Guardians Fall
"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Gwen asked, grinning as she looked up into the sky, enjoying the sun's warm rays hitting her body as she walked down the street towards Kevin's garage. "No bounty hunters, no psychotics trying to take over the world, no clouds in the sky and a gentle wind just cool enough to make the temperature pleasant. The perfect day to just sit back and enjoy the peace."
"I don't know." Ben sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I think that we should probably still be up on Valour's Light training. I mean Gohan still doesn't have a clue what he's doing on the training front and the rest of us could use a little more practice with our current partners, maybe even mix them up a little-"
"Ben, relax, you're acting like we're going to be invaded tomorrow." Gwen interrupted with a shake of her head. "Besides, Grampa couldn't stick around to help anymore since that call came in from the Plumbers and he has the best ideas on how to cultivate our abilities and pretty much everyone is doing fine. As for Gohan, like they said, this is the opposite of his fighting experiences and considering his father's funeral wasn't even a full two weeks ago, it's amazing that he's functioning as well as he is. Give him a break, you're pushing him and everyone else too hard Ben. You're obsessed with this."
"That's because I almost watched the bulk of our friends die. And you were on that list too." Ben snapped harshly before taking a deep breath and sighing, turning apologetically to his cousin. "Sorry Gwen. I know you're right, but I just can't help feeling that we should be doing everything we can to ensure that neither us or anyone else falls onto the casualty list. Plus, I keep getting this weird vibe, like we're in the calm before the storm."
"You're just being paranoid." Gwen replied, shaking her head. "Now come on, we're going to Kevin's, then we're going to the beach and you are going to forget promises of doom and gloom and have fun."
"Yeah, alright." Ben nodded with a small grin. Maybe she was right. After all, he wasn't psychic and Gwen would pick up something bad happening long before he did. Shaking his head, he let his grin grow into a smile and ran to catch up as Gwen pulled ahead of him.
Neither of them noticed or cared about the round shadows moving around behind them. However, that might have been different had they noticed that there was nothing there to make them. Or that every now and then, they would reveal a pair of cold, soulless yellow eyes.
...
"Interesting." Maleficent muttered, fiddling with her staff. "I sense strong magic coming from the girl and at least a spark from the boy. And from the way they talk, they are definitely some of the goody goodies of this world."
Having moved into a cave hidden in the Amazon Rainforest so as not to be detected by those of this world or those she knew would be following her, she was free to use her magic as she wished, in this case choosing to bring up visions of what her Shadow Heartless were seeing and hearing surrounded by her green and black flames. By now, she had a few Heartless in every town or city that she'd sensed high levels of power coming from, both magical or otherwise. She knew that the entire Organisation 13 was stopped in this world and it was imperative that she found the ones who did it before her plan could continue. After all, Heartless, though having much greater numbers, were considerably weaker than Nobodies, so they posed a great risk to her army. Plus, as much as she hated to admit it, the Organisation members were at least as powerful as her, in Xemnas' case, maybe even more so. She just couldn't leave them to join up with the Keybearers and ruin everything she was working towards.
"I get the feeling that these two are a part of the group, especially if the rumours I've been hearing are correct." She said to herself, rubbing her chin. "Judging from what I've heard, they would most likely be the sorceress Lucky Girl and the shape shifting hero, Ben Ten. Now, what of the others?"
Turning to peer at the other images surrounding the cave walls, she took one look at most before ignoring them and moving on to the next. Though her Heartless were instinctively been drawn to the strongest hearts around, ignoring all others due to the influence of her magic, many were only finding military bases or charity buildings. It was getting tedious. That is until a teenager caught her eye. The Heartless was following him into a bedroom...as his glowing body flew through the window. Sighing tiredly, the boy let his body flop onto the bed as a pair of white rings surrounded him, turning his jumpsuit into a dominantly white shirt and blue jeans while his hair and eyes turned from white and glowing green to black and blue respectively.
"Man, I...I'm wiped." He muttered between yawns, closing his eyes. "I need a nap."
