Before Jareth answered he motioned with a gloved hand, sending two goblin guards hurriedly towards the far end of the hall to close the giant doors. They struggled to turn the giant handle on the sides of the door at first, but after a brief argument with each other managed to free up the giant gears and giant cogs which rose from the wall and started to turn, and the door started to close.

It was not until the great doors shut with a great clunk that Jareth spoke. He rose from his seat, as he did the other creatures started to rise also. Jareth waved them down, holding his goblet up in a toast. “My friends, you have been invited here for a reason.” Jareth looked to Sarah, who looked around at all the strange creatures. She could tell that whoever the creatures were, they were special in some way. She couldn’t tell how, but she could feel it.

Jareth went on, “Labyrinth is in the gravest danger.”

A murmur filled the room once again.

Jareth put down his goblet. “The Strife has escaped.”

Shock filled the faces of all at the table.

“How?” cried a large troll. “How is this so? The Great wizard put his prison in another world. The path from that world to labyrinth is an impossible road. How is it the Strife escaped?”

Jareth looked to Sarah, and then back to the troll whose name was Thumper. “The Strife has not cut a road to labyrinth from his prison, but he has managed the strength to find a way to Sarah’s”

A hush filled the room.

“The world of the son of Adam and the daughter of eve” a small dwarf said in a deep voice.

Jareth nodded, and turned to Sarah, “And this world of Adam and eve is the road that leads to the labyrinth. In Sarah’s world, the Strife’s powers are greatly diminished. But should he find the path to the world of the labyrinth, he should regain his powers, and his hunger for blood and death, and then there will be no stopping him.”

“What of the great wizard?” said thumper in a growl, “What is his word in this?”

“He went after the strife alone. And none have seen him since.”

Murmurs filled the room. A small creature that resembled Ludo said softly in a deep voice, “where has he gone?”

Again Jareth looked to Sarah. “He also went to Sarah’s world” Jareth surveyed the room once more. “If we are to stop the strife, we must do it in the world where its powers are at its weakest.”

“We are to journey to Sarah’s world?” said Thumper. "

Jareth nodded. “Five of you will go with Sarah to her world. There you will try to find the Strife. You are to get him to follow you, and to lead him not to labyrinth, but to an old world called Acadia.”

“Acadia?” whispered a small Catman. “Is this a prison world, like the one the strife escaped from?”

Jareth held up his hand, and a small crystal ball grew, and spun, glittering in a bright light. Images of a white owl started to take form, and then you could see it flying, and soaring in a strange world. It flew over scrolling grassland, and passed strange castles shaped like kettles, and oceans green with strange ships on them, with crews of strange men with pointed ears and bows. Then the light faded, and the crystal in Jareth’s hand cracked and it started to flake away as if it were nothing but sand. Then it was gone. Everyone round the table looked at each other. “Not much is known of Acadia, only that there is a great magic there, as strong and good as the Strife’s magic is evil. Before the Great wizard left he told me that he believes this is the opposing force of the Strife, and should it be reunited, it might be able to be defeated.”

“I am a warrior” snorted Thumper, “not a wizard, what use is my axe in an attack against this Strife, It cannot be slain by steel! Many have proved this already, and there bones lies on the fields and in the mountains for those who need to test my word!”

In the yes of everyone round the table, Sarah could see many were thinking the same question.

“Your axe may be no use against the Strife Thumper, but not against those who walk with the Strife, hand in hand. It is safe to say that the Strife has already acquired a fellowship. Evil is attracted to Evil, and your axe Thumper can protect those who are weaker than you against his minions.” Jareth looked round the room. “Many of you doubt the reason you are here. You may think that you have nothing to contribute to a journey of such a make. But trust in this, your names where not chosen by the dice, but by fate. Each of you has been sent for because you have unique gifts . . .

A figure moved silently through out the dark Art Gallery. Soundlessly moving from room to room. He moved with a practise ease, knowing when to move so as not to be seen by any CCTV cameras. He strolled through the rooms, following her scent that still lingered through out the corridors. Smiling slowly when he felt it at its strongest....her display at the back. He let his hand run over the blade hidden inside his jacket, feeling the outline outside his coat. Hopefully he would not have to use it, hopefully she would be compliant.

He walked into the large room full of Sarah's pieces, taking his time, drinking in the art work. He stopped suddenly, seeing the large picture of Jareth that dominated the room. His eyes narrowed, there was a scent, mixed with Sarahs. He lifted his head sharply, seeking out her scent alone. He made a run for her small office at the back. She had been here last, alone. He turned again, and then she had moved into this room.

His smirk slid off his face. This smell was foreign....it was almost...magical. His eyes narrowed as he followed it to the large picture of Jareth. He stood in front of it breathing heavily. With a snarl he raised the blade hidden in his jacket pocket. He slashed once, twice, three times across the picture. He turned venting his fury on all the pieces in the room. Destroying clay figures, slashing pictures, smashing delicate glass carvings.
Finally when everything had been destroyed he stopped, his chest heaving.

He had ruined his plans this time but he wouldnt get away with it again. Sarah was his for the taking and he would have her. Nothing would stop his Master, not even the King of the Goblins.

At the very thought of Jareth, he bit down hard.

He could taste blood in his mouth. He slashed again at the wall.

He was so close to finding the girl.

So close he could see her blood already on his blade.

Was it blood on his blade?

Yes.

But not the girls

He held his blade up to the moonlight which fell in through Sarah’s office window.

The girl. He must find the girl.

He looked down at his mangled hands. For a moment he saw a hand of a small child.

He was walking down the road.

Who was that child’s hand?

The day of the accident

For a moment, he was not angry anymore.

The flames that were burning inside him . . .

His family . . .

He tried to remember.

He tried to remember, who was that child’s name?

He tried to remember, but he couldn’t.

He could only remember the crash.

The steel –

The smoke - the broken glass - the black oil - the petrol . . .

The . . . flames . . .

Yes the flames

The beautiful yellow and orange flames

The great flames

Oh how they had burnt.

They had silenced the screams.

Oh yes, the screaming

They had silenced that horrid screaming

The flames cared

They had called his master.

The flames had saved him

His master loved the flames, the burning, the heat.

His master was love.

Was his master love?

He forgot his master’s name

Who was that child?

Did it matter?

No.

He could hear whispers in his head

He stood, and grinding his teeth, he looked to his hands again, where the blade of his knife was.

The dark flames were back. Burning

He could feel them in his mind again, and he knew what he must do.

He must find Sarah.





Part two: Acadia




The airships floated off the crashing ocean waves on bullet riddled balloons. Cannons fired from both galleons, as thousands of lizard-men clashed with royal marines on boarding planks with the vessel of the Queen Ann, many falling between the planks and grappling hooks to there death in the stormy sea a thousand feet beneath.

Dodging gun fire, flaming arrows, was a tall black haired elf dressed in the royal blue tunic and shoulder-plate and tabard of the royal house of the blue rose.

His arms and hands were raw from the endless fighting, his skin parched from the sun, and his eyes thick with the sting of saltpetre and gun smoke, which blew like a wild storm from the bucking cannons on-deck. Backed up against the captain’s quarters, shielded by a bullet and blood riddled table, he manned a small cannon and an army of muskets.

Behind him an old man dressed in a thick green cloak spoke, he was wounded, and from his blood drenched arm, he struggled to stay seated on the overturned barrel. He spoke heavily with a thick voice. “This is one fight we cannot win boy. The Gods have willed it so.”

Pilot aimed and fired. And a reptilian scuttling across a boarding-plank, thrusting a sword, fell to his knees then to the deck. Pilot quickly dropped his musket, and was handed another by the cabin boy. “You are wounded, old man, you should be below. You will need rest if you are to regain the aid of your magical spirits.”

The old man went on, “a league of reptilian ships are on there way. I have seen it in my visions.”

Pilot fired again, and glanced at the old man, as he was handed another musket. “What of the reinforcements from Gareth?”

The old wizard took a shallow breath, “The storm in the east, has lengthened their travel by two moons. They will not get to our side in time. Thus even the wind of the Gods has deserted us.”

Pilot fired, “The wind of the Gods? Should we care for the aid of the Gods? Where were the Gods at the battle of the red sea when a million men and women were set ablaze by the fires of the dark one. Where were the Gods when the darkness woke the lizards from there sleep in the desert lands. Where were the Gods when the white kingdom fell, and the rivers of my homeland turned to fire, and the people to ash.” Pilot dropped another musket, and took aim with another, “The Gods deserted us long before today, old man. To many in my land, to the old and the young, the Gods where never with us to begin with.”

The wizard coughed, the cabin boy handed him a bladder of wine, but he waved it away. Then he struggled to his feet, and clutching his staff, started whispering in a strange tongue. Pilot fired at another lizard-man.

In front of the overturned table, which shielded the small party, a small flaming green ball appeared, and after a short wave of the wizards hand broke into three small flaming doves, and shot for three lizard-men, climbing rigging on deck. They burst into blazing green light upon impact and fell tumbling overboard in balls of black smoke. The wizard’s face tightened with pain. He stood for a few moments, before it subsided, hunching over his staff, where a crystal glowed faintly in a tangled chair of oak. He took in a deep breath before giving a resigning cough and resting back on his seat where he shook his head, with a tired look on his face. “The oracle tells of this day. It has been foretold, that the end will come before the new day shall be reborn. Sometimes boy, we must suffer the confusion of darkness before we feel the heat of the sun.”

Pilot fired.

“What ever darkness has awoken the lizards from their sleep with its song, it’s beginning to ring in the minds of the silver dragons, and the armies of the dead. What ever this darkness is, its song is far reaching, from a world far away it can sing, and its talent to do so is growing stronger with each passing moon.” The wizard clutched his arm, “We must find the oracle of the house of Styx. She has the gift of seeing the footsteps of those who travel roads in other worlds and can see where the doors are hidden to such worlds.

We must find this darkness, and we must silence it before its song becomes strong enough to fill all our minds. For if it does then this darkness, and confusion will fill the world and the hearts of all Acadians, and we shall never feel the light of the sun again. Only doom will be. And death.”

As the wizard finished, and all looked up, lizard and elf, as a great explosion boomed from the sky, fireworks exploded in greens and reds and gold, and a huge galleon fell from the clouds. Its huge balloon, which was painted in the royal white and blue in of the royal house of the rose, filled the entire deck of the queen Anne in a momentary darkness, before being lit by thousands of bright lamps from the bottom of the great ship.

Cables fell from the sides, grappling hooks, and thousands of elves fell like rain to the deck of the Queen Anne cheering, each fresh and new, their muskets exploding in clouds of blue, as they opened fire on the lizard-men beneath.

Pilot dropped his musket, and drawing a cutlass erupted in a laugh. He turned to the wizard. “Maybe the Gods are not so deaf after all old wizard!”

The lizard men, seeing another Galleon fall from the clouds in a thunder of fireworks, started to flee. They dove over sides on ropes, and scuttled for the deck of their ship, which was being fired upon heavily by the two galleons above and being boarded by divisions of marines.

The wizard looked up at the sky, to the swirling portal where both ships had fallen, “There is magic in there swiftness, a great magic indeed. I did not know such a thing was possible. . .” he drifted off for a moment, as he saw with his great sight, far off a woman dressed in a white gown standing on the deck of the lowering galleon, a blazing staff of ivory in her hand. “Only an ethereal power could tear a hole in the very sky to carry ships so far to our aid in such a short time. We must pray to the gods such a power is our ally and not our foe.” The old looked on in amazement, then up to the swirling portal in the sky. His thought was interrupted by a slap on the back by Pilot, who was smiling, “If this maiden can open such a portal home, I expect we shall see a hot meal, and the comfort of our beds within the hour!” He erupted in a bellow of laughter.

The wizard whose name was Hegel, looked on in amazement as fireworks filled the sky.

Hegel gasped softly,

“It’s Aurora, the Fairy Queen! Why is she here?? Our lands never mix”

Aurora and the ship finally floated down beside them on the sea, she waved her hand and suddenly was beside them.

Pilot watched incredulously as she came towards Hegel a gentle smile on her beautiful face, she touched his face and his whole body stiffened. A light began to glow from her hand, pulsing softly and then spreading from her hand, through out his entire body. Pilot took a step forward but Aurora merely gave a gentle shake of her head to stop him.

The light finally died out and Aurora stepped back. Hegel seemed to come out of a daze and gazed at her in wonder before reaching out to kiss the back of her hand.

“May the Gods smile upon you dear Queen, thank you for this truly precious gift.”

Pilot stepped towards Hegel, his eyes round.

“She cured you! Your wounds!”

His eyes travelled up and down where Hegel’s body had once been ravaged and broken, but was now healthy and cured.

Aurora gave a smile

“No thanks is needed dear friend. I come seeking your help. As I’m sure you have noticed the lizards have been awoken by The Calling”.

Pilot gave a sarcastic snort at this, “You don’t say”.

Hegel gave a dark look that silenced the boy.

“The Strife has gotten loose Hegel. I have received word from Jareth the Goblin King of Underground. The Strife has spread to the land of Adam and Eve; all of us are in the gravest possible danger. You must travel back to Underground with me. I have left enough men here to fight off anymore attacks from the Lizard Men.”

Hegel gazed at her silently for a moment,

“How is this possible? How could he have gotten loose?”.

He paced along the deck for a moment,

“I should have seen this in my visions Aurora, he truly must be strong if he is blocking my visions. His evil is starting to spread already. I wont’ let this happen again! We shall go with you.”

Aurora nodded her head,

“ I knew you would come Hegel. Now let us make haste back to Underground. There is someone very important that you need to meet there. I believe we may have found the Oracle. She is not aware of her power or her gift. She is human, and her name is Sarah”.

Sarah looked off into the flowing water of a fountain, which sat, covered in ivy and moss, in front of the large arched entrance of the labyrinth. Behind her, goblins saddled horses and donkeys with their belongings. Jareth had given the order for all goblins to abandon the city and head east, to escape the coming winter which Jareth had warned them would be too cold for their young. Most of the small goblin’s moaned as they went past, pots and pans dangling from their sides, mumbling that they had never known a cold winter in the kingdom, and that the long walk to the far West Quarter, was really because some witch had put a love spell over the goblin king, and wanted the kingdom all to her self. Sarah knew the real reason though. Jareth had told her this morning that some kind of army was gathering north of the labyrinth.

Sara put her arms around her legs, and rested her chin between her knees, and looked off and down into the cool valley, where the wind moved the grassland in a sway of silver. There she watched as the small stream of goblins grew steady, each holding there worldly belongings and trinkets, all in a long line out and into the distance, where they disappeared, into faint shadows against the orange setting sun.

She wondered what kind of life there was for them, if war came to the labyrinth. She looked to a small young goblin, with a bow tied in her hair, her small feet embracing small leather strung shoes with little bells. Her mother picked her up, and put her on the back of their donkey to lead her down the hill. Sarah wondered what would happen to that little goblin, she wondered if the little goblin would even have a home to return too, and if so, what kind of home that would be.

By the way, Jareth talked about the Strife, Sarah wondered if there would even be a labyrinth to come home to.

A large hand rested on her shoulder. Sarah turned. It was Ludo. Sarah jumped to her feet and embraced him.

“Oh my Ludo, it has been so long, are you to leave me too?” Sarah was still hugging Ludo. “Oh Ludo, you are a sight for sore eyes. I missed you so!”

“Ludo - wants to stay - with Sarah. But Ludo . . . must go home now Sarah.” Ludo, looked down at her, his large brown eyes glistening with tears. “King Jareth say Ludo, must return to his home in the - forest. Ludo must see his mother and father. They will need Ludo’s Help.”

Sarah wiped a tear from her eyes, and stepped back. “You must miss your family so much Ludo.”

“Ludo misses the forest very much. And he misses all his friends in the forests and all the rocks - near Ludo’s home there the biggest and smartest rocks you have ever seen, but no one thinks so - because they never say anything.” Ludo, let out a deep breath, “But Ludo knows the rocks are smart - because they are Ludo’s good friends.” Ludo, smiled and looked to the clouds, “When Ludo goes home . . . Ludo will tell his friend all the adventures he has had in the labyrinth, and he will tell his friends about Sarah, and how nice she has been to Ludo.” Ludo looked down at Sarah, and gave a large smile.

Sarah gave Ludo another hug, and after a long embrace, they said, what would be, goodbye forever. As Sarah looked into his eyes for the last time, as he turned and waved, slowly walking down the hill, she felt a deep sadness fill her. She knew in her heart, that she would never see him again. She didn’t know how or why but she just knew, and she felt like running after him, like holding onto him and never letting go.

