Chapter One: Night Time Wanderings

~Alyss~

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to the castle beyond the Goblin city! To take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great…"

"'You have no power over me'. Then he's forced to give back the kid, blah blah, happily ever after," Thomas groaned, rolling his eyes. "Can't you pick a better story, Alyss?"

It was my turn to roll my eyes as I tucked his little sister, Anita, into bed. "Anita wanted to hear it, right 'Nita?"

The little blonde girl laying in the tiny princess bed grinned, her two front teeth missing. "Uh huh! Ish my favowite!"

That made me grin smugly at Thomas who just sighed and left the room grumbling about how pathetic we were. I just shook my head as I tucked the last bit of blanket the mattress.

"Finish the story, pwease," Anita asked, sticking out her lip in a cute little pout.

I smiled and sat down the bed. "Alright. Once the girl had declared that she wasn't his to rule, the Goblin King had no choice but to give her back the child. And so she went back home, loving the child like she had never before and things grew brighter for her as time passed. Her mother was still cruel but now she had her brother, who grew to become a fantastic king over the land,"

"And the Gobwin King?" Anita piped, eyes wide with curiosity. "Whuh happened to him?"

A little grin lit up my face. "Oh, he's around but he stays in his castle, never leaving the labyrinth. But," I leaned closer and whisper to her as if I was telling her some really important secret. "I hear he's always looking into his crystal ball, keeping watch over the girl for if she ever needed him all she needed to do was wish it,"

"Did she ever see him again?"

I shook my head sadly. "No, she didn't. But it may have been better that way,"

Anita pouted. "Well, I don't tink so! He loved her so he shoulda went to see her,"

I chuckled. "Well, you know what I think? I think it's time for a certain little girl to get to bed,"

"Aww!" She whined, sitting up. "But I'm not sleepy,"

"That may be," I said as I stood up and gently pressed her back down to the pillows. "But you still need to get some sleep. Good night, 'Nita,"

She yawned quietly and curled up on her side. "Night, night, Awyss,"

I smiled down at the girl as she closed her now tired eyes and patted the top of her head before turning away. Quietly flicking the overhead light off and checking to make sure her faerie nightlight came on, I left the room with the door slightly ajar. I left the room and yawned on my way to the living room where I found Thomas lounging on the couch. He turned his pale blue eyes on me and ran a hand through his longish dirt blonde hair.

"She asleep?" He asked, obviously talking about Anita.

I shrugged as I went to sit on the armchair across from him. "More or less," He shrugged back and leaned his head on the back of the couch. After about a minute of silence, I closed my eyes and let the whole flood of ideas and images flow into the forefront of my mind. To most, I'd look like I was asleep (and sometimes I would fall asleep like this) but I've learned to keep my ears open for any sound, especially after babysitting Anita so much. Under normal circumstances, with her fifteen year old brother there (same age as me, I might add), I would've gotten my money from him and have been on my way home. But said brother hasn't been the most responsible kid on the block and the last time he convinced me that it was alright for me to head out and leave him there, we both got an earful from his parents.

My mouth twitched at the memory so I decided to think about something else. The bedtime story I'd just finished telling was still on my mind, not that that was ever unusual so I decided to think about that. Ever since I was little, Grams would tell me that story ever night before bed. Even when I grew too old for bedtimes stories, she would still tell me that story when school got stressful or just life in general was being cruel. I didn't mind at all that I was hearing a fairy tale meant for putting a child to sleep. In fact, I absolutely loved it. The way she described the labyrinth the girl had to go through and all the little creatures she met was mesmerizing. I might as well have been watching a childhood movie.

Then Grams died and the stories stopped…I wish…I wish…

"Hey, Alyss?" Thomas asked suddenly, too used to my little trick to think I'd fallen asleep.

"Hmm?" Opening my right brown eye, I saw he was lean forward with his elbows on his knees and staring at me. "What?"

