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

Chapter Eleven

Fight and Flight

Amaranth slowly opened her eyes to the sunlight peeking through the thin light curtains. Last night had been something unexpected, she had gone there to talk to Riku but ended up not having to say anything. She just let him do as he pleased and even if she had first been scared of the pain and possible rejection. However, now as she lay in bed recollecting all the events she realizing that his warm and sculpted body was still beside her she felt a bit shy. Just as she was about to sneak away, his arms tightened around her and pulled her close. 'Don't leave me.'

Her heart skipped a beat as his breath caressed her ear and cheek, 'I don't think that it would be wise for us to stay here all day.'

'I think it would,' he nudged her to turn around and face him, but noticed her hesitation and how red her face was.

'You're so innocent and beautiful,' he kissed her bare shoulder and slowly worked his way up her neck.

'Riku,' she finally gave in and turned around to face him, but that made her more aware of their current situation.

'I love it when you say my name,' he leaned in and was about to kiss her when there was pounding at the door that startled her and she pulled away from his kiss.

'Princess, it's me, Hina.'

'Hina, you shouldn't interrupt them,' Sora could be heard trying to shoo her away.

'I've given them enough time together, now I have to see if the Princess is okay and unhurt.'

'I am sure she's fine.'

'I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes.'

'She has the worst timing,' Riku looked down at his doe eyed Princess, whom was shocked for words.

'Riku, I am giving you five minutes to release the Princess,' Hina threatened. 'If not I am going to have to barge in and rescue her myself.'

'That doesn't make any sense.'

'Humph, until the day they marry I am responsible for the Princess's well being.'

'You are a horrible person.'

'Look, I know that Riku is your BFF but I have to protect the Princess from any possible threats.'

'I am not even going to ask,' Sora couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'Hina stop,' the door opened and scarlet red but dressed stood the Princess before them.

'Princess,' Hina made to hug her but she pulled back and away. 'Princess?'

'Sorry,' she looked up at Riku, who's arms she had fallen into while trying to avoid Hina.

Hina looked between the two of them and blanched, 'If I had known that he was a bigger threat then Levi I would have come here last night.'

'Hina,' her face was even a darker shade of red.

Amaranth went flying out of Riku's hold as Hina pulled her forward, 'We have to go and cleanse you,' Hina told her as they sped walked away.

'For some odd reason I get the feeling that Hina isn't going to leave you two alone for a while,' Sora turned to Riku, whom didn't seemed fazed.

'Hina will have to do what Amaranth wishes,' was all he said before he excused himself to shower and get ready for breakfast.

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'You don't have to go to these extremes,' Amaranth cried as Hina scrubbed and cleansed her.

'Because of me the unthinkable happened,' Hina cried. 'Your parents told me to protect you and I failed.'

'But you don't have to protect me from Riku,' she felt Hina's hands tensed as she shampooed her hair.

'You don't understand men,' she continued to lather her hair.

'But I love him and I don't regret what happened,' she honestly stated.

'Princess,' Hina couldn't believe her ears. 'I am going to kill him when I see him.'

'You will do no such thing. He is my future husband and if things would have gone as planned he and I would have been married by now.'

'But….'

Amaranth turned to face her best friend and guardian, 'Hina, I want all this to be over. I want my powers back, I want to go home, marry the man of my dreams and start a family.'

Hina nodded, 'I'll help you in anyway I can, but I still think he took advantage of you vulnerability.'

'He didn't,' she confessed, 'and we should probably stop talking about what happened.'

'You don't trust me?'

'No,' she shook her head, 'it's just that I am still to shy to process everything and you bringing it up makes me a little uncomfortable.'

'I am sorry.'

'You have nothing to be sorry about, but I haven't told you how glad I am to see you,' she beamed happily.

'Princess,' Hina lunged for a hug but ended up falling into the bath with Amaranth, who couldn't stop laughing at Hina's clumsiness. Which was strange considering Hina was usually more stern and reserved, only showing emotion when necessary or around Head Knight Ryan.

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Levi looked down at the grand castle below and smiled at the pleasure he would take when the lowlife residents screamed for mercy at his new army. He would capture his Princess and whisk her away from all the fools that wished to make her theirs. He used his new found magic and called forth his army, black shadows of ruthless warriors ready to attack and kill all those that stood in there way. Unlike his brother's puppet these were mindless tools that just followed instructions and didn't question. 'Go,' he ordered as they finished manifesting from the ground below. 'Capture the Princess and kill all those who oppose.'

