"STOP!"

Hotohori nearly jumped out of his own skin at the frantic scream, whirling so fast he almost fell over, the words he’d been about to speak dying in his throat as he caught sight of a frantic Yui sprinting toward him. "WAIT!" the girl screamed again. "Don’t say it! It isn’t the right answer!"

Hotohori opened his mouth to speak, couldn’t seem to find his voice, and closed it again as Yui stumbled to a halt before him, panting. "It isn’t right," the Miko gasped, hands on knees. "I know the answer. The real answer!"

"Yui…" Hotohori glanced at the Kelpie nervously. "Are you certain about this?"

"Yes," Yui replied. "It only just came to me! Please! Am I…am I too late? Did you already answer the riddle?"

"Let’s just say another two seconds and we’d be treading water…assuming you’re right," Hotohori replied ironically, crossing his arms. "You certainly like to cut things close, don’t you?"

Yui grinned at him. "Sorry. I wasn’t trying to give you a heart attack," she replied.

"What’s going on?" Nuriko called. "Are we dead or not?"

"Not yet," Hotohori replied. "Apparently Yui has come up with another answer now."

"But we already decided on…"

"Don’t say it!" Yui snapped, glaring at Suboshi, who looked startled and closed his mouth. "I know we decided, but we decided wrong! Please, you have to believe me! I know what the real answer is now!" She turned to Stormlight pleadingly. "Tell them! You know I know!"

The Kelpie stamped his foot. <<Dost thou have thine answer>> the deep voice asked impatiently.

"Just hold your hors…uh…just be patient," Stormlight amended hastily, gulping at the look the Kelpie fixed her with. "We’re getting there!"

"Let me answer. Please," Yui begged, looking at the emperor with pleading eyes.

Hotohori looked to Stormlight questioningly. She met his gaze and gave a single, barely discernible nod of her head. Hotohori nodded, as well, and stepped back. "I have no problem with Yui answering in my place," he announced. Then, with wry humor, "As long as you’re right, of course."

"Now wait a $@#& minute here!" Tasuki bellowed, starting forward, but was quickly restrained by Nuriko.

"Let the girl answer," the purple-haired Seishi growled, "or I’ll toss you into the lake myself!" Tasuki, appropriately cowed, slunk away to stand beside Chichiri, muttering to himself.

Yui didn’t wait for any more protests or agreement. She turned back to the Kelpie and said firmly, "The Essence of life, the thing immortals seek to gain, and the thing that mortals possess even after they die…is a soul."

The Kelpie blinked. <<Art thou certain of thine answer>> he asked impassively.

For the barest of moments, Yui hesitated. Was she absolutely sure? Peoples lives were at stake, after all. If she was wrong… But then she gathered her resolve about her and proclaimed, with all the dignity a Miko could claim, "I am certain."

There was absolute silence. Everyone held their breaths, and even the lake seemed to go still. Then, after countless agonizing moments, the Kelpie lowered its head in a gesture of respect and replied, <<Thine answer is correct, and so through this lake thou shalt pass without harm>>

Another moment of silence, and suddenly everyone erupted into shouts and cheers, slapping each other on the backs and congratulating themselves. Miaka squealed and jumped into Tamahome’s arms, letting him swing her around, and Tasuki, Nuriko, and even Suboshi linked arms and danced around the beach. The more dignified Seishi of both groups merely breathed sighs of relief. Stormlight patted Yui on the back and grinned at her, giving her a thumbs-up sign.

And Yui simply looked as though she would have liked to pass out.

Meanwhile, as everyone was busy celebrating, the Kelpie turned to face the lake, mane and tail flowing like spidersilk in the breeze that blew in off the water. Suddenly, with a loud whinny, he reared up, a magnificent specter gleaming pure black, outlined with fire by the rising sun. Then, with another thunderous cry that froze the elated group in its tracks, he brought his front legs down hard at the edge of the lake. As soon as polished hooves touched the pristine water, there was a great roar, as though a tidal wave had crashed against a cliff, and to everyone’s amazement the lake began to split in half, a path opening up before their startled eyes, shooting ahead straight as an arrow as the water divided itself into two towering, wavering walls.

The Seishi, of course, were completely awed by this spectacle, as were the two Miko. They had never seen anything like it before. Stormlight, however, merely rolled her eyes and shook her head, grinning wryly.

"I think somebody’s watched ‘The Prince of Egypt’ one too many times."

She wasn’t quite so snide as she walked through the passageway, however. She had to hand it to Jareth; even if he couldn’t be original, he certainly knew how to be impressive! This being a lake, there was nothing like coral growing along the bottom to have to climb over, although there were rock formations and plenty of plants, mostly of a kind that Stormlight was certain didn’t grow in her world. The Kelpie walked ahead of the group; he had given Yui the high honor of riding on his back, and she appeared to be deep in conversation with the river horse. Stormlight envied her, but she didn’t dispute the Miko’s right to be up there. After all, if it wasn’t for her, they’d all be drowning in this lake, not walking through it.

