Hey, everyone. I'm here early. ^^

Well, to answer previous question AKW is short for after keyblade war. More details will be given later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Kingdom Hearts characters nor Disney and Final Fantasy.

And happy Kingdom Hearts 15th birthday everyone. :)

The door to Beginning

Chapter 13: The girl with hidden face

Stood on top the hotel roof, the mysterious woman with her white sheep watched Sora's movement carefully as he made his way through the Second District. The white sheep shook it fur wildly. A dim light shone from her as she turned into a young girl with pink hair.

"You know you shouldn't be pushing your limit." The woman said in all of the sudden, causing the girl to look over her. "Trying too hard and your form won't be yours anymore."

"What about you? You abandon your own humanity just to be like this…" The girl, Rika said as she stared at C. The older woman seemed to be somewhat fading, even if her face was carefully hidden under that blue hood, her hands could still easily be seen by everyone. Rika lowered her eyes to the hands. Both of the hands, they were glowing dimly under those white gloves. It was really hard to notice but when you spend your time watching her movements, you could notice it but only barely. "What form do you really have when you end up giving them all away?"

Rika said, turning her eyes away. For some time now, the people in every outside world they had been through only know C through the tittle that they saw her in. 'The Valkyrie Phantom', the young woman who hided herself under one thin layer of cloth, keeping her identity secret from everyone. She was God's servant, created only to do his divine tasks, no more to it. And the reason why they called her a phantom because she appeared before them out of nowhere and then vanish to unknown where without a single trait got left behind.

'And that aren't the only reasons. I still remember, how cold her hands were when I tried to grab it. Back then, I couldn't, I just went through it. As how she is right now, C can hold and touch anything object she wants without worrying that she would go right through them. It is only possible when she wants to go through. But to other people, they just go through her as if she is there to begin with. I thought it was a horrible experience, being walked through, being treated as none existed. It's terrible. I mean who would want to be like that. Yet, to her, it isn't like that. She wills herself into being a phantom like that. She isn't dead, but I can't say she is alive anymore. In the last 10 years, everything had changed. It makes me wonder, in all those long years, are you still the same person that I once remember? You and everyone I know …? Probably not…'

Rika frowned.

'You remember, don't you C? You once told me … You once told me that as time passes by, people are bounded to change. Unchanging, now that is unnatural. I didn't want to believe your words at first. To think that you will turn into someone different than the person you are now. It's ridiculous. How can we be someone else other than ourselves? But then, the truth hit me harder than a rock. Not only the world you and I once lived in had changed but the people inside it as well. You keep on denying it but I can see it as clear as day. You had changed as well. But sadly … not for the greater. That is what you have trying to deny through all those years. You keep saying that there is something need to be done. You just have to. You try to make it sounds like you don't have a choice. In reality, you do. I start to think that you've never seen the world that way before. The way that hope still exists, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You keep looking at everything with the very same eyes that saw disasters ten years ago. And with those eyes, you can never see the future. If you can't let go of the past, there is just no tomorrow.'

"You're daydreaming again." C's cold tone pulled her back from her thought. Rika stared at her blue hood for a short while. Her coldness, distance that she kept herself away from everyone, the young girl had learned to live with them for quite a long time now. Yet, it still bothered her to no end.

"What are you going to do?" Rika finally asked when she noticed that C's had taken her eyes away from the cold stone ground of the second district. A sickening feeling started to rise up in the girl's stomach. She was going to do something crazy, from that intense glance she had, it was definitely.

"There is no possibility that he is Sora…" C spoke up after a long moment of silence. Her words caused Rika to cock her head over one side, her big cyan eyes stared childishly at her before following her glance down. From above at where she was, the view that was given was clear. Rika could easily saw everything thoroughly. As she watched her surrounding, her eyes were caught at the fighting scene. There, right below them, next to the flight of stairs, Sora, fighting desperately for his life again the Heartless. With each strike he delivered, making the Heartless reared away, more of them showed up and continued to outnumber him.

