(AN) Author's Notes: Once again folks it is the author of this story reading you all. In commemoration once again of my birthday being held today and as promised to my faithful readers I am uploading another chapter to celebrate this most common but special day that many of us do celebrate each year. I did answer or at least put some answers to a few questions as to why Sarah's predicament as a scullery maid has been made apparent.
Please keep in mind that it's important to read my author's notes from the top of the chapter page to the bottom because there might be some questions that I have given answers to for any of you that are still scratching your head and wondering what's going on throughout the story so far.
So without further Ado once again I present to you chapter eight enjoy reading and again reviews are welcomed don't hesitate to leave a review, especially a long one if you have some questions or comments to make on the story so far.
Disclaimer: All copyright right to Labyrinth 1986 musical fantasy film directed/created by Jim Henson, Dennis Lee with George Lucas as executive producer. Based on conceptual designs by Brian Froud, the film was written by Terry Jones. I also need to give credit and thanks to my new co-partner ElauraGrave who is helping me get this story off the ground so soon. All original characters AKA (OC's) belong to me © authoress smcandy I don't want to see anyone rip off/steal or take any of my original characters major to minor without my exclusive permission otherwise there will be consequences.
Warning: Reading of this story will go probably up from rated T to rated M later for mature scenes and scenarios and for mature audiences. This story is not meant for adolescents or children under the specific ages of 16. To all parents out there who are not monitoring their children what they read or do not have certain child block programs put up on their computer use publicly do not hold me accountable for what they find or read on the internet if they lie about their age. They should not be reading stories or content that are not in their proper age group. Do not seek to point blame at me when I give a warning of what the rating of the story is for the age group of readers. Readers you have been warned I do not want to be flamed or reported by your parents for your actions of reading material that was not meant for your eyes until you are appropriate to age!
Chapter 8: You have thirteen hours...
The walk to the kitchen revealed that the goblin king was not much of a decorator. The gray stone walls were in want of color, and the few wall sconces were more functional than ornamental. Sarah had never been inside a castle before, and her dash to the throne room the last time she had been inside the goblin keep hadn't afforded her much time to look around; Sarah's excitement was a little stifled by how dreary the whole place was. It was dim and dusty, and Sarah was almost happy she was entrusted with cleaning up the place.
The kitchen hadn't actually been that far from her bedroom, which Sarah was grateful for, considering all the stairs. When they entered the kitchen, it was already full with goblins. Every face turned towards her in unison. They were all frozen for a moment, eyes wide and mouths agape; Sarah wondered if she should say something; did they know she was the champion? Would they resist her? Would they be angry?
But, everyone returned to their task at hand as if they hadn't even noticed her. Sarah noticed there was all manner of chores being done; one cat-eared goblin was rinsing and bagging buckets of potatoes. Another green-skinned goblin was chopping vegetables. Yet another was stirring a comically large vat of soup.
Sarah remembered the list and pulled it out of her apron pocket. The first thing she had to do was fetch buckets of water for "boiling in the cauldron." Sarah looked around for said cauldron and found it on the far side of the kitchen; no one had bothered to clear the cobwebs away from the nook in which it was nestled.
The female goblin who had escorted her addressed her once more. "There's a well out back," she barked, motioning towards what must be the door Sarah was meant to take. "You should manage it in ten trips or so. Maybe eight or nine, what with you being able to carry more water than the usual goblin. Take these," she grunted, swinging two bulky, wooden buckets towards Sarah
Sarah slipped the list back into her apron pocket, took the buckets, and was on her way to make the first trip.
The rickety, wooden back door swung open and Sarah found herself…outside? The sky was its usual brown and dusty rose, flecked with speckles of navy blue. Below her lay a rather small yard surrounded by a high wall in disrepair; there were holes in it and several stones lay scattered about the courtyard where they had fallen. Before her was a flight of old stairs that, by the looks of the multiple, crooked nails sticking out of every board, had been repaired and re-repaired several times. She carefully made her way down the stairs, careful not to snag her dress on any of the nails. When she made it to the bottom of the staircase, she still couldn't tell if this was a walled-in castle courtyard or a proper back yard. The ground was so overgrown with weeds and vines that she couldn't tell if she was standing on cobblestone or solid ground. Either way she was happy it wasn't mud as she trekked on over to the well.
