Chapter 11: Supwise!

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.

Author's Note: I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely reviews. I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying the story (especially goblin-Ellie)! It keeps me writing :)

Sarah heard a loud noise that sounded like a vacuum cleaner coming toward them. Sir Didymus squirmed in her grasp; she was holding him tightly against her chest with one hand around his muzzle. Ambrosius was cowering against her side, his shaking fur tickling the skin of her arm. The trio was hiding in a tree hollow at the base of an old sycamore. The opening was just big enough for Sarah to squeeze through, providing her with some relief as the creature following them sounded too large to fit.

It must be trying to trace our scent, Sarah thought as the vacuum cleaner noise got closer. Sir Didymus made a soft noise of frustration but Sarah ignored him. She held her breath as a long, turquoise snout snaked its way into the hollow. The snout fumbled around on the ground for a moment then rose up, pointing straight at Sarah. It hovered there for a moment before sliding back out the opening. Sarah heard heavy footsteps retreating away from the tree. When she thought that they were far enough away, she released Sir Didymus and let out a great sigh of relief.

"There is no bravery in hiding." He looked at Sarah accusingly.

"We couldn't have faced that creature," Sarah argued. "We don't even know what it was!"

"'Tis better to die a hero than live a coward!" Sir Didymus cried, striking a heroic pose.

At that exact moment Sarah heard the footsteps returning, this time at a run. She screamed as the tree around them shook after the creature ran into it. The snout returned, this time moving rapidly, slamming into the inside walls of the tree.

Sarah watched as Sir Didymus pulled out his sword and swung it at the flash of blue. It sliced across the side of the snout and a loud roar could be heard from outside. The snout retreated, Sir Didymus following close behind.

"Sir Didymus! No!" Sarah cried. She ran to the opening and poked her head out. She saw the one-eyed fox stabbing at one of the creature's feet. The creature itself looked like a giant, blue, naked anteater. It had no eyes as far as Sarah could tell and its snout was almost as long as an elephant's. Its snout flew down to where Sir Didymus was attacking and wrapped around him. It lifted him off the ground and swung him around in the air.

Sarah quickly ran out of the tree, the stick she had picked up earlier raised high. She made her way to the animal's side, planning on hitting it in the stomach, but the animal jumped away just in time. It swung its snout-which still held Sir Didymus—at her, but she bent down low, avoiding it. The creature threw its head back and let out a great roar. Sarah took that moment to slam her stick into its side. Throwing Sir Didymus off to the side, the creature leaped forward at her. It managed to knock her off her feet but she rolled out of the way before it could trample her.

The creature seemed to pause, breathing heavily. Sarah took this opportunity to get to her feet. She took a step forward and tread on a fallen tree branch, which made a small cracking sound. The creature, who had been facing the other direction, immediately turned itself to face her.

It can't see me so it must be relying on its hearing, she reasoned. With this in mind, she held her breath and began to creep forward on tip-toe. She eventually reached the creature and carefully positioned herself so that she had a clear shot at one of its legs. She swung back her stick and let it slam into the target. The creature let out a roar and Sarah hit another leg. With one more roar, the creature lost its balance-its legs too injured to stand on—and fell to the ground. It lifted its head once as if to stand up, but quickly gave up and laid back down. Sarah slowly stood, a triumphant smile on her face. She rushed over to where her fox friend had been thrown. He appeared to have lost consciousness for a while but was now slowly regaining it. He shook his head as if to shake off sleep and looked up at Sarah, who knelt down beside him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, knitting her brow in worry.

"I am fine, Lady Sarah," he replied, sitting up. "What hath become of the vicious beast?"

"I defeated it." She grinned proudly.

A loud cry echoed through the area.

"It would appear thou hath done so." Sir Didymus looked over at the fallen creature.

The cry rang out again, this time incredibly mournful. It pierced through Sarah's heart. She slowly rose and began to walk over to the blue body. She felt Sir Didymus by her side and the two made their way to the creature's head.

It seemed to have heard their approaching footsteps for as they reached it, the creature shot out its snout. The pair paused and waited for the snout to fall before they got any closer. When the the blue nose dropped to the ground, Sarah carefully stepped over it and knelt down by the creature's head. Sir Didymus came to sit beside her.

The creature's labored breathing moved its entire body. It let out a few soft moans, and Sarah was sure that if it had eyes it would have been crying.

"I...I didn't mean to... It was so aggressive, I..." Sarah fumbled her way over the words, searching for a reasonable explanation, but finding none. She cautiously held out her hand and gently pressed it against the creature's cheek. The creature twitched slightly but otherwise remained still.

