Disclaimer: Lumini, Melani, and the Castle of Shifting Shadows are mine. No stealing!
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Sarah fell asleep quickly. She had never been able to sleep well since coming home from the Labyrinth- that much she remembered. Her nights were haunted by Jareth's face, the other creatures she'd met. Of course, every time she woke up, she couldn't remember any of them. Not even names. Like someone had stopped her from remembering. Now, her dreams filled with memories. Memories of things she ought not to remember, memories of things she longed to regain.
The owl at the park-Merlin-the wicked stepmother-father-Toby-lightning-crying stopped-goblins-laughter-You're him, aren't you?-I've brought you a gift-Don't defy me-You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth-Hoggle-which way do you want to go-the cleaners-sometimes the way forward is the way back-Ludo-chilly down-the bog of eternal stench-Sir Didymus-Ambroisias-You can call the rocks?-Hoggle, you're a lifesaver!-everything's dancing-falling in love-Lancelot?-It was all a dream-through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered-I have to save Toby!-My lady!-it's only a goblin city-I forgive you, Hoggle-Ludo, call the rocks-I have to face him alone-should you need us-I can't live within you-Toby!-Give me the child-I have been generous-Fear me-love me-do as I say-and I will be your slave-You have no power over me-party in Sarah's room-the owl in the window-dreams-was it real?-a love stronger than time-if only I could remember his name!-his song-the tattoo artist-Lumini-darkness-torture-pain-Jareth!
Sarah bolted awake with a scream in her throat. Melani was still deep asleep beside her, so she swallowed her full-out panic and breathed deep. She could not or would not worry Melani. But the voice in her head knew of her despair and whispered soothing words.
Sarah, be calm. You are safe, and you are whole. I have sent someone to help you. He will be there come morning. Sleep.
She took the advice and fell back into a dreamless sleep. When she awoke the second time, she couldn't remember why she'd woken up so frightened in the first place. The memory of her dream was gone.
The Castle of Shifting Shadows
The stump of his arm had finally closed over. Stabbing pains still periodically jolted up his arm, but he ignored them for the most part. Lumini had been blocked out of Jareth's mind. A kind of shield stopped him from gaining access to his enemy's thoughts. Worse, it blocked his view of his prize. He could no longer see Sarah. He couldn't even get into her dreams. Needless to say, he was frustrated out of his mind. Sarah could be anywhere in the Labyrinth. He couldn't get into the place to find her himself. He couldn't even get into the Castle Beyond the Goblin City thanks to the Spirit of the Labyrinth. His only option was to find a way in on his own.
The Castle Beyond the Goblin City
Jareth watched Sarah's repose carefully. Her memories were coming back quickly. But her mind was not ready to accept them yet. The pain Lumini inflicted upon her had created a kind of mental block, keeping her from knowing her own memories. Perhaps he could get to her? The Labyrinth would not allow him to teleport to her, but it was possible that he could get to her in another way. His mind lit on an idea and he nodded to himself. That's what he'd do.
Somewhere in the Bushmesh, close to the Stoneweb
Melani stirred, releasing a yawn of a high-pitched bell tone. Sarah smiled down at her. Melani stood and fluttered up to Sarah's chest, examining the brand mark. Sarah tensed slightly as Melani touched the scorched flesh gently. Even the air hurt the mark, and the touch shot a jolt of pain through her body. Melani smiled softly.
"Sarah I can begin to heal this. If you let me, I can get rid of it."
Sarah looked down at the brand.
"Yes, Melani. Please, if you would."
Melani nodded. Abruptly, before Sarah could react, Melani bit the mark in its exact center as hard as she could. Sarah cried out softly, instinctively jerking away from the pain. Melani clung to the tatters of Sarah's shirt and removed her teeth. No blood flowed from the mark, but instead Sarah felt a kind of coolness, like a droplet of rain wending its way along the entire mark. It visibly softened- the skin looked less raw, less red.
"I'll have to do that for the next few days, but it'll fade before we get to the castle. Before we get there, it'll be completely gone. I promise."
"Thank you, Melani," Sarah said fervently.
"Sarah?"
A voice Sarah knew spoke softly from several feet away. Sarah and Melani whipped around quickly to face the speaker. A small creature stood there. He was short and stout. His face was heavily lined by weather and his eyes were small compared to his body. Short stubby legs and arms poked out at seemingly awkward angles.
"I didn't know if Jareth was tricking me again or if he meant it," the creature took a step forward cautiously, as though disbelieving what he saw, "so when he sent me I came as fast as I could. I had to know if he was telling the truth. And he was. Sarah, I can't believe you're back!"
A name flashed across Sarah's mind.
"Hoggle!"
The creature nodded.
"Yes, Mistress, it's me."
Sarah opened her arms, and Hoggle rushed forward, heedless of her aches and lingering pains in her muscles. He wrapped his short arms around her as best he could, trying to tell if he was dreaming or not.
The Castle Beyond the Goblin City
Jareth watched Hoggle's reunion with his only true friend in the entire world and couldn't help but be moved to tears. The poor creature was harsh and cynical because no one had ever treated him with kindness deserving of one with a heart as big as his. Jareth himself had threatened him ceaselessly before he'd realized his love for Sarah. That had changed him completely. Hoggle never changed his behavior toward Jareth- which Jareth never held against him. He had treated the little troll badly for years. The sudden change in behavior read as a trick to the dwarf, and Jareth did nothing to change that. There was no need.
