Writer: Terra ForceXIII

~*~ Prevailing Darkness ~*~

"For over a hundred years, I have been waiting for you."

The conflicts between humans and demons have been a constant force of history, like the bond between earth and water.

But during these years of war, the balance has changed in the dark army's favor, the moral of humanity crippling. But when grief rises, hope follows, resulting in the eyes of the weak to look towards those who can, and that is when champions are born.

Raised in a small village, taught by the church, and trained under a sword master. Terra became the hope humanity needed, his noble deeds comforting the hearts of the needed, and his unwavering aura attracted the courage of followers. His actions rewarded him with a title granted by the people, and his persona became the topic of many noblemen's conversations.

He became known as the Crimson Knight, a title given to him for his strength of valor and blood red armor. During his quest along the war stricken kingdoms of man, Terra gained friends and allies that accompanied his adventures.

When the war between man and demon was at its peak, the world seemed to be watching Terra's every move, praying that he'd be the one to end it all. He was on his way towards the Demon King's castle to end the two century war, separating himself from his friends to face the final battle alone.

With all the strength he had, humanity's hero forced the colossal sized double doors to separate, opening the way into the dark castle's main hall where the Demon King waits for him. Terra stood with dark brown hair, reaching to the back of his neck with bangs shadowing his blue eyes. His skin was tanned; women would say that he was blessed with a build of a bronze god. He wore crimson armor molded by the highest blacksmiths of his kingdom, his light brown Hakama pants given to him by his master, and a steel sword rested in its sheath on his waist.

"There's no one here," he whispered deeply, glancing around the large hall to find no demon guards halting his path.

He didn't like this, all the warrior instincts in his body was telling him that he was walking into a trap. A part of him regretted that he left his friends behind, but he knew he couldn't drag them into this danger; he has to do this alone.

With every step of his steel boots, Terra's armor shifted in place as he made his way down the quiet hall. His steps echoed, deliberately announcing his presence in the dark castle where the Demon King could hear.

He kept one hand on his sword's sheath while the other prepared to draw it, the adrenaline in his blood increasing his senses as he watched for any signs of movement that could be lurking around.

"Time to end this," Terra whispered, narrowing his eyes as he approached the throne room.

When he finally entered his destination, the Crimson Knight was met with a bright light separating the darkness of the hallway behind him and the large throne room that he entered. His eyes adjusted to the room's light and he proceeded down towards the large steps where a figure waited for him, the dark room illuminating with torches and stone gargoyles stationed above.

Terra halted before the steps, looking up at the shadowy figure that faced away from his presence. "Demon king, I'm here to end your reign of terror!"

His sword roared as it slipped from its sheath, prepared for battle once again. The Crimson Knight was prepared to storm the steps and pierce the dark heart of the king, until the figure turned to him to reveal its appearance. Terra's body froze and his eyes widened from what he was facing, thinking first that he was placed under a spell.

The Demon King had an appearance of a beautiful woman, with fair skin and ocean blue hair that reached to her neck. But she obviously carried demon traits, with wolf ears and a tail, and her eyes were blue with shimmers of other colors that surrounded the black slits of her pupils.

She wore black clothing with silver jewelry, a black sleeveless shirt that held tightly on her perfect figure, black shorts with a blue transparent cloth around her waist that reached to her knees, and black stockings that covered her slim legs, silver high-heels, and a silver necklace with an azure gem over her chest.

She looked like a goddess, but Terra knew better than to think that. The blue haired temptress had a seductive smile, her cheeks flourished with a tint of red as she stared at the Crimson Knight with demonic eyes.

"My knight," she spoke fondly, placing a hand over her chest. "I have been waiting for you."

Terra's eyes narrowed fiercely, getting into his battle stance as he spoke loudly. "You are the Demon King?"

The woman's wolf ears twitched as she heard his words, parting the knight's threatening tone as she responded calmly. "I am the Demon Queen, firstborn of my kin and rightful ruler of this kingdom."

This was outlandish news to Terra; he was never taught how demons decreed their ranks. Most human royalties bestowed their prince's to the main throne, but it seemed like gender didn't matter to demons.

The Crimson Knight still held his stance as he spoke. "Then you are the ruler of the demon armies plaguing my kind!"

The woman did not waver as she slowly stepped down the large steps towards the warrior, making him tense up as he prepared for combat.

"My armies protect their lands, defending their kind from possible slavery from yours," the Demon Queen clarified, taking noble steps that distracted the knight's eyes. "But I assure you that I have no interest in claiming your borders."

The demon woman now stood before the Crimson Knight, her hands held firmly together in front of her as she continued to smile affectionately at him. Meanwhile, Terra gripped the hilt of his blade tighter as he struggled to fight off the urge to pierce her through right now, but his chivalrous demeanor lectured him to pay her audience before dueling.

"Then what is it that you seek, demon?" Terra questioned.

