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Twisted Sentiments

Chapter Five- Looming Shadows

If there was one thing the Phantom Blot cannot abide, it was being told to wait.

After all, was he not an arch-criminal mastermind? Did he not terrorize the worlds with his brand of chaos and mischief? Cause untold havoc and gained wealth and power beyond the abilities of mere mortals? Master of arts too dark for even the venerable Master Yen Sid to even contemplate of performing? The celebrated mastermind behind capers as the Mystical Maelstrom Catastrophe or the Radium Card Bonanza? He was once feared and respected throughout the worlds, a dashing debonair villain who lurks in the shadows ready to strike again. He was on a high that could never be replaced by any success in any possible future.

And then, one aggravating mouse mixed with a truly epic final stand and the esteemed Caporegime of Crime soon found himself stranded in a barren island deep behind a solid prison of light. That accursed monarch knew he was weakest underneath the full glare of pure light. No ordinary prison could contain him, which he had demonstrated on countless escapes and breakouts, some with ingenuity, others with brute force. But the mouse brat had done his homework and the esteemed Blot soon found himself in a prison between worlds that contained him better than all those earthly walls before.

He had no love for the light. He found it too constricting and limited. The powers he had attained by dipping himself in the stain of darkness were a far better boon that he had ever imagined. They gave him the power over matter and reality, allowing him to warp his desires into concrete form and amass a lode of power and prestige. The darkness suited his motley well and the Phantom Blot became a force to be reckoned with. Why would he need anything else?

That said, those years behind the light were nothing short of sheer horror.

Of course, he knew that release was inevitable. He wasn't the type to languish behind any sort of barrier, be they metal or pure light. He didn't know who would come for him but he had banked on several possibilities. The mouse monarch could very well give him a new lease in life, unlikely but he knew the altruism of heroes and do-gooders have sunk lower before. He had tried to chip his way out but he could barely pull his mind together for more than five seconds without it scattering to the winds once more. It seemed curtains for the Phantom Blot and his illustrious career.

But then that witch found him, obviously seeking power and intellect far greater than what was given to her. After all, if he would have been paired off with that bumbling oaf, maybe he would have groveled to higher powers for help. Maybe. If he was desperate. But the witch had a goal and the means to take it farther than she could ever dream of doing so. She just needed guidance and competence to do the rest. The Phantom Blot may be the greatest criminal mind spawned by the darkness but even he could see the benefits of bending the knee just a little. Pragmatism had its uses after all.

So here was the fruit of his labors. The Phantom Blot, cursed and mocked and feared all over the worlds, sprawled all over the throne of Disney Castle, lord of ruin and rubble.

And it felt glorious.

"Off the seat."

The Phantom Blot gritted his teeth for no one to see as the cold, curt voice he presently called master ordered him once more. The throne had been ungainly shifted to facilitate entrance to the now empty Cornerstone of Light and the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil had just emerged from said chamber, looking deeply unamused. The Phantom Blot surmised that should her face curdle even more, it would simply shrivel up and die.

"And why should I get off?" The Phantom Blot asked sardonically. He was quite comfortable glorifying the defeat of an erstwhile foe and this throne was quite comfortable if he does say so himself. Clearly the mouse king believed that a little comfort while ruling a kingdom goes a long way. Besides, Maleficent needed to learn that the Phantom Blot will not be some mere lackey to boss around. "This seat is far too comfortable for its own good and the view is simply majestic. Your Heartless had done a thorough job of demolishing their way through the castle."

"A poor job." Maleficent sniffed as she ascended the steps and the Phantom Blot finally acquiesced to her request and relinquished the throne. "If they had done better, every citizen of this miserable world would be dead and the Keyblade Wielders with them, all in one swoop!" She sat down on the throne angrily herself without invitation.

The Phantom Blot only had to roll his eyes, knowing the witch would not be able to tell any insolence. This was the shining star he had hitched to and she had better deliver in full. "Keyblade Wielders are notoriously hard to stamp out. They're like cockroaches. You'll need more than the Heartless to destroy them."

