Labyrinth

 

Chapter 1: Into the Labyrinth

            “I what?” she was aghast.

“You wished it.” He repeated, pulling back to a comfortable distance.

            “No,” she shook her head vehemently, “I didn’t.”

            “Yes, you did.  You said,” at this he tilted his voice, flipping his hair in a vague impression of a teenage girl and bringing his voice to a higher pitch, “’I wish you would just GO AWAY!’”  When he finished he resumed his earlier pose, staring at her pointedly as if daring her to deny it.

            She couldn’t.

“Alright,” she agreed, “I said it.  But I obviously didn’t mean it.  I mean, he’s my brother!  He annoys me, but I love him.”

            “Oh…” Inuyasha looked away, shifting slightly as though he were uncomfortable.

            Kagome gave a half smile, glad to have made her point, and settled back down on the bed, folding her hands primly in her lap.  “So… may I have him back now?”

            That squirm again.  It was starting to make her uneasy, “About that…” he trailed off, glancing at her from the corner of his eye before shifting so that his back was fully to her, “No.” the last word was spoken quietly, muffled as his chin dropped to his chest.

            “What did you say?”

            “No! No, you can’t have him back!” his shout was defensive, and his ears had flattened against his head.

            Kagome was in shock – shock that was quickly replaced by irritation.  For a moment she forgot about the fact that he had claws instead of nails, forgot the fangs she had seen gleam when he spoke, forgot that from the looks of this guy he could probably bench press two of her, right now he was standing between her and her little brother and her own safety be hanged she was going to find him!  Kagome grabbed the ‘goblin king’, or whatever he actually was, by the shoulders and jerked him around to face her.  Sticking her face mere inches from his she ground out, “what do you mean ‘no’?  Give him back you jerk!”

            He just stared at her, overwhelmed by her proximity, and then shook himself, pulling out of her grasp.  “I can’t!”

            “And why the heck not!” she had risen to her feet, yelling down at him.  Feeling at a distinct disadvantage, despite her fragile frame, he quickly stood as well, forcing her to step back or be knocked over.

            “Because – because!!!  I don’t know why!” he growled in frustration, raking strong, sculpted hands through his hair, “I just… can’t.” he finished weakly.

            Kagome was near frantic, “You can’t?  There has to be something you can do! I mean, you took him!  You can get him back!”

            He shook his head, his eyes clouded over, “I can’t.  It isn’t possible because…” his voice fell to a murmur again, “he’s in the Labyrinth.” He winced as he spoke the last word, as if expecting her to strike him.

            Kagome was confused.  Obviously he expected this to be some kind of huge revelation… but it meant nothing to her.  “So?” she asked in confusion.

            “So?” he looked incredulous, “so, no one just leaves the Labyrinth.  It isn’t possible.  Someone has to go get him.”

            “Then go get him!” she demanded.

            “I can’t go get him! It has to be someone who wants him back.  Someone who cares about him.  It will have to be,” he paused, wincing once more, “it would have to be…”

            “Me.” She breathed, her chest tightening.  “I have to go?”

            He nodded mournfully.

            “Can you come with me?”

            He looked up at her, startled.

            “Not that I want you to go with me,” she hastily corrected, “it’s just that I don’t know anything about the Labyrinth… and… you do.”

            His gaze, confused a moment before, was suddenly stony. “No.” he said shortly.  “I can’t go with you.  I can’t help you, and I wouldn’t if I could!”

            “Why not?” she asked, exasperated.

            “Because the last time I did what you wanted you got mad at me!  And I don’t like it when you’re mad at me!  So you can do this on your own – and if you ever decide what it is you actually want, come and see me at the center of the Labyrinth.”  And then he was gone and Kagome was left to stare at the spot in which he had last stood in utter confusion.

            What exactly did all of that mean?  Why did he care what she wanted, and why did he talk as if he knew her?  And what did he mean he would be in the center of the Labyrinth?  Then she remembered his earlier comment about her brother being in his home.

            He lived in the Labyrinth?!

            And he still wouldn’t help her.

            As she stood there fuming and trying to figure out how she was going to save her brother by herself she suddenly realized something very important.

