Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a warm, sunny day in LazyTown. The sky was a pristine blue, almost completely devoid of clouds, and the wind was nothing more than a gentle breeze dancing above the treetops. Birds were chirping, and as usual, the town's residents were out enjoying the day. Miss busybody sat in her lawn chair, a drink in one hand, a cell phone in the other - and Mayor Meanswell was close by to attend to her every need. He squeezed some lemons for lemonade while humming softly to himself, his eyes glancing over to Miss busybody every now and again.

The children were playing a game of soccer in the park with Sportacus. They laughed as they chased the ball around, cheering with each goal they made. Sportacus cheered with them, encouraging them with the occasional "good work!" as the game progressed. 

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood that day...

Well, everyone except for one.

Robbie was walking back to his lair with a scowl on his face. He had gone through all the trouble of getting up out of his chair on a Saturday to go to the store, only to find out that they were completely out of his favorite cake mix. This had especially annoyed him because, for one, he was the only one in town that seemed to eat cake anymore since Sportaflop came to town. Now the kids ate disgusting food like grapes and celery. Yuck. Second, even if they decided today was a cake day, no one else in town bought purple cake besides him – He was the purple guy. They had plenty of pink and blue and whatever color cakes at the store that they could have bought…

Robbie huffed as he approached a bench, crossing his arms as he sat down. He fought the urge to growl as the weight of the town's merriment gouged at his senses. It was too bright, to loud, and too much. He hated being in town on a weekend, especially when there were good shows on TV to be watched. More than anything he just wanted to be home – he was tired and cranky and disappointed and sad; despite these things, or maybe because of them, he refused to take another step home. He wanted a nap, even if it was right in the middle of town. He didn’t care. He was done with today.

Just as he began to lay down though, a familiar blue blur started making its way towards Robbie. Oh great, he thought, closing his eyes tightly. He hoped maybe, just maybe, the blue elf would think he was already asleep and go away. For extra measure, he began to snore too. It didn’t work though. He felt a gust of wind against his face, and heard the faint huffing of Sportacus’ breath above him.

“Robbie!” Sportacus said, “It’s good seeing you outside on a nice day like this!”

Robbie didn’t even open his eyes to acknowledge the elf. He couldn't be bothered to care about manners, especially around the blue menace. “Is that so?” he said, his voice low and laced with annoyance.

If Sportacus caught his tone, he didn’t seem to care. He instead bent down so that his face was level with Robbie’s. With a soft chuckle, he said, “The kids wanted me to ask you if you wanted to play ball. Would you like to join us?”

“Never in a million, bazillion years,” Robbie said as he turned around on the bench so that his face was pressed against the back of the seat. It was too hot and smelled like warm plastic from the sun, but he was determined to ignore the blue clad hero.

Sportacus sighed, and Robbie could practically feel the disappointment coming from the elf. “Okay Robbie, if that’s what you want…”

With that, Sportacus left. Robbie could hear his feet hitting the pavement as he ran, and he noticed that the elf had refrained from doing any flips. Good, Robbie thought. Maybe I should disappoint him more often so he never flippy flips again.

Once Robbie heard the soccer game resuming, he sat back up. The satisfaction of getting Sportacus to leave him alone gave him a bit of new energy. He didn’t need a nap… yet; he didn’t have the willpower to walk home though. After a moment he glanced over at the billboard hiding his home sweet home. It was a good three houses away still. So, so far Robbie thought with a sigh.

He’d force himself to get up in a second; all this fresh air was starting to hurt his lungs. Just a few more min-

The hair on his neck stood on end as a strange shiver overcame him. Robbie paused, his brow furrowing. Something felt… off? He didn’t know how to describe the feeling. It was as if a freezing cold breeze blew through LazyTown that went straight to his bones. The cold ran up and down his spine, electrifying his nerves before fading into a dull feeling of dread in his gut. Whatever this feeling was, he certainly didn’t like it. This is probably my body's way of telling me that i've exceeded the daily limit of outdoor time... I better go home before I drop dead from health.

With that, he got up to leave, crossing his arms to hug himself for warmth. He lowered his head towards his chest as he shivered... and then raised his gaze in a double take. A pair of eyes were watching him from a nearby tree. The feeling in his gut intensified, though only for a second. Despite what would have been better judgement, he took a few steps towards the tree. For a second he thought the town's stray kitten had gotten stuck again, and he rolled his eyes... though upon closer inspection he saw that it was something else.

“… an owl?” Robbie said.

It was a white owl with a head in the shape of a heart. Robbie couldn’t help but gasp. He had never seen an owl like that around LazyTown before. Heck, he’d never seen an owl out in the middle of the day before. A nagging memory at the back of his mind recalled that this was a barn owl - or at least that was what the documentary he half-heartedly watched had said. With growing curiosity he moved closer to look at the creature. It looked back at him, tilting its head to the side as it peered down at him with big, almost human like eyes. Robbie was entranced with the eyes; they were strange, with one pupil bigger than the other. Perhaps the owl had an injury or something, though he didn’t notice any scars on the owl. Perhaps it was just born that way…

It didn't take long for Robbie to decide that he liked the creature. It was so unlike anything around LazyTown; it was beautiful – and quiet too.

“The whole town should take a cue from you,” Robbie said. “Everything here is so… obnoxious.”

He shook his head, sighing at himself. “Never thought I’d be talking to an owl, but whatever... it’s not like anyone else here has anything good to talk about. What’s new with you?”

The owl gave a soft ‘hoot’ in response, fluffing up its feathers slightly. Robbie didn’t know what this meant in bird, though he figured if the darn thing wasn’t attacking him that was a good sign. “Hmm I see… yeah not much new with me either. I’m just taking it easy these days, not trying any heists or anything… not that they would work if I tried.”

The response was another hoot, and the owl titled its head as if in curiosity. Robbie chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve been trying for years to get that pesky smurf out of my town,” he said, before pointing over at Sportacus. “You see him over there, the annoyingly blue one?”

Robbie watched as the owl turned its head toward the crowd of children. Perhaps Robbie was just imaging it, but the owl half blinked its eyes in a way that almost looked like a glare. “Yeah, it’s not just him though. It’s all those kids! They use to be so good and quiet and now he’s… he’s corrupted them! I can’t get any rest these days because of them!”

He sighed, clenching his fists in frustration. “My life would be so much easier without them…”

With a soft hum, the owl swooped down from the branch right towards Robbie. The villain flinched, jerking away as he braced for attack. However, the owl just landed on his shoulder softly; so softly that he didn’t even feel the creature’s sharp talons. It took him a moment to readjust himself, but it wasn’t too long before Robbie was comfortably looking into the owls eyes not even a foot away from his own. He had been holding his breath, and he let it out in a shaky sign. This was so weird; he didn’t know what to do at all. He was at the mercy of the owl and honestly, he didn’t know if the owl was gonna peck out his eyes or not but he liked this.

There was something about this owl that he couldn’t put his finger on…

After a moment, the owl reached behind to dig under its wing. Out from under it, it pulled a wrapped-up piece of cloth and presented it to Robbie. “Are you like a messenger owl or something?” Robbie reached his hand up tentatively. “…May I?”

The owl dropped the parcel in his hand. Robbie looked down at it, slowly closing his hand around it. The thing was much heavier than he thought it would be, almost like it was a rock. Slowly, he began to unwrap the thing, and gasped when he saw what it was. It was an arrowhead-like pendant of some sort, with a swirling design in the middle. He ran his finger over the design. “It’s… it’s beautiful,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

He felt the owl tense on his shoulder, and in an instant the owl took off flying. The villain reached out to the quickly vanishing creature. “Wait-”

All of a sudden, Robbie felt an excruciating force hit the back of his head. It made him double over, nearly falling to the ground. He winced, cupping his head as a horrible throbbing ache overcame him. Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes that he barely managed to contain. With a glare that could kill he turned his head to see what the heck had happened.

A soccer ball was a few feet away from him, and over at the park was a crowd of guilty looking children and their supervisor. Sportacus smiled, a nervous look on his face as he rubbed the back of his head.

That smile… that stupid smile…

It was as if someone flipped a switch within the villain. All of the emotions built up during this awful Saturday began to crescendo into a long overdue tantrum.

Sportacus took a few steps towards the taller man, motioning towards the soccer ball. “Sorry Robbie, the kids and I got a bit carried away-”

“Shut… up.” Robbie said between barred teeth. Tears were rolling down his face from the ache and embarrassment and rage that he felt but he didn’t care. He. Was. Done.

Stephanie gasped. “Robbie, it was an accident! We’re sorry!”

“I said shut up!” Robbie said, his voice getting louder and louder with each word that he spat. The children huddled behind Sportacus in fear, and Sportacus outstretched his arms as if to shield them from Robbie.

“Robbie, please,” Sportacus said in a tone that Robbie just hated – stern, yet controlled… afraid maybe? He didn’t know but it made him mad.

“I am sick and tired of you- all of you, ruining my life," Robbie said, pointing a shaking finger at the group. He lingered on Sportacus before turning the gesture at Stephanie. "Of you… You brats being loud and annoying. I’m tired of you guys ruining everything a-and buying all my cake that you guys don’t even like anyway and making me walk all the way to the store and all the way back and hitting me in the head with a ball and making me the bad guy for it! I'm tired of having to live in a town full of brats that hate me! Well guess what? I hate you too!”

“Robbie!” Sportacus shouted, absolutely horrified. “Stop!”

“No!” Robbie shouted back. “I won't stop! I'm done! I wish… I wish those brats would just disappear!”

With that, Robbie spun on his heel and marched all the way home to his lair. He didn’t look back, he didn’t stop once. With a loud slam of the hatch door, he slid down the shoots and landed right in his chair. He grabbed his blankie and sniffled angrily as he curled up for a nap.

And for once, there was peace and quiet as he drifted off to sleep.

From up in his tree, Jareth heard every word, and he smiled.

Chapter Text

Robbie blinked, eyes wide as he got up from his chair. Perhaps this was new, or perhaps he was just as oblivious as ever... either way, he had never noticed the large, ornate doors in the middle of his lair before. As he walked towards them he tried to remember - remember if they were part of an invention of his, or perhaps left over from a scheme that had failed years ago. It certainly didn't seem like it; usually he didn’t forget about things like this. Usually.

So where could the doors have come from? He came to a stop just a few feet away, examining them closer. They were much fancier than anything he owned, the craftsmanship he acknowledged to be far beyond his own. They were gorgeous enough to grace the front entrance of the palace of Versailles itself. He ran his hand over the smooth wood, noticing how he could see his own reflection in the glossy shine.

A laugh sounded out from the door as he made contact, and Robbie pulled his hand away. The laughter stopped. Hesitantly, he leaned in, pressing his ear close. His eyes widened as he heard music, and voices of all sorts laughing and talking and singing. It... Sounded like a party almost – and if the doors were indication, it was a fancy party

Robbie frowned, anxiety growing inside of him as he pulled away from the door. He had never been to a party like that. The only party he had ever gone to was a child's birthday party... Surely this was above him.

However, as he turned to go back to his chair, the doors opened slightly. The sound of laughter and music drifted through the ajar door like a breeze. A shiver ran down Robbie’s spine as the sound of violins and piano chords hit his ears. The song felt familiar to him for some reason... Robbie’s curiosity got the best of him, and he quietly inched forward to peer in on the party. He gasped at what he saw.

It was a masquerade party in a mirrored hall. Some people were slowly dancing in tune to the music, though most people stood to the sides of the room chatting amongst themselves and eating food. Many of them were laughing, their chuckles almost mad-like... though Robbie knew that he was probably the mad one. He hid as a person carrying a platter of food walked past the door; the smell of what Robbie hoped was cookies drifted away with the tray they were carrying. God, did the food smell good. Robbie’s mouth was watering as he looked back into the room and saw a gorgeous eight tier cake at the hors d'oeuvres table…

Maybe he would drop in for a quick slice and be out before anyone noticed.

He snuck through the door, trying his best to avoid eyes as he scampered to the side of the room. No one seemed to be paying him any attention, so he continued to the table. He smiled as he glanced the cake over. Never had he seen someone take the art of cake to this level. It was god like in his eyes, with a glossy purple glaze, topped with tiny pink pearl candies on lilac marzipan ribbons. This was his dream cake! He quickly cut himself a slice, placing it on a pretty white napkin with as much care as possible. It smelled so good, much better than any cake he had ever had before.

Robbie didn’t like eating in front of people – he hated how people would look at him… but he didn’t care, he needed to eat this cake now. With all the grace of a pig, he snarfed down the slice, getting a good amount of the frosting on his face in the process. His eyes rolled back in his head; it tasted even better than it looked, and Robbie could swear he was being flown to heaven. He used the napkin to get the rest of the frosting off his face, then he ate that up too. It wasn’t enough though, and he went for another slice of cake. He got an even bigger piece this time and smiled as he brought it to his mouth.

“Ah, there you are my dear,” a strong voice said behind him, causing Robbie to freeze. The person was addressing him, he knew it, and he could feel their eyes on his back. Internally he began to punish himself. He knew it was a bad idea to come in here! With a sigh, he sat the slice of cake back down on the table and slowly turned around to face the voice. Robbie’s eyes widened.

The voice belonged to a man… or what Robbie assumed was a male being of some sort. He doubted that the person was human; the way the light bended around his face was far too mystifying to be humanly possible. His hair was loud, each silky tendril splaying out atop his head like the crown of an exotic bird; it looked so, so soft. He was wearing a blue waist coat with a ruffled white blouse underneath it. His pants were… Robbie fixed his eyes above the man’s waist like his life depended on it, a soft blush on his face. Jeez…

His eyes flitted over to the door, still ajar and waiting for him. He just wanted to leave; people were starting to look at him. The being turned to follow his gaze, and he made a sound of disappointment as he seemed to realize what Robbie was wanting. A sad frown formed on his face.

“Is this not to your satisfaction my dear?” he asked before gesturing to the room around them. “I thought this would be a nice change to the ‘obnoxiousness’ of that sad little town.”

Everyone was watching them now, their eyes wide through the macabre masks they wore. The music had stopped too – and everything was completely silent. Robbie folded his arms close to him, his hands fidgeting nervously. He wanted to cry. The tears were welling up in his eyes, and he looked to the floor, hoping it would swallow him up. He hated people looking at him like this; god, there were so many people!

The being seemed to sense his discomfort, and with a snap of his fingers, everyone returned to what they had been doing. Music resumed, and everyone moved from their places of rest to dance. Only one pair of eyes were on Robbie now, and Robbie hesitantly looked up. The being smiled softly and took a small step towards Robbie. If it wasn’t for the table right behind him, Robbie would have taken a step back himself.

He had no idea what was going on. He was scared and confused, and he just wanted to go home. More than anything, he wished this being would leave him alone… yet at the same time a timid curiosity overcame him. Who was he? What was he? Was he angry at Robbie for eating his cake?

“Look, whatever I did I’m sorry. I’ll just go home and we can forget about this,” Robbie said, his voice shaking. The being paused, a pitying smile dampening his face as he took quick, melodic steps towards Robbie. Robbie averted his gaze once the being was not but a foot away from him, and as the being reached out to touch him he flinched. It was a moment before Robbie unclenched himself enough to open his eyes, and immediately he wanted to close them again when his eyes met the beings. This was too close for strangers.

Yet… he knew those eyes.

One was larger than the other, the pupil permanently dilated. He had only seen these eyes once before. Robbie shook his head slightly. No… no, it couldn’t be, could it? That didn’t make sense. None of this made sense.

“… You’re the owl?” Robbie asked, growing more and more confused by the second. There was a moment of silence before the being started to laugh. Robbie’s face turned a soft pink, and he frowned. That was a stupid question, he knew, but did the jerk have to mock him by laughing? 

Once the being was done chuckling, he sighed and smiled softly. Robbie studied his face. There didn’t seem to be a mocking tone in his eyes, though there was a… strange amusement that he didn’t quite like.

“Yes, I am ‘the owl’ you saw,” the being said with a sly smile. He then leaned in to Robbie’s ear, causing him to blush and swallow nervously. The being chuckled, growling slightly as he said, “… Though I’ve never had anyone address me as such.”

“I’m… sorry,” Robbie said, his voice unsure. Were they angry? Amused? After a moment the being tsked him softly, reaching out to grab Robbie’s hand. The villain wanted to pull away yet stopped as the silky warmness of the being’s hand covered his own. It was… oddly soothing.

No one had ever held his hand like this before.

“You can call me Jareth,” the being said, bringing Robbie’s hand up to his lips. A spark of lightning shot through his body as Jareth kissed his hand. His face felt hot and his knees weak; he forgot how to breath. Jareth gave a low chuckle, his eyes locked tightly with Robbie’s in a way so tenderly intimate... it was like nothing Robbie had ever felt before.

Be still my beating heart... Robbie swallowed, his mouth dry. 

"Would you like to dance?" Jareth asked, slowly lowering Robbie's hand but not letting it go. 

"W-what?" Robbie said, his eyes wide and voice shaky. Dance? With him? Was this guy crazy? All Robbie could manage was a dumb stare in return, his mind racing with countless questions. What's with this guy?

… and why is he wasting his time with me?

Jareth chucked softly. There was a mirth in the chuckle that Robbie would almost call flattering, though he was sure that he had also annoyed him. Jareth lowered Robbie’s hand further, leaning in once more to whisper in Robbie’s ear. "I said, 'would you like to dance?'"

Jareth gave Robbie's hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. There was a smirk of amusement on his face, though it wasn't mocking or mean. To Robbie it felt... Playful. Playful in and adult way that no one had ever acted like with him. Robbie's breath was shallow, and his face felt hotter than it had ever felt before.

Robbie opened his mouth but no words came out; he didn't know what to say, and even if he did he wouldn't have been able to speak. The owl was now a man and he wanted to dance with him!

Robbie sighed; he was finally going crazy

Jareth gestured to the dance floor. Part of Robbie felt like Jareth wasn't making a request about the dance - more like a command played off as a suggestion. He just had an air about him that screamed control... But strangely, Robbie liked it. It suited him.

"… Okay" Robbie said, allowing himself to be lead onto the dance floor. Jareth placed a firm hand on Robbie's waist as they began to slowly sway back and forth. Robbie felt like he was on fire from how much he was blushing, and he knew he was probably sweating too. Gross. Jareth made a gentle ‘hmm’ sound, seemingly noticing Robbie’s discomfort.

"Are you feeling alright darling?" Jareth asked, leaning in to whisper in Robbie's ear. Robbie held his breath, in shock at how close they were. He felt himself get even more hot. With a nervous laugh Robbie pulled his head away from Jareth’s, looking up at one of the chandeliers.

"It's... It's just a bit warm in here," Robbie lied, refusing to look at his dance partner. Jareth was silent for a moment, then Robbie felt the man’s hands let go of him. Robbie looked at him in confusion, a bit worried that he had said the wrong thing. Jareth looked him over, then smiled softly.

"Perhaps some clothes more suited for dancing would make you feel better," He said, and before Robbie could say anything a strange feeling overcame him. Robbie froze, his neck and shoulders tingling and all of a sudden a bit... Bare.

He looked down and gasped. His striped suit had been replaced by a gorgeous white gown that billowed out past his hips like the petals of a white rose. It glimmered in the light of the room with glitter and gemstones, and despite how large the gown was, it was as light as a feather. A feeling of joy overcame him, and he twirled a few times to get a feel for the skirt.

Robbie loved dresses. Whenever he got to disguise himself as a woman, he always put extra detail into the clothes. They were just so… pretty; pretty and fun to wear. Of course this was a secret of his - not that he felt ashamed by it. His mother always said that fashion belonged to everyone... it was just unfortunate that many people didn't share her sentiment. He twirled again, making a mental note to think of more feminine disguises for future schemes.

“I thought you’d like it, my darling,” Jareth said, watching Robbie spin. “I have to say, it looks even more stunning on you than I thought it would.”

Robbie paused, looking at Jareth with a confused frown. He waited for the man to laugh at him and call him stupid for wearing a dress… yet the laughter didn’t come; there was just adoring eyes and a playful smile. Jareth didn’t seem to be playing a cruel joke, yet he should have been. I mean, nobody likes a guy in a dress, right?

“… you’re playing a joke on me.” Robbie said, his tone implying it as a fact. He crossed his arms, turning away from Jareth with a pout. “Nice try, owl boy. I’ll have you know it won’t work!”

There was a moment of silence before Jareth sighed.

“Darling…” Jareth said as he reached out for Robbie, grabbing his shoulder before gently turning him around. The amusement was gone out of his eyes. Robbie shivered. “Why would I be playing a joke on you?”

“Because I’m Robbie Rotten, and I never get this lucky,” Robbie said, his voice trembling with emotion he didn’t intend to feel. He felt sad, angry, and hopeful… hopeful deep down that maybe this was all real. But he was the villain, and if all his years fighting Sportacus had taught him anything…

The villain always loses.

He sighed, “I’m just the goofy guy who dresses up in costumes and makes everyone’s day harder for them.”

Jareth grabbed both of Robbie’s shoulders, forcing him to meet his gaze. Jareth didn’t say a word, his eyes locked on Robbie's. The villain stared back at the man sadly, just hoping he would drop the act soon. There was no sense drawing out this torture; he hoped the owl man wouldn’t be so cruel. It felt like an eternity before Jareth finally said, “Sportacus truly must be an evil creature to make such a perfect and gorgeous man like you feel so horrible about yourself.”

Robbie felt his heart throb. He decided that he must have not heard that right, but before he could ask Jareth to repeat himself, the owl man said, “Darling, you deserve better – and I am not playing any jokes. All I want is to have the honor of dancing with you, and hopefully begin to give you the respect you have been so severely lacking. Is that alright?”

There was nothing that Robbie could do but stand there and gawk at the man. Never had anyone said something so nice to him… he felt the tears well up in his eyes and he fought them as hard as he could; he wasn’t about to cry in front of this man and ruin this. With his heart racing, Robbie nodded, and allowed Jareth to lead him onto the dancefloor once again.

This time, the dancefloor cleared, and everyone seemed to vanish from sight. The lights dimmed, and a soft melody began to play just for them. It was so private and so intimate like nothing Robbie had ever experienced before, and as Jareth placed his hand on Robbie’s hip, he trembled. He was pulled close against Jareth as they slowly danced around the room. Their gazes were locked, and Robbie stared wide eyed the entire time; his cheeks were hot from blushing.

Robbie’s heart was beating faster than it had ever beat before. He was certain that Jareth could feel it, but it didn’t seem that the owl man cared. After a while, Jareth closed the gap between them even further, his hand finding the small of Robbie’s back. He guided Robbie against him until they were practically hugging right there on the dance floor. Jareth’s body felt lean and soft against him, and Robbie gasped. They were dancing cheek to cheek, and Robbie felt Jareth’s lips graze his ear. The feeling sent a jolt throughout his entire body. Jareth chuckled in a way that made Robbie’s heart melt.

Then, after placing a soft kiss of Robbie’s cheek, Jareth began to sing.

“I'll paint you mornings of gold
I'll spin you Valentine evenings
Though we're strangers 'til now,
We're choosing the path
Between the stars
I'll leave my love
Between the stars

As the pain sweeps through,
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill is gone
Wasn't too much fun at all,
But I'll be there for you-ou-ou
As the world falls down

Falling
As the world falls down
Falling
As the world falls down
Falling
Falling
Falling
Falling in love.”

Jareth’s voice was that of a god. Robbie was in awe; so much so that he didn’t realize that they had stopped dancing until Jareth stopped singing. The music had faded, and the only light remaining in the room was a single candle. Robbie clung to Jareth, pulling away only just enough to meet his gaze. He had never felt this way before – he felt warm inside, as if there were butterflies flying inside of him and if felt good. No one had ever made him feel this way before…

He felt sort of foolish almost, a small nagging voice at the back of his mind still screaming that this was all a joke. He forced the voice into silence. While he was still so confused as to what was going on, he didn’t want to believe this man was anything but the answer to a lifetime of suffering.

Jareth had shown him a whole new world – he had touched him in ways that no one had dared touch him and said words to him that no one had ever thought to say; and they were exactly the things that Robbie had always wanted and needed. As he stared into Jareth’s eyes, he prayed that he’d never have to look away. If he never ever found his way back to his lair after this he wouldn’t care. Perhaps deep down he had actually longed for someone to take him away from LazyTown, and maybe… just maybe, the universe was finally being kind to him.

Maybe Jareth was here to rescue him.

As they stood together in the dimness, Robbie wished that Jareth would be the one to have enough courage to close the gap between them even further. His eyes trailed down to the soft, strong looking lips of the owl man, and he wanted to know so badly what they felt like against his. It would have been his first kiss…

“Darling, have I pleased you tonight?” Jareth asked, his hands holding Robbie firmly in a way that felt so perfectly possessive to Robbie. It took a moment before Robbie could find the strength enough to nod. Jareth smiled, almost relieved, pressing their foreheads together in a way that made Robbie’s breath hitch; their eyes were still locked.

As the last candle began to dim into nothingness, Jareth held Robbie even tighter. It almost hurt Robbie, but he didn’t want to be let go. Robbie didn’t want this to ever end… and, as if Jareth had magically read Robbie’s mind, he said the one thing that set Robbie’s heart on fire even more.

“Stay with me.”

He could feel Jareth lean forward, their lips almost touching, their breaths mingling together… and Robbie felt tears of joy form at the corners of his eyes. This was so perfect, so wonderful, and he felt like he must be dreaming…

… Robbie…

Jareth clutched Robbie hard enough to make him wince, and Robbie noticed the owl man’s eyes widen in what might have been panic. The voice that had said his name felt so far away… yet he felt a strange draw towards it. He didn’t want to go though; he wanted to stay here!

Robbie… Robbie wake up…

Jareth seemed to be able to hear it too, and the look on his face was enough to break Robbie’s heart; panic and pain, and the way that he held Robbie was so strong and painful. “Darling, stay with me.”

Robbie, you need to wake up. Now.

Robbie was being pulled away from Jareth by a force unknown to him. Jareth’s grip was starting to hurt so bad, but Robbie didn’t care because he needed to stay. Eventually, Robbie was ripped from Jareth’s grasp by a cruel force, and he finally let the tears slip down his face. This couldn’t be happening!

He reached out to Jareth, but he couldn’t grab hold of his owl man. “Jareth… I don’t wanna go!”

ROBBIE!

“No!” Robbie screamed as he was dragged away, his body slamming to the floor as if he was being dragged by his ankles. “Jareth!!!! JARETH HELP ME!!!!!”

The final candle faded to nothingness, and the last thing Robbie saw was the sad frown on Jareth’s face. With all the agony hitting Robbie at once, he let out a horrible, soul crushing scream.

The universe had played another joke on him.

Chapter Text

To be honest, Sportacus felt bad about waking Robbie. While he personally didn’t understand it, he knew that Robbie liked spending the majority of his time at rest. He certainly didn’t want to take that away from him… especially not after the day he had. However, the second Sportacus had entered the lair, he knew something was wrong. His crystal had given a low hum of concern against his chest, and he had felt… It wasn’t something he could quite put his finger on, but it was faintly familiar.

Familiar in a bad way. As he tried to wake Robbie, even touching the tall man sent a shiver up his spine. It didn’t help that the feeling got worse and worse the more Sportacus called out to him. Once he had finally broken past the bad aura it was like being plunged into a pool of ice, but it was worth it once he saw Robbie’s eyes open.

Sportacus forced a smile, trying to hide his restlessness and fear. He was hoping that Robbie wouldn’t be in too bad of a mood for being woken up… but the second he saw the tears stream down Robbie’s face he knew it was too late.

“Robbie, I’m sorry, I had to wake you up,” he said, placing a cautious hand on the arm of Robbie’s chair. Robbie was silent, his wide eyes staring into Sportacus’s almost in disbelief. Taking the quiet as a cue, he pushed further. “Robbie, are you okay?”

“… Why. Are. You. Here,” Robbie finally said, his fist clenching together against his blanket until his knuckles were white. His lip trembled, and Sportacus could feel a tension build within Robbie as if he was attempting to keep composure. As Robbie stood from his chair, Sportacus took quick strides backwards, wanting to make sure the man had plenty of space; he didn’t want to make this situation worse than it already was. Robbie stood with his back to Sportacus, crossing his arms. The elf frowned.

“Robbie, I know I shouldn’t be down here…” Sportacus started, trailing off as he watched Robbie’s composure begin to deteriorate. Fast. The man was crying, and Sportacus’s crystal began to glow a sad, aching light that made his heart hurt. The elf wondered if perhaps this was because of the trance Robbie had been under, though he didn’t dare push further. Instead, he sighed and lowered his head.

“Robbie, something happened in town… the children are gone,” Sportacus said, not bothering to fake a positive tone for his voice. “I’ve looked everywhere for them, but they just disappeared. I came down here looking for them, and I was… worried that you were in trouble too.”

The way Robbie tensed and turned around made Sportacus raise his head. All that was left of the tears was one stray droplet falling down the tall man’s cheek. Robbie wore a look of shock and disbelief, his mouth open slightly as he just stared at the elf. There seemed to be a new light in his eyes, and the crystal began to fade in its alarm. The tall man swallowed, “Gone… what do you mean gone?”

“After you left… I went to get the ball… the one that hit you, and then as soon as I turned around they just weren’t there. At first, I thought that they had ran off because they were upset but I’ve been searching for hours. The Mayor and Miss Busybody have been helping me too… The Mayor is a wreck right now.”

“… I see…” Robbie said, just staring at Sportacus in a daze. Sportacus stood there for a moment, watching Robbie and cautiously glancing around the lair. Miss Busybody had made a comment about the possibility of Robbie pulling one of his heists, Milford agreeing in his panicked stupor, though Sportacus had doubted that was the case. For one, he knew Robbie well enough to know that the tall man hated being anywhere near the children… or anyone for that matter, when he was upset - and Robbie had been really upset that day.

Second, if Robbie had taken the children, his crystal would have been going off like crazy from the fear of the children alone. However, his crystal was silent, and he couldn’t sense the children anymore. It was almost like they didn’t exist… He hated to think of what that meant.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you Robbie,” Sportacus said, turning towards the exit. “… If you hear anything, please let me know?”

Robbie didn’t say a word; he didn’t seem to move either. Sportacus’s mind kept flashing to the tears that had rolled down the tall man’s pale cheek, and he felt the sorrow in Robbie’s chest; it was like being stabbed with a knife. Robbie always seemed to be so sad – that’s why the kids had suggested making him his favorite cake to bring a smile to his face. Even Sportacus had helped, though he had to be very careful not to touch anything with his bare hands. Stephanie had taught him how to make pretty purple frosting ribbons, and she used tiny edible pearls from a baking kit of hers to make the cake even better. He had felt so proud of the children.

If only they had gotten to show it to Robbie. Sportacus knew Robbie would have loved it, and maybe, just maybe… he would have been able to see Robbie smile.

Sportacus sighed, leaving the lair with a heavy heart. He ached for Robbie, but more so for the children; he didn’t want to think about what was happening with them, and just wished he could find any clues about where they were. Sportacus needed, needed to find them.

He wasn’t going to lose them. Not them… His heart couldn’t bear the loss. He bit his lip, feeling his stomach sink. Losing them would bring so much shame…

He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of selfish thoughts – this wasn’t about him; he didn’t matter right now. The children were first above all else. Despite this, one lone thought forced its way through. It spoke in a voice he had long tried to forget, and a shiver ran down his spine.

What else have you left to lose from shame, you fool?

Robbie heard the hatch close, and only then did he fully let himself break. He let out a sob, clutching at his mouth as he crawled back into his chair. It was pathetic to cry over a dream; and he should have known it was too good to be true…

Yet he couldn’t get over the way Jareth held him as they danced – to him, it was as close to real romance as he had ever gotten. Or, Robbie’s pessimism thought bitterly, it was the closest he would ever get to romance. 

He grabbed his blankie, holding it close as he sniffed at the familiarity of it. It reminded him of naps and ice cream and cake and all the good things he had in life – the safe things. “It was just a bad dream,” he said, forcing himself to stop crying. “A bad… wonderful dream… but that’s all it was”

As he curled up into a tight ball, he sighed. Soon it would all be forgotten, and he could go back to hating Sportacus and eating cake and being lazy and-

“OUCH!” He said, jumping out of his chair with a cry. Something sharp had poked him right in the butt. As he rubbed what he was sure to become a big bruise, he looked at his chair with offense. Had his favorite chair betrayed him too? Was there nothing left that was sacred in this world?

His eyes widened as he saw what had poked him. It had wedged itself between the cushion with the pointed end sticking up – a dangerous trap for someone who wasn’t paying attention.

“… Jareth’s medallion?” Robbie said, picking up cautiously. It felt so odd in his hand, as if it shouldn’t even be real. I mean, it shouldn’t have been real, right? He would have pinched himself if the medallion hadn’t already hurt him. Slowly, he brought it up to his chest and sighed as he hugged it. Was this what Cinderella felt like when she got to keep one glass slipper after the ball?

Robbie knew he would treasure it – the one small memento from the best night of his sad life. He unclasped the chain and placed it around his neck. It was heavy, and he had to fight the urge to slouch from it’s weight. He would get use to the weight though; he would… get stronger and get muscles from carrying it around, though he dreaded the idea. Not that he had to tell anyone that he was doing such a vile thing. Robbie rolled his eyes at the mere thought of Sportacus noticing him doing exercise.

Wow Robbie! You’re getting so strong! Soon you’ll be just as strong as me and you’ll have so much energy that you’ll never be able to have naps and the kids will want you to play sports with them forever and ever and ever-

He shook the horrible thought out of his head as he tucked the medallion into his vest. No one had to know his little secret. A small frown worked its way onto his face and he sighed. The kids…

Sportacus wasn’t the type of person to lie – so what he had said about the children had to have been true. They were missing… missing so bad that not even the blue wonder could find them. Slowly Robbie’s frown turned into a scheming grin. This might still turn out to be a good day after all.

“If there are no kids in LazyTown, then Sportacus will have to leave! And I can make LazyTown Lazy FOREVER!”

He laughed, a surge of excitement causing him to dance around his lair – the heartbreak he had felt seemingly gone from his mind as he thought of Sportacus leaving for good. He had dreamed of this day for so, so long.

“That elf will be frowning and sad, and he’ll hug the mayor and Ms. Busybody good bye as they wished him luck out in the world. Sportacus will then turn to me, and with those puppy dog eyes he’ll say, ‘You won Robbie, you fantastic Villain Number One… LazyTown is yours forever – and I, Sportafailure, will leave for all time, never to be seen again’ and I’ll tell him to hit the road and all my troubles will be gone FOREVER!”

He paused, a thought suddenly coming to him. “… but what if he finds them… then he’ll have to STAY!” he gasped, biting his nails as he thought to himself. What to do, he thought, what to do! “Hmmm… I’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen!”

With a huff, he waltzed over to the hatch of his lair and threw it open. It was dark out, the town illuminated only by the glow of the streetlights and a spotlight shining down from Sportacus’s airship. It was cold, and Robbie shivered, wanting to go back inside his cozy warm lair already. In the distance, he could hear Milford’s frantic voice calling out to the children.

His joints popped painfully as he lifted himself out of the hatch, and he winced as his back cracked. Then, after straightening his vest, we waltzed over to town square. His footsteps echoed loudly in the empty street. The quiet almost felt… wrong. He sighed, walking a little bit faster towards town hall.

“Stephanie!? Stephanie is that you!?” A loud, trembling voice called out behind him. It was the mayor, and Robbie put on a fake smile as he turned around to greet the man. When he met eye to eye with him though, he almost jumped; the man was a complete wreck. His eyes were wide and wet with tears, and his lips were quivering with the threat of an emotional crisis. He looked… old. Old and scared and broken unlike the usually happy and pleasant man. Robbie swallowed slowly, thinking of what to say – but before he could even get out a ‘Hi’, Milford had his hands on his vest. With strength that shocked him, the mayor pulled Robbie down until they were eye to eye.

“You!” the mayor said, balling his fists sharply against Robbie’s chest. It hurt – and more than anything it felt wrong to see the mayor so unlike himself; Robbie was speechless.

He stammered for a second, trying to force himself to say something before the mayor completely lost his temper. “I-”

The Mayor interrupted, a fit of angry tears streaming out if his eyes as his voice cracked into a shout. “What have you done with Stephanie!? Tell me now!”

“Milford? Milford did you find them?!” A voice called out not that far away that Robbie knew to be Ms. Busybody. Her heels clacked against the concrete roads as she ran over to where they were. Once she saw who Milford was dealing with, she gasped.  “You!”

Robbie flashed her a sheepish smile, hoping that maybe she could convince Milford to let him go. “Yes, it’s me, the one and only- EUGH!” He flinched as he saw her reach into her purse and pull out a bottle of mace. Oh for the love of god, where is that elf boy when you need him?!

As if on cue, he felt a gust of wind blow past his face, and he knew Sportacus was there. With a dramatic sigh, he opened his eyes, knowing that Ms. Busybody wouldn’t spray him now. He never thought he’d ever be so happy to see that blue kangaroo; if Milford wasn’t pretty much holding him up by his collar he’d fall to his knees and kiss those blue boots.

“Guys, what’s going on? What are you doing to Robbie?” Sportacus said, looking between Milford and Bessie in confusion. His eyes lingered on Robbie in a way that made the villain feel both ashamed and relieved – not that he was doing anything wrong to feel ashamed over… he was just making sure that the children were really gone.

“He has the children Sportacus!” Milford said, his voice harsh and unrelenting as he stared Robbie down. Robbie swallowed, his eyes locked on Sportacus as he quietly pleaded for help. Sportacus frowned, looking from Robbie to the Mayor. Milford shook Robbie slightly, enough to jar Robbie’s attention away from Sportacus’s gaze. The man was starting to get impatient. “We have to make him tell us where they are! Sportacus, you have to make him talk!”

Sportacus gently grabbed the Mayor by arms, easing the man’s grip on Robbie just enough for the taller man to fall to the ground. Robbie fell with a thud, and he trembled from the adrenaline rush and the cold. He was starting to think this whole scheme wasn’t worth it – after all, if Sportacus found the children, the Mayor wouldn’t want to kill him. The mayor has never been so… angry. A sigh escaped his lips. Abort mission! Abort mission!

“Mr. Mayor, Robbie does not have the children,” Sportacus said, his voice as calm and as smooth as when he speaks to the children. Milford focused fiercely on Sportacus, hanging on to each word. Sportacus moved his hands from the mayor’s arms to the man’s shoulders, the act causing him to calm a bit. “I’ve already searched his lair – I promise, he isn’t the one who took the children.”

'Searched my lair' huh? Robbie frowned as he got to his knees. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. At least he wasn't down there just to wake me up...

“Then who did?” Ms. Busybody said, putting her hands on her hips as she still glared at Robbie. “It’s not like this town has a second villain.”

“Bessie, we don’t even know if they were taken,” Sportacus said, flashing her a smile that looked almost condescending to Robbie, but he didn’t comment on that. “We cannot lose our heads pointing and blaming each other - all we can know for certain is that they aren’t anywhere in town.”

There was a silence between the group of adults for a moment. Bessie put her mace away, and Milford finally just broke down into silent, agony riddled sobs. Robbie slowly got to his feet though he wasn’t quite sure what to do. He wanted to go home, though at the same time he didn’t want to be… alone. This was all starting to really scare him, and if the children were taken, then who’s to say that he wouldn’t be next?

Sportacus cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to the elf. His eyes locked with Robbie, and he took a small, hesitant step towards the taller man. “Robbie, are you okay?”

Robbie nodded. Sportacus gave him a soft smile, his eyes lingering for a few seconds longer before he finally turned back to the other adults. “Alright… Bessie, did you call the RottenVille police department?”

“Yes, they said they’d get here by morning,” she said, the tone of her voice sad somewhat annoyed. “Apparently there’s already a crisis in MayhemTown involving a gang… the children will have to wait for their help until then.”

Sportacus brought his hand to his chin, shaking his head at the news. “That could be too late by then… we need to keep looking. We already know that they’re not in town, so that only leaves the prairie around the town. It will take too long to search by foot, so I’m going try and see if I can find them with my airship.”

“What should we do then?” Milford said, wringing his hands together in a nervous fidget.

Sportacus thought for a second. “Bessie, I want you to call all the towns in the area to see if anyone can help us. Milford, stay in town square… just in case the children come back – if they do, take them to town hall and call me immediately. I’ll keep you guys updated on anything I find-”

“W-what should I do?” Robbie said, his voice a bit shaky. Everyone turned to him in confusion, Sportacus donning a look that Robbie guessed to be surprise. His cheeks flushed as the elf’s mouth quirked in a smile; Robbie could tell he was pleased. Great he thought, Now he’ll think that I want to be his sidekick or something.

“Robbie, you can come help me search – two sets of eyes are better than one!” Sportacus, turned towards his ship, and before Robbie could say anything, the blue wonder started flipping away towards his ship. “Come with me Robbie!”

“Great…” Robbie said, trying to fake enthusiasm in his voice. He hated heights… but at the same time he didn’t want to stay in town with Bessie or Milford. Not that he thought that they’d try to mace him again, but he knew that they didn’t trust him. Right now, he really didn’t want to deal with that negativity, and although he hated to admit it, Sportacus’s positivity felt almost comforting.

He ran towards the airship, his lungs aching almost immediately. By the time he got there, he was wheezing and sweating and the pendant around his neck felt like it would make him fall over from the weight of it. Sportacus patted him on the back, trying to come off as encouraging, but it only made Robbie feel weak. He’s not even breathing heavy…

Sportacus had already called the ship down to ground level. Robbie was thankful that he didn’t have to climb that horrible ladder. “Door!” Sportacus said, his voice strong and commanding. Before the hatch had even fully opened Sportacus jumped inside. Robbie followed shortly after, and quickly made a beeline to the nearest secure object to hang on to. He did not have any fond memories of this place. A shiver ran up his spin as he remembered the last time he had come up her for one of his brilliant plans. He closed his eyes tight and clung to the pole in the middle of the ship for dear life.

He could hear Sportacus flip over to the captain’s chair, and he braced for takeoff… but it didn’t come. Sportacus chuckled softly, and Robbie knew that the elf was looking at him. He probably looked ridiculous clinging to the pole, but he didn’t care; he just kept his eyes closed and hoped all of this would be over soon. “Let’s get going Sportaflop, we don’t have all day!”

“Robbie, are you scared of heights?” Sportacus asked softly, a playful tone in his voice that made the tall man cheeks turn a rosy red. Is it that obvious…

“No!” Robbie said, his voice cracking in a way that made him cringe. “I just know that this ship is a death trap and I don’t want to die!”

There was a moment of silence. Robbie hoped that the elf would just drop it and take off – it’s none of his business after all. Once again, he braced for takeoff, and once again it never came. Robbie heard Sportacus’s footsteps, their sound growing louder before stopping right in front of him. Robbie slowly opened his eyes to see a sympathetic smile and an outstretched hand, and he froze. Sportacus sighed softly. “The ship won’t hurt you Robbie – I’ll keep you safe, okay? But in order for me to do that, I need you buckled up safe with me in the front.”

Robbie swallowed hard. He cautiously looked into Sportacus’s eyes to see if there was any sign of trickery, but only saw assurance. A put-out sigh escaped his lips. Why does he have to be so good at being nice? “Fine…”

Sportacus smiled in delight as Robbie accepted his hand. Without wasting any time, he led the two of them back to the front of the airship. Sportacus let go just long enough for him to jump down into the captain’s chair, and he then outstretched his again to help Robbie get down. Robbie looked down at Sportacus with a little hesitation. Eugh, I didn’t know he meant sitting in the same chair…

“It’s okay Robbie, I got you.” Sportacus said. Robbie resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he grabbed Sportacus’s hands and let himself be guided down to the chair. He did resist though when Sportacus attempted to buckle him up.

“I’m not a baby – I know how seatbelts work!” Robbie said as he swatted the elf’s hands away. Sportacus sighed as he smiled and shook his head.

“Sorry Robbie, force of habit,” the elf said before turning around and sitting in front of Robbie. He noticed Sportacus pull his goggles over his eyes, and before he could question why, Sportacus pressed a button and suddenly he could feel the wind ruffling his hair.

“Wait, Sportacus, what are you doing-” Robbie was cut off as Sportacus’s chair suddenly turned into its own mini jet and shot up into the sky. A scream escaped Robbie’s lips, and he grabbed Sportacus’s shoulders as the g-force pushed him flat against the back of the captain’s chair. It was like the worlds most evil roller coaster, and Robbie nearly passed out before the craft slowed to a hover above LazyTown. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were wide and for a second he forgot his own name.

“Wasn’t that fun Robbie?” Sportacus asked happily as he turned around to look at Robbie.

“No it wasn't!” Robbie said, glaring at Sportacus as he attempted to fix his now ruined hair. Knowing that it was hopeless, he pouted. “Would it have killed you to warn me?!”

Sportacus tried to pull a serious face, but just couldn’t do it. Robbie blushed as a small chuckle escaped the elf’s lips. “Sorry Robbie.”

You little... the taller man rolled his eyes. 

“Aren’t we supposed to be looking for the kids, SportaJerk, or have you forgotten about them already?” Robbie said as he crossed his arms.

That seemed to hit a tender spot, and a deep frown worked its way onto Sportacus’s face. He turned away from Robbie without a word as he flipped on the mini-jet’s spotlight. There was a long silence as they began to scan the prairie around them.

Robbie wasn’t really searching though. He fixed his eyes on the back of Sportacus’s head. The elf seemed so calm in all of this, though he knew that he must be upset and possibly scared. No matter what he told Ziggy, no one’s scared of nothing. He remembered trying to scare Sportacus out of town that one time, and a soft smile worked its way onto his face. It didn’t stay long though, and he really began to wonder what scared this Elf.

The more he looked at Sportacus, the more he noticed the tenseness in his shoulders that wasn’t normally there, and the way his arms flexed as he gripped the steering wheel a bit too hard. He was certainly good at hiding his fear, possibly for the mayor and Bessie’s sake, as well for the kids’ sake… perhaps for his sake too. Robbie started to feel bad for saying what he said. He didn’t want to apologize though – he couldn’t let his nemesis see him show mercy! However, the silence was starting to feel awkward… maybe this thing had a radio or something?

After a while, Sportacus broke the silence with a sigh. “I’m sorry.” Sportacus slowly turned around once more to look at Robbie. “I was just… excited that you wanted to help me.”

Robbie’s eyes widened slightly, and he titled his head almost in confusion. Sportacus smiled, reaching behind to pat Robbie on the shoulder. It was strong, yet gentle enough not to hurt the tall man. Robbie thought it was… nice. He shook his head, looking away from Sportacus and down to the prairie below. “I just want to clear my own name in all of this – you saw what the mayor and Bessie were gonna do… I just want to prove that I’m not the bad guy this time.”

“Of course Robbie,” Sportacus said, flashing his teeth in a sly smile before turning back around to scan the area again. Robbie reluctantly started searching too, though honestly, he couldn’t see much in this darkness, even with the spotlight on. He squinted, a slight movement catching his eye near a bolder. Before he could point it out to Sportacus though, the flapping wings of an owl rose to the sky.

Jareth… Robbie’s heart rose for a second, though immediately sunk as the bird he saw was clearly not the beautiful white owl from earlier this day. This one was speckled and dull, and he saw what might have been a snake in it’s talons. He stuck his tongue out in disgust. Jareth wouldn’t eat a snake…

He clutched at the pendant under his vest and closed his eyes, and suddenly all the excitement of the missing children dulled. The heart break stabbed at his heart, and he frowned in frustration. I can’t believe I fell in love with a dream…Yet the pendant is real! I’m holding it in my hand right now! How could I have imagined that?

“Hey Robbie, I think I see something! I’m gonna drop down and investigate is that okay?” Sportacus said, pulling Robbie out of his trance.

“Wha- Oh, yeah go ahead…” Robbie said, his voice soft and distant. Sportacus turned around for a spilt second, locking eyes with Robbie. They seemed to be looking for confirmation, so Robbie nodded. “I’m good – you can go down.”

The descent was a lot slower than the ascent, and Robbie was thankful of that. Sportacus turned off the engine, though kept the lights on so that they could search. Not that it was of much help; it was pitch black all around the spotlight. The elf stretched slightly before flipping out of the jet, his head turning left and right in the darkness. Robbie didn’t feel comfortable staying in the contraption alone, so he unbuckled and quickly crawled out of the cockpit... his exit was a lot less graceful though, and he ended up falling flat on his butt. I’m gonna be all purple from the bruises by the end of all this I know it!  He got up slowly, whining as he dusted himself off. A short lived pout formed on his lips. Then, he turned to look at Sportacus.

The elf was kneeling on the ground, tense and silent and completely ignoring Robbie.

“What is it?” Robbie asked, slowly approaching Sportacus. There was no reply, and Robbie rolled his eyes. He kneeled down and looked over the elf’s shoulder, his brow raised… then his eyes widened. It was Ziggy’s lollipop, covered in ants. Robbie gagged. Eugh… ever hear about finishing your candy before throwing it away?

“Do… you know what these tracks are?” Sportacus asked, his voice icy and soft - almost non-existent. Robbie looked at the elf’s face, noticing how wide his eyes were… how he was trembling. It set the tall man on edge like nothing ever had before. the villain's eyes fell to the ground, noticing tiny prints in the dirt. They looked to be shoes – tiny, pointed shoe prints, as well as a few handprints here and there. The hand prints had only four fingers, the nails pointed and almost claw-like.

“Am I… supposed to know what they are?” Robbie said, slowly reaching out to touch one of the prints. They were so small compared to his own hand - almost as small as an infants. Sportacus got up without a word, scanning the area almost frantically. Robbie quickly joined him, struggling to keep his balance as he flapped his arms around. He dusted himself off with a huff. “Sportacus, what are they?”

Sportacus was tense, his fists clenched hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Robbie swallowed, reluctantly approaching the elf. He froze when Sportacus stared right at him… the look on his face was so full of fear and panic and it felt wrong. “Sportacus… what is it?”

“Goblins.”

“… What?” Robbie said, his voice dropping in confusion. Sportacus turned away, running in the direction the tracks were going. Robbie shrugged, throwing his arms up in confusion before reluctantly following the elf. He wasn’t going to run though; he already hit his daily exercise limit a long time ago.

It took him maybe five minutes to catch up to Sportacus. Robbie could barely see the silhouette of the elf in the moonlight – in fact, he had almost tripped over him. Sportacus was kneeling on the ground, his shoulders slouched, and his head lowered. Robbie looked down at him and sighed. “Sportacus, what is going on?!”

They were in a clearing of some sorts, and Robbie squinted to try and see anything but just couldn’t. As he tried to walk forward, Sportacus outstretched his arm to halt him. Before Robbie could ask another question, Sportacus pressed his chest piece. Robbie jumped as a light shown from it, illuminating the clearing… and then he gasped.

It looked like a large crop circle almost… only it wasn’t a crop circle. It was an infinity symbol of some sort, swirling within a circle formed of rocks and stones. The tracks Sportacus had followed ended right outside of the symbol. Robbie tilted his head in confusion; for some reason, he recognized this symbol. He looked down at Sportacus, frowning at the look on the elf’s face.

Sportacus was catatonic, his eyes looking straight ahead as if in a daze. Robbie groaned out of frustration and stress and plopped to the ground beside the elf. They sat like that for a while, just staring at the circle, not saying a single word. 

Robbie's mind started to drift, and thoughts of Jareth started to resurface. He thought of the dance they shared and the cake that he had and the way that his heart fluttered as they were about to kiss… he wished he never woke up from that dream… he wished that maybe someday he’d see his beautiful owl man again.

He clutched at the pendant under his vest sadly, tracing the symbol on it’s front slowly and sadly. Then it hit him, and his heart pounded in excitement as he pulled the pendant out. His eyes glanced back and force between the symbol on the ground and the symbol on the pendant; they were the same. This had to prove something – this had to prove that his beloved Jareth was real!!

A hand reached out in front of him, snatching the pendant from Robbie’s hand. Robbie gasped, looking over at the now very conscious Sportacus – the very conscious and mad Sportacus. The elf held the pendant in his trembling hand, his eyes wide and teeth bared as he looked down at it. Robbie glared at Sportacus, crawling over the sports elf to try and get his necklace back. Sportacus held Robbie back, easily defending himself despite Robbie’s best efforts. The tall man growled. “It’s mine! Give it back it belongs to me!”

Sportacus stood up, causing Robbie to fall flat on his face in the dirt. Robbie glared up as Sportacus stood above him – not caring how the elf glared back at him; not caring how Sportacus shook and tears rolled down his usually happy face.

“Give. It. Back!”

“Robbie,” Sportacus said in a voice as cold as ice. His eyes closed, and as he threw the pendant to the ground he whispered, “What have you done?”

Chapter Text

“Let go of us!” Stephanie cried, thrashing against her captor’s grips as hard as she could. The monsters that carried them were strong despite how small they were; their grips did not falter as they carried her and the other children through vast corridors of brick walls – it felt like they had been traveling for hours. She was so tired and scared, but she couldn’t give up fighting; if Sportacus had taught her anything, it was to never give up!

Trixie had put up a good fight for a while along side her, but now she had resorted to halfheartedly barking words at the little creatures that Sportacus would not approve of. Ziggy had been sobbing the entire time, and Pixel and Stingy were just silently trembling. Stephanie didn’t blame them though – all she wanted was to go home to her uncle.

It had happened so quickly. One second she was watching Robbie march away, then the next small stinky hands were on her whisking her and her friends out of town. She didn’t even have time to call out to for help before they were already out of town. These things, whatever they were, were fast. Once they were out in the prairie there had been a flash of light and a bird... and then they were far away from LazyTown.

Stephanie thought the place looked far too magical to be real. She knew that there were such things as trolls and elves and creatures like that from stories, and magic had places in some parts of the earth but this? This was crossing a line that even her imagination couldn’t keep up with.

They entered through a large gate into a town square of some sorts. There were fountains and tiny houses, and hundreds more of the creatures that were carrying them hustled about around them. There were creatures herding chickens and selling what Stephanie’s nose told her was rotten cabbage and fish. Some of the creatures looked like they were children – but she couldn’t really tell because they all were all so different from each other not just in size. Then, as if a switch was flipped, they all stopped what they were doing to turn and look at them. Curiosity filled their beady red eyes, and soon all of them were following them close behind. As Stephanie looked around, she noticed a castle in the distance, and they were heading right for it.

Perhaps there’s a nice princess that lives there who will help us, or a noble knight who will free us! Stephanie hoped, though part of her felt like whoever lived there was behind their abduction. She frowned. I hope they at least don’t hurt us…

Once they reached the castle, they were led through another set of doors and up a flight of stairs. The sounds of the creatures laughing filled Stephanie’s ears and made her tremble; they were not kind laughs. The laughter was loudest as they reached a circular room at the top of the stairs. The creatures filled the room, and it looked to Stephanie like a party of some sorts. With a loud huff, the creatures threw her and the other kids into this small pit right in the middle of the chamber. Stephanie let out a startled cry as a chicken flapped its wings and scampered to get out of the pit.

She sighed nervously and looked to her friends. They were all trembling, huddled together with wide eyes glancing at the room and creatures around them. Stephanie crawled over to join them, reaching out for Trixie’s hand; she needed something to hold. Trixie’s grip made her wince but she wasn’t about to let go now.

Stephanie’s eyes fell on a throne of some sorts in front of them. It was empty she noticed, and she trembled at the thought of what creature would rule over these monsters. They’re probably scary, with big fangs and claws…

“Stephanie… I’m scared,” Trixie whispered, causing Stephanie to turn and look at her. Trixie’s eyes were wide and brimming with tears, and Stephanie squeezed her hand in a reassuring gesture.

“It’s okay, Sportacus will save us Trixie – I know it!” Stephanie forced a smile, though she knew it most likely looked fake. I won’t have to fake a smile for too long though she thought. At least I hope so… Sportacus, where are you?!

“My lollipop…” The youngest of them said. Ziggy wiped his eyes as he lowered his head, sniffling softly. Stingy audibly rolled his eyes, turning to Ziggy with a frown.

“There’s a little thing called priorities Ziggy – I think you should reevaluate yours, since right now, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re being held hostage!” Stingy said. Stephanie sent him a sharp frown, and he crossed his arms and pouted quietly.

“Guys, we got to stay brave – just think what Sportacus would do,” Stephanie said. Pixel shook his head, taping away at his arm gadgets sadly.

“I’ve been trying to get ahold of Ms. Busybody’s cell phone with my digipad, but there’s no reception here at all… Not even my GPS is working! I have no idea where we are, so I guess… lets just hope Sportacus somehow knows.”

“Yeah…” Stephanie said. She reached out, slowly grabbing Pixels hand with a soft smile. “We just have to stick together until he finds us.”

Pixel blushed, looking down with a faint smile. “M-maybe I can configure my digipad to give off a homing signal – Perhaps that’ll help Sportacus find us.”

“Great thinking Pixel!” Stephanie said, to which Pixel responded with a shaky, somewhat elated chuckle as he started clicking away at his gadgets. Trixie muttered beside her softly, saying something that might have been ‘lover boy’, but Stephanie wasn’t too sure.

Around them, the creatures started to quiet, sending waves of hushes between themselves. The children looked around the room in confusion, then to each other for reassurance. Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat as she heard distant footsteps. I have a bad feeling about this…

Then, at the top of a nearby staircase, a figure emerged. The person, or thing, had human looking legs dressed in knee-high boots. For a moment Stephanie thought it to be a woman from how lithe they appeared to be. However, as they descended the stairs and she saw their grey pantaloons and vested torso she ultimately decided it was a man – though his hair was wild enough to rival that of Ms. Busybody.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, and all the goblins in the room parted to make a path to the throne. As he confidently strode towards his chair his eyes never left hers, a smirk on his face that looked almost amused, but Stephanie thought it to be far too condescending for her liking. The man sat in his seat, his legs strewn over on side as he lounged. Stephanie studied his face; he certainly didn’t look all that scary.

After a moment, a single monster approached the man. It bowed lowly, their long, pointed nose pressing against the stone floor. Then it raised, straightening its dirty tunic with the back of its hands. “Your Highness, we have brought the children as directed.”

“Yes, I can see that,” the man said, narrowing his eyes at the creature. His voice made Stephanie shudder. It was smooth and strong yet held an ice behind each word. She would never forget his voice. The creature stood there silently for a moment before awkwardly mingling back amongst the other monsters. Stephanie looked at her friends, growing confused as they all shrugged. There was a moment of silence that was only broken by the distressed squawking of the poor chicken Stephanie almost crushed earlier. Then with a small sigh the man stood, slowly walking towards the children.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at the man. He seemed a bit restless, first sitting now standing, though he couldn’t imagine that they were putting him on edge. His eyes then met hers for a slight moment, and she knew that he had no fear of her. The corners of his mouth quirked in a small smile as he crouched down to their level. She froze, swallowing hard.

He sighed, a soft sound that seemed to cut the tension at least a little. “Hello,” He said, “Welcome to my Labyrinth… you must be Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy, Pixel…” his eyes locked with Stephanie, and she felt a cold icy feeling creep up her spine; his smile made it even worse. “… And brave little Stephanie.”

“How do you know our names?” Trixie asked, a boldness in her voice that made Stephanie worried. The last thing she wanted was her friends being thrown in a dungeon… The king seemed amused enough though to overlook her tone, and he simply looked to her and laughed.

“I’m a king – I know everything,” he said.

“The Goblin King!” A creature from somewhere in the crowd shouted. A few more voices joined it as they chanted, “Jareth the Goblin King!”

The king raised his hand, and the creatures stopped. Stephanie frowned, her jaw stiffening in defiance as anger rose within her. She didn’t care if he was the king of the world! “Why have you kidnapped us? We want to go home!”

The other children hesitantly chorused with her, which made Jareth’s smirk waver. He recovered quickly though, raising his brow. “Kidnapped?” he said, “I think that’s a rather… strong word, don’t you think?”

“Well, what would you call taking us against our will” Stingy said, his voice trembling a bit, though Stephanie sensed him getting angrier too. Jareth tutted at him softly, and Stingy looked down in fear.

“I’d call it ‘nothing personal’” Jareth said, his voice softening enough to make Stingy look back up, “It wasn’t exactly my idea to bring you all here, and I do apologize that this all happened so… abruptly.”

Stephanie frowned and shook her head. “What do you-”

“Please, allow me to explain,” Jareth said, cutting her off with a wave of his hand. “I can do so much quicker if you stopped asking questions.”

Rude, she thought but knew better than to say. She crossed her arms, and he rose to move towards his throne. “You see,” he began, sitting down slowly. “I am the Goblin King, and because I’m a king, I have certain… Responsibilities.”

He paused, looking at Stephanie as if expecting an interruption. It didn’t come, and a pleased smile warmed his face. “I rule the Goblins and the labyrinth as its master and its protector… but I also need to provide this service for one other thing: you.”

Stephanie opened her mouth but stopped before she could ask another question. Us? What does he mean us? He continued. “Whenever time allows me to, I venture into your realm in search of… how do I put this without it sounding alarming?” He had a tone to his voice that could be interpreted as concern, though Stephanie wasn’t sure if it was sincere. “Well, I’ll just go ahead and say it… unwanted children.”

Her friends gasped, a heartbreaking despair to their voices that made Stephanie ache. She stood to her feet. “What are you saying?” Stephanie said, this time not caring it she was interrupting. “We’re wanted! My uncle, and Miss Busybody wants us, and Sportacus wants us too!”

There was a bit of whispered chorus amongst the Goblins, and a look washed over Jareth’s face that she couldn’t read. “Be quiet!” He commanded, but not to her. The goblins froze in fear of their king, their whispers dying on their lips faster than they had started. Stephanie looked around at the Goblins, noticing their eyes flit away from hers as their gazes met. Jareth stood again from his throne, his eyes tired and his smile from before now clearly forced as he focused his attention on the children. “Perhaps they do want you,” he said. “No one is completely unwanted, but when someone wishes hard enough for a child to disappear, its hard to ignore their plea.”

Stephanie looked down in thought. Someone wanted us gone?? She bit her lip in confusion. “But… who would have wanted us gone so-”

“Robbie Rotten!” Trixie whispered beside her. “He wished us away!”

 I wish those brats would just disappear…

Stephanie gasped as she remembered Robbie’s hurt words from earlier. For a second she sat silent, wide eyed as pure shock filled her.

He wouldn't... he couldn't have...

... could he?

She couldn’t hide the hurt in her voice when she finally spoke. “You shouldn’t have listened to him... he's a villain!”

Jareth frowned, a look on his face that felt sour to her.  “Leave it to a child to simplify a person into nothing more than a ‘villain’. I despise such black and white thinking... and I assume you think that elf is the perfect little hero, am I correct?”

Stephanie froze.

He knows about Sportacus...

She shook her head, confused and hurt and angry. “Robbie Rotten has tried to hurt me and my friends so many times. It isn’t childish for me to think of him as nothing but a villain. And you… you should not have listened to his wish! Take. Us. Home!”

“That is not how this works, child.” Jareth said, his voice growing impatient. “I take children, I don’t return them. I’m afraid that unless someone comes to collect you, you will be staying here for quite some time.”

Stingy let out a distressed whimper. “For how long exactly?”

Jareth paused. “… Forever.”

The children snapped, each one breaking down in their own way. Stephanie watched her friends panic, and immediately reached out to try and help. “Guys, we’ll be okay!” She said, but they wouldn’t listen. “Guys please, we will be rescued and we’ll all go home!”

“… I really do sympathize with you,” Jareth said, his voice soft and slow. She watched him approach out of the corner of her eye but didn’t turn to acknowledge him. He continued with a sigh, crouching down to her level once more. “Like I said, it’s nothing personal, it’s just my job. Believe me when I say that I’ll try to make this whole ordeal as good for all of you as I can.”

“You could never make this good,” She said, turning to find his face meeting hers. Defiance rose inside of her, and she smiled. “Sportacus will find us, and you will be sorry!”

There was something that flickered deep within his strange eyes. He paused for a moment before returning with a soft laugh. The laugh chorused hesitantly throughout the goblin crowd, and Jareth smiled. “… Then you should have nothing to worry about. Consider your stay here just a… vacation.”

“Yeah, because being kept prisoner is my idea of a vacation,” Stephanie muttered. “Thank you so much.”

If he was insulted by her sass, he chose not to comment on it... yet, his eyes glinted with a dangerous slyness; they looked darker than before.

“Prisoner?” he said with a slow laugh, “I’d prefer to keep you here as guests… but if you’d like to be treated as prisoners then I can arrange that.”

The children all shouted in fear.

“Stop being rude to the man!” Stingy said, grabbing Stephanie’s arm. “I’m too important to be a prisoner!”

“You should listen to your friend Stephanie,” Jareth said. “Like I said, if you choose to work with me, this might turn out to be a pleasant experience for us all.”

Stephanie looked to her friends, and the pleading in their eyes was enough to break her. She hated this Jareth, and she didn’t trust him one bit; she couldn’t pretend otherwise… but if it meant keeping her friends safe, she’d yield. For now…

“I’m sorry…”

Jareth seemed pleased by that. “So, you’d like to be my guest?”

Like I have a choice…

“Yes.”

He clapped his hands at his goblins, and they all stood to attention. As soon as their king pointed his finger, they went scurrying. Soon rugs were being laid out around the room and trays were being brought in from different rooms. Ziggy’s eyes lit up as a tray of what looked to be candy was carried by, and Stephanie narrowed her eyes.

What’s… going on?

Jareth turned his back to the children for a moment, and when he returned he had five clear orbs in his hands. Before anyone could say a word, be began to juggle them between his fingers. It was like they were floating above his hands and flying. Stingy was practically trembling as he watched the act. She knew he was about three seconds away from screaming ‘mine’.

Stephanie had to admit, it was impressive. As much as she wanted to go sit in a corner and wait for Sportacus… she felt herself being drawn in by the act. Her eyes focused on one of them, and for a second, she thought she saw something. She shook her head, only for the image to still be there. As she leaned in closer, the image became more and more clear; then, she froze.

Mom, Dad…

She forced herself to look away, her eyes wide as she brought her hand to her mouth.

That… that couldn’t have been real.

Jareth’s eyes were on her, she could feel it but she didn’t dare turn back around. A tear formed at the corner of her eye as a shaky sigh escaped her lips.

“My crystals show dreams,” Jareth said, “Sometimes memories to those who are lucky… Would you like it?”

For a second, she thought he was talking to her. However, Stingy’s not so polite ‘yes, give it to me!’ said otherwise. She sighed. Oh Stingy… Stephanie turned around, her eyes fleeting between Stingy and Jareth in confusion. This time he didn’t meet her gaze though, which she was thankful for. She studied his face for longer than was probably polite, but she didn’t care.

... then, just like that, he wasn’t there.

Sportacus would know exactly what to do in this situation, and she tried to think like him; what would he do? Would he try to learn his adversaries’ game, so he would beat them at it himself? That rose the question as to what game Jareth was playing. Her eyes looked about the room, and she frowned when she saw Ziggy already helping himself to a tray of taffy candies. Then, Trixie ran by with a goblin’s helmet on her head as said goblin chased her around; she was laughing. Just a moment ago she was scared out of her mind right next to her! When had she gotten up? Stingy was focused on his new crystal ball as expected. Pixel was… where was pixel? She looked around frantically until she spotted him in a corner. Jareth was with him. He whispered something in his ear, and pixel nodded very enthusiastically.

“Are you not having fun?” Jareth’s voice was suddenly right behind her. She jumped, turning around wide eyed to look into his playful eyes.

“... what did you do to me?” She said, her voice barely a whisper as she found it hard to speak. “What’s…” Jareth held up a crystal and smiled at her softly as the image from before appeared within it. She slammed her eyes shut and scowled. “I don’t want to see that!”

“You miss them very much, don’t you?” He said, and she found her eyes opening against her will. She could see them as clear as day within that small ball; they were waving at her. Her hand reached out slowly, the tip of her finger just barely brushing the glass barrier. “You were supposed to just be staying one summer in LazyTown, weren’t you? Yet… their ‘business’ trip is taking much longer than expected…”

Stephanie nodded, not taking her eyes away from the ball. She wanted to look away, or at least she knew she should look away…

“W-why are you doing this?”

“I said you were my guest, Stephanie,” He said as he placed the ball in the palm of her hand. “I treat all my guests well…”

A small sigh escaped his lips, and she found the will to look away from her parents to him. He had a look of pain in his eyes that she didn’t doubt was genuine. She could have sworn he was sweating, though it could have just been the light. For a moment, he seemed almost ordinary – plain. It almost felt like she was talking to her uncle… he seemed so sad.

She questioned what set her off about him, yet deep inside she tried to stay strong.

Don’t let him fool you… he’s supposed to be bad!

… Right?

Jareth looked right at her, right into her mind in a way that would have frightened her if she didn’t feel so weird… “I know you don’t trust me... but you will...”

He broke off what he was saying. Stephanie blinked, feeling a swift feeling of dullness overcome her. Jareth was now across the room speaking to a taller looking goblin. She couldn’t hear what they were saying… Jareth smiled. He turned to her and waved, a smirk on his lips.

Something’s wrong… snap out of it!

Jareth was gone again. She looked about the room languidly, just turning her head making her feel like she was on a roller coaster. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Stephanie…” a small voice said. Her eyes drifted down to the palm of her hand. It was her mother, her soft smile as warm as she remembered it to be. “We’re so sorry…. we’ve missed you so much Stephanie.”

She knew she was crying, but she didn’t care. A soft smile warmed her face as she cradled the ball close to her chest.

“I’ve missed you too…”

“Are they at the circle now?” Jareth asked, making his way down a flight of steps towards the courtyards. A goblin sprinted after him, it’s tiny legs struggling to meet the King’s graceful strides.

“Y-yes your highness,” it wheezed out, “They’ll be right there waiting for your arrival.”

“Good,” Jareth said, sighing as he draped his cloak around his shoulders. He reached the bottom of the stairs and paused to steady himself. The goblin ran into his legs, not expecting the sudden halt; it looked up at him with wide eyes.

“M-my lord, I greatly apologize! Please, forgive my foolishness, I-”

He stopped listening and closed his eyes. This goblin had a name, though he couldn’t remember it at the top of his head… if he had remembered it, he would have commanded the creature by name to be quiet. He opened his eyes, looking down at the thing still stumbling over an apology. I should have taught them to hold their tongues more.

“Will the glamour hold?” He said, his expression unchanging as the goblin froze in fear.

“… sir?”

“The glamour, damn it, will it hold?!” He reached for the banister, clenching it hard as he gritted his teeth at the creature. “Will it be enough while I’m away?”

The creature nodded frantically, bowing low to the ground. “Yes, your highness! We will make sure of it!”

Jareth sighed as he looked back towards his throne room. He frowned softly.

“… Keep an eye on the pink one.”

“Yes, that would be wise,” the Goblin muttered. "She's far too strong for her own good..."

Jareth froze, clasping the banister hard enough for it to crack. The sound of it echoed loudly in the stairwell, satisfyingly so... until the eerie and unnerving silence set in, as if the Labyrinth had quieted itself in awe of his power.

No.... as if the Labyrinth was mocking him. He looked at the banister quietly; the tiny cracks spreading out from his hand were like a web of spider silk... and despite his best efforts, Jareth couldn't help questioning whether or not his hand was the spider, or the bug it had unfortunately caught.

With an annoyed hiss he let go of the banister.

I can't afford such weakness…

The goblin swallowed nervously, taking a few strides back away from Jareth. “I-I certainly didn't mean... she couldn't- She’s weak compared to a great king like you!”

Jareth closed his eyes again; his jaw clenched as forced his voice to be calm.

“I know she’s strong, so keep an eye out for her," he said, shoving his hand into his glove with a scowl.

The goblin opened its mouth, a nervous whine escaping as the creature watched its master. Its eyes flitted between the banister and Jareth; he closed his eyes and grimaced, waiting for the inevitable follow up.

“Sir…”

“Don’t. Ask.” Jareth said, glaring down at the goblin.

The goblin exhaled heavily as it looked down at its muddy boots. “Y-yes sir… I’m sorry sir.”

“Good," Jareth said. "Prepare a room while I’m gone – the finest guest room we have, and make sure it’s clean and the bed made.”

“Will this be for the changeling?” the goblin asked, writing Jareth’s instructions down on a small notepad. Jareth rolled his eyes.

“No, it’s for you,” he said. The goblin looked up at Jareth in confusion, a little glimmer in it’s eyes that made Jareth want to bash his head against the wall. “Yes, it’s for the changeling you fool!”

The Goblin looked down with an embarrassed blush. “R-right, my lord… errr…”

“What is it?” Jareth said. 

The goblin looked up hesitantly, swallowing hard. It clutched the notepad in front of it like a shield, and it spoke in an anxious whine, “Are we… to bow to him like a prince?”

Jareth paused, a small smile worked its way onto his face as he pondered. For once, a decent question…

“Yes,” he decided after a moment, striding towards the courtyard. “Treat him like a prince- no, better, treat him like a king!”

He smiled at the Goblin, a move that seemed to unnerve the creature more than anything. Jareth laughed softly, thinking to himself. Prince… has a nice ring to it. He transformed himself, taking on the shape of an owl as he flew up into the sky. He soared as high as he could, then closed his eyes as he free-fell towards the ground. As he felt the veil between the worlds shift, he couldn’t help but feel an excitement within him that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

… My prince.

Chapter Text

Sportacus towered over Robbie, looking down with tears streaming from his eyes. His lip trembled, and his shallow breaths barely containing his anguish; the look of betrayal on his face was blinding. “H-How could you do this?!” Sportacus said, his voice coming out as barely a whisper, yet holding as much weight as a scream. He shook his head at Robbie, his fists clenching and unclenching. “I trusted you – we all trusted you!”

Robbie didn’t know what to say. He wanted to shout at the elf, to try and explain himself; or at the very least try to get him to stop crying. It looked so wrong on his face, it was like he was an entirely new person from Mr. Brightside. First Milford and now him. What did I do to deserve this torment!?

Sportacus paced, starting towards the ship as if to leave, but them turning back repeatedly to the same spot to stare at him. Robbie just sat there, clutching his pendant close – feeling guilty yet not sure what he needed to feel guilty for. Certainly… it wasn’t his fault that the kids were gone, right?

Yet the look in Sportacus’s eyes… Jeez, I’m so confused!

He swallowed slowly, then let out a shaky sigh. “I’m… sorry…” he said, knowing it sounded insincere as soon as it left his mouth. This only served to make Sportacus even more unhinged, and he let out a frustrated groan.

“I never thought that you’d go this far,” He said, lowering his head and turning away slightly. His eyes closed with a sigh. “… to hand them over to a monster like him!”

This was enough to build Robbie’s courage to fight back. All the times the elf had kicked his butt during his schemes came to a head, and he felt like he was going to explode.

“Now wait just a minute!” he said, standing up swiftly as he strode over to Sportacus. He stopped once they were face to face, and he scowled at the elf. “You don’t get to just make accusations at me, Mr. Flip and Slide! I’ll have you know-”

“Have me know what?” Sportacus said, standing on his tippy toes to meet Robbie’s gaze. What a dork! Robbie thought as a cold smile worked its way onto his face.

He pointed his finger at Sportacus’s chest, poking hard. “I’ll have you know that I have no idea what’s going on or what the heck you’ve been shouting at me about for the last ten minutes.”

Sportacus paused, blinking slowly as if processing a complex math equation. Then he frowned, his brow creasing as he stared at Robbie. “Bullshit !” He said. “Don’t you dare lie about this!”

Now it was Robbie’s turn to pause.

Did he just…

“You just cussed,” he said.

“I’m angry Robbie!” Sportacus said. He let out an exasperated groan, finally walking away towards his airship. Robbie followed suit.

“Look pal,” Robbie said, scowling as Sportacus turned around with a roll of his eyes. “If you’re gonna be so angry at me, then you can at least explain to me why because, like I just tried to explain to you, I have no idea what’s going on!”

Sportacus grabbed at the pendant faster than Robbie could react, and he held it up for both to see. “So you’re telling me you don’t know what this is?”

“Yes!” Robbie said, throwing up his hands. “I don’t know! Some owl just gave it to me earlier today!”

He paused, looking down for a moment…

Well, I guess it wasn’t a real owl…

“You swear?” Sportacus said.

“Yes, I swear,” Robbie said, meeting the elf's gaze once more. Sportacus seemed to calm down a bit as he listened to Robbie. He looked at the pendant, then back to Robbie slowly.

“… When exactly did the owl give this to you?” he asked.

Robbie thought for a moment, cocking his head to the side. “Well, I was walking home today from the store, and I sat down on the bench… you came over to bug me… the owl was in the tree, then it was on my shoulder, then it gave me the pendant.” Robbie then scowled. “After that, I got hit in the head with a soccer ball-”

Sportacus put his head in his hands, and Robbie paused. “Then you ‘wished’ them away…” he said, his hands sliding down his face in frustration. After a moment he looked up, locking his gaze with Robbie's. “Did it do anything else? Did you see it any other time?”

A small blush formed on Robbie’s cheeks. He didn’t want to tell Sportacus about everything … “Um… well, I think I saw it in my dream. It looked... different though.”

“How different?” Sportacus asked.

“Well it wasn’t an owl anymore,” Robbie said, looking down again. He knew he was drawing this out longer than it needed to go; he felt Sportacus’s eyes on him. 

“Robbie, please,” Sportacus’s voice had softened now, all the frustration and anger from before masked by gentleness he usually reserved for the children. He sighed as he placed his hand on Robbie’s shoulder. “What happened? I need to know, or things might get much worse.”

“We danced, okay?” Robbie said, his face turning bright red. “We danced, and he was nice to me, and he…” He almost kissed me . “Then I woke up and you were there!”

Robbie couldn’t bring himself to look at the elf. He knew the elf was staring, probably open mouthed at the notion that anyone would want to dance with Robbie Rotten. If he laughs…

“He seduced you?” Sportacus said, not directing the question at Robbie. It was more of a confused statement, and Robbie snorted in alarm.

“W-what?!” he was bright red, his voice cracking. “He didn’t- no we didn’t! I didn't-”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Sportacus said with a sigh. He turned Robbie slowly so that they were face to face. There was so much pain in the elf’s eyes. Robbie was glad that he wasn’t angry anymore, and the tears from before were only just streaks down his youthful face. It was haunting to stare at him; it felt like something cursed. Those bright blue eyes held a dull, aching darkness that Robbie never thought he’d see – never thought would hurt to see in his enemy. “Robbie, please, you have to listen to me – The Goblin King is not someone you should trust. He’s a monster and a kidnapper! Whatever he’s done to the children… whatever he’s done to you, you must believe that his motives aren’t good!”

“Is love not enough?” A voice said from afar. Both turned as a being appeared within the circle. He was engulfed in a beam of light, and as the light faded into the night, a familiar face to both of them smiled.

“Jareth!” Robbie said with racing heart, warmth racing throughout his body. My love!

“You …” Sportacus practically spat the words. He got into a fighting stance, getting between Robbie and Jareth; his face furrowed in rage, a move that made the Goblin King laugh.

“Oh please. I’m not here to fight you, elf,” he said, suddenly appearing behind Robbie. Sportacus turned on his heel, eyes wide as he tried to lunge… yet collapsed to the ground.

“Sportacus…” Robbie said, his voice barely a whisper as he watched the elf begin to shake. Sportacus raised his head at the sound of Robbie’s voice, and Robbie gasped. He looked so…

Weak.

“What did you do?” Robbie said.

Jareth frowned, his face growing concerned. “My dear, does that frighten you?” he asked, reaching out to caress Robbie’s face. Sparks flew throughout Robbie’s body at the touch, and he closed his eyes softly. Even better than in the dream. He opened his eyes to the mismatched ones of the Goblin King.

Sportacus clutched at Robbie’s pant leg, causing Robbie to turn away from Jareth. The elf was looking up with wide, pleading eyes as he tried to say something. It was like all the strength has been drained right from the elf...

Robbie turned back to Jareth. “… do you have to do that?”

Jareth looked down at Sportacus with narrowed eyes, and after a moment the elf gasped as some of his strength returned to him… though not enough. The Goblin King’s brow furrowed, his eyes growing distant for a moment. It passed soon though, and before Robbie could even say please, Jareth wrapped his arms around him.

“I missed you,” he said, placing a tender kiss on Robbie’s cheek.

Sportacus wheezed as he grabbed the Goblin King’s cloak. “I… challenge you,” he said, but Jareth just snorted as he shook the elf’s hand off and shifted, just out of Sportacus’s reach. Sportacus tried to crawl but found that he couldn’t; his legs were trembling.

Jareth chuckled. “Challenge me? You’re in no position to do anything of the sort,” he said with a raised brow. Jareth let go of Robbie, much to his displeasure, and walked over slowly. He plucked the pendant out from Sportacus’s hand; Robbie noticed it almost looked to be glowing. Jareth smiled. “…You have no power now.”

Sportacus looked at the Goblin King opened mouthed, terror in his eyes as Jareth turned his back on him. “M-Monster…”

Robbie glanced at Sportacus, wide eyed. Jareth defeated him without even lifting a finger… the elf met his gaze, his eyes lingering on Robbie’s for much longer than the villain felt comfortable with. He was so frightening to look at now; it was so wrong. Robbie looked down.

Please… don’t look at me with those eyes… don’t make me care about you.

“Robbie… please, you must challenge him!” Sportacus said, trying to catch his gaze once more. “The children… you have no idea what he’ll do to them!”

“Don’t listen to him,” Jareth said, sauntering back over to Robbie. He wasted no time in pulling Robbie back into his arms. It felt so good to be in Jareth’s arms… yet Robbie couldn’t help but stare instead at the elf. Jareth frowned as he cupped Robbie’s face with his hands, turning it so their eyes met. “He’s weak, just begging for his life now. Don’t let his cries for mercy bother you.”

“His life? ” Robbie said, his eyes widening as he looked back over at Sportacus. He pulled away from the king... though only slightly. Jareth moved, obstructing Robbie’s view of the elf.

“… this is what you’ve always wanted, right?” He asked, his eyes intense as he fought to keep the villain's attention. “To win?” Jareth moved, gesturing to Sportacus. The elf glared at Jareth, a look so fierce it made Robbie tremble. Jareth felt this and tightened his grip on Robbie. “I’ve helped bring this to you – he won't disrupt your life ever again... you just have to say the word.”

Robbie looked at Jareth, silent and still as he tried to process the words. Does he… mean to kill him?

Jareth held the pendant in his hands for Robbie to see, clutching it hard. Robbie watched how it glowed, a light blue pulse of light… like a little heartbeat.

… he’s really offering to kill Sportacus!

His eyes fell on the hero, and he watched the way his arch nemesis trembled before him.

Robbie had dreamed of the day that he’d finally win, dreamed of the day that Sportacus would be gone forever…

This was never what he had pictured though.

Sportacus had given up, his eyes no longer searching for his to plead; he lowered his head almost peacefully as he waited… waited for the death that he believed Robbie was going to bring him. Normally Robbie would be insulted that the elf would assume so little of him, but now wasn’t one of those times. All he felt was guilt, and he sympathized with him.

He should have never said those things to the kids; He should have never given Jareth reason to do that for him – if he had just thought for once, he could be at home still dreaming of Jareth and they could have lived happily ever after without any of this… without Sportacus.

As much as he despised the elf, he never once wished him dead.

“No,” he said, turning to Jareth slowly. He felt Sportacus staring at him, and he didn’t even need to turn his head to know the elf was probably donning a look of surprise. The eyes of the Goblin King widened slightly, a look of confusion and pain forming on his face. Robbie stuttered. Did that upset him? I don’t want him to be hurt either!  “He’s… suffered enough,” Robbie said, trying to recover the situation.

… Jareth hummed, nodding slowly in agreement – though Robbie doubted that he was pleased by this decision, judging by the frown on his face. “You’re so merciful.”

He dropped the pendant to the ground, and the glow from inside of it immediately discharged back to Sportacus. The elf took deep, desperate breaths as he got to his knees. “Robbie…”

“The real reason I came to you wasn’t to kill the elf,” Jareth said, slowly clasping Robbie’s hands within his own. “I came here for you… I meant it when I asked for you to stay with me.”

Robbie’s heart fluttered with excitement, his face turning red. He looked down in embarrassment only for Jareth to gently lift his chin to gaze into his eyes. Please, kiss me like you were about to at the dance, you big dream of a man!

Jareth started to lean in, and Robbie’s heart was beating so fast he thought it would stop. Their lips were almost touching, and Jareth’s voice barely a whisper, “Stay with me-”

He was interrupted by Sportacus’s fist nearly colliding with Jareth's face. Robbie stumbled back in shock, falling on his back. Ow! He thought, though he didn’t have long to dwell on the pain; he never thought he’d live to see the day that Sportacus willingly attacked someone.

“I challenge you!” Sportacus said, his voice loud and cold and enraged. Jareth was roughly ten feet away from the elf, having vanished and reappeared in the circle. He brushed off his cloak, a slightly nervous smile on his face.

“You have no right to challenge me,” he said, a smugness in his voice that made Sportacus’s frown deepen; he let out an unamused laugh.

“You’re just afraid to accept my challenge,” He said, returning the smugness right back. Jareth frowned, dropping his chivalry as an icy cold frown marred his face.

“That’s rich, coming from you of all people.”

Robbie watched them banter back and forth, feeling confused and anxious and not knowing what to do. He wanted Jareth so bad… he was everything he had always wanted. At the same time though his morals were getting in the way; he didn’t even know he had morals before this moment! It was wrong of Jareth to take the children, though Robbie now knew he only did it because he had said he wanted them gone…

“Jareth,” Robbie stuttered out, causing both Jareth and Sportacus to pause their banter and turn. He cleared his throat, looking down nervously. “… you took the children because of me.”

Jareth nodded slowly, his face still and his emotions concealed. “Yes... I did that for you.”

Robbie met his eyes and bit his lip. “… can’t you bring them back?”

Something broke inside of Jareth, his eyes filling with something that Robbie could only describe as frustration. A small sigh escaped the Goblin King’s mouth. “… What’s said is said. I cannot bring the children back.”

“But you can challenge him, Robbie,” Sportacus said, his voice soft and pleading as he took a few steps towards him. “Please, it’s the only way!”

“Silence, elf!” Jareth said, his voice an irritated hiss. “Do not turn his will against mine!”

“Robbie,” Sportacus said, ignoring Jareth’s threat. “Please, if you do this… I promise to leave town forever.”

Robbie’s eyes widened, his gaze locking with the elf’s. His blue eyes were completely serious; deep down Robbie knew that the elf wouldn’t lie to him.

He’d be gone... and I’d never have to see him again!

“No!” Jareth said, his voice growing desperate. “If you come with me right now, then it doesn’t matter! Listen to me!”

“Robbie, please, I beg of you!”

Robbie looked back and forth between the two men, his confusion and anxiety about the whole situation growing more and more by the second. He needed to decide, and he needed to do it now , and he wasn’t ready! Everything was happening so quickly!

You know what’s right, his conscious said to him. Do you really want to live the rest of your life knowing that you’re the reason the kids are gone without having done anything to fix this?

Robbie groaned. Being a villain with morals sucks.

“Jareth,” He said, not bearing to look him in the eye, “… I challenge you.”

He wanted to say more, to try and explain himself in a way that wouldn’t hurt the king... but the sound of dissatisfaction that came from Jareth’s mouth was enough to silence him.

“… So be it,” he said, the iciness of his voice enough to make Robbie's chest ache.

I’m sorry Jareth...

Suddenly, the world around them started to change, and before he knew it they weren’t in LazyTown anymore. Laid out in front of him was a world he could have never possibly dreamed up, and the giant maze in front of him made him swallow nervously. Sportacus was next to him, a look in his eyes that Robbie would describe as haunting. Jareth appeared in front of both of them, the emptiness on his face disturbing.

“You will face dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered,” Jareth said, the words sounding almost like a script. “You will have to fight your way to the castle beyond the goblin city to take back the children I have stolen… are you sure this is what you want, my dear?”

Robbie could only manage a nod. Jareth’s eyes were empty and emotionless; broken. “Because I care for you, I’ll give you a whole day to solve my Labyrinth… at any time, you may end this challenge, and I’ll be right there for you with open arms… I pray that you’ll be in them soon.”

With that, he vanished, the only trace of him is a lingering sigh that made Robbie shiver. Sportacus turned to him, his eyes meeting his for a brief second.

“Thank you,” he said, looking down with a nervous smile. Robbie felt like he had more to say, yet all he did was sigh, “… You did the right thing.”

Did I though?

