Even since the clock struck thirteen, the Labyrinth had lingered on in Sarah's mind, despite her attempts to cast it aside. It had never been easy—giving up memories never was—and at times over the last seven years, she caught herself on the verge of remembering the hours she spent Underground. Some things had been easier to push aside than others, but the outlier, and the trickiest of all to leave behind, had always been the Goblin King. Sarah had only known him as an enigmatic figure, wreathed in magic and mayhem, something beautiful yet terrifying all the same. The terrible beauty remained, but in the time since their reunion, the mystery surrounding the monarch lessened in increments.

For example, Jareth's room, despite the mysterious nature of its owner, offered a glimpse of life beyond mere surface-level assumptions. More precisely, there were hints of the Goblin King all around the space, scatterings of personality that caught Sarah's attention once she woke the morning after her last conversation with Jareth. Papers were strewn across the ornate desk, for example, suggesting that Jareth actually did some sort of work within his realm. The cushions of the couch in front of the fireplace were rumpled, as if someone had slept upon them and failed to straighten up afterwards. A door on the far side of the room stood slightly ajar, allowing a glimpse of glittering fabrics that caught the morning light.

All of these small pieces were clear examples of a humanity that Jareth never outwardly displayed. It felt strange to think of her childhood adversary as someone with a life beyond villainous intent, but the details surrounding her showed otherwise. Yet, the mystery of the king remained, complicated by his words and deeds of both past and present. In Sarah's eyes, he still remained a trickster, neither good nor evil but somewhere amid the chaotic in-between of morality. What did that make her, now that she had magic? Much like her view of the Goblin King, Sarah felt as though she could not see herself as she had before. She was no longer the same young girl hell-bent on saving Toby, and she could not claim to be an ordinary teacher at this point in her adventure. Magic, it seemed, had created some new Sarah, and she could not help but wonder who this new person would become.

Someone knocked, and she cleared her head of magic and kings as the door opened, and a streak of white and gray bounded into the room with a joyous cacophony of barks. Ambrosius wasted no time in leaping onto the bed, and he wagged his whole body as he pelted a laughing Sarah with licks. Sir Didymus, however, was less amused by such antics as he entered the room. "Ambrosius! Get down from there, before you hurt the fair lady!"

Ever obedient despite a whine of dismay, the sheepdog returned to the floor and settled instead for sitting at the edge of the bed. Sarah could not resist the pull of his doe-eyed look, and scratched him behind the ears. "Hi buddy," she cooed as his tail thumped against the floor, "I missed you too." Glancing up, she directed her smile to her visitors. "It's good to see all of you again!"

She did not exaggerate, as her two friends looked healthier than they had in the days since she had first seen them. Both Sir Didymus and Hoggle smiled as they stepped through the doorway, but they did not possess the same unfiltered joy as their friend. Instead, the two looked more relieved than pleased, although the knight's boisterous nature made it appear otherwise. He moved to stand beside his steed as he clasped a paw to his heart. "My lady! It brings me great joy to see thee in good health!"

"We was worried about you." Hoggle hung back from his companions, as if being closer to the door provided him needed security. He cleared his throat, and spoke again in a stronger voice that faltered as he went along. "After what happened with the goblin market...you touched that peach and we...I thought we..."

"We must apologize, my lady," Didymus said as he removed his cap. His paws worried the brim of the fabric. "T'was our faults that thou fell into danger in the first place. I am a sorry excuse for a knight, when I let the fairest and kindest lady in the Labyrinth nearly perish on my watch. I can only beg for thine forgiveness."

"It's not any of your faults! There's nothing to apologize for, I promise. Honestly, if anything, it's my fault." As both dwarf and knight opened their mouths to argue, Sarah cut them off with a shake of her head. "No, seriously, if there's anyone we can blame, it's me for taking off that blindfold too early...and for not speaking up sooner about feeling strange. We could have avoided this if I was more open with you both."

Hoggle and Sir Didymus fell silent, as the latter looked back at the former, who shuffled closer. "I won't ask why you never mentioned it," Hoggle said, "it won't change anything. But Sarah, I...we thought you were gonna die, right in front of us. After everything we'd been through, we couldn't even help keep you safe from one lousy peach."

