YAY!! CHAPTER TEN!! We are now at double digits. :D Thank you all for reading this!! Reviews are the sweet sugary substances that make my life delicious! So please, review!! And thank you Donny, for proofing my story!

Chapter Ten: Light's Blood

Rain pelted me with its icy drops as I shuffled through the dark city. The chill cut through my skin and sank deep into my bones, making me shiver to try and keep warm. I cursed my outfit for leaving my skin open to the elements. I cast a glance at the black inky sky as a flash of lightning illuminated the stretch of sinister atmosphere. Water splashed over my boots and onto my legs as I trudged through a puddle.

I turned at a narrow alleyway, remembering the directions that Marluxia gave to me. I faltered in uncertainty at the mouth of the alley, wondering why everything was so clear in the apparent darkness. Blinking the rain from my eyes I let the strange occurrence slide to the back of my mind and marched on. A few yards within and I came across a small cramped door hidden away in a recess of the alley.

I leaned towards it and listened closely, listening for any sign of life on the other side. Despite the pouring rain and claps of thunder I could detect the faint sounds of someone breathing.

I leaned back with sudden understanding. My senses were heighted because of my new found association with the power of darkness. That was why I could see in the darkness and heart the dim sound of breathing over a raging storm.

Taking a deep breath I slowly drew my sword and edged closer to the door. In one quick fluid motion I drew my leg back and slammed it into the door. It flew inside and bounced off of the inner wall, announcing my arrival with a literal bang. I held Nightfall's Wing at ready and passed under the threshold.

The shabby shack that I found myself standing in was in poor condition. One roomed and with a simple bed, it was also devoid of any electricity. The floors were boarded with old and cracked wood. I stepped over a particularly deep gash in the wood and cautiously peered around the room. It took me a quick glance to find a pair of guarded eyes staring at me from the far corner.

"Akira?" He asked fearfully.

I didn't answer. I had already decided that keeping quiet would be the best thing. I couldn't let him find any way to get away…and live.

"What are you doing? Why do you have your sword out?" His questions came as fast as bullets. "Don't you remember me? It's me Roxas, the guy you met outside of the armor shop…" his voice finally trailed away as he saw my unemotional eyes.

Tentatively I stepped closer to him, my sword clasped tightly with my fingers. Roxas drew away from me and jerked his hand in a familiar motion. Light flashed around his hand, flared for a moment, and then just as quickly faded away; leaving a Keyblade in its wake.

I grimaced.

"The Keyblade of light," Roxas announced. "Yours is the Keyblade of darkness."

Annoyance flashed across my face as I growled, "Don't state the obvious."

Roxas flinched at the coarseness of my voice and shook his head slowly. "So what, are you the Organizations newest little minion?" His eyes took in my attire. "Where's you cloak?"

"I will never become a member of the Organization, boy."

He laughed dryly and said, "So what, you've came here just for the fun of it? You just felt like trying to kill someone out of boredom?"

"You ask a lot of questions," I pointed out crossly. "Maybe you ask them out of fear?"

No answer.

I nodded and readied my sword arm for a fight. "If I didn't have to do this, I wouldn't," I told him quietly and attacked.

I lunged forward and hurled my sword at his neck. He pulled his sword up at the last possible second and our swords met with a shower of sparks and a screech of metal. Our faces were inches apart as we held our swords together; our muscles quivering from trying to press the other back and obtain the upper hand.

Suddenly Roxas yelled, "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I have to!" I answered and flung him away from me with a savage push.

His back collided with a wall and he staggered to the side as I launched at him again. My sword glanced off of the wall and I spun around just in time to see Roxas fleeing from the house. I followed with a curse.

The rain cascaded down in buckets over my body and I barely managed to make out Roxas's silhouette exiting the alley. I sprinted after him and shot around the corner. He spun around to face me, an angry scowl covering his face.

I sprang at him with the reflexes of a cat and felt my swift sword connect with his chest. Roxas gasped and staggered back as his blood spilled over his skin. I flinched involuntarily and tried to ignore my nagging conscience. My adversary suddenly brought his sword down on me, giving me mere seconds to block it with Nightfall's Wing.

I shoved my sword violently against his and threw him back. He landed in a sprawl on the ground, giving me a chance for a solid attack.

I paused for a moment, my hesitation stemming from the act of pure wrongness that I was about to commit. Roxas used my pause to his advantage. He quickly rolled backwards and back onto his feet. I gripped my sword tighter and prepared another parry of attacks.

