From Fantasy to Reality
Danielle McBride and Kitana-Hana Dairyu
Chapter One: A Foolish Wish
It was a cold, dark night and a storm was raging outside as two 18- year old girls lounged around in a warm bedroom with a manga in each of their hands. They both sat in puffy black bean bag chairs with a CD player running in the background, playing music from one of their favorite movies. One of them set aside her copy of Chobits with a sigh and leaned back to look up at the blank ceiling, watching as an occasional flash of light from the storm outside lit it up.
She was around 5'6" with a slim athletic figure, her hair was long, at about waist length even while it was done back in a braid; as it was now. She also had blue-gray eyes that testified to the fact that she was a dreamer and a believer in fantasy, but they could be cold when focused on reality. She wore a burgundy halter top with straps tied behind the neck, black pants and calf-high combat boots. A look around her room revealed many posters, ornaments, figurines and dolls of mythical creatures; including a crystal music box with a red fire dragon and a woman dragon rider with it. You wouldn't know by looking at her, that she also had a bit of a temper and usually carried a sharp object to use with it, but her friends were good at keeping her in check.
Her friend glanced over her Weiß Kreuz comic and smirked. It faded quickly however and she frowned as the back of her neck prickled and she felt someone watching them. 'What the hell...? Why is it when we get together it feels like something is watching us? There's never anyone there though and this has been going on for like sometime... it's really starting to get on my nerves.' she thought.
She was taller than the brunette, standing just over 6' with an athletic figure, a touch of wiry and lanky build made her look almost fragile. She had shoulder length black hair with bright green tips that she kept messy and spiked while her long green bangs framed her face and her calm crystal blue eyes. She was also a huge believer in fantasy, as shown by her dragon pendant and earrings. She wore a black tank top with the words 'Bad Ass Girl' across the chest and a large cross on the back, both in white. She also wore black loose pants with lots of chains, belts and hooks with a leg leash attached to two hoops on the back of her knees and finally black leather combat boots with various buckles to finish the look. She was a really serene person who always helped cool the brunette's temper. They were, after all, great friends and had been so for a long time.
"You look really bored there Princess." She said, using the brunette's nickname that was given to her by her friends, her British accent was easily heard when she spoke.
"That's because I am Tana. I mean, I've read these manga a million times and while I love this CD and all... it makes me want the real thing." The 'Princess' replied. Tana smirked and moved to a shelf filled with DVD's.
"Then you can have the real thing. I'll just pop it in and..." She started as she opened the case to their favorite DVD... She stared down at the case and then shouted. "It's gone!"
"JENNIFER!" The brunette yelled. "HAVE YOU SEEN MY LABYRINTH DVD?"
"YOU LEFT IT IN THE DEN PLAYER!" Came the reply from the other end of the house. The girl smiled sheepishly and hurried to go get it. She returned quickly and put it in with Tana shaking her head at the other girl. "Danielle, you really need to keep track of it, especially if you know I'm coming over girl." Tana scolded.
"I know." She replied, "The Great One..." she sighed happily as the opening to 'Labyrinth' played and David Bowie's 'Underground' started through the surround sound speakers. They both flopped down on their black bean bag chairs to watch the worlds greatest movie.
"I wish the Underground were real, it's bound to be ten times better than this place." Tana muttered with a small sigh. "Oh, Danielle! It's the opening lines! Go on, say them!"
"Tana! Watch what you say! Do you WANT to call out a load of goblins on our case?" Danielle hissed, looking about incase there were some hiding in wait. "While I would love to meet Jareth, I'm not in the mood to put up with the little hairy guys." Tana chuckled.
"Will you chill girl? I didn't say the words! Sorry little goblin dudes, your not gonna get me to say it!" At this, both girls began to laugh.
There was a collective groan from the mass of goblins as they heard Tana's last words. They had been trying to get ONE of them to say the words for years now. Danielle had always complained about her little sister, while Tana complained about her life in general. The King on the other hand, was getting VERY moody and wasn't willing to abide by the rules much longer. Said goblins winced as there was a loud shout followed by a crash of crystal from the throne room and a murmur of someone else's voice.
Tana his the pause button and turned to Danielle with an almost evil smile like she ALWAYS did when they watched this movie.
"Alright, spill. If you had a sexy Goblin King singing this song to you while you danced, would you stay or run?" She asked, pointing to the frozen screen of Sarah running from the Goblin King. "Also, what would be your ideal ball gown?" Danielle sighed as she thought about it.
