Title: As the World Falls Down
Chapter: 3/? + Prologue and Epilogue
Author: erisgregory
Rating: (ch.3) R
Pairings: Kurt/Sebastian, blink and you miss them multipairings.
Spoilers: The Labyrinth, sort of.
Warnings: (ch.3) Mentions of torture, language, dark themes
Genre: Romance, horror, fantasy
Wordcount: 5,524
Summary: One fateful night, after a particularly bad fight with his best friend, Kurt jokingly calls on the Goblin King to take her away. When she actually disappears, Kurt learns he has thirteen hours to defeat the Goblin King's labyrinth in order to save his friend from becoming a part of the goblin court, forever.
A/N: Beta'd by the fantastic G (insatiablyyours on LJ), who was not only wonderfully thorough but incredibly patient when helping me through some pretty major fic-wide hiccups.
Kurt was so humiliated and terrified he didn't pay much attention to where the goblins were taking him until he realized he was being marched back outside. Out in the sun, Kurt began looking around. Mostly what he could see looked like a garden. To either side of the path they were on were perfectly sculpted rows of little bushes. Beyond them were beds of flowers in all colors and varieties. If Kurt hadn't been so horrified by his circumstances he would have appreciated that beauty– as it was, Kurt knew they were lovely only from a clinical standpoint.
The pathway curved to the left and sloped downhill away from them. Kurt could now hear what sounded like cries of pain coming from somewhere ahead; screams even. He shuddered and tried to stop, but the goblins urged him on. They laughed and joked about his porcelain skin and what it would look like in a few days time.
"What looks prettiest on pale white skin?"
"Black and blue bruises along its limbs."
"Red lashes on its back."
"Our master will know what to do."
It was difficult not to imagine the things the goblins mentioned, but Kurt was already hyper focused on the sounds coming from ahead and the idea of what he was about to see.
The path curved again and the source of the screams came into view. There was a centaur tied to up to one side of the path. He struggled against his binds, but they looped over and around him and connected to four posts in the ground, preventing him from moving much at all. He stared at Kurt as they passed and Kurt stared back, unable to even think about his nudity in the face of such horror. The centaur's back was covered in a crisscrossed pattern of red welts which caused Kurt's terror to creep back over him, reminding him that he was in just as much danger as the centaur.
Past the centaur, Kurt saw cages. They were huge and gold and rounded at the top like giant birdcages. Each cage held a creature, and as they walked Kurt could see that many of the creatures looked no better than the centaur had. It was like walking through a nightmarish zoo. Here were these fantastical mythical creatures, all real and here right before his eyes, and almost every one of them injured in some way. It made Kurt sick.
Each cages had a plaque at the base, naming the creature within so he was able to read what they were even if he didn't immediately recognize them. They passed a manticore, a chimera, a small girl labeled as a vampire, and mighty white wolf bearing the title werewolf. A unicorn lay in the center of one cage, and a pond in another cage bore the name Kraken. Kurt had no idea how these creatures came to be here or why they were held captive, let alone why they were mistreated, but it was the worst thing the labyrinth had offered yet.
Eventually they came to the cage that would be his and Kurt wanted to flee. His eyes grew wide at the little plaque that labeled him an angel. He wanted to do anything other than climb up into the cage, but as he was still surrounded by spears and broadswords, he climbed in with surprisingly little hesitation.
Once the door was closed Kurt charged at it, but it was heavy and solid and hardly rattled at all as he shook the bars. The goblins just laughed and walked off, completely unconcerned. He resisted the urge to kick at the bars, and instead scrambled back away from the path and sank down with his knees pulled up and his arms around his knees. He wanted to be tiny, he wanted to disappear. Kurt's eyes squeezed shut and he worked on just breathing slowly. He had no point of reference for what might be about to happen, but he was certain it was something he needed to avoid at all costs.
"You're not really an angel are ya?" A soft lilting voice came from not too far away. It was heavily accented but not impossible to understand.
Kurt looked around. To his left the next cage was empty, but to his right there sat a boy. He might have been fourteen or fifteen, and he offered a soft warm smile to Kurt as he spoke. The young boy was wearing somewhat tattered and colorless clothes and his tunic was dirty. Even so he looked healthy enough. Still, considering everything he'd seen on his way in, Kurt couldn't help but think about the ominous fate implied by the goblins. The leprechaun must have angered Sam or something to that effect.
