Sarah looked around the room, deep in thought. She'd been in one of these rooms before, with Hoggle. He'd gotten them out by opening a door. All he'd done was stick it up against a wall and somehow, there had been a way out of the oubliette. Quickly she started searching through the rubble and debris in the crowded room. Pushing over a dead log (she wasn't going to ask), she found what she'd been looking for - a large wooden door.
She tried lifting it, but it was too heavy and it seemed to be fighting her somehow, like it didn't want to move from where it lay. Rialta wished she could give Sarah some help, but she wasn't really there. She could only watch as the girl struggled. Thunder rolled in the distance and a stale smell wafted down towards them. Sarah really needed to get out of there before the place flooded or something dangerous found its way to her. With the Challenge going on, the Labyrinth wasn't going to be monitoring her safety.
"How am I going to open this door?" Sarah muttered, kicking at it. It opened and stairs led down into the darkness. Rialta stared, dumbfounded.
"No one has ever opened one of those doors onto the floor before, I didn't think anything would be down there."
"Well, it's a way out," Sarah said brightly. "I hope. Let's go."
"Are you sure this is wise?" Rialta asked peering down into the dark. Sarah shook her head.
"Not at all, but it's better than staying here. Come on, we have to find Jareth."
They made their way down the stairs until the came to another door. Sarah shrugged and pushed it open, then stared in shock. It was a library of sorts, but different than anything she'd ever seen before. Bookshelves were everywhere, the walls were lined with books from floor to ceiling and - the ceiling. Sarah's mouth hung open - the ceiling was covered with books as if gravity had no place here.
"Just like his room with the stairs," Sarah mumbled, awestruck. "How does anyone get up there to reach a book?"
"They fly up there and get one," a voice called out, making Sarah spin around in surprise. The voice was male, but past that, Sarah could not recognize anything familiar about it.
"Who's there?" she asked, nervously.
"Well, who's there?" the voice answered. "I know who's here."
"My name's Sarah and," she stopped. Whoever it was wouldn't be able to see Rialta. "Where are you?"
"Right in front of you," he answered and Sarah looked down. A fox terrier looked back up at her, his eyes shining. He looked like Didymus a little, and wore a uniform like her friend. But he seemed to hold some sort of secret in his gaze and it made her uneasy. He bowed low and kissed her hand gently. It felt like a tiny breeze had swept past her fingers.
"Sir Herimore Didymus, at your service - and you are the Lady Sarah of the Above. Your story has been quite riveting, let me assure you." She stared at the dog and realized that she could see through him a little. Just like Rialta.
"Didymus? I know a Sir Didymus, he guards the Bog - or at least he did. He's with the Crystal Queen now," Sarah said quickly.
"Ah yes, my wayward son. How fares he in the real world? Still trying to duel anything that looks at him funny?"
"Um, yes. Your - son?"
"Never spoke of me. Hmm. Well, our clan is notoriously verbose unless it is about our past, I suppose. He probably feels responsible for my death. Not that I'm really dead. Or alive. Hmm. I have no idea how it is so, but as I am here, it is so, you understand?"
"No, not really. You're not dead? Then did someone pull your soul out of you like Devlin did Rialta's?"
"Rialta? The princess?" The dog sniffed the air. "I did smell royalty in the air. Princess, are you here?" Rialta's form shimmered into view and she bowed to the canine. After a moment, he did the same.
"Am I to assume you were attacked by Devlin as well?" Rialta asked. The dog nodded.
"Yes, I believe that he's been killing off loyal subjects for years. I'm not exactly sure how I ended up here, the last thing I remember was in the Goblin King's library, holding onto one of the king's history books and Lord Devlin entered the room. He was muttering some sort of spell and the king was sleeping at his desk and...well - I couldn't let Devlin harm our king. I ran out in front of him and - well - I was hit by some sort of magic. I may have blacked out a moment, then - I was here." He frowned. "It is most curious. I am not fully alive, and yet - do not feel dead. Is it the same for you, Princess?" She nodded.
"You're not the only one then, Rialta," Sarah said. "If there are others, Devlin's been at this a long time."
"And if he attempted doing this to Jareth in his own castle, he is past reasoning with," Rialta mused. "We must find them and get his magic into you."
"How exactly does that work?" Sarah said, worried.
"You are presumptive queen. You can't take in Jareth's power until the year is up, but he gave you certain powers of your own. The most important of these is that you can defend against magic that would harm you. If you get Devlin to attack you, then you will absorb that power and can use it against him."
"You mean, be a target? What if he does to me what happened to you two?" Sarah asked.
"You have to believe in the magic, Sarah. If you can't - then the magic won't accept you either and you will end up like us. But I think you have the faith you need, if not in yourself, then at least in Jareth. You love him, do you not?"
"Very much," Sarah said softly. Rialta and Didymus smiled.
"Then use that love to your advantage. My lord, is this library linked to the one in the castle?"
"Of course - I would have left years ago if I could. But I'm bound to this place. Sarah should not be, as she was not attacked directly by the dark magic."
"And I'm bound to Sarah at the moment, so we should both be able to leave. Farewell for now, my lord. We shall return to help you as soon as we vanquish Devlin," Rialta vowed. A portal opened up and Rialta smiled, they'd have a way to get Sarah to safety now. Then Sarah would have to take matters into her own hands. The smile faltered, but Rialta remained sure that Sarah would know what to do when she was tested. Didymus' father bowed again.
"Thank you kind ladies, spare no thought for me. I am well enough here, and your battle with Devlin promises to take up much of your time." He disappeared into mist and Sarah just stared at where he'd been until Rialta pulled at her hand.
"This way, Sarah, we have to get to the main library. Once we are no longer in the Labyrinth, both Jareth and Devlin will have to forfeit and you can accept Jareth's magic. Once that is done, call Devlin's power to you."
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. They entered the portal and appeared in the Goblin King's library, scaring Hoggle who had just entered to have some time alone to worry over Sarah.
"Sarah, what happened? Why's you here? Is the rat dead?" At Sarah's horrified look, Hoggle backtracked. "Um, I meant to say, is He all right?"
"I don't know, but I don't have time to talk right now," she said, turning to Rialta. "What do I do now?"
"We need the Crystal Queen for this one, she's the only other person who has a connection to the Labyrinth besides you and Jareth. Hoggle - is she still here?"
"No, she left a long time ago to get the troops ready for war."
"War? It's not going to get to that," Rialta snapped. "Get someone to call her back here."
"You can't just snap your fingers and get the Crystal Queen to come running," he said as Seline walked in, wondering on the noise.
"Sarah - what's going on?" As Sarah explained, Seline nodded, seeing Rialta standing there. She didn't question it, only holding up a hand to keep Hoggle from sputtering more nonsense.
"I will summon her myself. Rialta, good thinking," she said humbly. "I - I should have never thought you would betray my - our family. I am deeply sorry." She turned back to Sarah as Rialta remained silent. "Prepare yourself, Sarah - the time has come for you to fight."