Jareth stood in front of a clear glass ball, and watched. From this view, he could see Sarah as she traveled the Labyrinth, trying every corner and door. Her face reflected her determination to solve the puzzle and win back her baby brother, whom the Goblin King had stolen. Jareth frowned. She was further into the maze than she should have been. Any normal girl would have given up by now. But, Jareth concluded, Sarah was no normal teenager. He had noticed that immediately upon his arrival in her room not more than 6 hours ago. A smile played upon his lips at the memory. She had cowered before him in fear, had lifted her determined chin in defiance, but in her eyes he had seen fire. The fire of someone who longed for adventure and would not, could not, be deterred. She was young, but beautiful. Exquisite would be a word of proper choice. Jareth had known it the moment her had first set eyes on her, and he knew it now as he studied her every movement. She was the one. For too many years he had lived alone in the Underground, alone and unhappy. How he yearned to share his thoughts with another, to take a woman in his arms and never let go.
Turning away from the crystal orb, Jareth began to concoct a plan of amazing genius. Sarah had to stay with him in the Underground. It was their destiny. Even if she screamed and begged to let her return to her home, he wouldn't let her. After all, he was the Goblin King. He had the power.
Sarah was busy listing to Hoggle whine about Jareth when she felt someone's eyes on her. It was as if the being who stared at her had ultimate power. She casually tossed her hair and asked Hoggle a question.
"Hoggle, has anyone EVER beaten Jareth? There has to have been someone. God only knows how old he is."
Hoggle stared at his only friend, "Well missy, it's like this. Jareth usually seduces or and terrifies whoever ends up here. So far you are the only one who has a backbone. Strange, almost as if you were made for each other..."
Sarah looked back at Hoggle in horror. "Jareth and I made for each other? Hoggle, you must be joking. We are totally different. First of all, I am 15 and Jareth is...how old? We don't even know. And he is so obnoxious, conceited and power hungry. That's not what I think a gentleman or king should be like at all. So I believe you are mistaken when you say that it was almost like we were made for each other."
Sarah didn't mean to snap at Hoggle; it was just that she was taken by surprise by his comment.
Hoggle glared at Sarah. "Well you needn't get all nasty about it. It was just an observation. Besides, if it is all so ridiculous, why are YOU so bothered by it?"
Sarah looked disturbed for a moment, then annoyed. "It is just nonsense, that is all" She tossed her hair back once more and strode quickly forward.
Meanwhile up in the castle Jareth watched the scene unfold. Amused at her behavior he gave a mysterious half smile as he rose and the crystal disappeared. "Nonsense is it, Sarah? Perhaps it is more real than you care to admit"
Sarah looked behind her to see if Hoggle was following her. He was right. She was bothered by his comment, but she certainly wouldn't tell him that. Since Hoggle was still with her, Sarah decided to change the subject to keep her mind off of Jareth.
"Hoggle, how long is this hedge maze? It seems to go on and on. And we have no clue to what time it is," Sarah said, her voice starting to shake with worry. "What if Toby is hurt? Oh, it's all my fault."
Hoggle looked at Sarah and shook his head. "You're never gonna make it past the hedge maze if you keep talking like that. Besides, sooner or later his majesty," Hoggle replied rolling his eyes, "will show up and give you a hard time. Let's just hope his gift is not like the last one."
Sarah hoped so too. The cleaners weren't exactly what she wanted to encounter. "I guess we'll just have to keep walking and hope for the best," Sarah said out loud, picking up her pace.
Hoggle's last comment about meeting up with Jareth again had Sarah seriously on edge. She wasn't sure if she was uptight because she did not want to see him, or because she did. But no, she was not going to think like that, she told herself. She could not stand Jareth, right?
Hoggle too was on edge. He had not thought much about what he said till he had said it and now it was bothering him. Jareth did seem unusually interested in Sarah, and she WAS the first to stand up to him. Hoggle was worried about what Jareth was going to about this situation.
Maybe it was because both Hoggle and Sarah were so wrapped in their own thoughts that when a screech came from directly ahead of them they both lept high in air. Much to the amusment of Jareth who, after taking care of some business, had retaken his former position of watching them in a crystal.
"And so it begins." Jareth murmured with a tiny smile.
"Hoggle..I feel like this is a dream; whoever thought something like this could ever happen or that a place like this existed," Sarah said.
"You did Sarah, and that's why you're here: you're a believer," Hoggle replied.
Sarah shrugged and sighed. "I want to go home, and I want Toby back."
"Patience Sarah, this is a war you're fighting against Jareth. Your brother's future is at stake so take care," Hoggle said.
"Why me?" she asked no one in particular.
"Why you?" Jareth whispered. "It had to be you; it's always been you," he muttered putting his crystal down not wanting to look anymore.