Sarah abandoned scratching Ambrosius to take the dwarf's hand within her own, a movement that made him jump at her touch. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I never wanted to worry you. There's a lot that's happened lately, and a lot of it I'm still trying to figure out. I spent a lot of time doing it on my own, but I think it's time to let people in. You both trust me, and I need to trust you."

Sir Didymus plopped his hat back onto his head, reached out, and placed a paw in with his companions. Some of his worry evaporated into a softer emotion, with a smile that carried a gentle, understanding warmth. "Not to worry, my lady," he said, "we are here to help! The Underground may be unbalanced, but we still are thy friends. Thou will always have us at thy side."

Hoggle nodded, yet he could not meet Sarah's eyes. Instead, his free hand balled into a fist, and he slowly shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, before thinking better of it and closing it again. Something warred just below the surface of his being, and she wondered briefly if it was something she had said that brought on such discord. Yet in an instant, such tension disappeared. Hoggle instead caught her look, and banished any outward angst from sight as he did his best to smile. Whatever he hid within him, whatever troubled him, vanished before her questioning gaze.

Now, however, was not the time to investigate, so instead Sarah withdrew her hand from the group. "Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Like I said, it's been a weird couple of days, not including the fact that everything's suddenly...well, magically complicated."

"Is it true then, my lady? Does thou truly possess magic?"

"I guess so." She raised a hand in front of her, examining as if she could find some sign of magic beneath her fingertips. Nothing looked out of place, nor did she see some indication that her body now thrummed with power. On the contrary, she felt more ordinary than changed or special. "I'm not sure why or how, but it's there, somehow. Well, it is according to Jareth."

"If His Majesty says it is true, then it must be so," murmured Didymus, unable to keep his awe from seeping into his voice. "He would know best, after all. 'Tis he who devoted the last few days to keeping thee with us."

"What do you mean?"

"The rat's been locked in this room ever since we got here, and he wouldn't let anyone in until today. Strictly forbid it under royal orders, actually. No one saw him until he came out yesterday and said you're fine." Concern buoyed Hoggle's tone, as he added, "He's a slippery fool, but he does know more about magic than anyone else in the Underground."

"Our lady was in good hands, master Hoggle. After all, this is the second time His Majesty has saved a friend of mine." Didymus wriggled his eyebrows at Hoggle with his last remark, as if to prove a point. "Does thou now regret thy dour judgement of his character?"

"Ha! Of course I don't! If anything, we owe him more than ever." Turning back to Sarah, he failed to notice—or perhaps he blatantly disregarded—her amusement at their bickering. "Which reminds me, rumor's gone around the castle that he's helping you control whatever you got."

She took the opportunity to sit up in bed, relieved that the aches and pains of the prior day did not bother her actions. "Well, they're not wrong. Jareth and I made a deal: he'd teach me to use whatever this power is that I have, and in return the three of us have to go with him to find someone called the Oracle."

"The Oracle?!"

An unconcerning observer might have found the reactions in the room amusing, for Hoggle and Didymus gaped at their friend with unison exclamations. Ambrosius whined and put his nose between his paws, seeming to understand the gravity of the word. Sarah, however, only raised an eyebrow. "I guess you guys have heard of her?"

"Only in stories," said Didymus, "and usually the most terrifying tales. The Oracle is said to be fickle and unable to be found. Why would His Majesty want to visit her?"

"And why," Hoggle added, "would he want to come with us?"

She could only shrug in reply. "Something about her having answers, something about it being related to our quest. Whatever the case, he seems to think it's urgent to seek her out."

"Perfect. Just when I thought I could escape the rat for good, he decided to tag along."

"Friend Hoggle, be grateful His Majesty is well enough to assist! Thou knows that he has done much to keep us all alive."

As Hoggle grumbled under his breath, Sir Didymus stiffened. "Oh! Forgive me, my lady, but we were supposed to bring thee to His Majesty. Mayhaps it has to do with what thou mentioned about training. In any case, we shall await outside the door until thou makes thyself decent."

