Here's another chapter along with the thirteenth...They've been sitting around, waiting to be posted...But I never did it. Anyways, the stories coming to an end...so...yeah.

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Disclaimer: I do not own KH or any of the characters. I only own the words used to make this piece of data.

KEY:

Italic- thought

Bold- flashback and other

Bold/Italic- dreams

( )- other

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CHAPTER FORTEEN: THE SHADOW OF THE LIGHT

Inside the Kingdom Hearts Castle was anything but normal. Large lights hung from the ceilings by chains, and skeletons lay on the floors. "What happened here?" Riku asked himself as he and Aerith walked into the castles main chamber.

"Looks like a battle," Aerith muttered as she looked around the room in awe.

"These people died recently..." Riku said aloud, hoping Aerith was listening to his comment.

"What makes you say that?"

Riku pointed ahead of them to a long dark hall. At first, Aerith didn't understand until she saw the long trail of blood leading into the darkness. "That does."

"Blood! In the castle of good?"

"Let's follow it."

Cid watched from his store window as Wakka and Tidus entered their vicious fight to the death. "Wakka..." the older blond man muttered beneath his breath as he watched the two friends fighting.

"Why are you so hostile towards me?" Wakka asked as he blocked one of the blondes hits.

"Because you're in my way!" Tidus shot back as he continued swinging his sword blindly. "Unless you join us."

Wakka stopped moving and stared at the ground. "You're only fighting for Selphie. You're not doing any of these horrible things for yourself. She's only doing them for someone else, and so on."

"What are you saying?"

"If I had followed my mind, I would be standing beside you right now. But then I remembered all the sad faces I've seen. I remembered all the people who are losing their girlfriends, daughters, wives, and friends. Even I lost those people. Joining you wouldn't solve anything, it wouldn't save you. If I join you I can't protect you."

"Idiot," Tidus laughed. "I don't need your protection. I've got the darkness on my side."

"Maybe so, but I have the light."

"Don't be so sure...The light is merely a more destructive form of the darkness. Your light is no match for Sora."

"It doesn't matter," Wakka lunged at Tidus without warning and knocked him to the ground. "I will protect you! Even if I have to protect you from Sora!"

Tidus jumped up and threw his sword to the side. "Fine, then we're going to fight fair!"

Aerith and Riku stood before two large doors, blocking them from their destination. Somehow they knew he was behind those doors, the man they'd been searching for. Riku pushed the doors open and stepped inside with Aerith. It was as if they were standing on a cloud. The ground beneath them was white and fluffy and the area around them was wide and blue.

"Welcome my darling host," came a the familiar voice from Riku's head. When Riku turned to see his intruder, he gasped in horror. "Surprised?"

"King Mickey?" Aerith asked in shock and she looked the tiny mouse over. "You're the one trying to control Riku?"

"Why?" Riku yelled demanding an answer.

"You already know," Mickey answered casually. "You and your friend are being used for our battle."

"Why did you choose us?" Riku asked with irritation in his voice.

"It was only natural for us to choose you. You are both the ones who will the places of the Kings of Light and Dark."

"You mean...?"

"That's right. You and Sora are both princes."

"Then why...You're the light!"

"No Riku," Aerith interrupted. "This light has been tainted with greed. That's why you were created..."

"To destroy the evil and restore the power," Mickey chuckled as he finished the sentence.

The two boys were fighting each other viciously, throwing and receiving punches.

"I got you!" Tidus laughed as Wakka fell on the ground after receiving a direct hit in the stomach. The blond boy was just about to kick Wakka while he was down, when he was hit in the head with a club and fell to his knees. "What the hell...?" he muttered as he looked up at the person who'd attacked him. "Damn..." were his last words before he past out in the parking lot.

"I didn't ask for your help Cid," Wakka mumbled beneath his breath as he got to his feet and approached Tidus.

"I watched the entire thing," Cid proclaimed softly.

Wakka bent down beside Tidus and carefully pulled the blond boy into his arms. "I see," he answered dolorously.

"You and your friends aren't playing some game are you?"

"No."

"Then why did you lie?"

Wakka stood up and held his friend close to his chest. "I couldn't tell you the truth, because you'd try and stop us. The truth is you can't stop us."

"You don't know anything about me. You can't just assume."

"You don't know anything about me either."

Cid started at Wakka and felt heavy-hearted for the young boy before him. "Why don't you tell me all about it," he suggested.

"Why should I do that?"

Cid shrugged and shook his head. "Why are you being so hostile? I saved you, it's the least you could do."

Wakka looked at the ground in guilt. "Okay," he answered tranquilly. Wakka told Cid about everything he knew from start to finish before he headed to the cabin where he would keep Tidus locked up until he was back to normal.

"I can't let you destroy me though...I still need to defeat the darkness!" Mickey yelled in irritation.

