Chapter 4: Klúmes and the Dark Lord
"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" Lúmes shrieks.
The Squid laughs. "You wanted to do it the hard way? Then so be it!"
"Who are you even?" Klúmes asks.
"Me? I'm a servant of Iceria's Dark Lord, soon to be the supreme Emperor of the Universe! Enough about me, shut up and let me kill you!"
"Umm, yeah, sorry but it's not gonna be that easy!" Lumaria howls. "I CAN TAKE YOU AND THAT SQUID!"
The Squid laughs once more. "Wow! This is better than Comedy Central! Do you really think that YOU could take on a monstrous creature like this? Tough chance, squirt!"
"Well then stop yappin' and let’s get this on!"
"LUMARIA?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Luma Pete shouts. "YOU’RE GONNA GET KILLED!"
"Correction. You ALL are going to get killed, if you don't back down," the Squid says, motioning to the enormous Cephalopod. A large tentacle picks up the red Squid and lifts him into the air, out of the pod. A split second later the pod is tumbling through the air and lands hard onto the ice. Pounding blows from the Giant slam onto the pod and smash it to bits. Rosalina wakes with a start, as the glass window shatters and Lúmes screams in horror.
"What in the name of the Cosmos is happening?" she asks, eyes open wide.
Klúmes turns toward her. "No time to explain, but we're being assaulted by a giant squid thing!"
The pod begins to cave in as its metal structure gives way. Rosalina quickly grabs the unconscious Redar and ushers everyone out of the metal deathtrap just in time. The Squid spots them, but before it can attack, Rosalina is on the move. She whips her wand towards the monster in a warning gesture. Its tentacle halts and she stares it down.
"I wouldn't make one more move! Back off of my Children, or I'm going to defend myself!" she warns.
The red Squid laughs from his perch atop the Giant Squid. "Oh no! A little princess in her dress with some sort of generic wand. Psssh! I'd like to see you try!"
With that, the Squid claps two tentacles together, enclosing the group. However, before they can smush everyone, they stop, and violently thrash outward. Rosalina doesn't hesitate to attack once more. A blue beam of light erupts from her wand and hits the Squid right in his chest. The red thing falls to the ice and smashes below it into the cold water. The big Squid retaliates by propelling a fountain of poisonous ink at Rosalina. However she is to quick for him and blocks it with a wave of her wand. She lifts the wand higher and higher into the air and spins it around. The whole Squid begins to spin in a circle, and then is thrown backwards and through the ice, while Rosalina motions this with her wand. Both of the Squids moan in pain, and the Giant Squid loses a tentacle to a pointy shard of ice. Rosalina uses this momentary distraction to turn to the other Lumas.
"I need you all to do whatever it takes to wake up Redar. Get him to become a Red Star and fly us out of here, quickly. We're to head towards that mountaintop, to escape this duo. I'll continue to fight the Squid until you can wake him!" Rosalina explains. As if on cue, the Squid hops up, angrier then ever before and staring at Rosalina.
"YOU'LL WISH YOU NEVER DID THAT!" the little red Squid booms, also getting up. Suddenly the Giant Squid disappears under the surface of the ice. Its large shadow is seen as it swims around. The shadow appears right beneath Rosalina before she can react.
"MAMA!" Lúmes and Klúmes scream simultaneously. In a split second they push their Mama out of the way, just as the ice begins to shatter. The ice, Lúmes, and Klúmes soon disappear into the insanely cold water. The rest of the ice begins to crack and shatter, moving along slowly towards Rosalina.
"Lúmes!" Rosalina cries. "Klúmes!"
"Mama!" Lumaria says. "We've got to get you out of here! Redar is awake, and we have to skedaddle!"
Luma Pete and Redar run over to them, and Redar changes into a Red Star. "Hurry Mama! We haven't much time," Redar exclaims.
"Lúmes and Klúmes! We can't just leave them behind!" Rosalina cries.
