To EchoTiara:  My apologies for the delay on Ever After.  I will try and get back to that story as soon as possible; I'm just having difficulties with other people.  Thank you for reading this, though, and I hope you aren't disappointed.

And to everyone else who's reviewed:  You guys rock!  This one's for you!

An Offer and an Adversary

Sarah had just settled down on the couch with a cup of coffee and remote in hand when a desperate knocking sounded from outside her front door.  She could hear a muffled yell and immediately she was at there, her gun in hand as she peered out the peephole.  A moment later she was allowing a wet and highly agitated detective into her kitchen. 

"What happened?"

"Sarah…"

She took note of the files in his hand and gave him a hard stare.  "What's happened?"

"Six children are missing.  Since Monday." 

"Why wasn't I told before?"

"Because I didn't realize until now… Do you know what today is?"

Sarah paused.  "Wednesday."

Stutz took a deep breath.  "It's the 18th."

"Oh, God…" She felt her blood run cold.  "Is it…"  Her mouth became too dry to continue and in the few brief seconds between her question and his answer, the flash backs blinded her with their ferocity, hitting her like a physical blow to the head. 

"They were taken from the same towns as before, on the same days."  He handed her the files.  "The ages, the cities, the dates are the same.  The only thing different is the eye and hair color."

Sarah could feel trembles begin to run through her.  "After three years, he's starting up again."  Her voice became hard and her eyes like ice.  "Back to taunt us no doubt, like in that letter."  She met his gaze.  "Has there been a letter?"

Stutz shook his head.  "No."  He sighed.  "I don't know if that's a good sign or not."

Neither did she.  When the mystery kidnapper had left a message, he gave away valuable clues to the children's' whereabouts.  They deciphered the codes, but arrived too late, and found the kidnapped dead.  Now, after three years he wanted to play another game, and if he was as clean as before, they would need another note from him to get an idea of where to look first.  "There will be a letter."  She took the files from him and set them down on the table with a resounding clap.  "It wouldn't be like him not to drop a note."

"The only thing I don't understand is why the change in appearance.  Why not the brunettes and green eyes like last time?"  His head tilted.  "Do you think it means somethi- what's wrong?" 

When she had opened the first record to look at the victims, her body went completely still.  Immediately she began flipping through the other files, only taking a quick glance at each before moving to the next.  Her breath was caught for just a moment.  "I've seen them before," she muttered. 

Six children stood in the middle of the street.

They were the same children in the photographs. 

"What?" Stutz asked in disbelief.  "When?"

            "I was driving home, and… Stutz, I swear I saw them in front of my car."  She looked up at him.  "But the next minute they were gone."

            "Sarah, that just can't be-"

"I know!" she snapped.  "But I also know what I saw."  Her fingers traced over one of the pictures.  "It was them."

An argument was in order, he knew there was no possible way she could have seen the six kidnapped children, but he eventually gave into reason that there was no point.  Fighting wouldn't get them anywhere, and they had little time.  Sighing again, he ran his fingers through his hair.  "What do you want to do?"

A moment of silence passed before she answered.  "You know his style, Stutz.  He won't give away anything until he's ready."

"So we are supposed to just sit here and wait?" he countered hotly.

"No.  No, for right now, we research."  Her throat cleared.  "We should compare these to--the others."

He knew who she meant and nodded.  "I'll bring them back here."  A moment later he was at the door, but Sarah's voice stopped him before he stepped into the night storm.

"You didn't find anything in these files?  Anything peculiar?"

"No.  But I received Isberque's file just before I came here, so I haven't looked through it yet."  A thought struck him like lightning.  "Shit!"

"What?"  Leaving the files, she took a few steps closer to him, curious about his outcry.

He reached into his coat pocket.  "I forgot about this.  It was found today, where the last child disappeared.  It might be a calling card, or a clue."  He tossed it to her.

It was a crystal ball.

Sarah knew Stutz was talking but heard none of his words.  Her world focused down onto the small and weighty object in her hand.  Emotions she didn't want to cope with blended in her stomach, making it cramp uncomfortably, while questions raced through her mind.  It just couldn't be him-

"Sarah?"

As if on automatic, her head snapped up out of the dazed cloud of her conscious and she gave Stutz a curt nod.  "I'm all right, just imagining again."
            Eagerness made his brown eyes a bit brighter.  "Really?  Well, tell me!  What are you thinking?"

"Go get the files; we'll talk when you get back."

He opened his mouth to argue, but like earlier, decided against it.  With a nod, he turned and departed.

