Chapter Text
Magic is possessive by nature.
In a modern world oblivious to its rules, it thrives. It covets the fantasies and dreams of the unaware, of the sleeping. When feeling mischievous, it toys with people, makes them confused or annoyed. When happy, it gives luck to the deserving. It gives so much but it takes even more.
When it is angry, when it feels wronged by an unwary passerby. It curses, it kills.
It vanishes and spirits away the uncaring, the uncared for.
The wished away.
It takes things. In its playfulness it whisks away old toys, socks, small trinkets that people believe lost to time or carelessness. Things children take for granted.
Children adults take for granted.
It is as alive as a forest, as immovable as the stars.
Over time, when it became just as clever as the old earth, it decided to give itself a name, a will.
In time, it learned to make creatures of its own out of the earthbound things it so loved. Fae things and changelings whose hearts beat and followed and clung to the physical lives around them. They hungered, just as their magic does, for things that are not themselves.
They had come to love that which is untouchable. They loved the wind, they loved the light and smell of the world's time. They loved the laughter and sobs and screams…
They hungered for the taste of life that lived and died of the earth. They craved mortality and death with ravenous appetites.
For death is unknowable to those who are not touched by time.
Fae are greedy, angry and clever just as the magic they sprung from.
For they are one and the same.
Though rarely, completely impossibly, it comes to love.
Once, only once, the strongest and oldest of them chose to love something...
…………………………………………………..
(1950’s, Southern United States)
Jareth knew the dangers of interacting with the mortal world.
Too many of his kind were lost to it, either being consumed by their obsessions or being captured by the humans who called them ‘Demons’ or 'Monsters'. He had even heard a story once of a rather respectful and high ranking Fae losing their sanity over the deaths of their human lovers.
Ridiculous.
Still, he had to go. Always had to go when he felt the call. It was his duty, his purpose. And quite frankly, he enjoyed taking those he had come to claim. It meant either a new runner for the maze or a new goblin to add to his little ‘family’.
His mouth practically watered at the thought of a new game.
It had been too long since someone said the right words. Perhaps it had been 200 years or so? Jareth couldn’t really remember, and couldn’t care to try. He had been so bored in his desolate castle with nothing but imps and fairies for company, so he was looking forward to this more than he usually would.
Peering through his crystal, he glimpsed at the room he would soon be entering.
Two brothers appeared to be in an argument with one another. They appeared to be about ten or so based on the chubbiness of their faces. One of them, the angrier of the two, was holding a familiar small book.
His book.
“Dad said you’re too old for this dumb little story.” the angry one yelled, holding it aloft and out of reach as his sibling tried to grab at it. “I’m just helping you grow up!”
“I saw you reading it too Sammy!” the other one wailed, fists bunched up in the taller ones shirt. “You’re just mad cause I got to tell Amy about it before you! Well guess what? She thought it was cool!”
That earned the smaller one a rough shove to the ground. Jareth absently guessed that this ‘Amy’ was a friend of the two but didn’t care enough to really think about it. His attention was solely on the two children before him. Waiting with baited breath for the words to be spoken and wondered which of the two would say them.
“I wanted to show her it! She loves old fairytales like this!” The angry one screamed, face going red with the sort of rage only children can possess. His small body shook with what Jareth guessed to be a mix of embarrassment and hatred. “And it’s not real! Dad said fairies and magic are only stuff for babies like you!”
He smiled, very much enjoying the drama that was unfolding. He always enjoyed watching those precious moments before the words were said. Loved watching the moments of anger that led up to cursed words that they could never undo or unsay.
The humans were always regretful of the words, but what was said was said. And he never regretted his side of the bargain.
Fae have no concept of remorse.
Something in the smaller one seemed to snap. He rose to his feet and, before the other could react, shoved him with even more force than what had been inflicted before. Sending the other sprawling backwards into a nearby dresser. The book flew out of his hands and onto the wooden floor.
