Last time Bloom and the others met Sasami; Princess of Jurai and a friend of Stella. Sasami needs to find a husband in order for her sister, Ayeka, to continue as Empress of Jurai. Stella, Bloom and the others promised to help Sasami find the right man for her. On with the show!
Chapter 2: No Need for Secret Organizations
"This sucks!" spat Stormy as she, Icy and Darcy sat disguised by glamour in a lousy bar on a flyspeck of a town on a mud-ball of a planet located on the outer rim of the galaxy; "This sucks more than anything that has sucked before. I mean look at us; we were the best at Cloud Tower before that slut Bloom came along and ruined everything."
"I have to agree with you," said Darcy, "We probably would have been better off if we never tried to find and take The Dragonfire as our own." "That maybe true," said Icy, "But what's done is done. There's no point in fuming over the past. All we can do is move forward and plan on how we're gonna destroy Bloom and her pathetic friends."
"Well if you have any ideas on how we're gonna kill that red-headed bitch and her stupid pixy friends," said Stormy, "I'm all ears, 'cause I've got nothing." "I've got plenty of ideas," said Darcy, "But all of them will end up with us getting caught, with none of them resulting in the death of Bloom." "What we need," said Icy, "Is to change our situation. How we are going to do that, I haven't figured that part out yet, but I'm working on it."
Just then the bartender came over to their table and handed Icy a folded piece of paper. "What's this?" asked Icy. "Some guy told me to give it to youse ladies," said the bartender. "Who was it?" asked Darcy. "I don't know," grumbled the bartender, "I only work here."
"What's it say?" asked Stormy once the bartender was out of earshot. Icy opened the paper to see that it was blank. "I sense there's a spell on it," said Darcy, "Let me try." She held the paper, whispered a spell and words appeared on the paper. At the same time a charismatic male voice came from the paper that only the three witches could hear:
"Hello, Icy, Darcy and Stormy Trix. Oh yes, I know who you three are. Who I am isn't important just yet. What is important is that my comrades and I have had our eyes on you three for quite some time now. We are impressed by the level of evil you have descended into, and we are most willing to admit you into our little society for people like you; people who lust after power; people who desire control; people who want to rule all.
"If you are interested in achieving more power than you have ever dreamed of, simply write 'yes' on this paper within the next five minutes after this message has finished. If you fail to respond within five minutes the paper will self-destruct. If you have no desire for power, and I hope you do desire it, then I apologize in advance for wasting your time.
There was no signature at the end of the message, but underneath the words was a crest of some sort: the black shadow of a man riding a horse covering a planet. "What do you think?" asked Icy. "I don't like it at all," said Stormy, "It could be a trap from the Galaxy Police." "The Galaxy Police don't use magic of any sort," said Darcy, "This is very powerful magic in it's own right. We could benefit from this person and his organization."
"How do you know it's a he not a she?" asked Icy. "Call it women's intuition," said Darcy. "I still don't like it," said Stormy, "Remember how our teaming up with Darkar worked out?" "This is different," said Darcy, "I'm sure of it." "Well it's Icy's decision," said Stormy, "What she decides, I'll go with it." Icy thought for a few seconds, then she took a pen from her purse and wrote one word on the paper; 'yes.'
Almost instantly new words appeared on the paper:
"I hoped you would agree. Congratulations, you have taken the first step to eternal glory and power. Now here's the next step. Tomorrow morning a man in a green hat and a blue coat will meet you outside your motel…"
The next morning Icy, Darcy and Stormy were waiting outside their motel for the man the note said would come. At exactly the time the note said he would come, a man in a green hat and a blue coat appeared next to them. He had a cigarette in his left hand and an empty matchbox in his right. "Excuse me," said the man to Icy in a rather high-class accent, "But could I trouble you for a match?"
"I use a lighter," responded Icy in the words she was said to use. "Yes," said the man, "They do work better." "Until they go wrong," responded Icy. The man nodded before saying, "This way, your ride is waiting. By the way, my name is Parker, I serve the master." "And who is your master?" asked Darcy. "You shall know," said Parker, "In due time. Now please, the master doesn't like to be kept waiting."
