The crystal turns and a new dream is visible.
Dancing Ghosts,
The Mythagos of paper, of wood, of brightly colored jewels.
In this ballroom of glass,
The bubble- enclosed teardrop fantasy
Twirling colors - Spinning smiles
Growing dizzy from the rich hues of madness
Masquerade.
Not a face to recognize
Nothing registers.
Circles and waltzes hide desire,
Dark intentions
Behind the mask glowing eyes mock the truth
As the crystals make
Another turn -
And a new dance begins.

Prologue

The castle stood bathed in the colors of the sunset, ruddy gold and blood red. The sun bounced off the rough waves of the surf to momentarily blind any who gazed at it. Sitting on a window ledge of sun-warmed stone, the goblin king allowed the breeze from the ocean tease his hair as he had for many nights before. In front of him, he held a crystal ball.

As he focused on it, the crystal began to glow. A female figure materialized within, standing with her hands on her hips as she told the story. The way she moved her arms fascinated him. The way her hair caught the lamplight and shone like bronze. The smile on her full lips had haunted his dreams for many nights now. She was beautiful with thick brown hair and warm eyes the color of honey.

The crystal's brightness grew in intensity as he stared into it. She had been dreaming again, just as he had planned. He could feel how close she was getting, how very impressionable. One more night, one more dream and she would have serious doubts about the story she loved so. He would make her doubt herself. Then she would be ready.

It had been so long since a beautiful woman had been in his arms, too long.

He must have her.

* * * *

Chapter One: The First Turn

"They'll do it!"

The young girl looked up with wide blue eyes and a frown. "I don't believe you."

Nineteen-year-old Brie smiled. "But they will, the goblins will come and take you away. It's just as the story says, all I have to do is say the words and poof!" She reached down to tickle the youngster. "You're a goblin."

Sticking her tongue out at her sister, the younger girl jumped up. "You can't make the goblins take me away, I won't let you!" With a laugh, she ran out into the hall.

Brie jumped up to follow her. "Amanda! Come back here!"

With squeals of laughter, the pair ran through the house, chasing each other in circles, Brie all the while shouting she was going to call on the goblins. Once they both tired of the game, they collapsed in a heap of giggles in front of the television. Amanda smiled as only a six-year-old can, and hugged her big sister.

"See." Amanda said. "You wouldn't want the goblins to take me away, would you?"

"Of course not." Brie agreed. "But it's only a story anyway, saying the words won't bring any goblins."

"Really?" Amanda looked skeptical.

"Yes munchkin, really."

Amanda giggled. "Okay then." She stood up and walked to the middle of the room. Looking at her sister with a glint in her eyes she shouted.

"I wish!"

~~~Across time, in a cavern of dreams, they awoke.~~~

Brie smiled. "No silly, I'm supposed to wish *you* away. How are you going to defeat the goblin king?"

~~~"Listen…"~~~

"Oh yeah, well okay then, you play the princess."

Laughing, Brie stood in the middle of the room and faced her sister. "Oh goblin king, please take this little trouble starter from me."

"No, those aren't the words!"

~~~"She's going to say the words."~~~

"That's right. Now what are they again?" She paced around a bit as if in thought.

"Abracadabra?"

"No!" Amanda giggled.

"Bibbidibobbidiboo?"

~~~"That's not right! Would you listen to that rubbish!"~~~

"No!" The little girl rolled over with laugher.