The smaller one grabbed the book from where it had fallen and opened to a random page. Jareth’s eyes narrowed to pinpoint focus. His sharp teeth clacked together hungrily as he tensed, practically on the edge of his throne. Nearby, he heard the eager chatterings of his imps as they too watched the scene unfold. He paid them no mind for the moment, but motioned subtly for them to be silent.
“I’ll prove to you it’s real Sammy!” The small one yelled. Glaring down at the other who was glaring right back at him from the floor. “I’ll say the words!”
The eyes of the one on the floor flickered only a moment with worry, but the anger returned equally with his defiance.
“Go ahead! But I'm telling Dad you stole that from the library Robert.”
“Will not!”
“Will to!”
“Do it then!”
“Fine.”
“Fine!”
They bantered back and forth like that for so long Jareth worried perhaps it was just a false alarm on his end. He doubted the boy would say the words since he seemed to be stalling at this point, but the Goblin king continued observing despite his annoyance.
Perhaps I was too eager to play.
“Fine!” The boy yelled with more finality than before, he then pointed a finger down at his brother while holding the book aloft. “I wish the Goblin King would come and take you away, right now!”
F i n a l l y.
Jareth heard the imps gasp before a deathly silence permeated both the throneroom and the boys room, like the calm before a storm. After a moment, the boys laughed nervously together before they seemed to wordlessly make up about whatever inane thing they were fighting over.
But it was too late. Far to late as far as Jareth was concerned.
The Goblin King rose from his throne, smile stretching into a wide grin that nearly ripped the flesh of his cheeks away as they were stretched impossibly. He laughed, loud and throaty, the sound becoming distorted and higher pitched the longer it went on, Eventually sounding like the cry of an owl, scaring the daylights out of the imps throughout the castle who heard it echo against the stone walls. They knew his laughter was never a good sign . The imps shrieked in response, already falling over one another as they eagerly whisked themselves away into the boys room through the shadows and reflections.
The boys didn’t notice something was wrong until they heard dozens of little things seemingly all at once. The battering of the wind against the sole window in their bedroom like some mad wild creature was trying to get in, the scraping of thousands of tiny nails scrawling against the darkened corners of the room. But what was most frightening of all was what sounded like the distorted laughter of countless unseen children.
The brothers turned to one another in disbelief, terrified and wide eyed they clung to one another in the middle of the room. Too afraid to go near any wall, too afraid to bolt for the door.
Grinning madly, Jareth gave the signal.
Both boys screamed as the sole lightbulb in the room sputtered out. Holding onto one another for dear life.
Years later, Robert could still recall the rapid beating of his brothers heart, a desperate thing that thumped in his arms as they held one another for the last time.
But in a moment too fast for him to comprehend, his brother was gone without so much as a sound, snatched roughly out of his arms and leaving him to only clutch at air.
“...Sammy?” He whimpered, reaching out his hands to blindly feel for him.
He screamed when his fingers came into contact with something sharp and furry, causing him to recoil and scream again when his back collided with what he believed to be a large bird.
Around him, the unseen crowd laughed.
Shutting his eyes tightly, he inwardly begged, prayed for whatever was happening to stop.
Instead, he heard the tell-tale sound of a light switch being flicked.
Slowly, Robert opened his eyes to an eerily quiet room, which was somehow more disturbing than being alone in the darkness.
It looked like a storm had ripped through it, everything he possessed was either thrown about or ripped to shreds. One of the beds was even flipped upside down.
“Sammy?” He called out again, louder this time. Eyes searching every nook and cranny in the room for any sign of his brother.
Instead, they came to land on that damned red book. Placed almost neatly in the only untouched part of the room, directly at his feet.
His hands were shaking as he slowly picked it up. His dad always told him it was unmanly to cry. But it was strange, he didn’t feel all that upset.
Sammy’s gone.
Maybe this is just another prank of his?
He’s gone and it’s all my fault.
Shouldn’t I be sadder about this?
“Sammy!” He called again, voice shaking with nerves. “Sammy if this is a joke this isn’t funny!”
Silence.
“I-I’m telling dad!”
“Hello Robert Williams.”
