Ack, bad Icho, bad Icho! looks around but can't find a dresser to bang head against sorry guys. here it is.
As The World Falls Down
Toby had had more than his fill of Sir Didymus. The little fox wouldn't stop talking, and he made certain to point out every little detail in the scenery. He wasn't the best guide, either. After having walked for over an hour through Confucius, the dog, Sir Didymus, and Toby had all fallen through a hole in the ground into a place that Sir Didymus simply called "Slime." That was where they were now.
"You seem to have very creative names for the land," Toby scowled as he swam through the lake they had landed in. It wasn't a simple body of water to swim in. This lake was formed out of slime, moss, and leeches. There was a little bit of water in the mixture, but most of it was green, mushy material that smelled very much like moldy socks. Even Sir Didymus' noble steed seemed to be having difficulty.
"King Jareth's father named the land," Sir Didymus squeaked. "Over there, Master Toby, is land. Swim to it."
"And why wouldn't I?" Toby snorted and rolled his eyes. "How far is the princess from here?"
"Not very far."
"That's the best news I've heard in hours."
"We have to go all the way through Slime and then we will be there."
"Why is the land so disgusting and confusing?" Toby gasped as slime filled his mouth. He grabbed hold of the land and then began to pull himself up, the lake sucking at his clothes as he grasped the muddy earth.
"Goblins get bored very easily. Up, my noble steed, up!" Sir Didymus encouraged as the dog's front paws touched the ground. "Master Toby, can you give us a bit of assistance?"
Toby finished pulling himself out of the lake and then wrapped his hands around the dog's belly. He then lifted him and Sir Didymus out of the mush and placed them gently on the ground. Once that was accomplished, he lay down on the mud, trying to ignore the smells of moldy socks and muddy soil. "I think I got more than I bargained for when I grabbed Sarah's dress," he yawned, closing his eyes. A great tremor in the earth sent him back to his feet in a matter of seconds, and he looked about him, watching as several of the trees around him, wrapped in green and purple slime, fell to the ground.
"No time to rest!" Sir Didymus shouted, holding his tiny sword up in the air. "We must find the princess!"
"If she's a princess of a magical land, can't she save herself? Doesn't she have some type of magical powers?" Toby sighed.
"She only has one magical power and that enables her to get onto the bridge," Sir Didymus said, riding the dog next to Toby.
"Why does she need to be on the bridge? How is that power useful?"
"With that power, whatever it happens to be, she killed King Jareth's predecessor."
"Wow! She killed someone! What's a predecessor?"
"Do they not have schools where you come from?" Sir Didymus asked as the dog jumped over a fallen tree.
"Of course they do," Toby frowned, climbing over the log.
"A predecessor, young one, is someone who comes before."
"So she killed the past king?" Toby asked.
"King Jareth's father, aye. He was an evil, ugly goblin."
"How did he die?" Toby asked, all ears.
"It is said that he choked and then keeled over."
"Where was he buried?"
"He wasn't. He exploded," Sir Didymus said, his nose crinkling at the thought.
"Cool!" Toby exclaimed. "I wish I could have seen that! Why didn't King Jareth kill the princess?"
"I don't know. No one knows," Sir Didymus said.
"How do you know how the Goblin King died, then?"
"The people of the Labyrinth felt it, including me."
"Eeww! Millions of tiny pieces of a person must feel disgusting! Man, I wish I could have been here!"
"Are all human boys so filthy?"
"Even you have to admit, Sir Didymus, that the feeling must have been interesting," Toby grinned, pushing away a large branch.
"We didn't feel pieces of disintegrated king, Master Toby. We felt…free…" Sir Didymus said, putting his nose up in the air with pride. "The Labyrinth became a free land."
"And then King Jareth took the throne."
"He allows his people to be free. He certainly is demanding at times, but he isn't often cruel."
"Then why," Toby asked, frustrated, "did he take the princess away from her land? Was it revenge for the death of his father? Seems to me he should have just killed her. Then, maybe, both worlds wouldn't be falling apart."
