Bad As It Can Possibly Be [Open]

Things were already looking up for Maleficent. She was finally free from that wretched Curse, or at least part of it as she still couldn't return to Fairy Tale Land and her Dark Fortress, and she was free to scheme her revenge against the Evil Queen who had brought them all to this world. It wasn't like she hated Regina, far from it; she could never hate a friend the same why she hated those damnable sisters her called themselves the 'Three Good Fairies.' However, she wasn't going to let Regina slide with what she did to her without repercussions. She had to teach that woman a lesson about messing with the Mistress of All Evil.

As a Fae, Maleficent was quite aware of all sorts of worlds that existed throughout all of Existence. And, of course, being the Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent was prone to all of the evils of quite a few of these worlds. So, it didn't come as a shock when, in a time before the Dark Curse, she had felt the ripples of malevolence arcing through dimensions. For something like that to be felt even from a world outside of her own, it had to have been a very dark act. When she had felt it, it had almost felt like the wave of Darkness that had been sent out after she had claimed the title of Unseelie Queen and ruled the realm of Faerie with dark potency; almost. Even know, she could recall the memory of that wave of evil. She could use the cause of such Darkness for her plans. She had just the Curse that would allow her to acquire the being she desired. It was the very same technique she had used to capture Princess Aurora; why waste a tool that isn't broken?

And so, it was for that reason Maleficent found herself standing in the abandoned clock tower of Storybrooke, eyes closed and head bowed to the staff before her. Reaching deep between the strands of space and time, Maleficent's magic poured between the worlds, searching, discovering, finding the force of the ripple of evil...

Within Once-ler's room, inside his factory, Maleficent's magic touched his world and allowed her will presence within the realm. The world, itself, darkened in response to her presence, almost too subtly to be noticed. In the darkest corner of the room, a small, smoky orb glowed with an unnatural green light. It floated there for a moment, as two green eyes appeared above it before quickly vanishing. In the town of Storybrooke, Maleficent's lips moved as she spoke in Once-ler's world. She did not know the name of the being, but she knew the cause of the evil it created.

"Greed."

Maleficent's voice was soft, caring faintly through the air. She called not to the boy in the bed, but to his inner Darkness. She called to him, lured him, as the green orb hovered through the air.

"Greed," the orb called again. Out of the room, it floated through the factory; until, coming to a full stop, a secret doorframe appeared in the wall and revealed a staircase that lead to a room with a shimmering door. Of course, this room didn't truly exist; it was one of the effects of her Curse. It was a way to lead him out of his own world and into hers. Wafting through the air, right up to the door, the eerie, green orb hovered there for a moment before disappearing altogether.

There door shimmered and shone, its surface rippling like a small waterfall. It looked to both stand there and not be there at all. It was a door, in essence, much like the one Regina had used to bridge the gap between Earth and Fairy Tale Land; because that is what it does, what it is intended to do. It is a Door of Spaces, meant to bridge worlds together. Of course, Maleficent had to thank the boy; she wouldn't be able to do this if it had not been for the Darkness held within his heart.

As Maleficent had stood within the clock tower of Storybrooke, specifically within the entrance that led to the section of the building that was the local town library, power had surged through the air. The Curse she had enacted had created the staircase and door that would lead Greed-ler to Earth and, within Storybrooke, the Curse as well formed the same door directly in front of Maleficent. The closer Once-ler had gotten to the door in his world, the more real the door in front of Maleficent became. Her eyes still closed, the former-Unseelie Queen smiled gleefully, already feeling the Darkness of Greed-ler surging to follow her requests.

Closer and closer, Malficent felt the young man ever closer to her. Soon she would have yet one more ally and that would bring her ever nearer to taking revenge on the Evil Queen. Even know, her plan for vengeance unfolded within her mind, but that was for a later day. For now, she had to succeed in gaining this new ally; she suspected it could either be quite easy or incredibly difficult.

Pulling her conscious will from the world that Once-ler inhabited as he gripped the doorknob, Maleficent smiled as she was finally greeted with the site of the boy. Already, she could tell she liked this boy; his attire reminded her of her Green Flame, sweeping forth destruction and power. Giving him a once-over, taking in his appearance, Maleficent could just imagine what he could accomplish for her.

Repositioning her staff to place it beside her, a resounding crackle bounced through the two connected rome as it struck the floor; her purple gown and cloak, with its stylized roses, rustled slightly in a breeze that wasn't there. The dark Mistress reached through the doorway and offered her hand to Once-ler, the final act of relinquishing his own world and joining hers. "Come, child. I am in terrible trouble and need assistance." Maleficent offered him a sweet smile with her request. Of course she'd think of the young man as a child; compared to how long she lived, most anyone would be a child in her eyes.

Maleficent kept her hand held out in an offer, in no rush to seduce the young man into joining her side. She watched as conflicting emotions flickered across his face. He was, quite obviously, warring with himself on the inside; but Maleficent shall have him in the end, she always does. In regards to his inquiry of her identity, Maleficent, using the hand that held her staff, swept her arm down her front, indicating all that she was. "Why, I am Maleficent; Unseelie Queen of the Fae." Maleficent's expression turned sour for a moment, as she added, "Well, former, but those are idle details." She waved said idle detail away with her staff. They didn't need to go into detail that she had been banished from Faerie, itself. Besides, she doubted the boy even knew what the Fae were; most people didn't, they were usually just called fairies.

