Authoress: I got a new snake! Zoe: Um, what does that have to do with our story?
Authoress: Um, Absolutely….. nothing?
Jareth: So, why are you telling the reviewers?
Authoress: I thought you liked snakes, you threw one at Sarah.Jareth: (evil smile) Oh yeah.
Zoe: Then it turned into a scarf, sissy.
Jareth: (face fall)

Disclaimer: They ought to make an 'I Don't Own Anything' song. Well, Tra-la-la-la-la, I don't own Labyrinth!

Chapter 15

Buying Time with Sanity

What the "Labyrinthian Folklore" says about pacing:

Pacing is a habit that everyone in the vicinity of the Labyrinth tends to show. Most people believe since the confusion of the turns and such is so great, it rubs off on the mind. The brain being so muddled in decision already, the twists and turns add to the confusion.

Pacing was the sport that the whole castle was practicing the next day. Jareth was the pro. He was pacing the Escher room every which way. Cypress was floating in the center of that very room, sighing every five seconds.

"All I can do is think about what has happened between us so far," Jareth mused as he paced an upside down platform. Cypress rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and the past is hard to ignore," he said with a bored tone. He started to play solitaire in the air.

---

"My mind is in turmoil, I have no idea what to say, I'm all confused and my heart and mind seems to have been turned up-side down," Sarah said. She had memorized the fabric of the carpet under her feet, apposed to the cold stone ground. The Spirit Fae had no trouble pacing.

"This decision is very hard, conflicting, and will change your life," Sallina said with a monotone voice as she played cards with Daramir. The dragon was having a fun time just lighting the cards on fire.

"Argh, I wish I knew what do," Sarah growled. She blinked for a moment. She paused in mid-step, "Sallina, we're going into the Labyrinth," she said quickly and grabbed Sallina's hand. They disappeared and reappeared in the middle of the hedge maze part of the Labyrinth. There was a large vase nearby and round platform.

"When did you-" Sallina began."All that time teleporting, you don't think I learn nothing did you?" Sarah laughed.

"Ok, so what are we doing here?" Sallina asked.

---

"Do you have any twos?" Octavio asked.

"Go fish," Argus answered. Octavio muttered and grabbed a card from the stack. "Do you have any kings?" the elf Lord asked. Octavio cursed and handed him the king of spades.

Halem paced between the book shelves. His thoughts were other places than the new princess. Somehow his thoughts had wandered to Sarah's lady in waiting. They had had an interesting conversation the other day.

"Halem, you seem out of sorts," Gabriel mentioned as he looked to his pacing friend. "I bet you are thinking about who Sarah will choose," he said slyly.

The dragon king blinked at him then his mind stumbled over realization. "No, I'm not," he confessed and Gabriel nearly lost his balance, leaning against the bookcase.

"What? I can bet you every royal in the castle has his mind wrapped around the thought of marrying her," Gabriel said, jabbing at his friend's mental stability. Halem gave a sudden smile of realization.

"No, I'm not thinking about her," he said, suddenly heading towards the door.

"My Gods, man, what's got into you?" King Saphel asked as Halem rushed to the door of the Library and opened it.

"I have no idea, but I'm out of the race gentlemen," he said and swiftly closed the door. He had a goofy smile on his face as he headed towards his brother.

"Did he have too much to drink last night?" Prince Zane asked as he broke the silence in the library after the door slammed shut.

"I do believe the man's gone mad," Gabriel said with bewildered look.

---

"We're looking for someone," Sarah said, "Tell me if you see an old man with a bird on his head," the brunette said. Sallina did a double take looking at her friend.

"Did you have too much wine yesterday? I told Jareth not to give you any," she chided. Sarah frowned.

"No, just tell me if you see him," she urged.

"Alright, alright, I'll watch out for him," Sallina said, and if as right on cue, the hunched over withered and weather-worn old man came hobbling out of the hedge maze. The bright-colored bird, that was his hat, was silently as his owner tottered along.

"I hear something, is that him?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you're into those types," Sallina told her off-handedly. Sarah hit her in the arm with a frown and started over. Sallina followed carefully, rubbing her arm (Sarah got power). Nothing was as it seems in this place.

"Excuse me," Sarah said quietly as she approached steadily.

"Ah, the young girl! Good day to you," he said, his kind voice soothing Sarah.

"Woo-woo, she's back!" the bird chimed in after. Sarah couldn't help a small laugh.