But Roxas had a change of plans, and with a last cold look he turned around and ran. The chase was back on. Back in pursuit, I hunted him down the cobbled street; my long even strides quickly matched his slower pace.

With an abrupt sharp turn, Roxas dashed to a tall building that loomed high above our heads and stopped before it. I wasn't able to stop quick enough and skidded passed him. I slipped over the slippery road and almost lost my footing before spinning around to get Roxas back in my sights.

His legs flexed as he prepared to spring; his gaze was determinedly focused on the top of the building. It looked as if he was planning to jump to the top, I thought to myself. But of course the towering structure that he was looking at was over ten stories, surely even with the powers of the Keyblade master he wouldn't be able to—

Roxas uncoiled his tense legs and sprang with the litheness of a lion. He landed 20 feet above the street, perched precariously on the lip of a window. He leaned back, almost losing his balance, and then leapt again. He repeated this pattern over and over again; steadily making his way to the top…he was escaping.

I growled in frustration, the noise rumbling angrily in my throat. A light bulb eliminated an idea, causing a small smile to part my lips.

I held me sword above me, modeling the stature of a general holding a sword in leading their army to battle. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Cerberus!" I called with my voice, my mind, and the manipulation of darkness. My voice rang loudly over the rain and I felt a drain in my energy from tapping into my dark powers.

An eager howl immediately followed my calls and I braced myself for my ally's appearance. I dared to cast a glance at Roxas's progress and saw the he was over half way to the top of the building. I needed to hurry. If he made it to the top ahead of me, I would most likely lose him. If I let him get away Demyx would be lost. I refused to let that happen.

Cerberus's form appeared through the rain as he bounded towards me, his features becoming clearer as he drew closer. The memorable three headed dog came to a halt in front of me, his three heads all panting from exhaustion.

"Cerberus, are you up for a fight?" I gestured to the Keyblade master scaling the building.

Cerberus looked to the building and saw the teen that I spoke of. His ears pricked up as he turned back to me and barked an affirmative answer.

I ran up to the colossal canine and leapt on his knee; from there I sprang onto his back and rested between his shoulder blades. With a quick motion I placed my sword back in it's harness. I wrapped my fingers in his thick black fur and held on with tense muscles.

Squinting against the pouring rain, I scanned the building for Roxas and managed to catch a last glance of him as he made it to the roof. As he disappeared from view I came to the realization that it was now or never.

"Hurry Cerberus," I called to the beast. "He's getting away!"

The three headed dog set his sights on the roof and tensed. I had seconds to hold on tighter before Cerberus launched his body into the sky, his powerful legs springing him forward. His body slammed into the middle of the building and he dug his thick claws into the wood structure to keep from sliding back down. His legs tensed again and we soared back into the sky. Pieces of building flew from beneath the beast's paws. We landed heavily on the roof's edge, his front paws clutching desperately to prevent us from falling to our deaths. For a few petrifying moments Cerberus's back paws clawed into thin air as we suspended off the ledge. His claws finally found purchase on the side of the building and he pushed the rest of his body over the ledge.

I looked over his three salivating heads and spotted Roxas on the far side of the roof. I unharnessed my sword and held on to Cerberus with my free hand. Cerberus reared up on his hind legs and roared into the stormy sky; his deafening roar was ferocious enough to make thunder itself shudder in fear.

Roxas met my eyes and I read fear in his. Cerberus slammed back onto the roof with his front paws—his thick legs absorbing the impact—and charged. I figured that Roxas would try to find a way of escape and so I was surprised when he sprinted straight for us.

He ran with both hands firmly attached to his Keyblade and held it at his side so as to aim for Cerberus's legs. Lightning flashed brilliantly in the night sky, thunder clashed as the three headed beast roared again. The two sounds merged into one earsplitting battle cry as Roxas collided into us.

His sword cut into Cerberus's forelegs, making him stumble as the sword cut into his flesh. The beast cried out in pain and spun around to snap at the running Keyblade master. Roxas managed to duck away from the hundreds of biting fangs and dive a safe distance away.

The blonde teen shifted his sword to his left hand and jerked his right hand in a flickering motion. A motion to summon a weapon I realized with a start. A flash of light shone around his naked hand, soon to be replaced with another Keyblade. I muttered darkly under my breath as Roxas whirled his Keyblades in flowing motions and stepped back into a battle ready stance.

