It wasn't much later that everyone was congregated around the fire in the hearth, scouring the scrolls from the castle's archives over bowls of hot chowder. While they were reading, Primrose struck up a conversation with Sarah.
"It is very nice to finally meet you," Primrose began with a warm smile. "Hoggle and his friends have told me all about you, and I am delighted to finally be able to put a face with a name."
"Well, it's nice to meet you too, Primrose," Sarah returned the greeting. "What brought you to the Labyrinth, anyway?"
"The fact is most dwarfs, like Hoggle and myself, usually live in villages with others of our kind. For most of my life, I lived in one near the mountains, a good distance from the Labyrinth. But a few years ago, my village was traveling to pay a visit to another dwarf village located in the valley. Unfortunately, I was separated from the rest of my village during our travels. I wandered for days, completely alone, until I was fortunate enough to find myself at the Labyrinth. I do sometimes think about trying to return to find my village, but everyone here has been very kind to me and offered me a place to stay. Besides, I rather like living here. After all, it's where Hoggle lives." In emphasis to these words, Primrose hugged Hoggle's arm affectionately, fixing him with a sweet-as-honey smile.
"Not to interrupt your charming moment, Primrose," Stacey spoke up, her voice carrying a strong hint of annoyance, "but these scrolls aren't reading themselves. Personally, I'd appreciate it if you concentrated on helping the rest of us reading." Once again, Sarah glanced over at the Goblin Queen and noticed that she was blatantly not looking at the two dwarfs, with a definite crease between her eyebrows. Hoping to change the subject, Sarah asked the question she'd wanted to ask for a while.
"Stacey, did…did you ever find out where Jareth went after the last time I was here?" Stacey's reaction to that question was the exact opposite of what Sarah had been expecting. Instead, her face immediately darkened with an expression of anger and hate, and her hands clenched into fists.
"Don't talk to me about that man," Stacey growled. "I don't know what happened to him. In fact, I don't even care what happened to him."
"But…Stacey, he's your fath…."
"NO!" Stacey cut Sarah off before she could finish. "That….monster was not my father."
At that moment, a sudden gust of wind outside blew a window open. The harsh expression remaining on her face, Stacey momentarily stepped away from the group to close it.
"You mean Stacey still won't acknowledge Jareth as her father?" Sarah asked her friends in a whisper.
"I cannot say I blame her, my lady," Sir Didymus explained. "Queen Stacey is very angry with the former Goblin King. Do not forget, she grew up knowing nothing about where she came from. And then to find out the father of her birth had enslaved everyone in the Labyrinth?"
"But…from what he told her last time," Sarah persisted. "It sounded like…Jareth wasn't in control of what he was doing. So, Stacey's judging him on something he couldn't help doing. How can she say he's not her father if she doesn't even know him?"
"Ah, maybe that's the true problem, Sarah," Daedalus pointed out, glancing over at Stacey sympathetically. "She never got the chance to know him."
As Sarah thought about Daedalus' statement, Toby paused while reading one scrolls, scrunching his face up as he reached an unfamiliar word.
"Sarah?" Toby looked up at his sister. "What does this word mean?" Taking the scroll, Sarah quickly found the word that had stumped the little boy and her eyes widened.
"Stacey?" she called over to her friend, her voice shaking. "You said that…the Underground has been facing an endless winter, and a number of disappearances, right?"
"Yeah, did you find something about it?" Stacey asked hopefully.
"It's…it's the Agnostic," Sarah whispered. Everyone's reactions were instantaneous. As they stared at Sarah in horrified shock, she read the account on the scroll to her friends. "When the Agnostic invaded the Labyrinth, its presence disrupted the very existence of the Underground. Under its assault upon our world, many of the inhabitants of the Labyrinth were erased from existence, and even nature itself became warped."
"This is not good," Daedalus clicked his beak in worry. "If the Agnostic really has returned to the Labyrinth, we truly are in serious danger."
"But how did you beat it back then?" Toby asked in curiosity.
