"Just fear me. Love me. Do as I say and I will be your slave."

…

"You have no power over me."

Jareth woke with a start. Every night that moment replayed in his dreams and he was growing tired of it. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh.

"Why must I want the one woman…who doesn't want me?"

He couldn't stop thinking about her. She was all he wanted to think of and he was growing mad from it. The goblin court started to fear the worst when he would go out for a walk in the labyrinth he created. He was looking paler than usual and he seemed to have stopped eating.

It wasn't until he started to ignore the kingdom that the court confronted him.

A short goblin named Draynrd came up to him. He was still a child and any of the grownups would've called him the ugly duckling. Then again, one would guess they were all jealous of him. To the human eye, he might've been the cutest thing to look up at you with pleading puppy-dog eyes and a toothy grin.

Nervously, he approached the king. "S-sire…?"

The Goblin King snapped out of his daze. He cleared his throat and sat up from his daydreaming. "Yes, yes…what is it?"

The goblin child gulped and looked around hoping for support to only find snickers from the goblin court. "Y-your majesty has seems to have…um…"

"Don't test my patience. Get to the point." A cold stare fell upon his face. He wanted nothing more than to get back to his dreams of her in his arms.

Poor Draynrd…he sank to the ground and started to shake. "The kingdom is unhappy and you're turning into a skeleton…"

Jareth's eyes locked with the goblin child. "I beg your pardon?" He stood up and walked to the nearest mirror. Indeed, he was as the child said: a walking skeleton with paler skin than usual. Horrified, he ran to his room and slammed the door shut. He stared into the mirror and saw his face, ashamed of what he had become.

Hours went by. They turned into days. Days turned to weeks. Still, he isolated himself from the rest of the world. The goblins feared for the worst, thinking that he had killed himself…

Finally, after nearly a month, he revealed himself to the world. No longer was he pale and nearly all bone. He had nursed himself back to health and was back to his original state…but with one difference.

"I'm going to see her…"

The goblins rushed to their king, gratified that he was alright, but still sour at him for leaving them in the dark. A feast was held to celebrate the return of their king, although he still seemed distracted by his thoughts. When the feasting and revelry was finished, an elderly goblin by the name of Va'aren stood up, his glass raised.

"Tonight, we feast to celebrate not only the returned health of our king, but to also give our thanks to a young goblin child that had the courage to bring him to his senses once more." He raised his glass higher. "To our king's health and young Draynrd!"

Glasses were raised all around. "To our king's health and young Draynrd!"

When everyone had taken a drink, Jareth stood. "Will young Draynrd come forth?"

Only a single, drunken voice spoke. "He s'not here, your highness!"

"What? Where is he?"

A member of the 'Wild Gang' walked forward, his head placed on his hip and holding a glass in his hand. "*hic* I…I saw 'im running t-towards the *hic* the entrance…to…the…maze thingy…" He toppled over and started to snore loudly.

Va'aren shook his head. "Drunken fool…" He turned himself to his king. "Your Highness, I can send a search party to look for him if you like."

He nodded. "Very well…although, I would like to know why he would leave the labyrinth…"

Draynrd was at the entrance of the labyrinth. Looking back, he gave a sigh. "This is the farthest I've been from home." He shook off his sorrow and gave a determined face. "But if it will make our king happy, then I have to do this!" He stopped in his tracks. "But…how do I find her…?"

He heard a voice behind him and spun around to see who it is. No one was there. Nervously he walked on outside of the labyrinth and out onto the strange ground he'd never seen before. Still, he was determined to make his king happy. Although, he was still scared to go back and face everyone – if he ever did come back. Just the thought made him cry and he got on his knees to let the tears out.

"Dumb kid…"

His face sprung up and he looked every which way around him. Hands were shaking and fear clung to him. He should've known that the outskirts of the labyrinth was no place for a young goblin.

"Wh…who's there?"

A shadow stood over him and he quivered in fear. Turning his head back, he saw a young fairy hovering above him, making her shadow seem bigger than she really is. He stood up and looked at her curiously.

She looked back at him, amazed at how adorable this goblin really is. Was he even a goblin? 'Doubt it, she thought. 'He's not even ugly and smelly. He's…' She flew around him, taking in his scent. 'He's clean and…cute. This can't be a goblin!'

Draynrd was still shaking. He had heard that fairies were 'pesky little buggers that would steal from you as soon as you turned your back' – or so the other goblins told him. This one was strangely calm and didn't seem to want anything of his. She was just…giving him a strange look.

He sniffled and spoke to her. "A-are you going to steal from me?"

She snapped out of her daze and was surprised at the question. "What? No! I'm a fairy! What would I steal from you? Your hat? Your clothes? No thank you!" She buzzed around in anger. "You goblins are all the same! You think that we steal everything we can get our hands on and put people to sleep with our 'magic fairy powers'!"

Draynrd was shocked. He didn't realize that he had offended her and quickly tried to apologize. "I-I'm sorry, miss! I didn't mean to –"

She cut him off. "Yeah? Well I –!" She stopped. "Wait. Did you just…apologize?" She scoffed. "And here I thought all goblins were the same. Heh…silly me…" She started to flutter away. "Sorry about that."

He ran after her and beckoned her to come back. "Please, Miss! I'm sorry I offended you! Please come back!"

She sighed and turned around. "What is it, kid?"

His sad face stared at her with watery eyes. "I'm sorry…"

She smiled and patted the goblin's head. "It's ok. I spoke bad about you too, so I should apologize as well." She looked him in the eyes, which were a pretty emerald green. "What's your name?"

He sniffled. "D-Draynrd…"

"Nice to meet you Draynrd." She held out a hand. "My name's Yunibell."

The goblin child held out his finger and let the tiny fairy shake it. "You too…um…Yena…"

She laughed and patted his finger. "Yunibell. You can call me Yuni if you like."

He smiled at her. "Okay Yuni."

They started to walk on away from the labyrinth, exchanging their stories to each other. Yuni ran away from home because her father wanted her to marry a pixie. She didn't like the thought of that and decided to make her own living.

Draynrd was fascinated by this. Never in his life had her heard of someone intentionally running away to make their own life. The thought had never occurred to him. Then again, his parents had pounded in his head that it was better to keep your thoughts short, sweet, and without big possibilities, so spending time with Yuni was opening a new world for him.

It was now his turn to explain his story. His mission, he explained, was to find the girl that his king had fallen madly in love with and bring her back to the labyrinth. Yuni just gave him a confused look and asked him why he would even bother. Once he explained that Jareth was ignoring the kingdom because he couldn't have her, she understood a little better.

Still, Yuni was a little skeptic. "But where are you going to find her? I mean, it's not like you've got a map to her house, now is it?"

The young goblin nodded. He knew that all too well, but he wanted to find her. The kingdom depended on it – at least that's what he told himself.

Yuni shook her head. "Well, would you like me to come with you? I don't have anything else going on and I need an adventure."

Draynrd's face lit up like a candle. "Would you please? It'd be much better with a travel buddy."

And that was that. The two friends smiled at each other and headed off towards the world beyond the Labyrinth. They didn't know what wonders awaited them on the way but they still continued on; toothy grin, beating wings, and a mission…