She Thought It Was Over…
Plot Summary: Sarah, after eating the enchanted peach, awakens to find herself in a bubble shaped like a ballroom. She dances with the Goblin King, and then continues on her quest to eventually destroy him. This is where my story leaves off, I don't want to give too much away because then you won't read it.
Sarah awoke to a faint current of sunshine streaming through the window. Blinking her eyes, Sarah tried to remember where she was. Then, feeling a little sick, the events from the day before came crashing over her. Unfortunately, it hadn't been a dream. She did, however, feel more refreshed and ready to face the day. Not just the day, but Jareth as well. A knock on the door brought Sarah forcefully from her thoughts.
Walking a little stiffly towards the resounding knocks, Sarah opened the door to reveal the same goblin as the night before. "Oh, hello," Sarah spoke.
The little goblin bowed and replied, "His majesty, King Jareth, requests your presence in the throne room. Follow me." Sighing, Sarah realized that this goblin didn't have much of a personality. It sure was the most serious little thing Sarah had ever seen.
She followed the goblin through and around the twisting and winding corridors of the castle. Sarah looked around in awe. She never realized how large the castle was before. Their walked ended all too quickly for Sarah. Jareth was sprawled sideways in his tarnished throne, unaware of Sarah's arrival. The goblin opened his mouth to announce Sarah's presence, but Sarah, thinking of this as her only chance to observe the goblin king in peace, clamped her hand down forcefully over the goblin's half-open mouth. "Shhh…" she whispered into his ear. "I'll let him know I'm hear. Off with you."
Surprisingly, the goblin did as it was told and wandered off out of Sarah's sight. Sarah straightened and continued to observe the goblin king. She was shocked to see how tired he looked. His clothes were wrinkled and there was the beginning of dark purple smudges beneath his eyes. His shoulders were slumped and his face was weary. Where was the oh-so-proud goblin king beneath this exhausted man she saw before her?
Sarah decided that she had better break the silence before Jareth noticed she was there. Sarah cleared her throat and Jareth startled a little and sat up quickly. "Well, well. It's about time. I was starting to think that you got lost," Jareth stated more as fact than as insult. Sarah rubbed her eyes.
"What is it that you want with me?" she asked, her whole demeanor changed from the stubborn little girl Jareth had battled wits with just the day before. She seemed older, more mature. Yet, Jareth knew that she was still young.
Jareth stood, and Sarah noticed that he wasn't wearing a cape. He had been yesterday. Today he was clad in breeches and a flowing shirt. Even with the lack of a cape, his advance towards her was still imposing. "Sarah," as he spoke name softly, Sarah looked up at him. His face was no longer challenging or mocking. "I'm done toying with you. You have proven yourself."
Sarah stared at him, not quite comprehending. She was confused and she distrusted him greatly. "What do you mean?" Before she could question him further, Jareth simply stated, "Come." He extended his arm to her, bent at the elbow. Sarah looked at him suspiciously. Yet, she took his arm anyway. With a swirl of the wind and a flash of light they were gone from the throne room.
When Sarah opened her eyes, she was in the breathtakingly beautiful ballroom she had been when she danced with Jareth in the bubble. She wore the same whimsical silver ball gown, and he the midnight blue tuxedo with embedded jewels.
Sarah's mouth was almost completely open as she looked around her in awe. The last time she was here she was so caught up with her quest that she never did get to fully appreciate the sheer opulence of the room. Moving her mouth in an attempt to form a question, Sarah said, "Why did you bring me here?" Watching her watch the room, Jareth knew what she must be thinking. Of course, he always did.
"Surprised? I was too." Sarah looked at him questioningly. "When I sent you that dream crystal so that I could entrap you with whatever dream would be most appealing to you, this is the dream that you chose, Sarah."
Sarah blushed and looked away. Jareth smirked, amused at her reaction. "Don't be embarrassed. Do you think you are the first young girl to have a crush on me?" Sarah glared at him. "I don't have a crush on you," she stated matter-of-factly. "Then why all this?" Twirling a lock of her hair around one of her fingers, Sarah thought. If Jareth was telling the truth, which is questionable, Sarah really didn't know. Actually, she did, but she didn't want to let Jareth of all people know why.
Sarah bit her lip and sighed. "Well," she began. "I guess it's because when I was a little girl, my mother gave me a music box with a dancer inside. I suppose that deep down I always wanted to be that dancer." Sarah tried to explain to Jareth as best as she could without revealing too much. She lifted her face up to look at him, and his eyes caught hers. The sparkling, mismatched orbs entranced Sarah.
"Care to dance?" Jareth asked, bowing deeply to Sarah and offering his hand. Sarah took it, but this time of her own free-will. Not because she was under the spell of a drug-induced hallucination. "I sent you the peach to make you sleep. But then, I thought better of it. With the dream crystal and the peach, it caused all this," Jareth explained as he led her into a slow waltz around the room. Sarah, in that instance, felt so grown-up that she forgot that she was only sixteen.
"Jareth, what is the purpose to all of this? I mean, not letting me leave?" Sarah wondered. Jareth knew that she was bound to ask this question eventually. He kept his grip on her firm as he explained.
"I'm old, Sarah. And, I'm tired of being goblin king. I need an heir. I've chosen you. But, just listen to me before you object. While you were the only person to ever lose at the labyrinth, you showed in those few short hours that you were a match for me and the labyrinth. Your will really is as strong as mine. Your kingdom will be as great. You managed to figure out the labyrinth in the time that you were here. No one has ever done that. Not even me, I had to be taught how to use its magic. You were also able to save your brother, even though I would've returned him. I know that you are dissatisfied with your life above. Why not stay here, with me, and take over for me?" Amidst Jareth's speech, Sarah had stopped dancing and was frozen in space.
She was almost too stunned to function. So, that's what all this had been about. All the wishing she had done in the labyrinth turned out to be the secret. All you had to do is want something and request it, and the labyrinth would provide it for you. Everything that had happened to Sarah in the labyrinth she had wanted to happened subconsciously. Only, she hadn't realized it until now. Sarah's looked up into Jareth's expectant face. She didn't know what to say. "Jareth, I…I want to help you. I do. But, I don't know anything about ruling a kingdom, much less a bunch of goblins." Jareth smiled, or what could be taken as a smile, and replied to her.
"Sarah, don't you think that I know that? Do you think that I am so cruel as to just leave you here on your own? I will leave once you feel that you are ready to rule on your own." Sarah thought. She thought, and she thought, and she thought some more. What did she have to lose?
"I accept," she stated certainly. Jareth waved his hand and they were no longer in the throne room, but facing the walls to the beginning of the labyrinth. Somehow Sarah's clothes had been transformed from that of a white, billowing poet's shirt to one of a black, form-fitting shirt that had bell-sleeves. She wore white breeches that matched Jareth's, except they flared a little at the bottom. She was almost wearing the opposite of what Jareth was. Turning her head, she observed a young girl running down the sandy red hill that Sarah had just a day or so ago.
The girl was small for age and slender. She had a head full of auburn curls and a bunch of freckles that dotted her fair face. She approached Jareth and Sarah hesitantly. "Where am I?" she asked stubbornly. Sarah smirked. Jareth motioned to Sarah to speak.
"You are too late is what you are. Your brother has been taken. This is the labyrinth. You have thirteen hours to solve it. That," Sarah said, pointing her finger beyond the labyrinth, "is the castle." And with that, Sarah and Jareth faded, leaving the distraught girl on her own.
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