Title: When Words Aren't Enough (Chapter 1 - Just a Nightmare...?)
Author: Amber
Distribution: Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! The only characters that belong to me are Hetta and Rilum!
Summary: This story is a sequel to 'Say the Words'...it happens about seven years after Sarah left the Underground, and we see that Sarah has become quite a different person!
A/N: Okay, basically, if you haven't read 'Say the Words' yet, then you'd better do so now. ;) You'd probably be able to understand this story without reading the other one, but really...what's the fun in starting right in the middle of something? ;) Anyway, read on, and I hope you like it!
Chapter One: Just a Nightmare...?
"That necklace is beautiful," Ryan stated, looking at the moon pendant around her neck. She'd had to find another chain to string it on, as the original chain hadn't been with the pendant. "I've never seen you wear it before."
"I…forgot I had it, actually," she said, giving an ineffectual laugh. "But it's been so long since I've worn it, and since tonight's a special occasion, I thought I'd bring it out." And see if I can't figure out how in the world it got in my jewelry box…
"It must mean a lot to you," he observed, smiling into her eyes. "I can see it in your face."
Sarah blushed. How could he read her so easily? There had only been one other person who seemed to have that uncanny ability, but he…he wasn't real. He couldn't be real! "It was a special gift," she admitted after a minute of silence. "But that's all in the past. Are we going to dinner now? I'm starving!"
"Sure, let's go." Taking her hand, Ryan led her out of the apartment and to his car. Sarah was no longer feeling as sure of this date as she had a little while ago.
"I had a great time." Sarah grinned up at Ryan and pulled his jacket more closely around her. She hadn't expected it to get so chilly, and he'd had to lend her his coat. "I can't believe I've never been to that restaurant, and I've lived here for almost two years!"
"Well, I'm glad I could show it to you." He began to bend his head toward hers, his intention clear in those gray-green eyes of his. Sarah's first reaction was to panic, but then she found herself leaning up to meet him, and as they were about to kiss…the phone rang. Chuckling ruefully, Ryan reached out and squeezed her hand briefly before leaving. Sarah sighed and ran inside her apartment to answer the phone.
"Yes?" she greeted in a voice mixed with breathlessness and impatience.
"Sarah, it's Karen. I know it's late, but could you stop over at the house? Toby's had a nightmare, and he insists on seeing you. I told him to wait until morning, but he absolutely refuses. And he keeps babbling on about some…Goblin King, which he says you'll know about! Please come over; otherwise, I don't know if we'll ever get him to be quiet."
Sarah's heart was pounding so loudly at the mention of the Goblin King that she didn't even realize Karen had stopped talking until the line was filled with crackling silence. Wetting her suddenly dry lips, she managed to tell her stepmother that she would get over there as soon as she could. She hung the phone up dazedly, and then without even bothering to change into more casual clothing, she left her apartment and headed for her car.
No sooner had she parked in the driveway did Toby shoot out the door, his blond hair tousled and his blue eyes wide. "Sarah!" he called out, rushing to her. "You've gotta help him!"
"Help who, Toby?" she asked with a small laugh, ruffling his hair. He brushed her away impatiently.
"The Goblin King!"
"Toby, get inside right now before you catch a cold!" Karen snapped, referring to her son's thin clothing and bare feet. Toby took Sarah's hand and all but dragged her into the house.
Being back in the house where she'd grown up was a little disturbing for Sarah. Much of the reason why she'd moved out was to get away from the memories of her childish days, and so being back was only a painful reminder of the daydreaming youth she'd once been. Having Toby talking about the Goblin King wasn't helping matters; she had to do something to convince him that Jareth wasn't real. Walking upstairs with him to his room, she sat down on the edge of his bed and met his gaze squarely. "Toby," she began, "you had a nightmare, that's all. The Goblin King isn't real. He's just a part of a story!"
"No, you're wrong!" Toby insisted vehemently, his eyes lighting up. "I saw him! He said 'I'm sorry I kidnapped you', and I didn't know what he was talkin' about--I never even saw him before!"
That much was true. Toby had been too young to remember being taken by Jareth, or of being turned into a goblin. Sarah's breath was suddenly trapped in her chest as she listened; her brother wasn't lying. He couldn't be! She'd never told him anything of what had happened, and her father and stepmother had never known…the only logical conclusion was that Toby had seen Jareth. What do you mean, 'logical conclusion', Sarah? That's the most illogical thing you've thought in a long time! But unfortunately, it's the only thing that makes sense at this point…
"Okay, Toby. Just tell me what happened, then."
