One might believe that when one is locked away, they might try to escape from their bonds. No matter how hard one tries though, they can't escape unless they have the key. Jareth had no key and had long given up on the thought of escaping. His body was weak, in unbearable pain. For the past, what was it now? A year? In reality, it had only been three and a half hours but to the Goblin King it had been centuries. He would be aging faster now that he was Aboveground. Jareth knew that being a mortal meant a shorter time to live, unless, of course, you were Underground. If he ever returned to Underground as a mortal, he would surely die. Most mortals cannot stand the time differences of the two places. Sarah and Ro were both able to survive because they had said the words. All children that are wished away are automatically able to survive.
His golden amulet was growing smaller with every passing minute. As soon as the amulet disappeared, he would be mortal. He couldn't begin to imagine what had happened to his good looks! Here he was, dying, and being conceited as usual. By the bog, what was wrong with him? He should be trying to escape. He turned his head to face the locks and a streak of light flashed before his eyes. Never mind, he thought as he shuddered with a great pain.
Jareth's whole life had been controlled by two prophecies, Jeremy's story and the prophecy about the brothers. The story had led him to Sarah, but had not caused him to fall in love with her. No, she had done that with her spirit. Now that she was a grown woman, she would take out everything that went wrong in her life on her childhood villain. His job was growing harder as she continued to be difficult and as this other ridiculous prophecy pressed down upon their lives. There were no other chances now. He was going to die and he was going to die unhappy. And there was nothing that could be done to stop it.
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Meanwhile, Aboveground in the rather large and busy city of New York, a handsome older looking blonde haired man sat at his maple wood desk in his small top floor apartment. He rubbed his startling blue eyes as he sighed worriedly. He waved his hand in a small circle and a crystal ball appeared. He murmured something under his breath and gazed into the shimmery white depths. His brother, Jareth, appeared in the center. He was still chained to the floor in the abandoned church. He muttered something else and Jareth disappeared to be replaced by an image of a young woman with curly purple hair falling through a dark hole and a dwarf and fox shouting her name. He was only slightly nervous about Jaqualine becoming trapped within the Junk People's powers. He shook his head; she would fight her way out though; she was a strong woman.
The man mumbled under his breath again and she was replaced with his other brother, James. He locked Sarah in her room. He stood against the door, not making a sound but listening to her sobbing pleas. He laughed silently to himself and disappeared from view. The man shook the crystal he held, whispered some more words and James came back into focus. He was getting ready for his journey Aboveground. Damn, the man thought. That meant he would have to face him soon. His wife should be home at any minute. He would have to send her Underground.
"Jeremy?" a feminine voice echoed through out the apartment. Right on time, he thought.
"In the study, Linda," his husky American accented voice called. Footsteps approached the study. The door swung open to reveal a beautiful older woman standing there. She had long chocolate colored hair that was highlighted with silver streaks and stunning gray eyes with flecks of brown in them. Her petite figure adorned in a sundress glowed in the light from the hallway. She quietly approached the man and sat next to him.
"Working on papers from Underground?" Linda asked him.
"Yes. The dragons from James' kingdom were set loose in the kingdom. My brother can be such an idiot sometimes. " Jeremy sighed and ran his fingers through his champagne blonde hair.
"What else is wrong?" she asked, leaning over and resting her chin on his shoulder.
"How did you know?" he asked, turning his head to see her face.
"I know you too well," she replied. "What is it, Jeremy? You look like you haven't taken your Age Proof potion today. Or is it because you haven't been Underground in a while?"
"I took the potion, dearest." He laughed slightly. "James is coming here and confronting me," he continued seriously. Linda nodded her head and braced herself for what he was about to say. He rubbed his forehead before continuing. "You know that James was bound to try and make the prophecy come true. My brothers and I turned three hundred twelve days ago by Underground Standards. By thirteen o'clock tonight in the Underground, both Aboveground and Underground will merge together. Jareth is already on the verge of becoming mortal and is in great peril. He won't be able to survive for he is not used to living in a mortal world.
"I have been watching the…progress in the Underground and your daughter and granddaughter are at James' power as we speak. Sarah is locked in her bedroom in his castle. Rowena is now heading with two of Jareth's most trusted servants to find Jareth. He is being held in an abandoned church not far from her home," he explained slowly. This was terribly difficult for him to tell his wife that her only child was in great danger as was her only grandchild.
"What's going to happen to Sarah and Rowena?" Linda asked timidly.
"As I told you before, Sarah is now part Fae. At thirteen o'clock tonight, she might permanently become Fae. I don't know what the effects will be, I don't even know if she'll remain human. We'll have to see. She is sleeping now and I hope that she'll sleep through the transformation. Jareth had told her that she would be turned into a goblin at thirteen o'clock if she didn't succeed to make it through his labyrinth. He would never actually turn her into a goblin but magic takes the threat seriously and his magic is flowing through her veins right now. Her magic will mix with his and well, I'm not sure what will happen. This has never happened before.
