Darkness. An endless expanse of inky void. A shadowy nebulous
cloud of tenebrous, clammy fingers of wraithlike dark.
"And that's just the first part of my poem," said Pui-Pui. "The second part talks about how nobody loves me and how I'm going to cut my wrists any time now."
"Oh, and we're also in the galaxy you requested," added Dabura. "Everything here is so dark I can't get the sensors working, and can't scan for nearby energy sources."
"Dabura, I don't have sensors. I don't have phasors and I DON'T have the 'Death Ray' which you keep mentioning when you think I can't hear you."
The spaceship descended into the enveloping mist of shadow that seemed to grip the entire solar system that they were entering. The sun itself was wreathed in this perplexing darkness, so that no light could shine. The saucer-shaped vessel lowered into orbit around a rocky, featureless planet.
"Shall I prepare an Away Team, Master Babidi?"
"If you mean 'Will we land and leave to search for the fabled beast Yakon', then yes, Dabura, do so."
Dabura nodded. Now he just had to figure out how to land. There were two buttons - LAND SHIP, and... FIRE DEATH RAY? His mouth widened in a maniacal grin. There really WAS a death ray! Of course, if he pressed it now, he'd destroy everything they were searching for, but a death ray was a death ray. He pressed the button.
"Aargh!" screamed Pui-Pui. "I can't hear anything!! I... I can't hear anything! Help! Master Babidi! I can't hear anything!"
"Dabura!" said Babidi accusingly. "You pressed the Deaf Ray button, didn't you?"
"Oh, hilarious," said Dabura. "Very funny. That was the worst joke yet. Landing as requested, Master Babidi."
The planet surface was cold. The rocks crunched beneath their boots as they tried to pierce the constant darkness with their flashlights.
"Why are we using these clumsy devices? Surely you have some sort of spell that creates light?"
"You know, I do have a 'Create Lots of Light To Illuminate Dark Places Spell'. Do you think it'll work?"
Dabura sighed. "Yes. Yes I do."
"Papparapa! Let there be light!"
"That's MY line," said God. "I'll see you in court."
Radiance emerged from Babidi's hands, filling the area with a dim but growing light source that began to reveal the distinctintly dull planet around them - rocks, more rocks, some more rocks, and even a very large rock that was shaped like a rock.
"This isn't a very interesting place," said Pui-Pui. "Just rocks. Although some of them are kind of funny - look, that rock is shaped like Dabura's forehead! And that rock is shaped like a chair! And that rock is shaped like a gigantic killer beetle!"
"Pui-Pui! Get away from that!"
"It looks almost real," said Pui-Pui, touching it. "And it feels all scaly. OH GOD! IT'S LATCHED ONTO MY HEAD!"
Dabura lunged forward, knocking the giant beetle away. It rolled into the shadows, vanishing from sight. There was an ominous chittering that faded until they couldn't quite pinpoint the source.
"Dabura, I don't like this," said Babidi.
"He's over there," said Dabura, pointing into the shadows. "I can sense his energy."
"Thank goodness for all this LIGHT! If it wasn't for this light, well, I'd probably panic! I'm certainly glad it's really bright and nothing can take this light away."
Deep in the shadows, Yakon leered and opened his mouth wide. As though it were glowing soup, the light in the air was literally sucked towards the beetle's mouth, disappearing into the beast's belly as it devoured every last glimmer in the area. Absolute darkness set in.
Then Yakon decided to attack.
The mantis-like creature sprang forward, sinewy legs propelling it at incredible speeds. It slammed into Pui-Pui and sent him flying, but the henchman managed to regain his balance and land on his feet, blindly firing a blast of energy ahead of him. Yakon swerved to one side, dodging it, and slashed at Dabura with lengthy, serrated claws.
The demon king lifted his arm and blocked it. He grinned into the darkness. "I am the Demon Lord of Darkness, you fool. Do you really think that will work on me?" His fist shot forwards. In the shadows, nobody could see it sink into Yakon's armoured belly and protude from his back; spitting green bile, the insect toppled over, wheezing in agony.
"I can't see what's happening," Babidi complained. "Did he get you, Dabura?"
"Not exactly, Master."
"Onto your feet, pathetic bug," said Dabura, stepping forwards. "From now on, you obey ME--"
"--hey! You mean ME!"
Dabura growled. "Yes, you obey HIM. Lord Babidi, it's time."
