Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Riku. I merely wrote this story for the amusement of my alter-ego. ;)

Warnings: Blood.

A/N: Well, this is my first attempt at Kingdom Hearts. Please let me know what you think! –Ila

Possessed

– – – – – – – –

Everything we do has a result. But that which is right and prudent does not always lead to good, nor the contrary to what is bad.

—Goethe

Riku ran through dark corridors of the castle, panting with fear, exhaustion, and confusion. "Why? It was mine!" The words, colored with despair and desperation escaped him. How would he ever save Kairi now that the keyblade had refused him?

Sora… The name that had once brought him joy now filled him with loathing. Why was the younger boy so stubborn? Why couldn't Sora understand that hecould not help Kairi? Only Riku could do it – only he had the strength. At least, that's what Maleficent had told him. But…

…what if she was wrong? What if you are chasing false hopes and Sora is right? What if you actually are on the wrong side? What if the darkness will turn on you, consume your heart and soul, turning you into nothing but a mindless monster? What if you are weaker than Sora?

No! He would not accept that. He pushed the doubts away. Somehow, someway, he would succeed and save Kairi. He had to. He would do anything for her, and by the cosmos, he would save her.

But how?

"Know this."

He started from his thoughts at the disembodied voice and stopped, leaning over slightly in an effort to catch his breath. He wasn't really sure who was speaking to him, but he didn't really care. He had seen and heard many strange things while with Maleficent, and this was not the worst. He decided to ignore it, when a clocked figure, glimmering blue, appeared a short distance away.

"The heart that is strong and true shall win the keyblade."

He turned towards it, suddenly and inexplicitly angry, yet too breathless to express it properly. "What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?"

"For that instant, it was."

Riku shook his head wordlessly, despair racking him once more and drowning his anger and denial.

"However," the deep, alluring voice continued, "you can become stronger. You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger."

Riku bowed his head in acceptance, broken, wretched. "What should I do?"

"It's really quite simple." The voice seemed pleased with his response. "Open yourself to the darkness. That is all."

Riku shoved down the part of him which warned him to refuse, back out while he still could. He needed this strength – he could not save Kairi without it. He opened his heart, let down all his defenses, and waited.

"Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself."

A green glow surrounded him as the darkness began to surround him, and then the cloaked figure moved towards him.

"Of course, in opening yourself to the darkness, you also open yourself to me. I apologize for forgetting to tell you that until now." There seemed to be a definite smirk hidden beneath the cowl.

Riku jumped back. "What?!" He attempted to rebuild his defenses, close his heart, but the darkness shoved them aside, invading him. He gasped at its cruel coldness, and the figure chuckled, stepping forward and grasping his arms with invisible, icy fingers. He tried to resist, but the darkness held him, and the cloaked form began to melt, dissolving into…him.

"No!" he cried out, a spasm shaking his frame as the foreign being forcefully and vilely infested him, making its numbing way though him towards his heart and mind. "No! This isn't what I wanted!"

The figure laughed at him mockingly. "Too late, little fool."

The merciless fingers reached his heart, and his body jerked as a flash of agony washed over him with hurricane force, dropping him to his hands and knees as a strangled cry escaped him. The pain wouldn't stop, but increased, swirling around him and within him, radiating from his tormented heart. His arms gave way, and he collapsed to the floor, moaning and gasping for breath.

Stop, stop – please stop…

That laugh shook him once more, this time from within him, grating painfully on his mind. "Begging already are we? I'm only just starting. You are mine. You might as well accept it."

"No…" he groaned.

That did not seem to please the voice. Anguish roared through him as a blazing inferno, and the voice dug its invisible claws deep into his heart. Spasms shook his frame once more, and he shuddered, his aqua eyes wide with agony. He could not help it…

He screamed.

And the blackness came.

o-0-o-0-o

Nothingness…

Falling…

Fading…

Darkness…

He felt nothing, knew nothing, but the continuous throbbing of his heart. He was weightless, drifting in the eternal blackness like a feather in a warm sea breeze. His thoughts danced from his reach, his senses refused to do their tasks. He reached desperately for consciousness, but its entirety evaded him. However, his mind began to return from its meaningless wandering, and as the rest of his body refused to function, he was left with nothing but a confusing jumble of thoughts and emotions.

What happened?

