Labyrinth 1. Chapter 1

Jareth and the glass of goblin ale

Sitting on his throne, watching through a crystal Sarah and his subjects celebrate his defeat, he felt as if someone had definitely ruffled his feathers. His hair was a mess, his kingdom broken and his most loyal goblins had gone Aboveground without his permission. The few goblins which had stayed behind were doing what goblins do best (and well…the only things goblins do apart from sleep), drinking. They looked like such happy fellows, drowning any fears they had in stupidly large tankards of ale.

A rather unsteady goblin with pink cheeks and a rather odd expression plastered across his features wobbled towards him, ale in hand. He hiccupped, lurching forwards and having to hold onto Jareth's boot, which was hanging over the edge of his chair, for support.

"Come on King," he said in a sing-song voice, swaying and patting Jareth's ankle. "Don't-look so un-happy." The goblins' sentence was punctuated with a series of hiccups but he determinately set the tankard at Jareth's side. "Drink!" The little goblin yelled in a surprisingly loud voice for such a small goblin. After this he shuffled away back to the keg and drew himself another flagon. After swallowing a few mouthfuls and hiccupping once more the little goblin collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

"Hmm." Thought Jareth, "Perhaps unconsciousness or at least something close to it would be a good thing today. I can't get…Sarah…" His thoughts evaporated as he caught sight of the girl in the crystal. Suddenly, Jareth rose from his chair and threw the crystal against the wall. It shattered and the glittering shards floated slowly down onto the floor. Jareth stooped down and grasped the handle of his mug, strands of his blonde hair brushing against his face. He swung himself back into his seat with a little more drama than was needed, "To hell with it." Jareth thought, "If I can't show off when I'm on my own, when can I? It's the only time I get a good audience anyway." As he stared into the murky liquid he let his thoughts slide back to the latest runner of the labyrinth but the rippling on the surface of the ale brought him back to reality. The drink was dark, a shade paler than mud and smelt almost as bad as the bog of eternal stench. Almost, this really is quite a feat.

Jareth closed his eyes, squeezing them tight shut and downed as much of the tankard as he could quickly. The rest (including the mug) he threw to the floor as his mouth and brain burned, the backs of his eyes felt as though they were on fire and for a moment Jareth could only see red. Clutching at his head, hands pressed over his eyes, the pain slowly dispersed, leaving him feeling very groggy and lightheaded. It was the feeling he associated with hitting windows while flying. The goblins swarmed towards him, wondering why he was acting so strangely. Well, stranger than normal. The stood in a circle around him, just far enough away that they were out of reach, but close enough that they could answer any orders he might have for them. After a few seconds without being given instructions the goblins began to get bored. They picked their noses, made very rude noises and some danced around Jareth, urging others to join in. A few of the goblins left and went to the party at Sarah's dwelling as it was still in full swing and they had mugs of goblin ale to share with the others…or fight over, whichever came first. None of the goblins noticed the king's next actions, or heard what he said.

The Goblin King stood, and with less glitter than usual walked a few paces into the centre of the room, his face flushed. He then sat on the cold, dirty floor of his throne room, ruining this regal attire, and continued to stare into the orb's crystalline depths. Sarah seemed to be having a good time, dancing with Ludo and Sir Didimus, leaving Hoggle to jump on her bed holding onto a fiery for dear life. "Sarah." He whispered.

"That's it!" Jareth roared. Jumping up and leering over the goblins he began to think a little more clearly. "Stay here, I'm going Aboveground." Before the goblins could protest, Jareth had disappeared. Reappearing in Sarah's room amongst the chaos, no one noticed him until after he had sat on the edge of Sarah's desk and leaned his pounding head against the wall.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Those who had been eating let their food fall from their hands; anyone who had been dancing either froze or fell over. But all were looking at the Goblin King, even the Wise Man and his hat had woken from where they sat in a corner, eyes wide and staring.

"Don't stop on my account." Jareth said quietly, though in the small room it seemed to echo and the sudden silence made his head hurt even more. The effort to not slur his words what tremendous, he ran his hand through his hair sheepishly and grinned. Some of the goblins laughed as they had been thought to do when Jareth smiles, a few of the fairies screamed. Sarah moved towards him and the others took it as their cue to act natural, the people, monsters and everything in between began the party again but still stole glances at Jareth as often as they dared.

To be continued...