"Okay then." Brie nodded, slowly raising her arms up. "I wish, I wish."

~~~"Did she say it?"

"Shut up!"

"Listen…"~~~

"I wish the goblins would come and take Amanda away, right now!"

Silence descended for a moment, then Brie lowered her hands and sighed. For a moment, she had almost thought… but no. She smiled at her little sister.

Amanda clapped her hands. "Yea! Mom should let you baby-sit more often. You make a good princess."

"I would have to agree with you there." A masculine voice arose from the kitchen. Brie spun around in fear, her mouth a silent 'o'.

He stood in the doorway watching the pair, his blonde hair falling straight across his face, garbed just as the book had described him, dangerous and alluring.

"You." She whispered. "You're the goblin king."

He bowed, his dark blue cape sweeping around him. "Jareth. At your service, my lady." He stood up and fixed her gaze with intent eyes. "I have come to retrieve your little sister and turn her into a goblin, just as you requested."

Amanda screamed. Brie rushed across the room to hold her close. Turning back to the intruder, she spoke more courageously than she felt. "No, you can't have her. It…it was just a game."

"That's what they all say." His blue eyes sharpened as his smiled disappeared. "But, you did say the words." He walked a bit further into the room as he slowly removed a glove. "And when you say the words…" He stopped, and the cold smile returned. "Well, you've read the book my dear, you know what happens then."

A rustling sound came from all around them. Brie felt Amanda hold her tighter as the room began to fill with strange laughter, high pitched and fierce. Suddenly, small furry creatures were running all over the room, laughing and speaking in an unknown tongue. Brie held her sister close as they came closer.

"Baby pickup!" One growled, grabbing at Amanda.

"No! You can't have her." Brie picked the screaming girl up and held her high as the goblins jumped to reach her, giggling all the while.

Jareth watched this for a moment with a pensive expression, then clapped his hands. "Enough!" As the goblins scattered into corners, he turned to Brie.

"Perhaps we can strike a bargain."

"A bargain?" She tensed.

"Yes." He smiled, walking a few steps closer. "I'll take you."

"Me?" Her brown eyes widened. Amanda's arms tightened around her.

He smiled. "Yes, you for your sister. A fair trade, I'd wager." He took a step closer. "Little Amanda will stay here, with a few of my subjects to keep her company. You have my word no harm will come to her."

Amanda seemed to relax slightly, but Brie wondered just what a goblin king's word was worth. She didn't have much time to ponder this however, as Jareth continued to speak.

"You, Brie, will come to my kingdom and we shall play," his hands moved fluidly as he gestured into the air, producing a crystal. "A game."

"A game?"

He nodded, beginning to roll the crystal along his arm. "Yes, a game of skill. If you win, you may return home to your sister."

She watched the crystal, mesmerized. "And if I lose?"

He swung the crystal up into his hand and stared intently at her over it. "She will come to no harm, but all on this earth will forget your existence and you will be mine." The way he said those words chilled her considerably.

Brie set her sister down, but Amanda still held onto her leg tightly. "How do I know I can trust you?"

He smiled, holding his hands out in a gesture of apology as the crystal fell, disappearing just before it hit the ground. "Let me put it to you this way, what other choice have you got?"

She stared at him for a moment, ignoring her sister's cries. His blue eyes were electric, seductive, and dangerous; but she was smart. She had read the story; she knew the way things would happen. He would challenge her to the labyrinth; somehow she would just have to find her way through.

She stood up straight, meeting his gaze.

"I accept."

"No!" Amanda cried.

Jareth simply smiled and the whole world seemed to spin. Brie could feel herself falling, everything around her merging into nothing concrete, just light and sound. Jareth's smile clouded her mind. She remembered screaming, but could not hear her own voice, it melded with so many others. Young and old, angry and sad, the voices of dreams. The cacophony grew in her head until she could hardly bear it.

Then as soon as it had begun, it was over.

At first, she thought he must have thrown her into an oubliette it was so dark. Then, Brie realized she had her eyes closed. She felt the goblin king's presence, and jumped as she felt his breath warm against her neck.

"Welcome to my kingdom." He whispered into her ear.

