The room stood still. Standing before her was the cruel, cold-hearted being who stole her brother and terrorized her journey through the Labyrinth. It was the same person who taunted and teased and tricked her over and over again on that journey until she could no longer tell up from down. Yet, for a moment, his eyes almost seemed caring and his voice had she not known any better, sounded truly concerned. She hadn't even noticed that she had instinctively gripped his hand too and for a moment it felt solid, warm, and comforting. She released the gloved hand though he kept a hold around her palm.

"Enough with the cryptic hints," Sarah said, trying to steady her voice, as she slid her hand out of his grasp. "What is going on? You need to tell me clearly. No riddles. No games. No half-truths. Now."

The authority in her voice seemed to shake him out of his thoughts and the brief look of concern clouded over with consternation again. He pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand and drummed his fingers along his hips as he thought.

Sarah couldn't help stifle a little laugh, "Is it really so much work, to tell the truth, Goblin King?"

His fingers stopped drumming, but he gave no other response and Sarah sat down on her lumpy, second-hand futon taking satisfaction in a direct hit.

He stood there thinking for some time and just as her mind was about to wander he clapped his hands together, ran his gloved fingers through his hair as he leaned against the windowsill.

"I assume you now know that the Underground is more than just my Labyrinth and my Kingdom of indestructible imbeciles?" Sarah nodded and he continued. "There are other lands, other kingdoms, other creatures. It is a world filled with magic and magical creatures; some interact with your world and some do not. Some see your world and humans as friends, some as toys, and some as something much worse."

"And let me guess, I've gotten the attention of the something much worse?"

"To put it lightly, yes. They are thieves and tricksters, liars and tyrants. They see the mortal world only as a source of power to slake their own thirst for domination and magic. But they are parasites, bottom dwellers that no kingdom will keep and no Magic will… will," his eyes glazed over for a moment and he stumbled over his words, "and no Magic will claim. They are a blight on my world and a threat to yours… I thought they were gone and I was wrong."

Sarah pulled her knees to her chest, trying to comfort herself with the little warmth she felt in her body as she lost herself trying to sort through what he had just said.

"Wait," Sara spoke, her voice not more than a whisper. "Wait, you thought they were gone? How did you know of them?"

He drew a gloved across his face, "They were well known for a while in my youth and not for the right reasons. They were a menace intent on gathering more magic for themselves through any means necessary. They were destructive and blood thirsting and dangerous. I

had reason to believe they had been dealt with and dispersed. It was at the beginning of my reign as Goblin King so I suppose I had more on my mind for I have not given them a second thought for more than two hundred years."

"Okay," Sarah replied, "But then why are they here?"

"Honestly my dear, I have no idea," he replied as he flopped on to the futon next to her, draping his arms out dramatically. Instinctually Sarah scooted away, clinging to the far arm of the seat. He let out a languid sigh. "I am no hedgerow pixie, Sarah, I will not bite," he taunted with a small, sardonic laugh.

"You must be enjoying this," she muttered as she began to peak her eyes out to see him, but thought better of it and buried her face into her knees again. She didn't need to see him gloating at a time like this. "Isn't it what you've wanted since I defeated you as the world fell down? Foolish little Sarah, making a mess of things again. Getting what she deserves."

"Sarah, I - " he began only to be cut off by her telephone's shrill ring.

Sarah gave a small yelp as the ring broke the silence. In a split second, she was on her feet, her fear and frustration pushed down to the back of her mind, and in her haste, she nearly ran right into the back of the Goblin King who had also jumped to his feet, magic swirling at his feet. In the chaos of the moment, she couldn't help but grip the fabric of his shirt sleeves as she moved past him, fumbling with the receiver as she brought the phone to her ear. She pushed from her mind the realization that the tips of her fingers danced with little pricks of energy.

"Sarah," came a familiar voice on the line. Hector. "Are you awake?"

Sarah cleared her throat trying to affect her best nonchalant tone., "Yeah, I'm here. What's the news, Hector?"

"Not much, which is probably a good thing. Clyde called, said his buddies found that car about twenty miles away filled with some college kids who fit the profile you gave them. Apparently they were coming down off a good trip, but he said he'll send a car or two to patrol the area tonight just to be sure."

Sarah let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks man, that's good to hear. Not gonna lie, but I'll sleep a little easier tonight. Tell Clyde thanks, I'll have to let him tell me the long version of his championship disqualification story next time. You get some sleep okay?"

"Yeah me too, I swear it gets longer every time. And you do the same Sarah, you look like hell."

"Hector, we're on the phone."

"Yeah, but you didn't say I was wrong," Hector gave a little laugh. "Well, at least now you really don't have to talk to birdbrain, right?"

Sarah paused, trying not to look at the magic creature standing in her living room sending off waves of annoyance and magical glitter - that was going to take serious effort to get out of the floorboards.

"Ha! Yeah! Yep, you can say that again! Okay, I should go. Night. Bye. " Sarah let the receiver drop back into the cradle knowing that agitated nonchalance was not one her strong suits as she turned back to her uncanny houseguest who stood at the ready, long fingers flexing as the air around him shimmered and spun. He looked right at her, but for once she did not feel like she was being hunted.

"Stand down, Sparkles," she said with a half-hearted smile, while a part of her noted that there was something almost endearing about the sight while the more rational part of her actively tried to push that notion out of a window. "Maybe this was all a false alarm after all."

"No, I don't think so. Sarah, I need you to promise me that you will be careful, both you and these children you guide. I don't know why, but this feels bigger than we know. I will come back with what news I can gather. It may take a little bit of time; my subjects, being mainly imbecilic ingrates with a disturbing fondness for poultry, make terrible spies."

Sarah, despite the knots in her stomach, couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, I do remember that." The smile left her lips quickly and she mustered up her courage to stalk closer to him, "Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?"

It was his turn to give a little laugh as he leaned close to her again, a little too close. "You and I have more in common than you realize and while I agree that I can be most villainous in many regards," Sarah involuntarily felt her breath catch he leaned closer, his breath skimming over the skin of her neck, "your insistence in believing that I am your villain, well, it's just not fair."

And in a flash, he was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"And I say 'Zangief you are "bad guy"... but this does not mean you are bad guy.'" - Zangief, Wreck It Ralph

I bet Jareth has lots of these talks at is weekly Villians Anonymous meetings, which he only attends begrudgingly because it's either that or therapy sessions with the Wise Man and his Hat.