Chapter 10: Chris-Replica: Pain

I really hated this.

When I awoke to find that I could no longer wield the Darkness, I was devastated. My friend, David, had helped me, but it wasn't much. Supposedly, I had been possessed by Johnson, and David Frostmourne had taken the possession onto himself. Sure, I was glad that I wasn't dead because of the possession, but WHY DID IT STEAL AWAY MY POWERS WITH IT?!?!?!

The King and Frostmourne hadn't wanted to do it, but since I was now relatively defenseless, they had no choice. The king opened a portal of light, and I was sent to Traverse Town.

"Hey, Leon!" I called, recognizing the man from Chris's memories.

"Huh?" he said. He squinted at me. "You… you look familiar. What's your name?"

"You wouldn't remember it if I told you, But I did know you once." I said. "I'm a replica of a person who you once were quite good friends with. Sadly, he is no longer here." I entered the accessory shop.

"Hey you!" Yuffie said, standing. So this is the girl that Chris loves… Heh… she's cute. "Don't I know you?"

"Perhaps." I said. "You're Yuffie, right?"

"You got it!" she said happily. "We're just about to bring the last few shipments of supplies to Hollow Bastion to rebuild it. We leave tomorrow."

I turned to Leon. "Is it alright if I bring my friend in here?"

"Who's your friend?" he asked.

"A Neoshadow."

"Certainly not." Leon said sternly. "We don't want any Heartless in here."

"Relax, he's tame." I chuckled. "You see, it's quite a long story…"

Once I had finished telling the tale of Chris & Co.'s previous adventure, there was a stunned silence. Of course, I had left out the part about Chris and Yuffie being in love. It wouldn't do to burden her.

"That's one helluva story." Leon summed it all up. "But frankly, I don't remember anyone named Chris."

"Ah, but you wouldn't, now." I smiled. "Because his memories are being contained. Don't worry though: you will remember him eventually: in about one year! Go ahead, wait and see if I'm right! I promise: I will be!"

"You're pretty confident." Yuffie frowned.

"Because I know it's true." I said.

The end result of all of this banter was a place for me to sleep for the night and a free meal.

So these are the people who Chris is friends with. I thought as I lay in my bed that night. Their… okay.

(Cue song "Imperfection" by Nickelback) A large invisible shockwave rang through the house as something inside me wrenched itself. I began writhing. I fell from the bed clutching my head. A strange shadow leaked from me, and began taking form right in front of me.

"Good to see you… TOY!" it hissed.

"Shut up!" I kicked Johnson in the face. He reeled back, and then grabbed me and threw me through the floor.

"You… Bastard!" I hissed Chris's favorite insult through my teeth.

"Language young one, language!" Johnson laughed.

"How are you here?" I yelled. "They removed the possession!"

"Yes, they did!" Johnson laughed. "But I managed to split my being! You thought you were so clever to change my position, but I was still here all along!"

"Then what did we set into Frostmourne?!" I yelled.

"You sent into your friend the greater portion of me." He explained. "I am merely a fraction of my full power. Nevertheless, I am still more then adequate to destroy you and your puny friends." He raised his hands above him, and a ball of pure darkness appeared above them. "And now, say goodbye to your life, your friends, and this world!" The ball of darkness shot down towards me. I barely had time to throw up my hands in a defensive posture before I was thrown back into a wall. I looked up. Leon was charging at Johnson. Johnson merely stretched out his hand, and Leon was thrown back by some invisible force. Cloud tried the same tactic, with the same result. Then Johnson picked me up by my shirt, and threw me through another wall. I felt something snap inside me: I had just broken a rib. The pain was excruciating. Johnson placed his hand on my face, and then my head snapped back with the force of the explosion of darkness emanating from it. Johnson wasn't even using a weapon! If only I still had my dark powers!

"My my, you are lasting much longer then I expected!" Johnson said.

A giant shuriken came flying out of nowhere and smacked Johnson in the head, causing a gash on the back of his head. Johnson turned his too-perfect face towards the source of the weapon.

