Hello everyone!I am back from wherever it was i wandered off to, and am finally posting!

-Thank you to my reviewers - your reviews make me want to keep posting, keep writing, etc. i think what i'm trying to say is - please continue! curtsies> :)

-HiddenOperaAngel: Don't worry - Jareth has a VERY special place in my heart as well, and that is pecisely the reason i went through all of the painand toil of re-writing this story from its original not at all in favor of Jareth version. No i am not giving anything away, but i shall tell you again not to worry - we only get retribution for what we need it for. J is no exception. Niether is Sarah. she went through the hell of part 1 to learn something from being careless with her words and wishes and with others! I hope you enjoy the rest of it!

-AngelaScarlett: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you are finding it to your taste so far!

-Pika: Thanks! the songs are by a brilliant singer-songwriter known as Sting. if you have not heard them - please do! If you can't find them naywhere e-mail me, i will send them to you! they are amazing, and how they fit into the whole Labyrinth theme is incredible! I am so glad you liked that aspect of my fic enought to mention it in your review! i was wondering what everyone thought of them! enjoy the rest!

-TheOnlyGuyOnHere: A bit of a presumptious alias, n'est pas? LOL. I apprecite your reviews very much - please keep reading on through the finishline! and yeah, i was waiting for you to admit to jelousy... :) but remember - i am not Sarah. some of your reviews seem to be adressed directly to her! lol. keep going, please!

-Here is the rest of it!

-Love, Nim

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter VII

Knowing where I need to end up would help . . . Jareth mused, shaking his head. Like all others, like his own one in the Underground – this Labyrinth most likely had a center. Was he to go there? Maybe he should try finding a way out of the whole thing . . . though that's not what most people strive for when in a labyrinth . . . and besides, even if he did find his way out, where would that leave him? He would be alone in a totally strange world, with his back to this sorry rattrap . . . How was he ever to get home? Or to Sarah?

His breath caught sharply at that last thought and he automatically waved his elegant hand, expecting the cool heaviness of the usual crystal on his palm. Not feeling anything except for air, Jareth looked down, mis-matched eyes widening as he watched a bubble balance precociously on the tip of one finger and pop, becoming nothing more than thousands of tiny water droplets suspended in the surrounding air.

Cursing, he looked around, hearing the seemingly serene silence laughing at him. What was this? What kind of hell was this? Not being able to fly and walk with his usual graceful ease through the surrounding walls was bad enough, but not having his crystals? His only window into the world? Not even being able to see her!

"I'll get to the core of this!" Jareth hissed through his teeth – voice dangerous, almost deadly – "I'll get to that center, and then someone will pay."

"Now, left or right?" to hell with these damned choices – left would be good enough for him . . . walking briskly along the seemingly never-ending corridor, Jareth wondered at the builder of this particular Labyrinth – what kind of a King was he? He certainly did not keep his creation in very good condition – the stone walls were almost all falling apart, and the narrow path between them was so densely overgrown with strange shrubs and grasses that walking through it felt like wading through knee-deep water. For the first time, Jareth appreciated his leather boots for their direct use – as it turned out; they were pretty good leg protection – as well as a fashion statement, of course.

Quickly getting bored with the monotony of one-way travel, Jareth started looking for a different direction to take. . . If only there was one . . . he thought, spinning around and surveying the definitely solid walls on both sides. Not seeing a turn, Jareth continued on for another hundred feet or so, stopping and checking the walls several more times. But there had to be one! Labyrinths didn't go on infinitely in one direction – they turned and twisted their way for miles on end, making you believe that your almost there, and finally leaving you face to face with a discouraging dead end . . . that part was absolutely fine with him – he didn't mind a few dead ends . . . but first, one had to turn off the straight path!

"What kind of a Labyrinth is this? There aren't turns or openings or anything . . . it just goes on and on!"

Jareth sighed, remembering his own amusement at her obvious fear and confusion in the very beginning of her adventure . . . now, as ironic as it all was, he was in the exact some predicament – and finding himself equally perplexed, though he had always thought he was much wiser and more experienced in the field of Labyrinths.

