Exchange Fic #6: The Toymaster
The actual identity of the writer will remain secret until all the submissions are in and posted.
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Title: The Toymaster
Author: sisterthemoon
Recipient: wiccarowan
Prompt: Sort of a combination of two:
- How did all of those Labyrinth-like items get into Sarah's bedroom anyway? Are there a load of other children / teens out there who have Labyrinth toys just waiting to lead them into trouble? Is it some sort of industry within the Labyrinth to build a bridge to the human world, one of Jareth's little tricks or something entirely coincidental? I'm quite happy if your explanation of this doesn't involve any major characters whatsoever!
- The Labyrinth Survivors Club. Sarah finds out that she's by no means the only teenage girl to have been "given special powers".
Rating: T
Plot Summary/Author's Notes: Toby convinces Sarah to go to a toy store that his mother won't let him into. What they found there was much more than either of them had ever expected…
A/N: All standard disclaimers apply; Labyrinth belongs to Jim Henson, as do any recognizable lines of dialogue from the movie (of which there are only two). wiccarowan, thank you for the amazing prompts! I hope you can forgive me for stealing two of them. I'm not sure if this is anything like what you had in mind, but I really hope you enjoy it!
"Toby, really?" Sarah eyed her 16 year old brother in disbelief. "Our parents go off to some 'conference,' bring me in to keep an eye on you, and the first thing that you want to do now that they're gone is go shopping?" Grinning, Toby nodded, but Sarah groaned at the flicker of mischief in her brother's eyes. "Okay, kid. Spill it."
"There's this place down on Main that Mom won't ever let me go into," Toby explained. "She says it looks like a complete dive--but there's all kinds of really old toys and stuff in there. It...It just looks like it might be pretty amazing. You'd love it, I bet."
Sarah's brows arched at his momentary hesitation, but it didn't take long for her to relent. "Fine, we'll at least go take a look at the outside, but if it really does look like a dump, no dice, buddy."
In true 16-year-old, always thinking with his stomach fashion, Toby added, "And we can hit the ice cream parlor while we're down there!"
Though he thought he'd secured Sarah's agreement, it took the better part of a week for Toby to convince Sarah to actually go to the toy store he was so fascinated by. For all their closeness, Toby wasn't above a bit of manipulation, though, and finally, he resorted to his fail-safe: a pleading look and a soft, "Aw, Sarah, you love me, don't you?" He wasn't entirely sure why it worked, but it had been his go-to maneuver for as long as he could remember. He tried not to use it very often, perhaps knowing instinctively that too much would get him into trouble or cause things to backfire on him, but he'd been starting to get desperate. Something about the place just called to him; he'd been unable to get it out of his thoughts.
They'd intended to start bright and early on Saturday morning, but what Sarah forgot to account for was the difference between the adult version of bright and early when compared to the teenaged version. "Come on, kid," she cajoled from the doorway of his room, "you've been after me about this for a week. Get it in gear now, or we're not going."
That was all it took to launch Toby into high gear, and he was ready in record time, which amused Sarah to no end. He could barely keep himself from still on the ten minute ride to their little town's version of Main Street, and silently praised the parking gods when a space along the street opened up just as they passed by.
Toby practically fell out of the car in his excitement to get to the store and he pointed to a doorway a few steps down the street with one hand, tugging excitedly on Sarah's sleeve with the other. "There. See?"
Sarah had been amused at her brother's antics thus far, but once he pointed out their destination, she could see why it had been labeled a dump. "Uh, Tobe..." The teenager glanced quickly at Sarah and, seeing her trepidation, leveled such a heavy look of disappointment that she nearly winced.
"Oh, Sarah," Toby lamented, his voice matching his face, "not you, too."
"Toby," Sarah began, glancing back toward the store before fixing her eyes on her brother's face, "that place looks like it ought to be condemned. No wonder she keeps saying no, it's..." She trailed off there, startled by Toby's knowing smile and the hint of something heavy in the air, something her mind balked at trying to identify. A shimmer out of the corner of her eye made her look back toward the storefront and she couldn't help it when her mouth dropped open. Where before she had only seen dingy glass, a heavy collection of spider webs, and a sign so rotted she couldn’t make out the name of the place, now it looked bright and inviting. The glass was clean, the sign perfectly legible, and...
The sign.
Sarah's visual examination of the store came to an abrupt halt as she saw hanging sign above the storefront. Stars in knotwork filigree made up the border of the wooden sign, surrounding a large clock with thirteen hours on its face. She blinked hard, and when she looked back, the sign had changed yet again. The starry border remained, but the sign said simply, "Toys," with no hint of a clock--let alone one that marked the time in thirteen hour increments--to be found.
Toby watched with extreme interest as Sarah's initial disapproval of the shop melted into confusion. The eyebrow-raiser was a brief flash of fear, but once she finally looked back at him, Toby's smile deepened. "Looks really cool, doesn't it? Come on, come on, let's go inside," he added, practically dancing in place, forgetting for a brief moment that he was sixteen rather than six.
Though she was uneasy, Sarah did her best to hide it from Toby--it had been a long time since she'd seen him so excited about anything. She forced a smile, which he seemed to accept, and after one last glance at that sign to see if the clock had come back (it hadn't), she stepped into the store with her brother.
"Wow," Toby breathed, eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. From the outside, it looked like regular toys--carved wooden cars, stuffed animals, puppets--but from the inside, it was so much more.
The space was small but brightly lit, and each shelf was full of a wide variety of toys. There was no rhyme or reason to the way that the shelves were stocked, but it somehow seemed that everything was exactly where it belonged. A multitude of mobiles hung from the ceiling, everything from stars and planets to dragons and other fantasy animals. Barrels full of different sized marbles shared space with a variety of building blocks that could be used to make everything from a tiny cottage to a sweeping castle, and the entire wall along the left hand side was filled floor to ceiling with stuffed critters. Really, Sarah thought as she looked around in a hesitant wonder, the place was an amazing mix of old and new. Vintage carved wooden yo-yos, puzzles, and paper dolls shared space with toy beauty salons and Easy-Bake ovens. Coloring books and crayons were stashed on a variety of shelves, further underscoring the atmosphere of disarray, but somehow, the chaos of it all made it perfect.
"Wow. I mean...wow." That seemed to be all Toby could say, and with a dazzling grin at Sarah, he darted off to play, once again seeming to forget his age.
Sarah wasn't quite sure that 'wow' was the right word, but she smiled weakly at Toby's departing back, still reeling at the change in the storefront that she’d witnessed outside. Once Toby had moved away and she'd had an opportunity to catch her breath, she finally started looking around her, and that faint sense of unease began to grow.
She'd done her best to forget about the Labyrinth in the fifteen years since the night she won her brother back from the Goblin King. When forgetting hadn’t worked, she'd tried instead to convince herself that it was merely a dream, that her subconscious (or was that her conscience?) had finally had enough of the way she treated Toby and her stepmother, and gone about fixing things in the only way it (she) knew she'd listen.
Those forgotten memories came crashing back as she looked through the overloaded shelves. Here, a stuffed Fiery with button eyes, stringy limbs, and a shock of red/yellow/orange hair made of yarn. There, a statue of a fox, complete with eyepatch, its lance extended as if ready to engage an oncoming enemy. Even a stuffed bear that looked suspiciously, exactly like Lancelot was nestled amongst the disarray, and she couldn't help a quiet sigh and a brief caress to the bear's face as she passed by. The more she looked around, the more memories of her magical trip came to light...and the greater her trepidation grew, until she finally happened upon the back wall of the brightly lit store and came to an immediate stop.
A long shelf over the back counter was marked with a small wooden sign, the knotwork banner from the outdoor sign repeated on it. An elegant script carved into the wood proclaimed:
Display Only
Not For Sale
Upon a high shelf bookended by a pair of crystal orbs was a line of twelve music boxes, each in a ball gown that she recognized instantly. Unexpectedly, however, each face was different--there were several blondes, two redheads, and other brunettes, all with a different combination of eye color, facial feature, and expression. Sarah's eyes widened when she caught sight of the crystals, but her jaw dropped as she spotted the music box farthest to the right, the last item on the shelf, save for the crystal next to it. The face on the figure within was unmistakably her own, the doll's hair styled as hers had been in the peach-induced dream she'd had on her journey through the Labyrinth.
"Gorgeous, ain't they?"
The voice came from behind her and Sarah whirled around, arms spread at the last moment to prevent her from falling. "What...who..."
He, for it was surely a he amidst the hugely wrinkled face and shaggy hair, cackled brightly and nodded toward the shelf of music boxes. "Come now, missy, surely you don’t need me to tell you 'what' or 'who,' eh?" His accent sounded English, quite out of place in her little American town. A closer look at his clothing showed him in a shabby linen shirt that had probably once been white and a pair of dingy trousers that had been patched so much that there was barely any of the original material left in them. He was much shorter than Sarah had expected, considering that it seemed his voice had sounded right at her ear; the top of his head barely reached her elbow. "Plain to see that one's you," he added, his voice still quivering with laughter, nodding toward the last of the music boxes. "Pretty in glass just like all the rest."
"All the...wait, what are you talking about?" Sarah huffed, her tone tempered with an impatience driven by fear. Glancing over her shoulder to assure herself that Toby was still distracted, she hissed, "That was just a dream."
It wasn't the cackling of the figure before her that bothered her this time, it was the hissed giggles all around her. Sarah's eyes darted toward the nearest source of the noise but could see nothing.
"Do shut up," the figure before her muttered and all was suddenly silent, but for the noise of Toby's play in the background. Focusing his gaze back on Sarah again, he grinned knowingly. "You just keep telling yourself that, girly. Whatever makes it easier for you to get by. Shame, though."
When he didn't seem inclined to continue, Sarah's eyes narrowed. "What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, suddenly defensive.
"Ohh, I bet that'll come to you soon enough." After sizing Sarah up, he held out his hand. “Begging your pardon, girly...that is, uh, 'miss.' Gylbarde Guildersleeve, at your service. Call me Gib. She ain't much," his voice was just flippant enough to make Sarah believe that he felt exactly the opposite, "but this here's me shop. Welcome. Enjoy yourself."
Baffled, Sarah could only stare as he started to walk in Toby's direction, but she was brought out of her reverie with another glance toward the music boxes on the display shelf. "Wait!"
Gib paused and half turned back toward Sarah, keeping his eyes on the boy.
Sarah opened her mouth as if to speak, but as she stepped forward, she glanced toward the shelf of toys on the main floor that Gib was standing closest to and gaped. There, crowded upon the shelf, was a carbon copy of Lancelot, along with Betty Boo, a pair of panda slippers, a statuette of Hoggle...the entire shelf was full of all the toys and trinkets that had been in her room as a child, things that were still in boxes or on shelves in her room in her childhood home today. "Where did you get all this? These are my things..."
Another chortle answered her as Gib looked back to Sarah. "Oh, well spotted. Starting to come to you now, ain't it? Weren't just a dream, were it?" The giggles around the room picked back up again and this time, he did nothing to stop them. While Sarah stared at the shelf, Gib fixed his eyes on Toby, seeming almost as if he were waiting for something.
For her part, Sarah couldn't stop looking at that shelf. She knew Lancelot was at home in Toby's room on top of his dresser, just like she knew her statue of Hoggle was in her own room, where it had always been. Dragging her eyes away from the replicas of her own toys, she focused instead on another collection, and she was surprised to find that there were similarities: another teddy bear, another Fiery, even another Hoggle. Even so, something seemed a bit off about them, as if they were used up somehow, lacking an inner spark, or just...less there than the ones she'd come to recognize as hers.
Finally, baffled, she asked, "What is this place?" In her mind, the memories of her time in the Labyrinth now at the forefront of her thoughts after all she'd seen thus far, Sarah heard a quiet echo of Hoggle's voice: "It’s a place you put people to forget about ‘em."
"Well, it's a toy store, ain't it? Cor, what'd you think it was?" Gib asked, as if speaking to a small child.
"No...no, it's more than that. Why would you have all these things? Why...those music boxes..." Sarah paused, realization starting to dawn as her gaze shifted between Gib and the shelf of gown-clad figures caught in glass. Hesitantly, seeming almost afraid of the answer, she asked, "It wasn't just me, was it? These are...there were others." It was more statement than question at the end, but it was still voiced softly enough to indicate that she didn't really want to know the answer.
Pulled away from his contemplation of Toby by Sarah's question, Gib grinned toothily, the expression seeming overly large on his heavily wrinkled face. "Knew you’d figure that part out, girly. Knew you were a smart one."
