Hollow Bastion

Raven felt a sickening spinning feeling take hold of her as bright green flames engulfed and towered over her, obscuring her vision. The constant force caused a pulling sensation at her naval that made her feel like she was going to vomit, and the pressure made breathing extremely difficult. Just as it was becoming unbearable for her, it stopped as suddenly as it had started and with a jolt, she collapsed to her knees on a cold flagstone floor, gasping in air while trying to stop her head spinning. The sobering thought she had was that the air she was breathing had a very musty and stale smell. Old.

"What was that?" She choked, trying to steady her breathing now that she'd regained some oxygen.

"Simple teleportation, my dear. Do not fret, you will grow accustomed to the sensation in time." She was unphased and had already started walking towards a set of stairs leading up into the darkness. Getting to her feet, the effects of motion sickness wearing off, she trailed after her new teacher, trying to take in what she could. The whole place was very dark and dingey, not at all what she had expected of a sorceress's abode. It wasn't that it was a dark aesthetic, but more that the majority of the place looked abandoned and unmaintained. Wallpaper was peeling, tiles were slipping, and wood was splintering. Not to mention the vast amounts of dust being kicked up with each step she took.

"Um, Maleficent?" She asked cautiously as they rounded another corner.

"You will address me as My Lady or Ma'am while you are under my instruction. Is that understood?" She snipped. Taken aback, Raven didn't respond immediately. The horned mage stopped but didn't turn. "I said, is that understood, girl?"

"Oh! Um, yes, Malef- Ma'am. Yes Ma'am."

"Better." She resumed her gliding stride without so much as a look at Raven.

"Well, Ma'am, where are we? And where are we going?" She asked, almost timidly.

"This is Hollow Bastion, my domain. You are to introduce yourself to my council before you retire for the evening. The have been anticipating your arrival."

"Your council? Will they be teaching me as well?" Then after a brief pause. "Ma'am?"

"Heavens no, child. My council are here for business far more important than your education." She scoffed derisively. "I shall be the one to teach you the ancient mastery of magic. Your physical prowess is your responsibility to maintain. Riku can lend assistance." She led them through a passage that opened out into a large hall with two staircases curving up around a fountain.

"Riku?" This room was lit a bit better than the corridors thanks to a large chandelier that glittered with energy. Raven assumed it was some sort of hub area for the castle.

"Your fellow apprentice. The poor boy was flung from his world when it was swallowed by the Darkness and he arrived here, lost and alone. So, I took him in. As you know, my hospitality does not come free. He runs errands for me when I require it of him, as will you. You shall meet him tomorrow. He is indisposed at this time." Maleficent proceeded to ascend one of the staircases up to a level where the path split three ways, she took the middle route through a doorway at the centre of the landing which in turn lead into a very dimly lit chamber. There was a long green carpet in a narrow hallway that opened out into a circular area with a pedestal in the centre and the high walls were crowned with a beautiful stained-glass ceiling, however it was murky, blocking out the majority of the light and turning what little remained a dull, greenish hue that cast a spotlight on the altar. It was so dim in the chamber that Raven had to squint to make out the faintest outlines of other people in the room, stood in the shadows around the altar.

"It seems everyone is here. Marvelous." The horned sorceress continued walking around the altar until she faced Raven and the entrance. Adjusting to the lighting, she could make out a fireplace behind Maleficent. "Well, child? Don't stand there idle, come forward and introduce yourself." Her red-taloned hand beckoned for her to walk and so she tentatively steeped forward into the small shaft of light.

"Ahem, hello?" She waved one hand as she looked around, trying to make out anyone's features. "It's an honour to meet you all. I'm Raven." There was silence for a little while and she continued to look around, becoming nervous.

"This is it? This is the one you've picked?" A drawling voice came from the shadows and with it a golden staff shaped like a cobra pointed just under her chin, making her recoil slightly.

"Holy Hydras, Jafar! It's just a little lassie, a little sprite, a wisp!" A towering man with stony grey skin and literally flaming blue hair stepped forwards from the other side of her as the snake staff retracted, and bent down to her level, showing his yellow eyes and pointy teeth. "What a teensy package for all that power." A cloud of smoke snaked around her as she backed up, preventing her from going far. The smoke was solid? "Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hiya, how ya doing kid?" The man patted her head patronisingly, making her apprehension turn to irritation. A cackle from behind her was her only warning as a black tentacle grabbed and turned her, pushing her back against the altar, the smoke and the man retreating to the shadows.