Chapter Text

Sportacus clutched at his crystal, a rush of emotion coursing through him as he sensed the children once more. They’re alive… they’re alive! He barely could fight back the tears forming in his eyes. They were safe, at least for the time being. While his crystal wasn’t glowing in alarm, he did sense some discomfort from it; almost like a warning, though he couldn’t see what was wrong exactly. All he knew was that the children weren’t desperately in need of help – in fact, there wasn’t even any fear on their end. Sportacus had now doubt that was thanks to magic; Jareth had probably cast some sort of spell on the poor children.

That's probably for the best... Sportacus thought, closing his eyes in relief. At least he's capable of some mercy.

When he opened them once more he readied himself. A whole day would be plenty of time, though he knew he had to go now. Jareth probably had all sorts of nasty traps set throughout the labyrinth; he knew that he could handle them no problem… but he wasn’t alone on this journey.

He turned to Robbie slowly, studying the man for a moment. Robbie looked… lost to say the least. There was a hint of tears in his eyes, and his hand clenched at his chest as if he was hurting. Sportacus knew he probably was. He chose to save my life, despite Jareth’s… influence over him. Sportacus didn’t want to use the word love; Jareth was not capable of love. Would he say this to the poor man? No; it wasn’t his place to hurt him like that.

Robbie wasn’t like one of the children he could lecture to; he was an adult who could make adult decisions. However… Robbie wasn’t like most adults. Sportacus knew it was probably his nurturing nature that worked its way into his mind whenever he looked at Robbie. He just seemed so… vulnerable; so alone. With everything that had just happened, he felt guilty for not trying to pursue the urge to help him sooner. It was his fault that Jareth was preying upon him now; he should have never let his guard down even for a second.

Time let things be forgotten. Time let things heal … he shook his head to rid himself of the thought. Sportacus cleared his throat, and Robbie jumped as if roused from a heavy dream. Just about as lost in his thoughts as I am in mine, Sportacus thought. “Robbie, we should get going…”

Robbie looked at him with dull eyes. “… yeah.”

Sportacus frowned. He’s probably in a state of shock… he needs to rest. He knew there wasn’t time for that though and sighed. Slowly, he walked over to Robbie. With all the gentleness he reserved for the children, he reached out to grab Robbie’s hand. The idea was to lead Robbie through the labyrinth as best as he could… though as soon as they touched the taller man jerked his hand away.

“What are you doing ?” He said, his usual tone returning to him and a scowl formed on his face. He crossed his arms as his lip jutted out in a pout. “I’m not a baby that needs helped!”

Sportacus sighed. Back to his old self just like that… “Follow me then… we need to get moving.”

They moved towards the maze, walking down a short hill as they arrived in a courtyard of sorts. It was overgrown with weeds and pestilent fairies, and the murky reservoir in the middle of the plaza indicated that no one had been tending the spot in quite some time. Funny, Sportacus thought. Did Jareth layoff the groundskeeper?  

He knew he didn’t have time to worry about the landscaping of the place… yet because of the vines and weeds growing all over the place, he couldn’t find the door into the labyrinth. He knew he could probably jump the wall if need be, but Robbie couldn’t. Maybe I could jump inside and find it and open from the inside…

Just then, he heard a soft snore coming from somewhere in the brush. He turned his head, his ears guiding him to a small corner of the courtyard with a large, dead tree. Hesitantly, he made his way towards it. Sportacus crept lightly on his feet as to not alert the owner of the snore… but Robbie followed right behind him, his lazy steps causing the twigs and dead grass to break and snap; Sportacus winced. Robbie…

Remarkably, the snorer didn’t seem to hear that. Sportacus crept forward more, but like before, Robbie followed and managed to make the ground sound like microwaving popcorn. “Robbie,” Sportacus whispered. “Wait here… it could be dangerous.”

“I can manage myself, Sportaflop,” Robbie said, rolling his eyes. Sportacus resisted the urge to sigh. This is gonna be a long journey…

“Then please… be careful where you step? There’s something over there that we shouldn’t wake up.”

Robbie cocked his head to the side slightly, looking over at the tree. He only just seemed to hear the snoring and froze.

“... Fine.”

Sportacus crept forward slowly, and this time Robbie was more careful… he was far from quiet, but the elf appreciated the effort. When they arrived at the tree, Sportacus paused. The tree had been hollowed out and appeared to have a sort of home inside of it. A gentle puff of smoke came up from the top, suggesting an active hearth from within. It was far from fancy, though the owner seemed to maintain it well enough; this was the only corner of the courtyard that the brush had been cleared. Hanging from the tree and a nearby rock was a hammock, and from within the hammock was a small, sleeping creature. Sportacus sighed in relief.

“Hoggle,” he said, loud enough to cause the dwarf to stir slightly. His eyes fluttered open momentarily, but immediately reclosed at the sight of the two of them. He began to snore again, though this time the snores were louder and forced. Sportacus sighed. “Is this what Jareth is having you do these days?”

Hoggle opened one eye, glancing over the elf with annoyance. The annoyance seemed to fade as his eyes glinted with shock, and he shook his head. “No, no… no. I. Am. Retired. I don’t have to deal with this,” he said, turning around in his hammock to face away from the two of them. The snoring resumed, and Sportacus frowned.

“So, you remember me?” Sportacus said, moving behind the hammock to face the dwarf once more. With a put-out sigh, Hoggle’s eyes opened once more. There was a look within the dwarf’s eyes that made Sportacus shiver; Hoggle frowned sadly.

“Unfortunately,” Hoggle trailed off. There was a moment of silence between the three of them, then Hoggle spat with a scowl. He sat up slowly, tossing aside the ratty quilt he was snuggled under. “What the bloody hell are you doing here? Don’t tell me you want to add ‘Stupidity’ to the list of things I remember you for.”

Sportacus paused. He looked at the small man for a second, biting his lip slightly. “… What exactly do you remember about me?”

Hoggle’s eyes softened, though still he let out a harsh laugh. “More than enough, but not what you’d like me to remember… if that’s what you’re implying.”

Sportacus sighed, his eyes lowering slightly. “… Didn’t think you would.”

Robbie groaned, seemingly growing bored of the conversation as he rolled his eyes. Sportacus looked at him reservedly. “Robbie, this is Hoggle. He’s… an old friend of mine.” Hoggle’s gaze flitted between Robbie and Sportacus, and he chuckled sourly.

“I thought you said we needed to get going, Sportacus.” Robbie said in his usual annoyed tone. “Talking to a hobbit is the exact opposite of ‘getting going’…”

Hoggle’s eyes widened slightly and looked at Sportacus with a raised brow. Sportacus gave him a nervous, crooked smile. Hoggle pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Sportacus… Out of all the names you could have chosen… Sportacus? Really?”

Robbie snorted slightly, though corrected himself as Sportacus turned to gaze at him. A red tint worked its way onto the elf’s face, and he rubbed the back of his head nervously. “He just called you a Hobbit and you choose to focus on my name…”

“Being a Hobbit is ten times better than being a Sportacus- I mean really boy? Did no one try and talk sense into you? Did you lose your damn mind?”

“Enough,” Sportacus said, crossing his arms as he gave the dwarf his ‘stern’ voice. He rarely ever used it, and when he did he never directed it towards the children. Hoggle just snorted, clearly having heard worse.

“I ain’t scared of you,” Hoggle said, laying back down on his hammock with a put-out sneer. He pulled the blankets around his cheeks and sighed. “Whatever mess you got into this time, it’s all on you. I ain’t helping. Retired.”

“Look,” Sportacus said, lowering his gaze as he shook his head slowly. “I just need to know where the gate is… can you at least tell me that?”

Hoggle grimaced, his eyes closing as he let out a gruff sigh. He laid like that for a moment, though after a moment he caved. “There ain’t no gate no more,” he said, his voice lowered in a whisper. He opened his eyes to give Sportacus a warning glare. “I shouldn’t be telling you that, so if anyone asks you didn’t hear it from me!”

“No gate?” Sportacus whispered, his eyes widening in confusion as his mind raced. He looked at the maze wall and furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? How am I supposed to get inside?”

Hoggle shrugged, turning over in the hammock. “I don’t know, use your imagination. I’m sure you could figure something out.”

Sportacus rolled his eyes. “I know I could get in… but I don’t think Robbie could,” he said, gesturing towards the taller man. Robbie was currently preoccupied with a small swarm of fairies that had flown over to investigate him. They didn’t appear to be attacking, though judging by Robbie’s uncomfortable face they were getting a bit too close to his liking. They looked as if they were smelling him, probably smelling all the sugar Robbie liked to eat. Sportacus smiled softly. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they liked him.

Hoggle apparently didn’t think so though. “Hey scrawny, those things bite!” he said, sitting up in his hammock to shout. Robbie’s face paled, and he began to flail his arms frantically to get rid of the creatures. The fairies didn’t seem too phased though, moving just far enough away to miss being hit by the flailing limbs. The dwarf seemed to get a kick out of this and chuckled before turning to the elf behind him. “He seems light enough, why not just throw him over the wall then jump over yourself?”

Sportacus frowned, the lack of amusement on his face making the dwarf roll his eyes. “I was just kidding boy, just kidding. Don’t need to get angry about it.”

“I’m serious, Hoggle,” Sportacus said. “Is there anyway into the Labyrinth that he can take?”

The dwarf looked at the elf, his mouth forming a smirk as his brow quirked with amusement. “You know, I don’t know your business, but if you ask me you shouldn’t have brought that willow-limbed ninnymuggins with you on your quest.”

This made Sportacus frown, his lips drawing in a tight line. "... this isn’t my quest, it’s his. He brought me along.”  

Hoggle nodded absently. “Ah... that's unfortunate. Though I suppose that makes sense - Jareth would never willingly accept a challenge from you... look, regardless of who's quest this is, I can’t tell you no more about how to solve the labyrinth. Jareth has left me alone for quite a while now and I’d like to keep it that way. Just take it from me that nothing’s the same... hasn’t been since her.”

“... Her?” Sportacus asked, though Hoggle had begun to ignore him. He pulled his blanket up over his head, and a soft, though obviously fake snore escaped from underneath. Sportacus sighed, straightening from where he had been kneeling with a small stretch. “It was nice to see you again Hoggle… though I hope this will be the last time I see you here.”

With that, he made his way towards Robbie. The fairies were still pestering him, though nearly all flew off as the elf approached. One remained, sitting upon Robbie’s shoulder while it rubbed its face against Robbie’s neck. Robbie did not seem happy about his new fan at all. “Get. It. Off. Of. Me,” he said between gritted teeth, his arms stiff at his sides as his hands clenched with pent up rage. “Don’t let it bite me.”

“Looks like you made a friend,” Sportacus said, leaning forward slightly to study the creature. The fairies who dwelled here were mostly aggressive, considered by some higher beings to be nothing more than a household pests. His father liked to tell him that all creatures were important, and nothing was ever truly a pest. This fairy seemed to prove his point. It seemed smitten with Robbie, being nothing but affectionate to him. The fairies didn’t speak a language intelligible to others, so Sportacus wasn’t quite sure how to communicate to ask who the little one was or what they wanted. He waved at the creature, who in turn just chose to completely ignore him.

“Don’t encourage it!” Robbie said, hissing in discomfort. “Just make it go away!”

“It’s not gonna hurt you Robbie, it’s just being friendly,” Sportacus said, trying to give Robbie a reassuring smile. It didn’t work, and before Sportacus could say anything, Robbie's hand snapped up to his shoulder; he flicked the creature off quickly before marching away, a pout on his face. The fairy fell to the ground, sniffling softly as it rubbed where Robbie had hit it. Sportacus would have chastised Robbie normally… though given the situation he chose not to; Robbie didn't seem to be in the mood to willingly receive criticism.

I should have just did what he asked… He looked down at the fairy, kneeling slowly to see if it needed help. The fairy did not like this, however, and let out a low hiss at him. It stuck its tongue out before flying away; an angry hum, fading into the tall forest of grass.

“I’m sorry!” He said, though he knew the creature probably didn’t understand him. With a final sigh, he made his way towards Robbie. Said man had moved to glare at the wall of the labyrinth, his arms crossed as he tapped his foot. As Sportacus approached, he turned his glare at him.

“Finally... thought you were gonna play with that thing," He said, rolling his eyes in annoyance before letting out a sigh. "“What did the gnome want?”

“He wanted nothing,” Sportacus said, smiling softly at Robbie. He hoped this action would make Robbie feel a bit better, though it seemed to only make the man’s glare worsen. Sportacus put on a neutral face instead. “I was just asking him where the gate was.”

“And?” Robbie asked.

“He said… that there isn’t one,” Sportacus shrugged as he spoke, studying the wall quietly. Robbie groaned, his arms dropping to his sides as he made his frustration visual.

“Then how are we gonna get in there, Sportabutt?” Robbie asked. “I am not climbing any walls.”

Sportacus brought his hand up to his chin, rubbing it slowly as he thought. “You won’t have to Robbie… Jareth may be unfair, but he wouldn’t make a maze that you can’t even get into…”

Robbie crossed his arms once more, turning his back towards the wall to lean against it… though found, to his surprise, that the wall wasn’t going to support him. He flailed as he fell through, landing on the ground with a loud thud. Robbie had vanished behind the veil of a wall, A groan escaping his lips as he gasped for the air that was knocked from his lungs. Sportacus's eyes widened as he rushed through the mirage to join Robbie. Looks like he found the entrance…

“Robbie, are you okay?” He asked, looking down at Robbie. The tall man was curled on the ground in pain. Sportacus offered his hand hesitantly, though Robbie swatted it away, scrambling to his feet as he dusted himself off. He was practically fuming.

“I just fell, what do you think? Of course I’m not okay!” He said with a glare. Robbie looked at the maze around him, fuming as he turned to the next wall of the maze; the one they hadn’t come through. “Stupid dumb wall!”

Robbie moved to kick the wall, and Sportacus gasped. That wouldn’t feel good to kick! “Wait, Robbie-”

He was too late… yet to his shock found that this wall was a mirage as well. Robbie’s leg flowed right through it, and he fell once again on his back. The tall man let out a cry, rolling into a ball. Sportacus’s eyes widened as he looked between Robbie and the wall. What the… He hesitantly reached out, his fingertips touching the image of the wall and slipping right through. It wasn’t like the hidden pathways the maze usually had, his hand was going through the wall; it wasn’t right…

“It… it’s not real?” Sportacus reached his entire hand through the mirage, the rest of his body following suit. Once on the other side of the mirage, he tested the other wall. Like the previous two, this one was also false. He tried the next two, rushing through the mirages with ease. It wasn’t real; none of them were real.

Why… why is this happening?

He returned to Robbie, who was still curled up on the ground. This time when Sportacus offered his hand he took it, groaning as he got to his feet. He was pouting and looked on the verge of a tantrum, but he appeared to be fighting it off. Robbie glared as he looked at the wall. “What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes meeting with Sportacus’s. “Why did that happen?”

Sportacus was just as confused as he was. He thought back to the appearance of the courtyard they just left, and at the lack of real walls in a maze… it wasn’t supposed to be like that. Jareth took pride in his labyrinth, he knew that. He would never let the courtyard get so unkempt, and he certainly wouldn’t give them a fake labyrinth. While Jareth was confident, he wasn’t stupid… and while he certainly acted like it, he probably didn’t think they were that stupid either.

Robbie squeezed his hand, an act that made the elf’s heart flutter slightly. “Sportacus… What’s going on?” He asked. The elf swallowed hard, looking around them with horror.

“… something’s wrong with the Labyrinth… something very wrong.”

As Jareth approached his castle, a procession of goblins rushed out to greet him. A procession he had not ordered. First, trumpeters came heralding his return, confetti shooting out from their horns with each blow. Young goblin maidens tossed flower petals of all sorts beneath his feet – rose and dandelion. Others were cheering for him and singing his praises… none of them seeming to notice the rage bubbling beneath his skin as he marched past them.

The goblin he had spoken to before he left emerged, carrying a scroll held out before his face. He turned to the trumpeters, signaling them to stop as he cleared his throat. “Presenting his royal highness! The King of the Goblins, The Keeper of the Labyrinth – our mighty king Jareth, and our new and beloved prince-” The goblin looked up long enough from his scroll to notice something was off. “… Sire… where is the prince?”

“Leave. All of you,” Jareth hissed, walking past them all. The goblin stuttered, looking up at Jareth with wide eyes.

“Sire-”

“LEAVE!” He roared, causing a stampede of goblins all around; each one moving as fast as they could to get away. All but the sad, pathetic goblin with the scroll left, though he knew that the sniveling little cretin really wanted to - judging by the trembling of its knees. Jareth glared at the thing as he made his way up a flight of stairs towards his chambers. The creature scurried behind him, fiddling with its hands.

“My lord, what has happened?” it asked, it’s voice shaking harder with each word it uttered. “Please, accept my deepest apologies, I should have-”

Jareth opened the door to his chambers just wide enough to allow himself though, and once inside he slammed it shut; he locked it for good measure. The goblin let out a pained cry as the door hit it in the face, though it wasn’t long before it made its way to a servant’s door on the other side of the room. Jareth chose to ignore it; usually that worked when he wanted them to go away.

This one was persistent though… it made him want to throw him from the balcony. Though of course he knew the goblin would just come running back to him like a dog playing fetch. Mutt… was the goblin’s name mutt? Jareth wasn’t sure – if not he’d make it it’s new name.

He made his way towards his bathroom, stripping himself of his cloak as he walked inside. The goblin scurried at his feet, picking up each article of clothing that Jareth threw at him as he stripped down to nakedness. Once he had nothing but a single glove on he paused, sneering at his concealed palm; it still ached. He didn’t want to take it off… he wouldn’t look at what was underneath it.

His bathroom had a deep wading tub in the middle, which to his gratitude was already filled with hot, perfumed water in preparation for his return. Finally they do something right, he thought as he slowly stepped down into the soothing warmth. Finally something goes right today.

The goblin hovered behind him, folding his clothes meticulously before placing them gently into a hamper awaiting cleaning. Jareth closed his eyes tight. He knew it was gonna ask him more questions. He knew he was gonna have to deal with it and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“… my lord,” the goblin asked. “What has happened?”

Jareth sighed, sinking into the tub so that his mouth barely hovered above the waterline. “What do you think happened, mutt?”

The creature bumbled for a second, probably reacting to its newly given name. “… the prince didn’t come with you?”

“The prince challenged me,” Jareth hissed, standing from the water to turn and glare at the goblin. “He challenged me for the children and is now as we speak making his way to the castle!”

The creature turned a deep red, covering its eyes from the sight of Jareth’s naked body with a small squeak. “M-my lord, I am so sorry… truly the prince- jerk is not worthy of such a large- dignified king such as you!”

Jareth lowered his eyes, sitting back down with enough force to cause the water to splash out of the tub. “I don’t care if he’s 'worthy' or not… I need him. I thought I did everything right, I thought I wooed him perfectly – and yet he still turned away from me…”

He stared down at his face in the water, frowning at it. He pictured Robbie’s face as he last saw him… he looked so sad, so lost. Surely he hadn’t wanted to take up the challenge… and yet he did. And it was because of that elf. Had the ballroom not been enough? Was there something that the elf had that he didn’t? Was there something he missed…

Or was it just him?

“Even my glamours have failed me... and that's why he spurned me. He can see it; he can see the nothing...”

The goblin rushed to the side of the tub, kneeling before the king with its eyes slammed shut for modesty. “There is no nothing, my king! You are the best – the most powerful, most elegant, the most gracious ruler the Labyrinth has ever known! You need no glamours to prove this, anyone with half a brain can see it... anyone would be a fool to deny you!”

“Enough,” Jareth said in annoyance, making the goblin jump from the harsh tone. “I do not need your compliments. Make yourself useful and fetch me something to eat and a clean pair of clothes.”

The goblin bowed lowly, its nose grazing the stone floor before it rose and made its way towards the door. However, the creature chose to pause before leaving. “… My lord, if I may be so bold to say… no prince in all the realms would be able to resist you, especially here on your home turf. Don’t give up… the battle is far from over.”

With that, the creature left, its footsteps echoing off the walls before finally receding as it left. Jareth frowned, leaning his head back to look up at the mosaic ceiling above. “Of course it isn’t over, you fool… the changeling might have been won over by that goody two shoes elf this time, but next time… next time it will be different.”

He looked down at the water, his eyes falling on his one gloved hand. The leather was ruined now, the water flooding into the fingers as bubbles rose to the surface. With a groan he took it off, his palm facing away from him as he did so…

The ache was so foreign to him, the stinging, throbbing pain; something he had long forgotten. As he slowly turned his hand, he glared at the small scabbed cut and the bruising that the shattered banister had caused him earlier. It scared him, he wouldn’t deny it… 

His eyes closed as he lowered his hand into the water, the sting from the wound making him wince.

Pathetic...

He pictured his prince in his mind, pictured the sweet innocence within his eyes, the way he had looked at him while they danced…

I wouldn't stand a chance if he truly knew... Jareth thought, frowning at the idea.

He tried to force all thoughts from his mind so he could think – plan for the next move, work out a strategy… yet the fear was still there, taunting him over and over again, loud and vengeful. As his mind remained stubbornly and painfully full, his chest ached with the same perpetual emptiness that had plagued him for so long. Where once was a stormy sea of pure feral power was now a barren desert, with only the smallest of oasis to fend off his thirst. It wasn't enough. He wasn't enough.

He was weak.

He was mortal.

He was nothing.

Chapter Text

You know, when Jareth said 'hardships unnumbered', I actually thought this would be hard Robbie thought, dragging his feet as he followed Sportacus. They had been walking for about three hours now. His whole body ached, his feet especially... But honestly what bothered him the most was how bored he was. The walking through walls gag had worn out pretty quick, and now he just felt like he was in a glitchy video game with no collision control - at least, that's what Pixel would probably compare this experience to. A quest was supposed to be challenging... Not that he was complaining exactly. Easy was good too, but for candy’s sake could anything fun or exciting happen?

Honestly, he would take playing sports with the kids over this, or eating sports candy for dinner. Eugh he thought, Just how low have I sunk to be thinking of that?

He glanced over at Sportacus, studying the elf's face. It was unusually devoid of emotion, unless Robbie could count intense focus as an emotion… not that the elf had much to focus on with how easy this maze was, which was weird. Sportacus had argued that they should walk through each section of wall at the same time, just in case Jareth decided to turn the wall real and separate them when they least expected it. Robbie had frowned at the suggestion. Why did Sportacus have such a grudge against Jareth? Besides the whole 'taking the kids' thing, Jareth had done nothing wrong... well, nothing wrong except the whole 'almost killing him' thing...

Whatever his problem was, Robbie decided not to ask. The last thing he wanted was to interact with the elf socially... Yet as his boredom grew on, even talking to him sounded like a good idea. It weirded him out. What would we even talk about? Sports? How many flips he can do in a row?

The ‘normal’ Sportacus could probably talk about that for hours; but this wasn’t the normal Sportacus. In this moment, Sportacus seemed so… mature? Robbie wasn’t sure if that was the right word for it, but as soon as the children went missing, the elf just snapped out of his usual persona. He refused to believe it was all just an act for the kids – not even he could pull off something like that for so long and he was the master of disguise.

As much as he hated to admit it, Robbie wanted to know what was going on in the elf’s mind. His curiosity was beyond the point of return. “So…” Robbie said, his voice cutting the silence in a way that made him want to wince. His mind scrambled once the elf turned to him, his blue eyes gazing into his too intensely for his liking. “… are we there yet?”

Sportacus frowned slightly, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the path before them. “No. Not even close.”

Yeesh, you don’t gotta be so cold, Robbie thought, though he wanted to slap himself. ‘Are we there yet?’ really?

“Um, so… we pretty much just have to get to that castle, right?”

“Yes,” Sportacus said. “We must fight our way to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the children that were stolen.”

“Fight our way is a bit of an overstatement, don’t you think?” Robbie said, gesturing around them as they stepped through another wall of the maze. “No offence, but it isn’t like this is much of a challenge.”

“Don’t underestimate the Goblin King… he has a plan, I know it. Don’t let your guard down.”

Robbie rolled his eyes. Yeah, don’t let my guard down… worse thing that’ll happen is Jareth kidnaps me and takes me to his castle and we live happily ever after. He sighed, pursing his lips. “Well, if he does have a plan I wish he’d just do it already… cause this is really boring.”

That made the elf chuckle, almost too quietly to hear, and Sportacus shot Robbie a half-hearted smirk. For a moment, his blue eyes lit up with a bit of their usual mirth, though it faded quickly. “Only you could find this boring Robbie.”

Robbie shot Sportacus a glare, his face heating with anger. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sportacus turned his gaze away from Robbie, biting his lip slightly. “I didn’t say that to be mean Robbie. I only meant that only someone as unique as you could find this situation boring.”

Robbie’s face softened. Unique? It was better than being called weird, though he knew Sportacus hadn't meant it that way. When Sportacus said something, he said it with a straightforward honesty that hid nothing. Unique meant unique; unique meant special. Unique… He shook his head, clearing his mind of emotions. “And you aren’t bored?” Robbie asked.

Sportacus sighed. “I don’t think I’m capable of feeling boredom right now,” he said with a soft shrug. “… I’m a bit too worried about the kids to be bored.”

Robbie looked away, his mouth drawing in a tight line. Part of him wanted to let the conversation end, but still he pushed on. “… Who was the goblin back there?”

“Hoggle isn’t a goblin Robbie,” Sportacus said. “He’s a Dwarf – and far more pleasant to deal with than a goblin.”

“… You mean like the seven dwarves?” Robbie asked, his face creasing in confusion. Sportacus turned to Robbie, his eyebrows raised. Robbie rolled his eyes slightly. “Snow white and the seven dwarves?”

Sportacus’s face lit up in recognition. “Ah, Mjallhvít og dvergarnir sjö,” he said. “I know that one… it would be wise to not to refer to Hoggle as one of the seven though.”

Robbie snorted. “Yeah, I don’t plan to get on Grumpy’s bad side.”

They both chuckled slightly, then silence following soon after. It didn’t last long though; the conversation was beginning to feel much more comfortable, despite how much his brain was screaming at him not to talk to his nemesis. He thought back to the strange dwarf. “Sportacus?”

“Yes Robbie?” The elf said, his blue eyes looking at Robbie in a way that made the tall man feel strange.

“… What did Hoggle mean when he said, ‘out of all the names you could have chosen’?” he said. Sportacus shifted uncomfortably, biting his lip as he averted his eyes. Robbie tilted his head slightly as he looked at the elf. His mind raced for a moment before it hit him. Wait… “Sportacus isn’t your real name, is it?” The look on Sportacus’s face said it all, and the elf sighed quietly. Robbie let out a small snort. “I knew it!”

Sportacus looked at him with confused eyes. “You did? How?”

Robbie rolled his eyes. “I didn’t know, but I assumed for a while… I mean, who would name their kid Sportacus? Let me guess, it’s like your special super hero alter ego name you made up for the kids?”

The elf pursed his lips as he looked away. “Kind of…”

“So, what’s your real name then?” Robbie asked. Sportacus remained silent, his discomfort very apparent as he looked at the ground. Robbie moved closer to the elf, his eyes attempting to meet Sportacus’s. “Come on Sportaflop, I won’t tell anyone…”

Still, Sportacus said nothing. Robbie huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms with a pout. “Fine… I’ll just guess then, since you won’t tell me… is it jimmy?”

“No.” Sportacus said, his voice not holding any amusement.

“What about… Kevin?”

“No.”

“Theodore?”

“ No.”

“Juan Pablo?”

“Robbie, please…” Sportacus said, his voice almost too soft for Robbie to hear. The taller man paused, his feet stilled and unmoving. Sportacus had stopped walking as well, a strange gloominess in his composure. Robbie’s brow creased as he studied him, and he bit his lip.

This really was not like the elf. Robbie had been thinking that ever since the kids went missing but this was really not like him. He seemed… Robbie didn’t have words for how Sportacus was acting, but it felt familiar; it reminded him of himself in the strangest way possible. But how could he ever know what I feel? Mr. Brightside could never understand…

He thought for a moment as he studied the elf, and then a light went off in his head. With slightly wide eyes, he let out a small gasp.

“You… you don’t have a name, do you?”

Sportacus met his gaze with distant eyes that made Robbie shiver. After a moment, without a word, the elf turned to the next row of walls in the maze. He walked through, clipping through the fake wall and out of Robbie’s sight. Robbie stuttered, shocked and confused as he ran forward towards the wall. “Wait, Sportacus-”

He went through the wall with ease just like the other walls before. Once on the other side however, he slipped on a patch of stone tile. The momentum sent him forward towards the next set of walls… yet instead of going straight through, his head hit hard against the stone barrier. Robbie curled on the ground, rubbing his forehead as he winced. Sportacus was next to him in an instant, his hands helping Robbie sit up.

“Robbie, are you okay?” the elf asked, the sadness on his face from before now replaced by concern. Robbie grumbled, briskly standing up as he wiped himself off, pushing Sportacus’s hands away… though not as angrily as he would do normally when the elf touched him. The elf reached out and touched the walls. “… I guess this is where they start materializing… we’re gonna need to start following the maze now, which means we need to find the right path.”

“I’ve had it with these walls!” Robbie said, pointing at the wall in front of him angrily. He planted the sole of his shoe against the wall, stomping on it hard. “I’ve had it!”

Suddenly, there was a scurry of noise from Robbie’s right, and he looked over to see a strange little creature emerge from a section of broken walls. It was ugly and short, not even tall enough to reach his knees. It had a helmet on, and some sort of mason’s spade. As it looked at Robbie, it rushed forward, pointing the spade at him. “Oi! What are ya doing? We just got that section done!”

A similar creature emerged from the same section of broken walls, this one carrying a strange looking machine that looked something like a bazooka with a toilet plunger sticking out the end of it. Robbie wasn’t sure if it was a weapon or not… but he didn’t want to take chances. He jumped behind Sportacus, fully prepared to use the elf as a human shield. Sportacus looked back and forth between the creature and Robbie, and he held his hands up defensively.

“We didn’t mean any harm to the wall,” Sportacus said with a nervous smile. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Didn’t mean any harm?” the creature with the spade said, turning to the other with the strange gun thing. “That big buffoon was trying to push it over! Didn’t ya see it?”

“Yeah I saw it!” it said, narrowing its eyes at Robbie. “Destruction of the walls is punishable by a dip in the stench you know!”

Robbie didn’t know what this ‘stench’ was, and he hoped he never learned. He reached out and clutched Sportacus’s shoulders, causing the elf to turn and look at him. His blue eyes met Robbie’s for a second, then he turned back to the creatures with a frown. “Look, we don’t want any trouble,” he said. “Me and my friend were just trying to get to the castle… you wouldn’t happen to know the way, would you?”

The two creatures exchanged looks between themselves. Then, with sly smiles, they turned back to Robbie and Sportacus. “Yeah, we know the way,” the creature with the spade said. “We ain’t gonna tell ya though… unless ya grease our palms a bit if ya know what I’m saying…”

Robbie felt Sportacus sigh, his shoulders rising and falling gently underneath his hands. Suddenly realizing that he was clutching the elf, the villain pulled his hands back, crossing his arms awkwardly.

“We don’t have any money,” Sportacus said as he crossed his own arms to match Robbie. “We have nothing to give you.”

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong pal,” the creature with the strange machine said. It proceeded to open a small compartment of the machine, revealing some sort of canister. “You’re an elf, are you not?”

Sportacus nodded slowly, a look of uncertainty working its way onto his face. The creature smiled. “For… three strands of your hair, I might be able to give you some information that’ll help you.”

“My… hair?” Sportacus said, reaching up slowly to touch the top of his head. “Why do you need my hair?”

“To fix the walls of course!” the creature with the spade said, gesturing to the maze around them. “We’re running a bit low on juice at the moment. Magic walls need magic to be built ya know. An elf such as yourself can surely part with just three strands of hair to help out our effort… unless you don’t wanna get to the castle?”

Sportacus shrugged. “I don’t think there’s much magic in my hair… but fine,” he said, reluctantly removing his hat. He winced as he pulled a few strands of hair. Then, he handed them over to the creatures. “I hope this helps…”

They snatched the hair away, hastily shoving them into the canister within the machine. The machine then powered up, a strange white light glowing from the plunger like tip; Robbie had to look away from how bright it was.

“Stand back!” the creature holding the machine shouted before firing the contraption at a section of walls. It managed to patch the hole in the wall that the creatures had just come through, and a few feet of walls beyond… but then the machine abruptly sputtered and died. The two creatures shouted, slapping the barrel of the machine flutily.

Sportacus shook his head, turning to meet Robbie’s gaze. They exchanged a look of disbelief and irritation, and Sportacus sighed. “Can you tell us where the castle is now?”

The creature with the spade turned to him with a frown. “Not until you give me more of your hair!”

The elf narrowed his eyes. “You said that if I give you just three strands of hair, you’d tell me how to get to the castle.

“I-I… I meant three strands of hair each,” he said, smiling while pointing at Robbie.

“Robbie isn’t an elf,” Sportacus said. “… I don’t think his hair will help you.”

“Sure it won’t,” the creature said, rolling its eyes. “Just give me the hair scrawny.”

No way! Robbie thought, touching his hair with both hands. Sportacus looked at Robbie, and Robbie shook his head. “Not my hair… they can’t have my hair!”

“Robbie, it’s just three strands… please?” Sportacus said, his eyes softly pleading. “Just three hairs.”

“I can guarantee ya if ya don’t do it, you’ll never get out of the labyrinth…” the creature said, a cruel smile on its face as he spoke. Robbie whimpered, very slowly reaching up and pulling three strands out individually, crying with each one. He then threw them at the creatures, who both scrambled to collect them. They shoved them into the machine, but before it could start up, Sportacus snatched it from the creature’s hand.

“Before you use his hair, you’ll tell us how to get to the castle,” Sportacus said, his voice stern. The creatures scrambled flutily to get the machine back, kicking at the elf’s shins in anger. This went on for a good thirty seconds before they finally gave up.

“Fine,” the creature with the spade said, out of breath. After a moment he moved, pointing to something behind them. “In order for ya to get to the castle, ya gotta go through the forest over there. It’s the only way to the castle from here.”

Robbie turned to see a dark and scary forest a little ways away. His knees buckled a little. I don’t wanna go in there!

“Thank you,” Sportacus said, dropping the machine to the ground and he turned to Robbie. “Come on, let’s go.”

“In there!?” Robbie said, his voice cracking slightly. Sportacus kept walking towards it, and Robbie reluctantly followed suit with a groan. I take back everything I said about this place being too boring… please let there be no monsters in there! Please!

The goblins scrambled to grab the machine as the two men left, both of them glaring at their backs as they disappeared into the forest.

“Good riddance I say,” said goblin with the spade, who was named Scrub. “Come on, let's get back to work.”

Knob, the goblin with the machine, picked it up and dusted it off slowly. As he powered it up, he tapped at the magic meter, watching the level rise. He groaned, stamping his foot on the ground in frustration. “Scrub, I think that elf broke it,” he said, gesturing for his friend to take a look. Scrub dropped his spade, squinting at the power level wide mouthed. He shook his head, frowning.

“… just try it,” he said, patting the machine once for good measure. Knob shrugged, firing the machine at a set of walls. They managed to finish the current wall… and the next one, and the next one, and the next until the machine finally died an hour or so later. Scrub and Knob shot each other shocked glances, both turning towards the forest.

They completed five whole rows of the maze, each row about a mile long, with just three strands of hair… Scrub shook his head in confusion.

“Who the hell was that guy?”

Robbie followed close behind Sportacus, his eyes wide and legs trembling. He hated creepy things, and he hated the dark and this dark spooky forest was way too much for him. Let’s go into the dark forest, Robbie thought. It’ll be fuuunn!

Every snap of every branch set him off, gasping and nearly jumping into the elf’s arms. Every attempt at telling himself ‘it’s probably just a bunny’ didn’t help settle his nerves at all. If I get eaten in here I’m gonna haunt Sportabutt forever!

Sportacus seemed to be handling the trek just fine though… or at least Robbie assumed he was. They hadn’t spoken a word since those creepy little creatures took his hair besides the occasional ‘this way’ or ‘watch your step’ when needed. Neither one of them mentioned their previous conversation, and Robbie wasn’t sure to be thankful or disappointed about that.

Robbie’s mind had been racing with thought ever since though. Suddenly the elf was interesting for once, and it’s when he finally decided to shut up. He was so conflicted as to what he actually wanted – did he want to know more, or did he want to enjoy not hearing the elf talk about sports and fruit? What else is he hiding… eugh, why do I care?

He did have to admit though, some conversation would make this forest a lot less scary, though of course he also didn’t know if not talking would keep the monsters away. What’s with me wanting conversation all of a sudden? I hate Sportacus, why do I want to talk to him?!  He groaned softly, his confusion and frustration and fear finally starting to annoy him.

“… Robbie are you okay?” Sportacus asked, looking at the villain with a raised brow. Robbie just nodded, and the elf turned back to focus on the path in front of them. Robbie narrowed his eyes. I guess when the children aren’t around he’s an elf of few words…

Robbie was beginning to wonder if the elf was mad at him. Honestly, he wouldn’t blame him… this was all kind of his fault, but if the elf was mad he would have preferred it if the elf would just tell him.

From a distance, he heard something – it was like flapping wings, though it quickly faded. It unnerved him enough that he had moved closer to the elf… close enough to run into him.

“Sorry,” Robbie whispered, taking a few steps backward to try and give the elf space. Sportacus’s turned, his blue eyes met Robbie’s, and this time the elf didn’t look away.

Robbie thought about the past few hours that had gone by – thought about the emotions he had seen cross those bright blue eyes. Anger, fear, sadness… emotions that the elf had never shown in front of him, or in front of anyone for all he knew. Before him right now was a stranger - more so than Robbie realized. Had he given the elf any reason to open up to him? Of course not, and it wasn’t like he wanted to know the elf’s business… and yet he couldn’t help but feel insulted.

He couldn’t help but feel lied to. Who is Sportacus 10? Robbie thought. Where did he come from? What goes on in that head of his…

And why is he looking at me right now as if he cares?

The elf sighed softly, taking a few steps towards Robbie until he was two feet away. “… Robbie what’s wrong?” Sportacus asked, finally deciding to break the silence between them. Now he decides that he wants to talk… Robbie looked up, biting his lips nervously for a second before scowling.

“I’m fine,” he said, straightening his vest and not making eye contact. “Let’s just go get the kids and get this over with, okay?”

Robbie took a few steps forward but was stopped as Sportacus placed his hand on his chest. This time, Robbie was forced to make eye contact. “Robbie, you don’t seem fine…”

Robbie rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Sportacus frowned. “Robbie-”

“Don’t ‘Robbie’ me,” Robbie said, turning and walking towards a fallen log. He sat down, crossing a leg over a knee as he pouted. He hesitated, biting his lip before shooting the elf a glare. “Look… just don’t pretend to care, okay?”

Sportacus moved to take a step forward but stopped himself as Robbie shook his head. The elf looked at the villain with soft eyes, which only made Robbie even more angry.

“I am the reason your precious little brats are gone, and you have the nerve to pretend to ask if I’m okay? Why? Bessie and Milford had the right idea with the mace, and heck even when you first found out that I had done this you were angry… don’t pretend that you aren’t still angry about what happened. Don’t… don’t insult me by pretending you don’t want to shout at me.”

“Robbie, I don’t want to shout at you.” Sportacus said. He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. “I never should have gotten angry at you before either… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Robbie said. “I’m the one that should be sorry! I… It’s my fault. It’s my fault that we have to walk through this stupid forest and do this stupid quest.”

There was a rustling in some nearby pushes that made the two of them turn and look for a moment. It settled though, and Robbie sighed in relief. Now would not be a good time for a monster to appear…

“… Robbie, it’s not your fault,” Sportacus said, taking a few steps towards the log. “It’s Jareth who took the kids, not you. He’s the evil one.”

Robbie felt anger boil inside of him. “Yeah, he's so evil... even though he's only doing what I asked him to do. Why do you hate him and not me, huh? Tell me what the difference is between to two of us?”

Sportacus was taken aback by the question. “... He took the children and is keeping them hostage, and you saw him offer to kill me!”

Robbie uncrossed his arms, pointing angrily at Sportacus. “You didn't answer my question. What is the difference between him and me? How is he 'evil' and I'm not?"

"Robbie-" the hero started, his brows knitting together in what seemed to be a mix of frustration and confusion. 

Denial...

The villain scowled, his fists clenching in anger. His frustration was coming to a head, nearly ready to explode. He was so sick and tired of the false pretenses - so tired of the pretending. Sportacus was the hero, he was the villain. It was insulting for either of them to pretend otherwise. "Do you want me to go over all the times I took the kids during my schemes? Do you want me to remind you of all the times I nearly killed you? What Jareth has done, I have done. If you ask me, he and I are one and the same... and if you hate him, then you hate me."

The elf's eyes grew wide, his mouth ajar. "I... I don't hate you."

"Oh please, If anything, you should hate me more than you hate him - after all, he only did those things because I asked him to..." Robbie said, rolling his eyes again as he looked to the ground. He felt some of his anger slip away as he thought about Jareth. "He did it because he loves me...”

Sportacus's expression grew dark as he pursed his lips, looking away from Robbie with obvious frustration. “No, he doesn’t Robbie.”

Robbie let out an insulted gasp. “Yes, he does! He wants me to stay with him forever – he doesn’t want me to go.”

“Why?” Sportacus asked, briskly walking forward until he was right in front of Robbie. He kneeled down to him, looking straight into his eyes. “Robbie, you just met him, and he just met you!”

“And yet he’s treated me nicer than anyone has ever treated me before – better than the kids or Milford or Bessie have treated me… better than you have ever treated me!”

A wave of sadness crossed the elf’s face. “Robbie…”

Robbie swallowed hard, feeling the anger fade into sorrow. “Like I said before, don’t pretend to care… you don’t know me, and you don’t know what I’ve been through… and apparently, I don’t know you either.”

“You really don’t know him,” A voice said from the bushes. They both froze, looking around them in confusion. Suddenly, the log creaked next to him, and he felt the weight shift. He turned, his eyes wide as the strange eyes of Jareth stared into his own. Jareth was wearing a dark silk shirt and matching pants, a look that reminded Robbie of Westley as the Dread Pirate Roberts in the Princess Bride; all he needed was a sword and a mask. The goblin king smirked. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Jareth…” Robbie said, his heart pounding loudly within his chest. “What are you doing here?”

Jareth feigned hurt, bringing his hand to his chest as if offended. “Are you not happy to see me? I thought you would be overjoyed...”

“Oh, I am,” Robbie said, giving the king a bashful smile. “I just wasn’t expecting you-”

“Neither was I,” Sportacus said, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at the goblin king. “What do you want?”

“I’m not here to talk to you,” Jareth said, his voice stern yet his eyes never leaving Robbie’s face. “Why don’t you go beyond those trees over there and give us a bit of privacy?”

“Never,” Sportacus said, taking a menacing step forward towards him. Robbie sent the elf a scowl, which was thankfully enough to make him stand down.

“How do you like my Labyrinth?” Jareth asked, reaching out to touch Robbie’s hair. The feeling of his fingers running through his hair was magical, and he leaned into the touch with eyes shut. Jareth let out a chuckle as he pulled his hand away. Robbie opened his eyes, almost daring to pout. Jareth held one of Robbie’s hairs between his fingers, studying it for a moment before closing his fist around it. There was a small moment of silence, then the goblin king sighed. “Are you having fun with your little quest?”

Robbie nodded slowly, not wanting to mention the glitchy maze or the weird creatures stealing his hair. It seemed as if this answer was not satisfying to Jareth though, and he frowned. “Are you sure my dear? By the looks of it I’d say you weren’t having much fun at all when I showed up just now… Is the elf bothering you?”

Sportacus glared at Jareth, his fists clenching hard enough to make his knuckles go white. Jareth ignored this, just continuing to gaze at Robbie. Robbie… he didn’t know what to say. He saw what Jareth was capable of doing to him before – and as much as the elf was bothering him, he really didn’t want to see him in pain again.

“I’m fine Jareth… thank you.”

“Ready to give up yet?” Jareth said, his voice teasing though Robbie felt like it wasn’t completely a joke. Nevertheless, Robbie let out a soft chuckle. Oh how he wanted to say yes…

“We will never give up,” Sportacus said, his voice cold and challenging. “You can’t break our will.”

Sportacus, don’t ruin this for me! Robbie thought, sending Sportacus a glare. This time, Jareth did turn his attention to Sportacus. With a cold, emotionless smile, he stood up from the log and walked over to the elf. Sportacus glared at him with an anger that Robbie didn’t know was within the elf.

Jareth shook his head in amusement. “Is that so?” he said, crossing his arms. Jareth paused to study the elf over, his smirk growing colder and colder. “You seem rather sure of yourself…”

Sportacus let out a cold laugh, moving closer to the Goblin King. “Your labyrinth is nothing.”

They stood there for a second, neither one saying anything as they glared at each other. “… What else have you left to lose, you stupid elf?”

Robbie’s brow quirked as Sportacus demeanor faltered slightly, his eyes glossing over with an emotion Robbie couldn’t place. His gaze switched between the two, feeling the tension rise. What’s going on between them?

Sportacus shook his head, glaring at the goblin king with newfound anger. “Your labyrinth is a piece of cake.”

Something within Jareth snapped then, his mouth pursing in a cold, furious sneer. Those strange, mismatched eyes filled with both pain and rage. His fist clenched, and Robbie could have sworn he saw a trickle of blood gush between his fingers on one hand… Robbie couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.

“A piece of cake is it?” Jareth said, his voice barely containing his composure. Jareth spun on his heel, marching away from them and towards the edge of the tree line. He lifted his clenched hand, opening his closed fist for them both to see as a few drops of blood and Robbie’s single strand of hair drifted towards the ground. A cold smirk worked its way onto his face as he glared at Sportacus; his eyes could kill. “Let’s see how you deal with this slice!”

With that, Jareth vanished into the trees, the sound of flapping wings fading into the distance. Not long after, the ground started to tremble. Robbie’s eyes widened, as did Sportacus’s as the trembling grew louder and louder, and the sound of snapping trees grew closer and closer.

“Sportacus…” Robbie said, his voice shaking as he got up from the log. The elf turned to him, moving to shield him from the approaching threat.

“Stay behind me,” Sportacus said, his voice commanding as their eyes met. “… and if I say run, run as fast as you can.”

Robbie nodded, their eyes locking for a moment longer before Sportacus finally turned away. He reached down, picking up a large, thick branch for a club. With a soft sigh, he poised the club, ready to swing.

“… Whatever happens, Robbie… I won’t let it hurt you…”

Then, with a sickening snap, the tree line crumbled as a horrifying monster smashed through to greet them. They gasped, both from fear… as well as confusion.

Facing them was an enormous, hideous… two-layer slice of chocolate cake with rainbow sprinkles and jagged chocolate teeth. It opened its ‘mouth’, roaring at them with a deafening, inhuman noise; globs of chocolate drool went flying at them.

Robbie stared in disbelief, shaking his head slowly as the thing loomed over them. “What. The. Fuck.”

Chapter Text

Sportacus stared at the ungodly creature before him with wide eyes. He had faced many challenges before, but nothing unnerved him more than what he saw before him now. It was at least thirty feet tall, its shadow darkening the forest around them to pitch black. Its jaw was lined with jagged, almost black chocolate teeth; it gnashed them together with agitation. With a deep growl it stuck out a long, forked sugar tongue to taste the air around them… it had sharp barbs for taste buds. From behind it came long marzipan ribbons acting like tentacles, snapping the trees around them as it dragged the creature closer before pausing right in front of them. There was no doubt in Sportacus’s mind that this thing was the deadliest piece of cake to ever exist.

Giant monsters were hard enough to fight without adding in his one weakness into the equation. He hated to admit being afraid of a giant piece of cake. It wasn’t the fact that it was cake that was troubling though… it was the fact that if that thing hurt him even a little, he would be done for.

If it scratches me, bites me, or in any way gets into my system… Sportacus swallowed hard as he thought of the repercussions of losing. He gripped the makeshift club in his hand firmly, studying the creature and preparing for the first strike. The thing didn’t appear to have any distinguishable eyes, ears, or a nose; Sportacus didn’t dare hope that the thing was incapable of detecting them by either sense though. A monster that’s a giant piece of cake didn’t abide by normal laws of nature.

Robbie whimpered behind him, clutching his shoulders tightly. “Piece of cake?” Robbie said, his voice barely audible yet still full of annoyance. “You just had to say cake, huh?”

The creature spread its mouth wide as Robbie spoke, revealing that the entire mouth was lined with chocolate teeth – all the way to the back of the throat. The sweet smell of its mouth assaulted the elf’s nose, and he could feel bile forming at the back of his throat. His eyes dashed frantically as he studied the thing. I don’t even know where to strike it! He thought, cursing Jareth with every fiber of his being. I should have just kept my mouth shut…

A sickening gurgle escaped the back of the monster’s throat; it sounded like the snapping of bones, and with what Sportacus could only describe as a grin, it lunged.

“Run!” Sportacus shouted, shoving Robbie out of the way as he swung his bat as hard as he could at the creature. It collided with a wet smack against the cake’s ‘jaw’. Chocolate icing went flying, splatters getting on Sportacus’s clothes and face; he frantically wiped it away from his mouth and eyes. Even one drop and I’m toast he thought, spiting to rid himself of the phantom taste the smell left on his tongue.

The hit caused the cake to slide into a nearby tree. For a moment it was stunned, and Sportacus took the opportunity to try and catch up with Robbie. Unfortunately, the stun didn’t last long, and the cake lunged again towards Sportacus – now more pissed than before. The ground rumbled as it approached, trees falling and snapping as it’s tentacle arms ripped them from the ground. It was hot on his tail, and Sportacus turned around just in time to see the tree it was throwing at him. He ducked, watching as it shattered against a nearby boulder. That could be me if I’m not careful…

He turned back towards it just in time, raising his bat to deflect a chunk of chocolate being thrown at him. His eyes widened as he realized that the chunk was one of its teeth, and he watched as it spit three more at him like bullets. He flipped backwards to evade them, landing on top of the boulder facing the monster. It can shoot at me… great.

The cake used its tongue to rip out a few more of its teeth, pushing them to the back of its throat as it prepared to shoot again. Sportacus shook his head in agitation and inhaled sharply as he sprung forward. He flipped forwards, flying through the air towards it. He kicked down hard on its head, but not before the creature managed to slash its tongue at his leg. Thankfully it only managed to shred his pants. Too close!!

It smacked the ground hard, the sudden closing of its jaw causing the cake to bite off its tongue. The sound it made was deafening, the forked tip flopping on the ground for a moment before finally stilling.

Sportacus jumped off its head, landing a good distance away before taking off in a sprint once more. He made sure to keep looking back though, and he noticed to his dismay that the creature picked up its amputated appendage and swallowed it, gnashing its teeth for a moment before revealing the now reattached tongue. Okay, if I maim it, I need to destroy whatever I remove. Got it.

The thing was now furious, and if it had eyes it would have been glaring at the elf; it was out for blood now. It wrapped a few of its tentacles around the same boulder he had just been on. With incredible strength it hurled it towards him. Sportacus grunted as he sprung out of the way, dropping his bat to do a few handsprings backwards. This turned out to be a mistake, as the boulder managed to land right on top of his weapon; its splinters flew everywhere. He sighed. Oops…

He knew then and there that if he had any chance of beating this thing, he needed to get as far away from it as possible – and he needed to have the high ground. After flipping over the boulder, he sprinted away as quickly as he possibly could. It wasn’t long until he caught up with Robbie, the taller man having ran out of breath and was now doubled over in a cramp.

“Robbie, get ready!” Sportacus shouted, ducking low as he lunged towards him. Robbie turned to him in confusion.

“Get ready for wha-” Robbie started to say. He was interrupted as Sportacus swept him off his feet and into his arms, bridal style. The taller man let out a small cry from shock, but thankfully he didn’t protest. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the elf’s neck, holding on for dear life – though thankfully not so tight that Sportacus couldn’t breathe.

Sportacus ran as fast as he could, the trees almost a blur around them. Robbie let out a small whine, and the elf looked behind them to see the cake in hot pursuit. At this rate, it would get to them long before he found some high ground. He cursed under his breath, his mind racing for ideas. Come on, we need to think of something quick…

A thought popped into his head, and he turned to glance at Robbie for a moment. “You wouldn’t happen to have any ideas on how to defeat this thing, would you?” the elf said, attempting to hide the panic in his voice but failing. Robbie met his gaze, the fear within his grey eyes making Sportacus’s heart race even faster than it already was.

“Why would I know how to kill it?!” Robbie said, his voice cracking as he trembled slightly. “Aren’t you the hero here? You must be some sort expert on big scary monsters and how to kill them!”

“Robbie, it’s a giant piece of cake!” Sportacus said, letting out an anxious laugh. “Surely you’d have at least some idea?”

Robbie thought for a moment. “I’m an expert at eating cake, not killing cake… and I don’t think I can eat fast enough to make any difference,” he said, glancing back at the cake apprehensively. Sportacus sighed, jumping hard onto a nearby stump before landing on a tree branch. He jumped from tree to tree as fast as possible; he hoped it would slow the creature down fast enough to think of an idea.

“It can shoot its teeth, and throw things with its 'arms',” Sportacus said, locking eyes with Robbie. “It tongue is like a whip, and if you manage to dismember any part of it, it can just reattach it… if we’re gonna attack it, we need something big… please Robbie.”

Robbie pursed his lips, closing his eyes hard. He whispered 'think, think' to himself. He opened his eyes a moment later, only for them to widen as he looked behind them. “Sportacus-”

A wet slurry of chocolate collided against the elf’s back, causing him to lose his balance. Shit! He fell forward, flipping around onto his back to protect Robbie from impact. They crashed through three tree branches before finally hitting the ground. The elf gasped as the air was knocked out of him; he slammed his eyes shut from the pain. His mind went blank, and for a moment the world around him faded.

You must never turn your back on your opponent son… never let them catch you off guard.

Find their weakness and use it to your advantage. There is no opponent without a weakness – not even you. Don’t ever let them see yours. Do you understand me?

… Yes father. 

His eyes shot open. With a pained gasp, he refilled his lungs, rolling onto his side. Robbie was shaking him frantically, his eyes wide with fear. “Sportacus, get up!” he said, his voice a panicked whisper. He grabbed Sportacus’s hands, huffing as he pulled the elf off the ground. Sportacus had to shake his head to fully come back to his senses.

The monster was getting close, the ground trembling louder and louder. Sportacus grabbed Robbie again, taking off in a sprint once more. He could hear the creature getting closer and closer, and Robbie clung to him tighter and tighter. Sportacus narrowed his eyes in determination. “Robbie, I need you to be my eyes, okay? Can you do that?”

“Duck!” Robbie yelled with wide eyes, pointing behind them. Sportacus bent forward just in time to dodge a barrage of teeth flying at them. I’ll take that as a yes, Sportacus thought.

He sprinted forward, not daring to look behind them; he needed to get them out of there. Robbie laid his chin against Sportacus’s shoulder as his grip tightened around the elf’s neck. Sportacus clutched him tighter too.

I need to get him out of here.

“Robbie, we need to find it’s weakness fast,” Sportacus said, jumping onto a low-hanging branch as he returned to jumping from tree to tree. He scanned the landscape from this new position, noticing the castle to their east. If all else failed, they could maybe try to make it to the goblin city with the monster… if they did that, the goblins would be forced to fight it as well. Sportacus doubted they’d be able to reach it though. He shot Robbie a short, pleading glance. “Please, you must know something about its weakness. What destroys cake?”

“Jump right!” Robbie shouted, and Sportacus moved just in time to deflect another slurry of chocolate icing.

Robbie fell quiet for a while. Sportacus waited, hopeful for an idea… but besides telling Sportacus about incoming threats, Robbie gave no new thoughts. “Robbie?” Sportacus said, turning around slightly to see the cake getting far too close for his liking. “Any ideas?”

“I’m scared!” Robbie said, his voice a sad, terrified cry. He buried his face in the elf’s neck, and Sportacus felt the taller man’s tears against his skin.  “I-I can’t think right now!”

Sportacus frowned, his brow furrowing as he looked down at Robbie; the taller man was practically trembling. Oh Robbie… Sportacus tightened his grip on him and turned his head slightly so that his lips brushed Robbie’s ear. He felt Robbie stiffen at the feeling, and quietly hoped he wasn’t being too forward.

“…Yes, you can Robbie,” Sportacus said, pushing aside all his fear and panic; he wouldn’t let Robbie see his fear. “You are the smartest person I know… and I know you can do this. I believe in you.”

He felt Robbie slowly raise his head from his neck… and just in time too. “DUCK!”

Sportacus bowed as a tree stump passed just inches above his head. He heaved a sigh of relief, continuing towards the castle. Robbie tapped his fingers against Sportacus’s shoulder for a moment. The elf could practically hear the gears in Robbie’s head turning; then, Robbie had an idea.

“I got it!” He said, his voice becoming elated. “Okay, so one time I was having cake, and I decided- MOVE LEFT!” Sportacus did as Robbie told, avoiding a barrage of teeth. They both sighed, then Robbie continued. “So anyway, I decided that I wanted some chocolate milk with my cake. You know how people like to dip their cookies in milk? Well, I had the brilliant idea to- RIGHT!”

Sportacus followed through, avoiding the next obstacle. Robbie continued on. “I dipped my chocolate cake in the milk to see what would happen… and long story short the cake just fell apart and it was sad, but it still tasted good because then it was like a cake porridge and-”

“Robbie,” Sportacus said, smiling as he listened to Robbie speak yet desperately needing a point to the story. “Are you saying… that if we get the cake wet, that will destroy it?”

“Exactly!” Robbie said. “So now we- JUMP!”

Sportacus jumped just in time to avoid a swipe from the cake’s tentacle arms. Sportacus glanced behind them, and his eyes widened as he saw how close the cake was now. Oh no… He had no time to react before another tentacle slapped him aside. It sent him flying, Robbie falling from his arms with a cry. The elf managed to grab onto a nearby tree branch, stopping his fall. With a grunt, he hoisted himself back up as quickly as he could. “Robbie?!” He screamed, his eyes wide as he scanned the tree line for the taller man.

“HELP!” Robbie screamed, and that’s when Sportacus saw him. Dread filled his heart as he saw the cake clutching Robbie tightly within a tentacle, raising him high into the air. It gnashed its teeth together; it looked hungry. No! Sportacus thought, racing towards the cake as fast as he could. Not him. Not Robbie!

His mind raced for a solution to free Robbie… and then, with a smile, he reached into his backpack and grabbed his water bottle. Let’s hope this works, he thought as he opened the top. As he got closer the cake growled, lowering Robbie away from its mouth as it prepared to shoot more of its teeth. Sportacus jumped, aiming the water bottle. Only one shot…

The creature opened its mouth… and Sportacus squirted the water. It screamed in agony as the water melted at its tongue. It worked! Sportacus thought triumphantly. Robbie slipped through the creature’s tentacle as it writhed in pain, falling with a scream. Sportacus gasped, quickly putting his water bottle back before jumping for Robbie.

Robbie landed in his arms with an thud, and then they were off again; Sportacus was practically beaming. “Robbie, you were right! The water worked, I knew you could do it!”

Sportacus’s eyes locked with Robbie’s, and the taller man’s face turned red. He held the gaze for a few seconds longer before breaking and looking down. “Of course I could do it! Just don’t tell anyone I did you any favors!” 

The elf sighed, his smile remaining. Back to his usual self. “Okay, so now we just need to find more water…”

Sportacus scanned the area, looking while also using his ears to listen for the sound of running water. Where in the labyrinth is there water? Maybe a river? Lake? Marsh…

“The Bog of Eternal Stench!” Sportacus said, “We can push it into the bog!”

“What?” Robbie said, his brow raising. “What the heck is the Bog of Eternal Stench?”

Sportacus smiled. “You’ll know it when you smell it,” he said, inhaling sharply through the nose. He smelled the sugary frosting all over his clothes, and the smell of Robbie’s shampoo… it smelled like vanilla… and then he smelled something foul. Bingo.

He headed for it, dropping down from the tree tops. It was close, and if he ran fast enough he could make it before the cake got them. Said cake spat out its rotted tongue, howling as it began its pursuit of them once more. Sportacus ran as fast as he possibly could away from it. Robbie held on for dear life, burying his face in Sportacus’s shoulder. The ground trembled beneath his feet as the cake chased them, the earth beginning to split in some places from the tremors. This was it for the cake – it was exerting all its power to destroy them now.

The foul smell of the bog got stronger and stronger. Just a little more! Just a little way! Sportacus could feel it on his heels and ducked as a tentacle tried to swipe at his head. So close! Come on!  

Just in time, they came across a clearing. Dead grass littered the ground, and the horrid smell made Sportacus want to gag. There was a steep cliffside, and down below was the bog… now he just needed to get the cake to fall over it.

“Eugh, what’s that smell!?” Robbie said, loosening his grip on Sportacus enough to pinch his nose shut. “Sportacus, did you just-”

“That’s the bog, Robbie” Sportacus said, rolling his eyes slightly. “Trust me.” He dived to the side and the cake lunged, its tentacles snapping like whips at them. Carefully, he sat Robbie down on the ground. He paused only for a moment to look into the taller man’s eyes. “Wait here.”

“Wait, what are you doing?” Robbie asked, his eyes growing wide with fear. Sportacus turned away, charging towards the cake at high speed. Robbie reached out for him. “Sportacus!”

As the elf approached the creature, it hissed at him in both anger and pain. It flashed its toothy mouth at him, gaping wounds present where it had ripped its own teeth out. He hated Jareth with every fiber of his being. Had it not been Jareth who created you, this could have ended better for both of us…

“Follow me…” Sportacus said, walking backwards towards the cliffside, keeping his eyes locked on it. The creature pawed at the ground with its tentacles, raising its haunches at it readied for the strike. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m the one you want. Come and get me!” And as soon as it lunges, I duck out of the way… He braced himself for it. The cake lurched forward.

“Sportacus, move!” Robbie screamed, his voice echoing off the cliffside. This was enough to draw the cake’s attention away from the elf. It spun around, beginning it’s charge towards the sitting man; the cake was going in for the kill, and Sportacus’s heart nearly stopped.

“NO!” he said, sprinting after the creature. Robbie had frozen in fear, his eyes wide as dinner plates as the monster approached. The cake dug its jaw into the ground as it charged, breaking off a few teeth in the process that it prepared to fire. No! No! No! Robbie! He dove after Robbie, rolling as he grabbed the frightened man. With every ounce of strength he had, he threw him away from the monster. Robbie landed in a bush, his eyes wide as he watched the scene unfold.

And then, the worst pain Sportacus had ever known reverberated throughout his body. Robbie screamed, but he couldn’t understand what he was saying. It hurt… oh, it hurt. Sportacus’s eyes widened, and he doubled over in agony. He couldn’t help but cry out from the pain of it.

Sticking out of his shoulder was a tooth. It ripped through his flesh, and it stung as bad as acid. He could feel his blood gushing out around it, soaking in the sugar. It was over.

No… no… I was so close… Robbie…

He thought of Stephanie and the other children. What would they do without him? The goblin king… Robbie couldn’t face him alone.

The creature towered above him triumphantly. It clicked its teeth together before opening it’s mouth wide in anticipation. Sportacus could barely move. He watched with half-lidded eyes as it lowered its head to him. There was nothing he could do; he was useless. Robbie, Stephanie… I’m sorry

I’m sorry I failed you. He thought as he closed his eyes

“NO!” Robbie shouted. Before the creature could react, Robbie dived at it. Sportacus watched in shock as the force of Robbie’s tackle threw them away from the elf. Robbie…The creature and Robbie fought in a battle of sorts, Robbie pushing and biting at the creature, ripping off chunks of cake as the creature backed away from him in agony. Sportacus had never seen Robbie like this before.

Soon the pair was right at the edge of the cliff, the cake desperately trying to get Robbie off as he clung to its side eating and ripping it apart. The cake began to slip.

Robbie! Sportacus wanted to scream as he watched in anguish as Robbie fell with the monster over the side of the cliff. His eyes were wide as he heard splashing water. There was a haunting scream, which Sportacus didn’t know was from the monster or from Robbie. The screaming went on for what felt like ages… and then it died into silence.

Sportacus could feel the tears streaming down his face, his eyes burning as a pain even worse than the spear of chocolate in his shoulder ached in his chest. Robbie was gone. Robbie was gone, and he didn't even have the strength to scream for him.

No… no…

With what little strength he had, he reached into his backpack. It took him far too long to find the apple slices he had inside, and it took him even longer to finally get the bag for them open. He shoved two slices in his mouth at once, chewing eagerly as he felt some of his strength return to him. With that strength, he dragged himself to the side of the cliff. The pain in his shoulder was agonizing but he didn’t care. He had to stop twice to finish off the rest of the apple slices before he finally reached the side. His breath was labored once he finally reached it.

Sportacus almost didn’t want to look… he didn’t want to know what he’d see, and yet he had to. 

And once he finally did look, tears of joy fell from his eyes. Right over the edge of the cliff was a small ledge. Perched on that ledge was a triumphant, cake covered Robbie Rotten licking his fingers eagerly. A laugh caught in the elf’s throat, overwhelmed by a sob that caused the taller man to look up.

“Sportacus?” Robbie said, his wide eyes one of the only things visible through the chocolate icing all over his face. “… I think it’s dead.”

Sportacus couldn’t help but smile at the man, his eyes heavy from all the tears. “Yeah… I think you’re right.”

Robbie reached up for the elf’s hand, and with as much strength as the elf could muster he pulled the man back up onto land. Once Robbie was safe, Sportacus wrapped his arms around him. He didn’t want to let go. This only seemed to confuse the taller man.

“Sportacus?” Robbie said. “… let me go?”

Sportacus’s eyes suddenly felt very, very heavy. He was so tired…

As he leaned forward against Robbie, his smile softened into contentment. His mind went blank, the face of the taller man the only thing he saw. He sighed, quickly fading away.

… I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you…

Chapter Text

Robbie grunted, his legs buckling under the weight of the elf on his shoulder… the unconscious, possibly dying elf on his shoulder. He didn’t remember the elf being this heavy last time he carried him during a sugar meltdown. Maybe it was the added circumstances of what had just happened that made Robbie feel like he was carrying a ton – he was tired, and it didn’t help that it had started to rain. The tall man sighed, his brow furrowed with worry. Why does it always have to rain when something bad happens?

Tiny droplets of water ran down his cheek, causing streaks of chocolate frosting to run down onto his already caked vest. Robbie cursed internally, knowing that there was no way he was gonna get the stains out of his clothes. Not to mention his hair was ruined, and frosting kept getting into his eyes, and the beginnings of a tummy ache turned in his belly. He was starting to really regret jumping onto that ugly cake monster.

Sportacus let out a soft, pained moan, and Robbie paused. He bit his lip, feeling guilty. This is my fault…

He slowly made his way through the forest, looking for a good place to settle down and figure this all out. His mind tried to think back to all the survivor TV shows he watched over the years. First things first was shelter, of course… or was it fresh water? Food- no, water always came before food. A frustrated groan escaped his lips. Priorities… get that thing out of Sportaflop’s shoulder… and I need a safe place to try and do that .

It was starting to downpour on them now, the water drizzling off of the foliage of the trees above him. The pounding of the water droplets on the leaves was like drums, and if Robbie wasn’t terrified he might have thought it beautiful. His heart was beating louder than it ever had before – louder than all the times his inventions has failed, or when he had nightmares… louder even then when Jareth had held him…

Sportacus was supposed to be the hero between the two of them. If it had been Robbie with a giant spear of chocolate impaling him, Sportacus would have known just what to do. He would have patched Robbie up with a magic band aid and there would be nothing to worry about. Sportacus was the good one between the two of them.

Robbie was the villain . He should have been relishing in the defeat of his nemesis, not biting his lip on the verge of tears. Sportacus… His eyes closed as he fought the urge to cry. If he hadn’t yelled and caught the cake’s attention, none of this would have happened. This was all his fault, and he couldn’t even pretend to be happy that Sportacus was dying. Robbie was a villain, but he wasn’t a monster. I did this. I have to fix it.

He may have not been good at being good, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t gonna try his best. Robbie shifted the elf on his shoulder, then marched on with a newfound determination. Puddles of rain splashed underneath his feet as he walked, soaking through his socks but still he marched on.

A wave of relief hit him as he spotted a cave up ahead. With a small smile, he made his way over to it. The cave was fairly large, and as he stepped inside he noticed how warm it was. It was like walking into a sauna. They certainly wouldn’t need a fire to keep warm… though he knew he needed one for light. The rain outside was starting to turn into a storm, and the cloud cover made it seem like dusk. Carefully, he laid Sportacus up against the cave wall; he frowned at the pained face the elf made.

He knew that they needed dry wood to start a fire, but of course that was going to be a problem since it was raining cats and dogs outside. There was probably a trick to finding dry wood in a storm. Robbie tried to remember anything, but of course his mind was drawing a blank. He left the cave, resorting to picking up random sticks and twigs hoping that somehow he could get them to light.

Though of course once he returned to the cave there was the dilemma of how even start the fire in the first place. He cursed himself for not paying attention to the children’s scouting lessons that one time he pretended to be scoutmaster… not that he needed their stupid scouting lessons to survive in the wild.

Robbie sighed. He could start the fire a different way… The image of his scolding mother ached at the back of his mind. She hated it when he messed around with this; using his ‘ gifts ’ for makeup and clothes was fine, as long as no one saw… she would be turning in her grave if she knew, but now he needed to disobey her wishes.

Mama, forgive me, he thought to himself as he arranged the sticks for the fire. He made a neat stack, sticking the kindling just right. Then with a slow breath, he snapped his fingers. A small puff of smoke rose from the stack of wood, the smell of cedar filling his nose before a small burst of flame engulfed the wood. He frowned. Good. Now, never do that again.

He turned his attention back to the injured elf. The orange glow of the flames danced across his feverish face, a thick sheen of sweat covering his furrowed brow. Robbie knelt before him, carefully removing Sportacus’s vest. He was careful to pull it off the chocolate gently so as not to aggravate the wound. The crystal was flashing violently, and Robbie wondered what to do with it. He didn’t trust himself not to lose it if he just sat it aside.

Robbie opened up the mechanism that held the crystal, and he pulled it out. To his surprise, there was a necklace chain already attached to the crystal. Huh… I wonder if he did this because of stingy. Lord knows the spoiled little brat wouldn’t be able to resist wearing the darn thing around his neck for all to see if he found it like this. Smart. Robbie poised to place it around his neck for safe keeping… but as soon as the crystal touched his chest he jumped. With wide eyes he removed it; it took all of his strength not to throw it.

The pain… he felt Sportacus’s pain. It was the most horrible thing he had ever felt in his life. Robbie brought his hand up to his mouth, cupping as he fought the urge to cry.

Does… he always feel pain like this whenever the kids are scared or hurt?

Robbie’s eyes studied the elf, a strange aching in his chest as he did so. Carefully, he set the crystal to the side, making sure not to touch it. He cleared his throat, returning to removing the elf’s clothes.

There was no way he was going to get the T-shirt off without ripping it off. He huffed, grabbing the shirt around the chocolate spear as he tried to tear it. His arms shook from the effort. Eventually, it gave away, and he tossed it aside. His breath hitched as he studied the wound.

The flesh around the chocolate was a sickly purple, a strange gold fluid leaking out around the chocolate spear. Huh… it’s caramel filled chocolate? Given any other day, caramel filled chocolate would have sounded good to Robbie. He shuddered and stuck out his tongue. Sportacus’s chest heaved with labored breaths; they were getting weaker and weaker. Robbie’s eyes trailed over the elf’s pectoral muscles for a moment; he had never seen him topless before…

He shook his head.

Stop.

Now came the hard part… he knew he needed to remove the chocolate because of the sugar meltdown, but he also knew from survival shows that removing it could cause bleed out. Strangely enough, he didn’t see anything resembling blood coming out of the wound. Well at least I don’t have to worry about him bleeding out at the moment… he bit his lip as he thought. If he did nothing, Sportacus would die – though Robbie wondered if eventually the chocolate would just melt out and it would all be fine… he doubted it.

A pained gasp escaped the elf’s lips, his eyes tightly squeezed shut. Robbie’s eyes narrowed. He’s not gonna last much longer like this… It needs to come out. Now. He remembered this one TV show episode where they had to remove an arrow from a dude’s leg. As soon as the arrow was removed, they had to apply pressure. Robbie looked at the width of Sportacus’s wound. It was about the size of his fist… he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to apply enough pressure to a wound that big.

I guess we’ll find out then, he thought as he grabbed the chocolate tooth. He took a deep breath, counting down mentally before pulling hard. Sportacus’s eyes shot open, a broken scream escaping his lips as the chocolate ripped away from his body. Tears rolled down his cheeks from the pain; Robbie’s breath hitched as he watched the elf. “I’m sorry, Sportaflop,” Robbie said, grunting as he finally removed the chocolate. “It’s for your own good.”

Once the chocolate was finally out, the elf passed out. There seemed to be some relief on his face already, and Robbie thanked whatever deity was watching out for them that day. The caramel was oozing out of the wound now, Robbie guessing that it must have melted out of the chocolate. He grabbed the ripped T-Shirt, balling it up as he put it to the wound. Robbie pressed down as hard as he could. He stayed like that for a while, the caramel oozing out around the T-shirt slower and slower as time passed; it was really warm caramel, and very runny too…

Robbie’s eyes widened, and he gasped. It’s not caramel… it’s blood. The elf has golden blood!

He jerked his hands away, wiping them on his vest – an act that he immediately regretted as there was now elf blood on his clothes. Robbie gagged. And here I thought it was candy… I’ll never be able to eat caramel again thanks to you, Sportapoop. I hope you’re happy!

With a sigh he stood up. The bleeding seemed to have stopped a good amount, and now the next step was to try and clean up the residue sugar off of both of them. Robbie started by removing his vest and shirt, as well as his pants and shoes until he was standing there in a tank top and boxers. Thankfully the frosting didn’t get past any other layers of his clothing. Even though Sportacus was comatose, the idea of being naked around him was out of the question.

He then went over to Sportacus, removing the elf’s shoes, socks, and pants. Robbie thanked his luck that the elf was wearing underwear. Some of the blood had soaked the waistband of Sportacus’s boxers, but Robbie refused to take anything else off of the elf; his face was hot with a mortified blush already. Of all the ways I could have imagined this scenario, I never thought it would be under these circumstances…

Robbie paused at that thought.

Oh no… He closed his eyes and sighed.

“I thought we were over this, lover boy,” he whispered to himself, scalding himself as his heart fluttered shamelessly in his chest.

He glanced at Sportacus’s face. Once side of the elf’s face was caked with frosting from how Robbie had been carrying him. Sometime from the beginning of the cake fight to when they got to the cave the elf’s hat had fallen off; his golden hair was turned brown from the icing. To be quite frank the elf was a fucking mess – a dirty, injured, sleeping mess…

And yet Robbie’s heart still pounded as he heard a soft sigh escape Sportacus’s lips. Robbie frowned, looking away as he crossed his arms. I know better than this! A pretty elven face can’t change the fact that he’s my nemesis. He got up, removing the ripped T-shirt from the wound with a sigh. The bleeding had stopped, though Robbie saw that there was some melted chocolate around the wound that needed to be cleaned up. The rain was still pouring outside, and he walked to the mouth of the cave. Maybe a walk in the freezing rain will knock some sense into me, he thought as he rinsed out the rag in a nearby puddle.

Once it was clean enough for his liking, he returned to the elf. He made a point of not looking at Sportacus’s face as he dabbed the wet cloth at the wound. The rise and fall of the elf’s chest under his hand felt so strange... so warm. After he had cleaned the area around the wound, he went and rinsed the rag once more before returning. He squeezed some of the water from the rag into the gash to try and clean the melted chocolate. Sportacus winced at the action, though not enough to fully rouse him.

Robbie’s eyes then fell on the elf’s face. He could just leave the elf looking like a cake decorating accident… but given the circumstances he decided it would be best to make sure there was no sugar on his skin at all. After rewashing the rag in the puddle, he got to work wiping off the chocolate around Sportacus’s mouth and nose. As he washed the cheeks next, he noticed the slight fluttering of the elf’s eyes. Robbie froze. Please don’t wake up… don’t make this more awkward than it already is!

Luck was on his side, and Robbie sighed as the elf seemingly dozed off again. Robbie quickly got the elf’s face clean after that. As he moved onto the hair, he knew there was going to be a problem. It was such curly hair… he would need a lot more than a damp cloth to rinse it off. He looked around the cave, noticing stalactites hanging from the ceiling. A memory buzzed in his mind about an old TV program he watched as he dozed off one day. Stalactites were made by water… which meant that there might be water somewhere in this cave?

Robbie closed his eyes and listened. He heard the sound of the crackling fire behind them, and the sound of Sportacus’s soft snores… and then he heard a soft dripping of water. He grabbed a flaming branch from the fire, holding it as a torch as he walked deeper into the cave. As he walked deeper into the cave, the warmer it got. Soon he saw steam too. Then, he came across a small underground lake. Steam drifted off the surface of the clear water.

A… hot spring?

He looked around at the chasm. After a moment he noticed that there were unlit torches on the walls, and he moved to light one nearby. Then another. Soon the majority of the section of cave was lit up, and Robbie couldn’t help but gape at it.

While it was obvious this place hadn’t been used in a while, at one point this had been a private retreat for someone important. The natural stone of the cave had been carved into intricate designs, the floor cut into steps that vanished beneath the water’s surface – and in the middle of the hot springs was a statue of a sleeping owl. Jareth… Robbie frowned slightly as he looked at it.

After looking around a little while longer, he spotted a pitcher submerged on a nearby step. He reached down to get it and sighed as he felt the warm water caress his skin. Robbie almost pouted as he turned to walk away, the pitcher in hand. After I get Sportacus taken care of… maybe I could take a quick dip in the water? The image of the owl statue made him feel uneasy for some reason… he didn’t know why though. If Jareth used this hot spring, then it must be a good place, right?

He quickly made his way back to Sportacus. The elf had managed to fall over onto his side, and Robbie rolled his eyes. The poor thing’s helpless without me. He sat the pitcher on the ground beside him, and slowly lifted the elf’s head. Robbie slowly ran his fingers through a lock of hair as he began to pour.

Even when it’s filthy… his hair is so soft.

Sportacus sighed as Robbie rinsed his hair, and Robbie paused to study him.

“… Móðir…” Sportacus whispered, a soft smile working its way onto his face. The elf rolled his head into Robbie’s hand, a move that made the tall man blush a deep crimson red. He quickly rinsed out the rest of the elf’s hair, then used the rest of the water to give the wound one more clean for good measure.

Robbie then threw all of the dirty clothing into a pile, figuring that while he took a swim he could wash them all up. As he did so he spotted the crystal. He was understandably reluctant to touch it again, but he knew he couldn’t leave it here… and he didn’t trust Sportacus in the state that he was in – not that the elf could have possibly done something to lose it. Slowly, Robbie raised the chain over his head, and winced as he put it around his neck. He sighed in relief when he felt no pain; the crystal was peacefully silent. He picked up the clothes and started walking away… but he paused to look at Sportacus. Something inside of him told him to do something more as he watched the elf sleep against the side of the cave.

Robbie groaned. What’s the matter with me… He dropped the clothes on the ground, then walked over to Sportacus. Carefully, he pushed the elf closer to the fire – it was warm enough in the cave as it was, but still… today he was feeling awfully generous and caring, even for his most hated enemies. If he had a blanket to give the elf he would have, but for now that would have to do.

Then a thought occurred to him. Maybe he needs sports candy to get better? He winced at the idea of even touching fruits and vegetables… not that there was any around for him to give Sportacus. Robbie looked outside, noticing the green leaves on the trees nearby. Leaves are pretty much like salad, right? He thought with a frown. I guess we’ll find out…

He ran out into the rain, ripping a few leaves off of a nearby tree before running back inside the cave. Robbie knelt by Sportacus, turning the elf’s head while easing his jaw open.

“Candy time, Sportaflop,” Robbie whispered as he shoved a leaf into Sportacus’s gaping mouth. He waited for a moment, expecting the elf to jump to life. When nothing happened, he shoved another one in. Then another. Sportacus still laid there fast asleep no matter how many leaves Robbie put in his mouth.

“Fine, sleep then I guess,” Robbie said, letting go of the elf’s head in frustration. As he did so, he noticed the elf reflexively chew, swallowing slowly. A sour expression worked its way onto Sportacus’s face, and a small groan escaped his mouth. Robbie snorted slightly. “I guess even a freak like you doesn’t like leaves.”

Robbie picked up the clothes once more and turned to Sportacus.

I’ll be back soon … With that, he took off towards the hot spring. Once there, he wasted no time in stripping out of his undergarments. If there was anything he was a sucker for besides cake, it was nice hot baths. After the day he just had, he wanted to drown in soothing warmth.

He took a hesitant step into the water, the temperature making his hiss slightly. Juusstt right, he thought as he walked down into the pool. After taking the time to get use to the temperature, he dived underneath to wet his hair. As he rose to the surface he sighed in contentment. “This is the life,” he said with closed eyes.

Robbie took a few minutes to relax before washing the clothes. His were the dirtiest, the stains impossible to remove. After fighting with them for a few minutes, he snapped his fingers in frustration. The stains instantly vanished. He did the same for the other clothes, and after carefully laying each garment out to dry he returned to relaxing.

If there was any sport that Robbie could say he was good, if at least capable at it was swimming… or at least ‘not drowning’. It was so effortless to just still his body and float, the water around him cushioning him just right; it felt like floating – like flying without the terror of being up too high. If he could, he would have fallen asleep right then and there in the water. It felt like all of his worries were being washed away.

He walked further into the spring, feeling called deeper with each passing moment. The steam was getting thicker now, almost like smoke. He passed the statue of the sleeping owl, and soon noticed something in the water – a silhouette of someone or something. Robbie paused, narrowing his eyes as he took cautious steps forward. The steam dissipated around him suddenly, and he couldn’t help but gasp… and turn bright red.

“Hello, darling,” Jareth said, raising his eyes to meet Robbie’s with a smile. The Goblin King lounged against a conveniently placed rock, his arms draped to his sides across his makeshift chair. His normally fluffy white hair flowed like silk over his shoulders, and his bare chest rose and fall in a hypnotic dance that left Robbie speechless.

Is he… is he naked?!

“W-what are you doing here?” Robbie asked, lowering himself in the water to hide. He was definitely not ready to be this intimate with Jareth. After everything that had happened today? The only thing this situation was making him feel was uncomfortable, mixed with a generous portion of awkward.

Jareth sighed, sitting up from the rock. As he rose, it became apparent that the rock he had been lounging against rose just high enough that when Jareth stood… it showed way more than Robbie ever wanted to that day; Robbie almost screamed. holy cow…

Robbie closed his eyes tightly, taking a few steps back until his back was against the owl statue. His face felt so hot, the steam in the room not helping make the situation any better. “Jareth!”

“Yes darling?” Jareth said. The Goblin King was now right next to Robbie, making the taller man jump. His eyes shot open in fright, only to be met by the mismatched eyes of Jareth. An amused smirk warmed the king’s face. “Have I surprised you, my sweet? Does this… excite you?”

Robbie looked away in embarrassment. “Jareth… please…”

“Please what?” Jareth said, his lips grazing Robbie’s ear. Robbie nearly fell over at the feeling of Jareth’s bare flesh pressing against his side. Jareth chuckled in a deep, seductive voice. “Please… more?”

What is this, one of Bessie's cheap romance novellas?!

“N-no…” Robbie said, his jaw clenching as his eyes looked anywhere but at Jareth. This was way more than he could handle!

Jareth only sighed, pressing in closer, either oblivious to Robbie's discomfort, or willingly ignoring it.

“I think your heart is saying otherwise,” Jareth whispered.

That was the final straw for Robbie, and he turned away from Jareth with a strained groan. The Goblin King frowned at being pushed away, crossing his arms almost as if to pout.

“Have I done something to upset you, Robert?”

... Robert?

Robbie looked at Jareth with a bewildered frown. No one’s ever called me that… Not even my mother, even when I was in trouble. Hearing it come from Jareth’s mouth felt… weird. All of this felt so weird, and he shook his head to rid himself of the strange fog in his mind. He remembered Sportacus in that moment and remembered everything that had happened earlier that day. A shaky sigh escaped his lips.

“Jareth… why did you send that monster after us?”

The Goblin King was silent for a moment, then he chuckled. “To teach that elf a lesson of course,” Jareth said, his tone dismissive. This answer didn’t satisfy Robbie.

“But it tried to attack me,” Robbie said, lowering his gaze. “It… almost killed me – and it would have, if Sportacus hadn’t…” Robbie clutched his arms around him, holding himself as he kept his gaze lowered. There were tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. “If… if you love me, why would you do something like that? I could have been killed, I was so scared ! Why?!”

His tone rose to a pained cry, but from the way it echoed off the cavern walls it might as well have been a scream of fury; it almost seemed to make the ground shake around them. Jareth looked at him with wide eyes, swallowing slowly as his gaze darted down to the water. The way his face looked... Robbie might have called it shame, though that description wasn't quite right. There was a silence between them for a while, Robbie just staring at him in disbelief.

Then, after the silence had carried on for far too long, Jareth let out a sigh, looking up at Robbie.

“I’m…” Jareth bit his lip, looking uncomfortable - almost seeming to struggle as he forced himself to continue. “… Sorry. Can you find it in yourself to forgive me?”

Robbie looked up to meet the Goblin King’s gaze. Jareth’s eyes were pleading, almost begging Robbie… it broke his heart.

Surely he didn’t mean for it to try and hurt me… right?

After a moment, he gave Jareth a slow nod.

“Excellent,” Jareth said, moving closer to Robbie. As he did this, Robbie stepped backwards. He paused, looking at Robbie in confusion. “… I thought you said you forgive me.”

Robbie bit his lip, sinking a little lower into the water. He felt bad – Jareth had apologized to him… but still, this was all too much. “I do forgive you Jareth… but I don’t want… I’m not ready to see you like this … Please, not now. Not yet.”

Jareth stood there for a few seconds with a disappointed frown on his face. Robbie was worried that he had angered Jareth; the last thing he wanted was another monster coming his way.

But he didn’t mean to send the monster, don’t be so negative… it’s fine.

After a while, Jareth just sighed. “As you wish.”

With that, he vanished. Robbie looked around the hot spring warily, his heart fluttering from the encounter. I’ve had enough excitement for today. He waded through the water until he found his way back to the steps. He slid his boxer shorts and tank top back on, then gathered up the drying clothes before making his way back to Sportacus.

Said elf was still out, though Robbie could have sworn that he already looked much better. Maybe the leaves did help, he thought with a soft smile. As he laid out the clothes to dry, his eyes flitted over to the sleeping Sportacus. Thinking back to the encounter he just had with Jareth he sighed. God knows what could have happened because of that cake monster thing… you saved me, and you could have died because of it… You took a chocolate bullet for me.

He pressed his hand against his drying pants. They were a bit damp, but for the most part okay. Slowly, he moved over to the elf and draped the pants over his bare torso. Sportacus let out a soft, content sigh at this act, and Robbie felt a flutter within his chest.

“… Thank you Sportacus…” He said, turning his gaze towards the fire. He sat like that for a while, staring at the flames as he got lost in thought. He thought of the day they had, and everything that had happened. He thought of Jareth and Sportacus and the kids and soon found that it made him very, very tired.

He rolled up his vest for a makeshift pillow, curling up in a ball to get comfortable. His eyes felt so heavy, and yet as he laid there across the fire from Sportacus, his mind couldn’t help but wander even further. He studied the elf’s face, his heart and mind fluttering with questions.

His exhaustion finally defeated him, his eyes closing with one final thought. Sportacus… who are you?

I need to know…

He was asleep before he could feel the crystal buzzing at his chest, the glow lighting up the cavern as it’s magic granted Robbie’s wish. As Robbie entered his dreams, he would find that it was not his dreams he was seeing.

Chapter Text

It was a rare sight to see the sky as clear as it was that day - cloudless, the wind calm, predictable and cooperative. Weather like this was perfect for flying, and guaranteed safe travel; a good omen. He had been counting the days eagerly for two and nearly one-half months; he was restless, even by his standards. It had all been worth it for this to be the day his father came home - when, the young elf could only guess... but still, he watched the sky with excited eyes.

