Chapter 3: You Can't Take Anything For Granted...
Tana and Danielle looked at each other and drew their weapons before turning the corner of one of the large bush walls. Ludo was suspended in the air while these little goblins (who dounded Japanese of all things) attacked him with their weird creatures with sharp teeth on long sticks.They bit Ludo when they got close enough, making the large orange beast howl his pain.
"Let's go. Try to knock their helmets around. I could go for some quality entertainment," Danielle whispered. Tana nodded and twirled her sais over her fingers. Then they darted forward, always staying on the blind side of the goblins. Tana attacked first, throwing a sai to the closest goblin. When it hit, the helmet spun so the back covered its face. Danielle snuck up behind another and, using the flat of her katana, smacked his helmet askew. Soon they were all blinded, knocking into each other and biting one another by mistake.
"We're under attack!" one of them cried as the girls laughed.
"Retreat!" another exclaimed as the girls wiped tears of mirth from their eyes. There was a loud clang as they ran into each other in an attempt to get away. Danielle finally quit laughing and sheathed her weapons as she stepped up to Ludo, he growled at her.
"Now stop that!" she scolded. He stopped instantly and looked at her confused. "Is that any way to treat someone who's trying to help you?" She asked as Tana put her own weapons away and walked over. "Don't you want me to get you down?"
"Ludo... down," he replied. Danielle smiled and hurried to the log where the rope holding Ludo was secured. She pulled out the knot and Ludo crashed to the ground.
"I'm sorry!" Danielle cried, hurrying over to him. She and Tana helped him to his feet.
"Friend?" he asked, looking at them curiously.
"That's right Ludo. I'm Danielle and this is Tana." He thought about it.
"Danni... Danni and Tana friend!" Tana laughed.
"Danni works," Danielle said, smiling. "Ludo, do you know the way to the castle?"
Ludo thought about it, looking either way as if truely trying to figure it out, and sighed. "Hmm... no."
"So... you don't know either, huh? Hey, where did they come from?" Tana said looking at two new doors with funny looking door knockers. One had a loop going through it's ears while the other had a ring hanging from his mouth.
Danielle shook her head as she looked at them, looking to Tana she said. "What do you think? Which of these two ugly characters should we choose?"
As if on cue, the door knocker with the loop in his ears spoke up. "It's very rude to stare!"
Tana glared at the knocker. "Chill, we were only picking a door."
"What?"
The second door finaly spoke up, but because of the knocker in his mouth, neither girl could understand him.
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Snapped the first door, sending the second door into a fit as he yelled through his mouthful.
"Wait." Tana said, cutting the doors ranting off before he could fully start."We can't understand you." she continued as she took the ring from his mouth, behind her the first door spoke up again.
"What were you saying?"
The ring finally free from his mouth, the second doorknocker stretched his lips. "It's so good to get that thing out."
Tana raised an eyebrow as she handed the ring off to Ludo, mumbling to Danielle. "Let's try this again..."
Danielle nodded her head in agreement, a small smile gracing her lips. "What were you saying?"
"I said, It's no good talking to him, he's as deaf as a post." the knocker responded.
"Mumble, mumble, mumble!" The other responded none too nicely. "You're a wonderful conversational companion."
The second knocker glared. "You can talk... all you do is moan."
"No good." The frist knocker sniffed. "Can't hear ya."
Tana and Danielle looked at eachother as the second door knocker let out a suffering sigh. "Right." Tana mumbled before walking to the first door and looking it over. "So, where do these doors lead to?"
"Wha-?"
"Search me." The knocker snickered. "We're just the knockers."
Danielle rolled her eyes as she took Tana's place to push on the wooden door. "Okay... How do we get through then?" Tana rolled her eyes... this place was doing things to their memories, they knew the movie like the back of their hand and yet here they were, forgetting the most important parts. She moved to stand beside Ludo with crossed arms.
"Huh?" The first knocker said rudely.
"Knock and the doors shall open."
