A/N: Well here's the next chapter. I don't own the Labyrinth and a BIG shout out to my wonderful Beta Lisabit and to my best friend Michelle. Have fun and enjoy. ^_^

Chapter four: Relief, Payback, and Meeting the labyrinth!

Toby cursed the Goblin king once more as he fell into yet another damn oubliette. When he got out of this damn labyrinth he was going to kill that fucking goblin. This made the third one that he had fallen into. That damn dwarf had led him in the wrong direction, again!

"There you are! Boy, you must really like our oubliettes. Tis one is the best one yet. It has a bed."

With that said, Hoggle lit a candle and snickered at the cocky youth. At first he was all set to help the young snot. However, after Jareth told him about what happen and the fact that the brat made Sarah cry, he figured that, short of letting the boy get killed, he wouldn't lift a finger to help him. As it was the boy had 4 hours to go and was about a half an hour away from the bog of eternal stench. Hopefully Jareth wouldn't see fit to drop him in there like he had with Sarah... although the idea did have its merits.

Toby glared at the little dwarf. Why was Hoggle giving him so much trouble?

"I thought you were my sister's friend. Why aren't you helping me? It is what she would have wanted. She probably thinks I'm dead. I have to get back to her."

"I don't and I ain't the one who left her alone and broke her heart!" Hoggle growled viciously toward Toby. "How dare you try to guilt me into helping you, you little rat! It was you who got yerself into this predicament and I was nice enough to open the door to every oubliette but that's as far as my help goes. You are the one who went to play soldier knowing that if you died yer sister would be alone and devastated. Why do you think Jareth's so pissed off at youz! Why do youz think that the Labyrinth is giving you such a hard go of it! Youz MADE HER CRY!" He shouted, fury raging through his veins as he struggled to not strike the youth.

Sarah watched in awe as she heard what Hoggle had said, "I never realized how much of an impact I left on this place." Turning back to Jareth she laid her head on his shoulder. "I am so glad he's safe. Thank you Jareth, this is the best gift I could ever receive... but why on earth did you make him run the labyrinth?"

She gazed at him in curiosity as he chuckled darkly.

"One: He made you cry and for that he's damn lucky that I didn't send his little backside to an oubliette for a few years!" Jareth glared at the large crystal sphere that was floating in mid-air in the center of the throne room.

"Two: He's a cocky kid who needs to realize that every action has a consequence." He smirked "What better way than in a labyrinth where nothing is as it seems?"

"Three: As my heir he needs to find be able to find his way through the labyrinth without the use of magic. He needs to complete it with in the thirteen hours and he needs to connect with the labyrinth while doing so."

"Did I mention that he made you cry, love," He bent down to kiss her soft full lips.

Her arms came up to wrap around his neck to drag him into a fuller, deeper kiss. Jareth tore his lips away from Sarah's and stare. "You, my dear, are dangerous," he breathed, his breath coming out ragged.

"My love, I'm surprised that you haven't sent him to the bog of eternal stench yet." Sarah snickered, eyes shimmering with amusement at the thought of her little brother getting dropped into the awful place.

Jareth grinned maliciously, "Would you care to do it, my love?" He smirked as her confused look?

"How," she began.

"Close your eyes, love. Then feel the floor beneath your feet, feel its slight pulse."

She did as she was told, her eyebrows shot up as she felt a small thrumming pulse underneath her. Without being told she let herself fall into the pulse. Jareth watched as she connected for the second time with the labyrinth.

"Hello Sarah."

Sarah turned around to see a pretty little girl with long hair that was the color of sunshine standing there near her. It was dark all around and she couldn't see anything but the child.

"Hello Labyrinth," Sarah smiled as the girl's sky blue eyes widened slightly and a delighted smile crossed the young girl's lips.

Sarah smirked as she recognized those eyes. "Does Jareth know that you're the Labyrinth… Mia?"

The girl morphed into a woman about Sarah's age. Mia was no longer a crone nor was she a small child. Now she looked about 35 and beautiful, her long tresses reaching near her ankles and her eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth.

"Nay, he does not. He never was smart enough to figure that it out. Not like ye. Well done with ye, Sarah. Yer brother is just as dense," she chuckled. "Those two really are cut from the same cloth."

Sarah laughed. "I know. It's funny really when you think about it."

"So you want to send your brother to the bog... That's a little cruel, don't ye think?" Mia's eyes laughed as she chuckled again.

"Maybe, but it would be funny... well that and payback for joining the army," Sarah grinned as Mia laughed again.

Suddenly Sarah had a thought...

"Mia, how do you have a human form? I thought the labyrinth was supposed to be neutral; a consciousness that was neutral to good or bad."

"Oh my, child, nay, not at all! I am now the labyrinth, but I was once an elf from Scotland. I held a strong love for children within my heart and I was disgusted with the way humans treated their children. Ones that should have been a blessing as all children are, were treated as a curse. I could na have a child..." she whispered with sorrow in her voice and eyes.

