Hmm... Yes, a longer chapter. So proud. Warnings of fluff... and blood. Wow, love and murder in the same breath.

Chapter 12

Finally

Dakota hefted the large sword over her shoulder and followed Jareth out of the castle. They walked until they came to a cliff. They looked over, and saw not just tens of thousands, but tens of tens of tens of thousands already engaged in the fight. The dead gathered around were almost outnumbering the living. Jareth put his hand on Dakota's shoulder and stared into the ruin of what had once been a happy world. She looked up, and saw an imperial army behind them. "Uh…Jarrrrrrreth? There are some…unhappy looking people behind you." Jareth turned around. "Arakmias! Let's talk-"

That was as far as he got, because an elf behind him knocked him out. Dakota got angry. "Look you bastard! He tried to talk but you knocked him out! Shit, man! Look, he has made some mistakes, haven't you? But you started this war, not him. You are killing the goblins because they are killing your elves. Is blood really avenged when it is gained with more blood?" That said, she dropped to Jareth's side, after kicking Arakmias in an unpleasant place. The elves retreated down the cliff, to continue killing. Jareth lay there. Dakota tried to awaken him, in vain. It was a downhill look.

Dakota once again looked at the wreckage below her. Only a handfull of soldiers were left. They gathered around the rock wall, tired, hungry, and sad. They had seen their friends and relatives die, and for what? Dakota was going to help them, by what ever means necessary. Without another thought, she hurtled herself off the mountain, her skirt flapping around her knees. With a snapping sound from her leg, she landed down below, in between the two armies. "Stop...don't...kill...each other...just...let them live...in p...peace...in peace...peace..." she extracted her final breath, and died.

By that time, Jareth had woken up and climbed down. He saw Dakota die. Picking up her limp form, he cried to the stars. Dakota, Sarah's daughter, his student, his responsibility, his love. He kissed her cold dead lips as a final farewell, and set her down. She looked peaceful, which is what she wanted. She had come to the Underground a goth, obsessed with rock, black, and especially her guitar. She would leave the Underground a woman, proud, knowing what war truly meant. She had tasted the apple, the Forbiden fruit, and had come out a better person. She had died, trying to save those she didn't know. Unless...

Jareth, ignoring the pleas and threats of the elves and goblins around him, he brought her back to his palace. She would be Queen. His Queen. Queen Rizka, and they would be happy. But it was risky.

He lay her on the bed. He healed her wounds and crossed her hands over her chest. Then he placed lillies around her. He fed her a potion of life, changed to fit the circumstances, and force fed it to her. He sat back, waiting to see those odd eyes open once more.

But they didn't.

Jareth turned away. Exhasted and beyond tears, he meditated. He heard the bed creak, and an arm on his shoulder. He turned around. Dakota was alive again! She slapped him. "That test took it a little far, doncha think?" He held her in his arms for a long moment, and then said, "It wasnt a test."

"Of course not.Just like neither was the bauble tossing game, the troll, or the gypsies. None of those were tests."

"Well...those were. But this wasnt!"

"Of course it wasnt."

"Look! You cant go through life thinking everything is a test! Things do get real sometimes!"

"Is that why you take life so seriously? I wasn't dead…broken leg…unconscious…."

Jareth laughed and lifted her off the bed, holding her tight. Spinning and dancing, Jareth looked deep into her mismatched eyes, and Dakota looked into his. Without either of them knowing what they were doing, their lips suddenly migrated to each other, like magnets. They stood there, lips locked as they kissed in bliss. In such bliss, that they didnt relize that their surrondings were disinigrating. It turned into Dakota's room. They broke apart, gasping in raged breaths. Sarah stood in the hall, watching them. Jareth crossed and held her hand. Then he began to sing, to Dakota,

It's only forever,

Not long at all.

The lost and the lonely

No one can blame you,

For walking away.

But too much protection nuhnuh

No love injection

Life can be easy.

It's not always fair

Dont tell me truth hurts little girl,

Cause it hurts like hell, hurts like hell.

But down, in the Underground,

You'll find someone true.

Down, in the Underground,

A lancer ring

A crystal hue

Ah-ah

It's only forever, not long at all

For the lost and lonely,

It's Underground Underground...

Dakota stared at him, a memory passed by...

The elf pulled out an elgant knife. Jareth saw the knife and lept at him, knocking him down. Sarah screamed. The knife rose again, blood soaked the floor.Dakota saw one last view of Jareth's cold face and looked at Sarah. She faded away. The goblin and the elf leered. The knife was aimed at Dakota's chest. No... she thought.I wont have the dream repeat itself. She kicked the elf, punched the goblin, and grabbed the knife. "No. You cant kill him!" she yelled. She blew a crystal over at them and they disappeared. Leaning over Jareth's body, a single crystal tear fell on Jareth's ring. Dakota laid her head on his chest, letting his blood drip over her hands. The elf stood again, unnoticed by Dakota. He held a saphire in one hand, and with a little blue smoke, it turned into a rough hewn knife of stone. He lifted it behind Dakota, and sank it into her back. She gasped, fell again on Jareth, and a single blood drop fell upon his white tunic. Arakmias returned to the battlefield as the Junk Crone laughed in glee.

The prophesy had come true.