Dr. Sloth is a well-known name to all Neopians. Unfortunately. The green skinned chicken headed villain has caused countless problems in the past, and is going to create more, it's in his nature. There are two ways Dr. Sloth has been portrayed across Neopia. He's been the evil villain intent on the conquest of Neopia, ruthless and brilliant in his tactics. And he's been the bumbling nemesis that can't seem to do anything right, much to our amusement. I've chosen the former.
Sometimes what seems to be our greatest faults can come in handy. And what some may regard as virtues others regard as faults, and what is often considered a fault can sometimes be a virtue. Everyone has unwanted aspects. Child_dragon is no different from everyone else. She would be a normal teenage girl, if not for the Essence. Other than a white streak in her hair and the half-pet figure, she's quite the average person. Which means she's not perfect. Though it turns out to be a blessing.
Essence Reborn
It was an average day around the house of child_dragon. Which meant I was sleeping in as long as humanly possible, MoonFall was up cooking breakfast with Aldrai's help, and Un-eairkagh and Terraile were doing their best to create enough noise to wake me up. After a couple minutes, they succeeded, mainly because it sounded like Un-eairkagh had fallen off the roof, again. I hurriedly got up and got dressed, listening for the tell-tale yelling that signifies a trip to the Healing Springs. I was much relieved to hear none. I trotted downstairs, wincing as I banged my tail against the railing. I was still adjusting to having a pteri tail. I entered the kitchen to the delicious smell of French toast.
"Good morning!" Lady MoonFall said cheerfully.
"Morning," I replied, peering out the window to catch a glimpse of the striped eyrie picking leaves out of his fur. He'd fallen into the bushes then. I sighed and took a seat at the table.
"So what are you doing today?" Terraile asked, perching on the chair opposite me.
"Well, I'm heading over to the Haunted Forest to meet up with WeatherWolf. He wanted to talk to me about something."
Terraile shrugged.
"We'll stay here than. I promised to help Un-eairkagh with his new bow, and it's Aldrai and MoonFall's turn to watch the shop."
I nodded.
"Sounds good to me."
****
WeatherWolf stared around him in disguised panic. "Look calm," he told himself. "This can't be as bad as it looks." It was. About ten grundo warriors surrounded him, with vile looking guns aimed directly at him. Two more were off to the side, holding a growling Deealoe to the ground with the muzzle of one of the guns. The grundos stirred, and a frightingly familiar form stepped into the clearing. Tall, with sinister red eyes, green skin, and a self-satisfied smile. Dr. Sloth. WeatherWolf snarled, the fur on his back rising.
"Ah, WeatherWolf," Dr. Sloth said idly. "How wonderful to meet you in person."
"What is this about!" he barked sharply, glancing around for a chance to escape.
"An acquaintance of yours. My sources show that you are going to meet her today, correct?"
WeatherWolf stared for a second, a sudden fear gripping his heart.
"Child_dragon? What do you want with her?" he asked, forcing the words out.
"You think that the disturbance of half a year ago went unnoticed by me? A shockwave of power, enveloping all of Neopia! Than, the portal, the dimensions themselves ripping apart. And who is connected to both of those events, but child_dragon. What power! The force of entire planet at her beck and call."
WeatherWolf stared at Dr. Sloth coldly.
"You wish to use her power. Hah! The Shadows tried, and failed. What makes you think you're attempt will be any different?"
Dr. Sloth smiled, a cold smile, utterly devoid of any mirth. A smile of ruthless triumph.
"I have researched. She is helpless off of Neopia. It is the source of her power. And…. I have incentive for her to obey me."
Too late WeatherWolf realized what he meant by that statement. By the time he did, the grundos had already closed in. He spun, snarling and biting, but the butt of a gun slammed onto the back of his head, and he spiraled off into darkness.
****
The forest was silent as I walked through it's depths. Nothing unusual for the Haunted Forest, but something was telling me that there was danger up ahead. Knowing that the promptings I felt was coming from Neopia itself, I summoned the Elemental Spear to my hand. It's slender weight was cool and reassuring in my clawed hand. Warily, I walked through the forest, straining my magical senses to detect anything unusual. I encountered a turmoil of darkness. I drew a sharp breath, feeling an icy chill run down my spine. There was something wrong in Neopia. Something very wrong. The force I felt up ahead was of malicious intent, aimed for me. I smiled to myself. Whatever it was, I had warning. The ambushers were about to become the ambushees. I leaped into the trees, gathering the power of earth and wind around me to hide my presence. I moved stealthily through the branches, darkness masking my movements. There, up ahead. A group of grundos, and Dr. Sloth? What was he doing on Neopia? Up to no good, undoubtedly. I smiled to myself. Today, he'd pay for all the trouble he'd given us in the past. I was the Essence, Neopia was my home. With a cry, I leapt from the trees, moving in a blur of power and light. The first grundo didn't even see what hit him, he simply fell as the force of my will hit him. I didn't want to kill them, they were helpless slaves to Dr. Sloth. He was my real target.
