Labyrinth

Faire Friends

Summary: Post canon. Believers meet & confer over what others deem "impossible" or "not reality" leading Sarah to reevaluate her stance on a certain fantasy king. Essentially a prequel to "Said I Wouldn't Call;" Self-insertion, sudo-crossover. J/S implied.

Author's Notes: This is in a way a prequel to my songfic "Said I Wouldn't Call" although it does not have to be read to enjoy that piece which stands well alone. There is a possibility of a prequel or two to this prequel… or at least tie-in prequel/stories that in my mind/imagination are connected. As said in the summary this is a self-insertion with a hint of crossover so if you don't like, don't read. This was based on a repeating dream I've been having and the jumbled dream-notes jotted down of a morning which I "smoothed" and coalesced for an easier to read story. Unfortunately a lot of the direct dialog was remembered with a general "feel" and knowing what things were shared more than straight conversation-recall as I would have preferred. I wasn't planning to share this… but feeling an inexplicable compulsion to post it paired with a lovely reviewer PMing me encouragement to go for it I dredged up the courage and here we are. Thanks Lita!

I own neither Labyrinth nor any characters or concepts that might come from other stories or songs (which I'm not listing separately 'cause half the fun is seeing if they can be figured out :winks:). I hope only to gain a sense of relief in posting this fanfiction and anything else that might be inadvertently earned will not be monetary but likely lovely intangibles.

Faire Friends

"Sarah? Sarah Williams?"

Dark chocolate hair threaded with silver but still thick with waves blurred her vision as it fanned upon the air with the force of her spin. Mossy green eyes widened behind new spectacles at the young woman who had so easily called her name. In a state of shock Sarah let her eyes flick over the stranger who permitted the perusal with something of a mixture of curiosity, excitement, and patience. The woman looked to be in her mid twenties and although she took advantage of the Renaissance Festival to dress up she was not a prisoner of the time period. Nor, even, the realm. Two swords looked to be stage-combat worthy, the others fun replicas from video games if Sarah remembered right. Her hair was a warm honey-brown with natural highlights of gold and strawberry-red; long and braided in a simple yet complex manner that reminded Sarah of 'slave' Princess Leia in Jabba's palace, its tail falling somewhere past her waist. Layered long, silk skirts of red and green over white gathered at her waist and fell down in falls giving glimpses of thick but fit thighs while fully exposing calves and slender ankles. Her waist was slim over wide hips, her barely peeking midriff revealing hints of orange and yellow on her right that were likely the flames of some sort of tattoo. Another tattoo swirled elegantly from the left of her neck down into her cleavage-revealing, almost period-style sleeveless blouse and bodice with a twist of green that put Sarah in mind of ivy although her thoughts kept whispering roses due to the red spots mingled about. She wore separate long sleeves that laced in place at her bicep and bore intricate twining vine-rose detail where they belled at her wrists over green, open-fingered gloves. White sunglasses pushed up on her head bore what looked like her name on one fiery lens and looked like they had just been pushed up there to reveal warm, brown eyes ringed with green and flecked with gold which studied Sarah's face with concern, joy, and wonder beneath naturally thick, long eyelashes.

"What are you?" Sarah blurted out.

The woman giggled, her eyes dancing. "Like?" She did a little sashay with her skirts and laughed warmly. "I call it "time pirate."" Here she winked while fiddling with a small marshmallow crossbow Sarah had previously overlooked. The boy with her laughed, bouncing with barely contained energy. "Gives me an excuse and background to wear what I want."

Everything about her clothes colors were 'off' for this festival. Her leathers other than those holding the weapons were brilliant white as where her wedge-heeled Mary Jane shoes, somehow cleaner than they should be; relatively un-scuffed. Everything else bore hints of brown and gold but favored brilliant red or green. Perhaps unsurprising the latter were the colors of her male companion –a man taller than her with a long mane of hair red as blood and eyes green as the brightest emeralds. Oddly enough with his very Irish coloring his face held an Asian slant, particularly Japanese. However his garments were of a more Chinese fighting style down to the battle-slippers. He observed as one accustomed to doing so, nodding a greeting before squatting down to hold a quiet conversation with the young boy.

The boy could be no more than eight to ten, his hair a lighter shade leaning more towards blonde than the woman clearly his mother and sporting more traces of red than hers –particularly in the sunlight. In contrast to the adults his hair was markedly short yet though soft enough to be fine it was thick enough and certainly in abundance to not reveal any of his scalp. His eyes were so dark as to appear practically black, reminding Sarah of those credited Native Americans. Other than the hint of red in his hair he bore no resemblance to the man, in neither appearance nor actions. In fact… he acted like neither of them though she could see his mother's influence upon him. Or perhaps it was the matching marshmallow crossbow tucked into his belt and the wooden sword at his side. Giving a huge smile he clutched tight and pocketed the bills given him and with quick, hasty hugs to the couple and even a wave to Sarah he sprinted off towards the games.

