A/N: Cover art is "Falling with your name" by Rah-bop on deviantart

EVERYONE knew, by this point, that only one of them could live. Even they did, though neither one of them wanted to admit it. But out of everyone, SHE knew it the most.

Namine knew it better than anyone. The world couldn't handle two Rikus on it. One of them had to die. And, though she barely wanted to admit it, she knew which one, too. But some part of her still hoped, that it wouldn't work out the way it should. A small part of her wanted the Replica to live.

The final battle was taking place right outside. And even though she was in perfect position to watch, she dare not. That small part of her didn't want to admit the truth, just yet, it was determined to push it aside until it could no more.

She was watching over the sleeping Sora, at the moment. She could hear the battle taking place outside. Many screams of anger and pain as the two Rikus fought. Try as she might, though, she couldn't tell which voice was whose. They did sound almost exactly alike. Or, at least, that's what she told herself. In reality, she could tell them apart. The angrier voice belonged to the Replica. But she refused to admit that, because it sounded like he was losing.

The battle came to an almost abrupt halt with a scream of pain. The voices died down, so she could no longer hear them. She wouldn't be able to deny it much longer.

Someone walked in. Riku. She watched him come in nervously. Whatever glimmer of hope she had thinking the Replica had won, it was fading fast. There was something different about the way he carried himself. Something that just screamed Riku. This couldn't be the Replica.

"Are you Namine?" he asked

She let out the breath she had been holding. There was no way this was the Replica. The hope was gone. She hung her head for a second, then looked up at Riku.

"Yes," she replied quietly.

She came to the conclusion, while she and Riku talked, that the two of them were SO different. The Replica and the Real Thing. There was something different about Riku and the way he carried himself. He seemed more confident, or something like that.

And she couldn't help think, as he walked away, that maybe the Replica died for nothing. Maybe the world could have survived with two Rikus after all.