Prologue, Part One Summary: God creates Bertha: a newborn spirit who must choose which path she is destined to follow.

Prologue, Part One Inspired By: "Kingdom Hearts" Stained-Glass Window Stations, as well as its score, "Dive to the Heart."

Warning! This chapter is rated M for nudity.

Prologue, Part One:

Bertha

The LORD stood watch over the heavens. This was His territory after all. He would have chosen it, not to see it fall to ruin. Hmm… no. Something wasn't right. He had everyone under control. Free will was everywhere.

But it wasn't enough for Him.

No. The LORD wasn't happy. He needed someone to observe everything that was going on around him. Someone whose heart remained innocent, even if she was a little rough. And if she wasn't rough, well, that didn't mean the LORD wouldn't throw obstacles at her, trying to keep her in line.

That's when the thought dawned on Him. The LORD smirked, cunning in his eyes. He knew exactly who he should create. Someone who might be everything he had in mind.

The LORD smiled, watching the Spirit World in interest. There was one spirit who hadn't been born yet. The LORD decided to call upon her for meeting the needs he so desired.

And so, the LORD stretched out his hand, propelling a mass of white light into space. The heavens collided with space, stretching out again to form a newborn spirit.

Her name: Bertha.

~o~

"All life begins in darkness."

It was Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, speaking to her. The newborn spirit knew her name from the darkness: Bertha. Bertha was the name she was given not too long ago. She knew it! She kept the name close to her heart.

The darkness consumed her, surrounded her, welcomed her.

Bertha looked around her at the shimmering darkness.

It was beautiful. It was timeless. Endlessness filled her being.

Bertha knew how blissful and at peace space was. And she would keep it with her. Always.

But there was something else at work here. As she descended, her spirit's feet landed on a stained-glass window, showing a princess wearing a blue bodice and a yellow gown. Her hair was dark as ebony, her skin was white as snow, and her lips as red as the rose, Bertha knew something felt off.

Bertha's facial features were smooth and rough. Her facial features reminded her of a cross between a dwarf and a hobbit. Although she didn't mind, just being a cross between anything made her feel exotic. Her skin was fair and her face was fair. Her skin was pale and her complexion was simple. Rosy cheeks, blue and pink makeup over her eyelids and below her dark brown eyebrows. Her dark brown hair flowing down her shoulders, in curls and in waves. Her irises were blue-green, her ears were short tipped, and her lips were covered in rosy red lipstick. It was something to be admired, even if she didn't feel admired.

Her body was hourglass shaped, average weight, too. And she was naked from head to toe, something she didn't realize until now. Bertha looked at the stained-glass window, massive though it was.

She looked up in turn.

Three square wooden crates were left open for her to reach in and grab anything she wanted. She approached the crates now, looking inside the first crate to discover undergarments, suited just for her.

They all fit her, too. The underwear she chose was white, her socks blazoned with white decked out in a splash of tie-dye colors. The bra she wore was also white and fit snug over her breasts.

She moved onto the next crate, where she found a pair of blue jeans and a brown leather belt. She fitted into those as well, allowing her to move onto the third crate. Inside the third crate was a selection of shirts for her to try on.

She picked a long-sleeved brown shirt with plain dark brown sleeves, a plain dark brown shirt back, and on the front of the shirt were images of red roses with green stems, nestled over a floral design of black roses, stenciled on the front of the fabric. The words, Live, Laugh, and Love!, resided on the front of the shirt, next to the large red roses.

Bertha sighed; glad her clothing choices were made. Now, she felt less exposed. She was ready to take on the world. However, one more long crate remained, standing a ways away from the three square crates. Bertha sighed a second time, finding her way over to the larger crate, where a selection of shoes and boots resided inside the crate. Here, she grabbed some black boots with low heels on the bottoms of the boots. She fitted into the boots, finding these boots fit her, too. They were made for traveling cross-country and hiking, too.

She sighed, glad for how soft and cozy these boots made her feel. "Okay. Now, I'm ready to go."

"Go…" the LORD's voice rang out.

Bertha looked around, confused. "What was that?"

"You still need to choose your weapon," the LORD said, presenting Himself to her. He appeared to her as a man in white robes. He reached out to her, extending his arms to her, in hopes that she would embrace him. He smiled, the moment she did.

They stayed that way for a time. The LORD smiled, glad to see her. "It's good to see you. I hope your birth went well."

Bertha moved back. She nodded. "It is. Now, what weapons do I have?"

The LORD laughed. "Well, now you see…" he waved his hand around the stained-glass window. All at once, the four crates vanished. What appeared now were three square pedestals, each representing a form of weaponry that would ward off evil spirits and creatures.

Bertha looked at the three pedestals in interest. Surely, one of them must be right.

The LORD clasped his hands, telling her, "Now, which do you like? The sword, the shield, or the staff? The staff grants you magic, the shield protects you, and the sword makes you defeat your enemies. Choose." He vanished, leaving Bertha alone.

"I'm alone?" Bertha asked.

The LORD's voice propelled its way to her, "You are never alone. Choose now." His voice faded, leaving Bertha alone at last.