A/N- Okay, part 3 :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the original Labyrinth characters or any songs mentioned below.

Chapter 3

Realizations

Hunter sat on the window ledge in the throne room in his dark attire sans his cape. All around him were drunk goblins jumping about or starting chicken races. He sighed and waved his hand to form a crystal. He started to turn it across his hands. "Getting better at it I see." Jareth said as he walked up to his son. "Yeah, I guess I am." Hunter said pleased as he started to get cocky and turn it faster. It only took three seconds before he once again lost control and the crystal flew out the window. Both Hunter and Jareth watched the crystal fall and shatter when it hit the ground below. "I guess I still need some work." Hunter said with a sigh. Jareth put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll get it soon. It took me a while before I mastered it."

"Yeah but I always drop it." Hunter said as he walked away from the ledge and formed another crystal. "Perhaps if you went to your studies instead of always ditching then you would be better at it." Jareth said as he walked up to his son. "My studies are boring though. Can't I just learn war strategy and stuff when I become king?" Hunter said as he focused the crystal on Maggie and Nibgit. "By then it would be too late." Jareth said as he also peered into the crystal.

"Is that the runner?"

"Yeah. Heard her mother say her name is Maggie when they were arguing in her room."

"Maggie? That's a nice name for a pretty girl."

"Yeah. I guess."

"So, do you like her?" Jareth said with a smile.

"Wait, what?! Pfft. No. I mean…" he said as he looked at his father. "Well, she is pretty….I suppose…" Hunter said trying to not make eye contact.

"Is that why you helped her?" Jareth said. "How did you know I helped her?" Hunter asked as he looked up. "As king, you have to know everything. If you didn't keep ditching your studies you would know that." Jareth said as he patted Hunter on the shoulder and walked out of the throne room. Hunter rolled his eyes and looked back at the crystal. He saw Maggie and that little goblin skipping after her in the hedge part of the labyrinth. He looked closer and heard Maggie singing a song. "She has a pretty voice…" Hunter said hypnotized. "She's….she's….she is actually kinda pretty…." he continued as he focused the crystal just on Maggie. "So you do like her!" Jareth said as he poofed next to Hunter. "Ahh! What the….?!" Hunter said as he covered the crystal with both his hands. Jareth laughed and poofed out of the room. "I didn't mean it!" Hunter called out before he waved the crystal away.

"What are you singing?" Nibgit asked as she followed Maggie through the hedges. "I Love Rock' N' Roll. I'm learning it on my electric guitar right now. I like Joan Jett's version the best." Maggie pumped her fist in the air. "Yeah, girl power 'cause girls know how to rock too!" Nibgit gave her a confused look and Maggie laughed. They continued walking until they were stopped in their tracks when a fluffy purple and green thing rolled by. "Did you see that?" Maggie asked as she started to run after it. "Hey!" she called as she rounded a corner with Nibgit running after her as fast as her little legs would carry her. "Wait!" Nibgit said as she caught up to Maggie who had stopped. "Where did it go?" Maggie said as she looked around.

Woof! Woof! Maggie looked down and saw a purple and green fluff ball that had four stubby legs panting with its tongue hanging out. "Hiya there!" Nibgit said as the creature rolled back into a ball like a rolly polly. It circled Nibgit and then Maggie before it popped back to being a dog (as Maggie guessed that it was). Maggie bent down and started rubbing its incredibly soft tummy. "Hey boy, are you lost?" she said to it. She stood up as the dog got back up, turned around in a circle, and then sat down on its hind legs. "Maybe it can help us get to the city!" Nibgit said. "Maybe…" Maggie said as she rubbed her chin. "Alright", she bent down again, "can you help us get to the Goblin City?" The dog barked again and started sniffing the ground. It gave one more "Woof!" before taking off straight ahead. "Hurry!" Nibgit said as they started running after it.

Sarah and Mark walked hand in hand through the halls of the castle. "So you've met Jared before?" Mark asked. "It's Jareth, and yes." Sarah said. "Oh, and you said that you've been here before?" Mark continued. "Yeah. But not in the castle; well, besides the throne room and Escher room of course…" Sarah said remembering all those years ago when she had her own adventure in the labyrinth when she wished Toby away. Who knew her daughter would one day experience the labyrinth herself?

"This is such a mysterious place…." Mark said as he stopped to looked at a painting of green flowers with purple leaves from one of the gardens in the labyrinth. Sarah also stopped to look at it. "Yes. It's a very….magical place." Mark turned to Sarah. "Is this why you always stopped Maggie from talking about fairytales? Because of this place?" Sarah sighed and pulled him so they could start walking again. "I just wanted to protect her. I certainly didn't want Jareth to be taking Maggie away or stalking her; and I didn't want her to come here either." "But everyone here doesn't seem that bad", Mark said, "I know that Jareth may have seemed like the villain all those years ago but he seems alright. And what about that little fox with his dog and that huge furry monster we ran into back there? Weren't those your friends?"

"Well yeah", Sarah said, "And if feel terrible for forgetting about them but I guess as I grew older, I just talked to them less and less and started becoming focused on college and my life. Ludo and Didymus, even Ambrosius, were all very understanding back there and I'm grateful that they still consider me a friend. They are all very sweet. If only we can find Hoggle now…"

"Hoggle?" Mark said confused. "There's another friend?" Sarah smiled as she remembered the little dwarf. "Yeah. He may have tried to lead me back to the beginning of the labyrinth and drug me with that peach….." "He what?!" Mark exclaimed. "Boy when I get my hands on him…" Sarah put a hand on his chest. "Hold on! He later told me that he didn't want to give me the peach and that he had no choice!" Sarah took a deep breath as Mark calmed down. "Besides, if it weren't for Hoggle then I would probably have been squished into a pancake by that giant robot that guards the city." Mark nodded and then looked up at Sarah. "What did you say?" Sarah looked at him. "A pancake. Because of the giant robot that guards the Goblin City…" "Giant robot that guards the city!" Mark interrupted. "What if Maggie gets squished? No, we have to go out there and…." Sarah put her hand on Mark's chest again. "Calm down, we can't leave the castle anyway. Besides, she's a tough girl. I'm sure she'll be fine and I don't think Hunter will let her die."

"Why do you say that?" Mark asked as he looked back at his wife. "Because, I can tell that, well, you know…." Sarah said. "You know what?" Mark said raising an eyebrow. "Well for starters, he seems like someone Maggie might be interested in", Sarah said, "and you saw in Jareth's crystal how he helped her open the doors even though it's against the rules to help a runner." "And why do you think he helped her?" Mark said crossing his arms; afraid of the answer Sarah was going to give. "Because…', Sarah said as she remembered her run in the labyrinth, "Because he likes her."

Mark shook his head and then sighed. "I guess the time is coming when I have to let my little princess go…" Mark said as he looked on. Sarah rubbed his arm. "I know. It's hard to believe that she's going to be going off to college soon…." Sarah said as a little tear slid down her cheek. Mark embraced his wife and both knew that their little girl was becoming an adult too fast. Sarah rested her cheek on his chest. "I just hope Maggie makes it in time. I don't think I want to become a goblin." Sarah said softly. Mark gave a light chuckle. "She'll make it", Mark said reassuringly, "She's a tough girl." Sarah smiled as she took his hand and they started walking again.

A/N- What do you guys think so far? What do you think will happen? Please leave a review! Muchas Gracias!