Eight years later…

Walking up the steps to her home, she looked over as the red Dodge was parked along the side of the street. An indication of two things, one her Uncle was home or two her Uncle's friends picked him up. She shook her head at the options she displayed in her head, as she just wanted to get some rest.

Opening the front door the young woman practically collapsed after being on her feet all day, she walked into the empty kitchen as she could see no sign of her uncle anywhere. Placing grease soaked paper bag on the marble counter she found the note that was pinned up on silver fridge. Pulling it off her brown eyes skimmed what was scribbled on there as she let out a grunt, "thanks for wasting our money again Uncle Toby." She said to herself as she crumpled up the note and threw it in the waste bin.

Kicking off her wedged black shoes she stomped her feet on the carpeted stairs as she made her way to her bedroom. Before opening the door she looked over at the white door that lay across from her own as she shook her head and entered her room. Pulling out the wad of cash she had earned from tips today she threw them down on her nightstand as she sat against the side of her bed.

Taking the old vanity mirror off of her dresser, she placed it on the ground and leaned it against the wall across from her bed. The young woman looked in it as the mirror had once belonged to her mother; she could see how much of a mess she was. Her waist long dyed black hair was frizzed up due to the humidity outside as the bright blue under layer of the left of her head was still quite vibrant with color. Dark circles rested under her eyes as she saw the stains on her blue button up dress that she wore to work as there were a few new stains on her white apron.

Her fingers wrapped around the silver chained blue gemmed necklace that her mother had left her as she looked over at the opened window. The moon was shining bright as she knew that her friends refused to come out unless the curtains were shut; forcing herself to stand up she walked over to the window and pulled the curtains shut, not a single drop of moon light was able to enter her room.

"Hoggle?" she called out as she could see the dwarf crawling out from under her bed, he hadn't aged a day since she had first met him when she was a child. Walking over to him she sat down next to him on the floor.

"Are you sure it's safe for me to be out?" he asked her as he looked over at the door.

"Don't worry; Uncle Toby went out with his friends again tonight. Like every night…." She said as she felt Hoggle put his small hand on her shoulder, "I swear it's like he only thinks about himself. He's barely making ends meet as it is," she complained as the stress of the situation caused a sharp pain to run into her head.

"Now there, things can't be all that bad." Hoggle reassured her as he just watched Mel shake her head.

"Bad? Things couldn't be any worse!" she shouted, "I've had to work at that stupid dinner for hours on end, pay almost all the bills, and I'm always blamed for whenever something bad happens!" she listed as Hoggle knew that she had been struggling ever since the day Sarah had passed.

It wasn't easy for anyone, but even though Hoggle, Ludo and everyone else learned the news it was obvious that Melody was the one who took it the hardest. But he knew that it wasn't her fault, a child losing their mother at a young age… nothing, not even in his own life had prepared anyone for a painful tragedy like that. "Come on, eventually you'll find a way out of this." Hoggle told her as she tried to calm herself down.

"Do you really think so?"

"I knows so, you're as strong as your mother. And she be the toughest person I know," he said as he could see a smile form on Melody's face. "Now if she can overcome that Labyrinth those years ago, then you's can conquer your own here."

Melody remembered how her mother had told her stories about the Labyrinth, how a single wish had changed everything. In a world where she only had thirteen hours to beat the monsters, and traps that lay in the ever changing maze; she had done the impossible. It was because of her mother's amazing stories and the friends that Melody could call on anytime that she was able to keep her faith in magic and fairytales.

"Mom told me that it was because you, Ludo and Sir Didymus helped her that she was able to conquer it." Mel said as she saw the plastic bracelet that was wrapped around Hoggle's wrist; the gift from her mother Sarah to him.

"Well… yeah, but I still feels bad about what I had done." Mel knew that Hoggle was referring to the peach that the Goblin King had forced Hoggle to give to her mother. "But even after that she still found a way to forgives me."

"If you did that to me and still came to rescue me, I'd forgive you." She said as she hugged Hoggle close to her. "Hoggle, why didn't mom ever tell me the Goblin King's name?" she asked as Hoggle shushed her, "what's wrong?"

