The Age of Fairy Tales:

The New Gods VII

"Ozma, don't listen to her!" Salem turned to Ozma.

"Why? What are you afraid of, Salem?" Aqua questioned, glancing at the Seer. "Afraid of what he might think that you are the reason that magic was stripped from everyone after you tried to kill the Brother Gods?"

Ozma gaped. "What?"

"And because of that, they stripped everyone of their magic except the two of you." Aqua continued.

"Lies!" Salem shouted desperately.

"In fact you haven't stopped there. You also caused a village of people to be wiped out because someone wandered into the forest you were staying at before." Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Don't try and lie your way out of this, Salem. I've seen what you've done."

Salem snarled, desperately willing the Seer to attack and kill Aqua but no matter how hard she pushed the Grimm would not budge. Ozma was about to say something when the ground began shake. Aqua spun around to see a blackness spreading from the shadows of the cave and out into the open and something began to rise up. The shape was large with wings growing out that broke through the shadowy matter covering it until finally it broke free and let out a loud roar.

It was a dragon.

Followed by this, another shadowy shape rose with clawed hands and feet and a busy tail. The shadowy matter fell away, revealing a muscular humanoid figure with black fur and a wolf shaped head with glowing red eyes.

And the third figure was the shape of a woman but had a shadowy purple body with a wisp like tail for legs. Her hair was long and greyed purple under a purple and white ringed hat and she had small pale lips.

"I believe you have something of ours." The Shadow Woman stated.

Xxx

"Who or what the hell are those?" Neo asked, having seen the three monsters rise out of the shadows with Penny, Oscar and Terra from the Ever After.

"I'm…I'm not sure." Oscar admitted. "Ozma never saw anything like these."

"Because they were not made in the timeline without Aqua." Penny answered, causing the two to look at her. "But you know them in another way."

Oscar didn't know what to make of that.

Xxx

Aqua had carefully positioned herself so she could keep an eye on Ozma, the Seer Grimm that was being used by Salem and the three newcomers. She looked at them, wondering who or what they actually were but kept silent.

"A thousand years have passed and only now do you show yourself again, Aqua." The Shadow Woman spoke, glaring at Aqua.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Aqua asked carefully.

"I suppose you or Ozma wouldn't recognize us, considering how much we have changed after all." The Shadow Woman remarked, holding up her hand and looking it over. "Perhaps this will jog your memory. We first met in the colosseum of our master, a man who had risen to become one of the world's greatest conquerors before he was defeated by the great Ozma, better known as the Emerald Knight and woman with blue hair and wore blue and silver armor who later became known as the Ocean Knight."

Aqua and Ozma's eyes widened in surprise and recognition of the Shadow Woman's tale. "Sidorak!"

"YOU REMEMBER. WE'RE FLATTERED." The dragon snarled as smoke flared from its nostrils. "YOU DFEATED OUR LORD SIDORAK AND LEFT HIM IN THE BRINK OF DEATH. WE WERE DESPERATE TO SAVE HIM AND SO WE BROUGHT HIM TO THE GOD OF DARKNESS TO PLEAD FOR HIS LIFE."

"The God of Darkness would accept his plea and transform what was once Sidorak into a demon…A demon with the ability to command the Grimm and wield even greater power." The humanoid wolf spoke next. "He became…Surtr!"

Aqua gasped softly. "I know you three…Now I remember…You were Sidorak's lieutenants! His top warriors that Ozma and I fought in the colosseum."

"Correct." The Shadow Woman smiled and gestured to herself. "Of course, we no longer go by our old names. I was remade to be the Queen of Shadows by Lord Surtr. But you can call me Umbra if you want."

"I WAS MADE TO BE THE RULER OF THE SKIES, KUR!" The dragon proclaimed, releasing a breath of fire from his mouth to the clouds above.

"And I am Fenrir, the predator of the night." The wolf creature was on all fours now, barring his teeth at Aqua and Ozma. "And you are my prey."

