Labyrinth 1. Welcome to the End

Never Ready

Chapter One: Welcome to the End

By: Aurora Rayne

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Labyrinth or the wonderful Mr. Jim Henson. If I did, Jareth would be locked in my closet.

It was a warm and sunny day with white puffy clouds covering the sky. The air was thick with humidity that made your clothes stick to your already uncomfortable skin. The streets were busy with traffic with cars zooming past one another. The smoke from the exhaust and the steam from restaurants surrounding the area caused a slight haze to cover the air. Noise from the cars, people, and animals made the city feel overwhelming if not used to such a busy environment.

Sarah was very well acquainted with this city and loved it very much. Though the now twenty-nine year old grew up in a small town, her favoritism rested on the giant metropolis. She carried a large camera bag on her left shoulder that held books and pictures. She had finished up an evening of reading in a local park. She listened to music through her earphones and enjoyed the relaxing music while watching the busy streets. It was a contrast and a nice one at that.

Her green eyes held life and warmth in them. They shined in the setting sun as did her chocolate locks of hair. When everything seemed like another normal day. Everything suddenly changed.

The world around her seemed to pause (including her music) and she gasped loudly. She looked around frantically and a loud ripping sound could be heard across the sky. Her body became tense and fear filled her eyes. Suddenly another figure moving caught her eye.

A tall pale-featured man walked over to her in strange attire. He wore a billowy cloak that covered his shoulders and went to three inches above the ground. His poet shirt was white and opened at the throat to show a golden necklace with tight leather-like pants. His boots clicked on the pavement as he walked over to her.

She recognized him immediately. "Jareth.." Her voice was fearful. She looked at him with care and stepped back.

"Sarah," He said in a drawled fashion. He seemed to savor her name but it held a sad note to it. "Something has happened." Jareth immediately saw her fear spike and he felt his heart clench.

"W-what?" The green-eyed beauty asked scared. She stepped towards him to where they were only a few feet away from each other. "What's wrong?"

"I have died," Jareth said in a broken voice. Sarah gasped and tears filled up her eyes. "Goodbye." Suddenly the world seemed to fall apart and she only looked at his disappearing figured and welcomed the end.

-----

Sarah shot up from her bed in a cold sweat while her breath escaped in fearful pants. The dream had seemed so real to a person such as herself. Her eyes were wide as her pupils dilated in fear. She turned to the tiny night stand and turned on the light. The harsh illumination made her squint her eyes and blink. She attained focus again and her eyes flew open. She threw off the thick covers in fever and went over to her vanity where her large, round mirror sat. Sarah scrambled to her cushioned chair and barely registered the now dull look of her being.

"Hoggle, I need you," Sarah said quickly. She looked frantically at the mirror waiting for her friend to appear. Her fingers balled themselves into fists of nervousness.

Nothing happened.

"Hoggle I need you!" She repeated desperately, afraid that her dream was a reality. Still silence rang throughout the room. She spoke in panic as her voice echoed slightly against her walls, "Hoggle?! Ludo?! Sir Didymus?! JARETH?!" She screamed out in anguish. She slammed her fists on the vanity causing everything to crash together.

"NO!" She continued to scream and began tearing apart her room at the realization that he was dead and her friends were gone. She placed her hands upon her vanity and slung every porcelain and glass item crashing to the ground. "IT CAN'T BE TRUE! I-IT'S!...It's not FAIR!"

The brown-haired woman was in frenzy, storming back and forth across her room wrecking havoc. She screamed her heart out and her voice hoarse as her body shook with raw emotion. Sarah collapsed onto the floor when there was nothing else left to take out her pain on. Her tables were overturned. Her bed tossed to the side. Her vanity things were cracked and broken on the ground. Only the sound of her loud sobbing could be heard.

"It's not fair," She whimpered while tears rolled down her face. She hugged her knees tightly to her shaking body. Her skin was an alarming white as all the blood seemed to have vanished from her frightened face. Her chest heaved in and out with shallow panicked breaths. She unconsciously began to rock back and forth as tears fell down her face.

A crystal suddenly popped in front of her then burst. Sarah was so caught up in her agony that she screamed aloud. She jumped frightened before looking on hopefully.

A letter in beautiful peach parchment and black velvety ink wrote:

_Sarah,_

_Of many thousand kisses the poor last I lay up thy lips._

_Jareth_

Big fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she read this and she felt a soft fluttering against her mouth. A ghost of a presence pressed itself against her soft pink lips. The tears fell and the letter seemed to melt away before she could stop it.

"Goodbye…. I love you," Sarah whispered in a broken voice into the air and curled up tightly and cried herself to mournful sleep.

Even though we know death will take our loved ones from us. We believe it will happen when we are ready. The truth is… we're never ready…

Aurora Satine

This is dedicated to my friend JB. His mother died a few days ago. She was a great mother and she always treated me with kindness.


	2. Things Aren't Always What They Seem

The bright and cheerful morning light shined through the ripped curtains. A body curled up in a pathetic manner roused ungratefully at the rays. Sarah clenched her eyes tighter as the light engulfed her. Opening them slightly she tried to remember why she was on the floor when it suddenly came back to her.

A heart-wrenching cry escaped from her small mouth and she curled up tighter. 'They're gone.' She thought with anguish holding tight to her soul, 'They're never coming back.' Because she had cried so many tears the night before, all she could do was let her body shake with sorrow.

