ALLIANCE OF DARKNESS
a "Kingdom Hearts" prequel fic
by Erin Mills
***
Characters and situations copyright (C) 2003 Disney and Square.
***
I. Down But Never Out
The castle was abandoned. The dark gibbering things that inhabited it had fled when it's former mistress had been destroyed. Even her devoted ravens had scattered to the four winds. All of them had heard her cry, and none of them wanted to be around in the event that she had survived the encounter.
In the great hall, shadows were congealing. Tendrils of inky blackness oozed and slithered from the cracks in the masonry and the gaps of the walls. The moved slowly and with purpose, heading for the center of the room. As they met, they twisted and writhed around each other, fused, merged, and soon resolved themselves into a black robed figure, huddled on the floor.
She was in pain. Severe pain. Damn that Flora and her infernal Sword of Truth. It could have been sweet, so sweet. But no, Flora and the other two fairies had to get involved and ruin it all. And what did she have for her troubles? A gaping wound in her chest, and her power had been drained.
Maleficent coughed uncontrollably. Spots danced before her eyes, and she vomited up a gout of blood that splashed wetly on the stone floor. She reached up and removed the horned headdress she habitually wore, freeing her short black hair. It was weighing down her head and if she was going to die, she preferred to do it in relative comfort.
Where was she? Oh yes. Drained. She could feel the magic that had sustaned her for all these centuries ebbing away. Soon, she really would be no more than a black scorch mark on the ground. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.
Unless...no. Why would He listen to her? He had already provided her with the power to shift her form into the dragon, and look what happened there. She could find herself on His bad side and condemened to everlasting torment.
Her body wracked with another spasm and fresh blood joined the puddle that was drying on the floor.
On the other hand, with everything she had done in her life, she was already bound for everlasting torment. It wasn't like she had anything to lose by asking.
Great Master of Evil, hear the plea of your lowly servant, grant me the power to wreak my vengance upon--
"I really wouldn't do that."
Maleficent blinked and turned her head, looking for the sonorous voice that had spoken. There was no one else in the hall. But as she peered into the shadows, she saw something. A pair of luminous spots that seemed almost like eyes. She shook her head to try to clear her vision, but the spots remained.
And they were coming closer. Maleficent heard the strange flapping sound as a small dark figure emerged from the shadows. It was a rather comical figure. Large feet, spindly limbs, and an oversized head from which sprouted two antennae. It padded over to her in it's quirky gait, and stood next to her, hunched over slightly, as if it were sniffing for something, though it had no facial features other than the glowing eyes.
As she stared at the figure, and it stared back at her, Maleficent felt a tremor run through her spine. This seemingly clownish thing harbored something...some power which she felt. Power which told her that this odd apparition was much more dangerous than it appeared.
"You are correct, Mistress of Evil."
The voice again. Maleficent turned her head, trying to find the speaker. It was embarassing and infuriating for her univited guest to see her like this. She was powerful once, weakness was not something that should be seen from her.
"Your heart is strong. You will survive."
Maleficent choked back a laugh. Survive, ha. Not without her magic she wouldn't. And thanks to that damn sword, it was almost gone.
"You do not need your magic. Your heart will provide you with the life you need."
"Who...are you?" she croaked. Her throat was dry, and her vision was beginning to darken along the edges. The little black thing was looking directly at her now, almost with hunger.
"Tell me what you seek."
"What?"
"Tell me what you seek."
Maleficent moaned as she felt her stomach cramp up again. She felt the blood welling in her throat but managed to force it back down. The little black thing was making excited movements now.
"Quickly," the voice demanded, "Your heart is fading and it will be consumed. Tell me what you seek."
"Power." she croaked, straining with the effort to get the word out. "Power to rule."
She gasped as the pain vanished. She was still weak, but she was no longer hurting. The black creature had stopped it's erratic dancing. It seemed almost disappointed.
"Good," the voice said. "Now, tell me what you wish to rule."
Maleficent pondered this for a moment, reveling in her lack of agony, before finally whispering, "Everything."
Strength flowed back into her limbs. She sat up and marveled as the wound in her chest healed, disappearing as if it had never been there. Even her robe was repaired. She rose gingerly to her feet, making sure of her footing.
"And now, what do you fear?" the voice asked.
Maleficent frowned. How dare this person...thing...whatever...imply she feared anything? She was Maleficent! No one could defeat her! She feared nothing!
The erratic flapping noise returned. Maleficent looked down to see the little creature had resumed it's dancing. The feeling of unease returned. She realized that while her strength had returned, her magic had not. She became aware of her own mortality, her own overconfidence, her own potential to fail. Yes. Fail.
"I fear...failure." she confessed.
There was a flash of green light, and a tall staff surmounted with a glowing green orb floated out of the darkness. It was her own staff, but now it radiated a different sort of power. Something more powerful than mere magic. Much more.
As she stared at the staff, unsure of whether to take it, the voice returned.
"You seek power. You wish to rule. You fear failure. Is this the form you choose?"