"True and yet our doll fared no better." Maleficent leaned her head against her hand in contemplation. "You have made sure that the professor would not go against our wishes?"

"Thoroughly." The Phantom Blot said with pride. "He knows the consequences of going against our wishes. If he so much as tampered with his results, I would have known about it."

"You seem quite sure of yourself yet I have seen your handiwork beforehand and forgive me," Maleficent gave the dark man a disdainful look that made the Phantom Blot cringe. "Your failures far outweigh your successes."

"Excuse me?" The Phantom Blot drew up to his full, impressive height, bearing down on the clearly unamused Maleficent. "I have been the mastermind of countless crimes and capers that have shook the worlds and amassed great power for me! Any mere criminal would baulk at the staggering list of achievements that I had created for myself!"

"Yet each and every one of them ends with the same story: you thwarted and the hero triumphant." Maleficent's tone morphed from disdain to mocking. Oh how the Phantom Blot wished to just put this pretender in her place. While she was out chasing princesses, he was outwitting entire worlds, stealing castles for his own and all the more adding to his power. He had built a formidable and complex empire of wealth, power and prestige. There was not a criminal or villain in any known world that the Phantom Blot did not own in some way. He had debts and connections stretching through the Lanes Between and beyond. Not one world has not been graced by the inky presence of the Phantom Blot.

After all, why else would this simpering fairy even pressgang him into her command? She had no lack of power, he could concede that. She was after all the Mistress of All Evil, wielder of dark powers and commander of those abominations that have been named the Heartless. She had no lack of resources, premises or even ideas. What she had proposed to the Phantom Blot was the juiciest and most ambitious plan he had seen not come from him. It had no pretentions of greatness, just something simple and clean cut. Most of all, it had plenty of points for him to exploit. Everything could become pear-shaped for Maleficent but the Phantom Blot made sure that he would emerge smelling like a rose.

So the Phantom Blot can take all the jabs, the lowly position of henchman to an overinflated ego. Because he can take it.

"Why my dear Maleficent, I do not know where you hear these tawdry rumors," The phantom Blot's voice became silkier and more servile now. He actually had the temerity to bow lowly to the witch."But I assure you that my credentials are all justified. After all, you would not have wasted your precious energy in freeing me if I had no worth now, would you?"

"You have been a much needed boost to my operations." Maleficent mused. Of course all hostility can be pacified with the enough amount of flattery. People are so easy to manipulate. "And you have performed admirably so far, unlike that mongrel Pete. Every task given to you has been accomplished and accomplished well. I am pleased to see that my faith in you has been rewarded."

"I live to serve." Inwardly, the Phantom Blot promised endless retribution for all the servility he was being forced to display.

Maleficent only smiled at the acknowledgement as she went on with her spiel. "Now, what of Destiny Islands? I trust the assault went as planned?"

"The world has been razed. Not a single living soul within any of the civilized islands. The citizens tried to escape with two gummi ships but the Silhouettes managed to bring one down before it could launch. Any person that hasn't been killed has been sent to the castle as prisoners."

"Excellent. What of the Princess?"

"Our doll has yet to bring her here but this model is one of our best. The professor staked his life upon it."

"Then it had better perform as advertised." Maleficent frowned. "The Keyblade Wielders all rely on their friends for their power. They must not be allowed to reunite until all the pieces are in place. United, they are a potent threat to our plans. Divided and broken, they are nothing more than loose sheep waiting to be herded to their designated places. Are you sure that the doll will deliver the Princess?"

"If it fails," The Phantom Blot countered. "Then I will go after her personally."

"No, I have a far more pressing need for you." Her rejection slightly rankled the Phantom Blot but he let it go as quickly as it came. "We do not need to waste your skills hunting down broken dolls and lost girls. We can leave that to creatures of lesser ilk. You're task is reserved for my former apprentice."

