179 replies to this topic

[CraazyOne]

Hey, Gretchen!

Thanks! :D

Yeah, I'll check out your fic! ^_^





~Rachel~

[CraazyOne]

Ahhhh I was supposed to go to bed an hour ago... but I had to keep reading this highly entertaining story.... @_@ Congratulations on your sleep-depriving wonder of a fanfic! :D

Thanks! What an honor to know that my fic deprived you of sleep! XD

I hope you get a chance to sleep in, or catch a cat nap, then. LOL.




~Rachel~

[Elraine]

I feel like Sheen... "Just 5 more chapters!!!!!?!?!?!?! *twitch*"

[sunnstar]

Chapter 11: The Entertainers

The kids sprinted toward the sidewalk and turned breathlessly to watch the hovercars rocket past them. As the wind whipped through their hair and the noise buzzed in their ears, they could feel the very air around them vibrate from the machines’ momentum. Then the vehicles soared back up into the sky, leaving the kids to stare in awe.

“Um…I don’t think it’s safe out here,” Jimmy said slowly. He turned to face the row of buildings behind them and stepped a little hesitantly towards the nearest one. A poorly played melody floated out to their ears as they approached the open doorway and stared uncertainly into the dark interior. Within were rows of tables lined up before a stage on which someone was attempting to play a song on a somewhat battered keyboard. Those sitting at the tables were eating and glaring at the man on stage, until at last someone let out a loud boo, which was soon echoed throughout the restaurant. A man tossed a tomato at the musician, someone else hurled another, and soon a whole tomato volley followed.

“You call that talent?!” came an enraged shout.

With that, the crowd started grabbing anything that happened to be on their plates and throwing it all at the stage. The performer stopped playing at last, jumping out of his seat, and, to the kids’ surprise, responding by throwing the food right back at the people!

“Yeah!” Sheen cheered. “A food fight!”

“Is this whole asteroid some kind of giant mental institution?!” Cindy demanded.

Libby grimaced at the scene unfolding before them. “Yeah,” she agreed, “these people are actin’ just a little weird.”

“I don’t know,” Jimmy responded, frowning in thought for the hundredth time that day. “They spend all their time committing evil actions and working hard to keep from being decent citizens. It reminds me of…Evil Jimmy’s duplication of Earth!” The idea hit the genius like a bombshell. Why hadn’t that occurred to him before…? Yet he quickly tossed the thought aside. “But it couldn’t be!” he argued with himself. “Evil Jimmy trapped himself and all the citizens in a dark matter dimension and there’s no way they could’ve escaped!”

“Well, someone had to create this place.” Cindy glanced at him pointedly.

“We’ll have to worry about that later,” Jimmy answered, sweeping the subject out of the way. “Right now, if we’re gonna find Betty, we have to blend in with the population.”

As if they’d heard Jimmy’s last remark, the people suddenly became aware of the children’s presence and turned on them menacingly. At first the gang only felt terror, but as they studied the citizens closer, their mouths dropped open in shock instead. 

“Hey, Jimmy,” Sheen whispered at the genius’s side, “why do all these people look vaguely familiar?”

Before Jimmy could reply, a familiar man in a white T-shirt stepped from the shadows at the back of the building and glared at the kids. This time, their eyes practically bulged out of their heads.

“Sam?” they chorused.

Cindy threw a glance at Jimmy. “You were saying…?”

Too upset to be annoyed at Cindy’s comment, Jimmy stared in mixed shock and horror at Sam. “This asteroid is populated with the evil clones!”

As Sam and a few other clones advanced toward them, the gang crept back nervously.

“What’re ya kids doin’ in my restaurant?!” Sam’s clone barked. “Yeah!”

Sheen thought quickly. “Uh…” he stuttered, “we came to…uh…entertain you!”

The clones frowned skeptically before slowly coming to a stop. Sam studied them a moment before relenting. “Fine! But ya better be good…or else! Yeah,” he threatened, receding into the darkness from which he’d come. His customers threw dark looks at the children as they reluctantly returned to their seats.

Splattered with tomato juice and coated in food, the performer slipped off the stage and exited the restaurant, kicking a parked hovercar and setting off its alarm as he went. The kids moved uncertainly toward the vacated stage and began climbing the stairs. When they reached the top, they stood in a cramped cluster and blinked back at the crowd anxiously.

“Good going, Ultrafreak!” Cindy muttered, leaning toward Sheen with a venomous fire in her eyes. He responded with a frightened grin.

“Whadda we do?” Libby questioned.

Jimmy shot his friends a smile. “We entertain them.”

“Ah, this’ll be easy!” Sheen interjected. He rushed toward center stage and snatched up a few of the smashed tomatoes. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced to the crowd proudly, “prepare to be astounded by my awesome juggling abilities!”

The rest of the kids stared in horror. “We’re doomed,” Cindy declared.

Sheen tossed the tomatoes into the air, hitting the ceiling with several, but dropping most to the ground. Carl became too distracted by all the food to worry anymore. With a smile of absolute contentment, he devoured a smashed slice of cake lying on the stage in mere moments. “Mmmm, chocolate,” he proclaimed. Libby, Cindy, and Jimmy stared at him in disgust.

Boos erupted from the angry crowd and there were several shouts for them to get off the stage.

“I haven’t seen anything this bad in ages!” a woman complained.

At that moment, a boy seated in a booth near the doorway stood to his feet. With a start, the gang recognized him as none other than Sheen’s evil clone! He was clothed in Sheen’s customary Ultralord outfit, but he clutched a Robofiend action figure in his hand. 

“I say we tie them up and throw food at them mercilessly!” Evil Sheen cried, jerking a finger at the gang excitedly. His eyes held his counterpart’s usual animation; only their friendly, harmless look had been replaced with a threatening gleam.

“Wait!” Jimmy called out, running to the edge of the stage and raising a hand as if to stop the oncoming food volley. “You haven’t seen anything yet!” He made a dramatic sweeping gesture, and their clone audience paused to study him dubiously. Jimmy grinned hopefully and continued, “I give you…a comprehensive study of common geometric theorems!”

