Disclaimer: dont own the characters of the Labyrinth. Elisabeth, Daryan and Zander though do belong to me.
A/N: well here is part of chapter 9. it was originally a separate story but i thought that i would put it here just because. you have to forgive me though, trying to get hoggles speech down is harder than you would think. read review and enjoy! oh yes thanks for the reviews i have received. and no this is not the end we still have a long way to go.
Chapter 9 Elisabeth Returns part 1
1 hour later Aboveground
Elisabeth stood in her room trying to understand what had just happened. Although she had been outraged at the time, she was secretly glad she would be returning someday. She knew that she wanted to stay though she really didn't understand why a part of her knew she belonged there. Wanting to know why the Queen had sent her home, she took out the book and began to reread it, hoping to find her answer.
Afterwards, she still couldn't understand why she would have to return. She had found nothing in the book. Maybe dad could tell me, she thought to herself, remembering his long forgotten stories. She sat on the couch and curled her legs under her, waiting for her parents to arrive home.
An hour later, they walked through the door, surprised to find her still up.
"Dad, can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.
Zander gave his wife a nod and she left the room to give them some time alone. He had a gut feeling as to what his daughter wanted to ask him, only he wasn't sure how he was going to answer her question. "What is it dear?" he finally asked.
"Dad, do you remember the book you gave me last Christmas?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's real. The Underground is real. The goblins, the Labyrinth, all of it." she exclaimed hurriedly.
He didn't like lying to her, but he couldn't let her know that he knew it was real. That at one time he had been a very rich and powerful Lord in that land. He knew the Prophesy, concerning Jareth's bride. "Is it now?" he questioned. Before he could say anything, more the doorbell rang.
Elisabeth walked to the door wondering who would be calling so late at night. Opening the door, she was shocked to find the Goblin Queen standing there.
"Your Majesty?"
Now she truly was confused. Why was the Queen coming to the door instead of through the window like the last time? she thought to herself.
"Elisabeth" Sarah returned, smiling at the confused girl. "May I come in?"
"Oh, sorry. Of course," she stammered uneasily.
Sarah walked into the room and stopped when she spotted the tall Fae standing before her. He looked as shocked as she felt.
"Your Majesty," he said bowing before her. He was shocked that the Queen was visiting his home and he wanted to know why. Then it hit him; she was here for Elisabeth.
"Dad? What are you doing? And how do you know her?" Elisabeth asked thoroughly confused.
He smiled at his daughter and said, "I don't know her personally, but I do know who she is and I bow out of respect."
Finally, she thought, finally I will get some answers. "Okay then, who is she dad?" she asked a bit sarcastically.
Instead of answering his daughter, he turned and addressed the Queen. "You look exactly like your mother. I was there the day she was banished; I didn't agree with the High Courts' ruling. Your mother had been raped. She didn't deserve her punishment. You see, she had been engaged to Jareth's eldest brother- who at the time had been the Goblin King. His second brother raped her as the King had sat there and watched. It's no wonder she cursed the two brothers to die. They deserved it after what they did. But oddly enough, she blessed Jareth. She could see further into the future than Titania could, and foretold the future of the Goblin Kingdom. She saw you becoming the next Goblin Queen," he finished.
"Dad?"
"It's true Elisabeth. When you asked me all those questions earlier, I couldn't tell you. I'm Fae, Elisabeth. And you are half Fae. But there is something I do need to ask you. Did you or did you not meet someone within the walls of the Labyrinth? A man perhaps?"
Gulping visibly, she looked at her dad then looked at the Queen and then slowly nodded her head.
"Okay, now answer me this: did you fall in love with him?"
Again, she nodded. "Elisabeth, there is something you need to know. A Fae knows their mate instantly. He knows that you are his mate and, deep down, so do you," he said a smile playing around his lips. He continued, "The Prophesy I referred to earlier is in the book," indicating the book she still held.
"Where? I've read it over and over again and I have never come across any prophesy."
Before her father could answer her inquiry Sarah said, "It's at the very beginning, before the story even begins."
Curious she opened the book to the very beginning of the book and sure enough, there it was. She quickly read it and then looked up at the Queen, "It's a test! The Labyrinth is a test!" she exclaimed shocked.
Smiling brightly Sarah said, "Yes, it is." Then she turned and addressed her father, "My lord, how did you know that I was the Goblin Queen?"
Zander looked at the queen and said, "Your emblem. It once belonged to Titania when she was the Goblin Queen."
"Will you allow me to take her back to the Underground?"
"Yes, but before you do I need to know if my estate is still mine?"
