A/N: BREAKING HEADLINES! HELL FROZEN OVER - SATAN REFUSING TO PAY EXORBITANT HEATING BILLS! In other news, reports from all over the world of flying porcine are rushing in ...
Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally, after over a year (ye gods, has it really been that long?), I AM UPDATING! Nice long chapter, and, I swear, I have been working on this wonderful story the entire time I've been "away" - just not on this particular chapter. The plot line is now involved, extensive, and muchly cool, and they have a history and I'm planning a prequel and I'm getting ahead of myself again ...
Reviews to my patient and lovely reviewers (come back to meeeeee ...) will be at the bottom, as will be a rather enticing contest-thing. Enjoy!
"Guh! Gack!" Sarah spluttered as she tried to shove the heavy weight that was her sheepdog, Merlin, off of her lap. Merlin remained firmly planted, intent upon thoroughly cleaning his mistress' face with his tongue, which was what had woken her in the first place.
"Merlin! Down!" Sarah finally managed to yell without getting doggy slobber in her mouth. The big sheepdog whined but hopped off the bed while the young woman wiped repeatedly at her drool-covered face. She glared at her pet, who simply panted happily at her, grinning a big, doggy grin.
However much she resented waking up covered in dog slobber, the sight of Merlin cheered Sarah considerably. Not only was the lovable sheepdog her best friend in the world, but he was also a continuing reminder that, no matter how bad things had gotten with Karen, her stepmother was still a decent person at heart. Merlin's shots and dog food placed a constant strain on their financial status, but Karen never complained or suggested that they give him away; in fact, in her own way, the older woman seemed very fond of the dog when he wasn't tracking mud all over her clean floors. Sarah was immensely grateful for that; if Merlin had had to leave, she didn't know what she would have done.
Merlin cocked his head and whined at her, his entire rear end wiggling with repressed energy. Sarah glanced at her clock, which read six-thirty, before flopping back onto her bed and groaning. "It's too early for a walk, Merlin," she groused. Merlin whined again and woofed insistently at her, wiggling in place in an adamant attempt to express his urgency. Sarah grunted as she unwillingly hauled herself out of her nice, warm bed, shutting the door to her room before opening her closet and pulling out some clothes. Merlin yipped happily, dancing around Sarah's feet as she struggled to pull on her jeans without falling over.
She experienced a sudden thrill of uncertainty and apprehension as she picked up her dog's leash from where it hung on a hook beside her bedroom door. Going outside for a walk, this early, on a Saturday, when most people would be sleeping in … no one would notice if another Fae decided to attack her …
Merlin woofed, rearing up and placing his paws on her stomach. His eyes, peering out at her from underneath his shaggy bangs, said clearly, I need a walk, now
Sarah shook herself and opened her door, following Merlin as he thundered down the stairs to the hallway. Across the hall, she heard Karen shift in bed, moaning slightly in her sleep. She told herself, firmly, that she would be fine. She knew what to look out for, now. And, she laughed to herself as she struggled to hook the leash onto the antsy sheepdog's collar, Merlin would protect her from suspicious-looking squirrels to insurance salesmen. She knew this from long experience.
A sudden thought struck her as she laid her hand on the door handle, shrugging into a warm coat; a half-forgotten memory, buried beneath the haze of time, from a book she'd read long ago … Salt. Salt was used in protection circles against fairies … And iron! Fae couldn't stand the touch of iron. It burned their skin and nulled their magic.
Sarah didn't think that they had any iron in the house – she could ask Karen later, she supposed, though she'd have to come up with a decent excuse. But she did know for a fact that they had salt, and in abundance. She trotted quickly into the kitchen and grabbed an unopened box of salt from the cupboard before returning to the hallway, where Merlin pranced about her feet, demanding to know why she was taking so long. Sarah picked up a knitted handbag and slipped the box of salt into it before grabbing Merlin's leash and heading outside.