Satisfied that his sister was convinced, Toby went on animatedly. "Okay, after I asked him who he was, he said he was Jareth, the Goblin King. I thought that sounded kinda silly. And he was dressed really funny, too! He wore tights like a girl!"
"Leggings," Sarah corrected before thinking. Toby just shrugged and went on.
"Whatever they were, they were funny-looking. Anyway, he told me that you needed to go back…underground. I think that's what he said. Why would you want to go underground, Sarah? Does the Goblin King live underground? Can I go with you? I'll bet there's lots of worms underground!"
"It's not 'underground', Toby, it's the Underground. It's a magical land with goblins and faeries and dwarves, and it doesn't exist! You just had a dream, Toby. A bad dream."
"He said you wouldn't believe me," the young boy grumbled, his shoulders slumping.
"What do you mean?"
"He said 'it's not going to be easy trying to get her to come back', but I said that you were a nice person and would help him. He just kinda smiled at me, only it wasn't a nice smile, like yours, it was a mean smile! Then he said that you wouldn't wanna help him, but I had to try anyway." Abruptly, he lunged over and grabbed at Sarah's necklace. "He gave that to you!"
"How do you know?" Sarah squeaked. "I mean, no he didn't. I just bought this. I told you--"
"The Goblin King doesn't exist," Toby mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "He told me that if you were wearing that, then you could go back to the Underground. He said you'd know how. Do you? Can I come with you? Please?"
"Toby, I…" Trailing off, Sarah brought a hand up to the moon-shaped pendant and stared pensively out the window. She'd only figured out how the magic had worked just before leaving Jareth's kingdom all those years ago, but she still remembered. The small crystal on the pendant was somehow connected to that larger crystal that Jareth had tried to give her so many times--the crystal that would show her her dreams. She'd been able to do the things she did because she had dreamed them into existence. When she'd wished that the goblin who kidnapped Rilum would disappear into the Labyrinth and never find his way out, it had been her dreams that had made him vanish. And when she'd wished for all those brownies to entertain Hetta's cranky baby, her dreams were what brought the tiny men into existence. That was the only power she'd had…but could she still use the crystal, when her dreams were gone?
"Toby, I think you've bothered Sarah enough." Sarah smiled as her father's tall form stepped into the room. "Why don't you go to bed now. And Sarah, I don't like the thought of you driving back this late, so why don't you sleep in your old room for the night?"
Sarah frowned at the thought of having to stay in her old room, but she also didn't feel like driving back to her apartment. Nodding in agreement, she turned back to Toby, smiled reassuringly at him, and stood up to tuck him into bed. "Don't worry about anything," she murmured quietly enough for only him to hear. "Everything will be better by morning."
"You will help him, won't you Sarah?" Toby persisted. "He said he needed your help really bad!"
He told me that he didn't need my help, and that it was none of my concern, Sarah thought petulantly. Aloud, she said, "I'm sure he does. Well, like I said, everything will be better by tomorrow." That apparently seemed to mollify her brother, because he snuggled deeper under the covers and closed his eyes. As she left the room, she saw her father and stepmother standing out in the hallway.
"Thank you for coming over," Karen said, smiling. "I know Toby's story was completely ridiculous, and I told him that you wouldn't believe any of it because it wasn't real, but he looked so worried that I just had to call you."
"It's okay." Sarah smiled and then yawned tiredly. "I haven't visited in awhile anyway, so I guess it was good that you asked me over! But now, I think I'm going to head off to bed. I've got work tomorrow, and I'm really tired!"
After kissing her parents, she walked into her room and shut the door, then looked around as memories began to wash over her. Everything was in the same neat order in which she'd left it, with her stuffed animals on their shelf, her books arranged in neat order, and her vanity cleared of all pictures and other objects. Why she hadn't gotten rid of half the stuff in the room, she didn't know, but something had made her keep all those items of her childhood. Her bed, with its partial canopy, was a welcome sight. Once again, she didn't bother changing her clothes (not that she had any clothes to change into) before crawling under the covers and falling asleep.
"Sarah."
Sarah sat up suddenly, eyes wide with fear. Was she dreaming again? That voice had been so familiar…"Who's there?" she asked, dismayed as her voice came out only as a frightened whisper. The voice chuckled.
"You know very well who I am," he replied, stepping into a ray of moonlight slanting through the window. Sarah recognized the features easily; it was Jareth. "You said you would help me, Sarah. Have you changed your mind so quickly?"