"It wasn't beaten, Toby," Hoggle replied gravely. "The Agnostic just disappeared, after Stacey was taken into your world as a baby."
"Then why is it back now?" Prometheus questioned. "After all this time, it could have come back earlier. It's been over twenty years since the last time. Why now?"
"Because…I came back to the Goblin City!" Stacey gasped in realization. "It's the only explanation! It wants me!"
"With all due respect, your majesty, that's just ridicu…" Sir Didymus started to dismiss Stacey's fears, but Daedalus cut him off.
"Maybe it's not, Didymus," the owl disagreed. "Last time, the Agnostic was trying to destroy everything in this world."
"And in the game of chess," Stacey continued, "once you capture the King, the game is over. Since…since I'm the closest thing to a king in the Labyrinth now…."
Stacey's words trailed off, as a conflicted look appeared on her face. But before anyone could say anything, her expression shifted to one of determination, as if she'd just made up her mind about something.
"There's only one solution. I have to leave the Underground. If the Agnostic wants me, then my presence here is only jeopardizing everyone. Perhaps, if I leave, the Agnostic will follow after me."
"If...if Stacey wrong?" Ludo asked.
"I'm not, Ludo," Stacey shook her head. "I don't know how, but…somehow, I know that the Agnostic will follow me out of the Underground. If the Labyrinth is to have a chance of being saved, I have to go back to Sarah and Toby's world. At least for a little while. If I do, everyone left in the Labyrinth might be out of danger until I can come up with a better plan in how to deal with the Agnostic properly."
"Ye are returning to the Aboveground?" Sir Didymus spoke in amazement.
"If you're goin' back," Hoggle stood up, "then I'm goin' with you."
"Hoggle, no!" Primrose cried, jumping up to hug him tightly. "Don't go! Please, stay with me! I don't want to stay here without you!"
"Primrose," Hoggle sighed, ushering her away from the group to talk to her in private.
"She's always acting like that," Stacey complained, grumbling in irritation. "You'd think that Primrose could find better things to do with her time than hang all over him like flies on a carcass." Folding her arms, she turned her back on the two dwarfs, making a clear effort to not look in their general direction.
"Ye can count me in on your quest as well, your majesty," Sir Didymus volunteered.
"Ludo come too," Ludo agreed.
"Cu-Chu!" Theseus added with a wide smile.
"I made a promise a long time ago that I'd keep watch over you, Stacey," Daedalus announced. "I see no reason for me to stop now."
"I'd like to go, too!" Prometheus admitted.
"Actually, Prometheus," Stacey shook her head. "I really think you should stay here. Remember, the protective spell around this cottage will only last if someone stays inside. And we need to ensure this cottage remains a safe haven, just in case there is someone else who has lasted this long. Besides, someone needs to help look after Lady Berdine, baby Reynard and Primrose while we're gone. I know you can do it, Prometheus. I trust you with this."
"Well," Prometheus' face deflated, showing his discouragement at not being allowed to come along, "if that's what you think, Stacey, then I won't let you down."
"Thank you, Prometheus," Stacey smiled, patting the Firey's shoulder. "And don't feel bad, okay? When this is over, we'll bring all of you to Sarah and Toby's world as well."
With Stacey's promise, Prometheus' disposition lightened significantly. Moments later, while Sir Didymus was bidding farewell to his wife and infant son, Hoggle rejoined the group, along with a crestfallen Primrose.
"Hoggle's right," she admitted sadly. "I know he has to leave. But…I'll really miss him."
"We'll be back soon, Primrose," Hoggle assured the female dwarf. In response, Primrose threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Okay, enough goodbyes," Stacey groaned, bristling with impatience. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can figure out what to do about the Agnostic."
Pulling himself out of Primrose's embrace, Hoggle joined the group of volunteers around Sarah and Toby. Removing the medallion from her pocket, Sarah made the wish to return to Kent, Ohio. Within moments, the eight friends disappeared from the hut.