The Witch's Keep

[Secondary Characters]

The Wicked Witch of the West was furious! She had been attempting to threaten Dorothy into giving her the Ruby Slippers by harassing her dog, but as soon as her back was turned, one of those blasted, incompetent heartless monkeys had accidentally let the dog go. The girl was feeling pretty cocky, which was making her all the more furious. To add to it all, she saw some of her minions returning out the window. She needed time to get her ducks in a row.

"You've been more trouble to me than you're worth, one way or another -- but it'll soon be over now!" she hissed at the blue-eyed girl from Kansas, swooping over and snagging a large hourglass with blood red sand. She held it up, a murderous look in her eye.

"Do you see that? That's how much longer you've got to be alive! And it isn't long, my pretty! It isn't long!" She slammed the thing down, allowing the sands to pour. She grabbed her broom from nearby and walked, hunched over, to the doors and stepped into the hall. With a turn to face Dorothy once more, she grabbed the doors. "I can't wait forever to get those shoes!" she shrieked, then slammed the doors shut and left the girl in her little magic-making room.

She sighed, her back to the door now as she took a moment to collect herself. Growling, she looked to the monkey that had lost the dog, and lifted a hand as though she were about to smack it. The thing flinched, causing her to roll her emerald eyes and march down the hallway. "Tell your useless winged brothers to meet me in my chambers!" she hissed. She stomped into her room, slamming the door behind her.

She looked dead at the monkey that arrived, her eyes narrowing. "You had better have good news!" she threatened, and when it cringed away apologetically, she lost it. She threw her arms up, waving her broom around angrily as she stomped around the room. "OF ALL THE INCOMPETENCE!!!" she roared, her fists lighting into balls of angry red fire.

"All I asked was for you to bring a simple slip of paper to me, and what do you do?? YOU COME BACK EMPTY HANDED!!!" She threw the fireball, incinerating the monkey before taking a few deep breaths and calming down. She turned to the crystal ball she kept for this room and waved a hand over it. "Where is that blasted Keyblade Note???"

[Oeilvert]

The spell was working normally, until an unknown being attempted to penetrate his focus, scrying on him. It was none other than the Wicked Witch of the West, and the young sorcerer's spell had followed the interruption to its origin.

A moment later and Oeilvert flew out of a rift in the air some feet away from the Wicked Witch's platform. He fell hard to the floor with an "oof!", and looked around.

"Oh boy," he said, standing up, his eyes locked upon the witch. "Very. Bad. Day."

[Secondary Characters]

The sudden intertwining of magical energies was... unexpected, but not unwelcomed. The Witch backed away quickly to avoid being slammed into, watching as lo and behold a man came barrelling through the air out of her crystal. Apparently, she had succeeded where her monkeys (and a few pieces of others) had failed. She quickly pointed at the man as he attempted to stand up. "GET HIM!" she shrieked, several of the Heartless apes jumping up and grabbing him to keep him from casting something nasty on her or otherwise getting the upper hand.

The green-skinned woman grinned from ear to ear, walking up to him, hunched over and her eyes hungrily looking him over. She cackled a little and walked close enough to look him right in the face. "Oo! A handsome young man comes to visit me in my loneliness! And look here!" she reached up and snatched a piece of parchment from his fingertips, looking at it with interest. "He brings a present, too! How considerate!"

She spun on the spot, reading the notes over with a laugh. "Well-well! My dear friend Maleficent will be pleased to see this bit of information, now won't she??" she looked at the man over her shoulder, grinning. "Now, what to do with you, I wonder??"

[Oeilvert]

Masheck was attacked from all sides, and siezed up by the Heartless. He struggled, but then stopped the moment the Wicked Witch took his slip of paper.

"Just tell me where Dorothy is!" he cried, beginning his struggle again. "And Locke! Where is my crow?"

Ever since Locke had disappeared, Oeilvert felt his connection weakening, and he himself was feeling sick. Who knows what terrible things were happening to his companion?

[Secondary Characters]

The Witch cackled a bit, touching her crystal ball softly as she spoke. "Dorothy? Why, she's my guest, naturally. As for your little bird..." she shrugged, waving a hand dismissively. "I wouldn't have the slightest idea!" she stroked the orb now, looking into it. "Show me Maleficent!"

She looked up to him as the orb searched, then walked over to him and grabbed the dagger out of his stomach and ripped it out. She brought the blade up and ran a finger over it, rubbing the blood between her fingertips. "I'd think you of all people would know how to find your familiar, hmm?" she teased, then set the dagger aside and rubbed his blood off on his forehead. "A sealing spell. No need for my minions to hold you forever!" She snapped her fingers, making them let go. Her spell should keep him in place while she attended to more important matters.

