The torrential downpour around me made it nearly impossible to spot the dark figure that sprinted through the empty streets below me. From my perch atop a tall building, I watched them, their movements desperate and reckless, as they darted through the desolate city below me. I closed my eyes in an attempt to quiet my thoughts, as they were protesting what it was I had to do. I knew it was wrong… I… I knew that… But… He needed me. I had to do it for him. The only person that mattered… I inhaled shakily as I tried to calm the incessant churning in my stomach.

'This is ridiculous,' I chided to myself, 'remember why you came here….' And so I reassured myself, reminded myself why I had to do this. And that it was all my fault to begin with…

~x~

I sat where I always did every day, beside him or his capsule, rather, where I belonged, until I could see him again. I could not help but feel guilty for allowing this to happen to him. I first thought that distancing myself was the best thing to do, seeing how far I had fallen from the path of light, and how my… feelings towards him made me weak. But as I see him now, mind shattered into unrecognizable pieces like jagged glass, I realize that I couldn't have been more wrong. I should have been there to protect him. So, in a desperate attempt to put him back together again, and make up for how I've wronged him, I sat beside his sleeping form every day, and only left to go on missions that will -hopefully- result in his bettering.

~x~

I wasn't doing this for myself. or for DiZ, or Namine. I was doing in for him. Yes, I knew this was wrong, to do this to this person. But… I had to. I had no other choice. It was either this stranger or him. You would think the decision would be obvious, but I guess he'd rubbed off on me a little, and I was having trouble thinking of this stranger as a disposable pawn. But DiZ had assured me that's all he was.

'No! I scolded myself. 'No more. It's time to end this.' I thought of his smiling face once again to strengthen and finalize my resolve as I leapt off my perch into the downpour.

~x~

"Why?!" I yelled from my position on the cold, wet ground. "Why do you have the keyblade?" My hooded adversary turned out to be quite the worthy one. He had parried each one of my attacks with his dual-wielding defenses. But with keyblades? How? Who was this person they sent me after? I had my suspicions that it could be... no. I had no time to ponder this person's identity. All that mattered is that I brought him back. I didn't care who he is.

The hooded stranger resumed his fighting stance. "Shut up!" He retorted bitterly. He charged at me, but I was prepared for it, this time. I quickly raised my own keyblade as I parried the attack, disarming him. The force of the impact sent my assailant hurtling backwards, his black hood following suit and revealing an untameable head of blonde hair.

I began to approach his unconscious form, my footsteps echoing ominously against the great edifices of the city's buildings, as the rain around us slowed to a light, yet still adamant, drizzle. I raised my blade to deliver the final blow, but then, I saw him. I saw him in this person. I saw his light, his smile. I heard his voice and laughter. All of this and more, it was there. But it was buried deep. As deep as it was… I don't know. It still existed. And if it existed… If some of him remained… I could not harm this stranger. Defeated, I threw my weapon, and it dug itself into the ground beside his head.

I wanted to fall to my knees, and let the rain wash me away entirely, but I was abruptly pulled away from my musings as the figure below me struggled to stand, using my blade as leverage. Imagine my surprise as he lunged at me yet again.

Breathless and tousled, his angry gaze bore into me. "Why don't you quit?" He demanded.

His words pierced me as I took them into consideration. 'Why,' I began to question, 'Why have I hunted this person down?' I looked again into my opponent's eyes, and I again saw him there. My expression hardened as I was reminded of my purpose: for fighting him, for coming back from the darkness, for living. I then realized that this person had reminded me of him yet again. My thoughts slipped back into speculation as I pondered my previous hypothesis. 'Could it be?' I questioned as I studied the blonde's face.

I put all of my strength into suppressing my incoming anxiety as I made my voice as nonchalant as I could. "Come on, Sora," I began, "I thought you were stronger than that!" A simple, teasing jab that I used to test him with, ever since we were kids.

The blonde stranger's face was overcome with bewilderment before it morphed into an expression of annoyance. "Get real," he retorted, "Look which one of us is winning!" The person gasped audibly while holding their palm to their mouth in an expression of utter shock mixed with a hint of betrayal.

My heart skipped in elation while simultaneously sunk in despair as I realized that there truly was a piece of him left in this world, but that I was going to be the one to hurt him and take him away. "So it's true…" My voice sounding slightly weaker than I intended. "You really are his Nobody. Guess DiZ was right, after all."

This appeared to anger him, as his head snapped up and a pair of torrential blue eyes locked with mine. "What are you talking about? I am me!" He cried as he drew his other blade. "Nobody else!" He put everything he had into his attacks: all the anger and frustration of being used. Hell, even I was going to use him after I captured him. I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to defeat him at this point. Especially knowing who, or what, he was. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to hurt him further. I knew what I had to do.

"How many times to I have to beat you?" He mocked as he stood above me.

"Alright. You've left me with no other choice." I said reluctantly. "I have to release the power inside my heart. The dark power that'd I'd been holding back. Even..."

King Mickey had warned me of the darkness inside of me, and what it could do to me if I let it take over. I didn't want to change, and I sure as hell didn't want Ansem to win. But it didn't matter what I wanted. If I ever wanted to see Sora again… If I ever wanted to fix him… This was my only option. Sora's Nobody stared at me in confusion as I removed the black cloth that has been covering my eyes. My eyes locked with his, as purpose filled my being.

"Even if it changes me forever!" Immediately, I felt the effects of the dark power inside me. Black began to cloud my vision as a maelstrom of belligerent energy engulfed me, almost making me lose consciousness. I began to loose my grip on reality, and nearly forgot who I was. But, for the umpteenth time that night, Sora once again reminded me of myself as I allowed the animosity to overtake me utterly.

The Nobody stared at me in absolute horror as he studied my new form. Afraid as he might have been, he remained in a fighting stance, stubbornly ready to take me on. Just like Sora would have. I vanished, then reappeared directly in front of him. Immediately, before he could react, the heartless whom I controlled lashed out its massive, clawed hand. And I began to squeeze.

He cried out and moaned in agony as I gripped the life out of him, I nearly averted my eyes, as I could not bear to watch myself commit this horrible act: especially if this person once was Sora. But the darkness that overtook me prevailed, and I was able to finish what I'd started. Sora's Nobody dropped his keyblades as his unconscious body slumped in my grasp.