Hey, guys. Sorry it's been so long, but I ended up writing this whole chapter about Kairi and Garrison, decided I didn't like it, scrapped the whole thing, and decided to leave it out. Then I wrote this. So theoretically I wrote two chapters this time and only kept one. Crappy, huh? Enjoy.


No time for goodbye
He said, as he faded away
Don't put your life in someone's hands
They're bound to steal it away
Don't hide your mistakes
'Cause they'll find you, burn you, then he said
If you want to get out alive
Oh, run for your life
-Three Days' Grace, "Get Out Alive"


It was strange, being on your own, Sora decided.

It seemed like he'd always had someone beside him – Donald and Goofy, or Kairi, or Riku, or even Bruixe. His other friends, too – King Mickey, the Beast, Mulan, Auron, Hercules, Jack Skellington, Ariel. When was the last time he had fought alone? Radiant Garden, maybe – when the Heartless had invaded. Even when he'd fought Xemnas, Riku had been right there with him.

Not that he needed the help. But he'd always said that his strength came from his friends. That had been part of the reason the Keyblade had chosen him, in the beginning.

A rustle of movement in the trees somewhere to his right caught his ear, and he tensed, slowing to a stop.

It's probably just an animal, Sora, he chided himself. You're overreacting.

A few feet in front of him, three Heartless tumbled out of the brush, empty eyes fixed on him.

No, not Heartless, he realized. Chasers.

Crap. He'd forgotten that his heart was like a beacon to the monsters, and that Bruixe wasn't necessarily in control of them. And even if she was, it was likely Isalena had ordered her to put them on patrol specifically for this reason – to keep Sora and company out.

Well, I guess I found them.

Whatever the case, Isalena had underestimated him. Three Chasers were nothing compared to the horde he and his friends had fought last time. He dispatched them easily, barely breaking a sweat. But he had forgotten the creatures' unearthly screams, which echoed through the trees.

He may as well have put a flashing neon sign above his head. Here I am!

Cursing under his breath, Sora broke into a jog, not really sure which way he was supposed to be going, but trying to get as far away from this spot as possible. He hadn't got far before there was more movement in the trees.

However, this time it was not a Chaser that stepped out to meet him, but a man, tall and thin, with thinning grey hair and murky brown eyes. Sora vaguely recognized him as the man who had been with Lady Isalena – what had Riku called him? Rondot? That sounded right. Garrison had mentioned that he was a Councilor.

"Good evening," Rondot said cordially. "Lovely day for a walk, don't you think?"

"Where're Riku and Bruixe?" Sora demanded.

Rondot shook his head. "Let's not be hasty. After all, seeing as which you have come prepared for battle… 'twould be a shame to disappoint."

He drew his sword, a hand-and-a-half, in his right hand, raising his left above his head. Sora's skin crawled as darkness swirled around Rondot.

"Besides," he reasoned, "I cannot allow you to impede Lady Isalena's progress any longer."

"Darkness?" Sora whispered. The air felt heavy, like it had on the dark beach a year ago, after he and Riku had defeated Xemnas. The darkness had never affected him before that, but as he'd said himself, maybe the darkness has gotten to me too.

"Chilling, isn't it?" Rondot said. "For a person as full of light as yourself, your first taste of darkness must be rather surprising. You see, my darkness is not the same as your old friend Xehanort – or his Heartless, as I should say. My darkness can steal into your very soul. Are you prepared, bright hero? The darkness will crush you."

Sora gritted his teeth. "It's welcome to try," he said grimly.


Riku had been dozing against the wall in the tiny room he'd been locked in when a jolt woke him from sleep. He winced, putting a hand to his broken ribs.

After a few shallow breaths, he realized what had woken him. A bitter, metallic odor pervaded the air, almost imperceptible. Almost – except that Riku would recognize that smell anywhere, had learned to detect it no matter how faint.

An uneasy feeling surfaced in his stomach, but he pushed it away. Get a grip, he told himself. I got over this a long time ago. I'm not afraid. The darkness can't control me anymore.

It hadn't been the darkness that had controlled him, in any case. It had been Ansem. Well, not Ansem, not really.

He could still hear the Heartless' words. I gave you the darkness… my scent lingers.

Riku had proved stronger, conquering Ansem's shadow. But the darkness he could smell now was different. Not as foul as Ansem's… but more potent, filling his senses more completely.

He inhaled again, steeling himself to the taste, and stood. He felt like an addict faced with his drug again. The scent made him feel powerful. High.

Where had it come from? Outside, somewhere? He could find out later. Right now he needed to make use of this unexpected gift.

Riku opened his mind, letting the darkness flow through him. He shivered at first, this new, different darkness a bit of a shock to his system, but he quickly gained control.