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Riku stared daggers into Rikhard as he began to finish explaining what the plan was to reinstate Amaranth's powers. 'So you want her to walk into her brother's welcoming arms?'

'Yes, no, we need her to get close to him so that she can bind him,' he answered. 'She will be the conduct between him and I as I preform the spell once more.'

'Last time you preformed the spell you sacrificed her, why should we trust you. What if you suddenly decide to kill her and take the powers for yourself?'

'I wouldn't harm her,' Rikhard tried to explain and looked over at Amaranth for support.

'Riku,' she placed her hand on his trying to calm his temper. 'I trust Rikhard, I know that while in his control no harm will come to me.'

'What if Levi see through this charade and tries to attack you?'

'He won't,' both Amaranth and Rikhard answered.

'Explain,' he had a feeling that he was about to hear something that would be most unpleasant.

'Levi won't harm me, he'll just hold me prisoner,' she avoid telling him the unhealthy obsession he held for her.

'Levi would just force her to be by his side,' Rikhard added, 'which would allow for us to set him up.'

Riku's twitch was acting up again, 'What about you, your bother won't trust you after what you did?'

'He will if I offer to help him.'

'Rikhard has a point, but isn't his plan flawed,' Sora finally spoke. 'Isn't there an eclipse that needs to happen for the spell to work?'

'Yes, that's one of the problems that Anissina and I have yet to solve.'

'I can help with that,' Hina stated as she looked down at her hands. 'I can create an artificial moon that will eclipse the sun for a short amount of time.'

'Hina,' Amaranth worried that such magic would be too much for her.

'Don't worry, Princess, I'll have everything under control and no harm will come to me,' she beamed brightly.

'Well, that solves one problem but what about the next how to get to Levi,' Sora still hadn't put all the pieces together.

'We have a feeling that he will soon present himself,' Conrad looked over at the Princess. 'He seems to have a strong interest in Amaranth.'

All eyes turned to look at Riku, whom had stiffened at the news and looked down at Amaranth with protective and possessive hues. 'Then we shouldn't go through with the plan.'

'You shouldn't let your feelings get in the way of stopping a monster,' Wolfram promptly told him.

'Well, what if this was Yuuri we were talking about, wouldn't you then be reacting the same,' Ken logically explained.

Wolfram glared at him, but admitted defeat because he would try to protect Yuuri from any threat. 'I get it, but if there is a way to stop the threat without it bring harm to Amaranth it should be considered.'

'Levi won't harm her and I will be there to protect her,' Rikhard promised.

Riku wanted to refuse, but just as he was about to open his mouth they heard screams and the heavy running of foot steps. Crashing through the cabinet doors was a disheveled solider, 'Your Highness the castle is under attack by monsters!'

'Monsters,' Greta ran to Yuuri in fright.

'We won't let them hurt you,' all the men and Hina announced as they got ready for battle. Conrad, Gwendal and Wolfram took off to see if they could fight off the attackers.

'Amaranth,' Rikhard was by her side, 'I think that this is my brother, we don't have much time before he comes.'

Riku watched as he took one of her hands and a small glow emulated from his. 'When the time is right, you'll give me this hand,' he removed his hand and she saw to small circles imprinted on to her right palm. 'This one you will make sure to give to my brother,' he took her left hand and imprinted her other palm.

'I still haven't agreed to this,' Riku told her.

'We have no choice,' Amaranth looked up him and then at the panicked guard. 'If we don't do this other people will get hurt.'

Anissina drew closer to the Princess, 'This is the binding liquid, when you have a chance to give it to him it will render all his magic useless.'

'How will we know when to attack?'

'Aymaran, she is bound to me and if we are in the same place and time we can communicate.' She called forth the Soul Blade and instead of manifesting into a Key Blade Aymaran's small form appeared.

'I was enjoying my pleasant stay,' she complained in annoyance.

'Aymaran you know what you need to do,' Amaranth saw her being to levitate before nodding and flying to Hina.

'Yeah, but are you sure you what to do this,' Aymaran had sensed the fear and hesitation in her counterpart and she couldn't blame her. Levi had made her powerless as well as tortured her with his annoying touch.

'I'll be fine,' she answered without hesitation. 'King Yuuri and friends, I am sorry that I will have to depart like this but I promise that I will be back when all of this is over to visit and give you a proper thank you for all you've done for us.'

Yuuri watched her bow to him and for some odd reason felt as if it would be the last good-bye. 'We will wish you a safe return.'

'Thank you.'

