Princess Celestia stood in her room as the sun was high in the sky, and she was far from happy about the current circumstances.  It’s not that she was mad about what was going to happen, she was mad at herself for freezing up during the conversation.  She was going to give Jareth a piece of her mind and yet she was at a loss for words when he made his offer.  She cursed herself for letting down her guard so easily and the fact that her sister wouldn’t let it go.  

Luna was standing beside her as she gazed out the window, “He’ll be here soon, are you sure you don’t want to dress for the occasion?”

Celestia nodded and answered flatly, “Yes…”

Soon several taps were heard upon her window which she reluctantly opened with her magic as a barn owl flew past her head and landed on the ground.  Soon it shifted into Jareth who was wearing his casual suit.  Luna and Celestia stared in amazement at the spectacle which gave Jareth a sense of mirth as he approached Celestia.

He gestured to the open window, “Shall we?”

Celestia chuckled, “We’re going to fly all the way there?”

Jareth laughed, “Of course not. Why should we when we are already here?”

Celestia blinked as she looked through her open window and instantaneously they were standing on a grassy hilltop surrounded by several leafless trees.

*

Luna blinked and looked around the empty room, “What in the?”

*

Celestia looked around, “How did we get here so fast? With a teleport spell there is always a moment of delay before arrival and departure at a location.”

Jareth chuckled as he walked to her, “Do not take me for a user of cheap tricks.”

Celestia frowned, “Conventional magic is not made of simple parlor tricks.”

Jareth waved his hoof, “Of course not, but to me it is.”

Celestia was about to retort until she saw what was below the hill they were upon.  A massive walled of labyrinth spanned several miles in all directions, it also seemed to be a mixture of conventional stone and grass with occasional open spots.  In the dead center was an immense castle that rivaled Canterlot in size and seemed to be more of the middle aged times of pony culture and made of darker stone.

Jareth pointed to the castle and swept his front leg in front of him, “All of this and what lies beyond to a certain distance is my domain.”

Celestia looked with puzzlement at the labyrinth, “What is the purpose of that?”

Jareth nodded as he began to lead her down the hill, “In truth it is both a gauntlet and a deterrent for invaders.”

Celestia and Jareth came to the outer most wall of the labyrinth, “Well it’s certainly imposing.”

Jareth waved a hoof causing a section of the wall to open as a pair of double doors as they stepped inside.  Celestia looked left and right and noticed that the labyrinth seemed to be endless in either direction.  Jareth then produced a red crystal orb that had labyrinth like lines adorning its surface.  Jareth scanned the surface as he rotated it in his hoof and nodded as he lead Celestia toward an adjacent wall and walked through it and into another passage that had a tiled floor with a hedge maze.

Celestia glanced at the crystal, “What’s that?”

Without looking up Jareth explained, “It’s a guide.”

Celestia was confused, “But didn’t you make this place?”

Jareth nodded, “I did, but in truth I have never walked through it.  I have only appeared in random sections to repair them or to add an addition.”

Celestia didn’t ask any more questions as they continued to walk through the hedge maze of the labyrinth.  As they walked Celestia couldn’t help but admire the time and work that Jareth had put into the structure.  The unique themes and objects even the occasional relic entranced her.  After a while Jareth stopped and they came to a large open garden like area.

Celestia stepped forward to speak to him, “Jareth...”

He turned and immediately yelled, “STOP DON’T!”

The floor opened beneath Celestia and she dropped like a stone.  Jareth jumped after her without hesitation and they both tumbled down a narrow cob web covered tunnel which prevented them from using their wings.  Jareth narrowed his eyes and braced himself when they hit the bottom, they both landed in a large pile of hay and dirt.

Jareth stuck his head out, “Well that could have gone worse.”

Celestia stuck her head out next and looked at him with annoyance, “I really don’t see how.”

Jareth hopped out and dusted himself off, “We could have fallen into the Bog of Eternal Stench.”

Celestia stepped out, “Sounds charming.”

Jareth chuckled, “Is that sarcasm I hear princess?”

Celestia didn’t respond to the question, “You still have the map?”

Jareth smiled, “Yes.”

The map then fell from the chute and missed the hay, it then shattered on impact.

Jareth still smiling said “No.”