"Strange, this boy gives off the energy of a human and a poltergeist." Maleficent commented, a look of intrigue crossing her face. Deciding that he was another target, she moved on, searching for the famous heroes, these 'Valour Guardians' the world spoke of. It wasn't long before she found two more on a different continent from the other three, one of them a magical being in red and white robes playing a video game and the other a sad looking black haired young man with more power than she'd ever seen in someone so young, and even rarely in adult warriors, taking off his shirt and jumping into a stream, his tail flailing around beside him in the running water. He was definitely one of her targets. To defeat someone as powerful as Xemnas, you need someone with at least this boy's level among your numbers.
However, before she could study the nature of his enormous power, one of the Heartless she was seeing through screeched. Startled and thoroughly perplexed, she whipped her head to where it was coming from, wondering what could have possibly happened. she'd never heard a Heartless do that, except the day at Hollow Bastion when the accursed Keybearer fired a powerful light spell at them. What she found made her jaw drop.
"That light. It's impossible." Maleficent gaped, staring at the wall. The Heartless that she was seeing through was back stepping fearfully away from a boy with a blinding light emanating from his entire being. Hearing the scream over the waterfall he was standing near, the boy whipped around and gasped fearfully at the Shadow before his eyes narrowed with rage. The visual on the wall ended a second later, lasting just long enough for Maleficent to see a black Keyblade appear in the boy's hand and slash towards her, destroying the Heartless.
"That light! That face!" Maleficent muttered, not believing what she'd seen. A male with a heart bearing pure light. His face hadn't changed a bit from the last time she saw over a decade ago. It was impossible, he had disappeared, he should have aged by now. Yet here he was, young, strong, and unbearable to look at.
"The Keybearer of light. Ventus." She muttered, her already pale skin going considerably lighter s the knowledge sunk in. "His power would make him the ultimate enemy of the Heartless. And he knows they're here. I must destroy him now." Discontinuing all the images on the wall not bearing the noteworthy children, she gave them one last glance so as to memorise where they were before disappearing in a flash of black and green flames.
...
Roxas sighed as leaned on a railing, staring out at the rushing water descending the gigantic drop of Niagara Falls. He'd heard from Kim that it was an amazing sight and he agreed wholeheartedly. The sound of the rushing water was soothing and he could just stare at it for hours, entranced by the water flow...that is, if he could ignore the foul looks staring intensely into his back.
They're still at it. When are they going to realise that I'm just like the other Guardians? He thought angrily, turning an irritated look to a couple glaring at him. "If you have a problem with me, go somewhere else." He snapped. The pair sent him dirty looks at that and the man was about to retort, but lost his nerve and dragged his girlfriend hastily away as Roxas twitched his fingers. Humphing as they left, Roxas turned back to the water, trying to calm his temper and get lost in it again.
All I want is to be able to live a normal life. He thought moodily, his hands tightening around the railing bar as he felt another pair of intense eyes hit his back. Do so many people just HAVE to go out of their way to annoy me?
His thoughts were quickly forgotten a shrill screech struck his ears, making him jump and hold his ears, his face scrunched up in pain. Whipping around, his eyes widened as he saw a shadow rise from the ground. Its form quickly changed from a blob as it rose into a vaguely humanoid form with a round head, two, twisting antennas and clawed hands. It wasn't very tall, but the pure darkness radiating from it and the knowledge of exactly what it was left Roxas shivering.
"A Heartless!" He cried, stepping towards it as it prepared to attack. Summoning Oblivion to his hand as he slashed it at the solid darkness, he cut right through the creature like a hot knife through butter and watched as it disappeared into an explosion of black wisps of darkness. However, he didn't relax as it disappeared. Spinning on the ball of his foot, he lashed out with his Keyblade and struck another three Shadow Heartless behind him.
"Just great, now no one is gonna want me around." Roxas growled as he pulled himself to a stop, looking around to find himself surrounded by Heartless and scowling deeper as he noticed what he recognised as the more powerful Neo Shadows and the hook headed Soldiers joining the ranks. "These things are attracted to the Keyblades and the hearts that wield them. I'm the world's biggest homing beacon to them."
"And I'll have them continue to come until you're destroyed." Roxas froze as he heard the cold voice, his eyes widening at the familiarity to it. However, when turned to face the owner, he was sure that he'd never seen her before. "Remember me Keybearer? It's been a long time. Yet you haven't aged a day."
