A/N: I've got nothing to say. Just that I'm hoping I get more reviews and that X-mas V-cation comes soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts 'cause if I did I'd make Riku and Sora the main pair! One way or another!

Chapter 3

The night you left

Riku looked out the window to look at the rising dark cloud that hovered above the small island not to far from shore.

He was worried. It wasn't a storm coming.

It was something more. Something he couldn't name.

Quickly he dialed Kairi's number on the phone on his bedside table. He listened to it ring repeatedly and tapped his fingers on the table nervously, listening to them drum against it over and over.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Tomoyo, can I speak to Kairi?" Riku said as calmly as he could into the receiver, even though he was itching with nervousness to find out where and what his girlfriend was doing.

"I'm sorry Kairi's not here, she said something about checking to see if her boat in the docks would make it through the storm. Riku... Riku? Riku?"

The receiver was flung from Riku's grasp. He ran down the stairs and out the door to the docks. He had a bad felling rising and falling in him and it revolved around him and his two closest friends. It was a feeling like her would be separated from one of them and that pain of truth would come to deal critical blows.

How right he was.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Sora? What are you doing here?" Kairi asked innocently with a slightly panicked look on her features. She placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, but he yanked himself from her grasp and growled.

"It's none of your business." He said coldly. He huddled over his boat and pushed in out into the water, ready to release the rope and push out farther into the already tall and threatening waves.

"Sora! You shouldn't go out there! The waters could capsize your boat!" Kairi attempted to keep the rope tied firmly to the docks, but Sora's hand slapped hers away harshly.

"Leave me alone." He snapped, never looking up from his boat.

Kairi held her stinging hand close to her body and watched Sora with wide frightened eyes.

"Sora...what's wrong with you?" He was nothing like the boy who was her best friend. Nothing like the boy you had found her on the beach, curiosity shining in his wide innocent azure eyes. His cheery demeanor was long gone and was replaced by a cold front.

The air was pregnant with uncomfortable silence. Sora didn't look at Kairi, but he could feel her eyes burning into his skull in a lame attempt to stop him.

He ignored her and finally pushed his boat out far enough into the water. Slowly he paddled out into the open waters and was soon out of Kairi's sight.

Determined, the auburn haired girl pushed her own boat into the water and started after him. She was halfway there when Riku's deep voice stopped her.

"Kairi! What are you doing!" Kairi turned at the sound of her voice to see Riku standing at the edge of the docks and pushing his boat into the water too, paddling madly to catch up to her.

With his strong arms and incredible strength, he reached her in a matter of seconds.

"Sora's out there! We have to help him!" She cried out. She stopped her paddling and waited for Riku to catch up, but her arms were almost twitching in anxiety to find Sora and make sure he was safe. Most would call it maternal or a lover's instinct, but Kairi considered it as a feeling of sisterly love, she had grown to see Sora as an older brother-like figure after all.

Riku gave her a nod and paddled out beside her quickly.

They reached the island in a matter of time. After Kairi's boat had capsized and she was taken into Riku's boat. Together they reached the island, out of breath and worried beyond recognition.

Questions relating the well-being of Sora ran in circles around in their head and the same thoughts crossed their minds while they turned from the violent, churning water to the orb above their heads, crackling dangerously and waves of power rolling off it.

What was the orb, and was it connected to Sora somehow? Was it the reason he was acting so strangely? What if they had past him in the water because his boat had capsized and he was now dead because they hadn't heard his cries for help!

Riku shook his head vigorously to banish the vision of Sora's lifeless body falling to the ocean bottom.

"You check the Secret Place and I'll check the rest of the island." Riku ordered.

He partly wanted to find Sora first, but he also wanted to make sure Kairi would be safe from the raging storm. The strong winds could knock something over and kill Kairi (A/N: Wow... now there's a nice thought...hehehe) under the weight of a tree or something else.

When he was sure Kairi had made it to the Secret Place safely he ran, full tilt, toward Paopu Island.

He jumped up and grabbed the edge of the bridge trying to pull himself up, but his weight put too much strain on the soaked wood. With a loud crack he fell to the ground.

"Damn..." He cursed. He pushed himself off the ground and made to run over to the Shore Shack, when something sharp hung onto his arm tightly.

He looked down at his right arm and gasped. There hung something that looked like a cross between a black bug and a little elf.

The creature's bright yellow eyes stared at him without any will of their own. Its little black body clung almost possessively to his arm, its sharp claws digging into his skin.

"Shit!" Riku grabbed it by its small antenna and threw it from him. The creature merely landed and seemed to turn into a small puddle. It shifted from side to side, it's yellow eyes never disappearing in the darkness.

