Imagine, if you will, a dingy medieval tavern filled with various rough-looking men dressed in hides and moth-eaten linen. As they guzzle tankard after tankard of ale, they swap stories of their strength and prowess, the tales getting more and more fantastical as the ale continues to flow. Suddenly, a young silver-haired man, puny in comparison to the ruffians surrounding him, stands. He holds his hand up, gesturing for silence, and the tavern quiets in anticipation of a new tale. His pale blue eyes gaze across the room, penetrating each individual to the core in turn, as he begins to speak.
Most are afraid of the darkness, of the unknown. They shrink in fear and viciously attack what they do not understand. But I, Riku, feel no fear. When others contented to live in their tiny world, I dreamed of new horizons and planned journeys to distant shores. When my world was destroyed, I embraced the darkness, risking body, heart, and soul in order to find true power – the power to save the ones I loved.
I traveled the universe searching for Kairi, the girl I loved – from the bowels of a whale, to the hold of a pirate ship, to the hollow ruins of an ancient castle. I made deals with sorcerers and evil witches, all in her name. When my body was taken against my will and used as a mad king's puppet, I fought his control and overpowered him long enough to save my friends.
Ultimately, my body was destroyed and my heart cast into darkness, but still I was not afraid. I escaped the darkness through the sheer power of my will, only to find myself in a labyrinthine castle. I battled monsters, creatures of shadow, and master warriors in search of my friends, Sora and Kairi. Though Sora chose to erase his memories of that cursed fortress, I did not. I knew that I had to confront my past, not run away from it – and so I did, challenging the mad king Ansem to a final battle. Though we fought fiercely and the future seemed bleak, I emerged victorious.
Now, I know that the darkness is my home no more so than the light – I walk the path of twilight, of the dawn. I tread on the edge of a knife; I cannot misstep one way or the other, or I will fall to my own destruction. I will continue my journey until I reunite with Sora and Kairi. I will continue to fight until I am redeemed.