"M-my… dream?" Sarah repeated blankly, still trying to get the hang of staying upright.
"Of course" His voice was gentle, but with a hint of mockery.
"But… how… ?" Sarah mind was reeling, then screeched to a halt on one thought "Are you really here then? Or are you also a figment of my dream?"
With a slight shrug, he stated "A figment of a dream is not conscious of itself, only the dreamer is"
"That's not helping!" she fumed. She was about to turn away from him, but paused, "Am I conversing with my subconscious, or have you somehow weaseled your way into my head!"
His grin was conspiratory, "And how would a figment of a dream know what he is, or is not?"
"Ugh! As if I would ever get a straight answer from you!"
Sarah crossed her arms and turned her back on him, not wanting to endure his smug face. Looking around she realized that the ballroom was in fact a spherical aquarium, the dancers all floating about, their tails and fins as fantastical as their masks. Everyone was suspended in crystal-clear water, but somehow could still breath, laugh, and speak.
"Strange mechanics, dreams." she heard from behind her.
"I will agree with you on that point." She half turned back to face him before adding, "And... I think I know how this happened... at least in part."
"Really?" he asked, eyebrows raising with amusement.
"Yes, I took Toby to visit the city aquarium toda-" Sarah looked at The Goblin King and belatedly registered that maybe she should not be mentioning her brother in present company.
Jareth only smiled at her nervousness "Ah, young Toby, how is he now?"
She spun to face him fully. "Fine, and you stay away from him!" she spat.
"Of course, of course, no power over you and yours and all" he responded, his tone surprisingly good natured.
Skepticism tinged her voice. "Then how are you even here? I didn't call you"
"Not directly-" he admitted, "-But if you like, I can show you what happened" He lifted his hand and a perfect crystal sphere appeared at the tips of his fingers.
She eyed him warily "What are you doing?"
"Giving you a straight answer." He ran the sphere nimbly along his fingers before tilting it towards her "This crystal will show you how we have ended up here"
Sarah backed away from the crystal. "Or you could just tell me"
"Ah, still don't trust me my dear?" He was enjoying this.
"Not a smidgen!" With one hand on her hip, the other gestured accusingly at him. "Considering that this present dream is a reflection of a former one that was caused by a tainted peach that came from you!"
"Although I did not cause you to have either dream" he countered. "Not directly."
"Poisoned peach!" she retorted.
Jareth looked into her eyes as he transferred the globe effortlessly from one hand to the other. "Yes, I sent you a peach to give you a dream, to slow you down, to temporarily forget your quest, but I did not decide what dream you would have...you did. And you dreamed of this…" he paused, indicating the ballroom "… and of me" The corner of his mouth twitch up as he continued. "Would I be correct in surmising that this is not the first time that you have dreamt of this ballroom since your adventures in my Labyrinth?"
Sarah's cheeks had become a rather fetching shade of pink. "I have dreamt of the Labyrinth many times... i-it's not something that you can easily forget"
"You are sidestepping my question, thus confirming it" His eyes glittered.
"Why does it matter, what does it have to do with this dream"
"Context, Precious" He looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"You are insufferable!" she huffed.
"Well, unless your dream shifts, you are stuck with me until you wake up" His smug smirk was infuriating!
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sarah turned to look if there were any good solid chairs lying around, but found none.
She was startled by his voice right beside her ear. "I'm afraid that you cannot abscond from this dream in the manner that you so rudely did the first time."
"Wait a minute!" She halted her search and squinted at him, suspicious, "If it was only my dream, how are you even aware of what happened?"
"Ah, how observant of you." He regarded her with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "I did not lie when I said that I didn't choose the dream… but since I had provided the means to your dream and you dreamed of me, I was drawn into it. Quite unintentionally I assure you"
Sarah looked mortified. "Did I …..did I control you in the dream?"
The Goblin King actually snorted at that, "Heavens no! I retained my free will, as did you."
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.
He continued."The peach only blurred your memory temporarily, to stall you long enough for you to lose"
"That's still cheating!" she huffed, glaring.
"Perhaps…" he peered into her eyes, "...but, 'all's fair… in love…and war'…no?"
"No!" She was almost pouting. "And you enjoy exasperating me!"
"True." he grinned impishly.
"Aughhh!" You're impossible!" She crossed her arms. "And you still have not answered how you came to be in this dream; I haven't eaten any spiked fruit lately"
He tilted his head, "I would like to propose a compromise of sorts, I will answer your question without the aide of the crystal, since you mistrust them so much." At that the crystal vanished from where it had been defying physics in his hand.
"And?" she prodded.
He once again extended his hand to her.
"And you dance with me while we continue this conversation"
...
Authors note
Thank you to Guest 2019, who was my first ever review!
Once again, Labyrinth is not mine.
Please let me know what you think of this story:)