By the time night came, the castle was nearly empty. Jareth even had his Goblin army leave the city, sending them to guard the goblin convoy moving west, and help with new housing and encampments as well as supply lines for the winter. Only his royal guards remained, two regiments of twenty goblins in silver and gold garb, with red feather helms that bounced around as they marched the stairs and halls of Jareth’s castle. Sarah was in her room, she had put on the light leather armour she had found in the royal armoury. If she was going to go to battle, she might as well go prepared. She was alone in the armoury, looking into the fitting mirror when her head filled with a strange fog, and she could hear clashing and yelling.

At first she thought it came from outside, but as the sound got louder, and her eyesight started to spin, she knew, that something was wrong. Then her head started to feel like it was inside a vice, and she fell into the side of a bookcase, where she steadied herself against an old suit of armour.

She pressed her hands against her ears, and fell to her knees, looking up to the mirror, were she saw thousands of goblin soldiers trying to hold off huge monster like creatures that smashed to pieces the walls of the labyrinth. The great castle was in flames, and everywhere she looked small goblins ran from their flaming houses, or lay wounded, or entrenched in battle

-- while nightmarish creatures five times there size terrorised them with razor sharp claws. The sky was black with the smoke of war machines that marched on steal legs, with huge cannons, and bodies of iron which plumed with steamed.

She pressed her hands against her ears to block out the screams, but they came from inside her head, and the harder she pressed the louder they became.

Just as it became unbearable, a sword hit the mirror and it smashed into a thousand pieces, and Jareth, put a hand on her forehead, and throwing his sword to the ground, started calling her name. At first Sarah couldn’t here him, but the distant sound of his voice got louder, and the visions started to fade, as did the screaming.

Jareth helped her to a small bed, and ordered two of his guards to fetch water. Sarah coughed as she drunk. Her mind was still a blur with what had just happened. As she tried to speak, she found she had not the strength. Jareth, placed her in bed, and rapped a thick blanket round her.

“I saw a war,” she murmured, as Jareth filled another glass of water . . .

Jareth nodded silently,

"I know my love".

He dipped a cloth into the water and sat on the bed beside her, gently placing it on her brow. She felt the bed shift as he sat beside her and it comforted her.

"I'm frightened Jareth, am i going crazy? What was that i saw? Am i losing grip already?"

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to let her defences down in front of him.

"Sarah, Sarah..."

He reached for her, pulling him towards her. She placed her head gratefully against his chest as he stroked her hair rocking her against him gently.

"You're not going crazy my love what you just saw was a memory. The mirror you just looked into was the Mirror of Mists. It contains all of the history of the Labyrinth, both good and bad".

He stopped suddently causing her to look up,

"What? What is it Jareth?"

He gazed at her silently as if un-sure to tell her what he was about to say,

"Jareth, tell me".

He sighed softly, his mis-matched eyes never leaving hers,

"As King of this Labyrinth it is bestowed upon me to be able to read the memories of this mirror, but for you to be able to do it....it's un-heard of....unless..."

"Go on Jareth, please".

"You have the gift of sight Sarah, you are the Oracle".

She shook her head,

"I don't understand? How can i be the Oracle? Im human!"

She pulled away from him and got off the bed, the cloth sliding on to the stone floor. She began to pace slowly rubbing her temples.

"I know this is hard for you to understand Sarah and to be honest i dont quite understand it myself, but for you to be able to read the memories from that mirror...it just proves it".

She turned to face him,

"I dont believe it, im just tired and this whole place has me thinking crazy thoughts"

She spun in a circle with her arms outstretched,

"It's THIS place!! It has me going crazy!"

Jareth stood silently and walked towards her, he rested his hands on her shoulders,

"Touch the mirror and we shall know my love. If you are truly the Oracle you shall be able to fix it".

He could feel her tremble as she looked up at him,

"I..."

He shook his head silently, leading her towards the empty frame.

With a shaking hand she reached out to it and touched it.

And found herself looking at her own reflection.

“The mirror reflects what could be Sarah, not what will be.” Jareth put a hand on her shoulder, then gestured to the broken glass lying on the floor, Sarah took in a breath, as he went on, “Don’t be scared Sarah. They are only images, they cannot hurt you.”

Sarah covered her face, “I saw Ludo, he was lying on a rock bleeding. I saw his forest. It was burning!” Her eyes started to well with warm tears, but she wiped them away. Jareth brought her chin up with a finger, so his eyes met his once more.

“It’s a future that could be Sarah. Not a future that is.” He gestured to the mirror, “look deep into the mirror Sarah, look deep and see.”

Sarah looked at the spider web of broken glass, and the fragments on the ground, then up to the grainy oak backing.

“Just look Sarah, look deep into the grain. Tell me what you see.”

Sarah studied the grain, as she did, she noticed it start to move, as if the grain was swimming, moving softly in a river of dark rings of yellow and brown. As she did, she started to hear voices.

At first Sarah went to cover her ears, as the sound came with strange feelings of cold water running over her, but as she did, Jareth took one of her hands in his, and squeezed. “Don’t be frightened Sarah, nothing can harm you. Listen only to my voice, I need you to find someone for me. Something only your eyes can see.” Jareth, looked into Sarah’s blank face, “can you find someone for me Sarah?”

Sarah nodded,

“I want you to ask the mirror a question for me. Ask it to show you where a man is. Can you do that?”

Sarah looked into the swimming grain, it moved and swayed, and the world was bending and turning all around her.

“He is an old man, one that some people call a wizard. Can you find him for me Sarah, and can you tell me what you see?”

Sarah could hardly hear Jareth now. But from her distant place, inside her mind, she nodded.

“I want you to concentrate on my voice.”

Sarah could just hear Jareth’s voice, it was like she was deep underwater, and the sound echoed, from far away.

Sarah shuddered as beneath her she could see the ground far below. A strange town full of lights.

As clouds raced from beneath her, she noticed a small baby owl flying beside her. It glided on the warm air currents, then turned, and flew upwards.

Sarah looked down, and the clouds cleared, and she could see another city, this one a Christmas tree of coloured lights. She looked closer.

It was New York.

She started to float down, ever so slowly, towards the streets below, like a feather falling, floating on the currents, the buildings growing closer, until she was beside the huge skyscrapers, then lower, until her heals hit the sidewalk. The people walked through her as if she was a ghost, and moved fast, as if she was in a movie on fast forward.

She took in a deep breath, beside her on the sidewalk landed a small owl.

Concentrate on my voice, Sarah, don’t forget me.

Sarah was already having trouble remembering where she was, and how she got here. Was she dreaming? She placed her hand on the wall of the building. She concentrated, she could feel the stone.

No this was real.

It must be.

Or was it.

Everywhere round her cars sped and people walked, their bodies so fast that they were a blur.

Look for the slow things Sarah, the things that are moving at there own speed, they are the magical things.

She walked slowly through the crowds of ghostly forms, the owl following her, sometimes disappearing for a moment or two, but then showing up in front of her, or behind her. It didn’t seem to worry her, for some reason she trusted the owl, and it was familiar to her, like an old friend, one without a name but a presence, that made her feel safe in the strange world.

As Sarah turned a street corner, she noticed something strange, a man walking briskly in a suit, bowler hat, and cane.

Sarah followed, staying at a safe distance, even though she felt that the man could not see her. The man walked through the people like he too was a ghost like Sarah.

She followed him to an abandoned building, and up a flight of stairs, the small owl appearing at the top windowsill as she neared the top. There she saw the man, enter a room. Sarah followed. Inside was a circle on the ground. Around the circle were three rings of keys.

The man in the suit, walked into the centre, where he stood, and disappeared.

Sarah wondered what to do. Should she follow the man?

The owl took flight and circled, and landed on Sarah shoulder.

Sarah felt a strange sensation in her hand, but she didn’t know where it came from.

Be careful Sarah.

She walked into the middle of the circle, then, the keys round the circle started to glow. The light was colourful, and then the world went black.

Sarah, felt a cold surface beneath her. She looked around, where was the owl. She looked at t

. . . Sarah felt a cold surface beneath her. She looked around, where was the owl. She looked at the ground and stood up. she was on some kind of moving surface. She was on some kind of huge cog. Above was the owl, circling, in the darkness. She didn’t know why, but the very sight of it, made her feel better. It circled downwards, and landed beside her.

She looked about, everywhere was darkness, the only thing visible were the giant walkway of cogs and gears floating in space - each moving silently, as if sound in this place did not exist.

Just ahead she saw the man; he had a bowler hat on and walked briskly with a cane in one hand, jumping from cog to cog, with a graceful ease.

Sarah followed, best she could, jumping from cog to cog. She tried to stay with the man, but by the time she reached a floating door at the other end, she was already lagging behind. She opened the door and stepped through, and as she closed the door it disappeared behind her, falling into sand onto the ground. Sarah looked around. She was in an abandoned castle of some kind. Above through the broken ceiling, she saw a field of bright stars in the sky in the shape of a heart.

“I’ve never met anyone who could keep up with me.” A voiced echoed. Sarah, looked around, but saw no sign of anyone. Then she saw the man with the bowler hat walk from the shadows. His face was covered in a golden foxes mask. It glittered in the moonlight.

“Are you The Great Wizard?” she felt herself whisper, “the one that went after the Strife?”

“You are in my house, and I do not believe you have introduced yourself.” said the man. His voiced seemed to come from everywhere.

From an open window, the small owl glided in, and gracefully touched the floor.

The man stood his hands cupping the end of his cane, he was emotionless . . .

Sarah thought for a moment. Dare she divulge her name? He could just as easily be the one everyone has been dreading. The Strife.

Suddenly she calmed. There was nothing to be afraid of. She was Sarah Williams, she lived on Earth, she had a dog named Merlin, and a bi-tchy stepmom.

She remained cool and clicked her tongue against her teeth, then gestured with her head for the owl to come to her.

The owl promptly responded by flying to her shoulder. She nuzzled it.

"Forgive me. Lovely home." she said, observing the dark cold room. She looked at him suddenly and quirked a brow. "They call me...The Strife."

The debonaire man grinned, "The one that wreaks bloody havoc on all who breathe?"

"The very same." she gave a nod.

"Then I must be looking in a mirror." he replied. "You're Sarah. The OTHER one who beat the ever confusing ever frustrating trappings of the Labyrinth."

Sarah's face melted to cold empty befuddlement.

"It agitated the Hell out of Jareth, darling. Really, the only one besides you who's been able to beat his little game without going into thrombosis is.....me."

"I'm sorry?" Sarah tried to remain poised.

The debonaire man raised his hand and the little owl flew over to him. He cleared his throat, readying to repeat himself.

".......ME....." He looked at the owl slowly. "We both have ties to Jareth my dear. You...you're, well, the one that got away. A beauty of superior intelligence, power, grace...and an all about gas. Jareth OBSESSES over you. And me...I'm impending doom and ****ation, with a touch of hate, and a dash...actually, a downpour of charisma...which could only make me...Jareth's brother."

And with that the owl flew out the window.

And now, dread blanketed Sarah's soft face..."Just a touch of hate?"

"I don't really hate. I just like to get what I want and don't care whether or not I obliterate all that gets in my path. In this case, the Labyrinth. Jareth played a game with us. He put us smack dab into the middle of a giant brain teaser for his amusement, then kicked us to the side after we figured it out. It made you a better person. It made me…" He sighed, "…I’m going to do something similar, but a little more messy. You know how it is, having a brother that just…gets to you.”

“Why am I here?” Sarah was falling back into the unsure and insecure.

“Because I want you to give him a message, Sarah.”

Sarah turned her head to the side, still looking at him with her eyes, “What?”

The Strife’s face grew serious, “I…know.”

He straightened his gloves while speaking, “And tell Jareth not to worry about The ‘Great’ Wizard” he said pompously. “He’s…” he sustained a giggle, “He’s resting.”

With that he reached up, and took off his mask, “Goodbye, Sarah.” And a blinding light spilled from where his face ought to be.

And Sarah took a breath, opening her eyes, finding herself lying on the floor in Jareth’s arms.

She pushed him away, “He’s your brother?!”

Jareth looked away with a frown, much like the one he gave after she recited her last famous words to him….“Then you were talking to him.”

“Yes Jareth…and he’s going to do something bad…very bad. He wanted me to tell you something...he said...'I know'..." She found herself staring into his eyes for an uncomfortable moment, then caught herself.

"You shouldn’t toy with people the way you do.” She stood, the blood rushed from her head, making her dizzy. She grappled the bed post.

Jareth rose to her aid, wrapping his slender fingers around her arm. She jerked away.

“You change people. And I don’t think it’s for the better.”

She made her way out the door.

Jareth quickly followed into the hallway calling after her, “Sarah…Sarah…my love.”

She turned bitterly, “And stop calling me that. Since when did I ever claim to be, ‘Your Love’?”

Hurt danced through his mismatched eyes as he watched her hurry down the corridor. He sighed softly returning to the room. He sat down on the bed and held his head in his hands.

Sarah hurried down the corridor the only sound was her feet as they scuffed against the stone floor. Tears blurred her vision; she had no clue where she was going. She had no real clue why she was even IN this place. She followed the corridors as they snaked along, twisting and turning, the light growing dimmer and it was only when she finally stopped that she realised she was hopelessly lost.

She leaned against a wall heavily sighing softly. Torches of fire were dotted few and far between; she squinted against the gloom trying to make out where she was. She reached for a torch gingerly, not wanting to burn herself, and held it up high as she followed the corridor on. She felt nervous, not knowing this area of the castle, but something compelled her to keep going.

This area of the castle obviously had not been used in years. Webs covered all of the rafters above her and some hung very low. She watched them warily as she walked passed them, nervous of spiders getting caught in her hair. She had walked for a few minutes when she noticed a large wooden door set into the wall on her left. The wood was extremely dark and the lack of light down here meant she had almost passed it. She walked towards it slowly and stopped, turning her head sharply. She could have sworn she’d heard something……she licked her suddenly dry lips and stepped towards the door. Her torch began to flicker and she cursed softly when the flame died.

The corridor was quite dark now, but the gloom seemed to be lifting. She looked around puzzled, where was the light coming from? Her gazed was drawn to her feet as she noticed a white light glowing softly from the crack at the end of the door. She reached out and touched the handle of the door.

Her mind was suddenly flooded with the sounds of children laughing. She could hear a woman’s voice calling

‘Come my love, you must not tire yourself out!’

‘But Mama I’m not tired!’

Sarah jerked her hand back quickly with a gasp. It was then she heard the whisper float up the corridor,

‘Do not be afraid, let us show you’.

She looked around nervously, unsure as to what to do. She closed her eyes and pushed the door open.

She found herself in a child’s nursery. She stepped in slowly almost afraid to breath. It obviously had not been used in years. Cobwebs hung low from the rafters and a thick layer of dust lay everywhere and on everything. She walked into the middle of the room eyeing everything curiously. A large ornate bookshelf filled with books dominated the entire wall on her right. She walked towards it squinting to make out some of the titles, noticing that they all seemed to be about sorcery and how to understand it.

“Not exactly kiddie material” she mumbled to herself.

She turned around looking at the rest of the room.

Two beds lay tucked into a corner, a large table was in the far left of the room, glass balls strewn all over it. She walked towards them, picking one up carefully.

“Not glass, crystal!”

She placed it back on the table carefully; this must be Jareth’s nursery, and his brothers. She frowned at the thought.

She turned to leave but noticed a rocking chair in the corner. She walked towards it slowly, feeling almost drawn. She let her hands follow the wood, the shape. It was large and made from mahogany, hand carved by the look of it too. She sat into it slowly. It rocked gently, she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine holding a baby and rocking them to sleep here. She relaxed into the wood and before she knew it, was asleep.

She was at a meeting of some kind, but a very small one. A woman and a man were seated together at one side of a table, while two others sat opposite from them.

One man was obviously Fae, he had dark short hair but it was his eyes. They seemed to constantly change colour. The man seated beside him was harder to make out, he wore a cape that hung low over his face.

Sarah walked towards them, something told her that they knew nothing of her presence.

The woman was clearly upset,

“He’s just a baby! How can you do this to us?”

The man who seemed to be her husband had his arm wrapped around her, trying to bring her some comfort,

“Alysha we must listen to the Elders, we knew that this day might come.”

The woman sobbed quietly into her hands, her shoulder shaking.

