Outside the Dorms, Saturday Evening

[glacial_queen]

What had appeared to be a blank wall in the Labyrinth suddenly swung open. Anyone anxiously watching through it would see what appeared to be a village, filled with goblins throwing down their weapons and beginning to flee as the nearby castle (how had they not seen the castle over the walls?!?) began to crumble and fall in on itself.

The goblins were running hither and yon through the Labyrinth, ignoring the open gates. But there were people coming through--familiar people. The members of both teams that had braved the Labyrinth were streaming through, as were all of the kidnapped students, some still fighting goblins up to the very threshold of the gate.

When the last of the Fandom folk came staggering out, the gates shut with a mighty slam and a great wail was heard over the wall. All over the island, the Labyrinth was crumbling and fading and familiar places were coming back. It would take another two days for everything to return to normal completely, but the worst was over.

Jareth was defeated and everyone returned home, safe. Now time for the obligatory party?

[Thus ends the BDE, though SP is always grand. Hold a minute for minor OCD up, fail me, thanks to raspberryturk for noticing!]

The Roof, Very Very Very Late Saturday Night

[endsthegame]

After that, Ender had gone back to his room. Eventually. And he had been in his room for a while, too. He'd been in his room for as long as it had taken Ben to pass out to the point of unconsciousness, where - or so Ender hoped - his senses wouldn't be able to pick up where Ender was, not exactly.

And then he'd snuck up to the roof despite the cold, wrapped in his own jacket. He'd sat there for a while, staring up at the sky, trying not to feel as alone and utterly desperate as he did. ('Poor Ender', he'd once written in circumstances like this, and remembering that made him want to laugh, because it was as ridiculous now as it had been then.)

What was he doing here, besides wasting away the time? Besides trying to keep the ticking time-bomb of hormones and feelings still until he could make his escape? Two very important questions, but he didn't have any answers.

At the end of it all, he caved. When his call was answered with a groggy, sleepy, "Ender?" he just smiled, even if he didn't feel it.

"Hey, Val," he murmured. "Did I wake you up out of anything important...?"

[[ open if anyone is going to be up here at that time of night. Very NFB due to being way past radio. ]]