With a smirk, she commented. "Nice costume."
Jareth glared. "Its no costume, its my fancy clothes. Now, heres what I need you to do. I need you to make yourself young for tonight and get Eric away from Sarah."
Mare blinked. "Jareth. I dont have that kind of power. Your father didnt-" Mare sighed, image running through her head. "Get out of my head boy." She growled at him. "I'll do it but you owe me for it. Closing her eyes she concentrated on the image he had in mind, but with a few changes. Glitter swirled around her as the power she'd been given did its magic.
Within a heartbeat Mare was no longer old but oung again. She tossed her head, her onix colored hair stripped with red and silver tossing with the motion. In her older age her hair had been more silver and the red had only shown in certain lights. OPening her eyes they were a golden brown untmpered by age which had made them a darker brown. Her mouth was elegantly curved in a smile. "Good enough Jareth?"
Jareth gapped at her. "You mean to tell me you looked like that once?" MAre laughed softly, her voice young and soft.
"Yes, many years ago, when your father and I first met." Her gown was simple and cordinated with her hair, red and black. She would be the night butterfly at the ball. Graced with hints of red and silver all about her. "Lets get going. This ball will be long and I will need a long rest after it. I may look young but heaven knows I'm nearly, well, I dont know any more, older then you thats for sure."
Jareth nodded and took Mares hand, teleporting them to the ball. They walked through the doors as a couple. Jareth spoke quietly to Mare.
"Keep your mask up until the right moment, seduce the man if you have to. I dont care, just keep him from Sarah."
Mare glared at him. "Seduce him. Are you insane? I expect you expect me to dance about him like a pixy also?"
Jareth chuckled. "If you have to." Mare felt a light touch of Jareths hand. "Please Mare. Just this once use the power my father gave you. Dont think I dont know how much it was. You could take over the underworld if you wanted to."
Mare blushed. "Hush boy before I spank you. I'll do what I can. If I could seduce your father I suppose a human shouldnt be to hard. But know that if hes got his mind stuck on Sarah it may be hard. Even human minds can be hard to crack sometimes."
Jareth smirked. "trust me. I know. I've done it enough. Oh how fun tonight is going to be." Jareth disappeared in the movement of the crowd. Mare moved with them, greeting and going about. She felt Eric and Sarah enter. Looking over at them she about gaged at Erics apperence. Talk about a wreched costume, he looked like a poverty stricken Jareth. She wanted to run and hide.
Jareth noticed Mares face from his current location on the balcony. He sat on the edge, away from everyones view. He spun a few crystals on his hand. Smiling wickedly he signaled to Mare to begin and so the festivities started.
Sarah felt odd as she entered the large esate. Eric was dressed as no other than the Goblin King, but he was no where near the real thing, he wasnt the same. Either way she stayed upon his arm until they reached a large crowd.
"Eric, I'm going to go to the restroom, I think I tore a part of my dress on the way in, I need to check."
Eric nodded at her. "Okay. I'll be waiting near the bar." Eric moved off in that direction. As Sarah turned, moving across the dance floor alone, she noticed a crystal in front of her. She held out her hand as if in a dream.
'Sarah...' It whispered. 'Do you remember our first dance?' Sarah felt faint but she held her footing. 'Come to me Sarah...' The ball faded then reappeared in front of her, floating. As if in a dream, where your feet dont seem to touch the ground, she followed it. No one noticed her though, Jareths magic working its charm to where Sarah seemed normal. Jareth had moved from his original spot. Her now stood in the middle of the gardens, near the fountain. The moon shown brightly down upon the area, making the gliter and jewls on his costume seem to sparkle. As Sarah approached he turned, extending.
"Shall we dance Sarah?" He said in his secductive voice. Sarahs hand moved to his, her eyes locked on what she thought was a dream. Jareth pulled her close, leaning to her ear. "I'm real Sarah, not a dream or vision this time." He led her in a slow dance, similar to the one he'd woven her into years before in the Labyrinth.
Sarah leaned into him, her head on his chest as they danced. As they danced she began to waken mentaly and as if a sudden shock had hit her she pushed away, backing up.
"No." She said in a soft cry. She held her head. "You arent real." Her green eyes were filled with tears as she looked up at him. "You dont exist. You arent real. You have no power over me! Begone!" She ran from Jareth then, through the ball room, and then up into the house.
Jareth stood there in the moonlight, staring after what had been his dream. He felt the pain of defeat once more as Sarah spoke the same words that had sent him packing once before. In a rage he faded, no glitter, no magic, shear rage.
Mare felt Jareth go and in turn had seen Sarah, she feared the worse, something had happened, but what. In Eric she had found an odd presence, an evil she didnt dare awaken. Her flirting had been light, just enough to detain him long enough for Jareth to make his stand. When Sarah had fled the garden she knew it was time to go. Leaving Eric she moved away and disappeared without a sound or vision.
What met her at the castle was utter horror. What she felt was sadness, rage, defeat, and anger. Jareth had been defeated once more. But Mare felt that this time something was different. Her body remained as she had changed it earlier that night. Moving quietly to the throne room she found Jareth.
"What happened?" She asked calmly." Jareth was staring into a crystal ball. "Jareth, what happened?"
His eyes were cold as they met Mares. "She refused me again. The same words that sent me spinning have once again come forth." He looked away from her, letting the ball slip from his fingers, shattering on the floor.
Mare moved closer. "So you give up? So easily?"
Jareth flashed, his temper rising. "She refused me Mare!" He fummed for a moment and then sat again. "What do you want me to do force her?"
Mare shook her head, as she did her hair became its true self as did her body. "No. I want you to save her from the evil that might trap her in darkness. Eric. I felt something within him, an evil that shouldnt exist in this world or ours. An evil I thought had died years before you were born, when your father was still young and careless."
Jareth didnt look at her. "What are you talking about?"
Mare sighed. "Pure evil. It sleeps within him. I felt it. You said to seduce him, but to do that I had to control his mind. Before I'd even penitrated it I felt the dark radiating from him. Tonight I feel Sarah is safe but tomorrow, who knows what the dawn will bring. I sugest that you get over your rebuff and get ready to claim Sarah as your one and only unless you want her to fall to the darkness that is rising." With that Mare left Jareth to think, hoping to all the spirits that he got it together before Sarah gave in. She had a feeling that the evil in Eric had had something to do with the nights misfortunes.