Moon Child
By Whiteinfinity21
Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth.
Chapter Six- Familiar Faces
Sarah was surprised at how long she had been traveling at this ground-eating lope without getting winded. She figured that she had already gone fifteen miles since she set off from the top of that hill overlooking the distant Labyrinth. And that was only one hour ago. It was mind boggling that she was able to run this fast this long without a single break. She had never been in that good of shape as a child or later as a teen. This sudden increase in stamina could only be a result from the change Selene wrought in her.
Idle thoughts filled her head as she continued on. Sarah wondered how her family was doing? She really didn't miss them or regret leaving them when she joined the Moon Clan. They really never had understood her, with her whimsical attitude and love of fantasy. It only got worse after she experienced the real thing, going Moon Mad not long thereafter. Her parents just didn't seem to care much about their weird daughter and Sarah doubted that Toby even remembered her.
Sarah's mind flashed back to Oracle's prophecy that it gave just moments before Sarah fell down to the Underground. The words came ghosting up from her mind and for the first time since hearing it, Sarah took the moment to closely review exactly what Oracle had predicted.
"You will bring hope to one who has long been denied it," Oracle spoke in a thick, toneless voice, "You shall collect a child that a kingdom desperately needs with the help of one who is close to your heart. You will find happiness and will in return give happiness to many others. The moon shall claim its wayward child in the end."
Well that explains a few things, Sarah thought, Now I at least know what I have to do and how I am going to do it, in a way. I just don't know who the moon's wayward child is or what kingdom in the Underground that I have to help.
Sarah shrugged off her speculations. She was now within a mile of the Labyrinth's outer walls and she still needed to formulate a plan for what she was going to do when she actually got there. Then Sarah felt a tingling feeling pass over her skin and it felt like she was walking through water.
The brunette sensed that something was gently probing her mind. Whatever the presence found it caused the entity to react with surprise. A feeling of warm, even eager welcome then surrounded her as she stepped through the barrier at the border of the territory that marked her entrance into the Goblin King's land.
The Moon Child took a moment to study the aura of the presence that had brushed against her mind. Timeless and deeply rooted in the life-giving earth. That could mean only one thing: the Labyrinth had contacted her and invited her to roam its corridors once again.
Looks like the moon isn't the only one with a wayward child that it wishes to retrieve, Sarah thought as the Labyrinth gently tugged at her mind, urging her to go faster and be within its walls sooner.
"I never even realized how much I missed this place," Sarah mused, "the moon might have marked me as its own, but my home exists here, within the Labyrinth. This must be the kingdom that is need of my aid, it could be no other. I belong here, simple as that. I wonder what is in store for me?"
Finally Sarah had reached the Labyrinth's outer wall. The main entrance was no where in sight and Sarah figured that she had to find the gate-keeper to let her in. She had been walking along the wall for ten minutes when she saw a familiar hunched figure pruning the vines that grew up the outer walls.
The dwarf, hearing approaching footsteps turned around to give the intruder a good chewing out. The words died on his lips as he realized just exactly who was approaching him.
"Sarah?" Hoggle chocked out.
"Yes, Hoggle, it's really me," Sarah laughed.
Hoggle just gaped at her.
"You certainly look erm…different," he finally spoke up.
"Of course I would! I'm hardly the spoiled fifteen year old I was when we first met," Sarah chided.
"Uh, that wasn't exactly what I meant…" Hoggle trailed off, "you just look… uh,…younger than I expected you to be."
Sarah's bell like laughter drifted across the area.
"What did you expect me to be, an old crone?" Sarah joked, "it hasn't been that long since we last met."
"Sarah, its been over fifteen years since I last saw you," Hoggle informed her, "you should be into your mid-thirties by now. But you hardly look a day over nineteen."
"Well I haven't exactly been Aboveground all this time," Sarah responded, "for me it has only been about seven years by my reckoning."
"If you haven't been Aboveground, where have you been all this time?" Hoggle asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Why to the moon and back!" Sarah laughed gaily.
"You're kidding right?" Hoggle asked with disbelief.
"Maybe, maybe not," Sarah elusively answered, giggling, "that's only for me to know."
Hoggle scratched his head.
"So can you point out the gate to me?" Sarah asked.
"Ummm, sure," Hoggle answered, "its right behind you, has been for several minutes."
"Thanks Hoggle!" Sarah exclaimed as she hugged him suddenly.
A second later, she was walking through the open doors and disappeared into the Labyrinth. The doors closed behind her with a loud boom.
Hoggle scratched his head again.
"There's something different about her," Hoggle muttered as he went back to his pruning, "I just can't put my finger on it."
"Sire!" a goblin yelled in a squeaky voice as it rushed into the throne room, "I have news from the border station!"
"Well get on with it," Jareth lazily commanded.
"A strange person was sighted about twenty miles outside the border. They ran towards the Labyrinth non-stop for hours and passed through the magical barrier as if it didn't exist," the goblin relayed the report.
"When did this happen?" Jareth asked.
"About five hours ago majesty," the goblin replied.
"And I assume that this person is now within the Labyrinth?" the Goblin King asked.
"We don't know yet, Hoggle the gate-keeper hasn't reported in yet," the goblin answered.
"And you said that this person passed into the kingdom without challenge?" Jareth inquired.
"Yes mi'lord!" the goblin squeaked.
"Strange," Jareth muttered, "there hasn't been a summoning for quite sometime and I would have felt it if another runner had entered the Labyrinth. There certainly is something odd going on."
Jareth summoned a crystal to his hand.
"Show me the intruder," Jareth commanded.
A sliver mist filled the orb, blocking the view of what the crystal would have shown him. Jareth brought the crystal closer to his face. There was something odd and yet familiar about the mist. He just couldn't place it.
Curiouser and curioser, Jareth mused, at least something different is happening. Things have been really stagnant around here for a while. I look forward to the challenge this mystery poses to me. I really do need a diversion from this inactivity I have been experiencing of late. This should be interesting at least.
Meanwhile Sarah had already found one of the hidden openings in the never-ending corridor and was rapidly making her way towards the center of the Labyrinth. She was only a few hours away from reaching the Goblin City and when she finally got there, a few of the Labyrinth's residents were in for a rude awakening. For it seemed that trouble followed in Sarah's wake.
Okay, here's the next chappie. Not much to say about this one. Leave me a review and tell me your thoughts.
~Whiteinfinity21