EDIT 17/1/2013: No major edits, just a few adjustments to some words here and there.

A Birthday Party: Preparing

Wicked surveyed the occupants of the lavishly decorated room. Good. Everyone he called was there except Lolidragon. He PMed her.

Oi, Lolidragon, get yourself to that room we agreed on now!

Er, okay… But it might take a while, I'm a little busy. She replied.

What d'you mean you're busy? I specifically told you that we were having this meeting and to make sure you were free days ago.

I kinda forgot about it, and… her voice trailed off.

I don't care! Get over here right now!

Lolidragon didn't reply.

[And now, we wait.]

About half an hour later, a very red-faced Lolidragon burst through the double doors of the room, panting.

"Ah, the great Lolidragon has finally decided to grace us with her presence," the thoroughly annoyed voice of Wicked could be heard, with a hint of sarcasm. "What took you so long?"

"Well, it wasn't easy getting here. I was being chased by an angry horde. I had no idea why they were doing it. It's a wonder I actually made it here alive. And to top it all off, I had to climb up the ridiculous number of steps to this out-of-the-way room… Why did you pick this pl – hey! Are you even listening? You're the one who asked me why I was late."

Wicked was speaking to the increasingly excited occupants of the room. He seemed to be giving out instructions.

He turned to Lolidragon.

"Lolidragon, you distract Wu Qing until I call you."

"Wait, what?"

Wicked gave her a look. "Were you even listening?" he asked.

"Umm… no…" Hesitantly, she answered.

Wicked sighed. Reluctantly, he repeated his words to Lolidragon, because in doing so, they would be wasting precious time.

"We are planning to hold a surprise birthday party for Prince. Since it is also his twin's birthday, we're planning for him as well. That's where you come in. You're to distract Feng Wu Qing. Keep him away from the castle at any cost. Bring him back when the sun sets. Nan Gong Zui will be handling Prince."

"Why do I have to be with that annoying dishrag? Is it because you think he fancies me? Why can't I be with Prince instead?" whined Lolidragon.

"I don't trust you with Prince. For all we know, you would do something to him if he spends the day with you with no one else around to watch."

"Oh… but I still don't want to be with Wu Qing."

"You have no choice. We already agreed that you were the best choice. No one else can keep his attention for the whole day except you. Deal with it."

Lolidragon was halfway out the doors when Wicked called out.

"Oh, and Lolidragon? Don't do anything stupid. We need him alive for the party to happen."

Prince was happily eating in the kitchen. Nothing could move him from his little haven. Absolutely nothing.

"Prince, do you want to go out hunting with me?" Nan Gong Zui's voice could be heard as he neared the kitchen.

Prince perked up. "Of course. When are we going?" he said, standing up, the food completely forgotten.

[Okay, almost nothing could separate him from his beloved food.]

Prince followed Zui to a forest excited as it had been a while since he got to do what he loved, hunting. He had always been cooped up in InfiniteCity. No one allowed him out alone in case he got lost and there was never anyone free to accompany him, what with all the work they did to run InfiniteCity.

Of course, Prince didn't know that this little trip was just so the so-called 'hard working' people could prepare for his birthday party.

Lolidragon paced the corridors of the palace. What to do? What to do? What to do? she thought.

Stop panicking, she told herself. First, she had to find him. She could think of what to later. Maybe tie him up, or… Smiling sinisterly, she set off in search of Feng Wu Qing.

Back in the palace, things were not going so well. To the casual observer, nothing out of place could be seen from the outside of the palace. However, inside was another story.

Chaos reigned supreme as the members of the Odd Squad and Dark Phantom to name a few, tried to 'prepare' for the party in the unreasonably huge functions hall, which seemed to have no purpose, until now.

[Let's listen in, shall we?]

"Hey! Careful with that! You almost dropped it on me."

"Eh, does anyone smell that? It seems like something's burning!"

"Aaah! Look out below!" Something fell with a thud.

"Is anyone watching the food?"

"This is a disaster!"

"What do we do what do we do?

[Many other such things were said, but your kind author will not bore you readers with such trivial matters.]

At sunset, the clueless twins were brought back to the palace. Nan Gong Zui went to check if it was okay to bring the twins in. He opened the doors of the hall and his jaw pretty much dropped to the floor. It was an irreparable mess.

Wicked walked up to him and smiled sheepishly.

"I guess we have to cancel the party then," Zui said helplessly.

After shooing away the twins, Zui told an increasingly angry Lolidragon about the cancellation of the party.

"What? After all that I was forced to do they cancel the party?" She practically shouted at him.

"You weren't there. You would have agreed that cancelling it would have been for the best," Zui countered.

Lolidragon sighed. There was nothing they could do about it. At least the twins were too oblivious to even guess at why most of the people they saw were so down.

Hey there, people of fanfiction. I'm rather new to the world of writing, so I ask for your honest opinion of this story in a review. Also, if you could point out any mistakes, that would be great.

Happy New Year everyone!

~Li~