"Don't be saying things like that." He warned her.

"Why?"

"Well um…" Hoggle never told her the truth about what happened after her mother had passed. Though he saw what had happened; the miles of treacherous mazes and traps had been brought back as it seemed more dangerous than before. Cries of unknown beasts and the castle that lay beyond the Goblin City grew bigger as many screamed at the return of the Goblin King. Finally awaken from his slumber after twenty years in the Human Realm he had awakened at the return of his powers.

"Hoggle?" Mel snapped Hoggle out of his thoughts as he shook his head, "are you ok?"

"Me, I'm fine. But you's looks as if you could sleep for days," he told her as he wobbled over to the mirror, "you better gets some rest." He advised her.

"Wait!" she stopped her as he was about ready to put one foot in the mirror, "can I ask you something before you leave?" she asked him.

"Anything's."

"When mom defeated the Labyrinth, was she awarded with any kind of prize… like a wish perhaps?" she asked as Hoggle scratched the side of his head.

"Well, from what I knows the Labyrinth can grant certain wishes, that's why most people usually challenged the blasted thing. I mean it's not uncommon, but when your mom de- wait a second!" Hoggle stopped himself as he marched towards Mel. "You's better not be getting any ideas, you must never go into the Labyrinth." He warned her.

"But why not?" she asked him.

"Your mother was lucky enough she got out unharmed, but she wouldn't want you to go into that place." Hoggle said as he waved his hand before disappearing into the mirror.

Shaking her head Mel stood up as she placed the mirror back on her dresser and walked back over to the window, pulling at the curtains she opened the window as she leaned down and looked out as the cool night air hit her face. The city below looked so peaceful as there was hardly any signs of mischief or sorrow along the night filled streets.

Turning her head at the sounds of the rustling trees she saw something peculiar, standing along the branches of the tree Mel could clearly see white feathers as she felt two eyes staring at her. Looking a bit closer she could see the white barn owl stretch out its wings as she tilted her head in confusion. Never had she seen an owl in her neighborhood, but one that was almost as white as a ghost and this close to humans was quite odd.

"Hello there," she greeted as the owl looked around before back at her. "You seem rather out of place, are you lost?" she joked as the owl only hooted at her. "You know it'd be a lot nicer if you could actually talk to me."

The sound of a car's engine roared up the street as Melody immediately shut her window and closed her curtains as she peeked out to see the yellow cab stop in front of her house as her Uncle wobbled out of it. "Well looks like it's going to be another normal night in the William's household," she breathed as she got herself ready for bed.

Looking down he could see a very unfamiliar dirty blonde haired man wobbling into the home that he believed once belonged to Sarah. Though what was stranger was that young woman who had spoken to him, he could see something in those deep eyes of hers as it was quite obvious to him that the young woman looked to have worked herself to the bone. She was quite odd though, never, not even in the Goblin Kingdom had he seen a woman who had black and blue hair.

He could not shake off what that girl had done; no one had ever tried to speak with him when he took his owl form. Not even Sarah when he watched her in her costumes reciting lines to a play, she had never spoken to him but this mysterious girl had. Flapping his wings, Jareth took to the skies as he knew that he perched himself onto a branch in that very park where she first saw her.

Closing his black owl eyes, Jareth slowly recalled that day almost twenty-eight years ago in the Human Realm…

Perched on one of the many stone monuments that lay scattered around the grassy green parks, the water from the small ponds shimmered as he saw her running across the stone bridge. Holding up the skirt of her mint green costume dress she slowed down and looked out toward the edge of the park.

"Give me the child," he heard her say, as she took a step forward. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I fought my way here to the castle that lies beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen. For my will as strong as yours, and my kingdom is great…"

She looked up at the sky as the roar of thunder echoed out from the darkening clouds. Tilting his head he could barely hear her mumble out the last few lines as she pulled out a red book from her flowing sleeves. "You have no power over me," she said in annoyance as it would appear that she always struggled with that line.

