Title: Between

Author: Knux33

Story Inspired from: KingdomHearts1+2 DNAngel

Setting: Right after the second-to final boss. (Robotic dragon with King-like guy in its head.)

INFO: Trying not to use any real spoilers so there's not too much info in the beginning.

Out of the dark … comes light.

"Shadow-Lover, never seen by day,

Only deep in dreams do you appear.

Wisdom tells me I should turn away,

Love of mist and shadows, all unclear—

Nothing can I hold you but thought

Shadow-Lover, mist and twilight wrought."

--Mercedes Lackey, Shadow-Lover (Verse One)

Part 1: Opportunity

The gigantic metal dragon fell slowly to the ground. Its wings tarnished and twisted, its entire body seemed dented and burned. Sora and Riku had won.

Or so they thought.

The entire metal monster was alive enough to soften its landing and then turned to face them yet again. Gray violent clouds swirled and covered the machine, then Sora and Riku as well.

When the storm cleared the monster was whole once again, except for the cockpit. The pilot sat on his throne, waiting. Sora and Riku didn't keep him waiting long.

Dark Being POV

Pitiful. Simple pitiful Nobodies. All it takes to wipe them out is two boys…two small keys in the grand scheme I have…

I hid in the distance as I watched a wonderfully splendid battle come to an end. The two of them had destroyed the robotic dragon and whatever the hell was in its head.

I chuckled to myself. So this as the Keyblade wielder the Nobodies had been talking about. So they thought he was powerful?

'That boy is nothing compared to you, my lordship.' I heard S'kullar Mindspeak in his usual sniveling tone.

'You are the very embodiment of darkness, master.' Cull'ark complemented, his voice like a low musical growl. 'That boy is merely a flickering candle, easily put out.'I could hear the eagerness in his tone for battle.

'Enough!' I Mindspoke loudly. 'I wish to see what happens next.'

'B-but the battle is over my lord. See, the creature is dead.' S'kullar said, slightly perturbed.

S'kullar my have thought that, but I knew the two would go after the last of the 'Organization' once this foe had been vanquished. Which it totally, and completely, had.

But then the combatants were teleported somewhere else.

I growled with a hatred of the way Nobodies used the darkness. My darkness. They had no right to take the source of my entertainment elsewhere.

'My lord, they have been taken to the Gray region of the Dark.' S'kullar informed me. I resisted the urge to claw him. I knew that, and that I was missing the battle between the Keyblade wielders and the Organization's leader.

That was enough to get me in a bad humor. I wished to see if any of the combatants were of worth to me.

And I always got my way.

'Then we shall go there.' Both S'kullar and Cull'ark looked fearfully at me. This brought me pleasure.

I soaked it there fearful looks. Drank it. I drew the terror from there very bodies. Even they were scared of going to that realm of the dark.

I am not.

'We are leaving now.' Even in there fright they obey me without question when I give a direct order. We unfurled are wings, and took to the bleak, broken skies. I know why they obey me and why they always will.

Because they are far more fearful of my anger then they could ever be of death.

Between is simply between. Nothing more, nothing less.

Dark Being

I almost sighed sadly as the battle came to a very nice conclusion. Xenmis was using all his power in a final attack.

It looks like the Key bearers are doomed, how boring. But wait-

They showed awesome reflexes as they Twirled and slid, guarding each others backs. Eventually the power used in the attack wore thin, and the attack ended in a brilliant flash of light.

But I hate light.

My two minions trembled and shook with fear and excitement. They wanted to see blood.

As the light cleared I saw the two boys kneeling on the ground; exhausted from the last attack. Xenmis took this opening to strike.

I could feel my face twisting into a smile. Unlike my minions I knew how this was going to end.

I decided it was time to leave. I had seen who among the combatants was of worth to me. But I would wait; the time was not right, in the mist of battle.

I spread my bat-like wings and my followers did the same, turning to follow me out of this appalling place but I quickly gave them more orders. The looks on there faces were priceless, to say the least.

I just love the way there faces were plastered with looks of shock and fear.

But they will obey my commands. They always do. They always will. The day they stop is the day they die. And they know this to there very bones.

? POV

The Sea of Sorrows … that is what he calls this place. I agree with him. I have been stuck here for … days … weeks … months.

This place; with its glowing orb so much like a true sun, or true moon, hidden by many clouds. The rocks both round and pointed with blue energy flowing on them like water, almost like eggs or long dead bones. And last the sea … salty and never ending. Like many, many tears.

I rested close to the shore, my clothing ragged and a few sizes to big while my spiky red hair was ruffled by the sea breeze. I breathed in the air and sighed. This is the by far the best place I've been to in a long time.

The water crashed upon the shore, then brew back in an endless soothing rhythm. Almost like the sea was breathing. I've been stuck in the realm of darkness for a long time … I have almost forgotten my life before the dark.

He says I must stay here for my own good, to keep me safe. I don't believe a word he says to me anymore.

He says the dark creatures protect me, that I am the door. That if I were to die all hope would be lost.

I stood and through a small rock into the sea. What does a creature like him know about hope? All he does is destroy it.

