Thanks for clicking on insert played out corny cliche'd riku story tile here I couldn't think of what to call it as you can see, The actual story isnt quite as uninspired. Yes, I was replaying Kingdom hearts a while ago, and being a Riku fangirl myself I didnt think that there was nearly enough Riku... and I was wondering what he was doing during the whole first half, so I let my imagination run wild and cme up with all these reasons for why he is the way he is and why he chooses the dark side and blah blah blah. Its pretty bleak, and my friend called it "Meloncholic" every third sentence. Oh welll, Hope you enjoy reading it. Oh! A warning! I added a character or two... Riku's family members... to fill in space mainly.

Chapter 1

The room was dark and sterile; it was meticulously immaculate to be precise. Overwhelmingly so. Also overwhelming was the silence, a thick musty silence that sat on your chest like a fat snake, slowly constricting around one's ribcage, and making it difficult to breathe. There were no signs that life had touched this room in quite some time. Well, that is, if you didn't include the 15 year old boy sitting on his bed, fully dressed, staring out his window. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, painting the line between the sea and the sky a dark crimson. Riku awaited it hungrily. Desperation beginning to grip his heart. The desperation to get back to Destiny Islands, and to work on the raft. His escape. Desperation to escape his cage, this dark room, with its suffocating closeness. Though he knew the Destiny Islands were only an extension of his cleverly disguised prison, they were much more tolerable than his depressing bedroom.

The rays of red light reached across the sky like fingers, clawing their way up from the cradle the sun rested in while the night ruled the sky. And the night began to fade, to evaporate away at the hot touch of the suns fingers, as it was unable to sustain its existence under the crushing power of the awakening sun. Riku stood up, unable to wait any longer; he stepped into his shoes and snuck out his door, careful not to wake his parents.

He sighed as he climbed out of his boat, and onto the little make-shift dock that he, Sora, and the others had made so long ago. The sun had only barely risen above the ocean waves, but still, its power was so great that it shattered and scattered the night like shards of painted glass from a window, broken by a careless child with a rock. And the sun seemed to smile as the night fell away, landing in bushes, under tree's and rocks and people, becoming shadows, mere shards of the great painted glass mural of blackness that it once was, and Riku spent the days eagerly awaiting the night to come again. Awaited to see the painted glass window magically reassemble itself after its beating.

Riku shook his head, shook out the useless dreams, and stopped his trance. He could hit himself for being so... so... so much like Sora (there is no other way to describe it) Riku smirked at himself, then ran to the other side of the island.

No need to wait for the others to help him start on the raft. It wasn't like they were planning on doing any of the work anyhow. His only friends, and they just so happened to be the laziest two people on the whole of Destiny Islands. Lucky him. But complaining about it wouldn't get this raft finished.

Riku pulled the rope tight around the logs; it had taken him all morning just to get the frame work done. Contradictory to what most people he met tended to assume of him, he wasn't any good at working with his hands. At least when it came to building things. However, his clumsiness didn't affect his ability to fight, but that was the one thing he was naturally good at. Not to mention, all the time he devoted to good old fashioned practice didn't hurt. Riku looked up into the sky. The sun sat in the center of it. Shining down mercilessly upon him. Kairi and Sora must be here by now. He stood up, dragging a log behind him, and trudged toward the little shack that was built in the bushes, and led to the front side of the island.

"Don't know why we needed to build this stupid raft anyway, we could have just tied our boats together, but no, of course we can't just do that we gotta "make a raft so we can all go together" that boy is such an idiot. We just as easily could have" he paused, spotting Kairi and Sora on the beach. Sora sat up to talk to her; she hit him on the head. Sora kept talking. Not that anything that gentle could possibly shut him up. Not when he thought what he was saying something important. She finally took a hint and turned away from him. And Riku decided this conversation had gone on long enough. He carried the log under his arm and walked up behind them.

"Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about me" Riku grinned. They turned and looked, smiles plastered to their faces as if with crazy glue. "So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft." He threw the log to Sora and strutted over to Kairi "And you're just as lazy as he is." he announced, putting his hands on his skinny waist. Kairi giggled her innocent bubbly little laugh, and peeked at him through her short red hair. "So you noticed. Okay we'll finish it together" she hopped excitedly and threw her arms out, like a skinny little cheerleader. Riku sat down obstinately. She pouted and pointed at the Poapu tree. "I'll race you" she challenged. Sora made a funny face. "Huh"

"What, are you kidding" Riku replied sarcastically. He leaned back and rested on his elbows, to show he wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. She giggled again. "Ready? Go" she cried loudly. Riku and Sora glanced at each other. Then jumped to their feet in unison, and sprinted towards the islet.

