"Then we are off to kill a company. Did you have a plan for this already? Do you know, can you get stuff off the discs without using the computer, by using magic?" Alia asked the Goblin King.

"I haven't had the opportunity to try."

"So we need to see if it can be done before we disable the computer. We have to disable the computer, otherwise they'll just do it again. We'll need the plans for the system and software, too, so they can't rebuild it," said Alia, thinking out loud, then she changed directions.

"First, before we do anything though, I want a bath. I've lost track of how long it has been since I've had one and I'm not going any further without one. And food. I want a real sit-down-at-a-table meal for a change."

"I would offer my hospitality, but I am rather afraid it might disappear at any moment. You may stay here if you wish to risk it or I can return you home."

"Home home?" Alia shook her head. "I don't think so. I would scare Cara looking like this and waste time cleaning up first. If I do it here I can still return at the same time."

"We could return to my home." Tieran suggested.

"That is more what I had in mind," responded Jareth as he reclined on his throne.

"Will you be coming with us?" inquired Tieran.

"I think not. I will stay here and watch the remnants of my kingdom vani – "

Suddenly Jareth was sprawled as unceremoniously on the floor as Tieran had been earlier.

Tieran laughed. "I think they have started on your furnishings."

Jareth glared at Tieran and Alia tried not to giggle or smile as she diplomatically offered a hand to help the Goblin King up.

"I am sorry Your Highness, but that decides it. I really wanted to sit on a chair at the dinner table." She barely contained her laughter.

"You are certain you do not want to come with us?" Tieran asked, clearing his throat and trying to be serious.

"No, no, just go before something else disappears," Jareth answered irritably. "Don't forget this," he said, tossing the satchel back to Alia, "and pick up your things out in the hall. I'm beginning to enjoy being able to see the floor."

They walked back toward the entrance of the throne room leaving the Goblin King standing where his throne had been.

"Tieran."

Tieran turned and quickly caught the crystal the King threw at him.

"Keep me informed."

"Of course," Tieran assented and bowed with an exaggerated flourish.

Tieran joined Alia in the hall and they gathered the scattered items. Alia slung the knapsack and satchel over her shoulder again.

"Do we have to go straight back or can we make some stops along the way?" Alia asked thoughtfully before they left.

"We can stop if you like. Why? Where?"

"While I've got the chance, I'd like to get the riddles to the genie and we should let Arten'barad know what has happened."

Tieran nodded and held out his hands.

Alia took them and was hit by the oven heat of a desert approaching noon. They stood just outside the oasis, where the blue of the sand and the green of the palms looked deceptively cool. The genie immediately appeared to challenge them.

"No one may approach who – hey, it's you again."

"I can't stay. I came to give you a book of riddles. They should keep you occupied for a while, until I can come back." Tieran produced the book of riddles and she handed it to the genie.

"Oooh, more riddles."

"Alia, that is not true," Tieran spoke to her in a low voice, standing close, while the genie flipped through his new book.

"What isn't true?"

"That you cannot stay. You have all the time you want to take. There is no hurry."

"You're right." Alia sighed. "I don't really want to stay and I'm using that as an excuse." She looked at the genie and grimaced as she faced the task so tedious to her.

"You want your horse back now?" the genie asked, interrupting them suddenly.

"Oh, Night!" Her face lit with pleasant surprise. "Did he make it here all right?"

"Yeah, I'll call him."

"Tieran can you take him with us?"

"It would be easier to take him separately. Would you really want to bring him when we stop to see Arten'barad?"

"That's true. Could you take him to your house and while I stay to riddle with the genie?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." She started to move off toward the genie, then turned when a thought occurred to her. "Um, ...how do you transport a horse?"

"I am not sure. I have never done it before," he grinned.

They both watched as 'Night galloped toward them and his saddle and trappings appeared on the sand nearby. Alia saddled the horse and introduced Tieran to him.

"Well, he seemed to be a fairly intelligent horse before, maybe you can explain it to him," she suggested.

While Tieran was trying to explain what he wanted to the desert horse, Alia started her riddles with the genie.

"There is something the dead eat, but if the living eat it they die...," the genie read.

She became so involved in the game she did not notice when Tieran left and then returned. Finally, she noticed him sitting on the sand nearby.

"Are you back already? How did it go?"

"I have been back for some time," he said smiling. "It went much more smoothly than I expected. Irielen was not as irritated by another unexpected visitor as I thought she might be. She told me everything would be ready for you as I was cleaning up the stables. It has been some time since we have had horses."

"That's good. I'm glad it went smoothly. I didn't know you didn't have horses now. Are you sure you don't mind? It's not a problem?"