The air was brisk and chill, Sarah's breaths puffing into little clouds in front of her. She was very glad of her coat, warm and thick against the wintry cold. She walked quickly, with long strides, Merlin trotting gaily beside her, his tongue lolling out to the side as he dashed off this way and that to investigate any new scents.
It was very difficult to hang on to her initial fears of attack when faced with the light grey pre-dawn, on her own street, in her home neighborhood, with Merlin at her side. All of a sudden, the concept of fairies and pixies popping up to kidnap her – or worse – seemed rather silly. She warned herself sternly to be on her guard, though she could feel herself relaxing more with each step she took. This was her territory – deep down, she still felt like nothing could truly touch her here, like children believe that "home" means "safety" in a game of tag; immunity, safety, security. Her home turf.
A sudden, uneasy thought penetrated her subconscious thoughts – Jareth came here, not just here in the street, but in your house. He took Toby away, right in your own house.
I called on him, she reminded herself irritably, though the retort was half-hearted at best. After all these years, she still saw Jareth as the villain of her adventures in the Labyrinth, and unthinkingly blamed him for … well, everything, really.
She was jarred suddenly out of her thoughts when she nearly tripped over Merlin, who was standing rigidly in the middle of the sidewalk, his hackles rising as he began to growl low in his throat. "Merlin, what …" Her confused outburst faded away as she spotted what had put Merlin on his guard.
Up ahead, walking with easy, long-legged strides down the sidewalk towards them, was a tall stranger dressed in a long trenchcoat, a hat pulled down over his face. A long cane was held in one hand, lightly tapping the pavement as he walked. Sarah squinted – something about the figure seemed … off, somehow. She cocked her head and crossed her eyes momentarily, trying to catch whatever it was that was nagging her.
There! In the corner of her eye, a slight glimmer of otherworldly light bending gently around the stranger's form. In an eye-blink, however, it was gone, and Sarah had to wonder if it was a strange trick of the pre-dawn light. Nevertheless, she slipped one hand into her handbag and rested it on the reassuring box of salt, while tightening her grip on Merlin's leash.
She waited until the stranger was only a few yards away before calling out, "Who are you?"
The stranger halted and peered intently at her from underneath the hat. Just when Sarah was beginning to feel uneasy, the stranger spoke. "Sarah Williams?" The speaker had an easy, baritone voice with just a hint of a Scottish accent, decidedly male.
"How do you know my name?" Sarah replied, slowly and cautiously. The last time a stranger had known her name, she'd been mesmerized. She wasn't about to make that mistake again.
The stranger started to take a step closer, but halted immediately as the young woman whipped out the box of salt and pointed it in his direction. "Stay back!" she demanded. "I'm warning you!"
The stranger cocked his head. Sarah got the sudden impression that he was grinning in the shadows of that ridiculous hat. "All right," he said reassuringly, raising his hands in a gesture of goodwill. "I'll not come any closer. My name is Darius – Darius Stoneclaw, if you want the full title."
The name rang a bell of recognition in her mind – she suddenly remembered her friends telling her last night about someone named Darius, someone who was a 'friend' … but a friend of hers, or a friend of Jareth's? She wished she knew.
"Right," she said aloud. "Well, Mr. Stoneclaw, I must tell you that I've had quite enough of Fae trying to kidnap me and take advantage of me, so you can just turn around now and go your merry way far, far away from me."
"Hey, now!" Darius protested, lowering his hands to his sides once more, accent thickening. "I'm not here tae harm ye, lass! I've been yer bodyguard for o'er a week, now!"
"And a fine job you were doing yesterday, if you're telling the truth," she shot back angrily. "I have no reason – none at all – to trust you, Mr. Stoneclaw. So if you'll just leave, I'll be much obliged."