Slowly she opened her eyes, expecting to see the dark stone wall of the labyrinth. Instead she found herself on a grand balcony, overlooking a great ocean. Warm tones of red and orange filled her vision as the sun sank into the west. The breeze gently tugged at her hair, caressing her face. "Where's the labyrinth?" She asked softly, awed by the vision before her.

Jareth smiled and walked around to stand in front of Brie. The sun gave the effect of a halo around his head, but she knew better. "Nothing is what it seems here, Brianna."

She watched him as he walked to the right, the sun blazing back into her eyes, nearly blinding her. Squinting against the light she turned to him.

He raised a hand and lifted her chin to gaze up into his eyes. She noticed their strange colors. One deep blue, the other pale blue ice. She listened in dread as he spoke his next words.

"And no story is _ever_ told the same way twice."

With that he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, pulling back with a smile as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"My dear, sweet Brianna. How will you ever win against me?"

Controlling her expression she gazed defiantly back at him. "I will."

"Yes, I'm sure you would, if you knew what the game was." He smiled then, his teeth sharp and deadly. "But you will have thirteen sunrises and thirteen sunsets to find out. Starting tomorrow, that is. Tonight you can rest." He smiled as he nonchalantly turned away, walking past her into the castle. She heard him call back as she continued to stare out into the ocean.

"Sleep, Brianna. Sleep, and dream."

With that he was gone, and she stood alone on the balcony as the sun completed it's decent into the sea.

* * * * *

Chapter Two: The Tower Across the Sea

Brie turned away from the growing dark of the sky to enter the castle. Passing through two ornate French doors, she entered a large room with white marble flooring. To her left the room opened up into a sort of sitting room, to the right, a large gilded bed piled high with down blankets. Walking across the floor in silence, she gazed in awe at the ornate tapestries and mirrors adorning the walls.

"It's beautiful." She whispered into the cool air.

"Aye miss, that it is. His majesty said you should have the best rooms available in the west wing." An older goblin hobbled across the floor to stand before Brie. "My name is Greta, I'm to be your maid." Holding a pile of towels in front of her, the goblin's hunchback was painfully obvious. Brie tried to school her features, but it didn't fool the goblin.

The old woman smiled, revealing crooked yellow teeth. "I know it don't look good dearie, but it works fine, and doesn't pain me much."

Brie shook her head. "Can't the king do anything?"

Greta shrugged. "Even if he could, he wouldn't waste his magic on servants like us."

"But that's not fair!" Brie stated.

Laughing, Greta hobbled across the room and laid the towels on an overstuffed white chair. "Course it ain't fair. Nothing's fair in life dearie, or even in this existence we call life. Thought you'd have that figured out by now."

"I guess it just slipped." Brie sighed.

"It's okay dearie, you must be tired after your trip. I'll go run a bath for you, so you can relax and change out of those clothes. A good nights rest will do you good."

Brie smiled and thanked the goblin as Greta walked out of the room into an adjoining bath chamber. As the sound of running water filled the room, Brie turned once again and walked towards the balcony. The sky, now a deepening violet, melted into the vista before her. A dark shape loomed far across the horizon. Squinting, she could almost make out the shape of a building on an island. Was it a castle?

"Your bath is ready m'dear." Greta called across the room.

"Thank you." Brie turned away from the windows. "Tell me something Greta."

"Yes?" The goblin moved closer.

"What is on that island?" She waved her arm out behind her.

The goblin's eyes widened for a brief moment. "An island?"

"Yes. I know it's hard to see, but it seems to have a castle on it or something."

"There is no island my lady."

"But…" She turned around once more to glance out the window. Yes, there it was, faint, but certainly an island.

"Come now, your bath will grow cold." Greta scuttled away quickly, leaving Brie standing in confusion.

As she followed the goblin across the room, Brie wondered why Greta would lie to her. She seemed a nice enough creature, but any mention of the island seemed to scare her senseless. Why was that?

Entering the bath chamber her eyes widened in surprise. It was twice as large as her bedroom at home. The same marble as the bedroom lined the floor, but large plush rugs of pale sea foam green were scattered across the tiles. The tub, larger than any jacuzzi she had ever seen, took up nearly a whole wall, the wall itself one large window, overlooking the sea.

