Post by Parrot on Nov 16, 2011 21:54:01 GMT -5
Hello everybody. So I've been doing an ongoing series in the Neopian Times, which I refer to as World Domination Saga; and I've been trying to submit the fourth installment lately and I've been getting TMGE'd a bunch. Since I've been really busy and stressed lately I''d thought that maybe I could rely on some of you guys for a little help. Any critques and suggestions would be greatest appreaciated. =D
Lim slinked through the shadows as she approached the Roo Island Castle. She felt like her body was become merged with the shadow. She allowed this to happened, Lady Sala had told her that by bonding with darkness people would fear her easier. Once he had arrived at the castle in the shape of a Blumaroo she stepped out of the shadows.
“H-hey, where did y-you come from,” stuttered one of the Blumaroo guards at the door.
Lim no longer held the appearance of an innocent Nimmo. Her skin had taken a darker tone and her eyes glowed like a feral creature. All around her the shadows seemed to move with a mind of their own.
“The c-castle is closed,” mumbled the guard.
He turned to his side only to see that his companion had abandoned him. Lim took a step forward. That was enough to send the guard running after his companion.
“It worked,” cheered Lady Sala from Lim’s bag. “They fell for your illusion.”
Lim entered the castle and then crept through the corridors. Whenever she encountered any other guards she shot them a menacing snarl. They would either run the other way or pretend they didn’t see her. Eventually she had arrived at the throne room. She kicked down the door and grinned eerily at the petrified King Roo on the throne.
“Please, please don’t hurt me,” begged the King.
“That can be arranged,” Lim cackled. “All I need is complete control of Roo Island.”
“Not so fast,” barked a voice.
Lim looked to side and gasped. Standing in the room with them was a Desert Blumaroo. Lim had seen him before, he was the hero of Roo Island. Suddenly she felt the darkness around begin to fade.
“No villains will rule my beloved land,” the hero declared as he drew his sword.
“Move!” commanded Lady Sala as the Blumaroo approached Lim.
The Nimmo rolled to the side as the hero sliced at her. She barely had time to get up when he sliced at her again. Swiftly the Nimmo get dodging blows, but she couldn’t keep it up forever.
“Grab his arm,” Lady Sala said.
“What?!” cried Lim as just ducked under the sword.
“Do it!” ordered the Usul.
Lim took a quick breath then charged at the Blumaroo. He was surprised which gave Lim the chance to grab at this wrist. The Blumaroo had recovered from his shock though and prepared his sword. Lim could hear Lady Sala chanting something; she closed her eyes in fear. Suddenly she felt her hand get incredibly cold. When she opened her eyes she saw that she was holding a statue of the Blumaroo.
“Wah!” cried the King. “I surrender, Roo Island is yours.”
“Go to the window,” Lady Sala said with a weaker voice.
Lim obeyed.
“Like I said,” continued Lady Sala, “You can make people fear you with just a little magic. Reach out to the night and allow it to flow through your new castle.”
Lim closed her eyes again and placed her hand on the stone wall of the castle. She allowed the darkness to flow through her soul again. As she got colder she released to power until to the walls. Slowly the castle walls turned from bright colours to a deep black. The giant Blumaroo no longer looked jolly, but more menacing.
Lim removed the mirror from her bag and looked at Lady Sala. The Usul had returned to a more wispy shadow form.
“I must rest and regain my strength,” Lady Sala breathed. “But you have done well and conquered your first land. Now go and expand your empire.”
***
Jimmi landed on the shore of Roo Island. The first thing he noticed was that it was unusually dark. He had just seen sunny skies, but as soon as he had entered this new territory he had been met with night. He looked up into the sky and saw that something was blocking out the sun.
“This is very wrong indeed,” he muttered to himself.
He was feeling his confidence diminish; he wasn’t dealing with simple townsfolk anymore. Perhaps he would face a true adversary this time. Jimmi did not like that thought, if he was defeated all of his fear and respect would vanish. The Chia got a chill as he thought of Lord Daniels and how powerful he had been. The last time he had fought the Dark Lord, Daniels had gone easy on him; this time he might not be so lucky.
As Jimmi began to see houses and people he saw that they were all terrified. But it wasn’t him that was scaring them, they were only afraid of the unnatural night.
“You,” Jimmi called out to an elderly Blumaroo, “What’s going on here?”
“No one knows,” she moaned. “This horrible darkness just came out of nowhere. Our hero is nowhere to be seen, and the castle…oh, the castle.”
The Blumaroo couldn’t finish, but Jimmi could tell that there was someone behind all of this, and his best bet was to start at the castle. Once he arrived in the heart of the land he saw who was, no doubt, responsible for all of this.
She was a Striped Nimmo, maybe a little younger than Jimmi. The shadows clung to her, similar to how they surrounded Daniels, and now Jimmi. Everywhere she walked seemed to turn a little darker.
“I have claimed this land,” she announced. “I am your new ruler.”
All around her various citizens were cowering in fear. No one was resisting her and standing up to her. It was clear that they had given up to this villain.
That was when Jimmi got mad; he should be the one conquering Roo Island, not this brat. She probably wasn’t even that good at magic, Jimmi concluded; after all ,he had collected every book he could find on the Dark Arts and spent months studying…with one of the most powerful Dark Lords in history. Jimmi noticed her bag which also seemed to be attracting darkness. That was it; she had found so artifact of Daniels and thought that she could do whatever she wanted. He’d show her.
“Having fun?” he said as he approached over. “I’d like to thank you for weakening up this town for me, but I’ll take it from here.”
“Afraid that’s not going to happen, short stop,” she teased. “I’ve conquered this land fair and square.”
“Let me tell you something about the Dark Arts, taking over towns…well villains in general,” Jimmi said. “There is no fair and square!”
With that he fired a blast of dark energy at her. The Nimmo tried to dodge, but he managed to catch the side of her. The Nimmo tumbled to the ground. Instead of getting she seemed to melt into the shadows behind her. Jimmi gasped; Daniels had done a similar tricked, the Dark Lord had been much more skilled at it, but it was still unnerving.
The Chia scanned the shadows trying to spot the silhouette of a Nimmo. He was suddenly felt a blow in the back of his head as a massive rock crashed into him.
“You’re going to pay for that!” he growled as unleashed the power of wind around him.
He wasn’t hearing any cries in pay so he spread his tornado all around him. Grass, rocks, and houses all were ripped from the ground around him. Eventually the Nimmo was sucked into the vortex as well. Jimmi began to laugh evilly, but then stopped when he realized that Nimmo disappearing. It was an awkward process, but eventually her body was part shadow. She snaked out of the vortex and back to the ground.