Danielle stepped back from the door with a muttered "oh." before a snickering interrupted her. Turning she saw Tana laughing at Ludo who had the ring in his mouth. His ears perked up slightly when Danielle looked at him and Tana broke down in complete laughter. Danielle only smiled as she walked over. "Ludo..." she said, taking the ring and walking back over to the second knocker to put the ring back in.
The knocker turned his lips to the side, a pitiful attempt to get away. "Eh! I don't want that thing back in my mouth!"
Danielle glared at it. "Come on, I wanna knock."
"Uh-uh."
The first door looked at them. "Doesn't want his ring back in his mouth," he looked away and added. "Can't say I blame him."
Tana, already annoyed and wanting to get out of here now, stalked forward and pinched the second knockers nose shut just as he had let out a breath. He tried to not open his mouth, but the need for air - though why this thing needed air was beyong them - over powered his will and he opened his mouth. Danielle took that moment to insert the ring once more. Danielle grinned and knocked before saying "Sorry."
Through his mumbling, the girls caught his reply. "That's alright, I'm used to it."
Tana looked through the door "Come on," she said. "We get to go on a nature hike." Danielle and Ludo followed her and the door closed behind them. They walked deeper into the forest.
"Ludo scared..."
"Aww, come on. Take my hand," Danielle said. Ludo's big hand grasped her tiny one gently. Tana walked beside him.
"Imagine a big thing like you being scared," Tana said lightly.
"Yeah..." he replied as Danielle's hand slipped away. Seconds later, he and Tana fell through a trap door silently.
"See Ludo? There's nothing to be scared of," she said. Danielle turned around and found both of them gone. "Ludo? Tana?" she said quietly.
Hoggle was walking within a stone filled valley near the Enchanted Forest.
"Ludo? Tana?" he heard Danielle call. He frowned and walked past a giant stone face. "Ludo? Tana?" he heard again. He stubbornly kept going. "Hoggle, help!" His resolve crumbled.
"I'm coming, Danielle!" he replied. He turned and stopped short. Jareth leaned against the giant stone face, his mask set in place, but inside his blood was roaring in jealousy. He wore a white poet's shirt, grey breeches, his black boots and leather vest with a blue cape. He also carried a riding crop.
"Well... if it isn't you. And just where are you going?" Jareth said, smirking.
"Well, the little ladies gave me the slip," he started as Danielle began calling for her missing friends again, "but I hears one of them now, so I was going to lead her back to the beginning, like you told me."
"Oh... for a moment, I thought you might be rushing off to help her... but no, not after my warnings, that would be stupid," Jareth said mockingly.
"Me? Help her? After your warnings?" he asked, beginning to laugh as he turned to walk away. He stopped abruptly, as Jareth was crouched at eye level right in front of him.
"Oh, poor Hoghead!"
"Hoggle," the dwarf said quietly. Jareth grabbed his shoulder.
"I've just noticed that your lovely jewels are missing."
"What...? Oh yes! My lovely jewels..." Hoggle said, backing away. "I'd better find them... but first, I'm off to talk the little lady back to the beginning of the Labyrinth. Just like we planned."
"Wait," Jareth called out, "I have a much better plan, Hoggle. Give them this." With that said, he made a crystal appear and tossed it in the air. Hoggle caught two peaches.
"What is it?" Hoggle asked warily.
"It's a present."
"It won't hurt the little ladies, will it?"
"Oh, now why the concern?" Jareth asked.
"I won't do nothin' to harm them." Hoggle said stubbornly.
"Oh come, come, come, Hogbrain! I'm suprised at you, losing your head over a couple of girls!" Jareth retorted.
"I ain't lost my head!" Hoggle replied. 'You're the one obessed with them,' he thought.
"You don't think that a young girl could ever like a repulsive little scab like you, do you?"
"Well, they said we was--" Hoggle started.
"What? Bosom companions? Friends?" Jareth asked.
"Don't matter..." Hoggle sighed.
"You'll give them those peaches or I'll tip you into the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink!" he said, jealousy raging. Hoggle nodded and made to leave. "And Hoggle," he called, "if she ever kisses you, I'll turn you into a prince."
"You will?" Hoggle asked.