"...I guess it would depend on who I had wished away. If it was my sister, I wouldn't leave with out a kiss at least. If it were either of my nephews, I would leave without a second thought. My boys are too important." Danielle replied before throwing a pillow at Tana who was shaking her head, a big grin on her face. "But, now for the gown. I'd have to say a dark crimson, maybe burgundy color. Probably satin or velvet with off-shoulder sleeves and a slightly flared skirt. But no poofy, you know, like Sarah's dress... I can't stand poofy." Danielle turned to Tana, a smirk on her face now. "Now, what about you?" She asked, knowing full well that Tana HATED dresses.
"I would so run. Jareth aint my type... but if it were some other hottie, I'd stay. You know, to get to know him and all, eventually I'd meet up with you at the gates. You've gotta draw out the suspense a bit, you know! Anywho, for my gown. It would be long and sleek, a deep green-black -you know how I love those two along with red of course- number with a bit of a train. It would have straps, small ones of course and the shoulders and front of the gown would hang down to give the folded look." Tana answered smugly.
"Ugh! Second place to some mystery guy! That cuts me deep Tana, real deep." Danielle said dramatically, a hand over her forehead, the other on her stomach. She laughed and dropped her arms. "That gown doesn't sounds very middle ages," Tana only shrugged as Danielle continued talking. "It still sounds really cool. Do you have a picture?" She asked.
Tana nodded, reached into her bag and pulled out a clipping from a fashion magazine, something she would never admit to actually reading. "It's on sale for 80! I should get it by next week. But, if you ever tell anyone I got this dress... I'll hurt you." Tana said happily.
Danielle rolled her eyes, smiled and snatched the remote away from Tana. "Ha! No more movie pauses from you Missy!" Danielle said and unpaused the movie, only to have Tana quickly reclaim the remote. She did a little jig in her seat before going back to watching the movie.
Near the end of the movie - and after a brief remote war - Tana paused it again.
"KitanaHana Dairyu, come ON! It's my favorite part! What now?" Danielle demanded, exasperated. Tana only laughed. "Tana!"
"Alright, alright. Last time, I promise." Tana replied. "If Jareth said these lines to you, what would your reaction be?"
"Which lines? The song or the "I've been generous up until now, but I can be cruel" line?" Danielle asked.
"The generous line." Tana gave a small wave of her hand as if it was obvious.
"Well... I'd smack him, say the words, or go with Sarah's reaction. Now, can we finish the movie, please?" Tana laughed and hit the play button again.
As the credits rolled, Danielle's younger sister ran in. "Danielle, I have a question!" She said simply, demanding her sister's attention.
"Jennifer, you ALWAYS do! If it'll get you out of my room AND my hair, what do you want?" She demanded, giving an apologetic look to Tana. Tana just shrugged, she was used to it by now.
"On Zelda, how do you beat Twinrova?" She asked. Danielle growled in annoyance. "This COULD have waited till later. Which form?"
"Combined form."
"Take the shield and block three attacks of the same element, it'll shoot back at her, then go beat the crap outta her. Now go away." Jennifer nodded and hurried out of the room.
"How do you put up with her? I'd have wished her away a long time ago or beat her up... you know, either or." Tana said, grinning.
"I put up with her as every older sibling puts up with a younger: Extreme patience, endurance, blackmail and, of course, threats." Tana laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, I have to deal with my sister in much the same way… Only difference, I'm the younger one...how sad." Tana rolled her eyes. "I'm just glad we're moving out next week so we don't have to deal with them anymore. Thank God."
"Amen to that." Danielle replied as Jennifer ran in again. Danielle jumped to her feet and pointed out the door. "Out! Out! OUT! Out of my room, you promised!" She shouted.
"Come on Danielle! Please?" Danielle shook her head, frowned and glared at the younger girl. "Fine then you bitches! See if I let you play my game cube again! You're such a stupid mistake!" Jennifer shouted and stormed out with Danielle slamming the door behind her. Tana shook her head and crossed her arms.
"Well, technically Jennifer would be the 'mistake' seeing how she's the younger."
"You have no idea how much I wish the goblins would come and take her away, right now..." Danielle replied, and then froze when she realized what she had said. Her eyes went large and she gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. "Oh shit..." she muttered as the power went out. She hurried out of the room only to return moments later. "It figures... She's not there. Tana, can you pack the bags and check the weapons?" We're going on a little trip." Tana smirked.
"I always knew buying that stuff from the 'House of Knives' was worth it." She commented, going to the closet to get started on the packing. "At least we won't get bored for a while." Poking her head out from the closet, she passed a dagger to Danielle. "Don't forget this. Don't want to go in there unarmed."
