Shivers ran down Riku's spine as the darkness engulfed him once again. But why? The darkness had enveloped him time and time again....so why was he just now feeling this paralyzing fear of it?

He closed his eyes and tried to embrace it, the same as before. No matter what he tried, he could not keep calm. "S---Sora," the name escaped his lips in a whisper before he could think and before he knew what was happening he was desperately calling out his বন্ধু name. "SORA! SORA WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Frantically he wanted his friend to come help him out of the evil that had invaded his presence and very being. "He is my only hope....." Riku thought as he closed his eyes once আরো only to shield himself from realizing the darkness. "S---Sora...." he calmly whispered.

The waves were calm and lapped at his face almost as if to accept him into the sea. Riku sat up with a start. As he began gripping at the sand with his muscular fingers he realized that this must be a beach. The sound of the sea's current reached his ears. But why could he not see?

Hesitantly Riku reached up towards his eyes to see if they were in fact open.

Yes. His eyes were open and nothing was in front of them to block his view....so why could he not see? Riku began to panic. "I---I'm blind...."
A sudden call from the distance made him jump. "Riku~! Where did আপনি go Riku?!"

He recognized the voice. Sora.

As Riku struggled to stand Sora was running across the সৈকত as fast as he could towards the secret cave, keyblade in hand.

Riku could hear the voice fading away and দ্বারা that knew that Sora was getting farther away. Instinct told him to follow. When Riku found his way to the cave they once called their "secret place" Riku now knew what he had been sent দ্বারা the darkness to do. He couldn't see and now he knew why. Sora would be the light to guide him through the darkness, he knew that now. For it was only Sora that he could see through all the darkness. He watched quietly as Sora scribbled away at the wall, drawing a paopu....for Kairi...

Riku gulped down the sadness he felt at that moment and pressed on with what he felt he was sent to do. Personal feelings could not interfere. But before he could utter a word, Sora noticed he was there. Standing in the shadows behind him. Sora stood up, a little rattled. "Who--Who's there?" He questioned sounding a bit frightened দ্বারা the sudden intrusion. Riku watched as Sora stood up in shock. His small body shaking with the fear and surprise he must have felt.

"I have come to see the door to this world....," Riku bellowed. But the voice was not his own. Instead that of a man that would come to give Sora much pain. It saddened Riku to think that he had to take this form and he did not know what would happen should Sora find him out.

"Huh?" Questioned the younger version of his friend. Riku replied with the only answer he could give.

"This world has been connected...... " Yes this was right. It had to have been about the time of the heartless. The time that Riku had fallen for the dark side of life....

"Wh-What are আপনি talking about?" asked Sora with a puzzled look. Now, turning to face him, Sora was আরো curious then afraid. Riku felt at ease, at least he wasn't scaring him anymore. Though this might have been expected from the goofball he knew. Always jumping right into things without thinking. Here was Sora engaging in conversation with someone he didn't even know. Riku slightly smiled under his ছদ্মবেশ then proceeded to answer.

"Tied to the darkness....soon to be completely eclipsed." Riku felt regret. Regret that he was the one to start this whole mess and that, now that he had the chance, he couldn't warn his friend of the impending danger. These clues were all he could give. The choice of it was not up to him and he could feel it. He had to let destiny run its course....he could not interfere. He looked at Sora longingly, wishing he could have the chance to do it over......a chance to stay with the friend he loved and desired. At this point a worried look overcame Sora's face. "Well who ever আপনি are, stop frieking me out like this......" Sora ব্যক্ত shaking his fists. Worry disappeared from Riku's young বন্ধু face and was again placed with প্রশ্ন as he realized that Riku did not come through the opening of the cave. "Huh.....Where did আপনি come from?" He asked the hooded figure.

So naïve, Riku was glad that he had found Sora before anyone else did and he was so very grateful that he was okay. But of course this was the Sora from the past and the danger would only escalate from here. Riku would have to be his guardian.....and it started with this warning.

He continued.

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door." Riku watched as Sora once again became comfortable with his surroundings. "So....," Sora began, "You're from another world."

At last. He was beginning to put the pieces together. Relief filled Riku's expression it was only too bad that he could not express it the way he wanted. He had to keep this tone if Sora was to understand completely. And even though he understood that he might be from another world, that was only the start. There was only one way to get Sora to understand-----

"There is so very much to learn. আপনি understand so little."

Provocation.

As expected this scenario worked exactly the way he wanted. Anger filled Sora's face and just like all the times before when he provoked him when they were playing on the beach, he snapped with a come back.

"Oh yeah, well you'll see. I'm going to get out and learn what's out there." Sora ব্যক্ত a look of satisfaction on his face. Did he really have to prove himself? Even to what he thought was a complete stranger? At least this method was working and Riku would run with the idea.

"A meaningless effort.....One who knows nothing can understand nothing....." Both he and Sora stared at each other for what felt like forever, then suddenly and without warning Sora looked toward the door that was standing within the secret place. He must have been following what he thought was the dark hooded figures gaze.

It was Riku's perfect escape.

He had ব্যক্ত enough and had stayed for far too long in this world. His message was প্রদত্ত and that's all he could do.

Closing his eyes and opening the pathway to the darkness, this time he was not so panicked but instead a certain calm washed over him as he left the scene up to Sora. Maybe it was because he had lifted at least some of the weight off of his shoulders. Some of the burden he was left with and sin that he had committed was gone because he had gotten the chance to at least warn Sora....

Sora, when will we meet again? Riku thought as he went blindly into the darkness. When will I find my true path to the light..........?

Chapter one end.