Dream: "We will walk [to Destiny]."
Delirium: "But we'll need a thing with all the wiggly thingies coming out of it. Hm. A labyrinth."
Dream: "Yes."
-The Sandman: Brief Lives, by Neil Gaiman.
"All labyrinths are one labyrinth. All mazes meet in the center."
-The Sandman: Brief Lives, by Neil Gaiman
Jareth put one hand on the grassy wall in front of him, breathing in the scent of nature. He let the magic around him fade behind, finding that thread of energy to guide him to his destination.
Left. Right. Turn.
March forward.
Turn again.
The grass wall morphed into one of trees without leaves, ominously silent. He had no idea how long he walked, for as those trees began to fill with birds, and leaves crunched under his feet.
Good. He was getting closer.
It would be difficult to tell for any normal person, considering how his own Labyrinth shared similar qualities, but as Goblin King, he had a deep connection with his Labyrinth, knowing when exactly it deviated into something else.
He came across statues here and there, reminiscent of old Roman marble figurines created in reflection of their gods and rulers. In fact, he came across one of these statues as he got closer to the center.
He did not stop or even take a pause until he came across one pair of statues. It was of himself as a young prince in his father's court, glitter surrounding his hands, and arms out in a show of magic. Beside that statue was another of Sarah dressed in silver, the same dress she had worn when they first danced.
The dance that could possibly unravel everything.
In the center was a figure cloaked in earthen robes with a hood over his head like a monk. In his arms was a large book shackled to his wrist. The Book of Destiny, telling everything that had happened, is happening, and will happen.
He stood in front of seven tall statues, statues that Jareth recognizes as those of the Endless themselves.
Destiny. Death. Dream. Destruction. Desire. Despair. Delirium.
The figure walked to him.
"Jareth, King of Goblins, Lord of the Labyrinth, Master of Wishes, Guardian of the Borders, and Delegator of Dreams. You have arrived. Welcome to my garden."
Jareth bowed lowly to him. Just as his status as Delegator of Dreams was tied to Lord Shaper, so was his Labyrinth tied to that of Destiny's, demanding that he show deference.
Even without this particular connection, all must bow to Destiny.
"Lord Destiny of the Endless, I greet you. You know why I am here then?"
"Indeed." Destiny lifted his head, his cloudy eyes right on the Goblin King. The oldest of the Endless did not need the power of sight, for his power transcended beyond what the physical eyes could ever see. He turned another page in his book, a finger skimming down to straighten it.
"You have not spoken with my brother."
Jareth swallowed. "No, I have not. He will be most displeased if my suspicions of my… situation are correct. But I suppose, you know this already?"
"I do," he said simply. "Goblin King, what do you seek from me?"
Jareth couldn't hold in the snark. Nor did he even try. "If you are Destiny, shouldn't you already know?"
Though mostly unmoved, Jareth could feel Destiny's displeasure towards him. "I am asking, because I want you to consider the purpose of your visit, not for my own gain."
Jareth nodded, looking up at the seven statues. He noted how Dream stood tall, his hands stretched out with glittering grains of sand falling from his fingers. Despite knowing how badly this could end for him, Jareth decided to push forward anyway.
"Very well. I am here to ask for insight on whether the situation is actually something to worry about. Tell me what you see of Sarah Williams."
Destiny continued to stroll, inviting Jareth to walk beside him.
"What do I see of her? As you know, the path one's life could take is not set in stone. There is no such thing. It is affected by not only our own choices, but the choices of others and phenomena that are out of our control. From the beginning, there are forks in every road one takes. Some are more likely than others. Only at the end of life does one look back and see that there is only one path, with the rest of the forks disappearing. The path you chose was the path you were always meant to take."
Jareth was used to this game, the way someone did not really answer a question outright but told no lies either. A tactic often utilized by the fae, and it would make sense for Destiny, of all the Endless, to do the same.
"And what are the possible forks in the road for Sarah at this time?"
"Would it make a difference if I told you?" His tone was even, passive, logical. Not hysterical or even condescending.