"They really did do a good job of casting, didn't they?"

Sarah blinked at the unexpected choice of conversation. "Huh? Who?"

The woman's smile was sympathetically sad while soft and mysteriously knowing. "The ones who filmed The Labyrinth."

Speaking of the Labyrinth Sarah felt as if she had just ran down one of the long stone corridors only to slam against an unyielding wall when expecting to walk straight through an illusion. "H-how… why would you say that?"

The younger woman sighed even as she stepped closer. Her head tilted and she spoke softly, clearly not wanting to draw others beyond Sarah and her companion into the conversation. "Why do you think?"

Leaving it there a moment the woman stopped and smiled warmly at her and Sarah could not help but feel… well she could not put a word to it but it was definitely pleasant. Like being found and not being alone. 'It's like she understands… there's more out there. Like I don't have to hide.' Considering this Sarah nodded when she was asked to walk with them a while. "Will your son be okay if we move?"

Clearly touched by her thoughtfulness the woman beamed. "That's so sweet of you to worry for him!" The green was growing in her eyes causing Sarah to stare in wonder at the phenomenon. "Thank you, but he'll be fine. Theron never gets lost anymore."

There was something in her tone that set Sarah's thoughts racing. 'Anymore… like he once used to get lost or something happened where he can't or won't get lost anymore. Her voice sounds more mysterious than saddened so I don't think it was anything bad that happened. But what could it be? And how did she know my name? How did she recognize me? I'm no longer young enough to sometimes be mistaken for the actress who played… well… me.'

"Ah. There it is." Lost in her own thoughts Sarah just caught on that they had been walking back and forth before the same three booths for a few minutes now. A shimmer ahead of them had her blinking her eyes to try and clear them. "Don't." The woman chastised gently, her warm hand lightly touching Sarah's elbow in a guiding fashion. Her eyes flickered with a light of otherworldly understanding. "That's it." She continued, almost as if sensing Sarah's relaxing and growing trust or her thoughts of memories from her twelve hours in the Labyrinth. "Just don't fight it."

A glance at her following companion showed a vision of calm. He strolled with his hands in his pockets causing a slight bunching of his tunic-like shirt where it fell past the sash at his waist as if nothing in this world could harm him and his. Those other-worldly green eyes of his never left the woman at Sarah's side and yet she had the impression he missed nothing of went on around him. As if even through his intelligent calm there was always a warrior just beneath the surface ever on watchful alert.

All of a sudden Sarah blinked. Looking around they were on a path in a place that felt much more like the Labyrinth than anywhere else, certainly bearing little resemblance to the almost crowded faux village shops at the faire. "How…?" Sarah began before words failed her and she merely looked at the couple with an expression hoping for answers.

"Oh –We're not in the Labyrinth." The woman began, cheerfully sympathetic before her face fell into perplexity. "At least I don't think so, though they could be connected I suppose. I haven't traveled all of it yet." Giving a sheepish smile she took a little sidestep and gently swept her arm towards their immediate landscape. "We're through the veil." It was announced with merry grandness. "The edges anyway. The veil's thin here making it easier to cross. There's a few of them around about."

"I'm sorry… what?" Sarah shook her head, beyond confused. "How does anyone find them?"

Brown eyes that had lightened crinkled again in thoughtful if perplexed contemplation. "I can't say for you, or anyone else really. Everyone sees differently, you know? I mean… that's true with just regular sight, even if scientists have been able to explain in a general way I know there are minute discrepancies in comparing color and distances in particular not to mention everything else. But "sight" sight…" Her lip was nibbled as the woman smiled lightly with her eyes catching Sarah's briefly as if in forgiveness or embarrassment. "I can only tell you how it is for me: there's a feeling, a tingling or just this sense that there's more around me than is "accepted," then my vision blurs a bit until becoming like a double-exposed photo of two different scenes." Her grin turned wry and she winced slightly. "Kinda gives me a headache 'cause the images "flip" back and forth which is dominant. That… and sometimes the voices and other sounds mix –like listening to too many radio stations at once." Brown eyes clouded over, the green rings visible earlier fading for a moment as the woman muttered something about how it always sounded like multiple radios were on when her shields were not up before finding her mate.