"You told me it was none of my concern," she retorted, crossing her arms. "And then you told me to wake up, so you could get rid of me! Why do you want my help now?"
"Because I thought I could defend my kingdom on my own. I now know that…well, that I was…"
"Wrong?" She smirked at him. He scowled.
"Yes, that. Now that I've admitted my mistake, would you do me the honor of helping me?"
"I can't."
A guarded look came onto the Goblin King's face. "And why is that?"
"I told you, Jareth. I grew up. I don't believe in you--or the Labyrinth--anymore."
"There's no need to believe in me!" he suddenly thundered. "I am not some dream creature, like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus! I am real, Sarah, and I've grown quite tired of you pretending that I never existed. It does terrible things to my ego."
"I'm sure it does. Maybe your vanity needed to be injured."
"If I thought you were annoying before, you have only increased threefold. Sarcasm doesn't become you, my queen."
"And let's get another thing straight: I am not your queen. Assuming you really are real, and not just some image brought up by what Toby said, then I defeated you seven years ago and am therefore no longer your queen."
"You fought unfairly, as I told you then. You stabbed me in the back, like a coward, and took your freedom while I was left to die. Do you not think it fair to come back and fight face-to-face, or would you wish to keep your false victory?"
Sarah's blood was boiling. How dare he call her a coward! He had been the one to fight unfairly! As her cheeks began to flush, Jareth smiled in grim satisfaction. "Go ahead, smile as though you think you've won some great match," she spat, throwing the covers off of her as she stood up to face him. "You want to fight face to face? Okay then, what do you want to say to me? You have no power over me, remember? Especially not now."
His face was suddenly somber as he watched her, and his arms dropped to his sides. "I know I have no power over you," he said softly. "I don't want to. I just need your help. Please, Sarah. Don't make me beg."
"Why? Because it would injure your ego even more?" When he didn't even bother to respond, Sarah sighed in resignation. "I already told you, Jareth, I can't help you. It's not even the fact that I don't believe in you anymore; I've stopped dreaming like I used to."
"No you haven't."
"What do you mean?"
"I wouldn't be able to enter your dreams if a part of you didn't still believe in me. You haven't lost the dreamer inside you, you've just hidden it away. I suppose I was part of the reason for that. I apologize."
"Jareth, I'm an adult now. Adults don't spend their time daydreaming."
"You can be an adult and still dream, Sarah. There's nothing childish about dreaming." He reached out once again as though to touch her face, but as before, his hand dropped before he'd even come close. "Please. I won't say it again. I need you."
"And if I say no? Will you steal Toby again to force me to come back?"
"If you say no, then I, my kingdom, and your friends will all die. How would that sit on your conscience, I wonder?"
An image suddenly flashed through her mind of Sir Didymus' small body flying helplessly through the air before colliding with a merciless brick wall. Before she could stop, tears were trickling from her eyes. "The only reason I'd come back would be to save my friends. I still don't even know if I can go back, but I'll try. For them."
"You've made up your mind, then? You want to come back?"
"Yes, Jareth, that's what I just said. I'll come back and help save your kingdom."
Jareth smiled again, and with a wave of his hands Sarah felt herself being pitched through space, curiously lightweight as though she was on an airplane. It didn't take her long to realize that she was being transported back to the Underground. But what about Toby? He'd wanted to come too…ah well, it was for the better that he should stay at home, because who knew what ideas the Goblin King might get into his head to try and keep Sarah with him?
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" she grumbled to herself, squeezing her eyes shut against the swirling space surrounding her.
Sarah's feet landed on firm earth, but it took her a few minutes to become oriented with her surroundings. As the features of the Labyrinth finally came into focus, she realized with some relief that the destruction witnessed in her first dream hadn't yet happened. That meant that as of yet, Sir Didymus was probably still alive! Her heart lifted at the thought. She had to find her friends!
"No, scratch that," she said aloud. "First, I need to get to that castle and ask Jareth what in the world is going on!"
She encountered no signs of battle as she approached the entrance to the Labyrinth, nor any signs that anything remotely wrong was occurring. Had he been lying to her about needing her help? No, she'd seen those demon-like creatures, and even if they weren't here yet, they soon would be. She had little time to waste. Passing by the biting faeries without even bothering to look at them--they were, after all, just fanciful creatures that didn't really exist--she looked carefully for the door Hoggle had shown her during her first time through and then somehow managed to pull it open. In either direction, there was nothing but a bleak, unending corridor.
