There was no light. There was nothing to touch, nothing to feel but the cold; it was everywhere. Inside the hands that let everything slip between tightly clenched fingers. Inside the head that remembered everything while others may have forgotten. Within the body that refused to feel anything… not warmth, not the dank cold of stone walls, nothing, because there was no light.
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The White Pawn remembers
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"What the hell is this place?" No one answered him. There was no one there to answer. He could smell the scent of dying things, decay, mould, rust. This created with only time to love it. The degeneration of all things began with time. "Let me out of here Mizumi!" Only silence answered his calls. His sister remained on the outside somewhere. Trying to find a way to bring him home, but he couldn't rely on just her. He'd gotten himself into this mess and then there was Jareth. He'd put him up to this… gotten him into the world of freakish people and lost dreams. A diminished hope; that was all this world was and no one… no one but Mizumi knew where he was. Did she plan to leave him here to rot? "Bitch!" For a moment he thought of Sarah had how even in a situation like this she would scold him for cursing. But she wasn't here.
Toby swore until his voice grew pained and became nothing more than a harsh echo of its self.
"You do not have any power here little prince. This is no longer your realm of Labyrinth. Take care how you insult my Lady." From a door that he'd not noticed before he shouted more obscenities.
"Tell you're Lady that I am no pawn of hers! Tell her I will come for her and I will strip her of whatever realm she owns and make sure she rots in the hells of Underground.
"You know of Underground? Be careful what you say of that place and what you wish of it…" From the other side of the door Esker moved aside to peer in to the other cell from which Jareth rested. Mizumi did not come to taunt the late king since the last. Esker could not see him at all, his figure pushed into the farthest recess of the cell which was shrouded in blackness. The king had not spoken for a long time and Esker wondered if he'd better check on him, but Jareth was not to be trusted and Mizumi would punish him greatly should Jareth ever escape.
"If you still breathe King of the Goblins, Speak. The smallest word will do." And as silence had once answered Toby, it now answered Esker. He feared the King of the Goblins to have done something vile and that Mizumi would burn countless realms over in rage, loss and sorrow. It seemed that there was no longer any King of Labyrinth.
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The Black Knight reveals truths
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"Tell me young boy. Why did you come to Labyrinth? Did you not know you were being used from the beginning or is the Old King really that cleaver?" From inside the cell Toby cupped his fist that now had blood running freely from striking the wall.
"Because I felt free and like I was in the right place… my world is different from yours. Different rules, different people… everything is different. And you have robbed me of that, puppet." Although Esker knew better than to be baited he knew that little jab Toby had taken had a ring of truth. Esker was Mizumi's puppet; willing, unimpressive and always replaceable, but ever at her side.
"So different and yet it shares so much with 'your world'. Esker paused to allow it to sink in. "We share a sun, a sky. The air carries smells between the worlds. Also your sister and Jareth. They travel between the realms. A most difficult thing to do and Jareth all the better at it. Do you really think our world differ so much? It is not… I will tell you some things though… because I feel you have the right to now as one puppet to another. My Lady… she was not always as she is now. She has ripped herself in to a person that is not whole. She strives for much along the same lines that Jareth once did. For the love of another they both sought to take what they wished for with force and thus… pushed the love perhaps, irrevocably away. I know that Jareth has no love for Mizumi. How can he when his heart lies with another. A woman from another world altogether… At least Mizumi loved a man whom understood the working of this world. But Jareth does not see Mizumi, like your sister sees nothing of Jareth and Mizumi of myself. Perhaps the denizens of Labyrinth and its connected realms are not allowed a thing called love. Perhaps this 'love' was something brought from your world and is something we cannot understand at all. This is what I think. But I will leave you to your thoughts. I will let you think of family, friends and perhaps love before Mizumi throws to completely away." Esker closed the door behind him that led to the cells which Toby and Jareth rest. Esker told Toby things that Jareth would want to hear if still he breathed in his hovel. Perhaps his insight would allow Jareth to hold on long enough for Mizumi to see him before his heart died the rest of the way before leaving nothing left but an empty shell. And Esker knew it was happening. From the moment Jareth had stopped trying to bait him, turn him and mould him in to something useful Esker had known that the man was dying.
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The White Queen Stalls
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Far from clean air, hidden from watchful eyes, unsure of anything Sarah stood and waited outside for three days and three nights. She found it impossible that the stench that permeated everything somehow got worse when the sun sunk behind the horizon.
"His majesty will not see you. Please leave." Sarah heard the messengers request and ignored it then sat back down on the ground outside the main gate.
"Oh let her in if it will get her out of my sight!" From inside Hoggle voice carried to Sarah's ear and she stood to push past the messenger she'd dealt with for far too long.
"Hoggle!" Sarah stopped short of picking him up and swinging him. She was no longer a child and he was now a goblin with status. She doubted he would be pleased.
"What do you want?" He grunted and sat down in a chair. The fabric was torn and worn, the air stunk and so did he, but she had expected that. To her, he still seemed like the best thing she'd seen since getting into Labyrinth.
"I need your help." He grunted again at her.
"Figures." She sighed and took in a deep breath.
"Jareth brought Toby to Labyrinth." Hoggle nodded.
"I know. I saw him at Jareth's gathering ball… Toby's grown." Hoggle's voice grew dark with even mentioning Jareth.
"Jareth is gone; Toby has taken the thrown, but only so long as Mizumi needs him. There are things Mizumi needs in order to take over Labyrinth." Hoggle choked and grabbed his own throat.
