The Forgotten Scholar
Stopping with a lurch, Raven and Riku found themselves back in Maleficent's Chapel in Hollow Bastion Castle. Where she had been holding Riku's arm during teleportation, Raven immediately released it and bent over, resting her hands on her knees until the room stopped spinning.
"I see you've finally deigned to rejoin us, child." Her mistress's discontented tone penetrated the dizzy fog, and against better judgement, Raven jumped upright and stood straight, trying desperately to focus her vision and keep her last meal down.
"Ma'am I-" She began but,
"Silence!" Maleficent hissed, striding around the altar, the orb atop her staff casting an ominous green glow as she towered above her students. "I have no wish to hear your pitiful excuses, girl. You were given a simple task and not only did you fail but- Gah! What is that disgusting odour!?" The sorceress recoiled and wrinkled her nose, her lip curling up in disgust as she saw how filthy and haggard her pupils were, Raven noticeably more so, with her hair matting into clumps, a visible layer of grime on her skin and her clothes stained and littered with vegetation. Maleficent stepped back but extended her staff towards Raven. "Rolling in filth while myself and dear Riku toiled away looking for you? All but abandoning the task I set for you."
"But-"
"I did not say you could speak, girl!" Maleficent seethed, slamming her staff on the flagstone, her eyes ablaze with a fiery rage. "You have proven your incompetence to me, and you will not be permitted to leave this world without an escort, an adjustment that will hinder the progression of my work significantly." The horned sorceress glared down at her student and Raven winced, glueing her eyes to the floor, clenching her hands into fists to ground herself against the burning shame.
"That's enough, Malef-" Riku began, but she brandished her staff at him, making him keep his distance.
"Do not interrupt me, dear child. I will have a full report from you when I have finished reprimanding her." She glowered at Riku warningly, but her gaze was broken by a quiet voice.
"I'm sorry, My Lady."
Maleficent surveyed Raven but did not continue with her scolding. She narrowed her eyes, observing how disheartened and tense the girl was as she braced for the onslaught to continue, and after a moment she sighed exasperatedly. Though a flicker of a smirk played across her features, too quick for either youth to notice.
"Go. Clean yourself up and we shall discuss the full extent of your punishment once you are presentable. I will send for you, until then you are confined to your chambers." She waved her staff dismissively, Raven managed a small nod and walked as quickly as she could out of the Chapel, eyes still on the carpet. She briefly heard Maleficent begin her questioning of Riku as the door closed behind her but didn't stop until she was back in her room and the doors were shut.
She had been expecting her mistress to chew her out badly, but whether it was down to the icy tone of the sorceress or the built-up emotions of the day's events, she had to bite her lip to hold back tears as she forced herself to breathe through her nose. If not for the severity of how filthy she was, she would have allowed herself to sink to the floor or else collapse on the bed. Alas, Maleficent's venomous tone echoed in her ears, and the thought of sullying the carpet or sheets only instilled more fear of her impending punishment. The nausea she had barely staved off previously, reprised, not helped by the gusts of putrescence from her clothes as she rushed to the bathroom and knelt by the toilet. The retching that ensued was all that was required to make her crack and the poor girl sobbed into the basin for what was only a few minutes but felt endless.
When she had nothing left to give, she got to her feet unsteadily, turned the bathe taps on, and slowly disrobed, careful not to disturb the fabric of her clothes too much in the process, lest another wave of sickness be brought about by the wafting odour. Her eyes stung and watered, whether from the smell or a continuation of her tears, she couldn't say. But she did find some relief as she sank into the warm, calming water. Her body couldn't help but relax into the heat. The removal of the grime and debris succeeded in steadying her nerves somewhat, but there was such a degree of dirt to be cleansed that she had to repeatedly hop out, empty and then rinse and refill the large claw foot tub. It required three washes alone to rid her hair of the oily muck, the smell of which made her dizzy. Not a pleasant sensation at the best of times, but when combined with the shivering of wet skin, the poor girl almost passed out.