The well was like a wishing well straight from a fairytale picture book. It was constructed of mossy, stacked stones and had a pointy, wooden covering that protected the bulky pully system from any rain or weather. When Sarah pulled the thick chord to draw water from the well, the bucket far below was not very heavy; however, the well was very, very deep, and Sarah's muscles already ached from hoisting one bucket. When Sarah had filled both of her buckets, she noticed the light pouring in from the holes in the wall. What was on the other side, she wondered. Her curiosity urged her to abandon her task for a moment to look. Her adventurous spirit told her surely a few minutes to peek outside wouldn't hurt.
"I have to think of Hoggle," she spoke out loud, silencing her curious nature.
With buckets full and sloshing, Sarah made her first trip back to the kitchen.
The middle-aged goblin had been right; it took Sarah nine trips to fill the cauldron. When Sarah emptied her last bucket, she wiped sweat from her brow. Her back hurt from carrying the buckets and her hands were raw from pulling on the rough, frayed rope. Still, the work hadn't been nearly as grueling as she anticipated; she thanked her lucky stars that she was reasonably fit and had ridden her bike so often.
She tugged the list out of her pocket once more and gave a little gasp when she saw that the first task had been magically crossed off for her.
The second task simply said "scrubbing." As if on cue, the female goblin showed up and said, without acknowledging Sarah's completed task, "For your second task you'll be scrubbing down the throne room. An' the king expects you to tidy up while you're there, too." She instructed Sarah on where to find a nearby broom closet, and she provided her with a small bucket for soapy water. Sarah nearly recoiled when the goblin's grubby hand outstretched towards her, fingers wrapped around a small rectangle covered in a dingy cloth. Sarah took the item tentatively and drew back a corner of the wrappings; she was relieved to find it was just a bar of soap wrapped in a rag.
On the way to the broom closet, Sarah did her best to keep her thoughts from wandering. The urge to run around and explore was eating at her; she had to physically stop herself from dashing down a hallway just to see where it led. Was there really an Escher room? Or had he enchanted a regular corridor simply to thwart her? If space and physics were mixed up in one room, were there other rooms where she could walk on the ceiling?
Sarah pushed those questions from her mind and found the broom closet. Sarah was pleased to see that the closet well stocked and collected for herself a broom, dustpan, rags, and a scrubbing brush. These along with the mop, bucket, and soap she was given would have to do, because Sarah didn't think they had vacuum cleaners in the Underground.
"Though I'm sure he could magic this all away, if he really wanted to," Sarah grumbled under her breath.
Sarah realized, as her arms were overflowing, that she still had to fill her bucket with water and find the throne room. She dumped her pile of stuff on the floor next to the door, filled her bucket with water, plopped the bar of soap into it, and picked everything up once more. When she had everything balanced, she groaned again, realizing she had to find that goblin escort of hers in order to get directions to the throne room. Her search around the kitchen was thankfully brief, and she located the little beast seated behind a beer barrel peeling the very potatoes she had just seen washed and bagged.
Sarah did not try to hide her annoyance. "Excuse me, but could you please show me the way to the throne room? I don't know how anyone expects me to get anything done around here if I don't know where I'm going."
"You can't look where you're going if you don't know where you're going," rang the Junk Lady's words in her memory.
The goblin ignored Sarah's exasperation and wiped her hands on her apron. She grunted, a sound which Sarah took to mean "follow me," and headed off on her own. Sarah briskly followed, happy to have everything she needed already stacked in her arms.
The goblin was fast for her stature. Sarah scurried along to catch up. It wasn't long before Sarah found a familiar corridor; she recognized the area from her last visit. Still, Sarah let the goblin lead her the rest of the way.
They had barely crossed into the throne room when the goblin turned around and headed back out, barking, "Don't bother me unless I'm really needed."
Sarah spun around and shouted after her, "How am I supposed to ask for your help if I don't even know your first name?" If she had heard Sarah, she didn't let on, and continued to hobble away.
When Sarah turned back to the throne room, she took a proper look at it; a wave of déjà vu overcame her. A few chickens were strutting about, clucking and pecking at the dirt. There were stains that appeared sticky upon the floor, which Sarah assumed—and hoped—were just alcohol from one of the few beer fasses found in the corners of the room. Straw and dirt and even chicken dung covered both the room and the pit in the floor. Everything was dirty—except the throne. Sarah felt a strange sense of dread when she looked upon that throne and thought of what it represented. Either the goblins were, in fact, good at keeping order, or the king's threats were fearsome enough to keep his subjects from also tarnishing the royal throne. Sarah chuckled at the irony that she, supposedly now the lowest servant, was the only one allowed to touch the throne beside the king.