“Fine, I can destroy you another way,” Jimmi declared.
As the Chia prepared another spell the Nimmo charged at him. The two wrestled the ground with each other. Jimmi tried to think of another spell, but he couldn’t focus as he struggled with the Nimmo. Instead he kicked her to the side. Yet before her could get up she had grabbed at his foot. The Nimmo seemed to be concentrating hard. Jimmi cried out in horror as his foot began to turn to stone. Then the Nimmo’s focus broke and his foot returned to normal. Both gasped in shock.
“Ha, amateur,” Jimmi tried to laugh nonchalantly yet he sounded quite panicked.
The Nimmo looked fearful, but quickly turned herself into a shadowy figure again. Yet she didn’t stay to fight, instead she retreated to the castle. Or at least what looked like the castle after some hideous renovating.
“Yeah, that’s right, run away,” Jimmi called uncertainly.
The Chia sighed. He hadn’t beaten her; perhaps he had forced her into retreat, but she had proved to be a true challenge. He felt a side of him return, the side of him that was a failure.
She’s too powerful, this side argued. I should just let her have Roo Island and I won’t have to worry about her.
Yet Jimmi the Dark Lord protested, Nobody messes with Jimmi Chumpchange. I will get my revenge.
[/spoiler]
Thanks!
Limonny had traveled all around Roo Island. She had been to the bustling center around the castle, and the more rural towns. She stayed for about a month in each place, got to know a few of the residents, stole something of value, then moved onto the next town. She was a young split Nimmo with innocent eyes and a girlish smile. People came to like her easily and it wasn’t long before she was babysitting their kids, taking care of their plants, or just plain visiting once in a while. Before she left the town she made sure to swipe something, sometimes it was a sack of neopoints hidden in the attic, or perhaps a rare painting. The Nimmo was a skilled counterfeiter so it was easy for her theft to go unnoticed for a while. Once the victims realized that they had been robbed she would be long gone, but by that time who would suspect the sweet little girl anyways?Today Lim was in a village just on the outskirts of the main town. She remembered visiting her earlier, but she felt that she had been gone long enough that people weren’t still thinking about the necklace that had vanished. She spotted a rustic marble building and casually walked towards it. The museum hadn’t interested her on her last visit, but now there was a new exhibit.“Hello, welcome to my museum,” greeted the bulky curator Gnorbu. “Who do we have here?”Limonny shot him a tender smile and began to answer.“Why it’s little Lim,” the curator finished for her. “I haven’t seen you in years.”Lim was surprised; she had expected the old Gnorbu to have forgotten her. But this wasn’t a problem with her; if he knew her as a sweet little Nimmo then it would just be easier for her to swipe her prize.“That’s right, Mr. Busiman,” Lim replied as she recalled his name. “I was doing a little research and I heard that you were doing an exhibit on Count von Roo. I would love to have a look around and find some more facts about this intriguing figure.”“Oh well you’re in luck then,” Mr. Busiman exclaimed with a grin. “Come, come there is so much to see.”Lim kept her innocent grin throughout the whole tour. Mr. Busiman pointed out various artifacts and gave her a bit of information on each one.“Here is a tapestry showing, what experts believe is, a young von Roo,” the Gnorbu said eagerly. “And over here is the Mirror of the Abyss, it’s said that that evil Lord Daniels gave it Count von Roo for safekeeping.”Eventually as the windows began to glow pink with the evening, Mr. Busiman came to his last display.“And our proudest new artifact, the very coffin that Count von Roo occupied,” the Gnorbu declared ominously. “Look inside, it’s empty.”The large towering coffin was made even more menacing by the elevated platform that supported it. The sun reflected off the dusty gold to give it an unusual glow.“Wow it’s amazing,” gasped Lim.“That’s right,” nodded Busiman. “So, do you think you’ll have enough to do your project on?”“I might,” Lim started, “but I was wondering if you could tell me about the myth of von Roo and the full moon.”“And what myth is that?” asked Busiman clearly puzzled by this foreign information.“They say that every full moon, Count von Roo returns to his coffin for one night,” Lim explained.“Really, is that so?” muttered Busiman. “Well if I was a scientist I’d say that that simply wasn’t possible, but I’m not a scientist, I’m a historian. I’ve seen in many times that all myths form from a seed of truth.”“Maybe you could do a favor for me,” Lim began using her most sugar-coated voice possible. “Maybe you could let me stay in the museum overnight and see if anything happens. I’m sure it’s just a story, but I’d love to just see.”“I don’t know, Lim,” Busiman sighed. “I don’t think you’d be comfortable in the museum all night. And you wouldn’t be able to leave until morning. For safety, you see, I can’t leave the museum unlocked overnight.”“Oh, I think I can manage one night here,” Lim pleaded. “It’s such a rare opportunity for a young researcher like me. And besides, these carpets are softer than most beds.”“I guess I can, you seem like such a nice kid,” Mr. Busiman conceded. “Do let me know if anything of interest does happen.”As the pink skies melted into a deep, inky blue, Mr. Busiman bid goodnight to Lim and closed the doors to the museum. Once she was alone, Lim sighed. It had been harder to convince the Gnorbu than she had thought; and now she would have to spend the whole night on the floor that, in reality, was like a golf course. But it would be worth it once she had heard treasure.There was no legend of Count von Roo returning to his coffin, but, like she had expected, the curator had accepted it. Her real target was the Mirror of the Abyss. The mirror had a thick rim around it; it seemed to be rotting like wood, yet still glinted like gold. The glass itself didn’t reflect anything; it was like looking into a corridor felted with dust and cobwebs.Lim carefully slipped the mirror of its pedestal and into her bag. She then removed a copy of the mirror and replaced it. So far she had underestimated Mr. Busiman, but she had noted that he carried around a pair of spectacles; she was suspected that he wouldn’t notice the acute differences in the mirror. And when he did, it would be too late.***The small Fire Chia levitated above Kiko Lake. The aura around Jimmi was like an envelope of shadows. His expression was of grim disdain as he looked down at the next land that he would conquer.“Restrus Iquibilis,” he chanted as he raised his paws.Suddenly gusts of winds began swirling all around the lake. Houses and boats were being blown aside and Kikos struggled to find shelter. A front of clouds had begun to form around Jimmi blocking out all the light around him. The Fire Chia directed the winds to submerge into the water. Suddenly the lake erupted into waves and whirlpools. Kikos everywhere were being tossed around.“Submit to the power of Jimmi Chumpchange,” he commanded to the town.“Not while I’m stilling around,” came a low growl.Jimmi glanced down and saw a bearded Kiko with a long spear.“I’m the hero of this land,” declared the elderly Kiko, “and no villain is taking over my home.”He leapt at Jimmi, speared raised. Jimmi ascended higher into the air. The Kiko slid into the ground as he missed his target, but he quickly recovered. He ready his spear, yet Jimmi was ready to end the duel. The Chia simply flicked his wrist and cast a strong gust to knock the hero back to the ground.“You are as pathetic as the land you defend,” Jimmi scoffed as he prepared a new spell.Jimmi pointed his palm at the hero and shot a blast of black lightning. The Kiko was enveloped in a puff of noxious shadowy smoke. Once it had cleared, all that remained was a statue of the hero. A collective gasp filled the land. Then gradually the clouds around Jimmi began to thin and return to a normal sky.Jimmi allowed himself to descend to the ground. All around him Kikos were panicking, hiding, or simply staring in horror.
