Domination 3

      Dr. Sloth cackled softly to himself. “Finally!” he growled. “It is finished! My plan is complete!”

     He gazed over at his army. It had taken a long time, but finally... FINALLY, his plan was ready. His army of all the villains of Neopia stood proudly against the setting sun. At last, he would have what he deserved... world domination!

     The Darkest Faerie strode up to him.

     Sloth glared at her. “Where’s your armor?” he snapped.

     She made a sour face. “It was too tacky looking,” she complained. “I’d rather kiss a mutant slorg than wear that stupidity!”

     “That ‘stupidity’ is of my own design!” Sloth spat.

     The dark faerie glanced at him. “So? It’s not like I care. Anyway, I checked on the recruits, just like you said. Everyone’s ready. So, when do we get to take over the world?”

     “Just as soon as the sun sets,” Sloth said without taking his eyes off the horizon.

     The Darkest Faerie frowned. “Why does the sun have to set for you to take over Neopia?”

     Sloth blushed, cleared his throat, and mumbled something about adding to the drama.

     Meuka ran up behind them and let out a loud belch. “Just finished the last Neomail,” he reported. “So when do we get to overthrow...”

     The Darkest Faerie pulled off one of her socks and thrust it into the Meerca's mouth. “For once, Meuka,” she mumbled, “it would be best if you kept your mouth shut.”

     Meuka swallowed the cloth and belched. “You have really good taste in socks! Do I smell a hint of lavender scent?”

     The dark faerie tried to kick him, but her foot got stuck in him instead. She screamed as her shoe was engulfed in snot. She yanked out her foot, accidentally leaving the slipper in the muck, and turned to Sloth. “Let's get this over with. Even I'm getting tired of Meuka.”

     “Excellent!” Sloth boomed. “Now, for my success speech.”

     The faerie groaned as he cleared his throat again and bellowed, “Villains! For years we’ve strived for control of this land! For years, those ‘heroes’ have foiled us villains. But no more! This time nothing will stand in our way! No hero will come between our victory and us. Now, it’s our turn. Domination will be ours!”

     There was a pause in which the villains thought about what they were supposed to do at that moment, then a roar escalated from the army.

     “You see, faerie,” the scientist whispered to her. “I always win.”

     The Darkest Faerie rolled her eyes. Only in your head, sloth boy, she thought. “The plan could still go awry,” she told him. “One little mistake and the whole thing could go kaput.”

     “Ah,” Sloth said, “but that’s the brilliance of this plan. Nothing can go wrong. The heroes will be too busy dealing with complaints about the missing neomail to be able to thwart us.”

     The Darkest Faerie smirked. “Whatever you say, Doc.” She glanced around the forest clearing. Just a bit longer... just a bit longer...

     “So, have you considered my offer?” Sloth asked.

     The Darkest Faerie sat down on a rock and began to paint her nails. “Not really,” she sighed. “Honestly, what’s there to consider?”

     “What’s there to consider?” Sloth repeated, incredulously. “You and I! Ruling together, remember?”

     “I already told you, I’d rather share domination with Meuka. At least, he has more brains.” After she said this, however, she watched Meuka playing with her shoe still stuck in his muck, and her mind changed. They were probably equal in brain capacity. About the size of a peanut.

     Sloth growled and shuffled his feet. “Well, it’s either that or we stick with the idea that we each get our own land and get to rule it as we please.”

     “Wasn’t that the original idea?” the faerie murmured.

     Sloth nodded, unenthusiastically. “Well, yes. But wouldn’t it be better if we conquered the other villains together?”

     “How many times must I tell you? I WORK ALONE!”

     Sloth began to pout. After a moment, his ugly face brightened up. A maniacal grin curled around his lips. “Dusk has come!” he yelled. “Let us begin our conquest!”

     Sloth turned toward Meridell, their first destination. Finally, they would win. They would rule Neopia.

     The Darkest Faerie pulled her black hood up so that her cloak completely hid her. It would do no good if someone saw her face. She preferred to stay in the dark. Well, that and she would have an advantage. Sloth would not be able to see the mischievous smile that twisted her thin lips.

     WHAM! An arrow struck the back of Sloth’s armor and ricocheted off. “What’s the big idea?” he bellowed at the army.

     The Darkest Faerie started to snicker at the stupid look on his face.

     The army of villains shuffled their feet uncomfortably. Usually when some sort of weapon or challenge from nowhere was thrown at them, it meant that the heroes were around. Perhaps this idea wasn’t completely foolproof.

     Sloth glanced at the faerie, bent down, and picked up the arrow. This wasn’t one of theirs. It looked like...

     Illusen the Earth Faerie hovered down to stand before him. “Good evening, Doctor,” she said, coolly.

     Sloth turned purple. “How did she get here? Villains! Get her!”

     To his utter amazement, the villains did not budge. Rather, they stood watching as though they were waiting for something.

     “Have you forgotten to pull lint from your ear lobes?” Sloth raged. “Stop her!”

     The army still did not move. A few cleared their throats, but nothing major.

     Sloth ground his teeth. “What’s going on here?” he hollered.

     The Darkest Faerie sighed and smiled pleasantly as more heroes surrounded them. Yet, it wasn’t just some heroes. It was all of them. Jeran and Garon, Jerdana and King Altador, Tomos and Princess Amira. Hundreds upon thousands of heroes and heroines filled the surrounding woods, weapons pointed straight for Sloth.

     The Darkest Faerie took a few steps forward and placed a hand on Sloth’s shoulder. Giving him a sad smile, she said so only he could hear, “Let me save you some ranting. All the villains, including myself, were getting rather tired of how things were being run. I, as well as many others, did not enjoy working with other villains. From the beginning the idea through our eyes was ludicrous. And, worst of all, we had to listen as you bossed us around. Well, let’s just say we all got sick of it. So Meuka, myself, and quite a few others snuck out last night and may have ‘accidentally’ let slip about your brilliant plans.”

     Sloth began to swell with rage. “YOU WHAT?!”

     The Darkest Faerie strode over to Illusen.

     “Thanks for the tip,” the earth faerie said. “We would never have been able to do this without you.”

     “My pleasure,” the Darkest Faerie said, from under her hood.

     The Faerie Queen strode up to them.

     The Darkest Faerie shook her hand. “He’s all yours,” she said.

     Illusen frowned. “And you’re sure you don’t want a reward?” she questioned.

     The dark faerie nodded. “I’m sure. It was enough to see the look on his face when he found out.”

     Fyora eyed Sloth over her scepter. “Strange,” she stated. “I’ve never heard of a dark faerie helping the heroes before.”

     The Darkest Faerie shrugged. “I was helping myself as well. Trust me, he’s completely impossible to put up with.”

     The Faerie Queen nodded, and then looked at the dark faerie with narrowed eyes. “Your voice seems very... familiar.”

     The Darkest Faerie’s head cocked. “Really?” she said quietly. “I can’t recall ever meeting someone of your stature... your majesty.” She turned and strode back to Sloth who was now having his hands cuffed by two Grarrl guards. “Have fun in prison, Doc,” she teased. “It's been fun. Maybe I’ll foil your plans more often!”

     The scientist roared as he was dragged off to prison. Meuka ran up to the Darkest Faerie and grabbed her hand. “Now what do we do?” he asked.

     We? Oh, no! The slime ball had grown attached to her. She sighed. Oh, well. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. After all, he was better than Sloth.

     “We’ll go back to what we do best,” she spat. “We’ll take over the world!”

The End