As Sarah laid out her tools to work, she secretly cursed that the Underground didn't have rubber gloves; she didn't want to catch any goblin germs.
She began with the sweeping, and then she got to folding the many blankets and rags (possibly clothing?) that were strewn about. Once she got started, it wasn't all that bad, and she worked as fast as she could, knowing that after this task, she would finally see Hoggle.
"How can he be called a ruler when this place looks like a barnyard? Pig-styes don't need kings. How can he be expected to rule if he can't keep his own throne room tidy?"
Sarah looked around for a trash can and found none. There wasn't even a bin to be found in the broom closet. So, she chucked piles of dirt through one of the windows, hoping no goblins were standing down below. Now all that's was left was the mopping and scrubbing.
Her trusty mop and bucket were no match for the grime of the goblins. It wasn't long before she had to change the water in her bucket, which was more time-consuming than she would have liked, and she would have to get on her hands and knees to scrub at everything the mop couldn't wash away. She changed the water yet again and got down on her knees. She was reminded of Cinderella, and how, no matter how bleak things were, Cinderella found a reason to be cheerful. She figured she should take a page from the Disney princess's book and started to sing Cinderella's song.
Sing sweet Nightingale
Sing sweet Nightingale
Aah Aah Aah Aah Aaaaaah
Sarah started with the throne before making her way to the floor. The soap that middle-aged goblin had given her turned out to be quite potent and had a surprisingly pleasant aroma that smelled like fresh pine.
Oh sing sweet Nightingale
Sing sweet Nightingale
Oh sing sweet
Sing sweet…
As Sarah dipped and re-dipped her cloth and brush, she noticed how many bubbles floated up out of the bucket. The soap was surprisingly sudsy, and Sarah hoped this meant it was extra clean as well.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, the goblin king stood at a window, staring. But, the king was not gazing out into his kingdom; instead, his eyes were fixed on the crystal in his hand. He had been watching Sarah for the better part of the day. He was waiting for her to cry, or to whine, or at least complain and put up a fuss, but the girl had surprised him, yet again. She had put her nose to the grindstone and gotten to work. And now she was singing? Where did this cheer come from? This was not the stubborn child he knew—or thought he knew.
The king huffed. Yet again, he was the one who had taken her for granted. When she ran the Labyrinth, he had been certain she would give up and abandon her baby brother. She was determined; he had to hand it to her.
"So, she learned her lesson. She's not the same child she was one year ago…" He huffed again. He was jealous that she could be so determined in the face of tribulation, and he was jealous she could be so determined just to see that ragtag group of so-called friends of hers. Why would she choose them over him anyhow? If she would just show him the same friendliness, the same…kindness, that she showed them, things could be so much different. Things could be better and easier. Was it too much to ask that she fear him and obey him? If she was willing to be his servant, why not just be his slave? And he would be hers in return.
For all the king's clever and cunning, he still did not understand why the girl refused his gifts and her dreams. It was so frustrating, so damn frustrating.
"How you turn my world you precious thing.
You starve and near exhaust me."
With a flick of Jareth's wrist, he made the crystal disappear and disappear himself; after all, the girl deserved a pat on the back for a hard days' work. He was gone in a cloud of glitter.
Back in the throne room, a song was making its way through the halls and into the ears of several goblins. Sarah's voice was echoing off the walls and bouncing through the castle. Red goblin eyes were wide with wonder. They all looked up, wondering where the beautiful tune could be coming from. As if almost in a trance, their little feet carried them down the corridors towards the song. They followed the melody, curious and innocent as little children.
Sarah scrubbed and scrubbed, unaware of the audience amassing behind her. Goblins were swaying to the music and smiling wide. Sarah was not a singer—and she knew it—but the goblins didn't. To them, her voice was new and refreshing. The only singing they had ever heard was from their monarch, who definitely was a singer—and he knew it.
