Fic: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour
Title: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour
Chapter: 13/16 (Plan of Action)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,336
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.
Previous Chapters
Daedauls glided through the castle corridors, searching for Stacey and Hoggle after leaving Sarah and the others in the dungeons to free everyone. It wasn’t long before he soared around a corner that he spotted Hoggle standing outside a room.
“There you are,” Daedalus breathed in relief, landing next to him. “Where were you? And where’s Stacey?”
“She’s in there,” Hoggle replied, gesturing to the room he was standing outside of. No sooner had he’d pointed, Stacey stepped out of her old nursery, completely dry-eyed.
“Hey, Daedalus,” Stacey greeted. “Sorry for going off without telling anyone. I just…had to see.”
“I understand,” Daedalus nodded in sympathetic understanding. “However, we really need to get back to the others. They’re down in the dungeons freeing everyone who was imprisoned.”
Together, the three of them headed off to rejoin the rest of their group, but as they re-entered the dining hall en route to the dungeons, they came face to face with one of Jareth’s goblins, who had snuck into the kitchen for an early breakfast.
“Hortenz!” Daedalus cried in surprise as everyone froze in shock. For what seemed like an eternity, Hortenz stared at the trio, who stared right back, but in an instant, the moment was broken. Simultaneously, Hortenz turned and dashed off to tell Jareth of their presence in the castle, and Stacey, Hoggle, and Daedalus hurried off in the opposite direction to warn Sarah and everyone else in the dungeons.
-----
Down in the dungeons, Sarah, with the help of Ludo, Sir Didymus, Prometheus, and Theseus, had managed to free the prisoners, all of which were expressing their thanks to their resuers, while Prometheus was busy having a happy reunion with the other Fireys. At that moment, Daedalus flew into view, followed closely by Stacey and Hoggle.
“Where were you?” Sarah asked, turning to the later two.
“Stacey needed a moment alone,” Hoggle explained. “We…found her old nursery, you see.”
“You did?” Sarah’s eyes widened, looking over at Stacey. “Are you okay?”
“All things considered,” Stacey shrugged, “I’m as good as anyone could be when they find out there was a whole part of their life they were never aware of. But more about that later. When Daedalus was bringing us down here, we ran into one of Jareth’s goblins.”
“He was just as surprised as we were,” Hoggle continued. “That’s probably the only reason we got away, but he eventually snapped out of it and ran off to tell Jareth we’re here.”
“Then it’s time to act,” Sir Didymus stepped in. “Your army is awaiting your command, Princess Stacey.”
“My army?” Stacey gaped at the Labyrinth denizens, who were all standing by. “No, I…I can’t command an army.”
“Don’t by silly, Stacey,” Daedalus urged from a nearby perch. “As I recall, you were the champion of the Theodore Roosevelt High School’s chess team for the past three years.”
“This isn’t a chess game, Daedalus,” Stacey argued. “In chess, every piece can be sacrificed, as long as the king stays safe. You cannot ask me to sacrifice anyone here.”
“A fine example of what I told ye all earlier,” Sir Didymus elaborated for the freed prisoners. “A true leader, looking down on no one.”
“Ludo follow Stacey,” the yeti assured energetically.
“I’m with Ludo,” Hoggle announced, placing a supportive hand on Stacey’s arm. “We’re all with you, no matter what happens.”
“You guys,” Stacey gazed at everyone, visibly overcome by their faith in her ability to lead and no one voicing any objections, before smiling widely. “All right, let’s do it.” With newfound confidence, Stacey started moving around the dungeons, looking around at her surroundings. “Okay, I think I’m getting a plan. But first, we need a diversion; something to keep Jareth and his goblins away from here until we’re ready for them.”
“Leave it to me, my liege,” Sir Didymus instantly volunteered with a respectful bow. Before anyone could say a word otherwise, the fox had ridden off on Ambrocious. Shaking her head at his impulsiveness, Stacey continued to execute her plan.
“All right then,” she went on. “Ludo, you look like the strongest one here. I need you to move that cage door.”
-----
Sometime later, Jareth was moving through the castle, his entire goblin army flanking him.
“You are sure you saw the dwarf and Stacey in the castle?” Jareth questioned Hortenz.
“Yes, your highness,” Hortenz nodded vigorously. “They were right here, with that owl, Daedalus. Never thought we’d see him again. I thought he had left the Underground for…”
“Shut up,” Jareth cut him off shortly, not even sparing a glance at the goblin. “Unless you can tell me where they went…” Before Jareth could continue, Sir Didymus sprung out of nowhere, sinking his teeth into Jareth’s leg. Before the Goblin King could retaliate, Sir Didymus had mounted Ambrocious once again, and rode off to draw them away from the dungeons.
“I’ve had enough of that fox!” Jareth glared, beginning to lead the pursuit of Sir Didymus.
-----
Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, Stacey was busy digging a hole into the floor, with the help of Theseus and Hoggle.
“You think this is goin’ to work, Stacey?” Hoggle asked pausing to glance over at the Goblin Princess.