"He would never kill the princess!" Sir Didymus shouted angrily. "It is not our business to question the Goblin King! We simply must find Princess Majeste. It is not for us to worry about the ways of King Jareth! Look past those trees. That is the land that holds Princess Majeste."
Toby parted a few more branches and then found himself standing outside of Slime. He was standing atop a great cliff, frightening gusts of wind swirling about him, threatening to throw him off the cliff.
"Do you see her ladyship?" Sir Didymus shouted above the wind, bringing his dog to a stop next to Toby.
Toby put a hand above his eyes and looked out across the barren wastelands that stretched out as far as the eye could see. There, thousands of feet below him, was a woman, walking through the wind, her long hair wind blown and knotted.
"There she is!" Sir Didymus declared, pointing his sword at the woman. "The great Princess Majeste!"
"What is she doing down there?" Toby asked.
"Trying to find her way out. This place is more frightful than all the others combined," Sir Didymus said. "If you have no one to talk to, you quickly become lost."
"Lost? Where? This is an open place! How can you get lost?"
"In the winds, Master Toby. The winds carry dreams of the past and very rarely of the present and future. Because the princess was sent here by King Jareth, he will have seen to it that the winds torture her."
"Torture her! But I don't understand! How?" Toby asked, watching the princess walking away from them.
"Because Jareth is king over all the Labyrinth, he has the power to command the winds," Sir Didymus explained. "He will have seen to it that they show her things of her past that will hurt her."
"I wouldn't wish something like that on anyone," Toby shuddered, thinking of his own nightmares. "We have to get her out of there quickly!"
"Aye. It will take us several hours to get to where she is, for we must find a way down."
"Will the winds show us dreams and things from the past also?" Toby asked.
"They torment only those that they are commanded to," Sir Didymus said, riding his dog towards a path that seemed to lead down the cliff. "They also don't work nearly as well on groups of people as they do individuals. Her ladyship is alone. You will be with me."
"What a great comfort," Toby whispered to himself and then turned and followed Sir Didymus, beginning to walk down a long path that led to the wastelands beneath the cliffs.
Majeste had found her way into the Winds of Time an hour ago. She had heard of the dangers of the place but nothing had yet happened, no visions of the past or of her dreams had appeared before her. She wandered about uncertainly, moving towards the mountains in the far distance. From there, she believed, she would be able to see the whole Labyrinth and find her way back to the bridge. Jareth had really overdone it this time, she determined, and as his name came into her mind, the winds began to change. Majeste didn't notice the wind beginning to move faster as she walked, and before she could quite understand what had happened, great gusts of the wind surrounded her and visions of her past began to shine before her, almost as though they were actually real.
Majeste became engulfed in the first vision, as she would with every vision, and she could hear and feel everything that the vision showed, just like she was there again, years ago.
Majeste was a little girl again, full of laughter and joy. She saw her mother shriek and laugh as Majeste's father (in his human form) surprised her with flowers. As she watched her parents' loving smiles, she knew that this is how it was meant to be.
The first vision faded, and Majeste shook her head. "If this is some form of torture," she whispered to herself, "then I think I should be free of care. Why, though, would the winds show me my parents?" Another thought passed through her mind, for the winds were also able to control some thoughts, depending on their severity, and another dream of the past appeared, again involving both her parents. The wind swirled mysteriously about Majeste, and she was suddenly transported into a different world, a world that was real to her many, many years ago.
Majeste found herself standing in the great crystal ballroom of the palace of Crystalla. She could hear people speaking all around her, and before her, seated several yards away, were her father and mother. Pain filled Majeste's heart as the vision unfolded so realistically before her. She remembered this night, long ago. In a matter of seconds, Jareth and his father, the terror of the Labyrinth, Harin, would appear in the entranceway. Ah, there they were. The dream suddenly became reality, and Majeste found herself in the arms of a crystal lord, dancing about joyfully, catching sight of Harin but continuing to dance.
