New story!

I'd been tossing this idea around for a while and finally sat down in
front of the computer and did something about it.  Caillean is beta-
reading it for me as I write it, so I'll probably be reposting my
revisions eventually.  But for now, I just couldn't wait, so here
goes nothing!



What if the events of the movie we all know and love weren't merely a
work of fiction, a flight of fancy.

What if Sarah's journey was not her own...


Title: Backstory
Author: Calliope, Labyrinth Muse
Rating: Um, er, no worse than PG-13, I'm sure
Summary: Laby/Neverending Story Crossover.  A closer look at the
events behind the Labyrinth.
Disclaimers: Laby not mine, NeS not mine, Melissa mine


Part 1

"It's not like I burned the house down or anything!  I just forgot to
turn the oven off." The petite brunette threw her hands in the air in
exasperation. "God, mom, make a big deal out of it, why don't you?"

Her mother sighed.  "Melissa, I wouldn't mind, but we've discussed
this before.  You're 17 years old; you should be more responsible."

The girl rolled her eyes.  "I made a mistake.  Big deal."

"But it is a big deal.  I shouldn't have to supervise you
constantly."  Her mom paused.  "Maybe I need to have someone here to
watch you, after all."

"Oh, for crying out loud, mom!  I'm 17, not 7!"  Melissa
exploded.  "The accident ruined my legs, not my mind!  Why can't you
stop treating me like I'm a little kid?!"  And with that, she spun
around and wheeled off down the hallway to the study that had been
converted into a bedroom.  Melissa stopped just inside the doorway
and slammed the door behind her.  At least she could still do that
much.  The wheelchair pretty much made it impossible to storm off
anywhere after a fight.

----------------

Back in the kitchen, the older woman shook her head as she leaned
back against the countertop.  "Oh, Melissa, I know it's hard for you,
but it's hard for me, too."  Biting back tears, she moved to the sink
to start the dishes.  "I just wish your father was still here.  You
two always did get along better than we did.  But after the accident,
I don't know, he just wasn't the same anymore."  With a sigh, she
started filling the sink.

"I guess none of us were."

----------------

Melissa slumped in her wheelchair and looked around the makeshift
bedroom.  "God, this sucks.  I can't even get to my own room
anymore!"  Slowly, she wheeled herself over to the room's single
window.  From there, she could see the old oak tree she used to
climb.  "This is so not fair!"

Slamming the windows shut, she turned the chair and headed over to
the bookshelves lining the far wall.  "Well, at least my eyesight's
still ok."  She skimmed the volumes, trying to decide what best fit
her mood.  "Anne of Green Gables, Secret Garden, The Witching Hour…"
She paused near the end of the shelf.  "The Labyrinth?  I don't
remember this one." she said, pulling out a slim, leather-bound
book.  "Must have been one of dad's."

As she wheeled herself back over to the window, the light caught the
gold lettering on the cover of the book and the words seemed to glow
with an otherworldly glow for a moment.  Melissa blinked.  "That was
funny."  Tilting the book, she looked closer at the lettering. 
Nothing seemed different.  "Hm, must have been imagining things." 
Settling herself more comfortably in the chair, Melissa opened the
book to the first page.  "The Labyrinth." She read.  Flipping to the
next page, she was surprised to find it blank.  "No author?  Weird." 
Flipping past the table of contents, she began to read  "It was early
evening, and the sun was just settling behind the trees.  As a gentle
wind stirred the trees surrounding the pond, a young girl in a white
dress walked across the small footbridge and into the clearing.  Her
voice was unsure, but strong…."

----------------

"Give me the child."  Sarah paused, facing her adversary.  "Through
dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here
to the castle beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that you
have stolen."  Her tone grew more forceful as dark clouds gathered on
the horizon.  "For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as
great!"  She paused again, unsure this time, a distant rumble of
thunder acknowledging her weakness.  "My kingdom as great," she tried
once more.

