AN: I do not own anything except for Caelum, a guy can dream though.
Chapter 5: Bitter Apples
The evil faerie Maleficent was a dangerous enemy, and if left unchecked, could one day become a major threat to the worlds. I do not know how Master Xehanort is involved, but I could not let this happen. When Maleficent was wounded by Prince Phillip's attack, I recalled a passage from the book on sealing magic that I found in the restricted section of the library. So, I enlisted aid of the other fairies to cripple Maleficent's magic.
With the help of the good fairies, I was able to make Maleficent's fae powers the direct target of the seal. I had hoped to seal her magic away entirely, but she slipped away before the seal could be fully completed. Her powers still remain, but she will find it harder to replenish them. Picture magic like a glass of water. The wound Maleficent received drained the water to about roughly 40% of capacity. What the seal did was ensure that no more water could enter the glass. Maleficent still can use this 40% and replenish her magic up to that amount, but she is cut off from the remaining 60%. Still, even this partial seal was more than enough to reduce the threat she can pose. It will buy time until I can come back to this world and complete the seal, draining the rest of the water in the process.
I do not doubt that Maleficent will attempt to bypass the seal, but thanks to the three fairies providing much of the power for the seal, it will take many years at the very least. It is more likely that she will seek out alternative ways to bolster her diminished powers, filling up the glass with different liquids as it were. I will have to prepare for whatever she may do in the future. First the Unversed, then the rouge wielder, now Maleficent. These events are connected to each other somehow, and I cannot shake the feeling that there is something bigger at play. – From the reports of Caelum, Apprentice of Eraqus
Caelum arrived at a quaint cottage in the woods. Walking up to it he hears a thud and cackling coming from inside. "Now I'm the fairest in the land!" Raindrops began to hit his head as he walked closer to see what was going on. An old woman walked out of the house laughing to herself.
A group of dwarfs ran from the woods toward the house. "Stop her! Before she kills Snow White!" One of them shouted. The old woman turned and ran away ducking into the woods.
"What's going on?" Caelum asked.
"No time! The queen will stop at nothing to kill the princess."
Several Unversed appeared. "Here too?" Caelum asked.
"What are these things?" One of the dwarfs asked hiding behind a tree.
"Monsters! No doubt sent by the wicked queen." The dwarf in the lead said.
"I'll take care of them." Caelum said summoning his Keyblade. He got to work slicing through the Unversed as the rain began to pour down.
"Who is he?" Doc asked. "Is he like Ven?"
"Whoever he is, he is no friend of the queen. That's for sure." Grumpy replied with his arms crossed.
Caelum destroyed the last Unversed with a slash. The dwarfs emerged from behind a fallen tree. "That's them taken care of. Now what's this about an evil queen?"
"She's Snow Whites stepmother. Her hatred and jealousy know no bounds. Now hurry we have to stop her!" Grumpy said jumping up and down.
"It's such a shame do, to, Snow White is so pure." Doc said.
"Another pure light? Lead the way." Caelum said determined.
"She went this way." The dwarfs continued their pursuit with Caelum running behind them.
The hag was climbing up the mountain when they caught up to her. Lighting flashed across Caelum's face as he approached the foot of them mountain. The hag looked back in fear as the dwarfs began to climb. "After her!" Grumpy shouted.
Caelum grabbed a rock and pulled himself up. He took a step and almost slipped on the slick surface. He caught himself and followed the clamoring dwarfs higher up the mountain. Along the way more Unversed appeared and Caelum blasted an Archraven with a blizzard spell.
"Are the Unversed here to wreak havoc or are they somehow drawn to the queen's jealousy?" Caelum asked himself. "Would be easier to climb this mountain if they would let up."
The hag reached the top of the mountain "I'm trapped." She gasped looking over the edge of the cliff. "And there is another one of those key shaped sword wielders with the dwarfs as well. Those meddlesome fools." She muttered. She picked up a large stick and wedged it under a boulder.
"I'll getcha…I'll crush your bones!" She laughed.
Caelum looked on in horror. "Too far away…the only way to get closer is the surge technique. But the rain severely weakens fire magic, thunder is to unstable but the risk is worth it." Caelum gathered the magic around himself, the lightning magic crackling, "Please work this time…" He mumbled to himself. He launched himself forward in front of the dwarfs. The electricity wrapped around Caelum, jumping between raindrops.
The lightning arced towards the boulder, The hag continuing to laugh manically. The lightning moved past the boulder and impacted the ground under her. A resounding boom rang out. She stumbled back, the ground crumbling beneath her feet. She screamed as she fell down mountain, the boulder following her path. Two vultures leered in the trees.
Another crash of lighting illuminated Caelum's shocked face. The dwarfs leaned over edge of the cliff. "Is she gone?" Sleepy asked.
"Good riddance." Grumpy said.
"I-I, tha-that wasn't my intention. I was aiming for… I was trying to destroy the boulder." Caelum stammered. "I didn't mean for her to…" Caelum put his head down in shame as the rain continued to pour. Up above the vultures circled the hag's corpse.
The dwarfs constructed a beautiful glass coffin for Snow White to lay in. Before the evil queen had met her end, she had tricked Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. Caelum did not recognize the poison and various healing spells had no effect on Snow White. The only thing that Caelum could determine was that Snow White was in still technically alive, but not enough for an Esuna spell or a Panacea to purge the poison from her.
The dwarfs stood in front of the coffin with their hats in their hands. Caelum silently stood behind them. He did not have the chance to meet Snow White, but it was clear that the dwarfs missed her dearly. From behind him footsteps were heard. Caelum glanced behind him and saw Aqua walking up to the scene. She hadn't spotted him yet, so Caelum moved behind a tree.
