My first Fanfic ever! I hope you like it! Rated T just in case.

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Labyrinth, Jareth, Hoggle, or anything from the flm, but Elsie, Hira, and her world are my ideas.

I wish that there really was a place as great as my dream kingdom. I wish that I could live there forever.

A million miles away, in a place that wouldn't show up on any earthly map, the Goblin King heard her secret wish.

Elsie ran, her dress gathered up in her arms to prevent tripping, but the tree branches and foliage underfoot were difficult to maneuver through. The dress she was wearing, a sky blue satin peasant dress, was entirely unsuited for this sort of thing, but Elsie liked to look glamorous no matter what she was doing.

At present, she was taking a detour through the forest in an attempt to intercept a stampeding herd of unicorns. Hira, a small creature vaguely resembling a fox, was by her side.

"What did you do to upset them?" Elsie asked of the imp.

"Oi didn't do nuffin'." She replied in a thick accent, taking offense to the accusation. "All Oi did was ask 'em how come they have those 'fings on their heads. Oi asked if they'd been dropped as babies. Surely they couldn'a've thought it was rude, it bein' a' simple a question as that."

Elsie rolled her eyes. "No, I'm sure they couldn't. I mean, you wouldn't be upset if someone asked you that, would you? " Elsie asked tauntingly. She didn't know why the unicorns were stampeding, but she was certain that it wasn't because of Hira's teasing. They were used to the little imp.

Elsie was on her knees, peering from behind a bush. There they were, trampling over the village's garden as if it was pavement. She watched sadly as silver hooves demolished the pumpkins. "Why can't they just stay in the forest instead of doing all this damage?"

Hira was beside Elsie, her long, curved ears alert. "I dunno, but they're sure makin' a mess ain't they?"

"Come on." She darted from out of the bushes and towards the herd. "We've got to get them to turn around."

Without a word, Hira was running between the feet of the unicorns, nipping at their ankles. Elsie waved her arms, attempting to frighten the creatures back into the woods.

The herd was more than irritated; it was livid, and the unicorns' faces were masks of terror. The girl recognized this, and, in an instant, understood why. She stood still, gazing in horror at the sight.

On the inky black horizon, a large, skeletal form reached up into the sky. A castle on top of a hill stood menacingly, and Elsie had never seen it before in her life. It was so strange seeing something so dark juxtaposed in her beautiful world. "Hira, have you ever seen anything like it?"

Hira, having succeeded in herding the unicorns towards the forest, where they were now heading, stood beside her friend. "Never," she said.

The castle was emitting a fog which was rolling across the field and over the mountains towards Elsie's kingdom. A cold chill ran up her spine at the sight.

The alarm blared, running through her head like a jackhammer. Elsie pounded the snooze button. She really didn't want to get up. The bed felt so good under her tired head, but Elsie knew that she wouldn't be in time for work if she didn't get up right then.

But the covers were so warm, and her dreams were beckoning to her, tempting her to return to them. Could she call in sick? No, she only had three sick days left, and she didn't want to waste them. Last night's dream was amazing, and she hated waking up.

Her dreams were her life. In them, she was someone different, someone new. The instant she fell asleep she was taken to another world. In it, she was the queen. Her kingdom was built from all of the fond memories of her mother's stories.

In them, there was a beautiful place full of deep forests and lush gardens with a little village that surrounded the castle. The village was inhabited by all manner of creatures, and the forest was home to a thousand different species of fairy.

None of these splendors, her mother had said, even compared to the castle itself. Within its walls there were hundreds of twisting hallways and enormous libraries. The throne room was as long as two football fields put end to end with a thousand chandeliers scattered about.

The real world couldn't even compare to her dream world, and to wake up in real life was like going to sleep in her world, dreaming an uninteresting dream. After all of the unhappiness of her life, Elsie felt as though there was nothing worth staying awake for.

