Merger
By: Ismira Daugene

**Warning: Here there be breakage of the fourth wall.

It had been a long night… a very long night, and Sarah Williams was just about ready to fall into bed. Her friends had all left only a few minutes ago (Sir Didymus had wanted to play one last game of Scrabble, and the fieries hadn't wanted to stop dancing). It was now nearly midnight, she couldn't believe that it had been only five hours since she'd wished Toby away. Actually it had been more like thirteen, but the time in the Underground moved differently than in her world. Either way, she was exhausted.

She flopped down onto her bed, still in her day clothes and a yellow paper crown that Ludo had given her. The only thing she bothered to remove were her loafers. As she settled back, her muscles ached, but it was a good kind of ache and soon they were relaxing back into the soft mattress. She closed her eyes and smiled. Despite the dangers untold and the hardships unnumbered (or perhaps because of them…), today had been an exciting day! However now that it was over, Sarah was eager to enter the land of dreams.

Just as she was closing her eyes though, a low voice softly whispered, "And you didn't even invite me."

Sarah's eyes flipped back open and she sat bolt upright. There, sitting on the foot of her bed dressed neck to toe in soft black was the Goblin King. She let out a high pitch squeak that if anyone had asked her about later she would vehemently deny having made. "What are you doing here?!"

"Hush now, Sarah dear. We don't want to wake the rest of the house."
"Yes we do!" She thought about it for a moment then shook her head. "No we don't. So why don't you just leave?"

"Is that any way to treat a guest?"

"Guests are invited. You were not invited, therefore you are not a guest," she snapped scooting up to the head of her bed.

Jareth smirked and turned to sit cross legged on her bed to better face her. The Goblin King sitting cross legged like a little boy… will wonders never cease? "You're logic is impeccable, my dear." He bowed his head toward her in mock deference. "Now perhaps you'll answer my question."

"What question?"

"Why is it that you didn't invite me?"

"Why… you want to know why I didn't invite you?" she asked her voice rising an octave or two.

"I don't believe I stuttered."

"You are the villain! You aren't supposed to come to the celebration party for the winner! That's why!"

"Well that seems rather silly." Sarah just gaped at him. Was she really having this conversation? Or had she already drifted off to sleep? Actually, she wasn't sure she wanted to be asleep, especially if the Goblin King was going to invade her dreams. "I was cast unwillingly in the role of the villain, if you'll recall."

"What do you mean? You took my brother. I would call that rather villainous!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I merely did what was asked of me. T'was my duty."

"Yeah, right," Sarah snorted.

"I don't have to be the villain, you know."

"Well that's how Henson, Lucas, and Froud wrote you. Every plot needs an antagonist."

"Henson, Lucas, and Froud?"

"Yeah… you know… Jim? George? Brian?"

"Ah! Yes, that's right. I hadn't really paid attention to their names."

"Well maybe if you had, they would've written you to be a romantic villain?"

"Would you have liked that, Sarah?" Jareth smirked

Sarah blushed. "No, I'm just saying…"

"Froud wanted to actually… but it never went through."

"Well maybe you'll get another chance? I mean, Disney now owns both the Muppets and Lucas Films."

Jareth's eyes widened. "Disney?! When did that happen?!"

"Um… a little bit before Sandy?"

"That huge storm?"

"That's the one!" Sarah grinned.

"No wonder I didn't hear about it. There was an overwhelming amount of wished away then. Parents afraid for their children's safety and all that… but DISNEY!? What was George thinking?! For god's sakes their going to have a monopoly soon!"

Sarah raised an eyebrow speculatively. "I doubt it."

"Can you imagine? Disney…" Jareth shook his head slowly. "I suppose the only good bit about that is that Disney villains get to sing pretty good songs."

"There's the silver lining! I'm not looking forward to what they'll do with me though if they decide to re-make the movie."

"I'm sure the plucky heroine we all know and love will still be there under the Disney glitter and gaud," Jareth smiled.

Sarah shuddered. "I really hope they don't turn me into some kind of Mary Sue."

"You weren't far off from it in the first place, dear," he commented giving her a raised eyebrow.

"Hey! No need to say that. I know it and so does everyone else!"

Jareth shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't do to dwell on what might be. We'll always have the original cult fan base."

"True. They're loyal to us to a fault actually."

"Hmm, yes," Jareth smirked again.

"What?" Sarah asked, almost regretting to. She could tell that something filthy was going through his head.

"Nothing, just thinking of why their so loyal."

Sarah snorted. "I think we all know why…" Her eyes wandered down the Goblin King's lean physique, down to his hips where she lingered for a moment before going back up to his slanted eyes.

"No need to thank me," he said nonchalantly dusting off a speck of glitter from his cape.

"Hey! Don't go getting that stuff on my bedspread!"

"Oh really, and just what are you going to do about it?" He smiled and brushed his hands off, causing more glitter to fall.

"Stop it! Or else… or else I'll make you sorry in the next Girls Next Door comic!"

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. You do have a way with words Sarah, and as enthralled as I am with you, I'm afraid I must be taking my leave."

"Well take your glitter with you."

He grinned and snapped his fingers, disappearing from her bedroom and causing a nice dusting of glitter to land on every smooth surface of her bedroom. "JARETH!" She yelled and started to curse him with every word her father and step-mother thought she didn't know.

o

Author's Note: So I had this idea when the Disney and Lucas Film corporations merged. Actually, I did a short comic about Disney and Labyrinth a long time ago that you can find over on my deviantart. Link on my homepage. So I decided to just write up this short one shot and post it real quick. Hope you liked it!

Labyrinth (c) Henson, Froud, & Lucas