Darkness moved through the air, materializing inside the window of the Mysterious Tower once more.
They drifted into the room, sensing and taking in everything around themselves.
The old wizard was absent from the room.
Darkness flitted across the room, hovering before the wooden door. They conjured a dark portal, and passed through it, emerging on the other side of the door - in a strange, magical area. A floating staircase, in an open, empty tower's interior. They flew down to pass through another door, into a barren room with paintings and a table.
They moved on, uninterested.
Down a new flight of stairs - into another room. Nothing of note here, either.
They moved on again.
They flew over the edge of the stairs, drifting down...pulsing dark energy, making a new pathway...and sank down through it, emerging from the ceiling of a new area.
A basement level?
They flew through narrow, stone hallways, passing tall doors of wood. They reached the end - and paused. They summoned a new portal, entering the room.
The sight that greeted them was a curious one.
A familiar girl was laying on a bed, with blankets pulled up over her form. Red-haired. Scars on her face. Open, vacant blue eyes.
One of the Seven Princesses of Heart of the current era. A Keyblade wielder, as well - one who had led the fight against the evil witch, and Xehanort's incarnations. Dismantling their schemes, alongside her allies.
Not the source of this changed future, no - but a focal point of it. A turning point.
Darkness flew forward, taking in the sight of the girl more closely now.
They felt a thrill of confusion and even shock, as their senses told them something unexpected.
The girl's Heart was missing.
That infinite, invulnerable light was gone - along with her very consciousness.
This girl's body...was simply an empty shell.
A vacant, physical form...young and strong, shaped by combat...
Perfect for a formless being to inhabit.
And since it was only the body they would be taking possession of, not the Heart, even if it was destroyed later, they wouldn't fade with it. Because their Heart was now tied to Maleficent's - not the Princess's. They would need to be caught and destroyed while within the witch's Heart - the only vulnerability they had. But they doubted that any of the girl's friends would have the Heart to strike her body down regardless...an advantage Darkness was counting on making the most of. This body...this face...
Darkness hovered above the Princess's body, and began to pour into it - to fill it, and merge with it. To permeate it. Every muscle, every bone, every cell and hair. Every inch of skin. It became...
Hers.
She opened her eyes, sitting up in the bed.
She looked down at herself, raising her hands. Flexing the fingers. She reached up to brush strands of hair from her face. Every motion, every sensation...
An ancient feeling of sorrow and longing filled her Heart, as chaotic, mixed memories rose to the surface (memories primarily associated with female forms)...memories that pulled, that drew, and settled. Memories that all felt - "right". Or at least, more "right" than the rest of the ancient collection of memories. She supposed it all came down to the...individual.
She closed her eyes and stood from the bed. She breathed out, and opened them again. She raised an arm, conjuring a Dark Corridor.
She smiled to herself as she strode into it, an aura of darkness itself protecting her new form from harm.
She was pleased with her findings today.
Very pleased.
It felt like finding home.
Stepping out of the portal on the other side, she found her host in the ancient, crumbling stone castle on the high cliff, overlooking a dark and storming landscape.
Maleficent turned -and paused, her mouth opening in surprise, fear, and wariness. Her eyes narrowed...then, the feelings eased, and she relaxed again, lowering her staff. "Is there some point to adopting the Princess of Heart's appearance?"
"Not just her appearance," Darkness responded. "Her physical body; I found it, empty, in the wizard's tower. There was no Heart."
"Interesting..." Maleficent breathed. She brought her hand to her lips, laughing. "It would seem our enemies were trying to conceal the fact that their little Princess is not quite...in her right mind - or, rather, her right body."
"Yes. And now it's mine."
"Do with it whatever you wish," Maleficent said airily. "I assume this does not mean that our Hearts are no longer - bonded - however?"
"Correct. Even if this form is destroyed, I will return to you."
"Very well. Then go forth, and begin the search for this...Ultima Weapon," Maleficent spoke. "You were quite right: I will not be troubling myself with merely controlling and manipulating a Keyblade Wielder this time. No, this time...I will have one of those wonderful little blades for myself. I will wield it with my own hands this time!"
Darkness nodded. She paused, tilting her head. "What will you do?"
Maleficent smiled at her. "Myself? I will be paying a visit to the ancient world of the Keyblade Wielders, to search its depths for the Book of Prophecies, of course. The power to conjure entire worlds - whole armies, from nothingness - will give me the power I need to begin my conquest! In lieu of this Ultima blade, of course...or perhaps in addition to it. Who can say?"
"You've never lacked ambition," Darkness mused. "Only the knowledge to achieve them."
"Quite. And your knowledge, my...old friend, has proven invaluable," Maleficent said idly. "There are secrets of this World - secrets not even known to my enemies, or to ancient Masters above Masters - secrets that are mine alone to know..." She paused, glancing at Darkness. "Ahh, ours alone to know, that is."
Darkness smiled. "We're glad to see you settling in to our partnership so well. We'll be back."
She turned and departed through another dark portal, a glow in her chest.
The security of life, and a plan, in an uncertain future, was quite the feeling.
She did not go off to begin her search for the Ultima Weapon, however.
Instead, she went to the birth world of the Princess of Heart.
The damaged world of Radiant Garden, once ruled by Maleficent.
The world kept out of the Data copies, and the projections by the Book in ancient times - yet not unwritten of in the Master's Book itself...
The events of this world had been so well protected, and so scantly documented...particularly in this era. Why?
Darkness had to know.
Originally, she had thought it was something to do with the Princess of Heart herself - the girl whose very body she inhabited now. But, now, she thought it must be something else entirely.
The Master was hiding something. Well, that man was always hiding something - a dozen things, at any given time...
What is it you're up to, my old friend?
