A Different Tale

Ketti: Hello! Yes, it's me doing Labyrinth again. I do plan to continue more stories soon! Never fear! It's my new years resolution to update more of my long standing unfinished tales. Which means there will be a lot of mini shots thrown in the mix, too, because that's how my muse works. Don't hate me for the ending! I swear this isn't the last you'll see of this. *hides in bunker with computer*

"You have no power over me."

Jareth's face pinched in rage as he threw the crystal up into the air, and Sarah braced herself for something to happen. Some great collapse of the world like when she'd jumped, to be dropped back into her home. But nothing happened.

Jareth's expression of enraged defeat turned sly as he loomed over the suddenly tense Sarah, the bauble landing in his outstretched hand in the form of a peach with a single bite out of the succulent flesh. "Oh but Precious, I do."

Sarah inched back a step, green eyes scouring the distorted landscape for an escape, the remains of stairs seen through the archways. "But…"

"That's how it ends in the book?" Jareth crooned, a suddenly cruel lift to his pale lips, "Oh you precious thing." He was circling her, the white cloak of owl feathers swirling at his feet in a wind only he could feel.

"But I won!" Sarah protested, "I got to Toby before time ran out!"

"Oh indeed," Jareth agreed, nodding with her, "But, my dear Sarah, you only guaranteed his return to the Above, not your own." He began to toss the peach between his gloved hands, keeping the bitten side up so as not to smear the sweet juices on his fingers. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say," he crooned, "and I will be your slave. That's not very much to ask, is it Precious? It sounds terribly generous of me."

Sarah stared at the peach, feeling suddenly ill. Now that she had a moment to think, relieved despite herself that the Goblin King had told her Toby was safe, she realized something terribly dreadful. Oh god. How could she forget one of the first rules of her stories? Never eat Faerie Food…

"No," Sarah whimpered, "that's not fair."

The Goblin King clucked his tongue and waggled his finger at her disapprovingly, "Now, now, Sarah, what did I tell you about that phrase?" You say that so often, it makes me wonder what your basis for comparison is.

"But I beat the Labyrinth! I did!" Sarah protested, backing up further, meaning to run from him and find her own way.

"And as the Labyrinth's Champion, you won your baby brother back and defeated the wicked Goblin King," Jareth cooed, advancing at a steady pace, his earlier pleading replaced by cool confidence. "But…" He continued leadingly, expression sly.

"The peach," Sarah whimpered, and ducked away from it in revulsion as Jareth tossed it towards her. In a split second he was behind her, trapping her to his chest as he brandished the bitten fruit in her face, a possessive arm wrapped around her struggling waist.

"You know the rules, my dearest Sarah. In all your books, you must have read it a hundred times. You have eaten the Goblin Fruit. You are bound to this realm now." He bent his head to nuzzle her neck and she trembled, "To me."

Sarah whimpered and batted the peach away, straining to escape the Goblin King's embrace. The strange in-between world dissolved around them, replaced by the Escher room, once more intact as the pair stood in a hollow dug into the floor. Goblins poured out of the adjoining arches and swarmed their feet, cheering and jumping about, "Kingy won!" "Kingy always wins!" "Babe With The Power has to stay! Hee hee!" "Babe gonna be Queeny?" "Queeny!" "QUEENY!"

Sarah felt faint as she stared at the rowdy goblins, her legs turning to jelly as she slumped against Jareth, the retraining arm the only thing keeping her upright.

"Quiet!" The Goblin King bellowed and his subjects froze in place, staring at him with wide eyes, "Go make yourselves useful and clean up the mess," he ordered, the peach gone for the moment as he waved a hand in the direction of the Goblin City Sarah and her friends had stormed in her assault on the Castle. They all cast looks amongst themselves before muttering and leaving the room in dejected groups. Sarah felt distinctly green around the gills as she struggled to push away from Jareth and to her feet. He clucked his tongue and pulled her closer to himself as he swept her along towards his throne room, "If you throw up on me, Precious, I will be very displeased." He warned with a mild tone, and she moaned weakly, stumbling after him, seeing as she had no other choice. He ignored her protests and draped himself across his throne with her leaning against the front of it, one firm hand keeping hold of her shoulder. They made quite the odd sight; a mildly shivering mortal girl who looked like she'd be sick any moment with her back pressed into the foot of the Goblin King's throne while he lounged across it, legs and head supported by the curved armrests. Still clad in his white feather cloak and soft leather boots, he couldn't have looked more offset from the dark haired girl if he'd tried. "It will go easier for you," he murmured after a moment, "if you finish the peach." A crystal spun on the fingertips of his free hand, catching the light in entrancing ways.

Sarah shook her head violently, then moaned, bringing her knees up to her chest to rest her forehead on the scratchy material of her jeans.

"So stubborn." Jareth clucked, but he didn't press her any further at the moment, allowing the girl to adjust at her own pace in the temporarily empty throne room.

"Where's Hoggle?" Sarah mumbled, shivering as her body vacillated between too hot and too cold, "And Ludo, and Sir Didymus…"

"Your friends," Jareth growled, "are in an oubliette to think about what they've done."

Sarah gasped and stiffened, fighting to pull herself away from the throne, but the iron grip on her shoulder tightened until she cried out and slumped back into the uncomfortable stone. "That's not fair."

"Betraying your King has consequences, Sarah. I have been generous." But I can be cruel.

"What's going to happen to me?" Sarah whispered, her head throbbing painfully in time with her heartbeat.

"That all depends on you, Precious."

"So you're not going to turn me into a goblin?" Sarah questioned meekly, flinching as his laughter resonated in her bones.

"Do I look like a goblin? No. You'll remain your pretty mortal self, Sarah."

"Than what-"

"Think of it as a vaccination, Sarah. You are bound to the Underground now, your body must adjust to the magic rich atmosphere here. Finishing the peach will help."

"Will I ever see Toby again?" Her voice broke and cracked, and she shuddered as she fought back tears.

"No."

She buried her head deeper into her knees and cried at his cruel words, unable to help herself. She'd risked so much, dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, and she'd never see her family again.

Minutes passed before a cool gloved hand slipped under her chin and she looked up into the understanding face of the Goblin King as he wiped away her tears, "Sarah, my Sarah, did you think I would let you go so easily?" His palm cupped her cheek, and despite herself she leaned into it, nose red and eyes puffy from her tears. She must look horrible. Her lower lip quivered, and she tried to look away from those mismatched eyes, but Jareth kept her face upturned. "My will is as strong as yours," he crooned, repeating her words, and she recited the next line by heart; "And my kingdom as great."

"And I have total power over you, Precious."

Sarah winced and closed her eyes, jumping when something cool pressed against her lips. The sweet smell of peach flooded her senses as the smooth flesh rolled over her lips and the juice smeared her mouth. Whimpering, body trembling with pain and heartache, Sarah Williams, the Babe with the Power, the Girl who ate the Peach and forgot, the Champion of the Labyrinth… Took another bite of the peach.

"Good girl," Jareth, Master of the Labyrinth and King of the Goblins crooned.