"We have got to help him."

"I see your soft spot you have for strangers hasn't lessen." C let out a breathy laugh. "Yet, you even let them trick you. There is no way that could be Sora. Don't waste my time on meaningless things."

"What?! But that really is Sora!"

"You want me to believe that … that weakling over there is actually him?! Don't waste my time on meaningless game!"

"What makes you think that it isn't him? For all those years, you desperately try to find him. And now you actually do, you refuse to acknowledge his entire existence?! What is wrong with you?! Is that how you treat …" Before she could even finish voicing her thought, a gloved hand grabbed her throat and lifted her up the ground.

"You dare to question my decision?!" C asked cold, her voice sent chill down Rika's spines. The young girl tried to struggle out of the hard grip but her effort had gone in vain. The hold that C's hand had on her was way too strong.

"It's you who need to consider! … You don't believe in anything … you don't even trust in anyone. And guess what? … That include Sora as well. I thought you told me that you trust him. That he is the last hope … But look at you now … Does past promise mean nothing to you?!"

At that point, the woman let go of her throat, letting Rika drop down the bricked roof with a silent crash. The girl rubbed her throat painfully as she tried to fill her lung with air. Her eyes refused to move elsewhere but intensely on C. She knew that C wouldn't want to listen to reason that easily. Surely her words must have some affect.

'Yet, she is unpredictable, unreadable and especially almost unreasonable. Sometimes I got lucky, sometimes I don't. And what make it worse, she doesn't react emotionally to be call as moody.'

"Say what you need to ease your anger." The woman said emotionlessly, her eyes were still away from Rika. "Yet nothing will change what my eyes have told me."

"…" Rika remained quiet.

"Judgement favors none."

"So just because he is weak. You're abandoning him for the fate of the worst, is it?" Rika stated angrily as she tried to get to her feet. "Then answer me this, was everything you have done in the last ten years, were all a lie?!"

"What differences would it make?" C spoke up coldly.

"That does it!" It was her last straw. "If you don't then I will."

She then raised her right hand up the sky, mumbling some words to herself.

"Chaos of the unseen, keeper of lost souls who die

Under my command, I ask you to rise…"

Rika's right hand glowed in a bright red- pink light. In that same moment, the ground below started to ripple. It grew thicker until the whole ripples reached the ground where Sora stood. As soon as it got there, it made all the Heartless to dissolve into smoke and vanished.

"Just give him a chance … You can't just a book just by its beginning." Once she was sure there was no more Heartless around, Rika finally turned to C. A determine look came across her young features.

When C didn't respond for a long moment of silence, Rika feared the worst.

"There are just two things wrong with that." She paused for a moment. "First of all, he is not a book so his process can only be like a chard. Secondly, I don't have time for this."

"See even you can admit that he can be lot stronger than this. Trust me C, if you don't take this chance now and react recklessly then you'll regret your decision forever." Rika looked at her with pleading eyes. The action caused C to lower her hood. The woman didn't say anything at first which Rika took it that she was actually considering about her words. It had been like forever long since she actually do something like that. Her heart skipped a beat. Rika held her breath, silently praying that C would actually listen to her.

'It has been too long, there is so much doubt in her heart. I don't know whether she believes anyone other than herself anymore.'

"Fine, accepted. I'll put him on trial as how I deem fit. His fate shall be decided after that. But let just say this trial will be the only one." She finally said. A smile appeared on Rika's face quickly after as she let out a breath that she didn't believe she had been holding in for that long.

"Thank you. You won't regret this. I sure …" But, like before, she was cut off again when she saw C raised both of her hands up upon the midair.

