As promised previously, I dedicate this chapter to notwritten, who was the first to provide me with information regarding the YouTube video I was looking for; sadly, it may not exist anymore. After a diligent search of my own, I'm convinced it definitely doesn't. Dang, that sucks! Anyway, thank you for helping me, notwritten! This chapter's for you!
"I'll give you anything! Money! Women! (…) Men?"—Stewie Griffin, Family Guy
Chapter 14: Battle of the Brothers
In the royal court of the castle Obsidian, the Goblin King stared at the image above the water in the black stone basin.
The basin stood on a pedestal before the throne and was filled with enchanted water that projected any image wished above it. The image he and his brother were watching was Sarah.
His eyes were soft but shocked; he was still mesmerized by the beauty and power of her song that was so obviously for him. Her voice still rang in his ears, her passion still shook his bones, and the look in her eyes was forever seared on his heart.
He was standing in front of Jathan's throne and to the left a bit (his left), so Jathan didn't see his expression; even if he had, he still would've laughed as cruelly and harshly as he was now.
"I've never heard such an atrocious sound in all my life!" he laughed like glass falling on ice, "Was that truly the best she could do?"
"It was good enough to win over your gatekeeper," Jareth said quietly, "She's under her spell now; she'll never serve you again."
Jathan stopped and stared at his brother: He was right. The sphinx that guarded his gate had abandoned him, and for that human girl! And a victory for her was a victory for Jareth.
Shing! A lock of Jareth's hair fluttered in pieces to the ground and he saw a razor sharp card embedded in the pedestal that held the basin; he turned and looked at his brother, whose eyes held such crippling hatred that only he could stand against.
"The love of our parents," he said softly with quiet hate, "the affection of our sister, the respect of my mermaids, the loyalty of my sphinx…How much more do you plan to take from me before you're satisfied?"
Jareth turned back, plucked the card from the pedestal, held it up, and looked at his brother's reflection in it.
"I don't plan to steal any unicorns, that's for sure," he said coldly, "Nor do I plan to continue hurting our family!" Jathan rose to his feet, walked over to Jareth, stood across the basin from him, and stared at him.
"Hurting our family?" he whispered, then grabbed the basin and smashed it on the floor, its water puddling at their feet.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HURT THIS FAMILY!" he screamed as he toppled the pedestal, "The day you were born I became the forgotten child, the forgotten prince! Every day you shone brighter and brighter until you until you blotted me out in our parents' eyes! You're the reason I'm like this now! You're the one who made everything so hard for me! You're the terrible one here, not me! It's all you! You! YOU! Why are you my brother? Why are you even alive?
"WHY WAS SOMEONE LIKE YOU EVEN BORN?"
His voice echoed through the court hall, bouncing off the columns and skipping down the corridors as it went. Jareth stood as still as they did, letting his words bounce off of him like the columns. Finally, he blinked.
"I must've asked myself that a thousand times," he said quietly while Jathan panted from his rant. "The truth is…I never knew why I was born…until I found a reason to live."
"And that is…?" Jathan asked.
"Fighting her way to your castle," Jareth answered, "to rescue a unicorn." He looked down at the puddle of water, which was playing the image of Sarah fighting gargoyles with the help of the sphinx and the goblins.
"Every time I look at her," he murmured, "I think, 'I was born to love this girl.' She is my reason for living." He made eye contact with Jathan.
"She is the reason I was born," he declared. Jathan slowly smiled a sick smile, like the Cheshire cat.
"Then I suppose," he said evilly, "I'll have to kill her." He turned around, intending to fly out one of the windows (which, by the way, have no glass) when he heard a "sheen!" and felt a sharp tip on the right side of his neck. He stopped, realizing his brother had a rapier sword pulled on him. Jareth tossed a sheathed one to the ground beside Jathan, who saw it with only his eyes moving.
"You'll have to kill me first," said Jareth dangerously. Jathan smirked, slowly bent to pick up his sword, and looked at it.
"All the better." In one swift movement, Jathan drew and struck his opponent's sword; Jareth backed into a defensive stance and Jathan did the same. After a brief pause, Jathan spun and made a break for the window only to be barred by Jareth with his sword aimed at Jathan's throat.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he smirked before backing him off. He jumped to the floor and poised himself for a serious butt-whooping.
"AWOOO!" Ludo bellowed, drawing another gargoyle to him like a magnet. Ludo swung his massive fist and crushed its stone face, flattening the gargoyle on his back. Hoggle jumped with a yell and stabbed him dead.
