Sarah rushed out of her room at first light. She nearly collided with Hoggle in the hallway.
"Hoggle" she gasped, "Tell me, did Jareth say anything about shapeshifter allies?"
"Err..." Hoggle mumbled "No?"
"Hoggle, I am going to kill Jareth if he ever comes back from this blasted war!" Sarah yelled. "How I am I going to do it? How I am suppose to make the right decisions? To protect everyone?"
"You will" Hoggle soothed.
"I defeated the Labyrinth" Sarah said. She touched her neck, where Jareth's ribbon use to lay. "No happily ever after for me" Sarah sighed.
"You can do anything, Sarah!" Hoggle said. "You were the only girl ever to beat the King's Labyrinth, and you stole his heart to boot."
"That was sheer luck" Sarah said woefully. "I am a Queen now. For better or for worse, I am suppose to protect all you guys. I just haven't a clue as to how!" Sarah looked like she might burst into tears any minuet. Hoggle looked at his friend thoughtfully.
"You know Sarah..." he began. Sarah looked at him. "There is someone who might be able to help"
"Who?" Sarah asked eagerly.
"He is someone that Jareth uses when he has problems." Sarah looked shocked.
"Jareth? Jareth has problems with ruling?"Sarah smiled.
"I'm not sure entirely where is he" Hoggle said "This place being a place where nothing is what it seems has a good way of hiding things. But I did see Jareth slip through a strange door time after time."
"Lets go look for the door right away!" Sarah said. "We haven't a moment to lose. I need to know what the hell is going on here! Come on Hoggle." Sarah started running down the hallway in her white gown, delicate slippers tapping lightly against the floor.
"I'm coming Sarah" Hoggle scrambled after her on his short legs.
"Lets see..strange door.." Sarah muttered looking at all the doors that she saw, "They all look the same!"
"Lets try the third corridor" Hoggle suggested.
"Okay" Sarah said. She ran to one of the stone stairways and she began to climb frantically. Upon reaching the third floor, she ran down the hallway, searching for a strange looking doorway.
"It's not here!" She cried. She was about to run up the stairs again to go to another floor when something caught her eye. It was a strange door with a knob that looked like a hag. Sarah walked towards it. "I think I found it!" she called to Hoggle. Hoggle had just come up the stairs and he was gasping for breath.
"Good, because I'm pooped!" Hoggle slumped to the ground, his short legs tired.
"I'm going in" Sarah told him. Hoggle waved to her.
"Call me if you need me"
"Alright" Sarah took a deep breath and turned the knob. It cackled like a witch. Spooked, Sarah jumped a little. She was about to turn back when a gentle voice called out to her.
"Come in child, the door won't bite"
Sarah walked into the room warily. The door closed behind her and she repressed the urge to jump. The voice called out to her again and Sarah saw it was coming from a pool of water in the corner of the room. The water was silvery and it swirled and swirled until it formed a man's face.
"I'm Arthur" the face told her.
"I'm Sarah" Sarah said.
"Yes, I know" Arthur laughed gently. Sarah peered closely at him.
"You know me?"
"Yes, Jareth spoke of you often."
"He did?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, he spoke to me of a beautiful girl with eyes the color of cold emeralds. It seems that you have bewitched our Goblin King. I commend you, you know it's not every day that mortal catches the fancy of a cold hearted fae" Arthur gave a watery chuckle.
"Thank you" Sarah said, unsure of where this was all going.
"Please don't be afraid, child. I know you have questions for me. Go ahead and ask them, they won't ask themselves you know."
"Yes, thank you. You know that Jareth left?"
"Yes" Arthur frowned "He went to war with the Lady Gen, he is going to fight the Fire Devils."
"Yes, he left to fight his war, and I am alone..."
"You are never alone here, my Lady Queen" Arthur admonished her gently. "You are the Queen of the Labyrinth and it's magic will answer to your call and surround you."
"Thats all very nice, but I haven't a clue as what to do!" Sarah snapped. "Oh I am so sorry, I didn't mean to snap" Sarah said hurriedly, "It's just this has been really sudden, and I have no training for this. I am mortal. The goblins are my responsibility until Jareth gets back. I was told that the majority of the Fire Devils will be meeting Jareth in battle, but some of them have managed to get down the mountain pass and they are determined to wreak havoc on the kingdom while Jareth is gone."
"I am aware of this" Arthur told her calmly. "Jareth was aware of this, too. He did not go about this blindly, I assure you my lady Queen."
"I'm sure" Sarah said hotly. "He was not the one visited by a shapeshifter last night!"
Arthur shrugged nonchalantly, "My lord Jareth has great foresight. He thought that it would be wise to leave his kingdom, the lives of his of subjects in your care. He claimed that you were a resourceful girl."Arthur sighed and gave Sarah a sorrowful look " I know it must be hard for someone so young, but given the circumstances, what else can be done? It is now your duty."
"Forgive me for sniveling, " Sarah said. " I will do my best, I am just afraid that it won't be enough. How am I to protect everyone if these things decide to attack? Damm Jareth to hell!"
"My King has gone into great peril to safeguard his kingdom" Arthur told her gravely. "He is doing what he thinks is best."
"Perhaps" Sarah said slowly, "What Jareth thinks is not whats really best!" Her green eyes widened and then narrowed. " I see how it is Arthur. You don't have to pander to me anymore. I understand what needs to be done."
"My Lady Queen, please forgive me if I offended you..." Arthur began. Sarah stopped him.
"No, you did not offend me. .." Sarah was stopped when a flash of lightening broke through the sunny sky outside the window. The sky began to darken in seconds and the winds started to pick up pace and grow stronger. Sarah looked out at the growing storm. "They are growing stronger, aren't they?" she asked.
"Yes my Lady Queen" Arthur told her. "I'm sorry that I was not the help that you were expecting."
"Its alright" Sarah told him.
"If it helps my Lady Queen, remember that you are the one that beat the Labyrinth, you bested our King, you..."
"Please, that was luck. Nothing more." Sarah watched the rain spatter hard against the window pane. "I was thrust unwilling into this position. I dreamt about this and read about things like this in books. But in no way am I prepared for a war." She turned to face Arthur.
"But My Lady Queen, you were meant for this! You are no ordinary girl."
"Perhaps, but I wasn't born with a sword in my hand." Sarah sighed "Never in my wildest dreams..." She twisted her fingers together. "I thought when Jareth made me Queen he would be here to protect me." Sarah felt herself become overcome with emotion. She sniffled discreetly, trying to clear her throat. Sarah smiled brightly at Arthur, "So Arthur, what do you know about Shapeshifters?"
Arthur smiled kindly at Sarah, relieved that he could be of some use, " I have heard my Lady Queen that these beings are neither good nor bad. However they usually have an inclination to serve their own purposes."
"Thats helpful" Sarah muttered. " Did Jareth mention that he had a shapeshifter ally?"
"No he did not my Lady Queen."
"Interesting"Sarah said.