Authors note, I did warn you! laughs Anywho, there was a wonderful invite to another fan fiction site that was sent to me in response to the last chapter, but I just happened to erase it. So if you are out there and would mind sending me the link again I'd be happy to sign up!

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Toc sighed. Things had definitely changed since their trip to the earthly realm. When the Gremlins that had gone with the Queen had returned to the realm, they all noticed the air had changed. It crackled and made their hairs stand on end. Which was quite a sight for any passer by to notice. The Queen was unapproachable ; she went to her room in the Grand castle in the sky and would allow no one to enter. There she had remained for three days. No one was allowed in or out. But from what Toc had gathered, she was talking to someone. Shouting could be heard, followed by hours of silence. And after all, no secret was ever truly hidden from a determined Gremlin for long.

Since the absence of the Queen, the Gremlins had gotten a tad out of control. Waves of the creatures had returned above ground to wreck havoc, food was becoming harder to find, the market crashed, war was raging and things seemed to be going to pot all around. This of course was not all due to the Gremlin infestation. The main source of the chaos were frustrated humans not thinking clearly. A man may wake up to a different radio station, his coffee was too weak and tasted of salt, his shoes were misplaced and slightly damp, he found his keys in the refrigerator and since his day had started so oddly several people were affected by his mood. Greece was a favorite spot to visit and every one of them were greeted with the call of "Kallikantzaroi!!!" The smell of burnt shoes filled the air. (This was a long standing tradition for scaring away Gremlins but in truth upon seeing the horribly charred shoes the gremlins stayed away simply because they loathed seeing the death of such a fine pair of footwear.)

Tic and Toc stayed behind and worked with their newest guest, "Ratchet." (Called such because his Russian name was just too mind boggling to the Gremlin translation.) They showed him their world and much to their delight saw that he fit better here that they could ever have imagined.

Ratchet found himself loving the nanite technology that made the queen's dress. He would spend hours studying how they worked and watching them operate. He had gone from a massive airplane that made him look like a flea, to these flea sized creatures. On day three Ratchet found himself looking through a microscope at a nanite. He poked the little creature and could have sworn it giggled. Listening closely, he smiled with delight and heard a "Hershhersh" sound. He leaned closer and purposely poked the nanite on the belly again.

Hersh..hersh.hershhersh

Ratchet smiled, "Are you laughing little one?"

The nanite jumped up and ran into a tube in the wall. Ratchet had not discovered how there were so many of them. It appeared that one was made and the rest were making themselves. All he knew was they had a building center in the wall. "Don't go..." Ratchet looked at the hole in the wall and sighed. He supposed that he had pushed the little creature too much. There would be no telling when he would get the opportunity to look at one of them again. This little one had been following him for the past two days when it just jumped up and allowed Ratchet to touch it. Looking at the wall Ratchet noticed that the hole suddenly got dark and a terrible humming sound was issuing forth.

Suddenly a stream of the tiny mechanisms flooded out of the hole and ran towards him. Falling backwards, he landed hard on the floor. Within seconds the nanites had covered his body, and they just kept on coming. The weight of them was making it difficult to breathe and making him remember his childhood phobia of claustrophobia, but when they started heading towards his face Ratchet truly started to panic. He clawed his way back, trying to get away, but there were too many of them .

Ratchet screamed as they started to cover his face. As he gave voice to his fear the nanites ran into his mouth and poured down his throat. His screams stopped and still they came. His eyes squeezed shut. Ratchet stopped moving.

HershHershHesrh... All of them, the flood started making the sound. Then the nanites were silent.

Every part of Ratchet hummed and tingled, his leg jerked as the pain he had for years in his knee suddenly faded away. The nanites on his body flowed around and made a suit of armor. Ratchet smiled, he opened his eyes. They were steel gray now and they moved. His eyes swirled as the nanites moved within his whole body. He felt the changes they were making to his body. He felt energized, powerful. Ratchet was filled with a new purpose a new life. And he finally felt needed, Felt knew he was home. And it was time for him to claim his Queen.

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Sara stood on the balcony over looking the land. As she watched, dozens of Goblin warriors were returning home. All those who were turned to stone were suddenly made flesh again and were returning to the castle and their King. She was filled with a kind of peace; it was good to see her warriors return home. But something was nagging at the back of her mind. What was it? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember much beyond last night. Sara blushed and what she did remember. She looked down at the little goblin held in her arms and smiled. Such a sweet little thing.

For the past three days the warriors that had returned had come to the castle to bow down on bended knees to the King and Queen and offer a renewed pledge to protect and fight for the Goblin Kingdom. Sara was boggled by how far the Kingdom reached. Hoggle ambled up to Sara for the first time since she and Jareth returned.

