I wanted to have this posted ages ago, but I got to the last few paragraphs and just could NOT write anymore. I've already got the next chapter done!! (I finished it before I finished this one.) Anyways, I hope y'all are enjoying the story, so far. Later!! ~quirkybooks

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Enchanting first Introductions

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Jareth sat slouched in his chair, wondering if the dreaded night would ever end. He rolled his eyes at the woman who surrounded him, vying for his attention. He was ignoring their advances, hoping they'd get the hint and place their affections somewhere else.

He hadn't originally planned on coming to tonight's celebration, though it was being held in his honor. He'd wanted to stay in his own kingdom. (He couldn't stand being at the high kingdom, there were more rules than he cared to follow and he found most of the beings that resided there to be insufferable.) But his mother had begged him to come, he remembered her words clearly.

"Honestly, Jareth, would you deprive your own mother the joy of celebrating her youngest son's birthday with him? Especially, after all the work I've put into your party."

His mother had a way of making sure she always got what she wanted. Everyone, thought the High King was in charge, little did they know it was really the High Queen pulling all the strings.

Unable to upset his mother he agreed to join in the evenings festivities. "That's a good boy." His mother smiled as she tousled his hair, before walking off; probably in search of her next 'victim.'

It'd been only a few minutes into the party and already Jareth was planning his escape. His mother's over the top decorations were supposed to make the room appear refined and sophisticated, but the ballroom looked rather childish and gauche, in his opinion. Silks tapestries hung from the walls, along with long strands of pearls. The chandeliers burned with candles that were hundreds of years old; the melted wax forming huge stalactites. Bubbles floated lazily through the air, making the room seem even more childish. His thoughts turned away from the decorations as the doors to the ballroom opened, in walked his father.

Jareth rolled his eyes at his father's tardiness, he'd probably been in a broom closet with some chamber maid and lost track of time. Movement, from behind his father caught his eye. It was a girl he had never seen before.

Instantly, Jareth sat up straighter, trying to get a better look at the girl. She was human, that much was obvious. But why or how she was there, was not. The second thing he noticed, was her beauty. She was like no one he'd ever seen before. Something about her called to him. He was unsure why, but he was certain he had to have her. Maybe, the night wouldn't be nearly as dull as he previously thought. He grinned smugly to himself, he had always liked a good challenge.

He was suddenly very glad his mother had guilted him into attending his own birthday party. He'd have to remember to thank her the next time he saw her.

Standing, to watch the girl as she made her way through the ballroom, he watched her, from behind the black goblin mask he held to his face. Anticipation built within him, as her eyes swept over the room. He stood patiently, waiting for her to spot him. When her eyes landed on him, he slowly brought the mask down so she could see his entire face.

He didn't know how long they stood there staring at each other, taking the other in but it felt like forever; not long at all. She wore a silver and white iridescent gown, it had puffed sleeves and gold detailing. The bodice was embellished with white lace and silver jewels. It was so different from anything that anyone else wore. But then again, so was the girl. She was the only person in attendance without a goblin mask, but if anything that just added to her ethereal appearance. Her dark hair was pulled back into a mass of curls, held up and adorned with silver vines and leaves. Simple silver earrings hung from her ears and a silver necklace with golden stones around her neck. She stood there, green eyes wide and uncertain, lips parted; she was the epitome of innocence.

She moved towards him but he was quicker, ducking behind a couple that danced in front of him. He wouldn't let her just simply come to him. Where was the fun in that? Satisfaction filled him, as she moved through the crowd of dancing couples, in search for something or someone; in search of him. Turning each time she caught a glimpse of him, only to find he'd already moved to another end of the ballroom. If she wanted to find him she'd have to move quicker than that.

He smirked as she walked directly in front of him, his face hidden by a fan. His curiosity surrounding the girl grew. His father's magic lingered around her, as well as another magic, that was incredibly powerful. Pushing his questions out of his mind, he focused on the challenge at hand. His questions could be answered later, after he finished his 'game.'

