Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Square Enix, the Square Enix Franchise, or any of its characters. (I also don't own Disney). [I haven't been writing that one, woops.]

Well, surprise! Here's a little treat, for every chapter I make I will submit two because I need to write both Sora and Riku's story. So, here's Riku's part! (Still chapter one though).

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Realm of Light and Dark

Riku:

Riku was perched on the trunk of the paopu tree as always, staring off into the ocean.

The atmosphere was so peaceful and serene, but strangely enough, something about that tranquility made him uneasy.

"Where is everyone?" Sora, Kairi… They weren't there. It was odd, and it left him feeling empty and abandoned.

Inevitably making the decision to look for them, he jumped off the trunk. Once he did, Sora appeared in front of him.

"Oh, there you are Sora. Where you off playing with Kairi again? Both of you have been avoiding me lately." His own words stung him, he didn't want to be forgotten and shrugged off by Sora.

The brunet looked at him blankly, as if he was trying to remember exactly who he was.

Riku snapped his fingers in front of the boy, "Hey Sora? You ok?"

The brunet blinked and instantly his expression was wrapped in fear, he slapped the boy's hand out of his face.

"Get away from me!" he shouted.

Sora tried to run off but Riku grabbed him by the shoulders, "Hey wait Sora, what happened? It's just me!"

The boy shoved him away, "Don't touch me you monster!" he snarled.

Riku's eyes went wide, "monster…?"

Hearing that from Sora cut him deep. He stepped back, "What are you talking about Sora?" a nervous laugh escaped him, surely he was kidding, right? But if this was a game he didn't want to play it.

Suddenly a swirling dark aura started to gather at his feet. The sinister energy engulfed him and altered his outer appearance; the Riku that stood in front of his friend was now cloaked in a dark cloth that tightly wrapped around his skin, and a shredded white garment belted around his waist.

Sora stared at Riku eyes wide, his small frame trembled as he was paralyzed with fear.

Then, without his consent Riku's legs started to advance toward Sora.

Riku panicked, "wait, what's going on!?" he protested.

Sora didn't move, as if he was frozen to the spot, but his expression was filled with pure terror.

"Stop, no! Leave him alone!" Riku shouted. Though no sound actually came from his mouth, all he could do was watch and cry out silent, frantic pleas.

He stood directly in front of Sora and slowly wrapped his hands around his friend's neck; Riku looked on in pure agony.

"Why, can't I stop myself? I don't want this!" he bawled.

Sora clung to his hands, desperately trying to free himself.

Riku's voice came out shaky and pleading, "No… I don't want to hurt him, please!" he cried.

The boy awoke with a start, his breathing was shaky and rampant and beads of sweat trickled down his neck onto his chest. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.

He held a hand to his head.

A… dream?

His eyes widened when he noticed his surroundings, he stood up and noticed there was nothing really to stand up on.

"Where am I…?"

The area that surrounded him was nothing but a gray fog; it stretched on for what seemed eternity. There were no walls, ground, or sky.

"Stay asleep…" a dark voice echoed.

The boy looked around warily, "who's there!?" he shouted.

"You should remain asleep. Here, between light and dark."

"Between… what?" he asked.

Suddenly a thought came to his head; there was someone important with him just a moment ago! Where was he now?

"The king! Where's the king!? Together we closed the door to darkness… after that—"

"You came drifting here by yourself." The voice interrupted. "You did not have the strength to overcome the darkness. Or… maybe you were close to it."

I didn't have the strength…? So… I've been locked away…

"Hmph, as if I'm some kind of demon." Riku growled.

The dark voice chuckled, "Turn from the light, shut your eyes. Here blanketed by the darkness sleep is safety, sleep is eternal. But…"

A bright light flashed in front of him, he flinched in response; when he glanced back there was a bright blue crown shaped card in its place. The mysterious card slowly encircled him, and he watched it with bewilderment.

"What's this?" He asked.

"It is a door to the truth. Take it and you sleep ends as you take the first step towards the truth. But know this, the truth will bring pain. Will you still go?"