One of the dark things was attracted by my hasty actions; it appeared out if the ground some yards away and began to walk in a shaky, jerking motion toward me; it's 'armor' clanging like soft metal. It was called a Soldier.

I quickly scrambled to get farther away from it; these things were mindless and careless; driven by some instinctive hunger I didn't understand. They had no real fear, just there mechanical, senseless hunger.

I didn't want it anywhere near me … or my heart. I then turned and began to run up the shoreline.

This was one of the small ones, it looked like some messed up armor. I could out run it … for a while. They could do quick sprints, and they had reasonable weapons.

I feared these things with good reason. Once He had brought a live human from one of the worlds and demonstrated what the weakest of there kind, a Shadow, could do. There hunger never stopped and my heart seemed to appeal to them in a very dangerous way.

If I stopped running it would catch me, if it caught me …

My legs stopped moving after my last thought. It could kill me. What would happen to me if that happened? Would it be painful, or would it just rip me out of myself?

Death ... that is the only exit from this dark world that I know of.

Just then the little creature caught up to me and stopped two feet away, staring at me. I stared right back. Then it disappeared into the shadows again. I sighed in a mix of relief and bitter disappointment.

Then a blinding light from farther up the shore caused me to automatically scramble for cover behind one of the rocks that coat the shore; light burns the eyes of those who live in the dark to long.

Two figures appeared from the light. As they stumbled through the threshold the light disappeared behind them. Slowly closing … like a doorway…

I slid a bit further behind the rock, I did not wish for them to see me. One seemed to be wounded, the other supporting him. They began a conversation. I learned much about them from the simple but meaningful words they said to one another…

Light. They came from the land of light. They were both sitting at the edge of the tide line now. They had there eyes closed and were listening to the waves.

I took the opportunity to sneak toward closer rocks. They did not notice. Then something washed up close to the one called Riku.

A bottle …?

He handed it to the brown haired one, Sora.

"I think this is for you."

A poem. It was strange; it seemed to have meaning only to the two on the shore. Sora read it aloud, Riku listened.

They didn't know I was listening as well.

Then, as the poem ended, light again appeared; only upon the waves this time. This door was larger, and clearer than the last one.

Like it knew exactly where it wanted to go.

"Will go together." I was slightly startled when Sora got up and spoke to Riku. He held his hand out for Riku to grab.

"Yeah." He replied. They then both got up, and walked through the door.

I knew my chance when I saw it. I ran through after them. But everything was then lost in blindingly sweet light.

I felt weightless … I felt almost like I was drifting in the sky …I finally felt something other than the cold, creeping dark …I felt free.

I knew that somewhere ahead the other two were flowing forward as well, but I didn't even want to try to change my course from there's. I felt so content, just gliding along … nothing mattered at the moment. Everything was just perfect the way it was.

Then I was swiftly snapped awake.

Something was trying to pull me backwards, but the strength of the pull forward was immense. Like a string pulled to tightly, the flow of energy (or was it light?) snapped. But the in the recoil the other presence seemed to have lost its grip and we were shot across the last bit of space and out of the dark.

Whatever tried to capture me and the other two was gone. The others shot like a comet too there destination, probably eager too be home. But for some reason the flow snapped yet again, and I was separated from my unknowing rescuers.

All the better anyway, they had a welcome home too go back too. All I have is my memories of the dark … I didn't deserve whatever wonderful world awaited them.

So I shot off to an unknown destination, to face whatever awaited me there.

---

Falling, I was beginning to fall. The energy around me seemed to grow tighter around me, like a cocoon, slowing my fall, blunting the impact. But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt.

He felt like he landed in water, flowing swiftly in one constant direction.

Oh no… I don't know how to- The energy that had surrounded him dissipated and the water overwhelmed me.

NORMAL POV

But by floundering about with his limbs he found he could awkwardly make his way to the surface. But his slightly over-large clothing weighed him down and made moving in the water even harder.

Taking a large gulp of much needed air he was trying to keep his head above the water, even though he seemed to gulp in as much water at the same time. He was frantically trying to grab a hold of something, anything, when he heard voices above and around him.

"Hey look down there!"

"There's a boy in the canal!"

The water seemed to swallow him, forcing more of itself down his throat. He sputtered and the current began to drag him down again. There was nothing for his swinging arms to grab onto.

"He's goin' under!"

"Somebody fish him out!"

He heard a splash and felt strong arms grip him; pulling him in one direction. He felt the stranger strongly pulling him against the current and keeping his head above the rough water.

"Don't worry kid, Vector's got ya," A strong but grated voice said to him. He felt Vector pull him up onto a solid stone platform. "A little too much 'ta drink, huh kid?"

He coughed up what seemed to him like too much water for his lungs to hold, but after taking some deep breaths he could get a good look at his rescuer.

Oh my- He saw why his rescuer had so much power to swim with. Well, for one he had a tail … And for another thing it wasn't human. Alligator was a far better description for the creature's long jaws and armored, leathery hide.