Riku sat on the Poapu tree, staring out at the endless ocean that he wished he could traverse. But there was no way he could leave without his friends, and they wouldn't go unless they rode a raft. Kairi was waiting for Sora to give her all the materials she would need to build it. Though she wasn't very strong, she was great at building things. This was one of the reasons he liked her so much. Besides her bubbly optimism. She always seemed so happy and full of energy. Same as Sora. Although Sora seemed so much more naive than Kairi. Riku lowered his gaze to his shadow, his own personal shard of the night sky that the sun would never be able to completely dissipate. In all this blazing whiteness, this small bit of black was a very welcome relief.

Sora jumped onto the tree beside him.

"Have you given all your stuff to Kairi yet Sora" Riku demanded. Though he already knew the answer was "no". Sora didn't bother giving a reply.

"Hey, how about a quick round? This one decides the champion." he said, sliding off of his perch. Sora was quick to take the challenge, and just as quick to lose the fight. Riku bonked him on the head with his wooden sword with a grin.

"Giving up already? C'mon Sora, I thought you were stronger than that" he teased, knowing just how to get a rise out of his younger friend. Sora pouted.

"I'm not giving up! I'm just taking a break" he said.

Riku shrugged. "Yeah, whatever, well in any case today's' score is now 1 to zero." he made a circle with his thumb and forefinger to emphasize the fact that Sora had never beaten him yet. Sora's pout deepened and he wandered off to finish collecting the random paraphernalia needed to assemble a useable raft. Riku watched Sora from the corner of his eye. Saw him get distracted from his mission and start sparring with the others on the island. None of which Riku was particularly fond of. He simply lacked Sora's gift, to be able to befriend anyone on sight. To trust every living being he came across.

He watched as Sora beat each individual one of them, and he smiled.

"What are you doing? Do you think that's gonna make you stronger than me" he muttered to himself.

"Sora, you're such a chump, you're not gonna be able to beat me." He lifted a leg over the tree and sat back down, this time facing the beach, to watch Sora whoop the pants off the other kids.

He jumped directly back down when he saw Sora in a corner. He was taking on all three of them, and they were all closing in on him. He drew his sword and gripped it tightly. Feeling anger heat his blood. They were trying to jump Sora! Just like they had jumped him the first day Sora had introduced them. The memory was burned, deep in his mind, in a place where he couldn't possibly forget it.

Sora had brought Riku up to the other three one particularly boring Saturday Morning, they all said their hellos and "how-do-you-do"s when Sora mentions to them "He's really good at fighting! Just like you guys! You should all get along just great"

And they did. All day they played together just fine. Until Sora left the island. It was getting late in the day, the sun had just started setting, and Riku had been scribbling on the walls in the secret cave. Then the three of them strolled in and seated themselves at random around the room, watching him. All six of their eyes burning a hole in the back of his skull. After several moments of tense quiet, Riku stopped and turned to face them. Tidus stood up and moved-in closer. "So you're pretty good at fighting huh"

Innocent enough question. "Yeah I guess." Riku replied"Wanna spar with me" Tidus said quickly. Riku shrugged. "Not right now, its kinda late, I think I'm gonna go home before my mom starts to worry about Me." he had said, rising and heading for the exit. Selphie blocked his path.

"Aww! You're no fun" she laughed, and pushed him back into the cave playfully. Wakka stood up too now and Riku noticed they had managed to surround I'm without him noticing it.

"Ya man! What kinda fighter doesn't wanna fight? You could probably take us no prob yeah" he laughed, looking at Tidus. Tidus drew out his stick. "Let's see how good he is guys" he said, as the three closed in on him.

Needless to say, Riku beat the crap out of all three of them, including Selphie. It wasn't easy, but he did it, and he had never spoken to any of them since that night. But they didn't seem to sense his resentment towards them. In any case they weren't about to get Sora too. They would have to get through him first, and he would make sure they had one heck of a hard time doing it. He stepped to the edge, sword drawn, ready to crack open some skulls... when suddenly Sora out of nowhere, bats Wakka's ball right back at him and knocks him in the face, sending him into a stupor. Selphie swings her nunchucks at him and he back flips onto the dock jumps back down and slashes her midair. Selphie is sent flying into Tidus and they slam into the dock. Sora glances backwards at them, and smiles.