When she herself was, finally, finally clean, she had one more bath just to allow herself to clear her head and process everything that had happened that day. Really there had been a lot that had happened and the more she went through it all, the more she forgave herself for her blunder until she was able to put on a smile. She stayed there until the water turned tepid and when wrapped in a fluffy towel at long last, she felt that she had had her fill of sulking. If she had any chance of earning back her independence and her teacher's trust, she would need to knuckle down and prove herself. Until then, she hoped dearly that Riku's explanation would quell Maleficent's ire.
Though the view through her balcony doors showed the sun was already below the horizon, Raven couldn't bring herself to leave her poor clothes in the state they were in and began the long, taxing process of rinsing, soaking and kneading the filth out of the fabric, using the soaking time to scrub clean her boots, pauldron and claws.
"Remind me to look up a spell for cleaning." She muttered to herself bitterly, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her arm as she squeezed the still dirty water from her top for the third time. Yes, it would be a long night.
XXXXX
Two weeks had gone by since their adventure in the jungle had taken place, and Raven was still paying the price for her blunder. The next morning, Riku had found her half hanging on the edge of the bathtub asleep, having washed her clothes and apparently dozing off before the tub was fully clean. Maleficent had summoned the two of them to the Chapel and sent Riku to the tower for training while she enlightened Raven on her punishment. Or rather, punishments.
As the sorceress believed her to lack discipline, the first three days consisted of Raven on her knees scrubbing the stone floors of the Chapel and Entrance Hall under the watchful eye of Pete and after that any other areas that Maleficent deemed in need of a clean at her whim. Raven was no stranger to such chores but had never had such a scale to work with. The Guild had its larger halls of course and everyone had to pull their weight by cleaning at some point. But she had never had to tackle such places on her own. And the high ceilings and echoing chambers of Hollow Bastion dwarfed the halls of her home.
After these three days, on top of continued cleaning duties, Raven was to be the one to tidy up after every training session, which was every day as, save for eating, sleeping and cleaning, she was to train constantly.
Riku had told Maleficent everything that had happened with the monstrous plant Heartless, and their mistress was very intrigued by the powerful blue flames that Raven had produced.
"Maleficent wants you to train until you can show her that blue flame attack you defeated that Heartless with. Said it was a Limit Break, or something. It's a powerful surge of magic that comes directly from the heart." Riku explained after bringing Raven her measly lunch of stale bread and dried meat on the third day while she was scrubbing the Entrance Hall. Maleficent outright refused to teach her any new spells until she had learned how to knowingly initiate another Limit Break and as such, Raven was spending every spare moment training in the tower, sunrise to sunset, with no luck. True, her Fire spells had become much stronger and used less mana than they did previously but with not so much as a spark of blue flame.
XXXXX
There were seven Shadows that she'd corralled into the centre of the arena, one of which she'd just finished goading into the right position. Just as it made to swipe at her legs, she jumped up and planted a foot solidly between its antennae and used it as a springboard to gain the height she required for the move. She arced above the group, feeling the heat spread from her fingers and over her claws as she began her spiralling descent. She opened her arms and slowed her fall by cutting into her opponents, but the flames remained a standard orange and red colour, and she failed to orient herself appropriately to land, tripping onto her knees when the flames dispersed, and she lost her momentum.
"Ugh, why can't I do it!?" Raven yelled in frustration, throwing off her gauntlets and sitting down after yet another unsuccessful attempt, head in her hands. Normally if she hit a wall like this in training, she would take a time out. But the only time out she was really allowed was if she grabbed a bucket and brush and started scrubbing. Sighing, she got up, grabbed the gauntlets and once again tried to perform the manoeuvre. And again. And again.
"Nope! No, I can't do it!" She threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "I need some air." And she turned on her heel and strode through the pink portal to the Chapel. It was mercifully empty, meaning she didn't have to explain why she was leaving before sunset. Riku had adjourned to the library some time ago after being snapped at by a very disgruntled Raven, and Maleficent was most likely in the south tower at this time, though she knew a meeting was scheduled for the evening, so she had to be quick and, thankfully, encountered nobody as she left the castle through the Entrance Hall.
