Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the Disney/Anime worlds.

Chapter Ten

The Beginning

Riku watched as she slowly step inside, afraid that at any moment she could turn around and flee without warning. From past experience she had a bad habit of running away when the situation became unpredictable. Quietly she closed the door behind her and looked down not saying a word and refusing to move any further then within the door entrance. 'Amaranth,' he broke the silence.

'Yes, sorry,' she didn't know how to begin. It had been such a long time since she had been in such a small space with him, she almost felt trapped but knew that if she wished it he'd let her go.

'Are you afraid of me,' he asked without warning.

'No,' she shook her head.

'Then,' he took a step towards her and she backed into the wall, her hand automatically going for the door handle. 'Don't go.'

It wasn't that she was planning to leave, it was more of she was bracing herself for what was to come when he saw what lay underneath the hood. 'I won't,' she whispered as he stood towering over her petit frame. Sometimes she hated how small and insecure his height made her feel and other times she loved the comfort it provided of being wrapped up in the security of his strong arms.

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Hina had slept for what seemed like an eternity, but as soon as she woke up she demanded to be given directions to the castle. She had to go see whether Aymaran was right and her Princess was safe and sound away from the horrifying grasp Levi provided. However, try as she might to make her trip faster Nula slowed her down. The Priestess had decided that she needed to watch over Hina and make certain that she didn't use any more of her magic, which prevented her from getting to the castle in mere seconds. 'Lady Nula if we teleport to the castle we will get there faster,' she complained.

'True, but you could faint again and deplete all your energy source,' she reminded her.

'It's not like traveling in-between worlds or to the past,' she pointed out.

'I will not let you collapse before your Princess and don't think I don't know that your necklace is a double edged sword.'

'Who told you?'

'Aymaran, she may seem uncaring and full of herself as well as antagonizing,' Nula sighed at her little friend's faults, 'but she still cares for you all.'

'So that's why you are following me?'

'No, I also wanted to go and pay my respects to the King and The Great One at the shrine,' she smiled brightly.

'What if I fly us to the castle, I'll use less magic and you can pay your respects faster.'

'You're still using magic,' she shook her head and just as she was about to lift it to scold her a bright orb shot towards them. 'Hina!'

Before either female could react it hit Nula, 'Nula!'

The magic orb bursted inside her and she felt immense power building up about to consume her being when it stopped and warmth radiated through. 'Nula, Priestess of the East, you've been chosen as the new High Priestess of Shinou Shrine.'

Nula's body had been lifted and wrapped in a golden glow, which soon dispersed and she began to gently float down. 'Nula,' Hina reached out to grab her, 'what happened? Are you all right? Do I need to go and get help?'

'No,' she saw the bewildered look of concern. 'It was Shinou, he came to tell me that I was the chosen one.'

'Chosen one,' Hina was confused.

'We have to get to the castle, something is wrong with the Shrine High Priestess,' she pulled away and began to head in the direction of the castle with great haste.

'How about we do this my way,' Hina slipped her arms around her and lifted her. 'I would suggest that you don't move and enjoy the ride.'

'Hina,' they began to lift off the ground.

'Don't struggle so much,' Hina tried to stop her from kicking and panicking, 'I promise not to drop you.'

'Hina,' she cried as they picked up speed.

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Rikhard glanced over at Anissina, who was working hard at discovering a way to reverse his spell. 'I feel that the best way to return her magic is to capture your brother and have the spell preformed on him.'

'Levi would never allow us to get near him,' Rikhard told her.

'Well, the other way would be using Amaranth,' she suddenly revealed.

'What are you talking about?'

'The markings for your spell, they are the someones that mar her body. They only thing that is missing is the circles for the alchemist, receiver and sacrifice.'

'You want to use her as a channel?'

'Yes, you say that Levi is obsessed with Amaranth so he will allow her to get near him and you being his brother can preform the spell once again.'

'He won't forgive me for what I've done.'

'Right, but we can use Amaranth to our advantage and have her drug him like he did her to prevent him for using magic and binding him.'

'This is,' he feared that the plan was too risky, 'but the eclipse.'

'Right,' she sat back on her chair, 'that I am going to have to work on.'

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'What's wrong,' Sora stopped the little girl, Ulrike. 'Why are you crying?'

'Because my older…sister won't listen to me,' she cried. 'She doesn't want us to be happy.'

'I don't understand, aren't you happy at the shrine with your big sister and friends?'

She shook her head, 'We've been here for so long, I just finally want to be free to live a normal life.'

'Have you tried talking to your Mother for Father, maybe they can help persuade your sister to let you go?'

'No,' she cried harder, 'I'll never get to have the parents that I want.'

Sora had never been more confused, but just as he was about to ask another question he saw a shadow over him and heard shouting. 'Hide behind me, I think we are under attack.'