'How could he die? How could he? He's immortal! He was supposed to be here forever!' She screamed in her head, 'How am I supposed to live without them?!' She dug her nails into her palms as she clenched her fists as tight as she could.

Hours seemed to pass as she laid on the floor in misery. It was only when her alarm clock went off that she knew she had to go to work. She looked at the upside down blue clock on the floor with disdain. 'To hell with work,' She thought pitifully.

"To hell with everything," She whispered hoarsely with hate, "There's no point."

She looked at her room from her position and felt satisfaction at the catastrophe she caused. Her room was in utter chaos and she enjoyed it. Suddenly she rose from her position and stood up.

She looked at her mirror and saw the large crack through the middle she made. She gasped aloud when she caught her reflection. "No!" It was gone. The special gleam about her had vanished. Her eyes were murky green unlike the vibrant emerald they once were. Her skin no longer had an iridescent look to it. She was plain again, average. Her heart broke even more at the sight.

She grabbed her now broken music box from the ground and slammed it into the mirror. "NO!" Sarah screamed.

It was over. Magic no longer existed and all her beautiful dreams had disappeared.

"It can't end like this! YOU HEAR ME?! IT CAN'T!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her mind raced at a dizzying pace. She went through every thought until an idea struck her.

"I wish the goblins would come take me away, RIGHT NOW!" She shouted with a smile.

Nothing happened.

"I WISH THE GOBLINS WOULD COME TAKE ME AWAY! RIGHT! NOW!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Silence reigned through the broken room and waves of rage could be felt coming off the broken-hearted girl. She dropped to her knees because her new exhaustion and shook her head.

"It can't be true," She whispered sadly. "I wish it wasn't true." Silence took over again and she added hatefully, "But if wishes were horses beggars would ride."

"Sarah," A familiar voice called to her, "It won't do no good actin' like this."

Her head shot up and she saw Hoggle sitting on her bed, "H-Hoggle?! Is it you?!" She jumped and ran to give him a hug only to pass through him.

"I's had a feelin' that would happen," He said sadly, "I ain't nothing but a dream you have now."

"What's going on?!" Sarah asked as she felt her sanity slowly slipping, "Is it really true?"

"I's afraid so Sarah," He answered, "Jareth died last night. Which means us folk are no more. We were only here 'cause of him."

"How are you here now? Have I gone insane?" She asked with fear and desperation in her eyes.

"I's here 'cause you needed me real bad. But I got to go soon. I feel myself slippin' already," Hoggle replied, "You need to not worry yourself. Everything will okay."

"No! Don't go, please!" Sarah begged, "It won't be okay! I need you, all of you! And you're gone!"

"You can't change what's happened Sarah," Hoggle told her gently, "You's just a mortal."

"I'll find a way! Even if it kills me! I'll find a way to bring all you guys back! I promise!" She said passionately while looking at him from the ground.

"I gotta go, Sarah," Hoggle said before disappearing.

"NO!" She screamed hurtfully. She slammed her fists onto the floor as hard as she could. She took a deep breath before muttering, "I'll find a way. I will."

"Sarah, you look terrible," Her stepmother said worried as she walked into the familiar home. "What's wrong?"

"A close friend…" Her voice trailed off weakly. She took a deep breath before trying again, "A close friend of mine is dead."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry," The older woman said sympathetically. She gave her a warm hug which wasn't returned only accepted.

"Where's Toby?" Sarah asked in a soft and sad voice. "I need to seem him."

"He's upstairs in his room…. But are you sure now is a good time to see him?" The red-haired woman asked carefully. The look Sarah gave her made her through up her hands, "Just asking! Go ahead, he'll be happy to see you."

Sarah walked up the stairs to her old room which was now Toby's. The flight seemed unnaturally long as she trudged up each step. When she finally did reach his room she heard laughter from inside. 'If only things were happy.' She thought miserably.

She knocked on the door softly, "Toby? Can I come in?" She heard a silence that made her curious followed by whispering.

The door opened and a sixteen-year-old boy looked at his petite sister wide-eyed, "What are you doing here?"

"I have something to tell you," She said quietly, "It's about our secret." She was immediately ushered in and the door closed behind her. She wearily sat down on his bed and let out a sad sigh.

"What's up?" He asked in a neutral tone. He looked at her and frowned, "You seem different."

"Toby, R-remember the Labyrinth?" The green-eyed female asked carefully.

"Well duh, sis. We talked about it all the time up until a few years ago," He answered while giving her an odd look.

"It's gone," She said sadly, "Jareth….. Jareth died." Her eyes went to floor as she waited for a reaction. The one she received was not what she expected.

Laughter broke out through the room. Sarah looked at him incredulously. "What are you laughing at?!" She practically screamed.

Toby got quiet immediately when he realized she was being serious. "That can't be true."

"It. Is." She hissed out through clenched teeth.

"No really it can't. I just spoke with him." He answered confused. He scratched the back of his head, "Am I missing something?"

"What?!" She asked breathlessly, "You saw him? When?!"

"Umm…. Before you came in. He told me it was you but I didn't believe him. Why would you think he was dead?" Toby asked her.

"B-because!" She sputtered before calming herself, "Hoggle told me he died last night! That they're all gone!"

Toby became pale and his mouth formed in an 'Oh' expression. He looked at her fearfully, "Hey Sarah? I have something to tell you…"

And that's all I have at the moment. I have figured out a plot so yeah. Feel free to comment. Thank you enough for reading it. Hope you guys all enjoyed it!

Aurora


End file.

Labyrinth, Angst, Romance