"No, I'm not," he whispered back.
"I thought not. My name's Rory, what's yours?" he asked.
"Kurt."
"Hi Kurt, I'd say it's nice to meet ya, but I suspect you don't appreciate the circumstances much." Rory scooted closer to the bars of his cage, and even though there were several feet between them, Kurt tried to fold in on himself, hiding his nakedness and shame.
"Hey, hey," Rory said softly. "I think I can help."
"Because you're a leprechaun?" Kurt asked.
Rory chuckled softly. "Something like that."
Kurt looked back up at him. He didn't look anything like he expected a leprechaun to look, but then again he wasn't supposed to be taking anything for granted.
"Can you get me out of here?" Kurt asked.
"I can give you information. Information you can maybe use to get out of here," Rory told him.
Voices drifted to them on the breeze then, and Rory tried to peer down the path. Unfortunately it twisted just enough that nothing could be seen.
"Just stay calm and play along," Rory urged him. Kurt was scared but he nodded.
Just then, Sam came into view, trotting down the path toward them. He was alone and he had a bundle in his arms which he tossed through the bars of Kurt's cage.
Kurt didn't move, but continued to eye him warily. Sam just laughed softly. "You're not afraid of me already, are you? I promised I would take good care of you." Kurt didn't answer.
"The carnival's today and you're going to be one of the main attractions," Sam said with a smile. "No one's going to lay a finger on you today." Kurt couldn't help but hear the emphasis put on the word "today"– it made him shudder.
Sam frowned just a tiny bit. "Listen, angel, you and your pretty eyes are going to be just the thing I need to get into the princess' good graces. So when I tell you you're safe, you're safe. No one wants to see some battered and bruised celestial being, alright?" Sam stepped back and his eyes cut over to Rory. Kurt watched as some sort of unspoken communication was passed between them but he had no way to know what it meant.
Then Sam stepped right up to the bars, wrapped his fingers around them and leaned his head close. "You just play your part and I'll play mine," He whispered. Then he looked around quickly as though checking that no one could have overheard.
Kurt didn't know what to think about that so he just nodded, playing along as Rory suggested. Sam seemed pleased with the response so he turned to leave, only glancing back once before he turned the corner. Once he was gone, Rory was back to the side of his cage.
"Could you...?" Kurt's voice failed him just a little. "Could you look the other way for a second? I want to see what he threw in here."
"Sure, sure." Rory turned his back and sat down again.
When Kurt was certain no one was looking, he crawled forward and unfolded the bundle. "My clothes!" he said aloud for Rory's benefit and then he scrambled to get dressed again. Once everything was back on he sat close to the edge of his cage again so they could talk.
"Okay," he said.
Rory turned back around and smiled. "Better," he appraised.
"Much," Kurt agreed. "So about this information..." he hinted.
"Right." Rory nodded. "Well considering what Sam just said I think it can be explained easily enough. So the two things you need to know are about class and words," Rory began.
"Class and words?" Kurt had no idea what he was talking about.
"Yeah. Class. Social order. As in, why do Sam and the Goblin King look the way they do, and not like the other goblins running around here?" Rory raised his eyebrow at Kurt.
"I did wonder, but are you sure that's the most important thing right now?" Kurt asked.
"Actually I'm not going to tell you the why of it; I'm just going to tell you the who of it," Rory grinned.
"Now I'm just confused," Kurt told him.
"Kurt, there is a social order at play here, and Sam's one of the higher ups, understand?" Kurt nodded; he'd figured this out for himself already. Obviously Sam was in charge.
"He doesn't work directly under the king; he works under the princess, Quinn. You see, Sebastian and Quinn aren't related but she's been granted a certain amount of control. It's not important to understand that. What is important to understand is that this carnival, the one Sam mentioned, is Sam's way of getting the princess' attention. He wants to marry her."
"I'm lost. How does this help me at all?" Kurt asked.
Rory just smiled. "Because Sam is going to be so busy worrying about climbing the social ladder he's going to be completely distracted. I'm surprised he even came out to see you himself at all. We probably won't see him again all day."
Kurt shook his head.
"Kurt." Rory said patiently. "Sam can't be seen doing any menial labor; he's not going to be around. At all. Understand?"
Kurt was starting to understand, maybe.
"The guards are all armed," Kurt pointed out.
