I don't make any profit from this fic! This is purely for entertainment and fun! Labyrinth belongs to Jim Henson. Yami and the others belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Kuinnu belongs to me!

Chapter 3: Mirrors Never Lie ~Snow White~

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful but vain queen who had a beautiful young daughter. The Queen had a magic mirror and every day, the Queen would ask the mirror, 'Who is the fairest of them all?' For many a year, the mirror answered that the Queen was indeed the fairest in all the land. Until one day, the mirror, always speaking the truth, told the Queen that it was now her daughter who was the fairest in all the land. The vain Queen was furious and in jealousy she tried to kill her daughter in order to be the fairest in the land once again. But was it the fact that the mirror always told her the truth that she became so afraid of the truth and she eventually went mad with envy?

"Where... where the hell am I?" Yami thought to himself as his spirit seemed to float in a great, dark, vast abyss. His entire body felt sore all over, as if he had been stabbed by jagged knives on every inch of his flesh. Or at least, he thought his that body was sore all over. His mind was cloudy, and he couldn't remember very much at the moment. "How did... How the hell did I get here?" The wine colored eyed youth asked himself quietly as he 'sat up' and looked around at his surroundings. There was nothing, nothing but darkness as far as his dark eyes could see for miles around him. "Where the hell am I?" He asked no one before feeling a sharp pain shoot through his chest.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away! Right now!"

The words echoed throughout the space. And they were familiar too. But how was that possible? Yami put one hand to his forehead, trying to remember how he could have ended up in this dark and dismal place. He remembered school, heading to his classes throughout the day like normal. His usual routine of science class, history, followed by English and then lunch. Afterwards, there was algebra, English language and finally last period. He recalled heading to his theater class and rehearsing the play on the school stage with Kuinnu and the others. Then Anzu came and announced that Kuinnu would be pulled out of the show due to the items found inside her locker during the inspection. The two of them running home in the rain and then... His wine colored eyes widened at the memory. He and Kuinnu had been having a small fight in her living room. Then Kuinnu had slapped him across the face before she ran upstairs and locked herself in her room and yelled at him from inside her room. Kuinnu... She had done this to him? Sent him to... wherever or whatever the hell this was? Another sharp pain shot through his chest, remembering his girlfriend, and her words.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away! Right now!"

The words echoed again. And with the echo came another shot of pain. Yes, he could remember a bit more now. When he had heard Kuinnu shout at him through the door, he heard a loud clap of thunder from outside. And then... Then he heard what sounded like strange sounds, like snickering from small creatures. He had tried to find out where or what those sounds came from. However, before he knew what happened, his whole world went black. "I must've passed out for some reason." Yami thought out loud to himself, his head still feeling dizzy. "Well, regardless of what happened, first things first. And that's finding a way out of this… place." He said, turning his gaze towards one direction. "Wherever the hell this is."

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away! Right now!"

Kuinnu had always told him many times before that 'words have power'. But he had always assumed that she had simply meant 'actions don't always speak louder than words'. Or that she had been referring to how the wrong words could set off something bad, like in her fairy tales. "Heh. 'Words have power'... I guess that it's really true." Yami thought as he tried to calm down enough so his chest would stop hurting for the time being. "I can ponder about that stuff later. I need to get out of this creepy place, and find Kuinnu." The spikey haired teen decided as he found himself floating in one direction. He wasn't exactly sure what direction it was, but from where he had been 'standing', he had to guess that he was now floating to what would have been west of him. Once he found his girlfriend, they could sort some things out. He felt what he thought was a chill, like a very sudden cold wind, causing him to shiver from the lowered temperature.
"Tonight I'm so alone
This sorrow takes a hold
Don't leave me here so cold…"

"Never want to be so cold."

He shut his dark eyes as his thoughts turned back to Kuinnu, remembering their fight. At the thought of the blonde girl, how she had slapped him in the heat of the moment, the mulberry-eyed teen balled his other fist. They'd never argued like that before in their entire relationship. And he felt mad. The spikey haired youth felt mad at himself, and mad at his girlfriend.

"Your touch used to be so kind
Your touch used to give me life
I've waited all this time,
I've wasted so much time!"

