Fake
Night had befallen Gravity Falls.
The moon shone high, and like usual Riku was awake and couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he just continued to have dreams of his past. Always the same image of him fighting Sora in Hollow Bastion. Or the time in Neverland where he practically goaded him most of the way. Memories that he wished he could just forget and wish away forever.
Riku went outside by the Shack's porch and just looked out into the woods as he thought to himself for a moment. Taking a moment to feel in the silence and just enjoy the tranquility for a moment. It was nice and peaceful, the first time in a while he actually felt that way.
He still wondered whose guys were who attacked him earlier, yet wanted to also forget. He didn't want anything bad to happen to this place.
Riku chuckled, he cared, he cared what happened to his place.
They definitely had plans in mind, and for some reason they involved him. Dipper had been wondering the same thing and researching and trying to figure out what was going on. He seemed to look more and more sickly with the passing days. Still, he didn't want to get the Pines nervous, he cared for them.
These people, the Pines family. It was definitely a far stretch to where his mind was a while back. Still, he had come to like this world, far more interesting than the Island that was for sure. Yet he supposed what mattered more was just the people he had met.
Mabel in particular was taking a shine too, that fiery energy of hers. Always happy no matter what. Reminded him a lot of Sora, that constant optimism, that constant strive. He had forgotten what that was like but the reminder did want him to better himself.
Still that wasn't where his mind was at the moment.
"I wasn't jealous ...was I?" Riku thought to himself, "I'm not a jealous person"
Then a thought occurred
On Destiny Island Sora and Kairi had been playing on the beaches all day. Riku was six years old at the time, he just stood there glaring at his friend as the little girl was occupying all his time. Time that was meant for him. They were building sand castles, sand castles! This would not stand.
Riku huffed up to them, arms folded as he glared at her, Sora looking confused.
"Hey Riku," Sora waved
Riku scowled, "You haven't been playing with me"
"Oh, well uh" Sora seemed confused, "You can build sandcastles with me and Kairi"
Riku shook his head, "No, we play together...we are best friends, so I wanna play with you"
"But, why can't we play together?"
"Cuz I don't wanna"
In an angry huff he kicked the sandcastle down and marched off.
"Wow…." Riku thought as the memory played through his head, "I was a real jerk and jealous ...Oh boy. Oh gosh ...I-I was jealous…."
Riku took a deep breath, wrapping his face in his hands. He could feel his knees start to give in as the emotions rushed through him.
"Great! Not only that I was a jerk even then...No wonder I shouldn't be in a relationship with him, it was for the wrong reason...Ugh! Why is Sora so nice! Should have left me in the dust years ago! I don't deserve him as a friend, let alone deserving of even being here."
He remembered that day, he didn't like it at first when he saw Sora hang out with Kairi. It always bugged him. Even when they were older and he was able to control his base emotions. Still, he also hated seeing Sora sad or upset.
Riku went back to the beach to see Sora sitting there moping, Kairi looked like he was trying to comfort him. Already he felt the mass of guilt as he saw his best friend being sad. He had inflicted that pain. This was his fault, and he didn't like the feeling not one bit.
Taking a deep breath Riku went back to the two of them Kairi giving him a glairglare while Sora looked down
"Sora um…" Riku bit his lip, "S-Sorry for knocking down your sandcastle"
Sora still looked down, "Why don't you wanna play with us?" he said in a pouty voice that give people heart attacks by how cute it was.
Riku let out a loud groan, "I do, I just ….I just miss it when it was the two of us doing...guy stuff"
"Kairi can do guy stuff too"
"Kairi's a girl"
Kairi got up, " I can do stuff you do...watch"
Without warning she picked up a nearby wooden sword and started wacking it at Riku, hard too, he didn't even have time to defend himself as he found himself being knocked to the ground. The sand went into his mouth and eyes he kept getting wacked in the back.