The fresh air washed over her as she stepped over the castle threshold. She could see the basin that housed the Rising Falls from the walkway and figured it was as good a place as any to clear her mind, and one less likely to be intruded upon. If she was found out, she'd surely be given another earful and punished more but Raven was at her wit's end. Although if she was technically training in the basin, then she wasn't truly disobeying her mistress. After figuring out the mechanism for the lift operation, she took advantage of the trip down and enjoyed the breeze ruffling her hair. She couldn't focus inside that tower, it felt far too clinical. Hopefully this change of scenery would encourage a breakthrough.
Already the brisk chill carried from the waterfalls was a great relief as she stepped from the platform, finally away from the noise and fumes of the pipes of Hollow Bastion and instead surrounded by the tranquil whoosh of rushing water and the wind whistling lowly across the wasteland. Stretching as she prepared to resume her drills, she heard a commotion under the roar of the water rushing up the canyon, and peered over the ledge, only to see a swarm of dark shapes congregating on the lowest islet.
"Hey!" She immediately began sprinting and jumping from rock to rock, her claws already in her hands. As she got closer, the commotion became clearer: a gaggle of Shadows bullying what appeared to be a dusty cloak. No, there was something within the coarse fabric, but from the way it recoiled, its shape seemed malleable. The figure simply cowered silently as it was harassed with tackles and claw swipes from the dark creatures. Every wound released wisps of black substance, identical to what a Heartless gave off when wounded. But if this were a Heartless, why would they turn against their own kind? And what were they doing running rampant in the grounds? Aside from ones summoned or controlled by Maleficent, she hadn't seen them anywhere else in Hollow Bastion.
Having landed on the final ledge she wasted no time in attacking the shadows, grabbing them and pulling them away, while her claws sank into their forms. She was careful not to harm the cowering figure, kicking others away to create space before slashing them into oblivion, but made a quick enough job of dispatching the lesser Heartless.
Breathing a little deeper, she turned to check on the victim, but kept her claws in her hands as she crouched down. "Are you alright?" She asked, unsure of whether this being would understand her, much less be able to reply.
The edge of the cloth lifted, revealing nothing but darkness underneath. A prickle went up the back of her neck. Whatever shadows lurked within, once they caught sight of Raven, they recoiled away from her, taking the coarse fabric with them. The deep voice of a man spoke from the huddled mass. It sounded human enough, if melancholy and beaten. The creature spoke in a pained whisper. "...You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"
Raven jumped back, raising her weapons, more defensively than offensively. "You... You can talk?" She asked warily, the claws lowering ever so slightly.
"Do not look at me so. Your pity, it stings what pride I have left." The cloaked creature slowly and carefully rose up from its place on the ground, making no sudden moves. It stopped at about Raven's own height. Yes, for all the world it appeared to be a person in a hooded cloak, a pair of belts circling the chest - but no face to speak of, an empty mantle. And yet, from the nothing, it spoke. "Forgive me. I realise I'm being terribly rude by not introducing myself. I hope you can understand..."
"Oh, um, no worries. Sorry for staring." She was perplexed, not quite sure of what to make of the situation. This creature, man, or whatever it was, had at least the sentience to converse elegantly and comprehend trivialities like manners. And it wasn't attacking her.
"What're you doing out here?" She asked, lowering her arms, though not disarming. "Do you need help?"
"I am not quite sure. When I awoke, I was under siege from those monsters. Before that, all I can recall is pitch black..." The... person's head and shoulders appeared to sink a bit.
Not sure of what to do, Raven looked over her shoulder, up at the archway, in case anyone was wandering about. Then she closed her eyes, breathed, and when she looked back at the hooded individual, she saw in the depths of the robe, a dripping black mass. Had the Heartless already done their damage? No there was something different about this. He seemed to have some fragment of personality, enough to have pride left to hurt, and he could communicate. She shook her head and her vision returned to normal, hooking her claws onto her belt finally.
"I won't hurt you, if you won't hurt me. Do you remember your name? Mine is Raven." She extended a hand, not sure if the figure was able to reciprocate, but more intending the gesture.
The stranger chuckled weakly. "Hurt you? I don't believe I've the strength, nor the inclination. But it is nice to meet you, Raven." He extended his robed hand, burying the cloth in Raven's own hand, shaking it in a rather formal manner. "In contrast, you seem to be host to a great deal of power... most impressive. No wonder you made short work of those accursed 'Heartless'."