"Darkness grace over twilight rain

Banisher of light I summon thee…

Rise from your slumber and deliver your promise of pain…"

The moment when she said it out loud, herself gave off a horrible sense of dark aura that Rika had to use her hand to shield herself. When the darkness started to clear out, Rika dared to open her eyes slowly. The young girl gasped in shock when she saw a large dark hole appeared right in the middle of thin air. And from there a gigantic Heartless appeared, risen from its darkness. It was divided into several pieces: a body, a head, two arms, and two legs that none of which were directly connected to each other and all of which could act independently of the other. The Armored Torso was vaguely hour glass-shaped, violet with a lilac, diamond pattern around its waist, and had light black additives on it. The Heartless emblem was emblazoned on the center of the armor. Its head was violet, spherical, and sports three silver spikes and a silver faceplate with several holes in it. Both of the hands or in other words, Gauntlets were violet with wide wrists and three lilac, segmented fingers. The Hammerlegs were short, violet, and ends in large, hammer-like, black feet. All of the pieces of the Guard Armor seemed to be hollow.

The Heartless disappeared.

"Now let see how real he is."

"What?! You're crazy."

"Crazy is an effect of madness or insanity. Or it could be intensely enthusiastic which you know can never happen to me." C replied expressionlessly.

Rika placed her hand on her forehead and let out a long sigh.

'This is ridiculous. … Wait is that supposed to be her line ?' Her frown deepened when she saw C disappeared. Sora was going to be a knight fighting in the coliseum now. If he won, he would get his prize, as eternal protector, he wouldn't have to worry about ever being defeated ever again, but if he lost, then he'd end up in the same fate as any fighter in a coliseum, dead.

'This is insane as well!'

Rika turned around, giving Sora one last look.

'Please make it out alive…' She silently prayed.

Sora stretched his tired limbs, dismissing the Keyblade away for the moment, and continued down the walkway. He looked up at the buildings around him. Everything here was new to him. He hadn't seen anything like this before. All the buildings were painted in such dark color and bright yet soft yellow lights shone down the streets whether he went. The place gave him a peaceful sensation. Yet with those strange monsters around. He found it hard just to keep his heartbeat steady. As his eye passed over the word "Inn" above one of the doorways, Sora smiled to himself. He could use a rest. And maybe Riku and Kairi were doing the same! Maybe they were checked into this Inn! Sora pushed open the doors and stepped into the inn's lobby/hallway.

Donald threw open the doors into the district and looked around. Goofy followed Donald into the district. He put one gloved hand to his forehead as he surveyed the area.

"Doesn't look like he's here," Goofy muttered, somewhat disappointed.

Donald folded his arms over his chest and began to tap one webbed foot impatiently on the ground. He glared up at Goofy.

"Keep looking!" he quacked.

Wordlessly, Goofy obeyed his feathered friend and walked further into the district, keeping his eyes peeled. Donald followed soon after. Pluto was no where to be seen.

Amalia: Glad that over.

Rika: No! It's not over! It is far from over! Lia! HOW COULD YOU?!

Amalia: Oh hey Rika. I guess I'm stuck with you and C for today.

C: I wouldn't say stuck... I'll go now if you want ... (Left)

Amalia: Well someone is in a bad mood.

Rika: Well, what do you think?!

Amalia: I'm guessing yes.

Rika: It is yes!

Amalia: Geez, this is the thank i get for working so hard for?

Rika: Um ... well ...

Amalia: Fine, fine just spill the beans, what got you so heat up?

Rika: You know what ...

Amalia: Oh that... Don't worry, he is fine.

Rika: Only for now ...

Amalia: Chillax will you?

Rika: How can i?!

Amalia: Do i need to tell C to freeze you again? ... You know until the showdown is over

Rika: NO!

Amalia: Then i won't! So will you let me go so that i can help Sora out of the mess C got him into?

Rika: Kay!

Amalia: (Sigh) Seriously, did i create another Sora? She is nothing like her brother. Which remind me ... He got a tale to tell as well.

Rika: Um Lia ... are you talking to yourself again?

Amalia: ... Hum ... No ... (Run away)

Rika: I hate it when she does that ...