With a quiet command to Ambrosius—who raised his head for one last scratch under the jaw—Sir Didymus led his canine companion out of the room. Hoggle followed at his heels, but paused to glance back at Sarah. "Er, Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"...Ah, it's nothing. Just glad to see you well. Never been good with all the mushy stuff." He laughed, a whisper of humor that struggled from his lungs, as he turned away. The dwarf, and her first friend in the Underground, was gone before she had time to respond.

Yet, in the moments after his departure, Sarah swore to herself that Hoggle had looked at her with fear in his wide eyes…

The castle at the edge of the goblin city felt never-ending, as if the Escher room Sarah once ventured through encapsulated every architectural inch around her. If Jareth's room offered a piece of personality, then his castle served only to bring up new questions, and new mysteries to envelop her concept of the Goblin King. It did not help that, as she followed her companions through the long halls, eyes watched her movements. Around every corner was a goblin—less menacing than the ones encountered in the forest, but similar enough to make Sarah shiver at their gazes. If their reverent expressions unnerved her before, the silent devotion they paid disturbed her.

Hoggle, ever vigilant, caught the way she gripped her red book tighter. "Don't pay 'em any mind," he whispered from her side. "Goblins are mainly fools—you're nothing but new and shiny to 'em."

"Do they know about the magic?"

"Missy, I think everyone knows about the magic. What I want to know is why you've got that old book. Is it special to you or something?"

"Something like that," she muttered with a snort of a laugh. "It's definitely a book that's impossible to forget."

Her sarcasm did little to relieve the mood, however. Anxiety pursued Sarah down the hall all the way to two large oaken doors, whose wood stood carved in motifs of snarling beasts and sharpened claws. Here, amid the quiet watch of three goblins, Hoggle and Sir Didymus came to a stop. The knight was the first to speak. "His Majesty is out these doors in the courtyard, awaiting thy presence. Friend Hoggle and I were told not to disturb him once we brought thee here."

The carvings of wild eyes bore into Sarah, who struggled to pull herself from their path. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"My lady, thou will be fine. Besides, we would be of no use to thee for magic. If Ludo were here, he mayhaps be able to assist thee." Didymus patted Ambrosius on his head, as if the dog were the one worried about Ludo's whereabouts. "Alas, we know nothing of magic. Thou wilt be in fine hands with His Majesty, and we will prepare to embark on our new quest."

She looked to Hoggle for further reassurance, but he only shrugged. "Magic ain't something I've had good experiences with, but you learning is better than nothing. If you need someone to hold onto that book there though, I can at least do that."

"Oh, but...you know what, sure, take it. Just don't panic if it disappears." The book traded owners, just as the doors let out a bone-shaking groan and swung inward. "I guess that's my cue."

Sir Didymus seized upon the opportunity with a gentle shove. "Good luck, my lady!"

"Wait—hold on!"

Despite his size, the fox could be quite pushy, and within the span of a handful of seconds, Sarah stood on the other side of the now-closing wooden doors. It felt like mockery as they shut with a final, non-negotiable thud.

"So much for chivalry," she muttered to the wood.

The sight of the courtyard quickly banished any other thoughts, as she turned to examine the new location. What greeted her eyes was not at all the grandiose or ostentatious space of her expectations. Instead, the courtyard was no bigger than her apartment, hugged on all sides by the gray stone walls of the castle. The orange sky above remained unbroken by clouds, illuminating all in an eternal sunset. Even with the snug atmosphere, everything before her held some strange, newfound glow, or some unusual beauty enhanced by her eyes. Bushes of blooming roses ringed the courtyard perimeter in alternating pops of reds and whites. Yet, her focus rested on the cobblestone square, whose bricks were laid out in a pattern of black and white that went unidentified. Perhaps if she saw it from above, its image would be clear, but from her grounded position it provided only mystery.