"Gaaak!" Tasuki suddenly yelped as a large form appeared from out of nowhere, looming huge and shadowy behind the wall of water. He leaped into Nuriko’s arms, who promptly dropped him on his butt. "What the hell is that thing?!" the bandit whined.

"A whale?" Miaka suggested, pausing to take a better look at the creature, who had appeared to have paused to take a better look at them. It swam closer, hesitated…and then stuck its head right out of the water, followed by a long neck.

"GYAAAAAAHHH!" everyone shrieked.

"Hey, it’s the Loch Ness Monster!" Stormlight exclaimed.

The creature, which was vaguely eel-like in appearance, with flippers and a head that resembled a dinosaur, or perhaps a salamander, looked down at the tiny invaders with something like curiosity, keening softly to itself in much the same manner that a whale sings. Then, apparently deciding that the visitors weren’t worth bothering with, it drew its head back into the water and swam away, its long, sinewy body flowing with liquid grace. In a moment it had vanished.

"Wow! That was so cool!" Miaka exclaimed. "Wasn’t it cute, Tamahome?"

"Cute isn’t exactly the way I’d describe it," Tamahome replied dryly. "More like big, monstrous, and ugly." Miaka made a face at him and smacked him across the head.

"Are we there yet?" Tasuki whined. "This place is giving me the creeps!"

"What’s the matter, Tasuki?" Stormlight teased. "Not a water person?"

"You keep yer big mouth shut," he retorted, earning an insulted glare from the Listian in return.

"Don’t you speak to Stormlight that way!" Surprisingly, it was Deedlit who rushed to her defense. She had been riding on Hotohori’s shoulder, as usual, but now she zipped to flit about the bandit’s face, pulling on his hair, his earrings…whatever she could get her tiny hands on. "You should learn how to speak to a lady!" she squealed.

"OW!" Tasuki howled, trying to escape the enraged pixie. "Get ‘er off me! Someone help! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"

Stormlight laughed as she watched the bandit being chased around by the six-inch-high fairy. It was quite an amusing scene, but finally she reached out and snagged Deedlit from mid-air, earning a high-pitched squeal of indignation. "That’s enough, Tinkerbell," she said dryly. "I think you made your point."

"Anyhow!" Tasuki added smugly. "Better listen to your creator, bug."

Deedlit stuck out her tongue at him, but Stormlight merely smiled and asked, "So what makes you think I was talking to her?" She let Deedlit go and ran, still grinning, to catch up with the rest of the group while he walked sulkily behind.

There, finally, was the far shore of the lake, and thus the end of their trek through the damp passage beneath it. They scrambled onto the shore, which was rocky rather than sandy, and bid the Kelpie farewell as it slipped silently back beneath the water. And now they faced a new challenge. Before them rose a towering forest, all thick and twisted and glittering with cool dampness. Stormlight frowned as she peered into the shadowed trees.

"Do you know where we are?"

She jumped; she hadn’t heard Hotohori slipping up behind her. Releasing a breath, she replied, "I think this must be the Fiery Forest."

"Is there a path to follow?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know. There was in the movie…but this might not even be the same forest. And I can’t see the walls of the Labyrinth or the castle anymore, so we could be anywhere. We might be miles from where we’re supposed to be." With a dejected sigh she sank down on a flat rock. "I’d kill for a compass and even a vague hint of which direction the castle lies," she added darkly.

"Why don’t you ask me?" Deedlit huffed, standing up and crossing her arms. "I know the way through!"

"You do?" Stormlight eyed her. "And how much blood do you want out of me to tell us where to go?"

"I’ll tell you because Hotohori needs to get through and I’ll do anything for him!" the fairy sniffed. Hotohori blinked and blushed faintly while Stormlight fought off the urge to laugh.

"Well, looks like you’ve got a new fangirl, Your Majesty," she teased. "But it’s kinda useful."

"Uh…" he replied, blinking rapidly.

She grinned and waved the fairy off his shoulder. "So make yourself useful now and lead us through this jungle," she commanded.

Deedlit tossed her silver hair and pointed into the forest. "There’s a path only a little way in," she said. "It will lead you back to the end of the stone maze in the Labyrinth."

"Wonderful! Well, no sense in wasting more time. Let’s keep walking."

"So exactly where is this path again?!" Tamahome complained half an hour later as the large group trudged through the overgrown woodland.

"That’s what I’d like to know," Stormlight grumbled, swatting away a trailing vine. "Deedlit, if you got us lost…"

"Quit whining!" the fairy sniffed. "I know what I’m doing! Just keep going!"

Stormlight huffed a sigh and pushed her hair out of her eyes, glancing at Nuriko, who walked beside her. "Next time I create a fairy muse, I’m gonna make sure I give her a sense of direction!" she swore.

