Moon Child
By WhiteInfinity21
Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth
Chapter Seven- Trouble Brewing
Sarah's progress on her second trip through the Labyrinth was going much swifter than the first. Less than two hours after she entered, the Moon Child was already deep into the forest where the Fierys lived. She had yet to suffer any mishaps or setbacks so far on her journey to the center of the Labyrinth. Unfortunately that was about to change.
Off in the distance, Sarah heard sounds of rowdy partying and loud signing. She changed her direction of travel abruptly, wanting to avoid the loose-limbed creatures. Her previous experience with the Fierys had been less than pleasant. She did not want to have a repeat experience.
But, alas, luck was not on her side this day, as the sounds of the merrymaking drew steadily closer. Just as Sarah was about to beat a hasty retreat, the Fierys' game of kick-the-head stumbled across her path. One of the creatures literally stumbled into her, its arms falling off its shoulders as it hit the ground.
Instantly the other Fierys swarmed around their fallen apart comrade, and started helping it reattach it limbs. The process involved many rolling heads and flying appendages. By the time they were done, the fiery that ran into Sarah had a tail attached to its left shoulder, a foot attached to the other one and both arms where the legs should have been. It also had a different head than the one it started off with as well.
It was only after the flurry had settled down somewhat that the Fierys finally noticed the stranger in their midst.
"Hey chica!" one called.
"Come sing with us!" another clamored.
"Yeah, join in the fun," a third chimed in, "the worst that could happen is that you could loose your head!"
All the Fierys laughed at that as a few of them tossed their heads into the air.
"No thank you," Sarah stiffly replied, "I don't have detachable body parts."
"Hey no prob!" the first cajoled, "you don't need to lose your head to have a fun time with the Fierys!"
"Yeah, but we are always ready to lose ours!" a different piped up.
That prompted another bout of laughing and head tossing. Not all of the heads returned to the same body that they had come from.
"No really, I'm fine," Sarah insisted, "I really have to get going."
"Aw, come on chica, loosen up a bit," another one tried.
"No, I really have-" whatever else Sarah was about to say was cut off as the Fierys exploded into action around her.
Heads, limbs and other miscellaneous body parts went everywhere. A stray arm landed on Sarah's shoulder and she shrugged it off as she tried to extract herself from the mess. The next second though, Sarah was knocked to the ground by a head that hit her square in the middle of her back.
That's it! Sarah thought, time to get rid of these pests.
Another airborne head came flying past her. Sarah snagged it out of the air as it went past her. An idea flashed into her mind. Sarah lobbed the cackling head at the closest Fiery, causing its body parts to go sailing every which way.
"52 limb pick-up!" Sarah yelled as she grabbed a leg and threw it at another Fiery.
"52? Do we even have that many?" a head that was stuck in a nearby tree asked.
"Hey I haven't heard of that one before!" another yelled.
"It goes like this," Sarah yelled as she threw a foot at another Fiery with the same results as the first two, "first you send your body parts all over the place and then you pick them all up and rearrange them in whatever way is easiest."
"Hey that sounds like fun!"
"I bet that I can throw my limbs the farthest!"
"Well I can go even farther!"
The Fierys continued clamoring amongst themselves as they started fighting, body parts flying in all directions. Sarah made her chance to escape while they were distracted. Soon not a single hand, foot, arm, leg, torso, tail or head was connected to anything.
"Hey where did she go?"
"I don't know!"
"She snuck off!"
"And just as the fun was getting started!"
"Hey! Bet that I can pull myself together faster than you other slowpokes!"
"Hey man! What do you think you are doing! That's my foot that you have in your mouth!"
Sarah let out a sigh of relief as the edge of the forest came into sight. Before her, there was a stairway leading into the Sandstone Heights that Hoggle had dropped the rope down when rescuing her from the Fierys on her first visit to the Labyrinth.
On her first visit to the Labyrinth, Sarah had spent less than five minutes in this part of the Labyrinth before falling down a trap door that almost dropped her into the Bog of Eternal Stench. Sarah really hoped to avoid the Bog this time around, even if her friend Sir Diddymus lived there.
There were parts of the Labyrinth that Sarah hoped not to revisit. The Bog was one, the Oubliettes another.
