Disclaimer. I own nothing.
Sarah stared incredulously at the figure in front of her. "This is a dream. I fell asleep and I'm dreaming. This isn't possible."
"Come, come, Sarah. So disbelieving? The first time we met you accepted this world without a moment's hesitation. You welcomed it. Have you truly changed so much?"
Sarah closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again, she would be back on her couch. "Think Sarah," she said out loud, "remember your psychology classes. I had a bad day, I've been thinking about Toby, and all those toys brought back memories, and I fell asleep reading that stupid book, and now I'm dreaming about it. Just like I did…" she faltered. "Just like I did when I was…when I was fifteen." She opened her eyes again to see the Goblin King still before her.
"Oh, Sarah," he said, almost sadly, "Are you that far gone that you can't accept what is right in front of you? " I'm real, Sarah, as real as you are, and as real as I was when we first met, all those years ago."
Sarah stared into his mismatched eyes and knew the truth. For years she'd believed – she'd convinced herself that the story she told Toby about her adventures were just that, a story, but she was fast losing the comfort of that belief. It was real. Jareth was real, and she was facing him once again. But she'd be damned if she would give in without a fight. "Fine. You're real. I called you when I was fifteen, and, if I recall correctly, I also beat you. Why are you here? You have nothing of mine, and you can offer me nothing."
"Oh, you think so?"
Sarah forced herself to calm down. One thing she did remember is that it didn't pay to get the Goblin King angry. "I came here once for Toby, but Toby is dead. Something far worse than you took him from me. I don't need fantasies, or dreams. They gave me nothing but heartache. So, please, just end this nightmare, or whatever this is, and let me get on with my life."
Jareth smiled, and to her surprised looked rather sad. "No, Sarah. We have unfinished business, you and I. Do you remember when you first met the Dwarf, Higgle? He told you that even if you got through to the center of the Labyrinth, you'd never get out again?" A thirteen-hour clock appeared next to him, "You have thirteen hours to find your way back to the beginning. If you lose, you stay here, with me. If you win you will make your own choices."
Sarah was incredulous, "Are you telling me that over a decade later I suddenly have to find my way back through? Why? Why now?"
"Because, Sarah, you have to finish the story." And he was gone leaving her alone in the room she now recognized as the place she had defeated him the first time.
"Well, fine, I made it through once, I can do it again. And at least this time I know the weird rules of this place."
She looked around until she spotted a door through which she saw some stairs, leading down. "Well, here goes nothing."
As soon as she emerged into the next room, she found herself engulfed in a furry hug. After a few seconds confusion, her memory threw up a card and she said, "Ludo! It's good to see you, but let me go, I can't breathe!"
The kind-hearted monster released her and stood back, giving her his goofy grin. Standing next to him was Hoggle, looking embarrassed and pleased, and next to him was the bristling form of Sir Didymus. "What are you…you haven't been here since I left, have you?"
"No, my lady," replied Sir Didymus, "but this is where we left you, when you confronted the King, and he requested we take up our former positions as your companions to help you return."
"Did he? That seems uncharacteristically kind of him. I wonder what the catch is."
"No catch, Sarah," Hoggle said, taking her had in his own calloused one. "But even with us, the trip will not be easy. The place changes constantly, and even our familiarity with the maze may not be very useful, since we are, in effect, part of the game now."
"Hoggle? Why am I here? How did this happen? I didn't wish anyone away. I didn't call on the Goblin King. What's going on?"
"I can't tell you that Sarah. But I am pleased to see you. We…I…missed you. When you stopped calling…"
"Oh, Hoggle. I'm sorry. It's just…" she laughed softly, "I left here because I chose real life over dreams, and sometimes it seems like real life did everything to prove I made the wrong decision."
"Sarah not happy?" Ludo asked, his gentle face frowning.
"No. I'm happy. I guess. Well, if not happy, contented. I don't know. Anyway, if I'm supposed to get back through this labyrinth in thirteen hours, we better get started. Are you guys ready?"
Her former companions nodded, and after a brief struggle with Didimus's mount Ambrosius, they headed out of the castle. Based on her rapidly returning memory, Sarah fully expected to find herself facing hundreds of armed goblins at the big wooden door, ready to defend their town against another attack of rocks. Therefore she was shocked to find herself not into the goblin city, but standing in a familiar, well-manicured park.
"Hey," she said, "I know this place. This…this is the park near where I grew up. I used to play here." More specifically, she reminded herself, she used to act out the Labyrinth here, before she found herself in it for real. She wandered around, Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus following faithfully behind her, exclaiming over each remembered tree and bench. Here was the bridge she would run across, her costume dress billowing behind her; there was the stone pillar she used to recite to, in lieu of the real goblin king. Like the toys in the box, this was a part of her childhood she put behind her after Toby died. But there wasn't time for memories. She needed to get through this labyrinth and back to her life. "Well, what now? Do you have any idea of what direction to go in? I don't see a door or opening or anything. How are we supposed to get into the labyrinth?"
Hoggle shook his head. "The place changes constantly, but I expected a door, at least."
"Well, if the rules haven't completely changed," Sarah said musingly, "this place is full of openings, we're just not looking properly. Look around for anything that looks like it might lead somewhere." Obediently Sarah's companions spread out, searching the bushes and trees and, in Didymus's case, attacking them. Finally Sarah noticed a faint footpath leading through a grove of half dead trees. She called her friends to her, and together they followed the path until they found themselves suddenly in a deserted fairground, facing an old fashioned carousel. Sarah stopped so suddenly Hoggle banged into her but she didn't notice. "Damn you, Jareth." She said softly, fighting against the tears that threatened to spill. "What are you doing to me?"
"My lady? Art thou well?" Didymus asked, "Thou lookest pale."
"I used to bring Toby here, before he got sick. It was his favorite place. He wanted me to bring him here right before…before he died, but everyone said he was too sick. I should have brought him anyway. I should have…" still fighting against her tears. This wasn't the time or the place to cry.
"Sarah, perhaps we should try a different way." Hoggle said gently.
"No. I'm okay." Sarah sighed. "Maybe we're supposed to ride on the horses, or something."
Hoggle looked worried. "I'm not sure that's wise. Things aren't what they seem here, you know. It could be dangerous."
Sarah nodded agreement, but said "Yes, but what is this doing here, if not for a reason. It has to be a key, or a clue or something."
"Or a decoy."
The sudden sound of the carousel's tinny music interrupted the argument and caused everyone to jump.
"Looks like we ride," Sarah said, and without waiting for an answer, she grabbed onto the nearest horse and leapt on board.