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Chapter Text

A lovely voice beckoned through the air: "Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way through all the pain and the sorrows…"

Eyes stared enthralled at the ethereal young woman before them. A silver cloak shielded her from the crisp night air, a gossamer blue corset and chiffon skirt glittered over her pale skin. Her hazel green eyes latched onto those of the children who surrounded her, unable to resist her charms. As she sang her melody of magic, her lips curled into a cheeky smile at how intent they listened to her. She winked at the seven year old blonde boy who watched her the most intently.

"Weep not poor children, for life is this way: Murder and beauty and passions."

A tawny-blonde haired woman not much younger than the one singing began to join the chorus from behind the children, who gasped at hearing a voice they did not expect. This new figure was in shades of ivory and white but wore a similar cloak and corset. Her eyes weren't focused on the children but on the sky blue eyes of her beau who lounged lazily against a tree as he took in the sight of his love captivating the innocents.

"Hush now dear children, it must be this way, too weary of life and deception.

Rest now my children, soon we'll away, into the calm and the quiet."

The cloaked figures began a swaying dance as they circled the children they had gathered, their harmonious voices deceivingly like that of angels.

"Come little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment.

Come now dear children, the time's come to play here in my garden of shadows."

With their melody complete, both women stood before the enraptured children.

"And with her song, Sarah Sanderson lured poor young Emily Binx to her doom. Her brave, valiant brother Thackery came to her rescue, but it was too late. In his failure, he was cursed, forced into the form of a black feline for the rest of his existence. He did not die but lived for three hundred years, letting none read from the book of the witches' spells and protecting the black flame candle from being lit. Try as he might, he failed in that attempt as well, for behold, the black candle was lit last All Hallows Eve." The one cloaked in ivory held up the object, letting all the children see the remains of the spent candle.

"Do not think poorly of Thackery's failure," the ethereal young woman with the dark hair began, "for had the book not been read and the candle not lit, the means to defeat the Sanderson Sisters once and for all would not have been possible. Those of the Dennison clan would not have been able to ensure the witches felt the pure light of dawn last Day of the Saints, causing the witches to turn to dust once and for all."

"And so we good witches remind you to always keep a container of salt near your front door. When out trick or treating, keep a shaker of salt in your pocket, just in case. Don't step in a fairy ring. Hang fresh garlic from your windows. Always be nice to black cats."

"And no matter how tempting it may be, do not make any rash wishes," the raven-haired beauty hastily added.

Ample applause and cheering burst from the children once they realized the story was through. The blonde boy came up to the silver cloaked figure, wrapping his arms around her waist, "That story was so cool, Sarah! You tell it like the stories of the goblins."

Sarah ruffled her little brother's hair. "If it wasn't for Cousin Allison's storytelling skills, I would know nothing about Salem's most notorious witches."

The young man with the strikingly blue eyes came up from behind and placed his arms around the one he loved. "Well, if it weren't for us living that story, she wouldn't have been able to tell it so well."

"Max..." Allison looked cautiously around the lawn to make sure none of the others had heard him, especially not her mother. "It is just a really good story."

"It's okay, Allison," Sarah's little brother, Toby, started, "I know the story was real. Sarah told me. Did you know she saved me from goblins?"

"Aaaand that's enough storytelling for now," Sarah said. "Hey, Tobes, will you go inside and grab me some apple cider? I'm thirsty from all that talking."

Sarah had yet to confess her experience with the goblins and their king with her cousin, even after Allison and her boyfriend Max had shared their experience defeating the Sanderson Sisters. Had she not had her own adventure with beings of magic, she would have dismissed them as trying to pull one over on her. But their passion and details of their tale were such as to convince her that their experience had been real. Even though they had experienced something similar to her own situation, theirs had been grounded on Earth; she wasn't sure if they would believe she and Toby had been to another realm.

"Here Sarah!" Toby energetically pounced on her, causing some of the drink he brought her to slosh out of the cup. He giggled as he said, "Oops, sorry."

"Thanks Tobes. How much candy have you had tonight? Maybe I need to eat what's left in your pumpkin with you so wound up on sugar." Sarah teased as she shook off some of the liquid that had landed on her arm.

Toby hugged the plastic jack-o-lantern that was hanging off his arm to his chest, "No way!"

Max laughed, "Like that's going to happen. It's a Halloween party. Eating candy is the point."

"And the week's just getting started. Halloween is still five days away." Allison reminded them.

With the holiday falling mid-week, The Sanderson Museum of Witchcraft was holding its first public event since reopening after renovations. Because Sarah's step-mother's family owned the museum, Sarah had been tasked to earn field study credit for her History major, with a focus on Folklore, at Salem State University by helping to renovate the building for public exhibition. Seems that on Halloween the previous year, the fire sprinkler system had been set off, causing water damage to the interior structure. Most of the colonial artifacts had been saved from damage, having been kept in glass cases. But some of the work to restore the building was time-consuming. Sarah had been volunteered by her step-mother, Karen: Sarah had willingly agreed not out of any sort of obligation to her step-mother but because she could use the experience for her field of study.

Since Karen's family was from Salem and Karen genuinely cared for Sarah's well being, it had been a natural fit to have Sarah live with her sister, Paulette. Their family had one of the largest homes in town and Paulette was just ecstatic about letting Sarah come and stay with them. Allison was an only child and Sarah could be a mentor to her. Plus, the house was way too big to have just three people living in it. Since Paulette's husband was a dean at the University, he pulled strings for Sarah to get in-state tuition fees, even if it was Sarah's actress mother footing the bill. With a younger, second child in his life to pay for, Sarah's dad wasn't complaining. Sarah at first had protested since she had planned on going to school close to home in New York. But a free ride was nothing to take for granted. She found that she liked living with her cousin-by-marriage Allison, who was four years younger.

Jealousy was not something Sarah had expected when meeting Allison's boyfriend Max, but something about his assured smile and blue eyes made her think of a certain blonde king with similar characteristics. Sarah was jealous of Allison's sweet romance she had formed with this boy who moved into town last year and instantly bonded with her; it was like they were destined to be together. Sarah wondered if she was perpetually cursed to be alone; only one man had pursued her and she had said no. It made Sarah wonder if she would have been happy had she taken the offer so desperately given by the Goblin King. Yes, he was desperate, she realized after a few years of maturity made her ponder on his words. He had been frustrated, not angry as she had thought in her youth; he had done everything she had wanted, played the part she had given him to meet her expectations, and yet she had still rejected him. He had been short on time, she was about to defeat him, and all he had wanted was to keep her. He knew her dreams, knew that the story she read the book hadn't just been some tale to her but that she believed it; she was the heroine whom the Goblin King loved. Getting Toby home safely had been more important at the time than the fluttering hesitation of her heart. That had been six years ago. Now, in her twenty first year of life, she wondered if he offered her dreams again, would she take it?

"Sarah, where'd you go there?" Allison nudged her cousin, getting her attention back to the present.

Shaking her head, Sarah laughed and thought up a fib, "Sorry, I was imagining the horror this week will be with so many Halloween parties happening before the actual day. Maybe we'll be lucky and it snows this week."

"No, then it will be too cold to go Trick-Or-Treating," Toby whined.

"That's the point, Doofus." Dani, sister to Allison's boyfriend, made her presence known. Sarah had learned early on that Dani enjoyed taking people by surprise with her presence. Sarah also noticed the blush and avoidance of eyes that her brother did when the girl appeared. Dani was the 'older woman', nine years old to Toby's seven. He'd only met her a few times when he came to Salem to visit with his big sister, but he was smitten by Max's sister.

"So, um, Dani, I hear you made your brother promise to be Peter Pan this year, tights and all. Think he'll pay up?" Sarah asked.

"Damn it, Ally, you told her?" Max huffed in embarrassment.

"Hey, a promise is a promise." Allison teased, "I'm just making sure you hold to your end of the bargain."

Sarah briefly wondered if Max would feel as confident wearing tights as her Goblin King had seemed. Her Goblin King? Where had that thought come from? She had known him mere moments in her life: she was probably a blink of time for him-an insignificant waste of ten hours of his ageless life he'd never get back, especially since he couldn't keep her. He'd surely forgotten her by now.

Allison leaned into Sarah's ear, whispering, "If you keep spacing out on me, I'm throwing water on your head next time. Really, what's up?"

"It's nothing. I should go check with your mom. I think she'll want me to give our beneficiaries a tour of the inside." Sarah pushed her little brother towards Dani. "Why don't you show Toby your favorite parts of the museum."

"But…!" Dani started to protest, yet Sarah had already headed inside.

The funding for reopening the museum had come from prominent families of Salem, the "who's who" of the community. With Sarah being an amateur actress with a minor in Theater already under her belt, she had been tasked to give tours explaining the history behind the various exhibits within. A plaque inside the front door would be her first stop, so they could be shown their names etched in polished bronze: the proof of recognition for their monetary support. Their little museum had to compete for tourist attention with the Salem Pioneer Village, which had reenactors roaming the pavement to tell visitors the tales of Salem's past. Paulette thought Sarah and Allison portraying witches would fit best with the theming of the reopening, hoping to remind the guests of the cottage's previous witchy owners.

Sunday mornings were blissful for Sarah, mainly because she could sleep in and have the day to herself. Her brother's pounce on her stomach woke her and reminded her that this would not be one of those days. He had gotten a full night's sleep since Karen didn't want him out past eight; Sarah had been tasked to give tours of the renovated museum until after ten thirty. By far, it wasn't the latest night she'd had; after all, she was a college student who needed the occasional panic night of binging for a test or writing a 10 page paper to meet an assignment deadline. But there was something about performing that drained her. She didn't just give a tour of the Sanderson Cottage, she poured all her acting skills into being a contemporaneous figure and did her best to never break character. It was mentally challenging and thus exhausting.

"Tobes, give me at least until noon, will you?"

"It is noon." He said simply. "We ate breakfast without you. Now, it's time for lunch and mom sent me to get you."

Sighing, Sarah forced herself to sit up and do the responsible thing.

Toby moved to eye where her satchel she used in lieu of a purse lay. "I know you're going to say no, but can I borrow your book?"

Sarah jumped out of her bed in a flash to grab the bag from his hands before he could remove the little red leather book. "You know better than to ask."

"But Sarah, I want to show it to Dani. She doesn't know about goblins." Toby whined.

"I told you, that story is just between you and me." She placed the satchel in her closet and shut the door.

"Are we going to the museum today?" Toby asked, bouncing on the edge of the bed.

"What? No. You were just there yesterday. Didn't Dani show you around?" Sarah frowned and rummaged through her dresser to grab clothing for the day.

"I didn't get to see it. She just wanted to play the games and bob for apples. You promised me you would give me a tour, and then you were too busy with other people."

Sarah turned to him. "Look, Toby, the museum isn't even open on Sundays."

"Even better. I'd get a private tour. I'm sure Aunt Paulette will give you the keys. You helped fix it up."

Sarah shook her head, not really wanting to spend her day off back at the museum. "Toby…"

"Come on, Sarah. Please? I have to go back home tonight and won't see you again until Thanksgiving."

"Alright," Sarah huffed, "If you ask Paulette and she says yes, I'll take you."

Fate was against Sarah; Paulette said yes.

Chapter Text

The autumn leaves were beautiful in their vibrant crimson, orange and golden hues, Sarah observed as she drove her little brother through town. The residents of Salem knew lots of people visited their town during this time of year, when witches and magic were most prominent in people's minds, so a good majority of houses were decorated for Halloween: carved pumpkins edged porches and garlands of faux leaves lined doorways. Very few families refrained from competing with their neighbors on who had the best display. This being Sarah's first holiday season in Salem, she wondered if the townsfolk were as festive in decorating for other upcoming holidays.

The cottage of the Sanderson Museum of Witchcraft was as it had been in Colonial times, on the outskirts of Salem away from prying eyes. Sarah had a sense of trepidation in taking her brother there alone, even after her cousin declared the original inhabitants had been defeated. But ever since she had stepped foot in the witches' abode, she could feel a lingering aura of unnatural magic. She wondered if she was being paranoid or if her journey through the Labyrinth, a realm of pure magic, had made her more attuned. Being the brave person the journey through the maze had made her, she didn't let her own inhibitions keep her from appeasing her brother's curiosity.

As soon as Sarah parked, Toby rushed from the back seat and pounded up the steps to the museum's front door. He bounced lightly as he alternated his weight upon his feet, visibly impatient to go in. Sarah really didn't understand why he was so enthusiastic about this creaky three-story building.

