A Tragic Twist of Fate
When darkness claimed him and his body dissipated, he expected it all to end. He thought his consciousness would fade and his heart, if he could even call it that, would fizzle out and sink into the shadows he once thought he could control. So why? Why did he feel freezing tendrils coiling around him, constricting him, and suffocating him as he fell? Why did it feel as though he'd plunged deep into an ocean's icy depths, unable to move and unable to breathe?
The Replica's eyes snapped open, scanning his surroundings. In spite of the unwavering chill all around him, he found nothing. Nothing but endless black space.
Was this where fakes went after their deaths? A crooked smirk inched across his face at the mere thought. How perfect for him. All alone, sinking further into an abyss… He'd lost everything he thought belonged to him, anyway. Naminé's charm was just a card, and by now she'd probably forgotten all about him. Sora, too. He'd sleep away like the slacker he was and Castle Oblivion would fade from his mind. And even with Riku's kind words at his death, he probably found the Replica's demise relieving. Now he'd no longer have to share his face with anyone.
Hah. If only the Replica had been so lucky…
He continued to sink through the dark depths even as its coils squeezed tighter. He forced his lips into a smile, fighting back a cough. His eyes remained fixed on the darkness below his feet until he saw, way down in the distance, a tiny speck of color.
One moment he drifted peacefully through the dark, the next, he plummeted. His whole body accelerated, and his eyes opened wide. At last, he started to move, waving his arms, trying to swim back up. The little speck grew larger and larger, taking on a circular shape. He could just barely make out blacks, purples, reds, and blues. A tiny touch of yellow in the corner, too.
Then his feet slammed into the glass, and he fell over and onto his chest. Barbs pierced his armor, and he wheezed and groaned. His whole face scrunched up, and he pressed his palms against the floor, shoving himself back up. Fists clenched, he stomped over the brambles that formed a web over the glass. Just what was this place, anyway? And why was he here?
He wandered along the platform's edge, taking slow, silent breaths. Beneath the blackened vines, he just barely made out a black and red emblem matching the one on his chest. The mark of the Heartless, sans its thorns… Hah. It figured as much. Upon further inspection, he caught what looked like his boots, along with the rest of his armored body blown up to an immense size. The Soul Eater rested in the illustration's grip, and his eyes appeared closed. Tiny cracks appeared along his arms, face, and chest. And then, at the far right edge he spotted the tiniest trace of a yellow star. Naminé's charm…
His heart hit rock bottom, and he tore his eyes away.
"What a shame…"
He jerked forward at the sudden voice, eyes darting from left to right. Footsteps drew near, and his head snapped to the left, where he caught a figure draped in black creeping his way. He stared at the Replica with two gleaming, yellow eyes. Thin, silver bangs framed his tanned face, and his lips curled into a smile that made the Replica's stomach knot. This boy looked so familiar, and a name formed at the tip of his tongue.
"Ansem!" The Soul Eater flashed into his grip, and he swept it out in front him, teeth bared.
The boy only laughed as he came to a stop. He folded his hands behind his back and slowly shook his head.
"Calm yourself," he said. "I am not Ansem… not necessarily. What's more, I come here as a friend."
"A friend?" The Replica sneered, tightening his hold on his sword. "Please, I don't have friends. I shouldn't even exist anymore."
"It's true." The boy smirked. "Your fate is quite tragic. You have tried so hard, struggled desperately to escape your identity, yet even after obtaining power beyond your natural scope, you failed to defeat the real Riku. It seems that you are shackled to a face that is not your own, destined to be nothing more than a faulty imitation."
"I'm not—" The Replica froze, shoulders sagging. He pulled his eyes away from the boy and looked down at the stained glass below. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, struggling to find a good comeback, but no. That boy was right. No matter what he tried, nothing changed. And nothing ever would change.
Heaving a sigh, he looked to the boy again. "So, why are you here?"
The boy's grin widened, and he slipped closer to the Replica, sweeping an arm out to the side.
"I'm here because I see potential. Despite your shortcomings, you're really quite remarkable." He stopped, kicking at one of the thorny vines. "Before Riku even attempted to control his darkness, you took to it like a moth to a flame, wielding it as an extension of yourself. You even absorbed power from one of the Organization's own, something Riku could never dream of."
The Replica blinked, bringing a hand to his hip. "You just called me an imitation and now you're praising me? Make up your mind already."
