I'm so very happy to see that a few of you actually enjoy my sad little attempt at fanfiction. Thank you so much to those who left reviews! They are the cookies that feed my creativity! ^_^
And please remember, I luvs your suggestions! *glomps the suggestion box*
It was midnight. The house was still and silent. Toby was fast asleep in his crib, chewing on Lancelot's ear. Her father and stepmother had gotten home late from their party, and went right to bed. Sarah herself lay in her bed, snuggled under her comforters, deep within a dreamless slumber.
So no one noticed when the tall mirror in the foyer began glowing, or the two small figures that emerged from its rippling surface.
The shorter one glared around at the furniture, and hissed to its companion,
"I thought you said you could get us into her bedroom!"
The other winced.
"I'm sorry, I thought I could. I didn't know they would have so many reflective surfaces," she said meekly, adjusting her raspberry-colored cloak.
The first grunted impatiently.
"Nevermind. 'Spose I should be grateful there was anyone else in the castle who could open portals to the Aboveground. Now, c'mon. Who knows what kind of hidden dangers this place holds?"
As it happened, it was one of Toby's plastic doughnuts, quickly followed by a kitchen chair, a stray slipper, a vase full of wild roses that stung like a nest of bees, a precariously placed coffee mug (cold coffee included), and lastly, Merlin, who was eager to greet the newcomers with a slobbering kiss.
Thankfully for them, everyone else slept on, oblivious to the crashing, yelping, and elvish cursing.
When the two finally did find Sarah's room, the male, who had the unfortunate luck of falling victim to all the house's hazards, stumbled in as quietly as he could, with the female following behind him, trying to steer him clear of anything else he could possibly hurt himself on.
"Thank the gods the girl sleeps like the dead," he groaned, starting towards the bed.
His companion stayed put.
"What are you doing?" She asked worriedly, watching as he carefully scaled the mattress.
"Hush, girl!" He hissed, putting a gnarled finger to his mouth. He carefully drew his small dagger. "It's a trick I learned from his Highness. I need to make sure that when she wakes up, she's scared. She's not going to help us if she's not intimidated!"
"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" The small figure asked nervously.
"Of course it is!" He snapped. He readied himself.
On the floor, his companion only shook her head and backed up a few steps.
Sarah was woken from her sleep by a sharp jab in the side.
"Oww!" She cried out, sitting up, "What the…?!"
Her question was answered by the sight that met her. A goblin, two feet tall, with dark bluish-green skin and a black cape, stood at eye level, gripping a sharp dagger.
"What have you done with our King, human?!" It demanded savagely.
Now, if this same scenario had happened but a few short weeks ago, Sarah would have screamed, dived under the covers and tried feverishly to wake herself up. But, as it happened, she had changed quite a bit in those few weeks, and Sarah knew one thing for sure; she didn't like goblins.
Without a second thought, she curled her hand into a fist, pulled it back, and rammed it squarely into the goblin's ugly face. The momentum from the sucker punch sent it crashing to her floor.
"My nooooooooose!" He howled in pain, gripping his face, "My nooooooose!"
Before he could even get to his feet, Sarah was out of bed and a few inches from him, winding up her foot for a finishing blow.
"Wait!" A female voice cried.
Another figure darted in front of the goblin, arms thrown out in an effort to defend him. Sarah was surprised to see that she was not a goblin. She was small, delicate-looking, and quite pretty, with long blond hair pulled into a braid, large green eyes, and small pointed ears.
"Please, Mi'lady!" The petite girl begged, "Please don't! Turnok didn't mean you any harm!"
Sarah hesitated, and grudgingly put her foot back down.
"Then why was he in my bed? And why are you in my room? And just who the heck are you two anyway?!"
The little creature gave a bow.
"My name is Leija. I serve as His Highness's maidservant at the castle." She gestured to the fallen goblin, who still was holding his nose. "Turnok is the Captain of the Royal Guard."
Sarah blinked.
"His Highness…? You mean, Jareth?"
Turnok lept to his feet.
"How dare you speak his name so casually, human! You will address him as King Jareth, or nothing else!"
Sarah's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, really?"
Sensing another boot coming on, Leija quickly intervened.
"Please, Mi'lady, don't mind Turnok. His Majesty's absence has been terribly hard on him."
She lowered her eyes.
"…it's been terribly hard on all of us."
Sarah's anger lost its footing at the sight of Leija's saddened face. She shot Turnok one last glare, and turned to her.
"Why is it so hard? He treats his subjects like dirt! I'd think you would be having a ball without him there threatening to toss you in the Bog of Eternal Stench!"
Turnok reddened and balled his gnarled hands into fists.