Darius sighed and glanced towards the sky, as if beseeching help from above, before returning his shadowed gaze to her. "Sarah," he said quite calmly and carefully, "I've no wish to harm you, mesmerize you, or 'take advantage' of you in any way. I was sent up here to guard you and make sure no harm came to you as soon as Jareth realized the protections he'd placed upon you were gone. Yesterday, I was reporting to Jareth an' got a bit tied up."
"So you do work for the Goblin King," she spat, disgusted. "I want no part in his games, Stoneclaw, none at all."
"Look," Darius interjected, sounding frustrated, "I came here tae apologize, all righ'? I never meant to let Gwydion get so close tae ye. I called Annora up tae look after ye while I was gone, and she tells me she was a wee bit late. So I came to say I'm sorry. I know ye want no more part in our world, but it's a bit late fer you to get out o' it."
Sarah stared at him for a moment, at a loss. The apology – and obviously he meant it – had thrown her for a serious loop. She'd never expected him to apologize for leaving her alone, if what he said was true and he was the one keeping her safe all this time. But if she accepted that he was on her side … he was working for Jareth! How could he possibly be on her side when he served the Goblin King?
Meanwhile, Darius had cocked his head and was waiting patiently for a reply. Because of the gradually lightening sky, Sarah could now see a vague outline of his face underneath the shadows of the large hat. His eyes, instead of peering directly at her face like she'd thought, were actually focused a bit above and beyond where she stood.
"I'm not sure I understand …" she began slowly. He made a questioning sort of noise that assured her she had his attention, but his eyes never drifted down to her face. Annoyed, she demanded, "Look, I don't know what you consider 'common courtesy' to be, but could you at least look at me when I'm talking to you?"
He jerked a little bit, as if startled – then, against all odds, a broad grin swept across his dark, shadowed face. Sounding amused, he quickly exclaimed, "Oh, great Danaa, did that take me by surprise! Forgive me Sarah," he added, for she had made a greatly indignant sound, pulling a stiff Merlin against her leg; "it just ne'er occurred to me tha' no one had told ye … lass, I canna look at ye, I'm blind."
"Oh, God," Sarah gasped before clapping a hand over her mouth, horribly embarrassed. "Oh, my … I'm so sorry, I just, I didn't …"
He waved off her stuttered apologies with a wave of his hand and a friendly grin. "Tis alright, lass, you didn't know, is all."
"Still …" she managed, blushing furiously in embarrassment and shame. What did you say after snapping at a blind person because he didn't look at you? She had no idea; even the very thought mortified her. Casting about for something to say, she remembered what had been running through her mind prior to Darius' revelation. "So … you work for the Goblin King …" she said carefully, waiting for him to nod affirmatively before continuing; "But you're helping me. At least, you say you are. Ostensibly, this would make you on my side – but anyone who works for the Goblin King cannot be on my side." She finished her sentence firmly, crossing her arms and waiting for his reaction.
He frowned, obviously puzzled. "Well … if you don't mind my askin', Sarah-" she noted vaguely that he pronounced her name by elongating the first syllable, not rolling the 'r' like Ja – like the Goblin King had; "-why, exactly, can I not be workin' for Jareth and still be on your side? Beg pardon an' all, but it doesn't seem like so much of a quandary t' me."
She stared at him incredulously for a moment, before remembering he couldn't see it and giving voice to her skepticism. "He's the Goblin King. I'm a mortal. The mortal, in fact, who defeated him! I very much doubt he's taken kindly to me, even if it were possible for the King of Goblins to take kindly to anything!"
"Now what, exactly, do you mean by that?" Darius asked calmly – but it seemed to Sarah that the calm hid something rather more dangerous behind it.
Ignoring this sense – if she had faced down Goblin Kings, she could certainly face down Mr. Darius Stoneclaw – she continued stubbornly, "I mean he's the Goblin King. He's cruel, wicked, merciless and heartless, he's-"
"The villain?" Darius interrupted. The sense of alien otherness that had overtaken her with Annora and Gwydion resurfaced, though not quite so intense now – and not quite so terrifying – as she realized that Darius himself had to be one of the Fae, or some other magical creature, if he served Jareth.
