The epic revisited part: 2
The second phase of the epic of inflation is finally up!!! This one is reeeeeaaaaally long! But it does develop the plot a whole lot more, and some of the characters change in unexpected ways.... ENJOY!!!!
One minor note that I am kinda running out of ideas, and I really need a little help with coming up with more Ideas for the next chapter. Any help Is very well appreciated!!!
The Epic of Inflation
Episode II
Rita and the perilous plot of World Domination!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Well that was a long first chapter! I am truly shocked at the fact that no one noticed the cartoon comment that Traci made when we saw her at the end of her showing! Anyway, this is all about the two factions that are now about to wage war against each other, and claim the prize of dominion. You’ll also find out about the animosity between Traci and Casey and why they are bitter enemies. Now on with the story!
A soft pattering could be heard within the inside of Central Woods High School later that night. The security guard that was on duty couldn’t care less. He was a portly man, who had short gray hair, hazy blue eyes, and a dirtied uniform to match. He had on his belt the same model of radio that was on the principal’s belts at all times. He once ran the beat for the city of Chicago, and kept punks out of the streets when they weren’t supposed to be there. “It’s probably mice.†He said looking down the dark hallway, keeping on his patrol that he ran. What he did not know about the noise was that it was made from a select few students that went there.
He wandered around the hallways, wearing his signature orthopedic shoes and utility belt, that carried the afore-mentioned radio, a 9mm service pistol that had loosed bullets a couple of times during a couple of shoot outs, a pair of handcuffs that he kept on him as a reminder that his job came before anything else, and he also had on him as a last resort his Billy club, which got him out of a pinch in many a scuffle when he had lost his pistol in a close encounter. “Yes sir, nothin’s gonna get past me. You think that in all my years of service in the Chicago police department that a few hoodlums are gonna scare me into hidin in my cozy little office, then you just got yourself another thing coming. I don’t scare all that easy, and I was trained into being the best!†He glanced around looking up and down the dark science hall and froze a little. Compared to some of the arrests that he had made before they finally forced him to retire, this was a piece of cake-and-pie. “I just wished that they had me a little helper or something. You know someone who can watch this here part of the school, while I take me a nice little nap.†He yawned and stretched his tired body as he continued to walk around the area that he had designated himself with.
“I’m gettin too damn old for this heaping hoo-ha. I’m sixty years old, and these god damn hoodlums don’t give a shit for what private property means, or how hard the parents at the PTA meeting work to get this here school system to work.†The security guard looked into one of the science labs and scoffed. “Look at this. Would you just look at this here room? I’m telling ya, back in my day, in high school we were lucky to get even a frog to look at let alone a whole science room. The kids today here are spoiled, I mean look at this now!â€Â
He was shouting out loud at how elaborate that one of the science halls was. There was a small teacher’s desk at the side furthest from the door, and it had a computer in it. The whole room itself was set up like a college situation. The desks were aligned at a central focal point that focused mainly at the desk. There were computers at every desk, wash stations at the end of each row, and to top it all off, there was a chemical shower station, complete with its own room that when it was turned on, it rained on the student like it was a monsoon.
The security guard flashed the standard flashlight that he was carrying inside the room to see if there was any sign of criminal activity. “Nope, not a damn thing.†He said, continuing down the hall, wondering about what his wife was cooking for him at the house and completely put the sound out of his mind.
However, there was a game afoot. Dressed in traditional black, four moderate sized teenagers stepped from out of the shadows in complete Ninja-esque form. They all had hand made black wool muscle shirts on with black samurai pants and black running shoes. They also wore black wool socks and gloves to keep themselves matching with each other.
The only difference that these four teenagers had was that they had on different head gear. The leader of the foursome had on a black sedge shade that traditional people wore to keep the sun out of their face. The only girl in the squad had a blank mask that she wore to keep her face a complete mystery to the group. The guy closest to the leader had on an all black hood, and kept his black hair in a long ponytail. The youngest one of the group, who looked like he wasn’t even in high school, wore all black face paint.
“Sam, did you disable the security cameras as planned?†The leader of the group of teens asked in a deathly whisper. The little boy nodded, “Yeah, the code was so easy, I could have done it in my sleep.†He looked confident, and his face beamed with pride, even if you couldn’t see him. The girl that was closest to them gave him a thumbs up.
“Ayame, Xie, I want you to go handle the old man. Don’t kill him, don’t even hurt him. I just want to see him…. indisposed.†The leader of the group continued, his cold black eyes flashed with malice. The girl and the other guy nodded and instantly faded into the shadows. The boy called Sam looked uneasy, and looked back down the hall. “Something wrong young one?†The leader asked, changing his baleful tone into a one a benevolence.
“Yeah,†the little boy answered, “I just feel sorry for the old guy, I mean he has nothing to do with this whole operation, but why do we have to make his life more miserable than we have to?†He asked in almost a frown. The team leader was shocked to say the least. “To hear such wisdom from a child is to gaze upon a reflection.†He said smiling towards the young boy. He walked over to where he was standing and patted his head. “In time you will understand why we do what we do.†The young boy smiled, cocking his head to one side in admiration. “Now we should be getting inside the classroom to complete our mission. Open the lock Sam.†The leader of the silent thieves commanded in a respectful tone.
As the young boy started to work at the lock, he noticed that his fellow comrades were late getting back to their position. He stopped, only for a second or two, just to wipe his brow free from the sweat that was forming on the top of his forehead; and then continued his work. He had trained the seven free years of the ten that he had lived to study in the arts of lock picking, stealth, and complete mastery of his own body. What his master saw in him was a complete prodigy in the modern ninja that was forming, a group that was cast into shadow the moment that their contractor began her rise to power.
