Disclaimer: Don't own anything but Amelia.

Chapter 2

Amelia obediently climbed back into bed and settled in to hear this new tale.

Sarah hesitantly began to read the book.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl, now she had an evil stepmother and the girls step mother always made her stay home with her baby brother while she went out. Now the baby was very spoilt and he wanted everything for himself, and the young girl was practically a slave to her step mother. But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and that he had given the girl certain powers.

Now, one night, the girls step mother had been particularly cruel to her, and the girl was left alone with the screaming baby when her parents went out. She tried everything she could think of and nothing would stop the child from crying. Eventually she could stand it no longer and a thought came upon her." Sarah paused then to see if either, or both of the kids had fallen asleep, no such luck. Toby and Amelia were both sitting there, enraptured by the tale being weaved before them. 'Oh well,' Sarah thought to herself, 'here goes nothing.'

"I mustn't, the girl thought to herself, I mustn't say the words. The girl knew the consequences, she knew if she wished him away then the goblins would keep the baby forever and she'd never see him again. But I want to and he just won't stop crying. She didn't do it, she stopped herself, but later that night when he still hadn't stopped crying, she gave in." At this point Sarah stopped looking at the book and began to tell the tale from memory. "I mustn't say...but then the girl gave in as the whispers of the goblins in her ears encouraged her to say the words." Sarah paused again, just to make sure she said the wrong words instead of the right ones.

"Come on Sarah, don't stop now," Amelia said.

"So the girl gave in. She went to the window and cried out, Goblin King, Goblin King wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me." Sarah silently breathed a sigh of relief when no thunder started up and the lights didn't start flickering.

As Sarah continued her story, a certain Goblin King listened intently through a crystal.

Sarah went though the tale, and told the children about Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus, about the cocky and arrogant Goblin King, and about the firey's. She told them about the oubliette, the Bog of Eternal Stench and about the peach and it's dream ball. She never once paused until she came to entering the castle of the Goblin King. But with encouragement from the two children, she continued on through the Escher room and to the final stand off.

"The girl approached the Goblin King and knew that she had little time left. She also knew that no matter what, she had to get her brother back. As she got closer the girl asked the Goblin King to give her brother back. He refused her request, as he had every other time she had asked. Give me the child, she asked again. I can't do that, he said. So she began to say the words to break the spell. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen- Wait, he said, look at what I'm offering you, I'm giving you your dreams, just take this crystal and forget about the baby. No she said, I can't, I have to get my brother back. So she continued on, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great...but then the girl trailed off, she had forgotten the words. The goblin King took this one last chance to change her mind. Listen to me, take the crystal, I ask for so little and I've done so much for you. She looked up at the king and laughed, what have you done? You've been tormenting me, you've poisoned me, all I ask is for my brother back. He shook his head, I can't do that, you wished him away. And I've been very generous to you, you asked that your brother be taken, I took him, you cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time, I've turned the world upside down and I've done it all for you. Now please, take the crystal, just let me rule you and you can have anything you want. Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave. At that moment, she remembered the words. Just as the clock began to chime she whispered, you have no power over me. The world began to collapse around them and the king disappeared before her eyes. The next moment the girl was back in her own room. She got up and checked on her brother and he was safe too. The girl had made it in time and both she and her brother were safe, and the goblin King defeated." Sarah decided to end the story there since the after party she had experienced wasn't really part of the original story.

Amelia yawned and then spoke to Sarah. "Sarah, that was the bestest story you ever told us. But I think she was kinda mean to the king, he did only do what she asked him to do. Oh well, goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight Amelia, night Toby, now get to sleep you two...oh and Amelia, you're right, he did only do as she asked, but she couldn't see that then, it wasn't until later that she realised, it was also then that she knew he really did love her and she him. Now goodnight and I'll see in the morning." She left the room, leaving the door ajar and went down the hall to her own room.

AN: Continue or not? Let me know