Chapter 14

The Final Test

Maggie had made it into the castle. She sneaked by a few guards, went up a few flights of stairs, and was now wandering around the halls.

"Where's that throne room?" she thought as she opened another door. To Maggie's disappointment, this room wasn't the throne room either; only another guest room. That would make the third guest room, one study, two bathrooms, and one lounge. Her hopes of finding the right room and her parents were fading with every wrong door she opened. Her time was almost out and the castle was too big to search every room.

She started to run down the hallway and turned another corner to find even more doors. She got half way down the hall when she passed tall double doors. Maggie quickly turned back and pulled both doors open with all her might. The doors swung open with ease to only reveal neatly folded towels. Maggie let out a frustrated 'ugh' and slammed the doors shut.

She started to run again as she looked around. "Mom? Dad? Where are you?!" she called out as she ran past more doors with no answer. She kept going until suddenly….

Poof! Maggie was transported to the throne room and magically appeared in the throne chair. "What the…?" Maggie said as she looked at the seat she sat in. "It suits you." said Hunter as he leaned against the throne room doors. Maggie looked up to see him holding a crystal in his hand as he stared at her thoughtfully.

"How…did you just…did you poof me here?" Maggie stammered as she stared back at him. Hunter smiled and walked up to her so that he stood in front of the throne. "Well it's not like I haven't transported you somewhere before." he said. Maggie thought for a minute. "Wait", she started, "You're the one that poofed me away when I was going to fall into the bog, weren't you?"

"Maggie, I've helped you more than you realize." Hunter sighed.

"Help me? What happened to that 'I'm only helping you once so consider yourself lucky' attitude?" Maggie said as she got up so she was standing in front of him with crossed arms. Hunter ignored her question, stepping towards her. "If it weren't for me then you would still be hobbling around with cuts on your hands."

Maggie remembered her foot suddenly feeling better after she barely escaped from that death trap when she picked the wrong door and when Hunter healed her hands in the peach orchards. "I mean not only did I heal you", Hunter continued, stepping closer so they were practically nose to nose, "but I also rearranged part of the labyrinth so it could be a bit easier for you to solve and I put that oubliette in the hills so that you would fall into the peach orchard and get on track again-"

"Oubliette? You know that a bunch of those in the city gobbled up my friends." Maggie interrupted.

"Well I couldn't make it easy for you once you got to the city!"

"Where did Nibgit and Hoggle go then?"

"They're fine-"

"Where did you take them?" Maggie asked firmly.

"Okay! Okay! The oubliettes took them back to the beginning of the labyrinth. There, happy?!" Hunter said as he handed the crystal to Maggie. She looked into it to see Hoggle and Nibgit, who was carrying Esmeralda, wandering around the stone part of the labyrinth. She let out a sigh of relief as the picture faded away.

"Feel better?" Hunter asked as he stared at her. Maggie kept looking at the crystal and started to spin and turn it across her hands. "Yeah." she said as she focused on one more spin, threw the ball up into the air, and then caught it like a pro.

Hunter's mouth fell open. "How….how did you do that on your first try?" Maggie giggled. "Easy", she tossed the crystal back to Hunter, "I guess you can say that I kinda have some practice. It reminds me of when I twist and turn my pencil across my hand when I'm board in class. That and I just did it without really thinking too hard about it."

Hunter started to turn the crystal across his own hand when it fell yet again. "I'll remember that when I practice it next time." he said as they looked down at the millions of tiny shards on the ground. Hunter waved his hand so that the mess vanished and looked back up at Maggie.

"Speaking of time…" Maggie started. "Oh yes", Hunter said as he waved back the silver clock, "You have about twenty minutes left." "That's all the time I need." Maggie said confidently as she stood up straighter.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle, beyond the Goblin City, to take back the, ah, my parents that were stolen." Maggie recited. Hunter smiled and formed another crystal. "Really Maggie", he said as he held it up to her, "How about taking your dreams instead?"