"As to where you are..." Maleficent took a moment to look around the room. She hadn't had much time to explore the town of Storybrooke since her release as she'd immediately started exploring the world as a whole. "If you crossed the doorway, you would find yourself in Storybrooke. It's a small town on the edge of Maine, a state held within the province of the United States of America. Come with me, and I'll show you." Maleficent flexed her hand, forcing her palm to further face Once-ler, and opened her fingers just slightly further; posing her temptation for a second time. Oh, the vengeance they could wreak together, Maleficent could already see it in the near future. All he had to do was cross the threshold and he'd be hers!

The orb of her staff pulsed lightly with eerie green light; swirling smoke appearing within its crystalline depths. Maleficent did not move her lips, but her voice echoed forth once more. "Greed," she said in a sing-song voice. Her magic surged forth, filling the library entrance room with her presence and power. She played out Once-ler stepping across the doorway into her realm over and over again, mentally willing it to happen. A wicked smile crept upon her face as Once-ler stumbled and began fighting himself. Progress, at last; very soon he will be hers.

Maleficent's smile turned into a cruel sneer as she watched Once-ler double over. This was it! Bending low, she picked up his top hat and idly dusted it off while the Darkness inside him began to bubble over. As he rose to his feet, she stroked the green strip of fabric running around its base fondly as images of her Green Flame came to the forefront of her mind.

Power over the elements was not an easy thing to learn; Maleficent certainly admired how a human like Regina had managed to claim dominion over the natural elements. However, there were powers that would always be out of reach to mortal Man; only the Fae knowing the secret to harnessing them. The Eternal Flame was one of these secret elements. In fact, more often than not, only Fae of the royal castes were able to harness the power of the Eternal Flame. Of course, Maleficent had been able to accomplish such a feat; and so her Green Fire had been born. It was her best tool and she used it often.

With a smirk, Maleficent raised her gaze to the being before her, already aware of the fact that she was in the presence of the boy's Darkness, itself, and addressed him. "Welcome to the town of Storybrooke." She tossed him his hat and turned swiftly, confident in that Greed's surfacing was an acceptance of her offer. She strode to the exit of the library/clock tower, looking over her shoulder at him as she did. "As for who released you, that would be I. What do you call yourself, boy?" She pushed the doors open and stepped out into the cold night. Greed-ler could follow her if he wanted, but Maleficent's plans would move forward whether he joined her or not.

Her eyes scanned the sight of Storybrooke, Maine with an expression of light disdain. "Isn't it peaceful, quaint, boring?" Maleficent's grip on her staff tightened subtly. "The reason I called you here is because I was wronged, severely, by a... close friend of mine." She had been hesitant on how to precisely describe her relationship with the Evil Queen. What do you call a friendship between two powerful entities that wouldn't hesitant to cross each other? However, Regina was indeed a friend; one of her only ones. But, Maleficent will not abide with what Regina had done to her. "Now, she has to pay; she has to learn that there are some creatures in this world that you just do not cross." Maleficent narrowed her eyes in memory of being trapped under Storybrooke for the past twenty-eight years.

"And I would like your assistance in the matter. You will be rewarded, of course... greatly."

A faint breeze swept the streets of Storybrooke, ruffling the rose-shaped frills that dappled Maleficent's gown. It was a sign of change; soon, nothing will ever be the same for the residents of Storybrooke after Maleficent's revenge. Of course, along with the rest of the town's habitants, she also wondered why none of them had been returned to their home once the Dark Curse had been broken. However, she had already suspected something was off about it after first laying eyes upon it in her Dark Fortress. She wouldn't bother with idle details like that, for now, though. First, she had business with the Evil Queen to attend to.

Maleficent couldn't help it after hearing Greed-ler's inquiry. She laughed. However, this wasn't your everyday laughter. It was a dark chuckle that just held a twinge of madness to it. She doubled over as if in pain, still laughing and trying to stop. Suddenly, her whole demeanor changed. From maniacal laughter to ferocious scorn, Maleficent scowled deeply at Greed-ler. Punctuating her anger, Maleficent stamped her staff against the ground; a sharp snapping noise reverberating forth from the impact.

"You would dare to insult me?! This is not some mere, petty feud! You think me to lower myself to such meager forms of irritating squabbles?" Maleficent turned to face Greed-ler, her gown billowing in the night air as she narrowed her eyes at the young man. "Regina is my friend and my rival. She is an admirable foe and a powerful enemy. What I plan is no simple qualm against her. I want revenge!" Maleficent seemed to calm relatively swiftly after her angry outburst, and continued on in a sickly-sweet voice. "And that is were you come in." She gave Greed-ler a disarming smile.

Stamping her cane against the ground once more, green sparks shot forth from the impact. Quicker than the blink of an eye, those sparks turned to a roaring Green Flame that consumed Maleficent. Reaching out with her will and magic, the Dark Fae surrounded Greed-ler with the Green Fire as well. In the next moment, the fire dissipated and the streets were empty once more.