Sarah stopped her singing to let out a long sigh; she was finished. She hummed as she scooped up her dustpan and broom and everything she needed to return to the closet. When she turned to leave, she was stopped in her tracks. About ten or so little goblins were blocking her path. They stared up at her with wide, blinking eyes and goofy, toothy grins. Sarah gave a nervous gulp; what did they want? She took a few steps forward, hoping they'd part the way for her, but they continued to stare expectantly. Sarah figured they meant her no harm, so she gave a little bow and introduced herself.
"Hello, I'm Sarah."
The goblins turned to one another and whispered. Looks of recognition passed between them; this was the champion of the Labyrinth. Many were confused as to why the girl who had defeated their king wasn't punished or turned into a toad yet.
"Why aren't you a toad yet?" asked a furry little goblin.
"Or a frog?" added another.
Sarah giggled. "I beat the king fair and square. There's no need for a punishment—unless he's a sore loser."
The goblins grinned wider, but were too fearful to laugh at their king. They admired her confidence and her bold, brazen way. "I'm very sorry if I surprised you all. I hope my singing wasn't bothersome."
The goblins looked around, confused; the king never apologized, and they didn't actually know how to respond to a proper apology. Should they apologize back? Is that what one did?
"I'd also like to apologize for the ruckus I made a year ago," she continued, figuring many of them had their homes destroyed by the rocks—and it couldn't help to have a few goblins on her side. "I was only trying to rescue my baby brother. The king had stolen him. And I know you were all just obeying orders when you tried to keep me from the castle. Can you forgive me?" Again, the goblins looked around, confused. Sarah sighed and finished. "Well, I'm a servant here, for now, and I'm here to help. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."
The goblins began to chatter among themselves excitedly. A few were even dancing in place.
A goblin raised his hand, happy to have someone with which he could use manners.
"Yes?" Sarah asked, gesturing to the scaly little thing.
"Why did you stop singing?" he asked innocently.
Sarah was surprised. Was her singing what brought them all to the throne room?
"It sounded like a nice tune," continued the same goblin. "Where did it come from? Did you write it?"
Sarah smiled. "No, I didn't write it. But it is a song from my world."
"Where's that?" croaked a taller goblin.
"My world is the realm of humans. Do you know it?" Sarah wondered if any of them had been there that night that Jareth kidnapped Toby. Enthusiastic nods and smiles told her that they did know it, and they all started to take eager steps towards her, more questions and comments at the ready. Sarah glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was midday already. Sarah thought her audience was sweet, but she had to get to Hoggle now.
"It was very nice to meet you all. I have to go, if you'll excuse me." She tried, politely as she could, to walk through the crowd of goblins who didn't quite get the memo that they should let her pass.
"Maybe next time, you can ask me more questions, or maybe I can sing you something new." The goblins giggled and gave little cheers, expressing their pleasure. Some of them tried to tug at her skirt as she walked by, attempting to be drug around like they were with their king.
"But, you have to behave. Don't be too naughty now, and I can come back and play another time." Some had released her skirt, but she was still having to wade through the knee-high crowd. "I have lots of fairytales to tell. I've got a few with swashbuckling pirates, brave princesses, naughty princes, and even the occasional tale of a good goblin or two."
The goblins now parted the way, chattering even louder than before; they wanted to hear Aboveground stories, especially if they were about goblins.
One tiny, winged goblin was still hanging onto her ankle. His eyes were wide and almost teary; he didn't want the nice lady to go. Sarah bent down to speak directly to the little creature.
"I have to hurry. The king will be upset if I don't get a move on. You know what his wrath's like, don't you?" Sarah felt bad for the poor little thing; its wings were so ragged and torn, she wasn't sure he had ever flown a day in his life. It looked up at her, eyes even wider than before, and conjured up a small smile before it released her ankle.
Sarah took a step across the threshold, but realized she didn't quite remember the way back.
"Could someone direct me to the kitchen, please?" A few goblins hopped to the front of the group and spoke over each other cheerily. About three or four were speaking over each other, but between them all, Sarah got the gist of it. She thanked them and was on her way.
Sarah realized it was now the time she would finally see Hoggle. She stared to jog, but soon broke into a run and sprinted back to the kitchen as fast as her legs would carry her. When she skidded into the kitchen, the middle-aged female goblin was already there waiting her, her hands placed on her hips.
"Girl, if you were one moment later, it woulda been bad news for you. You need to get your work done! The king will inspect all the work you've finished, and sometimes 'e will bring you along with him; it'll be a lot easier for him to punish you for unsatisfactory work if you're already there," said the goblin, guffawing. Sarah thought befriending this particular goblin might prove to be difficult.