Every now and again he sent a weary glance down to the room below. The library of the academy was thankfully quiet at this hour; most students were in lectures, and the few that were not kept their heads down in their books. No one had noticed him yet... most people wouldn't think to look up to the old and dusty rafters. This was his favorite hiding spot. The Grand Matron had never been able to find him here, and the few students who managed to spot him kept their mouths shut; no one liked the Grand Matron, and no one liked those who tattled to her.

He lounged against the circular windowsill of his secluded skylight, one of the only in the building without stained glass. He liked the stained glass of course, especially the ones made for the greatest heroes of legend… though they weren’t meant for gazing out. He liked watching the city; it made him feel like a protector, a hero. His favorite skylight happened to have the best view of the sky port from anywhere in the city.

If he stayed here, he’d be able to see exactly when father flew in. He clutched his knees to his chest as he rocked. I can’t wait to hear all about your travel’s Father – I want to know about everyone you saved and all the sights you saw.

Every chance he got he had trained hard since father had left. He practiced his flips and pushups, ran wherever he went, and practiced all of his father's’ tips for being a good hero… and he hoped that when his father left next time, he’d take him with him. He sighed. I want to explore the world with you… I’ve asked every single time and every single time you told me that I need to be a bit stronger before I could travel. I know now you’ll let me come with you Father, just you wait until you see how strong I’ve gotten!

He heard a shuffle below him and looked down hesitantly. A sigh escaped his lips when he saw and upperclassman looking up at him with a soft giggle. She was always nice to him, despite being in the Grand Matron’s private classes. Usually only the most snobbish students were in her classes.

“… Is she coming?” He asked, his eyes shifting around the library cautiously. She nodded, her body turning as the double doors slammed open with a thunderous bang. The few students that were in the room cowered at the sound; some picked up their readings and moved to the sides of the room. The shadow of a single figure descended upon them like a cold gust of wind; everyone shivered at the sight of her.

“Where is he?” the Grand Matron asked, her voice ice cold as her eyes scanned the area. The young elf made himself as small as he could, moving out of the windowsill and behind a dusty beam. He swallowed nervously. The Grand Matron was an ancient elven woman, her eyes dark and her mouth drawn taut like an angry frog. She looked worn and tired in a way unusual for most elves, though he thought a lot of her physical weathering came from her commitment to being the most miserable person in the city. She had been one of his father's personal tutors, and maybe even his grandfather and great grandfather by some accounts. People say she was one of the oldest elves in the kingdom besides the ancients – and she terrified everyone who met her.

The upperclassman wore a fake frown on her face, her acting skills commendable. “I’ve already searched the room Grand Matron… The Prince isn’t here,” she said. The Grand Matron hummed in acknowledgment, marching forward until she was in the center of the library. Her footsteps echoed off the stone walls. Everyone shifted their gaze away from her, some students even trembling. The Grand Matron let out a poised sigh.

“Thank you for your effort, young Lilja,” the Grand Matron said, not even turning to address the student face to face. “I’m glad that at least one of my students has some sense… but the Prince is a sneaky child, and you must know where to look for especially naughty little elves. He is here… I can practically smell him.”

The young elf sniffed his clothes nervously, wondering how that could be so. The Grand Matron always wore an expression of having a stuffy nose that it was a miracle that should smell a thing. She turned to address the other students in the library and scowled. “If I find that any of you knew of the prince’s whereabouts and did nothing, your punishment will be harsh – worse than any punishment I have given a student in all my years of service at this academy.”

Nervous glances were sent between the students. There was no doubt in anyone’s minds that she was serious; she always followed through with her threats. However, despite their fear of her, no one said a word. Their silence only seemed to aggravate her more.

“I grow tired of this foolish little game you all play,” she said as her eyes narrowed. “I know you all willingly allow him to hide and neglect his studies! Is that what you all want? A kingdom with an ill prepared king? That’s what you are all creating with your silence! It is your duty to provide the prince with a learning environment free of distraction-”

He rolled his eyes. The Grand Matron always got onto these rants about kings and the importance of learning about etiquette and boring things that old people did. After a while he had learned to tune her out in favor of thinking about things like traveling and saving people in need of help. She always got angry at him when he started to drift off or fidget, smacking her ruler down on his desk to make him pay attention; he despised her.

His gaze turned to the window, staring at the sky port one last time. He wished he could just fly away from this place sometimes… fly away in an airship of his own to do important things; things that mattered. There was a small flash of light from the port, and he narrowed his eyes. A big smile then warmed his face as he saw the familiar silhouette of his father’s airship emerge from the cloud barrier that hid the floating city. Father!

His gaze shifted nervously to the Grand Matron bellow him. She was still going on about etiquette and manners, and thankfully not currently on the hunt for him. He took a deep breath, and then as delicately as he could he jumped over to the nearest beam. A swell of pride filled him when this move made nearly no sound. Just how Father would do it , he thought with a smile. The young elf then jumped to another beam, and another after that one. With each move he made, he got closer to the doors of the library. If he could just sneak out without the matron knowing, he could quickly run to the port to greet his father. He almost made it to the last beam, nearly laughing at how easy this was… when the one he landed on let out a sickeningly loud creak. The young elf froze, his breath stilling in his throat as he felt the beady eyes of the matron fall on him.

“ You… ” the Grand Matron hissed, her cold tone causing the rest of the students to gasp in fear. “ Get down at ONCE !”

The young elf swallowed as flipped gracefully onto the next beam, then onto the last before sliding down the smooth side of a stone pillar close to the exit. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt the matron descend upon him, and he wasted no time in bolting out of the library.

In his mind he pictured the Matron as a horrible monster chasing him… not that she wasn’t already, but pretending she was worse made him run faster. Just like a training exercise , he told himself as his heart pounded nervously in his chest. He looked back to see her furious sneer growing closer and closer, and he gulped. The hardest training exercise I’ve ever faced…

He bolted down the hallway, making his way towards the school’s courtyard. As he turned down the next corridor he gasped. Oh no… two armored guards stood at attention on either side of the exit. As the Grand Matron rounded the bend after him, she shouted. “Stop him! Stop the Prince!”

Both guards got into defensive stances, their arms outstretched ready to catch him. The young elf narrowed his eyes in determination. As he drew close to the door, he crouched low as if to duck between the guard’s legs. They dived low to catch him. Gotcha! He thought with a smile.

He let out a laugh as he instead jumped sideways, rebounding off the hallway walls as he dove feet first through the glass paneling of the courtyard doors. They shattered loudly, and glass flew everywhere. A small surge of guilt filled him; breaking things was wrong. Father won’t be too happy when he finds out about that…

The commotion caught the attention of more guards, who charged towards him. Adrenaline was coursing through him as he ran. At the far end of the courtyard was the beginning of a zip line chain normally used for mail delivery. He made a b-line towards it, dodging the grabbing arms of multiple guards. They shouted at him in frustration; by then they had all grown tired of his escape attempts.

Just as they almost grabbed him, the young elf jumped as hard as he could for the line. His eyes were wide as he reached out his arms in hopes that he’d grab the chain. If he missed, it would be a long fall down. His body jerked slightly as he caught hold of a package crate. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips. That was close…

The guards were all too heavy to use the line, and they watched with annoyance as the young prince zipped away from them. He heard the frantic clicking of the Matron’s shoes on the stone courtyard; he could only imagine the face she was making when he heard her screeched behind him. “There will be dire consequences for this!”

The young elf smiled as he got farther and farther away from his pursuers. As he neared the end of the line, he flipped off and onto a nearby roof. Once he had steadied himself, he proceeded forwards towards the sky port – jumping rooftop to rooftop. Down below him was a small market place. He could smell Rúgbrauð coming from a nearby bakers’ shop, and heard the sound of some performers playing music. It wasn’t long before he reached the sky port, flipping onto the docks. He ran down the docking bay towards the lowering air ship. He got some confused stares from some of the pilots who saw him, though no one moved to do anything about him. The young elf was thankful for this; all he wanted was to see his father.

The royal procession was already there, a few choice guards grabbing hold of ropes sent down from the cabin of the ship. He tried to catch a glimpse of his mother among them; she had been feeling ill this morning – she probably was resting. He was silently thankful for that; if mother found out that he had ran away from school again she would have been very disappointed.

His father’s ship finally docked, and he watched with wide eyes as the door lowered far too slowly for his liking. The procession bowed low to the ground in reverence, silken robes pooling on the cobblestone. He shifted through them on light feet to try and avoid tripping on the legs or long beards of some of his father’s advisors. Their lowered eyes either did not notice or care that he was approaching.

He couldn’t help but grin as he saw his father’s brown leather boots come into view as the man walked down the long ramp. His smile faltered however when he noticed the expression his father wore; lost in thought with a deep frown that made him look old – tired. What’s wrong…

Before he could call out, the advisors rose from their bows and swarmed around his father like flies to honey. He was pushed aside by each one until he stood at the back of the crowd. An annoyed frown marred his face. Jerks…

Each one babbled on about a policy that needed looked over, or a document that needed signing. The young elf jumped up and down to try and see over the crowd. He called out, trying to overcome the buzzing of the procession. It was no use; He couldn’t even see his father from how close the councilmen crowded him. A defeated frown worked its way onto his face as he lowered his head.

At this rate he’d have to wait until later that night to even see his father. The councilmen would bombard him for hours and hours with paperwork and notices that had piled up during his absence. It wasn’t fair. He’s my dad, not theirs. They should learn to wait their turn! A small tear ran down his face. At least let me hug him…

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” a soft voice said behind him. He froze. Slowly, he turned with an apprehensive look on his face. There was never anger on her kind, youthful face – but the pain in her eyes stung worse than a sharp glare. Mother…

The young elf never understood when the other children talked of their mothers yelling at them or worse. He never once heard his mother raise her voice in anger, not even when he did something very bad. There was such a gentleness to her eyes, something that reached deep inside of her. It was like her heart was made of glass. Her big brown eyes were like that of a startled doe – the small creases underneath and the glassy sheen almost like tears made her look so delicate; shouting would have shattered her.

Her attendants stood close by at all times. Their eyes never left the queen’s face, watching for any sign of weakness or need. The queen’s eyes remained locked onto her sons.

“Would you believe me if I said they let me out early to see father?” he asked, trying on a sheepish smile and he hastily wiped away his stray tear. She shook her head slowly, her long soft hair swaying with the movement. Her hair was like pure silk, nearly white with wavy curls all the way down to her hips. A soft frown formed on her pale lips.

“You promised me that you wouldn’t skip school again,” she said with a soft sigh.

“It’s not my fault móðir,” he said with a lowered head.

“If it is not your fault, then what is?” she asked, her voice smooth and collected. “Is there something that you’re not telling your father and I? Are kids being impolite to you?”  

The young elf really did feel bad for disappointing mother. He knew the importance of education, his father told him many times just how much so. He needed math to solve problems and science was important to understand how things worked. History helped him understand the mistakes of the past to ensure that the future never repeated them, and he needed the arts and language to form himself creatively and socially… but what the headmistress taught him made his heart sink and his stomach turn. Every lesson, no matter how important was tainted with a bitterness that made him squirm. Things that he knew father would not approve of.

“The Grand Matron… she tells me bad things. Mean things.”

His mother raised her brow at this. She bent down slightly, her attendants mimicking her movement cautiously. Her eyes were full of worry. “What is she telling you?”

He bit his lip. His brain went back to the history lesson she started earlier that day.

“… She calls the humans... lesser,” he said, feeling a cold anger in his chest as he said it. “She said they’re monsters that only know violence. She said that humans are the reason that we built the sky city – to get away from them. She said that they don’t deserve our help… she said father is wasting his time with his diplomatic missions.”

The queen looked away, her hands clasped together so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her eyes watered slightly as she fiddled with a small copper band on her finger; human craftsmanship.

“I see,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. With grace she rose from her bend, her attendants steadying her wobbly stance as her eyes glazed slightly from the sudden movement. After a moment she sighed. “I will repeat this to your father later. I’m sure that he will be just as displeased about this as I am.”

The young elf frowned as he watched her worried face. He hated that look she got when her eyes watered, and she wrung her hands fretfully. “I’m sorry,” he said.

She looked down at him with confusion.

“Honey, what are you apologizing for?”

He shrugged slightly, placing his hands in his tunic pockets.

“For upsetting you…”

“You didn’t upset me," She lowered herself once more to her son’s level. Her attendants held onto her elbows as she knelt this time, their eyes watching the queen like hawks. "Come here.”

She stretched out her arms, and the young prince didn’t hesitate to fall into them as he hugged her. As she wrapped her arms around him, he sighed in content. His mother was always so warm, and she smelled sweet like honey and oats. Her fingers stroked through his hair soothingly like soft feathers. If he was a cat, he would have purred. The sound of her heartbeat sung throughout him; soft, like the steady flutter of a bird’s wing. She was comfort to him; she was home. “You should never feel ashamed for telling the truth – always be brave enough to say what needs to be said,” she said.

“Yes mamma,” he said softly, burying his face in her neck. “I promise.”

Her head shifted slightly, and her grip around him softened enough to make him look up. She gazed behind him with a big smile, and when he turned to see he smiled too.

“Pabbi!” he said, running into his father’s outstretched arms. His attendants still swarmed close by muttering their grievances, but no one intervened as the king swept his son up into the air and tossed him playfully. The young elf laughed, his arms clasping around his father’s neck as the strong elven man caught him. Father’s hugs were always so strong, and his mustache tickled him as he kissed his cheek.

“I’ve missed you sport,” he said, and the young elf giggled. Sport was a word the humans used to describe their fun games – father used it as a nickname for him because of how much the boy enjoyed playing the games. Father always came home with a new one to try out; he was excited to see what game he brought back this time. Last time was a strange human game called ‘bad mitten’. Father had seen the game from up in his airship on his way home and flew down to play with them until he learned the game; it delayed his return by two days, but it was worth it.

“I missed you too pabbi,” the young elf said, hugging his father tightly. “I watched the skies all day waiting for you.”

His father pulled back slightly, looking his son in the eyes. “All day, huh? Did you escape from the headmistress again?”

The young elf gave his father a small smile. “Maybe…”

A small look of frustration crossed his father’s eyes, though it didn’t linger long. There was a moment of silence before the king laughed. “She could lock you in a cage and you’d still get away from her. She’s lost her edge.”

“She couldn’t catch me even if she had an army,” the young elf said with a laugh. While he knew his father wasn’t happy about him skipping school, he sensed a bit of pride at his talents; it made him feel warm inside. Maybe now he’ll take me with him…

He felt his mother’s hand on his back as she pulled the both of them into a hug. The king smiled at his queen with soft, warm eyes. “I missed you, Fríða,” he said in almost a whisper. She answered by leaning in and planting a soft kiss upon his lips; he returned it with a soft sigh. The young elf scrunched his eyes shut and stuck out his tongue. Yucky… 

One of the king’s councilmen cleared his throat, taking a step closer; he tapped his foot loudly against the stone pathway. “Sire, there are things that must be attended to. Now.”

“Will you give me a few minutes alone with my wife and child?” The king said, his voice slow and stern. He carefully sat the young elf back down on the ground as he turned to face the man. The prince bit his lip as he watched his father. Surprisingly, the councilman didn’t back down, crossing his arms over his long white beard as he stared at his king with a scowl.

“It was you that said you had urgent news in your coming home letter, sire,” the councilman said, narrowing his dark grey eyes. “Will you delay us and yourself further from matters of importance? Your son – who should still be in school – and wife will be waiting for you after we discuss this news.”

Urgent news? The young elf thought as he looked up at his father. He saw a tension in the king’s composure as well as the uneasiness in his eyes. Is something wrong?

The king sighed after a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “… assemble in the council room, I’ll be there shortly.”

The councilman bowed quickly before leading the crowd away. His father frowned with distant eyes as he turned back to his family. The young elf’s eyes were wide, his heart and mind racing. “Father…”

“What’s wrong Ithro?” his mother asked, gripping her husband’s arm carefully. Her wide eyes met his. The king gave her an unconvincing smile, placing a soft kiss on her cheek; she bit her lip with quiet concern.

“It’s fine Fríða,” he said, slowly stepping away towards the diminishing crowd. “I just need to discuss some things with the council… I’ll tell you more later, alright?”

He took off before either of them could say another word. The young elf looked between his mother and father, noting the way his mother’s face grew paler and the weight that hung over his father’s composure. Something was very wrong here.

“Ma’am, I think it might be best if we return to your chambers for some rest,” one of his mother’s attendants said, clutching her elbow as she began to lead the queen away. The queen nodded weakly, her eyes glazed over.

“A-alright,” she said with a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. The young elf stood there alone now, watching his father go one direction and his mother go in another. His eyes lingered on his mother as her attendants fussed over her. Father had explained to him in the vaguest of terms that mother was ‘delicate’, though he knew that was just a nicer way of saying that she was sick. He didn’t want to worry about her, yet when he saw the light vanish from her eyes it was hard not to; he hoped she could get better.

His fist clenched at his sides, his mind going a hundred miles an hour as he thought of everything. More than anything, he needed to know what was wrong with father. I need to get into that meeting somehow…

He quietly snuck after his father’s group, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. The city council building was a few blocks north of the port in a gated section that included all government buildings as well as the royal palace. He wasn’t sure if it was true of all buildings in the royal burrow, but he knew that the royal palace had hidden passageways for servants to travel about their chores unseen.

He knew how to get into the palace passage ways, since he liked to play in them often. Sometimes, if he hid in just the right spot, he could spy on people. He accidentally overheard his parents talking about his yule presents one time while playing in the tunnels, which almost spoiled the holiday for him... If he could find the passageways in the council building, he could listen to the meeting.

For a moment he decided to go back to the palace to try and navigate his way from the palace passageways to the council building… but he quickly threw the plan out, seeing as he didn’t even know if the council building had passages – and even if they did, the meeting would be over by the time he made his way over there. Plus, what were the chances that all the servant tunnels were combined? That would have been a poor security choice for the ancient architects to have made.

He climbed up a tall pillar on a nearby housing complex until he was on the roof. Traveling from up high was a lot faster than trying to navigate the streets, and before he knew it, he was overlooking the city council building from atop a bell tower. His eyes studied the entrances, noticing a trail of councilmen and other politicians entering and exiting through the front. Not there, he thought to himself. The numerous guards out front would have noticed him in an instant. They would send him home… or worse; back to school.

After a moment of studying, he moved from his tower to a tiny rooftop positioned to view behind the council building. It was there that he noticed a small stream of servants entering as a guard examined their paperwork. His eyes glinted with a plan as he saw a maid with a cart of wash clothes for the council kitchens. There.

As quickly as he could, he hopped down from the roof and into the small servant’s courtyard. Thankfully the woman wasn’t paying too much attention to the cart, and he was easily able to jump inside and hide. He sighed; the linen was freshly washed and soft.

It was a few moments before it was the woman’s turn to be examined for entrance into the building. “Just bringing the laundry in,” she said, followed by the rustling of paper as she handed the guard her paperwork. The young elf held his breath, his heart pounding as he heard the guard take a few steps towards the cart. After a second or two, the guard reached into the pile of cloth; the prince curled against the corner of the cart to try and avoid the guard’s inspection.

Thankfully, the guard wasn’t being too thorough that day - something the young elf would tell his father later – and soon he was being wheeled into the building. It was quiet inside the servant’s quarters, and the young elf chanced a peak out from his hiding place. Everyone was bustling about their own business, rushing to and from their tasks with their heads lowered to the ground.

He silently got out of the cart, taking a towel to wrap around his head as a kerchief. It was a rudimentary disguise that he hoped would work long enough. I’m no master of disguise… but it’ll have to do.

A group of women with feather dusters approached a guard in the corner of the room. He was sitting reading from a book, and lazily looked up to acknowledge the women. They whispered a few words he couldn’t hear, then with a silent nod, the guard moved his chair to reveal a small lever. When he pulled it, a narrow passageway opened up for the women to sneak through. Bingo , the young elf thought.

The guard didn’t notice when he hastily joined behind the group of women, his head lowered to try and hide his face. He almost frowned at the security here when the passageway closed behind him. And I thought escaping from school was easy … he shook his head as he made his way around the passages.

He had only been to the council building a few times before, mainly for field trips or public events that his parents allowed him to come to. He only had a rough idea of where the council room could be – and no idea which way to go to get there.

“What would pabbi do?” he whispered to himself, closing his eyes in frustration. He focused on the soft sounds around him, hearing the sound of a mouse chewing through the old, rotting boards that lined the passage way. Somewhere up ahead he heard the whispering of a few servants… his eyes opened with a bang.

With as silent of footsteps as he could muster, the young prince dashed through the passageway – his ears focused on the faint sound of Councilman Gamli’s shouting voice. He remembered his voice because of the strange whistling noise at the end of his S’s and T's, and even in this cramped tunnel he could hear that whistle.

It didn’t take him long to find the passageway adjacent to the room. It was perfectly positioned at the end of a corridor, hidden out of sight of other servants passing by. Much to his frustration, he even found an eyehole carved into the wall there. Security is going to hear an earful about this , he thought as a sour frown marred his face.

Despite his frustration, he resorted to using the eyehole to peak inside. The hole wasn’t large enough to see a lot, but thankfully he was able to see his father entering the room. Even before he arrived the councilmen were shouting at one another. He didn’t understand why they had to get so angry over politics; it was just simple laws and rules. As the doors of the council room closed behind the king, the bickering hushed to a soft hum. Everyone who was sitting stood to bow in reverence, and his father nodded for them to sit.

“Sire, we have numerous topics that you need to address,” a councilman said, rising from his seat while straightening his tunic. “But due to the urgency of the letter you sent us prior to you return home, we’d all like to address that first.”

His statement was followed by an agreeing chorus. His father sighed, visibly swallowing as he moved to the middle of the room where a podium stood. The room was silent as he began to speak.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the council, I will explain the details following this statement, but first you must know… that war might be coming,” he said.

A shocked gasp echoing around the room at his words. Confused whispers shot out in all directions as the king lowered his head. “What do you mean war?” A councilwoman asked as she rose from her seat. “Have the humans done something?”

“No, it is not the humans,” the king said as he shook his head. He reached up and removed his hat, grabbing the crystal at the end. As he slid the crystal into a projector slot on the podium, the room lit up with a large global map of the mortal world. On the map were red dots – the largest dot was somewhere in a place he remembered the humans called ‘north America’; it was flashing urgently. “In my travels, I have encountered many stories and legends of monsters and beasts that would come to villages and steal human children – many of which are just legends… but not all.”

The councilmen murmured in confusion, shooting puzzled glances between each other. The king continued, pointing to individual points on the map. “I have studied claims of missing children under ‘strange’ circumstances during my travels for over a hundred years. Recently I’ve noticed a trend in disappearances involving… special children.”

“Where are you going with this?” a councilman asked, shaking his head in frustration. “Do you expect us to care about human children going missing?”

“It isn't human children that are going missing,” the king said. As the council murmured, he continued. “The trend that I have been following involves the offspring non-mortal beings placed in the mortal world… a term the humans sometimes call ‘changeling’ children. These are children with varying degrees of magic and magical abilities – and I have reason to believe that they are being stolen because of these abilities. I believe that the being taking them intends to use their powers for war.”

The crystal then showed a map of the countless non-mortal realms, a section centered with a flashing outline. “I have matched the missing children with a signature that correlates to this realm. According to our records, it’s been quickly growing in scattered increments – each increment matching the sudden disappearance of a changeling child. I’ve also noticed a startling trend of the smaller realms surrounding this one disappearing. I believe they have been swallowed up, or in some other way seized by this realm.”

The council room remained silent as the king continued. “The being responsible is mysterious – his realm has remained under the radar until now, and our records only describe it as a small kingdom belonging to an immortal king. I don’t know much about him, other than what the legends humans say about him. He’s a trickster being, stealing ‘bad’ children and turning them into servants for himself – but I think there’s much more than that going on.”

As the map switched back to the mortal realm, the largest dot centered. “Until now, his targets have been small, favoring quantity over quality… but the small village that I just visited changes everything. I couldn’t identify the specific child in that village, but I could feel their power – this wasn’t just some ordinary changeling. This was something… above my own understanding, perhaps above all of our understandings. As I was staying in the town, I noticed the presence of goblins – the being’s underlings. That is when I sent my letter. I had hoped to return home before anything happened, to get some backup for all of this… but I was too late. I received a letter from the town earlier today that a child has gone missing. I believe that the changeling child was stolen – and I fear what this being intends to do with them. Judging the trend, he intends to expand, and with the power he just stole he could very well be more powerful than us… we could be next.”

Murmurs spread throughout the council chamber. The young elf's heart was racing, his eyes wide as a small wave of panic rushed over him. Another councilman addressed the king. “Sire, what do you wish to do about this?”

The king sighed. “I don’t want to wait for the fight to come to us, and I don’t want to risk any of our allied realms being attacked either… I’ve thought up plans for a small mission, just a handful of our most elite to infiltrate the realm in an attempt to take back the child that was stolen – the child is the key to him becoming dangerously powerful, and we cannot let him use them.”

A few whispers echoed throughout the chamber, some of them agreeing with the king’s plan. However, a councilman rose with an indignant huff.

“Absolutely not!” he shouted. All eyes turned to the councilman. The young elf remembered him as Councilman Gegn, a fervent man with thinning blond hair and an overly-charismatic personality. He was conceited too, and the young elf did not like him one bit. “Entering the realm without invitation would be an act of war in itself! As you said, he now - potentially, mind you - possesses a great power. Why should we risk provoking him? We can't know for certain that he has any interest in our realm!”

The king frowned. “The children he steals are from our realm! Wouldn’t you think that his first act would be to secure his holdings here, to ensure the future capture of changeling children?”

“He captures children in the human dwellings of our realm – the lowly surface world!” Gegn said, addressing the council with a soft laugh. “We left the surface ten thousand years ago – humans have their own affairs and we have ours! I say we ensure that none of our own are down below and secure our holdings up here. Let the 'being' have as many human children as he wants.”

A wave of agreement rushed over the crowd. The king glared at the councilman, stepping down from his podium and towards the man. “The humans are our neighbors Gegn, most of whom are friendly to us and our kind. Have you forgotten that my wife was raised by humans? They took her in as their own – just because they're human doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be treated with the same respect we give ourselves!”

“Your wife is sickly because of the food they fed her and the illnesses their uncleanliness brought her – their ‘kindnesses’ nearly killed her, your majesty. They can't help it of course, the poor things haven't even figured out the most rudimentary basics of flight... but how exactly is that our problem or our responsibility? Why should we risk forfeiting a millennia of peace to help a race that is incapable of helping themselves? If they don't want their children to be taken, maybe they should put in the work themselves to protect them better.”

Gegn’s words were starting to gain popularity among the council, and the king shook his head, his face not hiding his clear disgust. “Have we really fallen so far as to give up our compassion so readily?” he said, pointing at the councilman. “This is not the elven way. Are you - any of you in this room - willing to live with your conscious knowing that you stood by and did nothing, that you threw away everything a honorable elf stands for?”

“Are you willing to live with your conscious knowing that you caused thousands of our people to die in an easily avoidable war started over a single child?” Gegn said, and to the young elf’s dismay, the councilman’s words gained applause. The king looked around the room defeated, lowering his head in both disgust in disappointment.

“So, we abandon the humans for the being to use as he pleases,” the king said, his voice filled with barely contained rage. “What happens when he turns to us?”

“If that happens, we’ll be ready for him,” Gegn said as he straightened his tunic. “We have the finest defenses in all the known realms, we can surely withstand any attack that this being throws at us... and if you are so concerned about a hypothetical war, then let us prepare for that. Silently, without worrying our people needlessly.”

Other councilmen voiced their agreements, some voices shouting, ‘stockpile provisions’, and ‘update our particle barrier’. A small, sly smile worked its way onto Gegn’s face as he addressed the council. “All those in favor of strengthening our own defenses?”

The young elf glared at the councilman. The king was the one who was supposed to call for votes; his father was being humiliated and upstaged! As the majority of hands raised in favor of the councilman’s proposal, the king moved away from the podium and back to his seat. The young elf had never seen his father looking so helpless. Gegn proceeded to take the king’s previous place, addressing the crowd. “So, allow me to tie this in with our second order of business… it involves your son, sire.”

The young elf frowned. Me?

The king glared at Gegn. “What about my son?”

Some murmurs rushed over the crowd, and an amused smile worked its way onto the councilman’s face. “How should I put this? Your son idolizes you… too much. Your excursions to the surface world have filled his brain with fantasies that are only destructive to his education and his future as our figurehead. In your absence, we agreed that it would be in your son’s best interest if you cease your… ‘missions’ to the surface and stayed within the sky city. A fortunate decision in hindsight, as this new development only cements our position and your need to stay – not just for your son’s case, but for your own safety… and sire, all we want is for your son to be a good king – not some… some human loving bleeding heart.”

The king jumped to his feet, a rage on his face that the young elf had never seen before. “Say all you want about me and my ‘weakness’ for humans, but you will leave my son out of it! I have taught him the importance of diplomacy, of caring about someone other than himself! You would have all those thoughts shattered and replaced with poison! You will not speak of this again – I am your king!”

“And WE are the elected council!” Gegn said, his voice reverberating off of the walls like thunder. “WE speak for the people, and the people need their king here! The people need their best interests put first – and the people have spoken. They don’t care about humans! The people don’t want war! They don’t want to die! Give the people what they want!”

The applause in the room were like knives in both the king and the young elf’s heart. Tears were streaming down the young elf’s face, and he had to cup his hand over his mouth to muffle out the sound of his sobs. Father… please, don’t listen!

His father stood there for a moment, the applause dying out in the room as the council waited for the king’s response. It felt like an eternity before his father managed to speak once more. He swallowed hard, his voice frail. “If this is how the council feels…” he said, sitting down with glazed over eyes. “Then so be it.”

For generations their family had been diplomats for their people. Heroes, guardians – the last remnant of the relationship humans and elves once held thousands of years ago. Now, that was gone. Forever. His father was the last hero.

And the young elf’s dreams were shattered. He quickly ran out of the passages, not caring that people were staring, that the servants he had mingled with before now scrambled to bow before him. He didn’t want that life – he didn’t want to be their prince. He didn’t stop running until he was in his chambers. As he slammed the oaken door shut, he broke down. Heavy tears streamed down his face and splattered on the floor.

I’ll never be a hero…

It was an hour before he finally calmed down enough to form coherent thought and feel something other than sadness. The first emotion that filled him was rage – rage at Gegn, rage at the council. It didn’t matter what they all thought – humans were important too. His father had told him his dreams or reuniting with the surface world. He dreamed of peace and unity, the sharing of ideas and technologies to change the two races for the better.

And yet even in the face of war, the council scoffed at the thought of preventing an invasion of the mortal realm. Their hatred of humans blinded them. Couldn’t they see it would be in their best interest to try and save the changeling child?

An idea started forming at the back of his mind – partially born of rage as well as hope. His father had wanted to rescue this powerful changeling, his father thought it was the right thing to do – it was the right thing to do.

If father couldn’t do it…

Maybe he could do it for him.

What else have you left to lose from shame, you fool?

Robbie jolted up in his sleep, clasping at his chest with wide eyes and ragged breath. What the hell just happened?

He looked down at the crystal on his chest. It was glowing, still showing flashes of the world Robbie had just woken up from. He scrambled to remove it. It took a while in his panic, but he managed to get it off of his neck. He held it in front of him and scowled. Part of him wanted to throw the evil thing, curse it for giving him visions or dreams or whatever the heck he had seen… though his eyes fluttered over to Sportacus.

The elf was still sleeping, his face peaceful – no sign of pain. With a sigh, Robbie crawled over to the elf and carefully put the crystal back around his neck. His fingers lingered longer than his inner villain would have liked, but he found that for the most part he didn’t care.

That elven boy in the dream was Sportacus.

And Sportacus was a prince.

He certainly doesn’t act like one, Robbie thought with a frown as memories of the elf fluttered in his brain. Heroic, overly chivalrous, kind, do-gooder, athletic, natural leader…

Sportacus was a typical prince all right, and Robbie groaned. What’s an elven prince doing dressing up like a superhero and saving human children? Especially since the elven council apparently banned helping humans…

There were so many questions racing in his mind, the first being how the crystal was able to show him that vision, the second being… everything else.

In frustration he found himself just staring at Sportacus’s face. He looked so much like his father – yet his eyes were definitely his mothers. When he had shown up to LazyTown that fateful day that felt so long ago, he thought for certain that it was number 9 again. Yet it wasn’t. It was Sportacus 10: the younger, more energetic, handsomer…

“Damn it,” Robbie said, his voice a half-hearted whisper of frustration. He rolled his eyes at himself. It was time to stop denying it… when Sportacus had first come to LazyTown, he had fallen for the hero. All this time, he told himself to get over it – it was impossible. Sportacus was a hero, and he was a villain. He told himself he hated the elf… but he never listened to himself.

He needed to face the facts. For some dumb reason, this insufferable elf had captured his attention. And now, as the dream he had seen played out again in his mind, his heart fluttered.

And elven prince… a hero… my hero

His gaze turned to the smoldering embers of their fire, scowling absentmindedly. What’s the matter with me? He’s- He’s just so…

His gaze softened on Sportacus’s face as he studied him once more. Something inside of Robbie felt so strange – so warm. He didn’t try to fight it.

This made things ten times more complicated. Now he had to evaluate himself – he needed to look inside of himself to see what he wanted more. What he needed more.

A Goblin King

Or an Elven Prince

Chapter Text

The knock at the door came as a slight surprise to Jareth. It was an hour in between very late at night and very early in the morning. Most of the goblin army were passed out from reckless drinking or fist fights at this time. On nights where Jareth couldn’t find sleep, such as this night, this time of quiet came as a welcome blessing.

Who could that possibly be… He narrowed his eyes, turning in bed to face the door.

“What is it?” he said, his voice calm though laced with suspicion.

 “... are you alone, sire?” a voice said. Jareth recognized it to be the same persistent goblin from earlier. The goblin’s voice was soft, with a note that one could interpret as concern if Jareth didn’t know better. He rolled his eyes, slumping onto his back to stare up at the canopy of his bed.

“What do you think?” Jareth said, closing his eyes as he heard the door open next to him. The goblin cautiously shuffled in, his slippered feet echoing like soft whispers off the stone walls. He closed the door behind him and walked slowly towards the bed. Jareth opened his eyes, side-glancing the goblin with slight annoyance. The creature wore a cleanly pressed shirt, one that jareth would consider to be nice if it didn’t have mismatched patches over the seams. He thought it might have been an old blouse of his own that he’d thrown out, though he couldn’t be bothered to try and remember or care.

The goblin’s big blue eyes stared at him, the flickering of candlelight reflecting off them; unblinking – they shot an uneasiness within the Goblin King that he couldn’t explain. Jareth returned his gaze to the bunched silk of the canopy above him, not wanting to stare at those blue orbs anymore.

An odd color for goblin eyes…

“It’s late you know,” Jareth said with a sigh. “You should be asleep.”

He saw the goblin shrug out of the corner of his eye. “I guess I couldn’t sleep, sire…”

Jareth frowned. “So why are you bothering me about it, mutt ? Go drink some ale until you pass out with the rest of the servants. I have more important things on my mind than rocking you to sleep.”

The goblin froze, silent for a moment. His mouth opened and closed, trying to find words.

“… Matt,” the goblin said, barely audible.

Jareth turned to the goblin at his bedside. “What was that?”

The goblin met his gaze, his lips quivering hesitantly. “Matthew, sire – It’s my name. Matt works too… Mutt does as well I suppose, if that’s what you like, sire,” the goblin said, his voice cracking slightly as he fidgeted with his hands. He began to tremble as he turned to leave the room. “… sorry for my insolence sire, it won’t happen again.”

Jareth sighed. “Stop,” he said, sitting up in bed to glance down at the creature.

Matthew… what an odd name for a goblin. As the creature turned to meet his gaze, the goblin king studied him. The goblin was rather unremarkable, at least in terms of goblin appearance. He was ugly, short and bald with a large nose and crooked teeth and nails. His skin was sickly green and covered in frog-like warts as well; he didn’t reek like most other goblins, but otherwise he was a completely normal goblin... except those eyes.

“… Is something wrong, sire?” the goblin said nervously, his eyes wide and breath hitching.

“How old are you, Matthew?” Jareth asked.

“Um… I-if my memory is correct, and… and I’m not sure if it is… twenty five? M-maybe a few years older?” Matthew said.

Jareth narrowed his eyes. The Labyrinth was a land where time stood still. Most of the goblins living there had lived there so long they’d forgotten the concept of age. Some very few had memory of age, and those were certainly not natural goblins.

Some goblins are born; others are made. Jareth smirked slightly at the realization.

An unwanted human…

It had been so long since he’d claimed an unwanted child. Besides the events in the last day, he hadn’t taken a human since…

Since her.

Jareth frowned, turning from the goblin. He crawled to the other side of the bed as he slipped out from underneath the sheets to stand. The cold air blowing in from the open balcony doors caressed his naked body, beckoning to him; cold enough to clear his mind. He always slept naked. This was not something the goblin behind him seemed to be aware of as a flustered gasp escaped his lips.

“S-sire, I a-apologize for disturbing you! I-I’ll leave at once-”

“No, Matthew, stay,” Jareth said, turning towards the blushing creature. “If neither of us are going to sleep we might as well talk about this whole challenge business.”

The goblin Matthew stared with wide eyes at the naked king, his eyes dancing over Jareth’s body, betraying any sense of modesty the goblin seemed to want to maintain in that moment. “H-how has the p-prince been d-doing, sire?”

Jareth sighed as he looked at the goblin. When their eyes met, jareth couldn’t help but smirk at the flustered anxiety within those blue eyes. There was no fear though. Oddly enough, the skittish goblin before him didn’t seem to fear the sight of his naked king… Jareth might have said the goblin enjoyed the sight, though he would sooner choose to ignore that idea rather than entertain it.

“S-sire…” Matthew said, his voice soft from lack of breath. The blush on the goblins face, and the look in his eyes, the soft trembling of his little body, yet the seeming unwillingness to move either out of curiosity or anticipation of what might happen …

If only this had been the look he received earlier – from his prince. The look in those grey eyes showed no anticipation though; no want or desire – just fear.

 If you love me, why would you do something like that? I could have been killed, I was so scared! Why?!

“… What do I have to do to make him look at me like this?” Jareth said, his eyes lingering on the goblin for a second before turning towards a nearby desk. He sat down in the cushioned chair pulled up to it, draping his lap with a towel he’d thrown over the back from his bath earlier. Matthew remained frozen in place, confusion marring his face as well as embarrassment.

“… l-look at you l-like what?” Matthew said, his voice squeaking slightly. “I-I wasn’t…”

Jareth shot him a short glance, a sad frown on his face that he didn’t bother to hide. You sad little liar. He shook his head, averting his gaze.

“Earlier I went to the prince,” Jareth said, looking down at the carved mahogany desk. “I was so certain that if he saw me he’d stop this... this attack against me. I thought he would look at me and love me and want me, but he didn’t. All he cared about was what I had done to the damned elf!”

He slammed his fist on his desk, a move that made him hiss as the wound on his palm ached; a trickle of blood flowed out from between his clenched fingers. The pain caused him to tremble, lowering his head as he gritted his teeth.

“Why won’t he love me? Why am I not enough?”

Matthew brought his hand to his mouth, walking over to the desk briskly to grab the king’s arm. Jareth tried jerking away yet found Matthew’s grip to be stronger than anticipated. He yielded as the goblin slowly forced his palm open, and he closed his eyes as the goblin gasped.

“This was from earlier…” Matthew said. “I knew you had hurt yourself… you shouldn’t let your anger get the best of you sire; you can’t afford to waste any of your strength.”

“Don’t,” Jareth said, his eyes opening to glare at the goblin beside him. “Don’t patronize me. I don’t need to be reminded by my underlings of the weakness I suffer from!”

The goblin paused, a frustrated frown working its way onto his face. “What you need is to have this bandaged, sire, and you need to conserve what power you have left, or you’ll kill yourself and everyone else here!” Matthew said, a boldness in his voice that seemed to surprise them both.

Jareth’s mouth hung ajar as he stared at the creature before him; he felt rage bubble inside him but forced it back; there was no point in getting angry over the truth, no matter how much he hated it. He was weak, and he was being reckless. Recklessness was what made him lose last time – and it was why he was bleeding and broken now. He would control himself now… but he’d never admit to being wrong.

“Don’t speak to me like that ever again, you hear me?” Jareth said, forcing himself to stay calm.

The goblin fumbled for a second, his gaze averting with shame. “Y-yes, sire… forgive m-me.” Jareth nodded to the goblin, his eyes looking down at his bleeding hand. The crimson stream of blood seeped onto the floor, a small pool forming there already.

Pathetic, mortal blood…

Matthew sighed, letting go of the king’s hand. Before Jareth could say a word, the goblin reached down to his own shirt and ripped the hem in a long strip. Jareth’s frowned, though didn’t stop the goblin from using the cloth to bandage his hand. “There’s no use in staring at it, sire,” Matthew said. “When things go back to normal, I hope this will be just a bad memory for you.”

Jareth met the goblin’s gaze. “I cannot afford to feel confident in such hopeful thinking.”

“You must have hope, sire!” Matthew said, tying the bandage in place with a small knot. “You cannot give up – you will be triumphant over this… and over him! ”

Jareth rolled his eyes. “But he does not love me!” he said with a groan. He stood, the towel sliding off his lap as he walked towards his balcony. “If he will not love me, then there is nothing I can do. It's over... there is no magic I yield that compares to whatever spell that elf has over him.”

Matthew had averted his gaze, looking down at his slippers. “It was the elf at the ballroom, and then the elf when he challenged you, the elf in the forest… seems like the elf is the cause of all these problems, not you sire… certainly the problem cannot be with you.”

Jareth nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“I need to get rid of him, in a way that won’t hurt or upset the prince. The monster I conjured up almost did the trick, but that would lose the prince’s favor with me even more, and I cannot risk that.”

“… perhaps it would work to separate them, sire,” Matthew said. “Get the prince alone with you and preoccupied by you long enough and get the elf in a place where he can be, well… taken care off.”

 “How do you propose I do that, Matthew?” Jareth said, turning his head towards the goblin.

Matthew brought his hand to his chin, his eyes narrowing in thought. He muttered to himself, and then his eyes lit up with glee as he gave the king a timid smile. “…They both share the same weakness, do they not?”

Jareth thought for a moment, and he then returned the goblins smile.

“Let them eat cake…”

Stephanie giggled as she twirled around, dancing on tippy toes to music her parents made for her. Her dad clapped his hands and stomped his foot, and her mom harmonized with it perfectly. She had forgotten how much she missed hearing her mom’s voice, so light and melodious; she missed the sound of her dad’s laugh just as much. Their voices echoed like angelic singing off the walls of the large corridor they inhabited.

 She lifted her hands as she did a pirouette, her hands cupping together around the crystal ball Jareth had given to her. A small sigh escaped her lips and she smiled. She couldn’t figure out why she ever mistrusted him; the fear from before was gone. Her heart was soaring with glee.

 As the song finished, she struck a pose, and both her parents clapped. “Beautifully done, Stephanie,” her mother said, clasping her hands together below her chin as she gave Stephanie a warm smile. “You’ve gotten so good.”

 A small blush warmed Stephanie’s face. “Thank you, mama,” she said, gripping her hands behind her back and she lowered her head bashfully. “I’ve been practicing a lot… uncle Milford says I dance just as good as you use to when you were my age.”

 Her dad wrapped his arm around her mom’s shoulder, giving her a soft side hug as he sighed. “I’d say you’re about as good as your mother when I first met her… Heck, before we know it, you’ll be dancing for the world! Just remember to save us front row seats for your performances, okay Steph?” he said, leaning his head against her mom’s.

 A big smile warmed Stephanie’s face. “I don’t know about the world quite yet…” she said, lowering her head. An old memory came to her, and she couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Robbie Rotten once disguised himself as a famous dancing teacher to try and get Sportacus out of town – we had to save him with uncle's airplane and everything after he got stuck on a floating trunk!”

 Both of her parents chuckled at this. “Well, he’s lucky that you were there to save him,” her mother said.

 Stephanie nodded, a small frown on her face. “Yeah, he is… I don’t know why I did though.”

Her parents gave her a look of confusion. “What do you mean, Steph?” her father said, “Aren’t you glad you did something good?”

“He’s the reason we’re stuck here,” Stephanie said, crossing her arms as she scowled at the memory. “He… he…” 

... what was it that Robbie did again? Stephanie clutched her chin as she thought to herself. They were all here in the labyrinth for a reason, she remembered that much…

 “Is something wrong darling?” Her mother asked, tilting her head with a look of concern on her face.

 Stephanie met her mothers’ eyes, shaking her head.

“No, sorry,” she said. “Just… forgot something.”

 Her mother shrugged. “Well, if it’s important you’ll remember it later,” she said. “Try not to worry about it.

 Stephanie nodded, though found herself focusing on it. For some reason it felt important, though couldn’t put her finger on why. One moment they were talking about…

What were we even talking about just a moment ago…?

 Stephanie’s glanced to her parents, and gasped as she noticed them a lot closer than before. They were standing not even a foot away from her, looking down to her with unnatural smiles. Their eyes were wide, something Stephanie would have found very unsettling if it wasn’t for the strange feeling in her head.

 “Stephanie,” they said in unison, their voices not their own. Stephanie knew that voice... she knew there was something not right here. “Don’t worry about why you’re here,” they said. “It’s safe here. We’re here. Didn’t you miss us?”

 She slowly nodded, feeling a tear roll down her cheek that seemed to come out of nowhere.

What… what is happening right now?

“… Of course I missed-”

“Pinkie, watch out!” A voice said behind her. Stephanie turned around, gasping as Trixie crashed into her. She fell to the stone floor hard, hitting her head with enough force to see stars. A gasp escaped her lips, the room spinning around her as her eyes fought to focus.

 “... Trixie?” She said, turning her head to stare at her friend.

 “I’m so sorry Stephanie!” Trixie said, helping her friend to her feet. “I got a little carried away and couldn’t control my noble steed.”

 “Noble steed?” Stephanie said, staring at the girl in confusion. Trixie was dressed in makeshift armor - a cooking pot on her head, a garbage can lid tied around her chest with rope. Stephanie saw no noble steed, unless Trixie thought the dirty mop she rode to be some sort of horse.

 “Yeah, his name’s Prancer,” Trixie said as she patted the mop affectionately. “One of the King’s knights gave me him and this suit of armor. They said I could be their squire one day if I wanted!”

 Stephanie shook her head in confusion. Surely Trixie could see that wasn’t a real horse, right? Yet the way she talked wasn’t about make-believe games – she sounded completely serious.

“Are you feeling okay Trixie?” Stephanie asked.

 “I feel great!” she said, a big smile on her rosy face. “… Why do you ask?”

Stephanie frowned. Perhaps Trixie was pulling a prank on her, trying to freak her out or something like that. It wasn’t completely out of character for her… but this seemed like a really weird joke to try and make, even for Trixie. Either way, she figured she might as well gratify Trixie’s prankster side if this was indeed a joke.

“N-nothing, Trixie… um, may I pet him?”

“Go ahead,” she said, gesturing to the mop. Stephanie gave Trixie a fake smile as she stroked the wet strings on the mop head, waiting for Trixie to shout ‘gotcha’ or laugh; she never did. Instead, Trixie just smiled softy as she watched the pink haired girl touch the mop.

Somethings wrong here…

 “I think he likes you Stephanie,” Trixie said as she too began to pet the mop. Stephanie pulled her hand slowly away from the mop, an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

Why… why are we all here again?

 Trixie reached over and grabbed her hand suddenly, and she gasped; Trixie smiled softly as their eyes met. She seemed to be blushing.

“… would you like to come for a ride with us? You could be my damsel in distress if you’d like.”

 Stephanie shook her head, letting go of her friend’s hand as she backed away slowly. “No, sorry Trixie… I-I’m spending time with my parents right now.”

 Trixie glanced behind her, the brunet narrowing her eyes.

“Your parents? I thought they… Where are they?”

 Stephanie frowned and crossed her arms with a huff. If that’s a joke, it’s not very funny…

“They’re right-” Stephanie said as she turned around; yet no one was there when she turned. Her eyes widened in shock as her eyes darted around. “Mom? Dad?”

 Her voice echoed off the large stone walls, and she heard no reply but the sound of her own voice.

They were right there… did they leave me? Stephanie whimpered at the idea. I don’t want them to leave me again…

 “Um… did you lose your parents?” Trixie asked, her voice soft as she met Stephanie’s eyes. Stephanie shrugged in confusion, frustration starting to take hold. They wouldn’t just leave me… She cupped her hands around her mouth, about to call out to her parents when she realized something was missing.

 “My crystal!” she said, her eyes going wide as her eyes combed the room. “I just had it- Where did it go?!”

 Trixie started looking too, getting off her mop/steed as she looked back and forth. “Did… did you maybe drop it when I knocked you over?” she said. Stephanie thought about it, then gasped. Yes, I had it in my hand right when she hit me!

 “I must have thrown it or something by accident while I was falling!” she said, and just as she went back to searching, she heard something. It sounded something like a bowling ball rolling across the floor. She followed the sound until she saw her crystal; it was rolling in a continuous circle on the floor right next to a doorway all the way across the corridor. How did it get all the way over there…?

“There it is…” she said, marching across the room towards it. There was something peculiar about her crystal, she noticed the closer she got to it. Within the clear glass was an owl… Just as she was about to pick it back up, the thing practically flung itself through the doorway and down a flight of stairs. “Wh- hey!”

She ran after it, leaving Trixie alone in the corridor. “… See you later, Stephanie…”

Stephanie didn’t have time to say goodbye. She needed that crystal… she didn’t know why, but the twisted feeling in the back of her mind was screaming for it. The crystal bounced down the steps of the stairs, rolling swiftly down a hallway once reaching the bottom step. She raced after it frantically.

I need it. I need it. I need it.

It suddenly took a sharp turn into a room. She skidded on her heels, diving into the chamber after it. Once inside, her eyes widened with confusion.

“Ziggy?”

Ziggy was sprawled out on his back, his crystal in one hand and in the other… nothing. Yet, with seemingly much pain, he reached his hand out in the air next to him and plucked an invisible something between his fingers. He opened his mouth and ate the invisible something with a moan. “So… much… candy…” he said, belching as he rubbed his tummy. There was no candy to be seen, not even empty wrappers in the room around him. He reached for another invisible candy, eating it with just as much pain as the last one.

“Ziggy, what are you doing?” Stephanie said, rushing towards his side. She grabbed his hand, stopping him just as he was reaching for another candy. “There’s no candy Ziggy…”

He looked at her sadly. “Candy…” he turned his head away, looking at what Stephanie assumed was his ‘pile’ of candy.

“Ziggy, stop, you’re scaring me!” She said, trying to help him sit up. He was stuck in place, and no matter how hard she tried to pull him up he refused to sit. As she let go of his arm, he reached for another piece. “There is no candy, Ziggy, stop pretending!”

“Mine?” a soft, anxious voice said. Stephanie paused, turning her head towards a dark corner of the room. She could barely make out the silhouette of someone sitting there, their knees pressed close to their chest as their hands held a small, flickering orb. Wild, dilated eyes stared up at her.

“Stingy?” she said. “Are… you okay?”

“Mine… miiinnneeee,” he whispered, his eyes staring at the crystal in his hand. Stingy began rocking back and forth, and Stephanie saw him smile; it was not a natural smile.

She took one step towards him. “Stingy-”

“MINE!” he said, his voice a shrill scream as he lunged forward towards her, one clenched fist raised above his head; his crystal glowed a dark red. She screamed, falling back as he growled at her. His teeth were bared; saliva dripped down his chin and his chest heaving with labored breaths. It was like ‘stingy’ wasn’t even there anymore… he was a savage animal now. He towered over her for a few seconds more before scurrying back into his corner. “Mine… mine.”

She felt tears running down her face as she stood. Her gaze shifted between the two boys with both fear and anger and confusion. “What’s wrong with you two?! STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!”

From behind her came the sound of her crystal, rolling out of the room and into the hallway. She turned to it, her focus shifting between the boys and back onto her crystal. As she left the room to chase it, her mind raced. There’s something very wrong with us. What happened to them… what’s happening to me? Why do I need…

I need my crystal…

The crystal paused, spinning at an intersection between four different hallways. Stephanie was breathing heavy by the time she caught up to it.

“Come here you mean crystal,” she said as she reached down to pick it up; however, it zoomed away at the last minute down the hallway to her right. Come on!

She ran after the crystal with a frown on her face. The feeling of desperation was growing inside of her the longer it was out of her hand. Her mind began to spin, and the tears rolling down her cheeks didn’t help the fact.

I need it… but why? But I need it… but WHY?

As she turned another corner, big brown eyes met her own. Before she could stop herself, she was crashing into pixel head on. The boy wheezed as she fell on top of him.

“Ouch… you okay, Steph?”

“... I should be asking you that,” she said, getting to her feet and helping him do so as well. She studied him, looking him head to toe. He didn’t seem different; at least he didn’t seem to be going crazy like everyone else. In fact, the only thing different about him was the fact that his clothes were covered in what looked like oil and that all his gadgets were gone. “Are you okay? Like… up in your head?”

Pixel frowned, his hand reaching up to her face slowly. She couldn’t help but flinch slightly as he wiped one of her tears away. “I’m okay… but you don’t seem to be, Stephanie. What’s going on?”

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to cry as she trembled. “There’s… there’s something going on. Everyone’s acting all weird and I don’t know why, and my head feels funny and my parents disappeared, and I can’t remember anything, and I don’t know anything!”

The tears came despite her best efforts. Pixel grabbed her hand, concern in his eyes as he gave her a sad smile. “Hey, hey, Stephanie it’s okay. Come, let’s go sit down in the warehouse and figure this out, okay?”

Warehouse?

She frowned, only then noticing the scattered pieces of scrap metal and gears and such that Pixel had dropped when she knocked him over. He picked them all up quickly, lifting his shirt as a makeshift sling for all of it before leading the two of them towards a dark stairwell. It went down for a way, and Stephane fought the urge to sneeze from all the dust that danced in the air around them. At the bottom of the stairs was a large room lit by torch and electronic lights; Stephanie gasped.

There were numerous mechanical knick knacks in the room, most of them seemingly useless… except for a giant robot in the middle of the room. Pixel looked at her with a smile.

“You like it? I’ve been down here working on him with Speedle.”

Stephanie frowned. “Who’s Speedle?”

"I’m Speedle,” a voice said. A large fat creature emerged from behind the robot, his spectacles magnifying his eyes so that they looked larger than his face. Stephanie thought he looked funny, yet there was a kindness in his large eyes. “Chief inventor at your service madam… did you bring me the gadgetries young apprentice, or just your betrothed.”

Pixel blushed bright red, his voice cracking. “She’s not my betrothed!”

Speedle gave Stephanie a sly wink. She glanced down in secondhand embarrassment.

The creature laughed. “Did you manage to find sprocketron flunxers, or a needleprint climp?”

“… If you mean ‘gears’ or ‘bigmouthed pliers’ then yeah,” Pixel said, walking up to the creature. “How’s incorporating my Digitech into the circuitry coming along?”

“Eh, it’s gonna take a while…” Speedle said, wiping his hands on his messy apron. “But we’ll get there. These upgrades are going to bring this thing into the 4015th century!”

Pixel dumped the load of gadgets onto a nearby desk and sighed. “I don’t know about that… let’s just start with the 21st century for now.”

Stephanie watched the two of them with confusion, specifically Pixel. He seemed to be his normal self, nothing odd about him other than the fact that he was building a robot with a goblin creature thing – even then that wasn’t even that odd by LazyTown standards. Why was he okay and not the other kids… and not her?

“… You okay, Steph?” Pixel asked. She jumped slightly, jerked out of her thoughts. Pixel frowned. “You seem really out of it Stephanie…”

Speedle glanced between the two kids, shaking his head.

“Where’d you find her, boy?”

Pixel looked at him in confusion. “I… she found me, really. She ran into me while I was coming back with the parts…”

Speedle sighed, reaching into one of his apron pockets. He pulled out a lump of what appeared to be broken glass. Stephanie gasped; it was a shattered crystal.

He glanced at her with a frown. “It seems you recognize this… any chance you have one of these on you? If so, I can… dispose of it for you. Nasty things these – found Pixel trying to plug a spark plug into a brick wall because of this damn thing. Messes with your mind in nasty ways, makes you see things that aren’t there.”

Stephanie shook her head. Break it?!  

“No… I need it…”

“No, you don’t.”

She was about to open her mouth and argue but was stopped at the feeling of something tapping on her foot. When she looked down, her crystal was frantically trying to get her attention.

Stephanie… Stephanie… we’re waiting for you…

That was her mother’s voice!

“Kid,” Speedle said, looking at her nervously. “Don’t listen to it… it’s a trap.”

Stephanie didn’t listen. She bent down to grab her crystal – but just as it did before, it darted away from her. She didn’t listen to what had to be objections from Speedle and Pixel.

Mommy, daddy… I’m coming! It zoomed over to a dark corner of the room and bounced up and down excitedly, and she practically dove for it…

And then she found herself falling. Her eyes were wide as she tumbled down a dark hole; she could barely hear pixel cry out her name from above. She toppled head over heels until finally slamming down flat onto cold hard stone. Next to her fell her crystal, which shattered into a thousand pieces, and all at once everything was clear.

It was a trap. Jareth kidnapped them. They were all being controlled by the crystals. She had no idea where she was… and her parents were gone.

Gone for good.

Mom and dad… they aren’t ever coming back. I should have known… She felt so stupid as tears dripped down her face.

“I’m an idiot!”

“No, you aren’t, Stephanie,” a soft voice said from the darkness. Stephanie paused, turning towards the voice slowly. She could barely make out anything in the darkness, not even her own hands in front of her. The voice had no gender and sounded child-like, though something about it didn’t sound quite human either; that terrified her.

“W-who’s there?” Stephanie said as she backed into a corner. “How do you know my name? P-please, don’t hurt me!”

“I have no intention of doing that,” the voice said. “I mean you no harm… I am no longer able to hurt anyone.”

With that the source of voice started to shine. It was very weak, the light as dim as a cheap glow in the dark toy – it was only enough to just make out what they were. Of all things Stephanie imagined they could be, a small plant was the last thing she expected. They looked like a rose bush, with misshapen branches trimmed far too short and wilting leaves. The only flower on the bush looked shriveled; a petal fell off and faded to darkness.

“... what are you?” Stephanie asked, her voice soft with awe. The bush sighed with a deep sadness.

“I was once a creature called a dryad,” the bush said. “That was a long time ago though. Now… I am nothing.”

Stephanie frowned. “What happened to you?”

The bush seemed to droop, a few leaves falling off them with the act.

“It is something you don’t deserve to be haunted with, Stephanie.”

“... why do you know my name?” Stephanie said, slowly crawling towards the bush. Her hands brushed over dead leaves and thorns, scattered around the stone floor; she could have sworn her hand touched human-like hair at one point. “What is this place? Do you know what’s going on here?”

“You have many questions,” the bush said. “I’ll answer them all for you in a moment… but first you need to listen to me Stephanie.”

“... what is it?” Stephanie said. As she looked at the wilting flower, she saw a strange sap leaking from its petals. It dripped onto the floor like tears, and whether it was from sadness of pain Stephanie did not know; and part of her was glad that she didn’t. The bush leaned over to her, straining their stems and making more of its leaves fall off but it didn’t seem to care. There was an urgency coming from the bush that made Stephanie’s blood run cold – and what the bush had to say next didn’t help at all. 

“Stephanie… you and your friends are all in terrible danger…”

Chapter Text

Sportacus felt a hand at his shoulder, squeezing him softly in a way that stirred his consciousness. The grogginess he felt was like a thousand-pound weight on top of him. He was never this tired in the morning - usually he’d jump right up and start his day. I got to go play with the kids… why am I so tired?

He fought for a moment longer to stay awake, though ultimately lost. As he drifted off again, he heard a familiar voice. Sweetheart, it’s time to wake up… you’ll be late for school!

A soft groan escaped Sportacus’s lips. His body ached horribly; it was like he had done ten thousand pushups and twenty thousand pull ups. I just want to sleep… mother please… just a few more minutes…

Sportacus?

That voice wasn’t his mother’s. If his eyes weren’t so heavy the elf would have tried to open them. He felt a hand on his shoulder again, only this time it was moving… his shoulder felt so tight for some reason.

I wish you’d wake up and tell me if I bandaged you right.

The hand moved from his shoulder to his chest, the palm pressed flat where his heart was. It lingered there for a few seconds before moving away. Sportacus frowned; the hand was very soft and warm…

Wake up soon Sportacus… please. I can’t do this alone.

“Robbie…” Sportacus whispered, finally finding the strength to open his eyes. It took awhile for the room around him to come into focus. When it did, confusion melted away into fear. The stone walls around him weren't the familiar white of his airship... realization followed shortly after and he sat up with a gasp. Am I in an oubliette? Did Robbie get caught?

“Robbie-” He started to shout yet stopped as he saw the tall man sitting right next to him. Robbie’s eyes were wide, and he held his hands defensively in the air between them; startled by his movement, or at least that's what the elf assumed. Relief replaced the panic of the previous moment as he sighed. His posture relaxed, a smile forming on his lips. “You’re okay.”

Robbie frowned, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed. “Of course I’m okay… worry about yourself for once, Sportaflop. You almost died on me.”

“... I did?” Sportacus said, his eyes widening. He glanced down at his body, quickly seeing that all of his clothes, minus his boxers and crystal, were missing. Robbie’s pants were across his stomach... he glanced back to the villain, just then noticing he was in a state of undress as well. His brow raised, confusion once again returning as he tried to make sense of the state they were in. As he tried to sit up, a stab of pain shot through his shoulder. He looked at the source of the discomfort, pausing once he saw the bandage covering the site. Blue eyes widened. He couldn’t see the wound itself… but he knew that it had been bad. Slowly it all came back to him what had happened. The cake... I passed out! “Robbie, what happened?”

“We had to fight a giant cake, and we-”

Sportacus shook his head – he winced as his shoulder throbbed from the motion. “I know that part Robbie,” he said. “I mean what happened after we fought the cake.”

The villain paused, his frown deepening. “... You had a sugar meltdown and passed out… you’ve been out for a few hours.”

Sportacus sighed. That means less time to save the kids… He glanced at the stone walls around them. “Where exactly are we?”

“It's... just a cave I found,” Robbie said, looking around the cavern slowly. “It was raining after you passed out, so I carried you here so I could get the tooth out of your shoulder and clean you up… I hope I did an okay job. We didn't have any bandages, so I had to use your shirt… sorry.”

Sportacus met Robbie’s gaze, his eyes wide. His heart fluttered softly at what Robbie had told him. Robbie carried me here and healed me? That tooth, had it stayed in his body, would have kept leaking sugar into his body. There was no doubt in his mind that he would have been dead by now if not for him.

Robbie…

“… you saved me, Robbie.”

Robbie quickly looked away, his expression hardening as his eyes flitted to the floor. Without a word he grabbed his dark blue undershirt, which had been placed before a now fading fire. It was a while before the taller man responded. “... just remember that next time one of those kids tries to say something mean about me, got it Sportaflop?”

Sportacus smiled, looking down at Robbie’s pants on his lap. “Of course, Robbie… I’ll make sure to tell them when we all get back home. 'Robbie Rotten vs. the Evil Slice of Cake', the kids will love that story.”

Robbie groaned as he snatched his pants back. “Don’t go crazy with what you tell them Sportabum. I don’t need you lying to the kids to make me look good.”

Sportacus slowly got to his feet, steadying himself against the wall of the cave. “I wouldn’t be lying if I just told them the truth Robbie,” He said.

“… The truth is that I’m the villain,” Robbie said, glancing at Sportacus hesitantly as he buttoned his vest. 

“No, Robbie,” Sportacus said, giving Robbie a warm smile. “… the truth is that you’re my hero. Thank you.”

Robbie Rotten's eyes widened, his lip trembling in the way it sometimes did when he was nervous. The expression quickly faded though, the villain turning his back to the hero. He huffed with all of his usual attitude. “Just put your clothes on and forget about it, okay?”

Sportacus grabbed his clothes from around the fire; everything was accounted for... except for his shirt, which was now his bandage, and his hat. A small twinge of panic ran through him. The shirt he could live without, but he frowned at the idea of not having his hat. My ears… he touched one of them nervously. Besides Robbie and Stephanie, no one else in LazyTown knew he was an elf. It wasn’t like any of them would think less of him for being one – the kids might actually think he was cooler... but he didn't need, or particularly want that kind of attention; he just wanted to be the town's slightly above average hero. A disheartened sigh escaped his lips.

There’s nothing I can do about it now… He began to dress quickly, slipping on his socks and pants, then this boots. His vest, remarkably, didn’t have a hole in it from the tooth. Sportacus wondered if that was Robbie's doing – if so, the villain was a remarkable seamstress; it looked brand new. In fact, all of his clothes looked as if they'd been at the dry cleaners. How did Robbie manage this? There isn't a single stain...

He sighed, snapping his vest in place. His crystal was still around his neck, so he took it off and put it back into its compartment. “Ready to go…” he whispered to himself.

He glanced over at Robbie, who was still sitting with his back turned to the elf. Sportacus sighed, and slowly walked over to the man. Robbie side glanced him warily - tiredly. The elf smiled, extending his hand out to him. “Come on Robbie, we’ve got to get going.”

Robbie looked at the hand, hesitantly raising his own after a few seconds. “Okay,” Robbie said, allowing Sportacus to pull him to his feet. Sportacus nodded, then turned towards the entrance of the cave.

Sportacus felt a warmth inside of him, and couldn’t help but think of the taller man walking behind him. Robbie had genuinely surprised him; surprised him for the better. Now he had newfound confidence in their quest... and a hope that things could be better after all this was said and done - not just because Robbie had saved his life. Sportacus sighed as he smiled.

Robbie is still holding my hand…

Robbie could barely contain his panic; his heart was beating so fast. I’m holding his hand…

He didn’t know what to say or what to do. Was he supposed to say or do anything? His mind was racing with countless questions - each one he silenced, biting his lip as he willed himself to stay composed. The last thing he wanted was for his hand to get sweaty from anxiety. If it did, Sportacus would get grossed out and let go...

And he really did not want that. 

It was an embarrassing and jarring realization for the villain. He wanted to hold Sportacus’s hand. Robbie Rotten, villain number one, wanted to hold a hero’s hand! Do I even deserve the right to call myself a true villain after this stunt? 

A subtle blush warmed his face. He thought of what Sportacus had said to him earlier in the cave; he was Sportacus’s hero. I can’t be a hero, can I? That’s just wrong… Robbie felt like sighing but was afraid to make any sound. What if Sportacus heard and said something? What would Sportacus say? What would he say to Sportacus? What would Sportacus say in response?

Robbie shook his head, his cheeks feeling hot and his throat dry from nervousness. What the heck am I supposed to do? Everything was so simpler when I could just pretend that I didn’t have a stupid crush…

Sportacus gave his hand a soft squeeze, and Robbie’s heart nearly stopped from panic when the elf looked back and smiled at him. It wasn’t a small smile either, it was a big toothy grin that made the corners of the elf’s eyes crinkle with genuine emotion – genuine warmth. He swallowed hard; Stupid, stupid crush.

“You doing alright Robbie?” Sportacus said, startling Robbie more than it should have. Robbie bit his lip.

“Uh… yes, I'm fine,” he said, his voice shaky. “How are you doing?”

It came out so awkward and stiff that Robbie would have kicked himself if Sportacus hadn’t been glancing back at him. The elf seemed somewhat surprised at the politeness Robbie was showing him, yet instead of making the elf frown it made him smile even bigger.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Sportacus said, moving aside a branch on the forest path they walked down. He held it for Robbie, guiding him past before releasing the branch. The villain gave him a nervous smile as he gestured his gratitude. It felt so weird to smile and he was sure Sportacus saw the awkwardness of it; however, the elf didn’t seem to care – which Robbie was thankful for.

Sportacus had led the two of them back to the cliff where they had defeated the cake monster. Sportacus only then let go of Robbie’s hand, the villain frowning at this; his heart fluttered it's disappointment. With a sigh crossed his arms, no longer knowing what to do with his hands now that he had nothing to hold onto.

“Okay,” Sportacus said, walking over to the edge. “We need to figure out a way to cross the bog of eternal stench. It surrounds the palace like a mote, so as soon as we cross that we’ll be one step closer to rescuing the kids.”

Robbie joined the elf at the cliff, glancing down towards the putrid body of slime below. It was a straight drop, no path or stairs leading down to the narrow bank beside the bog… he felt dizzy as he took in the distance and turned away; the smell didn’t help his dizziness either. They named this place very accurately… I would hate to fall into that sludge. “How exactly do you plan on getting us down there?”

Sportacus turned and bent slightly, gesturing towards his back as he stood in a piggy-back stance. “Get on, I’ll climb down.”

Robbie froze, his eyes wide. “What?”

“I’ll carry you on my back and climb down the cliff,” Sportacus said. Robbie shook his head, taking a step back from the elf.

“N-no I can’t do that,” Robbie said. He started to march away, feeling the fear rising in his chest. “I-I’ll fall and that will be it.”

Sportacus grabbed Robbie’s shoulder, turning him around to face the elf head on. “I won’t let you fall.”

Robbie slammed his eyes shut, shaking his head. “B-but your shoulder is hurt, and I’m just extra weight and I-I’ll-”

“I can carry you just fine,” Sportacus said, his mouth quirking into a playful grin. 

“Prove it,” Robbie said, crossing his arms with a huff.

This caused the elf to pause. He blinked, silent as he looked at the villain.

"... What?"

Robbie rolled his eyes, pursing his lips in a frustrated pout. "I told you to prove it, Sportaflop."

A moment passed between them, Sportacus looking both unsure and perhaps intimidated by Robbie's words. The villain was confused by the expression... that is, until he realized the implication of what he just said. His eyes widened, about to open his mouth and recant, though of course he was too late.

“If you say so Robbie,” Sportacus said, lifting Robbie into his arms before the taller man could say anything against it. Robbie’s eyes widened, his mouth was ajar; speechless. Sportacus was as calm and collected as always, a somewhat nervous smile on his face as he looked down into Robbie’s startled grey eyes. Robbie blushed, both from embarrassment at being picked up… and embarrassment from how strong and warm Sportacus’s arms felt against him. He’s like a walking space heater...

“P-Put me down…” Robbie could only whisper, a lump in his chest making words hard to get out. The hero quickly obeyed, setting Robbie back on his own feet. He straightened his vest, looking away as he regained his composure. For a while he was silent, staring at the cliffside in terror. Despite the fear boiling in his gut, he knew there was no other way. 

“Do… do you promise not to drop me?”

“I promise. I won’t let you fall,” Sportacus said, his voice as gentle as when he spoke to the children... perhaps even more so. He then assumed the piggy-back position once again. His eyes were soft, his smile inviting. “Can you trust me Robbie?”

…  how can I not?

He slowly climbed onto Sportacus’s back, wrapping his arms around the elf’s neck and legs around his waist. His eyes slammed shut. “Please climb fast.”

Sportacus carried Robbie over the edge of the cliff, quickly beginning to climb down the face. Despite having his eyes closed Robbie knew that Sportacus was taking his request seriously. With each second the putrid smell from the bog got worse and worse; he almost gagged. They were definitely getting closer very, very fast. Robbie buried his face against Sportacus’s neck, trying to smother out the smell.

He inhaled against to soft skin, trying to rid his lungs of the bog air. The stench began to fade... replaced by a new, far more pleasant smell. He opened his eyes slightly in surprise. He smells like petrichor and pine trees...

Robbie breathed in. It was like a rainy day in a log cabin, a wood stove burning in the corner while you bundle up in a blanket and nap on the couch – or perhaps a walk in the forest right after a storm, the sun just beginning to peak out between storm clouds to dry the evergreen branches above your head…

“Robbie?” Sportacus said softly, startling Robbie. It was then that he noticed that they were done climbing… and that he had been smelling Sportacus. He quickly removed himself from the elf’s back.

“S-sorry,” he said, looking away from the elf. He looked up at the cliff they just scaled. That was such a long way down… I barely even noticed. What he did notice now though was just how bad the smell was now. This time he did gag, covering his nose and mouth with his hand and he fought the urge to vomit. “It smells so bad!”

“Yeah,” Sportacus said, a look of disgust on his face as well. “That’s why it’s called the bog of eternal stench… whatever you do don’t touch it, or you will stink forever.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Robbie said, shivering with disgust. You couldn’t pay me enough…

They heard a shout; it wasn’t from fear, more like frustration or perhaps pain – it came from a little way down the bank of the bog. Robbie and Sportacus shot each other a glance before wordlessly agreeing to go investigate. Sportacus gently took Robbie’s hand once more as he took the lead. Robbie’s heart skipped a beat at how readily Sportacus touched him. 

His mind raced with thoughts of Sportacus, and for a moment it drowned out the stench of the bog… until something out of the corner of his eye moved. He turned his head too late though, as whatever had stirred disappeared in a flash; all that was left was a lone white feather perched upon a rock.

Robbie let go of Sportacus’s hand in fright. Jareth… was that him as an owl? Was he watching me?

His mind shifted to the memory of the night, and how Jareth appeared to him in the hot spring – his mind thought of how forward and dominating the Goblin King was, and the look in his eyes; it made Robbie feel…

His jaw clenched, his tongue curling against his teeth as a sour taste filled his mouth. It made him feel objectified. Robbie wanted to think of it as charmingly possessive, but he couldn't fight the feeling of it being degrading. A feeling of what may have been mourning filled Robbie's chest. At the ball in his dreams, it felt so right with Jareth. The Goblin King said all the right words, did all the right things, brought to life all the things Robbie had always desired but never had... all he wanted was to go back to that night – where everything was perfect.

Could it ever be perfect again?

Sportacus paused and turned to Robbie with a confused frown. “Is everything alright?” he asked, glancing around with uneasy eyes. Robbie met the elf's eyes, relaxing the tension in his body he only then realized was there. A sigh escaped his lips.

“I just… I thought I saw something,” Robbie said, looking down at his shoes. When he looked back up, Sportacus was watching him; his eyes were full of concern. Robbie shook his head. “Let’s just keep going, okay?”

The elf nodded, and they continued the path for a few more minutes. They walked in silence except for the occasional ‘watch your step’ or ‘there’s a branch’ from Sportacus up ahead. Robbie tried to ignore the thoughts racing in his head. His brain wasn’t made for thinking this much, it was made for napping and watching tv.

Despite his mental exhaustion, Robbie knew that he still had a lot of thinking to do. He had to decide – Sportacus or Jareth... and he had less than twenty-four hours to do so. Or I guess more like… fourteen hours now? Ugh I hate having to do math! He frowned. How the heck am I supposed to make this decision?! 

Robbie sighed. Even if he had more than fourteen or so hours to decide, he didn't even know how to compare the two men. They were as different as night and day - on what basis was he supposed to judge them? A deep frown settled on his face. Did he even know what he wanted in a man? Honestly, he never thought he’d get as far as this in dating... if this is what he could call dating that is. 

He frowned. I guess the first thing is that they… have to actually like me, huh? Jareth liked him, that much he knew. And Sportacus…

Did Sportacus even like him? The elf seemed to like everyone, but did Sportacus… like like him? That was a pretty big issue that Robbie hadn’t even considered. He knew that he liked the elf, but that meant nothing if those feelings weren’t returned. If the only criteria I have to go on is being wanted, then that means that Jareth wins… but…

He stared at Sportacus’s back. If… if he liked me too…

It was then that Robbie noticed that he was falling. He failed to notice a root on the path, and now he was about to fall backwards into the bog. His eyes were wide, and he nearly screamed… but the fall never happened. Sportacus had sprung into action faster than Robbie had ever seen the elf move. There they both stood, Robbie nearly horizontal as Sportacus held him in a dip. Their faces were no more than a foot away… Robbie could feel the elf’s breath against his face; the taller man was already blushing – and he wanted to believe the pink tint of the elf’s cheeks was a blush too.

Oh, how he wanted to believe.

“I won’t let you fall,” Sportacus said, his voice so soft. “I promised.”

Sportacus...

“Hey, you two!” a voice shouted. They both froze, their heads turning slowly to see the source of the voice. It was a goblin, or at least what Robbie assumed was a goblin, sitting on the gunwale of a small rowboat a short distance away. The boat had been beached; big mounds of bog gunk were piled out around it - almost burying the bow entirely. It looked pretty stuck to Robbie... he didn't need to be a sailing expert to make that determination. The goblin had a long poncho on, and a white mustache that was almost as long. He looked somewhat annoyed, if not just bored. "If y'all are here for the ferry then you're out of luck."

Sportacus helped Robbie stand up straight, the villain straightening his vest and averting his eyes with a soft blush. “What happened to your boat?” Sportacus said, walking over to the creature. 

“... what happened?” the goblin said, his brow raising as cocked his head. “Ya mean ya didn't hear about that huge soufflé that came tumbling down here?”  

Sportacus glanced at Robbie. The two exchanged a knowing look, both frowning as the elf turned back to the goblin. "Do you mean the huge cake monster?"

"Cake, soufflé... to-may-to to-mah-to," the goblin said with a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest. He sighed before turning his gaze downwards at his ship. "Whatever it was, it threw the ferry right out of the bog... and I can't get her free no matter how hard I push!"

Robbie frowned. So this is kind of my fault... He took a few steps forward to stand beside Sportacus. The elf turned to meet his gaze, and without either speaking a word they came upon an idea. 

“Sportacus, you could easily get it back in the bog,” Robbie said.

The elf nodded, a small smile forming on his face. “Mr. Ferryman, if I can push it back in the bog will you give us a ride across?”

The goblin laughed, almost as if he just heard a joke. “Oh yeah, sure, ” he said, smiling a toothless grin. “Knock yourself out... it'll give me something to watch at least.”

Robbie crossed his arms, about to say something snarky but holding his tongue. He has no idea who he's dealing with... Sportacus just smiled – completely oblivious to the sarcasm in the goblin’s voice.

“Okay!” Sportacus said, marching over to the boat. He rubbed his hands together, then stretched for good measure. “Hang on sir, this might be a bumpy ride.”

“Oh, give me a break-” the goblin started to say, but was interrupted as the boat lurched forward. He fell face down on the ground with a satisfying thud. Robbie smiled.

That’s what you get… The goblin scrambled to his feet, staring wide eyed as Sportacus effortlessly pushed the boat into the bog.

“W-what?! How did… ”

“You’ll give us a ride, sir?” Sportacus said, crossing his arms across his chest with a smirk.

“... Yeah, yeah, just get in the dang boat,” the goblin said, a somewhat embarrassed tone to his voice as he scrambled onto the deck. Sportacus followed the creatures lead, flipping effortlessly onboard before gesturing Robbie over. The taller man attempted to jump in the boat too... However, he wasn’t as spry as the elf, so he ended up flopping on top of the gunwale like a fish. The goblin let out a soft chuckle, which made Robbie blush. Laugh again and I’ll push you in the bog…

“Here Robbie,” Sportacus said, offering him his hand. Robbie accepted it, and Sportacus helped him settle down on a wooden bench. It was... a rather narrow bench. Robbie and Sportacus were like sardines in a can, shoulder to shoulder with little to no wiggle room. The two men exchanged a quick, extremely uncomfortable look before averting their gazes. This boat is barely big enough to fit a child...

The goblin moved behind them on the boat, standing at the stern with a single paddle. He placed the paddle into a metal oar clutch, about to begin paddling... but then he stopped, raising a finger as if remembering something. He walked over to what looked like a chest. When he opened it though, Robbie saw that it was a record player - an old, very beaten up looking record player. On the platter was... a Whitney Houston record. Robbie met the gaze of the goblin, raising his brow. The goblin just laughed. "I like listening to music while I work... that isn't a problem, is it?"

Robbie blinked. "Uh... no?"

“Good..." the goblin said, turning the record player on. As the first notes of I Wanna Dance with Somebody started playing, the goblin walked back over to the paddle. He spat over the side of the boat, clearing his throat a few times before grabbing the oar. "You lovebirds settled in?”

Both Robbie and Sportacus froze, glancing at each other with wide eyes before turning to look at the goblin. Robbie was about to say a few choice words, the heat in his cheeks from both embarrassment and anger... but the boat lurched and he fell forward. Sportacus was able to catch him before he hit the deck, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back into his seat. Robbie grumbled, crossing his arms as he glared down at his shoes. Beside him, Sportacus let out a small laugh. It was obviously forced.

“Don’t let him bother you, Robbie,” Sportacus said, shifting away from the villain as much as the bench would allow. “He’s just joking.”

Robbie frowned.

Yeah… just a joke.

The goblin was humming along to the tune of the song, the gurgling of bog an unusual and rather unpleasant accompaniment to the stylings of the upbeat pop song. Robbie groaned, rolling his eyes. This couldn't get any weirder.

… and then, to the shock of his two passengers, the goblin began to sing.

“IIIIIIIIII waaannnnaaaa daaaaaaannce with soommboooddyyy! I waaannaa feeeeell the heeeeea-" 

“What are you doing?” Sportacus asked, turning around to face the goblin. He had a look of confusion as well as slight irritation on his face, though the tone of his voice was calm.

The goblin paused, giving the elf a hurt frown. “It's called singing... what, you don't like old Smarg's singing voice? Is it not pretty enough for you? Well tough - this is my boat, and if I wants to sing then I am gonna sing damn it! Don't like it, then you can jump out and swim the rest of the way!”

Sportacus sighed, turning around in his seat with a deep frown on his face. "I just might..."

Robbie looked at Sportacus with wide eyes. 

Jeez... it's not that bad...

Smarg, which is what Robbie assumed was the goblins name, stopped the boat at this. "Oh yeah? Then do it, ya big mop! Let's see long you can stand a dip in the stench! Lets see how your boyfriend likes ya after-"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sportacus said, turning to the goblin with a tone in his voice that made Robbie flinch. Then, as the words registered in his mind, the villain froze.

Not my boyfriend.

NOT my boyfriend...

... of course Robbie wasn't his boyfriend. The villain knew that...

But did the elf have to sound so disgusted at the concept?

The goblin raised his hands defensively, and without a word began to row the boat once more. Sportacus started tapping his foot, his shoulders tense as he stared straight ahead with a thousand mile stare. His mouth was drawn in a tight line as he exhaled sharply out of his nostrils. Robbie could feel to discomfort radiating off the hero. Everything about Sportacus made it clear that he wished he was anywhere but in the boat at this moment. 

Anywhere but sitting next to Robbie...

Robbie’s chest started to ache as he bit his lip. Who was he fooling thinking that Sportacus would like him, especially after all the times he tried to run him out of town, all the times he endangered the kids? He was the villain… even if Sportacus called him a hero, it didn’t change the things he had already done to the elf. Not to mention that he was nothing more than a lazy bum who ate sugar all day; he was the polar opposite of Sportacus – he was everything that Sportacus wanted to get rid of in LazyTown... he sighed.

I guess it would be embarrassing for someone to imply that you were in love with me…

Robbie turned his head away to glance at the bog. His lip began to tremble.

Who was I fooling…?

A lone tear rolled down his cheek, and they sat through the rest of the boat ride in silence.

Chapter Text

It felt like ages before they arrived at the end of their 'voyage'. The goblin rowed up to a dock, the slimy wooden structure built below a grass covered hill. On top of the hill was a large house. Moss and vines grew all over the building, the windows foggy with grime and dust. The house had numerous windchimes hanging from the porch overhang. They rattled a soft tune as the boat stilled; it was a somber greeting. Sportacus and Robbie got out of the boat as the goblin tied it to the dock. Both of them were eager to put the boat ride behind them. The goblin coughed, spitting over the side of the boat with a grunt. Once the boat was secure, he too joined them on the dock.

“That up there’s the Fuzzy Maggot,” The goblin said, pointing to the house. "Restaurant and inn. Foods not great and the beds are worse. The women though...”

The goblin let out a soft whistle as he pushed past the two men. They watched as the creature practically skipped up the hill, opening and closing the front door hard enough for the structure to rattle. From inside came a chorus of greetings for the old sailor - gruff voices, clearly belonging to other goblins. Robbie rolled his eyes, marching off the dock with the mother of all bad attitudes. Sportacus followed suit, the elf uncharacteristically quiet. Robbie appreciated the silence; he felt like he’d burst into tears if Sportacus said a word. He needed silence... and despite the goblins warning about the restaurant and it's cuisine, he was starving. With a huff he began to walk towards the inn. 

“I need something sweet,” Robbie said, half to himself and half to Sportacus as he stepped onto the stone path that lead to the porch. “Maybe I can force myself into a sugar coma and forget that horrible boat ride.”

“... Robbie-” Sportacus began, a tone to this voice that hinted at concern... but he stopped himself when they both heard a noise.

It was laughter, coming from the direction of the inn. However, it wasn't coming from the occupants inside... and it wasn't sane laughter. Robbie and Sportacus paused as a creature crawled out from under the porch. She was a goblin with thin hair and what looked to be a potato sack as a dress. The smell hit Robbie like a punch; she smelled like she had been bathing in the bog of eternal stench every day for years. Somehow the stench from this one goblin was worse than that of the entire bog. He gagged as he covered his mouth.

She kept laughing, her red eyes wide as she cackled. “He lost!” she shouted, walking over to Robbie and Sportacus. “He lost, he lost, he lost!”

Robbie backed up, nearly backing into Sportacus. The elf shot him a glance, confusion apparent on his face. The goblin kept walking towards them, falling at their feet as a wave of laughter hit her; she rolled on the ground hysterically. “He lost! He was challenged and he lost, to a human! ”

Something changed about Sportacus's expression upon hearing this. His eyes widened, though only slightly, and he locked his gaze on the pitiful creature before them. As he did this he shifted his stance, moving to stand in front of Robbie. Robbie was thoroughly creeped out by this deranged goblin – he didn’t mind hiding behind the elf to avoid her. She gasped as her gaze met the elf's, silent for a moment; that moment quickly passed though, another fit of laughter overcoming her. After she managed to catch her breath, she spoke once more.

“He lost, and I laughed, because it was a human ! He was weaker than a human!”

Sportacus was frowning. Robbie could have sworn that he heard the gears turning in the elf's head. The hero didn’t say a word, watching intently as the goblin sprung to her feet. She pointed at him with a near toothless smile. “Do you wanna know why he lost? Huh? Old Sheila will tell you if you buy her some cider. Right in there, in the inn!”

“… No thanks,” Sportacus said, his voice stern yet still... Robbie could tell that he was interested in what she had to say. The villain had no idea why the elf cared about the mad ravings of a crazy old goblin. Everything she said just made him want to run away. Sportacus looked at her for a moment longer before he sighed, walking past her towards the inn. Robbie followed him, practically stepping on his heels to get away from the goblin. He didn't want to be left alone with a madwoman. A huff escaped her lips as they walked away, and she scrambled to the ground once more. She pounded her fists against the ground like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

“It was love!” she shouted to them; her voice was hysterical as she began to cry. “He loved her! He, who was mightier than her… he had no power over her! It was because he loved her! He moved the stars for her, and she took everything from him! That girl is his doom! She is all of our doom!”

It was then that the door for the inn swung open. Robbie froze, his eyes widening slightly as a familiar face appeared. “What have I told ya about running your mouth, Stinkin’ Sheila?” Hoggle said, marching over to the crazed goblin with a cane. He swung it threateningly, a threatening light flickering in his eyes. She jumped to her feet, running full speed straight into the bog. Robbie might had laughed at that... if it had been under different circumstances; it was just kind of sad now.

“He lost, he lost, he lost!” she said, her words garbling as the bog mush filled her mouth. Just as soon as she appeared from under the deck she was gone; only a stream of bubbles was left now. Hoggle sighed, shaking his head as he turned towards Robbie and Sportacus.

“Well... you’re still alive.” Hoggle said, a half hearted chuckle to his voice as he walked towards the inn. “Didn’t think ya’d make it this far… good thing I didn't place a wager on that.”

Sportacus sighed. “Hoggle, what are you doing here?” he said, his tone unamused. Robbie studied him slowly. Ever since the boat ride he had been acting kind of different, but he didn’t think Sportacus’s attitude now had much to do with that. It was the same way he was acting when he found the goblin tracks back in LazyTown – his mind was focused on something far, far away. He almost seemed... scared.

“Well, I’m here for a game of cards with some old friends – the real question is why you're here,” Hoggle said, crossing his arms. He gestured beyond the inn. “The castle’s that way, ya know.”

