Chapter Two:
The teleportation was different this time around, less fluid, and it left Sarah feeling momentarily disoriented and nauseous. The last time Jareth had brought her down into the Underground it had been like walking through a door and entering a new room. This time it felt like she had fallen down into the oubliette all over again.
Once the disorientation passed, Sarah took in her surroundings. She was in a bedroom, decorated with elaborate colors and draperies. It was under furnished, with just a canopy bed and a vanity table, but still it felt full. Slowly she made her way around, touching everything to reassure herself that it was real. She ran her fingers over the soft fabric of the curtains and the engraved wood of the bedposts. She even lifted bottles of perfume to her nose and breathed in the intoxicating scents. A part of her wondered if Jareth had made this room just for her, but rationally she knew there was no way he could have predicted that her stepmother would wish her away accidentally.
She lowered herself onto the bed, sitting upon the edge as a cross between shock and rage etched itself upon her soft features. She had already resigned to the fate the next thirteen hours had presented with her. She knew she would be stuck in the castle with only Jareth and his goblins for companions. All she had to do was wait, her stepmother would finish the Labyrith… she had to.
"Miss?"
Sarah's gaze turned to a small goblin girl standing in the doorway of her room. It smiled up at her pleasantly, but Sarah continued to scowl. "What?"
"The Master wishes for you to join him in the throne room." The goblin answered, seeming unaffected by Sarah's sour attitude.
"And what? He just expects all his wishes to be granted?" Sarah snapped back.
The little goblin giggled, a sound that reminded Sarah of her brother's laugh. It softened her slightly, but not enough. "The Master warned that you might be a little be grumpy. I'm Sygel, by the way." The goblin smiled. "You've been in the Underground before, haven't you?"
"I was a runner once, yes." Sarah's voice no longer held the venomous edge.
"I've never met a victor before." Sygel gaped, her curious eyes large and round as she walked closer and inspected Sarah's every feature. "My runner gave up in three hours."
"Your… runner?" Sarah's brow furrowed slightly. "You're a wished away?"
"Yes ma'am!" She grinned, rocking back and forth on her heels.
"But you're a goblin?" Sarah's tone was incredulous, betraying her immense curiosity.
"Yes ma'am," Sygel continued. "It all depends on what magic you're most exposed to early on."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, lowering herself to sit upon the floor.
"The magic of the Underground is strong." Sygel explained. "No one who is left behind here remains human, or at least not completely human. If you're exposed to enough goblin magic, you change." She shrugged as if it were common knowledge.
"What else can you change into if you're not rescued?" All anger had drained away now, leaving only intrigue in its wake. Sarah had always wondered what would have happened to Toby if she had failed to rescue him from the Labyrinth in time.
"All sorts of things!" The girl grinned, flopping herself down so she was sitting cross legged in front of Sarah. "Most wished aways become Goblins or Fae."
"Fae…" Sarah breathed, a light smile upon her lips. "Like Jareth?"
"Like the Master." Sygel corrected, throwing Sarah a disapproving look. "You have to show more respect to the King."
"He's not my King." Sarah huffed, her voice absorbing some of her malice again.
"What if your runner gives up?" Sygel asked, her eyes wide. "What if you have to live in the Underground forever?"
"She won't." But her voice lacked conviction. "I'm going home. She won't leave me here forever."
The goblin girl frowned, rising to her feet and dusting off her clothing. "It's very rare a child is rescued from the Labyrinth."
"I'm not a child. And I rescued Toby." Sarah stated defiantly.
"You were a rare case." Sygel sighed. "And the Master still wishes to see you." All playfulness had left the little goblin's voice. "It doesn't matter if you recognize him as your King or not, for now he is your keeper, and it would be unwise to refuse his request."
Sarah huffed, some of her previous malice forgotten. "Why does he want to see me?" Sarah asked, following behind the goblin despite herself.
"There are many customs to being a wished away that still need to be explained. Being in the Labyrinth as a wished away is very different from being a runner." Sygel explained, turning down hallway after hallway. "Did you know that you're one of the oldest wished aways ever?" Sygel grinned, clearly excited with the new development. "Even Farnig was much younger than you when his human keepers wished him away."
