Okay everyone, this chapter should prove very interesting ideed. Hold onto your socks!
(I only own Mephisto and one other character. She'll be easy to spot.)
Mephisto held the sword in both hands and raised it above his head, preparing to strike.
In a blur of motion, too quick for normal eyes to see… the blade came down.
But before it could connect with its victim, Merlin jumped in the way and used a reflect spell to shield Millicent.
Mephisto staggered back in surprise, as Flora, Fauna, Meriwether and Jafar joined Merlin, standing protectively in front of Millicent.
"How sweet." Mephisto said mockingly. "So she has little friends to protect her. Stand aside children, this is between me and her."
"I don't think so." Merlin shot back, holding up his wand. "What do you want with Millicent?"
"That is none of your concern. Now stand aside!" Merlin and the others stood their ground. "No? Very well… then I'll move you myself!" Mephisto raised his hand and a staff topped with a green orb appeared in it. He ran at Merlin and swatted him away before he could defend himself, knocked the fairies off their feet with a wind spell, and punched Jafar in the gut, all in a matter of seconds.
With no one left standing, Mephisto turned his attention back to Millicent, who still sat on the ground, staring blankly ahead. "Now my Dear…" He said, taking his sword in hand once more. "Where were we?"
He began to near Millicent, but stopped when a fireball hit him in the back. He turned angrily to see Merlin stagger to his feet. "Get… away… from her!" Merlin growled.
"You're such a foolish young wizard." Mephisto said with a laugh. "Do you really think you can defeat me? I am a powerful sorcerer!"
Mephisto raised his staff to cast a spell, but stopped when Yen Sid appeared in a flash before him. "Stop!" He shouted. "This has gone far enough!"
"Master Yen Sid!" Merlin called happily. "How did you know to come?"
"I could sense the dark magic, even from the tower." Yen Sid explained. He turned to Mephisto. "As for you, I thought I told you to stay away from my students."
"You old fool." Said Mephisto. "You have no idea of what you're tampering with!" He glared at Yen Sid, but seemed to see something in the Sorcerer's eyes that made him smile evilly. "Or perhaps… you do know. In that case, I pity you all the more."
"Leave, now!" Yen Sid raised his hand, prepared to cast a spell.
Mephisto hesitated a moment, but finally decided not to chance it. "Very well. But know this: I will have her, one way or another." He raised his staff and disappeared from sight.
As Flora and the others got back up, Merlin ran to Millicent, who still stared blankly ahead.
"Is she okay?" Fauna asked.
Merlin looked at her, checking for injuries. "I don't know. Millicent?" He placed a hand on her face and lifted her head to look him in the eye. "Millicent, wake up. Please."
Millicent's eyes seemed vacant, as if her mind was a million miles away. a single word escaped her lips: "Mother…?" She collapsed into Merlin's arms, and he tenderly stroked her hair.
"Who was that guy anyway?" Meriwether asked.
"I do not know." Yen Sid replied. He turned to glance at Millicent's unconscious form. "However… it would seem there is more to Millicent then we thought…"
---
Millicent looked around herself to see she was in a large castle. Grand, yet barren and gloomy. She searched the halls for what seemed like hours, glancing at the many gargoyle figures in fear. She passed by a tall mirror and looked at her reflection to see herself. She appeared the same, only ten years younger, and with shorter hair. She stared at her six year old form in wonder, though it felt natural to be this age.
"Millicent," A soft voice called. "Did you get lost?" Millicent turned to see a woman walking down the hall. She wore a long flowing whit dress that reminded Millicent of Christmas snow, and her hair was long, and dark. Her eyes were crystal blue, her lips were rose red, and her face was soft and kind looking. From her back grew two fairy wings.
"No, I wasn't lost." Millicent answered, walking up to the woman.
The woman smiled and lifted Millicent into her arms, holding her lovingly. "Of course not. Now come along Dear, and we'll go have a cup of tea."
Millicent hugged the woman with a smile. But her smile became a frown when she noticed a tall man walk in.
"Why do you coddle that child so?" The man asked. His hair was dark, and his skin green. He did not have any scars yet. "Really Benevolentia, it's so unbecoming."
"She is my child," Benevolentia replied. "And I will show her as much affection as I wish Mephisto."
Mephisto shook his head. "Millicent has the potential to become a great sorceress. But how will she ever accomplish that if we keep treating her as a child?"
"She is a child." Benevolentia replied, her voice still calm and soft, yet at the same time stern and determined. "Why can't you see that?"
Mephisto just turned away and walked down the hall.