There were only seven keys on the key ring Paulette handed Sarah. One key for the front door, one for Paulette's office, one for the cash register at the souvenir counter, one for the janitor closet, two for the outdoor privies, and one for the closet which held various supplies to maintain the museum. Sarah was glad that her step-aunt had contracted an outside company to clean the recently added lavatory that had been built outside the museum for guests to relieve themselves. With the fire-sprinkler incident last year, a building code inspector recommended they not replace the pipes nor add any more, meaning a separate building was needed to provide restrooms for visitors. Just the idea of the upkeep and smells of a commode made Sarah mentally cringe. She had no desire to ever perform janitorial duties; every time she thought of it, her mind recalled the putrid smell of the Bog of Eternal Stench. Not that this restroom actually smelled; it was brand new after all and she had used it daily. But the thought of having to clean after other people was not pleasant. She respected anyone who had to perform such duties.

Once she chose the correct key for the entrance of the cottage, as soon as she had turned the lock, Toby burst in.

"Geez, kid. Can you at least wait until I turn on some lights?" Sarah teased.

Toby ran over to the big cauldron hanging in the center of the room over a stone-lined pit, "Is this where the witches made their potions?"

"Maybe more like their meals rather than potions." Sarah wanted to downplay the abilities of witches, especially since her little brother didn't know the magic of the witches had been real. At least, she trusted Allison's account of what the witches had been able to do-bringing the dead back to life and shooting green lightning from their fingers, flying on brooms-really happened.

"Do you really believe in magic?" Sarah asked him.

"Well, yeah. I mean, how else would Hoggle and Didymus come to visit?" Toby asked.

"Wait, they're still coming without me there?!" This was quite a surprise to Sarah as she did not expect the companions she had met on her journey through the Labyrinth to visit her home without her being present.

"Yeah, they keep asking how you are. You haven't been home and they thought something happened to you. Even the Goblin King checked to see where you've been."

"What?! Why?" Sarah couldn't help that her voice rose an octave in her surprise.

"How'm I supposed to know?" Toby rolled his eyes."That was months ago. He asked a bunch of questions on how you were, then asked how I was doing and left."

"He didn't try to trick you?"

"No. He was nice. Not scary at all. I don't remember him ever being scary, just funny. Only you say he's scary."

"You're being careful, right? Karen and Dad haven't caught you?"

Toby huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "Duh. They'd go bonkers if they knew. They'd scare them away. Can you show me around now?"

Sarah did her best to concentrate on giving details of the various displays, trying to keep her mind from questioning why the Goblin King would care about her wellbeing. Her brother was particularly fascinated with the artifacts that had been prominent in the story Allison shared with her of the events of last Halloween.

"Woah! The book is really made from human skin? That's so gross!"

Toby's enthusiasm astounded Sarah, "It's kind of sad, really. Think about it, someone died for this book to be made."

"Hey! Did you see that?" Toby shouted, putting his nose up against the glass of the case.

Sarah looked into the case, "See what?"

"The eye on the book. It moved!"

An uneasy feeling came over Sarah. She didn't want to admit to her brother she'd seen the eye of the book follow her many times, as if it was trying to communicate with her. In no way did she want her brother to know the book was sentient. Allison had told her how the book had a way of letting the witches know its whereabouts when opened and provided the spells they needed; that's how Dani had been captured and then Max nearly had the life sucked out of him. Because it had a mind of its own, Sarah had ordered a display case of cold iron to be made for the book and the remains of the black flame candle. They were the most famous artifacts in the museum owned, so it wasn't very hard for Sarah and Allison to convince Paulette that these items needed more security. They just didn't tell her it was security against the book enacting its evil will against unsuspecting humans.

"If you see it move again, tell me. But for now, let's go check out the case with the bones and artifacts found in an old fire pit excavated behind the house. Or maybe you'd like to see the cabinet where the witches kept their potions?"

"What types of bones?" He eyed her, his tone saying she better make it worth his time.

Sarah shrugged, "The forensic examiner Paulette brought in says there were the fingers and toes of at least a dozen men."

"Cool! Lemme see."

Sarah looked over her shoulder briefly at the sinister tome as she led her brother to the promised bones.

"So all of these were found out back? Can I see the pit?" Toby asked as he examined the partially charred bones.

"I have no idea where it is. I've never been shown it." Sarah said.

"Drat," Toby said.

When Sarah straightened her back after having bent over to look in the case of bones, gravity worked against her and she had the intense need to use the bathroom.

She jingled the keys in her pocket, "Hey, Tobes, I think we've seen everything. We should head back. We should hit the restroom before we get in the car."

Toby shook his head, "Nah, I'm good."

"Okay. Then do you think you can handle keeping your hands off things while I go?"

He placed his hand over his heart, like he did when making a pledge in scouts. "I promise, I won't touch anything."

This wasn't the first day Sarah had felt anxious being at the Sanderson Cottage, but this was the first time she was there alone. She felt intensely responsible for the well being of her little brother and wanted to get him away from the building as soon as possible. She jogged to the facilities, tripping on the steps as she ascended them, causing her to smack her shin into a stair.

Tears prickled Sarah's eyes as she sat on the step, holding her knee to her chest as she placed her hands over the injury through her jeans. "Bog damn it!"

She knew a bruise would appear tomorrow. And of course she chose the wrong key for the Women's bathroom, so it took three tries before she found the right one. And then the first stall she tried had no toilet paper, which she only discovered after she had already started to relieve herself. It was as if she was cursed. As she was washing her hands she heard frantic pounding on the door of the bathroom, her brother screaming her name from the other side. She quickly turned off the running water and opened the bathroom door, hands still soaking.

"Hurry!" Toby pushed her inside and slammed the door behind him.

"If you were going to come inside anyway, why did you even bother knocking?" Sarah asked.

"Ssssshhush." Toby pushed her further into the room, then whispered. "It's a girls bathroom. I can't just go in uninvited."

Sarah absently nodded at her young brother's logic. "Why were you screaming?"

"I didn't mean to do it," Toby said woefully.

"What did you do?" Sarah cocked a brow.

"Brought the witches back."

Sarah gasped but didn't want to jump to frightening conclusions, "What witches?"

"The ones cousin Allison told us about, the three sisters. They're inside the cottage right now!"

"Show me." Sarah said, her tone rather stoic as she took a step toward the door.

"Uh uh." Toby pushed against her stomach to stop her from leaving.

Before Sarah disbelieved her brother, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Are you absolutely sure it isn't just trick or treaters?"

"Sarah, I wouldn't lie. It's really them!"

Sarah nodded and steeled herself before cracking the door to peer outside. Sure enough, through the glass windows on the side of the cottage she could see figures moving within. She shut the door and breathed out, trying to formulate a plan. Toby wasn't stupid; if he was sure those people weren't just in costumes, she believed him.

She held out the car keys to her brother. "Go get in the car and lock the door. Only unlock it when I get there."

"Okay." He snagged her keys from her hands and crouched low as he left the building and headed to Sarah's sedan.

Sarah gingerly made her way up the steps of the cottage to look within. There were three cloaked figures wandering the rooms. She could hear the muffled voices, all feminine. The texture of the glass panes distorted their features, but she could see each wore distinct colors, and the one in green had fiery red hair. It was she who shouted in frustration when she could not access her prized possession: the Book.

"Well, at least we know the iron worked," Sarah said under her breath.

Not wanting to chance being discovered, Sarah quickly made her way to her car. Toby, wide-eyed, was watching for her and let her in the car. No words were spoken between them until she reached the main road.

"Toby, tell me in detail exactly what happened." She tried to sound calm but knew her voice was strained.

"As soon as you left to go to the bathroom I heard a noise. I found the book bouncing in the case! Then, it flipped to a page and I read it. It knew my name! Or at least I remember it saying "Good second child of William". Don't you remember you looked up my name and it means "Goodness" and our last name is Williams and I'm Dad's second kid!" His voice increased in volume with his excitement. "And it said something about the child was 'Fae touched'...What's a Fae?"

Sarah breathed out, "The Goblin King is a Fae."

"Oh, that explains that part."

"Anything else?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know! I forget the rest, I...was too scared."

Sarah looked at the clock on the dashboard of her car. It was just after 4pm. That would mean Allison might still be at Max's house. That's where she was every Sunday until it was time to come home for dinner; doing something with Max. Having gotten up so late, she hadn't had the chance to talk with Allison; she just hoped Allison and Max were home.

With tires coming to a screeching halt, Sarah parallel-parked on the street beside Max's uniquely architectural house. Typically, she loved the view of the sea from his porch, but in a moment like this, the beauty of the venue was the last thing on her mind. The freaking witches were back!

Knocking incessantly and with a force so hard that it hurt her knuckles, Sarah eventually got a response from the other side of the Dennison's front door. The voice on the other side was very young and very annoyed.

"No solicitation! We don't hand out candy until Halloween. Come back on Thursday!"

"Dani? Dani, it's Sarah. Are Ally and Max here?"

The front door swung open wide, "Oh, hi Sarah. No, they went out for pumpkin spice lattes."

"Damn." Sarah breathed out, "Well, can my brother stay with you a few minutes? I really need to find them."

"Sure, but just so you know, my parents are out too. He will have no adult supervision. If he gets in trouble, you can't blame me."

Sarah gave a crooked grin, "I trust he will be fine in your care."

Sarah ran back to the car and opened the rear passenger door, "Okay, Tobes. I want you to stay here with Dani while I go find Ally. Okay?"

He smiled and hopped out of the car, "Sure. Sounds like fun."

Sarah had had the feeling he wouldn't object.

Sarah's streak of curses continued as she drove around town trying to find which coffee shop the two love birds had decided to visit. Finally, she found them walking hand in hand down a random street. She had nearly passed them before she realized who they were. Thank goodness there were no cars behind her as she immediately put her car in reverse to go back to them. She rolled down her window and waved an arm to urge them to enter her car. They approached hesitantly, having never seen her in such a panicked state before.

She didn't exactly know what to say to them other than: "Get in. We've got trouble."

Chapter Text

The last thing Sarah remembered was feeling the warmth of the dawn sun touch her alabaster skin briefly. At that moment, she realized she was done for and she called out for her eldest sister who had already been turned to stone from being on hallowed ground, "Winnie, goodbye."

She could have sworn she observed violet light bursting from her body before she was blown away into dust from touching the cleansing rays of the bright sun. But the next moment, Sarah took a deep breath and her home was before her, with both her sisters at her side.

Sarah ran her hands over her body and up into her long blonde hair. She was still curvy in all the right places and her skin youthful, causing her to shout with joy, "I am beautiful! And alive!"

"We're not dust? How are we not dust?" Her boisterous blundering brunette sister Mary shared her confusion.

"Obviously we live." Eldest sister Winifred said, her tone showing her annoyance of her siblings. "The question remains how?"

"And what has become of our home?" Mary said in worried awe as she began to ascend the steps of their cottage. "It's so...clean."

Winifred took two steps to pull Mary behind her as she continued up the stairs to be the first inside. "Yes, what has been done? It looks so," she paused and gagged when trying to say the right word, "….pleasant."

"The children took the book, maybe they used the 'Clean the Muck' spell." Sarah pondered aloud as she peered through the glass to gaze at the changes inside.

"My book!" The red-haired witch cried.

Winifred raced within only to be tripped at the waist by a red velvet rope. The attached stanchion collapsed against her weight, causing her and her fumbling sister to tumble to the ground. They tangled in their own cloaks trying to right themselves.

"Get off me!" Winifred shrieked.

"Sorry, Winnie," Mary whined as she tried to rise, then pull up her elder sister.

Sarah, meanwhile, was looking around what remained of their home. The red velvet ropes were all throughout the main room, blocking anyone from reaching their beloved possessions. She moved to stand under a particular beam on the ceiling and raised up her arm to the spot she hid her lucky rats tail.

In sinister tones of frustration she swore, "My tail, it's gone! They shall pay."

Winifred, back on her feet, perused the room, taking in all that had changed. She noticed her potion cabinet and as she approached, gasped out, "One dost not put Mandrake root next to a crimson crystal. It reduces the potency. Someone clearly dost not know what they were doing."

Mary abruptly straightened and sniffed the air, then smiled crookedly as she tapped her sister's shoulder, "Winnie, I smell a child."

