This is my second Labyrinth fanfic and it is a more mature tale (hence the rating) than my first one, The Goblin King's Bride. It will contain ADULT themes, with the occasional reference to sex and the odd bit of strong language. I have tried to stay true to the characters as we knew them in the movie, but please bear in mind I will be putting them in situations quite unlike anything they've faced before. This story does include familiar creatures from traditional folklore and references to fairy hierarchy, but I will be putting my own spin on it all.

I do not own anything connected to Labyrinth, I just have a deep and abiding love for the creations of Jim Henson, and the Henson family. I also happen to think David Bowie can do no wrong (except for maybe his Tin Machine years!)

The title of this fanfic is taken from the Gerry Rafferty song 'Night Owl', as I was listening to it while I was writing, and it seemed very apt in more ways than one.

I intend to update as regularly as possible, which hopefully will be at least once a week.

I cannot commit to replying to each individual review, should I get any, one never likes to assume. But I will endeavour to answer any specific queries that might arise. Please do let me know your thoughts, and thank you for taking the time to read this fanfic. - Mrs P.

A World Full of Shadows

1. Fading Away

Queen Mab swept into the Unseelie Court in the foulest of moods. Her two co-rulers were already waiting, and in no better spirits.

"Our power diminishes by the day; something must be done before it's too late. We have already dithered for far too long," Queen Vetya's words were as icy as her demeanour.

Her pale skin displayed a network of blue veins and her cerulean eyes were as cold as her heart.

"The humans no longer believe in us in great enough numbers, nor do they fear us as they should. They have forgotten our names and our deeds. We need to find a way to restore our standing in their world," Queen Yarla explained.

Her hook nose twitched in a rodent like way and her black eyes matched her mood.

Mab picked an imaginary piece of lint from her deep scarlet cloak. Her blood coloured lips were pursed in contemplation.

The Seelie Court was sustained by the good fairies in human tales, even if some were wrongly remembered as being benevolent, and then there was the gift giving Tooth Fairy. The dark side of the fae was being forgotten, and the old folklore traditions were dying out.

"Who amongst us still has regular contact with the human world?" She inquired.

"There aren't many of us who still have enough power to manifest in that realm," Yarla said.

"I often visited the mortals in the olden times; it was easy to flit in and out, delivering my dreams to them. It takes so much energy these days, the last time I tried, I was drained of my powers for a week," Mab explained.

"What of the Goblin King?" Vetya's sharp features displayed her disdain at mentioning him.

They were in desperate times and although they would usually shun solitary fae, they could no longer afford to be so discriminating.

"His mother was cast out of the Seelie Court long ago, and he refuses to join us. Who knows if humans still wish their troublesome babies away to the goblins? If they do, he may be of use to us," Mab reasoned.

"One of us should pay him a visit," Yarla agreed.

They eyed each other expectantly, all waiting for one of them to volunteer.

"I hear he's not quite as ghastly looking as his subjects," Vetya wasn't tempted to find out, but thought it might sway the others.

Mab was the most attractive out of the three, although her fragile beauty had been maintained for far too long by potions and dark magic. Her skin was so tight; one smile might threaten to crack her face clean in two, it was fortunate for her that she wasn't given to joviality. The queen did have a weakness for the company of handsome males, and she was intrigued. The Goblin King was rumoured to be a halfling, the product of a union between a highborn Seelie and a mortal man. Lady Malin was reputedly a powerful sorceress who fell in love with one of the humans she seduced.

"I will visit the Goblin King, he may be glad to see someone who doesn't look like they've just crawled out of a swamp," Mab looked sideways at Yarla.

"I wonder if he has a fondness for old ruins," the hook-nosed queen spat back at her.

Vetya rolled her cold eyes at the pair of them.

"The longer we delay the weaker we become," she reminded them.

Mab stood up and straightened her cloak.

"While I'm gone, you two should investigate other avenues of possibility. The water dwelling fae must still encounter humans from time to time," she mused.

"Aye, but they usually drown them," Yarla sniggered.

"We can't hang all our hopes on the Goblin King," Mab hissed.

"We will do what we can, and keep faith in the black heart that there must be something to save us from fading away," Vetya said, her voice shrill and desperate.

They nodded in agreement and then set out on their separate missions.