He thrust his hand forward, and the door to his prison exploded outward with a noise like the end of the world. He ran through, knowing it wouldn't be long before someone came running, and looked around.

Where was he? It didn't look like the manor he'd broken into with Terra. Riku peered out a window; trees surrounded the tiny building, so he couldn't be far – maybe they were keeping him in an outer building, or something.

A pair of guards spotted him, ran for him, but he phased past them, the darkness making his movements so fast they were almost imperceptible, clipping one on the back of the helm and the other in his side, below his ribs. Riku had always loved this part, he wouldn't deny it – striking from nowhere, keeping the enemy guessing. The terrifying power of the darkness.

But he mustn't linger here too long. Bruixe was waiting.


Sora was fighting valiantly, but the darkness was making his moves slow, sluggish, taking away any advantage of speed he might have had over his much older opponent. And to make matters worse, Rondot kept switching his sword, left hand, right hand, attacking equally with both, unpredictable.

"Quit dancing and fight," Sora growled angrily, the tenth or twelfth time his slashes missed the Councilor.

"You're simply too slow," Rondot replied calmly, landing a quick blow to Sora's knee. Sora lost his balance for a moment and slipped, but rolled to the side and back to his feet in time to block the next blow.

"Whatever could be the matter?" Rondot continued. "Is something weighing you down?"

"Shut up!" Sora yelled, slicing with his left-hand Keyblade, then switching his weight to stab with his right. Both rebounded off of Rondot's blade, completely ineffective.

"Fire!" Sora shouted out of desperation, and this time he hit Rondot, but the Councilor seemed to just shake it off, unfazed.

Somewhere off in the trees, a quick, light sound drummed toward them. Footsteps? Sora wondered. Then a voice, an incredulous whisper so soft Sora almost thought he imagined it.

"Sora?"

Rondot raised his blade to strike at Sora again, but something struck him from the side, catching him off guard, and he stumbled.

Then Riku was at Sora's side, breathing lightly, eyes widened with that look of power, the dangerous kind. Soul Eater – or at least, that's what it had been called before it was a Keyblade, Sora remembered; what was it now? – was poised over one shoulder, wing-like blade steady.

"Riku?" Sora said in disbelief.

"Need some help?" Riku asked, and Sora was shocked to hear that double timbre to his friend's voice, as if Ansem – or was it Xehanort? – was speaking through him again.

"I thought you said you wouldn't use the darkness anymore," Sora remembered, wary.

"I'm in control," Riku said confidently. "Besides, without it I wouldn't be here. Shall we?"

He moved so fast he blurred right out of Sora's vision, and for a brief moment Sora remembered fighting him, remembered that terrible strength that wasn't Riku's, couldn't be human.

Chill out, he told himself. If he says he's in control, he's in control.

"Hey, leave some for me," Sora called.

Rondot was on the defensive now – he'd been faster than Sora, but the darkness that had slowed Sora only made Riku faster, stronger. Where Rondot could strike once, Riku landed two blows; every step Sora took to aid his friend lasted for three of Riku's.

But Rondot was anything but worried. In fact, his face looked almost smug.

"So, it takes two so-called heroes to fight me," he taunted. "How pathetic. And I was told you two destroyed Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody? They must not have been as strong as the stories said."

The two friends ignored this, driving Rondot back towards the edge of the trees.

"Well, I suppose without your dark friend, you'd be dead," Rondot continued, now talking to Sora. "Of course, he believes he can control his darkness. But not all darkness is like your old friend Xehanort's."

Rondot threw all his weight at Sora, knocking him to the ground with the force of his swing. Riku moved like lightning, Soul Eater flicking Rondot's sword out of his hand – the wrong hand! Sora wanted to scream. But it was too late, and Rondot's free hand darted through the opening Riku had left, clamping over Riku's face, darkness pouring through the contact, endless darkness, more darkness, Sora knew, than Riku had ever been able to control before.

Now Riku was between Sora and Rondot, held immobile, and Sora couldn't have helped him even if he hadn't been frozen in horror – and as he watched helplessly, Riku's eyes became wide again – but not with power, this time. With fear.

Rondot smirked triumphantly, growled, "Now vanish," and threw Riku to the ground, where he collapsed, sinking into a pool of darkness.

"NO!" Sora shouted, lunging at Rondot, and plunged his Keyblade through the unarmed Councilor's chest.

The incredible pressure bearing down on him disappeared as Rondot died, the ghost of his last grin etched upon his face, and the darkness consuming the surrounding area dissolved into nothing. But nothing could bring back Riku, Sora knew.

His friend had finally succumbed to darkness.


I know. I know. I'm crying, too.

review, please. sniff… sniff…