The darkness…

Ever weeping

Never stopping…

Soul is weeping

Heart is dropping…

Into abyss

I wont say why…

The friends I miss

I won't say die…

An ice-cold kiss

And angels cry…

The darkness is

My only friend…

My only wish

For it to end…

You know you'll never get rid of me, don't you?

Riku opened his eyes and saw the masked face of Ansem standing in the darkness.  What do you want? Riku asked trying to summon his keyblade.  He found that he couldn't and he tensed, waiting for an attack.

Ansem turned around and chuckled.  Do not worry, puppet.  I cannot attack you in the depths of your mind.

Don't call me puppet! Riku yelled.  And what do you mean 'the depths of your mind'?

Ansem sneered and raised his hand up.  Darkness began to rise from the ground like a black fog and Riku could only watch, weaponless.  He watched as the darkness began to solidify and take the form of humans.  Riku gasped when he saw that they all looked like him, except for those amber eyes…

Ha ha ha, don't you get it yet, puppet?  Ansem touched one of the dark Rikus on the shoulder and laughed again.  The darkness is inside of you and there is no way it will disappear.  The Rikus began to walk toward the real Riku with blank, yet cold stares.  A slight smile surfaced on their bronze skin as they closed in.

No, Riku whispered, backing up.  Please, I don't want to…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sephiroth looked up as he heard the sound of knocking.  As he got up from the bed, Orlandu, already at the door, opened it and greeted the attendant. 

"Hello, Sephiroth and Orlandu?" the read from a piece of paper as the two nodded.  Satisfied she continued, "Your match is next, please follow me…"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"No, please!!"  Riku was taken from his sleep by his own screams and he rose up in a panic, only to be caught in a hug by Fayne.  He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck.  Hot tears sprang from his eyes and disappeared into Fayne's clothing and skin.  Fayne held him in her arms and laid her head on top of his.

"Its okay," she murmured, rocking him.  "It was just a bad dream…"

Riku shook his head, which was still in Fayne's neck.  He pulled away and brought his knees up, wrapping his arms around them.  He looked straight ahead with a distant stare.

"It wasn't a dream," he mumbled.  "I wish it was but…"

Fayne took his hand.  "Well, what was it then," she whispered, a little afraid. 

Riku looked at her hand and slowly took it away.  I can't do this to her, he thought with a deep ache in his heart.  This darkness inside of me could overtake me at any moment, and the ones I'm closest to could be in danger.

"You…can't," Riku said quietly.  "I wont let you."

"What?" Fayne asked, confused and a little hurt.  She wondered why he had taken his hand away…

"Fall in love…with me," he sighed.  "You can't love me…"

Fayne looked down at the ground and whispered, "Why not…?"

"Because…" Should I tell her, he thought.  No, she doesn't need to be involved in this…  "Because I don't love you…" Riku looked away from the openly hurt stare that Fayne was giving him.  "I'm sorry…"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I'm willing to bet that this passage has caused more people to retreat than the battle alone," Orland remarked as they walked down the empty, dark tunnel.  They had already passed the other rooms on their way to the tunnel, and they were as soundproof as promised.

Sephiroth nodded in agreement as they continued to walk.  "I believe it was constructed to enhance the feeling of anxiety one feels before upcoming battle."

They both squinted as they walked into the bright morning sun.  Their attendant had wished them good luck and retreated back into the tunnel.  They remained motionless, even when they heard the announcer.

"I'd like to welcome you to the next round of the Mythril Cup!! Ladies and gentlemen!! Boys and girls!!"  The crowd exploded in cheers, eager to see a normal fight.  After the last round they witnessed, they deserved it.

"And now their opponents…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Every now and then, Riku would hear a faint sob from Fayne, who was lying on her side with her back turned.  Each one drove daggers of guilt and sadness into his heart.  I had to, he thought sadly.  I can't hurt the ones I'm closest too again.

An attendant knocked on the door and neither of the two made a move to open it.  Slowly it opened and a brunet woman poked her head in cautiously.

"Fayne and Riku?' she asked quietly, sensing the tension in the room.  Seeing the faint nod from Riku, she continued.  "You two are the next fighters, please follow me."

Without a word, Fayne got up and slowly walked out the door.  Riku followed, reluctantly.  The attendant looked back and forth between the two in confusion before she shrugged and began leading them into the tunnel preceding the arena.  Riku shivered in the gloomy tunnel, not liking the shadows that seemed to be creeping around him.

You always end up back in the darkness…

Why…can't you leave me alone…?

Your work isn't finished, my puppet…

…I'm done with you…Ansem…

Ha ha, you only wish…

Riku cried out as an ice-cold, blinding pain flashed in his head.  He dropped to his knees and his forehead touched the ground, as if he were in the middle of serious prayer.  He held his head and shook it to try and stop the intense pain.  Involuntary tears spilt from his eyes and a scream was let loose from him that made goose bumps raise on Fayne's skin.  She took a tentative step toward him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, uncertainly.  She still deeply cared for Riku, and couldn't stand seeing him in such pain.  "Riku-"

Another scream erupted from Riku and he collapsed in a heap on the ground.  He had stopped the screaming and now, only faint whimpers arose from his body.  Fayne cautiously stepped toward Riku and looked back.  The attendant had ran away and left them both alone.  Oh well, she thought with a sigh.

