eek I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner. I would have, but I thought I wasn't done with the chapter... Then I opended it up, and realized that I had already begun on chapter 5, and I was just hella confused. ; hols teh stupid
Mmmmm. Well, this part of the story is close to over. I'm not used to writing such short stories, but I plan on doing much more with the next part of the story. Stick with me, and things will begin to come together. :3
Lear jumped out from behind a large what looked to be maple tree and screamed at Toby from the top of his lungs. The younger squeaked and grabbed a stick to throw before falling down. Lear dodged the stick and laughed at Toby, who laughed back before allowing himself to fall onto his back from a sitting position. They had 7 hours to get to Sarah, and Lear knew the way. Lear had been a very useful companion, feeding Toby and letting Toby take little rests and naps along the way to conserve energy. Jareth would no doubt fight Toby in the end, and Toby needed to be top shape for that.
"' can't be more'n little over half the hour fore we reach the castle. I know Synlia is watching, perhaps she'll join us for t'final trek?" Lear tipped his head to the side and asked Toby, before looking to the tree. A graceful figure dropped down behind the fallen Toby
"Who's…" Toby had managed to get out before a scarred unblinking and slightly blue tinged face greeted him. With another well placed squeak, Toby rolled to the side and then blushed as he sat up, catching a good view of parts of the fairy he didn't quite want to see through openings in the fabric of her clothes.
"He's… quite jumpy, isn't he?" Synlia smiled and stood up, gracefully stepping to Lear. "I'm glad you've helped him along. I found it in me to only protect him rather than just carelessly show him the way. I never imagined he would get so far to meet YOU. Your exile didn't go as planned for Jareth, hm?" Synlia picked at a forgotten stitch in her arm.
" 'tis right. Jareth had a thing or two coming for 'im if he thought he could get me to leave the Labyrinth." Lear and Synlia shared a smile, a smile that Toby could see held a secret. But what could the secret be?
Toby also something behind the dark and then stitch-marked lips. "Are you two… lovers?" The strawberry blonde absentmindedly tugged at the fabric on his shirt. Of course they were connected somehow. It was plain to see, at least for him. But… they might be future lovers or something of that caliber, so he asked in innocence.
"Perhaps… In a strange way Toby… Lear, do you mind if I tell him what is going about in the Labyrinth?" Synlia pulled the stubborn stitch out as Lear nodded. "Toby… This may come as strange to you, but you have been told things are not as they seem in the Labyrinth." Toby nodded in answer. "Lear and I… We are but bits of the Labyrinth. Like the stone and tree and water, even the bog. We are all made of the same magic in a sense. Jareth has not come to grips with the power of the Labyrinth yet, and because of this, you and your sister are here."
Toby sighed and took the information in. These… creatures, were like little puzzle pieces of the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth was more powerful than Jareth had any idea of… and this brought him and Sarah to this, how? "What does this have to do with my sister and I?"
Lear smirked. "She's the only one who's done it. The only one t'beat this stubborn old piece of rock. It's been heart broken, n'nothin' Jareth kin do will make it quite at it's mood. It's gone bad here Toby, since Sarah made it through. Jareth helping 'er did not please it either. Now the Labyrinth calls fer Sarah."
"Calls?" Toby could not believe his ears, and sadly he already knew what was coming.
"Yes. She is the wellbeing of the Labyrinth now, for she has done what even Jareth could not do. If you retrieve her, the Labyrinth was go into chaos."
"Why, then, do you want me to get her back? Were you tricking me all this time? Will you kill me once I reach the final gate? Toby asked himself alone his final question. He could fell his muscles cramping up. Sarah was part of this monstrosity that was all around him. His hand clenched at the dirt as Lear stood in front of the teen.
"If'n we wanted t'kill ya, we woulda done it long ago. Toby, ye' know you're already doomed t'remain here fer the rest of ya life. Maybe.. the Labyrinth t'would prefer you over Sarah in this interchange."
"What could possibly make me more "preferable" Lear? She's stronger, smarter, and it seems like the Labyrinth has already made up it's mind." Toby looked about him, to the small stream he could see a little off through the trees. The dirt that clung to his pants ends, the browned land of the bog, which he could see even from where he sat. That, possibly would all be part of him if he was able to save Sarah? The thought made him sick, and he could feel his stomach going to his throat. This thing from his childhood nightmares. This thing that had separated him from his sister and from his family, perhaps forever.
"D'ye understand nothing we've said, Toby? We know the flow of t'Labyrinth. It would like someone with some goblin blood'n 'em before a pure little thin' like Sa-." Lear stopped himself and he drew back, a look of horror on his face. Something that was not to be mentioned was out.
"That doesn't make any sense… I'm just as human as…"
"He said,' you have but 13 hours to retrieve the babe, or the wished away will become a goblin.' The princess pleaded for it's return. Her parents would be heart broken!" Sarah's dramatic air gave her the depth she needed to scare the little boy into siting in her lap.
"A goblin? What does a goblin look like?" Toby asked, knowing perfectly well what the buggers looked like.
"They're horrible little things. Short and quick, with warts and whiskers all over their faces. But Toby, the ones to be most afraid of are the ones that look most human." Sarah used her hands to sculpt her face into contorted shaped, causing the child to giggle.
"Why're the ones that look mostly human
the ones to be afraid'a?" Toby's little blue eyes glistened.
"Because you never know if you're with one.
You could be looking them in the face, and they could be laughing at
you behind their nasty eyes."