Robert stilled at the words, those three words were spoken with such joyous maliciousness that the young boy instantly tensed up in fear. He had never been so scared of hearing his name before, not even when he accidentally broke his dads car window with a baseball.
Slowly, he turned his head to look for the source of such a horridly alluring voice.
A man, or what he thought was a man, stood with his head high not too far behind him. He was dressed in what he would describe as something a Warlock would wear with the weird electrically charged hair to match. He wore a large black robe imbedded with more gems and crystals than he had ever seen in his life. They were mostly purple and blue with hints of red when they caught the light. Beneath that, the man wore a baggy white shirt that billowed over his arms and left his upper chest exposed as well as high waisted skintight pants with expensive looking boots.
But what caught Robert’s attention was how utterly ‘other’ the man looked.
His skin was so white it reminded him of the bleached deer skull his dad got from a hunting buddy. At first, when looking at his skin he thought it was blurry, but upon closer inspection he noted with horror that the man was covered with ‘feathers’, smooth, white baby feathers that were so clean and smooth they melded together to looked like skin. His hands ended in black claws that flexed excitedly at his sides as he stared down at him expectantly. Robert could see a skinny white tail coiling about behind him. Its end looked like a feather duster. His ears, which were long feathered elvish things with gold piercings, merely twitched once.
Overall, he thought the thing would have looked beautiful if he wasn’t so terrified of it.
He was too scared to look at his face.
“You are Robert Williams, aren't you?” The thing asked mockingly. Its voice still giving off that maliciousness from before but seemed playful now in tone. But somehow, almost instinctively. He knew this was a faked emotion that could turn off at any moment..
“Y-yes…”
The things smile grew wider at that, making the small boy shudder when he glimpsed razor sharp teeth behind that perfect smile. He looked down then, eyes glued to the strange tail that swished gently against the trashed floor.
“W-where’s my brother? Did you..?”
“Oh my, you really forgot so quickly?” The thing tsked, disappointment clear in its fake tone. “You gave your brother to me willingly, remember?”
Robert’s eyes grew wide, awe lessening his fear in the moment.
“Y-you’re the Goblin King. Right?”
The thing- the King- bowed politely before continuing to stare down at the boy like the way one does an ant.
“Ah! So you do remember. Then you must also remember the rules of the book, no?”
He did remember, he remembered he would only have a handful of hours to find his brother before he would be turned into a goblin forever. But, his brain supplied, If the Goblin King is real, then that must mean the other monsters are too…
Instead of waiting for a response, Jareth pointed to a rather antique clock that seemed to come out of thin air.
“You have thirteen hours to solve my labyrinth or your dear brother becomes one of us forev-”
“No.” Robert whispered, shaking violently as he shook his head. It was obvious the King wasn’t expecting that sort of response from him. Stopping his speech and staring intensely down at him with his strangely mismatched eyes. Robert couldn’t tell how, but the goblin looked even scarier than before.
“No?”
“I… I’m not going to play.”
The surprised look on the creatures face slowly contorted to confusion, then anger.
“I don’t think you understand boy.” It glowered, fake niceties in its voice now gone. “If you deny me my fun then your brother will be mine. Game or no game, you can never see him again.”
“K-Keep him! I don’t want to go there!” He cried out, backing away from the being before he found himself pressed against the wall behind him. “I- I’m only eleven! I won’t survive it!”
If the Goblin wasn’t upset before, he very much was now. Robert watched in terror as the things face and neck seemed to stretch and contort impossibly, the feathers grew longer and straighter, looking almost sharp. He seemed to grow somewhat in size, the once baggy sleeves growing taught over the feathers and muscle beneath them to the point Robert thought they would tear. Where he was once grinning had now stretched from an angry frown to a sharp birds beak. His misshapen eyes grew so black he could see himself reflected in them. Above its head could be seen two deer-like antlers that looked like they were made of ink. Out of the corners of his eyes, he swore he saw the small dark shapes of creatures scuttling about his room.
He looks like an owl…
Robert clamped his mouth shut to keep himself from screaming. If Demons existed, this is what he imagined they would look like. He had never felt so small before... Not since he was a toddler.
