a/n: aaaaaas alwayyyys, I have penniless fun with fanbases. I don't own squat from Jim Henson. This fic comes from personal-life uncertainty and the resulting state of mind.

*I apologize for typos, vocab. CC/constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged. I make every effort to avoid my curse of long-term-project plot inconsistencies …groans.

*Find "The Craft" scene reference(s) in the chapter, and a fantasy series reference!

*Chapter 3 is dedicated to those experiencing untidy beginnings. Tiny elements of this chapter are creative non-fiction from personal experience.

uuuuuuuu

Chapter 3: Current Dread

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"The Hunter" Clannad

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Her eyes were wet with emotion. Dry mouth prevented an answer. An eternity seemed to move by.

She swallowed, blinked with effort, her hand tingling. Her mind and body were captured in the magnetic force of the orb beneath his hand. The whole of her arm felt numb and tender, despite the loss of power felt.

"I didn't…call-" Sarah struggled behind a tear. Swallowed. "I didn't call you." Her body shook. An unwelcome, sharp, pulse from the orb sent her tenderness into nothing. She no longer felt her arm, but only her palm and fingers received a steady beat.

"You deny my presence as well." Jareth seemed to tighten his jawline as he looked over her face. "Why do you care to waste my time?"

She winced, expecting him to act suddenly. "I don't want you here," she whispered in strain.

He readjusted his grip on the orb without moving. It shifted to his will, and Sarah felt the cool surface once more. "Is that any way to greet me, Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth?" No humor laced his tone, just passive statement.

Sarah felt as if he could see the winkles forming at ends of her eyes. She tried to steady her breaths in her nose. "K…Goblin King. Jareth. I don't. Want you, here…please leave." She felt frustration build again.

"Don't ever use my familiar name, Jareth, in the human realm. Such disrespect." He finally moved to close then open eyes. Shadowed decreased, and his features reflected a human eye shape.

The odd lights and storm lessened to a rumble. Electricity returned dimly.

"Let me go." She yanked her hand, and her whole body shifted back with the disconnect of hand. Something prevented her from falling, and she stood with regained footing.

"I choose to do nothing. I cannot touch, or make physical contact, with you in this realm. Otherwise," He moved, and Sarah almost tripped, moving toward the table. Sarah scooted aside, avoiding the edge.

"Otherwise, I'd leave you suspended from ankles in midair 'till you turned purple." He turned his wrist and swiftly tossed the orb, now uncolored, toward his other hand. "Then I'd shake your senses back to you."

Sarah watched from a safer distance, wary, It floated, flashed a lilac, and popped on his metal finger extension. She hadn't seen the odd accessory, did a double take. It was a metal claw. Pretentious.

Looking away in frustration, she realized her food was gone and so was the pot. The kitchen was spotless, undisturbed. She flipped gaze to him. "Why are you so rude to me? …get over yourself."

Sarah noticed how he locked gaze in shock, looked down, up. As if he really hadn't expected that response. Face back to passive. Jareth stepped forward. She flinched. Held her ground. He stilled.

"Oh? Speechless?" She fired. A sudden tingle reminded her mid-arm of the orb loss. Her mind was thick with panic.

"Quiet. Before I do something, that you will regret." Jareth's voice dripped danger.

"Fine. I dare you. Scare me." She sarcastically remarked. Shrugged off her fear. He moved in place. And closer without stepping. Eerie stillness met the area, minus her heartbeat.

In a blink he stood inches from her. She saw the Goblin King's face through blur of emotion. It was the same-it was nothing as she remembered. He looked odd. Nothing like her dim recollection of a magic king. Instead looked a creature shaped to mock the human form.

"You…don't exist." She quipped. Looked to his rich browns, tawny leathers and feathers.

She felt a presence along her calves. As if deep frigid water pulled them in. Tingling sensations, numbness akin to sleeping feet. It ached and tears welled again as she croaked a reply.

Her socked feet turned down feet, point first, as if tiptoe. Sarah felt utterly helpless.

But the feeling from the orb returned to her legs instead, and shot into her hips. Sarah realized she wasn't placing weight on her feet. Her big toes dragged across the floor backward. Chilled flooring met paralyzed feet. Her mind went fuzzy. She shut her eyes. She quaked, everything felt wrong.

