Thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far, hopefully this story is gonna
go the way I want it too.
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and all other mainstream characters from the Labyrinth do not belong to me.
Synopsis: Sarah & Jareth have to prove their love for one another. Sarah runs the gauntlet again, but what will Jareth do?
Everything I do
Chapter 6 - Confrontation and devotion
It had seemed to take Sarah and Hoggle an exceptionally long time to push through the undergrowth of 'Fiery Wood', but they appeared to be coming to the end of it now as a tunnel of light opened up before them. And the smell, even a blind man would have known that they were coming up to the 'bog'.
"God, this smells even worse than the first time I encountered it!" Sarah remarked as she pinched her nose.
Hoggle didn't seem to mind too much about it this time around, but then he did have to come and visit every so often in order to keep up his acquaintance with both Ludo and Sir Didymus. He didn't even seem to notice anymore. "I's suppose it kinda grows on ya!" He answered. "I'm used to it now."
"How could anyone get used to that! I've been to some holes in my lifetime, smelly ones at that, but nothing compares to this, Hoggle."
"When's you visit it as often as I's do, then ya get's used to it. And to think, Jareth nearly made me prince of all this too."
"What?"
"Well, it was either give you .", he didn't finish, fearing Sarah's wrath. She was a possessed being when she was angry.
"Give me . ?" Sarah stopped abruptly, folded her arms over her chest and gave Hoggle the most scornful look she could give her friend.
Hoggle's eyes slid down to the ground and his head followed suit. " . the peach, give you the peach or become prince of the bog." He answered, more to himself than to anyone else.
"Hmm", she contemplated, "well . if I were in your shoe's at the time I would have done the same thing!"
"You would?" Hoggle asked, not raising his eyes or head an inch in case Sarah was only joking with him. He held his hands together in front of his chest in the manner of a child that knew they had done a great wrong.
"Sure!" Sarah said, "First rule isn't it, look after yourself, and besides you didn't really know where anybody's loyalty lay until later on. You certainly had no reason to believe my friendship was true, and at the end of the day, you still had to live here once I had gone home."
"All's the same, I shouldn't have done what I done, I'm sorry."
"Hoggle, forget it. I did a long time ago. No point dwelling on the past. Besides, it gave me a somewhat happy memory of my time here, even if it was a scheme of his 'lordship's' to try to make me forget my brother." Sarah was going to take no more crap from that direction either and decidedly started on her journey again with a smiling Hoggle in tow. As soon as they had passed through the last remaining inches of wood the scenery of the bog unfolded before them and as they walked on they were able to make out two figures sitting close to the foul smelling murky depths.
Sarah immediately broke into a run towards her other two friends, "Sir Didymus, Ludo!" She called as she hurtled onwards.
"Wait!" Cried the dwarf as he tried to keep up, the distance ever-growing between them; he had a feeling that something was going to happen. "Sarah, wait, please!" He tried again.
Sarah, excited by her imminent meeting turned on her heel as she heard Hoggle repeatedly call out to her. "Sorry," she cried as she began to walk backwards very slowly in order that he could catch up to her, but he didn't he stopped, abruptly.
She watched as his eyes moved upward watching something open up towards the heavens behind her, shock written all over his face and a huge shadow enveloping the area in which he stood to continue its grey path back toward the wood. She turned back again not sure at what she was going to find in her path and her eyes drifted upwards much the same as Hoggle's had. Before her was the most beautiful and yet dangerous creature that she thought she was ever likely to witness as it continued on its upward journey.
At first, she wasn't quite sure what it was for it really was quite a strange beast. Half eagle, half lion. 'It's a griffin,' she mused.
Formidable as it was, Sarah did not seem to care that it stood in her path. It sat on its golden haunches and eyed her suspiciously through its bright yellow eyes. Out shot its wings as it shook its head at her squawking, breathing out fire and waggling its forked tongue.
By this time, Hoggle was at her side and she could hear her other two friends shouting at the mythical beast from somewhere behind it. Hoggle's large oversized hand came up to her elbow, grasping tightly. He was afraid, she noticed, looking to him and grabbing his hand in hers.
"What's are we gonna do now?" He asked.