"Power? Ha! I could snap her with one tentacle!" A large woman with lilac skin and white hair, who was half octopus, was the owner of the tentacle which was now reaching around the girl's shoulders.

"Hey!" She slapped the tentacle away as she started to feel its grip begin to tighten. "Hands off!" She snapped as she backed away from the altar, only to be smacked on the back by a terrifying creature made entirely of burlap, with eyeless sockets and a gaping mouth.

"Haha! The kid's got moxie! Oogie Boogie loves a bit of spirit!" She stared up at this thing with a mixture of fear and disgust, smelling a rotting scent from its gaping mouth, recoiling.

"Oh please, a gambling bilge rat like you wouldn't recognise spirit if it jumped out at you." A silver hook was brandished from the dark as a scrawny man with a giant feathered hat and a hook in place of his hand.

"Well, I recognise you as a mobile coat stand, Hooky!" The sack man, Oogie Boogie, retorted. The two men started to square off with each other, with Raven still between them. She was at her limit; she may be Maleficent's new student, but she wouldn't be badgered by her colleagues.

"Enough!" However, before Raven could voice her annoyance, Maleficent herself had called an end to the squabbling. The room fell immediately silent. "Do not underestimate her based on her youth. I would not have brought her here if her power were not true." The council members backed off, into the shadows, leaving Raven alone in the light. "Now, child." Maleficent turned her attention to her new apprentice. "There are matters to see to. As you have no doubt perceived, the Darkness in this world is far more prevalent than that of your home. As such, it will naturally drain one such as yourself physically. One who has come from a brighter world will find it hard to adjust to this change without assistance, however we have prepared for this. You will have heard tales of how the Darkness is dangerous and will bring ruin to all, yes?" The girl nodded slowly, unsure of how safe her new surroundings truly were. "While this is correct, we here see the Darkness as a tool, it need only be used properly. Abuse of this power, like any, will lead to consumption. Because of this, I will not be teaching you Dark magic to begin with, but we shall instead test your aptitude for Evocation and Abjuration magic that is neither Light nor Dark and progress from there. And there is one more thing, a gift if you will." Maleficent ran her hand over the green orb of her staff repeatedly, causing it to glow and illuminate the room. Raven herself began to glow with this same green energy and she felt something come alive inside her, writhing and agitated.

"Wh-What was that?" She gasped, holding her chest. Quiet chuckles could be heard from around the chamber. She felt sick.

"I have awakened the Darkness that resides within you. Fret not, my dear, it will not be enough to consume you, but will act as somewhat of a camouflage against the Heartless."

"Heartless?" She asked, having never heard the phrase before.

"Denizens of the Realm of Darkness created when a person loses their heart to the Darkness. As one who comes from a brighter world, they would see you as a beacon. With your Darkness awakened, they will be less inclined to attack you. They respect the order of power and as such, we can control them. None shall harm you while within the castle, or while accompanying one of our number. Alas, I cannot guarantee the same for those not under our control. Should you prove proficient with your training and the powers within you, I may teach you how to command the Heartless for yourself. For now, it is quite beyond you. You shall remain here in the castle for the foreseeable future, until I deem you are ready to aid us in our cause and for the dangers that await you in the outside world. Your training shall begin in the morning once you have been acquainted with Riku." She banged her staff into the ground and a black and purple mass swirled into being. Raven had never seen such a thing, but she could feel the newly tempered Darkness within her pulling towards it. She was so entranced by the swirling patterns it created, that she was quite taken aback when a hulking round figure lumbered out of it. A very tall, very fat creature with black fur, tiny ears atop its head and squared teeth jutting out from an underbite.

"You called, Maleficent?" Judging by its voice, it was a man.

"Pete, I have need of you. Escort our guest to her quarters. I want her rested well for the morrow and the effects will take time to settle within her body."

"That's it? Well, sure I can do that!" He clapped his hand on Raven's shoulder, the unexpected weight nearly buckling her knees.

"Then go. Sleep well, my dear. A busy day dawns." Raven bowed her head to Maleficent politely, thankful to have a way out of the meeting. Her new mistress's council had not set her mind at ease.

"Goodnight, my Lady. Everyone."

XXX

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, two of the runts running around is a bit much." Oogie Boogie questioned once the door slid down and sealed behind the buffoon and Maleficent's new pet.

"Yes, the boy is far more pliable alone and forlorn. Surely a companion will make his Darkness recede?" Jafar agreed.

"Oy, you really don't know teenage boys well do you? And this one's got a jealous streak in him." Hades smirked. "He gets close to her; we have extra leverage on both of them. Bada-bing, Bada-boom, insurance at its finest." He smoothed his flaming hair back.