The small 'bug' then reformed itself, rising from the ground easily.

Riku took a large step back when other eyes and black puddles started to form around it and transform into the same type of body.

"What the hell is going on?" Riku screamed.

He ran past the shadows and into the Shore Shack; running up the stairs toward the door that lead to the small island. Flinging the door open he ran as fast as he could toward his friend, who was currently staring out into the expansive ocean depths.

"Sora!" Riku yelled. He neared the brunet and he tried to calm his rapid heartbeat from the run and slight fear. He heard the trees behind him howl against the wind fiercely, claims that the storm was worsening.

"The door... is open." He said. Riku wasn't sure whether he was talking to himself or addressing Riku.

"Sora...?" Riku took a step closer, but the brunet either ignored him, or was oblivious to him even standing there.

"It's time to leave this island... and finally see what's out there." He continued. He spread his arms out and raised his head to look at the orb above them both that was crackling dangerously. "We can't see what's out there if we don't leave... there's no turning back."

Sora turned around and Riku nearly died of a heart attack.

This Sora looked nothing like his old best friend. His hair was messier than usual and his eyes were dulled with the night that surrounded them. His clothes were also a mess, covered in dirt; they looked like they had been through hell and back.

Riku almost thought of him as death warmed over. What had he been doing all this time?

"What about Kairi, Sora? We can't leave her behind! Have you forgotten that she was worried when you padded all the way out here?" Riku yelled over the howl of the deafening wind.

Sora ignored him.

"Just you and me Riku... You and me can leave... there's no reason to be afraid of the darkness... I'm not afraid of the darkness." Unmistakable hate burned in Sora's eyes and his gaze hardened with every word that passed his parted lips.

"We don't need her." He said simply.

Sora held his hand out to the older boy, praying with all his heart that Riku would take his hand and they could leave without Kairi... just the two of them.

Riku looked at the hand like it was covered in poison and promised death by the mere touch of it. The horrified expression on his face was like a slap to the face to Sora.

Riku looked hesitant and made to reach out to the hand, but darkness was winding around Sora's legs slowly like a snake winding itself around it's pray.

Sora's felt the Heartless' claws cut into his clothing, tearing it in various places.

With one last look at his friend, Riku withdrew his hand and took off toward the Secret Place.

Toward Kairi.

Sora withdrew his hand to his side and clenched his eyes shut.

He chose Kairi. Simple as that.

Sora's jaw was locked tightly together and he felt his throat constrict painfully. He let his hands fist and he pushed the darkness from his heart.

He said he wasn't afraid of the darkness. He was going to live by that swear. No matter how of if it controlled him, no matter what it offered, whether it be power or death, he wouldn't give in.

Sora was up to his neck in the thick blackness that had twined itself around his body, but never touching his heart.

Just then Riku and Kairi walked out of the Secret Place, shouting his name over and over in some attempt to reach him.

Riku was running toward him, he had reached him just as he the last of his body disappeared into the darkness. He looked up and stretched his arm out.

It was like looking up at the water from below. Darkness seemed to swirl around a small hole above him where Riku had stuck his hand through and was gripping Sora's tightly. His fingers were holding onto the sand above and some grains fell into the pit, falling into never ending darkness.

Sora wanted to pull his hand away. Riku's hand felt as though it was burning the flesh from his hand. Tears obscured his vision and tried desperately to push Riku away, but everywhere he touch it burned, gloves or not.

Shadows came up and grabbed his legs, trying to match Riku's strength in a tug of war. They tried to pull him down, but Riku held on tighter and tried to pull him up.

Sora felt like a rag doll between two dogs. Shadows pulled on his legs and Riku pulled his hand up, toward him and a glittering light behind him.

Another, larger, shadow reached up, his hand grabbing Sora's small body and yanking him down in one violent jerk.

He watched as Riku's silver hair vanished. He fell and watched as the shadows around him pushed the bigger one toward the surface, like an exchange.

He saw a bright light above him shine and then darkness carried him into an eternal emptiness.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Darkness swallowed him from all sides.

The floor showed no beginning or ending and there were no walls.

No sign of life was visible and no movement was close at its heels either.

And he was standing in the center of it all.

"I warned you not to interfere..."

"I-ahhhh!" Sora fell to the cold, dark ground and clutched his chest in pain. The burning sensation wouldn't fade no matter how hard her squeezed his hand to his chest, to his heart. His face was screwed up in pain that was visible by the quivering of his body.

Sora heard footsteps walk around him as he lay there, helplessly, on the floor.

