"So?"
"So," Sarah said walking toward him, gaining the upper hand for once. "I will prove to you that I can solve it. Without help."
"Without help?"
"I go through it without friends, and you do not interfere."
"Where the fun in that?" he asked, almost interested in what she proposed.
Sarah shrugged at him, turning away, knowing he was tempted by her offer. She was willing to go through with it, only if he would play fair. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to jump back time and get married. Something was pointing her on this way. Maybe there had been some truth to what he had been saying.
"So you would go?" He asked after her.
She looked over her shoulder at him, and in that glance, the kitchen scenery around her shimmered and she found herself on the barren land before the Labyrinth gate. She fought within herself to turn and gawk at her surroundings. She hadn't seen the place, save in her dreams, in ten years. Keeping her eyes trained on the Goblin king before, decked to the nines in royal togs, she smirked.
"So be it." He grinned at her, his figure dimming before and stepping to the side so that she may enter.
The back of her head second-guessed and wondered at the wisdom at this move. What had she gotten herself into? Had he truly played her? Shit. She snapped her fingers, pointing forward, "Feet."
She could here the laughter echoing along. Not to appear scared or nervous, she laughed back at him. Thinking he would take it as laughing with him, she stopped. Cracking her knuckles she made a big show of thinking, hoping he would wander back to his castle. The flapping over heads, Owl's wings she knew. Peace at least.
"'Kay, Sarah," she spoke to herself. "Go on then. Have at it."
"But where dear Sarah?" she asked herself again.
She was a bit surprised that Jareth had opened the gate for her, as she had to find Hoggle last time. But he had granted her the one favor…maybe she shouldn't trust it, she thought. She couldn't trust him could she? Why should she?
She knew why she had possibility to…he claimed to love her. But she wasn't going to fall for it. Love made people do funny things, but she sincerely doubted it would make Jareth affable. But she could play that against him if it were true.
"Just do it dammit," she forced herself to go on in, in effect trusting him. Hopefully there wouldn't be another abyss waiting.
The long gauntlet came back to her and she couldn't remember at first what she had done the first time. Walking along, she looked around, looking for a clue. The walls were huge and went on and on. Years ago she'd thrown a fit, and stumbled across a helper. Now, years later, she could surely think of something else. She could remember pieces to the puzzle, but not all.
She walked up to the wall and went through the side as she remembered. And found herself in a part of the Labyrinth she did not recognize. Remembering something he said about it having one path, and her making it a maze, she bit her lip in contemplation. Maybe she was making it harder then it had to be. Certainly at fifteen she had thought she knew it all. That had been proved wrong. So maybe chances were not all bad.
"Not all good though," she warned herself.
Looking towards the middle she could see the spires of the castle. Jareth would want her to go straight for it. but would it be that easy. Maybe an indirect path would lead her to it faster, a direct path would eventually falter. Or did he know she would think that? Second-guessing did her little good.
She was sure that he had adjusted the path in years. More people had surely traveled thorough here. He would not leave the same path open for her.
"Just walk already!" she barked at herself, kicking her feet.
Walking seemed to help, her mind tricked on after her. She vaguely recalled reading in one of Tolkien's books when she was younger, before she'd fell into her labyrinth fixation, Bilbo saying something like 'if you don't kick you're feet, there's not telling where you'll be swept off to.' So she had to go somewhere, had to go forward.
She couldn't remember all of her adventure from so many years ago, but it didn't really matter she decided in the end. It had been a long time ago and defiantly different. This was a new adventure. New purpose even. She'd do it differently as well. That meant going on an indirect path.
She walked with purpose but not actually paying attention to where she was going. She'd place faith in her plan. If she were to try to go directly to the castle, hopping over hedges and such, that would only bring trouble. Even with Jareth promising to stay out of the way, which she wasn't sure she believed, the labyrinth had more tricks of its own. But she thought of him. Did he take her challenge seriously? Say she'd flawed with this plan, what then? What did she stand to gain? Or to lose?
"Shit." Sarah stopped in her tracks.
To lose? They had not hammered out the details of the winnings. Even if she were to beat the labyrinth again, would he manipulate it to mean whatever he wanted?
Deciding it was far better to keep walking, she found it helped her think. Perhaps, she could manipulate her winning or losing against him as well. If the perimeters were not set, who is to say what would be the result. The outcome could go anyway.
A smile crept to Sarah's face as she meandered along the path. She felt more in control than ever. Knowing the unknown, that she didn't know, was strangely exciting. She hadn't felt this way in years. She was captain of her own destiny and all that jazz, the outside world was little concern. Jareth was in the moment.
Again Sarah stopped walking. Jareth? She was thinking about Jareth. Jareth!
"Dammit," she berated herself, then, letting go, laughed it off.
She thought as she walked on. Thinking and walking went well together. But her thoughts were alarming. Why had she hated Jareth all theses years? Tried not to think of this place? She loved it deep down and felt the power over her.
What if she were to never leave again?
Part of her balked at the idea. Another part wondered. And yet another part waited quietly. She didn't really know what she wanted. Or even what she did want. Too much thinking, she decided as she walked.
She was better off walking. Thinking had advantages, sure, but it felt good to be away from her problems. Not that she was a runner, she corrected herself. She just needed a break to sort it all out. How did Jareth play in? A small voice in the back of her head asked.
Sarah shrugged and laughed, dancing around. It didn't matter right then. Nothing mattered. It wasn't like there was anything at stake this time. No brother stolen or deforming. She could actually enjoy the labyrinth. A novel concept.
"It doesn't matter where I go," Sarah mused to herself, "or how long it takes."
And it would puzzle the hell out of Jareth.
::Jeez, I know I haven't posted in a while…..er….a long ass time. I'm trying. This is what I got so far. Just hang in there I guess, if you care.
