Here is the first chapter (er, sort of - see notes for clarification). I am very sorry if anyone got updates from me attempting to upload this thing because I am still trying to figure out this site.
Disclaimer: I do not own Disney, Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy. All are the properties of their respective owners.
1
The Shadow
Castle Oblivion
Silently the replica trudged behind Axel, watching the tail of his black coat sway as he marched, concentrating solely on maintaining an even distance between them that was both close and far enough that he choose to attack or run if Axel suddenly changed his mind. Every movement Axel made caused his own muscles to tighten in preparation for either development. The replica knew that Axel was fast, regrettably even faster than he was at the moment, and he would have less than a second to make a decision if the choice were to present itself.
The pearly white walls, halls, and doors of the castle seemed endlessly repeating. Even without the mysterious memory-altering power of the castle, he had quickly become lost as to which floor they were currently traveling on and was blindly relying on Axel to lead. The fact that he was so confused, and vulnerable as a result, made him feel even more restless.
At first he had wondered if Axel felt as wary of his presence as he did. Were he in control, the replica never would have never put himself in such a compromised, trusting position given Axel's history of literally stabbing others in the back. Yet Axel barely seemed to notice he was there.
"He probably doesn't consider me a threat," the replica considered with an audible scowl. As if in retaliation, he griped his copied version of Soul Eater, a once unique sword resembling a demonic wing, tighter and focused on walking even more purposefully. His footsteps began echoing loudly off the cold floor with each step. It was almost as if he wanted to remind Axel he was there. He also fixated his gaze on Axel's back. His eyes narrowed as he carefully watched for any sign of unusual movement, a fluctuation in stride or a tightening of the wrist, to give any indication that Axel was going to suddenly turn around and strike.
If the replica could have chosen one word to describe Axel it would have been 'sharp'. The black hooded coat he wore did little to conceal his spindly toothpick body, jutting shoulders, and elbows. If he craned his head to the side, the replica could see the angular curve of his face and even the tip of his pointed nose.
"He looks like a broom," the replica commented to himself. "With clothes. Set on fire." The replica smirked at the image as he watched Axel's spiked red hair bounce slightly with each step. If he squinted his eyes slightly to block out the light from the corridor, he could almost imagine it as a flickering flame.
"I wonder if it's natural," thought the replica as he watched Axel, "Or does he style it? Something like that would take an hour at least. Or is it just something that happens when you control fire?"
That seemed plausible enough. It was more believable at least than Axel spending hours in front of a mirror to tease his hair up to that length. Larxene, one of Axel's comrades in The Organization, had used electricity as her weapon and her golden hair had been styled to sport two antenna-like appendages from her bangs. Now that the replica deliberated it, it could be argued that they were supposed to represent lightning bolts. Even further, Marluxia had controlled flowers and plants and his hair was a rosy brown. But then, the replica reflected, Vexen fought with ice and his hair was a lank, greasy yellow that hung like string…
"It's kind of creepy when you stare at me like that. What exactly are you thinking about?"
The replica jumped back and nearly dropped his sword in alarm. Axel had stopped dead in the center of the hallway and the replica had been only a few steps from crashing into him. With his arms folded across his thin chest, Axel had raised his eyebrows quizzically and appeared to be waiting for an answer.
A very strong part of him wanted to quip "what's with your hair?" just to see what Axel would say.
Undeterred and even amused, Axel chuckled, "So, you're still giving me the silent treatment, are you? Funny, the way I remember it you were quite the chatterbox, so why the change of heart?"
In retaliation the replica scowled and crossed his own arms, determined to not to meet Axel's eyes and give any indication of how badly his mind had wandered. This proved to be a simple task since Axel stood nearly a head taller than he was, meaning that all he had to do was glower straight ahead at his chest to make his point.
When it became clear that he was not going to receive a response, Axel gave a one-shouldered shrug and turned as if to carry on. The replica sighed soundlessly and rolled his eyes, glad at least that they could start moving again. This time, he resolved, his mind would stay more focused.
It had been little over an hour ago that he had walked away from Sora and Naminé and strolled through the doorway of Cast Oblivion's highest floor, thirteen, while forcing his lips to preserve the warm smile he had given Sora before turning away. He had tried desperately to ignore the voice that called a name – though not his – after him, its tone pleading him to reconsider.
However, once he had descended to the twelfth floor and their voices, already turned to more pressing topics, were no more than faint whispers, the replica's smile vanished, leaving only a shadow of the first faint moment of happiness he had ever felt.
He was alone. No black cloaks were coming to claim him; there were no Heartless, even. He sighed. Hazily aware that his legs were trembling, the replica placed his hand against the wall and used it to guide himself down to the cold floor. He could not recall ever being so exhausted, though he did not believe that it was entirely due to physical matters. His arms wrapped tightly around his legs, pulling them to his chest as he lay his forehead against them so that only the tips of his silver bangs were visible. "What do I do now? Where am I supposed to go?"
He wanted to escape. He wanted to leap up and renounce his ties to the castle, abandoning all of the horrible memories behind. But knew that it could never be as simple as that. The hall may have fallen silent, but he was not truly alone.
Apart from himself, a few beings still remained in the castle; Axel was still alive (the replica lifted his head to quickly glance around for him, unwilling to only trust his own senses), there were the usual Heartless patrolling the floors, and he had just left Sora, Naminé, Donald, and Goofy one floor above. He could also sense another, faint and shrouded from him, in the lower floors. There were also some other scents he did not recognize – two very bright, the other clouded, and the final scent was absolutely drowning in darkness. Though curious about the unknown scents, he kept himself from investigating further in case they were traps.
Though far from friends, he did not believe that Sora and the others would cause him harm and no Heartless were invading his floor yet. But Axel would hunt him. The replica had seen too much and learned far more than the Organization thought he would, and he knew that made him a liability.
Axel had murdered Vexen. The replica had not been present at the time, yet was able to piece together what happened. Sora entered a world created from his memories. Vexen pursued him and Axel followed Vexen. Three beings went in, two came out alive, and neither was Vexen.
The replica felt no pity for Vexen, though he supposed he owed his facsimile of a life to the man. Even before he learned that he was a replica, Vexen had unnerved him, staring at him like he was a treat for a hungry dog, yet regarding him with as much esteem as just another beaker in the lab.
Axel, like Vexen, had concerned him, though for an entirely different reason. The replica found Vexen simple enough to read - he was concerned about his experiments, standing within the group, and little else – but Axel would just stare at him, his piercing green eyes like burning knives against the replica's skin. Axel, the replica had concluded upon first meeting him, was dangerous because he betrayed his thoughts to none but himself.
However, despite their differences, the two had something very important in common - both had been members of the same group, a group that also included Larxene and Marluxia, called The Organization. The replica could easily count on one hand the number of things he knew about the shadowy faction: they called themselves Nobodies (with a capital 'N' he had been reprimanded after making a snide comment in front of Marluxia), they all had the letter 'X' somewhere in their names, considered black hooded cloaks, boots, and gloves to be appropriate attire for any situation. They also wielded some sort of unique weapon while controlling an elemental power, and, most importantly, appeared to have difficulty avoiding stabbing each other in the back.
