A/N: Congrats to ButterfyOnTheWall for guessing this chapter's animal!
Hoggle couldn't help it.
He really couldn't. '
One look at the new animal, and he burst out laughing again.
"Look at ya!" The dwarf howled, pointing at the Goblin King. "I wish I had a camera or somethin'. Look at yer puffy little tail! Ya wanna carrot, Peter Rabbit?"
Big mistake.
Jareth's eyes narrowed and before Hoggle could chuckle out another tease, the snow-white rabbit jumped straight up into the air and kicked his back legs out, slamming the dwarf hard in the chest.
The force of the impact knocked the breath out of Hoggle and sent him stumbling backward onto his rump.
Satisfied, Jareth quickly dashed back down the paper-littered trail.
"Why you!" Hoggle snarled, hurrying to his feet to chase after the rabbit. "I'll get you for that!"
It didn't take too long for Jareth to reach the clearing. Sarah and Ludo were already there, waiting. While one munched on some of the hedge leaves, the other was sitting patiently on the book throne, mentally bemoaning the fact that her and her friend's path had led only to a dead end.
Sensing a golden opportunity, the Goblin King ran forward and leapt into the girl's lap.
"Oh!" Sarah gasped in surprise that immediately dissipated once she realized what had landed on her knees.
"Hey, little guy!" She cooed, gathering the fluffy creature in her arms. "Where did you come from, huh? Oh, you're so cute!"
She stroked the rabbit's back and tickled its ears.
"You're just the cutest, sweetest-"
"AH-HA!" Hoggle exclaimed, bursting into the clearing and rushing towards the rabbit. "I got you now, you little rat!"
"HOGGLE!" Sarah scolded, jumping up and holding the rabbit close to her chest, away from the angry dwarf's hands. "How could you?!"
"But-but-but," Her friend floundered, "but, Sarah-!"
"You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Sarah, y-you don't understand!"
"Picking on a poor, innocent little bunny-rabbit." The teenager continued, ignoring the dwarf and snuggling Jareth against her cheek. "How can you be so mean?"
"But-!"
"You were supposed to be trying to find a way to the Stone Quarter," she snapped, "not bothering defenseless animals! The only animal you should be concerned about is Jareth! Where is he anyway? Did you leave him all alone out there so you chase this adorable, precious-?"
"NO!" Hoggle yelled, unable to stand this absurdity any longer. "I didn't abandon him cuz he's right there!"
The dwarf pointed a stubby finger at the rabbit.
Sarah froze.
"Wh-what?"
Slowly, she pulled the rabbit away from her chest and held it up to her now cherry-red face.
Sure enough, Jareth's bi-colored eyes were gazing back at her. How had she not noticed before?!
Before she could drop the Goblin King on the ground and find a rock to crawl under in humiliation, Jareth suddenly blinked slowly at her and wiggled his tiny nose.
She felt her chest melt. She'd always had a soft spot for bunnies, ever since she saw her first magic show at her cousin's birthday party when she was five. Unfortunately, she'd never been allowed to own one due to her father's allergies, so she had to compromise with her sweet Old English Sheepdog, Merlin.
"YAH!" Hoggle shouted, trying to jump up and snatch the rabbit.
"Hey!" Sarah gasped, backing away from the dwarf and unconsciously cuddling Jareth to her chest, mortification completely forgotten. "Hoggle, what is your problem?"
"He kicked me!"
"Why did he kick you?"
"Cuz he's a snobby, rotten, son of a-"
"Hoggle," the girl warned, "tell me the truth. Why did he kick you? Were you laughing at him, again?"
The dwarf averted his eyes and started nervously shuffling his feet.
"Well I, uh…I um…ya see…I…uh-"
Sarah cut him off with a harsh sigh.
"Look Hoggle, from now on, just leave Jareth alone, okay? And you," she said to the rabbit, leaning back far enough to look him in the eye, "don't kick people. Or bite, scratch, peck, head-butt, sting, whatever!"
The Goblin King nuzzled her collarbone in reply.
"Ahem!" A throat cleared in the distance. "I hope I am not interrupting?"
Sarah turned to see Sir Didymus standing at the mouth of his corridor.
"Oh n-no, not at all!" She stammered, embarrassed, but eternally grateful for the distraction.
"Please tell me you found something, Sir Didymus; we've already lost another hour!" She begged, nodding to the rabbit.
"My dear lady, I am happy to report that I believe I have indeed found a promising avenue!" The knight proudly declared, smirking ambiguously at the way his lady was holding the king. "Though I did not locate the Stone Quarter, I have found a Lookout!"
"Are you serious?" Hoggle grinned excitedly. "That's great!"
"What's a Lookout?" Sarah tilted her head in confusion.
