Misadventures in Labyrinth Land

Chapter 6: Defend Me

To Ria-Chan, my dear, as much I'd like to I cannot.

To Doctor Madwoman, my newest reviewer, thank you very much, believe me, I'll be using some of those ideas if only to get Jareth back.

THANK YOU TO ALL MY OTHER REVEIWERS!

Now then…this is an incredibly short chapter, and for that I'm very sorry but the next one shall be longer.

And….Kudos to my new Beta Reader: Lady Kiren!

((((((On With the Story))))

Silence.

Dead silence, not even the sounds of the labyrinth or the goblins in the city below, nor the servants and other things inhabiting the castle were heard. The king was in shock and the entire realm felt it down to the last little gingham faerie flittering about the outer labyrinth walls. Jareth stared at the sniffling, hiccupping form of the girl he thought was near invincible while Legolas and Trinion stared at him, the latter holding tightly to his beloved to ward off the lucid memories causing her nightmares.

A wail, a horribly agonized scream from deep within her throat for no more than thirty seconds. Jareth was brought to his knees with his hands over his ears and Legolas and Trin winced at the terrible sound but then dead silence again settled over the labyrinth and its inhabitants. Even the flies were no longer buzzing about wherever they could.

All eyes were now upon Avi.

She whimpered as her back arched in a painful fashion and her eyes opened, a brighter orange then they had been and full of shock and hurt.

"Put her on the bed and back away!" Legolas and Jareth exclaimed together, giving each other glares but rushing towards Trin all the same.

"What? Why?" Trin still held her tightly but was losing his grip as she began to thrash.

"You'll see! Now put her down!" Legolas yelled, freeing Avi from Trin's grasp while Jareth pulled the loving husband away from the girl who was now alone on the bed.

All questions died upon his lips as he watched Avi change, every one of the males in the room wincing. The cracking, popping and snapping of bones rang about the room as she writhed upon the covers. Her ears grew out, elongated and traveled to be more near the top of her head than the sides, as her back arched first outward then in as she shrank, inch by inch, moment by moment. Her bones shifted, her skin prickled as fur broke through in pitch black and white and after what seemed like ages to all in the room she was done changing.

"She's…" Trin began, walking gingerly towards the small, cowering figure on the bed.

"Being defensive," Jareth sighed.

"What do you mean she's being defensive?" Trin demanded, sitting on the edge of bed gently.

"It's what she does,"Legolas offered, not really sure how to explain it. "You mean she never told you?"

"Well no…I suppose she never had a reason to with me" Trinion never had and never would give Avi a single reason to ever be brought to such a state of confusion and terror, his death aside consider he had no control over that. Thus the girl had never seen it important to mention the form that rarely every got used anymore.

"Yes well, it's sort of a defensive tactic, except it's not." Jareth spoke, sitting on one of the plush chairs by the fireplace but facing the bed instead. "You see, she's got her elvish form, she's got her demonic form and then…she's got this." He motioned to the little ball of black and white fur that could only be described as, "Her kitten form. She's terrified, scared, and confused so she's gone, well, kitten." Jareth shrugged, trying to feign indifference and failing slightly.

"What are you keeping from us Jareth?" Legolas asked, eyes narrowed to warning slits.

"Well…I wish I could say that when she's calmed down she'll return to the form that we all have come to know but it is not that simple." Jareth sighed deeply. "This is going to take drastic measures I am afraid." As he sighed once more, Legolas and Trinion exchanged looks clearly saying they knew what he meant. Jareth was the reason she was like this and Jareth was going to have to fix it.

"That's a good little one." Trin smiled as he coaxed the kitten out from the shadows of the covers and into his lap where the shaking little thing stayed, glancing around with frightened eyes. "Well…Jareth, how do you intend to fix this since it is obviously because of you."

"How is this because of me?"

"You over reacted to nothing more than a prank that was easily taken care of the next day and stuck her in that twisted room of yours to be forgotten, Fekay had to let her out because he heard her pounding on the doors!" Legolas offered.

"You said you hated her, never wanted to see her again and you have completely ignored her presence for the past 3 weeks making her believe that she's lost you for good." Trinion finished.

"You have never truly noticed just how much the things you've done over the years have affected her and so you, have done more damage than you shall ever know." Came the medley of the two ellon's in the room, strong and truthful, causing Jareth to sink lower in his chair with every word.

"I…" The goblin king was for once in his life, at a loss for words. He was aware of things now that he had not been of before hand and well, it was a lot to take in for him. All went silent once more, intense stares were launched at Jareth as he stared at the ground and only the sounds of the labyrinth and the city, dulled though they were, could finally be heard.

That is until Avi gave a tentative, tiny little mewl in question staring at Jareth with her black and white head tilted to the side.

"Trinion, I believe I know how Jareth can fix this." Legolas smirked, walking over and picking up the kitten version of Avi gently, smiling as she nuzzled his hand. She by now stopped shaking but was still confused. It's awfully strange to suddenly go kitten and it leaves one rather disoriented but given the state she was in before, disoriented is probably an understatement.

"What?" Trinion asked, following Legolas. Avi may now be a kitten but she was still his wife.

"Jareth, you have to show her that you still care about her. You my dear sir must make sure that it is made perfectly clear to this little kitten that she has not lost you, therefore, until she changed you are stuck with her."

"WHAT?" Neither Trinion nor Jareth could believe what they'd just heard.

((((((((((((((Chapter Fin))))))))))))))))))))))))

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