It was a bright day and I woke up in a bad mood because
of all the light that filled my room. Near my bed, there was a note from Sloth.
I picked it up and opened the window curtains. Outside I could view the dark
gardens, and outside the walls surrounding the palace, I could get a glimpse
at the city. It looked so different from what it had been before Sloth, and,
in my opinion, much better.
I opened the window and let the fresh morning
breeze get in my room. It felt good, but still didn't get me in a better mood.
I sat on one of the velvet chairs and opened the note.
Dalí,
We got her. She was caught trying to reopen
the portal to Earth. Poor stupid thing… She's in the dungeons, now. The goofy
idiotic Lenny is with her, too. I figured you'd like to judge them yourself,
so everything is set to noon. I won't be able to attend it, because Venera wants
me to accompany her to the iceberg to make sure Zairiu is sculpting her island
right.
Anyway, there is a bunch of other pesky Neopets
waiting to be judged - be harsh on them.
Your buddy,
Frank
I knew who he was referring to, and it kind
of cheered me up. Eclipse had finally been caught. Besides betraying us and
hiding in Terror Mountain with Licoperdon, she was found to be conspiring against
Sloth, and that was unforgivable.
I dressed in my judge clothes that I would always
dress on Mondays, when I was in charge of the Judging Room, and went to the
Breakfast Room, where I had my first meal of the day with Maelstra. She told
me about the progresses the faeries were making in accepting that she was now
the Queen, and that cheered me up a bit, too.
I had to be in the Judging Room, in the opposite
side of the palace in two hours, so I rushed my pace. I walked through corridors,
halls and rooms, and it was a good half an hour I spent before getting to the
elevator. It took me to the dungeons.
I enjoyed walking there; I liked to see the
Neopets inside their cages. They always looked at me in this angered way, but
I would just smile at them and punish them hard on judgement.
The most common form of punishment was sending
them to stone-quarries, where they would work day and night under strict vigilance.
Another common punishment was being in the dungeons for the rest of their lives,
but that seemed to not always affect them.
The hour of judgement was close, so I took one
last look at the dejected Neopets and then headed to the Judging Room.
It looked like one of those Earth courts, but
everyone was free to come and watch the judgement, and also the only one to
make a decision on the punishment was me, and no one could ever argue that.
"Welcome, my Lord," a Scorchio bowed to me and
pulled my chair. I sat down facing the audience and he read the first name from
a big list. "Today's first pet is Eclipse, charged with conspiracy and disloyalty!"
The shadow Aisha walked in the room, with chains
around her paws, escorted by two Mutant Usuls. The beauty she used to have was
no longer; she was so thin, and her fur was looking really weird. The light
she used to have, her shine, was also gone, and instead of the happiness and
optimism I used to see in her eyes, I saw bitterness. She was looking down at
the floor, and when commanded to bow to me, she performed a semi-semi-bow.
The Scorchio read all the charges against her,
and then told Eclipse to defend herself. For the first time since she had entered
the room, she looked at me. Right in the eyes, she gazed at me deeply and said
only, "You're frozen…"
"What?" I was confused at her statement. Usually,
pets get down on their knees and beg not to be punished, they don't said nonsense.
"Your heart is frozen," she said, "I never knew
so much anger and cold was in your soul. Look what you've became. Where is the
Prince Charming I knew? I can't believe you actually are best friends with that
rotten potato that is Sloth…"
I exploded when I heard this.
"To the stone-quarries!!" I yelled. "But first
let her spend a day in the Arena!"
The Arena was a terrible place. Pets had to
fight one of the soldiers in the Battledome with no weapons. If they won the
fight, which never happened, they were freed and all other charges were dropped,
if not, they would be healed 1 HP and remain like that to work in stone-quarries.
The Mutant Usuls dragged her away by the chains, and the next neopet entered
the room. It was Licoperdon. I didn't even want to hear him, I sent him immediately
to the stone-quarries too. The pets that followed were very unfortunate, because
I was in such a horrible mood. They all ended up being condemned to become piles
of sludge, or with a non return ticket to the stone-quarries.
I left the Judging room fuming.
"Frozen… A rotten potato… I hope she enjoys
her day in the Arena…"
After lunch, I went to my room to try and relax
a bit. But it was boring, I had nothing to do. I tried to read, but I couldn't
concentrate, I tried TV but there were only horror movies on and they were already
in the middle.