Deedlit’s triumphant cry cut the conversation short. "There!" she squealed. "There’s the path! See? I told you I knew where it was!" She was quite proud of herself.

Stormlight sighed. "So what do you want, a medal?" she snorted as she stepped out of the trees and onto a wide dirt path, the soil packed down smoothly from many previous travelers. It looked more like a road than a path, and it made her wonder if there were any towns nearby that it led to. "Well, this is more like it!" She looked in one direction, then the next. "Which way do we go?"

Deedlit flitted down the path to the right. "This way! Follow me!" she called cheerfully. "We’ll be there in no time!"

The whole group seemed to be relieved to leave the forest and to be back in at least a somewhat open area, although trees did still surround them on both sides of the path, their branches intertwining to form a shady canopy above their heads. Moods seemed to pick up as they trod down the road, and a few low conversations began among some of the members, although both groups still kept basically to themselves.

Stormlight dropped back to walk beside Yui. "Say, what can you tell me about Miboshi?" she asked in a low voice.

"What?" Yui looked startled. "Why in the world do you want to know about him?"

Stormlight shrugged. "I’m just curious. Where did he come from? I know he isn’t a monk. He’s some kind of evil spirit. How did he wind up being a Seiryu Seishi?"

Yui glanced back at the small boy, who always kept to the rear of the group and never said anything. She leaned closer to Stormlight and confided, "I really don’t know. Nakago is the one who gathered all my Seishi, and I don’t know much about any of them." She shuddered faintly and added in a whisper, "I don’t like him much, though. He never does anything, but he gives me the creeps."

"Aren’t you afraid he might try to hurt you or something?" Stormlight asked.

"Well…" She smiled. "Let’s just say I’m glad that he’s on my side!"

"Don’t you mean that you’re on his side?" she pointed out, lifting an eyebrow ironically.

Yui grimaced. "Well, whatever side we’re on, I’m glad I’m not the enemy. He’d make a really tough opponent."

"I know," the Listian replied softly. "He’s responsible for the death of one of the Suzaku Seishi. Well…indirectly, anyway."

"Oh yeah? Who?" Yui asked curiously, perking up a little.

Stormlight glared. "Well, you don’t have to sound so callous about it!" she snapped. "These are people we’re talking about! Human beings! Do you really care so little for their lives?"

"They’re just characters in a book," Yui replied defensively.

"So? And that makes them any less people?" Stormlight hissed, glancing around to make sure nobody overheard. She was sorely tempted to tell Yui that she was nothing but an animated character in a Japanese television show in Stormlight’s world, but decided that it was better not to. If the Seishi ever found out about it—especially the Seiryu Seishi—she’d have some serious explaining to do. They might not be too thrilled with news, either, and she’d be a pretty good target to take out some frustrations on.

Yui blinked at her. "No," she replied softly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so cold-hearted."

Stormlight decided that there was no point in bringing up Yui’s recent, very cold-hearted actions all over again, so she changed the subject. "What about Tomo? Wasn’t he some kind of dancer on the streets?" she asked.

"Yes. He was a slave, I think, and Nakago rescued him," Yui replied. "Which is why Tomo’s so loyal to him."

"Is that the only reason Tomo is loyal to him?" Stormlight asked suggestively, and Yui looked shocked for a moment before she blushed and giggled a little.

"Well, okay. That’s one of the reasons…"

"So Soi isn’t the only one with lousy taste in men…"

"Stormlight!" Yui tried to look condescending, but the impish grin pulling at her mouth ruined the effect. "Can’t you at least try to be nice to Nakago?"

"Sure. When elephants sprout wings and start flying," she snorted.

"I’d be careful what you say, my dear. In this land it could very well happen."

The entire group came to an abrupt halt when they saw a familiar figure dressed all in gray and black, leaning against a tree just ahead of them. "Oh," Stormlight said unemotionally as she looked the Goblin King over. "It’s you."

He frowned at her and tsked. "Such poor manners. Hasn’t your mother raised you any better than that?" he scolded.

"Bite me."

Jareth smirked. "As tempting as that offer is, another time, my dear," he purred. "For now I am here on business."

"Such as?" Nakago asked warily, eyeing the king with open disdain.

Jareth smiled widely. "I’ve decided that it’s time to make this game a little more interesting. You surpassed the riddle far too easily, even without Stormlight’s help, and as engaging as it is to watch two groups of sworn enemies attempting to be polite to each other, it does not mean I need to lose the game to enjoy it. Still…as you all seem to be enjoying each other’s company so much…" He paused to smirk. "I wouldn’t dream of separating any of you…completely."

"Uh oh. Not good," Stormlight muttered, eyeing him worriedly. Lord only knew what Jareth had in mind this time…

Jareth raised his hand, and in it appeared a crystal. "Let us see if this will improve the odds in my favor." He hurled the crystal to the ground, and it exploded in a flash of light. When Stormlight could see again, her jaw fell open and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Jareth, what have you done?!"