AN: Sorry it's been so long. What has it been, two years?
It was a week later when she had decided. Jareth had pretty much left her alone, staying to himself in the throne room while she took walks throughout the Labyrinth. She had been there long enough to know the paths of the Labyrinth. Yes, they did change over time, but in the most predictable ways. The King and Queen of Haven had left after an agreement. Once a week they would come and on a day that they chose.
Takibi hadn't really paid close attention to any of it. She had kept to herself for the most part, traveling throughout the Labyrinth and avoiding the Bog of Eternal Stench. It was a day like this, pondering whether she should marry him or not, that she finally decided. Of course there was not going to be any love or romance, Jareth had simply kissed her to try and convince her, nothing more and nothing less.
The day she had decided was the same day that a neighboring kingdom decided to attack. Not all of the kingdoms were willing to follow the Counsel's ridiculous rules. Those who opposed the Counsel had bound themselves together and were in the process of taking over the kingdoms in allegiance with the Counsel. The Labyrinth was the first kingdom on their list.
She had been on her way back to tell Jareth her decision when they attacked. She had heard the shouts of the enemy soldiers as they ran throughout the Labyrinth. They knew where they were going. She knew this because she saw them not too far down the path that she was on. Immediately she turned into a wolf, sprinting as fast as she could towards the Castle. She took every booby trapped filled path, knowing where they were and avoiding them easily.
They avoided them easily as well. She had just managed to lead them right towards the castle, not like they hadn't already known. She made her way through the gates, yelling to the goblins, telepathically, to shut the gates. They did, surprisingly. She ran up the steps and into the castle. She could hear Jareth ordering goblins about in the Throne Room before she entered.
"I had a feeling this would happen." Jareth growled, moving over towards the window as he gazed out. "I knew they would attack." He grumbled, a crystal forming between his fingers. "It won't be long before they're through the gates."
She had turned back into a human, moving beside him. She didn't say anything for a moment before a flame appeared in her palm. She held it up for Jareth to see.
"You could conjure up beasts, be creative, make them monsters that can destroy them. They have guns, but not magic." She said, pointing towards the mass amounts of men in the Land of Garbage, each carrying an automatic rifle. "I can blow them up."
"Yes, but their guns will simply take my beasts down." He muttered.
"Think of Sarah." She said, looking over towards him. She didn't know why, but it pained her to say that. She ignored it and continued. "She wouldn't want the Labyrinth to fall. Think of her, kill these men."
He glanced towards her before nodding. A group of crystals formed in his hand. He allowed them to float off towards the gate, landing before it. They formed into large rhino like creatures, mechanical and organic at the same time. Steam blowed from their nostrils, red eyes glaring towards the gates, horns at the ready. Takibi had left his side and had moved to stand in between the beasts. There were about five of them.
It wasn't long before the gates were blown open. The beasts took off, killing many of the men in their path. They didn't stop. The men that did get through where instantly thrown back by fireballs. More crystals came, and therefore more beasts. They were winning, even against automatic rifles. They were winning.
The crystals were slowly stopping, Jareth was getting tired. Fireballs were beginning to loose their power, Takibi was getting tired. There was still a fight going on, still men to kill. The beasts were still fighting. A couple had fallen. Takibi could see it all. She could see the dying men, the dead bodies. She had killed some of them. She was horrified, yet knew she had to keep killing or else she was next.
The bloodshed that laid before her would burn into her memory. She wouldn't forget the deaths she had caused, the destruction she had made. It would haunt her for the rest of her life. Yet she knew that this was out of self defense, she knew that she had to do this, that if she didn't, she would die. She thought of the Labyrinth, the Goblins, and Jareth. If she did not fight, he would die, the goblins would die, and the Labyrinth would fall.
The men towards the front, only a few left, had turned away from the beasts and turned towards Takibi. They sent a rain of bullets in her direction, finally getting smart. They had ignored her, and as a result when most of the men charged through, they had been killed. They had stopped ignoring her and had made her their central target.
She, not having had bullets shot at her before, was taken by surprise. She dove towards one of the goblin's houses, falling just short of the door. Searing hot pain tore through her side and knee. She dragged herself the rest of the way, closing the door behind her and rolling onto her back inside. The pain was immense. She couldn't think, couldn't concentrate on anything. Blood was pouring from her wounds and she slowly felt herself drift off into unconsciousness.
Jareth watched from his window, he saw her fall. He simply stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do or think. The men, shouting as they ran towards the castle, brought him back to reality. There wasn't that many left, perhaps a dozen or so. He had enough energy for one more crystal. If he used that crystal he wouldn't be able to heal Takibi, to be able to save her from her wounds. If he didn't use the crystal, the kingdom would fall.
He was stuck. He didn't know if he should save the woman he planned to marry, for political reasons, or if he should save his kingdom. Part of him wanted to rush to her side and part of him did not wish to give up the status of King. Her words, "she wouldn't want the Labyrinth to fall," rang through his ears.
He closed his eyes and threw the crystal towards the men below.