He remembered the cold darkness and voice invading him, and his stomach twisted as the memory of the agony echoed within him. He had been… what? Something had happened, of that he was sure, but he wasn't sure what. If only he could wake up! But something suppressed him, heavy and cold on his chest, a dull pain on his heart.

"Confused, Riku? I suppose you would be… Let me shed some truth on this." That hated voice echoed in his mind, seeming to come from everywhere. It sounded as though it was enjoying this.

His eyes shot open as he was jolted back to consciousness, and he leaped to his feet – only to find he stood in the same weightless blackness that he had felt in his mind. He could see himself, as clearly as though he stood in normal lighting, but there was nothing else. Nothing. Just darkness.

Panic seized him. Where was he? What was happening to him? "What did you do to me?" he cried, his body moving sluggishly as he turned in a full circle, desperate for even the smallest pinprick of light.

The voice laughed, everywhere and nowhere in the blackness. "You are locked within the darkness of your consciousness while I use your body however I desire."

Riku spun around, frantically attempting to locate his tormentor, the voice's words chilling him. "What do you mean, use my body? Who are you?!"

"I am Ansem, the seeker of darkness, and your body is my vessel, willing or not. I suppose some would say I've 'possessed' you."

Riku recoiled, revolted. "What?! Let me go! What do you want with me?!"

"The darkness is stronger within you than anything I have ever seen before. You make an ideal host. You are slightly more unwilling than I hoped, however. But that is of no consequence. Attempt to interfere, and I will break you before tearing out your heart." The voice, Ansem, was no longer amused, his tone dark and threatening.

Riku twisted in another circle, hating how he could not see anyone. "Even if you use my body, Sora will defeat you," he said defiance hiding the fear in his tone.

"Not long ago, you refused to believe he was stronger than you, and you even attempted to kill him. Now you're counting on him, even wanting him, to destroy your body and I?"

Riku froze, the words twisting his heart and a kaleidoscope of emotions crashing down on him. He had been such an idiot, thinking he was strong enough to control the darkness – such a weak minded, arrogant idiot.

He had been such a fool to listen to Maleficent's whispered lies, for he knew they were lies. He had known all along in the depths of his spirit that Sora had still cared for him deeply. He had just not wanted to know the truth; why, he didn't understand himself. How could he ever have imaged Sora had replaced him? The younger boy wore his heart on his sleeve. He could still see Sora's crushed face as his former best friend turned against him, cutting down everything he tried to do with cruel words. It was all so clear now….

Why was he so stupid?! Why did this have to happen to knock sense back into him? Now it was too late. He would probably be killed or trapped in this blackness forever. He would never be able to help Kairi, or…

He dropped to his knees, or the equivalent of such, fighting hopeless tears. How could one kneel in floorless, weightless, nothingness? The thought haunted him – to be trapped here forever, alone, never to see Sora or Kairi again. Never able to humble his stupid pride and tell Sora he was sorry for being such a thick-headed idiot.

He was suddenly aware of another horror of the darkness. Silence. Utter, complete, awful silence, broken only by the sound of his own breath and movement. A single tear escaped his closed eyes despite his efforts and leaving a crystal trail down his pale cheek. This was a nightmare…

No! He would not deceive himself again. This was real, and it was what he deserved – his own private hell where he would pay for his pride, greed, and jealousy. He would pay with the heavy silence and the utter aloneness that already tore his soul and made him want to scream.

"You aren't alone," Ansem mocked him, "you always have me."

Riku covered his ears with his hands. "Shut up."

"Why? You are quite amusing. You know, I am about to kill your rival – or was it friend? – Sora. Though, if he does happen to fight, which isn't likely at this point, I will not have to concern myself about feeling the injuries inflicted on this body." He paused, tauntingly letting his words confuse his victim.

"Why won't you?" Riku returned.

"Because this is your body, you will feel what is inflicted on this form. I will just have to make sure your body isn't irreparably damaged. I would hate to loose such a fine host."

A shudder swept the young frame as the seriousness of the words took hold, yet he made no retort. Kneeling in the cold blackness, he hugged himself tightly, resigned to his fate. "Sora," he whispered softly, "fight him, even if it kills me, fight him."

To his surprise, Ansem did not make any response. But the reason for that became glaringly clear a moment later.

An invisible weapon bit deeply into his side, the velocity of the weapon throwing him off his knees onto his side. With a choked cry of pain, he curled in on himself, agony blazing up from his side. He reached over with a trembling hand and lightly brushed it, pulling away fingers wet with warm blood.