"Mizumi? Take Labyrinth? That'd be the day…" Hoggle looked bothered though.
"What is it Hoggle?" He did not look at her and allowed his stubborn visage to shine through. He did want to help her or tell her a thing after what she allowed to happen. "Please Hoggle." It didn't take much to tear down his protective barrier. He was weak to her. She was his first friend and she had forgiven many betrayals from him without a second thought… though she never smelled forever because of it.
"The Pathmaker. Mizumi sent word a day ago asking for the location of something called the Pathmaker. Told her I'd never heard of it and she must have figured it out because she never asked again.
"Things seem to be getting worse… I have to hurry and get Toby out of here. I need you to help me, if you will. If you can forgive me." She'd already won him over. He was angry with the fact the she could see it though.
"Oh alright. I don't like sitting here doing nothing anyways. I hate being here. What do you need?" She stopped and said nothing.
"I'm not sure. Jareth is missing, I need to bring Toby home, but I won't be able to do so without Jareth. I know it. If Mizumi wants the Pathmaker, I need to find him first and I need to do all of this while saying under the radar." Hoggle titled his head to the side.
"Radar?" She sighed and shook her head.
"Never mind. I need to do everything without being seen. I need to be invisible." Hoggle could understand why. Just being near Mizumi he'd gotten the impression she implied. 'stay away from me.'
"Hey, hey, hey!" Skub ran up and pulled on her leg and he looked rather frantic.
"What is it?"
"Who is this little thing?" Hoggle poked Skub in the chest.
"Hoggle this is Skub. Skub Hoggle. What the matter?" She knelt down to Skub while he fidgeted with his hands.
"Toby. King Toby is missing. He disappeared from his room a night ago and there are guards at the gate with a message for Prince Hoggle." Skub turned to Hoggle and fidgeted twice as much.
"What do they want?"
"Surrender on behalf of the Queen of Moraine and New Queen of Labyrinth." All three of them fell silent and Sarah started to pull plans out of her head for an escape. She walked over to the window and looked down to the main gate and swore.
"Did they give us a time limit?" Sarah didn't look to Skub.
"They said we had till nightfall." She swore again as she looked at the horizon. There was less than an hour before the sun fell away and worse yet it was not goblins outside the gate waiting to hobble their way in from which Sarah could have dealt with. Outside the gate stood armoured men. Mizumi hadn't taken Labyrinth at all. She had invaded it and both King and Prince, Brother and menace were missing or worse. The only person who would now of their location would be the queen or Moraine and Sarah had no way to get close enough let alone talk to. And who knew what powers Mizumi might have.
"Sarah. What do we do?" Hoggle stepped behind her and she heard Skub's feet shuffle along the ground.
"What did Prince Hoggle just call you?" Skub paled as if he'd seen bleed. Sarah cursed and turned to explain. She'd purposely not told Skub who she was after hearing what Jareth had done with just her name.
"Let me explain. Please…" He backed away from her and clutched his shirt.
"No… You are the woman that the King forbids to speak of and outside…" Sarah didn't want to rush him, but too much was happening far too fast.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to deceive you." He shook his head.
"I knew who you were… Toby said to protect his sister. And I'd heard rumour that when the king queen refused to marry she'd taken back her brother with him to lands beyond reach.' Skub's voice took on an odd tone, like he was possessed. "I know Toby was that boy. I was there when the goblin city was sent to stop you. I was one of the goblins ordered to watch Toby, keep him safe and play with him. I saw you once… and I have not forgotten. But Toby said you were most precious and he would be upset should you get hurt. King Jareth too I think." Skub swayed from side to side and she put out a hand to steady him with she was glad he took.
"What's wrong? What about the men outside?" He looked at her in such a sad way she wanted to do something to make it better.
"The men outside… said that a fugitive is on the loose. Her name is Sarah and any that are found helping her are to be punished to her queens pleasure. They said that those who resist will die and those who resist while helping you… are to be thrown away with their friends, family and others to be tortured or worse. I forgot that you are 'her'. I… do not want to die or get thrown away."
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The White Castle Defends His Keep
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"You're not going to Skub. But you are going to run." Hoggle explained quickly another way out and its dangers. Also that it was unlikely even if Sarah was found that any would follow. It was amazing the deterrent the bog of eternal stench made.
"I'm sorry I lied to you Skub." Sarah hoped he would not hate her enough to give her up.
"It's ok. You're the sister of Toby. I like Toby and he would make a better King then Mizumi. I will help you to save Toby." She allowed herself to shed a tear for Skub and her lost brother.
"Thank you Skub."
"You don't have time for this." Outside the sun began to touch the horizon.
"Hoggle. I'm so sorry." He nodded and pointed for her to leave. "Do you know where Ludo is, Didymus anyone?" Hoggle ignored her and told her to just go, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't leave Hoggle to take the brunt of the damage just for her. So while the men outside grew cold, grew weary and irate with the stench of the bog. Sarah bottled her fear and moved to release her friends from capture, torture and worse. She would not leave them again.
"You don't have to do this Sarah." Hoggle sighed when he realized she had not gone. She nodded and stuck over her hand to take his.
"I know. But I won't leave a friend. Not again. Not like before. We will suffer the same end or the same beginning." She smiled and he knew she must have an idea to win over the 15 men that waited at the gate. He also had a good idea to help and together they ran into the halls to set everything into motion. "Skub, tell me what you know of the woman that looks like me at the Castle. Toby told me about her, but I need to know as much as you know, quickly."
