Authors notes at end. Don't own sm / labyrinth never will, someone else does. Don't be phased by the beginning, keep reading it'll all become clear.

_* = use your imagination. Unless you are young in which case it stands for blast. _________________________________________________________________

"Do you want to die, Sidney? Your mother didn't."

His seriousness unnerves her. Sid flies off the handle.

"-* YOU! YOU CRETIN!"

She hangs up on him, moves back inside the house. Locks, chains, and bolts the door when...

A FIGURE COMES LEAPING OUT OF THE HALL CLOSET

Rushing her, ramming into her side, the phone flies, the FIGURE is on top of her as she goes down, SCREAMING.

She looks up to see the FIGURE, darkly dressed with a pale, distorted face, white and ghostly...a mask.

Her instincts surface and she kicks up with her foot making the contact with his leg...he topples over...coming right at her, his hand finding her neck. Suddenly, a long, silver blade appears above her.

As Sidney fights for her life five 17-year-old girls huddle impossibly close to each other, sitting on the floor of a spacious living room. A too- small sofa behind them, abandoned for the comfort that can only be found in the arms of another human being. One hurriedly raises a piece of popcorn to her mouth, afraid to look away for even a second.

Makoto yelled at the T.V. set.

"No, you idiot! Not the stairs! Turn around and hit him with that lamp! On the table!"

Their breath was coming quicker, Sidney was trapped in her bedroom with no way out; a pounding started on the door. suddenly, the door flew open. Collectively the five girls screamed in sheer panic. Before realizing the silliness of the situation and laughing sheepishly at each other. However their shrieking had awoken the terror that was the two-year-old Ryoki and he was currently screaming bloody-murder.

"Oh no!" Hitting the pause button on the remote control Usagi stood and yelled up to her brother. "Shingo, see to Ryoki." A few moments passed and the friends waited expectantly for an answering yell. Nothing. "That's weird, surely he can hear him crying." Usagi turned worriedly to her friends. "We'd better go up and make sure he's ok." They exchanged worried looks, still being swept up in the moment and irrationally fearing the worst.

Together they advanced towards the staircase, on their way each grabbing a weapon. Usagi took her bowl of popcorn, Ami, a rolled up magazine she'd been using to cover her eyes when things got too scary. Makoto had grabbed the portable phone, Rei had a large candle and Minako. had only a cookie clutched in her clammy hand. Slowly they crept up the staircase, approaching Shingo's bedroom and ignoring the toddler's wails that came from Usagi's room. When they reached Shingo's closed door they stopped, Usagi's hand hovered by the doorknob. No sound came from within.

"Wait, Mako-chan, you'd better go in first."

"What! Why.uh. You do it, he's your brother."

"Well, Makoto, you are the senshi of protection, and as your leader it's up to you to protect me."

"Protect you from what! There's nothing wrong, he's probably just asleep!" Usagi considered for a moment, it was definitely time to turn on the puppy dog eyes.

"Please Mako-chan, I don't want to, what if there is a knife wielding maniac in there. Think of the future, Makoto. Think of the Future!"

"Fine, cowards the lot of you." Makoto stepped forward grasping the doorknob. The cowards in question took a step backwards. They each received a scowl from Makoto, nice how they didn't mind if she got murdered.

"Wait. maybe we should transform first, you know, just in case." So much for Makoto being the brave one. It took Ami to finally see sense.

"Oh for goodness sake, look at us. No wonder no one can tell we're the senshi, look at how stupid we're being. And suppose Shingo was attacked, shouldn't we be protecting him? We're the sailor senshi, not the . sailor. scaredy-cats."

With a resolute nod she pushed open the door and stepped into the room. She groaned at their idiocy. Shingo was looking at her startled, Large headphones covered his ears.

"Geez Ami, you scared me half to death, what's up?" He spoke louder than necessary. Upon hearing his voice the others also entered his room, embarrassed laughs all around. Well, except from Usagi, she was livid.

"Shingo you little creep! What are you doing listening to music!" She strode up to him and yanked the headphones off.

"Why is Ryoki crying?" Shingo asked.

"He's crying because you're supposed to be looking after him, I thought you were doing school work!" Usagi retorted

"I am, see?" He raised a small tattered book in his hands. "I'm learning lines."

Minako the aspiring actor took it off him to inspect it further. "The labyrinth?" She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "By A. C. H. Smith; this isn't a play, it's a novel." She handed it back to him, frowning.

"We're adapting it."

"oh."

Ami spoke to him, smiling. "It's really good that you're studying Shingo, maybe we can help. I think the film's getting a bit too much for us anyway." Not being able to resist an opportunity to tease Usagi, Rei joined in with a jibe.

"Yeah, we don't mind, it's nice to know the lack of work ethic isn't genetic." They all laughed, Usagi didn't get it but lightly slapped Rei anyway.

"Besides," Chimed in Minako, if Usagi clings onto me harder whilst watching 'Scream' I'll never be able to feel anything in my arm again."

More laughter followed and whilst Usagi and Makoto went to fetch Ryoki, Shingo assigned them their parts.

"Ok, Minako, your kinda like Sarah, the lead, so you can er- be her." Minako beamed.

"Great." Rei, being slightly jealous asked,

"Why? Is the lead a ditz?" Shingo blushed and stammered a bit whilst replying.

"No, I was gonna, well cos Sarah's pretty and wants to be a famous actress kind of thing." Minako beamed a bit more and flashed a 'V' sign. "C'mon Rei, That's so me!"