Gripping his chest again, the human teen opened his dark eyes and looked up above him. So many emotions were running through his mind and body as he just floated in that cold, dark abyss. Too many to name at that moment. Many of which he was a bit scared to identify. He didn't want to identify them because he worried that the stronger ones may overpower him.

"Don't leave me alone
Cause I barely see at all
Don't leave me alone,
I'm…!

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be…!"

"Can you hear me?"

Yami swore he that could hear Kuinnu's voice speaking to him. He turned around to look to his right in hopes of catching sight of his princess, but he saw nothing. Only more darkness as far as his garnet colored eyes could see.

"Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Falling inside the black
Falling inside
Falling inside... the black..."

The Japanese teen, shivered again, looking around at his surroundings once more. Regardless of where he was at the moment, he hoped, and even prayed, that Kuinnu was somewhere safe. He didn't want her ending up in a place like this. He reminded himself that, for now, he had to focus on finding a way out of this 'place'. Then, once he found Kuinnu and was sure that they were both safe, then they would talk about how he ended up there in the first place.

"She's already on the border of the first circle... Almost to the Hall of Mirrors." Marik said quietly to himself as he watched Kuinnu continue on her quest through the Labyrinth via one of his crystals, sitting on his king-sized bed in his private chambers. "Once she goes in there, she'll soon see how much the truth hurts. And then she'll surely give up on trying to rescue that boy." Despite his own words, a part of him had a strong feeling that he knew the infamous Hall of Mirrors alone wouldn't be enough to stop the human girl. The young king was well aware that Kuinnu was incredibly stubborn and the look of determination in her lapis eyes only grew each time that he looked in on her. But that stubbornness was just another aspect of the girl that the Goblin King loved about her. And Marik would enjoy breaking her stubborn spirit. The Shadow King would savor every moment of watching her waver bit by bit, slowly losing more of her trust and devotion for the human boy who was currently sleeping in crystal down in his throne room.

A knock on his door brought the flaxen haired king out of his thoughts, forcing him to sit up and let out an annoyed-sounding 'Enter.' There were very few people who would bother him when he had specifically given an order that he wished to be alone. So it was either one of those few brave people, or someone with a death wish. And judging from the energies he picked up, he knew who it was.
The one who entered was a tall man dressed in a dark purple, almost black colored shirt and dark breeches, along with a cloak matching the color of his shirt, with the hood of the cloak half hiding his face. From what could be seen of his face at the moment were many tattooed symbols and images on the left side of his face. The man was known as Rishid, and he was the elder brother of the Goblin King.

Rishid bowed low as he stepped into the room. "My Lord, the kingdom is in an uproar because of that girl. She's a detriment and your people are beginning to doubt your... capabilities..." The quiet man said to the young monarch, his head bowed solemnly.
Marik sat up a bit more and narrowed his dark eyes at his brother. "Are you suggesting that I cannot handle one human girl, Rishid?" He asked in a dangerous tone of voice, all the while still regal and commanding.
"It is not I but your subjects who say this. They say she is causing havoc. But then simply because she's here she's disrupting lives." Rishid said softly. "But you've become too fixated on her, I think."
The King of Shadows stood up from his bed. "Havoc? Is that what they say? Those idiots don't know the meaning of the word. And the ones who do are simply jealous. And as for myself, Rishid..." He said before throwing a force of energy at his elder brother to force him to his knees. "I will do as I wish with that girl. You forget that I have waited 16 years for this, Rishid. She has finally called me to her and I will NOT let this chance pass by." He said firmly. "That girl was born to be mine. And I will hear no further argument on the matter." Marik said in his commanding tone before shutting his regal colored eyes and sitting down on his bed again.
The older man stayed bowed, low desperate not to anger his brother more. "Please I meant no disrespect. I only worry for your health. Since her turning 15 even, you've watched over her jealously and have scarcely slept or eaten, your body shows your stress. I fear that are going to fall ill. I pray that not to happen." Rishid said offering up the food and drink he'd brought with him.
The youthful looking monarch looked at the offered food and picked up the drink. "Rishid, my health is fine. But Kuinnu, she is meant for me. The Light to my Shadow. The one woman I will give all of myself to." He said as a smirk crossed his lips while raising the cup in order to drink. "My future queen."
"I understand. But you know it is part of my nature to worry over you. You're quite special, to all of us and we just don't want to see you hurt because your 'Future Queen' can't make her mind up." Rishid replied honestly.

