and praying not to be pulled under. Darkly he muttered, "At least they had blasters."

Setting the Zippo on the ledge, Max proceeded to pull himself up out of the water. It took him two tries as his clothes were water logged and heavy, but he did it. Once out of perceived danger, he sat shivering for a moment or two wishing for dry clothes and a sweatshirt. Most of all he desperately wished that he was curled up in bed at home; that this whole scenario was a fevered induced dream he was having and not a real nightmare.

Pulling off his flannel shirt and dislodging his companion who grumped at him for it, he tried to wring it out and tied it around his waist. It would due as a makeshift belt as well since the water wanted to drag his jeans right off of him. After dumping what water he could from his shoes and cinching them tight as he replaced them, Max knew he couldn't dawdle any further.

"Max, there's a passage over here."

Looking over his shoulder towards the voice, he saw the pixie was hovering by a dark opening against the cavern wall. Standing, he picked up the lighter and held it aloft to see what she had found. Licking his lips nervously, Max stared at the darkness exuding from the tunnel. There was no lighting aside from the small flame from the Zippo in his hand and the faint iridescent light cast by the pixie's wings. There was only pitch blackness to hide any possible and very likely traps that lie ahead.

Max hated this place with a passion. It was as if his fears were being dragged out of his head to materialize and be used against him. That fire creature reminded him of some of those tales his mother would tell that would frighten him as well as enthrall. The dark terrified him, but he had no desire to discover whatever the water hid. Nor did he think there was any way to reach the shaft of hands to climb up and frankly he didn't want to. That only left the dark tunnel. He had no other options since sitting here waiting for time to run out wasn't even on his list. Inhaling, Max tried to gather his courage and forced himself to take one step, then another into the blackness biting back the fear that was telling him to run the opposite direction. Morbidly, he couldn't help but wonder what mishap would befall him next.

"I hate this place!"

"I'll fly ahead, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer the pixie did just that leaving Max alone. He didn't blame her for ditching him. Every choice he'd made had things going from bad to worse. At least she hadn't really abandoned him and kept coming back. And sometimes steered him around something she assured him was much worse than what they ended up running into.

Flipping the lid closed on the lighter, he dropped it into his pocket to let it cool down and to check what time it was. Glad that he'd gotten a waterproof watch that had a light up display – another thing he'd swiped from a store- he bushed the button to read the time. His eyes stared in disbelief, waiting and felt his breath quicken as he realized that, no, his watch wasn't broken. It was working just fine. He'd been in the labyrinth for five hours already! That meant he had just about seven hours left since he'd wasted almost an hour outside the walls of this horrible maze trying to get in. Seven hours sounded like a lot, but Max knew that it wasn't. They went by too quickly and he still had to get to the castle and defeat the king. And something told him that the Goblin King was not easily defeated.

In the beginning he would admit he'd been cocky believing he'd be able to beat it without problem. It didn't seem so far away as to take thirteen hours to reach. The traps he'd experienced and dangers he ran into hadn't been expected. He should have though. He'd heard the stories, but that was all they were: stories. He wondered how a girl could have beaten the Goblin King. How had she done it? Unless the version about the king falling in love with the mortal girl was true. Would he have made the challenges easier for her because of that?

He couldn't just stay here, so Max swallowed down his fear, got out his lighter and lit it to see as he walked into the tunnel. He wasn't sure how long he walked before he realized he no longer needed his lighter to see by. It was brighter than the flame he was holding so put it back into his pocket as he blinked trying to adjust his eyes after being in near dark for so long. Try as he might, he couldn't see where it was coming from but he was quickly distracted by what lay before him and gaped.

There were mirrors everywhere. The floor, ceiling, walls, even the steps were mirrors. It was another maze with floor to ceiling mirrors and just as confusing as the one at the beginning. He didn't think the ones at the fun fairs could even compare to this one. Max's sense of direction was completely turned around and he had nothing to get his bearings or mark his way and he hadn't even stepped very far into it yet! He had no idea if he was going in circles or not. He sighed as he came to a dead end and turned around. His foot squeaked on the glass but only as he turned. Glancing down at where there should have been some water from where they squelched out his shoes, he saw nothing! The only puddle was the one he was standing in.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"I'm having a blast," Max sarcastically replied not caring at this point if he got blasted by lightning or turned into a frog or whatever else the king could do to him for speaking rudely. He shivered and glared at the king who was standing near the opening of the passage Max thought he'd come through to end up at this dead end. He'd have to step around the Fae to pass by him.

