Chapter Four: The mask is off:

Sarah wanted to shiver under his intense gaze, but she had matured enough to face HIM. No childish fears, no girlish fantasies. No more.

"Answer my question" she ordered him firmly. Jareth only gave her a mocking smile in return.

"Such fiery temper… Such passion…" he muttered almost hungrily. And for Sarah he suddenly looked like a starved panther eyeing a succulent prey.

"You know this man, Sarah?" Karen asked incredulously. The girl half- smiled and nodded.

"Of course… He is the Goblin King, lives in a place called the Underground; his hobby is kidnapping poor little babies and making people go through his Labyrinth in order to rescue them. He LOVES to change his clothes every five minutes, always were tights as if it was a religious thing, and occasionally… bursts into a song" she smirked a little, remembering Hoggle's descriptions of Jareth dancing Magic Dance with his Goblins…

She shook her head and then observed Jareth was smiling too… That wasn't a good thing. Definitely.

"You remember me well, Sarah… very well, actually. So you have been thinking about me, haven't you been?" he whispered, arching an eyebrow.

"Keep dreaming…" she hissed, looking at him airily.

"Don't lie to me Sarah, because I will now" his features hardened and then, as he gazed at her he arched both eyebrows "You've changed… drastically, if I may add, Sarah"

She was taken aback for a couple of second. Her eyes were wide and confused when she whispered: "You noticed…"

He threw his head back again and laughed icily, cruelly.

"It's quite obvious my dear. You were beautiful back then, but now you are simple stunning…"

Sarah blushed deeply, despite her better judgment. Oh, he did have power over him… so much power…

"Sarah Williams STUNNING??? Now that something funny!!" Alexa spat, hating to be ignored. Jareth gazed at her icily and muttered:

"You really got on my nerves his time, mortal" before producing a crystal ball. But Sarah wouldn't have it. She created another crystal and threw it to Jareth's orb. Both crystals crashed and shattered into pieces, one magic nullifying the other. Jareth's eyes showed anger first, then surprise and finally amusement.

"Astonishing. My sweet, little Sarah has a couple of tricks under the sleeve" he mused aloud.

"You mean you didn't know? You mean you didn't do this to me? Then, why…"

Suddenly Jareth froze, an idea forming in his head.

"I think I know why…" he whispered, cursing aloud on a strange language because, suddenly, all made sense and he wasn't liking what he was realizing. 'This can't be!!! That old prophecy can't be true!!!' he thought angrily. Then he sighed and resolved to get Sarah to the Underground as quickly as possible. There he would be able to make sure she was safe while he figured out if the prophecy was correct and any way of stopping it from happening.

'I will never loose my power to such an inferior creature… Now matter how stunning or enchanting she might be' he thought firmly.

Sarah was looking at him, confused.

"Why do I have magic, Jareth? Tell me!" she demanded like true royalty.

"I have nothing to do with that. You have had magic since the day you were born, Sarah… And that's the only thing I can tell you" he told her plainly. Then he stretched a hand and held it out to her.

"But if you wish to know the identity of your attackers; that will cost you…" he smiled wickedly and whispered "You have to dance with me"

Sarah knew she was powerful, and she knew too that if she wanted with a little bit of training she could fight with Jareth magic against magic but… she also knew that that silly 'You have no power over me' was the biggest lie ever.

Jareth sensed her uneasiness and tried to appear innocent. Of course, he failed.

"Come on, Sarah. Just one harmless dance. I promise I won't bite" he assured her but not even him believed those words.

"Do I have a choice?" she inquired, sighing. He shook his majestic head, his spiky hair still catching the light of the moon that flirted through the windows.

"Okay. But just one dance" he warned. She was about to take his hand when he shook his head again.

"I want to dance with the real Sarah, my darling. My stunning, fiery Sarah. Take your mask off"

He produced a crystal and tossed it to her. Sarah doubted for a second. Everybody was staring at them. They would be really surprised… or shocked.

"Let them stare, Sarah" Jareth mumbled when the crystal shattered into a thousand pieces that landed all over the raven-haired girl. Instantly her outfit shimmered and changed. She stared at herself from a mirror and nearly yelped: the dress she was wearing, of the finest silk, was deep red, almost blood red. It was a modern strapped long dress but it had a tail that added elegance and style. Her hair was tied with silk red ribbons of the same fabric and color of the gown she was wearing that made patterns across her hair. Her lips where painted with blood red lipstick and she had dark eye-shadow and her eyes were glowing deep red. But what almost made Sarah yelp was the cleavage of the dress. Let it say that really didn't leave anything to imagination.

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have let you dress me… After the Ballroom dress, what could I've expected?" she sighed dramatically and lifted Jareth's chin "The least thing you could do is look at me in the eyes, darling. Ah… Men…" she sighed again, shaking slightly her head.

"You are even more ravishingly beautiful that I thought possible, Sarah" Jareth regretted those words the moment after they came out of his mouth, but he really couldn't help himself.

"Mm… I guess It's quite a change form plain, old Sarah and… I like every moment of this… To finally live… to feel… I... don't think I could go back to be what I was… Because this is what I really am" she was about to spin, feeling suddenly happy, when she noticed that everybody was staring at her with their jaws in the floor.

"Oh, boy" she muttered.

Authors Note: I hope you like the story so far. I know a lot of people sent me reviews and I appreciate that but, id it is not much to ask, I would like more! Well, yeah, I am a greedy author, so sue me! (No don't, it's just an expression). Please, please, send more reviews so I update this story more often! I promise that if I reach 50 reviews or more I will post the next chapter: "Of Attitudes and Sweet-Tempting Hell". Please!