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Chapter One: New Beginnings Or Re-evaluated Endings
“You Have No Power Over Me!”Sarah woke up with a gasp. It wasn't the first time she had dreamt of her run through the Labyrinth. However, as she grew older, she began reevaluating her entire interaction with the Goblin King. It helped that her friends still visited her when she called. Hoggle, who always disliked the "Rat," had started mumbling things that he thought she didn't hear. Even Didymus was suddenly tight-lipped about the Goblin City and the Castle in the middle of it all. The older she got, the less her friends wanted to visit. Even Ludo, the big lug head, seemed to be becoming a little rough around the edges. The last time she visited the Underground, everything seemed less vibrant than in the past. Sarah was grateful to her mother for instilling in her a gift of imagination and magic, but she didn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. She attempted to share her gift with Toby but also regretted not accepting the gift that Jareth had offered her. Now that she had grown up, she fully understood what he was trying to give her. So, she pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Folklore and Mythology, to become a Folklorist. Although her father believed that she had wasted her last two years, Sarah was on track to graduate with top honors. She hadn't told her parents yet that she had been offered a position at Trinity College in Dublin to further her education and career and a chance to study Fae rings in County Kerry, Ireland. However, there was an issue. The lead professor and archaeologist, Professor Rí, insisted that she arrive in Ireland as soon as possible. Normally, it takes 4 years to earn a Bachelor’s Degree, but Sarah had taken college classes along with her high school ones and could complete her degree in just two years. This often came at the expense of her social life, which was a point of contention with her Stepmother, who believed that she didn't have a high school or college experience. The truth was that most of the boys and young men she met were held to unrealistic standards. The good ones were too good and didn't know how to be bad, while the bad ones didn't know how to be good. If Sarah was being honest with herself, none of them were her Goblin King. Sitting at her Vanity dressed for an adventure Sarah called out the Famliuar words"My friends, I need you," Sarah said, waiting for the inevitable. However, it took longer for her friends to arrive, and when Hoggle finally appeared in her mirror instead of her room, she knew something was wrong. Although Hoggle often appeared with Lugo, Didymus, and his faithful stead Ambrosius to catch up, this was the first time he came alone and he didn't look good. "Hoggle, my friend, what's wrong? Where are the others?" Sarah fired off questions in rapid succession, not giving Hoggle a chance to answer one before moving on to the next. Hoggle normally wouldn't have minded this, as it was Sarah's way of taking care of them, but he didn't have time for her concern. He needed to tell her what The Rat was keeping from her. “Sarah, I'm sorry but I don't think we can keep hiding what's happening. The Rat has been trying to fix things, but he won't tell you or let us know what's going on. I'm sure you've noticed the changes in the Labyrinth.” Before he could explain further, Sarah cut Hoggle off as she heard her family returning and calling out to her. "Oh Hoggle, I have to go. Something is happening. I'll call you soon. There's so much to tell you. I'm leaving soon, and I don't know when we'll be able to talk again. But I'll call you soon. Please take care.”Hoggle let out a sigh as he turned back towards the Royal Gardens. He couldn't help but feel worried. His Royal Ratness had been claiming for years that he knew what was happening in the Underground. Although some of the changes were related to Sarah, Hoggle couldn't understand why "He" didn't want them to inform her. They had all watched Sarah grow and change. Hoggle wasn't as stupid as Jareth believed he was. He knew that the key to saving everything was with Sarah, who had taken some of Jareth's power when she declared that he had no power over her. However, Hoggle had been trying to convey to her, in a roundabout way so as not to get himself into trouble, that the longer Sarah stayed away, the more the magic of their home was slipping away. She was the Champion, and much as it made him sick, he knew that she was not only the Labyrinth's Champion but she was also supposed to be the Queen of the Goblins. The question was, what did Jareth have planned to fix things? Jareth passed his rooms. He was getting tired of only being able to see Sarah in his Crystals, or from information from her friends. Higgle was starting to get on his nerves almost demanding that He the King lower himself and explain to Sarah how she really and truly took his power from him. Well, not all of it but he could no longer come and go as he used to. He could only visit her as his Owl three times a year. He scryed as often as he could but he truly wanted her to come to him on her own. He realized too late that she a mere girl didn’t and couldn’t truly understand when he said:“Fear Me, Love Me, Do as I say, and I will be Your Slave.”He tried to tell her that he loved her, but she refused to listen. He never got the chance to inform her that Toby was already back home safe and sound. Sarah was a difficult person, but he realized that she had become more sensible as she grew older. He wondered why she hadn't contacted him yet. If only she had called him, so many things would have been easier. Hogwarts had informed him that Sarah knew he couldn't approach her until she made a wish or called him. After six long years, he was determined to make Sarah his, but this time he would do it the right way. Jareth left his luxurious bedroom and entered his study, calling out to Roibeard. "Rio, are you ready to take over while I'm away?" Roibeard responded with an exasperated sigh, "Of course, sir. You will check in frequently, and you are always only a crystal