"Sarah, fair Sarah," a voice called from outside that morning. "Come down from thy tower."
The young woman in question pushed open the window to sit on the ledge. Finger-combing her hair straight, she replied, "Well, we're in a happy – Sir Didymus!"
"Milady," the fox bowed, sweeping off his hat.
"I'll be down in a moment!" She disappeared from the window on to reappear in the doorway, shrugging on her jacket. "It's good to see you, Sir Didymus," she said, hugging him. "Is Ludo with you?"
"Sarah!" The large, furry brown rockcaller lumbered forward to crush her in a hug.
"I've missed you guys!"
Toby and Jareth walked up from the path. "Your Majesty," the fox greeted him.
"Sir Didymus, Ludo, I'm sure you remember Toby," Sarah said warmly.
"Surely the wee lad didn't grow to be this noble, young sir!" Sir Didymus exclaimed. Ludo added, "Toby tall."
Toby grinned. "I can't say I have to pleasure of remembering you, but it is nice to meet you," he told them.
"Now that that's over with," Jareth said. "Might we get my throne back?"
"I must say," Sir Didymus said. "I'm confused. How did thy lose thy throne in the first place?"
Jareth shrugged. "There was a woman, alright. She was just there and somehow turned my magic against me."
Sarah looked like she was suppressing a smile as she asked, "A woman?" "Yes, Sarah, a woman," he growled. "And she looked like you. If you were a pretty red-head, that is."
"Me?" Sarah sounded indignant. "Why would she look like me?"
"Probably the same reason why she was able to turn the Goblin King's magic against him." They all turned to look at Toby.
"And why is that, Sir Toby?" Sir Didymus asked.
"Well," Toby seemed a little embarrassed, but he continued his thoughts. "It sounds like this woman is a mix between Sarah and Jareth, hence her looks and power. I bet if you were to mix Sarah and Jareth's hair colors, you'd get red or at least a reddish color."
The Goblin King nodded. "That has merit to it, lad. Sarah wasn't kidding when she called you genius," he told the boy. "We should get going if you want to get home soon." He started back down the path toward his Labyrinth.
"Come, brother Ludo," the fox said. The two 'brothers' followed him.
"Are you alright, Sarah?" Toby asked for his sister was just standing there with a stricken look on her face.
"What?" She shook her head. "Yes, I'm fine. I just don't know if I like this connection. Come one, we'd better catch up to the others. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not stay here any longer then necessary."
They caught up at the entrance of the Labyrinth. "What's wrong?" Toby asked fro they were all standing in a half-circle around some statue.
"Oh, no, Hoggle!" Sarah cried, kneeling in front of the statue. "What happened?"
"He was guarding the entrance for me," Jareth explained. "She must have turned him into stone to thwart my authority."
"Well, then fix it!" She glared up at him.
"I'd like to," he replied. "But the cure for this isn't more magic. It's a kiss."
"What?"
"It's fairly common. More like a tradition really. There is no way I'm even touching that little monster though."
"We're not going to end up back in the Bog after I kiss him, right? 'Cause if we do, I swear –"
"No, not at all. I promise."
She sniffed at the thought of his promises. Then Sarah leaned forward and kissed the stone Hoggle.
"Eh, what? Oh, no! You've gone and kissed me again," were his first words. "I don't want to be the Prince of Stench again. Sarah!"
Jareth laughed while Sarah glared at him. "Hoggle," she said. "Thanks for the warm welcome." He smiled hesitantly when he saw he wasn't going to be sent back the Bog. "Sarah, I'm sorry. I – Well, I've missed you," he said sheepishly, rubbing the plastic bead bracelet around his wrist.
"Ugh," Jareth groan. "Enough with the touchy-feely stuff already. My throne, rememeber?"
Sarah sighed and rose to her feet. "Alright," she said. "Let's go get the whiny king his throne back."
"You know, there was a time when you would have been too afraid to talk to me like that," he mentioned idly. "Oh, Sarah. What am I to do with you?" She simply shook her head. "Where is the little girl who thought everything was unfair?"
"She grew up and forgot," Sarah snapped back. "Unlike certain others I could name."
"If you two love-birds are done spatting," Toby said, jokingly. "We should probably get going." Everyone else laughed. Sarah blushed, shooting her brother a look.
Jareth made no comment. He simply walked through his Labyrinth's gates with a swirl of his cloak. Everyone else trailed behind in a subdued silence. They soon fell into a line; Jareth in front followed by Toby, the "two brothers", and finally Hoggle and Sarah.
"Hoggle," the young woman said softly. "How do you put up with him? Why are you joining this quest after all he's done to you?"
The creature didn't answer for a minute, but when he did, his answer was just as soft, "Jareth may terrify everyone, but he is a fair ruler, Sarah. We don't know about this woman. Besides, if he's willing to deal with the crumbling of the powers of the Labyrinth, I say let him. I wouldn't want that on my shoulders."
"Oh, Hoggle," Jareth's voice drifted back to them. "I didn't know you cared." Sarah hadn't thought he'd be able to hear them from the back.
Jareth led them through the twists and turns of the Labyrinth. He knew this place like the back of his hand, this his only constant. But something was wrong.
"Jareth," Sarah's voice held a slightly trembling note as she came toward him. If he hadn't been listening for it, he never would have caught it. "We've passed by this rock at least three times by now. Face it, we're lost!"
"We can't be," he roared, whirling to face her. "Damn it, Sarah, I know this place. This shouldn't be happening. Not to me, not to me!"
Suddenly Ludo's enraged scream ripped through the air. By the time anyone reacted, he and Sir Didymus had disappeared, been swallowed by the stone floor.
"Oh, God," Sarah's voice broke. "Where did they go?"
Jareth shook his head. "She's probably taken them. We have to finish the Labyrinth for there to be any hope of finding them again. Come on."
The remaining four hurried to the castle with a new sense of urgency. As they passed through a garden section, Hoggle was the next to disappear. He was dragged into the bushes lining the pathway by verdant, leafy fingers.
"Hoggle!" Both Toby and Jareth had to hold her back from rushing after him. "Let me go! I have to help him."
"Sarah, Sarah!" Jareth forced her around to face him. "The only way to help him is to make it through; get my throne back. He can take care of himself for that long." She wrenched herself away from him and stalked down a branch of the Labyrinth.