"The leaves of memory seemed to make / A mournful rustling in the dark." –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Chapter Three: The Labyrinth

"Sarah? Sarah?"

Sarah blinked and looked at Toby. "Sorry Tobes, what is it?"

"The movie finished. Whatcha doin'?"

Sarah snapped the red, leather book closed and tossed it onto her bed. "Nothing." She looked around the tiny room. It wasn't the same room she'd had as a child, that room had become Toby's when she'd left for college. This room was the spare, the guestroom. Funny, when she'd left her room for college, she hadn't thought she'd spend so much time back in her old home; she thought she'd entered the next stage of her life.

"So, you hungry?" Sarah asked, stretching.

"Yes!"

Sarah laughed at the enthusiastic response. "Okay! How about PBJs?" But when Toby shook his head, she suggested, "Grilled cheese?" He nodded enthusiastically and Sarah laughed, tickling him in the ribs teasingly. He giggled and raced out of her grasp down the hall toward the kitchen. She stood, then shouted, "Get the cheese, bread, and tomatoes from the fridge, Tobes! I'll be there in a sec!"

She picked up the book from her bed and stared at the cover for a moment. In gold letters, it said: LABYRINTH. She traced the "L" and wondered about the story. She'd read it so many times that even now, after not reading it for years, she remembered the lines of prose—the fairy tale. Karen had put the few books Sarah couldn't get rid of—but hadn't had the space to take with her—on the bottom shelf of the bookcase in the spare room. It was still here, next to her copies of The Chronicles of Narnia and Earthsea.

Jareth had called her the Champion. In the book, it said the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl…the one who became the Champion. She shook her head and put the book back. Am I pretending this is real now? The journey through the Labyrinth was a dream caused by reading this book every day when I was fifteen. Just like Jareth visiting again is a dream because I'm unhappy again—like I was when I was fifteen.

"Sarah!"

"Okay, okay, Tobes. Onward to grilled cheese!"

The evening passed quickly between making grilled cheese, then playing catch outside until they had trouble seeing the ball in the porch light. They went inside, laughing. Sarah knew her parents wouldn't be home tonight; they were going to a resort for a relaxing weekend. Her father was still a little shaky after his latest round of chemo, but Karen had insisted that relaxing by the pool was just what he needed. Sarah wasn't so sure, but she hoped Karen was right.

# # # #

That night, Sarah had an odd dream. She was walking around in a foggy mist, in a landscape without any features. She couldn't even see the ground she stood on; the foggy mist obscured everything like a thick soup swirling about her ankles. Sarah walked for what seemed like forever, her heart pounding and wishing she would wake up. In her dreams, she didn't often know she was dreaming, yet this time she was acutely aware that this strange misty place wasn't real.

"Wake up, Sarah…" Sarah jerked around, looking for the source of that voice, and for one moment she thought she saw bright blonde hair, but then it was gone.

"Jareth?" she called, then louder: "Jareth!"

"This isn't the place I wanted to take you, but I'm tired." His voice sounded like it was coming from far away. Sarah jumped again, because the voice seemed to be coming from just behind her, but when she turned around, again she was alone.

"Jareth, this isn't funny."

"I'm tired, precious. You must come for me, I don't know how much longer I have. It's been ten years already."

"Jareth!" Sarah took a deep, gasping breath, suddenly beginning to feel unease prickle through her body. She stopped herself from asking more questions and processed what Jareth was telling her. Finally, she asked, "Why can't I see you?"

"Tired…far away…you haven't come to the Underground yet."

"I've got a family here! Obligations! What about my father? I can't leave him when he's sick. And somebody needs to look after Toby—"

"Time travels differently Underground. I can give you a month, Sarah, and it will be like a dream Above…but you must hurry. After a month, I don't know what will happen to me…"

She smelled sandalwood, pungent and earthy. She had a vision of Jareth walking through the mists toward her, but when she looked at the landscape expectantly, nothing was there. He must really be tired if he was avoiding an opportunity to make a grand entrance. And the idea of Jareth, the Goblin King, as exhausted, saying such mysteriously vague things as "after a month, I don't know what will happen to me" made her feel…

Well, the Goblin King was eternal. The idea of anything bad happening to him was alien to her. He was the villain from her dreams!