“Boy.” The things voice, if you could call it that at this point given it’s bird-like features, was an unnaturally low tone and yet stabbed at his ears with each syllable. Before he could react the things talons had him caged tightly against the wall. Its impossibly black eyes pierced right to the childs very soul.
“Do not take this lightly. You called me here, you must do as the book says or else.”
Robert’s mind scrambled for anything he could say, anything he had read about demons while at the library after school that could help him. He was willing to do anything to stay out of that place. Make any sort of Faustian bargain...
Anything, even if he had to give up his brother.
Or someone else.
“W-wait!” He exclaimed, struggling against the monsters hold. “Wh-what if I get you someone to replace me?”
Now ‘that’ seemed to capture the monsters interest. Its head cocked unnaturally to the side as it studied him.
“Replace you? Now that’s a new one…” It pondered something, seemingly deep in thought as it looked about the room. “I already have your brother, and I prefer taking children above adults. Tell me, do you have any other siblings? Or family members?”
He did not. Robert and Sammy were the youngest ones and their cousins were all young adults now.
“N-no, but why does it have to be my family?”
“Because.” The owl-thing leaned down to regard him closer. “It is YOUR brother after all, so shouldn’t the person you chose in your selfish cowardness also be close to you?”
Robert flinched at the words… now at a loss for what he could possibly do to get out of this. Before he could figure something else out, the monsters black eyes seemed to brighten. Snapping its fingers, it released its hold on him before it reverted back to it’s original sexy rockstar appearance quicker than he could blink.
“I got it!” The thing said, clapping once before it materialized a strange-looking bubble from its hands like a magician and sitting beside him on the ground. “How about giving me one of your descendents?”
Robert blinked, confused at the turn the conversation was taking. It took him a while to even remember what ‘descendent; meant.
“You want… my descendents? I don’t have any.”
“Not yet, but one day you will.”
“But… why would you want.”
“Listen Robert.” The Goblin began, draping an arm over Robert's shoulders dramatically like they were father and son. “These past few centuries have been so terribly dull while I’ve been waiting for a new game. But your proposition made me think; wouldn’t it be better if I could have a game prepared for after this one? That way, I have something to look forward to. I’m still taking your brother of course, but you don’t seem to care for some reason. Why is that?”
Robert looked down at where he was still clutching the book, too ashamed to admit he was terrified of going to that place.
If the tables were turned… Sammy would have come for you. A small voice in his mind said before he quickly pushed it down.
“I… Didn’t like him that much. We have different moms but mine chose to stay, that always made him think he had to prove he was better than me.”
Robert still remembered all the petty arguments, the bullying his brother would always put him through even though they were so similar to each other. They even liked the same girl at school… It was hell.
But now… I never have to worry about him again.
He hated himself for it, for thinking like this about his only brother. The guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life he knew. But this monster was right, he was a selfish person.
The King shrugged, clearly disinterested in his reasoning before he stood and held out the Bubble to him.
“What is it?” Robert asked, feeling entranced by the small thing, like he was being sucked into it.
“Oh, nothing special. Just a little something to ‘sweeten the deal' as they say.”
Robert swore he could hear giggling at that, but when he turned to look there was nothing there.
“So Robert, do we have a deal?”
Robert thought about it hard , he really did. But personally he could never imagine himself as a father, so didn’t really think he would care if his future kid or even their kid was picked.
I don’t think I’ll be alive meet them anyway.
“... Yeah, sure.” He held out his hand to shake. “It’s a deal.”
Instead of shaking his offered hand, The goblin simply placed the bubble-thing it was holding gently on his palm. As soon as it touched his skin it disappeared. Not even a second later, Robert screamed in agony.
It felt like something snapped in his head. His ears buzzed and he held his hands up to them out of fear that he had gone deaf. He felt dizzy, like he had just rode the worlds fastest roller coaster.
