Author: Sorry for the short first chapter, this one will be longer, like I promised.
Sarah:Thats what he said.
Jareth: Well now...
Sarah: Oh come on it was a joke!
Author: Cant we please let the readers maybe um READ now?
Sarah: I guess.
Jareth: She started it...
Sarah: No, I didn't I was just trying to lighten the mood!
Author: Ahem, anyways..
Enjoy everyone! Please REVIEW, the more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter! I like to hear what you have to say. =]
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Chapter 2
Sarah felt the sun rays hit her eyes. She sighed deeply and rolled onto her side. She snuggled against some of the softest sheets she has ever felt. Did Karen go shopping? She never gets things this nice, especially not for Sarah's old room. Wait, no, she never made it to her house... Images started flashing back in her mind, the lights, the car, her fall and the strange voices.
Wait, shouldn't she still be laying in the mud? Sarah heard some mumbles and her eyes flashed open. Leaning over her was a beautiful girl, she must have been around Sarah's age, she wore a long rose colored dress with sleeves down to her wrists, her hair was in one long braid hanging over one of her shoulders. Her smile was brilliant. Her eyes were sparkling from excitement, also appearing mismatched, with high arched eyebrows.
"Well hi there," She said to Sarah, who sat up in alarm. Sarah glimpsed around to see she was in a large room, one she had never seen before, it was themed with lavender and white. Also standing around her were a small crowd of goblins and other such creatures, and the other girl.
"Oh back away you all, give her some room, your more than likely scaring her with all your stares, go on now," The girl said mildly, her voice having somewhat of an English accent to it. Once the goblins had back away a bit, she turned her attention back to Sarah. She sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping her distance.
"Hello, I'm Terra, who are you?" She said, pronouncing each word slowly, smiling a golden smile at Sarah expectantly. Sarah was guessing she was back in the Underground, hence forth the Goblins.
"Uh, um I…I…" Sarah stumbled over her words trying to speak. How did she get back here?!
Terra must have thought Sarah's confusion for fear.
"Don't be scared. I promise no one here will hurt you, but after what you looked like last night I don't blame you for being scared," Terra said cheerily. Sarah was about to speak up but the girl went on. "My Goblins said they saw you fighting a metal beast! It drug you down a hill and spat you out! Then you were even so brave as to go inside the dead beast to retrieve your things! Amazing! They followed you for a while, before bringing you here." She made hand motions as she re-told the story.
"Metal Beast?" Sarah questioned. "You mean my car? I wasn't fighting with it. I got blinded by some other cars headlights, and swerved off the road."
"Car?" Terra asked honestly curious. "Headlights?"
Now Sarah was sure she must be in the Underground. But who was this girl? She also noticed she wore pajamas of the softest material she ever had known. Terra saw her eye her clothes.
"When they brought you here, you were pretty dirty, and you had so many cuts...I didn't want them to get infected, so I cleaned you up and put you in some nicer clothes." Terra said sympathetically.
"Oh, uh, thank you," Sarah said noticing the bandages wrapped around her hands and arms. "I'm Sarah, by the way."
"Lady Terra," one of the goblins spoke up.
"Hush for a moment," Terra told him, calmly.
"Lady Terra?" Sarah asked.
"Oh yes, that's what they are supposed to call me, I am Lady Terra, Princess of the Labyrinth." She gestured out to the window, which had a view of none other than the Labyrinth.
Sarah's eyes widened.
"So I really am back in the Underground?" She asked aloud. Lady Terra looked puzzled at this,
"What do you mean, 'back' in the Underground?" Lady Terra asked timidly. Her gaze was very curious, not hostile at all. Just was simply wondering.
Sarah wasn't sure what to say. It had only been 3 years or so since she was here. Would she be in danger being here again? And this girl said she was the 'Princess' of the Labyrinth. What about Jareth? Wasn't he King?
Lady Terra waited for an answer, but before Sarah could say anything, the main door to the room opened quickly, and another girl stepped inside. She looked at Sarah in awe, and quickly walked over to Lady Terra.
"Aye you didn't!" She threw her hands in the air and looked at Terra. "Ye 'member what happen last time ya were stickin' your nose were it ought not be! I been hearin' yer goblins mumblin' all mourn!" The girl crossed her arms and looked down at Terra.
"I know, I know," Lady Terra started "But they just bring me back what they find, I didn't know they would bring back a human. And you should have seen her when they brought her here, she was covered in mud, and all cut up and completely knocked out. I couldn't just tell them to take her back!"
