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CHAPTER THREE

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A tall figure in a flowing robe walked purposefully down a lavishly decorated hall. His cold, blue eyes glared out at the world with an air of arrogance and self-love beyond the normal considered amount. He had a face a woman would want on a man, and he wore a dark suit of armor. He may have looked like someone who was weak and easy to mess around with, but of course, no one dared to do that, for his temper was not one to be reckoned with. He made the meanest of the humans look like a harmless babe.

His cruel eyes lit up with a flash of enjoyment as he approached the doors of his destination; the castle's torture room. Inside the dimly lit, dismal room hung a tiny, pale white man. His eyes were squeezed shut as he twisted and writhed from his chained position, dangling upside down from the ceiling. His tormenter was a tall man with a large afro and goatee, with plenty of muscle but little brain. His current method of torture on his victim was tickling. The captive's high-pitched laughter rang out through the dark room as Lord Darien entered, his lips curved into a sneer as he held up one of his hands.

"That's enough, he's ready to talk."

The shrill laughter echoed through the room as Satan lowered the little warrior onto a table. The boy's eyes seethed with hatred as Darien mockingly tugged on his restraints. "Fight, fight, fight as hard as you can, you can't beat me, I'm the Z-Fighter Chaotzu!" Darien teased.

Chaotzu shook his head at the man. "You're a monster," He said in a strained, high-pitched voice.

Darien glared at him. "I'm not the monster here, you are. You and the rest of that Anime trash spoiling my perfect world. Now tell me, where are the others!?" He yelled as he grabbed onto Chaotzu's shoulders and shook him violently.

Chaotzu wasn't frightened in the slightest; in fact, he was amused. He smirked at the Lord right before spitting on his face.

"Bite me!" He cried triumphantly.

Darien growled as he wiped the offensive liquid from his face. He walked around the table and picked up a small knife. "I've tried to be fair to you creatures, now my patience is at an end! Tell me! Or I'll...," He trailed off menacingly as he placed the blade edge to the end of Chaotzu's single hair.

The little warrior's face twisted with fear and anger.

"Not the hair! Not my little hair!" He cried.

Darien smirked to himself and set the knife down. "All right then, who's hiding them!?" He bellowed.

Chaotzu looked away and spoke in a defeated, shameful tone. "Okay, I'll tell you. Do you know.. the P-chan man?" He asked.

Lord Darien looked perplexed for a moment. "The P-chan man?" He mused.

Chaotzu nodded his head. "The P-chan man," He repeated.

Darien thought hard about all the people under his rule, he faintly recalled a boy who was known for getting himself lost easily. "Yes, I know the P-chan man. The one who lives on Dreary Lane?" He asked hopefully.

Chaotzu could barely keep from grinning as he continued to lead the Lord on his wild goose chase.

"Well, she's... married to... the P-chan man." He said softly, closing his eyes in utter shame.

Darien looked aghast. "The P-chan man ?!" He cried.

Chaotzu shouted out hysterically. "The P-chan man!"

Lord Darien put a finger to his chin in thought. "She's married to the P-chan man." He mused unaware of Chaotzu's' half-contained giggles.

Just then there was a bright light in the room, as the door at the head of the stairs opened and Captain Juunanagou entered inside. He politely bowed his head to Darien.

"My Lord, we've found it," He said. Darien smiled approvingly.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for? Bring it in!" He cried.

The following guards huffed as they lifted a heavy, round object onto the wall and hung it in place on a sturdy hook. A drab, yellowed canvas was pulled back to reveal the polished surface of dark glass, the black glass that was the magic mirror of legend. A quiet gasp escaped the lips of all in the room as a wild haired head with steely eyes formed in the smooth glass. Lord Darien smiled at the trapped face.

"Magic mirror Yamcha..," He began ominously.

"Don't tell him anything!" Chaotzu cried out.

He yelped as Darien threw him into a cage at the end of the room. The dark-haired Lord smiled at the mirror again.

"Evening," He greeted his new captive with a false joviality, then turned more serious. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, is this not the most perfect Kingdom of them all?" He asked smugly.

The mirror paused for a moment before solemnly replying. "Well, technically, you're not a King..." He had to be honest after all.

Lord Darien narrowed his eyes dangerously at the face in the glass. "Ah, Satan..?" He commanded.

His dim-witted servant held up a small hand mirror and thrust his fist through the pane, shattering the glass. Darien smirked at the panicking mirror.

"You were saying?" He drawled out. The mirror stuttered back at him.

"Uh, what I mean is, uh, you're not a King yet... but, but you can become one. All you have to do is marry a princess," He blurted out.

The Lord seemed interested. "Go on," He ordered. The mirror let out a nervous laugh.

"So, just sit back and relax, my Lord, because it's time for you to meet today's eligible bachelorettes. And heeere they are!"

The mirror took on a game show host''s attitude as he described the first silhouetted figure. "Bachelorette number one is a blue haired girl who has a high IQ... Her hobbies include studying and swimming. Here's Princess Ami!" As the mirror revealed Princess Ami, Lord Darien was more than a little put off by her smart looking face.

The mirror continued on. "Bachelorette number two is a high school girl with golden hair that resembles meatballs. Though she acts childish, she's not easy. Just get past her child-like personally and see what a live wire she really is. Come on; give it up for... Princess Usagi!" Darien had to smile at the lovely blonde-haired woman that graced the glass before him. There was still one more to go, though.

"And last, but not least, Bachelorette number three is a raven haired princess, locked away in a lava surrounded castle and guarded by the fire breathing monster Luna. But don't let that cool you down.. she's a loaded pistol who likes piná coladas and getting caught in the rain. Here's Princess Rei!" The mirror showed Darien a young woman with sharp, violet eyes, long black hair, and a pretty face.

The mirror's face then smiled out at the Lord. "So, will it be Bachelorette number one, Bachelorette number two, or Bachelorette number three?" He asked. Darien tried to think carefully about the choice, this would be his wife until death after all.

"Oh, oh three? One.., no two. No, no, three? Umm...."

He desperately tried to think as his captain and his guards threw out their opinions on which one he should pick. Finally, Satan called out to him.

"Three, pick number three, my Lord!" He waved two fingers in the air and then stopped to look at them as Darien made his choice.

"Ok, all right! Ok, uhh number three!" He cried.

The mirror smiled a toothy grin at her. "Lord Darien, you've chosen.... Princess Rei."

He moved aside to show the picture of the princess to Darien once more. The Lord was quite taken with her dashing good looks and her wistful, if somewhat depressed expression.

"Princess Rei... she's perfect." He sighed.

The mirror suddenly remembered an important fact about the princess. "But I probably should mention the little thing that happens at night--," He said, but the Lord wasn't paying him any attention.

"All I have to do is find someone to go get her...," He trailed off with a small smile on his lips. The mirror tried once more.

"Yes, but after sunset--"

His words were cut off by the Lord's hand. "Silence! I'll do it!" Darien commanded as he smirked to himself. "I will make this Princess Rei my queen, and A-kon will finally have.. the perfect King! Captain!" He shouted, facing his subordinate as Juunanagou and the rest of the king's entourage stood to attention. "Assemble your finest men. We're going to have... a tournament!" He cried.