Author's Note: WOO! Two chapters in one day. I'm on a roll, am I not? Eh? Eh? Again, thanks to reviewers. Please keep up the good work, and I will keep up my... er... well, it is work. But I leave it up to your reviews to tell me whether it is good or not! Thanks out to Elenor Rose again, with an addition of the Super-Sister-Moron Livy.Keep reviewing! It feeds my fading selfesteem! And that might as well be in the Underworld anyway, with the state it's in...ANYWHO!

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It was a sunny day, and when she had begun her walk the bright sunshine had been an actual welcome, for the first time in months. She knew she would find no peace on the outskirts of the wood in the park, so she set out to go to a spot deep in the woods where she'd gone since she was a child. There was a clear circle in the dense trees there where she had found solace on several occasions. When her mother had first told her she was leaving them, but that she still loved Sarah. Then often as the custody battle got more ad more intense. When her mother first wrote her about the man she had just met, and then did not write for months until after Sarah had read in the paper that her mother had eloped with the movie-star man. That had been two years before. Sarah had gotten only eight letters since then, and met her step-father briefly once. She refused to watch his movies.

She sped through the trees to find her spot. The deep wood had always unnerved her, but for the one spot. With each step, she became more and more hurried, more tense, more worries that somehow this time she would not find it, and instead get lost. Or even worse, found. Who does Jareth think is going to come Above to bother a human girl? And his mother, too… It couldn't be his mother he was warning me about, could it? No, she seems sincere, but there much be someone. All the more reason to get to my sacred haven.

Sarah did not simply believe the spot to be sacred. It had been sanctified by herself and her childhood best friend, Sonja. They had both never been raised religious in their homes, and had always followed nature instead. It was where they played and lived most of the day, and just made sense. When they had found the spot, their own make-shift ritual cleansed the space and deemed it holy in their eyes. Little did the two seven year olds know, for belief is a much stronger, much more real thing than it is credited for. And a child's faith is a precious, powerful thing.

Sonja and Sarah had been virtually inseparable throughout their entire childhoods and early teenage years. They were born only two months apart, making Sonja the oldest. And she always milked it for all it was worth, too, Sarah sadly laughed to herself. For two years earlier, right before Sarah's mother eloped, Sonja's parents told them they had to move. Her father's company had offered him a seat on the board of directors for the company, and he had to move to New York City right away. The girls were heartbroken, but due to the intense raise in salary, Sonja joked about visiting Sarah and having her to visit at every chance they got. Sonja was scared about leaving their small town and entering the big city, but it was an excited fear. Sarah laughed again, tears pricking in her eyes. Sonja always was the fearless one… Sarah had followed Sonja to the train station to say goodbye.

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They were both sobbing on the other's shoulder on the platform.

"I can't seem to say it, Sun!"

"Then don't. It's not a goodbye anyway. We already have plans to steal you away next weekend, anyway!

We have to explore the city, remember?" Sarah nodded into her best friend's shoulder.

"I remember."

"I'll call you every night. Two days from now we both start school, and boy, will I have a lot to tell you! I've heard this school my parent's are punishing me with have at least one perk." Sonja pulled back and brushed Sarah's tears away, grinning through her own. "I've heard it's got some wicked boys. When you come visit, we'll snag a few and frolic around town. Want me to find you a gentleman, Luna?" Sarah smiled at her nickname and sniffled, choking down the tears that were fighting to surface again.

"Sun, just… Be safe, ok? It's a dangerous city." Sonja smirked there, and Sarah got angry. "I'm not kidding, dammit! People get shot there every day! Girls get…" Sarah had shuddered then, as had Sonja. They had moved on. If only Sarah had pushed the topic more than she did. As they parted, Sarah had grabbed her hand one more time. "Just, don't forget, ok? Stay safe. I'll die if you get hurt."

"How could I forget? My other half is sitting in this boring town worrying about my safety, while I'll be in the big city proving to her that the world isn't as bad as her pessimistic half thinks." Sarah had smiled then, which made Sonja grin. "I'll catch ya on the flipside, soul sista'!" With a wink and a blow of the train's horn, Sonja had bounded gracefully on and waved at Sarah until the train had pulled too far down the tracks for Sarah to see her anymore.

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But there was no helping that. There on the platform had been the last time Sarah had seen her soul-twin. Their first day of school, Sonja had met some 'wicked boys', as she told Sarah on the phone later that night. One had asked her to a party that weekend, and Sonja had excitedly said yes. "Sarah, he's gorgeous. Darker skin and hair, but these eyes… Oh, Sarah, Avi has these hazel eyes that I swear sometimes are gold! I know they can't be, but I still think so sometimes!" Sarah had jokingly asked if he had any brothers or friends. Sonja said he had a million friends, and that she was keeping her eye out for the perfect one, but no. No brothers. He was a foreign exchange student for the year from Greece. But he was a senior and wanted to live in New York. "So I won't loose him at the end of the year!"

Each day, Sonja had gotten more and more excited and mushy about the 'Avi' boy. She told Sarah later that week that they had hung out every day after school since they had met, and there was just something mysterious about him. "It's like magic, Luna, when he touches me. Just holding my hand makes me swoon." The next day Sonja had told her she was in love with him. The day after that, she excitedly told her he had shyly told her the same thing.

