Eternal Darkness

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. Yes; Really…

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It seemed that as soon as he realized Way to the Dawn was no longer in his firm grasp that the screaming started. It was strangely funny that the frantic yelling off to the side drew his attention before his own body could process the searing pain. The white-hot numbness crept up his torso, licking up his arms and down his legs like an untamable fire that couldn't stop spreading. At first he didn't understand anything; couldn't process the numbing pain or the frantic screaming that echoed off the walls, causing a faint ringing in his ear.

Before he knew it, he was falling. Or, at least, he thought he was, for the ground was no longer under his feet. Just as soon as he was used to this odd sensation—the stomach-lurching lightness that tickled his heart, did the ground rush up to meet his numb body, slamming into him mercilessly. Even this wasn't fully processed.

He could hardly keep his mind focused on one thing; it seemed as if it was switching back and forth rapidly between the screaming, which had started up again with a vengeance, and the unpleasant feeling creeping up and around his limp body. Before he could attempt to slow down his thoughts and figure out exactly what was happening, a sharp crashing noise found his ears. It was an unpleasant, grating sound that caused him to cringe, or at least attempt to. He found himself praying to nothing in particular it would go away and, surprisingly, as if the invisible gods in the sky that he didn't believe in were smiling down on him, it did. In its place, however, the screaming continued.

It suddenly dawned on him what the screaming was. A person was calling out his name over and over. He couldn't tell how far away they were because of the echo, but he was certain they were calling to him. The voice was laced with concern, worry, desperation and horror and was carrying with it a frantic quality that sent shivers down his spine. Why was this person so frightened? Now that he was paying the voice more attention, he could make out the words 'get up' and 'hurry', as well as the familiar name that was repeated again and again as if just by saying it, he'd appear at their side.

He barely registered the feel of the sharp, cold metal as it lightly bit into his exposed neck, tearing gently at his skin until a single red line appeared. He was much more focused now, sure, but his attention was all for the person whom he couldn't quite recognize in his haze. He brought his dulling eyes up; straining his head in the direction the voice was coming from.

Unfocused aqua green met frantic, wide, teary ocean blue and for a moment, he could feel something other than the numbing cold of the metal blade. This new feeling spread through his chest, replacing the stale fire with fresh water that tickled through his limbs like a seductive lover, teasing and taunting him slowly into awareness. The person—boy who'd been calling out to him grabbed hold of his blade just as the metal at his throat was withdrawn. A crazed look entered the ocean blue eyes as the grating sound from earlier reappeared. The boy was hitting an invisible field quickly and with incredible force; he could see sparks fly from where the wall was struck.

The metal suddenly returned, this time pointed right by his heart. The ocean eyed boy lurched forward, hitting so hard he was sure blisters must have been forming under his black gloves. Again the blade was raised. The boy was choking on fat tears now; they trailed down his face in rivers. Right before the metal came crashing down on him, the ocean-eyed boy cried out in horror and anguish, his blade piercing through the field, causing shards of dissipating light to spread themselves around the arena.

The last thing he remembered was the image of him running impossibly fast, eyes blurred with tears. He smiled weakly, trying to reassure his frantic savior. That was when then the familiar darkness clawed at his mangled body, pulling and tugging until he could no longer see or feel anything at all.

"Riku!"

And he was finally dragged away from his flickering light, his body laced in eternal darkness.