Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.

Lost and Found

Riku stood on a beach. The sun was dark, and the sky was a deep violet. Black waves lapped against the shore. A man stood by the water, staring down at the waves licking his feet.

"Who're you?" Riku asked.

The man did not turn. "I'm alone."

Riku joined the man by the water. "Guess that makes two of us."

"Then we can be alone, together."

"That'd be nice."

The two men stood in silence.

The man turned to Riku. "Why are you here?"

"I was weak and jealous."

The man's face turned sad. "Was it your friends?"

Riku glanced up to the sorrowful face. "Yes, how did you know?"

"That's why I'm here. I was tricked into using the darkness, and I wasn't strong enough to pull myself back from its depths."

"We're more alike than I thought."

The man laughed darkly. "Guess that's why were both here, then."

"Where exactly is 'here'?" Riku asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, and I've been here for years."

"The last thing I remember, is speaking with a man that called himself 'Ansem'."

"Ansem…I've never heard of him. I'm here because of Xehanort."

"What did Xehanort do that landed you here?"

"He made me open my heart to the darkness. I was trying to save my friends and he made me think using darkness was the only way."

Riku stared down at his hands. "That's what Ansem did, too."

The man stared down at the waves again. "Well, whatever the reasons for using the darkness, were, we still ended up lost on a beach filled with it."

Riku was silent.

A star suddenly appeared in the purple sky.

Riku looked up. "Sora," he whispered.

The star split in two, and one faded into the darkness.

"No…"

The man watched the event silently.

Riku began to feel stronger. Like he was breaking free of a hold he didn't even know someone had gotten him into.

Suddenly, everything began to get brighter.

"What's happening?" Riku asked.

The man looked sadly at him. "You're leaving."

"But, why aren't you?"

"It will take much more than a star to free me, Riku."

"Wait, how do you know my name?"

The man turned away to look at the waves. "Don't forget me."

Everything was white.

Something was wrong. All of that strength was suddenly leaving him. Riku opened his eyes.

"Riku!"

Kairi? What was she doing here? Wait, where was here? It looked like they were still at Hollow Bastion. Wasn't Kairi sleeping? And where was Sora? The stars…

Sora…

Riku could feel the darkness closing in. "Go! The heartless are coming!"

His strength was still rapidly depleting. And most of it was gone before he convinced Kairi to run with Donald and Goofy.

The heartless were chasing after them. All except one, who was looking at Riku. It seemed strangely familiar…

"Sora?"

Riku's strength finally ran out, and he plunged back into the darkness.

He opened his eyes again. There was that same man, standing on that same beach.

"Long time no see," he said, without turning around.

"Yeah…" Riku said, joining him, again, by the water.

"I'm glad you could save one of your friends."

Riku looked at the man. He was staring at the waves. "How do you know what I did?"

"Because I saw it. I see everything Xehanort does. He and I are one."

"I see…" Riku replied, even though he didn't see at all.

"I can understand how that would be a bit confusing. But to understand, I must retell a tale I do not wish to remember."

Riku nodded. That he understood.

"I realize I never answered your question, earlier. We met, a long time ago…on this very beach. You were just a child, then. But I saw great potential in you. Or maybe I just recognized the darkness in your heart…" he paused. "But whatever it was that I saw in you, I'm the reason you can use the Keyblade."

"Not anymore," Riku replied, sadly. "I haven't been able to summon the Keyblade since I fought Sora."

"There are other Keyblades besides 'light' ones," the man said. "I—like you—can only summon the 'dark' Keyblades, though I can wield both."

"Dark Keyblades?"

"Nothing different from their brethren, save for the fact that they enhance dark powers, instead of light."

"I have dark powers?"

"You surrendered yourself to the darkness. Intentional or not, you have gained the power of darkness."

Riku sat down in the sand. The black waves felt cool against his skin, but he drew power from their darkness.

The lost star reappeared, and Riku smiled without looking up. He could feel the darkness weaken at the loss of Sora's heart.

The man gasped.

"What?" Riku asked, looking up at him.

"I recognize that light. It's Ven's light: pure and carefree. But, why is it in the darkness?"

"Maybe a part of Sora was left behind."

"Maybe…" the man replied, sitting down next to Riku.

"You never told me your name."

The man looked at Riku. "Terra," he said, after a moment.

"Terra," Riku said, looking back out at the waves, "I'm going to make you a promise."

"A promise?"

"Yes. If I ever escape this darkness, I promise to try to help you escape, as well."

"I don't know if you can," Terra said, sadly.

"Well if I can, even for a moment, then I'm sure you can."

"But I am a part of this darkness. If you destroy it, then you destroy me, too."

"Well, I don't think either of us will be leaving any time soon. We have plenty of time to think of something different."

Terra looked up at the black sun. "Very well, then," he said, smiling for the first time. "It's a promise."

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