"Sssss"… she creaked out. "Stoppppp-" Tears came and her face welled with tension. Her body moved against the pull of gravity.

"I am doing no such a thing! You are causing this!" He emphasize with a cutting anger. He moved forward after a push of foot.

"Help…it stop," She opened her eyes to try and focus but her mind turned the area into flashes of color and motion. In a second it ended and she fell forward bent at knee. Jareth in an instant lurched forward to try and catch her fall. To no result—instead she fell arms first as if his form was shadow.

Time slowed in the mere moments. Jareth widened eyes in realization, unprepared to act. Another step, rushed motion. He swiped his ringed hand left in palm-up sway, and it stopped her distance completely.

With inches from the ground her hand and knees brushed the floor. An orb slid beneath. Something snapped, as if a bulb broke. Lilac smoke clashed with tawny glitter. It generated a mist bomb.

The orb mess shattered into a smoky billowed cushion. Sarah landed with her wind knocked clean from her lungs. She jerked to her side on her arm, knee up, sable locks in every direction, coughing her air out and gasping in.

Jareth stare at the kitchen as Sarah coughed behind him. He swallowed. Closed eyes. He hadn't anticipated any of this. It seemed unreal. Unreal. To someone who had centuries to label what was reality and impossible. He did not have an answer.

Sarah rolled onto her back. Lifted a hand to rub her eyes, arm weighted by an invisible ache. "J-Goblin..King?" She strained.

Jareth wanted to leave the scene. He felt like he wasted his time. Even bothering to warn her of her rude behavior. But something felt unusual.

Jareth quietly moved to face her. She looked shaken but not entirely in pain yet. He needed to stay a little longer, to maybe question her. Or even make sure she didn't truly injure herself. His un-human senses twitched at him for that thought.

Sarah moved into a sit. Crossed her legs in stiff movements. Tried not to fall back. Looked at the tall King. Still as swarthily dressed—standing like the world owes him a favor.

Sarah internally smiled.

She retained her ability to think through the fall. Okay, good. Nearly fell into traumatic brain injury, or multiple fractures.

"I'm not trying to argue, now, Goblin King." She tried. He said nothing. Sarah didn't look to him, but her hands. Sniffed in a breath, swallowed. "I'm s…sorry. But really—thanks for that."

He looked at her face. Marred with transparency of stress. "Hm."

"Or don't…say anything. Bet'cha got nothin' to say to me, after all that. Guess I'm the real worst witch now," she rolled her eyes. An ironic smile budded, and Sarah rubbed eye-sockets. Moved to straighten her back. She felt better now.

Worst witch? Jareth was quietly relieved she was not about to pick another fight.

Especially after the strange reunion they had. He had not wanted to see her face…after those last moments in his Realm. As human years swept by, Realms and Royal priorities made bland his bitterness for her Success in the Labyrinth.

"Why are you here?" She poked. Her adrenaline still lingered from the levitation.

He turned head, loosened up. He looked a bit uncomfortable. She watched his clothes fade into a beige, then slate, mist. He wore human clothes. Slacks and a dark button up with a light semi-trench coat.

Sarah cleared her throat. Unusual, but doable for a lawyer. "…to buy fashionable clothes, maybe?"

He squinted at her. "I am here, without quarrels, remember?"

She nodded for him to answer her first question. He moved closer and a chair scooted for him to sit upon. Sarah felt a cushioned surface, and the dizzying feeling of levitation again. She shot her eyes closed. It ended in a blink. She looked down to find herself on a dining chair.

"Simply put, I have to negotiate an issue with you." Jareth moved to cros one leg over the other.

Sarah almost scoffed but remain silent. "What do you mean?"

"I have reason to believe there is a dangerous Being in your Realm."

"Not you?" She couldn't help but smirk.

He almost groaned in frustration. "I could leave. I needn't bother if you are being childish," he moved up.

"Who...nono wait please I…STOP!"Sarah leaned forward in quick, head-spinning move. She sat down, rubbed her head lightly. He turned without facial change.

She re-made eye contact with straining eyes, "I am NOT childish. First of all, I am grown and learn-ed. Don't say that."

