Applied Learning
Summary: They would all be immensely relieved when Sarah's tertiary education finally came to an end.
A/N: Originally half-written for outinthestorm in the 2011 labyfic exchange, but not finished in time. In response to (but only half adhering to) Prompt: 2)Sarah's dreams change the Labyrinth. It must frustrating for a king to have someone else have such control over his kingdom. He needs something to change. How will he convince her to change it?
Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, any of the canon characters, settings or situations.

The weather was glorious.

The denizens of the great Goblin City, lured outside their homes by warm breezes and dizzying blue skies, made a point of remarking on it to their neighbours – whom they usually only saw once or twice a week, when it couldn't be avoided.

The cobbled city streets were filled with goblins, dwarves and even stranger creatures all smiling and wishing each other good day. Even the most hardened barflies in almost permanent residence at the Muddy Farmer* leered good-naturedly into their pints. The Farmer was a true goblin bar, centuries-old, dark, and atmospheric in the sense that the constant scents of beer, smoke and unwashed goblin had created an atmosphere all of its own, but today the hard-drinking, hard-fighting regulars were, well, cheerful. Upbeat, even.

"It's downright unnatural, that's what it is," Hoggle muttered, maintaining his usual sullen indignation with some difficulty. "People going 'round all happy and smiling."

Ludo moaned happily to himself. Didymus, his hat at an especially jaunty angle, beamed fondly at his companions. "Verily, sir Hoggle," he said, "I believe that Lady Sarah has just begun what is known as her summer vacation."

Hoggle sighed. "And now she'll have more time to read. At least she's finally outgrown Tolkien."

Sarah's infatuation with Middle-Earth had been wearing for everyone, not least because of the rapidly spreading golden mallorn trees which had quickly overtaken the native vegetation and threatened to choke the corridors of the Labyrinth. The King, clearing away the infestation, had reportedly remarked that if he wanted to live in eternal summer he would crawl back to his father with his tail between his legs.

"But she has finished her international relations electives, yes? There will be no more revolutions –"

"One was enough," Hoggle muttered. He still had nightmares of the Firey Freedom Fighters marching against the castle, their bouncing heads sporting defiant red bandannas. Their leader, young Willie, had been a local street kid before he caught the revolutionary fever. It was cruel, what the King had done to him.

"– or spontaneous outbreaks of democracy and human rights."

There was a short silence as they all remembered the Goblin Kingdom's pained and awkward attempts to adapt to a system so utterly alien to its nature. Humans may very well survive – and even thrive – without Kings, but the Labyrinth and the Goblin Kingdom could not. And while human rights included such grand things as freedom from oppression and free speech, goblins would much rather have the right to another drink.**

They would all be immensely relieved when Sarah's tertiary education finally came to an end.

*Don't ask.

**Much safer. Even the dimmest goblins know that free speech only gets you chucked headfirst into the Bog.

DVD extra:

The door banged open – a young fiery named Willie (a good lad, a bit dim, his mum and dad owned a fiery eatery down the road) red bandanna, rushed in, eyes wide with excitement. "Viva la revolucion!" he shouted, head bobbing with excitement. He struck a heroic pose, clenched fist upraised – before his eyes rolled up in his head and he slumped forwards, unconscious. He fell on his face with a thud that made the patrons wince. Behind him stood one of the King's Guardsmen, wearing a look of acute exasperation. "What are you lot looking at?" he scowled around at the patrons. "Fifth bloody one this week. Get back to your drinking."

"Verily, Sir Hoggle," Didymus commented as the guard stomped away, his fellows hauling Young Willie away to the watch house to sober up. 'I will be glad when the Lady Sarah finishes her tertiary education. These new ideas of hers, this 'democracy'…"

"Whoever heard of such a thing?" Hoggle asked. "Imagine giving everyone a say in the government. I mean, I can happily imagine doing away with the King, but –"

They paused, frozen, as Hoggle's words echoed in an empty silence.

"He's right behind me, isn't he?"