To understand this story, you must first understand that the worlds of magic, such as the world of goblins, are governed by certain rules. For example, no creature from the worlds of magic may cross over freely into the world of mortals. Although, one may crossover for a short period of time but it requires the help of a mortal. Help, let's say, in the form of a wish.
However, there is always a loophole. There exists within each world one being with the power to crossover into the world of men. But these rules exist for a reason, just as a human child cannot live within the world of goblins without eventually becoming a goblin, so one from the world of goblins cannot stay longer than thirteen hours without irreparable damage. Even if he is a goblin king.
It just so happens that at midnight on November 1, 1990, a Mrs Sarah Fischer gave birth to a healthy baby girl after thirteen hours and twelve minutes in labour. Holding her right hand was her husband and high-school sweetheart James Fischer. But cloaked in shadows, unnoticed, Jareth, King of goblins held her other hand for thirteen hours and twelve minutes. He stayed only one minute longer, long enough to hear his beloved Sarah whisper her baby's name: Elspeth.
With his failing strength, he staggered back into his world, into the Castle in the centre of the Labyrinth, beyond the goblin city to see the one child that he never stole.
His five-year-old son ran to him and clutched at his side.
"Jerrin," he whispered, before falling to his knees.
"Father!" the young boy cried out in alarm.
"I was so afraid she wouldn't make it, I didn't want to lose her the same way I lost your mother. But she is strong, just as her mother was, just as her daughter, Elspeth, will be." Jareth groaned and clutched at his stomach. "I'm….afraid… I spent too much… time in the mortal world."
"Father…" The boy whimpered.
"Please… you must… watch over her… protect… my Sarah…" With sudden strength, he grabbed the boy' shoulder painfully tight. "Promise me you will protect her!"
"I promise!" The boy swore.
He let his hand drop and his son struggled to support his weight as he slumped backwards.
A shadow of a grin passed across his face. "I promised I would leave her be," he whispered. "But I couldn't forget her. Even when she was giving birth to another man's child, I couldn't forget…" He held up a crystal ball. "I offered her her dreams, now I ask you for the same. My son please, let me sleep with dreams of her."
His son reached forward and took the crystal. "Rest well, father." He let his power flow into the crystal.
Jareth's reflection in the crystal became stronger and clearer until the goblin king had been absorbed into the crystal. Inside the crystal, Jareth slept with a smile on his face.
The young boy looked up, a single tear flowed from his crystal blue eyes. He caught it in his hand and it formed into a crystal flower. He looked into its centre and watched the visage of the twenty year old Sarah and her newborn daughter. "Don't worry father," he whispered. "I shall protect your Sarah, but not her daughter." He narrowed his eyes and hissed at the reflection of the baby. "Elspeth..."