Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in the movie, Labyrinth, even though I do in my dreams. But that's another story in itself.

Chapter 18

Sarah felt suspended, her hair flowing freely and gracefully. She was surrounded by lush trees that sparkled and swayed with the movement of a soft current. The deep red vines seemed to have a life of their own. With a small gesture of her hand Sarah held a small purple sphere of energy that lit up her surroundings. She pushed herself through the red willow vines and began to look.

'Where is she? Why am I here? Again?'

"Nejin!" she called.

A little further ahead she saw that the ground ended. She carefully made her way to the edge and looked down. It looked like a large, dark pit.

"Sarah" she heard whispered in her right ear. Startled she turned and lost her balance, losing the grip on her sphere. She felt the familiar panic of falling.

All was dark as she fell gracefully and slowly. It seemed to her to be an eternity before she landed on the softness of the ground. She felt around with her hands to see if she could find something to hold onto to. Sighing upon finding nothing she called,

"Nejin?"

"Hello, Sarah."

She again produced her light.

"I've never been so happy to see someone in my life." She smiled gratefully, "I fell into this hole. Did you see it?"

"You did not fall. I made you jump. Do you not remember?" the blue haired undine stated.

"What? Why?"

"Because you were afraid. Had I not helped you, you would've still been at the top looking down into this pit. You did not have the courage to leap into the unknown and so I made it happen."

"I guess you are right. But. Why?"

"Sarah, you will be challenged every step of the way for the remainder of this journey. I will not be there to frighten you into action. You must not hesitate." She floated in a circle, around Sarah making sure that she turned with her, illuminating her surroundings. Sarah was confused, 'Why is she circling me?' she wondered and then she looked over Nejin's shoulder and off in the distance she saw it.

"What is that?" Sarah swam toward the large underwater city. There were large open caves with plant life growing all over them. There were many creatures swimming this way and that.

Everything was bright and sparkled. She had forgotten Nejin when she felt her hand on her arm pulling her back.

"The way forward is sometimes the way back." She whispered to her

"I've heard that before. Here in the Underground in fact. An old man with a bird for a hat."

"You have met the wise man. He gives the most useful advice. Good. So you know then what I am saying to you."

"No, I don't understand." Sarah pleaded. The beautiful undine slightly smiled, "just remember me. All of me and you will find your way to him." She began to ripple and fade away.

"I'm still confused, Nejin! Nejin! How do I get back?" but it was too late, she was gone.

Sarah pushed her hair out of her face and pressed on into the city.

'Why am I here? This has to be a dream. Right? I mean how else can I breathe?' She went over to a large orange plant that was floating wildly to have a closer look. It looked like a few vines protruding from the ground. As she got closer she heard small voices and saw that what she mistook for leaves were actually small creatures hanging onto the vine as they swung wildly. They were having fun. It reminded Sarah of a trip she had taken with her family to Coney Island a long time ago. The famous Cyclone roller coaster produced the same reaction from its visitors. She couldn't help but giggle. She was happy to see that ÆRNAY still did not have a hold of this city.

She decided to keep exploring her surroundings since she could not go back to the castle. As she swam through the city she realized that all the caves looked the same. Exactly the same. Covered in plant life same size, shape and with the same light glow about them.

"That's odd."

Then all began to fade.

A knock on the door a few moments after she had woken up startled Sarah back from her thoughts.

It was Sielke.

"Have they been found?" Sarah blurted out.

"I'm afraid not, your Majesty. But I've come to get you up so that we may start on our journey." The female warrior stated, placing a cup of tea on the table next to the bed.

"Where are we going?"

"Rastrin and I are to escort you to the Castle of the High King and Queen so that you may be safe."

"But you can not leave. ÆRNAY's men will be here by night fall to get Paralda. You must stay and protect him."

"Your Majesty, Paralda has insisted. The shield around the Castle will protect him along with the forest surrounding the castle. He will be quite safe. Please my Queen. We must get ready to leave." She reluctantly got out of bed and began to get ready for the long journey.