The crowd stared at him blankly. “What?!” a man cried.

Libby rolled her eyes as Cindy cringed and turned to her. “You’re our only hope now, Libbs!”

A knowing grin slid across Libby’s face. Before Jimmy could begin his mathematic lecture, she strode confidently over to the piano, slipped into the seat, and turned to the crowd. “Are ya ready for some real entertainment?” she demanded, and received a shout of assent from the clones.

Without hesitation, she set her hands to the keys and burst into a fast-paced melody reminiscent of the Mission: Impossible theme. As her fingers flew deftly along the keyboard, the rhythm pulsated through the room, earning appreciative cheers from the crowd. Goddard flipped out a disco ball from his back and let the rainbow lights flash across the stage and dance in Libby’s dark eyes. Throwing a mischievous grin in Libby’s direction, Sheen began attempting fancier juggling moves in order to go along with the music’s tempo. Cindy clapped her hands to the beat and plastered a smile on her face, despite her inward fear that Sheen would launch a tomato at the crowd. Jimmy gaped at them, half-pleased that they’d found a way to satisfy the people, and half-frustrated to see they’d stolen the spotlight from him. But, whatever Jimmy felt, Libby’s passion for music had spread to the crowd. Sheen had somehow managed to keep up with her song and not drop a single tomato, and even Carl began to feel the enthusiasm. Wiping some of the cake crumbs from his face, he followed Cindy’s lead and began clapping, then swinging his hips to the music—which, needless to say, didn’t sit too well with the clones.
 
“You call that dancing?!” a man shouted, glaring at poor Carl. The boy lowered his head in embarrassment and stared at his feet.

Libby’s song ended right at that moment. She turned back to the crowd with a content smile on her lips and a fire in her eyes, but when she noted the clones’ growing unrest, her happiness quickly vanished. Cringing, she stepped away from the keyboard. Off to her right, one of Sheen’s tomatoes sailed dangerously close to the ceiling and landed with a smack on top of his head. 

“This performance is terrible!” a woman yelled.

Jimmy stepped to front stage desperately. “But you couldn’t possibly be disappointed with a lesson in advanced mathematics!”

Loud groans and another cry to punish the kids rose up from the audience. Libby and Cindy stood side-by-side near the back of the stage with growing fear in their eyes. Wiping the smashed tomato off his head, Sheen finally noticed the restless crowd and backed off nervously.

“Um, Jimmy…” Carl began anxiously, creeping toward his best friend, who still stood at the stage’s edge, wracking his brain for a way to appease the clones. But one of his shoes slipped in Sheen’s smashed tomatoes, and with a cry and a huge thud, Carl found himself falling backwards on the stage. The rest of the kids cringed, but the audience burst out in cruel laughter. Carl struggled to get to his feet, but slid in the tomato juice and hit the floor once again, resulting in an even louder outburst from the crowd.

It was then an idea struck Jimmy. He turned back to his friends. “That’s it!” he exclaimed softly, his voice barely distinguishable to the gang over the audience’s noise. “They enjoy watching people suffer! Entertaining them can’t be that hard!”

“What do you want us to do, run around and trip ourselves?” Cindy demanded sarcastically.

“Just find some way to preoccupy them while I find a way to get out of here!” Jimmy responded.

“Got it, Jimmy!” Sheen saluted his friend.

Heading to the back of the stage and scanning the room, the genius quickly analyzed the situation. The audience blocked the entrance, and, from what Jimmy could see, that was their only exit. But, if his friends could just entertain the crowd long enough, he knew he could find a way to get out of there.

With Jimmy occupied with finding an escape route, Cindy stepped forward to take control of the situation. “If you think that was good,” she proclaimed to the crowd, “watch this!” She took Jimmy’s Pie-O-Matic from Goddard and punched a few buttons. Removing a pie from the invention, she turned to Sheen. He gave her a thumbs-up and she launched the pie right in his face! The crowd burst into cheers and laughter. Cindy pulled out another pie from the Pie-O-Matic and this time, tossed it at Carl.

“Ow! Cindy,” Carl whined, “when you’re pretending to be mean, could you not be as mean as when you really are being mean?”

“Carl!” Sheen broke out. “Take it like a man!” He turned to Libby and winked. “Here, Sugar Cake, throw one at me and see how your man takes pain!”

Libby lifted a pie and grinned mischievously. “OK, ya asked for it, Sheen!” she replied, and threw the pie in Sheen’s face.

“Ow!” Sheen cried, falling backward, to the crowd’s utter delight.

Libby and Cindy, now thoroughly enjoying themselves, continued chucking pies at the boys, and even Goddard joined in.

As the pies continued to fly, Carl found a second to sample some as it ran down his face. “Mmmm…banana cream!” he gushed. “It’s almost as good as Sam’s mud pie with real wor—”

A shout from the crowd interrupted the kids in their pie battle. They turned to see Evil Sheen standing near the stage talking enthusiastically. “Whoa! This reminds me of the time Robofiend attacked Ultralord with his mega-fast pie thrower!” He held his hands to his heart. “I love Robofiend!”

Sheen, his face still covered in pie, wiped the food away to stare in horror at his evil clone. His eye began to twitch agitatedly until suddenly he sprang forward to the edge of the stage! “How dare you pledge allegiance to Ultralord’s arch nemesis!” he cried, pointing an accusing finger at the clone.

“Sheen!” Libby said quietly but urgently. “You’re gonna give us away! If they find out we’re not as evil as they are, we’ll all be toast!”

But Sheen was too distracted even to notice Libby.

“Ultralord is lame!” Evil Sheen sneered. “Robofiend is way more awesome!”

“What?!” Sheen cried.

“I said,” the clone answered, speaking slowly to emphasize his words, “‘Ultralord is laaame.’”

