AN: Okay we're heading into crunch time here. There may be questions still forming but the answers are going to start piling up as well. I hope anyways. Also forgive me, I got tired of trying to drag Ludo's speech out and I lost inspiration on Hoggle's dialogue. You're going to just have to imagive how they should be speaking, sorry I'm lazy today. Taking liberties in this chapter with the design of the Labyrinth and the universe get's stretched out just a bit more.
Before Hoggle could get a real grip on the fact that a human child was standing in his hut and shadow fell over the boy's face.
The boy who had called himself Toby turned around and seemed surprised to see a tall pale dark-haired woman standing behind him. Hoggle ran a hand over his face, not believing what he was seeing. There were two humans in the Labyrinth as well as Sarah. Jareth hadn't been around to announce any new runners, and as far as he could detect the Labyrinth hadn't been acting any stranger than normal. This could only be more of the trouble Sarah always seemed to surround herself with.
The lady smiled down at the boy and put a hand on his shoulder, then spoke.
"Toby, there you are. Sarah is very worried."
If the kid had looked surprised before he was stunned now, his jaw going slack and his eyes widening.
Hoggle getting annoyed that there were two humans in his hut finally started to react.
"Now see here," the woman flicked a curious glance his direction but the boy did not move. "This is my home and you two have no right to be here. Get out."
The woman was very beautiful as far as human women were concerned and she grew even more so when she smiled. Still there was something behind her dark eyes that made Hoggle shift uncomfortably while under her gaze.
"Of course. We should leave. We have to find Sarah as soon as possible." Then she started to steer him out of the hut. The boy did not resist and Hoggle was all the happier that the two were leaving.
Hoggle grunted and turned away, eager to be out of the woman's sight.
Only when the door slammed shut did he realize he had been shivering and not from fright. A coldness had settled over the entire hut.
Sarah shows back up and brings with her a circus of intruders. Pah! Better that they be gone. Don't want nothing to do with them.
And yet, he was forced to ignore a tugging at his chest. It had appeared the moment Jareth had spoken Sarah's name, but had magnified when Sarah herself showed up in the Goblin City. Everyone knew the Goblin King was sore over his loss. And yes, so Hoggle had been hurt when Sarah hadn't called on him or the others after that first night. But she obviously didn't want to be a part of any of their lives, and he intended not to be a part of hers. Who knew why she had suddenly reappeared?
I don't care.
Still the tugging persisted until he gave up on his tea and decided to talk to Sir Didymus. The fox may be an annoying do-gooder, but he always had words of encouragement to offer.
Hoggle walked outside and to his pleasure saw not a guess at the existence of humans. He did find Ludo resting against a giant grey boulder, Ambrosius slumbering at his large orange feet. Hoggle walked straight up to Ludo who was staring dreamily up at a passing cloud.
"Where is Didymus?"
Ludo, not taking his eyes off the cloud, answered, "Brother gone."
"No he isn't; that lazy dog of his is still here."
"Dog-friend scared of lady."
Hoggle rolled his eyes. It wasn't like the sheep-dog was known for his bravery.
"So what then?"
Ludo slowly turned his attention to Hoggle now that the cloud had dissipated.
"Brother take lady and Toby-friend to Sarah-friend."
"That's just great," Hoggle spat, "Why didn't you go with them?"
Now, Hoggle hadn't known the giant beast very long and he couldn't exactly say he knew him very well, but he was certain he had never seen Ludo look so sad. At first Hoggle felt sorry for the harsh way he had spoken, but thought that Ludo had been around him long enough to at least be unaffected by his quick temper.
"What is it Ludo?"
Ludo turned his large head slightly to the right and perked an ear, listening.
"Rocks say lady not friend. Rocks say Toby-friend brother to Sarah-friend. Rocks say Sarah-friend in danger. Rocks feel sad. Ludo stay with Rocks. Ludo listen. Ludo help Sarah."
Hoggle gave a start and could feel the blood rush from his face. The tugging increased to a painful pull in his chest.
Sarah's in danger?
He forgot he was mad and hurt. He forgot that Sarah had almost landed them in the Bog of Eternal Stench. He even forgot that he was a coward. What he didn't forget was that he cared for Sarah and would do anything to help her.
"I'm going to save her."
And with only a nod from Ludo, Hoggle started to run, just as fast as he had run from Sarah, towards the Goblin City.