Winifred also sniffed and nodded. She touched a finger to her nose, leading her sisters to follow her. Sarah kept an eye out as they traversed the room; she couldn't help a giggle to escape her as they crept up to a counter with a metal contraption on top which was the only obvious place someone could hide. When close enough, they pounced and shouted out to surprise whoever might be hiding, only to look at each other in confusion when they found no one.

"Mary, your insolent nose is a nuisance." Winnie scoffed.

"But...you...I smell him. Little boy, nearly eight." She sniffed the air again, "And he's been to the Other Side."

Winifred laughed heartily, "A child that has been to the Other Side...that is very amusing, sister. We have never been to the Other Side, as much as Mother tried."

All three of them brought a hand to their chest and they bowed their head in reverence as they said, "Mother."

"If we who are of magic haven't traversed to the Other Side, how, then would a simple child do so? Hmm?"

"Maybe there's some magic we don't know." Sarah mused absently while she also examined the mixed up herbs and materia medica they had deviously collected over many years. She yelped out as her eldest sister whacked the back of her skull.

"Foolish sister, if there were other magics, Mother would have told us. Come, let us continue to inspect what atrocities have befallen our home."

Sarah moved to follow her sisters but abruptly turned around when she thought she heard the front door creak. It was still open wide as they had left it when they entered. She took a few steps towards the door, but then her commanding sister drew her attention.

"Sister Sarah, Mary, observe!"

Sarah turned to find her sisters standing around a glass case. Within were the black flame candle, the Book, and a bunch of white slates with words stating the origin of the objects. Winifred's red curls bobbed as she doted over the beloved tome. After a moment her eyes latched on to the words of the page opened in the book and she thrust out her hands to grasp the cloaks of her sisters and pull them closer.

"See, Sister Mary was right after all. A child Fae-touched has read from my beautiful book, and thus we are restored!" Winifred raised her arms above as if to claim triumph then looked down at the pages, the lanceolate nail of her pointer finger tapped the glass as she read aloud, "On the celebratory day of the youngest daughter of the Son of Alexander, a Fae touched child shall summon those prematurely led to their senectitude twelve moons antecedent. Let the following words be spoken by the good second child of William: I wish the sister witches be returned to life henceforth."

"That's all?" Mary pondered, her voice confused. "Such a short spell to cause us to live again."

"Hmm. Does seem rather too simple a spell for our return." Winifred grumbled.

"It's my birthday!" Sarah shouted and with the joyous news flung her arms out and began to spin around. Then she stopped and clung to the arm of her eldest sister, "Oh, Winnie, can I go find a boy to play with?"

"Not now, Sarah!" Winifred shoved her sister's hands off.

Sarah pouted and slouched her shoulders in disappointment.

Winifred tapped on the glass of the case, wanting to make sure her beloved book knew she was there. The pages of the book started flipping until it reached the beginning and flipped its cover shut, its eye now free to view its favorite pupil.

"Oh, Book, didst thou miss me?" Winnie cooed.

She cried out in surprise when her hands started to smoke from touching the metal edges of the case as she tried to find the way to reach her book. Groaning, she raised her hands to show the reddening welts to her sisters.

Sarah moved in close and held her hands over the metal without touching it. She could feel the repulsion of the ore even without contact and hissed at the case, "Wretched iron."

"Iron! How very cruel." Mary jumped back.

"By my oath, I'm certain this is the doing of that white witch." Winnie then howled, "My Book! How shall I obtain thee? Dost thou have an answer? Speak to me."

The eye of the book looked to their left, to the back of the cottage where a singular door led to their sleeping quarters. Winifred let her youngest sister be the one to open the door.

"Oh no! Where are our beds?" Sarah cried as she walked into the room, fitting herself between boxes and a desk.

As they tried to find a way for all three of them to enter and maneuver around the stacked boxes, a shrill bell began to ring from a contraption upon the desk. The sisters braced themselves in terror as they tried to discover the noises' origin. The ringing ended and a long tone rang for five consecutive seconds before a voice sounded through the air, "The Sanderson Museum of Witchcraft is now open, Tuesday thru Saturday from 10am to 6pm daily. Admission is $4 for children 10 and under and $6 for adults. You have reached the desk of Paulette Watts. Please leave a message and phone number at the beep and I will get back to you at my earliest convenience." After a short beep, there was a click noise and the room returned to silence.

"Paulette." Winifred sneered with disgust as she spat the woman's name. Then her eyebrows rose to the top of her hairline as she noticed an object upon the desk. It was a picture of their recent nemesis and her progenitress. "Sisters! This Paulette is mother to our white witch. And look!" She saw another picture, one with Allison and Max embracing wearing formal attire, which she grabbed and tapped her nail against their faces, "The enamored ones are still together. Love, it makes me sick!"

"What shall we do, Winnie? What shall we do?" Sarah bounced in anticipation, hoping that her sister wanted revenge.

"The Book led us to the white witch, and to her we shall go. Yet, as we do not know where she resides, we must go where her beau lives and wait her out. He is as guilty as she for our previous demise. And of course, there is his sister who called me..." Winnie scrunched up her face as if in pain, as she whined out, "ugly."

"She shall pay, Winnie! Make her pay." Sarah encouraged.

"But Winnie, the Book showed us where to find them before. Without it, how will we know where to go?" Mary quietly intruded.

Winifred rolled her eyes to the ceiling, "Dost thou not have the capacity to recollect the smallest of details? The house of Max and Dani was on the edge of the sea and of quite distinct shape. Find the sea, and we shall find it! Come, let us fly!"

Whomever had claimed their cottage had conveniently replaced their brooms. The quality wasn't as sturdy as if they had been made by their own hands, but these were adequate to fly. The sea had always lain to the east of their cottage. A few short minutes later, they were heading up the coast to the heart of Salem.

Sarah was enjoying the sunshine and was quite pleased it did not scald her skin as the last time she had encountered it. Rarely did she and her sisters go out during the day, as magic tended to work better at night. Winnie and Mary seemed indifferent to the light. In the darkness of night, the colors of the changing leaves were muted; as she looked below, Sarah marveled at the deep colors the autumn season had brought to the trees. Also, the glare of the sun shining on the sea was a sight she'd never experienced before. She was sure Winnie would say it was a view she hated, but Sarah rather liked it.

There was a reason Winifred was the leader of their small coven; she noticed everything of importance. As she predicted, once they started going north following the shoreline, they came upon the villa of the Dennison siblings. They landed behind the home, leaving their brooms hidden so as to not be stolen this time. As usual, Winnie had her youngest sibling go first. Sarah had a knack for infiltrating difficult places. Sarah tried not to make a peep as she made her way up the stairs knowing her eldest sister would be cross if she ruined their surprise, but it was difficult to repress the giddiness that wanted to bubble out of her for sneaking around. Yet, when a step creaked against her weight, a small shriek escaped her. Both her sisters shushed her and told her to get on with it. She turned and stuck her tongue out at them, then returned to her task. When she peered through the window of the door, she saw no movement within. With a swish of her finger, she had the lock on the back door opened by magic.

Sarah cautiously stepped within, her hands held chest high in case she needed to cast a protection spell. She found no people, just a room full of pots and cutlery. She returned to her sisters and with bubbling enthusiasm said, "It appears no one is home."

When Mary entered the kitchen, her nose immediately sniffed the air, "Incorrect, Sister Sarah. There are two younglings within. Dani…" She sniffed the air again and stuck out her tongue. Her eyes went alight, "And the boy who freed us!"

"Let us make our presence known." Winifred quietly stated as she led her sisters further into the abode.

As they reached the common area of the home, the voice of the boy could be heard.

"They were really fun, at least I think so. My sister thinks they were dangerous and dirty. Maybe I was too little to be scared of them."

"And you said you met their king?" Dani asked.

"Yeah, the Goblin King. He still comes around, like Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo do."

"Can I meet them?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure they'd come to me with a stranger around."

"Oh, but we're not strangers, are we Dani?" Winifred interrupted as she boldly stepped into the room, finding them sitting very close to each other on the sofa.

The little girl let out a squeal and she stood; the red object in her hand went flying across the room.

"Toby, run!" Dani shouted.

"Oh yes, do run. We love the thrill of the chase." Mary chortled before she began barking like a hound on the hunt.

Sarah noticed the object that Dani had flung from her hands had landed close to her feet and she gazed down at it. It was a red leather bound book, and it was open. She was drawn to the words as she bent to bring it closer to her eyes. Her sisters and the children volleyed heated quips, but she paid them no mind as she read. This book, The Labyrinth, spoke of magic through wishes; the way to the Other Side.

"Winnie." She stepped closer to her sisters.

Goblins and mazes and fairies and magic through crystals.

"Winnie?" She wasn't sure of what she was reading. It was unlike any magic she'd heard of.

"Not now Sarah!" Winifred shouted.

Only wishing someone to the goblins of the Labyrinth would let them enter the Other Side where magic would be stronger beyond their wildest imagining.

"Winnie!"

"Confound, it, Sarah. Come here at once and help us catch these children!"

The same moment Winifred yelled at her sister was the moment she used her lighting magic to freeze the Fae-Touched boy, who had grabbed a vase made of glass which he held as if it were a weapon of protection. Except, rather than harming the child, the magic Winifred used ricocheted off him and struck Mary. Winnie tried her attack a second time and the spell bounced off him and hit her.

It took the witches a moment to take stock of themselves, and what Winifred and Mary discovered had them quickly throwing a tantrum. Sarah couldn't help but to laugh at her elder sisters as the magic which they had tried to use against the children had now caused them to become children themselves. It was comical to see her big sisters now floundering in their oversized clothes, falling over themselves as they tried to figure out what had happened to them. Little Mary suggested they form a calming circle, to which little Winnie screamed in her face, causing Mary to start howling. Though now in the body of a six year old, Winifred still had her adult mind and she did not take kindly to her younger, now bigger, sister's fit of giggles. She went to Sarah and promptly kicked her shins.

"Ow! Winnie, that hurt."

"Quickly, use thy magic and make us whole." Young Winifred demanded.

Sarah couldn't help but to laugh at hearing the youthful, higher pitched voice attempt to command her. She, however, was not amused when Winnie kicked her again.

"Stop it!" Sarah shouted.

Mary came over and placed her arms around Sarah's waist, bawling her eyes out. "I don't want to be a child. I dislike children! I don't want to be one."

Another kick to Sarah's shins came from Winifred, "Do not delay. Reverse this curse!"

The noise coming from both sisters and the pain being inflicted to her legs caused Sarah's brain to overload. Though she had read the words for the first time only moments before, they burst forth from Sarah's mouth, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!"

Four things happened all at once: Two voices shouted "NO!" Other less distinct yet certainly not human voices started giggling from beneath furniture and various hidden corners of the room; the transformed sisters were nowhere to be seen (or heard); and a barn owl burst into the room from the back door that had been left open.

Never before had Sarah seen an animal turn into a person at will; it was usually the other way 'round in her experience of magic, and a rather permanent change at that. So to see the owl become a man, and a handsome man to boot, made Sarah's breath catch. He was tall with fine, feathery hair the same fair hue as hers, and his eyes appeared different shades of blue. He wore armor of black leather and metal smithed not of iron. Upon his shoulders was a dark cape that billowed in an unseen wind. She could tell he had transformed by means of magic from the glittery dust that lingered in his wake.

"Hello, Sarah."

"Good day, fine Sir." Sarah giggled as she curtsied and fluttered her lashes.

His mis-matched eyes narrowed on her, rather annoyed, "Though you are the Sarah who made the wish, you are not the Sarah whom I was addressing."

His eyes then focused on something behind her, causing her to turn her gaze as well. Standing with the Fae-Touched child wrapped in her arms was a strikingly beautiful raven haired woman. This young woman was not long out of her childhood years and had strong, green eyes that stayed unwaveringly upon the man. Behind her stood the troublesome Max with his sister in one hand and his other arm wrapped around the white witch.

"Hello, Goblin King." This other Sarah answered.

"I am pleased to see you are well." There was an ebullient tone to his words.

By the flair of reciprocated emotion that twinkled in her eyes, the other Sarah seemed taken aback at his confession, yet she said nothing more.

With niceties out of the way, the Goblin King put his attention back onto the wisher. "So, Sarah Sanderson, you have wished away your sisters and desire them to become goblins for the rest of their existence?"

"Well...um." Without Winifred telling her what to do, Sarah was having a hard time coming up with an answer on her own. But one thing was for certain, Winnie and Mary would not want to become fat, warty goblins. "No. They do not want to be goblins, sir."

