The Origins Of: The Pant Devil

Well, I got inundated with such nice comments about my last Origins and a list that could reach the Virtupets Space Station of others that I could do, so I got to thinking about which character I could do next. The character would have to be as much the opposite of Punchbag Bob as possible, an evil character that we all love to hate, but not really know why they chose the life of darkness.

Well, the answer was clear. I could either do Sloth (done so many times), Darigan, Kass (both likewise) or the Pant Devil. As the title suggests, I chose the latter, and hope you all enjoy it as much as you did the last one!

~**~

Many years ago, long before any Neopets around now would remember, Neopia was pretty much the same as it is now, minus one or two minor details. There were no owners back in the time our story takes place, and there was no such thing as "neopoints," either. Currency was un-heard of, and all items were either given and received freely, or traded and bartered. There was still the Money Tree, of course, but back then it was known as the Donations Tree, where one could leave any item for others if they wished not to be recognised as materially wealthy.

Most of the free events that take place today were take their roots back from the time I speak off. The Tombola for one was free and back then there was no such thing as a "booby prize." All items were deemed equal in value; it was the majority of the items that defined your status, and there was no lack of items, so there was no "poor" status, either.

But surely, I hear you say, in a time of freely-given items there was no need for a thief? The Pant Devil couldn't possibly originate from here, surely? Sadly, that is not so, for though most citizens traded and gave items freely, without care of status (as long as they were happy, they couldn't care less), there were still about a third of Neopia's population that were selfish, greedy little hoarders. And where there were people that forbade others to have what they enjoyed, there was always bound to be someone who was ready and willing to take what they thought was rightfully theirs back from them.

One such person presided in the Haunted Woods, where he sulked among the dark, gnarled trees, ready to pounce upon a poor unfortunate soul and relieve them of their load. The fact that his color was that of a dark blue helped him naturally blend in with the darkness that he favoured so much. So much so that he could stand in a shadowy alcove, with his soon-to-be victim walking straight at him, and the Neopet would never see him...before it was too late.

This particular character went only by the name of Fingers, a title he had notoriously been branded with by the angry public. The name became so after many a report that, during a burglary, even though the thief spoke mockingly all the while, all you could see of him was the long, spindly fingers as they lovingly wrapped themselves around a possession of yours, before snatching it away into the darkness.

The thief preferred the name with which he had recently been given much more than his old nickname...

~**~

The candles shone dimly in the large room, sputtering weakly as if they may extinguish at a moment's notice. The room itself was empty, the floorboards old and bent, the windows cracked and rattling from the wind. A lone figure stood in the center of the room, a full-length dark cloak covering it entirely. The cloak, oddly enough, had pockets on the outside, which were bulging non-discreetly. The wearer was a wealthy soul, and it made him an even bigger target than usual.

From the darkest corner of the room another figure stood, staring at the cloaked person with greedy intention. Trained eyes scanned the room for the best way to reach the figure and its bulging pockets of goods without alerting the wearer. Should he blow out the candles? No, the person would no doubt notice the drop in light. Should he just pounce, hoping that his sheer strength would make him victorious? No, the cloaked figure would easily over-power him before he managed to make off with any items. What, then?

Deciding that the best way would be just to sneak up behind the cloaked figure, the thief in the corner edged along the shadowed wall until he was more suitably angled behind the victim. Breathing in silently, the thief tip-toed carefully forward, looking downwards all the time so as to avoid any loose floorboards...

Creeeaakk!

Like that one. No sooner had the old wooden board utter the sound then the cloaked figure whipped around, batting at the thief and knocking it of off it's feet. Landing on his rump, the thief yelped and shuffled backwards a bit as the cloaked figure glared at him with distaste.

"What," it hissed malevolently as it advanced slowly upon the thief, causing the little Neopet (for that it was indeed, no older than three years) to scurrying back even faster. "Do you call that?"

The thief gave no reply, but just sniffled piteously at its utter failure. Now that they were closer to the candlelight, it was easier to identify the would-be robber. A Mynci with dark blue skin and eyes, the fingers on its hands abnormally long for one of it's species. These it used to dab away at its tearful eyes as he gazed up at the menacing figure.

"I asked you a question," the cloaked figure spat, standing still now that the Mynci had back itself against the wall. "What did you call that?!"

"A..." the young Neopet found it hard to say anything, for he was too choked with tears and fright. Finally, he managed to announce his feeble excuse. "A burglary..."

"You don't say!" the cloaked figure leered horribly. "And here was I thinking it was a tea-party! Need I tell you that I knew you were there even before you took a breath? No, I don't, do I? You're one of the most hopeless students the Thieving Academy has ever had the ill-luck to take under their roof! You're pants, what are you?"

