Shadow Play, Chapter 1

This was one of the last things I ever submitted to the Neopian Times before I quit playing the website (for various reasons why I have ranted about on this blog elsewhere). But I'm of the opinion that I at least went out with a bang, because this is one of my favorite things I ever wrote for the Times, and I've enjoyed all the Neopets stories I've written, so that's saying something.

The nucleus for this story was the fact that in Dances With Werelupes, Terra and Isengrim visit Neopia Central, and Isengrim takes the opportunity to pay Malkus Vile a visit for some business matters. With Isengrim's character progression through subsequent stories, I began to realize that he had reached a point where he no longer felt comfortable associating with (and identifying as one of) Neopia's villains, and would much rather be helping bring them to justice. Barring rare in-universe mentions of the Chia Police, the main law enforcement agency in Neopia appears to be the Defenders of Neopia, and bringing superheroes into the mix would be way more fun than a real-world-ish police force anyway. :)

As I fleshed out the plot and decided to introduce elements of magic and urban fantasy as well, I decided to incorporate Malum from the Wraith Resurgence plot. That plot was happening at the time I was brainstorming for this story, and I thought Malum was a really interesting character who definitely looked like he could also have ties to Isengrim.

... But then the finale of Wraith Resurgence came out and revealed that Malum actually did not look like a glowy beast-warlock all the time--he was a regular Lupe who'd just been cursed. And his backstory did not square at all with the history between him and Isengrim I'd been developing. So, I decided to replace Malum with a completely new original character, and I'm glad I did, because I ended up having a lot of fun writing Zoltan and he's kind of become part of the main cast now.

Besides all the fun superhero fantasy action, this story is sort of my love letter to big cities. I based my idea of Neopia Central heavily off New York City, specifically around the mid-20th-century, and I really enjoyed trying to immerse the reader in that busy atmosphere where there's always something interesting going on. 

Edits from the version that got into the Times are pretty minimal; mostly just some prose cleanup and some slight alterations to make sure everybody's in-character and consistent. One big edit I made was giving Zoltan a Transylvanian accent; in the original version, I pictured him having more of a British accent, but as I continued to tighten his character design and flesh him out through subsequent stories, I realized how much he was inspired by Hungarian and Romanian culture, so I had to give him the accent to match. Besides, more good guys in the media need Transylvanian accents. :)

Also, I wrote this for a summer NaNoWriMo challenge I was doing, which ended up being my last NaNo because the next one I tried, when I was writing Earthkeepers, I ended up quitting after a few days because the stress was starting to give me panic attacks. At least I had a lot of fun with Shadow Play, but I am not ever putting myself through that kind of self-imposed pressure again. Not worth it. (I also wasn't housesitting and trying to take care of an insane dog while writing Shadow Play, so that may have had something to do with it, but still. Not doing that to myself again.)

(I guess it goes without saying, but this story may contradict canon regarding Malkus Vile's role in the Void Within site plot. Not only did I write this years before Void Within, but I no longer try to keep my Neopets fics current with new canon developments; I don't follow the franchise anymore anyway, and I'd much rather be able to develop my cast without worrying about needing to drastically alter something if a new piece of lore comes out, which would also necessitate me having to pay more attention to the franchise than I currently care to. At any rate, I'm no longer submitting anything to the Neopian Times anyway, so I don't strictly need to pay attention to canon anymore. I guess you can think of these fics as sort of an alternate timeline diverging from canon around the time I quit the site.)

Chapter 1

Terra loved Neopia Central at night. The bustling metropolis was already fascinating enough during the day, but at night it turned into a symphony of light and motion. Faerie-dust lamps set down a rhythm of soft light on endless sidewalks, magic signs blinked a syncopated beat above shops and restaurants, and a choir of Eyrie cabs and Uni-drawn lorries streamed along city blocks like a grid-shaped river.