But then more water forced its way out of his lungs, impairing any real thought about his helper's alien appearance. The reptile swatted his back, helping to force the H2O out and Oxygen in.

"Easy kid, you look like ya' saw a ghost!" Vector said, somehow making eligible words with his long toothy jaw. "Are you all right?"

Nodding weakly, the boy found that though his throat and lungs were sore he could breathe fine now. He began to stand on wobbly legs, the reptilian creature supporting him on one side.

Now that he could get a good look at his surroundings he found he was surrounded by tall buildings; crowds of people flowing in many different directions, some stopping to glance at him, and then moving on.

All the buildings were made of an old, yellowed stone but seemed solid were they stood. The platform he was on was also made of stone, but one of its four sides was connected to a stairway that led up to the more populated street and where the few bystanders were standing from. The water level was a few yards below street level, hence the need for stairs.

"W-where?" He began with a shaky, horse voice. "Where are we?" Vector the alligator gave him a bewildered look.

"You in Netro, the Old City kid," He said, then added jokingly, "Planet Mobius, where the heck are you from?"

"Ah-the … uh-," Where? The Dark. The cold, void, ever shifting place that people go mad in. The place most souls are thrown into when they lose there hearts…and willpower… "Um … up river?"

To his surprise, the alligator started laughing. "Hahaha, sure kid sure!" Vector started walking forward, and because he was the only support for the boy's shaken body he had to follow. "You can come ta' my place ta' dry … if ya' want ta'." Vector asked.

Shaky and half-drowned, the only logical answer was a croaky 'yeah' from the strange spiky red-haired boy. Vector didn't know who this kid was, but he would bet his tail that he sure as hell that he didn't want to go back 'up river' or wherever he really came from.

But one thing bothered Vector … but he decided that that particular question could wait till later.

"Wha's you're name kid?" Vector said as they joined the flow of people on higher ground. The crowd seemed to swallow them up without crushing them or taking any notice. The boy hesitated a fraction of a second, then replied in a small crackly whisper, sounding like old paper being shuffled. But no words seemed to come from the small noise he made in the crowded street.

"Wha? Sorry, you'll have to speak up kid," Vector said, "Crowd's pretty loud here."

Then the boy stopped shuffling along in the slow gait he had been walking in and faced the alligator. They had stooped but the crowd simply walked around them like they were a rock poking out of a stream. They had stopped under a streetlamp; its light illuminated the reptilian's form clearly, showing he wore only a pair of large orange headphones, a golden chain necklace, a pair of white gloves, and orange-black sneakers.

The boy himself was illuminated, he wore an oversized, ragged black t-shirt with bleached white pants. They too were over-sized and were only still on because of a rope used in place of a leather belt. His red spiky hair was dirty and drooped, slightly hiding his gray eyes in a curtain of red. But there intensity made the reptile stop almost immediately.

"Kado." He said, the crowd seemed almost silent as he said that one small word. But then the blaze in his glare seemed to smolder and burn out and he seemed to physically shrink, becoming a young half-drowned teenager once again. "W-where do you live?"

Vector began moving forward once again, more carrying the boy then just supporting him now.

"I live near the casinos in one of the South Street apartments; we also use it as are detective agency." He answered. "I live there and work with my partners, Charmy and Espio."

"W-what a-are they like?" Kado's voice had a clear stutter, understandable after being fished out of the very cold canal.

"Well Charmy's a kid, always real hyper and buzzin' around. Espi's a chameleon and is silent and really into samurai stuff and blending into the background." Vector explained. Then he smiled and continued with, "Espio's a chameleon and Charmy's a bee. We may get on each others nerves, and not to mention everyone else's, but we still go well together."

Kado was slightly surprised at the mentioning of the spices' of Vectors room mates, but not really shocked. As they walked with the crowd he had seen other animals walking upright and others that looked a lot like animal-human hybrids. Most seemed molded from small animals and were roughly an average of five feet tall. But other things that resembled larger animals were more around six or seven feet in height. Vector himself seemed around a low six feet or high five feet.

"How f-far away a-are we f-from you're a-apartment?"

"Not far now … ah! Here we are—," Vector led Kado to the side of the crowd, toward one of the stone buildings that was on the side. Vector opened the old wooden door that served as the old buildings main entrance and led Kado in. Kado, as walking through the threshold, felt something. Not a chill down his spine, or an out-of-body feeling, but something else. Like someone whispered something in his ear that he didn't quite catch.

But he had no time to puzzle the strange feeling as Vector led him further inside and he found that he was in a hallway with doors on either side, each proudly presenting a sign boasting the work those inside practiced. He saw a stairwell at the end of the hallway but Vector stopped in front of a door stating 'Chaotix Detective Agency, We'll take your case as long as you pay well!'

Vector pulled a key out of his glove, because he had no pockets to speak of, and began to unlock the door when Kado had a strange thought. All of the Animal-human's he had seen had both gloves and shoes on at the least. Then Kado thought about what the gloves and shoes where covering and suppressed a shudder. Human like hands covered in leathery skin and having talons or claws protruding instead of fingernails, that could be something quite … unsettling.