"No, it is no problem," he reassured her.

"Well, if you're sure...," She turned to the genie. "Genie, I'm afraid I should go now. You know, I haven't even asked your name. What is your name?"

"Eugene." He looked doubtful. Was he uncertain that that was his name or that she would approve of it? Did he think she would laugh and tease?

"Well, this has been a lot of fun, Eugene. Thank you for everything." Alia stood up, brushed off the sand and picked up her bags.

"I'm glad you had fun. Thank you for coming back. People don't usually come back."

"You're welcome. Gotta go now. Enjoy your riddles. Bye!" She took Tieran's hands and the scenery changed to the clearing in front of Arten'barad's cave.

"Arten'barad!" Alia called out loudly. "Are you here? I've come to bring you news."

Alia dropped her bags again and turned around to look about the clearing. She saw no sign of the dragon, but hardly expected scorched earth and tracks across the clearing. "Maybe she's off somewhere reacquainting herself with the world again." She headed up the slope toward the cave while Tieran wandered down toward the forest.

Alia looked up to find the sun in the sky to get an idea of the time. Over the mountain she caught a glint of silver. "Hah, she's not going to catch me this time," she thought and headed for the cave. Then she remembered Tieran and turned to warn him if he had not noticed already. He was still looking down slope at the forest.

"Tieran!" she called out. "Heads up! Incoming dragon!" She walked toward him and looked over her shoulder back up the mountain. The dragon was closer than Alia thought she would be. Tieran showed no sign of having heard her.

"Tieran, get down!" she yelled as she ran for him.

"What?" he called back to her over his shoulder as he turned around. He saw Alia running at him, then, as he looked over her shoulder, his eyes widened slightly and his face became an expressionless mask.

"Get down!" she hissed at him as she reached him. She crouched next to him and pulled at his hand, trying to induce him to follow her example. He shook off her hand, but otherwise ignored her. By this time the dragon was nearly upon them, so she left him to stand and ducked.

"Must be some initiation ritual. You have to hit the ground before you're officially considered a friend," Alia muttered as she stood up and brushed herself off after the dragon passed. She looked over at Tieran who had barely moved.

"Are you all right?" He had turned to follow Arten'barad's flight so she could not see his expression. Now, after a moment more of watching the dragon, he turned back to her and she could see the excitement on his face.

"I am wonderful."

Arten'barad circled back around and landed in the clearing.

Tieran bowed and said formally, "Ancient child of fire, I honor your wisdom. May the wind ever dance under your wings."

"May you move among the stars and the fire of wisdom burn in your heart," Arten'barad answered with a little surprise. "I have not been greeted in that fashion in a long time," she added as she straightened and settled her wings.

"This must be the one you were talking to before," she commented to Alia. "I thank you for the greeting, s'Artali. Since you are here, I may assume you succeeded? Tell me all of the details."

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly?" the dragon cocked her head to one side like a confused puppy.

"Well, I got the peaches, but Jareth caught me."

"If he caught you stealing, why are you here now?"

"He needed something done for him so he proposed a deal." Alia went on to describe her adventures and to explain the Goblin King's difficulties, including the disappearance of his throne. "So we didn't fool him, but we got what we came for."

"Yes, you did." Arten'barad still sounded mildly disappointed that things had not gone as originally planned. "And there is the problem of his disappearing kingdom," she mused. She had enjoyed the disappearance of the throne immensely. "What an inconvenience. Perhaps I shall pay him a visit, for old time's sake."

"Don't rub it in too much, he's having a rough year. And after all, he's right. Eventually it would spread from the Labyrinth to the rest of the Underground. You might have been next. You'd be a very impressive computer animation."

"Mmm, yes," replied the dragon distractedly as she cleared her wings, preparing to fly. "You did not need anything else? No? I think I will go visiting." She left without waiting for any response.

"Poor Jareth," said Tieran. "I think he is about to have an unwelcome visitor."

.….

A goblin ran squealing into the throne room and dashed under the overstuffed chair that had been placed on the dais to substitute for the vanished throne. Jareth was finding it surprisingly comfortable and was considering upholstering his throne if he ever got it back. Jareth reached under the chair, pulled the goblin out, and held it up in front of him by one leg.

"What is the matter this time? Hiding won't stop you from disappearing you know. If it did I'd be on a small Pacific island by now."

"D-d-d-," the goblin stammered between upside-down squeals.

"What another one disappeared? You should be used to that by now."

"N-n-no," the goblin answered, shaking his head, "d-d-dr-"

"Well, what is it? Out with it already.'

