The Realm of Darkness was not a well-lit place in general, and the depths of a cavern seemed ripe for stumbling through, lost and terrified. But the cavern which the Wicked Spider called home was bedecked in fabulous glowing crystals. Their low, ephemeral light was all that Aqua needed to find her way.

She couldn’t say why she was so fixed on the massive arachnid Heartless or why she was already considering taking in another creature’s offspring. In fact, the Heartless wouldn’t even have her as their real mother—so she couldn’t count on her inner light helping to abate their natural viciousness!

But despite her fear and doubt, she felt right. If any Heartless in the Realm deserved her help, wasn’t it that mournful matriarch who had let Aqua come close?

The lower passageways were a veritable warren of tunnels, a downright maze, but she was able to follow her nose. It was a subtle thing indeed, but the spicy scent led her along.

Before long, she emerged into a semi-open, cavernous chamber with a trickling waterfall on the other end splashing down into a stream. The Wicked Spider was squatting in a fresh-spun web, her spring-green hide looking curious under the light of the colored crystals, and her abdomen was even fatter than before. She was quivering with anticipation, and as Aqua walked in, the spider halted in spinning a new eggsac.

“Wait,” Aqua called out as if the Heartless could understand her. She was eyed warily. “Your eggs, they might be vulnerable again. But I—” She broke off, uncertain. She had done this before, but was this sensible? Was it right? Who was she helping by doing this? The world, as she had convinced herself? Her own urges, as she suspected? Or were the true benefactors the Heartless—who always got ahead no matter what anyone did?

She wasn’t sure, but after days of feeling dead inside, Aqua finally knew what she wanted to do.