Disclaimer: Jareth, Sarah, the Labyrinth and any characters and places therein belong to Jim Henson Productions. Any characters not from within the Labyrinth realm belong to me, unless otherwise stated. This story contains come facts from history as well as a lot of fiction. I will not be using actual names from history and any similarities between my characters to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Unexpected Consequences

By Corrie "Cormak" McDermott

Oct, 2002.

Summary: In a time and place not their own, two enemies struggle to survive and discover much more along the way than they bargained for…

Special thanks to my beta, Scattered Logic, for her editing skills, her thoughts and suggestions and the hours she spends talking with me.

Chapter 1: A vow of revenge

The barn owl returned to the Labyrinth from the Aboveworld and dove through the blackened sky toward what remained of the castle beyond the Goblin City. He intended to land gracefully upon the broken stone that once formed a great room with stairs that led in all directions, but his landing was far from graceful.

The owl slammed into the hard stone floor, turning into a humanoid form the moment his body impacted. The man who appeared in his place lay very still for a moment. Shakily he rose, his body aching from the brutal contact with the stone. Already, a dark bruise was forming on one side of his face.

He grimaced, not understanding why he could feel physical pain. He twisted his hands, trying to form a crystal sphere, but nothing appeared at his fingertips. He tried several more times before cursing loudly in Goblin. He combed one black gloved hand through his wild blond hair and staggered to the edge of the broken room.

His mismatched eyes widened as they took in the sight before them. The castle was not the only thing that had been damaged. The outside walls of the Labyrinth were crumbling in places; the trees in the Firey Forest and the hedges just before them were wilting and dying. The entire Labyrinth had changed. He could see things in places where they didn't belong. It was as if the magic that held the Labyrinth together and protected it had disappeared.

He swallowed and glanced down at his gloved hands, suddenly understanding. He had been unable to produce a sphere. That had never happened before. Concern seeped into him at the startling realization that he no longer had any magic, which meant that he was powerless to control the Labyrinth. He was also powerless to prevent its decay.

His eyebrows lowered and his eyes filled with rage. In moments, the concern had fled him and he was absolutely seething.

'You have no power over me…'

He spun around, hearing the voice echo. Seeing no one there, he realized that the voice had been spoken in his mind. She had caused this. She had defeated him and ruined his kingdom. He took deep ragged breaths and his eyes narrowed. He clenched his fists and for a moment he forgot about the pain he was in.

"You will pay for what you have done, Sarah, and you will pay soon!"