"Heh heh, uh, oops" Sora says to the three kids he incapacitated. Ever-innocent smile on his face. Riku stumbles back into the tree. Sora had beaten all three of them like it was nothing! Even he had been pretty banged up after taking on all three of them. Riku climbed back onto the tree and tried not to let it faze him. Maybe the others had gotten weaker since that first encounter. It was very likely, it had been at least three years. But creepy none the less. Riku tried to relax and look back out to the ocean, let it rock him back to that warm place in his mind where nothing could phase him, and nothing was out of his control. Into a state of deep thought... but Sora stood over him again. "Ready for my rematch Riku" he said smiling. Riku nearly fell off the tree.

"Rematch" he cried in surprise. Sora nodded vigorously. Was he crazy! Hadn't Riku just seen him take on three other kids at once? Wasn't he the least bit tired! But he couldn't lose his cool in front of his friend.

"Sure! Let's go" he said, sliding off his branch yet again, for the sake of Sora. They both drew their swords, and struck the fighters stance. Riku beckoned Sora on and the fight began. Riku fought him till he felt splinters from his wooden sword breaking through his gloves, and he couldn't work his arms properly. He covered his exhaustion by making demeaning remarks

"You just don't get it do you" he said, panting. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Sora lunged at him swinging, and Riku, in a half-hearted attempt to dodge the blow tumbled backwards... and into the water.

Riku floated for a second, then broke back through the surface, and stood gasping. Staring, in shock, up at Sora, who was smiling broadly and pumping his skinny fists into the air."Alright! I won! I won" he cried, and Riku, cocky as he was, could only manage to muster a shrug, and a sad smile of surrender. Sora smiled down at him and wandered back across the bridge without a second thought. Leaving Riku to wonder, just why he had suffered such a bitter defeat.

The sun was setting, and Sora and Kairi sat together in Riku's spot on the Poapu tree. He stood, slightly away from them, staring as the night retook the sky from the flaming white ball that stole it away every morning in their eternal battle for dominance over their boundless astral kingdom. They all watched it together. And listened to the waves crashing against the island beach. Riku loved to be alone with them. When it was just the three of them, his island prison was almost bearable. Sora swung his feet over the edge of the tree and looked a Kairi quizzically.

"So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" he questioned. Riku was silent for a moment. Then, hearing no answer from Kairi, he volunteered

"Could be. We'll never know by staying here." Sora leaned forward.

"But how far could a raft take us" he said. Riku shook his head and didn't even bother bringing up how the raft was Sora's idea. He waved his hand and didn't look up "Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else."

"So, suppose you get to another world." Kairi said, laughing nervously. "What would you do there"

Riku looked down. "Hmm...well, I haven't really thought about it. It's just...I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one" Riku tried to stop talking, but the words just kept spilling out, as if they had all along been trying to escape him and finally got their chance.

"And suppose there is other worlds...then ours I just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right" He looked at Sora for confirmation, some assurance that he wasn't just crazy. Sora lay down on the tree, it was apparent he was bored with this conversation.

"I don't know" he said, obviously not paying any attention to what Riku had to say. That's what he gets for revealing the inner working's of his mind to his best friend.

"Exactly." Riku grumbled, reverting to his normal condescending tone that he took when he knew nobody was paying attention to him. "That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing." Kairi rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's the same old stuff. So lets go." he glared at the ocean, feeling somewhat alienated, when Kairi said

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you" Riku smiled and turned toward his friends. Maybe one of them did care about what he had to say.

"Thanks to you." Riku looked up at her

"If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi thanks." He said with sincerity. She let out another nervous laugh. "He hee, you're welcome." she said smiling, but sincerity was lacking from what she said. Sora and Kairi slid off the tree and started across the bridge. Riku waited a moment, climbed the tree, then jumped down and walked behind them.

"Sora." he called. Sora stopped and looked at him. Riku tossed the fruit he had just picked at him; Sora caught it and stared in surprise. Riku pointed at it.

"You wanted one, didn't you" he asked. Sora stared, confused.

"A Poapu fruit..."

Riku continued walking. "If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each others lives, no matter what." He walked past Sora and laughed. "C'mon, I know you want to try It." he said, moving briskly in attempt to catch up with Kairi. Sora held it out "What are you talking"Riku only laughed louder. Sora threw the fruit off into the sand, and ran after the others.

Now he knelt on the raft that Kairi had built. It was amazing, how much she had done, in such a short amount of time. But whether or not it would float, was yet to be determined He didn't want to sail out and start sinking just because they hadn't tested it yet. Riku stood, took a step back onto the sand, held his breath, and shoved the raft into the water with the heel of his shoe. Then breathed a sigh of relief as the raft glided peacefully over the water. He waded in after it and climbed on. Feeling his heart pump faster as the realization of how near his escape was dawned on him completely.