Harin was terrifying, and the king and queen of Crystalla stood up abruptly, watching as Harin stood before them. Jareth was far behind him, invisible still to most of the dancers. Harin's hair was wild, as Jareth's was at the time of this vision, but unlike his son, he had dark brown hair with gold and red intermingled in the long strands. His eyes were darker, darker than Jareth's ever could be, and his teeth were the most pointed, terrifying part of him. He walked over to the king, or stalked, more like it, and then stood before him.
"Strast, I have come, uninvited, for my reward."
"Your reward?" King Strast growled, waving for his wife to leave the area.
"Yes. You know how the Goblin King of centuries ago and your descendants formed the bridge that crosses the abyss. Was the Goblin King not promised anything of his asking?"
"He asked for the firstborn child of the king of Crystalla," King Strast frowned.
"Was he given the child?"
"What do you want, Harin?"
"I hear you have a daughter," Harin smiled, turning to look at Majeste, who was whirling gracefully in her dancer's grasp.
"I will never let you have Majeste!" King Strast growled.
"Then I shall set a curse upon you."
"Let me take my daughter's place."
"Now why," Harin asked, stalking closer to the king, "would I want an old man when I can have an angel?"
"You want her for your son, no doubt."
"My son? Ha!" Harin laughed, throwing his head back and sounding entirely evil. "I think your daughter would make a lovely Goblin Queen for myself."
"Get out!" King Strast shouted, pointing to the doors of the ballroom.
"Let the curse be on you, then," Harin sneered, and immediately, the king of Crystalla's appearance began to change.
Majeste did not notice as her father was changed from a noble king into a weakly puppet. She had seen Harin enter the room and had shuddered, for she knew he was a goblin, and she had been warned to avoid their kind at all cost.
"Look at the king!" her dancer exclaimed, and Majeste turned. Fear pricked her heart as she saw her father, as a puppet, standing before the wicked king of the Labyrinth.
"Father!" Majeste shouted, beginning to rush towards him.
"Majeste, stay away!" King Strast shouted, his voice squeaky. "Harin, your goblins shall pay for this!"
"I can still take away the curse," Harin sneered, grabbing hold of Majeste's arm and pulling her towards him.
"Father!" Majeste gasped.
"Let her go! You have taken me instead of her! You have to respect your own curses!"
Harin sneered again and cast Majeste away from him, his eyebrows narrowed. "So be it! There will always be war between Crystalla and the Labyrinth, and you have brought it upon yourself!"
Majeste backed away from Harin, shaking violently. She didn't see where she was going, and seconds later, her back pushed against something soft and warm. She spun about violently, tears dazzling in her eyes, and caught sight of the most handsome man she had ever seen standing where she had been. She was unable to speak, but she traced the lining of his ruffled shirt with her eyes and then looked up into his face. His eyes were piercing, his brilliant blonde hair braided in various places, covering his ears slightly. He had a small smile on his face, and Majeste suddenly noticed that her face was terribly close to his.
"I…I am sorry…" She began, but he placed a finger on her lips and shook his head. He then took her hands in his and they began to dance. Majeste forgot everything except for her handsome dancer, and the real Majeste, who was seeing this odd vision, could feel the emotions once again that had surged through her. She could feel Jareth's gloved hands in hers, she could hear the beating of her heart, and she could feel her silky dress swirling about her.
"Oh, the irony of it all," Harin smiled, rubbing his hands together. "You'll never be free of the goblins, Strast."
"Don't let him harm my daughter! Keep him away from her!" King Strast gasped, watching as Jareth wove his magic spell around Majeste, wrapping her in its warmth and tranquility.
"No. You didn't heed to the curse of so long ago. Now, your daughter shall pay. He'll bring her to me, and then, there will be nothing that you, a cursed puppet, can do," Harin smiled and then stepped away from King Strast. "Farewell, Crystal King." He suddenly disappeared, his evil laugh echoing throughout the throne room.
Harin's laugh somehow shook Majeste out of her emotions, and she looked up at Jareth's face again, studying his eyes carefully. "Who are you?" she asked timidly. "I've never seen you before."
