Chapter 4 - Kingdom Hearts Age Progression, Weight Gain

“Magic mirror, on the wall - who is the fairest one of all?” 
 
               The musing echoed around the chamber - not merely as a result of the natural acoustics of the room; but due to the familiarity of the phrase. 
 
               Illuminated by candlelight, the evil queen stood before her ensorcelled mirror - watching eerie green flames lick across its surface; staring down the porcelain face chosen by the spirit of the mirror. It hadn’t been long since she’d asked this of the mirror - her first response earning it her scorn. 
 
               The queen clearly recalled the sight of her pitiful stepdaughter on the mirror’s surface - a maiden pure as the driven snow. A woman the queen took no quarrel in disposing of - no task was too great or too foul in the  quest to satiate her vanity. Having returned from offering the naive girl a poisoned apple, the queen’s heart was aflutter - as excited as the wicked woman could be. Already, she anticipated the mirror’s answer; to simply return her reflection. 
 
               The spirit of the mirror leered as it processed the inquiry, and after a moment, began to speak. 
 
               “Gone is the maiden, fair as snow - entombed in glass in the Dwarves’ meadow. Succeeding her title would be her stepmother…” The queen beamed, already turning away from the mirror. “Yet from another world - there comes another.”
 
               The queen’s facade shatters; her smug facade replaced with one of utter fury. 
 
               “You lie.” she hisses; the rancor palpable in her voice. “Show her to me.”
 
               The mirror’s face fades into the darkness of its surface - and wreathed in its ethereal flames, the queen can see a scene take shape. A clearing in the woods - in its center, the glass case in which Snow White lay comatose. Flanking it were the Dwarves with whom she came to live - looking sullen; their hats in their hands. And yet - at the foot of the glass case was a stranger, the likes of whom the queen had never seen before. 
 
               The stranger was a woman - a young one, at that. Her hair was a strange shade of blue; darkening towards the roots. Her outfit seemed the strangest part about her - her shirt was sleeveless; yet she wore sleeves separately. Her pants cut off along the thigh, yet her boots - armored, furthermore - extended nearly to meet them; beneath a skirt that seemed only to cover her sides. Most peculiarly - she carried a weapon.
 
               “Pray tell, mirror - just who is this stranger?”
 
               The scene seemed to melt away from the mirror - its face manifesting once more. 
 
               “Her name is Aqua, warrior of light. Unlike your prior competitor - she may pose a fight.”
 
               The queen shrunk away from the mirror, bracing her arms pensively before her. The mirror’s words were true - Snow White was little more than a feeble girl. This stranger… If she  was some kind of warrior, then she’d be more troublesome to deal with - if not only in physical contest, then due to her… Resources.
 
               The queen had exhausted her nightshade in concentrating the poison that trapped Snow White in eternal slumber. Nothing she had in her immediate resources would be potent enough to debilitate this ‘Aqua’; and she didn’t have time to complete a ritual for a similar effect. The queen glowered - deceiving her would be likewise tricky. Casting her eyes to her cauldron, only a scant bit of liquid remained. Vermillion in color, the oily fluid was that which she used to disguise herself as a simple old crone. 
 
               The vain queen shuddered at the thought of having to do so again…
 
               But, upon further reconsideration, she realized she wouldn’t have to. Fetching a ladle and a flask, she began to gather the remnants of her disguise potion. 
 
               “Oh great and powerful mirror,” she begins - the fury in her tone giving way to a sense of smugness. “where is this Aqua now?”
 
               The mirror’s face fades away again - this time replaced with woodland. The stranger seems to be leaping over a stream in the shade of the dense canopy above. 
 
               “As I look upon the maiden in blue, it seems as though she’s coming for you.”
 
               The queen smiles coldly as she wedges a cork into the bulbous flask. 
 
               “Far be it from me to keep her waiting.”
 