"Me? I don't know about that. They were only small fry." She blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her neck before something stuck. "Wait, you know they're called Heartless?"
"I suppose I do? Goodness, that's unexpected." The hood flitted from left to right, as if its occupant were gazing around. "Shadows, a species of Pureblood Heartless, the most basic form." They recited almost robotically, as if they'd swallowed a book on the subject, but then shuffled restlessly. "Why do I know them? I must have studied them in the past... but I cannot recall those memories consciously. Isn't that strange?" The figure determined, chuckling to himself again. "Then I may put to rest my previous conjecture: that I have no memory because I did not exist until moments ago. Actually, it was a foolish notion from the beginning. I would not be able to communicate with you without knowledge of language, could I? I am a disgrace of a scholar."
A little muddled by his verbose way of speaking, Raven tried to not look completely lost. "You're a scholar? Who studied the Heartless?" She put her hand to her chin. She wasn't overly sure about bringing this person into the castle without Maleficent's permission, but even if she asked, it likely wasn't going to be granted. And she couldn't very well leave them out here defenceless. "Maybe I could help you recall your memories? We have a few Heartless around here, and a big library, I'm sure something could jog it?"
Something behind her caught his gaze. "Perhaps I was, and perhaps- my word, what happened to the castle? It's in terrible disrepair." Raven looked behind her as if she didn't already know the castle was half pipes.
"You've been here before? Well, that's great! You're bound to get your memories back at this rate!" She seemed overjoyed at the prospect. "Don't worry, it's not as bad on the inside." She reassured them.
"By all means, lead the way. But, ah..." The strange creature fidgeted uncomfortably. "...As you've seen, I'm not particularly gifted at self-defence. The Heartless are quite threatening to me, especially given the state I'm in. Could I impose upon you for protection?"
She half-turned to the way up, but looked back at him with a smile, taking hold of her claws. "No worries! You'll be safe with me, sir!" And with that, she led the way back up to the large platform that would carry them to the castle.
While on the lift, wave after wave of Heartless continued to mob them and Raven was barely able to defend her charge. She didn't understand why they were suddenly so hostile; she'd been there for weeks and had never encountered any trouble from the usually compliant creatures. And these weren't Shadows, but Soldiers, protected by armour that meant her attacks couldn't dispatch them in single blows. Added to this that they rushed in together and it was easy to lose track of them. She would keep the main mob at bay with her claws and grill any that slipped through using well-timed Fire spells that sent the little monster reeling as the flames burned underneath their metal casings. However, she found herself backed against the robed man with the Soldiers advancing once more and tried desperately to reignite that blue flame she had created before, leaping into the air and smashing down on the group with a fire spell. It did the job well enough, a disc of red fire exploding from the point of impact, scattering the mob so that she could pick them off quickly. But it wasn't right. Even as she was victorious, she stood panting and dejected.
"Thank you for protecting me with such fervour. If there were ever any doubts in your abilities, they're thoroughly dispelled now!" The figure paused, the hood rustling as they appeared to tilt their head. "...You do not seem to feel the same way. Is something wrong?"
She sighed. "The Heartless aren't supposed to be out of control here. I'm supposed to be under Maleficent's protection. Unless she's really that mad at me." She looked at her hands, trying to remember that feeling again. "There was an incident recently, and I did this big finisher against a giant Heartless. But I can't seem to recreate it. I came here to learn magic and become stronger, but it's no good if I can't be consistent with it."
Rather suddenly, the scholarly shadow hovered near to her, looking over her hands and claws. "Hmm... you accomplished this through magic? Were you under extreme duress at the time? Any feeling you would describe as overwhelming?"
She shifted her head back in surprise at his sudden closeness but didn't step away.
"Yeah, definitely. Me and my friends were getting beaten pretty badly. I couldn't stand seeing them get hurt. Next thing I knew, I was diving down surrounded by blue fire." She furrowed her brow at the memory. "If I'm honest with myself, I don't think we would've come out of that fight if I hadn't done what I did. Whatever it was."
The figure moved back a bit, stopping to ponder this. "...It is said that magic is a power which flows from the heart - the power to shape the world with one's will. In practice, this is often considered poetic nonsense, but when it comes to the extraordinary, the only explanation is that this strength which saved you came from within your heart, stoked into a blaze by your emotions."