"Rowena will be fine. She is with some very trust worthy, um, people right now. They should meet up with Jaqualine, Hoggle and Sir Didymus soon. That is if Jaqualine can escape from the Junk People," Jeremy said. He laughed nervously at the look on Linda's face. "Don't worry though. Jaqualine's a bright Salizkan. She'll pull through."
"What about Sarah? Are you just going to sit around and let James torture her?" Linda demanded.
"No, love. I need to…fight James when he gets here. I need you to go and wait for me at the castle. If I survive, I will come to you and fill you in. If not, you will know and I need you to wait for Sarah and help her save Jareth. She's the only one that can save him," he said.
Jeremy stood, bent over Linda and kissed her quickly. "I need you to leave soon for James is coming for a visit."
"I'll go as soon as I can as long as you promise that you won't die," Linda pointed her finger at him.
"I can't promise that for I'm immortal but I'll try not to fall under James' control," he laughed, pushing her accusing finger away from him. She smiled at him and kissed him again. She turned on her toes, her long hair swing behind her and walked out the door. He smiled sadly at her retreating back.
In their green bedroom, Linda sank onto the bed, her knees weak. She had been Underground many a time but now she felt lost. Jeremy was making her leave so he could keep her safe. What about him, though? Who would keep him safe? She thought back to when she and James had first met, at her wedding. He had given her the cold shoulder and was rather unwelcoming. She hadn't realized just how dangerous he was then.
Standing up, Linda searched her room for something more suitable to wear Underground. She dug out a simple purple kirtle with black laces across the bodice, boots, and a black cape with a hood. She quickly put on her clothes and pulled on her boots. She threw her long hair into a braid that cascaded down her back. She tossed her sundress and sandals carelessly on the bed.
"Ready, darling?" he asked as Linda entered the small study again. She nodded her head slightly. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Jeremy was already holding a crystal in his hand. Linda looked at it cautiously and put her hood over her head. "Goodbye my love," he whispered as he threw it at her and it surrounded her thin body. She disappeared from the room with a soft pop and reappeared in front of the castle.
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A clear wall surrounded Rowena and Clothilda, trapping them into the complex transformation. Ro watched in awe, her mouth open slightly, as Clothilda began to change. She could only catch glimpses of her as bright lights blocked out her view. Another bright flash of light exploded between the girls and Ro collapsed on the cold stone floor.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't imagine what Clothilda would look like. She slowly opened her eyes and gasped. Before her sat Clothilda, but not the same girl that had existed mere moments before. The Clothilda that was sitting before her now could have been her twin sister. Clothilda had her hair, eyes, body and was even her height from what she could see.
"Oh my gosh," Ro breathed. Clothilda glanced up at her startled.
"What?" she asked suspiciously. Ro jumped to her feet and grabbed the silver hand mirror off of her vanity. She rushed over to the once goblin and forced it in front of her face. Her perfect pink lips formed an O as she stared into the mirror, examining her new look. "Is…is that r-really me?" she stammered, fascinated with her face. Ro nodded her head. Clothilda gave an excited squeal. "By the bog, we're twins!" Her face glowed with excitement.
"Ravkor br, xkm dwkdt'm gr xr dwwfjyn pwq Ljo Bzhrome?" the soft whisper of bells questioned.
"Oh goodness!" Clothilda cried. "Of course we should be looking for Jareth! Thank you Beau!"
Ro still gaping at her twin, blinked slowly. "Jareth, right. Coming," she muttered, following Clothilda. As she gazed at her twin from the back, a thought popped into her head. "What if Jareth manages to get free on his own?"
"I doubt that will happen," Clothilda said, spotting the Aboveground clothes lying on the pink bedspread. Her ragged clothes had been torn to almost shreds, covering just enough of her, during the transformation. She reached out for the jeans and tugged them on. She turned around and ripped off the remaining rags. She hurriedly slipped on the black blouse, buttoning it. Turning back towards the bed, she reached for the Converse and struggled with the high-topped shoes.
"Here, let me help you," Ro said. She leaned over her skirts, carefully kneeling on the floor and tied the laces.
"Oh!" she sighed. "These are so comfortable." She stood up and began walking around the room.
Ro spoke, bringing her twin's happiness to a close, "What if something terrible happens and someone needs to find us?"
Clothilda turned to stare at her. "Alright!" she cried. "We'll leave a bloody note!" She walked over to the white desk and pulled out a cream colored piece of parchment. She took a white quill out of the inkwell and began to write. While Clothilda was writing, Ro stared at her look alike. During the transformation, something must have changed in Clothilda's sense of attitude. She was acting like one of those bubbly people that are too damn happy all the time, Ro thought. She had often avoided people like that for she found them rather annoying. Maybe it'll go away. She's probably just happy not to be a horrid goblin anymore, she thought.