The thunder cried out once more as the white and grey sheep dog she referred to as Merlin barked at the sound. The chimes of the bell tower rang out as he could see the shock in her eyes as the young girl and her dog dashed out of the park while the ran slowly began to pour down upon them.

"This should be interesting…" he thought to himself as he followed the girl and perched himself in a tree as he could hear her crying and screaming at her family while the sound of a young baby followed shortly.

Opening his owl eyes Jareth looked down at the park as he saw the dimly lit park below, the stone bridge was no longer any ponds. Instead everything was just grassy fields and stone walkways, which made him a bit sad to see that the place where the brunette beauty caught his attention no longer carried that sparkle.

"Such a pity," he thought to himself. In his eyes he tried to picture the dream world that Sarah had conjured up after she bit into the peach Hoggle had given her. Even though it was a dream he was there with her, he held her in his arms as they danced across the ballroom as everyone there looked at her. For she was the loveliest maiden at the ball, in that dream he pronounce his love for her, a love that was true and pure for she had won his heart.

Her overconfidence did infuriate him from time to time, but he could see that strong will that she possessed and that spark of joy for fantasy tales. That dream… he wished he could have done more, anything to keep her in his possession, to combat the everyday nonsense of his subjects that filled his throne room. Even though he did want to keep Toby in his possession as well, he would have given up the child for Sarah instead for she did something that he thought was impossible.

She broke through the ice that covered his cold heart and made him feel something, she made him feel love. That was never her intention, but it was all because of her that he did everything he could in those thirteen hours.

But in the end when she left, Sarah did more than take Jareth's powers away and left him to what almost seemed to be a life of eternal slumber. She also took his heart.

"Uncle Toby!" Mel called out as she slipped on her black wedges and walked into the kitchen as she saw her uncle leaning his elbows against the marble counter as he looked through the stack of bills that had arrived this morning, "did you get your dinner last night?" she asked him.

Turning back she could see that he wore his usual grey work shirt and light brown jeans as he nodded his head, "yea, tell Gus that I said thanks." He told her as he pointed towards the bag she was carrying on her back. "You going somewhere?" he asked her as he grabbed another envelope and opened it up only to shake his head.

"Here," she handed him the wad of cash she had earned last night in tips as he took it from her. "That should be enough to at least cover a few of them," she said as she watched her uncle put the money in his pockets. "Anyway I told you last night that I was going to Violet's after my shift today, I only work until noon." She told him as they could hear the clock in the living room chime out six times.

"Fine, but you better be home before it gets dark." He warned her. Even though he never said an exact time on when she should be home he would always be upset with her when she arrived home if it wasn't work related.

"And what time would that be?" she asked him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Just before it gets dark, now get going or you're going to be late for work." He shooed he away as he himself looked about ready to get going to his job as well. "And make sure you feed Excalibur when you get home," he reminded her as she saw her orange and black speckled cat sleeping on the stairways.

"Fine, I'll see you when I get home tonight." She said to him as she rushed out of her house and into the chilling morning. Walking across the street she entered into the park, looking out from across the way she could see the bright lights of the dinner had just been turned on as a few cars were starting to pull up into the parking lot. Mel started to run knowing that she had to hurry otherwise Gus would be upset again with her tardiness.

Walking into the diner she could see a few people sitting down at the white marble booth, and a few of the regulars in the red leather chairs. Walking behind the counter she placed her bag in the little cubby as she pulled out her note pad and started to make her way around the diner, as it had now became a normal part of her routine for the last two years.

Placing about five blue slips on the ledge of the order window she jumped when the sound of the call bell rang, as the customers chuckled at the high pitch squeal that escaped her lips. Looking into the kitchen she saw the white hairnet over his head as a few strands of dark hair spilled out, his cubby face looked at her as his blue eyes seemed rather dull. "Looks like you finally decided to show," he sarcastically told her as he placed a steaming cup of coffee on the ledge, "this one is one me." He told her as she took the coffee.