Maleficent stared at the staff, then up into the shadows of the hall, and then down at the odd creature. It stared back up at her, as if waiting for her decision. Malificent set her face in a sinister grin. She reached down, recovered her headdress and secured it back on her head.
She wrapped her hand around the staff. "Yes."
The orb flared green. When the light subsided, Maleficent found thousands of pairs of luminous eyes staring at her from the nooks and crannies of her great hall. She felt the power of the darkness flowing through her. She had not recovered all her power, but knew that she would in time. She looked down at the little creature again.
"Well, my friend, what shall I call you?"
"They are the Heartless. They consume the hearts of worlds and all who inhabit them. They will serve you as you quest."
"Quest?" Maleficent quirked an eyebrow.
"You will quest for the Door," The voice replied. "and in return you will be given more power than you can possibly comprehend, and then you will rule all worlds for eternity."
"Door? What door do you speak of?" The sorceress asked.
"The Door to your power. Seek out the seven Princesses of Heart. They will form the Keyhole to the Door. When the Door is opened, power will be yours. But beware, the Key will be out to prevent the Door from being opened."
"Key? What Key?"
"Journey to the world of Hollow Bastion. Speak to the man called Ansem. He will be answer your questions. You will learn more of the Heartless, the Door, and the Key from him. Your quest begins now."
The voice faded into nothingness. The orb flared again. A bolt of light burst forth and Maleficent watched as the space rippled and warped. It twisted around itself, and formed a vortex of black and violet light. The small Heartless at Maleficent's side leaped into the air and began padding towards the vortex.
As it reached the vortex, it turned to look back at her. It seemed expectant, as if it were impaitent for her to follow. Maleficent turned her gaze to the vortex.
A Door. A Door to ultimate power. The power to rule...more than just her own world, but all worlds, everywhere. She wasn't sure what the voice stood to gain from her recieving the power the Door contained, but it had restored her to her former glory. And it was giving her the opportunity to increase that glory a million--no a BILLIONfold.
"Very well," she said to the Heartless by the vortex. "Let us find this 'Ansem,' my little friend. We have much to discuss with him."
The Heartless turned and walked into the vortex, disappearing as it did so. Maleficent turned back to the great hall, and addressed the Heartless that were lurking in the shadows.
"Go forth, steal the hearts of the people, but leave the world intact. I will return soon. Leave the princess and the three fairy sisters for now. I wish to deal with them myself."
With that, she turned and disappeared into the vortex, which itself faded out, returning the hall to it's original form.
And in the shadows, the Heartless began to mobilize.
a "Kingdom Hearts" prequel fic
by Erin Mills
***
Characters and situations copyright (C) 2003 Disney and Square.
***
I. Down But Never Out
The castle was abandoned. The dark gibbering things that inhabited it had fled when it's former mistress had been destroyed. Even her devoted ravens had scattered to the four winds. All of them had heard her cry, and none of them wanted to be around in the event that she had survived the encounter.
In the great hall, shadows were congealing. Tendrils of inky blackness oozed and slithered from the cracks in the masonry and the gaps of the walls. The moved slowly and with purpose, heading for the center of the room. As they met, they twisted and writhed around each other, fused, merged, and soon resolved themselves into a black robed figure, huddled on the floor.
She was in pain. Severe pain. Damn that Flora and her infernal Sword of Truth. It could have been sweet, so sweet. But no, Flora and the other two fairies had to get involved and ruin it all. And what did she have for her troubles? A gaping wound in her chest, and her power had been drained.
Maleficent coughed uncontrollably. Spots danced before her eyes, and she vomited up a gout of blood that splashed wetly on the stone floor. She reached up and removed the horned headdress she habitually wore, freeing her short black hair. It was weighing down her head and if she was going to die, she preferred to do it in relative comfort.
Where was she? Oh yes. Drained. She could feel the magic that had sustaned her for all these centuries ebbing away. Soon, she really would be no more than a black scorch mark on the ground. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.
Unless...no. Why would He listen to her? He had already provided her with the power to shift her form into the dragon, and look what happened there. She could find herself on His bad side and condemened to everlasting torment.
Her body wracked with another spasm and fresh blood joined the puddle that was drying on the floor.
On the other hand, with everything she had done in her life, she was already bound for everlasting torment. It wasn't like she had anything to lose by asking.
Great Master of Evil, hear the plea of your lowly servant, grant me the power to wreak my vengance upon--
"I really wouldn't do that."
Maleficent blinked and turned her head, looking for the sonorous voice that had spoken. There was no one else in the hall. But as she peered into the shadows, she saw something. A pair of luminous spots that seemed almost like eyes. She shook her head to try to clear her vision, but the spots remained.
And they were coming closer. Maleficent heard the strange flapping sound as a small dark figure emerged from the shadows. It was a rather comical figure. Large feet, spindly limbs, and an oversized head from which sprouted two antennae. It padded over to her in it's quirky gait, and stood next to her, hunched over slightly, as if it were sniffing for something, though it had no facial features other than the glowing eyes.
