Riku walked along with his hands in his pockets, kicking small rocks as he walked along. "Stupid….." He said quietly to himself as he kicked another rock and it bounced along in front of him into a puddle.

"What'd you say Riku?" Sora asked walking beside him, holding Kairi's hand.

Kairi looked around him and cocked her head. "Yeah what is it Riku?" She asked smiling innocently.

Riku looked at her and then at Sora and shook his head. "It's nothing…." He said to them looking ahead. "Are you coming over Sora?" Riku asked looking at Sora.

"Umm actually I'm gonna have to pass on that Riku…Kairi wants me to go over to her house…" Sora said apologetically.

"Oh….." Riku said softly and somewhat sadly to himself. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then huh?" He asked as the trio came to a fork in the road.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Riku." Sora said as he headed off to Kairi's house.

Riku stood there and watched the two of them leave, then he turned and started walking home.

"Aww…don't feel so bad Riku…." A voice said when Riku was out of sight. A figure walked out of the shadows of the fork in the road, the figure was cloaked in a hooded robe, but his silver bangs hung out from under the hood. The figure followed Riku quietly from a distance.

Riku stopped suddenly and dropped to his knees, grabbing his head and screamed out loudly. The figure chuckled some and walked up to Riku who was unaware of him being there.

"Quiet Riku….everything will be fine now…." The figure said and chuckled again as Riku stopped screaming suddenly and jumped to his feet, getting in a kind of battle crouch.

"Who are you???" Riku demanded as he looked the figure up and down.

The silver haired figure pulled its hood back and Riku's eyes got wide. "Ah, apparently you recognize me…." The silver haired man said smirking some.

"You….You're Sephiroth…." Riku said with a shocked look on his face.

"That would be me…." Sephiroth said chuckling and stepping forward, causing Riku to lower into the battle crouch again. Sephiroth just chuckled and kept moving closer to Riku, suddenly Riku jumped forward aiming to hit Sephiroth In the face with a punch.

Sephiroth caught Riku's fist in his and squeezed, causing Riku to scream in agony and fall to his knees in front of Sephiroth. Riku swung with his other hand connecting with Sephiroth's thigh, though all it did was draw a chuckle from Sephiroth.

"How cute…you actually think you can overpower me…." Sephiroth said and he threw Riku away from him. Riku hit a tree, causing it to splinter, and fell to the ground clutching his ribs. Riku's vision blurred from the pain and all he could do is lay there in excruciating pain as Sephiroth walked over and picked him up.

"You will be fine….I didn't throw you hard enough to cause permanent damage…." Sephiroth said as he walked down the path a bit and opened a portal of darkness.

Riku squirmed in his arms, but only caused himself more pain,

"Don't worry… you need not fear the darkness…." He said, chuckling to himself as he stepped into the portal , into the engulfing darkness.

So cold…. Riku thought to himself.