It was the day after the speech. The people of the Empire rushed to join in massive numbers, and there were not enough people ready to train them. She had issued an order for the commanders of the Great War to come back into service, and that mitigated the problem greatly. While there was still too much people, training of both new commanders and soldiers could start in earnest. She was informed that this problem should not affect them greatly, and would be fully solved in no longer than a years' time.
She heard a knock on the door which broke her from her thoughts.
"Come on in"
Through the door entered her new apprentice. He politely bowed to her.
"Have you finished thinking over my offer?", Yang inquired with great interest.
While yesterday she had made it seem as though he had no choice in the matter, in private she allowed him a day to think this over. This would be a serious, and dangerous, opportunity for him, one which would be best not taken hastily.
"I have, your Highness", her apprentice responded.
Yang awaited his answer.
"I agree, your highness".
"Are you sure?", Yang said, giving him a final opportunity to back down, "This is not a commitment that will be broken lightly"
He nodded, and knelled on his left knee, his right arm crossed over his chest.
"Well done, my Lord", Gnarl spoke in her head, "But you never did explain why you needed an apprentice"
"Many reasons, Gnarl", Yang explained to him telepathically, "First of all, what kind of an Evil Overlord doesn't have an evil apprentice?"
"Most didn't, Sire. They weren't too fond of sharing power, and the danger of a knife in the back"
"That's why I'll make him loyal. And besides, there are more benefits too!"
"Oh? Do inform me, Master. I am eager to hear it."
"Well, for one, it's pretty cool to have an Evil Apprentice"
Yang can sense Gnarl nodding.
"Appearances, especially cool ones are important", Gnarl agreed.
She was aiming less for a cool appearance, although that was important too, and more for something that was just cool. Still, Gnarl didn't need to know that.
"It also helps that when he becomes loyal enough, I'll be able to trust him to be additional protection. Right now I need all the help I can get"
"Certainly, if you are careful, you could use some extra help. He could also be off help in some places Minions could not, perhaps if there was a need for a representative."
"Yeah, I thought so too, Gnarl"
She could feel amusement coming from him.
"I'm glad my lessons have sunk in, Master"
Yang continued on her explanation.
"And finally, it shows that those loyal can receive a better life"
"Smart, Lord", Gnarl praised her, "it will encourage loyalty"
That's what she thought too.
This explanation to Gnarl took less than a minute, and it was now time to address her new apprentice.
"Rise, apprentice", Yang commanded him in a calm, but stern voice.
"Yes, Master", said her new apprentice, as he rose and stood up straight.
"Master?", Yang questioned amused.
"That's how they do it in movies, Master...", Finster says sheepishly, "should I not-"
"That's fine", Yang interrupts him, "You may call me your Master and I will call you my apprentice".
"Sooooooo...", Finster started, "what now, Master?"
He felt a weird sensation, and suddenly he was very aware of where his Master is.
"Hmm...I feel it too...", his Master said and strangely enough he could feel curious amusement radiating from her.
"What...what is this?", he asked shocked doing his best to stomp down any unease and fear.
"A Master and a Apprentice share a bond.", Yang informed him, "The stronger our relationship becomes, the stronger the bond will become."
"What does it do?"
Yang chuckled in amusement.
"Can't you feel it? Aren't you more aware of my location than normal? Maybe even getting a small idea of my emotions? Because I feel all that from you"
He nodded, "I do, Master".
He thought for a bit.
"Is that your semblance, Master?"
Yang chucked humorously, "There's more to the world, apprentice, then just semblances and aura"
He was about to inquire further, but then he fell to the floor, his senses overwhelmed by an extreme dark presence. All he could feel is the oppressing darkness crashing into his senses.
He felt his eyes open, eyes he didn't even know he had closed, and saw his new Master knelling before him, with a look of concern on her face, as she used her hands to lightly open his eyelids. He saw his Master, and then he saw beyond. The form of his Master had seemingly melted from his view, replaced by a figure of her exact form. But where his Master had skin and bones, the figure, nothing less than the oppressive darkness he felt crashing into his senses, was pure black, with black smoke circling it giving off the feel of pure evil.
He crawled backwards as fast as he could, until his back hit the wall. No more escape, no where to run.
He felt a sharp pain, a feeling of loss, and just like that he could no longer feel the darkness, and the figure of pure darkness melted back into his Master.
"That", Yang said after a short pause, "was unexpected"
"What! What...what was all that!?", he demanded, his voice full of confusion and fear, "That darkness! That sense of evil! What was that? Were did it go?"
Yang shook her head lightly with pity.
"Our new bond had seemingly allowed you the unexpected ability to leech off from my senses.", Yang started to explain carefully, "The bond remains, but you can no longer leech off until you are ready."
"What-", he started before he was interrupted by his Master. "What you felt there, using my ability to feel, was me."
There was a pause in the room, lasting several minutes as Yang's apprentice got his bearings together.
"Y-You, Master?", he said bewildered, to which Yang nodded. "But...but how could you feel so...", he struggled to find the correct words.
"Dark? Evil?", Yang helpfully supplied.
"Both!", he exclaimed.
Yang sighed, and sat back down behind her desk, as she poured herself a glass of red wine she found in Theodore's liquor compartment.
"Pull up a chair. I have so much to tell you that will shatter your world".