The empty robes' arms lifted wide in a grandiose gesture. It looked remarkably silly, coming from a hunchbacked shadow-thing. "Your desire to live, fear of death, and rage at the enemy you faced, these pushed you to unleash your real strength, and the magic you'd tapped into responded to it."
Lowering his arms, the nameless shadow looked out over the cloudy horizon. "...Am I wrong? Perhaps you simply need to recall those emotions, to stoke the flame within. That may not be enough to duplicate the effect, but it is a good start in learning to channel that power more readily."
"The emotions, huh?" She rested her chin in her hand in thought and paced the lift. "I was so focused on trying to remember the sensation, I completely ignored the circumstances that made it happen in the first place." Stopping abruptly, she bumped her fist into her other open hand.
"It's worth a shot!"
Then she turned to the robed man with a smile, "You definitely seem like someone who knows a lot about this stuff. I knew being around this place would help your memory."
"Well..." The shadowed man looked down a bit and fidgeted. Was he being bashful? "...I did know much, I think."
With a little chuckle, he stared up at the great crest adorning the side of the castle as they were lifted by it. It was difficult to make out the shape from so close, but it was the emblem adorning many of the Heartless.
Seeing him staring up at the symbol, she followed his gaze. It seemed to make something click in her mind. "That's strange. This symbol is all over the castle but I'm sure I saw it on those Heartless just now. And it was on that big one from the jungle. I know Maleficent can control the Heartless, but why would they have the same insignia?" She folded her arms in thought. "Is it a brand she's put on the ones she commands? But that would mean that big one was a rogue... Did she adopt the symbol because she uses them?" She snapped out of her thoughts, remembering her companion but filing the inquiry away for later.
"Oh! Sorry, talking to myself." The lift came to a stop at one of the outcropping walkways and Raven stepped off the metal onto the stone, touching the crystal to deactivate the lift once the robed man had also stepped off.
Her new companion remained oddly taciturn for the remainder of their trip across the side of the castle, the edge of his cloak billowing in the rush of air. This was a higher altitude, so the gusts were a little more intense. If not for the belts around his chest, perhaps the whole cloth would fly away, and what remained would simply melt into nothing. As they walked, Raven placed a hand gently on the robe's back, just in case it really was blown away, until they reached the heavy doors, whereupon she had to use her whole body to shift the stiff hinges.
Once inside the cavernous, yet pressing shadows of the Entrance Hall, her demeanour changed, becoming lighter on her feet and eyes darting around for signs of anyone. She could hear faint voices coming from the Chapel, indicating Maleficent was now in a meeting with her council.
This behaviour did not escape the researcher's notice. He gave a few quick glances around and back the way they came. He looked a bit less unnatural in this dim, enclosed space. One could almost believe he was simply a cloaked man and not some strange creature of dark. "You seem concerned. Are you watching for Heartless? Or something else?"
"Hm? Well, I don't think the Heartless would be in here, but I wouldn't want to be surprised. Maleficent's in a meeting with her council through that door up there." She pointed up to the door directly above the fountain. "She owns this castle and really I should be asking her before I bring strangers inside, but she's not exactly happy with me right now. So, what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"
In the darkness of the balcony, which circled the grand chandelier high, high above the chamber floor, the shadows warped and moved, unbeknownst to the young hunter as she started towards the left staircase. No sooner had she reached the top and began making her way to the library doors, than she felt a presence behind her. She barely had time to turn before -
"Ghk!" A large black blur slammed into her and knocked her off the level and back down to the fountain's edge, lucky she hadn't cracked her head on the stone ledge. Grimacing after her fall, she grabbed her claws and jumped to her feet, looking for her assailant, blinking away the spots of disorientation.
The researcher's hood peered over the edge, letting Raven know he was unharmed, before looking back at the Heartless that had appeared - a giant bundle of spindly sinew with beady eyes and a gaping maw, floating in the air at a jittery cadence. He shrank back from the creature, vanishing from Raven's view before the monster could spot him. The creature surrounded itself with a dark aura before appearing to collapse in on itself, leaving only a tiny speck surrounded by a smoky trail. In this condensed form, it zipped over the bannister and shot over to where its quarry now rested, suddenly expanding again to its full size.