'We'll have to convince him that he won so that he won't suspect a thing,' Rikhard told them. 'I know where he will take you and when the time is right I will be by your side.'

'Then we should get going,' Amaranth suggested as she got up ready to fight and submit to him when he arrived before her. 'Sora please help Gunter protect the King.'

The rest of the party left with only the King, his guards and those not trained in combat or young remained. As Hina headed off in front of them, Riku held Amaranth back, 'You don't have to do this.'

'I know, but I can't runaway knowing that all those around me will be hurt because I am too afraid to fight,' she stated as she stared up into his worried aquamarine hues.

'What about me,' he pulled her into and embrace. 'What about what I want?'

'Riku,' she lifted one of her hands to gently caress his cheek, yet she didn't know what to say. She knew what he wanted and she wanted the same thing, but the need to do the greater good stopped her from caving into her desire. 'I promise that I will be back. That no matter what happens we will be together.'

'What if…' he never finished because her soft lips brushed his in a gentle kiss.

'Trust me,' she pulled away from him and lifted her hood up.

'Trust me' her word repeated in his head as they went out to fight the army of shadow figures. 'Heartless?'

'No,' Amaranth called her staff, 'these are similar to the shadow maid at the Opal Castle. Levi must have used Rikhard's alchemy.'

The first Shadow Puppet attacked and Riku blocked the blow, 'Amaranth.'

She blocked the other puppet and their fight began, but it seemed that it was all in vein no matter how hard they tried to defeat them with their weapons it was useless. 'Riku, your fire magic.'

He nodded and after stunning the puppet before him blasted him with a Fira attack. 'If we weaken them my magic will work.'

'Good,' they arrived at the courtyard and noticed everyone fighting. 'Conrad,' she noticed that he was struggling against to of the puppets, 'we have to help him.'

Riku nodded and helped aid him, 'You all right?'

Conrad turned to Riku, who had ended his battle with two fire attacks, 'Yes, thank you.'

Hina was having fun scorching the Shadow Puppets, but realized that something was wrong. She shouldn't be enjoying the battle, she shouldn't be enjoying the ability to crush her opponents with the bare wave of her hand. 'Hina,' she heard Aymaran's voice, 'don't let the power consume you. You have to protect us.'

'I am doing this for you,' she noticed Levi surveying the grounds below, his eyes following the white hooded figure. 'Levi,' she had the urge to defeat him then and there.

He tore his gaze away from his target, 'Hina,' he remembered the red maiden who betrayed him.

She felt disgust run through her body, 'Call off your army before I kill you.'

'Kill me,' he lifted his hand and her body froze, 'you can't kill me, but I can kill you.'

She tried to break free, but to no avail, 'What have you done.'

'You Princess's magic is something special isn't it,' he pulled her forward inches away from him. 'But mine is just as impressive, remember?'

Hina screamed as his touch electrified her and filled her with withering pain. 'Yes, you remember,' he smiled at her panting body, 'but I see you have become stronger should we see how long you will last?'

'Hina,' Amaranth had turned to the blood curdling scream. 'Levi don't harm her!'

He turned his gaze down below, 'Only if you come with me will I stop.'

Riku grabbed her wrist and she turned to look at him, worried that he would try to stop her again but when she felt the slight squeeze she knew it was just pure instinct to protect. 'Stop, I will come with you.'

Levi didn't like the gaze that they shared, on top of that the idiot looked just like his brother. 'Let her go,' Levi ordered and with a wave of his hand pulled Amaranth up in the air.

'Amaranth,' he had seen the sudden surprise on her face.

'Don't look at him,' Levi ordered and forced her to look at him. 'I should just kill him like the vermin that he is.'

'Don't, you have me. You shouldn't hurt anymore people,' she pleaded.

'As long as he's alive you'll never be truly mine,' Levi made a gesture about to strike Riku, but she stopped him.

'Please, stop this,' she begged, 'release Hina and call your Shadow Puppets off.'

'Compassion is a sign of weakness that can end up hurting you in the end,' his black orbs studied her.

'It can also be a sign of greatness and a favor worth returning should you ever be placed in the same situation,' she countered.

'Humph,' his face contorted with that of disgust, but relented and lowered Hina into Riku's arms. 'You make a valid point, but next time they decide to come in-between us I will defiantly not stop from destroying them.'

Amaranth nodded and cringed when Levi pulled her into his arms and made a show for Riku. 'You should be grateful that the Princess has decided to speak on your behalf, for now I shall leave you with your lives intact but next time don't count yourselves so fortunate,' with that said he called off his puppets and spirited her away.