Enthralled with the unexpected peace amid the chaotic castle, Sarah's eyes nearly skipped over the figure in the middle of the courtyard's pattern. He was silent with his back facing her, his attention occupied with something small and red sticking out of a nearby rosebush. As she drew closer, she bit back a laugh, recognizing what exactly the object was as she spoke. "You can just leave it there. It's no use moving it when it has a mind of its own half the time."

"Peculiar thing," she heard Jareth remark. He turned to face her, forgetting about the book a few feet away. "Mysteries seem to just crop up in your path."

The two stood apart, unsure how to broach the engulfing silence that stretched between them. Dressed once more in black, the Goblin King regarded Sarah with a tilt of his head. "So. You've come."

His voice betrayed, at least to Sarah's ears, an unexpected uncertainty. "Did you not expect me to come?"

"I make it a habit to not presume anything about you, Sarah Williams." Jareth studied her with those piercing eyes, and yet the intensity was absent. On the contrary, he appeared today to have his mind elsewhere, separated from the usual intrusive nature of his personality. Despite this lapse, she felt her pulse quicken under the scrutiny, and at the near-purr of her name. "You are," he continued after his pause, "after all, absolutely unpredictable."

Was it meant to be a compliment? A statement of fact? Regardless, she pushed onwards with a response. "That's rich coming from you. I didn't think you were the type of guy to have a rose garden."

The banter seemed to reorient the Goblin King, who rolled his eyes with a sigh. "I did not bring you here to admire flowers. This is a place away from eyes and ears, which makes it ideal for anyone to learn without the pressure of an audience."

The glint of Jareth medallion caught Sarah's gaze, and suddenly she recognized the pattern inlaid on the cobblestone under her feet. The same sideways 's' that rested on the familiar necklace stretched out to cover the entirety of the courtyard. "So...what exactly is this place?"

"This was once the physical center of the Labyrinth, before everything changed. Despite that, there is still a strong connection to magic, and therefore it is an ideal location for what you wish to learn. Tell me though, what do you know of magic?"

Sarah rustled through her memories. "Well, not much. Hoggle and Sir Didymus said they're made of magic, and I've seen you and Maria use it a few times. I know magic is fading from the Underground, but that's about it."

"It is still a start." Jareth smirked and held up a hand, as a flawless crystal sphere appeared between his fingers. The fresh scent of mint hung in the air, intruding upon the mesmerizing sight of Sarah's reflection across the ball's surface.

"Magic," he said as he rolled the orb from one hand to the other, "is not something that can be perfected. It is not a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, nor a palm reader seeking fortunes. It is not a weapon, and not a tool. Magic is the energy that allows the Underground to exist, and gives life to those who live here. All things have magic—being made from the magic of the ground they walk—but only some have power. Your friend, the rock-caller, is a fine example. With his power, he can interact with nature to an extent."

Sarah remembered Ludo's howl, still fresh in her mind despite the seven years that had passed, and recalled how the rocks and boulders around him obeyed his summons. Her thoughts felt clumsy and slow, however, compared to the motions of Jareth's spellbinding fingers. "So you and I have power and magic? I had no idea there was a difference."

"For us, there is little difference, as both are intertwined. What you now have is the ability to...attune yourself to the Underground, so to speak. There is a personal magic within you, and it is your power. You can channel the power within you, amplify it with the magic of this world, or—with enough experience—pour your power back into the Labyrinth. Magic and power is a type of sense, but a strongly united one. Perhaps you've noticed that the world appears differently to your eye?"

"Yeah, things are brighter and more detailed. It's almost like I can see further, or see more."

"That is an effect of the power that runs through your veins, as it enhances your senses. While there is much that I could say regarding power, I suspect it may be better to keep things simple today."

With a flick of the wrist and a cloud of glitter, the crystal disappeared, and Sarah blinked and rubbed at her eyes. Yet, the intensity in Jareth's eyes lingered on the empty space where the ball once lay. "Humans are not made for magic—you know how it hurts, to have such power carve its way through your veins. Using power, harnessing magic, all of this overwhelms the senses. The effects of magic use are sensory, and produce different reactions for different individuals. My mother, for example, leaves chalk dust behind on all she touches. For myself—"

"Is it mint?" Sarah never meant to speak her thoughts aloud, but as the Goblin King turned upon her, she felt the need to continue. "I smelled mint yesterday, and just now too."

