Chapter 2

Janine tried to pay attention to the way the goblins had brought her through the Labyrinth, so she could find her way back. Once outside the castle, these goblins had decided to just leave her somewhere in the Labyrinth and let it take care of her. Besides it was nearly impossible to find an oubliette unless you accidentally stumbled upon one, especially since they always moved. Only Jareth and Hoggle knew where to find them.

She was sure the only way she could get back home was to return to the castle and try to find this Jareth they talked about. It seemed he would be angry at the goblins for taking her and would surely send her back. She didn't want to take her chances in the Labyrinth. She wasn't sure what awaited her out here, but the goblins holding her captive had no problem telling her stories.

But try as she might there was no way she could keep track of the way they'd come. She didn't know how the goblins knew where they were going. She tried to plead with them through the gag to take her back.

"Mumble, mumble, mumble. You're a wonderful conversional companion." A goblin on mount laughed as he poked her onward with his spear and the others laughed with him.

Finally they stopped in a stone walled area of the Labyrinth. "Here you go." They shoved her forward. She lost her balance with her hands tied behind her back and fell to the ground.

"The boss wanted us to put her in an oubliette," one still protested.

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, there's no way she could get through the Labyrinth."

"But, Sarah did. She even escaped the oubliette."

"And that's why she's the Queen. Besides she was special." The goblin said, referring to Sarah's magical capability.

"This girl doesn't look special. Come on, no one else could get through it, and Sarah had help, remember?"

"Yeah, that traitor, Hoggle."

"It's Sir Hoggle now, don't forget." The goblins laughed as they left.

Janine struggled to sit up and willed herself not to cry. She wondered if there were any creatures here who were friendly. Would they help her if she came across them or would they try to hurt her? She didn't want to wait for them to find her, she decided, in case it was the latter. If she hurried maybe she could follow those goblins back to the castle. She struggled to her feet then headed in the direction they went.

Not long after, she was surprised to find that she had gone the right way and caught up to them. Though their voices and clanking armour had helped to locate them. She waited for them to turn the corner before following, but as she went around that same corner she stopped short when she discovered a dead end. She was sure this was where they'd gone. She could even hear them on the other side.

She turned around and leaned against the walls, searching for a hidden passage. Then she went back and searched for another way, but could find none. Her only option was to go back the way she'd come. Was it possible that the Labyrinth could actually change? How could she ever find her way out now? But the goblins had said that someone had solved it before. She didn't really want to go back to her home, but she couldn't stay here either.

Janine had been walking for quite some time, she was hungry, tired, hot, dirty, and thirsty. And it seemed she was no closer to the castle. Suddenly as she was walking through a narrow stretch of stonework, the ground dropped down below her and she fell down the steep slope. To her horror she saw she was sliding towards an open pit in the slope. She tried to stop her descent with her feet, but she didn't have enough time.

At the last moment she managed to get a foot under her and she pushed off from the ground. She made it partway over the opening to land on the other side with her legs dangling over the hole. She managed to get a toehold and rolled onto the other side, then she tumbled the rest of the way down the slope.

At the bottom it opened up into an area with hedges, stone benches and fountains. Her momentum took her into a goblin-made river, extending from the fountain. She hit her head on the edge and everything went black.

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"And so the Fireys made their home in the forest of the Labyrinth, where they ruled forever more," Toby finished.

"Yay!" the Fireys cheered tossing their heads into the air.

"You tell good stories, Toby." One commented.

"Thank you."

"To celebrate why don't we take off your head?"

"Yeah!" they all cheered and attempted to do just that.

"Now, guys! If you do that then I won't be able to tell anymore stories."

"Awe!" They complained, but gave up.

Toby laughed. "I'll see you guys around." He headed to a peaceful spot in the hedge part of the Labyrinth and sat on a bench. He sighed. He liked it here in the Underground just fine. He enjoyed helping look after his niece and nephew and telling them stories when they were young. Now he told stories to the creatures of the Labyrinth and he wrote books. But after being here for 16 years, he was getting pretty lonely. He was afraid he'd have to leave his sister and her family and go back Aboveground. Toby waved his hand and a crystal appeared.

No one knew he still used magic, or that he even could, except Jareth. He had almost been chosen to be the next Goblin King. The magic powers Jareth gave him had never left him. He had no use for it, but somehow he couldn't let it go. He turned his hand and the crystal turned into a flower. He turned his hand back and the crystal changed back. Then he jumped up in surprise and nearly dropped the crystal at what he saw in it.