"Jareth," Jareth smiled, and immediately, Majeste noticed his pointed teeth.
"You're a goblin!" she gasped, pulling away from him.
Jareth took hold of her hand suddenly and raised it to his lips. The feeling of his lips on her smooth, young skin sent a shiver through Majeste, a shiver that even now, as she watched the vision, she could feel.
"Please," she whispered. "Leave me. You have no good intentions for me."
"You've entranced me," he said quietly, his voice soft and captivating. "I can't leave you for long."
Majeste pulled away from him, and as her hand slipped out of his, the vision faded, shrouding Majeste in darkness, for the sun was beginning to set over the Winds of Time and a thick fog was covering the valley.
Majeste breathed heavily and shook herself, gazing about at the wind as she did so. The dreams, she knew, were beginning to get worse, for Jareth's father terrorized her, even if he was but a shadow of the past. "This place is enchanted," she whispered, a new shiver, one of fear, flowing through her. "I must get out! I must!"
The dreams had only just begun, however, and there was no way that they were going to stop now. Jareth had demanded that the winds continue to show Majeste her dreams of the past, and the winds were obeying their king.
The winds shifted again, transforming the scenery of barren mountains into an ill-lit room. Majeste saw herself lying on a soft chair, her face hidden in her shoulder, her long hair covering her face. She felt pain, as she saw this scene, and immediately knew what the scene was. "Mother," she gulped, tears coming to her eyes as she again became engulfed, again became a part of the dream. She could feel herself on the soft chair, could feel the crusty tear stains on her face and the emptiness of her stomach.
The Majeste in the dream had been in deep mourning for her mother, who had died weeks before. She could no longer feel hunger, for her days of mourning had led her to starve herself. She could not sleep without tossing restlessly and nightmares, and her waking moments were ones filled with delusions and fear.
Due to the delusions and pain, Majeste did not see Jareth entering her secret chambers, stepping easily through the waterfall, not a wet spot on him. He was even more magnificent in the dark lighting, for his good physical features glowed in the darkness. He saw Majeste lying listlessly on the chair, and he walked quietly over to her. Even in the wakes of death and in the gravest of pain, Majeste was lovely to behold, and he stopped, somewhat hesitantly, before he was able to touch her. He couldn't see her face, and he took a step closer and gently pushed some of the damp strands of rich brown away from her sweating cheeks and forehead. Unable to contain himself, he bent over her delirious form and moved his mouth to her ear.
"Again we meet, princess. I fear you aren't in good health as I had hoped you would be."
Even in the deepness of her agony, Majeste heard his voice, and she turned her head slightly, her cheek brushing against Jareth's as she opened her eyes halfway. "You," she whispered weakly. "How did you get here? You can't really be here. It's imposs…" She trailed off and her head fell to the side again, her face twisted in pain.
A feeling of heartache flowed through the Goblin Prince as he beheld the beautiful girl near death. Without another word, he reached down and gently picked her up in his arms, her weightlessness startling him.
"Mother!" Majeste cried out in her drowsiness, not opening her eyes as Jareth carried her carefully in his arms towards the waterfall.
Three steps later, both Jareth and Majeste were through the waterfall, and in only a few short minutes more, Jareth stepped onto the bridge that connected Crystalla to the Labyrinth, Majeste listless in his arms. Majeste suddenly opened her eyes, and upon seeing that he was about to step onto the bridge, she panicked.
"Don't put me down!" she cried, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "I shall die! I cannot stand on the bridge!"
"Shh…" Jareth said calmly, and then stepped onto the bridge. "I have you. You are safe."
"You are a goblin," Majeste murmured, closing her eyes again. "How can I be safe?"
"Stay with me!" Jareth spoke, moving her head onto his shoulder. "Only a few more seconds, and you will be safe."
"I don't know where I am," Majeste cried, tears streaming down her face. "My mother is gone!"