“I am your new ruler now,” Jimmi declared. “Obey my orders and you won’t end up like your hero.”Jimmi was almost an entirely different person from when his conquest of Neopia had begun. The naïve villain who had gotten lucky and managed to take hold of shenkuu had become a true malevolent overlord.
Jimmi grinned as Kikos cowered when he walked by. Some were rushing to their homes, while others were petrified with fear.
“Listen up!” Jimmi barked to his victims. “Nobody else has to be turned to stone; all I ask is that you treat me as your absolute ruler. My first rule: I demand a castle made entirely of coral in the center of the lake. If it is not completed when I want it, then you will all be sorry.”
The Kikos paused in a moment of shock. Then frantically made for the lake. Work began on the castle immediately. Jimmi grinned another malicious smile.
He remembered a voice telling him, “I see a true villain in your heart.”He had help from more powerful villains with his domination of Shenkuu and Altador; but now he had achieved his goal without any help. He now had three lands under his control. He never had felt more like a true villain than now.
“I am your new ruler now,” Jimmi declared. “Obey my orders and you won’t end up like your hero.”Jimmi was almost an entirely different person from when his conquest of Neopia had begun. The naïve villain who had gotten lucky and managed to take hold of shenkuu had become a true malevolent overlord.
Jimmi grinned as Kikos cowered when he walked by. Some were rushing to their homes, while others were petrified with fear.
“Listen up!” Jimmi barked to his victims. “Nobody else has to be turned to stone; all I ask is that you treat me as your absolute ruler. My first rule: I demand a castle made entirely of coral in the center of the lake. If it is not completed when I want it, then you will all be sorry.”
The Kikos paused in a moment of shock. Then frantically made for the lake. Work began on the castle immediately. Jimmi grinned another malicious smile.
He remembered a voice telling him, “I see a true villain in your heart.”He had help from more powerful villains with his domination of Shenkuu and Altador; but now he had achieved his goal without any help. He now had three lands under his control. He never had felt more like a true villain than now.
Lim had returned to the small hut that she was currently living in. It had been an uncomfortable night, but now she had the mirror in her possession. Ever since rumours had started that Lord Daniels was returning, various crooks were eager to get the greedy paws on his artifacts. Lim had done some work for Malkus Vile earlier and she suspected that he would be very generous if she brought him the mirror.
The Nimmo examined the artifact as she removed it from her bag. The glass still showed no reflection yet it seemed to flicker between shadows. Lim traced her finger along the surface trying to remove any dust. The glass was cold; not just cold, it drained all the warmth from her fingers. As Lim continued to stare mesmerized into the glass she began to see a pair of piercing eyes staring back, then a head, and then a full Usul.
“Hello there,” she heard an icy voice say.
Limonny yelped in shock and dropped the mirror. She glanced all around her room.
“Who’s there?” she demanded.
“I’m right here,” came the voice from the mirror.
Tentatively Lim picked up the mirror and looked into again. Sure enough, there was a dark Usul looking back at her.
“Who are you? What are you?” Lim asked shakily.
“I am Lady Sala, the terror of the night, the scourge of Neopia, the bane of champions,” declared the wispy voice. “You have had the great fortune of discovering the Mirror of the Abyss. With this item I can reach out to you while I am still trapped in my fiery prison.”
“I don’t understand,” Lim whimpered. “What do you want?”
“I want to take over all of Neopia,” Lady Sala proclaimed. “And you can help me do that. I sense darkness in your soul; you could lead my conquest. With my guidance you could overpower heroes and take claim over lands; and together we would rule.”
Lim was beginning to feel enticed towards this proposition. She had possession of the one item that could contact one of Neopia’s most powerful villains. She could become so much more than a simply thief.
“Now do you have any powers or weapons at your disposal?” asked Lady Sala.
“No,” Lim answered meekly.
The Usul in the mirror seemed to be slightly annoyed by this, but she said, “No matter, you’re all I got and I can make do with that. What land is this?”
“Roo Island,” Lim said as she picked up the mirror again.
“Ah, perfect,” Sala exclaimed. “There’s actually a site in this land that will allow you to strike fear into all of the inhabitants. Al you need is a little dark magic.”
The Usul then went on to explain what she expected Limonny to do. The Nimmo still felt a bit uneasy about working with someone so mysterious, but she couldn’t resist the temptation. Eventually the Nimmo left the small hut with the mirror in her hands.
She traveled through the hills and farther away from the houses. Eventually all she could was the grass ahead of her and sky above her. Lady Sala directed her where to turn and how far to walk. Lim was unsure how the Usul knew exactly where she was going, but after much walking she saw something on the horizon.
She came to an area where the grass turned to dry dirt. An ancient structure had once stood here, yet all Lim saw now were lopsided blocks. Although they were old and crumbling they still maintained an inky cobalt hue, like the night sky. In the center of the ruins was a small pyramid with an oddly shaped wheel on it. This structure was the most intact out of all the other ruins.
“There it is,” urged Sala. “Turn that wheel, unleash the power of darkness.”
Lim took a breath and walked up to the pyramid. She grabbed hold of the wheel and began to push. It was heavy, but moved easily. As the Nimmo spun the wheel Sala was rapidly chanting something incomprehensible. The more Lim pushed the colder she felt her body get. Eventually it seemed like a mist was forming around her; it started out thin, but soon became as thick as soup.
“It is done,” declared Lady Sala.
Lim stepped away from the wheel and gasped as she looked around. The sky was being filled with thick dark clouds. Yet what was more surprise what that she could see Kreludor very slowly moving towards the sun. Gradually the world around her was submerged in darkness as Kreludor fully blocked out the sun.
“It’s so dark,” gasped Lim in shock, “but it’s not even night yet.”
“No,” Sala said. “It is always night on Roo Island now.”
Lim was silent for a period. She was just staring out at the sheer darkness that surrounded her. She had done this, she had unleashed power. She suddenly felt like so much more than a thief, she was a super-villain now.
