The Hours Until Infinity, by A.B.V.
Disclaimer: See the prologue.

Author's Note: For those of you who are are wondering, "Jareth?" Here you go. I write long stories, and the first two chapters were important lead-ins. Don't forget to review! Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Fairy Tales and Goblin Kings

Jareth was laughing.

Across the stretches of the Labyrinth and the city, gnomes, elves and faeries alike stopped what they were doing and listened. It was such an unfamiliar sound. Goblins cackled. Fireys often laughed- insane, maniacal fits of insanity that frightened away the wary visitor from the Dark Woods. But no one laughed like the Goblin King. And his majesty had not laughed since the day that the last girl, Sarah, had defeated him, and certainly not with a rich, satisfied undertone that said he had what he wanted in the palm of his hand.

Until now.

In the throne room of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, the King was reclining on his throne. He had the appearance of entertaining himself in deep thought, and one might have mistaken his gaze for meditation, were it not for the crystal ball in his hand.

He was looking at a young woman, more striking than simply pretty, pouring over a book. Incidentally, it was a rare copy of the one book that told of his existence on the earth, the book he had not written whose text he could not alter or unravel. Nor did he want to. Now Beth L'Esperance was reading it.

He had finally found her.

He rolled the ball into the folds of his cloak, as a shimmering space appeared before him in the pit. Moments later, a redheaded youth shimmered into view.

"Ah, my humble servant, back from the dead." Jareth smiled, not moving to turn his head. "So, Pan, you finally succeeded. You must be in the thralls of a jubilant state I cannot possibly imagine."

"Your Majesty." Pan's voice was dry and cold. "Glad to see you're rejoicing in your victory already."

"How long did it take? I lose track of time in the human realm so often here." He smirked picking up his favorite riding crop and tapping it against the stone armrest, lost in thought.

"Pan cleared his throat. "Fifteen years, missing without a trace. That is," he looked down, "until today."

A grin slowly crept across Jareth's face. "Until today. Tell me," he leaned forward eagerly, a dark gleam in his eyes, "what is she like now? You met her."

Pan stepped back, polishing a set of pipes on the sleeve. "Jareth, I do believe you seem more healthy, no, actually younger, if that's possible in an immortal. However did you manage that?"

The Goblin King stood up and walked over to a mirror on the far wall, inspecting himself with a calm detachment. "It's part of the spell, I suppose. I choose her and give her the ring. When she remembers me again, I become her age."

"You look her age, that's for sure. But you're still you." Pan paced the hall nervously. "Before I return to the other kingdom, I have a suggestion." He paused nervously. "Forget this girl."

Jareth didn't even turn around. "Oh? And why should I do that?"

"Beth's different. I think she fights her dreams. She's not overly deviant, gregarious, manipulative or cruel in any way. And she's lost her selfish streak. Somewhere along the road, Beth lost her pride. She's humble. I just don't think she'll appreciate you."

The King shot him a warning look. "You don't have to list all my redeeming qualities at once. By all means, take your time." His voice was low and dangerous.

Pan got the hint. "Sorry."

"Is she stubborn?"

"Oh, yes, but-"

"The greater the challenge, the better. And her dreams?"

"What of them?" Pan circumvented.

Jareth tossed his hand impatiently. "All humans are imperfect. Beth has to have vices, and the more repressed they are, the darker the dreams." He strolled over to Pan, taking his time, the boots clicking slowly on the floor. "I need someone of intelligence as well, and lo and behold! Look at the way she surrounds herself with books." A crystal appeared floating and humming before them.

"Now that my connection to her has been restored, I can explore," he continued, causing an image of her room to appear. "Tons of books. A prestigious university, if recall my run-in with Increase Mather correctly. Movies by the score, Renaissance clothes. It's all there. See all of the novels on Guinevere and Lancelot? She's a romantic. And romantics have such…delicious aspirations." Jareth smiled darkly.

"But she's innocent."

The Goblin King's head snapped around, and the crystal fell to the floor, shattering. Pan knew he had overstepped when Jareth grabbed his throat with lightning speed, slamming him into the wall and suspending him in mid-air.

"What makes you think that doesn't turn me on to the idea even more?" he snarled. "Humans are fools. It's in their nature. They deserve to be played with, even to suffer when we please. I have waited centuries too long for this, seen too many girls that disappointed me, trapped far too many souls here with nothing to do but abuse them until they bore me to death."

