Chapter Four

The Illusion

A/N: You guys are so awesome. I love all your kind words and awesome reviews. Very encouraging. I seriously did not expect anybody to like this, especially after the two Laby fics I've obsessed myself with over the past week. So keep it coming. I appreciate every word!

Sarah bit her lip, hoping with every bit of her that this wasn't real, that there wasn't a vindictive Goblin King in the corner of her bedroom. Yet Sarah looked at him and could not deny it. He was there in all arrogance, power, and callousness. Sarah turned away from the individual and covered her face in her hands. She tried her best to wish his face away, nearly amounting to a cry.

"Pleased to see me?" Came to a voice in her ear, the hot breath of his tickling the insides of it. He was very near to her, she could feel it. She gave no reply.

The Goblin King acknowledged not a care. "Open your eyes." he said, almost gently.

For reasons unknown, Sarah obeyed. In front of her played a scene of unearthly labyrinthine creatures gowned in magnificent dresses of silver like the moon and gold like the sun. Some donned masks of elaborate design and appeared as horses or birds or cats. Among them were other strange beasts from his world, but only three were familiar to her. They bared the unmistakable resemblance to her three friends, her three best friends; Ludo, Hoggle, and Sir Didymus (who was perched on the ever-so loyal Ambrosius). She raised her hand for their attention, but they did not see her, even though it was as if they were looking right at her.

Then it all became clear, this was an illusion.

"All this…" came that voice in her ear again as the Goblin King bent forward to her. "…it can be yours Sarah…..it's not too late…."

She still did not reply. She studied the court of a world that was not her own, a world she was terribly unfamiliar with.

"Don't you want this to be yours?" he pressed, now his hands were fixed on her shoulders. She could feel his warmth through her sweatshirt.

"What are you talking about?" she asked breathlessly as she settled for a gaze at one particular being.

"SARAH!" Came a cry, then a loud pounding from behind them. Sarah turned away from the panorama, which faded back to her bedroom as soon as her eyes met the door. "SARAH!" it was Toby and he was crying.

"Oh…Toby…" Sarah opened the door and knelt to his level, scooping her brother into her arms like a loving mother would do. "What's wrong, Toby?" she asked, soothingly stroking his soft blonde hair.

"I…" he sniffled and was rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I….I had a bad dream…"

"Oh, what a shame. What was it about?" Sarah asked, pulling away slightly so she could look at him.

"Monsters…" he said sadly.

"Monsters?"

"Mhmm." Toby nodded, then clung himself to her neck. Sarah gently picked him up.

"Do you want to stay with me here tonight?" she asked so generously, a bit unlike herself. Normally, she would have turned him away, discarding him as a brat. But tonight was different, since she'd been at college, she found herself longing for him.

"Mhmm." Toby nodded into Sarah's shoulder.

"Okay." Sarah glanced around the room, checking for any remembrance of the Goblin King. But he wasn't there. She gave a relieved sigh and walked to the bed as if there was nothing unusual about this. Toby had already fallen back to sleep so she just set him down on her pillow.

"He's grown." Sarah nearly jumped at the voice, it was back and behind her.

"Yes." Sarah replied simply, side-stepping away and moving for the other side of her bed. She was careful not to meet Jareth's eyes.

The room was deathly silent, although neither seemed to care. Jareth had been eying many of her fairytale trinkets on the shelves. He stepped closer to the bookshelf nearest him and ran his fingers down a few of their spines as he read the titles.

"What are you doing?" Sarah finally allowed herself to glance up when she concluded that it was very out of the ordinary for The Goblin King not to speak.

"Simply admiring your possessions." he replied nonchalantly, his finger lingered on a book of Fairytale Myths.

"And who gave you permission to do so?" Sarah inquired him, fuming and with her hands on her hips.

"No one. I do not need permission from anyone." He replied to her, still keeping it cool.

"When you're in my bedroom you need permission from me to do anything. Now why are you here?" She demanded, her patience was growing very thin.

"My dear, Sarah…" Jareth only plastered on one of his smirks and took a step closer towards her very determined frame. "…I am here to reclaim what's mine."

At first thought, Sarah glanced down at the young boy in bed. Something clenched her heart like a iron fist. "Not Toby." she said slowly, her guard down a little.

"No, not Toby." The fist released her heart, but she still did not like the way he was smiling at her or the way that he chuckled in such a menacing way.

"Then, what do you want? I have nothing of yours." she stated, quickly picking her guard back up.

"You say that with such confidence that I wonder what evidence you have behind your words." he said with amusement.

"What?" Sarah's eyes grew small as she searched his face for some answer. What she should have remembered was that his face was unreadable. It always had been and that hadn't changed. There was always a barrier that he hid behind, Sarah could tell that much, but what he was like without the barrier, she had no idea and didn't like her thoughts dwelling there.

The Goblin King stepped away, his shoulders straight and his posture perfectly upright, he never faltered to appear like a king. "I did not come here for the baby. He was recovered fairly, you got him back and for that, you should be grateful. However, something you did not care to question is what happens afterwards."

Sarah's face fell, her eyes looked towards the floor as she tried to make out his words. "What happens afterwards?" she asked him, slow to speak for fear of an answer.

"I did not win the babe, so I need another to take that place."

His words cut away at her. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Sarah, you're a clever girl. I expect that if anyone were to figure me out, it would be you." He began to pace in front of her, this only made Sarah more uncomfortable.

"Are….are you saying that you want me instead of Toby?" she asked, more curious than frightened at this moment.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jareth stopped in front of her, his face only inches away from her own.

"Why now? Why has it been five years and you come now for me?" the fear was finally kicking into her voice, although her face wouldn't allow it to show.

