A/N: Well I'm back! It is currently 4:50 in the MORNING, and my muse refuses to let me sleep!
Elizabeth smirks "Serves you right! You wanted the story finished; well, now you got what you asked for!"
I glare at her. They are going to kill us for this chapter... You know that right.
She grins, "Nope, fandom is going to kill you for this chapter! Then I will be free. Muhahaha"
I grab my bat and knock her out still glaring. Yes, I found my bat.
Elizabeth lays there with stars in her eyes. She will be fine.
Now for the disclaimer... I do not own the Labyrinth or any of its characters. Maya is mine though as is Darious and Malachite. Now one to the chapter!
Chapter 7: Living Death
Jareth heard the bell like ring in his ear signaling that he had another runner. He turned to his brother who was currently bent over the maps scattered across his desk.
"Darious..." He began urgently, trying to shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
"I know brother, I feel it too. Something is not righ... AHHH!"
Darious bent over at the same time as Jareth did, both crying out at the pain that engulfed them. Darious grabbed for his desk, falling to his knees as Jareth fell to the floor, curling up into a tight ball trying to ease the pain.
Jareth gasped, the burning was searing a path through his entire body. It felt like a part of him was being ripped from his very soul. The heat was going to swallow him whole. Curling tighter, he barely felt the hand that grasped his shoulder as he faded into darkness.
Darious was being ripped apart. Dying would have been a blessing at this point. He was burning up and with his element being ice it wouldn't take long for his death to be upon him. Gasping for air, he felt like his entire body was smoldering. By the gods it hurt to even breathe. Glancing up, in desperation he saw Jareth curled up on the floor, fairing no better than he. Summoning as much of his ice as he could, he let it flow inward and through his veins. It gave him a momentary reprieve from the heat that was killing him.
Now able to think slightly more clearly, he, as quickly as he could, crawled to his little brother. Placing a hand on his brother's shoulder he used the last of his magic to transport them both to the one place he knew could help.
Titiana was furious. It was bad enough that her husband alienated her eldest son by listening to her youngest, but now he has alienated her second son as well. She was currently sitting on her throne with her husband and her youngest before her. Turning icy eyes toward her youngest she growled to both.
"I hope you two are happy!"
"Wife..." Oberon began, he would never admit it in a thousand years but at this point his beloved was scaring him. He never meant for it to go this far. Jareth could be unpredictable at times but he never thought that his son would all but declare war. Nor did he think that Jareth would go so far as to enlist Darious's aid. He had never seen his Titiana so pissed and that meant pain.
Oh why did he listen to Puck?! He knew that the boy had nothing but mischief up his sleeve, and normally his antics were amusing. Seeing the courts get in an uproar at his mischief was like a breath of fresh air. However, this time the boy's mischief went too far. Oh, Oberon knew that Puck knew something that he wasn't sharing. Oberon knew the moment from the moment his decree was announced. The look of satisfaction on his youngest son's face said it all.
"Don't you dare wife me, husband! Now we have two sons who hate us..." Oberon moved to hold his wife while glaring at his youngest, who looked guilty at having made his mother cry.
The moment that Titiana felt her husband's arms wrap themselves around her, she broke down her rage spent for the moment. She clung to him as she cried for her sons. Oh how she missed her eldest and now to lose her favorite... Jareth had always been her little boy. Why couldn't he just take a wife...? Unless... Shoving her husband away, she whirled around to glare furiously at Puck.
"You knew! HOW DARE YOU! YOU KNEW!" She roared, rage back in her eyes as her power flared, shaking the very foundation of the castle.
Puck took a step back at his mother fury. He knew from the look in her eyes that if he wasn't her son he would be dead. Of course he knew. He knew everything that went on in the kingdoms...Well except for Darious's. The rat had found a way of blocking him from even stepping foot in there.
Oberon expanded his aura gently over his wife's while wrapping his arms carefully around her once more. Glaring at his youngest, he turned his wife around and tipped her head back to meet his eyes.
"Tell me what he knew, beloved."
At the gentleness in her love's voice she softened her gaze and whispered.
"He already had a bride in mind, my love. That's why he refused." Glaring at her youngest, she growled, her rage building once again.
"Our youngest knew this and he still let us make a fool of ourselves and the courts, plus there is the added charge of forcing our poor son to alienate us, and he almost caused a war!"