"While you are correct, Hades, that is not the reason I have brought her here. Our goal is to find the Princesses of Heart. Yet tell me which of you can tell at a glance who is truly pure of heart?" There was silence among Maleficent's council. "Weeks of surveying, plotting, and testing can now be reduced. The letter her fool of a master sent to Yen Sid details she has a most remarkable gift. An ability to see the hearts of others. Think, one glance and we'll know. Our goals shall be realised far quicker than we had hoped."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing that bird of yours has been scouting the old braggard then." Hook polished his silver appendage.

"Fortunate indeed. She is naïve and eager to please, which makes her useful to us."

"Poor child. Doesn't even know what a Heartless is. Spinning our goals in a positive light will be easy." Ursula cackled.

"Yeah, nice touch with the whole Darkness camouflage." Hades kissed his fingertips appreciatively.

"It won't be long until we have our prize, mark my words."

XXX

Being steered out of the chamber by Pete, Raven could feel the suffocating pressure of the room lift as soon as she stepped back out into the entrance hall. She wanted to take a moment to breathe but Pete, continuing to hold her shoulder, marched her over to the doorway that resided on the right side of the double staircase. "Hey, could you wait a minute?" She asked, feeling less like a guest as she was rushed forward.

"No can do. Maleficent wants you up nice and early. Got a whole bunch of stuff planned for ya! You're lucky she sees potential in ya, Maleficent's the greatest sorceress what ever existed. Her whole council is full of powerful world-leaders!" The hulking fellow bragged, directing her through winding corridors and up twisting staircases.

"What does that make you? The dogsbody?"

"I'm a cat!" He snapped aggravatedly, stomping his foot and making the floor rumble. He was obviously stronger than he appeared.

"Really?" Raven couldn't help but check behind him. "Where's your tail?"

"I- Uh… Well, if you must know, I lost it in a steamboat accident." It was clearly a source of pain to him, and Raven found herself feeling immediately regretful for bringing it up.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Pete. I shouldn't have pried." The overlarge cat paused, surprised to have even received an apology. He grumbled but seemed to accept it.

"Just don't go doin' it again, ya hear? Now, hop to! I ain't got da time to be babysitting you all night. I got very important things Maleficent wants me to do!" With that he continued his escort but noticeably gentler in the way he directed his charge. Not wanting to bother him again, Raven decided to take in her surroundings as they moved through the castle's halls. She was going to be staying indefinitely so she may as well learn the layout. The architecture was a bizarre collaboration of gothic architecture with colourful themes that had degraded with neglect and time, and a network of pipes and cisterns popping out of the walls every so often. Few of the pipes looked like they belonged to the original building, the majority haphazardly added later on. Raven couldn't help but be curious as to who put them there and why? Was it part of Maleficent's work or was it the previous resident who so drastically altered what she imagined would have been a place of remarkable beauty and splendour. And there was a symbol she noticed everywhere. A crest that had been in Maleficent's council hall, and on many of the doors throughout the castle too. Its shape was reminiscent of a heart but with a triple fork at the tail and the centre was crossed out with thorny vines. It unnerved her. However, her unease was soon forgotten when she spotted something down the hall, and she ditched Pete to go investigate.

"Hey! Don't go runnin' off like that!" The feline called after her, making a grab for her arm but missing as she pursued that which had caught her interest. A tower room with a glass ceiling that was crystal clear and lit up the pinkish masonry with the last rays of evening light. But this was not what truly had grabbed her attention. It was the many blue crystals floating in mid-air, generating beams of blue light that created a sort of fencing to prevent people falling off of the ledges. And she could see metal platforms linked to some of these beams. It was unlike anything she had seen before. Her admiration was soon cut short as Pete caught up and used his overly large hand to grab her whole arm, but she resisted just a little.

"Wait, what is this place?" She still stared in wonder at the tower's interior.

"It's just the Lift Stop. Nothing special here."

"Lift Stop?" She repeated, blankly. It was clear even to Pete that she wouldn't budge unless he explained.

"Well sure, those platform-thingies go up and down to different bits of da castle. You can get all over da place from here, but the mechanisms' really weird. You won't need to use 'em anyway, Maleficent made sure you can get around easy. No good you gettin' lost. Now c'mon, I ain't gonna take all night about it." He firmly tugged her away from the Lift Stop and down another few corridors and up several more staircases. Raven could hear him breathing heavily. After innumerable twists and turns, he finally pulled her in front of a set of double doors and rummaged ion his pocket for a key. Unlocking the door, he then opened it for Raven. Before she stepped through, she noticed a black shadow down the hall out of the corner of her eye.

