The Owl's Flight (A Labyrinth Fanfic)

I've Done For You

Sarah awoke next to the fuzzy creature, still a bit dazed.

"Then it wasn't a dream..." She whispered sadly. The young girl sat up slowly, as not to disturb the goblin. How was she going to adjust to life with the Goblin King? She hated him more than ever. "I may have liked him in the past, but I liked his role in the story. Now that I'm part of it... what'll happen? This wasn't supposed to be."

"Well, well, I'm glad you're awake." Sarah jumped in surprise, yelping when she fell off the bed.

"Goblin King! What are you doing? You're spying on me!" She accused, a wave of embarrassment flooding over her.

"I think you'll find that this is my castle. I can go where I please."

"You said this was my home now, Goblin King." She backed away slowly as he approached.

"It is, my dear Sarah." He purred. She hated the way his tongue clicked oddly when he said her name.

"Then go away. I need to change."

"I take it that's not something you want me to see?"

"Of course not! Are you crazy?" The brown-haired girl shouted.

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"Just... go away! I wish you would leave me alone!" He felt a tugging to obey her wish, and had no choice but to follow along. A lump formed in his throat, but the Goblin King hid it with a sneer.

"As her Majesty commands." He disappeared in a puff of glitter, appearing in his own chambers.

----

This hurt him more than he'd anticipated. It had been several hours since she wished him away, and he wasn't even able to look in on her. The only way he'd see her again would be if she either wished for him- which would never happen- or if she sought him out by her own accord. Neither seemed likely.

"Everything I've done, I've done for you!" Jareth growled to himself, thinking of the defiant young girl. "Why can't you see that, Sarah?"

"Why can't I see what?" He whirled around to see Sarah, of all people, standing outside his door. She'd changed into a slightly flared spring green dress, similar to the one she'd worn in the park. No matter where she was, she still loved to play dress-up.

"Nothing." Her sudden appearance had taken him off-guard, but he quickly recovered.

"That's a lie, Goblin King." Her green eyes captivated him, with little specks of gold.

"You've told many of your own, Sarah." She shivered when he said her name, and disgust flashed across her face.

"I haven't lied to you once!" Sarah protested.

"Nor have I." He could see the fear in her eyes, which drew him all the more.

"You stole Toby! You drugged me and tricked me! That's dishonest!"

"I thought I explained this to you, Sarah." He relished saying her name aloud. "I took your brother because you wished him away."

"How many other babies do you steal?"

"Pardon?"

"How many other babies do you snatch away in the night?"

"None. I've only taken your baby brother when you wished him away." Sarah widened her eyes in confusion, as if several things were fighting in her mind.

"Then... why are there so many goblins? The lost children you take become goblins."

"Babies turning into goblins? Where'd you learn that rubbish? Goblins can reproduce." She blushed, and Jareth was pleased with himself for causing discomfort.

"You said if I didn't save him in thirteen hours, he'd become one of you!"

"Do I look like a goblin, Sarah?"

"You act like one." He couldn't help it, she was clever. The only one to defeat his Labyrinth... she hadn't realized she'd taken it over. As long as she remained ignorant, she would stay.

"What gave you the idea I stole all babies?"

"For one, Toby." She held up a finger. "Hold on, Goblin King. For two, my... my book."

"Your book, hrm? You seemed to remember every line from that little thing." He brushed past her, and she followed, much to his surprise. "Every little detail, such as the number of flowers on your crown, or the words used that might've caused my downfall. Yet the one thing you fail to recall is the most important line of the script."

"What?" Sarah ran through the book mentally. "No, I didn't."

"You did, my dear."

"Stop saying that!"

"You forgot the one thing that might have helped you, had you cared to remember." Jareth pressed her closer to the wall. "You don't want to remember. That's the problem."

"Stop it! Get away from me!" She twisted her head away.

"You'll think of the words soon enough." Jareth pulled away, and felt the tiniest bit of shame at the terror on her face. The words she'd forgotten...

What no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl...

"This time, Sarah, I will not be disobeyed." He formed his plan swiftly. "Join me at the Labyrinth's entrance in an hour."

"But-"

"First, I will allow you to eat. Mortals are such fragile little things." He felt no hunger, but she would. "Try not to let my world fall down." As the Goblin King walked away, the young girl was left wondering about the meaning of those words.

She was also very confused about how they seemed unrelated, like a patchwork of a conversation. The Goblin King in her book was smooth with speaking. Even before, when she'd first seen him, he was very regal and commanding. Now he seemed slightly nervous, out of place.

---

Jareth paced his study.

"This has to work." Each time he saw her, his desire to make her his queen strengthened. Each time, his resolve to hide it quivered.

Sarah had defeated his Labyrinth, but he couldn't let her figure it out. He had until the fourth moon rose in the autumn sky to force her to love him, or else he wouldn't be able to fool the Labyrinth. The Champion was to be allowed a choice- to leave or stay. As far as the Labyrinth was concerned, it thought Sarah wanted to stay. If she didn't decide to stay with him, to love him, all would crumble to ruin.

"Goblin King, I'm ready. Let's get this over with."

"Excellent." Jareth held out a crystal. "Take it." He tossed the sparkling orb to her.

"I have one requirement, Goblin King." The crystal shattered on the floor before dissipating into stardust. Jareth became agitated.

"You said you were ready!"

"Don't throw a fit." Sarah snapped. "I want to know where my friends are. Did you strand them inside of an oubliette and forget about them?" That's what an oubliette is for, Sarah... however, sometimes you're too smart for your own good. He thought crossly.

"Of course I didn't, Sarah. They're perfectly safe where they'd lived before." He flicked his wrists behind his back and sent them out of the oubliette. Now it wasn't a lie. He hadn't lied yet, but wanted to please her. The young girl took a deep breath.

"I want to see them."

"Follow me, and you will."

-----

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Jareth approves this message!
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