With a sigh, she gave in.  "Damn!  I can never remember that line!" 
Rustling around in her voluptuous sleeve, she pulled out a small book
bound in leather, the words "The Labyrinth" stamped in gold upon the
cover.

----------------

Melissa shook her head.  "No way."  She flipped back to the cover of
the book.  "No frickin' way."  Shaking her head again, she resumed
reading.

----------------

Flipping through the book, Sarah finally located the passage she was
looking for.  With the air of one resigned to the fact that they had
just forgotten possibly the simplest part of the whole bit, she read
aloud: "You have no power over me."

At the words, "his highness" gave a few short barks of
encouragement.  "Oh, Merlin…"

Somewhere behind the trees, bells rang out the hour.  Sarah's head
snapped up.  "I don't believe it, Merlin, it's seven o'clock!" 
Gathering up her skirts to reveal ordinary blue jeans and penny
loafers, she turned and started running back towards the
bridge.  "Come on, Merlin!"

Cutting corners and dashing through backyards, Sarah hurried home as
the rain began to fall.  She and Merlin were soaked through by the
time they reached the old Victorian home.  "Oh, it's not fair!" she
wailed as she ran up the walk.

On the front porch, a woman in a silk blouse and linen skirt waited,
glancing pointedly at her watch.  "Oh, really!" she said,
disapproving.  "Well, don't just stand there in the rain, come on!"

Sarah gathered up her dripping skirt and started up the porch
steps.  "Come on, Merlin."

The woman shook her head.  "Not the dog!"

"But it's pouring!"  Sarah looked up at her stepmother in pleading. 
But her only response was the woman pointing towards the side
yard.  "Go on, into the garage."

With a sigh, Sarah turned back to Merlin.  "Go on, Merlin, go into
the garage."  With mournful eyes, the sheepdog plodded off towards
the other building.  Sarah, in the meantime, stormed past her
stepmother and into the house.  The woman followed her.

"Sarah, you're an hour late – "

"I said I'm sorry!" Sarah interjected, stung.

"Please let me finish!  Your father and I go out very rarely and –"

Sarah interrupted once more.  "You go out every single weekend!"

"And I ask you to baby-sit only if it won't interfere with your
plans!"  Her stepmother took a breath to try and calm herself down. 
Sarah took the opportunity to interrupt once more.

"How do you know what my plans are?  You don't even ask me anymore!"

"I assume you'd tell me if you had a date.  I-I'd like it if you had
a date.  You should have dates at your age."

By now, Sarah was halfway up the stairs.  She nearly ran over her
father, who was coming down with the baby.  "Sarah, we were worried
about you," he said, half-concern, half-reprimand.

Sarah only heard the reprimand.  "I can't do anything right, can
I?!"  She cried, storming the rest of the way upstairs to her bedroom
and slamming the door behind her.

----------------

Melissa paused in her reading.  "Gee, who does that sound like?  Girl
makes one simple mistake and her mom's all over her.  Besides, it's
not like she was late on purpose.  It was just an accident, that's
all."  Setting the book in her lap, she wheeled herself over to the
pole lamp in the corner and turned it on.  Resituating herself in the
chair, she picked up the book again.  "But what does this have to do
with some stupid maze?"  She flipped forwards a few pages and
continued reading:

----------------

Still furious over the missing stuffed animal, Sarah stormed down the
hall to her parents' bedroom, where her baby brother's crib was
located.  "I hate you!  I hate you!"  Snatching up the bear from the
floor beneath the crib, she clutched it to her and spun to face the
French doors.  "Someone save me, someone take me away from this awful
place!"

Outside the windows, thunder rumbled as the storm grew in power.

----------------

Melissa jumped as a flash of lightning split the sky.  "Whoa, some
storm."  Looking back at the book, she shook her head.  "Weird."

----------------

"Do you want a story?  Fine, I'll tell you a story."

