I emerge from an abyss of darkness into a world of darkness. All around me is black, and it's a wonder how I can even see the ground beneath me. It is gray and dull, and as I look around I fail to see even a single ray of light. Darkness is everywhere, and light is non-existent.

            "Where…where am I?" I ask, yet no one answers. This place is desolate, and I am alone in it. But, how did I wind p here? I have traveled through the darkness numerous times already, and never have I not reached my destination. What has happened now?

            "Welcome to the Netherworld. A place between existence and extinction, between life and death, between creation and oblivion, between light and darkness. It is where those such as yourself reside." The cloaked man again. How did he get here? Before I can ask that though, there are more important questions that need answers.

            "Those…such as myself?"

            "Those who have lost themselves. In your quest to find yourself through your friends, you have lost sight of what you truly are."

            "And what am I?" I snap, angered at him. He gives me nothing but more questions.

            "A harbinger of light? Or perhaps a harbinger of darkness? The fate of all rests within your heart, and yet you do not know yourself what lies within. That is why you were brought here. There is so little time, yet so very much to do. How can you accomplish anything when you don't even know what you're trying to accomplish? Your decision must be made here. Do you wish to bathe all in your light, or eclipse it in your darkness? Until you decide, forever shall you be trapped in this realm of nothingness. Of course, if you spend eternity here, by the time you return your part in fate will be over, and the world that will greet you will be one of nightmares."

            "What are you…what are you talking about?" I ask, utterly confused. Is this all a dream, some delusion resulting from my time in the darkness?

            "Choose now. What do you wish to be? The paladin, guarding light and banishing the night, or the shadow knight, casting a veil of darkness over all and extinguishing the light?"

            "I…I don't know. I don't know!" I yell at the top of my lungs, frustrated by this. I still have no clue as to what he's talking about. He said the fate of all rests within my heart, but how can that be? What is so important about me? And why do I have to choose between light and darkness? So many questions, so few answers.

            "So be it. Until you choose, you are trapped here, with no hope of escape. You are trapped between light and darkness, and only after you ally yourself to one of the two may you move away from the neutrality. But I would advise you to choose the path of darkness. Choosing the light will only bring untold pain, and then you will be driven to darkness anyways. So, surrender your heart to the darkness. It will be easier that way. You will have power you never would have imagined of."

            Choose the light, or choose the darkness. Do I trust this man, or do I go against his advice? I didn't trust him before, so there might not be a reason to trust him now. Yet I cannot make judgment merely on my trust of this man. If I were to choose light, my path would be more difficult, of that I am sure. It has always been proven that the path of darkness is by far easier than the path of light. It is easier to destroy than it is to create. If I were to choose darkness, though, the path would not be as satisfying, and I would undoubtedly lose sight of who I truly am. Gone would be all that I have fought for up until this point. And if I lose sight of myself, than I would just wind up back here. Or, would I merely awaken my true self?

            Is there even a choice though? Or am I merely fated to follow one path, regardless of which path I would prefer? Will it be that no matter what I follow light or darkness? If I choose the light, I could fall into the darkness, and if I choose the darkness, I could be brought back into the light. This choice might not be a choice at all, but nevertheless I must choose.

            It is then that I simply cannot bear this place any longer. I don't want to have to answer these questions, especially now, after what I have done. The image of Gaston's heart being forcibly removed from his body is constantly flashing through my mind, as is the image of his blood falling from my blade, along with the one thing that haunts me the most. Before the remorse, I knew glee. I reveled in the experience. I enjoyed putting the blade into his body, and with its deadly kiss dooming him. For a split second I took a sadistic pleasure in his pain, in his realization that death was upon him. I showed remorse and therefore light, but I also showed glee and therefore darkness. And no amount of remorse could make up for that darkness. So it would seem that I should embrace my darkness, for there is no salvation for me.

            None of this, however, changes the fact that I would rather reject the darkness. I don't want it and I don't need it. The temporary happiness within the darkness would fade, and all that would be left for me is an empty existence, enslaved to my greatest enemy. And if what this cloaked man says is true, then perhaps I can be my own salvation.