“Yeah, I know it is…” Sportacus said. The elf was silent for a moment, frowning as he seemingly got lost in thought. He kept glancing between the dwarf and the bog. Robbie watched him with a raised brow. What’s going on?

Hoggle followed his gaze sighed. “I take it she told you about…” Hoggle said, pausing to look down at his boots. There was a lot of hesitation in his voice – both Robbie and Sportacus noticed it. Sportacus knelt down to the dwarf, looking him dead in the eyes. Hoggle fidgeted nervously.

“Hoggle, you know something I don’t. Something important,” Sportacus said, his tone stern as he placed his hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. Hoggle was silent, his eyes shifting left and right as a sheen of sweat formed on his forehead. Whatever it was he was hiding, he really didn't want to share it. Robbie dreaded what it could be. Was there a trap? Was Jareth planning something?

It took a moment, but eventually Hoggle sighed in defeat. “How about you come inside… I'll tell you about Sarah.”

…  Sarah?

Robbie frowned.

Who the heck is Sarah? 

Hoggle turned towards the inn, slowly marching up the stairs as he leaned on his cane heavily; Robbie could sense a cloud of bitterness hanging over his head – more so than seemed usual for the grumpy creature. Hoggle opened the door, looking back at Sportacus. Waiting.

Sportacus stood, following the dwarf through the door. Robbie went to follow him inside… but before he could even step foot onto the porch the elf turned to him. "Robbie, wait out here please."

"But-" Robbie started, though was cut off as the hero shut the door. He stared at the closed entrance with his mouth ajar. After a few seconds he scowled. “Never mind, I guess...”

Robbie sat down on the porch steps with a huff. Frustration quickly turned to hurt, and he put his head in his hands with a shaky sigh. The tears came, and he didn’t stop them. Soon they turned to quiet sobs that shook his entire body.

This was why he had denied his feelings for so long; he knew that Sportacus would never like him. He didn’t know why he ever thought otherwise. Maybe it was because Sportacus was nice to him – perhaps it was because he had saved his life when the cake charged him… but that was just who Sportacus was. He was a hero – he was supposed to be nice; he was supposed to save people. Robbie was never special to him… not in the way that Sportacus had become special to him.

“I’m such an idiot,” he said, hugging his legs against his chest as tears stained his pant legs. He didn’t want to be here anymore - not on this porch, not anywhere. All that he could think about was crawling into a hole never coming out again. He would go to sleep and stay asleep until the end of time… as soon as the kids were back where they belonged, he was becoming a permanent hermit.

He frowned. That is, if we save the kids. We only have like twelve hours left to do that, and Sportacus is in there wasting time with his dwarf best friend! He shook his head. I wish I never went on this quest… I wish I never woke up from that dream…

Robbie thought of Jareth with a sigh. I said so myself, if the only thing I want in a man is to be wanted, then Jareth is the one for me…

So why does that thought make me so unhappy?

A splashing noise came from the bog, and Robbie lifted his head to see Sheila crawling out of the sludgy water. She was absolutely caked with mud, so much so that at first, Robbie would have assumed her to be a sludge monster. After a moment of laying on the bank, she got to her feet to shake off the mud… but then she started screaming at something by the inn. It took her no time to dive headfirst back into the putrid sludge of the bog, out of sight and out of mind.

Robbie glanced over in the direction that Sheila had been looking. Was there something over there, or was she just being crazy? He was more inclined to believe that she was just crazy; however, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. He sat there quietly for a moment, listening for any sounds of a monster or otherwise. For a while he heard nothing, except for what sounded like the clinking of silverware that was probably coming from inside the inn.

Then, he heard the distinct sound of liquid pouring that was too loud to have been coming from inside. His eyes widened with embarrassment as he cautiously got to his feet. Someone’s over there… they probably heard me crying.

Part of him just wanted to go inside the inn and hide, but he knew he wasn’t welcome in there. Another part of him was very hungry and bored with sitting on the porch. If the clinking of silverware and pouring of liquid meant what Robbie thought it meant, then perhaps the person sitting over there wouldn’t mind sharing some of their food…

He stepped down onto the stone walkway slowly, making sure not to make a sound. After a moment of psyching himself up, he finally went over there to investigate. What he saw was the last thing he expected. There was a small circular table covered in fine white linen. On the table was a tea pot and cups, as well as a platter of cake on a crystal pedestal. Around the table were four white chairs...

And sitting in one of the chairs was Jareth, sipping tea with a distant look in his eyes. He wore a black waistcoat over a cream-colored blouse, white pants and knee-high riding boots. Robbie froze, hiding against the house and hoping that Jareth didn’t see him. What is he doing here?! Robbie’s heart was racing. 

Robbie heard a sigh come from the table, and his body froze. “Who’s hiding over there?” Jareth said, his tone hinting at amusement. Robbie closed his eyes, waiting for the Goblin King to appear next to him and start teasing him. Jareth never did though, and Robbie slowly opened his eyes to peer over at the table. Jareth was still sitting, a teacup in his hands as his eyes met Robbie’s. The goblin king was waiting for him to come over…

It took a moment for Robbie to build the courage to face him, and when he finally did, he sighed. “W-what are you doing here?” Robbie said, cautiously moving away from his hiding spot. Jareth smiled. After taking another sip of tea, the goblin king sat the cup down entirely.

“I’m here to enjoy a cup of Earl Grey,” Jareth said, gesturing to the teapot in front of him. “You may join me if you’d like, you and that elf friend of yours… where is he?”  

Robbie hesitated, fidgeting with his hands and he bit his lip. “He’s… busy talking with a friend.”

A frown formed of Jareth’s face. His eyes glanced towards the inn, a knowing look on his face. “I assume that you were not invited to join the conversation?”

“… No,” Robbie said, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. Jareth let out a soft sigh, and he gestured silently towards the table. Without hesitation, Robbie took a seat next to the Goblin King. This seemed to please Jareth as a smile replaced his previous frown. If he was pleased he didn't voice it. He was silent as he grabbed the ornate teapot. Robbie studied the man as he poured a cup of tea for him. He waited for something to happen… he did not know what though. Maybe it was for the platter of cake in the middle of the table to start attacking him, or for Jareth to start whispering seductive things in his ear. None of that happened though, and Jareth seemed oblivious to the mistrust that Robbie felt towards him.

“Would you like any cream or sugar for your tea?” Jareth said as he gestured to a saucer and bowl that matched the floral pattern on the tea cups. Robbie shook his head; he wasn’t much of a tea fan… the cake in front of him looked amazing though. Jareth gently reached out towards Robbie, placing his hand on top of his. This startled Robbie slightly. As he met the Goblin King’s gaze, his fear started to vanish. His eyes were so calm; so soft. “Would you mind telling me what’s upsetting you?”

Robbie looked down at his cup of tea, the gently swirling liquid a mesmerizing distraction. Jareth waited patiently for Robbie to respond, and when Robbie finally did, he listened. “I’m just… ashamed of myself."

Jareth's brow raised, though he didn't say a word. Robbie paused for a moment before continuing.

"I feel stupid- stupid and foolish and oblivious. I actually thought that… that I was special to him. I knew that it was impossible but I didn't care! I’ve let my heart get the best of me, and now that my mind has realized the truth, I feel broken and alone and so hurt… I feel like the biggest idiot in the world to think that… that he could ever love me.”

Jareth gave Robbie’s hand a gentle squeeze, and Robbie looked up to meet his gaze. “What makes you think that he doesn’t love you?” Jareth said, his eyes widening slightly. “I can assure you that you mean a great deal to him.”

Robbie froze, blinking a few times in shock. His heart fluttered in his chest with a sliver of hope. A small smile formed on his face. Really?

“It's true,” Jareth said, leaning towards Robbie. He lowered his voice to a whisper, his eyes staring straight into Robbie’s. “When I took those children for you, I was stirring heaven and earth to follow your wishes. I move the stars for no one, my dear, but to me you are not ‘no one’ – not in the slightest. Stealing those children wasn’t my goal though darling; they were just a means to an end… and I hope that the end comes soon, because you are my goal. For years and years, I’ve been looking for you, and now that I’ve found you, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you here with me.”

As jareth spoke, Robbie’s smile gradually turned into a frown. Oh… he thought I was talking about him… Yet, his heart still fluttered at what Jareth said about him. Jareth wanted him, which was more than he could say about the elf inside of the inn at the moment. I guess that's for the best then…

While he couldn’t deny his feelings for the elf… he certainly wasn’t going to hold onto a hopeless crush. He wasn’t going to let his heart be broken chasing someone who never would return his feelings. Jareth was right there… he was promising himself to him, promising his desire and love and devotion; he was a promise, Sportacus was just a dream.

“You want me?” Robbie said, his eyes locked in Jareth’s gaze.

The Goblin King nodded. “Desperately.”

Robbie sighed, a hesitant smile on his face. Then… I guess that means-

“Would you care for some cake?” Jareth said, changing to subject abruptly as he reached to grab a slice. Robbie froze, his eyes drifting towards the platter of delicious looking sweets. Honestly, he had been hoping that Jareth would ask. All this running around had Robbie feeling starved. He nodded, and Jareth placed a slice in front of him. “I hope you like it, Robbie… I made it special for you.”

The cake looked delicious. It was white with beautiful candy pearls arranged in the shape of flowers on the frosted tops. Robbie could see a cream filling between the layers of the cake, and he hoped that it was buttercream; buttercream was one of his favorites. He grabbed the fork set beside his plate, and carefully raised a bite to his mouth. Jareth was watching him with a smile, his eyes intently focused on his face.

As soon as the cake hit his tongue, he was overwhelmed with the delectable sweetness of it… and something else. It tasted… strange. He looked down at the slice of cake only to find that he couldn’t focus his eyes on it. Nothing but a white blur was before him. His face felt hot and he began to sweat. Something’s wrong…

He tried to look at Jareth, but of course could only see the shape of the man. The Goblin king remained quiet, sitting there as if nothing was wrong; as if Robbie wasn’t in distress. “J-Jareth, I feel…”

“It’s quite alright,” Jareth said, and Robbie heard him get up from the table. Robbie turned to look at him, but the movement made his head spin. He felt like he was about to pass out.

“H-help m-me… p-please,” Robbie said, feeling his body slip out of the chair and onto the ground below him. Jareth knelt, and despite the numbness he felt in his body, Robbie could feel him touch his face.

“I am,” Jareth said as Robbie’s world turned dark and quiet.

Sportacus moved to open the door, his mind racing with the story he had just been told. Before he opened it, he turned to Hoggle and the other creatures that he called his friends: a fox terrier named Sir Didymus and a large night troll named Ludo. All three of them wore sad frowns on their faces – Hoggle especially so. “Thank you for telling me,” Sportacus said, his tone soft and sympathetic. “Everything makes much more sense now…”

Hoggle shrugged. “Just don’t ya go blabbing about who told you, okay?” he said before gulping down a pint of beer. He belched, wiping his mouth slowly. “It’s the law of the land not to speak of that day twenty-five years ago… if Jareth knew what I had done, not even Sarah’s protection over me would stop his fury.”

The elf nodded. “You have my word, Hoggle,” he said. He opened the door slightly, though paused to look back at the group of friends once more. “… what will happen to you guys after we win the challenge?”

Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo exchanged gloomy looks. “We can’t know for sure, master elf,” Sir Didymus said. “There’s always Sarah to look out for us… but the Labyrinth itself…”

“It’s best not to think of it,” Hoggle said. “You need to defeat Jareth, there’s no way around that – what happens is fate, and I happily accept it.”

“Here, here!” Sir Didymus said, raising a pint of beer. Ludo raised his own, clinking the glass against the fox’s hard enough to shatter the cup. Laughs were shared between the group, and Sportacus smiled.

“I wish you all the best of luck,” Sportacus said, walking through the door. The sound of wind chimes greeted him as a soft breeze hit his face. Most of it was the putrid stench of the bog… yet there was also another smell. It smelled like sugar, sort of like how Robbie’s lair smelled – and Robbie himself.  

If Sportacus had to guess, he would say he smelled cake. He didn’t know where the smell could have come from, since no one inside the inn was eating cake, and to his knowledge they didn’t even serve cake…

His eyes widened slightly, his eyes shifting left and right in panic. Where is Robbie?

He practically jumped off the porch, his head swiveling left and right. “Robbie?” he called, cupping his hands to his mouth. There was no response. “Where are you Robbie?”

His eyes caught sight of movement towards the side of the inn, and as he ran to investigate his heart sank. There stood Jareth in all his fiendish glory, and in his arms, he held Robbie; unconscious and as pale as death. Sportacus felt his heart stop, and rage boiled inside of him. “What have you done?!”

Jareth gave him a smirk, his eyes lit with pride. “I’ve won,” he said.

Before Sportacus could move to attack him, twenty or so goblins appeared from underneath the porch of the inn. Each goblin was armed; and they all smiled with a visible desire for bloodshed. Wordlessly, they charged the elf. Shit…

About five tried to attack him from his left. The first one to swing at him held a baseball bat covered in rusty nails and wire. Sportacus easily disarmed the goblin, grabbing his wrist with one hand and yanking the club away with the other. With this new weapon, he swung at the remaining four goblins on his left; he sent them flying against the side of the inn with a sickening smack.

Two more tried to cut at his feet with daggers, which he avoided by backflipping away. As he was flipping though, about nine or so goblins flanked him from behind. All but one held clubs in their hands, the other held a net. Sportacus barely deflected half of their swings at him, but the other half managed to hit him. They were weak hits by nature, but one hit him square in his injured shoulder. A cry of pain escaped his lips as he felt his knees buckle, the bat falling from his hand; he would not go down though.

As one goblin poised to swing at him once more, he grabbed it by the neck. With a pained grunt he threw it into the other eight goblins that had flanked him; they tumbled to the ground like bowling pins. While they lay there stunned, Sportacus threw the net over them. They finished the job by tangling themselves in it trying to escape. Fourteen down…

His eyes widened as an arrow flew by his face. One of the goblins had a crossbow. That could have killed me, Sportacus thought as he swallowed hard. As the goblin started to reload the weapon, Sportacus charged him. He yanked the bow from the creature and threw it; the weapon flew through a glass window of the inn, shattered glass flying everywhere.

The goblin tried to punch Sportacus’s shins in retaliation, but the elf easily just kicked the creature away. The two goblins from before jumped at him, daggers poised to attack. He grabbed them midair by their wrists. They cried out as he squeezed their arms hard enough to force the daggers to fall, and once they were disarmed the threw them against a tree.

Now there were just three goblins left. Two were small, scrawny looking goblins that held spears with trembling arms; the other goblin was nearly as tall as Sportacus. He wore a suit of armor, and a helmet adorned with a skull mounted as a trophy of a past victory. This goblin held a broadsword in his hand and judging by the smirk on his face he knew how to use it.

The two smaller goblins charged him, their voices cracking with fear as they screamed a battle cry. Sportacus easily disarmed them. He grabbed both spears as they tried to ram him, and upon being disarmed, the two goblins retreated in fear. The taller goblin scowled at the two, and as they ran towards him, he swung his blade.

Sportacus looked away in disgust; the goblin had mercilessly slain his own comrades. As their bodies fell to the ground, the armored goblin began his approach towards the elf. He stepped on their bodies as he began to charge. Sportacus raised one of the spears, using both hands to grip the staff. He barely managed to raise it as the goblin swung his blade. The force of the metal hitting the staff jarred Sportacus and sent a wave of pain shooting from his shoulder. He recovered quickly though, and he countered the strike with a swing of his own. The goblin raised his sword defensively, hitting the staff with a parry that broke the staff in two. The elf jumped back, giving himself distance from the goblin.

… if only I had a sword…

“Master elf!” a voice cried out. He turned to see Sir Didymus, Hoggle, and Ludo had run outside to see what was going on. A few other onlookers gazed out from the now broken window; beady little eyes hungry for the violence. Sir Didymus unsheathed his sword, and Sportacus braced himself as the fox threw it to him. He caught it easily, swinging it around in his hand a few times. It was lighter than he would have liked it to be but given the circumstances it would have to do.

The goblin frowned at his now armed opponent, swinging his own sword as he charged once more. Sportacus charged as well, his sword raised above his head. They met with a loud clash, the force of their swings throwing them both back a few feet. The elf blocked a swipe to his legs, swiveling his blade across the goblins sword in an attempt to disarm him. He cried out as the goblin punched his shoulder in retaliation; a few spots of his gold blood began to seep through his bandage.

“You die today, elf!” the goblin said, swinging his sword at Sportacus’s neck. He barely managed to dodge the attack, the pain in his shoulder overwhelming his senses. He ducked and rolled, quickly straightening back into a fighting stance. The goblin raised his sword to block any incoming attack, the blade glistening with the blood of his fellow goblins.

Sportacus raised his weapon, swinging down onto the goblins defensive blade. Before the goblin could manage a parry, he swung again. He shocked the goblin with his speed, swinging down repeatedly with his blade until the goblin had no strength left to hold his sword. Sportacus then used the butt of his sword against the creature’s helmet, slamming down hard. Clank! The skull shattered into a thousand pieces, and a massive dent formed in the metal. The goblin groaned, his legs trembling as he fell like a brick. He hit the ground with a loud thud. Sportacus nudged him with his boot; he didn’t move. Let’s hope he stays down, he thought with a sigh.

He dropped the blade in his hand, reaching up to clench his aching shoulder. The pain he felt physically mattered little to him now though. Robbie… 

Jareth was already gone; and so was Robbie. They had slipped away while he was busy fighting, leaving nothing but a table and chairs – one overturned as if the occupant has fallen from it. Sportacus rushed over to the scene, his eyes darting around for any sign of Robbie, any clue as to where he had vanished to.

Nothing. There was nothing left. He felt the tears brimming in his eyes.

“What happened out here?!” Hoggle shouted as he approached the elf from behind. Sportacus turned to him with wide, terrified eyes.

“Jareth took Robbie,” he said, his hands clenched into fists. “He took him right out from under me!”

Hoggle examined the table, picking up a plate that was sitting in front of the overturned chair. There was a slice of cake on it, and when Hoggle gave it a testing sniff he gagged. “Damn that Jareth,” he said, throwing the cake against the ground. “He’s put him under his spell, just like he did to Sarah!”

Sportacus looked at him with wide eyes. “What does that mean?”

“It means that he’s taken your friend into his little dream land,” Hoggle said, shaking his head. “... the question is why though? Why would he do something so risky? In Jareth’s current state is seems like a waste of his power for little reward.”

Sportacus sighed. I have a few ideas, he thought, but of course he didn’t have time to go over them. Maybe Jareth just wanted to spite him, or to hurt him even more than he already has… whatever the reason, he needed to get to Robbie; and he needed to do it now.

“So, Robbie ate this cake, and it took him and jareth far away?” Sportacus asked, looking at the smashed cake on the ground next to him. Hoggle groaned, grabbing the elf’s shoulder.

“You better not be thinking what I think you are thinking,” Hoggle said, giving the elf a scowl. “You know that if you eat that sugar, it’ll mess you up – more so than if it was just a regular cake! It could kill you instantly!”

“I don’t care!” Sportacus said, feeling the tears falling from his eyes. “If I don’t save Robbie then there is no point – the quest will be lost, the kids will be lost, I would be lost!”

Hoggle shook his head. “While Jareth is distracted with Robbie, you could sneak into the castle, take the kids and return them home safely – that’s why you’re here, right? You have to be smart about this, kid! Robbie has given you the perfect opportunity to finish the quest! He’s already gone, there’s nothing else you can do!”

“No!” Sportacus said, his voice raising with anger and anguish. “A life without Robbie is one I don’t want to live! If I die trying to save him then so be it!”

Hoggle took a step back from the elf, his eyes wide and mouth ajar. He stood there in silence for a while, and then a frown crossed his face. “Then you’re just as big of a fool as you were all those years ago, you stupid boy…”

Ludo grunted, causing everyone’s eyes to draw to him. He was shaking his head sadly. “No. Not fool,” he said as he walked up to Sportacus. “Not fool. Sarah save me. Sarah not fool. Elf save Robbie. Elf not fool. Friends help friends. Help is good.”

Sir Didymus cleared his throat. “Absolutely right Ludo,” he said with a smile. “What kind of friends would we have been if we abandoned Sarah when she fell under Jareth’s spell?”

Hoggle looked between his friends and sighed. “… you two are a bunch of bleeding hearts! Can’t let me make the hard choices without making me the bad guy!”

“I need to do this,” Sportacus said, looking at the three creatures. “I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t.”  

After a moment they nodded, a silent gesture of approval. Sportacus grabbed a small piece of the cake - just one small bite. They knelt next to him as he lifted it to his mouth.

“Stay strong,” Hoggle said. “The sooner you realize it’s just a spell the easier it will be to fight him!”

“Good luck, master elf,” Sir Didymus said, wiping a tear from his eye.

Ludo grunted, placing a large hand on his shoulder. 

Sportacus took a slow breath in, his eyes watching the cake hesitantly. For Robbie… he thought as he put the piece of cake in his mouth. Immediately he felt the sugar meltdown overcome him, the intensity so incredibly worse than ever before. It was like he was being pumped full of sugar with a syringe. His vision instantly vanished into nothingness, and his body fell limp to the ground. The world around him was lost to him, the sound of his concerned friends barely even a whisper now. Before vanishing completely into the nothingness, he heard Hoggle’s pessimistic voice reprimand him.

“The things people do for love,” he muttered, his voice trailing off until nothing remained. No sight. No sound. No smell or taste. Not even touch.

All that was left was the quiet racing of Sportacus’s mind, holding on to that final sentence. The things people do for love… The things people do for love…

The things people do for love…

Chapter Text

Laughter.

That was the first thing that Sportacus noticed as the darkness faded. Laughter of both men and women, loud and piercing as if right in his ears. He winced. What is going on? Where… where am I? Then the room faded into view, at first as just a blinding flash of white light. Once things focused, he stood face to face with… himself.

Before him was a large mirror, spanning from floor to ceiling; silver embossing framed the glass as if it were a living photograph. Behind him was what looked to be a masquerade ball. Costumed men and women laughed, eating and drinking and dancing without a care in the world. Sportacus almost didn’t recognize his reflection amongst them. 

His clothes were gone… well, not necessarily gone, just transformed. His vest and pants were replaced with a dark blue suit, the shoulders adorned with silver epaulettes. The suit had two long coattails that fell to his boots, which were all black except for the heels and tips which were silver. At his waist was a black belt; a sword was holstered to it on his left hip. Across his chest was a black sash that was attached to the belt; it covered the silver placket of the suit he wore.

The thing that really threw Sportacus off was the mask on his face. It was silver, with vines and leaf adornments. The pants and sleeves of his suit had vines and leaves too, the ones on his arms trailing upwards from his silver cuffs, and the ones on his pants resting on his hips and extending down to his knees. His hair was slicked back, almost like how Robbie had his own hair, minus the pompadour.

Overall, he thought he looked good. The clothes reminded him of when he was a little boy at royal balls his father and mother put on for the elven kingdom. A frown formed on his face. I look like a prince…

Is this some sort of sick joke, Jareth?

Speaking of the Goblin King, where was he? Sportacus turned away from the mirror, his eyes scanning over the guests within the ballroom. The elf waded through the crowd with cold eyes. Where are you, you monster?

A masked woman approached him; her lips were pursed as she looked him over. She giggled, taking his arm as she attempted to lead him to the dance floor. Sportacus shook her off, scowling as he strode away. “No thank you,” he said with a cold, nearly emotionless voice. This caused her to stick her tongue out at him, marching away with a pout.

He had to find Jareth – he would not rest until he defeated him, crushing him under his boots for everything that he had done; done to the kids, done to Robbie…

And done to him.

He heard a low chuckle from his right; Sportacus knew that laugh all too well. “I never thought you’d join us, little prince,” Jareth said, appearing only for a second before vanishing into the crowd. The elf clenched his fists, eyes scanning around him as he moved through the ballroom.

Jareth appeared next to a punch bowl, then next to a group of giggling women. He was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Sportacus paused, closing his eyes as he listened to the room around him. Laughter, cheering, the sound of dancing…

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Jareth said as he appeared behind him. Sportacus opened his eyes as he turned to the Goblin King. His speed was more that Jareth was expecting, and before he could defend himself, he had been tackled to the ground. Sportacus glared down at him, their eyes meeting. Jareth looked shocked for a moment, then smirked up at the elf.

“What are you going to do, little prince?” he said, his voice taunting. Sportacus felt the rage build up within him, and he raised his fist to punch the Goblin King. Jareth just laughed at this, a deep laugh that echoed around the room. He gave the elf a cold sneer. “Hit me and you’ll never see your companion again.”

Sportacus froze, hesitating for a second before finally lowering his fist. The act caused the Goblin King's sneer to grow even deeper, clearly pleased with the amount of power he held - over Sportacus, over Robbie, over everything... 

The power he claimed to have. 

“... we need to talk,” Sportacus said, standing as he practically dragged the Goblin King across the dance floor. He took him up a small flight of stairs, stepping onto a balcony above the white hall. Only when they were standing by the hand-carved railing overlooking the ballroom did Sportacus let go of Jareth.

“What is it you want to 'talk' about?” Jareth said, brushing his blouse off; he seemed to act like nothing had happened. Sportacus knew he was trying to get under his skin and ignored his nonchalant attitude.

“Where is Robbie?” He growled, clenching his fists as he glared at the man across from him. “Why did you poison him and bring him here? Are you so afraid of losing that you have to use dirty tricks to beat him?”

Jareth rolled his eyes. “Oh please,” he said with a sigh. “I could beat you with my eyes closed if that is what I wanted. I could just snap my fingers and erase you from existence.”

“Then do it,” Sportacus said, leaning close to Jareth’s face. “Kill me, smite me, do whatever pleases you to get rid of me. I know you want to… but you can’t, can you?”

The goblin king narrowed his eyes as he stared at the elf. “Don’t test me! You’ll never know the extent of my powers you stupid elf.”

“What powers?” Sportacus said, his voice coming out in a cold chuckle. He poked his finger into the Goblin King’s chest, pushing the man up against a pillar. “You have next to none – you lost them after you lost… Sarah took them from you, didn’t she?”

This made Jareth snap. He grabbed the elf, pushing him to the floor with wide, crazed eyes.

“Don’t you dare speak that name to me!” he said as he pinned the elf to the ground. “Don't you dare! You have no right to speak her name - you have no right to speak to me of losing, you foolish little prince…"

There was a moment of pause, Jareth's ragged breaths the only sound shared between the two of them. Then, with a cold glint to his eyes and an even colder sneer, Jareth let out a low, self-satisfied laugh.

"... or should I say banished prince?”

Sportacus grunted as he pushed the Goblin King off him; there was enough force to the act to send Jareth skidding across the floor. He struggled to calm his breaths as he got to his feet, his hands shaking as he clenched them at his sides.

In… out… in… out…

Jareth stood as well, and the two engaged in a quiet stare off. Sportacus wanted nothing more than to fight and finish this once and for all… but he needed to calm down. This was unbecoming of a hero; he had come so far since then, and he wasn’t going to let Jareth drag him back down.

Plus, he had questions that needed answers.

“Why did you take the children?” Sportacus said, forcing himself to stay calm – forcing his voice to be gentle. Jareth seemed to notice his attempt at civil conversation and sighed.

“You know who I am and what I do,” Jareth said, crossing his arms. “Someone asks me to take naughty children, I do as they ask. I was asked to take them, so I did.”

Sportacus frowned. “There are countless people out there that wish for people they hate to disappear – I want to know why, after twenty-five years of nothing, did you suddenly decide to listen to Robbie’s request. Why have you gone through all this trouble just for him, especially with your power as low as it is? You can’t afford to lose another challenge – if you do you will die, and the Labyrinth will cease to exist.”

Jareth scowled as he moved to look over the balcony railing. Sportacus followed him, eyes narrowed as he stood next to the Goblin King. He opened his mouth to speak some more… but then he noticed that Jareth was paying no attention to him. His eyes trailed down to the ballroom below them; the elf’s heart nearly stopped.

Robbie was down there, wandering through the crowd of masked guests. He looked lost and confused, his wide grey eyes glossy. No one seemed to pay him any attention, mainly because like Sportacus, he was in costume. His purple and red suit was nowhere to be seen, now replaced with an elegant white gown that flowed around him like the petals of a rose. The sleeves were puffed at the shoulders, the rest of the arm in a tube of snowy silk. His hair was curled, tinsel weaved through it to make an elegant silver crown.

He looked… beautiful.

“Are you blind elf, or are you too stupid to see the beauty that stands before you?” Jareth said as he pointed down to Robbie. “That is why I’ve pushed myself to the limit – I did it all for him.”

“You did it because you noticed that he was attractive?” Sportacus said, skeptical of what the Goblin King was saying.

“I did it because I love him,” Jareth said.

“You love no one but yourself,” Sportacus said, glaring at Jareth from the corner of his eye. “And I know that you would never risk your life for anyone unless there was something for you in it, even if you thought that you loved them.”

“Do you doubt my feelings?” Jareth said, clutching his chest dramatically as he pretended to be hurt. “Is it so hard to believe that I fell in love with the gorgeous man you see down below us?

“Yes.” Sportacus said. “Now tell me the truth.”

Jareth glared at Sportacus, and the elf glared back. They stood there for a moment in a visual stand off before Jareth sighed and shook his head. “If you want the truth, figure it out for yourself – you already have all of the clues.”

“What clues?” Sportacus said, raising his brow. Jareth groaned as he rolled his eyes.

“Oh, you’re absolutely no fun,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Alright, since you’re so clueless, I’ll give you some hints.”

“Hints?” Sportacus said.

“Just shut up and listen,” Jareth said with annoyance as he crossed his arms. “I’ll spell it out for you - I lost my power, I am weak, and I need to conserve what little strength I have left, and yet I ‘recklessly’ take up a challenge from your little 'villain' – a nobody from a town in the middle of nowhere. Now why would I do such a thing? Why would I risk losing to the likes of him? Why would I invite him into my Labyrinth, giving him my devotion, charming him and begging him to stay here with me – not begging him to leave, but begging him to stay?"

Sportacus narrowed his eyes, listening to the goblin king with a frown. 

... where is he going with this?

Jareth pointed to Robbie, a sly grin on his face.

“It’s because he isn’t nobody,” Jareth said. Sportacus raised his brow at Jareth, confusion filling him now more than ever. The Goblin King groaned, gesturing to Robbie once more. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed it, little prince… can you not sense it every time he’s in the same room as you? Every time he walks by you on the street, every time he breathes?!”

“Sense what?” Sportacus said, shrugging in frustration. “Just tell me why you’re trying to take him!”

“It’s him!” Jareth said, his eyes blown wide and his face contorted in an expression of near madness. “All those years ago, before you came here, before you were banished – I was looking for him! The child you tried to rescue was supposed to be him!”

Sportacus froze.

What… Robbie… there’s no way that he’s…

The first time Sportacus came to LazyTown, he had felt something special there; he could never quite put it to words... but everything, even the air around the town was saturated with it. At first, he thought that Stephanie was the cause of the strange draw he felt to the town. Part of him suspected that she might have some elf heritage somewhere on her family tree; that, he quickly realized, had been wishful thinking on his part.

He’d never forget the day he met Robbie Rotten, disguised as a shoe-cleaning salesman in order to switch his shoes out for remote controlled replicas. The elf was in such a hurry to get to town square to show off his new sports trick, and the strange salesman wouldn’t take no for an answer… it had bewildered him; and bewitched him.

It was then and there that he realized that Robbie was the source of the strange aura in town. With every breath he breathed Sportacus could feel a power unlike anything he understood. For years he observed Robbie, watching his schemes and marveling at the disguises he used to try and trick them… Sportacus almost always knew it was him, immediately recognizing that strange aura he knew couldn’t be anyone else; but he was the only one who wasn’t being fooled. They weren't just silly costumes barely enough to trick a bunch of kids, they were fooling adults and government officials...

Magic. He knew it had to have been magic.... and now, it all made sense.

The changeling my father wanted so badly to protect, the one I failed before...

I failed him again. 

… he should have tried harder to be Robbie’s friend all these years. It wasn't like he hadn't noticed just how miserable his villain had been; he'd known Robbie's mood was much more than an over-dramatic act he put on to amuse everyone. He had tried so hard to try and include Robbie in things, but he could have done so much more. He could have tried to do more things that Robbie would have liked, he could have tried to be more considerate of when Robbie was trying to sleep or how loud he and the children played... he could have tried so much harder to show Robbie the kindness and love he needed. If he had been enough for Robbie, this would have never happened... Robbie wouldn't have decided that allowing Jareth to enslave him was a better life than the one he'd had in LazyTown if he'd just tried harder...  

He clenched his fists.

I will make this right… 

Jareth smiled, a mischievous grin on his face – full of pride for the scheme he had created; full of pride for tricking Robbie.

“Now do you understand?” he said, his voice triumphant. “That is why I’m doing this, that is why I’m risking everything! If I have him, then I have power!”

Sportacus glared at the Goblin King, his fists still clenched as his heart pounded loudly in his chest. He didn’t know if it was sorrow or fear or rage swelling up within him; perhaps it was all the above. Never before in his life had he ever been this angry before.

“So… all this time… you’ve been lying to Robbie, toying with him, telling him that you loved him, because you want to steal his power?!”

The Goblin King let out a chuckle. “It’s not a complete lie, elf,” he said. “I find him quite fascinating, and I respect the power he wields, however unknowingly. He will be treated fairly... like a prince. While you might not trust my feelings, I know I can give him a better life than what he would ever have living in that wretched town of yours. Robbie will be my prince, and I will train him to use his powers for the betterment of the realm. He will have everything he could ever want – servants, riches, power beyond imagining… and I will get back everything that I had lost.”

“But that’s not love,” Sportacus said, his whole-body trembling as his anger boiled within him. “You have fed him a lie, promising him love but you’re just going to use him! That’s not love, that’s abuse!”

The smile vanished from Jareth's face.

“What do you know about love?!” Jareth said, grabbing Sportacus by the arm. “What could a banished prince without a home, without a family, without any purpose possibly know about love? It’s not like you’ve ever cared about him. Oh, yes, I know all about how you came to the town spreading your elf propaganda, and then suddenly everyone starts hating the man who lives behind the billboard! I find it rich that you of all people would ever speak for his betterment – he’s everything that you stand against. Don’t be a hypocrite and just admit that you hate him!”

“I. don’t. hate. him!” Sportacus said, grabbing Jareth by his shirt. The Goblin King gasped as the elf lifted him off his feet, dangling over the balcony railing. His eyes were wide, his mouth ajar – just about as shocked as Sportacus was by his actions. The elf bared his teeth, sending jareth the coldest glare he could muster.

“I never hated him! I never tried to hurt him! All I have ever wanted was to see him smile, all I’ve ever wanted was to just be his friend! It has hurt me every single day watching the sadness in his eyes, watching him feel alienated by people he once called friends and neighbors. I never wanted that to happen, and every single day I wish I could take that pain away from him. You might think you can make him happy by feeding him lies, but your lies will never be good enough for Robbie. You could spend a thousand years praying to be a better person and still be undeserving of his love! I will not let a lying monster like you ever have him!”

The tears streaming from his eyes dripped onto the balcony railing, shattering silently on the stone floor as they fell. Sportacus gasped for air, his chest so tight it ached, his arms trembling as he held the Goblin King; his knuckles were white from how tightly he gripped the man’s shirt. Jareth was quiet for a while, staring at Sportacus in shock from his fury. Then that shock turned to a smug grin, and then from a grin into a cruel laugh.

“Oh, you poor fool,” he said, throwing his head back as he cackled. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

Sportacus’s heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening. He lifted Jareth over the balcony railing, dropping him to the floor beside him before turning away. His hands raised to his chest as the tears fell even harder.

Robbie…

The rapid beating of his heart was agony...

It had been agonizing for far too long.

His father had told him a long time ago the story of how he met his mother. He had found her when traveling the human world, living in a tiny human village. His father had said it was immediate; as soon as he had seen her, the second their eyes met, his heart belonged to her forever... it was like fate had bound his spirit to hers. All at once, everything had just made sense.

Imprinting.

Love born at first sight, forged from the purest of magic - so powerful that your soul becomes one with another.

Soulmates.

The first time Sportacus laid eyes on Robbie Rotten, his heart nearly stopped in his chest. It was like his soul was branded by those beautiful grey eyes... he felt whole, something that shouldn't have been possible; not for someone like him. It had been a blessing. It had been the happiest moment of his life.

… and yet, it had been a cruel joke played on him by fate.

For so long he had tried to suppress it, ignore it and pretend that the bond on his soul wasn't there. It had no right to exist. Robbie hated him; he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. He was the man’s arch nemesis after all… and no amount of wishful thinking could change that. Imprinting, as powerful and life changing as it was, could be one-sided... he'd never thought it would happen to him - only the most unfortunate of elves suffered such a fate.

In retrospect, it seemed befitting of him.

Yes, he loved Robbie Rotten. With all his soul, he loved the man… but Robbie would never love him back.

And it's going to hurt me for the rest of my life...

Jareth was still laughing as he got up off the floor, cold and callous - overindulgent in Sportacus's misery.

“Out of all the beings in the universe that you could have fallen in love with, you had to pick the one man who wants absolutely nothing to do with you,” Jareth said, shaking his head. “You know he doesn’t love you, right? He could never love an obnoxious creature like you.”

Sportacus scowled at the Goblin King, wiping his tears away hastily.

“I don’t care if he never loves me,” he said. “All I care about is saving him from you... I will save him, and I will save the children, and when I do, I’ll make sure you never hurt them again!”

“You have no right to complete this challenge,” Jareth said, rolling his eyes. “It was Robbie who challenged me, not you, and only he can save himself…”

Jareth’s eyes narrowed, his gaze growing distant as he brought his hand to his chin.

“Only he can…”

“What?” Sportacus said, his voice cautious as he glared at Jareth with suspicion.

The Goblin King wore a malicious grin on his face, his eyes glinting as they looked the elf over. “It’s been far too long since something this interesting has happened in my Labyrinth… perhaps it’s time we played another game, little prince.”

“… What challenge?” Sportacus said.

Jareth rubbed his hands together, a crystal appearing between his palms as he began to juggle it. “This is the challenge I give you. We both want the changeling, yet only one of us can have him. While I have clearly already won, I think we could make this a lot more interesting if Robbie has the final word on the matter, since this is his quest… so, whomever Robbie kisses first wins. If you can accomplish that, he and the children will be yours. Keep in mind, it must be he who kisses you… only true love's kiss will suffice.”

Is he serious?

His life is on the line, and he still wants to toy with me?

Sportacus’s eyes narrowed.

“... why are you doing this?”

Jareth laughed. “Because I think it will be fun, and I know there’s no way you could ever win... but it will be hilarious to see you try.”

There was that glint in Jareth's eyes again... the same one that had haunted him all of these years.

Despite having everything to lose, the need to feel powerful controls him.

That's what all this is about, isn't it? Power.

... his one true love.

Sportacus frowned as he shook his head. “I won’t play your cruel games, Jareth. I won't give you the satisfaction... ever again.”

“Yes, you will,” Jareth said, placing his hand on Sportacus’s shoulder; he put on a face of mocking sympathy. “Because if you don’t... then you’ll lose him forever, to me.”

The sound of footsteps drew closer, and both turned to see a little goblin scampering towards them. Jareth paused... then let out a groan, rolling his eyes before approaching the creature. Sportacus watched as he knelt, the creature whispering something in his ear. The Goblin King tensed at what was whispered to him.

“What?!” he said, his voice practically a hiss as he grabbed the goblin’s shirt. Sportacus raised his brow, crossing his arms as Jareth marched back towards him.

“Something wrong, Jareth?” Sportacus said. The Goblin King sent him a glare as he straightened his vest.

“Nothing that you need to concern yourself with, elf,” he said, his voice laced with annoyance. “I’ll be back once I’ve dealt with it… consider it a ‘head start’ on our little challenge. I have full confidence that Robbie will still want me after whatever you try to do, but I’ll go ahead and let you give it your best shot.”

With that, Jareth turned and left with the Goblin scurrying behind him. Sportacus glared as he watched the Goblin King’s back, only turning away when he vanished down the stairway they had ascended only a few minutes ago.

He’s as heartless as ever, he thought as he clenched his jaw. His gaze turned towards the ballroom below him. Among the numerous strangers dancing and laughing, he spotted Robbie. The elf’s heart skipped a beat, just as it had done every single time before whenever his gaze fell upon the man.

Robbie…

He had been so close to catching his prize, so close!

“How could you let this happen?!” Jareth said, his voice booming off the castle walls as Matthew whimpered at his feet. The little goblin was trembling, fidgeting with his hands as his eyes shifted left and right.

I give him one job, just one job, and the little cretin manages to lose one of the kids – not just any of the little snot nose brats, no, it had to be the competent of the lot!

“I-It was an accident, my lord!” He said, his voice cracking. “She was starting to get wise to our little crystal trick! I thought luring her into an oubliette would get her out of the way for a while – I didn’t know I dropped her into her cell!”

“Well, this little accident of yours is going to cost your head if we can’t find her!” Jareth said as he summoned a crystal. His eyes gazed into it as he searched for the pink haired girl. He checked the gardens, the kitchens, the maze and even the bog of eternal stench. Nothing…

“Either she’s really good at hiding, or she’s already managed to get out of the Labyrinth… I’m going to assume that the castle guard isn’t as incompetent as you are and that they haven’t let me down enough to let her escape. The dryad must be helping her elude me...”

“Forgive me, my lord, forgive me!” Matthew said, grabbing Jareth’s boot as he groveled. “I-I’ll get her back right away sir. A-and we still have the other four children safely under your spell so... it's not that bad of a crisis, right?!”

Jareth narrowed his eyes, looking into his crystal. He was able to find three of the four children still under his spell. The orange haired one, while not enchanted still, was preoccupied by one of his engineer goblins. That’s good…

Then, as if a balloon had popped within his crystal, he lost sight of the brown-haired girl; her enchantment had been broken.

What?!

Shortly after that, the little blonde boy was disenchanted as well. Somehow, something was breaking the children’s crystals… or someone.

No! No, no, no!!

He grabbed Matthew by the shirt, lifting the goblin to glare into his eyes. “Call all of the guard! Every goblin within the city! Find and capture all of the children, now!”

Matthew nodded profusely, and hit the ground running when Jareth released him from his grasp. The Goblin King ran in the opposite direction, transforming himself into an owl as he flew out of a nearby window.

The little pink haired girl was too smart for her own good; he had known it the second he laid eyes on her. Jareth suspected that the elf had a hand in why she was so keen. It was his own fault for not just locking the children up when he had the chance.

I’ll find you… and I’ll do it with enough time to return and secure what is rightfully mine.

I refuse to be nothing any longer...

Chapter Text

The room was spinning around him… or at least that’s what Robbie’s eyes were telling him. Bright lights stabbed at his vision; the sounds around him were torturously loud. He felt strange, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not understand why. His head felt light, his mind racing with empty thoughts and questions that slipped away before he could even begin to ponder what they meant.

Not a single person within the ballroom seemed to notice his distress, and yet they were all looking at him. Their eyes were full of wonder, a few people voicing their awe. Not a single person tried talking to him though; it was as if he were nothing more than a novelty - not a human being. Robbie would have normally enjoyed not having to talk to anyone… but right now all he wanted was someone to help him.

It felt like he had been wandering the ballroom for hours. Confusion grew within him more and more by the second; he was scared for a reason he couldn’t put to words. Robbie didn’t know where he was or why he was here. The white ball gown that had replaced his suit was a mystery to him as well. It felt familiar in a way that irked him, because he knew that he knew what this all was and yet his mind couldn’t remember a goddamn thing.

He kept searching the ballroom, searching the crowd and searching within himself – desperate for anything that was familiar. All he wanted was to sit down and try to rid himself of the haze that had engulfed his mind. If I can rest for just one moment maybe I can figure all of this out…

As he tried to walk past a group of gossiping women, his shoe slipped on the hem of one of their dresses. They didn’t seem to care – not that he had torn their dress, or that he was now falling. His arms flailed as he tried to steady himself; none of this helped as the ground started zooming towards him.

Just before he fell though, a hand caught his own. It was like a record screeching to a halt. His eyes widened as the person helped him find his balance; not once did they let go of his hand. They wore a stunning blue suit fit for a king. Robbie met their gaze – seeing bright blue eyes behind an intricate silver mask. He knew those eyes…

His heart would never let him forget those eyes. A wave of relief rushed over him as some of his confusion faded. He was in the labyrinth, and Sportacus was with him… where in the labyrinth, he couldn’t say… or how he got here…

“Robbie, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he try anything?” Sportacus asked, his hands caressing Robbie’s forearms as his eyes danced over him. Robbie shivered at this; he didn’t fight the blush that warmed his cheeks. 

“Who-” Robbie began to ask, but the answer came to him before he could finish. A hesitant frown marred his face. Jareth… he did this, didn’t he? Robbie bit his lip. “I… I ate the cake, and then I felt sick. I don’t know what happened after that. I-I’m so confused-”

“Jareth tricked you,” Sportacus said, his gaze settling on Robbie's. “He enchanted you and brought you into his dream realm – that’s where we are now.”

Robbie nodded as he listened, his gaze falling to the floor. He knew this floor, and the walls around it. “This… this is where we first met.”

“... What?” Sportacus asked, his voice tinted with confusion.

“This is where I first met Jareth,” Robbie said, his eyes fluttering as an involuntary tear rolled down his cheek. The words trembled on his tongue as he said it. He forced a smile as he swallowed the pain rising from his heart. This is where that perfect dream was shattered...

Sportacus’s grip on Robbie’s arms tightened. “Robbie-”

“We danced here. This is where he first asked me to stay with him… That’s why he brought me here… to try and make it right again, like it first was.”

“What are you saying, Robbie?” Sportacus said, reaching up to touch the taller man’s face. “He just poisoned you. He’s been tricking you and lying and-”

“Stop, ” Robbie said, his eyes slamming shut as new tears threatened to flow. The racing of his heart made him tremble; his breath nearly stopped. “I-I don’t care about all that!”

“... Why not?” Sportacus said, his voice incredulous as his eyes widened. He braced his hands on Robbie’s shoulders, squeezing tightly as he shook his head. “Robbie-”

“He loves me,” Robbie said, pulling away from the elf. There was no stopping the tears now He crossed his arms across his stomach tightly. “Someone for once wants me and I refuse to ruin that. I want to forget everything else but our love!”

Sportacus shook his head with a frown. “Robbie, he doesn’t love you!”

“Yes, he does!” Robbie said, scoffing as the stared at the elf.

“Robbie, no he doesn’t!” Sportacus said, his voice growing desperate. “He’s lying. This is all a trick! Robbie, aren’t you at least a little bit confused as to why he’s so desperate to have you? He just met you, and you just met him – why would he be in love with you unless this is all a trap?”

The taller man froze, his eyes wide as he stared the elf down. He felt the rage bubble up from within him, mixing with the sadness and pain to make an explosive cocktail of emotions within him. “Why would he love me, huh?” Robbie said with a sneer. “Why would anyone love me? It’s not like anyone has ever loved me before – not the children, not you. I’m just an unlovable freak, right?”

Sportacus froze. “What? No, Robbie-”

“Oh, so I’m just stupid then, is that it?!” Robbie said with a glare, his fists clenching. “Silly me, believing in someone who has gone out of their way to show that they actually want me for the first time in my life. Stupid, stupid Robbie Rotten!”

“Robbie, please,” Sportacus said, reaching out to the taller man. Robbie jerked away from his touch, but this didn’t deter the elf. “Robbie, you have to trust me. I know-”

“What do you know?!” Robbie continued, pointing his finger at the elf’s chest. “What would you know about me?! What would you know about loving me?! Let me have just one bit of happiness in my life, okay?! It’s not like anyone will miss me if I stayed here - especially you…”

Robbie turned on his heel, marching away from the elf as more and more tears fell down his face. “Robbie!” Sportacus said, chasing after him. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for my words to come across like that! Please wait! Robbie, I know Jareth – and he told me his plans! You don’t know what he’s capable of, and what he’s going to do!”

“I don’t care!” Robbie said, his back turned to the elf as he continued to race away from him. “I’m not listening to you – not now, not ever again! I’m staying with Jareth!”

“No,” Sportacus said, his voice cracking with pure desperation. “Robbie, don’t do this! I know you-”

“You don’t know me!” Robbie said as he turned to the elf with a sneer. Both came to a halt, the taller man staring down with visible hurt and rage in his grey eyes. The elf's eyes widened; speechless. Robbie shook his head. “How many times do I have to tell you that? I am practically a stranger to you! I bet you don't even know one thing about me that isn't already known by everyone else in town - prove me wrong!"

Sportacus blinked... and remained silent. He seemed to think for a moment, perhaps trying to remember a fact or event involving Robbie that was unique to their 'relationship' alone. It wasn't long before his face fell in defeat.

Robbie's lip trembled, and he gritted his teeth as he began to walk away once more. "Exactly... you have never known me.”

He only managed to take a few steps before Sportacus grabbed his wrist, causing a shocked gasp to escape the villain. He froze. It was only then that he noticed that the room had fallen silent; the music stopped, and the strange inhabitants around them paused their laughter and gossip to stare at the duo. There wasn’t a single pair of eyes in the room that wasn’t on them. His gaze darted around the room, anxiety bubbling up inside of him as the weight of everyone's gaze began to overwhelm him.

"... Let me know you then."

The anxiety within him died, his breath halting as his eyes grew even wider than before. After taking a moment to breath he slowly turned around... and his heart nearly stopped once he was face to face with the hero. Robbie had seen a lot of emotions on Sportacus's face in the past day - sadness, anger, even fear... but the expression on the elf's face now shocked him more than all the rest. Those big blue eyes were pleading, begging... for him; it was like Robbie was the only thing that mattered.

Sportacus let out a shaky breath when their eyes met, a stray tear rolling down his cheek from underneath his mask.

“Please … let me know you.”

Robbie stood there in silence, his mind racing just as quickly as his heart.

“… Why now?” he said, his voice no louder than a whisper. He shook his head slowly as his body trembled. “Why now, after all these years...”

“I’ve always wanted to know you, Robbie,” Sportacus said, his voice equally as soft as his own; Robbie felt his heart skip a beat and he forgot how to breathe. The elf moved closer towards him towards him, pausing about a foot away; he looked like he was trembling just as much as Robbie was. “… From the moment I met you I’ve wanted to know you – and I am so sorry that I’ve waited until now to do so."

Sportacus...

The elf wiped away his tears with his free hand, his breath shaking as he continued.

"I should have gotten to know you a long, long time ago. But I didn't, and now it's nearly too late… but I still now right now. Please, if you insist on staying here with him, at least let me know you now before you are gone forever. That’s all I ask... and if you have it in your heart… please, please let me convince you to leave with me instead.”

His eyes were begging, and more tears ran down his face. Robbie was speechless – not because he didn’t have anything to say; in fact, he had so many things he wanted to say that there was no sorting out what he wanted to say first. He was still mad of course... though it was more frustration that blind rage. The fact that Sportacus was begging to know him – begging to bring him home – tugged at his heart strings in a way that was bittersweet. His heart and its stupid crush was delighted, but his mind felt annoyed.

Just as I decide on Jareth, here he is making me question everything all over again…

Wait, where even is Jareth?

Robbie looked around the ballroom but couldn’t catch sight of the Goblin King. He frowned.

“Where is he?” Robbie asked.

Sportacus didn’t need to ask who, and Robbie saw the way his face sank even further; it hurt to watch.

“… He stepped out for a moment,” Sportacus said, his voice laced with sadness as well as disgust. “I’m sure he’ll be back shortly…”  

Robbie looked down at the floor, and he noticed that they were right in the middle of the dance floor. An idea popped into his mind; it was stupid and crazy, but it made his heart flutter as he pondered it. He raised his gaze to the elf.

“… would you stop me if I wanted to stay?” he said, biting his lip.

Sportacus met his eyes.

“No... if that's what you want, I would let you.” he said, his voice trembling as if forcing the words out.

Robbie stared into those deep blue eyes and swallowed. “… but would you miss me?”

Sportacus was as still as a statue, and Robbie could feel the sorrow radiating from the elf. “You have no idea how much, Robbie.”

He sounded so broken… Robbie never wanted to hear him so broken ever again. He cleared his throat, determination filling him. His mind was racing, practically screaming at him.

What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?!

... but his mind could never scream as loud as his heart.

Do it.

Do it.

Do it!

“… Dance with me.” Robbie said. It was a request, but he didn’t phrase it as such.

Show me how much you’d miss me.

The elf was shocked, his eyes widening and mouth gaping just slightly. Robbie was trembling as his adrenaline fuel bravery pushed him forward.

“If you want to know me, then dance with me. Right now.”

Sportacus did not hesitate. He stepped towards Robbie, just as Robbie stepped towards him. Their eyes met in an unbreakable lock; neither of them dared to look away. As if a switch had been flipped, the room changed around them. People scurried off the dance floor without a word and the lights dimmed. Only a single spotlight remained on, illuminating their trembling bodies.

They stared at each other in silence until music began to play; it was the longest wait of Robbie’s life.

Robbie expected the elf to butcher his way through the dance - adding on some unnecessary flips and cartwheels while completely ignoring all the etiquette required of a dance partner. Yet Robbie was pleasantly surprised as Sportacus started with a bow, lowering at the waist with his hands clasped politely behind him. As he rose, he extended his hand out to Robbie. The taller man curtsied and accepted his hand with a soft nod. Without a word the elf placed his hand on Robbie’s hip... and then began to lead them in a waltz. Each step the elf took felt natural; not a single stumble. His movements were smooth and controlled so unlike the erratic aerobics he knew the elf for. It was clear this wasn't the first time he'd waltzed before.  

“Where did you learn to dance?” Robbie asked, his surprise apparent in his voice. A small smirk made its way onto the elf’s face as he sighed.

“I’m supposed to be asking you the questions, Robbie,” Sportacus said, the usual playfulness returning slightly to his voice. “It’s my turn to know you.”

Robbie gave him a soft pout. “Maybe I want to know you too.”

The words escaped his lips before he even knew what he was saying... then came the shock. He blushed, averting his gaze. Why did I say that?

Sportacus’s grip on Robbie’s waist tightened ever so slightly, yet it was more than enough to shock the criticism out of the taller man’s mind. Their eyes met once again; the elf wore a smile that made the taller man melt even more. “My mother taught me,” Sportacus said, his eyes flickering with a distant memory as he spoke. “Back when I was very young… Who taught you?”

The taller man looked down with a frown. “My mom taught me too…”

Sportacus matched Robbie’s frown, his brow raising with confusion. “I’m sorry. Is that not a good memory for you Robbie?”

“Oh, no it is… I just miss her,” Robbie said, sighing. “She died a long time ago, back when I was still pretty young.”

“... did you have a father?” Sportacus asked. Robbie rolled his eyes as he met the elf’s gaze again.

“If I did, I never met him,” he said, shaking his head. “He left before I was even born. Mom had to do everything by herself because of him - work, cook, clean and take care of me… though honestly, I doubt she ever missed him. From what little she spoke of him I think he was a huge jerk. Things probably would have been just as hard even if he didn’t leave… but whatever. I don’t lose sleep over him. He’s probably dead too.”

There was a pause before Sportacus spoke.

"If you don’t mind me asking, how did your mother die?” Sportacus asked, his voice hesitant yet curious. Robbie sighed.

Going for the real deep questions, are we?

“She… got old,” Robbie said, looking away once more. “One night she just went to sleep and then she never woke up. You know, like how old people do sometimes.”

Sportacus frowned, looking both sad and perplexed. “Did she have you late in life?”

“No, she was a teenager when she had me,” Robbie said. He could see the elf pause mentally, his eyes shifting subconsciously as he tried to make sense of things. The sadness Robbie felt thinking of his mother started to slip away at the confused look on Sportacus’s face.

He looks like a confused puppy.

“… How old are you, Robbie?” Sportacus asked.

Robbie let out a short laugh. “You should never ask your dance partner their age, Sportaflop, it’s very ungentlemanly,” he said with a sly smile.

The smile faded slightly though as he thought of the question.

That’s a hard one… he might as well have asked me what the circumference of the mayor’s head is!

He knew he should know the answer though. It was a lot easier for other people – they grew up much quicker than he did. His mom always said he was just a late bloomer... Robbie had believed her until he turned fifty and still hadn’t reached puberty; he'd figured he was just a freak after that. I can’t even remember what the last birthday I celebrated was… eighty seven? Or was it one hundred and twenty-seven? It was something with a seven… Robbie sighed.

“… I honestly I couldn’t tell you. I can’t be expected to keep track of stuff like that.”

Sportacus smiled as he shook his head. “Uh… do you know what year you were born in?”

“Nope.”

“… did you have electricity growing up as a child.”

Robbie bit his lip as he thought. “… Nope.”

The elf sighed, a slight laugh escaping his lips. “Okay… do you think you’re younger or older than two hundred and twenty-nine?”

Robbie smirked and rolled his eyes. “Why? Is that how old you are Sporty?”

“Yes,” Sportacus said.

Robbie laughed, his head falling back as he did so. He waited for a ‘gotcha’ from the elf... but it never came. Sportacus just nodded, his mouth a taut line as he gave Robbie an awkward, toothless smile. No way… the taller man’s mouth opened slightly, surprised to say the least.

“Huh,” Robbie said, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly in amazement. “I mean, I know elves live a long time, but I never would have guessed that you were so old...”

Sportacus laughed. “I would not call that old, at least by elf standards,” he said. “I’d barely be old enough to walk into a tavern back where I grew up.”

“Back in the sky city?” Robbie said, speaking carelessly.

“Yeah, back in the-” Sportacus said, then stopped as his eyes widened slightly. The elf froze and his face grew pale. “… how do you know about the sky city?”

Oops...

Robbie bit his lip and averted his gaze. “Uh… that’s a long story.”

“... Tell me.” Sportacus said, confusion and fear in his voice. "Did... did Jareth tell you?"

Robbie returned the elf's gaze with confusion. "What? No..." he said, shaking his head as he did so. The fear on the elf's face made him uneasy - he knew that if something managed to make Sportacus afraid, then it had to be something really bad. Why is he afraid of Jareth speaking to me about his past?

Robbie frowned, looking down at Sportacus’s chest. The crystal wasn't in it's usual place... his eyes trailed up to Sportacus’s neck, where he noticed a chain hiding underneath his collar. Carefully, he pulled the chain and the crystal on it out from underneath  the elf's suit. He toyed with it slightly before letting it fall against the elf’s chest; while the crystal wasn't glowing, Robbie could still feel Sportacus's anxiety when he touched it.

“… The crystal showed me,” Robbie said, gesturing to it. “Back in the cave, when you were hurt and unconscious, I took the crystal for safe keeping… when I fell asleep, it showed me a dream.”

“What dream?” Sportacus said, his voice still full of fear. Robbie swallowed hard to try and rid himself of the discomfort the elf was making him feel. 

“I didn’t see anything bad, okay?” Robbie said, trying on a soothing smile for the elf. "It was just... I think a memory from your childhood? You were waiting for your dad to come home - you ended up breaking out of school to go meet him, then you spied on one of his meetings... the council sad some bad things, which upset you and… and that’s it.”

Sportacus let out a sigh of relief. “Okay…”

Robbie's smile faltered slightly. There was something the elf was hiding... 

“Why?” he asked, his brow quirking in false amusement. “Were you afraid I saw you naked or something?”

“N-no,” Sportacus said, clearing his throat and averting his gaze. 

“Did you forget to wear pants to school one time or something?” Robbie asked, knowing he was pushing a touchy topic but he needed to get to the bottom of this. 

I need to know...

“No.” was all Sportacus said.

Robbie pushed once more. “Did you split your pants?”

“No… ” Sportacus closed his eyes, his voice shaking. Robbie stopped his teasing and frowned. They had stopped dancing, and the room around them was deafeningly silent. All Robbie could hear was the sound of the elf breathing; slowly… intentionally slow, as if trying to calm himself down.

I t’s just like when I kept trying to guess his name earlier…

He thought about that earlier conversation. It was odd that ‘Sportacus’ wasn’t actually Sportacus’s name… and it was even odder that Sportacus apparently didn’t even have a name – or at least that was the assumption Robbie had come to… and then there were all the other questions that his dream of Sportacus brought up. Why was an elven prince hanging out around a bunch of humans? Why doesn't he go visit his family - or even talk about them?

… why does a prince not have a name?

Sportacus was staring at the ground, and Robbie noticed his crystal flashing urgently; flashing because of the elf’s emotions; his fear.

Something happened…

Robbie tried to meet the elf’s gaze.

“Sportacus… why don’t you have a name?” Robbie said. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, a choked sob escaped Sportacus’s lips. Robbie froze, looking into the elf’s eyes. “Sportacus…”

The crystal at Sportacus’s chest glowed brightly, like a tiny star between the two men. Robbie looked down to it and felt something odd within himself. It was almost like the crystal was calling to him.

Touch me… let me show you…

He looked back up to Sportacus, and their eyes met. The sorrow in those deep blue eyes made Robbie shiver.

“I’m… I…” Sportacus said, turning his head and biting his lip to hold back a sob. Robbie was frozen in place, confused and scared and hurting for the elf in front of him. Sportacus’s breath shook as more tears fell. “I can’t… ”

“You don’t have to tell me…” Robbie said, eyeing the crystal. Robbie could still feel it begging him to touch it. He sighed, placing his hands on the elf’s chest. “But… can you let it show me?”

Sportacus could barely manage a nod. Robbie sighed as he let his hand slide down to the crystal...

Just as before, the world around him faded away as if being carried to another land. Nothing stayed; nothing but him and the elf standing in front of him. Robbie closed his eyes as Sportacus wrapped his arms tightly around him. The elf whispered a quiet, heart breaking “I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry…

Sorry…

Chapter Text

He had waited until the cover of nightfall to begin his noble quest. Most servants were asleep or tending to things in the maintenance wing of the royal palace; a few wandered the halls, dusting vases and such, but not enough to worry the young elf. His father would be asleep, as well as his mother… at least that’s what he hoped.

They had called him to dinner a few hours ago, but he did not join them. He complained of feeling sick and wanting to rest so he’d have enough time plan is adventure. The prince hated lying, but he told himself it was only half a lie. The rage he felt in his stomach at the elected council suppressed any appetite for food he might have had before.

All he hungered for now was sweet victory – to prove those hateful snobs wrong, and to rub their faces in it when he came home a hero. I’ll show them… I’ll show them how wrong they are! I’ll make them see! And I’ll make my father proud!

The prince walked as quietly down the halls as possible towards the realm portal in the royal archive. He had only ever been inside the archive twice in his life. The first time was during a private tutoring lesson – it was a field trip of sorts, but instead of doing something fun his tutor went through every section of the archives explaining where things like tax documentation from seven hundred years ago could be located, or judicial records pertaining to business disputes. His tutor only very briefly explained the realm portal, saying ‘It’s only allowed to be used with invitation from other realms, or under express permission from the elected council’

His father and mother had brought him here the second time. That time, they used the portal to visit a neighboring realm for a royal ball. He had watched his father open up the command menu, select the realm he wanted to visit, and then they walked through the golden archway. It would be simple for him to find the realm with the stolen child, go in secretly, then sneak right back out with the kid safe and sound! He smiled, proud of his plan. It was like being a real-life hero!

He soon approached the doors to the archive. It was a small entrance, unlike the royal oaken doors elsewhere in the palace. This door was reinforced steel, and only slightly above the height of an average adult. It was supposed to look inconspicuous to those who might try and steal royal documents. Of course, the two guards stationed right outside the door told a different story. Very few rooms in the palace had guards, such as the royal quarters, the throne room, and the armory.

A frown formed on his lips. I need to get them away from the door. The prince thought for a moment, then smiled as an idea came to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin. Then, with a soft huff, he climbed up a nearby pillar and into the rafters so that he had the high ground over the guards. He maneuvered silently until he was directly over them, and then with a flick of his thumb, he sent the coin flying into the shadows of a nearby corridor. Then he waited.

The two guards heard the noise the coin made on the stone floor, and they both turned their heads in curiosity. The prince waited patiently for the two of them to walk away looking for the source of the noise… but they didn’t. After a moment, they turned their attention back to guarding the door. What? Why aren’t they moving?! The young elf scrambled to figure out a second plan.

Before he could plot a second plan, one of the guards groaned, turning to the other guard. “Do we really need to be here?”

“We have twenty minutes before the guard changes Smyrill,” the second guard said, pulling out a small electronic device and glancing at it briefly before returning it to his robes. "I'm sure you can entertain yourself for that long."

“And I'm sure that nothing will happen in the next twenty minutes,” The first one, Smyrill said, moving closer to the second. “Come on Ísgeir, surely you have better things to do right now.”

“Well…” said the guard named Ísgeir, turning to his companion with intrigue at his suggestion. “There's this tome I've been dying to go over, especially this section detailing a special strain of fungi used in a tincture made-”

“Do you want to spend your evening reading about fungi, or with a fun guy?” Smyrill said, moving even closer to his colleague. Ísgeir paused, and the young elf watched as the guard took a moment to look the other one up and down a couple of times. 

Then the guard turned, looking left and right down the corridor before grabbing the hand of his companion.

“I like a guy with puns," Ísgeir said, and the two guards ran off into the shadows of the corridor, their post unguarded. 

The prince watched them run away with a sour scowl on his face. There is a serious problem with security around here!

He then climbed down from his hiding spot and approached the door. The young elf wore a triumphant smile as he reached out to the handle and turned… or at least tried to turn the knob. A look of panic formed on his face as he realized that the door was locked. Oh no… his eyes shifted around him, hoping that the key was hanging around somewhere close. It of course wasn’t, and the young prince found himself with another failed plan. What do I do now?!

Then he heard the footsteps. His eyes widened, turning his head towards a quickly approaching figure. Whoever it was, he wasn't about to let them see him. He turned on his heel and ran into the shadows as he saw what looked to be a man far down the adjoining corridor. Did he see me? Is it a guard?

The young elf waited for what seemed like forever before the figure finally stepped into the light. When he saw who it was, his eyes narrowed and he frowned in disgust. Gegn… why is he here?!

Gegn was looking down at a tablet as he walked, seemingly oblivious to the young elf hiding in the darkness. He paused at the door to the archives, putting his tablet under his arm with a raised brow. Then he rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Of all the nights they could have left this door unguarded… I should consider myself lucky,” he sighed as he pulled a key from his waistcoat pocket. The young elf watched the older elf unlock the door and hesitantly stick his head inside. Gegn stood there like that for a few seconds before sneaking inside.

What is he doing in the archive? The prince crept over to the door with a scowl on his face, listening intently for any sounds of the councilman. When he heard nothing, the prince chanced a look inside through the slightly open door. Gegn was facing a wall of books, back turned to the door. Before the older elf could turn around, the young prince dove inside. He made sure to stay close to the walls, his eyes narrowed as he watched the councilman. I have a mission… but I need to know what this crook is up to! No one comes to the archives this late unless they’re doing something they shouldn’t…

The elf frowned. 

Except me... 

He hid in one of the many aisles of shelves, peering over the tops of dusty books to study his target. Gegn pulled a random document off the shelf in front of him. He yawned as he opened it, studying a random page for a moment or two. The councilman quickly grew bored of it though, flipping through the rest of the book with disinterest before putting it back on the shelf. Gegn did this again with three more books, looking around the archive cautiously after each tome. It looks like he’s waiting for something… or someone?

The councilman put the last book back on the shelf just as a woman appeared from a dark corner. He recognized her to be the royal archivist, the elf who oversaw the entire royal library. She was trembling, her shoulders tense as she approached the councilman; there was a thick folder under one of her arms. Gegn turned to her and crossed his arms. “Finally… do you know how long I've been waiting, halfling?” he said, his voice laced with annoyance. She frowned at him.

“My name is Veda,” she said, and the young elf saw her fists clench.

He waved his hand at her dismissively. “I don’t care. Just give me the documents,” he said with a sneer. She grabbed the folder, extending it to the older elf with an aggressive snap of her wrists that made the papers inside rustle. He snatched the folder just as forcefully as she had presented them. “Rude... have you no manners?”

“They would be a waste one someone like you,” she said in response, turning to leave. Gegn reached out and grabbed her shoulder, making her cry out in surprise. The older elf shushed her, covering her mouth with his hand before turning her around to face him.

“Shut up… I’m not done with you yet,” Gegn said with a low growl. “You stay until I say you can go.”

She crossed her arms, scowling at him with a rage the young elf felt all the way from his hiding spot. He shivered. Gegn deserves every last bit of that anger… 

“Now… lets see what you brought me…” Gegn said as he opened the folder. He let out a satisfied hum as he flipped through the contents, smirking as he picked up one of the papers; it looked like a picture. He turned it to the woman with a short laugh. “What do you think of this one? Does it invoke a feeling of terror?”

Veda gasped, turning her gaze away as she brought her hands to her mouth. For a moment the prince thought she was going to be sick. She let out a shaky breath as she turned back to Gegn. “There’s a reason the king had things like that sealed away... he didn't want people like you to get your hands on it!”

“Well, the king is a weak, unambitious fool,” Gegn said, shaking his head as he placed the picture back in the folder. The young elf felt his rage boil over; it took all of his will to not jump Gegn right then and there. I’ll tell my father about this… you’ll regret everything!

“Why do you need that anyway?” Veda asked, shaking her head in disgust. “Do you enjoy looking at things like that?”

Gegn sneered as he patted the folder. “This is educational material… for a special young elf that’s going to be my new student.”

Veda froze, her mouth ajar. “You’re going to show that to a child?!”

“Not just any child,” Gegn said, a pleased smile on his face. “… The prince.”

The young elf felt his blood run cold. No… his body began to tremble. That can’t be true… father would never… He began to imagine all the horrible things that could be in that folder. It had to be anti-human propaganda... gruesome propaganda. he didn’t want to see it. Never.

Veda frowned. “The king will never allow you to show that to his son. You know that!”

“The 'king'  has no say in that anymore,” Gegn said, placing mocking emphasis on the word king. “The council has taken charge of training the future figurehead... since it’s been made clear that Íþróttaálfurinn cannot discipline his child; but I will. I will beat the human loving nonsense out of that brat if I have to. He will be the perfect king when I’m done with him, and our kingdom will be great again.”

The prince felt tears stream down his cheeks. He was angry and sad and scared, his stomach clenching in a way that made the boy think he’d vomit.

I don’t want to be his student… I can’t let that happen! I don’t want to be a monster like him!

“Great? Maybe to you,” Veda said, backing away from the councilman in horror. “For people like me, it will be hell! I can count myself and my family dead if that’s the future that awaits us!”

Gegn approached the woman, a vicious laugh escaping his lips. “Now, now, I did promise you safety if you helped me get these files, didn’t I?”

She scoffed. “You threatened to tell your Purists friends that I was part human if I didn’t. You used me!”

The councilman turned to the woman, a coldness sweeping over his demeanor.

“Yeah?” he said with a dismissive shrug. “Yeah, I used you… I could have let your little secret slip without giving you this opportunity. I could have just stolen your key to the restricted archive and gotten these documents myself too, it wouldn't have been hard to frame you... No matter what, I was going to get these files, but I chose to be merciful.” He stepped towards Veda with an arrogant strut. She backed away from him until she was flat against a wall of books, and he chuckled at the look of panic that formed on her face. “I think you should be grateful. You got off easy. ”

Veda closed her eyes, taking a slow breath in. She remained still, and Gegn patted her cheek with a demeaning coo. “Be a good girl - don’t tell anyone about this and I’ll keep my end of the bargain, okay?”

“… okay.” She said, gritting her teeth as she spoke. Gegn patted the folder one more time, then turned to the archive door.

“Good,” he said as he strode away from her. He slowly grabbed the door, and before stepping out he paused. As if an afterthought, he shot the woman one last smirk; his eyes were dark and full of malice. “… You may go now.”

The door slammed as Gegn finally left. Once the door was closed, Veda slid to the floor like a limp doll; The prince could hear her crying from where he was hiding. His feet moved on their own, and before he knew it, he had emerged from the shadows and into her field of view. Veda raised her head slowly as she heard his footsteps. Then with wide eyes she jumped to her feet and gasped.

“My Prince,” she said, her voice cracking as she spoke. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“I…” the prince began to speak yet stopped himself. He couldn’t very well tell her his real plan… no one could know about that. A frown formed on his face and he looked down. “… I saw Gegn come in here. I knew he had to be up to no good… I guess I was right.”

Veda approached the Prince, kneeling to his level with concern in her eyes. “How much did you hear?”

“… everything…” he bit his lip as he looked into her eyes. His body began to tremble as he thought of the exchange he had just witnessed. Gegn… a tear rolled down his cheek. “He’s… he’s going to show me horrible things, isn’t he? That’s what was in the folder, right? He’s going to make me look until I become just like him?”

The shame in her eyes was apparent as she shook her head.

“Shhhh,” she said, pulling the young elf into a hug as more tears fell down his cheeks. She rubbed his back, shushing him softly. It reminded him of the way his mother comforted him when he skinned his knee or fell… it was nice. “Don’t be afraid, it will all be okay.”

The prince shook his head. “No, it won’t,” he said, pulling out of the hug with a pout. “He's going to turn me into a monster – he said so himself… and my father can’t do anything about it!”

“Calm down…” Veda said, grabbing the prince’s face softly. He looked into her soft, purple eyes as she spoke. “Your father will never let him hurt you – council or not, you are his son and he will fight to keep you safe. You must trust that.”

He shook his head again. “But no matter what, Gegn will be my teacher… what am I supposed to do?”

“You must be brave.”

“How?” he cried out, clenching his fists as more tears rolled down his cheeks. “He’s big, and he has the council, and… and I’m just a kid. I can’t… I can’t do it!”

Veda knelt in silence for a while as she stared at the boy with sad eyes. He waited, sniffling as he wiped his eyes of tears that were still falling. She looked down, her eyes growing distant as she seemed to be thinking. After a moment she sighed, biting her lip as she rose to her feet. “I’ve already broken a dozen rules tonight… what’s one more?”

“What?” the prince asked, looking at her with a raised brow. She extended her hand out to him, motioning for him to take it and follow. He did, confused yet curious at the same time. With another sigh she led the two of them towards the back of the archive. They passed row upon row of bookshelves, the subjects growing more and more obscure the farther back they walked. There were files on things 'unicorn pedigree' and 'moss flammability' among far stranger topics that might have made the elf laugh under different circumstances.

Then they came upon a door. It was old, made of rotting wood and rusted hinges. Whatever was behind it had to be old as well. Veda paused, letting go of the prince’s hand as she reached for a ring of keys at her belt. She had no problem finding the one she needed, despite there being at least fifty keys for her to choose from. As she put the key in the lock, she turned to the prince and gave him a small smile. “Promise you can keep a secret?”

He nodded, growing more and more confused. Veda then opened the door and motioned for him to go inside. The prince did, and she quickly followed behind him. Once he saw what waited for him, he gasped.

The room held almost nothing; no paintings, books, not even a single window. All the room held was a pedestal, and on top was a glass dome…

And inside was a necklace; a crystal necklace. It glowed, illuminating the room in a soft blue light. It’s like a tiny little star…

He always wanted a crystal of his own, just like his father had… but he was still too young for his own. The prince was still about forty-five years away from reaching what his species considered young adulthood.

Once an elf was old enough, they were given a magic crystal as a symbol of the spirit of their people. It was there to help them, guide them, show them what they needed to see and help them when they were lost. Most elves keep their crystals hidden under their robes, though a few such as his father had them on display for all to see. He had always thought his father’s crystal was pretty… but this one called out to him in a way he had never felt before.

“It’s so beautiful,” the prince said, stepping towards the crystal in awe. Veda looked to the boy and smiled.

“It’s yours,” she said. The prince turned to her with wide eyes, and she let out a small laugh. “This room is where we keep the crystal for the heir until they come of age. Your father’s crystal, and your grandfathers and every single king and queen’s crystal before them once sat in this room, waiting from the moment they were born. It has been waiting for you until now… and it’s time for you to take it.”

He froze, his gaze switching between Veda and the crystal. “But I’m still- I’m not old enough... I’m not ready!”

Veda frowned, looking down. “You are young, and under normal circumstances I’d agree… but these aren't normal circumstances. With your crystal, you will have everything you need to protect yourself from Gegn.”

He shook his head. “But… I don’t know how to use it, I’ve never been told-”

“You will know how,” she said. “It will show you.”

It will show me?

“But-”

“It’s time, my prince,” she said. With that she walked over to the pedestal. She shot him one more glance before slowly lifting the dome covering the crystal. As she backed away, the crystal grew brighter and brighter, like a distant star exploding into a sun within the small room. Veda closed her eyes and turned away as the light became too much for her… but the light never hurt the prince’s eyes. Soon the dark room was turned white by the light, and the crystal ascended from the pedestal towards the young boy.

He felt something in that moment – he felt it calling to him, beckoning him to come and claim it. His stepped forward as if by instinct, his hand reaching out towards the gem. The closer he got the louder it called to him. He could have sworn he heard it say his name.

His fingers had barely grazed the crystal when he felt a warmth course up his arm. It quickly spread throughout his body, enveloping him in what felt like a hug. He closed his eyes and gasped. What is this… what is happening?

… I’m saying hello…

His eyes shot open and he stared at the crystal in shock. Did it just… speak to me?!

… yes…

His heart nearly jumped from his chest in shock. He looked over to Veda, though she was still looking away from the light. What do I do?!

… maybe try saying ‘hello’ back?...

The prince cleared his throat, a lump having formed from the disbelief he felt in that moment.

“Uh… hello?” he said, feeling silly and confused and so many other emotions he couldn’t describe even if he tried.

It was then that the crystal exploded. That’s the only way the prince could describe the way the light dispersed from the gem like a shockwave across the room. It lasted only a few seconds, filling the room completely then emptying as quickly as it appeared - emptying into him, he realized, feeling a strange new magic rush down his spine and up his finger tips.

Soon, the brilliant glow from before was now just a soft, almost nonexistent shimmer that barely illuminated the palm of his hand.

He felt the weight of the crystal now, as it had stopped floating. It was a bit heavier than he thought it would be. A smile warmed his face. Its so full of surprises…

Veda walked over to the prince, a soft smile on her face as she knelt down to the prince. “How does it feel?” she asked.

The young elf rolled the crystal around in his palm. “… smooth,” he said.

She laughed, and the prince looked to her in confusion.

“No,” she said with a chuckle. Gently, she placed her hand on his chest, right above his heart. “I meant here… how does it feel?”

He looked down to where her hand rested. There was that same warmth as before, right when he had first touched the crystal. The prince took a deep breath. He felt the warmth grow, like a flame being stoked by a bellow. Each breath he took felt like his heart was being hugged. It felt good.

It felt...

“Strong,” he said, closing his eyes with a smile. “I feel like… like there’s a fire inside of me, but in a good way? I think this is what a dragon must feel like with a belly full of flames – like at any moment he could use those flames to breath a huge ball of fire… I feel like I have that power inside of me… I feel brave now. The crystal made me brave!”

Veda pulled her hand away with a proud smile. “You always were brave,” she said. “The crystal only saw that within you – all it did was help you feel it and know that its there. Never forget that, my prince… you are strong, and your strength does not come from this crystal. Whatever the crystal makes you feel, or whatever it shows you is just a manifestation of what you already are – what you have inside your heart and soul. That is why I’ve brought you here. I know that the future ahead of you will challenge you, and it can be hard to see the light inside of you when so much darkness shrouds it…”

The prince nodded, understanding and smiling as he listened. “… but the crystal will help me see the light?” he asked.

“Exactly,” she said. “Your strength, courage, passion, happiness… your crystal will always be able to find it. Never, ever forget that my Prince. Even in your darkest moments, there will always be light inside of you to guide you through it. If you remember that, no one can break you.”

The prince smiled, looking up to the woman with tears of joy. “Thank you.”

She bent at the waist as she bowed to the boy, rising with a kind smile on her face. “Of course, my young prince… now, let’s leave before someone comes in and sees you with that. You promise to keep it a secret? Tuck it under your tunic and not show it to anyone?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” he said, crossing his finger over his heart.

“Good,” she said, ushering him out of the room before locking it. “… of course, someday your parents will find out, but hopefully by then you’ll be old enough that they can’t ground you…”

They walked back to the front of the archive. The entire time, the prince stared down at his crystal. My very own crystal… He was practically leaping for joy. Once they were back where they had started, the prince paused. Veda looked back at him as she reached the door, opening it to usher him out. “You should be returning to your bedchamber, my prince,” she said.

He frowned, looking around the room. His eyes shifted down a dimmed aisle of bookshelves, studying the object at the end of it. “… I’ll return to my room… I promise,” he said, giving Veda a sheepish smile. “… but there’s something I need to do first. It’s important, and I promise to leave as soon as I’m done.”

Veda narrowed her eyes slightly at him, studying him in a way that made the elf bite his lip. After a moment she sighed, shaking her head slightly as she moved to step out the door herself. “Okay… don't be too long, alright? A prince needs his sleep.”

He nodded, swallowing hard. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and then there was complete silence in the room.

The prince sighed, full of relief… as well as courage. He was no longer afraid as he had been before. It was like a switch had been flipped in his brain. Newfound determination filled him – determination to be a hero, to be like his father, and most importantly to never be someone the council admired.

He was a prince, and someday he would be king… and he swore in his heart to never lose the goodness in his heart. He would never be as hateful as Gegn – he would rather die than become like him. No matter what he did, the Prince would not falter. He would survive, and he would live to see that monster fall.

I will be like my father. I will be a hero…

His hand clenched around the necklace in his fist. The crystal called out to him, her power dancing at his fingertips.

A she… the prince thought with a soft smirk. I’m quickly learning more and more about my new friend.

He smiled ever so slightly; it was a sad smile.

There’s going to be a lot of things I’ll have to learn very quickly now…

The prince sighed, turning to stare at the door. Beyond that door was pain… from Gegn and the rest of the council. There would come a day that the pain would stop… but he would be a prisoner until that day. No more games, no adventures. The opportunities for him to rebel would be few and thin…

He then turned his gaze back down the aisle he had been looking down just a moment before. Right at the end of it was the realm portal. Just a few minutes ago he was about to dive headfirst into it on a blind quest to save a child in his father’s name; his first adventure… only now he realized it was also his last chance at freedom for what he could only guess were centuries. It was adventure he wouldn’t be able to have for multiple mortal lifespans…

Now that he had his crystal, he was considered an adult… but he wanted one last moment to be a child… and what was the worst that could happen? It couldn’t be worse than whatever Gegn had in store for him, could it?

He made up his mind.

He placed the crystal around his neck as he approached the realm portal. Then he pressed the button to open the command menu. His eyes scanned the map that popped up before him, and when he saw the same little realm his father had pointed to at the meeting, he opened it.

The other end opened up on a courtyard in a strange land, and beyond the courtyard was a huge Labyrinth…

…

Chapter Text

The iron door opened with a creak that made the Prince and dwarf cringe a little. They froze, waiting to see if someone heard. No one came, and both sighed in relief.

“The dungeons are right through here,” the dwarf, who the prince learned was named Hoggle, said with a raspy whisper. “First stairwell down on yer left, can’t miss it.”

“Thank you, Hoggle,” the young elf said, looking around the deserted courtyard behind them. “And thank you for bringing me this far.”

Hoggle shushed him, fidgeting nervously as he did so. “Don’t ya be telling no one I did so, you hear?” he said as his voice trembled. “The king will put a curse on me if he knew! I could be turned into stone or dipped into the bog of eternal stench for this. Almost nothing gets past his majesty… It’s a miracle he hasn’t realized you’re here…”

“I swear on my life not to tell,” the elf said, crossing his finger over his chest. He puffed out his chest as he did so, like how he’d seen his father do so countless times before; a hero’s pose. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Err… just don’t tell if you can help it son…” Hoggle said, scratching his head as a bewildered look formed on his face.

“Right,” the prince said. He then snapped his fingers as he remembered something. “Oh! don’t let me forget…”

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a heaping handful of gold coins for the dwarf. Before leaving on his quest he had made sure to bring his life savings. The elf had been hoping to save up for a hoverboard, since his father said he could have one only if he was responsible and earned the money… he felt sad about having to start all over again on his savings, since he had almost saved up enough, but this was far more important.

“Here, as I promised,” he said as he handed them to the creature.

“Much thanks, young elf,” Hoggle said, stuffing the coins into his pocket before turning to leave. “And good luck… hope ya find what yer looking for…”

With that the dwarf escaped into the shadows of the Labyrinth. As if never there, the prince thought. I hope the king, whoever he is, never finds out that he helped me…

The prince then entered the doorway, looking around the narrow corridor until he saw the first staircase down that Hoggle told him about. With light feet, he crept down the stairs, listening for anything or anyone that could be waiting for him at the bottom; he heard nothing but a distant dripping of water. Once he reached the bottom he frowned. There was practically no light; elves had superb night vision, which was the only reason he could see at all. What he did see filled him with an ominous chill. The cavernous corridor was lined with numerous prison cell-like doors. A dungeon… a big one.

He brought his hand to his chin as he questioned how he was going to find the changeling child. There were so many doors, and while he had been lucky up to this point in his journey, he didn’t want to test his luck by going through every single cell trying to find the kid. Someone would come down and find me before I could search even half of these… what do I do?

… would his help? …

Just then his crystal began to glow at his chest; he tucked it down his tunic in case someone saw the light. What is it doing? he began to think, but then he paused as he felt a twinge of fear. It wasn’t his fear, and he frowned as he heard a voice tickle at the back of his mind.

Help… please…

A frown formed on the young elf’s face. “Someone’s in trouble… It has to be the kid!” he whispered to himself. As if an invisible map was being drawn in his mind, he started racing down the corridor towards the source of the fear. It drew closer and closer, and then he began to hear the soft sound of someone crying. I’m almost there… hang on!

It wasn’t long until he came upon a cell with a small light on inside. As he stepped towards the door, he could hear its inhabitant quietly sobbing. He knelt as he peered inside; the child’s silhouette was barely visible in the darkness. I found you…

“Psst,” the prince whispered, trying to get the kids attention. The child jumped in shock.

“W-Who’s t-there?!” they said, loud enough for their voice to echo. The prince cringed as he placed his finger to his lips.

“Shh, please be quiete… I’m here to help, okay?” he said. “I’m gonna rescue you.”

The child was silent for a moment, sitting in the darkness as if unsure or untrusting. After a moment though, they crawled forward into what little torchlight illuminated the cell. It was a little girl with dirty red hair and a brown woolen dress. She looked about nine in human years, or so the prince guessed. His father had taught him briefly about human lifespans before. While he was much older, the prince felt like he looked to be around the same age as the girl. He gave her a small, comforting smile; she didn’t return it.

Her large green eyes looked him over with what the prince thought was aversion, though he couldn’t be sure. She had a timid look about her, like she distrusted anything and anyone and honestly, he didn’t blame her.

“You’re an elf.” she said. It wasn’t a question, more like a statement of disbelief… or perhaps pessimism. 

“Yeah, I am,” he said. There was something about her tone that made him frown. “…That’s not a problem, is it?”

She sighed. “I guess not, as long as you don’t bite me like those ugly monsters did… you don’t have sharp teeth, right?”

Sharp teeth? Is that a rumor going around in human villages, or is she just scared of me? He opened his mouth and used his fingers to pull his lips back all the way to his gums to give her a proper look at his teeth.

After studying him for a moment, the girl hummed with approval, and he closed his mouth. “Okay… sorry, I just… I’m just really scared…” she said as more tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. “I really want my mommy!”

“I’m gonna get you back home to your parents, okay?” the prince said, trying to sound soothing.

“How are you going to help me?” she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Do you have a key?”

The prince frowned slightly as he shook his head. I should have tried to find a key first… “No, I don’t…”

She pouted as she began to whimper. “How am I going to get out then?”

He thought for a moment, looking around the cell door and its bars. Then an idea came to him. “I know!” he said. “You can use your powers to bend the bars and then slip out!”

The girl blinked, looking at him blank faced. “… my what?”

“Your powers. My father said you were very powerful, it shouldn’t be hard for you to pull the bars apart. Like this!” the prince repeated, placing his hands on the bars of the cell. He mockingly started to pull at the bars as an example… and he was quite shocked to see them start to bend; not a lot – but enough to make his eyes widen.

Woah… how did I do that?!

The little girl saw the bars bend as well, and seemed to gain some courage from the sight.

“Okay… let me try…” she said, her tone somewhat hopeful if still mostly skeptical. However, when she tried to pull the bars nothing happened. She pulled at them until her face turned red. After a while she stopped and sulked. “I can’t do it!”