"I...I'm pants, sir," the Mynci sniffed wretchedly.

"Yes, you are, and you'll always be pants! In fact, that shall be your name as long as you abide here! You shall be known to teachers and students alike as...the Pants Thief!"

~**~

Well, who was pants now, teacher? Who was the most notorious thief in Neopia whilst you and the rest of the "Thieving Academy" are still stealing candy from babies? Me, not you! And one day you shall truly know just how wrong you are, one day I shall steal from you what you hold most dear! I shall take from you your very own Academy and use it for my own means! How would you like that, oh great teacher...?

The sound of someone panting under a lot of weight managed to withdraw the thief now known as Fingers from his revelry in time for him to see a young Moehog approaching from down the road, a large sack of items slung over his back.

Must a be a rich person new to the area, Fingers reasoned as the unlucky pet drew closer, to go through the Woods when I'm on the prowl...time to teach him the error of his own folly.

"Hold it right there!" he hissed warningly as the Moehog drew level with him. "What do you carry in that sack, so that I may...relieve you of your burden?"

"No-nothing!" the little pet squeaked in alarm, eyes darting from one side of the woodland path to the other. Fingers smiled, he had long since mastered the effect of making his voice bounce off of the trees around him, so that it seemed he was everywhere at once. "Nothing to interest you, at least, I hope!"

"You hope." Fingers laughed dryly as he reached for the string that tied the ends of the bag. "How amusing...don't you know who I am?"

"F-Fingers!" the Moehog squealed as he felt the appendages tug at the strings behind his back. "Thief of darkness and sinful creature!"

"That's a new one, I must admit," Fingers mused as he rifled through the sack with an expert eye. Indeed, there was nothing of interest here, just blocks of wood and sheets of metal. "Planning to build something are we?"

"N-no!"

"Don't lie to me, please...I find it most irritating." Fingers yawned.

"He speaks the truth, vile creature!" a voice snapped behind the thief.

Whirling around, Fingers was met by an old Techo, whose claws glowed with an eerie light as he glared at the alarmed Mynci. Before Fingers could react, the Techo grabbed him by the shoulders, the light flowing through his claws onto the thief's body. Fingers yelped in surprise as the light began to tingle and sting, but the old wizard would not let go.

"When I heard about you, I thought at first you were just a myth," the Techo muttered as the thief wriggled and writhed in his grip. "Now I have seen your villainy for my self, and now I am even more certain that you must be stopped!"

The Moehog yelped, and Fingers wasn't sure why. But upon looking down he saw...but it couldn't possibly be, could it? How could he be looking down at the top of his own head? Soon enough, he was looking at his entire body, limp in the arms of the wizard, who placed it ceremoniously in the sack alongside the wood and metal. Neither the Moehog nor the Techo took any notice of him, and Fingers began to fear that the evil wizard had killed him and that he was now an invisible ghost. "What have you done to me?!" he howled in his anguish.

He was surprised and oddly relieved when the Techo stared him straight in the eye and answered. "I have done nothing more than was needed. You are to be taught a lesson, and one way or another you shall learn it! Either you give up your thieving ways, or you remain a devilish ghoul forevermore...make your choice, and make it a wise one!"

"Never!" the ghostly apparition of Fingers bellowed venomously down at the Techo with red-slits for eyes. "I will never relent! I was born to be the best thief there ever was, and you and your magic won't stop me!"

Upon further thought, Fingers added. "Actually, I should thank you. You have made my life easier. I can still lift objects," so saying he snapped a branch off a tree and flung it at the old wizard. "So that means I can remain a thief...and now that I am also a ghost, I may enter my victims' very homes with the utmost silence! I shall be feared more now than ever I was before! Farewell, stupid old wizard...you haven't heard the last of me! For I am now...the Pant Devil!!!"

And with those chilling words, the ghoul previously known as Fingers flew effortlessly up through the treetops and into the distance, cackling wildly with deranged glee.

"Do you...do you think he means what he says?" the little Moehog asked his master. "Do you think he'll continue his life of crime, much worse than before?"

"I'm afraid only time will tell," the old Techo sighed regretfully as he tied-up his bag and prepared to head home. "I'm afraid I have let something awful loose upon our world, for some villains will never give up...even if it means striking from beyond the mortal realms...

"Only time will ever tell if the 'Pant Devil' will ever truly learn his lesson..." Of course, we know now that sadly, that is not the case.

The End

Author's Note: If I'm any judge, I'd say that was longer than the first! Hope you didn't hate it too much, and I hope you'll still neomail me with your comments and character ideas. I haven't mangled the Pant Devil too much, I hope!