To my readers: As spartiechic kindly pointed out, Chapter 5: Stolen Kiss, had been missing for a while and instead was a duplicate of Chapter 4. This has been sorted now, so anyone who became confused please read from chapter 4/5 again. Thank you! Keep the critique coming guys! I love writing for you :) katieakakatie on Twitter :)

The first strokes of sunlight hit the dew that dampened Sarah's eyes, and the panic took root once again. The haze of Elva's story still lingered on the brink of her mind, and as she glanced across at Hoggle's bed, she saw that it was empty. He hadn't returned. At least, that was what she thought, until she heard the sounds of pots and pans clanging in the small room that Hoggle called a kitchen. Sarah's eyes lit up. He had returned!

She dashed out of bed and raced into the kitchen, but became shocked to see a pan of water boiling on the stove unaccompanied. Hoggle was nowhere in sight.

A few seconds later she saw the cupboard door open. She watched as a large glowing egg came out of it and rose up into the air, as if by magic . It hovered for a second, then it flew across the room and broke into the pan. A thick purple yolk seeped from its shell and began to simmer. The delicious smell began to gorge the atmosphere, and intoxicate her senses. She knew what it was; a rare dragon egg that Hoggle had been saving for a special occasion. However, he never mentioned anything about it being able to fly on its own.

'Huh' she thought, bewildered by the magical flying egg, which, once poured, retreated back into the cupboard.

"Now, what goes with egg?" asked a voice - a spunky voice that sounded somewhat familiar.

It was then Sarah realised the egg hadn't been flying on its own, but it was in fact Elva that had been there all along! The little fire-headed sprite shut the cupboard door, and turned to face Sarah, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Elva, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked, annoyed that the fairy had broken into Hoggle's cabin, as enchanting she seemed.

"I followed you home last night! I figured now the dwarf was out of town, I could finally make use of his kitchen and cook myself a decent breakfast. So, what else goes with egg?" she asked again, flitting around the kitchen like she owned the place. Sarah wasn't sure if she liked Elva intruding like this. "Don't worry! I'm making it for you too!" stated Elva, who seemed to guess what Sarah was thinking.

But Sarah wasn't even hungry. Usually, she and Hoggle would wake up and eat breakfast, but the thought of food made her feel queasy. Her best friend was vulnerable, and out there all on his own. The only thing she wanted to do was find him, but the Labyrinth was such a vast place, she had no idea where to start looking.

"I can't eat. I have to find Hoggle! Elva, you know this place better than I do. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Elva shrugged, completely ignoring the desperate tone in Sarah's voice. She appeared to be too engrossed in her cooking, her mouth-watering as the purple yolk began to bubble into something edible. But when Sarah had gone quite, she took pity, and attempted to offer some support.

"Look. I wish I could help you. Really! I do! But a runway dwarf who smells like the breeze of a duskheap could be absolutely anywhere! There's only one person in the entire kingdom who will know for sure where he is!"

Sarah sighed.

"I suppose you're right. I have to face him at some point, so it might as well be now."

"Really? You're going to see King Jareth!" Elva asked in excitement, suprised that Sarah was actually taking her advice. "Can I come with you? Please, please, please!"

"I…I guess."

Elva stopped stirring the egg mixture and somersaulted into the air with excitement. Sarah frowned. Who could ever get excited over such a vile man?

Nevertheless, off the two of them went, braving the blustery winds to confront the King.

Meanwhile, a lonely dwarf sat amongst the putrid rocks and algae of the stinking swamp. For where else would the Prince of Stench belong, but the Bog? Hoggle seemed weary and morose, and his clothes had turned brown from the noxious odour. It had been almost a day since he had fled, and no one had come looking for him. Then again, why would they? He couldn't even stand to be around himself. The only creatures that dared to go near him were the toads that lived beneath the quagmire. And toads were not the best of company, not even for a dwarf.

"Get off me!" he grumbled, kicking the slimy amphibians away from his feet. "Mangy creatures!"

"But you're our Prince!" one of the toads croaked as it jumped up onto his shoulder and licked a fly from his cheek.

"Am not!" Hoggle yelled, flexing his eyes to the top of his head where the Crown of Stench was glued. It was evident that his head had become sore from the number of times he had tried to yank it off. He reached his hands up to his temple in a last attempt, but became distracted by a floating crystal that seemed to be heading straight towards him.

The mystical orb danced around him several times, before settling at his eye-level, and within the bubble, he could see her - his Sarah. Her eyes were red and weary, as if she had been crying throughout the night. He could see that she was strolling through the forest with a perky little fairy, and Hoggle knew that just outside of the forest lay the entrance to the Goblin City. They were heading to the castle!

'Oh no!' he thought. Sarah was going to challenge Jareth, and then she would find out the awful truth! Hoggle knew that he had to stop her.

Pushing open the doors, Sarah and Elva marched down the corridor that led to the castle's Throne Room. Tens of goblins were causing havoc on the scene - throwing chickens in the air, brawling with one another, and making a complete dog's breakfast of the floor - but Jareth was nowhere to be found.