Sarah looked between the two girls, she was grateful this girl had come in, directing the question away, for the time anyways.
"Forgive me," The girl said, looking to Sarah. "I'm Lydia, I work 'ere in the castle. I dun be meanin' to sound rude to you or anythin', just, well..." she seemed to consider her words carefully. "Humans ain't really very common 'ere."
"Does anyone else know?" Terra asked Lydia.
"No, no one else, but you best be making sure yer little goblins aint jabbin' away about it. The cook 'bout thought me mad when I was trying to shut 'em all up in the kitchen this mornin'!" Lydia raised her eyebrows. "What do you intend to do with her now?"
"Well..."Terra replied, not really knowing. Lydia threw her arms up again and huffed out a sigh. "Well I hadn't thought that far yet!" She mildly defended herself.
"Wait, can't you just send me back home?" Sarah asked. Both girls looked at each other then Sarah.
"Well," Lady Terra ran her hand up and down her arm. "I'm not really sure how to do that. "
"Wait, but the goblins brought me here, why can't they just take me back the same way?!" Sarah said, a hint of panic on the edge of her voice.
"Commin' 'ere' and leavin' is two very different matters," Lydia piped in.
Sarah sighed and rested against the headboard. This had to be some sort of joke. What did they mean? She couldn't go back? Ever?
"But don't worry!" Terra added quickly. "There is a way to do it, I just don't know how...But I'll find out! It may take a while...But we can get to know each other and become really good friends and you can tell me everything about the Aboveground!" She seemed to try and state something positive for everything negative.
So there was a way, they just didn't know.
"So in the mean time, how are we supposed to hide 'er?" Lydia proposed.
"Well...Why don't we just try to make her more 'Fae' like?" Lady Terra suggested.
Sarah knew that word, in her book 'Labyrinth', that was what the species of the king, and the Royal families. They were built, like the ideal human, but with better features. Flawless bodies, stunning beauty, the list could go on.
"That might work, for a moment, but her scent, you can smell she is human right away," Lydia pointed out.
Lady Terra seemed to ponder this for a while, then suddenly, her eye's flashed and she stood up. "Lydia, could you stay here with Sarah for a moment?" Lydia nodded and Terra walked out of the room.
Sarah then took the time to notice that Lydia wore a much different outfit then Lady Terra. She had just a simple brown dress on with a full length white apron. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. But she still had the same studding features as the other girl.
"I swear, trouble is 'er middle name it is!" Lydia smiled and sat down on a nearby chair. "Even when we was little, she always was snoopin' where she ought not to be."
"So you have been here a while?" Sarah asked wanted to talk. She needed to hear a somewhat normal conversation.
"Aye, since I was 'bout five or so. My older brother, Adrien, used to work 'ere in the stables years ago. Our father had died right after I was born. And me poor ol' mother just couldn' cope. She ended up diein' o' grief. So Adrien went into town with me to look for work and a place to stay. We had no money to keepin' the house. That's when he got lucky 'nuff to run up on the stable job." She paused. "Like I said, I was only 'bout 5 or so, so I wasn' very much help. Princess Terra came down to the stables to fetch 'er horse one day. There weren't no other kids 'round really so, after that day, she came down every day. And we have just been good friends ever since."
"Ah, Adrien owns his own blacksmith shop now he does. The best in the nearest 4 kingdoms, even the king calls on 'im for that makin' of this 'or that. I could 'ave gone with 'im, but I just couldn't bear to leave a friend I suppose." She smiled warmly.
Sarah was about to speak when Lady Terra darted back into the room with a bottle in her hand. She held it out victoriously.
"See? This should work right?" She asked Lydia.
"What is it?" Sarah asked eyeing it.
"It's a cream for your skin. It will cover up your scent for the most part, just make sure to keep it on all exposed skin all the time." Terra said with a mild warning.
"Well let's see what we can put together 'ere," Lydia said, opening the drawers of the vanity.
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After an hour or so, Sarah stared at herself in the full body mirror. She was a little shocked, her appearance truly fit in the Underground now. Her make-up went high to her eye brows, very close to the other girl's make-up. She wore a long green dress with a slight flare to it, it had a squared neckline, with silver embedding along the trim. The sleeves came just past her elbows, belling out. Her hair hung free.