I wish…

If only her mother had been there for her, instead of disappearing that night. It easier to say that she was dead than to say that she disappeared, her father insisted. Elsie learned to say that she was, but she really knew. Her father was never the affectionate sort, so Elsie had grown up virtually alone. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he would always send her to bed. In fact, her punishment for everything was to be sent to bed. When he didn't want to look at her, because she looked so much like her mother, she was told to go to bed.

In her loneliness, she had sought refuge in her dream world.

Last night's dream was great. As much as she enjoyed her leisurely dreams, in which she would take a luxurious bubble bath in the golden tub the size of a pool, or sprawl across her fur covered, king sized bed, the adventurous ones were the best.

But…Why was that castle looming on the horizon? It was no creation of hers. She would surely remember thinking of it, but could not. And it had been so strange…Not frightening, but enticing. The mere sight of it made her want to explore its halls and the grounds around it.

It was best that she put it from her mind for now. Elsie chose a simple, lavender top, a nice blouse with flowing sleeves and a pretty ribbon tied around the waist in a deeper shade of lavender. The color complimented her eyes, playing up the blue in their otherwise green tone, but did absolutely nothing for her skin tone. The years during which she had only ventured out of doors to go to work and return straight home had robbed her skin of its rosy glow, leaving her with a solid, pallid complexion. This pale shirt, coupled with a peasant skirt and ballet flats, lavender, of course, left her looking faded and ghostlike. Were it not for her ridiculously long, dark hair, she might be mistaken for the fog, taking on a human form for only a moment before swirling away into the atmosphere.

Makeup was not of enormous importance to her; choosing just a dash of mascara to make her appear more alert and a touch of lip gloss to break up the monochrome of her face. Hair, too, we learn is not a huge concern. She simply brushed it out and donned a thin silver headband. Within five minutes Elsie was ready to leave, but she stopped by the kitchen to grab a cereal bar.

Reaching up towards the cabinet, she jerked her hand back when she heard a sound behind her. Turning slowly, Elsie saw none other than Hira, the little imp from her dreams. Elsie let out a loud gasp.

"Wha's the matter?" Hira asked, puzzling at Elsie's bewildered expression.

"I…I…You…You are supposed to be in my dreams. You're not real---You can't be here!" Elsie managed to stammer. This was madness. Dreams don't come to life!

Hira's face was suddenly clouded by confusion. "I dunno."

"How did you get out?" she asked, wondering where exactly she was supposed to have gotten out of, or if that was even the correct expression to use.

"I follow'd you." This seemed as logical an answer as any; if Elsie could traverse from world to world, who's to say that others couldn't do the same?

I wish…

The cold morning air felt good against Elsie's skin, and the long walk to the office seemed a little more bearable. Her shoes thudded against the wet pavement, amplified in part by the added weight of the imp in her backpack. Elsie, fearing the consequences of a missed day of work, had opted to bring Hira along, provided that she kept quiet and out of sight. The out of sight part was working out, but the silence was lacking.

Hira, peering from the holes and loose zippers of the backpack, was constantly questioning this strange new world. Elsie answered her questions in as few words as possible, making an effort not to seem as though she was talking to herself.

"'Ow come they gots trousers on?" Hira asked.

"What?"

"'Ow come they gots trousers on? The ladies. They gots trousers on."

"Oh!" In the world that Hira came from, the one that Elsie created, women wore only beautiful dresses in the Venetian style. "In my world, women can wear whatever they like." When Hira didn't respond, Elsie took it as a sign that she understood.

Everything is so grey today. Why is there never any color in this world? She thought, looking up at the bleak sky. The people who passed her on the sidewalk never spared her a passing glance; she was far too ordinary to catch their eye. How could she be so different from her glorious dream-self? Here she was ignored, pushed aside, and underappreciated. In her world, however, she had friends. Friends, she thought, only come along in fairy tales and dreams.

I wish…

More soon to come, I promise! Once the rulers of two worlds meet, mayhem will ensue.