"What the...argh!" He cried, dropping Oblivion and causing it to disappear in a flash of black as his hands flew to his suddenly aching head, his eyes shut tight as what felt like a memory forced its way to the surface. Flashes of a creepy looking castle from the outside crossed his mind, but they were quickly replaced by another. This was one of him standing in a large, round, stone room with a throne up on higher ground before him. It definitely inside the castle. Beside him was a girl with blue hair and eyes and both of them turned to glare hatefully up at this woman standing before the throne, raising her arms and glowing with dark magic.
"Maleficent." Roxas spat, squinting as the pain receded, very confused, but fully aware that this was a person he despised with a passion. He was beyond confused at the images, having seen himself there, not Sora, in clothes that were similar, but still noticeably different to his usual outfit, next to a girl he felt very fond of despite the fact that he knew that he'd never met her. However, he just pushed that information down to where he'd stored that Terra guy to ponder later, settling with the hatred he felt coming from the memories and raising his hands as the Heartless swarmed him. "Faith!"
Gasping in fear, Maleficent was quick to put up a wall of green fire before her, shielding her as a ribbon of light twirled and exploded from Roxas, obliterating every heartless in the area, their actions drawing the attention of everyone around and sending them all into a panic, screaming as they ran away while more Heartless appeared in swirls of darkness.
"What are you doing here Maleficent? This is far from your home world." Roxas growled, slashing through another three Heartless with his resummoned Keyblade as he stared her down.
"Like I told you and Aqua, I intend to rule all worlds." Maleficent smirked, watching curiously as confusion passed through the boy's eyes again at the mention of their previous encounter. She took particular interest in how it increased at the name of the Keyblade Master she knew was like a big sister to him. "Here in this world is the power I need to do just that. And I refuse to let you get in my way, Keybearer of pure light."
"The name's Key of Destiny." Roxas snapped, throwing his left arm out at an approaching Heartless as if he was going to punch it only for Oathkeeper to appear in his hand in a flash of light just in time to skewer the Neo Shadow. "And I assure you, your plans won't succeed."
"What's this? Two Keyblades?" Maleficent cried, completely losing her smug tone at the sight of the first dual Keybearer ever to exist. "How is this possible? The heart is only capable of bearing and maintaining one Keyblade."
"Don't know and don't CARE!" Roxas shouted, his Keyblades glowing with light magic as he slashed through a pair of Soldiers and jumped right towards Maleficent. However, she only smirked and waved her hand in response. It became clear why less than a second later as dark energy burst up before her. By the time Roxas' blades came down, it was to find their path blocked by an huge, blue shield with an equally large, snaring dog's head in the middle.
"Oh crap, a Defender!" Roxas exclaimed, jumping back as the bulky humanoid's shield tried to make a meal out of him. "This'll take a little bit of time to get around."
"Time you don't have!" Maleficent jeered, raising her glowing staff and releasing a powerful blast of dark magic. Gasping, Roxas focused his light magic into his Keyblades, only to gasp painfully and drop them as a Shadow slashed him from behind. He screamed as the blast struck home, knocking him cleanly off his feet, his communicator falling out of his pocket and clattering on the ground as he was blown over the railing. His body searing with pain, he was unable to stop himself from falling over the railing. He was just able to register Maleficent's victorious laughter before it was consumed by the raging waterfall and his consciousness was consumed by darkness, leaving him helplessly plummeting down one of the world's biggest waterfalls.
"That was easier than I thought." Maleficent laughed, stroking her staff as she stared down at the misty depths. "Now on to the others. The other five legendary fighters will be mine."
...
"Now isn't this nice?" Gwen asked, stretching out on a towel and smiling as the warm glow of the sun touched her skin. "The warm sunlight, the sound of the waves, is there anything more soothing?"
"Well, maybe if the kids were forever screaming and throwing their toys this way." Kevin muttered, grimacing as a Frisbee hit his foot only for a kid with an abnormally high pitched laugh to run by and grab it.
"Yeah Gwen, you were right." Ben nodded, throwing his shirt into his bag before flopping down next to her, his head resting on his arms. "This is really nice. And that little glamour spell you put up is working great too. No one's recognised us yet."
"And they won't. Not unless you use your powers." Gwen responded, looking at him over her shades. "Even my spells couldn't make Goop or Ripjaws blend in."
