Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the other Anime/Disney worlds.

Chapter Seven

Daughter Like Father

Lady Ulrike turned to the soft sound of footsteps running away, for a moment she had been confused as to what was happening until she heard the childlike laughter and felt the pull. It seemed that once again the little one had decided to escape, so she gave chase before she left the shrine's grounds. 'Why did you come out,' she wondered out loud as she heard the laughter of joy echo through the shrine hall.

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'My Lady are you all right,' Conrad asked as he saw worry sketched across her face.

'You don't have to call me My Lady, Amaranth is fine,' she answered softly as she looked down at her hands. Two days ago she had awoken gasping for air, filling her lungs as if for the first time and seeing surprise and horror stare back at her. Conrad, whom had been first to find her, had introduced himself and told her where she was and that he had been sent along with his King and friends to find her.

The woman next to him had been horrified by her sudden resurrection and she didn't blame her for being scared. After all it was not everyday that people got to witness the dead coming back to life. Yet that was not all that scared the woman, for she refused to accept her gratitude and even look at her. However, no matter how scared of her she was she still offered them one more nights rest in her home and even new clothes for Amaranth to wear. Once again she had tried to thank the woman, but she couldn't bare to look at her face. It hadn't been until riding into town for the first time that she realized what was wrong.

People had turned to stare at her in wonder, horror and sadness. When she tried to meet their gaze they would turn away from her and usher their children back. Catching her reflection as they rode by a large store front, she saw what was actually wrong and why people turned way from her. Amaranth was a monster, with magic symbols running across half her face, neck and chest. When she had changed she had seen them, but she had never imagined that they covered her face as well. So upon seeing her, people probably thought that she would lash out at them at any moment in some sort of wild attack. Without actually knowing that she was defenseless to magic and powerless to get back home. Nonetheless, going back home would mean that she'd have to present herself to her family, the realms people and Riku. What if he saw her and didn't want to come near her? 'Amaranth,' she heard the soft call of her name.

'Hmmm,' lifting her gaze up once more and saw worry in soft light brown hues.

'Are you all right,' Conrad repeated.

'Yes, I am sorry, I was just lost in thought,' she tried to reassure him with a smile, but it was a pathetic attempt.

'You seem more worried now then before are you afraid for your friend?'

Amaranth turned her head to look at Rikhard's sleeping form and shook her head. 'He'll be alright,' she couldn't explain it but she knew with certainty. 'He just needs to recover from using such strong magic for the first time.'

'But how can he still be breathing without a heart,' Yuuri asked the question they've been wanting too since the moment they met.

'Because I possess his heart,' she answered. 'I don't know how, but I do.'

All four men looked at her like she was deranged and she didn't blame them. First she had told them her story about getting kidnapped, how she had her magic extracted from her, how she was certain she had died and now she was telling them she had two hearts. She couldn't blame them if at any time they would cut their losses with her and throw her into a mental institute. 'I sound crazy, I know.'

'Don't worry, we've had our share of unnatural circumstances too,' Conrad offered.

'Yeah,' Yuuri nodded, 'believe us when we say we understand and we'll do anything to help you get home.'

'Yes,' Wolfram agreed, 'home is were the heart is and if I couldn't get back home I'd cry.'

'Wolfram,' Yuuri cried as he struggled to get out of his death grip.

'I won't leave you, My Love,' Wolfram held him close.

Ken offered the Princess a soft smile, but she seemed too worried to even manage a small smile. Ever since she had woken up she had been lost in thought, only worried about the dangers of the man searching for them could cause. The man, Levi, whatever he was he was strong to extract her magic and too leave her on the brink of death was astonishing. 'We should probably get some rest,' Conrad finally announced. 'We still have a ways to go before reaching the castle.'

They all nodded and before going to bed they once again decided the order of watch. Of course, they didn't take her into account even when she offered to help. She might not have her magic anymore, but she was still able to fight. 'You should just get some rest and let us take care of you,' Conrad told her.

Conrad was a nice man, but even he didn't understand how not being able to help hurt. 'Thank you,' was all she was able to say as she went and took her place near Rikhard.

'You like her, don't you,' Ken suddenly asked as everyone else went to sleep.

'Is it that obvious,' Conrad looked over at her small form.

'Well, I know that you have an overprotective nature but the way that you look at her is a dead give away. Plus, you're not willing to share. I've suggested many times to let her ride with me and you've refused.'

'It's just that she seems so fragile and delicate.'

'True, but that is only because she has lost something very important to her and the person that is able to help her still hasn't awaken.'