call away. However, I must ask again, are you sure this is the only way? Sarah has grown in many ways, and her knowledge of the fae, fair folk, goblins, and even you, the Goblin King, is only surpassed by you, your Highness. We are running out of time. As you know, the Labyrinth has yet to take matters into her own hands. You only have until the next Ceiliúradh Bealtaine. Sir, is that enough time?”As Roibeard turned towards Jareth, he awaited his answer. However, Jareth seemed to lose his color and appeared pale even more than the Fae already was he replied. "I'm hoping that the time we have is enough, my friend. I cannot afford to fail again. I have failed Gaia and Lady Labyrinth before, but I can only hope that Sarah will understand and come back with me. She can either return as the Champion and the Goblin Queen or as my queen. Right now, the fate of our hope lies in the hands of Gaia and Sarah.” Jareth couldn't think of anything to say other than "Well, what Said is Said". He turned towards his advisor and friend, and with a sad smile on his face, vanished in a pop of glitter. "Damn glitter bombs. You would think after all these years Jareth would learn not to spray glitter everywhere!" muttered Roibeard. He called for a Goblin to come and clean up the mess. Sitting down with what seemed like years’ worth of paperwork, which Jareth had put off doing and left for him, Roibeard tried to convince a wayward Queen and Champion to come home and fix the mess she and Jareth had made during her trek through The Labyrinth.
….Mean While in the above….
As Sarah slowly descended the stairs, she took one last look at herself in the mirror, feeling apprehensive about the upcoming conversation with her father. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw that her father was holding a large envelope. "Father, you called?" Sarah asked, trying to sound calm. From her father's expression, Sarah knew that the conversation was not going to be pleasant. However, she was determined to go to the Fairy Circle, no matter what her father said or threatened. She knew she had to make the trip at all costs. "Do you care to tell me what this is all about, young lady?" her father asked. Sarah put out her hand for the envelope. She couldn't say what it was about until she opened it to see what was inside. She had an idea, though, that it contained all the paperwork she needed to continue her studies at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. She had been chosen out of hundreds of applicants to attend the college and study Fae rings. She was excited about the opportunity and had been talking about it since she first heard of it. As she unfolded the papers, she found an updated passport, ready for use. Sarah had forgotten that she would need it to leave the country. She was a little sad to leave her family, especially Toby, but she knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Professor Rí had never taken interns before, and Sarah felt honored to be the first. “Sarah, why do you constantly feel the need to chase your childish dreams? Perhaps it's time to come back to Earth, go back to college, get a sensible degree, work for me, meet a nice man, and settle down. I've allowed this to go on for too long. Karen suggested that I let you take those classes so that you could come to your senses, but it seems like you haven't. Now, I need to put my foot down. If you decide to run off and pursue your dreams, don't think that we'll be here when you fail." Sarah's father failed to acknowledge her accomplishments and dreams, even though she expected it from him. Sarah was offered a chance of a lifetime - admission into one of the toughest colleges to get into as well as a paid internship in her dream field. Myths and fairy tales were essential to Sarah's life as they gave her hope during difficult times and contained a kind of magic that she felt was dying in her heart. Although she was too afraid to call upon the Goblin King and had given up wishing for fear of what he might do to her as revenge for beating his Labyrinth and breaking his heart, she secretly hoped that while in Ireland, one of the Fae rings would grant her the wish she held in her heart's deepest recess. Sarah decided to stand on her own two feet, win or lose, and informed her father that she was scheduled to leave in two weeks. She planned to put her belongings that she was not taking with her into storage until she could come back and retrieve them. She also chose not to come back for holidays and considered this place no longer her home. However, she requested permission to call and visit Toby, as she did not want him to think that she was abandoning him. Sarah then stood up, walked out of her father's office, and went back to her room. She held back her tears and refused to let her father see how deeply he had hurt her. She made it to her room before the tears started. She knew she had two weeks to move forward with her life, and she was sure that this was the path she needed to take, no matter where it led her. Perhaps it was for the best that she left her family behind. If the path she was going to walk led her back to her friends and to the King who held her heart, then maybe it would all be worth it in the end. So Sarah began going through her things. She only had two weeks to sort through her life. As an afterthought, she remembered she needed to tell her mother about what was going on. With a snort, Sarah couldn't help but think about how many times in her life she was an afterthought in her mother's life, and ironically, now she was one of her daughters. It was funny how fate worked sometimes. "Well, she can wait a little longer. I have better things to do right now than talk to her," Sarah thought. Sarah was busy preparing for her trip to the countryside of Ireland. She started sorting through her belongings and made three piles - things to take, things to give to Toby, and things to store. Surprisingly, the "things to take" pile was the smallest. Sarah decided that she would only take items that held significant sentimental value, such as a music box, stuffed animals that resembled her