"I… never laughed at you Sarah." Toby's face darkened as he hung his head. Jareth's cold words to him were beginning to make sense. He was faster, more tricky, even the hint of that magic charm that allowed him to see the little attractions in people. Sarah must have been just a little too late in her first trip to the Labyrinth. They were all goblin traits, weren't they, Jareth?
"UNHAND ME." Sarah swung a candle holder, with the candle still attached at a large and frustrated looking goblin approaching her. The holder bounced off his head, without a dent. " I mean it! I'll really hurt you!" Sarah lifted a vase from beside the window.
Window?
The vase never connected with the Goblin's head. Rather, it connected with a beautiful stained glass window, shattering soundly. Sarah's arms covered her face immediately, and the goblin ducked and hid his face. Her hands brushed away stray glass pieces, and Sarah leaned over the side. It was a 10 foot drop, but that was better than she had expected. The lithe woman was over the side and hit the ground perfectly. She broke into a run, faster than she had ever gone before, and was lost in the trees.
Word didn't reach Jareth from the goblins. Taking matters into their own hands, several followed the mortal into the forest that was once the Goblin city.
Toby slept once again, but this time not because he wanted to. Synlia wove a tender sleeping spell, one that would last for 2 hours. This was all too much for the child. Lear sat in silence, angry at himself for letting something like that get out. It was a scar on the beings of the Labyrinth and the Castle. Everyone knew of the little mortal who was less than mortal after staying away from Above for too long. Not many knew his name, and it was not spoken of by means of Jareth's command.
Synlia sat beside Toby, who leaned against a small peach-tree, and smoothed a hand over his hair. The child had done many things in a short amount of time. Pity masked her strange face, and she too leaned against the tree for sleep. Lear did not think a thing of it, and sat up to go find something for Toby to eat when he woke up. Something that was not a peach.
"Sir Hoggle handed the hungry princess a peach. She was so thankful, and bit right in… only to fall into a deep sleep. The world around her turned into a ballroom, a strange masquerade in fact."
"What… is a maskaterade?" The little Toby tipped his head to the side. Dances were so boring. Where was the action?
"It's a masquerade, a masked ball. The goblin king's are there for one purpose: To waste your time, so you will be late to save the wished away."
"I'll… Not be part of it then, Sis! It'll be easy to get out!"
"Perhaps. The princess was able to figure out it was a fake, and was able to escape by means of force. There is no magic in throwing things at shiny objects."
The little boy laughed, for he had done just that before, with a small, but heavy ball and a window for his shiny object.
"I still won't go in. Dances are silly and girly."
So why was he in one now? Just as Sarah had described them before, the ball was shimmering, and the masks looked like monsters. Where was his mask? He picked up a small, but covering mask off a nearby table, and brushed at his strange new clothes. They were old fashioned, but from what period he could not decide. The outfit was white and light blue, with silver on the buttons. His hair felt heavy, and from what he could see, there was a little silver in it as well. Jareth's masquerades were always exotic.
The whole scene was foggy, and he felt he could barely move about, at least not as quickly as the strange people about him. The music was a strange classical he had never heard. Toby decided it must be a dream. It wasn't like he had eaten anything strange, so he decided to enjoy it. A hand took his and spun him about, faster than he could do on his own. Frightened, Toby pushed away from the taller newcomer, who was obviously a man. "Who…?"
Toby's attention was quickly brought away from this, as he saw a beautiful figure cross the room. Her dress was large at the bottom, and revealed his small figure in a clever way as it came to the top. Her hair was all on her head, and many trinkets covered it. She seemed to be looking for something, but Toby could not catch her face. He separated from the man, and walked to her, tugging on one large sleeve. She turned around, and both siblings gasped. The two hugged each other, and she whispered into his ear. "Toby… I'm in the Goblin city. It's forest mostly now… but you'll find me in one of the houses. I'll see you then. She kissed his head and lifted his mask from his face. "You need to wake up now, I'll be taking this."
"Fare thee well, young knight."
"And you, fair lady. It was a pleasure speaking to the princess." Toby winked at Sarah, then bowed. He could feel the world about his wavering into a dark, very cold night.
"TOBY! You've GOT TO WAKE" Synlia yanked the groggy Toby to his feet.
"We… have to go to the Goblin City…" Toby rubbed at his eyes and shivered while his teeth chattered. He then fell to his side, wrapping his arms around himself. Sweat make his clothes cling to his body and he wondered briefly where it had come from. Lear sighed and lifted the confused Toby on to his back to give the boy a piggy back. It was an hour too soon for the spell to wear off, and they needed to move. They could not pinpoint why, but Toby's temperature had shot up and he had begun to have visible chills and shake. Toby's condition continued to get worse, and to their anger, it had taken 10 minutes to finally wake him up. It was still a mystery at why it had happened.
"First we have to cross the bog, Toby. You'll be more to your senses by then." Lear bit his lip and looked at Synlia, whose hands were clenched tightly. Her face read: "Jareth"
Sarah's escape from the castle could not be long delayed. Jareth swept into the broken room, and several other vases cracked in his fury. He had little time, and she was wasting it. "I assume guards are looking for her?"
"Yes, sire. They've sent Ghost after her as well." A small hairy creature trembled on the ground in front of Jareth.
"Excellent. Be off." The commands were followed happily. Jareth raised an eyebrow at the goblin, then turned back to the room. The security of the Labyrinth lay in the hands of a skilled mercenary. Everything would once again be set right.