"I can't believe how selfish you are!" Riku growled back.

"You won't think that once I've gained complete control over you!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Mickey laughed darkly. Riku clutched his head in pain as he felt everything around him disappear.

"No! I don't wanna go there again!" Riku screamed before he blacked out.

Riku opened his eyes and found himself in a snowy field. He recognized it to be the place where he and the evil Sora had talked many times, only the ground was white with snow and the sky black with nothingness.

"Where am I?" Riku asked. He listened as his voice echoed across the area. It was then that he heard a faint sniffling that he knew was Sora. "Sora!" he screamed frantically as he began chasing after the sound. No matter where he ran the sound only become father and father away. Riku felt his feet give in and he collapsed into the snow. "Damnit!" he cried in frustration. "Why can't I be strong when I need to?"

"You are strong," came Sora's voice. Riku looked up to find the familiar face of his best friend.

"Sora!" he cried as he pulled him into an embrace. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you!"

"It's fine Riku," Sora breathed soothingly. "You always treat me like a child."

Riku chuckled a bit and ruffled the brunettes hair. "That's because your like a little brother to me."

"Riku?" Sora asked feeling confused.

"Maybe it's a good thing we're not related."

"Why do you say that?"

Riku looked up at his friend with tears in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Instead they hung around his eyes, making them shine like diamonds. "I'd make a crappie older brother."

"Don't say that..."

"Where are we?" Riku asked as he looked around again.

"We are lost in a void that our enemies have thrown us. If they are successful in destroying our bodies, we will disappear..."

"How can you say that so calmly?" Riku demanded, angry that Sora was giving up.

Sora looked away and smiled at the empty sky of black. "Because I've been here for awhile and I'm slowly fading...There's not much time before he runs down my body's life energy. I'm already growing weak." Sora suddenly fell the ground and hugged himself.

"Sora?" Riku yelled as he tried to help his friend up only to be pushed away.

"Stay back! It really hurts! I don't like it here, I don't wanna be here alone anymore!" Sora grabbed onto Riku's shirt and looked up at the older teen with tears falling down his cheeks. "Riku, please save me. I don't want to disappear..."

As soon as Sora had finished his sentence he vanished, ending his terrified screams for help. "Sora?" Riku cried as he searched around.

"Don't worry," came a dark and sinister voice. "He hasn't vanished yet. I just think you've had to much time with him."

Riku clinched his fists. "Sora! I promised I would protect you, and I'm not giving up yet!" Riku threw back his head and screamed as loud as he possibly could.

"STOOOOOOOP!" Riku screamed as he sat up and pushed Mickey away. "Tell me how to save Sora!"

"How did you escape?" Mickey grunted and then began to laugh. "Defeat me and I'll tell you."

"King Mickey?" Aerith muttered to herself, still in awe of the circumstances.

"Can you handle another attack to your mind?" Mickey mocked.

Riku grinned and pointed his finger at the mouse before him. "If you can go into my mind. Then I'll go into yours!"

"Is that a challenge?" Mickey asked, sounding very amused.

"It is!"

Sora sat in the dark room where Kairi had first brought him. He glared at the floor and smiled to himself as devious thoughts ran in and out of his mind. There was no doubt he was plotting something. Suddenly he shook his head and examined the room. What was that? He asked himself. A bad feeling had crept up into his mind and was nagging at the back of his mind. He jumped when he heard a loud knocking at the door. "Come in," he answered irritably. The door opened and closed before Sora could see who had entered, but he knew he wasn't alone. "Identify yourself," Sora commanded as he stood up and glared at a dark figure.

"I am but one of your many men," came the strangers reply.

"I see," Sora answered and sat back down on the bed. "Is there any news?"

Thought you could not see it, the figure was smirking, planning evil schemes within his mind. "As a matter of fact, there is."

"Then give it."

"Aerith is currently with Riku at the moment, and Tidus has been captured by the one called Wakka."

Sora raised an eyebrow at the news. "Where are Aerith and Riku?"

"The two are engaged in conversation with the King of Light. Riku tricked Aerith into helping him for the moment."

Sora stood up quickly and clenched his fists. "The King of Light? Riku is probably warning him. How do you know this?"

The figure chuckled and began to make a strange ringing sound. "I am very close to the darkness, and I can feel what is happening within the hearts and minds of your minions."

"What is your name?"

"Ansem."

"Is that so?" Sora flicked on the light to reveal a silver haired, yellow eyed, cloaked man before him. "I see. Thank you for informing me." Sora quickly opened the door and swiftly made his way out, leaving Ansem alone in the room.

"Sora...Unlike Riku you suspect nothing. Together we will destroy King Mickey and that boy Riku...And then you too shall die. For I am the one and only one...The King of Darkness."

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Strange twist eh? Yeah...I love twisted story lines...