One-shot. This is set during the movie, this little thing pops into my head every time I watch it, so I finally wrote it.
Please forgive me.
The Shadow of the Dance
It only happened once a year.
They had all been born human, taken by Jareth, and had their humanity stripped away; but they had all been born human.
And once a year, for one hour near mid-summer, they were human again.
Mostly human, anyways. The goblin forms they wore through life took the form of masks that they could not remove; but still, to stand tall and straight, to have that taste of what could have been was both a blessing and a curse.
Hoggle hated it.
He hated it even more this year. Jareth chose the hour, and this year he was using it to try and entrap Sarah.
Masked women in silks and ribbons curtseyed to masked men in satins and lace, they moved in a dizzying display. Outside the dance Hoggle moved, trying to keep the one unmasked person in sight. Trying to think of any way to help her…
Sarah was dazzling in pristine white, white flowers and pearls threaded through her dark hair, her eyes wide and confused as she moved through the dancers. Hoggle hoped that she would wake up from this dream of what could never be.
Then Sarah stopped; before her was Jareth himself. The Goblin King lowered his devil mask and gazed deep into her eyes; and she was lost.
As Hoggle watched, Jareth took her hand in his and led her out into the swirl of dancers. Sarah offered no resistance, she was entranced.
Feeling a well of panic, Hoggle circled the outside of the dance floor keeping the couple in sight. He had to find a way to help her, his friend. His first, only, and probably last friend…
He struggled through the dancers, keeping pace with the twirling couple, desperate to get closer, then… Miraculously, Sarah saw him.
Weather or not she recognized him he didn't know; but when Jareth turned her, she turned her head back to look for him. When Jareth spun her, her dark eyes once again sought him out.
She saw him.
Then she began to struggle in Jareth's arms. The Goblin King seemed surprised, and he released her. She ran, a chair, and she had shattered the dream…
And as the world fell down, all Hoggle could feel was relief.
Even as he felt the mask fade and his body distort, even as that taste of what might have been was cut short, even if it never came again; it was a price he was willing to pay. Glad to pay it.
Sarah was free of the dream.
She could move forward and reach her goals, save her brother, save herself, save him.
And he could be her friend…