"Sarah…..why do you continue to fight me? Life could be so easy so you…" Jareth used one of his leathered hands to brush the stray hairs from her face.

"Don't touch me." Sarah said with offense as she stepped away from his finger tips. "I want nothing to do with you."

"You do not yet realize that everything has to do with me." he spoke in almost a whisper.

"Wh----leave. Leave me ALONE!" Sarah held up her arms to push him away, but Jareth was too quick for her liking and was able to grab her wrists to prevent her from even touching him.

"Very well. I shall be back in the morning." He told her and before she could protest, he was gone.

The room became dark. Sarah blinked a couple of times, adjusting her eyes to the darkness. There was no trace of the Goblin King.

Sarah bolted up in bed. She griped the thin sheets between her fingers and looked around in a desperate hope. Toby was asleep beside her still. It was early morning so the sun was barely visible over the trees in the William's backyard. A startling crash had caused Sarah to awaken from her slumber, and also made her realize that she hadn't dreamt the Goblin King. He had really been in her bedroom the night before.

With her heart pounding so hard that it nearly broke through her chest, Sarah ran through the door and down to the bottom floor. Now she took her step cautiously. The noises did not stop and they did not sound like the noises in Toby's room from last night. But it did sound chaotic and Sarah could only fear what she would find once she opened the door to the kitchen.

Sarah reached out for the door knob and pushed the door open. Not a gasp escaped her, but her eyes bulged wide and a hand clasped to her mouth. It was worse than just the Goblins. Goblins were tearing apart cereal boxes from the cupboard, but Firey's were also dancing on her kitchen table.

"Hey!" Cried one who was balancing his head on his ankle. "Come join us!" it cried. Then another reached for Sarah and caught to sleeve of her pajama top. Sarah screamed and backed herself out of the room.

"What is going on?" Sarah choked out a small sob and sunk to the floor.

A Goblin flew out the kitchen door seconds later and missed her only by inches. Sarah witnessed the incident and only cried harder. What was she to do?

"I need to leave…I need to get out of here…." Another Goblin flew out the door and landed with the other Goblin, who was chuckling heartily. Sarah dodged them both and flew to her room. Quickly, she dressed and the shook Toby awake.

She left Toby no time for questions and dressed him. "We have to leave, Toby." she said in her most rational voice, trying carefully not to alert him.

"Where are we going?"

"I…." Sarah was having difficulty with her trembling hands as she was buttoning his jacket. "…I don't know…but….but we'll find somewhere to go at least for a little bit…."

Toby did not ask anymore questions and allowed Sarah to pick him and nearly run down the stairs with him clenched to her chest.

The Goblins and Fireys, by this time, had made their way out to the living room and were causing much havoc there.

"Oh God…" Sarah groaned when she caught a glimpse of the broken lamps and torn book pages. But she only urged herself to keep moving and got to the front door. She went for the knob but the door didn't open. She struggled and pulled with tears of frustration coming down, but it wouldn't give. Then she looked up to see a hand that was blocking it's way. Sarah traced the arm to the body and was met with a face of amusement.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sarah asked, through gritted teeth.

"Sarah…" Toby whined with fright, pulling his arms tighter around his sister.

Jareth clicked his teeth at the child and extended his arms to take him from Sarah, but Sarah was determined not to let the boy go. "Oh, little Toby…" Jareth cooed.

"Let him go….what do you want with us…" Sarah was shaking her head. Jareth finally was able to pry Toby from her arms and hold him in his own. Toby's face was plastered with fear, he could not fight against this.

"How many times must I tell you?" Jareth frowned. "An eye for an eye….a tooth for a tooth. Toby won't be mine….but someone must be."

Sarah's eyes were clouded with tears.

"You were the only one to ever beat my labyrinth, Sarah. I have never lost a child…..until your dear brother here……and since I cannot claim him because you have won him back fairly….I need another."

"Another child?" Sarah titled her head and used her hand to wipe away a few tears.

"The foolish human who wished away the child." He answered and smirked, running his fingers through Toby's hair. Toby looked at his sister, he reached for her, but Jareth held him back. "You will love me Sarah."

"I will NEVER love you." She told him, boldness behind her words.

The goblins laughed behind him. Sarah had almost forgotten they were there, let alone that they were hanging onto their dialogue. Jareth glanced behind him at them and then looked back at Sarah. "Now Sarah, you must have learned by now that it is unwise to go against my words. Have you not noticed the goblins, the fireys, the pieces of my world here in your own."

Hesitantly, Sarah nodded.

"In no time at all…" Jareth's voice became unpleasantly resonant. "….this world as you know it will no longer exist and my world will have taken it's place."

Sarah's eyes narrowed, she was trying with all her might not to show her fear. "Are you not satisfied with your own world that you need to take over this one too? Are you that selfish?"

"I hardly call that selfish since you took over my world, I am left with nothing to do but to take yours." he replied. Toby was looking at the man he was held by and was almost ready to start crying himself, so Jareth held him tighter and moved side to side in order to comfort him. "If you do not choose to come with me, Sarah, this world will be but nothing in only a short time."

"I don't believe you. You're lying." She sneered and reached for Toby. Jareth hardly expected this and let the child be taken from his arms. "Go back to your labyrinth and stay there." She opened the door and slammed it shut in his face.

The Goblin King crossed his arms over his chest and with his front to the door, a leer crept wickedly over his pale face. "I'll have you Sarah, you'll fall in love with me and you won't even realize it."

Okay that was a little longer. Although length matters little to some of you, it makes others of you happy. : ) All right so how was that? I hope it was good for you guys because I have an awesome idea for this story and I want you kids to hang on. I just hope that nobody's done it before. Anyway, thanks again for the awesome reviews. Every word is encouraging.