“I thought that’s what I heard!” Sheen replied solemnly. “And so, as Ultralord’s faithful ally, I consider it my duty to remove any threat to his greatness! Come up here and show me watcha got, Robo-boy!” He threw some punches in the air while the audience stared.

Libby tried once more to make the boy listen to her. “Sheen!”

Evil Sheen stepped forward menacingly. “You don’t stand a chance against my fiendish, mechanical moves!” he bragged.

“Oh, yeah?! Wait till you get a load of my Ultralord poking and pinching abilities, Fiend-Fighter!” Sheen retorted.

With that, the audience began standing to its feet in anger. “They’re just no-good…good kids pretending to be bad!” one of the men declared. “Let’s get those imposters out of here!”

“Yeah, imposters!” Sam agreed. “Yeah!”

For a few terrible seconds, the gang froze as they faced a sea of enraged clones. Then Cindy found her voice.

“Run!” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


***Rachel***

It's time for another Sunny review!! XDD Let's see how long this one takes... LOL JK. :P :D

Oooh, very good way to start off the chapter. Just enough suspense to make it, well, suspenseful, but not so much that's it's over the top. Good job with that. :thumbsup: Ooh, a food fight! You know I'm a sucker for a good food fight. (Or do you? :ph43r:) LOL, Cindy's line is amazing. I could so see her, as well as ME, saying that! XDD Haha, Libby's sarcasm. It's always nice to see Libby sarcastic. ;]]] And... EVIL JIMMY??????????///!??!/////?/1 :o I KNEWED IT. LOL. And lolagain, the blending in with the population thing reminds me of the episode of FOP where they go back to the 60s and Timmy "blends in" by poofing a smiley face on his shirt, LOL. :lol: "You were saying...?" Haha, again, such a Cindy-thing to say. And "yeah!" LOL, I totally heard that in Sam's voice.

LOOOOOOOOOOOL, wow. That was just about the best entertainment I've ever heard of!! But DOUBLELOL at Jimmy's math thing. That sounded just like the Broadcast Blues episode! XD Oooh, Mission: Impossible music! SA-WEET. =D And I LOVED how Sheen totally just endangered them again, lol. Him and his faith in UltraLord! :rolleyes: Yay for another great chapter!!

[N!no]

Chapter 18: Stranger



“At last I’ve found you, James Neutron!” came a man’s voice.

J....As the form moved closer, starlight fell upon a long hooded robe just like those of the monks from Shangri Llama. Beneath the hood, the man’s solemn face, though still partially shrouded in darkness, took on a kindly expression. Clasping his hands together before him, he dipped his head respectfully to the kids, who still stood motionless.

“My name is Ye,” the monk announced. His voice was soothing, calming the children’s doubts a little. “I have been searching for you, James.”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Me?” he repeated. “What do you want?”

“I’ve come to aid you in your quest for Jia.”

Cindy spoke for the first time. “Jia?”

“She whom you seek,” Ye explained, and turned to Jimmy. “The one whom Yoo-Yee has taken from you; the one whom you love!”

Cindy rolled her eyes at his last comment, but Jimmy was obviously thrilled to hear of Betty.

“You’ve seen Betty?” he asked eagerly.

Cindy noticed the bright smile on his face and sudden sparkle in his eyes and her heart sank. He really did care for Betty, then…

“I have,” the monk confirmed.


“Ahh! An evil monk! Could it get any worse?!”...

Libby and Sheen turned worriedly to see what Carl was fussing about. Libby’s eyes hardened at the sight of the stranger near Jimmy and Cindy and her lethargy promptly melted away. Jumping to her feet, she ignored the fact that her braids had gone frizzy in the night and tossed them angrily over her shoulder.

“OK, I don’t know what you clone freaks want with us, but ya ain’t touchin’ my friends!” Libby spat out, stomping toward Ye boldly.

“No!” Jimmy cried. “He’s come to help us!”

Cindy shot him a look. “Or so he says,” she muttered.

Jimmy glared at her as Sheen, lost in his own world, rushed up to them without even noticing the monk. Carl followed cautiously, his gaze shifting between Jimmy’s trusting, carefree face to the expressions of doubt on Cindy’s and Libby’s.

Before Ye could explain himself to Libby, Sheen jumped between him and Jimmy. “Hey, Jimmy!” he exclaimed. “Can I watch more Ultralord?!”

“No, Sheen,” Jimmy replied softly, trying his hardest to control his irritation.

“But, Jimmy, you said—”

Jimmy couldn’t hold back his temper at that. “We have to save Betty!”

“Can I watch just five minutes?!” Sheen pleaded.

“No!”

“But…but…it’s Ultralord…” He stared wide-eyed at Jimmy as his eye twitched agitatedly.

Crossing her arms, Cindy watched Sheen through narrow eyes. “You know what?!” she broke in. “You either need some counseling or a punch to the face!”

“Cin, don’t hurt him!” Libby scolded from her spot beside her.

Sheen turned to beam at her. “I knew you’d stand up for me, Honey Bun!” He puffed up his chest in an attempt to look macho, but only succeeded in looking ridiculous.

Libby turned to her friend and said dryly, “OK, now ya can punch him.”

At that moment, Sheen finally noticed Ye, who had bowed down before him.

“Ah, the Chosen One!” The monk spoke reverently. “May blessings rain down upon the heads of you and your friends!”

“But rain causes pneumonia!” Carl pointed out worriedly.
 
With a huff, Cindy turned to Ye. “I can’t believe you guys think Ultra-dork is your Chosen One!”

Sheen shook his head at her condescendingly. “Cindy, Cindy, Cindy. I pity you in your ignorance! I’ve mastered fighting secrets that Ultralord himself knows! And besides, my awesome manly strength proves I’m the Chosen One!” He flexed an arm while the gang looked on skeptically.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Sheen,” Libby warned with a shake of her head.

Jimmy turned back to the monk in an attempt to bring the conversation back to the point. “Do you know where Betty is now?” he inquired.

“Yes. I can take you to her.”