Redar turns towards Rosa. "If Lúmes and Klúmes were here right now, they both would want you safe, over themselves."
Rosalina holds back tears. "I guess... we must press on. They are gone now, for they and the Squid duo have vanished under the ice."
She then grabs onto Redar, along with the other Lumas. In a flash, they are airborne, and out of harm’s way.
***
It is cold- so mind-bogglingly cold that your mind cannot handle it. Your body screams for life and warmth, but none is granted. All around you the cold rushes in, and soon your body is begging for warmth. You can't think, oh dear no, all you can think about is death, and all you can feel is death. Death all around you, closing in around you like a vicious pack of wolves. Death coming at you like a bullet train, while you remain helpless on the tracks. Death so unlivable, so cold, so incomprehensible that just thinking about it adds more to your pain. Death. Everywhere, and then... nothing.
***
Lúmes woke up in a cell, upon the floor. She woke up remembering the torture and cold of that water, oh how cold it was. However, rather than waking up cold, she woke up warm. The cell was made of hard stone that was unusually warm. She was wrapped in a fuzzy warm blanket, and her throat felt as if someone had just poured a glass of hot cocoa down her throat. It was strange really, it was almost as if... almost as if she was alive. But... she couldn't be alive. She felt for sure as if she had died.... as if her body had reached its limit back there. This must be the afterlife. Yes, this must be what it feels like. Cozy warm, and she felt so good inside. So good that she began to open her eyes, rather than feeling with her body. Her vision was blurry, and as she came to, she saw her sister sitting before her on the ground.
"Klúmes?" she whispers. "Is that you? Are you here too?"
"Yes Sister! I thought you would never wake. I'm here too, alongside you. Although, where 'here' is.... I'm not sure on that," Klúmes says.
"Well, it surely can't be the world we were in before! It has to be a new world... almost like the afterlife. It feels so nice here, so much moreso than where we died, "Lúmes rambles.
"Died? I don't think we're dead yet. We just had hypothermia and our bodies shut down and went unconscious," Klúmes explains. "Whoever saved us did the right thing. They put us in a warm room, wrapped us in a blanket, and we were given some warm liquids to drink. Given enough time, our bodies were warmed back up."
"So that means we're still here. And! And that means Mama and the others are still out there!" Lúmes sits straight up. "We've got to get out of here and help them! Who knows what could have happened to them? They could be dead or worse!"
Klúmes looks at her sister. "Calm down. You're beginning to sound like Luma Pete! They are fine, I just know it. Redar probably saved them after we were captured by the Giant Squid. Rosalina wouldn't let anything happen to the others, and knowing Redar he ensured that Rosalina got out of there before it was too late."
"I guess you’re right. What should we do now?"
"We should probably try to find a way out of here, and meet up with the others."
"Your request," a voice says, "is my command!"
Suddenly, a glowing ball of flame enters the room.
"Who are you?" Klúmes asks.
"I am a servant of the supreme Dark Lord of Iceria," the flaming orb says, vibrating as he speaks.
"Dark Lord?" Klúmes wonders.
"Iceria?" Lúmes asks in complete befuzzlement.(+5 points for awesome befuzzling word).
"Yes. Do you not know of him? He is to one day be the ruler of the entire Galaxy!" the fiery servant exclaims.
"That sound horrible! We must do something!" Lúmes worries.
The orb stares at the blue Luma. "No it doesn't. It sounds just fine to me!"
"Well then you have something wrong with you!"
"EX-cuse me?"
"GUYS!" Klúmes yells. "STOP BICKERING AND LET’S GET OUT OF HERE ALREADY!"
"Ahh, yes!" the red orb exclaims. "I am to take you directly into the castle and to the Dark Lord! Follow me."