Though she'd made the mental leap, Sarah was unprepared for Gib's confirmation of it and she heaved out a gusty breath, trying to regain her inner balance. "What..."
"It's the Labyrinth, see," Gib added, unbidden. "Clever bit of magic, that. We makes these toys there, sells them up here, and when it's time for a new master, the Labyrinth's magic finds the right one. Out goes the book, a little o'this, a little o'that, the King's 'special powers,' and poof!" He shouted the last word, making Sarah jump, and grinned evilly at her reaction. "When the girl loses, she gets sent home with that shiny bubble of the King's, and that's it. You were the twelfth. Bit surprised how you turned out, as it happens."
Sarah could only stare, trying to process the idea that her journey through the Labyrinth had been real, and had been arranged or engineered by something--or someone--in order to get their claws into Toby. Trying to reason her way through it, she replayed Gib's last few sentences in her head and asked, "What do you mean, a master? Isn't the master of the Labyrinth the..." She paused, swallowed heavily, and her voice dropped into a whisper to voice the final two words, as if she was afraid of what might happen. "Goblin King?"
Amusement colored Gib's features, but somehow, he managed to hold back the laughter. "The King's the King right enough. But the Labyrinth's a bit of a partner, see. He rules the goblins and keeps an eye on the Labyrinth--protects it, right? Keeps it safe. The Labyrinth keeps an eye out for him in turn. And she--the Labyrinth, that is--needs a Toymaster to help with magic and the like. Right now, that's me. Been looking for my replacement forever, and that one," he said, nodding toward where Toby was still playing, though Sarah couldn't quite see what held his attention, "fits the bill. So did you. Grumpy, impressionable teenage girl, head always in the clouds, dreaming about Prince Charming. Much younger sibling that you always had to take care of. Feeling like your real parent ignores you for the new kid. Not above playing the brat if you thought it'd get you what you wanted. Ripe for the picking, the both of you!"
"So, it was all a trick to get to Toby? He tricked me?" She'd gone from baffled to indignant with barely a pause in between. "I can't believe he'd do something like that to me!"
If his eyes had rolled any harder, Gib thought, he'd have fallen over. "You ain't been listening. It ain't about you, girly. Weren't never about you. It was always about HIM," he said, eying Toby with avarice, and a hint of disappointment. Noting Sarah's affronted look, he scoffed. "What, you think the high and mighty Goblin King's going to fall in looooove with a spoilt, selfish slip of a girl? Hardly!" So amused was he by the very idea that he couldn't hold back another of his merry cackles, echoed by the goblins surrounding him. Their laughter deepened as Sarah's expression darkened. "Ooh, you did. That’s beautiful, that is."
Sarah's back straightened as, almost inexplicably, a sense of wounded pride kicked in. "Fine," she snapped, temper flaring as she leaned over to get as close to face to face with Gib as she was able. "It wasn't about me, it was about Toby. The fact remains that I beat him. I won, I got him back, and you can't. Have. Him."
"Oooh, feisty," Gib snarked back, unimpressed. "Ain't your decision anymore, girly. All your toys still have their spark. That means he's still got it. Bet he's been thinking about this place like crazy, been trying to get here for ages, hasn't he? Can't get away from it, always pulled here, even if he don't know why."
Something about what Gib said caught Sarah’s attention--she'd been thinking that some of the other toys looked less there than hers, and that word, 'spark,' suddenly sounded ominous. "Wait...what do you mean, about my...things?"
Once again, Gib rolled his eyes, and his voice was disdainful when he spoke. "Can't believe I thought you were smart. Their spark," he explained, as if speaking to a small, unintelligent child, "their magic. Here." He shuffled forward to snatch the stuffed Fiery from its perch and jabbed it at her. "Take it, you'll see what I mean."
Unease rippled through Sarah at the suddenly vicious look in Gib's eyes, but she couldn't stop herself from reaching forward, hand outstretched. She shuddered when her fingers brushed the soft fabric body, and her shoulders slumped when her hand closed around it, feeling as if she were about to be buried under a wave of darkness. Every bad thought she'd ever had about Toby and her stepmother, every negative feeling, every cruel word, every hurt she'd ever wanted to inflict came crashing down upon her, and it was nearly enough to drive her to her knees. Hostility sharpened her eyes as she looked up toward Toby, but something about the sight of him broke through that oppressive haze that had surrounded her, compelling her to fight against it.
"No!" Sarah exhaled harshly, forcing her fingers to release the plush toy, and this time, she did sink to her knees--that rush of depression and negativity was gone as soon as it had arrived, as if it had never existed.
Gib's cackle wasn’t anything approaching merry this time--instead, it was downright malicious. "That, girly. That’s what I'm talking about when I say the spark's still there."
Sarah remained on her knees long enough to catch her breath, glaring at Gib once she wobbled her way back to her feet. "Is that what the Labyrinth puts into all the toys that it sends out? Some kind of magic to make us all hate our siblings? That's horrible."
"Calm down, girly," was Gib's annoyed reply. "They ain't that strong in your house. All these ones here are the real ones. The ones you've got are just copies, they ain't anywhere near as strong."
Frost edged Sarah's voice. "Copies. Not as strong. But the fact remains, all those things in our home are spelled."
Unconcerned, Gib shrugged his shoulders. "Yep. Just 'cause it's magic don't mean it's nice to everyone involved. No rule about that anywhere. Besides," he added, glancing Toby's way once more, that hint of want in his eyes, "like I said, the copies ain't as strong as the real ones. And," he hastened to add, holding up a time-worn hand to forestall Sarah's reply, "it's only that strong 'cause he's that strong. That's why the Labyrinth still wants him."
"So let me get this straight," Sarah said, shoulders straightening. "The Labyrinth has some toymaster who makes these evil toys that have really strong magic in them--strong enough to make me feel..." She paused, shivered, and shook her head. "Never mind. Strong enough to hurt. They're only like that because you're old and cranky and ready to retire..."
Gib's eyes flashed at Sarah's dismissive tone, but he didn't disagree with her comment, only motioned for her to continue.
This time, the amused hint of a smile was Sarah's, as she acknowledged the expression that had been so brief on Gib's face. "Through this magic, you've somehow been led to Toby. You spelled me into wishing him away, the...Goblin King led me on a chase through this place designed to make me lose, so I'd take my dreams and toddle off back home like a good little spoiled, selfish brat. Except somehow, I beat him at his own game, and Toby and I both came home. Now, even though I won," she practically growled the words and made a sharp shushing motion with her hand when it seemed Gib wanted to speak, "you've put together this weird little store to try and lure him in on his own, all because you're under some crazy delusion that the Labyrinth wants him to come and make toys for it. Is that about right?"
"There's always more to it, missy. The toys ain't meant to hurt, just...encourage. Ain't nothing you hadn't already thought about on your own. They're carriers, see," Gib added, nodding toward Sarah's shelf. "They see the potential, but the spell's quiet, sleeping-like, unless it's turned on, and it only gets turned on if everything's lined up right. The real ones have to be stronger than the copies if the spell's going to be strong enough to work, that's why these ones feel the way they do. The Labyrinth's a complex sort. Free will's part of it, always part of it." He glanced Toby's way, pleased to see that the boy was still enjoying himself as he browsed the many shelves. "As for him, he's got it and no mistake. Looky here, he's still playing. Knows instinctive-like how to make them all work. Ooh, he'd be such a good one..."
"Don't even think about it," Sarah retorted, moving to stand between Gib and her brother.
Impatiently, Gib rolled his eyes. "You ain't been listening. Not up to you, it's up to him, now more than ever. It weren't about you then, and it definitely ain't about you now. He's old enough to choose on his own. You ain't his parent."
"But he's my brother!" Sarah protested. "I'm his...his...caregiver while our parents are gone. He's not old enough to be an adult. And besides," she continued, her tone insistent, "I already told you, I won! The game is over."
"Strictly speaking," a new and chilly voice responded to Sarah's retort, "that is not entirely correct."
Time seemed to pause as Sarah spun around to look at the newest entrant into the conversation. She knew it wasn't Toby--he was still engaged in something a few shelves away and it hadn't even sounded like him--and given the present topic of conversation, that left a rather narrow list for new arrivals. Her first look at the Goblin King in over fifteen years left her reeling. He was dressed in the same dark suit of armor he'd worn when he first appeared before her after taking Toby, and though fifteen years had aged her, he looked exactly the same as he had in her memory: wild and spiky blond hair, the hint of danger, the heavy scent of magic (that's what she'd smelled outside, she realized) and all. She seemed at a loss for words, only capable of staring mutely at him, as if her mind had overloaded itself on everything she'd learned since coming into the shop.
Jareth was only too happy to reciprocate, taking in the changes that fifteen years had brought to Sarah's appearance as he gazed back at her, his expression kept carefully, purposefully neutral. As Sarah seemed inclined to keep silent, so, too, did he--he simply looked at her, content to wait.
It took several long minutes before Sarah's mind caught up to the rest of her and she was unable to tear her gaze away from the Goblin King for even a moment of it. Once she'd gotten over the shock of his sudden appearance, once she'd begun to come to terms with the fact that he was actually present (and looking delicious--'stop that!' she hurried to admonish that inner voice, 'do not go there'), she was finally able to process the words that he'd said and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What exactly does that mean?"
Jareth was unsurprised that the first words out of Sarah's mouth were dripping with hostility--he hadn't expected anything less. Still, he kept his expression neutral, though his voice was still somewhat cold. "Gib is partially correct," he replied, his gaze flickering briefly toward the Toymaster, who sketched a brief bow toward his monarch. Acknowledging Gib's gesture with a vague nod, the King turned his eyes back on Sarah. "The Labyrinth does require a Toymaster and Toby does have all the qualities necessary." His eyes passed over Toby next, and the barest hint of amusement shone through in his gaze, then it was gone. "He's also quite strong...surprisingly so, in fact. I think that might be your influence, dear Sarah."
"Please," Sarah snorted, "don't try to flatter me now. I'm still having trouble even believing that this is possible. You were the one who set the terms. My dreams or my brother. I chose Toby, I ran your Labyrinth to get him back, and I made it--in spite of your best efforts otherwise," she accused, eyes narrowing on the King. "And now, fifteen years later, you're telling me that the deal has changed? That's just...even for you, that's low."
He didn't bother to hide the flash of delight in his eyes at her first comment, but as Sarah's tirade continued, Jareth's shoulders squared. "Oh, precious. For all of your girlhood love of fantasy, how little you know of the world beyond the worlds. Didn't they warn you, time and again, that things weren't always what they seemed in my Labyrinth? Did you think that warning was meant for the duration of your trip only?"
Gib, his duty paid to his monarch and Toby's older sister now engaged with the same, started to sidle toward the boy, as if moving slowly would prevent Sarah from noticing. He nearly cursed aloud she spotted him and shot a fierce glare his way; his feet shuffled restlessly as the conversation continued.
Ignoring his second pet name in as many minutes, especially one laden with a hint of mockery, Sarah waved a hand toward the King, encouraging him to continue. "Please enlighten me. How in the world could I have expected that something I thought was a dream would have this big an impact on me fifteen years after the fact."
Jareth tsked, but his eyes warmed with a hint of mocking amusement. "So preoccupied with the passage of time, precious. Did you miss me that much?"
"Ooh!" Sarah couldn't stop the annoyed, exasperated noise from leaving her mouth, but at least she was able to keep from stomping her foot in a fit of pique. "All I really want is a straight answer to my question, why does that seem to be so hard for anyone to give me? Is that another one of the Labyrinth's tricks, or does double-talk get the job done for you?"
Though he kept his expression neutral, Jareth was secretly pleased and somewhat amused that Sarah was making the attempt to verbally spar with him, as small as that effort might be. Perhaps she'd make a worthy conversationalist yet. "Let me simplify things for you, then," he drawled lazily, a hint of derision in his tone. "As we have said, the Labyrinth does require a Toymaster and Toby is well-suited to do it. However, what even Gib does not know is that the purpose of the task has always been twofold." He paused and lifted a brow at Sarah, as if to ensure that she was following along. When her lips pursed in annoyance, he grinned delightedly and continued, knowing he was about to get an even bigger reaction. "Should there ever be a challenger strong enough to best the task, then she--and before you ask, yes, the challenger has always been female--would be worthy of the title of Goblin Queen. Incidentally," he added, that twist of his lips turning almost cruel, "that would mean that she would be my wife."