"Glad to hear it," came the equally acerbic reply.

Max tried to ignore him and continue trying different turns wondering if this was a stall tactic to waste more of his time. The thing was, no matter which way he chose, he always ended back at the same dead end where the Goblin King awaited him seemingly relaxed with an impassive expression, possibly bored. Giving up on getting anywhere while the Fae was there, Max crossed his arm and glared allowing his anger to fuel him, preparing himself for an argument."What do you want?"

"At the moment, I'll settle for you telling me how your brother is using Fae magic."

Max felt his insides squirm even as he frowned. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Languidly, Jareth took a step forward and menacingly stalked up to the glaring teenager, his own eyes piercing. He smiled when the boy swallowed in apprehension. The boy didn't make a very convincing liar. It was obvious he knew something and Jareth would give him credit for trying to bravely hold onto that. His act of bravado while amusing was also slightly annoying. "Whom are your parent?"

"What? Why?" He tried to keep the king in his sights as he circled the boy once as if he was studying him before returning to his original position. Seeing only a raised brow, Max figured if he answered the questions maybe he could get one with this stupid maze. "Keith and Vanessa Thomas."

"Your brother's are the same?"

"No," he admitted frowning. While he wanted to know what was with the sudden interest in his family he didn't dare ask. It made him wonder with fear and annoyance what Seth had done now. Quickly on the heels of that thought was the usual guilt for thinking of such a thing and that while he'd been trying to reach his brother, he'd been giving him little thought so far. He'd been focused on what new horrors awaited him to even think about what his brother might be suffering. Anger quickly followed along with another dose of guilt for being upset that Seth had done something again. It made him reckless enough to ask, "Why're you so interested?"

"I need to know the names of you and your parents for the official paperwork," Jareth admitted the partial truth. It wasn't the whole truth it was true nonetheless. It was unfortunately accurate that this whole episode would leave him with paperwork that had to be filled and filed. One of the many dull obligations he had to put up with.

The thought of the Goblin King doing paperwork struck Max as hilarious, but he didn't laugh as much as he wanted to. He was too drained to laugh and he feared that if he did, it would sound hysterical and he'd end up crying instead. Then there was the cold smile on the other's face and those eyes with the odd pupils made him shiver. It made him feel like a mouse that was being sized up by a cat or some other predator eyeing it's prey.

As if he forgot something and just remember he said, "Oh! There is also the need for that information when I erase their knowledge of your brother when you fail."

"I still have time left! I haven't failed yet!"

"'Yet', being the operative word."

Max clenched his hands into fists, clenching the sleeves of his t-shirt tightly. His teeth clenched as he glared at the king who wasn't fazed in the slightest. In fact, Max's anger looked to amuse him, and that really pissed Max off.

"You haven't answered my question. What are the names of his parents?"

"I don't know who his dad is!" Max exploded. That had been one of the many issues between his parents. He couldn't help but overheard them when they argued to know that Seth's dad and his were different and one of the reasons his dad changed. "My parents split for awhile before Seth was born. They got back together for a bit after he was born."

"What is your mother's maiden name?"

"Miller, I think."

"Hmm."

Cautiously, Max wondered, "Is that it?"

The Fae nodded distractedly. "And to warn you."

"About what?"

"Things aren't always what they appear in this place as you've come to find out. This mirror maze is no different." Jareth waved a gloved hand to encompass their surroundings. "They show more than your reflected image. The last person who came through here – well, they were never quite the same again."

Before Max could say anything, the Goblin King had vanished again. The teen frowned more confused than ever. He didn't understand what their conversation was about and doubted it was just about his parents' names. He hated when adults kept things from him. Scowling, he began to walk again trying to find a way out and wondering where that pixie had gone off too. She couldn't have come back to warn him about the king waiting for him? He didn't have much time before Seth was turned into a goblin and who knew what the king would do to Max. And what did he mean the mirrors showed more than his reflection?

-TRIGGER WARNING. DOMESTIC ABUSE MENTIONED/IMPLIED/STATED-

It was almost like thinking about the mirrors' function activated them. Looking around the mirrors surrounding him, his brow furrowed as they began to go opaque. Max's face drained of all color as one by one the mirrors began to show Max in them once more with an exception. It wasn't Max as he was but at different points in his life. Reflected on the surfaces as if playing a movie footage that were memories. Included were memories that he'd buried deep in his mind. Every which way he turned he was confronted with something he'd tried to repress. There was no escape as each mirror began to play the memories on a loop or would jump a few mirrors down if he tried to run that way. Touching a mirror caused the audio to play and Max would hastily back away from it.