Marik sipped the drink for a moment, watching his brother and advisor. "She will. Kuinnu is still young and naïve. And as such she doesn't realize yet that I've done her a favor by removing that whelp from her life. And as stubborn and determined as she is, Kuinnu won't be able to make it to the palace in 13 hours on her own."
"No not on her own... but with her charisma she's like to attract allies." he said looking away.
The young ruler narrowed his eyes a bit. His brother had a point. Kuinnu had a special 'charm' about her that seemed to draw people to her, if given the chance. "That's why I have Akefia following her. To make sure that she's not hurt and make sure no one can help her without my knowledge."
"I'm sure Akefia is being cautious as always." the older man said "My Lord... Even so... she... She's a human..." the man trailed off.
"What of it?" Marik asked, sipping his drink again.
"She'll die here... and you won't. We are immortal, but she's human... a mere mortal. You may spend a few happy decades with her at most before she grows old... grows ugly and dies. Or some terrible illness could take her and claim her life." Rishid said trying to make his brother to see reason.
"I can make her immortal." The King said, looking at his reflection in the liquid in his glass. 'But she would have to agree to such a thing first... The rules and laws of our realm... How I hate them.' He thought. As Master of the Shadow Realm, changing a mortal into an immortal of his kingdom was child's play. But the mortal had to agree of their own accord and free will.

The Shadow King sighed lightly and shut his dark lavender eyes, leaning back to rest on the dark golden colored silken sheets and pillows that covered his bed. He began to wonder how Kuinnu would react to the actual age difference between them. While by human standards, Marik only appeared to be about 17, 18 at the most, he was in honestly 1724 years old. Within the Shadow Realm, time passed at a much faster rate. Yet, the inhabitants of the realm aged at a rate much slower than humans. Because of this, many of the members of the Royal Court were granted a sort of immortality. It was also because of this that some members of the court could also appear to be much older than they truly were. However, the unofficial 'rule' to the problem with aging was that most responded to the physical age of a person. Thus, Marik would appear to be 17, his sister would be close to 21 or 22, and his brother would have been about 27 by human standards. Marik himself wasn't sure how the Shadow Realm and the Mortal Realm reacted to time with each other. But as Goblin King and Master of the Labyrinth, time within it bent to his will.

"I do hope that she does accept such a generous offer from you." Rishid said softly, realizing that trying to talk the young king out of it was pointless.
"She will, if she wants to save that wretch. Or when she realizes that I am the best man for her." Marik said, sure of himself.
"Let us hope..." The older man said looking away.
"As for the fools who doubt me, just remind them that I am still the king. Just as I have been for over 1700 years." Marik said, his violet eyes narrowed.
"Of course... just... please be cautious." Rishid said softly excusing himself. 'And here's hoping Akefia hasn't lost the girl..' The royal advisor thought to himself.
"Rishid, I appreciate your concern. But understand something." The younger man said. "Yes?" The Guardian asked, wincing slightly.
The Goblin King leaned back onto his bed, giving a light sigh. "I truly love her, my brother. I've lived for so long, and never loved anyone the way I do her." He said, sounding more like the teenage boy he appeared to be, rather than merely the centuries-old monarch that he was. "The women of the harem are beautiful, but none of them can make my heart beat, and ache the way that she does."
"I see... I shall do my best to aid in preventing her from reaching the castle then, so that you may have your queen." Rishid said though not truly willing to do so, but for his brother's happiness he'd do nearly anything
"Thank you, Rishid. Make sure Akefia doesn't lose her. She's close to the Hall of Mirrors." Marik said to his brother in a slightly concerned tone.
"That is a difficult place to follow someone... Shall I give him a shard or the Mother Mirror so that he may pass through easily?" The older man asked.
"No. Tell him to head for the exit. If by some rare chance Kuinnu makes it through, I want to be informed of her location immediately." The King said as he sat up. "That hall will show and say nothing but the truth to the one who is reflected in those mirrors. If she cannot handle that, she'll give up."
"Very well." Rishid bowed before standing and taking his leave.