He didn't try to fight, move, or attempt to bind his wound. What was the use? If it really were happening to his body, bandaging the replica on his imprisoned form would accomplish nothing. He simply stared at the dark liquid on his fingers, not even flinching when a drop dripped off and landed on his face, running down his cheek like a ruby tear.

Abruptly, he gasped with anguish as his bloodstained hand was knocked away, landing by his side like a puppet whose strings were cut. He glanced wearily over to see a large line of the scarlet liquid oozing from the broken skin of his forearm. He let his arm lay were it fell, his breath coming in ragged, pain-filled breaths.

Yet, he felt a strange feeling of pride. Sora was winning, beating this demon at his own game. His own life didn't matter – he deserved worse than death for what he had done. Blood pooled beneath him as though on an imaginary floor. He could feel the cooling liquid seeping through his clothes, and small smile appeared on his face. Soon, it would be over.

A deep slice suddenly ripped across his chest, the force of it knocking the breath out of him so he choked on his cry of agony. Burning ripples of pain spread across him, and his eyes began to darken. He could feel the crimson fluid running down his neck, knowing his life was draining with it, but, to his surprise, his fear drained away as well. If this was what it was like to die, then it came as almost a relief.

At least, the pain would end.

"Well, well, aren't you a pretty sight. Sora is stronger than I anticipated, and your body is too young and weak to stand against him."

He barely heard the words echoing about him, and it took a moment for him to process them. "At least… I'll… be free of…you." Each word sent stabs of pain through him. "I told you… Sora… would win."

"So delusional..." Ansem chuckled. "I will not release you that easily."

Riku gasped as an icy chill washed over his frame, seeping into every part of his being. The pain from the wounds vanished suddenly leaving only the incessant aching of his heart. He lifted his arm, staring at the pale brown scar which was all that remained of the deep cut. His side and chest were also healed but for scars – even the bloodstains and tears were gone from his clothing.

Ansem had used a cure. The belated thought struck him, and he felt a rapid flurry of confused emotions. Did he wish he had died? Or was life still so precious that he would rather continue this torment than see it end? He felt so confused, so lost. Even his own thoughts seemed to delight in baffling him.

"So," he managed, pushing himself shakily to his knees, "you've invented a cure which includes a drycleaner and seamstress? How clever of you."

"You don't seem too grateful."

Riku narrowed his eyes at the darkness surrounding him. "Well, maybe it's because I'm not."

Ansem ignored him. "This form I've imprisoned you with is only a reflection of your true body. Thus, when I healed you, there was no longer any reason to keep the impression of blood and wounds any longer. The blood was only a reflection – it wasn't really there. Neither were the wounds. Only the pain was real."

"You're sick!" Riku retorted.

"Perhaps, that very well could be. You know, I'm about to kill your girlfriend. Kairi, correct?"

"What?!" Riku shot to his feet, heart pounding, adrenaline rushing through his veins, thoughts swirling. Panicked. "You can't!" He braced himself, closing his eyes and willing himself free of this godforsaken prison, ignoring the intensified throbbing of his heart. "No! You won't use me for this!"

"Riku!"

The exclamation caused his eyes to snap open. He was no longer in the blackness, but he saw nothing but the figure before him. Kairi! She's awake! She stood still, staring at him with confusion in her deep blue eyes. He was dimly aware his consciousness was still bound to the dark prison, and he was glowing with an unnatural light as his body was agonizingly torn between two ways. He could feel Ansem's frozen presence behind him and threw out his arms, attempting to keep him there through sheer will power alone.

"You got to run!" he cried, his voice pinched with desperation and pain. "The Heartless are coming!" As the last word escaped him, the dark beings sprang up from the floor around them. He wanted to help her, oh, how he wanted to help! But he was tied to Ansem's hated form, the anguish of the separation tearing into his heart with savage force.

He could feel his strength failing, yet Kairi stood indecisive, confusion and uncertainty written on her face. Finally, she nodded, spinning on her heel and dashing away. He hoped she could outrun the Heartless, but he knew she could not escape Ansem, so he refused to surrender to his exhaustion and pain, letting his effort drain him completely.

"I won't… let you… use… me," he repeated, his tone so weak and agonized, it surprised even him. "I… won't."

