---Sora53: One of the dun dun parts of the game turned into a dun dun dun chappie!
Fans: Oh no, not again.
Corita: GAH! STUPID SORA!
Naminé: O.o what's wrong?
Corita: LOOK! -points-
Sora: Ha! I beat Corita mode again! Man, this sure is fun!
Corita: SORA! GIVE ME THE GAME!
Sora: No way! It took me 3 months beating the other two modes 53 times!
Corita: GAHHHH! -takes out staff-
Sora: O.o Oh dear. -runs away screaming-
Everyone: -Watches Sora being chased by Corita-
Joe: ...I thought Sora was sleeping?---

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own Corita and nothing else. FEAR HER! O.o (sugar high .)

It wasn't long after they'd reached the end of the path that Corita was hit by another dizzy spell. Riku watched and listened in silence as Corita ranted at him.

"I'm fine, nothing's wrong with me...stop looking at me with pity!"

Riku merely watched as Corita grumbled and, rubbing her head, stood up again and continued to walk.

"I'm probably just tired...talking all night..." She said softly as they moved towards the bridge that led to the small island with the Paupu Tree.

"Riku...Riku, it's Kairi!" Corita yelled, pointing a finger at the small island. Riku looked to where she was pointing, and saw the red-haired teen staring out to the sea.

"You're right! Kairi!" Riku called, running towards her.

As Riku reached her, she didn't turn to him. She looked as if she didn't even notice him.
"Kairi...don't tell me you —"

As he said these words, Kairi vanished before his eyes. He blinked a few times, to make sure he hadn't imagined it, and stretched out his hand. When his hand reached the open air where Kairi had been, he jerked it back as Corita reached him.

"Ah...no, no no!" He cried.

Corita and Riku stood together, and Corita put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Their sadness, however, wasn't to be without another figure.

"Surely you knew this would happen." Zexion said coolly.

Riku and Corita spun around, finding that he'd appeared behind them.

Riku glared at him, and growled, "Why would I know that?"

"You've been to a number of worlds in your memory before this one." Zexion explained in his calm tone. "And in those worlds, you met only dark beings. That's all that's left in your heart: dark memories. Your memories of home are gone — each and every one."

"So what do you call me?" Corita asked angrily. "A not-memory and a not-not dark memory?"

Riku turned to her with a confused look on his face, but Zexion's expression remained calm.

"That is different." He said. "You are here with him, while the others are mere memories now. Forgotten memories...much like how your brother forgot about you."

Corita's anger flared, but Riku spoke quickly before she could tackle him.

"You're lying." He growled. "I remember everyone from the islands! Wakka and Tidus and Selphie...Kairi and Sora, too! They're my...they're my...friends..."

"And who threw away those friends? Maybe it's your own actions that you forgot. You destroyed your home!"

When Zexion had finished speaking, the calm summer day changed; the entire area went dark, the sun gone. Whirling around wildly, dark clouds were seen in the sky above, and the island they stood on was suddenly scattered with broken wooden boards and fallen coconuts.

"This is...that night!" Riku realized as a sick feeling set in his stomach. Corita backed away, nervously looking around.

"The islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered... Many hearts were lost to the darkness. Because of what YOU did!" Zexion yelled, but he didn't need to speak too loudly to get his point across. Riku shivered slightly with guilt, and he looked towards the Paupu Tree. With a jolt, he realized that another Riku was standing there, the very memory of himself that night.

"No..."

" You hated being an islander, cut off from other worlds. So you opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands. YOU did that! And now you belong to the darkness. Look at what you are!"

The other Riku, who'd been staring out to sea with longing in his eyes, turned back to face the trio. As he turned, darkness surrounded him, and he became enveloped in it. The darkness began to expand, to grow.

In at almost instantaneous flash, darkness surrounded the group. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When it had faded, Riku and Corita were left, staring up at a dark, towering figure.

"It's Darkside...the darkness in your heart...Sora had to fight his, too!" Corita said, remembering what had happened that fateful night on the islands.

"This...this can't be me!" Riku called over the rushing of the wind.

"Doesn't matter!" Corita yelled as she dodged a swipe of Darkside's clawed hand. "Let's just get him!"

Without another moment's hesitation, Riku whipped out his sword and Corita pulled out her staff.


The battle against Darkside was easier with two people fighting it; it was defeated rather quickly. It seemed to evaporate into a dark smoke, and vanished into the air. When it had faded away entirely, Riku and Corita stood together, staring up at where it had vanished to. The island around them was still dark, and the silence was rather unnerving.