Sarah ascended the last step of the long, narrow and crumbling staircase and stopped to take a good look around. A whistle escaped her mouth. The Sandstone Heights were stark and rather barren, but they made an impressive sight. The pathways loomed above the rest of the Labyrinth, giving a spectacular view of the Goblin Castle. An unwary traveler could easily fall over the short walls that lined the high pathways, so Sarah took extra care as she walked along.
"Ho there young lady!" an old wheezy voice called.
Sarah whirled around. Her eyes widened. There had been no one behind her just a second ago, but the voice had come from behind her.
"Easy senorita! Don't want a Bonita like you to fall off that cliff!" an annoying voice piped up.
Sarah took in the old, heavily wrinkled man sporting a huge, bulbous nose. She also took in the bird hat that seemed to be attached to his head. The talking bird hat that was attached to his head.
"I know you!" Sarah exclaimed.
"I don't recall meeting a pretty thing like you," the Wise Man grumbled, scratching his nose.
"Aye! Would it hurt you to get a bath once in a while?" the bird-hat piped up.
"Quiet you!" the Wise Man commanded, "now what is such a youngster like you doing all the way up here?"
"I…" Sarah trailed off, not sure how to answer.
"Hmm…" the Wise Man mumbled as he plodded closer to Sarah, "there's something about you that is familiar…"
"Senile as ever!" the bird-hat commented.
"Be silent before I tape you beak shut!" the Wise Man shot.
"Being silent," the bird-hat spoke.
"Good," the Wise Man turned his attention back to Sarah.
A breeze blew past Sarah causing her hair to swirl wildly about her. The Wise Man took in a big sniff.
"Nothing like the fresh air up here," he mumbled, "brings new life to these old legs."
"Umm, I think that I'd better get going," Sarah spoke.
"Don't be in such a rush young lady," the Wise Man grumbled, "youth these days. Always in a hurry, just like that other girl, S…what's her name."
Sarah nerviously started backing away.
"Now I remember," the Wise Man announced, "you smell like cinnamon and honey. That's what you reminded me of. Cinnamon rolls!"
"Uhhhh… that's great!" Sarah replied, "glad that you remembered what I reminded you of."
"Just remember girl, the way forward is sometimes the way back. No wait that's not right," the Wise Man muttered.
"Oh wait! I got it!" he announced, "be on the lookout for wayward children."
"That makes no sense at all," the bird-hat muttered.
"I thought that I told you to be quiet!" the Wise Man yelled at the hat.
The Wise Man and his hat continued to bicker as Sarah mulled over the words that the Wise Man had just told her.
The way forward is sometimes the way back, Sarah mulled, but I'm already back so that doesn't help much. And I am fulfilling my task by coming back to the Labyrinth. But, be on the lookout for wayward children? That is too much like the words of Oracle's foretelling to be dismissed lightly. Even if the guy is a senile old coot wearing a talking bird-hat.
"Thank you for your words of wisdom Elder," Sarah spoke, dipping into a shallow bow, "I will consider them with much care. May the Moon guide your footsteps."
And with that, Sarah walked off.
"She's just as looney as you are," the bird-hat muttered.
"That's it I'm getting out the tape!" the Wise Man exclaimed as he rummaged around in his robe.
Snores erupted from his nose halfway though his search.
"Ah it is so… interesting being your hat," the bird-hat murmured, "strange girl though. I know that I have seen her from somewhere…"
"Okay, that was odd," Sarah mused as hurried away from the snoring Wise Man, "I wonder what's next? Goblin guards in clunky, oversized helmets, biting fairies?"
An alluring Goblin King in form-fitting pants that leaves nothing to the imagination? a part of her mind piped up.
Sarah ignored the voice. Jareth could wait until later. She had other concerns, like the squadron of goblin soldiers that was charging her way. Their clanking, ill-fitting armor actually hindered them more than it protected the goblins. In fact at that precise moment, one of the goblins in the middle tripped over his own spear and sent three other goblins crashing to the ground.
Yells and cursing filled the pathway as the three that had been knocked over started berating the one that had tripped. Of course, the goblin that had tripped had to respond with equal epithets and before she knew it, all of the goblins were engaged in an all out brawl.