The blue haired queen gave him a silent gesture with her eyes and chuckled. "Is it not proper courtesy for a knight to introduce themselves before engaging in discussions?"

Terra clenched his teeth as he shrugged, lowering his sword to the ground as he regained his composure. He stood up straight, lifting his left arm to his chest, and lowered his eyes to meet with hers.

"Terra... Crimson Knight of Radiant Garden... at your service." He introduced calmly.

The Demon Queen's smile grew and she placed her hands on the corners of her waist cloths, bowing like a noble woman. "Aqua, Thirteenth Demon Queen of the Realms of Darkness."

As much Terra would like to keep his sword free, he submitted to their sudden discussion and dismissed his blade back to its sheath, still keeping one hand on the hilt just in case.

Aqua took the moment to glance up and down at the knight, her cheeks blushing in the process. "I must say, you're more handsome then the stories foretold."

Terra couldn't hold back the redness on his face as he tried to keep his knightly posture, his blue eyes glancing elsewhere to distract himself from being seduced by the demon's beauty. Throughout his early career defending against the demons, he has met many women who allured his gaze, but he kept his knightly code intact and did not waver away from his duty. But this woman was different, whether it was her flawless appearance, her eye tempting wolf ears and tail, or her soothing voice that encircled him like wondrous music.

"What is it that you wish to discuss?" He questioned further.

Aqua's wolf tail swayed back and forth in a playful matter as she spoke. "Let me first tell you the origin of my kin."

And so she did, astounding Terra with such knowledge that no human has recorded in history. She spoke of her mother, the previous Demon Queen of her kingdom, and how she met a noble man who stormed the dark castle during the war of that time, but what shocked Terra the most was how their meeting ended.

The Crimson Knight took a step back as he stood dumbfounded. "The knight is your father?" He choked.

Aqua placed a hand over her heart. "Indeed, my mother persuaded my father to bear her a child in exchange to hold off her armies for two hundred years."

"But why?" Terra whispered, rethinking the history he was told as a child.

"Genes determine the future for your kin, and my demon family has gained the assistance of many humans for centuries," she explained, narrowing her mischievous eyes at the man in front of her. "Only the strongest and bravest of humanity could enter this castle, and their valor will be bestowed upon the heirs of future royalty."

Terra slowly began to understand what she was after, and he couldn't help but feel the sinful desire to consider the temptation. He felt a sweat drop cascading down the side of his forehead, swallowing his mortal wants in favor for his people.

"Are you asking me to do the same," he spoke angrily. "To perform your kin's plan like a pawn in the chessboard?"

Aqua turned and gazed up into the darkness of the ceiling, her expression softening while her ears slowly fell from her sympathetic emotions. Terra tried not to glance at her blue tail, which was swaying cutely to his hidden delight.

"For centuries, my royal family has started the flames of war between the borders of man, to bloom the chosen flame that could best any challenge and reach our castle. But that is not the only reason, we fight to improve our resistance, the war effort benefits our economy, and brings our civilians together for the cause."

Now that Terra thinks of it, he can remember those very actions taken place for his people. Many unemployed villagers have joined the cause by assisting in weapon making, food distribution, and joined the armies to fight off the demons threatening the borders. But even so, that doesn't mean there weren't any sacrifices, many lives have been lost during this war and that was enough to convince Terra's quest to stop it.

"That doesn't excuse the right to wage war," Terra declared, looking at the Demon Queen with determined eyes. "I can't stand by as my people are killed for your family's tradition."

Aqua chuckled from his heroic words, finding him even more desirable the more he speaks. She turned towards him with a seductive and challenging expression, standing before him once again as she looked up at him.

"Quite admirable of you, Terra, I wouldn't have expected any less of you," the Demon Queen congratulated, placing a hand over his crimson armored chest. "That is why you are the only one who can claim me."

Her words struck a cord in his heart, tempting the brunette with more luring promises. The hand that was gripping his sword quivered from the constant pressure of his tensed muscles, the beautiful demon's petite fingers coursing his chest plate. How easy it could be for her to pierce through his armor and end his daring quest here and now, but she had more striving plans then to simply kill him.

"My ambitions are a lot more complex than my family's line," Aqua whispered, inching closer to the fearless knight. "But fortunately, I need you by my side to complete it."

Terra was curious, or maybe he was falling under the spell she was placing in his eyes. "What do you have in mind?"

Aqua was now on the tips of her toes, placing both hands over the hero's chest. "I plan on ending the conflict between our people, to achieve absolute peace for man and demons," she whispered. "Can you see it, our people holding hands with us leading them as king and queen of the new world?"

This was too good to be true, Terra knew that and he was prepared to release his sword and slay her now. Their lips were only inches away, Aqua waiting for him to submit and accept their alliance with a kiss. But before his lust took over him, he placed a hand on the queen's shoulder to halt her attempt, earning a smile from the blue haired demon.

"How can we achieve this?" He asked, his eyes half lit as he stared into her demon pupils.

