Labyrinth

Once again Jack was sitting on the window seat, searching the Labyrinth below for any sign of Ianto. He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there, since his Time Agent wrist band had been taken from him and there were no clocks in the room. But all of sudden a deep fatigue washed over the immortal. Feeling as if he might fall asleep sitting up, Jack made his way over to the large bed, only just managing to lie down before he fell into a deep sleep.

Jack didn’t see the little glass orb which had rolled in to the room just before the fatigue had struck him. He couldn’t have known that orb was the cause of his fatigue, and since he had fallen into a deep sleep, he didn’t see Jareth enter the room. The Goblin King was, once again, wearing his “true face” and looked deeply troubled.

Jareth looked down at Captain Jack Harkness for several seconds before he turned to face a large mirror which was hung on one wall. With a gesture of his hand, the mirror changed to become a sort of monitor, which showed Ianto, Rose, Janet and Donna. “Ianto Jones…” Jareth whispered. “I can not see destiny… all I can see is that this is the path which must be taken.”

Jareth laughed softly, but it was a bitter laugh, one which seemed to be directed at himself more so then Ianto Jones and his companions. “Not much longer Ianto Jones. I have been charged with giving you a quest… and a quest I have delivered.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Ianto was following Donna through the forest that was on the edge of the swamp… when his stomach growled loudly. Rose suddenly stepped forward, holding a peach in her outstretched hand. “Here Ianto, I bet Jareth could hear that in his Castle!” Rose smiled brightly. Ianto returned the young woman’s smile as he took the peach from her hand and bit deeply into the soft fruit.

Unfortunately it was only upon swallowing that bite that Ianto realized that something was wrong with the peach. “This tastes strange,” Ianto whispered. “Rose… what have you done?”

Rose did not answer Ianto. A dark smirk grew on Rose’s face before she turned her back on Ianto and walked away from the young man. Janet and Martha did not notice that Ianto had fallen behind, and they did not notice that Rose had left the group. Ianto’s body started to shake uncontrollably, and he suddenly found himself on the ground, curled up in a ball, starting up at the sky as the world seemed to shift in and out of focus. “Everything… everything’s dancing,” Ianto whispered.

The glittering forest around him seemed to melt away, and he found himself in an elegant ballroom… with Lisa by his side.

Lisa was so beautiful… she was human, as if Cannery Warf had never happened. Her hair was long and pulled back into an elaborate style by a shining silver headpiece, whose delicate metal looked like flowers and leaves. She was wearing a long white dress, which sparkled in the ballroom’s gentle candlelight.

“Ianto…” Lisa whispered, reaching out for Ianto’s hand and drawing him close in a slow dance, holding him close as she whispered how much she loved him… and how much she’d missed him. Lisa leaned in close and her lips brushed against Ianto’s ear as she begged him never to leave again.

But Ianto couldn’t understand what Lisa meant… hadn’t he always been here? Dancing with Lisa in his arms…

There’s such a sad love,
Deep in your eyes.
A kind of pale jewel-
Open and closed,
Within your eyes…

I’ll place the skies,
Within your eyes

Lisa effortlessly guided him around the dance floor, past tables of food and wine… there seemed to be hundreds of couples in elaborate costumes and masks. Everyone seemed to be congratulating them, or rather congratulating Lisa, although Ianto couldn’t quite figure out why.

There’s such a fooled heart,
Beating so fast,
In search of new dreams-
A love that will last,
Within your heart…

I’ll place the moon,
Within your heart

There was someone in the background… someone who was watching him and Lisa. Ianto could feel eyes watching him, but when he looked around he would only catch the slightest glimpse of a man, before the stranger vanished into the crowd or Lisa pulled him away.

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…
As the world falls down…

Something was wrong… he’d been doing something important, but just what he’d been doing Ianto couldn’t quite remember. Lisa seemed almost frantic now, always struggling to pull Ianto deeper into the crowd. Each time she did this, Ianto could swear that Lisa had also caught sight of the strange man… it was almost as if Lisa didn’t want Ianto to see the stranger.

