I HOLD NO CLAIM TO ANY OF THE ORIGINAL KINGDOOM HEARTS CHARACTERS! NOTHING! :(

Chapter Four

Aqua

Enchanted Dominion

"Well that's not creepy at all."

Aqua watched as the white orb floated past her and Lucient, headed back to the castle they had seen on the other side of the forest. They could just see the tips of the white castle but they had been closer to the black one here in this destroyed land and so had decided to come here first. Seemed to be a good idea so far.

"I think we had better to take a look inside."

"I agree. I'm sure whatever we'll find in there will be able to explain why we're having such a hard time finding people here." Lucient told her, leading the way inside.

Inside were these pig—like creatures that decided to attack the castle's invaders. Lucient was quite glad for a break from the Unversed. These pig-men were easier to fight off as well, making him wear a soft smile as he knocked them aside with his lance like he was playing an easy gave with the others in Radiant Garden. Moving through the castle the can too a stop in the throne room at the sound of a few voices.

"There's no way Terra would hurt somebody like that!"

The voice made Lucient look inside the room; he gave a sigh of relief at the woman that stood there in the middle of the room; It was Selia. She was standing beside a young man, Ventus he guessed, and they were talking to a woman in black above them on the throne steps.

"You don't believe me?" She looked back down at them. "That's unfortunate, for he agreed so easily."

"He did?"

"Don't listen to her, Ventus." Selia told him. "If Bailey's with Terra like we've heard that she is, then there's no way in hell that she would have let him do that. You're all friends, right? Who are you going to believe?"

"Bailey? You mean that other Keyblade wielder?" Maleficent gave a laugh. "She had more problems than he did. Why, with that inner battle going on I'm amazed that she hasn't gone insane yet."

Lucient gave a frown at the woman's words. Was there something wrong with Bailey?

"Hey, watch what you say about my Boss now, you got it?" Selia growled at the Sorceress. "I'm not as nice as Ventus, you hear?"

"Why be offended when it's all true?" Maleficent chuckled. "After all, Darkness shall always win."

"God, not this Light and Dark crap again," Lucient decided to lead the way into the room, tired of listening to this crap. "I already have to deal with her talking about it, why you, too?"

Selia recognized that voice and whipped around. "Lucient!"

The young man gave a grin as he and Aqua walked up to her and Ventus. "Glad to see you're alright, Selia. I had begun to grow worried."

"You shouldn't have. You know how good I am." She grinned. "Have you run into Bailey?"

"No, not personally, but Aqua here says that she's traveling with this friend of theirs names Terra."

"Yeah, that's what I've heard too."

"I've also heard that this is who she was with before coming to Radiant Garden three years ago." Lucient gave a grin. "Kinda makes you curious to know right?"

Selia gave a grin back. "Just a little."

"Ahh, the truth can be most cruel," Maleficent was saying. "Even amongst the closest of friends. After all, one never knows the secrets of another's heart. I'm sure you'll all agree. After all, did you not witness firsthand what happened with Bailey?"

Aqua gave a frown. "How do you know what happened?"

The Sorceress grinned. "How indeed?"

Aqua went to reply again but she glanced at Ventus. "The Master sent me. Ven…let's go home." She held her hand out to him.

Ventus glanced away. "But Terra…and now Bailey…I want to see her, too."

"Terra's not ready to leave yet. And though I know you want to see Bailey, she's not one of us anymore."

"Not one of you?" Selia pulled a face. "What the hell?"

"Don't ask," Lucient sighed. "She's a weird one."

"I'll say."

"Sorry, Aqua," Ventus shook his head. "But I can't go with you."

"What?" She looked shocked.

"It's just…I have to find him before it's too late! I have to find both of them!"

"Ven!" Aqua cried as the young man ran off.

"Ventus!" Selia cried. She looked at Lucient. "We'll meet up again later, okay?"

"You know it," He nodded. "Go catch your boyfriend."

She flushed. "B-boyfriend? The fuck, dude?"

"Just go, Selia!" Lucient turned his face back to the Sorceress above them. "I'll take care of your leftovers."

Giving a nod to him, Selia took off after Ventus, leaving him and Aqua there with Maleficent.

"I see you too, wield a Keyblade."

Aqua glared at the sorceress. "How do you know about the Keyblade?"

"A source of power," She began. "A key that opens the hearts of men, of entire worlds and allows one to obtain anything and everything. Such a power I find most fascinating."

"So, Terra," Aqua began. "He really…"

"If he did, there's an explanation for it." Lucient told her. "There always is. She probably had something to do with it."

"Yes, and if I did?" She grinned.

Lucient gave a sigh. "You know, if you weren't so evil then I might have found you attractive, my dear. Too bad."

Maleficent gave a large laugh. "Such interesting people I'm meeting as of late." The Sorceress turned back to Aqua. "Now, my dear, would you like to assist me, as well?"

Aqua bared her teeth. "Never!"

"I see. Xehanort was right," Maleficent sighed. "You are a most stubborn girl. Not nearly as stubborn as Bailey, but still stubborn enough."

"Master Xehanort?" Aqua sounded shocked. "How do you-"

~I guess she knows the name~ Lucient commented to himself, watching the Sorceress closely.

"It seems you need time to consider my offer. Fortunately, I have the perfect place."

The orb on top of her staff began to glow and as she slammed the bottom into the floor, a black portal opened up beneath their feet, sucking both Aqua and Lucient into the cells below.

"Should have known she wouldn't just let us walk out," Lucient sighed and then glanced at the other man in the cell. "Did you piss the witch off too?"