"Have you still not gotten past the game you played?" he asked her incredulously, surprise covering his dark face. "You haven't," he stated in frustration when she didn't answer. "Sarah, haven't you thought about what Jareth told you at all in the last three years an' so? You wanted an adventure; you wanted to be the heroine. A heroine needs a villain, so he took it upon himself to take th' role. But tha's all it was, a role t' play!"
"No, it wasn't!" Sarah snapped back, not wanting to listen to the words that sounded so very much like the guilty, nagging voice at the very back of her head. "He took things too far, he's never been anything but a villain all his life!"
"And ye've known him tha' long, have ye?" he demanded harshly. "Well, I suppose you, who knew him fer all o' thirteen hours an' wasna e'en with him for a quarter o' tha', know him sae much better'n I, who's known him for centuries by mortal ken! No, I canna possibly know him better'n ye, Sarah, no' a chance in th' world!"
They both broke off and seethed at each other angrily for what seemed like hours. Merlin began whining after a few moments, however, upset because his mistress was so angry.
It was Darius who calmed down first, sighing deeply, all his anger and tension seeming to leave him along with the deep breath. "Sarah," he began gently, "I truly am on your side. And I truly do serve the King of Goblins. I know your history with him isna the best, but I need you t' trust me a wee bit." He ended with his voice nearly a whisper, entreating her to listen.
After a long pause, Sarah took a breath and replied with a question. "Why … did you defend him like that?" she asked carefully. "Because he's your ruler? Because you'd get in trouble if you didn't?"
Darius cocked his head, shadows falling darkly across his brown face. "Because he's my friend," was the simple reply. "An' I need no other reason than that."
"… Okay," she finally said heavily, deciding that she had no choice but to trust him – whoever this strange person was. "Okay. I'll trust you. A little. But," and now she peered up at him through the shadows of dawn, "if you don't mind my asking … what are you?"
The corners of Darius' mouth quirked upwards, hinting at another smile. "I could tell you," he began, the good humor beginning to return to his voice; "but the name would make no sense t' you. My people don't figure greatly in th' legends of your world."
"But-" Sarah began, only to be cut off by a raised finger. "However," he continued after a moment; "If you'll allow me, I'll remove the glamour draped about me and show t' you what I am."
"…All right," Sarah replied, hesitating only a moment.
Darius reached upwards and slowly removed the large, wide-brimmed hat from his head, revealing a rather handsome, dark-brown face framed by long, shoulder-length locks of black hair. In the growing light Sarah could just make out a faint scar, nearly healed by time, running across and through his eyes, which were a clouded gold.
For a moment, his outline shimmered and blurred, bending with some strange, unearthly light, before resettling into a crisp, clear image once again – an image that made Sarah gawk in wonder.
It was him! The cat-like creature she had drawn yesterday afternoon – what felt like a lifetime ago, now. His large, cat-like ears twitched as she gasped softly, his mouth opening in a broad, amused smile that revealed long, white canines, just like her drawing. He allowed her to gape for a minute longer before placing the hat over his head, the illusion – glamour, as he'd called it – falling over him once more. This time, though, Sarah could clearly see the faint shimmerings of light flickering around the edges of his form, belying his apparently human exterior.
"My people call themselves kieran," Darius offered after a moment of silence between them had settled. "But we're more commonly known as 'cat-hawks' – like how humans are mostly referred to as mortals, though they're not the only mortal race there is."
Sarah blinked – this was the first she'd heard of other races existing who weren't 'immortal' in the sense that the Fae were – immune to age and disease, living for uncountable ages. "Really?" she queried, interested in spite of her resolve to remain on her guard around Darius Stoneclaw. "Humans aren't the only mortals?"