“You don’t need to be a Dark Lord or even a Dark Magician to strike terror into this land,” Lady Sala cackled. “People fear mystery, the unknown, the darkness of the night. Use this against them, become one with the night and they will see their fears. In no time all of Roo Island will tremble beneath you.”
Lim nodded and allowed a crooked smile to creep along her face. She found herself chuckling evilly as she made her way to the center of Roo Island.
***
Jimmi sighed as his robots sunk to the bottom of the lake. Filling Kiko Lake with his robotic army was proving to be more difficult than capturing the land. He had gone through all the effort of making his robots waterproof too, yet that was useless if they couldn’t even swim.
“Why do I even need robots anymore?” Jimmi muttered as he entered the coral palace he’d had made for him.
“People fear me because of my power,” he declared to himself as he sat on his throne. “And my robots are useless anyway. I shouldn’t even bother making them anymore.”
Just as he finished his small monologue, one of his robots entered the palace.
“And what do you want?” Jimmi sighed.
The robot made no sound as he handed Jimmi a copy of the Neopian Times.
“They can’t even talk,” Jimmi continued to mutter as the robot left. “I don’t have time to program every single one of them with speech necessary for all scenarios.”
The Chia then began to read through the newspaper. One article caught his attention. It told over an unnatural night that had possessed Roo Island. Everyone agreed that the cause was dark magic, but people were uncertain of any more than that. Jimmi stopped when he read one quote stating that an expert suspected that the magic was connected to Lord Daniels.
Jimmi did not like the sound of that. The chance that Lord Daniels had anything to do with this meant trouble. Daniels had worked with Jimmi and taught him much about the Dark Arts, but Jimmi had learned that Daniels had imprisoned Lady Sala.
Jimmi told himself that he had had to get rid of Daniel before he was betrayed like Sala. Yet there was another part of him that thought differently. This part of Jimmi saw Lady Sala as more than just the villain, she was the villain who had breathed life into him. Before her he had just been another loser, then she had helped him come to power. And if Daniels was her enemy then he was Jimmi’s enemy.
But even if it wasn’t Daniels himself, any of his artifacts could also be quite threatening. He had used the Heart of the Inferno to conquer Shenkuu, and the Eye of Purity had been used to defeat Lady Sala. If there was another artifact he had to get his hands on it before it could be used against him.
Jimmi emerged from his palace and looked at Kiko Lake. His robots were still failing and doing anything without tumbling into the lake.
“People of Kiko Lake,” Jimmi announced. “I am moving onto Roo Island, but don’t think for a second that you have a shot at freedom. Behold that await anyone who rises against me.”
Jimmi raised his paws in the air and dark energy began to circle around them. Suddenly lightning crack forward and struck each of his robots. They were all reduced to piles of ash. A collective gasp filled the land.
Jimmi grinned an evil grin; he was ready for his next target Roo Island. The Chia closed his eyes as he allowed the dark magic to fill his soul, then slowly he began to lift off the ground. Soon he was being propelled into the sky and away from Kiko Lake. He opened his eyes and could see a speck in the distance. Yet the closer he got to Roo Island, the more he realized that there truly was something ominous about the land.
The Nimmo examined the artifact as she removed it from her bag. The glass still showed no reflection yet it seemed to flicker between shadows. Lim traced her finger along the surface trying to remove any dust. The glass was cold; not just cold, it drained all the warmth from her fingers. As Lim continued to stare mesmerized into the glass she began to see a pair of piercing eyes staring back, then a head, and then a full Usul.
“Hello there,” she heard an icy voice say.
Limonny yelped in shock and dropped the mirror. She glanced all around her room.
“Who’s there?” she demanded.
“I’m right here,” came the voice from the mirror.
Tentatively Lim picked up the mirror and looked into again. Sure enough, there was a dark Usul looking back at her.
“Who are you? What are you?” Lim asked shakily.
“I am Lady Sala, the terror of the night, the scourge of Neopia, the bane of champions,” declared the wispy voice. “You have had the great fortune of discovering the Mirror of the Abyss. With this item I can reach out to you while I am still trapped in my fiery prison.”
“I don’t understand,” Lim whimpered. “What do you want?”
“I want to take over all of Neopia,” Lady Sala proclaimed. “And you can help me do that. I sense darkness in your soul; you could lead my conquest. With my guidance you could overpower heroes and take claim over lands; and together we would rule.”
Lim was beginning to feel enticed towards this proposition. She had possession of the one item that could contact one of Neopia’s most powerful villains. She could become so much more than a simply thief.
“Now do you have any powers or weapons at your disposal?” asked Lady Sala.
“No,” Lim answered meekly.
The Usul in the mirror seemed to be slightly annoyed by this, but she said, “No matter, you’re all I got and I can make do with that. What land is this?”
“Roo Island,” Lim said as she picked up the mirror again.
“Ah, perfect,” Sala exclaimed. “There’s actually a site in this land that will allow you to strike fear into all of the inhabitants. Al you need is a little dark magic.”
The Usul then went on to explain what she expected Limonny to do. The Nimmo still felt a bit uneasy about working with someone so mysterious, but she couldn’t resist the temptation. Eventually the Nimmo left the small hut with the mirror in her hands.
She traveled through the hills and farther away from the houses. Eventually all she could was the grass ahead of her and sky above her. Lady Sala directed her where to turn and how far to walk. Lim was unsure how the Usul knew exactly where she was going, but after much walking she saw something on the horizon.
She came to an area where the grass turned to dry dirt. An ancient structure had once stood here, yet all Lim saw now were lopsided blocks. Although they were old and crumbling they still maintained an inky cobalt hue, like the night sky. In the center of the ruins was a small pyramid with an oddly shaped wheel on it. This structure was the most intact out of all the other ruins.
“There it is,” urged Sala. “Turn that wheel, unleash the power of darkness.”
Lim took a breath and walked up to the pyramid. She grabbed hold of the wheel and began to push. It was heavy, but moved easily. As the Nimmo spun the wheel Sala was rapidly chanting something incomprehensible. The more Lim pushed the colder she felt her body get. Eventually it seemed like a mist was forming around her; it started out thin, but soon became as thick as soup.
“It is done,” declared Lady Sala.
Lim stepped away from the wheel and gasped as she looked around. The sky was being filled with thick dark clouds. Yet what was more surprise what that she could see Kreludor very slowly moving towards the sun. Gradually the world around her was submerged in darkness as Kreludor fully blocked out the sun.
“It’s so dark,” gasped Lim in shock, “but it’s not even night yet.”
“No,” Sala said. “It is always night on Roo Island now.”
