Here's the next chapter! Well actually I had to do another massive chapter split so technically it's just the first half (and it's still pretty loooooong). Oh well!
Just some quick notes: my favourite Kingdom Hearts character appears in this chapter and (for obvious reasons) the replica hates him. And Riku (yeah, you all knew it was him) hates him just as much. It's the same issue with Axel - they're all extremely biased towards each other. Because there would be no growth if everyone started off as friends!
Also see if you can point out every time there would be a prompt for a reaction command.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or Disney. All are the properties of their respective owners.
4
Two Sides of the Same Card
The floors of Castle Oblivion were true to their name as the replica raced across them, their white walls and identical features providing no indication if he was any closer to escaping his prison. Every time he reached one of the large double doors that separated each floor's corridor from the next, he would practically hurl his cards toward it for entry. Once they admitted him passage, he dashed up the stairs, taking first two then three at a time.
His eyes darted around constantly while he ran and his senses were heighted as he simultaneously searched for the door that would lead outside or for any signs of Axel. His echoing footsteps made him feel incredibly exposed and certain that Axel would be able to hear exactly where he was from three floors away with the racket he was making. The replica has quickly discovered that he had to make a choice between concentrating on scouring for scents or running, meaning that he could plow straight into Axel at any point without realizing it.
As he ascended another flight of stairs, frantically wondering how many more lay between him and the exit, the replica caught a new scent. It was not Axel's as he had hoped but it was one that he recognized.
"Heartless."
He scowled, convinced that Axel was summoning them to slow him down. Atop the staircase stood three figures, blocking off the doorway; the replica could see the shadowy pools they had emerged from fading away behind them. They were small, coming only up to the replica's waist, and vaguely reminiscent of a child. However their unblinking yellow eyes that peered out at him from behind armoured helms were far from human.
Jerkily the Heartless rushed towards him with their long, red claws outstretched. In three quick slashes they had vanished. "Soldiers? Was that your best, Axel? It's underwhelming."
Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement; five new Heartless were climbing out of the floor to replace their fallen comrades. The replica summoned his darkness and tried to control them, but again something more powerful was driving them on. This time, however, he was certain it was Axel's doing. With a roll of his eyes, he quickly disintegrated them with five quick flares of Dark Firaga to the helmet. He marvelled at the difficulty using the same attacks had caused him earlier.
Not waiting for another batch to appear, he sped towards the door at the end of the hallway and dove into his back pocket for one of the cards the Organization had given him to unlock each floor. With a lurch of his stomach, he realized that he had used them all up to get this far. He had been so focused on putting as much distance between himself and Axel that he had not bothered to count.
Cards adorned with the insignia of Castle Oblivion, like those he had been given, were used to travel between floors without the use of dark portals. The Organization had stressed to him that cards were the keys to opening the secrets behind all of Castle Oblivion's doors.
The replica stepped back and sized it up with his sword. "But they're still just doors," he thought with a smirk.
The replica let off a concentrated blast of Dark Firaga straight into the door's center. Upon seeing that it had left a sizeable crater, he began peppering the door with multiple, tiny flares to conserve his energy. Stone debris ricocheted back at him, but he refused to move until the obstacle was removed. Finally his flames became weaker and less frequent until damage on the door ceased entirely. He would have to wait for his magic to recover.
There was a swish of movement behind him and he whirled around to face his attackers. The first Heartless he stabbed deftly through the chest. The other was dodged first with a quick leap to the side and then dispatched with a sharp backhanded swing. Not waiting for another attack, the replica kicked the disintegrating door as hard as he could. At once a section of the door fell back, revealing a pathway just large enough for him to crawl through.
He dropped to his hands and knees and squeezed through the tight space, dust settling on his face, hair, and clothes. Once through, the replica caught the putrid stench of Heartless emerging close by. He stood and glanced at the top of the staircase anxiously, but nothing appeared.
"Okay." Despite the danger, the replica briefly closed his eyes to intensify his focus. "So where are you?" More debris tumbled onto his head. Distractedly he ran a hand through his hair to loosen it and froze in shock. He had already crawled out of the hole – there should not have been any debris. "It's above me."