He paused, a half-amused expression crossing his face as he regarded his mischief-bred counterpart. "You've fallen for her, haven't you?" Jareth laughed as Pan winced. "That's why you defend her. So, the prankster has a heart after all. Are the nymphs too dull for you?"

"Of course not," Pan gasped, choking. "I am doing this job to humor you, nothing more." He regained his confidence and narrowed his eyes to slits. "I don't owe you any explanations."

"Just be sure your interests stay objective," Jareth said coolly, releasing Pan, who rubbed his neck. "And one more thing..." He folded his arms and walked straight into Pan's gaze, stopping inches from his face. "If you so much as touch her hair, I'll make you wish you didn't have a thousand lifetimes left to live."

The youth shrugged. "She won't like you."

Jareth tilted his head. "I was walking through the woods, not thinking about anything. I sensed her immediately. So when I came to the clearing, I watched the children playing, dancing." He paused, lowering his voice. "I knew who she was right away. I could see her thoughts...her dreams. Do you know what it is to find new worlds opening before you- in your mind? If only she had possessed magic!" He gestured in the air, pleased with himself.

"And she was so young! Barely a child...but I had to have her. She was the one. I invoked the laws of the Fae and granted her wish." He smirked. "It was too easy. But then something happened, and I lost her. I couldn't find her." Jareth grinned. "That's where you came in, dear friend."

Jareth spoke slowly, emphasizing every last word. "She's perfect. And she's going to be mine."



Beth turned each page in fascination as she halfheartedly put on her coat and exited the library. The night air was warm, and it nuzzled her cheek, drawing her out from the world of Sarah, her brother Toby, and a mysterious Goblin King. She snapped out of her trance momentarily to cross the uneven Boston streets and to go back to her room.

"Mary! Hey, Mary!" Beth bounded into the room, refusing to catch her breath. "I found the neatest old play at Widener today!"

"Really?" Mary, her roommate, jumped up from the computer to look at the new treasure, her long blond hair flowing down her back as she stood over Beth's shoulder. Mary always reminded their of the Swiss Miss girl, only prettier.

"It's bound with twine. Wow," she breathed, "This must be extremely old."

Beth let her take the book over to her bed. "How medieval," she exclaimed, reading through bits of it. "Goblins, magic, mazes... plays are never this metaphysical!" She laughed. "Look at this passage! Ha! This is great! I wonder if this would sell onstage?" She showed Beth a couple specific pages. "Let's act it out. You're Toby, I'm Sarah. Then you can be the Goblin King."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Terrific. The monologue. I'm always a boy in every play I'm in. Figures."

"...But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and given her certain powers." Mary had already begun, so Beth sighed and played along.

"One night, when the baby had been particularly nasty, the girl called on the goblins to help her."

"Waah! Waah!" Beth mumbled unenthusiastically.

Mary grinned at her. "With FEELING, Mrs. Toby, with feeling." Beth just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, hell!" Beth exclaimed. "Can't just skip to the part when the kid's whisked away so I can have a decent speaking role?"

"Fine, you don't have to get so pushy," Mary replied, feigning hurt. "Goblin King, Gobl- no, wait." She crept up to Beth, extending her arms like tentacles around her roommate's shoulders from behind. "I wish... the Goblins would come and take you away..." She grinned fiendishly. "...Right now!"

A huge crash of lightning sounded right outside their window, the thunder booming like a cannon. The lights went out, then back on, but Mary's room stayed pitch-black. They both screamed in unison.

"Wow! That was so on cue!" Mary squealed. They spoke simultaneously, both thinking the same thing. "Like magic! Aaah! Jinx!"

Mary won. "I'm running down to the basement to get a soda. You want one?"

"Sure."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Beth picked up the discarded play, flipping through the pages. She noticed an illustration or two popping up amidst the play, and paused on one.

The picture was of the Goblin King. He wore all black, glittering, and ornamental, like some otherworldly king would, Beth supposed.

Beth smiled and flipped the pages again, stopping at an interesting scene, where Jareth, as the goblin Heggle-something-or-other had called him, was dancing with Sarah in a ballroom. She read on, amused.

"Oh, Jareth!" Beth began to mimic Sarah. "I don't know what to think or feel." She danced around the room. "This is too cool."

In the darkness of the room, Jareth smiled at Beth as she danced...

"Your Majesty, " she exclaimed overdramatically, curtsying low. Only when she righted herself, her back ran against something warm and tall. The silk of someone's shirt. Beth recoiled in shock, spinning around.

"My Queen." Jareth finished the line, his eyes glittering at her in the dark.

She screamed.