The goblin continued. "My name's Greta. Now that you've finished your first two tasks, you can get started on the third one; you're to accompany Hoggle.
Sarah's face lit up. She was so excited, she almost missed the instructions where to meet him. All she could think about was meeting her dear friend after so many long months. She walked briskly, using all her willpower to keep herself from running again. She pulled the list out to find her chore of scrubbing crossed off.
When Sarah looked up, she saw a familiar figure in the distance. She shoved the list back into her apron pocket and broke into a jog.
"Hoggle!" she cried.
Hoggle turned to her and his big, bushy eyebrows raised at the sight of his friend. He began to run towards her.
"Sarah!"
They scooped each other into a big bear hug, finally reunited.
"Oh, Sarah, I'm so glad you're ok. I'm so glad you're alive! I can't believe you're here, back in the Underground. Why are you back? Here? Oh Sarah…" Hoggle buried his face in her neck, squeezing her even tighter.
Sarah felt tears sting her eyes. "I'm glad to see you, Hoggle. I'm sorry I didn't call for so long." Sarah pulled away from the hug and looked around. "He could be watching—or worse, listening. Let's get walking towards our next task. I'll catch you up along the way." She gave his gnarled hand a soft squeeze. She told Hoggle everything as they walked along the dusty corridor dappled with light that streamed through the arrowslits. She told him about her date with Tom (leaving out the awkward parts), about everyone's memory but hers being altered, about the letter that had floated through her mirror.
"If I didn't come, I know he would've continued to interfere with my life. A first date is harmless enough compared to the rest of my life—and I guess he turned Tom back into a human. But what about the second date? Or God forbid he show up at my wedding. Eventually it's not going to be just my life he's ruining." Hoggle nodded.
They rounded a corner, stilling their conversation for a moment as a tall, armored goblin walked by. Once they were alone, Sarah continued her story and told him everything that had happened since she had arrived in the Underground, including how she ended up as a scullery maid.
"He was threatening you, Hoggle. You, and Didymus, and Ludo. I have to do what he says—or at least make him think I'm doing what he says, or else you guys are going to pay the price for my failure."
Sarah hung her head in shame. Her friends were in danger only because of her.
"Sarah, wait." Hoggle grabbed one hand and then the other. "Jareth is a rat. He hasn't threatened me at all, and I would've heard about it if he threatened Sir Didymus or Ludo. He's probably just blowing hot air to make himself look more threatening than he actually is." Sarah sighed.
"Maybe you're right. But I can't take his power for granted. If he really did want to hurt you, he could."
"Yes he could, but he didn't. Not yet. Don't ever forget that you defeated him. That rat is a coward, and we're going to get you out of here." Sarah smiled at her friend. He was really her rock during hard times. They continued walking.
Sarah felt reassured, but in the back of her mind, she worried that this whole thing was a hoax. What if the incident with Tom was an isolated incident? If she had just let it go, maybe Jareth would've left her alone. She was annoyed with herself. She was annoyed with him; why did he have to interfere with her life? On the bright side, she was happy to be back with Hoggle and she was happy to see more of the Goblin Kingdom.
The corridor opened into a wide passageway. Sarah squinted, barely making out that the hallway split up ahead. As they walked closer to the fork in the road, Sarah could see a narrow path lead to the left and a narrow path lead to the right; Sarah halted in order to stare; framed by the two pathways was a massive, wooden door. Elaborate scrollwork and intricate brass framework that were uncharacteristic of the gloomy castle made the door stick out like a sore thumb.
"What's this door lead to?" Sarah asked, staring up at the imposing gateway.
"No one knows. The king is not generous with his secrets; even I don't know where that door goes." Hoggle looked at her solemnly. "You're right not to trust the king, Sarah."
Sarah couldn't take her eyes away from the door. Something about it made her feel uneasy. It was so high, even Ludo would not be able to reach the top of the doorframe. Above the door, a large rendering of Jareth's medallion had been carved into the rock.
"I'll keep my guard up," she said. Hoggle gestured towards the right and they continued their journey. Sarah wondered if they really were walking towards their work, or if Hoggle was just killing time to talk with her. The castle was certainly big enough that a journey to the other side would take the better part of an hour or more.