"CHILD_DRAGON!"
I froze at the anguished cry. Holding my spear in a defensive posture in front of me, I looked to the source of the sound. Deealoe lay on the ground, eyes closed in pain, two grundos standing by. A couple of them moved aside, and I saw WeatherWolf laying there also, guns trained on him. I stared at them for a moment, than at the solemn figure of Dr. Sloth.
"What is this?" I asked coldly.
"Lay down the spear," he ordered.
I didn't. I could unleash power, such power, and the grundos would have no time to react. But Dr. Sloth spoke before I did.
"Your friends are poisoned. And only I have the cure. Lay down your spear, and I will spare them. Do you want their blood on your hands?" he asked softly.
I closed my eyes, tentivly reaching out with my mind. Yes, there, a trace of something. Killing them. Poison. I released my spear, not opening my eyes. It fell to the ground with a soft thud, and I heard a chuckle from Dr. Sloth.
"Bind her and take her to my ship. Go, now!"
My hands were jerked behind my back and roughly bound. I then opened my eyes and met Dr. Sloth's triumphant gaze in defiance.
"You won't get away with this, " I said in hatred.
He laughed.
"I already have, Essence of Neopia, I already have."
And I was led away.
****
Four pets waited for their owner. Noon came and went, and they started to get worried. Sure, they were used to her being gone for a while, but still, Terraile was especially anxious, and everyone knew that her role as NightHawk's Heir had granted her some inner power. Evening arrived, and they called Sabreur, Sakuko and Melody. The three humans and the four pets waited. Just as Melody got up to call the police, the doorbell rang. Sabreur opened it, and a dirty and exhausted WeatherWolf staggered in, collapsing in the entryway. Deealoe followed, blood staining his white fur from a cut along the side.
"What happened?" Infernus asked fearfully.
"An ambush. Dr. Sloth used us as hostage to take child_dragon prisoner."
There was a hiss of indrawn breath.
"Where is she?" Un-eairkagh asked frantically, eyes wide in shock and fear.
"I think he took her to his ship. Not on Neopia, that's for sure. He said she's powerless off the planet."
He stopped, panting for breath, and Deealoe continued explaining.
"He poisoned me and WeatherWolf, so if child_dragon resisted we'd die. She went with him, and we were quickly given the cure once she was out of sight. I think he intended to bring us also, to ensure that child_dragon cooperates, but we managed to break free when they were distracted."
The aisha lay his head down on the floor, eyes closed in pain. There was dead silence from everyone in the room.
"What do we do?" Lady MoonFall asked fearfully.
No one answered.
Sometimes what seems to be our greatest faults can come in handy. And what some may regard as virtues others regard as faults, and what is often considered a fault can sometimes be a virtue. Everyone has unwanted aspects. Child_dragon is no different from everyone else. She would be a normal teenage girl, if not for the Essence. Other than a white streak in her hair and the half-pet figure, she's quite the average person. Which means she's not perfect. Though it turns out to be a blessing.
Essence Reborn
It was an average day around the house of child_dragon. Which meant I was sleeping in as long as humanly possible, MoonFall was up cooking breakfast with Aldrai's help, and Un-eairkagh and Terraile were doing their best to create enough noise to wake me up. After a couple minutes, they succeeded, mainly because it sounded like Un-eairkagh had fallen off the roof, again. I hurriedly got up and got dressed, listening for the tell-tale yelling that signifies a trip to the Healing Springs. I was much relieved to hear none. I trotted downstairs, wincing as I banged my tail against the railing. I was still adjusting to having a pteri tail. I entered the kitchen to the delicious smell of French toast.
"Good morning!" Lady MoonFall said cheerfully.
"Morning," I replied, peering out the window to catch a glimpse of the striped eyrie picking leaves out of his fur. He'd fallen into the bushes then. I sighed and took a seat at the table.
"So what are you doing today?" Terraile asked, perching on the chair opposite me.
"Well, I'm heading over to the Haunted Forest to meet up with WeatherWolf. He wanted to talk to me about something."
Terraile shrugged.
"We'll stay here than. I promised to help Un-eairkagh with his new bow, and it's Aldrai and MoonFall's turn to watch the shop."
I nodded.
"Sounds good to me."
****
WeatherWolf stared around him in disguised panic. "Look calm," he told himself. "This can't be as bad as it looks." It was. About ten grundo warriors surrounded him, with vile looking guns aimed directly at him. Two more were off to the side, holding a growling Deealoe to the ground with the muzzle of one of the guns. The grundos stirred, and a frightingly familiar form stepped into the clearing. Tall, with sinister red eyes, green skin, and a self-satisfied smile. Dr. Sloth. WeatherWolf snarled, the fur on his back rising.
"Ah, WeatherWolf," Dr. Sloth said idly. "How wonderful to meet you in person."
