A/N: When I'm coming up with stories, I like to spend the time before I fall asleep dreaming up different scenarios. Last night, this caused me to actually dream that I was fishing in the Labyrinth and caught what was called a "hippo bass". It was a boxy bass fish that looked like a hippo. I was supposed to be explained what it was and its purpose by The Goblin King, but alas, my question was never answered and now I don't know what to do with this strange grey creature.

Anyways, these chapters, I know they're short. If I can keep them short for now, the story is going to develop better in the long run, I promise. Plus, I'll update more frequently. So enjoy, and forgive me the short time of fun I offer you.

The barn owl stat on the branch outside the house, watching the cruel party inside. His people, celebrating their king's downfall. Most of them were only there because they were too stupid to do otherwise, he knew. A party is a party to a goblin, no matter what it's cause. Nevertheless, he knew he'd have them all bogged, if he still had the power to do anything.

If he had any power at all.

But he didn't, he had no power over her, he had no power over anyone. He was an owl and an owl he would forevermore be, lest his champion should find it within her heart to save him.

You knew the consequences of what you did.

The owl shot his head to the side, knowing full well that the voice came from inside himself.

You knew that she would rule you if you offered her everything and she denied it.

The owl shot his head back to the left, as the other side of his inner voice spoke up.

I didn't think she would deny me. I offered her everything.

Back to the right the little owl's head spun. You offered a kingdom and an adult love to a 16-year-old, human girl. You knew.

Jareth, in his mind alone knew this was true: He knew the ways of mortals, he had worked among them for more than centuries at this point. He knew that in this era of humanity, a 16-year-old girl was still a child. A confused, maturing child, but a child none-the-less. That confusion even more likely to cause her to deny him.

And deny him she had. And now, here he was, bound to her side as this, this creature. Trapped unless she said the words to free him.

He was no longer the Goblin King. He was Jareth. Just Jareth. Jareth the Owl, Jareth the Ignorant, Jareth the Fallen, Jareth the Powerless. Jareth, the Former Goblin King.

The owl screeched into the night in pain, but all he got in return was the hooting of those his own kind.

The storm was beginning to pick up again, and Jareth struggled to decide where to go. Would his new Queen be willing to let him in, would he even be able to ask?

NO! The voice on the right shouted into his brain with force, No! We will not bow to her, we will not cave to her.

But she defeated us, this time the left, perhaps she'll at least have some mercy, after all, we don't know the first thing about being an owl.

We do not need mercy. We are strong and we will survive this. We need time now, time for a plan. We will get our powers back, we will not kneel before a human.

The Owl spun his head back to the left, beginning to grow dizzy, Not even the human that we love?

Do we still love her? Spoke the voice on the right.

I believe we still do. The owl turned left again, and then immediately back to the right

We will see. We will not offer ourselves a second time. And now, what do we even have to offer?

Before the voice on the left could respond, which likely would have caused the owl enough dizziness to fall off of the tree branch, the sound of crushing thunder filled the air. The owl buried its head as far into its body as it could and shuffled its little claws further into the protection of the tree. Into the spot where all the branches met at the trunk, offering him the most coverage possible from the giant drops of rain that were beginning to fall to the ground.

Before the owl drifted off into a troubled sleep, again the voice on the right said, We will get our powers back. There must be a way.

The tiny owl shuddered at the thoughts his darker half were slipping into. As he slept, he began to dream the darkest dreams.