Disclaimer: I do not own Jareth, Sarah, the Labyrinth, or anyone or anything else from the movie.
"Koren?" said Jareth. "We have a problem."
I turned to look at him. I was nineteen now, and he often asked for my help on state matters. That wasn't too surprising, since he didn't have anyone else to ask: very few Fae actually chose to live within the Labyrinth.
My eyes widened. He held a baby in his arms.
"What's going on?"
"This child is tied to something in the Labyrinth somehow. I don't know how, but I need him under my control."
"How did he get here?"
"His sister Sarah said the Words."
"Oh. Is she traversing the Labyrinth now?"
"Yes. I need her to give up, and soon."
I nodded. "Where is she?"
"Just outside. I need to study the baby, and I need someone to supervise discouraging her. Can you go out into the Labyrinth and do it? Subtly, of course; don't let her know you're there."
I nodded and turned invisible, then teleported into the Labyrinth.
The mortal woman was there, carefully writing on the floor with a lipstick. I moved below the flagstones. "Goblins!" I commanded.
The little creatures which lived below the ground gathered around me. "You know which rocks have been written on," I stated. Of course they did-they were rock goblins, after all. "Those stones need to be changed. You can turn them any way you want, I don't care, as long as the person who drew on them can't use the arrows she drew."
The little creatures scattered. I watched two of them turn a stone over, then moved above the flagstones.
Sarah was walking through the corridors, going backwards and forwards. I followed her silently, moving walls when it seemed like a good idea. I bent her view, making the castle-her destination-seem to move.
After a few hours, she stepped into a dead end I hadn't opened in time. She turned around-and discovered that her marks had been changed. "It's not fair!" she shouted.
I had to move fast. I concentrated hard, teleporting four old friends to help me. Just tell her what I tell you to, I commanded them mentally. Sarah, being mortal, couldn't hear me.
Tell her that one of the doors leads to the castle, and the other leads to certain death.
One of my guards was confused. Do they? he asked, as his neighbor delivered my message to Sarah.
Just tell her that they do, then make her talk to Bry and Rhys, I directed. I grinned. Bry and Rhys always lied, except about each other.
I listened to Sarah getting finished with my other two friends. "Oh. Then I'll ask them," I heard her say.
Tell her she can only ask one of you I commanded Bry.
But the rules say that-
Only the one she asks first will answer. But she /can/ ask you both.
And you, Rhys, I thought, tell her it's in the rules, and that one of you always tells the truth and one always lies. Then argue about whether Bry lies.
Right.
There was a pause. She wants to know if Rhys would say that this door leads to the castle.
Tell her yes.
It doesn't.
Sure it does, just by a very roundabout route. Same as the other one. And she's mortal; it's certain she'll die someday, regardless of which door she goes through.
Right. There was a pause, then Sarah stepped through the second door and fell into the Oubliette.
"Thank you, Koren, I'll take it from here," said Jareth's voice.