Kieran could hear Audrey crying long before he saw her. The castle gardens were deserted at this time of night, so it wasn't hard to connect the dots that Audrey had come out here to be alone. Her misery brought a smile to Kieran's face, yet he knew he had to force that grin away. He had a job to do, and that job involved putting on a friendly face. Audrey was sitting on the edge of a fountain, burying her face in her hands.
"You look like you could use this," Kieran said gently as he offered Audrey a handkerchief.
Audrey looked up with a start and seemed to be about to say something before thinking better of it. She nodded and took the piece of cloth. Audrey dabbed the tears from her eyes and wiped her nose.
"Thank you," Audrey said. "You're a loyal servant."
Servant? Kieran sneered to himself. We'll see just how blue your blood actually is when I cut your throat.
But he thought better of saying that out loud. What he actually replied with was considerably more empathetic than he felt.
"What dares trouble the fair princess?" Kieran asked as he took a seat next to her.
Audrey wordlessly passed Kieran the letter that she'd been crumpling up in her hand. Kieran did his best to flatten it back out to be legible once more. He suppressed a grin when he realized that it had come from Prince Benjamin.
Your royal highnesses,
Please accept my deepest and most sincere apologies, but I can no longer deny what is in my heart. I hold nothing but respect and admiration for your family and your kingdom. You have treated me as one of your own for years, and that is a debt I shall never truly be able to repay. You have honored me with my betrothal to Princess Audrey, and I know that any man would be lucky to be her husband. But, alas, that man shall not be me.
For years, my heart has ached and longed for another, a young handmaiden who has loyally and dutifully served my family. Though she is not of royal blood, she has captured my heart. I feel confident that it is true love. I could never marry Audrey knowing that my heart belonged to another and that I could never be a true love to her. I pray that she finds someone who can give her the love that she deserves. I am terribly sorry for any trouble that my foolish heart has caused, and I will do anything in my power to perform reparations.
Best,
Prince Benjamin
"My deepest condolences, your majesty," Kieran remarked.
Audrey scoffed. "He's obviously spellbound by some evil villain. What prince could ever fall in love with a servant? He disgraced my entire family, yet my parents will do nothing. I told them that they needed to retaliate for this insult, but they said that that wasn't what heroes did and that that was how Maleficent operated. Can you believe that?"
"No, not at all," Kieran lied.
"To make matters worse, father actually seems to agree with Ben's choice!" Audrey said in disbelief. "He said that he was prepared to cancel his betrothal to my mother because he'd fallen in love with a peasant girl that he didn't know was actually my mother. But... you simply can't compare those two. Father honored his commitment in the end, regardless of his earlier intentions. He was just fortuitous that his true love and his betrothed were one in the same."
"So... wouldn't it be better to forget the foolish prince and seek out your actual true love?" Kieran asked.
"He was going to be my true love!" Audrey insisted. "It would have worked itself out. But now all my plans for a perfect happy ending are RUINED!"
"If I may be so bold, perhaps that's a good thing," Kieran suggested.
"You DARE?" Audrey said with a gasp.
"No, no, hear me out," Kieran said. "Was becoming the quiet wife of a pampered prince what you really wanted? I would think a woman like you would have wanted to be a strong and powerful queen, not bound by anyone else... Not that a commoner like me can presume to know the mind of royalty."
Audrey cracked a bit of a smile at that. "Well, I suppose that does sound quite nice. I did always imagine myself becoming the queen more than marrying the prince... But marrying Ben was my path to becoming the queen. And now that little... villain is becoming the queen in my stead! She's taking what is rightfully MINE!"
Kieran smirked wickedly. "Maybe not."
Kieran took Audrey's hand and led her from the gardens into the stables. Audrey had no idea what Kieran was building to, and truthfully, she was a bit frightened by the twisted look in his eye. Yet, at the same time, Audrey was drawn to it.
"There's something you need to know about me," Kieran said as he poked his head outside of the stables to ensure that no one would be around to overhear.
"... What might that be?" Audrey asked.
"My father was a terrible person," Kieran answered. "He left me with a cruel step-father and an uncaring mother so that he could get drunk and take a sickening amount of drugs for fun."
"How unfortunate," Audrey remarked. "But what does that have to do with me?"
"He tossed me aside the same way that Ben tossed you aside," Kieran explained. "I spent a lot of time being angry at him for that. But then I met a woman named Piper who showed me what to do with that anger..."