Sarah's stomach rumbled. Sarah glanced over to Hoggle to see if he had heard. She was hungry, but she couldn't trust the goblin king to give her any food. She remembered the peach Hoggle had given her. She instinctively reached out and patted his shoulder; she forgave him. He had had no choice. The little old dwarf was no match for the power of the goblin king. Sarah wondered if Hoggle knew just how much she worried about him and her friends. Jareth was a tyrant, but he was also like a spoiled child; she was glad his pomp and pride prevented him from doing anything truly evil.
Yet.
"Well," continued Hoggle with a good-natured smirk, "was an audience with me really worth giving up being a pampered maiden?"
"I'd take being a scullery maid with my friends over being a princess with him any day." She burst into laughing, remembering how fast the glitz and glam had disappeared. Hoggle joined; it felt good to laugh with each other.
"You've really got spunk, Sarah. It takes a lot of backbone to tell off the goblin king like that," said Hoggle, his laughter dissipating into a good-natured chuckle. "What you called Jareth is nothing but the truth; he really is a terrible fellow. He's always been that way throughout all the years he ruled the Goblin Kingdom."
All the years he ruled the Goblin Kingdom… Sarah realized she had never thought about the years that came before her visit. She had never thought about why a relatively human-looking man was ruling a bunch of goblins in the first place.
"Hoggle," she ventured, "why doesn't the king look like his subjects? Is he a goblin, or is he something more?"
Her friend's shoulders slumped slightly and his eyes were downcast. "When it comes to Jareth, we only know what we've been told by each other here in the Labyrinth. He isn't a very open monarch. What we gather is, Jareth has ruled this land for thirteen hundred years. No one knows where in the Otherworld he came from or how he even came to be here, but what we do know is that he's some kind of Fair Folk..
"Otherworld?" asked Sarah.
"That's our world. The Underground is part of the Otherworld. The Goblin Kingdom is one of many here. Jareth is some sort of Fae from somewhere else, but no one really knows from where. Or even why."
Sarah's suspicions that the goblin king was Fae were confirmed, but she hadn't even considered that there could be other kingdoms, other realms within the world of the Labyrinth. She listened in stunned silence; in all her research, she had never heard the term "Otherworld."
"Many, many years ago, the land of the Goblins was not as it is today. The Goblin Kingdom was once a rural land, wild and uncivilized. Back then, the goblins were vicious, even more, chaotic than they are today. From what I've heard about Jareth when he first set foot in this land, he wasn't afraid or even disgusted by the goblins; he was amused. He set up his kingdom so fast, no one had any time to think about what the cost or consequences might be. In the blink of an eye, the Goblin City and the Castle beyond were created, and for the next one thousand and three hundred years, his kingdom prospered, in many ways. Throughout the Otherworld, word spread that the goblins now had a goblin king. The infamous Labyrinth was and is known to all. Nobody—and I mean nobody—with the exception of you, Sarah, has made it in and out alive—without giving up or giving in, that is. No one has rescued someone they wished away, or even escaped after wishing themselves away."
"But, wishing aside, why does the king kidnap babies in the first place? Especially when some people didn't mean to wish them away in the first place?"
"I'm not sure. From what I've heard, it's to teach humans a lesson. Some say Jareth is really just a misunderstood ruler who is only concerned with justice, and he wants the humans to face their current challenges and circumstances no matter how difficult they are. Others say he's cruel and does it for his own amusement; kidnapping children and keeping them here in the castle until they become goblins only grows his number of subjects. There are so many stories. In reality, why he built the Labyrinth, why he does what he does, is nothing but a mystery to me and everyone else that lives here." Sarah gulped. So many questions and so few answers. They were still walking, and Sarah paused to look out a pane-less window to gaze upon the Labyrinth below.
"The rescuers—or 'so-called' runners—always gave up. Gave up or gave into their desires when offered them by the king. They wanted their dreams, and the price they paid was high, even if they weren't the ones who paid it."
"That's horrible," commented Sarah. She looked out at the winding maze below and wondered if there had been many runners before her. Had there been tens? Hundreds? She wondered just how many goblins she had seen that had once been human. It was heartbreaking that she was the only victor so far. And she hadn't even done it one her own; if it hadn't been for her friends, she would've been stuck in the oubliette, beheaded by the fireys, or drowned in the bog of eternal stench. She was more grateful than she could say that she had won Toby back. Without completing her journey, she never would have learned so many valuable lessons, and she never would've been able to face reality and accept her own mistakes.
