The Dark Margin

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]

It was rather beautiful here; dark, with just the right amount of Light of Moon to guide the shadows there. The silver waters upon the silent beach would form quiet waves that kissed where liquid met sand. Critters known as Heartless would roam here and there, near the twisted and curved stones to hide, at the presence of one that was not of their kind.

Ultimecia stood there, eying the endless ocean, blinking slowly and capturing it all, as if she had all the time in the world... and she did. Her wings would wrap a little against her form, before releasing her, to flex out, a few brown feathers falling freely, but vanishing before they met the ground. Her eyes glowed a soft gold, and she would reach up to feel a little at the feathered collar near her neck, idly straightening at the brown-white feathers as a means to simply DO something.

There was a light, -ti-gli-gli-ling- sound of her hair accessories, and she would turn her head only slightly, to an opening corridor... a corridor where the Caretaker was expected to come out.

She said nothing at first, but turned her attention again to the beach, awaiting what he was to ask....[/glow]

[Atticus the Fallen]

From those depths he would arise, as predicted, but with another. He was speaking with her as they walked, but when his head turned to look upon the dark world he protected... he froze. He held a hand out, stopping Miiaxra behind him. He was silent a moment, eyes narrowing at the stranger in his... their home.

"Miiaxra..." he said softly, addressing the small girl behind him. "...beyond that rock formation is the hive. Go there. Wait for me," he requested, and gestured for her to leave. She was valuable to his plans, and the last thing he needed was to risk damaging her in a fight with this stranger. When the girl was gone, he looked to Ultimecia once more.

"You're a dark entity... but you do not belong among us. What business do you have here?" he demanded. His voice was strong... the voice of one protecting a family, not destroying a world, though he was skilled at both.

[ultimecia]

"You're a dark entity... but you do not belong among us. What business do you have here?"

[glow=purple,2,800]Ultimecia smiled, to know an opponents move before it happened, or to have time on your side could be a blessing at times, along with a curse. She closed her eyes before turning to face the man, "I'm here..." she began, holding a hand over her chest to point upward, as if signaling that a shooting star was passing above them, and it did so, " ... to speak of time."

The woman turned to watch the shifting creatures that peeked at her from their hiding spots, "A beautiful world you have here..." she began again, turning to watch Atticus at the corner of her eye, " ... at the cost of others, your numbers grow. As their numbers decrease, yours is assumed victorious, but when either side wins, history would soon repeat itself. Did you know that? ... do you not wonder, what battle comes next?"

"Tick-tock, Atticus." the witch would smile, her crimson red lips curling upward in an attempt to give a friendly smile- yet apparent it was long she did so, " Humans have battle other humans, what makes you so sure, that Heartless will not defeat other Heartless, after all is said and done?" she closed her eyes in thought, "Funny... but as time continues to pass, the Heartless seem more human. You seem human already, upstarting a pseudo-genocide of one race, to give birth to another."

She paused, "... but what will you do... when your 'children' go after each other?"[/glow]

[Atticus the Fallen]

"... but what will you do... when your 'children' go after each other?"

Atticus paused, taking in all the witch wanted to say. It seemed she didn't understand. Not many did. He needed to put it as elegantly as he could, to better open this creature's eyes. He turned from her, taking in the glory and splendor of his home, the dark world. There was a haunting beauty here, not the glaring, blinding kind found in the realm of light. Atticus sighed, using this as his inspiration as he spoke.

"What will I do? Absolutely nothing. Tell me, stranger, what is left behind when one heartless kills another? The answer, plain and simple, is a heartless. I couldn't care less so long as that answer remains true. However..." he looked at her again, seeming quite passionate at his words.

"What happens when some human murders one of my kind with that weapon they so favor? In this case, my kind suffer... A heart that had found perfect darkness now wanders away to some place where it loses its individuality, becomes part of a whole and ceases to be. It's barbaric!" he seemed to growl his words, his fists clenching. "This war isn't about power, or insurrection. It's about survival."

He pointed out over the waters, toward that distant point of light. "While we waste time here, those so-called 'whole' beings plot and conspire to wipe my species from existance! They're frightened by us, and because they're frightened, they threaten us with violent acts time and time and time again. I don't care what happens afterward, I will choke the flickering light out once and for all, blanketing both worlds in darkness so deep that the beauty of this place..." he gestured grandly to the shore they stood upon, "...can be shared to all, not just the non-combatants hiding here in hope that our mission is sucessful. And it will be."

He calmed slighlty, standing straight and loosening his grip. "In the absense of light, only darkness may exist. This is the life I hope to carve out for my people. What happens after... happens." He looked off once more, taking in the world around him. "I won't allow the light to be our executioner..."

[Leckseeuh]

Miiaxra looked up at Atticus with some sort of innocence that never really showed before, not being in this world before and slightly afraid of Ultimecia. She looked at where he spoke of, the rocks, and walked over there over the sand. She sat down, careful not to dirty her skirt which was physically impossible. She blew the dust off of her gloves and glanced at the two, biting her lip and nearly smiling.

[The Heartless Army]

The hive of the heartless wasn't far from the beach. In construction, it was similar in many respects to an insect hive. From the ridges and holes, many yellow eyes could be seen, belonging to heartless that were obviously not equipped for a fight. Others were more active, clearly visiting from the battles in the world of light, though they would hold their positions. The girl sitting on their side of the rocks was obviously no threat to them.

