Sarah and Nell had been sat on a bench near the village's pub. They talked for several hours waiting for someone, anyone to turn up. But no-one had passed through the little village.
"Where do you think everyone is?" Sarah asked quietly. She was afraid something had happened.
"I don't really know. Usually there is someone hanging around, it's only ever like this if there's a runner through. But the Labyrinth's been sealed for a couple of days. There's too much to re-build." Nell sighed.
"Why is there so much to re-build?"
"Well the last runner, stubborn little brat of a girl, took it upon herself to try and destroy everything she came across. She was strong, unusually strong for a young human girl. She'd get frustrated and start smashing things. In the end, Jareth had to intervene. He couldn't see his beloved Labyrinth in ruins. He made time go forward. Told her to take things seriously or she wouldn't see her sister again. Then he trapped her in an oubliette. He got really impatient. Usually, the ones who win their siblings or children back are determined and are meant to win them back. She was meant to win her sister back, of course, in which she did. But she didn't learn her lessons. Jareth pleaded with the Labyrinth for hours trying to get them to change the rules in this special case, but he got refused and was told, 'everything will work out in due course' which really, could mean anything."
Nell paused and looked around; she then sighed and looked dejected. Yet again, Sarah felt a twinge in her stomach at the mention of His name.
"Her sister was a delight. A wonderful little thing, but scared, terribly scared. She was, and I hate to use this word, normal. Where her sister was strong, stupid and muscular, she was a little dot with intelligent eyes. Jareth told me that he suspected foul play in the family."
"What do you mean?" said Sarah, a little puzzled at Nell's remark.
"Hmm, how to put this… In your world, people use substances to enhance themselves, am I correct? Jareth said her family was a family of builders of the body or something or other."
"You mean bodybuilders? You mean her family were feeding her drugs, steroids?" Sarah exclaimed looking horrified. What a thing to give to a child. No wonder she managed to destroy parts of the Labyrinth and had anger issues.
"If that's what you call it, then it might be."
Jareth had retired to his throne room. The goblins had been wondering where he had gone for so long. He took his usual position of one leg thrown over an arm of the throne, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back. He sighed and began to stare at the ceiling, and slowly, his eyes began to close.
"Your Highness!" squeaked a little voice.
Jareth opened his eyes, removed his hands from the back of his head and turned to the right. He looked around and then remembered to look down. There was a little female goblin with a cloth hat and black eyes.
"What is it Gomwin?" Jareth sighed.
"The Lady Sarah is at the goblin city!" she piped. "Should we show her the way to the castle?"
"What part of the goblin city is she in, the one surrounding the castle?"
"No sire, but she isn't far. She's in one of the little villages not too far from here. We could show her to the castle."
"No, Gomwin, she can find her own way here. What village is she in?"
"The one where the dwarf, the fox and the orange dinosaur live."
"How many times? He's a stone-caller not a dinosaur Gomwin… Wait, she's where Higgle lives?"
"Yes sire, Hoggle. But the dwarf isn't there, none of them are. They're all doing the re-build."
"So she's found her way to their village on her own?" scowled Jareth.
"No, sire, your personal tailor is with her." Smiled the little goblin, bearing a mouth full of missing teeth.
Jareth smirked. "Thank you Gomwin, that will be all. Here, have a chicken." With that he conjured a crystal, threw it into the air and in mid-air it turned into a little black chicken that squawked, flapped its wings and landed into little Gomwin's arms.
The little goblin gasped and smiled excitedly. "Thank you, your Majesty." She bowed and scarpered out of the throne room.
Jareth closed his eyes, his smile warming the tips of his toes and fingers. His heart expanded and glowed with the warmth from the smile.
Thank you Nell. Thank you for keeping her safe, for finding her and leading her to her friends.
A/N: I felt generous with uploading another chapter. Sorry it's so short. Although this may be the last for a while, still not sure yet.
My knowledge of drugs is basic, so I may have made stuff up, if it seems correct then yay me. Really, I should have researched things beforehand, but I didn't even know I was going to include this runner until I started writing this chapter.
The Jareth in the back of my mind was shouting: "RELEASE MEEEEEEE!" So I did *insert big cheesy grin*
Also, in the future I will plan properly! Instead of planning for more of the end of the story…
Anyway, thanks for reading!