The gaggle of girls he'd earlier been ignoring had found him again. He tried to get away from them, but they had him cornered. His agitation only grew as they pressed themselves against him, blocking his view. He'd lost track of the human girl, they were ruining his game. When he finally broke through the women, the girl was standing in front of him. Although, he was slightly disappointed his 'game' was over so soon, he did relish in the fact she seemed pleased to have found him.

Stepping towards her, he placed one hand on her waist and the other in hers. He whisked her away from the obnoxious women and started leading her through the steps of a waltz.

They danced in silence, staring into each other's eyes. She was the first to break contact, looking down as her cheeks were painted with a blush. He kept his face neutral, but shock washed over him when she glanced at him again and spoke. He'd not been expecting her to speak, not yet at least.

"I feel like…" She paused, unsure of how to describe her current state of emotions. "I feel like I'm dreaming," she said, breathlessly.

An arrogant smile danced on his lips, "How pleasant. To think you'd dream of me." Delight filled him, as her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. She looked away again, this time focusing on a particularly interesting stitch in Jareth's suit. No man had ever looked at or talked to her this way. It was both thrilling and frightening.

She was scared of how he was making her feel. When she first spotted him, from across the ballroom, she felt drawn to him. When he disappeared from her view, she searched desperately for him, the need to see him again was overwhelming. It felt as if he had something of hers, though, she didn't know what.

He expertly weaved her through the other dancing couples, bringing her to a secluded balcony. The girl gasped loudly at the view before her. It was stunning, far in the distance sat mountains, glittering in moonlight. She'd never seen anything like it before. Breaking out of Jareth's grasp she went to stand on the edge, trying to get a better look at the scenery. The Goblin King chuckled loudly, causing her to jump slightly; she'd forgotten he was there.

"It's beautiful." She said, turning to him and gesturing to the view behind them.

"Not as beautiful as you, Precious." Her face burned as he walked to her. Stepping away from him, out of fright and uncertainty, she bumped into the rail.

Being this close to her just felt right, he placed a hand on either side of her, trapping her there. A warm breeze, gently, wafted the sweet smell of flowers over them. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes, when she opened them again his face was only a few inches away from hers.

Jareth, was absolutely enthralled, as he heard her gulp and she bit her lip. Most Fae, were overly sensual creatures by nature and by now would have given him far more than a kiss. To watch the creature before him, who was both so lovely and different from most the women he was used to, she was bewitching. Closing his eyes, he leaned in, ready to close the distance between them. Somewhere in the distance a clock chimed thirteen times.

Instead, of her soft lips, he was met with nothing but the cold air. He opened his eyes in shock, displeasure coursed through him. He spun around wildly, expecting the girl to be there but was left feeling even more astounded. He ventured back into the ballroom, trying to figure out how she possibly slipped away from him. The corners of his mouth lifted, perhaps, his 'game' was not yet over.

He ventured back into the ballroom, using his magic, he tried to pinpoint where she was -he never said he played fair. Disbelief filled him, he couldn't sense her presence anywhere. The girl was gone.

Present Day…..

Sarah raced through the street, getting drenched as the rain came pouring down around her. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she was extremely late and needed to get home right away. Time always had a way of slipping away from her. Especially, when she rehearsed in the park. She'd been so focused on trying to remember the last line to "Labyrinth." She nearly missed the sound of the clock, signaling 7 o'clock. It had been Merlin's barks that brought her back to reality.

Karen stood on the porch waiting for Sarah to arrive home. When Sarah came into view, her worry for the girl turned to annoyance.

"Sarah, you're an hour late." She loved her step-daughter, though their relationship was strained and Karen had a hard time understanding the girl. Her step-daughter spent most of her days lost her own fantasy, always going about things with a 'dramatic flair.' Sarah's theatrics got on Karen's nerves from time to time, but still she loved the girl and cared deeply for her. Although, Karen had tried to find a common ground between the two of them, doing her most to try to relate to Sarah and strengthen their relationship; Sarah continued to treat Karen like a wicked step-mother from a fairytale.