Sarah gaped, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. Once she finally re-gathered herself, unable to come up with anything wittier to say, she simply wrinkled her nose and muttered a displeased, "Ew."
"Mmm, yes," Jareth agreed, "I like it as little as you do, precious, trust me."
"Stop! Stop calling me that," Sarah's voice was strident. "I'm not your dear, I'm not your precious, I'm not your Queen, I'm not your anything, except your former adversary, who is going to collect her brother and go home."
Gib's squawk of protest halted Sarah before she could turn around. "Hey now, girly, didn't I tell you it ain't your choice? You can leave all you want--and don't let the door hit your arse on the way out--but until the boy says he wants to go, he's welcome to stay as long as he likes."
Rich laughter indicated Jareth's amusement at Gib's comment, and he made a rather blatant study of what he could see of the curve of Sarah's hip. "No, we definitely wouldn't want to let the door hit that delectable bit of flesh, now would we?"
Sarah's gasp was reminiscent of a victim who'd just spotted a killer jumping out of a closet. "That. Is. Enough! Leave my...backside out of this! You cannot possibly be serious. Even if all this is true--and I'm not saying that I believe it is--why would you even think that either Toby or I would be willing to do this? You can't expect me to believe that you--the King!--can't get out of this."
Frost edged Jareth's gaze as he leveled his eyes on Sarah. "Do you really think that I haven't tried to find another way? A different option? As you say, precious," he drawled the endearment, ignoring the flash in her eyes, "it has been fifteen years. Do not think even for a moment that I have simply been sitting around waiting for you. I have tried everything I could possibly think of, to no avail. You might even say that I have turned the world upside down looking for an alternative."
Sarah jerked as if he'd slapped her--and perhaps, she thought, he might as well have, with those familiar words. "I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you," she murmured. Lost in her memory as she was, she missed the flicker of emotion that passed across Jareth's face, hearing her repeat his words.
"Indeed," Jareth commented lazily, quick to stifle that bit of remembrance away, "though, this time, I rather think that I have turned the world upside down for myself." He paused then, waiting until Sarah looked back at him, and his face was once again locked down and stony as he continued. "I do not want a Queen who does not want me."
Brow furrowed, Sarah opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.
"Woah!" Toby's surprised voice echoed through the shop as he came up to stand beside Sarah goggling between the King and the toymaker. "Where'd you come from? I didn't see you before and I hear the door open or anything! Is this your shop? It's amazing! All these toys, they're fantastic."
There were smiles all around at Toby's enthusiasm, but only Sarah's was pained--for Gib and the King, it was pure satisfaction.
"Glad you like me shop," Gib stepped forward to offer a wrinkled hand for Toby to shake. "Call me Gib. And this here's..." He trailed off and glanced sidelong at Jareth.
Smoothly, Jareth took a half step forward, but he did not offer his hand to shake, merely smiled. "You may call me Jareth, for now. You've grown up well, young Toby."
Sarah choked on a quiet murmur of dismay, while Toby stared wide-eyed. "You know me?"
"I do," the Goblin King confirmed, a dangerous smile curving his lips. "You were...much smaller the last time we met. We had quite a day together; it's a shame that you don't remember it. However, I'm sure your sister recalls our introduction." His eyes shifted to Sarah, and there seemed to be a hint of something like an apology within their depths.
"Really?" Toby was unaware of his sister's discomfort, his excitement about being in the store carrying over to everything else. "Wow, I wish I could remember! Sarah, how crazy that we come here and you know this guy--and hey, how do you know him, anyway?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, Sarah took a deep breath and wobbled a smile at her brother. "It's...a long story. But, yes, you've met him before, and I'm sure that you had a good time."
Toby bounced on the balls of his feet, grinning, while Sarah marveled at the teen's enthusiasm. "Come on, Sarah," the boy entreated, "you gotta tell me how we all met. Please? Oh! I almost forgot--look at this! Remember this? Isn't this the one you used to read to me a long time ago?"
When Toby offered the object in his hand to his sister, Jareth's smile turned almost feral.
For her part, Sarah stared at the familiar red book in Toby's hand, but remembering her previous experience with handling something from the shop, she didn't reach out for it, only nodded weakly. "Yes, I...yes. That's the one that I read to you. But...how do you even remember that? I stopped after--" She broke off, shifting uncomfortably, and shot a quick glance at Jareth before looking back to Toby. Seeing no mercy in the Goblin King's eyes, she sighed. "Toby...how much do you remember about that story?"
Though his brow wrinkled at Sarah's obvious reluctance, Toby, for his part, was still a ball of excited energy, so when he spoke, his words came out in a rush. "Well, there was a girl, a kid, and a King, and the girl made the King come take the kid away somehow--kinda not very nice. But then the girl went to this crazy place to chase after the kid to get him back, so that was okay, I guess. And some stuff happened, and they came home, and it was all a dream, right?"
Wincing, Sarah sighed once again, but squared her shoulders. "That's...the very basic gist, yes. Except it wasn't a dream, apparently. And...a lot more than 'some stuff' happened, but that's not really important. What is important, Toby, is that it wasn't a dream...and it wasn't just a story, it was real. This is Jareth, King of the Goblins," she motioned toward the man himself, who responded with a charming smile. Forcing herself to look her brother in the eye, she said softly, "That makes me the girl, and you...the kid." Having spoken her piece, Sarah nervously awaited Toby's response.
Toby's eyes were wide as saucers by the time Sarah was finished. "So, it's real. And he's the King, and the rest of the story's about us?" he asked, betraying nothing. At Sarah's hesitant nod, he broke into a huge grin and threw his arms around her for a quick, rough hug. "That is so cool! Wow, so that's how we know each other?"
"Toby..." To say that Sarah was startled by her brother's reaction was a massive understatement. "You know this means that I wished you away, right?"
"Well, sure," Toby agreed, making it sound as if that was the most obvious and least intelligent thing that she'd ever said.
"And...you're okay with that? You said it wasn't very nice a minute ago," Sarah pressed, brows raised in disbelief.
Shrugging his shoulders, Toby said, "You got me back, right? Bet you had a fun time--I would have. Guess I did, though, doing something else," he added, grinning sidelong at Jareth, who didn't bother hiding his amusement.
Gobsmacked, Sarah seemed about to speak again, but Jareth smoothly interrupted. "As touching as this bit of family confession is, there are other issues which must be addressed." He ignored Sarah's glare and nodded toward Gib. "Toby, I believe that Gib would like to speak to you about his shop and, perhaps, the opportunity for future employment." A pause, a glance at Sarah. "After a fashion."
"Really?" Toby was already excited, but Jareth's news had him practically vibrating in place, and he squeezed Sarah's hand hard enough that she shot him a look over her shoulder. "Me? Wow, that's...fantastic!"
"Toby..." Sarah began, but seeing his face begin to fall, she relented, however hesitantly, and sighed. "Just...be careful. And remember that...Mom and Dad will want to know. No matter what he might say," she added, glancing sidelong at Gib.
For his part, Gib simply grinned toothily at Sarah before flashing a much nicer smile Toby's way. "C'mon, let's go play."
Sarah watched as Gib and Toby walked away, shaking her head as she spotted the teenager already speaking animatedly to his companion. "He's so different here," she murmured.
Jareth used Sarah's inattention to step closer, stealing a quick sniff of her hair before he murmured a soft, "What do you mean?"
Startled by his sudden closeness, Sarah stared at his face for a moment, then inched away, trying to create some space for herself. Nervous without the buffer of someone else in the conversation, she fidgeted with the edge of her sweater. "He's just...well. Quieter, I guess. He smiles and there are things that he likes to do, but he seems almost like he's more alive here."
"That," Jareth said, not bothering to hide his amusement at her movement away from him, "is in part due to the Labyrinth's influence. Her magic speaks to him on a rather personal level. He feels more comfortable here."
"Do you even have any idea how galling that is?" Sarah asked, her mouth tightening into something approaching a frown. "That he can be like that here, but not at home? I can't imagine how our parents would feel if they heard you say that. If they could see him. They'd be happy he's happy, but..."
Shaking his head, Jareth said, "I think you'd find their reaction would not be quite as you anticipate. As with the toys, the reaction is somewhat magnified here. True," he added before she could protest, "he would be the same while in the Labyrinth herself, but you must also keep in mind that a good portion of this is simple, youthful exuberance. I would not be surprised to find that Gib is correct, that young Toby has been thinking about this place for quite some time. To finally be allowed to come here is naturally going to contribute something to it."
Brow furrowed, Sarah looked toward Toby and Gib once again. "I suppose. I wish I could say that makes it better..." She trailed off and, at length, looked back at Jareth, to find that he'd crept his way closer to her once again. "Okay, really," she huffed, side-stepping away, "stop that. Please."
"If you insist, precious."
"And that!" Sarah snapped, stomping her foot. "Stop that, too! We've already established that I'm not your anything."
Amused, Jareth gave a wry quirk of his lips, one that could almost be called a smile. "I didn't call you 'my' anything. I would also like to clarify your point: you provided your opinion on that subject and I did not respond. We have not established anything. However," he held up a hand to forestall any reply, "in the interests of civil conversation, I will abide by your request."
The 'for now' was unspoken, but Sarah could practically hear the words anyway. Still, she inclined her head in a rather regal nod, "Thank you your majesty."
"Come, come," Jareth waved a hand in impatient dismissal, "there is no need to be quite as formal as that. You may call me Jareth." He paused and leaned forward, mischief flashing in his eyes. "Unless there is some term of endearment which you would like to apply to me. I assure you, unlike yourself, I would not object, Sarah."
Sarah, as annoyed as she might have been with his comment, closed her eyes momentarily at the honeyed way his voice lingered over the soft notes of her name. "Okay then, Jareth. Help me understand this...this...thing." She waved her hand between herself and Toby, who was now cackling along with something Gib had said, causing a momentary smile. The smile faded, however, as she looked back to Jareth, whose eyes were intently upon her. "Since you've already arranged it so the two of them are talking--very smooth, by the way--you might as well elaborate. What exactly is the goal?"
Jareth slouched against the shelf for a moment, then frowned. "Hardly comfortable," he muttered to himself, and ignored Sarah's brief flash of fear as he casually summoned a crystal, which he used to conjure a pair of chairs, set at right angles to one another. He claimed one while waving a hand toward Sarah to indicate that she should occupy the other, and leveled an expectant look upon her when she hesitated. "May I point out once again, Sarah, the desire for civil conversation? Come, sit, you'll be more comfortable." Unable to resist the urge to make just a bit of mischief, he couldn't help but add a saucy, "I do promise not to bite."
Rolling her eyes, Sarah huffed an amused sigh as she sat. "Fine, I'll concede this one, but just this one. Can we please get back on topic?"
"Very well," Jareth replied agreeably, shifting in his chair so one knee was resting over the arm--the very picture of relaxed attention. "As I mentioned, the goal is twofold. The Labyrinth, by some magic of her own, identifies the potential Toymaster and Queen pair. In part, it is done this way because it is best if the Toymasters are young. Human children are able to perform their best in my kingdom when we are able to train them from a young age. Before you ask," he added, spotting Sarah's questioningly raised eyebrows, "Toby is a very notable exception. As I was saying, once the pair is identified, the toys are activated, and once the girl reaches her breaking point, those 'special powers' are granted, giving her the ability to call upon me."
This time Sarah couldn't help but interject, sounding almost amused. "Some special powers, if they've been granted to twelve girls, including myself."
Jareth grinned. "Don't think of yourself as one among only twelve, Sarah. Consider this: the toys have been sent to a much larger number of girls than you might otherwise believe. Only a select few have the necessary...skills, perhaps you could say. Keep in mind as well that a Toymaster is rather long-lived. That there have been eleven other runners means only that, since this method was first devised, there have been only eleven Toymasters." He paused for a few moments to allow that to sink in. "You know some of the rest--you lived part of it. Had I been successful in my attempt to seduce you into leaving Toby behind, he would have become a Toymaster, and once he was ready to retire, the Labyrinth's cycle would have started again."
Sarah's brow furrowed as she tried to decide which question to ask first. "What happened to the girls who lost? Did they get sent home with a little bauble holding onto their dreams?"