Perhaps he had not expected her to notice, as Jareth's eyebrows raised in momentary surprise. "Yes, it is the smell of mint, although I'm not sure why. In any case, you too should have a unique reaction to magic, although I haven't witnessed anything noticeable."

First came the cold slide of realization locking into place. Jareth missed this, but the reaction of Sarah clapping a hand to her mouth did not go unnoticed. A sly smile inched over his face. "You're turning red, precious. My, it must be quite the experience to make you react like this."

She took a breath, wrestling panic back into place in favor of outward composure. Removing her shaking hand from her face, she heard her voice as if from far away. "I thought it was a dream, but I swear I keep tasting peach juice."

If anything, watching her fluster into calm only made Jareth's grin wider. "Well, isn't that ironic. I thought you enjoyed peaches. You certainly relished the one I gave you back in the day."

"You mean the one you used to drug me," Sarah shot back. "I stopped having a taste for them after that whole ordeal."

"It was nothing more than harmless fun, a little bit of wish fulfillment." The Goblin King appeared to ignore her growing anger, and chose not to antagonize her further with yet another conversational pivot. "Besides, that sort of magic is difficult to perform, especially for myself at the moment. Perhaps you'll learn one day, but until then, let's start with something simple."

Another flick of the wrist, and another crystal appeared in Jareth's hands. He held this one up on the tip of his finger, peering through as it magnified his eye. "We are not gods," he continued, "nor are we all-powerful. We hold great ability, but like all magic in the Underground, it relies on the wishes and dreams that fuel this realm. Thus, you must employ both to bring what you want to reality. Envision it, make it real in your mind, and focus upon channeling the dreams and wishes of the Labyrinth through yourself."

"So...I have to wish really hard to make things real?"

"You've done it before, haven't you? You've said the right words, and you've believed them enough to make what you wanted real. All you need to do is think the right words, precious. Surely you can do that."

She opened her mouth to argue, but the words refused to come. The years of refusing to wish had ingrained themselves deep within her head, to the point that even thinking of saying the word aloud made her panic. She hoped that Jareth could not see her inward wrestle with such a task, especially as she spoke. "I...I'll give it a shot. You make it look and sound so easy."

Just like the first, the second crystal popped from existence like an elaborate bubble, earning a chuckle from Jareth. "I've had two centuries to practice. Eventually, it all becomes second-nature, but you'll never get there unless you keep at it."

"Alright, let's give it a shot."

A warm wind blew through the courtyard, ruffling rose petals as Sarah squared her shoulders and closed her eyes. In her mind, she pictured the crystal Jareth held before, and imagined it resting in the palm of her hand. His directions had been unclear, but Jareth obviously expected something to happen, unless he meant for her to stand in place like a fool. Yet, she too found few words to describe the prickling sensation that began to take hold of her fingertips.

"Focus," Jareth urged, his voice warm and sonorous and half-registering through her concentration. "Make it true and real, turn the dream to a wish."

Sarah paid him little mind. There was a warmth in her veins, a pressure in the air that encased her being in a crushing embrace. Peach juice tasted sweet and fearful on her tongue, and she balled her free hand into a fist to keep from gagging. Her body felt like the dial of a radio, turning back and forth in an attempt to make contact with some signal amid an ocean of static. There was something just out of reach, some greater thing that she stood on the periphery of, right at the edge of falling. If she could just reach out, and make contact with it...

There came the feeling of latching on, as if two chains hooked together to be one. Suddenly, she felt stronger, with her thoughts clear and unblemished by other influences. Yet, the feeling was brief, for the moment she registered the shift, she felt a weight in her hand, and the lack of peach juice at the back of her throat. Whatever magic she tuned into vanished, leaving her oddly cold as she opened her eyes.

In her palm sat a lumpy little crystal, not quite round, but closer to a sphere than any other possible shape. With its opaque surface and gray coloring, it resembled a sad, slushy snowball.

