179 replies to this topic

[N!no]

:kawaii: can we hv another tiny and so needed update :kawaii:

^_^

[CraazyOne]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! (And for even popping popcorn for the last chapter, Noemi, hehe. XD) I really wish I had another chapter to post right now...but I have nothing! :'( I was busy working on the next chapter of "Echoes", and now I'm trying to get the next chapter of this fic done soon...buuuut...I don't know, I stare at the page and inspiration fails me. I'm hoping to sit down to it and get it finished soon, though. I haven't forgotten about you guys!!!!!!!




~Rachel~

[Fire Pearl]

Oh my god , I hope SOOO much that inspiration will come back to you!!! *.*

[curiochibi]

Inspiration comes in tides, just like the ocean. It's when it comes in to reach the shore that you dive in headlong and swim to the depths of it.

Don't rush. Let the inspiration come to you. Soon you'll be so overwhlemed by all the ideas that you'll have to come up just for some air.



Yes, I'm a poet. Jimmy's a genius, Sheen's hyper, Carl's a hypochondraic, Cindy's prideful, and Libby's down-to-earth. What else is new?

See ya,
*~Jessi~*

[CraazyOne]

Awww, don't panic, Laura; I swear, I'm already feeling more...inspired! My fic's finally going somewhere! XD


Thanks, Jessi, hon. Yeah, I've experienced writer's block waaayyyy worse than this before. I went through a period of MONTHS where I was utterly miserable because I was absolutely dying to write something but I had no inspiration. It's a very cruel thing, writer's block, but you're right, there's always an end. Usually, inspiration hits you when you're not trying...right when you least expect it! :D We authors just have to learn to pounce on it, eh?


Sooo...yeah. I'm working on the next chapter and feeling much more confident. Hopefully I'll be updating soon...


Thanks for the support and encouragement! You all rock! ^_^




~Rachel~

[curiochibi]

Di nada. (It's nothing)

*goes off to the Fanfiction boards to write a ballad about Jimmy and Cindy*

[N!no]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! (And for even popping popcorn for the last chapter, Noemi, hehe. XD) I really wish I had another chapter to post right now...but I have nothing! :'( I was busy working on the next chapter of "Echoes", and now I'm trying to get the next chapter of this fic done soon...buuuut...I don't know, I stare at the page and inspiration fails me. I'm hoping to sit down to it and get it finished soon, though. I haven't forgotten about you guys!!!!!!!




~Rachel~

Girl I was serious!! :kawaii: i even got a proper yell from my mom for eating in here :lol:

ooh god hv mercy of us Rach :'(
weeeeeeeee but sure we'll get much more excitemnt soon :kawaii:

^_^

[N!no]

Di nada. (It's nothing)

*goes off to the Fanfiction boards to write a ballad about Jimmy and Cindy*

did u just said "de nada" ?


weeeeeeee sorry for that!!! don't hate me (grammar lessons....u bring me trouble all the time!!!)

[Fire Pearl]

Okay...then everything is fine ^_^ It is just that writer s block can be sooo dangerous sometimes :unsure:

o:) *.* I cannot wait for an update *.* o:)

[curiochibi]

Yeah, that's what I meant to say, Noemi. "De nada".

Soree.

[CraazyOne]

Well, before this becomes a foreign language course topic for Jessi, I think I'll update. XD This chapter might be kinda laaaaaaaame, but hey, it's an UPDATE and it's longer than the last (I think).


Chapter 21: Shangri Llama

As Ye, Cindy, Sheen, and Libby crept through the dark valley, they studied their surroundings nervously. Any second they expected a monk to leap out at them from the shadows and recognize them as imposters. Ye led them silently to the gate, which was open. They were suspicious of this at first, but they passed through into the empty courtyard without incident.

At last, Cindy broke the rather eerie silence by speaking softly to Ye. "So, if Yoo Yee wants to defeat Sheen to become the Chosen One, won’t he want to fight the Evil Sheen on this asteroid too?" she wondered.

"No, child," Ye explained as his eyes scanned the windows of the buildings surrounding them. "Here he is only a visitor. Earth is his home, and he desires only to be Chosen One in his native land. The true Chosen One is safe as long as you pretend to be like them. They are evil and cruel, but they will still honor you."