She swooped over to the orb once more, looking into it. "Blast it all, where is Maleficent??"

[Oeilvert]

After a moment of deep though, Masheck responded to the Wicked Witch.

"I'm guessing this Maleficent is an associate of yours? Well maybe she just forgot about you, or something; your tastes, your abilities, and even your schemes are less than unique and devious. Maybe she tired of you? I mean, you're after a pair of slippers and a sheet of paper, witch."

He grinned, even under this spell of sealing, he felt as if he had the upper hand, though it wouldn't last for long if he didn't receive the healing he needed.

"I have no doubt you had something to do with the disappearance of my crow; it was you who we ambushed on the Yellow Brick Road, and you who stabbed and poisoned me. What are your motives, you nasty creature..."

[MeadowSong]

[glow=Purple,2,300]***A streak of darkness crosses the sky***[/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

"Less than devious, he says!" the Witch spat, frowning hard as she looked up from her crystal ball. "Why, I'll have you know there's not a single man, woman, or child in all of Oz that doesn't cower at the mere mention of my name! More than I can say for you!" She walked around the scrying stone, pointing at the man's face as she spoke.

"As for those shoes and these notes..." she shook the paper under his nose, making her point. "...Why, the two combined hold the key to a scheme far bigger than you know!" She cackled a little, walking over to the ball once more.

"Awful protective of that annoying crow of yours, aren't you Princey? Well... if you're soooo concerned for it..." she snapped her fingers, the orb changing image while she walked around and pushed it closer for him to see. She grinned wickedly as it showed the bird in a small, barely big enough cage being tossed back and forth between several heartless monkeys. "SEE FOR YOURSELF! KWEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEE!!"

The green-skinned lunatic was having her fun now... but just as she was about to really lay it on the man, she looked up to see the streak of blackness across the sky. Once it passed, she looked again to the man with a much wider grin. "Oh, now the pieces fall into place! My dear friend was merely busy! And now everything you THINK you know is coming to an end!" she cackled even louder...

[Oeilvert]

"Why, I'll have you know there's not a single man, woman, or child in all of Oz that doesn't cower at the mere mention of my name! More than I can say for you!"

Masheck struggled against his curse, but went too far and hacked up blood. He growled in pain, and glared at the witch, who seemed to be gloating. "Unlike you or the 'Wizard', I need not be feared in Oz; I am respected, as the Grand Advisor to Queen Ozma and Royal Mage! I have notoriety!"

When she dangled the notes in front of him, he seethed, and tried to figure out what exaclty they were for. He wouldn't begin to understand now, as the witch was onto her next move. He saw Locke imprisoned in a tiny cage, being harrassed by the Heartless monkeys.

"Grahhh! Let him go, Witch! He's done nothing but assist me! I--" one of the monkeys reached in and squeezed the crow some, and the sorcerer siezed as he felt the area his heart should have been compressed; more blood followed.

When he regained some conscious he thought he'd lose, he looked up with the witch, to note the black beam flying by overhead. What is going on in the Worlds? he thought, and again began slowly sinking down into an unconscious state.

[Leckseeuh]

[if you don't mind, i'm going to throw miiaxra in here...hopefully i won't get killed for it, heh. and i'm not doing this ooc thing anymore..]

Being herself, curious and just wandering, Miiaxra walked along through Oz without knowing what was going on. Her huge sword laid in its holster on her back, her many potions and poisons and the like stored in her pockets. The air smelled weird, the atmosphere was weird, and she really didn't like this place like she did Hollow Bastion or The World That Never Was.

Why did she not like it? Because of that atmosphere, the smell of the Heartless. That musty, dark, lonely and just plain strange smell. And being near the Witch's castle - The Wicked Witch of the West to be exact - made that smell even weirder.

Still being herself, she went towards the castle and snuck in. She roamed through corridors to one leading to the top [am i right? haven't seen the wizard of oz] where the Witch was.

She tried to sneak inside, but seeing her made her slump back into the shadows. Miiaxra pulled her hair back and her hood up, pulling the drawstrings and hiding her facial features except that one glowing crimson eye and mark under it.

Miiaxra looked at the witch, the caged crow, the Heartless holding back an unconcious man...she gasped and the sight and bit her bottom lip.

[Secondary Characters]

The Witch snapped her attention toward the door Miiaxra was hiding behind. She had heard that little gasp, and being the type to be on edge most of the time anyway, wouldn't just let it go. She pointed at the monkeys nearby and ordered "Take the Prince down to the dungeons and let him cool off!"

