Dark Deliberations
Set during Act 1, prior to Chapter 31;
x.x.x
He scarcely stood out amidst the darkness of the chamber. The flickering green flames burning along the torch lit walls provided the only means to discerning his path. Not that it mattered. After all, he felt most at home within the darkness. With darkness came power and clarity. And, true to his nature, he blended perfectly with the brown brick walls and the shadows cast by the fire. He drifted in silence over the cold, cement floor, drawing closer and closer to his target, Maleficent. She stood far across the room, atop a short platform emblazoned with the pattern of a rose. Ansem almost chuckled at the sight of her. She seemed so confident in her plan, despite one fatal flaw…
In keeping hidden truths, she had already paved a path to her demise. And how remarkable it would be to watch the inevitable unfold.
He came to a stop just two feet from the platform, standing in the center of a sun carved into the stone. Faint glimmers of light shone from above, shattering any remaining semblance of camouflage. The witch, draped in her garish, black robes stood with her back facing him. Her hand squeezed her long, wooden staff. Whether she detected his presence remained to be seen, as she stood in silence. Perhaps contemplating her next move with the boy.
Well, there was one way to grab her attention. Clearing his throat, Ansem slipped his arms behind his back and spoke up at long last.
"I see that the pieces are all in place."
"Hm?" Maleficent turned around. When she spotted him, a smile stretched across her face. "Why yes, they are. With six of the princesses in my grasp, it is only a matter of time before I complete the Keyhole."
"So you say. But answer this, Maleficent." He cast a glance across the room. "Why have you chosen to keep the boy in the dark? If you had told him that he held the princess' heart, I imagine that he would not hesitate to free her from within."
"True, it could have simplified my plan, but I simply could not overlook the opportunity for his… assistance." Maleficent's smile only widened. "By persuading him that his friend's heart lay deep within the darkness, I have given him reason to assist me. You see, Xehanort, I have gradually led the boy into believing he is a hero."
"Come now, you know I have long since abandoned that name." Ansem shook his head. "Nonetheless, I suppose your actions do carry some merit. I suppose that if you had revealed her heart's whereabouts from the beginning, he would have shared this information with the Keybearer. Your plan would have ended before it even got off the ground."
"Precisely…" Maleficent's brow furrowed, and he smile flattened into a straight line. "However, I admit that boy has been more troublesome than expected. I had nearly lost my grasp on Sora due to his continued persistence."
"Such a shame." Ansem chuckled. "Sora is far too good-natured. Disregarding the princess, his heart is teeming with light, where Riku's rests behind a thick veil of darkness. I suppose it doesn't help that your comrades lacked your… unique subtlety. I imagine that their attempted facades pushed them far outside their comfort zones."
"Some more than others." Maleficent shook her head. "Ursula was no stranger to manipulation. In the past, she had extended a generous hand, claiming to help those in need. Yet others, such as Oogie Boogie, nearly ruined everything."
"Perhaps it would have been wise to have chosen your allies more carefully. As I look around this room, I see that even your friend from the Underworld has abandoned you… Pity."
She once stood among a legion of powerful allies, but Ansem had watched. He had seen them all vanish, one by one, some felled by the Keybearer, others by the darkness they thought they could command. True, both the pirate captain and Hades survived, but one look around the desolate hall proved that Maleficent had slipped. Had she a held firmer grasp on her allies, perhaps they would have remained to ward off the coming storm. Instead, she stood alone. Only Sora remained.
A few moments of silence followed. Maleficent turned her back on Ansem once more, before breathing out some soft laughter.
"Their absence means little to me, so long as the boy remains. After all, he means a great deal to the Keybearer. How could he turn his blade on such a cherished friend?"
"Perhaps the better question is how you expect him to aid you once the Keybearer does arrive. You see, Maleficent…" He took a step closer. "Your little game is nearing its end. How long do you believe he will trust you? Sooner or later, he will learn of your true intent, and when he does…"
She shook her head, turning to face him with a smile wider than before. "Soon, it won't matter. Once he completes the Keyhole, he will have served his purpose." She reached out with her free hand, curling her fingers against her palm. "With the darkness flowing to my command, I will gain the power to rule all worlds. What use, then, will I have for an ignorant child?"
"I see that you're as confident as ever." Perhaps a touch too confident. "But do not forget: your allies carried the same confidence, only to get swept away by the darkness. What makes you believe that you will fare any better? Darkness consumes all in due time, even the strongest of hearts…"
With his point made, he turned away from the witch and started down the hall once more. Yet even as he moved away, Maleficent continued to call out to him.
"You underestimate me," she said. "Wait and see, Xehanort. When the time comes, it will be me who holds power over the darkness and not the darkness that holds power over me."
Words he had heard uttered time and time again. If not from Maleficent, then countless others before her. Rather than entertain her further, Ansem continued on his way, slinking through the hall until the shadows washed over him once more.
Perhaps it was time to take matters into his own hands.
x.x.x
END NOTE: Another villain scene, because I've been in a villainy mood. I had actually planned on including something like this in Act 1, but I ultimately scrapped the idea due to pacing concerns. Now that I have this fic up and running, I thought it might be fun to show the two interacting.