Sarah blinked at the influx of information, deciding to disregard what sounded like personal utterances for a later time and date to focus on the answer given. 'Okay… that makes sense, in a way. At least I can picture what she's describing, imagining where we were before and now here. I'm not sure if I noticed anything to find it myself though.'

"Don't worry if you didn't notice anything." Moss green eyes blinked at the woman who seemed to have responded to Sarah's unspoken thoughts. She could really appreciate the other woman's hairstyle at this angle for she had turned away slightly from Sarah to casually observe the fantastical local flora. It was distracting, though she was impressed to note all the hair was natural and not add-ons or extensions. "We've been so conditioned in acceptable "reality" that those of us who can see things deemed "of fantasy/legend/myth" or whatnot usually either go insane, are deemed insane when we're fool enough to speak of it to non-believers, or learn to block it within ourselves to either try and fit in or cut back the temptation in fear of bringing on one of the other results."

Now Sarah knew it: the woman was intentionally avoiding looking her directly in the eyes. Although her chipper tone was light and seemingly carefree it had pulled at the end there, as if trying to smile through something terribly painful. Her conclusion was confirmed when she caught the male's eyes. They seemed so ancient as they spoke silently to her before he gave a single nod. Opening her mouth to comment Sarah stopped as his companion's voice began again.

"And sometimes… we hold back or even sabotage our growth despite our belief in fear of ourselves. We're not all lucky to have reminders of what proof we come across, Sarah." No denying it now: the ache of old sadness not yet healed, of the sorrow from waiting only too recently brought to fruition was both in the woman's softer tone and billowed about her like waves. Sarah choked back a sob, seeing the woman's eyes fill with tears as she felt her own obscuring her vision. She knew this feeling, if not the intensity. That of missing the Labyrinth -of missing Him- even with her continual contact and visits with her friends and other Labyrinth denizens.

"You do keep in contact with them, don't you?"

Sarah blinked, taken aback. "Yes. Yes of course." The resulting smile was brilliant, if somewhat bittersweet; happy for Sarah yet slightly envious of her as well. Sarah supposed… she could understand. Slowly she drew in a breath, for just one moment dwelling on her gratefulness that she had such a connection. Ashamed that she had in this instance overlooked one of the greatest lessons of the Labyrinth: she had taken it for granted.

"I'm so happy for you, to have that." It was honest, this woman's happiness for her. It was surprising and refreshing. "How close… I mean was the movie pretty accurate?" This woman was such a conundrum to read at times. Like now, starting as if a wistful, dreamy child before shifting into cheerful, eager youth in her tone. It did not help that she was asking such a question; one Sarah wondered why there was such certainty in the stranger that the movie was based on truth.

"Yes. Surprisingly so. I mean… I can only vouch for what I experienced: I don't know how he was on his own but Hoggle did relay that one bit to me and the other encounters were pretty dead on…" oh Nelly, she was rambling. And about him. 'Change course! Change course!' "Of course they did have to cut back some things: fitting eleven hours into two but the inhabitants were really close and the outfits…" Visions of the Goblin King's multiple costume changes flashed through her mind. 'Not any better!' Sarah really had to stop talking. Now. "How did you…?"

"I'd hoped so. I dreamed so." The woman answered the unfinished question with a bemused if childlike smile that nearly had Sarah believing in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy all over again –even if on the latter she knew better. Who wanted some biting pest entering their child's bedroom for a tooth? "I wondered how much was pure imagination and how much was premeditated inspiration." The women's eyes met and though she already felt it Sarah thought it now that their friendship so newly forged could like that with her Labyrinth companions last forever if she allowed it. "I couldn't imagine one such as the Goblin King permitting anything that exposed him in such lights without him being directly responsible for it –for having some other agenda. Why else allow such a show of emotion?"

Again Sarah was knocked from her footing mentally. Why had she never thought of such a possibility? Could he really…? Would that mean he thought of her? Had it been intentional… part of some plan? If so… then what? The brunette gulped. "I don't know about during the stairs… I didn't hear any music really then although the movie's song certainly would have fit the mood. But… at the confrontation… at the end…" Her voice dried out and stopped leaving Sarah to swallow roughly though her throat felt tight while her eyes became irritated.

Sympathetically the woman held out a plastic lined water pouch. Even amid the reopened indecision and uncertainty Sarah had to smile at the confliction. "I take it they got that pretty accurate then. Makes one wonder, why he'd expose himself like that. Especially so soon after it happening. I mean… it couldn't have been long after you left that he sent the dreams."

No… it was not long at all.

"They did a good job then?"

Nodding, thoughts drifting from the here and now Sarah responded with less inhibition than she would usually wield. "They couldn't have found someone better to portray the Goblin King."