"They don't, but what about your desires? Your dreams?" As he said this, a perfectly circular clear crystal appeared on the tips of his fingers and he took steady steps towards her. He began to move the sphere between his hands and along his arms, causing her eyes to follow along in fascination. "Just think, without them, you'd be the most powerful being in Salem. Without them, you could have your dreams." He then glanced behind her again briefly, then back to her. "Some dreams cannot be offered but once, so choose wisely. Take your dreams, or spend 13 hours attempting a retrieval of your sisters by running my Labyrinth."

"What to do, what to do?" Sarah pulled on her hair at the roots.

"My Sarah could tell you of the untold dangers and unnumbered hardships." His voice was thoughtful as he gestured towards the raven haired woman and gazed at her intently. "She traversed my Labyrinth and won back her brother. Though, with only a moment to spare."

"Thirteen hours is not long. It can be done if you keep trying." The other Sarah stated, attempting to encourage her. "If you care for your sisters, you have to run for them or they will be trapped in the Labyrinth forever."

"The Other Side." Sarah whispered to herself. The prospect of being in a land of magic was enticing. With a more clear voice, she asked the king, "What happens if I try to run your maze but do not succeed?"

"Then you will have lost your sisters to the Labyrinth and you all shall remain." The Goblin King answered plainly.

"Go for it." Max chimed in.

Sarah glared at him and hissed, "You'd like to be rid of us forever, wouldn't you. And keep our home for yourself. Don't deny it, boy."

The Goblin King held out the crystal to her again, annoyed by her lack of focus, "The clock is ticking, the thirteen hours already begun. Shall you take your dreams or begin your journey?"

"Do what is right for your sisters." The other Sarah voiced gently.

Sarah was so confused. The Kingdom of the Goblin King was a land full of magic she and her sisters could thrive in; with their home in Salem no longer their own, it was time to find a new homestead anyway. But she had to run or her sisters would be transformed into goblins.

"What happens when I win?"

"Then your sisters remain witches and you can return home." The Goblin King stated.

"What if we want to stay?"

The king cocked his head, considering how to answer. "Perhaps we can discuss that if the time comes. Do you have your answer?"

Sarah had to win the Goblin King's challenge, beat him at his own game to be allowed to remain on the Other Side. It was obvious he was distracted by the presence of the raven haired beauty; she could use that against him. He said this other Sarah had run his Labyrinth and won. She could use her experience, but how to get the other Sarah to help her…

The opportunity showed itself as if some magic was on her side. The young woman had loosened the hold on her brother, and he was trying to retrieve the red book that lay on the floor mere feet from him. In a flash, Sarah was upon him and held his delicate throat in her hands.

"Toby!" The other Sarah shouted in alarm. Then she glared at the witch, "Let my brother go."

"To get him back, you must help me get through the maze." Sarah demanded, staring into the young woman's flaming green eyes.

"Okay, I will." The other Sarah didn't hesitate or think twice. As the witch suspected, the concern for her brother was her weakness. "Just let him go."

"She cannot help you. Only the one who made the wish may enter the Labyrinth." The Goblin King spat, "Let the boy go."

Sarah shook her blonde head. "As you said, my time has already begun. I've made my choice. If she cannot help me, then I want you to promise my sister's will not become goblins and the boy shall come to no harm by my hand."

A shaky whisper of a plea came from the other Sarah's lips, just one word. "Jareth."

The king turned sorrowed eyes to his amour, "I cannot bring anyone but the wisher and what the wisher possesses." He then turned a heated gaze upon the witch, "If you want your sisters to be spared, you must win them. For them to remain unchanged, should you lose, is beyond my control. It is the Labyrinth you would have to convince to spare them."

Through the hallway of the kitchen, the orange hue of the sun of the Other Side shone, and the dunes of the land surrounding the Labyrinth could be seen.

The king sighed, "We must go, time is short."

"No! Jareth, please don't do this." The other Sarah pleaded.

"It is not my doing. This is beyond my control." There was deep regret in his voice, yet he still began walking towards the light of his world.

The boy started struggling in Sarah's arms as he called out for his sister. He was just strong enough that dragging him to go with her was a challenge for the witch. But soon, the tile floor of the kitchen turned to grains of sand. Next thing she knew, Sarah was no longer in Salem but in a warm desert wasteland. A grand maze of stone with a castle in the center lay before her. The only beings in sight were the Goblin King and the boy in her arms.

"I'm in the Other Side," Sarah laughed in a whisper.

Her eyes caught an odd sight, a clock with thirteen hours on its face appeared to be hanging in thin air. The time showed that there were twelve hours, forty-eight minutes left for her journey.

"You must reach the castle at the center of the Labyrinth if you want to save your wretched sisters from goblinhood." The king stated, then walked to her with blazing eyes, leaning over her so close, she could feel his breath on her cheeks, "If any harm should befall young Tobias, you will know no end of my wrath."

He then faded from her sight, causing a twinge of jealousy in the witch at his innate use of magic. Sarah gazed over the maze, noticing that different sections of it moved of its own accord every few seconds. Tricky tricky. She looked upon the walls of the maze to determine how to enter and spotted a door, hidden to those without magic but something her eyes could easily see. She let go of the hold she had on the boy's neck and moved it to his wrist, pulling him to stumble along behind her.

"Come, child. We must enter the Labyrinth."

Chapter Text

One moment, a hazy light showed through the wide open door of the kitchen, grains of sand slowly moving onto the linoleum floor from the other world by a gentle breeze bringing warm air into the room. But the instant the door to the Labyrinth closed, there was no sand, no hint of air movement, just the sound of seagulls calling from the bay outside the wide open door, the hum of the refrigerator, and the tick of a clock which hung from the wall.

And one whispered word from a distraught sister: "Toby."

Sarah's word broke the stupor everyone had been momentarily trapped within after the shock of what had just happened.

"Sarah, who was that man? Where did they take Toby?" Dani asked in a panic.

"That man said you'd wished Toby away and got him back." Allison said, turning toward Sarah. "Toby said goblins were real all along, but I never really believed it. They are real. The Goblin King is real. And he knows you. How?"

Sarah was hesitant, her brain trying to simultaneously think about how to get into the Labyrinth to save her brother without having to make a wish, and also worry how to tell the story of her encounter with the Goblin King; preferably without having to confess that she had once been selfish enough to wish away her brother. Her mind battling against itself caused her to remain silent.

"Sarah, come on! Don't freeze up now, we need to know what's going on so we can help your brother." Allison grabbed Sarah's arm, shaking her. "Toby said you saved him from the goblins. Why? How had they taken him in the first place?"

"Toby told me." Dani said, her voice slightly accusing, "She wished him away. But she didn't mean it and ran some maze to get him back."

"Sarah?" Allison asked.

"Yes, alright. I wished him away and the Goblin King made me run the Labyrinth to get Toby back, just like he's making that witch do for her sisters."

"So how do we get there?" Dani asked.

Sarah shook her head, "I don't know how without making a wish."

Dani shrugged. "Well, then let's…"

"No!" Sarah, Allison and Max shouted at the same time.

"We can't," Sarah continued, "If we wished someone away, then we have to run the maze and I don't think I could do it a second time. I don't want to tempt fate."

"Well, can't you call that frizzy-haired king back? He's gotta let us get Toby!" Dani whined.

"You heard him, Dani. There are rules to these sorts of things." Max answered, but then he looked at Sarah, saying gently, "He didn't look at you like an enemy. I know that look between the two of you. He likes you, and you like him."

Sarah avoided looking at Max and shook her head in denial.

"Damn it, he called you 'his Sarah.' You mean something to him!" Max insisted.

Sarah couldn't help the blush that creeped over her features as she turned away. Now was not the time to mention the Goblin King had made her an offer which she had rejected. She doubted he still wanted her. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. It's a good thing. It means he will do everything he can to make sure Toby's safe. It's what I'd do for Allison if I wanted to get in her good graces: by protecting something she loved." Max answered.

"What do we do now?" Dani asked.

"You said on the way here that Toby read from the witch's Book, that it said he was 'Fae touched.' Maybe it knows more." Allison said to Sarah.

"If anything, we need to start to prepare for the chance that Sarah Sanderson does get her sisters back and they come back here." Max said in all seriousness, "We need to make sure those witches turn back into dust for good."

Allison nodded in agreement, "Alright, then back to the book we go."

Sarah shook her car keys, "I'll drive."

"Dani, you stay here." Max started.

"No way! You weren't here when the witches first got here. They were after ME, Max! Mom and Dad won't be back for hours. What if that witch beats the Labyrinth and they come back? I don't want to be alone. Let me stay with you. Please?" Dani begged.

And as usual, Dani got her way.

There had only been two times in his young life that Toby had felt a pain in his wrist; the first was from falling off his bike when his Dad let go after taking off the training wheels. The second was this very moment, being unwillingly pulled along by the witch who had kidnapped him. Toby tried to keep up with the woman's longer stride. Though she looked to be the frailest of the Sanderson sisters, she was quite strong.

Yet, she was a tad absent-minded. As they approached the stone wall that surrounded the Labyrinth, the witch unexpectedly let him go. It was so surprising and sudden; one moment she was pulling him along so quickly he could barely keep pace with her, the next he found himself stumbling to the ground as she flung her arm out and moved away from him.

Toby raised his head off the dusty ground to find the blonde witch jumping and twirling around. She kept reaching out her hands as if trying to catch something. Every which way she turned, he could hear her say, "Come here! Slow down! Hold still!" Then, after a moment she shouted out with glee, "I have thee! I caught a fairy! Thou art real!"

And sure enough, Toby noticed the fluttering wings of other tiny flying creatures zipping in and out of the bushes lining the stone wall. Just as it amazed her, he too was astonished to find fairies really existed.

Toby was startled when the witch suddenly called out, "Ouch! How dare thee bite me, thou wretched winged beast?!" She then held up the tiny being by its wings, its tiny arms and legs wriggling around trying to set itself free. She then brought it close to her sinister face to look it in the eyes, "How wouldst thou like me to bite thee?"

She made a snapping motion with her teeth, causing Toby to cry out in fear for the poor creature, "Don't!"

The witch turned her head towards him in shock, as though she had forgotten she had brought him along. She briefly looked back at the fairy before flinging it away. She then grumbled, "They have no magic, anyway."

She then approached Toby and yanked him up by the arm, taking hold of his wrist again.

"Come, child. I have seen where we must enter."

"My name is Toby" The boy said, finding it insulting to be called a child all the time. "It's not like I don't already know I am a kid."

"Toby. Toooo-beeee. Toby!" The witch plays around saying his name on her tongue a few times.

The moment the witch breached the outer walls of the Labyrinth with no assistance, Toby knew this journey wouldn't be the same as his sister had described. There was no need for a dwarf to guide the way. And apparently no need for a tea-drinking worm either, as the witch easily led him through the camouflaged passage of stone that seemed as though it should be a solid wall.

As they went through the last of the stone path, the witch plucked something off the wall, sniffed it, then put it in her mouth. Upon closer inspection, Toby saw it had been a piece off a cluster of multi-eyed lichen. Toby actually heard a little squeak from the creature as she consumed it.

"That's disgusting." Toby blanched.

She grabbed another and held it out for him. "They're delicious, and I haven't eaten in three hundred...and one years." She cocked her head as she contemplated the exact details, "Except for one spider last All Hallows Eve. 'Twas only a morsel, and I need to keep up my strength." She then grinned mischievously at him, and bared her teeth. "Of course, I could just eat thee."

"No!" Toby shouted and tried to pull out of her reach. "You heard what the Goblin King said. You can't hurt me or he'll hurt you."

The witch pouted, "I suppose thou art right. Let us continue."

Once the walls of stone had transitioned into manicured leaves of hedge bushes, the witch abruptly stopped again, stomping her foot in frustration, "The magical path has gone. I can no longer see the way. What to do, what to do."

The witch's inconsistent mood swings irked Toby. Sometimes she seemed almost likeable, other times she was terrifyingly wicked. He didn't want to do anything to set her off, so he remained quiet. Though her hand still grasped his arm, he wondered if she did forget he was there as she sometimes talked to herself. She mumbled and muttered so much that he stopped listening, that is until she jerked on his arm and repeated herself.

"Thy sister traversed this maze; where shall we turn next?" She asked, her blue eyes boring into his.

"I don't know, I wasn't with her. I was the one wished away. Plus, I was only a baby then." Toby defended. "If it wasn't for my sister telling me what happened, I wouldn't know this place even existed."

The witch huffed and tugged him to move, "Useless child. We must keep going."

