A/N: That's right, it's a new story! To my readers, I promise that The Prince and the Teacher will be updated soon. I have been having a small health issue lately, but am slowly on the mend, and should have the next chapter out within a week. As always, I do not own anything you might recognize, they are merely on loan, and I will return them when I am finished.


Sarah Williams smiled, lost in memory as she moved the brush over the canvas. The painting was a night scene, seen through an open window framed by stone, and seated on the edge was a lovely woman, her red hair spilling over one shoulder. There was enough gold woven in that it almost looked like a blood drenched river of gold. The woman's face was in profile, and she had a wistful expression. The dark blue gown she wore draped over her frame as she lounged against the window, gazing out over a huge hedge maze in the distance.

Sarah looked up at the smiling young woman standing next to her chair in the lecture hall. The first thing Sarah noticed was that she wore a knee length skirt and peasant top in a dark plum, and dark brown boots that came up to her knees. Her hair was twisted onto her head in a pair of plain wooden chopsticks, and she wore copper rimmed glasses. Behind the glasses, the young woman's eyes were mismatched, one blue, one green. Sarah's stomach clenched as she remembered someone else who had mis-matched eyes.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked, her voice lilting with a slight Irish accent. Still lost in her musings, Sarah briefly shook her head and moved to allow the woman to take the seat next to her. As she did, Sarah noticed the vintage chandelier earrings in gold and amber. Those mismatched eyes caught her green ones and the girl grinned. Sarah returned her smile and held out her hand.

"Sarah Williams." she said quietly, as she noticed the guest lecturer approach the podium. The young woman took her hand and shook it, and Sarah noticed how warm her skin was.

"Labyrinth Jones. Call me Rin." she said, her easy grin still in place. Sarah froze at the name, memories swirling in her head.

"Seriously?" she whispered, and Rin's smile faltered slightly, her brow creasing in concern.

"My mum was a little crazy. She died shortly after she named me, and my father couldn't bear to change my name afterwards. So, everybody just calls me Rin. You okay? You look a little pale." she whispered. Sarah blinked a few times, mentally scolding herself for panicking at the rather unusual name.

"I'll be fine. Have you taken this class before?" she asked, keeping half her attention on the speaker, a dry old man who droned in a monotone that would put the most diehard student to sleep.

"Yeah. Old Barty really is dull. He never changes the speech he gives. Every year it's the same. I mean, I love Yeats as much as the next person, but change the lecture just a bit, huh? Say, how about we sneak out of here and get a coffee? I've still got my notes from last year, you can read off them." Rin offered, flashing an impish smile. Sarah found herself drawn to this woman, and felt the beginnings of a long friendship being laid.

"Sure. Follow me, and we'll get out of here without anybody the wiser." she whispered. Rin's smile grew even wider.

"Sarah, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." she said, in a perfect imitation of Humphrey Bogart.

The sound of the door of Sarah's loft opening broke through her reverie, and she leaned over the edge of the upper rail in her loft to see Rin carrying a grocery bag on her arms.

"Rin, are you trying to tell me something?" she asked, and Rin looked up, her mismatched eyes glinting with mirth.

"Now, Sarah dear, whatever gave you that idea?" she teased, setting the bag on the counter. Sarah moved down the stairs and into the kitchen to help her best friend unpack the food. Today, Rin was wearing a pair of light denim Capri pants with ivy embroidered along the legs, and a pale blue tank top. Her hair was braided and still hung down to her lower back. Sarah shook her head at the sight of all the food they were putting away.

"Rin, when do you think I'm going to eat all this?" she exclaimed. Rin turned around and placed her hands on her hips, one eyebrow arched at her. Once more, Sarah mused how the action reminded her of him, and how he had taken a similar stance before her.

"Sarah, did you forget that you will have a ten year old boy staying with you next week?" Rin reminded, her accent slightly thicker than normal. Sarah frowned. Rin's accent got stronger after talking with her cousins in Kilkee, or when she was upset.

"Is everything okay, Rin?" she asked. Rin gave her friend a tight smile.

"Everything's fine. I just kept seeing someone around today that I couldn't have seen. Imagination playing tricks on me and all that." she said.

"Who were you seeing?" Sarah asked, putting the fruit in the crisper. Rin turned and looked out the window, giving Sarah her profile, her blue eye shining in the light.

"Father." she whispered. Rin's father had died in a plane crash two years earlier. She and her stepmother had buried him, mourned him, and were slowly moving on. Sarah had never met him, but had been there for her friend when it happened. Sarah immediately pulled her friend into a strong hug, and pulled her up into the studio.

"I have something for you to see." she said, pushing her friend in front of the canvas. Rin gasped, her eyes wide with surprise and awe at the painting of herself.

"Oh, Sarah, it's beautiful!" she breathed, reaching for the canvas, but stopping a few inches away. Sarah smiled widely.

"I had hoped you would like it." she admitted. Rin looked over at her, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"It looks just like a dream I had, long ago." she said. It was just then that Sarah noticed the medallion that hung around her friend's neck. Slowly, she reached out and touched it.

"Where did you get this?" she breathed. Rin looked down at the necklace and back at Sarah.

"Father gave it to me when I was a little girl. He said it was the family crest. Sarah, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." she said. Sarah did not reply, her gaze still fixed on the medallion that looked so much like the Goblin King's, without the small goblin head. Instead, a small crescent moon clutched a five pointed star. Rin frowned at her friend's reaction to her necklace and shook Sarah's shoulders. Sarah shook herself and forced a smile on her face.

"Sorry, I just zoned out for a minute." she said. Rin hardly looked convinced, but let it slide.

"I have to go to work, but why don't you come down to the pub later? You look like you could use a drink." Rin said, flashing a grin at Sarah, before the pair burst into laughter.

"I might just do that. I'll be fine." Sarah assured her friend. Moments later, Rin had left and Sarah found herself sitting before her old vanity mirror that still sat in her bedroom. With a shaking hand, she reached out and touched the glass.

"Hoggle, I need you."


A/N: So, how about that? This will only be a twoshot, and the next chapter will be up in a few hours. Please tell me what you think, and trust me, the next chapter will be much longer, and will have Jareth!