"Wait, this doesn't make sense." Ozma stepped forward. "Aqua and I fought Sidorak's lieutenants centuries ago. You couldn't have lived this long."

"But we did…Because our life force was bound to our master by the God of Darkness." Umbra replied, shocking the two. "I see you had no idea. When the God of Darkness agreed to save Lord Sidorak's life and grant him power it was done at the expense of our human selves. Our souls were bound to Sidorak when he was transformed into Surtr and the only way we can supposedly be released…Is if Surtr is destroyed for good."

Aqua just stared at the three, trying to fully understand what she had been told. "But…We-I defeated Surtr."

"BUT YOU DIDN'T DESTROY HIM." Kur snarled. "YOU ONLY SEALED HIM AWAY AND THUS WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD SO AS LONG AS HE REMAINS SEALED."

"And the only way we can be free is if the seal is broken." Umbra narrowed her eyes. "So you can either help us unseal Surtr so we can end this curse or you can give us the Lamp and it can show us how it can be done without you."

Aqua shared a small glance with Ozma before she pointed her Keyblade at the three. "I am afraid I can't allow either one to happen. I will not allow you to release Surtr and the Lamp of Knowledge…I locked it away. You can't reach it."

Ozma glanced at Aqua while Salem narrowed her eyes through the Seer Grimm, both wondering what Aqua meant by that.

"Then we'll just have to do this…" Umbra spread her arms out. "BY FORCE!"

(Kingdom Hearts OST Enter the Darkness)

Kur let out a roar as he let loose a blast of fire at the pair. Ozma raised his scepter and a green energy barrier shielded him and Aqua from the blast. Once the attack subsided, Ozma dismissed the barrier and prepared for battle as he pulled out the Sword of Destruction in one hand while holding his scepter in the other.

Fenrir snarled and lunged at the pair. Aqua stepped forward and created a barrier that Fenrir bumped right into, leaving him dazed. While her back was turned to the Grimm Seer, Salem again commanded the Grimm to attack the Keyblade Master while her back was turned.

Only once again its tentacles stopped just a few inches from the back of her head as she turned stared at the Seer. "Really?"

Salem growled.

Shaking her head, Aqua swung her Keyblade down on the crystal ball that was the Seer's 'head' shattering it instantly.

Xxx

In her castle, Salem let out a frustrated growl upon seeing her Seer had been destroyed and leaving her blind to what was happening out there. So frustrated she flipped the table over with one hand, sending it crashing into the wall.

How is this possible?

How is…she still alive?

Salem's eyes widened when she realized what would happen.

She would tell Ozma what she had done.

Then Ozma might hate her.

He might reject what she had done for him.

Everything they working so hard to accomplish undone by what words that…woman would whisper into his ears.

She couldn't allow that.

She had to stop her.

Reaching out with her powers, the power that allowed her to control the Grimm, the children of the God of Darkness himself, Salem searched for something, anything to help her.

The great darkness that was part of her, that she had willingly embraced when she fell into the dark waters that spawned the Grimm, reacted to her desperate commands.

She could feel it.

Something was close by.

She reached out and grabbed it, bending it to her will and making it part of her. Her body slumped back in her chair and her eyes rolled up into her head.

Xxx

With the Grimm destroyed Aqua turned back to the battle as Fenrir got back up and snarled at her, pacing on all fours like a real wolf. Aqua prepared herself for the next attack, or at least she tried to but failed to notice her own shadow growing in size behind and a pair of arms lashed out, grabbing her and pulling her down. Aqua let out a surprised grunt as she pulled into the shadow, falling into a void of pure darkness.

It felt like she was underwater…

Especially since there was no air to breath.

"Like it?" Umbra's voice came from all around her, sounding normal instead of being underwater. "My own personal domain where I can send anyone to drown in the dark."

Aqua looked up and saw a speck of light, realizing it was from the outside world she had just been pulled from.