"What has happened here?" She asked.
"Poor Snow White…" Doc mumbled. Aqua walked forward and saw the woman in the coffin. "She was just as sweet as could be."
"She sang us purty songs…"
"And made us smile."
"At bedtime, she told wonderful stories…"
"About falling in love, an' the Prince she'd met."
"An' when we went to work, she gave us all a kiss on the head."
"She was so full of kindness, why, she made better folk of all of us."
"From what you've said, she must have been very loved. But how did this happen to her?" Aqua asked.
"The wicked Queen was horribly jealous of our dear Snow White's beauty. So she used her evil magic to change into an old hag, and then she gave Snow White a poisoned apple." Doc said.
"An' by the time we got here…Well, it was just too late. We found the princess as still as can be. Nothing we could do would wake her. Not even Caelum's magic."
"Caelum?" Aqua asked spotting him.
Caelum just turned his head away and fled the world without a word to her.
"Caelum!" Aqua called out.
In the Lanes Between, Caelum cursed to himself. "Coward…" he muttered. "Isn't this what we are supposed to do? Destroy the darkness? The Queen was blinded by her jealousy. That darkness drove her to poison Snow White. So why is this different than destroying the Unversed?"
"I shouldn't be sorry for killing her, but I can't find myself regretting it. Does that make me a terrible person?" Caelum pulled out his wayfinder. "What should I do?" Caelum thought to himself. "Master Yen Sid…the Master and him are old friends. Perhaps he can give me advice."
His next course set, he flew off to find the retired Master. Along the way his mind continues to turn. "Did the Queen deserve death? And if she did, she didn't deserve to die like that… Did I really do the right thing?" The swirling stars around him gave no reply.
Caelum arrived at a tower on a floating island. "This must be the place…" Caelum walked up to the entrance and pushed the door. The wooden door opened up with a creak. Taking in the spiral stairs, Caelum took a deep breath. "Time to meet Master Yen Sid I guess."
He walked up to the door at the top of the stairs and knocked three times. "You may enter." A voice from inside said. Caelum walked in and saw an old man in blue robes and a hat emblazoned with stars sitting behind a desk.
"Master Yen Sid," Caelum started. "My name is Caelum and I apologize for disturbing you, but I find myself seeking your consul."
"Yes, you are one of Eraqus' pupils. He has kept me appraised of your talents. I spoke with your friend, Terra, about the Unversed and the danger they pose not too long ago, yet I feel that there is more to your visit."
"Yes…" Caelum swallowed, "I have to ask…Keyblade wielders are expected to destroy the darkness, but what if that darkness manifests in someone? Are we expected to…"
Yen Sid ran a hand through his long beard. "I may have left the mantle of Master behind, yet I shall try to aid you. Tell me of the events that transpired."
Caelum twiddled his thumbs. "On the most recent world I visited… a Queen poisoned a Princess of Heart. I pursued her alongside seven dwarfs. She was trapped on top of a mountain when she attempted to drop a boulder on them. I intervened and used thunder magic…it missed and she…fell. I hadn't meant to…"
Yen Sid held up hand stopping Caelum. "I understand, taking a life, especially at such a young age, is never easy."
"But I didn't intend to-"
"I know, your intent was to shield others from harm not to take another's life. You should not blame yourself for what transpired atop that mountain."
"But if I had used a different spell-"
"It would not have mattered. What is done is done. It does not bode well to dwell on the past. The best we can do is accept it and move forward. Tell me, do you think this Queen deserved to die for her actions?"
"No, of course, I mean, with what she did…" He closed his eyes, "I don't know…" Caelum said with a whisper.
"It is good that you are unsure. No one should be judge, jury, and executioner. Eraqus may believe that all darkness must be eliminated, but you will find that there is darkness inside us all. I just wish to impress upon you that killing should always be your last resort, but you must make peace with the fact that sometimes it can happen despite your best efforts to avoid it." Yen Sid said.
"I understand." Caelum said. "I also wanted to ask you something else, do you have any books on ancient languages?"
"Why the sudden interest in the subject?"
"Well, I found a few books in the library that have some passages written in ancient texts and I want to expand my knowledge on it." Caelum lied.
Yen Sid hummed. "I do not have any such books here at the moment, I would recommend the library in The Land of Departure for any of the translations you require."
"I see…" Caelum said disappointed. "Thank you for your advice Master Yen Sid." He turned to leave.
"Caelum." Yen Sid said. "I do not know what you seek to learn, but some knowledge is best left forgotten. I have seen another lose himself in pursuit of it, I do not wish you to suffer a similar fate." He said ominously.
"Who was this other?" Caelum asked.
"An old friend." Yen Sid said. "You should continue your journey in the world of Radiant Garden, a city of light. I fear that the Unversed growing in strength there."
"Of course, master." Caelum bowed and left the office.
"Xehanort…" Yen Sid muttered watching Caelum leave. "I will not allow another promising wielder to follow the same path that destroyed you."
AN: A shorter chapter this time around, but a major one for Caelum's character, he has taken a life, something that changes people. I am not sure how well I handled him coming to terms with it, so please let me know your thoughts in the comments/reviews. The next chapter will be out next Sunday.
To Gry28: I want to let you know that I planned this story a few months ago. Somehow you were able to guess the plot for Dwarf Woodlands almost perfectly. I hope that you use your psychic powers for good.
To Guest: We'll see how Xehanort reacts to this soon...
To Freedmoon: Thanks for the support. Glad you have enjoyed the story so far. I intend to see not just this story, but the coming series to it's conclusion.
To The Headless Chicken: Glad you are enjoying it.
To Onxio: I hadn't considered dodging techniques when I made this character, but I do find myself agreeing with you.
Next Chapter: The City of Light