Sealed in Stone

Chapter 4: I Miss Those Times

"That was really Morbid Jareth." Sarah said and Gryphon chocked a laugh.

Mina walked over to Jareth and read upside down as he flipped through the pages.

"Sooo, Let me get this straight, In this time I'm married to Jareth and we have 4 kids?"

"3 boys, 1 girl."

"You and your brothers?"

"That's right." Mina said as she tried to make Jareth read something.

"So where are your brothers?"

"No clue."

"Don't you have some kind of magic thing like he does?"

"Again, You ask A LOT of questions." It was Jareths turn to laugh.
"So." Jareth started as he closed the book, "What exactly are we going to do?"

"We've gotta go to the Divide."

Jareth groaned a little.

"I know. But hopefully we'll find my siblings on the way, and maybe find out what's been going on with the rest of the underground."

Jareth nodded, "We leave tomorrow morning."

"We should stay here." Gryphon said pushing himself off the wall.

"Whys that?"

"There's movement, and this room's more secure than any."

"Oh really?" Mina continued.

"Easy places to hide, simple escape."

Sarah glanced over her shoulder and out the window and shivered.

She stumbled away as she saw darkness spread over the labyrinth and flood the castle. She crossed her arms across her stomach as coldness set in. Roars sounded from opposite sides of the labyrinth, she shivered as her mind wandered to Ludo. Mina noticed how the younger version of her mother reacted and glanced at the identical version of her father already moving to comfort her. The corners of Mina's mouth twitched a little as she returned to the scrolls beneath her on the table.

Sarah sensed the slight shift in air directly behind her back, their was an object a few centimeters away from the fabric of the lavender shirt and black vest she wore. She moved her head so her side swept bangs moved out of her eyes.

"Sarah." Jareth said gently, his hands behind his back.

"What happened to my friends?" she asked, in a voice that was so low and wispy he might have thought she was talking to herself. But he knew better.

"I'm sure I don't know..." When he finished that sentence her head fell, "But I can promise you, we'll find out." She looked at the window, making eye contact with him. She felt herself smile slightly and she turned, her arms still crossed. Though they seemed closer as she looked up at him. She wanted to tell him she'd missed him. She wanted to tell him she had been wrong 10 years ago. She wanted to ask if his offer still stood.

Wanted was the key word though.

She shivered again as a wind blew through the broken window. Jareth cocked an eyebrow at her, "If your cold, you might want to move away from the window."

Sarah's eyes became slits, "I would but your in my way."

Jareth moved slightly to the side and held out his arm, presenting the way.

"Thanks." She said in a sarcastic way and walked past him and joined Mina at the table.

"So... How'd it go?" Mina asked, a bit distracted.

Sarah ignored the question and put her hand over the parchment the girl was looking at, "If we're going to move tomorrow, you need to rest."

"I might not get another chance to look at this." She said following the arm to the stern look that burned into her.

The look stayed.

Mina looked back at her, the stubborn look painted on her face.

Jareth, who had been watching, realized how much they were alike. He could see Sarah in Mina's eyes. He wondered what could have happened to make him disown a daughter that looked and acted so much like Sarah, he pondered for a moment and then returned to the fight to see Mina sigh and turn away with a "Fine."

Jareth chuckled.

"What?" Sarah shot.

"I can tell she took after you."

Sarah didn't comment, she just watched Mina walked over to what used to be an elegant couch and pick up a ripped pillow and carried it up two steps to the first landing and put it against the rail. She leaned against it and looked up at the ceiling, the only one piece of the magnificent library that reminded her of her childhood.

"Hey." Sarah said as approached the girl.

Mina sat up a little straighter out of habit, "Hello."

"Mind if I sit?"

"Not at all..." She sounded like she didn't really finish the sentence, but she held her breath and relaxed back.

Sarah looked up, "This must have been beautiful..."

Mina smiled, memories reflecting in her eyes, "It was... I loved to come in and watch Father work." She closed her eyes to hide the tears that were forming, "I remember, When I was younger, I'd wake up from my nap and wander to the library in my dressing gown and stand right in front of his desk and he'd act like he didn't notice me until I put my hands on his desk and pulled myself up so my nose rested on the desk.

