Once Upon a Time Dark Souls

**HEY GUYS! OMG I'm so excited about my new panfic! If you guys don't know, I have another fic that I'm re-editing called "The Heart of Neverland". That story is way less violent than this one. So just be warned, this fic is just a tad bit disturbing and violent. That's why it's rated M. Anyways, let me know what you guys think, and leave a review if you like it!**

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Thundering footsteps disrupted the silence that cloaked the small village. The early evening air, filled with the scent of pine and burning trees, was now filled with a bitter odor, like the rotting of flesh. The few villagers that occupied the streets retreated to their homes, slamming their doors and blocking their windows.

A harsh whistle echoed through the village as the footsteps grew louder, picking up speed as they approached. The curious townspeople peaked out of the holes in their windows, watching on in terror as a notorious black carriage appeared in the distance. A small skeletal man dressed in rags drove the carriage. His arms and legs were wrapped in burning chains that tightened with his every move. His eyes, black and soulless, were sunken in. His veins seemed to be jumping out of his skin as he gripped the reins loosely in his bony hands.

A team of two radiant black stallions pulled the carriage. Their manes were made of black flames that incinerated anything they touched. The carriage itself was built entirely of what seemed to be black vines, trickled with thorns. As the haunting carriage approached, the sun began to set, disappearing into the horizon until the next morning.

A hideous cackle shattered the peace that the nighttime promised. The wheels came to a screeching halt as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of a small hut. Those watching from their homes prepared themselves for what they were bound to witness. Any and all children were sent to their beds. The wives were told to stand back as the men watched in terror.

The carriage door seemed to swing open on its own, releasing a chilling air with it. Two figures emerged from the carriage and the entire village seemed to scratch their heads in confusion. The queen was rarely accompanied by another being. The wives shoved their husbands aside to get a good look as the queen came into sight.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, but incredibly haunting. Her long black hair seemed to never stop moving, constantly curling and uncurling itself as if it couldn't make up its mind. Her glittering grey eyes searched around, looking for any potential victims. She raised her claw-like hand and with a flick of the wrist the door to the hut before her flung open. A disturbingly horrendous monster emerged from the shadows, hissing and clicking her tongue in disapproval.

" Good evening, Mertle." The queen's angelic voice bellowed. Her voice was sweet and flowed smoothly, a sharp contrast to her cackling laugh. The hunched over figure in front of her seemed to become increasingly unsettled as she addressed it by its human name.

" That's my false identity. I am not Mertle. I am not anyone. I am not no one." The queen rolled her eyes at the response she got. The small figure that hovered behind her seemed to retreat closer to the carriage when the monster spoke.

" You will respond to Mertle. Now let me make myself clear. You have something I want— NO! Something I crave!" The queen raised her voice as she circled her prey, paying little attention to the small figure that had retreated into the carriage.

" Peace of mind?" The creature hissed sarcastically. Another cackle.

" No, darling. A hopeless soul." She smiled, raising her hand towards Mertle. Without touching her, she watched as a black essence began to pour out of the old hag's mouth. She opened her own mouth and began to drink the essence, her eyes rolling back into her head as the creature struggled helplessly.

" No!" Light seemed to fill the air as the small figure emerged from the carriage once more. Her own hand flickered temptingly at her side. The hag fell to the ground, gasping for air. The black essence floated back to her and the queen growled as she spun to face the small figure.

She was breathtaking, but not nearly as haunting as the queen. She appeared to be around the age of eighteen, her long blonde strands tucked into a loose braid that fell onto her right shoulder. Roses decorated her hair and complimented her light blush. Her emerald green eyes darted to the hag that lay in the dirt road, and then back to the queen's fiery eyes. She was dressed in a deep red cloak designed specifically for the royal family. Her mouth twitched into a smile as she met the queen's eyes.

" Not today, Eva. You already took two souls this morning. Let the old hag be." She sighed in disappointment. The queen bared her razor-like teeth before taking one last glance at the old hag and disappearing back into the carriage.

" Thank you, Kai." The old hag whispered. The young woman looked back at her, a sickening smile on her face as she nodded.

" Oh, almost forgot…" Kai whispered, raising her hand and with one twitch of the finger the hag lay lifeless in the road.

" Silly me." Kai laughed, stepping back onto the carriage and disappearing into the darkness. The driver raised the reigns and the horses thundering footsteps grew quieter as the carriage retreated into the distance.

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The castle was boring without Eva there. Kai sighed, rolling over in her bed to stare out the giant window. In the near distance sat the village they had just raided. Eva and Kai were constantly looking for souls. Kai didn't need them, her magic was pure enough, minus the occasional snapping of necks. However, Eva was desperate to keep her magic alive. Her magic was her being, her very essence. It wasn't nearly as powerful as Kai's, which was natural and came with her birth. Eva's magic was stolen from an old witch, which reeked of darkness.