The raft skitted across the water silently, floating quiet and peaceful, around their island playground. The moon had raised high into the night sky. It was really late; the others had left a long time ago. Went home to eat dinner with their families. And Riku was alone on the island once again. Just him, the ocean, and the night sky. The boy ran his fingers through his platinum blond hair and searched the stars, for what exactly he wasn't sure. Maybe it was time he headed home. The one thing that he felt inconvenienced about when it came to the night sky was that it was impossible to tell the time by the placement of the moon. This never followed the same course, moving about as it pleased on a new path every night. And yet that was also something he liked about the night as well. Riku pushed the raft back onto the sand, then made his way to his little boat, which would transport him back to his sterile prison.

Soon enough he stood at his front door. Contemplating whether he should just open it and go in, or if he should sneak in through his bedroom window. He had no way of knowing if his parents were asleep or not. If he went through the front door, and they were awake, they would probably catch him, and he would get in trouble for staying out so late, leaving without permission, not doing his chores, and a whole list of other things he didn't care to think of. But if he went through his window he would need to hop the fence and climb the tree in their back yard. And he could make a lot of noise if he wasn't careful. Riku decided to go with the window. It was less risky, and he could always blame the noise on a stray cat once he was safe inside his room.

Getting over the fence and up the tree was no problem, he had been dong this since he was little. What was a problem, was balancing on an outstretched tree limb, while attempting to open, and enter his bedroom through, a window about twenty feet off the ground at night with the wind blowing. To say the least, that part had never been a picnic. Riku could currently be found stretching over a 4-foot gap between the creaky wood of this particular tree limb, and the slippery wood of his window sill, while trying to open the damned thing. He pressed his hand against the glass and leaned on it, trying to slide it up, and open. It didn't move so he tried it again.

When it didn't work the second time, he tried to work his fingers into the crack under the window pane, but it was wedged tightly together. Stuck. The wood must have swelled up because of the cold weather. It would be impossible to open from the outside.

"Wonderful..." he laughed sarcastically, leaning his full weight against the window, to get enough leverage to push himself backwards onto branch, and climb down the tree.

Then the window jerked open, with a sudden force that caused Riku to slip through the empty, cold, air, towards the ground. Headfirst. He felt another jerk and he swung into the side of his house, slamming his head on the pale blue stucco siding. And he hung there in the air for a moment before the thought occurred to him that he should check to see what he was dangling from.

He looked up and saw his pant leg had caught on the drain pipe to the rain gutter. A little to the left, was his open window, from which protruded the head of a small girl. Her spiky platinum blond hair was pulled back in ponytails, and her slanted blue eyes were wide with fear. She bit her lip and reached out to him. Riku grabbed hold of her hand just as his snagged pant leg ripped and he swung down with a jerk that nearly pulled the girl right down out of the window an with him. She regained her footing and desperately tried to pull him inside. Riku pulled himself up by the window sill and tumbled into his room, landing on his bed on his back.

After a few deep, calming breaths, he glared at her.

"Ukiri what are you doing up? You're supposed to be in bed." he whispered angrily. She stuck her tongue out at him, and shut his window again. Than sat back down next to him again. Ukiri swung her legs over his bed post, and kicked her legs rhythmically in the air. Then said in a quiet voice.

"I, was waiting for you, I was watching out your window. Daddies downstairs, in the living room, waiting for you to open the door. So he can... yell at you." Tiku sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the closed window. He had really hoped his parents would be sleeping by the time he got home. That way he might be able to sneak something to eat from the kitchen. Since he head left so early that morning, he hadn't had time to eat breakfast. Or anything else for that matter. And he knew that his parents wouldn't save him anything for dinner. He wasn't supposed to be out of the house in the first place. Ukiri rested her head on her hand and looked up at him.

"So what are you gonna do Riku" she sighed. Riku gently pushed her off the bed.

"Don't worry about me, you just go to bed. You're not supposed to be up and you know it." He said, adding an edge of hostility to his voice, hoping it would drive her away. Ukiri stood up and stared at him intensely.

"Are you going to fight with daddy" she said in a serious tone that a child her age shouldn't have. It disturbed him deeply whenever she talked to him like that. Riku shook his head.

"No. I'm just gonna go to sleep. I'll talk to dad in the morning." he said, kicking off is shoes and lying on his bed tiredly. Ukiri stepped closer to him and watched him with frightened eyes. Like a doe in the headlights.

"You're not gonna let him wait down there all night are you? That will make him really mad" Riku grabbed Ukiri by her chin and pulled her face close to his, in an attempt to get his point across.