"Follow my lead Hoggle." She said. "I'm trying to remember what it is about Griffin's that allow you to pass them when they block your path." She quickly jumped out of the way with Hoggle in tow as a front claw smashed down at the place they had just occupied.
"That's was close!" Hoggle remarked. "Too close for my's likin'."
"Yeah," Sarah agreed, as again they jumped backwards out of the way of its neck as it tried to side swipe them.
Several more close encounters ensued, and the Griffin was happy when he managed to separate the pair. After all, the creature had been sent here to get the human, no one else. Drawing back it's claw it reached forward and grabbed out at Sarah, she moved quickly but was becoming weary, the beast knowing that it would not be long now.
"Sarah, hurry up and remember!" Hoggle's words of encouragement soon lost as the Griffin tried again and again to snatch her up.
She watched with hawk eyes for every move that the Griffin would make, anticipating what it would do next and all the while thinking about what she had to do to get passed the wretched beast.
"I remember something about virtuousness and allowing passage. God . what the hell was it now?" Sarah spat out and neatly avoided another lunge from the Griffin.
"What, virtu. what?" Hoggle asked.
"Nothing, it's okay," Sarah said with a wide grin on her face and ducking quickly avoiding the next swipe. The registration of knowing appeared over her features as she got back to her feet and she looked the creature in the eye. "That's it!" She exclaimed. "Griffin, listen to me," she shouted up.
The Griffin's claw stopped in mid flight as it realised that the strange human figure had spoken to it. It moved its head down so that it's eye was on the same plain as the girl's. It waited for her to speak again.
Sarah was rooted to the spot, if the Griffin wanted her now there was nothing that she could have ever done to stop it. Finding the words, she spoke up again. "Hear me, Griffin," she said, trying not to falter, "You sit in my path, why? I am of strong will and determination, you will not easily break me. Do you guard what I desire most because you consider I am unworthy, that I do not speak truth when I say I love your King. If this is your belief, take me and do with me as is your desire. But if you suppose that I speak truth, let . me . pass. Your King will not look upon you with a kind eye if you make the wrong decision."
She kept her spot resolutely and silently as she waited for the Griffin to make it's choice. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it would push its way through her chest and land upon the grass in front her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and her breathing became erratic. And although her mind was not racing she could only think of one thing, Jareth. She mutely asked him for his help not expecting it but hoping that it would come all the same. The Griffin was unyielding to begin with, seemingly mulling over the words that had poured forth from Sarah's lips. Was she telling the truth or not? It would mean it's hide if it chose incorrectly. Checking over the human again it noticed that she stood as determinedly as it had ever witnessed a human do before. If she were lying couldn't it tell? It believed it would. It gracefully set it's wings back and turned round so that Sarah and Hoggle could pass safely.
Sarah looked up at the beast realising that this meant she was worthy, virtuous and she could pass without any hindrance. She moved over to where the dwarf was cowering behind some trees and offered him her hand. "Come on Hoggle, we have to get to the castle, right?"
Hoggle looked at her, then at the creature still towering over the scenery and decided that it was now safe to continue. "Thanks," he said giving Sarah a quick smile.
"It's not me you need to thank," she answered as they walked passed the Griffin. Hoggle looked at her as she shrugged toward it, and decided against anything more to say on the subject.
Eagerly, they both moved over to where Ludo and Sir Didymus had retreated. A wall of stones had been positioned in front of the cowering pair. Obviously Ludo had used his vocal talent to call the rocks to his aide but it was Sir Didymus that was the first to emerge from the safety of their barricade.
"Milady, I am honoured to have such a valiant acquaintance." Sir Didymus charmed.
"It was nothing, really."
"You are too modest, milady."
"And you offer me too much praise. How long is it going to take to say your hello's and give me hug?"
Sir Didymus shamefully closed the distance between them uttering, "Please forgive me," as Sarah swept him up into her embrace.
"There's nothing to forgive, I'm just so glad to see you after all this time. Where's Ambrosias?"
"Trembling behind some foliage, I shouldn't wonder. Some brave soldier he turned out to be."
"Well, perhaps you should find him whilst I say hello to Ludo."
"Sawah?" Ludo said as she ambled over to the gigantic furry beast. "Sawah change."
"In what way?" She asked as she hugged him as she had all her old friends. "How have I changed?"