The labyrinth looked a foreboding place from the outside, although it appeared to have been neglected for some time. The walls were crumbling and disappearing in some stretches under the weight of smothering vines. Queen Mab sighed; it was disheartening to find the place in such a state of disrepair. There didn't look to be much hope of finding what the Unseelie Court needed among these ruins.

She called out to the Goblin King to request admittance into his kingdom, as she had no intention of traversing the labyrinth. There was no reply and so she dug deep into her magic reserves to get his attention. The shrieking sound of her voice echoed through to the decaying heart of his castle, and pierced through his inner gloom.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" the Goblin King's crisp voice rang out.

"I am Queen Mab of the Unseelie Court and I request an audience with your majesty," she adopted her finest obsequious tone.

Her appeal was met with silence, and she contemplated transforming into a bird or conjuring up a tornado to rip a path through the labyrinth. She was not going to be deterred by a disobedient solitary fae who fancied himself above both courts. His invitation was still required for her to be granted a personal audience with him, but she could get close enough to shout. The wind began to rise unexpectedly without her power, and dead leaves started to swirl around in the air.

"Why have you come here without an invitation?" the Goblin King appeared before her with his black cloak fanning out behind him.

Queen Mab looked him over; he was indeed an impressive specimen with his flowing blond hair and his fine handsome features. His right eye was blue, while his left looked almost black, and they were both fixed harshly on her.

"I need to speak with you about a very important matter, and it may be something you can assist with," she informed him.

Jareth was annoyed at the gall of this brittle creature to infringe on his carefully honed brooding time. He wouldn't be deprived of his customary nightly flight for anyone, and as the hour grew late, he couldn't afford to linger.

"State your business now, or leave and don't come back," he ordered.

The queen was unaccustomed to being spoken to in such a way, and she considered a demonstration of her remaining power. She was sure she had just enough juice left to turn him into a snivelling creature, like one of those he ruled over.

"Careful, Goblin King," she warned.

He sensed her intentions and his manner softened a little.

"Very well, five minutes, but the clock is ticking," Jareth said as he invited her to his castle.

They manifested in the throne room with a blast of air that sent the goblins and other critters scattering. The place was filthy and dilapidated, with chickens roosting in every available crevice.

"How can you bear to live in such squalor?" The queen questioned with disgust as she frantically tried to scrape something unspeakable from her boot.

"Did you come all this way to discuss my domestic arrangements?" Jareth inquired, his annoyance undisguised.

Queen Mab was perplexed by this king, he was immaculately turned out in his silk and leather, and yet his kingdom was in ruins.

"What contact do you have with the human world?" She asked, deciding it was best to get straight down to business.

He kept his face neutral as he leaned back on his throne.

"What is this important matter I might be able to assist you with?" He ignored her question and posed his own.

The queen wasn't about to reveal the woes of the Unseelie Court to him.

"I have to know, do humans still wish unwanted babies away to you?" Her impatience got the better of her and she pressed him for answers.

The Goblin King tapped idly at his boot with his swagger stick.

"Now and then," he replied.

The queen grew weary of his evasiveness and looked around for something she could use against him. A portrait of a striking young woman caught her eye; it was one of the few things in the room not covered in filth. Mab sashayed over to the painting to give it a closer examination, causing Jareth to sit forward on his throne, a move that didn't go unnoticed by his guest.

"My, isn't she a pretty young thing?" The queen saw something in the subject's green eyes.

"Human?" She exclaimed with surprise.

Her host gave no reply, but his unsettled look spoke volumes.

"Interesting," she said.

The Goblin King cursed himself for his carelessness, he was so used to seeing that portrait, it didn't occur to him to conceal it from prying eyes.

"Was she the wisher or the wished away? She must have been someone very special to deserve to be immortalised, in oils at least," Mab sensed she was onto something significant.

"I thought you didn't like my decor, but it seems to be growing on you," he smirked as a passing rat took a special interest her cloak.

She let out a shriek of disgust.

"Your five minutes are up, and if you'll excuse me, I'm a very busy fellow," Jareth rescinded her invitation, and transported her back outside the labyrinth.

Mab stamped her foot in frustration and pondered her next move, when something caught her eye. A white barn owl was soaring up into the sky above the Goblin King's castle. The queen transformed herself into a magpie and flew after it.