Though, strictly speaking, those memories of familiarity that burgeoned the term were no more truly hers than the multitude of memories of once being "female"...
But, well, semantics.
With such a wide array of blended, old memories - young, old, male, female, black hair, red hair, long hair, short hair, dresses or pants, cherry or apple, music or books, patient or impatient, angry or depressed, clicking tongue or tapping fingers - what was a Darkness to do but pick and choose which ones best felt...right to them?
To collect the bits and pieces to use to reforge a personality and an identity as an individual again.
In the past, she hadn't deigned to - not as much as some of the others already had been starting to - but now...
Why not?
New era, new future - new her.
She had the time, now.
She had never been opposed to it - she had just been...too busy, before.
She wasn't all that busy anymore.
Darkness emerged out of the portal, into the ruined streets of the city. She walked out into the open, heading for the city square. She moved for the gates, up to the towering castle.
"Holyyyy shit, you're back in action, girl! Why did no one tell me?!"
Darkness stopped as a form slammed into hers from behind - as arms wrapped around her tightly. She thought it was an attack, at first, but-
A child's face popped up on her left, split by a wide grin and shining eyes. A girl of dark hair, with a large throwing star weapon on her back.
Darkness pulled the arms from her form, pushing the girl away. She gazed up at the castle.
"Uhh - heeeyyyy - earth to Kairi? You okay there?" the child spoke again, stalking around Darkness and putting a hand in her face. Waving it.
Darkness blinked. She shook her head, meeting the other girl's gaze. "Sorry. No. I'm still recovering. I don't want to talk about it," she spoke flatly.
The other girl's mouth fell open. Then she smiled and nodded. "Gotcha! Well, whatever you need, just give a shout, and the great ninja Yuffie will be there for you in a heartbeat!" the girl exclaimed, raising a fist. Then she turned and ran away, her arms behind her back.
Darkness eyed her in confusion, then turned away and continued on her path.
Humans...
She walked up the stairs to the intermediate landing - where the path diverged left and right...or continued on up to the castle's entrance properly. She chose to continue. When she reached the top, she saw a human standing at the doors. A muscular human with long black hair, wielding a sharp spear weapon.
Darkness strode up to them, stopping before them.
"The Princess of Heart? You're-" the man began, his eyes widening with surprise.
"I'd like to go inside," Darkness interrupted smoothly.
The man composed himself again. He nodded. "Of course. Go right in..."
"Thank you," Darkness said, sliding past the man and pushing open the doors.
She wandered the inside of the castle at her leisure, examining and taking note of it all. Eventually she made her way down into the basement levels. If anything was going to be hidden in this place, it would be there. She entered the long, wide corridors and rooms in the underground. She navigated it all blindly, her eyes roaming the walls and ceiling.
She turned a corner-
And let out a noise from her physical form as it collided with another human's.
A tall, blonde-haired human in a white lab coat.
"Oof! Is it too much to ask that you watch where you're going, you...you..." The man trailed off, blinking down at her. His lips parted. "Kairi...? Your friends found you, then! Your missing status wasn't so long of one, thankfully, it seems. It's- good to see you back again. Xion was having quite a difficult time of things lately; but hopefully your return can..." He went silent again, staring at her more intently. His eyes narrowed. His lips twisted.
"What?" Darkness said simply. "What's wrong with Xion-"
"Don't..." the man hissed. "You - are not Kairi."
"Of course I-"
The man stepped backwards, conjuring a blue shield in icy mist. "Don't take me for a fool, either, whoever you really are!" he snapped out. "Kairi's very presence is a radiant light upon all around her - anyone could feel it like the sun on their face, without even trying; yours is not. In fact, it's...rather the opposite. It's a deep, intense...darkness."
Darkness tilted her head. "Oh. Of course. I overlooked that."
The man sneered. "Yes, you did. Now-"
Darkness raised a hand, sending out a wave of burning purple flames, shrouded in crackling purple lightning.
The man took it on his great shield - and flew backwards down the corridor, slamming into the far wall. He fell forward, his shield skittering away. A great gasp escaped his mouth.
Darkness strode forward, lowering her arm. She stood over the man, looking down at him. "Maybe you can tell me what's being kept secret here, human-"
Light footsteps, and another man appeared around the corner to the right.
Darkness turned her head.
This man had short, light blue hair with long fringe hanging over an eye.
"Even, what happened here-" He froze, his gaze finding Kairi's form. "Kairi...? You're back? What are you-"
Darkness turned and threw an arm out, sending a blast of energy at the new arrival.
The air shimmered strangely in the corridor - and the man fell backwards to the ground with a gasp, a hand to his chest, burning with dark energy tendrils.
Darkness lowered her arm again. She turned back to the helpless one - Even? "Now, where were we? Tell me what secrets this castle is hiding. Tell me-"
The man at her feet suddenly vanished in a flash of faint light.
Darkness stared down at the empty floor, confused for a moment. She looked around her - and caught sight of the tail end of two figures disappearing around a corner.
She looked back over her shoulder, and saw that the blue-haired man was also gone.
Anger surged in Darkness's Heart.
She let out a growl, a dark aura bursting and growing around her form, rising to the ceiling and burning at the walls.
Humans!
She turned away and stalked into a Dark Corridor, trying to regain herself.
This body's trembling didn't help that - all its chemicals and reactions.
How annoying. How weak - vulnerable. How...
Sweetly nostalgic.
She stood in the endless expanse of darkness, taking in the energy as it drifted by her.
She breathed it in, then out again.
She would come back for this world later - along with Maleficent - she reminded herself, and then she would have all the time in the world to search its every corner without interruption...once they had taken it back, with a full invasion force.
For now, the Ultima Weapon was a higher priority.
She turned and headed off into the darkness, bound for a new world.