"Ukiri? Do you hear me? Listen close, okay? Do. Not. Worry. About. Me. Now go to bed before" he stopped. Turned her face to the side, and squinted his weary eyes, trying to see...

"Ukiri, where did this bruise come from" he demanded. Ukiri jumped and pulled away from him.

"What bruise" she said quietly, touching her face where the purple and black coloring marred her childish features. Riku sat up and narrowed his eyeswrathfuly.

"The one on you're eye. Where did that come from Ukiri" He demanded a second time, his voice becoming louder. Ukiri made a shushing motion. And glanced nervously towards his door.

"I fell, I mopped the floor and I fell and I hit my face on the counter." she said quickly. Too quickly. Riku stood up.

"You were mopping the floor? Ukiri, that's my chore, why were you doing it" he said suspiciously.

Ukiri shrugged and looked out his window.

"Well I didn't want you to get in trouble... so I woke up extra early to do it. But it took a really long time." Riku nodded.

"Yeah, I always hated mopping, and dad never thought I made it clean enough, and made me do it twice. Did he make you do it again too"

"No, he got mad at me for doing your chores and he" Ukiri gasped and covered her mouth. Riku closed his eyes and his hands balled into fists. It seemed his blood had suddenly been replaced by a hot acid hatred. And his heart was pumping it double-time.

"I knew it. He hit you. Didn't he Ukiri? Don't lie to me." he said, with a chilling psychotic patience. She shook her head. "He didn't hit me! I really fell! He told me not to do your chores any more and he tried to push me out of the kitchen, but I slipped and hit my eye. That's all" Riku moved silently past her. His fury turning into rage, as he muttered to her

"Is that what really happened? Or is that what you're supposed to tell your friends at school when they ask you about it" Ukiri bit her thumb and didn't say anything.

Riku pushed the door open and light flooded into his room, hitting him in the face and temporarily blinding him.

He tromped down the stairs loudly. Making sure his father knew he was there. His father sat in a wooden chair, right in front of the door. Every light in the living room was turned on, and a fire was blazing in the fire place. Riku could always tell how mad his father was at him by how bright he kept a room. When the room was dark he was in a good mood. If the lighting was average, he wasn't too mad, and if all the lights were on, then he was going to beat you until you couldn't scream in pain anymore, and he needed the light to keep track of you when you tried to run. These beatings left Riku with a mild case of Photophobia. Fear of bright lights. But right now Riku was too angry to notice the lights, there was no room left inside him for fear. The man in the chair looked at Riku, who stood on the bottom stair, and he stood up.

"Look who decided to come home tonight" he cawed.

"If it isn't master Riku! The one who is too good to do chores, or go to school! Oh no he cannot be bothered with the trivial matters of us mere mortals. Thank your highness for blessing me with your prescience." His dad announced mockingly. He took a drag of his cigarette and tossed it into the fireplace. Then strolled up to his son.

"So... where have you been all day? Your mother and I have been worried sick about you. Always coming and going as you please. So where did you go that was so important? Huh! Answer me when I'm talking to you boy" His father roared. Riku clenched his fists. His father noticed, and laughed.

"HAW! HAW! HAW! What'cha gon' do boy! You plan on fightin' me? Huh? You think you can take me? Is that it? I'd like to see you TR" his final word was cut off when Riku swung his fist into has fathers eye. The man stumbled backwards in surprise, clutching the place where his son's knuckles had left their mark on his face. Riku smirked and raised his fists. Hopping from foot to foot like a boxer in the ring

"Come on old man! Show me what you got! I want to see how good you have to fight to be able to beat on an eight-year-old girl" He growled.

"You worthless traitorous pathetic excuse for a son" his father bellowed, lunging at him. He hit Riku in the side of his head and knocked him to the ground, and kicked him across the floor into the living room coffee table. Then he jumped on the boy, pinning his arms to his sides using his large muscular legs. Then swung forcefully at his face, beating on the boy who stood no chance against a fully grown 192 lb man. And yet, Riku could still see his fathers face. Through the blood, the fists, and the glaring light, he still saw it. A smile.

And the smile was what did it. With a sudden burst of hate-fueled strength, he freed his arm, and yanked down the whole coffee table, it flipped onto its side and hit his dad with enough force to knock him off there boy. The leg broke off the coffee table, and Riku rose to his feet. Holding the table leg like a bat. His eyes were clouded, and far away, and in the light reflected by the fire, they even seemed to have changed color. He was no longer the same Riku. It was some other person in his body. Someone who was nothing likes Riku, a child that had submissively suffered through countless beatings, and never made any effort to retaliate. The person standing in this room now, holding the bat, and taking slow, jerky, steps towards Riku's father, could never possibly bow down and submit to anyone.