Marluxia and Larxene had endeavoured futilely to manipulate the unique powers of both Sora as the Keyblade wielder and Naminé's talents at rewriting memories to cause the downfall of the Organization. The replica could not understand exactly what they wanted Sora for, as they had callously brushed away his questions every time he asked. This had not unduly bothered him; at the time he was only truly concerned about Naminé's safety. As long as he played his part according to their orders, they had assured him, she would be unharmed.
However, Marluxia had known that Vexen would oppose their actions, leading Axel to annihilate Vexen on Marluxia's orders to prove his loyalty to the cause. Yet Axel's loyalty proved to be hard-won, when he almost immediately turned his flames to Marluxia. If Marluxia had not chosen to use Naminé as a shield, calling Sora to her aid, the replica was certain that Marluxia would have been incinerated just like Vexen.
After that battle Axel had disappeared and Sora likely believed he had fled the castle for good. But the replica could sense him on the lower floors, pacing and traversing each floor quickly and drawing closer every minute. He was searching for something.
"I have to run," he muttered to himself. "I don't have any other choice now." He pulled his knees in tighter, pressing them against his eyelids until he saw stars. "Maybe I should just let Axel end me too."
With nothing else to concentrate on except for his own thoughts, which were rapidly swirling out of control, and the hammering of his own heart as it echoed throughout his body, the replica attempted weakly to focus on sensing Sora and Naminé.
Maybe they would ignore his wishes and leave the thirteenth floor to find him. Though alone he was now much too weak, with Sora by his side the replica would be able to stand against Axel, allowing the three of them to leave together. Or maybe (the replica did not even permit himself to feel any hope at all) they were all part of another ruse by the Organization and he was in fact real, and it would be his duty to return to Sora and Naminé to set things right.
But of course the replica knew that was a lie. There was another scent lurking and skulking deep in the basement floors that he had chosen to ignore despite how much its presence assailed him. He knew the boy's name and face though the two of them had never, to his knowledge, met. He knew the scent because it was identical to his.
The boy's name was Riku.
That was the name that Sora had called the replica by when he left the thirteenth floor. Riku's was the face he bore, the life he had lived, and the memories he had cherished. In one second, delivered in a poisonous sneer from Larxene's lips, his identity had been wrenched from him. He was not Riku, but a replica built by Vexen to serve the Organization. Even his dearest memories with Naminé were a twisted, fabricated version of the truth Riku had lived made to force him to hate Sora, reject his home, and swear to protect Naminé, all in the name of serving their higher purpose.
However, disregarding the difference in memories, the replica knew that he was an identical copy. His powerful body that mere days ago he had been so proud of was not due to years of training and exercise - it was merely copied. Even the sword he could summon from pure darkness with a flick of his wrist was only a fake based off Riku's Soul Eater. Just being able to sense Riku on the lower floors was an inherited trait.
He wanted to run back to Naminé and Sora. More than anything he wanted to see their faces again, watch them as they smiled and told him that it never mattered that he was a replica. But soon Sora would be reunited with the real Riku. The replica knew that he would likely never see Sora again.
However, Naminé was different. After Sora departed, she would have no one and would be alone in the Castle. The replica's memories told him that he and Sora had been challenging one another for her love all their lives. As children they had argued over who would be Naminé's next model for her sketches and making promises to protect her forever. Their arguments continued playfully until she disappeared one night in a meteor storm. The two were devastated, yet began to move on in their own ways until the memories of Naminé's name, face, and smile slowly faded. Neither Sora nor Riku could recall anything about the girl for whom they would once have given their lives for nearly ten years, until they traversed through Castle Oblivion and learned that Naminé was being held captive by the Organization.
Of course the memories had all been little more than a deceitful fabrication. Naminé had never been a part of Riku and Sora's childhood and she was as much a pawn of the Organization as he was. Although he knew it was sheer manipulation of his heart through his memories, he could not shake the need to protect and be close to her. Naminé had clearly played her part well and knowing that he could never see her again nearly brought him to tears.
"This isn't right. You don't love her. You don't love her. You don't love her… you don't love her…"
A sudden thought surged through him. What if Riku reached Sora and Naminé and made the memories real? What if Riku took his place? He gripped his head tightly as if to force it out, knowing that the sheer agony he felt was not normal for any real human being.
"Maybe I can just kill Riku while he's down there. No one would notice." Smirking icily at the idea, he honed his attention back on Axel. He was now only three floors away and there would be no way to get past him now. "I'm thinking like him now. Axel would be proud of me."
Suddenly he stiffened as the scents around him shifted. Raising his head, he noticed that two Heartless had appeared. They were small and red, hovering in the air as their yellow eyes bore into him. If he had not known better, he might have believed they were curious. The replica sighed in relief. His mastery of darkness was enough that they presented no threat to him.
He rose to his feet even less steadily than before and summoned Soul Eater to his hand. Fake or not it was his best chance against Axel and even if he was killed like Vexen for being a liability, he was determined to at least fight until he could no longer stand.
The air around him grew hot. The replica flinched – Axel was still two floors away. So what was causing -
"Ah!"
The replica ducked as the Heartless shot a fireball at his face, narrowly missing the top of his head. Five more Heartless, different species this time, materialized beside the first two.
Glancing at each Heartless, the replica steadied his resolve, allowing darkness to arise from his body. He willed them to stop attacking.
The Heartless froze and the replica smiled. While that had been a nuisance, the Heartless presented a possible solution if he could order them to attack Axel the moment he arrived. The diversion might give him enough time to escape.
Pondering the best position for his surprise attack, the replica happened to glance down just as a Soldier Heartless leapt forward towards his chest. Pinning himself against the wall in shock, he delivered a punch to the visor, sending it flying. The first Heartless tried to create another fireball. He sliced it in half before it got the chance, causing it to disappear instantly.
"Something is overriding me!"
Heartless were mindless, obeying their carnal instincts to wrench living hearts from their victims. However, they would obey with will of the being with the darkest heart. This was not a random attack – someone was controlling them.
"Axel!"
Crouching into a roll, he dashed forward to dodge another attack. The Heartless ran forward to block the doorway as more began to appear until they circled him completely.
His eyes narrowed. Cold, pulsating darkness began to surge from the centre of his chest throughout his muscles. It travelled through his veins to reach ready arms and legs. The stench of raw power became almost unbearable as it filled his body. It was ready. Darkness became him and he it. The replica smirked as he brought Soul Eater above his head unleashed Dark Aura.
The replica screamed as his body sliced apart from the inside. There was no Dark Aura. Only pain. Searing, tearing pain. Collapsing forward, he slammed against the ground and felt his stomach heave as he coughed blood onto the pearly floor. The replica tried to force in haggard breaths, but only coughed up more dark, bubbling blood. Shaking wildly, he cracked open a single eye just in time to see a bright flash of light. His muscles began to spasm and he felt his skin grow first hot, then freezing cold. He could smell burning flesh.
