Alright, Now I would like to thank Lady Galriee, Rai Medvedsky for reviewing my story. Now I'm only posting this tonight because I had it already written so, Here it is.
DISCLAIMER: I already told you stupid Lawers that I don't own the rights to the movie, now get off my BACK! (no respect, none!)
(Eleven years later)
"Ashley, you need to get up. You're going to be late for school." Sarah yelled through her daughter's door. For a single mother dating a goblin king she thought that walking up her sixteen year old daughter was the easiest part of her day. Ashley walked out of her room fully clothed in her normal jeans and black tee-shirt, today containing the donkey from Winnie the Pooh. Her eyes still closed as she groped for her tea, Sarah held out the mug to Ashley. After Ashley finished off the tea she began to complete her comments to her mother. Ashley knew the fact that her mom had been dating the Goblin King, and was now in fact engaged.
"After school don't forget that we have to go to the underground ball."
"I know mom. Just leave my dress on the bed so I don't wear the wrong thing, please." Ashley said as she put on her backpack to leave. The school day was always too long for her liking.
"Ashley, Ashley!" Her friend called as she grabbed Ashley's bag, almost causing her to fall. "Are you coming to my house today?" Ashley shook her head in response.
"No, sorry. But, I'll call you later. I promise." And with that Ashley ran off to her house. As soon as she had taken her shower and thrown on the midnight- blue/purple dress Sarah had left out she grabbed her hair brush and yell out to no one. "Jareth! I could use some help here, please!" With that Ashley closed her eyes. When she re-opened them she was in the room she had designated for her own. Quickly she ran the brush through her dark brown, strait, shoulder length hair. She knew she was cutting it close, 'maybe a little too close.' She thought to her self. Just as she reached for the door handle to leave Jareth opened it from the other side.
"You're late." He said sternly.
"Hey, it's not my fault that my teachers love to talk long after the bell." Jareth shook his head.
"Maybe I shouldn't give this to you." He said as he pulled out a box from behind his back. "But you would look ridicules with out it." Ashley's eyes lit up.
"Oh, come on. Let me open it, please?" Ashley looked at him with "puppy" eyes. With out a word Jareth handed over the box. Ashley lifted off the top and peered inside. "It's beautiful." Inside was a silver mask that covered the top half of her face. In Ashley's opinion it went perfectly with her dress.
"Are you ready?" Jareth asked as he held open the door for the newly masked Ashley. As Ashley entered the ball room no heads turned to her sight. Which was a relief for her. No one really took notice, except one individual. Threw out the night several men asked her to dance, but each time Ashley turned them away. During one of the slowest songs of the night a young man in an all black suit with a blood red mask, his dirty blond hair falling over the edge of the mask, and bright blue eyes looking around, walked over to her.
"May I have this dance?" The man's eyes locked on with hers, his hand held out casually for her to take. Ashley knew she had met the man before but could not remember how or why. As she tried to think these things she nodded her head and grabbed the man's hand. The man brought her to the middle of the dance floor.
"Do I know you?" Ashley asked.
"Perhaps. I was thinking that same thought as you walked into the ball." The man continued to spin her.
"And I had hoped that my presence had been over looked." Ashley said with a small laugh. The man smiled at her.
"With so many men asking you to dance, how could you have gone unnoticed? It would seem that many of the women here tonight are slightly jealous of you."
"You must be mistaken. The only thing that they might be jealous of is if they knew who I was."
"And who are you?" The man asked as he dipped Ashley.
"No one of importance. Who are you?" Ashley was not just going to give out her name to anyone.
"Just another person here." The man dropped his hands from Ashley's side as the song ended. Her body becoming colder as she lost his heat. "Until the next time." He said, with a bow, as he walked away from Ashley, keeping eye contact for as long as possible. The night wore on and not once did Ashley see that man again. After what seemed for ever the last of the guests left the castle.
"God, could that have gone on any longer!" Ashley said as she sat down on one of the chairs that were left out for the guests. "By the end I had at LEAST two drunken guys asked me to dance. Can we please cut down on the out put of the liquor?" Ashley asked no one in particular.
"Ashley, did you ever even dance with anyone? Before the drunks, I mean." Sarah looked at her daughter. She had the fight that Sarah had but was much more shy and quiet around large groups. For a moment Ashley hesitated before answering.
"Well, I did dance with one guy. But I don't even know who it was." Ashley shrugged her shoulders. Jareth entered the ball room, after having sent off the last of the guests.
"So you did dance with a guy. Why didn't you ask his name, or who he was?" Sarah tried to press more information from her daughter.
"Well, I did. But he didn't tell me." Ashley said as she took off her mask to look at her mother better.
"Why didn't he tell you?" Jareth asked as he sat down next to Sarah, grabbing her hand. Ashley had despised any man Sarah dated; even the slightest sign of affection drove Ashley mad. Once Sarah started to be 'wooed' by Jareth it didn't send Ashley off on these huge anger swings.
"Probably because I didn't tell him…"Ashley let her sentence hang in the air for a moment.
"Now why would you do that?" Sarah shook her head at her daughter, the child may be bright but when it came to boys and showing affection and coyness, she never seemed to get it. 'Ashley would rather be one of the boys, then date them.' She thought to her self.
"Well, would you go around telling people exactly who you were if you were in my position. My mother is about to marry the KING of the goblins, now every power hungry suitor will be after me as soon as I have my 'coming out' ball. And do I really have to have one? I mean, in the aboveground I'm already thought to be klutzy, why prove it to the underground." Ashley cocked her head in annoyance.
"Because as the soon to be princess of the underground and heir if no other child is born, it is necessary to show the kingdom that you are capable to care for it. And as for your 'klutziness' it did not seem to be a factor while you were dancing with the man in the red mask." Jareth continued to stroke the back of Sarah's hand as he spoke to Ashley.
"Wait a minute! You saw me dancing! How? I thought you were with mom 'mingling' with the noble adults." Ashley asked in confusion.
"I was, but that doesn't mean we can't see you from the dance floor." Jareth said with a smile.
"What ever. I'm going to my room." Both Jareth and Sarah knew she was going to the room in the castle. "Why didn't I think of coming here earlier? Maybe then I could have avoided those drunks in the first place. That should have been my first thought. Why do I always think of these things after the fact? Whatever, hm… I wonder if that guy will be at the next ball? I mean he did say 'until next time.' So did he really mean the next ball? I don't know…" Ashley fell on to her bed before falling asleep.
Please Read and Review! And flame me if you want! I don't mind, just watch out because I may Bit ya back!
