Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah, other pairings involving original characters
Author on LJ: scatteredlogic
Author Website: http://www.digital-quill.org/ and http://www.scatteredlogic.net/

Why this must be read:

I've saved my favorite for last, I think, although I could almost say that of any story either written or recommended by Scattered Logic. It's been fun driving the crack van this month for Labyrinth, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride!

From the author notes: "The idea for A Necessary Deception took shape while reading an analysis of Labyrinth that discussed the idea of Jareth being Sarah's creation and that everything had happened only in her imagination. The analysis continued by exploring the idea that Sarah had, in fact, been in complete control of Jareth all along.

I began to wonder what would happen if you turned that idea on its head. If everything that had happened had been real, but that Jareth had been controlling Sarah. From that idle speculation, A Necessary Deception was born."

The story builds on that clever foundation with courtly intrigues, action, adventure, lots of romance, misunderstandings and reconciliations, hot intimate scenes, deft plotting and well-polished wordcraft, lovely original characters, bits of humor...

"That's okay. Don't worry about it." Sarah shook her head. "Let's not talk about my situation, all right? So, about the Aboveworld... Well, let's start with television."

Breena nodded eagerly.

"First of all--we don't catch pixies and put them in a box..."

Some of the stories I love in this fandom have addressed the fact that Jareth is a king, how he carries out his duties or how he administers his kingdom. This story goes steps further, illustrating in wrenching detail how his personality and decision-making are shaped by the constant pressures of his responsibilities. Fascinating stuff.

And did I mention the hot intimate scenes? Yeah... shimmering heat off glowing embers hot.

Jareth leaned down. Through the silk of her dress, he slowly traced one finger over the zigzag of laces at her back. His voice velvety in her ear, he said, "If you find it uncomfortable, I would be happy to loosen the stays for you."

Sarah turned her head and looked at him with a smirk, "Nice try, but I don't think so."

"Oh, Sarah," he laughed softly and his eyes held a promise, "I haven't even begun to try."

Her mouth went dry.

How often do we get to read about fantastical characters' own fantasies? Not often enough, I say. Sarah isn't the only one who's been dreaming of what-if scenarios based on her adventures in the Labyrinth.

All 29 parts (yes, this is a long story, and I just stayed up all night reading it again) are linked via A Necessary Deception

or via A Necessary Deception

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah, other pairings involving original characters
Author on LJ: cormak
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/jareth_sarah/ and http://www.scatteredlogic.net/viewuser.php?uid=6

Why this must be read:

Misunderstandings, youthful indescretions, intrigues and duplicities, violent confrontations, hurt/comfort, the Fae Court, interesting original characters (there's a fantasy cast for the story here), an interesting interpretation of Jareth's pendant... only Dart's full name throws me out of total immersion in this story. In the end, though, I just can't resist an angsty, suffering Jareth, whose own true feelings can trigger a crippling curse.

"...Take the crystal and go." He ordered.

Sarah's brows lowered over her eyes. "What if I don't want to go?"

"You've worn out your welcome. Take it and leave. Do not try to summon me again. I will not answer."

"You wouldn't send me away."

"Don't try my patience, Sarah. I've let you and your troublesome friend have your vacation. It's over, go home."

Sarah glared at him, ready to toss back harsh words but something attracted her attention. A soft glow on the dark fabric of Jareth's clothes. The pendant.

Jareth didn't allow her to see it, but his heart sank as she reached forward toward the crystal. She would take it and leave him. It would be much more difficult to get over her this time around, if he ever got over her at all....

Sarah reached forward but her hand moved past the crystal and Jareth watched curiously. Sarah stepped closer, her expression very intense. She took the leather tie of his pendant in her hands and Jareth tried to pull away. What was she doing?

As she slowly ran her hands down the leather cord, she glanced up at Jareth. "I know what you feel, Jareth." There was no anger in her tone.

Jareth made another attempt to pull away but she held onto the cord with all the strength she could muster. "You know absolutely nothing!" He spat at her. He watched her expression turn from anger to sadness. Her hands slid closer to the warmth of the pendant. Jareth panicked. "Sarah...."

All 39 parts (yes, this is a long one!) are linked via One

or you can read the whole story as one page via One

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth & Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

Short and interesting, a new version of the final confrontation from the movie. I love the nature of the relationship between Jareth and Sarah in this one.

She was suddenly both very angry and very afraid. This was not supposed to happen. She’d done the whole dangers untold and hardships unnumbered thing. Why was he suddenly changing the rules?

"Then what was the point? Why make me run the Labyrinth? Promise me my brother back if I succeed?"