The witches followed Parker around the corner to where a black limo was waiting for them. They got in and were handed each a blindfold. "What's this for?" asked Stormy. "The master prefers to keep his home a secret," said the Parker, "Until he can be sure you three can be fully trusted."
Realizing that they weren't going anywhere until they complied, Icy, Darcy and Stormy put on their blindfolds. "Very good then," said Parker, "We can now proceed." The limo then drove off. Without her sight, Icy couldn't tell where they were going, only that at some point they passed through a planetary transporter.
They drove for another fifteen minutes before stopping. "You may remove your blindfolds now," said the Parker, "And you can reveal your true faces. I assure that you three are quite safe here from the authorities." Icy, Darcy and Stormy deactivated their glamour's and removed the blindfolds. As they got out of the limo, Stormy saw that they were on a planet that, at least in this area, was covered with thick, dark looking trees. In front of the witches was a large stone mansion that had at least 200 rooms in it.
Parker then went up to the front door and pressed a button on an intercom. "Who is it?" asked a voice on the other end of the intercom. "Parker, sir," said Parker, "Returning with guests as ordered." The door then opened from the inside. "This way," said Parker, "The master and his friends and associates are expecting you."
Icy, Darcy and Stormy followed Parker inside the mansion through several rooms before entering a large parlor. The room was lit by several blue torches and was decorated in black. Over a fireplace at the other end of the room was the crest they saw yesterday: the shadow of a man riding a horse covering a planet. Several well-dressed men and women were in the room talking to each other. Darcy could sense that most of them were magic users, while the rest weren't.
In the middle of the group was a tall man in a black suit. He had shoulder length black hair and pale indigo eyes that gleamed with dark energy. "Ah," said the man eagerly, "The famous Trix Sisters have arrived at last. Thank you Parker, you may go now." "Very good sir," said Parker. He bowed and exited the room.
"As I said in my message," said the man, "My friends and I have had our eye on you three for some time now. We were amazed when you used The Dragonfire to summon The Army of Decay. I know it didn't work out as you planned, but to have that knowledge, to be able to control a horde of living rot, now that's talent!"
"It's a shame your partnership with Darkar didn't work out," said a woman next to the man. She was also dressed in black that accented her rather attractive figure. She had long black hair with green streaks in it. She had one green eye and one yellow; both also gleamed with dark energy.
"We were planning to take The Ultimate Power for ourselves," said Icy, "Darkar just managed to betray us first." "That creature was intelligent," said the woman, "But he lacked style and finesse." "I don't mean to sound rude," said Darcy, "But who are you people?"
"Of course," said the man, "My mistake for failing to introduce ourselves to you. This is Salamei," he indicated the woman, "my consort. And I am Malaketh." "No way!" exclaimed Icy, "Malaketh and Salamei of The Shadow Riders?" "In the flesh," said Salamei.
"That's impossible," said Darcy, "You were killed by the Galaxy Police over fifty years ago." "Reports of our demise," said Malaketh, "Are highly exaggerated. We wanted the Galaxy Police and the rest of the universe to think we were dead. That way we could start over without any interference."
"We spent five decades convincing the universe that The Shadow Riders no longer exist," said Salamei, "Now we can continue our glorious work towards ruling all." "That is why you three are here," said Malaketh, "Salamei and I believe that you can be a great addition to our little society. Yet it's your choice if you wish to join us."
"And if we don't wish to join you?" asked Stormy. "Then you can leave," said Salamei, "But first we'll have to erase your memories in order to protect the security of our group. But that's not written in stone yet. Talk amongst yourselves and decide, you have all the time you need."
"I don't like this," said Stormy, "I think we're setting ourselves up to be brainwashed for a suicide cult or something." "Don't be stupid," said Darcy, "These are The Shadow Riders, the greatest collection of dark magic users and dark martial artists ever assembled. Don't tell me you haven't dreamed of being a part of something so glorious?" "I have," said Stormy, "I just don't like it. But if Icy is okay with it, then so am I."