The black haired man sighed softly,

“Your son has displayed talent far beyond his years. This is a gift we offer you, he shall become King, a ruler! Do you really wish to deprive him of that? We can nurture his gift. Do not be so foolish as to try and hide your son away from this gift”.

Her husband spoke up

“Aland it is not that we do not appreciate, but….he is our child!”

The man in the cape spoke softly, Sarah had to come closer to the table to make it what he was saying. It was as if each word as of the utmost struggle for him,

“He is the chosen one. He shall rule this city and we shall guide him. He was born on the night of the full moon and the Gods have spoken. He shall have 1000 years in which to rule this place”.

He stopped suddenly wheezing and gasping for breath.

Sarah stood there frowning, who the hell were they talking about??

The man in the cape leaned forward on the table,

“At the end of the thousand years when the moon is full and the colour of ruby, he shall be stripped of his magic. He must then face his ultimate task. If he fails, he shall be made mortal”.

Alysha shook her head, terror in her eyes,

“But he would be over a thousand years old! He could die!!”

The caped man merely wheezed.

Sarah turned suddenly hearing a small sound behind her. There in the stone archway stood a small child, a curious expression on his face.

Alysha’s husband stood quickly, reaching out to the child and scooping him up in his arms.

“Kail what are you doing up?”

The child clung to his father’s shoulders

“What were you talking about? Who are those people?”

“Nobody my love, just friends of ours. Lets get you back to bed before you wake Jareth, your brother can be quite grumpy when woken from sleep!”


Sarah jolted awake with a gasp, her heart racing.

He knew.

Thistle was a small girl who could not remember her name. She had only just woken up, laying there in the snow. And it had taken at least ten minutes before her name had come back to her. But when it did; it was just like her friend told her it would be; just like a lightening bolt from the sky.

She sat up and brushed the snow off her trousers. Then, slowly, rose to her feet.

She was at the top of a hill.

Her name was Thistle. She was five and had a dog named Cougar.

She remembered!

Cougar was a husky.

He had once scared off two sneaky wolves that had tried to steal mum’s jam-tarts.

She looked around.

In the distance, past a snow-capped valley of pines, she saw her home, a log cabin with a piping chimney of grey smoke. Outside a large man swung an axe down onto a stump of pine, sending an echo over the valley.

She looked at her hands. They were small and covered in fur mittens. She was small.

Of course she was. She was only four.

Thistle nodded to herself

Distantly, she could hear a strange voice.

The large bearded man looked up from his axe and gave a wave. He had one eye covered in a black eye patch.

Her dad was a Knight.

He guarded things for the King.

Thistle waved back.

She ran down the side of the hill, all the while being the utmost careful not to slip. Her dad had told her to be careful, because snow was slippery.

She managed the slope, but had slipped a few times, which was alright because Dad had not seen her. Her small shoes plugged a long in the heavy snow at the bottom, as she neared her father, who lent against a woodshed, his hands cupped over the end of a large axe.

“Your mothers got dinner on. You better head on inside, before she finds out you’ve been out here. She already told you, your not to go playing around up at that canyon.” The large man gave a smile muffled by a heavy grey beard, and gestured her to the front of the house.

She ran around the side of the house, ducking the lambskins, then straight through the door and into the kitchen. And before the large woman who distantly nursed a ladle could turn, she was up the small stair and into her bedroom.

Thistle closed the door, as a voice reminded her from the kitchen below that their house was not a race-track.

She sat down on her bed, and popping the buttons of her wolf skin jacket, looked at the strange key she had found in the canyon. It glittered with gold and silver, and although it was still dirty from the clay wall it had been resting in, you could still see the beautiful yellow flaming pattern embossed into the metal.

Her friend had told her where to find it, right on the floor of the cave beside the sleeping man.

The man had been sleeping so long, he had forgotten to eat, and turned into a skeleton.

Thistle slowly walked from her bedroom, and slowly out the door, and down a small hall. She could hear her mother below singing. She walked until she was in front of the painting of the unicorn. There she pressed softly against the wall, and it turned.

It was the secret wall.

She walked through the small opening, shutting it behind her with a brace. She looked into the small room, where light fell in through a small arched window in the ceiling, partly covered in snow.

The room was empty. But Thistle new it wasn’t really empty. She knew that there was something hidden in the room, that no one could see. But her friend knew where it was, and he told her just what it was.

It was a lock.

She walked forward until she was at the middle of the room, and looked close at the way the light fell and was bent by a strange object floating in the middle of the room. It was a small keyhole.

Thistle held out the key and slowly fitted it into the lock, and as she did, the jade embossed flame started to glow.

Thistle smiled.

As the key sat in the keyhole, a strange door became visible. It looked like it was made of glass, and was covered in engravings of cogs and gears.

Her friend told her it was the only door to the world of dreams. And that this was the only place in the world such a door existed.

As she turned the key the great sound of iron gears rumbled all about her.

And even as her mother banged and cried against the picture of the unicorn, she could not hear.

Thistle could only hear the voice of her friend. And with each passing moment the voice grew louder and clearer.

Thistle smiled. Now she could let her friend be free.

The white woman had locked him away in a dream for too long.

Lightening scattered across the sky, and the land started to grow dark.

The beast was free . . .

“He’s very dangerous, Sarah.” Jareth had stopped her as she was about to step through the mirror.

Hoggle, Thumper and two of his troll companions (Nark and Wallow) and the Catman had already stepped through the portal. They would be waiting in confusion on the other side. Gawking at who knows what on the streets of New York.

They examined each other’s faces. Sarah’s, sweet and tender and soft. Jareth’s concerned with knit brows.

“I have to hurry. They’ll be very confused without me by now.” Sarah said.

Before she could step once again Jareth stopped her. “Wait.” He held out a bundle of four green twigs in his gloved palm. “These are still sticks. Should anything go wrong, break one and time will briefly freeze and you can avoid your attacker….in his case, my brother. Or, whomever else he’s hypnotized.”

Sarah took them “Jareth…I”

Jareth shook his head “Go.”

Sarah did as told.

Jareth gave a sigh and with the flick of his wrist a crystal rolled up his arm and into his palm. He turned it, observing Sarah’s arrival.

Suddenly everything grew dark, and Jareth forgot the crystal, suspiciously walking to the window. The sky was a purple-black and the clouds were racing.

He was already there.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Sarah found herself on a sidewalk in New York. There was screaming and terror. She looked to see what the commotion was about.

Thumper and Hoggle were trying to talk some sense into the Catman. They had knocked over a doughnut stand in their arrival, spilling blood red strawberry jam all over Catman. It oozed down his head. He wiped it away.

“My brains! They’re everywhere! Hurry, get me some cat nip before I start to feel it!” he wailed.

“Those isn’t yer brains because ya don’t have any! Thems’s strawberry jam!” Hoggle growled. “Now get out of sight before we become a spectacle.

Thumper looked around at all the bystanders. People laughed and took pictures. Nark and Wallow were holding their spears out in defense.

“Too late.” Thumper murmered.

Sarah broke through the crowd and hurried them into a nearby alley.

This was some sort of mistake however, because a wall had closed behind them, sealing off the alley.

Sarah sighed, “Of course. The party never stops when Jareth’s the host.”

There was a laugh ahead, Sarah turned, it was the shadow from earlier, in the gallery. He had come to get her. He had his knife and three other friends. All of them resembled drug addicts, sunken eyes, thin. The only thing that made their leader stand out was his scars…scars from burns.

“Jareth isn’t the host of this party, lady.” He shook his head.

There was a long pause before the man threw his knife right at Sarah. Thumper was quick, placing his axe in front of her and deflecting the blade. It flew right back to the man’s hand, much like a boomerang, with a life of it’s own.

The man smiled and bounced the blade on the ground twice. Both times it bouncing off the ground like it was a ball. Two of his cohorts, brandished their blades and started bouncing with him. Never taking their eyes off of the innocent bunch.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“It’s a pity Sarah left so early, she may have been able to tell us for sure, whether or not we’d win this war.” Pilot said.

Pilot, Hegel, and Aurora stood on a giant floating platform. A dark cloud was moving over the Hills. But it wasn’t a cloud, it was monsters on stilts, machines with eight legs, creatures of darkness. They were coming, the war had begun.

Aurora slapped her staff on the platform and a protective wave of light protruded from the platform to shield the golden army of elves, beasts, and faeries.

“This will protect us, but not for long.” Aurora said solemnly.

She observed the beautiful beings and beasts that would fight so hard…to the death. But against the numbers coming down the hills, it would not be enough. Her white-blue eyes grew sad, and she tried not to let her companions see as a tear spilt down her cheek.

But Hegel noticed…”Aurora?”

He embraced her “If there’s one thing my sights tell me, we will win.”

Aurora forced a smile.

Kail lounged in the Goblin King’s throne examining his nails.

Jareth leaned in the arched doorway, crystal still in hand.

Kail looked up from his nails, a grin gleaming beneath his fox mask.

“You can turn the sky black and bring death and destruction, but you still can’t conjure yourself a face.” Jareth remarked coolly.

Kail’s smile faded and he slinked out of the throne and onto his feet, “Hello, brother.”

Jareth looked at his crystal, “Are you going to stay long, I have a lot to do.”

“Oh really? Kill your brother and win a war? Do you think you’ll have enough time to stop your beloved from bleeding to death?” Kail smiled.

Jareth looked up suddenly.

“You’re right, she is a feisty one. But don’t worry, my boys’ll have her under control in no time.” Kail leaned on his cane.

Jareth cocked his head to side, “Your boys, control Sarah?” Jareth laughed. “She called the labyrinth a piece of cake…What were you saying in the 11th hour? Oh, you were begging me to give you your face back.”

Kail gritted his teeth, and started to giggle a bit, “Oh, that’s, that’s so funny,” He turned and started to walk away, “It’s almost as funny as—“

Kail turned and threw his cane at Jareth. It split into thousands of splinters. Jareth threw his crystal on the ground, shattering it, making a barrier before him. The cane turned to toothpicks against the invisible wall. Jareth spun three more crystals in his hand.

Kail smirked, “In a moment, you won’t have any powers. What can you do with three crystals Jareth? Send me to a dreamland where you’ll sing and dance with me?”

Jareth gave a Goblin King grin, and let the crystals go. They flew to Kail and started to circle his head. Kail growled as the light started to pour from his mask. He scratched at his face and the mask fell off, causing light to explode into the room. He fell to the floor, and with all his might, slammed a fist onto the stone. A cloud of purple-black dust filled the room, blowing Jareth back, crashing the crystals into the walls and breaking them into hundreds of pieces.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

The three men threw their blades at the group. Nark and Wallow along with Thumper made a wall with their weapons, blocking the knives yet again.

They flew back to their owners, and yet another man with a blade stepped in. Now there were four.

Sarah remembered the Still sticks.

The men threw their boomerang knives, and before the blades could reach the heroic group, Sarah had snapped all four Still Sticks in half.

Now time was frozen, but because it was all four Still Sticks at once, time had frozen on Earth, in Acadia, in the Underground, and in the Faerie Dwelling. Only some remained awake.

Sarah, Jareth, and Kail.

Kail replaced his mask and stood, brushing himself off.

Jareth stood too.

Kail pouted, “Your…lover…has broken several Still Sticks. On one hand, this is a terrible disappointment, but on the other, I’m overjoyed.”

Jareth looked at his hands, something was wrong.

“Yes, you’re just a normal, powerless, human being right now. Ugh, disgusting feeling isn’t it? Not being, important. Well, I have an idea Jareth.” Kail started.

Jareth was about to speak.

“Now, now, just bare with me here. We’ll play a game!!!”

Suddenly, they were on the edge of a cliff over looking a giant, bronze arena, the size of the Grand Canyon. Sarah appeared. She looked around frantically.

Jareth reached for her, “Sarah!”

“No, no.” Kail snapped his fingers.

Jareth found himself at one starting point, bronze walls all around.

Sarah found herself at another, like a scared and confused animal, “Jareth?!”

Jareth’s voice echoed far off “I’m here Sarah.”

Kail’s voice boomed from above, “Lets be creative, shall we? You have 7 hours to beat all the obstacles in your paths. You may bump into each other, you may not, but one thing is certain, if either of you fail to beat all the challenges, then every world, will be mine and everything that both of you cherish, will cease to exist. If you do succeed, then I swear by the Great Wizard, I will release all of my powers. Is that simple enough? Good. Most importantly, have fun.”

And then there was silence.

Sweet post Candice! I really loved the jam lol that cracked me up – I could picture Hoggle SO saying that LoL. You had so many great ideas in there!!

Sarah had never felt so helpless in her life. The bronze walls stood high all around her and she had to breathe deeply to stop herself from feeling claustrophobic. Tears threatened to spill down her face and she bit her lip hard. Now was not the time for tears. A lot of things were depending on her right now, on them both for that matter, and she just had to pull herself together. She took a cautious step forward cupping her mouth with her hands

“Jareth! Can you hear me?”

With a scream she covered her ears with her hands. The echo of her shout vibrated all around her, magnified in sound. The walls were shaking violently and pain was shooting through her ears. She could hear Kail’s voice above her

“Ah-ah, no cheating now Sarah. It wouldn’t be much of a maze if you could just shout your way to him now would it?”

The pain and sound started to fade away and Sarah slowly opened her tightly shut eyes. She massaged her temples trying to think clearly. She was supposed to be the Oracle for God’s sake and she couldn’t even find her way around a maze! With a sigh she began to move forward,

‘C’mon feet’.

She looked up suddenly to see a little girl giggling.

‘I knew you’d say that Sawah.’

Sarah shook her head in surprise. Was she imagining this? Or was it some trick of Kails?

The little girl shook her head looking suddenly solemn,

‘Oh no, I’m not helping the bad man anymore. He told me to let him out, that he was trapped in a dream but he’s bad. Mama and Papa have fallen asleep because of him.’

Sarah walked towards the little girl and knelt in front of her gazing into her eyes.

‘What’s your name sweetheart?’

‘I’m Thistle!’

Sarah reached out and touched Thistle’s face. Visions flashed through her mind, Thistle on a hilltop, finding the key, slotting it in and that terrible bright light shining through immediately putting her parents into a trance, Thistle then being taken into the dream in order to free Kail from it.

Thistle began to giggle,

‘The bad man doesn’t know I’m here! It’s a secret; the Lady in White said that you needed my help. You won’t tell him will you?’
Sarah scooped Thistle into a hug

‘I promise I wont!’

Thistle reached out for Sarah’s hand,

‘We have to get to the man with the funny eyes Sawah, before he gets too far away from us. The Lady in White said it was very important that I got the both of you together.’

Thistle walked confidently leading Sarah,

‘I know the way to him, you just follow me Sawah’.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kail was lounging on Jareth’s throne, one leg draped over an arm rest. He toyed with a crystal, spinning it along his fingers. He gazed into it idly. So she was finally starting to move? With a bark of laughter he threw it high up into the air and watched as it smashed into pieces on the floor. She would never reach him in time.

Jareth had been walking for some time now without hearing or seeing anything. He had tried calling to Sarah but as soon as he opened his mouth to do so, a vicious wind had blown, completely drowning out his calls to her. Followed by the maddening echo of his brother’s laugh. He knew Kail wouldn’t make this easy.

He hoped that Sarah was alright. He knew that she was the oracle but she had no idea how to use or even control any power that she may have. He had tried to reach out to her with his mind, but to no avail. His powers were well and truly gone. With a sigh he continued his walk keeping a cautious eye for any tricks that Kail may have up his sleeve.

He made a right turn and found himself in a large clearing with a huge Sphynx. He gazed up at it nervously and turned suddenly watching with dismay as the wall was sealed off behind him. He stepped towards the Sphynx cautiously and then bowed. The Sphynx opened its eyes slowly and gazed upon him.

“Thank you for your mark of respect, but I’m afraid it will take more than a mere bow to set you free from here King of Goblins. One riddle and one alone is what you shall have to solve. If you fail the penalty shall be death.”

Jareth swallowed nervously,

“How long do I have in which to solve it?”

The Sphynx gazed at him with snow white eyes,

“Ten seconds and then you must answer or give up your life”.

Jareth nodded and said a prayer to the Gods that he would remember some of his teachings.

The Sphynx eyes began to glow as she spoke,

“I soar without wings, I see without eyes.
I’ve travelled the universe to and fro.
I’ve conquered the world,
Yet I’ve never been anywhere but home.
Who am I, King of Goblins?”

Jareth’s mind went blank, as his brain desperately tried to think of an answer.