Lim was silent for a period. She was just staring out at the sheer darkness that surrounded her. She had done this, she had unleashed power. She suddenly felt like so much more than a thief, she was a super-villain now.
“You don’t need to be a Dark Lord or even a Dark Magician to strike terror into this land,” Lady Sala cackled. “People fear mystery, the unknown, the darkness of the night. Use this against them, become one with the night and they will see their fears. In no time all of Roo Island will tremble beneath you.”
Lim nodded and allowed a crooked smile to creep along her face. She found herself chuckling evilly as she made her way to the center of Roo Island.
***
Jimmi sighed as his robots sunk to the bottom of the lake. Filling Kiko Lake with his robotic army was proving to be more difficult than capturing the land. He had gone through all the effort of making his robots waterproof too, yet that was useless if they couldn’t even swim.
“Why do I even need robots anymore?” Jimmi muttered as he entered the coral palace he’d had made for him.
“People fear me because of my power,” he declared to himself as he sat on his throne. “And my robots are useless anyway. I shouldn’t even bother making them anymore.”
Just as he finished his small monologue, one of his robots entered the palace.
“And what do you want?” Jimmi sighed.
The robot made no sound as he handed Jimmi a copy of the Neopian Times.
“They can’t even talk,” Jimmi continued to mutter as the robot left. “I don’t have time to program every single one of them with speech necessary for all scenarios.”
The Chia then began to read through the newspaper. One article caught his attention. It told over an unnatural night that had possessed Roo Island. Everyone agreed that the cause was dark magic, but people were uncertain of any more than that. Jimmi stopped when he read one quote stating that an expert suspected that the magic was connected to Lord Daniels.
Jimmi did not like the sound of that. The chance that Lord Daniels had anything to do with this meant trouble. Daniels had worked with Jimmi and taught him much about the Dark Arts, but Jimmi had learned that Daniels had imprisoned Lady Sala.
Jimmi told himself that he had had to get rid of Daniel before he was betrayed like Sala. Yet there was another part of him that thought differently. This part of Jimmi saw Lady Sala as more than just the villain, she was the villain who had breathed life into him. Before her he had just been another loser, then she had helped him come to power. And if Daniels was her enemy then he was Jimmi’s enemy.
But even if it wasn’t Daniels himself, any of his artifacts could also be quite threatening. He had used the Heart of the Inferno to conquer Shenkuu, and the Eye of Purity had been used to defeat Lady Sala. If there was another artifact he had to get his hands on it before it could be used against him.
Jimmi emerged from his palace and looked at Kiko Lake. His robots were still failing and doing anything without tumbling into the lake.
“People of Kiko Lake,” Jimmi announced. “I am moving onto Roo Island, but don’t think for a second that you have a shot at freedom. Behold that await anyone who rises against me.”
Jimmi raised his paws in the air and dark energy began to circle around them. Suddenly lightning crack forward and struck each of his robots. They were all reduced to piles of ash. A collective gasp filled the land.
Jimmi grinned an evil grin; he was ready for his next target Roo Island. The Chia closed his eyes as he allowed the dark magic to fill his soul, then slowly he began to lift off the ground. Soon he was being propelled into the sky and away from Kiko Lake. He opened his eyes and could see a speck in the distance. Yet the closer he got to Roo Island, the more he realized that there truly was something ominous about the land.
Lim slinked through the shadows as she approached the Roo Island Castle. She felt like her body was become merged with the shadow. She allowed this to happened, Lady Sala had told her that by bonding with darkness people would fear her easier. Once he had arrived at the castle in the shape of a Blumaroo she stepped out of the shadows.
“H-hey, where did y-you come from,” stuttered one of the Blumaroo guards at the door.
Lim no longer held the appearance of an innocent Nimmo. Her skin had taken a darker tone and her eyes glowed like a feral creature. All around her the shadows seemed to move with a mind of their own.
“The c-castle is closed,” mumbled the guard.
He turned to his side only to see that his companion had abandoned him. Lim took a step forward. That was enough to send the guard running after his companion.
“It worked,” cheered Lady Sala from Lim’s bag. “They fell for your illusion.”
Lim entered the castle and then crept through the corridors. Whenever she encountered any other guards she shot them a menacing snarl. They would either run the other way or pretend they didn’t see her. Eventually she had arrived at the throne room. She kicked down the door and grinned eerily at the petrified King Roo on the throne.
“Please, please don’t hurt me,” begged the King.
“That can be arranged,” Lim cackled. “All I need is complete control of Roo Island.”
“Not so fast,” barked a voice.
Lim looked to side and gasped. Standing in the room with them was a Desert Blumaroo. Lim had seen him before, he was the hero of Roo Island. Suddenly she felt the darkness around begin to fade.
“No villains will rule my beloved land,” the hero declared as he drew his sword.
“Move!” commanded Lady Sala as the Blumaroo approached Lim.
The Nimmo rolled to the side as the hero sliced at her. She barely had time to get up when he sliced at her again. Swiftly the Nimmo get dodging blows, but she couldn’t keep it up forever.
“Grab his arm,” Lady Sala said.
“What?!” cried Lim as just ducked under the sword.
“Do it!” ordered the Usul.
Lim took a quick breath then charged at the Blumaroo. He was surprised which gave Lim the chance to grab at this wrist. The Blumaroo had recovered from his shock though and prepared his sword. Lim could hear Lady Sala chanting something; she closed her eyes in fear. Suddenly she felt her hand get incredibly cold. When she opened her eyes she saw that she was holding a statue of the Blumaroo.
“Wah!” cried the King. “I surrender, Roo Island is yours.”
“Go to the window,” Lady Sala said with a weaker voice.
Lim obeyed.
“Like I said,” continued Lady Sala, “You can make people fear you with just a little magic. Reach out to the night and allow it to flow through your new castle.”
Lim closed her eyes again and placed her hand on the stone wall of the castle. She allowed the darkness to flow through her soul again. As she got colder she released to power until to the walls. Slowly the castle walls turned from bright colours to a deep black. The giant Blumaroo no longer looked jolly, but more menacing.
Lim removed the mirror from her bag and looked at Lady Sala. The Usul had returned to a more wispy shadow form.
“I must rest and regain my strength,” Lady Sala breathed. “But you have done well and conquered your first land. Now go and expand your empire.”
***
Jimmi landed on the shore of Roo Island. The first thing he noticed was that it was unusually dark. He had just seen sunny skies, but as soon as he had entered this new territory he had been met with night. He looked up into the sky and saw that something was blocking out the sun.
“This is very wrong indeed,” he muttered to himself.