I bounded from Cerberus's shoulders and landed mere yards from where Roxas stood. I was at a disadvantage. I had only one sword while Roxas had two, I would have to be extra careful in our duel. If I wasn't, the price to pay would be my life.

"Do you still insist on killing me?" Roxas yelled over the roar of the storm.

I dashed towards him with my sword prepared to taste blood, my answer was apparent. My attack was quick and deadly as I stabbed my sword at his hip. He brought one of his Keyblades down in time to block my attack and tried to slice me with the other. I skipped out of harm's way and struck again, this time for the ribs. He dodged out of the way and launched a clumsy strike at my body. I parried the attack and forced him back.

Again Roxas sailed his Keyblade for my body. I tried to parry the attack again but he swiped the other Keyblade at my legs and I tripped. I went with the fall and rolled behind Roxas, bouncing back to my feet. I cast a glance behind me and found myself inches from the roof's edge. Before I could edge around Roxas and into a safer position he spun around and brought his swords down at me in quick secession. I tried to hold the two blades away with one arm, but the pressure was too much and I was forced to grab my blade with my other hand. The force drove me to one knee as my own blade cut into the palm of my hand.

The blood dribbled down my wrist and I knew that I would have to act fast to keep from being overpowered. Checking to make sure that Roxas was still applying complete pressure; I rolled backwards off of the building, and brought the young Keyblade master with me. I jerked to a sudden stop and hung suspended in the air. I looked over my shoulder to see Cerberus had caught my harness, saving me from an assured death. I heard Roxas scream in sheer terror as he plummeted to the ground. I looked to the ground as the Keyblade master faded from view. The storm and dark night soon swallowed his form along with his screams.

Cerberus pulled me away from the edge and lowered me gently onto the roof. I sat down heavily, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I could hardly believe my actions. Roxas was dead because of me. I was a murderer. I lifted my hand and gingerly touched my fingers to the laceration across my palm. A small line of blood was smeared on my wrist and forearm.

Cerberus's nose came into my view as he sniffed my small injury. My eyes went to the location of where his wound from my sword used to be. I looked back at my hand in realization.

I placed my unharmed hand fully over the scratch and closed my eyes in concentration. I probed for the familiar tendrils of darkness and grasped them in my power. I willed—no—forced them to focus on my cut. I felt the glow emanate from my hand as the darkness obeyed me. I opened my eyes and pulled my hand away. I looked to my hand and was relieve to see the cut completely healed.

I stood up slowly and placed Nightfall's Wing into its harness. My gaze lingered into the night as I listened to the rain pellet buildings with its icy bullets. My hair stuck to my face from being drenched. A small shiver snaked through me as the chill sank to my bones.

I shook my head and turned to Cerberus. "Shall we leave then?" I asked quietly.

His answer was to lower to the ground, giving me easy access onto his back. I climbed on and sat onto the familiar seat between his shoulders; my hands clung on to his fur.

"Lets go back to the castle," I suggested as Cerberus stood. And, more to myself, I said, "Myde, Lea, Ienzo…we're on our way…"

Cerberus surged to the edge of the roof and leapt off. He landed with the forced of a meteor onto the cobbled street. As soon as his paws touched the ground he launched into a fast lope.

Buildings flashed by us quickly, looking like shapeless blurs with the beast's break neck speed.

We rounded a corner sharply and the castle loomed into view. Cerberus quickened his already suicidal pace. His paws thudded into the ground, pounding the cobbled street like four giant hammers.

As we neared closer I could make out someone standing on the castle steps. I urged Cerberus to a stop; his claws screeched against the ground in the sudden protest of forward motion. I slid off of this back and lay a steady hand on his flank.

"Thank you," I whispered gratefully.

I walked away from the beast and towards the mysterious figure at Castle Oblivion. As I made it to the steps I took a better look at the person's features. It was obviously male, his hair was a silver color…his icy blue eyes locked onto mine.

"Riku…" I gasped.

He slowly drew his Keyblade, never taking his eyes off of me. I could see pure anger and hatred in those eyes. That's when I knew that he must know about Roxas.

"I trusted you," he growled. "I trusted you, and so you kill the only way to make Sora whole."

"I had to—"

"Save it!" He yelled, cutting my justification off. "I don't care what you have to say! I can't trust you!"

I stared at him fearfully; surely he wouldn't do anything too rash. I was wrong.

"I'm ending your deceitful ways now!"

And with a savage yell he charged at me with his sword geared up and his fuming eyes lusting with the urge to kill.

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