"So we just gotta pretend to be evil till we can get Betty outta here?" Libby asked. "That can’t be too hard."

"We must still use caution, my friends," Ye warned. "Be silent as shadows and prepare for the strike!"

Cindy peered up at him bewilderedly. "The strike?"

But she received no answer.

As they stepped forward, the group noticed remnants of food and dozens of broken chopsticks littering the monastery grounds. Libby nearly slipped on a banana peel lying on the path while Cindy kicked away a smashed eggshell.

"Oh, yeah!" Sheen shouted, letting his voice echo throughout the entire courtyard. "Food fight! These guys know how to live!" In his excitement to retrieve some of the smashed food and toss it around again, he nearly collided with Cindy.

The blonde spun around to face him furiously. "Zip it, Ultra-nerd!" she hissed. "What does it take to get the words 'be quiet' through your thick skull?"

Unfazed by her sharp tone, Sheen grinned widely. "Wow, Cindy, you’re good at the whole 'pretending to be evil' thing!"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him again. "And what do I always tell you about standing next to me?"

"That you’d love it if I stood at least twenty feet away from you at all times!" Sheen offered.

"Good. Why don’t you try it?" Cindy suggested dryly, narrowing her eyes at him.

Cheerfully, Sheen began marching away from her, carefully counting out the feet as he went. "One foot, two feet, three feet…" He paused. "This would be a lot easier if I knew what a foot was," he muttered to himself.

Cindy cupped her hands around her mouth to call after him. "More…" Sheen took two more steps. "Way more…"

Not paying attention to where he was headed, Sheen smashed straight into a wall and fell backward to the cement with a yell.

"Perfect," Cindy murmured.

Meanwhile, Ye and Libby were focused on surveying their surroundings intently. Everywhere it was silent and still: every building was dark, every section of the valley was empty, and every sound they made seemed to go unnoticed. There hadn't been a single reaction to Sheen's outbursts. It seemed as if only the stars twinkling in the dark sky watched them.

"This is kinda creepy," Libby commented, gazing into the shadows behind one of the buildings as if expecting to see someone waiting to ambush them.

Sheen scraped himself off the ground with a wince and trudged over to her side. "Yeah, where is everybody?" he wondered. He brushed a bit of dust off his precious Ultralord shirt as Ye, who'd been in the lead, walked back toward them.

"They may have retired for the night," he informed them, though an uncertain frown creased his forehead.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tomato smacked Sheen right in the face.

"Not more tomatoes!" Sheen shouted dramatically. "It’s a recurring nightmare!"

Libby grimaced and tried to wipe off some of the tomato juice that had splattered onto her. She, Cindy, and Sheen formed a tight circle as they gazed cautiously into the darkness, but Ye stepped forward. For several moments all was still again and the air grew tense with the group's growing fear. Then cruel laughter broke out on their right, piercing the night with its discordant tone. A ninja armed with a few more tomatoes slipped out of the shadows as he continued to laugh.

"Ha!" he spat out. "Your lack of pleasure gives me joy that is deep!"

Libby raised an eyebrow and hastily sought a suitable answer. "Uh…you’re welcome?"

Cindy shot her a worried glance and moved her lips, ever so slightly, to mouth the word 'no', but it was too late. For one breathless second, the ninja studied them in suspicion.

Then all at once he exploded. "What?! You use the polite talk! You must be imposters!"

"No, no!" Cindy protested.

Ye stepped into the conversation calmly. "What she meant to say was that your joy gives us all a bad case of indigestion," he explained.

Before the ninja could respond, the door of the nearest building opened, letting the sounds of shouting and banging escape along with a ray of flickering light. As a man dresssed in the garb of a monk stepped out and closed the door behind him, his eyes landed on Sheen and his jaw dropped immediately.

"Ah, the Chosen One of Evil!" the monk exclaimed, rushing down the steps to stand before them. "May your days forever be full of affliction!" He bowed to Sheen and then conked his over the head.

"Ow!" Sheen rubbed his head and frowned. "Hey, what’s your problem?" he demanded.

The monk ignored him. "Come, follow me!"