"While the spirit of competition might compel me to leave them empty-handed in their defeat, I am not as callous as that, Sarah," Jareth chided gently. "When they are returned home, it's as if the younger sibling never existed. A bit drastic, perhaps, but consider the alternative. The girl would have no way to reassure her parents that their youngest child was safe and well, and imagine the crushing guilt that she might feel, knowing she'd had the opportunity to win their sibling back and was unable to. It might not seem so to you, but the magic the Labyrinth works to make this possible is a great kindness."
Sarah's silence was contemplative as she worked to process what she'd been told thus far. Though she still didn't entirely agree with the process--and was still unaware of the full extent of it--she couldn't deny that forgetting would be a kindness, particularly in that situation. "And the Queen part? How does that come into it?"
Jareth was pleased to see that Sarah was taking the time to consider his responses. While he waited for her next question, he glanced toward the boy and the goblin, grinning amusedly as they were still laughing together about something, completely oblivious to the serious conversation taking place on the other side of the store. At Sarah's question, he allowed a faint smile. "Usually, my only involvement is the seduction, the attempt to get the girl to leave the child. In your case...well, let us just say that the Labyrinth is looking for a certain...strength of character."
"Well. That was a lovely non-answer. And isn't that a bit backward? Seducing us into giving up our siblings--and being nasty about it--but at the same time knowing that one of us might end up your Queen."
Laughing, Jareth replied, "Nasty? Truly? Sarah, you wound me, I was trying to pay you a compliment. Perhaps, yes, it does seem a bit backward. The intent, however, is to ensure that the potential Queen has the ability to withstand that kind of manipulation. Do consider that being Queen does mean being exposed to politics; this is merely one of the Labyrinth's ways of separating the wheat from the chaff."
"Making me the wheat, I assume?"
"Tsk," Jareth made a soft noise of disapproval. "I'll leave aside the typical reply for one who engages in assuming. As to your question, not to put too fine a point on it, but yes, you are the wheat. Sarah, in the hundreds of years that the Labyrinth has been hosting this trial, you are the only one to have overcome the challenge. That is, in part, why it has been so difficult for me to find another alternative. As I said, I have made several attempts to do so, but the Labyrinth has rejected them all. Since the Labyrinth and I are dependent upon each other for survival, I have found it best to acquiesce to her wishes whenever possible."
Sarah's jaw dropped open. "Hundreds of years? How is that even possible?"
Jareth chuckled. "Sarah, Sarah. All things are possible. If I had known that it was impossible for me to get around this," he said, putting a slight stress on the word 'me,' waiting to see if she'd pick up on that, "I wouldn't have waited so long to try and reach you. As it is, our conversation has been delayed by several years because your parents would not allow Toby to come here."
"And why did you wait so long?" Sarah wondered, either missing what he'd tried to get her to catch, or filing it away for later.
"Fifteen years is nothing to me. I am immortal, after all."
A loud burst of laughter from Toby and Gib distracted Sarah's attention for a moment, and she was quiet for awhile as she once more mulled over his words. "How would that work? The girls who run the Labyrinth are all human, right? Or was that just me? Either way, I'm not immortal, so...what? You get a Queen for as long as I live, and once I die, the whole mess starts over, like it resets when you have to get a new Toymaster?"
"You're speaking in 'what ifs,' Sarah," Jareth chided gently. "If you are truly so curious, it will no doubt disappoint you to know that I am not entirely certain. I did mention, did I not, that you were the only one to win? There are some things which, unfortunately, must be discovered as we go."
The grin that curved Sarah's lips at his response was one of wry amusement. "Oh, and I can tell just how much you like discovering things as you go. But...if you don't know, does that mean you've never had a Queen?" Something flickered in Jareth's eyes at the question, making her wonder if she'd overstepped. "If you want to talk about it, that is."
"You ask a fair question, Sarah, and I can understand why you'd be interested." Jareth's voice was soft. "Since there have been no other winners to the Labyrinth's challenge, it does mean that I have never had a Queen. Thus, as you might imagine, I am not as unaffected by our situation as it might seem."
There was another lengthy pause as Sarah considered his words. Rather than continue to pry, she changed the subject. "You said a minute ago that it was impossible for you to get around this. Does that mean someone else could?"
Jareth's answering smile was genuine and without a hint of mockery. "Well done," he murmured. "Gib is correct, you are quite smart. I did say that it was impossible for me. If it is truly such an abhorrent option for you, Sarah, steps can be taken, but it must come from you. You would have to return to the Labyrinth to make your denial known before anything further can be done. Depending upon Toby's choice, your memory of his presence in your life would either be altered, or the both of you would be returned, and as close to normal as can be managed."
"Altered. You mean...removed? I wouldn't even know about him? What about our parents?"
Inclining his head in a brief nod to confirm Sarah's question, Jareth said, "Removed, yes. His parents' treatment would be the same. It will hardly be any reassurance, but we have done the same for each runner's family in the past. Since this...situation is somewhat special, we feel that an altered memory is better for all involved. Although it may seem very difficult for you to believe, you wouldn't remember him at all."
Sarah shook her head, her trouble in understanding the Goblin King's words clear on her face. "It is difficult to believe. It also seems so cruel. I know, you already said that it should be taken as a kindness, but…" Glancing over Toby's way, she had to swallow past a lump in her throat to continue. "We...didn't exactly start well, Toby and me. It was really hard for awhile...until we got home from the Labyrinth. And now, he's the one thing in my life that I love most."
"That," Jareth said softly, leaning close enough to momentarily rest his hand on Sarah's knee, "is why it is a kindness. I have no doubts that you love your brother a great deal, but should he choose a life as the Labyrinth's Toymaster, you would never see him again, nor would you be able to tell your parents anything about it. Is it not better, then, to have those memories completely removed from your mind? If it makes you feel any better, those memories are preserved, simply kept within the Labyrinth's archives, so while you would not remember your brother, or how you felt about him, there would be a record of it out there somewhere."
Startled to see his hand on her knee, Sarah dragged her eyes back to his and allowed a small smile. "Crazy as it might sound, I suppose that does make me feel a little bit better. How can I miss something if I don't know it's there to be missed in the first place?"
"Precisely. Does that mean, then, that you have made your decision? That you will elect to continue your life here, should Toby decide to take on the position of Toymaster?" Jareth's smile had faded, to be replaced by that locked down, stony expression he'd been wearing earlier.
"I've decided nothing," Sarah replied, taken aback by the abrupt change in Jareth's demeanor. "I'd like to see what Toby's going to do first."
After another shot nod, Jareth waved toward Toby and Gib, indicating that they should return. "Toby, I imagine that Gib has explained to you the reason why you find yourself here?"
"Yeah!" Toby enthused, grinning widely. "It's amazing. There's a lot of really cool stuff here, I'd love to learn how to make it all. Maybe come up with some new stuff. And I'd get to play all day, too, that'd be great!"
Sarah linked her hands together, both to keep herself occupied, and to hide the fact that her fingers were suddenly shaking. "So you're going to do it, then?" Her answer was a nod and a widening of that grin--his cheeks would probably hurt later, her mind volunteered, as she tried not to think about what his decision would mean.
Glancing between brother and sister, Jareth asked, "You do understand what Gib meant, Toby? You will not be able to stay here; the Labyrinth's Toymaster needs to live Underground."
Toby dropped to sit on the arm of Sarah's chair, nodding again. "Yeah, he told me. That'll be okay, I like the toys, and I'd love to make them. It just...feels right, you know? I can't really explain it. It's like I was just...meant for it. He said my parents'd forget about me, too. And..." He looked at Sarah, then at Jareth. "He said Sarah would have to forget. But does she have to?"
"That is the way it's done," Jareth replied.
Before Toby could object, Sarah reached out to squeeze her brother's hand. "It's okay, Toby. I figured that'd happen, we were talking about it before. It'd be for the best, and besides," she attempted a lighthearted tease, "you'll probably be too busy with the toys to think about me." Toby snorted, but before he could protest, she turned to Jareth and Gib. "Will he stay as he is now?"
Gib echoed Toby's snort and waved a hand at his wizened body. "Do I look like a human, missy? Toymasters are goblins, always have been."
"So...he'll change, then?" Sarah asked, hesitant.
"That is usually how it is done," Jareth admitted, almost reluctantly. Spotting Sarah's wince, he shot a warning glance at Gib and ventured a soft, "Perhaps...an exception could be made."
Toby made an immediate noise of protest. "Nooo, don't change things just for me. Sarah, tell him! I don't mind being a goblin; I think it'd be pretty awesome!"
"Toby's right," Sarah murmured, in spite of her expression. "If he's going to do this, then he should be whatever the Labyrinth intends for him to be. As you've been telling me since I got here, it's not my choice. If I do...take you up on your offer, Jareth, will he remember me?"
"Of course."
Gib made a noise of agreement, too. "Ain't our memories that get tampered with when things go down. I still remember my sister, so don't let that worry you none."
After a quick glance at Toby, Sarah looked back to the King and the Toymaster. "Could you give us a few minutes to talk, please? Alone?"
Rather than argue, Jareth simply nodded, and clamped a hand on Gib's shoulder before the goblin could offer any protest. "Ten minutes."
Once the Underground's residents had made their way to the other side of the shop, Sarah leaned against Toby. "Are you sure this is what you want, kid?"
"Sarah...I've been thinking about this place for months. It feels so good to be here. I know it means that you and Mom and Dad will have to forget me, but...it would really make me happy. Happier than I'd be if I stayed here. I know I'm not supposed to know this stuff when I'm only sixteen, but it's like...their world is out there waiting for me. Like it's my world too, and I belong there. If I said no, even if I didn't remember anything about the Labyrinth or anything else, I think I'd always know I was missing something."
Sarah bit her lip, thoughtful, and nodded. "I understand. It breaks my heart that you don't feel that way about your own home, but I guess you probably can't help it, can you? At least our parents won't ever have to know. It's bad enough for me; I can't even imagine how upset your mom would be, especially." Both siblings were quiet for a moment, then she grinned up at him, still sitting on the arm of her chair. "I might not have to forget you, either. According to the King, since I won you back, I could be the Goblin Queen."
Toby gaped. "Really? Sarah, that's beyond cool! You said yes, didn't you?"
"Not yet," Sarah admitted, cutting her eyes toward the pair across the store. "It's a little bit more complicated for me. You get to play with toys all day. I'd have to become a Queen...and the King's wife. I'm still thinking about it. It's not exactly an easy thing to change."
"No," Toby agreed, his eyes still wide, "but what would you miss here, Sarah? You don't have to tell me, but think about that. He looks like he's a nice guy, you know? I bet he'd be a real good husband. He's a great King, Gib was telling me how much they all love him."
Surprised, Sarah grinned. "The two of you talked more than I thought. I'll keep it in mind, Tobe. We'll just have to see how it goes." She stood up to hook an arm around his shoulders. "No matter what, I love you, kiddo. Always will."
"Aw, Sarah," Toby groused, but he put his arm around her nonetheless. "I love you, too, big sis. Come on, let's go tell them we're done. I'm starving!"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I am completely unsurprised by that."
Brother and sister walked arm in arm together toward the King and the Toymaster. "Well, Toby's ready," Sarah offered, then grinned and added, "and starving."
Gib's grin was big enough that it overtook his whole face. "Can't say I ain't pleased to hear it. Glad to have you aboard, Toby. C'mon, I'll get you something to eat and get you set up--workroom, new quarters, all that stuff."
Toby gave his sister one last hug, then he and Gib were gone, leaving Sarah to stare momentarily at the empty space left behind.
"And what of you, dear Sarah?" Jareth asked, breaking into her reverie. "Will you return to your home and your life? Or will you take a chance?"
Sarah's eyes were wide and unfocused at first when they shifted from the last spot Toby occupied to Jareth. As she came back to herself, she smiled. "Can we...start small and see how things go?"
Brows raised, Jareth closed the distance between them and offered his hand. "Ahhh...you wish to be courted? I believe I can manage that. But, Sarah..." He seemed almost hesitant for a moment. "You'll have to come to the Labyrinth until you decide...the magic demands it. If you choose to return home, we can restore the memories of you to all of those here in this world, and you can resume your life now as you know it. If you choose to stay..." He trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.
Once again, time seemed to slow down as Sarah observed the Goblin King. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something about his expression touched her heart, which was far more than anyone in her life now had been able to manage. He was still patiently waiting for an answer when she slipped her hand into his and gave a quick smile. "I accept your terms." She wasn't sure where it would lead her, but the answering smile that curved his lips made her feel like she'd taken the first step on the right path.
When the shop was finally empty, all within began to vanish, and a woman's voice, heavy with the wisdom of many centuries, murmured a soft, "Welcome home, at last."