friends, and two figurines - a barn owl and a statue that looked identical to the Goblin King during their final confrontation. During her journey, Sarah learned an important lesson about the power of words and how they can have a lasting impact. She vowed to choose her words wisely and think before speaking, as once spoken, they could not be taken back. Sarah also tried to teach this valuable lesson to Toby, as it was important for him to learn as well. Though she knew he was safe from The Goblin King, she felt it was a life lesson that would serve him well. Sarah was so engrossed in her sorting that she didn't realize how much time had passed until Karen called her down for dinner. Sarah thought to herself, "I wonder who will try to guilt me into staying longer, my father, stepmother, or mother when they find out I'm leaving in two weeks." Despite her inner turmoil, she reminded herself that this was what she wanted, and she had to face the consequences. With a bitter laugh, she stood up and wiped the dust off her pants. She knew her family would try to use Toby, but thankfully he was only interested in seeing pictures of Leprechauns and their pot of gold, which she planned to share with him upon her return. Walking into the kitchen, Sarah automatically started helping Karen place things onto the table before taking her seat. Looking around the table, she could see that her father was barely keeping his mouth shut. The only thing that was keeping an argument from happening was Karen's rule against arguments at her dinner table, and the fact that Toby was there. No one wanted to see him upset. In his eyes, Sarah hung the moon and stars, and no one wanted to sway him from that notion. The conversation between the adults was awkward and uneventful. However, Toby was full of enthusiasm and talked about his day and all the things happening in his life. Sarah knew she had to tell Toby that she got accepted into the college and internship she wanted after her conversation with her father. So, she decided to bring it up now. After clearing the table for Karen, she turned to Toby and hesitated for a moment. But Toby, who was very observant, quickly realized what was going on and asked excitedly, "Sarah, are you going to Ireland? When are you leaving? What will you do with all your stuff? Will you still send me pictures of Leprechauns and Fae Folk?" Sarah smiled at Toby's excitement and tried to get a word in, "Toby, slow down. Yes, I am leaving for Ireland in two weeks. I have been sorting out my things and I have some special items that I am giving to you to keep. I am taking some of my belongings with me, and the rest I will keep in a storage unit until the end of my internship and schooling. I promised to send you pictures and stories of Leprechauns and Fae Folk. I may not be able to get good pictures, but I promise to send you the best stories I can find. Don't be disappointed, okay?” After their short conversation, Toby and Sarah felt more at ease. Toby assured Sarah that he was on her side and wanted her to be happy, regardless of what happened next. Sarah helped Karen clean up after dinner and then went to her room. She was now prepared to tackle the only issue she had not figured out yet - what to do with her clothing. She didn't want to store it if she didn't have to, but it was impossible to take it all with her. If things went the way they seemed to be, she would need her spring and summer clothing, but her winter and fall clothing would have to be left behind. However, if she put her clothes in storage, then she would have to make a trip back home to switch seasonal clothing, which seemed to be a waste of time and energy. This was one of the many times she regretted not trying to talk to the Goblin King. Perhaps he would have helped her. She wasn't sure if Hoggle, Didymus, or Lugo could assist her by taking some of her stuff to the Underground.Sarah was unable to reach out to her friends as her schedule was jam-packed. As expected, neither her stepmother nor father offered any help. Toby, who was also busy with his school and friends, did his best to assist Sarah. However, the only noticeable change was that Sarah started sorting through her treasures from her and Toby's time in the Labyrinth. These were the trinkets and doodads that she sadly forgot about. Two things caught her attention. The first was a silver journal that had a silver and gold design on it. It looked familiar to her, but she couldn't recall where she had seen it before, so she decided to take it with her and research it when she reached Ireland. The second was three crystals, which she knew had once belonged to someone else, but she was unsure how long they had been there or why. She had a vague sense that these were gifts and that they would come in handy, so she packed them in her carry-on along with the journal to document her journey. As the time to leave approached, Sarah realized that she had finally found a place for everything and arranged everything in an orderly manner. She no longer had to worry about storage issues as she received a personal email from the professor informing her that a company would come to collect the items she wanted stored and keep them for her at no cost. Although this freed her up towards the end, strange things kept happening every time she tried to sit at her vanity to call her friends. Something would happen, or she would suddenly remember something she needed to do. It was as if someone or something didn't want her to talk to anyone before she left. The only thing that gave her solace was that her vanity was being packed up and moved to a small cottage that came with her internship. Most of her college courses were available online, so she could devote as much time as possible to her internship and the Fae Circles. However, Sarah’s normally rational mind found it difficult to question the strange occurrences happening both good and bad. She found comfort in writing in her journal every night before bed. She always felt better when she woke up in the morning, and many of the problems she talked about there had solutions not long after she expressed them.