"His Highness is generous, merciful, and just! If he threatens to toss someone into the Bog, it's because they deserve it!"
The girl snorted.
"'Generous'? 'Merciful'? 'Just'? Are you sure we're talking about the same Goblin King?"
"Why, you arrogant little surface dweller!" The goblin exploded, grabbing his dagger, "You're not fit to grovel at his feet! I'll teach you some respect…!"
Leija grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him backward.
"Turnok, please! Try to be civil! We need her help!"
"My help?" Sarah repeated, frowning. "Why would you need my help?"
The gnome girl glanced at her goblin friend, then back up at her. She looked anxious.
"The Western Realm…it is in grave danger."
"My scouts reported that the trolls on the move," Turnok said grimly, "They will be at our borders within two days, if not sooner. And without our lord, the Labyrinth will most certainly fall."
"What?!" Sarah gasped. Her friends. They were in danger. She needed to warn them!
The girl rushed over to her vanity and starred into the mirror.
"Hoggle?" She cried, "Hoggle, can you hear me? Please answer!"
The mirror remained blank and soundless.
"Hoggle?" Sarah called again, panic rising in her voice, "Ludo? Didymus? Anyone?! Why aren't you answering?!"
"Edorin must have sealed the Mirror Portals!" Turnok spat angrily, "Damn it! Now we're stuck here!"
"There's still hope," Leija insisted, looking up at Sarah with her large emerald eyes, "We have to find the King. He's the only one who can go between our worlds without the portals."
"Well, where is he?" The girl asked, looking around, half expecting the Fae to appear in her bedroom at any second, like he had the first time.
"We don't know," Leija replied, "The King has been missing for two whole weeks. No one knows what has become of him. Except…"
She paused. The three stood in silence for a few moments, before Sarah realized what she meant.
"What, me?"
"You were the last one to see the King before he disappeared," Leija said, clasping her hand together, "Please, try to remember! Did he say anything to you? Did you see something? Anything at all?"
Taking a deep breath, Sarah closed her eyes and tried hard to concentrate. In her mind's eye, she saw the Escher room, and then the ruins. Jareth was there.
Fear me, Love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave, he had said. But he couldn't have been telling the truth. It had been another trick, trying to stall her until the clock struck thirteen, so that he could keep Toby. That's why the words had come to her so easily.
You have no power over me.
And then the room had vanished, and she had been surrounded by the swirling, shimmering magic. When it had cleared, she was back in her living room, beside a white owl…
"A white owl," Sarah said suddenly, opening her eyes. "When he brought me back, he turned into a white owl and flew out the window."
"He came back with you?" Turnok asked, raising his eyebrows. "That can't be right! He would have never brought you back in person! He would have just sent you back!"
He glanced over at his companion.
"Right, Leija? That's how it works, isn't it?"
Leija nodded, her brow furrowed.
"Yes, that's right. If he did indeed return with you, then something must have gone wrong."
"Then His Highness is in this world!" Turnok said excitedly, sheathing his dagger, "Now we just need to find him!"
"But how?" Sarah said exasperatedly, wishing she had his optimism, "We don't even know where to start looking!"
"I can help with that," the gnome girl said quickly, digging into the folds of her cloak. Her hand emerged holding a ring of braided silver. On the top was a pure gold owl with sapphire eyes.
"The Insignia Ring!" Turnok marvled, eyes wide.
"Yes," Leija said, holding it up. "It's an enchanted relic handed down to every Goblin King. Mi'lord told me he sealed some of his magic into it to bind it to him. Maybe, it will help us find him. Mi'lady? Can I have your hand?"
"Uh, sure," Sarah said hesitantly, offering Leija her right one. The gnome girl gently slipped it onto her forefinger.
Turnok balked.
"What are you doing, girl?! The sacred Insignia Ring cannot be worn by a mere human!"
Leija looked back at him, her face determined.
"The Labyrinth cannot be conquered by a mere human either. There's something more to her. His Majesty sensed it, as well."
Seeing the shocked expression on his face, she added gently,
"This could be our only chance, Turnok."
He said nothing, only nodded slowly. They waited wordlessly, all starring at the ring on Sarah's finger, each silently praying that it would work. For the longest time, nothing happened. But then, the owl's sapphire eyes began to glow dimly. It slowly rotated a half –turn to the right, before turning a quarter-turn back to the left. Once in place, the golden owl spread its wings.
Sarah looked up at the window and jabbed a finger in the direction the ring pointed.
"It's pointing towards the park! Come on! We don't have much time!"
I told you it would pick up fairly quickly! I don't know about you, but I get bored easily, so the faster the action commences, the better! PLEASE REVIEW OR JARETH WILL DUMP ME IN THE BOG OF ETERNAL STENCH!