A hiss came from above as a large, grey imp descended on him. The replica flung himself to the side. Before he had time to think, he had slammed his sword against the Heartless with a strong backhand and wedged it against the door's remains. The Heartless' leathery wings beat helplessly against the door while its sharp claws tried to scratch him. The replica recognized from the goggles and cap worn on its head that this breed was an Air Solider, one of the Heartless that Captain Hook had used when Riku was in Neverland. From the memories, he knew that this breed never traveled alone.
Reducing it to shadow with a flame from his recuperated magic, the replica spun around just in time to see an Air Pirate plummet towards him. A simple step to the left took him out of its path. The Heartless was unable to stop and slammed into the remains of the door with the full force of its assault. The door rumbled once and crumbled on the Heartless, burying it beneath. The replica felt its presence disintegrate a second later.
The replica took a step back and crouched down to peer through the gaping hole. A squadron of Heartless were already regrouping their army on the previous floor. They froze abruptly once they sensed the barrier between themselves and their prey had been removed. As a single unit they turned to face him, their yellow eyes gleaming ravenously.
The replica positioned himself just beyond the hole's entrance with the intention of setting them alight before one could even make it through, when the doorway began to shimmer. Gaping, the replica could only watch in awe as light began to shine from the edges of the ruined doorframe. The light closest to the edges appeared to become thicker, brighter and more solid; the replica realized with a start that the door was repairing itself. Solid marble began to grow from the hole's edges towards the centre in a brilliant rush of light, rapidly returning the door to its pristine glory.
Though their entryway was rapidly shrinking, the Heartless did not slow their assault. One particularly brash Soldier broke away from the pack and lunged for him. The replica felt certain it would simply bash into the door at full speed and backed away quickly, not sure how solid the new door would be. But to his horror, the unfortunate Heartless threw itself into the hole that was now rapidly closing around its midsection.
The Heartless began to writhe and shriek as the door continued to crush it. A single clawed hand stretched toward the replica and, though he could not tell if it was somehow crying for his aid or merely attempting to continue its hunt in the clutch of death, he could not stop himself from reaching out his own arm to meet it. In a rush of light the door sealed itself completely as the Heartless emitted its final cry. Its helmeted head and arms tumbled to the replica's feet.
With a lurch in his stomach he booted them as hard as he could, sending them crashing into the newly created door. They disintegrated upon impact. He shuddered and tried to block the image from his mind. Despite having cut down a number Heartless in self-defence much more violently during the short time he had been awake, bearing witness to that had been somehow far more disturbing.
Completely undeterred by their cohort's failure, the replica could make out the others frantically clawing and scraping against the other side of the door, hungrily trying to reach him. One by one, their scents died away. The replica knew they had not abandoned their chase and, predictably, reappeared to join their brothers on the floor just above the staircase. In his moment of pause, the replica found Axel's scent. It was still several floors below him, though a portal could instantly close that distance.
"I hate this place," he muttered, shaking his hair free of dust. "I really, really do."
Not waiting for Axel to make a move, the replica melted into shadow and released Dark Aura on the unsuspecting Heartless. Scent upon scent disintegrated as he struck them. The replica felt stronger than ever before. If at all possible he would avoid Axel, but if left with no other options the replica would fight back. For the first time he felt certain he could win.
An hour ago the replica could never have imagined he would have the ability to set himself free.
After the scent of the last Heartless vanished and his dark energy was drained, the replica paused to survey the damage he had caused. The white walls were littered with long, burning scratches and the floor was covered in scuff marks. Some of the pillars had small chunks missing. The replica knew it was an odd thing to be proud of.
Suddenly another scent was appeared behind him; it was clearly a Heartless, though larger and more potent than the others had been. It was faster too. In a flash of black and white, the replica had no time to react as something hard and sharp struck him in the head. The impact spun him around and threw him clear across the room. He crashed hard against the floor, feeling the air rush from his deflated lungs.
"Ah," he moaned, placing a hand just under his ear and along his jawline where the pain was worst. It burned horribly and he could feel warm, wet blood soaking through his glove.
Hearing a clank above him, the replica flipped over just in time to see a set of massive jaws closing in on him. Impulsively he kicked up his arms and legs and hit the edges of something hard and found himself staring straight into the three eyes of a massive, snarling, disembodied canine face.
It took him a second to realize that there was not simply a hovering dog's face in Castle Oblivion – it was the shield of a Defender Heartless. The Heartless itself was larger than any human man and completely covered in blue and red armour. One of its massive forearms was clutching the shield and the other was bracing its weight against the ground. The Heartless turned its armoured face toward towards its prey and placed both hands on the shield's back. The weight instantly doubled and the replica swallowed a scream as his muscles heaved.