"Sorry." Sarah started for the door. "Come on Merlin." Karen stopped her and made her send Merlin to the garage, despite the fact it was pouring and the poor dog would be cold and alone in the garage.

As Karen began to lecture about being late she couldn't help but grow angry at the unfairness of it all. Then Karen had the nerve to bring up dating. Her words echoed in Sarah's mind. "You should have dates at your age." What was that supposed to mean anyways? Sarah had far too many important things to worry about than dating. Sure, it seemed like her friends had fun when they all went out on doubles, but Sarah didn't really care. And she also didn't really care that none of the boys from school had seemed to take an interest in her, or that she'd never been asked out even once. It didn't bother her at all. What was Karen even trying to prove by saying "you should have dates at your age?"

Sarah laid in her bed thinking about Karen's harsh words and how her father didn't really even try to talk to her. Like either of them even cared. All they care about is the baby, Sarah though angrily to herself. It had been the last straw when she looked up to fine Lancelot missing. She knew exactly where he was too. Much to her dismay, Toby had taken an extreme liking to the stuffed bear. Often, it was the only thing that could get him to sleep. "He just wants something that reminds him of his big sister," Karen had said, smiling, when Sarah had voiced her anger about having to 'share' her bear.

Sarah marched to her father and step-mother's room, shouting about the unfairness and her hatred for things. When she opened the door and flipped on the lights she grew more angry and sad. Lancelot was tossed on the floor as if he were as worthless as one of Toby's used nappies. She grabbed the bear and clutched him to her chest.

During her irritated shouts she had awoken Toby, he began crying which only angered Sarah more. She tried to calm his cries, but nothing seemed to subdue the child. It was starting to storm.

"What do you want?" Sarah said in an exasperated tone. "Do you want a story?" She yelled as she placed Toby back in his crib and began to recite the words from "Labyrinth."

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, young girl. Whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby. And the baby was a spoiled child and he wanted everything for himself. And the young girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew, was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl and he had given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help."Say your right words," the goblins said. "And we'll take the baby to the Goblin City and you will be free."

But the girl knew that the king of the goblins would keep the baby in his castle forever and ever and ever and turn it into a goblin. And so the girl suffered in silence, until one night, when she was tired from a day of housework and she was hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother and she could no longer stand it."

As she told the story a room full of goblins sat quietly, their excitement growing. They could barely sit still as they listened carefully to her words.

Toby's cries only grew louder. He didn't appear to be as interested in the story as the goblins were. Sarah stopped talking and stood there glowering at her little brother.

"Oh, stop it. I'll say the words." Toby only continued to cry oblivious to his sisters threats. "I wish…" She paused for dramatic effect. "I wish…"

The goblins began to whisper amongst themselves, "be quiet," one of the goblins snapped at the rest of them. They all fell silent.

"I CAN BEAR IT NO LONGER! GOBLIN KING, GOBLIN KING, WHEREVER YOU MAY BE TAKE THIS CHILD OF MINE FAR AWAY FROM ME!"

The goblins and Sarah all felt a little disappointed. Sarah because nothing had happened, the goblins because she hadn't spoken the right words. Sarah stood there feeling slightly dejected before stalking off to the door, annoyed by Toby's continuous crying.

"Oh, I wish I did know what to say to make the goblins take you away. I wish the goblins would take you away…" -she turned the lights off- "right now." She stopped in her tracks, Toby had stopped crying.

She flipped the light switch a couple of times, but nothing happened. Maybe the storm caused a power outage, she thought as she stepped closer to the crib.