What happens next? I'm really not sure to be honest…comment with ideas or creative crit please! Or leave a reply (you know how great you feel when you get replies on your stories, so reply to mine! you'll have virtual cookies!)

Too much detail? Not enough? Please tell me!

I've written a lot of other stories and not really finished them off, and if anyone is reading this wondering why I'm starting something new, I'm sorry. I'm a student and I have to fit my writing in when I have time around work, and often I get a new idea which I would rather write.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2's here! Sorry for the wait! Ok! So here's a quick note about this chapter. It is NOT a song fic, though someone does sing in it, ok? Enjoy (I hope ) and if you like it please tell me. (You can tell me if you don't like it too, but could you also say what you don't like about it and why so I can improve?)

Thanks, now let's get on shall we!

"_Don't stop on my account." Jareth said quietly, though in the small room it seemed to echo and the sudden silence made his head hurt even more. The effort to not slur his words what tremendous, he ran his hand through his hair sheepishly and grinned. Some of the goblins laughed as they had been thought to do when Jareth smiled, a few of the fairies screamed. Sarah moved towards him and the others took it as their cue to act natural, the people, monsters and everything in between began the party again but still stole glances at Jareth as often as they dared._

**Jareth and the glass of goblin ale, chapter two.**

"Why are you here Goblin King?" Sarah asked, aware of the cutting tone of her voice she cringed inwardly. He seemed to ponder, thinking of something to say, but instead he said quietly, "Jareth."

"What?" Sarah was confused; did he not understand the question?

"Your obligations to me have ended. Call. Me. Jareth." He said the last words slowly, infuriating Sarah by acting as though he thought her stupid, though in reality he was attempting to clear his mind from the effects of the goblin's ale.

"So why are you here?" Sarah asked again, she put her hands on her hips – the picture of defiance, though she was trying not to show that he had annoyed and upset her.

"I got lonely." Sarah was taken aback by this and felt her mouth open slightly in shock, but she quickly shut it again. She was not a gawking fish, especially not in front of her favourite fictional character.

"Lonely?" Sarah studied his face, searching for lies. But surprisingly found none. "Are you drunk?" She asked, upon noticing his flushed cheeks and his eyes, although already different colours were dilated. He sighed and slumped against the wall and then looked up like a child who has been found out.

"Yesh!" He made no effort to control his words, she knew now, there was no point. The goblins cackled, sharing a private joke, they danced round him, yelling and singing odd songs. "We gave it to him, now he's happy. Like goblins happy." Sarah shook her head, surely she'd gone mad. The goblin king was regal, handsome; not some drunkard who visited young girl's homes simply because he felt sorry for himself. She reached into the crowd of goblins and pulled a particularly squat goblin from the fray.

"What did he drink?" She asked, her voice laced in menace. Jareth seemed to get answers by being cruel and right now she'd need answers. A powerful magical being with no self control would be dangerous in any situation, but now he was in a room with a girl who had just literally beaten him at his own game and a bunch of his subjects who had become traitors in order to help her.

"Gob- *hic* goblin ale." The little goblin struggled from her grasp and landed on the floor with a thud. "Make king happy!" He finished, while the other goblins gave other effects of the labyrinthine alcohol. "Happy! Dizzy! Blurry! Chicken! Happy! Stupid! Angry! Happy!" A stream of answers followed, once Sarah had thought she had heard 'chicken' twice she held up her hand to quieten them. She glanced at Jareth to see if he had any of the symptoms the goblins had suggested. Jareth was idly playing with a piece of his hair and staring at the bright buttons on his sleeves. Slowly, he closed his eyes and slumped back onto the wall.

Sarah didn't wait to act; she sprinted downstairs and rummaged through the medicine cupboard. She snatched up a small box of pills but paused, thinking. What sort of medication would Jareth be accustomed to? Could he even swallow pills? Surely he was used to drinking potions or being healed by magic. Sarah sighed, she didn't know how to make potions nor do magic and she doubted if any of her other guests were in a state to do so. With some luck, Sarah found some soluble tablets in the back of the small cupboard. She quickly prepared it and dashed back upstairs, thrusting it into the Goblin King's hands. "Drink it." She commanded. He gazed regally down at the fizzing mixture then gulped it down in one. His eyes suddenly went wide and he clasped one hand over his mouth and with the other he clutched Sarah's sleeve.

Then he let go of her and looked away, mumbling a quiet apology. When he did not speak Sarah shifted nervously.

"Goblin King?" She ventured.

