Lord what fools these goblins be:

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Jareth stood towering over the sleeping body of Elena. Her frail form set gently on a large white bed within the Goblin castle. Now here in his room he could really see the extent of her beauty. Her long brown hair, while pleated into a thick loveknot could still be seen as being full and wavy. Her skin was like cream delicately folded with shades of almond. And Jareth could just imagine the hues of varying auburns and russets that made her eyes.

His gaze moved over her face and down to the bit of ashen rose satin that peaked from between the white silk sheets of his bed. For an Earth girl her clothing was surprisingly whimsy, like the clothing worn in the Underground. Her frail and slender form undoubtedly ideal for the gauzy almost weightless garments worn by the Elves. He had to fight himself to not just conjure a crystal and peer into her dreams. Dreams may have been his realm, but this girl before him was not as the others. She has wished herself away, he had no reason to offer her the dreams which she dreamed.

Jareth could feel a hand on his back. He rolled his eyes remembering who happened to still be with him. Aithne slid her hand from his shoulder blades to rest on the nape of his neck. She played with a few strands of his hair as her sister sat down on the bed beside Elena.

Ailis ran her hand over the sweet face of the girl and traced her lips as though she had a longing for them. The action making Jareth cock his head at the entrancing Sidhe.

"I wonder Jareth why she is here and not beyond the labyrinth." Aithne laughed and curled herself up in his arm.

"Perhaps my sister our merciless King has grown soft. Is that it my dear? Is this young one touching your heart?" Jareth threw her from his arms and walked to the window of his room. From its stone frame one could see the Labyrinth, although it was a fractured view. From where he stood it seemed that one could see every part of the labyrinth. It was as though the entire Underground existed in that one small section, as if it were folded and stretched onto itself and within itself.

He turned away from the window to look back at the twins. They were both now sitting beside Elena with their hands stroking her as though she were a small child being lulled to sleep after a nightmare. He made his features hard and glared at them. His eyes so dark and menacing that even giants would have run screaming from him, though the twins only smiled.

"My heart remains untouched. You two had made sure long ago that my heart would remain cold. Do not think this seemingly act of compassion is anymore then circumstance. She wished herself to fade away. There is no child to which she must rescue, no reason to traverse the labyrinth. How can I offer her her dreams in exchange for something which does not exist? This….." He waved his arms lightly around the room as he came closer to the three graceful figures on the bed.

"….This is what she wished for, this is her dream. For this she doesn't have to run the labyrinth." The twins smiled quite starkly, their lips showing menace in each stiff curve.

"Then what shall you do with her? Keep her here, make her your little pet to hang on every word?" Jareth stopped where he stood. What was he going to do with her? She was past the age of becoming a goblin, of course not that he would want to see such gentleness turned into a grotesque goblin. She couldn't stay there in his castle, at least he thought what would she do? He could send her to live with the goblins out in the city, or even send her to the Elf lands. He knew she would fit perfectly there. But what did this child want? Why had she wished to fade away from the Aboveground world?

"She may if she wishes leave to live in any realm she so chooses, though if it is her will to stay I shall find the appropriate place for her." He smiled pleased with his decision on this matter. Ailis stood from Elena and went to stand just in front of Jareth. Though she stood not uncomfortably close, no she stood at a distance and smirked as she set her hands just in front of her.

"If I may my Love, I do have a more pleasing suggestion. Why don't we play a little game?" Jareth looked over at the still sleeping Elena. He knew not whether to listen to Ailis or not. The twins could cause harm when wanted, what had been their intensions when they had brought Elena to his attention? If they wished to play a game he knew this could only turn out one way, someone was going to get hurt. Was he willing to risk it being him?

"And what game shall this be? Dangle her over the Bog of Eternal Stench and she how long she lasts before she dies of its reekness?" His sarcasm very apparent in his voice as he walked across the room to pour himself a glass of spirit.

"No I suggest something more to what you played with your dear old Sarah, though I think this one will be much more interesting. Don't you think sister, this one shall have a twist to it." Aithne laughed as she stood and took the glass of spirit for Jareth and set it back on the table.

"Oh yes, two twists in fact." She smirked and rested her hand on his shoulder before turning him around so he could see both her and her sister.

"And what may I ask are these two twists?" He couldn't help but be intrigued by this. He had enjoyed his little game with Sarah, that was of course before she had solved the labyrinth and bet him.

"Why us of course." They both laughed as they looked down at Elena. Jareth stopped for a moment, should he accept this? It was after all only a little game and would lighten the mood, the Goblin kingdom had been very dull as of late. He smiled, there was no harm in a little game…….right?

