This was his home. The darkness and the frost that lined the Labyrinth the only source of beauty in the bleak landscape lit not by a sun, but by a fiery orange nebula that gave only light, not heat. Never moving, this island in space was Jareth's home, but it was also his prison. After a few years though Jareth learned that living alone wasn't all that bad; it gave him time to think.

Jareth was a Shade, but not the type in Eragon that relied on the dark spirits of a time long forgotten to posses him. No, he was born this way, a creature of darkness that gave grown men nightmares, a monster with incredible powers. Yet he was banished.

Jareth didn't remember a time he didn't live in the Labyrinth. He could remember faces though, faces that sneered at him, their black pupils widened with horror at him and he loved to watch them. He could stare into those black circles and see how shallow they were, their emotions flat and dull as their clothing.

Jareth's eyes swept over his empire, the walls ascending to nearly his tower window. At the beginning of the maze, Jareth's sharp eyesight could barely pick out the white of starched shirt stumbling in the black passageway. The Labyrinth was made of black opal the glistened eerily in the nebula's pale rays enhanced by the bioluminescence of the creatures that inhabited its cracks and cervices. The man was beginning to grow tired, his steps becoming faltered in the darkness and Jareth watched with envious curiosity. It was another person who thought they could defeat his Labyrinth, another person who had a world for them to explore, a life. Jareth sighed as the man tripped and fell, his heavy body heaving in time with his breaths.

Suddenly he was there, Jareth could now see his prey clearly. He was a heavyset man dressed in a pair of brown slacks and a red tie. On the left side of his chest Jareth could make out the name Al on a bit of plastic in black ink. A small shiver ran down Jareth's spine. He never really liked these creatures called humans. They were never smart enough, never clever enough and eventually after a while, he would have to transport them back to wherever they came from. Not this time.

" Hey, can you help me? I can't seem to find the way out." Jareth smiled. " Well that is the point of my Labyrinth." And Jareth in rapt amusement watched as the man's eyes revealed his horror and fear at him. " Please let me go? I won't tell anyone I swear…" The man was now trying to stand, his gelatinous body shifting horrendously in his slacks. Jareth sighed and with a flick of his hand, conjured up a crystal. The round orb glowed with the nebula's reflection making it appear it had its own eternal fire.

" You don't have to swear to me because if you tell anyone about this place or of me, they'll think you have gone mad and lock you away until you die." The man nodded.

" Is that what they did to you? Is that why you're the only one here?"

" You are so very smart." Jareth snarled and with a sharp twist of his wrist changed the crystal from its spherical shape into a shard and threw it at the man who screamed. The dart hit him in his chest right below his nametag and the man collapsed, blood pouring from the wound. Jareth could smell the blood in the air and bending over the man, twisted and then pulled the dagger from his chest with a loud sucking noise.

" Now you can go home." Jareth whispered and conjured the corpse to wherever he came from. He sighed, never had he killed someone before and he found it incredibly boring. If there was ever something to bring him from his nightmare…

" I wish the goblins would come and take you away… right now."

The call was made and Jareth smiled. Who ever made the call this time was about to learn their lesson. Pinpointing on the voice, Jareth conjured himself to their window in his favorite form.

It was cold and wet making his clothes damp, but the feathers helped a bit. Choosing a nice shaded spot on the sill, Jareth began to, in his mind, embarrass himself by hooting like the animal he mimicked. Catching a few murmurs, Jareth heard the window latch unlock and the sliding of the glass as he called out once more.

" Come here little guy." A set of hands grabbed him and relaxing, Jareth allowed himself to be carried into the room.

" Look what I found Snow. He was sitting out there on our window sill." Jareth gazed at the woman that his captor was referring to and discovered a petite black haired woman with a red shirt on. Behind her was a blond woman wearing a black tank.

" Why did you bring it in?" The blond scowled. " Its just an owl. I think it has survived in more than one storm." He felt the man shrug, his hands tightening ever so slightly. Jareth shook slightly and he felt the man release him from his bondage. With another embarrassing hoot, Jareth fluttered over to the counter where he then stood and waited.

" Emma. Emma?" A small boy raced down the stairs with a book in hand. " Look what I found." Much to Jareth's surprise, he watched as the blond, Emma took the book and began to discuss what was in it.

" So he is nowhere in Storybrooke?" Jareth cocked his head, so that is where he was, but who said the words?

"I even said the words but nothing happened." Jareth smiled inwardly. Never had he heard a child say those words to bring him from his Labyrinth.

" And I wanted to go to the Labyrinth also." The boy pouted and Jareth smiled even harder. Things were beginning to come to light. Taking off from the counter, Jareth made the lights go out, mostly for effect, but still; and with a flourish, changed back, his cape billowing behind him.

" Well that is the first time I have heard someone say that." Jareth smiled at the boy, who had a mixture of confused joy on his face.

" I don't know who you are, but you will stay away from my son." Emma was now pushing the boy behind her, more out of possession that protection, Jareth noticed, but he kept his mouth shut.

" I am sorry my dear, but Henry has called me here and has wished me to take him to my Labyrinth."

" He will do no such thing." Snow's sharp retort only made Jareth smiled sarcastically at her, which didn't help the situation.

" You cannot change the facts dearie. Henry wanted me to take him to my Labyrinth this, by my contract I have to obey. But I will give you 2 hours to have some time with him before he becomes one of my minions forever." Jareth conjured up a clock and wound it delicately.

" Your time starts now." And on those words, Jareth vanished.

I know that many people after reading this would consider it a crossover, but it is not or there would be no Once Upon a Time category on here. So it is going as a revamp of a old character, new man. ( Even though he should look like Jareth from the Labyrinth in my mind."