 
               Aqua squinted into the darkness ahead, bracing herself on a gnarled tree trunk as she tried to discern the path before her. When she’d first arrived in this world, she was… Put at ease, with how vibrant it seemed. The meadows were lush and colorful, its wildlife kind and expressive. Even venturing into the woods wasn’t that much of a departure - not at first, at least.
 
                The section of forest she now found herself in was  nothing short of terrifying. It seemed as though the woods were dead - no leaves grew on these trees, and yet their wicked branches formed a canopy dense enough to shield it from the sun. Even for as lifeless as it seemed - the woods seemed to bear a strange life of their own. Be it a trick of the shadows or a more malicious force at work, Aqua could see anguished and rancorous faces manifesting upon the trees - and between them, she could see glowing eyes staring at her hungrily from the darkness.
 
               Despite this, she continued on, undaunted. Aqua was here for a  reason - and, beyond that, had assumed upon herself an even more pressing duty. 
 
               This world was but the latest in her pursuit of Ventus and Terra - one that had begun to wear on her patience. On one hand; as long as she’d been searching for them, the more she’d begun to worry… On the other hand - when she found them, she wasn’t sure if she’d hug them or punch them. 
 
               While this was still the case - she arrived to find this world in turmoil. Its princess, a fair maiden by the name of Snow White, had been poisoned - her life was faint; doomed to endlessly slumber by the cruel queen of the land. With her companions, a kindly family of Dwarves, heartbroken - Aqua refused to let this stand. She swore to cure the princess herself - after all, Terra or Ventus would have done the same, if they’d been here. 
 
               Mercifully, her journey to the queen’s castle had been uneventful. Even venturing into such a dangerous place hadn’t yielded any particular threats - evidently, its bark was worse than its bite. 
 
               Aqua soon found herself in a clearing - a bit of sunlight filtered through the branches above, illuminating the trees ringing it. They seemed gathered in such a way as to nearly create a crossroads - and signs seemed to be crudely nailed to the dead trunks. Aqua reached up to adjust one - orienting it so that the letters on were upright and legible. ‘Castle’ was scrawled upon the sign - directing her to the east. 
 
               “I wouldn’t go there if I were you.” a voice called from behind her.
 
               Aqua stiffened; reflexively extending her hand to manifest her keyblade. Turning around, she found herself facing… Little more than darkness. Leering, she addresses the source - wherever they may be. “I appreciate the advice - but I’m afraid that I need to.”
 
               The shadows seemed to shift - extending outward from the forest, into the light… Before Aqua realized she was looking at a figure wearing a cloak. It seemed composed of rough-hewn, black fabric, obscuring their features. “Then I trust you’re aware of the dangers…? Intruding upon the queen’s domain unbidden is a grave offense indeed…” The cloaked figure explained, her voice soft and feminine.
 
               “I’ve seen her cruelty first-hand.” she admits. “And that’s something I intend to put an end to.” 
 
               “Ohoho! Bold, aren’t we? You wouldn’t be the first to voice such sentiments…” The mysterious woman begins to circle around the clearing, approaching Aqua. “There are many that wish to see her dethroned, but none have managed to stand before her sorcerous might.”
 
               Aqua takes a step back from the woman - but she lowers her blade, listening more intently. “You seem to know quite a bit about her. Can you offer me any more advice?”
 
               “Advice - oh, no…” she replies humbly, shaking her hooded head. “I am but a humble alchemist. I keep to myself, in the shade of this wicked wood. All I hear whispers of those who oppose the queen - and all I know is that the queen persists, and those who oppose her do not.” The woman extends a hand from her cloak - revealing pale skin and dark nails. She reaches downward, into the confines of her garment. “But, perhaps I can be of some assistance…” 
 
               Aqua tilts her head, allowing the woman to come closer. The keyblade wielder watches as the woman fishes out a bottle - containing a reddish liquid. 
 
               “Some say only magic can truly stand against magic. I carry potions such as this to ward myself from arcane influences… Perhaps it can be of some help to you?”
 