“Have you done it?†The leader asked, keeping an eye out for any more trouble. Sam nodded, turning the handle and opening the door to the barren science room. He pulled out a security bean detector and threw it into the room. There were no beams visible as planned. “Ayame and Xie have been successful. We should proceed.†He said as the goal inside the room was in sight.
There was a heavy silence and a cough as Ayame and Xie showed up right behind Sam. “Hey little squirt, we’re just as much a part of this team as you are.†Xie scoffed, rumpling Sam’s hair and taking a peek inside. “All clear, let’s go in and get what we needed to get.†She said looking back in the hall way towards her fellows. “Master Drachma, what is your will?â€Â
The teenager with the Shade looked up from the floor and smiled. “You got the bags?†He asked looking quite sincere. Xie and Ayame nodded, pulling bags out of the hiding places that they had picked out. “Well then, let the true mission commence. Find and grab all of the chemicals we need for our contractor’s experiment, and then we get out just like we planned. I want to see all of you make it out safely, because we all need each other. And Ayame,†Drachma looked into Ayame’s chiseled brown eyes with almost a commanding gaze, “Ayame, try to make this as neat as possible.†He commanded. Ayame nodded and was the first to enter the science room, with the rest of the team following suit.
It was 12:45 when the students left the room. The room had been cleared out of all of its chemicals and there wasn’t even a trace of them left. The room itself looked as though they were never there. “Xie how did you keep the old man indisposed?†Drachma asked keeping a deathly calm. Xie’s face immediately lit up, and she beamed with pride. “Well, I hypnotized him.†She said proudly.
The other three were stunned, Xie watched as Sam’s mouth dropped into a drool. “How?†He asked, staring in awe. Xie just smiled and rumpled his hair a little. “Well now I think his mind was a little weak at first which made it simple enough,†She held up a pocket watch that gleamed silver in the moon light. “My book that I checked out last week said that a pocket watch was your best bet into hypnotizing him. I just made him have a nice long nap that lasted until we were done with the job. And no I didn’t leave him sleeping there in his office. I got him out of it when I passed it again. No harm done.†Xie said proudly.
“The Queen of the world will be pleased with the fruits of our labor once we head back to her throne, a job well done Xie.†Master Drachma said proudly, though he kept his voice down. As they were leaving to the rendezvous point with the royal guard someone was keeping a thoughtful eye on them.
“Heh, they don’t even suspect that I’m on to their little game. I’ve been on their case for ten years trying to breach the chain of command, and I am so close to doing so!†Vice Principal Jones commented from a nearby tree, watching the group of ninja students leaving the campus into a thicket of bushes. He closed a telescope that he was holding and tucked it into the coat pocket of his white jacket that he was wearing. He pulled out the same radio that he had with him at school and turned the dial all the way to the right. “Password?†A voice asked on the other side asked him. Principal Jones repeated as quickly as he could, “Zero, seven, charlie, alpha, nine, five, bravo, delta, six; Agent number two, zero, five, one, six reporting in, over.†He said keeping his distance away from the group of teens fleeing the scene of their crime.
“Agent Jones how good of you to call! This is the director speaking.†He heard a voice on the opposing end say with a groggy chuckle, “How’s the case coming along?†The director said immediately into a business like tone. Mr. Jones shook his head, “I have a small lead on who’s been embezzling money from the government, and I am now in pursuit of thieves who just robbed a local high school. What’s your orders sir?†He reported, keeping in the trees at least fifty yards from the would-be thieves.
“Let them go Jones. If they have anything to do with the worm that’s scamming the government, we’ll have them as well as their boss. If you want, you can put a tracer to see where they are headed…†The director’s voice trailed off, and Jones sighed a little. “I understand the tracer has already been set on the thieves, so I’ll turn back now.†He said looking towards the now distant group of teens, their movements slowly becoming indiscernible from the spot that he was in. “All right, Jones report back to base and get you some sleep. You need some r&r to keep your strength up.†The director finally ordered, as Agent Jones dropped down from the oak tree he was standing on. “Alright, Jones out.†He finally said, placing his radio back in his pocket and turning his back on the teens. ‘At least they aren’t going to totally get away.’ Jones thought as he walked slowly back towards the school. He had almost caught them too. “Ah well, what are you gonna do right? He is the boss after all.â€Â
It was about one thirty since he had begun his chase of the teenage vandals when he got back to his car. “I really need that Head Principal’s job at the high school.†Agent Jones grumbled, crawling into the hoop-D that was his car. It wasn’t much, and on his salary from the Vice principals work, and the lavish lifestyle that his wife was living, he didn’t care. It was a standard vehicle with only the bare minimum necessities to get it on down the road. Sure he added a stereo and an air conditioner to make his morning commute a little more bearable, but half of the entire staff at Central Woods kept giving him a dirty look or a vacant pitying stare.
His job at the agency hadn’t cut him any slack either. He was up almost all night, trying to crack the case that he was so close to solving. These thieves had made things a little more difficult, though. ‘Why would thieves want to raid a school building in the middle of the night?’ He thought as his car’s engine roared and he pulled out of the visitor’s center parking lot. ‘Are they related to the Mole? Or are they just low down crack heads that think they can get high off of what they got?’ Jones shook his head and continued down the road that led towards the east and home.
On the other side of town, Casey was now resting on the floor. It had been at least five hours since her blow up, and yet she rested comfortably. She did not care about the fact that she was lying there, completely naked under a blanket that came from her room. She was softly sleeping, her new breasts rising and falling with each rhythmic breath. By the time she had finished deflating; her new boobs had roughly hit the size of Traci’s, and had stopped shrinking. Little did anyone know that only air was stored inside them, and right now, no one was curious enough to give her a little poke.
