::The Birth of ShadowLagerinas::

My mind swam. I wanted to get out. I was unable to move... but able to think clearly. I had no means of escape. As the striped aisha that I lived within lived her life, I was forced to the back of her mind, never to see the light of day for my own. All I knew were her thoughts. All I saw were her visions. My whole life was hers.

It wasn't enough... watching from the sidelines. I wanted to lead my own life. A life of evil and destruction. In my present state, that was impossible. I began to give up, and in my failure I began to die.

Something shook me awake. I did not know what it was. I was being pulled from my body rather forcefully. It was painful. I screamed. At the same time I screamed, so did my physical body. I had control. I lashed about, trying to get free. Her body convulsed with my movements. She began to sweat, and I took advantage of the opening. I spilled out of her body, and solidified into my own.

I wasn't used to having the ability to control my own movement. For a moment I lay on the floor, dazed. I caught a bit of motion out of the corner of my eye and turned my head to see. It was a darigan zafara, and she had lifted the striped aisha and was carrying her to a table. I stood as best I could, disoriented from the events that brought about my birth. I leaned to the side and tried to steady myself. Finally the zafara turned to me.

Welcome to the world, my child," she said, lifting some clothing from a nearby table. I didn't answer. Instead, I allowed her to help me into the clothes she had given me. When I was finally able to stand and move on my own without a problem, I turned to her.

What am I?" I asked her. My voice surprised me. It had both weakness and power behind it.

You are a shadow," she said simply. "I have released you from your physical body. I've been feeling your presence since I met Lagerinas, and I've been working for a long time to realize your freedom.

I looked into her eyes and found her to be telling the truth. I'm not sure how I knew, but I did. Finally my gaze turned to the striped aisha that had kept me prisoner for so long. I moved over to where she lay.

So I am the shadow of this... Lagerinas?" I asked. I saw the darigan zafara nod. Instinctively my hand reached up to touch the body that had once been my own. A sharp pain and a pang of hatred shot through my arm into my brain. I pulled my hand back and hissed.

I detest her," I said. I made fists with my hands to try and rid myself of the pain that coursed though my body. Mactosius put her hand on my shoulder and led me away from the striped aisha.

You are ShadowLagerinas," she told me. "Your purpose is to spread evil. If you ever need assistance, don't hesitate to ask me. Now go, my child, and bring together those with evil in their hearts. I assure you, there will be no trouble finding them.

With those words in my thoughts, I set out into the sunlight. I traveled day in and day out for nearly a week before I could bring up the courage to speak to anybody. Eventually my army began to grow. More and more were volunteering to help with my conquest of Neopia. I thought myself as queen.

With my army of evil at its peak, I felt there was nothing that could stop me. There was one, however...

We went to war with an army of zafaras. It seemed like millions of zafaras, and at the head of them was Yaiau, a zafara that my creator Mactosius had killed. Her revenge on Mactosius was carried out on her greatest accomplishment: myself. The war lasted weeks, and the victory was not my own. With most of my members dead or dying, I escaped into a forest to rebuild. It wasn't long before Yaiau found me. I wasn't going to beg for my life, so instead I attacked. Physical attacks had no effect on her, and I was powerless. Her control of wild magic struck me down. My army was gone, and I was defeated.

With my accomplishments dissipated, I crept into darkness. Someday I will rebuild... and be queen once more.