Chapter I

((I would like to take up this space to say that there is a scene below that requires one to know the language of Al Bhed. No, I'm not telling you to buy Final Fantasy X-X2 {Though they are both excellent games!} and I'm not telling you to get an Al Bhed Translator, I'm just saying if you know the language, you'll better understand the scene. However! If you DON'T know it, that's fine too. Below this Chapter, I'll write it all out in English so you can understand it without knowing the language. So don't get disgruntled if you can't read it, just scroll down to the Translated Version.))

The Storm...

The wind howled viciously, sending chills along the spines of any who heard its screams of sheer agony. Lightning tore across the sky, seeming to rip open its black nothingness and pour the ghastly world with light, only long enough for the next streak to take its place. Thunder bellowed, letting its presence be known to all who stood beneath the sky. The rain poured thickly, the evil looking clouds dumping it onto the empty seeming streets below. All this chaos meant nothing to the only being brave enough to venture into the night. A gloved hand flexed in its tight grip on the side of one of the buildings, a black trench coat flailing madly in the violent wind. A soft, content seeming sigh left the figure's lips, his head tilted back to greet the rain. Wet, silvery white hair slapped his face, yet he payed it no mind. Lightning streaked the sky again, forcing the male to step back away from the building's edge. He reached slowly into his pocket, his gloved fingers fumbling along a silkily piece of material for a moment. With a shake of the head he brought the cloth out of his pocket and tied it about his head, covering his eyes.

"Blasted Light..." he growled, then made his way back inside the building.

The gentle hum of the generators was a great difference from the hammering of the storm outside. The smell, however, would have been sickening had he not been used to it by now. He ran a hand through his hair, ridding it of some of the water, then ruffled his trench to do the same. The weight of the water was something he didn't need if unwanted company were to spring at him. The building, however, seemed unoccupied, which didn't dampen Riku's spirits at all.

He made his way to a set of stairs, walking as if he could see it all, although he could not. His senses knew this building well, for he was in it enough. He had made this place his home, and had decided if he were going to live in it, he was going to be able to maneuver all around it. It wasn't, however, a place he inhabited on his own. A few others, lost to the Darkness like himself, stayed within these walls, but never made a move to annoy nor bug him. Perhaps they stayed because they knew nothing would come to harm a creature as dark as he.

The thought made him chuckle. A mirthless sound if he'd ever heard one. But that's what this kind of place did to a person. It sucked the joys in life, anything happy completely away from you. He couldn't count how many times he had watched a person crack. Never a pleasant experience. The worst one that came to memory was a little girl he had become quite fond of. She couldn't have been older then four when her home was Lost to Darkness' claws. He remembered talking to her day-by-day, and had become quite used to her being around, but one day he had found her curled up in a corner, her back to the world behind her. He of course approached her, looking to help, but the aura of her spirit when she turned around made him wrench back in both disgust and horror.

He shuddered at the mental image it had given him, and still was able to recall itself. He was glad that he couldn't see her features, only sense them. For what he could imagine, and what was truly done, were two completely different things.

In nearly every aspect, Riku would still perceive himself as somewhat of a child. A more morbid child, maybe, but still a child none-the-less. Perhaps one not so innocent as most. Another mirthless chuckle. He knew all to well that he was unlike all the other children...Teenagers his age. What would Sora and Kairi think of him now?

He frowned at the thought. "Who cares?" he spat. He'd been trapped within the Darkness for some time now, it had been at least two years since he had last seen his best friend. That was the day he had lost his vision, perhaps the last of his innocence as well.

He lifted a hand to touch his eyes, but quickly withdrew it. He shook his head violently, as if to clear his thoughts, but it didn't help. It never did.

'You're still going on about them abandoning you?'

The mental voice caused him to jump. He blinked a few times as his Keyblade called itself to his hand. He sighed deeply and sat himself down in an old, dusty chair and idly stroked the weapon's hilt.

'Honestly, Master Riku....' the Keyblade's tone seemed to frown all in its self. 'They haven't abandoned you and you know as much for a fact.'

Riku shook his head. "I will never understand how you can be so sure of things all the time, my friend." he continued his affectionate gesture to the Keyblade.

'It's a matter of knowing in Heart, Master Riku.' the Keyblade was nearly purring now.

Riku had always found it odd that a mystical weapon such as a Keyblade would become over joyed by such a small thing as being petted. "Knowing in Heart, you say, Pretender?"

'Yes, Master Riku, I do.' the Keyblade responded.

The boy took a moment to think on these words, his head tilting to one side. "I don't think I'd qualify for any knowledge of Heart. I do believe that first requires one to own a Heart.'

Pretender sighed. 'How many times must we go through this?'

Riku chuckled. "As many times as it takes.'

'Apparently.' the weapon snorted before continuing. 'You, my ever so overly dramatic Master, must have a Heart, do you know why?'

He glanced around for a moment, pretending at the time as if he could see. "Because I get heart burn when I eat any of the food down here?"

Again, the Keyblade sighed. 'No. If I had eyes, Master Riku, I'd roll them.' the weapon paused for a moment, seeming to think. 'You must have a Heart because you are capable of summoning me at will.'

"Ah," Riku grinned. "But you're a Dark Keyblade."

'That makes no difference!' Pretender retorted, seeming vastly insulted by that comment. 'I am STILL a Keyblade!'

"Ok, ok!" Riku laughed, the sound a bit more mirthful then before. "I believe you. How very typical of you, my friend." he smiled, running his hand along the length of the Keyblade. "You always cheer me up when times are rough."