Celestia rolled her eyes, “Great,” her horn began to light up but it then fizzled out, “WHAT!?”

Jareth looked away, “Anti-magic materials were used to build this place,” Celestia opened her mouth only to get cut off by Jareth’s swift response, “Flying is impossible.  Looks like were walking.”

Celestia huffed in anger as she followed behind him.  The place they were in was an immense cave network which seemed to have no end.  As Celestia weaved through the passages she began to see Jareth for the first time as an actual stallion not as a mysterious otherworldly force, the way he calculated routes and took charge suited him.  He stopped and pointed out a ladder leading upwards attached to a cave wall, with reluctance and slight fear both pony’s began their climb.

Celestia looked up, “So why did we not teleport to the castle?”

Jareth coughed as a cob web got in his face, “In truth I wanted to give you a small tour before dinner, to get acquainted with the place.”

Celestia was confused at this, “Why?”

Jareth saw the exit above, “You showed me yours and it’s only fair I show you mine.”

Celestia was taken slightly aback as Jareth spoke in a monotone voice, “I realized the way it sounded the minute I said it.”

Jareth opened the hatch to reveal they were in a long dimly lit hallway and were sticking horizontally out of the wall.  Celestia looked around as Jareth dismounted onto the adjacent wall.  Celestia then realized that she was on the roof and Jareth was on the floor.  The second this happened she fell out of the hole and on top of the Goblin King who stared at her with a surprised expression.  Celestia lingered atop him for a moment and stared into his mismatched eyes as Jareth stared into her exotic ones.  After a moment a click was heard and Jareth pulled her close as a pillar of stone shot out and smacked the other wall.  Another click was heard and Jareth rolled with Celestia to the right as a pillar from the roof and floor smashed into one into each other.

Both pony’s stood up and looked around as more clicks were herd and they bolted to the far side of the hallway as the pillars went off behind and on occasion in front of them.  Jareth almost got his head crushed if not for the timely intervention of the Princess who pulled him back immediately.

Celestia and Jareth then leapt through the last barrage of pillars and landed on the dusty floor before a large oak door that seemed to resemble a face because of rivet and grain arrangement.

Celestia’s coat was now coated in dirt stains and her mane and tail were dishevelled.  Both she and Jareth looked at each other and were silent for a moment, and then they started laughing.

Celestia smiled, “That was the most fun I’ve had in ages!”

Jareth returned the smile with his own, “Same here!”

The both sighed and stood to face the door which then spoke in a thundering voice, “NONE SHALL PASS LEST THEY OVERCOME THE TRIAL OF THE,” it then noticed who it was speaking to and spoke in a quiet voice unfitting of the door, “My king! I had no idea you were here!”

Jareth waved his hoof, “Yes, yes, could you open up I have dinner waiting for me and my guest.”

The door responded quickly, “Of course my liege!”

The door then swung open to reveal an immense and beautiful forest.  Celestia was taken by it immediately and looked around in wonderment.  Jareth smiled in pride as she walked around admiring the scenery.  Soon at Jareth’s beckoning they continued onward, Jareth summoned a crystal and began to look into it with relative annoyance.  Celestia looked over to the crystal and noticed the interior of a dining hall which was currently being prepared for a meal.  Jareth threw the crystal into a tree as the orb exploded into sparkles.  Celestia shook her head as they continued onward past several odd plants and animals she had never seen before.  One plant even looked like it was made of coloured glass, she approached it and sniffed.  It smelled of the sweetest scents known to pony kind, Jareth walked over and stomped it out.

Celestia looked shocked at him, “Why would you do that.”

Jareth pointed, “The flower is made to hinder, if you kept sniffing you would be rotted to this spot forever smelling it.”

Celestia was surprised at how he came to her rescue yet again.  They rounded the corner and saw a most peculiar site.  Standing beside a tree stump was a creature that was equal in height to the stump and had sickly green skin and pointed ears as long as a small bats wings.  It had yellowish eye and wore stitched together clothing that was the same color of and resembled a lawn gnome’s.  The hat however hung in the back instead of sticking up, the creature also seemed to have a hooked nose.  It was smoking an old fashioned pipe that had purple smoke curling up from it.

Jareth took notice of the creature and approached, “And WHAT exactly are you doing out here?”