"Jareth, Sarah. I'll not say it again."

"Right." She paused. "Jareth? Why are you here?"

"My Sarah, this is getting tiresome." He smiled, but this time he was not frightening. Yet he still managed to scare Sarah a little, though she did not know why. His smile...was a smile, nothing more nothing less; merely an unusual and welcome change from his smirks. "As I told you before, I suppose I can say it again since repartition appears necessary. After your _**visit**_to my kingdom and you invited most of my subjects to your home…the castle seemed empty. With the promises of a ball in Aboveground who wouldn't be tempted to join you?" He shut his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again he seemed better, or rather his eyes seemed to shine like those of a determined fae. He cast his gaze across the room, over Sir Didymus and the fieries playing scrabble, over the few dancers and the sleeping wise man in the corner.

"Don't punish them for helping me or coming here tonight." Sarah blurted out, and it seemed the room became quiet again as everyone strained to listen to Jareth's reply. He whipped his head round to face her and became very stern, lines around his eyes betraying that for all his glamour and immortality he was not a young and foolish as he liked to appear.

"Punish? Why should I do that? You are the first champion of the labyrinth, and the first to realise that friends are everything in such times. Nor did you care what they looked like, and you forgave them their faults. You won Sarah fair and square. You were not selfish and you saw it through to the end." Jareth smiled weakly. "Though I am sad that you did not accept me, you must have thought it a trick, no?" The goblin king turned his head back to the room, "But this party of yours, needs a little refreshment." He clicked his fingers and the plates strewn about the room filled with exotic treats and tiny lights flared to life on every surface. The room itself seem to grow, and it doubled and re-doubled, providing ample space rather than the cramped confines of a teenager's bedroom. "Now Sarah, we must have a song."

Sarah stopped gazing around her and headed to a small stack of disks balanced on a shelf, but Jareth shook his head. "I sang for you, won't you return the favour?"

The room erupted with cheers and song requests, there was no way that Sarah could refuse them. She began shakily, recalling the words of a film she had watched recently about the author of a series of book for children.

"When you taught me how to dance  
Years ago with misty eyes  
Every step and silent glance  
Every move a sweet surprise."

Sarah's voice became stronger and louder as she continued, confident that certain members of her audience would appreciate her choice after the next verse.

"Someone must have taught you well  
To beguile and to entrance  
For that night you cast your spell  
And you taught me how to dance"

She stole a glance at Jareth but allowed the fieries to drag her away and dance, while she couldn't do their aerobic tricks and sing at the same time she twirled around the room instead, taking the hands of the creatures and inviting them to dance too.

"Light reflections in a lake  
I recall what went before  
As I give, I'll learn to take  
And to be alone no more"

A goblin tugged on her jeans, a silent plea to be danced with; and Sarah picked him up and pretended to waltz with him around the other goblins while the other's stared up, gazing at their friend who sat quietly in her arms.

"Other lights may light my way  
I may even find romance  
But I won't forget that night  
When you taught me how to dance"

As she set him down, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. As she turned round she almost stopped singing. Jareth stood, hand outstretched. "Dance with me?" He asked quietly. Sarah almost messed up the next verse, but took his hand and allowed him to lead her into a dance.

"Cold winds blow  
But on those hills you'll find me  
And I know  
You're walking right behind me"

Sarah couldn't bring herself to look up into his eyes in case he saw how uncomfortable he was making her, instead she stared at the elaborate embroidery on his shirt, taking care to continue the song.

"When you taught me how to dance  
Years ago with misty eyes  
Every step and silent glance  
Every move a sweet surprise"

"Someone must have taught you well  
to beguile and to entrance  
For that night you cast your spell  
And you taught me how to dance  
And you taught me how to dance."

As Jareth spun them round one last time, slowly decelerating their speed to finish so that he stood in front of her.

"You're not going to smash your way out with a chair this time you know." Sarah looked up at him, raging with indignation, but before she could speak he continued. "So, did you enjoy our dance, Sarah?" Sarah nodded and stepped away from him pretending to check on the rest of the party that had continued around them. "Then I'll be going home." Jareth turned and walked towards the mirror. "But should you need me…" He hesitated. But Sarah finished his sentence for him.

"I'll call."

The end!

Ok folks! We're all done here, don't ask for more 'cause too much of a good thing is bad for you and too much of a bad thing is also bad for you! Please reply, and thank you for reading!

I hope enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.


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