"Have patience…"
The boy took one broad step, stopping just two feet from the Replica. His eyes glimmered, and he sent him a look that sent goose bumps spreading across his skin. While he tried to look away, his body refused to cooperate. He stood like a deer in the headlights, eyes locked on this strange boy. Though he hated to admit it, he wanted to know more. Just what was he getting at in the first place?
"Now then," said the boy, "it is true that you failed. On your own, you are a feeble creation who could never hope to stand against his original. But you do possess something Riku himself lacks, and it is for that reason that I have come to offer you a choice."
"A choice?" That seemed… awfully suspicious. "What kind of choice?"
"Simple." He gestured to the brambles. "Your heart cannot last much longer, nor can your being. Through intervention, you have been spared, but as you presently exist, you are weak and insufficient. However, I can change that."
The Replica squinted, pressing his lips together. "Change it, huh? And how would you pull that off?"
"Simple." The boy leaned closer. "I can help you become someone entirely new. I can alter the course of your fate and allow you to become part of something greater than you could ever imagine."
"You know, Axel said the same thing, and it sure didn't work." No, it just marked the beginning of his demise. How could he trust this guy without proof? It seemed too good to be true.
The boy shook his head, letting out another chuckle. "Axel never intended to help you. He needed you eliminated. I, on the other hand, would welcome you as an equal. If you follow me, I will ensure that you escape the shackles of your current identity and become someone worth remembering." He placed a hand over his heart. "Perhaps she will even return your side once she realizes your true potential."
Naminé… Would she really do that? Biting his lip, the Replica closed his eyes and turned the other way. What was he supposed to do? If he refused, wouldn't he just… disappear? He'd fade from existence, never getting the chance to become more than a shadow, a copy, and a cheap imitation. All his failings would disappear with him, and he'd no longer have reason to care, but was that really what he wanted?
No. Not even close.
This guy, whoever he was, spoke words that he yearned to hear, calling out to him like a hypnotic melody. He wanted to be remembered. He wanted to become more. And his promise… fake or not, he longed to step forward and shield Naminé from the surrounding dangers. To hold her close, keep her safe. To see that wonderful smile stretch across her face, watch her blue eyes shine like twinkling stars. If there was even a small chance to impress her, then how could he possibly refuse? Sora had that other girl and the real Riku, too. Naminé had nothing…
But that'd all change soon. He knew what he had to do.
Opening his eyes, the Replica dismissed his sword with a flick of his wrist. As the purple flames flickered out, he raised his now empty hand and rolled it into a fist. Taking deep breaths, he gazed back at the boy and lowered his brow. With his mind made up, only one question remained.
"What do I have to do? Tell me, and I'll do it. I won't even think twice."
The boy stepped back, extending his hand. The ground below him blackened, and the shadows twisted upward, coiling up his legs.
"You need only take my hand, friend, and you'll gain everything you've ever desired. One step through this darkness, and you'll be free."
Swallowing hard, the Replica looked to the rising darkness and shakily reached forward. A little voice inside his head shouted at him, pleaded for him to stay. What if it was a trap? What if everything went horribly wrong?
The boy quelled those fears with a single, sharp look. "It's all right," he said. "We'll go together."
Three words swept those lingering doubts away as darkness continued to swell around them both. Eyes narrowed, the Replica threw his arm forward, seizing the boy by the hand.
Blackness spread across the colored glass, swallowing the thorns, the paopu charm, and the image of the Replica himself. He no longer cared, though. As the shadows bulged and swallowed them whole, he looked to his companion with an enormous grin. Laughter escaped his throat while the inky, dark wisps of the corridor caressed his cheeks.
The boy's eyes carried a strange glint, and he looked to the side with a tight smile across his lips.
Soon Riku Replica would be no more. He'd finally become someone new, someone who wasn't Riku at all.
If only he knew what he'd lose in return, for in place of the Replica, only Xehanort would remain.
END NOTE: I wrote this oneshot based on something I'd love to see in canon. Ever since 3D came out, I speculated that Riku Replica could be among the Thirteen Darknesses. I imagine that it would be all too easy for the Xehanorts to recruit him as a vessel, and this is how I imagine it would occur. For my Antipode readers, this is unrelated to the AU and doesn't reflect how Fragmented Truths will end. That said, I hope you enjoyed. :)