Marik turned his back to Rishid as he left, going over to a large golden mirror that hung on the wall opposite of his bed. Had Kuinnu been present to see it, she would most likely have compared it to the Magic Mirror from Snow White. It was in fact very similar, made of pure gold and decorated with jewels and carvings of the western zodiac of the Mortal Realm. "Show me Kuinnu." He ordered the artifact calmly as the surface image began to change. While watching the girl through his crystals was easier, he wanted a 'better view' of the human girl who captivated him so much. He wanted to see her clearly as she traveled through one of the more dangerous parts of his Labyrinth. And it wasn't so much that it was dangerous in a way that would harm her. No, rather it was dangerous because it would test her strength of will against the truth. And he knew very well that Humans were not always willing to accept the truth of certain things. The hall had been created by a previous King, who feared a number of his subjects if not all would turn on him. Thus he created the Hall of Mirrors so that he could discover if his subjects would turn on him or not. But it turned out that the Hall was much stronger than he intended. Marik shook his head a bit, pushing his history lessons to the back of his mind. Watching as Kuinnu's image formed clearly in the mirror, Marik half-wondered how his father would've reacted to the notion that his son was willing to court, let alone plan to marry, a mortal woman.

The Lord of Labyrinth let his lips turn into a scowl. He never thought about his late father that much anymore. Nor he did truly want to do so anyways. The previous Goblin King had been too soft in some ways and too cruel in others. His subjects had hated him more than they feared him. The man had been determined to enforce his rule over as many regions of the Shadow Realm as he was able. Maybe that's one reason why Marik hadn't really cared when he took the throne from his father. Still, there had been one thing his father had told him that Marik had always taken to heart.

"You could have all the women of the world, but you can only, truly give your heart to only one. And that one woman alone is the one whom you should love with the entirety of your being. The one woman who you would feel should share your throne."

Marik gave a light sigh, pushing some of his pale blonde hair out of his eyes. His father may have been a royal bastard and a weak king, but he had been extremely loyal to his mother. The late Goblin Queen had been a vision of loveliness and kindness, often showing concern for all the inhabitants of the Labyrinth and most of the Shadow Realm. She had been the one to adopt his elder brother, Rishid, when she found him as a baby. Marik unfortunately never had the chance to know his mother, as she had died soon after giving birth to him. He had even wondered sometimes as a child if because he was somewhat responsible for his mother's early demise that his father had been so harsh on him when it came to his royal duties and training. Marik's lip curled into another scowl of utter disgust at the memories of his father's treatment. He quickly pushed those horrid memories aside as he turned his attention to the girl in the mirror.
As he watched the honey-haired girl slowly moving through the great maze, he felt himself relaxing again. Somehow, she was the only one who had that calming effect on him. But that was just another thing that the sandy blonde haired King loved about the young woman. "Be safe, my dearest. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt in the Hall of Mirrors. Even I would not go there unprotected." He whispered before pressing to fingers to his lips and passing the kiss to the girl's image in the glass.

Kuinnu groaned a bit as she leaned against one of the walls of the Labyrinth. According to her flower, she could only guess that from the one dying petal and the one that she lost earlier, she'd have to say an hour and 30 to 45 minutes had passed since her time began. She'd been wandering around for nearly an hour now, lost. That probably would have put her time at around ten or eleven hours to go. It honestly felt like it had been so much longer than that. Still, she couldn't just sit there and wonder about that now. Each second lost was another second wasted. And each second wasted was more time she lost to rescue Yami from the castle.

After walking for maybe another five minutes, Kuinnu saw a large wooden door block her path. On the archway of the door in ornate silver letters, she was able to read the words 'Hall of Mirrors'. The thought alone made her shiver once. "I guess the only way to keep going is to go inside there." She said to herself as she noticed what appeared to be writing on one of the stones by the door handle.

'Accept the truth for what it is, or face the eternal madness that is denial.' It read, written in a sloppy and almost panicked handwriting.
Immediately, Kuinnu thought about what Mahado and the worm had said to her. They had warned her that not everything was what it seemed within the walls of the Labyrinth. Perhaps this warning was a false lead. But at the same time, maybe it was a true warning from someone who had entered this place before?