"Don't bother. You cannot swim in my void." Umbra taunted. "All you can do is continue to sink deeper into the dark, waiting to drown."

Aqua narrowed her eyes as she held up her Keyblade which released a burst of light.

"GAH!" Umbra screamed out from wherever she was hiding.

Aqua's Keyblade transformed into its glider form and she immediately shot up, reaching the light before it closed and shot back out into the real world. Fenrir had been standing over the portal when this happened and was thus sent tumbling back when Aqua's glider came up and hit him in the face.

"GAH!" Fenrir yelped as he fell back and hit the ground.

Aqua transformed her glider back into her Keyblade as she fell back towards the ground, swinging her Keyblade down. Fenrir barely managed to roll out of the way in time, leaving Aqua's Keyblade to leave a slash mark on the ground. Umbra rose up the dark ground, glaring hatefully at Aqua who turned to face her. Meanwhile Ozma fired a green magical blast at Kur who snarled as the magical blast hit him…

BOOM!

…and was shown to be unharmed when the smoke cleared.

"I REMEMBER BACK THEN, YOU WERE HAILED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST WARRIORS TO EVER WALK THE FACE OF THIS WORLD." Kur growled as he placed one clawed foot forward. "YOUR MAGIC SEEMED TO BE SECOND TO NONE ASIDE FROM YOUR FELLOW KNIGHTS. I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY AN ILLNESS OF ALL THINGS, RATHER THAN ANY OF THE BEASTS OR WARRIORS YOU FACED BACK THEN."

Ozma remained silent as he held his scepter up.

"I HAD HOPED FOR THE CHANCE TO FACE YOU AGAIN." Kur grinned. "I GUESS WISHES DO COME TRUE."

He lashed out a claw at Ozma who jumped over it, flying up and firing another energy blast at the dragon. Kur raised a wing to block the blast, lashing out with another fire blast. Ozma frowned, realizing he couldn't best this monster the way he had done before.

This was much different.

Ozma raised his scepter and down below, rocks both large and small were lifted up and then thrown right at Kur, particularly in the eyes. Grunting, Kur opened his mouth and with a massive crunch, the rocks broke between his jaws. He then fired at Ozma again who blocked with an energy shield. Kur then reached down and grabbed giant pieces of earth that he then flung at the wizard-warrior.

Ozma caught them, using his magic to envelop the earth projectiles in a green aura that he then used to throw them back at Kur who with a swipe of his tail knocked them away. He crawled along the ground, circling Ozma while eying him much like a predator would its prey.

"LET'S SEE HOW POWERFUL YOU REALLY ARE." Kur growled and then attacked.

He lashed out at Ozma, his long neck allowing his head to move like a snake while he opened his mouth to reveal razor sharp teeth. Ozma quickly blasted Kur with green magical energy as he came close. Kur whipped around and tried to hit the wizard with his tail but Ozma blocked with an energy shield. He fired more magical blasts, pelting the dragon and pushing him back.

"DAMN YOU!" The dragon roared, raising a wing to cover his face.

In the meantime, Aqua was doing well against Umbra and Fenrir, pelting them with magical blasts and pushing them back. Umbra growled as she charged directly at Aqua and tried delivering a punch. Aqua raised one hand and a barrier that deflected the punch. Fenrir tried to deliver a punch of his own to Aqua's back but she teleported away just before and reappeared behind Fenrir.

"Thunder!" Aqua held her Keyblade up.

Fenrir turned in time to be hit by a bolt of lightning that blasted him away. Umbra darted towards Aqua with a look of angered determination as she tried to strike…

Only to blasted away by a beam of green magical light.

Aqua turned her head and saw Ozma with the green jewel on his scepter glowing from the attack.

Umbra grunted as she got back up, her eyes flaring as she spread her arms out. "Become swallowed in the darkness!"