"You can't fool me again, Labyrinth," she murmured with a grin, heading off to the right. "But now I wonder…that worm told me never to go left, but I never asked why. If I took one of the hidden passages and went left, would I get to the castle faster, or would I land in another oubliette?" The lichen watched her pass with a barely audible "ooo" sound. Sarah didn't even notice them, as she was so wrapped up in her own musings. "I can't afford to take a risk without knowing why it's so wrong to go down the left passage…but then again, I don't feel like wandering through this entire labyrinth! Well, I'll just have to find that worm again and ask him why I shouldn't go left."
It was all easier said than done. She kept her eye out for the little worm with his electric blue tuft of hair, but either she had somehow passed him, or he was inside his house having a 'nice cup o' tea'. When it finally became apparent that she wasn't going to find the creature, she started looking for a doorway instead, letting her hands be her eyes as they passed along the rough stone. She found a doorway by nearly falling into it.
"Which way do I go?" she asked herself, looking down both passages. She caught her lower lip in her teeth, indecision overwhelming her. Would there be a dark hole waiting for her down the left corridor? Or had the worm told her not to go left because it led to the castle, and he was afraid for her safety? On the other hand, she hadn't gone in the same doorway as before, so maybe things had been reversed, and it was now the right passage that she shouldn't go down! "Ohhh, I don't know!" she cried out in frustration, pounding on the wall. The pain of a jagged stone edge piercing her skin somehow helped to clear her thoughts, and with a resolute expression, she turned down the left passage. If she fell into an oubliette, then she fell into an oubliette. There was no use debating on it!
The passage made a sharp turn and then began to descend, into a darkened tunnel that made Sarah more than a little nervous. Who knew what was in there? Her pace slowed as she approached it, and she unconsciously began to toy with the pendant around her neck. When she was completely enveloped in darkness, unable to see which way to go, she began to feel her way blindly along the wall.
"Who's there?" a familiarly gravelly old voice asked. A lantern flared to life soon after, revealing the features of Hetta in stark relief. Her eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet. "Sarah! Oh, Sarah, I never thought to see your face again!"
Sarah smiled and reached out to embrace her old friend. "Hello, Hetta," she greeted. "I came back to help. Ja…I was told that the Labyrinth was in danger. Is that true?"
"Well, yes. You don't think I'd be hiding in this tunnel if everything was fine, do you?" It was obvious that Hetta knew more than she was saying, but was reluctant to tell.
"Are you going to tell me what exactly is going on?"
Hetta remained silent for a few minutes as she deliberated on her response. "No one knows what exactly they are, but an army of vicious creatures invaded the northern borders of the Labyrinth, and since then every goblin, faerie, dwarf, and brownie has been running for a place to hide themselves until it's all over. Actually, I take that back. Everyone but the goblins have been running. Most of the goblins have taken up weapons to go fight, but I don't think they stand much of a chance against these monsters."
"There's something more, Hetta, I can see it on your face. What is it? Are you afraid to tell me?"
"I don't want to offend you, Sarah."
"You're not going to offend me. Just tell me what it is."
"This has all happened because of you," the short woman said in a rush. While Sarah was stunned into speechlessness, she continued. "Not because you left, but because of that nightmare you had. Do you remember it? When I took that necklace away from you"--she pointed to the pendant hanging from Sarah's neck--"you started thrashing and crying out because you were having some sort of bad dream." Sarah nodded in grim remembrance of that nightmare. "I don't know how, but Jareth said that these creatures are from your nightmare, and that you're the only one who can stop them. He said he was going to call you back to the Underground, but I confess to not believing you'd return. Yet here you are!"
Sarah took a few minutes to digest this new bit of information. Those demon creatures were in the underground because of her? What a strange turn of events this lifelike dream was taking! "I'd better go to the castle and talk to Jareth," she said at last. "Do you want to come with me?"
"It's no use going to the castle," Hetta stated matter-of-factly. "The King's got everything locked up tight, and he hasn't come out for several days. He's planning something, I just don't know what."
"But he was just in my room…"
"In your room, eh?" Hetta chuckled. "And you allowed him in? Well, it was just your dreams, anyway. Jareth doesn't need to leave his castle to get into your dreams."
But this is a dream too…Sarah protested mentally. Clinging to that one hope was the only thing that was keeping her sane right now. "Okay, then if I can't talk to him, what should I do?"
"I would suggest you start remembering that nightmare and figure out how to stop those creatures. Before we all find ourselves in a great deal of danger."