"That's right," said Babidi, raising his hands. "There's plenty of evil in this one. Yakon, you belong to me!"
"And that's just the first part of my poem," said Pui-Pui. "The second part talks about how nobody loves me and how I'm going to cut my wrists any time now."
"Oh, and we're also in the galaxy you requested," added Dabura. "Everything here is so dark I can't get the sensors working, and can't scan for nearby energy sources."
"Dabura, I don't have sensors. I don't have phasors and I DON'T have the 'Death Ray' which you keep mentioning when you think I can't hear you."
The spaceship descended into the enveloping mist of shadow that seemed to grip the entire solar system that they were entering. The sun itself was wreathed in this perplexing darkness, so that no light could shine. The saucer-shaped vessel lowered into orbit around a rocky, featureless planet.
"Shall I prepare an Away Team, Master Babidi?"
"If you mean 'Will we land and leave to search for the fabled beast Yakon', then yes, Dabura, do so."
Dabura nodded. Now he just had to figure out how to land. There were two buttons - LAND SHIP, and... FIRE DEATH RAY? His mouth widened in a maniacal grin. There really WAS a death ray! Of course, if he pressed it now, he'd destroy everything they were searching for, but a death ray was a death ray. He pressed the button.
"Aargh!" screamed Pui-Pui. "I can't hear anything!! I... I can't hear anything! Help! Master Babidi! I can't hear anything!"
"Dabura!" said Babidi accusingly. "You pressed the Deaf Ray button, didn't you?"
"Oh, hilarious," said Dabura. "Very funny. That was the worst joke yet. Landing as requested, Master Babidi."
The planet surface was cold. The rocks crunched beneath their boots as they tried to pierce the constant darkness with their flashlights.
"Why are we using these clumsy devices? Surely you have some sort of spell that creates light?"
"You know, I do have a 'Create Lots of Light To Illuminate Dark Places Spell'. Do you think it'll work?"
Dabura sighed. "Yes. Yes I do."
"Papparapa! Let there be light!"
"That's MY line," said God. "I'll see you in court."
Radiance emerged from Babidi's hands, filling the area with a dim but growing light source that began to reveal the distinctintly dull planet around them - rocks, more rocks, some more rocks, and even a very large rock that was shaped like a rock.
"This isn't a very interesting place," said Pui-Pui. "Just rocks. Although some of them are kind of funny - look, that rock is shaped like Dabura's forehead! And that rock is shaped like a chair! And that rock is shaped like a gigantic killer beetle!"
"Pui-Pui! Get away from that!"
"It looks almost real," said Pui-Pui, touching it. "And it feels all scaly. OH GOD! IT'S LATCHED ONTO MY HEAD!"
Dabura lunged forward, knocking the giant beetle away. It rolled into the shadows, vanishing from sight. There was an ominous chittering that faded until they couldn't quite pinpoint the source.
"Dabura, I don't like this," said Babidi.
"He's over there," said Dabura, pointing into the shadows. "I can sense his energy."
"Thank goodness for all this LIGHT! If it wasn't for this light, well, I'd probably panic! I'm certainly glad it's really bright and nothing can take this light away."
Deep in the shadows, Yakon leered and opened his mouth wide. As though it were glowing soup, the light in the air was literally sucked towards the beetle's mouth, disappearing into the beast's belly as it devoured every last glimmer in the area. Absolute darkness set in.
Then Yakon decided to attack.
The mantis-like creature sprang forward, sinewy legs propelling it at incredible speeds. It slammed into Pui-Pui and sent him flying, but the henchman managed to regain his balance and land on his feet, blindly firing a blast of energy ahead of him. Yakon swerved to one side, dodging it, and slashed at Dabura with lengthy, serrated claws.
The demon king lifted his arm and blocked it. He grinned into the darkness. "I am the Demon Lord of Darkness, you fool. Do you really think that will work on me?" His fist shot forwards. In the shadows, nobody could see it sink into Yakon's armoured belly and protude from his back; spitting green bile, the insect toppled over, wheezing in agony.
"I can't see what's happening," Babidi complained. "Did he get you, Dabura?"
"Not exactly, Master."
"Onto your feet, pathetic bug," said Dabura, stepping forwards. "From now on, you obey ME--"
"--hey! You mean ME!"
Dabura growled. "Yes, you obey HIM. Lord Babidi, it's time."
"That's right," said Babidi, raising his hands. "There's plenty of evil in this one. Yakon, you belong to me!"