"And what would you want with Riku?" In his mind, the Phantom Blot brought up all he knew and researched about the boy. Information is the key to all plans and a tragic lack of it would mean forging a plan while being effectively blind. Every detail was vital, from a person's fears to their pet peeves. The Phantom Blot made a point of tracking down any particular fact or figure about the principal players in any scheme he involved himself in. It was just a good standard operating procedure and tiny details that had eluded him were a hindrance that must be weeded out. He knew very well how even the smallest of details could trip up the greatest of plans.

Of course, getting a source about these three particular Keyblade Wielders was a particular challenge. After all, it wasn't like he could easily blend into what little shadows the all pervading light of Destiny Islands. The Silhouettes were invaluable but all they can gather was visual information. He had to work with what he had which frankly was not enough. The Phantom Blot will have to make do.

"The boy may still pretend to wallow in the dark," Maleficent said. "But the darkness is his heart's true calling. He needs guidance and with your help, he can finally reach his full potential."

The Phantom Blot had to stare at Maleficent after that statement. What was this witch thinking?"Forgive me if I'm wrong," The Phantom Blot countered. "But hasn't this particular gambit failed spectacularly before? I very much doubt that he will be susceptible to the same tired scheme again."

"Nonsense." Maleficent let an evil grin emerge from her features. "The boy did more than run errands for our little group. He poured his heart out about his fears and hopes to me after all while I poured the darkness back. He is merely a puppet that has cut of its own strings. All we have to do is string them back together."

"Of course." Already, the Phantom Blot was charting out how he could pull this particular charade. He did not know why Maleficent would want to attempt tempting that boy back into the folds of darkness once more. Admittedly, he was not privy to all of Maleficent's so-called strategy, only those he played a part in and what Pete could divulge about his own ventures. This lack of information was continuing to vex him but what can he do? He needed Maleficent, needed to gain her trust if he was to flourish in this new campaign.

Maleficent may have claimed to have learned from her past failures but her natural arrogance once again got in the way of true clarity. For that the Blot was thankful but made dealing with her all the more wearying. She fancied herself a master strategist but already the Phantom Blot had poked enough holes to be patched up by his own independent action. It made his job almost too easy. He was looking forward to batting heads with the wielders of the key, not standing around and helping to inflate a lesser mind. There was always something distasteful in any job he undertook, something that he would have to get over it in order to do a good job. The Phantom Blot would not let this overbearing witch get to him in any way whatsoever.

"Riku is unaccounted for." The Phantom Blot said smoothly. "We do know he managed to take out a sizeable amount of Silhouettes before a large fire overtook his position and he simply vanished."

"Then the Corridors of Darkness has swallowed him up again. The boy is far too hardy and strong to be defeated by creatures as base as the Silhouettes. Rest assured, he will pop up once more and you will be there to make sure than when he meets his friends, the darkness in his heart will be burning fiercer than ever. That is essential and you must not fail, do you understand?"

"Crystal." The Phantom Blot replied tersely. He hated being talked down to, as if he was just a child. "If there's nothing else," He smoothly transitioned to another subject and waved towards the throne room's door. "The man you sent for has been waiting ever so patiently outside the room."

"Why didn't you say so?" Maleficent answered irritably, getting off the throne with a huff and pacing towards the door. "I suggest you go find Riku know and get started. We would not want to be caught behind schedule." She shot behind her back as something large and armored clunked into motion from behind the door she had just exited through.

The Phantom Blot only stared at Maleficent's retreating back in disdain. A Corridor into the Dark flared behind him, tendrils of darkness consuming his nocturnal form. A dagger planted on her back would be most satisfying but he knew when to delay pleasure when needed. "There's a time and place for everything." He said to no one in particular as the darkness overwhelmed him.

"And time marches for no one."

TSTSTSTSTSTS

"So, where are we?"

Tifa only smiled brightly at Sora as she walked towards the staircase. Still slightly doozy from his sleep, Sora yawned hugely, trying to get his senses oriented back into something that passed for normal around here. He passed closed doors and descended the staircase with Tifa to be greeted by the room downstairs.

