Things Get Bad

For the next two hours, Pete worried about what Maleficent would find when she came back from…whatever she was doing. She was probably working on some other magical spell to take over the worlds. Did she ever think about anything else? He paced back and fourth in his room. It was an alright place, except for the flame graffiti that someone had sprayed on the walls. It had belonged to someone named "Axel". Probably a member of Organization XIII. They all had those funny names. It was weird. Otherwise, the room had a comfortable bed, and a TV. The TV was the only thing that was really of much entertainment here. Other than working on his fighting skills. Maleficent urged that he do that. He didn't see her working on her magic, but then again, she had more important things on her mind.

"Pete! Pete where are you?" screamed Maleficent through the intercom.

"I'm right here!" Pete yelled through it, his heart in his throat. She would have entered the control room now, yes, she would have seen what he had done to the panel…

"Two hours have passed. I wish to test the power of Roman Numeral Thirteen."

"Tine" Pete muttered to himself, but Maleficent didn't hear it. Pete ran down the stairs to the control room. By the time he got there, Maleficent was already waiting impatiently for him at the double doors. After using the scanners, they went inside. The machines were now silent, the place was dark. Maleficent clapped her hands and the lights went on. She then went over to the control panel.

Wait! I did it! I touched it! Pete almost burst out, but he kept those in. There would be no mercy if he screamed it out now. The coffin seemed to be different. The thing inside was still wrapped in a cocoon of energy, but the energy seemed to be darker…less bright than it had been before. Maleficent nodded at this, seeming to take this as proof that Thirteen would be more powerful than the others.

Pete looked from a few feet away. He knew that if Maleficent checked the panel, she would see the information had been rewritten. He would never have a chance to get away, but it helped his peace of mind to stand near the doors.

Maleficent didn't even glance at the screen. She pulled more levers and pushed more buttons. The monitors on the wall indicated that Roman Numeral Thirteen's breathing and heartbeat was still machine controlled. It was time to turn off that control and see if their pet had the strength that Maleficent wanted. She pushed the buttons that would turn off the machines, at the same time giving a powerful electric shock that would start the heart and breathing. Well, start the physical heart. The spiritual heart would never exist for this creature. A single spark of electricity, the size of a bolt of lightning sizzled into the coffin. It made the remaining fluid boil, and inside the confinement, something began to move.

"Behold the power of the Heartless!" Maleficent said, her robes billowing about her, her body shining with an aura of green light. The witch was in her element now, and she could not be stopped. She was still laughing when the eyes opened within the mist inside the coffin, and it was the sight of those eyes that stopped Maleficent cold.

The eyes were green, they were fearless, they were hard, and they were brave. There was no mercy in them. They were Aurora's eyes. Aurora. That little brat of a princess whom everyone had made such a fuss about, and then had dared to not invite her to the girl's christening? Oh, Maleficent had been furious. She supposed that her biggest weakness had always been her large ego. She had not died but had been banished and found a home in Disney Castle. Only to be banished from there after a few years. The eyes were different; Aurora's had been brown, these were green, but it was the look in them that made her back up. At the same time this happened, the coffin began to crack and splinter, the thick glass breaking like cheap plastic.

"Wh…what's goin' on?" Pete said in a small scared voice he had pressed every inch of his body against the doors, his armor scratching the paint.

Maleficent did not respond. Tendrils of darkness wove their way out through the cracks. Then the coffin exploded, sending shards of thick glass everywhere. It punctured machinery, ruptured tanks, sending cascades of fluid onto the floor, and whirls of electricity everywhere.

Free.

The words were not spoken aloud, but Pete could hear them as clear as day. They were spoken in his mind. The cocoon of darkness was unraveling itself…at the same time that it drew inward. When it was completely gone, Maleficent gave a sharp intake of breath and leaned against a nearby pipe. Pete remained standing unassisted, but still was unable to suppress a small squeak of surprise.

The thing that stood in front of them was not a monster at all. It was a pale girl seemingly sixteen years old. Her red hair spilled to her shoulders. She had a long, straight nose, and reddish lips. She seemed to have made clothes for herself using the darkness power, as Maleficent's apprentice Riku had done. It was a black shirt and jeans torn out at the knees. The black shirt bore a silver Heartless insignia. She was actually quite beautiful. Beautiful yet deadly. The Shadows in the Dark Tanks were crashing mindlessly against the glass, though in fear, happiness, or love, Pete couldn't tell.

"I'm free" she said. Her voice seemed to be normal enough. Yet there was something under it…

"Roman Numeral Thirteen" Maleficent said. Apparently she had regained her composure. "I am relieved to see that you survived your tank birth. She looked at the destroyed coffin, and Pete saw her swallow. "You will now accompany me to my office. I trust my download of information gave you an idea of who I am?"