"I know, Majeste. I know," Jareth said, and then knelt down on the bridge, Majeste still held affectionately in his arms. "I have a gift for you."
"I'm not to be with goblins," Majeste said, moving her head about, fading in and out of unconsciousness.
Jareth pulled a peach out of the air and held it in front of Majeste's face. The sweet smell of the fruit filled Majeste's breathing, and she opened her eyes tiredly. She looked at the peach and then up into Jareth's face. "Why?" she asked. "Why do you do this for me?"
"You will eat this and then forget that I was with you," Jareth whispered, magically cutting the peach into slices and holding one of the pieces in front of Majeste. "Open your mouth, my princess."
Majeste, too drowsy to think clearly, opened her mouth, and instantly, Jareth placed the slice on her tongue. She barely chewed it, for her muscles were too weak, but she did swallow it, and she gazed up at Jareth again, a faint glow in her eyes.
Jareth saw to it that Majeste ate the whole fruit. Once the last piece had been finished, Majeste's eyes fluttered shut and she elapsed into a peaceful, sweet sleep. Color came into her pale cheeks, and Jareth, knowing that she wouldn't remember who it was that had helped her, put his cheek against hers and held her in his arms for a few more blissful minutes before he picked her up and carried her away from the bridge and back through the waterfall.
Majeste's bed had been untouched for many weeks, and Jareth carried Majeste over to it. He pulled the covers back for her, still holding her, and then gently placed her on the bed, her long hair folding beautifully around her face as her head was placed on her pillow. A small smile played about Majeste's lips as she slept peacefully, never knowing that she was being cared for and that her blankets were being pulled, ever so carefully, over her weak body.
Once Majeste was comfortable and her blankets were covering her, Jareth stepped back from her and gazed at her face, a pleasant warmth flowing through him as he realized that he had indeed saved Majeste's life as he had hoped to.
"I leave you," he said, stepping over to her one last time and kissing her gently on the forehead. "Heal well and dream peacefully." He then left Majeste to herself and walked back through the waterfall, once again returning to the Labyrinth.
Majeste no longer knew that she was in the Winds of Time. She no longer understood that she was walking in a valley towards great distant mountains. She had felt Jareth's arms cradling her broken body. She had experienced the pain of her mother's death. The dreams were becoming too real, they were moving too quickly, and there was no way that Majeste could escape them. As far as she was concerned, she no longer existed in a real world. The only world she knew was that of her dreams and memories coming to haunt her.
Majeste looked around trying to decide where she was. In the distance she saw him. Jareth stood waiting for her on the bridge! She looked around again and she saw her home behind her, her maid and guards waiting by the bridge. A smile appeared on her face as she uncertainly stepped onto the bridge of stone and crystal.
"Majeste! I feared you would not come!"
"Why Jareth, I have never not come to meet you. What a thing to say."
Jareth smiled and murmured her name as he reached to encircle her in his arms. Majeste sighed and began to sink into his arms.
Suddenly, Jareth laughed very cruelly and she looked up, wondering. His eyes were no longer gentle and loving. A hard glint had taken its place and she was filled with fear. His taunting words filled her ears and mind as she fell, faster and faster.
"I care about you. Come with me and be my queen. You can have everything you want." His taunting laugh cut her heart and she wept with sorrow and fear, her fall still unchecked.
Majeste began to sob as the feeling of falling and spinning overcame her helpless body, unable to stop the dreams. This one had turned evil quickly, and she feared that the rest of the dreams would be the same way. She had one last sweet vision before the evil ones corrupted the good memories.
Rain poured down on Majeste, drenching her hair and soaking through her light purple dress. She held her skirt up as she ran, exhilarated, through the storm, water splashing up against her legs as she raced through puddles. She laughed as a few stray beams of sunlight shone through the rain, lighting up her face for just a few seconds before they disappeared again behind the dark clouds. She twirled, her mouth open to the sky and her eyes closed against the welcome wetness. She then continued her run, adding several twirls and dances before she arrived at the bridge.
