The Way Forward Is Sometimes The Way Back:
Sequel to Labyrinth
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, shape, or form own Labyrinth, its characters, its scenes, or quotes. They all belong to the geniuses Jim Henson, George Lucas, David Bowie, Brian Froud, Dennis Lee, Terry Jones, & Trevor Jones. I only own this fanfic storyline and the characters I made up (if I make up any).
Note: Just a reminder, Sarah and Jareth are going to have flashbacks to Labyrinth throughout this fanfic, so their flashbacks, which will be a flashback of images, sounds, or both, with be written in Bold and Italics like this…
Chapter Four: It's Not Fair! …But That's the Way It is…
Sitting in his empty, cold throne room, Jareth sat in his throne. His mind was abuzz with thoughts and the words over what Sarah had said. Wearing his gray pants, black boots, and loose white poet shirt under a black vest, his mess of long, pale blonde hair falling around his shoulders, he sat with staring out into space thinking of the girl that had stolen his heart and defeated the powerful Goblin King so many years ago.
Memories of her rejection and recent recollections of recent displeasures Sarah had thrown at him agonized Jareth's already weakened and softened mind.
You have no power over me!
I'm so sorry for being so rude to point out my displeasure in your snobbish manners and thank you so much for bringing me from a hell with my stepmother and brother to this hell of being tormented and harassed by you…
You mean the same, childish Sarah you made yourself vulnerable for? The same, childish Sarah you ridiculously fell in love with?
Jareth held his head in his hands as he tried to sort through the chaos of agony and heartache that rattled his mind.
How could I've been so ludicrous? Is it not already bad enough that I offered everything I was to an immature, irrational young girl, and now I am offering everything to a barely matured young woman? Jareth finally conjured up three crystal balls and began spinning them with one hand, proceeding to move them from hand to hand, keeping the same number, and then transferring individual crystals back and forth. Something about controlling such power, energy, and magic in his hands so easily soothed Jareth.
Jareth stood and began to pace the room, swirling the crystals back and forth over his hands. What to do… What to do… He thought intently. After thinking for quite some time, Jareth made all but one of the crystals vanish as an image of Sarah wandering through the Goblin City appeared in the single crystal. "I've told her long ago I am exhausted from living up to her expectations of me… I will let things unfold as they may, and I will let her make the next move…"
Jareth sat back down on his throne leisurely, reclining with a leg dangling over an arm, as he studied the crystal silently, planning his next move in his cat-and-mouse game.
Sarah wondered aimlessly through the Goblin City, not sure of what she was doing. She felt like finding Jareth and apologizing, but at the same time she felt the insistent desire to see her old friends; Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus.
She looked around and watched the goblins preoccupied with their own daily tasks. Some goblins were working diligently and others were pursuing their own wants, chasing chickens and the like.
Finally feeling completely lost, she stopped a small goblin that scurried by her, and asked, "Excuse me, I'm trying to find a friend of mine, Sir Didymus. Do you know where I can find him?" Sarah figured to ask for Didymus first, figuring Ludo would be with him and he would know where to find Hoggle as well. The goblin wore a little helmet, little shoes and a small, dirty leather jacket and had 3 ringers, a pointed nail on the end of each.
He stared at Sarah for a moment, surprised to see her, then quickly replied in a surprisingly deep voice for such a small goblin, "I last saw Didymus just outside th' City, milady… I could take yeh t'him if yeh'd like…"
Sarah replied graciously, "Thank you so much, I'd really appreciate it…" The goblin grunted and began on his way leading Sarah. She rushed to catch up to him, amazed at the speed he walked and offered, "My name is Sarah…" The goblin snickered quietly as if what Sarah had said was funny.
"I know who yeh are… Yew'd be surprised to find someone 'ere who don't know yeh!" the goblin remarked.
"Oh…" Sarah said, quietly. She'd wondered if she was known for beating the Labyrinth, but she didn't know how well.
Realizing that she was trying to learn his name, the goblin volunteered, "Me name is Müskül, in case yeh ever need me again…"
"Thank you, Müskül…" Sarah, said, graciously, glad to gain another face to know. They both hurried as they made their way to the entrance to the Goblin City.
As they reached the gate, Sarah heard a familiar voice: "Ambrosious! Will you please come out from under there! It was but a mouse, Ambrosious! And not even a big one at that! Will you please come out into the open, you're embarrassing me!"