"Get up. You have to get up."
He opened another eye and saw Soul Eater lying just beyond his reach. He tried to summon it back to him, but suddenly felt very afraid of it. Something had gone wrong with Dark Aura and he had no way of knowing what caused it, however the copied sword suddenly malfunctioning seemed the most likely. A Heartless struck for his chest and he quickly decided to take his chances. Soul Eater vanished and materialized in his hand as expected. The Heartless faded into blackness the instant it was struck. More than twenty still surrounded him.
Jumping to his feet, the replica held Soul Eater in front of him and took a ragged breath. He almost used Dark Barrier to create a shield around himself, but stopped. No dark attacks until he knew why Dark Aura had collapsed. Another wheezing breath told him that even if he tried, he no longer had the strength to uphold the barrier for even a second.
The replica tried to attack, but his legs shook and he fell to one knee. He could feel the Heartless closing in on him. Briefly he wondered what they would do with an artificial heart. Would they not notice the difference and devour it all the same?
"No. I'm not… I'm not going to die like this."
With a roar, he sprung into the air and tackled the nearest Soldier Heartless to the floor. Viciously he plunged Soul Eater into its unprotected eye. It let out a sound something like a scream. Without waiting to watch it vanish, he impaled another and another. The Soldiers were protected by armor, though their faces were bare, while the others were easier to take down in an arc. Beyond the point of exhaustion, he fought in a blind frenzy with only the thought of making down the stairs alive keeping him on his feet.
But his movements were almost laughably slowing, and each passing second revealed another Heartless to replace the fallen. No matter how many he struck down, he was never getting closer to the door. The weakness in his body told him that he only had minutes left to find a way past.
If he couldn't, willing or not, he would stop.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red flash and felt the heat as a silver wheel shot by his left ear, impaling through the chest of a Heartless behind him.
His heart constricted. He should have sensed him sooner.
"You look like you're having fun."
"Are you doing this?!" he snarled while Axel's smirk widened. A quick roll removed him from the path of another lightning strike but returning to his feet was proving to be a challenge he had not anticipated as his boots smeared the bloodstain across the floor as he slipped and fell. The replica chose to attribute it to the blood rather than the fact that his legs felt like wet sand.
Axel laughed, seemingly unconcerned by the replica's difficulties. "You know, funnily enough, I'm actually not. Need some help?"
"If not you, then… who?" the replica's mind returned to the scents lingering within the castle, specifically recalling the mysterious one with the incredibly dark scent. The replica tried to search for it, but it seemed to have vanished, as had one of the other scents he noticed in the lower basements. Riku was gone as well.
Another slash by a Soldier Heartless reminded him that he needed to focus on the Heartless before figuring out who else wanted to get rid of him.
That would come if he could get past Axel.
"I think I got this. You can go now."
"Nice try."
The replica ignored him and took another swing at the Heartless. Immediately it exploded in a ball of fire, forcing him to leap clear. When he recovered all of the Heartless had vanished, leaving only smoke and ashes behind.
Heart pounding, the replica stepped back as Axel watched him with an unsettling look in his eyes. "I told you I had it."
"I'm on something of a tight schedule here."
"Sorry, don't let me keep you," the replica snapped, trying not to let Axel see his wandering eyes.
Following his gaze, Axel shook his head and sidestepped to block the door as completely as his lanky body could allow. "You're not going through there without my permission. And in case you're wondering, I don't permit it."
The replica raised Soul Eater and shifted the weight in his trembling legs. The sword felt so much heavier than he ever remembered. "Get out of my way, Axel."
"You're not strong enough to fight me," Axel pointed out. "She smashed your heart and by the looks of it, you haven't come close to recovering." His legs gave another betraying tremor, only widening Axel's grin. He hoped Axel was unaware of his difficulties with Dark Aura. "I heard you saved Sora and Naminé from Marluxia though. Good work. It would have been a lot more complicated for me if he had gotten control over them."
The replica shifted uneasily, trying to force his legs to stay still. Despite his better judgement, he had to ask, "How could you know that? You weren't there."
"Nobodies told me."
When no elaboration came, the replica rolled his eyes and challenged, "Look, I have a hard time believing you just came up here to chat. I thought you were on a schedule so if you're going to kill me, stop wasting time."
Axel did not answer. He cocked his head towards the door behind the replica. "They back there?" The replica instinctively took another step back and fixed him with a cold glare. Axel just laughed. "You are so funny, you know that? Don't worry, I'm not going to be paying them a visit anytime soon – I couldn't if I tried. Someone, maybe Naminé or that duck, has put up a barrier. But neither are you… you're coming with me."
The replica blinked. Axel was not laughing nor even smiling any more – his directive seemed serious. Scarcely able to believe his audacity, the replica raised his eyebrows, asking, "And why should I do that?"
"Because," Axel said slowly with a silky edge to his voice, "I'm certain Naminé is working on Sora's memories right now, erasing everything that happened in this castle to put him right again. Which means that in a couple of hours I'm going to be the only one left in any world who still cares you exist." The replica started to protest, yet Axel continued, "But if you come with me, I can give you a chance to be something more."
After Axel had made it very clear that there was no choice in the matter, the replica had hesitantly followed him deeper and deeper into the bowels of Castle Oblivion, regretting his decision more with each passing second. His strength was not recovered enough to even attempt to use Dark Aura again, and even if it was he was daunted by the possibility of trying. However, the replica knew that it was the only attack that could be strong enough to defeat him as Axel's ability to manipulate fire would make Dark Firaga near useless, and he felt no better about his chances at engaging Axel with his sword than he did on the twelfth floor.
He could see no other escape plan but to wait for his power to return, barring simply chucking Soul Eater at the back of Axel's head, dashing the other way and hoping for the best. However the replica was finding that he actually felt weaker, as if Axel was sucking the life out of him.
Yet despite his reservations, Axel's promise hung fresh in his mind: 'I can give you a chance to be something more'.
He was an artificial human and the fifteen years' worth of memories he had meant nothing. His recollections, faint and broken as they were, of friends, family, and the island he once called home all belonged to Riku. The way he saw it, except by dying he could fall no lower. Whatever Axel wanted to do with him had to at least be worth his interest; he had nowhere else to go.
"I told you to stop staring at me," Axel barked.
"Sorry," the replica thought, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your stupid hair is just so interesting that I can't help it. It's not like I have things on my mind." The replica's step faltered. "We're getting way too close to where Riku was when his scent vanished."
The replica wondered if Riku knew about his existence. The replica hoped not as that would be the last advantage he had over him. And then, how would he react to meeting his twin? Violently, the replica concurred. And he would probably be able to use Dark Aura without collapsing.
For a brief moment, the replica entertained the idea of convincing Riku that he was the fake, but failed to see the point. In any case, it was unlikely that Riku was unaware of him; if he was able to track Riku, then surely he was doing the same.
Axel was silent for a moment before quipping, "Y'know, even before we had Naminé rewrite you, you didn't have any problem speaking your mind. So, again, what's with the new attitude?"