Lily however wasn’t sleeping well. Ever since her best friend’s little blow-up, she worried about her safety. ‘Traci would be furious.’ Lily thought as she seen pictures of Casey turning into a complete sphere after which she would be thrown around the school and tormented the rest of her life for being a blow up girl. ‘It’s what you wanted for her.’ Said a little voice inside her head, ‘You can never be so sure that she’s ever going to have that problem with Traci now can you?’
“Yeah, but her entire reputation will be ruined for her remaining high school years!†She said rather loudly, but didn’t hear Casey make a sound. ‘Are you willing to let your over-protectiveness get the better of you? Or is it just that you love her too much that you don’t want to see her fail?’ Her inner voice asked her. Lily lay in Casey’s bed for a few seconds and wondered, ‘So what if I am being a little protective of her, I had her back ever since she saved me in the fourth grade!’ She stopped and kept her breathing quiet. Across form the bed on the same wall as the door was a picture of Pat Benatar, and her dresser which she made after her year of shop class in the sixth grade. While all of the other girls were taking Home education or theater, Casey sat in the shop class and remained the only student to ever make a perfect 100 average in class.
Lily’s inner voice laughed a little, ‘Don’t you worry, she’ll be fine. Just let fate run it’s course and you’ll see, Traci will be a has been in no time.’ Lily nodded, secretly she wanted to agree with herself, but for Traci to be knocked out of her throne would be amazing, let alone impossible. She grabbed one of Casey’s black pillows and looked out the window that sat right next to the bed and opposite the dresser, “I hope that she does just that.†She said quietly, gazing out at the night sky, and rubbed her eyes at seeing a rainbow in the dead of a cloudless night. “I have got to get some sleep.†Lily said, turning towards the door and heading down stairs.
Lily watched as Casey flipped over, and set the pillow underneath her head. Casey made no sounds, and was almost happy when her head touched it. Lily softly made her way back upstairs. “I wonder what she’s dreaming of. I hope that she keeps dreaming that same one, I’m glad to see her smile after she wakes up in the morning.â€Â
While Lily made her way back to Casey’s room, Casey made a soft giggle in her sleep. “Where am I?†She asked in her subconscious, she watched as a beautiful sunrise glazed across a familiar landscape. “It’s that same dream I had this morning! Back in the nurse’s office!†she thought looking down the same street from before. “Wow, is this real? I mean am I truly asleep?†Casey said, looking at her surroundings. She went to the same window from when she saw the beautiful figure and looked.
“She’s not there.†Casey said softly in disappointment. She stared at her saddened reflection for only a moment and slowly shuffled to the main street. “Awww, why didn’t she show this time?†Casey sniffed, keeping her pace to a minimum.
Almost suddenly she stopped. She had felt the same presence before, so warm and tender, almost like she was with her mom. “Are you looking for someone?†Said a voice behind her. It was smooth, almost seductive, with a hint of fire blended in for a smooth finish on each syllable. Casey turned her head to see the window again, but the friendly woman was there looking back at her. There was nothing different about her, the wings were the same, her skin was pink and black like it was the last time; but there were two things different about her.
The first thing was that Casey had found her new friends voice, and the second thing was that her boobs were just as big as Casey’s own. “Are you wondering who I am?†The girl asked, standing in the same position as Casey was, with one of her hands at her hip and almost a slouch to her posture. Casey immediately shook her head and closed her eyes, but when she opened them the girl was still there, laughing at Casey’s poor attempt to make sense of this whole matter.
“You poor girl,†Her friend pitied, as she walked over to her and gave her a big hug, “You don’t remember me do you?†She asked as she let go of Casey. Casey stepped back a little as she got a better look at the girl in front of her. She was right, Casey didn’t remember her, but she was so familiar. It was almost as if she was a lost childhood memory. “I hope you aren’t cold, standing nude like that.†The girl said looking towards Casey.
Casey looked at her reflection, and seen herself for the first time since she last left the shower. She was completely nude from her head to toe, but her newest feature shocked her the most. “I… I… I have…†she stuttered and stammered to a formal conclusion, but the shock got to her. “You have boobs.†The girl said, moving into a sitting position in midair.
Casey was frozen with complete and utter joy, as she looked completely hot. Her boobs matched wonderfully with her small frame, and they remained in place only when she remained perfectly still. “I have boobs.†Casey repeated her quavering voice full of glee. Casey gazed at her slim figure, then the realization finally set in. “I’m completely NAKED!!!!!!!!†She shouted.
The girl just laughed as Casey tried to cover herself up with something. ‘I really hope that she doesn’t act this way when she has to come back home. I mean, we are the same person give or take a few centuries, but come on she is a princess after all.’ The girl casually drifted to Casey as calmly as she could, watching her panic as she had not a single stitch of clothing on.
“Come with me. You need something to cover yourself up with.†The girl wrapped her slender arms around Casey, and began to flap her powerful wings skyward. “What are you thinking?†Casey shouted as she watched the girl carry her off of the ground. The girl laughed as Casey continued to panic but settled down a little. “Oh I get it. You’re taking me to your house right?†Casey asked.
‘As perceptive as always, my sister.’ The girl thought as they quickly left the ground. She smiled and said, “Yes we are. Oh and my name is Luneria, remember it well!†Luneria shouted as they picked up speed. They continued upward until the street that they were originally on was out of sight.
After a few minutes of constant upward climb, Luneria leveled out and wrapped her legs around Casey. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.†Luneria shouted a little over the wind that was whipping about them, making Luneria’s hair fly about. Casey shuddered as she felt the cold air run past her body. She looked down only to find an expanse of total sea some distance away from her.
“What happened to the land?†Casey asked Luneria as the two of them flew across it. “Why is there so much water?†She Looked back down and seen what she thought was the top of the gateway arch from St. Louis. Luneria sighed a little as they kept on going. “Well it started a long time ago, even since before I was born. There were two warring factions in this world.†Luneria paused making a slight descent before changing her course in a right hand turn.