"That's where words come in." Rory grinned. "Sam told you something important, do you remember?"
"He told me I was safe?" Kurt asked.
"That's right. No one's going to lay a finger on you, to be exact."
Kurt felt hopeful, but it seemed crazy to feel that way. "Are you really saying I can get away because Sam has given orders that no one can touch me?"
Rory nodded. "That's what I'm saying, and he won't be around to take it back."
"That sounds too simple. So I'm just going to walk out of here when they come to get me?" Kurt asked incredulously.
"It's not that simple, I promise, but that's the only part I can tell you. Anyway, I suggest running since it won't take long for the alarm to be raised. Sam will find out and he will rescind his order." Rory's voice grew serious.
Kurt nodded solemnly. "I'll definitely run. I didn't even know what I was going to do when Sam decided it was time to show off my angelic powers. Anyway I have somewhere I have to be."
"Yeah," Rory agreed, "You do."
Kurt was going to ask Rory what he knew about it but he could hear voices again and he was still curious about what the goblins had said about the leprechaun. "Hey, the goblins that brought me here did it so I would know what happened to the creatures that displeased Sam, so I was expecting you to be like all the other creatures I saw on my way in, except you seem fine."
"That's not why you're here," Rory said.
"No, that's what they said," Kurt replied quickly.
"They brought you here because this is where you were always headed." Rory grinned a little mischievously.
"And what they said about Sam?" Kurt asked.
A group of goblins came around the corner toward them, but Kurt was still looking at Rory.
"Let's just say, Sam and I have a complicated friendship." Rory pursed his lips but his blue eyes twinkled. Kurt wanted to know more but their time was up.
The goblins unlocked their cages and hauled them out– they were particularly careful to urge Kurt out without actually touching him. He shot one last look at Rory and mouthed a "thank you" before he stepped toward the goblins. Immediately their spears moved back away from him. He took another step with the same result. Then he rushed forward and the goblins scattered right out of his way.
Kurt didn't waste another second; instead, he ran down the path away from them as they called out and fought among themselves about what to do. Kurt knew he had some pursuers but as his legs were much longer, he soon ran far enough that he left them all behind. He'd done it; he'd escaped!
The end of the zoo came as a bit of a shock when the path veered suddenly and he was faced with entering the labyrinth again. There were three paths ahead of him. The adrenaline pumping through his veins made him want to race forward and just keep running no matter what, but he knew he couldn't leave everything up to chance. Not with Rachel in the king's hands. He took several cautious steps down each path to see where the next turn was. The right path turned back the way he'd come so he ruled that out. The left path didn't have a turn that he could see easily so he ruled that out too. The middle one went forward the direction he'd been running and while it had several turns off of it, it also just felt right for some reason. So Kurt chose the middle one and hurried forward, losing himself in the turns once more.
After running as long as he could stand to, Kurt slowed down and tried to take inventory of his surroundings. This part of the labyrinth was still hedges, but the path was stone. The hedges were tall and tightly sculpted so that each turn simply looked like the last. Kurt had no way of knowing which direction he was heading– he could only hope it was both toward the king's castle and away from Sam's fortress.
Kurt slumped to the ground, still trying to catch his breath. He needed a plan. He thought about picking leaves and laying them on the path as markers but it would only take a breeze to blow them away. Then he wondered if could somehow rub the leaves into the stone to create a mark that way. He was just about to try when he heard singing coming from not too far away.
The voice was sweet and soulful, and even if he didn't recognize the song, it spoke to him somehow. Kurt stood and began walking without ever really making to the decision to do so. A few turns later he came to an archway and through the arch he could see a huge fountain. It was many tiered and made of a brilliant white marble. Statues of men and women lay draped as though playing here and there in the various tiers of the fountain.
He came closer and closer and walked around the wide low pool surrounding the fountain until he saw her: the source of the singing. She was perched on the edge of the fountain and her tail, her lengthy purple tail, rested down in the water. The purple scales reached up high on her waist and the rest of her torso was concealed by her long dark hair. Kurt was drawn forward without even realizing it. He just wanted a better look; he'd never met a mermaid before and here she was, reaching out to him. Kurt noticed the way the light cast rainbows off her tail and her dark skin practically shimmered in the light. She was glorious.
Then she started giggling. Kurt didn't know what to think about that but he didn't think he cared too much if she wanted to laugh at him.