The glow from the Sphynx’s eyes began to pulse, counting out the seconds.

Jareth began repeating the riddle in his mind, soar without wings, see without eyes. Travelled the universe, conquered the world…

Eight, Seven….

Oh where was Sarah when he needed her, she was the creative one! Conquered the world, never been anywhere but home.

Five, Four…

With her imagination she’d figure this out…

Three, Two…

Imagination!

“You’re my Imagination!” he shouted.

There was silence from the Sphynx.

He waited with baited breath, his fists clenched, knuckles white.

“Congratulations King of Goblins. You may proceed.”

The Sphynx vanished and the wall behind her opened. Jareth gave a shaky breath and walked through the wall, on to find Sarah.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kail snarled as he watched his brother through his crystal. He flung it at the wall in temper as lightening streaked across the sky.
“Don’t get too confident brother” he spat “There is plenty more to come”

1


Kail leaned forward in his throne, and grabbed the little goblin that polished his boot by the collar. His golden fox’s mask was now dark, almost black. “Don’t I know you from somewhere goblin?” he hissed.

The small goblin shook his head.

“Aren’t you one of my brother’s little rats?”

The goblin started shaking.

“I thought I had all Jareth’s rats in chains,” Kail rested a boot on the goblin shoulder, and pushed him over. “No, no, you’re not fat enough to be one of my brother’s. Jareth’s little rats are much fatter. I wonder what he feeds his little rats to get them so fat.” He smiled and kicked the little goblin’s leg. “I’m sure you do talk to your rodent relations here in Jareth’s castle. Don’t you? What does Jareth feed his little rodents to make them so fat?”

The little goblin looked up quivering.

Kail raised his voice, “Well, has the cat got your tongue?”

The little goblin shook his head.

“It’s a simple question! What is Jareth feeding his little rats to make them so fat!”

The little goblin covered his eyes in fright, his small hands shaking.

Kail stood. He strolled over, and when he was within a few feet of the goblin, he pushed him over with a boot, and stood on the small goblins hand. The small goblin erupted in a howl.

Kail looked to his captain whose name was Boneious; a large armoured orc gorging on a leg of meat. “See Boneious, if you want to get an answer, you just have to know where to apply the pressure!”

The small goblin screamed. Kail pressed down harder. Then, just when the small goblin looked as though he was going to collapse, Kail removed his boot, and drew his sword.

The small goblin howled and shook his head in terror, then fell to the shoes of Kail and started crying.

“What do you think Boneious? Should I cut off his little head? Maybe I could use it as a footrest?”

Boneious finished a bladder of wine, and smiled with his razor sharp teeth. “Make him suffer first lord. That way his flesh-hss will be tender when I tear it from his bones”

Kail looked down at the small goblin and smiled.

Boneious tore at the hunk of meat in his green slimy hand, his razor sharp teeth glistening with saliva.

The little goblin screamed in terror, and Kail erupted in laughter, his sword falling loosely at his side. He looked down at the little goblin, who was rubbing his hand, tears in his eyes, and brought his chin up with the tip of his sword. “Don’t worry you little rodent. If I wanted to kill you, I’d use something a lot more creative than a sword.” Kail kicked at him again, “and anyway, if I were to cut that little head from its shoulders, who would I have to wipe the blood from my boots; once I thrust my sword threw my brother’s immortal love.” Kail smiled, “You’re safe you little rat. Well at least for now.” He pointed with his sword to the door.

The little goblin jumped to his feet and scampered for the stair.

Boneious looked up from his meat. “Now you have the labyrinth, master, you are truly powerful.”

Kail turned, and when he did he had flames in his eyes. “We don’t have the labyrinth! Do you think that we have it, just because we sit in Jareth’s chair, and drink his wine!” He clenched his fist. “I will never have my birth right until Jareth relinquishes it! Even now that we stand here, and my army walks the walls of this castle, and his army is in chains, the walls and the trees still breathe with his power, I can feel it Boneious! And no matter how much we burn down the walls it cannot burn away his mark!”

Kail turned to the window. “Even now his little rodents are loyal! How can I be one with my destiny, with subjects that despise me! No, they must be made to love me! Be made to need me, like they need and love Jareth!”

“You are a thousand fold more powerful than this-ss then your brother. Why don’t you destroy him in front of all of the creatures of the labyrinth, and show them that you are the true power.” Boneious spat.

Kail clenched his fist. “If I am to destroy him Boneious I will only make a martyr out of him. No. Jareth must fail. And he must fail in front of everyone. Everyone must see that he is not the true king.”

“But how are we to see him fail, every task you give him, he passes.”

“Maybe we just have to even the odds Boneious. My brother is versed in the labyrinth, because he has ruled over it for many years, but what if we were to take him to another labyrinth?”

“Another labyrinth master?”

“The mirror labyrinth. The labyrinth crafted by the gods themselves.”

Boneious spat. “yess-s, and destroy him while the gods-ss themselves watch, then they will see your great power, masters-ss.”

Kail clenched his fist. “Not destroy him. See him fail! If I were to destroy him, I would only make a martyr out of him!” Kail smiled. “Martyrs

Kail clenched his fist. “Not destroy him. See him fail! If I were to destroy him, I would only make a martyr out of him!” Kail smiled. “Martyrs are dangerous in times of war Boneious, they breed rebellion.”

Boneious looked up from his meat. “But what if he passes this labyrinth? They say the god’s gifts to those who navigate its walls.”

Kail turned suddenly, “He will not navigate it! He will fail! And he will do so in front of everyone!”

Steam started rising from Kail’s body. He clenched his fist, and looking out the window went on, “send word to my brother. Tell him if he ever wants to see his little rats alive again to show his face at the doors of the mirror labyrinth.” He turned to Boneious. “Oh and Boneious, ready the war wagons, and tell them to release all the goblins from the dungeons.”

“Release the rodents-ss from there cages-ss?”

Kail smiled. “What is the use of competing if there is no one to see you fail?”

The goblins were released as told, things were starting to return to normal after all four Still Sticks had been broken. Some things were still frozen in time, however. Birds were suspended in the sky gazelles and beasts in the forest stood still.

The goblins observed all the oddities as they rode by in the back of caged wagons. They were being taken...to a valley. The valley was the same burnt orange as the rest of the underground and at the bottom of it's bowl was a lake. The goblins were left in their cages as The Strife's dark men rode away. All they could see from the tops of the cliffs surrounding the valley was the lake. Shimmery and golden and suddenly it was blinding and then, there was their master and Lord The Goblin King himself, in all his splendor. But he looked confused.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jareth turned in circles looking all around him. There was a hall just a few minutes ago...oh wait, it was his brother he was dealing with. And if it was him, he'd probably have done the same thing. He slowly turned and up ahead was a music stand in the middle of the room and on that music stand was notes and words. Jareth rolled his eyes and sighed. He reluctantly sang:

Goblin King
brother----
there's no path
find another

Oh, there it is
just ahead
the Mirror Labyrinth
don't end up dead

A beaming light shone up ahead as a new corridor opened. The tinkling of glass and crystals could be heard, like tiny wind chimes or a chandelier being blown by the wind. And then there was mirror upon mirror shining like the sun and projecting reflection upon reflection of Jareth.

Jareth pursed his lips, "The Mirror Labyrinth...hmmm, don't end up dead. Thank you Kail."

And with a few steps, he was within the mirrors. And then there was a sea of dancers in a familiar masque ball...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sarah held Thistle's hand, following wherever the little girl went. Until she saw something...she did a double take in an offset corridor.

"Jareth?!?!"

She ran toward him, dragging poor Thistle behind her.

"Wait, Sawah, we're going the wrong way!" Thistle tried.

And in a poof of purple smoke, Jareth was gone, and in his place was the scene from the alley. Still frozen was Thumper, Nark, and Wallow, about to make an attempt at blocking the four blades that stood still in the air ahead. The four dark men , arms extended in a throw, menacing smiles on their faces. Catman cowaring in the corner. And Hoggle...a range of emotions covering his face, but Sarah couldn't quite pin point any one of them. She kneeled, and was about to touch his face, when everything disappeared and they were in an empty room.

"That's it...remember what you're fighting for, Sarah." echoed Kail's voice.

Sarah growled, "C'mon, show me the way." She allowed Thistle.

Thistle went straight to work, taking her back down the corridor.

Minutes passed. Soon, Thistle stopped dead. Her face was blank as she stared into a bright, white, and colorful room. It was the dream Jareth gave her, but all the people stood still.

"It's this way Sawah," Thistle whispered and slowly she left Sarah and entered the room.

"Wait." Sarah, said following. "This looks like a trick, that I don't care to fall for again."

"It's the way Sawah." Thistle said, eyeing a buffet of goodies. And array of cakes, tarts, fried pies, cookies, glistening and gooey candies, and something that particularly caught Thistle's eye, was spread out on the table. Thistle grinned, slowly approaching the table.

Sarah, was distracted by the dancers. She observed them like they were museum pieces. Their elaborate and mysterious masks were a treat for the eye. Sarah gave a small smile at a beautiful red head that she remembered from long ago. A woman who layed her head on Jareth's shoulder lovingly, while he ignored her. Sarah reached out to touch her porcelain hand and quickly pulled away when the sharp blade of the woman's finger sliced through her own soft digit. Dark blood flowed freely and Sarah adjusted her stance, the people were sharp and were a two dimensional optical illusion. They were made from blades. Her and Thistle would never make it through that forest of torture.

She quickly turned, just soon enough to watch Thistle take a big bite out of a peanut butter and sugar sandwich with the utmost satisfaction.

"Thistle, no!" Sarah ran to her as she swallowed.

"What?" Thistle smiled...She was perfectly fine.

Kail's evil laugh resonated quietly on the air.

Sarah looked around with a glare. "Are you ok? Do you feel sick?"

Thistle shook her head. She would be alright, at least for now.

And then there was the rhythmic sound of cogs and gears starting to turn to the beat of "As the World Falls Down"

"We've got to get out of here," Sarah said, eyeing the dancers that blocked off the rest of the room opposite the door. But there was no door. "UGH!" Sarah grunted "Why do I always do this?!"

The people began to dance, their blades "Shing-Shing"ing together as they moved.

If they went that way, then they'd surely be cut to ribbons. And then Sarah saw something, a shadow, it was Jareth...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jareth was beginning to feel like he'd pulled an all nighter in the wine cellar. The familiar ballroom started to shift and waver, and suddenly he was at a Carnivale. Circus freaks danced instead of attendees of a party. Clowns played with little dogs. Circus music went backwards instead of forward. The bearded lady laughed in his face. The ringmaster gave him a judgemental eye. And then he was on the merri-go-round, weaving in and out of the bouncing horses and towards a beautiful shadow...it was Sarah, barely visible, and just as confused as he. He followed the only thing he could wish for...to be with her. But then there was something even more out of the corner of his eye...a golden light at the center of the spinning ride...and he stumbled toward it, knowing it would save Sarah...somehow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sarah watched as Jareth's shadow weaved through the blade dancers with the most elegant ease. When he finally made it through, he teased her with the idea that he might come and rescue her with this madness. But then he took a sharp turn, towards something glistening on one of the buffet tables. And then, to her heartbreak, he disappeared.

She decided it was a sign and went to the spot of his shadow's demise and searched the buffet table.

She growled, "Nothing!!" she picked up a piece of cake and threw it at the blade dancers where it splatted in a sugary pulp. "Nothing, but useless food!" She continued to throw cookies, sandwiches, and pies at the dancers. When she reached for one more thing to throw, there was nothing, but a paper mache mask. It's eyes were closed.

Sarah's face grew soft. She felt warm suddenly and squeezed Thistle hard against her side. She felt calm and love as she picked the mask up and its candy cane striped ribbons gently swayed with the pull of gravity. The gold leaf glistened in the white light of the room. She smiled tenderly and caressed the cheek with her thumb. And suddenly the mask did something unexpected. It's lips curved into a sweet and serene smile.

Sarah jumped and then gasped as the mask opened it's lids to reveal true blue, human eyes. The boyish face cracked a grin, and Sarah couldn't help but to let out a small yelp.

The young man giggled, "What a lovely thing to wake up to." He looked out the corner of his eyes to observe the dancers, "Oh, except for that." He gave a mock 'uh-oh' face. "Oh, oh, oh..." He tried to look down..."And who's down there?"

Sarah immediately kneeled, holding him face to face with Thistle. Sarah wrapped an arm around her. "This is Thistle."

Thistle smiled shyly.

"Ahhhh," said the mask, "Such a beautiful purple name to go with such beautiful purple eyes." Once again he gave that familiar grin, that reminded Sarah of someone.

"And who is the beauty with the raven hair?" He said, looking at Sarah out of the corner of his eyes.

Sarah smiled, standing "I'm Sarah...And you?"

The mask thought hard, "I'm...well...see, it's funny, I'm having a hard time remembering."

"I know how that is." Sarah nodded, "Can you help us out of here sir?"

The mask smiled knowingly, "Oh, you're leaving the ball before it's over eh?"

Sarah smiled and gave another nod.

"Well, the proper way to dance at a masque ball, is to first...have a mask." The mask raised his brows and relaxed them suggestively. "And to have a dancing partner." The mask looked down at Thistle.

Sarah thought about the masks suggestion for a moment and made her decision. She turned the mask around, and began to tie the candy cane ribbons around her head.

"Smart woman." smiled the mask.

He looked at Thistle, "May I have this dance, dear Thistle?"

Thistle tried to be brave.

"It's fun," the mask persuaded.

Thistle thought for a moment, and then gave a sweet smile and nod.

The mask, lifted Thistle into Sarah's arms. And with a step and a spin, they were amongst the dancers. He moved like a professional. Doing a tango step here, a ball change in tight spots, a spin, barely missing the razors that were the dancer's arms. Spinning to avoid the blades by mere inches. And with a few ducks and pas de basques, the company found themselves, yet again in an empty bronze corridor.

Sarah set Thistle down, and removed the mask, turning it to face her.

"You were amazing!"

The mask played coy, "Oh, stop."

"No really, you were truly brilliant....Thank you."

The mask grew serious, "You're welcome, Sarah." There was a gentle pause and the mask took an ethusiastic breath "And thank you to Thistle!" They both looked at her. Sarah gasped, but the mask was not surprised.

Thistle had grown within the last few seconds. She was no longer four, but around her pre-teens.

"She ate the food didn't she?" said mask.

Jareth woke up to a blanket of raven hair. He gently wiped it from his face and rolled to find Sarah sleeping soundly. He smiled, observing her soft calm beauty, and caressed her cheek.

She rolled too, laying her head on his chest. He sighed and gave a squiggly smile. Then took time to observe the room.

It was contemporary America. Jareth wore a white t-shirt. Sarah a green tank top. Jareth's hair was short and spikey. Their bed, a deep satin blood red with a mosquito net hanging overhead. Peacock feathers framed every picture on the wall. Paintings of knights and goblins and Jareth as the Goblin King. He smiled proudly, but then his smile faded as he observed pictures of a family and their children sitting atop the dresser. It wasn't just a family...it was him...and Sarah. With a boy and a girl. The boy with dark hair like Sarah, the girl a redhead with eyes like Jareth.

Jareth looked to the corner of the room, small children's chairs and dolls and trucks and puzzle pieces were scattered everywhere. The romance was drizzling out of him like a stuck pig.

And then, a scream. A child's scream. Jareth's eyes grew wide.

He jumped as Sarah slapped his arm.

"Could you get that?"

The screaming continued. Get what? He didn't know what to do? He was usually the one causing the screaming.

Sarah sat up suddenly, whipping the covers off. "UGH! Jareth! Why is it always me that has to sit up 'til four, telling him there's no such thing as goblins?!"

"Sarah....There IS such a thing as goblins." Jareth said calmly.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "EXACTLY!"...and then stormed out of the room.

Kail stood in the middle of the great hall with a crystal ball in his hand. Around him hob-goblins sat on tables that circled the great hall, their legs chained to iron rings bolted into marble floor. Behind them orcs stood, their green leathery faces watching from over large shields, each embossed with the tabard of the golden fox and war hammer. Kail held up his crystal, and it started to grow in size, floating from his hands until it was in the middle of the hall where it continued to grow, until it was large enough so all the small faces watching could see the scene taking place in the reflective surface of the giant crystal ball. A stunned silence filled the room, as the hob-goblins watched their King move about in a ghostly form.