"Um, Pete?"

"What is it now?" He sighed exasperatedly.

"Those Heartless that Maleficent mentioned. Are they really that dangerous?"

"Of course they are! But don't you worry none, Maleficent has total control over 'em! Just do like she says, and you'll have no trouble at all!" He patted her back, perhaps more forcefully than he meant to as it staggered her into the doorway. "Nighty night!" She was about to wave to him, but he closed the doors before she'd barely raised her hand. There was a click signalling the doors had been locked, which she confirmed after a moment.

"Locked in?" She muttered to herself. "Maybe just a precaution?" She thought back to that shadow she was sure she'd seen and felt a bit more grateful for the lock. Turning around, she took in her new room. It was a lot larger than her old one, with a double four-poster bed that had mulberry-coloured hangings and sheets. There were several bookcases and an ornate desk, mahogany like all of the furniture within the room, including a wardrobe, dresser, and a chaise at the foot of the bed. On the left-hand side, between the two bookcases, was a set of glass paned doors that opened onto a small balcony. The carpet was a deep green while the walls were a dull and dusty grey and the ceiling was panelled mahogany. To her right was another door. Dumping her bag on the chaise, she investigated and found a bathroom, complete with toilet, sink and a claw-footed bathtub she was sure she could almost swim in. There was another stain-glassed ceiling in here, dimly lighting the space. Looking up, she could see something blue coming out of the towers but couldn't make out what it was exactly. She yawned and stretched, her fatigue finally starting to hit her. She tipped out her bag, grabbing some sleepwear and exchanging them for her clothes. She left them all in a pile on the chaise, she'd put them away properly in the morning, got ready for bed and slid under the softest covers she'd had in her life. It almost made up for the intense 'welcome' she'd received. Maleficent's council had not made a promising impression for Raven. She had guessed Maleficent would be strict and demanding, but to surround herself with such boorish people seemed bizarre. She held the wooden charm her friends had gifted her. Perhaps it was all merely an initiation? Intimidation tactics to test if she was truly willing to go through with the training? She couldn't dwell on these thoughts as sleep overcame her.

XXX

For the first time in weeks, Raven had not dreamt about the island. She hadn't dreamt at all. Maybe due to all of the excitement, her mind had lacked the energy to conjure images in her slumber. The sunlight had streamed through the balcony doors and woken her, as she normally had back home. She could feel there was a difference in time however, as she felt groggy and lethargic, struggling to drag herself out of the dreamily cushy bed. Although that could have been due to the presence of Darkness in this world. Having never left her home before, she never noticed how clear it felt. Being in Hollow Bastion was like being in a fog. Something about the air was just oppressive. She shrugged it off, sure that she would eventually get used to it. Having washed her face and smelt checked her clothes from the day before, she got dressed and pulled her hair back into a spiky ponytail. Pieces immediately came loose, particularly at the front but she swept them aside. Taking a deep breath before pulling on the door handle. Still locked. Sighing, she looked out the windows. It did feel a bit musty in the room and thankfully the balcony doors were not locked, and she let in the morning air. From here she could see the outside of the castle and the world she now lived on. Blue rocky landscapes stretched as far as the eye could see, contrasting with the orange and pink hues of the sky. She could hear rushing water somewhere below, but no matter which angle she leaned, she couldn't see where it was coming from. The sun hit the white stone of the castle's architecture and lit it up like a beacon, reflecting off of the many windows. She could now clearly see the blue light spouting out of the largest pipes at the top of the castle towers. All of these mechanisms and gears littering the castle walls, she couldn't help but smile to herself as she thought to her friend Kaz, who would have loved such feats of engineering. Taking one last deep breath of fresh air, she strode back into her room and as she had time to kill before Pete, or someone else, came to let her out, she started putting away the clothes and supplies she'd tipped onto the chaise the night before. It made the large room slightly homier. A knock on the door, quickly followed by the sound of the lock turning signalled Pete's return.

"Rise and shi- Oh! Already up I see?" He looked pleasantly surprised. "And here I was thinkin' I'd have to keep Maleficent waitin'. Well, come on now. Best be on our way!" With a broad sweep of his arm, he gestured her to follow him. She quickly closed the balcony doors and grabbed her gauntlets in case she needed them. The trip back down to thew entrance hall went quicker this time, Raven taking notes of familiar points to help her find her own way. She couldn't expect Pete to be escorting her forever, although, he himself had several moments where he second-guessed his directions.

