Chapter 3:

The Power of the Labyrinth

Breakfast was fairly uneventful in retrospect, but Sarah just had so many burning questions about the Labyrinth and her friends and most importantly why she was back now. So when a goblin came to speak to Jareth in an urgent manner before causing him to rise suddenly from his chair, she couldn't help but perk up at the possibility of something interesting happening that might give her some clue as to why she was needed in the Labyrinth.

"We need to go." He said to Sarah offering a hand which she ignored. He brushed that off as she stood and followed him out and down.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked him in confusion, to which he just looked at her with his mismatched eyes with an unusual look that she didn't quite know how to name.

"A child has been wished away."

Down the long hallways they went, into the central room that functioned much as a viewing area Sarah could just barely remember from that dream she had looked into while she was visiting home. "Stay here. Look into this if you wish." Jareth spoke turning on his heel to stop her just as they entered the room. In his outstretched hand he held the crystal which she had seen so many times before and without really knowing why she took it from him and he was gone in that instant.

"You have so much explaining to do." Sarah muttered to herself as she looked away from the crystal in her hand, not wishing to be suddenly brought back into old and confusing dreams as she had been before. The weight of it felt different from before, in her old room it had seemed heavier and now it was almost as though she held a solid soap bubble. Why on earth did this all come back now? It was almost as though she were more in a dream now than a reality, and a spike of something much like fear went through her at the possibility of it.

Before she could think to contemplate her own question a goblin appeared before her, holding a child that looked scared and confused, with tears running down their face. A pang of guilt hit her in the chest, realizing this must've been how Toby had felt as a babe, and something deep within her let her know that she had once felt that confusion as well. All she could think to do now was to protect this child, to make them feel safe much as Ezequiel did so many years ago.

On sheer instinct Sarah reached a tentative hand towards the child; a young boy with dark hair, not an older than possibly two or three years old. The boy did not shy away and let her run a soothing hand on his head to calm him. The goblin passed the boy to her before running off, muttering of preparations and protections as she took the boy close to her. She could remember holding Toby as such after one of his true nightmares, talking of things within the darkness. She walked over to the throne where she did not know Jareth usually sat and talked soothingly to this young boy who reminded her so much of her brother whom she had wished away until he had stopped crying and all but fallen asleep.

"You are far more skilled than our usual goblin caretakers." Came that voice from across the room. Sarah looked up and moved her hair back behind her ear.

"Was... was I wished away? Is that why you wanted me to see my dreams so badly?" She could not resist asking the question that she had let herself forget in the last few days of traveling and confusion. Jareth stood in a calm silence but his mismatched eyes gave away the answer she had been searching for. "I'm not supposed to remember then. Then why does Toby? And the man, that Zee... he was your father."

Sarah shifted the young boy she held who had drifted into a much needed sleep. She realized that familiar clock had appeared in the room as well. "You are much younger than I always assumed you to be."

"Time is a very strange thing Sarah." Jareth said with a small smile. He knew she would work it out on her own given enough time- but would she be willing to earn the rest of the story? "Here, in the Underground, it is much different especially. You have seen that well enough, given certain perimeters the magic of the Labyrinth can bend time as it chooses."

"You have changed Jareth." Sarah said, almost an echo of her personality in the Labyrinth nearly eight years ago. That defiance, the strong willed-ness.

"You have changed as well. The Labyrinth changes us all almost completely as it does itself." Jareth replied and Sarah rolled her eyes at the fact he had fallen back into speaking through riddles.

"In that memory dream, my mother went down and the Labyrinth became simple for her." Sarah said, pointing out the obvious he had known she would try to dispute. "But when I chose down it was a mistake. It was a whim. And then I had to start all over."

Jareth contemplated as he went over to check on the child in her arms. "There are lessons that the Labyrinth likes to teach the runners." He took back the crystal and turned it to show a young man with dark hair to match the boys, his father most likely. "The runners almost never truly wish to send away the children. Most of the time there is a conflict within their own life they do not realize they must overcome. For the child, these adventures are supposed to be nothing more than a dream. A child with a vivid and almost dare I say dangerous imagination."

"What happens when they decide they do not want to run?" Sarah asked quietly.

"We give them a home. We try our best to, anyway. There are many creatures in the Underground Sarah, and not all homes are what one might normally think. Some take on new forms, new roles, and work to make sure that other wished away children are protected. Take your family's pet Merlin for example. He is an awfully old dog now isn't he? And do you remember when your family got him?"

"It was... right about the time my mother left." Sarah realized, wondering how it had never occurred to her before.

"And he has been around since I was a child, given the name of Ambrosius, a good friend of a certain Sir Didymus if I do believe." Jareth offered to her.

"I had almost forgotten of him... of everyone really... I stopped seeing them a few years ago." Sarah said sadly. She could remember the last time she had tried to call on her old friends whom she had been so unsure of their actual existence. They never came and hadn't since then.