"Which estate is that?"
"I once was the Marquis of Jomonia. By law, the estate should be passed to Elisabeth. I just want to know what happened to it after I left."
She knew of that estate. "Yes, it still yours and, as your heir, it will pass to her children." she answered simply.
While they were talking, Elisabeth was fighting an inner battle. As much as she wanted to return to the Underground, she knew that it would not be right. She was too young to get married.
"Dad, what are you thinking? I'm only fifteen!"
"As was I when I bonded to the King," Sarah said. "I did the same thing you did. I wished away my younger brother. He showed up and well, the rest, as you would say, is history."
"Really?" she asked somewhat skeptically.
"Yes, really. I decided to stay in the end, not realizing that I was fulfilling a long ago prophesy."
"Elisabeth, a Fae woman is allowed to wed at your age. If you want to return you can all I ask is that you be happy."
"But Dad, I'll never get to see you again!" she cried tearfully.
"I know, but it's alright, really. I just want you to be happy."
"Okay." Then a sudden thought came to her and she turned towards the Queen, "Can you make him forget me?" she asked softly.
Sarah stared at the distraught girl and understood her hesitation. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Why ever not? I don't want him to miss me forever."
Zander then said, "She can't because I will not allow her to. She could if I was mortal but because I am Fae she has to have my permission," he explained to his daughter.
"I see."
"Alright Elisabeth are you ready?" Sarah asked gently.
Hugging her dad for the last time, she turned to the Queen and nodded. Moments later, they faded from view.
Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Daryan, were all standing in the Throne room awaiting the arrival of the Queen. None of them could understand why she had asked them to wait here for her but they knew better than to ask why. They all turned towards the door when the King entered.
"Your Majesty", "Father" they all said bowing.
"Have any of you seen the Queen?"
Suddenly, Daryan realized where his mother was. She had gone Aboveground to bring Elisabeth back, and had to suppress the grin that threatened to form.
Jareth noticed the battle his son was having and, stifling his grin, he asked, "What's going on?"
"Not sure. Mother just called us here and told us to wait for her and then disappeared." He was not planning on telling his father the real reason they were all gathered in the room.
"Is there a runner?"
"Don't know." Hoggle said.
Elisabeth and Sarah appeared on the same hill as before. "You have nine hours and twenty three minutes to solve the Labyrinth."
"What? Why?"
"Because I said so and because if I could make it in that amount of time, then so should you. But you will not do so alone. I will send you help."
With that, she faded from sight.
Sarah returned to the castle and went directly to the throne room, where she found everyone waiting for her.
"Good afternoon, everyone." she greeted the group.
"Sarah, will you please tell me what's going on?" Jareth asked, clearly annoyed with the remaining occupants.
Instead of answering him, she turned to address her friends. "There is a young woman about to enter the Labyrinth, I wish for each of you to help her through it. She needs to be at the castle steps in nine hours and twenty three minutes."
"Mother? Why the time change?" Daryan asked, looking perplexed.
"If I can do it in that amount of time then so should she and anyone else who wishes to bond with any of my children," she replied.
Two very confused faces looked at their Queen. They knew the Prophesy and the runners were supposed to have a thirteen hour time limit. Sarah easily read their confused minds and smiled. Little did they know that when she had completed her run the Prophesy had changed. Now all the runners had to solve it in the same amount of time as she had.
"Oh, by the way, Daryan, I am restricting you to the castle for the duration of her journey."
"Why?"
"Because I know you, you would just transport her directly to the castle if given the chance."
"Can you blaming me for wanting to get her here faster?"
"Love, exactly who is the runner?" Jareth asked his wife.
Grinning Sarah answered, "Daryan's mate."
Still confused he asked, "Why is she running again?"
"Jareth, don't you remember making me promise to make sure no one beat me, right before you left for the war?"
"You actually kept that promise?"
"Of course I did. I knew you didn't want any of our children mated before you came home and so I made sure none would best me."
"Mother, must I be restricted to the castle for the entire duration?"
"Yes" she returned, giving him a knowing look.
Elisabeth was a bit shocked at the time reduction but she was determined to complete the Labyrinth regardless.
She made her way down the steep hill and found Hoggle waiting for her. "Hoggle?"
"Well, let's go, we ain't got all day" he said gruffly.
"Hoggle why are you here?"
"I'm heres to help ya."
"Why would you do that?" she asked clearly having forgotten the Queen's words.
"Because Her Majesty asked me to help so that's what I'm doin', now let's go."
"Why would she do that?"
