“The Shield Hero is resilient.” A tall woman in a dark robe said with a calm, yet slightly annoyed tone.

  “I don’t get it… Da world turned against him. Why’s he still tryin’?” A giant, catlike creature questioned her with his slightly uneducated dialect.

  The dark-robed woman turned and looked at the cat with an irritated stare.

  “You bumbling fool! Do you not know that hearts crave connection!? All it takes is a catalyst for the Shield Hero to see his worth, and he has the potential to be incredibly powerful!”

  “But all he can use dat dere shield of his for is defense.” The cat said, almost as if it were an inquiry.

  “Pete! That is enough! You know nothing, let alone what makes a heart.”

  “But Maleficent…”

  “But nothing. Bring the princess Malty here at once!”

  “D’ohhh. But Maleficent, she’s so annoying!”

  “You insolent fool! She may not be strong in heart, but she made for the perfect foil against the shield hero. The darkness of her selfishness is astounding. Where the shield hero seeks to protect, she seeks to destroy.”

  Pete, not quite understanding what Maleficent’s grand plan was for this world, went to find the princess.

  A few hours had passed.

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  “Lady Maleficent, you sent for me?” A young woman with dark red hair said sweetly, as if she didn’t know about anything that was going on.

  “Malty, the Shield Hero has newfound allies…” Maleficent exclaimed, her back turned to the princess, which slightly annoyed her, as she was used to turning heads as soon as she entered the room.

  “But… I turned the world against him, just like you asked. I’ve gotten so good at playing the ‘victim’, what with all of the ‘practice’ I’ve had.”

  The last part of Malty’s sentence irked even Maleficent.

  “You’d make for a very interesting member of the council, provided it was still around,” she said through gritted teeth, wondering what the princess would be should she become queen of her kingdom.

  Maybe she’s an obstacle to my ambition of conquering all worlds, too? Maleficent pondered, a sweat dripping from her brow.

  “And the other three heroes?” Maleficent asked..

  “The Spear Hero is an idiot. He’s a ‘white knight’ who will do anything to get into someone’s pants.” The princess laughed.

  “I said ‘three!’” Maleficent yelled.

  Malty, who was annoyed at what she considered to be disrespect, replied with resounding confidence.

  “The other two are kind of just there. That Sword Hero guy seems like a lone wolf with a bit of a better than you attitude. And The Bow Hero is a holier-than-thou type, a hero of justice. Or at least, that’s what he thinks.”

  “See that they do not interfere with the Shield Hero,” Maleficent demanded.

  “Okay,” Malty said as she daintily left the room to head back to her world.

  “Oh, and Princess? Beware of he who has the Key to Truth.” Maleficent told Malty right before thinking to herself.

  What is this world? The knights are idiots, and the princess gives chills to even I, the mistress of evil.

  As Maleficent was thinking, Malty was leaving through the door to darkness back to her world, a wolf-like grin forming on her lips.