“Well these two factions existed only because they hated the other. They would innovate a new technology just to say they had it and not share it with the other faction. They would build the most spectacular things! Skyscrapers, airbuses, even advanced sky facilities!†Luneria explained keeping an eye out for anything that would somehow stop her from getting to her destination.
“Go on.†Casey said in a normal voice as the winds died down. Luneria looked down at Casey. “Well these two factions did everything to beat the other into the next best thing, like a contest. But it affected the landscape of mother earth. The poor fools never expected her to finally go off and unleash her true fury; the people of the factions were devastated.â€Â
Luneria stopped in mid-air to show a jar on top of a floating cloud. The jar was very ornate, and was coated in gems of every kind. Luneria and Casey set down onto the cloud right next to the jar. Casey gasped a little as the jar continually poured out almost a rainbow colored water. She reached out to touch it, but Luneria stopped her just in time. “That was a part of the curse. When someone of un-pure heart drinks from this fountain, they will be made to walk the land bound to it for eternity.†She said keeping her distance. Casey drew her hand back, and the noticed the plaque that had the exact same message inscribed.
“When someone of un-pure heart drinks from this fountain, they will be made to walk the land, bound to it for eternity. When someone of pure heart drinks from this fountain, they will have the power to soar across the land, with they’re own freedom at their side.â€Â
“That’s the spell.†Luneria commented, sounding almost completely drained. She sat down on the cloud and looked out towards the rainbow colored horizon. “The lands could not filter the water, and both factions started to come down with unknown illnesses. Children, who ate normally nutritious vegetables, were floating off the ground and swelling up like bubbles two weeks later. Adults, who were in their death beds waiting patiently for the spirit of death to take them, were denied entrance into the afterlife. And the leaders were confused on what to do.†Luneria said with a tear in her eye.
Casey watched as her new best friend started to cry, and pulled up a seat next to her. Luneria stopped, and hugged Casey as best she could. “Don’t worry,†Casey said, as she tried to comfort her. What happened next?†Luneria cried for a bit and then pulled herself back together.
“It was five-hundred years ago, the two factions were at wits end. But what they didn’t know was that one young man from one faction, and one young woman from the other had fallen in love. They didn’t care if they were both going to die for falling in love with each other, they just wanted to be happy together,†Luneria paused, keeping her gaze out to sea. Casey looked at Luneria with almost understanding. ‘Almost like a tale of Romeo and Juliet. Wow, I guess it’s all over the place.’ Casey thought as Luneria sat almost moaning at the thought of what happened five hundred years ago.
“The parents were the leaders of the two factions. They forged an agreement that the two sides liked. The two would be married to each other as a binding agreement of unity between the two sides. After the ceremony and months of constant bickering, the two factions had become united under one nation, almost like where you’re from. Mother Earth seen the peace that went under way between the two sides and had surrendered her anger towards her grief. That’s where this jar comes from, after the nation was forged and the people gathered together in harmony; Mother Earth gave all of the people on the surface the ability to join with their children. With that final act done, she left our world to watch over her other planets. The people from where you are from may have different names for her, but she is one in the same.â€Â
A cold, harsh wind blew past Casey reminding her about the fact that she had no clothes on. Luneria smiled and got to her feet. “Let’s get you dressed shall we?†She said, helping Casey to her feet. She wrapped her arms around Casey and flapped her wing just as she did before and took off. Within minutes they were some two-hundred yards away from the fountain and making a smooth pace with the current.
After an hour of constant flying, with a few directional changes here and there, Casey seen before her a castle that reminded her of the Wizard of Oz. As they got closer, Casey seen that it was on a cloud as well, and the structure itself looked like that it was made of pure sapphires. Luneria slowed down and looked down at Casey. “This is where I live. Don’t worry, you’ll like it here.†She said as they touched down on a road similar to the road in the street that they were on before.
“Welcome to the Sapphire Hall. The collaboration between the two peoples after they united under one flag.†Luneria said heading towards the big oaken door the barred their entrance. The front landing bay was impressive enough, there was the large runway-esque roadway that led up to the castle. On the cloud itself there were bushes that looked like little clouds themselves.
When they got up to the gate, Casey noticed that there were guards on top of the parapet that watched their every move. They each wore navy blue uniforms and carried spears that each ended in a sharp hook. “Halt! State your business with the Sapphire Hall, or go back to whence you came.†One of the guards commanded. Casey hunched down behind Luneria and shivered. “Why are they staring?†She asked Luneria.
“I am Lunerias Isabella the first, Princess of the Sapphire Hall. This is my guest, and we need her to get inside before she freezes to death out here!†Luneria bellowed as the guards remained standing for a split second before panicking a little. “Open the gates! Step lively you, I don’t want my daughter or her guest to freeze. Open the gates I say!†Commanded a powerful voice that sat behind the wall. As if on command, the giant door almost split in half and flung wide open to see an overly huge man standing in the doorway.
He was huge. No, huge was an understatement. He was a giant. He almost stood ten feet tall by Casey’s count, and looked like he weighed about five-hundred pounds that had no ounce of fat in them. His arms were like boulders, and his legs were not any smaller, and it looked like he had at least a twelve pack underneath the blue uniform that he wore. His head was no less enormous as it to looked like a small rock chiseled onto the massive body that was his.
It was his face that was strikingly familiar to Casey. It was almost the same as when she seen Luneria’s face. He had bright red eyes that looked like they were rubies, his jaw was set as firm as if he went into battle, and He had hair that flowed down to his shoulders that looked like sunlight. He had a firm nose that looked like it was trained for battle just as the rest of his body was, and his skin looked as red as blood.