"Um, are you sure you know the way, Pete?" She asked, anxious to not be late on her first day.

"Of course I do! It's, uh, dis way!" He Pointed and ran down a corridor that led to a dead end. He drooped in embarrassment. "Doh, Maleficent's gonna kill me if I don't get her downstairs on time." The young girl caught up to him and comfortingly put a hand on his arm.

"Hey, what if we just focus on going downward, and I'm sure something familiar will come up." She pointed back the way they had come where she remembered passing a staircase. He rubbed his nose before getting up and walking with her. He seemed to cheer up a little until they were halfway down said staircase and he tripped on his overlarge feet, narrowly missing Raven on the way down. "Pete!?" She sprinted down after him and found him sprawled at the base of the stairs but relatively unscathed.

"Why do I gotta be da babysitter?" He grumbled, sitting up with more than a few audible cracks. "I'm too old for dis." However, his ears pricked up as he saw their surroundings. "Hey, I know dis place!" Raven recognised it too, and it wasn't far from the entrance hall. Helping Pete to his feet, the pair continued for a short while until they emerged into the brighter ambience of the entrance hall. Maleficent was waiting for them at the bottom of the twin staircases.

"Good job, Pete!" She patted his arm encouragingly, but it knocked his balance and he tumbled again, falling face first into the fountain. Maleficent shielded herself with a spell nonchalantly.

"Imbecile!" She hissed. Raven felt awful and even more so as he clambered out of the water and left the hall with his ears sagging and his clothes dripping. "Raven, you join us at last." Her attention immediately snapped back to Maleficent, and she descended the stairs.

"Sorry, Malef- Ma'am, we got- lost." She faltered as she now saw there was another person waiting in the hall, leaning against one of the pillars that supported the highest levels of the room. A boy, around her age, with silver hair. He had his arms folded and his face was partially hidden under his hair. He wore some very strange clothing, a yellow vest with… two sets of trousers?

"I shall overlook it for today as it was no doubt due to Pete's bumbling. However, I will not tolerate tardiness in the future, do I make myself clear, child?" She pierced Raven with a menacing stare. She nodded firmly. "Good. Now then, I believe there are further introductions to be made. I would like you to meet, Riku. Riku, this is Raven, the prodigal girl I told you about." The boy straightened up and came forward, stopping beside Maleficent. Now in the light, Raven could see his face more clearly. A cut jawline and straight nose with high cheekbones but not yet without the softness of youth. He had striking cerulean eyes. But he almost seemed bored.

"This is her?" He asked, looking up and down at his new companion apprehensively. Something seemed very familiar about this boy. But Raven couldn't place it.

"Yes, dear boy. She will be assisting you on your missions and training with you under my tutelage. I expect you to show her around the castle. Ensure she is not late again." She placed a bony hand on his back and gently pushed him further forward. "Now, I have matters to attend to. Run along and explore. The whole of the cast is open to you except for the basement and the south tower." With that, she left in a blaze of green fire. The two of them watched her go, then when Riku turned back to face the new girl, she had her gloved hand already extended to him with a smile on her face.

"It's great to meet you, Riku!" He politely took her offered hand and shook it firmly, perhaps more so than he intended as she flexed her fingers in response. A weird sort of challenge perhaps? He cracked a tiny smile.

"Likewise, Raven."

"How long have you been here then?" She released his hand, which he immediately folded against his chest. He seemed very guarded. But then he was probably just a nervous as she was.

"Not that long. A couple weeks maybe, so I'm not your senior by a whole lot. But I know my way around this place well enough by now, so ask if you need any help getting around."

"Thanks. I think I know my way to my room from here. Better than Pete at least. I kinda feel sorry for him. Is he a servant or one of Maleficent's council? I couldn't really tell." She asked, looking at the trail of water that had been left by the cat man.

"Who knows?" Riku shrugged. "If he carries on like he is though, I could take his position in a heartbeat. Not that I'm interested in being that woman's lackey." He replied dryly. Raven tilted her head.

"Isn't she your mistress while you're here?" That was a mistake she could tell as he tensed and grit his teeth.

"I'm just doing her favours, so she'll help me find my friends. Nothing more." He muttered.

"Oh, um. I didn't mean to…" She rubbed the back of her neck abashedly. "Sorry." He sighed, feeling guilty he'd snapped at her now.

"It's okay, I'm just a little on edge here. Not really used to new people y'know."

"Well, that's alright!" She smiled. "It's my first-time off world too so I get what you mean. And Maleficent's colleagues are… a lot. It's understandable making new friends is hard in a place like this." He seemed to relax a little at her words. "But you know, if you can't make new friends, I guess that promotion will go to me."