            Above all, though, is my need for power. It's not just that I want to be strong enough to stand on my own, without need of anyone else, but my true reason is more important. So many years ago, when I first received my wooden sword, I swore by it that I would never lose, and so long as I always won, Kairi could count on me. As long as I never lost, I would be Kairi's knight in shining armor, protecting her from harm. I still haven't lost, not in combat at least. I might not have the shining armor anymore, but I will be able to protect her, no matter how I go about getting the power. I have felt the rush of power I get when I give in to my anger and my hatred and my darkness in general. It is unlike anything I had ever felt. With that kind of power, it would be easy to keep my promise. And what would I have with light? Moral superiority? I do not want the darkness, but I do want its power.

            I turn around and walk slowly over towards the cloaked man. Before I give him my answer, I take one last moment to consider my choice. One last moment to make absolutely sure that I want to give in to darkness. The cloaked man himself said that I should beware the darkness within my heart. After the moment passes, I know for sure that I choose the darkness, and that it is my path.

            I open my mouth to inform the cloaked man of my decision, but before I can, light floods the area. I cover my eyes with my forearm to shield them against the bright glare, and when my eyes adjust I find myself in Hollow Bastion. Standing in front of me, looking rather expectant too, is Maleficent.

            "Good, you're back. I had worried that you might have perished." she says, and anger rises within me, burning brightly.

            "Yeah, right. It's more likely you worried that I lived and made you actually do work for me. You sent me on a suicide mission. If I didn't do what you wanted, you never would have fulfilled your end of the deal. If I did, the world would be destroyed, and I would be annihilated." I am almost surprised by the callous tone I use when speaking to Maleficent. Could my decision have such huge impact already? I shouldn't accredit my decision with that tone however. The truth is that I have grown tired of Maleficent's outright deception.

            "And yet," Maleficent says in reply to me, "you survived somehow, and your task is complete."

            "No thanks to you." I reply coldly.

            "Perhaps. Either way, if you're ready, you can see your pathetic friend now. Why you cherish the idea of seeing him again so much eludes me. But why disillusion you now? If you want to see him so badly, who am I to deny you the right to anguish?" I glare at Maleficent and feel an overwhelming amount of despise for her. She does nothing but talk about how seeing my friends will be bad for me. It seems like she just wants to get free work from me by convincing me not to see my friends. She begins to walk away and I follow after her.

            "You keep saying that I'll regret meeting my friends. Why is that? What are you hiding?" I ask, or perhaps, I demand.

            "You want to see your friend so badly, but when you do you'll be sorely disappointed. While you've been doing my bidding to find him again, and searching for him every time you went to a new world, he quite simply has moved on. He has new friends, and he now values an inanimate object more than he does, or ever did, you. While to you finding him is all-important, to him finding you isn't of the least importance. But don't worry, maybe you'll have more luck with your other friend."

            "Maybe I'll have luck with this first friend." I reply in turn, and I cling to that belief. All that I have done so far, it needs to be with purpose. Otherwise, my decision to ally myself with the darkness will be final and irreversible, for I have committed terrible atrocities. I not only killed Gaston, but I cannot help but feel responsible for the destruction of his world as well. And aren't I? In removing the threat Maleficent spoke of, I opened the door to the world. It's all my fault that the Heartless were able to destroy the heart of that world, and as such I am responsible for the deaths of countless people.

            So I put all my hopes in Sora, that through him I can feel some happiness and maybe, just maybe, I can reject this darkness, once and for all. Maybe it will be the courage to fight against Maleficent instead of with her.

            Maybe it will be my final undoing.

Author's Note- Sorry if this feels even a little rushed. I'm busy, busy, busy preparing for school. I still have books to read and only ten days to read them. I have to prep my binders, folders, papers, and backpack. I have to sleep on top of all that. So much to do, so little time. Anyways, you know the drill: please review!

            Oh, and I will take the time to offer my condolences to anyone who is amongst those in the "blackout of 2003" as they call it right now, or perhaps the "great blackout"(who knows why a blackout can be considered great). But then again, by the time you're reading this that nightmarish event will be over for you, won't it?