Gritting his teeth, he immediately halted while Axel continued walking. A flare of darkness emanated from Soul Eater as all thoughts of ridiculous hair styles and promises were erased from his mind.
" 'Even before we had Naminé rewrite you…' everything about that line was meant to get to me," he thought bitterly. However, painfully true as it was, he refused to be provoked further by such an obvious insult. " 'We' -the idea that they were in control. 'Had Naminé' – that she was in danger and under their influence… and 'Rewrite you'… like what happened to me was some kind of joke."
Fixed where he stood, he wondered why Axel bothered insulting him. It was obvious that Axel needed him for something. He knew that Axel was not tricking deeper into the castle just to kill him. That could have easily been accomplished back on the twelfth floor.
Did Axel realize that his words hurt? Did he care? He already knew the answer to the second question. Nobodies, according to Vexen, were unable to feel emotions due to their lack of hearts.
The replica could not fathom what it would be like to escape his emotions. Everything he felt, be it anger, fear, sorrow, or devotion to Naminé was so incomprehensibly powerful that it absolutely consumed him. Yet she, with only one word, had been able to smash his heart by overwhelming those emotions with her fear. By attacking Sora, he had disobeyed her wishes, and her power over his fake heart was enough to traumatize him into unconsciousness. He knew a real human with real feelings would never have been affected like that.
Axel had almost reached the end of the hall when he finally spoke out. "What do you want from me?"
It took Axel a moment to answer, as if he was now choosing his words carefully. "I have something that needs to be taken care of. You're going to help."
"I'm not a tool!" he shouted. "You don't have a right to me."
"In case you've forgotten, one of us created you. Without him you wouldn't be here."
"Without you, he would be!" he retorted.
"That's right, isn't it? I had almost forgotten about that. Why bring that up?"
"I want to know more about the person who created me." The lie almost made him feel ill when he pictured the man's hungry eyes inspecting him; the less he knew about Vexen, he wagered, was probably for the best. But he felt that any understanding of Axel's thoughts would help him get a clearer picture of who he was trusting with his life.
Axel seemed taken aback for a moment before he turned around and started laughing. "Why do I somehow not believe that?"
The replica pressed him, "Why did you kill him?"
Folding his skeletal arms, Axel replied almost cheerfully, "Why did I kill him? He talked too much." The replica was about to roll his eyes when he saw Axel pause for the slightest of moments and shake his head slightly. The replica was taken aback - that marked the first time he had witnessed Axel display an almost human reaction to anything.
"And he was in the way," Axel said, shattering the previous image with a look of haughty indifference. "If you're smart, you'll learn that's not somewhere you want to be."
"You're sick." His image of Axel had become clear enough. He was unpredictable and manipulative. No longer was his curiosity overpowering his better sense. "Forget this, I'm leaving," he declared. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you can take care of it yourself."
The replica backed away slowly, carefully, in hopes that Axel would see his point and not give chase. Despite this, the replica knew at some point he would have to turn and run. He despised acting so weak and submissive, but knew it was his best chance at survival.
Axel just laughed. "You're not going anywhere without me and you know that. Besides, where exactly do you plan on going? Naminé's not going to go with you. You don't seem to understand this yet, so I'm going to lay it out simply for you: she doesn't want you. In fact, I'd say she couldn't care less about you."
The replica halted. "She does care."
Axel impatiently rolled his eyes. "No, she really doesn't. Did you know that she's a Nobody like me?"
"N-no she's not. Naminé isn't anything like you."
Groaning, Axel gave him a dismissive wave of his hand. "Sorry, but no. She's a Nobody, meaning she is physically incapable of caring whether you live or die." He sighed almost wearily, but the replica could see the harsh glint in his eyes and knew it was an act. "I know you have a bunch of nice childhood memories of her playing with you, but since you still can't get this through your head, I'm going to spell it out: this life you thought you had is fake. Not real. Got that memorized yet?"
"You're wrong…" he muttered, not sounding as convincing as he had hoped. "She does care."
Though they were no longer facing each other, he could practically see the smirk on Axel's face. "Only because your memories make you think she does. Memories we put there."
"She stayed with me while I was unconscious," he protested almost desperately.
"She was also the one who smashed your heart in the first place. Notice that she wouldn't do it to Sora, but had no qualms about playing with you," Axel harshly pointed out. "She probably didn't want to look bad in the Keyblade wielder's eyes after everything she'd done to him."
"Naminé is not like that!"
"Like I said, only because your heart tells you otherwise. Did she try to stop you when you left?"
He bit his lip. The replica recalled that moment all too clearly. Sora had shown concern for him, displayed compassion when he chose to walk away. Yet Naminé had stared at the ground, like she was ashamed to look at him any longer. The replica shook his head, as if that would dispel the memory.
"Sora…" he began, grasping for another option.
Axel laughed again; he was beginning to hate that sound. "You think Sora cares? I would too if you had the face of my best friend."
He shook his head. "No, Sora… I felt it. He wanted me to stay… but I couldn't. I could tell he cared – I know he did," he added again with some conviction.
"He cared all right, but was that concern for you or Riku? Tell me, was he even able to accept that you weren't him? Did he ever call you by name, or was it always Riku he wanted?"
"I don't have a name," snapped the replica. "What was he supposed to call me?"
"He never wanted you to stay. He just liked the idea of having his friend back and was sad when it looked like he was leaving again. Even after all that, he probably couldn't even put it together that you weren't him. For all his power, he's not exactly bright, believe me, I should know. I bet he forgot about you the second you left." Axel glanced up at the ceiling and smiled. "Or at least he has by now."
Something within him snapped. "SHUT UP!"
Axel was not prepared for the attack and lost precious time in summoning his chakrams as the replica struck him across the chest. Axel fell back with a shout that was equally from pain and alarm. The replica leapt back to attack again. However, in a burst of fire Axel managed to summon his weapon and flung one of them at him. The replica deflected it with his blade and prepared to strike on Axel's now unarmed side.
His sword was raised in preparation to attack when Axel's left hand, the one that had thrown his weapon, seemed to catch on fire. And suddenly a torrent of flame flew towards him, swirling around, engulfing the area between him and Axel completely and surrounding him in a cyclone of fire. Before he could react, Axel lunged through the barrier he had created and struck him diagonally with his chakram from shoulder to hip. Soul Eater's blade caught in Axel's weapon and was wrenched from the replica's hands. Gasping in pain, he could do little as Axel kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into the wall of fire. He braced himself to be burnt, but the sensation never came as the flames dissipated around him Crying out, his skull smashed against the cold, hard floor. The rest of his body crumpled as it followed.
The replica had felt pain before. He had been beaten by Sora's Keyblade several times and had the wounds to show for it. Yet somehow this was different. It was like how he felt when Dark Aura backfired, only slightly weaker. Yet instead of receding, the pain remained, growing strong with each beat of his heart.