"Ghost Freak might make everyone run away though." Kevin suggested lightly, grinning as Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and then I'd be attacked by the national guard or the nearest hero. Whichever gets here first." Ben retorted with a shake of his head before flinching at a muscle spasm. "Ouch! Wow, some relaxation really is in order."
"Glad to see my way of thinking is finally being taken in by someone." Gwen said playfully before giving Kevin a warm look. "Not that I don't like you exactly how you are."
"Great, then you'll be happy to join me in the water." Kevin grinned mischievously, jumping to his feet and grabbing Gwen before she could respond. Struggling, screaming and laughing the whole time, Gwen yelled repeatedly for him to put her down only for his grin to grow and do just that when he was waist deep in the ocean, leaving Ben holding his stomach as he laughed on the shore.
"Kevin! Why you...HA!" Gwen shouted, splashing sea water at his face, causing him to splutter and stumble backwards before retaliating, starting a splash war. Not wanting to be left out, Ben ran right at them and into the water, diving under the waves before the others could see him. Swimming as fast as he could, he jumped up as he reached them, leaving both crying out in surprise as they were dragged under.
"BEN!" They both cried as they stood up, spitting up sea water as they glared at the laughing brunette
"Haha, oh man, that too easy. You should have seen your faces." He laughed, doubling over with mirth, leaving him none the wiser as the two looked at each other, evil smirks growing on their faces. Before he could even calm down enough to catch his breath, they each grabbed one of Ben's shoulders and shoved him underwater. His body tensing as he swallowed water, Ben jumped right back up the moment their hands left his skin, coughing and spluttering as he tried to clear his lungs of water.
"You were right. That was too easy." Kevin laughed.
"Fun too." Gwen grinned, getting a dirty look from Ben.
"Ha...ha. I didn't...leave you...choking." Ben gasped between coughs, finally removing enough liquid to breathe.
"Meh, you'll get over it." Kevin shrugged, though he patted Ben on the back a second later, getting a thankful look from Ben as he finally calmed down.
"Now that we've all gotten good and wet, how about we get something to eat?" Gwen suggested, heading back towards the shore. "I'm getting hungry and there's a hotdog wagon just a little down the beach."
"Kevin's buying!" Ben said cheekily, running back to the shore.
"Hey, who says I'm gonna get you anything?" Kevin shouted after him as the other followed him.
"Your wallet." Ben answered, smirking at Kevin as he pulled it out of the older teen's bag and ran down the shoreline.
"Hey! Get back here Tennyson!" Kevin shouted, chasing after him. Chuckling as she followed them, Gwen couldn't keep the smile off of her face. It had been a good while since she'd seen Ben so carefree and fun loving. None of the Guardians had been acting like the kids they were much these days, if at all. Not since the whole Albedo, Vilgax disaster. Though when they were kids she would have been appalled by the return of this childish nature, she now hoped that it would shine through more often. They all needed to remember to have fun.
"Alright already, I'll pay, just give me back my wallet." Kevin shouted, giving in to the boy he had a great deal of respect and affection for, not that he'd ever admit it. "I have...stuff in there I don't want coming out."
"And just what would that be?" Gwen asked with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms and trying desperately to hold in her amusement.
"Umm..." Kevin muttered, suddenly very nervous. "Alien currency."
"Huh, isn't alien currency usually crystals or cubes?" Ben snickered, catching on to Gwen's game and playing along, his fingers rubbing the square piece of leather. "All I can feel is round objects."
"Just give it to me." Kevin grunted, his face flushed as he snatched it from the younger boy and headed off to buy the food, keeping his back to the laughing cousins the whole time. Not ready to give up his sudden urge for fun, Ben turned to Gwen, effectively shutting her up with his sly grin.
"So my dear cousin, why would he have what I think he has in there?" He asked, his face swelling with barely restrained laughter as her face went beet red.
"WHAT? Wait a minute, we haven't been sleeping together." Gwen spluttered, waving her hands. "We haven't even planned to. The one time it came up we decided to wait at least until I was eighteen."
"So you've been planning it?" Ben smirked, only making his cousin's blush grow darker. Unable to hold it in anymore, Ben finally let it drop and dropped himself, struggling to breathe as he laughed hard and loud.