****
Title: The Toymaster
Author: sisterthemoon
Recipient: wiccarowan
Prompt: Sort of a combination of two:
- How did all of those Labyrinth-like items get into Sarah's bedroom anyway? Are there a load of other children / teens out there who have Labyrinth toys just waiting to lead them into trouble? Is it some sort of industry within the Labyrinth to build a bridge to the human world, one of Jareth's little tricks or something entirely coincidental? I'm quite happy if your explanation of this doesn't involve any major characters whatsoever!
- The Labyrinth Survivors Club. Sarah finds out that she's by no means the only teenage girl to have been "given special powers".
Rating: T
Plot Summary/Author's Notes: Toby convinces Sarah to go to a toy store that his mother won't let him into. What they found there was much more than either of them had ever expected…
A/N: All standard disclaimers apply; Labyrinth belongs to Jim Henson, as do any recognizable lines of dialogue from the movie (of which there are only two). wiccarowan, thank you for the amazing prompts! I hope you can forgive me for stealing two of them. I'm not sure if this is anything like what you had in mind, but I really hope you enjoy it!
"Toby, really?" Sarah eyed her 16 year old brother in disbelief. "Our parents go off to some 'conference,' bring me in to keep an eye on you, and the first thing that you want to do now that they're gone is go shopping?" Grinning, Toby nodded, but Sarah groaned at the flicker of mischief in her brother's eyes. "Okay, kid. Spill it."
"There's this place down on Main that Mom won't ever let me go into," Toby explained. "She says it looks like a complete dive--but there's all kinds of really old toys and stuff in there. It...It just looks like it might be pretty amazing. You'd love it, I bet."
Sarah's brows arched at his momentary hesitation, but it didn't take long for her to relent. "Fine, we'll at least go take a look at the outside, but if it really does look like a dump, no dice, buddy."
In true 16-year-old, always thinking with his stomach fashion, Toby added, "And we can hit the ice cream parlor while we're down there!"
Though he thought he'd secured Sarah's agreement, it took the better part of a week for Toby to convince Sarah to actually go to the toy store he was so fascinated by. For all their closeness, Toby wasn't above a bit of manipulation, though, and finally, he resorted to his fail-safe: a pleading look and a soft, "Aw, Sarah, you love me, don't you?" He wasn't entirely sure why it worked, but it had been his go-to maneuver for as long as he could remember. He tried not to use it very often, perhaps knowing instinctively that too much would get him into trouble or cause things to backfire on him, but he'd been starting to get desperate. Something about the place just called to him; he'd been unable to get it out of his thoughts.
They'd intended to start bright and early on Saturday morning, but what Sarah forgot to account for was the difference between the adult version of bright and early when compared to the teenaged version. "Come on, kid," she cajoled from the doorway of his room, "you've been after me about this for a week. Get it in gear now, or we're not going."
That was all it took to launch Toby into high gear, and he was ready in record time, which amused Sarah to no end. He could barely keep himself from still on the ten minute ride to their little town's version of Main Street, and silently praised the parking gods when a space along the street opened up just as they passed by.
Toby practically fell out of the car in his excitement to get to the store and he pointed to a doorway a few steps down the street with one hand, tugging excitedly on Sarah's sleeve with the other. "There. See?"
Sarah had been amused at her brother's antics thus far, but once he pointed out their destination, she could see why it had been labeled a dump. "Uh, Tobe..." The teenager glanced quickly at Sarah and, seeing her trepidation, leveled such a heavy look of disappointment that she nearly winced.
"Oh, Sarah," Toby lamented, his voice matching his face, "not you, too."
"Toby," Sarah began, glancing back toward the store before fixing her eyes on her brother's face, "that place looks like it ought to be condemned. No wonder she keeps saying no, it's..." She trailed off there, startled by Toby's knowing smile and the hint of something heavy in the air, something her mind balked at trying to identify. A shimmer out of the corner of her eye made her look back toward the storefront and she couldn't help it when her mouth dropped open. Where before she had only seen dingy glass, a heavy collection of spider webs, and a sign so rotted she couldn’t make out the name of the place, now it looked bright and inviting. The glass was clean, the sign perfectly legible, and...
The sign.
Sarah's visual examination of the store came to an abrupt halt as she saw hanging sign above the storefront. Stars in knotwork filigree made up the border of the wooden sign, surrounding a large clock with thirteen hours on its face. She blinked hard, and when she looked back, the sign had changed yet again. The starry border remained, but the sign said simply, "Toys," with no hint of a clock--let alone one that marked the time in thirteen hour increments--to be found.
Toby watched with extreme interest as Sarah's initial disapproval of the shop melted into confusion. The eyebrow-raiser was a brief flash of fear, but once she finally looked back at him, Toby's smile deepened. "Looks really cool, doesn't it? Come on, come on, let's go inside," he added, practically dancing in place, forgetting for a brief moment that he was sixteen rather than six.
Though she was uneasy, Sarah did her best to hide it from Toby--it had been a long time since she'd seen him so excited about anything. She forced a smile, which he seemed to accept, and after one last glance at that sign to see if the clock had come back (it hadn't), she stepped into the store with her brother.
"Wow," Toby breathed, eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. From the outside, it looked like regular toys--carved wooden cars, stuffed animals, puppets--but from the inside, it was so much more.
The space was small but brightly lit, and each shelf was full of a wide variety of toys. There was no rhyme or reason to the way that the shelves were stocked, but it somehow seemed that everything was exactly where it belonged. A multitude of mobiles hung from the ceiling, everything from stars and planets to dragons and other fantasy animals. Barrels full of different sized marbles shared space with a variety of building blocks that could be used to make everything from a tiny cottage to a sweeping castle, and the entire wall along the left hand side was filled floor to ceiling with stuffed critters. Really, Sarah thought as she looked around in a hesitant wonder, the place was an amazing mix of old and new. Vintage carved wooden yo-yos, puzzles, and paper dolls shared space with toy beauty salons and Easy-Bake ovens. Coloring books and crayons were stashed on a variety of shelves, further underscoring the atmosphere of disarray, but somehow, the chaos of it all made it perfect.
"Wow. I mean...wow." That seemed to be all Toby could say, and with a dazzling grin at Sarah, he darted off to play, once again seeming to forget his age.
Sarah wasn't quite sure that 'wow' was the right word, but she smiled weakly at Toby's departing back, still reeling at the change in the storefront that she’d witnessed outside. Once Toby had moved away and she'd had an opportunity to catch her breath, she finally started looking around her, and that faint sense of unease began to grow.
She'd done her best to forget about the Labyrinth in the fifteen years since the night she won her brother back from the Goblin King. When forgetting hadn’t worked, she'd tried instead to convince herself that it was merely a dream, that her subconscious (or was that her conscience?) had finally had enough of the way she treated Toby and her stepmother, and gone about fixing things in the only way it (she) knew she'd listen.
Those forgotten memories came crashing back as she looked through the overloaded shelves. Here, a stuffed Fiery with button eyes, stringy limbs, and a shock of red/yellow/orange hair made of yarn. There, a statue of a fox, complete with eyepatch, its lance extended as if ready to engage an oncoming enemy. Even a stuffed bear that looked suspiciously, exactly like Lancelot was nestled amongst the disarray, and she couldn't help a quiet sigh and a brief caress to the bear's face as she passed by. The more she looked around, the more memories of her magical trip came to light...and the greater her trepidation grew, until she finally happened upon the back wall of the brightly lit store and came to an immediate stop.
A long shelf over the back counter was marked with a small wooden sign, the knotwork banner from the outdoor sign repeated on it. An elegant script carved into the wood proclaimed:
Display Only
Not For Sale
Upon a high shelf bookended by a pair of crystal orbs was a line of twelve music boxes, each in a ball gown that she recognized instantly. Unexpectedly, however, each face was different--there were several blondes, two redheads, and other brunettes, all with a different combination of eye color, facial feature, and expression. Sarah's eyes widened when she caught sight of the crystals, but her jaw dropped as she spotted the music box farthest to the right, the last item on the shelf, save for the crystal next to it. The face on the figure within was unmistakably her own, the doll's hair styled as hers had been in the peach-induced dream she'd had on her journey through the Labyrinth.
"Gorgeous, ain't they?"
The voice came from behind her and Sarah whirled around, arms spread at the last moment to prevent her from falling. "What...who..."
He, for it was surely a he amidst the hugely wrinkled face and shaggy hair, cackled brightly and nodded toward the shelf of music boxes. "Come now, missy, surely you don’t need me to tell you 'what' or 'who,' eh?" His accent sounded English, quite out of place in her little American town. A closer look at his clothing showed him in a shabby linen shirt that had probably once been white and a pair of dingy trousers that had been patched so much that there was barely any of the original material left in them. He was much shorter than Sarah had expected, considering that it seemed his voice had sounded right at her ear; the top of his head barely reached her elbow. "Plain to see that one's you," he added, his voice still quivering with laughter, nodding toward the last of the music boxes. "Pretty in glass just like all the rest."
"All the...wait, what are you talking about?" Sarah huffed, her tone tempered with an impatience driven by fear. Glancing over her shoulder to assure herself that Toby was still distracted, she hissed, "That was just a dream."
It wasn't the cackling of the figure before her that bothered her this time, it was the hissed giggles all around her. Sarah's eyes darted toward the nearest source of the noise but could see nothing.
"Do shut up," the figure before her muttered and all was suddenly silent, but for the noise of Toby's play in the background. Focusing his gaze back on Sarah again, he grinned knowingly. "You just keep telling yourself that, girly. Whatever makes it easier for you to get by. Shame, though."
When he didn't seem inclined to continue, Sarah's eyes narrowed. "What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, suddenly defensive.
"Ohh, I bet that'll come to you soon enough." After sizing Sarah up, he held out his hand. “Begging your pardon, girly...that is, uh, 'miss.' Gylbarde Guildersleeve, at your service. Call me Gib. She ain't much," his voice was just flippant enough to make Sarah believe that he felt exactly the opposite, "but this here's me shop. Welcome. Enjoy yourself."
Baffled, Sarah could only stare as he started to walk in Toby's direction, but she was brought out of her reverie with another glance toward the music boxes on the display shelf. "Wait!"
Gib paused and half turned back toward Sarah, keeping his eyes on the boy.
Sarah opened her mouth as if to speak, but as she stepped forward, she glanced toward the shelf of toys on the main floor that Gib was standing closest to and gaped. There, crowded upon the shelf, was a carbon copy of Lancelot, along with Betty Boo, a pair of panda slippers, a statuette of Hoggle...the entire shelf was full of all the toys and trinkets that had been in her room as a child, things that were still in boxes or on shelves in her room in her childhood home today. "Where did you get all this? These are my things..."
Another chortle answered her as Gib looked back to Sarah. "Oh, well spotted. Starting to come to you now, ain't it? Weren't just a dream, were it?" The giggles around the room picked back up again and this time, he did nothing to stop them. While Sarah stared at the shelf, Gib fixed his eyes on Toby, seeming almost as if he were waiting for something.
For her part, Sarah couldn't stop looking at that shelf. She knew Lancelot was at home in Toby's room on top of his dresser, just like she knew her statue of Hoggle was in her own room, where it had always been. Dragging her eyes away from the replicas of her own toys, she focused instead on another collection, and she was surprised to find that there were similarities: another teddy bear, another Fiery, even another Hoggle. Even so, something seemed a bit off about them, as if they were used up somehow, lacking an inner spark, or just...less there than the ones she'd come to recognize as hers.
Finally, baffled, she asked, "What is this place?" In her mind, the memories of her time in the Labyrinth now at the forefront of her thoughts after all she'd seen thus far, Sarah heard a quiet echo of Hoggle's voice: "It’s a place you put people to forget about ‘em."
"Well, it's a toy store, ain't it? Cor, what'd you think it was?" Gib asked, as if speaking to a small child.
"No...no, it's more than that. Why would you have all these things? Why...those music boxes..." Sarah paused, realization starting to dawn as her gaze shifted between Gib and the shelf of gown-clad figures caught in glass. Hesitantly, seeming almost afraid of the answer, she asked, "It wasn't just me, was it? These are...there were others." It was more statement than question at the end, but it was still voiced softly enough to indicate that she didn't really want to know the answer.
Pulled away from his contemplation of Toby by Sarah's question, Gib grinned toothily, the expression seeming overly large on his heavily wrinkled face. "Knew you’d figure that part out, girly. Knew you were a smart one."
