There and back again

Friendship

After walking for hours in the forest, he finally found a lake. Jareth put Sarah down and went to the lake to take water with the goblet he had. She needed a drink.

Jareth held her in his arm and tried to make her drink without spilling it.

Some of it spilled on the side of her face and Jareth put the goblet away to wipe her face. He slowly wiped the droplets away and observed Sarah. She was getting worse. Worse to the point that her powers worked in a no-magic zone. She must be in a lot of pain.

He moved the streaks off her face and wiped her forehead when she stirred. She murmured weakly in her sleep.

"T-Toby..."

Jareth smiled, knowing she would dream of him and he felt bad because the time she got with her brother was too little. He would make sure she reaches home safely.

"Toby..." her eyes fluttered and slowly opened. She weakly looked at him and blinked few times and called. "Ludo?" she was doubting her sight and for good reasons.

"I don't know why you think I look like that hairy creature." Jareth smiled and stroked her head. Sarah's expression changed to a frown.

"What...happened?"

"You were pushed too far." Jareth admitted. "The magic inside you exploded because of me."

"E-exploded...? No one got hurt...right?" she didn't want those poor creatures to get hurt, even if they kidnapped her for marriage.

"No." Jareth said. "But the king was very displeased with his bride so he asked me to take you away."

"But...why?"

"Well, he didn't want his bride to have a temper of an old lady." He tried to be funny but Sarah was not in the mood.

"It's not funny...tell me what happened?"

Jareth knew it was of no use, hiding from her any longer. "Sarah, when you had that accident in Aboveground, you ended up in a coma."

"My body is still in my world?" She asked, not entirely surprised. She grasped somewhat of it. "So...I am here...as what?"

"You are merely a soul, Sarah."

"A...soul?" now the shock was kicking in.

"Yes. You are at your rawest form. You are a soul of the body in the aboveground and your magic has enhanced to the point where it can break any barriers. You are pure power, Sarah."

"Oh god...is that why my head has been hurting?"

"I suppose that the pain comes from adjustment issues. You are not at your proper form and it has problems with the environment here."

"Is that why...it exploded? Because this place cannot adjust with me?" she asked and Jareth nodded quite sadly.

"Your emotions must be kept under control...and I...I am so sorry for pushing you like this. I had no idea it would have this much effect."

Sarah remained quiet. She didn't want to think about it because it hurt her head even more. But she was mad and sad because the goblin king played with her emotions. His constant teasing, mocking and poking irritated her. She didn't know what it meant but it didn't feel good.

"Sarah...there is more..."

"No..." Sarah stopped him. "I don't want to know more...not now."

Jareth pursed his lips, knowing why she didn't want to know. But she had to know...

"Tell me about...Jim...instead." She mumbled and shut her eyes on his chest.

"Jim." Jareth started. "He was the first ever human baby, I've brought into this land."

"You stole him?" Sarah asked, wide eyed.

"Jim's mother understood, unlike Toby's sister who did not understand the consequences of wishing babies away."

"Why would his mother..."

"She was poor and...young. She was 13 and an orphan." He answered. "And she forgot him as if a nightmare."

Sarah merely looked up at him. Even when he had what he wanted, she still could see sadness.

"I thought you turned babies into goblins." She said and Jareth looked down at her with a smile.

"There are not many babies I have stolen. No one believes in goblin kings like Father Christmas. Very few wished their babies away and none of them were turned into goblins."

"What did you do with those babies?" she asked.

"Jim married one of them when she grew up and the rest went on adventures."

"So there are humans here."

"They are not really humans anymore. Their lives spent here, turns them into something different. They grow old and die but...they live very long. They live as long as me." Jareth said.

"Oh...similar to Fae."

"Yes."

"So...I'm the first one who took your challenge and..."

"Defeated me? Yes." Jareth was no longer ashamed of it. He sounded too casual about it.

"And you hate me."

"No." he brought her closer to him. "I never hated you. In fact...all that teasing and annoying you is how I show appreciation to a friend. What I failed to understand that this is not how it works in aboveground."

"Friend?" she repeated. "You think of me as your...friend?"

"Yes." He said. "Of course we have our...differences but...I'm willing to have you as a friend."

Sarah's face brightened up and she finally gave out a smile. Then she realised that she was too close to him. Even as a friend, that was too close for comfort. She slowly got up and moved, blushing to herself.

"The dress is beautiful though. Think of it as a gift from the king of grease." Jareth laughed at his own joke as Sarah smiled. She found his smile very nice to look at. Attractive...

"So." Jareth turned to her. "We still have to get to the waterfall so we can travel to the core." He stood up and held his hand to her. Sarah only took a second before taking his hand and standing up.

"How far is it?" she asked.

"Not far...in fact, few steps and we will be there." He said.

"No more distractions on the way?" she became worried. She did not want to face any other troubles.

"Maybe not. I don't know. We shall see." He held his elbow to her and she didn't hesitate this time. She took his elbow and they started walking together unknown of the eyes watching them.

Jim saw all in the crystal ball Jareth had spared him. He sighed and looked at the sunset.

"Oh Jareth...you should have just told her...although...you don't know much yourself."

He worried for his captor, rescuer and mentor.