               Tentatively, Aqua takes the bottle in her hand, watching the oily concoction shift within its glass container. Her brow furrows a little; her stomach turning as she watches it. While this seemed strange… Aqua had to admit, this world had been kind to her thusfar. It seemed as though the queen was the operative source of darkness in this realm - its other denizens were rather benevolent. It seemed… Appropriate that another denizen would offer her such assistance.
 
               Smiling a little nervously, Aqua accepts the potion. “Thank you - you’ve helped more than just me today.” she affirms, turning away. 
 
               “It’s my pleasure, dear. You’d best drink the potion soon - its components will become inert soon; and the effects last considerably longer as you metabolize them.” Behind Aqua, she steps backward - slinking back into the darkness. 
 
               Nodding and uncorking the potion, Aqua turns back to thank the alchemist again - only to find the clearing empty. While a little chuffed at the sudden disappearance… She found solace in not having to feign liking drinking the potion. The appearance alone told her enough about it - it wasn’t anything she wanted to smell or taste, but she trusted the alchemist’s word in its utility. 
 
               Her keyblade dematerialized from her hand - and, using her now-free hand to plug her nose, she drinks the potion. It isn’t a small amount - forcing her to swallow down several gulps of it. It ran like oil across her tongue and down her throat, making her queasy from its texture. The taste lingered on her tongue - it was… Potent, but mercifully, not entirely disgusting. It tasted like mint, pepper, and burnt sugar; making her nose scrunch as she tried to void her mouth of the flavor. 
 
               Taking a few steps eastward - Aqua quickly realized that the potion had taken effect; feeling it drop, like a physical weight, into her stomach. She moved a hand to her chest, lurching a little - and feeling a heat begin to pervade her body. She waited for the sensation in her stomach to fade - and while it did, the heat continued to plague her. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead, despite the coolness of the dead forest around her - something she prescribed to the potion simply… Working.
 
               “I wish she could’ve warned me about that.” she huffs, fanning herself and marching onward. 
 
               The forest continued to wind around her - with wooden signs continuing to lead her way; usually after a little adjustment. More than once, Aqua felt like she was being led around in circles simply because one had been repositioned or flipped upside-down - and her trip was starting to get… Tiring. She hadn’t been in this world long, but the walk seemed to be taking its toll - and the potion wasn’t making things any better. After another hour of walking, Aqua felt like a sweaty mess - her hair was sticking to her forehead; and her clothes were uncomfortably moist… Not to mention tight. The former she could explain - but she wasn’t sure what was causing the latter. She found to ease herself down - adjusting her corset and loosening it up just a little. 
 
               Even if that quick adjustment made things a little more bearable for a bit… It didn’t take long before she needed to adjust it again. Aqua huffed - both in frustration and breathlessness - as she began to untie it; removing it entirely to survey what was going on beneath it… 
 
               Aqua couldn’t help but gasp when she saw what lay beneath the corset. Her shirt seemed to be bulged out; the thin seam that separated it from her shorts having grown into a considerable rift between the garments. It wasn’t that her shirt was shrinking - but rather, her stomach seemed to be growing. It was noticeably larger; and as she placed her hands upon the flesh - she could feel it dimple in just a little. Squeezing it a little more firmly; she felt her flesh bunch up into a fold - emphasizing her now-exposed navel. 
 
               “What the-” she begins, removing her hands - as she does, she watches as her stomach bulges out further; making her shirt rise up a little more. The growth seems to ripple from her stomach outward - her skin quaking; and tangibly expanding as the sensation flows outward. Aqua winces as she feels the sensation reach her chest - the crossed bands over her breasts pinching tighter against her.
 
               Aqua had been… Changed, as she’d entered certain worlds before - but that seemed to be part of the transition from one realm to another; never as a delayed effect. Her mind leapt quickly to blame the potion - but she wasn’t sure how. Was it affecting her differently because she was from another world? Was it brewed improperly? Or… Aqua felt a chill roll across her, making her sweaty skin feel clammy.
 