"I have a question, and you seemed to give good advice last time I was wondering if you could help me out," Sarah told the old man.

"Good advice, HA, that's a good one, senorita," the bird chirped. The old man grumbled at him angrily until he was silent again.

"What is your question, young lady?" the man asked.

"I have to make a decision that will ultimately alter my life. I have to choose between a past I thought I knew, and a future I'll have to learn to know," she said. Sallina thought the question was quite odd, and then is dawned on her. Sarah had known Jareth before and now she was seeing him in a new light. Also she had met other men who she hadn't known before. "The decision itself is confusing," Sarah sighed.

"Young Lady, I may have someone who you should really talk to, I'm not the one to give you advice on this. I'm sure of it," he said with a crooked smile. Sarah felt a withered hand talk her own and placed it gently on one of the stone walls.

The world seemed to hum around her. Her mind focused on only one thing; the large, but warm, presence of a very powerful being. It wasn't human, Fae, elf, dark, light, or anything normal being at all. It was power, in a rare, pure form.

"Ah, Princess Sarah, you have finally come to chat with me," a regal female voice whirled around her. Sarah guessed the Labyrinth had no form, so naturally it had no mouth to speak from, just the voice.

"You are the Labyrinth, right?" Sarah asked.

"I am, Spirit Child," said the voice calmly.

"Whoa," was all that escaped Sarah's lips for a moment.

---

"Jareth," Halem called through the throne room. Knowing his brother, he was hanging (literally) around the Escher room. With quick strides the dragon king entered the topsy-turvy room and looked for his brother.

"Oh, what do you want?" Jareth asked impatiently.

"I'm not courting Sarah anymore," Halem said with a big smile. Jareth was suspicious of the smile and his statement. Quickly walking to the edge of the platform he stood on he was suddenly eye level with his sibling.

"What are you saying?" Jareth asked.

"I'm saying, I am no longer going after the affections of Lady Sarah and am seeking the affections of a different lady all together," he told his brother. Halem seemed as giddy as a school boy.

"Really?" Jareth and Cypress (who had remained stunned for a while) said at the same time. Halem nodded, shook his brother's hand (to the best of the ability of someone being upside down), and was off the next second.

"I think he's gone off his rocker," Cypress said after the long silence.

---

Glittery wings, buzzing sounds, and small giggles here and there were all heard in the gardens as the faeries hatched plans of their own. No biting today, no, just the fun of preparing a garden for a grand party.

"Come on you guys, let's make this place sparkle," Kera called and organized everything. Vines of rich green were covered with flowers of white and lilac. Ruby-glaze gems, a flower only seen in the Labyrinth, decorated the benches and fountain. The trees were lit up with carefully placed and magicked fire-bugs. The whole place had a wonderful glow around.

"Kera, this is fun, we should do this more often," Kera's friend, Gale, said as she flew by. Kera thought for a moment and an idea struck her, but that was for later.

"Come on everyone, more work, less chit chat," Kera yelled and soared off to work on the roses.

---

Sarah woke up in her bed with a moan. The sheets under her told her she was on her bed in her room. The sun hit her directly through her west window. The sun was setting.

The conversation with the Labyrinth had been an interesting one, to say the least. She would have to tell Sallina about it. Sarah figured she must've used up her powers talking to the Labyrinth.

"Sarah, get up, I have to show you something," Sallina's voice was coming from the door. Sarah was a little out of it and slowly got up.

Her best friend grabbed her hand and quickly led her to the gardens. Sarah had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, the fabric on her skin felt different from the plain lavender dress she was wearing earlier. This felt silkier, slightly heavier, and soft.

"Sarah, what day is it?" Sallina asked softly. Then the realization hit her like a ton of bricks (that was happening a lot wasn't it?). Her slippered feet hit the stone of the garden path.

"Surprise!" a few regular and a hundred high pitched voices yelled. "Happy Birthday Sarah!"

---

Authoress: Cute lil ending for the chapter.
Jareth: You are so weird.
Halem: How many different ways can you call me crazy!
Zoe: Out of your mind, off your rocker, lost your marbles, not all there.
Authoress: (glares at Halem) You had to ask didn't you?
Zoe: Been to the loony bin, housed in padded walls, at your wit's end, lost it.
Jareth: Now you got her going.
Zoe: Brain fried, coo-coo, loco, and- MMPH!
Authoress: (tackles her)
Jareth and Halem: Please Review.