"Okay...Okay, Uncle, Uncle" Riku called out, causing Kairi to stop, he finally got up and started to laugh "Your good, your good, yeesh!".
Kairi seemed taken aback, "Really?"
"Yeah...Better than Sora"
"Hey," Sora whined looking up at him and getting up "I can be the best one day, be like a knight or something".
Riku shook his head and smiled, Sora's determination was infectious. After that the three kids just ran out fighting each other with swords to see who was the best. Sure he still didn't like Kairi all that much, but seeing his best friend smile made him want to get over pretty quickly.
"Guess I didn't care enough about his smile when I left the Island," Riku sogged., "Ugh I was such a bitter little-
A scratching sound and Riku thought he saw something in the woods, a familiar figure standing before him for a few seconds only to run off.
"Sora?" He said.
The figure ran into the woods Instinct took hold as Riku chased after him, needing to know if what he saw was truly his friend or a figment of his imagination.
"Sora!" Riku called out, but to no avail.
He pressed deeper into the forest, seeing just the shadows of what looked to be his best friend. Surely though it couldn't be him, luck was never on Riku's side, at least not so lucky anyway.
Turning another corner he saw the shadow until finally there he saw it, Sora, or at least what looked like Sora standing there looking out into the distance. Though he was a bit transparent, he was definitely real enough that Riku took notice.
Slowly Riku began to approach him, but with caution, "S-Sora?"
There was a brief moment as the two looked at each other, Riku unsure if he was even real or just a figment of his imagination. Again, he continued to use caution before the figure of Sora smiled at him and gave him a flirtatious wink.
"S-Sora?" Riku said, cheeks turning red.
"No, sorry," Max said as he walked outside, he looked tired, "Can't sleep"
"Yeah"
The two teens just looked at each other as they both looked out into the forest together. Riku could tell something was bothering Max too. Most likely thinking of his father. In that regard, Riku considered him lucky, at least he was able to think positively about his family. Riku never had a close relationship with his own family.
Suddenly Riku remembered what Mabel had said about Max being his fallback guy. He shivered at the thought, not that Max was a bad guy far from it, but it was just too odd. He didn't want a rebound or fallback or whatever.
No, his first and only loyalty was to Sora.
"Um, Max…" Riku said feeling awkward, he didn't want to be rude to him though "I um ...I know...I know you miss your dad, and um...I'm sorry I couldn't give you much, but like I said, if Sora promised to look after him, he will"
Max groaned, "Yeah, I'm sure he will...the problem is can he?"
"Knowing Sora, yes"
"Really?" Max said, seeming unsure, "You really have that much faith in him, I mean know he's your friend so I guess I can't ask you to not have faith in him. But...Come on...he's….He's our age! My age! I could have gone with dad and been by his side too! "
"No you couldn't" Riku muttered.
"Why not" Max looked incensed now.
"Because Sora had a Keyblade, and you didn't, I might not have cared much. I remember Sora telling me that those two were tasked by the King to follow him, until...well…"
"Until what?"
Riku sighed, guilt overtaking him "Until I took his Keyblade and then forced them to follow me for a bit, wasn't long but it was long enough"
"So they really were just there for his Key…" Max muttered.
"No!" Riku insisisted, "In fact it was your dad who defied the King order, and stopped me from almost hurting Sora"
Max paused for a moment to think it over and eventually just shook his head, "Of course he would...That's dad, granted it is strange to think he would defy the Kings order but knowing if it was to protect a friend...Ugh"
Riku didn't know what to say at this point. He could tell Max was angry, confused, frustrated, and perhaps even a bit jealous of Sora. Riku couldn't help but find it ironic that Sora of all people, who had zero malicious intent when it came to most of his actions, would get so many people jealous of him just because he was good at making friends with complete strangers.