'Of course! That is what I am here for, Master Riku!' the Keyblade shimmered affectionately.

"How very typical of us." Riku sighed softly, leaning back in his chair. "How very typical indeed."

'What's that?'

"Us." the boy responded, his smile fading somewhat into a more sleepy one. "Be my eyes, Pretender."

'Of course, Master Riku. Rest well.'

With a jolting start, Riku's eyes snapped open. Dark nothingness peered back at him, but he knew he was no longer alone. The Keyblade in his hand quivered gently as Riku tried to pin point just who/what and where this intrusion to his sleep was located. The soft ruffle of material caught his ears, forcing the eyes he couldn't see out of to turn in that direction, but not his head. His grip flexed on Pretender, which slowly started to lift, before the cool sensation of metal was pressed up against his throat.

"Move and you die, Keyblade Master." the weapon's wielder was obviously female, and due to the accent to her voice, Riku could tell that English was not her first language. "Banish the Keyblade, and I shall let you stand."

Banish the Keyblade? That was something easy enough to counter if he was in a bind. With a flex of his fist, Pretender vanished from Riku's grasp, and no sooner had that been done was the weapon removed from his throat. Slowly he climbed to his feet, his features relaxed even in his current situation. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone a little more snarky then he'd have liked.

"It is nothing that I, myself want, Keyblade Master."

"Really? The pray tell, why are you here?"

"Delivering a message." the female responded.

"You don't say?" he arched an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

"Your time has nearly run out."

The shifting of her feet told Riku she was lunging. He called Pretender back to his hand and forced the Keyblade upward, blocking the rushed attack. With an irritated snort, the girl jumped back, flipping the weapon Riku couldn't identify into a better hold as he himself dropped into an offensive stance. The apartment wasn't exactly his idea of a good battle arena, he'd have much rather them been outside. Another attack. He tossed Pretender up into a defensive hold once again and listened as what sounded like a sword met his own, a completely different sound from the strike before. It was like she was switching weapons, or at least had two! If only he could see! A growl of frustration escaped his grasp as he stepped into his own set of attacks, meeting the other's weapon with nearly every blow.

'Damn it!' he shouted mentally. This was getting to be too much for him to control.

A soft snicker caught his ears over the loud clanking of the weapons. She was laughing! And at him! He scowled at that and stepped forward with his left foot, bringing his weapon up for an over head attack. The weapons locked. Two sets of teeth, now locked together.

"A Keyblade?" Riku's face scrunched in confusion.

"Yes, a Keyblade." the girl's breathing had picked up, their battle obviously having excited her a bit, as if it were just a game.

"How? I thought there were only four!"

"You thought wrong." the girl mused. "I'd like you to meet Desolation."

"Desolation?" Riku raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you'll find her's a very-"

"Julian!" a third voice broke through the room, forcing the girl to turn her attention.

Riku blinked as the weight against his Keyblade lessened, his own attention drawing towards the new comer.

"Fryd yna oui tuehk?!" again the second voice called out.

"E fyc tamevanehk dra saccyka." Riku's challenger responded.

"Fedr ouin Keyblade?!"

Riku lowered his blade as the other did the same. This other female, he was guessing it was female, obviously had some impact on his attacker.

"E fych'd kuehk du rind res..."

"Dryd," the other boomed. "Ec HUD dra buehd! Oui fana cibbucat du keja res dra saccyka yht kad uid!"

Riku took a half step back. He didn't understand a word either of them were saying and it was starting to make his head hurt.

"Ymnekrd, Atari!" the first snapped, the sound of her Keyblade dropping to her side echoed through the now silent room. "E fyhdat du caa ev ra fyc ib du byn un hud!"

"Famm, oui cruimth'd ryja." the other's voice was venomus. "Get home."

The familiar sound of a Keyblade banished made its way through the silence that had once again befell upon the room. Foot steps were heard as Riku's opponent made her way away from him, crossing the floor at a slow trudge.

"Remember her words, Keyblade Master," the second girl growled. "Your time is nearly up."

He kept Pretender at hand, even when he knew the two girls were gone. His grip flexed, his fingers tightening on the Keyblade's hilt. An irritated, shaky sigh left his lips as he turned from the open window. He re-crossed the floor to his chair, plopping down into it and placing a hand to his face. It was in that moment he heard a familiar mental click. His head shot up and his mouth slowly dropped open as a hoard of Heartless slowly climbed up out of the floor.

((A/N: BUWHAHAHA!!!!! Lookit what I did!!! Don'tcha just HATE that?! grins Keeps ya coming' back for more, I say! Oh yes, as I promised, the Translations for the above scene shall be below. nods Yush, it shall. Just because I felt I should be nice. sigh I didn't have to translate you know. But I did it anyways. So, here they are...))

((Translated Scene))

"What are you doing?!" again the second voice called out.

"I was delivering the message." Riku's challenger responded.

"With your Keyblade?!"

Riku lowered his blade as the other did the same. This other female, he was guessing it was female, obviously had some impact on his attacker.

"I wasn't going to hurt him..."

"That," the other boomed. "Is NOT the point! You were supposed to give him the message and get out!"

Riku took a half step back. He didn't understand a word either of them were saying and it was starting to make his head hurt.

"Alright, Atari!" the first snapped, the sound of her Keyblade dropping to her side echoed through the now silent room. "I wanted to see if he was up to par or not!"

"Well, you shouldn't have." the other's voice was venomus. "Get home."

((A/N: There you have it! The translated version! Happy? Good! XD Now leave Reviews! I like those!))