Becoming Darkness

Summary: Riku ponders his plan, and the effects it may have. Set pre-KH1 and during the prologue. Oneshot. Some onesided Riku/Kairi, implied Sora/Kairi.

[A/N: This is my first posted fic, although I've written a lot in the past. Read & review, and let me know if you think I should post my other fics. Also, the prologue parts will be a bit different. Blame the fact that I haven't played KH1 in forever, the fact that I'm away from home without KH1, and the fact that this inspiration bunny decided to bounce off the walls of my brain like Sora on crack at 5am. This A/N's getting way too long.]

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

"Riku, are you okay?" Her crimson brow furrowed in worry for me, as she questioned me while Sora went collecting supplies for our raft; a raft that would never be used, but it was imperative that they believed it would.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask, Kairi?" I wasn't fine. That night, I would allow - no, I would cause - our world to be destroyed. I would turn the lives of my two best friends upside down, and quite possibly end the lives of three close friends of ours. That's to say nothing of what would happen to me. Mere collateral damage, though.

The funny part is, I'm destroying our world so that it, and hundreds - no, thousands - of other worlds, can be saved. Of course, there's a chance that he will fail. But if the plan isn't carried out, there will be no chance of success. As I said, mere collateral damage.

"Winner names the raft?" His brunette spikes bounced around as he did the same. That kid has way too much excess energy. He'll love Neverland.

"You're on, Sora." I didn't care what the raft was named. But he had to compete with me. Competition with me was a major part of what was going to drive him on his journey. But you see, I have to trigger the beginning. He would never sacrifice this world, Kairi, Tidus, Selphie, Wakka, or anything to win. Unlike him, I understand that sacrifice is necessary.

He will hate me; that I can guarantee. He will never look at me the same again. But that hatred will be what drives him. Even if he winds up hating me enough to kill me... As long as he saves the worlds, it is unimportant. I will gladly die to save the worlds. It's funny... We've spent most of our lives since we've known each other competing. I usually won, but now he has to win. If he doesn't, he's not strong enough to save the worlds, and the universe is doomed to fall into eternal darkness. Bummer.

"Tell Maleficent it is time." I told the Shadow, watching it sink into the floor and disappear, then jumping up and sitting on the warped and bent tree... Our tree. I could almost imagine Sora sitting next to me and Kairi leaning against the tree, the three of us laughing and joking like we used to. Of course, that won't ever happen again... It's probably for the best, I was always a third wheel anyway, and my feelings for Kairi will only complicate things. Those two are good for each other... She's his voice of reason, he helps her stop being so uptight and have some fun.

I wasn't looking forward to this... I was going to lose all five of them, quite possibly permanently. Not only that, but I was going to lose myself. Quite possibly permanently. For my plan to work, I have to allow him to possess me. Regardless, I could not back down at this point. I will assist him, just not in a way that he knows about. After all... To conquer darkness, one must become darkness.

[A/N: So what do you think? I'm thinking of doing a continuation of this, showing Riku's thoughts through the course of the game. Think I should? As always, review, I could use feedback. I'll give you a cookie. No, seriously. Give me your address, I'll send you one in the post. Yeah, didn't think it'd work. Worth a shot.]