OK, guys. Do any of you remember when I first put up the story that started off Maria's Adventures? Well, I've decided to turn back the clock and completely restart the series. For the most part, it will remain the same - at least, in the beginning - but there were a few things that I wanted to change about how the story went, especially now that I've had a little more experience with writing and I know where everything's going in the series.
And, if anyone's wondering, I'll replace the stories as I go along - meaning that the entire series won't disappear, just one at a time until I've caught up with myself.
So, here we go - Disney Kingdom, Take Two!
Chapter 1 - And so it begins
Maria was sleeping soundly, not a care in the world. Below her in the lower bunk, Liz was sleeping, as well.
Neither of them noticed the large, round figure that squeezed through the door into their room. The creature looked around the small bedroom - which was made even smaller by the pair of wardrobes that sat at either side of the room. The bunk bed that sat next to one wall soon caught its attention, and it looked at the sleepers with interest, the creature's small, short ears going up.
The creature looked at the 16-year-old sleeping in the top bunk, her light brown hair seeming to be shining slightly because of the light coming out of the closet. Its eyes scanned the slight athletic build on the girl had.
Maria was so deep in her sleep that she didn't notice the cat-like face observing her.
The creature looked at the girl on the lower bunk, taking note of the darker hair and seemingly smaller build. The girl was certainly younger than the other, and appeared to be a 13 years old, and was most likely (and truly was) Maria's sister.
Suddenly, Maria started to stir in her sleep, muttering something as she started to enter the land of the awake. The creature started to hurriedly look around for a hiding place and, catching sight of such a place dove for it and disappeared inside.
Maria sat up, looking around for whatever it was that might had woken her, blue eyes alert. Climbing down the ladder in her blue T-shirt and shorts, she hissed, "Liz!"
Liz opened her blue eyes, her face forming a scowl as she glared up at the girl who had disturbed her sleep. "What?" she demanded. The annoyance in her tone clearly said that she wanted to sleep for some time longer.
"I think there's someone in our room," Maria replied quietly. She grabbed her red and black glasses off a bookshelf that was near the ladder.
"It's probably just the cat," her sister muttered grumpily. "Looking for breakfast from you."
"I doubt it. The presence feels malicious, and the alarm hasn't gone off yet - that's his signal to come up here."
Liz got out of her bed in purple pjs identical to Maria's and opened her wardrobe. "You probably just had a bad dream." She took out her lavender glasses and looked around. "Nothing seems to be off." She started to take her glasses off again when she looked over at he digital clock that sat on top of Maria's wardrobe, which had its back right up against the headboards of the bunk beds.
Liz let out a sigh. "Oh, it's six. Guess it's time we got up, anyway." She flipped the room's light switch to the "on" position, flooding the room with light.
They quickly slipped into respective outfits they had left out the day before: Maria now wore a red T-shirt and jeans with white shoes that had red stripes, and Liz was in the same outfit, but with a purple shirt instead, and her shoes had dark blue stripes.
Maria started going through a pile of clothes in the corner of the room that contained the end of her wardrobe that could be opened.
"I don't see my orange jacket in here," the teenager noted, frowning.
"It's probably in your wardrobe," Liz said as she put on a white jacket. "I don't think you really need it. How warm is it out there?"
"Something like fifty degrees," Maria replied. "A bit too cold for just a short-sleeved shirt and jeans, if you ask me."
"Here," came a muffled voice from Maria's wardrobe. "Is this what you're looking for?" A large hand in a black glove came out, holding an item of clothing.
"Thanks!" Maria said, grabbing the orange jacket. She started to put it on, then slowed down slightly as she realized what had just occurred. "Who's in my wardrobe?"
Maria opened the doors wide, revealing a large animal with a big chin, big eyes, and short, pointy ears. It was also wearing some sort of red-and-blue outfit that looked somewhat like armor.
Maria blinked a couple times, getting a good look at the creature, her reaction time slow as it was still early in the morning. A couple seconds later, she let out a gasp. "You!"
"What about me?" the creature retorted.
"You're...Pete!"
Liz looked over and let out a squeal. "What's he doing in there?! I thought he was just supposed to be a cartoon!"
"So did I!" Maria replied. "And he's in the same getup as the one in those cutscenes we've been watching..." She started to back up to the door of the bedroom. "I think I'll go warn Mom and Dad."
Pete looked panicked at the notion, and then an angry look came over his face. "Oh no, you don't! Yer comin' with me!" He quickly grabbed the two girls by their jackets as some sort of black portal opened up in the center of the room. Pete then barreled into the portal, carrying one girl in each arm, both struggling to get free.
"Let us GO!" Maria yelled. She tried to push against Pete's thick arm in order to drop to the carpeted floor, but it only wrapped around her more tightly.
"Fat chance," Pete replied as he ran through some sort of dark corridor. "You two saw me, so you won't be tellin' nobody about my bein' in your world. So you're coming to mine."
Liz growled. "You meanie!"
"I ain't mean," Pete replied as if the insult were nothing. "Just wait 'till you meet my boss!"
The two girls looked at each other across Pete's belly. Neither had any real idea what he meant.