Bushmesh, close to the Stoneweb
Hoggle released Sarah after a few minutes. She would never know exactly how much it meant to him to see her again. He surveyed her. His eyes took in her features, aged only a year or two in vision- though in truth, she was now nineteen. It had been four surface years since he had seen her. Her hair was longer and darker and matted with blood. Her eyes held an inexpressible pain that he would never ask her about. Her chest was marked with Lumini's brand- though it looked better today than it had last night when he'd watched her sleep through one of Jareth's crystal's. One of those same crystals had been inked into the flesh of her right shoulder at the back he had noticed. She may not quite know exactly what that meant, either, but he did. Her connection to Jareth was deep within the heart- the mind did not have to know him, because the heart did.
"You've grown up some," he said gruffly, hiding the emotions he was feeling. She smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing.
"You look the same as you did last time I saw you," she answered fondly.
"Excuse me," Melani wriggled up to Sarah's shoulder and called attention to herself, "but who are you?"
"Name's Hoggle. I'm a friend of Sarah's."
Sarah nodded.
"Hoggle, this is Melani."
Melani's eyes narrowed as she sized him up.
"You're the one that used to spray us."
Hoggle nodded, eyes dropping to the ground in shame.
"That I did."
Melani lifted off Sarah's shoulder and fluttered just in front of Hoggle's eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said, looking straight at her. Melani nodded.
"I accept your apology."
Sarah smiled and stood, scooping Melani out of the air and setting the fairy on her shoulder. She smiled down at Hoggle and took his hand.
"Now, how do we get to the Goblin King?" Hoggle smiled widely and pulled Sarah gently down a path just to the right of the one they had been planning to take.
"I can take you straight to the Castle," he said proudly, "Just follow me."
The Castle Beyond the Goblin City
Jareth smiled at Hoggle's boast. He had told him specifically to take her through the Flame Grove, Bog of Eternal Stench, the Shadow Forest, the Junkyard, and the Goblin City. 'Follow the same path she took before, but shorten the time in the Stoneweb and pass the Oubliette.' Hoggle had nodded, said he understood, and left. The path he had turned on would take them to the Grotto, where he could make his presence known to her. He could show her who he was in the Grotto while making sure the other two in her entourage were properly busied. He also knew Hoggle would find Sir Didymus and Ludo on the way. He was fine with that. They would also help bring Sarah's mind back under her own control.
He felt Lumini try to intrude once again and couldn't repress the smirk. The shields he had asked the Spirit to provide for Sarah's benefit were working perfectly. The Spirit of the Labyrinth felt deeply for Sarah and would do anything to keep her safe. He felt the same way and so conceded to anything the Spirit asked of him. For the moment, it had expressed no objection to him helping her retrieve her memories in the Grotto. He suspected it would interfere if she began to feel that she was not safe or if he was pushing too hard. He was fine with that, too. He wanted to know when enough was enough- because, admittedly, he was not so good at that.
Stoneweb
Hoggle pulled Sarah's hand. She trailed a step or so behind him, taking in everything that they passed as quickly as she could. Her mind unconsciously showed her memories of places she'd passed before, and she savored every memory. She began to remember what a spoiled brat she'd been, and was decidedly glad that she wasn't fifteen anymore. 'It's not fair' crossed her mind coupled with a memory quite frequently, and she almost laughed out loud at her naïveté. There is no such thing as fair, she wanted to tell her remembered self. Life is a bitch on a good day, and she wished she could go back and make that clear to herself. Well, many of life's lessons are learned the hard way- which she found out the hard way. She had taken a rocky path and enjoyed every minute of her rebellion from her father and his second wife. She never could understand why he had chosen such a woman. Her mother had been this new one's polar opposite, and Sarah couldn't stand her stepmother.
"Watch your footing, Sarah. It gets steep here. Don't touch that stone or you'll drop to the Oubliette." Hoggle cautioned, guiding her carefully around the footpath stone and bringing her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She smiled and thanked him, avoiding the stone he had mentioned. She forcibly kept herself out of her thoughts now.
"Melani," Hoggle said softly, "keep low. There are a number of predator birds in this section of the Stoneweb."
"Thank you, Hoggle." Melani answered, burrowing into Sarah's hair. She ran her small hands through the comparatively huge strands, taking the mats out and smoothing it. Sarah closed her eyes and let Hoggle guide her. Having her hair slightly untangled was a blessing. Melani smiled.
"Thank you, Melani," Sarah whispered. The fairy nodded before hiding herself in Sarah's now-soft hair as a fuzzy hawk-like bird shot out of nowhere directly towards Sarah. It checked itself when Melani disappeared and released what sounded suspiciously like a child's whine as it soared away.
"Damn Vawks." Hoggle muttered. "Come along. We'll be out of bird territory in a few minutes."
The Castle of Shifting Shadows
Lumini cursed the air blue when he was rebuffed in his attempts to gain access to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City once again. He could just see Jareth strutting about elatedly, knowing his woman was safe. Damn him! Sarah was not Jareth's anymore, and nothing was going to change that! The brand on her skin was irreversible. It was a sign to all who saw her that she was the property of the King of Shadows! Lumini stopped dead at that thought, suddenly knowing how he could get to her. He chuckled darkly, growing into a full-blown laugh as he realized the absurdity of the simplicity of the notion.
"Be afraid, Sarah, my love. Your nightmare has only just begun. You may have escaped it for now, but you'll realize that you are only waiting to fall back into it from your falsely good dream. You will be mine again. Soon."