"Well, Icy?" asked Darcy. "If joining The Shadow Riders is the means to destroying Bloom once and for all," said Icy, "Then I'm all for it. Let's do it." "Yes!" said Darcy in a highly excited tone, "We're gonna be Shadow Riders!"
"We've decided," said Icy to Malaketh, "And we'll join you." "Excellent!" said Malaketh, "Salamei, begin the initiation." "With pleasure," said Salamei, "Please repeat after me so we can begin: I Am…"
"I Am…" said Icy, Darcy and Stormy. "Sofa King…" said Salamei. "Sofa King…" repeated Icy and her sisters. "We Todd Ed," finished Salamei. "We Todd Ed," said Icy, Darcy and Stormy. "Now put it all together in a sentence," said Salamei. "I am sofa king we Todd Ed," said Icy, Darcy and Stormy.
"Now say it one more time," said Salamei, "But really fast. "I-am-sofa-king-we-Todd-Ed," said Icy, Darcy and Stormy. "You sure are!" exclaimed Salamei as she and everyone in the room laughed at Icy, Darcy and Stormy.
It took the witches a few seconds to realize just what they said. "Oh," said Icy, "I get it, yeah, really funny." "It was very funny," said a giggling Darcy, "A classic." "You know what?" said an irate Stormy, "This is bull sh$t. I don't care if they do wipe my memory, I'm out of here!"
"Oh come on, Stormy," said Darcy as she stopped Stormy from leaving the room, "It was just a joke, I'm sure everyone who pledges for The Shadow Riders gets it. Don't be so hasty to walk away from an opportunity like this, everything will turn out alright for us, would your big sister lie to you?" "You're only my big sister because you're four minutes older than I am," said Stormy, "While Icy is your older sister by five minutes."
"That's true," said Darcy, "But have I ever lied to you?" "No," said Stormy, "you haven't. I'll stay." "Excellent!" said Salamei as she gave Icy, Darcy and Stormy a piece of paper from which they were to read; from which spoke:
I, your name, do hereby pledge myself to The Shadow Riders; that I will use all my powers and abilities to further our goal of universal domination; to destroy anything that stands in my way; to show no mercy to my enemies, until we rule all.
I also swear to never reveal any of the secrets I am about to learn; and to protect those secrets, even if it results in my death. Should I divulge any information given to me by my fellow Shadow Riders, may my eyes be burned out; my nose removed; my tongue ripped away; my hands cut off below the wrist; my feet below the ankle; my head slowly sawed off, stuffed with rotten garlic and buried under a large rock.
Icy, Darcy and Stormy recited the pledge flawlessly. "Most excellent," said Salamei, "Now sign your full names on the charter," she showed the witches a large piece of gold parchment that was hung from the wall opposite the crest. It had the pledge they just said written on it, as well as several names underneath the words. There were three blank spaces at the very bottom.
"This charter has the name of everyone who has ever been a Shadow Rider," said Malaketh, "Both alive and those who are dead. You see only a small percentage of the membership. The rest can be viewed, but that's later. Now sign your full names at the bottom." Icy, Darcy and Stormy were then given ink and a quill to sign their full names:
Icinda Clare Trix
Darcia Marie Trix
Stormina Tamara Trix
(Please note that I'm guessing the full names of the witches, forgive me if I've gotten them wrong).
"That's that then," said Malaketh as Stormy finished writing her name, "Welcome to The Shadow Riders!" The other members began to clap loudly. "LET THE HAZING BEGIN!" exclaimed Malaketh, and the members cheered wildly. "Hazing?" asked Darcy nervously. "You still think this is a good idea, Icy?" asked Stormy. "Probably," said Icy, "But I've been wrong a few times."
The end of chapter 2. Next chapter we switch back to Stella and Sasami during their search for a husband. Please review and I'll see you next time!