Trying to gather himself enough to fight back, he looked up to see Axel standing over him with the point of his chakram held only a finger's length from his throat. Soul Eater was lying past Axel's boots, too far for him to reach without Axel noticing. Even if he could summon it back, Axel would realize what he was doing and kill him before he had a chance to move. It was a race to see whether his own body or Axel was going to finish him off. He closed his eyes and waited.
"You won't remember this, but Larxene knocked you around exactly like that a little while ago." Axel's footsteps echoed right past him. The replica heard a clank as Axel kicked Soul Eater in his direction. "But since Naminé erased that, I'll let it slide."
Wordlessly his fingers closed around Soul Eater's handle, not moving from where he sat on the floor. He almost would have preferred to be incinerated over whatever was happening to his body.
"No. Fight this. Stay awake. Get out alive." He repeated the words over and over to himself until it simply became, "Live."
"We all learn from our mistakes, and today you've learned that you can't fight fire with sparks. Got it memorized?" he repeated almost playfully this time. The replica saw his eyes roam over his body as Axel cocked his head to the side and gestured towards him, "What's with you?"
"Nothing," the replica snapped. He shuddered and tasted blood. His lip had been split open by his teeth.
"I didn't hit you that hard."
"I said nothing!"
"… You have one minute."
The replica did not respond for a while. He just sat in silence and tried to control his breathing while Axel waited patiently. After what seemed like ages more than a minute, he sighed. His voice heavy and defeated, he inquired again, "What do you want from me?"
Axel sighed. "I already told you - I need something done. As difficult as you may find it to believe, it would be better if I didn't dirty my hands with this one. Logistics."
"I don't want to. Whatever it is, I don't want to."
"Actually you do want to," Axel argued. The replica was about to assert that he could make his own decisions when Axel interrupted. "Stop fighting with me – just shut up and listen: I meant what I said before. If you do this for me, well, all the better for you. Simple as that."
Scoffing though the action stabbed through his aching chest, he replied, "What could you possibly do for me?"
"If you could make the room stop spinning and everything stop hurting, I'd love to hear about it."
Axel shrugged. "If I were you, I'd take me up on that offer. I'm the only one here who has presented you with anything in return for your services and it's not like you have anywhere to go or anyone to turn to."
He considered it. "But, still…"
"What do you really have to lose? You have nothing to begin with. Think about this - no matter which world you go to, they're not going to accept a replica. Deep down, I know you know that and the longer you lie to yourself, the worse it's going to get." He paused, apparently to let those words sink into the replica's mind. It was not anything he had not already considered. "Not to mention the fact that, for obvious reasons, I can't exactly let you leave without my consent. Like Vexen, you know too much."
The replica said quietly, "So what, I'll do what you want and then you'll 'help' me by killing me?" The mantra abruptly stopped repeating himself. He took a deep breath and said even more softly in a voice he almost failed to recognize, "I don't want to die."
Leering smugly, Axel replied. "That's what I did for Vexen. Looks like elimination would almost be kind of me – it would spare you from so much thinking. But don't worry, I have something different in mind for you." He frowned. "I'm curious though, why do you want to live? What's the point?"
He thought about his answer before replying. "I don't… I don't really know. I just feel like…" For a second time the replica pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them as if that would somehow force the pain to subside. "I'm not ready to die yet. I want to know what'll happen to me first."
"Before or after you go?" Axel asked pointedly.
"Both," he said. He took a deep breath, "I just think that I want a chance, even if it's only for a minute."
Axel seemed genuinely interested, but with Axel that could have meant anything. "Chance to do what?"
"Be…"
Before the words could leave his lips, the pain reached its hilt and he screamed. The replica's heart constricted and the world seemed to stop. It felt as though a freezing, clawed hand had plunged into his chest and was trying to rip his heart from his body, and he was desperately trying to keep it inside.
The white room was quickly blackening as the darkness consumed it completely. He watched helplessly as the shadows raced along the corridor, striping the walls of their whiteness until there was nothing left but pitch black.
"Axel?" he cried desperately through gritted teeth as the image of the man in front of him began to twist and fade away.
His heart tightened again and despite knowing that they were far too many floors apart, he screamed for Sora's help. With a gasp, he looked down and saw tendrils of cold darkness curling around his ankles and wrists, slowing moving up his body. They wove, somehow more than just darkness, around his chest and arms, constricting him and holding his body in place. Clawing and kicking, he tried to free himself. However, the darkness had climbed over his throat and began to caress his face, almost lovingly, until it covered him completely in suffocating blackness.
Trapped in the crushingly cold embrace, he tried to breathe, to calm himself for just moment so that he could breathe. Then he heard a sound. It a laugh - light, sweet, and tinkly. It was a sound he knew all too well.
"Nam… Naminé?"he managed.
Suddenly the darkness receded in a burst of blinding light. The replica squeezed his eyes shut. He expected to see red through his eyelids, but only blackness greeted him.
"What's going on?"
The sounds hit him first. Water lightly lapping against the shore. Sand singing with the wind. The cry of a gull as it dove for a fish. Next came the warmth of dappled sunlight on his cheeks and the scent of briny air mixed with the sweetness of fresh flowers.
"Riku!
The replica felt his body move as he slowly sat up on the branch. His arms – no, Riku's arms - waved as a warm smile spread across his lips. "Hey, Naminé!"
The replica started at the mention of her name. There was no scent. It was impossible.
But there she was, running towards him with a smile he had never known. Her blond hair was cut shorter than it was in Castle Oblivion and shimmered hues of gold under the bright sun. She wore a light blue dress the matched her eyes. This was not the Naminé he had met in the Castle, but rather a young girl.
"This is from my memories… but why am I seeing this now?" he tried to lift his head to look around, but it seemed locked in place. The replica understood – the boy in the memory was not moving and so he could not either. Somehow he was living out the memory.
Once she reached the tree, she took his hand and he helped herself on to the branch beside him, making sure that the bark would not scrape her bare legs. Naminé smoothed her dress and said quietly, "I knew I'd find you snoozing out here."
He laughed. "I'm not snoozing. I'm cloud watching." He lay back on the branch. It was wide enough to easily accommodate two tiny bodies as Naminé quickly joined him. "Look," he told her while waving his hand lazily at the sky. "Up there. If you look between the leaves and the Paopus, you can see some really cool shapes."
"Wouldn't it be easier to lie on the beach?"
Shaking his head quickly, Riku answered, "The sun is too bright. The leaves and stuff block it over here."
Naminé nodded and accepted this answer. Squinting, she pointed upwards. "That one – see it there? It looks like a fish!"
"Yeah… and there's a shark!" Riku gestured towards a long cloud with a fluffy spike on the back and two jutting rows of teeth.
"Please don't eat my fish," she giggled.
"It's a friendly shark," Riku reassured her.
"Oh good."
After a few more sea creatures appeared in the sky, Naminé pointed and exclaimed. "Look! A Paopu!"
"There are tons of Paopu's." Riku gestured lazily at the yellow fruits hanging from the tree.
"No, not those ones! In the sky! Look!"
Riku followed her gaze and saw a five pointed cloud floating beside what he had declared a whale with wings. "It looks like a starfish to me."