“It should,” Stacey answered without looking up from her task. “I’m actually borrowing this trick from a book I read once. However, it does need to be tweaked a bit for us, since the situation in the book is slightly different than the one we’re in. Still, it worked in the book, so hopefully it will work for us, too. When this is over, Hoggle, I’ll be sure to tell you all about the book I got this from.”
“I’d like that,” Hoggle agreed, sharing a brief but warm smile with Stacey.
As they pair went back to digging the hole, Sarah stepped up from further back in the dungeons, with Daedalus at her side.
“Everything’s set, Stacey,” she announced. “Prometheus and the other Fireys finally managed to find a rope long enough to be used.”
“Good, because we’re just about finished here, too,” Stacey acknowledged, wiping the dirt off her hands.
“Now someone has to go and tell Sir Didymus he can lead Jareth here.” Daedalus noted.
“I’ll go,” Hoggle offered.
“No, Hoggle, I don’t think you should,” Stacey shook her head.
“Why?” Hoggle turned to her, clearly hurt and insulted. “I may have been a coward two years ago, but I’m not anymore.”
“It has nothing to do with how brave you are,” Stacey replied, frowning. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go.”
“You let Sir Didymus run off,” Hoggle argued. “You didn’t stop him.”
“First of all,” Stacey fired back, her voice growing stern and impatient, “Sir Didymus ran off before I could stop him. And secondly, the reason why I don’t want you to go is because I don’t want you getting hurt, or worse. Seriously, Hoggle, what kind of person, or princess, would I be if I let my friend run off and risk getting killed?” Almost immediately after she’d finished speaking, Stacey froze, realizing exactly what she’d just said. Sarah, Daedalus and Hoggle’s expressions also registered their surprise as her words registered.
“Did…did you just say…friend?” Hoggle asked in a whisper.
“I’ll go with him, Stacey.” Daedalus volunteered, knowing it wouldn’t be wise to push Stacey into repeating what she’d just revealed. “I promise I’ll make sure he stays safe.” Stacey remained silent, staring blankly into the hole that had just been dug, but she gave a slow nod of agreement. Wordlessly, Daedalus and Hoggle went off together to inform Sir Didymus that everything was ready.
“Stacey?” Sarah spoke hesitantly.
“Just make sure the others are ready, Sarah,” Stacey said, sliding into the hole. We’ve only got one shot at this.” With a sigh, Sarah turned and headed back to where everyone else was waiting, glancing back at Stacey only once as Theseus helped her cover the hole with a camouflaging tarp, hiding it from view.
Chapter: 13/16 (Plan of Action)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,336
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.
Previous Chapters
Daedauls glided through the castle corridors, searching for Stacey and Hoggle after leaving Sarah and the others in the dungeons to free everyone. It wasn’t long before he soared around a corner that he spotted Hoggle standing outside a room.
“There you are,” Daedalus breathed in relief, landing next to him. “Where were you? And where’s Stacey?”
“She’s in there,” Hoggle replied, gesturing to the room he was standing outside of. No sooner had he’d pointed, Stacey stepped out of her old nursery, completely dry-eyed.
“Hey, Daedalus,” Stacey greeted. “Sorry for going off without telling anyone. I just…had to see.”
“I understand,” Daedalus nodded in sympathetic understanding. “However, we really need to get back to the others. They’re down in the dungeons freeing everyone who was imprisoned.”
Together, the three of them headed off to rejoin the rest of their group, but as they re-entered the dining hall en route to the dungeons, they came face to face with one of Jareth’s goblins, who had snuck into the kitchen for an early breakfast.
“Hortenz!” Daedalus cried in surprise as everyone froze in shock. For what seemed like an eternity, Hortenz stared at the trio, who stared right back, but in an instant, the moment was broken. Simultaneously, Hortenz turned and dashed off to tell Jareth of their presence in the castle, and Stacey, Hoggle, and Daedalus hurried off in the opposite direction to warn Sarah and everyone else in the dungeons.
-----
Down in the dungeons, Sarah, with the help of Ludo, Sir Didymus, Prometheus, and Theseus, had managed to free the prisoners, all of which were expressing their thanks to their resuers, while Prometheus was busy having a happy reunion with the other Fireys. At that moment, Daedalus flew into view, followed closely by Stacey and Hoggle.
“Where were you?” Sarah asked, turning to the later two.
“Stacey needed a moment alone,” Hoggle explained. “We…found her old nursery, you see.”
“You did?” Sarah’s eyes widened, looking over at Stacey. “Are you okay?”
“All things considered,” Stacey shrugged, “I’m as good as anyone could be when they find out there was a whole part of their life they were never aware of. But more about that later. When Daedalus was bringing us down here, we ran into one of Jareth’s goblins.”
“He was just as surprised as we were,” Hoggle continued. “That’s probably the only reason we got away, but he eventually snapped out of it and ran off to tell Jareth we’re here.”
“Then it’s time to act,” Sir Didymus stepped in. “Your army is awaiting your command, Princess Stacey.”
