Sarah wrapped her windbreaker tighter around herself as a cold breeze gushed by whipping her long dark reddish-brown hair around her face as she finished strapping the saddle to Lilly; her white mare. Beside her, her six-year-old younger bother Toby was humming away as he brushed Spotty's mane as her 20 year old cousin, Rafael, and his ten year old sister, Anna, finished saddling the other three horses.

Sarah and Toby's father had agreed that they should go out for the day, even though they were there at their Aunt Lisa's for Christmas. Aunt Lisa owned a ranch just outside of Nevada with a lot of horses and cattle. That was where Sarah and Toby kept Lilly and Spotty since they lived in the city. Uncle Pat kept good care of the animals.

Rafael had come down from Vegas to visit his mom and sister for the break. Anna had gotten out of school and the William's had come to spend the holidays with them. Though on the second day they were there Robert, Sarah's father, said to go spend some time together, so that was pretty much how they ended up in the shed saddling-up four horses to go for a ride across the fields. It had seemed like a good idea.

"You guys ready?" Rafael said straightening from his kneeling position and wiping some of is chestnut brown hair out of his blue eyes.

"Yeah!" Toby said throwing the brush over where the supplies was, his emerald green eyes, so much like her own, sparkling. Anna stood and rubbed the back of her neck while watching him. Anna and Toby shared the same hair color; blond, though Anna had blue eyes like her brother instead of green.

"Well, let's get going." Rafael said putting his left foot in the foot hold in the saddle and swinging his other leg over the saddle of his black and white stead, Oreo. Anna mimicked the gesture as she got on Browney, a brown horse. Sarah helped Toby on Spotty and then climbed on Lilly. When Rafael was certain that every one was ready they headed out toward the field.

Aunt Lisa had done a excellent job on the landscape. Even though it was winter the place was still green with the pines and evergreens lining the fields. Snow had fallen the day be for so they looked like gigantic Christmas trees. Snow also covered the ground and grass so as the horses galloped snow rained behind them. It was quite a sight with the white and green colors that blanketed the lands for miles.

Sarah was so wrapped up in looking around that it nearly knocked her off her horse when a scream sounded. Her head jerked up just in time to see Browney take off at full speed with Anna. Something was swaying in front of the horse the Anna was trying to, but not prevailing to grab.

Sarah heeled Lilly into a faster speed. She got a little closer and then was able to realize what it was; the reins. Sarah mentally cursed and glanced behind her. Rafael and Toby were doing a great job at staying up with her. Rafael caught her eye and pulled up beside her while Toby took her other side.

"What's wrong with Browney?" he yelled over the hoof beats.

"Anna lost hold of the reins; Browney's out of control." Sarah shouted back.

"We have to catch up to them" Toby yelled from her other side. Toby was maybe six but when in came to an emergency he acted like an adult. A trait, Sarah was sure, he got from their dad.

"How? They're going to fast!" Rafael breathed almost to low for Sarah to hear.

"We got to try." Sarah responded heeling Lilly again. Lilly automatically picked up her pace again. Ahead of her Sarah could see Anna holding on to Browney's mane for dear life. Behind her where she had left Rafael and Toby when she had picked up speed she could hear them as they start to match her pace again.

And then suddenly, the scenery changed. For the second time in five minutes Sarah nearly fell of her horse. She didn't though, but she did end up gasping.

They were no longer in the winter wonder land they were in a few seconds ago. On the contrary, they were now in what looked like a grassy field in the middle of spring. What was worse was that they were heading for a kind of village in front of a stone castle. That's what it looked like anyway. And it also looked like Browney wasn't going changing directions.

Behind her Sarah heard Rafael shout something but couldn't hear it. She didn't have time to turn and ask him what he said because they just crossed the borders into the village. People that were out in the roads all scattered. Or what could have been people. Most of them were very small yet some of them reached a good height; all had dark skin.

Sarah didn't have enough time to puzzle about this for at that minute there was another scream. It was female and sounded young but wasn't Anna. Sarah turned her head in time to see a house that had been disheveled by the chaos that had become the people about to topple; right on top of a young girl.

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"…And as the kingdoms are united into one it is our duty to supply our people with the best of qualities." The High King Shanon said gazing around the table at the kings and queens from the other kingdoms of the Underground. He was a hot tempered man with features of black hair and light sky blue eyes that were impossible out side of contacts. He was also lean and hard muscled, like every man at the table, but had a demanding aura to him.

All the men and women at the table were listening intently at his words; all except for one.

Jareth was gazing out the window while drumming his fingers against the table, softly enough not to drawl attention, but still with impatients. The feeling had come a few minutes earlier, a feeling that he only got every other blue moon but he knew it was true; something was wrong.

"Jareth, is there any thing you would like to tell us?" Jareth's head snapped up at Shanon's voice and looked over at him. Right now Shanon had his hands on his hips looking slightly disgruntled

"No not at all. I was just thinking about your proposal about the quantities of qualities we should supply our people." Jareth said smoothly and leaned back in his chair enough that the two front legs raised off the floor.

"Speaking of which, the court had earlier agreed on a specific decision. The taming and taking care of goblins, demons, dragons, the labyrinth and such results to a lot of strong power, there for that is why you have the position being the powerful Fae you are. Though we believe that it would be best for you and your subjects if you were to take a Queen to rule beside you."

Through the lecture Jareth had been nodding slightly listening to the words. Though at the end he nearly lost his balance and almost fell backward in his chair. He grabbed the table and pulled his self up so all four legs of the chair were resting firmly against the ground.

"What." He gasped slightly then sat back in his chair. "So you don't think I'm doing a good enough job." He stated flatly, voice hard.

"No, no, you've been excellent at your job for the last 3 thousand years. Yet we believe that it would do you some good if you had a womanly figure by your side." Shanon said defensibly.

Jareth leaned forward slightly. "Listen, I don't need your opinion on this…" He didn't get to finish because at that moment a scream filled the room, echoing off the walls. Yet it wasn't from inside the room; the scream was from outside the room, even from outside the castle, but it had sounded in the room because this specific tower aloud those who are in it to listen to their loved ones to keep track of their where abouts and conditions. It let you know what was happening to them. Yet at this moment the scream that the tower had sounded that was happening in the out side world had caused Shanon to turn as pale as death; for the scream belonged to his daughter.