"Won't you help, Sarah?"

"A month," Sarah said. "Jareth, what's happening to you?"

The sandalwood smell was overpowering, so much so that she gasped and put a hand over her nose, but she could still smell it. The scent was intoxicating, but it made her feel dizzy. She closed her eyes, trying to keep standing, and she had a vision again. She saw Jareth standing in front of her, touching her cheek, and she jumped as she felt a cool breeze flit across her cheek like a soft kiss.

Without opening her eyes, she said, "Why ask me for help, Jareth? Even if I'm the Champion, we haven't been very close—"

"You have a choice, my dear. Come back to the Underground and see with your own eyes what has happened…or wait a month and I will never bother you again. But neither will your friends ever grace your mirror."

"Blackmail. A little bit of the villain still here?"

"I am always, eternally, what you make me…"

And then Sarah snapped awake with a start, actually jerking as she opened her eyes and found herself back in her room, the familiar ceiling a comforting sight in comparison to the nothingness of the misty place.

Sarah laid there, still smelling the phantom scent of the sandalwood, and her heart pounded as she replayed Jareth's words. Was he telling her that he was going to die in a month? Was that why he had gotten in contact with her? Desperation? But why was he so keen on getting her back to the Underground, what did she have to see there?

It could be a trap. It could be.

Or, the Goblin King could be just desperate enough to ask for help from her. Desperate enough that he would even call her the Champion.

Sarah pulled off the covers and murmured, "I'm a frickin' idiot." She looked into the full length mirror. It had a thick, black wood frame and a narrow, reflected surface. Sarah stared at herself wearing soft, flannel pajama pants with sheep printed on it and a white tanktop. One month, Jareth had said, and it would be like a dream in the Aboveground…so that meant a night. Well, he had said he could manipulate time, and when she had last been in the Labyrinth, thirteen hours had only amounted to a few hours Aboveground; just long enough for her parents to go on their date and come back, none the wiser.

So, I guess I'm going to say all that really happened, Sarah thought, her lips twisting sardonically. I can't pretend it was a dream if I'm going to try and go to the Labyrinth.

Sarah hesitated, then turned purposefully to the small closet and dug through it for her leather satchel. She'd bought it years before, when she'd been making more money with a better job—before she'd moved back—and it still was one of her prized possessions. It was also waterproof and could endure quite a bit of a beating. Perfect for a little romp Underground.

Sarah changed into comfortable jeans, a simple green T-shirt, thick socks, and her hiker's boots. She hadn't worn them since she'd taken a trip to Arizona, but they were thick and comfortable. She put an extra shirt and underwear in her satchel, a folded knife from her camping days, a lighter, the Labyrinth book, a sweater, scarf, and hat.

She snuck out of her room and quietly padded to the kitchen, praying her family would stay deeply asleep above her. The guest room was at the end of the hallway, near the back of the house, while the other bedrooms were upstairs. The house was so silent, the darkness like a thick blanket. Sarah had to switch on the lights as she went, and in the kitchen she ransacked the pantry. Power Bars, trail mix, Granola bars, a snack pack of Gummy Worms, and three bottles of water. By now, her satchel distended with everything, and it was heavy, but better safe than sorry.

She went back, took a quick detour to the bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste. Jareth had said a month, which suggested this may be a prolonged trip Underground, and one thing Sarah could never stand was morning after breath. She slipped these items into the Satchel as well before turning off the lights in the hallway and going back to her room.

Jareth had said the pendant was the key. She fished it out of her T-shirt and stood in front of the mirror, wondering what he had meant. She rubbed the pendant between her thumb and forefinger, as if it was a genie's lamp. But, nothing happened.