"Oh, real funny Ben." Gwen pouted, though she couldn't keep it up long before chuckling a little herself. She had to admit, if it was anyone else, she'd be laughing right alongside Ben. She knew he was only teasing and meant nothing of it, so she was willing to find the humour in it.
It disappeared a second later however, a multiple, piercing screams filled the air. Ben, Gwen and Kevin all immediately stopped what they were doing, frowning as they searched for the trouble. They found it a second later as a large, black creature with red hair, horns protruding from his head and back, and claws that looked like a demon charged right at the cousins, surrounded by multiple small, black, humanoid and very familiar creatures.
"Heartless?" Gwen gasped, eyes wide with disbelief as the telltale blue glow of magic surrounded her hands. "I thought we destroyed all those things."
"Only the ones the Organisation brought into the world." Ben scowled, activating the controls of the Omnitrix and searching for an alien. "Apparently more have found our world. And they're after us."
"Good, bring them on." Kevin exclaimed, touching and absorbing a large boulder beside him, his hands transforming into swords as soon as his body finished turning into stone.
"It's hero time!" Ben cried, consuming himself in green light. "Chromastone!" The purple crystalline alien came into view a second before shooting a beam of rainbow energy from each hand. Kevin's attack was right behind his as the stone warrior ran forward with a battle cry, slashing at the closest shadows. However, unlike Chromastone's attacks, which had a definite affect, knocking every Heartless they touched back, his stone blades were finding a great deal of resistance in the Heartless' clawed hands and bodies, taking at least three hits just to knock them to the ground.
"Kellecki Rock!" Gwen shouted, pointing her hands at the Heartless. Countless rock spikes exploded through the sand, piercing right through many Heartless' heads and chest, destroying them, while others were thrown back. More rock spike burst forth before the bulky, demonic one and though it managed to avoid them all, they still blocked it's path, giving them more time to focus on the smaller ones.
"This is nuts! Why are my attacks doing so little damage?" Kevin growled, slashing at a Heartless he must have already hit ten times, each blow in a place that should caused dismemberment or death only for it to seem fine. "I'm barely doing any more than knocking these things down."
"It's probably because they're not organic or technological." Ben answered, firing a total of five beams from his hands, chest and forehead before slugging a Shadow that jumped at him in the head as hard as he could with a glowing fist, causing it to explode into wisps of darkness. "They're pure darkness from inside someone's heart turned solid. Magic seems to be the only thing that easily destroys them, though various forms of raw energy such as my ultraviolet blasts seem to have a similar affect."
"Just great." Kevin groaned, getting fed up and turning his right stone sword into a mallet before pummelling the Shadow he was fighting into the ground three times as hard as he could, finally destroying it, and swinging it out to catch another attacking Heartless in the head. "I can't use those kinds of powers."
"Then despite your interesting abilities, you are of no threat to me." A dark, disembodied voice stated, sending chills down their spines even as they continued attacking. Throwing disk shaped blasts from her hands at the remaining Shadows and a large blast at the demonic Heartless, Gwen focused on sensing for the being and picked up on powerful, bone chilling dark magic right as Maleficent appeared behind the Heartless in a display of black and green flames.
"Hey, I don't know who you are, but I'm no weakling. I'm a threat to all of you creeps." Kevin yelled furiously, not noticing Gwen's nervous gulp or paling face as he charged right at the dark witch.
"Kevin, NO!" Gwen screamed, leaving Ben to finish of the Shadows she hadn't destroyed with her last wave of attacks as she chased after her reckless boyfriend. However, the demonic Heartless was quick to jump in her way and back handed her.
"ARGH!" Pain exploding from her shoulders and chest, Gwen found herself flying off like a ragdoll, only saved from greater injury by landing on a soft sand dune, though she was still seeing stars.
"Gwen!" Ben cried as the Heartless moved to press his attack, this time leaping into the air and coming down with his claws poised to tear her apart. Jumping in the way, he grabbed the claw in both hands before tossing the Heartless away, sending a large beam right into its chest as it flew and knocking it into the water with a mighty splash.
Not even noticing what's going on, Kevin swung the stone sword at Maleficent only for her to casually block it with her staff. Getting more frustrated, he quickly lashed out with the mallet only for a disk of green magic to appear before her and block it.
