Underworld Entrance
Sora waited on the shores of the lake. Roxas would show up sooner or later, especially after he'd threatened the little red satyr so much he'd fled, shouting threats of setting Hercules on him. He'd only come down here to try to persuade Hades to let up his constant stream of attackers on Hercules, but Sora wasn't interested.
Well – that, and to find out where Hercules' girlfriend Megara had gone. She was the bait that would lure Roxas down here, and possibly even drag Hercules away from the Hydra.
While he'd waited, Xigbar had turned up to find out what he was up to. Sora found that others who'd used the darkness exuded a distinct scent, not quite identifiable as anything specific, but there all the same. He'd only begun to notice it as he'd used the darkness more himself, and it seemed stronger in the presence of those who'd used it more.
Up until now, he'd paid no attention to it at all, originally because he didn't know what it was, and later because the smell of his own darkness drowned out all but that of Xemnas. During his brief visit to the Disney Castle though, he'd found his own smell grew far stronger without the coat, suggesting that it concealed it – up to a point.
This concealment also meant he recognised the smell of someone using the darkness unconcealed, not far from him. He'd been leaning against a stalagmite, arms crossed and eyes closed, but the moment the scent caught his nose, he got up quickly, looking around sharply.
In the small puddle of murky green water in the centre of the entrance, a small green flame had appeared. It grew to the size of the puddle, growing upwards faster than it did outwards, then it went out, depositing a figure in a long black robe with a a green face, horns, and a sceptre in one hand.
"So," she began. "You're one of these... Organization miscreants I've been hearing about."
Sora nodded. "You're talking to the second in command, number Thirteen. Who're you?"
"I think a better question might be who you are. A number is hardly a substitute for a name."
"That's Sora," a new voice added, coming up from the Cave of the Dead. Sora recognised him – it was Pete. "He's the one I told ya about."
Sora glared at him. "Did it occur to you that I might have a reason for not giving my name?" he asked Pete acidly. Pete backed away, cowering.
"Pete! Get back to Hollow Bastion," the figure told him, then turned back. "So, not only a miscreant, but the Sora I've heard so much about."
"Only bad things, I hope," Sora answered.
"That depends on your definition of 'bad'. I prefer the word 'evil' myself."
"They're interchangeable. Now, who are you?"
"My name is Maleficent. And I've come with a proposition for you."
"Oh, really?"
"You've managed to get into the Disney Castle, where neither Pete or I have achieved the same."
"What of it?"
"There's a certain room within the castle that holds the secret that obstructs me, the Cornerstone of Light."
Sora knew about it. He'd found it was the reason the darkness had harmed him so much more – he'd had to pull on immense amounts of it to push through the barrier of the Cornerstone, far more than should have been needed. If he'd had a Hearts and that had been his first use of Darkness, his Heart would have been instantly consumed.
"I've heard of it," Sora said. "No Heartless can appear there because of it."
"Or in the town below. Tell me what it is your Organization is up to... and I'll open the way into that world for you."
"Tell me how to reach it, then I'll tell you what you want to know."
"How do I know you won't just take my answer and leave?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Sora shrugged. "I've got things to do here that I need to attend to. But if the price is too high for you... I'm sure it won't be too much trouble to find the way on my own."
"I wouldn't count in it," Maleficent chuckled. "Even I didn't suspect there was a way. It was only through Pete's bumbling I came across it."
Sora knew he couldn't tell her now he knew who she was – their goals were in direct opposition. They both wanted Kingdom Hearts for themselves. Was there something else he could tell her? It didn't seem likely.
"Can't deal with you," he told her. "The boss doesn't like letting people know what we're up to. Says they might try to stop us."
"I've heard about you, Sora. Pete overheard you talking in Hollow Bastion about rising up against your leader."
"I was ordered to infiltrate them. I'm as loyal to Xemnas as I've always been." A thought occurred to him. "Perhaps I have something else that might be of use to you."
"Oh? What might that be?"
"Wasn't it you who turned Riku to the darkness? What would it be worth to you, finding him again? I know where to find him. I can set up a meeting with him."
"Perhaps he can be useful again... if he can be persuaded to join me... where is he?"
"Nuh-uh. I said I'd set up a meeting, not hand him to you on a platter – and then only for the information in advance."
