Authors Note: This'll probably be a shorter chapter than usual. I've decided to take a break from the usual key sealing stuff, to do a chapter (which came out of no where) on a character (that came out of no where). It's strange, as soon as I thought about this character Verrat, he seemed to just fit into the story. He was the missing piece to the puzzle that I myself am still putting together, only to take it a part and let you do the same. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 29: A Collection of Darkness Called Verrat.

An old man calmly walked through the darkness of the Realm of Darkness. He was not worried, not afraid. He seemed to be happy he was there.

He continued walking along the dark stone, until he came to a clearing. There he was met with the glowing eyes of the Neoshadow Heartless as well as a group of the Total Darkness creatures.

The old man seemed to laugh to himself, as they dove towards him.

With a flick of his wrist a key blade that seemed as old as he was came to his side. It was cracked all the way up the blade, with only the only greys, whites and blacks as it's colour.

As the heartless and Total Darkness creatures came close, the old man swept across his his blade once, destroying every single one of them that were close enough.

The next wave came with the same result.

As did the next, and the next. The old man did not tire, he only laughed as he slayed every creature that came close.

Finally they stopped appearing.

"Next?" The old man asked.

A Total Darkness Knight stepped out of the darkness.

"Who are you?" The Knight asked.

"Me? I am just an old man, strolling through the darkness. Is that so wrong?" The old man answered.

The Knight laughed. "You're not scared of me?" It asked.

"Why should I be?"

"Do you not know of the war that is going on?" The Knight asked.

"I know of the war very well". The old man answered.

"So why are you not scared?"

"Because I have no reason to". The old man said.

"But I am Total Darkness. A Knight created to kill. Are you not scared of death?" The Knight asked.

The old man laughed. "Why should I be? Try and kill me, go on. You'd be better than most if you could".

The Knight fired a bolt of darkness his way, hitting the old man square in the chest.

If it had been anyone else, it would have gone straight through them.

The old man climbed back to his feet, as his body seemed to repair itself.

"What did I say". He said.

"Who are you!?" The Knight now screamed.

"I... I am known by only one thing any more. Ray's Grandfather".

"That's not a name. What is your name!?" The Knight shouted once again.

"What's yours?" The old man asked.

"I am just a collection of Total Darkness, created to do my Masters bidding, and to destroy both Pure Light and all living things other than Total Darkness".

"So you have no name?" The old man asked again, almost mockingly.

The Knight summoned a sword to his side, and pointed it at the old man. "No". He said.

"But, you say you're just a collection of Total Darkness. What happens when I add just the smallest bit of light to this 'collection'?" The old man asked.

"Nothing. Total Darkness is far stronger than just light. It'll destroy it, before it can ever do any damage". The Knight answered.

The old man nodded. "Yes I suppose that is correct. But what does one, such as yourself, aim to do once this war is over?"

"I shall rejoin Total Darkness as a whole".

"Is that what you've been told to do?" The old man asked.

The Knight nodded.

"So, if Total Darkness is that mighty, why do you not... oh I don't know, work for a world where you can live as a living being. With a real heart?"

"Because that is not the Masters bidding". The Knight answered.

The old man walked forward and placed his hand on the Knights forehead, or where his forehead would be should he not have been made entirely of Total Darkness.

"Look at my past. Your future. Eclipse shall fall. Total Darkness and Pure Light shall return to a balance, and look who survives. Look who is still standing once this war is over".

The Knight backed away scared. "How?! How can you do such a thing? How does this happen".

"People lose their lives for that to happen. Good people. Good friends. But in the end, they give a future to those that fought on their side. Those that survived. Help them! You can live in that future if you only help them".

The Knight fell to his knees. "How? I cannot just leave the true heart of Total Darkness".

"Then I shall give you a heart. A heart that will hold you together. That will allow you to feel real living emotions, rather than those lies that Eclipse has given you. You'll be stronger than all other Knights".

The Knight looked up at the old man that now stood above him. "How would you do this?"

"I am a man, who has seen much. Learnt much. Been through much. I have more power through experience than you would believe. I can end this entire war now".

"Then why don't you?" The Knight asked, ignoring everything that came before.

"Because, I can not interfere in events I have already been in". The old man answered.

"Then who are you now?"

"I... I cannot say. But if you join the Key wielders, I promise you, you will know soon".

The Knight pushed himself back to his feet so that he was standing once again.

"I will help you. You promise far more of a future than Eclipse ever did. No you actually promise a future".

The old man placed his hand on the Knights forehead once again. After a few seconds, he removed his hand.

"Done". He said.

"What happened?" The Knight asked. "What's different?"

"What happened was I gave you the chance to live outside of Eclipse's forced. I gave you the ability to use Eclipse's power, but not follow his will. You are now as free as any other. But also, what you feel now, is real".

The Knight took a step back to take in everything. He actually felt it now. He was free.

"Thank you". He said.

"Not yet, I must ask one last thing. You must go to see a boy. His name is Riku, and he would have been through a lot. He is here now, but you must wait until Graros, a man who hides in darkness appears before Riku. Then you must watch him and help him. Can you do that for me?"

The Knight nodded.

"Thank you".

"But how can I join the Key wielders, how can I make them trust me?"

"That's easy". The old man answered.

"Then how?"

"If I told you, how would you learn to control that heart of yours".

The Knight nodded.

"But now my friend, I will take my leave. However, those that live a free live deserve a name. You shall be called Verrat".

The Knight was surprised. "But why?" He asked.

"Because everyone deserves a name".

xXx

1 Week Later

Riku stood in a clearing. Half surrounded by Total Darkness Knights, and Verrat floated above him.

"Who are you?" Riku shouted. "I mean do you have a name. Do any of you have names?"

"No. But, an old man came to me. Recently in fact. He called me, Verrat... for whatever reason".