"Farnig?"
"He's one of the generals in the Fae army! He was fourteen when his keepers wished him away. Most of the older wished aways become Fae. It's normally just the babies who become goblins." Sygel explained.
"How old were you when you were first taken into the Underground?" Sarah asked, not paying much attention to where she was going as she followed Sygel along. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she had placed her faith in the hands of the small goblin girl.
"I wasn't even a year yet."
"And how old are you now?" Sarah asked, completely fascinated.
"I'm still pretty young. My 612th birthday is coming up soon, though." Sygel grinned proudly.
"612 is young?!" Sarah gaped. "How long do goblins typically live?"
"Well…" She thought for a moment, nibbling on her bottom lip. "My mama and papa are over four thousand years. That's pretty old. But it's the Fae who live the longest. The royal family is immortal." She could hear the lingering fascination in even Sygel's voice.
"Jareth has a family?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowing. She had always seen the Goblin King as a monster, the thought of him having a wife and child had never crossed her mind.
"The Master," Sygel corrected again. "He comes from a family, but he hasn't chosen a family yet. It's rumor that he once claimed a runner as his own, but she rejected him."
"A runner?"
Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I shall be your slave.
"We're here."
Glancing up, Sarah recognized the large and ornate door before her. She remembered standing here as she chased Toby down in a desperate attempt to save his life. Sygel nudged her.
"It's best not to keep him waiting."
Gathering her courage, Sarah pushed the large door open ad stormed inside. In a desperate attempt to remain strong, she summoned all of the anger that she had abandoned during her talks with Sygel. Her eyes landed upon him immediately, dressed in black clothing with a cloak that fluttered around him in a nonexistent breeze.
"My darling Sarah," he purred, rising to his feet. His smile looked more like a sneer, like he was amused by her stepmother's lack of compassion. "Welcome to my castle."
"You mean your dungeon?" She snapped, glaring across the distance at him. It took everything in her to keep her curiosity in check. He had changed almost everything in the throne room since her last visit and all she really wanted to do was explore and take it all in.
"You'll find it more comfortable here than in the oubliette." He teased, stopping just a few feet before her. "You are not my prisoner, Sarah. You are my guest. Until your runner fails-"
"She wont fail." Sarah interrupted.
Jareth's lips pulled into a tight line, creating a crystal out of thin air. It bounced back and forth over his lithe fingers before stopping at eye level before her. "Take it." He commanded. "IT will allow you to follow the progress of your runner as she makes her way through the Labyrinth. She still has not found her way inside."
Reaching out gently, Sarah took the crystal in her hands. Nervously she peered into it. She could see her frustrated stepmother walking down the same never-ending walkway that Sarah had been trapped in.
Things aren't always what they seem in this place so you can't take anything for granted.
"She will fail, Sarah."
She lifted her gaze back to his and for a moment she thought she saw a slight sadness lingering in his eyes. Part of her knew he was right. "I beat the Labyrinth."
"You loved Toby," Jareth countered.
"Are you insinuating that my stepmother doesn't love me?" Sarah asked.
He didn't answer, he didn't have to, he just stared at her with deep and soulful eyes. "Anything you need during the next thirteen hours is yours. You need only ask."
"What happens then?" She asked. "If she fails?"
"I thought you said she wouldn't?" The edges of his smirk were once again pulling at his soft lips.
"Oblige me." She snapped.
"Then the choice is yours and the Underground becomes your home. If you want to live among the goblins, so be it. I personally believe you'd make a wonderful Fae. You may even chose to live among your friends if it so pleases you." Jareth smirked, stepping back and lowering himself onto his throne.
"My friends?" An exhilaration rushed through her. "Are they here?"
Jareth leaned his chin against his palm, his elbow pressed into the armrest of his throne. "Would that please you?"
Sarah didn't breathe, she stared him down in quiet contemplation. "Yes."
"So be it."
A loud crashing bell toll rang through the throne room, causing Sarah to cover her ears and let out a startled yelp. The noise continued: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve times.
The silence was deafening, her ears ringing in the aftermath of the incredible noise.
A sad smile crossed over Jareth's lips as he waited for her to readjust again to the silence. "The first hour is ending."