Sarah landed on her feet surrounded by darkness except for the small circle of light that peaked through the hole above. The light didn't extend enough to be able to see anything around her in the pit Hoggle had pushed her into. As much as she didn't want to leave the safety of the light it would be awkward and hazardous to stay under the hole that Hoggle would soon drop through. Extending her arms in front of her, Sarah took a hesitant step forward feeling for anything she could run into or trip over.
It was a good thing she had moved because seconds later Hoggle joined her in the darkness with a grunt. While the fall hadn't been that great for Sarah because of her size Hoggle was much shorter and the drop had knocked the air out of his lungs along with shooting pain up his legs. After holding still and waiting for the pain to subside Hoggle opened his eyes and looked for Sarah.
"Sarah?" he said into the darkness that had completely enclosed them when the rock lid had shut behind him.
"I'm right here, Hoggle" she said as she shuffled towards the place she last saw him, holding her arms out at hip height. After a few tentative steps one of her hands brushed Hoggles shoulder. Feeling around to find his other one she grasped his shoulders and took comfort in the contact. "Now what? I can't see anything."
"Just hold onto me while I light the shrooms."
"Shrooms?" Sarah asked as she tried to suppress a giggle.
"Mushrooms" was the reply.
Apparently the Underground hadn't discovered the recreational use of "shrooms" like some humans had. Maybe she'd introduce the idea to the Fireys before she returned home. They seemed like the kind to appreciate the info.
Sarah kept a hold of Hoggle as he took a few steps to the right. She couldn't see what he was doing in the darkness but it sounded like he was searching his clothes for something. From how long it was taking his vest must have concealed more pockets than it showed.
Finally Hoggle gave a sound of triumph as he movements paused momentarily. Quickly retrieving whatever object he was looking for more unidentifiable sounds were made until a soft green glow formed near the floor. The glow steadily grew brighter until Sarah could see that the pale glow was shaped like a mushroom. As she watched in amazement the glow spread form the single mushroom to mushrooms on either side of it. From those mushrooms it spread in a line down both ways.
The glow allowed Sarah to see the wall the mushrooms lined. Dirt walls on either side of the space were lined by a short row of mushrooms through only one side was lit. The opposite row of mushrooms looked ordinary in comparison. A milky white in color the short fungi looked like any other mushroom Sarah had ever seen. Glitter sparkled faintly along the walls in the pale glow.
Observing her surroundings until her gaze landed on Hoggle once more Sarah was intrigued to see him holding a small pouch in his hands.
"What's that, Hoggle?"
"Fairy dust" was his short answer.
"Fairy dust?" was Sarah's puzzled response.
"Yeah fairy dust. You didn't think I sprayed those little buggers for no reason, did ya?"
"I thought it was your job."
"It is. I spray the fairies we get fairy dust from" was his matter of fact reply.
"You kill the fairies for their fairy dust?" a horrified Sarah exclaimed.
Hoggle gave her a puzzled look. "Who said anything about killing them?"
"I've seen you spray them!"
"Yeah, with water."
"Water?"
"Fairies can't fly if their wings are wet. What'd you think I sprayed them with?"
"I don't know. Pesticides or something I guess" was her uncertain response.
"Why would we kill them when we get fairy dust from them? That would just mean there was less fairies to get it from."
"So what happens to them?"
Hoggle grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled. "Walk and talk. We need to get moving before the fairy dust runs out on the shrooms."
Sarah gave into his pulling and followed Hoggle down the tunnel. The path they were traveling didn't change much in appearance. Dirt walls sprinkled with glitter, lined by mushrooms. It would be easy to get lost in here with the forking tunnels and twists and turns when everything looked the same.
"So what happens to them?" a determined Sarah asked again.
"To who?" a preoccupied Hoggle asked.
"The fairies."
"Oh them. After I spray them an imp comes along behind me to pick them up and takes them to shake the dust off of them."
"It doesn't hurt them does it?" a concerned Sarah wanted to know.
Hoggle snorted. "They enjoy it. The imp takes them to a club specifically made for the fairies, full of everything they could want. We don't physically shake the fairy dust out of them. They shake it out themselves when they dance."
"A club?" a stunned Sarah repeated.
"A dance club. Best way to get fairy dust from a fairy. You get the dust, the fairies get to have fun and no one's resentful. They really go wild when Jareth visits and performs." Hoggle gave her a sly look. "Not what you were expecting, was it?"
Sarah could only shake her head mutely. A dance club! That was…that was…ingenious she had to admit. No one was hurt and both parties get something out of it. Like everything else in the Labyrinth that was unexpected but Sarah should have remembered that nothing was what it seemed here.
Still in a state of shock Sarah nearly ran into Hoggle when he stopped at a fork in the tunnel.
"What's wrong?"
"Just trying to remember which way to go. One way loops back around to where we entered, the other continues on."
"Well I hope you choose the right one."
"The right one? You sure? I thought that one led back in a loop."
"Not the right one. The right one. I don't want to start over again."
"Oh the right one. Why didn't you say that?"
"I did!"
"No you said the right one" Hoggle said as he led her down the left path. "Besides sometimes the way forward is the way back, remember?" Hoggle threw her a cheeky smile.
Sarah snorted. "What a load of malarkey."
Hoggle laughed at her response. "Not completely. You have to remember that the Labyrinth moves so it's true sometimes…depending on how the Labyrinth moves. Like when you came to the shield door guards. The Labyrinth switched around you so that the only was forward was behind you after you turned to go back. You had to turn back around to go forward.
Sarah thought about that complicated idea. It was hard to wrap her mind around all that he said and keep it straight. "I guess. Bit it still wasn't much help."
"True but the Wise Man only offers clues. He doesn't five straight answers usually."
"Was his falling asleep an act?" a curious Sarah asked.
"Ah…no. He really does fall asleep like that. He's as old as dirt as far as I can figure. His body's not as good as it once was and his mind goes with it. When his body tires out his mind does too. He's really quite wise it's just that he tires quickly."
"Could he help us find Jareth?" a thoughtful Sarah wanted to know.
After hmming in thought for a few seconds Hoggle answered. "Probably. The trick is finding him and finding him awake. The fog may have already got him."
"I hope not. We need to find Jareth as soon as possible."
"Aint that the truth. It's just too quiet with everything asleep. The labyrinth's starting to creep me out" Hoggle said with a shudder.
During their journey the mushrooms had slowly but steadily been growing dimmer. By now their glow was barely bright enough to light the path they were on. Coming to a stop Hoggle squinted his eyes as he searched the shadows for something, finding it to the left of the path and hidden in the deepest shadows. Nodding his head he took Sarah's hand and led her over to what turned out to be stairs made of stone leading upward.
"We should be under the Firey Forest. Time to go up" he explained as he guided her to the stairs and proceeded to walk up them with Sarah by his side.
I know this chapter was kinda stupid with a fairy dance club and all but I needed a way to get fairy dust without hurting the fairies and that's what popped into my head. Plus I'm sure Jareth would enjoy performing for them. This chapter's not all that important really but I have to get them from point A to point B somehow and I can't see them walking and not talking.
Now they have a plan and next chapter Sarah asks more about Jareth's disappearance. I was going to include that in this chapter but this chapter seemed like it would never end.
pinkflora-I could see Jareth designing his own clothes since no one has his flare for fashion. As for hand sewing them that's probably beneath him in his mind. That's considered menial labor and well he's Jareth. Though I could see him stabbing his finger on accident repeatedly.