Going Down on the Path to Twilight

((WARNING: contains spoilers))

Rain fell bitterly, pitter-pattering against rooftops, street lamps, cars, buses, even kids. Kids were the only ones that played in the rain; adults didn't play in the rain. Adults didn't play at all. They were too busy, always working, never playing. Really sad when you think about it. How could anyone go all their life without just enjoying themselves every once in a while? The simple joy of running through the rain when you don't have to just to get wet, the pleasure of digging holes in the yard, even though it ruins the grass, the pure unbridled happiness of getting a new toy. Adults for some reason don't want to have fun anymore though, they always feel the need to work and not to play, or they don't enjoy playing anymore because it takes away from their work. They work from Dawn till Dusk without even taking a break. It's a bleak existence for anyone to have to cope with.

Dogs barked rabidly and cats yowled their distaste for the sky water. The clouds as black as night completely blocked out the sun, not that there was much sun to be had. It was always so dark…always so cold. People passed down the street with umbrellas like faceless shadows coasting along the sidewalks. Darkness consumed all of their hearts, but they didn't know it. None of them knew it, no one ever did, until it was too late and the darkness manifested itself, but that's how it was in this world of eternal shadows that crept along consuming all they touched. A world of darkness, a world of Night.

He watched over them all, like an angel of darkness watching the world tick by. Perched on the top of the skyscraper that scraped the space between Dusk and Night. Why couldn't they know? Why couldn't anyone help them. It was all too sad. They lived a bleak and dark existence, welcoming darkness into their hearts, then soon it manifests itself and kills them and moves on to the next, uncaringly destroying whole cities with its sheer temptation. No one ever shed a tear for those that had been absorbed into the darkness. They just simply disappeared and no one said a word. No one shed a tear. No one said a prayer that one day they would see their face again. Darkness, the lord of the night and consumer of hearts. Destroying worlds by fueling bitter emotions: anger, hate, rage. No way to stop it, no way to block it, the only fate was to except it. The darkness had snuffed at all light, except one last spark, one last little hope which is always the hardest to put out.

He stood up, looking down at the people, all hosts to some depth of darkness. A cold blast of air smacked him across the face. He turned around to find he was not alone atop his perch. The hooded figure stared him down, a cold cruel smirk on the only part of his face the dim artificial lights of the city would show. "what are you going to do for them? Do you really think your their messiah. Give up already, there's nothing you can do. Darkness is eternal, you can never destroy it all for the world cannot exist without it." His voice was a cold blast of reality, icy as the wind he had rode in on.

"No, I might not be able to extinguish the darkness, but I can put light back into the world. You see, darkness is eternal yes, but so is light. One cannot exist without the other, so their will always be light, and I will always be the harbinger of light, just as you are messenger of darkness." His reply was smooth, calm, yet cold and indifferent to the people who had died to get him where he was, the final face off of light versus darkness, atop a skyscraper in the Twilight.

"You can't save them all. Some don't want to be saved. And as long as there are unsaved people in the world it will still be seethed in darkness. Give up…please old friend. Because if you don't…I'll have to kill you"

A smile curled across his lips "No I can't save them all, I might not be able to save a single one, but I tried and that puts me on the road…"

He looked at him, curious expression on his face, " and what road would that be? The road to Light? The road to Dawn?"

His smile stretched even fuller across his face as he shook his head " No friend… the road into the Twilight… that is where I belong…"

"Twilight…." He questioned darkly before laughing " stuck between light and darkness? Whatever could have happened to our savior to cause such a thing? So your not immune to feelings of guilt?"

"I feel no remorse for what I've done to get where I am standing right now. It doesn't matter what had to happen to bring this face off, light and darkness, the final round…will you fight with me?" he asked and smiled at his friend. How long had it been? Everything had been going fine. Twelve years had passed and the realm of light had been saved. There were no more 'bad guys', yes there was still darkness, still evil, still the Heartless that attempted to devour the world, all worlds, the heart of all worlds. But the realm of light was at peace. What darkness could have lured his friend from him too this place? He'd gone off in pursuit of his friend who had saved him once before. It had been twelve year since the fall of 'the organization', and only since two years ago had some version of evil manifested itself, this time not it the form of heartless or nobodies, but as the boy, now man who had once protected the realm of light with his life, the key barer. "Sora, I never wanted this to ever happen again. You saved me from darkness, now let me save you" he muttered and extended his hand, the same way he had where he had tempted his friend with the darkness, now he was tempting him with light.