Kail held up a hand, and a fireball shot from it, and exploded in a rainbow of fireworks over the crystal. “I bring you Jareth and Sarah and their adventures in the great mirror labyrinth!”

A hush filled the room.

Kail snapped his fingers and in a hail of green and red fireworks strange steaming dishes and goblets of wine appeared from the smoke in front of the small hob-goblins who sat at tables, stunned.

Kail turned to Boneious in a whisper, “Have you readied the surprise for my brother?”

“We have masters-ss, we have unleashed the Bone Eater and his witch.”

Kail smiled. “Make sure they go easy on him. I’ve put a lot of time into this show, and I don’t want it to be over before it has begun.” Kail rubbed his Jaw. “Tell them to face him one at a time. That should draw things out for awhile.”

Boneious snorted. “What of the battle of Acadia. Already the Acadia armies have grown, and they say there is some kind of great force with them, a wizard called Aurora. They say that she is more than a match for the Troll arch magus Rolfiloe. Without your power masters-ss the soldier’s fighting spirit is tireing. They will not draw their swords as fast and quick without your presence.”

Kail clapped his hands, as the room erupted in laughter as Sarah threw a handful of cake at a blade dancer.

Boneious went on. “This force is strong masters-ss, and your attention on your brother instead of the battle will cost us many sword brothers on the field.”

Kail continued to clap.

“The Orcan King has already express concerns over your obsession with your brother. If you are not to show at this battle masters-ss he might break relations all to together, and withdraw his war wagons from the field.”

Kail turned, his eyes flaming. The space in front of Boneious grew dark. “My sweet Boneious, do you really think it is so easy to break relations with The Strife?”

The ground in front of Boneious started cracking. And kail’s mask grew dark. “If your king thinks he is beyond the pull of my strings because he sits so many leagues away, then he is gravely wrong Boneious. I can cut insolence down from a thousand leagues away. I only need to reach out, and I can pull the very life from his veins.”

Boneious stepped back.

“You, would be best to remember that Boneious. In case there is a day when you think that you are beyond my grasp, and start questioning your loyalties to me.”

Kail smiled, and turned back to the crystal. “Remind your king Boneious, that just because my eyes and ears are not at his door, that I do not know and hear his plans. My eyes and ears here and see a far distance.”

Boneious stood at attention. “I’ll report your orders to the witch masters-ss. And I will remind my king of your great power.”

Kail cheered in a clap at Sarah’s shocked expression as Thistle grew in size. “Very good Boneious, but be quick. I don’t want you to miss anything.”

Boneious bowed and left the hall.

Jareth lay on the bed his mind racing, where WAS he??

A young child ran into the room flinging himself on to the bed,

“Daddy tell Mommy, tell her about the goblins! There’s one under my bed Daddy, tell her!”

Sarah climbed into the bed with a sigh,

“He won’t settle in his room, do you mind sweetie?”

Jareth shook his head mutely as the child snuggled up against his chest with a sleepy grin. Sarah ruffled his hair with a smile,

“Don’t get too used to this mister”.

She reached out and snapped off the light.

Jareth lay in the dark his mind in utter turmoil. What exactly was going on and how did he end up here? He was supposed to be doing something…but what??

The child in his arms snuggled closer and mewed in his sleep, instinctively he wrapped his arms around the small frame holding the child close. He closed his eyes with a sigh and then all thought was lost in the void of sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jareth woke to a sticky hand tugging at his face,

“Daddy Mommy says get up! Breakfast will get cold…..Daddy…c’mon!”

The “c’mon” was followed by a loud smack to Jareth’s face and he woke with a start. A little version of Sarah was standing beside his bed, toast in her hand, and all over the covers of the bed too he noticed with a rueful smile.

“Uh, tell her I’m coming now”.

The little girl gave a giggle and ran out of the room.

He got up and pulled on a pair of blue jeans (that he presumed to be his own) that were lying across a chair in the room. He padded down the stairs barefoot and into the kitchen. Two children were eating at a wooden table, while a radio was giving the mornings news. Sarah was wearing denim cut offs and a black t-shirt, her hair pulled into a loose ponytail. She smiled when she saw him, and the two children looked up smiling also.

Something was so strange, yet he couldn’t put his finger on it. What was going on?

He sat at the table and the little girl rushed over to him climbing onto his lap.

“I’m a big girl now Daddy, I got you up all by myself”

She grinned up at him, toast crumbs stuck to her t-shirt.

Sarah gave a small laugh,

“Bethany let your Daddy have his breakfast! Jaden sweetie, stop trying to write on the table!”

The little boy looked up guilty and dropped his crayon. Sarah placed a plate of bacon and eggs on the table before him and dropped a swift kiss onto his forehead. He flinched looking up at her, her lips were freezing. She turned to the children,

‘C’mon kids you’re going to be late for school’

‘Ok Mommy.’

Alarm bells were ringing in his head at the mention of the word late. What was he late for, was he supposed to be doing something? With a sigh he began to eat his breakfast.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kail roared with laughter,

“He doesn’t have a clue where he is! Oh this has to be one of my best ideas yet! He’ll waste all of his time and be stuck in this fantasy! He’ll never save Sarah or his precious Labyrinth, he’ll be trapped in his dream forever!”

The creatures around the table joined in the laughter and began thumping the tables in front of them with glee.

Mask sighed.

Thistle had been chattering on for a good hour now and had grown from pre-teen to 16 years of age in that short of time. Yes, she was sophisticated and much more grown up, but a 16 year old has a lot to talk about.

"And then my parents were frozen and I was here and Aurora appeared and she said I had to show you where to go, but I have no idea now, I just follow my feelings, it's never a sure thing. Please don't be mad at me you two. I feel terrible. And my clothes, they're pathetic. Thanks for the sweater Sarah, I never knew I'd have melons like these invading my chest, and they'd barely be covered if it weren't for the sweater." Thistle went on.

"It's alright Thistle. I trust your instincts. We may fall into a whole mess of problems along the way, but then again, that's why we were put here." Sarah said calmly. "At least Mask can give us a heads up, since he sort of knows what's going on."

"Sarah?" Mask started.

"Yes?" Sarah smiled down at him.

He looked concerned, a little less innocent than before. "I'm starting to recall some things."

"Really? Do tell." Sarah urged.

"Well, this King...Jareth, you're talking about. The Goblin King. I...I think I know him. Somehow, I think I know him very well." the Mask chuckled lightly. "It's stupid."

"Nothing is stupid when you're in a place like this." Sarah said sagely.

Mask almost didn't want to divulge his information...Sarah waited on the edge.

"I feel. I feel like maybe, he's a cousin....Or an uncle!" he added hopefully.

Sarah's brows knit..."He just may be." she gave a half smile, which was returned with a very familiar grin on Mask's part. Where had she seen that grin before?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hoggle woke up in the alley. It was like any other morning, he slammed his fists in his eyes and scrunched all the sleepiness away. And then, everything came into focus.

He looked around. It was like one of those idiotic paintings from long ago that he hated so much. Half naked women in dramatic poses, men stabbing each other with spears. Peyuck!

He went straight to work, waddling over to each of the four knife throwers and giving them a swift punch in the crotch. They'd feel that later.

Hoggle then went over to Catman and grabbed ahold of his tail, like a giant taking his captive wenches by the hair. Hoggle dragged him underneath each knife, using the poor feline as a step stool, and with all his strength, turned them around so that they faced their owner.

"Too violent? Nah, they'll be too busy grabbing the family jewels. Knives'll miss them completely." Hoggle dusted off his hands.

Then remembered something. He went over to the scarred leader of the knife gang and pulled a trinket out of his pocket. He jiggled it around and the stone door to the alley opened, revealing the street outside.

He went to work, dragging the heavy trolls from the alley and onto the stillness of the once busy New York rue. Once his party was completely on the street, he plopped against a wall and jiggled the trinket once again. The alley door closed.

Out of breath, Hoggle grumbled to himself, "Your **** dirty deed is done, fairy."

In a deep dark, no man's land, Aurora managed a smile.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as the kids were off to school, Sarah drug Jareth from the kitchen and back toward the bedroom.

"You were so cute sleeping with Jaden last night. I couldn't wait to send them to school so I could rip your clothes off and give you a proper thank you."

Jareth's brows raised. He didn't know whether or not to be happy.

Sarah tugged at his shirt as she urged him down the hallway. But they were stopped by a random stuffed fiery. Jareth tripped. Sarah fell with him to the floor. She giggled like a 13 year old. Jareth didn't laugh.

He layed and observed the fiery next to him. He knew what it was...he just couldn't think of the name. He'd seen it before. Maybe on TV?

"What kind of animal is this?" he asked.

They had landed in front of the library. An old man slept in a lounger, his back to them. Jareth couldn't see his face. But he snored soundly.

"SHHHHH, you'll wake up Grampa." Sarah giggled.

She lifted him onto his feet.

*~

In the bedroom, Sarah dumped a drawer full of toys and contraptions onto the bed. She opened a chest and threw costumes out of it.

"Who should I be today? Do you want me to be the 'Oh so wiley fairy princess'" Sarah said with a naughty look "Or should I be the evil queen?" Sarah picked up a whip and snapped it. Jareth jumped in surprise.

"Oh! NO, no, no, no. We could do your favorite. I could be the poor lost innocent teenager and you could be the heartless hateful Hobgoblin Duke" Sarah pulled out a pair of gray tights and flung them at Jareth.

He observed them and stretched them out curiously. "Heartless and Hateful?" he frowned at the idea. "That's my favorite?"

Sarah's smile faded "You don't want to play? FINE!" she pouted and messed with her hair in the mirror.

"I'm tired of playing games Sarah." Jareth walked up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Shouldn't there be love?"

He stared at her in the mirror and she stared back blanky. She had no idea what he was talking about. And there was something different about her eyes.

He remembered something...

'There's such a sad love,
deep in your eyes
it's like a pale jewel,
opened and closed within your eyes'

He looked for the sadness, the spark in her eyes. But there was nothing, just emptiness and...cold.

He whipped her around.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

'There's such a fooled heart
Beating so fast in search of new dreams
A love that will last within your heart'

He felt her heart. There was a whir, a buzz, like a machine, but no heartbeat.

He backed away.

Sarah gave a fake smile, "Jareth...sweety."

Jareth made a swift exit, slamming the door behind him and putting a chair in front of it.

He ran down the hall, stabbing his foot on a sharp toy truck, he gave a yelp and then a growl "No child of mine plays with trucks." he said with disgust.

"Jareth get back here!!" Sarah's voice yelled from their room.

"Oh, in just a minute my dearest, darling, tart, love." Jareth said sarcasticly.

He stopped at the library and went in. The old man. He knew him. Jareth gave the old man a push. He awoke with a snort.

They stared at each other for a comical moment. The old man angry, Jareth like a little boy who just ate a whole jar of cookies.

"Your eyes are freakish." the old man rolled the r in 'freakish'.

"Thank you." Jareth said, still serious.

"That's how I would expect the Goblin King to answer." the old man watched as Jareth took everything in.

This was fake. All of it. He was in the mirror labyrinth in the bronze arena. He had to find Sarah. There was only a little bit of time left before a war would ruin the Underground and every other world.

"You have to get out of here lad. Before you forget again." the old man's eyes shifted colors.

"You're the Great Wizard." Jareth said in awe.

The old man rolled his eyes.

"But Sir, I have to get you out of here too." Jareth urged.

"You can't..." the Wizard said bitterly, "I'm stuck to this chair."

There was a confused pause.

"Jareth, go to sleep. Wake up. Find Sarah and the missing piece to your brother." the old man hurried as 'Sarah' rammed the door, "Hustle boy! We haven't got the time!"

'Sarah' called from far off "JARETH! DAM-MIT!"

Jareth ran from the library and to the living room.

The Wizard called after him "Hurry! Before that monster gets out of her pen!"

Jareth layed on the couch in the family room and closed his eyes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The door had closed, leaving Sarah, Mask, and Thistle in a giant room. The obstacle that separated one door from the other, was a small, red, lake. A few islands dotted the body of water, so the swim wouldn't be too difficult.

It was the shifting of something in the water that made the company a little uneasy.

Worry faded when a baby goldfish the size of a large dog popped it's head out of the water. It smiled at them.

"Oh, what a sweet little thing." Thistle swooned. She was just under Sarah's age now, and quite the beauty.

"Don't believe everything you see in this place." Mask warned.

Sarah nodded, "I second that. We better swim fast. Can you swim Thistle?"

Thistle nodded sadly "My father was careful to teach me at an early age.

"Good." Sarah sighed, "Well...here goes."

Sarah dove in followed by Thistle.

A bustle of bubbles surrounded them in the crimson deep, followed by a school of colorful and seemingly friendly fish. They smiled and winked...and then did something unexpected. They sang.

"Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you"

Sarah immediately worked her way to the surface. She filled her lungs and began to sob. Desperate tears poured from her eyes.

Thistle joined her at the surface, moaning to the fish's song.

The fish circled the girls.

"Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile"

Sarah let out a wail..."Jareth I'm so sorry! I wish things would've been different"

Thistle spoke between sobs..."Momma, Pappa, it's all my fault."

The fish continued until Sarah finally got the idea.

"That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile"

"Thistle, smile!" Sarah called out.

Thistle forced a smile, as did Sarah.

Everything in the world that they found fault in themselves for, piled onto them.

Sarah grinned and grinned and Thistle followed her lead, until the singing stopped, and they were on the other side of the lake.

They reached the bank and the door slid open, letting the heartbroken girls pass. And it slid quietly behind them.

In the bronze hall on the other side, they cried until they could cry no more.

"Talk about sadistic," Sarah wept, "They make you smile while you're reminded of all the worst things in your life."

And then Sarah bent over.....and realized....Mask was gone.

"Oh no!" She turned and tried to open the closed door, but it was too late. "I've lost him!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jareth woke up wearing his traditional tights and stylish leather jacket. Everything about the man himself was right as rain.

The room Jareth found himself in was quite different. A series of robots was what created his false reality. The Great Wizard sat comatose in a steel chair. The robots that made up Sarah and his children twitched and writhed.

Jareth slid off his steel table and made his way to the Wizard in an attempt to free him, but the room rushed up and Jareth down. He slid through a hatch in the floor and was dumped out on an island in the middle of a giant lake filled room. He rubbed his head and sat up to observe his surroundings.

"Oh wonderful...a lake."

Jareth walked to the edge of his island and watched the eery smiling fish below the surface. It smiled sweetly at him. Jareth smirked in return and muttered to himself "Hello. You're probably the cutest most evil little fish I'll ever meet aren't you? Yes. Probably bite my leg off as soon as I turn around."

In the corner of his eye, something glistened. The same glisten in his drunken fit at the carnivale. He turned to watch, as a golden mask floated ashore.

Jareth watched for a moment, and then sauntered over to it. He kneeled and picked it up, brushing the sand from it's face. It opened it's eyes as he did so.

"Don't listen to them, they're the cutest most evil little fish you'll ever meet." said Mask drained of all energy.

But Jareth didn't hear what he said.

And when Mask was finally aware, he had forgotten what he said.

Jareth finally spoke..."Kail?"

Poppy rubbed his sore hand, as he ran down the castle steps. At first it had hurt to move it, but after he met his new friend, she had made it all better.

He snuck a look into the great hall, and seeing Kail laughing at the huge crystal, surrounded by the huge round table of goblins and other creatures, he snuck out and down the stairwell, racing down until he was in the kitchen, his yellow servant’s collar bouncing about his neck, its small bells tinkling. He ran through the kitchen where goblins hustled over steaming pots, quickly dodging waiters and cooks wrestling with ladles. He quickly passed them and out the back door, where he met the servants vegetable gardens, hedged in with the vibrant flower pots hanging from the sleeping willows where many goblins’ washed their clothes in steaming buckets and hung their laundry over the washing lines that filled the small grass plateau.

Poppy ran, and slid under the table of two old goblins playing chess who smoked pipes, and rushing out the other side, only to quickly wiggled his way through a small railing, jumping down and into a small bricked off alley, then quickly meeting its end climbed a small iron fence, jumping down and into Jereth’s rose garden. There he kept running, along a small dash of lush green hedges, passing the old statue of the fawn, and in a sudden turn, down the small shortcut to the courtyard, where he raced up to the fountain outside the castle, then hopping up onto the side, leaned over and breathing heavily, looked carefully into the turning water.

The ripples turned and swirled in the wake of the water that flowed from the fairies at the top of the fountain. Three in all, tipped their golden buckets over in silent poses, each smiling forever in white marble.