Kieran undid the latch of one of the stables and threw open the door. Audrey gasped when she saw what was waiting there. The beautiful blonde-haired handmaiden that Ben had decided to marry was bound and gagged, tied to a wooden chair. Though the girl struggled to break free, she could not escape her bondage.
"Piper showed me that the one true way to kill the pain," Kieran said, "is to kill the source of the pain."
"Kieran... what... what is this?" Audrey asked, not fully processing what was going on.
"You said it yourself," Kieran pointed out. "You need to retaliate for this insult! She stole the life that belonged to you by right!"
Audrey shook her head. "No... no, this... this is wrong. I... I couldn't. What would my parents-"
"Stop doing everything your parents tell you," Kieran said. "It's you who's destined to be the queen. They're old news on their way out. And the queen decides what's right and what's wrong. Nobody else."
"But... but murder is wrong... isn't it?" Audrey asked.
"Wrong? Wrong is what this slut did to you!" Kieran said as he gestured menacingly at the handmaiden with his knife. "And is it truly murder when the queen orders the execution of the wicked? If you're going to be the queen, you have to be prepared to order the deaths of those who deserve it!"
For perhaps the first time in her life, Audrey was conflicted about what she wanted. She'd always been taught that heroes behaved a certain way, and this was not in line with her mother and father's teachings. Yet, didn't her father hurl the Sword of Truth into Maleficent's heart? Wouldn't he slay a thousand goblins if it meant saving mother? How was this any different? This girl was a villain who'd stolen Ben away from her. Audrey wanted the girl dead. Wasn't that enough? And Kieran was right, it was well within her powers to order an execution if she so desired it. Why should she deny herself?
"Very well," Audrey said. "I hereby sentence you to death, by order of the queen!"
The girl protested and struggled against her bonds but to no avail. Kieran grinned wickedly as he drew his knife. Kieran had doubted that Audrey would come around, but with her dipping her toes into the darkness, he saw that she had an interesting potential that cast her in a new light. Kieran brought the knife to the girl's neck and slit her throat. As blood spurted out of the wound, Audrey gasped in a strange mix of horror and delight.
"It feels good, doesn't it?" Kieran asked. "It's raw, primal, and powerful."
"I... I...," Audrey stuttered as she stared at the girl bleeding out in front of her. "I... have to go!"
Audrey turned around and ran from the stables. Kieran scowled and studied her. At first he worried that she might be running to fetch the palace guards to seize him, but the more he watched her, the more he could see something else: she was running from herself. She'd just pushed herself for the first time into real darkness, and she was frightened of it. That meant the time had come for other measures.
Kieran smirked and wiped the blood from his knife. At least things had finally gotten more interesting.
The Hell contingent paused along their journey to rest for a moment. It felt as though they'd been hiking across the red and volcanic terrain for miles, and everyone's feet were sore at this point.
"If I never have to see this realm again, it'll be too soon," Jafar remarked with a scowl.
"Then ye best find religion in yer final days," Davy Jones remarked.
"If memory serves, we art nearing the Tree of Aegis!" Winnie declared. "I shalt scout ahead and report back what I hath found!"
"I'll accompany you," Hook immediately volunteered, seeing his opening. "It's hardly safe for any of us to be alone in this God forsaken realm."
Winnie nodded and summoned her broom to her hand. Davy Jones seemed to be about to protest but quickly changed his mind. Winnie mounted the broom and beckoned for Hook to hop on behind her. Hook awkwardly mounted the broom, feeling quite uncomfortable having his crotch pressing against Winnie's backside. Winnie didn't seem to notice.
"We fly!" Winnie declared as she kicked off the ground.
As the broom soared into the sky, Hook had to steady himself by wrapping his arms around Winnie in order to keep from falling into the molten lava below.
"So... you and my father are enjoying a dalliance, I take it?" Hook asked.
"And thou dost not approve?" Winnie replied. "Allow me to make one thing perfectly clear: it is MY business between me and thine own father, not thee!"
"Understood, and, rest assured, I've little qualms about your relationship with him," Hook said. "He's hardly been a father to me, so what he does is of little consequence. I only thought to offer you a warning."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Winnie asked.
"I didn't get to know him for very long as a boy," Hook said. "He abandoned my brother and me when we were very young. What I do remember clearly was his cruelty to my mother. He made her miserable to the point where her only escape from his evil was the noose."
"She sounds like a weakling," Winnie sneered.
