"You have no power over me!" as soon as Sarah uttered those words Jareth knew he had lost. He dropped the crystal ball in defeat and watched despairingly as the world around him spun, and Sarah disappeared with the baby.
He ended up back in his throne room, though he couldn't remember how he got there. The goblins around him scuttled off quickly, knowing how livid the Goblin King got when someone championed his Labyrinth. But instead, Jareth just dropped to his knees. He had lost her. He put his head into his gloved hands and stayed in that position for hours. One brave goblin, Piffle, who Jareth was particularly fond of, came in and put a tray of food and wine in front of him.
"Master?" Piffle said, worried.
Jareth didn't respond, he didn't even move. Piffle decided that she should leave him alone, so she left. She cast a final glance at the Goblin King and closed the throne room door.
The food went untouched, and had gone cold. Still Jareth did not move. Then, Jareth felt a connection between the Underground and the Aboveground. Someone was travelling between them. It wasn't a wished away child because he gets warned instantly when that happens. No, this was one of his subjects going through a portal.
Jareth unwillingly stood up and summoned a crystal ball. His face was miserable. He looked into it and saw that it was Sarah's foolish friends going through the portal to her room. He rolled his eyes. Then he transformed into a barn owl and flew off, with every intention of taking all of the idiots back and dipping them into the bog of eternal stench.
She chose the Aboveground. She cannot have both. I could have given her everything! But, taking them away would make her unhappy, and that's the last thing you want. No, she made me unhappy! This is only fair!
Jareth's internal argument went on for the entire journey. Eventually, he arrived outside Sarah's window and saw that she was just as unhappy as him. Ludo, Hoggle and the others had simply gone to comfort her.
"I need you, all of you" Sarah finished, quite down in the dumps.
Jareth did not hear what Hoggle replied, he was too busy wondering if he, the goblin kingm, was included in the 'all'. When the party started, Jareth took this as his que to leave.
After all, the evil Goblin King would be quite the party pooper Jareth thought bitterly, as he flew off into the night sky.
For the next few weeks Jareth felt wretched. He never moved from his throne; he didn't eat; he didn't do anything but stare into nothingness. The goblins that usually spent their time in there with him had disappeared. He was all alone.
"I'd rather be completely alone than with people who are not her" Jareth mumbled occasionally, not making much sense at all.
Piffle was getting increasingly worried, and she tried the one thing that always cheered him up. She clambered up the stairs to Jareth's throne. Piffle tugged on his baggy sleeve. Jareth glanced down for a moment and then returned to staring at the wall.
"Master, you remind me of the babe" Piffle said hopefully. This usually brought a smirk to his face.
Instead, Jareth sighed dejectedly and replied "what babe?" with no enthusiasm at all.
Piffle was not put off, because he actually spoke. So she beamed at him and said "the babe with the power"
Jareth smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
Piffle nudged him to get the next line out of him.
"Not today Piffle" Jareth said.
"Just one verse, come on" Piffle insisted. Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.
"Piffle, you may be my favourite goblin but I'll still send you swimming in the bog" Jareth warned, but there was no heat behind it.
Piffle merely raised her eyebrows and started to tap her foot. She didn't fear her king in the slightest. That was probably why he liked her so much.
"I saw my baby" Jareth started, in a morbid tone "crying hard as babe could… cry" and then he himself started crying, hiding his face from Piffle. His subjects couldn't see him weak.
Piffle patted Jareth's leg comfortingly, but Jareth snapped.
"Get out! Leave! NOW!" he shouted, standing up.
Piffle looked at Jareth sadly, and left the room. She winced as Jareth threw something at the door behind her. Another goblin came up to Piffle and said "Your plan didn't work then?"
Piffle smirked and said "No, it worked. I made him feel something. At least now he's angry. I'd take that over staring at a wall any day"
The goblins returned to their work, hearing occasional bangs and clatters from the throne room.
Later that day, Jareth was sitting on the floor of his throne room, now over his rage. He missed Sarah. It had only been a couple of weeks; did he have an eternity of this to come?
At that point, Jareth decided to go and see her. Transforming into a barn owl once more, he took off. After a relatively quick journey, he landed on the tree outside her room and saw Sarah in bed asleep. She was sobbing.
"Jareth! Jareth!" she screamed in her sleep.
His barn owl form froze. Did he hear that right? Was she saying his name?
Jareth decided that he shouldn't go to her. She was young, she would get over it. She would forget about him, about the labyrinth and have a happy life. So he flew away once more.
Jareth started to wonder how many times he would force himself to fly away from that window.