Raven stepped back but not quick enough for the speed the thing ballooned outwards, staggering her again, though mercifully not enough to knock her back down and she used the momentum to carry her a few good sized steps away from it.
She gazed at the unsettling shape with disgust, narrowing her eyes as it twitched and shuddered. She was trying to predict its next move, but struggled to get a read on it other than it was seemingly erratic. The blasted thing's strange manoeuvres were hard enough to scrutinise, but as it bobbed back and forth, a hissing noise echoed behind her as two more of them took shape from the darkness. As they did, the first became tired of listless floating, charging at Raven with its rapidly-biting mouth first, a horrid and visceral gnashing sound accompanying the chomping fangs.
Alas, with her attention momentarily divided, she only just raised her arm to defend, intending to use the metal of her claw to protect against the rapidly biting teeth, but her distraction caused her to miscalculate the distance and instead the monster clamped down on her exposed arm, crimson spurting from within the jagged maw.
"Aghah!" She immediately brought her other arm up and stabbed the beady yellow eye in an effort to get the creature to release her arm before it got a good grip, at the cost of leaving her even more vulnerable to the newcomers.
As the first creature reeled from the sudden attack, the two behind her suddenly lunged with their bulk, slamming into her in sequence, with enough force to send her flying a short distance, just falling short of one of the vases that stood by the entrance doors.
"What are you doing?! Fight! Do not let these base creatures overcome you!" The researcher's voice came from above - it seemed to distract the Heartless for a brief moment, but they didn't appear interested in going after a husk.
Groaning as the breath was knocked from her, she couldn't help but feel relieved that the scholar remained unharmed. She could feel the blood dripping down her arm but luckily it hadn't been broken.
Three Heartless she didn't recognise against her. Maleficent was only a short distance away and had to have heard the commotion. It would be a matter of time before she sent someone to investigate or came herself. This couldn't be dragged out. She needed that power. She needed it now.
Rushing at the enemy, she held her fire spells in her hands as she struck each one over and over, but the flames remained orange and the blows seemed glancing at best. She could feel the fatigue radiating with the ache of her wound and the steady depletion of her mana. The abominations reeled a bit, but shallow cuts would not destroy them. They bounced her back with the bulk of their bodies, shaking in the air. Their shuddering resembled scornful laughter.
A voice in the back of her mind was telling her that Maleficent would arrive any minute and be furious with her. For disobeying her instructions. For bringing these dangerous creatures within the castle walls. Not to mention smuggling in a complete stranger.
"There's no time! Let your rage ignite and destroy them!" The deep voice of said stranger echoed throughout the hall and snapped her out of her thoughts just as each of the blasted creatures loomed closer, ready to attack again at any moment.
She struck first, lunging at the closest one and severing one of its antennae. It screeched at such a pitch that Raven's proximity to it forced her to protect her ears rather than round on the next opponent. The opportunity was enough for the other two to flank and attack, allowing the third to recover and join in with the barrage.
She was ricocheted between the three foes, the constant and violent changing of directions coupled with the repeated pounding of pain as each one struck her, meant the room was blurring rapidly, only their giant maws coming into focus long enough for her to make a sloppy guard. There was no way to keep track of them and when she tried to concentrate on one, the other two would strike. It was all she could do to defend against the worst of the damage but her stamina was almost drained. She tripped and fell to her knees, the Darkballs closing in and blocking out what little light there was in the hall. She curled in on herself, the only thing she could do, nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat thumping in her ears and the encroaching jaws, slamming together like a guillotine. Was she really going to lose here? To these wretched monsters?
No way. She was from the Guild, trained from infancy to defend against the terrors of the night.
She hunted monsters.
She felt it. The power. Invigorating her entire body with renewed energy as the white-hot emotion flowed from her fingertips, the blazing red flames flickering and rippling into a bright, eerie blue and spreading up her arms and her legs. She pushed against the flagstone with her hands, swung her legs around to scatter the Heartless just enough, landing with a roll to her feet outside of the group, maintaining her momentum as she used her newfound stamina and speed to dart behind each of the three Darkballs, slashing them with a cross strike and kicking them inward.