-x-
"So you see, lovely lady I am the most capable of guides for you and young Toby. You are lucky my Brother Ludo found you young sir and brought you to me. Luckier yet, Lady Clarice that you happened upon Brother Hoggle's hut. And was rapturous luck is it that I can lead you safely into the hands of Lady Sarah. Shall I tell you the tell of how I first met Lady Sarah? It was a normal day in the Bog and I was guarding the bridge that King Jareth ordered me to guard when…"
Let's just kill him already.
Yes, we can't do this with him around.
We must conserve our power.
There can be no more mistakes.
We can't just walk up to Sarah and that king.
We have to bring Sarah to us.
Alone.
We have to lose the Undergrounder.
Kill him.
Kill him.
We don't have to use magic.
Yes, just kill him.
-x-
"What's taking him so long?"
David paused half-way through a yawn.
"Sarah, if you continue to ask that every bloody five-minutes, I'm going to stuff your mouth with my sock."
Sarah frowned and crossed her arms. They had already been in the Underground five hours. The goblins had been ordered to search the city and castle and send out a message to every city and creature they came across. Sarah was surprised to learn that only goblins lived in the city. She had asked about dwarves like Hoggle and others like Ludo and Sir Didymus. David had only been able to shrug and say, "Others don't like to live surrounded by goblins." Jareth hadn't said anything because he had already taken back to the skies to get a broader view of the landscape. He wouldn't condone Sarah leaving the safety of the castle grounds or Goblin City and so took the responsibility of searching the lands beyond the boundaries of the Labyrinth. He had also said something about visiting some friends who might be able to help.
That had been four hours ago and Sarah was restless. It turned out that there wasn't much a human could do Underground besides run the Labyrinth. And since technically the wild maze was on castle grounds she was allowed to search it. So she was doing what had done last time, only the Labyrinth was no longer trying to play tricks on her. There were no puzzles to solve, no moving walls, and no trap doors. They had walked one path for so long Sarah was starting to think she was being tricked by a false wall again. But no, David explained that the Labyrinth was only operational to runners and intruders. In the event of a war on the kingdom, the Labyrinth was a choice defense mechanism. The only problem being that no one knew how it would react towards Toby.
Other than being completely boring it was creepy. The Labyrinth was just… a maze. And with the Labyrinth being so docile Sarah found she couldn't keep to one direction. David, who had insisted on staying with Sarah, was able to keep track of where they were despite never walking the Labyrinth himself.
"It's good for me, as Jareth's adviser, to know as much about the grounds as possible." He had explained.
It was a good thing David had direct contact with Jareth and Jareth contact with the Labyrinth. Sarah was supposed to be reassured that if anyone who knew to be looking for Toby and found him, they would know almost immediately. But despite this Sarah was still a nervous wreck. David tried to cheer her up at first, but that had failed when she collapsed into a heap of sobs and unrecognizable babble. It had taken the combined forces of Jareth, David, and a goblin from the castle kitchens with a strong cup of tea to calm her down.
She didn't want false smiles and laughter. She needed to be serious and focused. Still she couldn't fight her nature and her patience was wearing thing.
She had almost started to complain when a hum alerted both she and David to an incoming message from Jareth. It took all of her self-control not to rip the crystal pendant from David's neck.
"Yes, is there news?"
The disembodied man's voices floated to them.
"Not in regards to Toby. There appears to be someone looking for Sarah back at the Goblin City. None of the goblins there recognize whoever it is. I advise you both head there at once."
Sarah nodded once knowing that Jareth could see them. Plus she didn't trust her voice. It may not directly be news of her brother, but it was more than they had at the moment and the thought made her brain recycle old anxieties.
"Right," David said, "we'll head back now. Shouldn't take us more than thirty minutes."
"Good, I'm on my way back now and should be there shortly after you arrive. Oh and uh Sarah, there's a small matter. Whoever it is that is waiting for you, is injured, so be careful."
"I will," she whispered.
Once the red light faded from the crystal Sarah turned to David.
"Thirty-minutes?"
"There's a shortcut. A turn in the path just up ahead that heads east. The west turn faces the castle so it tends to trick people, even when the Labyrinth is dormant."
Sarah saw what he meant when they arrived. To the west the castle looked very close; she could even see some windows had been lit. It was getting late. Soon it would be dark.
Time here is different.
Whereas they left New York in the morning they had arrived at noon in the Underground. Sarah added the question of time-zones to the piling mountain of questions she wanted to ask once Toby was safe.
David had started off on the east-bound path, not noticing Sarah had stopped to wonder at the castle.
