Fic: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour
Title: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour
Chapter: 9/16 (Pool of Depiction)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,413
Summary: Two years have passed since Sarah's adventure in the Underground, and she's now coming to terms with her family's recent move. Not long afterwards, she receives a sudden plea for help from the Underground. Returning to the Labyrinth once again, she sets out with old friends, and a few new ones, to defeat Jareth again.
Note: This story has no beta, so please overlook the occasional mistake. Thanks in advance.
When the afternoon arrived, the group took the time to rest in a sun dappled area of the Forbidden Forest, next to a small pond. Ludo had located some ripe fruits for the group to eat, which Theseus had immediately helped himself to. Meanwhile, Stacey was busy with changing the bandages on the injured and still unconscious Firey using long broad leaves as makeshift dressing, while Sarah and Sir Didymus were filling Hoggle and Daedalus in on the hut they had came across after the temporary separation.
“I don’t understand,” Hoggle began once he and Daedalus were brought up to speed. “I do believe you, Sarah, but why couldn’t Ludo and Sir Didymus experience the same things you could?
“I know,” Sarah agreed. “I don’t get it either.” Before she could continue, Sarah suddenly noticed that Daedalus was avoiding eye contact with her, the way someone would do when they were feeling uneasy about something. “Daedalus, do you know something we don’t?”
“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Daedalus clicked his beak. “But I’m afraid that there are some things about this world that you are not ready to know.”
“Like what?” Sir Didymus argued. “Ye are not talking to some small child. This is Lady Sarah. She has every right to know what ye know.”
“As true as that may be, Didymus,” Daedalus replied, “I still believe that she’s not ready to know about this. That’s the problem with foxes like you; you don’t know the value of patience. You rush into everything without thinking, even knowledge.”
“All right, you two,” Stacey interrupted, looking up from the Firey’s injuries. “That’s enough fighting. Save it for Jareth and the goblins.” As Daedalus and Sir Didymus glared off in opposite directions, Sarah directed her attention at Stacey the Firey.
“Stacey, why’d you bring that thing along, anyway?” she asked. “I met them the last time I was here, and they tried to pull my head off.”
“I know; Hoggle explained all of that, but he might have died if I left him,” Stacey pointed out. “If you had been the one to find him, Sarah, what would you have done?” Sarah took a moment to think, eyeing the Firey.
“I suppose I would have done the same,” she finally admitted. Satisfied with that answer, Stacey finished her task in placing fresh bandages on the Firey’s wounds. The moment she was done, the Firey began to move, slowly opening his eyes and looking around at the group. After about a minute, the Firey started to get up, but Stacey pulled him back down, holding him back.
“Oh, no you don’t,” she instructed. “You need to take it easy. You’re not strong enough to go off on your own.” Instead of replying, the Firey glanced down at the makeshift bandages that had been applied to his injuries before letting out a heavy sigh.
“Why didn’t you just leave me where I was?” the Firey asked miserably. “What’s the point of helping me now?”
“Ye could show a little gratitude to Lady Stacey,” Sir Didymus scolded. “She went through a lot of trouble to help you.”
“I didn’t want to be helped,” the Firey groaned.
“Somethin’s up with him,” Hoggle frowned. “Fireys never act like this. Usually, they don’t have a care in the world.”
“Hey, come on now,” Sarah asked gently, crouching next to Firey. “Tell us what’s wrong, okay?”
“My…my friends,” the Firey replied in sorrow. “They’re gone. All of them.”
“Do you mean they’re dead?” Stacey questioned.
“N…no,” the Firey clarified. “The goblins from the city. They come every day. All my friends, they….”
“Your friends were taken away and placed in the dungeons, too, weren’t they?” Stacey guessed, remembering what Hoggle had told her and Sarah yesterday.
“That does make sense,” Daedalus confirmed. “Fireys are known for being laid back creatures intent on only having fun, but even they need to be around others of their kind to maintain their carousing nature.” Daedalus’ words seemed to trigger the Firey into action, for he took that moment to scramble to his feet and dive for the nearby pool. Before anyone could catch on to what he was doing, the Firey had started holding his head under the water. In an instant, Stacey had leapt forward in an attempt to stop the Firey.
