even though you haven't been online in almost 15 years, i always hope you'll return someday... there is truly no other writer like you. your stories are so incredibly disturbing and beautiful at the same time. i first read this story and Erlkonig 10 years ago as a teenager, and they stuck with me so vividly that i had to come back and find your profile on here..
wherever you are, even if you never post another story again, i hope you're well.. thank you for sharing your incredible gift with us all

The last chapter made me tear up a little. Such a beautiful, heartbreaking story. I hope against hope that one day you’ll write a short sequel, telling us about Sarah’s life in Jareth’s world.

This was quite something. I'm not usually a Dark/J fan but I was sucked in before realized just how dark it was. I am a sucker for ones that include Toby.

The plot is creative. It is one of those times were a child being warned might have saved a terrible outcome.

i come back every year (and oftentimes in between) to enjoy this masterpiece. its a like a favorite book you often reread. brilliant.

I am both terrified and thrilled to be finally getting around to reviewing my all time favorite Labyrinth fanfic out here. I can’t say I’m in any way ready to do this, I’m so going to fail on an epic scale, but I can’t put it off any longer. Hope you still read these, even if you don’t reply and your Labyrinth muse has deserted you entirely.

Whenever reading or reviewing your work (I have only reviewed Erlkonig so far, but despite its relatively smaller size (the review, not the work), it sucked a lot of emotion out of me), I am always somewhat shy and reserved, humbled by the sheer weight of talent and diligence you possess. I feel really out of my depth here, despite being otherwise quite proud of the level of my knowledge of literature and folklore of the world (especially given the fact that it has absolutely nothing to do with what I studied or what I do for a living). I sure as hell have nothing on you, but I do try. I’m looking up to you in that aspect.

The smatterings of mythological concepts and images throughout this story are amazing. I’m not sure I have captured all of them, but references to the Wild Hunt, Horned God, Greek mythology (particularly that of Leda and the Swan, Minotaur and the Labyrinth, Dedalus, its architect and his son Icarus) are fairly evident. Toby eats pies during his first visit to the Labyrinth – a reference to Hades and Persephone myth, which contains a notion of being sealed to the Underground if food originated there is consumed. From what I am also able to understand, Jareth gets his initial access to Toby by making him accept the gift he sends through mail (a lighter version of this is told in your story Shards of a Dream, where Sarah refuses the spiked invitation sent by Goblin King). But I still keep wondering at what locking and unlocking of Toby’s room door meant in here. Surely, it must have some significance. There is also that weird part of licking Sarah’s doorknob. Care to tell? Ugh, I can’t even begin to convey how jealous I am of those lucky few who beta-ed this pic in progress and got to chat with you on goings on all the while. Wish I was around this place back then (and I totally should have been, if anyone ever told me this existed, but alas).

I am more shaky on the figure of the winged lion (some Babylonian imagery comes to mind, but I am pretty sure it’s more biblical and not being a catholic significantly restricts my understanding of the symbol) and the catholic notions of Advent itself. The significance of countdown of days to Christmas is a little bit lost on me, though your explanations do help somewhat. I would love to have a chat with you on these sometime, even if just to give me directions for research, you know. What I am, however, getting by myself is that, since the end of the Advent always culminates in the arrival of the long awaited Christ, then Sarah is Jareth’s Mary, needed to obtain the Baby of his own. Is the child to be the antichrist? Who knows… I always wondered whether Jareth wanted an offspring more than he wanted Sarah. But then again, maybe the fact of getting an offspring was just an added bonus to ensnaring Sarah – that does somehow coincide with my thoughts on why Jareth promises to let go of her once the child is born, but more on that later. That being said, Jareth also makes a point of having wanted Sarah to become a Princess initially and I just keep wondering whether he at some point intended her to be chased in the Wild Hunt instead of Toby and maybe, just maybe survive, thus resulting in her becoming the Queen and him being free of the Labyrinth? Or not and then eating her heart? I honestly don’t know.

