Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.
Labyrinth: Solving the Labyrinth
By: RurouniGirl
Ken gasped and stared in awe at the vast Goblin City. "It's beautiful," he breathed.
Omi nodded his agreement. "Yes, it is. I had no idea it was so enormous," he replied.
"Geez...this place must go on for miles and miles," said Yohji. "You can't even see where it ends. It goes as far as the eye can see."
Ken looked around at everyone and grinned. "Shall we see the sights?" he asked, winking impishly at them.
They all laughed and followed him as he walked under the huge archway and entered the Goblin City. As they walked they passed street stalls selling fruit and vegetables, and some were selling live chickens. Others displayed large bolts of brightly colored fabric, jewelry, or other wares.
Everywhere they went a chorus of friendly "hellos" and "good days" greeted them. Everyone was so friendly. Ken couldn't stop smiling. He wasn't used to people being so nice to him and the fact that everyone was giving him such a warm welcome made him feel almost giddy.
As they made their way toward the castle, one of the stalls caught his eye and he went over to look at the display of goods. His eyes fell on a familiar object. He reached out to touch it, not sure if it was real or if it was just his imagination. His hand closed around it and he picked it up, examining it more closely. It was a long, dangling, crystal earring identical to the one that Aya wore. He turned it over in his hands wondering what it was doing at this stall.
"I left it for you..." a voice whispered in his ear. He whirled around, but nobody was there. "Take it..." the voice whispered again. "I want you to have it..."
"Why?" Ken whispered to himself, looking around for the source of the voice.
"I want you to have it...as proof," said the voice, fading away.
"Proof of what?" asked Ken, desperate for an answer. But there was no answer. He turned back toward the stall owner. "How much for this earring?" he asked.
The stall owner looked from the earring to Ken. "Ah, since I don't have the other one and you look like you've traveled such a long way, take it."
"Are you sure," Ken asked in surprise.
He nodded. "Yep. Go on. Take it."
"Thank you," Ken said, taking out his plain silver earring and replacing it with the Goblin King's. The party began to walk again and Ken's mind began to wander. 'Proof of what?' he asked himself. He couldn't understand. 'Why had the King left his earring for him to find?'
"Ken! KEN!" Yohji said, breaking into Ken's thoughts
"Huh?!" Ken asked, breaking out of his reverie. "What?"
"I said we're almost there."
Ken looked up and was surprised to find himself standing before the humongous castle. His gaze traveled upward and upward and upward. "Man, that is one big castle," he said. "How high do you think it goes?" he asked.
Schuldich shrugged. "A couple hundred miles," he said in an awed voice.
"Shall we go in?" asked Omi looking around at the group.
They looked at each other and grinned. "Let's go," said Yohji.
"Right behind you," said Omi.
"Full speed ahead," said Schuldich, cocking an eyebrow and grinning.
"I'll right...let's go!" said Ken, leading the way into the castle. Mazelike halls and passageways confronted them as they stepped into the entranceway.
"Find your way to the center of my castle and you will have solved the Labyrinth," echoed a voice around them.
Ken looked around him, trying to decide which passageway to take. "I guess we'll take the left," he said, leading the others down the passageway. They walked for what seemed like hours following the passage as it twisted and turned in a dizzying manner, until they finally walked through a doorway and found themselves in a huge open chamber. A maze of doorways and staircases riddled the room. Some were even upside-down.
The group climbed staircase after staircase and entered doorway after doorway. It seemed like hours had gone by and yet they still climbed. They finally passed through an elegantly carved doorway and the maze of staircases faded away into one single chamber.
Ken looked around him. The walls were covered with beautiful tapestries. The ceiling looked like the night sky, sparkling brightly with thousands of stars. And in the center of the room was an exquisite throne.
"Where are we?" whispered Ken to himself.
"You've made it to the center of my castle," said Aya.
Ken turned around and saw the Goblin King sitting in his throne. He stepped a little closer but was stopped as another mirror appeared between himself and Aya.
"Take one last look at your life and tell me what you want."
Ken gulped and stepped up to the mirror. He looked down and saw scenes from his life flash before him. It was always the same. Yelling, screaming, punishment, bullying. All the pain he had been put through over the years began to surface once again. His eyes filled with pain and he backed away from the mirror.
As he stood there fighting back tears and trying to force his pain back into the depths were he kept it hidden, Aya stood up and approached Ken. His eyes filled with sympathy as he wrapped his arms around Ken and held him tightly. Ken couldn't hold back the tears anymore and he began to sob into Aya's shoulder. Aya stood there and continued to hold Ken tightly. He kissed the top of his head lightly and whispered comfortingly to him.