At the same time, a terrible reality crashed around her.  It made sense.  He did steal children after all.  He had taken Toby.  Sarah shook her head at the thought.  No, she had wished Toby away-Oh, God, what a horrible mistake on her part!-and he merely answered her call.  But these children... they were taken just like the other six from three years ago- No they weren't, Sarah reprimanded herself.  Those children were murdered; kidnapped, tortured, and murdered.  He would never murder-

Would he?

She held up the crystal, amazed at the simplicity and elegance it held in her hand.  How such a thing could cause such dread in her heart.  Stutz was right, it was a calling card.  And it was calling to her to make an unjustifiable assumption, one she had trouble believing.

"It's impossible…"

"Is it?"

Sarah jumped and spun.  Sitting on the couch, legs stretched and relaxed on the coffee table, was a man she didn't recognize.  His white hair was most prominent, the thick locks flowing down to his waist in silken sheets.  A few shorter strands framed his chiseled face.  His dress was simple with an off white poet's shirt and beige pants tucked into brown boots.  Casually lounging on her couch, he regarded her with steel gray eyes and a childish, almost shy grin. 

"Who the hell are you?" Sarah growled, not allowing her utter surprise to be given away by her voice.  Surprisingly, he drew back slightly, like he was struck.  The look in his eyes showed he was hurt by her harsh tone, which wasn't a reaction Sarah expected.  He did show up in her apartment uninvited and unannounced, after all.  She should be hostile.

  "I'm sorry to have frightened you."  From him came a softer, gentler voice than one would expect from such a noble looking creature.

"I wasn't frightened!" she snapped quickly.

At her reaction, he smiled slightly.  "No, not much scares you anymore, does it?  Except for that, maybe," he added with a gesture to the crystal still in her hand.

"And just what would you know of this?" she asked with suspicion, unconsciously gripping the crystal tighter.

"I know that it sent you on an amazing journey, to which you came out victorious, and that you hold a deep pain from that quest."  He regarded her with a soft gaze from half shut stormy eyes.  "It is also a key to your mystery."

"Mystery?" she asked in a flat tone, trying to keep her interest hidden.

"About the missing children."

At that, her eyes widened.  "You know about that?"

"That's why I'm here."  Gracefully he stood and walked to her.  At full height, he was about 6'2", was well balanced and fluid in his movements.  Grace and etiquette radiated off his lithe body.  He stopped a foot from her and bowed politely.  "Sarah Williams, Conqueror of the Labyrinth, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.  My name is Ariman, and I come to you in need of your help.  In exchange, I will help you find the children that were wrongfully stolen."

For a moment, Sarah remained speechless.  It had been 17 years since she had any association with that frightful night and the cursed words she spoke aloud.  Now, here it was being shoved in her face, first with the crystal and now with this man that she was startled to meet, and unwilling to trust.  His appearance was just a little too convenient, wasn't it?

"You don't trust me."

Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and looked him straight in the eye.  "You haven't given me a reason to," she answered evenly. 

A genuine smile was a most unexpected reaction, and it was so evident in her eyes that Ariman couldn't stop himself from chuckling.  "You have grown up, Sarah."  Casually he stepped away from her and back to the couch, this time asking permission to sit instead of taking residence at his leisure.  At her nod, he sat and gestured for her to do the same.  He wasn't surprised at her refusal.  Also he knew it was up to him to earn her trust, so he started the conversation. 

"You do want to know about the children."      

"Where are they?" Sarah asked, not missing a beat.

"You know very well where they are."

She flinched, and part of her questioned whether that was a jab at her or not.  "I don't believe it.  It doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?  He steals children for a living, you know."

"Not like this, not unless they were wished away."

For a moment, Ariman was silent.  "Are you defending him, Sarah?"

She was taken aback by his clipped tone, but immediately bounced back with, "No, I'm just trying to make the pieces fit.  And right now they don't."

"That's because you don't know what's happened to the Underworld."

"Why should I care about that?" she replied flip, leaning her back against the wall in a casual stance.  "It's not my problem."

"But it is!" he shouted, suddenly a raging flood of emotion.  "It's everyone's problem now, because you went and defeated the unbeatable Goblin King!  Now kingdoms and children are at risk of being lost to a madman."

Sarah recoiled, but drew herself back up with fire blazing in her eyes.  "What are you talking about?"

"Jareth is no longer the King you once met.  He has gone insane, and it is affecting everyone.  He no longer follows the rules he was once bound by.  As the Goblin King, it was his duty to take those children that were wished away, and that were only wished away.  But now, he no longer honors that duty, and he takes whatever child he pleases, whether or not it was because of a wish." 