Toby had no choice but to follow her further into the unpredictable maze.

The proverb 'patience is a virtue' was overused and overrated. How strong could one's patience be when one has been waiting centuries? The Book had waited long enough.

For five hundred years it had been in this wretched, magicless world. It had been stolen from its wizard by a wicked woman, Drusella the Terrible. How it hated being removed from its magic-filled world and taken to a realm that had little magic. Drusella used the knowledge of the Book to conjure power, to make the minuscule amount of magic she possessed on her own more powerful. From her womb came four precious children, two who were satisfactory in their use of magic, one of whom turned her back on all things magical, and one who grew to be more powerful than her mother. Oh, how the book adored Winifred. She was the one bright light to its existence in this magic-starved world. Once Drusella had been disposed of by those who deemed magic to be evil, and with a little help from the Book, Winifred Sanderson became the sole wielder of the Book's knowledge. As much as her bumbling siblings attempted to read from its spells, the tome only allowed its beloved to stare upon its pages. But then, she was hanged and it remained unread for centuries.

It was tired of being dormant.

There was a glimmer of hope as the Book had arranged the resurrection of its beloved Daughter of Darkness, Winifred, and her tolerable sisters; by giving them the curse to speak before their last breaths were forced from their constricted throats. But they had been wasted breaths. Although they returned on All Hallows Eve three hundred years to the day of their demise, it was merely for one day. Its beloved Winifred was bested by children and turned to dust.

So the Book looked within itself to create a means to return its beloved witch to life by finding those who had touched magic from its own world. It felt the magic radiate off the lovely raven-haired maiden the moment she stepped within the walls of the cottage months ago. It was curious to know how one born of this world had been so touched by the magic of its realm. Many times it attempted to catch her eye, to get her attention and have her read of its pages, if anything so she could cast a spell to send it home. But if she did notice, she paid it no mind.

But then, nearly one year after losing its Winifred, a boy touched with the magic of the goblins appeared with the dark-haired young woman. This child could help it get the witch, and her sisters, back. When it heard the child recite the incantation, a great joy swelled within its soul. Its cherished witch, and her sisters, did return. And yet, they could not be fully reunited.

The girl who had been stained by the magic of the Underground must have known that iron was a bane to the existence of things born of magic. She and her white witch cousin entrapped the Book in a metal case, making it impossible for Winifred to possess it upon her resurrection. And in her anger, Winifred left the book behind to enact some sort of revenge. The Book could do nothing but flip open its pages, willing its magic to be a beacon to lead the witch back to it.

So again, the Book awaited in its glass and metal prison, waiting for the moment when it could enact its magic again.

In all his years of being summoned above to offer wayward wishers the chance to win back those they cast aside through mere words, Jareth, the Goblin King, had only returned to one home; that of the Williams siblings. And it had been a return of his own choosing, no wish or summons involved. Yet, they never knew he was there. At first, flying Above to watch them, hidden in his avian form, was a means to sate his curiosity, to better grasp why he had allowed himself to be affected by that Wisher's innocent eyes. It was baffling, this distraction he had for her. He couldn't keep his mind off how that slip of a girl had bested him, yet he wasn't angered. He was intrigued by Sarah Williams.

He should have been full of contempt: for her selfishness in wishing away her half-sibling. Yet, he found in the end he felt compassion for her. She genuinely had just been caught up in the moment of telling young Toby a story. It had been a story she told her brother when she was frustrated, feeling that her life was unfair. Her brother had been the scapegoat to all she was experiencing. The abandonment by her mother, the pressures to find a compatible life companion by her stepmother, the choices of her father that led to his new marriage. To be honest, had Jareth had the same circumstances in his life as a youth, he was sure he would have behaved even more indignantly than she.

Sarah never knew of his visits; he rather thought avoiding contact was the prudent choice. But he did want to better understand her; this girl who didn't mean her wish, yet believed in her words so much that it still happened. A girl who desired magic and the fantastical, yet chose to be responsible and leave her desires behind for the sake of doing the right thing. Though, she wasn't a girl any more.

In her quest to comply with the accepted norms of her world, Sarah left her childhood home in pursuit of higher education. Because of this, Jareth hadn't seen Sarah since she moved away. With her no longer around for him to observe, Jareth became emboldened and sought out news of her directly from her brother. He figured that if the companions she had made in her journey through his Labyrinth could visit through the mirror in Sarah's room, then why couldn't he? Yet her brother could not accurately tell him where she'd gone; such was the knowledge of children. They only knew what they were told. All Toby knew was that Sarah was now residing with 'Aunt Paullette and Cousin Allison,' whoever they were. And he knew that Sarah's education consisted of the study of past events and the tales told by the cultures of her world.

At the time a wish is made, the magic of the Labyrinth mentally sent its monarch foreknowledge of the situation. He was fully expecting to confront the Sanderson witch who had made the wish for her sisters to be taken by his goblins. When he appeared before the witch, seeing his Sarah standing in the room had completely caught him off guard. She was radiant, her features a bit sharper with age than when he'd last seen her. Her green eyes flared when he said he was pleased to see her, but then they quickly shadowed with concern for the brother she dearly cherished.

Jareth blamed himself for what happened next. He merely wanted his Sarah to know he admired her ability to best his Labyrinth, so he bragged about her achievement. The witch exploited the situation and attempted to force Sarah's hand. That Sarah didn't hesitate in agreeing to help the witch so her brother could go free was commendable, but it was against the rules of magic. Rules even he could not break.

His heart twisted at hearing his name fall from Sarah's lips in a plea, one he could not answer.

He wasn't lying when he said there was nothing he could do to separate Toby from the witch's clutches. First, it was the Labyrinth, not he, who had set the rules into motion when a human was wished away and he was powerless to defy it. And second, there was unstable magical power radiating from the witch that he wasn't willing to test. Should he have attempted to take Toby from her, he feared the boy, and anyone else in the room without magic, would be harmed in the process. For the moment, he had to let the witch take the boy. As he had explained, the rules allowed for the wisher to take that which they possessed into the Labyrinth with them, and the witch held Toby tightly in her grasp. However much he hated that, he had no choice but to allow it; one thing Jareth could do was let the witch know that there would be dire consequences should the boy be harmed. It pleased him that the witch cringed from his heated gaze; it showed she took his threat to heart.

Duty bound, the pull of the Labyrinth's magic led him to return to his castle to continue his responsibility with the wish; to nanny those who had been wished away.

He couldn't remember there being such chaos with any other wished-aways. There was a cacophony of noise and a whirlwind of activity when he stepped into his throne room. Then again, typically most wished-aways were not magical witches stuck in the bodies of prepubescent children.

Juvenile Mary Sanderson was sulking on the throne, sobbing as she clutched a black chicken to her chest. Young Winifred Sanderson was attempting to demand that the goblins give back the necklace they had taken from around her neck and were playing a spirited game of 'finders keepers' with her. To them, it was merely a game; for her, it was war. She would fling out sparks of magic from her fingers and was frustrated when the goblins weren't injured by it. When an unfortunate goblin got close enough for the young witch to snatch, she held it in one hand and reached back with her still rather long nails to inflict scratches upon it.

"That's enough, Winifred." Jareth's voice bellowed through the room as he demanded she stop her actions before she could harm his subject.

Winnie dropped the goblin in surprise at hearing the command, and the small creature scurried away. The young witch huffed in frustration at losing her prey and turned to find who had interrupted her fun. Seeing the Goblin King, she shot off her magic at him, then screeched when it did nothing, "I do not have to listen to thee. Why dost my magic not work here?"

He grinned slyly at her frustration. "It does, but yours is rather weak, thus rendering you powerless."

Winifred's face turned red as she shrieked, "My magic isn't weak! How dare thou speak such untruths! I am the most powerful witch in all Salem."

Jareth sighed and stepped closer to her. "Be that as it may, you are not in Salem but in a world with more magic than you can fathom possessing."

"You mean, the Other Side? This is the Other Side?" She calmed and looked around, amazed.

"It is a place of many titles, but yes, I suppose that is one of them. The goblins call it the Underground. I call it home." Jareth mused.

"How did we get here? What spell didst thou cast?"

"There was no spell, but a wish. One made by your youngest sister because you would not listen to her." He crouched down to be eye to eye with her, "Are you listening now?"

Winifred rolled her eyes, "How could I listen to my sister with her not here? Where is my Sister Sarah?"

"Oh, but she is here," He produced a crystal in his gloved hand, bringing it to her eyes so she could view her questing sibling within.

The redhead witch snatched the sphere from him and turned it, inspecting it every-which-way as she spoke in awe, "I hath n'er seen such strong magic. How dost one produce such a clear and steadfast vision bauble?"

"Like this," Jareth grinned as he created another crystal with the flick of his wrist.

A gasp escaped Winifred, "No spells, no potions. Thou just conjured by a thought from thy brain?"

"Quite so." Jareth affirmed.

"Oh, good sir, I beseech thee. Teach me thy ways, for I hath n'er seen such things."

The king straightened and stepped back. "You, dear Winifred, will not be here long enough to learn anything, and I will not be here, at least not for more than twelve hours. It depends on your sister's progress, really. I have places I must be, and you are the least of my concerns right now."

"No, I beg you, I must know how to wield such magic." She tried to follow him, but goblins, or the mess of rubbish strewn around the floor, tripped her, slowing her down from catching him. When he was just about to reach the door to leave, a shrill screech erupted from her tiny mouth, "I demand thou stop!"

The bolt of energy that was released from her small hand struck him in the left shoulder; it stung but caused no damage. He abruptly turned towards her, "You dare strike a king? You dare command me? Perhaps I shall let your sister fail to retrieve you. You see these creatures, these goblins which surround you. Should your sister fail in retrieving you, this is what you shall become. Is that what you want?"

Winifred's eyes enlarged three sizes and she abruptly shut her mouth. She then shook her head vigorously.

Jareth hummed, then said, "I thought not. Now, be a good little girl and you make sure you and your humble sister remain out of trouble while I'm gone."

She nodded her head and turned back towards the goblins. She composed herself, straightened her posture, and went to sit with her saddened sister. Mary scootched over to make room for Winifred to sit beside her on the throne. He then watched as Winifred started making twisting motions with one hand, trying to will a crystal sphere into existence.

Once he felt he had everything at hand, Jareth found himself venturing back to the home from which the new wish had been made. He wanted to return to his Sarah, and vow that he would do everything in his power to return the brother who truly had been stolen from her this time 'round. Yet, when he arrived, the house was vacant.

A sense of dread came over him; he had only been gone mere moments to set the Sanderson witch on her quest and ensure that her de-aged siblings weren't overpowering his goblins. Although they had been made children, their devious minds were mostly still in place, giving them the ability to still use the magic they possessed. He left the beast Ludo in charge of guarding the mini-witches; as the beast had just enough magic of his own that he could render their magic ineffectual against him. Jareth then turned to the task of getting back to Sarah Williams before she did anything rash to help save her brother.

Having no knowledge of where to begin to look for her, as this house had no hint of it being her residence, he was at a loss. He had no way of contacting her, but perhaps his gardener did.

He formed a crystal and spoke into it. "Hoggle, your presence is required."

That's all the warning he gave before smashing the crystal on the ground, leaving in the wake of the shattered shards a bewildered dwarf. Hoggle wobbled a bit on his feet before steadying himself and taking in his surroundings.

"Where are we?"

"In the Above. Young Tobias Williams has been taken into the Labyrinth."

"No, I don'ts believe it. Sarah would never wish away her brother again." Hoggle wagged an accusing finger at the king

"Who said anything about a wish?" Jareth scoffed, "What were my exact words?"

Hoggle paused and rethought what had been said. "That the boy had been taken to the Labyrinth. Who did it then?"

"A witch." Jareth growled. "But knowing Sarah, she's most likely going to do anything she can, short of making a wish, to return to the Labyrinth to save her brother. I need to ensure she doesn't do anything rash. Do you know how I can reach her?"

Hoggle looked wide-eyed at his sovereign as he shook his head, looking around the room. "No, your majesty. We's only seen her through her mirror at her home. And this ain't it."

Jareth hummed in the back of his throat as he frowned. This was not good. He was thrown out of his thoughts when Hoggle pointed to something outside the house.

"What's that?" The dwarf asked, indicating a golden shaft of light emanating from within a forest in the distance.

"Magic." Jareth answered, his voice lowering even further as he said, "Specifically, Underground magic. We must go."

