A/N: I did a good job at giving the impression that this was utterly dead. After receiving many story alerts and reviews for this long after I stopped writing it in 2007, I started writing again. I managed to write this chapter in a single night, and (fingers crossed) will turn out the rest of the chapters with similar speed. I don't plan many more chapters for this, and hope to wrap things up in four or five more instalments, but fingers crossed I'll be able to pull my typing fingers out on this and finish what I began. Thank-you for sticking with this, and there will be an end.

When we emerged from the darkness, I could not help but squint for the sun was of remarkable brilliance. We had made our way out into a small, immaculately neat courtyard that was walled in by pristinely cut hedges. As I marvelled at the glorious neatness of the scene Hoggle grunted "C'mon, then!" He started stomping away, and I hastened after him.

"Hold back, Hoggle! My legs are not as sturdy as yours!"

"They're plenty strong." He stopped, and bent his hand down to an indecent level in order to examine my ankles. "As thick as tree trunks, those."

"You brute!" With a shriek of outrage, I kicked out at him impulsively, catching him on the nose. With a howl he staggered back, and I walked past him with my head held aloft.

"Right! That's it, I've had all I'll take from you. Work it out for yerself!" I darted back, and was just quick enough to catch a glimpse of Hoggle's bloodied nose before he turned on his heel and abandoned me.

"I will cope perfectly well without you, know that you cad!" With an exaggeratedly loud snort of derision, I turned on my heel and continued on my own. He had served his purpose by leading me from the Oubliette. I needed him no more, or at least that was what I thought at the time. Later, I was proven to be wrong. Oh my, I've just given away a brilliant twist. If I were in a better state, I might have a more pleasing sense of drama. Forgive me, diary!

The pleasingly ordered state of the courtyard rapidly gave way to crumbling, ruined walls, broken statues and defaced fountains in the forms of cherubs that dribbled dank, foul smelling water. When I looked above me, I realized that the sky was as black as pitch. When I looked ahead of me once more, it was nigh on impossible to see the sights I had just observed. A shudder overcame me, and I was overtaken by a fear something frightful. What was to become of me: poor, helpless Simplicity? Alone in a Labyrinth of madness and horror, who was to be my saviour?

Certainly not Hoggle. The little beast (!!!).

In my fearful state, everything was heightened. The screeches of birds overhead sounded like the shrieks of crazed, fire-spouting dragons, the trickle of water like a beat building up to my doom. When I heard shuffling footsteps and wheezing breaths, I froze right besides the wall that I was nearest to. The steps became louder, the breaths more laboured and feeble. I looked in the direction of their source, and made out a vague, shuffling silhouette.

I shrieked and attempted to scramble away, only to collide with the source of my fear. The shadow mumbled, and then a voice high above me trilled "Who's this dummy?" I knew the voice; I had heard it once before, long ago.

I heard the scratch of a match against a wall, and when I looked at the stranger once more they were illuminated by the light of a small lamp. I could just make out a face that was obscured underneath layers and layers of robes and voluminous white hair. It was the crazed Wise Man I had encountered with Jareth at the market. "Why sir! What brought you here?"

"A child! A small, lost child!" His voice spoke of great wonder and amazement; my question was utterly ignored.

I frowned. "You are mistaken, sir. I am a Dwarf. Miss Simplicity Battleaxe."

"Battleaxe you say, hmm? Good stock? Thoroughbred?"

"My family's reputation is impeccable. Now, sir, I must ask, how does one leave this place? I am fearful for my safety."

"'Fearful for my safety'", the bird-head mocked, "Good grief. Grow a brain, this ain't the Bahamas!"

I glared upwards, hoping it could me see me despite the failings of my own vision. "Can you help me?"

"What was it you were asking?"

"How to leave this wretched place. How to reach the castle."

After a long, meditative pause, the Wise Man spoke "These paths life takes us on are sometimes steep, other times mellow, most often completely without flavour. For they wind around and around, until the blathering snake can no longer traverse the tunnels it dug as a sapling, and shrivels up like an orphaned toad. The mother amphibian, that long ago warbled along the sky-tracks to Albion..."