"Sawah, big!"
"Yeah, I'm older, a lot older than I was last time I was here," she answered, smiling despite herself. "And . pwetty."
"Well I don't know about that, with crow's feet forming around my eyes and I find the odd grey hair every now and then."
"Again, milady, you are too modest," Sir Didymus confirmed as he rode back up to the throng on Ambrosias.
"Thanks, but that's enough already." She smiled, and then turned to Hoggle who was still awestruck at the passing confrontation with the Griffin. "So where do we go from here?"
"Well, we could's retrace our steps through Fiery Wood so far as the turnpike, then turn North through the junkyard and onto the gates of the Goblin City, but that's could take a while!"
"How long, Sir Hoggle?"
"Four Hours," Hoggle answered.
"Well we have three and a half tops," Sarah exclaimed as she looked at her wristwatch.
". down?" Ludo asked motioning to the ground and beneath.
"No," Hoggle shook his head, "we have's to get back to the turnpike whichever's way we decide to goes, it will take's too long. If we hadn't had that set too's with the Griffin ."
"But we did!" Sarah said her facing lighting up. "And as it believes my pledge then it may just help us to get to the castle."
"No!" Hoggle shouted.
"What do you have in mind, milady?"
"No, no ways, there's no ways you're getting me on that thing." Hoggle's stubborn streak was surfacing.
"Come on, where's your sense of adventure." Sarah asked looking at him with puppy dog eyes.
"No!"
"Oh well, we'll have to leave you here then. That will be such a pity as well, I know how much you want to see Jareth squirm." She breathed into his ear. "I need you to be there Hoggle to make sure I don't weaken, but if your not there then I will be forced to stay and become whatever Jareth wishes of me."
That was low, how could Sarah lower the stakes so much as to get him to fly to the castle on the Griffin, but what else could he do? He had, after all, told her he would help her anyway he could. "Okay," he nodded.
"Ludo . fly?"
"Yes, mm mm," Sarah said as she nodded her head profusely, walking over to where the Griffin sat. It was a long shot but she knew enough of folklore to know that Griffin's were very loyal, especially to those who had shown loyalty to them and their masters.
She cleared her throat before continuing. "Griffin? As you have validated my devotion to your King by way of letting me pass the path that you had guarded, would it be in your power to take myself and my friends to the castle beyond the Goblin City so that I may join his royal highness and shower him with my dedication and affection?"
The Griffin seemingly mulled over her further request of him and deciding that she could not do his master any harm bowed his neck down completely to touch the ground in front of him.
"I guess that means we're on," she called over her shoulder to the other's as she moved her way towards the Griffin in order that she could climb onto his back. The other's followed suit, Ludo holding onto Ambrosias and Sir Didymus and Hoggle holding onto whatever he could in order to stay on the beast.
Once everyone was safely on it's back, the Griffin lifted its neck and body in turn. It opened its wings out to full span and began to beat the air, slowly rising from the ground as it did so. Once it was high enough it began to use it's wings, claws, paws and tail to manoeuvre and fly over to the castle, and it excited everyone except Hoggle, he was worrying about how high they all were.
Sarah looked out over the side as far as she could, in order that she could watch the scenery as they flew over it. Parts of the labyrinth were visible, the forest, swooping over the junkyard and finally over the walls of the Goblin City. 'No gigantic mechanical goblin to deal with this time,' she thought.
The Griffin spied the ground that he wanted to land on and slowly glided down. Stretching out its claws and paws before itself, it touched ground lightly then bent its body and neck down so that it's passengers could climb down.
"Thanks the gods that's I'ms in one piece," Hoggle said as he put his feet back onto solid grown.
Sarah rolled her eyes at him, she was never going to hear him say it had been fun even it would stop him from dying.
Walking around to the Griffin's head, Sarah bowed and said thank you and as she retraced her steps she realised that the Griffin had set them down in a beautiful garden full of lover's nooks, flower beds, pergolas and seated areas. However, her mission was not over yet she had to get to the castle. She had to get to Jareth. And she had to tell him exactly what she thought of him. "Are you guy's ready?" She asked. All heads nodded in her direction. "Good then let's get this show on the road." And with that said she was off, skirting her way around the imposing building to the great doors, ready to make her entrance known to the Goblin King.