"Welcome to the Seventh Heaven." Tifa said proudly, waving a hand to the bar interior that Sora was seeing. He had never been inside a bar but he expected them to be somewhat glamorous. The closest he had ever been was a certain bar in Port Royal that apparently didn't allow animals in, much to Donald's displeasure. This bar seemed to be a bit more ramshackle, built to last instead of being built to appeal to aesthetics. A few chairs and tables littered the floor in front of the wooden bar, from which Sora could see a large array of bottles and liquors. Apart from the two light bulbs, the only source of lighting was a large pinball machine and an open window. The bar, while empty save for one person lounging in a corner, felt cozy and warm, a place to kick back and relax the rest of the day away. Sora wouldn't have minded kicking back here any day.

"This is your place?" He asked quizzically towards Tifa.

She nodded. "Yup! I took over the place from the original owner back before the Heartless took over. Leon and the guys helped me rebuilt it once we got things settled once more. So, to thank them, I'm letting him use the bar as their headquarters now that the city's doing better. I'm sure Merlin would've appreciated having his house back."

"Really?" Sora looked around for a familiar face. The only person in the bar proper was a man sitting rigidly in the corner, petting his sleeping dog. "I don't see them."

"We can hardly hold meetings in the bar. It'll disrupt business." Tifa led Sora towards the pinball machine where a door marked 'Staff Only' held court.

"What business? There was only one guy there. And his dog."

"Hey!" Tifa playfully punched Sora at the shoulder. "Business will be booming soon, we just got rebuilt after all. And it's only morning." She gave him a smile and opened the door.

Before Sora could see any of the room beyond him, a short ball of energy shot at him and engulfed him in a sharp, painful hug. "SORA!" Yuffie screamed in joy as she dragged Sora into the room, much to the protest of the boy's muscles. "I knew you'd be fine, I knew you'd take care of those mean Heartless!"

"Um, Yuffie? Would you get off me?"

"Huh?" The hyperactive ninja blinked until she processed Sora's request. "Oh! Sure, no prob!"

"Thanks." Sora said, rubbing the back of his head. He finally got a good look into the meeting room of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee and was pleasantly surprised. He somewhat expected a sober conference room, all paneled and glossy. Really, he should have remembered who the guys in this committee were. The room was just a really informal rec room. A couch dominated one side of the wall facing a large computer array laden with a monitor almost as big as the one in Ansem's study. Chairs littered the floor as well, some of them stacked up in one corner next to a large bookshelf. Sora could see a desk with plenty of blueprints and paper tacked up around it. A coffee table stood front and center in the middle of the room, laden with papers and cups. It was as laidback as a meeting room could ever be.

And the room was packed with the Restoration Committee. Yuffie had deposited him in the middle of the couch, right in the middle of Donald and Goofy who were busy trying not to laugh at his earlier predicament and general unkempt look. Leon was leaning near the desk, shaking his head but unable to keep the smile off his face. Cid was as usual sitting in front of the computer, looking in amusement at the three on the couch while Aerith sat demurely next to a giggling Yuffie. Tifa took her place on another chair, smiling like the rest. It was almost like old times.

Sora looked around, noticing a few omissions. "Where's Merlin? And the King?"

"They're talking about a few details before they get here." Leon answered. "We'll wait for them to get here before we begin."

And right on cue, a burst of smoke exploded in thin air as Merlin appeared with King Mickey next to him. "…then he had better be as good as he is advertised." The King was murmuring before he looked up and blinked in surprise. "You gotta warn me when you're planning to do that, Merlin."

"And not catch the surprise on your face?" Merlin chuckled before his eyes found Sora. "Ah, Sora! Glad to see you're up and about. From the way I heard it, it sounded like you guys had quite a struggle in your hands."

"It was nothing." Sora said, trying to reassure the eyes now on him. That battle was far from nothing but he can't afford to let them lose hope. He was the chosen Keyblade Wielder after all. If he falters, everyone would lose hope and the chances of them winning could fall rapidly. He wasn't about to laugh certain death in the face but he can't let himself blubber like a child. Those days were over now.