Once they were gathered together, she ran and launched herself at one of the bulbous bodies and bounced off of it, the contact creating an audible sizzle from the azure fire coating her limbs, up into the air where she began her spiralling descent, tearing into the group like a corkscrew, wrenching her arms and her legs open as she felt the indigo flesh of her enemies be rent asunder in the bladed inferno.
As she neared the ground, she flipped herself upright and unleashed the remainder of her fire, the roaring flames erupting from her form in all directions, swallowing the dying shrieks of the Heartless, disintegrating their forms until naught was left but motes of Darkness drifting in the flickers of flame that lingered as she descended. Once her feet touched the floor, the last embers vanished, her strength along with them, and she fell to her hands and knees in exhaustion.
The hooded researcher was nowhere to be seen, for his part. It was just as well. Helpful though he'd been, it wouldn't do for him to be found by Maleficent. She could take issue with him taking up residence in her castle without her knowledge or permission.
A slow, drawn out, echoing clap was the only indication that anyone else was present, as her finale had masked the sound of Maleficent leaving the Chapel.
"Well, well, child. It seems your efforts have not been in vain after all." Maleficent smiled from atop the staircase, looking down at her student. Raven, still on her knees, breathed through gritted teeth and struggled to her feet in attention, holding her maimed forearm.
"Thank you, Ma'am." Her voice was tired, and her vision unfocused, but she made sure Maleficent heard her. From the corner of her eye, she could vaguely make out the colours of Riku. It seemed he had emerged from the Library at the same time Maleficent had arrived but was told to not interfere.
Seeing the blood drip between her fingers and onto the mosaic floor, the sorceress narrowed her eyes.
"Yet it appears this is not where I instructed you to remain? Do you care to explain yourself, girl?" The icy tone in her voice was a clear reprimand, one Raven wasn't going to ignore.
"My apologies, my lady, I was only intending to go outside for some fresh air but was attacked here." The sorceress surveyed her charge shrewdly, but the girl did not look away. After a moment, the creases in her brow softened and her lips unpursed, becoming nonchalant.
"Very well. On this occasion, as it has proven fruitful in your progression, I shall abstain from punishing you further." Raven let out a relieved breath. "But I would think very carefully in the future before defying my instructions if I were you, child." The sheer venom lacing her words was enough to convey the warning with absolute clarity.
"Yes, Ma'am." Her words quavered in her throat, and she finally looked down. Seemingly satisfied, Maleficent released the remaining tension in her poise.
"Now then, as you have succeeded in the task I set for you, your education of the arcane shall continue. Tomorrow morning, I shall teach you. Do not be late." With a respectful nod of confirmation from both Raven and Riku, who only now felt he could move from the Library doors, the horned mage turned with a swoosh of her robes but held out her talon-like hand in a beckoning motion to Raven, the wound and blood on her arm vanishing with a strange sensation that was a mixture of cool, warm and itchy. "Come, my dear. There are matters to discuss."
Raven glanced at Riku confusedly from the bottom of the left staircase, but he only shrugged in response, nonplussed. Not wanting to keep her mistress waiting, Raven ascended the stairs and followed her wake.
XXXXX
The chapel was dark as usual, but it was clear that Maleficent's council had left.
"Now then, you have heard me mention the work we are striving to accomplish here, yes?" The horned mage took her place at the altar. Raven nodded. "It is my belief that by knowing the true importance of why I brought you to Hollow Bastion, you will rise to the occasion and reach your full potential." With her interest piqued, Raven leaned forward eagerly.
The air between the two of them began to fill with orbs of different colours and sizes, the larger ones showing details like castles and natural landmarks, while the smallest of them were nothing more than pin pricks of light and weaving between them all were translucent belts of colour and rocks.
"The cosmos is stricken with a crisis unlike any seen since ancient times. Entire worlds have been vanishing into the Darkness, one by one, leaving countless lives stranded or consumed." As she spoke, the orbs vanished one after another, increasingly in frequency. "Dear Riku was one such unfortunate soul." One of the larger orbs that was close to Raven was overcome by a black fog before it too vanished. "We have been investigating why this has been happening, but more importantly, how to rectify it. And in our research, we found that there are seven true lights that when brought together, will beget the answers we seek." As the last of the planetary orbs vanished and the projection of the cosmos dimmed to nothingness, seven orbs of pure light appeared in the air before Raven.