“Remember, You might want to keep that little book of yours.” He heard the goblins sing-song voice before that too was lost to him. The last thing he was aware of was seeing small black hands reach out for him from the shadows of his room before he collapsed onto the rug…
………………………………..
When he came to, his head felt like it was filled with water. He groaned, pitching forward on the rug before his eyes snapped open and he sat up despite the feeling that he was gonna throw up. The memories rushing back though somewhat distorted.
“...Sammy?” He called out, looking around his clean room for his brother.
Clean?
Yes, his room was as pristine as a boys room could be, the bed was even fixed. But something was… off. He just couldn’t explain it.
Everything he owned was where it should of been, his toys were all over and his posters were all in their places on the wall.
What is it? What's wrong here?
Outside his room downstairs, he heard the front door open, telling him his dad was back from work.
He bolted out of the room, practically flinging himself down the stairs as he tackled his father. Tears streaming down his face.
“Woah there champ! What's wrong with you?”
“D-dad, it’s awful. S-Sammy was- Sammy’s gone and it’s all my fault!” Robert blubbered, snot dribbling out of his nose as he grew near hysterical. He watched his fathers face contort into confusion before he patted his shoulders to soothe him.
“Okay there. Stop crying and tell me what happened. Who is Sammy?”
“I- I didn’t mean to say it! Sammy and I were just fighting and- And-” Robert stilled, tilting his head up to search his fathers face.
“Dad… What did you say?”
“Who’s Sammy? Is he a friend from school? You know your mother doesn’t like having kids over without telling her.” He patted his shoulder again before moving away and putting his coat on a nearby rack. “I’m sure whatever your argument was about you’ll patch it up. Boys often do.”
Robert didn’t hear whatever it was he said after that, eyes tunneling onto the tiled floor. His headache worsened and he felt like he was gonna puke again. He realized then what was wrong with his room.
His stuff was all there, but his brothers wasn't.
Wait… my brother?
Do I… even have a brother?
Wait… Who the hecks Sammy?
He couldn’t remember why he was crying. His tears stopping almost instantly as he watched his father turn the corner to look at him again.
“Now, if you’re done with being dramatic, come help your mother make dinner.”
Robert smiled.
“Okay Dad.”
………………………………………..
From his spot on the throne, Jareth watched the boy called Robert eat a lovely meal with his parents through his crystal. An amused smile on his face as he watched the boy laugh at something his father said with a mouth full of food.
“Your brothers really something else, isn’t he Sammy?” Jareth chuckled humorously, glancing over to where a newly-made imp was laying pathetically on the stone floor cluttered with toys. It watched the scene of the dinner with its round, sad eyes as it’s limbs twitched. Still getting used to its new body.
As far as imps went, this one looked about average. Its small shriveled hands curled in like a babies as it lay there in the pool of blackness. It’s underdeveloped wings fluttered against its hunched back sporadically as it struggled to stand on its long, spindly bird legs.
The best comparison Jareth could make to what his little army looked like were underdeveloped owl fetuses. It made sense in a way, since Jareth himself had owl attributes as well.
At least I'm not a wyrm like Mairia…
He stared at it as it watched the scene, only feeling a slight discomfort as its incessant wailing, but knew that, like the others of their kind, it would eventually forget it was ever human at all. So for now, he allowed it to grieve the life it could have had as it sat in its dark puddle.
Someone shall have to clean that up later…
Jareth, as well as the rest of the imps, ignored his tears. None shed any of their own out of respect to the new imp. It would be treated and cared for here once it forgot its human name, perhaps even earn a place in Jareth's army if it proved worthy enough. But for now, he allowed it one last glimpse of its life before it faded from its warped mind.
It was the least he could do for them after all. To help them forget.
As the dinner scene unfolded, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited despite how anticlimactic the game ended up being. No one had ever outright refused to play his game before. They all had some form of remorse for their actions and wanted to ‘save’ those they had cursed not moments before. Though he never did tell them that both they and the ones they wished away would be lost to this world no matter what.
But this one… he not only doomed his brother, but his future heir as well. Jareth couldn’t help but admire it in its wickedness. He couldn’t wait to see what sort of person this spoiled brat would be when they grew up.