Her own shadow in front of her grew and expanded along the ground, heading straight for Aqua and Ozma who immediately leapt back.

"Fine! Let's see how you like this!" Umbra held out her hand. "Blizzard!"

Aqua's eyes widened as a spell similar to her own Blizzara was cast, causing ice and snow to start falling around her and Ozma while a cold wind blasted at them. Ozma grunted as he raised his scepter to create a green glowing barrier that blocked the ice spell. Ozma then shot at Umbra, powering through the sudden change in weather and drop in temperature and hit her head on, breaking her concentration and dispelling the attack.

Umbra growled as she recovered and held out her hand. "Lightning!"

Ozma raised his scepter in time as a bolt of lightning, much like Aqua's Thundaga spell, shot down from the sky. The scepter blocked the lightning bolt but Ozma had been left distracted as Umbra shot forward and slugged him in the face, knocking him back. Aqua teleported between the two and Umbra tried punching her next but deflected the blow with her Keyblade, holding it sideways with both hands and pushing away. Ozma jumped over Aqua and brought his scepter down on Umbra's head, knocking her to the ground.

(Kingdom Hearts OST Enter the Darkness)

Ozma knelt down and grabbed Umbra by the neck. "Now explain yourself. What do you want with the Relics? How do you hope they might free you or this…Surtr?"

"Did you not hear me, Ozma?" Umbra groaned. "You know what we want. Unfortunate that we couldn't get them…but we'll be back."

And just like that, the shadow beneath her expanded and she sank into it, vanishing from sight instantly.

Fenrir and Kur followed a second later.

Ozma just stared at the ground for a moment before turning around and facing his ally. "…Aqua."

"Ozma." Aqua greeted back.

"How is this possible? How are you here and still looking the same as when I last saw you which was long ago?" Ozma asked, still unable to believe this was the same good friend he had met back in…the first era. "Are you…immortal?"

"I wouldn't go that far." Aqua sighed and closed her eyes. "We have a lot to talk about…"

As they spoke, Poppy emerged from the cave, having witnessed the entire fight and needless to say she was stunned by what she had seen.

"…And then she…" She heard Aqua speak as she came closer.

And then saw Ozma shake her head. "No! She couldn't! She wouldn't!"

"But she did." Aqua replied, stoically but with also a tone of sympathy. "She turned humanity against the Gods because they wouldn't bring you back to her. I tried to convince her to stop but she wouldn't listen."

"But that's crazy." Ozma said in denial. "Why would she-"

"Aqua!"

The pair and Poppy spun around to hear a voice coming from the cave and both Aqua and Poppy were stunned as the cave shook violently.

It couldn't be…

BOOM!

There was an explosion of magical energy from the top of the rocky terrain that the cave led into and a giant black four legged figure jumped out of it. The three watched as it landed on the ground in front of them. It was the same Cerberus Grimm that Aqua and Poppy had seen guarding the lamp but it was now different.

It was larger and even more muscular now.

And its middle head has been replaced by a feminine torso with arms and a skull like face with red eyes glaring at Aqua.

"Don't listen to her, Ozma! She gained favor with the Gods and convinced them to strip everyone of their powers and curse me! They gave all the power to her!" The humanoid head spoke with Salem's voice as she pointed at Aqua. "Look at her! She looks exactly the same while you and I have been changed! She stood with them and whispered into their ears, convincing them to kill anyone who questioned them and that she was the only one worthy of magic!"

Aqua narrowed her eyes and glared at the monster that was acting as some sort of avatar for Salem while Ozma nervously looked back and forth.

"Ozma, quick!" The Grimm looked imploringly at him. "Use the sword and destroy her!"

Ozma's eyes went wide. "What?!"

"If you don't she'll just take it." Salem pointed at Aqua. "Look at her. The Grimm sense a mythical energy around her like the Relics. Meaning she already has one of them and must be here for the Lamp. Stop her before she takes the Lamp and the Sword!"