Unconvinced, Cindy crossed her arms and studied the monk narrowly. “How can we trust you?” she asked. “From all appearances, you’re just an evil clone from this asteroid’s version of Shangri Llama. You were probably sent by Evil Jimmy to lead us into a trap!”

Ye smiled gently. “Ah, you are indeed blessed with wisdom. I shall tell you of myself, and then you will have to decide if you shall trust me.”



~Rachel~

*gasps* :o oh man an evil monk :huh:
This is just gettin' even better!!!!!
:blink: :blink: :blink: who's being tricked this time??? jimmy or cindy¿? :grr: :o

Anyway, waiting for another cool chapter soon :thumbsup:

[CraazyOne]

Thanks so much for all the feedback, guys! Rumorgirl, Sunny, Elraine, Gretchen, noukina_v018...you're all awesome. ^_^ Hope you like this chapter. I'm trying to make progress over the summer on this, because, like I said, once classes start I'm going to be crazy busy. Not to mention, just under a lot of pressure. :blink: Sooo...BUG me to write more, guys! I'm not kidding! Pester me! I need to either finish this or get close to finishing this in the next few months.

Oh, and sorry, but I feel like I'm really losing my creativity with my chapter names. :rolleyes:


Chapter 19: Fading Light

Something grated on her ears… Hugh’s snoring?

No, someone was screaming!

Jimmy’s teacher, Ms. Fowl?

Judy sat up in bed, staring out the window on her right. The sun was just peeking over the eastern horizon, illuminating the Neutrons’ front yard with a golden shimmer. It was a calm, beautiful morning...except for the fact that Ms. Fowl's piercing screams, which sounded oddly like a bird squawking in fear, were shattering the peaceful atmosphere. Judy shoved the bedsheets aside, ran to the window, and peered out to see what was going on.

Ms. Fowl was backing up slowly down the sidewalk below, as if she were afraid of making any quick movements. Judy followed the woman’s frightened gaze and realized the elderly teacher was studying a huge yellow flower sitting on the Neutron's curb.

“Hugh!” she cried. “You didn’t get rid of that ferocious plant?”

“Huh! Huh?” Hugh sat halfway up in bed and rubbed his eyes. “Sugar Booger,” he mumbled sleepily, “I set it on the curb for the garbage men to pick up…”

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Judy rushed to their closet and snatched her robe off a hook. She slipped it over her shoulders as she rushed down the stairs and threw open the front door. Hardly knowing what to do, she found herself staring in mute wonder at the sight before her.

By now, Ms. Fowl had already put several yards’ distance between her and the snarling flower. She spun around and tore down the sidewalk, leaving the plant to growl and snap at the air like a bloodthirsty dog. A piece of the old woman’s skirt lay on the grass beside it; obviously the ravenous flower had struck before Ms. Fowl had made her escape.

Judy heard her husband’s footsteps behind her. “Hugh, we need to do something!” she told him as she continued to stare at the Girl-Eating Plant.

“Don’t worry, Butter Biscuit; I’ll get out the leftover pie!” Hugh replied cheerily.

Judy frowned in annoyance. “No! I meant we need to do something about that plant!”

Hugh adjusted his glasses and looked over her shoulder at the huge flower. “You’re right!”

“I’m concerned about what our son has been up to,” Judy added. “Why would Jimmy leave that awful flower in our yard while he just…disappeared?”

“Now, now, Sugar Booger, there’s no reason to get upset! I’m sure Jimmy’s just decided to take up a nice, safe hobby like gardening!” He glanced again at the plant outside. “He just doesn’t...er...have your green thumb.”

Hugh threw Judy a worried look; even he couldn’t be ignorant. What was going on with their son?

***

Out in the open landscape of the asteroid, Ye stepped back to study the children under the starlight. Cindy and Libby looked skeptical, Carl was terrified, and Goddard had his head cocked to one side, as if trying to analyze the monk. Side by side, Jimmy and Sheen were the only ones looking up at the stranger with trust.

Turning his head to let his eyes make a careful sweep of their surroundings, Ye lowered his voice. “I am not from this evil place,” the monk began. “I came from Shangri Llama with Yoo Yee, but I do not follow his ways. My brothers chose me to accompany him so that I could stop him from harming the Chosen One and his comrades. We knew of his plans to find you all and try once again to take the Chosen One’s place.”

“But the monks of Shangri Llama didn’t help us the first time Yoo Yee threatened Sheen! Why are you helping us now?” Jimmy demanded.

“The first time we would not interfere. It is the Chosen One’s place to defend himself from opponents. But Yoo Yee had his chance. Now he is going too far by not only threatening our Chosen One the second time, but by also threatening all that is sacred to us. Besides,” he added with a hint of guilt, “we felt bad that we gave the Chosen One no aid the first time.”

“But why did Yoo Yee take Betty here and not to Shangri Llama?” Jimmy wondered.

“Because he allied himself with the one who made this land and the one you created: he who is identical to you.”

Sheen scooted closer to Carl. “Not that I don’t like the whole Chosen One thing,” he muttered in his ear, “but these monk dudes talk weird!”

Overhearing his words, Libby shot him a look. “Speak for yourself.”

Absorbed in his own thoughts, Jimmy smacked a hand to his forehead in frustration. “Evil Jimmy!” he frowned. “I knew he did this! But how did he escape the Dark Matter Dimension?” he muttered to himself.

“The Evil One you speak of created this place as a haven of wickedness as he formed his plans. He and Yoo Yee are trying to remove you all,” Ye continued. “Yoo Yee shall take the Chosen One’s place, and the Evil One shall make our own world as terrible as this world is. I am here to bring whatever aid I can to you. My brothers and I trust you will find a way to stop them both, Cheng," the monk ended, again bowing his head in respect.

Carl glanced from side to side as if expecting to see another monk. "Who’s Cheng?" he asked, puzzled.

Ye smiled kindly and pulled back his hood. The silver light reflected off his bald head and sparkled in his soft grey eyes as he gazed at the children. "We have given the Chosen One and his comrades names in our own tongue," he responded. "Cheng is the name we gave your friend James, for his many accomplishments."