She marched toward the door, waving a hand over the crystal ball to make that image disappear before she'd make it there. No need for any uninvited guests to get an eyeful of what she was up to. She went right up to the door and flung it wide open to find...

[Leckseeuh]

Miiaxra silently crused to herself, slipping out of the way. The Witch had caught her, and basically to sum it all up, she was screwed.

But, in Miiaxra's case, that wasn't a possibility. She was too stubborn to give it up, so she decided to give the witch what she deserved. Locking that poor crow in the cage, knocking Oeilvert unconcious somehow, holding Dorothy back...obviously she liked to lock people up.

She stood up, not caring of the sound her sword made clashing against its holster and poitons jingling in her pocket. She watched the Witch open the door and stood up straight, bowing hesitantly. She didn't deserve it.

In her quiet, reluctant, British accent from staying in London too long she said Hello, Ma'am. Just looking around. She smiled up at her with her eyes closed. She waited for either to be thrown out the window or for a fight to occur, in both situations she would get out. She smriked a little to herself, staring at the green-skinned woman with her menacing eyes.

[Secondary Characters]

"Well, what a polite little intruder!" the witch growled before grabbing the girl by the scruff of her jacket and pulling her into the room. She lead her to a chair, letting her go to let her decide if she was going to sit or not. As for the Prince, she snapped her fingers and the monkey dragged his unconscious form out of the room and down to the dungeons. He could spend one or two minutes in a cell across from his bird before becoming one of her heartless monkeys.

She whirled around, looking dead at the newest intruder with stone cold eyes. "And what exactly are you doing my humble abode??" she demanded, bent over and glaring at her.

"If you're here to help that upstart Dorothy, well you got another thing coming!" she threatened, her fist clenched dangerously around a nearby potion that looked rather deadly. "And if you're here for the Prince, then you can- wait..."she moved closer, leaning in and looking the woman right in the eyes. "You're... Not like them..." she muttered, sniffing harshly.

"You don't smell like them. Where's your heart, girl??" she demanded.

[Leckseeuh]

Miiaxra followed the woman into the room, feeling the coldness of her skin from her cheek. She had the urge to glance at her, one of those glances that told you that you were about to die in the next few seconds. Once she let go she casually brushed off her shoulders and adjusted the hood over her head. She sat down in the chair and crossed her legs as if it was a generally nice conversation.

"And what exactly are you doing in my humble abode?"

Miiaxra looked up at the Witch with that glance, except toned down a bit. It was merely a normal glance with a hint that she should leave her alone. I was just wandering around, and stumbled across this place. She couged into her hand, a cough that subtly reminded the Witch that she couldn't be trusted. After the cough she smirked and let out a small sadistic giggle.

"If you're here to help that upstart Dorothy, well you got another thing coming!"

Miiaxra ignored the note of Dorothy, noting the bottle the Witch had in her hand. The foul liquid inside, for whatever purpose, made shivers glide down her back. She could nearly smell it.

"And if you're here for the Prince, then you can- wait...you aren't like them..."

Prince? She asked in a manner as if she never noticed the tied up man. She kept her eye contact with her except for times when she glanced at that poor bird in the cage. She moved her head back away from the Witch when she looked at her.

Where is your heart, girl??

This made Miiaxra start to giggle again, this time a giggle that grew louder. She stopped abruptly, keeping that smile on her face.

...It's, as you can say, hidden. Now, since we're playing 20 Questions, what are you planning to do with me? We're about to find out, so you might as well tell. Another laugh escaped her lips. And what are you planning on doing with that man and bird? She knew the Witch would refuse to answer, but she just asked to push her luck to the edge.

[Secondary Characters]

The Witch sneered slightly, balling up her fists angrily. "All you no-hearted things are the same!" she spat, then walked over to the crystal ball. She waved a hand over it, showing the monkeys dragging the man downstairs to the dungeon. "Always acting tough when you're so insecure about not existing. But that doesn't make a lick of difference to me..."

She watched a moment, smirking. "Once this one's a heartless, he'll do my bidding... and already being a prince, he's closer to the big leaders than anybody else! Add to that the ruby slippers I'll be taking from Dorothy very soon, and my power will be the greatest in Oz!!"

She threw her head back in a cackle before lifting a hand to her chin. She tilted her head slightly, thinking on the girl. "As for YOU, my pretty... perhaps my friend Maleficent would like to know about you. All you little heart-things are more her style than mine, I think..."

She waved a hand over the crystal once more, trying to contact the Black Faerie. "Show me Maleficent!" she demanded.