"It was not nothing." Cid said roughly. "We've never scanned so much Heartless all concentrated at one spot.

"That would be the work of the Cornerstone." The King responded. Everyone in the room turned to him. "Or rather, the lack of it. Its disappearance created a gigantic shadow inside the castle, attracting a great deal of Heartless.

"So that's how Maleficent got so many of them to attack the castle." Goofy said worriedly. "But gawrsh, how did she find the Phantom Blot then?"

"That's his name?" Sora asked, to everyone's assent. "It sounds like he's a major bad guy."

"He's popped up before, in Traverse Town." Aerith said darkly, to Sora's surprise. He would never would have thought that Aerith would be able to express much venom for anyone, even a user of darkness. "He was trying to con some refuges into giving him the darkness within their hearts and leaving them with too much light. A heart has to have both light and darkness otherwise their hearts would collapse and die. Only the Princesses of Heart can exist with light alone."

"Oh yeah, I remembered him." Yuffie shivered at the memory. "That was the only time Leon ever had to call for help. I wouldn't want to run into him again."

"He was too powerful for us." Leon acknowledged. "We had just only begun organizing the town. We would never have survived him if it wasn't for the King."

The thought sent a chill to Sora's bones. "Give him the darkness? How does that work?"

The King sighed. "We don't know. We know nothing about the Phantom Blot. No name or origin of any kind. It was as if he just erupted from the realm of darkness. The only thing we know is that he is so steeped in darkness that he uses it to hide himself within it. He appeared after Maleficent's invasion and caused chaos for nearly five years before I managed to catch him. With him at her side now, I don't know the limits as to what they can do now."

Sora remembered that evil creature's blank eyes and how they were devoid of anything human. There was no possible way that thing had started out as a human being. Even Nobodies he could respect that they used to be able to feel, to think, to know. That monster lacked anything approaching empathy, only an endless malice for the world around him. The name he was given, the Phantom Blot, sounded too belittling, too much like a cartoonish villain from a cartoon. There was nothing cartoonish about the…thing that he had seen.

Maleficent had been a side concern for Sora, having been forced to deal with the more pressing matter that was Organization XIII. He should have guessed that she wasn't going to stop. What was he thinking? Nothing, of course, that's what he always thought. Why wasn't he preparing for this, for something at the very least? Was he really that stupid to think that she'd leave them all alone now that she had the World That Never Was all to herself? He had been 'busy' lazing the days away underneath the sun while she grew in strength and forces, now aided by this creature that sounded too nightmarish to be true.

The road ahead was getting bleaker and bleaker. Sora didn't know how low it can sink yet.

"We'll deal with the Blot when we get there." Merlin said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Right now, we need to deal with more pressing matters. Like what to do with your citizens, Your Majesty."

"They can stay." Leon answered abruptly, before Mickey could even open his mouth to speak. "We have plenty of room, even with the city growing as it is. Consider it repayment for all the help you've lent us over the years."

"Gosh, Leon, that may be too much. I wouldn't want to impose-"

"Think nothing of it." The King stared at Leon in wonder.

"There's still plenty of places to be refurbished." Tifa said. "Like the old academy or the palace grounds. We could use your help on that."

"You can count on us!" Donald yelled enthusiastically.

The King, however, shot the three on the couch a sober look. "No, I have something far bigger for you three. Especially you, Sora."

"Me?"

King Mickey sighed deeply and said, "Remember the letter I sent you? That task is too important to be left alone."

"But Your Majesty" Sora protested. "You'll need our help here."

"But they'll need your help even more. I've been trying for so long to try and reach out to even one of them but my duties have made me…forget them." A guilty look crossed over the King's face. "I'm not going to leave them in the abyss once more."

"Your Majesty," Goofy asked, puzzled. "Are you talking about those three?"

"Those three?" The King nodded, ignoring Sora's question. "Your Majesty, what about Maleficent? You can't expect to forget about her and go on my mission while she's somewhere out there?"