I laid on my recliner chair and, without my
consent, my mind wandered and brought memories of the old times. I remembered
Ceres and Eclipse… I remembered the friendship, the good times together, the
laughs…
"Aaargh!" I shouted, "Why am I even thinking
about this?"
I needed to distract myself, but Sloth and Venera
were away, the Ghost Lupe was in the Lost Desert organizing a mutant parade
in honour of Sloth, Maesltra was in Faerieland dealing with the faeries and
Grargadon was training with the Army. Everyone was busy and I didn't really
want to talk to the servants and slaves…
And then, again without my consent, my mind
wandered… this time, it brought back memories of the 'All Ya Can Drink'. That's
where I used go to forget and to entertain myself… I figured it would be okay
to go there now, since I had nothing to do.
I grabbed one of the Grundo servants in the
corridor and made him call a Uni to take me to the harbour, and from there I
went to Krawk Island by boat.
As soon as my paws touched the warm sand, the
excitement inside me grew bigger. I had been thinking about Black Eye and all
the other friends I would meet in the tavern again. Boy, how I missed them.
I was almost running through the beach to get to the city.
The city was a bit changed because of Sloth's
remodelling, but I managed to find my way to the dark alley were the tavern
was located. When I spotted the old place, with the sign outside saying 'All
Ya Can Drink' tavern, my heart was racing.
I pushed the door, but it didn't open. I thought
it was odd, because Pete would never lock the tavern's door, not even during
the day. I knocked once and no one came. I knocked twice and still no one came.
I was beginning to worry. I ran to Pete's house
to check what was wrong, but I hadn't even gotten there when I saw it. The green
paper posted on the door.
"No, it can't be!"
Every time someone was sent to the stone-quarries,
a note was posted on their door, in green paper, to notify other people that
the house was empty. I approached the house and confirmed my fears. Pete was
in the stone-quarries.
I fell on my knees and a tear rolled down my
cheek. I stood still for a moment before I decided I needed to go to the quarries.
I grabbed a nearby Uni and commanded him to take me to Krawk Island's Quarries,
the biggest quarries in Neopia.
When I got there, I was in shock. Pete was just
like Eclipse, thin and gloomy, working in the quarries. Eclipse was there, too,
managing to work with only one HP. I spotted some of my old friends, too, and
saw how they were in pain.
And then it clicked inside of me. My cold heart
was broken to pieces and I realised the truth. I saw what I couldn't see, and
understood how Neopia was suffering. It isn't right to treat anyone like that.
How could I be so blind? How could Sloth blind me like that? How could I not
see the truth…?
My soul was drowning in sorrow, and all I could
do for quite a few moments was stand there, crying, watching all the suffering.
I couldn't stand it. Everything I thought was
right was now wrong, I hated Sloth, I hated all my new friends, I hated the
power I had, and above everything, I hated myself.
I ran to the palace and locked myself in my
room. I grabbed some papers and began to write this. I now want to change Neopia
After I finish this, I am going to the dungeons and I'll free Fyora. I promise
I will get revenge for Neopia
***
Dalí put his pen down and reread his last words. He was crying, and tears
were still falling and rolling down his cheeks, wetting his flaming fur.
Then all of a sudden, a loud bang was heard
and the door jumped out of its place. It was Sloth.
"You puny little rat…" Sloth said with scorn.
He was wearing the Crown of Ultimate Power and a long dark cloak.
Dalí shuddered and tried to hide the papers
behind his back, but it was useless, Sloth already knew everything.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice? You pesky
creature…" He raised his arm and pointed at Dalí, "No one betrays Dr. Frank
Sloth and gets away with it. You should know that already."
One beam of light was all it took to freeze
Dalí. The frozen Kyrii was taken to the dungeons by two Mutant Grundos, and
there he stayed, guarded by two soldiers, while Sloth ruled Neopia evilly…
And all the evil people lived happily ever after.
…
But did they really?
The End
Author's Note: I have been thinking about writing a sequel for this, which
will (or not, depends on my mood =P ) have a happier ending. If you'd like to
read a sequel to this series, please Neomail me! Any other feedback is welcomed,
too! Thanks for reading my story.
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