Hook bit back his rage at that remark and kept an even head.
"Though my memories are those of a child, I quite suspect that his infidelity was a major contribution towards her death," Hook added. "He's a cruel man who only knows how to inflict pain and abandon. The concept of permanent ties escapes him. Be wary of him. He abandoned me and committed adultery against my mother, and he'll do the same to you. Mark my words."
Winnie simply sneered. "Humph! Thou thinkest me naïve? He shall never abandon me because, after all, nothing could possibly be a better alternative to me! Thy words art not but a waste of breath!"
"For your sake, I sincerely hope you're right," Hook remarked, content with the knowledge that he'd placed the seeds of doubt in Winnie's mind.
As Davy Jones sat off to the side, sharpening his cutlass, Jafar saw his opportunity to steal a moment alone with Sarah, who was currently preoccupied dancing idiotically amidst the Hellish statues that adorned the area.
"Might I have a word with you, Sarah?" Jafar asked.
Sarah giddily skipped over to Jafar and wrapped her arms around him with a giggle.
"Yes!" Sarah said.
Jafar used his staff to pry Sarah off of him.
"My dear, I must say, I have noticed quite a connection between you and Captain Jones," Jafar remarked.
Sarah's expression soured. "Thou shouldst not speak in such a manner. The captain doth be Winnie's lover!"
"That might be, but it is more that apparent that his eyes are on you," Jafar lied. "You cannot tell me that you don't desire to... play with him."
Sarah, however, didn't appear to be listening. She plucked a scorpion up off the ground, ripped off its tail, and proceeded to eat the arachnid, crunching it loudly between her teeth.
"Play with who?" Sarah asked between chews.
Jafar sighed in exasperation and held his staff aloft. The ruby eyes of the cobra head began to glow red and create a twisting pattern. The snake staff's eyes caught Sarah's glance and she immediately became fixated on them as the hypnosis began to take effect.
"You will take Davy Jones as a lover," Jafar ordered, "and you will pay no mind to your sister's objections."
Sarah nodded absently. "I will."
"Good," Jafar said. "Now go!"
Sarah skipped over to Davy Jones and began to unbutton the pirate's shirt. Davy attempted to dust her off, but Sarah was relentless, pressing her lips against his. Jafar grinned wickedly as he saw Winnie and Hook flying back towards them. Winnie's shriek of rage at the sight was practically bloodcurdling.
"How DARE you!" Winnie shouted as she landed.
"Winifred, please, it is not how it appears," Davy said. "Your sister forced herself onto me. She-"
But the conversation was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a hoard of demonic souls roaring angrily. The five Overtakers huddled together as the demons began to circle around them. Hook and Davy drew their swords and pointed them menacingly at the demons whilst Jafar, Winnie, and Sarah readied themselves to cast a spell at a moment's notice. They were outnumbered, but none of them were willing to go down without a fight.
"Well, well, if it isn't my so-called allies," Amora said as the demons parted to let her by.
"Amora? You control these beasts?" Jafar asked.
'They answer to a newfound friend of mine, actually," Amora answered. "Did Loki send you to finish the job and destroy me?"
"Not at all!" Winnie answered. "We hath come for but one purpose: retrieving you and bringing you home!"
"How comforting," Amora said sarcastically. "Though I suppose it is the thought that counts. My new friend and I are getting along quite well without your little Overtakers."
"New friend?" Hook asked. "I thought you had better standards than to debase yourself associating with some poor demonic soul."
"Such harsh words, my dear captain," a woman said as she stepped into view. "Is that any way to address an old friend of yours?"
Hook's eyes widened in recognition as the woman took her place beside Amora. Her navy blue and purple dress made her stand out up against the bright red and orange of Mephisto's realm. She was a glittering sapphire against the volcanic rock. Her chestnut brown hair was worn in her signature updo that she'd had back in the Enchanted Forest rather than hanging loose the way that she'd opted to wear it in Storybrooke. Even after being dead for well over a year, she still looked as fearsome as she had when last Hook had seen her. Hook attempted to scowl and smirk at the same time, causing his mouth to find a strange happy medium between the two.
"Hello Cora."
"Thor, your tales of the other worlds are of great excitement indeed!" Balder declared once Thor had finished his story.
"Aye, it has been quite a journey," Thor nodded. "Though I am grateful for the chance to return home to Asgard for the time being. Sora and his companions are brave warriors and true friends, indeed, but I have greatly missed my brother in arms."