"These seven lights are housed by maidens of the purest hearts, not a speck of Darkness resides within them, and as such they are at the greatest risk when it comes for them." These lights too were snuffed out one at a time, and the gloom of the chamber seemed to press in on Raven, sending a shiver down her spine.
"It is imperative that these maidens, the Princesses of Heart, be protected at all costs. Thus far, three of the seven are within our care, but it has been a difficult and slow process. And I fear we are running out of time." A forlorn expression crossed the angular features of the sorceress. "This crisis began almost a decade ago but has accelerated in its spread over the past year. Three of the Princesses are under our protection already yet while we have educated guesses on who the remaining princesses may be, it can take months or even years for us to confirm beyond any doubt. A luxury of time, we do not have. And that is where you come in, my dear."
"I can see who is and isn't one of these 'Princesses' for you." The girl reaffirmed after a moment putting the pieces together, and a smile showed the white glint of Maleficent's teeth as she stepped around the altar, bending to be at almost eye level and raising her hand to Raven's cheek.
"Yes, clever girl. Imagine my joy when I learned of your remarkable ability. Truly an act of providence that precisely when our hopes seemed to dim, you appeared to us." The mage caressed Raven's face, almost lovingly, a look of affection and praise that looked slightly out of place on the woman who so often scowled. "Think of it; so many lives saved, so much time and resources better allocated to expedite the search. You would be part of something akin to a miracle. You would help shape the future, my dear." She used her talon-like nails to brush a few strands of hair from the girl's face, the better to see it, illuminated by the green glow of her staff.
Raven swelled with pride, beaming, and her heart fluttered at the thought. She could be a hero. A warmth spread from her heart, and despite Maleficent's touch initially being chilly, there was a strange easement that came from it. She would make everyone so proud. Everyone.
"I know I've been harsh on you, sweet girl." Her fingertips smoother over her skin down to underneath of her chin, and Raven felt almost sleepy. Likely exhaustion. "But I hope you understand it is only because of what is at stake here." Maleficent's hand receded and the sleepiness faded somewhat as she gestured her staff to the altar.
"You will recall you were to observe a young girl as your trial expedition. Had you completed it, we would have sent you to retrieve and escort her here. As it stands, Riku completed the task alone and it was far more prudent to locate and retrieve yourself. I had one of my council members bring her here as a precaution." Upon the pedestal, a swirl of Darkness created an opening of sorts. Raven felt uncomfortable at the idea of what was essentially kidnapping a poor girl in the hopes that she might be one of these Princesses. Even if it was to save the world. "Gaze through the window and tell me, is she one that we seek?" Maleficent's hand rested on Raven's shoulder and squeezed. "We shall return her safely if she is not."
The unease she had felt melted away and she peered through. Raven saw a sleeping girl with blonde hair held back by a black ribbon, wearing a blue dress with a little white apron. She was very young, at a guess only ten years old. Raven closed her eyes, took a breath, and gazed at the child. A ball of the purest, brightest light glowed within the girl's chest. No matter how hard she gazed, or squinted against the light, not a single mote of Darkness presented itself. She had never seen a heart like that before. Raven took another breath, closing her eyes and seeing spots before standing up straight and smiling up at her teacher.
"It's just like you said, pure light." Maleficent smiled triumphantly in turn and dismissed the window, releasing her grip on Raven's shoulder and striding back around to the other side of the altar.
"Excellent work. To see it for myself is a great comfort. I must consult with my council and share this wonderous news. And you must go and regain your strength." She waved her hand dismissively, indicating Raven could leave. But that bubble of anxiety returned.
"Um, Ma'am? What will happen to her? She's so young." The sorceress looked at her sharply but sighed and a small smile softened her features as she approached her protege.
"She will be with the others we have acquired. Sound asleep. Unaware of the burden they bear. Now, child, no more questions. You will need to be rested for your training tomorrow. Off you go." With a gentle hand to her back and an encouraging push, Raven felt the drowsiness of sleep overcome her mixed feelings and amidst the stupor, she made her way to her bedroom.