Revelations
The fairy trio strained toward the ruins. Losing altitude they flung themselves and the crystal sphere they bore toward their queen.
She turned toward them and they felt the tiny — but significant to them — weight of the sphere become nothing as it soared into her hand. Holding it by her fingertips she held it up to the light.
Lecherous figured cavorted within. It was the ballroom she remembered, filled with debauched beings intoxicated with their diversions. Hideous masks covered features she now remembered.
She set the crystal down in the dust and touched it with the horseshoe. The crystal burst and she was surrounded by dazed fairies, their tiny frames covered with rags.
One fairy looked down at herself, took her hair in her hands. "My beautiful red hair," she sobbed. "I could have danced forever."
Sarah thought she heard a snatch of song. "It's only forever..." that faded as she strained to catch it. She shook it off.
"How did you enjoy your ball?" she asked the bedraggled fairies.
"Your Majesty, is that really you? exclaimed one.
"But the ball was supposed to last all night," protested another.
"I think it's lasted far more than one night," said Sarah. "Look around you."
The fairies slowly took in their surroundings. The trio who had brought the sphere eyed them curiously.
"I never thought it could get this bad," sobbed one, still mourning her auburn locks.
"This is what became of our realm without us," Sarah said.
"But before he took us to the ball, Jareth said everything would be just how we left it," protested a fairy.
"He lied," Sarah told her.
"You know he lies, silly," said one of the three. "How could you forget when he tricked you into drinking that-" She silenced herself at a gesture from Sarah.
"We've each done things of which we're not proud," Sarah said.
The fairies drooped around the fountain. Sarah felt strange around them.
"Can you fix it?" asked one.
"She fixed the fountain," said another.
"We fixed the fountain," Sarah said.
Several of the fairies gasped and several gathered together, buzzing with conversation. Right, thought Sarah, I'm going to have to get used to this again.
Jareth quaked as he felt an old spell shatter. He raced to the crystal chamber, too distracted to will himself there.
The ballroom crystal was gone. He backed against the wall in shock. This was what her distraction had been about, he realized.
"Your Majesty?" Tobias's small voice rung in the chamber.
Jareth stared at him. If he had not kept the boy, Sarah would not be here now, he thought desperately. He wondered if he could bargain the boy for... No, he realized. That would not work.
Grasping another crystal, he raced to the window and hurled it toward a distant point. Tobias stared as the Goblin King assumed owl form and sped away.