He was feeling his confidence diminish; he wasn’t dealing with simple townsfolk anymore. Perhaps he would face a true adversary this time. Jimmi did not like that thought, if he was defeated all of his fear and respect would vanish. The Chia got a chill as he thought of Lord Daniels and how powerful he had been. The last time he had fought the Dark Lord, Daniels had gone easy on him; this time he might not be so lucky.
As Jimmi began to see houses and people he saw that they were all terrified. But it wasn’t him that was scaring them, they were only afraid of the unnatural night.
“You,” Jimmi called out to an elderly Blumaroo, “What’s going on here?”
“No one knows,” she moaned. “This horrible darkness just came out of nowhere. Our hero is nowhere to be seen, and the castle…oh, the castle.”
The Blumaroo couldn’t finish, but Jimmi could tell that there was someone behind all of this, and his best bet was to start at the castle. Once he arrived in the heart of the land he saw who was, no doubt, responsible for all of this.
She was a Striped Nimmo, maybe a little younger than Jimmi. The shadows clung to her, similar to how they surrounded Daniels, and now Jimmi. Everywhere she walked seemed to turn a little darker.
“I have claimed this land,” she announced. “I am your new ruler.”
All around her various citizens were cowering in fear. No one was resisting her and standing up to her. It was clear that they had given up to this villain.
That was when Jimmi got mad; he should be the one conquering Roo Island, not this brat. She probably wasn’t even that good at magic, Jimmi concluded; after all ,he had collected every book he could find on the Dark Arts and spent months studying…with one of the most powerful Dark Lords in history. Jimmi noticed her bag which also seemed to be attracting darkness. That was it; she had found so artifact of Daniels and thought that she could do whatever she wanted. He’d show her.
“Having fun?” he said as he approached over. “I’d like to thank you for weakening up this town for me, but I’ll take it from here.”
“Afraid that’s not going to happen, short stop,” she teased. “I’ve conquered this land fair and square.”
“Let me tell you something about the Dark Arts, taking over towns…well villains in general,” Jimmi said. “There is no fair and square!”
With that he fired a blast of dark energy at her. The Nimmo tried to dodge, but he managed to catch the side of her. The Nimmo tumbled to the ground. Instead of getting she seemed to melt into the shadows behind her. Jimmi gasped; Daniels had done a similar tricked, the Dark Lord had been much more skilled at it, but it was still unnerving.
The Chia scanned the shadows trying to spot the silhouette of a Nimmo. He was suddenly felt a blow in the back of his head as a massive rock crashed into him.
“You’re going to pay for that!” he growled as unleashed the power of wind around him.
He wasn’t hearing any cries in pay so he spread his tornado all around him. Grass, rocks, and houses all were ripped from the ground around him. Eventually the Nimmo was sucked into the vortex as well. Jimmi began to laugh evilly, but then stopped when he realized that Nimmo disappearing. It was an awkward process, but eventually her body was part shadow. She snaked out of the vortex and back to the ground.
“Fine, I can destroy you another way,” Jimmi declared.
As the Chia prepared another spell the Nimmo charged at him. The two wrestled the ground with each other. Jimmi tried to think of another spell, but he couldn’t focus as he struggled with the Nimmo. Instead he kicked her to the side. Yet before her could get up she had grabbed at his foot. The Nimmo seemed to be concentrating hard. Jimmi cried out in horror as his foot began to turn to stone. Then the Nimmo’s focus broke and his foot returned to normal. Both gasped in shock.
“Ha, amateur,” Jimmi tried to laugh nonchalantly yet he sounded quite panicked.
The Nimmo looked fearful, but quickly turned herself into a shadowy figure again. Yet she didn’t stay to fight, instead she retreated to the castle. Or at least what looked like the castle after some hideous renovating.
“Yeah, that’s right, run away,” Jimmi called uncertainly.
The Chia sighed. He hadn’t beaten her; perhaps he had forced her into retreat, but she had proved to be a true challenge. He felt a side of him return, the side of him that was a failure.
She’s too powerful, this side argued. I should just let her have Roo Island and I won’t have to worry about her.
Yet Jimmi the Dark Lord protested, Nobody messes with Jimmi Chumpchange. I will get my revenge.
[/spoiler]
Jimmi started at the castle. The Chia knew that the Nimmo was in there; they were both waiting to see who would make the next move. Jimmi began to pace, he had to think of way to beat her with a little risk as possible. He had to seem like the big bad villain that everyone saw him as.
“Her magic is weak,” he said to himself as he pondered. “She couldn’t even complete a stone spell.”
Yet even the thought of that sent a chill through his spine. Jimmi glanced at his foot; it was normal, yet he still sometimes felt it going numb. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, or he was still being affected.
“She’s just relying on illusions,” he tried to convince himself. “Making herself look more shadowy, slinking around a little bit. It’s all smoke and mirrors; she just confuses her opponent with a pinch of magic, but if it comes to a true spell, she’s hopeless.”
Despite Jimmi’s conclusion, he still had to admit that it had worked. He may have been a more powerful magician, but they were still evenly matched.
“If I’m going to beat her, I’ll have to fight fire with fire,” Jimmi decided. “I can catch her off guard with her own tricks. The only question is, when do I strike?”
Realization hit when Jimmi remembered that it was always night anyways. He would strike immediately.
***
Lim held the Mirror of the Abyss in her hands, but all she saw in it was smoke and shadows.
“Are you there, Lady Sala?” she asked.
She got no response and set the mirror down on a table. The Nimmo sighed to herself. Lady Sala had said that she was going to rest to regain her strength, yet Lim hadn’t expected to face a Chia super-villain.
The Nimmo had changed the throne to become made of thorns and brambles, but she had soon learned that this was quite uncomfortable. She now just used it for show and preferred to stand. Her throne room was only lit by a few candles. Outside of the window she could look out onto her world of darkness.
“That Chia was really so tough,” Lim muttered to herself. “I was just a little surprised by his magic abilities.”
That was a slight understatement. Lim knew that she lacked true talent with magic; she just manipulated a few shadows by concentrating, and everyone around her backed off in fear. But this Chia knew much more about magic than her, and this frightened her.
“If he comes back,” she started, yet found that she didn’t know what to say next.
“If he comes back will I be so lucky again?” she asked herself meekly.
She remembered how she had failed to turn him to stone. If he got the chance, she would be no doubt reduced to a statue immediately.
Suddenly an unnatural breeze surrounded the room and blew out the candles. Lim sighed in annoyance, yet she felt more fearful when she noticed that there seemed to be something circling around her. She tried to focus, but found that her eyes could not get adjusted to this darkness. It was as if some opaque ocean was flowing all around her.