"Prince of the Land of Stench!" Jareth replied laughing evilly. Hoggle sighed and left.
"Tana? Ludo?" Danielle called as she stepped into a clearing with a small pile of logs in the center. There was a tapping of sticks.
"Oh damn..." Danielle muttered as the fireys jumped out of their hiding places and began to sing.
Jennifer watched the crystal, keeping an eye on Danielle's progress. She was very very pissed.
"You idiot!" she muttered, "This is not the time to party with the fireys!" She was bored, had been locked in this tower for ages, and if Danielle hadn't wished her away, then she wouldn't be in this mess! She smirked evilly and began planning her revenge.
Danielle ran. She was sick of these creatures and they wanted to take off her head! She eventually came to a wall of the Labyrinth that cut off her escape.
"Damn it all to hell!" she shouted, drawing her sword. A rope suddenly dangled in front of her. She looked up. "Hoggle!" she cried happily.
"Grab it!" he shouted. Danielle re-sheathed her sword, grabbed the rope and began to climb. Eventually she reached the top and Hoggle shooed off the Fireys... well, their heads anyways.
"Hoggle! You came back to help me!" she said happily and leaned down.
"No! Don't kiss me! Don't kiss me!" he cried, trying to push her away. She kissed his forehead and the floor dropped out from under them, dropping them into a stone shaft.
"No, no, no!" Hoggle shouted, trying to stop himself from going down any further, already know where it was leading them. At the end of the stone shaft was a light, that first, Hoggle shot out of, he grabbed a pitiful looking tree sticking out of the side to stop himself from falling all the way down while Danille grabbed at a bar sticking out of the wall. "Oh... eww..." the dwarf cried. Danielle's eyes widened and she scruntched up her nose in revulsion.
"Oh my God! What is it?" she replied. "It's like... like..." A strange farting noise interrupted her as she carefully stood on the little ledge.
"Who cares what it's like! It's the Bog of Eternal Stench! Help!" Hoggle retorted. Danielle pulled him onto the ledge. "What did you have to go and do a thing like that for?" he demanded.
"What, you mean rescue you?" Danielle asked, moving along the wall.
"Wha? No, you kissed me!" Hoggle answered, following her.
"Don't pretend to be such a jerk! I know that you came to help me, and I know that you're my friend," Danielle said, stretching out over a hole in the ledge.
"Did not, am not. I've just come to get me property back... and to give you... to give you..." he replied, digging in his pouch for a peach.
"Give me what?" Danielle asked. The ledge began to collapse under Hoggle. "Hoggle!" she cried, reaching out to help him. They both fell. They landed on something big and hairy. Then, when Danielle rolled off, she landed in a pair of arms.
"Easy there, Princess!" Tana laughed. "You might hurt yourself!" She set Danielle down.
"Not funny, Tana. Your disappearing act scared the crap outta me! Ludo, are you okay?" Danielle replied. At Ludo's nod, she began searching for Hoggle. "Hoggle?" she called. She heard muffled cursing and pulled Ludo to his feet. Hoggle crawled out from under him, backing up in fright, stopping only a foot away from the bog. "It's okay. Ludo's a friend too." Hoggle gave her a funny look.
"Smell!" Ludo moaned unhappily.
"Ugh... you're right. Look, there's a bridge. Let's go!" Daniele replied. The group of four set off.
"Before I hurl please?" Tana muttered. Eventually, they made it to the bridge, where a little fox dressed in knight's livery jumped out. He wielded a short staff.
"Stop, stop I say!" he cried. Danielle sighed.
"Please, we have to get across!" Danielle said unhappily.
"Without my permission, no one may cross!"
"Please, we have to get out of the stench!" Hoggle cried.
"Smell bad!" Ludo shouted.
"Stench?" he asked. "Of what speakest thou?" Tana's jaw dropped.
"You must be joking!" Hoggle and Tana exclaimed.
"I live by my sense of smell!" he retorted, sniffing the air. "The air is sweet and fragrant... and none may pass without my permission!" Hoggle tried to push past but was whacked by the fox's staff. He stepped back.
