Author's Note: Wrote this on a test study break. Hope ya'll like it- I had fun writing it! BTW, Adina's song is from Star Wars: Children of the Jedi. (Still sorry Jareth isn't quite right- oh to be able to write other people's characters!) And now back to the studying..........tra la la......................

Chapter 9: Such a Simple Act, Really

Adina gazed steadily forward as she climbed over a steady stream of vines in one area of the labyrinth. I hope this will take me to the Goblin City, she thought firmly. All this walking is good though. A few minutes earlier she'd been very tempted to change into her hawk form, but had realized how healthier the walking was.

"Oh great," Adina stopped, seeing a wall rise in front of her. "A dead end." "Nothing's what it seems here, dearie," a little voice squeaked. Adina looked down, and saw a brown fieldmouse gazing back at her. "Well?" it continued. "Try something."

Adina felt around to see if she could walk through, but there was nothing. "You're a spellcaster, I can tell. Use that!" And the mouse vanished. "Okay," Adina murmured. Closing her eyes, raising her hands, she visualized the wall pushing back. With a great groan, the labyrinth complied to Adina's touch, and shifted.

Adina, opening her eyes, immediately stared awestruck at what she had done. "What do you know?" she said aloud. "That never happened to me before." Feeling happy about her success, she climbed over the loosened bricks and vines that had fallen and headed on.

Looking at the section of the labyrinth that had recently moved, Jareth raised his eyebrows in surprise- and admiration. Surely that girl couldn't have done this, he thought, knowing no one else(besides himself) was following her.

"Your Majesty!" a little fieldmouse appeared. "Well," Jareth said, looking at it, "and what do you want?" "The girl, the one going through, she did this!" "Really?" Jareth remarked coolly. "Yes.....I urged her to. She's very powerful, Majesty, it emanates from her......" the mouse's voice trailed, once it saw the way Jareth was looking at it.

"A mouse can suddenly tell how strong someone is?" Jareth's eyes narrowed to slits. He quickly turned, and gazed down the way Adina had gone. Time to go catch up to her, and see firsthand how 'powerful' this girl was. What did mice know?

With every step Adina took, the labyrinth seemed to grow darker. Still, she was not undeterred. It's too quiet here, Adina thought. So she began to sing, an air she'd memorized in school: "The Queen had a songbird that sang in the dark/ The Queen had a songbird that sang like a lark-"

Shrieks of pain, mixed with deep laughter, were heard from around the corner. Adina stopped singing, went into a crouch position, and peeked from behind the wall. There were three enormously ugly goblin soldiers in a pavilion, tormenting two Faerie girls. They had tied them into a cobweb, and were thrashing the Faeries' bodies with willow sticks. How dare they! Adina fumed, her eyes firey.

Before she realized what she was doing, Adina stepped into the pavilion. "Leave them alone!" she ordered, glaring daggers at the goblins. "Why should we?" one of them snorted, shifting to see her. "Because," Adina's hands seemed to glow, "of this!" Fireballs appeared, and Adina violently threw them at the goblins. "Arrgh! My butt's aflame!" one goblin wailed, while the other two ran around in circles yelping, "Retreat!"

Once they'd left, Adina turned to the Faeries, who were pale with fright. "Don't be afraid," she exclaimed, sending comforting thoughts to them. The Faeries stared unbelievingly at her, shrinking back. "It's all right," Adina soothed mentally. She closed her eyes, and went to her normal Faerie size. Seeing this, the Faeries instantly knew who they were dealing with. "Oh, Your Highness!" the smaller of the two exclaimed.

Jareth watched quietly as the Labyrinth wanderer healed the Faeries' wounded stomachs and arms. Now her was completely sure she was behind the wall incident. He had arrived just in time to see the fireballs thrown. So, she's a Faerie, he noticed, remembering that Faeries were known for their healing powers. Though she barely looks like one, without any wings. A sigh broke into his thoughts, and the girl was his size again. She walked over to a nearby fountain, pushed back her cape's hood, and splashed water on her face. Light blonde hair, too. One thing is certain-she's not entirely Faerie. She needed some challenges, so what should she first deal with? And she needed someone to travel with. How to solve both dilemmas......instantly he came up with an answer. Perfect.

The fireballs left Adina very shaken. "Did that really just happen? I can throw fire around, when I get angry?" Yet another new 'ability', as Professor Boyce termed it. He had once told her, "I am helping you with your abilities. You must learn to control them, and be careful! Your emotions can bring certain things out, Your Highness."

Professor Boyce, Adina thought wistfully. Oh, if you could've seen that! He'd always urged her to use her 'powers' for good, and she finally had. Finally! I've done some good! At last! Adina let out a loud whoop, jumped into the air, and promptly went through the labyrinth's floor tiles, into the unknown.

So! What did you think? How do you like the way this story is going? All comments will be helpful. Also, please tell your friends about my little fic-I need all the readers I can get. Or I'll throw you in the Bog of Eternal Stench. (those who do review or send their friends get to spend the evening with Jareth..........snickers aplenty)