The Trouble With Imps

"A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark" ~ Dante Alighieri

Prologue
It began late one night in a research lab owned by the ISDF, a team of scientists had been working on an experimental device that would utilize the dangerous Twilight Force into a source of renewable energy: it was the hopes of these scientists that the device could act as a conductor of the Twilight Force and power entire cities.

Yet as the device was activated the scientists knew something had went wrong, a massive explosion sent many of them crashing across the room and the device tore open, releasing sparks of Twilight Force that danced around the room like lightning.

To make matters even worse a tiny figure emerged from the device, seeming to have been born from the lightning and developing vaguely humanoid features as it spread tiny wings and flew into the night - cackling madly as ISDF troops arrived to try and secure the device and prevent further damage to the surrounding area.. the tiny figure evading their notice in the panic.

******

In a field so far untouched by the progress of humanity walked an alien girl, humming to herself as she searched the ground in the moonlight. Her body, hair, and clothes were pink, glowing with a feeble light. Her attention was suddenly caught by a small, purple flower, which she stooped down and collected, adding it to the growing armful of flowers she held.

"Earth flowers are so pretty!" she said to herself. With childlike abandon, she strolled through the field, with a spring in her step, found a white flower, and plucked it.

Suddenly the peace was disturbed as an angry buzzing sound filled the air, like a nest of wasps, the source soon revealing itself as a ball of energy darted across the field - falling to the ground nearby and forming into a tiny vaguely Pegacorn form, looking around with mischievous eyes, as well as hunger.. though it didn't seem too fond of the sights and sounds of nature, its body sparking with unstable energy as it growled slightly.

"Ooh! Hey! Cute! Who're you?" asked the girl, stooping down to see the creature.

The creature notices the way the girl seems to glow with unusual energy and instantly spreads tiny wings and tries to absorb the energy - only to hiss and recoil, clearly not impressed: the gesture is clear enough though.. it's not friendly.

The girl didn't seem to notice, though. "I'm Nebula," she said cheerfully. "Who are you?"

The creature doesn't answer, upon realizing the girl was not a source of energy the creature exposed sharp little claws and swiped at her - crackling with strange energy that seemed somewhat familiar to the Wisp, as if she had seen it before. Nebula jumped back, giggling.

"Ooh! Are we playing tag? I'm the tag champion of the universe! Betcha can't catch me!"

The creature growls and suddenly breaks into two halves - which quickly form into separate beings: the pair spread their wings and try to claw at the Wisp, yet they seem to recoil a little upon even the slightest contact, obviously whatever the Wisp was made from was akin to toxin for the vicious little creatures.

"Wow! You can copy yourself!" exclaimed Nebula. "Uhm... would that be cheating?"

The pair spark and hiss at Nebula before they see the armful of flowers, affording each other a look they cackle and unleash a small arc of lightning, frying the flowers - the pair landing nearby and laughing as they roll around.

Nebula shouted and stumbled back in shock as the flowers burned to a crisp. She suddenly grew angry. "HEY!" she shouted. "That wasn't nice!"

The pair sit up, one of them sticks its tongue out and makes faces at the Wisp while the other flies off - in search of something.. not seeming to care much about the other creature: both acting like malicious imps.. for all the Wisp knew they very well could be just that.

"MEANIES!" cried Nebula, sending two small balls of pink magic from her palm towards the imps.

One of the imps is sent tumbling back at the blast, the other however evades just enough to fly away like a strange bat into the night.

"Hmph!" huffed Nebula, turning on her heel and beginning to march off. "Nasty little meanies," she grumbled.

As Nebula turns and leaves the remaining imp suddenly bursts into a small pillar of smoke, a little charred patch left where it was - the other imp continuing to fly away into the distance..

Chapter 1
Less than a week later the scene shifts to a sunny afternoon in the realm known as the Wisp Kingdom, where it's current ruler, an orange wisp named Queen Corona, strolled through the castle gardens with Lilith Haniel, her succubus confidante from the neighboring kingdom.

"What am I going to do with her?" asked Corona.

"Well, if you really want the kid to stay, you'll have to tie her to the throne," said Lilith. "Nebula is a free spirit, and she'll always be that way."

"I know," said Corona with a sigh. "It's just... I've held the throne since her parents- my sister and her husband- passed on. But I can't hold it forever."

"You'll just have to wait until she's ready."

"Ready?! She's a grown woman, but she acts like a child!"

"And she'll likely be that way for the rest of her life," said Lilith. "Nebula may be a crazy optimist, but she is by no means stupid. One day, she'll have the strength she needs to rule this country. And on that day, she'll still be the same happy-go-lucky Nebula we know and love."

"I hope you're right..." said Corona.

Suddenly and without warning a buzzing sound fills the air, much like an advancing swarm of angry bees - the sound grows louder and louder as the source seems to get nearer with each passing moment: what appears to be a dark cloud sweeping overhead, crackling with energy.

"What in Jevala's name is that?" exclaimed Corona.

Lilith squinted. "I don't know."

The dark cloud continues to pass overheard, the buzzing becoming angrier as a few tiny creatures drop from the cloud, landing on the ground nearby and sparking - a chunk of metallic material also lands nearby as the larger "cloud" disappears into the distance.

