Toby could feel his luck running out, he hasn't seen anybody or anything living for a while and he was wondering if he may have after all picked the wrong door. Was his certain death to wander in this maze for all eternity? He could have that much time left. Toby sighed, and leaned against the wall hedge. He looked up to find the castle looking smaller and smaller.

"Seems the more I go the further I get....." He than thought of Alex trapped in the castle all alone "I.....I've come too far, I can't stop. I've long past the point of no return." He was about to go on when he heard something, or he thought he did. It sounded like a chirping. He looked around but saw nothing he started walking again.

He had gone about 50 paces when he heard it again, and this time he wad positive he heard it. He looked around, when he heard the small sound of little feet on tiles coming toward him. He turned only to see what looked like a brown fur ball running by. Before he could even try to make out what it was, he heard something else, something he knew he heard before. He looked up "AHHHH!!!!" he cried and ducked down. An enormous bird (it looked like a giant hawk) swooped down, its huge talons barley missing Toby as he dropped to the ground. Toby lifted his head after it past. The hawk was after the animal that ran by him. He could hear it chirping and could have sworn he heard the words "Help me!!!" Toby got up and ran in the direction he saw them go.

He ran in an open space, and saw the hawk had landed and the little creature (whatever it was) was out of breath and ready to collapse. This reminded Toby when is a boy he new in kindergarten showed him how he fed mice to his pet snake. Toby knew he couldn't just watch this little animal get eaten. Toby picked up an old tree branch and threw it. His intention wasn't to hit the great bird but to startle it. His plan worked, the stick just missed the giant wing, and with a screech the hawk took flight.

Toby knew the bird would be angry and might come back to he acted quickly, he picked up the little fury creature (which seemed to have passed out) and carried it out of the open space and into the narrow walls. He stopped when he felt it moving in his arms, it looked up at him with big green eyes, gave a loud chirp and leaped out of his arms. But it didn't run away, just sat in front of him.

It was the strangest little thing Toby had ever seen...well so far. It looked something like a cat, with a catlike face and eyes, but its ears had little fury tuffs, kind of like feathers. Its body was sitting up right with its little paws curled in front of it, like a squirrel. It even had a squirrel's tail.

"You saved me!" it chirped in a high voice "Thank you so much!"

"Uh.....your're welcome....." Toby said, it little shocked that the creature spoke English.

"I'm Minx!" it's introduced and Toby new then it was female.

"I'm Toby. Do you know how to get to the castle, Minx?"

Looked up with her cat eyes at the castle and hopped onto the hedge. "I know how," she said "but it's no way for a human to go. I would just hop from wall to wall if I wanted to get to castle."

Toby frowned. He couldn't climb onto the walls they would too high.

"But I can help you get there!" Minx said in a happy voice "I can help guide you through!"

"Really?! You'd do that for me?" Toby asked hopefully.

"Oh course! You saved my life! And I always return favors!"

"Let's hurry, I don't have much time to waste."

"Ok, this way! Follow me!" and Minx started walking on all fours down the hedge.

"Um...Minx?" Toby said.

"Yes?"

"What exactly ARE you?"

"I'm a Squitten!" she announced proudly.

"Ah.....a squitten...." Toby shook his head, he knew by now that Minx wouldn't be the strangest thing in this place.

Back in the above ground, Sarah was panicking. She had tried to convince her self that Toby and Alex were NOT in the Underground, they just couldn't be. She had been convinced for so long that the Labyrinth had been a dream. But the more she thought about it, the more real it was becoming, and it made sense that it was where Toby and Alex were.

She had to find them and get them both out. But how? She wasn't about to wish herself away. There was no way she would give herself into Jareth's power. There was only one other way she could think of. Sarah got up from the couch and marched upstairs to her old bedroom. It was still the same as it looked when she left for college. She sat down in front of her mirror. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she had to try. She took a deep breath and said "I need you Hoggle.....Sir Dydimus, Ludo.....I need you." Sarah sat in silence, thinking they wouldn't come. They had forgotten about me she thought. She got out of her chair to leave the room when "Sarah back!"

"Ludo?" There standing by her bed was the big red haired beast.

"Hello, Sarah!" Hoggle was sitting on her bed and next to him was Sir Didymus.

"Hoggle! Sir Didymus! You're here! You.....I can't believe it!" Sarah hugged them all.

"Of course, my lady!" the little knight said.

"We said we would always come, should you need us." said Hoggle.

"I never thought.....oh I'm so happy!" Sarah hugged Hoggle again. "It's been much too long. And you three haven't changed!"

"But our lady has changed quite a bit." Didymus said, noticing that Sarah had grown taller and looked older. "But still as lovely as ever!"

Sarah smiled at his words but soon her face fell again "I must tell you what happened....."

"We know. Missy." Hoggle interrupted "Your, brother Toby is in the Underground."

"You all knew? How? Why didn't you come and tell me?"

"Sarah, you must understand that we can only come when you call for us." Sir Didymus explain. Sarah nodded.

"And about everybody in the Labyrinth knows when somebody new is there and running it." said Hoggle.

"He's running the Labyrinth? But what happened?" she asked, starting to panic again.

"Apparently, my lady, he made a wish....." said Didymus.

Sarah knew then. Toby must have wished Alex away. Whether they were playing or it was simply an accident, Sarah didn't know. She could have kicked herself for letting them getting anywhere near that book!

"I can't let Jareth win!" she said "I need to go back!"

All three of her friends looked at her in shock. "Please.....Toby needs me, I have to get there. Can you take me?" she asked them hopefully.

"Well.....yes my Lady.....it IS possible but....." Didymus paused.