Akefia was a bit surprised at how fast and how easily he had been able to locate the mortal girl when he finally got to the outer most part of the Labyrinth's walls. Then again, he noticed that the rose in her hair was different. The flower was overflowing with the King's energies. It didn't take the white haired youth long to figure out that the rose was also a sort of tracking device. Akefia doubted that Kuinnu knew that however. But still, the snowy haired man had to give the human girl credit for getting this far already. He saw her stopping every so often to take a quick break and rest her feet, but she never stopped in the sense that she was going to give up. In all honesty, he hoped that the girl would just give up, and preferably sometime soon. He was the Royal Assassin, not a babysitter for some mortal teenage girl, for Darkness' sake.

As he continued to watch the honey haired young woman as she headed towards a new part of the Labyrinth, the copper skinned youth noticed the area she was heading into. One that the natives had named one of the 'killers', mostly due to the fearful power of that particular part of the maze. Its 'true' name was the Hall of Mirrors, and it lived up to its name. For a good solid area there was nothing but that large, winding mirror maze. However, the mirrors themselves had a very special power. Aside from being unbreakable, they had another power. And it was that power that they were feared, even by a good deal of the natives of the Shadow Realm. And the Assassin knew that if Kuinnu was heading in there, chances were that she would give up while she was still inside. More than likely, the Assassin would guess that the King was planning on that happening.

Akefia just sighed lightly as he saw Kuinnu walk through the gateway that led into the Hall. "I hope you can handle the truth, woman. Because you'll hear nothing but the harsh truth that inside that maddening place." He said to no one in particular. And it was true. The terrifying power of the Hall of Mirrors was that each mirror inside was enchanted. When a reflection was cast of a person, the doppelganger would speak only the truth. And usually, the harsh truth, at that. And the reflection would not stop until the person left the infamous Hall. The Assassin decided to take another route in order to find the exit and wait for the girl. There was no way that he was going to follow her inside that place. Because if his own doppelgangers didn't give him away, then just his reflection in the mirrors would certainly alert the girl to his presence.

Kuinnu couldn't help but shiver lightly as she took in the sight of the 'room' she had stepped into. Clearly it was similar to one of those mirror mazes similar to those carnival fun houses back home. And she hatedthose things... Part of it was that whenever she would go through one, she ended up hurting herself at least two or three times before she found her way out. The other reason was that she could handle others staring at her. But when you had your own reflection stare at you, let alone dozens of them, it makes you feel like you can't hide anything anymore. At least, that's what Kuinnu thought about it. 'It's ok. Just walk slowly enough so you won't bump into any mirrors by accident. But fast enough that you don't waste too much time in here.' The blonde told herself as she began to move.

Stopping in front of one of the mirrors after she had walked for a few minutes, Kuinnu took a moment to fully admire her reflection. She'd never really thought of herself as beautiful. Pretty, maybe, but never beautiful. Yami, Joey and Tristan had always said that she was beautiful, but the half-American girl sometimes wondered if they were just saying those things to be nice since they were her friends. Her hair was naturally blonde, her eyes were a lovely shade of deep blue and her skin was a pale yet still healthy shade that seemed to fit her perfectly. Or at least, so the guys would tell her. But again, sometimes it felt like they were just saying those things to be nice because they were her friends. The thought of her other two friends made her a tiny bit upset. For a moment she wondered how they might react when she told them about all this when she saw them again. Kuinnu let out a light sigh and turned to continue on through the Hall.