Rei smiled at her friend. "Guess I can't argue with that."

****

Ten minutes later rehearsal was in full swing. Ryoki, who was now refusing to go back to bed, had a black t-shirt tied around him as a cape. He was being Tuxedo Kamen. They'd had to let him be the cape-clad hero to stop his ear splitting wails. He was louder than Usagi, by at least 12 decibels, or so Ami claimed.

They all thought plot of the story was good, It worked on the premise that a Goblin King called Jareth captures a baby and then this girl (called Sarah) has 13 hours to rescue him from a 'labyrinth'. The Goblin King falls in love with Sarah and asks her to be his Queen. Shingo's character was that of Hoggle, a dwarf-type thing, much to Usagi's surprise, Shingo was a very good actor.

"Hey, Shingo, let's do this bit next." Minako pointed to a passage in the play.

"But I'm not in that bit."

"But I am, it's my big moment of glory." She flashed him her most beguiling smile "Please?"

"Okay, I guess." He gave a nonchalant shrug, trying to hide his blush, passing the book over to her. Minako was just about to begin Sarah's big speech, the one that defeats the Goblin King. When, for a reason un known to them all, Ryoki decided to make a random flying leap off of the bed, landing painfully on his bottom. This prompted, new, and much louder wails.

"Ryoki-baka, why'd you do that?" Minako had really never had much patience for children. Ryoki managed to sob his answer out in broken, baby language. "Tuxdo man fly, Ry'ki want fly too!" Usagi smiled sweetly and bent down to Ryoki's level.

"Poor Ryoki.silly, Tuxedo mask doesn't fly, he just - jumps really high. Sailor Moon is the only one who can fly, see, she has wings."

Usagi pointed to the many posters that adorned Shingo's walls. She noticed for the first time there weren't many of her. In fact, Venus seemed to be the dominant character on the posters. Usagi didn't know whether to be relieved or angry.

Usagi concluded her attempt at comforting Ryoki, "Poor Ryoki, did you hurt your bum-bum?"

He nodded yes. Minako bent down to Ryoki's level and glared at him. "Maybe we should get the Goblin King to look after you, would you go to sleep for him and be good? Huh?" Ryoki nodded again. "Uh Huh." Agreement wasn't exactly the response that Minako was expecting.

Rei snorted at Minako's pathetic ness and addressed Ryoki herself.

"Sorry munch kin but there's no such thing." Ryoki's cries started again with renewed vigour. He pointed a chubby pink finger at Minako.

"Bad Mina-chan. Bad!" He virtually screamed the last word, so deep was his fake anguish. All Minako could do was gape with an open mouth, the others laughed. Shingo looked at Ryoki, "If that's what you want Ryoki then. I wish the Goblin King really would take you away, if it would stop you crying so damn loudly!"

*****

In limbo Jareth felt a tingling. The mist that surrounded him started to lift. His castle to re-materialise. The Goblins started to reappear, but it wasn't enough. The boy had no power. If only one of the others would summon him. If only. He clasped his hands together in a silent plea to the girls. The girls had the power to restore him, if only one of them would say the words say the words.

*****

Ryoki was still at it. The senshi were becoming exasperated, especially Minako who was trying to shout her lines over the toddlers wails.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I ha - D'you know what Ryoki, you're a little Brat!" Ryoki's screams reached impossible levels of noise. Minako scowled. "RYOKI, I WISH THE GOBLIN KING really WOULD COME AND TAKE YOU AWAY!"

As the words were said a pale mist filled the room and a bright flash of golden light erupted from Minako. It briefly dazed the occupants of the room before escaping via the window. Minako screamed. Her eyes closed and her knees buckled, her hair swayed as she fell. The carpet cushioned the noise her descent made.

"Minako!" Five voices yelled as one, rushing to their unconscious friend's side. Shingo stared astounded and confused. The girls were used to facing danger every day and so this didn't faze them like it did him. They were however deeply concerned for their friend. Ami carefully listened to her breathing and felt her pulse. Together they moved her into a recovery position. Rei stroked a stray bang off of Minako's pale skin. The girls shared a knowing look; this was definitely not a naturally occurring phenomenon. It practically reeked of other-world-ness, it seemed their vacation was over. No one noticed that the incessant wailing had abated until a perplexed Shingo spoke.

"You guys. Where's Ryoki gone?"

They all looked up, searching the room for the toddler, eyes peering desperately through the mist. Deep, languid laughter started to reverberate through the room. The chuckles grew louder and more chilling as the mist condensed in the centre of the room, forming the shape of a man.

A man wearing tight, leather pants.

______________________________________________

I'm trying out various things in this fic. This is a learning experience and I would greatly appreciate a well rounded critique. What do you think anyway? Should Shingo go with them to rescue Ryoki? Now I know some people are gonna moan that Minako-chan was mean to Ryoki, but if you look in the manga she explicitly says when Chibi-chibi appears 'not another brat'. So there, she isn't out of character in that respect. Although please do tell me about oocness, I'm very bad for that.

Review, please? If you give me a helpful critical review I will return the favour and review / help you with a fic of yours, kind of like a swap shop. ;-)

To my reviewers: Phedre no delaunay - it was fun to read your review, helpful too. Nathronoelei, Callisto star and moon. Thank you for reviewing. I hope it will live up to your expectations and Nathronoelei of course you can, thankyou for being so courteous.