In fact, one of them, a small shadow heartless with a diamond-shaped scar on his forehead would creep up. He looked up at the girl, hopping into her lap and cooing lightly. He nuzzled her lightly, greeting her happily...

[Leckseeuh]

Miiaxra looked at the little affectionate Heartless in her lap. She smiled happily at it, at how adorable it was, petting its scarred head and hugging it. It was a strange site - Miiaxra would usually kill the Heartless or kick it away, but right now was an exception.

How are you, little guy? She said as if she was talking to a small child. It's nice outside. I see why you're here.

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]Ultimecia seemed to absorb everything the Heartless Caretaker was telling her, crossing her arms and pacing a little to be near him, but still a few feet away. She would watch him carefully with her golden eyes, seeing his passion...

"There must always be... a balance." The woman sighed, reaching up to rest a curled index under her chin, in thought, " Tip one end of the scale too much... and the whole structure will topple, dear Atticus."

She relaxed her form, and turned in place, to walk towards the shores of the beach. The closer she was from the water, the more she was surrounded by a purple glow, " There are new leaders in this senseless war... in other words, new ears-- Why not help them understand, maybe then... ?" she would ask, and before a small wave could catch her, she vanished in a void in time, leaving the Caretaker to his thoughts...and his blessings. [/glow]

[Atticus the Fallen]

Isn't it funny how one can misinterpret things? As Ultimecia walked off, hinting that he could convince new leaders of how things must be, he looked down at his hand, which he clenched immediately after. "Foolish woman... I showed their leaders the glory of the dark, and still they reject it. I have given one of them opportunity after opportunity, yet her heart flitters back and forth like an indecisive child's."

He threw his hand down, his feathers ruffling violently as he looked off at the distant light over the endless oceans of the Dark Margin. "Nothing ever changes! The light-wielders are as deaf to the needs of my kind as they have always been! The only thing they care to listen to is a demonstration, and I most assuredly will provide..."

He turned his back on the shore, walking over to where Miiaxra was and placed a hand on her shoulder lightly. "My dear... it is safer for you to stay here for now. Get to know our kind better... Look upon the blessings of our home which is so far from the war with the light. Enjoy this... momentary respite. I will call for you when the time comes, but for now have fun and make friends..." he looked to the little one, recognizing it as "Cuddles", the one that Shego had already befriended.

"I see you're off to a wonderful start..." he whispered, and gave her a look that suggested he was smiling...

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,300]** Time Warp to Return to Darkness, Beast's Castle **[/glow]

[Leckseeuh]

Miiaxra looked at Atticus as he set a hand on her shoulder, not afraid at all. She let out a small chuckle. Not one of the annoyed, sarcastic, cruel ones she did before, but one filled with a certain warmth. I'll stay here, but I'm pretty sure I can put up a fight if the time comes... She reached an arm behind her back and tapped the hilt of the sword relaxing there, not noticing how uncomfortable it'd be to lay on it.

He's very affectionate...I've never seen any creature act so sweet before... She said quietly, attempting not to startle the small Heartless.

[The Heartless Army]

Atticus nodded, then reached down to pet Cuddles' head lightly in Miiaxra's lap. "Our kind... are not just viciousness and bloodthirsty attack..." he whispered, the little heartless responding with a soft purrr. "We are what happens when a heart is given room to be what it truly is... We frighten beings of the light because they give their own hearts so many restrictions..."

A sigh escaped him. Was he... sad? "If only they would stop worshipping the light they covet so long enough to savor the darkness? At least then, our kind could be secure... safe. But no. They attack us constantly... killing us one-by-one until we're all gone... We, my dear... are practically an endangered species."

He stood up now, turning his head to face the dark shore. A corridor appeared there. "As I said... stay here. Stay safe. I'll call for you when the time has come... to share our darkness with all..."

He walked into the corridor... and on to his next project...

*done*

[Atticus the Fallen]

Hours had passed by. He had never intended to take so long, but there it was. He didn't teleport there, he didn't use a corridor, he didn't fly, or leap, or make any kind of grand entrance. He simply walked onto the beach once more, from the direction of the hivelike homes not far from their location. Atticus the Fallen, great hero of darkness, bane of all light, approached like a regular man in this strange place removed from the light.

"Miiaxra..." he said calmly, approaching the young woman whom he left playing with the heartless children. His presence was not threatening... nor unpleasant in the slightest. He was a total contrast to himself in the realm of light, where he was a monster most terrifying. Stopping before her, he would hold a hand out, offering to help her stand.

"You and I... are going to the Opera..." he said calmly, as though this was the most natural thing in the world to expect to come from him...

[Leckseeuh]

Miiaxra attempted to stand up after hearing Atticus call out to her. Indeed, it had been at least a few hours. She was growing tired and nearly took a nap.

Welcome back. She said drowsily, with a little smile. She took the Heartless' hand and tried to get up, stumbling on her feet. The girl fixed minors things of her appearance and stood up straight, still feeling short compared to him.

Where, again?

[Atticus the Fallen]

As Atticus stood there, holding the girl's hand lightly, he turned somewhat to face a freshly opening corridor. The darkness swirled in a perfect circle, awaiting their entrance. As he walked, he explained.

"The Jidoor Opera House... currently floating in the emptiness of Hyperspace... We're going to attend a special performance... and I'd like to have you on hand..." he said, pausing a moment to think. "Especially if you're permitted to be part of the audience rather than the cast..." he added, now moving into the pulsing darkness with her in tow.

"Now come along... after this little performance... you and I put on a show of our own..."


***On to Hyperspace > ShowTime***