"I am so sorry," she whispered, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "If only I could heal you."

Heal. The word sparked in her mind. Cold spread through her body, making her shiver. Her eyes closed and she crawled over to the creature's legs. She lifted a hand and rested it on one of the injured legs. As soon as her cool skin connected with the creature's warmth she felt a transfer of energy from her body to the creature's.

No, not 'creature.' Him. Lehtor. The name appeared in her mind as if it had been there all along. Not angry. Not wanting to hurt. Disoriented. Frightened.

She ran her hand across Lehtor's rough skin down to the next leg. She felt the jolt that signified the energy leaving her and entering him.

Grateful. Friend?

A smile lit up Sarah's face. "Yes, Lehtor. I'm your friend. My name is Sarah."

Sarah help. Sarah kind.

She frowned. "No, I'm not kind, Lehtor. I hurt you and I meant to."

Forgiveness. Thankful for Sarah. The Champion.

Sarah's hand jerked away from Lehtor's leg and her eyes flew open. It was complete. What's complete? She asked herself. She blinked a few times, surprise widening them.

"What was that?" She breathed, looking over at Sir Didymus. He looked just as shocked.

There was a groan from the big blue being before them as he slowly stood up. Sarah and Sir Didymus backed away slightly, watching him anxiously. Once on his feet, he turned around so that he was facing their general direction. He held out his snout and wiggled it from side to side and walked forward. The cold blue snout touched Sarah's cheek gently. Lehtor walked closer to them until he was close enough to stick out his tongue and lick the side of Sarah's face.

"Ew, Lehtor!" she giggled.

Jareth couldn't help but smile at the scene playing out in the glass orb. He should have known that his Sarah would have befriended the beast. His Sarah. That thought made his smile grow.

The pressure of a head resting against his shoulder instantly removed the smile.

"She appears to have made a discovery," Orla said softly.

"It was only a matter of time." Jareth threw the orb into the air and it disappeared.

"If that is any indication as to how she will use those powers, then the Alliance has no reason to fear her."

"That was exactly why I opposed the High King's proposal." Jareth gritted his teeth at the memory.

Orla lifted her head off his shoulder and stared his his tense form.

"Oh, come here," she said, wrapping her arms around him, and pulling his head to rest beneath her chin. "I'm certain that this will all work its way out. That Sarah is too clever to be trapped by the High King. Before you know it, she'll be running circles about him while he stands at the altar, completely baffled."

Jareth's head rose and fell with her gentle laughter. He remained silent for a moment, lost within the sea of his own thoughts. Orla ran her fingers through his hair soothingly.

Eventually he spoke, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Oppose the High King."

"You know how I feel about him."

"Yes but it isn't often that you oppose one of his plans."

It was Orla's turn to be silent as she sifted through her thoughts. She continued to play with Jareth's hair.

"It isn't right for a person to be forced into marriage," she said. "That may be the way the humans treat the sacred ritual in the Aboveground, but that is not how we treat it down here. Both men and women should have the right to choose whom they marry."

"I would not go so far as to say that arranged marriages do not occur down here," Jareth said, feeling the cold metal of Orla's ring against his scalp. "Sarah's spirit is much too free for her to enter into such a marriage, even if it is her duty."

"She sounds like a perfect candidate for the Sisters of Aine. It would get her out of having to fulfill the proposal..."

"That could be arranged," Jareth replied thoughtfully.

"I wasn't being serious." Orla hit his arm playfully. "Becoming a sister is almost as binding as marriage. Sarah would be best suited to return to the Aboveground where she may live her life with the rituals that she has grown accustomed to."

Jareth pulled away from Orla and leaned back in his throne. She slid off the arm of the throne and moved to stand in front of him.

"What is wrong?" She crossed her arms. "Don't you agree that she should have the freedom to choose?"

"Of course I do." He ran a hand down his face. "I merely...I..."

Orla waited for his response, her lips pursed and her eyes scrutinized him. Unseen by both royal figures, a ball of orange fluff slowly rose up from behind the chair, peeking around the corner where the arm and the back of the throne met. The small, beady eyes moved back and forth between the two beings as if waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, the little goblin jumped out from her hiding space and cried, "PEEK-A-BOO!"

Orla shrieked in surprise. Jareth merely turned his head to look at the creature. Fluffy's arms were outstretched in a "ta-da" pose and there was a wide smile on her face.