               She couldn’t deny the possibility she’d been deceived. In fact - she never quite learned how Snow White had fallen into her sleep, had she…? Aqua’s lips pursed as she felt her stomach swell up again - now falling over her shorts as an even layer of pudge, while her thighs formed a similar border of flesh beneath the legs of her now-constrictive garments.
 
               Aqua dropped her corset - having already become useless. Standing up, she felt odd; her exposed, sweaty midsection jiggling slightly from the movement. She moved to continue - but, as she did, a wince of pain struck her; lighting up in the small of her back. 
 
               “Ah-” she grunts, reaching behind herself and rubbing the sore spot; though the momentary massage she gives herself doesn’t penetrate deeply enough to truly soothe the pain. A little more slowly this time, she sets off - following the path to the castle… She hopes.
 
               Her warping body only makes her journey more complicated - the added weight alone would have set her off-kilter; but that was but a solitary factor in a series of distractions and alterations being made to her body. It wasn’t just that she was getting heavier - an important factor was in where the weight was gathering. Aqua had to make careful, mincing steps - her shorts simply weren’t adequate to accommodate her thighs as they continued to grow. 
 
               After crossing a ravine - Aqua heard a sharp tear; and she found, to little surprise but an abundance of horror, that the legs of her shorts had torn all the way up the seams; even the seams of her boots coming apart under the growth. The flesh that came free wasn’t soft or delicate - but instead pockmarked by cellulite; sagging somewhat, now free of its restrictive support. The remainder of her shorts had practically become a secondary layer of underwear - shrinking deeper into the recess of her crotch and rear as the flesh around it expanded. A tentative and shameful touch to the surface of her butt revealed that it, too, had suffered the same fate as her thighs - sagging and riddled with divets, which only seemed to grow more profound. 
 
               The weight didn’t seem to just be a tax on her agility - but on her stamina. As much as she wanted to pick up her pace; her body rebelled against her. Even a short walk between signposts began to fatigue her - causing her breath to come out as ragged huffs, and decidedly… Unbecoming gasps. She took quick rests - which grew longer as the strain penetrated deeper into her body. Her armored boots put more strain on her sore ankles than she anticipated; and even the act of getting up from a quick rest was a laborious process she had to prepare herself for - or risk another flareup of pain from her increasingly-sore joints.
 
               She did, however, take these rests as an opportunity to adjust her outfit appropriately. She had to do away with the crossed straps around her chest - her breasts had engorged; and while - for the moment - contained in her shirt, whose fabric had begun to ride up to the point of resting just beneath the greatly expanded surface of her bust… Any extra restraint chafed against the more sensitive flesh. She tried her best to address the… Exposure of her lower half; ultimately having to rotate her skirt until one half rested in front of her legs… And the other half was tented out by the disproportionate shelf of her ass.
 
               At first, Aqua prescribed the soreness and fatigue to a more arcane loss of vitality, and yet… By virtue of her sweaty hair sticking to her head, she’d missed a damning indication of the source of her woes - until she came upon a stagnant stream, deep in the wicked woods. Taking a rest to massage her aching ankles, she looked into the water - and for a moment, saw a stranger staring at her. 
 
               Believing herself to be attacked, Aqua manifested her keyblade again - but as soon as it took shape, her arm began to shake. The heavy, blunt weapon was only secure in her grip for a moment; long enough for it to begin to strain her shoulder and elbow, forcing her to bring her arm down; planting the teeth of it in the dirt. She waited for a moment, conserving what little strength she had for a fight…
 
               One that never came. Looking back into the water again, Aqua shuddered as she watched the mysterious figure’s movements match hers… Proving that it was nothing more than her reflection in the water. Aqua’s face looked… Tired, in a word. The weight surging from her stomach had reached her face - lending to a little bit of roundness along her cheeks. Her eyes were defined by deep bags; and beside them, small wrinkles - the likes of which she grimly correlated with age.
 