"Is that so?" He smirked.

"Oh, yes. Seniority can always be disputed until we've seen who's the strongest." She put her hands in her pockets smugly.

"You think you're stronger than me?" He flashed a cocky grin. It seemed a potential challenge got his attention. He relaxed his arms and rested on his hip. "That's a laugh, you can't be much older than me. Not to brag, but I'm pretty confident in my skills."

"Oh really, what training do you have?" A wry smile crept onto her features at the prospect of a fresh challenger, it had been so long since she'd had a new opponent.

"I've been fighting everyone on the islands since I was a kid. I can pretty much beat all of 'em at once, no sweat. Sora gives me a little trouble sometimes, though. He actually won once or twice when we were gathering stuff for our raft. He's good, but I'm pretty sure I'm still better." His cocky smile vanished for just a moment when he mentioned his friend. He seemed melancholy, but shook it off quickly, sliding back one foot and pulling out a falchion designed like a demon wing from thin air, raising it in his right hand while holding out his left in a vaguely taunting motion. The stance itself had faults, not at all like one that had been perfected through careful training, but it was good for both defence and attack, and had intimidation value. Thinking he wanted to fight then and there, Raven took her hands out of her pockets and reached for her gauntlets but before she could, he had relaxed his stance. It appeared he only wanted to show off his style. "So, what kind of training have you had? You seem confident enough." He asked.

"Well…" She rubbed her neck again. "If I tell you that, you might chicken out of a duel."

"C'mon, don't leave me hanging like that!" He chuckled, bouncing the back of his blade on his shoulder. "I know you must've had something, otherwise Maleficent wouldn't have picked you."

"Tell you what, Riku. I'll tell you after we duel." She looked around at the peeling paint and dusty cobwebs of the room. "But uh, I think a fight in here would be enough to bring the place down. You know of any good spots? I mean we are going to be training together here, there has to be a suitable spot somewhere." He put his hand to his chin as he thought for a moment.

"Nowhere that I've seen inside the castle, it's all tight corridors and short drops. But I think I know a good place outside. How are you with water?" He asked.

"I grew up not far from a fishing village, I'm a strong swimmer."

"Huh, we may just get along after all. I'm an islander." An islander? The memory of that recurring dream drifted into her mind, but she shook it off. There had to be many islands int the universe. The boy started walking towards the main exit, gesturing her to follow. "We'll have to take one of the lifts but it's an out of the way spot." Raven quickly caught up to him and walked just a couple steps behind. It was only a few doors and hallways before they arrived at an enormous pair of ornate doors. Riku pushed one open with his shoulder just enough for them to slip through to the outside of the castle. The light was blinding in contrast to the gloomy corridors but once her eyes had adjusted, Raven saw more of that vast blue landscape below. "It's this way." Riku called to her, already walking on. A strange spikey crystal on a pedestal, resembling the ones she'd seen in the Lift Stop, responded to his touch and a large, gilded platform zoomed up towards them. Once on, a protective field enclosed the boundaries of the platform, and it began its descent to what looked like a basin. However, it was the sight behind them that Raven was entranced by. Gazing through the barrier, she could see the full view of the castle. It almost looked like two entirely separate buildings smashed together, one half was completely made of pipes and machinery, while the other still had its beautiful white masonry. Yet even that half of the castle was warped and twisted with an entire tower curving. What caught her eye the most however, was the enormous emblem on the face of the castle, the heart crossed out by thorns. "It's a bit dark, but it's a nice change. The sky and sea never ended back home." Riku commented, seeing how enthralled she was by the scenery.

"Where I'm from, the sky is framed by mountains. But, how come you wanted to leave your islands? We're both a little young to be traversing worlds alone, don't you think?" He just shrugged.

"I've got a few reasons. The one that comes to mind is that I was bored. I wanted to know what was out there. You'd feel the same if you were from there."

"I guess I can understand that. The opportunity to visit new worlds was one of the things that convinced me to come here with Maleficent. But it can't be all that bad, right? I mean it's your home. And this place looks like it's the only thing for miles." But the boy just shook his head.

"No, I don't think I'd lose any sleep if I never saw the islands again. My friends on the other hand… They must've ended up somewhere else." A melancholy expression flitted across his features. Hearing this, Raven was taken aback. She couldn't dream of never returning home. But then she remembered that Maleficent told her his home was gone, consumed by the Darkness. Perhaps he was just putting on a front?