And before he could blink, Hoggle found himself again transported magically, this time to the edge of a rustic cottage. Being closer to the visible glow of power, the pull of the magic was palpable.

"Ha-How is this possible?" Hoggle asked, in wonder.

"I'm going to find out." Jareth said as he took measured steps toward the abode.

Sarah, Allison, Max, and Dani hesitantly surrounded the glass case which held the sinister tome of the Sanderson Sisters. And within, the Book watched them back. After a moment, Sarah nodded to herself and reached into the pocket of her jeans. Still having the keys to the case in her pocket from earlier that day, she reached to unlock and release the Book.

"Don't open that case!" A strong, feminine voice shouted from behind them.

They each jumped at hearing the voice, surprised to find Paulette standing in the doorway of her office.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Allison asked in surprise.

"I could ask you kids the same thing. Are you trying to steal from the museum?"

"Aunt Paulette, we can explain," Sarah started.

"No," the woman's shoulders dropped as she sighed, "I need to explain something to you. Come on, all of you, into my office. I don't want that...thing hearing us."

Shocked eyes glanced to each other as the four of them moved to cram into Paulette's office. After shutting the door behind them, Allison's mother took a seat at her desk. All eyes were on her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Have you ever had a secret you had to keep, but could tell only a few people who might understand? What I'm about to tell you is a secret, and it must remain only with us, or to Allison's children, should any come." Her eyes darted between her daughter and Max. Both of them squirmed. "That book, do you know what it is?"

They all nod their heads, but it is Dani who says, "It is the book the witches use to do magic."

Paulette nodded. Then she said, "Have you ever heard of Elijah Bailey?"

Allison nodded her head, "He's the founder of the church of Salem. His son Jacob became the first mayor. He's who our high school is named after."

"They are your forefathers, Allison. We lost the surname Bailey a few generations ago when there were no male heirs, but each of their descendants were tasked with a very important mission; to not let anyone read from that Book." Paulette raised her hand to point towards the object on the other side of the door.

"What?" Four voices echoed.

"You know the story of the disappearance of Thackery Binx when he went in search of his sister?" Paulette asked.

"Yeah, we knew him." Dani answered excitedly.

Max and Allison's eyes widened and looked towards Dani, willing her to not say anything else.

Paulette didn't seem to take the meaning of the girls words and continued her tale, "Thackery was Elijah's dearest friend, and when young Emily Binx was found dead and Thackery missing, Elijah blamed himself for not going with Thackery to face the witches who had murdered the girl. He was also wracked with guilt when he failed at holding the witches' evil tome at their hanging. It was in his hands when a flash of lightning caused him to drop the book and the witches were able to read a curse that would cause their return from death. In his guilt, he took the black flame candle and the Book and hid them in an iron chest. He bought this cottage and forbade anyone from ever setting foot within. He tasked his children to keep the items hidden, lest history repeat itself and the witches return. They were bound by oath to ensure that the witches could not return as their curse proclaimed. But over time, belief in magic and curses became merely tall tales and legends. But the family kept passing the story and the chest to the next generation. Until it reached my father, who saw this place as a means for profit. Having been untouched for generations, it was like a time capsule into pre-colonial life. He passed the museum on to me, with the Book and Black Flame Candle on display for all to see. He gave me a journal to read of the legend. I took it as a mere story. I was a fool for not believing it." Paulette sighed, then looked at her daughter. "I never told you the book and candle needed guarding. You lit it last year, didn't you?"

"Technically, it was me." Max said, then quickly stated, "But we stopped them. We defeated the Sanderson witches."

"And yet," Paulette said pointedly, "they returned today somehow."

"How do you know that?" Sarah asked, confused as they had said nothing to the effect.

"I had two surveillance cameras installed, one facing the entrance, and one in this office since the money safe is in here. An alert was set off that someone had entered this room. I knew you were coming here with Toby today," Paulette looked to Sarah, "So I didn't think anything of it when the front door alerted. But then it alerted me to this room, so I watched the surveillance tape. I was very happy when I did not see you intruding where you aren't allowed, but very concerned by the three very upset women I heard talking about taking revenge on my daughter and her boyfriend. So, since I know the two of you were at the cafe, it makes me wonder how the witches came back this time."

"That would be because my brother was tricked by the Book into reading a spell." Sarah intervened.

"So, where are the witches now?" Paulette asked. "What's the plan to defeat them?"

"They aren't where we can go." Allison said hesitantly.

"Why not? Where are they?"

"They're in a different world. And hopefully, they'll be trapped there forever." Max said.

"A different world, then why were you plotting how to defeat them again?" Paulette asked.

"Because, we have to go there to save Toby. He's been kidnapped!" Dani said with urgency.

"Kidnapped! How?" Paulette looked to her niece by marriage for an answer.

"Because one of the witches read from this," Dani said, plopping the red, leatherbound book upon the desk, "And made a wish for the goblins to take her sisters away to their world."

"Dani, where did you get that?" Sarah asked.

"Toby brought it over. Before you got there, one of the witches read it. That's how she knew to make the wish." Dani explained.

Sarah snarled under her breath, "The little cretin. He took it out of my bag."

"So what does wishing have to do with Toby?" Paulette asked, trying to keep the focus on rescuing her nephew.

"The witch who made the wish took him." Dani interjected.

"When someone is wished away to the goblins, their king allows for the wisher to retrieve the person they wished away if they regret the wish. He gives them thirteen hours to solve the maze that encompasses his kingdom, and if they win, they get the person back." Sarah explained quickly, hoping that no one mentions to her step-aunt that she herself had made the wish.

More calmly, Allison explained, "When the Goblin King came and offered the choice for the witch to have greater magic or save her sisters, she chose her sisters over power. But as leverage to make sure her sisters aren't turned into goblins, she grabbed Toby."

"How could taking Toby be leverage? Wouldn't that mean Toby would have to matter to this Goblin King? How does this magical being from another world know a seven year old boy on Earth?"

"Because Sarah wished him away." Dani explained, her tone showing that conclusion should have been obvious.

"But obviously I saved him and got him back." Sarah interjected. "That was nearly six years ago, anyway."

Paulette narrowed her eyes, but did not comment on it, moving on. "Why were you trying to access the witch's book? Why not just make a wish to get Toby back?"

"Sarah won't let us make a wish either because one of us could get trapped there forever." Dani added.

"Thus why we were wanting access to the book." Allison started, "To see if there is some spell in it that would open a portal or something to get to the Labyrinth."

Paulette takes a deep breath, "If I hadn't seen those witches fly out the front door on brooms in the surveillance tapes, I wouldn't believe any of this, even with the stories passed down through our family. But now that I know it is true, it is my duty to keep that book from being read."

"But Mom!" "Aunt Paulette!" The young women shout simultaneously.

"Shush." Paulette closed her eyes a moment before grounding herself, "However, I do understand that to get to a magical world, magical means are needed. So, I don't see that I have another choice than to let you open the book."

"Then, let's do this. Time is ticking." Max said while rising.

The five of them stood staring at the Book within the glass case, the page still open to the spell Toby cast. Paulette held the key to the case in her hand, hesitant to actually open it. Then she reached forward her hand to place the key in the lock.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." An accented baritone voice said from the doorway.

Chapter Text

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Upon hearing the unexpected masculine voice coming from the entrance of the museum, Max instinctively took up defense. He instantly stepped away from the glass case and moved himself between the threat and the two people he cared for most. It took him a moment to notice the blonde dude with frizzy hair standing in the doorway was none other than the Goblin King. The guy didn't look the same as before, his dark armor and cape being replaced with more casual clothes, albeit clothes from a different era. It made Max think it was like something out of the movie "Men in Tights."

Although he knew this king was likely skilled in some form of combat or self-defense, not to mention that Sarah had said he was magical, Max sized the man up. The king was the same height and slight build as him, so if it came down to physical strength, Max guessed it would be an even fight. Allison had convinced him to put his energy into learning martial arts when he'd wanted to be better prepared to protect her and Dani, but with what he'd learned by fighting the witches last year, magic made physical defense ineffective. If the king used magic, he'd be toast. Plus, Max noticed that the king wasn't alone; standing on the top step of the stairs behind him was a smaller person of some sort.

"Who are you?" Allison's mom said, moving to stand next to Max.

Max side-glanced at the woman, seeing a fierceness he'd never before seen in her, not even when she was mad at him. She got mad at him a lot; sometimes he thought she was mad for his existence, just because he was dating her daughter. But now, she was standing with him. Max wondered if maybe it was because she thought she had to, being the only adult of the group.

But, to defuse the tension in the room, Sarah came to stand between them all, holding up her hands to appease the anxious woman. "Aunt Paulette, this is the Goblin King."

Seeing the softening of the man's glance at hearing Sarah speak, Max knew his theory was right. This man cared about Sarah.

Sarah then turned to the king. "Why are you here and not keeping an eye on that witch who has Toby?"

"I came because that," He raised a leather gloved hand and pointed to the Book, "summoned me."

"You can't have it." Allison's mom barked out.

"I think it best I did." The Goblin King stated, taking another step into the room. "Nothing but ill could come from that book."

"Why should we believe you?" Allison questioned. It startled Max since he hadn't noticed she'd come up to stand directly behind him.

The king took more slow steps forwards as he voiced his grievances, "Because the tome is sentient and could trick you into saying words you don't intend. That thing of evil does not belong in this world and needs to be returned where it originated: Underground. Do you need any more reason?"

Max felt his sister grasp his arm as she gained the courage to join the conversation. "How do we know you won't take the book and use it against us yourself?"

Max didn't like the way the king narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms as he answered Dani. "I have no need of incantations. My natural abilities are more powerful and stable than magic conjured by mere words."

"We're just supposed to trust you?" Dani asked, her tone incredulous as she continued testing him.

"Dani, knock it off." Sarah quietly warned, furrowing her brows.

The girl gaped at Sarah. "What, you trust him? He took your brother, remember."

Sarah shook her head, her eyes flickering between the girl and the king. "No he didn't. Not now, and not when I made the wish. There are rules, and he has to follow them."

Catching the pleased look in the king's eyes at Sarah's words, Max took it upon himself to ask, "So then, you'll give her brother back?"

The king frowned and shook his head. "I cannot, not while the witch still has him. I must abide by the Labyrinth's allowances."

Sarah took a step toward him, her voice tight, "You can't keep him, can you? Whether that witch wins or loses, you will give him back, won't you?"

"I want to."

Max heard the hesitancy and regret in the Goblin King's voice. It was so frustrating; it should be simple for this guy who was the king of the place to be able to just hand Sarah's brother over.

Allison's mom voiced his thoughts. "What is it, then, that prevents you from giving my nephew back?"

"Excuse me. Let me in."

Startled by the unexpected voice from behind the Goblin King, Max tried to calm his jolted heart at seeing it had come from the dwarf, who was no longer outside the door but was pushing past the king to get further into the room. The Goblin King sighed as he stepped aside to let his servant in.

The dwarf stopped in the middle of the room, then glanced around at everyone, indicating his condition by lifting up a soggy sleeve. "I'm all wet. Anyone got a towel?"

"I'll get it." Sarah walked towards the front of the room, where the counter with the register guests paid to enter was kept.

Max glanced through the front door; sure enough, rain had begun, causing the sky to dim as the sun was getting closer to the horizon. A flash of lightning briefly lit through the clouds, with thunder following soon after. The aged dwarf then gawked at the room, his large blue eyes taking everything in.

Allison's mom shrieked at seeing the little man. "What is that?"

Sarah's tone showed she was insulted by her step-aunts reaction, snarkily remarking, "Who he is, is Hoggle, my friend. Hoggle, this is my Aunt Paulette, Karen's sister."

"Hello, ma'am." Hoggle said, his hand making a slight wave.

Paulette hesitantly returned the gesture.

"As to what he is, Hoggle is an actual dwarf." As she spoke, she squashed down to rummage under the counter, then came back up with a rag in her hand which she gave her friend. "Where we have people on Earth that have a specific genetic condition that keeps them small, in the Underground, dwarves are their own race."

"So that's why his head is so…" Paulette started, moving her hands outwards.

"There ain't nothin' wrong with my head." Hoggle defended, pausing as he wiped the cloth over his noggin.

Max couldn't help himself from stifling a laugh at the expression on the small man's face.

