Hoggle lit the sparkling candle inside the oubliette, its warm glow illuminating the girl as she huddled on the floor.
He was surprised, really. Most Runners never got this far, but this one managed to make it… at least to here. As part of his duties, Hoggle would escort her out of the oubliette and back to the beginning, perhaps to reflect upon her choices. Perhaps to encourage her to give up.
Although Hoggle didn't say so when Jareth commanded him to see to the Runner, he had a feeling that this one wouldn't quit. That nothing they threw at her would stop her from reaching her goal. Her determination wrung grudging admiration from him, futile though her efforts might be.
That admiration only soared higher when she refused to consider giving up. Despite himself, he found that he was concerned for her. He couldn't shake the certainty that when she failed, as she no doubt would, she would be heartbroken.
As he bantered with her, his eye was caught by something sparkling around her wrist. A bracelet, one with tiny charms and beads hanging from it. She'd noticed his interest, showing it to him more fully.
Hoggle had always had a soft spot for trinkets and shinies. He kept his favorite pieces hooked to a belt around his waist. They weren't all made of gold or precious stones… sometimes it was a shell with a beautiful pattern, sometimes a rock that was veined with quartz. Her bracelet, while having little monetary value, was enticing because of what it was made from.
Plastic.
A common substance Above, it was unknown here Below. At least… unknown to most Underground residents. As far as he knew, there was no way to manufacture it on this world, so what samples there were had to be conjured. And to see it in such delicate shapes… in such bright colors…
In all the years he had been doing this, he'd seen almost everything a Runner could do. Some used threats. Some begged. Some cried. This one had seen the flash of interest in his eyes, quickly figuring out that he would like to have a bracelet such as that. She proceeded to bargain with him, offering it to him if he would take her as far as he could.
Well… that's not all that far, now is it?
There was some risk that he would earn the ire of the King, but… Jareth gave them some leeway when dealing with the Runners. The whole thing was supposed to be a lesson about selfishness. The Labyrinth had a habit of rewarding quick thinking and kindness. He wasn't really stepping outside of the rules if he helped her a little bit…
The deal done and the bracelet now around his own wrist, he moved over to the wall of the oubliette. This trick was one he'd always enjoyed playing. He picked up a wooden door off of the floor, propping it up against the stone wall. The Labyrinth grabbed on to it, and Hoggle could feel the little 'zing' of magic through the handle. He opened it to the right, watching in amusement as a bunch of tools and containers spilled out. He glanced at Sarah, muttering about it being a closet, before shutting the door and reopening it to the left.
There beyond lay the passage out. Sarah's smile of delight shined as brightly as the beads around his wrist.
They'd made their way past the 'false alarms', those stone sentinels which were enchanted to warn off the Runners if they figured out the door trick. Hoggle saw the look of wonder on Sarah's face as she listened to the warnings. For all that she was a bit scared, she was also… enchanted. He could feel a love for this place, for this world, radiating out from her.
There was something else radiating outward… something that wasn't from Sarah.
The hair on Hoggle's arms stood up… a reaction he only got around one person…
Jareth.
He was here… in the tunnels…
As he watched, a crystal rolled on the ground between himself and Sarah. Hoggle looked around wildly, trying to figure out where the King was. He heard Sarah mutter something in dismay… she knew what that crystal meant, too.
They followed the rolling sphere farther down the passage, as it moved toward… something… or someone… at the end. Blue cloak… green hat… bird-like face…
Jareth.
Every nerve in Hoggle's body was on fire with alarm. The voice, when it came, was thin and reedy, but Hoggle knew it all the same.
"What have we here?" said the creature.
"Oh, uh… nothing" Hoggle stammered. His heart was pounding in his chest.
Although on some level he had been expecting it, he was still scared when Jareth stood, throwing off the cloak and mask, his clipped tones echoing off the walls of the passage, "Nothing? Nothing? Tra-la-la?"
"Your Majesty," Hoggle began, his voice rather shaky. "What… a nice… surprise…"
Jareth's sneer was so sharp, Hoggle could cut with it, like a knife. "Hello, Hedgewort."
"Hogwart," said Sarah softly, her eyes a little… dreamy as she looked at the King.
Hoggle saw the brief flash of delight in the King's eyes when he glanced at her. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation at their amusement. "Hoggle," he said with a plaintive tone.
"Hoggle, can it be that you're helping this girl?" asked the king, his voice carrying a snide tone.
As Hoggle tried to deny it, stammering his answer, the costume that the king was wearing finally registered on his brain. "H-h-helping?" he asked, as his eyes grew wide.
What the hell, Jareth? That's not exactly appropriate around such a young lady…
Shaking himself, he murmured, "In what sense?"
Jareth's eyes narrowed furiously at him… he knew exactly what Hoggle had been thinking. "In the sense that you're leading her towards the castle," he growled.
"No, no…" Hoggle stammered. "I was taking her back to the beginning, Your Majesty." He saw Jareth's gaze flick to Sarah again, as if for confirmation. And in that moment… the bottom fell out of Hoggle's stomach.
There was something in that look… that gaze.
He'd expected Sarah to be a little twitterpated at the sight of the King. Lots of girls were. The older ones even went so far as to try seducing him. This was always met with overt disdain, as if the thought of dallying with one of the Runners was too disgusting for Jareth to even contemplate.
While not even remotely seductive, the look in Sarah's eyes as she watched the King was… different. It was almost… bespelled… like the King was a Fae and she his victim. And the King…
Oh, dear Goddess… he looks like… he likes her…
He was distracted from that thought as he had to explain why Sarah's bracelet was around his wrist. In a thousand years, Hoggle would never be able to recall what he'd responded with or even how he responded.
Whatever he'd said, it clearly didn't fly with the King, as his voice got even lower and more menacing. "If I thought for one second that you were betraying me, I'd be forced to suspend you, headfirst, in the Bog of Eternal Stench."
A common, but empty threat, one that most residents of the Goblin Kingdom wished upon each other when they were exasperated. Sarah didn't know that, of course. And while Hoggle was plenty scared of the King even on a good day, he was relatively confident that he wouldn't follow through with it. No… Jareth had too many other ways he could torture Hoggle with besides the Bog.
But… Hoggle didn't like the look in Sarah's eyes. She wasn't displaying a healthy fear of the Goblin King… and she'd better. He didn't know what the hell was going on with Jareth right now, but… there was something in the King's eyes that scared Hoggle more than any threats. He threw himself at Jareth's feet, groveling in as pitiful a voice as he could, grabbing his leg in desperation. Jareth shook him off lightly, then turned to face Sarah.
She was scared, now.
Good. Stay that way… healthier for both of us…
Before his eyes, Jareth's expression had changed. That same bespelled look that he'd seen in Sarah's gaze was now reflected in the King's. "And you, Sarah…" he said, his voice low and almost… but not quite… seductive. He leaned forward, putting his hand on the wall near her head, their foreheads close, their eyes locked. "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?"
It's scary, Your Majesty… no… terrifying… yes… that's it… say it, Sarah…
Her gaze almost dewy with some unidentified emotion, Sarah's chin went up. Something flamed within her eyes… defiance, maybe…
"It's a piece of cake," she said, the flame within her burning brightly as she met the King's gaze steadily.
Uh, oh… he did not like that.
Author's Notes:
While I tried to stay away from reproducing the movie scenes directly, there was a part in this scene that I just had to put in… that quick moment of humor when Jareth misnamed Hoggle, then Sarah did. I wanted to include that little flash of delight that Jareth experienced. I also needed to establish the moment where Hoggle started to suspect that Jareth had ulterior motives when it came to Sarah.