"Oh, so that's why you're helping Maleficent? She can help you look for them." It was understandable he would cling to the hope his friends were out there. After all, he was here. And she couldn't imagine doing anything different if she was in his position. She was brought back to reality when the lift jolted to a stop.

"We're here." Said the boy, stepping off of the platform once the barrier had dispersed. Raven followed, not wanting to get stuck on the machine, and hopped off to the top of the basin. Slabs of rock hovered in the air, leading down to shallow pools down below where the water fell upwards, and bubbles of water suspended in mid-air. One of these slabs had a large archway made of old neglected marble. "Race you to the end!" Without waiting up, the boy began to stride down the steps, leaping from rock to rock. Not having a chance to take in the new surroundings, and taken aback by the bizarre physics, Raven caught on to what he'd said, and a playful spark ignited as she sprinted ahead.

"Hey! Wait, that's cheating!" She laughed. She'd spotted a faster path than he had chosen and began leaping from rock to rock, rolling upon landing, and using the forward momentum to propel herself to the next. She could see the blurred outline of her competition in her peripheral, but it only egged her on, increasing her buildup of momentum until she could see the final platform. Rushing towards her far faster than she had anticipated as she flew over that last gap and crashed, rolling into the waterfall just as Riku landed, far more gracefully, panting. Spluttering as she removed herself from the flow of water, she wiped her hair out of her face and ejected some water from her mouth. "Call it a draw?" She grinned sheepishly. A smile tugged at Riku's cheeks.

"Not bad. Your landings could use a little work though." He hopped off of the platform and into the pool of water, which came up to his knees. "This way." Raven joined him but stared at the strange water feature.

"Our water doesn't do this back home." She commented, poking one of the bubbles she passed and watching it ripple.

"Mysterious floating bubbles and waterfalls that flow up instead of down aren't normal where I'm from, either." Riku shrugged. He seemed to have gotten used to the strangeness of this place. "Were you gonna fight with your fists?" He asked, stopping, and stretching now that they were in an open area of water.

"Well, I don't think a test of strength means we need to use real weapons. No use one of us getting seriously injured. I figure you can take a punch though, right?" She pulled her gloves tighter and flexed her hands to test their security, then unhooked her claws from her belt and placed them on a ledge. "I use my hands mostly anyway." She took up a pugilistic stance with her knees loose and her hands raised to guard her face and chest. "Wanna make this interesting though? Add a couple stakes, a wager?" Pulling out a wooden toy sword from whatever ether he had summoned his real weapon before, he took up his own stance.

"Well, there's not a whole lot we have to wager. How about this? Winner gets to be the captain for our first expedition."

"Alright, you're on!" Pausing for a moment, Riku seemed to be sizing up his opponent's stance. Then, he brought his sword in for a rather wide diagonal swing. It was amateurish and seemed like an inefficient move, but it was a fast swipe, with a fair amount of power behind it. It covered the short distance between them easily. Raven leapt back, out of the range of his swipe, and used his recovery time from such a strong swipe to push against the floor on landing and propel herself towards him, holding out her left arm to block if he managed to swing back in. A sword is good for close range. But only so close. It seemed like her cautiousness proved well as he followed up with another quick strike, hitting her guard. It hit hard, but it was nothing she couldn't take. Riku slipped back a little, giving him the tiniest bit of distance and preventing her from getting behind his guard, bringing that wooden sword around for a heavier swing, aimed for the abdomen on her right side. There was no chance of blocking or parrying without a weapon, so she leapt up and over, extending her arm and planting it on the ground, swinging her leg around to his shoulder.

"What?!" Riku kept his head down and dove forwards, slipping under the kick before turning to face his challenger again. It appeared he wasn't expecting acrobatics to suddenly come into play. He quickly regained his composure, though and holding up his sword horizontally in a weak-looking guard, he egged her on with his other hand. "Alright, wise guy, you make the first-" Without even letting him finish his sentence, she rushed forward, grabbing his wrist and twisting it, while bringing her knee up, grinning.

"Ah- Hey!" He grabbed her wrist, keeping it from making him drop the sword, but was barely able to awkwardly blunt the actual hit, which unfortunately struck him right between his legs. Groaning in pain, he wrestled away his weapon and leapt back, falling to his knees, and gasping for air. He was taking this quite well, all things considered, but it still looked painful. Raven bit her knuckle and hissed sympathetically. "I am so sorry! I meant to get your stomach not- that- Sorry!" Riku stood back up. He didn't look like he particularly believed her, but said nothing, returning to his stance. He seemed worse for wear, but clearly didn't consider the fight to be over yet. "I'll give you credit, not many guys stay standing let alone wanna keep fighting after that." It made her smile. A good opponent, despite a few finer details.