"But, Sarah.....we may not be able to bring you back. You could be trapped in the Underground forever!" Hoggle explained.

"I have to take that chance! If I don't, Toby AND Alex may be trapped there forever! I have to help my brother, he doesn't know the Underground like I did. And I can't sit here safe when he's out there! Please, Hoggle! Please, you must take me back!"

Hoggle sighed. He knew he couldn't change her mind. And he knew that it wouldn't be right to leave her here. He looked at Didymus, who nodded. They had helped Sarah rescue his brother from the Labyrinth once, and they will do it again!

"We will take you, Sarah."

Back in the Labyrinth Toby was getting very aggravated. Minx wasn't doing the best job in helping. She was so quick he had trouble keeping up and she led him into more dead ends then he could count.

"Minx! This isn't working!" he shouted as she started to sprint off again.

"Don't worry Toby! I found the right way this time! Honest!" she called back.

Toby sighed and followed her once again. Suddenly as he was about to turn the corner, Minx jumped into his arms with a squeak. He wasn't expecting it and nearly fell over "Ahhhh! Minx! What the hell are you....?"

"Shhh! Quiet! There's a monster sleeping there!" she indicated around the corner.

"A monster?" he asked, not really sure he could believe her.

"Yes! A monster!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! It's so big!"

Toby looked at the little creature in his arms "Minx, with you EVERYTHING is big!" and with that he continued and around the corner and what he saw almost made him cry out. There, on a pillar was certainly something BIG! It was a Sphinx! Toby only could know what it was because Ancient Egyptian history was one of his favorite courses. He calmed himself when he realized something. "You silly thing" He said quietly to Minx "it's only stone!"

"No! Look!" Minx said pointing at the Sphinx. Then Toby saw actually breathing! It was ALIVE!! The creature was sleeping.....and snoring....

"I told you so!" whispered Minx, who was clinging to Toby's shoulder.

"Shhh! It's ok.....I think we can move past it, if we're quiet." Not taking his eyes off the sleeping Sphinx, Toby started to tip-toe around the pillar. But he wouldn't be aloud to pass so easily. He was so busy watching the Sphinx that he didn't see the twig on the ground.

SNAP!

"Uh-oh....." Minx said.

The Sphinx snorted and sputtered, blinking his eyes open "What-what??" he said, his voice kind of reminded Toby of a British colonel. The beast looked around and spotted Toby and Minx. "Hmm....."

"Uh....." Toby cleared his throat. He was a bit surprised this thing didn't pounce on him yet!

The Sphinx said nothing. He just stared curiously at Toby.

"I.....I'm sorry, I didn't.....mean to....uh, wake you." Toby said, trying to not to sound scared.

"Ah!" said the Sphinx "I see His Majesty has gotten another one into his mighty Labyrinth." He stood on its four paws and spread his great stone wings.

"Oh.....my....."

The Sphinx roared a yawn, bearing his rather large jaws. Toby was by now backed up to the wall.

"Oh, come now, lad, don't be frightened. I'm not going to EAT you....." it said.

"You're not.....?"

"You must solve my riddle first. If you fail to do so, THAN I'll eat you. And your little pet too."

"WHAT!!!!" Minx screeched.

The Sphinx sighed and relaxed on his stomach "No then....Where is it you're trying to go?" he asked.

"The.....the castle, at the center of the Labyrinth." Toby said.

The Sphinx examined his claws rather boredly "And...uh...for what purpose?"

"I have to rescue my best friend."

"Ah.....well, I'll tell you what."

"What?"

"If you solve my riddle, I'll point you in the right direction of your destination. And if you don't....." He licked his chomps.

"You'll eat my and my Pet." Toby nodded.

"Hey! Since when, am I YOUR pet?!" Minx said angrily.

"Shush, Minx!" Toby whispered. And he thought "You better appreciate what I do for you, Alex!"

The Sphinx sat up "Right then! Are you quite ready?"

"I'm ready."

"You'll have three chances to answer."

The Stone beast cleared his throat and said in a booming, important sounding voice "This thing all things devours Birds, beasts, trees, flowers Gnaws iron, bites steel Grinds hard stone to meal Slays king, ruins town And beats high mountain down."

Toby thought about the riddle hard. What could everything in the world possibly use that could destroy like that?

"Is it water?" he asked.

"Strike one, lad. Two more chances." The Sphinx grinned, showing off his sharp teeth.

Toby took a deep breath, this was harder then he thought. "Ok, ok......um....." it destroys "Fire?"

"Sorry. No cigar."

"Damn it, you idiot, animals don't use fire!" Toby cursed himself, only one more chance.

"Come, come now, I'm growing bored, lad....."

"Come on Toby!" Minx screeched. "You're running out of time!"

"Yes I know, I'm running out of ti-.....time....." Toby thought for a moment. All things devours it. Gnaws iron, bites town, slays king....beats a mountain down.... "Time....." he whispered.

"What?" The Sphinx looked up surprised.

"Time! The answer is Time!"

"Oh phooey! You solved it!" the beast sighed. He was hoping for a meal today.

Toby sighed in relief. Minx had almost past out.

"Hmph.....that was my best one too....." The stone creature shook his head, brooding.

"So you'll let me pass?" Toby asked, hoping the Sphinx wouldn't go back on his word.

"Yes, yes I'm a Sphinx of my word." He pointed north-west with his paw. "That is the only way you can take to get to the castle from here. But I warn you it is not all down hill from here. Now SHOO, before I change my mind!"

Toby rushed, by not wasting a minute "Thank you!" he called back.

"Yes, yes....." The Sphinx said bored and got back to his nap.

(A/N: Much more to come. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!)