"Look at myself. Do I really dress like that?" A voice said to the girl, causing Kuinnu to jump back a bit in surprise.
"And look at that hair. Oh gods it's so plain it's almost criminal." Another but very similar voice said, sounding distressed.
"Who's there?" Kuinnu called out, struggling not to sound scared at the moment. She was trying... and failing at hiding her fear.
"Over here, little girl. Just follow the cold chill running down your spine." The first voice said with a chuckle.
Seeing nothing better to do than follow the advice she was given, the human girl turned around, only to see her reflection in the mirror across from her. Confusion crossed her features as she moved forward, wondering what that voice had meant. It didn't take long for her to figure it out, as her image in the mirror began to move on her own, while Kuinnu was staying still. "Who the hell are you?" Kuinnu asked, stepping away from one mirror image only to bump into another one.
"Don't you know, princess? We're you!" The reflection across from her, who she had silently dubbed 'Kuinnu A', said. "We're the real you."
"And unlike you, we don't hide the truth." The other one, or 'Kuinnu B', said with a chuckle.
"This is some sort of trick... It has to be." Kuinnu thought out loud, turning and trying to get away from the two doppelgangers. It was pointless, however, since the entire room was lined up side to side with mirrors. Thus no matter how long nor how far she ran, her two tormenters were right there with her.
"Look. She's scared. But that's not anything new. Always running to a library to read a fairy tale. Or the theater room to put on a costume and turn into someone who's she's not." Kuinnu A taunted with a cruel laugh.
"You're not real! So just shut up!" Kuinnu yelled, running further down the hall to try and get away from her cruel and taunting mirror-selves.
"Running away isn't going to help you any, princess!" Kuinnu B only snapped at the scared teenage girl, laughing at the 'true' girl's fear, almost gleefully.
'This isn't happening! I'm not listening!' Kuinnu yelled in her mind as she began to run. "You're not real!"
"Even now you're trying to run away from the truth. Just like when you wished away your own boyfriend!" Kuinnu A said.
"You did this to him!" Kuinnu B said firmly. "And now, he could be suffering all alone in a dark dungeon just because of your childish selfishness!"
"It's all your fault! You're the reason that he's suffering in Marik's palace right now!" Kuinnu A added to the taunts.
"If you fail this thing, and he pays for it, that'll be your fault too!" Kuinnu B said, pointing a finger at the human girl.

Kuinnu finally stopped in front one of the mirrors directly in front of her, a few tears falling down her cheeks as she hung her head. The two other versions of her were right. She had done this, because she was trying to escape reality. She didn't want to listen to her boyfriend's words so she shut him out.

'Accept the truth for what it is, or face the eternal madness that is denial.'

Now she understood what that warning meant. This place, these mirrors, forced a person to hear the truths they didn't want to hear.

"Admit it. You're afraid to face the truth because it hurts like hell." Kuinnu A said, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"You're right..." Kuinnu said slowly, surprising her doppelgangers by her words. "This is all my fault. I got my boyfriend, my prince, caught up in this because I shot my mouth off without thinking. Because I didn't want to listen to him about how childish I had been. Marik was right. I do give my temper free reign. But I never meant for this to happen to anyone. I honestly didn't know that by saying those words, that I would actually wish him away." The mortal maiden said, lifting her hands to the surface of the mirror she stood in front of. Surprisingly, her reflection did the same, copying her movements exactly as she lifted her head.
The two 'fake' versions of Kuinnu just watched the honey haired young woman. They were still surprised that she had freely admitted to their words being true so easily. Most people who came into the Hall of Mirrors were too ashamed of their deeds to accept the truth. Thus, they denied it to the point that they ran back out of the hall in a fearful panic.

Kuinnu looked at her reflection, wiping away her tears slowly. Standing there and crying would not help anything. Yet, it did help her a little bit. Help her to accept that she was not as strong as she wanted to believe she was. But that only meant she would have to get stronger. She kept telling herself that as she put her hand back on the mirror's surface.
"Mirror Mirror lie to me,
Show me what I wanna see
Mirror Mirror lie to me

Why don't I like the girl I see?
The one who's standing right in front of me?
Why don't I think before I speak?
I should've listened to that voice inside me…" The young woman sang, trying to further strengthen her resolve. Maybe she wasn't as strong as the super heroines in her mangas and her animes, but that didn't mean she would give up now. She had come too far already. She was not going to give up. Not now, not ever.
Her reflections just copied her movements and began to sing along with her, their voices harmonizing with one another as the teenager kept up her song.
"I must be stupid
Must be crazy
Must be out of my mind
To say the kind of things I said last night!

Mirror Mirror hanging on the wall
You don't have to tell me who's the biggest fool of all
Mirror Mirror I wish you could lie to me
And bring my baby back
Bring my baby back to me

Mirror Mirror lie to me
Show me what I wanna see
Mirror Mirror lie to me
Show me what I wanna see..."