He sent an incredulous look in her general direction. "Truly, miss, did you honestly expect a world with so many races and creatures would have only one race that's what you term 'mortal'?" His look softened slightly as she cleared her throat in embarrassment – actually, she hadn't thought about it that much at all. She had simply assumed – something she should have learned not to do so much after her time in the Labyrinth.
"I was mortal, once," he added, almost as an afterthought. "Not really sure what I am, anymore. Living in th' heart of the Labyrinth tends to alter a person more'n a bit."
Sarah rubbed her hands briskly up and down her arms against a sudden chill – a chill that had come at the thought of the Labyrinth altering someone so much that they could no longer be termed as 'mortal'. It reminded her too much of Jareth's ominous threats to turn Toby into a goblin. "Even if you don't want to be changed," she murmured to herself.
Somehow, Darius caught the remark – though, she told herself later, she shouldn't be surprised, considering how large his ears really were. "It is naeone's choice if they wan' t'be changed or no," he told her softly. "After all, it changed you, and I don't think you've regretted the change, lest I've not been readin' you aright. But then, most everything changes everything else, so I don't know why you're so surprised."
"I suppose," Sarah mumbled, somehow reluctant to admit how much she appreciated the changes the Labyrinth had wrought on her spoiled, teenaged self.
Darius cleared his throat quite suddenly, abruptly uncomfortable with the contemplative moment. He reached up and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, seemingly searching for something to say. "Well, I suppose I'd best be off then," he said finally, glancing off to the left of Sarah in his uncertainty. "I, ah … hope ye'll think about what I told ye, about Jareth …"
"Wait," Sarah started, fumbling for a moment before continuing, knowing that if she stopped to think about what she was about to do, she'd never manage it; "I … um, that is … I mean … would you like some … tea?" She finished her sentence rather desperately, knowing she was grasping at straws – but grasping for what, she wasn't quite sure.
He gave her a blank look – his aim was quite good for a blind person, she noted distractedly. "Tea?" he repeated after a moment.
"Er … yes. Tea." Mentally, she began beating herself about the head for not coming up with a better reply.
He paused for a moment, frowning thoughtfully at her. Merlin whined anxiously as Sarah waited for an answer, his long tail thumping agitatedly against her leg. Suddenly, Darius grinned – a broad, open grin that was startlingly white against his dark face. "Sure," he chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Sure, I'd love some tea."
"Good," she said, returning his smile with one of her own, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Um … how do you … ah …"
"I know the way to your house well enough," he interrupted, thankfully cutting off her embarrassed stuttering. "Unless you think a shop will be open at this hour …"
"No! No, no, we're going to my house," she assured him hastily. Inside her head, a small voice was shrilling insistently at her, demanding that she get a grip, now. What was she thinking, inviting yet another Fae into her house, her home? Did she want to … to … she frowned pensively. Just what, exactly, was she afraid of? Of going back to the Labyrinth? Of being kidnapped by someone like … like Gwydion? Of seeing her old friends in their home again, of seeing a wonderful, magical land again?
Of losing control of her life again?
She shook herself briskly, shoving her troublesome thoughts to the back of her mind. "Okay, then," she said, starting off towards her house, Darius walking beside her. Merlin trotted between them, pausing every once in a while to sniff intently at the kieran before whining and continuing on.
They spent a few minutes like this, in awkward silence that seemed to Sarah more oppressive by the moment. She fidgeted, biting her lower lip and twisting her gloved hands together, throwing glances towards Darius every once in a while, searching for something, anything, to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Darius," she suddenly burst out, causing him to glance her way, a surprised look on his face. "How did … I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but … ah, how did you … um …"
"How was I blinded?" he finished calmly, giving her a friendly grin. She blushed furiously, ashamed – it really wasn't her place to pry.
"Ah – yes," she admitted, eyes fixed on the sidewalk before her. "Actually – yes."