"Some of the paths in the Labyrinth actually lead up on to a few of the walls." The dwarf explained. "We call those spots Lookouts. Remember when I saved you from the Fireys? That was a Lookout I pulled you up to."
"Really?" Sarah sighed with relief. "Well good, then let's go!"
Sir Didymus's paper-trail had ended right at the foot of some stairs that rose up into a whole new wall. Hoggle and Didymus led the way up to the Lookout with Ludo in the middle and Sarah following along behind, still carrying Jareth in her arms.
"Now everybody be careful and stay close." Hoggle instructed as the group climbed the steps to the Lookout. "These Lookouts have hidden trapdoors in 'em that lead straight to the Bog of Eternal Stench."
Sarah shuddered at the memory but stopped short when she noticed Jareth shift uncomfortably at the motion.
"Sorry." She muttered bashfully. "Do you want me to put you down?"
Jareth stared at her and she immediately felt her cheeks heating up again.
"Right…um, ok…uh…move your right ear for yes and your left ear for no. Do you want me to put you down?"
Jareth's left ear twitched.
Something akin to euphoria bubbled up in her stomach at his response.
"Listen, Jareth," she began, keeping her voice low so the others wouldn't hear, "I'm sorry about being such a brat. I have a feeling that I misjudged you and, although I still don't think I completely understand your actions, I really do want to save you and I'd like to get to know you better, if that's okay with you? Can we be friends?"
The right ear flinched this time and Sarah couldn't stop the huge, warm smile from spreading across her face nor the sudden urge to affectionately pet the Goblin King.
"Thank you, Jareth." She whispered earnestly.
After a few more minutes of walking in silence, she turned to the rabbit again.
"Are we on the right track with the Labyrinth's you-know-what?" She mumbled ambiguously, remembering what happened last time he'd tried to give any hints. "Does it exist?"
Jareth's right ear jerked and she could've screamed for joy had Sir Didymus not chosen that moment to speak up.
"I say, Sir Hoggle, is not the Stone Quarter in that direction?" The fox knight pointed across the thorn-ridden Labyrinth to a tall cluster of trees lining the edge of the crack about sixty yards to the south-east.
"Yup," the dwarf happily confirmed, "it's just on the other side of the Firey Forest there. Maybe we can tie this rope to one of those trees and swing across."
"Hey guys?" Sarah asked as the group quickened their pace. "I've been thinking about the Labyrinth's treasure…"
"What about it?" Hoggle grunted.
"Well, I have idea as to how we can get some more information on it."
"Sarah," Hoggle rolled his eyes, "I already told you, nobody knows anythin' about it. We don't even know if it's real!"
"Jareth says it is."
Everyone stopped and faced the girl.
"Really?" Hoggle's expression was incredulous. "And just how did he tell you that?"
"Never mind," the girl bit out, "I just thought that maybe if I knew a little more about Jareth, maybe I could figure out a few more clues about the treasure!"
A shot pause ensued.
"Truth be told, my lady," Sir Didymus began, "no one really knows anything about the king, either."
"Wh-what?" Sarah gaped. "Seriously?! How can he be your king, and yet you know nothing about him?!"
"I know he enjoys the art of singing and dancing!" The knight supplied, hopefully. "I hear he is also quite fond of peach wine!"
"No, no! I mean thing like: who was king before him?"
Didymus's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Why, no one, my lady."
"Huh?"
"His majesty has always been the king here." Her friend went on, looking at Jareth reverently. "There was nothing before the Goblin King and his Labyrinth."
Sarah struggled to make sense of what she'd just been told.
"What are you trying to tell me? That Jareth and the Labyrinth both just…appeared one day and then you goblins came along and he's been in charge ever since?"
Hoggle scratched his head in thought.
"I know Jareth was still king when my grandfather was a lad. Pappy used to tell me stories about him and the ancient runners; that's a six hundred year span, at least."
Sarah tried not to dwell on the absurdity of that statement as she wrapped her mind around this new information. So Jareth had been around as long as the Labyrinth itself?
They say it is hidden somewhere in the Labyrinth and is as old as the king himself.
Her eyes widened.
"I knew it! I knew there had to be a connection!"
"I beg your pardon, my lady?"
"You said that the Labyrinth's treasure is as old as the king himself, right?" She reminded the knight. "Well, if Jareth and the Labyrinth appeared at the same time, then that means the treasure would have, too!"
Jareth's right ear fluttered.
"See?" Sarah squealed like a kid at Christmas as she pointed at the rabbit. "That means yes! I'm right, I'm right! And since you guys don't know much about Jareth or the treasure, I think that there must be some sort of connection between him and the treasure."
Once again, Jareth wiggled his right ear. Sarah pumped her fist in the air.
"Uh, okay," Hoggle nodded with a confused look on his face, "can we talk about this after we get to the Stone Quarter?"
