Author's note: Of course I don't own labyrinth. This is a fortuitous lunch-break creation to commemorate the amazing weather we're having here on my side of the globe today. Also, I thought Sarah deserved a little one-up for a change.
The weather spoke paradisiacal harmony into the open eyes and ears of any soul who bothered to step outside that day. Fall colors burned softly under a coddling sun. The air held a certain ambiguous freshness one always associates with the softest points of spring or autumn. Moisture mixed with light, dirt and decomposing leaves to produce a veritable symphony of delight.
Sarah sat reading a book in a clearing near her home. Instinctively she sensed today was an opportunity too good to pass by and she wasn't alone in her happy supposition.
She had hardly gone thirty pages before a familiar voice caught her by surprise.
"Well, enjoying ourselves aren't we now?"
Sarah glanced composedly up from her book with a knowing smirk.
"Somehow I knew I could count on you stopping by to put in your two cents," she addressed his royal impishness with a rich and playful tone.
"Hate to disappoint…" he paced in feline struts across her field of vision.
"I've got it in for you today, mister." Sarah pronounced simply. Smile beaming brighter than ever.
"Oh ho?" Jareth stopped pacing abruptly and raised an eyebrow.
"I suggest you start running. Because I'm serious." Sarah couldn't look more pleased with herself.
"Still sore about the other day then?"
"My dear sweet Goblin King, you have had it coming for a while…" Sarah carefully lay her book down on the thinning grass.
"Really, am I that incorrigible? Who'd have guessed." His craftiness was still skeptical of Sarah's benignly inviting threat.
Sarah smiled and looked on at her chosen target with the serenity of a saint bathed in glorious fall ambiance. Jareth, in turn, let the sense of false security eat away at the rise of bemused alarm gathered in his stomach.
Honestly, what on earth could Sarah have in mind? He pondered reassuringly.
"You know I read something the other day, thought it might come in handy."
"Oh you did, did you…Well?" he trailed in his characteristically teasing vocal caress.
"Too early to tell." Sarah sat back on her hands.
Jareth felt the knot in his stomach flexing again.
"Right, let's find out." Suddenly he noted a change in her bodily posture, she seemed coiling for attack…The thought made him chuckle with relief.
"Oh you think you're safe, don't you. But I swear I'm gonna get you this time."
Jareth laughed and kicked at a clod of upturned dirt, casually shooting a glimmering glance of provocative disbelief over Sarah's way.
"Now Sarah, don't make a fool of yourself," he cautioned with mock gravity.
"Sweetheart, you did my work for me in that department. Now it's my turn to have some fun." Sarah stood and began walking slowly toward the Goblin King.
He hovered in indecision, not knowing the nature of the danger at hand. In any case, it was bad form for a king to run like a coward. However, teleportation was perfectly condonable.
"You let me get too close and you're going to wish that you hadn't."
"You're not moving very quickly, so I think I'll take my time…" his eyes were getting brighter with confused amusement and perhaps a touch of anxiety.
"Try it."
"Try what."
"Your little poof trick."
"No need."
"So you say…"
"Now, Sarah…"
But it was too late, she was already lunging at him and he really had no idea what to do. His first thought was to rematerialize a few meters in the other direction, but suddenly he realized the space he stood in was enchanted.
He looked up in utter horror just to see Sarah stop two feet in front of him, her breath sped from her lungs in gleeful gusts.
"Hahah! I told you!...now you better run boy run, or you're gonna regret it like nothing else."
"You expect me to run?" he scoffed in an effort to deter her.
"I didn't grow up with a baby brother for nothing! Charge!"
And then Sarah flew at him. Poor Jareth, he really had no clue what to do with himself. Before he knew it he was on the ground and choking on his own laughter. Sarah made silly growls as she proceeded to tickle him and playfully claw at his person—not sparing him the occasional nibble.
Pinned him good she did.