Halfheartedly rocking Toby, Sarah began her tale, "Once upon a time,
there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her
stay home with the baby.  And the baby was a spoiled child, and
wanted everything for himself and the young girl was practically a
slave."  Like any good storyteller, she paused, allowing her audience
to absorb her words.  Toby took this opportunity to cry even
harder.  "But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had
fallen in love with the girl and had given her special powers.  So
one night, when the baby'd been particularly cruel to her, she called
on the goblins for help."

***

Somewhere, in a land far away, two eyes appeared in the
darkness.  "Listen!" a voice hissed.

***

If he was at all frightened by the words of her story, Toby didn't
show it.  If anything, his cries increased in volume.  "Oh, Toby,
stop it!"  When he showed no signs of stopping, Sarah held him in
front of her, nose to nose.  "I'll say the words!"  Appearing to
reconsider, she looked to the side.  "No, I mustn't…I mustn't say…I
wish…I wish…."

***

More eyes opened.  "She's going to say it!"

"Say what?"

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!  Listen, she's going to say The Words!"

***

Holding Toby high above her head, Sarah cried out.  "Goblin King,
Goblin King, wherever you may be: take this child of mine far away
from me!"

***

Disappointed sighs filled the room.  "That's not it!  Where'd she get
that rubbish?  It doesn't even start with `I wish'"

***

When her only reply was more thunder, Sarah slowly lowered Toby back
into his cradle.  "Oh, I wish I did know what to say to make the
goblins come and take you away."  Turning, she walked to the door.

***

Disappointment turned to impatience.  " `I wish the goblins would
come and take you away, right now' That's not hard, is it?!"

***

As if she had heard, Sarah paused in the doorway.  Turning back to
face the room, she reached for the light switch.  "I wish the goblins
would come and take you away."  She flipped the light switch.  "Right
now."  Turning, she left the room and headed down the hall.  Halfway
to her room, she stopped.  Toby had stopped crying awfully quickly. 
Walking back towards her parents' bedroom, she called out "Toby?" 
When no reply was forthcoming, she walked into the room.  Trying the
light switch, she slowly started over to the crib, dreading what she
might find.  Thunder rumbled ominously as she mustered the courage to
lift the coverlet.

A flash of lightning illuminated the room.  Sarah jumped back,
shocked to find her baby brother gone.  At the doors, a single owl
fought to get in.

----------------

"Sarah cried out as the doors burst open, allowing the owl access to
the room.  Instinctively shielding her face, she backed away from the
frantic creature.  As the wind calmed, a strange silence fell upon
the room.  Slowly, she lowered her arms –"

It was at that instant that three things happened in quick
succession: a crack of thunder filled the room, almost instantly
followed by a bright flash of lightning.  Melissa shrieked and threw
the book across the room as the lights sizzled out.

"Oh dear."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Onwards to Part 2!


Title: Backstory
Author: Calliope, Labyrinth Muse
Rating: Um, er, no worse than PG-13, I'm sure
Summary: Laby/Neverending Story Crossover
Disclaimers: Laby not mine, NES not mine, Melissa mine


Part 2

The flashlight balanced in her lap, Melissa carefully wheeled herself
down the hallway.  There was no movement upstairs, so that meant her
mom hadn't woke up.  Quietly, Melissa rooted through the junk drawer
until she found a pack of matches.  She turned and wheeled back down
the hallway to her room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She made her way around the room, lighting the various candles that
adorned the shelves.  Satisfied with the light they made, Melissa
turned off the flashlight and headed back over to the table where the
book lay.  "Man, this is weird," she said, examining the book.  "It's
like I'm really going through everything Sarah's going through." 
Shaking her head, she laughed at herself.  "God, I sound like a 12-
year-old.  It's a story, Melissa.  Not real."