Sarah stopped and looked around and saw the little fox-like furball dressed in stylish clothes talking to, what appeared to be, a pile of junk that some goblins had evidently dumped. She suddenly saw the quivering white head of Sir Didymus's sheepdog, Ambrosious peaking out behind the pile of junk.
"There's Didymus…" Müskül pointed, then said quickly, "…there's other work t'be done, milady, and I must leave yeh…" the goblin bowed cordially and scurried off.
"Thank you!" Sarah called after him, but the little goblin had already disappeared around a corner.
"Sir Didymus!" Sarah exclaimed running to meet her old friend.
"My lady!" Sir Didymus exclaimed, turning around and greeting Sarah with an enthusiastic hug. Even Ambrosious came out from his hiding place and greeted Sarah by licking her face.
"My lady, what event hath brought you to us once again?" Sir Didymus asked reasonably.
"I'm no longer wanted Aboveground, so I've decided to live here…" Sarah replied.
"For how long, my lady?" Sir Didymus asked, baffled.
"Well… forever…" Sarah said, finding no other way to describe the measure of how long she would be staying.
"That's marvelous to hear, Lady Sarah…" Sir Didymus replied, happily.
"Didymus, do you know where Ludo and Hoggle are? I was hoping to greet th—" Sarah was cut off as big, fuzzy brown hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her to a giant fuzzy brown creature and embraced her.
"Ludo!" Sarah cried, hugging the giant but gentle beast.
"Sarah back!" Ludo's voice boomed.
Sarah laughed happily and added, "Sarah back for good, Ludo!"
Ludo answered by giving Sarah another giant hug and murmuring gently, "Sarah back…"
After Ludo had hugged Sarah as much as he'd wanted, Didymus looked up at Sarah and said, "So, my lady, shall we go and search for Sir Hoggle?"
Ludo added happily, "Hoggle see Sarah!"
"Yes, lead the way, Sir Didymus…" Sarah said.
Sir Didymus bowed gallantly, and mounted his loyal stead. "Alright, Ambrosious, to the castle!"
With a firm kick from Sir Didymus, Ambrosious lead the happy trio to find their friend.
Soon, as they approached the castle, Sarah noticed vines and flowers growing along the side of the castle similar to the ones that grew outside the Labyrinth. I wonder what made them begin growing here… Sarah thought, knowing that the outside of the Labyrinth was no where near close to the castle beyond the Goblin City at the center of the Labyrinth. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another familiar voice.
"Sixty…seven! Sixty… eight! Sixty…nine… ooh, SEVENTY!" The voice cackled and hee-hawed at their own self-amusement.
"Hoggle!" Sarah called.
"Sarah?" the voice answered. Sarah heard a canister drop and she suddenly saw Hoggle running around a corner as fast as his little legs could bring him. They ran to each other and caught the other in a strong hug.
"Sarah, you're back!" Hoggle cried happily.
"Sarah back forever!" Ludo added.
"She is?" Hoggle said to Ludo, after Sarah had put him down, then turned to Sarah, "You are?"
Sarah smiled and said, "I am!"
Hoggle was completely thrilled and hugged Sarah again. Hoggle's hug was soon joined by a hug from Sir Didymus and then Ludo. Sarah stood there, excepted her greatly needed affection that she had so long be barren of, tears gathering in her eyes. Tears of happiness that she had forgotten she could shed. The only tears she'd come to know for so long were tears of grief and misery. Sarah let her happy tears fall as she felt an unrestricted happiness she hadn't felt in a long time.
As Sarah was reunited with her friends, a mismatched pair of eyes watched her and her recipients enviously and jealously. As he twirled a crystal over his hands elaborately, Jareth watched from his window as Sarah openly gave his subjects displays of undying affection… An affection Jareth had never been lucky enough to experience…
Anger began to build under the jealousy and Jareth deliriously rose from his position and with a roar threw the crystal across the room shattering it.
"How can she do this! How can she openly and willingly embrace these creatures she hasn't seen in years while she ungratefully insults me and mocks me? After all I have done… everything she's wanted, I've done… It's… It's…" Jareth spat, trying to find something to say, then finally whining, "It's not fair!" Suddenly, Jareth's fury subsided and he walked to his throne and collapsed into it as he came to the realization Sarah did all those years ago: "…But that's the way it is…"