Max had backed away from the image of a younger him crouched in his closet with his eyes squeezed shut trying not to cry, hands pressing tightly to a pair of headphones over his ears as he tired to drown out his parents' arguing with music. Feeling cold glass behind him he'd spun to see the time he'd purposefully lost Seth at the park before remorse made him go back and get him. Another showed Max in a closet again, but this time pressing the headphones to Seth's ears and threatening him to not come out and keep those on until Max came back. Another showed the first time his lifted his hand to him. Another of Seth almost downing and Max doing nothing until the last possible moment when his guilt would kick in as well as remember as much as he resented the twerp, he did love him. On and on it went, his darkest deeds, thoughts, and memories brought out into the open, forcing him to see.

His eyes widened and he blinked as tears fell blurring the image, but he'd seen it as he had tried to escape the mirror he'd been currently facing. His mother never had liked him much and she had verbally thrashed him when his father and the state had her committed. Max had forgotten in favor of remembering just the good times. Those rare occasions when his mother gave him affection or praise and acknowledged him. He supposed that was why he'd latched onto his father and it had been such a betrayal when his father had turned on him too.

He didn't know when he started to breathe quickly only that his chest hurt and he couldn't breathe! His stomach burned and he felt as if he was going to be sick. A whimper clawed its way up his throat and out of his mouth. He didn't want to see any of this. He didn't want to hear anymore either. Dropping to a flatfooted squat, he curled up, pressing his eyes into his knees, palms over his ears pressing as hard as he could. The whimper became a strangled scream to drown out everything else to release what he was feeling the only way he could at the moment as he tried not to drown in his memories.

Something sharp cut Max's hand bringing his focus to it and he had instinctively brought his hand to his face for inspection. There wasn't any blood or any cuts and didn't hurt anymore aside from that brief sensation.

"Max!" The pixie's voice was close, but he couldn't see her as he desperately looked around to try and spot her. Instead, he got another eyeful of mirror.

"Where are you?" If it came out desperate, no one could blame him.

"Shut your eyes and follow my voice."

Swallowing, Max didn't know if he really trusted her enough to lead him blindly. An image in the mirror opposite him began to play forcing him to shut his eyes quickly before he threw up. Max stood and with a hand held out before him he took a step, then another, then another quicker than the last. Each step taking him further into the maze but without looking at the darkness inside of himself that he harbored. With closed eyes he was slowly able to stuff them back into the dark corners as he had every day.

"This way."

Opening his eyes briefly had been a mistake he rectified by quickly slamming them shut again as he blanched. He did not want to relive the depicted memory that he considered his darkest nor had any desire to activate the sound by accidentally touching it.

"Max, take a left, now!"

The teenager stopped, felt to the left and breathed easier when open air met his hands and not smooth glass. Part of him still thought the pixie would have tricked him into touching another mirror and forcing him to listen to it. He began to quicken his pace until he was jogging awkwardly with his hand out and listening for instructions. It was almost like a combined twisted version of Marco Polo and Hide-n-Seek in the dark, both games of which he hated.

"Left turn, now." A few seconds later there was a, "Right."

Rounding the corner, he felt his stomach muscles loosening and the nausea receding the longer he went without touching anything. There were a few more turns before he could swear there was a different surface under his shoes rather than the glass. He felt a tug on his ear as the pixie alighted on his shoulder. "It's okay to open your eyes now, Max." It was said softly and with feeling. A vast difference then her earlier tone with him before the mirrors.

Opening his gray eyes he lout out a breath and then another when he saw that he was in another tunnel, but this one was lit every few feet with torches. He was no longer in that twisted hall of mirrors. Sinking down to his knees everything was catching up to him. He pulled in great lungfuls of air and then he was crying and laughing. The pixie kept unusually quiet, letting him get it out of his system. Wiping his eyes with the back of his wrist, he stood and looked over at his companion who fluttered nearby. Her face was sombre and he knew that look in her eyes. It was pity, which made him quickly avoid glancing at her. She'd seen everything.

"I'm okay now."

There was no reply but at least she didn't leave him. She stayed by him as he walked ahead to find out where this tunnel would take him. Anything would be better than what he had just experienced.

A.N. - Did you know that Williams is the one of the most common last name in New York? Miller is also a very common last name. Came across that when I was trying to think of a last name for Max's mom.

Max's reaction might seem a bit melodramatic, but I did write this 15 years ago?