Millicent frowned. She remembered now just how little she cared for her father.
Her father, Lord Mephisto. He was a powerful lord, ruling over a large mountain area, and was an accomplished sorcerer in his own right. However, it was said he tampered in the dark arts, and his skin had turned green as punishment for his unholy deeds. The few subjects that lived under his rule feared him terribly.
Millicent did as well, though she didn't like to admit it. Her mother could tell though, and lovingly hugged her closer, to comfort her. "It's alright Dear," She said, softly. "Everything is okay." She began to hum a lullaby to Millicent, who rested her head and closed her eyes, as she breathed in her mother's scent.
Her mother, Benevolentia. She was perhaps one of the greatest fairies to ever exist. Her powers over ice and snow were beyond compare, as was her ability to communicate with any animal, especially birds. She was a kind, gentle woman, with beautiful eyes that bespoke of a loving soul. It had not been her idea to marry someone as despicable as Mephisto, but was forced to by her father, who had wanted her to marry someone of great power and standing. She had been unhappy for many years, until the day she gave birth to Millicent.
Millicent, their only child, was as beautiful as her mother, but unfortunately had inherited her father's green skin. Many people gossiped that she was an abomination, deformed by her father's dark magic.
Millicent mulled all of this over in her head, completely forgetting that she was merely experiencing old memories and reliving the past experiences as though they were just now happening. She and her mother had gone to her room to enjoy some tea, and she now sat in a comfortable chair near a window. She looked out at the dreary, desolate mountainside below, and thought of all the people who were leaving the area, calling it cursed… a forbidden mountain.
"Mommy?" She said. "Can I ask something?"
Benevolentia took a sip of her tea and smiled down at her. "Of course Dear." She replied.
Millicent hesitated, before finally looking her mother in the eye. "Am I… evil?"
Benevolentia gasped slightly. "Why would you ask such a thing?"
"Everyone says I am… that Father does evil things, and that I am too. Is that true?"
Benevolentia sighed and motioned for Millicent to sit in her lap. Once she had, Benevolentia looked down at her and smiled softly, though her smile seemed to have such sadness in it. "Darling, we each have a purpose in life. Sometimes that purpose involves good, sometimes bad. But we all end up serving a much greater purpose. All that we do has an effect on the world, and that, in turn, helps to change it. True, some people change it for the worse… but I know you will change it for the better, someday, somehow. So Darling, please try to ignore all those people. Will you do that for me?"
Millicent smiled and nodded. Benevolentia smiled back and gave her a hug.
Some time later, though Millicent couldn't tell how long, she found herself playing alone in her room, playing with the few dolls she had. But she then heard a sound and got up to investigate. She left her room and walked down a long hall, nearing her parent's room, where she saw the door open slightly.
As she approached the door, she couldn't help but feel a foreboding feeling, warning her that something was wrong. As she got closer, she could make out the sound of voices, arguing over something, and identified them as her mother and father.
She looked carefully inside and saw them, both upset by something.
"I cannot let you do this." Said Benevolentia. "It's not right."
"Don't talk to me about right and wrong." Mephisto shot back. "That child holds an enormous amount of power. We cannot let it be squandered. You yourself said she had a great destiny, why must you try to hold her back?"
"I don't wish to hold her back, I wish to protect her! Her destiny is great… but terrible. I will not allow you to make her a tool for your own selfish ends!"
"You have no say in it. I am lord of this castle, and your husband, and will do as I say!"
Benevolentia scowled bitterly and moved to look Mephisto in the eye. "I don't care about your status, nor this cursed union. I only care for my child. And I will die before I ever allow you to use her powers for your own twisted ends!"
Mephisto frowned angrily at Benevolentia. "If that is your wish… then so be it!" Suddenly, Mephisto slapped her across the face, knocking her to the floor.
He was about to do more, but Millicent rushed to Benevolentia's side. "Mother!"
Mephisto scowled down at her, his eyes ablaze with fury. "How long were you spying on us?" He asked angrily.
"Leave her alone!" Benevolentia shouted. "You're not going to have her!"
"Silence!" Mephisto grabbed Millicent by the arm and pulled her away from Benevolentia. "She is my child, and I will do as I please!"
Benevolentia stood up quickly and raised her arms. She shouted a word in a strange language, and Mephisto became covered in ice. "Quickly!" She said, pulling Millicent away and running out of the room.
Millicent ran with her mother, as she heard the ice shatter. She knew Mephisto was coming.