“Yes, you can, I believe in you!” the prince said.

She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned. “No, I can’t! I don’t have powers!”

He frowned as he stared at the girl, feeling both frustrated and confused. “… but you’re the changeling !”

This made the girl scowl at him, her mouth dropping open as if outraged. “A changeling ?! I am not a changeling!” she said, her voice heated. “I am not! I am not! I am not !”

The prince’s eyes widened as the girl’s tone grew louder and louder. “Shh!” he said. “Someone will hear you!”

“Indeed.” A voice said behind him. The girl shrieked, scurrying back into the darkness of her cell, and the young elf swallowed nervously. As he stood and turned around to face the voice, his eyes wandered up in shock.

Before him was a man; a very odd man. He wore dark grey hose on his legs, his feet adorning sleek black leather boots that reached to his knees. On his torso he wore a silver vest topped with a black frock coat. His hair was silky blond, and it fell in wisps down his shoulders and back. Most piercingly of all were the man’s eyes – they looked down at the young elf in dark amusement.

The corner of the man’s mouth quirked as he met the young elf’s gaze. “Well, well… I come down here expecting to find nothing more than a human, and instead I find an elf… how odd.”

His tone was gentle, and yet something behind it was cold; annoyed perhaps. The prince swallowed as he stared at the man, his eyes narrowing. “And who are you supposed to be?”

This seemed to take the man aback, though only slightly – the man had a calm and collected demeanor about him that shrouded whatever true feelings he felt; if this had upset the man, he did a very good job of hiding it. A few seconds later the man let out a laugh. It was a deep laugh that echoed off the walls of the corridor like thunder. While still laughing, the man snapped his fingers, which caused two strange creatures to come out from the shadows around them. “Guards, take this whelp to a cell of his own,” the man said, still chuckling as he did so.

The two creatures closed in as the man turned his back to leave. The young prince stared wide eyed at the beasts, raising his fists defensively as they raised their claws to grab him. One of the guards growled. “Don’t make this difficult, boy.”

He responded to the creature by slamming his fist into its face. To the young elf’s surprise, this sent the creature flying back a considerable distance. The other creature roared, diving at the prince to tackle him. With a good, strong kick the young elf had that creature flying back too.

Now all that was left was the man. With a determined smirk on his face, the prince raised his fist to deal him a good blow to the back of his head… but as he began to swing his fist forward, someone grabbed his wrist.

“… Impressive,” said the man, his lips mere inches away from the elf’s ear. The prince’s eyes widened as he turned his head slightly to see the man now kneeling behind him. What? How?!

Both guards got to their feet and scampered over with scowls on their faces. “Allow me to beat him to a pulp, your majesty!” one of them said, fidgeting with rage as he stared at the elf.

Majesty? The prince thought with wide eyes. This… this guy is the king of this place?!

The king was silent for a moment, his eyes scrutinizing the young elf.

“No,” he finally said, his tone icy and yet somehow full of humor. “I have some questions for him to answer…”

This made the two creatures grin big, malicious smiles at the boy. As they stepped forward to secure their grip on him, one of them whispered to the elf, “You’ve done it now…”

The young elf tried to break free of them, but they held onto him strongly; they had learned not to underestimate him the moment before. He was dragged behind the two creatures as the king led them into the darkness. No matter how hard the prince squirmed, he could not break free. “Let go!” he shouted, but none of his captors paid him any attention.

They soon arrived at a large archway, and as he was dragged in the prince’s eyes widened. Inside were a number of creatures, just like the ones dragging him now, confined in cages and tied to unpleasant looking contraptions. As the king walked into the room, numerous pleas for mercy sounded out from the creatures.

“Quiet!” the king shouted, and all the voices were silenced. The king walked over to a conveniently placed stool and sat as the two creatures dragged the prince over to a nearby wall. He squirmed as they placed his wrists behind his back, securing them in chains and cuffs that were bolted to the stone floor of the room. Once the cuffs had been latched and the creatures retreated, the young elf surged forward towards the king, running until the length of his chain ended. He was only about two feet away from the seated king.

He stood there, face to face with the monarch; this only seemed to amuse the man, who smirked at the boy. “You’re a feisty one,” the king said, bringing his hand up to the elf’s chin. “A lot of energy in a little thing like you… what a waste. It’s always the fiery ones that burn out the fastest.”

“That'll never happen,” the prince said as he jerked his head away. A glint appeared in the king’s eyes as his mouth curled into a wicked smile.

“We’ll see…”

One of the creatures grabbed the chain and yanked, sending the elf reeling backwards onto the stone floor. Laughter erupted in the room from the king and even the creatures imprisoned there. He groaned softly as he sat up, glaring at the king. “Let me go!” he said. “Surrender and give up the changeling you stole. If you don’t, you’ll regret it!”

The laughter in the room subsided, and king frowned, his brow raising. He appeared to be searching mentally, either for words or excuses the prince did not know. “Changeling?” the king then said, a perplexed tone to his voice. “… Do you mean that little human brat you were with? You think she’s a changeling?”

“I know she is!” the elf said. “My father said you’re stealing changelings and taking their power! He said that you stole a really powerful one, and I’m here to save them!”

This silenced the king, though only for a second. “… Am I supposed to know who your father is?”

A frown formed on the prince’s face. “You should, because if you don’t let me go, he’s going to come and pound you to a pulp!”

The king laughed as a twinkle came to his eye. “Are you threatening me with a good time?” he said, a mischievous smirk on his face. “… either way, that still doesn’t tell me who your father is and why I should care… in fact, I still have no idea who you are, boy. I don’t think I got your name?”

The prince answered, giving what was asked without thinking, without pause or resistance. The king’s grin grew deeper upon hearing this, his eyes growing dark in a way that made the elf shiver. The young elf froze...

Why do I feel like I just made a mistake?

The king rose to his feet to look down at the prince. “… what a shame, I was hoping for more of a fight from you.”

The prince froze, staring up at the king. A tingle went up his spin, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. “What are you talking about?” he said, shaking his head in both confusion as well as displeasure; he did not like what was going on, not one bit. A laugh erupted from the other inhabitants of the room as the king closed in, hand extended to the boy. There were specks of magic at the king’s fingertips, like lightning dancing on mountain tops. The prince backed up against the wall, his eyes growing wide as the king drew closer and closer. “What are you doing?!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve added an elf to my collection,” the king said as he pressed his hand against the prince’s face. This made the young elf flinch, eyes slamming shut; he braced himself for whatever was about to happen… and he waited, for much longer than he would have thought this would take; whatever this was. Whispers erupted in the room, and the elf opened his eyes as the king snatched his hand away from the boy. There was a look of anger upon the king’s face.

What… what just happened? The prince frowned.

“… King Jareth… it didn’t work. He didn't turn into a goblin!” one of the creatures whispered to the king. In rage, the king turned to the creature and kicked it across the room.

“I know that it didn’t work, you imbecilic pea-brain!” the king, who the prince now knew was named Jareth, yelled as the creature scurried away. Everyone in the room grew silent once more. Jareth then turned back to the prince, his face calming ever so slightly as he approached the boy. “… The question is, why?”

Jareth grabbed the prince by the collar, hoisting him up so that the boy dangled at eye level with the king. The prince glared at his captor, a small smirk forming on his lips. “Something wrong, Jareth ?” he said, amusement in his voice which made the king’s eyes narrow with fury. Without warning, the king dropped the young elf to the ground, knocking the wind out of the boy. His crystal fell out from his tunic as well, glowing softly for the young elf.

Someone’s in trouble… but it’s me this time, huh?

The prince barely had time to catch his breath before the king had knelt to him with wide eyes. Jareth grabbed the chain around the boy’s neck, staring at the crystal intently. The elf jerked his neck back, trying to pull the crystal away. “That’s mine!” the prince said.

“Is that so?” the king said, letting the crystal go with a new smirk on his lips. He looked down at the boy. “A little boy who is actually a man… that explains it. Aren’t you a little young to have one of those?”

“I’m old enough… old enough to kick your butt,” the prince said. “And once my father finds out where I am, he’ll kick your butt too!”

Jareth shook his head and chuckled. “Father this, father that, father father father ,” the king said, slowly standing to pace in front of the boy. “You keep mentioning this father of yours, and still I have no idea who he’s supposed to be. Tell me, please.”

The prince grinned, pride filling him as he stared at the man. “My father is king of all elves, and the greatest hero who ever lived – he will destroy you if you don’t let me go.”

Whispers rose in the room again, and Jareth froze. If the king was afraid, he did a good job of hiding it. He better be afraid, if he knows what’s good for him… the prince watched jareth begin to pace once more, the king placing his hand to his chin as he seemingly got lost in thought. Whatever the king was thinking, he didn’t think it for long. He looked down at the boy with a soft grin.

“Little prince, little prince… how silly of me for not seeing it sooner. You have your father’s chin… though that hair of yours of course must be your mothers. What a pleasant surprise, though I must say I wasn’t expecting a visit from a royal guest. Had I known I would have had my goblin army greet you at the entrance of my Labyrinth… as I would have done with any royal that dares to invade my land. My army loves a good battle…”

The prince frowned. “My father’s armies would wipe yours out like it was nothing!”

Jareth let out a short, cold laugh.

“Again, you threaten me with a good time, stupid little boy!” he said, glowering down at the prince. “My army is itching for a fight – begging me for a good war! is that why you’ve come? Is it war that your father wants?”

“If you don’t release me, it’s what you’ll get,” the prince said. “He’ll come once he finds out what you’ve done, just you wait!”

The king smiled, the room around him full of whispers and laughs and jeers. An energy filled the room, full of eagerness; full of bloodlust. The prince froze, looking around the room as red little eyes looked to him – looking as if to say, ‘thank you’, yet there was no kindness from them. Jareth knelt to the boy one last time, grabbing his face before leaning in to whisper in his ear.

“Why wait?”

The sky port of the elven city was almost deserted, save for a few pilots doing maintenance on their airships. The wind was bad today and the rain too turbulent for any flights. Most of the city would be inside on a day like this… yet, ever since the prince went missing, it was hard to find a citizen not hard at work trying to find him. The streets were lined with umbrellas, the elves huddled underneath them solemn as they searched every inch of the city. It had been nearly a day, and there had been no sign of him.

King Íþróttaálfurinn was distraught looking for his son; Queen Fríða was completely inconsolable. Anyone with any connection to the royal family or the palace had been questioned… and yet no clue to the prince’s whereabouts could be found, as if the prince had vanished into thin air.

As the city searched, their eyes turned inward, few noticed the strange bubble float past the cloud barrier of the city. It drifted down to the docks of the sky port, a pilot or two turning from their maintenance to watch it gently land down onto the cobblestone road. Then, like a bomb exploding into hellfire, the bubble popped as a flaming portal opened in the center of the fallout. Few could react as a strange creature decked in black armor stepped through the fire with a devilish grin.

Behind him followed hordes of green monsters. They spewed from the portal like puss from a gaping wound; their laughter was loud enough to drown out the screams of the terrified citizens that turned to see this hellish scene. A brigade of thousands of the beasts entered through the portal, though only a company of about a hundred continued to follow behind their leader. The rest waited, standing in the sky port with weapons ready; ready for their master's signal.

Guards rushed to stop the intruders. Yet, as they approached the man and his army they froze; the being was dragging a child beside him…

Horror filled them all.

“Stand down!” the elven warriors shouted as more rushed to the sky port. “Stand down! He has the prince!”

Eyes from guards and citizens alike stared on with wide eyes as the young elf was dragged through the city towards the royal burrow; towards the palace. He tried to break free, tried to flee to the safety of the royal guard... but Jareth was far stronger than he appeared, and the prince winced as boney fingers dug into his forearm, held too high above his head; it was like being trapped in the talons of a hawk. Even if he could break free, the manacles chained to his ankles were too short and too tight for him to run. He was at the mercy of the Goblin King.

More and more people began to crowd around the dreadful procession of invaders. Some people whispered, those brave enough yelled at Jareth to free him; many cried.

The gates to the royal palace were already open when they approached. Inside the gates was a regiment of his father’s men. They stood at the ready, parted like the red sea to make a pathway to the throne room. There wasn’t a single face among them that wasn’t saddened as they watched their heir dragged before them.

As Jareth approached the doors of the palace, they opened. They stayed open until the last of the beasts entered the throne room, and then they closed; it was like thunder in an empty sky. Jareth finally stopped at the middle of the throne room, and without ceremony he threw the prince to the floor. A small cry escaped the young elf's lips, the air knocked from his lungs as he made contact with the marble below. He curled into a ball, trying both to catch his breath and disappear. He could feel everyone's eyes on him - Jareth's, the goblins, as well as horrified and confused elves. He couldn't bear to look at his people; not like this.

I failed them all...

But then he heard his mother scream.

“No! No, no, no!”

His head shot up, eyes scanning the crowd, trying to catch sight of her. His body moved into a kneeling position, ready to jump and run to her... but Jareth's hand found his shoulder before he could even take a step. The strength of the Goblin King's grasp was enough to make him cry out in pain... but even through the pain, his eyes searched and didn't stop until he found her.

His mother had always been a gentle, frail woman – he never once saw her angry; he didn’t even think her weak body could handle anger. He also didn’t think she was capable of much physical strength… and yet he watched the rage on her face as two guards barely managed to restrain her from running to him.

“Let me go! Let me go! He has my son!"

Another guard rushed to her, and with the three combined strength of them they dragged he away and out of the throne room; she screamed the entire way out.

“Mom!” the prince called out as she vanished, his voice cracking with the ghost of a sob. He felt the tears fall from his eyes as the sounds of her crying faded away as the guards carried her farther and farther into the palace. 

Mom...

I'm so sorry...

With watery eyes the prince then looked around the rest of the throne room. The entirety of the elected council stood to the left of the throne, and to the right a collection of the city’s finest warriors.

And in front of throne stood his father, the king. A sword was in his father’s hand, his knuckles white from how tightly he held the weapon. Never had the prince seen such rage on his father’s face as he stared at Jareth. The prince could not take his eyes away from his father, though his father restrained himself from returning the favor. He suspected that if his father did look, the guards would have to carry him away like they did his mother… oh, how badly the prince wished to run into his father’s arms.

“I believe this belongs to you,” Jareth said, motioning to the prince beside him as he looked at the elven king with a cold glare.

His father was shaking with rage as he opened his mouth to speak. “How dare you invade us in such a manner? How dare you kidnap my son? How dare you?!"

“How dare me?” Jareth said with a scowl. “It is your son that invaded my land, your majesty. I caught him trying to free one of my prisoners – the brat snuck in like a thief into my palace.”

A murmur arose from the elected council, and the king’s face softened slightly as he turned to glance at them. He turned back to Jareth with the same scowl as before. “How am I supposed to believe these lies when you stand before me unannounced with an army – a cheap attack for a weak, slimy scab of a king. You have no morality, you liar!”

Jareth reached down to the prince, grabbing him by the collar before lifting him into the air. The Goblin King turned him, looking at him with cold mismatched eyes. "Why don't you tell them? Tell them all about how you snuck into my castle - don't forget the part where you attacked my guards and attempted to attack me."

Then, with a voice only the prince could hear, Jareth whispered. "If you don't, I will set my goblin army on your dear father."

A jolt of fear coursed through the elf upon hearing that. While his father was strong... he couldn't fight an entire army. Even if he was strong enough, he did not want his father to fight because of him. This was his fault... this was his mess.

"It's true..." the prince said. 

Murmurs erupted around the throne room, all from shock and outrage and perhaps even sorrow. "There," Jareth said, dropping the elf once more. “Guilty by his own confession.”

The elected council was whispering fervently amongst themselves as the king took a few steps towards the intruder.

“So, you put him in chains and drag him and an army into my kingdom as response?” the king shouted. "How can you possibly justify torturing a child like this?!"

“This? This is what elves consider torture?” Jareth said with a sickening chuckle as he glanced down to the prince. “This wouldn't even be considered a punishment in my kingdom. I had my suspicions that your kind was far too lenient with your criminals, but now I am sure of it... perhaps it would do you good to observe a proper punishment for once, though I doubt your son can handle such a demonstration.”

Rage overcame his father as he lunged forward. He was quickly stopped by five guards. Although he allowed himself to be physically subdued, his sword taken from him, his mouth thundered on. “You monster!"

Jareth laughed as he watched, an act that was followed by his goblin army. He was enjoying this, the elf could see; the prince shook his head in disgust.

This is a game for him, isn’t it?

His body began to tremble, as the weight of just how monstrous Jareth was hit him full force.

I messed with the wrong person… the worst person…

As the king started to calm down, Jareth spoke once more. “The prince’s invasion of my realm is not an act that I will ignore – I have brought my army here merely as a counter to this insult. You committed an act of war against me, so I'm here to show you that I am eager to return the favor.”

“He’s just a boy!” The king shouted, finally turning to look at his son. This didn’t last long, and his father turned his eyes away without even meeting the prince’s gaze. His lip began to quiver, and the prince knew his father was just as terrified as he was.

Jareth unsheathed his sword, ignoring how the boy flinched as he turned and pointed it to his neck. The goblin king was remarkably delicate as he used the tip of the blade to life the chain of the prince's necklace - displaying his crystal.

“A boy you say?” Jareth said, gesturing to the gem. “Then explain this.”

The gasps that echoed throughout the room filled the prince with shame. Even his father’s eyes widened in shock as he saw the glowing crystal. The prince glanced at his father, and finally the king met his gaze. He tried desperately to speak, to say sorry to his father... but the look of disappointment that formed on his silenced him. With a small whine the prince's eyes fell to the floor, and fat, sorrowful tears rolled down his cheeks.

I'm sorry...

Jareth continued, sheathing his sword. “As I understand, the crystals you wear are a sign of adulthood for your people – that means that this boy acted as an adult when he trespassed in my realm. A prince, who will someday lead the army of this kingdom, has made it very clear that he has no problem invading whomever he sees fit. I want to make it very clear myself that I will fight a war against you if this is how you treat me.”

It was then that a councilman stepped forward from the crowd. The prince looked up to see who... and then scowled as he saw that it was councilman Gegn. 

Anyone but him!

Gegn smiled at Jareth, trying to appear friendly to the foreign king. “King Jareth, allow me to be the first to apologize for this disgusting attack on your sovereignty. I for one am appalled at the actions of this elf… please, if you would allow me to speak, I should like to try and negotiate a peaceful end to this tragic accident. I know that the last thing you want is to see your men fight an unnecessary war if it can be helped.”

Jareth laughed as he turned to the councilman. “Actually, I think I’d quite enjoy a war," he said, turning back to gaze at his hoard of goblins. "As would my army – they will happily die in any war I bring them… the question is, does your army feel the same? Are you willing to see your men die?”

The warriors in the room started murmuring, looks of uneasiness on their faces as they thought of the implications of war. Gegn shook his head, putting on a mask of sorrow for Jareth as he acted his political character. “I’d never want to throw the good elvish people into a needless war, believe me when I say that…I think I speak for the entirety of the elected council on that matter, and believe me when I say that I want to make this right.”

Jareth was quiet for a moment before he turned to fully address the councilman. There was an amused smirk on his face as he glanced the man over. “And what do you offer me to try and mend this insult?”

The Elven king turned to the councilman with a frown. “Gegn-”

“Quiet, your majesty!” Gegn spoke, his voice loud enough to boom off the walls of the throne room. The king froze, his eyes widening in shock from this outburst. Gegn shook his head as he stared at the monarch. “You have done enough. It is time for democratically elected politicians and diplomacy to do what you have failed to!”

No! The prince thought as he stared at Gegn. He’s upstaging father again! Father… please, don't let him speak!

Despite the prince’s silent pleas, the king relented. He felt his father turn to gaze at him; the pain in his eyes was like a knife in the prince’s heart, and he felt it break more and more.

Father… help me. I'll never fail you again if you please stop him... please!

Gegn returned his attention to Jareth, giving him an eager smile. “As I was saying, I want to make this right, and all offers are on the table for discussion. Tell me how we can fix this.”

Jareth crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head as he stared at the councilman. “Alright…” he said, his voice calm. “First, I want to know if this conspirator acted alone, and I want affirmation that this will never happen again.”

This seemed to please the councilman, who nodded with what the prince thought to be praise at Jareth’s authority. “I can assure you that we were unaware of the prince’s actions against you – we have no idea why he would do such a thing.”

Jareth glanced down at the prince and frowned. “He told me during my interrogations of him that he was in my land to try and save a changeling child… and he said his father would ‘pound me to a pulp’ if I didn’t hand over the child in question.”

This caused an uproar amongst the council. Half of the politicians were shouting at the king, accusing him of encouraging the prince to do this; the other half was shouting at the prince, calling him things like ‘foolish’, and a ‘traitor’.

As their shouts faded into silence, all eyes fell on the prince; they were all glaring, and Gegn’s glare was the most hateful of all.

“How disgusting…” Gegn said, his voice full of repulsion. “Truly, the prince will be punished. He will face punishment unlike anything you can imagine.”

“I can imagine quite a bit,” Jareth said. “As I have said, my idea of punishment is far different from yours… I want to know exactly what punishment you have in mind. I need a guarantee that this will not happen again, or I will ensure that it doesn’t.”

The prince didn’t want to imagine what punishment Jareth would have given him… He looked at Gegn pleadingly but found no mercy in the councilman’s eyes. Gegn turned to the council momentarily, whispering too quiet for the prince to hear. After only a few seconds the group nodded in unison, and Gegn turned back to King Jareth.

“… How does banishment sound? Would that be sufficient?”

The prince froze in shock.

Banishment?!  

“What?!” The elven king shouted, his eyes wide with rage and shock and horror. “You have no right-”

“Silence!” Gegn shouted to the king. The king thankfully wasn’t interested in doing so, and the prince’s father marched up to the councilman in rage.

“He is my son!” The king said, grabbing Gegn by the collar before shaking the man. “And I will not let you do this, you arrogant, monstrous-" 

A swarm of guards pulled the king away from the councilman, subduing him until he was kneeling on the floor, arms behind his back and head lowered. The prince looked on in horror.

Its almost as if he’s bowing to Gegn… 

Father, break free!

But the king could do nothing; he barely had the freedom to turn and stare at his son. Tears fell from both of their eyes, and the prince could hear the soft sounds of his father’s sobs. 

"Father... I'm sorry!"

Gegn ignored both the prince and the elven king and turned once more the Jareth, straightening his tunic with annoyance. “As I was saying, would banishment be sufficient for you?”

Jareth was silent, though the prince could feel the energy radiate off him. The man was happy, almost triumphant as he shot a quick glance down to the prince. The smile on his face made the prince’s blood boil. With that rage, he glared at the king, and he growled,

“You monster!”

He did not know where he found the strength, but somehow, he had enough to get to pull away from the Goblin King and swing his fist. Every last bit of his bravery, strength, passion and heart went with his fist as he swung, and the satisfaction of feeling his fist connect nourished his soul. If I’m going to lose everything else, at least I have that…

Jareth of course put an end to this attack shortly though, grabbing the prince by the neck as he lifted him off the ground. The rage in those mismatched eyes was like ice. “A shameless attack… I wonder, what else have you left to lose from shame, you fool? What else indeed…”

Gegn glared at the prince, not taking his eyes off the boy as he addressed Jareth. “What will it be, your highness?”

Jareth smiled. “Yes… banishment will be sufficient. I want it to be effective immediately.”

“As you command, it is done,” Gegn said, turning towards the throne with a smile on his face.

A smile…

The prince frowned.

No worse than Jareth…

The elven king began to struggle, not relenting against his restraints. More guards rushed over to try and stop him. “No! Please, at least allow me and his mother to say goodbye! Please, I beg of you!”

Gegn didn’t respond to the king’s pleas, and as he approached the throne, he snapped his fingers at someone amongst the group of warriors. From the group emerged what the prince recognized to be an elven mage.

“Send the boy far away,” Gegn said, and as the mage approached the prince, Gegn sat down on the throne.

Father’s throne… he can’t just do that! He is not king! 

He locked eyes with his father, who was still struggling to break free of the guards.

“Son!” he cried out, desperate and broken. “I love you! Don't ever forget that!”

The prince’s breath hitched, unable to speak as the horror of what was about to happen fully sunk in.

Of all the things he could have lost that day... his home?

His people?

His mother and father?

No punishment could have possibly been worse than this.

The mage closed in, and with a look of pity for the prince he began to chant a spell. He could feel his body begin to fade away, like a leaf being carried away in the wind. There was no fighting it – and there was no escape. Jareth was laughing behind him, the sound like a curse following him as he nearly vanished completely. Before that could happen though, the evil king whispered in his ear with a horrible, sickening growl, “Thank you for your foolishness.”

Thank you for your foolishness

… foolishness…

… fool…

The prince awoke on top of a mountain, the cold sting of the freezing air making his body ache. Snow fell around him, attempting to bury him alive from how fast it collected on top of him; he had to fight to just sit up.

His tears were frozen to his swollen face, and he shivered from both the cold and the emotional turmoil within him.

He was banished. Banished.

Nothing could have hurt more than that… and yet, deep down, something else ached inside. It felt as if a piece of himself was now suddenly severed. Not physically, but spiritually.

As he fought to figure out what that was, he crawled towards any shelter he could find. Nearby was an overhang of stone, and the small indent in the mountain side looked to be a better alternative to sitting in the snow to be frozen. As he slowly crept to the structure, his mind raced.

What was missing?

How was he different…

Who was he now?

The prince froze, wide eyed as he scrambled to remember.

Who… who am I?

He fought to recall what had moments before been unforgettable, as unforgettable as his own name...

My name...

His eyes widened in horror.  

Jareth had asked him before for his name… only now did he understand the cruel smile the being had given him as to what this meant. He remembered something his tutor once told him, following a story about certain species of fae and magic beings. Never give your name to those who have everything to gain from taking it…

A cry escaped his lips that hurt far more than any pain he'd ever experienced before. Part of his soul was missing now – snatched away by Jareth and it was all his fault. The monster took part of his soul!

I told him my name… I gave him my name!

What else have you left to lose from shame, you fool?

The prince screamed in horror as he realized what Jareth meant by this.

Myself…

I lost myself.

…

Chapter Text

The room slowly faded back into focus around them. First came the laughter, a foul sound that made Robbie's skin crawl. It was almost like they were laughing at them; laughing at their sorrow. Soon after came the blinding white of everything, the walls and floors and tapestries... even the very clothes he wore. Robbie had adored this dress the first time he wore it, and now all he wanted was to rip it off. Rip it off and burn it. White was supposed to be the color of purity - of innocence. He might have laughed at the irony under different circumstances. 

There was nothing pure about Jareth. To think that creature had graced this ballroom - walked on this very floor. Robbie had danced with him... he felt sick to his stomach as he looked at the elf in front of him.

“I…” Robbie said, his voice trembling as the words slipped from his tongue. “I had no idea…”

Sportacus was silent, seeming to search for words - or perhaps the strength to speak. “I was on that mountain for almost a week,” he said, his voice hoarse as he continued to stare at the floor. “Villagers who lived in the valley below saw my crystal glowing. They came to see what it was... and when they found me, I was frozen in snow and almost dead. At the time I wished that I had died…”

Sportacus let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes slowly. Robbie just stared in shock. I would have never thought… I can’t believe a guy like him could have such a horrible past… He pursed his lips as he thought of what to do or say in a moment like this, and if he should even say a word at all. 

The elf shook his head slowly before speaking again, his eyes reopening. “But I didn’t die. They wouldn’t let me, despite my pleas for them to leave me … I owe my life to their kindness. It’s been nearly two hundred years since that day…”

Robbie frowned, his brow furrowing. “… and you haven’t been home since… haven’t seen your family once?”

Sportacus just shook his head, his lips trembling. “I-I think of them every day, wondering if they miss me just as much as I miss them. I try not to think about it… because I know that no matter how much I miss them I can never go back.”

“… I’m so sorry, Sportacus,” Robbie said, placing his hands on the elf’s shoulders.

Sportacus lifted his head to look at the taller man. “It’s okay Robbie,” Sportacus said. His tone was so restrained, composed and yet still laced with emotion. Robbie knew the elf was trying to suppress what was without a doubt a wildfire of pain and sorrow within himself. It was a feeling Robbie knew all too well… holding in everything, putting on a façade to hide your emotions from the world.

Robbie did so ever since he had lost his mother. When she died, he was completely alone - he had no family, no friends... people barely even knew he existed. No one cared about him, and he quickly learned that it was just… better to pretend that everything was fine. Why share his vulnerabilities with people that had no obligation to care about him? Why try when no one seemed to want to be around him in the first place...

As he looked at the elf, he realized how similar their pain was. They were both alone, and they both suffered because of it. He couldn’t help but feel a bit unjustified in his personal trauma after experiencing the train wreck that was Sportacus’s childhood compared to his own… but pain was still pain, and they were both bleeding from similar wounds. He admired the elf for just how strong he was to be able to still wear a smile day after day despite coming from such heartache. Robbie wondered though if perhaps Sportacus pretended because of his heartache … it was easy to be selfless after losing so much of oneself.

You don’t need to pretend…

Not around me.

“… It’s not okay. Not what he did to you,” Robbie said, locking his gaze with the elf. “I can’t believe that… that he did that to you. You were just a kid and he took everything from you…”

Sportacus just sighed. “It… wasn’t so much the fact that he did it that haunts me the most… it’s why. He didn’t do it for any other reason than the fact that it was entertaining for him. It was a game, and I was just… just a toy to him. I was nothing in his eyes, and he felt no remorse for destroying my life. That’s what scares me the most about him – just how little he cares about anyone but himself. Maybe had he done it for any other reason I could find it in myself to forgive him… I-If he had felt any guilt for taking part of my soul … but he didn’t care. He didn’t care…”

Robbie lowered his gaze with a frown. Jareth… just thinking his name put a sour feeling in his belly. To think I ever had the right to call myself a villain when the was over here literally torturing kids. I really should have known something was up with him...

Jareth had kidnapped all the kids in LazyTown, sent a giant cake monster after them, and then poisoned him… Robbie swallowed hard, thinking about how he was willing to just ignore all of that because Jareth 'wanted' him. He was so desperate for someone to care about him that he was about to put up with a literal monster. Stupid…

“And he doesn’t ‘care’ about me either,” Robbie said, a cold chuckle lacing his voice as he looked up once more. “You were trying to tell me how bad he was, and I wouldn’t listen…”

“You had no way of knowing,” Sportacus said, shaking his head as he forced a reassuring smile for the villain. “He’s manipulative, and a liar – he used you.”

“But I was so easy to use,” Robbie said, looking away as a wave of shame filled him. “He just popped into my dreams and said he wanted me... and I believed him. I really should have known something was up, and now everyone is paying for my mistake. I’m so stupid… ”

“You are not stupid Robbie,” Sportacus said, frowning with what looked to be disappointment. “You are smart, you are strong... you are good.”

Robbie couldn’t help but scoff. “Me? Good? Whatever you say… It’s not like we have time to argue about it…” He began to turn away, pulling away from the elf as his eyes turned to the room around them. We should probably get out of here before Jerkreth gets back…

Sportacus’s stopped him, grabbing his shoulders firmly. Robbie froze, turning back to meet his gaze. The intensity he saw nearly made him gasp. 

“You are good Robbie,” Sportacus said, his voice soft as he locked his eyes with the taller man. “I know that probably upsets you to hear, because you consider yourself a villain… but just because you’re a villain doesn’t mean you are bad.”

Robbie shook his head, narrowing his eyes. “We don’t have time for this. I messed up, we need to fix this mess, and the longer we stay here is less time that the kids have. You don’t need to make me feel better about myself, Sportacus, okay? Worry about yourself and just let it go. Let it go so all of this – the kids, LazyTown, me and you – can go back to normal.”

“I don’t want to go ‘back to normal’ after all of this, Robbie,” Sportacus said, pulling Robbie a bit closer to him, his grip tightening. “I don’t want you to go back into your lair, sitting in your chair alone day in and day out while I pretend it’s okay for you to be ignored because it isn’t okay Robbie. You shouldn’t have to be alone, not now, not ever again… You deserve to feel like a good person, and you deserve to feel welcomed in LazyTown.”

“But I’m not welcomed, that’s just how it is,” Robbie said, frustration working its way onto his face. “And after all of this I doubt anyone in LazyTown will change their feelings about me. I hurt them, not just now but many times before this. I’ve hurt you, more times than I can count… Why do you care? You’re just my nemesis and I’m yours.”

Sportacus sighed. “Robbie… I’ve never considered you my nemesis… and I don’t want you to see me as your nemesis either, I want you to see me as a friend – I want to be your friend Robbie. I’ve always wanted to be your friend.”

Robbie bit his lip as his eyes darted across Sportacus’s face. His heart fluttered in his chest, and he swallowed. “Why? Why is this so important to you?” The elf just stared at him; his voice was silent but his eyes loud with emotion as their gazes locked. He was hesitating, Robbie could sense it. “Why?” he repeated.

A few seconds passed before Sportacus moved, wordlessly bringing Robbie’s hand to his crystal. Robbie was hesitant after last time, fearing that some horrible image from Sportacus’s past was about to be shown to him... but still he allowed Sportacus to place his hand on it. He winced as he prepared for the worst… but the room didn’t fade around them, and he wasn’t taken into a dream land like before… nothing happened.

Well, nothing except a warmth within Robbie’s body like nothing he had ever felt before. It was like what he imagined a cake felt like when being baked inside a hot oven – surrounded and filled by an overwhelming warmth that made his spirit rise.

It reminded him of his mother’s hugs, and her cooking, and the way she tucked him in and kissed him goodnight… it reminded him of the pure, complete happiness he felt as a child that he had forgotten how to feel years ago. He closed his eyes and smiled softly. This feels so good… What is this?

…

Love

…

Robbie’s eyes slammed open faster than they ever had before to stare at Sportacus. That was not the voice of the crystal he remembered hearing from Sportacus’s past, and it definitely was not his own voice…

His eyes widened in shock.

... Sportacus?

His mind was racing as he removed his hand away from the crystal, and the look on the elf’s face only raised more questions. His cheeks were tinted red, his eyes on the floor. All Robbie could do is stare. What… After a moment, Sportacus forced himself to look up. There was a lot of hesitation in his eyes as their gazes met; he looked embarrassed… maybe a bit afraid as well.

“I…” Sportacus said, his voice shaking. He cleared his throat before swallowing. “I-I…”

“…You what?” Robbie said, his eyes wide and heart fluttering.

“Yes, elf, do tell us what’s on your mind…” a voice said next to them. Robbie gasped as he turned his head. Sportacus turned to the voice as well, his arms wrapping around Robbie.

It was Jareth.

He wasn’t happy.

His arms were crossed against his chest, a cold grin on his face as he shook his head. “I did say I would be back, did I not? Why the surprise… did you not miss me?” Jareth said, flashing his teeth as the corners of his mouth quirked. “Go on. What do you have to say, hm? I would love to hear it…”

Robbie’s gaze flashed between the two men, his eyes resting on Sportacus’s face for only a second before wearily returning back to stare at the Goblin King; he swallowed nervously.

“It’s not for your ears to hear,” Sportacus said with a frown.

Jareth rolled his eyes, uncrossing his arms as he took a step towards them. “Fine, have it your way,” he said before turning his gaze to Robbie. “Come, my dear. Don’t worry yourself with this wretch any longer.”

Jareth extended a gloved hand to Robbie, giving the taller man a soft smile; a fake smile. Robbie did not take it, staring at the Goblin King fearfully. The smile vanished quickly from the King’s face, replaced by a cold stare that made Robbie tremble.

“Robert … ” Jareth said with a soulless voice. “Come.”

That’s not my name… Robbie swallowed, his hands resting on Sportacus’s chest. He shook his head at Jareth, and a fire started within the Goblin King’s eyes that contorted the rest of his face in a sinister scowl.

“Come. Now.”

Robbie was trembling. “… No.”

The Goblin King glared at both of them, rage causing his body to shake; the room shook with him. Suddenly, the world around them began to shatter. It was like an airplane depressurizing mid flight. Gusts of wind threw chairs and guests around like ragdolls. Sportacus tightened his grip on Robbie, their eyes meeting. “Sportacus-”

“I won’t let you go.”

The laughter of the ballroom turned into horrified screams. They were both lifted off the ground, and Robbie gasped in fear. He buried his face in the elf’s chest, his hands clutching the front of Sportacus’s shirt as he closed his eyes.

Don’t let me go

Tears began to roll down his face – Just as he felt gravity drag them down.

Don’t let me go…

Stephanie tumbled to the floor with a soft grunt, her eyes slamming shut as she gasped for air. Trixie landed to her right, Pixel to her left along with Ziggy and Stingy. She opened her eyes once she refilled her lungs...

Just as the cell door slammed shut. The stone walls reverberated as the goblin jailer locked them in, his eyes focused on her face with a cold glare.

“Filthy little brats,” he said before spitting on the dark slate floor.

She watched his back as he walked away, taking the only torch in the corridor of the dungeon as he left. It wasn’t long before they were plunged into darkness, Ziggy whimpering softly beside her.

“W-What’s going to happen, Stephanie?” he said, his voice trembling as he spoke.

You don’t want to know…

Stephanie brought her knees up to her chest as she sighed, her breath as heavy as her heart. Her hand clutched her wrist, touching the brittle twig bracelet she wore with a frown. The warmth it had once given off was gone - the magic it had held nearly all dried up. The dryad from the oubliette had given it to her – a small piece of their magic; a piece of them.

It was all that they had left to give.

... and it was all for nothing.

Stephanie had tried her best. Sportacus hadn’t come to save them… and as afraid as she was, she had to step up; her friends needed a hero. She got so close too, managing to free nearly everyone from the crystals… except for Stingy. All the other kids let her take their crystals and destroy them... but Stingy had bonded with his crystal differently.

And that’s how the goblins had caught them, their eyes glowing red with anger as they cornered them. The little power blessed upon her wasn’t enough... That was how they ended up in this pitch-black cell with no hope of escape. The dryad’s magic is gone, Sportacus didn’t come…

Stephanie frowned as she thought of Jareth, and the things the dryad had said about him… he was going to turn all the LazyTown kids into slaves… goblin slaves, just like all the captured children before them. A shiver ran up Stephanie’s spine as she thought of the twisted little creatures.

I don’t want to be a monster…

“… I’m so sorry, you guys,” Stephanie said, her head lowered and gaze unfocused in the darkness around her. She felt Trixie reach over to squeeze her hand.

“You did better than any one of us could,” Trixie said, an empty laugh falling from her lips. “Heck, because of you we might have made it… if it wasn’t for Stingy.”

Stingy was silent, except for the faint sound of his breathing coming from a far corner of the cell. They never did manage to take his crystal away, and he was blissfully unaware of the danger they were all in now. A small glow emitted from the crystal in his hands. It was barely enough to illuminate his unsettling face. His eyes were glued to the orb, paying no attention to anything else.

“Don’t blame him,” Stephanie said with a sigh. “We all were under the spell, remember?”

She could practically hear Trixie roll her eyes. “Yeah, but I didn’t lose my mind and scream when you tried to take my crystal. You should have slapped some sense into him when you had the chance.”

“That kind of talk isn’t going to get us out of this mess,” Pixel said.

“Says the jerk who had the spell broken first,” Trixie said with a scoff. “What exactly did you do to try and get us out of here, hm?”

“Enough you two!” Stephanie said, reaching for both of them in the darkness. “Fighting will only make this worse.”

“... Can things get any worse?” Trixie said, muttering.

Stephanie glared in her direction. “Trixie-”

“Fine, fine, I’ll stop,” Trixie said with a sigh. There was a moment of silence before the brunet spoke more. “… what do we do now?”

Stephanie bit her lip. “Hope that Sportacus gets here soon.”

Ziggy let out a soft whine. “… And if he doesn’t?”

Stephanie frowned. “… he will. He’ll come save us any moment now,” she said, though she knew it didn’t sound very convincing. She truly did believe that Sportacus was doing everything he could to save them, but things were starting to get very bad very fast.

We need you Sportacus… we need you right now, before he comes to deal with us.

Her own thoughts jinxed her, she realized this soon enough as a horrible bang echoed from somewhere in the distance. Stephanie’s eyes widened, and she swallowed hard.

She could feel Jareth’s anger long before she even heard his thunderous footsteps enter the dungeon. She froze, eyes unfocused in the darkness around her. She felt Pixel quickly grab her hand, his arm trembling as the tap of the Goblin King’s heels drew closer and closer. They all were silent, not even Ziggy daring to cry. Torchlight drew closer as he did, and they all flinched as their eyes adjusted to the assaulting brightness as he approached their cell. His glare was like ice as he stared down at Stephanie. His fists were clenched at his sides.

“This is how you repay my hospitality?” He said, his tone sharp and voice trembling slightly from the rage within him. “I should leave you here to rot for how you disrespected me! You were my guests and you spat in my face!”

“We were never your ‘guests’!” Stephanie said, glaring up at the Goblin King. “I know what you plan to do with us; I was told everything. You’re going to turn us into goblins and keep us as slaves! Did you really think we would just sit here and let you do that?”

Jareth opened one of his closed fists to slam it against the steel bars of their cell. Stephanie flinched, then froze open mouthed as she saw rose petals fall from his palm. They drifted to the floor, glowing softly before fading into a dark black. She brought her hands to her mouth with a soft gasp.

No… he… the Dryad…

A cold laugh escaped his lips, a glint in his eyes that made all the children tremble. Their trembling was made worse by a strange rumble, echoing across the catacombs beyond their cell. It sounded like the turning of wheels and the rattling of chains to Stephanie. She narrowed her eyes as something strange came into view... it was large, domed, and fashioned with thick metal bars. It reminded her of the little canary cage Miss Busybody had in the corner of her living room.

Another prison…

“You can’t keep us locked up forever,” she said, slowly backing further into the cell. “Sportacus will come and rescue us, just you wait. He won’t let you turn us into slaves!”

Jareth regarded her with a raised brow. 

“... Slaves?” He grinned as a soft laugh escaped his lips. “You think you’ll get to be slaves?” 

The laugh grew louder, and soon it was booming off the dungeon walls like thunder. Stephanie froze in terror, feeling an ominous chill fill the room as the Goblin King turned his back and walked into the darkness. The laughter continued as he faded out of the torchlight, and as goblins filtered in behind him he let out a sigh that made her blood run cold. 

The Labyrinth around them was strange and broken, shattered pieces of land floating upwards as they fell down. They were like little floating islands, composed of brick and dirt and pieces of junk. Robbie gasped, his eyes widening as the ground grew closer and closer – or what would be the ground. Instead there was just… nothing. It was like someone took scissors and cut out a part of this reality. He noticed the castle in the distance, and how the missing parts of the world were slowly chipping away closer and closer to it.

This world is falling apart…

“Sportacus!” Robbie said, the rushing of wind billowing past them as they fell. The elf held on to him still, loosening his grip just slightly as he looked around at their situation. His eyes widened as a cluster of broken ground zoomed towards them. Robbie screamed as he buried his face in the elf’s shirt.

Sportacus turned around midair so that his back slammed against the island and shielded Robbie. As they hit the floating earth, Robbie flew from Sportacus’s grasp and was sent rolling. He skidded to a halt, mere inches from the edge. Oww... he held his side as he scrambled to his knees. Sportacus struggled to even turn on his side, his eyes clenched shut from the pain of the fall.

“Are you okay!?” Robbie said, darting over to his side. A small trickle of gold ran down from Sportacus’s shoulder; the wound from the tooth had reopened. The elf clutched at it as he sat up, applying pressure with a pained sigh. They didn’t have much time to recover as the island started to roll sideways. Soon they found themselves slipping, and Robbie’s eyes grew wide as he tried to grab anything he could. I don’t wanna fall, I don’t wanna fall! He gasped as Sportacus grabbed his wrist.

“I got you, Robbie…” Sportacus said with a grunt, holding onto Robbie with one hand and an exposed tree root with the other. The island rolled until it was completely upside down, Robbie dangling beneath as Sportacus held on for dear life. They hung there for a few seconds before Sportacus’s body began to tremble, blood dripping down his shoulder. He groaned, looking down at Robbie with a furrowed brow and gritted teeth. “Robbie…”

His grip on the tree root began to slip, and he winced as he tried to keep hold. Robbie felt tears pour down his face. “Please… please don’t let me go…”

Sportacus’s gaze shifted away from Robbie for a second, and Robbie turned to see another island floating towards them. Their gaze met once more. “Trust me?” Sportacus said, his voice a pained whisper.

Robbie could only nod. Without a word, the elf threw him, and Robbie tumbled onto the island with a thud. As soon as he made contact, he crawled back onto his knees to glance back to where Sportacus was. The elf’s grip on the branch had weakened as he threw the taller man, and he struggled to remain hanging. Robbie bit his lip as he stared wide eyed. Please don’t fall…

After a moment it seemed as if Sportacus had regained his grip, dangling with both hands clutching the branch as he stared at Robbie with a soft smile. However, the elf’s eyes grew wide as he stared beyond where Robbie sat kneeling. Robbie turned to see a large floating boulder quickly flying towards them; it was going to hit Sportacus’s island head on.

Their gaze met once more, fear in both of their eyes. No… Robbie reached his hand out towards the elf, his eyes wide. “Sportacus!”

A loud rumble echoed as rock hit earth, the island crumbling into dust upon impact. The tree root dislodged, and Sportacus gasped as he started to fall. His blue eyes stared at Robbie, his mouth ajar as his arms reached out in vain towards the taller man. Robbie froze as he watched the elf fall, clouds evaporating into mist as he fell through them. What was only seconds felt like eternity, and Robbie screamed as he heard a hard thud below him. His eyes were wide as he tried to find the elf. “No… no, no, no!”

Clouds slowly began to disperse, and he brought both of his hands to his mouth in horror when he finally spotted the elf. Sportacus had landed on an island of stone – and he wasn’t moving. He was too far down for Robbie to tell if he was even alive, though he prayed to whatever gods were listening that he was. Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head. No… I need to get to him… I need to help him…

It was so far down though… he swallowed, opening and closing his eyes slowly. His crippling fear of heights wasn’t helping, and with all his might he attempted to suppress it. Breath in… breath out… He sighed as he looked at Sportacus. I’m coming to get you…

Robbie was nowhere near as strong as Sportacus, and he knew he would probably end up dead if he were to try and jump down… he frowned as he thought of another way down. He had the power to teleport – a power he used rarely and only when no one was looking. I could try that… but he’s so far down! I’ve never teleported that far before… He narrowed his eyes, biting his lip as he trembled. If I try and fail… no, there’s no point in thinking that way…

With hesitant fingers he snapped, and he closed his eyes as he felt his body fade from the little island. He focused on Sportacus, focused on a spot right next to him. It all happened so quickly, but for him it was far too long. Come on… please… please!

He gasped as he reappeared on the ground of Sportacus’s island, his hands clutching at the stone and his eyes wide. His eyes scanned himself over, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It worked… he felt himself smile, though it didn’t last long though as his attention quickly turned to Sportacus.

Said elf still wasn’t moving. Robbie rushed to his side, his eyes wide. “Please… please, Sportacus! I need you to not be dead right now,” He said as he placed his hand on the elf’s chest. He froze as he focused on finding a breath, heartbeat, anything. His hands were trembling as he felt for any sign of life. “Sportacus… please, you can’t die because of one stupid fall. You can’t ! What am I supposed to tell the kids, huh? You can lift pyramids, but you can’t survive a fall?”

He sniffled as his gaze darted across Sportacus’s body, fear and helplessness causing more and more tears to fall from his face. “How am I supposed to tell Milford and Bessy you’re dead, huh? They’re a mess without you… the mayor will probably be dead within a week without you there to keep him from falling into a sewer or something.”

His lips trembled as he lowered his face to the elf’s chest, pressing his ear against him to try and hear a heartbeat. “Wake up… I need to know what you were going to say to me in the ballroom… I need to know…” Robbie closed his eyes, his hands resting on the elf’s torso in closed fists. “I… I need to know…”

Robbie remembered the way Sportacus had looked at him, the intensity of his eyes… the way he held his hand as he placed it on his crystal… the warmth and bliss he felt from it, and when wondering what this feeling was, Sportacus with his own mind… Love, he called it.

He had called it love.  

And it was love for him.

A strangled sob escaped his lips as he buried his face in the elf’s chest. “I need to know… I need to hear it… do… did… you love me?”

Silence… Robbie was met with silence. Then a soft, gurgling wheeze escaped from underneath his head. The taller man’s eyes shot open, and he straightened to stare at Sportacus with a hopeful look on his face. Sportacus groaned as he opened his eyes. “… Robbie?” Sportacus said, looking at the villain with a dazed look. “How did you get down here?”

“Thank god,” Robbie said, shaking his head with a soft smile as he threw his arms around Sportacus. He felt the elf slowly wrap an arm around him, seemingly confused at the gesture. Robbie sighed, pulling away from the hug to stare at the elf. “Are you okay? I was so worried…”

The elf nodded. “I’m okay,” he said, his voice soft as he slowly sat up. “A little sore though…”

Robbie let out a soft laugh. His heart fluttered in his chest as he looked at Sportacus. This... this reckless, ridiculous... remarkable elf...

I....

He remembered the first time he ever saw Sportacus. Despite being angry that a superhero was in LazyTown again, and worried about the town no longer being lazy... his heart fluttered at the sight of the elf. He was so strong, handsome... kind. It was just a stupid crush that he tried to get rid of by getting rid of Sportacus, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t get rid of the feelings - or get rid of Sportacus himself, and that made him frustrated and bitter for so, so long. 

Bitter because he never, ever thought in a million years that Sportacus could ever return those feelings... he had been alone for so long, so afraid of putting himself on the spot because he was different and people hated him the second they saw who he really was. They got that look in their eyes, that judging look that made it clear that he wasn’t welcome... Sportacus though? Not once did he ever have that look in his eyes. He was always so kind to him, and Robbie hated it because it just made his crush even worse. 

Sportacus was nice to everyone, not just him... he was never special to him, he tried to tell his heart so many times that when Sportacus was nice to him it was just a smile, just a laugh, just a nice gesture because the elf would never ever go for a guy like him...

But now, his heart fluttered with hope, filling him with warmth that spread from his head to his toes. Maybe all those times, all those smiles directed his way, the look in his eyes when their gazes met... Did it mean more? 

In the ballroom, if Jareth had not interrupted... Would Sportacus have confessed?

…  Do you love me?

A hesitant sigh escaped his lips, and he bit his lip… “Sportacus… do you…”

He swallowed, averting his eyes as his nerves got the better of him. I can’t just... Do I just come out and ask? Sportacus’s gaze was soft, his brow raised slightly as he looked at Robbie. The taller man frowned as he fought to regain the courage to continue the conversation. 

“Robbie?” Sportacus said, his tone slow and filled with encouragement for the man to continue. Robbie met his gaze, feeling the redness in his cheeks that he knew was an embarrassing bright red that the elf could have seen for miles. Sportacus’s gaze shifted over Robbie’s face, a light forming in his eyes as he seemed to realize what Robbie was trying to say; trying to ask. 

A sigh escaped his lips, and Robbie met his gaze hesitantly. “I-I need to know the truth... I-In the ballroom...  were you going to say...”

“... That I...” Sportacus paused, his eyes shyly staring into Robbie’s, “... how I feel about you?” 

The taller man froze, biting his lip as he looked away. His heart was thundering in his chest as his face turned more and more red. It took him a moment to find the courage to meet the elf’s gaze once more, and he swallowed hard. “I mean… well... how do you feel about me?”

Sportacus trembled as his gaze shifted away for a second. “I...” Sportacus said, his voice soft as he spoke. After a moment of hesitation, he took both of Robbie’s hands in his own, causing the taller man’s breath to hitch at the feeling. “I... guess I can’t hide it any longer…”

Is this... is this really happening? Robbie’s eyes were wide in shock and fear and anticipation. Is it true?

“…I’ve come a long way from the day I was banished,” Sportacus said. “I chose a new name, built my own airship… It took all of my strength and a century to feel happiness again, and almost a century more to find somewhere that I could call home… I found LazyTown, with Stephanie and all the kids… I found you Robbie...”

Me… Robbie could barely breathe.

Sportacus lifted a hand to Robbie’s face, and the taller man nearly jumped as he felt the elf’s fingers brush against his cheek. Robbie’s eyes were wide as he stared at him, seeing a storm in the blue sea of his eyes. The elf bit his lip before continuing to speak.

“Seeing everything that I care about in danger again - you in danger - it makes me think of what I wish I had said to my family before losing them… if I had known that day was the last time I’d ever see them, I would have told them how much they mean to me. So now… now I’m going to do what I wish I had the chance to do before. Something I probably should have done the first time I met you…”

Robbie was bright red and growing more and more nervous by the second. “Sportacus…”

“Robbie,” Sportacus whispered, placing a tentative finger over the taller man’s lips. The elf was trembling, and Robbie saw his throat constrict as he swallowed. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I need to say it… From the moment I saw you, my heart belonged to you.”

Robbie’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. “Sportacus,” he said, his lips brushing against the elf’s finger. Does he…

“I… I love you Robbie.”

He… He loves me? Robbie’s heart was beating faster than it ever had before. Robbie’s mouth was gaping, and he only realized it as his jaw began to hurt. His voice was hoarse when he finally found the strength to speak. “You love me? Like… ‘Love’ love?”

“Yes… with all of my heart, Robbie, I love you…” Sportacus said.

He loves me… Robbie felt the corners of his mouth upturn slightly as his heart began to soar within his chest. He loves me, he really loves me!

Sportacus sighed, lowering his gaze to the ground. “I… I know I’m your enemy, and I know you don’t love me back, but-”

“HELP!”

Both of them froze, their eyes turning towards the castle – towards the sound of the horrible cry. Robbie knew the voice… He glanced back at Sportacus, and he frowned as he saw the terror on the elf’s face. The crystal at his chest was flickering madly, Robbie didn’t need to touch it to know what was going on.

Stephanie…

Chapter Text

Sportacus felt his body tense, his heart nearly stopping in his chest. The crystal at his chest was beeping – no, screaming – warning him; terrifying him. It was the children… it was Stephanie. Her screams echoed within his mind as well as the world around him, each cry like knives in his heart. Small images of her panicked face flashed before his eyes.

No… no, please, not her!

Then, in an instant the screaming stopped. His crystal faded into silence, though the sinking feeling of fear did not escape him. The only reason for a de-escalation of fear that quickly…

Death.

Death, or Jareth’s tricks. He knew Jareth well enough… he wouldn’t just kill them. Not if they still served a purpose to him. This was a statement. The children were still under his control – a bargaining chip in all of this… and he was threatening their lives.

He would kill them if he didn’t get what he wanted.

“ No …” Sportacus said, his voice quivering as he tried to get to his feet. He wanted to run, needed to run to the children. However, a sharp pain in his chest nearly sent him tumbling over. His ribs ached; he silently hoped that they weren’t broken, though of course with the fall he just had it wouldn’t surprise him. Robbie stood, placing his hands on elf’s shoulders to help steady him.

“Easy,” Robbie said, his voice filled with concern. He squeezed the elf’s shoulders comfortingly, something that would have delighted Sportacus if he weren’t in so much pain. He winced, and Robbie pulled his hands away. The wound on his shoulder was throbbing horribly, the adrenaline in his system doing nothing to take the edge off. Sportacus met the taller man’s gaze, and could see the fear in those grey eyes.

The elf hated seeing such pain coming from the taller man. Robbie looked so worried – all because of him. Sportacus wanted to apologize. He hated that this was happening, especially now after what he just confessed to the taller man. I can’t believe I actually told him… Sportacus sighed, the act causing his ribs to ache. Robbie… I’m sorry.

“…You’re hurt really bad, aren’t you?” Robbie said after a moment, his eyes trailing over Sportacus’s chest.

“I’m fine,” Sportacus said, his brow furrowing as he brought his arm to his ribs, clutching them.

Robbie frowned. “No, you’re not.”

“Don’t worry about me, Robbie…”

“Sportacus-”

The elf shook his head as his body trembled. “Robbie, the kids . I-I can’t… I need to finish this. Now … please… ”

Robbie looked uneasy as his gaze shifted to the ground. If he was going to say something else, he decided against it. Sportacus frowned. He straightened his posture, lowering his arm from his ribs. His eyes closed slowly, and with a shaky breath he exhaled and reopened them.

“We need to get to the castle,” Sportacus said.

Robbie looked at the landscape around them, his gaze shifting down to the nothing below them. He let out a soft shriek, taking a step further from the edge. “Uh… how exactly are we going to get there?”

Sportacus frowned. “Good question…”

The island they were on was slowly drifting away from the castle. Not quickly, but with each second they stood there they risked floating too far away. He brought his hand to his chin, biting his lip at the small twinge of pain the action caused him. If there were more islands nearby, they could try jumping around from island to island until they reached the castle. However, most of the islands were either much farther down from them or too high up…

He paused, catching Robbie’s gaze with a raised brow as he lowered his hand. “Wait… Robbie, how did you get down here?”

Robbie shifted his feet as he lowered his gaze. “I uh… did some things.”

Sportacus narrowed his eyes in confusion. “What things , Robbie?”

A sigh escaped the villain’s lips, and he shifted to stare over at the castle. The elf glanced between the castle and Robbie, shaking his head slowly as he settled his gaze on Robbie. Before he could ask again, the taller man spoke up. “I… I can… teleport. That’s how I got down here.”

“Teleport…” Sportacus said as he looked at Robbie with wide eyes. I didn’t know he could do that…

“Before you ask what I feel like you’re about to ask, no I can’t teleport us over to the castle,” Robbie said, frowning.

“Why not?” Sportacus said.

“Well… I’ve never teleported that far before… or with another person. I’m not sure it’s even possible for me to take someone else. I-I pushed my limits just getting down here… ”

Sportacus sighed, giving Robbie a soft smile – trying to come across as supportive, but he doubted it looked very convincing. “There’s a first time for everything. And we kind of need that time to be now, Robbie… do you think you could try?”

Robbie shot him a nervous look. “Easier said than done, Sport boy. There’s a lot of concentration and energy involved in getting me from Point A to Point B… and usually it’s only like ten feet from my chair to my microwave and then back to my chair. If I mess up, we could end up somewhere in between here and the castle and fall into whatever that nothingness is o-or… or like… parts of us could be missing…”

That made Sportacus a little nervous. “Has… that ever happened to you before?”

“What? The in-between thing or the parts thing?”

“… Either?”

Robbie shook his head. “No, but it could happen – maybe not to me, but you… I really don’t know what to expect for you. Like I said, I don’t even know if I can take you at all …”

Sportacus frowned. The castle was easily half a mile away from them. It wasn’t that far, but there was plenty of room for error… “Robbie?”

“Yeah?” the taller man said.

“If it was just you, do you think you could make it without being hurt?”

It took a moment for Robbie to think, Sportacus watching him bite his lip as he glanced at the castle. “… maybe… yeah. Yeah, I think I probably could…”

“… And if I came with you, do you think you could still be safe?”

Robbie looked at him with wide eyes. “I mean, yeah, I think I’d be fine, but Sportacus-”

“I’m willing to risk it,” Sportacus said. Robbie stammered next to him, looking at the elf in disbelief as he shook his head.

“Y-You know you could die right?” Robbie said, his voice cracking. “D-Do you understand that? You’re p-putting a lot of faith in me-”

“I believe in you,” Sportacus said.

A cold laugh escaped Robbie’s lips. “Yeah, and I believe in Santa, but I wouldn’t trust the guy to perform open heart surgery on me. Sportacus, I-I could kill you.”

“It’s our only chance,” Sportacus said, his tone growing desperate. “ Please. I’m fine with the risks-”

“I’m not! Not after what you said to me!” Robbie said, his eyes wide as he took a step towards the elf. The silence afterwards was deafening, the two men staring at each other; wide eyed, pounding hearts, loud minds. Sportacus felt a flutter in his chest.

“Robbie…”

The villain’s cheeks were flushed, and he let out a huff as he fidgeted with his hands. Sportacus had nothing to say, or perhaps no ability to say anything at all. Robbie stared at him, his lip quivering. The elf just stared back, frozen. As the silence grew uncomfortable, Robbie closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in and out. “… fine.”

Robbie’s movements were fast. Sportacus had no time to react as the taller man threw his arms around him. And when he heard a soft snap behind him, reality distorted. He felt himself become undone , not in a painful way, but it was enough to shock him. Sportacus might have gasped if he still had a mouth… or lungs. If he still had eyes to see, he wondered if he could have seen Robbie or if Robbie was nothing too. The feeling of being nothing at all was so new to him… and he quickly discovered that he hated it. It frightened him.

A feeling of panic filled him that he tried his best to shake but he was alone with his thoughts with no outlets to cope. It was worse than having part of his soul cut off – in less than one second his entire connection to the world was cut off. Complete isolation.

And Robbie puts up with this just to travel ten feet? Sportacus was in awe at the villain. He’s a lot stronger than people give him credit for… or perhaps just ridiculously committed to the idea of being lazy…

Either way… he’s absolutely incredible.

His panic seemed to lessen at the thought of Robbie. He quickly latched on to every thought and memory that resurfaced of the taller man. His eyes, his smile, that one time he dressed up as a dinosaur to try and scare him. That other time he was so exhausted and couldn’t sleep until he fell into his arms…

How peaceful he looked in his arms, the shock he felt at being the catalyst to finally help the poor man rest… Sportacus never stopped to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the reason Robbie fell asleep so fast was because the villain found comfort in him. He doubted his arms were more comfortable than his chair, but if Robbie preferred them over it…

He thought of how much he would love to feel Robbie in his arms again like that… if maybe there was hope that Robbie would be okay with the elf holding him close. If maybe he wanted it just as much as he did… wanted him … Sportacus thought about his confession. How did Robbie feel about it? He wished he could have had the time to ask…

Right before teleporting, Robbie had said… that he wasn’t okay with the risks of this because of what I had said.

What exactly did you mean, Robbie?

After we’re out of the labyrinth and the children are safe…

I’ll ask you Robbie…

…

It almost startled him when he felt arms around him, the feeling of Robbie’s chest rising against his, the smell of cake and sugar from Robbie’s hair. He opened his eyes, noticing the castle before them, feeling the ground beneath his feet, the clothes on his back.

Robbie was breathing heavy, and as Sportacus pulled away he felt the villain stumble right back into him. “Robbie,” Sportacus said, grabbing the villain by the shoulders. Robbie slowly lifted his head, looking into Sportacus’s eyes. Robbie seemed tired, but in his eyes there was more concern than exhaustion.

“You all here?” Robbie said with a soft voice. He patted Sportacus’s sides as if frisking him, eyes trailing over the elf nervously. “No missing parts?”

Sportacus shook his head, looking down at himself briefly, making sure his crystal and his clothes were all intact. Nothing felt out of place or missing. “I think I’m all here.”

Robbie let out a loud sigh, pulling away from the elf to put his hands on his knees. “Good… because I wouldn’t have been able to go back and get them if you forgot them. Would have sucked if you lost your spleen or something-”

A yelp escaped Robbie’s lips as he jumped, just narrowly missing an arrow flying his direction. His focus turned to the castle, and he pointed with wide eyes. Sportacus turned, and he groaned as a swarm of goblins appeared from within the castle walls. Great… just great…

All of the goblins were armed… all of them angry too. There had to be at least fifty of them, and probably more waiting to attack inside. He bit his lips as he studied them, trying to devise a strategy. They didn’t care to give him much time though. They cried out, all manner of noises escaping them as they raised their weapons and charged. Sportacus narrowed his eyes, crouching slightly as he prepared for a fight. Not good…

Sportacus turned slightly to the taller man, not taking his eyes off the goblins. “Robbie, stay back.”

Robbie made a sound of surprise, and Sportacus saw the villain shake his head from the corner of his eye. “What? Sportacus you can’t take them all-”

“I won’t let you get hurt… I can’t …”

“No! Sportacus-”

Sportacus grunted as a goblin jumped onto his leg, holding a club with one hand as they tried to beat the elf’s knees. He grabbed the creature by the neck and threw them far, ripping the club from their hand as he did. As the first wave of goblins came running, he swung. Cries of terror escaped five goblins as they were sent flying like living baseballs. The next eight met the same fate. They seemed to learn after two swings – the third swing only taking out three as more ducked out of the way.

An arrow flew towards his chest, and his balance was thrown off as he dodged it. He stumbled backwards for a moment before regaining balance. Another arrow flew by his leg. His eyes narrowed, scanning the goblin horde. Where are the arrows coming from?

He spotted them atop the castle walls – six archers, all with arrows notched and ready to fire. Three of them let loose their arrows, and Sportacus leapt into a series of back handsprings to avoid them. A cry escaped his lips after just two flips though, an agonizing surge of pain coming from his ribs. He tumbled to the ground, scrambling backwards to avoid being hit by the arrows. Okay… I can’t flip… got it.

The elf barely managed to get to his feet, kicking a few goblins trying to stab his shins. His boot hit one square in the face, and it took out three other goblins as it flew back. Sportacus took its dagger in the process. Carefully, he bent the blade at ninety degrees, examining it quickly before sighing. I have no idea if this will work… With a grunt he tossed it towards the archers, and watched warily as it flew. A goblin jumped on his arm while he was distracted. He winced as it bit deep into his bicep.

“Augh!” He let out a cry as he ripped the creature off of him. Shoot… I hope I can still use this arm…

 His eyes watched the bent blade, and he smiled as it curved midair like a boomerang and took out half of the archers. Huh… that was lucky. The other half jumped down from the castle walls in fear. Below them was a mote, filled with sludge that Sportacus hated to think the contents of, and they fell into it with a sickening plop. Archers down… good . He dodged a flying mace aimed at his head, and then dodged three goblins that jumped towards him.

A dagger flew towards him, grazing his cheek. He brought his hand up to cup it; he felt the blood flowing already. Dang it… that could have killed me.

“Sportacus!” Robbie cried out. He turned to the villain quickly, and his eyes narrowed as Robbie gestured behind him. The three goblins he dodged jumped from behind, daggers and a club shared between him. Sportacus narrowly managed to dive to his right. The goblins collided with a wave of jumping goblins from the front, cries escaping their lips as their bodies slammed into each other.

Sportacus rolled, skidding on his knees away from the collision. He skidded a good twenty feet away, though it didn’t take long for the goblins to close the gap. There were still at least thirty goblins in the horde… all that he did had barely made a dent, and he was already in pretty bad shape.

“You can’t keep fighting alone!” Robbie shouted, his voice cracking as panic filled his voice. “Run! Let me help- anything!”

The elf frowned, glancing at him for only a moment before returning his gaze to the army before him. Robbie was right… but running wasn’t an option. They needed to get in the castle, and they needed to now. Yeah, he needed help… but Robbie, to his knowledge, had no fighting skills. If he was getting this hurt with his experience, Robbie didn’t stand a chance…

And he didn’t have it in him to watch that happen.

An empty smile danced across his face. Everyone always told him how strong he was, how brave and unbreakable he was… but he was so, so fragile. He could lift buildings off their foundations, and then be brought to his knees if a child he protected got hurt. He could face any foe in battle without fear of dying, but he was terrified of seeing those he loved die…

He would let these goblins cut his body into thousands of pieces to keep Robbie safe… because losing him would hurt a million times worse.

Sportacus gave Robbie a soft smile, and before the villain could say a word he dove at the goblins.

“No! Sportacus!”

The elf swept through the goblins with all of his might, pushing some aside, kicking others. One… five… thirteen… he counted in his mind each creature he brought down. Fourteen… sixteen… A goblin slashed a dagger at his leg, managing to make a small gash before the elf kicked him away. Ouch… seventeen…

A goblin cried out as it charged the elf with a battle axe. It was far too heavy for the creature, and Sportacus easily disarmed the creature before tossing them aside. Now this is a weapon I can use… Goblins scattered at the sight of the elf swinging it back and forth, their eyes glinting towards the castle with questions of retreat. Sportacus smiled at the sight of them. Run, he thought. Run and -

His eyes widened as a club hit his side, right against his ribs. All the air within his lungs escaped him at once as he doubled over in pain; he dropped the axe, clutching his chest. It was over.

“Sportacus!”

A goblin charged forward, grabbing the elf’s legs. More followed, and soon Sportacus was overpowered. No… he felt his body lurch forward. The ground met him with a loud thud, his stomach slamming against the hard cobblestone. More and more goblins piled on top of him then. Each one attacked his body with their fists, their claws, beating him with clubs.

“SPORTACUS!”

His ribs ached, his head, his arms, his back… everything ached.

Robbie…

Robbie ran towards the elf, tears streaming down his face as he grabbed a discarded club from the ground. He was swinging before he even reached the pile of goblins on top of the elf. Sportacus… please…

“No! NO!” he cried out, beating a few goblins off the heap. “Get OFF!”

A handful of goblins left the pile, turning their interest to Robbie with sly grins. One bit at his pant leg, and Robbie roared as he brought his heel down on its head. He stomped until the thing was still, then swung the club at two others. They fell to the ground, scurrying away as Robbie raised the club to bring down on them once more.

“That’s right, run!” Robbie said as they retreated back into the castle walls. A few more turned to Robbie, charging at him with weapons raised. He hit one square in the head and sent it flying, another one got rammed with the cap of the club right between the legs. The other charging goblins paused at the sight of Robbie, slowly backing up. Robbie laughed; a horrifying laugh that made even him feel uneasy. “I have nothing left to lose! Fight me, cowards !”

At hearing this, the pile of goblins started to break up, their beady red eyes locked on Robbie. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at them with gritted teeth. Oh… so you guys don’t like being called cowards?

“Yeah, that’s right! You’re all nothing but a bunch of cowards! ”

His gaze shifted towards Sportacus, and he felt some relief fill him as he watched the elf slowly get onto his hands and knees. The elf was shaking, and Robbie could see the pain in his eyes as he slowly turned his head towards him.

“… Robbie… w-what are you doing?” Sportacus said, his voice weak.

Robbie began to back up, the goblins following closer and closer. He could feel the edge of the broken land getting close, below the nothing that it was deteriorating into. A frown formed on his face as his legs stilled; God I hope this works…

“What are you waiting for?” He shouted, sneering at the goblins as they closed in around him. “Too Chicken to attack me?”

Sportacus shook his head, his eyes starting to grow wide. “D-Don’t… Stop-”

Five goblins jumped at him, and he curled into a ball on the ground. It was only a few seconds before every last one was piled on top of him, screaming at him, poking and hitting him in anger. Robbie groaned, his eyes slammed shut as he focused his energy around the mass of goblins and himself. Three… two… one.

He snapped his fingers against his chest, feeling the weight of the goblins vanish from on top of him. Silence surrounded him, and he focused with a nervousness within him. Here goes nothing… he teleported over the edge, having himself as well as every last goblin attacking him appear in midair above the nothingness. There was a split second of weightlessness, and then gravity pulled him down. A gasp escaped his lips, feeling wind fly past his body.

Oh my god… oh my god, I’m falling!

Screaming goblins floated around him, each one shocked and horrified. Robbie closed his eyes, his body trembling from fear as well as the exertion it took to teleport all of them. Okay, okay, breath… Robbie took a few shaky breaths in, his mind focusing on the slowly vanishing edge of the broken land. I can do this…

Energy engulfed him, and he bit his lip. One… two… three! With a quick snap he felt himself become undone. His mind focused, focused harder than it ever had before. Focused on Sportacus…

It was an agonizing few seconds before he felt himself reappear, and he gasped as he staggered onto the cobblestone with wobbly knees. His eyes were wide as he looked around him. He glanced over the still forms of the goblins, over the castle hesitantly… and then over to Sportacus.

The elf was still on his hands and knees, staring at Robbie with shock as his body shuddered from what the villain knew was excruciating pain. He didn’t waste any time in running towards Sportacus, falling to the ground before the hero as his brow furrowed with worry. Sportacus used what little strength was left to close the gap between them. Their arms engulfed each other in a weak, tired hug. Thank god…

Thank god your stubborn, self-sacrificial stupidity didn’t get you killed!

Robbie pulled away slightly, wiping the tears from his eyes as he stared at Sportacus with a frown. His lips quivered as the adrenaline and frustration coursed through his body. “Don’t ever do that again! What were you thinking?! ”

Sportacus was shaking, struggling to keep his head lifted to meet Robbie’s gaze. “I… I’m sorry…” he said. “I couldn’t b-bear to see you get hurt… I’m so, s-so sorry…”

Couldn’t bear to see me hurt, so you throw yourself into a mob? I could have lost you…

Anger rose within the villain, his cheeks flushing as he let out a heated huff. “So, it’s fine for me to just sit back and watch you die ?” He grabbed Sportacus’s shoulders, giving them a gentle yet firm shake. “How dare you? I told you to let me help because I didn’t want to see you get hurt either, you dummy! Do you think I don’t care?”

The elf wheezed, placing a shaky hand on Robbie’s chest. “Robbie…”

Tears fell down Robbie’s face as he shook his head. “You might be a hero, but that doesn’t mean you get to suffer for everyone else! No more sacrificing yourself, you hear me?! Next time I see you doing something like this I’m going to invent a machine that will throw you out of town so fast you-”

Sportacus sighed. “I love you…”

“I love you too, you jerk!”

Robbie froze, as did Sportacus. Anger was quickly replaced by embarrassment, embarrassment by panic… Robbie shifted away from Sportacus with a strained huff as he fidgeted with his hands. Oh no… he felt himself stammer as his lips quivered.

“I… I didn’t mean for that to come out that way…”

Sportacus looked – at least physically – absolutely pitiful. His face was bleeding, his body hunched in pain, his breaths ragged. He looked as if he could topple over any second, and yet the goof still had it in him to smile at the villain. Robbie shook his head, turning away from the hero with a frown.

“You-” Sportacus began to say, but Robbie stopped him.

“I’m sorry, but now’s really not the time to have this conversation, Sporto,” Robbie said as he got to his feet. As he stood, he pulled the elf up with him. Sportacus staggered and nearly fell over. Robbie steadied him, placing his arm around the hero’s side. “You can make puppy eyes at me later when we’re all home safe and sound, okay?”

Sportacus was still smiling. Robbie blushed as he turned towards the castle. I’m never going to live this down…

We’ll be old and gray, and he’ll be telling all the elves at the elf nursing home how much of a dork I am for confessing like that…

A soft smile formed on Robbie’s face as his heart fluttered.

That is, if we do grow old together…

I mean… I wouldn’t mind…

I don’t think he would either.

They took a few steps forwards before Sportacus began to stumble, his legs giving out underneath him. Robbie strained to hold him up, biting his lip as the elf tried to regain his footing. “C-Can you walk?”

Sportacus grunted, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. “I… I don’t think so.”

Robbie frowned. Great… his eyes scanned the castle, looking at every tower and pondering the thousands of stairs they would have to walk up and down trying to find the kids – thousands of stairs he’d have to drag the elf up and down. That would take years…

Then he had an idea. He closed his eyes, focusing on the castle with his energy – as if trying to teleport, but only picturing the destination. If the kids were in danger, he knew they would be with Jareth. The Goblin King had a concentrated energy about him, a coldness that Robbie could never forget; it wouldn’t be hard to figure out where he was. It took a moment, but he felt it – as if stepping into a freezer – and it was coming from one of the tallest towers.

“Hang on,” Robbie said.

Sportacus gasped next to him. “What? Wait-”

Robbie teleported both of them, appearing within the tower within just a few seconds. Sportacus groaned next to him, his head slouching as he leaned heavily on Robbie. A halfhearted chuckle escaped the elf’s lips.

“I… I have to say I hate teleporting.”

The villain was focused on the room before them, his eyes narrowing. Sportacus lifted his head as well to the terrible scene, and a pained gasp escaped his lips.

There were four large windows in the tower, each one nearly floor length and wide; Robbie thought it was a great place to fall from. Jareth seemed to have thought so too. Four children were tied together – Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy and Pixel… and they were dangling from one window by a single rope. Their eyes were glazed over, unresponsive; not from fear, but as if under a spell. It was like they were dolls just hanging out to dry.

Stephanie was by Jareth, an unresponsive look in her eyes too as she sat crumpled on the floor at his feet. Tear stains ran down her cheeks, evidence of distress that the Goblin King had bewitched out of her. He frowned. Acting as if they’re just toys to turn off whenever convenient…

Jareth seemed stunned by their sudden intrusion, a look of shock on his face as his focus centered on Robbie. “How did… never mind.”

He grabbed Stephanie by the front of her dress. With a grunt he dragged her up until he held her hanging off the ground. Before Robbie or Sportacus could say a word, Jareth dangled her out of a window. Robbie gasped as he brought his hands to his mouth.

“Stephanie!” Sportacus cried out, taking a few steps towards the girl before crumbling to the ground in pain. He was wide eyed as he stared up at the Goblin King. “Let her go!”

An amused smile formed on Jareth’s face. “Alright,” he said, loosening his grip. Stephanie slipped only a little from his grasp, and both Robbie and Sportacus attempted to lurch forward and grab her. Jareth gave them a look, a threat. “Come any closer and I will drop her. She will fall to her death and die.”

Robbie trembled as he stared at Jareth. He’s even more coldhearted than when Sportacus was a child…

Sportacus shook his head, slowly crawling to his hands and knees before Jareth. “Don’t… You can’t just kill her… you’re bound by the rules of our challenge!”

This just made the Goblin King laugh. “The rules of the challenge are mine to make, and not a single rule says I cannot do what I will with the children I capture. If she dies, it is because you failed to save her.”

The elf gritted his teeth as he glared at Jareth. “If she dies, you will pay ! I will tear you to shreds !”

“Oh, will you?” Jareth said, shaking his head. “That’s not very becoming of a ‘hero’ now is it?”

“I’m a hero for her, not you,” Sportacus said. “Hurt her and I’ll have no problem playing the bad guy.”

Jareth turned to glance at Stephanie with an inquisitive sneer. “Ah, just as I suspected… she’s your favorite, isn’t she?” He said, side glancing Sportacus. A look of shock formed on the elf’s face, and Jareth tsked at him as if chastising a child. “Oh, you know better than to pick favorites… I figured she would be though – she’s just like you were when you came to me all those years ago. Foolish, overconfident in her ability to save herself. I almost assumed she was yours…”

Sportacus growled. “Jareth-”

“Of course, though, she’s nothing but a worthless human girl,” Jareth said with a chuckle. “An orphaned, unimportant wretch… I could let her slip from my grasp right now and barely anyone would notice she’s gone – you would though. It would hurt to lose her, now wouldn’t it?”

“Did it hurt when you lost Sarah ?” Sportacus said.

Robbie’s brow quirked, glancing between Sportacus and Jareth.

… Sarah...

His eyes widened as Jareth yelled, his voice rising into a screech. He shook Stephanie, his body trembling with rage as he looked down at Sportacus with crazed eyes. “Don’t say her name! DON’T say her name again! If you do, I will drop this brat and all the others faster than you can blink! Don’t think I won’t, you know I will! ”

Robbie shook his head, dread filling him as his legs trembled where he stood. “W-Why? Why are you doing this?”

Jareth shot him a blank stare. “To make a point, my dear… I want what I want, and I will get it. I have moved the stars, pushed myself to the limit, and I am tired of waiting. What you see before you is a desperate man – desperate for one thing… all I wanted was you.”

Sportacus slowly pushed himself into a kneeling position. “You will never have Robbie. Ever! Your evil plan has failed! I have won!”

“You will have never won until I am dead!” Jareth said, his eyes darting to Sportacus. “I need him! I will tear the labyrinth apart brick by brick until only rubble is left to have him! I will kill to have him, whatever the cost, he will be mine! I am KING of the Labyrinth; this is my domain! I have the power here to do whatever I want, and I will use every last bit of my power to have him!”

“You have no power over him!”

Robbie’s eyes widened, his stomach in knots as he took a deep breath in … Me?

This… this really is all about me?

I… I thought all of this was to get back at Sportacus… He wasn’t just using me to hurt Sportacus?

… Then why does he want me? What use am I to him? What horrible plans do I have a part in?

“I have had enough of your voice, elf!” Jareth said, his teeth bared. “I’m in control! I’m the one who has the last word! The more you try and subvert this truth, the more I’ll make you suffer!”

His gaze returned to Stephanie. Robbie stared in shock as he raised his free hand to the girl, an angry spark of magic in his palm as he pressed his fingertips to her forehead. It was like a light switch going off. One second Stephanie was catatonic, the next she was screaming in fear at having regained consciousness dangling hundreds of feet in the air.

“Help! Help, Sportacus!” She cried, eyes wide as she stared at the elf. Tears were streaming down her face, and she kicked her legs out at Jareth. The Goblin King hissed, shaking her slightly.

“Do you want me to drop you, you fool?” He said, glaring coldly at her.

“Stephanie, stay calm – I-I’ll save you!” Sportacus said, reaching a trembling hand out to her as tears streamed down his own face. Stephanie’s lips quivered, and she sniffled as she stared wide eyed at the hero. Robbie could see the doubt on her face; Sportacus didn’t look like he could save even himself at the moment…

Jareth laughed, throwing his head back as he did so. “Oh, you’re going to save her?” he said, shaking his head at Sportacus. “… then who’s going to save them?”

He gestured to the other four children, their bodies still as they dangled from the window. Sportacus looked at the children, confusion in his face as well as rage. “I will save them too.”

“Oh, I’m afraid not…” Jareth said, a sickeningly sweet tone lacing his voice as he mocked the elf. “You see… right now, I’m giving you a choice.”

Sportacus froze. “… What choice?”

“Don’t worry yourself over this – it should be an easy choice for you,” Jareth said. He paused, a faux look of contemplation forming on his face. “Or maybe not, it depends on what really matters more to you. Duty, or love? Serve and protect the needs of the many over the needs of yourself… or be selfish and protect what matters most to you?”

The elf’s eyes went wide. “No…”

“Yes…” Jareth said, a glint in his eyes as a toothy sneer marred his face. “That is your choice now. Stephanie, or every other child under your charge. Whomever you choose to save… the other will be thrown to their death.”

Robbie gasped. Dear god…

Stephanie let out a panicked cry, her hands clutching at the fist holding her up. “No… no, no, no! Please!”

“It’s too late for please, you insolent brat!” he shouted to her before turning back to the elf. “It’s too late for you too! There’s no amount of talking, fighting, not even begging that could ever get you out of this choice – the child you love as your own, or the children you’ve promised to protect? Who will you save?”

Sportacus shook his head as he bit back sobs. “Y-You monster!”

“Choose! Choose now, or I will choose for you!”

“Jareth, you can’t do this!” Robbie said, his voice shaking as he looked at the Goblin King.

A soft frown appeared on Jareth’s face. “Is this not what you wanted? Did you not want to be free of these pests? You wished them away – I did as you asked of me, if you do not like what you see then you shouldn’t have wished for this. This is all your doing; you have no one to thank but yourself.”

“Robbie don’t listen to him,” Sportacus said.

… Despite Sportacus's words Robbie froze, his gaze shifting down to the floor of the tower. He knew that it wasn’t his fault that the kids were probably about to die – it was not him holding Stephanie out the window threatening to drop her.

But it was his fault that they were there. He never intended for this to happen, of course, but it was still the result of his careless actions. It wasn’t right for him to have said that he wished the kids would disappear, especially right in front of them. This was all his mess. And now…

Now Stephanie was staring at him wide eyed, tears rolling down her cheeks silently asking him why. Why was she suffering? Why was she about to die, or watch all of her friends die?

Because he put her here…

He was their villain after all.

“Ah, you poor thing,” Jareth said, causing Robbie to stare up at him. “I can see the regret on your face… you didn’t want it like this, yet here we are… though, it is not too late for you to fix it.”

Robbie frowned. “… Fix it?”

Sportacus shook his head as he stared at Robbie. “No, Robbie-”

“Yes, you can fix all of this, my dear,” Jareth said with a smile – a cold, calculated smile that showed absolutely no warmth. “All of this can just go away, no one has to get hurt. They can all be sent home safe and sound, free of me forever… And all you have to do is agree to stay with me.”

Sportacus growled next to him, turning to Jareth with gritted teeth. “Never.”

“That is not your choice to make, little prince,” Jareth said, his eyes growing wicked again as his gaze shifted away from Robbie. “Your choice is whether I drop the brat in my hands, or the brats hanging over there. You have less than a minute to decide.”

“I’m not letting you play god with me,” Sportacus said, clenching his fists. “I challenge you-”

“I’m not interested,” Jareth said.

“-to fight to the death,” Sportacus said, shakily getting to his feet before the Goblin King. “My skills against your own – anything goes. Winner takes all.”

Jareth paused, looking at Sportacus silently; his eyes trailed over the elf in amusement. Robbie knew exactly what was going on in Jareth’s mind.

It would be the easiest fight of his life.

Robbie frowned, grabbing Sportacus’s arm. “Sportacus, what are you doing? Look at yourself, you can’t take another fight!”

“I have to try,” Sportacus said, his eyes remaining on the Goblin King. “I have to save the kids; I have to save you.”

“You. Will. Die,” Robbie said. His heart was pounding inside of his chest, his eyes searching the elf’s face in confusion and pain. “I told you to never sacrifice yourself again! Why are you ignoring what I asked?!”

“... I have no choice, Robbie,” Sportacus said, turning only slightly to give the taller man a sad glance. “I’m sorry… I can’t…”

I can’t either… tears welled up in Robbie’s eyes as he shook his head. I can’t watch you die…

Jareth looked at Robbie, not saying a word as he smiled; waiting.

Robbie glanced between him and Sportacus, biting his lip as it began to tremble. Sportacus was giving all his effort just to remain standing, his bruised and bleeding body exhausted and aching. He was stubborn, and in his eyes, Robbie could see the fire begin to die.

This was a suicide. Sportacus knew that if he went through with this, it would be the very last thing he ever did. It would be quick, despite his efforts to try and draw it out – in hope perhaps that Robbie and the children could somehow manage to escape during his slaughter.

And there was a chance that might work – Robbie could try and teleport himself and the children out, back to LazyTown before Jareth could stop them. They could be home, attempting to live on from this nightmare while pretending that none of it ever happened; all the while hoping that Jareth wouldn’t come back and take them again.

But Sportacus would be dead. He would die a meaningless, pitiful death for them – though if they succeeded in escaping, who was to say that Jareth wouldn’t drag out his agony further in retribution. Robbie shook his head at the thought of Sportacus rotting away in some dark dungeon, alone and hurt.

Sportacus was willing to do that though – he was willing to suffer on the slight chance that they all could live. He was willing to die, and he would if nothing stopped him.

… Robbie couldn’t let that happen.

For so long, he had been alone, thinking that he would never be cared for, appreciated, or welcomed. It made him bitter; it made him a villain. He had done many things out of anger in his life because he had nothing else.

However… he wasn't alone anymore. Where before he was empty, now he was full - full of hope... and full of love. Sportacus had given that to him, without tricks or lies, without expectation of getting anything in return. It was everything he had ever wanted... and just knowing that he was loved stirred a courage within him that wouldn’t back down.

It was high time that he did something out of love instead of hate.

Jareth wasn't going to hurt Sportacus, or the children - not now, and not ever again. Whatever he had to do to ensure that, he'd do it...

This was his quest, after all.

“... I will stay with you.”

Jareth smirked.

Robbie forced himself to not look at Sportacus; he couldn’t bear to see the look on his face, the shock and horror that he knew his words caused. He focused on Jareth, swallowing hard as he forced himself not to cry. Bold, reserved. Inside himself he was screaming.

I’m sorry…

“No, Robbie,” Sportacus said, grabbing Robbie’s arm. The elf brought his hand to the taller man’s face, attempting to turn his gaze. It took all of Robbie’s strength to pull away from the elf and walk towards the Goblin King. Sportacus stilled behind him. “Don’t… don’t. You can’t give yourself up...”

“I will stay with you,” Robbie repeated, his eyes locked with Jareth’s. “Just give me your word that everyone will be returned home safe - and never pursued by you again… promise me, with your life, and I will be yours.”

There was no hesitation from the Goblin King.

“I promise.”

“Robbie,” Sportacus said, and Robbie heard the elf stagger forward, only to fall to his knees. “Please... please! You've come so far, you can't give in now. Not now!"

Robbie took a deep breath in, his eyes opening and closing with the act. He took another step forward, only for Sportacus to reach out and grab his leg. The elf was shaking, both in desperation and pain, yet he clung to him more fiercely than he ever had before.

"... I can save you," He said, his voice almost too soft to hear, breaking from what Robbie knew were tears. "I can save everyone. Just let me try... Trust me, please...  I have to try, I have to try because I love you...”

Took the words right out of my mouth...

Robbie trembled, closing his eyes. “I know you do.”

…  which is why I have to do this.

