Disclaimer: I don't own FF7…you know the drill!

                                                                                                     Chapter 9

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Beyond the barrier of reality and imagination lay an unmarked land. Underneath the Earth's surface levels and levels of dirt and every imaginable thing lay. Lava ran in never ending canals giving an eerie red aura to the Plant's interior. The heat and gases made it inhumanly possible to bear. Very few living organisms could stand the hellish temperatures and harsh conditions here.

However, that was for people on the surface to blindly believe. Long forgotten myths and truths actually lay buried deep down within the Planet's interior.

Beyond the canals of fire and past the labyrinth of caves laid an entire civilization of beings. The dark castle would remind anyone that of the mythological Fairy Kingdom found in the old stories of Britannia or remnants of the Shadow Kingdom. The entire citadel appeared to be carved out of blackened obsidian, as if portraying to be the holder of something dark and more sinister.  

A shadowy smile formed on the lips of an unseen man as he twirled the delicate wine glass in a gloved hand. "Did you bring it Garccus? I cannot wait to see it!"

A kneeling creature looked up to his concealed master and cast its shameful eyes to the marble floor once more. "I'm sorry my Lord, we could not retrieve what you asked for."

The smiled disappeared as the seated man stood up angrily, still hidden the darkness. "You failed me again Graccus? Then I suppose you need to be punished…" He hesitated. "By death."

"No, Master, please, it was not on the demon!" The pale-green gargoyle creature pleaded to its master.

"What? What do you mean it was not on the demon? Speak! Your life still maybe precious to you!"

"Lord Trinton, the demon had another with him, a young female to be exact. I attacked her and found that she possessed it."

"How do I know that you're speaking the truth?"

"Because I seen it, and I have the glove which concealed it from view, my Lord." Graccus nervously handed the tattered glove out to his master.

"Let me see it!" He growled and surveyed the glove for himself. "It does obtain the presence of it on here. Why did you not retrieve it?"

Graccus moved back from his lord. "The demon attacked me before I could take it!" He pointed to the bullet wound that was slowly healing.

The dark man paced back and forth and finally turned to his loyal subject. "So the demon protects her then. Hmm." He pondered aloud. "Alright Graccus, I shall give you one last chance! Bring me this girl."  

"But, but Master, the demon, he'll take my head off!"

The dark lord finally revealed himself in the visible light. Ghastly silver eyes glared at the ugly goblin with his beautiful gaze. "That's the idea! Go and get me the girl, make sure you handle the demon and bring her to me unharmed."

Graccus stood up and bowed nervously. "Yes my Lord, it shall be done."

"Go then, and leave at once."

The dark lord known as Trinton Dorian was once again alone in his shadowed throne room. A smile played onto his lips once more as he poured red liquid into his vacant glass.

*Very soon, very soon it will be mine. * The handsome man thought as he was seated on an elegant black throne.

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  At first glance the man could be mistaken as weak, but underneath the exterior lie tremendous power. His masculine features could be tossed off as handsome to many. Long lavender locks lay idly, un-kept. His face resembled that of a Grecian god, flawless. The mysterious silver eyes could charm the wildest of beasts with their seductive nature. True, he was beautiful but did not fancy in his looks as the fated Narcissus had done.

He was alone. No family, friends, anything other than his loyal subjects kept him company in this hole. How he inwardly longed for something more than this fate he was handed.   

His life quest was near its end. Very soon he would have the ring in his possession, as it was meant to be. The power of the gods would be in his grasp as he could have total control over all. Power such a trivial word in the eyes and hearts of so many blind fools.

He had seen what men would do to themselves and each other in the quest for total domination. It destroyed them. The dark lord vowed that he would never be corrupted by it and stayed in his sanctuary as he watched the others obliterate themselves.

It did not matter to him humanity was not his concern, for he was not human to begin with. He was merely the guise of one that lived and breathed just like them…almost.

With a wave of his dark gloved hand the dark man cast a mirror-like image in front of him. Placid silver eyes gazed into the clouded reflection and transfigured to a clearer image. Luminous silver eyes glared back in apparent anticipation. Trinton smirked evilly as his masculine voice chimed through the room. "Tell me, is it true that the girl Graccus spoke of has it?"

The clouded mirror only shown a vague image of a slender female laying on what seemed to be a tiny bed with someone looking over her still form.

He frowned at the sight of the demon and his prize in the same room. This monster held the key in his hands by protecting this feeble girl and there was no way in hell he would allow this beast get the upper hand on him, not with godhood within his grasp.     

Trinton stopped his dark musings as he swayed the clouded mirror from view and placed the crystal glass on a nearby table and glared mindlessly at the empty room. Barren, just like him.  

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  Author's Note: Sorry the chapter is so freaking short I plan to add more depth to this *new* character!!! Chapter 10 should not take too long to be up. Thanks for all of the replies!! It means a lot!! ^_*