He and the ninja turned and headed toward the building with Ye and the puzzled children following. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a strange sight and a rush of noise that heavy walls and doors had blocked from them earlier. The long, narrow room was lit by dozens of flickering candles, with a large table on one side where a group of monks were engaged in another food fight. On the other side, the remaining monks were entertaining themselves however they pleased. There was no rhyme or reason to anything they did—as long as it was destructive and cruel. Two monks stood near the doorway throwing absurd insults at one another; a small group fought, attacking each other with their fists, legs, heads, and gongs; one slid the chair away from another man as he was about to seat himself; and a different monk carved his name into one of the wooden columns and chuckled evilly all the while. Another took a candle to the back of his comrade's robe until it burst into flames and the man ran shrieking into a pond outside.

"This is really weird," Libby said softly.

Right then, a monk tossed a wooden bowl of rice, but it missed its target and crashed over Sheen’s head. "Man!" he shouted. "What is it with this place?"

As the three kids and Ye continued to linger uncertainly in the doorway, the monk who had led them into the building strode to the center of the room.

"Close your mouths, my repulsive brethren!" he cried over the din.

Sheen smiled and nudged the girls at his side. "Heh! These monks don’t even know how to insult each other right!"

"Quiet, Sheen!" Libby whispered.

Immediately everyone froze and turned to the monk, except for one man, who had just been knocked over the head with a chair. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious, but everyone ignored him.

"We have guests we must honor!" the speaker continued. "The Evil Chosen One and his friends have come to us this night!"

The monks turned to Sheen in awe and began bowing to him right away. Several approached to speak.

"Welcome, Chosen One," the first greeted Sheen. "May all your deeds be impressive and despicable!" He smacked Sheen’s head.

"Hey!" Sheen burst out indignantly.

But the first monk had stepped back to let another come forward. "Your presence is a privilege, One Who Puts Leg Behind Head." He punched Sheen in the gut and the boy nearly fell over.

"As honored guests you must all partake in a feast!" a third monk announced, then frowned at them. "But first you must dress in more fitting attire." Grabbing Sheen by the ear, he yanked him through the room and down a hallway as the other three followed.

"Ow!" came Sheen's voice. "What’s your problem?"

As they watched Sheen get dragged through the building, Cindy and Libby tried in vain to stifle their giggles.

***

Standing in the small but comfortable room they’d been shown to, Libby set her hand on her hip and studied her friend approvingly.

"I gotta say, girl, I’m diggin’ the whole Oriental look." She ran a hand along the sleeve of the silk, button-up top she’d been given. It and the loose pants she wore were both a deep shade of violet, embroidered with a beautiful, intricate pattern of silver flowers. Even her shoes had been replaced with matching slippers. "I wish I could remember what funny name they called these things...some sort of combination of their traditional dress and their modern fashion sense..."

Shaking her head at her friend's ramblings, Cindy turned to a nearby mirror and glanced for a moment at her reflection. Her outfit was similar to her friend’s, only emerald green with a golden flower design, while her hair was pulled into a loose bun. Yet her eyes held a strangely menlancholy expression that made her feel as if she were staring at a stranger. She looked away hastily.

"These monks are so weird," she declared almost tonelessly, "insisting we dress up and everything."

Libby couldn't help but grin significantly at her companion. "But it's not that bad. I mean, you know if Jimmy could see ya now, he’d forget all about Betty."

Cindy almost gasped and hurried to change the subject. "Libby, we aren’t here for a fashion show. We have to find Betty," she reminded the girl standing across from her.

"I hafta admit, I like the star treatment!" Libby went on, not really paying attention to her friend. "I could use somethin’ more like this in my wardrobe." She brushed one of her braids back over her shoulder and turned to her friend with a smile. "I wonder what they’ve done to Sheen."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "You can drool over him after we get this rescuing Betty job over with," she replied. Striding across the room, she yanked open the door and stepped out into the passage with Libby on her heels. Cindy had no intention of remaining in this place any longer than necessary. Already irritated with having to rescue the girl she hated, she was determined to find Betty quickly and leave before they got into trouble. No way was she about to get captured in an attempt to save Her Majesty, the Beauty Queen. Cindy curled her fingers into a fist and tried to keep the rush of emotions at bay.

She and Libby had made it halfway down the passageway when a monk approached them.

Before the man could say anything, Cindy stepped toward him. "We need to see Betty…or Jia…or whatever you call her," she said abruptly.

"An’ where’s Sheen?" Libby added, a hint of worry in her voice.

