Chapter: Fight Tooth and Nail
After the act from the Fireys, Sarah and Hoggle weren't in the best of moods. Sarah kept glancing behind her to make sure that nothing could sneak up on them. Hoggle produced some interesting conversation on the changes to the Labyrinth and the 'unfortunate' demise of the Bog of Eternal Stench. Sarah couldn't help but giggle at the name.
"If you think about it, the Bog of Eternal Stench doesn't sound all that frightening. Besides smelling bad for the rest of your life, I guess nothing seriously bad happens." Hoggle had to run slightly in order to keep up with Sarah, even though she made an effort to walk slowly.
"Well, I thought it was frightening. Think about it: no one comes close enough to talk to you, you can barely breath, and who would want to marry you?" Sarah's smile very slowly began to disappear from her already pale features. "Even though its gone, I'm glad it is. I don't think I could ever stay around anyone who was in the Bog of Eternal Stench."
If Hoggle had even bothered to look at Sarah, he would have seen that her features had turned slightly gray and a twinge of pink was forming on her cheeks. She obviously hadn't stepped into the Bog of Stench, so why would Hoggle bother to see how his statements would affect her? After all, she probably thought the same thing.
"Halt! Who goes there?" Sarah jumped but made no sound. Instead, she lifted her hand up in a threatening pose. She blinked and took a deep breath before pulling her hand and her feelings back into herself.
Glancing up, she was a little surprised to discover a little dog-like knight waving around some kind of stick like a lunatic. Beside him, much calmer, was a giant red creature. Sarah smiled shyly and curtsied.
"Greetings, Sir Didymus, hello Ludo." Sarah said. Much to her surprise, Ludo came forward like a giant child. And just like a child, Ludo wrapped the fragile Sarah into a bone-crushing hug filled with red fur and a lot of odors.
"Sarah back!" The great beast said happily.
"Fair maiden! You have return to us at last!" Sir Didymus said with a grand bow. "What has brought thou back to us?" Sarah glanced at Hoggle and then smiled warmly at the two creatures.
"I'm playing for my dreams. I want them." Hoggle and Sir Didymus glanced at each other thoughtfully before looking back at Sarah.
"We'll go wherever you want us to go, Sarah. That's what friends do." Sarah's eyes prickled with tears as she looked at each of them in turn.
"Thank you." She whispered, her throat clogging with various emotions. "I've been lonely."
"You shouldn't be, Sarah." Hoggle said firmly. "You're the nicest person in the Underground! Don't worry; we'll go with you! You beat the Labyrinth before and you can beat it again!" Sarah kneeled down and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you all so much." She whispered. Standing back up and receiving reassuring nods from each of them, Sarah pointed in the direction of the castle. "Now let's get my dreams!"
Jareth twirled his crystals around, his eyes never leaving Sarah's face as she spoke. He had to smile at her bravery. True, the last time she had been in the Labyrinth she had been brave, but back then she had displayed a sullen bravery which came with doing something that a person doesn't want to do but must. This Sarah seemed to just accept that hardships would befall her and took things as they came. The Fireys probably still would have frightened the old Sarah, but the new Sarah had already forgotten them. Well, more like moved on.
"Your Majesty, they have already entered the Forest of Screams." Snappers said. He and Meimi ignored the envious glares of the other goblins. Meimi and Snappers were the elite of their race and the King's favorites. Without them he would have been very lonely and surrounded by greedy creatures.
"Excellent. Let's see how she handles this little snag." Jareth tossed his crystal down from the window he sat on and watched at the crystal landed somewhere in the forest. He smirked dangerously, showing all of his sharp teeth.
"Your Excellency, are you sure that something so violent as those creatures should be motioned towards your Sarah? Even she would have trouble with them." Another of the goblins commented. His name was Deathtrap. Jareth quirked an eyebrow but continued grinning devilishly.
"This is my revenge against Sarah." He said simply. "If she is worthy of reaching this castle than she must pass through the obstacles standing in her way. Perhaps this little 'piece of the cake' shall prove too much for our darling heroine." Jareth's smile became more and more enraged as he spoke. Finally he glared at the goblins around him. "Leave me! I wish to be alone!"
Even Snappers and Meimi left the room, their presences only remembered by the cold in the air. Jareth turned back to his new crystal and glared at Sarah angrily.
"Come on, Sarah. Let's see how you like my friends."