The more she struggled the more her bounds tightened it seemed.

Myra flung her legs over the bed and tried to sit up but her hands were bound behind her and made it quite impossible to push herself up. She began to lose her balance and fell to the hard stone floor. Scraping her knees and elbows. She pushed herself up against the bed so that she was at least in a sitting position.

"This can not be happening to me. I wonder if I am in the Underworld. And who the heck is Jacob. I knew he was a liar. I need to learn to trust my instincts."

A small strip of light appeared at the foot by the bed then became wider and wider and the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming closer made her squirm.

She immediately began to panic and tried to squeeze herself underneath the bed but it was too late.

"What are you doing?" Jacob's voice asked. She felt her stomach tighten as he lifted her by her underarms placing her back on the bed.

He took a step back but kept his eyes on her. "You've always been a bit of a handful, haven't you?" He waved his hand over her scrapes and bruises and made them disappear.

"MHHHPHEH mphhee mphee."

"Pardon?" he chuckled stepping closer to remove the gagfrom her mouth.

Myra's jaw muscles relaxed after being confined for so long. She shook her head to try to push her hair back.

"So, my dear, what were you saying?"

"Oh yeah, have you always been a jackass?"

"Now Now. Do not make me put the gag back in your mouth." He shook his finger at her as if she were a naughty child.

"Jacob, why am I here?" What do you and that freak want?"

"You shouldn't talk in that manner, Myra. That freak, as you call him. Will be the High King soon and I, the Goblin King. Not exactly an ideal title but it will do for now. You, my dear are…What did Sarah call you… oh right…a Nothing."

She scoffed, "I don't believe you. What am I? Bait?"

"You are clever. Aren't you? Maybe my father is right. Maybe I should look to you for some companionship."

"In your dreams"

He swiftly walked over to the bed and sat next to her.

"Myra, I don't mean physically. That is what my father meant but I vowed to wait for Sarah. No, I need someone to talk to."

She felt ill, "What makes you think Sarah will EVER have anything to do with you?"

"She must. When my father is High King she will marry me. OR die. It's as simple as that."

"What is it with you? When you were in the Magic Shop I knew you were an arrogant jerk but you weren't evil. You are talking about kidnapping and murder." She turned to face him. "Jacob, I can see your aura. It is not so negative. You have goodness in you. That father of yours, his is black as pitch. There is nothing left for him to draw from. Don't let him drag you into this."

His false smirk began to falter and then the hardness in his eyes began to soften.

"What is it, Jacob? Have a hit a sore spot?"

He stood without looking at her and walked over to a curtained window and opened it to look out.

"My cousin is arrogant as well. More so than I. He's not much better than me." Myra sensed that he was about to reveal something quite painful for him by his stance and the far off look in his eye. And so she leaned forward to listen carefully.

"He and his friends would tease me when we were younglings. His friends would torment me, even if Jareth was not around. They'd made it so that when I walked by a girl I liked, a foul odor would accompany me until it would become unbearable forcing them to leave. I'll never forget this one girl. Sanpra. She was the most beautiful Fae I had ever seen. She had hair that blazed red, like yours. Of course, she favored my cousin. He'd told her I had some odor problem. She would not even come near me for 100 years. The worst of their torment was when they would tease me in front of my very own father. They made me trip and fall over my own feet at the foot of my father's dais. The look on his face was enough to make me feel ashamed of my very own conception. It was like he was embarrassed to have a son such as I. I hated them all but especially Jareth. He was my cousin! He should have protected me instead of joining in.'

He then turned to Myra with a determined look in his eye.

"I intended to follow my father in the High King's death as well as Jareth's. Only when I am in power will I be avenged. I want to laugh in his face the moment the life leaves his body."

"You're kidding. Right?" You never got over a little teasing when you were a kid? That's what this is all about? Oh no honey come sit by me. This I can handle."

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed but I'm off to stand on a very long line at the Scholastic Book store.

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