Her resolve and her hopes renewed for the moment, Kuinnu began to move once again through the Hall of Mirrors. Standing around and just doing nothing in front of the mirror would only waste time. And that was something that she absolutely couldn't afford to do. Not when she had so much to lose on the line. She kept her one hand on the mirror's surface, trying to make sure that she wouldn't hurt herself by accident as she moved through the mirror maze.

"Why did I let you walk away?
When all I had to do was say I'm sorry...
I let my pride get it the way
And in the heat of the moment I was to blame

I must be stupid
Must be crazy
Must be out of my mind
Now in the cold light of the day I realize...!

Mirror Mirror hanging on the wall
You don't have to tell me who's the biggest fool of all
Mirror Mirror I wish you could lie to me
And bring my baby back
Bring my baby back to me...!" She sang, picking up her pace as what seemed to be a pathway appeared to be leading her in the right direction in order to leave the Hall of Mirrors. With her free hand, she gripped her necklace charm again, remembering her vow to save Yami from Marik's castle. She wasn't going to let her prince stay in this place. Although she couldn't see it, the tiny rose in her charm was giving off a very tiny glow as she held her charm.

"If only wishes could be dreams and all my dreams could come true
There would be two of us standing in front of you!"

Yami turned his head behind him, hearing what he knew to be Kuinnu's voice. She sounded confused and scared, but she was singing. And he knew that Kuinnu would sing if she wanted to make herself feel better for some reason. "Kuinnu?" He called out to her as he tried to listen in on what his princess was singing. And as he turned his body, he saw what appeared to be a soft, pink light coming from the direction of her voice. Yami wasn't sure why he felt so sure about that light, but anything was better than staying and floating in this dark limbo. Propelling himself forward, he shot off as fast as he could in the direction of the light, reaching out for it, like a lifeline.

"If you could show me that someone I used to be
Bring my baby,
My baby to me!"

Yes, everything her mirror-selves had said was true. But there was something else that was true. She made this mess, she would fix it. She loved her prince, Yami, and she would save him from the Castle beyond the Goblin City. And she would never give up or give in.
"Mirror Mirror hanging on the wall
You don't have to tell me who's the biggest fool of all
Mirror Mirror I wish you could lie to me
and bring my baby back
Bring my baby back

Mirror Mirror hanging on the wall
You don't have to tell me who's the biggest fool of all
Mirror Mirror I wish you could lie to me
And bring my baby back
Bring my baby back…

To me...

Mirror Mirror lie to me
Show me what I wanna see
Mirror Mirror lie to me
Mirror Mirror lie to me
Show me what I wanna see
Mirror Mirror lie to me..."

Kuinnu kept singing, even as she found a large door. Upon reaching a large and ornate silver door, Kuinnu realized instantly that she'd found the correct way out. And after all of this, she'd be more than glad to see the plain stone walls of the Labyrinth once again. On top of that, she had lost another petal while running around inside that creepy mirror hall. Time was slowly slipping away, and she only had so much time left. And at this point, she had to guess that she was down to under ten hours remaining to complete this quest.

As Kuinnu pushed open the door that freed her from the Hall of Mirrors, far away at the center of the Labyrinth, inside Marik's palace, the blue crystal that held the imprisoned human boy began to crack as Yami's garnet eyes shot open.

FINALLY! This chapter wanted to be a total bitch. Thus I have to give a big thanks to my best friend, Amber, for helping me with this chapter. Also, I want to remind you guys that I'm holding a contest! Create a character for the story and your character could get a major role in the plot!
Details here: http:/ angelofbeauty88 .d e v i a n t a r t .com/journal/CONTEST-UPDATE-271092498 (minus the spaces)
But now Yami is awake! Kuinnu has gotten through one of the more dangerous areas of the Labyrinth. And more of Marik's intentions and feelings have been revealed! But how was Yami able to sense Kuinnu in his 'prison'? Where was he in the first place? And now that Kuinnu has gotten through another obsticle, what will Marik do to stop her next?

Songs for this chapter are 'Falling inside the Black' by Skillet and 'Mirror, Mirror' by M2M.