Eva was the queen of their land. She ruled through terror and pain as Kai stood beside her, supporting her every move. Kai was meant to be the brain. She was the calm dictator that nobody saw coming. The sisters were nothing without each other. The darkness could not exist without the light.

Kai stretched out her arms, wiggling her fingers and watching in amusement as her entire room changed. The walls were now green and her window was covered in beautiful roses. She stood gently, approaching the window with caution. Her fingers brushed against the gentle rose petals as she stared into the distance. Where was Eva?

She had left several hours ago, accompanied by the army of the south. Her journey was only supposed to take her to Maleficent's castle. She was to go to that wretched dragon's castle, make an agreement for the trade of the village men for the newborn children in her territory. The souls would be easier to take from the helpless children. Kai was not comfortable with the idea, but she made a promise to her sister, to stand by her no matter what. Sometimes, she felt too lost. She was turning into something dark. Her magic was meant to be pure. She couldn't practice dark magic, it would ruin her.

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Later that night, Eva had still yet to return. Kai stood in her window once more, watching in envy as the villagers gathered around campfires and loved their families. She watched every campfire, paying attention to how each group interacted. It was all the same. Finally, her eyes rested upon a campfire a couple miles farther out. She focused her energy on viewing the campfire, taking in a sharp breath as a scene played out in her mind.

Several boys danced happily around a campfire. Their faces were masked by those of animals as they hooted and hollered in joy. She tried to figure out what they were dancing to. She listened in to the music, hearing a hauntingly soft tune fill the air around her. She needed to be closer to that music. Unfocusing from the campfire, she returned to the silence of her room. Except, it wasn't silent. The music floated into her room and echoed in her mind.

Yanking her deep red cloak from her bedpost, she wrapped it around her figure and descended the stairs outside her bedroom. She considered grabbing a horse from the stables, but she was not willing to waste any time. Instead, she walked quickly, nearly running to the campfire that she seemed to know the exact location of. The music became louder and she ran faster, desperate to know the source of its beauty.

After about ten minutes, she burst into a clearing and found herself surrounded by dancing boys in animal masks. She found it. Who was playing those pipes? The thought caused her to spin around and search for the cause of the music.

" Kai." At the sound of her name, she stumbled ungracefully and turned to see a boy about her age holding a set of pipes.

" You played that music?" She questioned. The boy seemed surprised by her question. He looked down at the pipes in his hand and a smile illuminated his features.

" You could hear it from the castle?" He replied.

" I have good hearing." She responded sarcastically. He smiled, running his fingers along the sides of his pipes. Lifting them to his lips, he blew into them as a haunting tune filled the air.

Suddenly, Kai wasn't too worried about losing herself to the darkness. The very fiber of her being didn't matter. All that mattered was this song and this moment and dancing and swaying by the campfire. She shed her bulky cloak and it pooled around her feet like blood. She kicked it aside, standing in tight black leather pants, boots, and a white blouse. She plucked the flowers out of her hair, tossing them into the fire as she continued to dance. Her hair fell out of the loose braid and it bounced around her shoulders in luxurious waves. Everything about this moment made her feel free, and in some way…safe.

" Come with us." The boy whispered. But his voice seemed to be everywhere. It mixed into the song and she felt herself following him somewhere. But why? Wasn't the fire back there? And Eva… EVA!

Kai came rushing back into reality in a moment of brutal truth. She couldn't go anywhere with this mystery boy. Eva needed her. But where was Eva again? Had she returned from Maleficent's castle yet? Kai needed to go back. She pulled away from the grip the boy had on her arm. His eyes turned cold as he tilted his head, as if to ask 'what's wrong?'

" I can't. I must find my sister. I must return to the castle." She stated, gathering her cloak from the ground and moving back in the direction of the massive castle.

" You mean Eva? You know she's always just been using you. Your magic is stronger than hers. She needs it to survive. She's just trying to taint it so it's just dark enough for her to absorb." The boy hissed. His words felt like a slap across the face and Kai refused to believe him.

" Who are you to judge, boy?" She questioned. The venom in her voice laced her every word.

" Pan. Peter Pan. And I've got a lot better sense of magic than you if you think she's just innocently using you to keep her at bay. A monster like that doesn't like to be caged." The boy, Pan, responded.

" Well that's too bad, because I'm going back." Kai spoke, feeling sure of herself.

" Suit yourself, but if you get the feeling that I'm right, I'm easy to locate. Just follow the second star to the right, and straight on till morning. Have a safe walk back to your castle, Kai." Pan bowed, turning back to his group of boys as he played another song. This time Kai resisted the urge to join in. Instead she turned on her heel and walked swiftly back to the confines of her castle.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Adventure, Fantasy