"Look I'm sorry but, again! He's a kid, with a magic key, and that's it" Max yelled as he started pacing, "My dad, he has the training and experience, and sure, he's not the most coordinated but he knows what he's doing. Does Sora know, does he know what he's doing"
Riku shrugged, "I don't even know what i'm doing half the time"
"Are you two yaps still up!" Stan came outside now, Riku and Max immediately jumped and turned around to see the old codger looking grim as he had some tea in hand "I heard talking and arguing, person trying to watch his stories here"
"Sorry Mr. Pines" They both said lowering their heads embarrassed.
"Actually, i wanna talk to yuh" Stan said, pointing to Riku "You two big nose"
"Hey!" Max grumbled.
There was an awkward moment of silence as Stan sat down taking a drink of his tea. Riku could tell that this was something that he had been thinking about for a while now. He could feel the tension starting to rise in the room.
Stan took a deep breath, "Look, I may seem like a idiot, and for the most part...I kinda admit I am. But! I ain't dumb enough to know that you two are here because of what happened to all those Heartless things.
Both Riku and Max exchanged looks, Stan knowing about the Heartless, I mean obviously he knew but he did he knew the severity of it all.
"Look" Stan continued. " I know this probably has something to do with my dorky brother, or something that he got involved in. All I'm asking from you two is that you keep it away from my family okay. Dipper is already going loco ever since we ended up in Traverse Town and Mabel is two blindly optimistic about Sora kid's chances. Now I'm a betting man, and I don't get it, but I just have a bad feeling about it"
Riku just looked at Stan and nodded. "Believe me Mr. Pines I have no intention of harming your family or getting them in trouble"
"HELP! HELP!"
Riku looked up to see Iago flying straight towards them, unable to slow down and hit one of the Mystery Shack's windows. He slid down onto the ground for a few moments before quickly getting up and looking at everyone shocked and scared.
"Stan! Stan! The kids are in trouble. Riku attacked them!"
"So much for me not harming your family" Riku sighed
"Um..Riku's right here" Max said pointing to Riku.
Iago saw him and gasped, "But huh...What ...Maybe it's voodoo magic" He took a deep look at Riku, "Are you a mirage or something"
"No, Riku's been here the whole time," Max assured him.
Riku raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure it was me? Maybe someone disguised as me".
"I uh…" Iago rubbed his forehead, "Come on, follow me!"
-000-
"Kids!" Stan yelled as he and the others ran through the forest, Riku and Max following right behind as Iago led the way "Kids where are yuh!"
Riku wasn't sure quite what to make of an idea of someone who looked exactly like him was in Gravity Falls. Perhaps this had something to do with the Black Coated people who attacked him a while before. His gut told him so, but right now he needed to find Dipper and Mabel. He had just promised Stan nothing would happen to them, he would not let his stay in this world affect others.
"Mabel!" Riku cried out, "Dipper!"
Still not much.
Riku felt his guilt increase, he knew that staying here was going to get people in trouble. Mabel had done so much for him and now he had pretty much gotten them in danger because of it. As soon as he saved them he was going to leave, leave this world, maybe find Sora, maybe just settle in some isolated part of the universe and live the rest of his life alone with his own guilt.
They kept going deeper and deeper into the forest until they reached Lake Gravity Falls. There they saw Dipper and Mabel knocked out and standing in front of them was….
Him.
It was him.
Riku.
"No, that can't be"
Iago gasped, "Woah..There really are two of yuh, I didn't know you had a twin"
"I don't" Riku clenched his fist in anger as he stared at his clone who looked right back at him"What! Is this some kind of joke"
The other him snickered as he turned around to look at him head on, "Surprised? I guess you should be after all I look just like you".
"What are you?" He asked, his voice a bit
"I'll tell you what I am," He said, his voice filled with smug vigor, "I'm an exact Replica of you, Vexen made from your data?"
"Vexen?" Riku then remembered the strange man in the cloak
He smirked, "Yeah….
"Do you understand any of this" Stan muttered to Iago who shrugged.
"This is freaky," Max said.
