Hey...so I wrote a new story. Yes another story...cause I felt like it. This particular idea I have had for a while though, I just never got around into writing it.

But thanks to The Taios for helping me write this thing.

But yeah the basic idea of it as that I wanted Cecil and Riku to meet. There is a lot of things that are similar with them and so this story has come to be!

Sorry the summary isn't that great...I am not the greatest at those things. If you have any suggestions though, let me know.

Enjoy!

Prolouge

It was another long night. Another long restless night that Riku couldn't sleep. Riku sat up and stared out the window. Though it was technicality nighttime, the sun outside still was setting. The oddness of Twilight Town with it's never setting sun never ceased to amaze Riku. But unlike other nights, Riku just couldn't fall asleep tonight. It was getting close to almost three-hundred days since Sora had gone to sleep to get his memories back. Sora was still asleep and Riku was beginning to worry more and more.

He needed to get out. He needed some fresh air. With a sigh, Riku got up and walked outside to try and clear his head. Riku decided that he would head out somewhere where he could clear his mind, somewhere that didn't have a endless sunset.

Riku then he opened a Dark Corridor and walked in, not caring where he would end up. When he exited he actually found himself to be in a world that he did not recognize. Looking around the area, nothing looked or felt familiar. Riku had found himself to be in a world that he hadn't visited yet. From what Riku could sense though, there were not Heartless or Nobodies, but there did seem to be varios creatures roaming around the area.

Even though he didn't know where he was, Riku was at least thankful that this world had a normal day and night. Riku pushed up his blindfold slightly, only revealing one of his eyes, so he could actually see rather than just sensing everything. He looked up to see a full nighttime sky with stars and everything. Riku started to walk around for a little while before he stopped dead in his tracks.

He sensed something...or someone.

"Darkness…" Riku muttered in his thoughts, "Someone or something around here has a great amount of darkness. Perhaps even more than me... But where is it coming from?"

Riku walked a bit more until he saw a glowing light in the distance. Upon walking closer Riku could see it was a campfire with two tents set up next to it. Sitting next to the firepit was someone dressed in a strange armor that Riku had never seen.

Riku stopped again, "That armor...I can sense the darkness emanating from within there...it's stronger than I thought." Riku stood there for a few minutes, wondering whether or not he should proceed any further. He didn't know what would happen if he got too close to the armored person, but he was still very wary of the darkness he sense from them.

The armored person removed their helmet, revealing a face of a young man, who had long white hair and turquoise blue eyes. He began to politely eat his meal in peace... before placing it down and noticing Riku. "You know, if you are going to conceal yourself, you are doing a slightly poor job at it."

Riku tensed up a little before relaxing. He still wasn't sure about this guy, as he could still sense the darkness coming from him, but at the same time the guy didn't seem to have any bad intentions or anything of the sort. Either way, Riku decided to kept his guard up, just to be safe. He then slowly walked a little closer before speaking up, "Sorry if I am intruding. I… just happened to be walking through this area…"

"Come, Sit. There is plenty of room around this campsite. But you might wish to keep your voice down. Not only monsters have been roaming at night, but my companions are resting in the cottage here" The guy said as he gestured to the tent behind him. "I couldn't sleep myself ... my name is Cecil."

Riku paused for a moment before walking over to the campfire and sitting down. He could feel the warmth of the fire on his face. "Thanks. I'm Riku."

The two of them sat in silence before Cecil was the one who spoke. "Where is your destination? My companions and I are heading towards Mt. Ordeals."

Riku shrugged, "Not really anywhere, I just really out for a walk…I couldn't sleep either. I guess it's just one of those sleepless nights."

"I see... I am sensing that you have the power of darkness as well... is that correct?"

Riku tensed up again and shifted slightly. "He can also sense the darkness...I should have figured that." After a moment of not saying anything, he slowly nodded his head while placing his arms on his knees and resting his chin on them. "Yeah...though I never really wanted to have it…"

"I can understand why... that is why I am heading towards the mountain. I seek to relinquish my blade of darkness and become a paladin there." Cecil said in a slightly forlorn tone, as well as a tense look on his face.

Riku lifted his head up slightly, curious and intrigued, "Can it really be something that simple? You can just easily rid yourself of the darkness like that?"

"In all honesty, I am not sure. But I have hope that it could give me a clue or another... If I am to save the person I care for against Golbez." Cecil said.