"And you won't." Merlin said. "We've surmised that Maleficent's plan for now would be to grow her army of Heartless until it cannot be stopped."

"We've detected more worlds falling into the darkness and more stars disappearing." Cid chipped in. "Not as much as before but at this rate, there ain't gonna be much left soon."

"You'll need to be out there, seeing other worlds." Leon said. "There are still many with Keyholes left unlocked that the Heartless will consume, letting them grow. As the Keyblade Wielder, you will have to seal them and prevent Maleficent from exploiting them. That will be your main job while doing what the King wants."

"So it's just like what I used to do." Sora nodded, taking this all in. Why was it so important that the King wanted these three to be free of their fates once more? He had felt a kinship to these strangers for some reason but could not for the love of him remember where that came from. Were they so important that the King would risk letting Maleficent and that Blot guy loose while he went off searching for old ghosts?

Suddenly, Sora wished that Kairi was here. That she was with him and not left behind at home, waiting again. Sora knew that he would never forgive himself if something happened to her but at the same thing he wished he had the backbone to take her with him, at least making sure that she was at his side at all times. He trusted on Riku to look after her for him. But what if Maleficent had gotten to them? What if the Heartless attacked their home?

Absentmindedly, Sora slipped a hand into his pocket and gripped the good luck charm tightly. This was his only link to her but it was reassuring, comforting even. It may not be her but it was created from her, a part of her that she had given to him. It kept him sane, especially in situations like now when all hope seem to be slipping away. It reminded him of why he fought and who he was fighting for.

Sora's thoughts were broken when a large klaxon erupted from the computer array. "What is it?"

Cid began desperately typing on the keyboard as diagrams and symbols flickered all over the screen. "Speak to me, Tron." He muttered.

"I am here, Cid."

"Tron!" Sora, Donald and Goofy exclaimed in surprise and pleasure.

"Sora? Donald? Goofy?" Tron replied quizzically. "It's been too long? How are you guys?"

"Never mind that!" Cid shouted. "What's the alarm, you blasted program?"

"Oh sorry about that." Tron replied abashedly before moving on. "Multiple signals of darkness have been detected within the castle. They seem to be congregating towards the study of Ansem the Wise."

"How are the claymores doing?"

"Not good. They're taking out plenty of the Heartless but every fallen one keeps getting replaced."

"This is no random attack." Leon concluded. "They must be after information inside Ansem's computer."

"I thought you got all that out." Sora asked.

Aerith shook her head. "We tried but some of the stuff in there was too heavily encrypted, even for Tron. There's something missing, we just don't know what."

"And it looks like the enemy has it." Tifa added grimly.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Yuffie stood up dramatically and pointed towards the door. "We've got to stop them before they reach the computer then!"

"Uh oh." Tron said. "Another large outbreak somewhere in Sector 5, the marketplace. Whatever it is, it's loud and really angry."

"Your Majesty," Everyone turned to Leon now who began to take command of the situation. "You'll take Sora, Donald and Goofy towards Ansem's study. We'll take care of the Heartless in the marketplace. Cid and Merlin will stay here to provide support."

The King nodded grimly as everyone stood up, ready for another fight. Sora saw the determined, fearless faces of his comrades and found some light in the bleak tunnel he was in before. Even if they all fell into darkness, Sora was glad to have known such great friends. "We'll meet back here once we've sorted this mess out."

"The Heartless took our home once," Leon answered in a defiant tone. "I'll go to hell if I let them take it again."

AARGKALSASAJLXLZKS

Sorry for the intense shortness of this chapter, compared to the others. School and a certain game took over for a bit and I had to do a bit of reshuffling before I can fit a schedule around it that also allowed for writing this thing.

Rest assured, I haven't abandoned this fic yet, it's just that it'll take some time before regularity returned, not that updates were regular before. The next one might take even longer and might be even shorter as it's mostly fighting and lots of it. But I'm getting there.

Please leave a review!