"You are strong, no doubt a force to be reckoned with against many opponents." Maleficent commented, smirking the whole time. "However, Heartless have a great tolerance to your kind of abilities and I am far beyond what you could ever handle."
"I'll believe that when I see it." Kevin snarled, continuously slashing and pummelling at all different angles only for her green magic to shield her and disappear every time.
"Very well." She replied softly, a smug smile growing on her face. Waving her staff at him just as he raised his mallet high over his head, she unleashed a vicious green flamethrower point blank into his chest. Screaming, he was thrown back at the speed of a bullet train and crashed hard into the sand, causing a huge amount to fly into the air and block everyone's vision of him. The stone gone from his body, leaving burned skin and ripped swim trunks behind, Kevin let out a few low, pained groans before falling unconscious.
"Kevin!" Gwen groaned, her eyes glowing as she scanned him, desperate to find his life force. Finding that he was still alive and not in immediate mortal danger, she turned fiercely towards a smirking Maleficent, the blue orbs around her hand giving off what looked like blue lightning as she raised her fists.
"Gwen, don't." Ben said desperately as the Heartless bounded back to its feet, coming right at them. "We need to work together if we want...what the? Gwen, where did that thing-argh!" Ben cried, watching in shock as the giant monster disappeared a few seconds before an overly large fist crashed into him, large claws coming back and piercing his shoulder as he flew off his feet and taking a chunk of crystal. Hissing at the pain, he had his body recreate the lost crystal only for a claw to slash off more from his bell before grabbing his leg and tossing him the way it came, crashing into the water.
Gwen hadn't noticed any of it, dashing straight at Maleficent, glaring as the evil witch gave her a dark smirk.
"Let's see how you handle someone of your own kind! Mercuchus Veridaitus!" Bringing her hands together as she yelled, she released an powerful blue beam right at Maleficent's chest. Her smirk growing, Maleficent just pointed her staff at the incoming blast.
"Powers of evil, protect thy master!" She screamed, releasing a powerful green and black beam of her own, neutralising Gwen's as the two opposing powers fell into a stalemate. However, Gwen failed to noticed a bolt of black lightning drop from the sky. That is, until it crashed right into her.
"AR-ARRGGHH!" Screaming and losing all sense of concentration as the electrical assault wracked her body, her beam dissipated and left her helpless as Maleficent's carried on through blasting her into the ground. Moaning lowly, her world turned black.
"Oh no." Ben exclaimed, taking a step towards Gwen, only to be struck again, this time by a pair of invisible horns. "Oof! Damn it, this thing just doesn't stop." He swore, pulling himself back up. Knowing he'd never make it to Gwen with the Heartless running around, he whipped his head back and forth, staring at the ground in an attempt to identify where the creature was. The problem was his movements were quick and erratic. By the time he fired a blast where a pair of footprints occurred, it was already somewhere else, leaving his blasts to fly all over the beach and even blowing up the life guard tower.
"Good thing everyone fled." He muttered before crying out as an invisible horn pierced right through his arm.
"Dark Thorns are one of the strongest and most vicious breeds of what's known as a pureblooded Heartless, only created when a Heartless is formed from an immensely dark heart." Maleficent sneered, walking casually towards the shape shifter. "A very dangerous threat that I doubt you can handle on your own. It's tough even for Keybearers to fight it."
"Don't be so sure of your victory." Ben snapped, reaching for the Omnitrix. "If I can't hit it as I am, I'll just change the circumstances. Big Chill!" Maleficent couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips as the green flash occurred, revealing not the boy, but another unusual form, this one looking similar to a giant blue moth.
So this one has more than one transformation. She realised, watching carefully as the new form took into the air, easily avoiding the Dark Thorn's next attack. And different powers with each one. This boy could prove useful to me.
"How about we try cooling you off?" Ben asked, taking a deep breath and freezing all the sand within a ten meter radius of him. The Dark Thorn, having been leaping at the time, avoided being frozen along with it, however, as it landed it slipped and crashed onto the ice, becoming visible as it slid helplessly across it. Seizing the opportunity, Ben threw his hands down and unleashed a barrage of pointy ice shards, cutting into and through the creature, not stopping until with a mighty scream, it exploded into the darkness from whence it came.
