CHAPTER NINE
I arrived in a grassy plain with a pond rippling nearby. Small patches of daisies grew around the area. I took a few steps inside the plain. Small, blue creatures of darkness appeared around me. I gasped and summoned Ultima Weapon.
"Unversed." I mumbled as I struck my battle stance.
These were the basic of the species- like Shadows were to the Heartless and Dusks were to the Nobodies- called Floods. Their bodies twitched and lunged at me. I cast a Barrier around me and the Floods flew in various directions. I destroyed them as they all laid around dazily. More appeared, this time Scrappers and a Bruiser. The Bruiser jumped up in the air, and I leaped over it as its body created a shock wave on the way down. A Scrapper lunged at me, but I seized it by the throat and hurled it into a group of its friends, destroying them on impact. I lunged and shoved my Keyblade into the belly of the Bruiser and it melted away into dark flames. I paused for a moment to restore my breathing before I continued on.
"Too easy." I mumbled under my breath. I made my way down the path, which led me to a stone bridge. I gazed up at the giant gray and blue castle in the distance. "Whoa..."
I heard a grunt and I set my eyes forward. I watched as Terra swiped his Keyblade and destroyed a Flood scurrying down the bridge.
"Terra!" I called and ran to him. He turned around and his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Hallie! What are you doing here?" he said.
"Master Eraqus told me to watch over you guys." I said.
Terra sighed. "Why would he put such a responsibility on a kid?"
I scowled. "I'm not a kid! I'm a Keyblade Master, thank you very much!" I watched Terra's eyes dim and my scowl fell. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I promised the Master I could keep you all safe, and I intend to keep it."
Terra nodded. "All right, then."
We looked down the stone bridge pathway, and I gasped, narrowing my eyes on the black personage standing a ways from us. It was a woman wearing a black hat with horns and a long, black cloak that covered her entire body. She held a staff with a glowing green orb on the end. Terra walked towards the woman. I stuttered in protest, then sighed and followed him. The woman turned around, revealing her beady eyes, purple lips, and green-tinted skin. She smirked at us.
Maleficent.
"What's this... Why aren't you children asleep?" Maleficent said. "That fool Flora cast a spell to put everyone in the castle into a deep, deep slumber."
"Who are you?" Terra said.
"Why, I am Maleficent... as all who dwell in this kingdom would know." the tall witch approached us. "Now you must reciprocate the introduction. Who are you?"
"I'm Terra." Terra said.
Maleficent's eyes shifted to me and my spine crawled.
She doesn't know who I am. I reassured myself. I don't meet her for at least another twelve years.
"I'm Hallie." I said. "What do you know about the monsters hanging around here, the Unversed?"
As if she'd really help.
Maleficent grunted and walked to look over the bridge. "Now why would I give a thought to creatures so base? So inconsequential?"
Terra chuckled. "They are base, that's for sure. Anyway, I'm looking for someone. Ever heard of a man named Xehanort?"
I looked at Terra with wide eyes. He's looking for Xehanort? Why?
"That name is not familiar to me." Maleficent said after a brief pause. "Is he an outsider, like you two?"
You liar. You and Xehanort are only a handful of the creatures that want Kingdom Hearts.
"Oh, but wait... I do remember someone leaving the castle." Maleficent said, turning to us. "I can't say what he was doing there... I can only be certain he was not from this kingdom. If you're curious, go see the castle for yourself. The entrance is past the bridge."
"Thanks." Terra said. I couldn't believe the mere appearance of this witch didn't make Terra uncomfortable. We both ran a few paces down the bridge.
"Perhaps he did speak, about imprisoning "the light"..." Maleficent added, and we both stopped and turned around. "'The light' could be so many things. Could he have meant Princess Aurora?"
"Aurora?" I said. One of the Princesses of Heart? With Maleficent mentioning her name, it couldn't mean anything good.
We continued down the bridge, and I felt a small heat at the back of my neck as Maleficent disappeared in a burst of green flames.
Terra and I entered the castle and fought off against the Unversed inside. We traveled through the hallways and up countless flights of stairs until we reached the highest room in the tower. We walked through and cast our eyes on a woman who laid in her bed. She had long, flowing blond hair and wore a purple dress. A gold necklace and crown adorned her pale skin, and her hands rested peacefully over her stomach.
"This feels so familiar..." Terra mumbled quietly.
"Her heart is filled with light- not the slightest touch of darkness." We turned around to see Maleficent standing in the corner of the room. "...Just the kind of heart I need."
"For what?" Terra said.
"Imagine with me, the most glorious of futures... Seven of the purest hearts, each overflowing with light. When brought together, they grant the power to rule all worlds."
"What do you mean?" The ignorance of my friends tore at me.
"Why, that key you two hold... the Keyblade, is it called?"
Terra gasped and we summoned our Keyblades. "Where did you learn that name?" Terra said.
"That trinket is the only way to obtain the hearts."
"Enough rambling!" I cried. "I'm sick of your games!"
"Where is Master Xehanort?!" Terra said.
"Impudence will get you nowhere. If you wish to learn more, you must retrieve the heart of Aurora." Maleficent said.
"And what makes you think we'd do something as ridiculous as that?" I said.
"It's not a matter of 'why', but of will." Maleficent smiled and set her eyes on Terra. The orb on her staff glowed green, and while her hand waved over it, she glowed as well. "In your heart, there is darkness just waiting to be awakened."
Terra groaned as he glowed green. "I don't know... what you're talking about!" he said.
"Perhaps not yet... But I have power over sleep. And I can awaken what's inside you... Then you will be free to be who you truly are."
"Terra!" I gasped. "Fight it! Don't let her get to you!"
Terra struggled against the darkness until he finally slumped over. He slowly lifted his head and I gasped at the glaze hanging over his blue eyes. He lifted Earthshaker and hovered it over Aurora.
"No!" I threw myself at Terra and grabbed his arm. "Stop it, Terra! Snap out of it!"
"Fool! Do you really think you have a power stronger than the darkness in your friend?" Maleficent said.
"Terra!" I cried once more.
He thrust his arm to the side and I tumbled to the ground. I looked up and watched as light collected at the tip of his Keyblade. There was a flash of light, and Aurora's heart floated from her body and into the air. It flew into Maleficent's hands. She stared at it hungrily and chuckled.
"Here it is... Just what I've waited for." Maleficent said. Aurora's heart was engulfed in greet flames.
"No!" I cried.
I heard a gasp as Terra snapped out of his mind control.
"To think that all he spoke of was and will be true." Maleficent said.
"What did I do? What did YOU do?!" Terra cried.
Aurora's heart disappeared in the green flames. Maleficent smiled. "You speak as if I pulled some invisible strings. No, you couldn't be further from the truth, child. I simply whispered to the darkness you already held inside."
Terra turned to Aurora and stared at his hands. "How could I do this?"
"Yes... Now you want to know where Xehanort went." Maleficent stepped towards Terra. "Well, that I cannot answer. He disappeared into the darkness. But now I know the Keyblade is necessary to gather hearts. Join me. Collect six more hearts of pure light. Then we will rule all the worlds together."
"Shut up!" I cried. "Give the princess back her heart!"
I jumped to my feet and summoned Ultima Weapon. I charged at Maleficent and slashed my Keyblade, but she disappeared in a puff of smoke. I looked up at Terra.
"How could you...?" I whispered. Terra stared at me in shock. I ran past him and out of the room.