“You dumb featherbrain,” Stacey hissed, dragging him out of the water. “What do you think you’re doing? Someone, help me!” Without hesitation, Hoggle had stepped forward and helped Stacey hold the Firey back, with Sarah soon joining their effort. However, this only upset the creature even more.
“Just let me go!” The Firey begged, now clawing at the ground in his attempt to squirm out of their hold. “My friends are gone. I can’t handle anything without them.”
“So you’re just giving up like that?” Stacey challenged. “Sure, your friends are locked away in Jareth’s dungeons, but they’re still alive, aren’t they? That means there’s still a chance to free them, and that’s a chance we’re going to take.” Instantly, the Firey stopped struggling completely, and began staring at Stacey in amazement.
“You’ll help free my friends?” he asked incredulously.
“Yeah, we all will,” Stacey promised. “That’s what we’re doing. We’re all heading to the castle to stop Jareth and free everyone in the dungeons. That includes your friends. So there’s no point to you giving up now, is there?” For a moment, the Firey was motionless, but then, without warning, he launched himself at Stacey, wrapping her in a staggering hug, thanking her repeatedly. However, the Firey’s hug knocked Stacey off balance, sending them both tumbling back into the pool, drenching them both.
“Stacey, are you okay?” Sarah asked in concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Stacey assured, pushing herself up out of the water and making her way out of the pool, with the Firey shaking himself off before following. “Luckily, that pool’s not too deep.” Sitting down onto a nearby rock, Stacey proceeded to wring out her hair, which had been soaked in the pool.
“Not to interrupt,” Daedalus spoke up, glancing up at the sun, “but it might be time for us to continue on. If we leave now, we’ll be able to reach the gates to the Goblin City by nightfall.”
“Stacey!” Ludo suddenly exclaimed. “Hair changed!” Wondering what the yeti was talking about, everyone else glanced back at Stacey and were amazed by what they saw.
“What? What is it?” Stacey asked, not understanding why the others were now staring at her.
“Your hair,” Sarah gaped. “It changed color.” Taking a lock of her hair, Stacey moved it into her line of vision, allowing her to see that it had indeed changed from auburn to blonde.
“No way,” Stacey blinked, looking back at the pool. “What kind of pool is that, anyway?”
“This, Lady Stacey, is the Pool of Depiction,” Sir Didymus explained. “Legend decrees that anyone who bathes in these waters will be stripped of any disguise they’ve taken up.”
“Well, that makes sense,” Stacey nodded. “I suppose the ‘disguise’ thing includes hair dye.”
“Hair dye?” Sarah repeated.
“Yeah, this is my natural color,” Stacey revealed. “But if you had to listen to Phoebe and her harpies calling you names like Goldilocks for over six years, you’d probably end up dying your hair, too, just to get them to stop.”
“So ye are a natural blonde,” Sir Didymus noted.
“Yes, but it doesn’t really matter,” Stacey shrugged. “I’ll probably end up scheduling another appointment at the hairdresser to color it again after Sarah and I return to our world.”
“Why’d you want to do that?” Hoggle asked. “I know what I think about it doesn’t matter, but I think you should leave it like that.”
“What makes you say that?” Stacey arched an eyebrow at the dwarf.
“Nothin’, I just think that…your hair looks better like that.” For a brief moment, Stacey looked at Hoggle with a contemplating expression, but then shrugged and turned away.
“Moving on,” she spoke to the others. “Daedalus does have a point. We really should continue on to the Goblin City.”
Within moments, the group had headed off, with the new addition of the Firey, who had cheered up considerably in the hopes of reuniting with his friends. However, when no one was looking, Stacey spared one last glance at her reflection in the Pool of Depiction, studying her blonde hair.
“Hmm,” Stacey mused to herself. “So, it looks better this way, does it?”