"And I you, my friend," Balder agreed. "Though, forgive me if this is indeed too sore a subject, but, on the subject of brothers, you departed to seek Loki. I take it from your omission of details that you did not succeed in finding him."
Thor let out a sigh and paused a moment. The innkeeper stopped by Thor and Balder's table to bring them each a new stein of beer. Thor picked up his drink and took a swig before speaking.
"He has been evasive," Thor admitted. "I've only encountered him face to face once since the battle of Avalon. We spoke briefly, but he's eluded me since. His associates, the Overtakers, have been avoiding direct confrontation with Sora as of late."
"Well, Loki was here in Asgard recently," Balder said as he took a gulp from his stein. "He and Victor von Doom stole a golden apple from Idunn's orchard. The All-Father was lucky to escape with his life."
"Aye, I heard," Thor replied. "And that troubles me. He's long desired our father's death, and with his new allies, he may well succeed in achieving that goal. Yet he has not attempted an assassination since stealing the apple. He's plotting and building up to something, and I know not what."
"Oh you'll learn soon enough!" the innkeeper interrupted.
The image of the altogether too-ordinary looking innkeeper gave way to glittering golden and green armor and a perpetually smirking face framed beneath twin horns.
"LOKI!" Thor and Balder yelled in unison as they drew their weapons.
Loki briefly flinched at the gesture, momentarily concerned that Karnilla's potion had failed. Yet, when Loki saw their expressions begin to soften, he knew that his spell had taken root in his enemies.
"My dear brother and friend, why do you draw your weapons against me?" Loki asked, his tone a mockery of hurt feelings.
"I... I must have been startled," Thor said. "My sincerest apologies, Loki. You know I could never harm you, dear brother."
"Aye, nor could I," Balder agreed. "Your radiance is the light that causes mighty Asgard to shine amongst all the cosmos."
Loki grinned wickedly. "Then do me the honor of kneeling before me. Kneel before your king."
"Of course," Thor said as he and Balder both knelt in devotion to Loki.
"Is this not simpler?" Loki taunted. "Is this not your natural state?"
"Aye, Loki, it is," Balder agreed. "We are thy humble servants."
"Marvelous!" Loki cackled with glee. "You, Thor, tell me you love me!"
"I love you, Loki," he answered with a smile.
Loki clapped and pranced over to Balder. "And you, tell me my most magnificent trait!"
"I cannot, my liege," Balder answered.
"WHAT?" Loki shrieked.
"I cannot because how could I choose but one?" Balder asked. "Your beautiful face, your melodic voice, your brilliance, and many, many more are without equal!"
Loki reveled in the compliments, enjoying at long last hearing that which he'd been hungry for since childhood. Thor, whose brotherly love had been retracted after Loki's evil ways became clear, now loved Loki once more. Balder, whose utter indifference to Loki's existence gnawed at the Liesmith's soul, now sung the Trickster's praises with utter adoration. This was truly validation.
"I could get used to this," Loki mused. "But we have more than mere validation to attend to. Arise, my warriors!"
Thor and Balder rose to their feet, standing straight and tall in the altogether too noble way that they always did. On some level, the sight of such honor and dignity disgusted Loki, yet having it at his beck and call rather than Odin's made it far more palatable.
"My beloved father Odin has acted in a manner that is truly unspeakable," Loki explained. "My heart aches, for I love Odin as I love no other. Yet, I cannot abide by the wickedness that he has stooped to."
"What has father done?" Thor asked, anger building in his voice that shook like a storm.
"He has... oh, it's too terrible to say," Loki answered, milking the drama of the moment for all it was worth, "but say it I must, for you've a right to know. He has deemed me unworthy of the throne of Asgard despite my birthright. He will not allow me to become the king."
"WHAT?" Balder growled.
"How DARE he?" Thor asked, thunder crackling outside to punctuate his anger.
"I do not wish father harmed," Loki lied. "I only wish to take the throne that is rightfully mine. I call upon you both to help me ascend to the throne, by any means necessary."
"The throne shall be yours, dear brother," Thor affirmed. "I will see to it personally!"
"As will I!" Balder declared.
"Excellent!" Loki said, practically giddy with anticipation. "Now, we must-"
But Loki caught the sight of something moving in the darkness out of his peripheral vision.
"On second thought, I would like for you two to proceed without me," Loki ordered. "Go and fight for my honor! I shall be along shortly!"