Sarah snickered as she walked down another path. Seems like things haven't changed all that much form her last visit. She wondered what denizen of the Labyrinth she would see next.
She didn't have to wait long, for Sarah literally tripped over the small creature.
"Oww," Sarah muttered as she rubbed her forehead.
The sound of high pitched, angry yelling reached her ears. Sarah turned around. She thought she had stumbled over a creature, she was right in a sense, but she had tripped over its house rather than the creature itself. A tiny little man in dirty, grubby clothing met her stare and raised his hand in a rude gesture before scrambling back into his home, pulling the tile that Sarah had dislodged back over him as he went in.
Sarah was less than thrilled. In fact, she was getting rather irate. First it was the Fierys, then the Wise Man and his bird-hat and now a brownie that lived under the walkways. Sarah was just glad that she had not come across any fairies while she still was on the outside of the Labyrinth.
A wind brushed past Sarah, bringing a hint of the evening chill with it. Sarah looked behind her, the sun would be setting in an hour and she needed to find some shelter. A big yawn escaped her mouth, Sarah was unused to staying up this late. Ever since she joined the Moon Clan, Sarah abandoned the normal human sleep schedule. Instead, she normally rose with the moon each night or afternoon, and went to sleep a few hours after it set, usually before mid-morning.
The moon had set over eight hours ago and Sarah had been too preoccupied with getting to the Labyrinth and then heading inwards towards its center to be aware of her body's need for sleep. Sarah let out another yawn. She needed to find a place to sleep and she needed to find it soon!
That was unless she wanted to fall asleep on her feet up here.
Another chilly breeze swept past her.
"Nope," Sarah decided, "I definitely don't want to sleep up here."
And with that decision made, Sarah hurried down a nearby staircase that would take her down from the Sandstone Heights.
"My liege!" a goblin yelled as it raced into the room.
It tripped over a stray chicken and fell into the pit in the center of the throne room. Jareth sighed.
"What is it Netwart?" Jareth asked, rubbing his temples.
"I have news from the Wise Man!" Netwart piped.
"Lovely," Jareth muttered, "that makes this message the third one that I have received today."
Netwart just started at Jareth, before reaching down to scratch his butt.
"Well, out with it. I'm assuming that it is about the intruder," Jareth barked, losing patience.
"Out with what? I have been feeling rather gassy today if that is what you mean," Netwart mentioned.
"The message from the Wise Man you dolt!" Jareth yelled.
"Oh that," Netwart remembered, "you sure that you don't want me to let out my gas?"
"NO!" Jareth roared.
"Don't need to burst a blood vessel," Netwart muttered.
"I'm waiting," Jareth ominously drawled.
"Oh right," the goblin recalled, "the Wise Man told me to tell his esteemed majesty the Goblin King, over ruler of the Labyrinth and-"
"I don't need to be reminded of my title," Jareth cut the goblin off, "just skip all the frippery and get to the message."
"His majesty sure is in a foul mood today," Netwart muttered, receiving a glare from the Goblin King.
"Well the Wise Man told me to tell the Goblin King not to lose hope," Netwart continued, "and to be on the lookout for the one with moon fire dancing in her eyes."
'Well that was as unhelpful as ever," Jareth grumbled, "all that comes out of that old coot's mouth is utter gibberish and nonsensical platitudes. Moon fire indeed, what rubbish."
Netwart, having delivered his message, decided that this was the appropriate time to let out a noisy fart. Jareth slapped a hand over his nose and threw a crystal at Netwart that dropped him into the middle of the laundry room. Right into a vat of warm soapy water in fact.
Netwart's unhappy screams echoed all across the castle as the laundry ladies there immediately took to scrubbing the goblin instead of the clothing. They had orders to wash whatever dropped into their laundry kettles, not matter what it was.
Jareth summoned another crystal to his hand.
"Show me the female intruder that is in the Labyrinth," he told it.
The same silver mist filled the crystal obscuring Jareth's sight of the person filled the orb. With a snarl, Jareth hurled the crystal at the opposite wall, where it shattered on impact, joining the previous four crystals that had showed him the same silver mist.