"Herro!" Fluffy waved at the annoyed Goblin King. "I is Fwuffy. Who's you?"

"Fluffy!" A second high-pitched voice whispered sharply from behind the throne. "Get down!"

"You's a scaredy cat, Fuzz." Fluffy rolled her eyes.

"Fuzz is not." A black ball of fuzz came padding its way out from its hiding spot. "Fluffy is talking to King while King is busy. Fluffy will get in trouble!"

"He no busy! Him and Lady were no talk so I's surpwise them!"

Before any more was said, Jareth grabbed the orange goblin and raised her into the air as if to throw her.

"Jareth!" Orla shouted. She marched over to the confused Goblin King and took the goblin from him. "There's no need to throw the poor creature!" She cradled Fluffy in her arms.

"But she-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Jareth."

"No 'scuses, Kingy!" Fluffy repeated, earning her a laugh from the Elven Queen.

"She's so precious." Orla tickled the little orange ball of fluff, and it squirmed and giggled in response.

"I doubt you would find her quite as endearing if she were still in her human form." Jareth crossed his arms, looking rather like a pouting child. "If she'd behaved better, the High King would have nothing to hold over Sarah's head."

Orla looked up at him in surprise. "Is this...?"

"Orla, meet Eliana. Or, 'Fluffy', as she has been dubbed by her goblin friends."

"Why hello, Eliana!" Orla spoke as she would have to child.

"I's no Ehwiana," the goblin said. "I's Fwuffy."

"Oh, do forgive me, Fluffy," the Queen corrected herself with a smile. She sat down beside the throne and continued to chat with the little fluffy goblin. Jareth groaned and placed his head in his hands.

"Thou hast much changed since last we met, Lady Sarah," Sir Didymus commented, looking up at the brunette.

Sarah looked down at her hands guiltily. She was riding on top of Lehtor, trying to make herself as light as possible for him. He had bent down next to her, inviting her to climb on his back, but she had protested, saying that he was still injured. He would have none of it though and picked her up with his snout, placing her on top of him. She could do nothing but thank him and allow him to walk forward. And after much coaxing, Sir Didymus had managed to get the terrified Ambrosius to come out of the hollow. He was now riding on top of him beside Sarah and Lehtor.

"I'm sorry for my earlier outburst." She turned her head to look directly at Sir Didymus. "You, Ambrosius, Ludo, and Hoggle were my first true friends. I would never want to give any of you up—you mean too much to me. I love you all. The Goblin King just made me so angry!"

Sir Didymus nodded. "Do believe that I am sincere in my acceptance of thee's apology, but that was not the change I was speaking of."

"What do you mean?" She knitted her brow.

"Take for example, how thou hast healed our newest friend." The fox gestured to Lehtor. "Thou also communicated with him through the mind. I do not recall thou having such abilities before."

"I didn't." She shook her head. "I don't know where that came from. Maybe it has something to do with Lehtor."

The creature grunted as if to deny the accusation.

Sir Didymus hesitated before speaking again. "There was...something else."

"What?"

"Just before Sir Lehtor arrived...when King Jareth was here..."

Sarah's body tensed. "What about the arrogant jerk?"

"Well, when His Majesty and thyself were not engaged in the battle of wits...there appeared to be an engagement of another kind-"

"Oh," Sarah jumped in quickly, blushing, "that."

"Yes, that. Hast thou been in...contact with him during the months in which thou did not call upon us?"

"Oh, no! Of course not!" She cried defensively. "It was...it was just another tactic that His High-And-Mightiness is using to throw me off."

"Doth thou believe that he will repeat these...tactics?" Sir Didymus stood up on Ambrosius' back. "For I shall defend thee's virtue from the scoundrel! Unless, of course, thou enjoys such attention from the King."

"No, I...I mean..." Sarah twisted her stick around in her hands nervously. "Thank you for the offer of protection, Sir Didymus, but I believe I can handle him myself."

"But his passionate embraces incapacitate thee," Sir Didymus argued. "Thou dost not seem to understand the strength of King Jareth's power of seduction."

"I would very much appreciate it if we could change this topic of discussion." Sarah's face was now a brilliant shade of red. She didn't want to discuss her hormones with her friend-that would have been even worse than having the "sex talk" with Karen.

"Let us talk of the months that we have spent apart, then." Sir Didymus settled back down on the shaggy down. "What hast thou been doing as of late? Tell me more of this Ellie."

And so the two continued on down the path, laughing and talking like the old friends that they were.

Author's Note: As always, I really, really appreciate any and all reviews! :)