Carta stared at the large, imposing doors of the labyrinth's main entrance, sighing as the doors opened dramatically.
"Now, would you stop that nonsense? It's only me, for goodness sakes!" she said, scowling a bit at them. They seemed to sag a little, and she sighed again.
"Oh, do come on. You know I didn't mean it. Don't be so sensitive. I'm simply tired," she said a bit crossly, continuing to the right after a moment of thought. She walked for a while, finally halting after a bit and stomping her foot.
"Good afternoon." a voice came from around her knee. She grinned.
"Why, Hello William!" she said, kneeling down. The worm looked slightly affronted, and she smacked her head.
"Oh, Will, do forgive me! I do apologize- I've been so long Aboveground-- and I keep thinking it's just Jareth changing my perception of things. And you and Willam do so look alike." she gave a deep curtsey, and to her relief, Will looked mollified.
"Oh, it's quite all right. We are twins, after all. Won't you come in and see the Mistress, Lady Carta?" the worm asked, and she grinned. She should have realized it was Will- he had always had a more aristocratic and posh manner than his much friendlier twin. She shook her head.
"I'm afraid not, Will. I must be getting back to the city- I've been gone far too long. I do wish you and Sir would come and visit us in the castle sometime," she said regretfully, with a small inward smile. Doubtless he would be bragging to all of his friends that he and his brother had gotten invited to the castle by the kind lady herself.
Jareth had always been horrible at public relations- especially with the grudge-holding worm population. It wouldn't hurt to start making people see Jareth wasn't a complete goblin.
Will shook his head, shuddering a bit.
"I'm afraid not, Lady. Your brother's nasty castle is no place for a worm. We do hope you'll make things better-- the kingdom has missed you dreadfully. I must go, the Mistress is calling. Godspeed, Lady," he said, inching his way back into the wall (as inchworms are wont to do).
"Twas lovely to see you again! Say hello to the Mistress for me!" she yelled into the hole- for as everyone knows, the labyrinth walls swallow sound dreadfully. She got up and walked, getting almost halfway to the castle when she realized something very strange.
It had been easy to find the way out of Mister's path- the path across from him had stood out clearly against the wall. That was extremely abnormal, and just as worrying. It wasn't at all like that when she left!
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing herself to feel the walls around her. She felt for the soft, fuzzy layer that was the magic barrier- and instead met cold, hard stone. She opened her eyes in alarm. Someone (or something) had broken the magical barriers that made the labyrinth the mostly indestructible structure that it was.
She raced up towards the castle, not stopping even to talk to the many people who welcomed her; she ran past the Firey Forest, past the Junkyard of Forgotten Wonders (although she was detained momentarily there- the Junklady always had been one to talk, no matter how fast you were running), past the Bog of Eternal Stench, and all the way to the gates of the Goblin City.
She thrust open the gate and walked through violently, letting the doors slam loudly against the sides. The moment she saw what had been done to her city, her jaw dropped and her blood pressure skyrocketed.
"JARETH!" She yelled so loud that everyone from Hoggle from his "throne" at the Bog to the fairies at the main gate cowered in fear. There was even a small earthquake registered aboveground.
The Goblin King was no exception. She felt a presence behind her, and she whirled around quickly, pointing an accusatory finger at the suave form of her brother.
"What have you done?" she asked furiously. He simply raised a heavily-made up eyebrow.
"I have done nothing," he said coolly.
"Liar," she practically growled at him. "Do not tell me nothing hath occured- I need only to gaze upon the ruins of my once great home to see that your conduct hath been sorely lacking. Thou wadst dismembered with thine own defenses," she said, unconsciously reverting to the language their father had always insisted on making their use- an archaic practice that Jareth had cast away with a passion as soon as he had escaped his father's clutches. But the language still stuck with him- would for the rest of his life. It was the way he had used to yell at his father (which he had done on a regular basis growing up), and therefore became the language of anger. Besides- it was excellent for intimidating other humans in neighboring kingdoms.
He stood silent for a moment, blown away by it all. Carta had left the Labyrinth a long time ago- of course, it would be just his luck that she would return when he was repairing the damage from that bloody mortal girl's little stint.
"Thou wouldst do well to remember that thou art not yet the Emperor of these lands- the castle and city, perhaps, but naught else. Tread with wit and the charmed foots of the fairies, brother- I am of ill-temper this day," she said, and her face grew weary. Jareth softened. Even though she was older than him (by quite a lot, actually), their father's perennially cutting remarks had always managed to make her strong visage crumble- and Jareth had always been there to pick up the pieces and take care of her. His older brother, Hermés, was always too wrapped up in his own life and hatred to care anything about his younger siblings, and so Jareth was left to protect his emotionally fragile sister.
"I am sorry I caused you weariness, dear heart. Come, you must be tired. We will speak no more of this until morning," he said with a small smile, his eyes boring into her. She sighed.
"Tis not you brother, who distresses me," she said with a small sigh. Her face drew into a worried frown, and Jareth realized what (or more, who), she was talking about.
"I do not trust him, Carta. His affections are... questionable, to say the least, and his humor is foreboding and malicious. I don't see any happiness coming from this," he said, and she smiled wanly.
"And whoever, brother, said that you would have to convince me otherwise?" she said testily, and a horrible thought burrowed its way into Jareth's head.
"He did not... He did not try anything, did he? Please tell me he didn't-- if he did, he will soon feel the faméd wrath of-"
"Peace, love. I tire, and my stomach hungers. Let us go to bed after we eat- we will talk again in the morning. I have many things to speak to you about," she said, linking her arm with her brother's and walking towards the castle.
He sighed lightly as he walked with his belovéd sister. It had been hard without her there-- she had always been his best friend, as well as a second mother; especially when their's was too busy keeping their father from trying to kill Hermés.
Again.
His kingdom as well as he had suffered greatly in her absence- she had been the model princess, just and kind, and was widely loved by the citizens of the labyrinth.
Perhaps now the faith in the kingdom would be restored.