'Sora,' he heard the familiar voice call out to him. 'Tell them not to attack.'

'Hina,' Sora smiled at his friend's grand entrance to the castle. 'I'll go get Yuuri. Come on, Ulrike we have to go and find your King, before his men hurt my friends.'

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'I told you that we should have walked up the remaining stairs and talked to the guards,' Nula cried as an arrow shot towards them.

'I didn't think they'd be on high alert, plus you wanted to get to the shrine as soon as possible,' the arrow bounced off her protection spell.

'But what are the King and High Priestess going to think?'

'That we like to make an entrance, but you shouldn't worry Sora will sort this out,' Hina offered to console her. 'Now where is my Princess?'

'This isn't the time,' another arrow came towards them.

'But I need to make sure that she's alright?'

'I am sure she okay, but Hina,' they were getting a catapult ready, 'I don't think that we are!'

'Oh, dear, time to land.'

'If we land on the ground they'll kill us before they ask questions.'

'Should I fight back?'

'Hina!'

'Right, bad idea,' she scanned for a safe place to land and saw an open window. 'Hold on.'

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'There is a lot of commotion going on out there,' Amaranth tried to find a reason to runaway.

'If it were something important, they would have come to warn us,' Riku could sense her fear.

'Even so…'

'Do you hate me that much that you need to make excuses to leave?' He cut her off and placed his hand firmly on the door so that it would remain shut.

'No,' she whispered, 'it's just that I am afraid that once you see what's beneath the hood you might not feel the same.'

'You have nothing to be afraid of,' he reached out with his free hand to remove her hood.

She couldn't look up at him, she didn't want to see the look of disappointment or disgust. Even she couldn't stand to look her reflection in the mirror for she knew the look of fear and repulsion that most viewed her with. If Riku saw her the same way, her world would crumble and she would have nothing left to fight for other then not to fall into Levi's grasp. 'Amaranth,' he lightly lifted her chin up so that she would look at him. 'I love you.'

She saw a warm smile and soft aquamarine hues look at her with love and not fear as they closed in. Closing her eyes she allowed him to kiss her, it was a soft fleeting kiss at first that made her unsure if what he said was true until it became deeper. 'Riku,' she whispered his name as he broke the kiss and looked down at his blushing maiden.

'I want to see more.'

'Hmm,' she was confused until she felt his hand trace the marks from her neck down to where they stopped.

'I want to see what Levi did to you so that I can pay him back in full next time I see him,' Riku undid the buttons that held her hood together.

Amaranth could feel her face burning, 'I can't.'

'Please,' he kissed her again, 'I want to prove to you that no matter what I love you.'

'But,' he lifted her up in his arms.

'I want you to know how much I care,' he locked the door before heading towards the bed.

She wanted to protest, but at the same time she wanted to be with him. She always wanted to be with him and only him, so as he placed her on the bed and towered over her small frame she nodded. 'I love you.'

Riku kissed her again, 'I promise to always love you, Princess.'

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'Get your hands off me,' Hina cried as her capture held her down.

'Hina,' Nula cried with worry as the huge man with long dark gray hair and cold icy blue eyes held her down.

'Priestess, you shouldn't be worried about this vagabond that tired to kidnap you.'

'Look, Old Man, I didn't kidnap her. I am not a vagabond and I am sorry that I interrupted your knitting session, but I am here to find my Princess and friends,' Hina struggled.

'Why, did you break into my office?'

'Because the soldiers were attacking us,' she felt his grip loosen a bit.

'How do I know that you're not lying?'

Before she could answer the door to the office opened and in filed three teenagers, two little girls and Sora. 'Gwendal, let her go. She is a friend,' the younger boy with dark hair and eyes ordered.

'King Yuuri,' Gwendal looked down at Hina and then the Priestess, whom was relieved at the sudden intervention.

'You should listen to the kid, Old Man,' Hina cried out as his grip tightened.

'He is our King and you should show respect,' Gwendal ordered her, but just as he was about to release her she vanished and appeared along side Sora and the girls.

'I did, I showed you no harm and let you abuse me,' Hina shot at him.

'Hina,' Sora gasped as he looked at his fiery friend.

'What, he's just sore because we caught him knitting,' she pouted.

'Still,' he wanted to say more, but this was Hina they were talking about. 'You should at least apologize for causing such a commotion and calling him and the King names.'

'So the kid really is the King,' she looked over at Yuuri, who was helping Gwendal up.

'Yes, he is also the one that saved and offer the Princess his protection,' Sora pointed out.

'Really, then he deserves my thanks,' she vanished and reappeared before him. 'King Yuuri, I think your name was, I am but a humble servant to my Princess and I offer you my apologize and gratitude.'

'You…' the tall red haired woman didn't let him finish before she landed a kiss on his lips.

