Malum In Se
Summary: Sofia and her friends and family face their biggest challenge yet when the Never Realm rises up and unleashes the most dangerous magic wielders in the world. It's going to take the help of everyone, including some unexpected allies, to defeat the Never Realm and its most supreme evil being: Malum In Se.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First. However, I do own the Never Realm, Malum In Se, and several other OCs in here. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X.
A/N: Okay, you're about to see the evil being in action, and the first "on-screen" victims, so to speak. Some of you will probably recognize these victims, and it's going to be somewhat brutal, but you'll also find out the reasoning behind the Never Realm's interest in Enchancia here. 😉
Chapter 5: Evil Endeavors
A dark figure stood at the top of a hill, watching silently as several cult members and other corrupted Never Realm residents invaded the Kingdom of Golian, which was home to King Langold and his daughter Princess Hortencia. A dark smile appeared on the being's face as it observed the fields set aflame, many village homes already burned to the ground. Plenty of members were running after the subjects, slaying them on sight.
One man tripped and fell flat on his face, and he never saw his attacker coming as a cleaver struck straight into his skull. A woman screamed in terror as her tiny daughter was ripped straight out of her arms and tossed into a swirling vortex, and the young mother was next to be slain as dark magic quite literally sliced her in half.
The dark being faded from its spot and reappeared in the old, dilapidated castle, where he saw that King Langold was already dead, his salt-and-pepper hair stained and matted with blood, along with his usually immaculate black and silver outfit. A horrifying end to a relatively decent and kindhearted human being…
A small whimper came from the side, and the dark figure turned and noticed a bloody girl with tangled black hair trying to crawl away. As she appeared to have been stabbed several times, her movements were languid and shaky, and blood was pouring down her arms and back, soaking through her elegant gold dress. The being smirked. "Where do you think you're going, princess?"
Princess Hortencia, once known for her sour attitude when she visited Enchancia several years ago, was now a 23-year-old royal in line for the throne. Or she was… She turned and gasped as she saw the being before her, but she couldn't even scream as she stared directly into the brightly-shining eyes of the dark figure. She was killed instantly on the spot, her body petrified and her hazel eyes dull and lifeless.
The evil figure chuckled before walking along, purposefully stepping on the princess's corpse and several other deceased victims as well as it moved. Seeing that no one in the castle was alive, it fazed out of the building and back to the hill, the black cloak billowing out in the harsh wind. The figure raised a hand, sending a wave of dark magic into the air, which was evidently a summons for the Never Realm inhabitants to reunite.
They carried on through several other kingdoms—some large and well-known, and some small and intimate—before reconvening in the mountains in an undisclosed location.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce that you have murdered well over two thousand useless Ever Realm inhabitants!" the being announced in that deep, gravelly voice, which was surrounded by whispers. A dark sneer appeared on the figure's face as the Never Realm cult members and inhabitants cheered loudly. "But we can do far better than that, for I have bigger goals, comrades. I have had my sights set on the Kingdom of Enchancia for a very long time."
"What good is that kingdom, sire?" one woman asked, her voice a shrill sound like nails on a chalkboard.
"I'm sure many of you have heard of Princess Sofia: the youngest and first non-magical Protector, and the one who defeated one of my personal favorite former members: Vor." With a snap of its fingers, a holographic image of Sofia appeared, a determined look on her face as her hair blew behind her in the wind. It was an image from when she was fighting with Kinoroh in Reimagia. "Not to mention my most notable members, Kinoroh, as you see here, and even Furio."
"What a nuisance!" one man snarled. "Why are we waiting so long to slay her?!"
The being laughed sinisterly. "Patience, my minions. I'm well aware of her numerous successes and her increase in power, especially now that she's eighteen and one of the most distinguished people in the realm. She has all the powers of a sorceress now. Clearly, we've let this go on too long." The being's hand balled into a fist. "She is far more powerful than I ever could have foreseen, especially considering how weak she was as a little child. It will be a great pleasure to avenge my fallen followers."
A roar of cheers and applause echoed in the mountains.
"She's also the one who stole the strawberry child from the Tenebrous!" an older man called out in anger. "That little pipsqueak who can heal!"
"And destroy," the being corrected with a smirk. "The child has just as dark a background and powers as any of you, and Tenebrous or not, we will retrieve her and use her against the princess. How satisfying would that be? To see her very own 'charge' helping to destroy her?" The figure laughed loudly. "It would thoroughly crush the princess and her will, and she'll be easy prey. It will be the greatest revenge I could imagine! We will attack Enchancia next! In three days, the kingdom, and every man, woman, and child, will be slain." The grin that appeared on the dark figure's face would have sent chills down even the most calloused person's spine. "And I personally plan to rip the precious princess to pieces…very, very slowly…"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Magical Reinforcements