The First Steps In Darkness

[Deleted]

She was falling and falling, and she crashed onto the dark soil...
the girl pushed herself up and looked around, it was dark very dark and the emptiness was strange...
"how did I get here..."
she stood and held her arms, she was cold... but not just on the outside... her heart felt cold as well.

oh I like it here, I feel so at home

"what... you! still! your... in my mind..."

well done slow poke, this is my kind of world

"your kind..."

she began to walk forward, almost waiting to be found.

[The Heartless Army]

This world... was not like so many others.

This place was tied to the darkness, as it was itself darkness. Here, certain... prejudices are reversed. Heroes were the villains here, and the dark creatures from that side of the heart that the light so feared, they...

Many of them were watching her already, from behind the black rocks speckled with minor, gentle illumination. The waves from the black shore disguised their chittering as they spoke to one another in that odd language of theirs, so quiet, but so meaningful. Just beyond them, massive colonies could be seen just out of view of the beach, each of them containing a countless number of THEM, but they were not the ones everyone has come to know.

These were the non-combatants... thousands upon thousands of Heartless who lived in the World of Darkness peacefully, far from the war with the light. It was easy to distinguish male from female, adult from child here. They all held to each other, fearful of anything NEW in this world. New brought change. Change brought pain. Every time someone new came here, a great upheaval was sure to follow. First that Aqua girl... then the Nobodies... then the heroes of light opening up that accursed door which blinded so many of their kind before it went away...

They watched this NEW person... most of them choosing not to engage, but to cling their families and pray she passed in peace... Others, the more adventurous of their kind, would peek around corners, their eyes points of light in an otherwise black world...

Yet others... children, mostly, would forsake the advice of their parentage... and approach her quietly, sneaking around in her shadow and running off if she looked...

[Deleted]

Nivea felt the other side of her heart pulling away, the girl looked at the darkness, the moving shapes, she felt an odd connection to them.
she continued walking.
why are you walking away? I think those guys look kinda friendly, don't you?
"get out of my head"
oh I will soon
"what does that mea" she was interrupted by a huge amount of pain, she screamed and fell to her knees.
her heart felt like it was splitting and her vision faded, she was still screaming, her clothes changed as well as, her hair, her eyes and now... even her scream... it sounded like a laugh.
"guess who's in charge now!"
the heartless stood.
"and I like it!"

[The Heartless Army]

The creatures shrunk away when the scream came. They thought she was about to attack... but suddenly... the change overtook her. The woman rose as a Heartless. One of them! Suddenly, so many creatures that were afraid of her began to converge on her location.

Smaller ones would dance around her feet, smiling happily (evidenced by their upturned half-moon eyes) up at the woman. Others, more her size would walk up and take her hands, shaking them as though Thanking her for something. None of them seemed to speak, though their antennae buzzed about, and there was a general... FEELING in the air.

The feeling of acceptance... Here, the Heartless woman was considered a hero, one of the many great creatures that had ventured into the world of light and come back. Think of it like seeing a soldier when you know your side was losing a war. Some Heartless patted her back, others lead her toward the colonies, which to their credit, appeared as a semi-structured town, though fractured. The buildings looked like massive anthills, and the streets carved out of the earth by erosion, but the basic LAYOUT was there.

Heartless would begin to step out of the buildings now, some approaching with plates of strange... food? Everything was black here, and difficult to recognize, but the hospitality of these creatures toward one of their own, especially one that wore THE MARK, was unmatched...

She'd begin to see some variation in the kinds. Most of the heartless here greatly resembled basic shadows, some NeoShadows, maybe one or two Darksides who towered over the rest and knealt down to see the returning heroine. But there were others too. Nearly every variety of Heartless was here, but every one with THE MARK on them seemed... partly there. They were in the process of reforming... healing, for lack of a better term. Even they, with their bodies only partially existing, would approach and reach out to her, welcoming her...

Welcoming her Home.

[Deleted]

the heartless smiled, no grinned at the way they acted towards her
"oh I could get used to this"
she allowed herself to be led by the creatures, she even sampled the food, it didn't really taste of anything... it was odd.
she knelt down to see the smaller heartless better.
she looked them over and when she was done she patted one on the head.
"this cant be all of them..." she asked a question to no one in particular "who's the leader here?"

[Atticus the Fallen]

"Leader...? Hardly," a voice echoed around the area. Many of the Heartless seemed excited, their antennae waving around as the voice bounced about. Many ran over to a minor clearing, waiting for the voice to make itself seen... At first, feet would be seen, then legs... up to the torso and finally, the full form. It looked like a Black Mage, though many features were tattered and chaotic. It had feathers around its neck, and a wide-rimmed hat which hid most of its features save for two glowing points of light. Its wings stretched lightly before falling relaxedly behind him. But the oddest feature of this man... was that he appeared only partly there. He was projecting himself into this world...

"I am the caretaker of our kind... my name is Atticus..." he stated, the MARK on his chest obvious. Many of the heartless were swarming around even the image of him, clearly pleased that he was there, if only in spirit. "My apologies... Normally I am there to welcome newcomers, but there is much keeping my attention elsewhere. This will have to be the best I can offer until we meet in person..."

He looked her over, before his eyes fell upon her symbol. They narrowed slightly before looking to her face, soft and welcoming as they were. "You wear the Mark. You have a choice to make then..." he waved a hand, indicating the world around them. "This is the World of Darkness... our world. Our home. This is where those who do not wish to rage war may stay. Peaceful, quiet... away from the ravages and pain of a struggle to choke out the light... and expand our home to all worlds... so that we may thrive in happiness for all eternity..."

As he spoke, many of the other heartless were "cheering". They threw hands up, wiggled antennae, everything to demonstrate their excitement and pleasure at Atticus' resolve. He looked to her, holding a hand up for quiet, which the others gladly gave. "Your choice is simple... You're strong... A powerful Heartless born of a strong heart. You can stay here, if that is what you wish. You can have a calm life, away from strife, among your kind... or..." he tapped his chest, noting the symbol. "You can venture into the light, where there is danger, yes... but the prize for victory is great. You can fight alongside others like yourself who serve the Heartless cause, defeat the light... and ensure the future for our bretherin..."

He held a clawed hand out to her, though knowing it wasn't truly there. "The choice is, of course, yours to make..." he said warmly, invitingly... "Consider wisely, miss....?" he was asking her name politely.

[Deleted]

her grin widened as she took his hand.
"miss... Attra"
what?! that's not our name!
shut up, this is my body now and I'll call it what ever I want
she pulled her scythe seemingly out of mid air.
"yes Attra, what will you have me do?"

[Atticus the Fallen]

Atticus nodded, hearing that name. Heartless all around cheered happilly as her scythe came into existance. It was much like seeing Superman don the cape and tell the bad guys their days were numbered from their point of view. The image of Atticus turned slightly, opening up a corridor behind him.

"Step though... on the other side is the Castle of Naught. You'll find another of our kind named MeadowSong there. I'll be along shortly... Then, we'll see what you're capable of..." with that, his image disappeared... leaving only the swirling black tunnel to the other side...

[Deleted]

Attra stepped through the corridor, a look of twisted aspiration on her face.

***to A Dark Alliance***