Wow, I have let this one go too long without an update. Sorry, but
inspiration is in short supply. I think my muse is on hiatus or something
LOL
Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing related to the Labyrinth movie. Any other places/characters belong to me.
Chapter 5:
Breakfast was rather uneventful. Sarah was disappointed to see that Jareth had not returned the previous night. It was just as well, she supposed. She wanted to go over to the ruins of his castle today and she was not sure how he would react to her newly found gift.
As they had promised, Didymus and Hoggle showed her the way. When they reached the top of the hill, Sarah was quite shocked at the destruction she saw before her. The labyrinth was almost totally gone. Only a few walls remained standing amid the rubble. Further in she noted the houses that were once the Goblin City. Those were relatively unscathed, but it was little more than a ghost town. There were no creatures scurrying about, not even one of the many chickens that had been there before.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she let out an anguished sob when she saw the castle. The heavy wooden doors now barely hung on their hinges. The main walls were still there, but they were scarred by deep cracks that ran from the ground to the balcony. The tower had collapsed completely and light filtered down from the hole where it stood. Its remains were scattered about in the main hall. She could not believe what she was seeing. She didn't know that a few uttered words could bring down an entire kingdom.
"I tolds ya it wasn't a pretty sight." Hoggle said.
Sarah merely nodded as she wiped her eyes. "I know, but I wasn't expecting this."
"You, uh, really sure you wants to do this?"
"Yes." Sarah sighed. "I'm afraid I have to at least try."
"I commend thee, Fair Maiden, for taking this difficult challenge upon thee." Said Didymus. "We shall take our leave of thee and return well before day to escort thee back to the cottage."
Once she was alone Sarah took a closer look at her surroundings, wondering where she should begin. She noticed movement from the area of the junkyard and decided to investigate.
The movement she saw was none other than the junk lady she had fell upon after her ballroom dream. "Hello?" she called out to her.
The woman looked up with a start. "Well what have we here? The young woman? And what makes you want to visit old Agnes again, hmmm?"
"Oh, so you remember me?"
"Hard to forget the one who made it possible for me to collect all these fine things, yes!" Agnes said with a cackle. "Well, better to come inside dear. There's nothing you are looking for out here."
Before Sarah could protest, Agnes was pushing her towards an opening in the mountainous piles of junk. Soon they were standing in the middle of a surprisingly nice home. It was a stark contrast as to what lay outside, everything was neat and orderly, and the air held a slight fragrance of roses. A small fire lit on the hearth warmed the chill out of her bones that had appeared as she was venturing through the ruins.
Agnes sat her down in a cozy chair by the fireplace and shrugged off her immense backpack. She gave a stretch and said, "Aye, it is so good to get that thing off. Now you sit right there, my dear, and I will fetch us some drink. Won't be more than a tick." She slipped off into what Sarah guessed was the kitchen and returned soon after with a tray full of nectar and cheese. She motioned for Sarah to help herself and sat down across from her.
"Word travels fast in these parts, young woman. Be it by bird or by person, Agnes here knows many things. But you must know that simply rebuilding a castle will not return the former kingdom to its glory."
Sarah narrowed her eyes at her host. "So what are you telling me? Are you suggesting I would be wasting my time here?"
"Goodness, are all mortals so impatient? I suppose you are, being that your lives are so short. Now be silent and let me finish!"
Sarah simply sipped her nectar, which was very good by the way, and nodded.
"You will be able to restore the labyrinth and the castle quite easily, and in only a few days' time. That will be the easy part. But what good is the grandest of kingdoms without a king to rule it?"
"But Jareth is the king. He could resume that role once the castle is finished."
"Don't ye be too sure of that. You have seen him, yes? Does he even look the part anymore?"
"Well, no, "Sarah replied, "but I could draw him too. I can sketch him as he once was."
At that, Agnes started laughing like a mad woman. "You think it is as simple as that?"
Sarah was annoyed that the woman was laughing at her. "Why not? I drew my friends yesterday and it was a piece of cake."
"Yes, but dear woman, those are your friends. They trust you. What makes you think a had-been Goblin King does, hmmm?"
"What am I supposed to do about that?"
Agnes stood up and shuffled over to her pack and began looking through it. She found something wrapped in cloth rags and handed it to Sarah. "Here you are. Now, if you will excuse me I have more treasures to find." She took an empty backpack from beside the door and put it on. As she was heading out the door she turned to Sarah and said, "Now that is the key. Take care that you don't lose it!"
After Agnes left Sarah carefully unwrapped the object. With a start she dropped it to the floor and covered her gaping mouth with both hands. There on the floor was Jareth's pendant. "How did Agnes get her hands on this?" Then she remembered Jareth had not been wearing it yesterday. So it had ended up in the junk pile somehow. She shuddered at the thought.
Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing related to the Labyrinth movie. Any other places/characters belong to me.
Chapter 5:
Breakfast was rather uneventful. Sarah was disappointed to see that Jareth had not returned the previous night. It was just as well, she supposed. She wanted to go over to the ruins of his castle today and she was not sure how he would react to her newly found gift.
As they had promised, Didymus and Hoggle showed her the way. When they reached the top of the hill, Sarah was quite shocked at the destruction she saw before her. The labyrinth was almost totally gone. Only a few walls remained standing amid the rubble. Further in she noted the houses that were once the Goblin City. Those were relatively unscathed, but it was little more than a ghost town. There were no creatures scurrying about, not even one of the many chickens that had been there before.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she let out an anguished sob when she saw the castle. The heavy wooden doors now barely hung on their hinges. The main walls were still there, but they were scarred by deep cracks that ran from the ground to the balcony. The tower had collapsed completely and light filtered down from the hole where it stood. Its remains were scattered about in the main hall. She could not believe what she was seeing. She didn't know that a few uttered words could bring down an entire kingdom.
"I tolds ya it wasn't a pretty sight." Hoggle said.
Sarah merely nodded as she wiped her eyes. "I know, but I wasn't expecting this."
"You, uh, really sure you wants to do this?"
"Yes." Sarah sighed. "I'm afraid I have to at least try."
"I commend thee, Fair Maiden, for taking this difficult challenge upon thee." Said Didymus. "We shall take our leave of thee and return well before day to escort thee back to the cottage."
Once she was alone Sarah took a closer look at her surroundings, wondering where she should begin. She noticed movement from the area of the junkyard and decided to investigate.
The movement she saw was none other than the junk lady she had fell upon after her ballroom dream. "Hello?" she called out to her.
The woman looked up with a start. "Well what have we here? The young woman? And what makes you want to visit old Agnes again, hmmm?"
"Oh, so you remember me?"
"Hard to forget the one who made it possible for me to collect all these fine things, yes!" Agnes said with a cackle. "Well, better to come inside dear. There's nothing you are looking for out here."
Before Sarah could protest, Agnes was pushing her towards an opening in the mountainous piles of junk. Soon they were standing in the middle of a surprisingly nice home. It was a stark contrast as to what lay outside, everything was neat and orderly, and the air held a slight fragrance of roses. A small fire lit on the hearth warmed the chill out of her bones that had appeared as she was venturing through the ruins.
Agnes sat her down in a cozy chair by the fireplace and shrugged off her immense backpack. She gave a stretch and said, "Aye, it is so good to get that thing off. Now you sit right there, my dear, and I will fetch us some drink. Won't be more than a tick." She slipped off into what Sarah guessed was the kitchen and returned soon after with a tray full of nectar and cheese. She motioned for Sarah to help herself and sat down across from her.
"Word travels fast in these parts, young woman. Be it by bird or by person, Agnes here knows many things. But you must know that simply rebuilding a castle will not return the former kingdom to its glory."
Sarah narrowed her eyes at her host. "So what are you telling me? Are you suggesting I would be wasting my time here?"
"Goodness, are all mortals so impatient? I suppose you are, being that your lives are so short. Now be silent and let me finish!"
Sarah simply sipped her nectar, which was very good by the way, and nodded.
"You will be able to restore the labyrinth and the castle quite easily, and in only a few days' time. That will be the easy part. But what good is the grandest of kingdoms without a king to rule it?"
"But Jareth is the king. He could resume that role once the castle is finished."
"Don't ye be too sure of that. You have seen him, yes? Does he even look the part anymore?"
"Well, no, "Sarah replied, "but I could draw him too. I can sketch him as he once was."
At that, Agnes started laughing like a mad woman. "You think it is as simple as that?"
Sarah was annoyed that the woman was laughing at her. "Why not? I drew my friends yesterday and it was a piece of cake."
"Yes, but dear woman, those are your friends. They trust you. What makes you think a had-been Goblin King does, hmmm?"
"What am I supposed to do about that?"
Agnes stood up and shuffled over to her pack and began looking through it. She found something wrapped in cloth rags and handed it to Sarah. "Here you are. Now, if you will excuse me I have more treasures to find." She took an empty backpack from beside the door and put it on. As she was heading out the door she turned to Sarah and said, "Now that is the key. Take care that you don't lose it!"
After Agnes left Sarah carefully unwrapped the object. With a start she dropped it to the floor and covered her gaping mouth with both hands. There on the floor was Jareth's pendant. "How did Agnes get her hands on this?" Then she remembered Jareth had not been wearing it yesterday. So it had ended up in the junk pile somehow. She shuddered at the thought.