This is where he had first seen his friend, three days ago, when he had ran cradling his hand, stumbling over the stones in the courtyard and falling into the mouth of the fountain. He had sat there, on the side of the fountain, crying into the still water, under the moon.

He missed his mother and father so much, and with each thought of them, he became sadder and more tears came.

That’s when his friend spoke to him.

His friend had told him to come back today.

Today at when the sun was midway in the sky.

Poppy looked closely at the water. He watched carefully, and listened. Then, after a few moments of staring blankly into the water, he saw his friend: a tiny white fish peeking out from behind the grills of a drain.

It was small, and struggled against the currents of the water, but after a moment, wiggled its way free until it was at the semi calm of the pool in front of Poppy.

Poppy giggled and gave a toothless smile from his round face. “Oh, I didn’t know that you would be here today. I thought maybe you only came at night-time.”

The small white fish danced around in a circle, and Poppy could here the sound of the fish’s voice. It was calm, and warm, and relaxed him. “How is my Poppy flower today? Is he better now that his sore hand is mended?” the fish said.

Poppy nodded, and smiled at his glittering reflection in the water, where the fish looked back at him. “Oh yes, much better, thank you oh so much. I put some of that wild flowers nectar on it, the one from Jareth’s garden on my hand. Just like you said to do, and now my hand don’t hurt anymore.”

The fish done a little dance and Poppy clapped.

Settling in front of him it went on, “Poppy? Could you do a favour for me?”

Poppy nodded. “Oh yes, anything for you.”

The fish steadied itself in a slow swim in front of Poppy, “Do you know the morning Star? Many call it the Great Star, because Poppy, it’s the Greatest of all stars in the sky.”

Poppy nodded. His mother had shown to him, just before Kail had taken him from her a year ago, to serve in the Orcan war wagons.

“I need you to tell your friends about that star. I need you to tell them that the Great Star is coming. And that, soon, once it’s close enough, it will fall right from the sky and down upon labyrinth.” The fish gave a small wiggle, studying Poppy, “If you look at the morning star tonight Poppy, it will be brighter than the night before. For it is growing closer, and soon, you will be able to see it in the day.

“When the star falls Poppy, I need you to tell your friends and loved ones to close there eyes, as tight as they can, and not open them until they have counted to ten. Can you do that Poppy; can you tell your friends?”

Poppy shielded the sun with a hand, and looked up to the sky, his mouth open blankly. Then after a few moments he turned back to the fountain, “Yes, I will tell all my friends.” Poppy smiled. But then fell into a sad look. “Oh, but I don’t know if anyone will listen to Poppy. Not many believe what Poppy says.”

“It’s ok Poppy. This time, they will listen. For I shall give you a

Just keeping it alive, we almost lost it!!

“It’s ok Poppy. This time, they will listen. For I shall give you a sign. One that shows that you speak the truth. It is the very sign you have had all along Poppy. The one that you have had in your heart all this time. But now, it shall rise so all can see. And the kindness that lies within you shall be shown to all.”

Poppy’s hand started to feel warm, and he opened it, and there on his hand, was the shape of a fish. It glowed faintly, slowly fading until only a golden mark remained.

Poppy’s face grew into a smile.

“Now go Poppy. Go and see your friends. Show them your hand, and tell them what I have said. Tell them the Great Star is coming.

“Tell them the burning light, has not forgotten them. Tell them the days of darkness shall not lay long, as there is a blazing light coming to chase the valleys and hills clean of shadows. Tell them, hope is coming Poppy. Tell them, and show them your mark, so they know you speak for me.

“And those whose hearts are pure, shall awaken once there eyes see the mark, and they shall know what to do, as if for all this time they were asleep in a dream. And all shall be as one again, as all were made to be.”

Poppy studied his hand. He could feel a warm feeling fall over him.

“Now go Poppy, go and spread the word. You must show all your mark.”

Poppy nodded, and slowly stepped down from the fountain edge and looked to his hand, to the birthmark of the fish on his palm. He looked back to the glistening waters of the fountain. But the fish was gone.

But it didn’t matter. Because now he could hear her warm words in his mind, and he could feel her warm spirit in his heart.

And he knew wherever he went, she would be with him.

Jareth stared at the mask, his face emotionless as he thought back. It was a memory that he had buried deep down inside him, one that had not been thought about in a long, long time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kail had been furious when it was decided that Jareth would become King. He had cursed both Jareth and his parents, demanding that he be chosen instead, telling them that Jareth would be a hopeless King. But it was out of both his own hands and that of his parents, it was written in the stars for Jareth. From the moment he was born, his legacy had been laid out before him and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

The ceremony of Jareth's crowning had been an odd day for Jareth. He had found it quite surreal to find himself in such a position at such a young age, and the novelty had almost amused him were it not for his parents. His mother in particular had seemed quite upset while his father had kept a rigid emotionless face for most of the day, his way of coping.

Kail on the other hand had seemed quite calm, approaching his brother after he had been crowned to offer his congratulations. Jareth remembered the conversation well, it was something that he would never forget.

He had been standing on the balcony of his throne room casting the first of many gazes over his magnificent Labyrinth, when Kail had slipped in behind him.

"Enjoying the view Jareth?"

Jareth had raised an eyebrow half turning his head,

"Yes it's quite magnificent Kail, don't you think?"

Kail gave a slight inclination of his head,

"I suppose it does contain the 'wow' factor", he gave a dry chuckle moving to stand beside his brother.

Jareth watched him carefully, un-sure what to make of his brothers mood. He was acting very strangely, an eerie calmness seemed to be consuming him and he wasn't meeting Jareth's gaze at all.

Kail walked towards the edge of the balcony gazing out in front of him, he rocked gently on the balls of his feet he face blank.

Jareth was beginning to become unsettled, he took a step towards his brother,

"Is everything alright Kail? I was thinking of perhaps having you become my Chief Advisor? It was something i had mentioned to Father and Mama..."

Kail gave a loud bark of laughter when Jareth said 'Father and Mama', his body shook with laughter, he leaned onto the rail of the balcony as fits of it shook his entire body, tears streaming down his face. Jareth watched in alarm as his brothers hands slid along the rail leaving behind bloody smears. Kail was hysterical, alarm bells were ringing in Jareth's head and shouts were coming from far away in the castle.

Jareth grabbed his brother by the shoulder trying to swing him around,

"Kail in the name of the Gods what is wrong with you?!! Where did this blood come from, have you hurt yourself?! Answer me!!!"

Kail turned suddenly furious, pushing Jareth away,

"They're DEAD!!!" he screamed.

"Who?? What are you talking about Kail??"

Kail suddenly became very calm and still and it was the most frightening thing Jaret had ever seen his little brother do. The speed in which he was flying through these emotions was truly un-settling and Jareth's mind was racing.

"I have killed Mama and Father. You did not deserve this gift that was bestowed upon you and i did. It was their fault that you were chosen and i have begun fixing the mess that they have made. As long as i have breath in my body this Labyrinth shall become mine, you shall be left with nothing Jareth."

The shouts were louder now, he could faintly make out the sounds of many, many footsteps running towards them. Voices were screaming, and he could faintly hear his parents names being mentioned.

Jareth's body had shut down, he gazed at his brother in complete confusion. Bloody was dripping from Kail's fingers and it was smeared along his trousers and shirt. That was his parents blood he realised, his heart was beating far too fast and loud and his vision was becoming cloudy with tears.

Suddenly his goblin army was in the room and Kail was being wrestled to the floor. Kail was screaming hysterically, telling them they would die at his hands like his parents if they didnt let go. And then he was being hustled and dragged from the room and Jareth was left standing on the balcony gazing at the little pool of blood. Elders was standing around him trying to bring him comfort and calm him.

Yet all Jareth could think was that the pool of blood before him was all he had left of his parents.

Jareth's fury had taken a few hours to take hold but suddenly the skies were purple black, lightening slashed the sky open and rain fell upon everything in huge torrents. Winds blew with a fury unlike anything ever seen and young goblin children cowered against their mothers.

Kail was thrown into the Labyrinth. Jareth gave him the customary 13 hours and come the 11th Kail was screaming for mercy. Jareth unleased monsters into the Labyrinth that had never been seen before. His brother suffered a constant torment and when the 13th hour ended Kail emerged a gibbering wreck.

Kail was banished from the kingdom, but not before he had received his final punishment. For his evil crime Jareth took Kail's face, so that he nor anyone else would ever have to look upon it again and remember the evil and suffering he had caused.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jareth gazed down dully at the mask in his hands.

It gazed up at him raising an eyebrow slowly,

"I thought it would take you longer to recognise me brother."

Jareth could feel the cold fury building up in him slowly watching as the mask began to smirk.

"She's so trusting your lady love Jareth. I have lead her to what she thinks is safety, but im afraid she will never survive what lies beyond that door. As for her friend, she will become an old woman soon at the rate that poison works, poor Sarah shall be all alone."

The mask began to laugh and laugh, and Jareth unable to control his fury tore the mask in half, flinging it into the water.

The laughter continued to echo back to Jareth as he stood on the shore, but was suddenly drowned out by the sound of a terrified scream.

Thistle had fallen from the plank.

No, they weren't on a pirate ship.

The large green room had stretched out for miles into darkness. Only a single thin walkway stretched out into the room and the drop on either side and ahead was endless. The ceiling...who knew if there even was one.

This was a room that held something big. And Sarah could hear it breathing down below.

Thistle had gotten dizzy...or maybe she just gave up like Sarah shortly after Thistles body plummeted over the edge of the walk. Sarah stood at the end, hair blowing softly in an unknown wind. All she wanted to do now was lie down and go to sleep.

That's when a dark figure rose. It was a man. A collosus to top all the collosi. He was as tall and as wide as the room. He outstretched his arm to her and unfolded his fisted hand to reveal a now white-haired Thistle within his palm.

"I could take her." he said.

"I know." Sarah said calmly. "Death can take anyone from anybody."

"Then what will happen next Oracle?" he asked.

"You will ask me for something I cannot give you because it belongs to someone else. But somehow all will be well." Sarah looked at the dark figure.

He was the shape of a large muscular man. His skin was black in pigment. He had no facial features. Another shadow in this land of shadows. And then, he opened his eyes. Large heartbroken pools of green. They stared down at her like a hurt animal.

Sarah shed a tear, "I wish I could give it to you."

"Your heart?" his voice was soothing.

Sarah nodded.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jareth's body sunk to the bottom of the red lake. He couldn't hear the fish singing. The only thing that echoed throughout his mind was the scream.

He swam toward the door at the bottom of the lake and opened it, splashing through and into a small room full of women.

It was a harem of Sarah's and a sultan sat at the end and smoked a pipe.

"Jareth you have to get me out of here!" one Sarah begged.

"No, Jareth it's me, Sarah. I'm the real one." Sarah pushed the other away.

"Jareth I love you, I always have." Sarah's eyes pleaded.

They clung to his arms and legs and he dragged his way over to the sultan.

The sultan smiled.

"Where's the door?" Jareth tried to shake a Sarah from his arm.

The sultan offered his pipe to Jareth. Jareth waved it away. He ran about the room moving girls out of the way, throwing pillows, tearing down curtains in search of a door. He fell to the floor exhausted. Sarah's layed all about him. He cuddled up to one.

"I can't...I've failed." he wallowed.

"A smoke would make you feel much better." the sultan persisted.

Jareth nuzzled his Sarah and reluctantly looked to the sultan to observe his face. The portly man held a mischeivious and suggestive smile.

Jareth sat up, "Oh, why not?" He snatched the pipe from the sultan's hand and took a long relieving drag. The room began to spin and he found himself in a whole new setting.

He was quickly awakened from his dizziness after almost slipping from his perch at the edge of a neverending green room. The drop was endless and there was no ceiling. And ahead, stood a enormous shadow of a man and in front of him, a speck......SARAH!

"SARAH!" Jareth called out against the wind.

The collosus slowly turned. He held a small woman in the palm of his hand. His giant green eyes examined Jareth.

"This is where your heart lies." he said to Sarah. "This is what the Oracle devotes herself to?"

"Yes." Sarah said confidently.

"What is his worth? I want to see the value in this mere speck on reality." the giant squinted his eyes for emphasis.

Jareth looked back and forth between Death and Sarah.

How could Jareth prove himself without magic?

He knew only one way.

He sang.

Giant shadow ---
Lived a long time ago.

Born below ---
Life's eternal flow.

And yet, he chooses us.
He chooses us.
He makes us wonder.

Small girl ---
watched her life unfurl

Born yesterday, how did she know --
what our lives are and where they go.

And so, she's cherished.
she's cherished.
Please don't tear us asunder.

A man ---
King of upside down land.

Lived thousands a year and learned some tricks ---
Learned little of love and how it ticks.

Foolish boy.
Foolish man.
Sit and watch me blunder.


He looked at Sarah. She was beyond beautiful. Her skin glowed in the light of the room. Her raven hair spun in the soft wind. And she gazed back at him lovingly.

The Shadow stared at Jareth, contemplating. After a long moment, with a heavy sigh, Death layed thistle back on the thin walkway and she was again, a little girl.

"I see now." he said.

He held his hand out for Jareth to step on. In the middle sat something. A mask. Only this time it was silver. There was no living face on it. Only eye holes and a smile. Jareth picked it up.

"This mask is the goodness and innocence your brother once had. While it may be able to change him, it will not take away the damage he has done. That deed will be left to another force of good. Safe journey. I will see you again." Death's voice echoed into silence.

Jareth holding the good mask, Sarah holding Thistle. And both, holding each other's hand, found themselves back in the throws of the bronze arena. A large grandfather clock stood before them. Two hours left.


*~*~*~*~*~

Hoggle and Catman were the last to jump into the puddle.

"I HATE WATER!" Catman hissed.

Hoggle growled, "I hate YOU!" he pushed Catman into the puddle and they found themselves within the Goblin City.

Poppy stood before them, holding out his glowing hand.

Hoggle and Catman stood in awe.

.,.,.,.,,.,,.,.,.,,.,,.,.,,,.,.,.,,,,.,.,,.,.,.,


Hoggle folded his arms and shook his head.

The Catman stood in awe, “it’s the mark of the-

-it’s the mark of the bloody fairy, that’s whose mark it is,” finished Hoggle disapprovingly. “She’s the one that’s got us running round, under blades, prancing round sidewalks. I’ve a good mind next time I see her, to give her a piece of my mind I do, tell her that Hoggle isn’t some doll to be led around a flaming labyrinth.”

Poppy smiled and looked up to the sky, where a bright star could be seen plainly in the daylight.

Hoggle spoke, and when he did, he grumbled. “Well out with it! I haven’t got all day, so what’s she want with us now?”

Poppy held out his hand. And at first Hoggle took a step back, falling against the labyrinth wall. “What the flaming hell are you trying to do --

Poppy touched him on the chest with his glowing hand, and golden dust surrounded Hoggle for a split second. Poppy done the same to Catman, who was more forthcoming.

Hoggle brushed off the dust, in a grumble, as Catman swiped at the tiny specs playfully with a paw.

Poppy spoke, “the fairy says her mark will protect you. Make you invisible, so those below cannot see you.”

Hoggle narrowed his gaze at poppy, brushing off more dust in a grumble, which seemed to disappear on its own. “So who below cannot see us?”

Catman stepped forward, to ask a question, but Hoggle stepped in front of him, his large collection of his beads and bangles he had acquired in New York dangling before him. Hoggle quickly shovelled them back inside his tunic, and then stepped aside for a moment as if trying to hide from the gaze of poppy, “just a few lucky charms. Something to bring home to the young ones. Keep them happy they will.”

Poppy went on, “the fairy says her mark will protect you from the eyes of those in your trials ahead.”

Hoggle quickly turned, and squinted. “What trials, as far as we were told this was the flaming end.”

“You have to go into the under workings.”

Hoggle looked wide-eyed, “is she bloody crazy. No one has survived the under workings!”

“What is the under workings?” whispered the Catman in delight.

Hoggle turned to him, shaking a doughy fist, “it’s the deepest level of the labyrinth! Where all the crystal gears are, the gears and cogs that make everything work and turn. Hoggle looked to poppy and narrowed his gaze. “Jareth filled it to the friggen brim with Mince-ers.”

“What are Mince-ers?” asked Catman.

Hoggle shook his head. “you are the most dim-witted bloody stupid - Mince-ers are the most nasty creatures you have ever saw! Even if you see one you would fall down dead!”

“what do they look like?”