"Oh?" Her new friend orated teasingly, light dancing in the gold flecks of her brown eyes as she watched Sarah shift uncomfortably realizing what she had inadvertently revealed. "That's a relief."

Relieved that she apparently would not be harrowed over the matter Sarah gratefully accepted the companionable silence that seeped around them.

With softly sad thoughtfulness the woman turned towards a flowering bush bearing a resemblance to western roses. Emotions rolled around her, and Sarah swore she was beginning to believe in empathy and the inadvertent sharing of emotions because it certainly felt like she was feeling things other than what she knew she was feeling. Old sadness, new worry… and now suddenly an inexplicable, hopeful joy which Sarah was hard pressed to determine if it was real or contrived or some strange melding of both. It made her worry that her new friend was somewhat bi-polar before accepting that if she was it was an intrinsic part of her personality and slightly charming in an amusing way. However there was no denying the cheery little tune that started to emanate from the female's vocal cords. She had a light soprano that seemed more suited to opera than the nostalgic pop tune she was currently vocalizing.

As the singer shimmied with childish abandon in the appropriate shake-it part of the chorus what she was singing registered to Sarah making her moss-green eyes widen. She would have expected the recorded song from the ballroom as instinctively Sarah knew her friend was more prone to ballads, so why this particular song? It was one of the artist's more obscure singles, but one she knew rather well. But that this woman should sing this particular song now after dredging up questions, doubts, and (God help her) wishes which she had squelched deep inside her for so many years was both painful and frightening. Especially with the dangerous hope that suddenly surged within her. Becoming growingly frantic Sarah took two steps towards the singer, hand lifting to touch her shoulder –to stop her. As if in doing so she would stop the mutinous thoughts and feelings breaking through her carefully erected barriers.

"Think about it." A low, thoughtful voice uttered with a murmur, stopping her motion. He caught Sarah's eyes with his own of brilliant green and though he did she could tell much of his attention remained on the blithely singing woman as it had their entire association.

She stared at the man in wonder, trying to drown out the repeated lyrics in the background. Shrewdly she narrowed her eyes. "Why…? What's in it for you?"

Slanted eyes flicked to his female tenderly with an age and longing that drew Sarah's breath short in her chest the way it brought to mind the pleading face of the Goblin King. Softly the man's thoughtful voice whispered across the space between them. "It is more of a repayment."

Realization dawned. Sarah stared at the calm, agelessly patient male with wide eyes. "He found her. He led you to her."

His long red hair shifted even at his slight affirmative gesture. "Even the most powerful of us have our limitations. I could not find her among the billions, and he…" Too knowing eyes bored into her soul. "He cannot reach you without your leave."

She could feel his too-perceptive eyes scan her as if reading her thoughts from her pose. "And whether he thinks of you or not, he cannot come without your call."

Something she refused to name lurched then sank heavily into the pit of her stomach. "He… told you that?"

Sympathetic eyes did not shy away. "Do you honestly think that if he was hurting he would?"

Sarah shook her head mutely. "But then how…"

Slanted green eyes softened and lost focus. "I could see the pain of separation in his eyes; recognized it, even if I'd only felt connected through dreams I knew the ache. That and an oxymoronic feeling of wielding power but feeling powerless. Like there was something always out of reach for which our souls longed."

Swallowing heavily the brunette nodded her understanding, even if inside she was fighting the implications. 'But that's not what I meant! I just wanted to save Toby… not necessarily never see Him again…! How could reciting those lines have done all that? They're just words!'

"You know better than anyone that words have power, Sarah. Even more so, to those who are bound by them." Brown eyes seeming to bear the weight of the world sadly bore through hers and into her soul before quoting softly. ""What's said is said," isn't that right?"

Sarah mutely nodded wanting to hide in her falls of hair. She did not want to think about how it was likely her fault she had not heard from him… did not want to think about how much she wanted to think about him. Or dwell at all on the notion that her years of loneliness was more her own doing than she had ever consciously admitted before. Sarah knew her once childhood villain and the sensations that filled her around him was the basis to which all males seeking a relationship with her were compared. Of course none could ever match up to a faery tale. But there was no way he could possibly feel anything positive for her, was there? That was even if he thought of her at all…

The tip of a braid bounced in Sarah's periphery. "Nothing like that feeling like there's nothing like it, huh?" A giggle followed the rather abstract statement lightening the otherwise serious mood. "That's how I was after dreaming of meeting him when I finally let myself." The honeyed head bobbed towards the silent again male, a look of adoration in the brown eyes with growing green rings and gold flecks. Those eyes flicking back towards Sarah spoke volumes alone. "I'm a little jealous, you know? You always knew yours was at least real and not just wishful thinking or an overactive imagination." She gave a wistful sigh. "Sometimes I think I would have liked that: waiting forever. It was what all my daydreams were, growing up as a child and wanting one true love. But then… I wouldn't have Theron, and his late father really was my best friend." Brown flashed between two pairs of green with an odd, mysterious smile Sarah could not quite define. "And he did give me direction and faith to find my redhead."