The creature coughed as it stashed the pipe, “Nothing your highness.”

Jareth walked up to it, “Nothing?” the pipe levitated from behind the creature to Jareth’s front, “Nothing?”, his voiced raised a little as he emptied purple sand from the pipe onto the floor, “Nothing?! Tra la la!”

The creature got to its knees, “Please your highness, I was merely taking a short smoke break then I was going back to the palace.  Turnbuckle swears it so!”

Jareth nodded, “Alright then, your breaks over toad tuckle.”

Celestia corrected him, “Turnbuckle.”

Jareth rolled his eyes, “Whatever.  Take me and my guest to the castle with you.”

Turnbuckle nodded, “At once milord.”

Turnbuckle then tapped the stump as a trap door opened up on its top.  Turnbuckle jumped down it quickly followed by Celestia and Jareth.  Hey both then popped out of a potted plant in the center of a town with sand and dirt for roads.  He houses themselves were made of stone and wood and the highest was about three floors.  More of the creatures like Turnbuckle were meandering about, some big and some small.  Some were fat others were thin; some wore rag like clothing or armour.  Celestia glanced at the well maintained houses and its inhabitants.

Celestia gestured at the town as Turnbuckle rushed inside, “Are these?”

Jareth nodded, “Goblins? Yes.”

Celestia followed him, “So you really are the Goblin King.”

Jareth nodded, “Yes I am.  We better get cleaned up if we are to eat dinner.”

*

Celestia sat in the guest room as a stout female goblin with ragged hair combed her mane and another shined her shoes and crown.  Celestia insisted that it wasn’t necessary but the goblins wouldn’t hear of it.  She eventually caved and allowed them to do their work as she stared at herself in the mirror.  Images of her dreams came back to her as the goblins continued their work, when the image of the enveloping darkness appeared a door slamming open was heard which startled her.

She turned to see Turnbuckle, “Lord Jareth is expecting you in the dining hall.”

Celestia smiled, “Thank you croc knuckle.”

Turnbuckle sighed, “Turnbuckle.”

Celestia apologised as she stood and walked to where she was guided.  She walked into the dining hall and saw Jareth sitting in one of the many high backed chairs wearing a different outfit.  The shirt seemed to have an armored looking torso area with regular dark red sleeves and back.  He also seemed to wear black pants made of the same material as the shirts sleeves.  Attached to his back was a black cape with a high collar that bent in the back much like his Goblin King suit but the material was much smoother looking and the interior was the ruby red.  Jareth smiled at her as she sat across from him.

Celestia smiled as she levitated a glass to her lips, “You weren’t kidding that you have a lot of capes.”

Jareth sipped his drink as well, “I have a habit of not lying.”

Celestia and Jareth began to eat in silence only stealing glances at each other when the opportunity arose.  Celestia glanced at the Goblin King and the way he looked at that moment she saw him in a whole new light.  His wit aside, he was a gentle colt royal who saved her or attempted to saver during the incidents in the labyrinth and she was grateful for it.  Jareth was deep in thought as well, why did he act on impulse and save her without regard for his safety?  Why is it she invaded his mind whenever he lost himself in thought, it was almost maddening.

Celestia looked away when he looked up, “Jareth how is there a book of this place and yet I cannot find this place on any map.”

Jareth pursed his lips as he placed his utensil down, “Well to put it simply, a long time ago a mare ventured here and left.  She recorded her adventure thusly.”

Celestia nodded, “I see.”

Jareth looked up, “You are welcome to visit whenever you like you know.  After all we are both royals who might have to exchange diplomatic matters in person.”

Celestia nodded and blinked, “Right…of course.”

Jareth was about to continue to eat when Celestia looked up and asked, “Would you like to attend the Grand Galloping Gala?”

Jareth looked up surprised, “Excuse me?”

Celestia eased herself, “I was told you rarely ever venture from here and I thought since royals attend the Gala you could be among friends.”

Jareth thought for a moment, “I’ve never been to a Gala before…very well I accept your invitation, when is it?”

Celestia finished her meal and stood, “Four days from now.”

Jareth winked with a grin, “Then I shall see you there.”

Celestia smiled as she then teleported away.  Jareth slumped in his chair and reflected on the decision he just made and hoped it was the right one.