The orb opens the door and exits the room. Lúmes and Klúmes follow him and end up in a cold corridor. The strange place is covered in ice, which is strange since the room they came from was completely warm. There are no windows, and plenty of emerald doors line the hall. Torches hang along the wall everywhere, but they do not give off a fire. Instead, they glow blue and give off a cold aura, like some type of cold fire. They eventually spot the red orb, who motions for them to follow and makes his way down the icy corridor. The Luma twins follow, ending up in yet another corridor just in time to see the fiery creature turn the corner into another.
Rosalina looks around her at the village they have entered. "It's a ghost town," she points out.
"No life whatsoever," Lumaria agrees.
"Now what?" Luma Pete asks.
"PSST!" a voice shouts. "OVER HERE!"
"Who's that?" Redar asks.
A Magikoopa garbed in a blue robe sidles out of the shadows. Her face is wrinkled in age, and her eyeglasses are cracked and broken, as is her wand. Her blue robe is old and stained in many places. She is missing a few teeth, and her fingernails are way overgrown. While most of her appearance is old and dirty, her eyes are not. Her eyes are a spectacle, oh such a spectacle! They shine with the innocence of youth and the shine of a cleanliness. They are so entrancing that they hold Rosalina and the Lumas speechless.
"What'cha starin' at?" the Magikoopa asks. "Am I really that ugly? Thought so. Now come on! We don't have all day to stand around and LOLLYGAG! Follow me, young'ins!"
Not fully understanding what "young'ins" means, Lumaria and Luma Pete follow the strange Magikoopa, followed by Redar and Rosalina.
"Mama," Redar whispers, "are you sure it's safe to follow some random creature we found on a street in a ghost town?"
"I'm not sure," Rosalina says, "but I know that she means no harm and really means to do us good."
"How can you tell?"
"I can tell what someone's intentions are just by looking into their eyes. It's not a normal gift that most people can claim either, it's rather something that ties in with my Star Powers. I can feel people, just like most Green Lumas can. That's why their area of the Galaxy normally remains a secret and isn't discovered by evil."
After that everyone is silent as they slowly follow the Magikoopa through the town. Eventually they come to a trail that leads up the mountain; probably to the summit. Thinking they are going to continue in that direction, Lumaria keeps going straight forward. It isn't until she is a few yards down the trail that the Magikoopa notices she isn't with them.
"EY!" she screams. "Ey, you! We're goin' this way."
"Ooops!" Lumaria says. "My fault!" She begins to make her way back towards the group until she hears something behind her. Luma Pete begins to scream.
"RUN!" he shouts. "RUN AND DON'T TURN AROUND!"
However, it is too late, for she does turn around, and what she sees paralyzes her with fear.
***
Emerald doors bang open as Lúmes and Klúmes are led into a very dark room. It seems as if all light in this room dies a horrible death. The scarce light that was in the corridors is now fully eliminated here. Even the dim light shining in from the hall is lost without a trace.
"MASTER!" the red fireball calls. "Your two captives are here as you commanded!"
"Perfect," a spine-chilling voice calls out from the center of the room. "You may take your leave."
The red fireball does so and closes the door behind Lúmes and Klúmes.
"Why have you called us here?" Klúmes asks in shivering terror.
A sound is heard as something walks towards them through the darkness. "Why have I called you here?" a voice rasps. "Because I am in desperate need of something... and one of you is to fulfill that need."
"W-w-what could you p-p-possibly want from us?" Lúmes wonders aloud.
"We shall get to that later. For now, I will introduce myself. I am the Dark Lord of Iceria," the voice says. Simultaneously a hooded figure steps out into the open. Beady red eyes stare at the two Lumas from within his hood. The rest of his body is cloaked in a dark material, and a dark purple cape flows from his shoulders. They only reason the Lumas can see him is because of the glow that comes off from him. It is like... like some sort of purple mist that flows freely from his body. Skeletal hands are seen coming from the sleeves of his cloak, as well as a yellow smirk beneath his evil eyes.
"Y-y-y-y-you're the one w-w-w-who wants to rule the U-U-U-U-Universe?" Lúmes shivers.
"Yessss," the Dark Lord rasps. "Percisely!"
