Parallel Binds [Kingdom Hearts Watty Awards--Parallel Universe/Canon]

:6: Story Time

Dark had decided to feed the three—four counting Pluto—even if it didn’t help him in the least. The food was stale and tasteless as was most every meal in his house, for there was nothing much to cook. It was meat, or at least that’s what it felt like, but it was rough and thick, like it was made of pure protein. That’s basically what it was.

The silence at the table bothered the three, though it was completely normal to Dark. Yet Mickey was the one to strive for conversation.

“So,” he chirped, a sound that bothered Dark’s ears in the silence. Mickey lowered his voice. “So. I’ve noticed that there aren’t any history books in your library. Are there any places that we could look to-?”

“Our library is the most extensive in the district. I doubt you’ll find any better written information anywhere else.”

Mickey frowned a bit. “Written?” He searched for more information, taking every word in as something to be taken seriously.

Dark saw this and put slight respect towards it, understanding why Mickey was the leader of their little group. Still, it wasn’t incredibly impressive. “There are certain things that only go by tongue. That which no one has the courage to write down.”

The silence that followed those words gave Goofy another chill and made Donald swallow. Mickey chirped up again. “Like?” He inquired again, urging Dark to continue.

Dark didn’t seem to mind. Setting down his fork, he picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth with leisure, taking great pleasure in the silence that all else in the room found painful. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, knowing that they were searching for something in him. Somehow, they knew him, his face, his expressions, his mannerisms. Or at least, they thought they did. They saw some kind of recognition in his incredibly blue eyes, and it gave him slight giggles to think they were trying to find something that they could never achieve. Stupid people amused Dark to great extent.

He opened his eyes, looking into the king’s eyes and taking in that last ounce of pleasure that came with giving him the most evil smile he could conjure. He assumed it was out of character for their expectations, and judging by the king’s reaction, he assumed correctly. Finally finished with his fun, he slowly opened his mouth and began.

“Long ago, there was a kingdom…

“Its gloriousness was known far and wide, people being attracted from far off corners of the galaxy to partake in the wonderfulness that lie there. The kingdom was ruled by a king and queen, two love birds who believed in light and justice. In this kingdom, people thrived, finding joy in life and love from all around them.

“But one day, a certain madam decided to step forward. For the future, she swore to change what was. She envisioned a new empire in place of the kingdom, one so powerful that no one would oppose her.

“In the kingdom, it was prophesized that a chosen one would come to protect them from evil. But he never showed. Instead, the entire land was attacked, starting with the kingdom. Shadows bombarded the walls, famously taking down two of the king’s closest men, a knight and a mage, with them. The attack was said to have started inside the kingdom’s own walls, though it is unsure whether or not there was a traitor. All that was mentioned was that the success of the attack was because of “the Cornerstone of Light” and that the king never saw it coming.

The castle was burned down and a new one was built on its ashes. It’s believed that the souls of those who fought were contained and forced to watch what would become of their land for eternity.”

The three stared at Dark, taking in every word with both disbelief and horror. Donald and Goofy had been silenced by the story, and only Mickey was able to speak. “And… and what happened to the king?”

Dark shrugged, sighing as if it didn’t matter. “Eh, some say he still lives in the dungeons of the new castle, forced to stay alive so that he may still endure the pains of this life. He was spared his life as to make sure his soul didn’t slip out of their binds.” Dark shook his head, sighing again. “I say he died, grieved with the image of his burned wife and doomed to suicide.”

Mickey’s heart sunk. He didn’t even have the heart to question about the wife. He didn’t want to know.

Dark glanced around the table, seeing how he shot down everyone in the room, and felt slight pride. He chirped up, his voice now a bit chipper after crushing their spirits. “Anything else you wanna ask?” He smiled sweetly, though obviously filled with malice.

Each of the people at the table shook their heads silently.

With a thin smile, Dark returned to his food again. Sweet, sweet silence. He smiled at his own cleverness, glad that he let these four in; their sadness was cheering him up. He glanced down to the fourth one on the floor, even seeing him with his head on the floor and eyes downcast. For some reason, the look of this thing saddened made Dark’s smile disappear. He looked at his plate and stripped a piece of meat off its bone. He quietly threw the meat to the floor in front of Pluto, waiting for him to snap it as all dogs did. But he just sat there, not even noticing it. Even when he did, he turned his head away—away—from the food. Dark stared at Pluto in disbelief; around here, no one ever rejected food. Ever.

Frowning, his gaze went downcast just as the dogs did. Now all four at the table had been shot down. The rest of the meal was silent, and each excused themselves individually once finished, all going to bed without another word.