“Daddy!†Luneria shouted running towards the giant, jumping into his awaiting arms and giving him a big hug. “Daddy I’ve missed you so much. What happened? Where did you go? Did we beat the back this time?†She asked in a flurry of questions. The giant grinned and then cast his gaze at Casey. Their eyes met, and for an instant it looked like he was going to break down and cry at the sight of her. He stopped himself almost instantly and looked towards his daughter. “Is she who I think she is?†He asked her almost in a deathly whisper.
Luneria nodded and whispered back, “Yep. She’s my sister no doubt about it. Though it took a little bit to get through to her, but she’s finally here. My advice is that she still thinks that this is a dream. We need to give her a little time before she is ready to see who she truly is. I filled her in on what happened in the past. Fate needs to fill her in on the present.†Her father nodded and snapped his fingers. Almost instantly a bath robe that felt a lot like rubber came out of no where and gently wrapped itself around Casey’s body.
“Come. We have much to do and less time to do it in.†Luneria’s father commanded. Casey headed towards the door, and began to walk in tow with the pair of them. “By the way,†He said looking down at Casey, “I am King Valdegost the fist eleventh king of the Sapphire Halls.â€Â
Casey remained speechless as the trio walked down the main street of the castle area. There were shops that sold things she could only dream of, that were only invented in a dream. There were dresses for the ladies that literally slimmed their bodies. There were fancy food shops, theaters in some back alleyways, and most of all there wasn’t a bad smell in sight. Casey was abruptly stopped as she slammed into the King’s rear. “Watch yourself now. We need you to pay attention to where you are going now. Here we are the most awe inspiring part of Sapphire Hall, the palace.†King Valdegost finished.
Casey almost had to shield her eyes at the sight. There were towers that were as tall as the eye could see, and walls that were made of pure sapphire. The bridges that ran from tower to tower had to have been crafted from the same rock as the towers they were connected to. It was a beautiful sight, and Casey would have stayed had Luneria not grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
As they entered the Castle’s main hall, Casey tried her best to take everything in as to tell Lily when she woke up. There was a skylight that let in light that scintillated in multiple colors and made the shadows on the rug they were standing on dance with excitement. They headed across the hall into what Casey then assumed was the throne room when she seen the King sit down.
“Luneria, take Casey to your room and have her ready for the next time she comes here. And make sure that she wears something nice.†The king said gazing at Casey with almost an intuitive smile. Luneria laughed a little and took Casey out of the room. Casey followed a little more willingly as they both ran up flight after flight of stairs and headed for a golden door. It was very beautiful as was everything in the palace, and just as well decorated as everything else. Casey stared in admiration as the doors flung open, and revealed a huge room.
The room was made for royalty, as the entire floor was gleaming like glass. The bed itself was huge, covering a vast expanse of the room; and there were dressers and drawers that were made of gold. Luneria tried to drag Casey into her room, but it was almost impossible, she just wouldn’t budge. After breathing a sigh of exhaustion, she watched as Casey snapped back into reality. “I wish you wouldn’t do that.†She said as they both walked in together. Casey was still a little hazy when Luneria led her to the bed, and took off the bath robe that she was currently wearing.
“I hope you like this.†She said walking into her closet and pulling out a pair of ladies underwear and a bra. Casey looked at them for only a second, noticing that they were both black, and put them on immediately. “Well, this is the only thing small enough that will fit your figure. Try it on.†She said handing Casey a pair of blue-jean shorts with a skirt combo, and a white long sleeved shirt and a muscle shirt underneath.
“So what happens now? Do I get to see your dad later or something?†Casey asked. Luneria gazed back at Casey and smiled. “Don’t worry my little sister. You will see him soon enough.†She said, watching Casey look around at her things. Casey turned around to see Luneria, but immediately felt a tugging sensation around her body. “Hey, wait a minute! I’m not ready to go yet!†She shouted as her body flew away as fast as it could from the palace and into the skies above. Casey managed to grab hold of one of the tops of the towers, but she couldn’t hold on for long, as she was dragged into the waking world.
“It’s seven-o’clock here in the Morgan household, the birds are singing, the sun is shining, and Traci is still in bed!!!†Little Eric Morgan shouted as he headed down the hallway and passed the door of his sister’s room. He was a little older than eight, and had almost the same snobbish attitude that his sister carried. He had good looks for a kid his age; minus the chicken pox that he had just recently acquired from one of his best friends he was the top of the third grade in all marks.
Eric was in his blue pajamas when he roared the fact that Traci was still in bed, and laughed so hard that snot began to run down his small button-like nose. Wiping the mess up on the sleeve of his shirt, he scratched his brown haired head, and wiped his sleep colored brown eyes. His semi-sunburned skin kept him awake all night and the fact that he stayed up all night with his father to watch monster movies made for a fact that he would take a nap at by no later than two.
He looked at the pink colored door and banged it as hard as he could and complained, “I got up early! How come Traci gets to sleep in???†No one responded to his summons, ‘There all probably at the movies or something. It figures. Ever since momma got her promotion, and daddy became principal, they haven’t gotten the time to even look at little old me.’ Eric thought pathetically.
He was right though. Their mother was usually out of town, working on the next big thing in the fashion industry, and their father was always on the golf course with his high school chums. Then they stuck the two of them together, Traci would always take command, and give the high school football team their chores, and leave him alone all in the while.
It was a good life for an elementary school kid, better than some of the stuck up parents that keep the little kids from doing what they want, but he didn’t care, those kids had problems. If he were that way, his parents would drop him off at an orphanage somewhere. If they didn’t, Traci would. Outside he heard a truck pull in and ran to the door. He opened it ever so slightly, and seen that it wasn’t the football team, or any popular kids for that matter, it was a bunch of nerds. He thought about calling Traci for a split second and then noticed that they could open the garage door, with an opener that was the exact same as there own.