Though she'd made the mental leap, Sarah was unprepared for Gib's confirmation of it and she heaved out a gusty breath, trying to regain her inner balance. "What..."
"It's the Labyrinth, see," Gib added, unbidden. "Clever bit of magic, that. We makes these toys there, sells them up here, and when it's time for a new master, the Labyrinth's magic finds the right one. Out goes the book, a little o'this, a little o'that, the King's 'special powers,' and poof!" He shouted the last word, making Sarah jump, and grinned evilly at her reaction. "When the girl loses, she gets sent home with that shiny bubble of the King's, and that's it. You were the twelfth. Bit surprised how you turned out, as it happens."
Sarah could only stare, trying to process the idea that her journey through the Labyrinth had been real, and had been arranged or engineered by something--or someone--in order to get their claws into Toby. Trying to reason her way through it, she replayed Gib's last few sentences in her head and asked, "What do you mean, a master? Isn't the master of the Labyrinth the..." She paused, swallowed heavily, and her voice dropped into a whisper to voice the final two words, as if she was afraid of what might happen. "Goblin King?"
Amusement colored Gib's features, but somehow, he managed to hold back the laughter. "The King's the King right enough. But the Labyrinth's a bit of a partner, see. He rules the goblins and keeps an eye on the Labyrinth--protects it, right? Keeps it safe. The Labyrinth keeps an eye out for him in turn. And she--the Labyrinth, that is--needs a Toymaster to help with magic and the like. Right now, that's me. Been looking for my replacement forever, and that one," he said, nodding toward where Toby was still playing, though Sarah couldn't quite see what held his attention, "fits the bill. So did you. Grumpy, impressionable teenage girl, head always in the clouds, dreaming about Prince Charming. Much younger sibling that you always had to take care of. Feeling like your real parent ignores you for the new kid. Not above playing the brat if you thought it'd get you what you wanted. Ripe for the picking, the both of you!"
"So, it was all a trick to get to Toby? He tricked me?" She'd gone from baffled to indignant with barely a pause in between. "I can't believe he'd do something like that to me!"
If his eyes had rolled any harder, Gib thought, he'd have fallen over. "You ain't been listening. It ain't about you, girly. Weren't never about you. It was always about HIM," he said, eying Toby with avarice, and a hint of disappointment. Noting Sarah's affronted look, he scoffed. "What, you think the high and mighty Goblin King's going to fall in looooove with a spoilt, selfish slip of a girl? Hardly!" So amused was he by the very idea that he couldn't hold back another of his merry cackles, echoed by the goblins surrounding him. Their laughter deepened as Sarah's expression darkened. "Ooh, you did. That’s beautiful, that is."
Sarah's back straightened as, almost inexplicably, a sense of wounded pride kicked in. "Fine," she snapped, temper flaring as she leaned over to get as close to face to face with Gib as she was able. "It wasn't about me, it was about Toby. The fact remains that I beat him. I won, I got him back, and you can't. Have. Him."
"Oooh, feisty," Gib snarked back, unimpressed. "Ain't your decision anymore, girly. All your toys still have their spark. That means he's still got it. Bet he's been thinking about this place like crazy, been trying to get here for ages, hasn't he? Can't get away from it, always pulled here, even if he don't know why."
Something about what Gib said caught Sarah’s attention--she'd been thinking that some of the other toys looked less there than hers, and that word, 'spark,' suddenly sounded ominous. "Wait...what do you mean, about my...things?"
Once again, Gib rolled his eyes, and his voice was disdainful when he spoke. "Can't believe I thought you were smart. Their spark," he explained, as if speaking to a small, unintelligent child, "their magic. Here." He shuffled forward to snatch the stuffed Fiery from its perch and jabbed it at her. "Take it, you'll see what I mean."
Unease rippled through Sarah at the suddenly vicious look in Gib's eyes, but she couldn't stop herself from reaching forward, hand outstretched. She shuddered when her fingers brushed the soft fabric body, and her shoulders slumped when her hand closed around it, feeling as if she were about to be buried under a wave of darkness. Every bad thought she'd ever had about Toby and her stepmother, every negative feeling, every cruel word, every hurt she'd ever wanted to inflict came crashing down upon her, and it was nearly enough to drive her to her knees. Hostility sharpened her eyes as she looked up toward Toby, but something about the sight of him broke through that oppressive haze that had surrounded her, compelling her to fight against it.
"No!" Sarah exhaled harshly, forcing her fingers to release the plush toy, and this time, she did sink to her knees--that rush of depression and negativity was gone as soon as it had arrived, as if it had never existed.
Gib's cackle wasn’t anything approaching merry this time--instead, it was downright malicious. "That, girly. That’s what I'm talking about when I say the spark's still there."
Sarah remained on her knees long enough to catch her breath, glaring at Gib once she wobbled her way back to her feet. "Is that what the Labyrinth puts into all the toys that it sends out? Some kind of magic to make us all hate our siblings? That's horrible."
"Calm down, girly," was Gib's annoyed reply. "They ain't that strong in your house. All these ones here are the real ones. The ones you've got are just copies, they ain't anywhere near as strong."
Frost edged Sarah's voice. "Copies. Not as strong. But the fact remains, all those things in our home are spelled."
Unconcerned, Gib shrugged his shoulders. "Yep. Just 'cause it's magic don't mean it's nice to everyone involved. No rule about that anywhere. Besides," he added, glancing Toby's way once more, that hint of want in his eyes, "like I said, the copies ain't as strong as the real ones. And," he hastened to add, holding up a time-worn hand to forestall Sarah's reply, "it's only that strong 'cause he's that strong. That's why the Labyrinth still wants him."
"So let me get this straight," Sarah said, shoulders straightening. "The Labyrinth has some toymaster who makes these evil toys that have really strong magic in them--strong enough to make me feel..." She paused, shivered, and shook her head. "Never mind. Strong enough to hurt. They're only like that because you're old and cranky and ready to retire..."
Gib's eyes flashed at Sarah's dismissive tone, but he didn't disagree with her comment, only motioned for her to continue.
This time, the amused hint of a smile was Sarah's, as she acknowledged the expression that had been so brief on Gib's face. "Through this magic, you've somehow been led to Toby. You spelled me into wishing him away, the...Goblin King led me on a chase through this place designed to make me lose, so I'd take my dreams and toddle off back home like a good little spoiled, selfish brat. Except somehow, I beat him at his own game, and Toby and I both came home. Now, even though I won," she practically growled the words and made a sharp shushing motion with her hand when it seemed Gib wanted to speak, "you've put together this weird little store to try and lure him in on his own, all because you're under some crazy delusion that the Labyrinth wants him to come and make toys for it. Is that about right?"
"There's always more to it, missy. The toys ain't meant to hurt, just...encourage. Ain't nothing you hadn't already thought about on your own. They're carriers, see," Gib added, nodding toward Sarah's shelf. "They see the potential, but the spell's quiet, sleeping-like, unless it's turned on, and it only gets turned on if everything's lined up right. The real ones have to be stronger than the copies if the spell's going to be strong enough to work, that's why these ones feel the way they do. The Labyrinth's a complex sort. Free will's part of it, always part of it." He glanced Toby's way, pleased to see that the boy was still enjoying himself as he browsed the many shelves. "As for him, he's got it and no mistake. Looky here, he's still playing. Knows instinctive-like how to make them all work. Ooh, he'd be such a good one..."
"Don't even think about it," Sarah retorted, moving to stand between Gib and her brother.
Impatiently, Gib rolled his eyes. "You ain't been listening. Not up to you, it's up to him, now more than ever. It weren't about you then, and it definitely ain't about you now. He's old enough to choose on his own. You ain't his parent."
"But he's my brother!" Sarah protested. "I'm his...his...caregiver while our parents are gone. He's not old enough to be an adult. And besides," she continued, her tone insistent, "I already told you, I won! The game is over."
"Strictly speaking," a new and chilly voice responded to Sarah's retort, "that is not entirely correct."
Time seemed to pause as Sarah spun around to look at the newest entrant into the conversation. She knew it wasn't Toby--he was still engaged in something a few shelves away and it hadn't even sounded like him--and given the present topic of conversation, that left a rather narrow list for new arrivals. Her first look at the Goblin King in over fifteen years left her reeling. He was dressed in the same dark suit of armor he'd worn when he first appeared before her after taking Toby, and though fifteen years had aged her, he looked exactly the same as he had in her memory: wild and spiky blond hair, the hint of danger, the heavy scent of magic (that's what she'd smelled outside, she realized) and all. She seemed at a loss for words, only capable of staring mutely at him, as if her mind had overloaded itself on everything she'd learned since coming into the shop.
Jareth was only too happy to reciprocate, taking in the changes that fifteen years had brought to Sarah's appearance as he gazed back at her, his expression kept carefully, purposefully neutral. As Sarah seemed inclined to keep silent, so, too, did he--he simply looked at her, content to wait.
It took several long minutes before Sarah's mind caught up to the rest of her and she was unable to tear her gaze away from the Goblin King for even a moment of it. Once she'd gotten over the shock of his sudden appearance, once she'd begun to come to terms with the fact that he was actually present (and looking delicious--'stop that!' she hurried to admonish that inner voice, 'do not go there'), she was finally able to process the words that he'd said and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What exactly does that mean?"
Jareth was unsurprised that the first words out of Sarah's mouth were dripping with hostility--he hadn't expected anything less. Still, he kept his expression neutral, though his voice was still somewhat cold. "Gib is partially correct," he replied, his gaze flickering briefly toward the Toymaster, who sketched a brief bow toward his monarch. Acknowledging Gib's gesture with a vague nod, the King turned his eyes back on Sarah. "The Labyrinth does require a Toymaster and Toby does have all the qualities necessary." His eyes passed over Toby next, and the barest hint of amusement shone through in his gaze, then it was gone. "He's also quite strong...surprisingly so, in fact. I think that might be your influence, dear Sarah."
"Please," Sarah snorted, "don't try to flatter me now. I'm still having trouble even believing that this is possible. You were the one who set the terms. My dreams or my brother. I chose Toby, I ran your Labyrinth to get him back, and I made it--in spite of your best efforts otherwise," she accused, eyes narrowing on the King. "And now, fifteen years later, you're telling me that the deal has changed? That's just...even for you, that's low."
He didn't bother to hide the flash of delight in his eyes at her first comment, but as Sarah's tirade continued, Jareth's shoulders squared. "Oh, precious. For all of your girlhood love of fantasy, how little you know of the world beyond the worlds. Didn't they warn you, time and again, that things weren't always what they seemed in my Labyrinth? Did you think that warning was meant for the duration of your trip only?"
Gib, his duty paid to his monarch and Toby's older sister now engaged with the same, started to sidle toward the boy, as if moving slowly would prevent Sarah from noticing. He nearly cursed aloud she spotted him and shot a fierce glare his way; his feet shuffled restlessly as the conversation continued.
Ignoring his second pet name in as many minutes, especially one laden with a hint of mockery, Sarah waved a hand toward the King, encouraging him to continue. "Please enlighten me. How in the world could I have expected that something I thought was a dream would have this big an impact on me fifteen years after the fact."
Jareth tsked, but his eyes warmed with a hint of mocking amusement. "So preoccupied with the passage of time, precious. Did you miss me that much?"
"Ooh!" Sarah couldn't stop the annoyed, exasperated noise from leaving her mouth, but at least she was able to keep from stomping her foot in a fit of pique. "All I really want is a straight answer to my question, why does that seem to be so hard for anyone to give me? Is that another one of the Labyrinth's tricks, or does double-talk get the job done for you?"
Though he kept his expression neutral, Jareth was secretly pleased and somewhat amused that Sarah was making the attempt to verbally spar with him, as small as that effort might be. Perhaps she'd make a worthy conversationalist yet. "Let me simplify things for you, then," he drawled lazily, a hint of derision in his tone. "As we have said, the Labyrinth does require a Toymaster and Toby is well-suited to do it. However, what even Gib does not know is that the purpose of the task has always been twofold." He paused and lifted a brow at Sarah, as if to ensure that she was following along. When her lips pursed in annoyance, he grinned delightedly and continued, knowing he was about to get an even bigger reaction. "Should there ever be a challenger strong enough to best the task, then she--and before you ask, yes, the challenger has always been female--would be worthy of the title of Goblin Queen. Incidentally," he added, that twist of his lips turning almost cruel, "that would mean that she would be my wife."