"What is this about!" he barked sharply, glancing around for a chance to escape.
"An acquaintance of yours. My sources show that you are going to meet her today, correct?"
WeatherWolf stared for a second, a sudden fear gripping his heart.
"Child_dragon? What do you want with her?" he asked, forcing the words out.
"You think that the disturbance of half a year ago went unnoticed by me? A shockwave of power, enveloping all of Neopia! Than, the portal, the dimensions themselves ripping apart. And who is connected to both of those events, but child_dragon. What power! The force of entire planet at her beck and call."
WeatherWolf stared at Dr. Sloth coldly.
"You wish to use her power. Hah! The Shadows tried, and failed. What makes you think you're attempt will be any different?"
Dr. Sloth smiled, a cold smile, utterly devoid of any mirth. A smile of ruthless triumph.
"I have researched. She is helpless off of Neopia. It is the source of her power. And…. I have incentive for her to obey me."
Too late WeatherWolf realized what he meant by that statement. By the time he did, the grundos had already closed in. He spun, snarling and biting, but the butt of a gun slammed onto the back of his head, and he spiraled off into darkness.
****
The forest was silent as I walked through it's depths. Nothing unusual for the Haunted Forest, but something was telling me that there was danger up ahead. Knowing that the promptings I felt was coming from Neopia itself, I summoned the Elemental Spear to my hand. It's slender weight was cool and reassuring in my clawed hand. Warily, I walked through the forest, straining my magical senses to detect anything unusual. I encountered a turmoil of darkness. I drew a sharp breath, feeling an icy chill run down my spine. There was something wrong in Neopia. Something very wrong. The force I felt up ahead was of malicious intent, aimed for me. I smiled to myself. Whatever it was, I had warning. The ambushers were about to become the ambushees. I leaped into the trees, gathering the power of earth and wind around me to hide my presence. I moved stealthily through the branches, darkness masking my movements. There, up ahead. A group of grundos, and Dr. Sloth? What was he doing on Neopia? Up to no good, undoubtedly. I smiled to myself. Today, he'd pay for all the trouble he'd given us in the past. I was the Essence, Neopia was my home. With a cry, I leapt from the trees, moving in a blur of power and light. The first grundo didn't even see what hit him, he simply fell as the force of my will hit him. I didn't want to kill them, they were helpless slaves to Dr. Sloth. He was my real target.
"CHILD_DRAGON!"
I froze at the anguished cry. Holding my spear in a defensive posture in front of me, I looked to the source of the sound. Deealoe lay on the ground, eyes closed in pain, two grundos standing by. A couple of them moved aside, and I saw WeatherWolf laying there also, guns trained on him. I stared at them for a moment, than at the solemn figure of Dr. Sloth.
"What is this?" I asked coldly.
"Lay down the spear," he ordered.
I didn't. I could unleash power, such power, and the grundos would have no time to react. But Dr. Sloth spoke before I did.
"Your friends are poisoned. And only I have the cure. Lay down your spear, and I will spare them. Do you want their blood on your hands?" he asked softly.
I closed my eyes, tentivly reaching out with my mind. Yes, there, a trace of something. Killing them. Poison. I released my spear, not opening my eyes. It fell to the ground with a soft thud, and I heard a chuckle from Dr. Sloth.
"Bind her and take her to my ship. Go, now!"
My hands were jerked behind my back and roughly bound. I then opened my eyes and met Dr. Sloth's triumphant gaze in defiance.
"You won't get away with this, " I said in hatred.
He laughed.
"I already have, Essence of Neopia, I already have."
And I was led away.
****
Four pets waited for their owner. Noon came and went, and they started to get worried. Sure, they were used to her being gone for a while, but still, Terraile was especially anxious, and everyone knew that her role as NightHawk's Heir had granted her some inner power. Evening arrived, and they called Sabreur, Sakuko and Melody. The three humans and the four pets waited. Just as Melody got up to call the police, the doorbell rang. Sabreur opened it, and a dirty and exhausted WeatherWolf staggered in, collapsing in the entryway. Deealoe followed, blood staining his white fur from a cut along the side.
"What happened?" Infernus asked fearfully.
"An ambush. Dr. Sloth used us as hostage to take child_dragon prisoner."
There was a hiss of indrawn breath.
"Where is she?" Un-eairkagh asked frantically, eyes wide in shock and fear.
"I think he took her to his ship. Not on Neopia, that's for sure. He said she's powerless off the planet."
He stopped, panting for breath, and Deealoe continued explaining.
"He poisoned me and WeatherWolf, so if child_dragon resisted we'd die. She went with him, and we were quickly given the cure once she was out of sight. I think he intended to bring us also, to ensure that child_dragon cooperates, but we managed to break free when they were distracted."
The aisha lay his head down on the floor, eyes closed in pain. There was dead silence from everyone in the room.
"What do we do?" Lady MoonFall asked fearfully.
No one answered.