'The young man.'

'Yes,' Ken nodded.

'She says that he just needs to recover.'

'Right, but I feel like I should warn you not to get your hopes up too much. Someone like her is not likely to be alone, their could be someone out there searching for her.'

'If there isn't?'

'Then let time take its course and see what happens, but for now just be a friend and don't let your heart get in the way,' Ken advised as he got up. 'Well, I better go catch some zzz's before it's my turn to take watch.'

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Lady Ulrike finally caught the excited little girl before she left the shrine grounds. 'Little One, why are you here?'

Huge doe eyes stared back at her with brilliant wonder. 'She's here,' she cried happily as she turned back to look out at the horizon.

'Who is,' she watched her childlike self walk about happily.

'The woman who will become my mother,' she cheered.

'You are mistaken, our time here is not over yet.'

'We've been here for so long,' she pointed out as she turned to look back at the shrine, 'and she's the only one.'

'But—'

'I know that you like it here, but you also want to see the world beyond these walls,' she stated as she cut her off.

'Little One, I have an obligation to fulfill. I cannot just abandon my duty as High Priestess.'

'Find someone that can replace you,' she ordered as she took off back to the shrine, 'because I have already decided and you just like me know it's our only chance.'

'This is not acceptable,' she followed her.

'Meet her, meet then,' Little Ulrike stopped and turned around to face her. 'If you don't like them then I will understand and not say another word.'

Purple set of orbs stared at each other, both coming to a silent understanding, 'I will give them a chance.'

'Thank you,' Little Ulrike rushed over and gave her a hug. 'and as thank you, I'll help you find your replacement.'

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Levi was becoming impatient, he still hadn't been able to find the Princess and his brother. From what the woman said they were traveling back to the Demon Kingdom, but they were either making good time or keeping off the main roads. 'Damn it,' he spotted a group of travelers up ahead.

Quickly he picked up his pace and flew before them, 'Halt, have you seen a beautiful woman and a nuisance of a man traveling by?'

The human travelers stared at the demon before them in bewilderment. 'No, ahead of us is a group of travelers and one of them is believed to be a woman.'

'I caught a glimpse if her as they passed and she is not beautiful, but a martyr. Half her face is covered in symbols that trail down.'

'She is no martyr,' Levi warned the man, 'but as you have been of help I will spare your lives.'

Without looking back he took off, he was closing in on the demon boarder and the four horse man that rode ahead of him. One was a tall man with light brown hair that rode with a cloaked figure before him. The others were ordinary enough that they looked like children, but one of them pulled behind him a small wagon with a person in it. 'Stop were you are,' Levi ordered.

Amaranth didn't have to look up to know who it was, just his voice alone made her body tremble in fear. Conrad sensing her fear held her tighter against him, 'Who are you? What do you want?'

'The woman, give her to me and I will spare your lives.'

'I am sorry, but we can't do that,' Conrad watched him.

'Then I will deem you a fool,' Levi shot fourth a fireball that scared their horses. 'Now,' he reappeared before them, 'before I lose what little restraint I have, I want you to hand over the girl.'

'No,' Conrad drew his sword.

'Your little toy won't stop me,' Levi lifted his hand and threw it back, which sent the sword in his hand flying.

'Wolfram, what should we do,' Yuuri whispered.

'Conrad won't give the woman up, so we'll have to distract him so that they can get away.'

'He has a point,' Ken agreed.

'But unlike him we have no magic,' Yuuri pointed out.

Ken wondered about his best friend sometimes and was about to point out the opposite when Wolfram beat him to the punch, 'Who needs magic,' he pulled out his sword. 'Hey, you Moron, quit messing with him and pick on someone your own size.'

'Wolfram, Conrad is his own size,' Yuuri pointed out.

'I meant in terms of power,' Wolfram mumbled.

'I think he's ignoring you,' Ken told him.

Levi was going to ignore the little blonde girl, when he felt pain shoot across his head. The little girlish boy had thrown a rock at him. 'I am going to kill you!'

Conrad watched as his brother was attacked and managed to dodge, Ken had managed to sneak over, 'Now is your chance to escape and go get help.'

'But….'

'He wants the girl not us or him,' he turned to the wagon behind him.

'All right,' Conrad turned and took off.

'Got you,' Levi had used his earth based powers to stop and contain him, 'now I am going to crush everyone of you.'

'No you don't,' Yuuri finally realized that he could use magic too and attacked, 'your reign of terror ends here.'

