Lightening sliced through the sky with a crack, wind buffeted the windows, thunder could be heard falling heavy in the air. She watched as the locks strained, buckling against the force of the supernatural. Sarah was frantic, searching for the baby who had been safely confined in his cot just moments before. She was terror stricken by the sly sniggers and cackles emanating from the Goblins positioned, well-hidden, about the room.
The windows could no longer bear the pressure, bursting open. Jareth appeared to Sarah for the first time, her eyes were wide with the impossibility of her dreams and fantasies taking on a terrifying reality of their own. Now, if Sarah had had any foresight she would have been sensible, and taken a quick snap of Jareth to send off to Villain Monthly as an exemplar study of how to dress with intent to induce terror and awe. Instead Sarah just stood, arms held aloft shielding her face – as if anticipating some horrendous attack. She was totally overcome by his presence, almost lost for words.
Jareth would have dearly liked to end it there, to confess his love for her, as he found the whole business of baby snatching a troublesome nuisance, but he knew the rules. And was painfully aware of the fact he must adhere to them. He would have to go through the same stiflingly dull routine with her once more, only the presence of Sarah would make the experience far from plain. He was fascinated by her, could hardly let his eyes leave hers, desperately anticipating her response to him.
"You're him aren't you? The Goblin King." Jareth was under strain to stop himself rolling his eyes at her unanticipated simplicity. Who does she believe I to be? Her fairy Godmother?
"What's said is said," Jareth proceeded with the usual routine, it was had to retain such composure before the girl who had became the driving force within him for the past age of his life.
"I've brought you a gift," He was weakened by her eyes, manipulated by them, he felt close to succumbing to her wishes, responding to her pleas, returning the child home with no trial. And so he offered her the chance to cut out all the ridiculous fuss, forget the baby, forget all but him, for that was most clearly her dream, and the crystal was possessed of the power to make ones dream apparent. And then all it would take was for him to realise them for her. But she turned him down, politely, reasonably, but she rejected him. The Goblins looked on, as the last ounce of patience was lost from him.
"Don't defy me." He had thrown a snake at her. Yes, a snake. Most men seeking the favour of the one to whom they are devoted by offering boxes of ribboned chocolates or lying flourishing bouquets at their feet. Some force reams of sickening poetry into their hands, far more ply their objects of affection with wine and masking words, Jareth on the over hand was offering a poisonous snake. It is this that probably most clearly exemplified how little he knew or understood of Sarah's world, in his land, girls and women were treated more as commodities, as pretty adornments to impress and inspire envy. To defy Jareth, in his eyes, warranted such a show of displeasure.
She gave a little scream, that cut through him, but could not prevent a twisted smile forming on his face from her distress, and then they proceeded with the routine once more. And he showed her the wide expanse of the Labyrinth, she was clearly awed by it at first sight, but this soon turned to hopeless optimism, her gaping mouth stating "it doesn't look too far," he took great pleasure in leaning close to her, so she could feel his warm breath on her neck, murmuring, "it's further than you think." He informed her of her brother's fate if she were too fail, something Jareth was going to ensure was made a certainty, before fading away before her captive eyes.
Jareth was more obsessive over the crystal than ever before now, rarely letting his eyes leave the form of the girl trapped within his strictly dictated boundaries. With one exception who warranted his attention, the child, Toby he was called, he was a happy infant. Jareth was glad he would have no reason to transform him into a Goblin, it was not on form to turn one's future brother-in-law into a scabby grotesque. He was instead bouncing him on his knee, singing him ditty's sung to him as a child by his mother with his pleasant voice, before setting him down so he could amuse himself with the Goblins, just as he had done so many times as a child. Toby was bemused, a little intimidated at first by the foreign nature of the Goblin's appearance, their exaggerated features, slurring speech, but he soon accepted them as play fellows, crawling about merrily with them, exploring every nook and cranny of the room.
Lasander meanwhile, was straining his ghostly head over his brother's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the girl who so consumed him. When he saw her face, her dark hair, rosy cheeks, wide innocent eyes, he suddenly hit a realisation as to the reason behind Jareth's fascination. It's all beginning to make a horrible sense. Lasander cast his mind back to the memory of the little dark haired girl who Jareth had grown so attached to as a child. They only had a day together, less than that, but thirteen hours, but by the end of that time he had grown an impossible devotion to her. A devotion that had needed to be broken. None could have foreseen what a profound effect it would have on his character. All the women in Jareth's life had been fair of hair, cold and distant, narrow eyed, but the girl, Isobel she had been called, had been so warm, so different, so loving. Lasander shook off the troublesome memory, returning to the crystal, where the girl was conversing with a vivid blue worm, who happened to speak with a strong cockney accent.
