Hello everyone. This is a birthday present for a good friend of mine. I hope that you all enjoy it and feel free to leave any constructive criticism. Oh, and to anyone who reads my Hetalia fics, I promise I did not forget about you. I've just been ridiculously busy. I will update soon, so please be patient.
It had been nearly three months since Sarah had escaped from the labyrinth. Of course, she was glad to have her brother safe at home, but part of her longed to return. Reality had become far too tedious. In the labyrinth, the rules of the universe were different and it was hard to go for too long without some adventure. Who would have thought she would want to return to what she had thought was a nightmare at the time.
Not to mention, she missed her friends. Sure, she could see them whenever she wanted, but it was different. They never said anything, but it was clear that they were uncomfortable. In the real world, they were restricted by rules of nature that didn't exist for them. As more time had passed, she had called upon them less and less because of this.
With a sigh she looked at her bookshelf. Her fingers gently ran over the spines as she debated which one would suit her mood today. At least when she was reading she could forget about the troubles of the world and the longing she had to return to the labyrinth. She let out a gasp as she felt a spark come from one of the books. It wasn't painful or anything of that sort, but rather something that was just meant to get her attention.
Curiously, she pulled out the source and was surprised to find that it was the very book that had brought on her trouble in the first place. For a moment, she just ran her fingers over the smooth cover before going against her better judgment and opening it. Before she could even get so far as to read the first word, there was a peck at her window.
"It can't be," she whispered as she turned to face the source. Sure enough, there an owl perched on the balcony. Against her better judgment, she ran to let the owl in. It didn't even wait for her to move out of the way before making its way into her room.
"Hey," she shouted out, shielding her face. "You could have at least waited for me to move."
"Now, Sarah, is that anyway to greet a guest?" a familiar voice rang out from behind her.
"Jareth," she whispered almost too quiet to be heard as she turn to face him.
"Yes?" the Goblin King said with a smirk. "Did you need something or did you just call to say hello?"
"But I didn't-" Sarah started only to be interrupted.
"Oh, but you did," he said with a laugh. "Might I remind you, I am in the business of granting wishes. Well, your wishes anyways. I don't need to hear your wishes to know them, Sarah."
As Jareth spoke, he stepped just a little bit closer to her and produced a clear crystal ball in each hand. "I give you two choices, my dear girl. You can choose to stay here with an annoying baby brother and parents who don't understand you, or you can return to the labyrinth with me and get everything you could possibly want."
"What's the catch," Sarah said eyeing him suspiciously and folding her arms across her chest. Sure, this was exactly what she wanted, but with Jareth things were never so simple. She had learn that the first time through.
"No catch this time."
This time as he spoke, he threw both of the balls into the air. Instinctively, Sarah reached out for them before they could hit the ground. Upon looking closer, she could see the two options clearly. Both of them reflected each of the very different worlds. As she stared at them, they began to grow heavier and heavier.
"Now then, which is it, Sarah?" Jareth said gently placing his hand under her chin and pulling her head up so her eyes would meet his. For a second, she just stared at him speechless, a blush making its way onto her face. Maybe he could be selfish and a little bit egotistic, but sometimes she couldn't help but think that he really did want her to be happy.
"I can't just leave," Sarah said looking away from him. Even if she wanted nothing more than to run away with the man in front of her, she had responsibilities and she couldn't just leave her family behind.
Jareth just smiled and leaned just a little bit closer to her before whispering, "You deserve much better than this, my princess."
Her blush deepened as she found herself looking once more into his eyes. This time, they held no trickery or deception. As much as she wanted to say no, she found it more and more difficult with each passing second.
"How about I make this even easier on you, hmm?" he said materializing a third crystal ball and holding it up between them. "If you choose this last option, you can return to this world as you please. No time will pass in your absence."
"Why are you doing this for me?" Sarah asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" he said with a laugh. "You are my princess and I want nothing more than to make your wishes come true."
"Is that so?" she asked dropping the two crystal balls and grabbing the third one. Her free hand reached out and grabbed Jareth's face gently. "In that case, how could I say no?"