Chapter: 9/16 (Pool of Depiction)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,413
Summary: Two years have passed since Sarah's adventure in the Underground, and she's now coming to terms with her family's recent move. Not long afterwards, she receives a sudden plea for help from the Underground. Returning to the Labyrinth once again, she sets out with old friends, and a few new ones, to defeat Jareth again.
Note: This story has no beta, so please overlook the occasional mistake. Thanks in advance.
When the afternoon arrived, the group took the time to rest in a sun dappled area of the Forbidden Forest, next to a small pond. Ludo had located some ripe fruits for the group to eat, which Theseus had immediately helped himself to. Meanwhile, Stacey was busy with changing the bandages on the injured and still unconscious Firey using long broad leaves as makeshift dressing, while Sarah and Sir Didymus were filling Hoggle and Daedalus in on the hut they had came across after the temporary separation.
“I don’t understand,” Hoggle began once he and Daedalus were brought up to speed. “I do believe you, Sarah, but why couldn’t Ludo and Sir Didymus experience the same things you could?
“I know,” Sarah agreed. “I don’t get it either.” Before she could continue, Sarah suddenly noticed that Daedalus was avoiding eye contact with her, the way someone would do when they were feeling uneasy about something. “Daedalus, do you know something we don’t?”
“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Daedalus clicked his beak. “But I’m afraid that there are some things about this world that you are not ready to know.”
“Like what?” Sir Didymus argued. “Ye are not talking to some small child. This is Lady Sarah. She has every right to know what ye know.”
“As true as that may be, Didymus,” Daedalus replied, “I still believe that she’s not ready to know about this. That’s the problem with foxes like you; you don’t know the value of patience. You rush into everything without thinking, even knowledge.”
“All right, you two,” Stacey interrupted, looking up from the Firey’s injuries. “That’s enough fighting. Save it for Jareth and the goblins.” As Daedalus and Sir Didymus glared off in opposite directions, Sarah directed her attention at Stacey the Firey.
“Stacey, why’d you bring that thing along, anyway?” she asked. “I met them the last time I was here, and they tried to pull my head off.”
“I know; Hoggle explained all of that, but he might have died if I left him,” Stacey pointed out. “If you had been the one to find him, Sarah, what would you have done?” Sarah took a moment to think, eyeing the Firey.
“I suppose I would have done the same,” she finally admitted. Satisfied with that answer, Stacey finished her task in placing fresh bandages on the Firey’s wounds. The moment she was done, the Firey began to move, slowly opening his eyes and looking around at the group. After about a minute, the Firey started to get up, but Stacey pulled him back down, holding him back.
“Oh, no you don’t,” she instructed. “You need to take it easy. You’re not strong enough to go off on your own.” Instead of replying, the Firey glanced down at the makeshift bandages that had been applied to his injuries before letting out a heavy sigh.
“Why didn’t you just leave me where I was?” the Firey asked miserably. “What’s the point of helping me now?”
“Ye could show a little gratitude to Lady Stacey,” Sir Didymus scolded. “She went through a lot of trouble to help you.”
“I didn’t want to be helped,” the Firey groaned.
“Somethin’s up with him,” Hoggle frowned. “Fireys never act like this. Usually, they don’t have a care in the world.”
“Hey, come on now,” Sarah asked gently, crouching next to Firey. “Tell us what’s wrong, okay?”
“My…my friends,” the Firey replied in sorrow. “They’re gone. All of them.”
“Do you mean they’re dead?” Stacey questioned.
“N…no,” the Firey clarified. “The goblins from the city. They come every day. All my friends, they….”
“Your friends were taken away and placed in the dungeons, too, weren’t they?” Stacey guessed, remembering what Hoggle had told her and Sarah yesterday.
“That does make sense,” Daedalus confirmed. “Fireys are known for being laid back creatures intent on only having fun, but even they need to be around others of their kind to maintain their carousing nature.” Daedalus’ words seemed to trigger the Firey into action, for he took that moment to scramble to his feet and dive for the nearby pool. Before anyone could catch on to what he was doing, the Firey had started holding his head under the water. In an instant, Stacey had leapt forward in an attempt to stop the Firey.