"If we may go back to the problem at hand," The Goblin King interjected. "I cannot simply pry Toby out of the witch's hands. She herself has magic and might harm the boy should I try. And as he was in her possession when entering the maze, the Labyrinth might not know he was not a willing participant in the wish. Right now, it considers Toby just as much of a contender as the witch. As long as he is with her, there is nothing I can do to change that. And as much as I can go and check on her progress, I can merely present challenges. I cannot interfere..."

Max saw Sarah scowl as she cocked her head, looking pointedly at the king and she narrowed her eyes as she interjected, "How was sending the cleaners on me not interfering?"

The king smirked slyly, but said nothing of her concern, choosing to stay focused. "As for retrieving young Toby, I cannot…"

Max looked between Allison and Sarah to see if they were seeing the same thing he was. The Goblin King was frozen, or at least he suddenly stopped talking and went stark still, his eyes staring forwards, unfocused. Half a minute went by before Sarah stepped closer and called the king by name, causing the gloved hand of the monarch to fly up to shush her. He then cocked his head as if listening to something they couldn't hear. Abruptly, he twisted his outstretched arm and a clear sphere formed in his hand, and he brought it near his mouth and spoke.

"Should you make another attempt to cheat, you'll find yourself outside the gates to begin again. Do not test me, witch." When he was done, another flick of his wrist made the crystal disappear.

"That was rad!" Dani exclaimed. "That was magic, right?"

The king smiled softly at the girl and nodded.

"What did the witch do?" Max asked, curious to know what Sarah Sanderson had tried that caught the attention of the king.

"It appears she thought attempting to fly over the Labyrinth on a goblin's stolen serpent staff would be a good idea. I have convinced her otherwise. She will no longer attempt to take flight."

"And Toby?" Concern laced Sarah's voice, and Max noticed she raised her arm slightly, as if she were going to grasp the king's arm. "Did she try to take him up too?"

"He is safe." The king looked to Sarah, connecting his eyes with hers as if she were the only one needing to hear the words. "The Labyrinth informed me of her attempt before she could accomplish it."

"What's that you said about not interfering again?" Sarah asked, a knowing smirk curling one corner of her mouth as she stared at the king.

The monarch's lips also quirked as he continued to gaze at her, "As I attempted to state before, I might not be able to interfere with a wisher's journey, but that does not mean others cannot."

"What are you saying, Goblin King?" Paulette asked, interrupting the moment of flirting they were having.

Turning his attention to the woman, the king started, "It is not against the rules for others to attempt to retrieve the boy. It just cannot be done by myself or the denizens of my Labyrinth."

Hearing this enthused Max, interpreting it to mean that the king was implying they could help. "Alright, then let's go."

"Yeah! Let's help save Toby!" Dani echoed.

"I'm game." Allison said.

"Absolutely not." Her mother's expression stern. "You are not leaving with a stranger."

Max rolled his eyes; it was not a surprise that Allison's mom would object.

"Is retrieving your nephew not a priority, then?" The Goblin King asked the woman.

"I, uh...I don't want my daughter or these children put in any danger. As you said, that witch has magic."

"Mom, we beat her and her sisters last year." Allison said with conviction, walking to the register at the entrance of the building and pulling out something. It was a container of salt. "Just give me some salt, I can handle her."

A kind of pride swelled in Max's heart at seeing how assured his girlfriend was in being able to conquer the witch. One of the things that drew him to her in the first place was her confidence. And her intelligence; it must have been her idea to keep salt on hand for if the unexpected happened in the witches' former home.

"Ali, he's wanting you to go to another world, for Christ's sake." Paulette griped.

"I realize that, Mom." Allison huffed out.

"Well, If you're going, I'm going." The woman stated, squaring off her shoulders.

The king shook his head, stopping their argument. "Only those who believe may enter the Labyrinth. You comprehend that magic is real, but you do not believe in magic. Until you believe, you may not follow. And as time is short, I do not think you will find your faith in enough time to assist with this task."

"Then they can't go." Paulette said firmly.

"Well, I'm going." Sarah asserted, stepping around Paulette to stand next to the king. "I'm neither a child nor your responsibility."

"But Karen…"

"Will understand you told me no, and I chose to ignore you." Sarah answered simply. "If I'm able to help get my brother back, I'm going."

Max admired that Sarah was brave enough to stand up to her step-aunt. He had never been so bold as to challenge Paulette Watts. There had been many times he had desired to do so, especially when she changed Allison's curfew to 9pm the one time he had gotten her home an hour late. One time. So unfair. But, as Paulette had the ability to make Allison never able to see him again, he'd kept his mouth shut. The king barring Allison's mother from joining this journey was quite a relief. Max could just imagine the disaster that could be.

"I'm going too!" Dani chimed in. "I'm not Mrs. Watts' kid either, and I want to help save Toby."

Sarah moved to the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Dani, I appreciate you wanting to help, but my aunt is right about one thing; this other world is unpredictable. I would hate for something to happen to you."

"But I want to help." Dani whined.

"By staying safe, you are helping." Sarah stated gently.

"Hold up." Max hesitated, rethinking his willingness to go on this quest at seeing Sarah so guarded. Maybe there was more to know before agreeing to virtually leaving Earth for an unknown realm. "What types of things happen in this place? Is it dangerous? Can we even get back?"

"It's a damn cheat, if you ask me." Hoggle grumbled.

Sarah cocked her head and looked to the king, "I"m not sure if what I experienced on my journey was because of my wish. There seemed to be a lot of untold dangers and unnumbered hardships that I didn't pass through on my journey."

Nodding, the king answered, "There were."

"Like what?" Max asked, not knowing what Sarah had gone through in the first place.

"Winding canals, sapient thorn bushes, monsters that could crush your bones with their bare hands, and numerous other treacherous obstacles. Such things I try to keep from wishers, but it could happen should the Labyrinth itself find the need to enhance the challenge," The king looked to Sarah again, "thus why you were placed in the path of the Fireys. That was not my doing."

Whatever the king meant by his last statement must have resonated with Sarah, for she nodded in understanding.

"As to this fellow's other query," Max realized the king was talking about him when the man's gloved hand was pointed in his direction, "None of you made the wish, therefore the Labyrinth has no claim on you. I may allow you to traverse the realms as I see fit. I see no reason the Labyrinth should interfere and try to keep you."

"You mean that maze thinks for itself?" Paulette asked, the tone of her voice showing she found it hard to believe.

"Yes." Sarah, the dwarf, and the king answered together.

Considering the king's description of the things lurking within the Labyrinth, plus the dwarf's opinion of the place, Max knew he had to make a decision. He turned to his little sister, cringing inside at knowing she was going to throw a fit with what he was about to say. "Uh, yeah, Dani. I am going to have to agree with Sarah on this. You should go with Mrs. Watts. Let her take you home."

Sure enough, his sister's face reddened, showing her upset as she threw down her hands before raising them to cross over her chest. "But I want to. If I can't go, you can't go either."

Knowing there would be nothing he could say to appease her, Max shook his head as he stood his ground, "No Dani. It's best that you go home."

"And what shall I tell your parents about you if something happens, Max? 'Oh, sorry, your son didn't make it back from his journey to another world.' I'm the one who would be arrested." Paulette huffed.

"I think you're being a bit extreme, Mom." Allison said, then looked to the king, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "Besides, I'm sure the Goblin King could protect us with his magic."

The king was hesitant to speak as he seemed to contemplate how to best answer. He gave a slight nod as he conceded, "I will do all that's within my power to keep you from harm. But know it is your choice to come. I am not infallible."

Nodding, Sarah said, "That's good enough for me." She then turned on her heel and stepped towards her step-aunt, holding out her hand, "Unlock the case and give me the Book."

Paulette gaped at her a moment before tightening her lips and shaking her head as she pulled out the keys from her pocket. "I hope you know what you're doing in giving him this."

"Oh, I'm not giving it to him." Sarah answered, conviction ringing in her tone.

"Sarah, I don't think…" The king started.

"Let me finish. I'm not giving it to you until I have Toby back." The look in her eye as she focused on the king challenged him to defy her.

With a stern gaze, the Goblin King scowled but nodded. "I suppose that's reasonable. I care not for the book. I merely seek to remove it from this realm."

Mrs. Watts seemed to perk up at hearing that and with more energy, finished removing the Book from its case. As soon as it was in her hand, she lifted it to Sarah. "Here, get it out of our lives for good. It's caused enough grief."

"Do we need to bring anything with us? Food? Weapons?" Allison asked.

Sarah sighed, "Right. I did get pretty hungry about eight hours in. There's only, what, eleven hours or so left for the witch to run, right?"

The king nodded.

That got Max thinking, and he voiced his quandary, "I bet there's no porta-potties around either."

Allison whacked his shoulder, "Max, that's gross. I'm sure mom will let us take some chips and Snickers bars from the vending machine."

Paulette nodded reluctantly and walked back to her office. Something clanked and rattled as she set it on her desk. Max moved to where he could look into the office to see her pulling out coins and bills from the cash tin. She then exited and handed the money to her daughter. "If I'm going to let you go at all, I'm going to make sure you're cared for."

Allison smiled as she looked at the money, then she turned to Dani, "Wanna help me pick out what we should take?"

Of course, Dani was willing to help. Allison winked at Max as she handed him the canister of salt before taking Dani's hand. Max loved how Allison never hesitated to make Dani feel appreciated. He knew it wasn't expected for girlfriends to accept the family members of the guy they were dating, but Allison embraced the girl with open arms. Of course, the way they were thrust together last Halloween would make anyone close. He watched as Allison led his sister and overheard her tell the girl how important she could be by staying behind and guarding her own house, the place where the witches left from. Allison had a way with Dani, knowing just the right things to say to make the girl listen.

His attention was pulled away from the important females of his life by Paulette saying, "I'll get the first aid kit from under the register. Since I can't prevent this, I will at least make sure you are prepared for the worst."

Sarah nodded. "I'll go grab my satchel out of my car so we can carry everything."

"I'll help." The dwarf said, starting to follow Sarah out of the museum.

Sarah shook her head at him and smiled softly, "That's okay, Hoggle. It's raining pretty hard. No need both of us getting wet. You could hold the Book for me, though."

The dwarf mumbled, "Yeah, alright."

Sarah smiled at him, laying the Book in his hands. "I'll be quick."

Max watched Hoggle slump his shoulders in disappointment, but then nod after looking outside after Sarah, where there was a steady downpour. The dwarf then took a good look at the object in his palms. Something about it triggered the hobbled man to gape at the thing.

Hoggle walked to the king, raising up the tome as high as his arm would stretch. "This is…"

But the monarch cut him off, "Something evil and not of this world and therefore returning with us. Do not open it. Is that understood? You know the consequence should you ignore my warning."

The dwarf shut his mouth and nodded, his blue eyes going wide. He quickly brought the Book to his chest and held it tightly.

Observing their interaction made Max wonder if there was something more to the Book than the king had stated for the dwarf to look so worried. It made him wonder what Hoggle was going to say before he was cut off.

Sarah was fast. She was back in less than two minutes with not a drop on her. She nodded to the king and said a quick thanks.

The king grinned and inclined his head slightly. "Can't have you catch a cold or you'll be in no shape to save young Toby."

That's when Max realized the king must have used magic to keep Sarah dry. And Max hadn't even seen the king lift a finger or bat an eye. But the man was using his eyes now, and his flirting was working as a rosiness hued Sarah's cheeks before she cleared her throat and turned to her step-aunt. She opened the satchel so the woman could place the First Aid kit inside. Sarah then held out the bag for Max to place the salt within. After taking the Book back from Hoggle and placing it too within the bag, she then went to join Alison and Dani in making the food selections.

"Hoggle, is it?" Paulette asked out of the blue.

The dwarf turned and stared at the woman, having not been expecting anyone to address him, "Uh, yeah?"

"Is this king of yours to be trusted? Will he take all precautions to keep them safe?"

Hoggle folded his arms as he thought on her question, then said, "I don't think he'd let anything happen to Sarah, if that's what you're askin'. And since your girl's related, I doubt he'd let anything happen to her, either. He wouldn't want Sarah to be pissy at him."

Inwardly, Max patted himself on the back for not being the only one to see the mutual attraction between the king and the girl.

The king, on the other hand, must not have appreciated being talked about right in front of him.

"Although I hold fondness for her, I doubt she reciprocates. Until the time comes where she indicates otherwise, I find it best to let the subject lie."

Had he the mind to do so, Max would have found it amusing how the king was oblivious that Sarah felt the same. But he was rather distracted. As the Goblin King spoke, he formed three crystals in his hands and started a mesmerizing dance with them between his fingers, over his palms, and rolling them around his arms every which way. It was unlike anything Max had ever seen before and seemed to defy the laws of gravity.