He collapsed back onto his throne with a weary sigh. It had been a long and tiring day. Last night, the energy that had been building up for weeks mysteriously disappeared. Last night the presence that had been trying to get into his dreams finally broke through the Labyrinth's magical barriers for a few seconds. This morning he had received news of a figure running towards and then entering the Labyrinth.
The messenger he sent to contact Hoggle who was spraying fairies near the main gate, returned with no news from the cowardly dwarf. But the goblin did bear a message from Hoggle saying that "the royal rat can stick his commands where the sun don't shine". Jareth had yelled at the messenger and sent the giggling goblin sailing out the window with a well placed kick.
Jareth had settled back in his throne with a huff when the second the second goblin messenger came barreling into the room, yelling that the intruder had run into the Fireys and had caused quite a commotion in the part of the forest that they typically haunted. Jareth threatened the goblin with a one-way trip to the Bog that sent it scuttling from the throne room before he made another crystal, commanding it to show him the intruder.
When it showed him nothing but silver mist, he threw it at the wall, making it the second crystal to suffer that fate. Jareth had sat on his throne for the next few hours, brooding. Twice more he conjured up a crystal, but all they ever showed when asked to display the intruder was the same infernal silver mist.
Jareth had ordered a squadron of the goblin guard to go out into the Labyrinth to locate and detain the intruder, after which they were supposed to bring the person to the castle. Obviously they had failed in their endeavor if the latest message was any proof. The goblin guard really was incompetent, but he had nothing better at his disposal when it came to such things.
Jareth conjured up yet another crystal and commanded it to show him the squadron that he had sent after the female intruder. The image that was displayed in the crystal did not surprise Jareth in the slightest. It appeared that some trivial accident had happened (as they often do around goblins in amour or bearing weapons) which had prompted an all out brawl between all the members of the squadron.
I can never really catch a break can I? Jareth thought.
The Goblin King glanced over to a western facing window. The sun had sunk far into the western sky and would set soon. In a few more hours he would retire for the night and he was sure that the presence would try once again to get into his sleeping mind.
The events of the last few weeks weighed heavily on Jareth's mind. First that damn minstrel had come into the Goblin City and had made the song, "The Girl and the Goblin King", an instant hit. It had spread throughout the Labyrinth like wildfire and only a week after the minstrel's removal from his kingdom the energy had started gathering. The following weeks had severely tested the Goblin King's patience (as well as his sanity) and the presence had been trying to get into his dreams for months before hand as well.
The events during the last twenty hours had been the icing on the cake and Jareth was more than ready to escape the responsibilities that came with being the Goblin King. The years since Sarah's first and only visit to the Labyrinth had slowly wore away at his spirit and lately all that he wanted to do was to abandon his crown and go live the life of a hermit, far, far away from any goblin.
The message from the Wise Man that Netwart had delivered came back to him.
"The Wise Man told me to tell the Goblin King not to lose hope and to be on the lookout for the one with moon fire dancing in her eyes."
"Don't lose hope?" Jareth muttered, "what does that old fool know anyway. Humph, 'the one with moon fire in her eyes' indeed."
In Sarah's dream
"Toby that's the fifth time this week!" Karen yelled, "I want you to go to your room right now young man!"
"But Mom, I was only-" Toby pleaded.
"No buts, get to your room this instant," Karen commanded.
"You don't understand," the eight year old yelled, "you're always so mean to me. Why can't you be like Jake's mom, she's a whole lot nicer than you ever are. All you do is nag, nag, nag. I swear that you are a goblin in disguise!"
"Tobias Henry Williams! How dare you speak to me like that!" Karen yelled.
She strode over and grabbed Toby by the ear as she dragged him up stairs to his room immune to his pained yelps.
"Now stay in your room and do your homework until dinner," Karen commanded as she shut the door, "if I hear one sound from this room, I'm taking away all electronic privileges for a week."
Toby dropped down onto his bed with a whumph. The golden haired boy looked at the picture of Sarah and him as a baby that hung on the wall above his bed.