Hoggle shook his head then replied, "Don'ts ya know that your 'is highness's mate?"
Blushing, she could only nod.
"Then ya needs ta be at the castle in less then nine 'nd a half hours. Stop yappin your gums and let's go."
She followed him to the gate and entered the Labyrinth for the second time. Instead of going right like the last time, she was directed to go the other way.
"Thanks, Hoggle."
"Good luck" he said before walking away.
She began jogging down the corridor, vainly looking for an opening or turn. After awhile she stopped and slid down the wall, completely frustrated. Why had Hoggle sent her this way when there were no turns?
"Ello!" said a small voice.
Looking around, Elisabeth couldn't find the voice's owner.
"Ello!" said the voice again.
This time she looked down to see a tiny blue worm sitting on a shallow ledge.
"Did you say hello?" she asked.
"Naw, I said 'ello, but that's close enough."
"Oh," thinking it strange that she was speaking to a worm. "You don't know by any chance where an opening is, do you?" she asked hopefully.
"There's one right in front of you."
Looking critically at the wall in front of her, she couldn't see anything. "No there isn't."
The little worm just shook his head and said, "That's what our beloved Queen said years ago."
Hearing this Elisabeth was surprised and hopeful. "She came this way?"
"Of course. This passage has been named the Champions Way, because this was the way she came." the worm explained.
"Well, if there is an opening in front of me I certainly don't see it."
"Just try walking through it you'll see what I mean."
Elisabeth decided to try it and was filled with glee when she found the secret opening.
"Thank you!" she said and turned to go left when she heard the worm warn "Don't go that way!" turning around she saw the other path, then thanked him and walked away.
Sarah sat in her throne watching the girl's progress. When the girl encountered the worm she had begun to doubt her plan, for she had forgotten about him. When Elisabeth started to go down the left path of the corridor she was ready to stop her herself, but relaxed when she watched the girl turn around and run the opposite direction.
Looking over at her son, whom she knew was itching to pop in on the girl, she understood why Jareth had checked in on her so often during her own journey. The need to be with one's mate was a drive stronger than anything and hard to ignore. Yet, as she kept him there she was forced to look at his forlorn face, so she recanted her earlier decree.
"Daryan, if you can promise me that you will not remove her from her location I will allow you to see her."
He immediately perked up at this. He had needed to see her again; it was like an unbearably painful ache to be away from her. He realized what his parents must have felt during the war and wondered how they had survived. He promised to his mother to drop in on her and nothing more.
Elisabeth was falling. Why did I choose that door? she asked herself as she cried out for help.
"Help!" she cried out again.
"We are helping; We're the helping hands," informed a face constructed of many fingers.
"Ouch, you're hurting me!" she complained.
"Would you rather us to let go?" asked the hands, loosening their grip.
"No!" she cried as she was caught again in their hard clasp.
"So, which way would you like to go?" asked a pair of hands.
"Yes, which way?" asked another.
"Come on we haven't got all day." stated a third.
Elisabeth asked confused, "Which way?"
"Up or down?"
"Um, I guess I'll go down since I'm already going in that direction."
Suddenly the hands all began talking at once "She chose down!" they chorused, then they released their hold and she began to fall.
"Was that wrong?"
"Too late now!" came the answer as they laughed.
She landed with a thud and looked around to find herself in a dark room with no windows and no visible door. Well, how am I supposed get out if this one? she asked herself. Suddenly, she felt a presence that was unmistakable. Turning she found Daryan standing there, just looking at her. "What do you want?" she asked.
"Nothing" he replied.
"Then why are you here? And, exactly where am I anyway?"
Smiling at her, he stated, "I am here because I needed to see you and you are in the oubliette. Don't worry, Hoggle will be along shortly to help you." With that, he vanished in a flurry of fabric and light.
As soon as he had gone, she heard Hoggle's unmistakable grumble in the shadows.
"Hoggle, am I glad to see you."
"Yeah well, I knew ya would end up here."
"Do you know the way out of this hole?"
"Yes, that's why I's is here. And this ain't a hole, it's an oubliette. It's where people put things they want to forget," he said as he opened the door he had propped against the wall. "Here we are."
"Thank you so much, Hoggle."
Jareth peered into a crystal, watching the girl's progress. He wondered if Sarah knew that the girl was following the exact same path as she had all those years ago. An evil idea gripped him and, with a devilish smile, he disappeared.
"Hoggle, thank you for helping me back there."
"You're welcome, but the only reason you're getting' any help at all is cause you're 'is mate."
"What's that supposed to mean? You helped me out last time."