…Mean While In the Office of One Professor Jareth Rí…
It took Jareth a while, but he was finally able to do something other than watch Sarah struggle. All he ever wanted was to make her dreams come true. After seven years, he was finally able to start doing that. She had turned him down once, but Jareth now knows that when she was 15 and ran the Labyrinth, everything he did for her went misunderstood. He was the villain she needed him to be while he tried to give her the world. It shattered him when she uttered those words.“You Have No Power Over Me!” Of course, his witty comeback of “Fear Me, Love Me, Do as I say, and I will be Your Slave.” Jareth, a Fae, was not happy when Sarah rejected him. He was a charming, handsome, and skilled seducer, but that didn't matter to Sarah. She was a strong-willed girl who stomped on his heart and gifts and never looked back. Or so he thought. After some time, Jareth started to look back at every interaction they had and realized that Sarah was only trying to protect her brother. She didn't know that neither she nor Toby were ever in real danger. Everything that happened was because she wanted it to be so. Jareth moved time, stars, and planets because Sarah wanted to be the hero of her own story, but she made Jareth the villain. It took him a long time to understand that while he was her villain, she was his savior.Jareth looked at the calendar on his desk and saw that Sarah was due to arrive in a few days. He had made all the necessary arrangements for her stay in a cottage located close to the Fairy forts in Kerry, where the Tuatha de Dananna had hidden gateways to the Underground. Jareth had given her enough hints about what he expected from her. Additionally, a smaller version of his talisman was affixed to the front of her journal. This jewelry would recognize her as its owner but would not merge with her until she was ready to become either his queen as well as Goblin Queen or just Goblin Queen. Even though it would be extremely difficult for him, Jareth understood that he had to prioritize Sarah's happiness over his desires. He was determined to demonstrate his love for her and was willing to be patient and persistent, as much as his royal position allowed him. However, he couldn't help but worry that when Sarah discovered that he was Professor Rí, she might decide to leave before giving him a chance to explain. Jareth, a high Elf, had an office on the surface that was reminiscent of his study. The room was decorated with a haphazard collection of books and papers from his extensive library, which spoke volumes about his love for knowledge and learning. Jareth found it rather amusing how humans often misinterpreted the true meanings behind many of the myths and legends passed down through history. During council meetings, Jareth conversed with a diverse group of individuals, including Fae and Deities that humans believed were long gone. Many of these mythical creatures even considered making appearances, causing a stir among the people. Sometimes, after consuming too much wine, rumors circulated that they had appeared before lost individuals in the wilderness. However, more often than not, these were just drunken rumors that had no basis in reality.Jareth, the Goblin King, is currently experiencing a sense of restlessness as he awaits what the future holds. He has been poring over the journal, gaining insights into Sarah, the young girl who has captured his heart. Jareth is fascinated by Sarah's unique qualities, which distinguish her from anyone he has ever met in his long life. Despite her enigmatic nature, he is confident that Sarah possesses a remarkable responsiveness that makes her the perfect fit for the role of Queen and Champion of the Labyrinth. In Jareth's eyes, the Labyrinth and Gaia could not have made a better choice, and he remains convinced that he will never encounter anyone who is better suited for this role than Sarah. For now, the ball was in her court and neither can move forward or back until they meet again. Hopefully, things will go as planned. Sarah was all set for her trip and had put her heart and soul into her journal, feeling that it held something special. She was confident that everything would work out just fine in the end. The night before she was scheduled to leave, Sarah took the time to bid farewell to all her loved ones. She had planned on taking a taxi to the airport, but to her surprise, the professor got to know about it and deemed it unsafe for her to carry all her belongings herself. He arranged for a ride for her through emails and a few text messages, ensuring that Sarah didn't have to worry about anything. Toby, her brother, was even more excited than she was. They had discussed at length what she had done seven years ago, and this adventure made her more "awesome" in his eyes. Toby promised to keep in touch as much as possible and behave himself. While he admitted that things wouldn't be the same without her and that their father never understood him, he hoped that her absence would relieve him of the pressure of living up to her standards. Toby confided in her that he felt that everyone expected things from him that he wasn't sure he could live up to. Sarah did her best to assure her brother that he only had to live up to his expectations. She was proud of him and all his accomplishments