Jareth laughed, pulling Stephanie from the window as he glared at Sportacus. “Pitiful.”

Stephanie cried out in shock as she was sent flying across the room, colliding with Sportacus with a thump that he knew had to have hurt. Robbie bit his lip as he stared at the floor, still refusing to turn to look at the elf and the pink haired little girl he was saving. I’m sorry…

He felt Jareth’s hand on his arm, and with a gasp he was pulled against the Goblin King. Those mismatched eyes bore into his with a look that made his hair stand on end. Possessiveness, greed… Evil, in the sickest form.

“No! ” Sportacus cried out, his voice so heart-breaking and desperate…

Robbie tried his best to fight it. He knew it would be the most painful thing he would ever witness in his life… but he couldn’t resist the urge to glance at the elf, just one last time. A whimper escaped his lips as he saw the tears in those blue eyes, the way his lips trembled as he reached out to him, still pleading for Robbie as his heart was breaking. I’m sorry…

Jareth cupped Robbie’s chin, turning his gaze back to himself. A soft glow formed in the corner of Robbie’s eyes, engulfing Sportacus and Stephanie – as well as the still catatonic kids; they were leaving now. Their suffering would soon be over...

“ROBBIE… ” Sportacus’s cry faded into nothingness.

They were safe. Gone.

Forever.

I’m sorry…

I’m so, so sorry…

Chapter Text

With a flash of light, Stephanie found herself in the courtyard of LazyTown. The asphalt was firm below her feet as she stumbled a few steps forward in shock. Stray tears still clung to the corners of her eyes – her swollen cheeks and the sharp stinging of salt from crying, however, were gone. Her body felt renewed, as if the events of the past fourteen hours never happened. Stephanie’s mind though was still raw with emotion.

Jareth…

Robbie.

Her gaze shifted around the courtyard, and she felt relieved to see her friends stumbling around as well. Their eyes were hazy, dazed at having found themselves back home so suddenly. None of them had consciously witnessed what happened… for their sake, Stephanie was thankful. She didn’t want to think about how scared they would have been hanging from that window – so close to falling.

She didn’t want them to have seen Sportacus in the state he was in either… Her eyes widened slightly, and she turned her head back and forth in search of the hero. It didn’t take her long to find him – he was kneeling on the ground a few feet behind her. All the wounds he had seemed to be gone, which she was thankful for; Sportacus had looked in so much pain. His hat and undershirt were back as well. He looked like the same old Sportacus she knew and loved…

But in his eyes, she could see the brokenness… his heart was hurting far worse than any of those wounds did. His gaze was unfocused, miles and miles away.

“Sportacus…” Stephanie said, taking a few steps towards him. The hero snapped back to reality, eyes turning to hers... and she noticed the way his face contorted into a neutral expression – forcing away the pain from just a moment ago. This made Stephanie frown.

She had witnessed what happened too… she knew that he was hurting; why did he try and pretend otherwise?

“Stephanie?” A voice said from behind her. She turned to see her uncle, standing alongside Miss Busybody with puffy eyes and trembling lips. He looked her up and down for a second, and then let out a relieved sob as he strode towards her. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re back! You’re okay!”

He pulled her into a hug that was too tight, though she didn’t complain. She could tell by the way he was shaking that he had been terrified the whole time they were gone. He needs a hug just as badly as the rest of us… Her arms wrapped around him in return, patting his back as he rocked back and forth.

“I’m sorry Uncle,” she said, her voice quiet as she struggled to take breath in from the strength of his embrace.

“No, don’t apologize,” he said, his voice shaking. “I-I’m just so glad you’re back… I was so worried; I didn’t know what I would do… how I would forgive myself if… if…”

His voice broke into a quiet sob, and she sighed as she felt his tears against her shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault, Uncle Milford…” Stephanie said.

“Y-Yes, I know that,” he said, sniffling loudly. “But I promised… I promised to watch out for you – to make sure that you’re receiving what you need, and that you’re happy …”

Stephanie frowned. It had been a long time since that first summer in LazyTown - the summer following her parent's accident. At first, it was just for the school break – until permanent accommodations were made for her to live with another relative. It was just a vacation as far as she was concerned, a place to recover and heal from what had happened.

She had told everyone that her parents were just on a ‘business trip’ for a few months. It was a lie, of course, and she hated lying. But she was never supposed to stay long, and they didn’t need to know otherwise… she didn’t want sympathy, didn’t want to think about it. In fact, to this day the only person in LazyTown who knew besides her uncle and Bessy was Sportacus, and that’s how she wanted it to stay.

Because this way, it was almost like it never happened…

But it did happen, and it hurt – and it was still hurting her uncle.

When that first summer ended, her stay was extended by a few more months… and then plans to live with other relatives completely fell through. She didn’t mind, of course, since she had grown attached to LazyTown – but for her uncle, it was agonizing. He attempted to make other plans, though they never got far. Stephanie was stuck with him. About a year after that first summer, he began the paperwork to register as her permanent guardian. 

She was always a bit concerned about her uncle. It was all so sudden for him to go from living alone, to having to take care of her for a few months, and then to being her permanent caregiver – he never complained, though she knew that worrying about her was stressful. While he did his best, Stephanie could tell that he was in over his head when it came to taking care of a child.

“It’s okay,” Stephanie said, pulling away from her uncle’s hug. “I’m okay now… I'm okay.”

Milford turned to Bessy, who was busy giving the other kids hugs and kisses. He smiled, a sudden calmness overcoming him before slowly walking towards them. Stephanie followed shortly after. It was nice to see her friends smiling, relief on their faces at having all of this be over. Once they saw Stephanie, they rushed at her and pulled her into a big group hug.

“Stephanie, you were right!” Ziggy said, bouncing up and down excitedly. “We were saved! Sportacus came and saved us all!”

She frowned slightly, though didn’t say anything.

He didn’t save us…

“I never doubted for a second,” Trixie said, placing her hand on Stephanie’s shoulder.

Pixel sighed. “I heard you doubt at least five times,” he said, crossing his arms as he shook his head.

“Look who's talking,” Trixie said, snorting as she began to chuckle. “We all heard you cry like a big baby-”  

“Children, children,” Bessy said, a sternness to her voice. “Enough bickering. You've been back all of five minutes and you're already at each others throats... can we be civil, just for a moment?”

The kids shuffled their feet as they looked at the ground. “Yes, Miss Busybody,” they said in unison.

Uncle Milford sighed, his eyes looking over the children anxiously. “I’m just so glad that everyone’s safe and home, and that no one got hurt.”

Stephanie’s frown deepened, and she bit her lip slightly as her gaze shifted over to Sportacus. He was no longer kneeling on the ground, instead standing with his hand resting against a tree; his back was turned from the group… her brow raised with concern.

Sportacus…

“Stephanie?” Pixel said, his voice soft as he touched her arm. She turned to him, and the look in her eyes seemed to concern him – as well as everyone else in the group.

“What’s wrong, Stephanie?” Milford asked, worry once again filling his voice. Soon everyone was joining in a chorus of asking her what was wrong, and she sighed as a few tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Robbie… She thought of the way he had looked at them before the Goblin King sent them away. He looked scared and hurt and hopeless …

“… Robbie got left behind,” Stephanie said, her voice soft as she crossed her arms against herself. Confused chatter came from everyone, their eyes meeting one another’s before turning back to her.

“Robbie Rotten?” Bessy said, her tone piqued in interest as her brow furrowed ever so slightly. A light appeared in her eyes suddenly - as if remembering something she'd long forgotten. “Yes, that’s right… he went missing too, didn’t he? Sportacus had him tag along to look for all of you… I guess I’d forgotten about that – all this time I thought he was down in his little hole sleeping…”

“They went out into the prairie in Sportacus’s FlyPod and never came back,” the Mayor said, shaking his head as he brought his hand to his chin - he too seemingly forgetting all about the villain. “I was mad at him before… in fact, I was certain he was the reason all of this happened.”

“That’s because he was,” Trixie said, crossing her arms as a pout formed on her lips. Her eyes were narrowed as a glint of anger formed in her eyes. “I remember now... Robbie was the one who wished us away!”

“Yeah – Jareth said that Robbie told him to take us!” Ziggy said, a frown forming on his usually cheerful face. Stephanie watched as the faces of her friends all soured – anger replacing confusion and fear. A look formed on her uncle’s face that she could only describe as rage.

“He didn’t …”

“Of course … who else could have done this?” Bessy said with a scoff as she puckered her lips in disgust. She and the mayor exchanged a look – one of those adult looks, their eyes speaking a conversation understood only by each other. Both of them huffed as they crossed their arms. “Well, if you ask me, he got what was coming to him!”

Trixie said, nodding in agreement with Bessy. “It’s what he deserves – he betrayed us!”

Stephanie’s jaw clenched as she felt anger rise within her.

“He saved us!” she said, her voice cracking as she looked at them all with tear filled eyes. “You guys didn’t see what happened – you don’t know what he did! Jareth was going to hurt us all… he would have thrown me from the top of the castle, and I would have died!”

Milford gasped, both confused and horrified. “S-Stephanie-”

“But Robbie … Robbie gave himself away as prisoner to Jareth so that we could all go home! He made Jareth swear to never hurt us again in exchange for his freedom… he stayed behind for us! I-I know he’s tried to hurt us in the past, a-and yeah, he wished us away, but he set everything right! He made sure we got home! We wouldn't be here without him.”

Everyone looked to the ground, frowns on their faces. Stephanie couldn’t tell whether they were from shame or further confusion; perhaps a bit of both.

Pixel was the first to speak up, lifting his gaze with a sigh. “I’m sorry, Stephanie…” he said, shaking his head. “I never would have thought…”

“Robbie really did that?” Trixie said, a bit of confusion as well as doubt filling her voice. “I always thought he hated us… I mean, you heard what he said when he got hit in the head with our soccer ball, right?”

“He said he hated us…” Ziggy said.

“Sometimes people say things out of anger that they don’t really mean,” Stephanie said, turning to Ziggy. “He wouldn't have saved us if he meant that.”

Trixie let out a soft sound, like a groan mixed with a sigh. “Okay, so he did something good for once. One good thing out of, what, ten thousand bad? What exactly do you want us to do about it, Pinkie?”

“Go back and save him,” Stephanie said without a moment’s hesitation. Her uncle let out a noise, something that sounded like a mix between a cough and a gasp. She turned her head to look at him, noticing the shock in his eyes; the panic.

“Oh no, no, no,” He said, his eyes wide he shook his head. “I-I cannot allow that – it’s far too dangerous! No, you children shouldn’t concern yourself with this any longer. I will call the police department in RottenVille a-and they’ll handle it from here.”

Stephanie met his gaze with a frown. “This isn’t a problem they can fix, Uncle Milford!” she said, clenching her fists at her side in frustration. “They can’t just drive into the Labyrinth and handcuff Jareth!”

“Well then how are we supposed to fix this? No, forget that – how are we even going to get in the Labyrinth?” Pixel said, crossing his arms. “It’s not like there’s a door. Or a sign saying, ‘Labyrinth this way’ leading us to it.”

“Sportacus and Robbie found their way in,” Stephanie said, determination in her voice. “Sportacus will help us, isn’t that right-”

She turned to where the hero had been standing just a moment ago. However, she quickly noticed that he was gone. Her eyes darted around, searching for Sportacus with no luck.

Why did he run off?

… could it be that he's already leaving to save Robbie?!

“Stephanie, please,” her uncle said, gently grabbing her arm. “Let’s be reasonable. There’s nothing that can be done right now, at least by you – that’s a job for superheroes! I’m sure Sportacus will handle this… and if not, I’m sure Mr. Rotten will be just fine…”

Stephanie felt herself scowl. “He’s in a lot more trouble than you think!”

She didn’t want to think of what was happening to the man… He was probably locked away in some dark dungeon, all alone and terrified. Who knows what Jareth would do to him – Turn him into a goblin? Throw him from a tower? Keep him locked away for all eternity?

Part of her wondered if Jareth would make Robbie marry him, just like all the evil kings did to the princesses in her fairytales.

Robbie can’t go through that… he can’t be abandoned to face that fate…

“Stephanie…” Ziggy said, looking up as Stephanie with a frown. “I know you feel bad, but… there’s nothing you can do – the mayor is right, you should just let Sportacus handle it…"

“Sportacus can't do this alone,” Stephanie said, more and more frustration filling her voice. "If we all helped him, then maybe-"

“No, Stephanie,” Uncle Milford said, a sternness to his voice that Stephanie had never heard from him before. She stared at him, wide eyed as he looked down at her with an almost angry expression. “I’m glad that Robbie did something good for all of you, but what's done is done… all we can do now is hope that either Sportacus or the police get this handled. I am not letting anyone else get lost today - as the mayor of this town, I forbid anyone from going back to…"

He trailed off, his eyes turning then to the other children.

"Where did you guys go, exactly?”

“… I got some scans on my digipad,” Pixel said, slowly typing at a gadget in his hands. His gaze lowered – away from the gawk Stephanie was sending his direction.

Pixel…

She looked at her friends with a frown. They didn’t see what she did, didn’t feel the fear of being so close to death - and it was looking more and more like they would never get what happened… no matter how much she tried to explain it to them. Robbie saved them; Robbie was a hero, and she knew that if it had been Sportacus that stayed behind all of them would be scrambling to try and save him.

Sportacus…  

He understood what Robbie did, he saw it with her.

Stephanie sighed, glancing at the ground as she clenched her fists.

“I don’t think you guys understand how much Robbie needs us… I say that because I don't want to accuse you of not caring, even though that's how you are acting. I know Robbie has done a lot of bad things, but… I still consider him a friend. And friends don’t leave friends behind...”

She took off running, ignoring her uncle and everyone else’s calls for her to come back. She couldn't deal with them right now. Right now, she needed someone who was hurting like she was; someone who was mourning like she was.

She needed Sportacus

Her eyes glanced at Sportacus’s airship, which was parked on the ground close to the edge of town. She hoped that’s where he had gone… as she started towards it though, someone reached out and grabbed her wrist. Stephanie turned, hoping to see the hero...

But instead she was met by Stingy. A confused look formed on her face as she looked at the boy.

He wasn’t looking at her, his gaze on the ground as he shuffled his shoes in what looked like embarrassment. Stephanie thought back to the conversation she just had with her friends – only now noticing that Stingy had remained silent during the entirety of it. She paused, looking at him with puzzled yet soft eyes as she waited for him to speak.

“Stephanie…” he said with a frown on his face. “I’m here to apologize for my behavior.”

Stephanie shook her head, her lips quirking into a small smile. “Stingy, it’s okay; you don’t need to apologize for what happened.”

“Yes I do...” Stingy said, putting his hands in his pockets. He cleared his throat, looking away with a pout on his lips. “I’m apologizing because of… of how I acted back in that Labyrinth place. I remember it all… I’m so embarrassed!”

“I forgive you Stingy,” Stephanie said, sighing as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “We can just forget it ever happened, alright?”

Stingy shook his head. “No, no, I shouldn’t forget this. I was the reason we couldn’t escape on our own…”

“... you couldn't help it,” Stephanie said, smiling softly at him. It wasn’t a genuine smile, but she felt that it was convincing enough. "We all know that Stingy."

“You’re just saying that,” Stingy said with a sigh, shaking his head as his brow furrowed in frustration. “I know why I did what I did. I've been trying really hard to be better, Sportacus has been helping me... but all of that hard work was thrown away because I wanted to throw it away – and it was all for a stupid piece of glass…”

With an exhale, Stingy removed a hand from a pocket…

And in his palm was his crystal. Stephanie froze, looking at it with fear. She had destroyed everyone else’s crystal – everyone except his. Part of her wondered why Jareth hadn’t destroyed it… the other part worried that he hadn’t for a reason; he could be watching them right now.

“... drop it,” Stephanie said. "Now... please."

There was a lot of hesitation from the boy, his eyes flitting over the crystal for a long time before he listened to Stephanie. It slipped from his fingers, falling to the grass at his feet with a quiet thud. His eyes dancing over it one last time before turning his back towards it and Stephanie. He let out a deep breath, his shoulders tensing and untensing.

“Sportacus told me that I need to be able to let things go,” Stingy said, a slight laugh to his voice. “I... I've never been able to do that... I don't think I ever will.”

His head turned to meet her gaze a final time... and she could see in his eyes a hint of the same look she'd seen in her friends eyes back in the labyrinth - glossy, unfocused. Whatever Jareth had done still lingered with him, just as it still lingered for her and Sportacus.

"... we'll get him, Stingy," Stephanie said - and she meant every word. "I promise."

He regarded her for a moment longer before wordlessly walking away, leaving Stephanie and the crystal frozen where he left them. She looked down at it, swallowing hard.

Stephanie thought for a moment, thinking of how to pick it up and carry it without actually touching it. Then, with a shaky sigh she removed one of her shoes. She scooped the crystal into it, looking down one last time before turning her gaze back to the airship.

Now to go see Sportacus…

She ran, careful of her steps now that she only had a single shoe on. As she approached the airship, it grew increasingly clear that Sportacus was not there. She expected Sportacus to have already begun to take off – on his way to rescue Robbie. However… some strange men were there instead. She believed they might have been farmers that lived outside of town. They were towing Sportacus’s FlyPod into town from the surrounding prairie. One of them shot her a wave, along with a smile. She frowned, returning the gesture as she turned her gaze away.

If Sportacus was there, he would be helping them… where else could he be?

She thought, bringing her hand to her chin. Sportacus looked really sad… and if he wasn’t already trying to go save Robbie, then perhaps he went somewhere to be left alone…

There was only one place in LazyTown good for that.

Sportacus didn’t know why he went down there.

Perhaps part of him hoped that maybe Robbie would be there – waiting for him. He would find him asleep in his orange chair, snoring softly, as if nothing had ever happened. His eyes would flutter open as Sportacus woke him up… maybe he would look up sleepily and tell him again that he loved him.

I love you too, you jerk…

Sportacus let out a shaky sigh. Even though Robbie had been frustrated with him – his voice loud and angry tears streaming from his grey eyes – those words had meant everything to him. All he wanted was to hear Robbie say it again… even if it was just one last time.

But he never would. He found nothing down in Robbie’s lair – nothing but soulless machinery. 

Robbie was gone. Forever.

He approached the villain's vacant chair, running his hand through the fluff as his body trembled. His chest ached, his heart breaking within him.

His knees buckled, and he collapsed to his knees on the orange rug below. As he buried his face in the orange fur of Robbie’s chair, he let himself break completely.

Sobs wracked his body, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists in the orange tufts of the abandoned chair. Anger and sorrow and disgust and hatred raced through his mind and his heart. Robbie, the man he had imprinted on… the man he had bound his soul to… was now the possession of a monster. He would never be able to hold him close, to tell him that he loved him, to kiss him…

Possessiveness could be an ugly emotion, but right now he didn’t care; it didn’t really matter much anymore. Jareth had taken him from him… It made his skin crawl and his heart filled with pure, white hot rage…

And tears fell relentlessly from his eyes.

He took him from me… 

The rage within him started to make his stomach turn, and he gritted his teeth. It was moments like this that Sportacus wished he could talk to his father – there was so much he never got to learn, things that he was 'too young' to know before that he'd now never get the chance to understand. Was it supposed to hurt this much when you lost the one you imprinted on? Was it supposed to feel like your chest was being ripped open?

Would the pain ever end, or was this a wound that would never fully heal?

He brought a hand to his chest, clenching over his heart as gasps escaped him. He bit his lip, and his eyes slammed shut as the pain overwhelmed him.

... he knew the answer to the last one already - he could feel it in what was left of his soul. 

Robbie…

If I had just listened to you during the fight outside the castle, I would have had the strength to beat Jareth in a duel – and you wouldn’t have had to give up your freedom.

Not for the kids.

Not for me…

I failed us.

Two Hundred years of training, only for him to have lost to Jareth again. He had learned nothing… even with Jareth weaker than ever before, he still lost to him. Robbie was gone because of him… Robbie was a slave because of him.

“This is all my fault…” he said, his voice breaking from both pain and despair.

“… Sportacus?”

His eyes widened, and he hastily wiped his eyes as he turned to see Stephanie. She stood at the edge of the rug, one of her shoes in her hands and a frown on her face. There was confusion – perhaps a bit of fear in her eyes, and she lowered her gaze to stare at the ground.

I don’t want her seeing me like this…

Stephanie had already seen enough... too much. She had to experience being dangled from a window, along with gods know what else. It had been traumatizing for him just watching it; she had to suffer through it. And unlike him, she was still just a child. He knew she was probably terrified because of what happened – far more than he was. All at once, he forced his anguish down. This was no longer about him. No matter what happened to him, he would always be there for her when she needed him… and right now, she needed him to be a hero.

“I’m sorry,” he said slowly, getting to his feet as he turned to fully face her.

“It’s okay,” Stephanie said, her voice shaking slightly. “You’re sad… and I’m sad too.”

Sportacus looked at her with a frown, opening his arms to her. “Stephanie, come here.”

She shook her head, biting her lip. “… We need to go save Robbie.”

A deep frown marred the elf’s face. He felt his jaw clench, and he fought the urge to cry once more. If he had the power to, he would have entered the Labyrinth within seconds of being sent back to LazyTown. He would have been halfway back to the castle, his rage at Jareth fueling him – driving him to save Robbie.

But he had no power over Jareth… and he couldn’t enter the Labyrinth. Not now, and not ever again. Jareth had Robbie, and with Robbie he would restore the Labyrinth and himself to full power. There was nothing that Jareth would risk losing that power over now; he wouldn’t accept any challenges, wouldn’t take any children… Any pleas would be ignored. 

There was nothing he could do.

“You don’t know how much I wish I could,” Sportacus said, his tone neutral to hide his pain. “But… we can’t get back into the Labyrinth. The challenge is over. We lost.”

Stephanie looked up at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening slightly as she shook her head. “What? No… we have to go save Robbie! We can't just leave him behind!”

Sportacus tried to force away thoughts of what Robbie was going through – being used for his power, locked away in one of the castle rooms or perhaps even a dungeon, alone except for when Jareth needs to steal his strength… 

“Stephanie… he’s gone. There’s nothing we can do.”

“B-But…” Stephanie was trembling, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at the elf. Her brown eyes looked into his in a way that made his heart ache. She looked terrified and helpless, frowning before lowering her face to the floor. Then, after a moment, came a flicker of something in her eyes - something that Sportacus immediately didn't like. Her gaze lifted to his, a pained yet determined look on her face as her lips trembled. 

“Sportacus… what if you wished me away? Maybe then-”

“Never,” Sportacus said, his voice breaking at the suggestion; his resolve was not capable of handling even the thought of losing someone else - especially not her. "Never."

Stephanie sniffled, her shoulders shaking as sobs she could no longer hold back escaped her lips. She dropped the shoe in her hands before quickly rushing to hug Sportacus. He wasted no time returning it. Whatever she needed, he’d give her. Right now, she needed comfort, so he patted her back as her body shook.

“Shh…” he said, his voice as soft as he could make it.

“It’s not fair!” she said.

“I know,” Sportacus said, holding her a bit tighter.

“I told everyone what Robbie did,” Stephanie said, her voice muffled against his chest. “I t-told them that he saved us, but they didn’t understand… they didn’t get it… they all still think he’s just a villain… Robbie’s gone, and they don’t care …”

Sportacus frowned, his eyes closing and opening as he exhaled. “I’m sure they care.”

“They don’t care like we do…” Stephanie said as she let out a sob. Sportacus looked down at her with soft eyes.

They didn’t see what we did… he thought but didn't say. They didn’t see what you had to…

“… I’ve got you,” he said, slowly lifting her into his arms before walking backwards. Once he felt Robbie’s chair behind him, he slowly lowered both of them until they were sitting. For a while he cradled her, allowing her to cry into his shirt while he silently cried himself. He cried for Robbie, for the pain that was knawing away at him… and he also cried for Stephanie, for what she had to endure because of this.

... and for the fate she only barely escaped.

He tried not to think of what could have happened, had he forced himself to make the decision Jareth gave him. Stephanie was the closest thing he had to a real family anymore. He loved her… but with the lives of every other child in LazyTown also at risk… he wouldn’t have chosen her; he couldn’t.

His arms held her just a little tighter. 

Stephanie raised her gaze, her eyes red as she peered up at him.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said, sniffling before wiping her nose with her hand.

“Shh,” Sportacus said, offering her a corner of his shirt to dry her face. “It’s alright.”

She shook her head. “No… Sportacus, I-I tried to escape – I tried to be a hero just like you, I-I tried to get everyone out of the Labyrinth but… but I couldn’t. I failed. I-If I had been strong enough, then you w-wouldn’t have had to get hurt saving us, a-and Robbie wouldn’t have had to-”

“No, Stephanie,” Sportacus said, pulling her back against his chest. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“B-But-”

“Jareth is the only one we should be blaming,” Sportacus said, rubbing her back slowly. “You had no power over his decision to hurt you – you aren’t to blame for what he’s done, and you aren’t responsible for the pain he’s caused me… or the pain he’s caused Robbie. You didn’t fail anyone.”

Stephanie was silent for a moment, sniffling softly.

“... neither did you.”

Sportacus sighed, his breath shaking as he did so. It wasn’t Stephanie’s job to comfort him. He couldn’t put her in a position where she needed to take responsibility for his emotions. He knew she was trying to be strong, trying to fix this... an urge he understood all too well. He had to break the habit before it started. Sportacus slowly grabbed Stephanie’s arms before pulling away to look her in the eye.

“It’s my job to worry about you, okay?”

Stephanie nodded, pursing her lips slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh,” Sportacus said, comforting and calm as he pressed her back against his chest. “You didn’t do anything wrong – and I appreciate you caring about me – but taking care of me isn’t your job. Your job is to grow up big and strong.”

She sighed against him, and he could feel her face scrunch in a peculiar way. Before he could question it, she spoke.

"Who takes care of you when you're upset?"

He had to pause and think about that for a moment. There wasn't really a good answer to that question...

"I have your uncle, and I have Bessy..."

Sportacus trailed off, the shortness of that list making him acutely aware in that moment of the loneliness he'd had hanging over him for centuries. He could hardly call Bessie and Milford a solid support group, and he certainly would never go to either of them with the problems he had now. There was only one person he'd shared any of this with... and Stephanie seemed to realize that too.

"... It was Robbie, huh?"

He paused as he looked at her.

“You said that you loved Robbie,” Stephanie said, a frown on her face. “I heard you say it back in the Labyrinth... ”

Yeah… I guess she did hear me say that… It wasn’t exactly something he felt comfortable discussing with a child – even if that child was Stephanie. He always kept his personal life separate from his work, and he had already stretched that boundary a lot for her… but he wasn’t going to lie, and he wasn’t going to deny her the truth, not after everything they went through.

“Yes,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness. “I do love him… but that’s not something I want you to worry about.”

Stephanie’s brow furrowed as she looked at him.

“… I’m still sorry for you...”

So am I… he sighed while shaking his head. His gaze turned to the floor once more, his eyes opening and closing as he studied the carpet below his feet. After a moment, his gaze turned to Stephanie’s shoe, laying sideways on the floor where she had dropped it. He didn’t bother to question why she only had one shoe on; they had other things on their minds… but as he studied it further, his eyes began to widen.

There was something glistening within her shoe – sparkling like a gem… or perhaps a piece of glass. He carefully stood, setting Stephanie back on her feet before slowly approaching her shoe. The closer he got, the more his suspicions were confirmed.

It was a crystal. He held his arm up behind him, shielding Stephanie from its view as he carefully grabbed it from within the sneaker. A frown worked its way onto his face as he looked at it, holding it hesitantly in his palm. It didn’t jump to life, showing him visions or spells to trick him into forgetting the real world… it was just an empty piece of glass. After a moment, Stephanie approached Sportacus from behind, frowning as she looked between the crystal and him. “Sportacus?”

He gave her a quick glance before returning his gaze to the crystal. “Where did you find this?” he said, rolling it slowly in his hand.

“Stingy gave it to me,” Stephanie said. “Back in the Labyrinth, Jareth gave all of us crystals to put us under his spell… when I tried to escape, I broke everyone’s crystal except his – that’s kind of why we failed to escape on our own… I got us really close though.”

You managed to get that far? A small wave of pride filled him.

“I’m impressed Stephanie…”

She remained silent, her eyes dancing cautiously over the crystal.

“We should destroy it.”

Sportacus nodded in agreement as he stared at the glass.

“Yes, we should…”

Stephanie sensed the hesitation in his voice.

“Are we going to destroy it?”

He sighed.

This is the last link I have to him. If I destroy it now…

Then he will truly be gone forever.

Sportacus paused, opening and closing his eyes slowly before turning to Stephanie with a frown. “I’ll break it, but… there’s something I want to see first…”

Just one last time…

Chapter Text

A deep breath escaped Sportacus’s lips. It had been a while since he’d used elven magic – he didn’t have much use for it during his everyday life; though even if he did, the risk of the kids seeing him do it outweighed the benefits.

He rolled the crystal between his palms, feeling energy spark at his fingertips. It took all of his focus to keep that energy under control… another reason why he didn’t use magic. If he had not been banished, he would have been formally trained on how to cast spells; that training never happened though. What little he knew about magic was self-taught.

In fact, he didn’t even know if what he was doing now would work. He had to try though…

“Sýndu mér andlit hans,” he said, focusing his magic into the crystal as his eyes slammed shut. The energy in his palms flowed into the glass like a sponge absorbing water. It felt odd, his fingers tingling. A grunt escaped his lips as he cut off the flow; too much magic and Jareth would sense him trying to peer into the Labyrinth. He stilled as he waited – holding his breath. Please work… Please.

After a few seconds he felt a stirring from within the crystal, and he opened his eyes to look at what he accomplished. At first, the image within was foggy – swirls of grey mist slowly giving way to solid form. It was a few seconds before he saw the figure of what appeared to be a man. Robbie … his heart fluttered. As the figure became clearer though, Sportacus’s heart fell.

Jareth’s back was turned, looking out from a castle window at his domain. His hands rested on the windowsill, fingers tapping an unheard tune. Outside, the Labyrinth was storming – thick grey clouds spewing torrents of rain as a crack of lightning illuminated the Goblin King’s silhouette. The thunder that followed provoked no reaction; not even the slightest flinch.

…  why did the crystal show me him?

The elf frowned as he narrowed his eyes. The direct translation of his incantation was ‘show me his face’, and he had focused his intent on Robbie… after a moment he shook his head, resigned to his failure.

I guess I should have been more specific.

He continued to watch. A small smile was on Jareth’s face as he turned towards a nearby desk. Another flash of lightning illuminated the castle room as he sat in a chair. This time, the thunder that followed caused Jareth to jump slightly – since the entire castle seemed to tremble from it.

Sportacus frowned. Must be quite the storm…

The tremors lasted at least five seconds, causing a few books to fall from Jareth’s desk. An uneasy sigh escaped Jareth’s lips once they stopped, his eyes darting around the room cautiously before turning his attention towards an open book sitting on the table. After a moment of reading, he reached for a nearby chalice. It was filled with a dark liquid; Sportacus assumed it was wine. Without taking his eyes off the document he took a sip, licking his lips afterwards. He paused to swirl the drink in his palm before placing it back down on the desk. 

It wasn’t long before another tremor overcame the labyrinth, and Jareth frowned as a sprinkling of rubble fell on his head. He looked up as he ruffled his hair free of the dust. An irritated, if not slightly confused look worked its way onto the Goblin King’s face as he gazed at the ceiling.  Then his gaze turned to his cup, and he scowled before splashing the rubble filled wine onto the stone floor.

“What a waste,” he said to himself, dropping the chalice onto the floor before focusing again on the tome in front of him. Only a few seconds passed before a knock came from somewhere out of view. Jareth’s gaze lifted, his frown deepening as he sighed; his eyes rolled slightly. “Come.”

Sportacus silently hoped that the knock had come from Robbie. His hoped died when a small goblin shuffled into view instead, quickly approaching the goblin king with an unspoken urgency. 

The creature slowly stepped around the spilled wine, eyeing it cautiously before turning their gaze towards Jareth. They bowed, low enough that their nose dragged against the stone floor. A slightly amused look worked its way onto Jareth’s face as he watched this display. The goblin remained lowered for a few seconds before they straightened to look at the king, fidgeting with their hands as they did so.

“Your majesty,” they said with a squeaky voice. “The… prince has been shown to his chambers.”

“Good,” Jareth said, his gaze slowly turning back to the document before him. “I trust he didn’t cause any trouble?”

“N-No sire, not a single trouble!” the goblin said, shaking their head as they stuttered. The goblin then frowned, lowering their gaze to the floor. “He went quietly... didn’t say a word the entire time – not even so much as a ‘thank you’ for our troubles. Ungrateful. I can’t imagine why you would show such mercy to the likes of him.”

Sportacus frowned. They’re talking about Robbie…

“You speak above your class,” Jareth said, side-eyeing the creature with a glint in his eyes. “Like it or not, you will serve him as you would serve me. If I hear of any mistreatment caused by your hand, I’ll be forced to demote you to sewer goblin. Humble yourself.”

The goblin let out a growl. “I’d rather just serve you… please, don’t force me to cater to this ungrateful wretch! He denied you, he practically spat in your face – if I demean myself in his service, it’s as if I agree with what he’s done! I can’t, I won’t… I don’t care how powerful he is, I cannot sit by and allow him to insult you…”

“You can, and you will,” Jareth said, rolling his eyes as he scowled at the creature. “I order you to – and do it without complaining.”

The goblin didn’t back down. “Why can’t we just take his power now and be done with him?! Drain him and throw whatever remains into an oubliette! It’s better than he deserves for causing the trouble he did! It’s better than anyone of his background deserves!”

“Matthew,” Jareth said, his voice low and warning.

Matthew… such a formal name for a goblin, Sportacus thought with a frown.

“I refuse to tarnish the Labyrinth by honoring him!” Matthew said, clenching his goblin fists as he shook his head. “I refuse to accept that a bastard son deserves the status you’ve given him, regardless of who his father is.”

Sportacus froze.

Robbie’s... father?

“Enough!” Jareth said, standing with wide and angry eyes. He grabbed a stone paper weight from somewhere on his desk, his gaze not shifting from the poor creature. The goblin gasped as Jareth threw it to the ground – hard enough for the rock to shatter, the granite floor cracking as well. Spilled wine splattered up onto the goblin’s face, causing him to flinch; some got in his eyes. A pained groan escaped his lips as he rubbed them.

“S-Sire…” Matthew said, his voice cracking as he squinted up at Jareth.

“You would do well to hold your tongue,” Jareth said, a coldness filling his voice. The goblin froze, staring up at Jareth as those mismatched eyes bore down into his. An unkind smirk played at the corners of Jareth’s lips. “Unless you desire to lose it, that is...”

“... I-I’m sorry, sire,” the goblin said, his voice squeaking as he bowed low to the floor. “I-I didn’t mean-”

“Never mention the topic again, you understand?” Jareth said, furrowing his brow as he scowled at the creature. “We don’t need our little prince hearing about some long lost family he’s never known and causing trouble. That, and I’m not in the mood for an awkward encounter with that swine... as far as I’m aware, Glanni doesn’t know of the changeling’s existence, and I intend to keep it that way. I’m not eager to find out how he would react if he knew…”

Glanni... Sportacus’s brow furrowed. The name sounded familiar, if only just a faint tickle at the back of his memory. Perhaps his father had mentioned him in passing a long time ago… maybe he was from an allied realm or a trade partner. I wish I knew… though judging by what Robbie told me in the ballroom, this ‘Glanni” was never close to him. I doubt he would be of any help right now, even If I did know who he was...

“I s-swear, your majesty, it will n-never happen again!” Matthew said, slowly raising from his bow. “I will do as you ask, I w-won’t complain one bit – I’ll serve the prince well!”

Jareth gave the goblin another stern look, though didn’t respond to the comment. “Good… leave then,” Jareth said with a sigh. He sat once more as his attention returned to the manuscript in front of him. After a moment of silence, his gaze lifted from the document to stare at the goblin. “... why are you still here?”

“F-Forgive me sire,” the goblin swallowed hard, fidgeting with his hands once more. “I hate to bother you further but… I’m sure you have noticed the... the t-tremors?”

“... what about them?” Jareth said, letting out an irritated sigh.

“Well, your majesty,” Matthew said, his eyes shifting around the room nervously. “It’s j-just that reports have been coming in from a-around the Labyrinth... that the tremors are a result of our realm… deteriorating. Fast.”

“Have whoever spread those rumors dipped headfirst into the bog of eternal stench,” Jareth said, kicking his boots up onto the desk. “I want an example made of them.”

“... As much as I would love to comply, sire...” Matthew said, his voice shaking. “The bog of eternal stench is gone. Drained into the nothingness.”

“Well then have them tarred and feathered, hanged, drawn and quartered- whatever you see fit!” Jareth said, scowling as he got to his feet once again. The goblin staggered back, his eyes widening as he stared up at the Goblin King’s irritated face.

A groan escaped Jareth’s lips, and he massaged his temples as he strode towards the same window from before. Matthew hesitantly followed, stopping short of ten feet from his master. The goblin’s mouth opened and closed a few times, as if struggling to find the right words to say; or perhaps struggling to find the courage.

“Your majesty...” Matthew started, swallowing nervously. “If it isn’t too bold of me to say… something really must be done about the tremors. If they continue with the severity we’ve seen-”

“Hold. Your. Tongue.” Jareth said, clenching the ledge of the window hard enough for his knuckles to turn white

“- the Labyrinth will be gone in less than a day!” Matthew said, ignoring the king’s demand. “Everything will be absorbed by the nothing! The castle, your armies... you!”

“Stop talking,” Jareth hissed, the stone of the windowsill beginning to crack underneath his grasp.

“Sire… Jareth,” Matthew said, stepping closer to the Goblin King. It was a bold move – Sportacus narrowed his eyes as he watched the way the goblin stared at Jareth. There was noticeable empathy in his eyes, perhaps a hint of adoration as well.

Foolish … Sportacus shook his head.

The goblin slowly reached out his tiny hand to Jareth as he spoke further. “You need to do something – we need you to, I need you too… please, take the bastard fae’s power, use it to restore balance to our realm. Use it to restore your strength and rid yourself of your mortality-”

“How dare you?!” Jareth said, spinning on his heel to glare down at the creature. His teeth were barred, and his fists clenched and unclenched as visible rage overflowed within him.

Matthew froze. “J-Jareth…”

“I know what is happening within my own domain! I can feel it dying - I can feel myself dying!” Jareth said, tossing a nearby candelabra to the ground. The act startled Matthew, and the goblin tumbled backwards to the floor. His blue eyes flickered with fear as he stared at the creature above him.

“Please… sire- ”

“You cannot fathom the agony that is my existence right now, you impotent little slug!” Jareth said as he strode towards the goblin. Matthew crawled backwards, the fear growing within his eyes. Jareth only scoffed. “You will never understand! You don’t get to understand!”

The goblin let out a yelp as Jareth grabbed him, hauling him up by the front of his shirt. The goblin king held him at arm’s length and shook him. Matthew let out a cry, his claws wrapping around Jareth’s wrists. “Please… mercy…”

“Mercy?” Jareth said, almost laughing. “Why would I waste my mercy on you? All you are is a worthless, stupid, ugly and unwanted whelp who I allowed to be in my service on a whim! You mean nothing to me! I can end your service and your life whenever I see fit, and if you say another word I will do so gladly!”

The goblin’s blue eyes were wide, his mouth ajar as he looked up at Jareth. Sportacus thought he might have seen tears form in the corners of his eyes. Not another word escaped his lips, his body trembling as Jareth’s horrid gaze eyes bore into his own.

“What?” Jareth said, a cold smirk on his face as he studied the goblin. “Did you honestly think you had the right to speak to me like that? Have you deluded yourself into thinking that you were my confidant? My friend?! Did you think you were special to me?”

A few seconds passed before the goblin slowly shook his head, his gaze drifting to the floor. Tears dripped down his face. Jareth rolled his eyes with a short chuckle as he let the goblin slip from his grasp. Matthew grunted as his body met the floor, and he wasted no time in scooting away from the Goblin King. Sportacus saw the pain in the creature's eyes; the heartbreak.

Cruel... even to his own.

Jareth strode back over to his desk without another word. He sat slowly, returning his attention to the same book as before. Sportacus frowned.

The world is falling apart around him, and all Jareth seems to care about is reading that stupid book...

He narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out any words, perhaps see a title. It was a large book, the pages yellow and stained and the corners dogeared. The writing was ancient too – runes in place of letters. Sportacus did not know the language. In the top left corner of the page was a drawing though, and he studied the faded paint carefully.

It was two pairs of hands, clasped with fingers intertwined. Red ribbon and silver chain wrapped around the hands as if tying them together. Sportacus frowned.

…  what?

The drawing was a demonstration of handfasting – a marriage ceremony. Sportacus had attended a few handfasting’s as a child; it was a sacred ritual symbolic of binding two souls together. It was commonplace among elves, as they had been practicing it for thousands of years, though he knew of some humans who practiced the ritual as well.

Why would Jareth need to know about that?

Matthew picked himself off the floor, slowly and quietly dusting his ragged clothes off before turning towards the door. His eyes were locked on the ground; Sportacus didn’t blame him for wanting to avoid the Goblin King’s gaze.

Jareth, however, was not done with him.

“Go make yourself useful and have a bath drawn for the prince - and burn his clothes. I won’t have him reeking of elf,” Jareth said, sighing as he finally closed the book. “Bring the seamstress with you too – he will need something to wear.”

Matthew paused, slowly raising his gaze to stare at the king.

“… Yes, your highness,” he said, his voice monotone and cold.

“Have her make just one garment,” Jareth said, a glint in his eyes as he brought a hand up to his chin. “A ballgown – take something white from storage and modify it to his size. Something nice… and I need it done in a few hours.”

The goblin tilted his head slightly, fidgeting with his hands. He seemed to debate with himself for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally asking, “… What’s happening in a few hours?”

Jareth smirked.

“A wedding.”

Sportacus’s eyes widened.

Matthew seemed just as shocked as Sportacus. His eyes widened, his face contorting in what Sportacus strangely thought might be horror.

“... when did you plan this?”

“Just now,” Jareth said, his tone nonchalant as he shrugged. “There’s no sense skirting around the idea. The prince is mine – and I’m not waiting to claim him out of some false sense of propriety or respect for the man. By sunset, his soul will be bound to mine. Forever.”

No…

Sportacus felt a rage boil within him, mixing with fear and panic.

“I... I see,” Matthew said, slowly backing away. “There’s.... there's so much to do – decorating, food, guests… I worry there might not be enough time-"

“Precisely,” Jareth said. A sour expression marred his face, though only briefly. “There isn't enough time... At first my plan was to train the prince to control his powers, slowly and surely building him to be the powerful weapon I envisioned centuries ago. Then when he was ready, I would have stolen it all for myself... but there’s no time to train him, not even enough time to teach him to stabilize the realm. I have to take his magic. Now. There’s no other choice.”

Sportacus was shaking. He felt Stephanie place a hand on his shoulder, though he didn’t react to it. If she had said anything to him, he could not hear it.

No… Robbie…

“... he's already given himself up,” Matthew said, looking up at the Goblin King in confusion. "I... I assumed his magic would already be yours?"

“If he were a child I had stolen, then it would be,” Jareth said, sighing as he spoke. “But he’s no child, and I didn't not steal him. We made a deal, and our deal was that he would stay in the Labyrinth, nothing more... and because of that I must marry him. If we are bound in marriage, his strength becomes my strength and his magic becomes my magic.”

Matthew nodded slowly, though the look of shock remained on his face.

“… as clever as always, your highness...”

A cold, cruel laugh escaped Jareth’s lips. “As soon as the officiant declares us wed, I will claim what is rightfully mine; every last drop of magic – all before he realizes what’s happening. It will be quick, efficient… and a better end than most beings get.”

Sportacus clutched the crystal almost hard enough to break it as realization kicked in.

He’s going to kill him!

“No…” he said, his voice loud enough to echo off the walls of Robbie’s lair. An expression of shock warped Jareth’s face, his eyes flitting around the castle room as his body stilled. Sportacus stilled as well.

Did he hear that… no, he couldn’t have… could he?

The Goblin King continued to glance around the room, confusion on his face until his gaze settled on Sportacus through the crystal. The elf’s eyes went wide as he felt Jareth looking at him – Jareth knew, and he scowled. Without a word he raised his hand towards Sportacus, his palm open and fingers spread.

Then he clenched his palm into a fist, and the crystal shattered. Shards fell to the concrete floor below as the magic faded from them. Sportacus looked at the fragments with wide eyes.

“No… No!”

“What’s wrong?” Stephanie said, and Sportacus turned to her slowly. She had not seen what just happened – though she seemed to understand plenty judging by the look on her face. “What’s happening with Robbie?” 

Sportacus remained silent. You don’t need to know… you shouldn’t have to know… his eyes closed as he fought back the emotions raging within him. I can’t let this happen… I just can’t let this happen!

Robbie was going to die at sunset if he didn’t stop Jareth.

So soon… even if by some stroke of luck I got into the Labyrinth, it would take a miracle to get to the castle on time… He racked his mind as he fought to find a plan; he needed a plan. I don’t care how far fetched or impossible the plan might be… I have to save him even if it kills me. I just need a way!

He froze… an idea forming in his mind.

A deep frown worked its way onto his face as he considered what the idea entailed. It was a terrible, terrible plan that would almost certainly fail....

He didn’t care. Robbie needed him right now, and if there was even the slightest chance of the plan working he'd do it.

Or die trying.

“Stephanie… I need you to go to your uncle, alright?” He said, giving her a serious look. “Go to your uncle and tell him… that I’m going on a mission, and that I might be gone for a while.”

Or forever he thought, but Stephanie didn’t need to hear that. Adrenaline coursed through him, his hands shaking. Either way… I’m about to do something very dangerous…

And very, very stupid…

“A mission?” Stephanie frowned, though her eyes lit up at the idea of a quest. “Did you think of a way to save Robbie?! Oh, Sportacus I knew you would. I want to come with you – I want to save Robbie too!”

“No Stephanie, it’s far too risky” he said, letting out a sigh as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “I cannot allow you to come with me – I need you to stay and listen to your uncle while I’m gone. Can you do that?”

Her lip trembled as she looked at him. “But... You can’t do this alone…”

“Going alone is the only chance I have of my mission being successful,” he said, shaking his head as his frown deepened. “There’s somewhere I have to go… somewhere very dangerous, even for me, and it’s a place you cannot follow. Please Stephanie, I need you to stay here. Can you promise me that you’ll go to your uncle?”

She looked at him with wide eyes, pouting as she tried to plead with him silently. He wouldn’t give in – never for something like this. Even if she were an adult and trained to be a superhero like himself, he wouldn’t have let her come. I don’t want to get you involved in my past…

Stephanie pouted for a few seconds more before giving in, lowering her head with a sigh. “Fine… I promise.”

Sportacus patted her shoulders gently. “Thank you, Stephanie,” he said, grabbing her hand as he walked towards the ladder leading out of the lair. He let go of her hand to climb, and the two of them ascended towards the hatch. The elf paused only once, glancing one last time at Robbie’s chair.

May the gods allow me to bring you back home...

As he stepped out into the sunlight he sighed, glancing over at his airship before looking once more at Stephanie. “Do you need me to take you to your uncle?”

“... I can do it myself,” she said, looking at him with hesitation. Her hands clenched at her sides, her shoulders tensing. “Sportacus… you’ll be okay, right?”

I honestly do not know...

“Yes Stephanie, I’ll be just fine. Don’t worry about me,” he said, giving her a small smile. Stephanie looked away, her eyes on the ground. Despite his reassurance, he could tell she was still not convinced. She was right to be worried – even though she had no idea where he was going. He fought the urge to frown. This may be the last time I ever see her…

A small twinge of guilt filled him as he thought of the consequences of this mission. What would everyone do if he never came back? Would they think he abandoned them? The children would be heartbroken… Stephanie probably the worst of all. Jareth had been right earlier; she was his favorite. He couldn’t help but see himself when he saw her. She was like a daughter to him… and there had been moments where he considered speaking with the Mayor about the situation involving her parents – perhaps opening a discussion about adoption…

He never wanted to overstep a boundary though, and he didn’t want the other children thinking that Stephanie was more important to him than them. 

… and then there was his past – the shame of being a banished elf. While she didn’t know his history, she did know that he was an elf. It had been a secret he told her when she told him about her parents… he was very careful about what he shared with her. Nothing about the Sky City, nothing about his family; only the finer bits of elven culture he could explain without revealing too much - holidays, games, some elvish when they had the time. She had been very open minded about his culture – eager to learn, just as he had been eager to learn about humans when he was a child.

How far was too far though? Could there be a point where she grew to resent his elvish heritage due to his past? He hadn’t seen another elf in centuries… but what if he had come across one? What would they say to him – would they mock him? Would they mock her if he claimed her as his own? He didn’t think he could bear subjecting Stephanie to such ridicule…

Yet, as he stood there looking down at her, the thought of ‘what if’ overwhelmed his mind. What if he had adopted her? What if they became the family he never thought he would have again?

… What if this was like the last time he ever saw his father?

If this is goodbye…

“… Stephanie?”

She looked up slightly.

“Yes?”

“You’re a wonderful kid,” he said, bending down to meet her gaze with a serious yet caring stare. “You are a great leader, an excellent dancer and a promising superhero… and above all, you’re an incredible friend. You show kindness in everything that you do, and the world is a better place with you in it. I am so blessed to know you, and I want you to know how proud of you I am…”

Stephanie looked up at him, her eyes wide.

“Sportacus…”

“I’m so, so proud of you Stephanie,” Sportacus said, flashing his teeth as he gave her a gentle smile. “And I couldn’t ask for a better person to watch over LazyTown while I’m away – I know that when I get back it will be better than when I left it. I can’t wait to see it and you again. I promise to tell you all about my mission… and if you train really hard, maybe I’ll take you on the next one, okay?”

A frown formed on Stephanie’s face.

“Why does it sound like you’re not coming back ?” she said, her voice shaking. “Sportacus... what are you about to do?”

As clever as always… he didn’t let his smile falter.

“I’ll be back, Stephanie.”

“... do you promise?”

He paused.

I can’t promise you that…

“Do you promise?”

Sportacus didn’t respond; the silence that followed was deafening. Stephanie stared at him, her lip quivering as she slowly shook her head. She knew… she understood. He pulled her into a hug as tears started falling down her face once more.

I’m sorry, Stephanie…

Her shoulders began to shake as sobs escaped her lips. She wrapped her trembling arms around him; her grasp almost hurt… it was a plea.

Don’t die, it said…

He held her just a bit tighter.

With a shaky, almost heartbreaking sigh, she turned her face towards his ear. “I love you, Sportacus…”

There was no hesitation in his voice as he kissed the top of her head and said, “I love you too...”

It was time to leave. Stephanie resisted as he pulled away, though ultimately allowed him to break the hug. He hated the look she gave him… it made his heart ache, seeing the pain and fear in her big brown eyes. But he had to do this; he just had to. He turned and ran away without another word, not looking back as she called out to him – he didn’t want to drag this out any longer.

I’m sorry Stephanie… I’m so, so sorry…

His airship drew closer, and as he approached he noticed his FlyPod parked to the side. Sportacus figured that the mayor had someone tow it back into town; he made a note to thank him if he came back. There was no time to waste, and with a flip Sportacus landed in the pilot's chair. After buckling himself in, he pressed the ignition button… and nothing happened. A frustrated sigh escaped the elf’s lips.

The spotlight had been left on for what was probably hours, meaning that the battery was dead. It was an easy fix, though tedious… he pressed his feet to the accelerator pedals, and with a grunt he began turning them. His thumb held down the ignition as he cycled. It wasn’t long before the engine started revving. Come on… I just need enough charge for it to start…

Something moved in his peripheral vision, right next to his airship. He didn’t stop his pedaling; though he did turn his gaze. For a moment he thought he saw someone… he shook his head. It was nothing…

The engine roared to life, and after pressing a few more buttons he launched up into the sky. He maneuvered a series of twists and flips, and then reversed the FlyPod into the airship. It reconnected with a click – followed by the sound of rushing air as the cabin pressurized. The lights in the airship turned on… and a robotic voice greeted him.

“Hello, Sportacus,” his airship’s computer said, the artificially feminine voice almost sounding cheerful; it seemed to have missed him, or at least Sportacus liked to believe that. They had been through a lot together… he forced the thoughts of nostalgia from his mind, pressing a few more buttons on the console in front of him.

“Set a course for these coordinates,” Sportacus said, opening a hidden panel beside him. Inside was a tablet – archaic by elf standards, though relatively advanced when it came to human technology. It flickered to life, and after tapping a few buttons a string of numbers appeared. “Are you ready?”

“I am ready,” the airship said.

“Okay – Latitude 64 degrees, 55 minutes and 52.59 seconds north… Longitude 19 degrees, 01 minutes and 16.21 seconds west. We will be using emergency fuel reserves… we need to get there within the hour.”

There was a moment of silence from the airship… then, a quick burst of radio static filled the cabin; it almost sounded like a sigh.

“Sportacus, ” the airship said. “Need I remind you of your banishment? ”

Sportacus frowned. “No… I remember.”

More silence followed, though only briefly.

“Need I remind you of the consequences of this course of action?”

“… I know what they are,” Sportacus said, biting his lip as he opened another hidden panel. Inside was a dusty cluster of buttons… he had never used them before; he hoped he wouldn’t have to today. I’m not sure if the armaments are even active… it’s already a miracle they haven’t self-detonated…

He doubted he would have had the heart to press those buttons, even if his life depended on it. A sick feeling filled his stomach as he closed the panel, letting out a shaky sigh. Let’s just hope they don’t start shooting…

There was a long stretch of silence in the cabin, unbroken by neither ship nor elf. He continued to push a few more buttons, engaging the fuel reserves before reaching for the lever that activated the turbo engine. The silence was broken as he grabbed it, ready to pull.

“Are you… sure that you want to continue?” the airship said, and Sportacus could sense the unease in her tone. He shared her sentiment; this was a very, very dumb plan.

But it was his only plan.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Sportacus said, opening and closing his eyes with a deep breath. Some beeping sounds came from the ship's computer, and he felt the ship rise into the sky. He watched as LazyTown faded below him… his eyes studied every building, every tree and rock and path. If this was the last time he ever saw the town, he was going to savor it.

Goodbye Ziggy… Pixel, Stingy, Trixie… Milford, Bessy…

Stephanie…

I… I love you all…

“Coordinates set,” the airship said. “Estimated travel time… fifty minutes. You may engage turbo when ready.”

Sportacus was as ready as he’d ever be. With a sigh, he pulled the lever. 

Chapter Text

Steam filled the room around him, engulfing and dampening his tired and miserable body. It sat heavy on his skin – his eyes and tear stained cheeks especially so. It was hot; practically suffocating, and Robbie fought to breathe through the thick fog. The occasional droplet of water ran down his face… he had taken to watching them fall, debating which drops were in fact the steam and which ones were his tears. He considered it almost a game, though the act brought him no amusement.

He tried not to think about how many tears he would have to count – despite what Jareth might say, forever was a very long time. There was no doubt in his mind that these were the first tears of millions to come. His imagination formed the image of himself quite literally crying a river; a deep, raging river cutting through the heart of the Labyrinth. Perhaps, he thought with a terse smile, the river might be enough to drown this place and everything in it… maybe if it drowned Jareth, he could go home.

Home… Robbie’s lip trembled as he thought of LazyTown. To think that a few hours ago he would have been content to never see that place again. He had been practically giddy thinking he would never again hear the children scream and play – or have to follow the mayor’s stupid rules, and the fact that he’d never ever see Sportacus again seemed to be the icing on the cake.

Oh, how foolish he had been.

Right now he’d give anything to hear the children’s laughter, or the way the mayor said ‘oh my’ whenever he got startled – even Miss Busybody’s singing, and the way she screamed ‘oh Milford!’ every five minutes. Everything that he had once considered an annoyance would have been music to his ears now.

And Sportacus… he would do anything just to look in his eyes again. A fresh wave of tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he forced them back, swallowing as he took a deep breath in. If he started crying again he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop… and the last thing he wanted was to be walked in on in the middle of a sob fest.

He had been escorted here by a servant; a goblin servant – barely tall enough to reach his knees. They had a ‘no nonsense’ air about them, a deep frown on their face the entire walk over to the washroom. ‘Leave your clothes by the door and get into the water. I will come in and attend to you once you’ve done so,’ they had said as they practically pushed him into the room. ‘The king wants you spotless for tonight…”

Tonight.

His wedding.

Either he was still in shock at the sudden news or was too emotionally tired to process it - whichever was the case, the thought of what was about to happen just made him feel numb . He knew he should be angry – screaming, crying, fighting… but all he wanted was to get it over with. What was the point of fighting the inevitable? Knowing Jareth it was going to happen eventually, whether Robbie wanted it to or not.

He was his prisoner after all…

With a shaky sigh he began to undress. He tugged off his shoes, placing them on a stool by the washroom door; it was locked, he had tested it within the first minute of being ushered in here. Had his goblin ‘escort’ not been on the other side he might have tried to teleport through it, though he honestly didn’t think he had the strength for that anymore. Even if he did, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against the guards that were certainly close by.

Robbie folded his pants and vest neatly, placing them under his shoes on the stool before shimmying out of his undergarments and socks. Those he left beside the stool, unfolded. After the events of the past few hours he figured they were better off just tossed. His socks had holes in them from all the walking, and his undergarments… weren’t the most flattering. Jareth probably had a wardrobe full of fancy undergarments already picked out for him, clothes and dresses too.

Robbie cringed at the thought of dresses… usually he loved wearing them, but it wasn’t something he shared with just anyone. It was a personal thing, a trust thing. Jareth didn’t deserve one ounce of his trust, and he certainly didn’t deserve to see him at his most beautiful. It’s not like I have a choice in that though…

He forced the thoughts away as he stepped towards the large in-ground pool of water in the middle of the room. It was the size of a backyard swimming pool, probably large enough to go over his head at the deep end. The water was the source of all the steam in the room, and he hissed as he dipped a toe to test the temperature. Very hot; too hot. 

“Um...” Robbie said, the sound of his voice echoing off the stone walls. It nearly startled him to hear how hoarse he sounded. Have I been crying that much? 

“Are you ready?” the goblin said, their voice loud even from behind the door. They didn’t wait for an answer, opening the door and striding in with a frown on their face. Robbie kept his back turned to the creature, an uncomfortable blush working its way across his cheeks. Once the goblin saw Robbie standing by the edge of the pool, they crossed their arms and sighed. “What is it?”

“… the water is too hot,” Robbie said, trying out a friendly smile though knowing it probably looked misplaced on his ragged complexion. “Is there a way to cool it down?”

He hoped that being polite would help ease the goblin’s seemingly sour mood. If it worked Robbie couldn’t tell, the goblin silently marching over to a series of ropes on a nearby wall. There were three of them – the first one red, the middle one black, and the last one blue. The goblin had to scoot over a step stool to reach them, awkwardly scaling it before pulling hard on the blue rope.

A cascade of water fell from the ceiling above the pool, large enough to cause waves of scalding hot water to splash over the sides and onto Robbie’s feet. He yelped, jumping back slightly as his skin began to sting. The goblin hopped from the stool, watching Robbie with an unamused expression on their face before gesturing to the water once more. “Try it now.”

Robbie did as he was told, testing the water once again. It didn’t burn him, which was good… though now the water was nearly lukewarm. He didn’t dare mention this to the goblin – he didn’t want a boiling hot waterfall to rain down from the ceiling. With a sigh he stepped into the water, the now dissipating steam billowing past him as he lowered himself to sit on a submerged bench. The water barely came up to his shoulders where he sat, though he didn’t feel like ‘exploring’ the pool any further.

Last time he explored a strange pool, Jareth had been waiting for him.

He splashed some water onto his face, making sure to wet his hair. The water had a faint floral scent to it – lavender he guessed, though there was also a citrusy smell to it that reminded him of furniture polish; Robbie couldn’t say he was much of a fan.

The goblin made a noise behind him, and Robbie turned to see the creature waddling towards a fireplace on the other end of the room. In its arms were Robbie’s clothes and shoes… and without ceremony, the creature tossed them onto the flame. Robbie gaped, standing up slightly as he watched his pinstripe suit blacken and erupt with fire; the smell of burning cloth filled the air. It took remarkable strength to hold his tongue, the slowly rising anger within him causing him to clench his fists. Despite how easy he might make it look it actually did take a long time to sew one of those things.

He doubted the goblin would care though. His gaze flitted over the creature, who in turn met his eyes with a tight lipped frown. “You won’t be needing those anymore. The tailor will be up soon to fit you with a gown.”

Gown… Robbie frowned. “I would prefer a suit, if you don’t mind.”

“It’s the king's request,” the creature said, crossing its arms. “One does not simply deny the king … we wouldn’t want to make him angry, now would we?”

Robbie swallowed, turning his gaze away. “No…”

“Good,” the goblin said, opening a small cupboard by the fireplace. “Keep up the good behavior and the rest of the evening should go off without a hitch.”

They pulled out a basket with an assortment of bottles… and what looked like a wooden boogie board and paddle. Robbie frowned as the creature walked over to the pool, tossing the board into the water before hopping on with the basket in hand. They then began to paddle the board over to Robbie, like some kind of miniature gondolier rowing down a lagoon.

“W-What are you doing?” Robbie said, folding his legs against his chest to maintain what little privacy he had left. The creature just blinked at him, as if the answer were obvious.

“I’m here to bathe you?” they said, placing their little claws on their hips. “Now, what scent would you prefer – Amber or Jasmine? Jareth prefers the Amber, so I’d pick that one if I were you.”

Robbie frowned. “I can bathe myself you know…”

“Tsk- Jareth personally instructed me to make sure you get clean!” the creature said, popping open the orange bottle labeled ‘amber’ before pouring a generous amount on their hands. “So I’m going to do just that! Now behave like I told you to and give me your hair.”

“But-” Robbie started, though was cut off as the creature fisted its claw into his hair and yanked him backwards. The assault on his perfectly greased hair was fierce, tiny goblin claws lathered with what Robbie assumed was shampoo undoing layers upon layers of grooming. They didn’t stop until his scalp was practically raw; the lather running down his neck thick with hair gel.

The goblin made a soft ‘hmm’ noise as they dipped their hands into the water to cleanse them. Then they went for another handful of the ‘Amber’ liquid. Robbie sniffed the air, detecting hints of vanilla and petrichor from the suds on his head. Petrichor… Robbie bit his lip. That’s what Sportacus smells like…

He forced the thoughts away.

“I half expected to see a frying pan under all that grease,” the goblin said as they went in for a second lather, the slightest bit of amusement to their tone. Robbie frowned, choosing not to respond to the comment. He did use a lot of product when styling his hair – but a lot of product is necessary to look good. His hair was one of his best qualities, always so smooth and shiny. The goblin’s just jealous that I have hair and they don’t…

Without warning Robbie was pulled backwards again, practically falling into the water as the creature rinsed his head. Robbie let out an annoyed huff as he closed his eyes, his jaw tensing as a claw scratched his sensitive scalp. “Would it kill you to be more gentle? It’s almost like you’re trying to drown me.”

“I just might have to if I’m ever to get all this filth off of you,” the goblin said, their tone… condescending to say the least. It almost sounded like they were entertaining the idea, the claws on their hands gripping his hair even tighter as more water was splashed on his head. Robbie sat up, pulling his head away from the creature. He rubbed the back of his head with a scowl.

“At this point the ‘filth’ you’re talking about is my scalp,” he said, narrowing his eyes at the creature. “Anymore scrubbing and you’ll be cleaning my brains!”

The goblin placed their hands on their hips, pursing their lips as they narrowed their eyes in return. “Don’t interrupt the process! I’ve washed Jareth’s hair for years with this method and not once has he ever complained! I have to wash your hair at least five times with his favorite savon before conditioning it with peacock milk, and then-”

“ Peacock milk ?” Robbie said, scooting away from the goblin with a look of disgust. “Last time I checked peacocks don’t make milk, so whatever it is that you’re calling ‘milk’ is not going in my hair!”

“Oh, quit being such a baby!” the goblin said, paddling their board closer to Robbie with a huff as they shook their head. “Jareth wants the wedding to be perfect – and in the state that you’re in, that’s going to take a lot of work, if I can even manage it at all! If Jareth is unhappy with how you look, I’m the one that’s going to get in trouble! I-I’m already in trouble with him enough, so I cannot afford to mess this up! So just shut up and let me do what Jareth asked me to!”

“Jareth, Jareth, Jareth,” Robbie said, spitting out the name as if it were a curse. “It’s like you’re obsessed with the guy. If you want this wedding to be so ‘perfect’ then why don’t you marry him? You’d certainly be doing me a favor…”

The goblin stilled, perhaps a little bit shocked at Robbie’s words. Their large blue eyes locked on Robbie’s grey, tiny hands fumbling as they raised them to their chest. There was a long pause before they said or did anything else – for seconds just standing there on their little boogie board frozen.

Then, with one of the most pitiful sounds Robbie had ever heard, they began to cry.

It came like a breaking dam, fat round tears falling from their eyes like a broken faucet. Their tiny body became wracked with sobs, each one causing them to tremble and rock their already haphazard vessel.  And the wails… they almost sounded like sirens, echoing off the walls around them. Robbie couldn’t help but gape, staring at the creature as an uncomfortable awkwardness filled the room. Uh…

“There… there?” Robbie said, hesitantly reaching out to pat the creature on the shoulder. This… didn’t seem to help, as their crying only grew louder and louder. They fell to their knees, nearly toppling into the water in the process. Their fists grabbed the front of their shirt, bringing it up to their face… before blowing their nose into it.

“I-I-It’s not fairrrrr,” the goblin said, their voice hoarse as they threw their head back. They took a few heavy breaths, sniffling slightly as their lips trembled. “I h-have spent years gaining his favor, earning the p-privilege to be his servant! I have given everything that I am to Jareth, e-everything! He has received my all, and for all that I am lucky for him to j-just say my name in return!”

Robbie’s brow quirked, his head tilting in confusion. “I’m… sorry?”

The goblin hiccuped a little, their head shifting forward to look at Robbie. Their lips jutted out into a miserable pout, a clawed hand raising to point at him. “I d-did everything I could, b-but nothing I did mattered… then you came along and j-just like that you had his attention! You didn’t even try a-and now you get to m-marry him! You don’t even wanna marry hiimmmm!”

Robbie's face went blank as he stared in shock at the weeping creature.

… what?

“B-But what was I expecting?” the goblin said, lowering their face to the water to stare at their own distorted reflection. “W-Who was I fooling? You’re so handsome and I’m… I’m just a g-goblin! He would never ever marry me…”

… and there it was. Robbie swallowed, his eyes locked on the creature, the weight of what the goblin was saying intimidating him. He had been joking about the marriage thing… but the little creature actually wanted to marry him! The villain gave the creature a soft look, though his face was marred with astonishment that he just couldn’t hide.

“You’re in love with him…”

The goblin blinked away their tears, not acknowledging what the villain said. Robbie shook his head, shock and confusion filling him. He could see how someone could like Jareth – he had after all. Out of all the creatures in the Labyrinth Jareth was probably the most stunning, plus being the king definitely didn’t hurt his appeal. But there was so much more to loving someone than what was on the outside.

Inside, Jareth was horrid.

“How can you love him after everything that he’s done?” Robbie said, his brow quirking as he looked the creature over. “He kidnapped children – and threatened to kill them. He nearly killed me multiple times too, and sent monsters after me and lied to me… and poisoned me before imprisoning me. You really would be happy married to someone who has no problems doing that to you?”

“… I guess that’s where you fail, and I succeed,” the goblin said, an emotionless smile forming on their face as they said it. They sniffled, taking in a deep breath as their composure returned to them. A cold light flickered in their eyes. “He wouldn’t need to do all of that for me. He wouldn’t need to take any children, or send any monsters after me… I would be his from the very beginning. The moment he gave me his love I would be at his mercy. Anything he asked of me, I’d do it – anything he wanted from me, I’d give it. As long as I had his devotion, I would be his slave … I already am, after all.”

Robbie was speechless. He shook his head, swallowing as a sick taste formed in his mouth at what the goblin had said. Just a few hours before he had been just like them – so eager to give himself to Jareth, thankful for whatever attention the Goblin King threw his way. He had been so quick to ignore all the horrible things Jareth was doing… now that he knew better, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the goblin.

“… you deserve better,” Robbie said, not hiding the pity in his voice. This… didn’t go over well with the creature. He could see a spark of anger rise within them, their lips trembling as they clenched their fists.

“ Better?” they said, their voice loud enough to make Robbie flinch. They paused, taking a few breaths before pinching the bridge of their nose with their claws. “What better is there? I mean, for Qüilk’s sake look at me! I’m a goblin ! Do you understand what it means to be a goblin?”

Robbie looked at the creature… and he wanted to be polite, but he had to be honest. Goblins were not the most appealing creatures to look at – the goblin before him no exception. They were green and warty and bald, their claws curled and as crooked as their teeth. In all honesty, Robbie thought they looked like a Halloween decoration; something you’d put out by your front door with a bowl of candy. But, despite how ‘goblin' the goblin looked, Robbie couldn’t see why that would be a turn off for other goblins.

“I can’t say that I… understand what life as a goblin is like,” Robbie said, trying on a hesitant smile. “But surely that doesn’t mean you’re unlovable. I mean, there’s thousands of you little guys crawling around the Labyrinth, there’s bound to be one out there that’s just perfect for you.”

The goblin sent Robbie a glare. “Do you have any idea how patronizing that sounds?”

Robbie frowned, clearing his throat as he shifted his gaze away from the creature. 

“… sorry,” Robbie said, sighing softly as he crossed his arms. “I’m really not the best person when it comes to this kind of thing.”

“Clearly,” the goblin said, crossing their arms as well.

“Look…” Robbie said, opening and closing his eyes slowly as he thought of what to say. “I don’t know what it means to be a goblin, and I’m not doing to pretend that I do – so what does being a goblin have to do with love ? You might as well teach me… seeing as I’m going to be around you guys for a while.”

The goblin blinked, as if considering what Robbie had just said. There was a long moment of silence before the goblin sighed, shifting so they sat on the boogie board with their legs crossed. An unamused laugh fell from their lips.

“Let’s just say that goblins and romance don’t mix. Honestly, you’d get more romance out of a half-rotted corpse than the entire goblin horde. Everyone’s far more interested in drinking and fighting and seeing how hard each other can belch without exploding – if goblins ever loved each other, we forgot how to do so a long time ago.”

“… What about you?” Robbie asked. The goblin lifted their gaze only for a moment, shrugging.

“I haven’t been around long enough to forget,” they said, their tone flat. “Or I’m just defective… I’m not exactly like other goblins, that much is clear. I stick out like a night troll’s tail at feasts.”

I can relate to that… a frown formed on Robbie’s face.

“So you guys… don’t get married? You don’t have families and kids?”

“No,” they said as they placed their head in their hands. “At least not legally.”

Robbie’s eyes widened. “It’s… illegal for you guys to get married?”

“Oh no, we get married,” the goblin said, half rolling their eyes as their gaze followed a floating patch of bubbles in the water. “But our marriages aren’t really ‘marriages’ as you’d understand it. Whenever a goblin wedding happens, it’s always between at least twenty four goblins and ends in divorce before the day is over. It’s pointless really – no one gets married out of love.”

“Then why even get married in the first place?” Robbie said, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

The goblin just shrugged. “An excuse to get out of work I suppose.”

“… so,” Robbie said, not hiding the confusion in his tone as he scratched his chin. “You guys just group up for a day and do… what? Talk? Fight? Eat? Uh… ‘make’ goblin babies?”

“That would be illegal,” the goblin said, not moving their gaze from the water. They poked their claw into a large bubble, causing it to part into a cluster of even smaller bubbles. Robbie was silent for a while as he registered what the creature said.

“It’s illegal for you guys to have children ?” he said, his confusion and shock only growing. They nodded, drying their hand on their pants as they looked at Robbie again. The villain’s face scrunched as he thought over what the creature was telling him. After a moment he crossed his arms, his mouth quirking to the side. “Hang on - that doesn’t make sense!”

“Of course it doesn’t make sense,” the goblin said, a small smile forming on their lips. “Nothing in the Labyrinth ever does.”

Robbie rolled his eyes in response. “You honestly expect me to believe you guys never have children?”

“… it does happen,” the goblin said, gesturing vaguely with their hand. “Once in a blue moon, or the first day of a leap year… It’s just not supposed to happen. It’s an ancient law dating back long before Jareth’s reign – a lot of weird laws were passed around that time. Why goblin procreation is illegal no one knows, though it’s most likely because the act of ‘making goblin babies’ as you put it is… well…”

The goblin trailed off as their gaze shifted away from the villain. A noise that sounded like a mix between a cough and a wheeze escaped their lips, their face contorting into an unreadable expression. “Uh… it’s actually better that you don’t know.”

“Eugh…” Robbie said, a shiver running up his spine as he stuck out his tongue and gagged. He took a moment to regain his composure, taking a few deep breaths in and out. “Okay… so if you guys rarely have children, why haven’t you died out yet? Where exactly are you all coming from?”

“… Jareth?” the goblin said, a humorous tone to their voice – as if the fact was obvious. They shook their head as an amused smile formed on their face. “Where else?”

Robbie would have sooner assumed holes in the ground than Jareth. “And… how exactly does Jareth ‘make’ goblins?”

The goblin sent him a look – one of shock as well as disbelief. “Children.”

Robbie froze, swallowing as an uncomfortable thought formed in his mind. He remembered back to the ballroom, when Sportacus showed him his past – what Jareth had done the day he was banished. The goblin king had made a comment, something about ‘adding an elf to his collection’…

No...

He brought a hand up to his mouth.

“He turns children into goblins ?!”

“… are you serious?” the goblin said, tilting their head at Robbie with a shocked amazement. “Did you really not know what Jareth does to the children he takes? What do you think he planned on doing with the children you wished away? Adopt them?”

“I don’t know !” Robbie said, his eyes going wide as he lowered his gaze to the water. “I assumed at the time that he’d just give them back after a while.”

The creature shook their head with a laugh. “Give them back? You really don’t know Jareth at all. He never gives children back – unless you somehow manage to solve the puzzle of the labyrinth. Of course, someone taking a child back from Jareth is about as rare as… well, it’s basically unheard of… mostly unheard of…”

Robbie was silent for a while, recovering from this revelation. He felt incredibly thankful that Jareth didn’t still have the children – a villain Robbie might be, but taking kids and transforming them into monsters? There wasn’t a single thing the kids could do to make Robbie wish that on them.

Images of a goblin Stephanie filled his brain, those brown eyes peering up at him with the same look from before, a silent question of ‘why’ written all over a little green face… he shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. After taking a shaky breath in he turned to the goblin. “He… does he do this to every child he takes?”

“Yes… at least, that’s what I’ve been told?” the goblin said, their mouth quirking into a pensive frown. “It’s been a long time since a child has been taken, I was one of the last… but I haven’t heard of a child not being changed. The Labyrinth just isn’t suited for human children, and neither is Jareth – he likes everything to be made in his vision. When he gets a human child, that child is a blank canvas. He names them, transforms them to his liking, then sets them out to do as he commands.”

Robbie locked his gaze with the goblin. Blue eyes stared back, unblinking. In that moment, as Robbie processed what the goblin said, all he could think about was how their eyes almost seemed…

His eyes went wide.

“You were human?”

They only nodded. Robbie was horrified, shaking his head as a new wave of pity filled him. Looking at the creature now, he could see the humanity behind those blue eyes; the goblin body around them like a hastily thrown on costume and mask. It was wrong. The more he looked at the goblin, the more he began to wonder if Jareth would someday turn him into a goblin as well…

He had to look away – if he didn’t he was going to be sick.

“… did… does it hurt?” Robbie said, his voice shaking.

A noise came from the goblin, a mix between confusion as well as surprise. Robbie chanced a glance back at the creature. They looked shocked by the question.

“N-No… I was just a baby when it happened,” the goblin said, their voice soft, tiny claws fumbling at their chest. “I-I can’t remember what happened at all… I don’t even remember what it feels like to be human.”

“… do you know anything about where you came from? Who your family is?” Robbie said, tilting his head as he faced the creature. Another look of shock formed on their face at this question.

“I-I don’t… It doesn’t matter who they are. They g-gave me away – I wasn’t wanted,” the creature said, their voice growing shy as they bit their little lip. They were silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought – perhaps finding words to say, or the courage to say them. It was a while before they spoke, their voice barely a whisper. “B-But… there are times that I catch the scent of something that feels familiar, though I can never figure out why… sometimes I have dreams, and I see faces… a lullaby that I know I’ve heard before...”

They trailed off, their eyes going blank as they fixed on the pool of water. Their body was shaking, though only slightly – Robbie didn’t dare ask more. He wanted to of course, how could he not? His mind was racing with questions as his imagination tried to fill in for lack of information. How old was this goblin? What color would their hair be? What would they look like as a person – heck, Robbie still couldn’t tell if they were male or female…

All that he knew was that he shouldn’t have to be using his imagination to see the humanity that was stripped from the creature before him; at least on the outside.

“… maybe someday I can convince Jareth to change you back.”

Robbie watched as a strange expression formed on the goblin’s face, one that he could not read. They blinked, their thick brows raising and their mouth opening, as if to say something… but it was then that the door opened with a bang. Both of them turned to the noise, Robbie dreading that it was Jareth.

He was extremely relieved when just a goblin entered, dragging a large bag behind them. They closed the door, it clicking and locking automatically; Robbie wondered if there was a spell on the door. The goblin paused to stare at them, placing tiny claws on their hips as they shook their head. “You’re still not done with ‘im? I took the long way too… you must be looking for a punishment Matthew.”

Blue eyes narrowed, arms crossing as a scowl formed on the face of Robbie’s goblin friend – Matthew… Robbie’s lips pursed as he considered the name. At least that part of him is normal…

“I’ll be done with him in a second, Latrina …” Matthew said, rolling his eyes. “Worry about your own work for once.”

The goblin… which Robbie assumed was female, rolled her eyes in return. She shuffled to the other side of the room before pulling out the contents of her bag – which turned out to be a large white dress. Robbie thought it looked familiar… much like the one he wore in Jareth’s ballroom, if not the same exact gown. He frowned. I’m really starting to hate the color white.

Matthew shifted beside him, and Robbie turned his gaze back to the goblin to see him extending something to him. It was a soap-lathered loofa. Robbie blinked at the creature, slightly confused. There was a new energy about the goblin – the hostility from before now gone. He paddled the boogie board around to Robbie’s back, softly muttering something along the lines of ‘let’s make this quick’ as he did so. There seemed to be an… almost kindness to his tone.

Robbie began to clean himself, scrubbing his face and neck before slowly making his way down to his chest. Behind him, Matthew was making quick work of his back – his nape and shoulders done in a matter of seconds; thankfully, the goblin was far gentler in his scrubbing than he was with Robbie’s hair. Robbie was about to clean his arms… but yelped as the goblin grabbed those.

He had almost forgotten about them.

“… this looks painful,” Matthew said, his voice gentle yet laced with notable concern. A claw ran down the delicate, scaly membrane of chitin… Robbie swallowed, hissing at the feeling.

“T-They’re sensitive,” Robbie said, clenching his jaw as he felt the light scraping of what had to be dead scales. His eyes drifted to the water’s surface… he scowled as the water began to shimmer with what looked like glitter. “Y-You don’t have to clean those.”

Matthew paused for a moment, then came the claw at his shoulder. “When was the last time you took care of your wings?”

Wings …

Robbie’s scowl deepened before turning his head slightly to meet the goblin’s gaze. “They’re not wings … they’re growths. A deformity- part of a twin I absorbed in the womb or something.”

“… these are wings,” Matthew said, his tone flat as he lightly poked one of them. Robbie drew them tighter against his back, leaning forward to avoid the goblin’s touch. Matthew just sighed at that, crossing his arms with a pensive frown. “Haven’t you seen another fae before? Seen their wings?”

Robbie let out a shaky breath.

“I’m human.”

A freak of a human.

It felt like Matthew was going to say more, argue with Robbie’s statement… but he just sighed, shrugging as he moved to start cleaning the ‘growths’ once more. “Whatever it is you’d like to call them, they still need to be cleaned.”

The scrubbing began once more, and Robbie tensed and nearly cried out. “N-No we don’t… I can just… just keep them flat and h-hidden against my back…”

“So that’s what you’ve been doing to them,” Matthew said, starting at the tip of one wing and scouring away what Robbie knew was years of buildup. It took every bit of Robbie’s will to not start howling. The goblin made ‘tsk’ noises at him, scrubbing the tip until all that remained was fresh, shimmering chitin. “They have such a nice color too… it’s a shame for you to hide them.”

Robbie’s eyes slammed shut as Matthew began to scrub upwards, the sensitivity growing more and more the closer the scrubbing got to the base. It was overwhelming, overstimulating – he felt like he might explode. Then, there was a strangle coiling in Robbie’s gut, something tightening and growing like a quickly inflating balloon. He let out a gasp at the feeling. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.

“Wait,” Robbie said, a feeling like that of static electricity filling him – he could have sworn his hair was standing on end. “I-It hurts!”

“I’m almost done,” Matthew said, going faster. “Hang on just a little while longer…”

The hurried scraping of the loofa only made it worse. Robbie’s gut felt so tight – like he had just eaten five whole cakes and was struggling to keep them down. His eyes opened… the water around him was turning purple, and he could have sworn that it was beginning to bubble.

“Something’s happening !” Robbie said, his voice breaking as panic and discomfort filled him. The coiling was quickly turning into what felt like a tornado inside of him, swirling deep in his core. He felt a spark of something behind his eyes…

And then, Matthew reached the base of Robbie’s back – and it was like an explosion.

A wave of purple light erupted from his shoulder blades, shooting all the way from the base to the tips of the ‘appendages’ on Robbie’s back. A shrill shriek escaped Matthew’s lips as he was thrown backwards, flying at least ten feet into a large pile of folded towels. The force made Robbie fall forwards, his body dunking under the water. He stood with a gasp, water dripping down his face as he coughed and spat out a mouthful of soap.

His back was tingling, a strange fluttering the only remaining sensation of what just happened. Speaking of what just happened…

What the hell just happened?!

Robbie wiped the soap and hair from his eyes, blinking a few times as he turned and looked at the room behind him… and was shocked to see just how different it had become. His eyes flitted around the room, and he shook his head in amazement.

I… I caused all this? No… no, I couldn’t have…

The steam that had once filled the room was completely gone. Where there had once been pristine white marble walls there was now ivy – thick and dark, littered with heavy purple lilies that dripped with sweet smelling nectar. A thick moss covered the steps leading out of the pool of water, almost like green carpeting. It faded the further away from Robbie it grew…

Stopping short of his wedding gown. The goblin ‘Latrina’ had draped it over a mannequin in the far corner of the room, before the ‘explosion’ happened. It looked… quite different than it had before. Where there had once been pearlescent white was now a deep lilac, shimmering with translucent satin. Tiny little flowers were peppered over the bust, trailing down the front until they flared out at the hem. It shimmered in the dim light of the room, almost as if it were glowing.

He blinked at it. If he wasn’t being forced to wear the thing, he might… actually call it perfect. After a moment of gawking he froze, looking around the room for the two goblins. They must have seen what actually caused all of this … whatever this was. A cloud of what looked like purple smoke billowed off the now destroyed pile of towels that Matthew had flown into. Robbie’s eyes widened, wading through the water towards what he hoped wasn’t the charred remains of the creature.

But then there was a scream, and Robbie turned to see… what looked like a human troll doll. He gawked, both startled and confused at the rather strange stranger. She was short, though not nearly as short as either of the goblins from before had been. Wispy fuchsia colored hair flowed long down her back and shoulders, long enough that Robbie wondered if she had ever had a haircut before. Her clothes were rather tattered looking... In fact, they looked just like the goblin garb that Latrina had been wearing just moments ago…

Robbie froze.

Oh.

She was in front of a mirror, short fingers prodding with horror at her orange skin, button shaped nose and pouting lips… and she screamed again. Robbie watched as she turned from the mirror and bolted out of the room, crying the entire way out. He blinked, then turned slowly to the smoking pile of towels beside the pool of water.

“… Matthew?” he said, his voice tense as he waited for a response. There was no reply for far too long, and for a moment he worried that there really was the charred remains of a little goblin at the base of all that smoke. But then, with a pained grunt, a hand stuck out from deep within the pile. Robbie nearly gasped.

It was human.

He took a few steps backwards, eyes wide as the man emerged – first the hand, then another, followed by a bowed head and tensed shoulders. A flash of red… red hair, curling down to his chin; thick and shiny. And then there were those eyes again, so blue and wide but now they fit on the face that bore them. They blinked, staring at Robbie with even more confusion than Robbie felt himself.

“I-I’ve never… seen such pent up m-magic before…” Matthew said, placing a hand to the side of his head as if in pain. Even his voice sounded different. Where it had almost been shrill before it was now deep and smooth – at least two octaves lower. He seemed to notice this himself, his hand moving from the side of his head to his throat. His brow raised in confusion, his gaze lowering…

And then he froze, taking himself in.

He first noticed his hands, now pale and pink and five fingered instead of the four taloned green of goblin claws. His eyes were wide as he turned them over multiple times – touching his palms with shaking fingertips. A gasp escaped him as he stood, towels falling off of him. Robbie was shocked by how much taller Matthew was; not quite as tall as he was, but compared to how tall the former goblin had been he was now a giant.

A strand of hair fell into Matthews face, and he nearly went cross eyed looking at it. Then his hands were on his head as another gasp came from trembling lips. His fingers fisted into the ginger ringlets almost frantically, greedily. The smile that erupted on his lightly freckled face was like a beam of sunshine.

“I… have hair!”

Matthew turned his head, gaze falling on the mirror on the other side of the room. He practically sprinted over to it… tumbling slightly, long legs as new to him as they might be a newborn foal. Once he was face to face with his reflection he froze again – blue eyes wide and mouth ajar. Robbie kept his gaze on the newly transformed man as he stepped out of the water; quickly snatching a towel to wrap around his waist, for modesty.

Much like how Latrina had done before, Matthew prodded his human face with wonder – though where the woman had been almost horrified by what she saw, Matthew seemed… unbelievably happy. There were tears falling from his eyes, his shoulders shaking with sobs and laughter.

“I’m handsome!” he said, nearly shouting the words in his excitement. His hands trailed down to his chest, prodding his torso with as much joy as one might touch a soft pillow or stuffed animal. He lifted up his shirt to examine his stomach, fingers finding the curls of hair below his belly button… then there was a pause. Matthew side-eyed Robbie, mouth drawing taut as he turned his back to the villain.

Then he… checked down his pants. Robbie cleared his throat, eyes drifting over towards a window with an awkward frown on his face.

At least he’s thorough…

Another laugh escaped the red haired man, the noise clearly satisfied. Then there were footsteps, and Robbie turned and nearly shrieked as Matthew threw his arms around him. He was squeezed in a tight, too tight, bear hug.

“Oh, thank you Robbie Rotten! You angel!” Matthew said, rocking back and forth with Robbie in his arms. “You deity, you saint, you… you faery godfather!”

Robbie pulled away from the hug, face scrunched with discomfort. There was a fluttering at his back as he moved, an almost tickling surge running down his spine from it. He ignored the feeling, fixing the newly human man with a confused frown. “Hang on… why are you thanking me? I-I didn’t do this…”

There was a pause, then Matthew snorted, crossing his arms before rolling his eyes as if responding to a joke. “Are you about to tell me that ‘I had the power in me all along’ or some other faery line to make me feel good about myself? I know how these things work…”

The villain shook his head, his shoulders rising and falling as an exasperated groan escaped his lips. “But I didn’t - I don’t know how this happened! T-There was this light and then you were just like this. It… it wasn’t me.”

“… Robbie,” Matthew said, his gaze soft as well as his tone. His eyes flickered with shock filled reverence. “That light came from you … it was you who did this. I must have… unblocked something inside of you when I revibranced your wings. You’ve been suppressing yourself for a long time, haven’t you? That’s really dangerous you know – I’m lucky that blast just reversed Jareth’s transformation spell and not vaporized me! How are you not exhausted from holding all of that power in?”

No… no.

“I couldn’t have done something like this… I don’t have the power for anything like this…” Robbie said, fear filling his voice as he tried to make sense of all of this. He was just a villain, a villain with weird villain powers. He couldn’t bippity boppity boo goblins into humans! He couldn’t ‘vaporize’ anyone…

He couldn’t even get one hero to leave his town!