There was a girl lying in a stream, unconscious. What's going on? He wondered. Jareth could look into a crystal and see whomever he wanted at will, but Toby hadn't been thinking of anyone. And he'd never seen this girl before anyway. He looked closer and recognized her surroundings as part of the Labyrinth, in the same section he was in now, even. He willed the crystal to disappear, then headed for the spot he'd seen. It must be a trick. Something must be wrong with his magic. No human could have gotten to the Underground.

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Crystal picked her way along the forest path heading back towards the castle. She pulled a leaf from a tree and absently started picking pieces off of it. "No one understands me, Ludo."

"Sarah?"

"No, Ludo, not even my mother. I feel like I have to go to her world. I can't explain it, but she won't take me, or let dad or my brother take me either. It's not fair! They say it's too dangerous."

"Sarah, right."

"Oh, not you too, Ludo!"

"Sorry."

They soon arrived back at the castle and Crystal made up her mind to go see her nephew. She thought of him more as a brother or a cousin though, since they grew up together. She knocked on his bedroom door. "Reineth, it's Crystal."

"Come in. Hey, Crystal," he greeted her as he took a crystal and turned it into a snake. "What brings you here?"

"Knock it off Reineth." He changed the crystal back and looked at her, waiting. "I want you to take me Aboveground."

"What? You want me to take you to grandmother's world?"

"Shhhh, keep it down."

"But, I haven't even really learned to travel between the worlds yet. I just learned how to turn into a hawk and fly around the Labyrinth. And I just mastered teleportation, but I don't know if I could make it between worlds, especially taking someone with me. Not to mention Grandma and Grandpa will be furious."

"I won't go for long. They won't even know I'm gone. I know you can do it. Please, I have to go. Mom and Dad won't take me."

Reineth looked in her pleading eyes and knew it was true. She had to go. "Alright, but let me try taking you to the Outskirts first. That way we'll be closer to the gate anyway." Though Jareth could take other people with him without even touching them, Reineth wasn't that experienced. He took Crystal's hand and they disappeared.

They reappeared on the hill just outside the Labyrinth's outer walls. "Reineth, you did it." Crystal laughed.

"Yeah, and now for the hard part." He took her hand again and concentrated on the park that his grandmother had always told them about. Soon they appeared there.

"Great! Can you make it back?"

"I don't think I should leave you here alone."

"But, you can't stay here long."

"Are you sure you can? Besides you said you wouldn't be long."

"I know, but I feel I have to do this alone."

"How will you get back?"

"Check one me with the crystal. I can't call or my father will hear."

"Boy you're really putting my training to the test. I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"Don't worry."

"Just be careful." Reineth hugged her. Even though he got exasperated with all her day dreaming, he still loved her. "Don't be long. I'll wait on the Outskirts." With that he vanished.

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Toby stopped short when he came upon the girl lying in the water. It was real. She was here. As he approached her, he could see she looked beat up. Her hands were tied behind her back and she had a gag in her mouth. Who would have done this? He lifted her out of the water and put her on a bench. He removed the gag and untied her hands. Her wrists were raw. Her body was ice cold. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. Night was falling in the Labyrinth now. He had to get her back to the castle.

He brushed the hair back from her face. She was beautiful, with long wavy black hair, and porcelain skin, but he now saw one eye had a dark circle around it. Toby clenched his teeth. How could anyone do that to her? He picked her up, and was holding her close, trying to warm her up, when he heard her groan.

Janine looked up into the clear blue eyes of the man who was holding her, surprised by his handsome face. Then she struggled to get free.

"It's alright. I'm trying to help you. What happened to you?"

"I don't know. I don't remember." Toby was struck by the violet eyes that stared fearfully up at him. "All I remember is being gagged, my hands tied, and trying to find my way through the Labyrinth. Then the ground opened up and I fell, then everything went black."

"Well, we'll get you back to the castle. Jareth will know what to do."

"Jareth . . . that name sounds familiar."

"Really? I wonder how that could be?"

"I think I was trying to get to him . . ."

"This doesn't make any sense. So you don't know who did this to you?" "No, I can't remember. Who are you?"

"I'm Toby. Do you remember your name?"

"Janine, I think."

"Don't worry. I'll get you to Jareth."