And that's it for Chapter 2! (Yeah, they're chapters now instead of parts, since ff.n changed things! ;) I know, it took me a little longer than a week to get it finished, but I hope you liked it despite that! ;)
Author: Amber
Distribution: Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! The only characters that belong to me are Hetta and Rilum!
Summary: This story is a sequel to 'Say the Words'...it happens about seven years after Sarah left the Underground, and we see that Sarah has become quite a different person!
A/N: Okay, basically, if you haven't read 'Say the Words' yet, then you'd better do so now. ;) You'd probably be able to understand this story without reading the other one, but really...what's the fun in starting right in the middle of something? ;) Anyway, read on, and I hope you like it!
"That necklace is beautiful," Ryan stated, looking at the moon pendant around her neck. She'd had to find another chain to string it on, as the original chain hadn't been with the pendant. "I've never seen you wear it before."
"I…forgot I had it, actually," she said, giving an ineffectual laugh. "But it's been so long since I've worn it, and since tonight's a special occasion, I thought I'd bring it out." And see if I can't figure out how in the world it got in my jewelry box…
"It must mean a lot to you," he observed, smiling into her eyes. "I can see it in your face."
Sarah blushed. How could he read her so easily? There had only been one other person who seemed to have that uncanny ability, but he…he wasn't real. He couldn't be real! "It was a special gift," she admitted after a minute of silence. "But that's all in the past. Are we going to dinner now? I'm starving!"
"Sure, let's go." Taking her hand, Ryan led her out of the apartment and to his car. Sarah was no longer feeling as sure of this date as she had a little while ago.
"I had a great time." Sarah grinned up at Ryan and pulled his jacket more closely around her. She hadn't expected it to get so chilly, and he'd had to lend her his coat. "I can't believe I've never been to that restaurant, and I've lived here for almost two years!"
"Well, I'm glad I could show it to you." He began to bend his head toward hers, his intention clear in those gray-green eyes of his. Sarah's first reaction was to panic, but then she found herself leaning up to meet him, and as they were about to kiss…the phone rang. Chuckling ruefully, Ryan reached out and squeezed her hand briefly before leaving. Sarah sighed and ran inside her apartment to answer the phone.
"Yes?" she greeted in a voice mixed with breathlessness and impatience.
"Sarah, it's Karen. I know it's late, but could you stop over at the house? Toby's had a nightmare, and he insists on seeing you. I told him to wait until morning, but he absolutely refuses. And he keeps babbling on about some…Goblin King, which he says you'll know about! Please come over; otherwise, I don't know if we'll ever get him to be quiet."
Sarah's heart was pounding so loudly at the mention of the Goblin King that she didn't even realize Karen had stopped talking until the line was filled with crackling silence. Wetting her suddenly dry lips, she managed to tell her stepmother that she would get over there as soon as she could. She hung the phone up dazedly, and then without even bothering to change into more casual clothing, she left her apartment and headed for her car.
No sooner had she parked in the driveway did Toby shoot out the door, his blond hair tousled and his blue eyes wide. "Sarah!" he called out, rushing to her. "You've gotta help him!"
"Help who, Toby?" she asked with a small laugh, ruffling his hair. He brushed her away impatiently.
"The Goblin King!"
"Toby, get inside right now before you catch a cold!" Karen snapped, referring to her son's thin clothing and bare feet. Toby took Sarah's hand and all but dragged her into the house.
Being back in the house where she'd grown up was a little disturbing for Sarah. Much of the reason why she'd moved out was to get away from the memories of her childish days, and so being back was only a painful reminder of the daydreaming youth she'd once been. Having Toby talking about the Goblin King wasn't helping matters; she had to do something to convince him that Jareth wasn't real. Walking upstairs with him to his room, she sat down on the edge of his bed and met his gaze squarely. "Toby," she began, "you had a nightmare, that's all. The Goblin King isn't real. He's just a part of a story!"
"No, you're wrong!" Toby insisted vehemently, his eyes lighting up. "I saw him! He said 'I'm sorry I kidnapped you', and I didn't know what he was talkin' about--I never even saw him before!"
That much was true. Toby had been too young to remember being taken by Jareth, or of being turned into a goblin. Sarah's breath was suddenly trapped in her chest as she listened; her brother wasn't lying. He couldn't be! She'd never told him anything of what had happened, and her father and stepmother had never known…the only logical conclusion was that Toby had seen Jareth. What do you mean, 'logical conclusion', Sarah? That's the most illogical thing you've thought in a long time! But unfortunately, it's the only thing that makes sense at this point…
"Okay, Toby. Just tell me what happened, then."