The monk bowed before them. "My brethren and I request that you follow me outdoors and grace us with your presence. I am sorry, but Jia cannot join us yet, but the Chosen One is there already."

Libby's eyes glinted with suspicion. "What’s goin’ on?"

"We have requested the Chosen One to perform a special duty before our feast and we wish you to be there."

Glancing at one another apprehensively, Libby and Cindy followed the monk outside.

*****

On the cliff overlooking Shangri Llama, Goddard zoomed in onto the courtyard below to display a close-up picture of what was going on. Jimmy and Carl, glued in place as they stared at his screen, couldn't fight off the growing anxiety for their friends. Several of the evil monks and Yoo Yee's ninjas had gathered on one side of the courtyard. One over-eager monk had a gong handy. In the center, Sheen, clothed in a black top and pants covered in silver dragons, was poised confidently for battle. Ye stood impassively at his side, while across from them a group of fierce-looking ninjas appeared to be waiting for some sort of action to begin.

"Oh, no!" Jimmy said. "They can’t be doing what I think they’re doing! Sheen doesn’t stand a chance against all those ninjas!"

"This is worse than the time he fought Yoo-Yee!" Carl shouted in horror, almost making Jimmy jump into the air as his voice burst on the boy's eardrums. Then, just as abruptly, he lowered his voice. "Only we’re watching from a safe distance," he finished a bit sheepishly.

Jimmy's expression took an optimistic turn as he glanced back at Goddard's "GTV". "Maybe I’m mistaken. I mean, why would they endanger Sheen? They’re honoring him as the Chosen One, after all. Look at the way he’s dressed!" he gestured to the boy, who looked rather dashing in his new outfit...and obviously knew it.

"Yeah," Carl agreed. "Maybe they’re just training him for something."

The boys continued watching the screen uncertainly, when suddenly another monk stepped out of a nearby building and stopped on the edge of the courtyard. Behind him, Libby and Cindy kept to the shadows, gazing worriedly at the scene unfolding before them. Jimmy sought anxiously for Betty, but she was nowhere in the vicinity. Where were they keeping her? And would his friends be able to find her? Was she safe? The last question sent a quiver of horror through him, and he hastily tried to shake it away. He drew a deep breath and refocused on the view he had of the scene below him.

The monk by Cindy and Libby gestured to them and the girls moved out of the shadows, letting the light hit them. The green and gold shades of her clothes complimented her just as Libby had said, while the starlight shimmered in her hair and eyes. Jimmy forgot himself. "Wow…Cin…" Catching himself mid-sentence, Jimmy turned to his Carl, who had been enjoying Jimmy's little act immensely. "I mean, sinister!" Jimmy shot out.

Carl glanced back at the screen. "Yeah, all those evil monks give me the creeps." He shivered slightly.

Relieved to see he’d fooled his simple-minded friend, Jimmy turned back just as a monk came forward, as if to speak. It was best not to let his mind concentrate on Cindy even for a second; thinking about her inevitably left him confused and a bit hurt. Especially now, when everything she did seemed to be done out of pure spite toward him. He just wanted his friends to find Betty and get safely out of there.

As the monk strode to the center of the courtyard and the others all grew quiet to listen, Jimmy frowned worriedly. "This can’t be good…" he mumbled.

"Ahh! Evil monk speech!" Carl cried out, covering his eyes. "I can’t watch!"

Shaking his head, Jimmy watched intently as the monk bowed to Sheen, then to Cindy and Libby. As the man straightened himself, he looked like he was about to address everyone in the courtyard, but Jimmy never heard his words. A nearby sound quickly diverted his attention. He turned to see a form on a jetpack descending into the shadows behind him just as a familiar voice greeted him.

"Long time no see, eh, Einstein?" the figure remarked casually. "I hope you’re enjoying your stay; it’s kinda like a family reunion for you and me. I gotta say, it’s been pretty entertaining livin’ your life up here. I’ve gotta put up with your dweebs for friends, but your parents are good at the whole being evil thing. I love clones!"

"Evil Jimmy!" the boy genius spat out, glaring at the shadowy form of the clone. "How did you escape the Dark Matter Dimension?"

"That’s my little secret," Evil Jimmy responded. "Ya know, you’re not the only one with a brain, Hot Shot."