I stared in amazement as he continued, having remembered why I had hastened away from his tent with Jareth in the first place. He was remarkably insane, more so than most. I scanned his body, looking for whatever might be of use to me. His bright, cheering lamp struck me as the best prize his person had to offer, and after checking that he was entirely possessed by his mad ramblings I wrenched the lamp from his grip and ran. "Wh-at!?" was the only sound I discerned from the Wise Man, as well as a set of unspeakable (and unrecordable) profanities from his parasitic bird-head. I ran as if my life depended upon it, winding my way around high, shadowy walls and unperceived obstacles until I found myself in a forest. The first thing I noted was that the trees glittered when the light from my lamp was cast upon them. It was positively disgusting, as if the forest had been defaced with the crushed remains of massacred fairies. The twinkling was positively obscene, and I tried to avoid looking at the trees lest I notice more gaudiness.

A few forest sprites approached me - attempting to tear off pieces of my dress for trophies - but I growled fearsomely (a technique father had taught me when instructing me in self-defence) and stamped on them. I managed to crush one, which resulted in a horrendous, hopelessly sticky mess. I wasted several minutes scraping my boot clean on the calloused trunk of a nearby tree (one relatively unspoilt by glitter). Following that, I was left entirely alone for the greater part of my journey. Only when I was close to emerging from the trees was I made aware of the presence of others.

I first became aware I was not alone when I heard the sound of clapping, it came from some distance away but was nonetheless distinct. I followed the sound in hope of discovering some form of civilisation. The clapping was soon accompanied by boisterous whooping, and devilish shrieks. I slowed the pace of my walk, moving more carefully in the direction of the source. I stopped by a pair of trees, peering through the gap between them and observing. Ahead of me was a clearing that was filled with the most extraordinary creatures. They had wild, red fur that resembled the flames of a fire and bizarre, protruding faces, yet they moved with the sprightliness of men, leaping and dancing in a circle with apparently boundless enthusiasm and energy. At the centre of the circle was a device that appeared to be of human construction, a large black box that released a pulsing, relentless noise; the din was positively terrible, yet somehow magnetic despite its unpleasant auditory texture. The creatures appeared to be partaking in some kind of ritual which involved periodically stopping to inflict violence (in the form of headbutting, or slapping) on an appointed partner. I watched, amazed, for some minutes before drawing back. I was nearly a safe distance away when I heard a branch crack beneath my foot, and the noise from the creatures stopped.

"Hey, did you hear something, man?"

"Yeah. And it didn't sound like a cat who wanted to be caught!"

"Let's go and see if they'll join in the Par-tay!" With shrieks of glee, the creatures began their pursuit. I hastened through the tree, speeding up every time I heard a whoop or a cry. The sounds became louder and louder, and I was soon running so quickly the lamp swung haphazardly in my grip. I was stopped when one of the ruffians leaped before me, blocking my path.

"Wah-hay!" It remarked, leering at me with hideous intimacy. It recoiled quickly. "Eww. It's a dog, dudes!"

"Woah, gross. Is that a walnut or a face?"

"Why you thugs! Clear the path this instant!"

"Why should we, butt-face?"

I thrust the lamp into the offending creature's face, waving it wildly. "You will stay back, for if you do not I will let set you alight and watch as you burn to a cinder."

Its grotesque face splintered into a nervous, face-breaking grin. "Not so hasty, lady. We don't mean no harm." He was backed up by a chorus of equally nervous 'nos' from his companions. They all inched away from me, crushing dead leaves beneath their clawed feet, their fear palpable.

I moved back more hastily, a wild glint surely in my eyes. "Remember, if I hear as much as a foot-fall from you beasts, I will not hesitate to set the nearest tree alight and let the whole forest burn."

They shrieked, and leaped up other one another's bodies in their efforts to escape me. Some of their heads detached themselves from their bodies and bounced away separately, howling and yipping like fear-maddened dogs.

Following that incident, I found my way out of the forest with relative ease. I did not emerge in the gloomy, glitter sullied pathway I had traversed before, rather I found myself on the edge of a large, pleasant looking field. Daisies and buttercups swayed in a delicate breeze, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue with nary a cloud in sight. The castle was just beyond it, a jagged rent on the landscape. With a smile, I started walking across. At the back of mind, I faintly perceived a voice but soon dismissed it as a remnant of the disturbing incidents I had recently endured. The flowers smelt heavenly, and the ground was as soft as any Monster-hair carpet upon which I had ever trodden foot. I could only thank the Good Lord Scrabble for his generosity and benevolence in offering me easy passage for the last stage of my journey.