Jareth moved to leave. She hurled herself and moved to grab anything to stop him. But fell forward again. Pulled back by something. She moved back to her feet, bent knee, in a wobble.

He turned to face her again. "You can barely stand, Sarah…"

She didn't miss the roll in his voice. Figures. "You can barely tolerate me. Civil, for a ruler. I haven't even started talking to you."

He gazed over her. Frowned. then loosened. "I abide by my rules. You wouldn't understand."

"No. No I wouldn't. I'm only human. I wouldn't do as you say." It slipped out before Sarah could realize the famed lines.

He froze. Looked truly insulted. "Well. That settles that. Good riddance. And farewell, Champion Sarah Williams."

"NO!"

His human-like figure faded. Sarah had to think fast. "I require your service Goblin King, Help me!

In instant he stood, with a slight glitter shadow, before her. Shook his head, arms akimbo. "Pitiful." His features seemed darker, pronounced.

"Cry me a river. I need you to talk. Let's talk, together. Now." She talked without thought.

"Since I am now bound to service, your requirements…within reason… are my wards." A mild growl resonated.

That goofy request wasn't supposed to work. "Cut the cryptic. I require—the whole story. I am willing to listen." She stood before him despite tentative tummy ache.

He moved an eyebrow. A whoosh and they sat once more on chairs, this time by the table.

"Proceed." Sarah folded her hands and did her best interview pose. Glitter swirled around them.

Jareth put forearms on the table. He looked, and met her eyes, now serene. Green as the ferns in the Seelie Forest. He almost forgot to speak. She blinked. Seemed affected as well, but held her own. He looked away.

"Dangerous Being?" She opened.

"A dangerous Being," he answered, "In my Realm, there were encounters some regions away from the Goblin Lands. Unprecedented."

Sarah nodded.

"Meaning? Children were wished away to the Realm of the Water Ones. That is unheard of."

"And?" She grew intent. Maybe he meant sentient fish.

"As humans named them, they are more or less, er—merpeople."

"Like humanoids?"

"Hm?" He looked bothered. "Humanoids? Never read about them. The human Realm is vast but logical."

"Er, right. No I meant," she chuckled, talking with hands, uneasy. "Humanoid means similar a human, but not human." She eyed him trying to get the point across.

"You refer to me as humanoid?"

"Yes. Strictly as a category, not a definition." She smartly finished.

He twitched an eyebrow. "Ahhhh. I understand. Humans would pursue anything remotely like them," he looked away and showed his sharp teeth in a mild giggle.

Sarah was uneasy. That came from nowhere. "Uhm, yeah whatever you say your highness. But no that's not the point."

"Oh. I see, embarrassed to admit you would try to seduce an Elf," Jareth pushed the issue.

Sarah scoffed, "yeah. actually. I would! Now continue your story!"

Jareth realized she was not having humor. Humans are so fickle. "This storrryyy is truth and urgent. So. The Water Ones are diverse, and often at odds. Like the Dwarves and Flight-Fairies."

Sarah pointed him on with open eyes.

"Some of the Water Ones are diplomatic. Some of the Goblin Kingdom's closest allies are Water Ones known as Kraken. Some are not as diplomatic. I refer to a specific group known to my Kind as Human Eyes because they take… somewhat… of a human figure."

"So 'Human Eyes' are in my Realm? How? "

Jareth shook his head in reserve. "They always were in some specific cases. The creature here? From the water. I have informants…that hint strongly of such characteristics. "

"And the creature could be anything?" Sarah prodded. Jareth looked in hesitation at her, then the table to continue.

"Part of the issue is that I am unsure whether a Human Eye is able to walk into the Human Realm. They cannot live outside water more than a human Lunar week."

"Water." Sarah wondered what others lurked in the water. Leviathan? No. "A Kelpie. Could it be a Kelpie?" Sarah had no idea. "I was terrified of the idea since reading a web comic that included the images."

That reference made him scrunch his brow in alienation. "Likely not. Kelpies are limited to certain regions. The Isles. And they are nearly obsolete—due to a mass leave into the Water Worlds after humans expelled them."

"Huh." Sarah was fascinated.

"Not the culprit, I think. It is surely not Demon, Fairy, Bird One, or Troll. Not aquatic. But entirely a different creature. I am unsure whether the Being is Male, Female, or another."

"I will have to research too."

Jareth looked into her eyes. "Be careful of what you seek. You might summon it."

Sarah felt a jolt. She had chills. The goblin King, warning her? "Like I did…with you?"

"Plausible." He quipped.

"But I can't just be a sitting duck. I need to research. Women are able these days, King."

He twitched at the emphasis. "Champion, you irritate me. Well. Then you accept risks."

"When don't I?" She blurted. "Deal with it. So. Anything else?"

"Sarah Williams, as Champion of the Labyrinth and Realm, I offer you employment: Informant Between Realms."

She sat in awe. "Informant Between Realms? A…spy? But I have a new job,"

"More or less. But loyal only to the Goblin Kingdom and its Realms. And consider it part-weekly."

Sarah breathed. "So it's treason if I mess up? That's not really ideal. And I bet there's no human wage, or protections."

"You will not 'mess up'. As you said, you are able. You are not completely alone. And that is not treason…justice in my Realm differs from humans."

Sarah contemplated. She swallowed, then had a mad craving for her minestrone, and tea. He was actually encouraging her. After the whole talking-down-to-her. It felt pleasant. But treacherous.

"I can't trust you, can I?"

Jareth gained facial shadows as she gaze at him. A sickly grin arose. "You cannot."

She jolted from her chair. Headache be damned. Her heart pounded. "What is the catch with this…position?"

"If you fail, the creature will walk freely, I imagine. Come now, Sarah Williams, you aren't frightened?" He baited,

Sarah had no idea whether she was scared, hesitant, or unwilling to truly be on her own in the non human world. Nothing to lose, except all things.

Sarah gazed at him, "I accept. Goblin King."

Jareth stilled. His smirk left. He had not expected her to accept…without a fight. He stood to meet her.

"Sarah Williams,"

She flinched, looked to him.

"Champion of the Labyrinth, Goblin Kingdoms, and its Realms. You are now employed as Informant Between Realms."

He summoned a crystal, tossed it, and she caught it in one hand without thought. The orb refracted silver and mauve light. It weighed on her wrist and palm. She felt out of place, shifted her weight again. Nodded once. Looked to him.

"First term. You must swear that you tell no one of this employment, It is critical information."

"Yes,"

"Second, you are required to contact the Goblin Kingdom. Weekly."

She nodded, orb rolling lightly.

"Third. You must abide by the Written Rules to deal with this investigation. No tricks."

Sarah scoffed at him. "Ohh. Uh ok Goblin King. No. Tricks."

"Pay attention, Informant." He continued. "You will receive the Rules in some human days' time. "

"I request no tricks, either." Sarah quipped.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "The human realm limits me, But I am formidable always."

"Stop that, please. I am glad to be employed by the Kingdom." She tried her best in odd circumstances.

"That settles it. In speed, Informant Between Realms." He reached forward, put a now gloved right hand on the orb.

"I bid you a warm evening, Sarah Williams."

His now clawed glove nearly contacted her forehead, but dissipated with the rest of him in glitter.

Sarah blinked the particles by, as the kitchen lay quiet. She was nearly dazed.

A rolling meow came from the hall.

uuuuuooouuu

The whole aura of magic and presence…moved things.

Sarah. Moved things.

And it moved her.

Of course, Sarah Williams was no mere mortal whiner.

She was, then and now, Champion and Former Runner of the Labyrinth.

A sliver of a moon hovered over the Goblin Kingdom,

Planetary years in the other Realm felt as if strange hours to him as a non-human creature.

He stepped over the threshold of the Throne Room to utter quiet.

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*I don't utilize Shakespearean named AUs (think Titania-Oberon characters) in Laby fan-works.

*I do not try to appropriate or disrespect ideas and cosmology from Inuit Legends, Northern Isles Legends, or included Oral Histories. I want to incorporate them into the tale in a respectful and creative way. I always aim to use credible resources in pre-writing research. Hang on for the reveal—thumbs up if you already guessed the Creature, just in time for Halloween! 2spooky.

…Garth Stein's fiction novel Raven Stole the Moon includes a contemporary hint at a type of North American Indigenous Lore in the human world. I recommend it with reservations.