Labyrinth: An Owl's Story

Chapter 6

"Jareth, Jareth wake up," a sweet voice came from above Jareth, and he opened his eyes slowly to see Sarah looking over him. He shook his head, thinking he was dreaming, only to see Sarah standing over him still.

"Sarah?" Jareth croaked. "Is that really you?"

Sarah nodded. "It's me alright. I'm glad I found you before you fell backwards. Gareth helped me get you awake again."

Jareth looked to his side to see the dark brown owl looking straight at him. They were all in the goblin room in the castle, and Jareth had been placed in his royal chair. He looked back up and smiled at Sarah. She smiled back. But then, she stopped, sighing as she looked down to the ground. Jareth tipped his head to one side before standing up and holding his wing out to touch Sarah's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Jareth asked, coming closer.

Sarah looked up. "Well, it's just... I have to leave soon. I have to go back to the Elf Kingdom-"

"Wait, you have to go back?" Jareth cut her off. "What do you mean, back?"

Sarah hesitated before answering him. "When I defeated you, I didn't go home. I sort of, well, teleported over to the Elf Kingdoms. Then they said that I was their princess, and that I had to stay. And now, they call me Queen Sarah." Then she sighed. "I hope my family is ok, along with Toby. He would be 11 by now, in 6th grade now. I wonder how many friends he has now, and if he remembers us anymore."

At the mention of Toby, Jareth wanted to stab himself in the heart. Where WAS Toby? He hadn't seen him since after Racco had left the group. "Well, I hope he does remember us, Sarah." Jareth told everything about what had happened to Sarah. While everything had been happening...

Away at the border that separated the Elf Kingdoms...

Toby looked around. He and Shebaan had been traveling for hours now, and there was still no sight of the border. He could feel it was near, and the air was softer where he was. He had heard stories told by Sarah, his older sister, about how in the Elf Kingdoms the air is softer, and much sweeter because of the type of tree that grows there. And now, he could find his sister, and get help from the Elves to find her and make him back into a human.

"Hey, look at this, Toby." Shebaan called from on a branch above where he was. The two had settled on a tree and Shebaan had been looking around for something that might lead them to the Elves.

The young owl flapped his wings and lifted into the air, pushing him upward until he was up high enough to land on the branch Shebaan stood on. He clamped his claws into the bark and fluffed out his feathers to let in the warm air.

"What is it, Shebaan?" he asked and looked around the forest from where he stood.

Shebaan pointed her left wing at something hidden in the cover of a bush. "In there. I saw something move, and I think I can see a pair of eyes." She replied.

Toby peered into the darkness (it was late evening now). He suddenly saw a flash of light, and two eyes peered back up at him. "Who's there?" he hooted.

Suddenly, a brown paw poked forward from under the bush, and a brown tabby female cat with blue-green eyes and white ears walked out into the light and stood, looking up at the two barn owls up in the tree. Toby stared in shock at the small cat; he had never seen a cat like this before. Its shoulders were large, and the cat's chest was broad, thick fur covering the lower chest part.

"I am Dairah, a cat of the Elf Kingdom." She meowed softly. "I was sent to escort you to the castle of Queen Sarah."

Toby looked at Shebaan. Shebaan looked at Toby. "Ugh, ok. I am Toby, and this is Shebaan." Toby answered.

Dairah nodded. "Yes, I know. Follow me, please." She turned around and bounded through the bush before pushing out into the forest. Toby pounded his wings and lifted off, pushing himself into flight. Shebaan followed close behind him and the two followed Dairah.

Back at where Jareth, Gareth, and Sarah were...

"So, why aren't you changing back into a human, Jareth? And who is this?" Sarah asked.

Jareth pointed to his brother with the tip of his wing. "This is Gareth, my brother. Well, the changing back part is a bit of a story." He then described all that had happened to him and Gareth, and about the prophecy and about him finding a love and all that gross stuff.

When he had finished his story, Sarah just stared at him, which she had been doing ever since he had told her that he needed a love in order to save the royal family, along with everyone else in the underground. After about a minute of staring, Sarah snapped out of it, and snapped was what she did. "So, you're telling me that you need to find someone to love, someone like me?" she questioned angrily.

Jareth gulped. "Ye-yes, I do need a love. Gareth already has one, so all I need is someone else, someone like you."

"Well, you have come to the right girl." And without any word from Jareth or Gareth, or any complaints, Sarah bent over and kissed Jareth on his beak. When she got back into sitting place, Jareth was already in shock. But not in a frightened shock, no, in a happy shock. His eyes were bright, and he was smiling merrily.

"Ugh, Jare?" Gareth poked his brother with his wing. "You alright?"

Jareth shook his head to snap out of the shock. "Yes, I think I am. I think I am."