"No wonder you ran away sis," Toby spoke to the picture, "living with my mother would drive any sane person to escape. If I was in your shoes, I would have done the same. Neither Mom nor Dad understands either of us. They refuse to look beyond their own restricted existences"
Toby flopped over onto his back.
"They just don't believe that there is more than the eyes can detect," Toby continued, "I know that magic is real. I just know it. What else can explain how I always feel forces around me that others don't? How else can I explain the impossible things I see in my dreams? Why can't they understand that?"
"You know what else Sarah?" Toby asked, "they just keep getting worse. After you ran away, they were determined to stamp all the fantasy and magic out of their existence. Do you know that they threw away all your things after you left?"
Now Toby turned onto his side and opened the drawer of his nightstand. He drew out a well worn book covered with almost worn away red velvet on the cover. The book's title "The Labyrinth" was embossed onto the cover in gold lettering.
"I wish that I knew where you went Sarah," Toby murmured as he stroked the cover of the book, "that way I would know where to find you. I wish that I could be with you big sis. You're the only one who ever understood me. I miss you."
He looked at the red-bound book again.
"I wish that the goblins would come and take me away," Toby whispered, "right now."
Nothing happened.
"Just like it always does," Toby bitterly muttered, "why doesn't it work? No matter how many times I try, it just doesn't work. It worked when Sarah called on the goblins, why won't it work for me?"
"It's not fair!" he cried as he threw the book at the door, "why am I stuck here? I want to escape like Sarah did. I know that she is no longer on Earth, so why am I trapped here? I wish that I was any place but here!"
"Be careful what you wish for little boy," an airy voice chuckled, "it might just come true."
"Who are you?" Toby whispered.
"You can call me Selene little one," the voice told him, "but more importantly I am here to tell you that if you truly wish to leave this existence behind, you should call on the goblins during the next full moon when the moon is at its zenith."
"Why are you telling me this?" Toby asked awed.
"Because by getting you Underground will let me get something that I have been waiting for for a long time," Selene informed Toby, "my errant child has been hiding from my presence for long enough. I need your help to make him more willing to come to me. I don't believe that the one who I sent to retrieve him will be enough to lure him out of his hole."
"Why should I help you?" Toby demanded suspicious, "you sound like you want to do bad things to this child."
Airy laughter filled the room.
"Your sister was much more open minded than you are youngling," the voice chided, "perhaps that is why the goblins haven't heard your call yet."
"What do you know? How do you know Sarah?" Toby demanded.
"I know that I am looking at a spoiled little boy who needs to look past the image to see the true nature of things. Your sister followed her dreams which in turn lead her to me," Selene spoke, "not everything is what it is seems Tobias. Call on the goblins during the full moon. You shall not be disappointed."
Sarah came right out of her dream into full awareness. Why was Selene, contacting Toby? Slowly the pieces of the Oracle's foretelling and the Wise Man's words were falling into place.
The way forward is sometimes the way back.
Selene had brought her up to the moon and then Sarah fell down into the Underground.
You shall collect a child that a kingdom desperately needs … the moon shall claim its wayward child in the end.
Toby was obviously discontent with his life Aboveground. He wanted to escape. Selene needed his help to retrieve her wayward child. The moon goddess didn't think that Sarah would be able to complete her task alone. Toby was probably the child that she would retrieve that the Labyrinth desperately needed. Sarah had a few answers, but even more questions still existed.
Who was the Moon Child that Sarah was supposed to retrieve? How would she bring happiness to many and receive it in return? Who would she bring hope to? Who was the one close to her heart that would help retrieve Toby?
Sarah had no answers to those questions but had the feeling that she would find out soon enough. On the next full moon in fact if her intuition was right.
Sarah wasn't the only to dream that night. Jareth tossed and turned in his sleep as a fuzzy silver orb kept flashing in and out of his dreams all night. The presence had already broken through the Labyrinth's magic barrier and was having less difficulty doing so again. Things were heating up and trouble was brewing. It was only a matter of time till everything came to a head.
Okay, another chapter finished. I had a lot more fun writing this one compared to chapter 6. Hope that my readers found this chapter more enjoyable to read than the last one as well. Tell you me your thoughts, comments, criticisms, ect. Any flames however will be used as party favors for the Fierys.
Please leave a review before you go.