"Well," Jareth said from behind her, where she could only hear his smile. "That was certainly an attempt."

"I felt something." Her voice felt strange in her throat, as if the hoarse sound she emitted was not her own. "Like I was part of something...bigger. Is that...does it always feel like that?"

"Sometimes."

A gloved hand reached from behind to tap upon the surface of the crystal, and Sarah watched as it dissolved with a feeble puff of glitter. "At least," she heard Jareth mutter, "it used to feel like that, before so much was lost."

Turning, she sucked in a breath at how close Jareth stood, and took a few steps back to give herself some needed personal space. The smell of mint and leather wafted from him, strong but not overpowering in their intensity. Yet it was once again his eyes that held her attention, both luminous despite their differing shades of blue. She felt as if she peered into his very soul within those eyes, seeing not the usual bombastic attitude, but something softer, something akin to sorrow. Like the tidbits from his bedroom, the emotions he held was just another piece of the puzzle that was the Goblin King, although she had no idea what it would reveal when complete. "You said it gets easier, right?"

"All things eventually do. You have the advantage of not learning everything on your own, at least. It makes it less likely for you to make mistakes that way."

"I always tell my students that we need mistakes. It's the only way we can learn to improve."

With that, the strange look evaporated from Jareth, although he did not break her gaze as his eyebrows furrowed. "Truly the words of a teacher-turned-student. But I suppose you're right. You will eventually succeed as I do, despite the uncertainty of the time we have to train."

Sarah could not help but grin, thinking of the last time she raced against the clock to accomplish the impossible. A new desire flared in her chest, crowding out the years of panic and worry. Now, there remained only the drive to prove herself. "Time limits haven't stopped me before, Jareth. What makes you think they'd stop me now?"

The smile Jareth displayed was the same from the day before, a brief glimpse into something beyond mockery or surface-level amusement. "Well then, let's try it again."

Once more there was the taste of peach juice in Sarah's throat. This time, she did not panic.

From the nearby bush, the little red volume stood guard over the learning, until an unfortunate breeze knocked it onto the cobblestone. Unseen by either kingly or heroic eyes, it fell open, but the wind continued to blow and turn past the beginning of the story. Soon the familiar words gave way to blank pages, as the breeze died down and the fluttering of paper ceased. However, what no one saw, what all failed to see, were how the pages failed to remain blank for long. For under the watch of the sun, words in black ink began to appear, as if the Labyrinth itself wrote the tale unfolding before all.

And so the teacher becomes the student, and the magical glittering man becomes the teacher!

I want to first apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out (remember when I said it would be out a month ago? I really need to stop giving myself deadlines I can't meet...). Part of it I can chalk up to moving, and part of it comes from the function of this chapter. This is the point where, as excited as I am to start talking about magic, I also have to make sure it makes sense to someone besides myself. Not only that, but I can't have Jareth just spout worldbuilding exposition the entire time! It took a few drafts to get to a nice balance of plot and worldbuilding, and to begin to understand just how magic works within the Underground. There's more to it than what's presented here, but be patient. We, like Sarah, will learn more in time.

Speaking of magic, I need to give some inspirational credit to Michael Scott's series "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel," which also has magic tied to the senses (in his case, only colors and smells-no correlation between this and the chapter title, however. That's actually a tip of the hat to Terry Pratchett). It's been years since I read the books, but the idea of magic that smells of mint stuck around in my head, and inspired a contrasting experience to the sweet taste of peaches that Sarah goes through. Fun fact though: originally in my drafts, Jareth's magic smelled of cinnamon, and Sarah tasted honey instead of peach juice! Once I changed the latter, the former changed to better match. After all, there is that "romance" tag that I have to get to. ;)

This note is getting longer than I anticipated, so I'll cut my ramblings short. Thank you to all reviewers so far! It's really wonderful to see people enjoying the story so far, especially when the best stuff is still to come! The next two chapters are going to be a bit wonky (lots of character development rather than plot development, sort of the opposite of the last nine chapters), but I'm aiming to have CH 11 done a month from now. Here's hoping I can accomplish that!

Until next time.