Just as they emerged through a portal at the other side of the strange corridor, Pete shouted, "I'm baaack!" The portal then closed, much to the horror of the girls.
"About time," said a cold voice.
Maria's head turned to see a tall woman in a black robe coming down some stone stairs. She carried a tall, black staff with a green orb on the top, and she wore what seemed to be ram horns on her head.
Maria took in a quick breath. "No, way. This can't be happening..."
Liz glared at the figure with dark intent. "It seems like it is."
Pete unceremoniously dropped the two girls, who let out squeals as they hit the stone floor. The Disney cat saluted as the woman stopped in front of him. "You were right! There are other worlds out there. I found myself in a small house, and discovered these two kids. Surprisingly, they recognized me."
"Of course we recognized you!" Maria snapped as she got up. "You're Mickey's archenemy!"
"Do you recognize me, then?" the woman inquired. The look on her face was calm, calculating, and cold.
"Well, duh! Of course we recognize you," Liz snapped as she got up. "You're Malificent!"
"Correct," Malificent replied. "Now, pray tell, what are your names?"
"I don't know if we should tell you, you...hag!" Maria replied haughtily. She looked proud at being able to come up with something that could get on the evil witch's nerves.
"Yeah!" Liz agreed, giving a determined nod.
Malificent glared at the two girls while Pete nervously backed away, obviously expecting something.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" Malificent roared, blasting them with a shockwave of bright green power.
The two girls screamed in agony as the shockwave hit, sending green electricity through their limbs. The two fell to the ground, unmoving.
Malificent, still burning with anger, turned to Pete and said, "Take these two to the empty cell. Watch them, and report to me if they wake."
Pete nodded, then moved to grab the children. He had picked up Liz and was starting to reach for the other, only to become surprised to find that Maria staring into space.
"Kingdom Hearts...is...real," the girl murmured before her eyes closed. Maria instantly went limp.
Pete frowned as he picked up Maria. He didn't have any idea what that meant, but he supposed he'd just have to ask the girl when she woke up.
After adjusting his grip on his cargo, he lumbered off for the cell Malificent had mentioned. He kept the information to himself, thinking that his boss hadn't heard him.
But Malificent had heard what the girl had said.
Hmmm, interesting, the witch thought to herself. But what could the child mean? I already know that Kingdom Hearts exists. Perhaps she is referring to something else? But what could share its name?
The sorceress turned and started the trek to her sleeping chambers, preparing to turn in as she considered what the new arrival had said.
Time Break. Some hours later...
Liz let out a moan and got up, rubbing her head. "Ugh. What's with this stupid headache?"
She started muttering angrily as she looked about, only to start blinking in confusion upon not finding herself in her bedroom, but in a prison cell that didn't look like it had been used in the last century. Even adjusting her glasses' position didn't change what she was looking at.
Recalling what had happened to cause her headache, Liz jumped up and dashed for the door. Spotting Pete through the partially rotting door's barred window, Liz exclaimed, "You! What did Malificent do to me and my sister? And where are we?"
Pete, who appeared to be leaning against the wall across the corridor, looked over at Liz with a look of half-surprise. "Well, that's one of the two brats," he muttered - seemingly to himself. "Now I gotta wait for the other one to wake up."
Liz blinked, then frowned. "Other one...?"
She looked behind herself in order to get another look at her cell. Liz's eyes widened when she saw Maria leaning against a wall in a back corner with half-closed eyes. She looked like she had been out of it for some time.
Liz quickly moved over to her sister. "Maria!" she hissed. "Wake up!"
Her sister didn't move.
Liz kneeled on the floor and started to shake her. "Maria!"
Her sister didn't respond.
"What's wrong with you? WAKE UP!" When Maria refused to answer, Liz did a double face palm and let out a loud groan of frustration that sounded like "Uhhhhh!"
Pete, being the curious and dimwitted Disney character he is, came over to the door and peered. "Is that what your sister's called? Maria?"
Liz looked up at him with an intense glare that could have probably burned the door if it did have any actual power behind it. "Yeah. You got a problem with that?" Her tone was cold and annoyed, matching the look on her face to a "t."
"Not at all," Pete said hurriedly. The look reminded him of Malificent's for some reason...
A curious look came over the jail-keeper's face. "What're you called, then?"
"...We told you earlier, it's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"
Liz jutted her arm out in front of her, causing a sword that looked like it was made of water to appear. Instinctively, she slammed the ground with the weapon, causing a flash of light as the sword disappeared. Then a blue portal appeared beneath Liz, and she disappeared into the vortex.
In the corner, Maria stirred, and she was sucked into the portal, as well.
Pete's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Liz's actions, and they widened further when Maria was sucked in and disappeared in a flash of light.
"Malificent is going to be real mad when she hears about this," Pete muttered, looking terrified out of his wits.
"Hear about what?" asked a cold voice behind the fat cat.
Well, you can probably tell that I've made a couple changes already - considering that I've taken parts of the first two chapters and smushed them together. You can expect more of that later - I can guarantee that.
So...what do you guys think of the new version of the Disney Kingdom? Don't be afraid to tell me! I want to hear your thoughts!