Terra and Lydia ogled over their work. Once making sure Sarah had put the lotion like cream all over her, Lady Terra announced that she was going to go to the library to look some things up that might help Sarah get home, and Lydia was to take her to the dining hall to get something for her to eat. No one should be there as of yet. But they soon would have to relay the information that they had a guest here. Terra followed them to the dining hall in light conversation with Sarah.
"So a car is a carriage without any horses? I don't get it, how does it move then?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Well, it runs off gasoline..." And she attempted to explain. Also along the way, Terra asked everything she could spit out about Aboveground, looking to Sarah for the answers; the weather there, the food, clothes, activities and so on. Finally they reached the dining room. The cook came from the kitchen and asked if there was anything they wanted specially made. Princess Terra informed him that Sarah was a guest here for a while and she should be cooked whatever she wished. The cook asked no questions, but bowed deeply to them both.
Sarah felt strange being bowed to. Terra turned to her.
"So, what would you like to eat?" But then quickly turned back to the cook. "Make her one of my favorites, if she doesn't like, them, re-fix her something else alright?" He nodded and strolled back into the kitchen. The Princess giggled.
"Listen to me ask you what you want to eat! Boy, I could have blown it there. You don't know the first thing about Underground food," She whispered. Sarah was about to speak but the Princess continued.
"Just be honest with the cook, if you don't like something don't eat it, he doesn't mind making something else. Well, I am off to do a bit of reading and see what we can do about your, situation. And my brother should be home anytime now. Try to keep her clear of him Lydia, he's too clever and I fear he would figure you out Sarah." The princess left Sarah and Lydia as they seated themselves.
"She's sure a talker hm?" Lydia looked over to Sarah.
"She seems very interested with Aboveground," Sarah replied, not wanting to call a Princess 'too talkative'. It felt funny saying 'Aboveground'. "Why is she so interested in it anyways?"
"She's always been that like. Sendin' 'er little goblins up every few days to bring back whatever they find. I'm sure she will ask you about every little thing she's got, stowed 'way in 'er room. It's sorta a hobby of 'ers."
Just about that time, the food was brought out.
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Terra sat in a high backed chair in the library, when she heard the door open. Her brother must be home. He was always gone for one reason or another. She quickly closed the book in her hands and slid it onto the close shelf, then pretended to be glancing over the titles of other books.
When her brother came into her sight, she turned to greet him cheerfully.
"Hello Brother, how was your trip?" She gave him a light hug.
"It was pointless to say the least," He told her.
"Oh come on Jareth, it couldn't have been that bad,"
"Oh but it was," But he went into no further detail. "So I hear we have a guest?"
'Surprise, surprise, how fast news travels in here,' Terra though to herself.
"Yes we do," And she dropped it. She knew Jareth wasn't going to let it go that quickly though, it was a very, very rare occasion to have a guest staying here.
"Well...?" Jareth asked her. She couldn't play dumb now.
"Yes, she is a cousin of Lydia. She has recently lost her family, and needed somewhere to stay until she could get on her feet again. So I told Lydia to bring her here." Terra lied smoothly.
"Hm, I'm sorry that happened to her," He said in all sincerity.
"Yeah, she is pretty upset about it, she has been staying in her room. So you may not see much of her," She tried to use the conversation to her advantage.
"Well maybe you should let her get to know everyone. The wonderful Seasonally Ball is tomorrow night," he added a bit sarcastically. It was the same thing every time. The Royal families get together, with their closest friends, drink and dance. Talk about anything going exceptionally well, then drink and dance some more. Well it wasn't always that bad, until the Rozengem family came. They're younger daughter, Colleen, has had her eyes foxed on Jareth for some time. Colleen's father has spoken to Jareth and Jareth's father many times trying to arrange a marriage. But Jareth would not hear of it. She was a beauty, he'd give her that, but she was spoiled, selfish and all about herself, to say the least.
"Well she just got here today and I want to give her time to settle in..." Terra tried to think of another excuse.
"I'm sure you could get her ready by then. It's rude to keep a guest hidden you know," He added."You don't want her wandering around here with everyone staring at her do you?
"Well no," She started, but couldn't find anything else to say.
"Good then. I am going to get cleaned up, and there are a few more things I have to get ready for tomorrow, So I shall you see then my sister," Jareth gave her a nod as he walked out of the room.
After Terra was sure Jareth was out of earshot, she muttered to herself, "Great...Just...Great."
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