Danielle nodded and shoved the dagger through her belt and headed back into the other room while Tana went back to packing. They had always prepared for this: had bags with needed supplies and their own kinds of weapons on the off chance that they ever had to go to the Underworld. Now was their chance it seemed. Tana finished with the packing and checked the weapons, put hers in place and went to follow Danielle.
A tall, handsome man had appeared in Jennifer's room amidst a cloud of glitter. He was an intimidating man with exotic features and wild blond hair, he had mismatched eyes -one warm brown and the other an icy blue- both were trained on Danielle. He wore a black poet's shirt, black pants and boots as well as a dark leather vest with a high collar and a cape draped around him.
"You're him, aren't you?" Danielle said quietly in awe of the powerful fae before her. He smirked, showing sharp canines. "You're the Goblin King. I'd like my sister back please, if it's all the same." She didn't even seem aware she was saying the very same lines that Sarah had said.
"What's said is said." He replied, smirk still firmly in place. Danielle was about to shoot back a smart remark when Tana walked in, her twin sais sheathed on her hips. She walked over to Danielle, handing her bag and katana over to her. Her own bag already thrown over her shoulder. The Goblin King also glanced over at Tana but his attention went back to Danielle.
"I won't say I didn't mean it, because in a way I kind of did, but I STILL have to get her back. She's probably really freaked... and pissed no doubt."
"Danielle, go back to your room. Play your Video games and dress up in your costumes, forget about the girl."
"I can't." she replied quietly.
"I've brought you a gift." He said, raising a gloved hand and creating a crystal.
"What is it?" Danielle asked warily. Tana slapped a hand over her mouth.
'Deja Vu much...?' she thought.
The Goblin King glanced at the crystal as he said: "It's a crystal, nothing more..." he glanced back over at Danielle. "But if you turn it this way," He let go of the crystal and let it roll down his palm and up the other, letting it roll across his hands before holding it out to her once more. "And look into it, it'll show you your dreams. However, this isn't a gift for an ordinary girl who puts up with a horrible little sister. Do you want it?" He asked, looking at her for a reaction before continuing on. "Then forget about the girl."
"I wish I could, but I can't. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I can't. I have to get my sister back. She's probably really pissed at me now..."
"When isn't she?" Tana muttered under her breath.
"Danielle," He started with an angry look. He raised the crystal and it turned into a snake. "Don't defy me." he stretched the dark snake out and threw it at her. Danielle screamed in shock and pulled it off, drawing her dagger half way. By then though, it had turned into a scarf. A snickering, followed by the sound of a grunt made Danielle look over at Tana just as she lunged at the bed and a shadow dashed away. Tana growled when she stood back up.
"Goblins." She said by way of explanation. "Annoying little buggers really."
"So...you are knowledgeable about my world." He said, looking at both Tana and Danielle, impressed. "But your still no match for me girls." he finished.
"But I have to have my sister back!" She exclaimed, her temper starting to rise. Tana moved to stand next to Danielle, placing a hand on her shoulder. Danielle sighed in response and Tana's hand dropped.
"She's there, in my castle." He said, pointing out the window. She and Tana moved to it and saw a view of the whole labyrinth and the castle in the distance. "Do you still want to look for her?" The two suddenly found themselves on the hill overlooking the labyrinth. Tana couldn't help but think that was a dumb line, but it had been part of the movie... sort of.
"Is that the Castle beyond the Goblin City?" Danielle whispered.
"Turn back now girls," he said. "Turn back now before it's too late."
"I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?" Danielle replied.
"I'll follow the Princess here where ever she goes, that includes into the labyrinth." Tana grinned; well... it was more like baring her teeth in a warning of anyone stupid enough to try anything with her around.
"What a pity..."He said. Danielle looked out at the labyrinth again.
"It doesn't look that far..." She said quietly. He came up behind her and leaned down close near her ear, a smirk on his lips.
"It's further than you think and time is short." He murmured. He then backed away and raised his arm to point at an old clock hanging in mid air. It was an odd clock in that it held 13 numbers and not 12 like they should. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth before your little sister becomes one of us... forever. Such a pity." He said as he and the clock disappeared, his laughter still floating around them, long after he had gone from sight.
"The Labyrinth..." Danielle sighed, shaking her head. Danielle adjusted her sword on her back, along with her pack before standing up straight. Tana came up to stand beside her with a fierce determination in her eyes. Her arms crossed as they looked at the sight before them.
"You ready?" Danielle asked, looking up at her friend.
"Yeah," Tana answered, adjusting her own pack on her back and making sure her sais were still in place. "Come on Princess." Together they hurried down the hill toward the outer wall of the labyrinth. "Let's get this party started then."