Use your right words, Sarah…

Sarah licked her lips and touched the satchel, where the book now rested. Oh, she didn't want to do this, and yet she couldn't forget the way Jareth's voice had whispered in her dream-ear, plaintively. "It's been ten years already…wait a month and I will never bother you again…"

Nothing was ever simple with Jareth—not when she had been looking for her brother, and she doubted it would be simple now—so if she only had a month, she probably would need every second of that time.

Sarah took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart and said, her voice only having a slight tremble, and the pendant clutched in her fist, "I wish the goblins would come and take me away…right…now."

She cried out as the pendant heated up and she flung it out of her hand. Since it was on a chain around her neck, it simply bounced against her chest. It burst into light, like she had a little sun on a chain, and she flung up a hand to shield her eyes. She could feel the intense heat against her clothes, but it didn't scorch her again. She kept her eyes closed and her arm flung up like a shield. It was only a minute or two, but it felt like hours, before the pendant slowly began to cool. Slowly…slowly…she felt its temperature return to normal; the only heat in it the heat it took from her body.

Sarah slowly dropped her arm and opened her eyes. In front of her, the mirror no longer showed her reflection. Instead, she saw a familiar landscape. It was red, desert-like, with craggily trees and yellowing shrubs.

The mirror's surface rippled like a pond.

Just like Alice, Sarah thought as she stepped forward and touched the mirror. Her hand slipped through, feeling only the slightest resistance, like touching a soap bubble. Sarah had to step through the full-length mirror sideways in order to fit through it. She felt a brief resistance over her face and body and then the temperature abruptly changed. It was hotter, brighter, and windier. Her hair whipped around her face and the wind whistled in her ears over the desolate landscape. Sarah stood, staring at a familiar tree. She remembered it from the last time she'd been there—it had been at Jareth's back the last time she'd been here. So, if she turned around, that meant…

Sarah turned, but instead of seeing the grandiose Labyrinth like she had last time, she cried out as she realized the Labyrinth was obscured by a thick overgrowth of thorn brambles. But, it was unlike any brambles she'd ever seen before; these were huge, like a wave cresting over the Labyrinth and engulfing it. They grew over the outer walls, grasping tightly to the stone like the tentacles of a sea monster. Sarah ran down the hill toward the wall. She couldn't even see the entrance anymore due to the thorny growth.

When she got to the wall, she saw that the thorns were as thick as her wrist and over a foot in length, like little knives. They were red-tipped, wicked looking. The plants were firmly clinging to the wall and Sarah saw that the stone was crumbling where the brambles were growing through. The Labyrinth looked ragged; the regality that she'd noticed last time was gone. It was an old place crumbling underneath the weight of the parasite leeching it—those plants.

"What the hell?" Sarah muttered, looking around. What about everyone inside? Were they trapped? What about the Goblin City? What about the castle?

Sarah reached forward and touched the wall, thoughtfully, but when one of the plant tendrils rustled, she jerked her hand back. Sarah began walking the perimeter, looking for the door. At first, she walked quickly, but when she only saw more wall, she began to speed up until she was jogging. Her heart speed picked up, as well, but there was no change in the wall—just crumbling stone. She began running, her breath coming fast and her heart pounding. She didn't run for very long—she wasn't as athletic anymore as she'd been while in school—and finally she tripped on a rock and went sprawling on the dusty ground.

Sarah whimpered, feeling pain in her hands and knees. She picked herself up. She'd been running, looking for a way in, and she'd found nothing.

What had Jareth said? What had been his comment when she'd talked about her friends no longer visiting? "Would it do any good if I said they did not stop visiting you of their own accord?"

And what had she said? She'd asked if he'd told them to stop.

"I am responsible, yes."

Oh! She'd been an idiot! Why did she always dismiss Jareth's words? He layered so many meanings on what he said, and hid so much within his words. He was responsible, but he'd never admitted to being the one to stop them. Why? How? She glanced at the wall and plants. Did this have anything to do with Jareth's predicament?