"You drive a hard bargain."
"I know. So do we have a deal?"
"Where will you set the meeting up?"
"Who knows? I'll have to get him to agree to it first. Keep your schedule open, Maleficent. It could happen anytime."
"Very well then... Pete found a door that leads to the world of Timeless River – a place in the past of the Disney world, before the castle was constructed and the Cornerstone was attuned to defend the place. All I need do is have him steal it in the past, and the present one will no longer protect the world."
"Interesting. Where is this door?"
"Oh, no. That information, I give you only after Riku joins me."
"You're hanging that on a third party, and an event I can't guarantee will happen. Riku may choose to reject you. You'll give it to me when I tell you the time and the place of the meeting, or I call the whole thing off."
"Agreed. You can find me at the top of the tower within Hollow Bastion."
Maleficent turned at the sound of footsteps behind her, revealing to Sora the now-familiar sight of Roxas, Donald and Goofy coming to make a pain of themselves again, with their ally Auron.
She half turned back, nodded to him, then vanished the same way she'd come. The dark scent went with her.
"So," Sora called to them. "You made it at last. I was beginning to think you didn't care about Megara."
"What've you done to her?" Roxas called back. "Sealed her down by the lock to the Underdrome?"
"Now why would I want to do that? No, if you want to find her..." he glanced over his shoulder to the Underdrome. "I'm told Hades has plans for her, so you'll want to hurry up. Hercules will want his girlfriend back."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Hercules told him, coming down after Roxas. He looked considerably worse for wear. "Roxas will help me get her back."
"Ah, see, that's the thing," Sora smiled. "Here in the Underworld, Hades rules. And in the Underdrome, Hercules has been forbidden to fight with his allies. You'll have to enter the Pain and Panic cup tournament – separately."
"But-" Hercules began, but Roxas dragged him down to his level, whispering something in his ear. "Are you sure?"
"Trust me," Roxas answered. "Donald – a little healing hand for our friend before we go into the Underdrome? We can't have him fighting at less than full strength – that wouldn't be fair."
"Pain! Panic!" Sora called. "Get the boats. You'll be taking these two teams over the Underdrome for the tournament. I'll be leaving you now," he added. "But I'll be cheering you on..." Sora laughed, "To finishing each other off, that is!"
Roxas watched him head up to the Coliseum, a look of disbelief on his face. It looked like he'd just ruined Roxas' day somehow. It didn't matter how.
But then, there was one more thing he could attend to that would ruin it even further. The Hydra wasn't a Heartless... but all it would take was an injection of darkness into it's Heart to remedy that. Then he could not only empower it beyond normal limits, but enhance it further by fusing another Heartless with it. He already had the perfect one in mind.
As he emerged into the courtyard of the Coliseum, he saw it had already begun it's rampage, destroying a considerable part of... well, everything. It's single head eyed him hungrily. He'd feed it's hunger alright – but not in the way it expected.
Between his hands, he formed a ball of purest darkness, and when he judged it contained enough it was launched into the gaping mouth of the Hydra. It swallowed, then stopped moving entirely.
For a long moment, nothing appeared to happen. Then it's skin darkened, becoming a deeper, darker purple. The emblem of the Heartless appeared on it's chest, below it's single neck. More would sprout during the fight that would undoubtedly ensue when Roxas heard about this – unless he dealt with the severed neck in time.
Sora pulled on the darkness, sending it searching for a Land Armour, the strongest and most armoured cousin of the armoured Large Body Heartless, which was subsequently hurled into the front of the Heartless Hydra.
The body of the Hydra became covered in many great sheets of grey armour, then the neck, and finally the head gained a helmet resemblant of the ones Soldiers wore. Only the brightly glowing yellow eyes and the mouth were left visible, along with the emblem on it's chest. To give Roxas a sporting chance, he made one adjustment, making that emblem the spot to strike to make the armour drop off. For a short time only, of course... after that it would be drawn back to the Hydra. Just a small sporting chance.
Sora admired his handiwork as it continued where it had left off, causing terror, mayhem and destruction. It aimed for him at one point, but as he had with his Thunder Soldier, a single hand stopped it.
"I'm your master now," he told it. "So just continue your destructive rampage."