The card stopped circling the boy, and now floated in front of him.

"There is no returning to the security of sleep." the voice warned.

Riku eyed the card carefully, if I take this card… who knows what will happen? It could be a trap but…

Images of his recent nightmare flashed through his mind again and he flinched.

If I don't leave nothing will change, and that's a lot worse than any trap that this guy has waiting for me.

He reached out to the card and grabbed it.

"This seemed like a boring place to take a nap anyway." He said smirking.

The voice chuckled, "That was very well said Riku."

The card's light shined brightly once more, and Riku turned away from the intense glare. When he opened his eyes again he was in a pristine white room that was void of anything but a large golden hued door.

He analyzed the room, but there was really nothing there but him, and there was no way back, behind him there was only a wall. Not that he would want to go back.

He held the card in his hand and studied it; a picture of Hollow Bastion was on it.

"A key to the truth, huh…" he repeated to himself.

Trust me; it can't possibly bring me any more pain than I've already brought to myself.

He walked toward the door, "I guess I have to pass using this card huh?"

He held the card up and it shined, a loud click sounded from behind the door and it opened. Riku stepped through without a second thought.

The world he stepped into surprised him, he studied his surroundings; it was exactly how he had remembered it.

"This is Hollow Bastion… Why am I here?"

"What you see is not real. It's the world of your memory." Spoke the voice again.

Riku looked around, the voice was very familiar and he didn't like the sound of it. He couldn't figure out who it belonged to though.

"The things you remember from your time in Maleficent's castle became a card, and that card made this world. You've seen everything here before haven't you?"

"Yeah… Not like I want to remember this place…" his tone was empty, everything about this place brought back memories he would much rather forget.

He looked up at the sky, "So what now!? Am I going to learn something? Maybe, meet someone?" he shouted.

He didn't want to show it, but he wanted to see someone's felt really alone, though he would barely admit it to himself.

"You would meet the people in your memories… ordinarily." The voice said.

Riku bit back a growl, "what does that mean?" he shouted.

The voice didn't reply, he could only hear a faint chuckle echo around him.

"Hey! I'm asking you a question!" he snarled.

He didn't like being toyed with, and that is exactly what he felt was happening.

He bit his lip, "Tch, fine. But it had better be you I run across next, voice." He said in a hostile tone.

He made his way easily through the castle; he knew it like the back of his hand, though that realization sickened him. Every crack and crevice, every door, staircase, and window were recognizable. Every spot brought back memories of how he betrayed Sora, and it pained him.

I just want to leave this place already. What am I here for, I'm not meeting anyone, then…why am I wasting my time walking down memory lane?

Somehow he ended up in front of an especially familiar doorway.

It was the door to his room; he pushed it open and stepped through. Everything was exactly as he remembered it.

It was a dark, tiny space with nothing but a bed and a desk in it. Bookcases lined the walls, they were filled with a vast quantity of literary genres.

None of which, Riku had actually read. Though he did remember skimming through one that reminded him of home.

He walked up to the bookcase and blew some dust off the shelves. He scanned the rows for the book from his memory.

Once he found it he slid it out of its crevice. He wiped the dust bunnies off with his hand and he opened it up.

The book was titled set sail, and spoke of two boys who went on the adventure of a lifetime, they traveled the world in search of riches and excitement. Riku had never voiced it out loud, but deep down he loved fiction, and he loved tales of adventure and travel.

If you were to go in his room back home you would find the walls plastered with all kinds of different types of treasure maps. Even when he was little, his favorite game to play with Sora was pirate.

Back when Riku had stayed with Maleficent, the thing that fed his hope, but unknowingly his darkness was that book. He wanted to travel with Sora the same way the two boys had traveled in the book.

But at some point in the novel, the other boy fell in love. He abandoned the protagonist and he was left alone. That was when Riku closed the book, he feared reading on and having the same fate befall him.

He didn't want to be abandoned.

Funny, because I feared being alone I sought out loneliness myself.