"You pushed the darkness from your body and yet you are still alive? Here of all places?" The voice grumbled. "I'm surprised you aren't a Heartless yet..." The voice must have thought him unconscious or something because it's footsteps stopped before him and seemed to talk to himself rather than Sora.

"No one has been able to stay here without attracting the Heartless... especially a..." The voice trailed off when Sora looked from his huddled position on the floor to see the figure standing above him, his hand in his hood and rubbing his temples that were poorly lit like he was trying to avoid a headache.

"T-then... Why are... you here?" Sora said standing up slowly, and trying to regain his breath like he had just ran race.

"I am the controller of the Heartless." His voice floated out from the hood to hit Sora's ears.

"What's your name 'Oh-high-and-mightily-one'?" Sora scoffed, his lips turning down in a frown of unwanted curiosity.

The man seemed to pause and then pulled his hood back.

He had piercing amber eyes and his tanned skin contrasted to the pair of brightly colored orbs. His long white hair flowed around him, the ends near his ears stinking up to give a look of wings.

"My name is...Ansem..." He said with his deep voice.

Sora regarded him with a guarded expression, his muscles still tensed. Now he knew who he'd beat the shit out off for all this in the first place.

"And I am not the one you talked to in the cave... that was a Heartless I had sent you as a warning." He said like he had read the boy's thoughts. He waved his hand in the air and two chairs appeared from the darkness.

Both of the chair's metal was twisted into type of holy silver white thorns with black winding itself around the edges, the center was cushioned with red velvet looking cushions.

"Sit." Ansem said politely. Sora was hesitant and slowly eased himself down his the chair closest to him.

"Why did you tell me to stay away from Riku and Kairi?" Sora demanded.

"It is to protect you boy..." Ansem began and sat in his own chair. Again he motioned to the air behind him and next the same hooded figure from the cave appeared, kneeling beside Ansem. "Riku is a Keyblade master and is going to seal all the keyholes in various worlds."

"I don't see where I come in and how this going to protect me." Sora slouched in his chair. He eyed Ansem suspiciously and then looked at the silent figure beside him.

"We need you to prevent him from sealing those keyholes. If I had not taken you off that island, you would have turned into a Heartless. Just like everyone else." Ansem closed his eyes and placed both his hand on his chin, his elbows resting on the arms of the chairs.

Sora took a minute to process the information handed to him and then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"MOM! DAD! KAIRI! RIKU!" Sora frantically looked around for anyway to get out of the never ending room, but no doors or passageways of any kinds were available. "I've gotta find them and… and-"

"Perhaps, you don't understand the situation fully..." The figure next to Ansem spoke. "Master, may I speak freely?" He looked up to watch Ansem.

"You may." Ansem replied coolly, his eyes still closed.

"You would have been turned into the more primitive heartless and you would be cut down by the Keyblade and Riku." The being stood and towered above Sora, and now that Sora had no idea where he was or what would happen, he was now intimidated, to say the least. "He wouldn't understand who were or that you were once his friend. He would cut you down mercilessly and you would turn to oblivion. Where all Heartless are sent." He continued.

The thought of seeing Riku hold a real blade and really cutting him down caused Sora's skin to crawl. He was always nervous when Riku pointed his wooden sword at him, a real blade would only make him sick to the stomach.

"You are to gather information and follow Jin's orders." Ansem said, finally opening his eyes to regard Sora with a silent understanding of what was going on and why.

"You want me to take orders from someone I don't even know, who just took me from my only home!" Sora leapt out of his chair and grabbed Ansem by the scruff of his robe. The boy may have been small, but he wasn't weak. Far from it to be exact. He was able to hold his own on the most dependable times, but he was still nowhere near as strong as Riku.

"Hold your tongue boy!" Jin also leapt to his feet and grabbed Sora's neck adding slight pressure.

"Release him, Jin." Ansem replied in his cool demeanor. He showed no fret to Sora's assault and remained calm, letting the boy hold onto him tightly.

"In case you have forgotten, I already introduced myself." Ansem said, his eyes meeting Sora's. "And I am the only one you can trust right now. Your so-called friends abandoned you, so who else will you turn to?"

"Riku tried to save me!" Sora said in his friend's defense, even though it was a no-gain victory if he won.

"But who did he leave to save first?" Ansem answered. "Even when you were right in front of him, he could have saved you then Kairi. It would have saved plenty of time."

Quietly, Sora released Ansem and slunk back to his chair. He bowed his head, submissively and let the pain from earlier wash over him like the waves in Destiny Islands.

"What do you need me to do?" Sora scowled, looking at his large yellow shoes.