"What's it with you and that Goblin King story? You always tell that to Anita every time you come here,"

I close my eye again and shrug. "She asks for it every time. And I don't mind telling it to her. My Grams used to tell me that story all the time when I was little,"

"Yeah, I get that, but that's not all,"

I open my eye again. "And what do you mean by that?"

He scratched the top of his head like he was trying to figure out to speak his thoughts. "It's like…I don't know. The way you tell it is like you're so excited right along with her. No one does that anymore. Mom's tried to repeat the story when you're not here and it's not the same at all. Anita's always going 'Tewl it wike Awyss does! Tewl it wike Awyss does!' Never works,"

I laughed. "I dunno. I've loved that story for so long, I guess I still enjoy like I used to. That's not weird,"

"Humph," He frowned and leaned back. "Keep telling yourself that…"

My other eye snapped open (this one a sapphire blue) and I glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He put his hands up in an I-surrender manner. "Hey, don't look at me. Just word has it that you're the freak of the week at school and it's all because of your silly interest in fairytales,"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please, that's not it and you know it,"

He just shrugged. "Sure, mouthing off to the people that can and will make your life hell doesn't help but neither does spending all you time with your nose buried in a book,"

"As opposed to what, exercising your thumbs talking about nonsense? Gee, that's a real step up from how I spend my time. But no, just because I actually like to do things with purpose I'm branded as some freaky witch hell bent on destroying the natural order of things!" With a huffed, I fell back against the chair and closed my eyes again.

Thomas gave an exasperated sighed. "C'mon, Alyss. Don't be like that,"

"Like what, Thomas?" My eyes opened again and were glaring. "What, pray tell, am I acting like?"

He glared back. "Like a – !"

The door then opened and was followed by a "We're home!" coming from a female voice. I looked up to see Thomas's parents coming into the house, apparently pleased with their night.

"Welcome back!" I called as I got up and nabbed my messenger bag that I'd sat next to the chair early before going up to the older couple. "I just put Anita to bed a couple minutes ago,"

Thomas's mother, who shared Anita's golden lock and Thomas's bright green eyes, smiled sweetly at me as she dipped her fingers into her purse to pull out a twenty. "Thank you so much, Alyss. We really appreciate the help. Same time next week?"

I nodded as I took the money and smiled. "Of course. Thank you, miss Martin. See you all later," With that I nabbed my pea coat and blue plaid scarf from the hook by the door and left, waving goodbye before closing the door. Sighing and walking quietly, I shrugged into my coat and tied the scarf around my neck before hanging the strap of my bag on my shoulder. The air had a slight chill which meant every exhalation resulted in a cloud of mesmerizing smoke floating out of my mouth as if I was some content dragon. I remembered being a little girl thinking she was a dragon when it got cold. Smiling at the memory, I made the trek home.

Most people would use their own car or ask for a ride at this time of night. Sadly, I didn't have the luxury of either. Besides, the Martin's weren't too far from my place. Half an hour tops! Or fifteen minutes if I wanted to take my short cut through the cemetery but I only resorted to that when I was really running late or I had to lose anybody trying to heckle me. No one would follow me either because every numbskull in this place thought it was haunted. Not me, naturally, but then again, I'm the freak, remember?

"Hey, witch girl!" Oh, dammit. I peeked over my shoulder and saw a car crawl up to me. I kept walking so the thing kept crawling so the gaggle of giggling girls in the car could start their idiot babble.

"Hey, witch bitch! Where's your broomstick?" One girl sneered.

I grinned and turned. "Mine's at the shop! What about yours?"

The girl back off, unsure how to reply, but was replaced by another one. "Better watch out, witchy!"

"Yeah!" A third jeered. "Better hope it doesn't rain!"

What do they think this is, Wizard of Oz? I rolled my eyes and turned a corner, leaving the bimbos behind. A day in the life, right? I continued on my way, grateful for the almost full moon that light up enough of the night for me to see. Besides the car full of girls, I didn't really have any problems, which was perfectly fine by me. Most of the morons I'd have to deal with during the day were probably at some party and that car was one of the last of the stragglers.

