The Story of the Cactus

It might be a surprise to some of you but the Dark Lord had a twin brother. He was like the Dark Lord in so many ways but his compulsiveness was far greater than could be imagined. His name was Ki and he was a very clever and quick witted being but he looked at the world with intense fear in his heart. He feared things beyond his grasp but he especially feared his brother, the Dark Lord. The reason for Ki's fear has long been forgotten. Some speculate that the Dark Lord was physically stronger than Ki and when they were first created the Dark Lord continually used this advantage against his weaker brother but other simply say that Ki was just too intelligent and it drove him insane. Regardless, Ki became obsessed with protecting himself against his brother so he picked a spot with a clear tactical advantage and began to build a monumental fortress. He made the mortar from the surrounding sand and gathered round stones from a once running river to place within the sand to give his fortress strength and stability. Everyday he would work on his fortress but to Ki, it never seemed good enough. He would still sleep with one eye open, fearful that his brother would enter his fortress and sabotage the whole undertaking. But, Ki's plight did not go unnoticed and the Voodoo King took pity on his poor creation. The Voodoo King felt responsible for Ki's inclinations and felt that no creature should spend its life attempting to accomplish a feat that is completely out of reach without assistance. So that night while Ki slept with one eye open, the Voodoo King beckoned the Earth, with a song not sung before, to sink Ki into the ground while the Voodoo King sharped thin sticks to a fine point. The Voodoo King stood before the trapped Ki, who was extremely frightened, and threw the sharped sticks at his creation and instantly Ki turned into something not seen before, a cactus. Ki, with the help of his creator, finally realized his dream and slept easy for the first time in his life. Interestingly enough, Ki's fortress is still standing in a place called Maple Cannon. I recommend you go there sometime.