            “You JERK!!! I don’t even know how to find the Labyrinth!”  she could have sworn she heard a distinct snort, and then she was falling…

 

***

 

            Kagome reflected that she did not enjoy the sensation of falling.  At all.  But, as it turned out, that was irrelevant, because mere moments after she thought this she landed with an abrupt thump.

            “Great, just great.” She muttered, pushing herself to her feet and attempting to brush off her backside.  All around her was sand and scraggly brush, and the sun was shining too brightly though it wasn’t overly hot.   “Just how I wanted to spend my evening.”

            “Is it now?” a voice inquired pleasantly, “Well, you’re a strange kid. But – different strokes for different folks, as I always say.”

            Kagome whirled around in confusion but, once again, saw no one.  This was becoming an annoyingly frequent event.

            “Who said that?”

            “I did.”

            Kagome looked around once more, but all she could see was a wall.  And a gate with a huge knocker.

            “Where are you?” she tried a different angle.

            “Right in front of you.”

            And the only reason this helped her at all was that she happened to be staring right at the gate when the words were spoken.  Kagome stepped closer cautiously because she was almost certain that the door knocker had just spoken to her.

            “Umm… who are you?” Kagome was feeling just a little silly.  After all, she was talking to a door.

            “The gate to the Labyrinth.”

            “Oh,” Kagome looked around uncertainly, but then she decided this might be a rare stroke of luck.  After all, she did need to get into the Labyrinth.  She took a step forward, only to be halted by the voice of the gate.

            “And where do you think you’re going?” it asked crossly.

            “Inside?” she asked hopefully.

            “Hn!  Not likely!” the gate told her.

            Kagome took a step back and crossed her arms, glaring at it, “And why not?”    

            “You don’t just walk in the gate to Labyrinth city!”

            “But isn’t that what gates are for?” she asked, confused.  “I mean, gates open to let people in to someplace.”

            “No.  They close to keep people out.” The gate corrected primly.

            Kagome was a bit nonplussed.  “Well, then how do I get in?” she finally asked.

            “You don’t.” it answered shortly and then clamped its brass lips firmly shut.

            It took Kagome several moments to comprehend this last statement, and when she did she was not pleased. “What do you mean, I don’t?” she demanded.  “I need to get in there!”

            The gate did not acknowledge her.

            Kagome fumed.  This night was going from bad to worse.

            Kagome took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. “Please let me in?” she asked sweetly.

            The gate gave a fairly decent imitation of shaking its head.  This time Kagome counted backwards from twenty.

            “Why not?” she asked through clenched teeth.

            And the gate – the gate had the audacity to stick its brass tongue through brass lips and blow her a raspberry!

            Her jaw nearly dropped.  “Fine then you- you – brass trimmed two year- old!  I’ll find another way in!”  and away she stomped.

            “Stupid… can’t believe it did that… of all the… immature little… hate this day…” Kagome muttered to herself as she followed around the wall.  After several minutes she stopped.  She didn’t seem to be getting any closer to the corner of the wall.  Deciding to test this theory she deliberately kept her eye trained on the corner and counted her steps forward.  After four hundred steps it was just as far away as ever.  Turning around she stomped back toward her starting point at the center gate and was surprised to see that she actually made it there and from that point the corner was further than it had been.  She decided that maybe the wall only moved in one direction, so she tried heading toward the other corner, but after the first hundred yards or so she realized that though she was getting further from the center, she was no closer to the end.

            Frustrated she stomped back to the gate.  Glaring at the gate, which had its eyes closed, she stuck out her tongue.  “I hate you.” She told it emotionlessly.  The gate chose to ignore her.

            After a few moments, in which her mind conjured up some fantastical but impossible methods of forcing the gate to let her in, she sat down in a huff and crossed her arms.  Then she just stared at the gate.  After several minutes it opened one eye and rolled it sideways to look at her.

            “Stop staring at me.”

            Kagome almost smirked, “I’m not staring at you.  Go away.” She told it.

            The gate opened its other eye so that it could roll them both.  “Whatever.” And then the eyes were closed again and she was being ignored.

            Kagome was a little disappointed that the gate was not more affected by her obvious ire.

            “Stupid door.” She muttered before pulling her knees up and folding her arms over them.  She let her chin fall to rest on her hands and fell into silence.  For a very long time she just sat there staring at the gate.  She wasn’t thinking, although she knew she should have been working on a plan.  She just couldn’t seem to focus on anything.  So she didn’t.  She just sat, staring ahead at the gate.

