The room was comforting and dark, with a single candle lit in the corner. The curtains were drawn across the large windows. A full moon drifted lazily outside the pristine mansion.
And inside, a mother stood wide-eyed over her baby boy. The baby itself was content, waving its arms and babbling. But what floated over him, instilled with the same sort of magic as the moon itself? Images seemed to be floating in them, thoughts, dreams...
"Dear Lord," she whispered. The Crystals were circling, glittering softly over baby Jareth's head. He was waving his arms back and forth, as if conducting them.
Behind her a figure came from the shadows.
"He'll soon be a Changeling," the man said.
Jareth's mother jumped and twisted around, placing a hand to her heart.
"Who are you! Where did you come from!" she gasped.
"My name is Luc," he said calmly. "I'm here to retrieve him.."
She gaped soundlessly.
The strange man smiled, and waved his hand. A cloud of glitter enveloped Jareth's poor confused mother, and she fell softly to the carpeted floor, unconscious.
Another figure came from the shadows, this time a woman. She held a baby in her arms.
Luc stepped over the sleeping woman and lifted an eyebrow at the baby boy.
"He's a powerful one, Theadora," he said. "Already so powerful! Can you imagine, the depths of magic he could uncover..."
The Crystals still circled, reflecting moonlight, reflecting darkness, reflecting Luc.
Red-haired Theadora stepped forward.
"Just pick up the baby already."
Luc managed to look both annoyed and amused.
"You're opposed to this, aren't you? To everything the Councils have planned?"
Theadora looked disgusted. "You know I am damn well opposed to this... and making me come with you tonight....well let's just say you could not stoop any lower than you already have."
"I seriously doubt that," he smirked.
Luc looked down at Jareth, and Jareth looked at him. Luc's smirk disappeared. Now he looked curious, reading the baby emotionally as he would read a book.
So innocent. So trusting.
He picked Jareth up, cradling him in his arms and the Crystals disappeared. They faded first into bubbles, then popped as any regular every-day bubble would do.
Luc thought he heard Theadora hiss, "You vicious snake" as she placed the other baby in the cradle.
How right she is, Luc thought.
Then they merged with shadow again and Jareth disappeared from Earth never to be seen again.
And now an exact duplicate child lay in the cradle where Jareth once slept, the opposite of a Changeling.
The candle still burned in the corner, the moon still drifted lazily.
But things would never again be the same.