"Get away from him, you creep!" Yuffie shouted.

No Yuffie! I tried to shout, but my voice wouldn't work. Don't do it! He'll kill you!

"Hello once again, TOY." He sneered at Yuffie. Yuffie ran at him screaming, but Johnson merely slammed her with a blast of dark energy. Yuffie went flying backwards, slammed her head on the wall, and fell down, unmoving. Her eyes were closed.

NO! I screamed silently. Not Yuffie!

Then a black form leaped onto Johnson's back, scratching and tearing at him. Johnson thrashed wildly, and then reached back and dragged the thing off of him. It was Trufflehunter, my Neoshadow.

"Die, you sorry excuse for a Heartless!" Johnson hurled Trufflehunter through a wall, where he lay, seemingly dead.

YOU BASTARD! I screamed. Then something snapped inside me. I stood.

I WILL NOT ALLOW MY FRIENDS TO DIE! I screamed. I suddenly knew what it was that I needed to have.

I sprinted out the door. Johnson laughed manically, and chased. Only one thing can help me now. I ran through the second district, watching the startled and scared faces of those who observed Johnson chasing me like a wild maniac. I cut through the third district, and ran into a certain house. Running up the stairs, I opened a secret drawer. I lifted out of it a small, black orb.

"What could you possibly find interesting in my house, toy?" Johnson had just reached the entrance to the house. I grabbed the black orb and slammed it into my chest. I felt the dark energy coursing though me. Johnson looked at me, and then he began shaking with rage.

"The Materia was MINE!" he screeched. I had probed Chris's memories, and I had recalled something about there being a changeable Materia. Chris had one, and Johnson was supposed to have one. It made sense that the ruler of the Endless Abyss would make a Materia of Darkness. As it turned out, Johnson's pride would be my only hope.

"Hey bastard!" I called. I was crackling with immense dark energy. "You thought you, won, huh?" I summoned a weapon. It was my Black Faker keyblade.

"Fool." He snorted. "Not even a keyblade can save you now. You are injured, and the power of the Black Materia will not last you for long."

"Well then." I raised my keyblade to the sky, and a huge storm of darkness began gathering. "I'll just have to make the best of it." I'm sorry, David Frostmourne. I thought. Looks like I wont be able to meet you in the King's arena after all. Please look out for Chris, and everyone else. I hope that you can forgive this sacrifice.

Then I slammed my keyblade into the ground. A circle of darkness inscribed itself around Johnson, with a six pointed star of darkness inside it.

"Dark Hexagram!" I yelled. The Hexagram sealed itself, and the entire storm of darkness began raging inside the pentagram. Johnson was engulfed by darkness. I screamed out all of my fury, all of my agony, and all of my pain. As well as my love, my friends, my heart, my soul, and my life. I became an embodiment of pure energy, and that energy exploded in the dark hexagram. As I did this, I saw Johnson's face, and heard his last words.

"So," he gasped. "You have finally learned to do what is necessary. My son."

"I'm no son of yours." I uttered, and Johnson faded away.

* * * * * * * (Cue song "Valentines Day" by Linkin Park)

I lay there under the wreckage of the building. Nearly seven stories of brick and concrete lay above me. I was insanely glad that I had defeated Johnson. However, there was a price to pay.

Trufflehunter nudged me. He had somehow survived. My Neoshadow stood beside me in a small pocket in the rubble. I reached weakly out and petted him.

"It's all right now, Trufflehunter." I whispered. "You are safe." The pain was increasing.

Trufflehunter gave me a questioning look and a squeal. I smiled sadly.

"Well, you know how it is. If someone puts their whole being into an attack, well, that person goes kaput. At least, that's true for us that don't have real hearts." It was true. I didn't have a real heart. I was a fake, a replica. But still… I liked being alive, at least for the short time I was. "You have to take care of the others now." I said to Trufflehunter. "Tell them… tell them that… I'm… okay." I closed my eyes, and felt my friend depart.

There wasn't any more pain.