Sarah screamed as a pair of arms grabbed her around her waist! Her eyes grew wide and filled with hysteria as a man pulled her into the forest, his cold laughter filling the air. From his torso up he was a well- built man with bloodstained black hair, which swept his back and emotionless black eyes. From his torso down he had the body of a black stallion. Sarah screamed long and loud as the centaur made no move to deny what he wanted from Sarah.
His hands roamed to places that they shouldn't have and with one callused hand he pinned her arms above her head, smashing her fragile form against a tree. With his other hand he reached for his jeans, his eyes fixed on her prize.
If he had been watching her face he might have seen the anger that welled up in their green depths. Screaming a war cry, Sarah smashed her feet into the centaur's occupied chin and withered until he released her. Rubbing her wrists as she ran, her first thoughts were of her friends.
"Hello Sarah." Sarah screamed and spun around only to have Jareth pull her into his arms. "Don't be frightened, it's only me." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice. Sarah couldn't help but relax in his hold. "Now there. You see?" Sarah's breathing became calmer and calmer.
"You're trying to distract me, aren't you." Sarah whispered against Jareth's strong chest. He glanced down at her but she wouldn't look up. "I'm going to get my dreams." She promised soulfully.
"Why the games, Sarah?" He whispered as his hands traveled down to her waist. "Why must you play with me?" He lifted her chin to look directly into her eyes. Tearstains fell down her cheeks and her face was red and puffy.
"I'm going to get my dreams." Sarah said sternly. Jareth felt a swell of passion at finally seeing her iron spirit fighting against him. Capturing her lips in a hard kiss, Sarah gasped and then began to whimper.
Smoothing her hair back, Jareth felt as if he was in the arms of an angel. He felt so light, so wonderful as his tongue traced delicate patterns on her lips, making no move to actually enter her mouth. Actually, he didn't feel as if Sarah was an angel. More like something else. Something more . . . magical.
"I'm going to get my dreams." Sarah whispered as she drew away from him quickly. Jareth stood back, stunned, as Sarah's eyes once again filled with tears. This time, however, her expression was furious. Rubbing her eyes quickly, Sarah whirled around and went deeper into the forest, ignoring Jareth's enraged glare at her back.
This was proving to be a bad day for everyone.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! ^.^ You guys are wonderful! I got six in one day. Well, you don't know the mystery yet so keep on reading! I'll update as soon as I can (which might be sooner if I get a lot of reviews *looks hopeful*). So stay tuned!
After the act from the Fireys, Sarah and Hoggle weren't in the best of moods. Sarah kept glancing behind her to make sure that nothing could sneak up on them. Hoggle produced some interesting conversation on the changes to the Labyrinth and the 'unfortunate' demise of the Bog of Eternal Stench. Sarah couldn't help but giggle at the name.
"If you think about it, the Bog of Eternal Stench doesn't sound all that frightening. Besides smelling bad for the rest of your life, I guess nothing seriously bad happens." Hoggle had to run slightly in order to keep up with Sarah, even though she made an effort to walk slowly.
"Well, I thought it was frightening. Think about it: no one comes close enough to talk to you, you can barely breath, and who would want to marry you?" Sarah's smile very slowly began to disappear from her already pale features. "Even though its gone, I'm glad it is. I don't think I could ever stay around anyone who was in the Bog of Eternal Stench."
If Hoggle had even bothered to look at Sarah, he would have seen that her features had turned slightly gray and a twinge of pink was forming on her cheeks. She obviously hadn't stepped into the Bog of Stench, so why would Hoggle bother to see how his statements would affect her? After all, she probably thought the same thing.
"Halt! Who goes there?" Sarah jumped but made no sound. Instead, she lifted her hand up in a threatening pose. She blinked and took a deep breath before pulling her hand and her feelings back into herself.
Glancing up, she was a little surprised to discover a little dog-like knight waving around some kind of stick like a lunatic. Beside him, much calmer, was a giant red creature. Sarah smiled shyly and curtsied.
"Greetings, Sir Didymus, hello Ludo." Sarah said. Much to her surprise, Ludo came forward like a giant child. And just like a child, Ludo wrapped the fragile Sarah into a bone-crushing hug filled with red fur and a lot of odors.
"Sarah back!" The great beast said happily.
"Fair maiden! You have return to us at last!" Sir Didymus said with a grand bow. "What has brought thou back to us?" Sarah glanced at Hoggle and then smiled warmly at the two creatures.
"I'm playing for my dreams. I want them." Hoggle and Sir Didymus glanced at each other thoughtfully before looking back at Sarah.
"We'll go wherever you want us to go, Sarah. That's what friends do." Sarah's eyes prickled with tears as she looked at each of them in turn.
"Thank you." She whispered, her throat clogging with various emotions. "I've been lonely."
"You shouldn't be, Sarah." Hoggle said firmly. "You're the nicest person in the Underground! Don't worry; we'll go with you! You beat the Labyrinth before and you can beat it again!" Sarah kneeled down and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you all so much." She whispered. Standing back up and receiving reassuring nods from each of them, Sarah pointed in the direction of the castle. "Now let's get my dreams!"
Jareth twirled his crystals around, his eyes never leaving Sarah's face as she spoke. He had to smile at her bravery. True, the last time she had been in the Labyrinth she had been brave, but back then she had displayed a sullen bravery which came with doing something that a person doesn't want to do but must. This Sarah seemed to just accept that hardships would befall her and took things as they came. The Fireys probably still would have frightened the old Sarah, but the new Sarah had already forgotten them. Well, more like moved on.
"Your Majesty, they have already entered the Forest of Screams." Snappers said. He and Meimi ignored the envious glares of the other goblins. Meimi and Snappers were the elite of their race and the King's favorites. Without them he would have been very lonely and surrounded by greedy creatures.
"Excellent. Let's see how she handles this little snag." Jareth tossed his crystal down from the window he sat on and watched at the crystal landed somewhere in the forest. He smirked dangerously, showing all of his sharp teeth.
"Your Excellency, are you sure that something so violent as those creatures should be motioned towards your Sarah? Even she would have trouble with them." Another of the goblins commented. His name was Deathtrap. Jareth quirked an eyebrow but continued grinning devilishly.
"This is my revenge against Sarah." He said simply. "If she is worthy of reaching this castle than she must pass through the obstacles standing in her way. Perhaps this little 'piece of the cake' shall prove too much for our darling heroine." Jareth's smile became more and more enraged as he spoke. Finally he glared at the goblins around him. "Leave me! I wish to be alone!"
Even Snappers and Meimi left the room, their presences only remembered by the cold in the air. Jareth turned back to his new crystal and glared at Sarah angrily.
"Come on, Sarah. Let's see how you like my friends."
Sarah screamed as a pair of arms grabbed her around her waist! Her eyes grew wide and filled with hysteria as a man pulled her into the forest, his cold laughter filling the air. From his torso up he was a well- built man with bloodstained black hair, which swept his back and emotionless black eyes. From his torso down he had the body of a black stallion. Sarah screamed long and loud as the centaur made no move to deny what he wanted from Sarah.
His hands roamed to places that they shouldn't have and with one callused hand he pinned her arms above her head, smashing her fragile form against a tree. With his other hand he reached for his jeans, his eyes fixed on her prize.
If he had been watching her face he might have seen the anger that welled up in their green depths. Screaming a war cry, Sarah smashed her feet into the centaur's occupied chin and withered until he released her. Rubbing her wrists as she ran, her first thoughts were of her friends.
"Hello Sarah." Sarah screamed and spun around only to have Jareth pull her into his arms. "Don't be frightened, it's only me." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice. Sarah couldn't help but relax in his hold. "Now there. You see?" Sarah's breathing became calmer and calmer.
"You're trying to distract me, aren't you." Sarah whispered against Jareth's strong chest. He glanced down at her but she wouldn't look up. "I'm going to get my dreams." She promised soulfully.
"Why the games, Sarah?" He whispered as his hands traveled down to her waist. "Why must you play with me?" He lifted her chin to look directly into her eyes. Tearstains fell down her cheeks and her face was red and puffy.
"I'm going to get my dreams." Sarah said sternly. Jareth felt a swell of passion at finally seeing her iron spirit fighting against him. Capturing her lips in a hard kiss, Sarah gasped and then began to whimper.
Smoothing her hair back, Jareth felt as if he was in the arms of an angel. He felt so light, so wonderful as his tongue traced delicate patterns on her lips, making no move to actually enter her mouth. Actually, he didn't feel as if Sarah was an angel. More like something else. Something more . . . magical.
"I'm going to get my dreams." Sarah whispered as she drew away from him quickly. Jareth stood back, stunned, as Sarah's eyes once again filled with tears. This time, however, her expression was furious. Rubbing her eyes quickly, Sarah whirled around and went deeper into the forest, ignoring Jareth's enraged glare at her back.
This was proving to be a bad day for everyone.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! ^.^ You guys are wonderful! I got six in one day. Well, you don't know the mystery yet so keep on reading! I'll update as soon as I can (which might be sooner if I get a lot of reviews *looks hopeful*). So stay tuned!