Outside, the thunder rumbled ominously.  Melissa jumped as another
flash of light illuminated the room.  "And there are no such thing as
goblins.  It's just make-believe."  With a decisive nod, she reopened
the book and continued reading: "The Goblin King stood before her,
tall and terrible.  With a smirk, he addressed the shaking
girl.  `And are you so sure of that, Melissa?'"

Melissa froze, transfixed by the words on the page.  "What?!" 
Disbelieving, she slammed the book shut.  "No way.  This is too
weird."  As she set the book aside, there was another clap of
thunder.  "It's just a storm, that's all.  Just a storm.  And
that's"  She turned to address the volume on the desk.  "just a
book."  She turned and started to wheel herself over to the bed.

But something stopped her.  Something made her stop and turn back to
the desk.  Rationalizing, she picked up the book again.  "Well, I
guess this is as good as anything to read on a stormy night. 
Besides," she said decisively, "It's only a book."

Settling herself more comfortably in the wheelchair, she continued
reading: "Sarah's eyes were as large as dinner plates.  `You're him,
aren't you?  You're the Goblin King!  I want my brother back, please,
if it's all the same…'"

----------------

The Goblin King regarded her carefully.  "What's said is said."

Sarah shook her head.  "But, I didn't mean it!"

"Oh, you didn't?"

Nearly in tears, Sarah pleaded with the king.  "Please, where is he?"

"You know very well, where he is."  When she appeared to gather
herself for the challenge, Jareth changed tactics.  "Sarah, go back
to your room, play with your toys and your costumes.  Forget about
the baby."  A feral smile. "I've brought you a gift."  With a flick
of his wrist, a clear crystal ball appeared at his fingertips.

Mesmerized, Sarah could only watch as he rolled the ball effortlessly
from hand to hand.  Entranced, she reached out.  "What is it?"

Smiling even wider, Jareth held the crystal out "It's a crystal,
nothing more.  But if you turn it this way and look into it, it will
show you're your dreams."  With the air of a predator luring in his
prey, he drew back slightly.  "But this is not a gift for an ordinary
girl who takes care of a screaming baby."  Once again, he held it out
to her.  "Do you want it?  Then, forget about the baby."

----------------

"Duh, Sarah, real tough choice there!"  Turning the page, Melissa
sighed.  "I wish the Goblin King would come offer me one of those
crystals.  I've got so many dreams."  She shot her worthless legs a
look of derision.  "Most of which will never come true now."  She
continued reading.  "Sarah shook her head, trying to clear her
thoughts.  Could this man really give her what she dreamed of?  But
was she willing to pay such a dear price for them?"

----------------

"I can't, don't you see that I can't?  I have to get my brother
back."  Steeling herself for what lie ahead, Sarah turned to face the
giant maze.  "It doesn't look that hard."

"It's further than you think."  Sarah jumped at the close proximity
of the Goblin King.  With another feral smile, he took a step
back.  "And time is short."  Raising an arm, he pointed to the clock
that had just appeared on the branches of the nearby tree.  "You have
thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your baby
brother becomes one of us, forever."  His voice faded to an echo as
his body disappeared.  "Such a pity."

Sarah sighed as the sun rose over the maze.  "Well, come on feet." 
She started down the hill towards the great walls that enclosed the
Labyrinth…

----------------

With a snort, she finished the passage.  "Oh, come on, Sarah.  You
said it yourself; he's in love with you.  You should have taken the
crystal.  Do you really think he wouldn't have given you your brother
back if you'd only asked?"  Shaking her head, she flipped to the next
chapter.  "But, no, you had to do things the hard way!"  Still
frowning, she started reading.

----------------

Sarah stood just inside the great doors and looked first to one side,
then the other.

"Cozy, isn't it!"  When she jumped, the dwarf laughed.  "Now then,
would you go left or right?"

She looked back and forth again.  Looking down at Hoggle, she
asked, "Which way would you go?  They both look the same."