"I realize you have many questions Sarah, and I am willing to give answers as I can but there are things to attend to first." Jareth said, carefully lifting the boy out of her arms. "We must first move him to a more comfortable bed and then we must go into the Labyrinth so that I can explain more."

After they had dropped off the young boy in a homely looking to be watched over by kinder goblins. Sarah looked to Jareth, seeing him peer through one of his crystals as the woman whom this child was kin to faced the aggravating challenges of the Labyrinth. It was such an abrupt change of scene- the soothing sleep of this child as opposed to the stony, harsh lines of the Labyrinth. She felt embarrassment remembering how hard it had been to even enter into the main part of the Labyrinth, to look past the appearances of the rough outer wall and enter into beauty of the inner Labyrinth.

And... now that she thought of that, she realized how superficial she had been before that test. When she had thought about acting, she always thought of gorgeous actresses in beautiful clothing with perfect hair and makeup. They always showed the most beautiful emotions onscreen while being lovely and elegant. She had always wanted to be that pretty- she had obsessed with makeup and dress-up. Since then she had managed to let go of a few things, and with her focuses not so pointed in on appearances she had more time on her hands, and she really got to appreciate the ways that she could act- and write. More time and focus let her get into college and win a scholarship, and she knew she would be a much different person had she not been changed by the Labyrinth. She would've never gotten away from home.. never met her best friend.

Coming back into focus Sarah took a moment to take in her surroundings. They had been walking through the normal, more green gardens of the palace and it now felt as though they were walking into autumn itself, and she felt a small smile as she recognized signs of winter further down the path. A chill began to permeate the air and Sarah realized some of the perks that a cloak such as Jareth's could have, aside from adding to the mysterious and handsome look. As if reading her mind and sensing her shivering, he moved to take off his cloak but she stopped him.

"No- that's far to cliche." Sarah said, trying to remember the anger she had had before this morning as a small smile slipped onto her mouth. "I'm fine. Thank you though."

Although he put back on his own cloak she felt a thick soft fabric cover her arms and shoulders and sturdier shoes replace her more flimsy flats. She looked over a long sleeved green sweater and shawl that had appeared on her torso and arms as if by magic, and of course, it was by magic. "Where are we going?" She asked finally as snow sprinkled in then began to fall more heavily as they walked.

"We are going to meet an old friend, as I mentioned before." Jareth said slowing his pace slightly in the snow. She sped up to match his pace, tired of lagging behind. She was still as spirited as she had been so many years ago, and kindnesses aside she wasn't about to let go of how rude he had been before, how hurt she had felt after leaving the Labyrinth and how much she had needed to adapt to her new perspectives on life.

"Sir Didymus- I thought that he lived in the B-" Sarah started but was cut off.

"You do not honestly believe that he truly lives in a Bog of Eternal stench?" Jareth said giving her a vaguely concerned and defensive look. "He lives on the edge of spring up the path, working with both winter and spring in a balance. He works closely with the avian wise-man you met once before. His presence in the Bog was to that of a lesson of taking responsibility of your actions for you and Hoggle." Sarah took notice of his proper use of names and explanations he gave to make points. She studied him a moment, trying to decide if he was being fully honest or just trying to impress her. She decided to let the matter drop for now and looked through the forests.

"Why did you bring me back here?" She asked after a few moments of silence. She had mixed feelings about everything and here she was once more, wondering why her, and falling back into that old rhythm. It's not fair. Life isn't fair. But it was fair... she had agreed to be here for one day, to get answers. "You were so cruel to me and all my friends here, and you made it so hard for me to walk through. You drugged me and tried to seduce me when I was only 15, to turn my baby brother into a goblin.

Jareth was silent and they walked onward through the thick snow. She was thankful for his small gifts to her but could not let go of the past without an explanation.

"You are special, Sarah." He said after in-taking a deep breath. He glanced to her, his odd colored eyes bright against the cold of the snow. "You had been here before, and you always kept that sense of imagination. It was heartbreaking that the only way you came back here, the only way that you returned was for the wrong reasons."

His jaw clenched and unclenched, showing his anger and confusion of that time before. "My father kept an eye on you, and sent Ambrosius to help you. I grew up knowing that you were special but my father never explained why. I had been given this built up image of you only to have it roughly torn down by the reality of a spoiled child convinced that life wasn't fair."

His words hit her oddly hard, and she recognized it was true. Only a moment ago had she thought those exact words.

"I was angry and I let that emotion interfere with the workings of the Labyrinth. I wanted to test you, to see you fail and let all of that image disappear, but everything I threw at you, you overcame." Jareth explained, coming to a stop. "That was wrong for me to do. And I'm sorry for doing that to you. But you know what it's like to let your emotions fall into control, and to let your own loss and betrayals take over your actions, don't you?"

She knew that he knew the answer to that, but it still hurt too much to think about her mother. Up ahead she could see a cottage and the sight of colorful flowers.