"No point, my dear girl. Just a little harmless fun. A little terrorising, a little dancing, a little goblin-making..."

White Feathers

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown, but the author does have a second story archived along with this one at http://www.angelfire.com/film/lwts/authorqz.htm (scroll to the Y section of the page)

Why this must be read:

Ah, the issues when a magical, ageless immortal is in love with a mortal human... in this story, Jareth waits to come to Sarah for the second time until she is near death. Very interesting premise!

One eyebrow raised, and the smile deepened. Jareth cocked his head, moving to face Sarah directly. "You need not fear looking at me. I already know that age has sculpted your features, as it must." He laughed softly as his perceptiveness caused colour to flare in Sarah's lined cheeks, but took pity on her. "Sarah, Sarah, all your beauty is still clear- and quite enchanting- to see. No amount of time could rob you of your charms."

Her face softened at his words. "You haven't changed at all." Sarah pouted briefly, feeling her dreams evaporating. "Has it not been seven long decades since we last met?"

"It has for you. Time flows differently for me." Jareth shrugged elegantly. "But you still haven't answered my question, Sarah: are you pleased to see me?"

Time To Die

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: the_hooded_crow
Author Website: http://www.xothique.com/ and http://www.fanfiction.net/u/80300/

Why this must be read:

Jareth really is a fearsome force of nature, and Sarah is just a schoolgirl. But as she's growing up, his interest isn't waning. It's one thing to have friends from another realm who visit you in your own room when you want them to visit, but it's another thing entirely to have an otherworldly king ready to defend you whether you will it or no, in public where intolerant, narrowminded classmates can see.

It wasn’t her fault, things just happened around her sometimes.

Unexplainable things. Frightening things.

Magical things.

This morning, for example. Tidying away the remains of some unfathomable experiment in the chemistry lab, she had lost concentration for a few seconds, and had reached out with bare hands to grasp the Bunsen burner that only seconds before had been spouting forth its distinctive dancing yellow flame. By rights she should have been horribly burned.

Sarah had felt Jodie’s cruel eyes watching her, had seen the vindictive smile as the girl waited for the inevitable scream. Had watched the perfect cheerleader features twist into an ugly expression of disbelief, and only then had she realised her error and glanced down at the burner in her hand.

It was stone cold.

I Would Be Your Slave

Vidder: Mary Crawford
Musical artist: David Bowie
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Vidder on LJ: marycrawford
Vidder's website: Mary Crawford's Vices

Why this vid kicks ass:

It's no secret that many Labyrinth fans are also Bowie fans and vice versa. Not only is it fun to see film clips set to one of his songs not originally written for the film, but it's wonderful to watch how Mary's managed to get the puppets lip-synching along with the chorus (and even Jareth lip-synching along with Bowie), something I'm only more familiar with in anime music videos. And on top of all of that pure nostalgic enjoyment and display of technical skill, this vid captures the glittering, incongruously bouncy angst of the fandom just beautifully. Ah, poor Jareth.

As Mary says, "You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting."

Remember... they always let you down when you need 'em...

Right-click, save-as via http://www.squidge.org/~marycrawford/vids/index.html

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

This story addresses some of the what-ifs which have been rattling around in my mind since 1982 about why Jareth needed Sarah, where the Labyrinth derives its power, and what it may mean to Jareth to be trapped his owl form... very interesting. Yay for miscommunications and angst!

'Look at me now, Sarah. See what I've been reduced to?' Heartless child. He'd begged her, actually _begged_ her to not say those final words which he knew would ruin him. And she had said them. He had no power over her. He never really had.

And now he had no power over anything. He was trapped in her world, in so vulnerable a form, with no kingdom to go home to. It would only be a matter of time before he went mad, in this new existence which he didn't belong in.

Selfish Sarah. Selfish, thoughtless girl.

All 20 parts (yes, this is a long one) are linked at the bottom of this webpage:
Bound

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

Note: If you have issues with knives or blood, stay away from this one.

This story is dark and creepy, full of powerplay, mindgames and obsession, written with a deft hand. As the author notes, "Twisted relationships are fun." Labyrinth fandom is not all charming glitter and waltzing, that's for sure!

She would destroy everything owl-shaped she saw, and in return would find herself dancing in her underwear in the rain while nervous neighbors peeked out their windows in awe and fear. She would curse him until she was blue in the face and then find her windows shattered. She would laugh openly at his offers and find her parents quaking in fear from some horrible accident. She would dream of him broken and humiliated and he would send her dreams that were so unpleasant she awoke screaming aloud. She would burn books of fairytales and he would murmur things into her hair that made her whole body seem devoured by flame.