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Elena stretched out her arms as far as she could above her head. Her fingers searched for the metal bars of her headboard, but they only ended up flailing about in the air. She turned over on her back, her arms still stretched out and her feet sprawled as well. She found herself just lying there, eyes closed and thinking what a strange feeling this morning was giving. Her normally soft bed was hard and felt as though it had been covered in sand. Her legs and arms which usually would be caught up in the metal head and foot boards , were free and just stretched out. The darkness of her room was replaced by the warm feeling of sunlight.

Slowly she opened one eye and looked about. She shut it quickly and tightly as she took in her surroundings. Still lying there she thought over what she had just seen. She took in a breath thinking that she must still be half asleep for she could not have possibly seen what she thought she saw. Slowly she opened one eye again, she looked around and closed it shut. Then with just the same amount of slowness opened the other eye and scanned the same way. She laid there with one eye open and frowned.

"Is there something wrong with your eyes?" Elena turned her head and looked at the small creature standing beside her. She just laid there dumbly for a moment, that was until she realized what the creature was. She shot her other eye open and flung up from the ground. She looked at the strange creature beside her.

"W-what did you say?" The creature furrowed his brow and scratched the back of his thick head.

"I said is there something wrong with your eyes? You seemed to be only able to open them one at a time." Elena thought for a moment and laughed a little bit to herself.

"Um no, my eyes are perfectly fine, at least I think they are. I was just trying to well, I don't know what I was trying to do. Wake up from this strange dream I suppose." The creature laughed and sat down on the ground and crossed his fat little legs the best he could.

"Dream? No little lady you are in no dream." She looked at the creature for a moment trying to decide if it was a good thing to listen to this being.

"How do I know I can believe you? I mean if this is a dream then you are part of it, and being part of it you would no doubt tell me this is anything but a dream." The little creature stood up again and went to stand beside Elena. He lifted his fat hands and slapped her across the arm. Elena yelled and held her arm where he had slapped.

"Ow that hurt you!" The creature laughed and returned to sit on the ground.

"Well if it hurt then I would suggest that you believe me about this not being a dream." Elena stopped and thought about it a moment. She looked down at the growing red spot on her arm and shrugged her shoulders.

"Ah well said. So then if this is not a dream what is this?" The creature groaned and rolled his eyes.

"This my little lady is the barren lands just outside of the Labyrinth. I'm surprised Jareth hasn't yet told you of it. He normally loves to gloat to the girls before sending them off to get the child back." Elena thought for a moment just staring down at the odd short and pudgy creature. His large nose and over sized head making him look like one of those bobblehead dogs people so loved to stick in the window of their cars.

"Child? What child?" The Pudgy bobbleheaded creature lifted a brow and looked over at the Labyrinth and back to Elena.

"You are not here to save a child you wished here?" Elena shook her head and sat down on a large rock beside the creature.

"No, first off I have no child to wish away and second I don't even know where here is. I went to bed last night and when I woke this morning…..I was here, wherever the hell that is." She set her head in her hands and felt her stomach growl. It was morning and it didn't matter if she was still in her apartment, in some fourth dimension or even on the moon she was still hungry. The creature opened a bag he had beside him and pulled out a cloth wrapped around a bit of bread and dried meat. He handed it to Elena and then pulled out a few bits of shriveled fruit.

"Its not much miss, but it will at least fill your belly." Elena nodded and accepted the food, she slowly ate as she took in the surroundings.

"So miss what is your name anyhow?" Elena swallowed the bit of rancid dried meat and crusty bread, she smiled. The food was horrid but not even knowing where she was, why she was or how she was she was not about to complain about any sort kindness.

"Elena….." She smiled weakly and tried to finish her breakfast, but she found that the feeling of hunger was must better the then feeling the putrid meat was creating.

"Hullo Elena I'm Hoggle. So I was just curious, you said you fell asleep last night and just woke up here? So do you remember anything about last night? Had you said anything before you went to bed?" Elena handed the rest of the food back to Hoggle and thought back to the night before. She had remembered coming home late and trying to finish her makeup work from school. And the small meal she had made out of junk food and even the long bath she had taken to try and calm down. But none of these things could explain why she was now in what this Hoggle had called the Barren Lands. But just as she thought she would remain utterly confused a thought struck her.

"I had recited a poem I used to read, Crystal Nightmares, before I went to bed. In it it wishes to be able to wish the nightmares away. And I think I may have wished mine away." Hoggle sipped the food into his bag and looked up at the young Elena.

"Was that all to wish your nightmares away? If that was it Jareth should have only sent you sweet dreams in your sleep not brought you to the Underground." Underground, Elena rolled this idea around her brain. The Underground, the realm of dreams! Suddenly it all made sense. She had remembered reading stories when she was younger about a place called the Underground and the fantastical creatures which lived there.