"What did your father think that I was going to be? I was just a child. Nothing special." Sarah said keeping her eyes focused on the ground as the snow melted under their feet.

"He was sure that you were our Believer. Our Chosen One. Our Caretaker. The next one to take care of those who are lost and cast away." Jareth said. "I would leave you be if things had not gotten so bad here."

"Bad- what do you mean?" Sarah asked but the door to the cottage opened before she could receive an answer, and they were greeted by Sir Didymus himself.

Sir Didymus offered Sarah a small and greying paw to shake, and glancing behind him she recognized the same kooky old man she had once met with a bird on his head, working away at a table full of glass bottles, papers, and ingredients she didn't recognize. His fingers moved nimbly and quickly among the ingredients and she wondered if this was truly the same man she had met eight years ago in the twists and turns of the Labyrinth's gardens.

"It is so good to see you my Lady." Didymus said ushering them into the small cottage. The cottage was small but reminded one of home, with warm colors blending like the outside world did, transitioning winter into spring and back again. Fresh greenery was planted in pots and vases throughout the small house and all about them the magic of the Labyrinth shown through in every crack and crevice. The more one looked around the room the more that the small house showed signs of being different from her world.

He gave a pointed look to Jareth before continuing. "And in such good timing with the task at hand. We have been preparing for the upcoming battle where we shall fight most valiantly!"

"Fight? Who said anything about a fight?" Sarah asked with concern.

"She doesn't know about that yet." Jareth interjected calmly, moving into the room more. "We were just about to go into more detail when you greeted us. Perhaps this is better suited to you and Sir Avian to explain however." The energy of the room shifted and Sarah could feel that awkwardness of being the only one in a room who didn't know something, and she watched as Sir Didymus moved to speak with the man she presumed to be Sir Avian.

"I would've hoped you'd have explained this to her before bring her here Jareth. You are so erratic with your actions at times." Sir Avian spoke and Sarah's eyes widened slightly to hear him speak a full sentence without falling asleep. "Come and sit my dear, and I shall explain."

Sir Didymus went to go put a kettle of water over the fire and Jareth moved to the window, looking out at the winter side of the forest broodingly, hiding what Sarah was surprised to recognize as embarrassment.

"She is so strong willed and hard headed that if I did not let her believe I was being selfish she would've never believed me." He said defensively, jaw clenching and unclenching as he turned to look at them again. Didymus brought out cups and sugar and went to check the fire. Sir Avian sat up slightly and waved a hand to send an old collection of dusty papers loosely bound into his hands from the bench he sat a before.

"For as long as we have lived in the Underground there has always been a Labyrinth, and with that Labyrinth the runners and its caretakers. No one is entirely sure who built the Labyrinth, but the architecture throughout represents many different races and time periods of the Underground, the most notable of which being the castle that was built by the goblins. I am certain they would enjoy to take credit for all the Labyrinth, but there is far too much old magic running through its veins for any one person to have created by themselves." Sir Avian began, settling into a rhythm as he poured tea into the mugs. He handed one to Sarah and she let the warmth of the cup sink into her hands as she took a small sip.

"The magic of the Labyrinth is unique in every way, and it flows through the walls and paths and into all who live there. Many wish to take the magic and to take the Labyrinth. For this we must fight and Sir Didymus and myself both know this well, for had we not been in touch with the magic it is likely we would've died many years ago in battle or of old age. No one is certain of its purpose- some say that it steals children's youth for power, other that it saves lost children, but I think the one thing that has remained true is the runners. The Labyrinth affects us all when a runner goes through in order to affect them properly, whether it is to create a great and terrible evil Goblin King, to make a crazy old man, or to create a coward." He said, giving the slightest of smiles. If that were true, Sarah realized, it would mean everything she knew had been wrong. Sir Didymus- her sweet yet cowardly knight… was someone completely different. And Jareth- what was he like without the influence of the Labyrinths magic? She made a mental note to talk to them all when a runner was not in the Labyrinth.

"You mentioned caretakers. And .. a Believer?" Sarah asked, her voice quieter with the realizations of what she thought to be true made her question all that she had known to be true about this land. She remembered the boy and that overwhelming desire to make sure he was safe.

"There are always two caretakers. Sometimes they are two men, or two women. Or one man and one woman. There have been caretakers who do not define themselves either way. They have been of many species. The most recent caretaker was Jareth's father, Ezequiel. The most recent believer was his mother, a woman of the fae kind. Since her death we have been unable to find a Believer to take her place, to keep the magic fresh in the Labyrinth." Sir Avian said carefully, taking Sarah's hand softly. "The magic has only been at half strength since Ezequiel died nearly 8 years ago now. It only comes close to full again when someone runs the Labyrinth, and in recent years those numbers have dwindled. We cannot fight the darkness that wishes to take over without full power."

Sarah looked to him concerned and confused, part of her wanting to help and part of her not wanting to get involved. Sir Avian took a breath.

"Sarah. We think, and Ezequiel thought that you are the next Believer."