When Clothilda finished, she tapped the parchment with her finger and muttered some strange words that were foreign to Ro's ears. She looked up at Ro's confused face and smiled. "A bit of a riddle written in Elvish. If it's really that important, they'll translate the note, solve the riddle and find the portal that will bring them directly to us, no matter where we are," she explained.
"Clothilda—," Ro paused. All her previous thoughts vanished. "I can't call you that Aboveground. People will wonder and question us. Not to mention they'll think your mother was insane to name you that," she said. "No offense," she added hastily at the incredulous look on Clothilda's face.
"No, no offense taken. My mother was a bit of an odd ball," she laughed. "Pick a good name and I'll see if I like it. I've never really cared for my name anyhow!"
"There's Christina?" Ro said. Clothilda furiously shook her head. "How about Caitlyn?" She gagged. "There is a nickname but I'm not sure you'd like it." Clothilda shrugged. "Cleo."
"There's a good name! I like it!" she exclaimed.
"Okay, Cleo, are we ready to go?" Ro asked picking up the brown sack filled with the crystals and food.
"Yes, we are, sister," Cleo responded cheerfully. She snapped her fingers and the trio disappeared.
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"Ahh!" Jaqualine cried as she fell face first. The drop seemed to go on forever. Before she could even consider using her magic, she landed with a soft thud.
Startled, Jaqualine felt around, not daring to open her eyes. Her cheek was pressed into something soft and plump. What she had landed on was not dangerously sharp or rough, as she had expected. She opened her eyes to find herself actually sprawled across her bed in her own home. Maybe it was all just a dream, she thought. She sat up and ran her fingers over the wall. It felt slightly bumpy and now that she got a good look at it, the earth brown wall looked slightly different. Maybe she was just imagining it.
Realizing how dark it was in her room, she surveyed the room and noticed that her olive green curtains were drawn across the small windows. Hard as she tried, Jaqualine could not remember shutting them. She usually left them open, day and night. She enjoyed watching the sky. Perhaps she had been so tired that she couldn't remember anything she had done yesterday.
Puzzled by her actions, Jaqualine decided that she fancied a walk through the labyrinth the surrounded her home to clear her foggy mind. She staggered to the front door and swung it open gingerly. Instead of seeing the familiar cracked brown walls, Jaqualine was greeted by an old hag that pushed her way into the house. She quickly slammed the door shut but not before Jaqualine saw the junkyard just beyond her front door. What am I doing in the middle of the junkyard? She thought. Curious, very curious.
"No need to go out there, dearie, no need at all," Agnes chided. Jaqualine turned to face the hag and silently moaned to herself. She hoped it had all been a dream. Turning to face the old woman, she realized suddenly that she couldn't remember what she had just been doing. Agnes made her way into Jaqualine's bedroom and she followed her. Once inside her earth colored bedroom, she found herself being pushed into her olive colored stool that sat in front of her matching vanity.
"Look what you've got here! Take it, that's right. Hold it nice and tightly, there, there," Agnes cackled as she pushed a crystal into Jaqualine's hands. She stared at the purple mist trapped within the clear crystal's confinements. More squeals and cackles followed as Agnes discovered Jaqualine's precious possessions and pushed them into her arms. Her favorite dreamcatcher, a musical trinket that was gold and white that formed a gazebo. Underneath the magnificent structure was a brunette swallowed up in a glorious white ball gown. When the high pitched musical tune of Greensleeves played, the girl twirled around in circles, dancing. Jareth had given it to her for her fifth birthday. Another treasure was her favorite book, Labyrinth, a golden locket that Jareth had presented to her for her sixteenth birthday and her most cherished possession; the amethyst teardrop that was attached to a silver ribbon. It was the only thing she had ever received from her mother. As she gazed at it, she felt a rush of surprise wash over her. She wore it day and night and it never left her throat. Her hand drifted absently to her throat and made contact with the silk ribbon and the teardrop. A gasp escaped her lips.
Agnes glanced her. "What is it, dearie?" Jaqualine carefully looked around her at all of her possessions; the wheels in her brain spinning furiously. Her silver eyes narrowed as it suddenly hit her.
"It's all junk," she said, a look of triumph appeared on her face.
"No it's not!" Agnes snapped, offended.
"Yes it is!" Jaqualine cried, leaping to her feet. She ran to the front door and ripped it open. She fled from the house and tripped on the junk that lay scattered under her feet. Regaining her footing, she rushed over to where Hoggle and Sir Didymus stood; peering down the hole she had fallen through.
"Let's go!" she said breathlessly. Hoggle gave a startled yelp and practically jumped out of his skin while Didymus spun around and drew his staff before he realized that it was only Jaqualine. He staffed his weapon quickly and bowed before her.
"Milady," he said, kissing her hand. Jaqualine blushed. "It is good to see that thou is alive and well."
"What happened?" Hoggle demanded, saving her from Didymus' dramatics.
"I'll tell you on the way," Jaqualine replied and led the way to the black gates of the Goblin City.