As she stared at the figure, and it stared back at her, Maleficent felt a tremor run through her spine. This seemingly clownish thing harbored something...some power which she felt. Power which told her that this odd apparition was much more dangerous than it appeared.
"You are correct, Mistress of Evil."
The voice again. Maleficent turned her head, trying to find the speaker. It was embarassing and infuriating for her univited guest to see her like this. She was powerful once, weakness was not something that should be seen from her.
"Your heart is strong. You will survive."
Maleficent choked back a laugh. Survive, ha. Not without her magic she wouldn't. And thanks to that damn sword, it was almost gone.
"You do not need your magic. Your heart will provide you with the life you need."
"Who...are you?" she croaked. Her throat was dry, and her vision was beginning to darken along the edges. The little black thing was looking directly at her now, almost with hunger.
"Tell me what you seek."
"What?"
"Tell me what you seek."
Maleficent moaned as she felt her stomach cramp up again. She felt the blood welling in her throat but managed to force it back down. The little black thing was making excited movements now.
"Quickly," the voice demanded, "Your heart is fading and it will be consumed. Tell me what you seek."
"Power." she croaked, straining with the effort to get the word out. "Power to rule."
She gasped as the pain vanished. She was still weak, but she was no longer hurting. The black creature had stopped it's erratic dancing. It seemed almost disappointed.
"Good," the voice said. "Now, tell me what you wish to rule."
Maleficent pondered this for a moment, reveling in her lack of agony, before finally whispering, "Everything."
Strength flowed back into her limbs. She sat up and marveled as the wound in her chest healed, disappearing as if it had never been there. Even her robe was repaired. She rose gingerly to her feet, making sure of her footing.
"And now, what do you fear?" the voice asked.
Maleficent frowned. How dare this person...thing...whatever...imply she feared anything? She was Maleficent! No one could defeat her! She feared nothing!
The erratic flapping noise returned. Maleficent looked down to see the little creature had resumed it's dancing. The feeling of unease returned. She realized that while her strength had returned, her magic had not. She became aware of her own mortality, her own overconfidence, her own potential to fail. Yes. Fail.
"I fear...failure." she confessed.
There was a flash of green light, and a tall staff surmounted with a glowing green orb floated out of the darkness. It was her own staff, but now it radiated a different sort of power. Something more powerful than mere magic. Much more.
As she stared at the staff, unsure of whether to take it, the voice returned.
"You seek power. You wish to rule. You fear failure. Is this the form you choose?"
Maleficent stared at the staff, then up into the shadows of the hall, and then down at the odd creature. It stared back up at her, as if waiting for her decision. Malificent set her face in a sinister grin. She reached down, recovered her headdress and secured it back on her head.
She wrapped her hand around the staff. "Yes."
The orb flared green. When the light subsided, Maleficent found thousands of pairs of luminous eyes staring at her from the nooks and crannies of her great hall. She felt the power of the darkness flowing through her. She had not recovered all her power, but knew that she would in time. She looked down at the little creature again.
"Well, my friend, what shall I call you?"
"They are the Heartless. They consume the hearts of worlds and all who inhabit them. They will serve you as you quest."
"Quest?" Maleficent quirked an eyebrow.
"You will quest for the Door," The voice replied. "and in return you will be given more power than you can possibly comprehend, and then you will rule all worlds for eternity."
"Door? What door do you speak of?" The sorceress asked.
"The Door to your power. Seek out the seven Princesses of Heart. They will form the Keyhole to the Door. When the Door is opened, power will be yours. But beware, the Key will be out to prevent the Door from being opened."
"Key? What Key?"
"Journey to the world of Hollow Bastion. Speak to the man called Ansem. He will be answer your questions. You will learn more of the Heartless, the Door, and the Key from him. Your quest begins now."
The voice faded into nothingness. The orb flared again. A bolt of light burst forth and Maleficent watched as the space rippled and warped. It twisted around itself, and formed a vortex of black and violet light. The small Heartless at Maleficent's side leaped into the air and began padding towards the vortex.
As it reached the vortex, it turned to look back at her. It seemed expectant, as if it were impaitent for her to follow. Maleficent turned her gaze to the vortex.
A Door. A Door to ultimate power. The power to rule...more than just her own world, but all worlds, everywhere. She wasn't sure what the voice stood to gain from her recieving the power the Door contained, but it had restored her to her former glory. And it was giving her the opportunity to increase that glory a million--no a BILLIONfold.
"Very well," she said to the Heartless by the vortex. "Let us find this 'Ansem,' my little friend. We have much to discuss with him."
The Heartless turned and walked into the vortex, disappearing as it did so. Maleficent turned back to the great hall, and addressed the Heartless that were lurking in the shadows.
"Go forth, steal the hearts of the people, but leave the world intact. I will return soon. Leave the princess and the three fairy sisters for now. I wish to deal with them myself."
With that, she turned and disappeared into the vortex, which itself faded out, returning the hall to it's original form.
And in the shadows, the Heartless began to mobilize.