Falling…

It’s falling…

Falling in love…

The strange man had short black hair. He was wearing a long coat, which seemed to be part of a military outfit. The stranger seemed to be staring at Ianto… and no matter where Lisa guided Ianto, the stranger always followed close behind.

I’ll paint you mornings of gold,
I’ll spin you valentine evenings…
Though we’re strangers till now.
We’re choosing the path,
Between the stars…

I’ll lay my love,
Between the stars…

Ianto’s eyes hurt, it was as if bright lights were flashing on and off, and each time it flashed there was a brief moment where the events around Ianto didn’t seem to feel quite right… the laughter of the couples around them seemed too loud, Lisa’s hands seemed to become cold steel, her voice would grow cold and harsh.

Then the man suddenly emerged from the crowd, and in a matter of seconds he’d stolen Ianto out of Lisa’s arms… and then the two men were dancing together. As they danced, it seemed like the stranger was the one singing… as if he was singing just for Ianto, not caring if anyone else heard him or saw them…

As the pain sweeps through
makes no sense for you
Ever thrill has gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all

But I’ll be there for you
As the world falls down..

Ianto shivered as the man’s arms wrapped around him. He knew that Lisa was nearby, he knew that she was crying out for him to come back to her… but he didn’t care. This man seemed to call out to Ianto, as if he was shouting for the Welshman to remember… though what he was supposed to remember Ianto didn’t know.

Falling…

It’s falling…

Falling…

“Jack,” Ianto whispered suddenly, as the man he was dancing with vanished and he heard the sound of a clock, sticking out the hour. Jack Panic gripped Ianto as Lisa stepped forward, her dress and beautiful face vanishing, replaced by the cold steal of a Cyberman.

Falling in love…

Ianto screamed, falling to the ground as he struggled to get away from Lisa… and then the world seemed to shatter into a million pieces…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ianto woke, free of the strange world that he’d been trapped in. He was lying in what appeared to be a garbage heap… and he had no idea where he was. Standing next to him was stout woman, horribly bent with age, carrying a mound of strange and diverse objects on her back.

“Can you help me?” Ianto whispered as he watched the woman walk towards him. “I think I’m lost…”

“Where are you going honey?” the woman asked, and Ianto frowned, trying to remember.

“I… I don’t know,” Ianto admitted and the woman smiled at him softly.

“Well, then it’s no wonder you’re lost! You can’t get where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re going!” The woman took Ianto’s hand and lead him into a sort of cave in the trash… which looked exactly like Ianto’s bedroom from when he was a child.

Ianto smiled softly as his hands ran over all the items he’d loved and hadn’t seen for years… then the woman, who had followed him into the room, started to hand him various items, old familiar toys and objects that he hadn’t seen in years. Everything seemed to fit in his arms, and he felt like crying. He wanted so desperately to hold everything close to him… but something was wrong, something was missing!

“There was something I was looking for…” Ianto whispered as he looked down at his desk… lying in front of him was a small red book, almost hidden under a pile of paper and pens. Curious, Ianto pushed several objects aside until he could read the book’s title.

The Labyrinth

Ianto picked up the book, letting it fall open to where someone had placed a bookmark and underlined several parts of a paragraph. Slowly Ianto started to read, feeling as if there was something just beyond his reach…

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen…

“It’s all junk!” Ianto whispered, throwing away the things the woman had been handing him. “I have to save Jack!”

When he said this the room seemed to collapse around him, and the only way that Ianto escaped was because Janet and Donna pulled him free of the wreckage… Ianto was so relieved to find his friends alive and well that he didn’t notice Rose, who was standing on top of a nearby mountain of junk, glaring down at the trio.

“No!” Rose hissed as Ianto, Janet and Donna headed for the Goblin City. “I can not fail Lord Jareth!”

TBC