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and all other mainstream characters from the Labyrinth do not belong to me.
Synopsis: Sarah & Jareth have to prove their love for one another. Sarah runs the gauntlet again, but what will Jareth do?
Everything I do
Chapter 6 - Confrontation and devotion
It had seemed to take Sarah and Hoggle an exceptionally long time to push through the undergrowth of 'Fiery Wood', but they appeared to be coming to the end of it now as a tunnel of light opened up before them. And the smell, even a blind man would have known that they were coming up to the 'bog'.
"God, this smells even worse than the first time I encountered it!" Sarah remarked as she pinched her nose.
Hoggle didn't seem to mind too much about it this time around, but then he did have to come and visit every so often in order to keep up his acquaintance with both Ludo and Sir Didymus. He didn't even seem to notice anymore. "I's suppose it kinda grows on ya!" He answered. "I'm used to it now."
"How could anyone get used to that! I've been to some holes in my lifetime, smelly ones at that, but nothing compares to this, Hoggle."
"When's you visit it as often as I's do, then ya get's used to it. And to think, Jareth nearly made me prince of all this too."
"What?"
"Well, it was either give you .", he didn't finish, fearing Sarah's wrath. She was a possessed being when she was angry.
"Give me . ?" Sarah stopped abruptly, folded her arms over her chest and gave Hoggle the most scornful look she could give her friend.
Hoggle's eyes slid down to the ground and his head followed suit. " . the peach, give you the peach or become prince of the bog." He answered, more to himself than to anyone else.
"Hmm", she contemplated, "well . if I were in your shoe's at the time I would have done the same thing!"
"You would?" Hoggle asked, not raising his eyes or head an inch in case Sarah was only joking with him. He held his hands together in front of his chest in the manner of a child that knew they had done a great wrong.
"Sure!" Sarah said, "First rule isn't it, look after yourself, and besides you didn't really know where anybody's loyalty lay until later on. You certainly had no reason to believe my friendship was true, and at the end of the day, you still had to live here once I had gone home."
"All's the same, I shouldn't have done what I done, I'm sorry."
"Hoggle, forget it. I did a long time ago. No point dwelling on the past. Besides, it gave me a somewhat happy memory of my time here, even if it was a scheme of his 'lordship's' to try to make me forget my brother." Sarah was going to take no more crap from that direction either and decidedly started on her journey again with a smiling Hoggle in tow. As soon as they had passed through the last remaining inches of wood the scenery of the bog unfolded before them and as they walked on they were able to make out two figures sitting close to the foul smelling murky depths.
Sarah immediately broke into a run towards her other two friends, "Sir Didymus, Ludo!" She called as she hurtled onwards.
"Wait!" Cried the dwarf as he tried to keep up, the distance ever-growing between them; he had a feeling that something was going to happen. "Sarah, wait, please!" He tried again.
Sarah, excited by her imminent meeting turned on her heel as she heard Hoggle repeatedly call out to her. "Sorry," she cried as she began to walk backwards very slowly in order that he could catch up to her, but he didn't he stopped, abruptly.
She watched as his eyes moved upward watching something open up towards the heavens behind her, shock written all over his face and a huge shadow enveloping the area in which he stood to continue its grey path back toward the wood. She turned back again not sure at what she was going to find in her path and her eyes drifted upwards much the same as Hoggle's had. Before her was the most beautiful and yet dangerous creature that she thought she was ever likely to witness as it continued on its upward journey.
At first, she wasn't quite sure what it was for it really was quite a strange beast. Half eagle, half lion. 'It's a griffin,' she mused.
Formidable as it was, Sarah did not seem to care that it stood in her path. It sat on its golden haunches and eyed her suspiciously through its bright yellow eyes. Out shot its wings as it shook its head at her squawking, breathing out fire and waggling its forked tongue.
By this time, Hoggle was at her side and she could hear her other two friends shouting at the mythical beast from somewhere behind it. Hoggle's large oversized hand came up to her elbow, grasping tightly. He was afraid, she noticed, looking to him and grabbing his hand in hers.
"What's are we gonna do now?" He asked.