A flash of silver, red and gold...

Riku and Corita were suddenly knocked to the ground, and a strong pain flashed across their backs. Scrambling to their knees, they looked behind them, and saw exactly what had struck them.
Sora's Keyblade, shining even in the darkness, was held by none other than it's master. Sora was gripping it tightly, watching them with a bright gleam in his eyes.

"Sora?" Corita gasped.

"Sora, what are you..." Riku started to say, but he didn't get to finish. Sora made a sudden attack, but he was blocked by Riku. He and Corita scrambled to their feet, and ran to the middle of the island. Sora, who stood on the far end, watched the pair, glaring at them.

"Stop it, Sora!" Corita screeched.

"Don't you recognize us?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, I recognize you." Sora said in a cold voice. "I can see exactly what you've become!"

Sora cautiously walked closer to them, and Riku and Corita held up their weapons to defend themselves. Sora, however, stuck too quickly, and they were both knocked down.

"Gahh!" Riku roared as Sora stood over them.

"Look at you two, shrinking away from the light...You're just pawns of the darkness. So be it. It's time for you to face the light!"

"Sora, no!" Corita cried, but her words went unnoticed. Sora shot a blast of light out of his Keyblade towards them, and they were engulfed in it. Sora's form vanished before them...the island vanished soon after.

"I'm...fading..." Riku said as he hung alone in the light. "Consumed by the light..."

"You won't fade." A comforting voice said through the light. Riku blinked a few times, and the blurry form of Kairi appeared before him.

"You can't fade. No power can defeat you...not the light, not the dark. Don't run from the light — and don't fear the darkness. Both will make you stronger."

"Darkness, too?" Riku asked.

"Yes...especially darkness. That power is yours alone. The darkness in your heart is vast and deep...but if you can stare into it unflinching, you'll never know fear again." Kairi said cheerfully.

"But all this time, I've been pushing the darkness away..."

"Don't worry about that. Just be brave. Know that the darkness is there and don't give in. Do that, and you'll gain strength unlike any other. You'll be able to escape the deepest darkness —"

"— and I'll be able to see through the brightest light..."

"Follow the darkness, Riku." Kairi said strongly. "It, along with the light, will show you the way to your lost friends."

"The question is..." Riku muttered sadly, "can I face them?"

Kairi gave a soft giggle, and Riku's heart soared. He never realized how much he missed her laugh.

"You don't want to?" She asked playfully.

"You know I do." Riku said boldly. "And I will! The darkness — MY darkness — will show me the way!"

Kairi faded away into the light, and Riku was left alone. "Darkness, awaken!" He roared, and he could feel the darkness flowing through him...

The next thing he knew, he was back on the island, with his dark clothes on and his sword gripped tightly in his fist. He lashed out at Sora, who was knocked backwards towards the Paupu Tree.

"Im-impossible!" Sora cried. As he spoke, his voice seemed to change. It became darker, yet calmer, in a way...in a few moments, a bright flash surrounded him, and Zexion was kneeling in pain where Sora had been moments before.

"How could you find me in the light?" Zexion growled.

"You reek of the dark." Riku growled, edging towards him. "Even the light can't block out the smell. I followed the darkness right to you."

Zexion slowly got to his feet, and looked down at Riku. Riku was standing 15 feet away, glaring at him with hatred in his eyes.

"Heheh..." Zexion laughed quietly. "After all your protests you're still just another darkling."

"I know what I am." Riku snarled.

"Since when? You were terrified of the dark before..."

"I'm not now!" Riku roared. In a flash, he had struck Zexion again.

"Graah...hypocrite!" Zexion growled. In another flash, he'd vanished, and Riku was left staring at the area he'd been moments before.

Riku slowly lowered his weapon. "He got away." He growled bitterly. Turning around to follow the bridge off the Paupu Tree's island, he spotted something.

Corita was standing next to a coconut tree near the exit, watching him with fear in her eyes.

Sora53: Um, dun du-HEY!
Fans: -are wearing earplugs-
Sora53: You have to listen to my dun dun duns! If you don't, I'll lose mah ficcy writing powers!
Everyone: -puts in earplugs-
Sora53: O.o NOOOOOO! -vanishes-
Joe: She's finally gone! -magically reappears next to Corita- You're free of your contract!
Corita: O.o SORA53 COME BACK!
Sora53: I'm appreciated! -reappears-
Corita: Not really. You're just cooler than Joe.
Joe: I WILL WIN YOUR HEART!
Naminé: Dun dun dun for darkness! YAY!
Everyone: O.o
Fans: She's scary...---