“Traci! Traci! Traci come quick!†He hollered running to the back hallway across their lavish living-room. Traci opened the door and looked towards her little brother, “Whaddya want Eric? I’m trying to sleep here!†She snorted as Eric stopped in front of her.
“Nerds! Nerds are coming in to the garage!†He bellowed, almost out of breath. Traci’s face went from anger to almost sweetness in a fraction of a second. “Don’t worry Eric. They’re here on my command. They’ll want to be let in I suppose. If they have any dirt on them, tell them to clean themselves up and wait for me in the garage. Ok?†She said shutting the door quickly. Eric nodded and headed past their living room and into the kitchen to open the back door to the garage. As he did so, he heard the stereotypical rasping and chatter of his worst nightmare behind the door. ‘It’s okay Eric, don’t worry about a thing. They are just people after all, not a thing to worry about.’ He tried to reach for the door, but he seen his sister’s hand reach the doorknob just in time before he could make a mess of things.
“Why don’t I handle this Eric?†Traci said as Eric’s little eight year old jaw dropped, “What? You like my outfit?†She asked standing in front of him. Her athletic figure in a pair of tight blue jeans and a red muscle shirt that left her belly exposed made Eric begin to drool over himself.
“I must be getting good at this.†Traci commented, opening the door, “I can even swoon my little brother!†She said smiling as she went off, and headed into the dank garage that stood at least ten different nerds, all with heightened suspenders and pocket protectors. “So Eric,†She said behind her back as she turned to go, “Watch over the house for me. If you don’t happen to burn it down, I’ll put in a good word with dad about you being responsible, or some junk like that. K kid? I’ll see you later!†And with that Traci shut the door. Eric couldn’t say anything. His sister was going to put in a good word with dad about his responsibility? ‘Is my sister feeling okay?’ He asked himself as he went into his room to lay down. “Would she really do that?†He wondered, climbing back into bed and softly falling asleep.
Traci stared into the crowd of at least ten nerds. They were all breathing hard, but she didn’t care. “Well now. Let’s see, first how’s progress coming on economic domination lads?†She asked, throwing that last word in there to feed their online RPG interests.
“Progress goes well milady. At least thirty-nine percent of the global wealth is yours and no one knows it yet.†Said a nerd wearing a hooded blazer. He was the only one that she would recognize as the coolest one of the group of the nerds. Traci could tell that the hooded one was a nerd by the way he talked, and when he flashed his inhaler from underneath his jacket. “The plan on the Economic front will hold until the end of time my queen.†He said, drawing a rasping breath from underneath his hood. “My men and I are working around the clock, to give you a special gift when we head over to the lab. But there is one matter to address before we take the ride when the guard shows up.†He finished and drew an inhaler colored gold, and surrounded by a silver serpent at the end closest to the top.
Traci waited for him to take a draft from his life saving purifier before breathing a little. “And what is this matter? Does it concern me?†She asked. The hooded nerd nodded and raised his sleeved arm. “Bring forth, the traitor to the crown!†He commanded in a solemn voice. Traci watched as the other nine nerds parted to the other sides of her garage as two more nerds came from behind them.
What caught Traci off guard was that they were the advance nerd police force that she created in middle school. She was also taken aback when she seen that they were dragging Allen with them. The hooded nerd kind of shoved Traci back as a warning posture as Allen was thrown to the floor. The other two Nerds bowed towards Traci and left her garage as quickly as they came.
The sight at which Allen had been in completely shocked Traci. His lips were bloody, he had bruises everywhere, his clothes were ragged and he had no shoes on. She also noticed that they had bound his arms and his legs together to keep him from running away. He looked up and roared as loud as he could, “Traci I love you like my own mother would love me. Please I beg of you to spare my insolence for not telling you!†Traci jumped as he tried to crawl his way towards her.
“And what has this boy done?†Traci asked. The same two nerds, followed by a couple of her royal guard, entered the garage and restrained him. The hooded nerd walked towards Allen and coughed a little. “He was your spy correct?†He began; Traci nodded at this after all she had assigned him as the spy.
“And you gave him explicit orders to make sure that he was to keep all tabs on your rival am I also correct?†Again Traci nodded to verify the story. Something wasn’t right here, and she knew it. ‘Why would the leader of my spy network be arrested unless…’ She started to think as the hooded nerd began again.
“I assume that you are starting to see the whole picture.†He said cruelly as the events of last night started to make sense. Traci nodded and turned to the hooded nerd, “Please continue, oh and what is your name?†She asked the nerd understood as keeping up with names while you are at the top was painstakingly difficult.
“My name is Rudolpho, and I have exactly what you are asking for.†He said handing her a disk. “The information on that disk is for your eyes only. On the night in question, if you don’t mind me saying, your rival Casey Morgan at precisely 6:02 yesterday evening found a way to make herself bigger.†He said staying perfectly still, keeping his distance away from Traci as she was about to explode with fury.
Two nerds then brought in a cart with a computer that was ready for viewing. Rudolpho took the disk out of her hand and placed it in the disk drive. Seconds later, windows media was started and showed Casey, naked as a free bird, with her boobs growing to the size of blimps. It repeated a second time, and Traci became almost beet-red with anger.