"It's all right," he whispered softly. "Just let it all out. I'm sorry I put you through that. I'm sorry I caused you pain. Just let it all out. Everything's ok now."
Gradually Ken's sobs subsided. And he just stood there, clinging to Aya. "Why?" he whispered.
"Why, what?" asked Aya.
"Why are you so kind to me? Why do you care? Why did you leave your earring for me? Why are you sorry? Why do you even want to help me?"
Aya smiled down at Ken. "Those are a lot of questions," he replied. "But they can all be summed up in one simple answer."
"And what's the answer?" asked Ken pulling away and looking up at the Goblin King.
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" asked Aya, laughing softly. He stepped forward, grasped Ken by the shoulders, and looked into his eyes. "I love you," he said. "And I want to give you what you want. I want to help you. I wanted to make sure that you still wanted to be rescued from your life. I had to test you to make sure. I left you my earring as proof of my feelings for you; as kind of a keepsake to remember me by. If you decided that your life wasn't as bad as you thought it was, I would send you back because I love you. I would never force you to stay. If I did, it would mean that I really don't love you, and I do. I love you with all my heart. I would do anything for you." With that said he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Ken's lips.
Ken stood there in shock. "You love me?" he asked in disbelief. "Nobody's ever loved me before."
Aya smiled and shook his head. "Yes, I love you," he said firmly. "And I always will. And so do the friends you made along the way." Aya turned and looked around at Yohji, Omi, and Schuldich smiling at each of them and then turned back to Ken. "So...what's your decision?" he asked, grinning mischievously.
A smile slowly spread across Ken's face as he flung his arms around Aya and kissed him. "I'm staying here with you because...I love you, too."
Aya looked fondly down at Ken before planting another kiss on his lips. As Ken kissed Aya back, he couldn't think of anytime when he had been happier. At that moment, he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He had friends, a new home, and somebody that truly loved him.
~THE END~
Author's Notes: Ok, I know it was kinda sappy, but hey, this chapter sort of wrote itself. Anywayz, what did you think? Review. RurouniGirl
Labyrinth: Solving the Labyrinth
By: RurouniGirl
Ken gasped and stared in awe at the vast Goblin City. "It's beautiful," he breathed.
Omi nodded his agreement. "Yes, it is. I had no idea it was so enormous," he replied.
"Geez...this place must go on for miles and miles," said Yohji. "You can't even see where it ends. It goes as far as the eye can see."
Ken looked around at everyone and grinned. "Shall we see the sights?" he asked, winking impishly at them.
They all laughed and followed him as he walked under the huge archway and entered the Goblin City. As they walked they passed street stalls selling fruit and vegetables, and some were selling live chickens. Others displayed large bolts of brightly colored fabric, jewelry, or other wares.
Everywhere they went a chorus of friendly "hellos" and "good days" greeted them. Everyone was so friendly. Ken couldn't stop smiling. He wasn't used to people being so nice to him and the fact that everyone was giving him such a warm welcome made him feel almost giddy.
As they made their way toward the castle, one of the stalls caught his eye and he went over to look at the display of goods. His eyes fell on a familiar object. He reached out to touch it, not sure if it was real or if it was just his imagination. His hand closed around it and he picked it up, examining it more closely. It was a long, dangling, crystal earring identical to the one that Aya wore. He turned it over in his hands wondering what it was doing at this stall.
"I left it for you..." a voice whispered in his ear. He whirled around, but nobody was there. "Take it..." the voice whispered again. "I want you to have it..."
"Why?" Ken whispered to himself, looking around for the source of the voice.
"I want you to have it...as proof," said the voice, fading away.
"Proof of what?" asked Ken, desperate for an answer. But there was no answer. He turned back toward the stall owner. "How much for this earring?" he asked.
The stall owner looked from the earring to Ken. "Ah, since I don't have the other one and you look like you've traveled such a long way, take it."
"Are you sure," Ken asked in surprise.
He nodded. "Yep. Go on. Take it."
"Thank you," Ken said, taking out his plain silver earring and replacing it with the Goblin King's. The party began to walk again and Ken's mind began to wander. 'Proof of what?' he asked himself. He couldn't understand. 'Why had the King left his earring for him to find?'