Hoggle turned, shaking a fist, “how the bloody hell should I know stupid. I’m still here ant’s eyes. Everyone that ever saw em is bloody dead isn’t they”

“Why did he do that?” asked Catman, “why fill the Under Workings with such nasties?”

Hoggle narrowed his gaze on Poppy, “to discourage anyone from going down there. That’s why.”

Catman’s eyes turned to plates, “He must be protecting something very valuable. A treasure maybe!”

“Not a treasure!” Hoggle said, “you bloody stupid - the Mince-ers protect all the Under Workings themselves. See if anyone could get down there, they could affect the outcome of all the labyrinths. The fire labyrinth, the water labyrinth, the bloody mountain labyrinth, the iron labyrinth and even the friggin mirror labyrinth. If anyone went down there they could cheat. They could cheat at all the labyrinths and make it easier.”

Poppy smiled.

Hoggle raised an eyebrow. Then as if something had just dawned on him, his eyes turned to plates.

Poppy nodded. “You'll need to reach the centre to reach the controls of the mirror labyrinth.”

Hoggle was wide-eyed.

“One last thing, I’m meant to tell you," Poppy pointed to the star in the sky. "when that star falls. The one right up there. You have to close your eyes. Close them tight. Close your eyes, and not open them until you count to ten.”

Hoggle shook from his daze. “How the hell are we supposed to see that star if we’ are going to be down the bottom of the friggin labyrinth?”

Poppy smiled. “The fairy says you will see the star, no matter where you are.” Poppy, turned and started a slow run down the alley, and shouted as he ran. “Just remember to close your eyes and count to ten!”

Hoggle turned to Catman who still pawed at the specs of dust. “hurry up, stupid. We need to get out of here before one of those bloody Green slime Balls see us!”

“Green slime balls?” asked Catman.

“Orcs stupid.” Hoggle said, starting a brisk walk. “Orcs!”

Catman, leaped to attention, and looking round wide-eyed, scampered to Hoggle’s side.

.,.,.,.,,,,,.,.,.,.,,,,.,.,.

Hoggle and Catman stood at the large archway leading into the Under Workings. It was made of huge pieces stone and broke off into numerous networks of tunnels. These tunnels would then lead you to huge crystal rooms and then to the different Labyrinth controls, or death, or Mincers, depending which turn you took. Hoggle had heard all about this place growing up and had always sworn that he would never enter here, and yet here was.

He looked up at it nervously but with a determined gleam in his eye. Whereas Catman was visibly quivering beside him, his whiskers twitching nervously.

Hoggle turned to him irritated,

‘I’m warnin’ you! If you don’t stop that trembling I’m going to find out if cats really do have nine lives!! We’s got to help Sarah so stop your fussin’!”

Catman gave a nervous nod and tried to pull himself together taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He gave a yelp when he opened his eyes to find Hoggle walking ahead of him and ran to catch up with him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sarah knelt down in front of Thistle,

“Are you alright sweetheart?”

Thistle gave a shy smile and nodded,

“I’m fine Sawah, see I told you id bring you to the man with the funny eyes!”

Jareth chuckled at her innocence and patted the top of her head,

“You did a great job little one.”

Sarah stood up and nodded towards the mask,

“I saw what happened Jareth, when Death spoke of Kail, I saw it in my mind. I’m… I’m so very sorry…”

She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

He merely nodded and touched her face,

“Thank you for your kindness”.

He looked down to find Thistle tugging at his sleeve,

“Will you carry me please? My legs are very tired”.

Jareth bowed with a smile,

“I’d be delighted to little one”.

He gently lifted Thistle and swung her onto his shoulders laughing at her obvious delight.

She suddenly pointed to the sky,

“Look at the pretty star!!”

Sarah looked up with a frown, glancing at Jareth.

“She’s right, it is a star. Surely that can’t be right?”

Jareth’s face broke into a wide grin,

“It’s a sign! From Aurora, the Fairy Queen! It seems my brother hasn’t bargained for this.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hoggle was very nervous, but he was trying not to show it. That bloody Catman was making him edgy, mewing at every shadow and jumping at every noise. He stopped with a sigh, feeling Catman pulling on his sleeve yet again.

“Hoggle did you hear that??”

Hoggle turned, his hands on his hips,

“Hear what? It’s probably your dratted tail again!! You keeps swishing it all over the place, it’s enough to make someone jump into the Bog of Eternal Stench they way you keeps acting! Now I’m warning you for the last time Catman, pull your dratted self together!”

Hoggle stopped suddenly and turned his head sharply, there WAS a noise. He had gotten himself so worked up that he had nearly missed it. Something was moving close to them and it sounded very, very big. Feet were being dragged slowly and there was a metallic clicking noise, like something was hitting off the walls around them.

Catman gulped behind him,

“N-now do you h-hear it?? M-m-min-min…”

“Mincers”

Hoggle whispered, finishing it for him.

He turned his head to the side listening, the metallic noise…. it seemed to be ending in a kind of ‘ching’ sound. Like it was hitting off….crystal! His eyes widened, oh they were very close.

Which could mean only one thing, the Mincers were even closer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kail frowned as his gazed into the large crystal. It was like a fog was hitting it in patches, blocking out his view. His eyes narrowed, something was going on. It couldn’t be Jareth, he had no powers. So who or what was interfering.

The creatures in front of him shifted uncomfortably, nothing good ever came of their master getting upset.

Kail let out a loud growl. But he wouldn't let himself get upset. He took a deep breath.

"Hmmmmmmmm." he pondered with a smile, then spun his cane, did a small dance move and disappeared.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

DING!

Kail sparkeled into place wearing his usual outfit in all white.

He gave a kick and a red carpet rolled into place. He waved his hand and the facade of a theatre built itself. And with a few flicks of his fingers and the finishing crack of his knuckles. An audience of fans appeared along with the paparazzi.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jareth opened the door and the next thing he knew, the door of his limo was being opened. He stepped out carrying Thistle who was none too happy.

The paparazzi stormed them snapping flash after flash of blinding pictures.

Sarah was lost in the crowd.

"So who are you dating now Sarah?"
"Sarah what's it like to be drop dead gorgeous."
"What are your skin care secrets Sarah?"
"Sarah, who are you wearing tonight? It looks like some retro grunge outfit."

They dragged her further and further away from Sarah.

Jareth searched for her and got a flash of her hair in the crowd.

"What's with the grey tights Jareth? Do you think this could be a new trend?"
"I love your makeup Jareth, who did it?"
"Jareth! Jareth! Is this your daughter? Is this from your second or 8th marriage?"

Jareth couldn't help but give a double take, "8th?"

He called out "Sarah! Head for the theatre!"

Jareth began to push his way through the crowd "No comment...." he would say to every question.

"Sarah, what kind of underwear are you wearing tonight?"

"What?" Sarah was baffled "Uhhhh...your imagination."

She pushed and rammed, but was still blinded by the flashing lights, until she remembered something.

"Wait...if I'm a celebrity." she reached into her clutch and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on with the utmost pinache.

Now with every question she would just smile and wave. If a picture was taken, she'd give a cheesey pose. Until she met Jareth at the theatre entrance. He was setting Thistle down when she arrived.

He turned and looked at her, Sarah was staring at him. He quirked a brow suspiciously and then looked out into the crowd, but Sarah quickly grabbed his chin and made him face her. She removed her sunglasses...and kissed him.

The crowd went wild and the snapshots were endless. Thistle's jaw dropped.

Sarah pulled away softly, "C'mon," she picked up Thistle, "Before it reaches the tabloids."

Up in the theatre window, Kail pouted. But he had a few more chances.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Orcs sat around a crystal in the mess hall.

One sneered, "'E's paying more attention to 'is siblin' rivalry than 'e is to our war. I'm tired of 'aving dis spoiled li'le snot boss us aroun'."

The others grumbled in agreement.

Another piped up, "It's time to take the situation into our own 'ands. We get the Labyrinth to ourselves, we leave the child to 'is li'le games."

The Orcs grabbed their weapons and readied for their own battle.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hoggle and Catman skulked the caves. A Mince-er had been gargling not far behind them for sometime now.

Actually, it was more like Hoggle was skulking the caves and dragging Catman along with him. He had his hand clasped around the cat's mouth for the majority of the trip after an episode the cat had earlier.

There was a low growl and Catman let out a squeal underneath Hoggle's palm. Hoggle dove with him into an offset tunnel.

"Would you shut yer yap you?" Hoggle said in a loud whisper. "They can't see us remember? We were fairy dusted by that creepy little wart upstairs."

Catman calmed down..."My catnip, where's my catnip?" He searched his belt and found it, giving a sigh of relief.

Hoggle rolled his eyes, but was cut short by a glow down their offset tunnel. Hoggle rose to his feet and followed, the tunnel grew small, but the light remained. He crawled and slid the rest of the way from the tunnel.

He landed in a large cavern the size of a gymnasium. On the floor was a large carved model of every single Labyrinth. The goblin labyrinth was green, the fire labyrinth red, the water labyrinth blue, the sky labyrinth white, the mirror labyrinth was made from mirrors and was encased in the bronze arena. On the ceiling, crystal cogs and gears shifted, turned and ticked.

Hoggle's eyes took the view in. It was as if he'd struck buried treasure and then Catman crashed into him.

"You left me!" he squealed. "I was about to lose my--"

Hoggle grabbed the cat by the scruff of his neck and turned him to face the treasure.

"What do we do now?" the cat said in awe.

And then Hoggle saw movement down in the tiny mirror Labyrinth.

He tip-toed over to it and looked down. It was Jareth with a little girl and there was..."Sarah?" Hoggle said aloud and motioned for Catman to join.

(Correction: "They dragged her further and further away from Sarah." Is supposed to be "They dragged her further and further away from JARETH" What a moment killer eh?...Anywho.)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The spot lights in the theatre clicked on and found themselves on the small company. Kail's voice boomed over the loud speaker.

"And welcome again folks to: DEEPEST DARKEST. The show where every contestant must face their secrets, fears and desires." The curtains opened and blacklights beamed the words "DEEPEST DARKEST" like the typical game show. Muppets applauded in the audience.

"Meet our contestants ladies and gents. First we have Thistle. Four years old she enjoys playing in the dirt and peanut butter and sugar sandwiches. And then we have Jareth, idol and former goblin king, he loves a good song and dance and is completely infatuated with our next contestant Sarah! The raven haired seductress, she's beat the Labyrinth with time to spare, is a champion tease, and enjoys a star-crossed love affair. Give em a hand kids." The crowd complied with a light applause. "Now who's ready for...."

The crowd chimed in "DEEPEST! DARKEST!!!!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hoggle stood up straight, "I hate this guy more than I hate Jareth."

Round the sides of the small model of the mirror labyrinth were hundreds of tiny cardboard cut-outs of strange creatures.

Hoggle picked one up in his round fingers, and held it up to Catman. It was a small black horse. Just as he was about to place it back down, Catman, whose face filled with delight, fell forward eagerly to pick up his own cut-out of a yellow bird, and in doing so, knocked the horse from Hoggle’s hand and it fell into the mirror labyrinth. As it touched the ground, it glittered, and then suddenly jumped to life.

Catman smiled. “Let’s put something else in there. Let’s put them all in there!”

“Not yet stupid. We don’t want to be just throwing anything in there! If you throw in something bad, then Sarah could get hurt!”

Hoggle watched Jareth and Sarah walk about the labyrinth. He then looked carefully down at the small paper cut-outs, and then he spied, between two large tree creatures, a small paper cut-out of a fox riding on the back of a dog. The small fox held up a cane in his hand in a war cry.

Hoggle carefully picked up the small cut-out and smiled.



* * *



Pilot took a step back and threw his shoulder into the door once more, and the rusty lock brook free, and with another push the door opened in a squeak of old hinges.

Aurora blew softly on her staff and it lit up in a blaze of light, and she led Pilot and the old wizard into the old house. In the centre was an old table and chairs lying overgrown in ivy, which fell in through the broken tiles of the ceiling and windows.

Pilot tore some ivy from an old table. “I hate to second guess your navigating skills Great Fairy, but this does not exactly look like the place were one would find a great weapon to stop the Strife.”

Aurora drew her hand softly over the crystal on her staff, and it dimmed. “Sometimes young elf, in order to truly see, you must close your eyes.”

The old wizard, drunk from a bladder and wiping his mouth added, “This is the birth place of the two warring princes. The Goblin King and the Strife”

Aurora smiled. “Two princes’ yes. But what we seek lies with the forgotten child, the third child; the child that wears no crown.”

She turned to Pilot with a gentle smile,

“Isn’t that right Kail?”

Pilot’s face twisted in confusion,

“What? My name is Pilot.”

She shook her head gently,

“Let me help you to understand.”

The Old Wizard sat heavily into a chair gazing thoughtfully up at Aurora,

“Aurora, how can this be??”

She held her staff up high and it began to glow with a pink light,

“Look into the light, let me show you…”

With that it burst into cerise light and the rays fell upon all in the room and then, there was darkness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kail’s father was tucking him into bed.

“I must go back down to Mama and our guests, be a good boy now and go to sleep”

He kissed him gently and left the room quietly.

He waited a moment in the bed making sure his father was gone and then crept to the other little bed in the corner.

“Jareth, Jareth! Wake up smelly head!!”

A very young Jareth sat up in bed with a yawn,

“What? What’s wrong dragon breath?”

Kail knelt up on the bed a huge grin on his face,

“I know a secret! I heard Mama and Father talking! It was about you!”

Jareth rubbed his knuckles into his eyes, trying to push away sleep,

“What kind of secret? Is it bad?”

Kail tilted his head in concentration,

“No it’s good, I think?”

Hmmm, he hadn’t really listened hard enough to know either way. There was only one thing for it.

“Right you wait here and I’ll go creep back and see what I can find out!”

Jareth gave a large yawn,

“Just leave it Kail, it doesn’t matter. Mama and Father can tell us in the morning.”

Kail shook his head,

“No, no I’ll find out for you. You’d do it for me.”

He gave a lopsided grin and hopped off the bed,

“I’ll be back before you can conjure a crystal!”

Jareth smiled sleepily,

“Ok, but be careful Kail, Mama will be cross if she catches you out of bed again!”

But Kail had already left the room. Jareth gave a sleepy sigh and settled back down to sleep again.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kail darted along the corridor, checking every now and again to see if anyone was coming. It was amusing to watch him, each motion exaggerated, checking behind him, before creeping forward again. It certainly amused the hooded figure. The very same figure that had brought this news to Kail’s parents.

Oh how he had waited for this day, for this very chance to get into this castle. To reach this family.

Kail darted past him but was caught by the scruff of the neck by the figure. He gave a yelp gazing up, not being able to see any face.

“Now young man, out of bed again?”

Kail knew this man, he was one of the men sitting at the table talking to his parents.

“Uh yes sir, I’m sorry, I uh just needed to talk to my Mama”.

The figure leaned forward wheezing with laughter,

“Oh little one, you wont be talking to them ever again”.

A sudden sickening flash of light and the child was gone.

The figure gave a sigh of satisfaction, before muttering an incantation. Slowly the figure began to shrink, limbs shortening, features changing. Until finally in its place, stood a perfect version of Kail.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jareth woke upon hearing his brother enter the room,

“Dragon breath did you find out?”

‘Kail’ merely shook his head,

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you must have been dreaming.”

Jareth looked at his brother in confusion,

“But you said….”

“Shhhhhhhhhhh!”, Kail whispered,

“I think I hear Father”.

Jareth quickly lay down again and then sleep took hold of him. When the morning came he did not remember any of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pilot opened his eyes to find himself back in the room. Both Aurora and Hegel looking at him.

His eyes filled with tears as he looked around the room, memories flashing through his mind. Jareth and himself playing at the window, trying to talk to the birds that often rested on the sill. Kail scraping his knee on the floor and Jareth conjuring a spell to make it better.

He stood quickly pacing around the room,

“I remember. I REMEMBER!!!”

He broke down sobbing and Aurora was immediately at his side trying to bring comfort.

“Do not cry. We shall begin to put this right. Do not cry.”

Hegel shuffled towards them,

“But Aurora you spoke of three children? I don’t understand?”

Aurora turned towards him gravely,

“There are two true brothers, yet one lies false and now the truth has come out. I knew from the moment that I met Kail. I could sense his father’s spirit alive in him. He has been raised with Elves and thus owes the Elfin way to this but he is true Fae, it is running through his veins.”