“HOW DARE That BITCH get bigger than me!!!†Traci roared, tossing the computer aside, and lifting the cart over her head. A couple of nerds grabbed it and began massaging her to calm her down. Very slowly, Traci set the cart down and dropped to the floor. Rudolpho sighed. “Get her highness some water. Make sure it’s fresh sparkling spring water or else one of you will have it!†He bellowed as some nerds outside began to run frantically to the gas station down the block. He watched as Traci stood shakily to her feet and walked over to a chair that was behind him. “Any more bad news I must hear about?†She asked and looked towards Allen’s pathetic body. Rudolpho shook his head. “We have more news, but I personally assure you that it is better than this news. Do not worry my queen; you will not be disappointed with the newest innovation in your fight for world domination.â€Â
Traci rolled her eyes as the sent nerds returned with the requested water. She opened the bottle and drank about half of it before closing it and setting it on the ground. “Well, what is it?†She asked furiously, making everyone but Rudolpho jump. She could tell he was grinning as he looked at her straight in the face for the first time. The only thing she saw was a black, dragon-esque mask that covered everything except his mouth and chin. In which case that too was covered up with bandages from some nerdy catastrophe going awry.
“Well my queen, it would be better if we show you rather than we tell you. That is a reason why we are here. We have come to get you so that we may show you the best chance you have for winning the nomination for Homecoming Queen.†He said looking deeply into Traci’s eyes for a while.
In the moments that followed, Traci was led by her boyfriend to his Mustang that he was driving. She climbed in the back seat to where she belonged, and smiled to herself. ‘If this is what I think it is those nerds will get a seat of power when I take over the world!’ She thought waving her hand to one of the nerds outside signaling to them to start her caravan to their base within the inside of the city.
Meanwhile back at Casey’s house, Lily was flipping out at the turn of events that had happened. “Oh my gosh your mom’s gonna kill you!†She said looking at the spots where Casey had gotten crazy with her fluids.
Casey nodded in agreement as she sat on the table just looking at her self in the bathroom mirror. She was wearing what Luneria had given to hen in her dream. But what was even more shocking was that the towel Lily used to clean her up was now attached to a bundle of at least five or six giant party balloons. She left her bathroom and seen the same fate had happened to most of the living room that was closest to the couch. There were a good number of them, at least twenty to thirty of them on the couch alone.
Lily poked one of the giant balloons rather gently and as she did so, Casey laughed a little. “So these are connected to you in some way aren’t they?†She asked as Casey came down stairs and sat down on a couch that was opposite the T.V. “Yeah, I mean whenever you touch them, I can feel it. It’s weird you know, Like I feel that they are a part of me as much as every other part of my body is.â€Â
Lily looked on the bottom of the balloons and noticed that there were vine like things coming from the bottom of them. “You know that this is huge right? Someone will eventually find out about this, and then the paparazzi will come and find you.†Lily said starting to sound a little scared, and confused at the same time. “I think we need to lay off of the inflation products with you for a while. Maybe at least until you can get this fixed.†She finished as Casey looked completely zoned out. Lily walked over to her and rubbed her head, “Hello-o-o-o, Earth to Casey are you still with us?†She asked as Casey remained completely quiet.
‘Wow I never felt this way before…’ Casey thought in an almost constant state of bliss. ‘This feels so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o good… I can feel some thing else inside me, like I’m about to change in an whole different way…’ Casey turned her head to Lily and seen her concern, ‘Why does Lily look so upset I wonder? I need to get it together, at least until I can understand this bliss…’ Then Casey got an idea, and abruptly sat up. “Lily how’s Rita?†She asked looking like her normal self for a second.
Lily looked at her friend with almost complete seriousness and then instantly understood. “I think she may have an opening for a couple of her friends, you want me to schedule an appointment?†She asked, watching Casey in every move she made. Lily watched as with one swift movement the balloon and its vine came out of the ground with out any damage at all. “Lily,†Casey started, keeping a firm hold of the balloon, “ I think we need to see your cousin Rita, she may be able to help with my little problem and may help us with this crazy, yet,†she stopped, as if looking for something nice to say about her problem that would accurately describe it, “Almost interesting transformation.†Lily nodded in understanding and immediately went to the phone. Casey set the balloon’s vine back to the earth, and it immediately shot back to the ground from whence it was removed.
Casey stood back to admire the work that she one last night, like she had made something grow, and she had no experience whatsoever. Just as it went back into the ground, she started to get that, lighter than air feeling in the pit of her stomach. Lily came back into the room and watched as Casey’s face went back into that constant state of glee. Casey then seen Lily and managed to regain her composure and looked towards her.
“Is it all set?†Casey asked heading towards her. Lily nodded and went for her shoes that were sitting in the hall. “Yeah, we have an appointment set for one-thirty today. Sorry, but it’s the earliest time I could get for you.†Casey shook her head and almost drifted towards Lily. “Don’t apologize. If that’s the time she set, that’s the time she set. Besides, It gives us enough time to take a bath seeing as how it’s eleven now.†Lily giggled a little. “Yeah let’s get ourselves cleaned up. Besides you kinda stink now. I don’t think that Rita would like you smelling like you just got from underneath the covers from an all-nighter you know?†She said running up the stairs as Casey playfully chased after her.
“So Casey, you think its okay to be bigger than me?†Traci growled under her breath almost five miles away. Since the viewing of the tape, Traci had schemed on ways to make her the laughing stock of the entire school, but none were good enough to keep her name from getting tarnished. So she sat in the back seat by herself wondering about this surprise the nerds had for her.
