Chapter 4: Return of the Goblin King

As silence filled the room Sarah was already consumed with regret.

"Toby? Are you alright?" She said, echoing herself. Like before, the silence ensued and how ever many times she tried to switch the light on, the darkness wouldn't disappear.

Shadows began to move around the room but Sarah couldn't focus on anything. She couldn't believe what she had done. She was frightened. This wasn't how she had wanted to rediscover her friends in The Labyrinth.

Suddenly a piercing light appeared forcing Sarah to look at the ground to avoid its strong, blinding rays.

"Well, well, well," a voice rang out distinctively. "This is a surprise." Sarah knew that voice. It was him. Jareth. The Goblin King. She wanted to look up but the bright light held her gaze to the floor. Frozen to the spot, her heartbeat quickened.

"Did you not learn from last time Sarah?" the voice questioned in an accusatory tone.

Sarah looked upwards, closing her eyes until she sensed the light dim so she could open them. Before her, Jareth stood wearing a dark cape that almost reached the floor, tight grey leggings and high black leather boots. His eyes bore into her as though he could see into her soul and it made Sarah shuffle on her feet uncomfortably. He intimidated her. She had a burning desire to look down again but she forced herself to keep looking at his mismatched eyes that she remembered so clearly.

Jareth took a step closer to Sarah, slowly moving his leather gloved hand towards her face, hesitating slightly as he moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. "A little older, yet still a beauty."

Sarah's breath hitched and her heart began to pound. She knew she was scared but what else was it that she was feeling? Was she excited?

Quickly remembering himself Jareth withdrew his hand and asked, "What do you want, Sarah?"

"Where's Toby?" Sarah enquired nervously.

"You know very well where he is," Jareth shot back, smiling after he said it. "He seems to be enjoying being back at the castle."

"I didn't mean it."

"Like the last time?" Jareth teased, starting to circle her. He saw her gaze following him as he walked around and he couldn't help but take pleasure in it.

"I was stupid. I'm sorry but I need my brother back."

"Is that really what you want, Sarah? Is that what your heart truly desires?"

Upon Sarah's answer that she most certainly wanted her brother back, Jareth produced a crystal ball showing Toby laughing with the goblins in the castle. After a few seconds Jareth burst the bubble and Toby rapidly appeared by Sarah's side. Stunned at how easy it seemed to have been to rectify her mistake she stayed quiet, though the silence was broken by Toby's excited words of amazement on seeing the Goblins again.

"Silence," commanded Jareth like a true king. "Toby, why don't you run along to the kitchen? Some of the Goblins are waiting for you there."

"Wait!" Sarah called after Toby. It was too late, her brother already had ran out of the room.

"He won't be harmed, Sarah. You wanted him back. I gave him back."

Sarah looked at Jareth in astonishment. "Why? Why did you just give him back? You didn't do that before."

"Do you really need to ask that, Sarah?" Chuckled Jareth, still fully focused on Sarah's dumbfounded expression which he most certainly found entertaining. "I always thought you were much more clever than that." As the silence remained, he continued, "You defeated me Sarah. I have no power over you. Though you can still have power over me."

"You have no power over me," Sarah mumbled to herself remembering the last conversation she had with the King those eight years ago.

"Those were your words," Jareth snapped, irritated by hearing them again. She had rejected him and it still hurt deep down. He had tried to give her the world and even then she had left. He wasn't sure he could ever fully understand her colourful mind. Some of her thoughts were so obvious but others were so unexpected.

"Were you asking me to be your consort back then?" Sarah probed. "I didn't understand. I just wanted my brother back."

"And that you did. So what does it matter now?" Replied Jareth harshly, turning his back on her. He didn't want to let Sarah see his hurt if his face gave it away. "Are we done?"

"S,s,s,sorry?" stuttered Sarah.

"Are we done?" Jareth repeated, composing himself and turning back around to face a stunned Sarah. "You called for me. I did as you asked. Have I granted your wishes or is there something more you want from me?"

Knowing she should just let him leave she started to shake her head but stopped abruptly. "Actually there might be something you can do for me."

Rolling his eyes Jareth asked what it was that she wanted. Sarah hadn't changed. She was still the ever demanding, brave but naive girl that she always had been. He wasn't sure if he was annoyed or pleased about it. So Sarah wanted to see her friends. To see Hoggle, a goblin that now worked closely with him, with them both having formed more of an understanding for each other after Sarah's first journey through the maze. Jareth was wary of granting her wish. He didn't know what the best way to help her was. He was under no obligation to do so. Though he had no power over her, it only meant he could not use any magic against her unless it was upon her own request which he then was free to choose whether to provide. Part of him just wanted to walk away and leave this situation behind, but a stronger part of him wanted to help her more.

"You have two choices," proposed Jareth. "Either I can show you your friends through one of my crystals. You won't be able to communicate but you will be able to see and remember them with no more entanglement into my Labyrinth. Alternatively, I can transport you back there. You can spend some time there, even move there if you so desire. Importantly, whichever choice you make you must make clearly. My loss of power means I can use no magic towards you without a clear request directly from you, Sarah. So which will it be?"