As I progressed, my mind was overtaken by my memories of the children. Olga's detailed, thoroughly filling letters, Valeriya's habit of sucking on her china dolly's fist when she was fretful and Jareth's leanings towards sadism. I smiled wistfully as I recalled the time he had snatched an errant Goblin by the scruff of its neck and held it face down in a vat of ale until it stopped kicking. The poor creature had needed to be resuscitated, and Jareth had laughed riotously as another Goblin manically struck its balled hand against the dormant soul's heart. Jareth received several good, hard smacks that day. Nice, firm discipline makes for obedient children and contented peasants. Discipline makes for a world where children of privilege obey, and the lowly are meek and humble. The mere thought of such an orderly paradise was intoxicating.

"Open yer eyes, yer fool!" The shout was too tremendous, too panicked, to be ignored. My eyelids shifted, and I shrieked and started circling my arms when I realized I was neck-deep in a pool that was filled with a pink, sludge-like substance. I was utterly disgusted; the place reeked of magic. Glitter peppered the water and the air alike, and I started to choke. Through the mist, I perceived a small, stocky figure. By his voice, I knew it to be Hoggle. He called again, "I'm throwing a rope! Hold on when you get it, I'll pull you in!"

I tried fervently to keep afloat, and occupied my mind by fretting over how my poor, blue silk dress was bound to be ruined. And my bag? What of my bag? I thought I felt that my hand was wrapped around something, and when I (with great difficulty) raised my arm saw that it was indeed still in my possession, I was immensely relieved. After all, had it been lost, I would no longer have had the comfort of your pages, would I?

Eventually a thick rope was slung before me. With great difficulty, I managed to tie the end of it around the handles of my travel bag before grabbing it myself. "I'm ready!" I shouted.

Hoggle heaved at the rope, at first I thought it wasn't going to work – I remained stuck in the same position – but eventually his effort paid off, and I began to shift through the substance. I could hear his pained grunts and groans, and shouted to urge him on. "It's working, Hoggle! It's working!" Eventually, after much laboured breathing and cursing, I was dragged to a shallow enough part of the pool for me to wade out by myself.

Panting myself from the strain, I pulled my sludge covered limbs and bag up to the embankment. When I reached Hoggle, I was too exhausted to acknowledge him, as he was me. I simply collapsed flat onto my back, relieved to be breathing air unsullied by enchantment and glamour. When I finally recovered, I leaned my head over to look at Hoggle. He was also lying on his back, and I noticed that the blood resulting from our earlier encounter had dried over his upper lip. Out of a sense of necessity, I spoke, "My thanks to you, Hoggle. And I must admit, I am sorry for ... the harm I caused you previously."

"Oh you mean kicking me in the nose? Oh, that didn't hurt at all." He sneered, still the same unpleasant, miserable man he always had been. For some bizarre reason I didn't even know myself, I found his negativity highly amusing and started to giggle. I suppose I was amused by the oddity of our situation. I had a pearly, pink sheen from my escapade in the pool, and Hoggle had a bloodied (and possibly broken) nose from my earlier attack upon his person. Despite all the misery and woe I had had to suffer through, I was in good spirits. "What's so funny?" Hoggle questioned, remarking on my laughter.

"Oh, it's just that this whole situation is too silly for words. I am sorry."

"You bet it is. Don't you know magic when you see it? You should do, considering how long you've spent in the vicinity of his most terrible Majesty."

I threw him a glare. "Magic is not the stuff of Nurses. My business was Jareth, and Jareth only."

"But he's got more magic in him than both his parents put together! He's been vanishing and re-appearing miles away ever since he could toddle."

I shrugged. "I can only assume he has always been unusually good with me, then. Of course, there were incidents, but those are to be expected with a magical child."

"He's more magical than he has any right to be. He'll be dangerous when he's older, mark my words."

"Oh, he won't be a danger to anyone. That's why I'm returning to the castle, to ensure he's safe, protected. Along with Lasander and his sisters, of course." I amended my interests quickly, not wishing to sound too singular.

"Good to luck to you for that. I wondered why you were going back to that hell-pit. Knew it had to be a mad reason."

"Mad? Why so?"

"Well, the whole place has gone to pot, hasn't it? The King ain't being a king, the daughters don't have a clue what to do, and they say the eldest boy is deadly ill."

"Lasander? Where did you hear such a thing?" My tone gained a sense of urgency in my alarm, I sat up and stared at him arrestingly.

"One of the walls was gossiping when I was passing. It's all they do, blather, blather, blather. They never shut up, stupid th-"

"Well, what did they say, man? A crisis could be imminent! I must know!"