The crystal and stone of the bridge were shining brilliantly in the rain as Majeste stepped onto the bridge and then walked, ever so gracefully, to the center where the worlds of Crystalla and the Labyrinth met. The dewdrops were shining in her hair, but she took no notice of her appearance, for the appearance of another before her took all of her attention and took her breath away.
Jareth stood on his half of the bridge, waiting for her, his face glowing. He had seen her the whole way to the bridge and could only smile at the beauty of the dancing, radiant woman that Majeste had become.
"The dancing stops?" he asked, the raindrops making his dark blue suit sparkle in the rain and his hair glitter magnificently.
"Twould be childish of me to continue in your presence, my king," Majeste curtseyed gracefully.
"And if the king commands you dance?"
"I should do as he asks."
"Very well then. I command you dance," Jareth said, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
Majeste laughed and then began to spin around. Before she could finish her twirl, Jareth had caught her in his arms.
"I cannot dance when I am caught," Majeste smiled, her hands finding their way into Jareth's.
"I resent that."
Jareth then wrapped one hand around her waist and the other hand remained in hers. They began to dance, gracefully and in perfect harmony on the bridge, neither of them missing a step, neither of them able to look away from each other.
"How beautiful you look," Jareth said, pulling Majeste closer to him and resting his cheek on hers.
"I wish always to be beautiful to my king."
"If your father were to hear you say those words…"
"He knows, Jareth. He understands that he cannot stop what has happened. You aren't your father."
Jareth opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, unable to speak. Majeste smiled and then rested her head on his shirt. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed being in his arms. She felt extremely safe, extremely peaceful. She didn't open her eyes when Jareth stopped dancing and put both his arms around her, holding her securely. He lowered his mouth to her ear and began to sing a song full of beauty and love to her. Majeste could only stand and listen, her heart beating rapidly as she did so.
When Jareth finished his song, Majeste lifted her head and looked into his face, a sad smile on her face. "I fear I have no song to sing for my king."
"Simply say my name again and I shall be more content than any song could ever make me."
Majeste gazed into his eyes, noticing the closeness of her face to his and the intensity in his piercing eyes. "One simple word," she said quietly, "can be so difficult to say."
"Indeed," Jareth said, running his fingertips down her cheek.
"I love you, Jareth."
"It was simpler to say it that way?" he smiled, and then moved his lips to the corner of her mouth.
Majeste could no longer speak, for she knew no words could fill in the comfortable silence that lingered as Jareth prepared to kiss her for the first time.
A flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the sky, and Majeste disappeared, another girl taking her place. Majeste found herself standing behind the bridge watching as Jareth held another and the scene began to change. The rain turned into bright lights, the bridge into a ballroom, and the clothes into those of a masquerade ball.
"No!" Majeste cried out, watching as Sarah and Jareth danced.
The winds began to change too quickly for Majeste to keep up with them. There was Jareth dancing with Sarah, and the next second, he was kissing her, holding her close to him, his eyes open and glaring at Majeste. That scene changed to one of his father, grabbing Majeste's arms, dragging her across the bridge to the Labyrinth, her father crying out to her in fear. The last scene was one of her father, falling onto his hands and knees, reaching out to Majeste, crying her name over and over again.
A violent shudder rushed through Majeste as the dreams flooded about her in a terrifying swirl of images. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to blot out everything, and she tried desperately to focus her mind on only one thing.
"The only thing," she gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks, "to stop this is my power. Jareth, come to me! Let me see nothing else!"
Majeste's thoughts somehow seemed to war against the winds, and her head began to hurt from the pain of fighting the torment. She still felt as though she was falling and spinning, but she had now, in her mind, an image of the younger Jareth, gentle and compassionate, and she refused to let that image go. The wind roared in her ears, and quietly, the princess of Crystalla began to sing, walking through the winds as she did so, only occasionally opening her eyes.
"Your smile lit up the sun, your coldness stilled the moon,
Your love could light the darkness that came with any noon.
And now you've trapped me, locked me senseless in a state divine,
And I wish I could, if only you would, free this heart of mine.
