Usurpation of the Dark
Chapter 1: A Gentle Darkness

Credit Note: Credit for Undertale and Deltarune and all the characters within go to Toby "Radiation" Fox and Temmie Chang. Credit for the picture goes to Honnojis of Deviantart for their creation of the image "Chaos King."

It's been a long time since the Lightners have visited the card kingdom. The many people within have grown restless. Their purpose… left unfulfilled. Within a tall tower, four kings govern four peoples.

The hearts, the diamonds, the clubs, and the spades.

A prophesy foretold the coming of a second fountain, and the return of the Lightners. The Darkners revel the Lightners as gods, fulfilling their purpose in dignified peace, upholding the balance of light and dark. But they've never been gone this long before.

The people within the card kingdom have lost their way, many believe a life without meaning, a life without Lightners… is not worth living. Others cling to the old ways; in their hearts they know one day the Lightners will return. The four kings sit upon four thrones at the top of the castle. An unease passes them, day by day, night by night. They govern their people as best they can, but meaning is slipping…

At the base of the castle are two individuals. A cat-man with an affinity for magic, and a Jester with a knack for spontaneous trickery.

"Seam, Seam, the people are giving way to despair, we should show them a good time!" The jester blurts. The cat magical looks over, the very air around him crackling with energy. He wears a dignified expression, though one of his eyes is replaced with a button.

"Jevil my partner… that is a great idea." Seam, the magician encourages before continuing-
"-The kings and the people could use a little of our magic to lift their spirits. In cases like this is where we are most important!" Seam states, summoning magical playing cards made of lightning from thin air and having them fizzle in a fun display. Seam and Jevil climb the tower, passing by the various deactivated defense systems and guards that are seemingly only half-doing their jobs.

They arrive at the top where the four kings are discussing the old ways in a rather heated, awkward tone. The throne room is massive, four differently shaped thrones sit around a round table as their chairs and faces face each other and the door to the throne. The four kings squabble and bicker over matters of statecraft as the various pennants above sway from the open windows in the dark breeze, each of the banners showing a different faction.

Heart, Diamond, Spade, and Club. They turn to Jevil and Seam and the heart king smiles, briefly putting their debate on hold.

"Ah, well this conversation has grown tiring… perhaps a little entertainment will loosen us up." He confirms with a clap, but the spade king scowls.
"Mere tomfoolery will not cease our troubles." He growls. The diamond king looks over, seemingly in agreement with the heart king;
"Perhaps not, but what good is talking in circles? Perhaps a juxtaposition would do well to give us a fresh perspective." He claims as the club king claps and points at the two entertainers.
"Excellent, we will continue after a bit of light-hearted entertainment!"

After that, the council agrees that a little bit of entertainment from their jester and magician could do well to lighten their humors. Seam and Jevil walk away from each other until they're on opposite sides of the room. They face each other with small grins, this is where the fun begins!

"See if you can keep up!" Seam playfully taunts, his magic forming into a torrent of storms and dragons as they shoot across the room in brilliant and dazzling colors! The thunder crashes upon the ground where Jevil was standing, but he's already dancing in the air along the lightning, spinning and sliding along the electric currents as a myriad of magical oddities appear from around him!

"A little mayhem, my stuffed friend?" Jevil cackles as clovers, diamonds, indeed all the suits fill the room, colors of red and black fill every corner and the kings all clap, even the spade king who not so long ago was completely aloof.

Seam and Jevil trade mock blows, putting on a faux battle with an emphasis on maximum entertainment, spinning carousels from Jevil, a vortex of swords from Seam! Powerful magic from Jevil scrapes and damages the nearby throne room, but Seam's magic miraculously undoes those effects and leaves them looking perfect. It's as if they're toying with the very fabric of time and space!

After a long battle, having worked up quite the sweat, they both put on their final act! Jevil summons his weapon, the Devilsknife, and throws phantom scythes at Seam, whose magical barriers cause them to explode into a glorious array of rainbow lights, soon lighting the room with not just red and black, but now white lights!

The battle ends satisfyingly, and with a lightened mood, the kings return to matters of statecraft with Jevil and Seam leaving the room with smiles and sweaty brows. The door opens and even the guards in the room are cheering with twinkling eyes. The paintings, sculptures, and flags of the four factions are perhaps slightly displaced from the chaos, but otherwise are still in perfect shape. The kings, with more neutral or positive expression begin talking amongst each other. Some words slip by Seam's keep ears before they leave for good.

"The Knight is said to already be among us… we must prepare for their coming…"

"My acquaintance, you're the only person in the whole kingdom who can keep up with me." Seam complements Jevil, who is always smiling.

"Yes, a little bit of mischief is just what we need. Darkners, Lightners, we are what we are. What will be will be, what's the use in worrying?" He asks.

"Well, for the kings at least, worrying is their job." Seam says, his smile fading to a more neutral, far off expression.

"Jevil… do you think the Lightners will return before… well, I don't want to say…"
"Before the world breaks from the imbalance of light and dark. If the prophesy is true, then they shall. At the end of the world, our heroes will arrive."

"Haha… you truly have no fears for the future, do you?" Seam laughs.
"We have our freedom, waiting in the dark, the Lightners may have forgotten us, but we have not forgotten them. What happens will happen, happen."

"Well said."

Hours later, Seam and Jevil have parted ways for the day. Jevil finds himself in the Field of Hopes and Dreams, swinging Devilsknife and keeping himself sharp. He comes across a great door that has never in their history ever been opened. The prophesy of theirs tells them of the Dark Fountain. If it's not within the Card Kingdom, it must be somewhere else, and the only place they can't go is behind that door. It makes sense that something so important is in a place where people can't reach.

However, to Jevil's absolute astonishment, the door is… cracked. Jevil, his normally smiling face has turned to one of caution. He holds Devilsknife at his side and he approaches the door, pushing on it lightly. Inside is a darkness so profound he cannot make out the shapes within, but what he can make out is an intense energy pouring fourth, the essence of darkness itself. He opens it farther and is startled that a shape suddenly appears within his vision! He reels backwards but the shape within the dark has already manifested itself outside the door and into the Card Kingdom. Before Jevil's butt hits the ground from losing his footing, the great gate is sealed shut with the shape looming over him.

"Who are you…?" Jevil asks with a gulp. The shapes manifest themselves into the shape of a man, a man Jevil's never seen before.

"I am the key to this prison…"
"Prison? But this is our world, we are free, free!"
"This world is small… there is one way out, and that way cannot open until it is too late… the knight comes to upset the balance…"
"The… the knight?!"
"There are forces out there, strong yet stronger, fast yet faster… the pieces in this game are falling into place, where will you find yourself, Jester? In a cage, no doubt, a cage of your own making…"
"What do you want from me you strange, strange man?"
"For now… I want to play a game…" The man breaks into a strange melty grin.
"A game? Hah, I am unbeaten at games, I can do anything!"
"Then let the games begin…" The man says, the dark around them fading to obscure fog, spinning… spinning…

A large distance away, Seam's ear flicks. He heard everything. His buttoned eye turns towards the horizon of the field, unable to see the end, unable to see the door. What is about to happen?