He was silent for a few moments more, causing her to shift awkwardly, wishing she hadn't said anything at all. "It was about five years or so back," he said suddenly, startling her. "By your terms, that is – normally, we don't move by a mortal clock, but your … interaction, I suppose, with us has … made our time a mite more unpredictable than usual. Any interaction Aboveground seems to … ground us, I suppose, though I try not to get into the technicalities of the whole thing – they make my head ache."
"I was … I don't know what you'd call it – on border patrol? We try to keep an eye on the places where our boundaries border with another kingdom's … you never know who might cross over, or what they might want. But … it was nearing twilight, I was distracted, and I'm not as at home in marshes and bogs as I probably ought t' be. I never saw who did it – all I remember is this bright flash of light, burning … probably some magic weapon … pain, of course, and then everything was darkness. I know it was a kelpie – I could smell that much, they have a distinct scent; though it was much disguised by the marsh … they come from marshes, y'see."
"Strange thing is, whoever did it never came back t' finish the job. It's fell strange, really; if ye're an enemy of the Goblin Kingdom, and manage to successfully ambush the king's second-in-command, why stop at just blindin' me? Why not just kill me? But that was all – one strike an' they were gone." He shook his head, frowning deeply. "Somethin' just seems fell mismack wi' th' whole thing – I dinna like it. But it's been five years now, an' nothin's come o' it yet."
Sarah was silent for a moment, mulling his story – and the implications of his actually telling it – over in her mind. "You know, you didn't need to tell me that," she said finally, quietly, chancing a look over at his face – it was troubled, and thoughtful.
"I know," he replied, just as quiet. "I know."
For a while, the only noises were the sounds of their footsteps, Merlin's nails clacking against the pavement, and the tapping of Darius' cane. This time, however, the silence was not nearly so oppressive – in fact, it was almost comfortable, though Sarah was a bit uneasy with the thought of feeling at comfortable in the company of any Fae, once mortal or no. Besides, she had things to think about, now more than ever – he'd called himself the "second-in-command" of the Goblin Kingdom, after all. That had thrown her for a loop. Why was he – someone of obvious importance in the Labyrinth – the one relegated to be her body-guard? Why not someone under him? Why …?
As much as she wanted to deny it, it seemed that there was some actual concern on Jareth's part for her well-being … and for some reason, that did not unnerve her as much as it should have.
Merlin woofed softly, bringing her back to the present, and she realized that they had reached her house. "Oh – we're here," she told Darius, fumbling in her pockets for the key. "Watch it – we've got stairs," she added, automatically reaching out and grabbing his elbow, steering him onto the narrow stairwell. He nodded his thanks as she hurriedly unlocked the door and shoved Merlin inside. "Come on in," she called, figuring that that was as good an invitation as any; "The hallway's clear, just watch out for the rug."
He walked inside with only a touch of hesitation, standing in the middle of the hall, waiting for her to finish hanging up her things. "Here," she said when she was finished, "give me your coat and hat – I'll hang them up for you."
He handed them to her with a hint of a grin, revealing a large, dark-green sweater and brown trousers made of some material that Sarah didn't recognize. She raised her eyebrows over his attire. "You wear normal clothes?" she asked as she draped his things over the coat rack.
He shook his head, now truly smiling. "Not usually," he admitted, "but I didn't want to call attention to myself if I could avoid it – you never know who might have a drop o' the Sight and notice something off."
She laughed slightly. "No, I guess not. Here, the kitchen's this way …" She took him by the elbow once again, and was surprised when he didn't protest, but allowed himself to be lead into the kitchen, which was warm and toasty after the chill of the winter morning. She showed him to the table, and then turned to fill the kettle from the sink as he seated himself, leaning the cane against a nearby wall. "What kind of tea do you like?" she asked, placing the kettle on the stove and opening a cupboard door to reveal her choices. "We have chamomile, green tea, peppermint, Earl Grey, black raspberry …"
"Peppermint, please," he replied, listening as she pulled out two cups and the box of tea bags before hunting for a clean spoon.
"Sugar or no sugar?"
