Sharp pain tore at his heart. He doubled over and then fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. Riku's eyes closed tightly, fighting the pain. Fighting the darkness.

He was the only one to blame for his struggle. He'd decided that he was not going to wallow in self-pity, though. He was going to get up and fight. He would fight to keep that delicate balance of light and shadow that made him Riku.

He tried to push himself up off the ground, but he fell back with a grunt. Silvery sheets of hair spilled over his shoulders, embracing his cheeks. His hair blocked his view of the rest of world. For the moment, his world was cut down to a patch of the winding, dirt road.

"Gee, are you alright, Riku?" Mickey's concerned voice hovered somewhere near his head.

"Yeah," was all he could say. He pulled his head up, disentangling himself from the painful conflict within his heart. His small, mousy friend helped him up. Slowly, he straightened up. He closed his eyes, sighed and opened them up again. He brushed the dirt off his jet-black cloak.

Quick, turquoise globes took in his simple surroundings. One straight, brown path cut through a sea of vermilion. The sky gave no sign of darkening or lighting up, but he swore he could see the slightest rosy glimmer on the horizon.

"Dawn." He murmured to himself. His voice held a hint of awe. It was hard to believe how far he had gotten.

Riku found himself smiling. He was almost surprised by the joy and hope that warmed his cheeks and smoldered in his eyes.

He was not alone anymore. He had been tricked into thinking that there was nothing at all in his heart; that he did not deserve a friend. He saw his newest friend out of the corner of his eyes. His smile widened. Despite what he had been told, he was here. He had defied destiny, stepping out of the darkness and reaching for the light.

"Race you!" He could not contain the golden warmth that was filling him. He ran at a controlled pace at first, trying to give his disadvantaged friend a chance to keep up.

"To where?" The eyes of his friend scanned the empty road, searching for some landmark. He gave Riku a confused glance. Riku's spontaneous mood swing had surprised him. Obviously, he had not spent a very long amount of time in the company of teenagers.

"Tomorrow!" Riku shouted behind him, running faster. He ran as fast as he could, laughing at the wind that pushed back his hair and flung his cloak open. He could do anything with a good friend at his side. The bitter loneliness that ate at his heart dissipated. Energy flowed through his limbs. He could run and run and run forever. But, he did not run away from the darkness anymore. He ran to the light.

He cast off the past as he ran. He felt so much younger. Someday, he'd repent for what he'd done. Someday, he'd look back on the past and know that it had made him stronger. Right now, however, nothing mattered. He was racing towards tomorrow, without looking back.