Lea stayed as close to Sarah as possible; she watched her back while Sarah slew gargoyles. Her claws looked and shone like silver and they dug deep gashes in her victims' bodies; her huge paws kicked them over the city walls. Her wild honey-colored hair flowed around her like a mane on a real lion. She soon noticed Sarah was starting to get a little tired.
"Lea," said Sarah, "I don't want to waste too much time and energy on these freaks. Do you know where Amalthea the Unicorn is being held?"
"Yes!" she answered and pointed her paw up, "See that tower in the back? It's a special prison for hostages! I could get you up there and—LOOK OUT!"
Lea spanned her wings around Sarah and ducked her head down; Sarah huddled against her and heard the thumps of small rocks battering the beautiful wings that proved to be soft but strong as steel.
"I suggest we take out those slingers first," said Lea, "If your friends can get up to that wall, they can run right into the castle."
"Sounds good to me," Sarah agreed. The bombardment ceased and Sarah ran to grab Ludo's arm.
"Ludo!" She pointed up at a row of gargoyles on a lower city wall that ran straight to the castle. "See them? I want to know if you can knock them over!"
"Ludo try," he nodded. He first howled at the wall, drawing out a rough staircase; he approached the staircase, looked up at a gargoyle holding a sling, and roared at him—not howled, roared. It was a harsh, loud, powerful roar that whomped the gargoyle like a sledgehammer and sent him screaming over the wall. It appeared to have disabled him too, because when Sarah ran up and looked over, there was a huge ka-ploosh as his stone body plunged to its death. On seeing their comrade's horrible demise, the rest of the slingers stared at the (comparatively) short human and the hulking yeti growling behind her. They were joined by two more goblins—one with a black sword, the other on a dog.
Sarah took one step towards the gargoyles; they yelped and scurried backwards.
"Move it!" shouted Sarah, "Or you'll all join your friend there!" Lea pounced between the two groups and landed in a tail-lashing crouch.
"You heard her, boys," she growled, "Out of our way!"
"What the—" said a gargoyle, "Whose side are you on, anyway?"
Ludo roared at them just enough to knock them over; they scrambled to their feet and fluttered their wings for a hasty take-off. The wall path was soon cleared.
"Great job, Ludo!" Sarah smiled and hugged him, "Now you guys listen: Lea's going to fly me up to the prison tower where the unicorn is. You guys get into the castle and we'll meet somewhere halfway, okay?"
Hoggle grabbed her hand and pleaded, "Be careful, Sarah!" Sarah hugged him, too.
"I promise," she smiled, "You guys be careful, too."
"Fear not, my lady!" piped Didymus, "With courage and fortune at our backs, victory is assured!"
"Good," she smiled, "and stay together. I'll see you later." She straightened up and held her stone sword firmly.
"I'm ready, Lea," she said.
"Right," the sphinx/griffin nodded and bent down, "Climb on and try to sit in front of my wings."
Sarah climbed onto her broad back, placing her legs in front of the bases of her wings.
"Reach under my mane," Lea instructed, "There's a part of my neck you can hold onto without hurting me."
"Thanks." Sarah tucked her sword under her arm and grabbed the thick skin of Lea's neck; it was like picking up a kitten by the scruff.
"Now hold on tight!" Lea unfurled her wings. "You're in for a wild ride!"
With a swoop, they were in the air on what may have been the most incredible ride of Sarah's life.
'No!' thought Jathan when he saw Lea zip past the court window, 'That human's more trouble than she's worth!'
"Don't even think of it, Jathan," threatened Jareth as he brandished his sword, "The fight is between you and I." Jathan's eyes seemed to turn as stony as his kingdom; with a hard blow, he beat down Jareth's sword, slashed his arm, and made another break for the window.
"BLAST YOU, JATHAN!" his brother bellowed as he ran behind him. The crow was headed right for her!
Jareth stepped on the sill and jumped into the air to transform, but not before trying to cry out the only warning he could give.
"SARAH!"
Author's Review:
Oh, my goodness! Is your heart not pounding? Mine is!
Okay, so I think the idea of Jareth and Jathan's "reason I was born" discussion might have come from Ritsu Sohma from Furuba. ^_^ tee-hee! I seem to have a thing about that, don't I?
And I suspect I might have gotten the stone basin idea from Harry Potter; GAH! THEY'RE TAKING OVER MY BRAIN! HELP ME!
Ooh! Did anyone else not just want to punch Jay-Jay for laughing at Sarah like that? I can't believe him! What a total jerk! But don't worry; his defeat will come soon, but not in the way y'all might expect. ;) Thanks again to notwritten for his/her help! I heart you!