"You wouldn't think I'd just saved you from drowning in a pool of fairy goo, would you?" When he noticed my continued seriousness, he responded. "Well, one of the walls was saying its cousin is the facing wall in his sick room. Apparently, his skin's turned green. Toad green."

"Never! Walls lie, they exaggerate, they're gossips, as you say."

"For heaven's sake, what motive would a wall have for lying? Nothing I say's gonna satisfy you, is it? You're so darn prissy."

"I am not!" I insisted, indignant. "I am simply concerned, that is all." I stood up, surveying my dress with a look of unmitigated disgust. "I think it's high time we finish our journey, don't you?"

"Hey, I saved you! That's it. I never signed up for going to the castle with you."

"Oh, but you did. Don't remember the lovely talisman I gave you as payment?"

"That was all well and good till' you went and kicked me in the face!"

"You mustn't dwell on the past. And besides, if you truly wanted to abandon me, why did you come to my rescue?"

His cheeks were rapidly overwhelmed by a fiery blush. "I was just passing! That's all!" After another pause, he mumbled. "I'll go with you. Only to the castle gates, mind. I'm not stepping foot past there."

"That is all I would ever ask for." I beamed, impulsively leaning forward and planting a quick kiss on his rough cheek.

He instantly started rubbing at his cheek with his sleeve, his face one of extreme torment. "Eww. What did you go and do that for? You're covered in goo!"

I remembered myself, and could not help but giggle again. "I'm sorry," I pronounced, leaning over to fish a handkerchief from his vest and wipe my face and hands clean before I dared open my bag. He glared at me as I passed the napkin back to him, pushing it back into his pocket as hastily as he could. The contents of my bag were miraculously unspoilt, and after picking out a clean dress and underclothes I vanished behind a rock to change. I abandoned my blue silk gown out of necessity, and was excessively saddened to leave it for the enjoyment of the fairies and other such pests. Still, it was not to be helped and I was pleased to occupy a clean set of clothes again.

When I re-emerged, I noticed Hoggle staring resentfully at my bag. "That's why it was so damn hard to pull you in. Women are mad."

"No, we simply care for matters such as decorum and pride." I smiled icily, and picking up my bag began to walk before I realized I had no idea what direction to go in. "Where do we go from here?"

Hoggle informed me that we were adjacent to The Bog of Eternal Stench, a foul place far worse than the fairy pool. Apparently, it was best to traverse the rubbish dumps of the central zone. The smell was not pleasant, but the paths were easy to navigate for those who knew them, and they were as familiar to Hoggle as were the many contours and deformities of his hands. We reached them after a brief walk, during which I questioned Hoggle about his life inside the Labyrinth. According to testimony, he had quit his position at the Castle after the indignity of his position as 'stable boy' became too intense to bear. He had made it his task to familiarize himself with the Labyrinth, and live within its walls, relying on its eccentricities for his safety and privacy. The plan had worked marvellously, in his words: "No bugger's been mad enough to follow me in. You'd be surprised by how peaceful it is in there. 'Part from the occasional runner, of course. They never shut up. It's always 'oh, I never thought he'd actually come' or 'oh no, what am I going to tell Mum now Freddy's gone!' blah blah blah. Idiots, all of 'em. Worse than walls, they always think they're so damn important. "

The junk heaps themselves were impressive despite being objects of unmitigated disgust. They were compounds of filth and debris, and all manner of strange and marvellous objects could be seen sticking out of their bulks. I saw teddy bears, books, bones and, most marvellously of all, the wheel of a bicycle, a contraption I had once seen in a book written by an eminent Dwarfish professor on human paraphernalia. It was a fascinating read; I only regret that I cannot remember its title. Hoggle was quick to warn me off touching any of the wonders I saw, informing me that I might inadvertently be accused of breaching a person's privacy. He told me of a strange breed of creature, a junk lady, a deformed and mutated human who exists only to hoard meaningless objects for storage upon their back. I thought I perceived a few in the distance a few times, but never saw any up close.