Satisfied that his sister was convinced, Toby went on animatedly. "Okay, after I asked him who he was, he said he was Jareth, the Goblin King. I thought that sounded kinda silly. And he was dressed really funny, too! He wore tights like a girl!"
"Leggings," Sarah corrected before thinking. Toby just shrugged and went on.
"Whatever they were, they were funny-looking. Anyway, he told me that you needed to go back…underground. I think that's what he said. Why would you want to go underground, Sarah? Does the Goblin King live underground? Can I go with you? I'll bet there's lots of worms underground!"
"It's not 'underground', Toby, it's the Underground. It's a magical land with goblins and faeries and dwarves, and it doesn't exist! You just had a dream, Toby. A bad dream."
"He said you wouldn't believe me," the young boy grumbled, his shoulders slumping.
"What do you mean?"
"He said 'it's not going to be easy trying to get her to come back', but I said that you were a nice person and would help him. He just kinda smiled at me, only it wasn't a nice smile, like yours, it was a mean smile! Then he said that you wouldn't wanna help him, but I had to try anyway." Abruptly, he lunged over and grabbed at Sarah's necklace. "He gave that to you!"
"How do you know?" Sarah squeaked. "I mean, no he didn't. I just bought this. I told you--"
"The Goblin King doesn't exist," Toby mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "He told me that if you were wearing that, then you could go back to the Underground. He said you'd know how. Do you? Can I come with you? Please?"
"Toby, I…" Trailing off, Sarah brought a hand up to the moon-shaped pendant and stared pensively out the window. She'd only figured out how the magic had worked just before leaving Jareth's kingdom all those years ago, but she still remembered. The small crystal on the pendant was somehow connected to that larger crystal that Jareth had tried to give her so many times--the crystal that would show her her dreams. She'd been able to do the things she did because she had dreamed them into existence. When she'd wished that the goblin who kidnapped Rilum would disappear into the Labyrinth and never find his way out, it had been her dreams that had made him vanish. And when she'd wished for all those brownies to entertain Hetta's cranky baby, her dreams were what brought the tiny men into existence. That was the only power she'd had…but could she still use the crystal, when her dreams were gone?
"Toby, I think you've bothered Sarah enough." Sarah smiled as her father's tall form stepped into the room. "Why don't you go to bed now. And Sarah, I don't like the thought of you driving back this late, so why don't you sleep in your old room for the night?"
Sarah frowned at the thought of having to stay in her old room, but she also didn't feel like driving back to her apartment. Nodding in agreement, she turned back to Toby, smiled reassuringly at him, and stood up to tuck him into bed. "Don't worry about anything," she murmured quietly enough for only him to hear. "Everything will be better by morning."
"You will help him, won't you Sarah?" Toby persisted. "He said he needed your help really bad!"
He told me that he didn't need my help, and that it was none of my concern, Sarah thought petulantly. Aloud, she said, "I'm sure he does. Well, like I said, everything will be better by tomorrow." That apparently seemed to mollify her brother, because he snuggled deeper under the covers and closed his eyes. As she left the room, she saw her father and stepmother standing out in the hallway.
"Thank you for coming over," Karen said, smiling. "I know Toby's story was completely ridiculous, and I told him that you wouldn't believe any of it because it wasn't real, but he looked so worried that I just had to call you."
"It's okay." Sarah smiled and then yawned tiredly. "I haven't visited in awhile anyway, so I guess it was good that you asked me over! But now, I think I'm going to head off to bed. I've got work tomorrow, and I'm really tired!"
After kissing her parents, she walked into her room and shut the door, then looked around as memories began to wash over her. Everything was in the same neat order in which she'd left it, with her stuffed animals on their shelf, her books arranged in neat order, and her vanity cleared of all pictures and other objects. Why she hadn't gotten rid of half the stuff in the room, she didn't know, but something had made her keep all those items of her childhood. Her bed, with its partial canopy, was a welcome sight. Once again, she didn't bother changing her clothes (not that she had any clothes to change into) before crawling under the covers and falling asleep.
"Sarah."
Sarah sat up suddenly, eyes wide with fear. Was she dreaming again? That voice had been so familiar…"Who's there?" she asked, dismayed as her voice came out only as a frightened whisper. The voice chuckled.
"You know very well who I am," he replied, stepping into a ray of moonlight slanting through the window. Sarah recognized the features easily; it was Jareth. "You said you would help me, Sarah. Have you changed your mind so quickly?"
"You told me it was none of my concern," she retorted, crossing her arms. "And then you told me to wake up, so you could get rid of me! Why do you want my help now?"