"Your first assignment will come soon... very soon." Ansem replied, finally opening his eyes to watch Sora with a sinister look residing behind them. "First we'll have to see how that large Heartless from earlier is doing."

He let a smile cross his lips.

"Would you believe it's your friend, Selphie."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Riku slashed through various Heartless, scowling as more came. The large Darkside beside him reached for him, but Riku slashed at the long slender fingers before they could touch him.

"Riku watch out!" Kairi screamed. She was huddled beside a fallen tree and watched the battle, throwing a rock at a Heartless and then hiding again, before a Heartless could spot her.

Riku ignored her screams and focused on the enemy in front of him. He remembered always telling Sora, when they were sparing, to never take your eyes off you opponent.

His mind once again drifted to Sora.

He had ran into the Secret place to meet Kairi coming out halfway through the tunnel, she was scared and was ranting about a door opened and other things. He had ignored and pulled her out of the cave. He had to reach Sora before he disappeared into the darkness.

They had been to late.

They had just seen Sora's saddened expression before he disappeared into the puddle. Riku had sprinted toward it as fast as he could, in some attempt to reach Sora, the puddle stayed open when he reached it and he had stuck his hand into it.

By pure luck or chance, he had managed to grab Sora's hand.

He had pulled with all his might, trying to bring his best friend back, but the darkness pulled back with greater strength and eventually Sora's hand had slipped from Riku's grasp.

In his place a larger shadow had risen and was coming toward him from the depths of hole.

It grabbed Riku's hand and tried to pull him in too, but he pulled back. A bright light flashed all around him and the next thing he knew he was holding a large blade.

The blade was long and it looked like a silver key. He was surprised and when the shadow rose from the darkness, reaching for him, he was praying with all his heart that the key in his hands was meant to be a blade.

Now the large shadow towered above him, trying to strike him down.

For a split second Riku looked up into the shadow's face to see a flicker of Selphie's face residing behind it. Like it was a piece of Selphie he was fighting.

The girl was never the strongest of the fighters, but she was still pretty good. Always rushing forward like the shadow above him.

No matter if it was the girl in there or not, he treasured Sora more.

With one final hit to the being before him the shadow's arm was cut clean off. The arm, no longer useful, fell to the ground and turned to black dust, quickly scattered by the blowing winds.

Riku heard the beast groan in pain, and then it turned into a growl. Its eyes turned to a light green before returning to it's natural yellow.

The small blot of dirt was all there was left of their island. After the shadow had risen from the puddle, the island had suddenly been sucked into the secret place and now it was above them. It was like a black hole waiting to suck up the first thing to leave the ground.

It then turned and started for Kairi on the small island.

Kairi was petrified with fear, and was only able to huddle there in fear.

"Kairi!" Riku ran toward the girl and snatched her up in his arms. He ran to the other side of the island and set her down, and turned to the lumbering black giant.

"Wait here…" Riku let his words hang in the air. He ran forward, the Keyblade in hand and started to hack away at the beast faster than ever.

After endless dodging and slashing, the beast swayed from side to side.

"Riku..." It seemed to groan as the wind carried it to the never-ending abyss.

"Riku!" Kairi's screams could be heard over the howling winds. Riku sprinted over to the girl and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Whatever happens, don't let go!" Riku screamed. With that Kairi held him to her smaller form tighter. Riku grabbed the tree nearby, holding onto it as tight as Kairi to his torso.

The winds kicked up with a blasting howl.

Riku's fingers slipped and he and Kairi were hurled into black hole above them.

End Chapter

XCX: (Wow this the longest chapter I've written so far... I'll try to make them longer, but with Word down, it just makes length of the chapters harder to read since I've got an old version of WordPad.)

Man... that was very dramatic. It was kinda depressing too... I mean I just made things worse for our ol' Sora. I'm being pretty cruel to him aren't I?

Well so'kay, things look grim now but it'll get better! I think... to find out you have to review.

Not Important but I had fun in school

I had sooooo much fun in 7th period in Literacy today. My science project was returned and I got my poster board back, so natually, I rolled it up and started whacking people in my group on the head with it. It was soooo funny. (I like the group of people I sit with. They're so much fun to hang out with. Thanks for the laughs Lacie, Kim, Kytlyn, Edwardo, and a girl-who's-name-I-can-never-remember!)

Finally teach got really pissed about it and took it from me until the end of school. I still had fun though, I moved onto hitting the people around me with my art binder. The thing weighs a ton if you're curious.

Sorry for ranting.

Thank you!

Nothin' more to say 'cept R and R And Thanks for reading!

Read on and live for the thrill of life! X3