"Toby?" The room was eerily quiet and the darkness was starting to bother her. "Toby?" She gaped in alarm as something in the crib squirmed and moved beneath the baby blanket. "Why aren't you crying?" She lifted the blanket and stared at the empty crib in horror.

Sarah jumped, odd noises were coming from all around the room. Something was behind her, she turned but only caught a glimpse of it. The hamper suddenly shot open, but all she saw was a dark blur. Creepy giggles filled the room, thunder boomed outside, lightning lit up the room, something white crashed into the balcony doors. Sarah held her arms up, shielding her face as the doors burst open with a loud crash and the white thing came hurtling at her, it was an owl. She shied from the bird, afraid it might hurt her. There was a flash of lighting so powerful it momentarily blinded her.

She cautiously lowered her arms as the storm around her stopped. Right before her very eyes the owl transformed. In the owls place, in a glittering cloud of dust, stood an unearthly man.

She backed away from him, she wanted to turn away and run, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Something about him demanded to be seen. He was exactly how she'd always imagined him. Tall and domineering, frightening and alluring. Inhumanly handsome. Wild blonde hair stuck out in all directions, his thin frame was covered with leather armor; a dark blue traveling cloak blew dramatically behind him. He wore dark eye makeup that made his mismatch eyes pop and seem threatening. Sarah, gulped as he stepped closer to her.

This time she didn't back away. Instead she straightened herself, trying to stand taller. It was time to find her way into the part.

"You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King." She said, trying to sound bolder than she felt. "I want my brother back, please." Her voice was beginning to sound a little uneven.

"What's said is said. Forget about the baby. Go to your room, play with your toys and costumes." The Goblin King's voice sounded mocking, which only made Sarah feel the need to prove him wrong. She wasn't just some child that could be bossed around.

"Where is he?" Sarah's earlier annoyance with the Goblin King's mockery was gone, it had been replaced with concern for her brother.

"You know very well where he is."

"Bring him back," Sarah begged, deep down know it was futile.

"I've brought you a gift." The Goblin King stepped closer, in his hand he held a crystal ball. He twisted it around his hand.

Sarah tried acting indifferent but her curiosity got the best of her.

"What is it?" Her concern, for her little brother, momentarily forgotten.

"A crystal. Nothing more. But if you turn it this way… look into it… it'll show you your dreams. But this is not a gift for an ordinary girl, who takes care of a screaming baby. Do you want it?" He held the crystal out to her, she looked tempted. "Then forget about the baby."

She faltered and tore her eyes from the crystal to face him. "I can't." She paused, trying to collect herself. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do for me. But I want my brother back." She felt she was on the verge of tears, but was doing her best to hold them back, she didn't want to appear weak.

"Don't defy me," The Goblin King glowered at her. "You're no match for me, Sarah."

"But I have to have my brother back." Sarah's voice had taken a whiny tone. Why doesn't he just give me my brother?

"He's there in my castle." His gloved hand pointed towards a far off castle, surrounded by a huge maze. "Do you still want to look for him?"

Sarah was transfixed by the view. "Is that castle beyond the Goblin City?" She stared at it almost dreamily. She'd read about this place and pretended to be there thousands of times, but to really see it, in real life, was crazy. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a voice.

"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's to late." Sarah looked at the Goblin King, partially shocked by their new surroundings. They now stood on top a sandy hill and were only a few yards from the labyrinth.

"I can't. Don't you understand I can't." She pleaded, hoping maybe he'd have a change of heart.

"What a pity."

"It doesn't look that far." She spoke, mostly trying to reassure herself.

"It's further than you think. And time is short. You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth…" His voice started to fade, growing quieter. "Before your baby brother… becomes one of us… forever. Such a pity." The last words were spoken so quietly, Sarah was unsure he said them at all.

Sarah now stood alone. She looked at the labyrinth and a new determination overcame her.

"The labyrinth. It doesn't look that hard." She readied herself for the journey that lay ahead. "Well come on feet." She took two steps forward, beginning her quest.