            After what must have been half an hour a small turtle-esque creature drudged listlessly by her.  It approached the gate silently and stopped before it.  The gate swung open soundlessly and the creature wearily continued its journey inside.  The gate swung closed again with a loud click.

            Kagome sat up sharply, the sudden movement jarring her back, “You just let him in!” she said accusingly.

            “Of course,” the gate said, its tone giving her the impression of a casual shrug.  At least it was looking at her again.

            “B-but - why!” she sputtered.

            The gate looked at her as though she had lost her mind, “because he didn’t want to get in, obviously.”

            “Now what kind of sense does that make?” Kagome snapped.

            “Perfect sense.” The gate answered smugly. Then closed its eyes, apparently intent on ignoring her once more.

            Kagome just gaped at it.  What kind of crazy place was this?

            She tilted her head, thinking.  Casually she approached the gate, which opened one eye to watch her suspiciously.

            “I don’t want in.” Kagome said, clasping her hands behind her back.

            The gate laughed, “Of course you do.”

            She shook her head, “No, really, I don’t.”

           The gate seemed to consider this, and then it smiled unpleasantly, “Good.  Then go away.” It closed its eyes firmly once more, clearly dismissing her.

            Kagome opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it soundlessly.  She turned and stomped a few steps away and then let out a frustrated shout.  She could have sworn the gate laughed at her, but when she whipped around it remained impassive.  Kagome glared at it for a moment before stomping off toward the far corner.  She had wasted enough time today.

            Not that trying to get around the wall had done much good before. She shook her head, trying to think clearly. So maybe she couldn’t reach the corner, but she might be able to climb over the wall.  Of course, she wasn’t about to try it in front of that wretched gate and have it laugh at her all day.

            When she was far enough away that she could no longer see the gate Kagome looked around nervously.  Seeing no one she got right up against the wall and raised her arms over her head.  It was no good.  Even on tiptoe she couldn’t reach the top.  She gave a few futile hops, but then realized she was never going to be able to grasp the lip of the wall.  It had to be at least ten feet tall.

            That didn’t mean she could stop trying though.  She had to get her brother back before their mother got home.

            Gathering her courage, and her breath, she stepped back and then ran toward the wall, springing into the air at the last moment.  All she gained was a sore nose and scuffed palms.  Still, she couldn’t give up, so she backed up once more.

            Before she could start towards the wall again a voice interrupted her.

“It’s no use.” The voice had a roughly British lilt to it.  Kagome should have been shocked – she had thought she was alone - but she was becoming fairly used to this by now and she didn’t even bother looking for the speaker before responding.

“Do tell?” she asked sarcastically.

“No, no, won’t do a bit of good,” the voice continued, as if she hadn’t just insulted it, “You’ll just have to feel your way through.”

“Feel my way through?” she asked incredulously, “What are you - a jedi?”

“Yessir, that’s the only answer to the Labyrinth.” The speaker may as well have been deaf for all the attention it paid to her.

Kagome, for her part, was getting frustrated.  “Will you quite saying that?” she snapped, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Just feel your way-”

“Will you just shut-” Kagome’s angry comment was cut off abruptly by her startled yelp as she attempted to bang the wall in frustration and instead fell through it.

 Confused she looked hastily to either side as she righted herself.

“Tell me it wasn’t that easy!” she groaned.

“But it was.” The voice of the creature chortled gleefully.

            She turned to snap at it and realized that she could see out into the wilderness she had come from.

            “What the?” she reached out and her hand passed through the space.  Moving her hand to the wall that she could see on either side of the gap she found it to be very solid.

            “Just an illusion.” She whispered.

            “Much more to the Labyrinth than meets the eye.” The creature sing-songed in its broken accent, “slight of hand and trick of the mind’s eye!” it continued.

            Kagome didn’t bother responding.  She just headed down the Labyrinth wall, now feeling for openings along the wall which would lead her further in, and praying she would reach no dead ends.

 

***

 

            The further Kagome traveled into the Labyrinth, the more familiar it became.  And it wasn’t just that she had seen the same pattern of stone for what felt like days.  Kagome was beginning to recognize the story.  It was “Labyrinth”, one of her favorite movies.  In fact, it had been the one she was watching before she had gone up to check on Souta.  Granted there were a few differences.  Inuyasha was no David Bowie.  But the overall plot seemed to be the same.  Once she recognized this fact she felt more confident.  Maybe all she had to do was remember the movie and she could get through this.