“Hello,” came a deep voice. “I hear that you like the dark.”
“Is that you, short stop?” she said trying to keep up a façade of courage. “You’re not scaring me.”
She saw the shadows to her left in the distance begin to form into the shape of a Chia. She charged and swiped at the figure, only to fight that she was just attacking more shadows. The figure seemed to move behind her and she charged again. Once more she hit nothing.
“Is that all you got?” she called out. “You’re just going to dance around my room aimlessly?”
In response to her question Lim felt tendrils begin to drape across her body. She cried out and ran. She felt the shadows all around her become like a solid net. Everywhere her body touched she felt tendrils wrapping around her.
“This is what happens when you mess with matters that you couldn’t possibly understand,” laughed the Chia.
“Make it stop, make it stop,” cried Lim. “Make it stop!”
She focused her mind on only removing all the shadows from her. She wanted the darkness around her to just be gone, as far as possible. In a final shriek, she emitted a powerful pulse. Suddenly the room was no longer an unnatural black. Instead it was just an ordinary room with a Nimmo and a Chia in it.
***
Jimmi gasped in surprise as he found all of his shadows gone. His power over the Nimmo was gone; he was right back at square one.
“Don’t think this changes anything,” he said, his voice back to normal. “I don’t need trickery to destroy a brat like you.”
The Chia charged at the Nimmo and knocked her to the ground. The Nimmo quickly kicked the Chia off of her and rolled to this side. As Jimmi chased after her, the Nimmo grabbed onto one of the tall candleholders. She swiped at him, but Jimmi moved swiftly and dodged. The Nimmo then simply tossed the candleholder at him. Jimmi quickly stopped it with a gust of wind.
“I thought you said that you didn’t need trickery,” shouted Lim.
“I also said that with villains there is no fair and square,” Jimmi retorted as used another gust of window to launch various chairs, tables, and other furniture at his adversary.
The Nimmo jumped from side to side, just dodging each projectile launched at her. It was then that Jimmi noticed that he had knocked her mirror to the floor. He easily recognized the marking on it and realized that it was one of Daniels’ artifacts.
“Aha,” he exclaimed as he scooped it up. “I don’t know what exactly this does, but I’m betting you won’t be so powerful if I smash it.”
Just as he prepared to toss the mirror to the ground, he heard a wispy voice cry, “No, you fool!”
He stopped and looked into the glass. He saw a furious Usul staring at him.
“Lady Sala, is that you,” Jimmi gaped in surprise.
“Of course, it’s me, you imbecile, who else could transform that girl into a super-villain over night?” The Usul hissed. “I emerge from my sleep to find that my former servant and my current servant are savagely dueling, and then you try to destroy my only means of communication.”
“Hey, I’m still loyal to you,” Jimmi protested as he remembered how Sala had transformed him. “I’ll prove it to you and turn this useless Nimmo into stone.”
Yet as the Chia prepared his spell, he found that the Nimmo was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’d she go?” he said as he searched the room.
“She doesn’t matter,” snapped Lady Sala.
“She doesn’t?” Jimmi asked.
“No, it doesn’t matter to me if she destroys you, or you destroy her, as long as I have someone to carry out my plan,” Lady Sala declared.
“I forgot how much I missed your uplifting attitude,” Jimmi sighed.
“Shut up!” barked Sala. “Now tell me, how many lands have you conquered by now?”
“Well, including Roo Island, four,” Jimmi answered.
“What?! Only four? That’s pathetic,” Sala shrieked. “I can see that you really helpless without me.”
“It’s good to see you too,” Jimmi said.
***
Lim clung to the side of the castle. She still had few shadows merged with her and she was using her little magic skills to stay hidden. She knew that she had had to take the first chance she got to escape. That Chia had come so close to destroying her; she could still feel the tentacles around her slowly draining out her life. She shuddered to herself.
The Chia had been distracted by talking to the mirror. Lim hadn’t paid attention to what he had said; she only knew that she had to get away. It would be best for her to leave Roo Island. After years of posing as an innocent girl, she had ruined that image and replaced it as dark conqueror. Perhaps she could make a living at Terror Mountain, it seemed nice enough.
As she crept away from the castle she noticed a shadowy figure approaching her. Limonny allowed the darkness to shroud over her, yet the figure kept moving directly towards her. As he came into focus, Lim realized that he was much more menacing in appearance than the Chia had been.
He was a Krawk with a muddy brown trench coat and an old top hat. He had long black hair that drooped all over his face. He skin was green, yet it was much paler than a normal Krawk. Like the Chia he seemed to be connected to the shadows, yet with him, Lim could practically feel the life being drained from everything around him.
“Hello, Limonny,” he greeted.
“What do you want?” Lim said, her voice cracking in fear.
“There’s no need to be afraid,” he assured. “I am much more your friend than that Usul ever was.”
“How—“ Lim began.
“She was getting ready to betray you any minute, just as she was planning to do with me,” the Krawk continued. “That Chia was her former accomplice, and once she had reunited with him, she was going to do away with you.”
“I still don’t understand; what do you want?” Lim said.
“That Usul gave you some power, enough to serve her needs,” the Krawk said. “But I want to help you truly master your potential. With my guidance you will be able to overcome that Chia, you will become to ruler of all of Neopia. Isn’t that what you want?”
Lim stared at the Krawk speechless for a while. Then he removed his hat and revealed his eyes, two pools of pure darkness.
“My name is Lord Daniels,” he said, “And I want you to be my apprentice.”
He reached out his hand to Lim. The Nimmo hesitated slightly. Then she took his hand.
“Her magic is weak,” he said to himself as he pondered. “She couldn’t even complete a stone spell.”
Yet even the thought of that sent a chill through his spine. Jimmi glanced at his foot; it was normal, yet he still sometimes felt it going numb. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, or he was still being affected.
“She’s just relying on illusions,” he tried to convince himself. “Making herself look more shadowy, slinking around a little bit. It’s all smoke and mirrors; she just confuses her opponent with a pinch of magic, but if it comes to a true spell, she’s hopeless.”
Despite Jimmi’s conclusion, he still had to admit that it had worked. He may have been a more powerful magician, but they were still evenly matched.
“If I’m going to beat her, I’ll have to fight fire with fire,” Jimmi decided. “I can catch her off guard with her own tricks. The only question is, when do I strike?”
Realization hit when Jimmi remembered that it was always night anyways. He would strike immediately.
***
Lim held the Mirror of the Abyss in her hands, but all she saw in it was smoke and shadows.
“Are you there, Lady Sala?” she asked.
She got no response and set the mirror down on a table. The Nimmo sighed to herself. Lady Sala had said that she was going to rest to regain her strength, yet Lim hadn’t expected to face a Chia super-villain.