"Follow my lead Hoggle." She said. "I'm trying to remember what it is about Griffin's that allow you to pass them when they block your path." She quickly jumped out of the way with Hoggle in tow as a front claw smashed down at the place they had just occupied.
"That's was close!" Hoggle remarked. "Too close for my's likin'."
"Yeah," Sarah agreed, as again they jumped backwards out of the way of its neck as it tried to side swipe them.
Several more close encounters ensued, and the Griffin was happy when he managed to separate the pair. After all, the creature had been sent here to get the human, no one else. Drawing back it's claw it reached forward and grabbed out at Sarah, she moved quickly but was becoming weary, the beast knowing that it would not be long now.
"Sarah, hurry up and remember!" Hoggle's words of encouragement soon lost as the Griffin tried again and again to snatch her up.
She watched with hawk eyes for every move that the Griffin would make, anticipating what it would do next and all the while thinking about what she had to do to get passed the wretched beast.
"I remember something about virtuousness and allowing passage. God . what the hell was it now?" Sarah spat out and neatly avoided another lunge from the Griffin.
"What, virtu. what?" Hoggle asked.
"Nothing, it's okay," Sarah said with a wide grin on her face and ducking quickly avoiding the next swipe. The registration of knowing appeared over her features as she got back to her feet and she looked the creature in the eye. "That's it!" She exclaimed. "Griffin, listen to me," she shouted up.
The Griffin's claw stopped in mid flight as it realised that the strange human figure had spoken to it. It moved its head down so that it's eye was on the same plain as the girl's. It waited for her to speak again.
Sarah was rooted to the spot, if the Griffin wanted her now there was nothing that she could have ever done to stop it. Finding the words, she spoke up again. "Hear me, Griffin," she said, trying not to falter, "You sit in my path, why? I am of strong will and determination, you will not easily break me. Do you guard what I desire most because you consider I am unworthy, that I do not speak truth when I say I love your King. If this is your belief, take me and do with me as is your desire. But if you suppose that I speak truth, let . me . pass. Your King will not look upon you with a kind eye if you make the wrong decision."
She kept her spot resolutely and silently as she waited for the Griffin to make it's choice. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it would push its way through her chest and land upon the grass in front her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and her breathing became erratic. And although her mind was not racing she could only think of one thing, Jareth. She mutely asked him for his help not expecting it but hoping that it would come all the same. The Griffin was unyielding to begin with, seemingly mulling over the words that had poured forth from Sarah's lips. Was she telling the truth or not? It would mean it's hide if it chose incorrectly. Checking over the human again it noticed that she stood as determinedly as it had ever witnessed a human do before. If she were lying couldn't it tell? It believed it would. It gracefully set it's wings back and turned round so that Sarah and Hoggle could pass safely.
Sarah looked up at the beast realising that this meant she was worthy, virtuous and she could pass without any hindrance. She moved over to where the dwarf was cowering behind some trees and offered him her hand. "Come on Hoggle, we have to get to the castle, right?"
Hoggle looked at her, then at the creature still towering over the scenery and decided that it was now safe to continue. "Thanks," he said giving Sarah a quick smile.
"It's not me you need to thank," she answered as they walked passed the Griffin. Hoggle looked at her as she shrugged toward it, and decided against anything more to say on the subject.
Eagerly, they both moved over to where Ludo and Sir Didymus had retreated. A wall of stones had been positioned in front of the cowering pair. Obviously Ludo had used his vocal talent to call the rocks to his aide but it was Sir Didymus that was the first to emerge from the safety of their barricade.
"Milady, I am honoured to have such a valiant acquaintance." Sir Didymus charmed.
"It was nothing, really."
"You are too modest, milady."
"And you offer me too much praise. How long is it going to take to say your hello's and give me hug?"
Sir Didymus shamefully closed the distance between them uttering, "Please forgive me," as Sarah swept him up into her embrace.
"There's nothing to forgive, I'm just so glad to see you after all this time. Where's Ambrosias?"
"Trembling behind some foliage, I shouldn't wonder. Some brave soldier he turned out to be."
"Well, perhaps you should find him whilst I say hello to Ludo."
"Sawah?" Ludo said as she ambled over to the gigantic furry beast. "Sawah change."
"In what way?" She asked as she hugged him as she had all her old friends. "How have I changed?"
"Sawah, big!"