He turned to the end of the book, he wasn't about to read the whole thing, but he at least wanted to know what happened.

Blue's heart pounded rapidly in his chest as his friend's sword pointed threateningly at his neck. There was no escape; behind him the cliff sheared off into a 50 meter drop.

"Why… why did you give everything up, for her!?" he shouted.

Alex's face was twisted in misery, "You should've grown up Blue! You should've let go… but you selfishly held onto that fantasy inside your head. Why am I not allowed to find happiness?"

"You always said you were happy as long as we could set sail together!" he snarled. "What happened to that!?"

Alex's expression was pained, "I was happy… but eventually you grow out of it. I wanted to settle down, raise a family. I couldn't go on your little adventure anymore."

"Well, now what are you going to do with her gone? Hah, I might allow you to travel with me again if you beg!" he laughed.

Alex's expression of sorrow was replaced with scorn. "You are not the brother I had. You are not my friend, and I will never beg you for any of your forgiveness. You're a monster, a demon, and you should be slain like one!"

The man pulled his sword back and thrust it through his former friend's chest. Blue looked down at the blade that pierced his body as his shirt began to stain red.

He looked back up at his friend and smiled a sadly, "You're right, and if anyone was to slay me… I'm glad it was you… my friend."

He reached toward him to give him one final embrace, but everything around him started to fade.

I am a monster, and there is nothing I can do to apologize for how I've wronged you, but… if we are to meet on the other side, I would like to start this over, and atone for my sins… dear brother.

A sharp pain tugged at Riku's heart and his hands began to tremble, he didn't want this to happen. The last thing he would ever want would be for Sora to think was that he was a monster, but… the book was so similar.

What if Sora already thought he was a monster, what if he never wanted to see his face again? He didn't know what he would do if that happened.

Sora was his closest, no—his only friend. At least the only one that meant so much to him, the only person that he truly cherished and found special, he was his most important person and if he were to despise him… Riku would shatter.

Riku dropped the book on the ground and clutched his head in his hands; his breathing was coming out short and quick.

He kneeled on the floor next to the bookcase and tried to compose himself. Shutting his eyes tight and gritting his teeth he did everything in his power to calm down.

No, it won't come true! That won't happen, you saw Sora! When you closed the door, he wasn't angry, his eyes weren't hateful… they were… sad. He doesn't hate you.

His eyes opened slowly and his breathing came out slower, "yeah… it's not going to come true."

He stood up shakily and took a deep breath and let it out. He was fine for now, but he much rather leave quickly, before his mind wandered further.

"Hahaha, wasn't that a wonderful book, it was precious to you back when you stayed here wasn't it? Isn't it nice being in your old bedroom? Think of all the memories…" The voice popped up again.

Rage started to stir inside Riku, "Sorry, but these memories I could do without. Maleficent gave me this room." He sneered.

"So she did, and you lived here, tempted by the darkness she offered. You cast away your home, your friends everything… but at least they gave you a nice room." The voice mocked.

"How about you stop talking!" Riku snarled.

As if I need your help to remember what I did wrong!

Fury burned inside the boy but he wasn't going to allow the voice to torment him further, he swiftly left the room.

Making his way through the castle, he fought with countless heartless, which seemed to be the only things inhabiting the castle. At some point he ended up in the ball room, where he had fought with Sora in the past... right before he lost his heart.

"Why is this place filled with nothing but heartless…?" he complained.

Where are the people from my memories, I know I was with Sora and Kairi in Hollow Bastion for a short while… So why aren't they here…

He looked up toward the ceiling, "Hey voice! I know you're watching so how about you answer something for me? Where are the people from my memories?" he asked.

"Do you want to see them?" it asked.

"Of course I do!" he shouted impatiently.

"But you cast them aside."

Riku clenched his fist; he was getting really annoyed with this voice.

"What?" he asked angrily, as if daring the disembodied voice to judge him further, he wasn't going to take it.

"You dreamt of the outside world, and you stepped through the door to darkness. Behind you, you left family, friends, home—everything—all in pursuit of darkness."