Maggie ignored the crystal. "No. I wouldn't trade my parents for anything." she said as she looked straight into his eyes. Hunter lowered the crystal and just stared back at her. What was this? How did she do that? Was it even possible for a mortal to have that much power and determination?

She would defiantly make a good queen, he thought.

Hunter sighed and waved away the crystal. "Are you sure?"

Maggie held her stare. "Yes. I've come too far to just give up and take some silly old crystal. Now where was I? Oh yeah, I've come to take back my parents that were stolen."

"Maggie, don't…" Hunter said softly as he stared back with pleading eyes. Maggie opened her mouth to continue; after all, she had to save her parents and get back home. But home to what? A few friends that she hardly ever hung out? More bad grades and parents that are always busy with work?

"Look at this place", Maggie's inner voice said, "It's perfect! There's so much to explore here and you have friends that actually care about you. Besides that, you also found a place where you can feel like you belong; a place where no one can make fun of you or tell you that fairy tales aren't real. Most of all, you found someone who you can connect with and maybe even likes you." the voice continued.

Maggie knew that deep down inside the voice was right. But at the same time, she couldn't just abandon her parents; she still loved them after all. "You…you…", Maggie stammered as mixed emotions clouded her mind, "You have no pow-"

Hunter couldn't take it anymore. Before Maggie could even finish those words he had wrapped his arm around her and tilted her head up with his other hand. He then leaned in so that their lips finally met.

Maggie was stunned. What was happening? All her thoughts seemed to vanish and the only thing that was left was the feeling of joy and love….

She could feel her heart racing faster. He did feel the way she did and to be honest, it felt amazing. "You know, for a Goblin Prince, he's actually a pretty good kisser…" her inner voice said as it awed at the romantic moment.

Hunter pulled away and they both just stared at each other, stunned. Hunter was nervous. What had he done? She probably didn't even really like him and yet he had already given his heart away. She would probably get angry and slap him for such an idiotic move…

But Maggie just stood there for a minute. "Did you just kiss me?" she asked breathlessly. Hunter gulped. "Yes", he said softly as he rested his forehead against hers, "Honestly, that was my first kiss." Maggie gave a little smile. "Honestly, that was mine too." she said as she looked up at him with those beautiful eyes.

Hunter couldn't help but smile when he looked at her and they both gave a small light hearted laugh. "You know", Hunter said, "How about I offer you a new deal?"

Sarah, Mark, Jareth, and Avalyn sat in the lounge. They have been talking earlier but now silence took over. Sarah and Mark kept looking at the clock. Maggie only had five minutes left. Did she even make it to the castle yet?

Suddenly the door opened. Maggie came through first with Hunter following her. "Mom? Dad?" Maggie said in a small voice. Sarah and Mark got up and ran to her with opened arms.

"Oh Maggie, we were so worried about you!" Sarah said as she and Mark squeezed their daughter. "Maggie, you made it. Thank goodness you're safe!" Mark said as he squeezed his little girl even tighter. "Mom. Dad. You guys are suffocating me now." Maggie said as they let her go.

Jareth and Avalyn had also gotten up to see the happy reunion. Hunter walked up to his parents so that he was beside them. "So it looks like she made it in time." Jareth said to his son. Hunter sighed. "Yup, she did."

"Well I think it's time to take them back home. I'm sorry, honey." Avalyn said softly. Hunter looked at his parents and smiled. "I don't think this will be the last time we see them." he said.

Jareth raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Hunter looked at the reunion. "No. I made her a new offer that she gladly accepted."

"And what was that offer?" Avalyn asked curiously. Hunter looked back at them, a huge smile on his face. "I agreed to give her back her parents if she agreed to take me to the movies."

Hunter turned back to Maggie and her parents. Apparently Maggie had also told them about the offer that she had happily accepted. Now her father was going off about how he was too young to have a daughter with a boyfriend and her mother arguing that she's no longer a child and she should be going on dates. Maggie rolled her eyes and looked past them at Hunter. She gave him a wink and a grin while Hunter returned her a smile.