Sarah reached out to hug the woman. Returning the hug, Mia continued on with her story.

"The first goblin king and I were fast friends. We grew up together. When I told him about the children and my problem of not being able to bear any, he thought to petition the gods goddesses. When we did, the gods and goddesses agree that the children should be protected and since I was the one who felt strongly about that, they gave me a chance to protect them by becoming the labyrinth. They changed my magic and created the labyrinth and placed most of my soul with in it, giving me control of it. To challenge the challengers and make them fight to get their child back. All but one, so far, has quit not even half way through." Mia grinned as Sarah blushed.

"The gods and goddesses gave Armond, the first goblin king, the ability to change the children he took into a fae or another magical creature. He and I became the protectors of all unwanted children. His duty was to temp the runners with their dreams and mine to challenge them as I saw fit. I allowed the Goblin Kings, past and present, to manipulate me a little, giving them the illusion of control but I do as I see fit." Mia and Sarah shared a knowing grin.

"I live to protect, the body you see houses only a part of me, it gives me a chance to interact with others on a personal level. It gets lonely just being the labyrinth and having only pig-headed and obstinate kings to talk to. It also gives me a chance to help raise heirs such as I did Jareth, for example."

Sarah grinned at the thought of Jareth as a child, "I bet he kept you on your toes."

"He tried, but a well-placed control charm made him think twice." Mia grinned wickedly.

Sarah snickered at the image that Mia created, "So how am I connected to you? I don't get that part."

"It was a part of the pact between Armond and myself... Because I was placed so close to the Goblin City, he wanted to make sure that I wouldn't turn on him or his descendants. So I agreed to give limited control to him and the all goblin kings and queens that could pass through me within thirteen hours. Most actually had failed but there have been a few like Jareth who could navigate me. You actually beat his time by two hours and therefor earned your place as my queen and ruler. Just as I rule you, you rule me, tis give and take. You are the first since Armond that has succeeded in figuring out my identity, of which, I hope that knowledge you will keep to yerself."

Sarah laughed, "Of course and thanks for explaining. Now about my brother and that bog..."

Toby stared at the dwarf, understanding for the first time why he was having so much trouble.

"My sister cried," he whispered ashamed.

"Yeah, she did, she thought you dead. You almost were. You're damn lucky you called for Jareth when you did." Hoggle glared at the youth for the umpteenth time. "You asked me why I was upset with you... You're weak. Sarah was far stronger and less whiny then you are and you aren't going to get out of here until you learn the lesson the labyrinth and Jareth be want'un to teach you."

"Lesson?! I'm supposed to be learning something from all this hell! What could I possibly learn from getting dropped into these damn oubliettes and warning stones that make you go the wrong way! Nothing is as it seems arou..." Toby's bright blue eyes widened as the dwarf began to snicker.

"No! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! That's the LESSON!" He growled now thoroughly pissed off.

"All this just for... no... that's not just it is it?" Toby looked up at the dwarf.

Hoggle looked at him expectantly, "Go on... Finish yer thought."

"Things are never what they seem. You've told me all night that the goblin king was angry with me for making my sister cry," then it clicked. 'Sarah's here,' he thought as snippets raced through his memory, things he had overhead as well as a small flashback.

'When Queen Sarah finally consents to put up with ye stubborn arse for the rest of her life.'

'That Lady Sarah called for ye.'

*flashback*

"The main reason I wrote those books Toby, is because of the lesson in the stories."

"What lessons that sis?"

*end of flashback*

"Every action had a consequence," Toby muttered.

His sister was with the Goblin King!

The dwarf grinned, "Took you long enough."

Just then the floor gave out beneath them and they slid feet first through a dark tunnel.

Sarah came back to herself smirking. Opening her eyes, she found Jareth grinning as he watched the crystal. She watched as Toby fell onto the ground next to the bog. He was cussing so creatively that Sarah's eyebrows rose and she grimaced at the thought of her little brother knowing such colorative phrases.

Jareth gazed down at his Sarah's dark head. To have his arms wrapped around her and have her leaning back into his embrace was a dream come true for him. To feel her hands on him, he groaned at the thought...Wait! He gave a startled jerk as he realized that he wasn't imagining it; her hands were indeed. He moaned as he looked down to find his queen grinning up at him; her hands stroking him softly. Then with a wink her eyes and a shower of glitter, she was gone.

Jareth blinked...

Sarah had disappeared...

She had...

But...

How...

Her eyes..

Her hair...

"The Labyrinth."

He growled as he disappeared in a puff of glitter to find his soon-to-be bride.

A/N: Heehee Sarah had some fun. Paybacks a bitch, sorry Toby. Who would have guessed that the Labyrinth raised Jareth? ^_^ hehehe I did of course. Well I hope you enjoyed and if you did please review. Thanks and see you next time!