"Thanks!" Jimmy said complacently. He smirked at Cindy, who glared back at him.

Sheen stepped toward Ye eagerly. "Cool! What’s mine?"

"Besides 'Chosen One', you are known as 'Zixin'."

Before Ye could finish explaining Sheen's name, the boy broke in. "What kind of a name is—"

With a frown, Libby smacked a hand over his mouth to quiet him and let Ye finish.

"However," Ye continued, taking on the tone of a fortune-teller, "your confidence in yourself is both a blessing and a curse." With that, he turned to give an affectionate smile to Libby. "We call you 'Ning', meaning 'tranquility'." He glanced at the rest of the gang and added, "You are invaluable to your friends."

Carl spoke up shyly. "What’s my name?" he wondered.

"You are Shen, the Cautious One." Ye smiled again before his face grew serious. "But now we must return to important matters." He looked at Jimmy. "This world has a false Shangri Llama, one that is dedicated to evil, cruelty, and practical jokes. It is in that city that Yoo Yee and his ninjas stay, and it is there you will find Jia."

Jimmy couldn't help but smile dreamily at Ye's name for Betty. "'Jia' is the perfect name for Betty..."

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Libby glanced over at the boy genius. "What’s it mean?"

"'Beautiful,'” Jimmy breathed.

Cindy exploded immediately. "How pathetic can you get?!" she burst out.

Jimmy glowered at her. "At least I’m not as pathetic as you, Dorktex!"

"Pathetic?" the blonde repeated, even more infuriated. "I’ll show you pathetic!" She formed a fist, as if preparing to throw a punch right in the boy's face.

Ye stepped forward and gestured for the pair to step away from one another. "He is not the one you must fight, Mingxia," he told Cindy sternly.

Cindy turned to frown at the monk. "'Mingxia'? Betty is 'beautiful' and I get 'Mingxia'?"

Beside her, Jimmy chuckled softly and Cindy glared at him again. Ye, however, kept a solemn face as he gazed past them at the sky. The clouds were tinged in pale shades of gold, pink, and orange from the first rays of light that peeked through them and flooded the whole asteroid with warmth. At last, the monk spoke.

"'Mingxia',” he murmured, "is our word for the light that breaks through the clouds before sunrise. There is much beauty in the morning light…when it shines through the clouds and does not let them cover it," he ended significantly.

Slowly, Cindy's anger waned, leaving her speechless as she mulled over the monk's meaning. She turned to study the sunrise, then threw a look at Jimmy, who'd also grown strangely quiet. The boy had known the name's meaning all along, but now that she knew, he shyly avoided eye contact. In an effort to break the awkward silence that had fallen, he looked back at Ye. "Can you lead us to Betty now?" he inquired.

Again Ye bowed. "Yes…but we must use much caution," he warned.

***

Sitting on Goddard’s back as they sped over the asteroid’s empty landscape, Jimmy veered around a rock jutting up before him.

Swaying dizzyingly from Goddard’s mouth once more, Carl began to complain for the thousandth time. "Uh, Jim," he groaned, "why couldn’t we just take the space car all the way to the evil Shangri Llama?"

The genius shook his head impatiently. "Because I had to land it several miles away so we wouldn’t give ourselves away!" he explained yet again.

Off to their right, Sheen was perched on the back of the hovercycle, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Oh, yeah, baby!" he cried. "This hovercycle is like the ridiculously dangerous vehicle of my dreams!"

Ye's mischevious grin widened and he stomped down once more on the gas pedal. "You got that right, Chosen One!" he exclaimed.

The girls were riding the hoverboard and follwing just a few yards behind the boys. As the wind whipped through her braids, Libby pushed them out of her eyes and glanced over at Cindy. The girl had been uncharacteristically silent for the entire trip, and Libby couldn't shake the hint of guilt she felt over last night. She knew her best friend was mulling over the conversation they'd had; it was plain that it had cut deeply at her heart. Black circles shadowed Cindy's eyes, which looked exhausted and lifeless. Had the girl even slept last night? With a sigh, Libby turned back to the horizon before them, hoping that they'd be able to rescue Betty quickly and get this adventure over with.

Her dismal mood suddenly melted into irritation when she noticed Ye's reckless driving. Sheen was still shouting gleefully, encouraging the monk to speed up and swerve the hovercycle about dangerously.

The girl rolled her dark eyes and shouted up to Jimmy. "I KNEW lettin’ ’em on that wasn’t a good idea!"

Still swinging from Goddard's mouth, Carl spoke up once more. "Jimmy, can we stop?" he asked.

The genius 's brow furrowed as he failed to mask his impatience. "Not again!"

"But, Jim, I’m gonna have to stop before—"

At that moment, they were interrupted by the sunlight fading noticeably. The gang lifted their eyes to the sky as a huge dark blot crept across the sun, slowly swallowing it and enveloping the entire asteroid in darkness.

For the first time, Cindy spoke. "What’s going on?" she wondered.

Jimmy couldn't hide his scientific enthusiasm. "It looks like the earth is moving in a direct line between this asteroid and the sun! It’s like a solar eclipse back home, only because the earth’s mass is so much greater than the asteroid’s, it’ll probably last a couple days. Nothing to worry about, guys," he finished.

"Oh, sure;" Libby interjected sarcastically, "hangin’ out in the dark all the time is always fun!"

"Hey, Jimmy," Carl broke in quietly, "I kinda need to stop now."

But his friend didn't hear him. "Actually," Jimmy answered Libby, "it’s an interesting scientific phenomenon."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Oh, and its being a scientific phenomenon immediately makes it better!"

Glaring at the girl across from his agitatedly, Jimmy shot a quick comeback at her. "Well, of course you wouldn’t appreciate anything of scientific interest!"

"Uh…Jimmy…" Carl insisted, "I really have to…"

Still intent on her argument with Jimmy, Cindy smirked. "No, I just find better ways to spend my time."

