Thanks to: ZodiacDragonHatori (yes, Darkar is just plain 100 percent dodgy - spying on a schoolgirls' slumber party indeed - sheesh!) and MC Meg (in da house, big styleeeee!).
Random Quote: Needs must when the devil vomits into your kettle (Blackadder)
"Charlotte - watch yourself! He's gonna try something!"
But try as he might, she couldn't hear Riven's desperate pleas as she raised her hands above her, preparing to launch into her fearsome Fire Storm attack. The water around the Ifrit started to swirl and bubble as the air above it started to circle, faster and faster, hotter and hotter until finally it burst into a flaming twister that completely surrounded the creature. Huge clouds of steam suddenly spewed up into the air as the Fire Storm became more and more intense.
Charlotte smiled. She had the Ifrit trapped, and she was going to make him pay dearly for harming her darling Riven. Slowly, the Fire Storm started to tighten, growing narrower and narrower, closing in on its victim.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, something dark flashed in front of her. She gasped in fright - it was the Ifrit! She knew instantly what had happened - it had teleported itself from inside the storm. She had focused so much on retaliating that she had left herself wide open... and the Ifrit was now just a few yards in front of her, his left arm wound up before letting loose, hitting her hard in the face with a frightful backhand that sent her crashing hard into into the ground.
Riven was quick to be by her side, followed soon afterwards by the others. "Charlotte! Charlotte! Open your eyes!" he yelled. She did so slowly, groaning and wincing in pain as her left eye started to swell up. Meanwhile, the Ifrit landed once more, its sinister laugh echoing throughout the whole chamber. Timmy stared at its submerged feet.
"Look at the water!" he said, pointing at the boiling mass that surrounded its ankles. "That must be how it was getting rid of the water that was already in the reservoirs. That would explain all the mist."
"Ah, the poor little Nahriina." the Ifrit taunted. "She may be immune to my fire, but she's just as vulnerable to a smack in the face as anyone else!"
This was too much for Riven to bear - hurting his girlfriend was bad enough, but to hear this thing gloating about hitting her, and in such a cold manner too...
"You MONSTER!" he snarled as he stood up angrily and ran towards the Ifrit.
"Riven, wait!" Sky yelled. "We have to attack together!"
But it was no use. Riven was well on his way to attacking the creature, reluctantly joined by Sky, Brandon and Jason while Timmy stayed by Charlotte.
The Ifrit took an attacking stance, more than ready to squash the oncoming group of insects, but as it prepared to launch another wave of fire at them, it grunted and clutched at itself, cursing in frustration.
The Specialists stopped. "Huh? What's going on?" Brandon asked.
"I don't care! This is our chance!" Riven shouted as he resumed his charge. Meanwhile, a glint of deep red appeared in the Ifrit's chest, a bright shining light that quickly grew larger and brighter until it had completely enveloped him. The Ifrit yelled in anguish, trying hard to somehow fight it off.
Riven yelled as he leapt into the air, ready to bring his scimitar down straight between the Ifrit's wicked eyes, but at the very last second before he could strike, the light consuming the Ifrit suddenly collapsed in on itself, taking the monster with it. Riven's blade swept through thin air and he splashed down into the water. Angrily, he punched the surface of the shallow lake in frustration, disappointed that he wasn't the one to finish the job.
The group breathed a huge sigh of relief. Their job was done. They didn't quite know how and they just knew at the back of their minds that this wouldn't be the last they saw of it, but all that mattered that their job here was done. Charlotte smiled, rubbing the back of her head - she may have a bit of a headache right now, but at least her world was safe.
But then, something dawned on her.
"Um, guys? I think we should get out of here."
"Why?" Sky asked.
She pointed to the massive jets of water spewing from the inlet pipes dotted around the edge of the lake. "Well, the Ifrit's gone, and so are the barriers holding back our water... and I really don't feel like swimming today!"
Throughout the universe, there are many things that are considered ill omens - ravens leaving the Tower of London, red skies seen in the morning, spotting a lone magpie, breaking a mirror... but there are none more ominous than masses of unnaturally dark clouds swirling around a place already well known for its evil and general unpleasantness.
But that was exactly what was happening around Shadowhaunt. The already dark skies had gotten noticeably darker, as though the sun had given up all hope of there ever being any warmth or brightness in that part of the world. A distinct chill cut through the dank cold air like a frozen knife - so intense was the chill, it would make a penguin think twice before venturing outdoors without a wooly hat. Whatever wildlife had been brave - or foolish - enough to make a home on the jagged slopes around Shadowhaunt had long since deserted the area in droves.
Deep within his underground fortress, Lord Darkar looked on from his rocky throne, slightly amused at the sight of Stormy pacing up and down in front of him and her two sisters.
"Argh! How much longer do we have to stand around here waiting?" the young witch protested.
"Patience my dear Stormy, patience."
"She does have a point LD," Darcy cut in. "We have all this power now, so why don't we go down to Alfea and squash those pixies once and for all?"
Darkar laughed. "Oh, I get the feeling your precious pixies will come here to play soon enough. First though, there's something I've always wanted to try... but until now, no matter how strong I was before, I've never had enough power to try it."
"Hmph! And what might that be?" Icy snorted.
"This!" he shouted, raising up both his hands. Almost immediately, a slow rumbling began to fill the room and a current of hot air began to circulate around them, making the shreds of Darkar's cloak flap around him like frail threads of gossamer caught in a breeze. A point of red light suddenly appeared in front of Darkar, which slowly grew larger and larger until it was more than twice the dark lord's size. The light began to warp and fluctuate, and a faint angry wailing could be heard until finally the light faded, leaving a large figure crouched in the centre of the chamber, clutching itself...
It was the Ifrit.
Slowly, it realised that its pain had subsided and its surroundings had changed. He stood up, drawing himself up to his impressive full height, and towered over Darkar, glaring at him.
"Why have you brought me here? Answer me!" he demanded angrily.
"Heh, I like this guy's style already!" Icy smirked. Darkar chose to ignore her remark, and stared intently back at the Ifrit.
"I brought you here to serve me."
The Ifrit's eyes flashed with rage. "Serve you? SERVE YOU!?! I was on the verge of victory and you ruined my plans to have Nahri for myself, and now you have the nerve to say that I am to serve you?! AN IFRIT SERVES NO-ONE!" he bellowed as he lunged forward to strike Darkar. Darkar coolly raised his hand and, from out of nowhere, a collar the colour of tarnished gold appeared around the Ifrit's neck. He struggled briefly for a second as it tried to rip it away before momentarily freezing as the collar took full effect. Eventually, the Ifrit dropped to one knee and bowed humbly before Darkar.
"How may I serve you master?"
"That's better," Darkar muttered as he turned towards a wall. On it, a projection of a young red-haired girl appeared.
"Her name is Will Vandom. She holds a gem known as the Heart of Kandrakar, which I want - bring her to me. You may cause as much mayhem and destruction as you like, but that girl must be brought to me ALIVE. Do I make myself clear?"
The Ifrit nodded its head. "Yes, master."