"D-dragon."

"Has someone been telling stories again?" He dropped the goblin and it scuttled, unnoticed, back under the chair. "As if I did not have enough to worry about, now I will have goblins with nightmares."

"I am afraid the poor goblin is quite correct. He is not repeating a story."

The Goblin King crossed to the window to find the source of the powerful voice. A dragon approached his castle, stepping carefully through the gardens.

"You!" Jareth hissed.

"Yes?" Arten'barad responded mildly as she settled herself comfortably.

"No one has seen you for centuries and you suddenly reappear just as I am losing my kingdom piece by piece. This is not a coincidence, is it?"

She considered. "Hmm... Not exactly. Your heroine woke me from hibernation and when I learned of your plight, I came to offer my condolences."

"Oh, yes, I am sure you have. You always were known for your sympathy." His tone was filled with acid.

"Your lack of faith in my motives hurts me." Her silver eyes dimmed as she frowned. "Why else would I be here?"

"To gloat. To enjoy my misfortune. Perhaps to observe your handiwork?"

"Ahh, now you are confusing your methods with mine. I am here because of your misfortune, your misfortune is not here because of me. Just because you plot against everyone does not mean everyone plots against you." Her eyes brightened again. "I must admit I did enjoy hearing of the loss of your throne, but I had nothing to do with it. I only observe and enjoy, I do not plot and act."

"So you say. You have expressed your condolences. Why are you still here?"

"As you said before, I have been gone a long time. I thought perhaps you could tell me what I have missed," she explained simply.

.….

Tieran and Alia arrived on the colonnade by the garden again. It was still mid-afternoon.

"Do you arrive with everyone here?"

"No, the horse I brought to a field near the stables. The marble floor and steps would be a little precarious for a nervous horse. Go wash and I will find Irielen to tell her we are back. If you need me I will most likely be in the library again."

Alia found her way back to the room, which was strangely familiar, as if she had lived in it for some time, not just stayed overnight. The velvet of the bed invited her to enjoy it and reminded her of her fatigue. That would have to wait though. She could not bear the thought of getting into that beautiful bed this filthy.

She walked toward the bathroom, peeling off layers as she went. She left everything in a sandy pile on the marble floor of the bathroom and set the pendant on a shelf. She turned on the bath, found some bath oils, bubbles and salts and started combing through the tangles in her long hair while she waited for it to fill.

She looked at her brown face in the mirror. The tan or dirt, she couldn't tell which at this point, ended abruptly at her collar. Her hands looked the same, darkened to her wrists where her shirt-sleeves had started, but with the addition of skinned knuckles and severely torn nails from her attempt at rock climbing.

"Well, that's attractive," she told her reflection in the mirror. "I hope it washes off, otherwise it's going to take some explaining."

By this time the bath had filled, so she stepped in and started soaking blissfully. Eventually, the water began to cool and she rinsed off, put on a robe, and went to get dressed.

Alia found a soft silk dress of brilliant peacock blue in the wardrobe in the corner to wear. Her clothes from her world were clean and neatly folded on one of the chairs, but the dress was so much more appealing. She went back into the bathroom and admired her reflection in the mirror. As much as she enjoyed wearing clothing like this, she just did not have the opportunity to wear it often enough in her ordinary life.

The pendant lying on the shelf caught her eye. She held it for a moment before putting it on, just looking at it. Now it was a dark blue-green color that complimented the dress nicely.

Alia found that she no longer felt so tired, so she decided to find Tieran. She thought she could still find her way to the library, but at the foot of the stairs she changed her mind and decided to look at the garden instead.

Outside the air was cool, but the sun warmed her enough that she could walk comfortably without returning to her room for another layer. She walked down the steps from the colonnade and followed the path through the garden.

Flowers bloomed everywhere, in a rainbow of colors. There were no straight lines, no precisely aligned and measured beds. Everything was much more natural, yet carefully planned to produce an intricate tapestry of colors and textures. Soft frothy clusters of delicate carnation pink and intense lemon stood against deep green ivies, bold azure and sapphire, blending to grape and plum in intense waves of solid color, hung on vines in front of silvery blue evergreens.

She soon found a bench placed under a rose covered arbor near a fountain and sat, lulled by the play of the water in the basin and the hum of the bees among the red-black roses. She grew sleepy. Despite her common sense telling her she should get up and go in to sleep where she would be more comfortable, she lay down on the bench and watched the fountain until she dozed off.

She awoke some time later, near sunset, to the sound of someone walking along the graveled path toward her bench. She sat up and stretched just as Tieran came around a bend in the path obscured by shrubbery.