"GUYS, QUIT FIGHTIN’!"

Startled by Libby's shouting, Jimmy and Cindy paused. Then, each wearing frustrated frowns, they ended their shouting match by turning away from each other. Suddenly, Jimmy remembered that Carl had been trying to get his attention earlier and peered down at his friend.

"What were you were saying, Carl?" he wondered.

"Never mind."

Studying the sky again, Ye broke another heavy silence that had fallen over the gang. "This darkness befits a land so darkened by evil."

Sheen turned in his seat to mutter to Libby. "Man, he gets weirder and weirder!" He stared up at the sky again and let a grin slide across his face. "But this is sweet! Think of all the practical jokes we can play on Carl in the dark!"

"Ahh!" Carl yelled. "Sheen, just the thought of you evoking terror in me evokes terror in me!"

Sheen smiled gleefully. "I know!"

_______________________________________________________________

Haha, so I got a little obsessed with Chinese names. I was searching names on the web one day (because it never hurts an author to check out different names and their meanings), and I ran across these. Oh, and it's actually been quite a while, but if my memory serves me correctly, "Ye" means "friend". Just in case you were wondering. :P


See ya!




~Rachel~

[RocksmySocks]

Another super chapter, Rach!!

*thinks* Have I not reviewed this story before? What HAVE I been thinking?

Well, I've been reading it since I signed up for IDOJ, hah! And I love it!

You really have a great grasp on all of the characters. I definitely find myself seeing it play out as an episode sometimes! :lol:

But yes, this chapter was excellent. I love the names. Oh Cindy...someday she'll learn to think before she talks. Haha.


Yay for the girl-eating plant. I always thought that needed a larger role! :D

BOY, I still can't believe I never commented on this story before!

Well just know that I think you are a GREAT writer, Rach! This story has been an absolute blast so far, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

-Katie :ahoy:

[Elraine]

Awesome chapter! I have to agree with Katie, it's easy to imagine it as an episode, plus you gotta love that plant! xD

You wanna be bugged? Oooo you're gonna regret that...

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....bugbugbugbug MAIME!

[rumorgirl1983]

*bugbugbug* ;)

Jimmy and Cindy have to stop arguing eventually. It takes a lot of hard work to write a story this well-written. As always, eager to see more, and take your time. ^^

[N!no]

***bows***

Girl u rock! :thumbsup: i also think as Katie and Elraine, this does fit for an episode. I also like it coz ur also not forgetting the other characters from the show. U always find the moment to bring them in!

^_^ Really cooooooool chapter!!!! That was pretty neat!
Yah, liked the Chinese names thingy u came up with too, it made laugh a lot
**giggles** those two fighting, it always fits in.
dOn't forget to post some more sooooon!!!!! :kawaii:

update!!
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:blink:



ok...I think I should stop now <_< ...

:lol: ^_^

[sunnstar]

RACH, THAT WAS SO TOTALLY INSANELY AWESOME. First of all, I know how hard it is to name chapters. :rolleyes: But oooooooh my gosh, the thing with Ms. Fowl was FABULOUS. And seriously, the way you started the chapter off was PERFECT!!!! It totally reminded me of the "up in the sky! it's a bird! it's a plane! it's..." thing. XDDD "Your green thumb" LOL. Such a typical Hugh line, I could totally hear it!

And LOL, I loved the Chinese names! I've always loved those different-language secret-hint things. It reminds me of Nancy Drew (for some odd reason) and Harry Potter. XDD LOL, sorry. I loved the thing about how Jimmy was named his name for his many accomplishments (and Cindy's reaction)! And Betty's too. I love the last two lines too. This is such an episode-y chapter, it's crazy!

KEEP UP THE FANTABULOUS WORK!!!!

[Fire Pearl]

I already said something about it at FF.net...
But it is just so AWESOME I had to say something more!!!!
I LOVE this story, so much, it's unbelievable!!!
Ye seems a nice one...good for him! (threatening glare)
I don't want the characters to get hurt by someone who gives them such fantastic names!!!
Girl-eating plant? NEAT!!! I always thought this plant has character...I'd like to have a conversation with it...but, ya know...GIRL-eating....
I like my head where it is...
Anyways HAHAHA...Miss Fowl!
Man where do you get these fantastic ideas?
Keep it up, or I'll DIE...err maybe not ...well without doubt not....
But I and everyone else who ever read this story will be CRUSHED!!!!
So this was my very subtle, barely noticeable hint for you to update!
UPDATE!!!
very subtle right???
Update!
I can't even notice myself the hint...
Update
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I am so subtle it's unbelievable!!!^^
UPDATE!

Wow...do you hate me now for these hints?^^

[Fire Pearl]

Just to make sure...

KEEP IT UP!!! UPDATE OR I'LL DIE!!!
No pressure, of course^^

[CraazyOne]

Wow, thanks for all the replies, everyone!


@KATIE--Thank youuuu! I'm so happy you like it. ^___^ Yeah, hopefully Cindy will learn... And HECK YEAH, the Girl-Eating Plant definitely needed a bigger role!

@RUMORGIRL--Thanks! And, I'm afraid I'm taking too much time. =( Hopefully I'll really get cracking on this fic soon. And thanks for the bugging, LOL.

@ELRAINE--Ah, thanks! Two readers who can see this as an episode? Huzzah! BTW, thanks for the bugging, too. ;D

@NOUKINA_V018 (your name's Noemi, right?)--Yay! ANOTHER reader who thinks it's like an episode...Jeez, this is so cool. Thanks so much. And hurray for bothering me!!!

@SUNNY--Haha, so glad you liked the beginning. It was fun to write. And the Chinese name part was pretty fun for me, too. Researching them all was really neat, let me tell ya. I have a thing for other languages, apparently. Thanks so much! Whoa...episode-y feel? Wheee, number 4!!!