"So..., you're happy here, with being here? With Jareth?" Hoggle worried his lower lip. This was not what he had expected at all. He was unsure how to handle her being here, for it looked like she would stay here. Hoggle jumped back as Sara turned to him. Her eyes, they were his eyes. Sara's eyes had changed to match Jareth's. Well, he supposed that answered his question.

"Happy?" Sara kneeled down to Hoggle's level releasing the little goblin from her hands. "Yes, Hoggle, I am happy here."

But something was definately different about her. "What about Karen?" Hoggle asked. Sara looked confused. Karen, who was that? Sara got a far away look in her eyes. Why did that name mean something to her? Hoggle couldn't stand to look at her eyes long, it was just creepy. He reached for her hand and they were cold.

"Karen?" Sara pondered, "Why can't I remember Hoggle?"

Jareth strode into the room commanding everyone's attention. "Heggle"

"Hoggle"

"Yes, I want you to go and check the main gate. I feel something is amiss." Jareth looked at Sara with a gleam in his eyes. Hoggle noticed how Sara smiled, and it reached all the way up to her newly changed eyes. It was apparent that she had forgiven him.

Jareth held out his hand. Sara stood and walked to his side. He needed her more than he cared to admit. Needed her touch. But he also needed that fire inside her. Something had happened to her when they came together. If he didn't know better he would have thought that she was Fey Struck. But he wasn't one to fool around with mortals. Sara was his first, his last, his only. And if she was Fey Struck than he would have to find a way for her to break free. Of the spell. Never him. No, she would never break free of him, ever. Temporally distracted from his order to Hoggle, Jareth looked into Sara's eyes. He growled and hauled her close for a mind numbing kiss. Her eyes were a dead give away for what had happened. Her being Fey Struck was debatable, but like it or not she was bonded to him, forever. Just the thought of what that meant made him kiss her harder. Sara melted into his embrace and made a soft moaning sound.

Hoggle coughed. What he thought was, "Something amiss? Aside from the wild magic that was let lose on the land, the warriors returning home, or Sara becoming a love sick puppy?" what he said was "Why do you want me to check the gate?" Jareth pulled back and smiled at the effect he had on Sara. She quickly straightened up, and threw her hair over her shoulder.

"I don't have to explain myself to you Hoggle." Jareth walked over to Hoggle, "I need you to go there through the tunnels, and you know that only a dwarf can stand the underground tunnels leading to the gates..."

"I ain't no Dwarf, I'm a goblin." Hoggle looked like he was insulted.

Jareth smirked. There was very little about Hoggle that was Goblin, but his loyalty, even though its aim wavered at times was never questioned. Jareth just stared at Hoggle. He knew that Hoggle liked to test that line sometimes. "Hoggle." Jareth looked at him.

Hoggle looked embarrassed and shuffled his feet. "Well, you can't threaten me with the Bog anymore."

Quicker than the eye Jareth picked up Hoggle and looked him in the eye. "Yes, but I could make it where the Prince of the Land of Stench could never leave his lands." He set Hoggle down, where as he headed for the door, mumbling under his breath.

Sara stood looking towards the door. "Why can't I remember my past?"

Jareth started towards her. "Who is Karen" Sara looked lost. Jareth took her into his embrace. "Why don't I remember?" She asked with more force.

"Maybe you don't want to." Jareth kissed the top of her head.

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Ludo looked up form the wall he was working on. It was difficult work making the walls. Because all the rocks involved all had a mind where they wanted to be placed. It made sense. After all these would become a wall that would stand for as long as the rocks seemed pleased to stay. If they didn't like each other, the wall was sure to fall. Sure, some force could knock the wall down, but if the rocks liked where they were placed, a rock would, could become like steel. Which is why a rock caller was responsible for working on the walls. Ludo had been working near the walls of the main gate. And the walls were suddenly worried. Ludo walked close to the main wall and a small pebble jumped into his hand. Ludo looked into the hole the pebble had left and looked outside. His eyes widened as he looked out on what appeared to be an army outside the walls. Ludo howled long and hard. All the loose rocks from all around the Labyrinth came to his call. He was going to need more rocks.

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The Fey, in their mind, felt that it was high time to bring their wayward son back home. They had watched him build his puny empire, and in their benevolence allowed him to keep it. It was only Goblins after all. They had watched him from afar, and they felt this latest surge in his power. They had every intention of getting Jareth back home, and punished for his crimes. However, he was proving to be difficult to bring down. They had sent their spies to his lands to look for weaknesses. And though they would never admit it, they could find none. They could find no way into his realm, until that was, the day that Cindy came to them and showed them a way in. It wasn't complex, nothing they had thought of, such a base way. But they would use it.