"Thank you so much," she said as she saw that he already put in the right amount of sugar and creamer in it as she sipped the hot brew. "By the way my uncle wanted me to tell you thanks for the food last night," she said as she stopped drinking her coffee and looked into the window. "Ok… how late is Libby coming in?" she asked as she knew that whenever Gus had given her a free cup of coffee it was always a sign that her co-worker was coming in late.

"She'll be in by one," he told her as the sound of the food sizzling on the grill in the back drowned out her muttered complaint. Placing the empty coffee cup on the ledge she heard the door open as she saw a man walk into the dinner and take a seat at the end of the booth.

The man was rather odd in her opinion, dressed in a formal suit and tie he was not like one of the usual regulars that she would see on a day to day basis. His short blonde hair was combed back as she could see that he wore white gloves on his hands, something that she had never seen before. Walking over to him, she tried to hand him a menu as he declined it, "oh, do you know what you'd like?" she asked as put the menu away and pulled out her note pad.

"Just a cup of coffee," he said in a low voice.

"Would you like anything else?" she asked him as the man just shook his head. The bell rang as she jumped again, "man I hate that bell." She whispered to herself as she ripped out the piece of paper and placed it on the ledge as she grabbed the plates of prepared food and served them.

He could hear her talking to the other patrons that sat in the diner as he rested his elbows against the white counter. It seemed that this woman was well known in the area as she joked and laughed with the others as she walked around with the sound of her heeled shoes gently echoing in the space. He heard her whisper her displeasure as he watched her jump once again at the sound at the loud bell that the man behind the opened window hit with the end of his spatula. Looking towards the bell, he snapped his fingers as he watched the dismay of the man at the bell would not make a sound.

She walked back over to the man as she placed the white mug of coffee in front of him, "the bell doesn't work!" Gus voiced out as Mel only laughed.

"Well hallelujah to that," she said to herself as she looked back at the man. "Sorry about the wait, usually the place isn't this full." She told him as he saw that there quite a large amount of people, "are you sure you don't want anything else?"

"No it's quite alright," he told her.

"Haven't seen you around here before, you new to the area?"

"You could say that," he took a sip of the bitter liquid as his bright blue eyes looked up at her, as she brushed a lock of her blue and black hair out of her fair skinned face. "I'm just here looking for a lost love." He answered her.

"Lost love?" the man didn't seem that old, didn't even looked older than maybe twenty-four of maybe twenty-six, but at the mention of a lost love; the only thing Mel could think about was maybe a girl he met in high school.

"Yes, it was a long time ago… I had fallen head over heels for a beautiful young woman, but alas… I've had no luck finding her." He told her as Mel leaned in towards him.

"Well maybe I can help; I know a lot of the people in this area of town." She offered.

Shaking his head, "no it's quite alright, I have a feeling I'll find her soon." He told her as he looked at the white name tag that was sewn into the upper left side of her attire, "Melody? What a beautiful name you have," he complimented her as she only blushed.

"Well thank you, most people just call me 'Mel' though." She told him as she heard Gus calling out that another order was ready, "excuse me for a moment."

Leaving his presence he watched her move to the other side of the diner as she quickly returned back to him, "now why shorten such a beautiful name to Mel?" he asked her as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't really know, I mean it's a lot shorter than having to save my full name." she told him as she noticed his cup was almost empty, "do you want a refill on your coffee?"

"Yes please," he said as she brought over a clear pot that was filled almost to the brim with hot coffee as she filled his cup. "So what's a young woman like yourself working here for?" he asked her as she smiled.

"Just trying to earn some money of my own I suppose," she replied as she leaned towards him. "Sometimes I wish that I didn't have to worry about having to work, I mean I love this job but the hours are just so stressful." She whispered as she saw a grin on the man's face.

"You believe in wishing?"

Mel nodded her head, "yea…" she leaned in a bit closer. "I believe in a lot of things that most people would think didn't exist, but I know that there are more things out there then we think there are." She whispered as she let out a small giggle. "Most people though would love to disagree with me though on that."

