Merideth and Elizabeth's Adventures In Labyrinth Land

Disclaimer: Technically, I only own Merideth. Elizabeth belongs to a friend of mine, and she's just letting me play with her. Mostly because I'm collaborating heavily with her. Her name is Sarah (no joke), and she is awesome.

The following is a true story. The names have been changed to protect the guilty from a very long stay in their own private, leaky oubliette beneath the Bog of Eternal Stench.

"I can't wait 'til the masquerade, tonight. Y'all did well, last time, with that "How to Catch A Nobleman In Ten Days" routine. "Fight For Your Empire" should be really good."

"Are you going to stick around for it?"

"I hope Mike will let us, but he might be too tired. But I'll do my best to convince him. You know what I think would have made a good routine?"

"What?"

Merideth grinned. "Star Trekkin' Across The Universe. It would have been great if I could have gotten enough people willing to do it, but I'm the only one in the group even willing, let alone able."

Elizabeth nodded. "I know. If I hadn't had my "Fight For Your Empire" idea, I would have done that. Either that, our a Dr. Who routine." She switched to a British accent. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

"Exactly."

"Doctor Exactly?"

"No, Doctor Who."

"That's what I want to know. Doctor Who?"

Both girls giggled. They were standing in the bathroom at the hotel, Merideth in a pure black Klingon uniform, Elizabeth in a Star Wars Imperial uniform. The convention they were at was the only one they could afford to go to, both being poor college students. It was small, but it brought together science-fiction, fantasy, anime, and gaming fans from all around the area. It was slipping though, in Merideth's opinion. They hadn't had a decent guest since her paper airplane fight with Eugene Roddenberry Jr., and it seemed to be moving towards just a gaming convention.

Not her idea of fun at all. Still, she was going to have fun while it lasted. "Oh, that would be funny," she said, suddenly. "That would be so very very funny."

"What would?"

"Teaching the goblins to sing "Star Trekkin'". It would annoy Jareth, and that would be funny."

"If he didn't send you to the Bog, first."

"What are you two talking about?"

Merideth and Elizabeth turned to the girl who had just interrupted their conversation. Merideth grinned. "Labyrinth."

"It's one of the greatest movies in the whole world."

"1986, David Bowie and Jennifer Connely. David Bowie in tights." She was about to start drooling.

"It's about this girl, Sarah, who wishes her brother away to the Goblins, and the Goblin King tells her that she has thirteen hours in which to run the labyrinth before her baby brother becomes one of them forever."

Merideth switched to her best Jareth voice. "Such a pity..."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah. And the words to wish someone away are-"

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now." The two friends said this at the same time, turning to and pointing at each other.

"And to think we didn't even plan that," Merideth said.

"You two are such freaks," the third girl said, walking out.

"And you are such a Mundane," Merideth replied, not caring that the girl didn't hear her.

"Merideth, what was that?"

"What was what?"

The lights were flickering in the bathroom, and they went out, leaving the friends in darkness. Elizabeth could have sworn she felt feathers brushing against her face, and both of them heard tiny giggles coming out of the stalls.

When the lights returned, the bathroom was no longer there. Instead, there was a pit, chickens, messy goblins, some of them obviously drunk, and a stone throne. And there, sitting lazily in the throne, sat Jareth, King of the Goblins, his face in one hand, the other hand tapping the front of the throne with his riding crop. He stood, walking over to the girls. "Well, what have we here?"