Hey there, everyone, BassDS here, just remind you that no, I am NOT dead, and I'm still very much alive and well and kicking...just been a bit preoccupied with things, mostly finacially and planning out a few things I want to do in my life to entertain people; cause I sure as hell ain't getting any younger.
I know you all are expecting Future Connection's next update, and hell, I still need to work on getting Hearts Intertwined done, and the only reasons I've even posting this little one-shot is to of course, let you all know I'm still here, but also mainly because the SoKai discord I'm in just RAMMED this idea into my head...and I just had to act, though while it IS...somewhat SoKai near the end, hence I WILL be putting the tags as such, but it's mainly an extension of Riku's scene with Riku Replica, so that's the real meat of this short entry.
Again, I apologize for the delays, you know, life ends up rearing it's head, things to take care of, and wanting to do other things that I have a passion for. But don't worry, that doesn't mean I'm abandoning writing altogether.
So let's get on with things, shall we? The fun is just getting started!
Wingman
"Hey. I've got a question."
Riku snapped out of his gaze at looking from the sunset as he eyes wandered back over to his Replica.
"Not that it's any of my business, but why aren't you over there with your friends?" he asked.
Riku smirked a bit. "You heard me when I was talking to Kairi. I wanted some time to myself. But I didn't say that just for me; It was for them too."
"For them?" Riku Replica asked.
"We don't know what tomorrow holds. Anything could happen out there. I just want to give them some space to get a few things of their chests; to go into this without any regrets."
"Heh...come on, I THOUGHT you were suppose to be me." quipped Riku. "You know, for the longest time, I was better at Sora in everything we did; you name it, and I was leagues better. He could never beat me." Riku paused. "But...he finally ended up getting the better of me. All those times we raced, or fought with our wooden swords, it wasn't just to always see who was better. I wanted to impress Kairi. But no matter what I did, there was just something about Sora that always made Kairi gravitate towards him. And before I knew it, I could tell from looking in her eyes that Sora won her heart. I admit it now; I was jealous, not gonna deny that jealousy was also part of what tempted me to open the door that night."
"Sora really means a lot to Kairi, doesn't he?" Riku Replica asked.
"Hey, you have my memories; you tell me. The dork stabbed himself with a Keyblade just to release her heart, after all. He was always the reckless one."
"It's hard to tell...I mean, I don't feel anything for Kairi like you said you did."
"Well, in your case, it's the feelings you have for Namine. When I met her after you and I last fought, she told me how she was forced to place herself in Sora's memories, and it came at a cost: she essentially replaced Kairi in his memories, but his heart was a different story."
"So you mean...all those times I fought him back at Castle Oblivion, to his heart, it was all about Kairi, wasn't it?" Riku Replica pondered.
"Exactly. Which means you were spurred on by the feelings I had for Kairi. Then again...Kairi and Namine ARE two sides of the same coin, so maybe what you feel for Namine is genuine."
"I know it is...when I stared Marluxia down, I made my choice back there..." Riku Replica said as he reflected on that confrontation.
'But there is one thing I'll keep, even if it's just a lie. Whether it was a phantom promise or not...I will...protect Namine!"
"They're both my best friends...and I just want what's best for them. That's why I asked to be alone, so that it gives them a chance to talk. They need this time to themselves." Riku spoke out as he gazed over at the small island, watching Kairi offer a Paopu to Sora as they spoke to each other for a moment, before watching them raise the Paopus to the other's mouth, taking a small bite out of them. "That way..." Riku started before he paused for a moment.
"That way?" Riku Replica questioned him.
"...That way they can spend their intertwined futures together for the rest of their lives, and being happy with one another after all this is over. That's all I want." Riku could only smile afar at his best friends.