When Sarah turned around he was gone.
Oh well, it's not like I don't know where he went.
But just then a dark blur moved in her peripheral vision. She turned quickly to face the deceptive path once more. A sharp breath caught in her chest.
"Clarice?"
Standing before her was undoubtedly her best friend. Sarah started towards her, forgetting David and the injured person waiting for her.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Sarah had reached Clarice and was standing about a foot away, suddenly unsure if this was a trick. Clarice wasn't supposed to be Underground. It didn't make sense. But then again, neither was Toby.
"Oh Sarah, I was so frightened. I didn't know what was happening. I came over to see you this morning and the front door was open. I thought about that killer you told me about, the one that killed darling Chandler and I went in. Only there was this hole in your floor. I walked over to inspect it and accidentally fell in. When I landed. I found myself here."
Sarah was nodding her head as Clarice spoke, trying to understand.
Yes, it was possible, Clarice had fallen in before Toby, maybe Toby had seen Clarice and tried to help her and that's how he had fallen in. It was possib-
"Clarice, you can talk!" Sarah was shocked; she had never before heard her best friend's voice. It was girlish and light.
Clarice herself looked taken aback and slightly uneasy by Sarah's declaration.
"I, I don't know how. I guess it's this place. Where are we Sarah?"
Could the Labyrinth do this? Give someone a voice?
Sarah didn't know the power of the Labyrinth or what magic lay hidden in Underground. It was something else to ask Jareth. But later, much later.
"I'll explain later. Clarice have you seen Toby? He fell in too."
Paleness came over Clarice's face, making her already white skin look blue.
"Yes. Oh Sarah, something terrible has happened. You must come with me."
Clarice extended her hand and Sarah took it without hesitation. Clarice started to lead her further down the west path. It didn't even occur to her to wonder if David had noticed she wasn't with him. I didn't occur to her to look back.
-x-
"Ten fairies in hell," David cursed when he turned around and saw nothing but empty space. She had just been with him at the turn for the east path.
Where could she have gone? Why didn't she follow me?
He had thought he had made it perfectly clear that the west path was a deception. He stood still, chewing on his lower lip as he tried to come to a decision. Continue on to the Goblin City and wait for Jareth? Or go back and try to find Sarah? One way Jareth would be angry at him for leaving Sarah alone. The other way Jareth would be angry if he arrived at the city before they did.
I can't win.
Finally he decided Jareth would be angrier about him leaving Sarah. Only when he made it back to the split off he found himself facing a brick wall.
That's impossible.
The Labyrinth wasn't supposed to be active. He was no runner, nor was he a threat. He pounded the wall with a fist. Of course it didn't give. He kicked at it furiously only to receive a throbbing foot. He thought about bashing his head against it, but that wouldn't stop Jareth from killing him still.
David decided to stop being so Aboveground about the issue and placed a hand on the stone surface. Concentrating on the buzzing magic that dwelled in him chest he closed his eyes formed the image of a snake in his mind. He couldn't see it, but a red glow emanated from his palm. The glow broke off into tendrils which spread and started to create complex patterns and designs across the stone. He couldn't understand why the wall was behaving as it was. To do so he would need Jareth's power. What he could get was a faint hint of an illusion. Sweat began to bead on his forehead and he released the magic. When he pulled away from the way a lingering design of a snake slithering across the wall began to fade.
Now, with that done, there is only one more thing I can do.
-x-
Jareth arrived soon. He hadn't been far from the Goblin City when the call came in from David.
He cursed inwardly when he heard Sarah was missing and a mysterious wall had appeared, blocking David from the path he was certain Sarah had taken.
Jareth transformed mid-glide and landed beside David, the latter who was standing a few feet from the wall pondering it like an art critic.
"You are correct; the wall should not be here." Jareth said as way of announcing his arrival. His tone was bitter and scathing. He was livid; with David, with Sarah, and even himself he admitted it.
Which he wouldn't.
Without wasting more time he marched up to the wall and placed a hand against the stone just as David had done. Only he was much more powerful and had a certain advantage when it came to communicating with the Labyrinth.
Immediately he knew the problem.
David had sensed correctly. This wall was an illusion. He could not communicate with the Labyrinth through this wall. There was something else there too. A hint of something familiar. It formed on his tongue like blood. Magic. But not Underground magic.
Something familiar.
But he was wasting time. Walking further down the wall he placed his hand on a section five feet away from the blocked off path.