As the dwarf approached Sarah to tug her along by the sleeve, Ludo stepped back to give him room. All at once, the monster let out a horrible wail as the stone slab beneath him gave out. Instinctively, Ludo grabbed Hoggle, who in turn seized Sarah's ankle leaving poor Sir Didymus no other alternative but to dive into the trapdoor after his friends.
Just as before, the hole led to an underground, cobweb-filled slide and in less than five seconds, the group spilled out of the opening in the wall below.
Sarah shrieked in terror as she felt herself falling. The distinct sound of a heavy splash filled her ears just before her back hit something large and hairy.
The smell of the Bog of Eternal Stench assaulted her in a heartbeat.
With a groan, Sarah sat up and was relieved to see Jareth still tucked safely under her arm. She quickly used her free hand to cover her nose. Sensing movement beside her, she turned to see Hoggle and Sir Didymus, unharmed and getting to their feet. But where was-?
A deep groan sounded from beneath her.
Oh no.
Sarah's breath caught in horror. Ludo had fallen right into the Bog on his stomach, while everyone else had landed on him.
Scrambling off of the yeti and onto the bank, everyone stared hopelessly as Ludo trudged out of the putrid water.
The scent was even more unbearable than before. Ludo's sopping wet fur in the front made it ten times worse. Sarah could practically taste it on her tongue.
"Oh, Ludo!" She cried. "What are we gonna do?"
"SMELL BAD!"
"We got no choice." Hoggle choked, backing away. "We've gotta go on without him."
"What?!" The girl yelled in shock, rounding on the dwarf. "Hoggle, we can't just leave him here!"
"Quite so, my lady." Sir Didymus agreed, oblivious to the rank air around them. "A few minutes in the sun and Sir Ludo will be right as rain."
"Sarah," Hoggle argued, "I told you that you'd stink for life if you touched the Bog! There's nothin' we can do for him! You want him to come along if he smells like that the whole way?"
Sarah felt bile rising in her throat. Her head was pounding. Her nose and lungs were burning. She had no idea what to do.
"Smells like what?" Sir Didymus inquired.
"Oh shut up, you twit!" Hoggle snarled.
Sarah felt dizzy and almost dropped to her knees.
"Forgive me, my friend, I simply wished to know what this fuss is about-"
"Sarah, make up your mind!" Hoggle begged, ignoring the knight. "I can't breathe!"
"LUDO STAY!"
Everyone froze at the behemoth's declaration.
Tears sprang into Sarah's eyes.
"Ludo…I'm so sorry."
"Follow the wall around that way." Hoggle ordered, pointing to the right. "There's an alcove, upwind of the Bog. Go and hide there, big fella."
"If you insist on this ridiculous notion of abandoning our friend because of a foul scent only you can detect," Sir Didymus huffed at the dwarf, "then I too, shall stay behind with-"
"NO!" Ludo moaned, leaning down to peer at the knight. "BROTHER STAY WITH SAWA! KEEP FWIENDS SAFE!"
"...I swear on my life, dear brother, all will be well." Sir Didymus vowed after a moment.
"I love you, Ludo." Sarah whimpered, touching a dry spot on the beast's chin. "You go hide like Hoggle said, okay?"
"LOVE SAWA! LUDO BE OK!"
After a few more minutes of saying a painful goodbye, the now smaller group headed across the bridge. Sarah glanced over her shoulder repeatedly as the Bog gradually disappeared between the trees. Her heart sank once Ludo was completely out of sight.
"Don't worry, Sarah." Hoggle soothed. "He'll be fine. Besides, Jareth can probably remove the stench, if we win."
"Can you?" Sarah sniffed, watching the rabbit sadly. "Can you help Ludo?"
Jareth's right ear moved again.
She lovingly cradled the Goblin King to her chest, more determined now than ever.
No one said a word for a long time. The silence was heavy and sorrowful. Finally, the path opened up to the edge of the Junkyard.
"Everybody stay low and don't make a sound." Hoggle hissed, eyeing the distant Goblin City warily as the group crawled through the scrap heaps. "There's a secret doorway around here that leads back to the Firey Forest."
"You mean this one?" A sugary voice giggled.
Sarah and Hoggle jumped in fright at the voice and whirled around to see Mya perched like a cat on top of an old refrigerator. Sir Didymus growled and yapped at the Fairy Queen. Sarah was trembling so badly, she didn't notice, at first, when Jareth started to squirm as the light flared up again.
A/N: Guess what animal Jareth will be next and you get a special sneak peek at the next chapter! Sorry about the delay again, guys. I got a new kitten this week and I start a new job tomorrow so I've just been swamped with getting things in order. Anyway, please review and I'll do my best to have the next chapter up in a few days! Love you guys!