"Cause he asked me to," he answered, as they continued on through the twisted corridor. Feeling bold, he asked, "Do you love 'im?"
Elisabeth was taken aback by his question but answered honestly. "Yes, yes I do love him."
He merely nodded and continued on, when suddenly they came to a dead end.
"What?!" Hoggle exclaimed, shaken by the change in the tunnels. This passage didn't have dead ends! Then he heard someone coming up behind them. They whirled around, expecting to see the Queen but were surprised to see Jareth standing there.
"Your Majesty?" Hoggle asked, confused.
Grinning at the pair, he slowly sauntered over towards them. He had a deliciously evil idea that had not occurred to him when Sarah had run the Labyrinth the first time around. He was going to enjoy this.
"Yes, Hoggle?"
"Why the dead end?"
"Oh, I thought of a great way to get to know my soon-to- be daughter-in-law."
"Exactly how are you planning on getting to know me?" she asked hesitantly.
"You will have the chance to solve three riddles. If you get any of them wrong, well, let's say you'll be running for your life," he grinned down at her letting her see his slightly pointed teeth.
She gulped in fear. She had never been any good at answering riddles and the running part had her frozen in fear.
"Are you ready for the first one dear?" he asked pleasantly.
She could only nod; she was trembling too much to answer.
"Okay. Your first riddle is this:
Some try to hide, some try to cheat, but time will show, we always will meet. Try as you might, to guess my name, I promise you'll know, when you I do claim. Who am I?"
Elisabeth thought for a moment then said confidently, "The answer is death, for no one can escape it." She was surprised that she knew the answer to that one, but she had a feeling the riddles were only going to get harder.
"You're right. Now for your second one:
There is a word in the English language which the first two letters signify a male, the first three signify a female, the first four a great man, and the whole word, a great woman. What is the word?"
She was perplexed. What word could possibly represent all of those things? She searched her brain for an answer but was coming up empty and she wasn't keen on running for her life so she really needed to get the correct answer. As she tried to force herself to relax, it hit her.
She grinned up at the King and said bravely, "The word is Heroine. The first two letters spell He, the first three spell Her, the first four Hero, a great man, and lastly a great woman is called a Heroine."
"Right again. So are you ready for your final riddle?"
Figuring that because the first two had been so easy she nodded, assuming the last one would be just as easy.
Jareth watched her and smirked. Hardly anyone ever got this next one right and he was counting on her getting it wrong.
"I killed one fourth of mankind. Who am I?"
So confident that she knew the answer she immediately said, "Hitler."
"Wrong!" he said jubilantly and magically opened the dead end. "Have fun running," he said, grinning as he produced a crystal and threw it down the tunnel away from them, before disappearing.
"RUN!!" Hoggle screamed, as he turned and began running as fast as his little legs would move.
"What?" she asked, then saw something in the tunnel and it was getting closer and quickly. She turned and ran. They ran until they became trapped by a locked gate and Hoggle, having done this once before, began pushing on a door beside the gate.
"Help me," he said frantically, as he continued to try and budge the stuck door. She pushed the door with him, fear eating at her as the thing came closer. Finally the door fell open and they crawled to safety just as the sharp pointy machine passed where they had just stood.
"Hoggle?" she questioned as she began shaking badly from fright.
"Yeah."
"What was that thing?"
"That was the Cleaners. The King loves to set them upon unsuspectin' runners as a reminder that the Labyrinth is a dangerous place."
"WELL, he succeeded in doing just that!" she cried hysterically.
"Come on then, he delayed us more than the Queen would have liked, I'm afraid. Let's go," he stated as he began to climb the ladder.
"Father, was that really necessary?" Daryan fumed. He was positive his father had scared the girl witless.
"Of course it was son. What's a Labyrinth without a little danger?"
"Mother!" he groaned.
"Son, he did the same thing to me. He sent the Cleaners on me after I told him that his Labyrinth was "a piece of cake." Only he stole four hours from me before hand, instead of asking me riddles. I think he has perfected his style, that's all."
"So that's why she has to solve it in Nine hours and twenty three minutes?!" both her son and husband exclaimed.
Smiling at the two men, she nodded.
"But Mother, she only has five hours remaining and she isn't even half way through yet," her son protested loudly.
Producing a crystal she said, "Yes, but look where she is now."
Elisabeth looked around to find herself surrounded by hedges. "Hoggle, where are we?"
"The Hedge Maze, or the second level of the Labyrinth." He didn't want to tell her that they would be parting company very soon. Then right on cue, they heard a loud growling coming from a few feet in front of them. "Ah, goodbye," he yelped and ran off pretending to be scared, though he really wasn't.