Riku's curiosity peaked again again at what Cecil said. "So he is also wanting to save someone he cares about…" Riku thought for a moment about what Cecil had said, about the place where he could possibly get rid of his darkness. With a sigh Riku sat up straight again and placed a hand over his heart, "It sounds so simple. But I know that our darkness is different. Mine...is not something I know cannot be taken away so easily."

"... I don't understand... but at the same time, it would seem that you are struggling against your own power."

"I guess you could say that. I never wanted the power of darkness...but at the same time I can't just get rid of it, even if I could. I feel I may need it sometime in the future to help me. So I have been trying…. Trying to walk the road to dawn. Neither in the light or the dark...but in between both." Riku muttered.

"... I see ... would you wish to join me on my quest?" Cecil responded.

"What?" Riku asked.

"I would like your aid if you are to witness me becoming a paladin. That is if you choose to."

Riku sat in silence for a moment as he thought about it. Part of him was actually rather tempted to join Cecil on his journey. To see if Cecil could really get rid of the darkness and become a paladin. Not only that, but Cecil was the first person Riku had met that had the same understand of the darkness like he did. They both were lost in their darkness and wanted to find a way out of it.

After another moment of silence passed, Riku finally answered, "Thank you for the offer, but I can't..."

Cecil closed his eyes for a moment, before sighing and genuinely smiling at Riku, "I understand. I hope that one day you can overcome the trials placed within you as well... is that one of the reasons why you have a blindfold to cover your eyes?"

Riku reached up and placed his hand over the part of the blindfold still covering one of his eyes. He nodded, "Yeah…and I hope that your journey to become a paladin goes well."

"Though, by the time I see you again... I'll probably be a paladin by then," Cecil said in a minor chuckle.

Riku smiled a small bit. It made him feel a little bit better to know that for someone who had darkness, they could remain pretty positive. But then a thought came to Riku as he lowered his head, "But...how will you face your friends after that? Like if…" Riku took in a breath before continued, "If you did something that could make them not want to be around you anymore…"

Cecil was silent for the longest time, before he looked at Riku in sadness. "I've done things that have almost made me into a monster. I've stolen Mysidia's Water crystal... I've unintentionally burned and killed a lot of Mist's summoner's. All for the prosperity of my homeland. But before Mist, I couldn't even disobey the order's of my king. The final straw came when my friend, Kain and I first brought a ring to that village... I couldn't take it any longer. But it came to a surprise that Golbez was the one who wanted the crystals and was manipulating things from behind the scenes. that is why I'm doing this in the first place. That is why I want to save Rosa... the woman I-..." Cecil trailed off as his eyes closed.

Cecil didn't need to continue though. Riku understood what he was going to say so he nodded. "You want to protect the ones you care about. That's what I am trying to do...even though I gave into the darkness and almost destroyed my home… just so I could get out and explore other places...and for a while, I even turned against my best friend. But now I am trying to do what I can to help him," Riku said as he found himself chuckling with a slight smile, "He is far too optimistic for his own good."

Cecil smiled and chuckled as well before the door to the cottage opened slightly as they heard a really young, yet bratty irritable tone. "Would you keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!"

"Sorry, Palom. I did not mean to wake you. I'll be quiet," Cecil responded.

"Yeah, you better be sorry," said as the young boy closed the door in a grumpy mood.

"I guess I should probably be going then," Riku said as he stood up. "It's getting late and I don't want anyone to worry where I am."

"... Riku... I hope to see you once more." Cecil said with a smile.

"And the same to you," Riku said as he smile back before walking off back into the darkness of the land. Once Riku was far enough out of the sight of Cecil, he opening a Dark Corridor and returned back to his room in Twilight Town.

After laying back down on the bed, he thought about the encounter he just had. By random chance he had met someone that reminded him of himself. But yet Cecil seemed more determined and positive about ridding himself of the darkness. Riku not only hoped that Cecil was able to go through with what he said, but Riku hoped that one day he could do the same. But right now, he had a feeling deep inside of him that he may need to use his darkness, whether he really wanted to or not.

Besides that, Riku did wonder if he would ever get to see Cecil again. He did want to know if Cecil became a paladin or not. "Maybe I'll try to visit him again...once this is all over."

And that wraps up that.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you think.

I may add another chapter to this sometime in the future, just gotta think it over and things.

But that's all I got. Thanks for reading!