Fun idea I had to share. Forgive grammar etc. It's not proofread, but it'll still make you grin.
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Someone gifts Sarah a caged owl with a broken wing. The iron in the cage prevents Jareth from using his magic, and is slowly killing him. But Sarah is hesitant to release him. She's afraid of what he might do. She remembers The Cleaners. So, at first she pretends not to know it's him.
Finally, she can't take her conscience needling her anymore. She can see he's dying.
She releases the owl.
But it wasn't Jareth. It was another of Jareth's magical kind, and he is PISSED!
He uses his magic to harm Sarah, but the power bounces off of her and hits him, throwing him across the room.
The guy jumps to his feet, and pulls out a blade. He tells her no "special powers" are going to stop his revenge for keeping him prisoner. If magic won't work, he's doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.
Sarah is terrified, and tries to explain she's the one who just let him go!
He refuses to listen.
Just as he moves to kill her, his blade disappears. He turns back into an owl, and is pulled backward into the cage. The door locks itself. She can't believe what just happened.
"Well, what have we here?"
Sarah slowly turns around to see her worst fear standing in all his goblin armor, glitter fluttering to the ground around him. But his eyes aren't on her. Jareth is looking directly at the owl.
"Did it ever occur to you to wonder WHO gave her those special powers?" he asked the bird.
Sarah looked at the owl, noticing how the creature trembled. It actually trembled.
"And you, Sarah."
She looked back at the king.
"What were you thinking, releasing a creature like that?" he tipped his head to the side. Which reminded her of the owl.
"I... I thought he was you." The answer came out before Sarah could think.
The king's stern look slowly lifted. His demeanor softened. "Really." He smirked. He shifted his cape. "Well, in that case..." He stepped closer.
Sarah didn't move. She lifted her chin in pretended defiance like she'd done when she'd run his labyrinth before. Her legs felt like jello.
"You won't be charged with helping him escape," finished the goblin monarch. "We do wish to be... fair," he stressed the word.
Sarah's mouth dropped open.
Jareth's grin grew. He stepped back, and faded away.
By the time Sarah came back to herself, the bird in the cage was laughing.
"What's so funny!" She demanded, smacking the side of the cage.
"You, precious thing, are in more trouble that I." The bird started to cackle.
Sarah's surprise that the bird could talk slipped away as she remembered the words from her little red book... something about the king falling in love with the girl and giving her certain power. The girl who ate the peach and forgot everything swallowed as understanding settled in.
A moment later... she smiled. Okay, maybe it was a smirk.