Ansem chuckled, the sound chilling him. "Rebellious to the last? You have used up all your energy in this foolish plan to stop me. There is already no way you can recover. Return to the darkness!"

Riku gasped and fell to his knees as agony exploded in his heart – growing, growing, suffocated him. He collapsed at Ansem's feet, clutching his chest, his form flickering. "No…" he moaned, fighting feebly even through the pain. "I won't… let… you… or the darkness… have me. Not… anymore."

"But you will," Ansem said, his tone clearly stating he relished the young boy's pain. "You will. You cannot escape your fate." He lifted a white gloved hand, closing it into a fist, and tendrils of darkness began to spread out from the keyhole, swallowing everything they touched in the blackness.

Riku feebly attempted to push himself away – the darkness no longer held any thrill for him, only terror. However, he knew with bitter despair that Ansem had spoken the truth: there was no escape.

As the darkness washed over him, wrapping around his body, he ceased his useless struggling and let it take him where it willed. As his pain faded, and the light was shut out, he closed his eyes. He had lost.

o-0-o-0-o

He awoke with a start, his eyes flying open to grey and black. He blinked, the two dull colors swirling together before forming solid lines. He lay on a narrow, gray path which seemed to hang unsupported in unending darkness. The grey snow stung his cheek, and he pushed himself to his knees, brushing his hand across the side of his face and flicking off the cold wetness.

His head seemed to pound rhythmically along with his heartbeat, and he rubbed his throbbing temples with a shuddering sigh. He didn't know where he was, and frankly, he no longer cared. At least, it wasn't Ansem's prison. There was actual ground and a color – even if it was gray.

He forced himself to stand, fighting strange dizziness and nausea. He would rather just lie where he was and let time sail by, but his curiosity refused to be stilled. Where did the path lead? Would it lead to an escape, a way back to the light? Despite Ansem's crushing words, he could not help but hope that the Heartless had been wrong.

He took a step, staggered, and almost fell. Everything seemed to roll before his eyes, and he shut them tightly, struggling to keep his balance. He wondered blearily why he felt so awful, but did not even try to force his mind to decipher that mystery. He simply opened his eyes once the world stopped rocking and doggedly took another step. And another. And another.

He walked for what seemed like forever to his dazed mind. He felt weary beyond all description – his legs felt as though they were solid lead, and his eyes kept drifting shut no matter how hard he tried to keep them open.

Finally, his legs gave out, and he stumbled and fell heavily to his knees. He remained there, his thoughts confused and muddled as he struggled to breathe through the blanket of misery which engulfed him. A sob of loneliness shook his frame, but his eyes remained dry – the tears refusing to relieve him. "Sora… Kairi…." he murmured, bowing his head. "I'm so sorry. If only I could see you two again." The darkness swirled by noiselessly, his words sounding hollow and shallow in the black vastness. He felt so… empty… incomplete….

"Riku, can you hear me? I'll be there soon."

Riku started, lurching to his feet, hand open to summon his sword. He turned a quick circle, but the path and the blackness were just as empty as before. "Who is it?" he asked, light edges of fear touching his voice. It was not Ansem – the voice was different – but he could not calm his startled mind.

The voice continued, "Your heart defeated the darkness, but you lost your body. That's why your heart was left behind on this side of the darkness. You acquired the other keyblade – on this side."

Riku relaxed his defensive stance, gazing into the surrounding with both wariness and confusion. The words of the voice both puzzled and enlightened him. I lost my body? If that is so, then what is body I can see? "What do you mean keyblade?" he asked instead, summoning Soul Eater and checking it for changes. The sword of darkness was definitely not a keyblade.

"To close the door to darkness, you need two keys and two hearts."

Riku frowned, his questions unanswered. He hesitated, reluctant to trust this enigmatic voice, yet also unwilling to keep wandering alone down the path. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. For now, he would play it by ear and stay alert. He would not be taken in again, no matter how desperate he felt.

"Maybe you were destined to come here, just like me," the voice said, and a ball of blazing light appeared, growing rapidly.

Riku shut his eyes and hid his face behind his arms, the blinding light sending stabbing pain through his mind and heart, as his darkness protested against the pureness of the light. When the light finally subsided, he tentatively lowered his arms and opened his eyes, a gasp of surprise escaping him as he surveyed the creature before him.