A land of darkness, a realm of steel,
A world to fool me and convince me love's not real.
And yet I believe, somehow I've touched you,
Your cold heart turned with love so true,
And I want you.
What have I done to trap myself, to lock into your plan,
Of selfishness and bitter hate, captivity in your land?
For now I am lost in memories of a distant time,
And only you can ease the pain and mend this heart of mine."
Majeste's voice was beautiful, and for a few moments her words seemed to still the dizziness and pain that flowed inside of her. As soon as she finished singing, however, the good thoughts she had tried to fill her mind with disappeared, and in its place came another vision, reminding her of her cruel situation. This one was of her father, lying still on the floor, moaning and in great pain.
"Father!" Majeste screamed, the visions suddenly exploding in a flurry of blinding light. She stopped falling and spinning and dropped onto her hands and knees on the ground, gasping and sobbing. "Stop this!" she screamed, cutting her hands on the ground and ripping her skirt against a large boulder. "Jareth! Stop this! Please, I beg you! Stop!" She choked on her tears and then, unable to bear it any longer, she fainted.
The faint was an act of mercy, for Majeste could no longer hear or feel anything. She didn't see Toby running to her and she didn't hear the happy barking of Sir Didymus' dog. Sir Didymus himself was crying out to her, hoping that somehow he could be the noble knight in shining armor that would rescue her from the miserable world of dreams.
"My lady! My lady!" Sir Didymus squeaked. "Awaken from your nightmares! We are here to rescue you!"
"She has fainted," Toby said, kneeling next to Majeste. "What should we do?"
"Are you as weakly as you look?"
"I don't know if I can carry her. At least, I can't carry her up the mountains," Toby said, frowning at Sir Didymus' opinion of him.
"Perhaps she won't be asleep for long," Sir Didymus sighed and then dismounted his steed. "She is as beautiful as I've heard her to be."
Toby looked at the princess and had to admit that he agreed with Sir Didymus. Majeste was everything he had always thought a princess to look like, aside from her numerous scratches and ripped dress.
"Are you sure she killed King Jareth's father?" Toby found himself asking.
"Of course she did," Sir Didymus harrumphed.
"She doesn't look like someone who would do that."
"That's because her eyes are closed," Sir Didymus reasoned. "Maybe her eyes did it and they are frightening to behold."
"I'd like to know why King Jareth didn't kill her."
Sir Didymus laughed and shook his head. "No self-respecting warrior would kill a woman. I should know."
"You would," Toby thought to himself and rolled his eyes. "What should we do while we wait?"
"Sit patiently. Were you never taught patience?"
"She could be asleep for hours. What is your dog's name?" Toby asked.
"My dog? What dog?" Sir Didymus asked, looking around.
"What is that thing you've been riding?" Toby snapped.
"My noble steed, and his name is Ambroscious."
"Can I pet him?"
"I suppose so, although, after calling him a dog, he may not want you to," Sir Didymus frowned.
Toby spent the next ten minutes teaching Ambroscious, and the dog seemed very much to enjoy it. Sir Didymus, however, didn't, for when he swung up into his saddle a few minutes later, Ambroscious performed the perfect capriole, a move that the Lipizzaners of Spain perform. The dog jumped straight up into the air and kicked out perfectly with his back feet. Toby cheered while Sir Didymus squealed with surprise.
"What was that? What have you done to my steed?" the small creature shouted as Ambroscious landed on the ground again.
"Just a few tricks. Look, the princess is waking up."
Sir Didymus looked and indeed, Toby was correct. Majeste was moving slightly, and she put one of her hands to her face. She then opened her eyes and squinted at Toby, Sir Didymus, and Ambroscious.
"Who are you?" she asked tiredly. "Where am I?"
"We are Sir Didymus, his noble steed Ambroscious, and Master Toby, here to rescue you, my lady," Sir Didymus said bravely, trying not to shiver when he thought about the power that certainly must have been able to come from Majeste's beautiful eyes.