"Hoggle, are you from here originally?"
"I'm not. I'm originally from the kingdom of the dwarfs, known as the Land of Lelidour, also known as the Land of Wealth, Gold and Jewels." Sarah was shocked. She had only just learned that there were other lands besides the Labyrinth, and now she learned Hoggle wasn't even from the Labyrinth; she had always thought of the Labyrinth and her friends as a packaged deal.
"My people are notorious for their mining of gold and jewels, as well as the discovery of new gemstones. Most everyone back there has some type of inheritance or pocket gold and jewels to their name," he said, tapping the jewel pouch around his waist. "The monarchs of my land are the ones with the most jewels and wealth. To make a long story short, how I ended up here isn't the prettiest story. Jareth forced his way into our land and demanded servitude. I happened to be the one he found. I couldn't refuse then and I still can't refuse now. I guess he wanted to grow his citizenry or simply needed some competent help around the Labyrinth and castle grounds."
Hoggle shrugged. It was almost worse to see Hoggle speak so nonchalantly, as if he were removed from the situation, rather than with pain or sadness. Hoggle himself was just as much a kidnapped victim as the children who were turned into goblins. They began walking again, aware that they had been standing still for too long; Sarah glanced around, checking for crystals before saying what she had to say.
"Hoggle, I promise to free you of any bargain you have with the king. Whatever chains he's got you bind in, I can help you break them."
"It's no use now; there's no way now." Hoggle furrowed his brow in thought. "I…do miss them. I miss my homeland. I miss my family, or the family I once had, rather. Unless the goblin king makes some sort of diplomatic visit, he's not going back there, and I don't have any chance of hitching a ride. My chances are slim, Sarah, and I've given up thinking about it."
Sarah wanted to cry, but she was too angry at king to be sad now. Too determined. "I promise, Hoggle. We'll find a way. I will find a way. Whatever he has on you, whatever means he's using to keep you here, I'm going to make them disappear, or I'm going to get past his tricks and traps. One way or another. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but there's one thing I do know: I won't give up. I didn't give up on Toby, and I'm not going to give up on you—and I won't give up on these tasks. I'll work until I'm a hundred and three if I have to. I'll finish the work… And then I might just finish him."
(AN) Author's Notes: I read some spoilers in the Practical visitor's guide to the Labyrinth that Jareth has the power to change the interior or inside look of the castle at will just as much as the Labyrinth itself constantly changes. I had a suspicion for a while when I told my co-partner that his magic must be a bit more powerful than it's let on in the movie and that little tidbit guidebook that I found a link to online confirms my suspicions. I probably have mentioned this before because I did have a suspicion for quite some time that the king can alter the appearance of his castle at least on the inside to God knows what he probably has an unlimited imagination on how he wants to decorate his castle and since he changes it in accordance to the type of mood he's in it kind of mirrors and reflects how the ever-changing Labyrinth changes its roots to confuse any future Runners that come to rescue their wished away siblings or loved ones. The song that was sung by Sarah was one of the songs that are most iconic in the original animated Disney movie Cinderella Sing sweet Nightingale what's the song that Cinderella said while she was cleaning the front area of her worn home? It came to mind to me that when Sarah has to do a bit of cleaning especially in the unkempt area of the throne room I thought why not at a similar scenario for her? Plus anyone can tell that not all places of the castle were explored in the movie and given the poor shape of how the throne room was left there was no way I could leave the throne room not be one of the first places for Sarah Williams to clean. I mean look at the state of it if everyone remembers how poorly kept of a pigsty the throne room was it makes you wonder how the king could even have an audience with anybody of any station if it looks like a total Barnyard. And even Bond yards are kept in better condition than that.
Plus since this is a magical fairytale world none of the more modern cleaning equipment that we're used to having here would be available for Sarah there she wouldn't have the same type of disinfectants or soaps especially if she had to clean anything I don't think Sarah would be supplied any type of rubber gloves she would have to do cleaning the old-fashioned way that our great-grandparents would have had to do get on all fours and scrub the floor she would have a mop and bucket but without the strainer to rinse/ring the mop it out she would have to do it by hand I remember doing such a thing when I used to help do cleaning duty at one of my summer camps when I was a teenager. And for sure the soap that was supplied with her there would be in the form of a bar I don't think there would be any liquid soaps for at least when it comes to cleaning a variable you would have to think me very fairy tale medieval-like. Do not worry Sarah will be reunited with all her friends she made through the Labyrinth but Hoggle was her first friend that she made and he stuck by her the most out of everyone else. I do plan to have Sir Didymus and Ludo reunite with her in the story but a little later. It will be explained why once everyone reads more chapters that will be updated on my account here. But the most interaction Sarah will probably have at least within the confines of the castle grounds will be with Hoggle.
