Mother and Daughter

Maleficent appeared in the Restoration Site. She breathed deeply of the air of freedom. She didn't know who the Organization member who had released her was, but she was certain that some kind of mutiny was going on within the group. She smiled coldly. All the better for her. Her first mission was to find Sora and his group. They had to be somewhere within the town. All it would take was some careful deduction. She cast a quick ward spell against the pouring rain and went off to enjoy her release from confinement. Suddenly, she stiffened. She could sense the building of a powerful dark magic spell. But it was too intense, too focused; the mark of someone who is used to regular magic and not dark kind. Now she knew where to go, the aura would most likely lead her to Sora. Then, something even more obvious than an aura came floating all the way to where she was. A scream, filled with agonized pain. Maleficent gasped in horror as she recognized the screams. It was Tine's voice! All over town, lights were going on, people opened windows, wondering what the terrible noise was.

Riku held Merlin by the collar of his robe and shook him again. "I'll ask one more time" he demanded. "What did you do to her?!"

"We did what we had to" said Aerith, but she sounded unsure, and her voice trembled. Cloud, Leon, Yuffie, Donald, and Goofy looked guilty.

"We cast a Heart Redemption Spell" said Merlin. "It is an extremely risky dark spell that will call on the hearts that are inside Tine. It is used when an individual has more than one heart inside them. As Tine is Kingdom Hearts, she has an infinite amount. Thus the terrible pain she went through."

"It's dangerous?" Riku yelled.

"Yes" said Merlin. "There is a nine in ten percent chance that the subject's mind could be destroyed by the agony of the spell process. It is only used---"

"By a mage who has nothing else to use" said a terribly familiar voice outside of the house. Sora and the others looked at each other. In the ruined doorway was a woman. This woman wore long black robes. The long, flowing sleeves of these robes were trimmed with violet and almost touched the floor. In her hand she held a long wooden staff. The staff was not unusual except for the top. It was topped with a glowing green ball at the top. The woman's skin was a pale grayish green and there were deep lines around her mouth. Instead of hair she had black horns that seemed to function in that way. She looked extremely stern and forbidding. Her long fingers were tipped with red nails. Maleficent strode into the house. She muttered a word, and the fireplace immediately filled with green fire, casting a sickly, radioactive glow around the place. "You cast an H.R.S. on Tine? It must have hurt her terribly. Her screams could be heard all the way across town" she said, looking at the girl, who had now passed out. "And what if her mind is destroyed?" Maleficent asked in her cold voice. "What will you do then, Merlin? How will you explain to a Mage's Court that you cast a spell that was banned thirty years ago by the Order of Sorcerers?"

"It was banned?!" Yuffie demanded. "Why didn't you tell us this before you cast it?"

"I didn't think" said Merlin. "Riku, if you would please release me, I think we can all talk about this like rational human beings."

Riku reluctantly let the old wizard go.

"What are you doing here, Maleficent?" Sora asked. He pointed the Keyblade at her. "You're the one who caused all this! We should beat you right here and now!" there were murmurs of agreement from everyone except Merlin.

"You know why I've come, Merlin" said Maleficent softly.

"I do" said the old wizard. "Is it true? Has she come back?"

"It is true" Maleficent said. "Xemnas of Organization XIII has released her from her long confinement in the Palace of Memories."

Merlin fell into a chair. "Tea…" he muttered. A teapot began to hop across the floor, but Merlin waved it away. "No…I need something stronger than that." He got up and poured himself a beer from his kitchen. Then he sat down. "T-tell me how it happened. Why would Xemnas of all people release Morgan le Fay into the universe? Is he mad?"

"All that and more" said Maleficent. "But, before I tell my story, you are going to get this girl into a bed and see that she is taken care of." As they all gave her questioning stares, she glared at them and said, "She is Kingdom Hearts after all. I wouldn't want my creation to be unhealthy."

Cloud picked up Tine's limp body in his arms. Like Hayner, so many days before, he was surprised at how light she was. He could have held her with one hand. "Where should I put her?" he asked. "Somewhere away from any weapons?"

Merlin shook his head. The wizard seemed to have aged seventy years in the past few minutes…and he was old to begin with. "No, don't worry about that. She'll be too weak when she wakes up to do anything dangerous…if she wakes up at all. Some people don't. I only hope Tine has the physical and mental strength to pull through."

"If she does not, you will have me to deal with" Maleficent said darkly.

"Just can it!" Donald yelled. "You don't care about her at all, so be quiet!"

Maleficent glared at the duck mage. "If you speak about it again…I will ensure that you are banished to a dimension where roast duck is served everyday!"

Riku stroked Tine's hair as Cloud carried her by. "I'm so sorry" he said. "I couldn't protect you…"

Maleficent looked at Riku. Was her former apprentice attracted to Tine? Strange how things worked, she thought. But she was too busy locked in her own inner turmoil. She had come in, fully intending to tell Merlin everything. But when she had learned that the doddering old wretch had cast an H.R.S spell on Tine…she wanted to tear him apart with her bare hands and nails, magic be damned. It was that damned motherly protectiveness again! She didn't know where it came from, but she just wished it would leave her alone. Maleficent sighed as she saw the black dressed warrior come out of the back room.

"She's sleeping soundly" he said. "She still…is talking a little in that…multi voice…but she's doesn't seem to be in any pain."

"Good" said Aerith. "When this is over…we'll all apologize to Tine for what we did."

"Baybe ib dis ome gobbd boor buh bain she iblicted om obers ob bee iblicted om er (Maybe it did some good for the pain she inflicted on others to be inflicted on her)" said Leon. Everyone looked at him and he was silent.

"Now I will begin the story" said Maleficent. "Wake up 'His Majesty'. He needs to hear this as well. For what I am going to say will alter the nature of this conflict forever."