"With control, neutralizing the conflicts of our armies while seducing the people to our cause, we will persuade them not with power, but with hope."

Terra's mind was fogging, feeling the arousing scent of the queen's breath as they were inching closer to an agreement. He became lost in the queen's eyes, feeling himself sink deeper into the depths of her twin blue gems that swallowed him whole.

"Humans will resist, they will fight back," he reminded, earning a light chuckle from the blue haired demon.

"And they will fail," Aqua reassured.

Terra knew that he was being spell bounded by the woman's devilish gaze, all logic and reasoning slipping away from his mind until only ravenous remained. If his comrades had accompanied him into this castle, Aqua might have had a more difficult time seducing the champion with his friend's bothersome voices getting in the way. But thankfully, he did exactly what she expected him to do, admirably facing the challenge alone like any valiant knight.

"How... can I trust you?" He muttered.

"With this," she quickly whispered, completely the meeting between their lips.

The two embraced as their lips met, Terra's hands grasping her waist while Aqua wrapped her arms around his neck. The Crimson Knight felt intoxicated by the taste of her lips, more quenching then any ale he experienced. While Aqua enjoyed the splendor this mortal man's embrace, she coursed one hand over his armored chest and silently used her magic to reduce the crimson metal into red sand, feeling the build of his masculine chest through his black shirt. Then her hand descended to the hilt of his sword, crumbling the steel into sand that fell to the stone floor, leaving him unarmed

When their lips separated, Aqua stared into her human partner's eyes as she called upon her magic once more, her bluish irises shifting colors. Terra looked around with a baffled expression as the world around him melted, like a drenched painting that was succumbing to the rain. But moments later the throne room had shifted into a smaller and darker bedroom, which caught his attention immediately.

Aqua took a step back while holding the knight's hand, sitting on the king sized bed with a luring smile, her tail swayed more vigorously as she waited for her human male to join her.

"Come... Let us sign our eternal contract," she purred, pulling him closer.

Terra's heart raced in his chest, already forgetting the fact that his armor and sword were gone. He felt the demon temptress wrap a single leg around his waist, pulling him ever closer into the forbidden ritual they both wanted to commit. Meanwhile, Aqua brushed her delicate hand over her jewelry and dismissed them into air, astounding the male warrior with her seamless powers.

"Aqua... I..." he choked, feeling the restraints of his knighthood failing.

Aqua reached out with her hands and spoke with comforting words. "Belong to me, and I will be yours forever."

The Crimson Knight gave into his heart's desires and claimed his queen's lips again, placing one hand on her cheek and the other on her waist, Aqua's other leg wrapping around her man's waist as they begun. Clothes parted ways, flesh brushed against flesh, and their hands interlocked on the sheets of the bed. The dark room was quiet, with only the shuffling of the sheets and brief gasps of the queen's voice breaking the silence.

Sleeping seemed to be the last thing on his mind; Terra stared off into the distance from the bedroom's balcony, feeling the midnight air cooling his scorching skin due to the lack of clothing on his upper body. He wondered what would happen in the following days, now that he was in an eternal contract with the Demon Queen. What would his friends think? Would they feel betrayed by his weakness, or perhaps they couldn't fathom the fact that their hero submitted to their enemy and was somehow possessed into working for the Demons, either way, Terra knew that he'll have to endure future conflicts for his decision tonight.

"Can't sleep?" a familiar voice whispered behind him.

The Crimson Knight turned to see Aqua standing by the balcony door, holding the bed sheets close to her chest to cover her bare form, which made her look even more overwhelming to the brunette's mortal eyes. He'd almost forgotten that she wasn't entirely human, with her bluish wolf tail swaying calmly back and forth as she walked towards him.

"I'm thinking of how all of this will turn out," Terra spoke deeply, returning his gaze back to the night sky.

He felt Aqua's small form press against his back, wrapping her small arms around his waist. "I can't promise you that we won't have some blood on our hands by the end of this endeavor, but we will bring a better world for our people."

"Will we?"

The blue haired temptress placed a soft hand on the knight's cheek to turn him towards her, where she reached up to place a comforting kiss on his lips. Terra's hands couldn't resist the urge to circle her petite waist, bringing her closer as they embraced affectionately. Aqua broke away from their kiss and stared into his eyes, rewarding him with a mischievous smile.

"With us together… the world doesn't stand a chance."

Hah! You guys thought I was gone, but the TerQua writer is BACK… partially. :/

After months of being on hiatus, I decided to quickly write a good one-shot just for you guys. I can't say I'm entirely back in action, but I will be attempting to upload more one-shots more often. This little idea came to mind during my moments of deep thinking where the bad guy wins in the end of a story, by defeating or persuading the hero into their cause. But I guess Aqua's status as an antagonist can be decided by your own opinion; tell me if you think Aqua was a bad guy or maybe something. :D

Apologies for any spelling mistakes, I'm a little rusty thanks to months of hiatus. :P

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more. ;D

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, original characters and story belong to their original owners…