“My army?” Stacey gaped at the Labyrinth denizens, who were all standing by. “No, I…I can’t command an army.”
“Don’t by silly, Stacey,” Daedalus urged from a nearby perch. “As I recall, you were the champion of the Theodore Roosevelt High School’s chess team for the past three years.”
“This isn’t a chess game, Daedalus,” Stacey argued. “In chess, every piece can be sacrificed, as long as the king stays safe. You cannot ask me to sacrifice anyone here.”
“A fine example of what I told ye all earlier,” Sir Didymus elaborated for the freed prisoners. “A true leader, looking down on no one.”
“Ludo follow Stacey,” the yeti assured energetically.
“I’m with Ludo,” Hoggle announced, placing a supportive hand on Stacey’s arm. “We’re all with you, no matter what happens.”
“You guys,” Stacey gazed at everyone, visibly overcome by their faith in her ability to lead and no one voicing any objections, before smiling widely. “All right, let’s do it.” With newfound confidence, Stacey started moving around the dungeons, looking around at her surroundings. “Okay, I think I’m getting a plan. But first, we need a diversion; something to keep Jareth and his goblins away from here until we’re ready for them.”
“Leave it to me, my liege,” Sir Didymus instantly volunteered with a respectful bow. Before anyone could say a word otherwise, the fox had ridden off on Ambrocious. Shaking her head at his impulsiveness, Stacey continued to execute her plan.
“All right then,” she went on. “Ludo, you look like the strongest one here. I need you to move that cage door.”
-----
Sometime later, Jareth was moving through the castle, his entire goblin army flanking him.
“You are sure you saw the dwarf and Stacey in the castle?” Jareth questioned Hortenz.
“Yes, your highness,” Hortenz nodded vigorously. “They were right here, with that owl, Daedalus. Never thought we’d see him again. I thought he had left the Underground for…”
“Shut up,” Jareth cut him off shortly, not even sparing a glance at the goblin. “Unless you can tell me where they went…” Before Jareth could continue, Sir Didymus sprung out of nowhere, sinking his teeth into Jareth’s leg. Before the Goblin King could retaliate, Sir Didymus had mounted Ambrocious once again, and rode off to draw them away from the dungeons.
“I’ve had enough of that fox!” Jareth glared, beginning to lead the pursuit of Sir Didymus.
-----
Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, Stacey was busy digging a hole into the floor, with the help of Theseus and Hoggle.
“You think this is goin’ to work, Stacey?” Hoggle asked pausing to glance over at the Goblin Princess.
“It should,” Stacey answered without looking up from her task. “I’m actually borrowing this trick from a book I read once. However, it does need to be tweaked a bit for us, since the situation in the book is slightly different than the one we’re in. Still, it worked in the book, so hopefully it will work for us, too. When this is over, Hoggle, I’ll be sure to tell you all about the book I got this from.”
“I’d like that,” Hoggle agreed, sharing a brief but warm smile with Stacey.
As they pair went back to digging the hole, Sarah stepped up from further back in the dungeons, with Daedalus at her side.
“Everything’s set, Stacey,” she announced. “Prometheus and the other Fireys finally managed to find a rope long enough to be used.”
“Good, because we’re just about finished here, too,” Stacey acknowledged, wiping the dirt off her hands.
“Now someone has to go and tell Sir Didymus he can lead Jareth here.” Daedalus noted.
“I’ll go,” Hoggle offered.
“No, Hoggle, I don’t think you should,” Stacey shook her head.
“Why?” Hoggle turned to her, clearly hurt and insulted. “I may have been a coward two years ago, but I’m not anymore.”
“It has nothing to do with how brave you are,” Stacey replied, frowning. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go.”
“You let Sir Didymus run off,” Hoggle argued. “You didn’t stop him.”
“First of all,” Stacey fired back, her voice growing stern and impatient, “Sir Didymus ran off before I could stop him. And secondly, the reason why I don’t want you to go is because I don’t want you getting hurt, or worse. Seriously, Hoggle, what kind of person, or princess, would I be if I let my friend run off and risk getting killed?” Almost immediately after she’d finished speaking, Stacey froze, realizing exactly what she’d just said. Sarah, Daedalus and Hoggle’s expressions also registered their surprise as her words registered.
“Did…did you just say…friend?” Hoggle asked in a whisper.
“I’ll go with him, Stacey.” Daedalus volunteered, knowing it wouldn’t be wise to push Stacey into repeating what she’d just revealed. “I promise I’ll make sure he stays safe.” Stacey remained silent, staring blankly into the hole that had just been dug, but she gave a slow nod of agreement. Wordlessly, Daedalus and Hoggle went off together to inform Sir Didymus that everything was ready.
“Stacey?” Sarah spoke hesitantly.
“Just make sure the others are ready, Sarah,” Stacey said, sliding into the hole. We’ve only got one shot at this.” With a sigh, Sarah turned and headed back to where everyone else was waiting, glancing back at Stacey only once as Theseus helped her cover the hole with a camouflaging tarp, hiding it from view.