"Hoggle!" she yelled at his retreating back. Huffing in a very un-lady-like manner, she began to walk toward the sound. Rounding a hedge, she was greeted by a bunch of goblins surrounding a huge beast. The beast was in need of help and she looked around for something that would distract the goblins.
Noticing a small rock, she picked it up and threw it with all her might at the closest goblin. It struck the helmet and spun around, effectively blinding the poor goblin, and he accidentally attacked his mates. They called for a retreat and left. She hurried over to the mangy orange beast and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Ludo down!"
"Is that your name? Ludo. My name is Elisabeth."
She undid the knot holding the rope over the tree and yelled an apology as Ludo smashed on the ground. Helping him to his feet, she checked Ludo for any cuts or bumps.
"Lisabeth, friend."
"Yes, I guess I am." She managed to get out before being enfolded in a furry hug by the beast. She gently pushed him away and asked, "Where do we go from here?"
Ludo just shrugged and turned towards the wall. Two doors with knockers appeared on the wall that she knew had not been there moments before. "Where did they come from?" she asked aloud. She contemplated which one to chose and then shrugged and chose the one with the ring in his mouth.
Gesturing to Ludo, they meandered through the door and found themselves in a dark wooded area.
They began making their way through the forest when Ludo suddenly disappeared. "Where did he go?" she asked aloud to no one in particular.
Daryan sat watching her progress in a crystal and saw which door she had chosen. He quickly dissolved the globe and vanished. He reappeared in the forest and found his way to the Fieries campfire.
"Princy come to join us?" the leader asked, using his right leg as a club to beat his brother.
"No, I came to warn you. If you so much as lay a single finger on the girl coming towards you, you will all find yourselves in the Bog! Understood?"
They certainly didn't want to be banished to the Bog. Given the Prince's reputation as "the Bog Man," they knew he would make good on that threat, so they agreed to do as he asked. He left them moments before the girl stumbled onto their camp. As promised, they didn't touch her- the fear of the Bog overrode their natural desire to be hyperactive. She left them to their dance and continued to try to find a way out of the forest.
"Father? What did you do, or should I say, what happened to Mother after she left the forest?"
His father smirked and said, "She kissed Hoggle and ended up in the Bog, after I had given him a peach to give to her. That's how she met Sir Didymus."
Curious, he asked his mother, "How is she going to end up in the Bog exactly?"
His mother only smiled and said, "You'll see."
Just as Elisabeth had found a way out of the forest, she tripped over an unseen lever and went sliding down a steep tunnel. She managed to grab onto a branch before she went flying over the edge. Immediately she was assaulted by the worst possible smell. Slowly making her way across, then down the wall, she made her way to the bridge she had seen.
"HALT! Who goes there?" A little fox-like creature said, jumping lithely in front of her path.
"My name's Elisabeth and I have to be at the castle shortly. My time is almost up."
"Sir Didymus, at your service, Lady Elisabeth."
"May I cross?"
"Oh, of course my lady," the knight said, bowing gallantly before her. Calling Ambrosius to his aid, Sir Didymus swore to Elisabeth that he would help her on her quest.
They crossed the bridge and made their way through yet another forest.
"Sarah, love, I know you are recreating your own journey for the girl but how is she going to end up in the ballroom?" her husband asked softly.
"She's not." She returned simply.
This surprised him. "Why ever not?"
"Because we don't want to delay her any further. We want her to win, remember?"
Looking at the clock, he saw that the girl still had a good hour left, and wondered what Sarah had planned for their daughter-to-be.
They made it to the gates of the Goblin City after twenty minutes of wondering the forest, only to be held back by the Gate Keeper. They bravely stood their ground as it swung its giant axe at their heads. Elisabeth wasn't sure as to how long the Gate Keeper had held them up but she knew that she didn't have much time left.
Finally, the Gate Keeper stopped and dropped the axe and she and Didymus made their way through the streets of the Goblin City slowly. Moments later whole battalions of Goblin soldiers were marching against them. And here I thought she wanted me to win she thought wryly to herself, as the battle began.
Ten minutes later it was all over, the goblins retreated, and she hurried to the castle steps to find the Queen, King and Prince all waiting for her.
Daryan didn't wait for her to get to the steps; he raced over and caught her up in his arms disappearing when they touched.
A/N: okay guys if you really really want to know the right answer to the last riddle your going to have send me a review! (Hint the answer is a person an ancient person.)