The girl grinned, showing evenly spaced white teeth. "I don't know who you're calling 'Roman Numeral', hag" she said. "But my name's Tine, not a number. I don't have to follow what you say."

Maleficent looked so surprised that she could not say anything for a moment. Then she glared at the girl with the same coldness that she had used on Pete many times over. "I didn't ask what you wanted to do, Thirteen. I gave you an order. An order is to be obeyed, and if you do not obey me, I will punish you in an extremely painful way." She then seemed to think of something else. "I am your mother! You must do what I say."

Tine shrugged. "So what? You're my mother? I don't have to do anything. I want to be free. This darkness power is interesting. So's the Keyblade Master. I think I'll see what he's like."

"I say you won't" said Maleficent stepping forward. Pete couldn't believe that this was happening. This was his fault! If he hadn't been seized by that sudden urge of kindness, then this wouldn't be happening. Oh well, he consoled himself. Maleficent would teach this little brat a lesson, and then she would do whatever her mistress said. Probably grudgingly, but she would do them.

Maleficent pointed her staff at Tine's chest. "A bolt of lighting that scores the crimson heavens, strike her!" she cried in an echoing voice. The air began to gather static electricity. Pete's fur stood on end, and so did Tine's hair.

"Ohhh, what's this?" she asked mockingly. "Don't hurt me with the scary lightning, Mother!"

A bolt of crimson lighting struck from the ceiling and hit Tine dead on. There was an explosion of energy and a powerful clap of thunder that sent Peter flying into a wall. Maleficent stood impassively through the entire process. "I think that should be enough of a punishment for you, Roman Numeral Thirteen" she said. "Beg my forgiveness, and I won't strike you again."

"Why should I?" Tine's voice asked from within the smoke. She stood, perfectly unharmed. A shield of blue energy protected her from the blast. She cancelled it, and took a few steps toward them, her sneakers clattering on the rubble strewn floor.

"What do we do, Maleficent?" Pete asked frantically. "What do we do?"

"I…I'm not sure" Maleficent said a bit shakily, and Pete realized that she was afraid. This was not supposed to happen. This was a disaster. They had indeed created something of great power, but that thing was out of control. It was a loose cannon that should not be free in the universe.

"We have to kill her---it---now!" Maleficent screamed. "Meteors of Heaven!" Maleficent screamed. Pete ran for cover. He knew what she was going to do. "Unleash thy fury!" the wall behind opened into space. Huge blue meteors, glowing with fire flew from the hole in the space/time continuum and aimed at Tine. The experiment gave another wild grin and teleported away from them. She then formed a large black sword out of nothing but pure dark energy. She used it to shatter the Dark Tank. Immediately the Heartless inside surged toward her.

"No!" Maleficent cried. "Stay away from her!" but they paid her no mind. The monsters allied with whoever was strongest. And Tine was smack in the middle of that category. The Shadows were instantly vaporized into dark energy. Tine absorbed the energy into herself. It streamed into the girl's hands and chest, filling the empty place inside where a heart should reside. She laughed wildly in pleasure. Then she vanished---and reappeared in front of Maleficent. It was only Maleficent's raised staff that prevented her from being sliced in half. Oh, Darkness she thought as the heavy black blade buried itself in the wood. Not like this. Please not like this.

"I'm not going to kill you" Tine said. "You're too pathetic." She turned away.

"Naïve little wretch!" Maleficent snarled. She shot a beam of pure green fire at the girl's back. "Never turn your back on your enemy!"

Tine whirled around with inhuman speed and caught the beam in one hand. It winked out. Tine examined her hand. The palm was a little singed, but that was all---and already it was beginning to heal. "Don't make me kill you" she said in an offhand voice. Then she opened a Dark Corridor. "I think I'll visit some of these worlds you put in my head" she said. Then she was gone.

Maleficent got to her feet slowly. She was still shaking from the shock of what had happened. The laboratory lay in ruins. Machines smoked and sputtered. Fluid lay in puddles feet deep. The hem of her robes was soaked with the nasty stuff. Pete lay in the corner cowering in fear. When she touched him, he jumped.

"Oh, oh it's you Maleficent" he said. He glanced around feverishly. "Is it gone?" he asked.

"It's gone" Maleficent said grimly. "But it will not get away. I will not prove Hades right!" She went around, examining machines with avid curiosity. "What could have gone wrong?" she muttered. "What could have gone wrong?!" then her hand touched something. It was the main control panel. It was tougher than the others, and it was protected by magic. It had only born minor dents and scratches in the madness. She looked at its cracked plasma screen. Typing in Information she came upon something that made her so angry that she saw red, and the world titled for a minute. But when she spoke, her voice was deadly sweet.

"Why Peter" she said. "Come here."