Levi had blocked the first water attack, which was stronger then he would have imagined from a little boy. The second one almost bypassed his defenses, 'Insolent Brat.'

Yuuri put up a water shield to stop the fire attack, but the impact knocked him back a few paces. 'You are not welcome, so you should leave.'

From the stream nearby them a water dragon lifted up and attacked him. It shattered his defensive shield and sent him flying into the nearest tree trunk. 'How can you be so strong,' he questioned as he lifted his gaze to look at the little boy.

'Because unlike you I don't fight with ill intent,' Yuuri prepared another water dragon.

'Please,' Levi mocked as he pulled away and sent forth a raging blast of energy.

'Ugh,' Yuuri gasped as he was hit.

'Just because you believe to fight for justice doesn't mean that you're much stronger then me,' Levi prepared to finish him off.

'You're not laying a hand on my fiancé,' Wolfram screamed as he broke free of his prison and sent forth a fire beast.

'Ahh,' Levi screamed as the fire began to consume him.

'Yuuri,' Wolfram ran over to his side, 'are you alright?'

'Yeah, his magic just caught me too off guard.'

'Here,' Wolfram began to heal him.

'Thanks,' he noticed that Levi was preparing his next attack so he grabbed Wolfram and pulled him out of harms way.

'This guy isn't going to stop,' Wolfram muttered as he looked up at Levi.

'I think that if we attack him together we might be able to stop him,' Yuuri suggested as he got off Wolfram and helped him up. 'Do you think your up for one more attack?'

'Yes,' he nodded.

'Let's do this,' Yuuri and Wolfram both powered up and attacked.

Levi saw the water dragon and fire beast rushing in for the assault and powered up his magic shield to take the impact but it was too much. Once again his shield cracked and he was sent crumbling to the ground with the blow knocking him out. 'Curses,' was his last word.

'We did it,' Yuuri cried happily as he turned to Wolfram.

'With our power of love anything is possible,' he reached out and hugged Yuuri.

'You guys are impressive,' Ken arrived at their side. 'To think that you were able to use magic here as well.'

'I don't know,' Wolfram looked down at his hands, 'but I think that it became stronger when I wished to protect Yuuri.'

'So maybe the power of love really has something to do with it,' Ken teased Yuuri, but also knew that it was a high probability of being true and they were also very close to demon territory so that helped too.

'My Lord,' a cavalry of demon knights arrived.

'Secure the pri….soner,' they had turned away for only a second and he was gone.

'What is he,' Wolfram asked, 'he has so much magic?'

'Well, technically he has Amaranth magic which is unbelievable,' Ken pointed out.

'But how can one person possess so much power, even Yuuri as our strongest Maou doesn't have that much power.'

'That's something that we'll have to as Amaranth, but for now we should get them to the castle. Once we have Gisela heal the young man, we'll ask him how to stop his brother. If he can't do it on his own, we'll have to ask Anissina to help us.'

'That sounds like a good plan,' Yuuri agreed.

'And once there is peace again we can go back to planning our wedding,' Wolfram added.

'That's….never mind,' Yuuri hung his head, but realized that Wolfram wanted to remain positive and hopeful.

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'Home,' Nula smiled as she took in the view of her shrine.

'Hina,' Sora and Riku caught her as she collapsed.

'I am alright,' she pulled out an elixir. 'I just need a moment is all.'

Sora picked her up in his arms and followed Nula, 'She can rest inside.'

'I am fine,' Hina tried to protest as she was carried inside a small cottage and laid to rest on a soft and comfortable bed.

'Get some rest,' Riku told her, 'you've done enough today.'

'Yeah, we'll take it from here,' Aymaran stated.

'You don't have any magic,' Nula pointed out.

'True, but I can still sense Amaranth whereabouts and I am the Soul Blade,' she defended.

'Right,' Riku held out his hand towards her and she jumped for joy to him.

'I love you,' she hugged his face and kissed his cheek.

'Please stop,' Riku asked her.

Aymaran frowned and slumped down onto his shoulder, 'No love, I don't see what…'

'I am going to squish you,' he grabbed her.

'You won't be able to find her without me,' she struggled to say and he released his grip.

'Well, I am sure that Lady Ulrike knows of her and our arrival. Therefore, if you head to Shinou's Castle you'll find her,' Nula suggested.

'See,' Riku tightened his grip on her again.

'You're no help,' Aymaran accused Nula before she bit down on Riku's hand and escaped at his release. 'I am staying with you, so you better protect me from the Big Oaf,' she told Sora.