Thor and Balder nodded and took their leave of the inn. Loki waved them off before turning a scowling face towards the shadows.
"Do you two really think you could sneak up on me?" Loki asked.
Doctor Doom and Ardyn Izunia stepped into the light. Ardyn's face was, as always, cheerful and with a certain twinkle in his eyes that let on that he knew something that others did not. Doom, on the other hand, was pure intensity and focus.
"Did Maleficent send you two to be my executioners?" Loki asked.
"Do not be so melodramatic," Doom answered. "We are here to bring you home and force you to come to your senses."
"Melodramatic? Me?" Loki asked. "Victor, is a reminder of your own lack of restraint needed?"
"Loki, please, be reasonable," Ardyn urged. "We only want to help you so that you do not throw away everything good that the Overtakers have given you."
"And what might that be?" Loki asked with a scoff. "I seem to recall nothing but failure after failure and camaraderie with insufferable fools who appreciate my trickery even less than the Asgardians did."
"And am I so easily discounted?" Doom asked, a twinge of hurt in his voice.
"You and I have had our destinies intertwined since long before the Overtakers," Loki pointed out. "I've no interest in severing ties with you, my love. I had hoped our courtship was not dependent upon which faction I aligned myself with."
"Then why not speak with me of your intentions?" Doom asked. "Surely it would have been pertinent for me to know what you were doing."
"As you did with me when you sought out the Golden Apples?" Loki asked, smirking at his proverbial checkmate.
"My dear friend, you and I are to be brothers," Ardyn interjected. "Please reconsider this rash course of action. The Overtakers are imperfect, but we are something of a family."
"A family, eh?" Loki asked. "That must be why it's so disappointing. I much prefer my brother the way he is now."
"Wildly sycophantic?" Ardyn asked. "That's no brother. That's a slave."
"You say that as if it's a bad thing," Loki replied. "Regardless, my mind is made up. I will rule Asgard alone and my association with the Overtakers is done. Victor, you are welcome here any time, but know this: should you choose to aid the Overtakers in any retaliation against me, then our union is done."
"You're going to fail," Doom remarked.
"Am I?" Loki asked. "Thor and Balder worship me with unquestioned loyalty, the All-Father is still weakened from our last battle and thus will not be able to mount a proper defense, and I've dropped the unfortunate dead-weight of an unnecessary alliance. Where is my disadvantage?"
"You lack conviction," Doom noted.
Loki scowled and turned his back on his former allies. "I lack nothing. Enjoy scrambling for gems like some toothless prospector. I've a kingdom to conquer."
Loki strolled out without turning back, slamming the door as he exited. Doom and Ardyn were left alone in the empty pub.
"Now what?" Ardyn asked, a twinge of nervousness in his voice. "He won't return with us as long as he still thinks his little scheme will succeed, and if it doesn't, it'll be too late for us to help him."
Doom, however, never took his attention away from the closed door. His expression was unreadable.
"You speak as though you believe that Doctor Doom would ever lack a plan."
Riku ran through the waterways of the castle, sloshing through the dampness. He knew the passageways of Hollow Bastion inside and out from his time as Maleficent's captive, and he knew about the secret entrance to the castle. If the Overtakers were occupying the castle, as Riku believed, it'd be less conspicuous to enter this way than to waltz through the front door. However, the sound of voices up ahead stopped Riku in his tracks. He silently crept forward, making as little noise as possible as he struggled to make out what they were saying.
"My patience is starting to wear thin," Fish Mooney growled.
"Oooh, how terrifying," Russell Edgington teased.
"We're friends, Russell," Fish said through clenched teeth. "Now you tell me what you're planning with those six goons or I'll have no choice but to use my toxin on you."
"You're not fast enough to grab me," Russell countered. "Now let me out of the fucking cage, and I will."
"Nuh-uh, no dice," Fish said. "You're still acting like a psychopathic man-child. You're a danger to all of us."
"I did all of this for y'all!" Russell said with a groan. "Maybe you should try fuckin' thanking me!"
"Then prove it," Fish said. "Tell me what you're planning as a gesture of good faith, and then we can talk about letting you back out."
"Doesn't matter, really," Russell replied. "That effervescent lil brat with the Keyblade's gonna be dead as a doornail soon enough."
Russell's words made Riku's blood run cold. If Sora was in danger, Riku had to save him.
"Hmph, and you think the Sinister Six can kill him when Maleficent can't?" Fish asked. "Keep dreaming."