"Come on, let us get across!" Danielle snapped. Ludo stepped forward and got whacked in the leg. Ludo roared and tried to crush him. The two fought for a few minutes. In that time, Hoggle snuck across the bridge while he was distracted. Tana glared at the retreating dwarf and chased after him, not even noticing the creak it gave under her weight, or the crack that half formed under her foot halfway through.
"Stop!" the fox called. He was in the hole of the hollow tree nearby. "Before this day, never have I met my match in battle. Yet this noble knight has fought me to a stand-still. Now I, Sir Didymus, yield to thee. Let us be brothers henceforth and fight for the right as one!"
"Ludo get brother!" Ludo said, helping Didymus out of the tree.
"Great! Now, Sir Didymus, may we have your permission to cross this bridge?" Danielle asked, feeling sick to her stomach. Didymus thought about it and realized he could still fulfill his vow.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Thank you, Noble Sir."
"My lady," he replied, sweeping his hat off and bowing to her. Danielle looked at the bridge and frowned. She began to walk across.
"I'm not so sure about this..." she called.
"Fear not, fair maiden. This bridge has stood for over a thousand years," Didymus replied, tapping the rocks that supported the bridge with his staff. The rocks began to crumble. Danielle grabbed a branch overhead as the bridge fell into the Bog.
"Ahh!" she screamed. "Hoggle, Tana, help!" Tana had finally caught up with Hoggle and grabbed hold of the back of his collar to keep him from running - for a short little guy, he was rather fast - however, at Danielle's yell, she let go and turned to see her best friend hanging on for dear life to a tree branch with nothing to stop her from falling in.
"Worry not fair maiden! I shall save thee!" Didymus shouted. "Somehow..." Ludo saw that the branch wouldn't be able to hold her and began to howl.
"Sir Ludo! Canst thou sit by and howl while yon maiden needs our help?" Didymus demanded. Soon, a large boulder rolled down a nearby path and into the bog, coming to a stop underneath Danielle. She dropped onto it in relief. Soon, more rocks emerged, creating a path where the bridge once was.
"That's incredible, Ludo!" Tana called from the other side. Danielle made her way over to Tana and Hoggle, Tana taking Danielle's hand to help her back to solid ground.
"My brother! Canst thou summon up the very rocks?" Didymus asked in astonishment.
"Sure, rocks friends." Ludo stepped onto the path and slowly made his way across.
"Be careful, Ludo!" Danielle called.
"Ambrosious! You can come out now Ambrosious!" Didymus called out. A large sheepdog with a saddle came out from behind a nearby rock. "My loyal steed. Steady boy..." At this, Didymus mounted and the odd horse and rider made their way across the path.
"Let's get out of here," Danielle said. Tana made a gagging sound.
"Before I puke please?" They walked down the path away from the bog. Hoggle lagged behind and pulled out the peaches. He held them out over the bog and prepared to throw them in.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Jareth's voice said out of nowhere, a slightly deep under toned voice chuckled. Hoggle cringed.
"Oh please," he replied quietly, "I can't give it to them..." He turned to catch up to the others.
Jareth paced his throne room unhappily. The goblins knew this mood and stayed out of the king's way. He conjured up a crystal and saw that the now had another helper in the Guardian of the Bog, Sir Didymus! They were getting far to close to the castle than he liked... and Hoggle STILL hadn't given them him present! At this rate, they would be late to the ball, Aiden would have one of his fits, and Jareth would end up with a headache. He sighed.
"Something wrong, Goblin King?" Jennifer asked with a smirk. She peered into a crystal that he had given her to check on Danielle's progress. He didn't bother to answer, instead moving away from her and sitting at a window overlooking the Labyrinth. He quietly began to juggle some crystals in his hand absently as he watched the sunset.
Authors' Insane Notes: Hey everyone! This is Lady Day. If you're still reading this, I'm impressed that you'd put up with us for this long. We can't promise a positive date for an update, cause God knows Lady Night is the slowest typer in the Universe and I'm the laziest. I'll do my best to get the next chapters out quickly though. Anyway, I guess I'll shut up now...
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