Thinking it would be a good time to put on some music, I rifled through my bag to pull out my little blue mp3 player and a pair of black ear clip headphones. Clipping the headphones, I turned on the mp3 and smiled as a piano started to play and Tori Amos started to sing. Soon enough, I was singing along, feeling the music in my heart and not caring if anyone heard me.

"Load up on guns
and bring your friends
It's fun to lose
And to pretend
She's overboard
And self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has all always been
And always will be until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low
With the lights out it's less dangerous
Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us
Yes

Hello, hello, ah-oohh
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us, yes

A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
my libido
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
Yes…
A denial…"

As the song ended, I noticed a pair of bright dark eyes watching me. I turned and noticed a barn owl in one of the trees and stopped. Huh, I don't remember barn owls being here… A warning feeling rose up in me, telling me to keep walk or better yet, run like hell. But why would that happen? It's just an owl and unless I get too close, it won't attack me. Then again…

"Things are not always what they seem…" Grams would say and skirt away from the creature. I smiled, remembering the day we went to the zoo when I was little. Grams and I had just left the wolf enclosure (which made me thoroughly happy for seeing them and sad that we had to leave) when a woman holding a barn owl came from the bird barn to show it off. I was transfixed but Grams was wary. When I asked her why she seemed so scared of such a thing, she just smiled and said "things aren't always what they seem", a phrase I grew to know as her mantra at times. My father explained it to me later that Grams had always been nervous around that kind (and only that kind) of owl. Said she had a bad experience with one when she was younger it seemed. It still confused me but I just chalked it up to one of those strange things Grams did. Something I grew to get used to, especially after…

I shook my head and continued on my way, wanting to forget that owl before it brought back anymore unwanted memories. My step quickened as I hurried on home, hoping I wouldn't be too late.

= ? =

The owl stood on its perch in the tree, watching the girl with long dark hair skitter away, as if determined to get out of there as quick as possible. Its dark eyes followed the strange girl until she rounded a corner and disappeared. Then the owl leapt off the branch and flew into the sky, its path following the girl. From this high, there was no possible way for her to hear it, especially those silly contraptions in her ears.

The two continued their journey until the girl spotted a little white house and made a run for it. The owl followed in quick pursuit, unwilling to lose the girl. When she clambered onto the steps of the well-lit porch, the owl perched on another nearby branch and admired the girl as she knocked on the door. Long dark brown hair with half a foot of the ends dyed blue and reached the top of her legs. Thin, curvy body that looked perfectly healthy compared to those who like to starve themselves in attempts to be beautiful. She turned back to look behind her and the owl could see she had mismatched eyes, one chocolate brown and the other sapphire blue. In this light, her skin was fair but had a slight tan from being outside a lot.

The owl's observations of this girl were cut short when the door finally opened to reveal another girl, this one seemingly older than her little visitor. The owl's eyes widened at the sight of the second girl. Unlike the younger one, this girl had ebony locks that fell just to the middle of her back and pale green eyes. She was taller, thinner and much less curvy, like a ballet dancer, and had beautiful round pale green eyes. The owl watched in awe as the two hugged each other and smaller one stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

Satisfied, the owl hopped off the branch but as it floated down, its form shifted to that of a man. He was hard to see in the shadows of the tree but if anyone was looking at that point, they'd see a tall figure in something like a cloak and a small round shiny object behind juggled in his hands. The man watched the house for a time, shifting the crystal ball in his hand back and forth. He continued to watch the house until all the lights went out, except for one small light in the attic window.

He smiled and the man melted into the night, whispering quietly to himself. If one listened hard enough, they would here ever so lightly, the man's quiet voice on the wind.

"Such a pity…"

A/N: Hello ^^ TheGrayWitch here, formally known as AlyssCromwel. For those of you who've read my earlier stuff, I changed my name because I had too many people making a fuss about my main OC having the same name as my pen name. So I decided to fix that ^^ This is my first Labyrinth fanfic so constructive critisism in great but please don't flame me XP Hope you all enjoy and I'll try to update as soon as I can!

TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!

~TGW