Chapter Eight
Epilogue
State of New York, U.S.A., One hundred and three years later…
Jareth loved the feel of the air under his wings. It was his preferred means of travel Above. Something about gliding in the azure skies just lifted his spirits. Whenever he had to come Above, either to check on potential wished-aways or to hand out the little red books, he thoroughly enjoyed soaring above the scenery below and watching the humans bustle about.
Hmmm… since I'm in the area, I should check in on Sarah Williams.
One of many human children the Labyrinth alerted him to, Sarah was among the ones that he enjoyed looking in on. She was an adorable child and had such a vibrant personality. His kingdom could only benefit by having one such as her to count as a citizen. He hadn't seen her in a couple of years, although he got regular reports from the Ughlánas assigned to her. She was still extraordinary, with a fiery spirit and a heart too big for her body to contain it.
It was a shame about her home life, though. That mother of hers…
He had to admit, he felt a certain pride in her… that no matter what came her way, she never lost her imagination or her loyal heart. So many children started out so promising, only for time and circumstances to wear them down to a mere shadow of themselves. Not Sarah.
He also had to admit a bit of concern. When her mother left the family, he had expected the Labyrinth book to disappear as it always did. This time, however, the book stayed in Sarah's possession. The only explanation for this that he could think of was that Sarah might well wish herself away if things became too unbearable. He was surprised that it hadn't happened yet. She was only a few Aboveground years shy of her majority, and while she certainly could join them as an adult (marrying an Othánas was one such scenario), she would not be able to be transformed into one of them unless she was formally wished away to them.
The Labyrinth had its rules. And as Lord of the Labyrinth, he had to follow them.
He drifted over to the park that he knew she frequented. Settling himself into a large tree, he gave his feathers a quick once over and looked around. There she was… romping with her dog, a fluffy, good-natured beast that bore a strong resemblance to Ambrosius, the 'trusty steed' of Sir Didymus.
She was wearing a medieval style cream colored costume dress over what looked like a pair of jeans. Her raven hair was piled up on her head, held in place with a crown of silk flowers. She was performing the Labyrinth story to her dog… who apparently was playing the part of the Goblin King. He watched in amusement as she tried to recall the final words of the fairy tale. She grumbled a bit under her breath, then looked up… and directly at him.
"Oh… hello," she said, softly. In her face was the promise of her adult beauty, and it was obvious even to Jareth that when she came of age, she would be exquisite. Her eyes were a sparkling emerald color, her face still rounded with adolescence, but the hint of her sculpted cheekbones and the plumpness of her lips foretold what a ravishing creature she would someday be. To his utter surprise, she walked slowly over to him, standing beneath his branch.
"You're a long way from home," She looked at him with a measured glance. "Somehow, I don't think you're an ordinary owl. No… you're something special." She examined him closely. "A prince, perhaps? Wearing a disguise… maybe an immortal who has come to Earth to watch over the humans…" He blinked back at her, mesmerized as her smile widened. "I'll bet that's it. You're really a prince in disguise, come to find your Princess." She laughed in delight and stepped closer. "Are you here to take me away, Your Highness?"
Jareth was frozen… staring into those green eyes that smiled up at him with such joy. He felt electricity and magic coursing through his body. Voids that he didn't even know he had were being filled, this girl's spirit washing over him like a soothing balm. Before he could even make a sound, he felt raindrops pattering down on himself, the tree, and the girl. He was dimly aware of the sound of bells... a clock somewhere counting out the hour.
"Seven o'clock! Ugh… Karen's going to kill me." She turned and started to run back to her dog but stopped and turned back. "Goodbye, Your Highness. Maybe we'll meet again."
With that, she ran off.
Jareth sat in the tree, stunned. He knew what had just happened. Knew it down to the last cell in his body. Knew what this girl really was to him… who she was destined to become.
Sarah Williams was his Queen.
Author's Note:
This is the only detail from the movie that I changed... I added a bit of interaction with Jareth in his owl form.
So… why did Sarah still have the book?
Jareth was only partly right. Remember in the main story how he'd said the Labyrinth was sentient as well as clairvoyant? It could "see" which children would be wished away and let Jareth know to give their caregiver a book. When it "saw" Sarah, it also saw that she would eventually be Jareth's queen. When Linda left without wishing Sarah away, the Labyrinth knew that the future hadn't changed… that Sarah was still destined to marry Jareth. She would either wish herself away or wish Toby away, the end result was the same. So, it let her keep the book.
Also… it was the Labyrinth that sent Sarah the vision of their unborn son. It was trying to "seal the deal" so to speak.
Next up… Randel's story.
