Chapter 14- I Have No Intention of Fighting

Woot! I now have the longest story I've uploaded on Fanfiction ever!! Yay!

Anyway I originally wanted more action, but Kya didn't agree. I didn't dare fight her. soo… here you go.

It was the second week since Kya left him. Jareth was sitting in on his throne, humming softly to himself, when the news reached him. A Goblin with a long white mustache rushed in. "Your highness! Your highness! There's a war going on!"

"Here?"

"No sir! The Hypis have declared outright war on the Goblins to the West!"

"War? Hypis!"

"Yes sir! Even stranger, their princess is fighting!"

"KYA?" he shouted. The princess with him (he'd forgotten her name a long time ago) and all the Goblins were staring at him. He took no heed.

"GET FIREPELT READY!" he yelled, naming his roan stallion. Within fifteen minutes, he was on Firepelt riding to the West.

The closer he got to the spiral castle and the orchards, the famous orange groves, the redder the grass below Firepelt's hooves became. The more copper he smelled, tasted in the air. The more anxious he became.

Jareth was normally a stoic figure, he didn't cry or laugh as much as Kire did. He wasn't moved by particularly touching stories or songs. He hadn't fainted since he was twelve years old and his pet talking worm died. And that was nay-on a thousand years ago. But the sight of misplaced elves and humans in ragtag armor fighting the Goblins was enough to make him keel over. No time for weakness, I've got to find Kya!

He reared Firepelt, searching for any blonde. "Kya!" he screamed. "Kyaaaaa!"

Pulling his sword out of his scabbard, jewels and blade shining in the evening sun, he joined the fray. He dragged the weapon through Goblin skin, spraying black blood across his white cape. The Goblin fell with a dead thud and Firepelt reared. Jareth felt a strong tugging on his hair and was pulled off his horse. It was a man. He stared at Jareth with wild eyes, gone mad with the stench of blood. The man was panting from a day of battle and his dark hair was matted to his forehead, clinging to his unshaven chin. A bead of sweat dripped down his nose, mixing with the blood and falling in a watery pink to the desecrated ground. "You… Crystal-Bearer… what are you doing… in our … war?"

"Trying to help!" Jareth gasped. "We don't need your bloody help!" the man shouted, throwing Jareth to the ground. Both men swore violently as the Hypi raised a sword high. The light gleamed in the sun and Jareth saw a pair of blue flashing eyes in front of his. They were angry, Fire-Soul eyes. They glared at him and turned away. The sword came crashing down, singing in the air. It struck on Jareth's shoulder and he screamed. The Hypi leered and ran off.

Jareth began to repeat the mantra that his brother had adopted in 1938, "I have no intention of fighting…you cannot live in fear. I have no intention of fighting…you cannot live in fear. I have…." He mumbled this as he staggered up, back to where Firepelt was rearing and bucking. In calming Elvish, he calmed him down and climbed on his back.

He still needed to find Kya. Jareth's face was red, his eyes were redder. Blood streaked in his hair like Kya's dye. "I have no intention of fighting…you cannot live in fear." He held his shoulder as gently as a child, wiping blood away as he pushed Firepelt into a gallop. He kicked the Goblins and humans and Elves in his way, but he did not draw his sword again.

The sun was fading and only the last fingertips stretched beyond the ashen mountain. The mountain stretched high above the last light in shadow, rocks gathering at the bottom. The rocks his horse ran over, leaping towards the goal he could not see. And then his sight was cleared and he saw a tall girl in the armor he took from her two weeks ago. Her hair was bright, but not the cherry red of before.

Jareth urged Firepelt faster until he reached her. Kya turned around, angry. Her gaze softened for a moment, before she punched him.

Blood spurted in a waterfall down his nose, soiling his already soiled hair. He glared and shouted, "Damm ooo! I came too hulp! Come on!" The hand that wasn't holding his nose grabbed her elbow. She punched him again, this time in temple, and he fell.