"Save me?" he spat angrily. " I need no saving. It is you who is always picking the wrong side Riku. I was a fool, there is no meaning to the realm of light. Light can grow weak and powerless. While there will always be one spark it will only be in people like you. Everyone has darkness in there hearts, but not everyone has light Riku. If I want to protect the world I must wield the power of darkness, because darkness is in every heart, even yours." A long despising grin spread across Sora's face. He had grown to loathe his old friend in the twelve years since Organization XIII had been destroyed. They had lived peaceably…but only for a while. " Nothing good can ever last Riku" he murmured fervently, drawing closer to his friend. He stopped about a foot away, his smirk growing "join us…" he stepped closer, his face mere inches from his friends. Riku could feel the heat of his breath on his face as he whispered longingly "join me…"

He simply stared into Sora's eyes allowing all the distaste he could muster to seep into his vision. This was not going to happen. Sora leaned in closer and closer, there faces almost touching. " You WILL join me" he said darkly.

Riku aloud a smirk to take over his face as he placed a hand on Sora's chest. " Sora...I …I" he stuttered for a moment then his keyblade, the Way To Dawn, appeared in his hand and he sliced it across Sora's chest. " I think you've turned into a crazy bastard."

Sora reeled back shrieking and cursing " You fucking bastard. Kill him" he yelled and Riku watched as shadows below his feet began to shift and change. Darkness pooled at his feet and he felt himself beginning to sink rapidly

'don't lose hope…' who's voice was that?

'I have faith in you Riku, you must over come the darkness'

Riku backed away towards the edge of the building as tendrils of darkness licked his feet. He could scarcely move, …what was happening? He tried to back away, and then he felt himself falling. He felt terribly lightheaded and the wind whipped him relentlessly. He opened his eyes to find the ground rushing up to meet him and the skyscraper shooting up and away from him. Falling…falling…then he was out cold

Slowly feeling crept back into Riku's body. He twitched a finger then he herd an " so he is alive…that's good." His eyes flickered open; his whole body was a dull throb of pain. He tried to move more but it shot terrible flares of pain through him, causing him to cry out. He then heard a cold, familiar laugh " Easy Riku… don't strain yourself, you might end up hurting yourself and then who would we have to help us?" Riku looked around for the source of the hauntingly familiar voice.

"Zexion? But…but your dead."

"and what makes you think that hmmm? You didn't see it for yourself did you?" Zexion peered down at Riku, his lavender hair falling down in his face. "I am the last of Organization XIII, no…there is no more organization… but I am the last of my kind, nobodies that can still remember what it is like to have a heart… I am alone and unique…tragic…. eh?"

"What do you want? Where am I? Where's Sora? I'm going to kill that mother fu-"

"Silence Riku, I wouldn't have bothered saving you if I knew you'd be such a nuisance. As for your questions, Your in an alleyway laying on a bunch of cardboard boxes, your everything is pretty much broken…so you can't move. Where Sora is, I don't know but that leads to your other question…what I want. I believe we share a mutual goal at eliminating the once key holder. He's no good for this world now that he has been tempted by the darkness."

"So that explains why I would want to eliminate him. But what about you? There has to be some twisted reason you want my help."

"yes…but it is of little relevance to you. As I previously stated I'm no longer with the organization. My intentions have no malice to them. So can we strike a deal or shall I leave you here to die?"….

((Authors note: It took me quite some time to getting around to finishing my first chapter but there it is. I hope you all like it because I spend quite a few nights working on it. I plan to start working on the next chapter as soon as I finish my Mt. Dew so I'll hopefully have it up soon. Please review, I would really appreciate any criticism you can give me, because your opinions are better than my own. I never like anything I write so I rely on others to tell me what's good/ not good.))