Matthew blinked, uncrossing his arms as he stared at Robbie. A strange expression formed on his face – it almost looked as if he were mentally debating something. It was a while before the expression faded into a look of resignation, Matthew sighing as he shook his head. “You… really have no idea what you are, do you?”

“… I’m human.”

A hand closed on his shoulder, and Matthew led him over to the floor length mirror that he had been admiring himself in just moments ago. He gestured for Robbie to look, a somewhat impatient look on his face. “No, I’m human. You’re fae. It’s as clear as the wings on your back…”

Reluctantly, Robbie peered at his reflection… and nearly screamed, just as Latrina had done. Those things on his back were twinkling – fluttering ever so slightly, a soft lavender glow lilting off the tips like tiny flames. They looked ridiculous…

And they looked like wings.

Robbie flexed the long ignored muscles on his back, opening and closing the appendages as if testing that they were actually there. They fluttered from the act… Robbie could feel the air move behind him, ever so slightly but with how sensitive his wings were there might as well have been a hurricane at his back. He looked away, biting his lip as fidgeting hands clasped at his chest.  

He couldn’t deny it any longer – he wasn’t human.

Of course he wasn’t… and now he had a name to put to what he was.

Fae…

“… Your mother was full human – that would make you half, though with how fae blood works there really is no such thing as a half; any amount of fae is a fae,” Matthew said, crossing his arms again as he looked at Robbie through the mirror. “Did your mother never tell you… or was it her that tried to convince you that you were human?”

Robbie shot him a look, his eyes widening slightly.

My mother?

His mother… was well meaning. Though in hindsight, Robbie could see how one might interpret her actions as ‘being in denial’ about his ‘condition’, so to speak. In her defense he wasn’t exactly an easy child. He cried incessantly, was always hungry, and had a knack for getting into trouble… plus all the freaky stuff he did because of his so called ‘gifts’ – like that one time he turned the living room curtains into taffy. There was also that time he set the town on fire…

She had plenty of reasons for ‘lying’ to him. He liked to think that it was to protect him – after all, he was setting stuff on fire with his fae powers back when setting stuff on fire with fae powers got people set on fire. It was for his own good when she bundled him up in a too-large coat to hide his wings every time they left the house to run errands. It was to keep a mob from forming when she kept him inside all day to help with the sewing – people couldn’t see his ‘gifts’ if they never saw him …

Every time he’d ask her why, it was always just because he was ‘special’ and that people were ‘jealous’ of people like him… he always knew that she was lying, always knew despite how hard he wanted to believe. And oh how he wanted to believe – because if he was just special, all he had to do was try harder to be more ordinary.

If he was ordinary, he wouldn’t have to hide…

Matthew sighed beside him, reaching a gentle hand out to one of Robbie’s wings. He didn’t touch it – his hand hovering an inch or two away from the glowing tip. Bits of what might have been pixie dust fell onto his fingertips. “At the very least she could have tried to learn how to take care of these – she had to have seen the amount of pain they caused you! And there had to have been fae keeping an eye on you, what with your lineage and Jareth looking for you. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to seek out their help.”

Robbie frowned, his back muscles flexing slightly. They had been painful…

He paused, blinking slightly as the entirety of what Matthew said registered. With a raised brow he turned to meet the man’s gaze.

“… Jareth was looking for me?”

All of the color drained from Matthew’s face. His blue eyes were wide, and his lips began to tremble as he nearly staggered backwards. A hand snaked up to his mouth; he covered it, almost as if to silence himself.

“I… I-I shouldn’t have said that…”

Alarms were going off in Robbie’s head, questions forming alongside countless others he had asked himself in the past sixteen hours. If Jareth had been looking for him all the way back then… why?

Why him?

… what did his ‘lineage’ have to do with Jareth looking for him? And what did that have to do with what was happening now?

The villain’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting as an uneasiness filled his gut. Matthew was avoiding his gaze now, a strange timidness to his demeanor – a fear. That only made Robbie more concerned.

“Matthew, why was Jareth looking for me?”

“J-Just forget I said that – forget I said anything!” he said, shaking his head as he backed towards a nearby window. “Please … I-If he finds out I told you that I-I’ll…”

Matthew caught the gaze of his reflection in the mirror once more, his eyes and fear only seeming to grow in size. He looked down at his hands, the same reverence on his face that was there the first time he saw them. But now… the joy had been replaced with terror. His throat bobbed as he swallowed; he was trembling. A tear ran down his cheek as he met Robbie’s gaze once more.

“You have to change me back,” he said, his voice shaking as much as he was. “Before Jareth sees.”

Robbie’s eyes went wide. “What ?”

“Please Robbie,” Matthew said, striding towards the man until they were face to face. His eyes were pleading, begging. “If he sees me like this he’ll punish me! I-I’m already in trouble as it is. If you change me back now-”

There was a knock at the door. Both of the men froze.

“Are you decent ?” a voice said from behind the door. It was Jareth’s.

Matthew let out a panicked gasp, his trembling growing worse and worse. His eyes were desperate as he met Robbie’s gaze. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “Please … he’ll k-kill me.”

“I can’t,” Robbie said, starting to tremble himself as he whispered back. “I-I don’t know how.”

“… Robert, I will come in whether you’re ready or not if you do not answer me,” Jareth said again, his voice growing impatient. The door handle rattled, the goblin king's hand almost certainly grasping it – ready to barge in at any moment. Robbie could feel the icy cold aura of anger from where he stood.

“Can you at least try ?” Matthew said, fat tears rolling down his face as his gaze fell on the door. Robbie bit his lip as he watched the man. He wanted to help, he really did…

But even if he did know how to reverse what he had done to Matthew… how could he? The man was clearly unhappy as a goblin, suffering most likely. And the way he looked at himself when his humanity was restored was like a child at Christmas. Robbie was a villain – not a very good one at this point – but he couldn’t take away Matthew’s humanity. It would be cruel … it would be beyond villainy. It would make him just as bad as Jareth was.

And he wasn’t like Jareth.

The door handle turned, a loud click making both of them jump as the door unlocked.

“Wait!” Robbie shouted, hoping to delay the Goblin King, his eyes growing wide as a twinge of panic shot through his system. It was too late though. The door swung open, jarring the door frame hard enough to make the room shake. In stepped Jareth, an unhappy scowl on his face as his gaze met Robbie’s… and then his expression unfolded into that of shock and confusion, mismatched eyes falling on Matthew.

And then there was a flash of rage.

A startled yelp escaped Matthews lips, the man stepping backwards as Jareth practically lunged at him. “S-Sire, wait!”

“Who are you and how did you get in my Labyrinth?!” Jareth said, grabbing Matthew by the front of his shirt. He dragged the man until his back hit the ledge of a window, the force hard enough to send a tremor throughout the room. A pained groan escaped Matthews lips; his blue eyes were wide as they bore into Jareths – silently pleading to the enraged being.

“I-It’s me, it’s me – Matthew,” the man said, his knees nearly giving out from how hard he was trembling. “Y-Your most loyal s-servant!”

“Liar,” Jareth said, grabbing Matthew harder – lifting him so he nearly dangled. Robbie gasped, images flashing in his mind as he remembered the last time Jareth had held someone by a window.

“It’s true,” Robbie said, taking long strides across the room towards the two men. He placed a shaking hand on the Goblin King’s shoulder, causing Jareth to turn his head towards him. The look in those mismatched eyes was harsh enough to kill; Robbie nearly flinched... but continued, for Matthew's sake. “I-I made him like this – it was an accident. I… I undid your transformation spell.”

Jareth paused, his gaze returning to the red-haired man in his grasp. He gave him a once over, his mouth drawn taut as his brow raised. When he met Matthew’s eyes he lingered – searching… and seemingly finding the answer he was looking for. With an annoyed huff he let the man go.

Thank god, Robbie thought, internally breathing a sigh relief.

Matthew slid to the floor; his face was a frozen mask of terror, eyes wide as they shifted to meet Robbie’s. For a half second they exchanged a silent look of understanding – of apology. His gaze didn’t remain on Robbie long, quickly lowering to the floor and staying there.

Without so much as an apology Jareth turned away and faced Robbie with a sigh. “You’re certainly full of surprises aren’t you? Was this the result of a little game of yours, or were you just bored?”

Robbie was still, taking calculated breaths as he kept his composure. “… It was just an accident.”

Jareth's eyes flitted around the room, taking in the new scenery with mild amusement. He nearly smiled as he reached out to one of the lilies blooming on the ivy covered walls… but his face soured as the flower closed inward and shriveled. An annoyed ‘hm’ escaped his lips at this. With a shake of his head he turned on his heel and strode towards the middle of the room.

“This was quite the accident,” he said, the words preceded by a short, unfeeling laugh. “Tell me, do ‘accidents’ like this happen often with you?”

“Only when I’m uncomfortable,” Robbie said, his voice terse as he resisted the urge to spit the words out.

Jareth’s brow raised, a cold smile forming on his lips as he clicked his teeth. His gaze flashed over to Matthew for a second or two before returning to Robbie. “… was someone making you uncomfortable?”

Matthew let out a soft whimper, his head snapping up to gape at the Goblin King. Robbie sent the man a quick, reassuring and hopefully calming smile. If it helped him at all he could not tell; he didn’t think much of anything could help the terrified man at the moment.

Except for Jareth leaving. He mentally made that his goal…

But first, he needed answers.

Something was going on here, and he had a bad feeling that ‘something’ was not going to be something he liked.

“No… of course not,” Robbie said, flashing Jareth a soft, fake smile. Poor excuse for a villain or not, Robbie was still the master of disguise – he’d acted his way out of tight situations before, and as far as he was concerned this was just another performance. He took a few steps forward, stopping just short of six feet from the Goblin King; any closer and he just might lose his nerve. “Matthew has been a wonderful help – I haven’t been this clean in years. Thank you for sending him to assist me.”

Jareth’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze once again shifting to the man on the floor. He looked at him as if considering something, crossing his arms as he did so. Matthew began to tremble harder under his gaze.

“… was it you that revibranced his wings?” Jareth said after a moment, his tone somewhat softer than it had been before. If that was as close to friendly as Robbie could get the being he’d take it.

Matthew swallowed, nodding cautiously. “Y-Yes sire.”

The Goblin King’s eyes shifted to the fluttering appendages with what might have been admiration – the kind of admiration one might have for a painting or a well groomed lawn. It took everything inside of Robbie to not press them flat against his back, away from those piercing eyes. He then noticed, or perhaps remembered, just how bare he was. Besides the towel wrapped around his waist he was completely exposed to Jareth. His smile faltered slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

It was a while before Jareth chose to speak once more. He didn’t shift his gaze as he turned his face ever so slightly to the man on the floor.

“… Nice work,” was all that he said.

At the compliment, Matthew stopped trembling. While his eyes remained wide, the fear on his face began to fade – changing into an expression of shock. His mouth opened, ever so slightly, as if deciding whether or not to speak. He ultimately decided on a quick, polite, “T-Thank you, sire.”

Jareth returned to studying the room, his eyes falling on Robbie’s wedding dress after a moment. He paused, the corners of his mouth drawing down as his eyes narrowed. His boots clicked on the marble flooring as he strode towards it. A deep frown gradually formed on his face as he further inspected the gown – encircling it, and at one point picking at the delicate purple flowers along the bust. A heated huff escaped his lips, his shoulders rising and falling with the motion, the act laced with annoyance.

“I trust that this was another accident, was it not?”

Robbie noted the disgust in the Goblin King’s tone, taking a second to choose his words. “Yes… I apologize. The dress was very beautiful as it was. It’s a shame that I… ruined it.”

A pause followed, Jareth seemingly lost in thought as he further scrutinized the gown. He crossed his arms, shaking his head with another deep breath. “I’m very much not a fan of the color… it’s gaudy. Not very traditional for a wedding.”

Gaudy!?

Robbie held his tongue, but didn't try hiding the displeased scowl that formed on his face. That was his favorite color, and it looked lovely on the dress… he sighed, carefully picking and choosing his battles. He forced himself to keep his voice and tone soft and agreeable as he replied. “Well, our wedding isn’t exactly a traditional one, don’t you think?”

Another pause. Jareth froze, hand hovering over the puffy sleeves of the gown with a strange hesitancy. Robbie could see his eyes shift, narrowing at Robbie’s comment – he was thinking, an urgency to the act; like he was coming up with an excuse… a lie.

Got you… Robbie kept his gaze locked on the Goblin King’s face. There’s definitely more going on here than a simple ‘wedding’…

“… how so?” Jareth said after a moment, eyeing Robbie out of the corner of his eye. There was a dangerous light flickering from them – a challenge. He was shifting the interrogation onto Robbie.

Clever … he needed to shift suspicion away from himself. Fast.

“It isn’t every day that the king of the Labyrinth gets married,” Robbie said, shaking his head as if what he was saying was obvious. A soft chuckle fell from his lips, a playful smile flashing towards Jareth to cut the earlier tension. “I would think that a king’s wedding should be anything but traditional.”

The tenseness in Jareth seemed to vanish at Robbie’s words – almost as if relieved.

“... I suppose.”

Robbie bit his lip, studying Jareth as intensely as he could without drawing more suspicion. Something was going to happen in a few hours – something bad – and he needed to know what it was. He chanced a look at Matthew, almost surprised to meet the man’s gaze. There was a strange emotion on the red-head’s face… it almost looked like a warning, a quiet plea to stop. Matthew understood what Robbie was trying to do; and the look on his face was that of concern for what Jareth might do.

Prying any further was certain to make the Goblin King mad – like poking a bee’s nest. It would be dangerous. Robbie knew this all too well… but sometimes you have to poke a bee’s nest in order to see the queen; and it was time to swing at this bee’s nest with a baseball bat.

“Jareth,” Robbie said, taking three steps forward towards the Goblin King. He kept his tone gentle, but there was no mistaking the confidence laced into every word. “Why are we getting married?”

Matthew mouthed a silent ‘no’ to the fae, but Robbie ignored him. Jareth tensed, turning to Robbie with a face of stone – carefully concealed anger. He took a few steps towards Robbie as if mirroring the man. His voice, however, lacked all of the confidence that Robbie had spoken with.

“Why. Does. That. Matter?” Jareth said, barely keeping his composure. The question was threatening to him, to his plan – whatever it was. There was the distant sound of rumbling, and a few seconds later came a tremor that shook the room. It was almost enough to make Robbie lose his footing; it was enough to make Matthew jump to his feet, eyes wide as he braced against the ledge of the window.

Judging by the dangerous light in Jareth’s eyes, that rumble had been his doing.

Robbie knew that he only had one question left before the bee’s nest came crashing down at his feet. He had to make it count – had to make it the question that cracked the nest wide open. Jareth was staring him down, the almost monstrous aura drifting off of him unnerving; distracting. This question needed to be thought up quick, before he got stung.

He wracked his mind, trying to go over any and all information he had learned over the course of this journey of his. Jareth was still such a huge mystery to him – the majority of his knowledge about him related to what he did to Sportacus… he wished the elf were here, he’d know exactly what Jareth was up to.

A flicker of a thought formed in Robbie’s mind.

Sportacus had said some things in the tower, the last time Robbie had seen him... things that made Jareth angry – it was as close to the monster he truly was that Robbie had ever seen him. Sportacus had taunted Jareth…

Had said a name.

Robbie fixed Jareth with a look that hid all apprehension he felt at uttering his question. Jareth’s eyes narrowed at the change in composure from the fae… one might have said he looked afraid, if at least concerned. He should have been. Robbie almost smiled when he spoke.

“… who is Sarah?”

Matthew gasped, his hand flying up to cover his mouth in shock. Then he flinched; bracing himself against the windowsill. Robbie kept his gaze fixed on Jareth… though what he saw next made him wish he hadn’t.

The room began to tremble- no, shatter around them. Cracks erupted outwards from where Jareth was standing, like a spider web mixed with the turbulent rippling of a wave. Shards of granite flew upwards from the pure force of the Goblin King’s rage, water splashed up and out of the pool behind them, the mirror beside Matthew shattered…

And then, like some nightmarish butterfly erupting from its cocoon, Jareth’s face transformed into that of a monster – a true monster. Where had once been a set of thin lips was now a sharp, downturned beak. Where there had once been the eyes of a man was now the piercing black orbs of a demon. Wispy hair frayed out into the broken barbs of feathers, a neck elongating into something so unnatural that Robbie looked away in horror.

The hiss that rumbled from the monster looming above him was enough to make Robbie’s blood run cold.

The bee’s nest has been cracked open… and the queen is the size of my fist.

“Robbie, run!” Matthew shouted, causing the fae to turn towards him. His eyes were wide with concern, his body shaking but still he had the courage to try and help the poor fae who had upset his master...

Too bad Jareth had also turned to him as he called out. A horrifying, ear shattering screech formed from deep within Jareth’s core, the cry aimed at the red-haired man. The force was like a gunshot and a hurricane, quick and unstoppable – too strong for a human to withstand. The floor exploded like a row of gunpowder, dissolving to dust into the castle rooms below. Matthew scrambled backwards, leaning heavily against the windowsill to try and escape his master’s wrath…

And when the wall surrounding the window collapsed into nothing, Matthew fell.

“No!” Robbie shouted, reaching out in vain to the man. He watched, his eyes wide as Matthew tumbled backwards … where all that waited for him was the ground some several hundred feet below.

Robbie's body moved on its own.

Before the monster that was Jareth could grab him in his claws, Robbie vanished. His body teleported faster than it ever had before, racing past the broken section of castle that was still crumbling from the force of Jareth’s rage. He moved, down, down, down until he felt the terrified body of Matthew. It almost hurt when he materialized, the wind ripping past him – wrenching his wings open at his back. His arms closed around the red-head with as much strength as his lithe body could manage.

It was enough. Their descent slowed, Robbie’s wings fluttering instinctively at his back – like he had been flying forever. Given different circumstances, he might have given pause to gawk at himself.

Matthew’s head folded against his chest, and Robbie wasted no time in teleporting them safely to the ground below. When they reappeared, Matthew gasped – the sensation of teleporting almost certainly a new and uncomfortable feeling for him. He was a trembling, near sobbing mess… but as far as Robbie could tell, he was okay and all in one piece.

“I got you,” Robbie said, still cradling the man against him. “We’re okay-”

The wind at his back shifted, the only warning he had that something - no, someone - had swooped down behind him. Then, something hard and cold closed around his neck. A cry escaped his lips as he fell, or more accurately was pulled backwards. Whatever it was that was around his neck let out a rattling click – like a padlock snapping shut. His hands reached up, trying to get the thing off of him…

The instantaneous burning he felt was enough to make him cry out. It was like touching a hot stove, the pain excruciating. He looked down at his hands with wide, terrified eyes. His fingertips were red and angry with the beginnings of blisters. Tears of pain rolled down his face before he could stop them.

W-What is this?!

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use that… but you leave me no choice. I can’t have you using up all of that power of yours on petty little escape attempts,” Jareth said behind him, his voice seemingly normal compared to the animalistic screech from just moments before. Robbie didn’t dare turn to the creature though – he wouldn’t look at that face again, whether it be that of a man or beast.

Robbie wanted to get away – needed to get away. He turned his head towards the crumbling labyrinth beyond the castle walls, pulling on his power to teleport… but nothing happened. He tried again, and again he remained in the same spot as before; sprawled out on the dirty courtyard. His eyes widened even further, a new wave of panic filling his body.

He couldn’t use his powers. Whatever this thing was around his neck, it was blocking them…

He was trapped.

Sharp talons closed around his body, and a yelp beside him had him turning to Matthew, seeing the man in a similar situation. A wind started billowing around them as silent ivory feathered wings started flapping, and soon they were soaring back up to the castle, back to the room that he had been a prisoner in just moments before. The two men were thrown to the stone floor, rolling over themselves a couple times before settling.

Matthew quickly scrambled up onto his hands and knees, his own wide eyes peering up at the shadow of Jareth that stood behind Robbie, the shadow the fae still refused to turn and see the creator of. His lip trembled as he tried to speak. “S-Sire-”

“ Silence!” Jareth said, his shadow looming even taller as he shouted at the cowering man. “I never want to hear your voice again. I never want to hear, see, or even think of you, you hear me? When I leave this room, it will be the last time you see me and live. Say your prayers to whatever gods you follow because you will be facing their judgment… soon.”

A cry escaped Robbie’s lips when those talons once more closed around his arm and pulled him upwards. His body was turned, forced to face the cruel eyes of the monster that was Jareth. Cold black bore into him, the tip of a razor sharp beak grazing his shoulder, sending a chill through Robbie that killed whatever courage remained inside.

“And as for you,” Jareth said, leaning in close. “You will be a good little bride and go quietly down the aisle – no more ‘accidents’, no more tricks… if you so much as breathe wrong, whatever promise I made to leave that wretched little town of yours alone will be broken. I can have a goblin army sent out with the snap of a finger – there will be nothing but a crater left when I’m through with it.”

Robbie shook his head, mouth hung open in shock. “Y-You promised with your life!”  

“ Yes,” Jareth said, his expression unchanging as he nodded. “My mortal life. But I’ll soon be rid of that once we wed… my immortal life is unpromised to you, and with that I may do what I will. Give me a reason to hurt your home and I will.”

All Robbie could do was stare.

His mortal life?

Isn’t he already immortal? And even if he isn’t, how is marrying me going to make him immortal… and why would his immortal life be unpromised to me if we’re married?

Robbie’s eyes widened even further as a thought occurred to him.

Unless…

Jareth dropped Robbie, turning towards the door. Said door was practically hanging off of its hinges from the rampage that happened just moments before. As he approached it his form shrunk, shifting unnaturally until returning to that of a man. Jareth flung the door open, snapping his fingers at something or someone on the other side. After a moment, two goblin guards stepped into the room… both of them were trembling as they stared up at their master.

“Keep an eye on the little prince and his pet,” Jareth said to the goblins, pointing a finger at the two men with annoyance. “See to it that they don’t try anything they shouldn’t. I want the prince dressed and ready for our wedding by sunset. Understood?”

Both of the goblins nodded. “Yessir!”

With that, Jareth stormed out of the room, his boots echoing off the marbled hallway walls quieter and quieter until fading into silence. Robbie just sat there, his eyes wide as he tried to process what had just happened; process what he just learned.

Matthew was crawling towards him, fat tears falling silently down his face as he met Robbie’s gaze. His lip was trembling, as was his hand as he reached out to place it on the fae’s shoulder.

“I-I’m sorry,” Matthew said, his voice hoarse as he shook his head. Robbie’s eyes narrowed, his lips drawing into a tight line as he looked at the man with confusion.

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Robbie said, placing his hands on Matthew’s shoulders in return. “I’m the one who should be apologizing – if I hadn’t provoked Jareth then you wouldn’t have a death sentence right now…”

Matthew kept shaking his head, whimpering as he did so. A look of guilt formed on his face as he lowered his eyes to the broken floor below them. “I-It’s what I d-deserve…”

A frown formed on Robbie’s face. He didn’t want to know what that look of guilt meant… but he needed to. Matthew had known all along what was going to happen. He had the answers Robbie needed…

The answers Robbie desperately hoped he was wrong about.

“… why?” Robbie said, his voice soft – forcing it to come out without shaking. “Why do you deserve this?”

It was a while before those blue eyes raised to meet his… the guilt leaking from them with every fat tear that ran down his face.

“… because I was wrong about you,” Matthew said, his eyes locked on Robbie’s with such sorrow that it almost hurt to meet his gaze. “I was wrong. I thought you were s-some unworthy creature here to r-ruin everything… but now… n-now I see that it was Jareth who was unworthy of you…”

Robbie shook his head, trying on a comforting smile for the man. “Matthew, it’s okay-”

Matthew shook his head once more, something flashing in his eyes… something beyond guilt. It wiped the fake smile clean off of Robbie’s face.

“I didn’t c-care what Jareth was going to d-do to you,” Matthew said, his gaze shifting, settling on the horizon beyond the broken castle wall. The sun was beginning it's descent now, and it wouldn't be long until the clouds started to pink. The sunset hour was quickly approaching – the wedding hour.

The final hour.

“… and now, we’ll both be dead by morning.”

Chapter Text

Sportacus frowned as he looked down at the mirror in his hand. Familiar eyes stared back at him, the general shape of his face recognizable despite the changes to his appearance… though, Sportacus mused with a soft huff, ‘changes’ might have been putting it lightly.

He rubbed at his chin, the thick tuft of a goatee unfamiliar and almost itchy on his face – and the equally thick mustache above his lips didn’t help much otherwise. His cheeks were far, far rosier than they were normally; he almost looked like he had a fever, or had allowed Stephanie to cake blush below his eyes. In fact, he looked as if he had a full face of makeup on – his lips slightly tinted, his eyes highlighted with sharp lines and a faint amount of color on both his upper and lower lids. The effects of the makeup made him look older, closer to his father’s age if not a couple decades beyond…

A scowl formed on his face when he turned his head and heard a jingle; he fought the urge to rip the orange and green polka dotted hat from his head. His clothes were a nonsensical contrast of blue and green, a thick leather belt at his waist that was comically large. The colors were vibrant, standing out in the monochromatic white of his airship cabin like a dandelion on a well-manicured lawn.

… I look ridiculous.

Granted, he knew he was an amateur at best when it came to glamours, but this… this was bad, even by his standards. It was honestly a little disheartening – not to say that he was ‘perfect’ at everything he tried… but struggling with something so simple was certainly a new and uncomfortable feeling.

Magic wasn’t like other tools or skills that one learned and utilized. There were rules and guidelines that had to be followed – an almost non-existent space for interpretation between each and every law – and any deviation from what was ‘acceptable’ could get you in serious trouble or worse.

At least, that’s how elves saw it: a tool with very specific purposes… something that other beings of magical origin, like the fae, often scoffed at. Fae had their own rules… rules that Sportacus knew little of – and what he did know he understood even less; just trying to wrap his head around it often left him with a headache.

Overall, magic was never something he actively wanted to learn. He had observed a handful of lessons the older students at the academy took part in, and he always considered the whole thing to be boring. The teachers taught with little to no enthusiasm, and the cookie-cutter demonstrations were hardly engaging enough to hold his interest… plus, reading an elven grimoire was much like reading the operating manual of a hair dryer; something he’d quicker watch paint dry than willingly do.

He often considered himself lucky that he never had to waste his time on something he’d never wanted, or seemingly needed, to learn… which was funny, seeing as he was usually the one to encourage people to learn and practice new things – even if those things were difficult for them.

He let out an unamused hum.

Compared to Robbie, who was a master of the craft, he was like a child who had gotten into their mother’s makeup. Every time he had tried his hand at glamouring his appearance – the number of attempts low enough that he could count them on one hand – the results ranged somewhere between bad and horrifying. What he needed was a decent, inconspicuous disguise to keep him from drawing any attention, or at the very least make him look normal .

What he had conjured up made him look like a circus performer, or something out of a children’s play. He groaned, tossing the mirror back into its designated compartment before pinching the bridge of his nose. Why hadn’t he thought to grab something from Robbie’s lair before leaving town? He’d be better off with the pirate costume than whatever it was he was wearing now…

This was going to end badly. If he was lucky and they didn’t recognize him, the best he could hope for was to be laughed at… but seeing as he almost looked like a caricature , they most likely would find his appearance greatly insulting.

Elves were a prideful people after all.

But it was too late to go back now. He was just minutes away from the elven air border; if they hadn’t already detected his ship coming towards their airspace now, they would definitely notice soon. A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed it as the anxiety bubbling in his core threatened to boil over.

It had been nearly two hundred years since he’d been home… he tried not to think about how homesick he felt, or how much he missed his parents – doing so would only hurt him in the long run. He was banished after all, and no amount of longing would change that or change the pressing danger he was under by coming back… but even so, his heart flickered with the hope that he would be lucky enough to see his father and mother – if only a slight glimpse.

What had they done the past two hundred years? How would they look after all this time? Would Sportacus even recognize them? Would they recognize him if he was lucky enough to catch their eye?

… would they even want to see him?

A sigh escaped his lips. I can’t afford thoughts like that at a time like this.

With a shake of his head he slumped against the back of his seat, grabbing the wheel of the FlyPod. He could sense the border dead ahead; could feel the imprint of magic among the clouds. The border was invisible, so as to not draw the attention of curious humans… but for elves it was like a shimmering beacon across the senses – something beyond what the eyes picked up. His body tensed as his ship flew closer and closer.

Closer and closer to potentially being arrested… or worse.

As if picking up on his stress, the airship broke the silence with a status update. “ We will be crossing the border in approximately thirty seconds, ” it said, a noticeable wariness to the robotic voice. There was an almost static nervousness to the air before it continued. “ Are you absolutely sure you want to do this Sportacus? You still have time to change course.”

Sportacus frowned, feeling a slight twinge of annoyance fill him. “That’s not going to happen. I didn’t come all the way out here to leave now.”

“Alright… then that will be my final warning,” the airship said, sounding dejected at Sportacus’s response. A pause followed, only a second or two long, before it added, “Though… may I prepare for evasive flight patterns, just as a precaution?”

“… yes,” Sportacus said, nodding as he spoke. “That would probably be a good idea.”

“ Thank you ,” the airship said, sounding relieved as a series of faint beeps and clicks filled the cabin. Sportacus just nodded again, not moving his gaze away from the border.

The following thirty seconds felt like a small eternity. With each second the border grew closer – and the nervous energy inside of Sportacus began to boil, threatening to spill over. He only noticed that he was trembling when the stupid bell on his hat began to jingle from the violent tremors. His jaw clenched, and he forced his body to be still – forced his mind to be empty.

Forced his terrified heart to be brave, for everything he was risking this mission for.

For Robbie…

He was holding his breath as the ship finally passed through the barrier… and when the old, familiar feeling of home enveloped his body he couldn’t help but gasp. The magic, the living force of it that saturated everything in and around the sky kingdom… Sportacus never noticed it as a child, but now? Now he was breathing it in, deeply and slowly – hungering for it like he was starving.

Because he was, in a way. The mortal surface world was fine enough for humans; they weren’t made of magic, but elves were – and the human realm had long grown barren of this kind of power. All at once it was like taking the first bite of a meal after a day of fasting, the pang of hunger hitting you as you realize just how empty you are.

After two hundred years of absence, only now did he realize just how broken his connection to his home and its magic had become…

It was an uncomfortable reminder of everything he had lost.

“… I’d recommend that you secure yourself for the remainder of the voyage,” the airship said, drawing Sportacus out of his thoughts. He hummed in agreement, fastening his seatbelt, and testing that it was tight enough to hold him in case of any ‘violent’ flight maneuvers. His hands reached up to his hat, about to lower his goggles over his eyes… then remembered that his normal hat was glamoured away; the bell on the silly glamour hat jingled at the touch.

It almost felt like it was taunting him at this point.

“ Please, secure yourself for the remainder of the voyage,” The airship repeated, though now with slightly more urgency to its tone. Sportacus’s brow raised, his gaze lowering to his seatbelt. He checked it once again, tugging on it to confirm that it was in fact secure… which it was, almost a little too tight for his liking.

“I… am secure,” he said, turning his head to gaze at the cabin behind him – towards the wall where the A.I. interface was located. It didn’t respond to his comment, the line of static that functioned as the computer’s mouth was a motionless flat line. A moment passed, almost the same amount of time between the first warning and second, before it once again repeated it’s request.

“ You must secure yourself for the remainder of the voyage, ” it said, now noticeably more urgent… perhaps even anxious , and Sportacus couldn’t recall if he’d ever heard the airship speak in such a tone. Its nervousness was starting to rub off on him…

“Airship, please explain ,” he said, shaking his head slightly – this time ignoring the jingle of the bell that accompanied the act. “I am secure… am I? Is there something wrong with my seatbelt? Is there another safety precaution I’m not taking that I need to?”   

A pause.

“ … you are properly secure, Sportacus,” the airship said after a moment, as if it had been calculating a response. “ No further action is needed on your part.”

Sportacus let out a soft sigh of relief, his chest rising and falling from the act as he turned back around in his seat. “Good… airship, please have your scanner on the lookout for any elven aircraft-”

“ Secure yourself for the remainder of the voyage,” the airship repeated once again – quicker this time, and perhaps… a bit quieter? It was almost as if the ship was trying to whisper the command; trying to keep Sportacus from hearing it. This was nearly enough for him to get up and inspect the A.I. for malfunction… but instead he remained still, his eyes narrowing as an unsettling suspicion filled his gut.

The airship’s A.I. was usually straightforward – it was a computer, after all. It was friendly, and programmed to hold engaging conversations, but rarely did it display any noticeable level of emotion outside of that.

Except, Sportacus had learned years ago, when it was trying to keep something from him. He recalled an unfortunate holiday weekend spent trying to troubleshoot the ‘strange behavior’ the computer had displayed. Its voice had been almost mischievous, avoidant of Sportacus’s questions and at some points nearly hostile – warning him not to open the door to the back room of his airship, though refusing to tell him why. It went as far as to lock his override codes so he couldn’t open the door against its wishes.

He had been so certain the airship was experiencing a fatal malfunction, and nearly worked himself to tears to figure out what was wrong… only to be ‘surprised’ with a training exercise it had made for him as a holiday present.

Needless to say, after over forty two hours straight awake, he was less than happy. And now, the airship’s behavior was more than enough to make the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The last thing he needed at the moment was another ‘surprise’ to worry about.

Especially the kind of surprise he figured it was…

“… airship,” he said, keeping his tone steady as he spoke. “If I am properly secured… then who is that command for?”

Another pause, heavy with an avoidant energy that he could practically feel radiating from the computer – and if that wasn’t enough to confirm Sportacus’s fears, the response that followed the pause certainly was.

“ I am not authorized to disclose that information…”

Sportacus nearly cursed, his eyes narrowing even further as his jaw clenched. “By whom… and under what override code?”

“… I am not authorized to disclose that information,” the airship repeated. “ That information has been restricted under override code… I am not authorized to disclose that information .”

He gritted his teeth, shaking his head as he reached for his seatbelt. There were only three people who had override codes to his airship… the first person being himself, the second being the mayor- or, Miss Busybody to be more precise. After one too many close calls involving his airship almost crashing into town, the mayor requested his own clearance for the ship – just in case Sportacus was unable to stop it should another ‘event’ happen.

However, it was Miss Busybody who he ended up giving the code to… a silent agreement between the two of them, knowing the mayor’s forgetfulness and tendency to panic. He trusted her enough, despite her inclination to gossip – this wasn’t something she’d let slip into the LazyTown grapevine. She also wouldn’t use said code to sneak onto his airship.

The third person with administrative clearance though…

Just before he could undo the buckle on his seatbelt, an urgent beeping filled the cabin. He froze, his gaze moving to the glass viewport – scanning the sky and clouds around them. For a second or so he saw nothing, and was about to chalk it up as nothing more than a diversion conjured up by the airship…

But then he saw them – emerging from the clouds to his right were five silver aircrafts. They were far too small to be considered elven airships like his own – they weren’t much larger than his FlyPod.

In fact, the models looked almost identical to the FlyPod, with the addition of plexiglass domes over the pilot's seat and longer wings… and, Sportacus noticed with a concerned frown, they were going a lot faster than his airship. Where his ship was powered mostly by himself, theirs had twin engines – a striking blue flame trailing behind each one. They soared past the viewport with a distinct ‘whirring’ roar, so fast that a blink would have missed them.

I guess any plans to out-fly them are off the table now…

Sportacus’s hands moved to the steering wheel, gripping it hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

… I should probably say ‘hello’ before they get suspicious.

He opened up the comms panel beside him, pressing a few buttons to configure it to the proper frequencies. A pilot’s headset popped out from a hidden compartment – a little dusty, the cushions on the ear cups starting to crumble, but still perfectly functional.

But before he could even put them on, something exploded against the side of the cabin. The force caused the airship to veer right, nearly going horizontal. Had Sportacus not been strapped in he probably would have flown from his seat. His eyes grew wide, head turning left and right as he braced his hands on either side of the FlyPod.

What was that?!

The beeping from before turned into full-blow alarms now, the white interior of the cabin flashing red, and the airship computer nearly shouted . “ Elven military aircrafts have engaged - direct hit to the port side!”

Sportacus could only gawk as the elven aircrafts flew past the viewport once more, this time coming from his left. They flew in a ‘V’ formation, their moves coordinated as they redirected towards him once more. Underneath each of the aircraft's wings were two sets of turrets… each turret glowing the same blue as the engine. They only grew brighter the closer they got to the ship.

“ Taking evasive flight patterns – autopilot sequence: Gamma-051, ” the airship said, suddenly lurching upwards. Sportacus’s head slammed against the back of the FlyPod, and he winced as he heard the whirring of the aircraft pass just below him.

“They’re attacking us?” Sportacus said, placing the headset over his ears. He said this mainly to himself, his pulse racing fast enough for him to hear the pounding of it in his ears.

I haven’t even done anything! Unless… no, they can’t possibly know it’s me, and even if they did, they wouldn’t just shoot me out of the sky without warning…

Right?

Elves had a code of honor – a belief system based on compassion and mercy. To attack anyone without just cause went against everything their code stood for. Banishment was one of the worst punishments an elf could face, and his people didn’t take kindly to the banished… but even then, his people didn’t send out attack fighters when the banished tried to return.

Unless the rules had been drastically changed in the last few centuries…

“ They’re coming around the starboard side, ” the airship said, lurching downwards in a spiraling dive. It straightened out after a moment, though still continued to dive through the clouds. The alarms were still blaring around him, almost deafeningly loud… though through it he could hear another noise; a frightened cry, coming from the back room of his airship.

His crystal flashed to life underneath his shirt, warning him that someone was in danger… and he knew who’s cry that was.

“ Airship !” Sportacus said, shouting over the alarms. “Reverse all commands issued under override code PINK-011 , authority of administrative override SPORT-010 !”

An electronic trill was his only response to the command. Then came a click as the back room of his airship unlocked and opened, a hydraulic hiss sounding out as the panel spun. Something… or rather someone , came flying out of the room. He heard more than saw the figure slide down the now vertical wooden floor of the cabin – their cry growing more and more panicked as they fell towards the glass viewport at the front of the airship. However, before they could fall through it, Sportacus grabbed them around the waist and pulled them into the FlyPod.

The figure folded against him, their pink hair nestling into the crook of his neck as trembling hands grasped his shirt. They remained like that until the airship righted itself… and then, with much hesitancy, they pulled away – just enough to glance at their savior.

“… Sportacus?” Stephanie said, her head tilting slightly to the side as she studied his glamoured face. She looked shaken up, her eyes wide and shoulders tense… and, to Sportacus’s displeasure, she had an angry red welt on her forehead. Besides that though, thankfully , she looked unharmed. She blinked at him a few times before saying, “What’s going on… and why do you look like that?”

Sportacus’s jaw clenched as he forced himself to keep composure… which, under the given circumstances, was a difficult task; he was extremely lucky to have been blessed with his mother’s patience. “Stephanie… I told you to go to your uncle – you promised me you would.”

Stephanie looked down, a look of shame growing even as a sheepish smile formed on her lips. “I did… ”

“And?” Sportacus said, his brow furrowing. “What did you do?”

“… I told him that we were going on a mission, and that he shouldn’t worry,” Stephanie said, her gaze rising once more – that sheepish smile a silent plea, practically screaming ‘please don’t be mad’ as her shoulders tensed and eyes widened into what he could only describe as the expression of a guilty puppy.

… reminds me of a certain young elf, some couple hundred years ago…

“Stephanie Meanswell,” Sportacus said, his voice trembling from the adrenaline coursing through him as well as his growing frustration. He turned her body so she sat in front of him, and undid his seatbelt just long enough to secure her to the FlyPod. “I’m disappointed… I told you it was too dangerous for you to come.”

She glanced back at him, her eyes widening even more at his words as the smile vanished from her face. Her lip trembled slightly as she turned away. “I’m sorry… I just wanted to save Robbie too.”

Sportacus sighed, shaking his head as he patted Stephanie on the shoulder. “I know … but when I say no, you need to listen to me.”

“… are we going to be okay?” Stephanie said, her eyes locked on the scene in front of them – on the team of elven fighter crafts flying directly towards them. The airship dodged to the left as two of the ships launched missiles at them. Stephanie yelped at the sudden movement, and Sportacus could feel her body begin to tremble even more.

Of all the times she could have snuck on board, it had to be when I’m getting shot at…

“Stephanie… I’m going to try my best to keep us okay,” Sportacus said, his hand moving to tap at the comms panel. He wished he was able to promise more… but he wasn’t about to lie; odds are, this wasn’t going to end well. “In order for me to do that, you need to listen to me and do everything that I tell you to… can you promise me you will?”

Stephanie nodded. “I promise.”

“ Good, ” Sportacus said, turning his head briefly towards the A.I. interface. He shouted ‘helmet’ at the computer, which immediately shot the item from a hole in the wall. It was blue, with stripes that matched his uniform – a safety tool he didn’t really need, but a tool he still used when doing more dangerous sports; to set a good example for the kids if nothing else. After undoing the chin strap he placed it on Stephanie’s head. As she clipped it in place, he said, “Keep your eyes on your feet – don’t look out at the planes, just keep your eyes on your feet.”

Another shaky nod was all he got as a response.

Sportacus turned his headset on as he watched the fighter crafts circle back around to their front. He heard the faint crackling of the live comm line, and he moved the mouthpiece to his lips. As the ship attempted to dodge the next attack, he spoke.

“… Elven aircrafts, disengage your attack,” he said, speaking elvish. His lack of practice over the years caused the words to flow with a slight accent, his voice shaking despite his best efforts. He couldn’t help but wince. He tried to sound authoritative, if not slightly threatening, in hopes it would at the very least make them second guess themselves. The airship dwarfed their ships in size, and its arsenal was almost certainly detectable to their scanners… despite the age and questionable efficacy of the old warheads. As far as the fighters were aware, he was more than capable of taking them down.

That should have given them pause.

But if they heard his demand they chose to ignore it. The two jets at the tails of the ‘V’ formation broke off from the rest of the group, moving to flank them from both sides. He saw and heard the whirring of their weapons array, the blue glowing turrets forming what looked to be balls of fire. The airship tried to climb upwards to escape the coming attack, but was blocked as the remaining three ships flew to glide razer-close to the ship’s balloon – any move upwards would cause the envelope to tear.

There was nothing they could do to dodge the twin ships at their sides, and their turrets fired in rapid succession. The first blast hit one of the ship’s rudders with an explosion that nearly shook the cabin free from the rest of the balloon – the FlyPod lurched against its locking mechanism, startling them both enough to jump; Stephanie screamed. Sportacus could feel just as much as he could hear the rudder blade snap from the ship upon impact, rendering the ship practically incapable of turning.

If that wasn’t enough to cripple them, then the second blast was the killing blow – a direct hit to the mechanism that sat at the base of the ship's three propellers. They were dead in the air now.

So much for having the upper hand…

The fighters circled back into formation, flying underneath the ship to attack once more from the front. Billows of smoke danced off their wings… smoke which was coming from his ship. Sportacus’s frown deepened when he noticed that all of their turrets were alight now – preparing for what would certainly be their final strike. He swallowed the lump quickly forming in his throat from fear.

“ Sport…cus,” the airship said, the robotic voice glitching slightly.   “ … I can no longer eva-aa-ade their attacks. It would be in your best interest to aba-aaa-andon ship…”

Sportacus turned in his seat to look at the A.I. interface directly… in doing so, he saw for the first time the complete disarray the cabin had fallen into. A collection of books, Sports equipment, and fruit littered the floor; a couple soccer balls and apples were still rolling despite their now stationary position. His bed was hanging sideways off its opening and closing mechanism – just one of many panels and gadgets that were either malfunctioning or entirely shaken off the walls by the attack.

The A.I. interface was not spared from the damage. It looked as if someone had tried to rip it from the wall – the only thing keeping it up were a collection of wires and plugs. He could see from his seat that it was flashing multiple error messages, static crackling across the screen. Blue-tinted liquid was leaking from somewhere in the mess of wires; coolant, dripping to the floor like blood from a wound.

His heart ached at the sight, both from grief as well as guilt. In coming back he had put his ship in harm’s way just as much as himself, and now it was his ship that was paying the price.

I’m sorry, old friend…

He turned back around to face the coming planes. If another strike was coming they did indeed need to evacuate… but at the range the ships were at now, the FlyPod almost certainly wouldn’t have enough time to move clear of their fire. Even if it did, they were no match for their speed – they would overcome them in seconds to finish the job.

… what he needed now was to change tactics, not to win but to survive.

“Elven aircraft, please stop your attack,” Sportacus said into the headset, not bothering to conceal the emotion behind the words, not caring how utterly helpless he sounded. At this point, he would get on his hands and knees and beg if he had to. “I surrender… unconditionally .”

The ships were still heading directly for him… and they didn’t seem to be slowing down. Their turrets almost looked to be glowing brighter.

Are they even getting my comms?

Sportacus looked down at the communications panel to confirm that, yes, they were hearing him…

… do they just not care?

His eyes widened as they continued to draw closer. Sportacus didn’t want to believe the callousness playing out before him was real… but it was, and it horrified him far beyond the feeling of doom nestled in his gut. He didn’t want to know what it was that made them attack him so fiercely, whether it be because they truly did know it was him or because he was a stranger in their land…

More than anything, he didn’t want to know who it was that gave them the order to do so… because when it came to the use of deadly force, it was the king who gave the final orders.

Early on in his banishment, he held onto the tiniest sliver of hope that his parents would come and rescue him and reverse his sentence… or at the very least try and contact him, if only to say a final goodbye. While his father had been banned from taking diplomatic missions to the mortal realm, he surely would have been allowed to go on expeditions – a great number of their ancestors were explorers, just as much as they had been heroes.

… his parents could have tried to come and see him – it wasn’t like he had been hard to find. He’d been flying around from town to town for well over a century now, gaining enough notoriety to become a household name in some places. If they had taken the time to search they would have found him… and even if by some tyrannical executive order his parents were barred from leaving the sky city, they could have sent letters at the very least.

But they never did.

And now, mere seconds away from being blown out of the sky, he couldn’t help but wonder if the silence he’d faced since his banishment had been fully intentional… if perhaps the shame he’d brought their family had turned their love for him into malice.

If they would rather see him dead than return to embarrass them once again.

‘What else have you left to lose from shame, you fool?’

My life, it would seem…

He wrapped his arms around Stephanie, one across her shoulders and the other over her face, shielding her. Whether or not this would do anything to protect her from the coming blast didn’t really matter at that point. What mattered more was keeping her from seeing them coming – from having to face the terror of watching them attack on top of the fear his crystal was already picking up.

I’m sorry Stephanie…

The aircrafts closed in. They were close enough now that he could feel the vibration of their engines… the light of them and their turrets like a miniature sun. He closed his eyes, drawing Stephanie closer against him as he lowered his face. Her hands moved up to grab at the arm concealing her gaze – trying to remove it, though he kept it firmly in place.

I won’t let this be the last thing you see.

He braced himself, his shoulders rising as he took in a deep breath…

And he let it out as he felt the ships soar past them. The force was enough to shake the cabin… but then it settled. Besides the still blaring sirens – and the screaming of his racing heart – an almost calm silence fell over them. Sportacus still waited, bracing for their strike… but as the seconds ticked by, it became clear that another strike wasn’t coming.

“… Sportacus?” Stephanie said, voice tiny and confused. She pulled at his arm again, and this time he allowed her to lower it. He opened his eyes as he lifted his head. His gaze was drawn to the viewport, first noticing the ships circling around towards them once more… but this time, their approach was slower.

And their turrets had been disengaged.

The second thing he noticed was the flashing light on his comms panel – lighting up a frequency alignment he wasn’t familiar with. He let go of Stephanie, eying the device with caution as he moved to adjust the configuration to receive their transmission.

Once he did, he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hologram appeared in front of them, lighting up the space between his FlyPod and the viewport. He blinked. He blinked again, taking in the image of a person now looking down at them.

An elf.

… the first elf I’ve seen in lifetimes, besides my own reflection.

The helmet the elf wore looked like the ceremonial armor of the royal guard – which had been similar to that of mortal Rome’s centurions, engraved with vines and runes and topped with strips of colorful silk that flowed down to the wearer’s shoulders. The helmets seemed to have been modified to be less ‘ceremonial’ and more functional since his banishment – the decorative engravings were gone, the helmet smooth and sturdy looking; practical. The strips of silk were still there, though now braided and tight against the top of the helmet.

The helmets seemed to have been upgraded technologically too – a thick, tinted visor concealed all but the wearer’s mouth, and Sportacus could see the soft blinking of some sort of computer against one side of the helmet.

He couldn’t quite read the expression on the elf’s face… mainly because all he could see of it was her chin and lips. She had leaned forward slightly, as if studying him and Stephanie closer. After a moment her lips drew into a short tight line, a pause following that was broken by a pensive hum.

When the elf spoke her voice was curt and low, a hint of an emotion that Sportacus couldn’t quite place lacing her words.

“… prepare to be boarded.”

With that the transmission ended, the hologram vanishing just as suddenly as it appeared. Sportacus was frozen in place for a few seconds afterwards, eyes having gone wide and mouth parted in a slight gape. He was still processing the fact that they hadn’t been blown up…

And now, the same elves that almost killed them were going to invade his ship.

“… what do we do now?” Stephanie said, having turned in her seat to stare at him. She looked just about as shaken up as he felt – her eyes wide, chest rising and falling with strenuous breaths as her tense shoulders sat close to her ears. Despite her obvious distress, she waited patiently for his direction… unknowing just how lost and in need of direction he was. A shaky sigh escaped his lips as he swallowed down some of the nervous energy threatening to escape him.

They couldn’t afford for him to be lost at the moment.

“Listen carefully,” Sportacus said, unbuckling the FlyPod’s seatbelt. Once it was undone he shifted, wrapping an arm around Stephanie’s middle as he stood to get out of the vehicle. As he lifted Stephanie onto the wooden floor of the cabin he met her gaze with a seriousness he hoped hid his fear. “Some people are about to come on board, okay? They’re going to come on board and…”

He didn’t know what they were going to do. Do an inspection? Confiscate all of his food and equipment as punishment?

… Arrest him? Arrest her too maybe?

Another sigh escaped his lips. “They’re… going to check the ship. When they come aboard we need to listen to them and do exactly as they say – just follow my lead, alright?”

This didn’t seem to comfort Stephanie one bit. If anything, the worried look on her face became worse, warping into an almost outraged expression. “You’re letting the people who were shooting at us come onto the ship?”

Letting… it’s not like we have a choice.

“I… I know this doesn’t sound good,” Sportacus said, a nervous and not at all genuine smile forming on his lips. As he spoke he stepped out of the FlyPod to kneel next to Stephanie. He held her gaze, placing what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. “But I promise that I won’t let them hurt you… can you trust that?”

There was an uncomfortable pause before Stephanie nodded, a subtle expression passing quickly on her face. She had tried to conceal the expression and the emotion behind it… but Sportacus saw it, and he knew that it was doubt; doubt in his words, and more importantly, doubt in him .

He would willingly give up his name a hundred times over if it meant never seeing that look again.

A frown settled on his face as he stood, his hand remaining on Stephanie’s shoulder as he led them to the far wall opposite to the door. The glass panel there that had contained his sports equipment was now shattered, a few shards of tempered glass littering the floor below it. He swept them aside with his boot before motioning to Stephanie to stand with her back facing the panel – hands up. Sportacus moved to mirror her… but then paused, nearly cursing as he remembered something important.

Stephanie was human.

She wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near elven airspace, even more so than himself. If they saw a human this close to the sky kingdom, getting blown out of the sky would be the least of their concerns… and he doubted apologies would help their case.

“I need you to hold still… this might sting a little,” he said, kneeling in front of Stephanie once more. A confused frown formed on her lips as he reached up and removed her helmet, tossing it aside to mingle with the rest of the scattered sports equipment. Her confusion only grew when he grabbed the tips of her ears between his thumbs and forefingers.

He wasn’t going to try his luck with a full glamour – as much for his own sake as Stephanie’s. No amount of curiosity could move him to want to see how that would end. Still, she needed something to make her look un-human.

He closed his eyes to focus, his brow furrowing slightly as he focused on the sparks of magic forming at his fingertips. Stephanie hissed when the energy began to prick at her skin, slowly seeping in as Sportacus rubbed his fingers in slow circles; kneading, sculpting the tissue like clay. It didn’t take long to build up enough magic to form the glamour, and after a few seconds he opened his eyes. With a barely audible incantation he pulled up, the tips of Stephanie’s ears following – long enough to point through her thick pink hair.

Elf ears, just like his own.

They were wider and more rounded than that of a full blooded elf, enough so that one would probably assume she was part human…  but not human enough to get either him or her in trouble. Should anyone question it, he could easily dismiss it as the remnants of some great-grandparent of unknown descent.

Other than that… they looked normal , all things considered. They weren’t orange with green polka dots, or longer than she was tall – just plain elf-ish ears.

… If I didn’t know better, I’d say I’m getting better at this.

Stephanie reached up to her ears once Sportacus pulled away, feeling at the strange new shape with a puzzled expression on her face. Her eyes shifted over Sportacus, head tilted slightly as her gaze settled on his own partially covered ears. She had seen them a handful of times before, first by accident, the following times intentionally – with appropriate explanation, and promises of kept secrets.

They had been a thing of curiosity to her when she first saw them. Now that she had a pair of her own, a strange light formed in her eyes… something Sportacus couldn’t quite place.

She opened her mouth, about to speak… but was interrupted as the cabin lurched slightly, followed by the metallic groan of something attaching itself to the airship. It was followed by two more groans, and then a hiss – like something depressurizing… the airship door, he quickly realized.

He turned his back to the wall, moving into a position of surrender and motioning to Stephanie to do the same. Then it was just a matter of waiting – waiting for the door to slowly fall open, waiting for the armored boots of their invaders to step onto the platform, waiting for them to come in and do whatever it was they were going to do…

The first elf to enter did so quickly, his long mage’s staff preceding him as he all but leapt onto the wooden floor of the cabin. A short black cape twirled around him as he entered, much in the same way Ziggy’s blanket-cape flew when he ran. The cloak sat over a shirt of sleeveless green underarmor, the ends of which were tucked into dark leather pants. A golden pin over his right shoulder held the cape in place, an emblem of a falcon carved into the clasp. Sportacus couldn’t help the silent gasp that escaped his lips upon seeing the pin; the falcon was a symbol of the royal family – his family.

… so my father did authorize this attack… Sportacus frowned, the realization leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

He forced himself to not dwell on it.

The elven mage held his staff defensively, nearly crouching; anticipating an attack or trap… though of course found none. Once this became obvious to him he straightened, looking over the inside of the airship quickly before setting his gaze on Sportacus and Stephanie. His head tilted as he studied them, the defensiveness of his posture relaxing into that of… curiosity? Sportacus couldn’t quite call it confusion – at least from what he could see of the elf’s face.

He wore the same helmet as the elf in the hologram, though a patch of light blond hair at his chin separated him from the other. The corners of his mouth quirked into a slight gawk as he continued to examine them, more so when his gaze shifted over Sportacus. He looked him up and down a few more times than might have been considered polite… but Sportacus couldn’t exactly blame him, given how outlandish he looked.

It still hurt when the elf had to stifle a chuckle though.

“… Sjitt, ” the elf said, the slightest edge of humor lacing his voice as he finally lowered his staff. He shifted the weapon to one hand, resting its end on the wooden floor, as the other reached up to his helmet. A mess of chin length braids and curls fell into place as the armor was removed, and a pair of olive colored eyes met his own.

He was young – older than Sportacus by a century at least, though still full of youthful elven energy. A pair of thick blond eyebrows sat above his large green eyes, one brow raised slightly higher than the other as he continued to regard the two of them with amusement. There was a kindness to his face that comforted Sportacus…

Just a little. 

After studying the two of them a second longer the elf turned to the still-open airship door, his eyes falling one someone or something out of Sportacus’s sight. A single earring of carved black beads swayed back and forth at the turn of his head – a symbol of something that Sportacus had forgotten the meaning behind, but knew was significant.

And when the elf spoke to whomever remained outside it was in well-used elvish; a sound Sportacus had dearly missed.

“They are civilians, captain...”

Chapter Text

After the elf spoke, two more figures stepped into the Airship.

The first was the elven woman from the hologram, her steps slightly more cautious than the formers as she ducked inside the cabin. She wore the same uniform and cape as the former had, though where his cape was black hers was a creamy white. When her gaze fell on Sportacus and Stephanie there wasn’t any humor; just confusion, perhaps even some frustration as well. At whom Sportacus could only guess, though he didn’t think they were the targets.

She reached a hand up to her head, pressing and holding a red button on the helmet’s computer panel. With a voice almost too quiet for Sportacus to hear she spoke, saying something along the lines of ‘confirmed civilians – stand down’…

Sportacus nearly jumped when he saw the two remaining ships rise up to hover in front of the viewport, flashing their high beams three times to acknowledge the communication. They remained in place afterwards – ready at a moment’s call… should a reason be given for them to act.

Let’s not give them a reason to…

The third person that entered the cabin was very different from the other two. They wore neither helmet nor cape, their underarmor and pants a matching black. Their hair was long, an almost black purple pulled into a high ponytail. Golden-yellow eyes regarded Sportacus for only half a second before they entered. When they did it was on feather-light feet, their dark iridescent wings doing the majority of the work as they glided to stand beside their companions.

Wings.

Because they were fae, not elf.

That alone was enough to make Sportacus’s eyes go wide. It wasn’t like elves and fae were enemies by any means… that being said, they didn’t make a habit of mingling, each having their own realms and preferences for how things were done that didn’t coexist with the other. Their early ancestors came to an understanding long ago that they would leave each other alone, and there had been little to no deviation from that decision over the millennia – the actions of rogue individuals from both sides excluded.

Elves didn’t enter fae courts, and fae didn’t enter elven skies – not without necessity, and not for any extended periods of time. To see a fae in elven territory, working with elves under elven military command… this was strange.

Just like everything else had been since coming back home.

The fae looked at their elven comrades almost exhaustedly, their lips forming an almost annoyed frown as they spoke in heavily-accented elvish. “The commander is not going to be happy when he hears that we attacked a civilian ship.”

The elven woman sent him a look that conveyed plenty of distaste, even with the majority of her face covered. “No, he certainly won’t be… and since you mentioned it, I wish you luck for when you tell him the news.”

What might have been some form of curse fell from the fae’s lips, though they didn’t argue the matter further. Instead they rolled their eyes, their frown deepening. “Sorry for my big mouth, Captain.”

This earned the fae another sharp look, though that was all the reprisal the snarky comment received. The elven woman, seemingly the senior officer among the three of them, instead turned her attention fully to Sportacus and Stephanie. Her gaze shifted over Sportacus with only a fraction of the bewilderment her comrade had shown, lingering for a second or two before moving to Stephanie.

Her composure seemed to soften when she looked at the child. The stiff stance she held when entering slacked, her shoulders lowering as she almost seemed to sigh. After a second more of scrutiny she reached for something underneath her cape.

Sportacus had to stop himself from immediately pulling Stephanie behind him, his first instinct to distrust whatever it was the woman was reaching for; probably a weapon, handcuffs… or something equally unpleasant.

The elf noticed his unease, pausing with one arm still concealed underneath her cape as she looked at him once more.

“Take it easy… and please, put your hands down. You’re not in any trouble,” she said after a moment, gesturing with her free hand for them to relax. She then pulled her other hand out from under her cape, slowly, deliberately making her actions unthreatening. What Sportacus had feared to be a weapon… was instead a first aid kit. A silent gesture was exchanged, the woman using the tin box to point at Stephanie’s head – at the welt that she’d gotten during the attack – then back at herself; a silent request to assist.

Sportacus sighed, lowering his hands to his side with the slightest surge of relief. They weren’t in trouble… the information didn’t relieve his confusion, but he wasn’t about to question it. Stephanie mimicked him, moving her hands down though not completely dropping them. She instead held them against her chest, her eyes shifting uneasily between Sportacus and the other elf; looking to Sportacus for some direction on what to do, or perhaps reassurance that the other elf truly was safe.

“… It’s okay. She’s not going to hurt you… she wants to help you,” he said in elvish, speaking slowly in hopes that Stephanie would understand.

He couldn’t risk speaking in English, since that would at best raise unwanted questions and at worst blow their cover. Stephanie had been eager to learn elvish, and he’d given her the means to do so independently… though just how much she’d actually managed to learn outside of what he’d taught her was a mystery to him; there was a good chance that she didn’t understand a word he’d just said…

Stephanie was a good student though, and clearly she took her studies seriously. She needed half a second to process his words, but ultimately seemed to understand. Some of the tension left her shoulders as her gaze settled on the other elf, and after a moment she nodded – silent permission to come closer.

And the elf did, slowly, stopping a foot or so away to kneel so she and Stephanie were face to face. She placed the first aid tin on her knee and opened it so both her and Sportacus could see what was inside; surprisingly, maybe even concerningly , there were what looked like children’s bandages alongside regular combat first aid supplies.

They were nothing like the cartoon band aids he’d seen at the LazyTown grocery store – these had none of the overly-bright colors and flashy characters the kids favored. Instead they were various shades of dusty yellows, reds, and blues. The yellow bandages were cut into star shapes, the red bandages into heart shapes, and the blues into diamond shapes.

They all looked handmade, cut and dyed from larger military grade bandages; Sportacus could only assume that the elf had made them herself. After grabbing a cold compress and some soothing gel, the elf held up one of each bandage for Stephanie to see.

“Which one would you like?” she said, a gentle smile warming the visible parts of her face as well as her words.

… there was something about the smile that caught Sportacus’s attention. He did not know why, but something about it tickled the back of his mind, like a just out of place memory trying to be remembered. A frown formed on his lips as he tried and failed to recall it.

Stephanie pointed at the heart shaped bandage – the color slightly faded to more of a rosy pink than red. The choice did not seem to surprise the woman, given everything from Stephanie’s choice of clothes to the color of her hair. After putting the other two bandages back in the kit the elf began to treat Stephanie’s wound.

“What’s your name sweetie?” the elf asked as she applied the soothing gel. Stephanie winced slightly as the medicine was rubbed on, biting her lip slightly. She didn’t immediately respond to the elf’s question, and for a moment Sportacus worried that Stephanie hadn’t understood or didn’t know what to say.

“… my name is Solla,” Stephanie eventually said, her voice shy. She glanced up at Sportacus, her eyes searching for any sign that she’d made a mistake. He nodded in approval, giving her a smile to show that she did a good job. And she had done a good job; compared to the heavy accent the fae had spoken with her elvish sounded far more natural – a little shaky, but that could easily be excused for nervousness. She’d even thought to give herself a fake name more suitable for an elf.

For being quite literally thrown into this situation, she was learning quickly.

She’s gonna be a great hero someday…

“ Solla,” the elf repeated, taking the backing off the bandage before raising it to Stephanie’s forehead. Sportacus seemed to catch the woman’s gaze as she pressed the bandage on, and after a second or two she asked Stephanie, “And who is he?”

Stephanie had to think that one over a little longer. When she finally answered she kept her gaze locked with the elf’s, her confidence growing as a small smile formed on her lips.

“… my dad,” she said.

Sportacus had to quietly clear his throat to get rid of the lump of emotions her words had created.

The elf handed Stephanie the cold compress before slowly rising, turning her attention to Sportacus next. She still wore that kind smile when she asked him, “And does ‘dad’ have a name?”

It was Sportacus’s turn to come up with an alias – and a good one this time. Technically speaking, ‘Sportacus’ was a fake name… but he doubted these elves would think it as cool as he had when he’d come up with it as a replacement for his stolen one; and of course ‘Spob’ hadn’t flow well during the incident with Robbie’s de-aging machine, so that was off the table.

I need something believable… something basic.

“You can call me… Álfur,” Sportacus said after a moment, returning the elf’s smile; he was certain it looked forced.

And he wasn’t at all surprised when the elf’s smile began to slip. He’d just given her the elven equivalent of ‘John Doe’ for a name… combined with his attire, he might as well have said that his name was ‘Elfy McElferson’ and called it a day.

She had to have known the name was fake… and yet she didn’t question it, sighing instead before extending her hand to him – a knowing and yet somewhat understanding expression on what he could see of her face.

“A pleasure to meet you Álfur… allow me to apologize on behalf of my squad – it’s been a long time since we’ve seen any civilian ships outside of the permitted air zones. When we saw this old galleon we thought it was some kind of sleeper ship trying to throw us off guard… it was a wild hunch to begin with, one that we should have confirmed first before firing. I guess we’ve been following ‘attack first, ask questions later’ orders for a little too long…”

Sportacus had grabbed her hand almost too eagerly… but as the woman spoke that eagerness faded, his brow raising slightly at her words.

“… sleeper ship?” he said, not bothering to hide the tone of puzzlement his voice had taken on.

She nodded, lowering her arm to her side. “Hm. The military has been trying to smuggle munitions past our blockades in some pretty bizarre ways. Last week we intercepted a weather balloon with enough power cells to run half the watchtowers in the eastern quadrant… it’s keeping us on our toes to say the least.”

Sportacus blinked. He blinked again.

Military?

But… they’re military.

He didn’t bother hiding the confusion on his face when he asked, “… why would you attack your own ships?”

The elf paused, the corners of her mouth quirking at his words. She regarded him with mild curiosity for half a second before she chuckled, shaking her head as she did so. “That’s a joke, right?”

… no?

Sportacus frowned, his eyes narrowing as he eyed the elf with slight unease. He didn’t really want to overthink the information he’d just received… but how could he not?

Are they… not military?

They had elven military uniforms, and aircraft, and weapons… logically speaking, all things pointed to them being elven military.

But if they aren’t military…

The suspicious look on his face earned him a similar expression from the elf, the friendly energy from before quickly fading away; he didn’t have to see her eyes to know that she was studying him, harshly . She opened her mouth, and Sportacus knew she was going to start asking some uncomfortable questions…

But then, behind them, the other elf accidentally stepped on a floor panel. The panel in question was connected to the ship’s sports equipment storage… a bouncing sound echoed though the ship's walls, and before Sportacus could even begin to shout a warning, a soccer ball came flying towards the clueless mage.

It was fortunate that elves had naturally fast reflexes; the mage caught the ball easily, dropping his staff and extending his arms fast enough that a blink would have missed it… though despite how seemingly little effort he put into stopping the ball, it had clearly startled him; his eyes were wide and mouth ajar as he held the offending item at arm’s length. His initial panic quickly melted in confusion… and then the panic returned, his eyes glued to the ball as if it would explode at any moment.

“W-What is this?” he said, his voice cracking as he spoke. “A weapon? A bomb?”

His companions turned to him with mild concern, the captain slightly more alarmed than the fae. She switched her gaze between her comrade and Sportacus, a silent question to the act – as if gauging the threat based on Sportacus’s reaction to the object.

However, in the end it was Stephanie who answered the panicked elf’s question.

“That’s a soccer ball.”

The calm tone her words carried was enough to ease the mage’s tension, his arms slacking as he regarded the ball once more.

“A… soccer ball?”

Stephanie nodded, a smile on her lips as she did so. “Yeah… for playing soccer?”

All she received in return was confused blinks, the elf looking between her and the ball for a few seconds longer before ultimately letting the ball drop to the floor. As it bounced away the elf sighed, a shaky humor to the act as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh. It’s just a toy…”

A somewhat baffled expression formed on Stephanie’s face as the ball rolled towards her. She stopped it with her foot, her head tilting slightly as she looked at the elf. “Haven’t you ever played soccer?”

The elf shook his head in response.

Stephanie practically beamed, a light forming in her eyes that Sportacus knew all too well. “Here, let me show you how it’s done…”

With well-practiced footwork, Stephanie started juggling the ball, passing it back and forth a few times before gently kicking it. The ball rolled towards the elf, coming to a halt a foot or so from his boots. His eyes darted between it and Stephanie – caution flickering on his face, though Sportacus could see his curiosity starting to overcome it. After a moment he moved to mirror Stephanie, shifting the ball onto his feet before trying to kick it back and forth.

… it became clear almost immediately that he wasn’t as gifted a sportsman as Stephanie. He managed only a kick or two before the ball became caught underneath his boots, and with a yelp he slipped and fell to the floor.

The fae let out a harsh laugh at this, which earned them a sharp glare from the captain. After a moment, the mage started laughing too, though his voice was a little strained – as if he were ‘laughing off’ the embarrassment; the small tint of pink on his cheeks only seemed to prove this further.

Stephanie froze when he fell, her eyes as wide as her mouth was open. Her expression grew more distraught as she watched the elf shift onto his hands and knees to get up.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” she said, taking a few steps forward as if to help. However, Sportacus put a hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her back towards his side. She looked up at him with confusion; in response he just shook his head.

He doubted the elves would hurt her at this point… but even so, he wanted to keep Stephanie within arm’s reach at all times, should anything happen. Plus, the elf really didn’t need her help. Elves were… sturdy. A small slip like that would be the equivalent of getting a small papercut – annoying, but by no means debilitating.

And while she was well meaning by the gesture, he knew that it would only feed the mage’s embarrassment further.

“No, no – no need to apologize,” the mage said, reaching for his staff as he rose into a kneeling position. With his free hand he batted his hand, as if dismissing Stephanie’s apology. “I clearly need more practice… perhaps you should demonstrate-”

The elf paused, his gaze locking onto something on the floor. After a moment the elf reached down, his hand closing around something yellow before rising to face the rest of the group. He held the item out with an open palm, a strange look of wonder on his face as he showed it to his comrades.

… the item in question was a lemon.

“Would you look at that,” he said, exhaling with a soft gasp as he turned the fruit over in his hand to thoroughly examine it. “This is a le-moon… or is it called a le-maan? Le-ming?”

“Lemon,” both Stephanie and Sportacus said.

The elf nodded almost absentmindedly at them. “Lemon … a rare human fruit. The last time I saw one of these was when I still worked at the palace. You can’t get lemons anywhere else but the royal gardens…”

Sportacus felt rather than saw the captain turn her gaze to him, her mouth drawing into a taut line.

“Hm,” she said, crossing her arms as she fully faced Sportacus. “You must have pulled quite a few favors to get your hands on one…”

His brow raised, eyeing her with confusion. Am I being accused of something?

“Oh! Not just one, captain,” the mage said, bending down to pick up three other lemons that had fallen out of the kitchen storage panel. “There’s a whole clutch of them… and they look nice and juicy too – very high quality, just as you’d expect from the royal gardens.”

Sportacus wanted to explain that it was the LazyTown supermarket that provided such ‘high quality’ lemons… but of course, doing so would only serve to blow their cover. That, and he didn’t get the chance to say much of anything before the elf grabbed one of the lemons and bit into it; rind and all.

He couldn’t bring himself to do much more than gape in horror as the elf chewed… paused, looked down at the fruit, then bit into it again.

“Mmm… Not quite as I remember it… though of course, the only time I had lemon was with smoked cod,” the elf said, a thoughtful expression forming on his face as he chewed the second bite. He then took the last few steps needed to reach Sportacus’s semi-malfunctioning kitchen, his eyes scanning over the mostly empty slots and dispensers. After a moment he frowned, a displeased hum escaping his lips as he turned to meet Sportacus’s eye. “Sir, where do you keep your smoked fish?”

A deep frown formed on Sportacus’s face. Not only did you let yourselves onto my ship, now you’re going to eat my food too?

“There isn’t any. I can’t eat meat,” Sportacus said, his tone even despite his annoyance.

Disappointment crossed the elf’s face. “Oh… for holy purposes, yeah? My Ástvinur is the same way – won’t even touch meat.”

Sportacus shook his head. “No, it’s not by choice. I can’t eat meat – or anything that isn’t raw, except for certain types of bread.”

This earned Sportacus a round of puzzled looks from the other elves, as well as what looked to be a look of amusement from the fae.

“What, you got weird elf allergies or something?” the fae asked, a teasing smirk on their lips. “I didn’t know elves could have allergies… you all act too ‘perfect’ for things like that.”

“… elves don’t have allergies,” the captain said, speaking to the fae though keeping her focus on Sportacus. Something flickered on her face as she continued, almost like empathy – bordering too close to pity for Sportacus’s liking. “Though… when an older elf approaches the time of their ascension, their body may start rejecting certain foods. It’s their spirit's way of preparing for higher consciousness.”

Sportacus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

I’m not even close to that old – and I’m certainly not dying either. Elves aren’t all the same, and some elves don’t and can’t pretend to be the ‘perfect’ beings we present ourselves to be…

I’m just one of those elves.

His condition was something he’d gotten from his mother – a far less severe manifestation of the illness she suffered from most of her life. Elven doctors had been perplexed by them both; their ailment was one of very few that elven magic and medicine could not treat, and puzzling even further was the fact that the cause of their affliction was mostly unknown.

There were theories of course, though all were heavily disputed within the small group of physicians who studied their illness. Some less-favorable doctors argued that it was a human-born disease, a mutation of a super virus or phage that fed off its host’s magic. Other’s claimed that it was caused by his mother living so far from a ‘proper’ source of magic during the first half of her life – that she was ‘magically malnourished’ so to speak, and this permanently damaged her ability to properly regulate her magic and connections to other sources of magic.

Whatever the cause, it was agreed upon that his mother’s condition made it extremely difficult for her to reach and sustain the natural level of magic an elf needed to be an elf . He’d heard a doctor say that his mother was ‘dangling just a few centimeters above mortality’ once… his father had been very, very cross with that doctor upon hearing this himself.

Like his mother, Sportacus had difficulties with regulating his magic – ‘energy’, as he liked to call it when explaining his needs to human children. Unlike his mother, he didn’t have problems reaching and exceeding baseline magic levels; in fact, he had the capacity to reach levels comparable to some higher mages…

His problem was that he couldn’t sustain these levels without constant replenishment (and lots of proper sleep). It had been described to him as having a high magic metabolism; that he used up power faster than he could naturally produce on his own. Thankfully, he was able to feed his power with the natural magic found in fresh, living food – one bite was usually enough to draw out a food’s essence to charge his own.

… however, once food was cooked and processed, it lost its essence – it almost had a ‘negative’ essence so to speak. That meant it required more magic for his body to digest it than it gave him in return, so consuming it only drained him and made him weaker.

And sugar… well, sugar had an extremely negative essence, almost like it was some kind of antigen to his own magic. One bite of anything containing processed sugar was like having the plug pulled out of a bathtub drain; his magic would suddenly dry up, and his body would shut down to keep his magic from depleting any further. Only when a new, raw essence was fed into his own would his body ‘unfreeze’ itself from what he’d grown to call his sugar meltdowns.

The sugar apples Robbie occasionally tricked him into eating aside, he rarely had reason to overthink or worry about managing his magic levels; his diet and sleep schedule had become far more than a routine after centuries of dedication.

But he did have a condition, something that separated him from other elves… and before his banishment, it was something he was reminded of constantly.

Other elven children didn’t have to politely decline treats from well-meaning adults. Other elven children didn’t need to replenish their magic multiple times a day, or have to explain in doing so why they rarely took more than a few bites of food at a time. Other elven children didn’t have to sleep ten hours every single night just to keep their magic levels normal …

And now that feeling of not being ‘normal’, of not being seen as a ‘proper’ elf, was coming back full force; he didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

“Do I look like someone’s frail grandfather?” Sportacus said, crossing his arms as he spoke. His tone had grown defensive, his gaze locking on the captain with narrowed eyes. “I do have ‘elf allergies’ actually – we all have weaknesses, and any elf who claims otherwise is lying. My weakness is that I can’t eat certain foods; I was born that way, I will die that way, and not for many centuries to come.”

His words seemed to shock some humility into the other two elves, their faces turning from Sportacus in favor of staring at their boots. The fae just smirked however, chuckling slightly as they crossed their arms, mirroring Sportacus.

“An elf who isn’t full of himself,” they said, shaking their head slightly at the statement. “Such a rare find.”

The mage cleared his throat, his eyes raising to meet Sportacus’s once more. There was an awkward pause before he opened his mouth, his voice cracking only slightly when he spoke.

“Well, if you can only eat raw food, then… you can have raw fish, yeah? Fish is best when raw, health and taste wise.”

While he appreciated the slight shift in conversation, Sportacus couldn’t help the sour expression that formed on his face at the suggestion. Memories of long nights spent at the dinner table with plates of slimy pink fish flesh as his only company started resurfacing, sending a chill up his spine; he’d much sooner walk the plank of his own ship than even smell another fish.  

“That’s… a matter of opinion – an opinion that I don’t share.”

A baffled look was sent his way in response.

“… you’re joking.”

Sportacus shook his head.

“Then where do you get your protein?” the mage asked, sounding more like some concerned older relative than the stranger he was. “You can’t tell me you got those muscles with just fruits and vegetables…”

Sportacus started flexing his biceps before he could stop himself… a slightly bashful frown formed on his lips as he uncrossed his arms, lowering them to his side.  

“Meat isn’t the only source of good protein. I do just fine without – there’s plenty of protein in nuts and greens… I also drink milk from time to time.”

This answer didn’t seem to satisfy the elf, though he seemed to drop the subject – or attempt to, at least.

“To each their own…” he said with a shrug, an expression that almost looked distraught forming on his face. There was a slight pause then, almost hesitation, as the mage eyed him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, a visible debate going through his mind.

More questions…

“Yes?” Sportacus said, attempting to coax the words from the mage’s mouth.

“… I have to admit, your ‘allergies’ are something strange to me. Th-That’s not to say that you are strange, just… most things of this nature are things I can heal. Is there a condition, maybe a name for what causes them? I may be familiar with it enough to help you…”

A sigh escaped Sportacus’s lips. By now he had grown used to people offering to ‘help’ – the offers coming from both elves and humans. The last attempt had been from Miss Busybody, who ‘knew a guy who knew an acupuncturist’ that could cure his ‘food sensitivities’… he’d politely accepted a business card from the woman, walked the other way, and thankfully the topic was never brought up again.  

An elven mage wasn’t someone he could just take a business card from though. No, he’d have to be honest with him – shoot down his hopes, quickly, before he started pulling out tinctures and rune chalk. And there was a name for his condition… though, he had never been fond of it; as was the case with a lot of things his people believed and said about the humans who lived below them.

“… Mortal’s Curse,” he said, his jaw clenching slightly as he spoke; the words were sour on his tongue.

The hopeful twinkle in the mage’s eye immediately died, his gaze shifting to the floor as uncertainty formed on his face. He didn’t seem familiar with the condition – he also seemed wise enough to not pretend otherwise; just as a good mage should… some didn’t know when to stop, even when clearly over their heads.

Hopefully now’s the end of that…

“Impossible. ”

Sportacus turned to the captain, blinking slightly at the rage creeping at the edge of her words. From what he could see of her face she was scowling, her focus locked onto him like a hawk.

“… I’m sorry?” Sportacus said, the confusion in his voice genuine.

She shook her head, lips drawing taut with her growing frustration. “It is impossible for you to have Mortal’s Curse. It’s rare … so rare that only two people have ever had it. And , its mere existence is known only to a few, all of whom I can name… which makes me wonder, how do you know of it?”

… I could ask you the same question…

A frown formed on Sportacus’s lips, unease forming in his gut as well as frustration of his own. She was basically calling him a liar. He felt like he was about to walk into a trap, but…

“I know of it because I have it,” he said, his eyes narrowing as his voice grew stern.

“ No,” the captain said, taking a step towards Sportacus as she spoke. Her jaw was clenched tight enough that it looked like it hurt , but she didn’t seem to care. “No, you don’t, and you insult the elves who had it by claiming so.”

Sportacus paused at her words.

… had?

“I knew them both, personally,” she said, her voice hard and yet… he could sense a genuine sadness lying beneath. If that wasn’t enough to make his blood run cold, the words that followed certainly did. “And I was there when they both were declared dead.”

He couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t help it. His eyes widened, his face paled, and his heart froze and shattered within his chest.

Mother…

His tongue, however, was more than pliant enough to gasp out, “… she’s dead?”

Sportacus knew the words had been a mistake the moment they left his mouth. The energy in the room shifted, turning cold and guarded. A chill ran up his spine; it felt like he’d been plunged into a pool of ice. The captain’s posture shifted, turning ridged and soldier-like. Where before he could sense her eyes on him, now he could feel it – like she was burning holes into his face with her glare alone.

His words didn’t just affect the captain. The mage and fae exchanged a glance behind her that lasted only half a second before turning to him, and Sportacus watched as the expressions on their faces turned from baffled to uncomfortably suspicious.

… and had Sportacus not been paying sharp attention, he would have missed the barely-there hand gesture the captain sent her comrades.

The fae shifted their gaze away from Sportacus to the viewport, turning almost abruptly to go ‘study’ the sky around them. The mage turned towards the broken panel by the airship door… the one that just so happened to house the airship’s A.I. interface and system logs. Sportacus’s eyes narrowed, though he forced himself to keep neutral, despite the quickly returning bloom of nervousness in his gut.

I’m really in trouble now…

“Tell me, Álfur,” the captain said, her voice steady and low as she crossed her arms. “What are you doing this far from the permitted flight zones? I doubt a ship like this could have made it past the capital watchtowers without a miracle of luck. Are you out on permit?”

She was accusing him of something, he knew it… but not of the crimes he thought she would have. Instead of accusing him of violating his banishment, she asked of things he’d never even heard of. Permitted flight zones? Watchtowers? Permit?

… whatever those things were, they hadn’t existed before his banishment. After a moment he sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck almost sheepishly; he hoped more than he believed that humor would ease the razor sharp tension the air had quickly taken on.

“I’m… a pretty decent pilot.”

This answer didn’t satisfy the captain one bit. “I’m sure you are… that still doesn’t explain why you’re all the way out here. Ships aren’t allowed out here without reason.”

The other elf had begun to tap at the damaged computer panels, scrolling through directories and files with silent hums of confusion. The fae… Sportacus’s eyes darted around the airship, suddenly noticing that they were no longer by the viewport. After a second or two he chanced a look over his shoulder, and nearly jumped when he saw the fae right behind him, a small scowl on their face as their eyes met. Sportacus inhaled and exhaled sharply as he let the forced smile fade from his lips, turning back around to face the captain.

He swallowed before he spoke. “I don’t suppose you’d believe that we got lost?”

“Not likely.”

“… is my ship being here that much of a problem?”

“You tell me,” she said, her voice growing even lower – cold enough to make his hair stand on end. This feeling was only made worse when the fae grabbed his hat, hand clenching around the bell at its tail; it let out a muffled clang as the fae nearly crushed it in their grasp.

“I’ve seen better glamours from children,” they said, their tone mocking as they leaned closer to his ear. Sportacus gasped when they tugged on the hat, not hard enough to remove it… but enough to make his hands fly up to keep it in place. With a soft ‘tsk’ noise the fae moved even closer, brow raising as they whispered, “What are you trying to hide with this, hm?”

“My thoughts exactly,” the captain said, her frown deepening even further. “What are you trying to hide, Álfur?”

“… dad?” Stephanie said, causing Sportacus to turn. She had inched away from him, back nearly flat against the airship wall. Her eyes shifted between looking at the two other beings and him, silently asking him if they were safe. He could practically hear her ask him, ‘are they going to try and hurt us again?’

He paused, eyes locking with hers; only for a moment, a resigned sigh escaping his lips as he lowered his eyes.

I promised to keep her safe… and I’m not going to let that promise be broken.

Whatever the cost.

When he turned his gaze back to the captain it was accompanied by a look of defeat. “Okay… I’ll tell you everything… but please, just promise me you’ll send her back home safe. She wasn’t supposed to have any part in this.”

Now it was the captain’s turn to pause. Her lips parted slightly, almost as if she were gaping at him… but the expression faded quickly, and she responded to his request with a curt nod. “Alright… what is the truth?”

… here goes nothing…

Sportacus took a deep breath in, his eyes closing and opening slowly as he began to remove his hat.

“Djöfullinn!”

All eyes turned towards the door, where the other elf was still studying the computers. He had backed up a few steps, his mages staff rolling at his feet – as if he had dropped it in shock. For a few seconds he looked frozen in place, his body as ridged as a statue. Then, with seemingly new enthusiasm, he reapproached the computer and started frantically tapping. “This can’t be…”

A few seconds passed before the captain turned her back to Sportacus, regarding her comrade. “What is it Ísgeir?”

He seemed to ignore her, crouching down to examine the floors next to the panel. His excitement only seemed to grow as he ran his palms over the grey wood. “She’s clearly had a lot of renovations… but these are the original boards! The craftsmanship is immaculate, and you can still feel a little bit of her magic singing through them… why did we ever stop making ships with wood?”

“Ísgeir…”

The captain’s sharp tone was enough to draw the other elf out of his eccentric rambling. He paused, clearing his throat quickly as he stood to face his commanding officer.

“Captain… this ship is The Gamma!”  

This news seemed to shock the captain, enough so that she came over to examine the computer herself. “The Gamma? ”

“Yes!” the other elf, Ísgeir, said with enthusiastic nods. He tapped at the screen a few times in excitement. “See for yourself – she still has her old logs, all the way back to her naming day! And look, the personal logs of Stígandr himself are there too!”

The captain leaned in closer to look at the screen, and after a second or two she turned to Ísgeir with a look of pure bewilderment. “Ótrúlegt…”

Someone let out an ‘uh’ sound behind Sportacus, and he turned to see the fae standing there in confusion – still holding the tail of his hat in their hand. Their gaze shifted between Sportacus and the other two elves, as if deciding which matter was more deserving of their attention.

Eventually they sighed, rolling their eyes in resignation.

“… you two care to fill me in?” they asked after a moment, letting go of Sportacus’s hat to cross their arms over their chest.

The mage, Ísgeir, turned to the fae, confused for half a second before realization dawned on him. “Oh, right, you wouldn’t know… The Gamma was the ship of King Stígandr. He was one of the first elven kings… some like to call him the ‘explorer’ king. It’s said that he was the one that discovered the pocket within this realm where we built our kingdom – the oldest buildings in the capital city bear his name in honor.”

The fae… didn’t seem so impressed. “So…?”

“So this is an incredible archaeological find!” Ísgeir said, almost caressing the wall next to the computer. “The disappearance of this ship has been a mystery for thousands of years. You see, Stígandr tried to find other pockets, but during his attempts he and his ship went missing – never to be seen again.”

“… until now,” the fae said.

“Until now,” Ísgeir said, practically giggling with glee.

The fae turned back to Sportacus, their brow raised in confusion. “Okay… but, if the ship’s been ‘missing’… then why does he have it?”

Sportacus felt everyone’s eyes fall on him once more. The hostility from just a moment ago was gone, thankfully, but the intensity in their stares was just as strong – if not slightly stronger. His gaze shifted between his audience quickly before he settled his eyes on the floor, suddenly feeling rather… awkward.

That’s a good question…

It had been a very unexpected surprise – or perhaps a freak stroke of luck – when he stumbled upon the remains of his tenth-great grandfather’s ship. He was thirty two years into his banishment at the time, having spent much of those years exploring the mountains where he’d been found… not having the ability, or quite frankly the motivation, to do anything else; besides the occasional favors the local villagers asked of him.

The ship had crashed and slid down a narrow crevasse near the summit of the largest mountain, perfectly hidden for millennia. Had Sportacus not nearly fallen down the crevasse himself one day he would have never even spotted it. At first glance he’d thought the torn and decayed envelope of the ships balloon the remains of some unfortunate climber’s tent… though he quickly realized it was so much more.

An elven ship – an elven ship that had now become his.

It had taken numerous trips up and down the mountain with tools and supplies just to get the ship up and out of its resting place… and then countless more tips to fix and rebuild her into what she was now.

Between climbing and traveling in search of materials and parts, he spent something close to eighteen years just getting her flying again. By then the majority of the original ship had been replaced… and some parts, like the main engine, couldn’t be replaced; coming up with and building the pedaling mechanism that powered the ship had taken just as much time as the physical repairs had.

And even after all his efforts, much of the ship's functions remained unusable until much later. A normal elven ship was powered by magic… though how one put magic into something mechanical and made it living was something he could never figure out, and thus he had to do without; until the means to power it otherwise became available. The ship's computer, as well as the lights and other systems, were now powered with electricity – supplied by a battery, which he charged with the same peddling system that moved the propellers.

He remembered the day he installed it, remembered the relief he felt at finally having the computer systems operational… as well as the shock of finally, after what had already been over one hundred years, finally learning who it was he was flying.

She had found it rather poetic. He still didn’t know how he felt about it, and to some extent it made him feel like a monster – having torn apart and molded something so significant to fit his needs…

But one thing was certain, and that was that he would still be aimlessly climbing mountains without her. For that he would always be grateful…

And it was high time that he started returning that gratefulness – by being honest, so nothing worse happened to her that day.