This question ties in to who Jareth is in this story. You seem to be making him a quintessence of all folklore there is. He can be anyone, from the devil himself (ensnaring his Mary to produce an antichrist), to the djinn demon, entrapped in a lamp for some time to obtain his illustros name. I have never heard that particular story, though. I do know the one of King Solomon and the Alladin, obviously, but not this one. He is also a Minotaur, looking for a tribute and, oddly enough, Dedalus that lost his son and now looks for another offspring (Prince or Princess of the Labyrinth to survive being chased in a Wild Hunt), to pass him or her the weight of his power and lay his own life to rest (I always found this allusion confusing. He says this, but I do not believe for a moment he is willing to give anything up. To the contrary). He is the leader of the Wild Hunt, having obviously survived one himself in the past. Now he feeds on the hearts of tributes-turned-deer (ensnared wishmakers, failed labyrinth runners, children wished away, who knows) and honors their sacrifice by turning them into stars in the sky and absorbing their strength and power (If I am not mistaken, this notion is found in native American folklore).

Your writing is exceptional, truly. Many have noted how it adapts to the age of narrator, growing with Toby. How you have distinctive language and figures of speech assigned to both Jareth and Sarah (especially Jareth, he speaks like he truly is from another century, another testament to your vast background knowledge and education I so envy). The whole concept of choosing Toby to be the narrator of this story is brilliant. The movie was told through Sarah’s perspective, so it’s only fair that Toby gets to tell the second part, the one orchestrated and put into motion by the evil trickster Jareth, his royal majesty of ensnaring. Toby is again the medium that brings Sarah and Jareth together (as so accurately shown in the picture of the second Advent he gets). The style of telling the story of Sarah and Jareth through Toby’s eyes is absolutely brilliant and captivating.

Plotwise, it is evident that Sarah strikes a bargain with Jareth by promising him her firstborn son in exchange for him staying away from Toby. Later on, Toby wishes him back on his own volition, thus opening another avenue for their interaction, another door for Jareth to exploit in case Sarah somehow finds a way to delay performance (which she totally does). This, in parallel, allows Jareth to mold Toby into the Prince of the Labyrinth, teaching him how to run, thus preparing him for the Wild Hunt. In my opinion, despite these sinister intentions, Jareth geniuinely likes Toby. As long as Toby is acting in his interest, he is seems to be invested in his wellbeing, providing him with advice and offering guidance through his puberty. He even makes him come clean before his parents, reuniting the Williams family, while adding a bonus of having Sarah allowed back into the house. All is done to ensure that Toby has a happy life in the aboveground, however long it is intended to last. Yes, sure, Jareth’s gifts to Toby are never selfless – there is always a price (like the rune on a wrist in exchange of the gift of sight and speed), but Toby is truly blissful in his ignorance.

What always bothered me about this fic, however, is that I never truly understood the determination with which Sarah fights for Jareth’s promise to let her go once she gives birth to their child. I do understand that when she is trying to secure his promise, she does not intend to go through with their bargain and is proceeding to entrap him, but nevertheless. I also never understood Jareth’s perspective – why does he agree? Is it because he is so consumed by his want that he is willing to let go of this permanence in lieu of swaying her to his demand then and there? He keeps referring to these things “taking time”, maybe he intended to circumvent his end of the bargain just the way Sarah did, by actually never letting her have a child of his, thus trapping her with him for eternity? Did he maybe believe that once she gave birth to a child, she would be loathe to leave him or her in his clutches (she does allude to something of that sort)? It’s confusing.