Sarah adjusted her satchel and stood, looking out across the landscape, and something caught her eye. She frowned, walking a little further, following the wall once more until what had caught her eye came into full view. She gasped, her mouth hanging open in surprise. A few dozen feet away from the wall was a small shack, which actually looked kind of quaint with a thatched roof and old boards that made up its walls. Around it was a small garden of carefully tended flowers and standing in front of them, dutifully spraying at something, was Hoggle.

Sarah ran forward, her heart skipping a beat with relief. "Hoggle!" she yelled, waving her hand to get his attention.

The dwarf looked up and while he was too far away still to see his expression clearly, he seized up, his body language clearly betraying his surprise. He dropped the sprayer and went into the shack. Sarah heard the door slam and felt surprise, which slowed her down. She walked the last few feet to the shack and knocked on the door.

"Hoggle? Hoggle, it's me, it's Sarah."

"Go away! I won't fall for yer tricks!"

"But Hoggle, it's really me. Really. Jareth asked me to come back."

No reply. Sarah knocked on the door again. "Come on Hoggle, please talk to me. I'm so confused, what's happened?" She had a sudden idea and said, plaintively, "Hoggle, it's me, Sarah. I know I haven't been here for a while, or talked to you, and I'm sorry. Do you remember me? I gave you a bracelet made of plastic so you'd help guide me. You got me out of the oubliette, and faced Jareth with me. Remember?"

She heard some shuffling beyond the door, and then to her relief, the sound of the lock opening. Hoggle, his dear familiar face, looked out at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. He said, slowly, "Sarah?"

Sarah smiled. "Hi Hoggle."

Hoggle hesitated, then opened the door wider and invited her inside. When she was inside, he shut the door behind him. His house was a single room with a bedraggled rug on the ground, a small bed, a table and chair, and a sink next to the stove. Sarah stood, uncertainly, as Hoggle walked to the sink and filled a glass of water. He offered it to her and since Sarah's mouth was dusty from panting while she ran, she took the glass gratefully.

"Why'd you come back, Sarah?" Hoggle asked, sadly.

"Didn't you miss me?" Sarah asked.

"'Course, but you'd grown up. No need to come back. Why'd ya come back?"

Sarah frowned. "Jareth said you needed my help."

Hoggle snorted. "Trust that fool to get ya mixed up in all this!"

"All of what, Hoggle? What's going on?"

"Jareth didn't tell ya?" And when Sarah shook her head, Hoggle snorted again and said, "'Course he didn't. Wouldn't want ya sayin' no, right? Sit down, Sarah, it's a long tale and it begins soon after the night ya left the Underground."

Sarah did as he instructed, sitting at the table. Hoggle remained standing, restlessly walking around his home, glancing at Sarah. He sighed and said, "Something came inta the Labyrinth, somethin' from other parts of the Underground. I dunno what it was, but it caused darkness and mayhem and insanity, it warped the land and caused those accursed plants ta grow over everythin', and it made everyone…fall asleep."

"Fall asleep?"

"Yeah, they'd just lay down right where they was and close their eyes. I lived outside the Labyrinth, so it didn' affect me. Some of the Labyrinth dwellers ran for the forests and hills, that's how I know they fell under the sleepin' spell. All of the Labyrinth is overtaken…"

"And the king?" Sarah asked, after a moment.

"Gone. Jareth disappeared just before the plants began sproutin'. Nobody knew where'd he gone, what had happened to him, but there was a mighty sadness at bein' left behind to fend for ourselves. Soon, though, they didn't worry 'bout it, unless they dream uneasy…I hope not. I'm the only one that remained behind, far as I can tell. And I ain't seen another living soul—except I don't dream easy, so that's why I wasn't sure if it was really you when you came here." Hoggle paused. "But ya said Jareth brought ya?"

"Yes, he came to me in my dreams and asked for my help. He told me to go back to the Labyrinth and see with my own eyes what had happened here, that once I did, I'd make a decision." Sarah hesitated. "Is the Labyrinth dying?"