And as this person stood ominously over him, Riku's father saw these cat like eyes, and he screamed.

With a sudden inhuman speed the bat swung up and hit him in the jaw, snapping it shut. His fathers head snapped back and was knocked into the wall, in a corner. And this Riku kicked him in the stomach, hard enough to knock the wind out of him. The man fell over and Riku brought his foot down on his throat. then raised the bat over his head and swung it at him, over and over again, screaming every obscenity in his vocabulary, searching for something to injure his fathers unbreakable and unsubstantiated pride. Trying to form his hatred for this man into coherent sentences. But there was no word that could drown his fiery anger. No sound that could soothe his feelings of betrayal. None but the sickening crunch that he heard after hitting his father with the wooden makeshift bat.

Riku's eyes cleared, and his breath froze in his lungs, his words ceased to flow, as he listened to the screams of pain that rushed from his father's mouth.

Riku looked at the man clutching his left arm, which was dangling limply at an impossible angle. He heard a door slam, and feet scurrying down the staircase. He felt his mother rush past him and watched her drop to his father's side. Her cries of "Oh my god! Oh MY GOD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM! YOU MONSTER" rang through his head like glass breaking.

His mother was taking his fathers side. He looked down at them mechanically, at his mom, her long silver hair that she always prided, was in a mess. HE saw how she held his father close to her heart, the way she used to hold him, while holding ice to his bruises, after his father had beaten especially hard.

But this time his mother held his father, and the tears that would usually be running silently down his cheeks, were rushing from the eyes of his wailing father. And Riku was the one who had struck a little too hard, a little too much. But something kept him from quite gripping the situation, like it was some strange family on a TV. Show you've never seen before. How could she possibly be holding... him? This man, who on more than one occasion, had not only beat her children, but struck her for trying to stop him.

This didn't make any sense, it couldn't possibly be happening. Weren't they supposed to be on the same side? It had always been them shielding each other, from the tyrant. His mother should be holding HIM. Right? Then he saw something that scared him back to reality. Something that rested deep in his mothers eyes. He saw fear. Fear of her son. Who was only attempting to protect the shattered remnants of his broken family from this brightly burning behemoth that broke it with every passing every day. Just like the sun broke the night with every sunrise.

Riku felt himself stumble backwards, and he reached for something to keep him from falling, as he turned away from her. His mother helped his father to his feet and out the front door. Soon enough, he heard the car start up and burn rubber down the road. Riku brushed away the brimming tears that hid in the corners of his eyes, and walked in the kitchen, put his head under the water faucet, and ran cold water over his hot head. Washing away the blood and the heat that were the result of his fight with his father. Then he walked over to the mirror in the living room.

The cuts on his face were minor, and all were easily hid by his hair, as usual. So he walked back into the kitchen, wrapped some ice up in a towel, and held it against his face. To stop the swelling before it started. Though it was nearly impossible to bruise him, for some reason or another, if he wasn't careful, his head would swell up like a balloon.

Then, shoulders hunched, head hung low, he slowly walked back up to his room, he had the posture of a soldier defeated in battle, and emerging from the field utterly alone.

He wanted to return to his room, turn off all the lights, and bask in the warm darkness. Darkness. One of his few friends, the one he knew could never possibly betray him. Unlike humans. All the darkness could do was be there for him, and when necessary, hide him, from the blinding light's From where he was out in the open, where any one was free to scrutinize, to examine, to judge and do with him as they wished. Darkness was a sanctuary. Darkness was like a person. One that would always be there for him no matter what, and he depended on it. Unlike with everyone else, who he could always depend on having, betray him.

In his black room, his fortress of solitude, Ukiri sat on his bed. She was looking out the window. Riku sat next to her. "Go to bed Ukiri." he muttered coldly. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone." She said in her serious tone. A tone no child her age should be able to have. Some how, more than anything else, that tone drove it home to him, just how messed up his family was. More than the years of yelling, punching, kicking and screaming. More than the bruises and the scars that he hid under both his clothes, and his fake "Nothing's wrong nothing's wrong nothing's wrong" facade. The way she had been forced into this premature adult hood by these careless adults that somehow called themselves parents and kept a straight face.

She sniffled, wiped her nose with the sleeve of her blue moon pajamas, and covered her face with her hands as she slowly climbed off Riku's bed. As she walked towards his door, he saw in her, the same hopeless defeat he felt in himself.