The Nimmo had changed the throne to become made of thorns and brambles, but she had soon learned that this was quite uncomfortable. She now just used it for show and preferred to stand. Her throne room was only lit by a few candles. Outside of the window she could look out onto her world of darkness.
“That Chia was really so tough,” Lim muttered to herself. “I was just a little surprised by his magic abilities.”
That was a slight understatement. Lim knew that she lacked true talent with magic; she just manipulated a few shadows by concentrating, and everyone around her backed off in fear. But this Chia knew much more about magic than her, and this frightened her.
“If he comes back,” she started, yet found that she didn’t know what to say next.
“If he comes back will I be so lucky again?” she asked herself meekly.
She remembered how she had failed to turn him to stone. If he got the chance, she would be no doubt reduced to a statue immediately.
Suddenly an unnatural breeze surrounded the room and blew out the candles. Lim sighed in annoyance, yet she felt more fearful when she noticed that there seemed to be something circling around her. She tried to focus, but found that her eyes could not get adjusted to this darkness. It was as if some opaque ocean was flowing all around her.
“Hello,” came a deep voice. “I hear that you like the dark.”
“Is that you, short stop?” she said trying to keep up a façade of courage. “You’re not scaring me.”
She saw the shadows to her left in the distance begin to form into the shape of a Chia. She charged and swiped at the figure, only to fight that she was just attacking more shadows. The figure seemed to move behind her and she charged again. Once more she hit nothing.
“Is that all you got?” she called out. “You’re just going to dance around my room aimlessly?”
In response to her question Lim felt tendrils begin to drape across her body. She cried out and ran. She felt the shadows all around her become like a solid net. Everywhere her body touched she felt tendrils wrapping around her.
“This is what happens when you mess with matters that you couldn’t possibly understand,” laughed the Chia.
“Make it stop, make it stop,” cried Lim. “Make it stop!”
She focused her mind on only removing all the shadows from her. She wanted the darkness around her to just be gone, as far as possible. In a final shriek, she emitted a powerful pulse. Suddenly the room was no longer an unnatural black. Instead it was just an ordinary room with a Nimmo and a Chia in it.
***
Jimmi gasped in surprise as he found all of his shadows gone. His power over the Nimmo was gone; he was right back at square one.
“Don’t think this changes anything,” he said, his voice back to normal. “I don’t need trickery to destroy a brat like you.”
The Chia charged at the Nimmo and knocked her to the ground. The Nimmo quickly kicked the Chia off of her and rolled to this side. As Jimmi chased after her, the Nimmo grabbed onto one of the tall candleholders. She swiped at him, but Jimmi moved swiftly and dodged. The Nimmo then simply tossed the candleholder at him. Jimmi quickly stopped it with a gust of wind.
“I thought you said that you didn’t need trickery,” shouted Lim.
“I also said that with villains there is no fair and square,” Jimmi retorted as used another gust of window to launch various chairs, tables, and other furniture at his adversary.
The Nimmo jumped from side to side, just dodging each projectile launched at her. It was then that Jimmi noticed that he had knocked her mirror to the floor. He easily recognized the marking on it and realized that it was one of Daniels’ artifacts.
“Aha,” he exclaimed as he scooped it up. “I don’t know what exactly this does, but I’m betting you won’t be so powerful if I smash it.”
Just as he prepared to toss the mirror to the ground, he heard a wispy voice cry, “No, you fool!”
He stopped and looked into the glass. He saw a furious Usul staring at him.
“Lady Sala, is that you,” Jimmi gaped in surprise.
“Of course, it’s me, you imbecile, who else could transform that girl into a super-villain over night?” The Usul hissed. “I emerge from my sleep to find that my former servant and my current servant are savagely dueling, and then you try to destroy my only means of communication.”
“Hey, I’m still loyal to you,” Jimmi protested as he remembered how Sala had transformed him. “I’ll prove it to you and turn this useless Nimmo into stone.”
Yet as the Chia prepared his spell, he found that the Nimmo was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’d she go?” he said as he searched the room.
“She doesn’t matter,” snapped Lady Sala.
“She doesn’t?” Jimmi asked.
“No, it doesn’t matter to me if she destroys you, or you destroy her, as long as I have someone to carry out my plan,” Lady Sala declared.
“I forgot how much I missed your uplifting attitude,” Jimmi sighed.
“Shut up!” barked Sala. “Now tell me, how many lands have you conquered by now?”
“Well, including Roo Island, four,” Jimmi answered.
“What?! Only four? That’s pathetic,” Sala shrieked. “I can see that you really helpless without me.”
“It’s good to see you too,” Jimmi said.
***
Lim clung to the side of the castle. She still had few shadows merged with her and she was using her little magic skills to stay hidden. She knew that she had had to take the first chance she got to escape. That Chia had come so close to destroying her; she could still feel the tentacles around her slowly draining out her life. She shuddered to herself.
The Chia had been distracted by talking to the mirror. Lim hadn’t paid attention to what he had said; she only knew that she had to get away. It would be best for her to leave Roo Island. After years of posing as an innocent girl, she had ruined that image and replaced it as dark conqueror. Perhaps she could make a living at Terror Mountain, it seemed nice enough.
As she crept away from the castle she noticed a shadowy figure approaching her. Limonny allowed the darkness to shroud over her, yet the figure kept moving directly towards her. As he came into focus, Lim realized that he was much more menacing in appearance than the Chia had been.
He was a Krawk with a muddy brown trench coat and an old top hat. He had long black hair that drooped all over his face. He skin was green, yet it was much paler than a normal Krawk. Like the Chia he seemed to be connected to the shadows, yet with him, Lim could practically feel the life being drained from everything around him.
“Hello, Limonny,” he greeted.
“What do you want?” Lim said, her voice cracking in fear.
“There’s no need to be afraid,” he assured. “I am much more your friend than that Usul ever was.”
“How—“ Lim began.
“She was getting ready to betray you any minute, just as she was planning to do with me,” the Krawk continued. “That Chia was her former accomplice, and once she had reunited with him, she was going to do away with you.”
“I still don’t understand; what do you want?” Lim said.
“That Usul gave you some power, enough to serve her needs,” the Krawk said. “But I want to help you truly master your potential. With my guidance you will be able to overcome that Chia, you will become to ruler of all of Neopia. Isn’t that what you want?”
Lim stared at the Krawk speechless for a while. Then he removed his hat and revealed his eyes, two pools of pure darkness.
“My name is Lord Daniels,” he said, “And I want you to be my apprentice.”
He reached out his hand to Lim. The Nimmo hesitated slightly. Then she took his hand.
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