The sun had completed its descent into the sea, the first stars of evening twinkling in the velvet sky. Brie stared out into the darkness, wondering if she really had seen a castle out there, or if her imagination was running away with her.

"My lady?"

The goblin startled her into turning around. "Yes?"

"I will lay out a gown for you to sleep in tonight, and have a maid tend to the fire. Feel free to ring for us if you have any need, there are bell pulls here," She touched a rope hanging beside the bathroom door. "As well as one by your bed. Enjoy yourself, my dear, and do try to get some rest."

The old goblin turned and began to hobble out of the room, mumbling something along the lines of 'you'll need it.'

Brie sighed and closed the bathroom door. Turning, she walked over to the tub and tested the waters with her hand. Although steam rose from the waters, they felt warm enough to be inviting. And after her ordeal, who knows when she would get a chance to rest once more?

A sputtering sound startled her. Turning, she noticed a candle sconce on the wall beside the sink was flaming into life.

As she watched in fear and fascination, every candle in the room sputtered into life, the gaslights overhead dimming, leaving her in a warm, steamy room with the firelight casting graceful shadows across the wall.

"So this is the magic of the labyrinth?" She mused aloud and looked at the bath once more. She needed to think, and this would be as good a way as any.

Sighing once more, she began to undress.

* * * * *

He stood in the darkness, a soft breeze blowing clouds across the night sky. Soon the moon would rise in her crystal glory, shining a muted light down from the heavens. The moon had been called the loveliest thing in the kingdom; with the way it caressed the landscape in a silvery white glow.

However, tonight he wasn't thinking about the moon.

Instead, he turned his gaze up to a high wall of the castle, where a soft glow of light illuminated a large window. As he watched, a silhouette came into view. The figure stood for a long moment framed by the window, contemplating something outside. Then, it turned, and seemingly began to undress.

He stood for a long moment as she slowly shed her clothing. Fascinated and intrigued by the feminine form illuminated from behind, he watched as she made her way over to the bath, stepping up to its edge.

Perfectly illuminated, her body seemed to glow against the firelight. She was beautiful, with a slender waist and generous bosom. Slowly, she stepped into the tub and sank into the waters of the bath. As the water covered first her long legs, and finally her breasts, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not even realizing he had been holding it until then.

Opening his eyes once more, he turned away from the window and calmed the pounding of his heart in his chest. Looking out across the sea he sighed. He couldn't go to her now, not this soon. He might loose control.

But tonight… tonight when she slept was another story altogether.

Then, the game would begin, whether she knew it or not.

Chuckling softly, the Goblin King disappeared in a flash of light.

* * * * *

"Damn."

Brie watched as the soap slipped out of her fingers once more and drifted over to the other side of the tub. There were strong disadvantages to bathing in a tub as large as this one: that was for sure.

Tubs like this were built for two.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Brie tensed. Where had that thought come from? Her thoughts turned back to what seemed an eternity ago, but in reality couldn't have been more than an hour.

"No story is ever told the same way twice…" She whispered into the silence. What had he really meant by that? Did he mean there would be no Labyrinth to solve? Why was she here then? The Goblin King hadn't even told her what her challenge was… only that she had thirteen days to figure it out.

"It's not…" She stopped. No, no use saying that here. Who knows what could happen. With a shake of her head, she slipped back down into the warm water.

Maybe he was a fair man after all, and would tell her what the challenge was in the morning, so she could get some sleep. Somehow, she doubted fairness was his motive, but she could always hope, couldn't she?

A yawn escaped her, and Brie decided she had soaked long enough. Rising out of the water she stepped onto one of the soft rugs. Looking about for something which to wrap herself in she found a shelf of towels beside the basin.

