Ch15 The Escape
#I have to get OUT OF HERE! # Niki screamed in her head. She sighed looking at the kid in her lap who seemed very content as the goblins ran about acting like idiots. The baby had gone and gotten attached to her and the goblins wouldn't stop… well being goblins. No wonder Jareth kicked them so much the stupid things they did would hurt anyone's head after awhile. Only good thing was that a good portion of them seemed to be falling asleep from whatever it was they were drinking so much of. #If more of them would just fall asleep I might be able to get out of here, # she thought looking around. Then she saw Jareth sitting on his throne, #Damn forgot about him. #
She heard a small yawn and looked down as the baby snuggled against her, figuring it must be getting tired too she took it as another good sign that an escape attempt might work, if only she could get Jareth to leave. Looking back at him she noticed he had another crystal with him or maybe the same one he'd had before, he seemed to have so many it was hard to tell. He'd stare at those things for a long time then suddenly they'd be gone and come back whenever he decided he wanted to look at it again. #What the heck is he looking at? # Niki wondered but knew better then to ask, he'd just give her some random answer and she wasn't up for that.
Niki took another look around out of boredom and saw more goblins lying or maybe she should say falling down and going to sleep, #Good good. # She heard a sound and looked over at Jareth again who had stood up still looking at his crystal. Keeping his eyes on it he walked up a set of stairs and out of the room, #Yes! # She practically screamed in her head as he left, she looked at the few semi-awake goblins and the baby in her lap. She gently tried to get up laying the baby on a pillow, but he began whimpering which made the semi-awake goblins look over. "It's ok," Niki said trying to hush the child with-out much success. #Maybe a lullaby? # she thought almost getting desperate.
"Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight
With lilies o'er spread is baby's wee bed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed."
It seemed to work as the baby stopped whimpering and went to sleep. "Whew," Niki sighed in relief, she then heard the sound of snoring and turned around to see all the goblins asleep. #YES! Two for two! # She smiled and quickly went down the other flight of stairs that Jareth hadn't taken.
After wandering down the stairs she found her way to the castle doors, "Thank goodness." She groaned when she saw the doors were closed, as slowly and quietly as she could she opened them just enough to sneak though. Once outside she saw a small city and goblins everywhere just walking around, doing whatever it was that was normal for goblins to do. Quickly she hurried down to the city, after all there had to be a way out there, right? As she walked through the city she saw some of the houses, if you could call them that a good portion looked completely dilapidated, were actually shops where things she'd never heard of were sold, except shoes that was one she knew. She was also surprised that the goblins didn't seem to notice she was there. "What's this?" and odd voice asked behind her, "A girl?" #Spoke to soon. #
Niki turned around to see a goblin woman, at least she thought it was a woman, looking at her in a rather unhappy way. The goblin was wearing a semi-tattered dress and apron with a basket on her back with what looked like roots in it. "How do you do?" Niki asked hoping she could get away from the goblin quickly before anything happened.
The woman huffed, "What kind of weird creature are you? Last one I saw like you cause a damn war to break out. I'm still getting my house back together."
"I'm sorry?" Niki wasn't sure what to do so she started walking away.
"Well you should be," the woman walked after her as she continued, "Do you know how hard to is to keep a house looking nice? I bet you don't. Of course you probably don't have to worry about that do you, you weird little thing you."
#Ok, this lady is more annoying then the dummies in the throne room. Maybe if I make her think I'm a fairy or whatever she'll leave me be. # Niki turned around and looked at the goblin woman, "Look I don't have time for this. Now go away or I'll… I'll put a spell on you! I'm part fairy you know."
The woman gave her a disbelieving look then her eyes widened as she noticed Niki's hair, Niki smirked figuring it work unfortunately it worked a bit too well. The woman promptly screamed, "It's a human faery! A Fey! Help! Run for your lives!" Not waiting around for more goblins Niki took off down an alley as the woman kept screaming. #Crap! Crappity crap! How can I have such bad luck? # She saw more goblins as she ran a few started screaming when they saw her, "THE FEY LADY! RUN!" Another few started swinging whatever they had at her and throwing who knows what at her.
Niki continued running till she came to a wall. #Shit, what's this? # She looked it up and down then blurted, "The outside wall!" Niki quickly followed it around to the right and saw the open gates, #Alright some good luck. # As she walked around the gate she stopped and looked at what was on the other side, what she saw surprised her. "It looks like a garbage dump," she said neither believing nor understanding why there'd be a dump directly outside the front gates.
"It's the junkyard," a voice said behind her, she groaned and turned around to see three goblins she'd seen from the throne room.
"His Majesty sent us to find you," said one.
"Do you know how hard that was? Half the city is screaming about this monstrous Fey that's out to eat us," said the second.
"Maybe we should let her go then?" the third said a bit worried.
"Shut up!" the other two shouted.
Niki just shook her head. "Alright let's head back then," she said heading back the way she came with the three of them following her. If she had to choose between being stuck in a throne room or being lost in a garbage er… junkyard she'd take waiting in the throne room. As they walked back she noticed some of the goblins hiding from her and some cheering at the "hero's" who had stopped the Fey from terrorizing them. She growled at them which sent them running.
After being taken back inside the castle, complaining most of the way, she saw Jareth standing there with a half annoyed half impressed look on his face. "You know I don't think anyone who's been wished away has ever made it out of this castle, let alone the Labyrinth. Did you really think you'd get very far?" he asked in a rather smug voice. Niki just rolled her eyes, "Well since I have a few years and better motor skills then most of them I figured I had a good shot at it. I'm also not exactly stupid you know." Jareth let out a small chuckle, "You'd make an interesting sister." He stated as he turned around, motioning for the goblins to make sure Niki followed who wasn't sure if that was a compliment or insult.
As she walked along she found Jareth's statement bothering her a bit, she didn't really think Cara would stay with this kind of guy and there was no way she'd want to be stuck here or stuck related to Jareth, but she also had to admit they might be good for each other he could help her with her confidence problems and she could probably make him nicer.
Once back in the throne room the baby wobbled up to her, #Oh great, it missed me. # Knowing she was beat again she stooped down and picked him up, "Hey drool factory." The baby laughed at her, she just sighed and shook her head with a small smile. A few of the goblins came up to her asking where she'd been and how she got out but before she could respond Jareth spoke, "Would you like to see your sister?"
Niki looked around the room for a moment before she looked at Jareth not fully believing or trusting him, he motioned for her to come closer to him. For better or worse she decided to obey. As she got closer she saw another crystal sitting on a stand that looked like it had faces on it. "In there," Jareth said simply pointing to the crystal, still having her guard up she looked into it to see a picture appear.
"Cara!" Niki practically shouted giving/shoving the baby at Jareth before getting closer, she could tell she was in a forest but had no idea how close or far away that was from the castle or who those people/creatures she was with were. "Look, Sarah." Niki turned around to see Jareth behind her, she guessed he was talking to the other girl she'd seen with Cara. #Must be the baby's sister. # "Is this what you're trying to find?" He held the baby up who giggled. "So much trouble over such a little thing, but not for long." Niki began to get worried with how he was talking. "She'll soon forget all about you my fine fellow, just as soon as Hoggle gives her my present. Then she'll forget everything." Niki's eyes widened slightly, what exactly was he planning for that girl? And what about her sister, what kind of plan did he have for Cara.
