A/N: Thanks to all of my Constant Readers, and my new ones who find their way here! It gives me encouragement and motivation to keep spinning my story when I receive those reviews out of the blue. Anyways, here's more. A big piece of the puzzle in regards to the Challenge fell into place in my head this morning, so look for more updates coming soon! Also a formatting note: Since the break lines aren't working, I've put everything that takes place back at the castle in bold. Not great, but it works for now. -PC

She looked around at the forest, taking in the surroundings, and then looked down at herself. She was covered in mud – how did that happen? – and disheveled, and felt tired and sore.

Hesitantly, she took a step away from the river. I remember entering the Labyrinth…but how did I get this far? I don't remember anything past that first turn…

Jareth stared at the crystal. She was moving so slowly! "Hurry, Sarah…" he muttered under his breath. "You're got to hurry!"

Slowly she walked away from the river, peering hesitantly through the mist-shrouded trees. She took her time, stepping carefully, unaware that with every step, every breath, each heartbeat…something more was stolen from her.

Her left foot hit the ground, a step like any other. In that moment, the memory of her return to the Labyrinth was erased.

Where am I? I feel so…strange…like I'm not in a place that's real. Wait! That's it! This isn't real!

She laughed, twirling around in the squishy moss, pleased with herself for having figured it out. "I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming!"

Since she was dreaming, there was no reason to keep silent, and Sarah talked to herself as she walked. "I bet I'm dreaming of the Labyrinth! That's right, this is the Labyrinth, and any minute now, Jareth will pop out from behind a tree…oh…and we'll dance…"

Unaware of time passing, uncaring of the strange forest and the clinging mist, Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. She waltzed herself between the trees, lost in what she believed was her favorite dream. "Da da…da DA da…da DA da…"

Jareth's fingers curled and bit into the stone arms of his chair. He growled fruitlessly, an undertone to the faint clanks of the chains that accompanied his restless movements.

Hamel glanced over at his cousin, and grinned, baring his fangs briefly. "Something the matter, coz?"

"Nothing at all," Jareth ground out. "I'm simply impatient for this farce to be over and you to be banished to whatever punishment my Champion and I can devise for you."

"Don't be so sure of yourself," Hamel murmured. "By my count, your little Champion is just about to waltz into the tender arms of one of my very favorite friends…"

Jareth still had his power. He caught the barest glimpse of a thought from Hamel's exceedingly satisfied mind. "No," he whispered. "You…no, it's not…"

"Precisely, my dear coz. Precisely."

Sarah stumbled along farther into the forest, laughing wildly as she peeked behind each tree. "Jareth! I'm here! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

As the echo of her voice died away, she thought she heard a sound…like a snuffle, or a snort. It seemed to be coming from her left…

She dashed in that direction. "Jareth!"

Now there were footsteps, quick and light…just as if they belonged to a lithe, slender Goblin King. "Jareth! I'm over here!"

Jareth hung his head, staring into his lap. He couldn't look.

She darted around a tree, and there he was.

Staring at her with his mismatched eyes. Jareth.

Sarah flung her arms wide. "Jareth!"

The King watched her as she came closer, not speaking. He opened his arms, and she rushed into them, feeling herself being enfolded tightly. The fabric of his sleeves rustled as he cuddled her into his chest.

Sarah looked up at him. "Jareth…it's been so long since I've dreamed of you…"

And for her, it had been. The water of the river Lethe continued to eat at Sarah's memory, stealing her life away one moment at a time, even as the King extended his hand and began to lead her in their waltz.

Music filled her mind, and she followed his lead. They danced between the trees, their feet sinking in the moss, and Sarah looked up at him, watching adoringly.

His eyes burned. He couldn't breathe. His heart was either not beating at all or beating too fast; he couldn't tell. To his right, Hamel smirked, eyes never leaving the crystal.

They were moving quickly through the forest. "Jareth, where are we going?" she asked, noticing the trees beginning to thin out. "Can we go back to the castle, beyond the Goblin City?"

He did not answer her, but continued to dance her along. The moss grew firmer under their feet, and was gradually replaced by dirt, and then by cobblestones.

The trees abruptly ended, and in front of them was the yawning mouth of a cave, pitch-black inside. Sarah looked at it with trepidation, releasing her hold on Jareth's hand, and peering into the blackness. "Is that the way to the castle?"

The King, in silence, took her arm again, only this time his grip was hard and painful, his fingers biting into her skin. "Jareth!" she gasped. "Stop! You're hurting me!"

He never spoke, only dragged her towards the mouth of the cave. She wrenched at his hand, attempting to get free, the spell of love broken and leaving only fear in its place. Yet her struggles were of no good, and he continued to drag her. The cave was only a few feet away.

Perhaps they had waltzed too long through the forest. Perhaps the seconds spent by the river and the minutes of her search through the trees had all added up to that tiny, crucial miscalculation which might save her. In any case, at the moment when Sarah realized that she wasn't going to be able to get herself free by force, the water of the Lethe drank up her last – first - memory of Jareth, the Goblin King.

Sarah realized suddenly that there was a stranger holding her arm, and went limp with fright, her feet skidding under her. The tall, blond stranger lost his balance as she slipped, and his grip on her arm lessened.

She instantly pushed away, slipping again on the stones before recovering her balance, and dashed into the trees, away from the circle of black that the stranger had evidently been intending to throw her into. Behind her, she heard a bellow of rage, followed by a long, chilling roar.

Fleeing a little farther into the forest, Sarah paused for breath, then looked down, feeling a tickling on her leg. A thin silver chain was dangling from her pants pocket, and from the chain swung a small crystal pendant – it was this that had been hitting her leg and producing the tickling.

Pretty…jewelry…I like jewelry, I should wear it!

Having lost any memory that would tell her it was ridiculous to stop and put jewelry on at that moment, she pulled the necklace from her pocket and slipped it over her head.

For a few seconds, she admired the pendant resting on her chest. Her reverie was abruptly shattered, by a much-closer roar, and she dove down behind the thick tree, peeking out cautiously.

The ground rumbled, and a moment later, a huge monster came thundering through the trees. It was shaped almost like a bull, but not quite – the arms were human and awful, and the creature walked upon two legs. It shoved tree branches aside as it plowed through, grunting.

The creature peered around and snuffled, passing so close to Sarah's tree that her heart stopped. After a few minutes, it crashed onward.

She let out a breath, slowly, as the noise of the creature faded into the distance, and looked around her for a moment. Wait – what was that?

Cautiously, she crept out from behind the tree. A sparkle in the distance had caught her eye, and she moved towards it, staying carefully behind the trees.

The sparkle turned out to be a river - wide and fast, and clear of trees all around - and Sarah realized how thirsty she was. There was only one problem…

The bull creature was lying right between her and the water.