"But I cast that aside too!" he argued.

"And what do you have to show for it? First your home, then the dark. Your heart only knows how to cast away. It's empty—like that room. Like your memories, that's why you don't meet anyone. Your heart is hollow—except for the residual darkness."

He was wrong, he couldn't be right. His heart wasn't hollow; if it was hollow it wouldn't feel any pain! He wanted to escape the island for Sora's sake; it was always for Sora's sake! Or… was that just something he told himself…?

He shook his head, "You're wrong, I rejected the darkness!"

The voice laughed coldly, "ha ha ha, did you really now?"

Riku clenched his teeth and ran out of the ball room. It was strange, he couldn't really fight back. He had always considered himself to be witty and quick, but now… maybe deep down— he knew it all to be true?

It's not true… I'm not just some dark heart! I can't be… Sora always saw the good in me… but maybe that was just Sora…

He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts.

He was running blindly now, he didn't care where he ended up but he just didn't want to be surrounded by that echoing voice anymore.

He found his way to a dark, specious hall; at the end of the corridor stood someone he would have rather not seen. He cautiously walked toward the cloaked woman.

"Maleficent, I thought you were dead!" he shouted.

She flashed him a sinister smile, "You haven't been paying attention have you. I'm nothing but a figment of your memory."

"Out of everyone that I could've met, I had to meet you." He scowled.

She placed a hand on her cheek. "But of course, after all your heart is steeped in darkness. You can only meet those who exist in that darkness."

"No…!" he yelled.

I'm nothing like you.

"Be grateful you have someone to keep you company, because your heart is empty. Were it not for the darkness it contains you would be completely alone." She said calmly.

"That's sounding pretty good right now!" he spat.

An amused gleam flashed in her eye. "Come now, you once turned to me to sate your hunger for darkness. Face it, you want me here. Who but I can grant the darkness you long for?"

Riku looked down, "there was a time I did want you around… I surrendered my heart to the dark. But never again, you and the dark have NOTHING to offer." He looked up at her defiantly.

The boy started to walk towards the witch, he stood next to her but he looked straight ahead, as if recollecting his memories.

"All I did was lose myself… empty myself! I'm finished with all that." He stated firmly.

A cold grin formed on the witch's face as she eyed the boy curiously.

"If I'm stuck seeing people like you… people of the dark… I'll just have to take you out one by one!" he shouted, turning to her.

The witch chuckled, "Then you mustn't forget to destroy yourself last. For like me, you are one of the dark."

Riku glared at her, "That's fine with me. I turned to the darkness because my heart was weak. I hate that weakness, it's like I'm my own enemy… and seeing people like you who embrace the darkness just makes it worse!" he yelled.

"Enough talk Maleficent!" he growled.

"So you hate the darkness enough to fight it. Oh, the agony you must feel! Then let me end your misery my dear boy—end it forever!"

Pitch-black haze and green embers gushed out from the witch's body and engulfed the room. Riku held his ground despite the immense pressure from the power flowing out of her.

When the fog had cleared, an immense dragon, with gleaming scales that were darker than night stood in the place Maleficent once was.

Riku brought out his weapon, "I think you look better that way. If you ask me, you should stay like that all the time." He said sarcastically.

The ferocious lizard roared and slammed its foot on the ground, causing tremors to ripple through the floor.

Despite knowing very well the strength that the dark fairy possessed, he wasn't afraid. He knew better than anyone else, that engulfing yourself in darkness will only lead to your own demise.

He dashed forward, barely evading the balls of green flames that the dragon shot at him. He attacked the creature's face relentlessly until it reared up on its hind legs and let out a frustrated cry.

When it slammed back down, it caused a large quake to shake the room.

The violent shaking made it difficult for him to keep balance; he tried to stay up-right but lost his footing, and collapsed to the floor.

When he glanced up he noticed the dragon lifting its front leg as to trample him while he lay on the floor.

"Damn it!" he spat.

He quickly got to his feet and jumped out of the way— barely escaping the attack that would have made him into a flapjack.