A chilly spring wind picked up and the pale-skinned, blue-eyed human woman zipped her jacket closed. Her long copper hair was tied back in a braid, and she carefully wadded it against the back of her neck before throwing the hood of her jacket over her head, pushing her glasses up her nose, and putting her hands in her pockets. Low clouds hung overhead, illuminated by the collective glow of uncountable city lights. It had rained earlier that day, and it looked poised to do so again tonight. Not that Terra would mind—she loved rain, too. Visits to Neopia Central were always a wonderful experience.

 

But even more wonderful was enjoying it with her family. “Hold up,” said the disco Zafara at Terra’s side, stopping in front of a restaurant. A coin-operated candy machine sat on a stand beside the door, and the Zafara fished around in her belt pouch.

“Blynn,” said the blue Grundo beside them. “C’mon, do you really need any more gumballs?”

“Can never have too many gumballs, Chief,” Blynn said. She plunked a Neopoint coin into the machine and turned the knob.

Terra snorted. Blynn always did Blynn things, and Terra loved every moment of the Zafara’s zaniness. She’d been like that ever since Terra created her as a teenager. Blynn was perfect for her.

The Grundo frowned. “It could start raining again at any minute,” he said. “And I do not want to get caught in it.”

Gumballs merrily clacked against metal, and Blynn opened the flap to scoop them into her paw. She stuck one in her mouth, and put the rest in one of the several pouches on her belt.

“Hyren,” Terra said to her Grundo, “if it starts raining, you can wear my jacket. I don’t mind the cold as much as you do.” Shortly after creating Blynn, Terra had adopted Hyren under unusual circumstances. Suffice to say that he was no longer commanding troops under Dr.Sloth. And he was one of the best friends Terra could ask for.

As they continued walking, Hyren gave her a halfhearted smile. “Thanks,” he said, “but I wouldn’t want you to get cold and wet, either.”

A large furry paw clapped down on Terra’s shoulder. “I will shield her from the elements,” said the enormous dark-furred Werelupe walking between her and the street, as if to protect her from traffic.

“Thanks, Isengrim,” Terra said with a smile. She had, once again, adopted Isengrim under highly unusual circumstances, but her other Neopets agreed that he was every bit a part of their family.

“Of course,” he said with a nod, his red eyes reflecting the faerie-light of lanterns mounted on Eyrie cabs. Isengrim stood a good two and a half metres tall, easily taller than anyone else they had seen in the city, and he had received quite a few odd looks as they’d checked in to their hotel earlier that day.

But he was not regarded with too much suspicion here in Neopia Central – which was full of Neopets of all colours and species – probably because everyone assumed he was just a rather large Halloween-painted Lupe. Few here would suspect that he was actually a natural-turned Werelupe, a Lupe who had let the wilderness of the Haunted Woods take him and alter his form. And no one would fathom that he was the very Werelupe King who lived with his pack in the mountains of the Meridell region and had once allied with the Darkest Faerie.

That was years in the past, though. Isengrim had changed much since Terra had adopted him. She was proud of all that he had become and all that he had overcome.

They stopped at a crosswalk to wait for traffic to turn in their favour. In the middle of the intersection, a Korbat traffic guide hung from a cable slung across the street. The Korbat held her wings out like an orchestra conductor sustaining a note—strapped to her wing membranes were colour-coded faerie lights. She scrutinised the traffic carefully, and suddenly she wheeled her wings in a warning pattern. One direction of traffic slowed to a stop, and when she repositioned her wings, cabs and lorries in the other direction lurched into motion, leaving the crosswalk free to pass.

“It’s so cool how they do traffic here,” Terra said as they crossed the street. “Pteri work the day shift—did you notice that?”

Hyren nodded. “I’m glad we don’t have traffic like this in Altador. It’d drive me crazy.”

Blynn blew a particularly large bubble that popped onto her nose, and she pulled the gum back into her mouth with her tongue. “Too bad Pharazon couldn’t come,” she said. “I don’t see why a stinky old magic symposium in Maraqua is more fun than hanging out with your family.”