Riku sighed. "Ukiri" he said softly. She turned and looked at him. Her eyes were red from crying and tears had left their marks, staining her cheeks where they had crossed in unending streams surely only moments ago, but none showed themselves now. Ukiri never cried in front of people. It was something she and Riku were never able to do. Because they knew tears would get them nowhere.

"Ukiri... do... do you wanna sleep in here tonight" he said, trying to smile, the way Sora would. But something inside him wouldn't work, and he couldn't do it. Ukiri wiped her nose and nodded. "Uh-huh." she murmured, ever quiet. Riku waved his hand in a get-going motion. "Then go get your stuff." he said. Ukiri turned and ran to her room.

Riku woke up early again the next morning; he pulled the wet towel off his-face. He stared at it for a moment, trying to recall the specifics of what happened last night. Then, as he became more cognitive of his surroundings, his memories began to bombard him in a flurry of hate, fear, and helpless acceptance. He sat up and considered leaving the house before his parents woke up again. He hadn't eaten at all yesterday, but there were coconuts on the island, a he could eat those.

Riku started to get up and leave, but Ukiri had her arms wrapped around him she clung to him like a person falling and reaching for something to stabilize themselves again. He didn't want to leave her. And he hesitated. Wondering if leaving her with them was such a good idea. Because he would be leaving her with them. And after what he said last night, about his dad beating on an eight-year-old, chances were their warped minds saw most of this as her fault. Not that there was anything he could possibly do about it. Except, of course, make it worse. He was great at that.

It was probably better if he left. Riku removed Ukiri's arms, and slid silently out of his bed. Put on his shoes, and opened the door, to where his father stood waiting.

His arm was in a sling, and he was sucking on another cancer stick. He cut his narrow eyes at Riku. Put out his cigarette on the wall, drew in a deep breathe and said in a calm voice

"So... I see you're sneaking off again. Well, you know boy, I honestly hope that you've been going out every morning looking for a job. Because once you step over that threshold today, you're not coming back again. Do you have that" His father drew himself up to his full height, a towering 6'10", and looked down at Riku, with pure distain in his eyes. And Riku knew, he was completely serious. He looked up at his father, emotionless, hocked back, and spit on his face. Then pushed past him, and walked right out the front door, without looking back.

Riku stood outside the little shack in the bushes. He was feeling his face to make sure it wasn't swollen when Sora walked up behind him. He turned and smiled. "Hey, Sora. Our raft still needs a name." he said coolly. He looked up thoughtfully. "Let's see... How about High wind? What would you call it" he said. Sora smiled broadly "Me? Well...hmm... Excalibur" he chimed. He had obviously been thinking about this. Riku looked off in the distance. "Hey, how 'bout..."

"The usual" finished Sora. "Let's do it" Riku laughed. He heard Kairi up on the bridge. "You guys at it again? All right, I'll be the judge." She took her sweet time strolling over, announcing "The usual rules apply: Take any route you want...first one to tag that tree and make it back here wins." Sora looked at Riku, and said "If I win, I'm captain! And if you win..." Riku interrupted

"I get to share the Poapu with Kairi."

"Huh"

"Deal? The winner gets to share a Poapu with Kairi."

"Wha... Wait a minute..." cried Sora in a confused way. Kairi leaned forward and smiled. "Okay. On my count: 3...2...1" Riku laughed a he pushed off into a sprint. He loved to play with Sora's head. The kid took everything too seriously. Riku smirked as Sora ran up next to him. He was getting better. But Riku knew a short cut. He tagged the giant star and Leapt into the tree's as Sora jumped back down into the sand. Same path as always. He knew it, He hopped to the last tree and slept. As he fell on his butt he saw Sora jumping across the old dilapidated bridge. When did that kid get so fast! Riku jumped up and sprinted fast as possible back to Kairi. But it was too late. Sora stood next to her. Doing his victory dance. "Alright! Today's score: Sora 1, Riku ZERO" He crowed happily. Riku played it off still. Narrowing his eyes and smiling. "Man, lighten up. It's just a name, after all." Sora pouted as Riku downplayed his victory. Then walked up to him "Uh... Riku? About our deal..." he said, awkwardly. Riku turned and looked at him. "What's that? Oh, the Poapu thing? It was just a joke. You should have seen your face." he laughed. Sora pouted again and walked off. Riku shook his head. That boy is too sensitive. He watched as Sora left to go and find supplies for the trip. And Riku stopped to wonder what was happening to him. Was something wrong with him? Why were things messing up so much lately? More than usual. Riku strolled over to the bushes and sat down in the shade. He felt more comfortable in the shade. He got nervous and twitchy when he was out in the sun for too long, nobody seemed to notice though. Those other things didn't really matter. All this would change soon. Soon they would all be free. He couldn't wait until tomorrow. When they would finally be able to go