Sarah gaped, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. Once she finally re-gathered herself, unable to come up with anything wittier to say, she simply wrinkled her nose and muttered a displeased, "Ew."
"Mmm, yes," Jareth agreed, "I like it as little as you do, precious, trust me."
"Stop! Stop calling me that," Sarah's voice was strident. "I'm not your dear, I'm not your precious, I'm not your Queen, I'm not your anything, except your former adversary, who is going to collect her brother and go home."
Gib's squawk of protest halted Sarah before she could turn around. "Hey now, girly, didn't I tell you it ain't your choice? You can leave all you want--and don't let the door hit your arse on the way out--but until the boy says he wants to go, he's welcome to stay as long as he likes."
Rich laughter indicated Jareth's amusement at Gib's comment, and he made a rather blatant study of what he could see of the curve of Sarah's hip. "No, we definitely wouldn't want to let the door hit that delectable bit of flesh, now would we?"
Sarah's gasp was reminiscent of a victim who'd just spotted a killer jumping out of a closet. "That. Is. Enough! Leave my...backside out of this! You cannot possibly be serious. Even if all this is true--and I'm not saying that I believe it is--why would you even think that either Toby or I would be willing to do this? You can't expect me to believe that you--the King!--can't get out of this."
Frost edged Jareth's gaze as he leveled his eyes on Sarah. "Do you really think that I haven't tried to find another way? A different option? As you say, precious," he drawled the endearment, ignoring the flash in her eyes, "it has been fifteen years. Do not think even for a moment that I have simply been sitting around waiting for you. I have tried everything I could possibly think of, to no avail. You might even say that I have turned the world upside down looking for an alternative."
Sarah jerked as if he'd slapped her--and perhaps, she thought, he might as well have, with those familiar words. "I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you," she murmured. Lost in her memory as she was, she missed the flicker of emotion that passed across Jareth's face, hearing her repeat his words.
"Indeed," Jareth commented lazily, quick to stifle that bit of remembrance away, "though, this time, I rather think that I have turned the world upside down for myself." He paused then, waiting until Sarah looked back at him, and his face was once again locked down and stony as he continued. "I do not want a Queen who does not want me."
Brow furrowed, Sarah opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.
"Woah!" Toby's surprised voice echoed through the shop as he came up to stand beside Sarah goggling between the King and the toymaker. "Where'd you come from? I didn't see you before and I hear the door open or anything! Is this your shop? It's amazing! All these toys, they're fantastic."
There were smiles all around at Toby's enthusiasm, but only Sarah's was pained--for Gib and the King, it was pure satisfaction.
"Glad you like me shop," Gib stepped forward to offer a wrinkled hand for Toby to shake. "Call me Gib. And this here's..." He trailed off and glanced sidelong at Jareth.
Smoothly, Jareth took a half step forward, but he did not offer his hand to shake, merely smiled. "You may call me Jareth, for now. You've grown up well, young Toby."
Sarah choked on a quiet murmur of dismay, while Toby stared wide-eyed. "You know me?"
"I do," the Goblin King confirmed, a dangerous smile curving his lips. "You were...much smaller the last time we met. We had quite a day together; it's a shame that you don't remember it. However, I'm sure your sister recalls our introduction." His eyes shifted to Sarah, and there seemed to be a hint of something like an apology within their depths.
"Really?" Toby was unaware of his sister's discomfort, his excitement about being in the store carrying over to everything else. "Wow, I wish I could remember! Sarah, how crazy that we come here and you know this guy--and hey, how do you know him, anyway?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, Sarah took a deep breath and wobbled a smile at her brother. "It's...a long story. But, yes, you've met him before, and I'm sure that you had a good time."
Toby bounced on the balls of his feet, grinning, while Sarah marveled at the teen's enthusiasm. "Come on, Sarah," the boy entreated, "you gotta tell me how we all met. Please? Oh! I almost forgot--look at this! Remember this? Isn't this the one you used to read to me a long time ago?"
When Toby offered the object in his hand to his sister, Jareth's smile turned almost feral.
For her part, Sarah stared at the familiar red book in Toby's hand, but remembering her previous experience with handling something from the shop, she didn't reach out for it, only nodded weakly. "Yes, I...yes. That's the one that I read to you. But...how do you even remember that? I stopped after--" She broke off, shifting uncomfortably, and shot a quick glance at Jareth before looking back to Toby. Seeing no mercy in the Goblin King's eyes, she sighed. "Toby...how much do you remember about that story?"
Though his brow wrinkled at Sarah's obvious reluctance, Toby, for his part, was still a ball of excited energy, so when he spoke, his words came out in a rush. "Well, there was a girl, a kid, and a King, and the girl made the King come take the kid away somehow--kinda not very nice. But then the girl went to this crazy place to chase after the kid to get him back, so that was okay, I guess. And some stuff happened, and they came home, and it was all a dream, right?"
Wincing, Sarah sighed once again, but squared her shoulders. "That's...the very basic gist, yes. Except it wasn't a dream, apparently. And...a lot more than 'some stuff' happened, but that's not really important. What is important, Toby, is that it wasn't a dream...and it wasn't just a story, it was real. This is Jareth, King of the Goblins," she motioned toward the man himself, who responded with a charming smile. Forcing herself to look her brother in the eye, she said softly, "That makes me the girl, and you...the kid." Having spoken her piece, Sarah nervously awaited Toby's response.
Toby's eyes were wide as saucers by the time Sarah was finished. "So, it's real. And he's the King, and the rest of the story's about us?" he asked, betraying nothing. At Sarah's hesitant nod, he broke into a huge grin and threw his arms around her for a quick, rough hug. "That is so cool! Wow, so that's how we know each other?"
"Toby..." To say that Sarah was startled by her brother's reaction was a massive understatement. "You know this means that I wished you away, right?"
"Well, sure," Toby agreed, making it sound as if that was the most obvious and least intelligent thing that she'd ever said.
"And...you're okay with that? You said it wasn't very nice a minute ago," Sarah pressed, brows raised in disbelief.
Shrugging his shoulders, Toby said, "You got me back, right? Bet you had a fun time--I would have. Guess I did, though, doing something else," he added, grinning sidelong at Jareth, who didn't bother hiding his amusement.
Gobsmacked, Sarah seemed about to speak again, but Jareth smoothly interrupted. "As touching as this bit of family confession is, there are other issues which must be addressed." He ignored Sarah's glare and nodded toward Gib. "Toby, I believe that Gib would like to speak to you about his shop and, perhaps, the opportunity for future employment." A pause, a glance at Sarah. "After a fashion."
"Really?" Toby was already excited, but Jareth's news had him practically vibrating in place, and he squeezed Sarah's hand hard enough that she shot him a look over her shoulder. "Me? Wow, that's...fantastic!"
"Toby..." Sarah began, but seeing his face begin to fall, she relented, however hesitantly, and sighed. "Just...be careful. And remember that...Mom and Dad will want to know. No matter what he might say," she added, glancing sidelong at Gib.
For his part, Gib simply grinned toothily at Sarah before flashing a much nicer smile Toby's way. "C'mon, let's go play."
Sarah watched as Gib and Toby walked away, shaking her head as she spotted the teenager already speaking animatedly to his companion. "He's so different here," she murmured.
Jareth used Sarah's inattention to step closer, stealing a quick sniff of her hair before he murmured a soft, "What do you mean?"
Startled by his sudden closeness, Sarah stared at his face for a moment, then inched away, trying to create some space for herself. Nervous without the buffer of someone else in the conversation, she fidgeted with the edge of her sweater. "He's just...well. Quieter, I guess. He smiles and there are things that he likes to do, but he seems almost like he's more alive here."
"That," Jareth said, not bothering to hide his amusement at her movement away from him, "is in part due to the Labyrinth's influence. Her magic speaks to him on a rather personal level. He feels more comfortable here."
"Do you even have any idea how galling that is?" Sarah asked, her mouth tightening into something approaching a frown. "That he can be like that here, but not at home? I can't imagine how our parents would feel if they heard you say that. If they could see him. They'd be happy he's happy, but..."
Shaking his head, Jareth said, "I think you'd find their reaction would not be quite as you anticipate. As with the toys, the reaction is somewhat magnified here. True," he added before she could protest, "he would be the same while in the Labyrinth herself, but you must also keep in mind that a good portion of this is simple, youthful exuberance. I would not be surprised to find that Gib is correct, that young Toby has been thinking about this place for quite some time. To finally be allowed to come here is naturally going to contribute something to it."
Brow furrowed, Sarah looked toward Toby and Gib once again. "I suppose. I wish I could say that makes it better..." She trailed off and, at length, looked back at Jareth, to find that he'd crept his way closer to her once again. "Okay, really," she huffed, side-stepping away, "stop that. Please."
"If you insist, precious."
"And that!" Sarah snapped, stomping her foot. "Stop that, too! We've already established that I'm not your anything."
Amused, Jareth gave a wry quirk of his lips, one that could almost be called a smile. "I didn't call you 'my' anything. I would also like to clarify your point: you provided your opinion on that subject and I did not respond. We have not established anything. However," he held up a hand to forestall any reply, "in the interests of civil conversation, I will abide by your request."
The 'for now' was unspoken, but Sarah could practically hear the words anyway. Still, she inclined her head in a rather regal nod, "Thank you your majesty."
"Come, come," Jareth waved a hand in impatient dismissal, "there is no need to be quite as formal as that. You may call me Jareth." He paused and leaned forward, mischief flashing in his eyes. "Unless there is some term of endearment which you would like to apply to me. I assure you, unlike yourself, I would not object, Sarah."
Sarah, as annoyed as she might have been with his comment, closed her eyes momentarily at the honeyed way his voice lingered over the soft notes of her name. "Okay then, Jareth. Help me understand this...this...thing." She waved her hand between herself and Toby, who was now cackling along with something Gib had said, causing a momentary smile. The smile faded, however, as she looked back to Jareth, whose eyes were intently upon her. "Since you've already arranged it so the two of them are talking--very smooth, by the way--you might as well elaborate. What exactly is the goal?"
Jareth slouched against the shelf for a moment, then frowned. "Hardly comfortable," he muttered to himself, and ignored Sarah's brief flash of fear as he casually summoned a crystal, which he used to conjure a pair of chairs, set at right angles to one another. He claimed one while waving a hand toward Sarah to indicate that she should occupy the other, and leveled an expectant look upon her when she hesitated. "May I point out once again, Sarah, the desire for civil conversation? Come, sit, you'll be more comfortable." Unable to resist the urge to make just a bit of mischief, he couldn't help but add a saucy, "I do promise not to bite."
Rolling her eyes, Sarah huffed an amused sigh as she sat. "Fine, I'll concede this one, but just this one. Can we please get back on topic?"
"Very well," Jareth replied agreeably, shifting in his chair so one knee was resting over the arm--the very picture of relaxed attention. "As I mentioned, the goal is twofold. The Labyrinth, by some magic of her own, identifies the potential Toymaster and Queen pair. In part, it is done this way because it is best if the Toymasters are young. Human children are able to perform their best in my kingdom when we are able to train them from a young age. Before you ask," he added, spotting Sarah's questioningly raised eyebrows, "Toby is a very notable exception. As I was saying, once the pair is identified, the toys are activated, and once the girl reaches her breaking point, those 'special powers' are granted, giving her the ability to call upon me."
This time Sarah couldn't help but interject, sounding almost amused. "Some special powers, if they've been granted to twelve girls, including myself."
Jareth grinned. "Don't think of yourself as one among only twelve, Sarah. Consider this: the toys have been sent to a much larger number of girls than you might otherwise believe. Only a select few have the necessary...skills, perhaps you could say. Keep in mind as well that a Toymaster is rather long-lived. That there have been eleven other runners means only that, since this method was first devised, there have been only eleven Toymasters." He paused for a few moments to allow that to sink in. "You know some of the rest--you lived part of it. Had I been successful in my attempt to seduce you into leaving Toby behind, he would have become a Toymaster, and once he was ready to retire, the Labyrinth's cycle would have started again."
Sarah's brow furrowed as she tried to decide which question to ask first. "What happened to the girls who lost? Did they get sent home with a little bauble holding onto their dreams?"
"While the spirit of competition might compel me to leave them empty-handed in their defeat, I am not as callous as that, Sarah," Jareth chided gently. "When they are returned home, it's as if the younger sibling never existed. A bit drastic, perhaps, but consider the alternative. The girl would have no way to reassure her parents that their youngest child was safe and well, and imagine the crushing guilt that she might feel, knowing she'd had the opportunity to win their sibling back and was unable to. It might not seem so to you, but the magic the Labyrinth works to make this possible is a great kindness."