It's almost impossible to get near her. This old hag is actually pretty strong.

The dragon whipped its tail side to side like a cat eyeing its prey. Then, before Riku could react, it lashed at him with it, bashing his body against a pillar.

He could barely let out a cry, all the wind was knocked out of him in one go. He slid to the floor dazed and vision blurring, "no… I have… to win." He coughed.

He stood up on quivering legs; he winced and almost fell once more but managed to hold his own. There wasn't much of a fight left in him anymore, there had to be a way to end this quickly. If this battle lasted any longer, he would surely die.

Though in her dragon form, Maleficent's eyes seemed to mock him.

Riku glared at her, "If you think you've beaten me your wrong!" he shouted.

Glancing at the tail that had so easily pummeled him, he got an idea.

He dashed as quickly as he could to the lizard's tail; before it could react, he ran up the spine of the dragon until he reached the base of its neck.

The creature panicked and thrashed about, hoping to shake the boy. Riku held on, it was no use—there was no way he was letting go, even if it killed him.

The thrashing got slower and weaker after a few minutes; it seemed to take a toll on her.

One hand still holding onto the dragon's neck he summoned his Keyblade and thrust it into the nape of its neck.

Interestingly enough, there was no blood. Green flames enveloped him and Maleficent.

He closed his eyes and braced himself for the agony of being burned alive, but there was no pain. The fire had not harmed him. The last of it started to fade until it along with the dragon had vanished and nothing but him remained in the empty chamber.

"I told you, I wouldn't lose." He muttered to himself.

A door appeared on the other side of the chamber.

"That must be the way out. Good riddance, this place is just one big nightmare..."

Though he would never voice it out loud, when he had first arrived to this castle it had really been something from his wildest dreams. It was everything he had wished for and more.

It provided him with the freedom he had sought… or at least that's what he had previously thought.

In truth, the castle was dark and empty. It held nothing for him but empty promises of a life he would never live.

A life like that of the story, one where he could have wondrous and exciting adventures with his best friend like he had always wished, but the castle failed to provide the most important piece of the puzzle.

Sora…

Stepping through the door, he was once again in the pristine white room.

"Why do you shun the darkness?" echoed the voice once again.

"Hmph, come on— I know you heard me, every word I said to Maleficent." He said stubbornly, though his tone betrayed his confident words.

Truth be told, he felt that he was slowly weakening. After all, having something constantly repeated to you… you start believing it.

"Darkness is your weapon. It is time you learned you must accept it."

"What do you mean?" he sneered.

"Stop resisting, accept the darkness, you have no choice…"

Riku jumped back as a dark aura started to swirl in front of him. Out of it came a familiar but unwelcomed individual.

Riku glared at the figure in front of him, "I knew it was you Ansem." He sneered.

The man looked amused, "oh did you really?"

"All you've been talking about is darkness… I can only assume—" he clutched his hand into a fist. "That you want to pull me back in."

It would have been strange to find that the voice was anyone but Ansem; the only thing that it did was patronize him on his past, on his decisions and his judgment. Not that any of it was wrong; deep down, he believed every word that the voice spoke, but he didn't want to believe it. Instead he wanted to believe in what Sora had once said about him, he had once defended Riku against such verbal attacks.

Sora relentlessly swore that Riku was a good person, he attested to his good nature and kind heart. It made him wonder, what did Sora think of him now? Now that he knew everything that he had once thought, was a lie…

He was nothing but a possessive, manipulative fiend. Maybe he did belong in darkness after all… but, his pride wasn't about to allow him to fall just yet.

"You just want to play puppet master again." He remarked.

The man let out a chuckle. "Clever boy, I knew you'd be the one to most appropriately serve me—now, surrender to me again!" he reached out his hand to Riku, the same way he had done before.

Back then he was desperate for power, desperate to show Sora the same agonizing loneliness and betrayal that he had suffered, but not this time. He wasn't going to fall again.

"You're crazy—not a chance!" he snarled, whisking his arm through the air and summoning his Keyblade.