The other Knights around were shocked.

"Well Verrat. What is happening to me then?" Riku asked.

"So you do care". Verrat answered, laughing.

"I care as long as I have something to go back to".

"Good. But why didn't you care before then. You had Becca, did you not?" Verrat asked.

Riku nodded, before shaking his head. "I did my part. I looked after her! She..."

"Likes you as much as you like her". Verrat said, stopping Riku from continuing. "Neither of you could admit if because of Ray. But the boy is dead. She needed someone to be there, and you were. She found safety with you, and is on her way to make you feel safe".

"What?" Riku asked.

"She let darkness left over from her fight with the Knight in the Castle, back when Ray was still alive, into her heart. It allows her to open dark corridors, which unlike yours can make the distance. She is now more in darkness than light, for you".

"But why?" Riku asked.

"So that she can help you. She wants to repay the favour. She wants to stay with you, because she feels the same connection you feel. Even if you won't admit it".

Riku fell to his knees. "Was this your plan?" Riku asked. "Make me unable to fight, so you can kill me".

"No. You're slowly killing yourself. Total Darkness can not be used by the human heart. Because unlike Darkness that takes over your heart, Total Darkness takes over your body, making it become Darkness, making you fade away. As you are doing. That is what is happening to you. You are becoming darkness. That is why you are so strong. You stand in the Realm of Darkness. You have unlimited power here, but if you use it, you'll die. As soon as you reach the Realm of Total Darkness, you'd have... 5 minutes... at best. Before you became one of us. Just darkness. Under the will of Eclipse. You'd be dead, your body would be used".

"You say would be?" Riku asked.

Verrat nodded, lifting his hands, in a flash, all remaining surrounding nights exploded into puffs of smoke.

"I want to help you Riku". Verrat said. "I want to help you all. I want a future, I don't want to just become part of the world. I want to live. Eclipse could never offer that, an old man could".

Riku was shocked, but pushed himself to his feet. "If you're lying!" Riku threatened.

"I can't go back now. I'm a traitor. I betrayed my Master... my old Master. If I do not come with you, I'm as good as dead".

Riku nodded.

Verrat turned around suddenly. "Can you hear that?"

Riku stopped for a second, then after a few seconds he could.

"It's a key blade glider". Riku said.

Verrat laughed. "I told you she was coming for you".

He was right, Becca jumped off her glider and ran towards Riku.

"Riku you're still okay!" She shouted.

Riku smiled. "Of course I am".

It was only then that Becca noticed. She quickly summoned her key blade and pointed it at Verrat.

"Who's he?" Becca asked.

"His name is Verrat. I'm not sure, but I think he's a friend".

Becca looked at him for a second, before dropping her key blade. She ran over and hugged Riku surprisingly.

"Where'd that come from?" Riku asked.

"I was worried about you. You helped me, and I didn't want to see you get hurt". Becca answered.

"Thank you". Riku answered.

The two of them stood there in darkness for a while longer, until Verrat broke the quiet.

"Sorry you two, but if you stay here any longer Riku we may have a problem, you need to leave the darkness before you become it".

"What?" Becca asked worriedly.

"Don't worry". Riku said. "All we have to do is leave, and everything will be alright".

"I can arrange that". Becca said opening a dark corridor beside her.

Riku smiled.

The three of them got ready to step through when suddenly, a great gust of wind seemed to push them across the clearing.

The three of them fell to the ground, finding it hard to stand up.

The clearing, was no longer so clear. There were twice as many Knights now surrounding them than there was before, as well as many Knights now standing before them in the clearing.

"What do you think you're doing!?" One Knight shouted, obviously talking to Verrat.

"I'm fighting on the side that gives me a future!" Verrat said.

"Really?" The Knight replied. "No one betrays Eclipse. No one!"

Becca was the first to her feet.

"Really?" She asked. "I think he can do whatever he wants!"

Becca lunged forward firing what seemed to be a ball of darkness straight at the Knight. Even being made out of darkness it clearly hurt, a lot.

Riku was surprised, and slightly worried.

"That's a lot of Darkness Becca, you shouldn't..."

Becca looked down to Riku. "Sorry... but sometimes, you have to walk through the darkness to get back into the light".

Becca looked back at the Knights as they got ready to attack. Riku and Verrat slowly pushed themselves to their feet.

"I've had enough of being helpless!" Becca said. "I've had enough of being that little girl who needs to be saved. Ray promised he'd save me, and I escaped myself. From now on, I'm going to rely on my own strength, I won't stop until I'm stronger than you pathetic Knights. I'll travel every part of every Realm until I learn everything I can. I'll fall into Darkness and Light if it means ending your miserable existences. You want to know power, then you should feel what it's like to have your friends in danger. That's where true power comes from!"

Becca dived forward, running towards the Knights, she wasn't scared, it was almost like she never had been, nor would she ever be again.

Riku and Verrat looked towards her, Riku couldn't stop staring.

"Well..." Verrat said. "She's something..."

"Isn't she". Riku said.

Verrat looked at him and laughed. "I knew I was right about you liking her".

Riku didn't pay any attention.

"Now come on, I'm sure she'll need help. Just avoid using too many of your new found powers, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate you disappearing on her". Verrat said, running into the battle to join her.

Riku summoned Way to the Dawn. "Right". He said, following them both into battle.

Authors Note: That was interesting. :L And rather fun to write. I'm loving the character Verrat is beginning to become, and I can't wait to write more on him. But we know that I've gotta finish the key holes, and then Fallan and Ray's grandfather's bit. Also if you haven't already picked up on it, the meeting with Verrat and Ray's grandfather was a while before Ray's grandfather challenges Fallan. If it's in time line order anyway. :P But I do hope you have enjoyed, and I'll see you next time. :)