"You better just stay right there," she laughed.
"Why?" Kurt asked, just itching to get closer. He could see that she had tiny jewels in her hair and he wanted to see them up close.
"Because, sweetie, you've fallen under my fabulous spell and if you come any closer you're going to be trapped. I can't have you following me back to my place at the bottom of this fountain." The mermaid's laughter was like bells.
Kurt shook his head– he wasn't under a spell. He stepped forward and then looked down to wiggle his feet. Okay, well, maybe.
"I don't think I can walk away," he admitted. The mermaid just laughed again.
"It's okay, you're not supposed to walk away yet, you have to solve my riddle. But introductions first. My name's Mercedes, what's yours hun?"
"Kurt," he told her. He was actively fighting the urge to step any closer. It was also really hard to worry about being trapped. He thought there were probably worse traps; this one had such wonderful appeal.
"Okay Kurt, here's my riddle. If you answer it correctly, you'll be free, if not we'll take a little dip together, okay?" Mercedes was waiting for something and Kurt realized she was waiting for him to acknowledge the rules. He just nodded slowly, still entranced.
"Good, alright, here goes." Mercedes smiled at him once more then delivered her riddle: "Your freedom lies in what man loves more than life, fears more than death or mortal strife. What the poor have, the rich require, and contented men desire. What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves, and all men carry to their graves."
Kurt worked to follow along with her as she spoke and then he recounted the phrases while he stood there thinking. Each time he thought he had an answer he would realize it didn't match up to all the clues. Mostly the last line, what "all men carry to their graves," kept messing him up, so he decided to focus on that.
Meanwhile Mercedes splashed her tail lazily in the fountain and watched him closely with her sparkling brown eyes.
What all men carry to their graves. What all men carry to their graves. Kurt bit into his lip and he didn't know how much time was passing; actually, he needed a clock because he had no idea how much time had passed since all of this began. Realizing that he didn't know how long he'd been in the labyrinth so far scared him and suddenly Kurt's head cleared. He no longer felt the inexplicable need to get closer to Mercedes, though she was still enchanting in her own right. He also had the answer to the riddle. He was sure of it.
"Nothing," he told her, "The answer to the riddle is nothing."
Mercedes smiled at him again and clapped her hands. "Correct!" she said, and then she lifted her hand and pointed across the way to the arch opposite where Kurt had entered. Kurt thanked her and headed for the archway, now determined to figure out how much time he had left.
He'd only just stepped back into the hedges when a flash of light flashed behind him and he heard Mercedes cry out, "He gave the correct answer!" Kurt went to whirl around but before he could the floor dropped out from underneath him and he plummeted down into pitch darkness.
Kurt screamed the entire way down, he couldn't have stopped the sound if he'd tried. His arms reached out hoping to gain purchase on anything that might slow his fall, but there was only air and darkness and terror. He braced for an impact that might actually be the end of him, but he never felt it. He passed out before he ever hit the bottom.
When Kurt woke up, he didn't know if he was alive or dead. For a moment it had felt as though someone was gently running their fingers through his hair, but he decided that must have been thanks to a serious knock to the head. His own hands encountered nothing when he reached up. Of course that meant he could move, though he felt sore all over. Still he couldn't see or hear anything. He felt cold, and that became his deciding factor. He felt cold and he was laying on something hard. Kurt rolled to his side and began pulling himself up when a voice came out of the emptiness.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." It was the king's voice. Kurt couldn't tell how far away he was. An involuntary shiver passed through him.
"Why not?" Kurt asked, his voice sharp in the darkness. He was cold, he was blind, but he wasn't going to let the king see the effects of what he was doing to Kurt.
"Because you might fall, and this time you won't land safely at all. This time you might never land." The king laughed and his laughter was colder than the air surrounding Kurt.
"Where am I?" Kurt demanded.
"Why you are in my oubliette of course," the king told him, "Picture this, Kurt. You are alone on a tiny island of stone which rises out of an eternal pit. It's not very large and if you step off you die. There's no escape. Your intellect can't save you here and neither can your stubbornness or your biting wit. You're really trapped this time and there are no meddling leprechauns or distracted would-be princes around to help you out. It's just you and the dark for as long as I wish."
"And how long might that be?" Kurt asked.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I hadn't thought that part out. See an oubliette is a place of forgetting so I might just forget you're here altogether," the king taunted.