"One d-AARRGGHH!" Ben screamed as bolt of dark lightning struck his back, making his whole body feel like it was on fire as he crashed into the ground. Groaning and twitching, he tried to pull himself back up and face the laughing witch, but before he could even get up onto his hands and knees, he was blasted in the side with a black and green beam. His vision blurring, he groaned weakly as he changed back to normal and watched as Maleficent approached, cackling at his defenseless form. Whimpering as pain wracked his body, particularly his left side where the beam had hit, Ben closed his eyes and fell limp, completely unconscious.
"I must say, I'm impressed with how quickly he destroyed the Dark Thorn." Maleficent muttered, having the Tennyson cousins rise into the air towards her with a wave of her staff. "And unlike the stone boy, I'm confident that I only got a sample of what either of these two can do. It's a pity there isn't much darkness in them, but no matter. That would only create powerful Nobodies anyway. But no matter, I will simply have to find other ways of using their powers for my benefit." Creating a dark portal before her, she waved her staff and sent the teens through before following herself. By the time the portal disappeared, the only hint that they were there was the ice, their bags and a banged up Kevin lying on his back.
...
"Ah, that was a nice nap." Danny yawned, stretching his arms before rubbing his eyes. Feeling fully refreshed, he headed downstairs in search of his family and something to eat, only to find a pair of notes on the fridge. The first one from his parents saying that they went to a ghost hunter's convention and the other was from Jazz, stating that she was going to be at the library until dinner.
"That's typical." Danny said with a shrug before opening the fridge with a grin. "That just means more cake for me." He added with a grin, licking his lips as he pulled out a half eaten cake and cutting himself a large slice.
"Let's see, it's the weekend so no school, I don't have monitoring duty for another three days, so what should I do? Simple solution, call Sam and Tucker and play some video games." He grinned, taking a bite of his cake as he slouched back into the lounge room couch.
Turning on the TV and channel surfing, he never noticed the shadows growing behind him, or the big, bulky form near the basement door. It wasn't until the last of his treat was in his mouth, the boy moaning in pleasure, that his eyes noticed the shadow of a something big lurking behind him. his eyes widening, he dropped his plate and dived into roll just as what looked like a black centaur with yellow eyes and armour thrust his lance through the couch right where his heart had been.
"Hey! You're paying for that!" Danny shouted, glaring at the creature as he transformed. But before he could do anything, the familiar form of the Shadows leapt his way, leaving him shocked and scared as he took to the sky. "Heartless? Not again."
Seeing the centaur coming at him again at unbelievable speed, he flew back and thrust his hand forward, releasing a pale blue beam and freezing it in place. Knowing it wouldn't last long, he shot at the approaching Shadows, smashing his glowing fists into two, kicking another away and firing an ecto blast at the fourth, quickly destroying it. Hearing the ice shatter behind him, He quickly created two clones and sent them after the centaur before throwing an ecto ball at a Neo Shadow.
Banking in opposite directions as the centaur thrust his lance again, the clones zipped behind it and fired dual beams where the humanoid part of the body met the horse part, blowing it forward and stumbling before diving at it, one aiming a punch and the other a kick. However, luck turned against them as it stabilised itself and spun around before they could reach it, spinning its lance at blinding speed and turning both into puffs of green smoke as they hit it.
Growling irritably at the sight, Danny threw another strong beam at a pair of Neo Shadows, flinging them away and destroying one, before turning to the centaur with a deep breath and releasing a ghostly wail.
Furniture and plaster from the walls blew apart and flew to the far wall as the ecto charged soundwaves tore through the place, throwing the centaur off balance and back before slamming it into and through the wall and destroying it, along with the remaining Shadows. Letting it die, he had just enough strength left to throw a green glowing fist into the surviving Neo Shadow's gut and destroy it before hunching over and sucking in large gulps of air, feeling more than a little drained.
"Great. And now I need ANOTHER nap." He gasped, scanning the area for more threats as he tried to calm his breathing, struggling to hold his ghost form.
"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to nap." Danny's eyes narrowed as a deep voice came from behind him, but before he could even finish turning, he gasped fearfully as a blue, sucking energy beam caught hold of him.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Screaming, he was unable free himself before finding himself trapped in the extremely tight and dark confines of the Fenton Thermos. "Hey! Let me out of here!"