"You're the one who brought yourself here, Sarah. With a few words you brought this upon yourself," Hoggle said.
Sarah sighed. When Jareth had appeared in Toby's room her heart had started pounding and she had seen fire in his blue eyes that had almost hypnotized her. There was something about him...something hiding in the depths of his eyes. He was sinister and cruel but within she had sensed that he was who he was and knew no other way of existing. He was magic and magic was a part of him. But did magic have to be evil? No...and Sarah thought he didn't have to be either.
Staring into the crystal, Jareth felt a heavy satisfaction fall over him. Standing from his throne of velvet cushions and stone, he stretched himself like a cat and went to the window to overlook his kingdom.
"Someday Sarah, someday soon, you’ll be here to rule over this with me. I’ll take you willingly or I’ll take you screaming and kicking, but you will be mine my dear. There is nothing that you, or your treacherous little friends, can do about it!"
Jareth sat at that ledge for many minutes, overcome by his thoughts and plans for the young girl fighting for her brother. Just thinking of Sarah made his eyes grow dark with pleasure...and anger that she’d evaded his grasp so far. Waking himself from the trance, he told himself that she may believe herself in control at the moment, but it wouldn’t be long before she realised that nothing in this reality could be controlled, except by his highness, the King of the Goblins. Jareth stood by the window, and started to laugh.
A chill settled on Sarah’s shoulder blades as the day turned cool, and she pulled her blouse tighter around herself. She carried on walking around the bushes and hedges, everyone looking like the one she had just passed, but she continued.
"Hoggle?"
"What is it? I’m trying to find a way out of here," Hoggle replied irritably. He turned to look at Sarah, and felt his anger inside slowly calming. There was something about this girl, some light inside of her that continued to shine no matter how cold, or hungry, or depressing the situation was...unlike himself who snapped at everyone.
"Do you think it is possible for Jareth to be a good person?" Sarah stopped and thought for a moment.
Hoggle stopped with Sarah, and at that point he looked up at her and said, completely seriously, "Well, we’re alive aren’t we? He hasn’t killed us on the spot, so that’s a good quality"
"I mean seriously, could he change?" Sarah asked.
Now the dwarf had genuine fears. "Sarah, tell me what you’re thinking. Don’t even think about going with Jareth. He won’t change into Prince Charming. He’s always going to be this way. He’ll discard you as he would any other fancy he has. Don’t do it Sarah, don’t let him win you..."
Sarah kept walking trying not to think to much on anything that had to do with Jareth, but images floated into her mind, clouding the senses she wantd to have in order to complete the task before her. But poor Hoggle kept on muttering the most unintelige t things. Sarah just smirked and kept walking.
"Sarah." Jareth whispered her name as he remembered her, remembered the girl that would recite the story of the Goblin King, the Underground and her place among destiny. She was full of innocence, full of dreams and uncommon magic that was unknown to he . Such powers of a mortal that could never be discovered untill pushed to do so. She held everything within her lovely hands, if only she knew.
In his mind's eye he saw her, the Goblin Queen, beside him at all times, healing his wounds and his long broken heart. She would be radiant, wearing such finery that would make any person envious and green eyed. She was beautiful and so generous, . . . oo generous for his taste. She had attracted him far more than she knew, such a spell was dangerous even to him. He would have to end this soon, even at the cost of losing a new goblin to his kingdom.
"This seems like eternal walking Hoggle." Sarah said as she stopped and sat on a bench. "Sometimes, I'd wish myself to live in a forest among fairies and nyhmps of all kinds. I'd love to be in between them all and just listen to the world around them, uch fantasies young children dream of."
"You're not a child." Hoggle said perplexed.
"I know, I'm the oldest dreamer a live. But humans, they dream on forever, keeping to what they want,to what they desire. It's a known aspect of life on Earth." Sarah started to rise again. "Come on, we have to keep going Hoggle."
"Not so fast, Sarah." A silky voice said from behind her.
Before Sarah turned around she knew who it was. "Jareth." It was like an oath, a silent curse that had echoed past them, into eternity. With her arms crossed and her eyes glaring brown sparks, she accessed him coldly. "Did you bring me a another gift J reth? You know I enjoy them most thoroughly."
"I'm glad you like what I have to offer." Jareth came closer to her, smiling with more self confidence than he felt. "Tell me Sarah, do you still want to continue this game? Or are you still willing to make it through this maze?"
Defiantly she came closer, just two inches away from touching him. She stared into his blue eyes, such eyes that held her so adoringly. "I would never give into you." She whispered, as her words passed his lips.
"Give into me and everything you've ever wanted will be yours. Soon, my love. Very soon." With that he bent his head and kissed her, a kind of kiss that made the worlds shatter and time start all over again. Such a kiss that could be remembered as kind nd or cruel, but such a kiss that would never be forgotten, but written in the stars to be all time wanted.