"I think you're just afraid I'm going to solve your labyrinth. That's really why I'm here, isn't it?" Kurt spat the words into the dark.
"If you think that then you're a fool," the king said, suddenly serious. "You're really here to think about how much easier all of this could have been had you accepted my offer back in your room when you had the chance."
Kurt didn't have an immediate answer to that. Rachel was gone, he was saving her, the details of why or when or how didn't really matter. All that mattered now was getting her back.
"I see you have no brilliant comeback to sling at me now? Good, I'll leave you to your thoughts." Silence descended once more.
After some time passed, Kurt was hoping long enough that the king really was gone, he rolled over onto his stomach. Then he stretched both hands out in front of him and to the sides, feeling along the floor, trying to find the edge. It didn't take too long to find the drop off point. He'd probably only inched forward a foot. Carefully turning his body he was able to discover that the platform he was lying on was mostly round in shape, maybe perfectly round– that was difficult for him to judge like this– and that it wasn't too much wider than his body when he stretched all the way out. Kurt pulled himself to what he judged to be the center, and let his fingers reach over the edge so that he would know where it was at all times. Then he just held very still and let himself cry.
"It's too soon to give up hope." Kurt wasn't instantly soothed, but he recognized that voice.
"Blaine?" he called.
"Yeah, it's me. We're going to get you out of here," Blaine said. He sounded so sure that Kurt stopped crying and carefully sat up.
"How? I can't see a thing." Kurt's eyes searched uselessly in the dark even though he knew it was pointless.
"You're just going to walk toward my voice," Blaine said.
"I can't! There's no way off this thing, I've checked." Kurt felt panicky again. If Blaine didn't know about the oubliette then how could he help?
"Listen to me, Kurt. You're going to have to trust me on this. The drop isn't far at all. It's just a step down. The thing is you can't feel it with your hand so even if you leaned way over you'd still only feel air. You can step down though with your feet. You can step off the platform and walk right toward me."
"What if I fall? What if I don't go feet first?" Kurt's voice trembled.
"You'd just land on the ground about a foot down. If you want to roll off you can, either way you'll be fine," Blaine promised.
"Couldn't you have brought a light?" Kurt really needed to see the ground. If he could just see it then there'd be no problem.
"The thing is, I did, but this place imposes an absence of light. We can't see it until we walk out of here. Come on Kurt, you can do this. You've been so brave so far. You've stood up to everyone, you can do this." Blaine sounded so certain.
Kurt stood up but he couldn't make himself walk, not yet.
"Courage," Blaine said.
Kurt stepped to the edge carefully, toeing forward until he knew it was right there. Then he took a deep breath and stepped down. It was just a little half step. He laughed with relief.
"Okay?" Blaine asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm off the step, how do I find you?" Kurt asked, his hands out in front of him.
"I don't think you're far now, just take a few steps toward my voice. I'll keep talking until you find me, just put one foot in front of the oth- oomph." Kurt's hands collided right with Blaine's face.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't think that out very clearly." Kurt moved his hands so they were now resting on Blaine's shoulders. He was reluctant to let go though, even after he'd come this far. Blaine was still the only one who knew the way out.
"It's okay," Blaine said, and his voice was just a touch rougher than before.
They didn't move right then, and the moment felt heavy with something Kurt didn't think he could define right now.
Blaine broke the silence then and moved to take hold of Kurt's hand. "Come on; let's get you out of here."
They had only taken a few steps when a light flared up all around them. Kurt jerked, fearing it was Sebastian again, but Blaine just squeezed Kurt's hand a little and said, "It's just my torch. We're away from the light dampening spell so we can see it now."
Kurt laughed a little at his response, but only a little considering everything he'd been through so far. Blaine led Kurt through a series of tight passages that finally brought them to a rickety ladder that led up into the labyrinth once more.
Out in the light sunlight again Kurt had to blink several times before he could keep his eyes open without pain. Thinking about the sun reminded him that he needed to know the time and also what that meant for him.
"Blaine, do you know how long it's been since we met? How long have I been here?" Kurt asked.
Blaine pulled out a silver pocket watch and thumbed it open. He must have been about to answer Kurt when Sebastian burst out of a ball of light and startled them both. He rounded on Blaine right away.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded. The king towered over Blaine, and Kurt was frightened for him. He took a step forward, not really knowing what he could possibly do.