'Yuuri,' Wolfram couldn't believe what just happened. 'You wench, how dare you kiss my man. I shall have you hung for such an audacious act.'

Yuuri was dazed, it was the first time a beautiful woman kissed him with such passion that he fainted from shock. 'Your Highness,' Gwendal caught him before he hit the floor.

'I am going to…' Wolfram was ready to attack but she vanished and reappeared behind Sora.

'You know, I didn't think that he had that kind of relationship,' Hina whispered.

'Hina,' Sora groaned as he watched the commotion unfold.

Ulrike looked up at the red haired female and smiled, Amaranth's best friend was someone worth admiring. 'Hey, Shorty,' Hina noticed the set of purple hues watching her.

'I am,' she wanted to protest, but it was true she was short, 'my name is Ulrike not Shorty. Are you here for the Princess?'

'Yes,' Hina remembered, 'can you take me too her?'

'You'll have to wait until tomorrow,' Sora stopped her from taking Ulrike and running amuck around the castle.

'But I came so far,' she protested.

'Yeah, but I don't think that right now would be such a good time to go and find her, try tomorrow morning,' Sora whispered.

'Why, is something wrong? Is that not why she's here?'

'Nothings wrong, its just that she's with Riku and they are talking.'

'Oh,' Hina nodded knowing that it was best to leave them alone.

'Yuuri, we should hold that woman for contempt and put her in the dungeon,' Wolfram ordered.

'Please, don't,' Nula finally spoke up. 'She didn't mean any harm.'

'She kissed my Fiancé and Royal Highness without regard.'

'It was a harmless gesture,' Hina told him, 'plus we should put this incident behind us and be friends.'

Wolfram couldn't believe the woman and Yuuri, 'We should set up a room for her and the Priestess, tomorrow once we've all settled down we can talk.'

'But….'

'I like your style King Yuuri,' Hina gave him the thumbs up.

'I need to go to the Shrine and see Lady Ulrike,' Nula told them as she watched the little girl with the purple hues.

'I can take you,' she beamed up at her. 'My older sister will be happy to meet you.'

'Thank you,' she beamed softly, wondering why she hid her true identity from them. 'You're….'

Ulrike smiled and shook her head, she didn't want Amaranth knowing her true identity. If she did she wouldn't treat her the same as she did Greta and all the other children. 'We should excuse ourselves and go to the shrine.'

'Okay,' she turned to the King and his friends. 'I am sorry that Hina and I made such a memorable appearance before you, My King. If you would excuse me, I would like to go with the Little One to see her sister.'

'You are excused and you can just call me Yuuri, umm…'

'Nula, the Priestess of the Eastern shrine,' she bowed before him. 'It is an honor to meet you.'

'If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you,' Ken finally spoke up after just seating back and watching the show. Nula intrigued him, not just because she was beautiful but something about her felt different from the other priestesses.

They nodded and without a further word began to leave, Hina yawned, 'Your Highness, it has been a long day filled with commotion would it be alright if we all retired for the night and regrouped tomorrow.'

'How dare you speak directly to Yuuri,' Wolfram didn't like the woman at all.

'Wolfram, she is a friend of Amaranth we should treat her with the same kindness,' Yuuri told him. 'I can have someone get a room ready for you.'

'No, thanks,' she shook her head, 'I think if you show me to my Princess's room I can rest there.'

'But…'

'I want to be close to her, in a way, and I am also sure that I will not be a bother to her tonight,' if her Princess was with Riku only one thing could happen and as against it as she was she was also certain that they both needed this moment. 'Sora lead the way.'

'We should say good-night and apologize,' Sora told her.

'Right, Yuuri.'

'Your Highness,' Wolfram corrected her.

'Your Highness, I am sorry for all the commotion that I have caused you and your men. I am also sorry for the kiss that you suffered from my indiscretion, if I had known of your relationship and preference I would have never done such a thing. Old Man, I hope that there is no harm in our first encounter and that we can be friends.'

'Hina,' Sora noticed that she was off her usually self.

'Yes,' she tried flaming hues towards him and saw a flicker of mischievous in them. Something was wrong, this was and wasn't the woman he knew, she had a bit of Aymaran added to her.

'Nothing,' he shook his head and turned to the King, 'if you'll excuse us.'

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Levi was getting tired, he had gone through all his brother's books looking for his shadow maiden spell and it seemed to be in vain. Every time he thought he came close to finding it or a fragment, it was a false alarm. On the verge of giving up and starting again tomorrow he noticed the small leather bound journal. It was always in his brother's possession when he was reading or studying, he grabbed it and opened the crisp new pages to find his brother small clean handwriting. Inside he found spells that his brother was working on and successful spells written with thorough directions. 'Finally,' he found the spell that he was looking for. 'Soon the Brats will pay for their transgression and the Princess will be mine. Of course we can't forget about my lovely sister and her kingdom, but first things first.'