Terra chuckled sympathetically. “Pharazon doesn’t like Neopia Central anyway. He says it’s too loud and fast-paced for him. Which is a shame, since there are some museums here I think he’d love. But he went to the symposium with Celice, and they don’t get to see each other often. I can understand why he’d take this opportunity to go on a research trip with a friend.”

Pharazon was Terra’s final Neopet, the family scholar and the family wizard, both things Terra did not anticipate when she’d hatched him from a Draik Egg. While the faerie Draik was not as rambunctious an adventurer as the rest of his kooky family, he did enjoy going with his sorceress friend Celice to attend conferences and events centring around magical studies. Terra missed him, but she would never make him come along on trips he didn’t want to be a part of.

Terra had quite the eclectic family—and she loved them all.

As they waited for traffic at another crosswalk, Blynn said, “We should go for dinner at that restaurant back there. Looked like they had some good pasta.”

Hyren looked over his shoulder at the path they had already traversed. “May I remind you that we’re not here in Neopia Central on vacation. We’ve got higher priorities than sightseeing and food tourism.”

Isengrim’s smile faded and he looked down at the bunch of scrolls tucked under his arm. They were here on his behalf.

“You’ll do great,” Terra said to him. “And after we’re done talking to the Defenders, we can go out to eat.” She grinned down at Hyren. “I know why we’re here. But once we’ve got our business taken care of, we can have some fun!”

“I’m worried about how they’ll react to me,” Isengrim said quietly. “I have not exactly been on the right side of the law for most of my life.”

“If they’re superheroes worth their title,” Terra said, “they’ll be proud of you for what you’re doing.” She was being purposely vague—this was business that she did not want any prying ears to overhear. Neopia was a fascinating place, but unfortunately it had its dark side. All manner of malevolent creatures lurked about, from Swamp Ghouls to the PantDevil, and even beings like the Shadow Usul and Count Von Roo.

Terra’s family took prudent precautions, however. It helped that those nasties were less likely to pick on people who looked like they could fight back. Isengrim’s sheer appearance said “don’t mess with me”, as did the claymore slung across his back. Hyren’s small stature belied his countless years of combat experience and master swordsmanship, skills that meant he could wield with finesse the shortsword at his side. And anyone who underestimated Blynn was in for a surprise, especially with the slingshot on her belt.

And all three of their weapons were faerie-made artefacts from an ancient age, superbly crafted and enchanted to never break or dull. The sword that bumped against Terra’s leg with each step was not nearly so storied, but it was a solidly-built, reasonably-priced weapon that Hyren had helped her pick out. As much as she appreciated a good sword, Terra would much rather her family get the cool weapons than her. She valued their happiness above her own, and she would be satisfied with something that at least worked well for herself.

Although, deep down, there were times when she wished she had a special weapon to call her own. Even Pharazon had one—a Staffof the Deep Forest that he’d found during a trip to the Haunted Woods. He’d explained to her how it felt right in his paws, and Terra knew the rest of her family felt the same way about their weapons. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was something out there meant for her.

But maybe she was meant to be special in other ways. After all, she was family to both the Werelupe King and the former Commander Hyren. She could be content with that.

Terra was so lost in her thoughts that she kept walking when the rest of her family halted. Only Isengrim’s paw on her shoulder made her stop and turn around.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

Terra nodded. “Sorry. Just thinking.” She craned her neck up at their destination. “Ooh, neat.”

The Defenders of Neopia headquarters building towered authoritatively above them, a steel-and-glass skyscraper in a modern design that incorporated rounded domes and angular stone cladding. Most of the windows were still lit. The Defenders and their staff must have been working tirelessly to ensure the safety of Neopia, Terra thought, and she appreciated their efforts.

Beside her, Isengrim took a deep breath, and Terra hugged him. “You’ll do awesome,” she said. “I’m proud of you.”

“So are we,” Hyren said, and Blynn nodded.

Isengrim smiled nervously at them. “Thank you,” he said. “Let’s do this.” He ushered them through the doors before stepping inside himself.

Chapter 1