"So that's why Maleficent told me to grab this thing." Pete said amazedly, ignoring Danny's screams and putting the lid on. "I thought she just wanted a good cup of coffee. Oh well, live and learn." Thoroughly pleased with himself, Pete used the magic Maleficent bestowed upon him and created a portal for himself, taking the capture phantom along with him.
...
Staring up as the moon moved out from behind a cloud, Gohan sighed and pulled himself out of the water. No doubt by now his mother was getting worried about him and it would be best not to keep her waiting any longer. Grabbing his shirt, he trudged towards where he could see the smoke from his home's fire place, hoping he would dry off before reaching it.
But before he got any further than ten feet from the water, a flicker of bone chilling darkness crossed his senses. Sucking in a deep breath, he whipped around to face it, only to be struck by a giant, spinning pinwheel made of darkness.
"AUGH!" Grunting, he hit the ground hard, but quickly rolled to his feet in time to see the dark energy disappear into a cackling, black robed witch landing only a few feet away.
"You go by the name Saiyaman right?" She asked, fiddling with her staff as she stared the young Saiyan hybrid up and down. "Hmm, I don't need my gift with magic to tell that you are the kind of warrior to posses great strength. Too bad raw muscle only goes so far when fighting me and my minions."
"Well then, it's a good thing that my abilities don't end with just muscle mass." Gohan snarled, tensing his body as he powered up, his aura bursting to life. But before he could attack, his whole body froze as a force of pure darkness of enormous power crossed his senses. The source was found a second later as an gigantic quadruped creature appeared behind him. as big as the surrounding trees, it's body was dark purple with lighter purple spikes running down its back, head and tail and long, deadly looking purple claws on each paw. Its face was decorated by a blue stripe on either side, crossing around its bright red eyes. To top it off, it had long chains attached to its front legs and what looked like grappling hooks attached to the end. Only seeing one creature even remotely similar to this one before, Gohan shivered and gaped at it as the image of the very first battle he'd stood beside Danny and the Tennysons crossed his mind.
"A Heartless? Oh no, they can't be back." He cried fearfully, preparing himself for the worst. "They rip out people's hearts. They can't stay here." He added, throwing a gold beam at the creature.
However, this one proved to be much tougher than the one Gohan had seen before. The young Saiyan could only gape as it not only leapt out of the way of his attack, but circled the area so fast that even Gohan couldn't keep up. What made him even more worried was that it looked like there were four of them now and due to the high speed of their movements his senses couldn't tell if it had actually multiplied or if it was just the one.
Gasping as three suddenly all turned to him at once, he jumped straight up into the air just as they leapt at him. However, his eyes widened in panic as he realised that all three were merely afterimages. Sensing the overwhelming darkness above him, he screamed as he saw the creature pouncing right on top of him, its giant claws slashing deeply into his arms, shoulders, chest and stomach as it slammed him down to the ground with twice the force even Gohan could dish out.
"AAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Powerful tremors coursed through the ground, forcing Maleficent to levitate herself as they collided with it, the Heartless jumping back ready to strike again a second later. However, seeing Gohan torn up and defenceless, Maleficent created a large portal and sucked the creature through before it ripped out the boy's heart. With that done, she moved towards Gohan, but was shocked still as he groaned, shakily wrapping his arms around his torso as he tried to get up. Not willing to give him a chance to fight or run away, she quickly wave her staff at him and put him to sleep with a flash of black magic.
"Simply amazing. If I hadn't been here to see it, I'd never believe that he'd be able to survive that assault." She muttered to herself, scanning the boy over. Prodding him with her magical senses, she was amazed to find that none of his internal organs had been damaged, the worst of his injuries been a few cracked ribs and damaged muscles. But even so, they'd recover just fine if he was given the time. "I can see why the Organisation fools were defeated here. A powerful sorceress, a boy with multiple transformations, all bearing different abilities, a boy who can create tornados at will, a boy with ghostly powers and now a boy with simply amazing strength with the kind of body that can handle even the most brutal of attacks. Combined them with Ventus and there's no telling what they could do. Still," She added with a dark grin. "Now they and their powers belong to me." Levitating Gohan just as she had with the Tennysons, Maleficent created another portal and walked them through, the dark door disappearing just moments before a panic stricken Chichi and Goten could get to it.