"Because I thought I could defend my kingdom on my own. I now know that…well, that I was…"
"Wrong?" She smirked at him. He scowled.
"Yes, that. Now that I've admitted my mistake, would you do me the honor of helping me?"
"I can't."
A guarded look came onto the Goblin King's face. "And why is that?"
"I told you, Jareth. I grew up. I don't believe in you--or the Labyrinth--anymore."
"There's no need to believe in me!" he suddenly thundered. "I am not some dream creature, like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus! I am real, Sarah, and I've grown quite tired of you pretending that I never existed. It does terrible things to my ego."
"I'm sure it does. Maybe your vanity needed to be injured."
"If I thought you were annoying before, you have only increased threefold. Sarcasm doesn't become you, my queen."
"And let's get another thing straight: I am not your queen. Assuming you really are real, and not just some image brought up by what Toby said, then I defeated you seven years ago and am therefore no longer your queen."
"You fought unfairly, as I told you then. You stabbed me in the back, like a coward, and took your freedom while I was left to die. Do you not think it fair to come back and fight face-to-face, or would you wish to keep your false victory?"
Sarah's blood was boiling. How dare he call her a coward! He had been the one to fight unfairly! As her cheeks began to flush, Jareth smiled in grim satisfaction. "Go ahead, smile as though you think you've won some great match," she spat, throwing the covers off of her as she stood up to face him. "You want to fight face to face? Okay then, what do you want to say to me? You have no power over me, remember? Especially not now."
His face was suddenly somber as he watched her, and his arms dropped to his sides. "I know I have no power over you," he said softly. "I don't want to. I just need your help. Please, Sarah. Don't make me beg."
"Why? Because it would injure your ego even more?" When he didn't even bother to respond, Sarah sighed in resignation. "I already told you, Jareth, I can't help you. It's not even the fact that I don't believe in you anymore; I've stopped dreaming like I used to."
"No you haven't."
"What do you mean?"
"I wouldn't be able to enter your dreams if a part of you didn't still believe in me. You haven't lost the dreamer inside you, you've just hidden it away. I suppose I was part of the reason for that. I apologize."
"Jareth, I'm an adult now. Adults don't spend their time daydreaming."
"You can be an adult and still dream, Sarah. There's nothing childish about dreaming." He reached out once again as though to touch her face, but as before, his hand dropped before he'd even come close. "Please. I won't say it again. I need you."
"And if I say no? Will you steal Toby again to force me to come back?"
"If you say no, then I, my kingdom, and your friends will all die. How would that sit on your conscience, I wonder?"
An image suddenly flashed through her mind of Sir Didymus' small body flying helplessly through the air before colliding with a merciless brick wall. Before she could stop, tears were trickling from her eyes. "The only reason I'd come back would be to save my friends. I still don't even know if I can go back, but I'll try. For them."
"You've made up your mind, then? You want to come back?"
"Yes, Jareth, that's what I just said. I'll come back and help save your kingdom."
Jareth smiled again, and with a wave of his hands Sarah felt herself being pitched through space, curiously lightweight as though she was on an airplane. It didn't take her long to realize that she was being transported back to the Underground. But what about Toby? He'd wanted to come too…ah well, it was for the better that he should stay at home, because who knew what ideas the Goblin King might get into his head to try and keep Sarah with him?
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" she grumbled to herself, squeezing her eyes shut against the swirling space surrounding her.
Sarah's feet landed on firm earth, but it took her a few minutes to become oriented with her surroundings. As the features of the Labyrinth finally came into focus, she realized with some relief that the destruction witnessed in her first dream hadn't yet happened. That meant that as of yet, Sir Didymus was probably still alive! Her heart lifted at the thought. She had to find her friends!
"No, scratch that," she said aloud. "First, I need to get to that castle and ask Jareth what in the world is going on!"
She encountered no signs of battle as she approached the entrance to the Labyrinth, nor any signs that anything remotely wrong was occurring. Had he been lying to her about needing her help? No, she'd seen those demon-like creatures, and even if they weren't here yet, they soon would be. She had little time to waste. Passing by the biting faeries without even bothering to look at them--they were, after all, just fanciful creatures that didn't really exist--she looked carefully for the door Hoggle had shown her during her first time through and then somehow managed to pull it open. In either direction, there was nothing but a bleak, unending corridor.