The man gave a small chuckle. "I guess I did. Who are you?"

"My name is Aqua," She answered him, moving forward. "And this is Lucient. Why are you here?"

"To prevent me from breaking her evil curse." The man answered.

"And how can you break the curse?" Lucient asked him.

"I was to meet the most beautiful girl at a cottage in the glen. But now my true love lies in an eternal slumber and only I can break the spell."

"Yeah, but how?" Lucient repeated but Aqua spoke over him.

"You must really love her."

"Is what you said true?" Lucient turned and took in the sight of the three fairies in red, green, and blue.

~Well, this keeps getting better and better~

"Yes," The man nodded. "Maleficent told me."

"Oh, Prince Phillip, it's you!"

"Prince?" Lucient glanced at the other man as the red Fairy moved forward to release him from his chains.

"Now, Phillip, the road to true love may be barred by many more dangers which you alone will have to face."

"I'm going to," Aqua announced.

"But why?" Lucient asked her. "It's not our problem. Why do you always have too get involved with things like this?"

"Because that's my job as a Keyblade Master," Aqua answered him. "And with him there's no doubt in my mind that we'll run into Maleficent again and I want to get answers out of her."

Lucient was silent for a moment before giving a sigh and shrugging his shoulders. "Lead the way."

"Now, come along," Flora turned to the cell door. "We must hurry to Aurora."

"You know how to fight, right?" Lucient asked the Prince.

Phillip nodded. "Of course. All I need is a sword."

"Good," Lucient commented as he moved after Aqua. "We'll get you one the moment we find it."

All they had to worry about was Maleficent's goons and the raven that was leading them straight to the fighting trio but just like before they weren't something to really worry about. Phillip spoke true when he had told them that he knew how to fight and so he was a big help with the mass numbers of the pig-men.

Maleficent wasn't in the throne room anymore and so they headed towards the gates. Lucient ran to the pulley and set it off to raise the gtes before following Aqua and the others outside. When they returned outside though, the Pig-men were replaced by Unversed.

"What are these things?" Phillip demanded.

"We're not quite sure, really," Lucient answered him. "But be sure not to let them gang up on you. Their attacks can be pretty mean."

Phillip took his advice and they didn't have too much of a problem until they reached the bridge to the other Palace. Here, Maleficent decided to make her next move.

"A forest of thorns shall be your tomb. Wound 'round the castle in a bower of doom!"

The trio slid to a halt as the black thorns spread around them and Maleficent appeared before them.

Aqua wasted no time. "Maleficent! What did Master Xehanort tell you?"

"Such a pity, child, that you don't have Terra's gift for obedience," Was the witch's reply. "Nor can you see how easy it was for him."

"Terra would never do anything to help you!" Aqua growled. "And Bailey wouldn't let him, either."

"Quite the contrary. He fully embraced the darkness within himself, much like your other friend has."

"Stop lying!" Aqua growled. "Neither of them would do that!"

Lucient went to make a comment about Bailey but Maleficent's next move cut him off.

"See for yourself-all the powers of hell!" She was incased in those furious green flames and purple smoke. They all watched as her form was transformed into that one a large black dragon.

Lucient's mouth dropped open. "Now how in the hell are we supposed to fight that?!"

"With strength, confidence, and heart!" Phillip answered him..

"Well good luck, prince. I'll let you have the first go."

Teamwork was the key to victory here and the trio didn't have to exchange words to realize it. The dragon's first attacks were poundings into the ground and created shockwaves. The best way to attack that was with aerial attacks. Dodging greed flames and raining blows down of the dragon, Maleficent finally got tired of them and decided to fly around, raining attack from the air. Unfortunately for her that was a bad decision as it left her belly open to more severe attacks that eventually brought the dragon back to the ground. Aqua ran in for a final blow but Lucient got there in time to save her from a blast of fire. The fire blocked them from the end of the fight, though, leaving Phillip there to deal the final blow himself; right to the dragon's chest after the fairy's spell. The black trees and thorns disappeared, leaving Phillip to make his way up the clear path to Aurora's castle. Maleficent was slowly stumbling off on her own, and Aqua and Lucient turned to her.

"I'm surprised that you can still move, Sorceress," The young man smirked. "You're stronger than I thought."

Aqua looked at him like he was crazy. "Its…it's the power of true love that defeated you."

"I will not be defeated by something as insignificant as love."

"You don't even know the first thing about it," Aqua shook her head. "You're too clouded by darkness to see that there's something greater." She turned and looked up at the castle. "Try all you want, but you'll never defeat a heart filled with light."

"Perhaps," Maleficent turned back to glare at the other. "But remember one thing-as long as there is light, there will be darkness."

"I've tried explaining that multiple times before," Lucient sighed as he crossed his arms. "But she just doesn't want to listen."

Maleficent didn't even pause in her words. "And in time, many more will be drawn to it. Then they will all belong to me!" He gave of her shrieks of laughter as she disappeared in her green flames and Lucient shook his head.

"Crazy psychos freak me out."

"How can you make jokes at a time like this?" Aqua demanded. "Things just got a lot worse!"

"And how do you know?" Lucient replied. "All that was, was a woman with a crazy dream. The faster we get this done them the faster the links between the girls will be closed and she'll have no way possible to make it too another world, correct?" Aqua stared at him before hanging her head and giving a sigh. "Don't worry. In the end, everything will be all right. Just have faith."

Those words…they reminded her of Bailey. Just have faith. That was something that she would always say.

"Yeah," Aqua lifted her head. "Just have faith."

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