"I've got a guy named Electro and a team of mooks who don't know the meanin' of the word gentle fighting a powerful magical kid on top of an unstable energy reactor," Russell explained. "You do the math."
"Wait...," Fish said, "you mean... you're going to kill Sora, the Sinister Six, and everyone in the nearby city blocks by-"
"BOOM!" Russell declared with a demented laugh.
Riku gasped and immediately took off running, not giving a single care to how much noise he was making. He had to get to Sora immediately if he wanted to save him.
Vulture, Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, McLeach, Brutus, and Nero were circling Sora menacingly whilst Madame Medusa watched from above through the scope of her shotgun. Sora tried to keep his eyes on his opponents, but concentrating on only one was next to impossible. He'd faced worse odds than this before, but that didn't make things any easier.
Sora took a deep breath and strengthened his resolve.
"Bring it on!"
Rhino beat his fists against his chest and charged towards Sora. Sora rolled out of the way and ducked when Rhino swung his fist back towards him. Vulture then swooped down with the blades of his wings angled to slice Sora in two.
"FIRE!" Sora called out as he unleashed a ball of flames from the Keyblade towards Vulture.
Vulture swerved out of the way of the spell, throwing himself off course in the process and slamming right into Rhino, knocking the brutish thug to the ground. Medusa locked eyes with Sora from up above and began to open fire upon him. Sora danced out of the way of her bullets, all the while Brutus and Nero snapped at his legs.
"Deep freeze!" Sora called out, sealing the two crocodiles in a block of ice.
"My babies!" Medusa shrieked angrily before firing again.
Sora flipped out of the way of her bullets... right into the path of the Scorpion's stinger. Sora grabbed onto the villain's tail and activated his flowmotion powers. The Key bearer charged himself up with energy, slid along Scorpion's tail, and delivered a super charged kick to the back of his head. Sora barely managed to bring up his Keyblade in time to block McLeach bringing the gunblade down onto his head. McLeach inched the blade closer to Sora's face, but Sora pushed back and knocked the poacher off balance.
"What do you guys even want?" Sora called out in exasperation.
"We want you to FRY!" Electro called out as he unleashed a bolt of lightning.
Sora summoned a reflecting spell that sent the bolt blast ricocheting away from Sora and up above instead. The bolt collided point blank with Medusa. The woman shrieked as she fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Electro! Watch it!" Vulture barked angrily.
The bird themed villain swooped down for another shot at Sora, only this time, Sora knocked Vulture away with a well-timed swing of the Keyblade. Rhino stomped over to Sora and punched downwards, meaning to flattened Sora against the ground. Sora brought up his Keyblade to block the punch. Even with the added strength of the blade, Rhino's punch still forced Sora down onto one knee. With Sora having no way to account for anyone but Rhino, Scorpion swung his tail into the Key bearer's side, throwing him aside roughly. McLeach attempted to, once again, decapitate Sora while he was vulnerable, but Sora kicked McLeach in the chest, knocking the wind out of the poacher.
Vulture flew in again, and this time managed to grab his prey by the throat and fly him into the air. Vulture attempted to choke the life out of Sora as they climbed higher, but Sora managed to deliver a punch to Vulture's face, forcing the villain to drop him. Sora fell to the ground, and though he managed to land on his feet, he landed poorly. He could feel his ankle twisting upon impact. That momentary pain and hesitation was all Scorpion needed to drive his poison stinger into Sora's back. Sora cried out in pain as he fell flat to the ground, the world around him spinning as the poison coursed through his veins.
Sora was only vaguely aware of the fact that the four villains had taken to kicking him while he was down. He could feel ribs breaking, and though Sora tried to muster the energy to perform a healing spell, he was unsuccessful. Darkness began to seep into his vision, and Sora could feel his body giving over to his uncontrollable Anti-Form.
Not here, not now, Sora attempted to mentally urge.
Yet it seemed to be in vain. The darkness was coating his skin, and he was beginning to look more and more like a Heartless. Sora shrieked in pain as Electro unleashed a powerful jolt of electricity onto him. The electricity was unrelenting. The darkness inside of Sora became overpowering as it longed to defend itself. The darkness exploded outwards, sending the lightning hurling in every direction.
In any other circumstance, this might have been Sora's salvation, but, unfortunately for all involved, the darkness sent the overpowering electricity coursing directly into the unstable generator.
And then came the explosion.