Maybe he’ll be one of those politician people the human would so despise…
Then there was the future child to think about. The one who would unknowingly take on their ancestors burden and end up playing his game. The possibilities of it made his stomach grumble eagerly.
No, he couldn’t get excited yet, he had to wait after all.
He would only hope the child wouldn’t be like their predecessor.
…………………………………………
To Jareth's surprise, decades after the deal with the young man, the child born from such wicked blood had been anything but.
He watched, almost constantly since he was often bored, as Robert grew into a well respected business man. Oblivious to what he had done as a young boy and forgetting his passion for books, he became very strict both in public and at home. He would often get into fights with his parents until they passed. He had mourned them in his own way, but moved on quickly.
Not once did they remember their other son.
He eventually met someone just as cruel as himself, a little waif of a woman who’s name Jareth immediately forgot because of how uninteresting she was. He eventually had two children with her who they named Robert Jr. and Sammy.
Perhaps some part of him remembered his brother after all.
Regardless, as the years went on. He watched Robert grow old and frail. Forgetful even as his brain began to wither away. Such a pity.
Once, only once on his deathbed, he seemed to recall his long lost brother.
“I’m sorry Sammy… I’m so sorry.”
The new Sammy thought he was talking to him of course, as no one else knew of the siblings existence.
With his passing, there was no one left alive who remembered the original Sammy...
After their fathers death, the new brothers divided up his property fairly. But Jareth was only concerned for the one of the two who grabbed his book. Ironically enough, it was Jr.
He would have laughed if it wasn’t so sad.
He watched both brothers just in case, both growing in their own way but still didn’t peak his interest. He watched as Robert Jr met a girl in college, eventually marrying her and moving into his fathers old house. He was strict, but he was mellow compared to his borderline abusive father. His temperament he inherited was drowned out by his wifes overall friendliness. To Jareth’s surprise, Jr’s mother-in-law believed in the fae. She seemed to sense him observing and would often warn her daughter about staying away from Jr, but by then they had come to love one another too strongly.
Eventually, they had a child together.
A precious baby girl they named Sarah.
As soon as she took her first breath. Jareth felt something within his chest stir.
Somehow, even he wasn’t really sure why. He knew this one was Special.
He watched her grow into a rather willful thing. Deviance at her very core she would steal away from the house and spend her days adventuring in the nearby woods. She would make wild stories with her especially vivid imagination, carrying out entire scenes by herself with her books and toys. Like her grandfather, she loved to read. And would even read aloud to the trees. Jareth and the occupants of the castle had made a habit of watching her performances. It was obvious she was born to perform.
She was selfish, yes, but not to the extent of her grandfather. Not nearly as uncaring as Robert, but merely acted in ways that protected herself from the world around her. Despite being ridiculed as the weirdo in her schools, she pressed on with her imagination. Drawing strange creatures and taking up theatre in highschool much to her parents dismay.
She never gave up.
He knew there was magic there, in her heart and soul, a sort of wonder that didn’t go away as she got older. This was the sort of human that magic loved.
He could feel its interest in her align to his own. Its insistence at getting her growing more insistent over the years. Nearly driving him mad with its persistence.
But for the first time in his long life, he held back.
It wasn’t out of pity, definitely not. He simply felt she was too young, too new to the world. No, for the first time, he didn’t want to take a child. He wanted, no, needed to see what sort of extraordinary person she would become.
He knew he wouldn’t have much time, likely a century at most to take her for the game since humans didn’t live that long. But he felt he had to wait for the right moment.
The right reason. The right thing that could get her to Want to stay even after the game was done.
He wanted her to like his labyrinth, lifeless as it was.
Wanted her to like his subjects, his castle…
Himself.
Perhaps, with the right motives… she would come to his realm willingly.
So he waited, and waited. Eventually, his plan was set into motion once her baby brother was born. A cherubic little thing named Toby roughly 23 years after Sarah came into the world, he knew it would be time soon.
He knew he found his reason to bring her home.