Disclaimer: I own nothing! Absolutely nothing… apart from Daniel, but only in name (seeing that he doesn't actually make an appearance).

Labyrinth: Beyond It All

Chapter One – Into Darkness

Sarah stared into her mirror intently. Instead of seeing herself she was watching the surroundings behind her.

"Why aren't they here?" she questioned, her voice slightly worried. "They'd always appeared."

She had lost count of the number of times she stared in her mirror and willed her friends to appear. Yet they hadn't, even at times so low and she needed a friendly face they weren't there. Just then the door behind her burst opened and in beamed her annoying seven year old brother, Toby.

"Saaaarrrrah," he sang. "Daniel's here to see you," he wiggled his eyebrows.

She turned abruptly throwing a magazine that just happened to be on the edge of her vanity table, "Get out!"

He stood there laughing at her unaware what had happened those six years ago. She was happy for that, maybe he wouldn't be able to forgive his sister if he knew what she'd done.

"I'll be down in a minute," she said more calmly.

He sniggered and giggled as he closed her door.

Sarah sighed returning to her reflection suddenly feeling hollow, "I need you," she whispered. "I need all of you." Maybe it was some power or magic that she took from the labyrinth. That the time there gave her a bond or connection to that world and her own. Was this power fading? Was that the reason she couldn't connect to her friends? It was frustrating and worrying not knowing why this was happening, yet she was unable to do a thing. The only way she entered the labyrinth in the first place was due to the Goblin King, Jareth.

Would that imply her to call upon the Goblin King for assistance? She really didn't want to do that and he, in all probable fact, wouldn't help anyway. Yet who else could she turn to?

She turned to her bedroom door; she would only be a moment to call on Jareth. If he answered or not then she'd only be a couple of moments from greeting Daniel.

She rose from her vanity chair and turned the key of the door. It clicked and she returned to the mirror. Taking a very deep breaths she pushed all the doubts of calling him aside giving a quick glance at the model figure of him that sat by her array of perfumes. She didn't realised why she hadn't pushed that figurine into her draw or something.

"Right," she whispered twisting her head back and forth, then rolling her shoulders as if she were about to run a marathon. She didn't know how to do, how to call him it was beyond this magic stuff. Yet what she did know that when her friends appeared to her she had been thinking about them, visualising them in her mind's eye and their adventures together.

She stared keenly at her reflection and thought only about him. Any and all aspects of him. His commanding presence. His patronising tone. The way he moved all lithe like, predatorily. The beauty of his face though marred by his cruelty. The depth of his eyes, fathomless and endless. As if forever was borne inside them.

"Goblin King," she tested her eyes closing and then opening. "Goblin King?" yet there was nothing other than her voice.

She slouched propping her head up against her hand. She didn't want to get personal but she thought maybe it would work. She cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"Jareth?" she questioned. "Jareth I need…" she paused before saying it biting hard at her bottom lip. She might live to regret this but… "I need you. I need your help."

The mirror swirled.

It was working. She bounced a smile spreading across her face.

"Jareth, if you can hear me say something."

She sat back her eyes narrowing. The mirror continued to swirl but nothing else happened. "Please." And she hated the way it sounded. Begging him for help.

"Sarah," but it was so faint that she almost missed it.

"Sarah," the voice said again. Could this truly be Jareth? But it sounded so sad.

"Jareth what's happening?"

"Sarah. Sarah. Sarah…" it moaned before it stopped.

She leant closer her hand reaching out to the swirling image. She could no longer see the background of her room but darkness. Just swirling darkness. Her fingers brushed the cold mirror and delved inside. She flinched pulling her fingers out.

"Whoa," she breathed, breathless. This had never happened before. She never realised that this was a two way thing. Normally Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus came through, well really appeared, and she couldn't.

Sarah swallowed and pushed her hand all the way through and it felt as if something was pulling her in. She tried to jerk away but whatever was on the other side was too strong for her. It pulled so hard she'd thought her hand would tear off, but instead she was dragged inside.

Then she was falling.

Falling into the darkness.

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Author: I know this is short, but that is because this "chapter" was purely to set up the story. Things become clearer in the next chapter and it will be a lot longer than this. I promise. But I refuse to extend the length of a chapter simply because it is too short. I have spoilt many a prose because of that way of thinking.

Chants: "Quality not quantity. Quality not quantity. Quality not quantity."

It is my first Labyrinth fan fiction, and I've never thought about writing one until a week ago where I couldn't stop looking for related fics. Unhealthily watching the film too many times. Reading an in depth essay-esque analysis online. Oh and purchasing the first two volumes of the sequel manga, which I'm loving!

So I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what to think, because if no one finds it slightly compelling I'll just scrap it (having said that I might put up the second chapter so your opinions isn't slanted by this one short first chapter).

Well then, I hope it was alright

Also one more thing, the title I'm still wary about, that might change when or if I can think of a better one, until that appointed time it will have to stay as it is.