After reading through an unhealthy amount of fanfiction in this fandom, I came to the conclusion that this is the Jareth I love best. I adore him in all his terrifying magnificence, in his selfish want, unexpected benevolence and twisted devotion. What I find particularly appealing about him is the fact that his love of Sarah (and I use that world deliberately, aware of the fact that Jareth’s love is nothing like that of a human. But he is not human, so same standards can’t apply. He believes it to be love, hence, for him, it is) has developed apparently on his own. There is not a single instance in this whole story where Sarah’s fateful words from the movie (“The King has fallen in love with the girl”) are referenced or even implied, for that matter. There is nothing magical about Jareth’s emotion, to the contrary – the most beautiful moment of the entire story (for me, at least) is the hauntingly ironic lament of Jareth on unfairness and non-magicalness of his affection. “All of the snares vanquished … all of the runewrit is gone, but … when I look upon you, nothing has changed. I want to look at you every day. I want to take you with me and keep you forever. I have never wanted anything so very, very desperately as I want you, precious thing”. He sounds reflective, even happy a bit in this. This mesmerizes me. He might have seen Sarah as a thing when this whole thing started (“You just take what you want to take”), but that is definitely changed before the end – “Yes, that I know. And I know, Sarah, that I will never underestimate you again.”. This is the closest Jareth comes to admiration and respect and that is saying something.

There is a lot to admire about Sarah here. She most definitely does her homework. From being tipped off by a six year old child’s story, throwing out Toby’s advent calendar and painting protective symbols over bedroom doors, to apparently going Underground to learn runes and rules of entrapment (witchcraft 101, apparently). Probably Jareth has some haters back in the Labyrinth, who, while willing to assist Sarah, are reluctant to make themselves known in fear of the King’s wrath. I believe it is exactly them that Toby sees in his dreams – the sorcerers of the underground, wishing to be rid of their fearful king, but deprived of the possibility to aid another champion. Not immune to his pain and loss, but silenced for all eternity.

Eventually, what I believe that Sarah tries to do to Goblin King is to ensnare him again in some sort of sapphire prison (this seems to be an allusion to some mythological or magical concept which is unfortunately lost on me), similar to that of an entrapment of a djinn, but fails. The dialogue that follows their intense confrontation is probably the apex of this entire story. Apparently the Jareth haters provided Sarah with some kind of transport (who is Finir, I wonder?) that is able to take her between worlds and visit the Underground to receive proper training (that is why she doesn’t get e-mail or calls). The mystery as to why, however, Sarah is not given better training is lost on both me and Jareth. I’d love to know this, to understand this a little bit further, but my superficial knowledge of mythology is definitely not enough.

The scene of sex (rape?) is written out in such a manner that takes my breath away. Jareth, laying down on the cloak, careful not to scare her away, lulling her into complacency and then devouring her, viewed in sequences through Toby’s eyes as he sways to and fro between above and below is glorious. It’s a very original and engaging plot device I have not seen so beautifully equipped in this fandom. The tendons standing out of Jareth’s hands when gripping his long-coveted love, heart’s true mate, his and the look on his face that he had when he ate the deer’s heart, as perceived by Toby, are glorious. What you did here just takes my breath away.

Jareth wins, but Toby still hopes that one day, Sarah will triumph. That another Advent shall count down to her victory. I, however, do not share his hopes. Sarah is powerful, but Jareth really will not underestimate her again. At least in my headcanon to this. This is not the story of evil being vanquished. This is a story of Hades and Persephone, only darker – Sarah will not be getting her sabbaticals every six months.

This tale is perfect in itself. There is nothing missing, almost nothing lacking. That is precisely why I love it so much. However, that being said, I am firm in my belief that it would be a tremendous asset to this narrative to enrich it with another epilogue, similar to that of Erlkonig, offering a glimpse into Sarah’s life in the Underworld. It could be anything – an attempt to escape, a fight, a quiet reflective moment for Jareth and Sarah both, when they are down from their high of antagonizing each other… Whatever you have in that immensely creative head of yours, will do. It is needed for the objective grounds of enriching the context and giving proper closure, as well as purely subjective reasons of my want.

I am not ashamed to say that you were the only author I have ever tried to stalk through other media aside from this site - I looked for you on AO3, I lurked over your LJ, I rummaged the internet to find Subtilior's Assorted Natterings and Ditherings (SAND) and eventually got shy to try and knock. Instead you get this, this behemot of a rambling of a girl awestruck by your talent, in desperate need, convulsing from withdrawal pains of your fiction. Can I please, please, get another fix? I might as well admit it’s unhealthy.