"That is wicked cool!" Max couldn't help but to express that he was impressed.

Once he was done showing off his talents, the king handed a crystal to Max. Expecting to feel the magic within, Max was somewhat disappointed that he only felt glass, albeit it was warm as if it was a living thing with its own internal heat.

"What is this supposed to do?" He asked, turning it in his hands, noticing the reflection of the room upside down within.

"To appease the mother of your beloved, I give you a piece of my magic." The king snapped the fingers of his free hand and all three crystals burst, leaving a shower of glitter and three necklaces behind.

The pendant at the end of the gold chain now in his hand, pulsing with the same warmth he felt of the crystal, was a round medallion about the size of a Morgan dollar with a symbol Max had never seen before. "What will this do?"

Lifting up his own pendant with his free hand, the King showed the center of his signet had the same design, "When you wear this, those in my kingdom will know you are my emissaries and therefore not attempt to prevent your travels through my Labyrinth. It will also afford you protection from the Labyrinth itself."

Max nodded and placed the chain around his neck.

When the girls rejoined them a moment later, the Goblin King handed the necklaces to Allison and Sarah. That's when Max noticed Sarah's was different; it was a petite version of the king's pendant, not just the circular center. Sarah noticed too, because she paused a good minute, staring at the symbol before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before putting it on. Max found her response odd and wanted to ask her what she was thinking at that moment, but now was not the time. He knew the king's feelings on Sarah through his confession, but Sarah was a female; he had no idea what could be going on in her head. Heck, even Allison had tricked him into thinking she liked him the first day they met, until she gave him back the note he'd made with his phone number on it. It was definitely mixed signals. Girls were weird.

Allison turned to her mother, "I think we're as ready as we're going to be. If Max's parents are there when you take Dani home, tell them that Max and I are at some Halloween party. Then they won't be expecting us to come home any time soon."

Nodding, Paulette sighed, then said, "You all are taking this with pretty level heads."

"Well, fighting the witches last year gave us courage." Allison answered.

Max added, "We beat them then, and we'll make sure they can't return this time."

"Preferably, they will not remain in my realm either. They are out of their time and out of their world. If I have anything to do with it, they will return to their ex-animate state." The Goblin King vowed.

Max noticed the ever thrumming sound of the rain abruptly stop, causing him to glance outside. Rather than seeing the expected twilight of the clouded sky, there was the golden-orange glow of the sun from another world outside the door. He was drawn away from it when he heard his sister sniffle beside him.

Bending down to be eye to eye with her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to Mrs. Watts. Be good for her."

Frowning, Dani said, "You'd better come back, dork face. And Toby too."

"I have to. I"ve got a promise to keep on Thursday." Max tried to say something light-hearted that would distract her from feeling left out.

"Yeah, tights and all, or else." Dani grinned, then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Be careful."

Feeling her squeeze him so tight and the wisp of her breath before she placed a short peck upon his cheek almost made Max choke-up. Almost. He swallowed as he stood, blinking to spread the moisture that threatened to escape his eyes. He had to stay strong for Dani. Plus, he didn't want Allison to think less of him by showing such vulnerability. Sure, they'd been dating for a year now, but he'd never had reason to cry in front of her, and now was not the time to begin.

"I'll get her home." Paulette promised him, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'll look after the school if you don't come back." Dani stated.

As much as he felt he should grin at his sister's promise to care for the fish in the aquarium he kept in his room, all he found himself doing was nodding to her. A tickle of fear started to spread from the center of his soul. Fear that something could go wrong and he and Ali could be stuck in a strange world for the rest of their lives. Fear that what they could face in the Labyrinth could potentially hurt them since Sarah, the dwarf, and the Goblin King seemed to be so worried about it. But there was an excitement for this journey too. The fact that other worlds existed was radical.

Max turned to find Allison waiting at the door for him. Sarah, the King and the dwarf had already stepped through.

Allison reached out her hand to him and he took it. They both looked back to their loved ones staying behind, giving one last small wave before heading into the unknown.

Looking at Allison, Max took a deep breath before saying, "Off to Neverland."

Chickens were for eating, not for petting. Mary Sanderson thought it against her nature to stroke the creature kindly, but she found it rather pleasing. As she focused on watching her fingers glide through the surprisingly soft, black feathers of the chicken she held in her lap, Mary was contemplating the situation she and her elder sister found themselves in. Whenever there was an obstacle in life, she typically found the optimistic side of the circumstance; she could not do that here. Firstly, she was a third of her normal size after having been transfigured into a child. Secondly, she was in a strange world with strange smells and the feeling of wild magic everywhere with no obvious source. And thirdly, the creatures surrounding her were unlike anything she had ever seen. They weren't demons and they weren't animals but were something in between. She didn't know if she should be afraid of them or try to befriend them.

And fourthly, the person whom she trusted to have a solution to any problem was currently not handling the situation any better. In fact, Winifred was rather losing her mind.

"Cheese and crackers, why won't it work?! My brain wills the magic just as much as he, yet it obeys me not. Double damn that Goblin King. I must find a way to outwit the man." Winnie's red curls shook as she ranted while pacing the room, her cherub cheeks flushed from her vexed disposition.

That her elder sister was being over-dramatic was nothing new to Mary. She was used to having to calm her and be the voice of reason. "But Winnie, did you not smell him? Of man, he is not."

Winnie rolled her eyes, "No, dear Mary, I did not. Who couldst smell anything with these foul, putrid creatures around?" She then waved her hands to indicate the goblins scattered throughout the room.

"I can. The king might have been born a man, but he is one no more. He smells of one having been transformed by magic."

"And tell me, my sister cursed with olfaction, what dost thou sense of these...creatures?" She asked, waving her hand about to indicate the beings that surrounded them.

Mary sniffed the air as requested, then frowned. "They too were transfigured by the magic of this place. W-Winnie, dost that mean we might be altered too?" Tears started down her cheeks as she whined, "I don't want to be a hob."

"Thou dost not want to be a child, thou dost not want to be a magic-turned beast." Winnie stepped closer to her sister, her voice getting louder as she went, "but maybe if thou were transmogrified, thou could finally be of some use!"

Mary curled her shoulders and looked away from her tiny, angered sibling. They might be in smaller bodies, but it seemed to have enlarged their emotional reaction. Mary let her fingers go back to giving her attention to the chicken. It at least didn't yell at her.

Winnie went back to attempting to master the magic of this world, but soon enough was flustered again. "How can one think with all this ruckus from these creatures!"

"We ain't creatures, we's goblins." One screeched at her.

Not expecting one to talk back, Winnie puckered her lips before chiding back, "Well, whatever thy be, thou art more hideous than a toad's wart."

"Thanks!" The goblin laughed and went about its business.

"Hiss."

"HisssS."

"Sssssss"

"Grrr."

"Shush, not grr. Hiss. Dragons don't growl."

"How should I know, I ain't never seen one."

"Neither have I."

"Then how do you know they hiss?"

"They woof."

"No."

"Meow?"

"No!"

"Oink!"

"I give up. Just, do whatever sounds scary."

Hearing strange voices coming from the other side of the manicured foliage, Sarah Sanderson pulled her captee to a halt, stopping to see which direction the voices were headed. If they were citizens of this ever changing land, perhaps she could bespell one and they could lead her to the castle. She'd seen the stone fortress in the distance, but every time she'd try to head towards it, she somehow got turned around and it would be behind her. So tricky.

Once she gathered what direction they were heading, she pulled the boy along, but he resisted again, yanking against her the opposite direction from where she wanted to go.

"Come, now boy Toby. Cease thy skirmishing limbs. Or perhaps I should consume thy finger to remind thee to do as I say." She spat out her words in a strong whisper so only the boy would hear. She nearly laughed aloud at seeing him nod in compliance with fear stricken eyes. "Good, now hush and stay with me."

She followed the voices until it seemed as though one more turn and they would come into view. That is when she began her enchanting song.

"Closer I call thee, come now my way.
Show me the things that thou know.
Guide me to thy king, the home where he lay.
That's where I need to go.

Share with me secret ways to traverse,
Impress me with what thee can show.
Lead me, guide me, show me the way.
Take me where I need to go."

She smiled when halfway through her verse, the creatures appeared, drawn by her voice. There were five of them, all working together to manipulate the puppet of a serpent. They all became still and silent, ceasing their animal calls. Their strange appearance intrigued her; small beings that were not animal nor imp, but something in between. Whatever they were, she could not sense any magic in them. They should be easy to coax to do her bidding.

And yet, it was not to be so.

"Lady sings so pretty. Sing again!"

"Yeah, it's usually only kingy who sings. Do it again!"

"But something more happy. We likes to dance!"

Shocked that her magic had had no effect on them, she shrieked as they rushed at her, throwing down the serpent puppet they had been carrying. They excitedly surrounded her. In her surprise, Sarah let go of the boy and he took no time in running off once free of her.

"No, child! Come back." As she ran after the boy, the creatures stayed close on her heels, nearly causing her to trip. "Leave me be, foul brattle."

Relief rushed over her when her longer legs allowed her to catch up with the boy. Thankfully, the maze hadn't changed so she could easily find him. It surprised her that he didn't try to pull away when she grabbed a hold of his wrist again.

"Do not run again, Toby. 'Twas not gentlemanly to take advantage of my distress and run away."

It angered her that the boy laughed at her, then said, "You're funny."

"I don't see the humor." She stated, not understanding his mirth.

"Of course I ran, and I'll do it again too, any chance I get. I know my sister is looking for me. Sooner I'm away from you, the sooner I can find her."

One thing she had learned from observing her eldest sister; the easiest way to make thyself feel better is to break another down. And right then, she felt terrible. "Thy sister hath not magic nor the fortitude to make a wish to get her here. She be too noble to wound another to save thy life. Thy sister isn't coming, dear one."

"Yes she is, you'll see!" The boy stated strongly, despite the tears in his eyes.

Sarah didn't get a chance to rebuke him, for the gang of not-imps found them. Again, she tried to shoo them off, shouting, "Go away, foul creatures. Leave me be!"

"What's the matter, they're only goblins." Toby stated.

"Goblins?" Sarah tried to think of where she'd heard of such a creature before, in one of the bedtime stories her mother told her and her sisters as little girls. They liked to run amuck and liked to collect things precious, like gems and baubles. That would be what she would need to use against them to get them to leave her be. On the ground near her foot she found her answer.

"Lump of stone, so rough and cold, turn your outside into gold." She said quietly under her breath.

A giggle escaped her when she saw the grey rubble turn a metallic yellow. At least her magic still worked here, just not on the natives. She bent to pick it up, then brought it in front of their faces. They all stared at it, as she expected.

"Dost thou want this? Then go find it?" And she threw it as hard and far as she could over the bushes.

Sarah scanned the horizon to see where the castle was, and it looked even further away than it had before the goblins had interfered. She looked to the sky and screamed, then strode back the way she came, before encountering the mischievous troupe, all the while pulling the stumbling boy along.

"I am quite tired of the trickery of this land. It teases and changes. Well, I shall go above it all."

She smirked when what she sought came in sight; the long staff with the head of a serpent the goblins had left behind. It would suffice to set her aloft so she could finally reach the castle. Then, she wouldn't need the boy as leverage any more. It was tiresome and his constant refusal was a nuisance; she'd be glad to be rid of him.

Letting the child go, she bent to retrieve the staff and whispered words to its wood. "Simple staff you shall comply. Take to the air and let me fly."

Another happy cackle bubbled from her as she began to rise, her magic still cooperating. She rose over the tall hedges, able to see clearly the castle in the distance. But the moment she moved towards the stone fortress, her spell collapsed and she went tumbling to the hard stone ground. As her body ached and her blood boiled, a voice cracked through the air.

"Should you make another attempt to cheat, you'll find yourself outside the gates to begin again. Do not test me, witch."

"Blast and damnation!" Sarah screeched as she picked herself up off the ground. How dare the king keep her from completing her task on her own terms.

It did not help things that the child laughed, saying, "He caught you. My sister said she thought he was often watching. I guess she was right."

"We'll see about that." She pointed one hand to the sky, "Abhorrent meddling king who plucked me from the sky, I cast a curse to blind thy ever watchful eye. Where 'er I turn in secrecy, it's me that thee shall never see."

Such a spell could not be observed, but Sarah felt the magic obey the curse. The next time the Goblin King should try to spy upon her again, he would not be able to find her.