               While she internally worked to deny what she found upon her face - her hair made such an endeavor a feat even she couldn’t undergo. Her hair seemed to have grown somewhat - smoothing it out a little, her bangs would fall in front of her face - the very tips bearing the familiar, dark blue; but seeming to grow lighter, closer to the roots. Her roots remained somewhat dark - but interspersed with lighter shades of grey. It reached seemingly down to her shoulders - but was too much of a sweaty mess to tell. By all accounts, she wasn’t the youthful keyblade warrior she’d entered this world as…
 
               But instead, an out-of-shape, older woman… Who, her looks be damned, was still a warrior of light. Dematerializing her keyblade, Aqua  rose from the stagnant pool - slowly and carefully, so as to not strain her sore back. Though twisted and tired - Aqua  understood full well that she was duty-bound to find her friends; and to save the life of the princess. Even if she was physically at a disadvantage - she still had her magic. Looking upward, she could see the spire of the castle looming above - through the crooked branches. 
 
               Aqua wouldn’t submit to this trickery - boldly, she set off; keeping one hand upon her hip; massaging it through the soft, cellulite-ridden flesh. 
 


               The evil queen sat before her mirror; staring boredly at it - her dark nails rapping across the fine wooden surface of its arm. The mirror stared back at her expectantly - for she had been particularly incessant following her most recent endeavor. 
 
               “The stranger in blue holds the title still,” it had recited, “until your spell overcomes her will. To yield it needs two aspects combined: to be unfair in body, and in mind.”
 
               It had been hours since she’d slipped the strange warrior her potion - and since then had been waiting rather impatiently for the changes to set in. The queen couldn’t fathom how such a horrid visage wouldn’t break a woman’s spirit - nor how a feeble body wouldn’t demoralize a proud warrior. And yet - to her immense disappointment, Aqua had remained strong - infuriatingly so.
 
               And so she waited on her mirror to tell her of the good news - which, as the sun sank beneath the horizon of the forest, and as wolves’ howls began to fill the air outside, she continued to wait…
 
               All until she heard a sound rising from her staircase. Turning her attention toward it; it seemed to grow louder - a harsh clattering, gentle grinding, and meaty slapping, interspersed with harsh and ragged breaths. Soon, the source came into view - causing the  queen’s brow to quirk.
 
               Aqua stood in the doorway to her tower - and while the infraction of her intrusion was severe enough… The queen couldn’t help but find humor in how far she’d come.
 
               The unflatteringly flabby woman that stood before her was hunched over; both arms on her knees and raggedly panting from making her way up the steps. Sweat streamed off of her face - and her hair - mostly blue, but having adopted a salt-and-pepper tone of greying black at the roots - now extended over her eyes and past her shoulders in sweat-matted strands.
 
               The pink straps the queen found Aqua wearing seemed to be banded around the sagging curvature of her breasts; the shirt that used to contain them having split down the middle, held together only by the bands now; though they seem to pinch and strain against her bust. Her chunky thighs, sticking out of the gaps in her skirt - now along her sides - bore no indication of anything beneath it - her pants having apparently been totally destroyed. Her boots seemed to exist now only as far as their armor; the leggings having been excised after they, too, had burst. 
 
               The queen cackled in delight at the sight of the warrior - which caused Aqua to manifest her keyblade… And support herself on it. 
 
               “Aha! And how do you expect to swing that thing around? When I tasted the potion, I nearly sprained a hip simply by walking.” she taunts.
 
               “Hah… I-” Aqua pants out, needing to take a gulp of breath. “I don’t need to. Raising her free hand and shifting her weight onto her blade, she manifests a plume of frigid air. Whatever you’ve done to me - I’m still just as…” She gives a harsh exhale, starting to pant again. “Powerful as when I arrived.”
 
