***

In the heart of the labyrinth, something stirred. It followed a set of rules set eons ago by Kings long forgotten. Noble and loyal, it adhered to the rules that made up its very being. Without the rules, It would be nothing but immobile stone. It didn't like the fact that the king was beginning to help these girls. Certain things were against the rules. Certain things just weren't done. It wasn't right for He who was in charge to give the contestants help. Certain rules should not be broken.

 In the heart of the labyrinth, something began to get  angry…

***

Jen

The hands that had saved me from uncertain death (well I wasn't completely sure) pulled back sharply, as my rescuer threw his weight backwards to keep us both from going over the edge. This resulted in the two of us in a relatively safe, but graceless heap on the ground.

This was not all that bad, because my rescuer was, in fact, a good looking guy, who looked about my age, probably a little older. Our faces were about 2 inches apart, and I just kind of stared like an idiot. Near death experiences can do that to a person... I finally caught my breath.

"Th-Thank you!" I stammered, "You saved my life!"

The guy seemed about as flustered as me.

"Uh, I uh… You're welcome!" He said in a creamy, dreamy, English accent, eyes wide. It was about then that I realized I should probably get off of the poor guy. As was already mentioned, I am no featherweight. I carefully disentangled our various limbs and got to my feet. Offering a hand to my savior, I helped him to his feet. As he dusted himself off, I examined him. You can't really get the whole picture from two inches away. From my new viewpoint I could see several things.

He was lean and tall, wearing a white poet shirt open at the front to show off a trim and muscley chest. It was laced with a thin strip of black suede at the top, and the ends of the tie hung loose. The shirt was tucked into tight black breeches, which in turn were tucked into dark brown pirate boots. From the amount of loose glitter still clinging to these, I guessed he employed the same mode of travel as Jareth. Which explained how he had appeared out of nowhere to help me.

Other things, however, can be seen quite well from two inches away. For instance, you couldn't tell from this far away that he smelled really good, but he did. He had a fair complexion and chiseled features, the angles of which were softened by his large differently colored eyes, and the marks above them. His eyes were alert and intense, as if he could see right through you. One eye was a deep emerald green, flecked with gold, and the other was a light green-blue with a slivery sheen. The marks were black, and traced his eyes to the end, then swept up to his eyebrows, a lot like Jareth's but still noticeably different. His hair was dark, wavy, and just long enough to pull back into a short ponytail. All in all: Wow! I whistled inwardly. This was a prime specimen of Guyness. Between him and Jareth, I had to wonder if all the guys down here were this hot. If they were, then… 'Holy Stud Overload, Batman!' 

He straightened up and grinned at me. I grinned back.

"I'm Jen." I said, extending my hand. To my utter delight, instead of shaking it, he turned it over and kissed it. 'Oh my…'

"I know." He smiled again, this time at my surprise, "Word travels quickly in the Underground." He explained. At this I let out a laugh.

"We're today's entertainment, huh? Should I do a little dance?"

He laughed.

"You're not as much of a spectacle as you imagine. Nearly no one is watching you." He said. The sound of his voice was definitely swoon-worthy.

"You obviously were, or you wouldn't have known I was in trouble." I frowned, suddenly suspicious of the guy. Had he been sent to delay me? I hoped not… "Do you have your own crystals, or are you working with Jareth? I mean, I suppose he's not a bad guy or anything, but in this instance he is definitely my opponent."

"I'm not working with Jareth: he doesn't know I'm here. I came to help you." He said with passionate sincerity. I decided to take this at face value. He seemed like a nice guy. A nice, hot guy. Oh yeah…

 "Does my mysterious champion have a name?" I asked coyly.

He seemed startled, and then a little embarrassed.

"Pardon me, My Lady Jennifer." He said. 'Ooh, "My Lady", now that's classy!' I thought. "I hadn't realized my lapse in manners. My name is Kirel."

"Just 'Jen' would be fine, Kirel. Now, you wouldn't happen to be able to poof me off to the castle, would you?" I got to the point directly.

He shook his head, though, blushing slightly..

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid my powers aren't strong enough to do that. I can transport myself relatively well, but I've always been miserable at transporting anyone else. It's a source of constant embarrassment."

I shrugged. I had expected as much, with my luck so far.

"Do you know the way to the castle?" I asked.