Oberon's eyes turned from a gentle blue to icy silver. Turning to his son, he said in a hard voice. "Puck, you are accused of some very serious crimes. Are you guilty?"
Puck gazed down with shame for causing so much trouble. He had never meant for it to go this far. "I am sorry, father. I acknowledge my guilt and await your punishment."
Oberon opened his mouth to pass his judgment just as thunder echoed through the room and two bodies feel to the floor with a flash of light and glitter. Titiana recognized at once her sons and rushed to Jareth as Oberon raced to Darious. Oberon pulled Darious into his arms and watched with no small amount of pain as his son struggled just to open his eyes. He could feel his son's skin burning to the touch.
Turning to Puck, he quickly ordered him to fetch the strongest Ice Fae they had in their possession and the healers. Puck disappeared in an instant to do as he was told.
Oberon looked at his wife, who was cradling his second son, "What could have caused this? Darious is burning up and Jareth is too. How is this possible?"
Titiana choked on her tears as she looked to her husband with agony in her eyes.
"I've only seen this once," she choked out.
"When?" He asked solemnly.
"When my brother's mortal mate was killed by bandits," she whispered.
"This is what happens when your mate passes from this life without full bonding." She looked at her mate with anguish. Sobbing, she cradled her son closer, rocking back in forth, trying to fight off the hysteria.
Oberon looked down at his son's face. Pain was an understatement of what he saw there. Darious lay curled up as tight as he could be, his entire body shaking and his brother wasn't much better with Titiana trying to sooth him and failing.
Suddenly there were several pops and Puck joined by three elves and six fae rushed to the prince's sides the ice fae began to freeze them while Titiana and Oberon were forced back as the elves took their spots to see what healing they could do.
After what seemed like hours, the healers, with faces grim, stood up from the now frozen bodies of the two young princes. The youngest one Ruyin stepped forward. She was the best healer they had, despite her age and she was the one who spoke, her violet eyes full of sympathy.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, your majesties, but we have done all we can. I have cast several spells to block their pain but that is all I can do. Whoever your sons have bonded with did not complete the bond. If they are unfrozen they will die."
With that, an ice fae, Ninare stepped forward. "Your majesties I offer a small bit of hope. There is a slight chance that the bond will weaken with time and eventually will disappear altogether. I have enchanted our ice to suppress the fire within and should the bond disappear, so shall the ice. They will awaken with no pain. Prince Jareth may have a bit of frost bite but other than that they should be fine."
Titiana cried with relief at that bit of good news. Oberon wasn't so optimistic.
"You said a slight chance... How slight?"
Ninare sighed, "Very slight, your highness, a partial bonding is a very serious thing. If they had been fully bonded they would have died as one and been reborn as one soul. It would have been easy to find each other again, but a partial bond is more extreme."
"It is like having your very soul ripped from your body slowly while you are being burned alive. Most kill themselves within the first two minutes. The fact that your sons lasted long enough to get help is... well I would have said impossible except they are still alive."
Puck slowly walked forward, tears of his own shimmering in his eyes. "So what you saying is that they are in a state of living death..."
She nodded.
Puck let out a grin. "Thank You! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" he shouted with glee. Holding up his hand quickly to forestall his mother's wrath, he said quickly. "In our archives I once read about a way to reverse the state of the living death. If we can find that scroll then there might be a chance to save them!" He grinned.
"What are we waiting for?" Titiana cried out. "Move my sons to their chambers and let's get to finding that scroll. I want every available hand helping with this. Well, get a move on and lets GO!"
She roared, sending everyone into a scurry to obey. Turning to her husband, she gave him a small smile before disappearing in a shower of glitter. He sighed as he followed her.
Puck let out a sigh of relief. At least he was off the hook for this. He then grinned. Hopefully by the time this is over everyone will have forgotten about his mischief.
A/N:
Snorts not likely.
Puck whines, "Aww, come on, pretty please, oh great authoress."
Not a chance in hell. You almost started a war, you dolt.
Puck smiles seductively. "You know you want me. Be nice to me and I'll be very nice to you."
Elizabeth snickers. "You're so not her type!"
Finally we agree on something. Puck sulks off into a corner to grow mushrooms.
Well now that he is taken care of… it's time for you all out there in Fandom to review. Come on, it's really not hard... just type what you think of this chapter...Pretty please. Thank you. ^_^ Shout out to my wonderful Beta Lisabit!