Hoggle shrugged. "It's an enchantment, ta be sure. Never thought I'd see the day Jareth was outdone by an enchantment. And I'm glad—despite what I think of him—that he's alive somewhere. Musta fallen to the enchantment early on. But is everyone dying? Maybe. Did Jareth say so?"

"He…hinted…"

"Then I'd say it don't look good for the Labyrinth," Hoggle said, grimly.

"But, Jareth didn't leave me any directions!" Sarah said, miserably. "I don't know how to fix this, or where to go, or even what to do…"

"Least it answers the question of whether Jareth's alive or not. The poofy king musta done somethin' to try to fix this mess," Hoggle said. "And yer the answer."

Sarah sighed. "I don't like this…"

"Yeah, well, whether ya like it or not ain't the problem," Hoggle said, shuffling to the stove and putting a kettle on the stove. "Simple fact: there ain't nobody left. Jareth's gone, everyone else is asleep—or worse—and I sure can't do nothin' like savin' everybody. So it's up ta you, Sarah. Can ya do it?"

Sarah opened her mouth to deny it. What about her own family? Her father? But, Jareth had promised a month…and she couldn't leave her friends in the Labyrinth. She remembered how close she felt to Didymus, Ludo, and Hoggle. She stared at Hoggle. She couldn't say no to him, not when he was staring at her so intently.

Suddenly, the kettle hissed, causing them both to jump. Hoggle shuffled over to it, getting out two cups and putting something in each, then pouring water from the kettle into the cups.

Hoggle put the cups down on the table. Sarah stared at the brown-yellow, amber liquid and the steam rising from it in a white tendril.

"Can ya do it, Sarah?" Hoggle asked again, bringing Sarah's attention back to her friend.

"Y—yes." Sarah nodded, looking away. She fiddled with the pendant and Hoggle's eyes followed the motion. He hissed.

"Ya gots it!" he said, pointing at the pendant.

"Excuse me?"

"Ya gots it! The pendant—the power. No wonder Jareth's comin' ta ya dreams!"

Sarah frowned and lifted up the pendant by the silver chain, causing Hoggle to shuffle back so suddenly, he jarred the table and caused the liquid in the cups to slosh. The liquid almost spilled, but Sarah quickly grabbed the table and stopped the movement.

"Hoggle—!"

"It doesn't burn ya?" Hoggle asked, moving forward and hesitantly stretching out a hand. He didn't touch the pendant, merely moved his fingers over it from a distance. "It burnt me once, when I begged and he bent over me and it touched me skin."

Sarah didn't know what to say to that, so she merely murmured, "It doesn't burn me."

"Ya must really be the Champion, then," Hoggle muttered, "and if we gots any chance, it lies with you."

Sarah didn't like the sound of that. She'd never felt like a Champion, or a heroine. She loved playing the role, but really being one? Despite the adventure—despite the feeling that her choices really did matter—when she had been in the Labyrinth, she'd been constantly afraid and uncertain.

To hide her nervousness and uncertainty, Sarah grasped the teacup and brought it to her lips. She took a long sip, taking as much hot liquid as she could without scalding herself, and gasped, sputtering at the taste.

"Oh! Hoggle! What is this stuff?" Sarah asked, swallowing it down—but just barely. "It smells like tea and looks like tea, but it tastes like dirt!"

"It's wickens tea, from the wickens tree," Hoggle said. "It settles the stomach, nothing like it to cure nerves and upset stomach."

"Wickens tea or wicked tea? Ugh."

"Sarah, ya can stay the night if ya want," Hoggle said, taking a sip of his own tea without twitching. Sarah couldn't understand how anyone could enjoy the tea; it really did taste like taking a bite out of the ground.

Sarah hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, that might be best. Just take a quick nap before I figure out what I'm doing." Dreams…dreams upon dreams… Her dreams seemed rather enlightening—or not, depending on how you looked at it. Maybe tonight, she could ask a certain Goblin King some questions.