"Riku…?"  She crouched down next to him and turned him over.  What she saw made her gasp and flinch back.  Riku's sea-green eyes had changed to an amber tint.  His skin had turned a bronze color and his hair silver hair, which was shoulder length before, had grown even longer and was spiked up.

"Ha ha, so you're the girl who has caused my puppet to fall in love…" He wore a cold smile and summoned the keyblade.  "I love taking over people, I can do stuff like this…"

"Who are you?!"

"Ha ha ha, a nightmare…"

…Ansem….

Fayne summoned the Shadowblade and held it ready.  "Get out of his body, you freak," she yelled.

F…ayne…I…

"Riku?!" Fayne looked around, but realized that she couldn't find him because the voice was in her mind.

…I'm…sor…ry…

"Please, Riku, hold on!" Fayne's eyes narrowed and she stepped toward Riku's body.  "Let him go, or I will kill you," she threatened.

Ansem shrugged and brushed the hair out of his eyes.  "So?  It's not my body…" Fayne cursed and Ansem supplied a smile.  "Yes, I suggest you think before you go hacking away.  Although…" With sudden speed, Ansem darted toward Fayne and swiped with the keyblade.

Fayne jumped back, quickly, and swung her keyblade in a counterattack.  Ansem easily blocked it and began to swing at Fayne in smooth and steady rhythms that left her on the defensive. 

Stop…please…

Ansem laughed as he feinted with his keyblade and kicked Fayne in the stomach.  Surprised, she flew back into the wall of the tunnel and landed on one knee, trying to catch her breath.  He then rushed at her and swung his keyblade downward, but she saw it coming and dodged to her left while spinning and swinging the keyblade at the same time.  Again, he deflected her blow without difficulty and swung his fist toward her face.  It connected with her jaw and sent her crashing back into the wall where she lay, disoriented.  She shuddered as Ansem walked toward her and raised his keyblade for the final stroke.  She looked up at him with a gaze of utter vulnerability and resigned herself to her fate.

No!

"Hey you!"  In the tunnel's entrance was the man, the myth the legend…Hercules.  "Stop!"  He began running toward them.

Ansem shook his head and dropped the keyblade from his shaking hand.  Slowly, his hair reverted to normal and his eyes and skin color changed with it.  He dropped to his knees and held himself to stop from shaking. 

"No, no, no," he whispered, repeatedly, to himself.  Before Fayne could say anything to comfort him, Hercules picked him up and threw him toward one of the doors to the other rooms.  Riku crashed into it and it collapsed under his weight and the force of the throw. 

"No!" Fayne screamed, running toward him.  "He didn't know!"  She ran inside and was briefly surprised to see that the room belonged to Kairi and that Sora.  Kairi was cradling Riku's head in her lap and Sora was already on his feet, keyblade in hand.  He walked out and was confused to find that it was his friend Hercules who had attacked Riku.  Suspicious, he held his keyblade ready, in case Hercules had gone mad or something.

"Hey, Hercules!!" he called out.  "What do you think you're doing!?"

Hercules, confused about the whole situation, explained, "That guy was attacking that girl with the white hair and I saved her!"

Sora shook his head.  "That's not true!!  Riku wouldn't just attack her!"

 "He did attack me," Fayne concurred.  "But he wasn't in control of himself.  That Ansem guy was behind the wheel."

Sora raised an eyebrow as he dismissed his keyblade.  "Ansem…?  He's doing it again?"

"I guess so," Fayne said.  She walked back in the room to check on Riku and she was relieved to see that his eyes were open.  He looked to her and shifted his eyes, guiltily.  She sat down next to him. 

"I'm…sorry," Riku said, his voice cracking.  "I, I just didn't want to hurt you like I hurt my other friends."

She brushed his hair with her hand, whispering, "Shhh, its okay…"

No it's not…

"No it's not…" Riku choked, sobbing once again and leaning on Fayne for support.  "Its not okay at all."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sephiroth, tired of waiting, had walked up to the little satyr.  "What is the meaning of this?" he asked coldly.  "We are supposed to be engaging in a tournament right now."

The satyr, already made nervous by the commotion in the tunnel, visibly paled when Sephiroth spoke to him in that cold, emotionless tone of voice. 

"Uh, there's been a little problem down in the tunnel.  Your opponents can't make it…"

"So?"

"So, that means that you'll be now facing one of our monsters, your match will be tomorrow," Phil stammered.  "Is that okay?"

Sephiroth said nothing and walked back out to the arena to inform Orlandu of the situation.  The satyr's bravado returned when Sephiroth walked out and he decided to show that silver-headed ice block who was boss.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I can't control it…" Riku murmured, sitting in a chair with his head down.  They were still in Sora's room and everyone was listening to Riku.  "I can't control this…darkness inside of me…"

Sora shook his head and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.  "Yes you can.  You're stronger than the darkness, you just haven't realized it."

"Yeah," Kairi chimed in.  "You can conquer the darkness inside of you if you open your heart to the light."

"If I'm so strong," Riku began, "why did the darkness take me before?"

"Because you were confused," Kairi said.  "You didn't know what was going on, so you were easy prey for Maleficent."

"Whatever…" Riku muttered.  He looked at Fayne, who smiled tentatively, and lowered his head again.  "I'm so sorry, Fayne," he repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Stop, please," Fayne sighed.  "I forgive you already, just stop beating yourself up."

"I…can't," was the simple reply.