Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I cannot lay claim to David Bowie in tight pants and glitter.

Underground

It's only forever, not long at all..

You know, I'd forgotten the most important parts. Oh , I remembered the lessons I had learned- life isn't fair, take nothing for granted- but there was so much more than that.

"…but the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her special powers!"

How do you suppose the world was made?

Oh, I know, I know, God made it in six days and rested on the seventh. That's what they say, anyway.

You remind me of the babe.

What babe?

The babe with the power…

I believed that once. But…

Live without the sunlight

No. Maybe, but he was no God. Worlds are dreamed into being. I should know; I dreamed of the castle beyond the Goblin City and a king who was terrible and beautiful all at the same time.

Life without your heartbeat

I dreamed it so strongly that it sprang into life and drew me inside myself to greet it. To greet it and Him.

I, I… can't live…within you…

A whole world waiting inside me, but I wasn't ready. I couldn't hold so much inside me.

No one can blame you, for walking away

So I left, and I waited. I made the world grow larger. I told the story to everyone I could, the story of the Goblin King and of the castle beyond the goblin city. The story spread and grew, new voices chiming in and creating new Runners, new paths, new oubliettes. Toby helped me.

Toby never forgot the Goblin King, even as young as he was. He grew into a young man so full of humor and mischief that I wondered sometimes if he hadn't found his own way to visit the Labyrinth. He got crystals from somewhere, I don't know where but he said they were a gift and he laughed, and he learned how to juggle them and perform the most intricate sleight-of-hand tricks. He would not say who taught him, only smile at me and say, "You know who taught me."

Whenever I was sad Toby would sing for me, and dance, always the same nonsensical song.

Nobody knew, What kind of magic spell to use…And baby said, Dance Magic Dance…

I think Toby may have yearned for the Goblin City as much or more than I did. He said once that the Goblin King was really a good king who was kind to the babies wished away to him. I never questioned his statement. Toby helped me spread his story.

No longer did he have to live within me, for he lived within others as well. And I remembered the promise he made me.

I'll be there for you, as the world falls down…

One day Toby vanished. No one knew where he went. Years after our parent's death, he went to play in the park and whispered something to an owl and was never seen again.

But I knew where he'd gone.

Wanna go underground, Ah, hah, I'm underground

A car accident. A stupid car accident and I lay bleeding to death with no help to come. I gazed at the barn owl gazing back at me from beside the road. He hopped forward and pecked at my hand and I did what I had planned for so many years.

"I wish the goblins would come and take me away, right now."

The look on his face was priceless. That was the one and only time I would ever see him speechless and in shock.

I smiled. "Hello, Jareth, Goblin King. I'm afraid my world fell down. But love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be you slave."

He stepped slowly closer, stopping mere inches away and taking my hand in his. "How long…have you come to stay for?"

I rested my head against his chest and began to lead him a familiar dance. He did not resist. "Only forever. Not long at all." I allowed him to take the lead from me and smiled up at him. "Sing to me, Goblin King?" And he began singing softly.

""We're choosing a path between the stars, I'll lay my love between the stars…"