"Where's a directional worm when you need one?" He wondered aloud, sarcasm almost tangibly piercing his words . . . After all, Sarah had gotten some help – so should he . . . mind, he wouldn't have needed it if he could still have his powers . . . but as they're gone . . . Turning to the inside wall to once more check it's solidness, he peered more closely at a speck of blue that had caught his eye several times before, and came face to face with a caterpillar.

Though he was a Goblin King, and these creatures did inhabit his native Underground, Jareth was completely unprepared for such a direct answer to his ironic phrase. The caterpillar, electrically blue and almost radiating coolness, blinked calmly back at him.

A few seconds was all it took Jareth to get his composure back, and taking his most intimidating stance, he looked down on the worm – almost daring it to breathe. The worm continued breathing in blissful ignorance of the threatening shadow above it. Lowering his wildly sweeping hair to almost an inch away from that chilly blueness, Jareth glared at it.

"How do I get through?" he snapped impatiently, "Bog of Eternal Stench" nearly written all over his proud, menacing face.

"I don't know – I'm just a worm!" it replied composedly – not showing the smallest sign of any discomfort under the Goblin King's piercing gaze – much less fear.

"What was that?" Jareth snarled – not at all amused, and rather taken aback. He was to be FEARED. All should answer when commanded to, and then fall to their knees – begging for mercy and cowering with fear. ALL!

"Don't really know nothing!" the worm replied coolly. "Come inside and have a nice cupa tea!"

Jareth felt the ground swing out from under his feet, and sank slowly towards it, realizing that the worm frankly didn't give a damn as to whether or not Jareth lost his temper, got an answer, found out which way to go, or disappeared entirely. That worm would always be there – no matter what happened, no matter who came and went; a fantasy-filled young girl looking for adventure, or a close to despairing Goblin King who's suddenly lost control of the world . . .

But Sarah had gotten an answer out of that discomposingly calm creature, hadn't she? The wrong answer, granted, but she did get it to help her! But how? It was absolutely futile to try and scare it, or somehow force it into talking sense. Though she couldn't have done so anyway – she didn't have what it takes to scare subject so much that they would rather swim in Bog water than face you . . .

Guessing that's not what was needed to get through this obstacle, the Goblin King swallowed his wounded pride and once again gazed intently at the offender. Two forever-calm eyes gazed back. Didn't anything rattle it? Guess not . . .

"I have to get through this Labyrinth," he started, almost patiently, trying desperately to keep the snappy edge out of his voice, forcing it to remain level. "Could you show me the way? I don't see any turns or openings."

"Oh, you ain't looking right! There's openings all over this place!" it stated quite cheerfully, blinking with perfect innocence.

Go on, go on – say it - Jareth thought fervently there's one right across from here, right? He caught himself nearly pleading, and shook himself mentally, telling that one pleading thought to get a grip and banishing it to the Bog. The Goblin King does NOT plead with anyone, EVER. He doesn't even ask, he commands! But that' not the way it works in this place, apparently . . .

Squashing his rebelling feelings as he wanted to squash this insolent caterpillar, would it do him any good, Jareth looked over at the one in question. The worm was silent and as ever, radiating pacifying waves, that interestingly enough had the opposite affect on Jareth.

"Well?" he prompted, fighting hard not to lose his temper again. Your line is . . .

"Where would they be?"

"Oh, there's one quite close by" responded the little creature "Would you like directions?"

Jareth nodded curtly, not trusting himself to say something encouraging right now.

"Well," the worm continued, "You go straight from here –"

As though any other direction was possible though Jareth irritably, but kept listening.

" . . . and then you turn left at the big log. That's where the opening is!"

"Thank you" His tone was frigid.

"And be careful! Things are always what they seem in this place!" It stated, completely nonplussed.

Jareth stalked off, furious for wasting this much time and being taught a lesson by a caterpillar. Especially the lesson that he himself had cruelly taught to so many . . . straight and left . . . there just better be an opening there . . . So wrapped up in his thoughts, Jareth hadn't even noticed that the worm didn't say what he seemed to have, until the truth was staring him in the face.