"Here you are. I have been looking for you. I thought you would meet me in the library?"

"I wanted to see the garden first, then I fell asleep on this bench. The fountain is very relaxing."

" If you are hungry, we can go have your sit-on-a-chair-at-a-table meal now."

"That sounds like a good idea. Now that you mention it, I am hungry. All I seem to do here is sleep and eat."

Tieran led Alia inside to the dining room by a different path.

"What was that thing you greeted Arten'barad with?"

"That was a traditional greeting or blessing among great dragons. My mother taught it to me when I was young. Our family has always been friendly to the great dragons. I thought I would never use it. Most of the great dragons have gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"No one knows. Either they have flown away to live in peace somewhere else or they have been killed off by those who think as you did, that they are dangerous man-eaters. Or elf-eaters, or what ever species the hunters belong to. Those that are left remain because they are isolated and avoid other species. Arten'barad is larger than any other that I have heard of remaining."

They reached the dining room and sat down to their meal. As they ate, their conversation wandered over various topics, mainly the indigenous plants and animals, and creatures in between, and what plants and animals from her world could live here. Then the conversation turned to the task awaiting them.

"You know, neither one of us thought to ask for the name of this company," Alia commented.

"I contacted Jareth again earlier this afternoon. He gave me the information he had collected."

"Did he enjoy his visitor?"

"I did not dare ask and he did not mention it. Perhaps she was not as hard on him as we thought she would be. I imagine he would have taken his frustrations out on me for my connections with her if she had strongly irritated him."

"That's true. So, what information did you get from him?"

"Conveniently, this company is located near your city. It is called Virtual Pencil."

"I remember hearing about them opening up their offices a while back. Cara thought about getting a job with them, but decided to stay where she was."

"Cara is an animator?"

Alia shook her head. "No, she works with the computers. Fixes them and the software on them for whatever company she works for."

"That might be useful to us."

"Yeah, ...I hadn't thought of that before. So, what are we going to do?"

"Could we persuade Cara to work for them?" Tieran suggested.

"I doubt it. We shouldn't ask her to leave her job for one that won't exist if all this works. The company she was working for was really nice and said her job would be waiting for her when she got better. She can't leave them now. Besides, we're the ones who are supposed to be doing this not her."

"True. It would not be right to ask her. We could ask her advice, though."

"If she gets well."

"Of course she will."

Alia moved back to the original topic. "So, someone else will need to be the inside man. I think it should be you."

"Me? Why me?" The idea alarmed Tieran.

"You don't have a history on earth. I do. We can make something up for you more easily. I'm busy going to school. And I can't draw a stick figure."

"Why do you believe I can?"

"It doesn't matter whether you can. You have magic to help you out. If nothing else you could just conjure up the drawing, couldn't you?"

"Perhaps. And what will you be doing?"

"Living my ordinary life as best I can until you need me." Tieran quickly looked up at her. "Once we see the situation we can better figure out what I can do," Alia continued, ignorant of his reaction.

"And what is your ordinary life?"

"Don't you know? I thought you watched me?"

"Tell me anyway."

"All right," she sighed. "It's going to graduate school, grading papers for professors, writing my own papers. Lately, it's been visiting Cara."

"Nothing else?"

"I haven't had time for anything else. And I told you before, I don't like going out to clubs."

"I thought perhaps you had hobbies, other interests, other friends, suitors, ...boyfriends?"

Alia laughed. "No, no boyfriends, no other friends really. Acquaintances, but Cara's my only really close friend."

"I see."

"Don't tell me you're going give me a 'You Should Go Out More' lecture, too. I get enough of that from Cara."

"I would not dream of it. You said I do the same thing, remember?"

"What a pair we make, sitting around by the fire knitting," she laughed again.

"As long as we are happy knitting, it should not matter," he said in complete seriousness.

"But are we happy?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the rest of the meal while they debated their satisfaction with the way they lived their lives. Alia excused herself early and went to her room, citing the need to get up early in the morning.

After getting into bed, Alia lay there for some time, thinking back over the conversation at dinner. It replayed through her mind relentlessly, until she felt as though her mind was a mouse running in little panicked circles in her skull. She flung herself on her other side and tried to think of something, anything, else to distract herself and break out of the deepening rut.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing she knew was completely awake and dawn was approaching.

"May as well get up now, I'll never get back to sleep."

She got up, washed and dressed in her own clothes from her world. Then she stood in the middle of the room, at loss for what she should do next. She grabbed the cloak from her journey and decided to go for a walk.

Disclaimers, credits, trivia:

Labyrinth, etc. belong to the Jim Henson Company.