and wanted him to continue pursuing his dreams. Despite knowing that she had disappointed their father by not following in his footsteps, Toby didn't have to do it for her. "Toby, you should grow up to be whoever or whatever you feel you need to be. Don’t live up to or for anyone else’s expectations. You are gifted in arts more than I was. Your drawings of the creatures I told you about are truly exceptional. If I ever get the time to write that children's book, no one but you will be my illustrator." With that, she hugged her brother, kissed his brow, and asked him to zip her suitcase as she sat on it, trying to get it closed. Everything she was taking, except for her purse and carry-on, was lined up in nice even rows. All the things she had to pack for the flight were taken and shipped over by the professor. That led to one of the many fights with her father, as he began to realize that nothing he could say, do, or threaten was going to keep his little girl from traipsing overseas away from them for who knows how long. As a lawyer, he had many of his law enforcement and government friends try to find anything they could on this man. There was nothing anyone could find on him. He was almost too perfect as he didn’t even have a speeding ticket from anywhere. He was published in tons of places, both academically and as a fiction writer. He was going to have to let her go. There was nothing he could do to stop her. This wasn’t something that he had control over. Sometimes he wished that the Sarah who used to follow after him and wanted to do anything to make him happy was still there somewhere. He didn’t like the fact that his little girl had grown up. He liked it even less that she grew up smart, stubborn, and unwilling to bend to his will. Now he had to come to terms with his eldest child leaving the country, and he didn’t know when or if he would see her again. So, it came as a surprise to Sarah when she came down the stairs at three in the morning to find her father sitting at the table with a Kraft of coffee and a forlorn look on his face. He looked up as he heard Sarah enter the room.Sarah should have realized that this was coming but no conversations came to a good end before coffee. So she did the only thing she could do. She poured her cut sat down and took a long deep swallow. Once she felt the black bean water fortify her she turned to her father with a deep sigh.“ I do not know how to put your fears to rest. I am following my dreams and I do not know how many times I have tried to explain all the fields that I could go into with just the degree I have now. Once I finish with the next one if I choose to continue after my internship finishes the world is my Oyster persay. You have raised me to be strong and My Will is as great as yours.”A shiver danced over her spine as she said those final words. something tickled in the back of her mind as the smell of peaches and leather haunted her senses. “My ride will be here soon Father so we can leave this one of two ways. You can hug me wish me luck and send me on my way with your blessing or we can say goodbye now not knowing if or when we will see each other again. I love you but I have to do this. I have grown up and now is my time and I will not allow you to stop me even if it means I never speak to you again.”Sarah stood not wanting to leave things as they had been. She hugged her father and kissed his head. “You my father and I will always love you”Then she threw back her remaining coffee and made her way towards the door and her luggage. each step she took away from her father and his silence weighed on her. But she knew that this was the right thing. This was her future whatever came of it this was what she had to do to start her life and no one but herself and Jareths rejection would stop her. Just as her hand made to turn the handle of the door she heard.“Wait, Sarah… I don’t know if I can give you my blessing but I can give you my love and support. I do not understand any of this. My life is black and white, Yours like your mothers has always been multicolored. So I am sending you my love and support. Please call and write as often as you can and please know you are welcome home to visit anytime you wish.”It felt like a weight she didn’t realize she was carrying lifted from her shoulders. Her father may not understand nor give his blessings he at least was giving her his support. Maybe the blessing will come later. Sarah smiled warmly as her father helped her carry everything out to the waiting car. Both were pleasantly surprised by the luxury car waiting to take her to the airport. “Looks like this Professor pulled out all the stops to get you to come to Ireland.” Sarah giggled a little.“He found an older cottage for me to stay in while I was doing my internship. It’s in a town called Kerry. It’s on the outskirts of the Fae rings we will be studying. I am beside myself with excitement to see it all.”Richard smiled indulgently at his daughter. This was the Happiest she had seen her in a while. This was what gave her meaning and made her happy and that was all he could ask for. So just before she got into the car he kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear as she got into the car.“You have my blessing”With that car door closed Sarah was off on her next grand Adventure and an Adventure it would be.