"Well, I think its over- uh, there." Kirel said, pointing into the forest and slightly to the left. "But the whole Labyrinth can shift at any time. It's very, very magical."

"Well, then off we go, that-a-way." I mimicked his stance, and started off down the path. Cautious, this time, of dropping rocks.

***

Stina

"So you really like Jareth do you?" Hoggle asked me as we walked down the stone corridor. I looked at him and blushed slightly.

"Ya, I guess I am pretty obvious about it. But I really love him, it's not like some little High School crush, I would give my life for this guy. It's pretty bad." 'Especially so, since up until a few hours ago, he was a fictional character...'  We got to the end of the hall where, of course, the gate was locked shut.

"Help me push this wall over so we can get through. There should be a ladder on the other side."

"How do you know all these things?" I smirked at him,

"Magic." We both placed our hands on the wall to try to push it over but it didn't budge. 'Just great, now I'm going to be stuck here with Hogbrain. Ooo! I have an idea.'

"Hoghead, come here." He glared at me,

"It's HOGGLE, and why?"

"I've got an idea to get this wall down." He squinted at me but made his way over nonetheless, he probably didn't want to be stuck with me anymore than I wanted to be stuck with him. I picked him up sideways, with his feet to the front. I took a few steps back then ran, slamming his feet into the wall.

"YEOWWWW! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Hoggle screamed at me. I put him down and shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey, it could have worked. It was just an idea." I stood back and looked at the wall trying to think of a new way to get through. I noticed a small piece of the wall missing on one side. I walked over to it and instead of pushing I tried to pull the wall over. A bigger chunk came off and, alas, there was a brick wall behind the one we were trying to knock over.

"Where the hell did this come from? That is not supposed to be there. Now we are never gonna get through and I am going to be stuck here with you". 'JARETH, please, help me, get me out of here I don't want to spend the rest of the time here with Hogbreath.' I dropped to my knees and put my head down, trying to think of a way out of here. We couldn't go back because we would just end up back in the oubliette, and if we did that Hoggle would just end up showing my the way out of the Labyrinth. Suddenly I heard the familiar noise of Jareth's crystals along the stone pathway. I looked up and the ball stopped right in front of me where it turned into a key. My jaw dropped and my eyes grew wide. 'No way, Jen will never believe that Jareth helped me. This is insane. Oh, Jareth, I love you. Thank You so much'. I grabbed the key and ran over to the locked gates. The key slid perfectly into the lock and it popped open. Hoggle, who hadn't been paying attention looked at me suspiciously,

"Where'd you get that key?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Jareth sent it to me. I asked him for help to get me out of here and he gave it to me. That is why I love him." Hoggle stared at me in disbelief,

"You're right. I don't believe it."

"See, I told you. But does anyone ever listen to Christina, nooooo." We continued down the stone corridor until I finally thought, 'We are not going to end up in the hedge maze since we did not go up that ladder so now where are we going to end up. And what am I going to do from there? I do not know where I am going anymore. Crap.' We turned a corner and, nevertheless, at the end of the hallway there was a ladder leading so high up we could not even see a light shining in from above.

 "Thank you Jareth" I ran down the hall at full speed and began shimmying my way up the ladder. After a few minutes I finally reached the top of the ladder and crawled out, plopping myself on the ground, attempting to catch my breath from the strenuous climb. After Hoggle finished climbing up I suddenly became aware of my surroundings. After a few minutes I finally reached the top of the ladder and crawled out, plopping myself on the ground, attempting to catch my breath from the strenuous climb. After Hoggle finished climbing up I became aware of my surroundings. I ended up in the Hedge Maze, even after going up a different ladder. Thank God I thought, At least I know where I am... kinda. I stood and dusted my bottom off and we started walking again. After rounding a few corners we came to a small opening that seemed familiar. I looked around and sitting in a stone chair was the Wiseman, and his hat. "Oo, I love this guy. His hat is so funny." I said to no one in particular.

"Well, don't expect him to be of much help." Hoggle grumbled.

"Well, you aren't helping me but I still keep you around." He just ignored me and I made my way over to the Wiseman.

