Deleted Scene: Take 12 - In Another Castle (Part 1)

Happy Anniversary! ^_^

It's been 4 years since we started on this epic journey. Four years already? I suppose so. To celebrate, I've written a small piece to explain what happened to the ever elusive Shard over the course of time.
Enjoy ^_^

What happened to Shard anyway? Who knows?



Introducing:

In Another Castle

1 ~ Princess of the Universe

Shard let out a long yawn and shifted in her seat. For the umpteenth time she wondered why she didn’t just get a recliner for the throne. Then she remembered how elegant and majestic a real throne made her feel. She smiled to herself and twirled a strand of black hair as she reflected on her victory over Thorae. Once Shard finally had that pesky do-gooder self taken care of, the rest of the world tumbled into her grasp. Sure, the Clockwork put up a fight, but they were no match for her. After all, how does one kill what is undead? She had EDJ to thank for that.

“I wonder where EDJ’s hiding. Probably on Earth somewhere. No matter, Earth will be mine soon enough.”

Shard swung her legs over the arm of the chair and leaned back. With nary a challenge left, she wondered what the future held in store for her. She yawned again. “Maybe I should go play some Black Ops.” Shard got up and walked down the stairs which lead up to her seat of supremacy. She was down the stairs and almost to the doors of the throne room when they slammed open. A single silhouette flew through the shadows.

“SHARD!” A familiar voice shouted just before the person tackled Shard and pinned her to the ground.

“Owww… Nice to see you too, Savvy.”

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” an enraged Anna shouted.
“Ouch! Can you turn it down, Megaphone? Inside voice, please.”
“Answer me!” Anna whispered through clenched teeth with just as much fire.

Shard rolled her eyes. “Let me up first. You’re ruining my dress.”

“NEVER!” Anna again shouted. “I can not believe you just… you just… ”

“…took over the world?” Shard finished for her.

“Killed Lui! … AND took over the world. But you KILLED LUI! How could you?!” Anna shoved Shard’s shoulders into the tile floor.

“Ow. Would you stop shouting?” Shard flipped the intruder over her head and stood up. “What makes you think I killed him?”

Anna landed with a thud and scrambled to her feet, drawing her blade. “I saw your sword go right through him!”

Shard took no notice of the unsheathed weapon. Instead, she began brushing off her red dress. “Oh that. I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but I actually missed that time. I was aiming for his heart and only got a lung. And some ribs. Maybe an artery. I don’t know. I failed Biology.”

“You KILLED him!” Anna raised her sword and charged. Seemingly from nowhere, columns of ice sprung from the ground and enclosed Anna before she could reach her target.

“Tis only a flesh wound, Drama Llama. Don’t worry. I had him all patched up before you got here.”

Anna was beyond confused with the answer, but even more so with the way it was presented. Shard was never known to be so lighthearted. Nor was she known to be on the defensive side without protest. She thrived on combat, why was she so callused to it now?

“What?”

Shard adjusted the tiara on her head, which had somehow managed not to fall off in the course of events. “I’m saving best for last.” Her red eyes narrowed in contempt as she looked at Anna. “I can’t believe you just trekked dirt all over my carpet. Would it kill you to clean up before approaching your queen?”

“Where are the others?” Anna demanded from behind the semi-cage of ice.

“The who?”

“The others! Our friends! DJ! Misty! Brady!”

Shard seemed to deeply contemplate the question before cheerfully replying, “Oh! You’re going to love this. I left them alive.”

Anna couldn’t believe her ears. Was this the same evil other she had been fighting most of her life? The same assassin who set out to destroy every good and pure thing in her path? Anna was sure she left Kandi back on Earth, but the person standing before her seemed like some chaotic mix of the two, which was scary thought in itself.

“Well, where are they?” Anna’s question significantly lacked the fire it had before. Now it was left with incomprehension.

Shard raised her shoulders in a shrug. “Somewhere out there, I suppose. They’re not the ones I would be worried about.”

A wave of water materialized behind Anna, swept her up, and crashed into the pillars of ice. The water turned to steam before it ever reached Shard. The queen walked toward Anna with a smirk on her face. “Lui is scheduled to be executed properly tomorrow. Once he’s taken care of, the others are next. When I give the word, you’re little friends will go bye bye.” Shard waved at Anna and grinned. “Bye, bye!”

A hand made of ice picked Anna up and flung her out of a castle window. She screamed all the way down before landing in a pile of hay. Shard’s smile faded to a frown as she looked up. In the ceiling, amid the decorative paintings and carvings, was an elegant mural of a sad, dark-haired woman looking out the window of a tower. 

“This will all be over soon enough.”