Eternal enemies, yes, but they both liked it that way.

Addiction

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

I've come across a number of stories where Jareth torments Sarah in her dreams; this story is one of my favorites that turns those ideas around. It's a good thing the Goblin King is so durable! And I have to say, the mental image of Jareth brought to his knees by pleasure is hot like a hot, hot thing.

"A dream can last a thousand years here, and you dream dangerous things. You dream such sweet and deadly dreams. You threaten to usurp my kingdom, leaving me captured in that moment, vulnerable to any attack that comes along. And I would die, my enemy's sword in my heart, still trapped in your dream. Full of bliss beyond my wildest imaginings."

No Regrets (Lament for a Queen)

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: scatteredlogic
Author Website: http://www.digital-quill.org/ and http://www.scatteredlogic.net/

Why this must be read:

In a few of my other fandoms, it's a time-honored cliche to isolate two characters in a Canadian shack to turn up the heat between them. The cabin here isn't in Canada, and Jareth and Sarah aren't precisely alone, but this story works for me in all of the ways that Canadian shack fics work for me, with some extra added bonuses. The labyrinth itself has a sentience, and power, and this story just yanked me in and didn't let me go. Jareth's vulnerability to the city of this modern world totally worked for me, as did the explanation of Sarah's art. Yay for misunderstandings and bickering!

"We remain incomplete," the Labyrinth reproached.

Jareth immediately reached out with his mind. The link to the Underground was almost within his grasp, but remained frustratingly elusive.

"Return my magic," Jareth demanded.

"You must fulfill our bargain," the Labyrinth replied.


The Enticement

(or visit this alternate link)

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Sarah/Jareth
Author on LJ: dialinghell
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/keimain/ and http://www.fanfiction.net/u/128698/

Why this must be read:

I can't resist this one. Bits of it get me chuckling out loud, every time. Sarah has matured into a snarky actress, unlucky in love but accurate with a frying pan.

"It's going to be great Sarah... I mean, I know you're not real big on fantasy films but the script is great. Originally it's a book but once the writers add a few Hollywood tweaks it'll be an instant box office smash... There's these goblins and this King and this girl, that's you of course..."

Oh my God, fate, destiny, chance, cannot be this cruel to me, can they? I mean, is that really fair, ganging up three against one?

"It's called the Labyrinth..."

Apparently fate, destiny, and chance can beat the crap out of the puny mortals and no one gives a damn. Hip hip hooray for bullies. Maybe if I give them my lunch money they'll leave me alone.

"And Sarah, before you even begin to say no, let me remind you that your contract with Cliched Films binds you to one more film and they're adamant, this is it."

Lights, Camera, Action!

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: unknown (used to be sanguinerose)
Author Website: http://www.angelfire.com/art2/faeillusion/

Why this must be read:

Alert: Darkfic. Dark dark dark. If you're prone to hopelessness, depression or cutting, give this one a pass and go read something else, please.

Even though there are times when my own shadows try to close in, when I absolutely cannot read this story myself, I adore the descriptions of the city in this story. I can't not rec it. This one is a lyrical horror, a treatment of the darkest fears of imaginative children, grown to adulthood in a patiently hostile workaday world.

The vendors nod over their wares, remembering a time when they were welcome in the brightly lit streets, and the trendy cafes, and the cheaply-expensive apartments. Before the shadows swallowed them, and the visions of greatness died.

Shadows
alternate site

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Toby
Author on LJ: silveraspen
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

There is one line of the film where Jareth is talking about Toby's eyes being so much like his. It's always stuck with me, made me wonder what Toby's lasting connections to the labyrinth and to Jareth might be. A babe who has spent nearly thirteen hours in the center of the goblin realm cannot simply emerge from his rescue unscathed, unchanged... and apparently I am not the only one who thinks about these things.

And yes, this story is slash, a rare genre in Labyrinth fandom.

He'd been having the dream for as long as he could remember, and it never really changed. There was always a sense of spinning around, held tight in someone's arms, someone with eyes that looked like his. He could recall a deep voice, sometimes singing, sometimes silken with malice and speaking to someone that he couldn't quite see. There were images, confused and blurry, of things with too many legs, unending stairs, magic lights, and bouncing crystal balls - things that couldn't possibly be true. Occasionally Sarah was in the dream, too, but the one time he'd tried to ask her about it, she'd turned pale and told him that magical worlds didn't exist, even in dreams, so how could she have been in one? She'd seemed so afraid that he'd never asked her again.

