Labyrinth

Ianto struggled to block out Rose’s grumbling as the two proceeded through a section of the Labyrinth that looked like a English Castle garden maze. Rose was whining and complaining, all the while trying to get Ianto to turn around and just give up.

“Its not fair, I’ve never had to deal with such a stubborn man!” Rose huffed as the two rounded a corner and Ianto heard a horribly familiar sound, which caused Rose to squeak in surprise and fear.

“That’s a Weevil!” Ianto whispered, before peaking around the corner of the hedge maze… there, suspended from a tree by a sort of rope trap, was a weevil. It was being tormented by a group of goblins who were armed with sticks on top of which were strange little creatures that looked liked a cross between a piranha and a hairless monkey.

This weevil didn’t seem like the ones which Ianto had hunted with Jack and the Team in Cardiff… this one actually seemed like some sort of gentle giant. Without really finding why, Ianto found himself throwing stones at the goblins. He managed to knock one’s helmet around, which caused a sort of chain reaction which ended with the goblins running off in chaos and confusion.

The weevil shifted to look at Ianto, and it made a strange sort of crooning noise… and it almost looked like it was smiling at him! “Tame weevils…” Ianto sighed, before moving over to try and help the weevil down. “Whatever will I see next?”

Rose, who had been leaning against the wall while Ianto freed the weevil, sneered. “Those things normally roam around the outside of the Labyrinth… I can’t imagine why one should be here!”

The weevil managed to slip lose of it’s ropes and crashed to the ground, where it quickly got on it’s feet and moved over to Ianto… before nuzzling against the Welshman’s side like it was a large cat.

Ianto looked down at the weevil and sighed. “Hello, I don’t suppose you’ve got a name… do you?” The weevil tilted it’s head to one side, like a curious puppy. “I guess not. Should I be like Jack and call you Janet?”

The weevil squeaked happily as Rose shook her head in disgust. “I had a perfectly good life on the outside of the Labyrinth… I’ve got no idea why I decided to follow you!”

“Janet… you don’t happen to know the way to the center of the Labyrinth, do you?” Ianto asked. The weevil seemed to whimper as it shook it’s head. “Well it was worth a shot. Come on, let’s get going.”

Neither Ianto or “Janet” noticed Rose lag behind them before she stopped completely… as if she was waiting for someone. Suddenly there was a sort of puff of smoke and Jareth appeared… once again he was wearing the Doctor’s face, but it was clear he was taking no joy in his disguise. “Why haven’t you lead him out of the Labyrinth?” Jareth asked as he leaned against a large stone, as if he didn’t have the strength to stand.

“I’ve been trying sir!” Rose protested, her eyes downcast. “But for every turn I get him to take he finds a way to turn his luck around!”

“You’re not trying to help him, are you?” The Goblin King asked, leveling a half-hearted glare at the young woman. “Now that would be stupid, after all my warnings…”

“Me? Help him? After all your warnings?” Rose suddenly smiled and leaned forward in an extremely sexual manner. “And give up everything you’ve promised me? Why would I do that?!?”

Jareth smiled, but it the emotion was clearly forced. He gently lifted up Rose’s chin, staring deeply into her eyes. “Remember ‘Rose’… this isn’t your true form. I don’t think you’d fancy being stuck like this…” the King gestured at ‘Rose’ and her appearance suddenly shifted into that of a woman who might once have been beautiful, but her entire body was marred by hideous scars and burns.

‘Rose’ shuddered and her hands flew up to hide her face. “My Lord I have never been anything other then your devoted servant!” She wailed, throwing herself on the ground before her King’s feet… not noticing that Jareth flinched away from her. “You took me away from those monsters, gave me purpose and now…” she glanced up at Jareth through her mane of unwashed hair, which did little to hide her eyes, which were nothing but two bloody holes dripping with blood. “Now you come to me and say that I can have the body which should have been mine? And that all I must do is keep one man away from your castle?”

“Oh poor, poor little one…” Jareth’s voice suddenly changed to a horrible mockery of a concerned and loving parent. “How wrong I was to question you.”

Another gesture of his hand, and the hideous true form of the young woman was replaced with Rose’s features. Slowly the woman drew herself up and looked at Jareth with a smile of pure adoration.