@LAURA--Haha, you crack me up. Thanks. And yeah, sheesh, you were so subtle I was astounded. You definitely win an award for that one, girl. ;D


And, to everyone... *sigh* I'm soooo sorry about the wait. I was hoping when I got on here to reply to all of you I'd have a chapter to give you. But I've just started the dang thing and inspiration has been a bit slow lately. Still, I'm hoping to have it up in a few days... I'm busy this weekend, so I won't have time to write it for a little while. Believe me, I'm bummed about it, too. I was planning on getting it up quickly. Ugh.




~Rachel~

[CraazyOne]

Oh, finally. I apologize in advance for what will probably be a really crummy, far-too-short chapter. But I don't have time to write anything longer, and I thought it better to get another one up now since, knowing the way things have been, I wouldn't be able to get one up soon for a while. I've been trying to get this up, but I got busy. Work, getting ready for and then celebrating Krista's party, drawing for Flank, and all the other things going on off the internet besides work...

This week I'm going to be busy too (ahh!), but hopefully I'll get another chapter up soon. I'm trying, guys. =(

Anyway, sorry for rambling; hope ya like!



Chapter 20: Confusion

She was enveloped in darkness that seemed to be smothering whatever life remained in her. The air felt thick as she struggled to force it into her lungs...or maybe they had just forgotten how to function. In...out...in...out... Every breath came with effort, only to be rewarded with a relentless burning sensation in her chest. Slowly, she wiped the sweat off her forehead, but even that simple movement was tiresome. The strange, unfamiliar passion inside her had pushed her this far, but she couldn't take this absurdity any longer.

It was another one of her brief moments of lucidity. Suddenly, she could grasp what was going on, as if the fog in her brain had been lifted or a light had been flicked on. Betty's past confusion melted away when the memory of Cindy pointing one of Jimmy's gadgets at her in the Candy Bar flashed through her mind. Of course, something had happened to her that had spawned these baffling emotions within her.

She brushed a strand of damp hair out of her eyes and stared miserably up at the ninja, who was staring discontentedly back at her. What was she doing? She was not a fighter. And why would she want to fight Cindy, anyway? Every aching muscle in her body reminded her of how hopeless taking on the blonde Tae Kwon Do master would be. It was impossible to learn this sort of skill in the short time frame she had.

Not that the monks hadn't tried their hardest. Betty had been in an uncharacteristically violent mood today as they'd demonstrated the proper ways to kick, punch, and block. But as the moves grew more complex and the complex moves became long, difficult combos, her energy had quickly dwindled.

How long had she been doing this? It felt like ages, though she knew it had only been a day. One painful, unending day of relentless training.

"Come, we must continue!"

Betty stared blankly up at the monk. It had amused her earlier to think of this monk as a warrior too, so she'd come up with the name "ninja-monk" and privately laughed at the contradiction. But that was hardly amusing now. Now, she wanted to run from him and find a way to return home; this strange asteroid-planet unnerved her. Its population took too much pleasure in inflicting pain on everyone else...and then there was that Jimmy's odd look-a-like, whom she feared greatly. She hadn't seen him since last night, but there was no telling when he could show up again.

She didn't belong here. She couldn't hurt Jimmy or any of his friends, and she certainly didn't hate them. If she could--

"WHAT are ya doin'?" came a sharp, disturbingly familiar voice.

Somewhere close by, a shadow swooped down from the sky and a hover board landed on the ground. The courtyard of Shangri Llama was still, dark, and quiet as the figure hopped off the hover board and marched toward Betty and her "ninja-monk".

"I thought ya told me you were gonna learn how to fightso you could take care of Neutron and his friends." Evil Jimmy focused his intense stare on Betty, who shuddered. Any moment her clarity of mind would sink into fog again, and she'd agree to stay in this awful place...

"I told you," she answered, forcing herself to sit up off the ground and narrowing her eyes at him, "I don't know how to fight. And there's no way I can learn before they get here! It's been one day. Tomorrow..."

"Forget the time!" the clone snapped. "I have one of Neutron's nifty little gadgets to take care of that. The question is: Do you want to take care of 'em, or not?"

For one brief instant Betty thought of simply agreeing again. After all, Cindy had been a jerk to her, she reminded herself, shoving aside the memory of her own behavior. She deserved... But then she remembered Jimmy's innocent face, the way his eyes lit up whenever she was around... No, she couldn't betray that, whatever risk it posed to herself. Jimmy had rescued her too many times for her to turn her back on him.

"No," she responded, trying to sound firm. Her voice wavered and fear shook through her...and not only because of the way the clone was staring at her. She was conscious of the fog settling in again; the confusion was already beginning to disrupt her thoughts and throw her emotions into turmoil. It didn't matter what she said or did now, because whatever had her mind in its grasp was going to force her to betray Jimmy and his friends against her own will.

****************

There was no difference between night and day anymore: the blackness remained the same and was only broken by the dim starlight. Everything was still and quiet, without a breath of wind in the air, as the gang landed on a cliff overlooking Shangri Llama. The air was chilly, but not nearly as cold as that of the snow-capped mountains towering over the original Shangri Llama on Earth. There were no Mt. Everests on the asteroid-planet; this mountain was closer in size to a hill.

"Here we are," Ye announced softly, although from their height there was no chance of being overheard from below. He still studied their surroundings warily, though, as if he expected to see a monk crouching behind a nearby boulder or perched on an overhang beneath them. "The Shangri Llama you see nestled in the valley below is built just as the one on Earth. I do not know where Jia is being kept, because I escaped to meet you as soon as Yoo Yee returned to the asteroid."

"Ah, infiltrating this place should be a piece of cake," Jimmy replied, waving it off. "The monks should mistake us for our evil counterparts as long as we don’t give ourselves away. All we have to do is act evil, just like we did back in the city, and the monks should cooperate for us."

"Yeah," Cindy agreed, "but what if Evil Jimmy’s in Shangri Llama right now? Then you won’t be duping anyone, Neutron! You’ll have to stay out and let the rest of us handle this."

Jimmy frowned in frustration. "But I have to stop him!" he protested. "I can’t just stay here; I have to go!"

