Snippet #887495

"Oh...Hello my beauty. Its so good to hug you again." Eva's grandmother embraced her tightly and with all the love grandma's were famous for as she pushed the tears away from Eva's heavy eyes with he edge of her glove. "I'm so sorry dear. I really didn't intend to leave you so suddenly like I did. I must admit it was all quite a surprise even to me."

At that the woman known in life as Penny settled down next to her granddaughter on the bed. "I had written a letter to you in the event something like this happened but I'm afraid it might have been mis-delivered by the postman."

The letter Penny had written had been mis-delivered and was currently sitting in the possession of Toby Williams for the moment.

"At any rate, I see you've come across the attic mirror and have now crossed into the Underground. I'm sure my dear that its all probably been very confusing for you and perhaps a bit frightening. Again, this is largely my fault. I should have been preparing you for all this from the time you were a little girl. I did try, I just didn't quite succeed at it." Penny softly patted Eva's hands.

"Unfortunately there's not alot of time to explain things the way I'd like. So I'm going to have to condense the facts until we meet again. The thing you need to understand is that while this is a dream in many ways its also a very precise matter of fact. You see Eva for lack of a better explanation you might say I'm something of a fairy godmother just like in the stories I used to tell you as a child. Before I decided to go to Boston and make a life there I lived here in the Underground. In fact I was born here. The Labyrinth could be considered my original home and now that I've lived out my second life in Boston I've returned home and just in the nick of time I might add." Grandma Penny explained.

"In some ways I wish you weren't here Eva. There is a great deal of trouble brewing in the Labyrinth and in the Underground respectively. I hate to imagine you put in danger. But," Penny sighed. "One can't always plan for everything and when it comes to this other world there isn't such a thing as coincidence. If my magic mirror brought you here it is because that is where you are meant to be for the time being."

"I also see you've met Jareth which, under the circumstances is very fortunate indeed. I know he can be something of an ass. He always was of a temperamental character. At the core I assure you he's a good man and i must admit that I am slightly comforted you've found each other. Jareth needs practice interacting with regular people again and there are things he can tell you that I can't. Eva you are part of a legacy that few people could scarcely imagine. There's so much I could and should tell you...Oh but like I said there isn't alot of time. You might have to find some of the answers on your own. What I can promise you is that we will be reunited again dear and when that time comes it will be such a joy to see you again and explain everything. For now I can only appear to you in the middle realm of sleep and my time is limited. I'm afraid my abilities are a tad limited as well. I'm only a country fairy-type after all and not nearly packing as much punch as someone like Jareth is. That's all the more reason you need to stick with him for as long as safety possible. Once he understands who you are he will fully assist you in anyway he can." Penny explained.

"Oh, and another thing, hold tight to that ring you have Eva and any other little trinkets you might have directly on your person. Objects brought into the Underground tend to take on useful application after a time. The smaller, the more potent. That ring in particular might become very important someday." Penny added.

"Now, my dearest one, I have just enough time left to answer one or two questions. I know this is alot to take in but before you ask anything I need you to really think about the questions before you ask them. I might not be able to speak with you again for some time and knowledge is one of the greatest powers you can have to protect and defend yourself with here."