"I wouldn't, like you I too believe that there is something more than what meets the eye." He told her as Mel felt a sense of comfort that a stranger felt the same way she did, "well I should be taking my leave." He said as he stood up from the booth.

"Let me grab your bill," she said as he stopped her.

"No need, now this is for the coffee. And this is for you," he handed her the money.

Looking down at the denominations she held her hand she looked back up at him, "but this is so much, I couldn't possibly except-"

"Just think of it as my way of saying thank you for talking to me, I hope to see you soon Melody." The man said as he took his leave as she was taken aback by what had just happened.

Walking up the steps to her house, Mel could hear the sounds of the clock towers chime eight times as the sky was slowly starting to darken into a dark orange like color. She brushed the grass off of her black skinny jeans and black tank top as she looked back at her shoulder to see the street lights starting to turn on as she sighed.

Opening the door, "Uncle I'm home!" she called out as she saw her uncle lean against the doorway of the living room. She could see that he was rather upset again as she rolled her eyes, "you said to be home before it gets dark," she told him as she marched up the stairs.

She could hear him follow behind her, "well when I say that I mean to be home by seven!" he yelled as she stopped in front of her bedroom door.

"You never tell me what time to be home! You said to be home before it gets dark! Not by seven, not by eight, you always get upset when you never set a curfew for me!" she yelled back as she opened the door to her room. Throwing her bag on the ground she saw her uncle enter her room, "get out!"

"I swear you don't understand how worried I get when you don't show up on time!" her uncle Toby argued as she rolled her eyes.

"What time!? You've never set a damn fucking curfew for me ever and you always get pissed off when I come home!" she yelled as she closed the curtains to her room. "And you think you're worried! You always go out every night with your friends to that stupid bar across town and you don't even come home till the early hours of the morning!" she argued as she could still see the wad of cash she had given him this morning barely sticking out of his pocket.

"That's because I earned it! I work my ass off to support you and all you do is act ungrateful!"

"Ungrateful! I'm the one who usually ends up paying most of these stupid bills because you keep blowing your paycheck!" she screamed at him as her uncle looked frustrated. Almost every night was like this; ever since she was thirteen they would always end up screaming at each other. There were a few nights out of the year that things would be quiet, but most of the time they just yelled at each other.

"I don't know why I made that promise to your mother, if I had known it would be like this I would have never taken you in!" he yelled as it hurt Mel to hear those words from her uncle as he slammed her bed room door. The sound of the front door opened and slammed shut as it was followed by the sound of his car speeding off, just like how most their fights ended.

She heard a wobbling sound as she looked to see the mirror on her dresser starting to tip over, "no!" she tried reaching for it but Mel was too late. Falling down towards the ground she could hear the sound of glass shattering as she fell on her knees, she picked up the mirror as a few pieces had fallen onto the wooden ground.

Looking at the mirror she could see cracks formed all over it as she saw the distorted image of herself, "Hoggle? Ludo?" she cried out as she felt herself on the verge of crying. "Please! Anyone!" she begged as she could see Hoggle's face in the mirror, "Hoggle!"

"What happened?" he asked, as she looked behind her but couldn't see her dwarf companion standing behind her. "Is the mirror damaged?" he sounded fearful when he asked the question as she nodded her head.

"Yes the mirror is broken and crack! What should I do?" she asked him as Hoggle shook his head, "can't you guys appear out of another mirror?" she asked.

"I'm afraid we can't, this here mirror is the only one with the power to let us appear in your's world." Hoggle informed her as Mel felt her tears fall from her eyes, "now don't cry little lady. Well find a way," he tried to reassure her.

"Hoggle, you guys are the only people who've been there for me since mom died. I can't go on unless you guys are there for me," she told him. "I need to come there, I need to-"

"No! Absolutely not! I warns you not to come here!" he told her as Mel felt like everything was starting to crumble around her; without her friends she wouldn't have been able to get through all these tough fights with her uncle and the long work days she had endured. "Well find a way," Hoggle said as Mel saw his image starting to fade away until all she could see was herself crying in the mirror.