The day after that, Sonja disappeared. No one had seen her, no one knew where she had gone, and there were no signs. Her parents said their daughter and her new boyfriend had come home from school and went to her room to study, like they had every other day. When they went to get her for dinner and offer to have him for dinner as well, they weren't there. They had no contact after that. Avi of course was the suspect, but the case had been closed after a year of no leads. They had tried tracking down his family in Greece, but could not find them. Sarah had been convinced Avi had kidnapped her.

Then she had gotten the letter. A month after her dissappearance, Sarah had come home from school, and found a letter sitting in the center of her bed. Folded three ways, with a wax seal closing the letter, she had found a letter from Sonja.

My most beloved Luna,

I am so sorry for having left without you, and even more sorry for having left without saying goodbye. I love you, remember that. You are my other half, and my soul misses you, twin. I am incomplete without you. I cannot tell you where I am, because I fear you wouldn't believe me. I am safe, though. Please believe that. Someday soon, I am going to come see you. Avi promised. It's just, right now, it isn't safe to cross over to you. He says it's too risky. Please forgive me, Luna-love. I miss you terribly, and I know it will get worse with each day. Just remember that each day I don't come to you, eventually your Sun will rise Above to you! Tell my parents I love them and that I'm sorry. I want to see them so bad, and I miss them. Give my best to the Toby-monster and everyone else.

I love you, Luna, so much Avi fears I will fade without you. That is why he arranged for me to write you a letter right away, no matter the danger. I pray to our gods haha that this reaches you safely and immediately so you don't start thinking the worst.

Don't forget me or my love for you!

Your soul-twin,

Your Sun

p.s. When I see you, I'll explain everything. Especially why the thought of our gods is funny! ;) And Avi just told me time will move quicker for you, so I'm sorry I didn't write a letter before I left instead. It was kind of a rushed thing. I love you.

She had given it to the police to investigate, but it turned up nothing. It was odd enough for her to get the letter, but it being on parchment with a blue wax seal of three wavy lines still did not give any leads. They gave it back sadly, and the case was closed again. It was now in the top drawer of her vanity. Nothing more was heard of since then. She went through her mother's marriage alone. And a few months ago, the Labyrinth. And now that isn't over, with Jareth's mother appearing. Sarah stumbled through the underbrush with her blurred vision.

The spot always seemed to have never been in the same spot each time we went to it, Sarah worried, roughly brushing her tears away, but it's never taken this long before! Where is it? I need safety! With a startled jump, she stumbled right through the brush into her circle where it had not been a second ago. Must not have been paying attention… With a weary sigh, she collapsed onto the rich moss carpeting the ground, laying her head next to the flat, round stone that lay in the center of the circle. She lay on her back and closed her eyes to the sun that filtered just into the spot through the trees to relax. The warm light glowed through her lids comfortingly, wrapping her in a protective blanket.

"Sarah, do you really think walking into the center of a dark, unknown wood is 'acting wisely'?" She froze, her blood running like ice in her veins. She kept her eyes shut, willing the hair on the back of her neck to be lying to her. To be lying about the one presence that must be on the outskirts of her circle somewhere behind her for her to have reacted this way. He isn't there. He isn't there. He isn't there. Open your eyes, and you admit he's there. Keep your eyes shut, Sarah Williams. If you do not acknowledge him, he can't do anything. He can't come into the circle. He can't! Silence. She willed her blood to warm, but it refused. He isn't there, calm down. Deep breathes. Her chest rose and fell deeply in a vain attempt to calm the nerves that still believed him to be there. "Knowing you, you probably flushed my gift down your toilet contraption instead of using the brains I know must be in there somewhere, and taking my advice. You always were a stubborn creature, were you not, Sarah?" Her eyes flew open at the jibe as she sat up quickly and turned around, facing the Goblin King directly, as he was, as opposed to being on the outskirts of her circle behind her, sitting right atop her stone.

"Goblin King." Sarah said coldly, inclining her head in greeting. She took in his standard boots, pants, gloves, and poet's shirt, adorned only by the silver and gold amulet that hung on his neck ever time she had encountered the Goblin King. Wait, no… Not every time. He wasn't wearing it in the peach's dream, was he?

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. Why so distant? Something… on your mind?" She looked up into his eyes, confused at the suddenly amused tone in his voice and suppressed grin pulling at the corners of his lips. Then she realized, I had been staring at the amulet… He must think I was staring at his chest! Which I kind of was, but not in that way! Well… Not this time… She scowled at him.

"Don't flatter yourself, Your Majesty. I was merely wondering why you were so confused as to think I was the stubborn one, rather than your ornery hard-headedness." She smirked as his mask slipped for a moment, revealing a mix of outrage and exhilaration. His face slipped back into his cool demeanor quickly and he gave her a glare.

"You are the most impertinent child I know, Sarah." She glowered at the word 'child', and it amused him. She hates being treated as a child, I see. He grinned, which infuriated her more. She quickly stood, arms tight against her sides as she stood straight and centered. Glaring down at him from her vantage of a few inches, she exploded.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, Goblin King! This is my kingdom, and I set the rules here. Now, get out!" She had been pushed past her limitations today, and she pointed his way out of her circle, into the dark of the wood. "I mean it, Jareth, get out!" She had shocked him yet again, and he mutely followed her command, fading away rather than walking in the direction of her pointed finger. Exhausted, she collapsed for the millionth time that day and curled up to soak in the last rays of the cooling sunshine and fell into much-needed sleep.