            Unfortunately she hadn’t seen the movie in some years and she’d only been about ten minutes into it tonight when she had shut it off.  Her memory was a bit hazy.  Besides, she already knew it wasn’t an exact mock up.

            Still, the pitfalls seemed to be similar, if she could just remember them before she got to them…

            “Hmmmmmmmmmmm…”

            Kagome didn’t jump at the voice that came from nowhere.  What was the point?  Voices coming from nowhere seemed par for the course in this place.  So Kagome just kept walking.

But when the voice started laughing Kagome got a little upset.  And who could blame her?  She had wanted to spend the evening in a cinema with friends; instead she was tromping through a crazy, mixed-up, quite possibly dangerous, and certainly very hot and stuffy, maze.  She was tired, thirsty, hungry, irritated, and probably looked like she’d endured the better part of a sandstorm.  Kagome was not in a good mood.  And having someone laugh at her was not making her feel any better.

“What is your problem!” she snapped, abruptly coming to a halt.

“Problem?” the voice questioned with amusement, “I don’t have a problem.  What’s your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem!” she said tersely.  Alright, so that wasn’t entirely true.  In fact, it wasn’t even remotely true. Kagome had problems coming out of her ears, but she wasn’t about to tell that to the voice from nowhere.

“I think you’re lying!” she could hear the grin in that sing-song tone.  And then she didn’t have to hear it, because she could see it too.

Only, that was all she could see.

There in front of her, floating just above eye level was a grinning set of… teeth.

Kagome almost groaned in frustration.  Planting her hands on her hips she tilted her head to one side and asked sarcastically, “Isn’t that the wrong movie?  I don’t do the whole ‘Alice in Wonderland’ thing.”

The grin faded a bit and bit by bit a whole body appeared.  With a small *pop* noise the whole creature was suddenly visible and flipped onto the ground.

“Sorry.” It apologized, “I couldn’t help myself.  I love that story!”

Kagome was momentarily stunned.  The creature before her appeared to be a very young child.  His auburn hair was pulled back in a short ponytail high on his head, and he wore feudal era clothing.  At first glance he almost looked human, but then one noticed the way his ears came to a point at the top, and if one looked further down (which wasn’t difficult as he was probably all of two feet tall) one would notice tiny fox feet, and a tail of a different kind altogether than the one on his head.  Clearly the child was a kitsune – a fox demon.

“If you’re just going to stare at me all day, I’m leaving.” The child groused, and Kagome shook herself.

“Sorry.” She attempted a smile, “you surprised me a little.”

The kit rolled his eyes, “Well, obviously.” In one quick movement he had leaped onto her shoulder and grasped the cloth of her shirt, “I’m Shippo!  I’m an orphan.  Who are you?”

Once again caught off guard Kagome struggled to look at the little demon clinging to her back.

“I’m Kagome, and I’m looking for someone.”

“Who?” he asked curiously, peering closely at her face.

“Umm… my little brother.” She confessed.

“Can I come?” he sounded hopeful.

“Why would you want to?”

He thought about this for a moment before chirping, “I’m bored!”

Kagome considered him.  He seemed to know something about this place.  At least, he didn’t look confused, but he was just a kid…

He must have seen her uncertainty because he suddenly adopted a pleading expression, “Please! I’ll be good.  I won’t whine, or complain, and I know all about this place!  Like how there’s a dog-eared guy who lives in a castle at the middle of the Labyrinth, and a-”

“Wait,” with some difficulty Kagome held up a hand between them, “You’ve seen the center of the Labyrinth?”

“I can help you.” He insisted. 

That sealed it.  If the kid had been to the center of the Labyrinth he could help her get to it.

“You help me get through this maze and you can stay as long as you like.” Kagome told him, “Deal?” she stuck out her hand to shake and he took it.

“Deal.” He grinned and then hopped off her shoulder and started running before her, “You won’t regret this!” he called over his shoulder.

Kagome shook her head with a small smile and followed after him.  It was not until much later that she remembered he had never really answered her question about seeing the center of the Labyrinth.  And she would indeed regret it.