"You're not trying to help our friend Kurt here, are you Blaine?" the king asked.
"N-no," Blaine stammered, "I was helping you. I was taking him back to the beginning."
"You were doing what?" Kurt cried. He rushed forward but the king was blocking his path.
"That's good, Blaine, because I'd hate to think you were working against me in any way." Sebastian's voice was threatening and Blaine was just looking at his feet.
"No, sir, I wouldn't," Blaine said softly.
"What was that?" Sebastian asked, crowding into Blaine's space.
"I wouldn't, sir." Blaine said it louder this time.
The king seemed to consider this. He didn't look back at Kurt, neither did Blaine, they only stood looking at one another.
Kurt was outraged. He hated this. He hated everything. Get captured, find almost immediate escape. Run into another trap, get out, get thrown into the oubliette. It was a ridiculous rollercoaster, but this? This was more than he could take.
"Of course you wouldn't." The king said finally. "If you did we both know what would happen, don't we?"
Blaine was shaking his head, but that wasn't good enough for Sebastian.
"Don't we, Blaine?" He asked. The king reached forward and tipped Blaine's chin up with one finger and then he leaned down so they were so close that Kurt couldn't hear the next part of the conversation.
Kurt felt suddenly that he shouldn't be watching this, that he should leave, but he was rooted to the spot. He still had a few choice words for Blaine too, which he intended to say if they ever ended up alone again.
The king seemed to sense something of the kind because he chuckled and turned on Kurt with a sneer. "See Kurt, some people know their place around me," he said.
Kurt only just resisted flying at the king with fists raised. His fingers still balled up at his sides in fury. "I don't like you," he said sullenly. Maybe it wasn't his best insult but he was too angry to think at all. Sebastian was mean. He was a bully, and he'd just demonstrated to Kurt that not even Blaine was on his side. It sucked.
"Fun. I don't like you either," the king said as he walked away, then he whirled back suddenly. "Oh, and Kurt? It's been almost six hours already. You better get a move on." Then he was gone, just like that.
Blaine was at his side in an instant.
"It's not like that, I swear. I wasn't taking you back to the beginning. I just had to tell him that." His voice was pleading with Kurt, but Kurt felt uncertain and hostile.
"Right," Kurt said.
"I promise." Blaine stepped closer and turned his big amber eyes up at Kurt. "I can still help, let me help."
"How do I know you're not just leading me back?" Kurt asked.
"I guess you don't really," said Blaine softly, "But what choice do you have?"
Kurt shrugged. Blaine was right. Almost half his time was gone and he was getting desperate. "Fine. Lead on." He gestured for Blaine to walk ahead and Blaine did.
They traveled in silence for some time through the hedge maze. Blaine led them through turn after turn and Kurt could only hope they were making real progress. Blaine stopped in his tracks, though, when a cry for help rang out somewhere nearby. It was accompanied by the shuffling sounds of fighting.
Together they crept forward until they could peer around a corner and see what the commotion was. There in a clearing of the maze were a group of goblins surrounding a man who was currently suspended by his legs from a trap. Kurt couldn't see his face because his shirt and jacket were hanging down, exposing his midriff but hiding his head. They goblins circled him, jabbing him with spears tipped in... oh no, they were tipped with little creatures, baring sharp teeth that bit each time they came in contact with the captive. His back and stomach were covered in bite marks.
"We have to help him," Kurt whispered, but Blaine was already backing away.
"No way, we can't get involved," Blaine said.
"Blaine we have to, look at him." Kurt reached for Blaine's hand again, but Blaine just moved further away.
"What happened to courage?" Kurt asked.
"Being afraid right now is the same thing as being smart. You don't know that guy or you wouldn't want any part in this," Blaine warned.
"Are you really going to walk away?" Kurt could hear his voice rising higher than normal.
"Yes, and so should you," Blaine told him, backing further away.
"Well I'm not going to. I couldn't help anyone back at that crazy zoo, but maybe I can help here so I'm going to at least try," Kurt told him.
Blaine just looked helpless for about a minute. "Just... damnit. If you run into Quinn, don't believe anything you see. Don't trust her." Then he was moving off down the path and away from Kurt again.
"Right, gee thanks, Blaine," Kurt murmured as he inched forward to peek around the hedges once more.
"If only I had something to throw," He whispered.