"Yeah, I'm older, a lot older than I was last time I was here," she answered, smiling despite herself. "And . pwetty."
"Well I don't know about that, with crow's feet forming around my eyes and I find the odd grey hair every now and then."
"Again, milady, you are too modest," Sir Didymus confirmed as he rode back up to the throng on Ambrosias.
"Thanks, but that's enough already." She smiled, and then turned to Hoggle who was still awestruck at the passing confrontation with the Griffin. "So where do we go from here?"
"Well, we could's retrace our steps through Fiery Wood so far as the turnpike, then turn North through the junkyard and onto the gates of the Goblin City, but that's could take a while!"
"How long, Sir Hoggle?"
"Four Hours," Hoggle answered.
"Well we have three and a half tops," Sarah exclaimed as she looked at her wristwatch.
". down?" Ludo asked motioning to the ground and beneath.
"No," Hoggle shook his head, "we have's to get back to the turnpike whichever's way we decide to goes, it will take's too long. If we hadn't had that set too's with the Griffin ."
"But we did!" Sarah said her facing lighting up. "And as it believes my pledge then it may just help us to get to the castle."
"No!" Hoggle shouted.
"What do you have in mind, milady?"
"No, no ways, there's no ways you're getting me on that thing." Hoggle's stubborn streak was surfacing.
"Come on, where's your sense of adventure." Sarah asked looking at him with puppy dog eyes.
"No!"
"Oh well, we'll have to leave you here then. That will be such a pity as well, I know how much you want to see Jareth squirm." She breathed into his ear. "I need you to be there Hoggle to make sure I don't weaken, but if your not there then I will be forced to stay and become whatever Jareth wishes of me."
That was low, how could Sarah lower the stakes so much as to get him to fly to the castle on the Griffin, but what else could he do? He had, after all, told her he would help her anyway he could. "Okay," he nodded.
"Ludo . fly?"
"Yes, mm mm," Sarah said as she nodded her head profusely, walking over to where the Griffin sat. It was a long shot but she knew enough of folklore to know that Griffin's were very loyal, especially to those who had shown loyalty to them and their masters.
She cleared her throat before continuing. "Griffin? As you have validated my devotion to your King by way of letting me pass the path that you had guarded, would it be in your power to take myself and my friends to the castle beyond the Goblin City so that I may join his royal highness and shower him with my dedication and affection?"
The Griffin seemingly mulled over her further request of him and deciding that she could not do his master any harm bowed his neck down completely to touch the ground in front of him.
"I guess that means we're on," she called over her shoulder to the other's as she moved her way towards the Griffin in order that she could climb onto his back. The other's followed suit, Ludo holding onto Ambrosias and Sir Didymus and Hoggle holding onto whatever he could in order to stay on the beast.
Once everyone was safely on it's back, the Griffin lifted its neck and body in turn. It opened its wings out to full span and began to beat the air, slowly rising from the ground as it did so. Once it was high enough it began to use it's wings, claws, paws and tail to manoeuvre and fly over to the castle, and it excited everyone except Hoggle, he was worrying about how high they all were.
Sarah looked out over the side as far as she could, in order that she could watch the scenery as they flew over it. Parts of the labyrinth were visible, the forest, swooping over the junkyard and finally over the walls of the Goblin City. 'No gigantic mechanical goblin to deal with this time,' she thought.
The Griffin spied the ground that he wanted to land on and slowly glided down. Stretching out its claws and paws before itself, it touched ground lightly then bent its body and neck down so that it's passengers could climb down.
"Thanks the gods that's I'ms in one piece," Hoggle said as he put his feet back onto solid grown.
Sarah rolled her eyes at him, she was never going to hear him say it had been fun even it would stop him from dying.
Walking around to the Griffin's head, Sarah bowed and said thank you and as she retraced her steps she realised that the Griffin had set them down in a beautiful garden full of lover's nooks, flower beds, pergolas and seated areas. However, her mission was not over yet she had to get to the castle. She had to get to Jareth. And she had to tell him exactly what she thought of him. "Are you guy's ready?" She asked. All heads nodded in her direction. "Good then let's get this show on the road." And with that said she was off, skirting her way around the imposing building to the great doors, ready to make her entrance known to the Goblin King.