(no subject)
Somewhere, deep in the vastness of space, her domain, she stumbles in her headlong rush towards Neopia. She's knocked literally for a loop; disoriented, she careens into an asteroid, shattering it, spraying its dust over light years. Someday, the light from that collision will reach Neopia, and the 'Pets will see a flash of violent blue light that slowly fades. Fades out like it's tired, confused, despairing.
It's as if someone has torn her stilled, magical heart out of her chest, and shredded it like so much confetti in front of her eyes. Each little dripping piece of her heart is then bathed in acid, thrown into a fire, hit with large hammers, sent through rotating knives. It would be painful, if she weren't already numb from the coldness of the void around her.
That's where she truly draws her strength, naturally, and that's what allows her to continue moving towards her goal. All the space around her fuels her, and since it's practically infinite, she will not fail while she is surrounded by it. But even this space is not proof against exhaustion, against a hole in her heart. Her fuel line has punctures in it.
Six hundred and fifty-two million, four hundred and ninety-one thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven punctures, to be precise.
"Frank...w-what have you...done...?"
And the worst part. The truly, honestly, horribly worst part. The 'Pets are contributing. Every one of those pains is being put there by the 'Pets, experimenting along with him. They are the ones dipping them in acid, burning them, smashing them, cutting them.
All six hundred and fifty-two million, four hundred and ninety-one thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven copies of her Token.
He knew. He knew exactly what he was doing when he began this. He knew that the innate curiosity of the Neopians would contribute to this, would lead them to burn and cut and smash and poke and pry and needle and hurt. Hurting her is what they do best, after all, from his point of view. With their endless pleas for help, giving her headaches, making her pay for their mistakes. That's how he's seen it, how he's always seen it, regardless of the fact that these particular pets work for him. Of course he would turn it into an abject lesson.
She can almost hear his gravely voice, whispering in her ear.
You see now, don't you, Lumindra? You see how they hurt you? How they don't even hesitate? Your Token, a part of your very self, how easily they play with it? How they toy with your heart and your head and take and take and give nothing back? You begin to understand. Now, come to me, and this will never happen again...
"N-No..."
Even in her imagination, she has to refuse that silken, seductive voice of temptation. Even with over six hundred million separate pains in her soul, she has to refuse.
She has to keep going. Even though they're slowly killing her, she has to save the Neopets. She has to stop the invasion fleet from wiping out the Grundos of Kreludor. She has to stop the mining of the Kreludite, to save them from horrible mutation.
She has to save Frank Sloth from himself.
She makes a blur of the space around her, distorting the light, moving faster than it can, as it cascades off her in sheets. But it's still not her top speed. She's too injured to hit that now.
Lumindra wonders if she'll ever hit her top speed again. Her top powers. It seems doubtful. Too much has happened now. No matter when she hits Neopia, no matter how long she has to rest, she might never get to full strength ever again. He's torn too much out of her.
"You'll pay...for this...Sloth..."
It's as if someone has torn her stilled, magical heart out of her chest, and shredded it like so much confetti in front of her eyes. Each little dripping piece of her heart is then bathed in acid, thrown into a fire, hit with large hammers, sent through rotating knives. It would be painful, if she weren't already numb from the coldness of the void around her.
That's where she truly draws her strength, naturally, and that's what allows her to continue moving towards her goal. All the space around her fuels her, and since it's practically infinite, she will not fail while she is surrounded by it. But even this space is not proof against exhaustion, against a hole in her heart. Her fuel line has punctures in it.
Six hundred and fifty-two million, four hundred and ninety-one thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven punctures, to be precise.
"Frank...w-what have you...done...?"
And the worst part. The truly, honestly, horribly worst part. The 'Pets are contributing. Every one of those pains is being put there by the 'Pets, experimenting along with him. They are the ones dipping them in acid, burning them, smashing them, cutting them.
All six hundred and fifty-two million, four hundred and ninety-one thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven copies of her Token.
He knew. He knew exactly what he was doing when he began this. He knew that the innate curiosity of the Neopians would contribute to this, would lead them to burn and cut and smash and poke and pry and needle and hurt. Hurting her is what they do best, after all, from his point of view. With their endless pleas for help, giving her headaches, making her pay for their mistakes. That's how he's seen it, how he's always seen it, regardless of the fact that these particular pets work for him. Of course he would turn it into an abject lesson.
She can almost hear his gravely voice, whispering in her ear.
You see now, don't you, Lumindra? You see how they hurt you? How they don't even hesitate? Your Token, a part of your very self, how easily they play with it? How they toy with your heart and your head and take and take and give nothing back? You begin to understand. Now, come to me, and this will never happen again...
"N-No..."
Even in her imagination, she has to refuse that silken, seductive voice of temptation. Even with over six hundred million separate pains in her soul, she has to refuse.
She has to keep going. Even though they're slowly killing her, she has to save the Neopets. She has to stop the invasion fleet from wiping out the Grundos of Kreludor. She has to stop the mining of the Kreludite, to save them from horrible mutation.
She has to save Frank Sloth from himself.
She makes a blur of the space around her, distorting the light, moving faster than it can, as it cascades off her in sheets. But it's still not her top speed. She's too injured to hit that now.
Lumindra wonders if she'll ever hit her top speed again. Her top powers. It seems doubtful. Too much has happened now. No matter when she hits Neopia, no matter how long she has to rest, she might never get to full strength ever again. He's torn too much out of her.
"You'll pay...for this...Sloth..."