A/N Own nothing that doesn't belong to me. Thanks to my beta for going through everything for me.
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Chapter 4: Meeting Didymus
Kiara was searching her mind for more conversation ideas as she and Hoggle navigated through the labyrinth. She could see the castle now and it was just as dark and dreary as everything else she had seen so far. "Is there any other life in this place? And is the castle haunted or something, it looks like something I'd expect to find if I was thrown into an evil witch's castle in a Disney movie."
Hoggle gave her an annoyed look before answering, "Of course there is, usually they like to terrorize visitors, but lately no one seems to care much." Hoggle looked up towards the castle and stopped walking for a bit, he needed a break and she had plenty of time. He got himself comfortable on a patch of dead grass before answering her next question, "The castle ain't haunted, but from what I hears it ain't got any magic left so everything is dying."
"Oh," Kiara said with a disappointed look, "I wished it was haunted instead." She pulled her knees into her chest and looked around sadly; if the magic was really gone then all too soon it would be no different than that of the aboveground. On the other hand, none of this was real anyway so did it really matter? Kiara mentally shook her head at her crazy thoughts; if she was going to be stuck in a dream world she would at least like it to be interesting. It would be a shame to waste a good coma dream being in a boring place.
Jareth's ability to see anywhere in the labyrinth did not include hearing everything, all he knew was that this girl was suddenly upset by something. He sighed again, thinking that Hoggle explained her situation and she must have realized how stupid she was to wish for something she really didn't want. When would these humans ever learn?
Kiara's thoughts were interrupted by a dog leaping over her and landing on Hoggle. At first she thought he was getting attacked until he heard that his screaming was more annoyed than afraid. "You mangy mutt, get off me!" Hoggle yelled as he pushed at the dog. The dog finally did and sat to the side waiting for his master who was currently running towards them. Kiara was shocked to see that it wasn't another dwarf or human, but instead its master was another dog and a smaller one at that.
"Ambrosious, how could you just run away like that and leave me alone to defend my honor?" The smaller dog saw Hoggle and Kiara and bowed deeply, "Ah Hoggle, my brother, who is this fair maiden with you?"
Kiara smiled and Hoggle rolled his eyes at the new arrival. "I'm Kiara, kind sir and who might you be?" She giggled to herself thinking she might have some fun in this labyrinth after all.
"I am Sir Didymus, my good lady. Are you heading towards the castle?"
"Yes, at least that what I guess I am supposed to do. I want to meet the Goblin King," Kiara answered excitedly.
"Oh, you are not trying to reclaim someone you wished away?"
"I wished myself away and not really, I just think it would be great to meet the king."
Didymus stood there a bit confused; he had never met another lady like this one before. He nodded and bid the two a good day, normally he would have loved to accompany them but he was still on duty and need to patrol the labyrinth. Kiara waved goodbye and stood up hoping that Hoggle was finished his break and ready to get started again.
As it turns out Hoggle was more than ready to get this day over with and vowed to never again spray the fairies that lived in the front of the labyrinth. He started making plans in his mind to move into his house near the center so that he would never have to deal with taking runners through again. They always asked the first person they saw for help and it was always him. He started walking towards the castle and Kiara fell in step next to him, during which time she started asking him a few questions about his life.
Hoggle gave one word answers if he spoke at all, he really didn't want to get friendly with another runner. It was bad enough that he was civil with Didymus, he didn't intend on attempting a new friendship. Anyway as far as Hoggle was concerned no one would ever want to be his friend. Sarah was the closest he ever got and she never called them up anymore. She called them a few times the first year after beating the labyrinth, but only when she was really upset about something and then they never heard from her again. They were just cast aside once she started to get some human friends. She grew up and stopped believing.
Kiara stopped trying eventually and kept to herself. She really wished Hoggle would talk to her because she really hated being inside of her own mind when she wasn't daydreaming, even then it could be bad. It was when she was alone in her thoughts that she would get herself depressed, but this time she was able to shake off any bad thoughts and instead enjoy the fact that she was having one of the best dreams of her life. The only thing she needed to make it perfect would be if she could fly.