"You and your steed live in the Labyrinth," Majeste said, sitting up slowly, her long hair cloaking her shoulders and back. "But you," she said, looking at Toby, "I've never seen before, I don't believe."
"I came here a long time ago, or so my sister tells me," Toby smiled, and a flicker of uncertainty flashed through Majeste's eyes.
"You came here awhile ago, but you cannot remember it?" she asked, standing up.
"I was a baby," Toby said, watching as Majeste turned, as though about to begin moving towards the mountains again.
Something like a twitch became visible in Majeste's neck for a second, and she turned slowly, looking carefully at Toby. "Might your sister," she asked uncertainly, "be Sarah?"
"You know her!" Toby smiled. "Maybe you'll be able to trust me better, then, when I tell you that I'm here to help you."
Majeste's eyes clouded over for a second, but then she smiled politely and shook her head. "Where are my manners?" she asked aloud, stepping towards Toby. "I am Majeste, Princess of Crystalla." She held her hand out to Toby who promptly took it in his and shook it. He hadn't had much training in the way of handshakes, for he moved her arm up and down for several seconds before he let go of her hand. Majeste didn't seem the slightest bit phased by his strange gesture of greeting, and she turned and held her hand out to Sir Didymus. "Thank you for coming to get me, Sir Didymus," she smiled.
Sir Didymus promptly dismounted Ambroscious, knelt on one knee, and kissed Majeste's hand. "Your ladyship," he said, "I fear we haven't brought you proper assistance, but we shall do all we can to get you back to the bridge."
"I fear that your tactics shall be useless," Majeste said sadly, "and that I must continue alone. Jareth will be watching, and he most certainly will not want you helping me."
"Rumor has it, my lady, that King Jareth is being held captive in your world," Sir Didymus said.
"What? He's in Crystalla, with my father?" Majeste asked, fear in her voice.
"You needn't be afraid for King Jareth, my lady. He can care for himself," Sir Didymus squeaked.
"I'm not afraid for him. I am afraid for my father! With the beast Jareth has become, he will surely want to harm him!" Majeste exclaimed, lifting up her skirt a bit and beginning to walk quickly towards the mountains in the distance. "We haven't nearly enough time! Hurry!"
Toby had to run to keep up with the fast pace of the princess. She was very concerned, and Sir Didymus' nonstop chatter about her father being safe and everything being well did not take long to upset Majeste.
"Sir Didymus, please!" Majeste said, suddenly turning around and looking at the creature. "No more talking."
"Aye, my lady," Sir Didymus said, and for the first time that Toby could remember, he actually stopped talking.
It took over three hours for Majeste, Toby, Sir Didymus, and Ambroscious to get to the top of the distant mountains. There, Toby was met with the biggest surprise of his life, for as soon as he reached the top of the mountain, he found himself standing in the sky, gazing down at the Labyrinth far, far below. He was standing on nothing but air, and he looked to the side to see Majeste standing calmly, the wind brushing at her long hair, making her the epitome of beauty.
"Princess Majeste," Toby said, in awe of the woman's beauty, "Where are we?"
"We are in Earth Meets Sky," Majeste said quietly, gazing out before her. "The whole Labyrinth lies open to our sight."
"Can you see the bridge from here?" Toby asked.
"Yes. We must go to the castle, and then we shall pass through Confucius and the Stone Caverns before we arrive at the bridge."
A faraway look suddenly appeared in Majeste's stunning eyes, and Toby turned worriedly to face her. "Princess Majeste?"
Majeste didn't answer him, but continued to gaze at the vision that had suddenly appeared before her, invisible to Sir Didymus and Toby. Jareth was holding a woman against him, her brown hair pulled back in rich curls, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She could see Jareth's smug smile as he rested his head on the woman's shoulder, whispering something into her ear.
"I've lost him," Majeste whispered, her hand going to her mouth.
"Lost who?" Toby asked worriedly and Majeste shook her head.
"Nothing, Toby. Come, let us make our way to the castle."