"No way! You’re not putting our necks in danger just because you have to do another one of your macho acts!" Cindy's eyes flashed with an ominous light, and Jimmy hesitated.

"Cindy’s right;" Libby cut in, "it’s too dangerous!"

Sheen grinned at her and then announced confidently, "You got nothing to worry about, Jimmy! I can take your evil clone!" He held up a fist as if to prove his point.

"But I’m the genius here; I can devise a strategic rescue plan!" Jimmy argued, but his tone was becoming desperate now. It was obvious he knew he couldn't win this now.

Cindy rolled her eyes. "I think we’re perfectly capable of figuring out how to get Miss America out of Shangri Llama!"

"Yeah, you’re not the only one with a brain, Jimmy!" Libby agreed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"But…" Jimmy said weakly.

Ye took that moment to break in. He stepped forward calmly, raising his hand to call attention to himself and speaking in a cool tone. "The wisest listen to the ideas of others, Cheng," he informed the boy genius as he gestured to the rest of the kids. "I also believe Mingxia is right. Stay here and trust your friends to save Jia."

The concern was clear on the boy's face. "But I can’t just stand by when Betty’s in trouble! What am I supposed to do?!" he wondered.

Cindy couldn't resist the spiteful smile that slid across her face. "If you’re so smart, find a way to entertain yourself!" she shot back.

"I’ll stay here with you, Jim," Carl volunteered. "Evil monks scare me almost as much as lima beans!"

Jimmy shook his head at his friend's last comment, but he was grateful for the company.

As Cindy, Libby, and Sheen followed Ye down a narrow pathway leading to the valley, he stood beside Carl and Goddard, watching them furiously. His fingers clenched themselves into fists unconsciously as he complained bitterly to the boy next to him. "Ugh! Cindy is so annoying! I can’t believe I let her come!"

"But I thought you liked her," Carl murmured innocently, picking the wrong subject at the absolute wrong time.

"No way!" Jimmy spat out, still seething with rage.

"Then how come when Ms. Fowl had that talk on classic romance stories you and Cindy kept smiling at each other?" Carl insisted, grinning slightly.

"I wasn’t smiling! I was cringing because I couldn’t believe I was being subjected to such mental torture! I mean, love stories?! Bluh!"

This turned Carl's thoughts to another topic and he looked away thoughtfully. "Yeah, but I kinda liked Ms. Fowl’s description of Gone with the Whirlwind," he mused.

But Jimmy wasn’t paying attention to Carl anymore. He was gazing thoughtfully down at Shangri Llama with unseeing eyes. The anger was quickly melting into a whirlwind of emotions: a sense of confusion, misery, and betrayal that was anything but new to him. It wasn't the fact that he'd been left behind to wait anxiously for his friend's return with a safe Betty in tow that bothered him the most. No, there was something else, something that had been troubling him even before Betty had been captured, although her kidnapping had made the problem far worse. What upset him was Cindy herself. Why did she take such pleasure in tormenting him all the time, anyway? The mystery was as unfathomable to him as it was agonizing. Her motives behind everything in this wild journey had been to hurt him, from the moment in the Candy Bar when she'd pointed the Mood Alternator at Betty with that spiteful expression to just a few moments ago, when she'd found a way to turn even a simple conversation into a maddeningly frustrating argument. Why did he feel so backstabbed and confused?

As much as he liked to pretend those days had never happened, he had never forgotten the days he'd spent with Cindy on the deserted island. Then he'd thought they'd started building the foundation to a close friendship and that he'd actually gotten to meet the real Cindy for the first time. Yet whatever had happened there had fallen to pieces once they'd returned home. There had been moments when Jimmy had thought maybe she felt something in return--not that he cared that much for her, of course not. Then Cindy would turn around and start another fight or do something else so painful that Jimmy couldn't help but wonder why he even liked the girl in the first place. If she didn't like him...

He closed his eyes and breathed the cool air in slowly and deeply. Carl was muttering something nearby, but Jimmy ignored it. All he could do was try to still the turmoil inside of him: silence the thoughts, ignore the confusion, and wait for the throbbing in his heart and head to come to a stop. But, contrary to his wishes, it didn't stop completely. It never did.


-----------------

A/N: Another depressing chapter, I know. But it seemed necessary to explain things and show that Cindy's not the only one suffering...and Jimmy's not being a jerk to her; he's just ignorant. Like he so obviously is in all the episodes, too. :rolleyes:




~Rachel~

[Fire Pearl]

Hurray!!! You made another chapter!!!!

You're so confusing me....Somehow I pity them all and yet I .....I don't know. It's just great, how you show all their emotions and confuse the reader as heck! I was really impressed by Betty standing up to Evil Jimmy....she seems to fight the effect...oh my...more drama.

Jimmy's thoughts were great too....somehow I felt a bit sad afterwards...gosh, one really has absolutely no idea where this is going.....and I am completely lost, about who I should pity the most!It's just awesome.

Okay after me blabbering I just have to tell you: update!!!
And hopefully I don't have to get subtle again :lol: !

[N!no]

Good idea to make the picture clear about Jimmy. ^_^ but yah...how sad to know it too at the same time :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(


yah i'm noemi, but u can call me as u like to... ^_^

but OF COURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRILLIANT IDEA FOR AN EPISODE... I even had pop corn to read last chapter (chap 19)!!! (i'm not kiddin')

^_^

[Elraine]

woohoo! awesome new chapter! :dance:

[rumorgirl1983]

I liked how you described Jimmy's exact thoughts and emotions in this. I could really imagine this happening too. =/

I hope Jimmy and Cindy can get their feelings in order soon! :)

Nicely done.

[RocksmySocks]

WOW, great chapter, Rach!!!

I love the emotional turmoil all around - you are very good at expressing confusing inner thoughts!

And phew! Jimmy managed to control his ego long enough to listen to some sense!

Alright Rach, now I really want the next chapter. Pleeeeeeeeease post soon!



-Katie :ahoy: