Sarah collapsed onto the bed, shaking.
Of course she had thought he had done something awful to her. It was him, after all. He was the one who had stolen away her brother, and almost gotten away with it. He was the one who had cheated by drugging her with a peach; he was the one who had tried to tempt her with her dreams. She hated him for what he'd done. She was shocked at herself for almost forgetting.
Yet, a part of her almost thought that… maybe… he had changed.
Sarah shook her head forcefully.
No. Of course he hadn't changed. He just wanted something from her, obviously. He was simply tricking her again. Why else would he act so nicely towards her, acting like a gentleman and treating her like… well, like a princess?
And you know what princess' become… The thought flashed across Sarah's mind before she could stop it. No. I won't let myself fall for him. Not after everything he's put me through.
Sarah had a quick bath. She found that out of each tap, water the colour of it would come out. Each had its own scent. Pink was strawberries, blue was blueberries… it was like bathing in a fruit salad. After she had washed, she pulled on a simple dress and went to face herself in the mirror.
Today, I will demand to see Ludo, Sir Didymus, and of course Hoggle. She told herself firmly, patting her cheeks lightly to wake herself up.
There was a knocking at the door.
Sarah opened it, and was disappointed to see it was Mofrog. She had been psyching herself up to shout at Jareth to allow her to see her friends.
"Yes?" She asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
"King Jareth thayth to join him for breakfatht," Sarah sighed and followed Mofrog all the way back to where Jareth and her had dined last night.
He was already there, waiting for her. Wearing a frilly black top and tight black trousers, he looked ever so much the dark King. He turned to face her, and flashed her a lopsided smirk.
"I want to see my friends." Sarah stated clearly. Jareth's smile faded. He leaned against the wall, and scowled at her.
"You'd rather play with a dwarf, a yeti and a fox than dine with a king? Now, now, Sarah, you're not a child anymore." He conjured three crystals out of nowhere, and because to twist and turn then in the palm of his hand. Sarah couldn't help but be entranced. How did he do that?
"Yes. Ur, no, well, that is to say, I miss them and I want to see them. Right now." She replied, snapping her eyes from his hand to his eyes, glaring at him. Jareth sighed and rolled his eyes. Without a word, he took her by the arm and before Sarah had a chance to blink, they were just outside his Labyrinth. Jareth looked sadly at her.
"Don't get angry." Then, he disappeared. Leaving Sarah utterly confused. What did she have to get angry about? Pushing Jareth to the back of her mind, she glanced around, a smile creeping across her face. Her look of happiness soon turned to disgust as she saw Hoggle, peeing, like when she had first ever set eyes on him.
"HOGGLE!" She exclaimed, waiting for him to make himself decent before running to him. Tears of joy filled her eyes, after not seeing him for three years, it felt like coming home. He hadn't changed a bit, maybe his nose was a little larger, but other than that, it was him. Her first ever friend in this world. Hoggle looked completely startled.
"Sarah? Is it really you? I thought you's were dead?" Hoggle replied suspiciously. Sarah froze, and pulled away.
"What did you say?"
"Jareth said you's were dead, and we weren't to bother you no more." Hoggle crossed him arms. "If this is a trick then I ain't fallin' for it." He pottered away from her, whipped out his special spray and venomously attacked an unsuspecting fairy, leaping into the air with glee whilst yelling "four hundred and two!" as it fell to the ground. Sarah nervously followed him.
"Hoggle? It really is me. I'm not dead, I don't know what that stupid Goblin King said but it's not true." Hoggle turned slowly to face her.
"It's really you? You ain't some hocus pocus of Jareth's?" Sarah shook her head and smiled, blinking hard against unwelcome tears. Hoggle threw up his special spray and hugged her tightly, his head only coming up to her waist. "Oh Sarah, we've all missed you so much!" Sarah felt something wet on her tummy.
"You're not crying are you, Hoggle? Not a brave man like you?" she laughed.
"Of course I isn't crying, the spray's in me' eye." Was his gruff response. Sarah giggled. It was like she never left.
"Where's Ludo and Sir Didymus?"
"Ludo's livin' with that crazy fox next to the bog of eternal stench. Jareth gave 'im a mask so he could stand it. I ain't going down there lookin' for 'em if that's what you expect. No way." After some pleading and bribing with a silver bracelet she happened to have on, Hoggle reluctantly agreed to accompany her.
"So which way is it?" Sarah asked excitedly.
Suddenly, a jolt under her feet knocked her over. She glanced up over at Hoggle, who was on his knees too. Before she could ask him what that was, the ground shook with an awful amount of force and in the distance, behind the desert and the forest and the pond, the sky was fading to black.
"Oooohhhh nooooo this isn't good!" Hoggle moaned. "I knew you's coming back was trouble!"
"HOGGLE!" Sarah said in protest. She was about to say something else when Jareth appeared out of nowhere. He took one look at the scene, went pale white, grabbed Sarah by the hand and Hoggle by the neck, and transported them out of there.