Goblin Dreams

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: klmorgan and klmorganfanfic
Author Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/118597/ and http://www.scatteredlogic.net/viewuser.php?uid=8

Why this must be read:

A college friend with an unrequited crush on Sarah wishes himself to the labyrinth, and Sarah barters her dreams to face it again to get him back out. It's full of fascinating original Underground characters, interesting contemporary characters, and includes an explanation of Jareth's pendant which utterly slayed me. There's also an epilogue (which leads into a sequel), but for me, the story stands just fine alone without the sequel or the epilogue. Set aside plenty of time to read this one, though... it's a wonderful long adventure.

"Children were extremely precious then, especially boy-children. There were black markets, slave trains. The greatest fear of a man's heart was coming home one day to find his sons had never returned home that evening, or that they would disappear from their beds in the middle of the night."

"Which is where the goblins come in," Brian said slowly, beginning to understand. The man nodded, once.

"Magical creatures with no other joy but to snatch those precious darlings from their wee little beds," he said softly, "In order to create more of their own." He shrugged elegantly. "An easy explanation, one for an all too common mystery."

Brian frowned. "But the king," he said hesitantly, "Why isn't he a goblin?"

"Aha." The man raised one finger. "You are quick. Goblins for the boys, a king..."

"For the girls," Brian finished in an admiring tone. "Damn."

"A king to seduce their daughters, to steal their hearts and bodies away from the home. Wives, too." The man sighed and let his hands drop, relaxing further into his seat. "The shape of the legends change, of course, as the world does. But belief is an amazingly powerful thing. And at the core, the stories are all the same."


A Forfeit Of Dreams

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: cormak
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/jareth_sarah/ and http://www.scatteredlogic.net/viewuser.php?uid=6

Why this must be read:

Set nine years after the film, Sarah and Jareth are still in each other's dreams, still in each other's desires. This fandom thrives on the sexually-charged power play between Sarah and Jareth.

"Then what have your dreams meant?" He stepped closer and Sarah had nowhere to go. Her back was pressed against the wall. "Why do you dream about us dancing or talking beneath the stars? Why do you dream that I'm making love to you? Boredom? Or are you trying to torture me?"

Sarah turned her face away from him. "My dreams are my own and weren't meant for public viewing, " she said bitterly.

"It was not my intention to see them, but we are linked, Sarah. We have been since you defeated me. Whenever you think of me, I hear it. Whenever you dream, I see it. And I am powerless to intervene without your command."

Bring Me To Life

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

In case you were thinking that most of the fic in this fandom is G-rated... um, no. No, there's plenty of adult stories. Hello, seduction and sex!

His eyes looked back up to hers, and she was facinated by the fire that burned in them, barely contained. "But, before, when we last met, there was the fate of a child at stake. What will you offer me this time? What will you give me?"

Sarah smiled seductively at him. "What am I?" At his slightly puzzled look, she laughed. "I am a girl, nothing more. But if you turn me this way...." She rose so that she was at the same height as him, and leaned forward towards him until her lips were millimetres from his own ".... I can show you your dreams....."

The Wager

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarahs
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

It's tough, being an archetype.

Yes, he really had to move on. He’d miss sometimes being an owl, but that would be a small price to pay to get away from the Sarahs.

Career Change

Fandom: LABYRINTH
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Within A Land Serene, and many of her stories are also archived at http://www.marysia.com/labyrinth/labfic.asp

Why this must be read:

Storyteller is the first of a four-part series of stories, but can be read standalone. It's a dark, creepy, lovely look at the creative drive and muses and voices in our minds.

The second story, Jareth's Rebuttal, can also be read on its own, and actually sent a reverberating shiver all through me.

How much do we control our creativity and imagination, and how much do they control us?

Storyteller

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby. The baby was a spoiled child. He wanted everything for himself, and the girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with her, and given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she asked the goblins for help. 'Say your right words,' the goblins said, 'and we'll take the baby to the goblin city, and you will be free.' But the girl knew that the king of the goblins would keep the baby in his castle forever and ever and turn it into a goblin, so she suffered in silence, until one night, when she was tired from doing housework, and hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer stand it."

"I wish the goblins would come take you away right now."

Then the goblins came and took the baby, and a snowy owl flew to her window and then transformed into Jareth the Goblin King in a cascading sparkle of glitter.

Then Sarah thought, "Oops, I should try to get my brother back," and blinked, and then realized "Hey, Jareth looks quite hot."

Then all the fans chorused as one, "Well, duh, it's David Bowie."

( Labyrinth )