"When you fight with a klutz for ten years, you learn to get used to that." He gritted his teeth, clearly winded from the blow. She struck out at his shoulder with a left hook, following up with the right aimed for his face. And a side kick aimed for the centre of his torso. Maybe it was a slight lapse in judgment to attack him from this range. Maybe her guard was down because she pitied him a little. Either way, a powerful thrust came at her centre of mass long before any of her attacking limbs could get close to Riku. It was swift, and from his stance there was little warning that he was preparing for it. If he'd been playing around at all before, he wasn't now. She stumbled back but looked up at him with a grin.

"Don't tell me you were holding back!" Seeing it connect, Riku back-stepped slightly to maintain distance. Seemed like he had a grasp on things.

"I might've been holding back a little. I won't make that mistake twice." He too, had a grin of enjoyment on his face.

"Good! I'd hate to think you weren't worth the effort." Another grounded flip closed the distance between them and instead of going straight in for a strike, Raven used the water, scooping her hand through it and up so it got in his eyes and following the motion through, closing that hand into a fist to hit his stomach, while the other came up to disarm him. At least that was the planned assault. He swung down on her hand as it came up, the water splashing harmlessly onto his chest and her fist never reached its target. Riku quickly took a half-step forward, crossing his left hand under his right to catch her other hand before swinging down on her with his sword, aimed between shoulder and neck. It was a clumsy position, but one that was advantageous to him in that moment. As soon as his hand stopped hers, she latched onto his wrist with a vice-like grip. It wouldn't stop his attack, but as she wrenched his arm over her other shoulder, her body turned enough that his attack missed the neck, catching sharply on the collar bone. Luckily a wooden toy isn't a highly damaging weapon. It very quickly became apparent that Riku hadn't come up with a plan for what to do beyond this. With one arm pinned over her shoulder, the other clutching a sword with not a lot of range of motion, and barely any distance between them – faces inches apart - he didn't have a ton of options. And neither did Raven. There was a brief moment where she could clearly see his eyes. Full of a fire, but also with a flicker of panic. She butted his head sharply, hitting his chin, and then swept his leg at the knee, stepping around while still holding his wrist and twisting it behind his back, prepared with her other to block or catch his armed hand. Smirking, he crouched with his remaining leg, gripping the rocky floor of the pool with his other foot as he brought it back in. Reaching back to grab her by the shoulder, Riku sprung forward, somersaulting through the air.

"Whoa!" Holding on tightly, she put her weight forward to try and ground him, but to no avail. He landed on his back, with his opponent underneath him, still holding on. The water was just deep enough that her mouth and nose were submerged. Luckily, he wasn't too heavy, and she managed to roll, latching her arm around his neck so he was now beneath. Not letting this go so easily, though, Riku pushed off with his free arm and one leg, forcing the pair to roll over again. Expecting this Raven loosened her grip so that essentially, he only rolled himself and she hovered on top on him. Not wasting time, she grabbed his sword arm and wrenched the sword from him, throwing it onto the nearest platform where her own weapons resided, but as she did, he used his arm and leg to push to the side and roll them both one more time.

They continued to tumble, splashing through the water going around and around. Eventually the two of them bounced to a stop, with Riku ending up underwater. Letting go with one hand, he tapped her side, bubbles rising up from where she had him pinned. Getting off of him and letting him up, she offered a hand to him. He took it gratefully.

"Alright, I'll... call that a win... for you..." He steadied his breathing. "You should really lighten up. Do you really want to be captain so badly?" He was out of breath but smiling.

"Hey, you did it first." She rubbed her collar bone where his sword struck. "You've got skill though; I'll give you that. Potential. Thanks, I haven't had a good challenge in ages." Wiping the hair out of her eyes once more, she held out her hand for a handshake. He shook it firmly but begrudgingly.

"You never did say what your experience with fighting was."

"Oh, right. I'm from a hunter's guild so I've been learning to fight and hunt monsters since I could throw a punch." Her competitive demeanour had already vanished, and she was lifting herself up onto the platform with the discarded weapons. Riku joined her and sighed.

"Well, that makes sense. I feel a little better about losing." He rubbed his wrist and winced.

"You alright? I didn't hurt you did I?" She reached for his hand, but he pulled away.

"I'm fine. It's just annoying I have to keep track of our record now. It's zero-to-one now, but I'll get you back for this, Raven." He was smiling which settled her concerns.

"I expect nothing less than your best, Riku!"