Jareth had taken to pacing the confines of his castle, having left the throne room. The crystal was still ever present in his palm, he briefly passed by the entrance to the Escher room, he had a horrible feeling he may have to enter the dizzying structure once more. He held a great disgust for the room, it brought back painful, harrowing memories that had him wake in the night in a cold sweat, eyes bulging, reliving moments so long past as if yesterday. He hoped she would fail to get that far, wished for it above all else at that moment in time. But if she was the Sarah who he so believed in and admired – she would put every effort into reaching him and his castle. Just as much effort as he would put into keeping her there.
"Your extremity!" A Goblin came scurrying over, tugging at his cloak, Jareth barked at him to continue, "the girl, she's reached the Oubliette!"
"What!" Jareth swept with urgency back to the throne room, settling in the throne, the Goblins crowded in a cluster about him, murmuring with the excitement of being able to observe the significant progress of the challenger, "she shouldn't have got this far," a frown creased his brow, he would need to take action. His lessons in disguise were to find themselves a use.
He watched them both as they came walking down the corridor placidly, following the glittering path of his crystal with fascination, he sat peering at them through his lowered cap, this disguise was particularly accomplished, he was unrecognisable to himself even as he had paraded himself in front of his mirror.
Jareth waited till they were close enough to take in the full impact of his visage, he rose, discarding the beggar's guise, revealing himself in all his finery, Sarah gave a little gasp, and Hoggle a groan.
What in the name of Goblin-kind is Hoggle doing, helping her. "Do you happen to be helping this girl Hedgewart?" He arched a fear inducing eyebrow, Hoggle shuddered, head spinning with the threats Jareth had directed at him before Sarah's arrival, should he fail or disobey. Threats too gruesome and blood curdling to commit to paper. Jareth's jealousy was rising once more, any rival, inhabiting any form, that showed the potential to usurp his place in her affections – needed to be vanquished.
"Hogwart." Sarah corrected him is a rush. My, so impertinent, this girl will need to be taught it is not proper to counter one's ruler. Her boldness pleased him, a sign of a flowering character, some submission along with a little liveliness was needed to make a worthwhile union, to retain the magic in what began as a sudden overpowering rush of love.
After supplementing the previously delivered threats with ones of far greater magnitude (suspension over the bog is an example) he turned his attention to Sarah, smiling wickedly. Propping a hand against the wall, so as to lean toward her, he smiled slightly, she was the source of such amusement to him. Jareth had long been skilled in the art of intimidation, and it was close to working. "And you Sarah, how are you enjoying my Labyrinth?"
Sarah proved herself something of a fool with her answer. Declaring that a mindbogglingly complicated, otherworldly labyrinth is 'a piece of cake' is not a wise answer when the figure of Jareth is looming over one. Still, Jareth could easily mould her ignorance and absolute naivety to his advantage, he conjured an image of a clock to the wall, twisting the hands around, loosing hours from her time. She protested with her signature cry, "It's not fair!" She looked disbelieving as the odds mounted yet more against her chance at victory. He felt a vague sadness as his confidence in her failure increased, he was not sure of the reason for his melancholy. It made him snappish, his temperament brittle and yet more transient than ever before.
"You speak those words so often, I speculate as to what your basis for comparison is." He was frustrated by certain repetitive aspects of her nature, so like a child still, totally lacking any significant groundings of maturity. He had to place hope in the idea that the experience of the Labyrinth would build a strong and capable character within her pretty mask. He decided to liven up the smooth course of Sarah's journey, and thrust one his crystals down the corridor, where it manipulated it's form to that of the cleaners that maintained the passages of the Labyrinth, blades rotating, splitting the air. Jareth disappeared to the sound of exclamations and fearful shrieks.
Firstly of all, I am going to apoligise profusely for the delay. Real life has got in the way of my writing, but luckily it is finished, beta tested (thanks Ergott!), and ready for your reading pleasure now. This is the penultimate chapter, only one more to go now! Hopefully I've made this sutiably interesting away from the movie, I'd love to know what you think, or if you have any questions, so please review!
Onto my reviewers:
Irresistable Malaria - Yep, Sarah has stuck her foot right in it now. I think she might come to regret it with time, I most certainly would not (chance to meet all powerful Goblin King wow (though possibly slightly imtimidating)!)
InuLvr7 - I'm glad you loved it :D! I hope you like this chapter!
I will put every effort into uploading the next chapter on time (Sunday) and then I will begin dealing with Life after Labyrinth (among other things)...