"No Hoggle this is what I had wished, though I didn't realize it. My nightmare was my life, I wished in my dreams to fade away from that world. And here I am, strange is it not?" Hoggle stood up and brushed off his pants just looking at her with a sort of confusion apparent in his large bulging eyes.

"What little lady?" Elena laughed lightly to herself, this was very ironic indeed.

"All my life I have tried to create for myself a fantasy world in which I could hide, and now just as I begin to believe that such a place is only pure imagination I find myself right in the middle of a fairy story." She looked around and heaved deeply. Lifting an eyebrow she looked at Hoggle.

"Though this is far from what I had ever imagined." For a time the two remained quiet, niether of them knew really what to say. This was strange for both of them. For Elena it was just being there in the first place, but for Hoggle it was that in all the time he had worked for Jareth he had never once encountered a girl who had come to the Underground of their own free will. And at that one who seemed unperturbed by the whole ordeal. The silence was almost uncomfortable in the way Hoggle just ate and Elena just sat there twiddling her thumbs. Looking from what had to be the Labyrinth and back to Hoggle, Elena was the first to break the annoying silence.

"So um, why are you out here in what you call it, the Barren Lands? Don't you have a home in that city?" She pointed past the Labyrinth to just in front of Jareth's castle.

"Well, well….." He hesitated for a moment not too sure what he should say. The truth was most likely the best and even made him look very good. But he didn't want to anger Jareth more, in that case a lie would be the best. He looked to the young girl and gazing at her features decided to hell with Jareth, it was his own fault what had happened.

"I used to Miss, once a lovely house with gardens to tend. I had even been though of for the position of Caretaker of the Labyrinth. But that was long ago now." Elena slid to the dusty ground and looked the now sad eyed Hoggle in the face.

"Had? What happened?" As soon as the words left her lips she wondered if it such a good idea to ask. Maybe he had a family, maybe they died. Whatever it was that had sent him here was enough to make his large boggle eyes to tear up.

"I was banished here four years ago by the Goblin King Jareth. You see I was once under his employment. And I refused to follow through with his orders when it came to someone who became very dear to my heart, my first friend Sarah. Because of my deceit and betrayal I was given a choice, to forever be banned to the Barren Lands or to be stuck away within an Oubliette. I chose this life, at least here I can visit Sarah in the Aboveground whenever she calls. What about you Elena? Why were you so keen to be taken away?" Elena drew a deep breath and leaned her back against the rock she had just moments before been sitting on.

"I don't know really, I had a perfectly good life. I was just tired I guess, jaded by the world." Hoggle studied her sweet features as she just sat there and looked up into the sandy sky. She sighed and stood up facing the Labyrinth.

"So, what exactly am I to do now?" Hoggle stood up beside her and frowned, what was she to do now? This situation was far beyond just unusual, was there even a plan for this sort of thing?

"Well I guess the only thing really would be to solve the Labyrinth, that's the only way to get to the castle so Jareth can send you back home. I mean you do want to go back home do you not Miss?…..Miss?" Elena smiled weakly, did she really want to go home? She had just gotten there, and while she should be scared out of her wits she was far from it. In fact she had this urge to find out more about where she was, well it wasn't everyday that one got transported to a fantasy world.

"Oh um, yeah maybe at least I could explore some. Just for a bit….." She trailed off as she looked out over the Labyrinth.

"Hoggle, you wouldn't by any chance know how I could get in there would you?" Hoggle shook his head lightly to himself, whatever this girl was thinking was not going to be good.

"Of course Miss, I will take you just to the gates if you wish. But that is as far as I shall go." Elena nodded and followed Hoggle down the dry Barren lands to the large stone gate, what was beyond she had no clue. Though she was eager to find out.

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Jareth held up a crystal just in front of him and gazed into it. The young Elena wasn't at all scared, in fact he swore he saw the girl's eyes twinkle with excitement. This was something he was very surprised to see. This game was going to be enjoyable, she may not be determined for reasons such as the other girls. But he knew she would make her way through.

"I know what you are thinking my Love, but you forget of Ailis. This little game of ours will be done before it even starts. Even now she heads for the girl. You will not win this game my Lord, and we shall see your payment." Jareth sighed deeply and sent the crystal away. He had not forgotten about Ailis for even a moment, he knew what the Sidhe was up to. But they seemed to forget the rules of the game, they were not the only ones allowed to interfere with Elena's journey. He would have his chance.

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Author's Note: Ok first off thankies to Nerds with helping me figure out a title. Next I love writing this story!

Ok also go read July '91's Labyrinth story! Ok hopefully it won't be long for chapter three, I have all night tomarrow to write without interruption.