Sarah's silence was contemplative as she worked to process what she'd been told thus far. Though she still didn't entirely agree with the process--and was still unaware of the full extent of it--she couldn't deny that forgetting would be a kindness, particularly in that situation. "And the Queen part? How does that come into it?"
Jareth was pleased to see that Sarah was taking the time to consider his responses. While he waited for her next question, he glanced toward the boy and the goblin, grinning amusedly as they were still laughing together about something, completely oblivious to the serious conversation taking place on the other side of the store. At Sarah's question, he allowed a faint smile. "Usually, my only involvement is the seduction, the attempt to get the girl to leave the child. In your case...well, let us just say that the Labyrinth is looking for a certain...strength of character."
"Well. That was a lovely non-answer. And isn't that a bit backward? Seducing us into giving up our siblings--and being nasty about it--but at the same time knowing that one of us might end up your Queen."
Laughing, Jareth replied, "Nasty? Truly? Sarah, you wound me, I was trying to pay you a compliment. Perhaps, yes, it does seem a bit backward. The intent, however, is to ensure that the potential Queen has the ability to withstand that kind of manipulation. Do consider that being Queen does mean being exposed to politics; this is merely one of the Labyrinth's ways of separating the wheat from the chaff."
"Making me the wheat, I assume?"
"Tsk," Jareth made a soft noise of disapproval. "I'll leave aside the typical reply for one who engages in assuming. As to your question, not to put too fine a point on it, but yes, you are the wheat. Sarah, in the hundreds of years that the Labyrinth has been hosting this trial, you are the only one to have overcome the challenge. That is, in part, why it has been so difficult for me to find another alternative. As I said, I have made several attempts to do so, but the Labyrinth has rejected them all. Since the Labyrinth and I are dependent upon each other for survival, I have found it best to acquiesce to her wishes whenever possible."
Sarah's jaw dropped open. "Hundreds of years? How is that even possible?"
Jareth chuckled. "Sarah, Sarah. All things are possible. If I had known that it was impossible for me to get around this," he said, putting a slight stress on the word 'me,' waiting to see if she'd pick up on that, "I wouldn't have waited so long to try and reach you. As it is, our conversation has been delayed by several years because your parents would not allow Toby to come here."
"And why did you wait so long?" Sarah wondered, either missing what he'd tried to get her to catch, or filing it away for later.
"Fifteen years is nothing to me. I am immortal, after all."
A loud burst of laughter from Toby and Gib distracted Sarah's attention for a moment, and she was quiet for awhile as she once more mulled over his words. "How would that work? The girls who run the Labyrinth are all human, right? Or was that just me? Either way, I'm not immortal, so...what? You get a Queen for as long as I live, and once I die, the whole mess starts over, like it resets when you have to get a new Toymaster?"
"You're speaking in 'what ifs,' Sarah," Jareth chided gently. "If you are truly so curious, it will no doubt disappoint you to know that I am not entirely certain. I did mention, did I not, that you were the only one to win? There are some things which, unfortunately, must be discovered as we go."
The grin that curved Sarah's lips at his response was one of wry amusement. "Oh, and I can tell just how much you like discovering things as you go. But...if you don't know, does that mean you've never had a Queen?" Something flickered in Jareth's eyes at the question, making her wonder if she'd overstepped. "If you want to talk about it, that is."
"You ask a fair question, Sarah, and I can understand why you'd be interested." Jareth's voice was soft. "Since there have been no other winners to the Labyrinth's challenge, it does mean that I have never had a Queen. Thus, as you might imagine, I am not as unaffected by our situation as it might seem."
There was another lengthy pause as Sarah considered his words. Rather than continue to pry, she changed the subject. "You said a minute ago that it was impossible for you to get around this. Does that mean someone else could?"
Jareth's answering smile was genuine and without a hint of mockery. "Well done," he murmured. "Gib is correct, you are quite smart. I did say that it was impossible for me. If it is truly such an abhorrent option for you, Sarah, steps can be taken, but it must come from you. You would have to return to the Labyrinth to make your denial known before anything further can be done. Depending upon Toby's choice, your memory of his presence in your life would either be altered, or the both of you would be returned, and as close to normal as can be managed."
"Altered. You mean...removed? I wouldn't even know about him? What about our parents?"
Inclining his head in a brief nod to confirm Sarah's question, Jareth said, "Removed, yes. His parents' treatment would be the same. It will hardly be any reassurance, but we have done the same for each runner's family in the past. Since this...situation is somewhat special, we feel that an altered memory is better for all involved. Although it may seem very difficult for you to believe, you wouldn't remember him at all."
Sarah shook her head, her trouble in understanding the Goblin King's words clear on her face. "It is difficult to believe. It also seems so cruel. I know, you already said that it should be taken as a kindness, but…" Glancing over Toby's way, she had to swallow past a lump in her throat to continue. "We...didn't exactly start well, Toby and me. It was really hard for awhile...until we got home from the Labyrinth. And now, he's the one thing in my life that I love most."
"That," Jareth said softly, leaning close enough to momentarily rest his hand on Sarah's knee, "is why it is a kindness. I have no doubts that you love your brother a great deal, but should he choose a life as the Labyrinth's Toymaster, you would never see him again, nor would you be able to tell your parents anything about it. Is it not better, then, to have those memories completely removed from your mind? If it makes you feel any better, those memories are preserved, simply kept within the Labyrinth's archives, so while you would not remember your brother, or how you felt about him, there would be a record of it out there somewhere."
Startled to see his hand on her knee, Sarah dragged her eyes back to his and allowed a small smile. "Crazy as it might sound, I suppose that does make me feel a little bit better. How can I miss something if I don't know it's there to be missed in the first place?"
"Precisely. Does that mean, then, that you have made your decision? That you will elect to continue your life here, should Toby decide to take on the position of Toymaster?" Jareth's smile had faded, to be replaced by that locked down, stony expression he'd been wearing earlier.
"I've decided nothing," Sarah replied, taken aback by the abrupt change in Jareth's demeanor. "I'd like to see what Toby's going to do first."
After another shot nod, Jareth waved toward Toby and Gib, indicating that they should return. "Toby, I imagine that Gib has explained to you the reason why you find yourself here?"
"Yeah!" Toby enthused, grinning widely. "It's amazing. There's a lot of really cool stuff here, I'd love to learn how to make it all. Maybe come up with some new stuff. And I'd get to play all day, too, that'd be great!"
Sarah linked her hands together, both to keep herself occupied, and to hide the fact that her fingers were suddenly shaking. "So you're going to do it, then?" Her answer was a nod and a widening of that grin--his cheeks would probably hurt later, her mind volunteered, as she tried not to think about what his decision would mean.
Glancing between brother and sister, Jareth asked, "You do understand what Gib meant, Toby? You will not be able to stay here; the Labyrinth's Toymaster needs to live Underground."
Toby dropped to sit on the arm of Sarah's chair, nodding again. "Yeah, he told me. That'll be okay, I like the toys, and I'd love to make them. It just...feels right, you know? I can't really explain it. It's like I was just...meant for it. He said my parents'd forget about me, too. And..." He looked at Sarah, then at Jareth. "He said Sarah would have to forget. But does she have to?"
"That is the way it's done," Jareth replied.
Before Toby could object, Sarah reached out to squeeze her brother's hand. "It's okay, Toby. I figured that'd happen, we were talking about it before. It'd be for the best, and besides," she attempted a lighthearted tease, "you'll probably be too busy with the toys to think about me." Toby snorted, but before he could protest, she turned to Jareth and Gib. "Will he stay as he is now?"
Gib echoed Toby's snort and waved a hand at his wizened body. "Do I look like a human, missy? Toymasters are goblins, always have been."
"So...he'll change, then?" Sarah asked, hesitant.
"That is usually how it is done," Jareth admitted, almost reluctantly. Spotting Sarah's wince, he shot a warning glance at Gib and ventured a soft, "Perhaps...an exception could be made."
Toby made an immediate noise of protest. "Nooo, don't change things just for me. Sarah, tell him! I don't mind being a goblin; I think it'd be pretty awesome!"
"Toby's right," Sarah murmured, in spite of her expression. "If he's going to do this, then he should be whatever the Labyrinth intends for him to be. As you've been telling me since I got here, it's not my choice. If I do...take you up on your offer, Jareth, will he remember me?"
"Of course."
Gib made a noise of agreement, too. "Ain't our memories that get tampered with when things go down. I still remember my sister, so don't let that worry you none."
After a quick glance at Toby, Sarah looked back to the King and the Toymaster. "Could you give us a few minutes to talk, please? Alone?"
Rather than argue, Jareth simply nodded, and clamped a hand on Gib's shoulder before the goblin could offer any protest. "Ten minutes."
Once the Underground's residents had made their way to the other side of the shop, Sarah leaned against Toby. "Are you sure this is what you want, kid?"
"Sarah...I've been thinking about this place for months. It feels so good to be here. I know it means that you and Mom and Dad will have to forget me, but...it would really make me happy. Happier than I'd be if I stayed here. I know I'm not supposed to know this stuff when I'm only sixteen, but it's like...their world is out there waiting for me. Like it's my world too, and I belong there. If I said no, even if I didn't remember anything about the Labyrinth or anything else, I think I'd always know I was missing something."
Sarah bit her lip, thoughtful, and nodded. "I understand. It breaks my heart that you don't feel that way about your own home, but I guess you probably can't help it, can you? At least our parents won't ever have to know. It's bad enough for me; I can't even imagine how upset your mom would be, especially." Both siblings were quiet for a moment, then she grinned up at him, still sitting on the arm of her chair. "I might not have to forget you, either. According to the King, since I won you back, I could be the Goblin Queen."
Toby gaped. "Really? Sarah, that's beyond cool! You said yes, didn't you?"
"Not yet," Sarah admitted, cutting her eyes toward the pair across the store. "It's a little bit more complicated for me. You get to play with toys all day. I'd have to become a Queen...and the King's wife. I'm still thinking about it. It's not exactly an easy thing to change."
"No," Toby agreed, his eyes still wide, "but what would you miss here, Sarah? You don't have to tell me, but think about that. He looks like he's a nice guy, you know? I bet he'd be a real good husband. He's a great King, Gib was telling me how much they all love him."
Surprised, Sarah grinned. "The two of you talked more than I thought. I'll keep it in mind, Tobe. We'll just have to see how it goes." She stood up to hook an arm around his shoulders. "No matter what, I love you, kiddo. Always will."
"Aw, Sarah," Toby groused, but he put his arm around her nonetheless. "I love you, too, big sis. Come on, let's go tell them we're done. I'm starving!"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I am completely unsurprised by that."
Brother and sister walked arm in arm together toward the King and the Toymaster. "Well, Toby's ready," Sarah offered, then grinned and added, "and starving."
Gib's grin was big enough that it overtook his whole face. "Can't say I ain't pleased to hear it. Glad to have you aboard, Toby. C'mon, I'll get you something to eat and get you set up--workroom, new quarters, all that stuff."
Toby gave his sister one last hug, then he and Gib were gone, leaving Sarah to stare momentarily at the empty space left behind.
"And what of you, dear Sarah?" Jareth asked, breaking into her reverie. "Will you return to your home and your life? Or will you take a chance?"
Sarah's eyes were wide and unfocused at first when they shifted from the last spot Toby occupied to Jareth. As she came back to herself, she smiled. "Can we...start small and see how things go?"
Brows raised, Jareth closed the distance between them and offered his hand. "Ahhh...you wish to be courted? I believe I can manage that. But, Sarah..." He seemed almost hesitant for a moment. "You'll have to come to the Labyrinth until you decide...the magic demands it. If you choose to return home, we can restore the memories of you to all of those here in this world, and you can resume your life now as you know it. If you choose to stay..." He trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.
Once again, time seemed to slow down as Sarah observed the Goblin King. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something about his expression touched her heart, which was far more than anyone in her life now had been able to manage. He was still patiently waiting for an answer when she slipped her hand into his and gave a quick smile. "I accept your terms." She wasn't sure where it would lead her, but the answering smile that curved his lips made her feel like she'd taken the first step on the right path.
When the shop was finally empty, all within began to vanish, and a woman's voice, heavy with the wisdom of many centuries, murmured a soft, "Welcome home, at last."