"Ken! KEN!" Yohji said, breaking into Ken's thoughts
"Huh?!" Ken asked, breaking out of his reverie. "What?"
"I said we're almost there."
Ken looked up and was surprised to find himself standing before the humongous castle. His gaze traveled upward and upward and upward. "Man, that is one big castle," he said. "How high do you think it goes?" he asked.
Schuldich shrugged. "A couple hundred miles," he said in an awed voice.
"Shall we go in?" asked Omi looking around at the group.
They looked at each other and grinned. "Let's go," said Yohji.
"Right behind you," said Omi.
"Full speed ahead," said Schuldich, cocking an eyebrow and grinning.
"I'll right...let's go!" said Ken, leading the way into the castle. Mazelike halls and passageways confronted them as they stepped into the entranceway.
"Find your way to the center of my castle and you will have solved the Labyrinth," echoed a voice around them.
Ken looked around him, trying to decide which passageway to take. "I guess we'll take the left," he said, leading the others down the passageway. They walked for what seemed like hours following the passage as it twisted and turned in a dizzying manner, until they finally walked through a doorway and found themselves in a huge open chamber. A maze of doorways and staircases riddled the room. Some were even upside-down.
The group climbed staircase after staircase and entered doorway after doorway. It seemed like hours had gone by and yet they still climbed. They finally passed through an elegantly carved doorway and the maze of staircases faded away into one single chamber.
Ken looked around him. The walls were covered with beautiful tapestries. The ceiling looked like the night sky, sparkling brightly with thousands of stars. And in the center of the room was an exquisite throne.
"Where are we?" whispered Ken to himself.
"You've made it to the center of my castle," said Aya.
Ken turned around and saw the Goblin King sitting in his throne. He stepped a little closer but was stopped as another mirror appeared between himself and Aya.
"Take one last look at your life and tell me what you want."
Ken gulped and stepped up to the mirror. He looked down and saw scenes from his life flash before him. It was always the same. Yelling, screaming, punishment, bullying. All the pain he had been put through over the years began to surface once again. His eyes filled with pain and he backed away from the mirror.
As he stood there fighting back tears and trying to force his pain back into the depths were he kept it hidden, Aya stood up and approached Ken. His eyes filled with sympathy as he wrapped his arms around Ken and held him tightly. Ken couldn't hold back the tears anymore and he began to sob into Aya's shoulder. Aya stood there and continued to hold Ken tightly. He kissed the top of his head lightly and whispered comfortingly to him.
"It's all right," he whispered softly. "Just let it all out. I'm sorry I put you through that. I'm sorry I caused you pain. Just let it all out. Everything's ok now."
Gradually Ken's sobs subsided. And he just stood there, clinging to Aya. "Why?" he whispered.
"Why, what?" asked Aya.
"Why are you so kind to me? Why do you care? Why did you leave your earring for me? Why are you sorry? Why do you even want to help me?"
Aya smiled down at Ken. "Those are a lot of questions," he replied. "But they can all be summed up in one simple answer."
"And what's the answer?" asked Ken pulling away and looking up at the Goblin King.
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" asked Aya, laughing softly. He stepped forward, grasped Ken by the shoulders, and looked into his eyes. "I love you," he said. "And I want to give you what you want. I want to help you. I wanted to make sure that you still wanted to be rescued from your life. I had to test you to make sure. I left you my earring as proof of my feelings for you; as kind of a keepsake to remember me by. If you decided that your life wasn't as bad as you thought it was, I would send you back because I love you. I would never force you to stay. If I did, it would mean that I really don't love you, and I do. I love you with all my heart. I would do anything for you." With that said he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Ken's lips.
Ken stood there in shock. "You love me?" he asked in disbelief. "Nobody's ever loved me before."
Aya smiled and shook his head. "Yes, I love you," he said firmly. "And I always will. And so do the friends you made along the way." Aya turned and looked around at Yohji, Omi, and Schuldich smiling at each of them and then turned back to Ken. "So...what's your decision?" he asked, grinning mischievously.
A smile slowly spread across Ken's face as he flung his arms around Aya and kissed him. "I'm staying here with you because...I love you, too."
Aya looked fondly down at Ken before planting another kiss on his lips. As Ken kissed Aya back, he couldn't think of anytime when he had been happier. At that moment, he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He had friends, a new home, and somebody that truly loved him.
~THE END~
Author's Notes: Ok, I know it was kinda sappy, but hey, this chapter sort of wrote itself. Anywayz, what did you think? Review. RurouniGirl