To explain where Sarah currently is staying within the Goblin Kingdom and The Labyrinth/Underground but as shown in the Manga there were other kingdoms mentioned like the one that the queen of Cups Mizumi rules over she basically had a kingdom not far within the vicinity of the Goblin Kingdom. And it gave me ideas that Sarah would be transported to another realm this is where the name Otherworld comes into play it's to explain where Sarah currently is right now she's in fairyland as it's called according to some fairy myths and folklore is referred to as the Celtic Otherworld or in English and Scottish folklore is the fabulous land or abode of fairies or fays. I was partly inspired by that because if anyone has looked up myths and folklore about the fair folk they do refer to their origin our home is usually either another world fairyland or land of the phase or Fair folk the list goes on. I found that the name Otherworld fitted perfectly for what I have into play because usually, some other Fan fiction writers do have Sarah transported to Fairyland or do state in their stories that the Goblin Kingdom/underground is part of Fairyland in general.
Otherworld will be explained in a little bit more of more detail when Sarah has to look up more about where she's currently residing but I'm not going to make any spoilers intended for upcoming chapters apparent right now. You'll just have to wait and see in the next few updates when more about the otherworld in the other kingdoms are explained fictionally in my story. I had to put in that Hoggle might have been brought and became a subject/servant of the Jareth against his will.I got inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's portrayal of the dwarf race to a degree since in some fairy tales and some popular culture they are portrayed as excellent minors, and merchants when it comes to jewels and money. I thought it would be more appropriate to explain where Hoggle at least in my story originally hails from. From what he explained to Sarah as everyone can tell he was not made a subject of Jareth by his own choice. And give him the way the goblin character is portrayed he probably had forceful magical means into convincing the Hoggle to be in his servitude. Hoggle's homeworld is also going to be explained a bit more in detail I have at least several other kingdoms that will be mentioned and trust me Sarah will not be staying alone and just getting to know the Goblin King them only. Sarah will be wanting to visit other magical kingdoms in due time. So when the time comes and when these other kingdoms are more formerly mentioned including the queen of cups' kingdom you the readers will get a little bit more information about them in the next few chapters to come so just wait and see.
What I did to create a bit more history about The Goblin King's/Jareth's origins I took from the manga variation because as I mentioned I dislike the Labyrinth Coronation 12 comic issue comic a great deal. I didn't impressed with the way it was explained in that version of Jareth's origins of how he became the Goblin King and I preferred more or less the origins that were explained and more generally but vaguely by the queen of cups Mizumi. Now in the manga, it was stated that 1300 years ago when the Goblin Kingdom was more or less more savage or rural Jareth and Mizumi travelled from what she says too many kingdoms and many lifetimes sometimes conquering other kingdoms while other times did not and when they came upon the goblin land Jareth grew interested in the Goblins there finding them amusing while Mizumi did not. Anyone who's read the chapter or comic panel describing this would know where I'm getting this information from. I took part of the information from the manga because I accepted it more realistically than what was shown in the 12-issue comic. And the reason why I'm making Jareth a Fae is that given his magical power and the way he does things many fans have speculated that he has some type of fairy or Fae Folk. It would make much sense if he is. So for all of you who are reading this story I least confirmed your suspicions if I haven't already I am making Jareth a Fae species he was never specified if he was truly human or not in the movie and given his magical power in the way he did things he probably wasn't, to begin with.
So there you have it folks that's all I have to say for chapter 8. I'll probably post chapter 9 real soon and then I'll call it quits for any more updates for this week because as I've mentioned before me and my coworker only completed 15 chapters in advance. I want to save what completed reserve chapters I have left for weeks to come hopefully by then more chapter drafts will be completed by me and my co-partner and then there probably might be and I say might be more updates to come although I want to keep it to my policy with the exception of this week and the following weekend to only update once or twice a week.
So take care you'll hear from me next time real soon.
TTFN,
smcandy