Said redhead chuckled as if at some inner joke and Sarah realizing there was a lot more to this than told quickly determined that today was not the day for delving into it. Not when cryptic and vague were apparently the hallmarks. She was curious, but would prefer to save any such conversation for another time when she was not already so discombobulated.

"I didn't know what I could do… nothing I "saw" showed how to get from point A to point B which didn't help with all the doubt no matter how much I believed." A cheeky if wry grin was shot Sarah's direction. "Turns out I did very little, but it must've been enough of a catalyst 'cause I'm here now." A shared look that Sarah was tempted to accuse of being PDA conveyed so much between the pair who had only so far been comfortably casual with their physical affections brought a tingle of longing racing through the brunette. "I don't know if you're lucky or not to have the power. It's your call."

While Sarah debated the likelihood of her friend's double entendre she was distracted by a disappointed sigh. "Well… guess we should probably go back. Theron's probably out of game tickets by now."

Disappointment struck Sarah with a jolt. She did not want to leave. Never had she felt such connections with humans before, other than Toby. Thankfully he had never grown out of fairy stories either. As if reading her thoughts like so many other times this day the self-proclaimed "time pirate" laughed. "Don't worry: we'll call." The Labyrinth Champion warmed, amused by the allusion. The forthcoming quote however while similarly comforting left her in such an urge for contemplation that she was of two minds. "Things aren't always what they seem." The wink of a brown eye before darting merrily at the redhead was the icing on Sarah's confusion cake. "But you can trust your heart."

Knowing she would overanalyze everything later for she had much over which to think, Sarah accepted her new friend's potentially conflicting, cryptic statement with nearly the ease of which she did their abruptly linked elbows and subsequent jolly pace. Somehow she found herself immersed in a stimulating philosophical discussion pertaining to the various mythological creatures of different areas and cultures considering variations in similar beings and theorizing reasons for the shifts. It was stimulating, and soothing in its own way. It was not personal, so Sarah was able to settle from the recent invigoration of her secreted emotions.

They were in the middle of comparing the Greek and Chinese phoenix when she felt a tingle travel through her body. It was not until a few minutes later that Sarah registered what it was.

She had been led back through the veil.

The bustle of patrons, musicians, showmen, and street performers between merchant shops was a bit of a culture shock after the subtler magic and nature sensations of the realm they just visited. Although less surprised by it apparently Sarah's companions likewise felt a need to readjust for their conversation trickled for a while as they traveled with the crowd away from the place where the veil was thin.

Casually they perused the faire together like typical patrons. Or close enough, as Sarah found herself introduced to handfuls of cast members and merchants as "my friend Sarah" and quickly being accepted with hugs into what she realized was a sort of honorary family. At some point the boy returned and Sarah overheard at least one reverent murmur of "our Captain's son" aside among comments on the boy's growth. The redheaded male likewise was included although perhaps in deference to his cultural upbringing was more stiff in accepting the familial affections from those not his mate or her son.

She joined them through a pub sing and song at closing gate, disinclined to return to her solitary way of life too soon. Yet knowing they were to part, even temporarily, did not make it any easier. Still they could make it so the next meeting was not left to Fate.

Exchanging information the women hugged. An amaretto cookie pressed into a phoenix and glazed a soft orange was slid into one of Sarah's bags with a secretive smile "for later" as long as she believed. The gift was appreciated as is. After meeting her Labyrinth friends it really was not all that strange to have connected with others so deeply, so fast. What was surprising was finding them here. Her strange new friends were about to leave when Sarah was compelled to stall the man, her reaching fingers barely grazing the fabric of his sleeve above the elbow. It was softer than she had expected. Stunned by this she almost missed the emerald eyes waiting expectantly. "What you were saying earlier… how? Why?"

Having no problem interpreting the out of place question or perhaps having anticipated it the red-haired Asian smirked softly, bowing as he turned to follow his singing female and her son. "She has very powerful dreams."

Moss green eyes blinked as Sarah tried to decipher that, then found herself left wondering what those dreams might hold for her.

Author's note: Originally posted 21 June 2012

Edited 7 August 2012: missed space.

Edited 24 August 2012: missed quotation marks and easily confused word.