Hegel looked sadly at Kail,

“I remember when I found you as a small boy. You were so frightened and confused and I so desperately wanted to help you. You were such a kind child and such a way with animals. I took you under my wing and became like my son.”

He hugged Kail to him sadly whispering,

“Fear not, we shall make this right again.”

Aurora nodded gravely,

“We must move quickly. The star is lowering in the sky and time is becoming less and less our friend.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~




Thumper held up his axe, and his command cheered and banged their muskets against their brandished swords and high shields, each marked with the morning star, as they waved their white standards.


Thumper, warlord of the troll armies of the North and ruling war king of the Eastern Lands, held up his golden axe.


And the hundreds of thousands of troll arches took aim from their charges; their bows rising and pointing to the sun.


They fired, and flaming arrows flew high up and into the air, disappearing.


The Orc commander moving up the side of the hill, screamed an order, and the thousands of Orc war wagons, which slowly pushed their way across the field, pulled down their battle windows; the armies of Orcs marching beside them throwing their buckle shields over themselves, blocking the arrows which fell down moments later like iron rain.


Hundreds of thousands of arrows fell one after another, in waves, slicing to pieces all who fell short of shielding themselves in time.


Many Orcs’ fell in waves, in terror, as divisions of their own men marching beside the war wagons, stomped over them in a clutter and scream of broken buckles and mangled bodies.


Thumper pulled at the raines of his charge - Striken his armoured horse.


He closed his war helm with a gauntlet, and holding up his golden axe, gave a thunderous battle cry.


The elven arches now relinquished of arrows, dropped their bows, and drew their silver muskets and swords, and kneeling, fired. And as the Orcs’ held their shields above them, they fell again in a wave.


The Orcs’, brought their shields forward again, and continued onwards. Marching like a slow rusty iron beast over the fallen screams of their comrades.


The first wave of elven arches, dropped their muskets, and drew swords.


The war wagons grew closer. In front of them the sea of black shields marched like a dark shadow moving down the grey valley. Shaking the ground, more and more as they grew closer.


“This will be the battle to end all,” whispered Thumpers captain Vernyaer. A large centaur beside him, “we are outnumbered, five to one.”


“You’ve ever the optimist Venyaer,” said Thumper, “we are outnumbered ten to one.”


“Let us hope we are not outnumbered when it comes to spirit.”


Thumper watched the Orcan war wagons grow closer, the ground shuddering under his charge. “Let us hope, this is so.” He clenched his large fist and held up his axe and his army responded in a thunderous cheer.


He gave the second signal. And thousands of troll cavalry started the slow march down from the forest.


Thumper held up his axe and his Pegasus started slowly forward down the hill and towards the field, followed by thousands of trolls, elves, and other creatures.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

Thistle clutched at Sarah’s arm,

“Where are we Sawah?? I’m scared”

She sniffled hiding her face in Sarah’s trousers, crying softly.

Sarah patted the back of her head desperately trying to soothe the little girl,

“Oh sweetheart don’t cry, it’s ok, really”.

She looked to Jareth for help but all he could do was shrug his shoulders,

“I’m normally the one making kids cry Sarah!”

She frowned and sighed, would they ever get out of here?

Thistle lifted her head up suddenly,

“What’s that?”

Sarah kneeled down in front of her,

“What’s what Thistle?”

“That noise Sawah.”

Jareth tilted his head to one side,

“She’s right, I hear it too”.

Sarah listened intently and sure enough there was the sound of footsteps running towards, lots of footsteps by the sound of it. Jareth and Sarah looked at one another moving Thistle behind them, acting as her shield. Suddenly Sarah broke into a grin as she a heard a voice shouting, steadily getting closer,

“Fair maaaaaaaaaaaiden! Fair maiden I have come to rescue theeeeeeeee!”

She let our a yell of joy,

“It’s Sir Didymus!! Sir Didymus we’re over here!!”

Thistle peeped out from behind them,

“Sir Diddle who?”

Jareth rubbed his temples,

“This is all I need”.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Didymus galloped about the stage on Rambrutus knocking set pieces over breaking the neon "DEEPEST DARKEST" sign apart with his sword so that it crashed with a display of sparks and flickering so that they read "DEEP ARK".

The Strife grit his teeth and waited for the display to end. The audience disappeared with a blast of fire and smoke and all that was left was the three contestants, Didymus standing with his mouth gaping, and The Strife up in the balcony.

"Contestant number one, Thistle. What is your deepest.." the lights dimmed "..darkest.." they were almost black "...fear..." The lights blacked out and a breathing could be heard.

Thistle screamed and it was followed by the growl of a hideous monster.

"No!!" Thistle cried, "Please stop!" She begged.

"Unhand the tiny maiden! Heeyaw!" Didymus's voice could be heard. His sword swished in the darkness and clanged and clacked against something big. It growled in anguish.

"He's nothing Little One!" Didymus declared, "Watch as he cowars away from thy blade."

"Go away Monster!" Thistle shouted.

And the lights returned.

The Strife sighed, "Very well then. Contestant number two."

Jareth quirked a brow.

"What is your Deepest Darkest desire."

Jareth struggled for a moment and tried not to look at Sarah, who stood uncomfortable, waiting.

"Well, isn't that an obvious one?" Didymus rolled his eyes. "Go on say it." He pushed Jareth's leg.

Jareth sighed, "To be part of Sarah's life for the rest of her years."

Sarah had just admitted her love for him to Death himself, kissed Jareth in front of a crowd of people, and yet it was still surprising to hear it from his lips. She lost herself in those fantastical eyes for a moment and was drawn to attention at her name.

"Contestant number 3...Sarah..."

Sarah waited nervously.

"What is your Deepest Darkest, Secret." The Strife leaned forward in his seat.

Everyone else turned to look at her, Didymus gawked, Jareth waited, Thistle even stared from her place clinging to The Goblin King's right leg.

Sarah let go of a half smile.

"Hoggle's in control of the Underworkings."

She stomped her foot twice on the floor and it dropped from underneath them, until all four party members were falling like Alice down the rabbit hole and finally slid into a bronze hallway.

Up ahead a sign glowed with the word "FINISH"...they were nearly done.

The Death of Thumper


* * *


A war cry

Thumper turned

A hot blade entered his chest

Two more jerks from his back and side

Arrows

Pain flew over him, and he staggered, his golden axe falling to the soft earth, as he used it momentarily as a crutch, before falling to his knees, his blood turning the wet grass red, as it thinned and broke apart in the rain.

Around him, everything was moving, steel mixed with screaming and crying, with the thunder overhead and the smell of salty blood in the air.

He looked around in the chaos of battle. The melee of swords and shields had ended, the last of his men had fallen, and now he was all that was left.

A large helmeted war orc approached him with a sword drawn.

The Orcs that surrounded him cheered and roared, beating their shields with clubs and swords.

A blow to his back

He turned as he saw a large leathery face, painted green and red, look at him and smile with a large mouth full of rows of shark-like teeth.

Thumper stumbled, using his axe as a crotch. Then another blow to his back.

He fell to his hands. The rivers of blood poured from his wounds, flowing under him, as he rested, as the rain pelted his back.

More cheers and laughter

The sound of the rain was growing louder, until the legs and arms that stirred in the mud next to him were all but silent.

He fell down upon his side. And in a great pain, struggling with a last show of strength, he turned so his face could look at the sky, where high above, between the smoke of battle, and rain, he could see the thunder clouds turning.

Where was the sign the white witch talked of

Where was the star

The soft rain pelted his face, as he tried to see the sky one last time

The sky he had been born under

Over his body, he could hear cheering. Orcs roared and cheered. And he could feel, though now only slightly, his armour being torn and cut from his body.

Everything was fading.

Everything was growing quiet.


* * *


Thumper opened his eyes. He could feel the cool wind across his face.

He was on the cliff near his home.

The great woods lay underneath, and white clouds filled the sky.

A voiced yelled to him from afar.

Two voices he had not heard in a long time.

* * *

They raced along the bronze corridor, Jareth grabbing Thistle’s hand and holding on to her tightly, Sarah holding Jareth’s hand and Sir. Didymus leading the way on Ambrosius.

He waved his sword about thoroughly enjoying himself,

“Fear thee not! I shall lead us all to victory, tally hoooooooooooo!!”

Sarah had to laugh in spite of herself and Jareth couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

The finish sign was flashing right in front of them they were so close and then suddenly darkness and the little group was gone.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hoggle and Catman stared down at the miniature maze in front of them.

They both looked at one another dumbfounded,

“Where are they gone??”

Catman babbled grabbing hold of Hoggle,

“Where are they??”

Hoggle tried to shake him off,

“Let go!! Let….”

Darkness silenced them and then they were gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aurora, Hegel and the real Kail were racing along the corridors of the castle. Kail was despairing,

“We’re too late I just know it, I just know it!”

Hegel gave a gasp of breath, hurrying as fast as he could,

“Don’t worry lad, we’ll get there, you just wait and see”

Finally they turned the last corner and reach the huge doors that sealed off the throne room. Aurora raised her staff and aimed it at the doors, a beam of cerise light making them fly open. They all rushed into the throne room to find that they were not alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jareth, Sarah, Thistle and Sir. Didymus were also in the throne room. Hoggle and Catman were there too, scratching their heads in puzzlement. Sir. Didymus twitched his nose,

“How the devil did we end up here? Ah fair maiden, perhaps thou can shed some light on this for us??”

He turned to Aurora and bowed deeply, whilst Ambrosias quaked beside him.

Jareth turned sharply,

“Aurora, how did you get here??”

She bowed her head graciously,

“Persistence” she said with a gentle smile, “I have brought you a gift Jareth, finally you shall see the truth”.

Kail stood staring at his brother in awe, could this man before him really be Jareth? His poise, he truly had the air of a King! He twisted his mouth wryly, the fashion sense was a bit extreme though.

Jareth eyes narrowed looking at Kail, this man looked so familiar to him but why? Had he met him before? Perhaps when he was a child…a child…the word seemed to echo in his mind drawing him back to a night a long, long time ago, when his brother had acted so strange.

They stared at each other in wonder as a suddenly bitter voice interrupted them,

“Well my, my isn’t this so very sweet! My own little freak show gathered here before me. We have a meddlesome witch, a wizard who lets face it, has seen better days, an orphan, the town tramp, creatures here that not even the circus would want and of course the reunited Brothers Grimm. Now all that remains to me seen is how I’m going to kill you all”.

The Strife stepped down slowly from the throne and a dangerous glint in his eye. His gaze swept up and down the group,

“Now, who wants to go first”.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kail glanced down to his brothers hand seeing him hold the silver mask. A flickering glance passed between them both and nothing needed to be said. The mask was the key to finding out who this was and they both knew it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'll go first" Kail said and promptly walked forward. It was like looking into an evil mirror. One heroic and handsome Kail and one a twisted version in a fox mask.

"Well...Kail...we meet again. Before I kill you, I'd like to say" The Strife leaned forward with a big grin and whispered "Thanks for your life."

The Strife broke out in a huge laugh that got bigger and bigger and echoed itself as the two "twins" were surrounded by a purple-black smoke. And then an ominous darkness engulfed them and blood-red serpents slithered toward Kail. Menacing and ready to choke the life from him.

"Your parents would be soooooooo proud. If I hadn't killed them." The Strife cocked his head to the side with a smirk.

Kail smirked too, tears pooling in his eyes, and something made The Strife uneasy a few seconds before........Kail tore off his mask.

Bright light shattered the darkness and they were in the throne room. The Strife, writhing on the ground for the fox mask that lay pathetically out of reach. And then he started to shape shift into a monster, it's tentacles spilling into the room, latching onto Jareth and bringing him close to The Strife's empty face. Jareth squinted his eyes and gave a calm closed mouth smile.

"Give us a kiss."

And Jareth slammed the silver mask onto the empty face, like he was closing the lid on a can of light.

The Strife backed away, wrestling with the silver mask in an attempt to pull it free and groaned and growled and soon was the simple old man that had spoken with Jareth and Kail's parents. His eyes were an ominous red he moaned like a sick animal on the floor and made a reach at Sarah's feet, she jumped back with a yelp and Jareth stood protectively in front of her.

"You'll all DIE! You'll all--" The Strife choked as the silver mask glinted yet again as if it was catching the sun. And then The Strife took another shape.

A young man lay on the floor looking around dumbstruck. His hair was copper red, his eyes a crystal blue, and his face was covered in youthful freckles.

"What happened?!" he gawked at his onlookers.

Everyone remained confused...everyone suspicious. Kail in particular.

"It's another trick." Kail growled.

Jareth remembered what Death had told him "This is the goodness and innocence your brother once had. While it may be able to change him, it will not take away the damage he has done." He didn't mean brother as in the blood relation kind. He meant as in the equal and friend. As in "we are all brothers".

Jareth grinned, "What's your name?"

"Timothy, Sir." the young man swallowed, before stuttering into an explaination, "I don't know what happened. Me n' me chums was in a cave and they dared me to.....to open the lock."

Hegel knew what he was talking about, as did Aurora.

"Ah," Hegel started "The Caves of Black...they contain an evil that hides."

"Either hides in the caves. Or in it's victim's minds." Aurora added "The Strife's old resting place."

The Underground suddenly shook and the party stumbled about as if they were on a ship in a storm.

Sarah fell into Jareth's arms and nothing mattered for a moment.

"The war..." Hegel said, "It still continues."

Aurora stumbled to the window and looked to the sky, "The light grows nearer...It won't be too long now."

**


The Troll General lived in a great house that was in the middle of a yellow grassland which was golden in the summer and grey in the winter and crossed with many fences and cut with many streams and filled with families of rabbits and horses and birds and many other animals that nested and made homes in the corners of the field and house.


The house lay beside a bridge that marked a stream and was white and chipped and rusty where the rain and sun had turned the paint and browned the nails and had bent the guttering around it which was filled with holes and greenery from the shade of the surrounding trees which fell over one side and cooled the eastern rooms from the hot afternoon sun through the day.


There were many rooms that were filled with old papers and black and white photos of long past faces and many rooms with paintings of war scenes and there were many rooms ornamented with swords and rifles.


One day the general stood on the side of the river with his sword in one hand overlooking the stream where he met his wife years before when he looked up to the sky to see far off a balloon on the horizon.


He had never known a visitor in many years and watched slowly from the bend of the river with his sword in one hand and his hand over his eyes to shield himself from the setting sun.


***

The Troll General dropped to his knees, tears pooling in his eyes. Not a balloon, but the star. Thank the Gods this would be over soon. He watched it in fascination as it grew closer and closer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thumper turned to the names that called him, his face breaking into a huge grin. His parents, he knew that they would be here waiting for him. With outstretched arms he ran towards them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The little group in the throne room huddled close together. Jareth reaching out for Sarah, his arm wrapping around her waist protectively. Thistle clutched at Kail’s leg and both Hegel and Aurora gazed out the window. Sir Didymus was quiet for once and both Hoggle and Catman were trembling. Ambrosius whined softly as another loud bang made the castle shake. Pieces of stone trickled down the walls, dust falling.

Aurora and Hegel turned swiftly,

“The time is nearly here, quickly everyone shut your eyes!”

They all did as they were told and held each other’s hands tightly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The star fell with a terrifying speed and then just when it looked like it would hit the ground it stopped and almost seemed to be pausing, deciding what it would do next. It hovered for a few moments, gently sparkling. It was silvery white and shone with a pure beauty, flecks of glittering light radiating from it. Suddenly it seemed to implode on itself, a silent explosion of light and silver, and then it spread.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Across the battlefields all of the Underground Army had dropped to its knees, knowing what the star in the sky meant. They closed their eyes shielding them, while the enemy looked on sneering and laughing taking the sight before them for cowardice.

The light spread over the entire battlefield covering each and every one of them in a blanket of sparkling glitter. The enemy fell to their knees, bodies shuddering, gasping. And then as they light passed over them they had changed from the hideous monsters they once were, to young goblin folk and faeries. They lay still for a moment and then stood in bewilderment. Finally shrieks of joy escaped all of them and they began to sing with happiness, finally free from the curse of The Strife.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The light travelled the whole of Underground, eradicating all of the evil that The Strife had inflicted. The sun broke through the heavy dark clouds that had hung since this terrible nightmare had begun and beams of light shone down upon a new Labyrinth. Young goblin folk raced to the castle walls, calling for Jareth, shouting for their King. A new intelligence lay inside of each them. No longer were they the ignorant foolish goblins that they once had been. The star had blessed them. A new Labyrinth had been born.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*