Much love.

Dearest author, I am frightened and elated by your way with words. To date, you are the only writer that has described Jareth as utterly otherworldly and scary with a lingering aftertaste of desirability born out of the unknown and beyond-human. To say that this change of events is refreshing after the myriad of softcore stories that populate this fandom is an overstatement. Thank you, and I hope inspiration never leaves your side.

Man I love and hate your stories. You're such a gifted writer. I feel compelled to keep reading even though I hate the darkness leave in my heart. That's some strong magic you weave.

Phew, that was excellently written, but so dark!

this story randomly popped in my head after i got lost in the country b one night, and i could not stop thinking of it. obsessively i have searched for this story 4 2 days, and when i reread it again i found everything i love about this story to be just as exciting"eerie, and captivating as it was the first time. absolutely wonderful.

The best Dark Jareth Labyrinth story. The BEST. That's all I have to say.

Oh, gosh, the last line actually made me tear up. Really, really well done. Felt the whole story on a visceral level, and couldn't stop reading till I'd finished it. Excuse me while I go binge all of your work.

This was haunting. The simple pleasure of reading the first few chapters that quickly changed to horror as the story carried on. I am lying in my bed on December 10th at nearly two in the morning with tears rolling down my face. Sarah who loved her brother so much. With the parallels of Christianity and Christmas, Mary and her child, the closer the end of this story became and the more the horror spread and took root in my heart, the verse John 3:16 warped into a sentence of utter defeat and heartbreak. “For Sarah so loved her brother, that she gave her freedom, her body, and life, that he who was chosen and groomed would not have death but life through her greatest sacrifice.”

This was one of the absolute best pieces of literature I have ever read. I was gripped with first joy, then warning, and finally, terror. My heart broke at the nonchoice that Sarah had. When the inkling of the sacrifice she had already promised started quietly making itself known as she denied men she loved and could see a future with because with that future only came loss. And then Toby first pushing her away and then dragging her right into the predator’s den, the pawn in a game he didn’t realize he was playing. His sister’s greatest joy and her ultimate Judas’ kiss. Sarah who was given the option to allow her brother to die as prey or to surrender her body to a man who will merely abuse her and use her. Who claims his love for her as she flinches away from his vile touch. I am broken for her. For the torture she will face. For the rape she will endure. For her love of Toby. Live well, she said. Because she will never have the opportunity. I am broken.

Please do not misunderstand when I say I will never be able to read this story again. It is not that it isn’t well written, but that it is so well written that I have left every emotion I have had ripped from me between the paragraph breaks and at every cold and calculated punctuation. You have spun quite the Grimm fairytale, a beautiful cautionary tale that warns that we must not talk to Goblin men. We must not eat their fruit.

Well, I'm speechless. This was devastating and absolutely gorgeous. Well done! Who knew such brilliant fiction could be inspired by such a fun, cult-y '80s romp like Labyrinth? (Not bashing it at all - I love Labyrinth, which is obviously why I'm here) This both sent chills up my spine and was so deeply moving. Thank you.

Okay, this epilogue made me cry. Took me awhile to catch on that it was Toby narrating the prologue although by now after reading everything else you've written, I REALLY should have known better. I think it hit me sometime in Part 6, immediately followed by "DUH you idiot" and a quick re-read of the prologue just to convince myself that I was pretty sure I was right. I'm a little sad that this was the last fic for me to read, and more than a bit upset that you haven't been on since 2010 so it's unlikely anything new will be coming soon. I don't even know if you check your reviews/messages anymore, but if you do, know that you are a fabulous writer (even when you're scaring the beJesus out of me or making me cry-then again that's what makes a writer. How dull would it be if a story never connected with our emotions?) and if you ever publish anything original, I'd love to get it if you'd maybe put an update on your profile!
It's been a lovely journey going through your works. Thank you for them all.

Very poignant. And very sad, too. Jareth is just as cruel and beautiful as one would expect of a fey being.