There was not time to reach the Castle before the sun went down, and Hoggle took me to a quaint little hotel he knew that had been built inside a hollowed out rubbish heap. It was disarmingly charming, with little, cheery lamps by the entrance and flowerpots on either side of the doormat. Hoggle seemed to be on good terms with the landlord, a strange looking man who can only assume is some sort of cross between a Troll and a Goblin (Scrabble knows how!), shaking his hand and slapping him heartily on the back. We were both given separate rooms, and I was immensely grateful for the chance to wash in a tub full of (relatively) clean water. That night, I slept peacefully, most of the fears and anxieties that had stuffed my mind beforehand being replaced by hopes for how I could help improve life for the children. The poor, frightened children.

The next morning, we were treated to a breakfast of gruel. It tasted faintly of rot, but I would have eaten a putrefying horse carcass and consumed what I was given with a hearty appetite. Hoggle ate at a similar pass, helping lessen my guilt at my unladylike demeanour. We gave our host our thanks, and left him to complete our journey.

As we reached the end of the Junk piles, I saw the Castle up close for the first time in years. The thought of entering it again was a terrifying prospect, but I did not allow my steps to falter. I needed to be brave if I were to be of even the remotest use to the children. I needed to solid, reliable – the exact opposite of their father.

"Are you certain you wanna do it, go in there again, I mean?" Hoggle questioned as we drew closer and closer to the gate.

"Well, there would have been no point in my coming all this way and facing the dangers I have faced, if I were to turn back now. The children need me, especially if Lasander is indeed ill. They will need me more than they know."

"But can you really do anything? Really?"

"I can only try. I wish it were the great devil himself who were sick, rather than his son. That poor boy. I do hope his condition has improved."

"If you see him, will you mention me?"

"Lasander knows you?"

"Probably not, but you'll find out either way. I used to help him with his horse-riding when he was a little un'. He was always well behaved, that one. Placid, quiet. A good little kid."

I smiled at Hoggle as we reached the doors. "I will tell him you asked about his health."

He nodded curtly, his eyes betraying more emotion than his speech "Thanks."

"Well, I suppose this is the end of our journey together." I announced, surprised by the calm. I had half expected to find the city wall torn down in a fit of madness, or at least scorched by one of Jareth's attempts at arson. Instead it looked pristine; everything was deadly quiet. The silence unsettled me, and my desire to enter the Castle became stronger than ever.

Hoggle held out his hand, and I offered mine to him. We shook hands smartly, exchanging smiles and blushes. "Good luck to yer," he paused, glancing bashfully downward, "I was only teasing when I said about your legs, y'know."

"It doesn't matter, really." I reassured him, releasing his hand.

He started walking away, and stopped after a few feet. I got the impression he wanted to suggest something to me – an alternative plan, maybe? – but my expression convinced him not to bother. He waved, and I heard him speak for one final time, "Good-bye."

"Good-bye, Hoggle." I waved him goodbye, and wished him safe passage back to his den, until he was lost from sight.

Checking my bag for my precious note from the King, I knocked boldly on the door. No one answered initially, and it took four attempts before I heard footsteps hasten towards the gate. They were swift and light, not the frenzied scampering of a Goblin. The viewing panel was pulled back, and I gasped in surprise when I beheld Alexandra's tear-stained face. She looked bedraggled, exhausted and far older than her fifteen years. She gasped in shock when she looked down and noticed me. "Simplicity? What are you doing here?"

"Your father sent for me, to help with Jareth's care." It was only a half-truth, but it was a necessary deception. Alexandra nodded, clearly dazed, and I listened to the scrape of the bolt as she opened the small door in the gate intended for visitors of my size.

Once I was inside the walls of the Goblin City, Alexandra collapsed onto her knees and embraced me. She sobbed into my shoulder, her voice barely audible. "Oh, Simplicity. Everything's been so ghastly, I can't describe it. I just can't."

I extracted myself gently from her embrace, "What is wrong?"

"It's brother Lasander," she gulped, the words clearly painful for her, "He's dead."

E/N: dun dun dun, indeed. Not that I didn't drop some massive hints throughout the story for that cliff-hanger, but still. It has been over two years since I last adopted Simplicity's 'voice' and I may have become confused about the chronology and/or character names/personalities. Please forgive me for this, I plan to go back over the story and bring it up to scratch. Although many of the spelling mistakes are intentional, just as great a number are typos that I need to correct.

If you want another chapter, I strongly suggest clicking the review button. Remember, if you sign in I will respond to any questions/queries you have about the story. Please feel free to point out inconsistencies, I'm sure there are some!

P.S. I inadvertently quoted the title of Scattered Logic's 'A Necessary Deception' back there. Weird. Is it possible to plagiarize titles, I wonder?