He had heard tales of the King of Disney Castle from Maleficent. However, one look in the short mouse's eyes, he knew that all he had heard had been terribly twisted. The king's eyes shone with kindness, compassion, and a warm light that did not pain Riku as the first had done.

He dropped to one knee before the king, feeling incredible unworthy and tainted. "Your Majesty," he murmured, his aqua eyes fastened on the ground.

A gloved hand was laid on his shoulder while another gently raised his chin until he was forced to meet the mouse's amused black eyes. "Gosh," Mickey laughed, "no need to do that. Chin up!"

The king's laugh was contagious, and Riku smiled slightly, a gesture that seemed almost foreign to him now. "What's going on?" he asked, hesitance already forgotten. "Where are we?"

Mickey sat down beside him. "As I said, when you refused to let darkness control you anymore, you lost the battle against Ansem to keep your body. I don't know why you are here, exactly, but we are behind the Door to Darkness, though…" he paused. "It is actually the door to Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds."

Riku blinked. "Okay…" His mind still felt foggy and his stomach unsettled, so he didn't even attempt to understand the King's words. "So, what are we suppose to do?"

"We'll just follow this path to Kingdom Hearts," Mickey replied, pushing himself back to his feet. "I'm sure we'll know what to do when we get there."

Riku stood slowly, feeling shaky, and together, they set out down the path. For a long time, they walked in a comfortable silence, focused on their unknown objective. Riku's mind was blank, thinking on little, as he blocked out any thoughts of his friends or what he had done. Instead, he idly counted his steps, wishing that this strange dream would end and he would be back on Destiny Islands, where he and Sora would take their surf boards and –

He cut that unwanted thought off, feeling tears stinging his eyes. Angrily, he blinked them back, glaring at the path at his feet. Why was it so hard to keep those thoughts away?

"Look!" Mickey's voice broke through his despair, and he glanced up to see two large white doors stretching up before him. To his right, strange formations of glowing blue rock sat, and he wondered if that was the heart of the worlds. He turned his attention absentmindedly back to the door and wandered closer, resting his hands against the smooth surface.

"You said we'd have to close the door," he said. "But it's already closed."

Mickey frowned. "Perhaps Ansem hasn't gotten here yet."

Riku sat down, leaning on one of the doors, and shuddered at the name. "That's perfectly fine by me." He vaguely traced the ground beside him with a single finger. "Are we just going to stay here?"

"I'm going to look around," Mickey said. "Wanna come?"

Riku shook his head. "I don't… feel so good," he admitted. He glanced down at what he had traced, startled to see the names Sora and Kairi staring back at him. He swiped his hand over them viciously.

Mickey sent him a concerned glance but said nothing and turned away.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Riku, and he cried out in surprise and agony, his hands flying up to his side. There was no blood, no wound, but he felt it - he knew it was there… on his true body. He collapsed; his eyes shut tightly, arms wrapped around himself, breath coming in gasps.

He dimly heard Mickey call his name, but everything was lost in the waves of pain. The agony washed over him, drowning him in its infiniteness, tormenting him with its endlessness. He moaned, too breathless to scream. Would it ever end? The words, in sync with the throbbing pain, rolled through his mind repeatedly.

Please, stop. No more, please. Please… just let me die….

But it didn't, and he lived on.

He didn't know how long the pain lasted, but finally, it abruptly it dulled. He struggled for breath for a moment, suddenly aware of the warm wetness of tears streaming down his cheeks. He ached everywhere, as though he had taken a beating. He felt a small satisfaction that Sora had won again…or, at least, that's what it had certainly felt like.

"Riku?" Mickey asked hesitantly. He crouched beside Riku, his black eyes wide with worry.

"I…" he swallowed, his voice slightly scratchy. "I'll be okay. I think Sora won."

Sudden understanding flooded Mickey's gaze. "You can feel the pain inflicted on your real body."

Riku nodded, slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position, feeling himself shaking. He lifted a trembling hand and wiped away the tears, a weighty exhaustion settling over him. Why couldn't this just be over? Why couldn't he just be back on Destiny Islands and this whole mess a distant nightmare? Was that so much to ask for?

Suddenly, Kingdom Hearts began to swirl with darkness, the black tendrils growing and stretching out long fingers towards the doors. Riku shrank back against the doors, Soul Eater appearing in his hand, terror hammering in his heart. The darkness brushed against him, caressing him with a cold, dead touch, but it passed him by.