“… I found her and rebuilt her,” he said, his voice soft and tired sounding as he spoke. “Check the logs, you can see when and where she was reactivated, as well as all of my personal entries since owning her.”

Ísgeir regarded him for a second longer before turning back to the computer, tapping and scrolling for a while before pausing on a string of data. After studying the information he turned, nodding silently to the captain.

“He’s telling the truth,” he said, his gaze lingering on the other elf only for a moment before turning back to the computer. “She’s been keeping status logs almost religiously – the last one was made about three hours ago in…”

He froze again.

“Where?” the captain said.

 “… North America.”

The captain leaned in to inspect the computer herself, her mouth parting into yet another gape. She began to scroll through the data, pausing every few seconds to read the contents of a status log. It was a while before she turned to Sportacus – mouth still open, the shock on her face having only grown.

“… you crossed over the border, didn’t you?” she said, the realization her words conveyed not matching her obvious confusion.

He nodded. Somehow, this seemed to be the most shocking news they’d received so far, the captain and Ísgeir looking at each other as if Sportacus had grown a third head.

“Why didn’t you just say so to begin with?” the fae said, their eyes narrowing as they moved to face Sportacus. “Could have saved a lot of trouble for us all.”

Time for more honesty…

“… because I’m not supposed to be here – or anywhere near elven skies,” he said, his eyes lowering until he was staring at his boots. “I was… I was banished , and I was trying to sneak into the sky city unnoticed…”

A pause followed his confession, no one saying a word for a painful amount of time. He couldn’t bear to meet any of their gazes, positive that they were all glaring at him with rightful looks of disgust.

… but he did look at Stephanie. His eyes rose just enough to meet hers, finding them quickly as she had already been trying to find his. She shared a look of what may have been pity, the shock of learning such a dark piece of his past clear on her face… but the shock was overshadowed by understanding; like a piece of a puzzle fitting into place, the image now finally clear.

She had asked him before why he didn’t live with other elves – why he never talked about his elf friends or family, why he never left to go visit his homeland… he had made up excuses for each question, but Stephanie was a clever girl; she often saw his answers for what they were, but knew better than to chase the truth.

And now, she had the truth. He wasn’t the hero she had believed him to be… he was a criminal.

That will be the image of me she’ll carry for the rest of her life, once they lead me away forever in chains…

He closed his eyes, waiting for his captors to enact justice.

… but then, with a chuckle , Ísgeir said. “Well. That explains a lot.”

Sportacus’s head practically shot up, brows raised as he met the other elf’s gaze. What he saw wasn’t the cold, unforgiving stare of someone horrified by what they just heard… it was the neutral, unbothered expression of someone who looked as if they were told the sky was blue. Sportacus’s gaze shifted to the other two strangers on his ship – the fae, not the most ‘enthusiastic’ of the group, wore a similar look of indifference.

And the captain… she met his gaze, and he could tell that she was studying him as she did so… but she didn’t seem in any hurry to punish him. If anything, she seemed to be regarding him with… He couldn’t quite place the look on her face. It was jumbled with a mixture of emotions, and yet, the most prevalent emotion of them all almost looked like…

Happiness?

“… did you not hear me?” he said, not bothering to hide the pure bewilderment he felt as his gaze passed between the people around him.

“We heard you,” the fae said, having the nerve to yawn as they spoke.

Sportacus couldn’t help but glare at them, his mouth dropping open as he shook his head. “Well… aren’t you going to arrest me? Put me in chains? Make me walk the plank of my own ship?”

“… No?” the fae said.

“ Why?”

“Because you aren’t in trouble,” the captain said, stepping towards him once more. There seemed to be a new air about her, the gentleness she’d shown Stephanie now fully directed at him. “I said before, we aren’t going to hurt you. That’s not who we are…”

“… that,” the fae said, shrugging slightly as they spoke. “Plus the fact that you’re in ‘similar company’ so to speak…”

Sportacus shot the fae a confused glance, which soon traveled over the other two visitors aboard his ship. He was met by calm yet… bashful smiles. If he didn’t know better, he’d say they looked somewhat guilty…

His eyes widened even further.

“You’re all banished too?”

“Banished? No…” Ísgeir said, the slightest hint of humor to his otherwise nervous voice as he spoke. He cleared his throat, shuffling his feet as his gaze lowered. “Enemies of the Crown, though…”

Enemies of the crown?

Sportacus blinked, speechless.

… enemies of my father …

He swallowed, taking a step backward out of reflex alone. If they were enemies to his father… he doubted they would still be friendly if he revealed himself to them now. And, knowing his father, for someone to become an enemy to him…

They must be criminals – worst offenders, violent and ruthless . Murderers, traitors, thieves… perhaps they’re a gang, using stolen military ships and weapons to terrorize unsuspecting victims. That would explain why they have military uniforms without being military…

… Yet, as he looked closer at the ‘criminals’ surrounding him, he had a harder and harder time believing them capable of such horrid offenses. From the way the captain had tended to Stephanie’s wound, to the mage’s eccentricities surrounding the ship and his food… those certainly weren’t the behaviors of monsters.

Even the fae, who seemed to be the ‘meanest’ member of the group, didn’t look violent or evil. More than anything, they looked annoyed – like they didn’t want to be there.

… in a way, they kind of remind me of Robbie.

His nervousness dulled at the thought.

He couldn’t help but sigh, the corners of his mouth pulling downwards as he regarded his guests once more. While he was still very much wary of them, he couldn’t deny that they had been – for the most part – friendly since coming aboard; cautious, suspicious even, but clearly not seeking to hurt them.

They were self-described Enemies of the Crown, but if that really was true… they couldn’t have done anything worse than the ‘crimes’ he committed.

‘Similar company’ indeed.

It seems I’m not the only one unwelcome in my own home…

Sportacus let out a soft groan.

… I’m so confused!

Clearly there’s something big going on, but just what that something is is beyond me… things have gotten a lot more complicated since the last time I was home…

Or perhaps, I never knew my home as well as I thought I did…

“We can explain everything, in time,” the captain said, moving to place her hand on his shoulder. It was as if she sensed his stormy mind, his fear, and sought to calm it – and mostly, she was successful; his mind quieted upon seeing her soothing smile; an all of a sudden very familiar smile.

His crystal flickered at his chest; a small, happy act – as if it was giggling.

… it can’t be.

“I’m sure you have many questions.”

Sportacus could only nod in response, suddenly feeling rather breathless; his tongue was like lead in his mouth.

“When we get back to base, you’ll get answers… it shouldn’t be I who gives them to you,” she said, removing her hand from his shoulder… yet letting it linger in the air between them. There was a pause, perhaps some hesitation, before her hand moved to the neckline of his shirt. She quickly found the chain for his crystal, and with gentle fingers she pulled it out into the light of the room.

The captain studied the piece only for a second before letting the chain fall against his chest. She didn’t touch the crystal; didn’t need to.

It glowed all on his own upon seeing her.

… The Keeper! The Keeper! …

“Because as much as I have missed you, there is someone who’s missed you far greater than I. He deserves the honor of explaining our situation to you.”

Sportacus watched as the captain stepped backwards, reaching for her helmet. His eyes remained wide as she removed it, slowly…

Almost as if the act pained her.

Ísgeir moved, concern marring his face as he approached his captain. Her helmet was already half-way off when she noticed him reaching out to help her; with what sounded like a growl she waved his attempts off.

“ No. Let me do it.”

… Ísgeir returned to where he had been standing, his face looking no less concerned. He didn’t attempt to help her again – even when she let out a hiss of pain, her hands shaking as something seemed to click and disconnect within the helmet.

Sportacus’s crystal flashed once, a dull ache in the back of his eyes and at the tips of his ears, as the captain finally removed her helmet. She held it against her hip with one arm, and she raised her head to fully face him.

He took her in, the faintest ghost of a smile forming on his face.

… the Royal Archivist.

Her dark brown hair was uneven, shorn close to her chin on one side and the base of her ear on the other. It was messy, as if she hadn’t removed the helmet for a while.

… he saw why when her almond-shaped eyes met his; or would have, had they been able to.

She hadn’t always been blind, he knew that; something had happened to have caused this… Sportacus tried to recall what color the now milky white had been before – a deep brown came to mind, but it had been dark in the archive the last time he’d seen her.

The barely-there smile faded from his lips.

What she did in the archives… they had to have known it was her that gave me my crystal. After I got banished, did they arrest and punish her?

Could that be why she’s an Enemy of the Crown now?

… an unsettling thought passed his mind.

Did… she lose her eyesight because of what she did for me?

Is this my fault?

No, it couldn’t have been – and he forced himself to agree with that statement. Elves didn’t give their criminals punishments like that, they never had. They prided themselves in their mercy, their criminal rehabilitation system focused solely on rehabilitation . The most drastic of punishments was banishment, and that was only ever used when a criminal could not be rehabilitated, and/or their continued presence in the kingdom was a significant enough threat…

But… if they had been comfortable with banishing him, as a child, without so much as a trial…

… what else have elves grown ‘comfortable’ in doing to each other?

He noticed a scar running along the bridge of her nose, extending over both eyes all the way to her temples. Where each scar ended sat what looked to be small computer circuits, similar to the one on the side of her helmet. She had been able to see with her helmet on… Sportacus figured the circuits somehow connected to the helmet, allowing her to see artificially.

That would explain why she didn’t remove her helmet earlier, like Ísgeir did.

The more he studied her face, the more he saw the differences from what his memory could recall – both subtle and obvious. She had aged, however slightly; though, Sportacus wondered if the weathered look on her face was more from stress than the passage of time.

… or from pain.

Besides the large scar along her eyes, there were a few smaller scars scattered across her face. They all looked to be at different stages of fading, each one acquired separately along an extended period of time. They made her look strong, toughened.

Warworn.

She’s supposed to be a scholar, not a warrior…

The sharp pang of anger – at the injustice of this – came immediately, and he stepped towards her with a deep frown on his face. Upon moving closer, he saw more scars, having faded to the point of near translucence; visible only if the light caught them just right. He hoped they would, in time, vanish completely.

As with all of her scars. There was no doubt in his mind that there were more, hidden beneath her armor and cape; hidden, but aching all the same.

… and it was then that he saw her ears, barely sticking out from the messy nest of her hair. Angry, painful looking red scars ran along their top edges, now rounded and short like that of a human.

This was no battle accident…

A gasp fell from his lips as he realized, to his horror, that they had been cropped.

“… what’s happened to you, Veda?” he said, his voice breaking as he spoke. Upon saying her name, Veda’s comrades looked to him in shock – silent questions on their faces that Sportacus chose to ignore.

Just as he’d been promised answers, they would get theirs soon enough.

“ A lot has happened in the last two hundred years,” she said, slowly blinking her unseeing eyes as she spoke. Then, with the shadow of a smile, she reached out for his shoulder – finding it from memory, giving it a gentle squeeze. “A lot has changed … but I’m glad that your ability to recognize me has not, my prince.”

His breath stilled, the slightest sting of tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

… I never thought I’d hear someone call me that again…

And apparently, her comrades never thought they’d hear someone be called that, judging by the almost haunted looks that formed on their faces. Ísgeir’s face had become as pale as a ghosts, eyes wandering his glamoured form with both reverence and confusion… perhaps, even fear.

“The prince … but… no, captain …” Ísgeir said, croaking out the words. “We were there when the council announced the prince’s death…”

Sportacus blinked, brows raising in shock.

… is that what was told to the people? That I had died?

A spark of anger bloomed inside of him.

Was the council too cowardly to admit that they had banished a child? Did they realize the people wouldn’t stand for it and used lies to protect themselves?

… and I bet it was Gegn’s idea too.

Veda’s hand moved upwards, pulling him from his thoughts. She reached for and grabbed his glamoured hat, pausing – waiting for his permission.

“ … please,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

As his hat was pulled from his head, the little bell at its tale jingled – one final time, the sound of it fading into nothingness as the glamour dispelled. He could feel his true appearance fade through the illusion, the false facial hair and comical clothes replaced with his usual pencil mustache and uniform.

Veda stepped back as the glamour finally dispelled, grabbing her helmet to place back on her head. Once it was secure, the vision chips connected to the helmet’s visor, she raised her gaze and studied him; the real him.

… as did everyone else in the room – who seemed to have no trouble recognizing him; for better or worse.

“Oh, sjitt!” Ísgeir said, eyes wide as he stared at Sportacus. “That explains- it would have been obvious without the disguise… he’s practically a clone of him!”

“… you’ve grown up,” Veda said, almost in awe. There was a pause, a moment longer of studying before she sighed, “And you look just like him.”

Him, he assumed, was his father.

… he frowned.

My father… who is your enemy.

The fae, having mostly observed the exchange in silence, chose that moment to gasp. They placed their hands on their head, eyes growing wide as a look of pure panic formed on their face.

“The commander!” they shrieked, their voice cracking as they did. “Andskotinn, he’s going to kill us when he finds out what we did!”

Ísgeir, who was already distraught to begin with, joined in with the fae’s panic. He clutched his staff with both hands before starting to pace, visibly trembling as he did so. “Oh no… ohhhh no… oh, sjitt, we are so dead.”

Veda turned to her comrades with what Sportacus assumed was a roll of her eyes. “He’s not going to kill anyone. I’ll explain what happened – we were just following protocol.”

“You really think he’s going to care about protocol ?” the fae said, a deep scowl forming on their face in response, their anxiety only growing further. “We might as well have set fire to an orphanage as far as he’ll be concerned – we tried to shoot his son out of the sky!”

Sportacus paused, for what had to be the hundredth time so far.

My father?

… the commander?!

He opened his mouth, about to let loose a slew of questions… but then he stopped himself, a heavy sigh escaping him as his lips drew into a taut line.

There’s no point.

At this point I’m going to need a guidebook to understand half of what’s going on.

“… you’re a prince?”

Sportacus turned to see Stephanie, looking up at him from his side. She had moved from her place by the wall, hands clutched nervously against her stomach and a somewhat dazed expression on her face. It occurred to him then that while he was confused, she had to be absolutely lost on what was going on; the fact that she’d managed to pick up that much was a miracle in itself.

He bent slightly to meet her gaze, hands on his knees as a nervous smile formed on his lips. “Yes, Stephanie… I’m a prince.”

Stephanie’s eyes fell to the floor, her face scrunching as she visibly thought over this new information. It was a while before she spoke again, her voice dropping to a whisper too quiet for their guests to hear.

“Since they think you’re my dad, and you’re a prince … would that make me a princess? A real princess… at least, just for a little bit?” she asked, the faintest flicker of hope in her wide eyes as she looked at him through her lashes.

Sportacus was hesitant, and still very much wary , about involving Stephanie in any aspect of his past – even if they were only doing so to keep up appearances. While their ‘guests’ had made it clear that he was welcome among them, he still had no idea how they would react to Stephanie’s true nature. Veda would be kind; of that he was certain… but Ísgeir? The fae? His intuition was telling him to keep her as little involved as possible, out of an abundance of caution alone.

… but how can I say no to a face like that?

“I… suppose it would,” he said, giving her a yielding smile. “Princess Solla – has a nice ring to it… though, maybe we should let them figure out that connection on their own? We have a mission, and the last thing we need is for you to get caught up in princess duties. Remember what happened when Robbie made you a princess?”

She laughed at the memory, her eyes crinkling as she did so. The humor that formed on her face left quickly though, fading into the look of fear and worry that he had seen far too many times that day. Her gaze shifted between him and the other adults for a few seconds before she spoke.

“… they’re gonna help us save Robbie, right?” she said, her voice soft as she peered up at him.

His gaze turned to the group of semi-strangers next to them, still immersed in their own conversation. His plan was never to reveal himself to them – or interact with anyone if he could’ve helped it. Yet, even during the formation of this rescue plan, he knew the chances of anything going the way he wanted it to was slim. As he studied his new potential allies, he couldn’t help but feel fortunate that things had gone as well as they had. It had been pure luck that the first elves he ran into were friendly to him; he wouldn’t be as lucky next time, he knew that.

… and he knew that his newfound allies were his best chance of things continuing to go well.

I don’t have much choice otherwise, Sportacus’s gaze shifted around the wrecked airship at the thought. Considering that they’re our ride from here on out.

And… I’m running out of time…

… I can’t do this alone.

Sportacus straightened, offering Stephanie his hand in the process. When she took it he moved, approaching the other group with a shaky sigh.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but we need to talk,” he said, his voice causing the group’s conversation to trail off into silence. The captain turned to him, her head tilting as she acknowledged him.

“… what is it?”

“Veda,” he said, his gaze focused on the visor of her helmet – hoping that he was meeting her gaze underneath. “As good as it has been to see you again… I did not come here for reunions. I’m here because I need help… I’m desperate.”

The group sent him with looks of concern, a seriousness falling over Ísgeir and the fae as they fully faced him. Veda’s lips drew into a taut line as she drew closer, pausing for a moment or two before placing a hand on his shoulder; she squeezed it, comfortingly.

“Whatever help you two need, we are happy to provide it,” she said, her gaze shifting between him and Stephanie as she spoke. “When we get back to base you can explain your situation. The commander would stop short of nothing to help you, I can assure you of that.”

A deep frown formed on Sportacus’s face. He wanted to see his father, so much that it hurt, but…

“There is no time,” he said, his voice shaking slightly as he spoke. “I have three, maybe four hours left… my life partner, he’s going to be killed at sunset. I need to get to him, now, before it’s too late…”

Ísgeir’s eyes grew wide, mouth parting with a silent gasp. Sportacus watched him shift, his hand drawing close to the black-beaded earring on his right ear; his eyes moved to the viewpoint – locking onto one of the closely hovering ships outside. A cloud of several emotions formed on his face as his mind seemed to wander.

Veda paused. Then, in a move that caused a lump of fear to form in his gut, she sighed – shaking her head as if in pity.

“My prince,” she said, her voice soft – gentle, as if trying to explain a hard truth to a confused child. “If this is a problem involving the surface world… then coming here only sealed your partner's fate.”

Sportacus gaped, blinking at Veda.

“… what do you mean?”

“The border has been closed,” the fae said, their voice having grown soft as well. They regarded Sportacus with a neutral frown, their arms crossed and posture relaxed; unthreatening, and he figured that was about as ‘comforting’ as the fae was willing to appear. “Things can come in… but once in, they cannot get out – anyone who tries to leave without explicit permission gets fried by the particle barrier.”

A small wave of relief rushed over him… a feeling that lasted only a second before remembering Stephanie. His eyes drifted down to her, and he was thankful that she hadn’t come to the same conclusion that he had upon hearing this news.

I can still get to the Labyrinth… but getting back? Actually returning to LazyTown?

… that’s going to be a lot more complicated.

The realm portal worked like a series of doorways. It could be used to enter other realms, but only through other realm portals. This realm had only one known portal – in the royal archives of the royal palace. If the elven kingdom was sealed away from the surface world, then they would need to find another realm with access to the surface world to get home.

… and without extensive knowledge of the other realms, that was a task easier said than done.

She’s going to be trapped here – for a while…

At least they had made allies that could help out in that endeavor. This knowledge was of little comfort to him, and he sighed with a shake of his head.

“He isn’t on the surface,” Sportacus said, a small unfeeling smile forming on his lips. “He’s being held prisoner in another realm – and I need to use the realm portal to reach him. You don’t have to come with me through it, I just need your help to get to it. That’s all I ask…”

This earned him a short, tense laugh from the fae. “You’d have better luck getting through the border.”

Ísgeir seemed to share the fae’s outlook, his gaze meeting Sportacus’s with a deep frown – and underneath the grim expression on his face, he could see a deep and knowing sympathy. “I’m so, so sorry… you must understand, if we could get you into the city we would – but right now… Sjitt, there is too much to even explain why we can’t.”

“We’d get blown out of the sky the moment we came within ten kilometers of the city,” the fae said, shaking their head as they spoke. “Our ships are flying ‘shoot me’ signs as far as kingdom security is concerned. They don’t take chances with ‘traitors’ like us.”

“… unless we have something that he wants…”

All eyes turned to Veda, confusion forming on their faces as they watched her. She paid them no mind; her focus had been drawn inwards in contemplation. A stretch of silence followed as she mulled something over, her gaze shifting periodically around the room and its inhabitants. Sportacus could practically see the gears turning in her mind. He knew the makings of a plan when he saw one.

It was a while before she finally turned to Sportacus, her focus locking on him.

“Do you trust us?” she said, her voice having taken on a tone befitting a military captain.

… I don’t have much choice, now do I?

He nodded. “Yes Ma’am.”

She gestured towards Stephanie, her focus not leaving his face. “And do you trust me to keep her safe – to take her back to our base, out of harm’s way?”

That he hesitated to agree on. His gaze fell on Stephanie, their eyes meeting quickly. She seemed just about as nervous as he felt – her eyes shifted between him and the captain, her hands drawing up to her chest as the shyness from before returned. However, it faded; or, most likely, she shoved her fears aside in favor of being brave. A sharp exhale escaped her lips as she nodded, giving her approval to Sportacus.

Her eyes said exactly what was on her mind.

I’ll do it if it means that Robbie will be saved.  

“… yes ma’am,” Sportacus said, turning his gaze back to Veda with a final nod.

With that she turned, raising a hand to her helmet in the process. She pressed a button on the side – the comms, he figured – and spoke as she addressed the ships outside the viewport. “Lieutenant Ylva, latch your ship and board – we’re rotating personnel.”  

“Copy that, Captain,” a soft voice said over the helmet’s comms, barely audible to Sportacus.

One of the hovering ships moved, slowly flying towards the starboard side of the ship. The cabin lurched softly as the two ships connected. Veda turned to her other two comrades then, a new air of confidence about her – something almost akin to hope, if Sportacus had to guess.

“Ísgeir, you will use your pull lines to tow The Gamma to the inner city. Ylva will be ‘security’ inside, for appearances. Nyle, you will be returning to base along with myself, little Solla and Smyrill – we will inform and rally the others.”

“Woah, woah, Captain,” the fae, Nyle, said – their voice was tinged with an almost irritated confusion. “What the hell is going on?”

Veda addressed Nyle with a smile; this one bigger than all the others Sportacus had seen thus far.

“Operation Valdarán,” she said, speaking to both the fae and the mage. “We’re doing it.”

The looks that formed on her comrades' faces was that of horror. Ísgeir could have been pushed over, judging by how pale he’d grown. Nyle looked as if they might scream.

“You… you’re crazy !” Nyle said, their voice barely more than a croak.  

“Operation Valdarán is barely more than a hypothetical!” Ísgeir said, his hands gesturing almost violently as he spoke. “It’s a ‘if the stars aligned just right’ type of plan. It’s a pipe dream. W-We don’t have the planning, the resources, the people- the commander would never agree to such a horrible, suicidal plan! He won’t! He couldn’t!”

“He will,” Veda said. “This is the exact opportunity the commander has been waiting for.”

Nyle rolled their eyes, crossing their arms as they spoke. “And how are you so sure of that?”

Veda turned to Sportacus, the smile from before only growing bigger.

“Because we have the perfect bait… how could the ‘King’ possibly pass up the chance to have not only The Gamma, but the true elven heir as well?”

Chapter Text

Stephanie had watched her uncle fly more times than she could remember. He was a good pilot; she might almost say he was as talented as Sportacus, though his old plane couldn’t go nearly as fast as Sportacus’s airship could; it couldn’t handle too many cool stunts either… and she doubted he could handle them either.

Though, what her uncle lacked in speed (and ridiculous, death defying stunts) he more than made up for in experience… and he had a lot of that. Last summer, he had flown almost every single weekend – whenever the weather and his work allowed it. He’d done that every single summer since he’d first learned to fly, or so he’d told her once while talking about flying.

And he loved to talk about flying. He had surprised her when he had first mentioned his hobby… or shocked her, if she was being completely honest; it took him a solid twenty minutes to convince her that, no , he wasn’t joking.

He was a recreational pilot, with a pilot’s license and plane and everything. Besides his political career, and Miss Busybody, flying was his biggest passion.

… and that didn’t make any sense.

Milford Meanswell, the most anxious man in all of LazyTown, found enjoyment in gliding thousands of feet above the ground in a tiny rickety airplane. With the way that he was, he should have been terrified at the mere thought of doing such a thing! He could barely gather up the courage to ask Miss Busybody out to dinner most days, and yet he had no trouble doing aerial acrobatics exciting enough to give Sportacus a small adrenaline rush.

It was so completely unlike the uncle that she knew. Which, she figured, made sense, since every time her uncle came back down to earth after a good flight, it was like meeting a whole new person.

Calm, confident … she’d once overheard Miss Busybody say that the first time he had successfully managed to ask her out had been right after he’d gotten his pilot’s license.

He had been ‘oozing masculine charisma’, whatever that meant…

All Stephanie knew was that Bessy liked her uncle a lot after he’d been flying… and something told her that her uncle liked himself better too; he always had the biggest smile on his face whenever he removed his helmet and goggles – his stress was gone, his worries miles away, and in a strange way he almost seemed a bit younger.

… She wished he got to fly more.

Bessy, apparently, thought so too. She had overheard the older woman say – on more than one occasion – that she wished her uncle would retire from politics altogether and take her flying around the world… and, should she ever actually say that to Uncle Milford, he’d probably announce his resignation in a heartbeat. It would make him the happiest man in LazyTown, if not the world, for more than just being able to spend more time with Bessy.

Her uncle found something up in the clouds… whatever that thing was brought out the absolute best in him; he was truly himself when he flew.

He had taken Stephanie up for a handful of flights before, but she had never found that ‘thing’ for herself during any of them. Flying had been fun, sure, and she could see why her uncle enjoyed it, but whatever it was that made him crave it the way that he did was completely lost to her.

That was before… but now?

She felt it.  

The smaller, sleeker, newer plane she soared in now was so different from the one her uncle flew – and it made all the difference. She had flown, but she had never flown like this. It felt like the aircraft was part of her, even though she wasn’t the one behind the controls; but if she closed her eyes, she could pretend that she was. She felt every turn, every twist like it was her own body moving… every slight adjustment of the wings felt like they were her own wings.

And it wasn’t just the feeling of it – there was the speed. She had gone fast, but she had never gone this fast before. Where before her uncle’s plane had gently drifted among the clouds, now she was soaring through them, leaving spirals of condensation in her wake.

This was flying.

She could picture herself all grown up – with a plane like this all to herself, soaring across the world, seeing things that no one has ever seen before, helping anyone and everyone in need of help. She could see herself being a real superhero.

Just like Sportacus…

She paused. The smile she had been wearing started to melt away, her eyes opening slowly, unfocused as her thoughts began to wander; a frown grew in place of the joy that had been there just a second ago.

She had wanted Sportacus to take her flying in his airship, just to see what it was like compared to her uncle's plane. Afterall, she had seen him fly twice as much as her uncle, in numerous different flying machines – the Airship, the FlyPod, the SkyChaser, the hang glider thing that seemed to magically pop out of his backpack – and if she was to become a hero, a real one, she needed to learn how to fly at least one of them…

But he’d been very reluctant to agree, the first of her requests being met with an outright no, and when he finally did take her for a ride he never let the airship go much faster than an old lady’s car during a Sunday drive.

And he had completely refused to take her for a ride in the FlyPod or any of his other gadgets. It was “too dangerous” he’d say, and that he would think about it when she was older – or when she got more training. Part of her agreed with him. She had a long way to go with her training.

… which is why it was frustrating just how slow her training was going! There were so many questions she wanted answers to, so many tricks and skills she wanted to learn the secrets of… but getting a clear answer from Sportacus tended to be just about as hard as getting him to actually let her try things beyond what even Ziggy could do.

Stephanie couldn’t help but feel like he was constantly holding her at arm’s length.

About a lot of things.

… and that was part of the reason why she had decided it was time to take her training into her own hands – by secretly tagging along on the super dangerous, may not ever return, life-or-death mission to rescue Robbie.  

She was still debating whether or not it had been a good decision. On one hand, she could now proudly announce to her friends that she got to ride in the airship at full speed, and she got to do a bunch of cool tricks too. But on the other hand, she bumped her head really hard…

And then almost died.

That hadn’t been fun.

… but, most importantly of all, she also got answers today. All of the little pieces of information she’d learned were buzzing around her head like excited little bees – things she had wanted to know, things she had never thought to ask…

Things that she couldn’t help but feel like she shouldn’t have learned.

Stephanie would never have believed any of it, had she not heard it from Sportacus himself. There was part of her that still struggled to believe it. Well, the prince part she could believe easily enough – out of all the people she knew, he fit the role of the princes in her story books better than anyone else; he was heroic, kind, he saved people and helped people whenever he could… all he’d have to do is put a crown on his head.

Banished though? Sportacus? He was a superhero; he wouldn’t- no, couldn’t do anything bad enough to get in that much trouble. There had to be some explanation for it, some silly misunderstanding or trick… was it something involving a villain? Did he lose some kind of bet and had to leave his home forever?

She trusted that whatever the reason, it hadn’t truly been Sportacus’s fault. She also trusted that he had a good reason for having kept all of this a secret from everyone in LazyTown. They were both big secrets – secrets that didn’t need to be shared with everyone.

… but she struggled to trust the reasons he had for keeping all of this from her.

Stephanie had shared so much with him; she had told him so many of her secrets because she trusted him, more than anyone else… it was jarring to find out that Sportacus hadn’t returned the favor.

And she really thought that he had.

After training her as his protégé? Telling her the truth about being an elf? Sharing his language and culture with her? Giving her access codes to his airship? He clearly had some trust in her, otherwise he wouldn’t have shared or allowed any of this.

But now the question was… where did that trust stop?   

“ Líður þér vel , Solla?” A voice said, pulling Stephanie from her thoughts. She startled, her head snapping from where she had been absently staring to fix on the back of her pilot’s head. The pilot was the nice elf lady, the one that seemed to be Sportacus’s friend. It took a moment for Stephanie to work out exactly what was said to her, her confidence in her elvish not nearly as strong now that she didn't have someone there to step in if she misspoke.

“… yes ma’am,” Stephanie answered, her voice wavering slightly. “I’m okay.”

“Hm… you’ve been very quiet,” the lady, Veda, said. She turned slightly, just enough to make Stephanie think that she was looking at her through her helmet. “The skutla can cause sky-sickness. Svimar at all?”

Svimar…

Oh, She wants to know if I feel sick.

“No,” Stephanie said, shaking her head as she spoke. “I’m feeling well… I have flown before.”

It was a lie – technically. Stephanie did feel a bit unwell… but that had nothing to do with the flying. She wasn’t about to get into that with a stranger though; she didn’t feel like talking about much of anything at the moment.

When Stephanie didn’t speak further Veda nodded, turning back around to fully face the sky in front of them.

“Should have known,” Veda said, the slightest bit of humor to her voice. “You must have your pabbi to thank for that – he would beg at every opportunity to fly at your age… he probably had you in the clouds before you could walk.”

Stephanie looked down at her shoes, biting her lip as a heavy feeling filled her chest.

“He is…” she started, her voice trailing off into a barely audible sigh.

He isn’t really my father.

The urge to speak her mind was like a guilty fire at the back of her throat. She was ashamed of lying about something like that. It had been impulsive, the first thing to come out of her mouth when she needed to think of something quick. Sportacus hadn’t seemed upset at her for saying it… though Stephanie knew he would be if she told him the true reason for why the lie had come so easily to her.

The selfish reason…

She stopped herself, biting her lip and clasping her hands tightly together in her lap; it was too late to tell the truth now… and if the way Sportacus had acted towards the elves was anything to go off of, the truth probably wasn’t safe to tell either…

He looked so scared… like he thought they would hurt us…

Would they hurt me if they knew the truth?

“He is… very good at flying,” she finally said, the non-answer the best she could come up with. Stephanie tried not to let her true emotions show in her voice, though she knew the words sounded strained as soon as she said them.

“… I bet he is…” Veda said, a somewhat weird tone to her voice when she spoke, her head turning back slightly towards Stephanie. She didn’t say anything further, the small cabin of the plane silent except for the sound of the engines roaring at the aircraft’s rear. Veda seemed to contemplate something, and for a second Stephanie worried she was about to be interrogated the same way Sportacus had been; she swallowed back the nervous lump that formed in her throat.

Whatever Veda was going to say or do was interrupted, however, by a beeping at the aircrafts console.

Stephanie tried not to sound relieved when Veda turned her attention away from her. Veda flipped a few switches on a panel before typing in a couple commands into a keypad to her right. Then she grabbed the steering console with both hands, guiding the aircraft into a descending right turn.

Around them, the other two aircraft narrowed the distance in their formation, drawing in close until Stephanie was worried that the tips of their wings might touch their own. They continued their descent until they hit a thick screen of clouds, leveling out as they flew into it. The clear sky around the cabin turned into a grey-white wall of condensation; water pooled at the front of the plexiglass dome, flowing backwards in tiny rivets that audibly trickled as they showered off the glass and onto the metal body of the aircraft.

The deeper they flew into the clouds, the heavier the flow of water became. Towards the end it was almost like flying through a waterfall; the pelting rain was like thunder against the plane, and Stephanie lifted her hands to her ears with a grimace. She was starting to worry that the cabin would start filling with water when they finally exited the cloud; the empty sky brought a welcome silence. It took a moment for the windows to clear – and Stephanie noticed with newfound curiosity that the blue of the sky had become an auburn yellow, splashed with deep pinks and oranges around the edges; it was like hours had passed in just a few seconds, the sun having decided to set early and the moon eager to rise in its place.

And what Stephanie saw below her made her audibly gasp, her eyes growing wide as she practically pressed her face against the glass to get a better look.

It was a floating city, hidden in a veil of clouds.

… though, perhaps ‘city’ was not quite the right word for the flying collage of wooden platforms and blimps that sat before her, connected by ropes the size of tree trunks and topped with woven sails and balloons a rainbow of different colors. It was all illuminated by a flock of what looked to Stephanie to be floating lanterns – drifting freely, yet none daring to venture past the edges of the docks; they flickered with colored flames that reminded her of the ocean, some blue, some a grayish green.

The not-quite city was perhaps half the size of LazyTown, though at least ten times as populated and full. She could see a thick crowd of people, moving surprisingly quickly from blimp to blimp, platform to platform. The coordination almost reminded her of a hive of bees, everyone seeming to know exactly where to go and where they were supposed to be.

… except what looked to be a group of children, playing on a thin stretch of rope suspended above the platforms as if it were a highwire at a circus; they seemed to be in no hurry at all. As the elven planes drew nearer, the children stopped playing to watch them, some jumping and waving their arms excitedly. It brought a small smile to Stephanie’s face, her thoughts drifting to her friends back in LazyTown.

She was going to have the best story to tell them when she got back.

As Stephanie continued to watch the town, she realized that Veda was taking them in very close – close enough to land. The elven lady had mentioned when they took off that they were flying towards some sort of base, somewhere Stephanie would be safe while Sportacus and the others… did whatever it was they were doing; she didn’t quite understand what was going on, and she really hoped that Sportacus did, despite her noticing that he looked almost as lost as she did.

I just have to trust him…

Even if it’s hard to.

Stephanie had to admit that when she heard ‘base’ she had imagined a fortress, built with high walls and even higher towers. She pictured something out of one of Pixels fantasy video games, like Super Tower Defense 9000, or Princess Rescue 5. This looked… like a floating caravan of random and misplaced blimps, some old and some new, and some looking like they were falling apart.

It didn’t look like it would hold up very well if it came under fire the same way Sportacus’s airship had… and that didn’t make Stephanie feel very safe at all. It also didn’t make her feel safe that they were drawing closer and closer to the town, and she had yet to see a place where they could land.

Unless they were planning on landing on top of a bunch of people.

“Miss Veda?” Stephanie said, not hiding the nervousness in her voice as she reached out to grab her shoulder. “We can’t land with all those people in the way, can we?”

This earned Stephanie a small laugh, the elven woman’s attention not leaving the sky in front of her; this did nothing to ease Stephanie’s concern.

“We’re not landing up top,” Veda said, her voice reassuring.

And Stephanie had very little time to wonder what that meant before Veda reached up to the console in front of her and flipped a couple of switches. Then the plane began to descend, their speed slowing quickly as the engine’s hum quieted greatly. They seemed to glide through the air on fumes, what little power the engines exerted only serving to keep them stabilized. As they closed in on the town, the higher platform started to fade from view. Stephanie expected to see nothing but a void of clouds below it… but instead she saw what looked to be a giant mesh net , tied to the underside of the town like a canopy.

Perched on the net were other planes like the one they were in, a few of them looking older like Sportacus’s, as well as other flying machines too… machines that were so foreign to Stephanie that she couldn’t even begin to describe them. The plane was practically motionless as they hovered into the makeshift hangar. They floated slowly until they reached an empty spot in a row of parked planes, coming to a full and definite stop. Then, with a gentleness that reminded her of falling backwards into a soft bed, the plane lowered itself onto the net. They rocked somewhat violently as they settled into the net, made worse as the other two planes landed next to them, though by the time Veda had turned the aircraft off completely the rocking had subsided into nothing more than gentle sways.

The plexiglass dome opened with a hiss, lifting above their heads before sliding backwards into the body of the aircraft completely.

That was when the cold set in.

Stephanie shivered as the freezing air from outside quickly made itself known, rushing in quicker than the dome could rise; she knew it got pretty cold this high up in the sky, but she didn’t expect it to be this cold. It hadn’t nearly been this bad when she had first gotten into the slightly-better-than-Sportacus’s FlyPod when they left the airship.

Goose bumps formed on her exposed arms, not leaving even when she tried rubbing her arms warm; she could already feel her cheeks and nose burn from the chill too.

It’s like I’m becoming a popsicle…

“We’re here,” Veda said, undoing her safety belt before turning around to face Stephanie. The woman had been wearing a smile, the same gentle one she wore when tending to the bump on her head… but it faded when her gaze fell on Stephanie, being replaced by a look of concern. “Solla, what’s wrong?”  

“N-Nothing,” Stephanie said, finding it hard to speak through her chattering teeth. “I-It’s just… c-cold…”

While Stephanie couldn’t see most of Veda’s face, she could tell that the woman was looking at her with confusion, her head tilting slightly as she studied Stephanie.

“… you’re cold?”

Stephanie nodded, her shoulders rising up to her ears as she tried to hug herself warm.

“M-May I h-have a c-coat? O-Or a b-blanket? P-Please?”

Veda didn’t respond, at least not immediately. She seemed to take Stephanie in, watching her silently with an eyeless yet piercing stare through her helmet. Her lip drew into a taut line, something Stephanie had noticed that she did when she was figuring out Sportacus’s disguise. Stephanie lowered her gaze, not liking the feeling of being studied anymore than she enjoyed the feeling of freezing.

She’s acting like she’s never seen someone be cold before or something…

Stephanie could feel Veda continue to study her for a few seconds longer before the woman sighed, a soft and somehow sympathetic sound.

“… here,” Veda said, her tone careful, not betraying whatever thoughts she had been entertaining just a moment ago. The sound of metal unclasping followed, as well as the sound of rustling fabric. “You can borrow this.”

Stephanie looked up just in time to see Veda’s long white cloak being draped across her shoulders. It was heavier than it looked – heavier and warmer, the fabric having the same soft feeling as wool did, without any of the scratchiness. A happy sigh escaped Stephanie’s lips as she fisted her hands into the fabric, closing it shut across her torso and nuzzling her nose into the bunched up fabric at her neck once Veda had pinned it in place.

“Thank you,” Stephanie said, her voice content as she felt the warmth return to her.

Veda nodded, that same strange expression on her face. There was a moment of pause, more studying…

“I guess the lífsgaldur will turn cold to any stranger… even to a princess. But don’t worry, it will find a place within you soon enough,” she said, placing a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “It is by its nature untrusting, now more so than ever. Just… let it get to know you. Be open. It cannot warm the hearts of those who have not made a place for it to light its fire.”

Stephanie looked at her with narrowed eyes, blinking.

… what’s the lífsgaldur?

“ Oh! Who are you, little dúlla?” a voice said beside them.

Both Stephanie and Veda turned, peering up at the sudden stranger. Said stranger was an elf, a woman with short brown hair and eyes concealed by tinted goggles. She wore a grey mechanic’s jumpsuit, stained with spots of what looked like grease and… some sort of purple goo. Stephanie wrinkled her nose at the sight. The woman was bent forward, hands on her hips as she looked down into the open aircraft, an excited curiosity bubbling from her as she smiled widely at Stephanie; she had large front teeth, and in a way her smile reminded her of Ziggy’s.

“This,” Veda said, turning her gaze back to Stephanie. “Is a very special little girl who we found out by the border today.”

The woman’s gaze shifted to Veda, her smile waning.

“Was there another group trying to leave the realm?”

Veda shook her head in response, reaching out and lifting Stephanie up and out of the aircraft. The net sunk beneath her feet as she was lowered onto it, like stepping onto a trampoline. Stephanie held onto Veda, steadying herself.

“She crossed over from the other side,” Veda said.

Wide eyes turned to Stephanie, shock laced on the elf’s face.

“The other side… how? ”

“It’s a long story, and there’s very little time to explain it,” Veda said, her hand remaining on Stephanie’s shoulder as she moved towards a rope ladder at the edge of the mesh net. “I must speak with the commander – please, make sure our ships are ready to leave.”

“Leave?” the other elf said, head tilting as she spoke. “But you just got back.”

“And we will be leaving again soon,” Veda said, her voice firm. “All of us.”

They received a concerned look at that, but the elf didn’t say anything further. Instead she nodded before running over to a workstation with numerous different gadgets that looked like they had come right out of Robbie’s lair. She said something Stephanie couldn’t hear to the group of mechanics standing there, then quickly made herself busy with a device that looked like a handheld blender on a flying machine that Stephanie couldn’t even fathom taking flight.

The group of mechanics followed suit, some sending glances their way as they got to work – a lot of them were at her.

As they approached the rope ladder they were joined by the other two that had followed Veda back to the base – one that Stephanie hadn’t yet met, the expression on his face as he removed his helmet reminding her of Pixel when he was working on programming – focused, yet far away. A string of black beads dangled from one of his pointed ears, swaying as he walked. He didn’t say a word.

The other Stephanie had met… the one with pretty wings. Stephanie couldn’t help but stare at them, admiring the muted iridescent rainbow that glinted off of them where the light hit them just right. It reminded her of her set of watercolors – after Ziggy had ruined them by mixing the colors together, causing the paint to be too dark because of the black and brown mixed in with everything.

Like a rainbow in moonlight, mixed with an oil spill.

Her staring caught the attention of the wings owner, and they sent her a glance that reminded her so much of Robbie, their face furrowing slightly, frowning as their wings flicked at their back almost nervously. They muttered something under their breath as they flew up and out of the hangar, something in a language that Stephanie had not yet learned. Veda then helped her onto the ladder, following close behind as they ascended into the base above.

When she finally reached the main platform, her eyes widened, mesmerized.

The view from the FlyPod didn’t do the city justice. It was like a picture out of a storybook, the sky a patchwork quilt of different airship balloons, some like Sportacus’s, others much like the ones that normal people back home flew – a showcase of patterns and colors and emblems; a melting pot of hot air. 

It was like a market up here, the makeshift walkways lined with tents and stands, the people in and beside them busy working on something. She saw what looked to be a blacksmith repairing a helmet in one tent, and from a couple tents down Stephanie swore she could smell bread baking. Her stomach rumbled, making it known just how hungry she was.

Had there not been any doubt of there being enough to go around she might have asked for some... but around her there were hundreds- no, thousands of people. People of all different sorts - Elves, Fairies… at least, that’s what she thought they were, with their pretty wings of all sorts of different colors. Then there were others, much less numerous than the other two, who Stephanie had no idea what to call; she knew better than to voice a guess.

Oddly enough, Stephanie noticed that there were also trees here , their spidery roots like vines across the planks of metal and stone at her feet, seeming to hold everything together just as much as the ropes were. The trees had bark the color of lilacs, and long and spindly branches hanging heavy with creamy-white leaves. They filled the air with a scent that reminded her of strawberry milk.

Everyone was moving with purpose, and her group was no exception. Veda guided them quickly through the crowds, a commanding presence to her stride that had people quickly moving out of their way. The exception was that of a few, the first an elf woman with a round belly and a worried expression on her face.

“Smyrill, where are the others? Is Ísgeir…” she said, approaching their group with purpose, her focus on Veda’s other elf companion. Stephanie thought they looked related, sharing the same dark hair and skin, a matching pendant at both of their necks that had a crest of a bear-like creature. The elf, Smyrill, snapped his focus back to present, and he quickly embraced the woman, touching his earring as he pulled away – a silent yet meaningful gesture.

“He’s fine , Gía. I’ll explain later.”

The second was a group of very excited looking children, being chased after by a very tired looking adult.

“ Miss Veda! ” they shouted, rushing the leader of their group, hugging at her legs and waist much like how Stephanie and the other kids in LazyTown would greet Sportacus. These children were mostly elves, with the exception of two – one with fairy wings a soft cream color, the other… she didn’t know what they were, but admired their pink hair – the same color as her own.

… though that was the extent of their similarities, Stephanie not finding much in common with the child’s short stature and wide and lilac colored face, which was covered in purplish spots and framed by long and slightly drooping ears that she thought resembled the ears of a rabbit.

Veda greeted them all with a smile, yet held the urgency from before.

“I am very happy to see all of you,” she said, ruffling a couple of the children’s hair as she spoke. “But I am on a very important mission – I will play with you all when I’m done, okay?”

The children groaned, much in the same way Stephanie and her friends would groan on the rare occasion that Sportacus was unable to play with them. They listened though, pulling away so their group could continue on their way – and so their winded caretaker could catch up to them. Stephanie caught the eye of a couple of the children as they passed, a curiosity in their glances that she also had for them.

They walked on until they came upon an area less populated, the people here all wearing helmets like the one Veda and the others had. Upon seeing Veda they stood at attention, giving her a gesture that Stephanie didn’t know but recognized as one of respect.

From there they moved into a clearing that was eerily silent, except for the trickling sound of a fountain of all things in a makeshift courtyard filled with plants suspended midair. To the side of this courtyard was a large tent, ornately structured with a light blue canvas and white tassels on its cover. Embroidered on the canvas door was the image of a bird taking flight – one with a sharp beak and talons; the same one on the cloak she now wore across her shoulders.

At the door were a string of guards, and Veda approached them, stopping as one broke from formation and approached their group.

“I have an urgent matter to discuss with the commander,” Veda said, bowing slightly at the waist as she spoke.

The guard nodded, moving aside so that their group could enter the tent. Stephanie moved to follow them, however she was stopped by Veda.

“Solla… I need you to stay out here,” she said, crouching slightly to meet Stephanie’s gaze. “Can you do that? Just for a little while?”

Stephanie nodded, mild disappointment filling her as she did. With that, Veda and her elf companion moved to enter the tent. When the fairy-like being tried to join them though, Veda stopped them too, pointing from them to Stephanie.

“Nyle, watch her,” Veda said.

The fairy – Nyle, let out a whine. “ Why? ”

“Because I know all you have to contribute to this conversation is your usual pessimism, and I frankly don’t need that right now. Go play with the kid.”

Veda then entered the tent, Smyrill following. Nyle sighed before turning and fluttering towards the courtyard, gesturing with exaggerated annoyance to Stephanie to follow.

“You heard the woman.”

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at them as she followed.

They walked across the courtyard, coming to a stop at the fountain in the center. Nyle turned on their heels and sat down on the stone ledge of the fixture, crossing a leg over a knee. They removed their helmet with a huff, placing it on the stone beside themselves before balancing a bent arm on their knee; they slumped their chin against their palm with a pout on their lips.

She sat down too… with much less attitude than her companion. As she sat she drew the cloak around her tighter, bringing her knees close to her chest. Her cheeks still stung from the cold, her nose feeling like a cube of ice frozen to the middle of her face; she buried her face into the fabric, taking deep breaths in and out and feeling the heat of it against her skin.

“You cold or something?” Nyle asked, and Stephanie turned to meet their gaze. The fairy was watching her, half interested as they reached into a pocket at their side.

“… a little,” Stephanie said, her voice muffled by the fabric. She looked the fairy up and down, taking note of the thin fabric that they wore, especially the sleeveless shirt with deep slits in the back for their wings that looked to be more for modesty than utility. “How are you not?”

The question got her a somewhat amused expression in return, though the fairy’s gaze quickly turned away in favor of the little wooden box they pulled from their clothes. Inside was what looked to be flower petals, all a rainbow of different colors. The fairy grabbed a blue one, putting the box away with one hand as they rolled the petal deftly with the other.

Stephanie watched the fairy shove the petal into their mouth, the lump resting between their teeth and their cheek. She watched with narrowed eyes as the fairy took a deep breath in… and then exhaled with puckered lips, a thin stream of blue air escaping, accompanied by the scent of what she could only describe as cat food.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust against the cloak.

She watched the blue air form little shapes, shapes that she soon realized were tiny little fish, each one darting away from the fairy’s lips to swim in the air around their head. Soon followed a little blue seal, its flippers kicking in pursuit of the fish, catching one hiding in the fairy’s long purple hair.

“You have a bad habit of staring,” Nyle said after a while, sending the girl a look from the corner of their eye. Stephanie looked away, her gaze landing on the stone blocks of the courtyard.

“I’m sorry,” Stephanie said, her shoulders rising as she buried her face even more into the cloak – mostly because of the smell of whatever it was that Nyle was exhaling. “It’s just…”

She trailed off, both equally embarrassed and unsure.

“Just?” Nyle prodded, Stephanie turning to see more fish escaping their lips to accompany the word.

“… I’ve never seen someone like you before.”

Nyle exhaled sharply out of their nose, two blue eels emerging from their nostrils. “And that means what exactly?”

Stephanie was quiet, just for a moment.

“I’ve never met someone with wings.”

The fairy paused, golden yellow eyes lingering for just a second before darting away to stare at nothing. At their back their wings fluttered, shifting uncomfortably the same way they had before when Nyle had caught her staring. Stephanie frowned, eyes widening as she began to worry that she had said something hurtful.

“I- I think they’re pretty?” she said, her uncertainty lacing her words.

“Of course they’re pretty,” Nyle said, rolling their eyes. The wings at their back fluttered once again, less nervously and more so indignant, like a cat flicking their tail. “That’s because I’m pretty.”

She sighed, looking away once more as she resigned herself to quit while she was behind. Silence passed between the two of them for a while, the quiet eventually being broken by the sound of angry footsteps. Stephanie looked up to see an elven guard quickly approaching the pair, a tired yet equally annoyed expression on their face.

“Nyle, you can’t blow vapors in the courtyard,” the guard said, a tone to her voice suggesting that this wasn’t the first time she’d had to do this. “Go do that somewhere else.”

“There’s no one around,” Nyle scoffed, more sea creatures falling from their lips.

“There’s a child right next to you.”

“I think she’ll live.”

From Nyle’s lips flew another fish, this one flipping through the air towards the guard, seeming to taunt the woman as it darted back and forth across her vision before trying to swim up her nose. She grimaced, nearly gagging.

“Eck! I’m sick and tired of your inconsiderate behavior and disgusting habit,” the guard said, her tone more forceful as she reached out to bat away the smokey visage. “I’m not asking you again - spit it out or take your stench and leave.”

Nyle frowned sharply as they exhaled, a long and heavy breath forming a whale as they stood. They turned their head slightly to address Stephanie, not shifting their gaze away from the guard. 

“I guess you’ll have to watch yourself, kid. The no-fun-police said so.”

Then they flew away, pushing off from the ground before soaring over to a distant line of airships and ropes. She watched as they settled down upon a high up string of rope netting, laying backwards with their arms behind their head. Even from here she could see the little blue creatures still dancing around their head.

The guard then turned to Stephanie, the once disgusted look they wore warping into a sympathetic and calming smile.

“I saw you with your poor little nose buried away – that stuff smells terrible, doesn’t it?”

Like a fish market …

Stephanie nodded.

“Don’t be afraid to say something next time, okay?” the guard said as they turned to leave. “Fae can come across as mean, but deep down they’re all just sensitive little pups – if they do that again, tell them they stink, they hate hearing that.”

Stephanie watched the elf walk away with narrowed eyes, rolling the new word she had just learned around in her head.

Fae…

She had been referring to the winged people around her as fairies this whole time… was that wrong? What was the difference between a Fairy and a Fae? Was there a difference… and what was the real difference between any of them? Elves, Fae, Fairies… She contemplated this for a while, lost in thought as she drew the cloak tighter around her.

It was only when she heard a noise from behind a series of floating topiaries that she was drawn from her thoughts. She heard whispers, soft and curious, followed by tiny heads quickly chancing glances her way before darting back behind the shrubs.

After a moment a group of four kids came shuffling over, whispering to themselves as they approached. Stephanie recognized them from the group of children that had greeted Veda, two elves – a boy and a girl, the fae with white wings, and the… short pink haired kid, who Stephanie still didn’t know what to call.

Soon the kids were in front of her, and for a moment neither side said a word.

“… we saw you come back with Miss Veda,” the pink haired kid eventually said, taking leadership of her little group as the other three stood shyly behind her. She was barely half the height of the other children, but stood with the confidence of someone much larger. The girl extended her hand, and Stephanie took notice of her four fingers and large hands, larger than her own, and the almost velvety-looking texture of her skin; like she had a thin layer of fur. “You’re the one we heard the adults talking about, the one they found coming in from the border…? I’m Lavender, and this is Kort, Teeka, and Mae.”

“Solla,” Stephanie said, reaching out from underneath the cloak to shake the strange child’s hand, and mentally noting the weird fuzziness of the other child’s skin; it reminded her of a peach. As they shook hands, the child – Lavender – looked down at her wrist with wide eyes. An excited noise escaped her lips, her nose twitching in a way that reminded Stephanie of a rabbit.

“Woah, is that dryad wood?” Lavender said, admiring the strand of withered vines on Stephanie’s wrist. “Lucky … you should put some water on it though, it looks like it’s almost dead. That’s bad luck you know.”

Stephanie’s eyes widened as she looked at the dryad’s braided wooden vine on her wrist for the first time in hours, withered and brown. She had forgotten about it, didn’t even notice that it was still there… something that she quickly felt ashamed about. Her expression must have conveyed that, the girl in front of her moving in closer, touching the bracelet with a calm and comforting expression.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Lavender said, tilting their head as they met Stephanie’s eyes, the act causing one of their ears to flop in a way that cemented the distinct rabbit-ness of the child. “You can just put it in the fountain for a while, it’s only thirsty… or if you’d like, I can help!”

Without waiting for an answer, she slid the bracelet off Stephanie’s wrist, cradling it in her large palms before lowering it into the pool of water. Then, with cupped hands, she turned and sat on the stone next to Stephanie. The girl furrowed her brow as she looked down at the wood, sticking her tongue out as she seemed to focus. Then, with a little grunt, a tiny poof of green-tinged steam erupted from her palms. Stephanie watched with wide eyes as the girl presented the bracelet back to her with a smile… alive, green and budding with new growth.

She quickly reached for it, grabbing it carefully before studying it.

“ How did-?”

“Like I said, all it needed was a little water,” Lavender said, hopping down from the fountain as she spoke, her large feet loud on the courtyard stone. She had a strange expression on her face, turning to Stephanie with narrowed eyes and a puzzled frown. “Though, there was something weird about it. Like it was… hm. Where did you get it?”

Stephanie frowned, eyes shifting away.

“It’s a long story-”

“And where did you come from? Most of us came from the capital or with the Fae resistance… we’ve never had someone come from the outside like you did. Why were you out there?” Lavender said, adding more questions to her previous one. She looked at Stephanie with a deep curiosity, big green eyes looking her up and down a handful of times. There was a pause before she added, “… and what are you exactly?”

“Lave,” the Fae girl, Teeka, said, an embarrassed whine to her voice.

The girl ignored her friend, instead continuing to study Stephanie. “I have a lot of cousins from a lot of different places, all of them different – I’m pretty good at guessing how, and my nose is never wrong… but you’re a bit tricky. You have an elf’s ears, but you don’t really smell like an elf. You don’t smell fae either… you have hair like a pixie’s, but you’re too big to be a pixie.”

Stephanie leaned back as the girl leaned closer, watching tensely as the girl’s small animal-like nose flared as she inhaled and exhaled a couple of times, smelling her deeply. After a moment the girl froze, leaning back with a wrinkled expression on her face.

“You kinda smell like a human.”

This statement earned a loud gasp from the other children.

“Lave, You can’t just say things like that,” Teeka said, grabbing her friend and pulling her away from Stephanie. “That was really mean. Besides, if she came from the outside you’re probably just smelling that on her.”

“Yeah,” the elf boy Kort said. “A human couldn’t get in here. They’re too stupid to find this place.”

Stephanie froze, her stomach sinking as she looked at the boy with wide eyes.

Stupid?

Humans?

... me?

The elf girl, Mae, reached up and pinched the elf boy’s ear. He yelped, eyes bulging as she brought him down to her level with an angry scowl. “Miss Veda told us not to say things like that!”

“Let me go - I’m sorry, I’m sorry !” the boy said, his voice a high pitched whine. Mae continued to hold onto his ear for a couple seconds more before relenting, the boy reeling away to rub at it with a pout. She then turned to Lavender, putting her hands on her hips.

“You should apologize too.”

Lavender grimaced, her eyes darting around absently as she avoided Stephanie’s gaze. After a moment she sighed, her shoulders rising and falling sharply.

“… m’sorry,” she said, embarrassed.

Mae approached Stephanie, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, we’re all sorry.”

Stephanie sat there, silent as she passed her upset and confused expression between the group. The hurtful words had been a shock… and yet, she thought back to earlier in Sportacus’s airship. She thought of the fear on his face as he grabbed her ears and changed them, hiding them before the group of strangers came aboard. At the time she was more confused than anything by his actions… now? She was afraid of them.

“… is there something wrong with humans?”

The children froze, a nervous and somewhat guilty energy overcoming them. It was a while before one of them spoke, Lavender’s hands fidgeting absentmindedly as she approached.

“My nose wasn’t wrong… you are a little bit human, huh?”

Stephanie didn’t respond; afraid to even admit that. The children interpreted this action on their own, an explosion of emotions passing between the four of them.

“See what you did?” Mae said as she turned to Kort, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes. The boy glared at her.

“Lave started it!”

“All she did was mention humans, you were the one who called them stupid! This time I’m telling Veda on you.”

“It was an accident! I didn’t know that she-” he said, his voice raising as a scared expression formed on his face. Then he paused, frowning before pointing angrily at Mae’s chest. “If you tell on me I’m telling mom about-”

“Will you two shut up?” Teeka said, shoving the two. She then turned to Stephanie, folding her wings against her back before sitting next to her on the fountain’s ledge. “This isn’t about who did what.”

She then placed a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder, giving the girl an apologetic smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a little human,” she said, squeezing her hand comfortingly as she spoke. “A lot of people are a little bit human – Miss Veda is, and she’s the strongest person we know.”

The kids exchanged nods, and for a moment the nervousness lifted from Stephanie’s shoulders.

Just for a moment.

“She goes on super scary missions with the commander all the time and beats up bad guys every day!” Lavender said, a tone of awe to her voice as she sat on the other side of Stephanie. “She doesn’t let being a bit human slow her down.”

Stephanie’s frown deepened.

… slow her down?

“Yeah, she works really, really hard. She has to, since humans are weak and…” Kort started to say, but then trailed off as Mae nudged his side, giving him a warning glance. He cleared his throat, rubbing the side of his head. “I mean, uh… humans can’t do a lot of things, which is bad, but that’s-”

Mae groaned, shoving the boy.

“He’s trying to say that while humans are weaker than us and don’t live as long and can’t do magic or fly, you have a whole other side of you that can do those things, you just… gotta work a little harder.”

Stephanie’s gaze fell, her knees drawing closer to her chest.

Humans are weaker?

Humans can’t?

“… I honestly can’t even tell,” Teeka said, her nervousness showing in her words. “Right guys?”

“Yeah, not at all,” Mae agreed.  

Kort shifted uncomfortably.

“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this anymore…”

“Yeah… let’s go play,” Lavender said, getting up from the fountain for a final time. She turned to Stephanie, an unsure expression on her face. The girl eyed her friends before addressing her again. “Do you wanna come? We’re gonna go climb a couple levels to Kort and Mae’s balloon. Their mom makes really good soup… and candy.”

Stephanie burrowed her chin into her cloak, shaking her head back and forth in response. She drew the cloak tighter as a shiver overcame her, both from the cold and from the devastating pang of realization that was hitting her now.

“… are you feeling okay? Teeka said, her eyes darting around Stephanie’s face, seeming to just take notice of the redness of her cheeks and nose. “You look a little sick…”

Mae and Kort exchanged a nervous glance between themselves.

“If you came from the outside…” Mae said, taking a step away from Stephanie. “Maybe… I heard that humans get sick a lot, maybe you caught something-”

“Can I be alone please? ” Stephanie said, burrowing her face in her cloak entirely. She remained like that, face hidden until she heard the hesitant sound of footsteps moving away. Once they had faded entirely she raised her head, her brown eyes growing damp.

Her chest ached, ached with disappointment and shame… and guilt. So, so much guilt.

Stephanie couldn’t help her mind from wandering back to the Labyrinth – back to the horrible way their stay in that place had ended. The feeling of the Goblin King’s fist at the front of her shirt was like a brand… She had never felt so helpless in her life. He had held her entire life in his awful, evil hand, and at any moment he could have dropped her.

… and had Jareth had his way…

He had given Sportacus a choice - her, or the other kids of LazyTown.

Jareth had claimed that Sportacus thought of her as his own child – he had been confident enough in his taunts that Stephanie had readily believed them… but now she couldn’t help but wonder if she had believed him so readily only because she wanted it to be true.

She closed her eyes, shaking her head softly; a heavy, grief-laden breath escaped her lips.

I feel so selfish… ungrateful…

Uncle Milford had been there for her when she had lost everyone else. She was incredibly lucky to have someone who cared about her as much as he did – who gave her a home, and made sure she was comfortable and happy. There were many in her same position who couldn’t say the same.

She loved her uncle – he was her family, her mother’s brother. He had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember, even if he hadn’t lived close for most of it. He stepped up when no one else did, and he made sure that even after losing everyone else, she never had to deal with the loss alone.

… but as much as she loved him, and as much as he did to try and bring back some of the normalcy she had lost… he was not her father.

Sportacus had filled that role in her life - whether he had wanted to or not.    

He had been the steady hand that she could rely on to keep her safe. He had been the teacher who taught her the important things about life you didn’t learn in school. He had been the listening ear that she could count on to hear her problems and not only care, but guide her on how to fix them.

All of the things that Sportacus had done meant the world to her.

But he was an elf, and she was a human.

... and how could a human ever mean the world to an elf?

She had known that they were different, of course she had known, but the realization of just how different was like a bucket of ice dumped over her head.

I can’t keep up with him, I’m not as strong, I can’t do magic… that’s why he never lets me do anything, isn’t it? There wouldn’t be any point to it…

I won't live long enough for there to be a point.

I’d just be a waste of his time.

In the span of just a few hours, everything that she thought she had known about Sportacus had been flipped upside down. Who knew what else she would find out about him before they all went home? Him being a banished prince was probably just the tip of the iceberg on a bunch of things he didn’t think she was worth telling… and what hurt the most was that she knew that she didn’t have any right to be upset about it.

He simply didn’t tell her about his past - and that was almost certainly because, like all the other things she’d learned today, he never wanted her to know them.

… because it was never her place to know.

I’m just some kid from LazyTown he plays with… I’m just some kid he’s supposed to protect.

He doesn’t owe me anything. He doesn’t have to teach me anything, or train me, or even care about me…

… no matter how badly I want otherwise.

Now she felt nothing but guilt about coming along. She had invaded his privacy, and had forced her way into something she had no business being a part of. She had disrespected Sportacus’s wishes after she had promised to obey them, and now he had to deal with trying to save Robbie and taking care of her.

And what help could she have ever hoped to have been to Sportacus? She had already experienced the aftermath of a showdown between herself and the Goblin King - total defeat. And if it hadn't been for Robbie and his sacrifice... had Sportacus had to choose between her and everyone else...

Tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes.

Why did I ever think it would have been me?

Jareth would never get the chance to try that again, she would make sure of that. She was going to be good. She was going to sit there and do as she was told, and when Sportacus was done saving Robbie she was going to go home and be a normal LazyTown kid  - and stop thinking and wishing and wanting. 

It was for the best, afterall... she would have made a terrible superhero. She had been unable to even save herself, even with borrowed power.

Her gaze lowered, looking down at the bracelet in her palm. This was all that was left of the poor dryad, this little green vine. They had so little of themselves left to give, and yet they still gave, all because they didn’t want another person to suffer. A feeling of mourning filled her, her heart aching for the poor being who had tried with their last little bit of strength to save her, who had given everything up for nothing.

They died, and there was nothing Stephanie could do but mourn.

… but then… Stephanie wondered otherwise.

She thought back to a dance recital she’d done many years ago, back when her parents were still alive. She thought of the little rose much like her dryad friend that she had been given to commemorate the occasion. Stephanie had voiced sadness at the prospect of it wilting and being lost forever – cut flowers never last… and her rose would have been too, if her mother hadn’t shown her how to save it.

“If you put some of this powder here,” her mother said, dipping the end of the freshly snipped stem into a white substance that reminded Stephanie of baby powder. “It will start to grow roots – and before you know it, you will have your own rose bush.

Stephanie watched, skeptical yet intrigued.

“How does it know how to do that?”

Her mother laughed, shrugging.

“Sometimes, things just know what they’re supposed to do. All they need is a little help, a bit of rooting powder, water - some soil maybe… give them what they need, and nature finds a way. It’s a bit like magic.”

Stephanie, young and still naïve, had scoffed a bit at that. “… magic only exists in stories, mom.”

Silence followed for a moment, the girl watching as the little stem was placed in an equally small jar – one that had once contained honey they bought at the farmers market. With great care, her mother moved it to a bright windowsill, the sun catching the glass; it reflected with a prism of color on the walls and floor of their living room.

Brown eyes then turned to Stephanie’s own, reflecting the afternoon light as a soft look formed on her mother’s face.

“Maybe so… or maybe not. I choose to see it in every little act that would not happen if I was not there. A seed unplanted does not grow – but if you supply the ingredients and follow the steps… that’s as much a magic spell as any you’d read about in a story, don’t you think?”

Stephanie still had that rose bush, growing in a pot in her uncle's backyard… her mother’s magic, as simple as it was. 

So simple, even she could do it. 

Stephanie stood from the fountain, holding the bracelet close to her chest. A human she might be… but there was something she could do besides sitting there feeling sorry for herself. One last mission.

I owe them that much.

And I owe it to Sportacus too, for all the trouble I’ve caused him.

Nyle was still lounging amongst the airships as she made her way over to them, running with as much urgency as she could without damaging the plant in her palm. They didn’t react as she approached, still lazily blowing blue smoke around their head.

“Excuse me!” Stephanie shouted, cupping her hand to make sure her voice was heard.

The fae turned to look over their shoulder down at her, their brow quirking as a frown formed on their lips.

“I thought you were going to watch yourself.”

Stephanie huffed, placing a hand on her hip as she sent the fae a look.

“Come down here! It’s an emergency!”

Nyle was still for a moment, then with an eyeroll that Stephanie couldn’t see but definitely could sense the Fae rose from the net, drifting down slowly to the ground beside her.

“Is this a ‘I have to pee’ emergency, or a ‘I’m bleeding and about to die’ emergency?”

“It’s about this,” Stephanie said, holding her palm out for the fae to see. “I need to help them.”

She was given a blank expression in exchange for her words.

“… you need to help a bracelet,” they said, then after a moment they scoffed, a condescending smile half forming on their lips. “Wonderful.”

Stephanie was quickly losing her patience, and she stomped her foot on the ground as she sent her uncommitted guardian a fierce look, one that the fae quickly took notice of. Their eyes narrowed, the mean smile fading into a cautious line on their face. With as commanding a voice as Stephanie could muster, she pointed at them and spoke.

“I need to help this dryad grow again, now, and if you don’t tell me where I can find somewhere to plant them I’ll tell Veda you left me alone to go blow stinky fake fish out of your mouth!”

Nyle stood there for a moment, unmoving. Then they turned their head, spitting out a blob of blue goo over the side of the platform into the abyss of clouds below. Then they waved their hand around, destroying the vapors still dancing around them as they turned back to Stephanie.

“Fine, fine, there’s no need to threaten me,” Nyle said, their words expressing aloofness, yet their tone clearly wary of Stephanie’s warning. Then they knelt, examining the bracelet with genuine interest this time. “You said you need to help a dryad? ”

Stephanie nodded.

“They died trying to save me. Jare- a bad person destroyed their real body… but this part of them is still alive. If I plant it, then maybe they can come back.”

Nyle’s eyes narrowed, brows creasing slightly.

“… I don’t know…”

“I have to try,” Stephanie said, insistent. “All I need is some soil and a pot. Please.”

“Listen kid,” Nyle said, sighing as they rose, standing with a nervous energy about them. “I can’t help you with this. Me and nature don’t mix well.”

“But -” Stephanie started, but was quickly interrupted.

“Look, if it’s that important to you… then you could try to find the dryads inside the memorial garden, just beyond the Queen’s grave,” Nyle said, pointing warily to a place beyond the courtyard fountain. “If anyone here knows if your little plan would work, it’s them… but you’d honestly have better luck just getting soil and a pot from inside the conservatory there… if they’ll let you get that far.”

Stephanie looked up at the fae in confusion… as well as fear.

“… are they mean?”

“That’s one word for it,” Nyle said, rubbing the back of their head as they spoke. “They… don’t trust anymore. Something bad happened to them a long time ago, and since then they’ve refused to talk to or be around outsiders. Those who step foot inside the garden have been… let’s say ‘kicked out’ to put it nicely.”

“No one’s allowed inside?”

“No one,” Nyle said, shaking their head to emphasize their words. “And, because I’d get in a lot of trouble if you got hurt… maybe you should just stay here. Obviously I can’t tell a princess what to do, but… well, take it from me – not even the commander is brave enough to go inside.”

She frowned, her eyes drifting down to the bracelet in her hand. Her mind raced from the conflict of ambition and fear, and she swallowed nervously.

I need to help them… but if no one, not even the elves and fae with their powers, have been able to get into the garden, what hope do I have?

I’d get squashed like a bug.

… a thought occurred to her then.

Maybe that’s why I’d succeed.

Maybe they wouldn’t even notice someone like me.

I’m just a human, after all.

Stephanie spared Nyle one final glance before turning, running off in the direction of the garden. She clutched the bracelet protectively in her hand as she went, and in her mind she forced the fear she had felt before down into submission.

It would not help her now.

Chapter Text

Stephanie passed the courtyard fountain as she ran, following down a corridor of stone lined with countless floating topiaries. Her focus was on the distant area that Nyle had pointed to, beyond the sea of decorative hedges, where she would find the garden. Veda’s cape billowed around her as she ran unstopping, her determination thundering in her chest almost as loudly as her heart.

In her hand she cradled the dryad wood; carefully, preciously.

Just hang on a little longer…

She caught the attention of a couple of guards, their gazes following her silently as she passed by. What confusion or concern they may have had though was not voiced, and Stephanie continued on without pause. Perhaps it was the look on her face; perhaps they knew better than to stop her.

The foliage lining the path eventually turned into pillars of stone the further down she went. Vines had taken hold on them, some flowering and some not, and the air was tinged with their perfumy scent; her nose wrinkled slightly as she passed through a thick cloud of pollen. She spotted a couple of butterflies dancing about the blossoms… though, she wondered if they were truly butterflies or fairies – like the ones she knew from storybooks.

She didn’t have time to investigate.

As she turned a bend to follow the path further, she came upon towering statues, each one at least five times taller than she was.

Stephanie slowed, taking in the visages of elves surrounding her on both sides. There was an air of importance to them, each one carved and chiseled flawlessly, and proceeding each statue were ornately carved sarcophagi, depicting what she assumed to be the life stories of the people they contained. She eyed carved scenes of coronations, speeches, weddings and children, though more than anything she saw stories of adventures – in balloons high in the clouds.

With each statue she passed she spared a polite glance, out of reverence though she did not know who these elves were; it did not matter.

She knew better than to disrespect the dead.

And these elves certainly commanded respect – some holding weapons, others holding books, a few with spy glasses held up to their eyes; one even seemed to be a doctor, their stone likeness tending to an injured man. Upon some of their heads were crowns of woven thorns and flowers, their regal poses and expressions not hiding their royal status. She guessed these statues to be those of the ancient elven heroes, the ones Sportacus would sometimes talk about.

Some even had uniforms like his.

She was admiring the magnificence of the procession of honored men and women when she finally came to the end… and saw a statue different from all the others. Where each statue before had an uplifting air to them – a tribute to their subjects achievements… this one did not feel like a celebration at all.

Stephanie paused, looking up at the stone face of a beautiful elven woman. One of her hands was held to her chest, over her heart, the other held a lantern outstretched in front of her. She was carved with her head turned over shoulder, eyes distant.

Surrounding the woman’s tomb were vases of freshly cut flowers, as well a collection of a couple dozen candles resting on top of countless puddles of cooled wax. Some of the candles were still lit, their flames flickering with a somberness that Stephanie could feel. She approached, curiosity getting the better of her. There was a bronze placard engraved in elvish at the tomb's foot – three short lines. A frown formed on her lips as she read them.

Fríða

Wife, Mother, Queen

Never Stopped Looking.

Stephanie glanced up once more at the stone woman’s face. There was something hauntingly familiar about her – something about the shape of her eyes… she didn’t linger on the thought long though, her eyes turning away to gaze beyond the procession of tombs.

It was there that she saw a wall of white stone, surrounding on each side a large golden gate. The twisted decorative design was that of flowers and swans, one rising from water at the center where the gate opened. Past the gate Stephanie could see a menagerie of plants and flowers, sheltered by the watchful towering trees above them. Then, past all of that, was an ornate looking greenhouse.

That was where she needed to go.

She approached the gates cautiously, pausing before them. There was a large lock securing it shut… and hanging from that lock was an ominous sign that read: None Are Welcomed Here.

A lump formed in her throat that she quickly swallowed, holding the bracelet closer to her chest. She was fortunate in that moment to be small enough to fit through the gaps in the gate’s design – just barely. She unclasped the bulky cloak before shrugging it off, kicking it away with her heel; she made an effort to ignore the cold that quickly closed in with its absence. With a steadying breath in she placed the bracelet back onto her wrist and grabbed the metal gate, squeezing her body inside.

Stephanie quickly took note of the overgrown state of the garden, the Fae and outside sign not lying about the lack of visitors this place had experienced for quite some time. What had clearly been a once well-manicured garden was now a forest of wildly growing flowers and trees. A sign post stood crooked beside her, the placards listing rules and guides having mostly fallen off, all except for one.

It came across more like a threat than a request – talk quietly.

Tall grass had taken over the main path, reaching Stephanie’s hips. She had to wade through it as she took her first steps away from the gate.

After her fifth step was when she felt the presence surrounding her. The way her breath caught in her throat was ancient, an instinct deeply rooted that she wasn’t aware of having until this moment. It was the uneasiness one felt looking down a darkened hallway, unable to see what was at the end. It was her open closet in the dark – her clothes looking just alive enough to give the appearance of something looking back at her from within.

It felt like danger, but not knowing from what.

Had she gone in blind she would have turned heel and ran away right then and there. But she knew what and who it was, though that did not slow the racing of her startled heart.

The dryads were watching her.

… but did nothing other than that. Around her she heard the chorus of forest. The twittering of birds, cautious and slow, uneasy. She heard the rustling of leaves but felt no wind, not even the slightest breeze. There was the pausing of paws and hooves on dirt and leaf, like a frightened doe looking up with wide eyes to watch, legs twitching and ready to bolt… but waiting.

Sportacus had briefly explained to her the vastness of non-human language, back when she had first started learning elvish. Some beings spoke with words like she and he did... but others had different ways of communicating. For some language was spoken through songs; sometimes it was abstract concepts put to words through actions. 

What she gathered the garden was saying was that she was… well, certainly not welcome; more like tolerated - the dryads deeming her not important enough to flee from or attack. That brought a bit of relief to her. 

I was right.

They don’t see a human as a threat.

… for now, at least.

Stephanie wasn’t about to take the reluctant hospitality for granted. After allowing herself a deep breath in she moved, taking slow and cautious steps through the tall grass. She made an effort to be careful, not quite knowing what was dryad and what was normal plant life. Through the blades of grass she saw what appeared to be stepping stones. They sat jaggedly on the path, having been carelessly rearranged by weather and root, yet she made an effort to keep her feet on them instead of the bare ground – even if she had to hop from one to the next.

Her uncle hated it when people in town cut through flower beds and lawns to avoid taking the long way on properly laid out paths; she figured the dryads would feel the same about their own garden.

The trees around her rustled again, like a series of whispers. She heard the sniffing of a wet nose, the licking of a rough tongue, tasting; distinctly curious. There was the flapping of wings followed by silence as birds took roost, heads tilting and little eyes blinking, quick little chirps escaping tiny beaks.

Eventually Stephanie made it to the center of the garden. A mossy-green pond sat there, cattails and water lilies dominating the surface, allowing only a little bit of sunlight into the water. She saw tadpoles swimming below; they seemed to sense her, their tails turning to face her as she passed by. Maybe they were hungry and hoped that she had food… or was food. If she had anything to give them she would have, instead giving them a silent yet apologetic smile.

The path led her to a wooden bridge crossing over the water. It was very weathered, the timber faded grey and white, bleeding orange where its nails had long rusted. She worried that it would collapse underneath her the second she stepped foot onto it… she paused, eyes glancing around in hopes of finding a different path.

She found none… and not wanting to linger she sighed, holding her breath as she stepped onto the bridge. When it held firm she moved slowly over – not once removing her hand from the bridge’s railing. Each step was deliberate, testing each plank, freezing at every creak and groan. Once she was within close enough distance of the other side her pace increased into a nervous scamper; like racing up the stairs at night with the lights shut off.

A shaky yet thankful breath escaped her once her feet were on solid ground.

Past the pond came bushes of gorgeous flowers. Pink and blue hydrangeas, deep red and creamy yellow rhododendrons, a purplish-blue azalea. Their nectar smelled like lemonade on a hot day, a red popsicle while playing in the park, a piece of the watermelon gum Trixie liked to chew. As she followed the path alongside they seemed to recoil, drawing their petals closer in, some blooms closing entirely.

There came the distant sound of swarming bees, the discontent grumbling of an animal within the line of trees, the creaking of a large branch about to snap.

A gentle yet firm warning.

Do not touch.

Stephanie folded her arms against her chest, keeping her hands visible to all around her – still, unthreatening, polite. She gave the flowers a quick nod as she walked past, not letting her gaze linger for too long.

“Excuse me,” she said softly, as if passing by an unmoving crowd.

The conservatory was growing closer and closer. The closer she drew, the more she noticed the dilapidated state of it. Part of the glass roof was caved in, a thick blanket of vines growing over one side. Its windows were clouded by dust and moss, perfectly concealing whatever was inside.

… and leaning against the door was a discarded wheelbarrow, surrounding it the toppled and semi smashed remains of stone statues, their heads having been methodically removed and placed within the cart. Another warning perhaps – a threat to anyone who would try entering the building. Stephanie approached, her eyes and ears watching and listening to the trees and plants around her. She had hoped for some direction, a feeling of what was expected – or demanded – of her.

But the garden had fallen silent.

The hair on her arms stood on end, the uncanny feeling of primal fear making her breaths shallow once again. Everything within her was screaming to run but found that she could only freeze. She felt like prey, waiting for the predator to pounce. As the seconds ticked by she waited and waited, almost growing frustrated when nothing came racing out of the overgrown grass to get her.

Maybe she was being toyed with – like a cat having found a mouse.

… or maybe they were just as afraid as she was.

Stephanie eventually found the strength to move, one sluggish foot after the other, towards the building – not stopping until she was directly beside it. She knew immediately that there was no hope of opening the door; she would have to find another way in. Her gaze started searching the weathered and cracked paneling of the building's walls, hoping for a hole big enough for her to squeeze inside.

When she didn’t find an entrance on one side, she moved to the other. Again she found nothing. Stephanie let out an exasperated sigh, not wanting to go back after getting this far but not knowing how to continue. She turned to the garden, eyes searching, ears straining to hear.

She heard the sound of scratching feet against dry brush, kicking up leaves to forage beneath, searching – and finding nothing, repeating somewhere else. There was the sound of a woodpecker hesitantly testing the trunk of a tree, waiting and listening for the sound of a grub inside, and also having no luck. Searching, finding nothing, trying again.

They’re confused.

I suppose I would be too if an animal came into my home looking for something.

“… I need to help them,” Stephanie said, her voice a gentle and fearful yet desperate whisper as she raised her wrist up for all to see – presenting the dryad bracelet, showing its living and hopeful buds and the promise it held. “I need a pot and some good soil. Please… ”

Silence followed for an uncomfortable moment longer.

Then, as if pained – like stretching a muscle that hadn’t been stretched in far too long – the garden whispered back.

Oh…!

It was a cry, a noise of shock and long held heartache and… relief.

From behind came the gentle rustling of leaves, and Stephanie turned to see the vines clear from a little section of the conservatory’s paneling – revealing a hole just big enough for her to crawl inside; exactly what she had been looking for.

Stephanie smiled.

“Thank you.”

The garden responded with another song, an urgency to this one the others did not have – the sound of labored breathing, an animal trying desperately to run away as something larger closed in. A yelp of a startled fox, whining as its newfound wounds. The quiet, distant howl of a coyote, sad and lonely. A mother bear’s agitated huffing.

And to accompany the song, the forest whispered for the final time:

Shhhh…!

This made Stephanie pause, her mind racing with panic that she fought to contain. She had watched enough nature shows with Pixel to know what those noises meant; something bad was inside the conservatory… and something told her that whatever it was had been the one to destroy the statues at the front of the building. If it had been strong enough to do that, a little girl like her would be nothing if it decided to hurt her.

… I really wish I had Sportacus with me for this.

The thought made her frown.

No – I can’t rely on him for everything.

I have to take care of myself.

I can’t be a burden.

After finally managing to steel herself she gave the garden a final glance, bowing her head quickly – respectfully. Then she got onto her hands and knees before the makeshift entrance, scooting inside slowly, brushing away broken glass from her path; careful not to make a sound.

Once inside she got to her feet, eyes taking in the building. They quickly widened, her body freezing as she instantly saw the beast in the middle of the greenhouse.

It was a knot of razor sharp thorns, each one tipped red – a promise of pain, maybe even poison. The vines grew tightly wound, almost suffocating each other. And the mass of dangerous brambles was huge , bigger than a car, big enough to quickly get rid of Stephanie if it wanted to do so. Had it not been decidedly sleeping, the mass rising and falling with slow deep breaths, Stephanie would have been history. The smallest of silver linings.

I don’t want to wake that thing…

I need to be quiet, like the garden told me.  

Her shoulders rose and fell, a deep breath in and out. She had a job to do, and she was going to do it – quickly.

She looked around the dilapidated greenhouse, taking stock of what she had to work with. Just like the outside appearance of the building, the inside was in equally poor repair. Broken benches and pots were scattered everywhere, the withered remains of dead vines and other plants littering the stone floor. What pots had once been inside were smashed, crushed… some thrown, pieces of terracotta sticking out of the glass walls.

Stephanie eyed the monster.

… what made you so mad?

Nyle had mentioned a ‘bad’ thing that happened to the dryads, something that destroyed their ability to trust people… her eyes studied the ‘monster’ before her – now questioning whether it was even a monster at all.

She recalled a ‘field trip’ of sorts that Sportacus had taken her and the other LazyTown children on last summer, out to the farmland surrounding the town. He took them to a field, the old and nearly rotted fence of it overgrown with blackberry vines. The vines were tall, growing over themselves just as much as they were growing over the fence, and she remembered the long sharp thorns covering each of them.

Much like the ones on this creature.

The group had collected berries for hours, with herself and Sportacus doing most of the gathering, Stingy guarding the buckets protectively while Pixel researched recipes for blackberry cobbler. Trixie had picked for a little while before giving up to throw berries at Ziggy… who had caught almost all of them in his mouth.

It had been fun, but her fingertips had hurt for days afterwards from how many times she’d pricked them… and when Sportacus had tended to her scratched up hands afterwards, softly lamenting his lack of foresight to bring gloves as he did so, he imparted a bit of wisdom to her.

“I feel like I fought a porcupine,” Stephanie said, her arms outstretched over her uncle's dining table. Sportacus sat on the other end, a tin of strange honey-colored balm open beside him. His eyes didn’t lift from his work as he massaged the salve over her red-speckled knuckles.

“It certainly looks that way,” Sportacus said, the slightest bit of humor to his tone.

Stephanie sighed, resting her head against one arm, tired; her skin still smelled of berry juice, syrup-like and tangy.

“I don’t understand how something that grows things so tasty could also hurt so bad.”

“Everything in nature does what it can to protect itself,” Sportacus said, slow and meticulous as he worked. “Sometimes that’s claws and teeth, sometimes venom or poison… and sometimes it’s thorns.”

Stephanie winced as he turned her hand over, his finger pressing down on the pad of her thumb – right where she had pierced it half a dozen times picking stubborn-to-reach berries.

“Why would anything need that many thorns?”

Sportacus half-shrugged as he grabbed more balm.

“What do you think the reason is?” he asked, his voice curious, and Stephanie recognized the question as one of the thought challenges he liked to give her from time to time.

She thought about it for a while – why would anything need to protect itself like that? After a moment she lifted her head to meet Sportacus’s gaze, a frown on her lips.

“… because it was hurt before, and grew them to make sure it didn’t happen again?”

Sportacus gave her a look, one that she couldn’t quite read… but from it she sensed agreement.

Her eyes softened as she watched the sleeping creature – who under all of those vines and thorns had to have been a dryad; one who had been hurt, and knew no other way to make sure it didn’t happen again.

… I’m so sorry.

Beyond the sleeping dryad she heard the soft trickle of water. Stephanie watched the being as she slowly tiptoed past, at one point having to press herself to the weathered glass walls to slip past without being scratched by thorns. Once she passed safely she looked the corner of the conservatory over, seeing a cracked yet miraculously still working fountain, a pool of clean water in its basin. She smiled

Fresh water.

The first ingredient.

… I just need the other two.

Tucked beside a lean to of shovels and hoes was a large ceramic basin, topped with a matching lid. She crept over to it, lifting the heavy lid as carefully as she could. Inside was what looked to be bird seed… a sour smell to it, moisture having seeped inside. She closed the lid with as much care as she opened it, frowning from the rancid odor as she did so. Her eyes darted around, searching for anything that might contain soil.

There was none to be seen… except for the dirt that had been strewn around the floor, broken pieces of pottery surrounding it. Discouragement filled her as she realized she would have to sweep the soil from the floor, and she didn’t even have anything to sweep it into!

Her eyes scoured the room once more, looking for anything she could use.

… and that was when she looked up.

Hanging from the rafters of the conservatory were ropes, braided and tied into decorative hanging potholders. Most of them had frayed and broken, their contents falling to the floor long ago – except for one . One little pot remained, dangling dangerously close to the mass of thorns sleeping below.

Stephanie’s shoulders dropped.

How am I supposed to get that?

Nervous eyes looked around the room once again… almost cringing as she spotted a rusted stepladder sitting in a corner, already open and ready to be used. Her fear came creeping back as she walked over to it. It was lightweight and flimsy, which thankfully made it easy to move – but did not calm her worried thoughts as she mentally berated herself for just how dangerously stupid this idea was.

If Sportacus were here, his crystal would be screaming like crazy… and he would probably be too, in his gentle yet very-much concerned way.

She sat the ladder down as quietly as she could, just a foot away from the dryad. If they moved in their sleep it would be over for her, the image of herself falling from the ladder into the pile of dagger like thorns made her shiver. It took her a moment to override her sense of self preservation, and when she did she stepped onto the ladder.

It was honestly a miracle that it didn’t collapse in on itself. She closed her eyes, taking a steady breath in and out before stepping onto the next wrung of the ladder. Stephanie repeated this ritual until she was on the second to top wrung, and she looked up to the clay pot above her. If she were just a little bit taller…

She got onto her tippy toes, the ladder wobbling dangerously below her as her fingers grasped at the pot. A deep breath in, a deep breath out. Deft fingers pushed the pot out of its rope holder… and as soon as it was free she snatched it close to her chest.

Got it!