They sat while Hoggle finished his—and Sarah's—tea. Hoggle perched on the edge of his bed as he drank. Sarah talked about her life Aboveground, after apologizing for not trying to make contact—trying to know what was going on in the Underground. She apologized for her oblivion to her friends' plight.

"Ain't your fault, Sarah," Hoggle said, dismissing the apology and the explanation quite easily. He moved to put the cups away and for the first time Sarah noticed a familiar brown-amber piece of jewelry around Hoggle's wrist—a color startlingly similar to the horrible tea—and Sarah felt a jolt in her chest as she realized that Hoggle was wearing the plastic bracelet she'd given him when she was fifteen.

Since Hoggle hadn't said anything, neither did Sarah. Hoggle took an extra bundle of linens and made a bed on the ground, then insisted Sarah take the bed, despite her protests. After Hoggle finally "harrumph!"-ed and sat on the bed with a stubborn glint in his eye, Sarah couldn't help but smile and relent. She took the bed, which was as stiff as a board anyway. She could barely feel the mattress, but surprisingly, after Hoggle doused the oil lamps, she felt such fatigue her eyelids began to drift down, as if they'd become too heavy for her.

"Goodnight Sarah," Hoggle said, quietly.

"Goodnight Hoggle. Sweet dreams."

"You too—you'll need it," Hoggle said, half-joking.

Yeah, probably, Sarah agreed, just before she succumbed to sleep.

Author's Notes: This chapter ran a bit long, and in the end it didn't stop where I wanted...I had to stop it otherwise it would have been long enough for two chapters. As a result - and because I worked on Saturday - I didn't finish this until about five minutes ago. Sorry for the sloppy editing; any mistakes are my "oops." So, the journey is finally beginning to begin...yes I know, you're probably shifting impatiently, wondering when Sarah's gonna finally agree to help the Goblin King. What can I say? It's a slow burn but once the fire catches, it's going to be pretty intense for a while (at least I hope so), so until then, bear with me. Next chapter, Sarah has another visit from everyone's favorite Goblin King; she makes a decision; and she takes her first steps onto a new path and a new destiny.

Please review! What do you think so far? One thing I try to do is be a little different with each fanfic I write (although some themes seem to creep in no matter how hard I try. Evil plants, anyone?), and I hope I'm succeeding. What do you think of this journey so far? How do you like Hoggle? I find Sarah's friends - Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo - the hardest characters to write from the Labyrinth-verse. Their tone and speech patterns always make them seem like caricatures to me and not real characters. Hopefully, I didn't make Hoggle sound too idiotic. :) Let me know what you think!

And finally, a few shout-outs:

Celestine Sane: Thank you. Hope you keep enjoying it!

notwritten: :)

VampireMafiaQueen: The villain won't be revealed for a bit, but don't worry, he/she/it is there...in the background...waiting. *evil chuckle*

Aperio: Even the Goblin King can get lost! Although I bet it takes a LOT for him to admit it. ;)

tomoe-gozen52: I don't try to make Sarah hate her life, but the fact is, it's LIFE. It's tough and mundane and boring a lot of the time...maybe even mediocre. For Sarah, who has had a touch of the truly magical, that mundane part of life the rest of us take for granted and deal with, is agony. So, yeah, Sarah's life never seems a big draw. And then you throw in the conflict - in this case, her father's illness - and yeah, she definitely wishes she could escape. As for the Goblin King...I'm still getting a handle on him this time. One moment, he's mischievous, the next he's a little dark, the moment after that, he's morose and enigmatic. So...yeah, maybe he is more like the movie. :D

Disclaimer-y Stuff: As always and usual, I do not own anything in regards to the original Labyrinth. I only own my original characters, everything else (even Jareth *sniffle*) is property of their original owners. This fanfic has been created for non-profit enjoyment. Please do not alter, change, or re-post it without my permission beforehand. Hope you enjoy!