Silence filled the room. The shaking had stopped and Ludo lay there still. Sarah knew he said 'don't cry' but she couldn't help herself. She put her arms around the dead beast and wept on his fur. Hoggle and Sir Didymus watched quietly as they too shed tears for the gentle giant. Out of all the friends Sarah had ever had, she never thought she would have such a nice friend as Ludo, and never then did she think he would be the first to leave. She knew that she could easily spend the rest of her days sulking with regret, blaming herself for neglecting him but that's not what Ludo would have wanted. But just for a few moments, she took the time to mourn for her beloved friend.

Sarah, Hoggle and Sir Didymus came out of the hut. They looked up at the sky. The sun was shining more brighter than it ever had done in the Labyrinth. They watched in astonishment as a vibrant rainbow formed across the blue and ended at the top of Ludo's hut. They looked at each other and rushed back inside the hut to find that Ludo had disappeared. They came out and watched as the rainbow slowly returned back from wherever it came from. Sarah smiled tearfully as she wished goodbye to Ludo and then gasped as she turned to see the man who had been watching her.
Jareth stood from a distance at the door of his castle and stared sternly at Sarah. She knew that he told him to stay away from the Labyrinth but he did not shout at her. He did not say anything. He simply looked at her with an expressionless glance and walked back into his castle. Sarah watched him walk away and realised that this was the man who she really wanted to be with. Ludo told her to find love. And she had never felt more love for anyone than Jareth. It wasn't just the first kiss, or the night they spent together. Her love was their from the very first time she laid eyes on him. When she danced with him in the masquerade ball she knew that their was something special between them. She loved him, and he loved her. The real Sarah. The one who boldly stood up to him all those years ago and fought until she had found her brother. Jareth loved her for her loyalty, something which she had not shown for a while, especially not towards him.
Of course Jareth was no angel but he had only done as Sarah had asked. She asked him to take her brother away all those years ago, she asked to be brought back to the Labyrinth five years later and she asked him to stay the night. But what had she ever done that he asked. When he asked her to stay with him in the Labyrinth, she rejected him, when he requested for her to stay with him the morning after their passionate night, she said 'no', and when he told her to stay away from Devon, she betrayed his wishes. No wonder he had said those harsh words last night, she thought. She had blamed everything on him when all he wanted to do was lover her.
Sarah noticed that Jareth was wearing more fancier clothes than usual. He wore a jet black ensemble with a dazzling regency shirt and shimmering cloak. She had never seen him looking so sophisticated.

"Why is he dressed like that?" she asked her friends.

"Oh erm…it's probably just another one of those parties" said Hoggle.

"Parties?" asked Sarah.

"Yeah ya know, music, dancing, lots of people dressin' up. Why, you're not thinking' about going are you Sarah?" Hoggle asked.

Sarah smiled.

"You bet I am Hoggle, I'm going to go to that party and do exactly what Ludo told me to do." she said.

"But Sarah" said Hoggle. "Are ya sure that Jareth will make you happy. Are ya sure that he'll never leave you or let you down."

"No I'm not sure" she said. "I can't take anything for granted. But I have to give it a try. I believe that Jareth could make me happy, it may be difficult at first but we've been through so much over the past five years that there should be nothing we can't get through. But I can only do this if I have the support from my friends. I've got Ludo's, and now all I need is yours."

Sarah looked at Hoggle and Sir Didymus.

"You have mine dear lady" said Sir Didymus. Ambrosius barked in agreement.

"Thank you" she said as she patted the dog. "Hoggle?" she pleaded.

He looked up into Sarah's eyes.

"Oh…alright" he said half-heartedly, "but if he ever hurts ya."

"I know I know" she said. "Thank you."

"Now come on, we're going to a ball." she said.

They walked up to the castle where a large goblin was guarding the main entrance.

"Excuse me" said Sarah. "May I get through. I'm going to the ball."

The goblin did not speak. It just shook its head.

"Please…I need to. I'm expected there" she lied.

But still the goblin shook it's head.

"Oh get outta my way" said Hoggle as he tried to run past the goblin only to get hurled back.

Sir Didymus tried to whack it with his stick but it was no use. The goblin wouldn't budge.

Sarah sighed. The goblin was too strong to fight. She walked away in hope that there would be another way into the castle. Hoggle and Sir Didymus followed.

Suddenly there was a loud scream. They looked back.

"Owww!" yelled the goblin. Sarah looked in amazement as she saw Ambrosius the cowardly dog attacking the goblin by biting it's ankle. They ran back into the castle while the goblin whimpered over his pain.

"Well done Ambrosius" she said.

"Ambrosius, I have never been more proud of you" said Sir Didymus as he hopped on the dog's back.

They ran into the castle hallway and could already hear the heavenly music of the masquerade.

"This way" said Sarah as she ran up some stairs and up to a large oak door. Then she realised that her friends were not following her. She came back down the stairs and looked to see them staring at her.

"Why aren't you coming" she asked.

"I thought that's how you wanted it my lady. Why, last time you said that you had to face him alone." said Sir Didymus.

"Yes but that was different then. This time I really do need you. You're the only friends I have, I've already lost one of you and I couldn't bear to lose anymore." she said tearfully.

"Alright then Sarah, we'll come with ya" said Hoggle as they followed her up the stairs.

Sarah pushed open the big oak door ready to face up to everything she had tried to suppress before.

A/N - Still more to come folks