"One spoonful."
"'Kay." She dropped one spoonful of sugar into his cup, and three into hers – she needed the sugar-shock, this early in the day.
Darius rested his arm on the table, frowning as it wobbled slightly. "D'ye know your table's broken?" he asked her, grasping the edge in his hand and shaking it again.
"I know." She sighed as she sat down in the chair beside him. "We haven't had time to fix it, lately. It's … been a rough year."
Darius rapped the table with his knuckles, once, twice. "It's a good table," he told her in all seriousness. "Sturdy. Shouldn't take much to fix it. Made of good wood – none o' that imitation grummel you humans use so much."
She smiled. "'Grummel'. I like that. Means garbage, right?"
"Aye." He nodded, grinning at her. "Jareth gets sair bothered when I talk like that – can't understand a word o' it. Quite funny, truth be told."
Sarah tried, and failed, to see Jareth, the imposing Goblin King, getting flustered over a few Scottish words. "He doesn't quite fit my idea of 'funny'," she replied. "Strange, perhaps. Peculiar. Bizarre."
Darius laughed, a sound that startled her – it was a strange cross between a nice baritone and a strange kind of … almost purring sound. Obviously, the glamour didn't disguise what he sounded like … though she supposed it made a strange kind of sense, remembering his many cat-like features. And it was actually quite a nice laugh, once she got past the initial strangeness of it. "Oh, if I could only see Jareth's face if he ever heard ye callin' him all those things," he laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "It'd be quite a sight t'see – he isn't used t' anyone but me callin' him such names."
Sarah couldn't withhold an incredulous snort at the thought of her ever calling the Goblin King all those names, and coming out of the encounter alive and in possession of all her normal extremities. "I don't think the Goblin King and I are on pleasant enough terms to be calling one another names and both walk out of the room intact," she informed the kieran dryly. "Chucking various heavy and sharp-edged objects at one another, now, that's another story …"
Darius opened his mouth, about to say something, but cut himself off abruptly, head turning towards the second doorway of the kitchen. Sarah, puzzled, turned around in her chair, only to freeze in sudden horror as she realized what had silenced him so abruptly …
Karen was standing in the kitchen doorway in her bathrobe and slippers, staring at the strange young man sitting at her kitchen table.
A/N: Yes, I really am that evil. My first cliff-hanger ever - you like? More like "despise", but, hey ...
STUPENDOUS CONTEST! MARVELOUS CONTEST! Two of my original characters introduced in this story are related. Can you guess who? Whoever guesses correctly will be entitled to this - my writing one original one-shot, in the Labyrinth fandom, of any pairing of characters of your choice, including all of my OC's. The pairing may be romantic or friendly, and may be het (guy/girl), slash (guy/guy) or femslash (girl/girl) - your choice. I, however, will determine the intensity of the pairing if it is romantic (e.g., I don't write lime, lemon, or any kind of explicit thing, so don't even bother asking.) Also, no incest.
And now, to my reviewers, who have waited for a whole year for this moment:
E. Harper - Thank you so so much! You have no idea how much that means to me. Also, thank you for pointing out that little error in the first chapter - if you check now, you'll notice it's fixed! And, maybe Gwydion's name sounds familiar because it is a popular fantasy name? (It sounds familiar to me, too, that's why I picked it - I go to a baby-naming website for all my character names.)
Ridel - I'm delighted you like the story so much. I very much hope you survived the wait for this chapter - honest to god, I was working on the story the whole time... it's so much better now ... anyway, here's hoping the next wait won't be nearly so long!
your little brother - How did you find this? Why are you reviewing when you live with me ...? (yes, this reviewer really is my little brother. I have confirmed it.) Thankies, tho.
offbeat musician - Yes! I'm continuing! I swear! I'll never, ever, ever leave off so long again! I'm so happy you like this so much. It's going places, finally - I'm so happy!
Until next time! (Not a year again, not even close ...)