A/N: Hey everyone. I'm your friendly neighbor lame writer girl. Kinda. XD But yeah. I hope you like this story...it's kind of really depressing. Or at least I was feeling depressed when I started writing it. Sorry if it gets really corny at some parts. XD I'm not used to writing drama and angst stories. I'm used to romantic comedies o.o;; Yeah I know, they're like polar opposites. :shrug: but hey, I just felt like doing something different. I should be posting pictures of Riku's character design in my profile sometime, so when I get to that I'll be sure to tell ya.
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be too busy making the other games to write this. So no, I don't own it. XD

xxxx changing scenes
-name- specific p.o.v.
italics thought or emphasis
( A/N: ) my thoughts

-Prologue-

Only a short amount of time passed before Riku mastered twilight. At the end of his training, his companion, King Mickey, insisted that he tests his skills at the coliseum. Before he even had the change to battle, he discovered that his opponent would be none other than Leon. Leon faintly remembered him, and refused to fight.

"I will not fight a friend of Sora's..." He lowered his sword, and a look of sadness swept across Riku's face at the name. "However, I also remember your betrayal. I won't acknowledge your existence."

The words stung, and Riku tried to win his friendship. He admitted his wrongs, and explained that now he was battling with both darkness and light equally. When Leon coldly turned to leave, he came face to face with Cloud.

Feeling sympathy for Riku, Cloud suggested that he came back to the Hollow Bastion. Bidding farewell to Mickey, he set off with Cloud and a rather unhappy Leon to take the chance that he had been looking for.

To this day, Riku kindly rules over the Hollow Bastion. At the age of 19, he is the youngest ruler ever seen by this world.

The wounds of betrayal, however, still linger in his heart. He refused to return to Destiny Islands, even though it would be easy for him to do so. He doesn't believe himself to be good enough for Kairi and Sora, and fears that he will once again let them down.

He is no longer the cocky, sarcastic child that he used to be.

His current mission is to find a power that can rid all worlds of darkness. He was hoping to 'fight fire with fire', but to his disappointment, the power of twilight has not been strong enough to do so. However, in his studies (and with the help of the enormous library in the Hollow Bastion) he has come across stories of the Ultimate Purity trapped in a mortal: The Lady of Hearts.

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That was just the prologue, don't worry. I have the next few chapters already written, so I should be posting them up very soon. I know, Riku sounds really out of character. But hey, if you were possessed by some evil heartless-obsessed freak, wouldn't you change some too? XD Just sayin'.

And sorry if I'm a little off with the 'power of twilight' thing. I just briefly read about it and I said to myself "Donovan...that sounds lyk3 wh04 a really cool power." And then I says "Ya know, I'd have ta agree with ya, Beverly."

So yeah. Feel free to correct me about anything. Just don't be all n00bish about it.