"Humph, shows what you know, don't it?  Me?  I wouldn't go either
way!"  Hoggle seemed particularly pleased by his answer and laughed
some more.  "You know what your problem is?  You take too much for
granted.  Take this Labyrinth, for instance: even if you do get to
the center, you'll never get out again."

Sarah gave an exasperated sigh.  "If that's all the help you're going
to be, you can just leave!"

Obviously annoyed that his companion did not find him the least bit
amusing, Hoggle turned to do just that.  "Well, don't say I didn't
warn you."  With a wave of his stubby arms, the doors slammed shut
behind him, trapping Sarah within the great maze.

Alone, and starting to feel just a little afraid, Sarah stood before
the closed doors, wondering how in the world she was going to get
herself out of this one.

----------------

"Well, for crying out loud, don't just stand there!"  Melissa
exploded, already annoyed with the bewildered girl.  "You've got
thirteen hours, the maze is friggin' huge, you might want to consider
getting started sometime today!  You said it yourself; they both look
the same.  So pick a direction and walk in it!" She turned the page.

"Sarah started down the seemingly endless corridor.  `What do they
mean "Labyrinth?"  There aren't any turns or corners or anything; it
just goes on and on!'" 

Once again, Melissa rolled her eyes.  "Sarah, didn't you hear what
the dwarf said?  You're taking it for granted it does.  How do you
know there isn't a turn ten feet in front of you?"  She continued
reading.

----------------

It was as if a light bulb had just turned on.  "Maybe it doesn't." 
New hope appeared in Sarah's eyes.  "Maybe I'm just taking it for
granted that it does."

----------------

Melissa smiled.  "See, you should listen to me more often!"  Rolling
her eyes, she recalled the earlier scene in the kitchen.  "I could
say that of a lot of people."

----------------

With renewed energy, Sarah started running down the path, dodging
roots and branches that seemed to reach out from the walls and floor
to catch her.  Finally, spent, she collapsed against the stone wall
and buried her head in her hands.

"'Allo."

Sarah jumped.  Looking around for the source of the voice, she
spotted a small, blue worm on a small ledge.  "Did you just
say `hello'?"

The worm shook his head.  "No, I said `allo.  But that's close
enough."

"You're a worm, aren't you?"  Sarah asked, giving her companion a
closer look.

He smiled.  "Yeah, that's right."

Sarah's eyes lit up.  "Do you know the way through this Labyrinth?"

Dismayed, the worm shook his head.  "Nah, I'm just a worm.  Come
inside, meet the missus."

Wondering how she was ever supposed to fit into such a tiny abode,
Sarah shook her head.  "No, thank you.  I have to solve this
Labyrinth, but there aren't any turns or openings: it just goes on
forever!"

"Of course there are, it's just you ain't seeing them.  The
Labyrinth's full of openings.  There's one right across there."  The
worm nodded towards the wall across the way.

Sarah looked towards the outer wall, puzzled.  "No, there isn't."

Shaking his head, the worm tried again.  "Of course there is.  You
try walking through it, you'll see what I mean."

Doubtful, but willing to humor the small creature, Sarah stood up and
started towards the wall.  Hands raised, she took a step forward and
found herself walking through was had appeared to be a solid wall
only a moment ago.  Thrilled, she started to the left, but was
brought up short by the worm calling after her.  "Hang on!  Don't go
that way!  Never go that way!"

Sarah looked from side to side and shrugged.  "Oh, thanks."  With
that, she headed down the path to the right.

The worm shook his head.  "If she'd have kept on going down that way,
she'd have gone straight to that castle."  Satisfied that he'd done
his good deed for the day, the worm turned to head back inside.

----------------

"Sarah, there's a fine line between not taking things for granted and
just totally going along with everything!"  Melissa gave a sigh of
exasperation.  "You should have asked the little bug why not!  Now
you've probably added hours to the journey!"  Flipping ahead a few
pages, Melissa mused out loud.  "I wonder what King Jareth is up to…"