"What do you want?" Jimmy demanded, still frowning deeply. He was conscious of Carl fidgeting nervously at his side.

"To get rid of you, of course," the clone answered, stepping out into the light. "Ya know, for a genius, you’re slow at catching the obvious. I’ve been havin’ fun up here, but it’s an asteroid, ya know? Not much living space. So I wanted to upgrade and live on an evil earth instead, but there was just one issue with that. I knew goody-goody Fancy Boy with all his gadgets wouldn’t let me and my clones just move in. That’s why I decided to get a little help from some fighting experts and get you up here where we have the advantage. I thought you’d come up here all on your own to investigate, but it seems you’re too busy playin’ with your toys all the time to come visit an old friend. So I had to get bird boy and his friends over there to bait you by kidnapping your girlfriend…" He glanced down at the courtyard where Cindy was standing and Jimmy followed his gaze. As Evil Jimmy turned back to the genius and caught the embarrassment on the boy's face, he smirked. "Looks like they got the wrong one."

Jimmy brushed the comment aside. "Well, you got me to come here; now what do you want me to do?"

A malicious grin slowly slid across the clone's face. "Hmmm...let's see..." he began, pretending to think. "I think...I want you to catch this, pretty boy!" He lifted his closed fist, which was enclosing a round, metallic object, and suddenly released it at Jimmy.





~Rachel~

[Zoey <3]

Great Chapter rachel!

Can't wait for more

[RocksmySocks]

Yaaaaaaaay new chapter!!!

Oh man! What did he throw?! And what does Sheen have to do?!

Cliffhangers!

She rolled her eyes and glared at him again. "And what do I always tell you about standing next to me?"

"That you’d love it if I stood at least twenty feet away from you at all times!" Sheen offered.

"Good. Why don’t you try it?" Cindy suggested dryly, narrowing her eyes at him.

Cheerfully, Sheen began marching away from her, carefully counting out the feet as he went. "One foot, two feet, three feet…" He paused. "This would be a lot easier if I knew what a foot was," he muttered to himself.

Cindy cupped her hands around her mouth to call after him. "More…" Sheen took two more steps. "Way more…"

Not paying attention to where he was headed, Sheen smashed straight into a wall and fell backward to the cement with a yell.

"Perfect," Cindy murmured.

This part seriously made me laugh out loud. Toooo good, haha!



Great job, Rach! I can't wait to see more!

-Katie :ahoy:

[curiochibi]

Thank you for the new chapter, Rach!

Yeah, I was running out of foreign language phrases...so your posting this is a good thing.
Unless you WANT me to talk in Spanglish...:unsure:

[N!no]

Yeah, that's what I meant to say, Noemi. "De nada".

Soree.

thx u for not hatting me ^_^

[N!no]

^_^ very cool chapter Rachel!

[rumorgirl1983]

Hello, Rach!

Another very nice chapter. I'm in agreement with Katie on the Sheen part -- it was very clever.

Reading these fics makes me miss JN even more than I already do.
:( I'm glad there's some good ones out there to help me with that!

Hope you're having a good holiday. Post more when you can.

[Fire Pearl]

Nice chapter again!!! It was not lame at all!!! You just made me more interested in the story (if that's even possible ^_^ )

I am glad you're not annoyed that I double review the chapters ^_^ But I always have something else to say, that I forgot in the other review^^

I liked the comedy very much :lol: e.g. with Sheen...
The evil clone monks are nice :lol:

Your fanfic really plays with my emotions...I was a bit down when I read his great concernment for Betty...I almost thought he'd forgotten everything elde...and just then he noticed Cindy ^_^ It's not much but it immediately changed my mood...oh my I just can't wait till the day it is finished and I look back and think: Yes...now you finally know how everything turned out ^_^

It was a really nice chapter and I am eager to read the next one *.* , even if it might take some time :thumbsup:

[curiochibi]

Yes, very good, Rach! You keep on going!
But don't strain yourself. I used to stay up til 11 at night writing my fanfics, until one morning I got out of bed and just *mimes vomiting* all over my bedroom floor. Turns out I had the flu from staying up so late.
Not saying that'll happen to you, I'm just saying...erm :blink:...
I forgot what I was saying.

DARN IT!

Well, keep on going, Rach!

*~Jessi~*