Brie wrapped herself in a large white towel and slowly opened the door into the bedroom. As small tendrils of steam escaped, she looked around to find that Greta was indeed gone for the night. She quickly ran across the cold marble floor to the bed, where a long white cotton gown was laid out along with a pair of white satin slippers.

Dropping the towel to the ground she quickly donned both the gown and the slippers, then picked the towel back up to leave it in the bathroom. When she got to the room, however, she noticed that all the candles had extinguished themselves. A chill jumped down her spine, and she threw the towel into the room, unable to cross the threshold.

Quickly, she ran back across the room and dived onto the bed, only remembering to remove her slippers afterwards. Pulling the covers over her body, she leaned into the pillows and stared at the crackling fire to her right.

As she stared into the flames, a stronger sense of drowsiness overcame her, and she closed her eyes.

Within moments, she was asleep.

* * * * *

Chapter Three: Sleepwalker

Floating.

She must be floating. There were no other explanations that Brie could think of that would describe this feeling of weightlessness. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.

The bedroom was gone. The bed was gone. Was she even awake?

Looking down, she found herself floating a few feet above what seemed to be a field. Moonlight filtered from behind a cloud, illuminating the landscape. Brie noticed that she still wore the white nightgown, but the slippers had - interestingly enough - appeared back on her feet.

"I must be dreaming." She muttered.

Whatever was holding her, suddenly let go, dropping her the few feet into the grass. The feeling of striking the ground was quite real, though, and she wondered if perhaps she wasn't dreaming after all. Startled, she jumped to her feet, looking around in fear.

"Is someone there?" A pregnant silence greeted her. She turned slowly, taking in the barren landscape. Tall grass swayed in the breeze. The sound of the ocean wasn't far off - perhaps a few hundred yards. She remembered the small island she had spotted that evening. As Brie completed her turn, the moon fully escaped the clouds and shone even brighter, bathing the land in a sort of twilight-dawn. Her eyes widened.

There, before her, was the tower.

She was on the island.

"Am I dreaming?" She mused aloud as she began to slowly make her way towards the looming structure. If this was truly an island then Greta had either lied or not seen it. The breeze picked up, whispering its song though the grasses as she moved across the landscape.

Brie reached the front gates of the tower long before she should have. She decided, as she pushed the wrought gates open slowly, that she must be dreaming. It lightened her heart a bit, knowing she could wake up at any moment.

It was also a good boost for her confidence as she picked up the knocker for the front door and sent it rapping against the heavy wood. She stood back as the echoes of the knocker sounder through the air.

Slowly, the door opened to reveal a candlelit foyer, devoid of any other signs of life. Taking a deep breath Brie stepped across the threshold, almost sensing that the door would close behind her, locked forever.

But it wasn't until the door actually did slam shut did she turn around in fear. A candle flared beside her, then extinguished. Alarmed, she spun around to see that one by one, the candles were snuffing themselves, throwing her in darkness. After a moment, she realized that new candles were also lighting - as each beside her extinguished - to illuminate a grand marble staircase leading up into darkness.

Without a choice, Brie started to walk across the foyer towards the staircase. The only sound to be heard was the small patter of her slippers as she moved across a black and white checkered marble floor.

With a wry smile, she wondered where the Queen of Hearts was hiding with her minions.

"Positively out of Wonderland." Brie muttered as she slowly began to climb the stairs.

* * * * *

He leaned out over the railing, safely enveloped in darkness, as the lights sprang to life around her. He was right, candlelight gave her hair the appearance of a precious metals, bronze and gold. He felt desire course through him, threatening his control. No. Not tonight. Tonight, she would merely learn her quest. That, and get a taste of who she was up against.

With a feral smile, he moved further into the shadows.

* * * * *

Brie took a deep breath and cleared the last step. Suddenly, all the candles extinguished themselves, throwing her into complete darkness. She reached out and grabbed the banister; scared she might be pushed down the stairs at any time.

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