Jareth stopped walking, glaring at Destiny. The passiveness of his tone made the Goblin King all the more upset. "The ugly truth is worth knowing over believing a beautiful lie."
Destiny turned a page in his impossibly large book.
"You know that something is amiss. It is better to ask my brother, for the Endless are not to meddle in each other's realms. Especially us oldest three."
"If my suspicions are correct, you know what I think he will do to Sarah. I cannot allow that."
Destiny did not flinch at Jareth's harsh tone. "Your love story is one of many, do not think it is more important than any other."
Jareth clenched his fists. Nothing filled him with more rage than when his relationship with Sarah was judged or viewed as less-than.
"But to me, it is more important than any other."
"Perhaps, but it doesn't change how it is merely a blip in the universe's history."
"This is getting further from the point," he muttered. "So, she is the root of the mess that is happening and is not a vortex. How did it happen?"
Destiny gestured to a statue, one Jareth had never seen before. It was of himself and Sarah dancing, not long after they started their courtship.
They were in sleepwear, waking up in the middle of the night and decided to snack. On a whim, they danced around in her kitchen, basking in new love.
"I believe you know the answer."
Jareth stared at Destiny for a long time. "No…" he whispered out loud. "You dare?"
He loomed over Destiny, his hands itching to make a fist. Damn this impossible situation. Forget the rules of propriety to the Endless.
"You dare to insinuate that my love for Sarah has hurt her in any way?!"
Destiny, true to himself, did not react. "Perhaps you ought to rethink the target of your blame. If your conjecture is correct, I had nothing to do with it."
He was right, which made Jareth all the more furious.
Though the Goblin King's temper did not lessen, he was able to outwardly control his countenance. He lowered himself and did his best to breathe.
"So, what is it I'm supposed to do about my beloved? I want to know if there is a path for us to succeed. For us to come out victorious."
"It's your choice, Goblin King," Destiny replied. "You make the decisions that affect your life. And she will make hers. Besides, even if I did give you advice contrary to what you want to hear, would you heed it?"
Jareth considered this. He nodded once. "No, My Lord. You deduce correctly."
"I see."
"I've always found the role of the Endless quite curious," Jareth thought out loud. "All of you are an enigma."
Few things riled Jareth up more than being unable to rile someone up the way they were riling him up. Especially, when the other person did not intend to do anything to rile him up in the first place.
"You, for example. Speaking of choice, yet the very word that is you, Destiny, implies otherwise. You are all-seeing, all-knowing of what came to pass and what will come to pass." His voice rose to a shout. "And yet, you are blind. I could go on about the other Endless, but I believe it's suffice to say that you also define your opposites. Or perhaps, you define everything! What need is there for the Endless at that point?"
Destiny shot out his hand, grabbing Jareth's wrist. The Goblin King blanched, having never been touched by an Endless, or nearly anyone, this way. It did not hurt physically, but the pain of the touch went into his soul.
Destiny's empty expression did not change, which unnerved Jareth even more.
"The Endless are the embodiment of all living things, neither good nor bad. Do not be so selfish as to think that we were made for the world, just as you are not made for the world. We just are. We have our duties. We exist. You would do well to remember it."
He let go very suddenly.
"Just as you should remember your own duties as Goblin King in putting the state of the world before your own personal happiness."
Jareth's pride chastised him for immediately grabbing his wrist and rubbing it. To his knowledge, Destiny had never laid a hand on anyone but himself. It shook him to his very core.
"Yes, My Lord. I apologize for my rudeness. I will heed your words."
"See that you do, Goblin King. Now I must ask you to leave. You have overstayed your welcome in my realm for quite some time with your insolence."
I apologize for posting this a day late, I completely spaced out.
This chapter was inspired by me rereading Sandman volume 7: Brief Lives, in which Dream and Delirium visit Destiny and the conversation they have. It's also inspired by Overture, where Dream is in Destiny's Garden (again). Destiny is usually a very stoic character, but some of his emotion comes out in Overture which was the basis for him getting mad this chapter. I can't wait for Audible to adapt Brief Lives and hopefully Overture because it's so good!
I hope you guys found this chapter interesting. Reviews are much appreciated!