The doors gave way behind him and swung open, causing Riku to yelp and scramble away to avoid falling over backwards. Cringing against the ground, Riku could only watch with horror as the darkness began to pour out.

Then he was blinded by sudden, bright, agonizing light. He threw up his arms to shield his eyes, crying out in pain as the light twisted and seared the darkness within him. He felt the light swallow him, surround in with its agonizing brilliance. And slowly, everything faded into nothingness.

o-0-o-0-o

He did not know how long he lay insensible, but the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow on the opposite side of the door brought him abruptly back to consciousness. He started upright in a sitting position, his heart pounding, senses stretched towards the doors.

"Come on!"

The familiar voice, echoing from the opposite side of the door, froze him, and he stared at the whiteness separating him from… Sora. He blinked, suddenly very relived. Sora had survived, he had won. Ansem must be dead. He pushed himself to his feet, wondering how his friend had gotten into this dismal place.

He saw a long brown nose appear between the cracked doors and slunk out of sight, suddenly uncertain whether or not to reveal his presence. Would Sora accept him? He dropped his head, feeling the now familiar emotion of shame wash over him.

"Whoa!" a voice yelped, and Riku recognized the comical tone of Goofy, one of the King's soldiers and Sora's new friends.

"Stop staring and keep pushing!" came the impatient voice of Donald. Seconds later, a bill joined the nose.

"Heartless?!" the duo chorused in dismay.

Riku blinked, glancing behind him to see two monstrous Heartless rising out of the darkness of Kingdom Hearts. He tensed, Soul Eater appearing in his hand, glancing towards the door and the Heartless. Where was King Mickey?

"Hurry!" Donald screeched.

"I can't…" Sora's voice was colored with despair

His friend's dejection tore Riku's heart, and he made his choice. Turning his back on the advancing Heartless, he dismissed his sword and grasped the edge of the door. "Don't give up!" he exclaimed, forcing down the fear of rejection that rose within him and facing his friend. "Come on, Sora! Together we can do it!"

Sora's eyes shot up to his, the blue orbs widening with shock. "Okay!" was all the younger boy managed, but the grin which spread across his face warmed Riku.

Riku threw his weight backwards, struggling to pull shut the massive door. He sensed the shadow of the Heartless fall across him but felt no concern. If he was to die here helping Sora, it was better than he deserved.

"It's hopeless!" Donald wailed.

Riku closed himself off his mind, refusing to think, refusing to think they might fail. They would succeed! He would succeed! He would not fail Sora again.

The large Heartless were suddenly vanquished, and a sudden light flashed in his peripheral vision, and he blinked.

"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy cried, and Riku felt a sudden rush of relief, and he grasped the door even tighter, glancing over his shoulder at the King.

He stared at the keyblade that was suddenly in Mickey's hand. There was more than one keyblade of light? He tossed his questions aside. They could be answered later, if they survived this. If they didn't, such questions were irrelevant.

"Now, Sora," Mickey said. "Let's close this door for good!

Sora glanced at Riku, his face suddenly pained and uncertain. "But…"

"Don't worry," Mickey said. "There will always be a door to the light."

"Sora, you can trust King Mickey," Goofy added.

Riku glanced at Kingdom Hearts to see more Heartless creeping from the shadows. "Now!" he said, sharply turning back toward to face Sora through the narrow crack of the doors. "They're coming!"

He gave the door one final tug, his thoughts wandering toward Kairi as the large white door slowly began to shut. His heart ached at the thought of never seeing Sora or Kairi's bright smiles again. He locked eyes with Sora, suddenly unable to speak the apologies he wished to make. Instead, he surrendered, giving up Kairi to the one who could actually protect her.

"Take care of her," he whispered. Sora nodded, his eyes understanding.

And the door shut, closing them in the realm of darkness.

Mickey lifted his keyblade in a stream of light, sealing the door forever.

Along with Mickey, Riku turned to face the Heartless, calling Soul Eater to his hand. The hilt melted into his palm, and he gripped it tightly, smirking hollowly at the creatures which poured down towards him and the King. He would find a way out of this dark, Heartless infested place. He would find Sora and Kairi and take them home.

That's a promise.

–End–

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Please let me know what you think of the story, and feel free to offer advice and critiques. This fic was a product of frustration while I was working on some of my other fanfictions. It also gave my alter-ego an excuse to torment someone. ;-) I hope you enjoyed it!

–Ila