"Hoggle?" she called his name but he didn't appear, "please no! You can't leave me alone!" she called out as she shook the mirror, only to have a few pieces of the reflective glass fall onto the ground. Setting the mirror down Mel buried her hands in her face as cried, Mel felt that there was nothing she could do at this point. But she couldn't allow herself to go another day with this life without her friends at her side.

Standing herself up Mel walked out of her room as she stood in front of her mother's room, she had not set a single foot in that room ever since she was eight, but now…. She felt as if this was her last choice. Opening the door she looked over at the plain mattress as the white curtains that lead to the small balcony were pulled shut. Turning on the light she stepped over to her mother's old dresser.

The framed photos of herself with her mother lined up across the top of it as she looked in the mirror, "Hoggle?" she called out her friend's name but here was still no responses, "I have no choice," she whispered to herself as she pulled open one of dresser drawers and pulled out a handbook that was about the size of her palm.

Mel recalled the times that her mother would write things in this book whenever her mother would talk about the Labyrinth. "You still kept this book," she said to herself, "just in case you were ever taken back to the Labyrinth." Her mother always confined in her that there were times when she felt that the Labyrinth might take her away, so she wrote in this small book just so if that day were to come she would be prepared for her second go at it.

"You and Hoggle told me to never say those words," Mel whispered to herself as she looked over the last page of the book before slipping it into her back pocket. "But if the Labyrinth can really grant me my wish then… then I have to try!" she said as she remembered how Hoggle had said that many had attempted the Labyrinth just for a wish. "It's the only way I can get you back," wiping away her tears Mel closed her eyes "I know everyone's going to be mad, but there aren't any options left." She heard her own desperation. "My closest friends are in the Labyrinth, if they helped you mom then I know they'll help me."

Mel thought back at the words she was warned never to say, "I wish…" she breathed, "I wish… I wish to challenge the Labyrinth for myself!" she shouted as she jumped at the sound of balcony doors opening.

A strange warmth hit her as she slowly opened her eyes to bright orange light, she cautiously walked over to the doors as she looked out at the sight before her. Beyond the dirt hill she could see miles and miles of maze like walls that surrounded a glistening city as a large castle stood at the center of it all. The wind blew in her face as she felt an ominous chill run down her spine as she was starting to tremble.

"The castle that lies beyond the Goblin City," she whispered as she set one black booted foot on the strange light grey ground, turning her head she could see the doors behind her shut close as knew that there was no turning back at this point. She took a deep breath, "if mom defeated this thing, then so can I." she said to herself as she started walking down the dirt hill and toward the Labyrinth below.

Jareth looked at himself in the mirror as he felt overjoyed at his youthful complexion, "who knew sleeping for a hundred years could make one look so much younger." He said as he admired his reflection, even though twenty years had passed in the Human Realm it had been a hundred years of slumber for him. Walking around his chambers he looked out the window as his kingdom looked much better in his opinion.

More of the humanoid Fae lived within the glamorous and glistening North and East sides of the Goblin City as the other lower class Goblins lived to the South and West sides. He didn't allow many of his rambunctious subjects to enter his throne room anymore as he felt a sense of tranquility whenever he was alone to ponder his own thoughts and ideas of what he could do.

A jolt ran through his body as Jareth looked towards the edge of the Labyrinth that surrounded his city, "could it be?" he asked himself as he conjured up a crystal orb in his white gloved hand. Looking in it he could see her as she began walking towards the entrance of the Labyrinth. Her black and blue hair whipped in the air as she looked towards the Goblin City, "so she's wished herself her, has she?" he asked himself.

"Odd though, she doesn't seem like the type of person who would try and take on something as my Labyrinth… I wonder how she even learned of it." He had visited her earlier, but he would have never of thought that she would be one of those people who ended up wishing themselves here. "Maybe she thinks she can beat the Labyrinth, but can she?" he sat upon the edge of his bed as he looked into the crystal. "She has that look in her eyes," he remarked as Jareth saw the fires of determination burn in her dark eyes.

"Well…let's just see how much of my Labyrinth you can take, before you decide to give up… Melody."