A Game of Life and Death
By: Lazeralk
A Labyrinth/Forbidden Game crossover
Dedicated to Taharkah Alexandra
Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 4 "Hail, and Well Met"0o0o0
"Ok, denial, anger, bargaining and then acceptance. Why can't I get out of the anger stage then?"
Sarah's mirror didn't answer. It had been unresponsive thus far and Sarah was a little disappointed. This was the Labyrinth wasn't it? Shouldn't it have taking mirrors?
"Mirror mirror on the wall, why won't you talk to me at all?" she tried, scowling at it.
"Well for starters, it's not a wall mirror." Said a voice from the door. The mirror was indeed attached to her dresser, not the wall.
"Who are you?" demanded Sarah as she turned, her hand coming up automatically to block her knee length hair from hitting her in the face.
"I'm Jenny."
"Sarah."
The two girls looked at each other for a long time before sighing and sitting on the bed together.
"He makes me so mad!" said Sarah, growling at her hands.
"I know, believe me, I know." Agreed Jenny.
"And he just-!"
"I know, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, and he's so-!"
"Mine too! I don't know where they get it!"
"I know, it's just so-!"
"Frustrating!"
"You wanna strangle him!"
"I get that feeling all the time."
"Why does he have to be so cute?"
"Don't you hate that?"
"If he wasn't as hot as he is…"
"I know, it's almost not worth it."
"Almost."
Sarah brushed her hair back from her face, smiling brightly at the girl beside her.
"You know Jenny, I think this is the start of a wonderful friendship."
"Me too Sarah, me too."
0o0o0
"Oh no, what is it this time?" demanded Julian, glaring down at his best friend. Jareth tapped his toes together.
"She yelled at me." He replied in a very small voice.
Julian groaned as he flung himself down in an armchair and covered his eyes with his hands.
"My god man, you are pathetic!"
"She's mad at me."
"Then go make it up to her!" growled Julian, this voice tight.
Jareth didn't answer, just summoned a crystal to watch his ladylove.
"Look at this." Said Jareth as he perked up, watching the two girls talk in Sarah's room. Julian watched over his shoulder, the two of them sharing looks every now and then.
"What does that mean?" asked Julian.
"I don't know, they aren't speaking coherently. At least they think we're cute." Answered Jareth.
Julian nodded to himself, not sure if he liked the idea of Sarah and Jenny being friends.
0o0o0
Sarah sighed as Jenny brushed out her long hair and listened to the conversation going on around her. All of the new people had gathered in Sarah's room and were talking about their uncertain future.
"Well, it looks like we're stuck here, so we might as well try to get to know each other." Said Dee. Sarah had immediately liked Dee, sensing a sort of kindred spirit in her. Both were strong willed and not afraid to fight for what they wanted.
Julian, who'd brought Toby back with him after the boy had finished his breakfast, was studying Sarah intently.
"So, you're the girl who beat the Labyrinth huh?" he asked, bringing everyone's attention to her.
"Yes, I am. I ran it for Toby." She answered, holding her baby brother close to her. Toby squirmed, but let her hold him.
"He's really cute." Said Audrey.
"How old are you Toby?"
"I'm almost four." He answered, holding up four fingers for Audrey to see.
"That's right Toby, you'll be four this Saturday." Said Sarah as she bent down to kiss the top of his head.
"Wow, looks like we have a party to plan then huh?" said Dee as she grinned at the little boy.
"Yeah! You can all come! Sarah's gonna let the goblins have a party for me just like last year right?" he said, looking over his shoulder at his big sister.
"Yep, we'll invite Hoggle, and Ludo and Sir Didymus and well, everyone from the Labyrinth. It will be fun."
"Yay!" cried Toby in delight and then turned around fully to hug her. She hugged him tightly, all her worries and fears evaporating like mist in the sun as she held her only remaining family close.
"Can you play with me now Sarah? I'll even be the cop this time. Really, you can be the robber if you want to." He said, hoping to temp her with his generous offer.
"Can we play too Toby?" Asked Jenny. Audrey and Summer added their own pleas to play also. Michael and Zack looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Well, ok." The child said as he scrambled down to the floor, backwards, over his sister's knees. The girls got up and made their way into the sprawling halls of the castle. Toby turned around and looked up at them, his expression very serious for a four year old.
"Now I'm gonna turn around and count to five. That's your head start, since you're the robbers. You guys better run, cuz I'm the cop and I'm gonna get you." He said.
"What's the prize?" Asked Julian, as he looked at the child from his position, leaning against the doorframe of the room they'd just left.
"I dunno." Said Toby and left it at that.
Julian frowned and was about to argue that their had to be a prize, or else what was the point in playing when Toby began to count.
"One!" he said and the girls scrambled, running off in different directions. Julian stood abruptly and was about to run also when a thought struck him.
"Wait, how do you win?" he asked.
"You're a robber, so you just don't get caught." Said Toby, as if Julian was stupid for even asking such an obvious question.
"Two!"
Julian frowned deeply and then ventured off in search of Jenny, hoping she could explain the purpose in this particular game.
"Three!"
Sarah opened door after door in search of the one room she knew would be perfect for this game.
"Sarah? What are you doing?" said a voice from behind her. Jareth was watching her with amusement as she flung open doors, stuck her head in and then slammed them shut again.
"I'm looking for the Escher room." She answered, throwing another door open.
"Well, why didn't you just say so? The castle likes you, it would have brought the room to you." Said Jareth.
"Really?"
"Four!"
"I want to be at the Escher room." She told the next door in the hall. She flung it open, and the twisting upside-down staircases greeted her.
"Yes!" She exclaimed and hurried in, bouncing from staircase to staircase.
Jareth followed her in, confusion evident on his face. She was practically glowing with mischievous joy.
"Five! Here I come!"
"Sarah, what's going on?" he asked.
She looked at him over her shoulder as she made it to one of the suitcases on the far side of the room. Funny, the door looked like it was upside-down from where she was standing.
"We're playing cops and robbers with Toby. He's the cop this time, so he has to catch us."
"Oh." Said Jareth, clearly still confused.
0o0o0
"Jenny, why are we playing this game? Toby doesn't need to learn how to hunt, and there isn't a prize, and there isn't any clear way to win either." Said Julian as he walked beside her.
"We're playing because it's fun for Toby and because it helps Sarah not think about her parents. It's just for fun. And we're supposed to let Toby win."
"We are? But why?" asked Julian, alarmed at the very idea of loosing on purpose.
"Because he's just a little kid and that's what you're supposed to do." She answered.
Julian frowned deeply, his mind carefully weighing the pros and cons of going along with Jenny's suggestion. Finally, he reached a decision and nodded once, quite sharply, and then let out a long breath.
"If that is the way it is done, then so be it." He said, feeling very proud of himself for making such a sacrifice. After all, it wasn't everyday that a Shadowman, a natural winner, agreed to loose a game. They walked in silence for a few minutes before he ventured his next question.
"Um, Jenny? How is it exactly, that one looses such a game on purpose?"
0o0o0
End chapter 4