"Goblin King!"
He almost pulled back from the wave of anguish.
"The Champion suffers! Save her! The Combined Fates have taken her! Save the Champion!"
He pulled back when the message started to repeat. It was clear the Labyrinth was distraught. It would be dangerous under such stress. But Jareth could not afford to spend energy on calming the Labyrinth.
Fear started to build in his stomach and he clenched his fists together.
"What is it Jareth?" David asked reminding Jareth he was not alone.
"Sarah is in trouble. I'll have to fly over. It's the only way."
David nodded. "Well then, it's a good thing you've got wings."
Jareth turned to him, "David head as fast as you can to the castle. Go to the library and find anything you can for something called 'The Combined Fates.' When you do, call me."
David nodded once more, turning and running down the east path at once.
-x-
Sarah continued to follow Clarice down the winding paths. She kept asking Clarice what the matter was, but Clarice would only give her a sad look and tell her she would have to see it. Tension coiled in the pit of Sarah's stomach. She was imagining the worst.
Calm-down Sarah, panic won't help in this situation.
Absent-mindedly she thought that Jareth should be with them. What if there was something dangerous? Sarah couldn't defend herself, Toby, and Clarice all at once. But, they were walking fast and she assumed Clarice knew where to go, she couldn't even keep up with the many twists and turns. Plus it had gotten almost completely dark, the sunset hidden behind the tall Labyrinth walls.
The deeper they went the more she realized David had been right. As they walked Sarah would look back and see the shrinking castle. Soon the only evidence it even existed in the dusk were small pinpricks of light. She had finally thought of David and how he would tell Jareth where he had last seen her. Hopefully he would come after them.
-x-
David sat at a desk piled high with large dusty volumes. It had taken him almost an hour to get back to the castle and into the library. Natural light was quickly fading and he drew the desk lamp closer. Hunched close to the ancient document we strained to make out the faded ink lettering. He had never heard of anything called "The Combined Fates." This sort of worked in his favor as far as scanning the many bookshelves in the castle's library since the topics he knew the least about were the old histories. Very few had survived the centuries and no one seemed to remember how they had been lost. Still there were a few left. Only of course they were so old and mostly abandoned that they were hard to read.
Finally he found what he was looking for in a tome titled The Myth of Other Realms.
As he read his eyes widened.
This is not good.
Quickly he pulled his crystal out and called out for Jareth.
The Goblin King answered at once.
"Did you-
"There was another realm!" David interrupted.
There was a pause and then, "Explain."
David started speaking as fast as he could manage.
"There was a story that people used to use to scare young children. Like the Aboveground boogeyman. The details aren't here but it says there was a realm that held great magical power. That even just one child held more magic that the Goblin Kings and Queens of our realms. And then people stopped believing in them so they died off."
"David that isn't what-
"I know, but it's important to know that bit first. Okay so this myth goes that this realm really did exist and that we really did stop believing in them. It sort of ends there until there is a note at the bottom of the page saying that a Goblin Queen, your great-great-great grandmother Zerbeth, had been given a document passed down to her from her mother from her mother and so on that stated the myth was not a myth."
"David, if you don't-
"I'm getting there, sorry. The document was hasn't been seen or read by anyone other than Queen Zerbeth according to this book, but there was a rumor that it spoke of five individuals who tried to save their realm. It is said these five combined their souls so that one day they might come back and restore their realm. They were known as-
"The Combined Fates."
David took a deep, staggering breath.
"Yeah, so? Does that help? Jareth? Hello?" But then the red glow faded and David knew Jareth had disconnected. David turned to look out the wide window to his left. The sun was completely set and the moon was casting a pale light over the Labyrinth. Down there he knew were Sarah and Jareth and Toby. He only hoped they were all safe. He only hoped Jareth would find them and bring them back to the castle where they could enjoy a nice big meal and tell jokes about their adventures. Yet, something was telling him it wasn't going to be that simple.
AN2: If anyone is having trouble understanding the base-concept of the Combined Fates' realm, first I will say there is more in depth explanation to come so some of your questions might be answered then. If you can't wait or it's something you think I need to fix now just shoot me a review or PM.
Also I want to thank publically Princess of the Fae for pointing out in my last chapter that Hoggle is indeed a dwarf not a gnome. I have fixed that. Or at least I think I did... I'll check and definately fix it if I haven't already.
One more thing, I love how so excited people get over the Trouble Trio, my name for Hoggle , Sir Didymus, and Ludo.