Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, the Labyrinth ain't mine, so please don't sue!

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed, the story is starting off at a slow pace, but keep with me!

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Sarah snapped, backpedaling through the mist until she slammed into the splintered railing behind her.

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

A figure, dressed in archaic finery, stalked from the twisting fog. A wild mane of corn silk hair fell in long, shaggy layers over his brow. The strands shaded his shining face, a clean canvass of wild planes and sharp angles. Vehement gusts of wind brushed errant wisps behind two pale ears. Pointed thin at their tips, they mirrored the ethereal markings which framed the monarch's charcoal rimmed orbs. Aware of the brunette's scrutiny, their mismatched depths shone with mirth.

"Perhaps this will be easier than I thought" he purred, pausing a few feet before her.

The bastard was amused. Sarah's temper flared.

"Wh-at," she bristled, "Why you son-of-a—" Her curse was dragged from her lips by a lazy flourish. She reached for her throat in surprise, struggling to finish her response. Pursing her lips in anger, she tried another tactic.

Bullseye.

Wiping the spit from his lashes, he narrowed his eyes in disdain.

"You'd do well to watch your tone, girl." He leaned closer, whispering low in her ear. "You wouldn't want to cause any more trouble."

Sarah instinctively jerked her face away from the near contact. The hairs back of her neck were drawn tall by magnetic force and she shivered mechanically. Her claustrophobia was sinking in and her inability to respond amplified it ten-fold. She willed her focus to the worldly surroundings.

I'm on a wooden bridge, warped by rain and time. Autumn foliage, born from knobbed branches. The river below flowed freely over eroded bends.

Whole. Solid. Tangible.

She risked a glance back towards the otherworldly vision before her. No need to worry. Maybe this was just a coincidental encounter…a chance New England holiday.

"I assure you, I would not set foot in your pathetic little world unless it was absolutely necessary" he cut in, negating her train of thought.

Maybe not.

As if sensing her vocal discomfort, he nonchalantly flicked his dominant wrist. The invisible bonds melted away and Sarah's throat sighed in relief. Testing its strength, she found her will once more.

"Absolutely necessary?" she ground out, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Didn't I settle this five years ago when I beat you at your own game?"

Sarah frowned at his audacity to chortle back in response. She didn't find the situation at all funny. She clearly was missing something. Perhaps a different approach would even the playing field.

"I'm not sure why my confusion brings you so much amusement. You seem to be forgetting one important detail. You. Have. No. Power. Over. Me. Period. End of story. Game over."

Again with the laughing! Sarah's subconscious flared in warning. She had a nagging suspicion that she was not going to like where this was headed. Worry seeping in; she decided to finish her demands before he silenced her again.

"…And stop messing with my mind! My life is trouble enough without all your shadowy dreamscapes" she threw in for good measure.

Jareth seemed genuinely surprised with her outburst. Bringing one curved fist to his lips, his expression turned thoughtful.

"It has been taking matters into It's own hands." He murmured, pensive. "So it has already begun…"

Sarah's panic burst from its fleshy prison. Her hands grew clammy and she wiped the thin bead of perspiration from her brow. Something was beginning? More like something was wrong. Very wrong.

"You better tell me what's going on Goblin King, or I'll, I'll…"

"You'll what? Spit me to death? Wish me away?" he all but snarled. "I hope you don't honestly believe you can rid me so simply". Sarah sputtered in protest and he edged his tone higher. "But since you asked so nicely, I'll grant you one favor."

Guarded silver eyes met his mismatched orbs as she waited on bated breath for elaboration.

"I'll make our trip back as…restful… for you as possible" he grinned devilishly.

The wooden bridge rose to meet Sarah's face, and she succumbed to the night. The weary monarch sighed in pain. Jareth bent down to cradle her unconscious form in his arms, murmuring into her hair.

"I know you despise me now but believe me dearest Sarah, this is the only way you'll stand a chance."

When Kate and Ben passed the bridge, hours later, the king and his prize were long gone. Sarah's old Honda, now humming merrily despite the cold, was the only sign she'd ever been there.

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An unseen arm trapped the helpless creature in its sinister grasp. Worn frail from fighting the curse, it collided hard into the fallen wood. Brittle legs collapsing in defeat, the cricket yielded to nature's premature call. Beady eyes drawn to the fading scenery, it watched in trepidation as a hulky shadow rushed forth. Then it knew no more.

Hurdling purposefully over the cricket's final resting place, the shadow's muddied paws landed in a thorny brush at labyrinths edge. Yowling in surprise, it jostled his rider in his perch.

"Steady Ambrosious!" the fox placated. "Now is not the time to dally in the mud. The night is almost upon us and we must complete our quest with the utmost haste."

The small fox urged his stead forwards, guiding him around the intricately carved rubble and into the open Eastern plains. Squinting his good eye tight, he gazed upon the far horizon. A blurred but unmistakable tower kept watch over the desert below. Prodding his left foot inward, he forced the beast to shift his path slightly, grazing a cobbled wall of the labyrinth's former entrance in the process. The barrier creaked in warning and dissolved instantly into dust. The knight cringed in sorrow.

"There's no time to lose, boy. Onwards!" Sir Didymus pushed. The pair traveled straight and true for the remainder of their journey, gaze centered solely on their target. They couldn't afford to wait much longer.

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"Elide, your concern in duly noted, but rest assured, we have the situation under control…" a confident voice soothed. "Only one contender evades the call, and she has not the will to fight much longer."

Dressed regally in white silken robes, the Queen smiled down upon her worried subject. Beside her, hunched on an identical throne of gold inlayed marble, the High King of the Underground mumbled something unintelligible. Without raising his head, he shooed the peasant away with a single flick of his wrist.

"I do hope your instinct is right, Amarette." The King rolled his neck towards his wife. "This can't continue much longer. This is precisely why we keep what belongs in the Underground, well, in the Underground! The separation is tearing the lands apart."

"Peace Cáel, if our lands react with such hostility to the split, the girl from above should be feeling an exemplary strain, yes?" Without waiting for his ensuing nod, she continued. "In any case, a girl strong enough to elude It's call will make for a most entertaining participant in our Game. We may have a mortal victor yet!"

The Queen twisted one manicured hand through her long auburn locks, resetting the sapphire encrusted tiara resting there. After guaranteeing its stability, she rose to her feet and brushed the wrinkles in her gown free. She would deal with the remaining subjects later. For now, she would rest. A tired moan interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm sorry sir, but Their Majesties are no longer hearing complaints. If you'd be so good to return tomorrow…" monotoned the royal guard.

"I say! This is urgent! I bring news of the final contender; word straight from King Jareth!"

The Queen turned back to her husband with a knowing look, and waved the messenger in.

"Good knight, what news have you of the girl from above?"