A/N I own little, except the excessive hyphens in my insignificant little story. Fashion challenged Goblins are a well known factor in life, but there is one that I will always hold dear, alas I also have no claim over him or his amazing shoes. I am, however, a dreamer, and as such I wish…. xxLani
Chapter 2: An Old Acquaintance
Sarah found she was running. Running faster than she had in years, since she was a child in fact. She felt liberated, the wind in her hair and a smell of wild-flowers filling her senses. She looked down to the ground and saw she was running on yellow flagstones. Her pace slowed and she looked around, seeing for the first time where she really was. "This has got to be a dream," she murmured in disbelief. She turned around, drinking in her surroundings, stone walls, never-ending alley ways, dead ends.
"This is no dream, Sarah," said a voice – the one from her dream – that voice – His voice. She spun around to face the owner of the voice and saw him. Things fell into place, memories returned, rocketing through her like a road-train through a deserted town at night-time.
She looked at him, and though she had seen him before, a lifetime ago it now seemed to her, this time she appearance. He was beautiful – his pale skin was the opposite of pallid, but literally shimmered with life. His blonde hair was different lengths, spiky and down to his shoulders – a most unusual style that most likely would have looked ridiculous on any other, but on him only enhanced his style, his presence. His high cheekbones and the unusual coloring around the eyes made Sarah want to reach out to touch him and see if he was real. But it was his eyes, one a crystal blue, the other jade, that made this the most devastatingly handsome man she would ever set her eyes upon. Her body instantly responded to him, and she felt a hot flush across her body. Her eyes dilated as she took him in, and her breath caught in her throat – The Goblin King – Jareth.
Jareth smiled knowingly at her response to him. She was beautiful – 13 years had only made her even more so and it boosted his ego watching her reaction to seeing him again for the first time in over a decade.
Sarah was furious at her response to him – she never felt so attracted to a man from just his physicality. She gritted her teeth and felt some of the old rebellious Sarah returning, and she embraced it. She had won against him the last time they had met, surely this would be the way to overcome him again. She took a deep breath and looked at him, her eyes raising from his healed leather boots, and felt her resolution falter as she reached the snug black leather pants that fitted him so well – and showed off every curve to perfection. Her eyes lifted to the white shirt that was undone halfway down his chest, showing off a chiseled torso, decorated by a medallion that hung from his neck. She looked to his face, and he smiled at her, showing her he had noted her reaction and the old fury returned. He wasn't even her type! Damn him, surely he hadn't looked this good all those years ago – she remembered puffy white sleeves and tights – not those pants. God, those pants. And them then she looked at him and smiled. Sarah looked Jareth in the eyes and raised one eyebrow questioningly. "Not wearing the tights anymore Goblin King?" She addressed him, slowly walking around him making it obvious she was taking in his appearance. "What about the puffy sleeves? Or maybe even a ruffle or two?" Sarah chuckled at the memory.
"Well," Jareth was momentarily taken aback, but regained his composure quickly. "As King it is a duty of mine to look the part and, well, fashions have changed since then – I like to keep on top of things." He smiled at her, knowing he looked good in what he wore, and that she liked it, moreover. "I'll bet," Sarah smirked, "Leather pants and shirts unbuttoned halfway down is the height of fashion where I'm from." Jareth looked down at his shirt, "I totally agree," he said much to Sarah's surprise. He then slowly started to unbutton his shirt, never taking his eyes from hers, "This really isn't one of my favorites, I'll admit that." He dropped the shirt to the ground, delighting in the way Sarah was looking at him. "I really think black suits me better," and he was clothed in a black shirt with a wave of his hand. Sarah's mouth was dry and she swallowed uncomfortably as she thought of something, anything to say, to take her mind of the vision that had been in front of her. The thoughts raging through her head of how, exactly, his skin would have felt under her fingers, trailed slowly across his chest. Would she have made him shiver by running her nails lightly over his stomach? God, Sarah, focus! She forced her eyes away.
"You know, "she finally managed, "After I got back from running the Labyrinth I dreamed of you." Jareth did a double-take and looked closely at her gauging her sincerity. "You dreamed of me?" He tried to appear uninterested. "But you looked different in the dreams I had." Sarah mussed. "Different?" and Sarah heard the edge to his voice and inwardly cheered. Ten points for Sarah, she thought to herself, "Yes, in my dreams you kind of looked like David Bowie." She replied, sighing and looking off in the distance with a smile on her face. "You know, I had such a crush on him when I was young." Jareth bristled and Sarah smiled. She started to hum China Girl to herself .