She shook her head and began to pull something out of the pocket of her dress. "No it's a Paopu – see!" In her hands was a sewn, yellow pillow with five points and a leafy stem. It fit easily into his palm as she passed it to him. "I made this. I know a Paopu when I see one."
"Wow, that's really good," he told her, impressed.
"It's a lucky charm," she explained.
"How do you know it's lucky?"
Naminé stared at him blankly for a minute before shrugging. "I just have a good feeling."
Riku leaned back once again, this time holding her charm up to the sky. Amidst the real Paopu fruits and the one in the clouds, it blended in perfectly. "You're right," he admitted while turning to face her, "it is a Paopu."
Naminé smiled and was about to reply when her brow abruptly furrowed. "Look."
Riku turned back to the sky and stifled a gasp. Just beyond the Paopu were a series of thick, dark clouds. The previously blue sky was blackening and he could feel tiny raindrops spattering on his face. Not too far away, thunder bellowed and rumbled. Naminé clutched his hand in alarm.
"Flash storm," Riku observed quickly. He passed the charm back to her and she hugged it against her chest.
Naminé sat up and pulled on his arm, pointing towards the beach shack. "Let's go inside." Her voice was quick and anxious. "I don't want my charm to get wet."
Riku shook his head and took her hand in his. "No, wait. Let's stay out just a little longer. I like the rain."
She pulled her hand away but did not move. "Alright," Naminé told him tentatively. "But not too long – it's dangerous."
"It'll be fine," Riku assured her as another thunderclap. Naminé squeaked and covered her ears. At once the clouds opened up, spilling torrents of rain down on them. Naminé reached her soaking hand out to find Riku's. "Okay, maybe we should go inside now."
Without another word, Naminé took off running with Riku being pulled along. Using an arm to shield his eyes from the rain, Riku could only see Naminé's back and trusted her to lead him off the islet and across the bridge. He could feel his sandals slipping on the soaked bridge as waves and rain rolled around it. "Head for the shack!" he cried. The shack was just off the bridge and on raised land. Though old it was well made and could easily protect them.
Suddenly he heard a scream and he was thrust painfully to the ground. His chin and chest smacked against the wooden beams and he nearly rolled over the side. Ahead lay Naminé struggling to get up. She shouted something at him but a sudden gale shook the bridge and ripped the words from her mouth. Riku grabbed her hand and wordlessly yanked her across the bridge. He wrenched open the door to the shack and all but threw her inside as another blast of wind slammed the heavy door behind him.
Riku leaned back against the side of the shack, panting with a hand over his heart. He shook out his hair with his hands and rung out his shirt. Through a hole in the wooden door he could see the storm ravaging the trees on the island and whipping the sand and water into giant waves. "Good thing we got inside when we did," he remarked. Expectantly he waited for Naminé to answer. When he heard nothing, he quickly looked at her in alarm.
She was crouched on the floor of the shack, scraped knees pulled up to her face and shaking. Riku knelt down beside her. "Are you okay? Is it your knees?"
"It's not that," she whispered between sobs. Before Riku could enquire further, she pulled back her legs to reveal empty hands. "I lost my lucky charm. I lost it when I fell on the bridge and now it's gone forever!"
"Oh." Riku did not know what else to say. "Naminé, I'm so sorry."
Go and get it.
From the moment that Naminé arrived, the replica had been aware only of the memory. He was Riku again. He was a little boy who had been spending a day with his best friend when a storm hit. There was no Axel, no Castle Oblivion, no Sora, and certainly no replica. Only Riku and Naminé. But then the replica heard that voice. There wasn't supposed to be any voice.
Go and get it.
The replica, suddenly aware of himself, tried to fight off the inevitable and warn Riku of the change. But the memory seemed to be fighting back, forcing the replica's own consciousness into oblivion. Sleep, it seemed to be telling him. Watch. The replica struggled it was no use as his mind was pushed out. The memory was going to play out exactly as it always had.
"I'll go and get it!" cried Riku, leaping to his feet. "Wait here! I'll be right back!"
"Riku wait!" she cried for all the good it would do. Riku had already wrenched open the door and was racing outside.
He sped for the bridge with hopes that the charm was still on top. But as he reached it, Riku's heart fell when he saw that the bridge was bare. The charm was somewhere in the churning water below.
Suddenly something caught the corner of his eye. He glanced down and with a gasp saw the charm floating on the waves close to shore. Racing off the bridge, he leapt down the shore ledge and ran across the wet sand, ignoring how it cold it felt on his feet. Cautiously he waded into the water and tried to reach for it, but as the waves rumbled, they would drag it further and further away. Going after it, Riku had walked out so far that his head was barely bobbing above the water as his toes struggled to find sand to stand on.
"Please, just a little closer…"
He strained his fingers and nearly brushed it. Frustrated, he swam further until he could no longer touch the shore and was treading water to stay afloat. Riku screamed as the wave curled around him and tore the air from his lungs. It slammed him deep into the water and on to the sand below where it held him. Viciously he fought for the surface and air. Gasping, he breached the surface just as another wave forced him back under.
Over and over waves crashed down on him and his exhausted body nearly buckled from shock. Salt water stung his throat, choking him. Each cough caused him to gulp down more water until he could scarcely breathe. He tried to paddle, but the waves would push him under. He became so disoriented within seconds that he could not tell where sky, sea, and land were. Wave upon wave bore down on him until he was thrust against a rock. Another wave crashed against him, forcing him further against the rocks, threatening to drag him down. He tried to climb over the rocks to safety, but they were too high and his tiny fingers scraped helplessly against the hard surface as the waved tossed him around.
Suddenly he spotted something small and yellow being slammed into the rocks not far from him. It had to be Naminé's charm. Riku lunged for it, but was knocked back by a wave. His head clanged against something hard and he fought to keep conscious. Reaching up, Riku wrapped his hand around something cold, slick, and very familiar. It was the metal ladder he used to climb up from the ocean and onto the islet after taking a swim.
The desire to climb to safety was powerful, but he stayed there with his arms wrapped tightly around the ladder for support as wave after wave tore away at his fleeting strength until finally the Paopu charm was close enough for him to reach out and grab it.
Clutching it tightly against his chest, Riku carefully ascended the slippery ladder. He knew that if he fell, it would be unlikely that he could find the ladder again. After what seemed like ages, Riku pulled himself over and on to land. Shivering and coughing, he hugged Naminé's charm as if it could give him warmth and protection from the storm. Riku was unable to tell if the droplets running down his cheeks were from the rain, the waves, or were his own tears.
The wind ripped through the leaves of his and Naminé's Paopu tree and the rain beat down on him. Riku was too weak to move, and so he just lay motionless in the soaked ground, hoping that the storm would pass soon. Shivers racked his body and he was afraid that the cold and exhaustion would make him fall asleep and not wake up. He had to give Naminé back her charm… otherwise she would be so sad…
Then he heard voices. They were shouting, frantic. Before he could understand what was happening, he was scooped up off the ground and into strong arms. People were screaming his name and he wanted to ask what was going on, but the slight warmth of the person who held him was enough to make his eyes droop. They were yelling even louder, but he did not know why.