“My King,” she whispered as Jareth took out a glass orb, rolling it around in one hand for a few seconds before tossing it at Rose, who easily caught it. However, by the time it reached her hands the glass orb had changed into a peach. “What is this?” Rose asked, turning the peach over in her hands.

“It’s a present. Give it to Ianto Jones,” Jareth replied, turning away from Rose and walking away, only to suddenly stop and turn back. “Oh, and ‘Rose’…”

“Yes sir?”

“No matter what you look like on the outside, you can not change your true form.”

“I do not desire to change my true form,” Rose remarked. It sounded like she was struggling to keep from growling at her King. Jareth did not reply, instead he simply vanished with a swirl of smoke and glitter, while Rose rushed off to catch up with Ianto and Janet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ianto, Janet and ‘Rose’ were walking through a thick forest. The trees all around them were glittering, as if they contained hundreds and hundreds of tiny stars. After what seemed to be an eternity, the three came across what appeared to be a large stone wall… only to fall into a trap that lead them down, down, down a tunnel. When the group could see the light of day again, they found themselves suspended over a large swamp, the only thing keeping Ianto and Rose from falling in was Janet’s quick reflexes. Before Ianto could blink Janet had grabbed him and Rose and pulled them up on a narrow ledge.

“What is that?!?” Ianto gasped as he struggled not to breathe through his nose.

“The Bog of Eternal Stench!” Rose screeched. Ianto gagged as he raced towards a bridge that seemed to lead away from the swamp and towards the Castle. Rose and Janet followed close behind him.

“HALT!” a shrill voice screeched and a woman, wearing clothing that would have fit right in with the three musketeers stepped out in front of the group. She had fiery red hair which seemed to glow in the sunlight and was holding a staff in her left hand. On her head was a blue hat with a large puffy yellow feather. “Without my permission, no one may cross!” The woman exclaimed.

“But we need to get away from this stench!” Rose hissed, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at the other woman.

“I only have a little time left!” Ianto struggled not to yell at the young woman.

“I am sorry… but none may pass without my permission!” the woman repeated.

Ianto sighed and stepped forward, intending to just go around the woman but… “I worn thee, I am swore to do my duty!” the woman shrieked before leaping at Ianto, attempting to hit him with her staff… only to have Janet leap in front of Ianto and start to fight the woman.

After a short fight, during which the attack of the young woman seemed to annoy Janet rather then hurt ‘her’ very much… the woman took a step back and looked at Janet. “Enough! Before this day never have I met my match… yet this noble knight has fought me to a standstill!”

Ianto rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh at the young woman, while Rose just sighed and inspected her nails.

“I am Lady Donna… and I yield to thee Sir---”

“Lady Janet,” Ianto interrupted Donna.

“Then I yield to thee Lady Janet… and let us be sisters henceforth and fight for the right as one!” Janet seemed happy by the young woman’s announcement, and Ianto was about to try and cross once more, when Donna spoke up again. “I cannot let you pass. I have taken an oat, and I must defend it to the death.”

“What exactly have you sworn?” Ianto sighed, running a hand over his face.

“I have sworn with my lifeblood that no one shall pass this way…” Donna seemed to pause, as if for dramatic effect, before she continued. “… without my permission.”

“Well… may we have your permission?” Ianto asked, trying not to laugh at the confused look that Donna was now wearing.

“Well… yes?” Donna seemed stumped, but Ianto just smiled and crossed the rickety bridge, followed by Rose and Janet.

“Wait for me!” Donna cried out, grabbing her staff from where it had fallen on the ground during her fight with Janet and rushing across the bridge to follow Janet, Rose and Ianto. “I shall not abandon my dear sister!” Donna remarked, smiling at Janet, who made a happy sort of growl.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ianto sighed, not noticing Rose turning over a peach in her hands, a murderous look on her face. Rose stopped walking, letting the group go ahead of her, before turning towards the Castle, which as visible in the distance, surrounded by a thick layer of fog…

“Don’t worry my Lord, I won’t fail you!” Rose hissed, before running to keep up with Ianto and his friends.”

TBC