The metallic material revealing a name printed on it: ISDF - the materials look somewhat similar to those used in modern Earth, damaged as if it had been ripped from a much larger structure.. by the looks of it some sort of power-armor or robot..

"What is this... thing?" asked Corona.

Lilith frowned. "I think I know," she said, glaring at the letters "ISDF."

Suddenly one of the tiny figures that fell gets up and latches onto the metallic material, causing sparks to fly as it splits into two identical figures and flies towards Corona and Lilith as if ready to attack: despite being so much smaller.. whatever it was, it wasn't friendly..

Corona leapt back; calling fire to her palms, she incinerated the small attackers.

The flames swept over the imps, seeming to engulf them but before long the flames cleared to reveal the creatures suddenly glow like hot coals, the flames somehow absorbing into their tiny bodies - which crackled before they split into new figures - where two imps stood four now stand, closing in as they try to latch onto Corona's legs.

Corona stepped back as they approached.

"I got this," said Lilith, kicking at the creatures.

The creatures spark angrily and start to change target, though they are no match for the much larger Lilith, soon disappearing in puffs of smoke - leaving only imp, which hisses and flaps its wings as it takes flight and points at Corona "bad light! bad light!".

"Bad light?" asked Lilith.

"No time to worry about that," said Corona, hurrying to the castle. "We've got a situation. We need to mobilize our soldiers."

"Over those little... things?" asked Lilith. "C'mon- I would hardly call them a threat. I kicked them out quite easily."

"You're welcome to try and beat an entire swarm of them," said Corona. "I reckon you'd get exhausted before you could even take out a small percentage of them."

Suddenly a bright light emits from the sky and a glowing figure descends, resembling a man made out of solid gold - arms outstretched as he landed on the ground and spoke out: "I am afraid the situation is much more dire than you could possibly imagine..".

Lilith tensed up, as if ready to fight, but Corona held out her arm. "Wait," she said, "who are you?"

The figure holds out a hand and several orbs float around him, each one showing portions of the Wisp Kingdom being overrun by the vicious swarm ".. I am a friend.. here to tell you that these creatures are not of your world - they are the result of hubris by great men in the world of man.. the planet you know as Earth.. they feed on energy - like a plague of locusts.. yet there is one hope: the one you know as Nebula..".

"I figured the Earth part," said Lilith, pointing angrily to the scrap metal labelled 'ISDF', "And I'd like to know why they're here. Are they invading Empyrea?"

"No," said Corona, ignoring Lilith, "have you even met Nebula? She's too young... too immature..."

"There are few people I have never met, Corona - though not all of them know me.. Nebula is young and she has much to learn yet she is the one most equipped to stop the spread of these creatures.." the golden figure replies, stopping suddenly as a spark appears next to him and an angry woman dressed in rags appears before the group, entering from a portal of her own.

"Besides she was the one who brought them here in the first place - Twilight Imps.. that's what Earth's media is calling them now.. can you believe that? my people are now associated with those.. things!".

Corona backed away slightly, overcome by the sudden, new arrivals. "I... er... well," she stuttered, trying to find words to say.

"So who are you and why are you here?" asked Lilith, directing the question to both newcomers.

"I am Aither, a *true* Imp from the island of Avalon - not the snot-nosed little brats that are currently spreading across space and time.." the woman replies.

"My name is unimportant - Aither is correct however.. the one you call Nebula encountered some of these Twilight Imps on Earth and they tracked your world down through her.. they are surprisingly clever for their chaotic nature.. as for why Nebula is your only hope: she holds the one weakness these creatures have.. that of pure magic.." the golden figure states, showing the scene where Nebula and the imps first met via a large orb that forms via combining the orbs that had previously been floating around him.

"There must be another way," said Corona. "Nebula isn't... she can't..."

"I have faith in Nebula's ability," said Lilith, "but I'm afraid she isn't ready for something like this."

"Then you shall come with us and aid her - you have asked several times now who I am.. the truth is I am the Golden Child: the embodiment of universal justice.. I have came before many that others have claimed were not ready.. yet they grew into great heroes.. besides: you say she is immature? this shall be a perfect chance to show her one of the most important lessons one can have in maturity.. responsibility.." the golden figure declares, opening a large portal behind himself as the orb disappears.

"Stay, Corona," said Lilith. "Your kingdom needs you to rally an army. I'll go with these two to collect Nebula."

Corona nodded. "Right."

"Finally, let's go!" Aither snaps, flying into the portal - becoming a ball of energy in the process.

"This shall take us to Nebula.. we will return.. try to contain the imps until we do.." the golden figure states, entering the portal himself.

Yet as the three enter the portal, they come across not Nebula, but a different figure- a strikingly handsome wisp glowing with a faint, white light. His hollow eyes lingered on a glass of wine in his hand as he sat on an ornate throne.

"Welcome, Aither, Lilith, Golden Child... I've something I'd like to discuss with you."

Chapter 2
(ooc: If this is alright with you, Inferno, Almagest has hijacked Golden Child's portal- He's got something to say and Nebula has an important connection with him)

"What's this?!" demanded Lilith. "I thought you were taking us to Nebula!"