"You can't fool me again, Labyrinth," she murmured with a grin, heading off to the right. "But now I wonder…that worm told me never to go left, but I never asked why. If I took one of the hidden passages and went left, would I get to the castle faster, or would I land in another oubliette?" The lichen watched her pass with a barely audible "ooo" sound. Sarah didn't even notice them, as she was so wrapped up in her own musings. "I can't afford to take a risk without knowing why it's so wrong to go down the left passage…but then again, I don't feel like wandering through this entire labyrinth! Well, I'll just have to find that worm again and ask him why I shouldn't go left."
It was all easier said than done. She kept her eye out for the little worm with his electric blue tuft of hair, but either she had somehow passed him, or he was inside his house having a 'nice cup o' tea'. When it finally became apparent that she wasn't going to find the creature, she started looking for a doorway instead, letting her hands be her eyes as they passed along the rough stone. She found a doorway by nearly falling into it.
"Which way do I go?" she asked herself, looking down both passages. She caught her lower lip in her teeth, indecision overwhelming her. Would there be a dark hole waiting for her down the left corridor? Or had the worm told her not to go left because it led to the castle, and he was afraid for her safety? On the other hand, she hadn't gone in the same doorway as before, so maybe things had been reversed, and it was now the right passage that she shouldn't go down! "Ohhh, I don't know!" she cried out in frustration, pounding on the wall. The pain of a jagged stone edge piercing her skin somehow helped to clear her thoughts, and with a resolute expression, she turned down the left passage. If she fell into an oubliette, then she fell into an oubliette. There was no use debating on it!
The passage made a sharp turn and then began to descend, into a darkened tunnel that made Sarah more than a little nervous. Who knew what was in there? Her pace slowed as she approached it, and she unconsciously began to toy with the pendant around her neck. When she was completely enveloped in darkness, unable to see which way to go, she began to feel her way blindly along the wall.
"Who's there?" a familiarly gravelly old voice asked. A lantern flared to life soon after, revealing the features of Hetta in stark relief. Her eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet. "Sarah! Oh, Sarah, I never thought to see your face again!"
Sarah smiled and reached out to embrace her old friend. "Hello, Hetta," she greeted. "I came back to help. Ja…I was told that the Labyrinth was in danger. Is that true?"
"Well, yes. You don't think I'd be hiding in this tunnel if everything was fine, do you?" It was obvious that Hetta knew more than she was saying, but was reluctant to tell.
"Are you going to tell me what exactly is going on?"
Hetta remained silent for a few minutes as she deliberated on her response. "No one knows what exactly they are, but an army of vicious creatures invaded the northern borders of the Labyrinth, and since then every goblin, faerie, dwarf, and brownie has been running for a place to hide themselves until it's all over. Actually, I take that back. Everyone but the goblins have been running. Most of the goblins have taken up weapons to go fight, but I don't think they stand much of a chance against these monsters."
"There's something more, Hetta, I can see it on your face. What is it? Are you afraid to tell me?"
"I don't want to offend you, Sarah."
"You're not going to offend me. Just tell me what it is."
"This has all happened because of you," the short woman said in a rush. While Sarah was stunned into speechlessness, she continued. "Not because you left, but because of that nightmare you had. Do you remember it? When I took that necklace away from you"--she pointed to the pendant hanging from Sarah's neck--"you started thrashing and crying out because you were having some sort of bad dream." Sarah nodded in grim remembrance of that nightmare. "I don't know how, but Jareth said that these creatures are from your nightmare, and that you're the only one who can stop them. He said he was going to call you back to the Underground, but I confess to not believing you'd return. Yet here you are!"
Sarah took a few minutes to digest this new bit of information. Those demon creatures were in the underground because of her? What a strange turn of events this lifelike dream was taking! "I'd better go to the castle and talk to Jareth," she said at last. "Do you want to come with me?"
"It's no use going to the castle," Hetta stated matter-of-factly. "The King's got everything locked up tight, and he hasn't come out for several days. He's planning something, I just don't know what."
"But he was just in my room…"
"In your room, eh?" Hetta chuckled. "And you allowed him in? Well, it was just your dreams, anyway. Jareth doesn't need to leave his castle to get into your dreams."
But this is a dream too…Sarah protested mentally. Clinging to that one hope was the only thing that was keeping her sane right now. "Okay, then if I can't talk to him, what should I do?"
"I would suggest you start remembering that nightmare and figure out how to stop those creatures. Before we all find ourselves in a great deal of danger."
And that's it for Chapter 2! (Yeah, they're chapters now instead of parts, since ff.n changed things! ;) I know, it took me a little longer than a week to get it finished, but I hope you liked it despite that! ;)