Deep below the town of Storybrooke, within the cave Maleficent had called home for twenty-eight years, a green light exploded into existence as, in a burst of Green Fire, Maleficent appeared, magically transporting her new companion along beside her. "Can you guess where we are?" Not waiting for an answer, Maleficent strode away from Greed-ler, further into the recesses of her cave. "We are in a cave, connected to a network of mining tunnels, deep beneath Storybrooke. For so long I've been trapped here. Trapped in a most unfitting form. And then Regina sends someone down here to kill me; all over the simple matter of her adoptive son."

Maleficent spun swiftly to Greed-ler, her anger becoming ever more palpable. "Twenty-eight years I've been trapped, listing through the days without any contact to the outside world! She dared to contain me; me, the Mistress of All Evil~!!" Raising her hands and staff in anger, she shook her fists in frustration before bringing her staff down, hard. Another resounding crack echoed throughout the cave, sending out a force that blew her gown about her, as Maleicent silently fumed. "If you have ever been so wronged, then will you not assist me in taking revenge against her?"

Maleficent grinned and stepped closer to Greed-ler. Cliche' as it seemed, that was just the response she was hoping for. Maleficent placed a hand on Greed-ler's face, stroking his cheek in the manner of a loving mother reassuring her child. It wouldn't be the first time Maleficent felt some small attachment to whatever entity the Dark forces deemed to create and it wouldn't be the last. "That is the very reason I require your assistance, my dear~. What use do I have for someone who can cast magic if I can do that, myself?" A wicked grin alighted her face as she spun away from the young man. Striding towards one of the hollow enclaves, Maleficent waved her hand in front of the wall.

The ground shook slightly as the rocky surface eroded away to reveal a secret chamber. It was the last magic she had been able to cast before the Dark Curse had come upon her. She had been worried that Regina would use her pet to get at her like she had done during her visit, as she had taken the Dark Curse from her. Asleep in the far recesses of the hidden alcove was a midnight black unicorn, its horn gleaming dangerously in the weak light. Soon, very soon, it would grow into a magnificent steed. The Unseelie Fae had found the poor thing shortly after losing her precious Diablo. She had taken him in and nurtured him. And, in return, he will prove a most noble pet.

Looking back at Greed-ler, Maleficent sent him an arrogant smirk, her planning slowly coming together before her. "I know what you are, Greed-ler; even your name reveals your darkest impulse. And it is because of your very nature that I require you. All magic comes with a price that we must pay. I'd rather save my power for a true confrontation. No, I do not need you to perform fantastic and magical feats; what I need from you is... something else. Merely from your appearance I can already tell you are a man of... unique tastes." Maleficent paused, looking over Greed-ler. The Unseelie Queen indeed felt he would come in handy in a very unexpected way and that would, hopefully, be enough to throw off Regina. "The first thing I require of you is to lie in wait, here in Storybrooke. You may leave to explore this world, as I expect you will want to after a while; however, you must live in this town, watch and wait.
When I am ready to enact my revenge, I will signal for you. When that time comes... simply be yourself, I think that should work perfectly. Until then, you must not draw attention to yourself. If you should ever find yourself in the pretense of the Queen, Regina Mills, do not ever speak of me. Do you understand?"

Maleficent resealed the chamber containing her unicorn and turned to, once again, face Greed-ler. She waited for his answer, wondering if he was indeed a good choice.

Maleficent sauntered her way back to stand before the young man with a smirk. "My young friend, we both know the only way to get anything in any world is to use people for everything they're worth and nothing more. However, one thing I will not do is betray you." She stepped away from Greed-ler and spun to study the hiding place of her unicorn, making sure there wasn't a flaw to speak of.

Without turning to him, she spoke to her new pet with a stern voice. "Do not underestimate Regina, however. She has more power than you could possibly imagine." Maleficent scowled, recalling Regina showing her the magic she had learned to rip a person's heart clean out of them while also keeping them alive. She didn't want the Evil Queen to take Greed-ler right out from under her like that. No, she'll have to ensure that Greed-ler is properly protected; but how to do it without Regina suspecting her?

Twisting around to face the green-suited boy, Maleficent clacked her staff against the ground thrice. The orb of her staff glowed an eerie green as a haze of the same color enveloped Greed-ler. In moments, the haze was gone and everything looked normal once more. Maleficent gazed steadily at the young man, peering at him with a piercing stare. She inspected the cloak she had put about him, making sure that Regina would not be able to notice it at a quick glance. She didn't have too much to worry about, seeing as how Storybrooke's residents are all but ready to chase her out of town with pitchforks, but she wanted to be cautious.

With a smirk, Maleficent gestured to the inoperable elevator behind him. He wouldn't be able to use it, but she figured he'd figure a way to get up the elevator shaft somehow. "Oh, and don't worry about your reward. I'll make sure it's suited perfectly to your performance. Make me proud, Greed-ler." Maleficent did like a good show of evil intent...

With her parting words, Maleficent was, once again, cloaked in her green fire. She vanished, the only trace of her presence an echoing laughter, as maniacal as ever.