Title: Only searching for this, that which doesn't exist
Fandom: Labyrinth
Characters: Jareth, a girl
Pair: implied Jareth/Sarah
Wordcount: 593
Rating: G
Challenge:
comment_fic:
Labyrinth, Jareth(+/any), he wielded a dangerous whip, but his tongue could be deadlier.AN: Title from Epica, "Sensorium"
She bursts through the door and into the throne room.
“So,” she yells after she caught her breath. “I’ve mastered your damn labyrinth, now give me back my sister!” she demands, but the royal figure slouched on the throne doesn’t even flinch. He’s not even looking at her, just keeps on fiddling with his leather whip.
“Go ahead, she’s over there,” he finally says, rather bored and disinterested, and waves his hand.
She raises an eyebrow, keeps on watching him, waits for a foul trick, a trap … anything.
“Just … like this?” she asks carefully and looks to where he motioned. Indeed, there is her little sister, looking at her with big eyes. At least she’s not crying …
The girl’s eyes switch from her sister to the Goblin King until she finally jumps to the child and takes her in her arms, keeps her close, still afraid something would try to take her away again.
“Happy now?” he asks and sighs, still totally bored.
“I-Indeed …” Just what is up with the man? First he puts her through all this trouble, mocks her … and now nothing?
“Want to go home?”
She swallows hard and nods.
Another sigh, and now he rises from his throne. “Fine.”
She frowns. “B-But … why did you do all this in the first place, if you don’t care now? Not at all?”
He shrugs and strides towards her, his fingers still busy with the whip.
“I was hoping you were able to raise my interest, but I was wrong,” he answers bluntly.
She opens her mouth. “So … I bored you?” she asks incredulously.
“You did. You were no fun at all.”
She doesn’t know why, but his words make her heart sting.
“Well, I’m sorry.” Why is she even apologizing?!
“Oh, don’t be. It’s not your fault that you’re nothing special. I was just trying something … I wanted to see if there was maybe be someone else who could make me -”
He stops midsentence, and does she imagine things or is there some kind of hurt in his eyes?
“Forget it. It’s no good do dwell on things long since past.”
She clutches at her baby-sister and can’t help but wonder. “What could’ve happened had I been able to raise your interest?”
A small smile tugs at his lip. “Maybe I would have found a Queen willing to rule with me … OVER me.”
Her heart beats faster, and suddenly she wishes …
She startles as he cracks his whip, gaining a sharp sound. “But it doesn’t matter since you don’t have it in you. So, enjoy the rest of your little, ordinary life,” he says and waves his hand dismissively. Suddenly a bright light blinds her and she shuts her eyes.
She can feel a soft wind, and when she opens her eyes again, she’s back home and in her room. Alone with her sister who laughs a little and claps her hands.
The girl smiles at the child and puts her into her crib before going to bed herself. It’s been a long day …
And yet she can find no sleep. Hot tears sting her eyes as she thinks of all the things the Goblin King had said to her. That she’s ordinary, nothing special … boring …
What if she had been the someone he was looking for?
She curls up and starts to weep, cries into her pillow, and she’s convinced that a lash of his whip could’ve never hurt her as much as his words had.