Hey! I have a request for all you fantasy lovers. I have just opened an account on FictionPress.com…and have written 2 poems and the beginning of one story. It's called Demon Ai. It has a DIFFERENT demon king in it! (yes, I have a thing for demon kings. Don't ask.) just go to and check it out. Thanks!

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Jareth sealed the oubliette. His fury seemed to shake the very walls of the palace. He looked around at the scared glances from the occupants of the room.

"Well?! What are you looking at?! Begone!"

They scattered from the room, leaving the Goblin King alone to brood. He paced up and down the grand ballroom, footsteps echoing loudly on the polished marble floor.

"She could have asked the world!" He shouted fervently into the quiet. "THE WHOLE D&#$ WORLD, AND I WOULD HAVE GLADLY PLACED IT AT HER FINGERTIPS! WHY MUST SHE TORMENT ME SO?!"

The crystal rolled slowly out of the hallway where it had been thrown. Jareth watched it, fury burning in his eyes. He could barely make out Sarah in the oubliette, the aftermath of the magic the crystal had worked on the corridor. The sight of her filled him with the heart wrenching longing that he had suffered through so many times before while gazing at her from his throne room. Angrily, he picked up the ball and snuffed it out of sight.

It was probably a blessing in itself that Jareth did not see the little eavesdropper cowering just 50 feet away.

"Uh oh," Hoggle whispered. He was peeking out from behind the banister of the great staircase. "This one looks serious. Poor Sarah…I hopes she remembers how ta get outta that ol' oubliette…"

"Hoggle! How can you speak so?" Didymus trotted down the stairs.

The little goblin frantically looked at Jareth, who had seated himself at one of the tables. "Didymus!" He hissed. "Will ya be quiet for once in your life?!"

"I shall not be silent when it comes to our fair lady!" The fox announced. "Jareth has no right to treat her so!" With a stout growl, he started down the stairs.

"NO!" Hoggle sprang after him, grabbing him by the tail. "Ya fool! Do ya want him ta kill ya?!"

"Be it so, if I die defending fair Sarah!"

"YA CRAZY FOX!" Hoggle yelled. Immediately, he clamped his hand over his mouth. His shout reverberated through the huge room, sounding louder to the two occupants of the stairwell than a thousand nuclear bombs.

But if Jareth heard, he made no move to acknowledge their presence. His blond head rested mournfully on the heels of his hands. Plip…plip… Tears struck the table, imploding upon themselves and splashing onto his arms. He angrily rubbed them into the hard mahogany table. But no matter how many times he wiped them away, more fell to take their place. Finally he gave up and let the first tears of his life drain away into sparkling patterns on the surface in front of him.

"Look, Sarah," he murmured. "Look what I have become."

***

"Sh!t," Sarah muttered. The dank blackness of the oubliette had swallowed her whole. No light filtered into it. She flinched as cold water struck her back.

Just like I remember it…

She spread her hands out in front of her and took a few hesitant steps. Perhaps if she could find the wall, she could find the way out. Note to self, she thought, from now on, always bring a pen light.

Her foot struck something soft, causing her to trip and fall forwards on top of it.

It groaned.

Sarah's heart stopped. Slowly, she reached out and brushed the face next to her own. Soft breath met her hand. Abruptly she realized what she was caressing.

"Bryan!"

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That's how I like my chapters. Short and sweet. The next chapter will have a little bit of Lindsay/Dragon in it, just a warning. Sorry, I would have written more, but this just seemed the perfect place to leave off. So R&R, and I'll probably write tomorrow if I get the chance.