“Hey honey bunch,†She started to ask her boy friend, “Have you seen what went down over at their hideout?†She went steady with each word as to make sure that she wouldn’t make the balance of the situation anymore unstable. “You know babe, my guess is as good as yours. They just told us to get a caravan ready and meet them at your place.†Traci nodded, and laid down on the back seat. “Derek honey do you think I’m pretty?†She asked for the umpteenth time. Derek looked back in the rearview mirror and smiled at her. “The stars in the sky aint got nothing on you Traci. And if they’re planning what I think they’re planning, your world conquest is sure to happen. Now sit back and relax, we are almost there.â€Â
Traci smiled at the reassurance. ‘You’re sweet. Too bad that as soon as I take over the world, you will mean nothing to me.’ She rolled over on to her side and started to daydream. ‘I remember what had started me pledge for this dream of mine. I remember it as if it was yesterday…’
It was back in kindergarten when she first thought of taking over the world. She was the new kid in town as her father started as the principal for the new high school. ‘That was eleven years ago.’ Traci thought, lost in her mind. She was only five years old when she started, and hadn’t given the slightest thought at world domination. She was always alone. They classified her as the “new kid†and always picked her last at team sports. She was totally miserable. That didn’t end until the third grade however. When her expected fourth year of misery started, Casey transferred from another school district. She was kind to all of those around her, and was never afraid to get into a fight, especially when her long hair was being yanked out of her head.
Boys that got into fights with her afterwards apologized and tried to give Casey’s hair back to her. She would always refuse, saying that hair is just hair, and always she walked away after they apologized, telling the boys to keep it. Traci was jealous but as the days went on, she finally found out why Casey was so tough. The instrument to why she was so strong. In the fourth grade she devised a plan to get her out of the limelight and put her into the spotlight.
She gathered the bullies that were at school and told them about her plan. They decided to go with the idea and set a date for the confrontation. On that one peculiar day, Casey decided to walk home instead of take the bus. That’s when they decided to launch their attack. After jumping out of the shadows, and a few minutes of confused fighting, Traci had her right where she wanted her. In those moments of triumph, she decided to remove the hair that gave her so much strength. Casey struggled, but it was no use. She couldn’t fight off Traci’s constant torments with her hair. By the time Lily and her gang of friends got to her, they found her hair lopped down to where it still remains to this day. But it was what Casey had said after they were finished with her that still puzzled her to this day.
“Take it, all of it. It’s not like I can’t grow more. If you think this will change things between the two of us, then you’re wrong.â€Â
Traci couldn’t understand why she was so unnerved after that day, but when she said those words, they sounded like they were reaching out to her to be friends. That’s when Traci got the reputation and the popularity she has today. No one knows why she blatantly attacked Casey, but when Casey shown up at school the next day, they were all too scared to find out what happened. Traci had cast a shadow of fear on the rest of the school to which Casey couldn’t fight off.
“We’re here Traci.†One of the nerds said through the window, disrupting her thoughts. Traci sat up and got out of Derek’s car to see where they were. “My lady if you will follow me, we will take you to your early prom present.†Rudolpho coldly stated from behind her. Traci nodded and turned to the foreboding looking building that was off some forty yards away. “Is… Is this the old abandoned latex factory?†Traci asked her head of secret police.
The building itself was old; there were cracks and crevices in the aluminum floors, and the windows that were over the garage door looked like they were full of billet holes. Traci shivered as she knew she was going into a den of unpredictable people. She could smell the old burned out gas that came from the machines that were once used to make car tires, balloons and the like.
The parking lot that they were standing in was vast, and full of rocks and pebbles, and some chunky remains of concrete here-and-there, with pell-mell patches of grass as tall as a bush. Traci stepped back as she heard a loud clanging noise emit from the structure and watched as the doors slowly retracted from their original positions emitting loud groaning noises as though they were spirits rising up from the grave.
She then watched as a group of ten or so nerds walked out from the giant door towards their group. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before, the small group each had on a chemically stained lab coat, and khaki pants with matching white shirts. They were all of pretty decent physique and were not, to her surprise, spouting anything that resembled pocket protectors, or suspenders or anything she would recognize. She thought they were just plain old scientists.
“Are these guys the real deal?†Derek commented as he got out of his car. She noticed a great difference between the nerds that were coming towards her and her boyfriend and started to check them out. ‘Derek you’re all brawn, no brains. These guys are the delicate fusion of both.’ She thought, looking at Derek.
She was right. Derek stood next to the driver side door, and kept to himself in a pout. His body was all muscle, and not an inch of it was left un-tanned. He stood 6’2†and weighed at least two-hundred pounds, give or take a few. His chin was solid, and it made the prefect addition to his solid brown eyes and his strong powerful nose. His short black hair made all the difference hiding behind a yellow baseball cap that he always wore. He was wearing a white muscle shirt and white shorts along with regular sandals to complete his look.
Rudolpho took a step forward and extended his hand to the approaching party. The assumed leader of the party stepped forward and shook it roughly. Traci seen that he was not a man to be messing with as he looked like he could kick someone’s ass if they called him a geek or something. “Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h brother, you look well. How is the project coming along?†Rudolpho asked, removing his hand and sounding somewhat cheerful. The other man looked at him and drew a short breath that even chilled Derek to the bone.
“All is well brother. The final preparations to domination are set in stone, and we have the present for our Goddess to finally ascend to her throne.†He said turning his head towards Traci and smiling. He drew another short breath and looked towards Traci in admiration. “Ah-h-h-h-h-h she is here! Rejoice as the final ascension will begin shortly!†He said turning now towards the other nine that followed him and raising his hands as if almost in victory.
Traci stood back watching as all of the nerds that were there dropped to their knees as if they had seen their creator themselves. ‘Final ascension? Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute these guy actually think that I’m a goddess! If they think that about me right now, I wonder what they will think of me when I actually take over the world? I mean, I expect my take over to be at least when I get out of college or something, I didn’t think they would have sped this up by now.’ She walked towards Rudolpho’s brother and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and smiled. “Ah-h-h-h I see that our goddess wants to see the gift that we have ready for her. Well my Queen, we need you and your group to blindfold yourselves as we can’t have you looking at what we have all ready for you.â€Â
Traci nodded and the other nine followers went to work as quick as lightning in their task. For a few seconds Traci couldn’t focus her thoughts for a second until she felt a cold, but comforting arm, wrap around hers. “Allow me my queen. My f