"Can we st-t-top beating around t-t-the bush and cut t-t-to the chase?" Klúmes asks.
"Yesss, yess of course!" The Dark Lord smiles. "It is very simple. The body I currently possess is dying and decaying. It is naught but bones, now, after all these years. My true self is shining through from this body, and is in danger of decaying from direct sunlight. I also find I am losing power, great power. When I saw you and your ship approach this planet, I was able to recognize the great power from within you two, and realized that this would be perfect. I could possess either of you and regain my power from the strange substance that lives within you. Yesss, there is something that lives within the two of you that does not reside within other Lumas."
The Dark Lord pauses and withdraws an emerald orb from within his robes, while the Lumas stare at him in awe. He rubs the emerald and then whispers some sort of enchantment. "Take all your inner power, from the very bowels of your soul, and bestoweth upon me the gift of possession. Grant me what I seek, and seek what I grant. Ah mutay du mutay, frei matay du flist! Day mutay, Bu mutay, SIE!"
The emerald then glows, and shines a quick light through the room, lighting it up. The emerald then dims its glow, lighting up only the area around the Dark Lord and the Lumas. "Will you take my offer?" the Dark Lord asks. "Oh, Klúmes of power?"
"NO!" Klúmes bellows. "You are stupid to think that we are going to willingly give up our bodies and cease to exist!"
"Cease to exist?" the Dark Lord says. "No! Your spirit will just dwell within another body, and you will be given the utmost power when I rule the Universe!"
"I will," Lúmes says, and begins to outstretch her hand towards the Dark Lord. "I accept your offer!"
The Dark Lord outstretches his hand. "Then place your hand here!"
Lúmes moves her hand slowly towards the Dark Lord. However, before her hand meets his, she slaps up across the face. One of his bones falls from his face and lands upon the ground, startling him. He drops the emerald, which falls to the floor and lands upon the bone, cracking slightly. There is a great flash, and the bone glows with a green aura. It bounces up from the ground and when it hits the floor again, it dents it with great force. Lúmes takes the bone and begins to run deeper into the room, realizing the bone has somehow been bestowed with a destructive power.
The Dark Lord stumbles backwards and shouts at Lúmes. "YOU FOOL!" he screams. He then begins to run after Lúmes, and sees her in the darkness. He lifts up his hands and thrusts them forward, releasing a wave of dark fire towards her. Klúmes, however, is too quick for him and jumps in front of the fire. There is a flash as she magically reflects the wave with double force back at the Dark Lord.
Lúmes, meanwhile, rushes towards the wall and feels out a window along the wall. You see, earlier when the emerald lit up the room, she spotted a very dim window that was boarded up with a dark smoke. She then decided to make a run for it and try to smash the window open, enabling her and her sister to go free.
When Lúmes finally finds the window, she begins to smash it to bits with the glowing bone. The window then shines with a green light, and bursts open. A small beam of light shines into the room, but soon disappears within the room's strange powers. Lúmes then begins to bash at the wall in numerous places, and they too disintegrate. There is a green flash, and the whole wall slowly begins to disintegrate from the center, outward. Soon the area where the wall used to be is gone and light shines in, breaking the room's dark spell. The Dark Lord falls to the ground in pain and catches fire. He begins to scream.
"Klúmes!" Lúmes yells. "OVER HERE! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!" As she yells the wall starts to magically rebuild themself and slowly regenerates.
"COMING, SISTER!" Klúmes yells. She begins to race through the now bright room, but the Dark Lord has different plans. He evaporates into a cloud of dust and fire and charges forward at Klúmes. She is soon paralyzed as her body is covered in smoke and fire. Her sister screams for her as the wall begins to close. Klúmes's body flashes and lets off a beam of light that shocks Lúmes and sends her flying backwards, out of the castle and towards the ice below. As she falls, she sees Klúmes fall unconscious, and turn a dark purple. Soon Lúmes is back in the insanely cold water, where she begins to freeze once more.