"Sarah?" He broke her out of her reverie. "It's good that you remember me, great even," Jareth said to her in a business like tone, "But we really don't have time to talk about pop stars no matter how talented they are." Sarah turned her eyes to him inquisitively, "were you into David Bowie?" Jareth sighed, "There were a few of his songs that I didn't mind, now the meaning of you being brought here." "What was your favorite song?" Sarah insisted. He gave her a pained look. "Oh, all right," Sarah said, "Its out of my system, for now at least. So what were you saying about me being brought here? Am I to assume it was by you?"
Jareth turned and started pacing, it was never easy for him to tell someone that he needed help – and here he was about to ask it of the one person whom would never ask it of him. The one person who had defeated him, a mere slip of a girl, who's eyes blazed with intensity and who's heart burned for those she cared about. But not for him, so would she concede to help?
"I have called you to help me Sarah," Jareth stared with, "I hope that you will find it in yourself to do so." "What could I possibly do to help the great Goblin King, that he couldn't do for himself?" Sarah asked sarcastically, if only to hide to him and herself, really, that it pleased her that he would call to her for help. I mean the fact that even remembered her was more than she thought would have happened. Sometimes Sarah felt amazingly forgettable.
"It's the goblins, Sarah" Jareth said, "They are disappearing." "Disappearing?" Asked Sarah, "but wouldn't that perhaps be a good thing, I mean they never did seem all that nice to begin with?" Jareth chuckled. "Yes, they can be quite a handful at times and if I was in your position I'm sure I would be thinking the same thing, but I find now that they are gone, I quite miss them. Also, being their King it is my responsibility to look after my subjects and if they are in any peril, I should see to it that they are helped."
Sarah couldn't help it; she smiled at him, "you care about them." Jareth saw the wonder on her face and shuddered inside, "Of course I care for my subjects, they are not only part of my lands, but they are my home too. Did you think me incapable of caring, Sarah?" "I don't think I really know what to think of you, Goblin King, all that I have known of you tells me that I should not trust a word you are saying, but I…." she trailed off. Jareth sighed, "Perhaps I should tell you what has happened so far and you can make up your mind from there."
"Time is ever the same in my realm," Jareth started. "Every now and then I get a silly human wishing away a loved one in times of selfishness." He looked at her pointedly, "but for the most I am kept busy with the day to day running of my land, keeping all the people happy – well, at least in balance anyway. All manor of creatures live in my Labyrinth and the cities that surround it, and it is my job to govern and protect them all. Of-course as King of the Goblins, you must assume that my kingdom is mostly populated by these dimwitted but mostly unharmful creatures, and there you'd be right. I am constantly surrounded by Goblins, their city resides just outside my castle and there are many here at all times to do my biding. I had always been constantly annoyed by their incessant drinking and love of farm animals – especially chickens and pigs. At times I wondered if my throne room was a royal pedestal or a petting zoo. However, a few months ago the goblin population in and around the castle became less. Fewer chicken chariot races where being held, and less and less I heard arguments pertaining to the virtues of the pig verses the nobleness of the chicken. I thought that the goblins had found a better place to test their theories on their beloved animals, but when my subjects who were most loyal to me also disappeared I knew that something was wrong. I cannot simply abandon them to their fate, no matter how annoying their games of 'Pin the Feathers on the Rooster' have become. Most of them have become quite dependant upon me in their daily lives, even in their , Ahem, fashion sense. Actually, there is this one I have grown quite fond of, though his accessory co-ordination really leaves a lot to be desired, but I do admire his dislike of chickens."
Sarah tried to say something, but couldn't think of what. This, most certainly was not the Goblin King that had mocked her at every turn and laughed at her cries of fairness. He genuinely seemed to care, and for whatever stupid reason this seemed to make him seem even better looking to her than he already was – and really, how could that even be possible? She couldn't help but to compare herself with the Goblin King. At times Toby would complain to her about all manner of things that were unfair in his life, but no matter how silly or insignificant his problems were to her, she always had time to listen to him and help him in any way that she could, because she loved her little brother with all of her heart.
Sarah sighed and felt herself relenting and giving in to this new and improved Goblin King. "So why did you call to me for help?" She asked him. "What can I do?"