"He'd act like he didn't notice me, and he'd keep writing for a few moments then he'd look at me and I'd light up. He laugh slightly and scoot back from his desk and I'd rushed around his desk and hop in his lap." She laughed, "And I'd truly distract him from his work. He'd pretend to be working, but he'd always end up tickling me or kissing me until I squirmed away, he's play with me and I enjoyed playing with him more than anyone else in my family, I 'd stay there all day. Going through books, drawing on spare pieces of parchment, I'd lay in front of the fire. All in my dressing gown and no shoes. Then when it would get time for me to go the bed... He'd stop... Whatever he was doing would suddenly be not so important. And we'd lay on the floor, next to the fire, and I'd stare up at the ceiling, listening to his heart as he told me stories of Goblins and the Labyrinth and Mother... Anything and everything I asked for him to tell me." She chuckled, "Every night, I'd fall asleep in his arms and wake up in my Mothers." She sighed and opened her eyes, "I miss those times."

Sarah looked confused, "It sounds like you and Jareth had a really good relationship, what happened?"

Mina shook her head, "I grew up. I never really knew what my father wanted from me. He had 3 perfectly good sons, It never crossed my mind he wanted me to take over the Goblin Kingdom, I mean why? My older brother has the right to the throne and Father's immortal. Taking the throne never really crossed my mind. I suppose I wondered if he was going to keep letting people run the labyrinth, or let my brother do it. But..." She exhaled, "I don't know. We got into an argument one day, then it just got worse. I remember crying myself to sleep one night, wanting my father back. Something had changed, and I didn't know what."

Sarah reached out and touched the girls knee gently. Mina smiled, "You weren't so bad yourself, you know. As I said, instead of letting one of the servants or Scamper wake me up, you did it yourself. And you didn't just walk in and rip the covers off me. You'd take your time. Sit on my bed, talk me out of my sleep. You were brilliant and I always ignored how much it meant." Mina yawned lightly and laughed as she came out of it, "Sorry."

Sarah shook her head, "No, You need to sleep. Good night."

"Night." Mina said as she snuggled down and rolled on her side, away from the others and the ever watchful eye of Gryphon.

"Like Father, Like Daughter." Sarah said as she approached Jareth.

"Hm." Jareth said, not really paying attention.

"Who's Scamper?" Sarah asked, curiously.

"Hm?" Jareth asked, looking up at her.

"Scamper, do you know that name?"

He though for a moment, "Yes, he was one of the newborn Goblins this year, he's very tiny. I'm not sure what use he'll be."

"Apparently, you gave him to your daughter."

"Beg Pardon?"

"She said that I could have let Scamper wake her up. But I didn't."

"Ah. I see."

"What?"

"I probably told him to look after her, I probably told her it was a new pet."

Sarah chuckled, "That's a bit ridiculous."

"That's parenthood."

"Oh what do you know about parenthood?"

"I take care of wished away children for a living."

Sarah laughed a little, "True."

"You grew up." Jareth commented.

"What?"

"You're not complaining about everything. And you're not treating me like a villain."

"Hey you deserved it."

"Oh, did I?"

"Yes. You did. You took my brother."

"You wished him away."

"You took 3 hours from my time."

"You still beat me."

"True... I guess I was just looking for a fairytale..."

"You guess?"

"Will you let me finished." Sarah said, Jareth smirked and motioned his hand for her to continue.

"Look, I thought about it and well... Look I was young and selfish, I don't regret getting my brother back... but I kinda regret what happened afterwards and... I'm..." She glanced around, thinking she heard something. Gryphon had slid down the wall, his eyes closed. Mina was sleeping lightly, "I'm..."

She never got to finish their sentence. Another roar erupted through the air and the library door flew apart in shards of wood. Jareth reached over and pulled Sarah into him, Covering her with his own body and she screamed slightly. Another roar and something shot through more parts of the wall. Jareth and Sarah looked up and Sarah gasped, tears immediately filling her eyes, "No..."