Riku felt Naminé's charm slip between his fingers and he was not strong enough to keep hold. The person carrying him started to walk, but Riku used the last of his fading strength to weakly whisper, "No." He stretched his fingers towards the charm, though he could never reach it. Suddenly Naminé's charm was shoved hurriedly into his chest. Finally satisfied, he could no longer fight his exhaustion and let peaceful unconsciousness claim him.
Minutes later, Riku awoke for only a moment. People were rushing around him, but their faces and words were blurred. He didn't know where he was, who they were, or what was happening to him. All he knew was that he had to get to Naminé. One was trying to touch his forehead. Weakly he swatted to push her away.
"Nam…eh," he muttered gravelly, barely recognizing his own voice, while holding her charm tightly in his fists. He coughed a few times, each one feeling like a kick to his stomach. His arms were pinned down and forced back under the covers. Riku was feeling crushed beneath the weight of all the blankets. It was reminding him uncomfortably of the rough waves, only warmer. His head and chest felt tight and his throat was sore. He could not stop coughing.
Something warm was placed over Riku's head. It was another hand, tiny and familiar. "Don't worry," a voice he knew so well told him "I'm here now." That simple gesture seemed to erase all of his fear and pain. He knew it would be alright. Sleep came quickly after.
When Riku awoke next, he could not tell how much time had passed since his rescue of Naminé's charm. The sunlight shining through the white curtains told him that the storm had passed. With the various familiar toys, photos, and furniture now he recognized that he had been sleeping in his own room. He was pleased to be somewhere recognizable after the violent confusion of the storm. He felt something in his hand. Tracing the contours lightly with his fingertips, Riku knew it was Naminé's charm without removing it from under the blankets.
Gently he turned his aching head around to see if he was alone. He wasn't. His heart was elated when he saw Naminé sitting in a chair at his bedside. He had almost forgotten that it had been her who had comforted him before. Naminé's head was bowed; she looked tired. Riku reached out and gently brushed her folded hands with his fingertips.
"Riku?" Naminé whispered, surprised that he was finally awake. Riku saw that her eyes were red. At first he thought she was merely sleepy, but soon saw tearstains on her soft cheeks.
"Nam…eh… why you… cying?" he said. The words had been very hard for him to get out and immediately he succumbed to a set of body shaking coughs. Naminé had gotten off her chair and was kneeling beside him now, if only to be that much closer to him, and was taking his hand in her own. She waited for him to finish.
"Riku, why would you do that for me? That was stupid and reckless!" She turned her head away and Riku saw fresh tears fall down her cheeks. He felt awful – he had wanted to make Naminé happy, not cry.
"I didn't want you… be sad," said Riku in answer to her question. He never knew what to do when people cried. It made him feel awkward and he just wanted them to stop.
"You mean a lot more to me than a silly charm!" snapped Naminé. Tears were sticking to her long eyelashes. Riku wanted to wipe them away but didn't have the strength. "If anything had happened to you… if you had left me all alone… you were hurt so badly. You nearly drowned."
Riku tried to sit up, just to prove to her he was not really as weak as he seemed, but his vision swam from the sudden movement and he sank back down. "No! Nothing bad would ever… happen to you, Naminé. I don't…." Frown lines creased his young forehead. "I want to protect you forever."
To his surprise, Naminé giggled. "Forever and ever, Riku? Could you really do that? No matter what?"
Feeling better now that Naminé was no longer crying over him, Riku nodded. "Nobody will ever hurt you… I promise." Clutching her charm tightly, he removed it from under the blankets and held it out to her. Naminé gasped and Riku could not help but feel smug. "Saved it for you."
Naminé glanced at the charm, then at Riku's face. Gently she pushed the charm back towards it. "No, you hold on to it. It'll bring you luck and keep you safe…"
Riku smiled warmly and began to tell Naminé how he would treasure it forever.
Naminé opened her mouth to speak again, but instead of words a horrible screeching sound came out. Her expression was exactly as before, soft and gentle, but Naminé's voice began to intertwine with the sound and echo strangely until it distorted completely, becoming rapidly louder and softer. Flashes of light began to intercept the memory and her words were no longer intelligible. They became horrifically merged with the voice of another.
Suddenly he was no longer Riku, but the replica once again. He was thrust from the memory into a sort of disconnected state, as two entirely distinct individuals viewed the scene through the same eyes – the child Riku in the memory and the replica himself. The replica's heart – now separate from Riku's – tightened painfully. It had not been the strange flashes that had alerted him to his own consciousness – it was the voice.
The voice belonged to Vexen.
"Make him feel, Naminé." Vexen laughed. "Make him believe with all of his artificial heart that he has a reason to fight for you."
Then there was another; a high-pitched, slithery female. "If there's nothing good in the real Riku's memories, just make something up. Let him think he's a good little hero if you have to, but make sure it works. We can't have the toy breaking on us."
"Do you really think Riku would just jump back into the water for the charm?" Axel asked abruptly. "Seems kind of stupid to me. If the replica notices something's off, we'll have a huge problem on our hands."
Larxene laughed. "Don't worry, Axel. We're making it so that the replica will be getting some… outside persuasion to grab it. Besides who cares what the replica thinks? These memories are going to be all it knows, so it will never notice something like that. Besides, we have to make it believe that Naminé is the only thing worth living for – we've got it to the point where it would slice off its own arms with a grin if it thought that would make her laugh. A risky little dive in her name will certainly do the trick to hammer this point home."
Vexen seemed to ponder this. "Even so… Naminé! Can you make so that the replica will be pushed back if it starts to consider this memory too deeply?"
"Y-yes," she whispered faintly.
Vexen sounded pleased. "This is the replica's most important possession. It will be on this memory that the foundation of its entire personality will be built."
"There's no denying that it would give its life for you in a heartbeat – and what do you do in return?" cackled Larxene. "My, my, you certainly are a little witch."
Next the replica heard Marluxia, cold and emotionless, mix eerily with Larxene. "But it's still not good enough, Naminé. Look into the memories of Kairi with Sora. That's how it needs to be. In order for it to properly test the Keyblade Master, it needs to be jealous. Angry at Sora. Allow it to feel everything more powerfully than even the real Riku could ever imagine…"
The voices were all coming out of Naminé's mouth. Her comforting expression never changed though the inflections of the speakers did. She too was speaking, though her words were completely and jarringly obscured by The Organization. Child Riku never noticed the change, still smiling happily as Naminé detailed how they would stay together forever. The replica could only watch helplessly as the scene that had been the one of the most prominent and powerful of his memories began to unravel.
The voices faded and the darkness returned. It appeared like an endless pit slowly devouring Riku's bedroom, erasing everything inside. The two children continued their conversation, neither noticing the voices nor the darkness.
Suddenly the darkness reached Naminé and she began to disintegrate into black particles while still giggling along with Riku. The replica knew the memory was fake. He knew the situation was impossible. Yet watching Naminé fall into blackness without even acknowledging it ruptured something inside of him.