“You dumb featherbrain,” Stacey hissed, dragging him out of the water. “What do you think you’re doing? Someone, help me!” Without hesitation, Hoggle had stepped forward and helped Stacey hold the Firey back, with Sarah soon joining their effort. However, this only upset the creature even more.
“Just let me go!” The Firey begged, now clawing at the ground in his attempt to squirm out of their hold. “My friends are gone. I can’t handle anything without them.”
“So you’re just giving up like that?” Stacey challenged. “Sure, your friends are locked away in Jareth’s dungeons, but they’re still alive, aren’t they? That means there’s still a chance to free them, and that’s a chance we’re going to take.” Instantly, the Firey stopped struggling completely, and began staring at Stacey in amazement.
“You’ll help free my friends?” he asked incredulously.
“Yeah, we all will,” Stacey promised. “That’s what we’re doing. We’re all heading to the castle to stop Jareth and free everyone in the dungeons. That includes your friends. So there’s no point to you giving up now, is there?” For a moment, the Firey was motionless, but then, without warning, he launched himself at Stacey, wrapping her in a staggering hug, thanking her repeatedly. However, the Firey’s hug knocked Stacey off balance, sending them both tumbling back into the pool, drenching them both.
“Stacey, are you okay?” Sarah asked in concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Stacey assured, pushing herself up out of the water and making her way out of the pool, with the Firey shaking himself off before following. “Luckily, that pool’s not too deep.” Sitting down onto a nearby rock, Stacey proceeded to wring out her hair, which had been soaked in the pool.
“Not to interrupt,” Daedalus spoke up, glancing up at the sun, “but it might be time for us to continue on. If we leave now, we’ll be able to reach the gates to the Goblin City by nightfall.”
“Stacey!” Ludo suddenly exclaimed. “Hair changed!” Wondering what the yeti was talking about, everyone else glanced back at Stacey and were amazed by what they saw.
“What? What is it?” Stacey asked, not understanding why the others were now staring at her.
“Your hair,” Sarah gaped. “It changed color.” Taking a lock of her hair, Stacey moved it into her line of vision, allowing her to see that it had indeed changed from auburn to blonde.
“No way,” Stacey blinked, looking back at the pool. “What kind of pool is that, anyway?”
“This, Lady Stacey, is the Pool of Depiction,” Sir Didymus explained. “Legend decrees that anyone who bathes in these waters will be stripped of any disguise they’ve taken up.”
“Well, that makes sense,” Stacey nodded. “I suppose the ‘disguise’ thing includes hair dye.”
“Hair dye?” Sarah repeated.
“Yeah, this is my natural color,” Stacey revealed. “But if you had to listen to Phoebe and her harpies calling you names like Goldilocks for over six years, you’d probably end up dying your hair, too, just to get them to stop.”
“So ye are a natural blonde,” Sir Didymus noted.
“Yes, but it doesn’t really matter,” Stacey shrugged. “I’ll probably end up scheduling another appointment at the hairdresser to color it again after Sarah and I return to our world.”
“Why’d you want to do that?” Hoggle asked. “I know what I think about it doesn’t matter, but I think you should leave it like that.”
“What makes you say that?” Stacey arched an eyebrow at the dwarf.
“Nothin’, I just think that…your hair looks better like that.” For a brief moment, Stacey looked at Hoggle with a contemplating expression, but then shrugged and turned away.
“Moving on,” she spoke to the others. “Daedalus does have a point. We really should continue on to the Goblin City.”
Within moments, the group had headed off, with the new addition of the Firey, who had cheered up considerably in the hopes of reuniting with his friends. However, when no one was looking, Stacey spared one last glance at her reflection in the Pool of Depiction, studying her blonde hair.
“Hmm,” Stacey mused to herself. “So, it looks better this way, does it?”