Sarah saw three goblins standing in the far corner. One of them was picking his nose, as the other two watched attentively, fascinated by the brownish-green gunk that he extracted from his left nostril. She went over to them, deciding that they were the least intimidating of the bunch, while Elva followed closely behind.

"Where is he?" Sarah demanded. But the two goblins simply looked at each other and shrugged in misunderstanding. "I said, where is your King?"

"I dunno. Gone." said one.

"Gone where?" she asked, tapping her foot in impatience.

"Gone to fetch some cheese!" the second goblin chipped in.

"No, no, he's gone to changes his clothes!" said the third.

The goblins all laughed, and at that moment, Elva flitted up to them and grabbed one of the goblins' musty shirts.

"Alright you mangy scuzzballs, if you don't tell us where Jareth has gone right now…"

"Then I'm sure a little leprechaun, and an emotional young woman would be able to take on my entire army?" a voice intruded. It was Jareth. Turning around, they saw him. Funnily enough, he appeared with a fresh new set of clothes and a keg of cheese. He had changed into a cream-coloured ensemble half made up of owl feathers. The tension between him and Sarah was strong. They hadn't seen each other since she was under the love spell, and he just knew from her livid expression that she had come for another dispute. Still, he acted casual, like the thought hadn't crossed his mind. "Alright! Let that last you!" he yelled, slamming the keg on the floor for the goblins to stuff down their faces. "I keep them happy with cheese. They're easier to control that way!" he admitted.

"Cheese! That would have gone with my egg! We could have had omlettes!" Elva chirped, smiling at Sarah enthusiastically. Sarah just scowled, both at Jareth's nonchalance and Elva's obsession with breakfast.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to pull faces, or you'll stay like that, Sarah?" Jareth mocked.

"Didn't yours ever teach you not to kidnap babies and young girls?" she bit back.

"I think you're forgetting, Sarah, that it was in fact you who asked me to take your brother away, and it was you who trespassed into my Labyrinth a second time, despite my warnings, so think again before you accuse me of kidnapping. Besides, you seem to be enjoying yourself here. I see you've made another little friend to add to your collection. Hello Elva."

Elva giggled coyly.

"Enjoying myself? How can I possibly be enjoying myself when you've humiliated one of my best friends? Not to mention the fact that you've been ordering the troll to spellbind me just so you can use me in your twisted games! How dare you trick me like that?"

"Sarah, I did nothing of the sort. I never told the troll do anything to you. As for Hoggle, I had every reason to cast him under that spell, for your own protection, if anything."

"And what's that supposed to mean? I don't need protecting from Hoggle. I need protecting from you! Don't make me think that I came to the castle consciously the other day. I was in a trance and you know I was. You took advantage of me, Jareth! Are you really that desperate?"

"How dare you defy me? I wouldn't flatter myself into certainty if I were you, Sarah. Yes, I was fully aware of your trancelike state, but I assure you, I was not the one who cast the spell!" Just as Jareth spoke, an excruciating whiff came seeping through the foyer - one that made the goblins flee from the scene. "And the culprit arrives."

"Hoggle?" quizzed Sarah, relieved that he was safe, yet confused that he had come to the castle. The dwarf seemed so different to how she knew him. He looked older, as if each of his wrinkles had sunk deeper within the space of a day. He also appeared terribly ashamed, and she had no idea why.

"O' dear" muttered Hoggle, as he realised the seriousness of what he had done to the two.

"Now, you can ask him yourself!"

"Hoggle, what does he mean?" Sarah asked worriedly, waiting for an answer, as he tried to hide his face from her sight. "Hoggle, tell me!" she urged.

He took his hands away from his head and looked up to face her. But the hopeful anticipation in her eyes was too much for him to confront. He bowed his head and began to reveal the truth.

"I'm sorry Sarah. I don't expect you to forgive me. It was me. I told the troll to give you the drink" he said mellifluously.

"W…Wh…I don't….But why, Hoggle?" she asked.

Hoggle didn't answer.

"Not saying Hoggle?" Jareth said scornfully. "Oh you might as well expose yourself now". Hoggle still stood with his head slouched down as Jareth gloated. "No?" he continued. "Well, I'll tell her then. This here dwarf is in love with you Sarah. He has been from the day you first came here. Why do you think he let you come here so easily when you asked him? He knew that I'd make you stay here forever, and that was a great opportunity for him to make you fall in love with him. Hah? Imagine that. A dwarf marrying a human. It's almost nauseating to think about."

"Stop it!" yelled Sarah as she watched Hoggle dash from their sight with shame. She tried to call after him but she knew that the poor dwarf felt much too humiliated to face her right. As Jareth continued to laugh she felt sick to be in his presence. "You disgust me" she spat, before leaving to chase after Hoggle. As soon as she departed, Jareth ceased his laughter, and his expression changed to that of regret.