Benevolentia hurriedly led Millicent to the throne room and hid her behind the throne, placing a hand on her face. "Listen to me very carefully." She said, sounding short of breath. "We must get away from here."
"Mommy," Said Millicent, close to tears. "What's going on? Why is Father doing this?"
Benevolentia was about to answer, when they heard Mephisto burst in. "Give me the child!" He roared.
Benevolentia rose and stood between him and Millicent. "Never! Not as long as I live!"
Mephisto growled as he drew a sword. He lunged for Benevolentia, but she blocked with a reflect spell, then fired back with Blizzaga.
He dodged the attack, and backhanded her, knocking her to the ground. Before she could get back up, he pointed the blade of the sword at her throat.
"It's a pity it had to end this way." He said. "You are so beautiful. If only you could have learned your place…"
He was just about to strike, when he heard Millicent shout. "Stop it!" He tunred and gasped in terror to see her, her eyes were glowing, and all around her seemed to become devoid of light. She scowled terrible as she glared at her father and said, "Get… away… from her!"
Mephisto, trying to mask his fear, held his sword and approached Millicent. "My daughter…" He said, trying to sound affectionate, despite the fact that he held his sword ready to strike. "Let's not be this way. You are my child, and I only wish to bring you to your full potential."
"Silence!" Millicent shouted, shocking both Mephisto and Benevolentia by the strange, grown up voice she spoke with now. "You dare call yourself my father? How conceited you are. You have performed your final evil deed, Mephisto. Now die!"
Suddenly, a burst of green flames erupted from her hands, hitting Mephisto and sending him flying across the room. He got back up, his hands covering his face, as he cried out in pain. "My face! My face!"
Millicent, still lost in her terrifying madness, laughed at Mephisto's pain, as green flames began to appear all around, and all through the castle, setting it ablaze.
Benevolentia got back to her feet and looked on in terror. "Millicent!" She shouted. "Stop this, please!"
When she heard her mother's voice, Millicent seemed to return to normal and looked around in fear at the growing flames all around. "Mommy, what's happening?" She asked.
Benevolentia tried to get to her, but a beam suddenly gave out, falling right on top of her.
Millicent rushed to her and kneeled down next to her. "Mommy, are you alright?" She asked.
Benevolentia tried to move the beam both on her own and with magic, but she was too badly injured. "Millicent," She said. "You have to get out of here."
"But what about you?" Millicent began to cry.
"Don't worry about me. Just go, please."
"But…"
"Shh, it will be alright. Just go, get as far from here as you can." She took a ring off of her finger and handed it to Millicent. "Take this to remember me by. Now go, hurry while you still can!"
Millicent hesitated, but finally ran from the throne room. She cried bitterly as she made her way out of the castle, along with all of the servants and anyone else in the castle. Everyone immediately fled the mountain, believing the green fire to be an evil omen, and left Millicent alone, crying for her lost mother.
That was when something inside of her snapped, and she forgot everything up to that moment. She forgot her mother, her father, her home… everything but her name and her sorrow.
She finally left the burning ruins and fled, not knowing where she would go, only to wander for the next ten years.
---
Millicent awoke slowly and looked up to see Merlin looking down at her, his concern easily seen on his face.
She slowly sat up, feeling as tired as though she had just experienced everything in her dream, and turned to him.
"Millicent, I'm so glad you're awake." He said. "How do you feel?"
"Terrible…" she admitted. "How long have I been asleep?"
"about twelve hours. We were all so worried for you. Who was that guy, and what did he want with you?"
"It's a long story… a very long story…"
---
Later, Millicent related all of her restored memories to everyone, and told them about her mother and father, and how she had lost her memory in the first place.
Yen Sid stroked his beard after hearing the story and nodded. "So, that is why he wishes to capture you." He said. "I have known of his presence for some time now, but didn't wish to alarm you. Perhaps if I had warned you, this could have been avoided."
"But at least your memory is back." Fauna said, trying to make the best of the situation.
"But, is that a good thing?" Meriwether asked quietly.
Millicent frowned sadly. "All these years… I could never figure out what had happened to me… who I was… and now it's all come back to me. How could I have left my own mother like that?"
Merlin put his arm around her comfortingly. "There was nothing you could have done." He said. "It's not your fault."
"But it is, don't you see? It was because of that fire I created. It's all my fault…"
Millicent got up and left the room. Merlin followed.
"Will she be okay Mater Yen Sid?" Fauna asked.
Yen Sid shook his head. "I'm not sure." He replied. "But one thing is certain. We will all have to be on guard. This Mephisto will not give up so easily… I can tell, we are in for a rough time."