"Naminé!" he cried, somehow taking control of Riku's body and lunging towards her. His hands passed right through her.
Naminé just smiled. "As long as you remember me, I'll never leave your heart." And then she, along with the rest of the bedroom, began to fade away. Desperately he reached for her again, calling her name.
"It's not real. This isn't real. She was never there and neither were you." The replica knew this was true, but then why, he thought, did it feel like he had lost her all over again?
Within the darkness he could hear nothing besides the frantic beating of his own heart. In desperation, he tried to run, tried to scream, tried to see his two own hands in front of his face, but found that he could not move. Or rather, there was nothing to move.
"What happened to my body?!"
He had become nothing. Only darkness existed where he once stood. The replica could still hear a heart pounding, but now knew that it could not be his. But how was that possible? A blind terror overtook him. "Please! Someone! Anyone! What's happening to me?" The heart's agitated beat grew louder and louder as the replica mentally pleaded for help.
"Is this it? Am I going to be like this forever?" Knowing he would be screaming had he still possessed the ability, the replica tried to calm himself.
Suddenly something appeared in the distance. It was a light, pulsing and weak, though growing wuickly in size and intensity. Brighter and more radiant it grew as it began to devour the blackness at the center until it resembled a glowing doorway. The light would have blinded him if he had possessed eyes, but a as a spirit, the replica found it strangely comforting.
The replica felt a tug towards the light. He panicked as the sudden motion and struggled to fight against it, but without a body to move the replica could do little but accept that something else was controlling him now.
Now floating closer to the source, the replica realized that it was not a doorway as he had thought, but instead a metallic contraption resembling the closed petals of a flower. Confused, the replica focused on the center petal of the flower, which was growing ever closer.
"What is that thing supposed to be? Marluxia's torture chamber?" The flower was so close now that he could make out a red blur hovering within it. Expecting his ride to come to a violent halt once they collided, the replica attempted to brace what little part of him was left. However, he floated right through it.
Once he recovered from the shock, the replica took in the blur's features and felt his spirit lift.
"Sora?"
A surge of relief soared through him as the vision became more focused; the red blur became Sora's baggy shorts and the yellow solidified into enormous sneakers. Sora's spiked brown hair took form and his thin arms and legs became more visible. His eyes were darting rapidly behind closed eyelids while his breathing was soft and even.
"Sora, what's going on?" The replica watched Sora's tranquil sleep closely. With no head, he could not move to look around. He was close enough now that, had he borne a nose, they would have been touching. "Sora, I know you probably don't remember me anymore… But I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I did, and I know I don't deserve to ask you for help now, but… please. I - I don't know what to do and I'm just… scared."
The replica watched for a subtle twitch, a slowed flutter of his eyes, or a shift in breathing that would give him any indication that Sora could hear his plea.
"Please," the replica begged again. "Please help me. I need you."
'Idiot. He can't hear you.'
The replica froze. That voice… it must have been his own rational side taking control, but for a second he thought the voice had been Sora's. But that was impossible. The voice had come from within whatever was left of him and Sora had not moved.
"Sora?" the replica tentatively asked. But Sora slept on without so much as a stir.
The warmth and light that seemed to envelope the boy increased as the replica was slowly drawn towards him. The replica gave up trying to fight the pull and simply allowed it to urge him forward until his invisible spirit merged perfectly into Sora.
Instantly Sora's radiant light embraced him in a protective shell, gently warming and healing the fear that had overtaken him. The replica gasped at the sudden peace he felt. No closer to understanding what was happening to him, the replica let himself relax. Even if Sora was unaware of what he had done, the replica was grateful all the same.
"Thank you, Sora."
'No, thank you, replica.'
With Sora's words, the heart began to beat with even more eagerness than before. The warmth, the safety he had felt vanished and was replaced by something cold and sinister. The replica could sense Sora's light being snuffed out. The scent that remained was clearly Sora's but somehow wrong.
It was horribly wrong.
"Who's there?"
The scene before him dissolved with a flash; Sora was replaced was replaced by a stark whiteness as the replica floated along the corridors of Castle Oblivion. Formless and light, as if in flight, he watched helplessly as he drifted past statues, over Heartless that paid him no head, and through doorways. The rooms seemed empty and silent until a sound, like a whisper encircled him. He knew he had to have heard it wrong, but the voice – Sora's voice – had returned.
'So close…' the voice crooned hungrily.
"Sora?"
Sora's voice, whatever it was, it ignored him. The speed at which he was floating seemed to accelerate as the heart beat louder and faster.
"Stop!" ordered the replica despite knowing that the voice, if it was Sora's, did not seem inclined to listen to him now any more than it did a minute ago. "Sora, where are we going?"
'I'm not Sora.' The tone sounded agitated.
The replica was startled – the voice was identical to Sora's, though lacking all of its usual kindness. "So who are you then? And what do you want with Sora?"
'Do you really think it's worth your time trying to save him from me? If it's forgiveness you want, you won't find it with him.'
The voice was reminding him of Axel in the worst way. Snarling, the replica answered, "I'll back off when you tell me what you want with him!"
'Him? Nothing.'
At that the replica found repose. At least he knew Sora was safe.
'It's you I'm after.'
I have a confession: the next two chapters are actually the 2/3rds remaining of the 'Beast of Chapter 1' after it was split into multiple parts at random line breaks that I thought would be acceptable for keeping reader-attention. I think Ch1 in all its glory was originally something like 65 pages, which I'm pretty sure would scare off most readers.
To be honest, it was scaring off me.
Also, the conversation between young Riku and Naminé is one of my favourite parts of the chapter for a weird reason. You might notice that Naminé first asks why he isn't cloud watching on the beach, to which Riku first pauses before coming up with a reason. Later, when questioned about why her charm is lucky, Naminé blanks before simply concluding that she has a good feeling. Finally, once the storm appears, Riku replies that it is a 'flash storm' – words that a five year old probably wouldn't know (even one as smart as Riku!). So why do I like this? The vision I had in my head when writing this chapter was of the Organization forcing Naminé to implant the memories in live time, correcting her as they went along. For instance, Riku has to be out on the island in order for Naminé to trip, but someone mentions that it would make more sense to be on the beach. For the aforementioned reason, they are corrected and Naminé alters the memory to fit. There are a bunch of other things like this in this section, but these are my favourites.
Also, the scene when little Riku wakes up is very similar to the situation in the prologue.
I forgot to mention – I'm pretty much trying to write this story as if it were an actual KH game – with loveably-cheesy dialogue and everything. For example, when the replica is walking behind Axel, after the cut scene, you'd get a prompt saying "tilt the analogue stick to keep up with Axel. Tilt it farther to run." Then the fight against the Heartless would be a fight tutorial with Axel later serving as a mini-tutorial boss to teach you how to block, jump, and dodge. He would say helpful stuff like "Try to block this!" or "That all you got?"
Lol
Also, please review if you enjoyed this chapter in all its ridiculous-longness.