Ariman paused and looked off into the night.  As he spoke, the harsh tone decayed into mourning and obvious pain. "He took my son when he was eight.  We were at a picnic in the glades, and suddenly this white owl appeared, a moment later he was a man, and my son was swooped up in the arms of the Goblin King before they both disappeared before my eyes.  All that was left was that atrocious laugh, filled with loathing and madness.  My wife was devastated.  I went to the castle in search of my son, but his magic blocked me, and I've never had much power to begin with.  I tried everything I could to get in, when out of nowhere he was there, with my son who was crying and so afraid.  He asked me if it was my son I was looking for, and when I begged him to give my son back, he laughed and said yes.  Then he drew a dagger from his belt and ran him through, right in front of me.  I can still hear my son's cry of pain; I can still feel the blood on my hands when he collapsed into my arms…

"My wife… she could not bear her son's death-she was informed she would be unable to conceive again after our first was born-and she couldn't continue on.  Now I am left with two murders on my hand, for Jareth is as much to blame for her death as my son.

"But it wasn't just me who's been affected, Sarah," he continued, looking at her and his voice growing with strength.  "All of the Kingdoms of the Underground have been touched, either by the loss of a child or the deaths of their soldiers.  Then rumors got out about a trip he made to the Aboveworld, where he kidnapped six children, held them captive for days, then murdered them and left them to be found by the people of the Aboveworld."

"Three years ago…" Sarah breathed.

"Yes.  This radical act sent such uproar through the Court that a war broke out against the Goblin King, and we've been fighting ever since."

Sarah's eyes closed for a moment, but she asked the question even though she already knew the answer.  "But why come here?  Why did he take the children?"

"To torture you.  He played a vicious game with you, Sarah, to get back at you for his defeat.  Everyone knows of your victory, and that his madness stemmed from his lost.  And even though we have battled him for three years, his power is growing.  That is why he has come back now, to play with you again."  Suddenly he rose and closed in on her.  "Didn't you notice the appearance of the children?  The ones before had brown hair and green eyes, just like you.  And the ones missing now have blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Toby."

Sarah's eyes opened wide.  "Toby?"

"Of course.  After the loss of your brother, he couldn't resist to play with your head in such a way.  Do you see?  He wants you to fight for Toby all over again, and he wants you to lose, and not just once, but six times.  Six children, Sarah.  Six more.  And you know he'll murder these children, just like before."  His voice dropped to a whisper.  "That's why he showed you the children in the street tonight.  To frighten and entice you.  He wants you to come back so he can finally defeat you."

"Unless I beat him at his own game."

Ariman stared at her hard.  "And then what?  Walk away like nothing happened, just so once his powers come back, he can play again?  Do you think you could afford such a possibility?" he spat.

Once again on the defense, and certainly not liking it, Sarah got up in his face, making him back up a step or two, and whispered icily, "And what would you suggest?"

"Just think, Sarah, about the pain he has caused.  He's killed hundreds of innocent babes, has caused the deaths of worthy and selfless soldiers on the battle field, and all because of his defeat to you.  Look at what's he done to me, by taking away my wife and child.  I, too, have lost soldiers loyal to my domain because of him."  He stepped away from her and began to walk in a circle around her, keeping her trapped and in direct contact with his words. 

"And what about you?  You've carried the guilt of your brother's disappearance with you for years!  It has always been your weakness.  Then the six children he killed as a mockery to you, and now six more are resting on your shoulders.  Their fates depend on you!  You owe it to them all to end it!"  His eyes held her with their glaring brilliance, full of vengeance and passion.  "You were the one who started this destruction, now you must be the one to finish it," he hissed, now forcing his way into her personal space.  "And you will, because he has no power over you." 

Sarah stood her ground, glaring at him with absolute disgust.  But it wasn't Ariman she saw before her, and it wasn't Ariman's voice that filled her ears.  His laughter was what echoed through her mind, and his cruel eyes, those unmerciful eyes were staring right back at her, mocking her over and over again. 

Where are the children, Sarah?  You'll never find them.  They're dead.  He laughed as he taunted her.

Just like Toby.

At her sides, her hands curled into fists, and tiny shivers made her body quake like she was cold.  But she wasn't cold; she was hot with anger, burning with rage equal to his.  Her hateful stare wasn't directed at him, but at the adversary she would soon face. 

…he has no power over you…

That was right.  He had no power over her.  She was the one who had the power now.  And she would show him just how much power she had.
            "I have told you about the children.  Now I request one thing from you in return."

"And that is?" she asked in a low voice, full of loathing.

"Kill Jareth."

Now how's that for a cliffhanger?