"Excuse me, do you know how do get to the castle in the center of this Labyrinth?" I asked

"Oh, yes, a young girl-"

"We seem to have a lot of dem passing through here dese days. Woo woo woo." The Wiseman looked up at the bird then continued as I smiled on

"So you want to get to the castle in the center of the Labyrinth?" I looked at the man's hat,

"Heh, how's that for brainpower?" I asked him.

"Eh, I like dis girl, much more den de last." I smiled at the bird.

"Hey, could I try your hat on for a second?" I asked the Wiseman

"Sure." He answered. "You could keep him for all I care." he then mumbled under his breath. I took the hat off of his head and placed it on my own. I swaggered to the left a bit but then regained my balance.

"Whoa, you're pretty heavy." I said to the bird. I began running around the opening of the maze in circles with the hat.
Eh, I haven't moved dat fast for a looong time." The bird said when I stopped running. I smiled as I placed him back on the Wiseman's head.

"No no no, I don't want to go back."

"Sorry." I told him, "But I have to get to that castle and I'm on a tight schedule. I'll come back and visit you sometime."

"Oh, alright. Please leave a contribution in de little box."

"I don't have anything of any value to contribute, and I'm not a sucker like that other girl." I smiled at the bird then continued on my way with Hoggle as I heard in the distance a sarcastic voice saying,

"Oh, it's so stimulating being your hat."

***

Jareth

The object of my attentions was sitting against the wall, breathing fast. She smiled as I heard her say that things were going great, which in turn made me smile to myself.
After she caught her breath she began walking with Hoggle again. I enlarged my crystal so I would have a better view of them.

"So you really like Jareth do you?" Hoggle asked her. I took a deep breath, 'Ok, I'm going to find out for sure now if she really does feel the same way.' I waited in anticipation for her answer,
"Ya, I guess I am pretty obvious about it. But I really love him, it's not like some little High School crush, I would give my life for this guy. It's pretty bad." I let go of a breath I had unknowingly been holding and fell onto back, grinning from ear to ear. How good it felt to smile again. I let loose a "whoop!" of joy that must have rang through the whole kingdom. I quickly sat up again, Indian style, before I missed anymore of their conversation.

They had gotten to the end of the corridor where there was a locked gate at one end, and a stone wall behind the other. They were both trying to push down the wall, in the same fashion Sarah had, but had no luck with it. I had made my goblins build a brick wall behind it so that no one would be able to get passed. I don't know how I could have been so foolish to let that slip by me the last time. I put my concentration back on the crystal where I saw Christina pick up Hoggle and go running into the wall, using his feet to try and knock it over. Hoggle screamed in pain and I let loose a roar of laughter. That was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I was in such a fit of hysterics that I had managed to roll off my bed and onto the floor.

"Ow.." I said as I hit the floor with a thud, between my gasps for air and my still raging giggles. I finally caught my breath and calmed down enough to keep my composure back to normal again. I wiped a tear from my eye when I heard Christina calling out to me through her mind, 'Jareth, please help me' she begged, 'get me out of here. I don't want to spend the rest of the time stuck here with Hogbreath!' She pleaded and dropped to her knees. I instantly regretted building that wall and I felt absolutely torn apart watching her there, on the verge of tears. There was nothing else I could do but help, If I left her I would never be able to live with myself.

'And,' I thought, 'She will see that I'm not always cruel.' I sent a crystal her way and made it stop right in front of her, where it changed into a key, to fit into the lock that kept them from continuing their journey. I watched as her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. I snuck into her thoughts once again, 'No way, Jen will never believe that Jareth helped me. This is insane. Oh Jareth, I love you. Thank you so much.' I smiled, once again content with myself, and continued watching Christina. She opened the gate and Hoggle, asked where she had gotten the key. She told him but he did not believe her anyway.

'Oh, Hoggle, dear skeptical Hoggle, just because I don't like you doesn't mean I don't like everybody. And Christina has definitely gotten my attention.' She continued her way through the halls when I heard her thinking, worrying actually, that she would be lost since she was not going up the ladder she had planned on going up. Actually, there hadn't been another ladder there at all, but, since I was in such a carefree mood, I had made a ladder appear before they rounded the next corner. Christina spotted it and dashed for it at full speed. She thanked me for it as she made her way up. I also made sure she would end up in the Hedge Maze, because that's where the other ladder would have led to anyway.

I put the crystal away and just laid back on my bed, thinking to myself, 'Ah, finally, things are going my way!'

***