Riku sighed and rubbed his head. Once again, everyone was gone, and he was alone on the island. The sun was floating just above the ocean, about to sink under the water and finally give way to the night again, and Riku was wondering where he was going to sleep tonight. Maybe on the dock. So he could see the stars, but it might get too cold out in the open. The tree house could be a great place, but that place was pretty open too. Riku rubbed his forehead and walked over to the big lookout point, he might see a good place from there. But he stopped when he saw Sora and Kairi sitting on the edge of the dock. Watching the sunset together. He snuck up from the side, and crawled underneath the dock, planning to yank on their legs and pull them into the water. Just mess with them basically... when he heard Kairi say:

"You know, Riku has changed."

"What do you mean" Sora said innocently.

"Well..."

"You okay"

"Sora lets take the raft and go-just the two of us"

Riku's eyes widened. He fell backwards on the sand, unable to beleive his ears. Why would Kairi say that about him? How could she even consider taking his escape from him? Stranding him here? When he was the one to come up with the idea of leaving Destiny islands in the first place? What exactly had he done that made her feel this way about him?

"Huh" cried Sora, sharing Riku's feelings of shock at what had come from Kairi's mouth.

She laughed "Just kidding."

"What's gotten into you? You're the one that changed Kairi."

"Maybe... You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right"

"Yeah, of course"

"That's good. Sora, don't ever change."

"Huh"

"I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great."

Riku closed his eyes. Waited a moment, then he snuck silently out from under the dock and headed back inland, towards the secret place. Where he sat in the shadows, and watched his two friend's row off to their homes. Together. And he tried not to let what Kairi said get to him. Tried not to see, or to feel, the betrayal seeping in through the walls, and the cracks, and the holes, of the foundation of the trust he felt for his friends. To intrude from that pit that was called his home life into this sacred realm, where he always played with the only two people he really felt could be trusted. But he couldn't help but doubt that they felt the same way about him.

Maybe that fight was a good thing. One of those blessings in disguise. At least this way he didn't feel guilty about leaving without saying goodbye to his mother. And Ukiri-... Riku paused midthought. He sat silent inside the secret cave. His back against the wooden door, contemplating his life.

"Ukiri..." he murmured. She would be stuck with those people, who weren't fit to be parents. Riku stood up. "I have to go back and get her." he announced to no one. But then, he heard the roar of thunder, as if objecting to what he set out to do. Riku looked around in confusion. There was a loud noise, like strong winds gushing through a tunnel. Riku turned away from the back of the cave, and made his way out. Upon emerging on the beach, he discovered it in a condition it had never been in before. It was dark. And not the normal dark that descended with the night. This was different. Like someone had covered the sky with a huge black blanket, and cut off this place from the rest of the world.

Riku crossed the bridge, to the small islet where the Poapu tree grew. The air was buzzing with an energy he had never felt before. He looked up at the sky, and saw a swirling black ball...Something was going on. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the feeling he got from the charged air. And he knew that something had changed. Something, big...

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you" panted Sora.

"The door has opened..." he said, hiding his smile.

"What"

"The door has opened, Sora" Riku growled. In all honesty he wasn't completely sure what he was talking about himself, but his heart was pumping so fast it didn't matter. He turned to face Sora.

"Now we can go to the outside world"

"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi"

"Kairi's coming with us" he insisted. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back." He felt a smile curl across his lips as he added "We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness" His breath was quick as he reached his hand out to Sora. Tried to keep Sora with him. Sora took a step back, as if overcome by some fear.

"Riku..."

Then he felt the ground beneath him melting away. And he felt that charge in the air congregate around him, wrapping around him, holding him tightly, it clung to him the way Ukiri had clung to him in her sleep. And Riku knew he was prepared for whatever would happen next, any fear in him melted away. Sora ran towards him. And Riku watched as the black energy appeared beneath him as well, sprung from the ground in thin wispy waves, ready to take them both in. Sora reached for Riku's hand, with an almost desperate look on his face. Then he was gone.

Yes... Thats the end of chapter one, my friend was mad that I made SElphie Tidus and Wakka all jump Riku. I put that in there as another version of what Tidus said on Destiny islands "One time all three of us took him on, and he beat us all" Its just from Riku's point of view. I know its pessimistic, but I hope you liked it anyway, please review.