Standing up from her seat, the queen stands ready to confront the aged keyblade-wielder. “Is that so? Why don’t you show me,” She leers, venomously concluding with “you withered old crone.”
 
               Her patience exhausted, Aqua lunges forward - lobbing a shower of ice toward the queen with a ragged shout of “Ice barrage!” The queen seems caught off-guard by its potency; extending her hands to ward it off. The ice impacts an invisible barrier - batting against it before disappearing - bursting into motes of light lingering in the room. Aqua continues to throw spells at the queen - knocking over tomes, bottles, hanging ropes of garlic, and blasting away the throne upon which the queen had been sitting. Each time one of her spells are deflected, more of the green lights manifest - all until Aqua attempts to lob another spell at the queen…
 
               But only smoke manifests from her palm. Her energy reserves exhausted, Aqua tries to balance herself on her keyblade - while the queen cackles before her. 
 
               “Oh, I’m delighted you tried to face me. If you hadn’t; I might have been too drained to finish my spell.” With a sweeping wave of her hand - the remnants of Aqua’s spells gather in the queen’s palm before disappearing; and with a snap of her fingers, a wave of energy blasts Aqua back, onto her ass. The keyblade wielder gives a husky groan; reaching down to her back, closing her eyes and wincing…
 
               And when she opens them, she finds the queen hovering over her - her arms spread. “Stranger from another world,” she recites - her voice booming around the tower with unnatural volume. “may this curse not come unfurled. Aged and feeble thou shall remain, until a spell I cast again. Never will you leave to roam, for this world becomes thine home. From a warrior with a mighty blade - thou shalt now serve, as a lowly maid.”
 
               Clapping her hands together evokes another blast - the force rolling across Aqua’s body; blowing her hair back, causing her unflattering flab to jiggle - and blasting apart her clothing; snapping the bands supporting the tatters of her shirt and tearing asunder her skirt. Her keyblade clatters to the floor - and as her body settles… A haze overtakes her. Exhausted, the warrior slumps to the side… Watching her blade disappear as consciousness leaves her.
 


 
“Magic mirror, on the wall - who is the fairest one of all?” 
 
               The queen beams as she faces her mirror - eagerly awaiting its response. 
 
               “Though many maidens are plain to see, the fairest of them all is thee.” 
 
               Hearing those words from the mirror prompt a low chuckle from the queen. “Indeed; and let none stand against this.” she concurs, leaning back to find a seat…
 
               But stopping herself just short of doing so. Turning around, she finds a spot where she was supposed to have a throne empty - something she hadn’t quite become accustomed to, despite having been gone longer than a week. Beyond the vacant spot was a pile of debris - which a maid was currently sweeping up. 
 
               “You.” the queen commands, drawing the maid’s attention. Clad in a drab, brown, rough-hewn dress with a simple shawl over it, she looks up - tired eyes looking past greying hair. 
 
               “Yes, your majesty…” she grumbles begrudgingly. 
 
               “Fetch me a seat. I wish to make more inquiries of my mirror - and wish to do so comfortably.” 
 
               With a soft huff, the maid braces her broom against a wall, resting a hand against her broad flank as she moves toward the staircase. “I’ll find you a seat, witch, just you wait.” she grumbles. With a snap of the queen’s fingers, she pauses.
 
               “Speaking of waiting, I’m sure you’ll be able to wait until breakfast tomorrow for your next meal.”
 
               The maid pauses, slowly waddling as she turns around. Her stomach growls in advance of her pleas. “N-no, your majesty - I simply couldn’t. I don’t know what you heard, but it wasn’t my intention to say it - or think it, or-”
 
               The queen huffs, turning a hand up to silence her. “Fetch me a seat. Then we will speak of your meals, you gluttonous cretin.”
 
               Turning back to the staircase, Aqua sighs. As she carefully trudges her way down, she bites her lip; recalling the friends she’d come here to save… And hoping they’d save her. 
 
               If they’d even think to save a lowly maid.