You're not going to use me a second time.

He charged towards Ansem, teeth bared. This wasn't like him, this wasn't his strategy. He was more of the "observe and attack" type of fighter, but he carelessly allowed his emotions to intervene.

Ansem effortlessly countered his attack and Riku landed on the ground with a heavy thud, he scrambled to get to his feet. He didn't want to lose, not again—he didn't want to be in his clutches anymore!

"Did you really think you could do me harm? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora— and you had darkness on your side." The man declared smugly.

"Well excuse me… for being weak." He glared.

He knew very well of his weakness, and to compare him to Sora was as if comparing night and day. He knew he was nothing like him, and although at some point he thought that the boy had needed his protection, he was a fool to think so. Now he knew, that Sora held more power than anyone could imagine. Well, it wasn't that much of a surprise really, Riku had always thought of him as special.

Ansem walked toward him as Riku struggled to stand, the impact from the dark force field was harsher than he initially thought.

"You are weak, you need darkness. Surrender. Bow to darkness, bow to me." Ansem asserted.

Is this really how it's going to end…? Am I really so pathetic!?

Riku growled, refusing to give up so easily. "That's not going to happen!"

The man peered into his eyes as if he knew that his resolve was slowly weakening. "Only the darkness can offer you, all the strength that you will need!"

"You're wrong!" intervened a small but familiar voice.

A small flickering but bright light floated around the room. Riku recognized the voice instantly.

"That voice… your majesty?" he exclaimed.

He followed the light as it slowly drifted toward him. "That's right! Remember Riku, You're not alone." advised the voice.

Never before had he been so happy to see such a small glimmer of light, but it meant something to him. It meant there was hope. The light drew closer to him and entered his heart, instantly he felt his anxiety and uncertainty vanish. Never again would he ever question the power of light, after all… look how relieved and secure it made him feel.

"Now listen closely, the light will never give up on you! You'll always find it, even in the deepest darkness!"

The voice belonged to the king, the only person in the world, besides Sora who had ever given him a chance. He was the one person who believed in him… even when everyone else didn't.

"I got it." He replied firmly.

He stood up defiantly, and glared at Ansem. "I won't lose to darkness… not today."

Ansem chuckled, "so you truly think that feeble little light can save you, from the darkness that I command?"

Riku raised his Keyblade, he was ready this time. But strangely enough Ansem didn't make a move; he snickered to himself and studied the boy in front of him.

"I know all your flaws Riku; I've been in your heart for too long. I know about that boy that you are so desperate to protect— so desperate in fact that you chose darkness as a means of doing so. I wonder what he thinks of you now, surely he couldn't have forgiven you for so shamelessly betraying him."

His heart lurched, and he felt his resolve weaken slightly. The fact was that he didn't know. He couldn't be sure, and no matter how much he wanted to believe that it wasn't so, it was impossible.

If Sora hates me… then…

Ansem took advantage of the weakened state that his heart was in, and he shot a dark aura into Riku.

He felt his body chill and his legs buckle; he gripped his chest and let out a strangled groan.

"What'd you do!?" he shouted.

The man chuckled, "I simply tempered with the darkness that yet remains in your heart." He responded.

"You still think that I'd rely on darkness!?"

"To use it or not is up to you, but you will. You need its power, and once you succumb to it, you will belong again to darkness!"

"So if I don't… if I don't use it, and I'm able to face these challenges on my own— then I win." He declared confidently.

The man laughed, "Running towards the light won't save you from the darkness, nothing can save you from the darkness." As he spoke those words, his body began to fade and disappear, leaving behind nothing but a blue crown shaped card.

Riku walked towards it and picked it up.

"Trust me, I'm not running."

End of Chapter One

I made a story within a story- why? Because I can! I am God! (well at least the God f this story).

I love writing for forever alone Riku, I have a thing for depressing characters. Well, now you know that every chapter comes with two! Please review or PM, it would mean the world to me! See you next time, I hope to update soon!

Love you all!