Riku just blinked, his mind trying to process what his eyes were seeing. This was a clone, a perfect replica of him. Even down to where the bangs dangled in front of his eyes. It was spooky, like looking in a mirror, except if the reflection was smug and superior. A look he knew all too well that he used to give himself back in the day before he fell to the darkness and left the Island. Part of him wondered if he gave that same look to his friends whenever he beat them in something.
"So...You're a fake me" Riku asked, looking intrigued.
Immediately his mood changed, the Replica's face turned into an angry scowl, clearly he had hit a mood.
"I'm not a fake!" He yelled glaring at Riku now, "I might be a copy, we share the same body and the same talents….
"So a Replica," Riku muttered, taking a step back.
"What's the difference," Max interjected. He looked more confused than anyone else in the area now.
Riku sneered position his soul eater, "Nothing as far as I'm concerned"
The Replica snarled, "Whatever...There is one way to tell us apart though" He pointed right at Riku who was just confused, "Unlike you I fear nothing...While you, well, your afraid of the dark. The darkness that still lies within you, no matter what you ay"
Riku scoffed
The Replica smirked, "I'm different, unlike you I embrace the darkness, I can make it do anything I want". To show off his new found powers a dark aura came over him and covered him completely forming the dark suit that Riku once wore back at Hollow Bastion.
Riku stepped back ready for a fite
What was worse, The Replica came with his own version of Soul Eater
"So, I get to wipe the floor with you"
Without a warning The Replica struck Riku giving him only a few moments to summon his own Soul Eater and block his attack. The two locked eyes at one another, the Replica's dark and and angry, nothing but rage in his heart.
Did a replica even have a heart?
That would be a question that would have to wait later, for the Replica jumped back, giving Riku just a bit of time to think of his defenses as he stuck back.
Together two boys clashed swords with one another, both showing off their strength and agility.
He truly was Riku in all his abilities and talents.
It was a strange experience to fight his own self. He knew all the moves that were coming and how to attack them, but he also knew all the counter attacks and defenses. What's worse this version of him was far more angrier, and more aggressive. Riku now, something was lost, something that he had was now gone, and he felt like a more hollowed version of his former self. Though he couldn't explain why, and didn't have much time to think about it.
"Well, I don't care if yuh a clone or whatever," Stan interjected, "You hurt my kids...That means you gotta deal with me now"
"Oh really?" The Replica smirked, "Well lets see about that"
Holding out his palm the Replica fired a bolt of dark energy at Stan and was knocked back against a tree, he was a bit dazzled but still okay.
"Mr Pines!" Riku shouted, rushing to check if he was okay.
But it was too late with a single punch the clone hit him the right cheek causing him to stumble. The pain was immense but not as much the anger that Riku felt towards his nearby clone. Yet as he looked at his own face smirking with smug glee, he couldn't help but laugh.
Replica Riku fidgeted back until he was knocked on the ground. The real Riku stood over him, the tip of his sword pointed towards his neck. He fought with so much ferocity, like a wild animal terning to take on the kill.
"I thought you were going to wipe the floor with me" He sneered
The Replica looked up at Riku for a moment, and then, without warning, a flash of darkness came, knocking the real Riku back and onto the ground.
The Replica got up and merely laughed, "It's nice, having darkness on my side. You are so missing out, how can you be afraid of something that is so thrilling".
Riku just got up as he saw his imposter stair down at him, a smug smile widening. He never felt this weak in his life. It was like looking into a twisted mirror, one where he did embrace the darkness, turn against his friend, and had become the thing he now so hated. But he also hated this feeling as well, this inability to do anything, he really did at this moment truly feel weak. Truly and utterly week.
"Hmm...Looks like the coward is trying to play tuff" The Replica chuckled, "So long real thing, hope you don't miss me"
With that he ran off back into the forest.
"Come back!" Riku shouted wanting to go after him, turning to Max, "Get Stan and the others back"
"Stan's waking up" Max said.
"Good, get them home! I have a Replica to catch"