Only a finger's distance from his stomach, the jaws relentlessly snarled and chomped as their Heartless master forced the shield down on him. The replica's arms and legs were trembling with the weight and felt certain his bones were going to splinter at any second. The voracious jaws had sprayed spittle all over his clothes and he could feel its warm breath on his face. Unless Axel chose that exact moment to walk in, the replica could not imagine how his situation could be worse.
Suddenly the face on the shield began to spin, its eyes glowing red, as the jaws pulled back and opened wide.
"Damn."
Desperately the replica kicked up on the shield and rolled sideways. The Heartless had not been expecting that and was tipped off-balance as the shield plunged forward. The shield's edge caught the replica along the shoulder, ripping off a chuck of skin even with the dark suit's protection. Gritting his teeth and swallowing a scream, the replica knew it was better with the alternative as he heard a muffled bang and felt the ground rumble, knowing that the fireball had discharged into the floor.
The Heartless never had a chance to recover as the replica dashed around it and stabbed it through the back. It lurched back in agony and vanished.
Its shield, however, did not. It continued to growl and gnaw at the floor, trying to flip itself over and continue the assault. He felt the air turn cold as it cast a blizzard spell. The replica jumped on top of the shield in an attempt to smother it but could not stop a small frozen lake from leaking around its base. The shield began to shake in renewed fury once it realized it had a passenger and roared. Almost immediately the room was once again flooded with another wave of Heartless.
Groaning, the replica tried to balance himself on the manic shield and think of the fastest way to get by them. He only had enough energy recovered since his last onslaught to use a short blast of Dark Aura that would be nowhere near strong enough to carry him around the room. The shield gave another shudder as it shot off another fireball, nearly toppling him off. Next, he knew, would come ice.
As the Heartless began to close in on him the replica felt the shield give another lurch, like it wanted to join its brothers. The shield's moment heaved the pair forward across the ice. With a small gasp the replica was hit with an idea that almost made him laugh out loud at how stupid it was. It was something that the mature, wise, practical Riku from his memories would never have even considered.
The replica could not wait to try it.
He let loose two weak blasts of Dark Firaga along each side of the corridor, then another two along the centre. Within seconds he Heartless were herded into two long columns. Smirking, he felt the shield spin under his feet as expected and shifted his weight back onto the rim so that the face was tipped upwards. The jaws completed their rotation and released a freezing torrent of ice, creating a flawless, frozen path straight to the door.
Planting his feet along the rim, the replica used Dark Aura to launch himself across the room. Holding Soul Eater in one hand and a long stream of Dark Firaga in the other, the replica was able to effortlessly slice down every single Heartless in his path. With the door rapidly approaching, the replica flipped clear of his ride and watched as it shattered upon impact.
The replica placed his hand over his chest, feeling his heart racing with exhilaration. It was a strange, foreign sensation, and the replica was not quite sure what to make of it. His grin abruptly fell when he realized he was daunted with the challenge of making it through another door.
The replica knew it would be possible to blast his way through once gain. But a churning in his stomach advised him strongly against it. The Heartless' screams as it was sliced in half were still disturbingly fresh in his mind.
"I don't want Axel to know I got eaten by a door," he joked as he attempted unsuccessfully to erase the image.
But the longer he stared at it, the more it looked like he would have no other option. The Heartless would be returning at any moment and Axel was finally starting to move. With a sigh and a knot in his stomach, the replica fired at the door exactly as he had done before. Finally he had created another opening big enough to crawl through. Once again, the replica dropped down to the floor. He had only just stuck his hands and forearms into the hole when he was met with an unwelcome glow.
"No. No – it can't!"
The replica yanked his body back as the opening began to rapidly seal itself in an explosion of light. He collapsed onto his backside, only able to watch futilely as his escape was ripped away.
With light, gaunt breaths, the replica hung his head in defeat. He suddenly became nauseously aware of the throbbing gashes maiming his head and shoulder. Everything ached with the realization that he had come so far, only to be trapped once again.
On automatic he reached into his pocket and pulled out Naminé's charm. It was a conditioned response, yet felt so natural. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I have to be stronger. If I ever want to be worthy of them, I need to be better than this."
Behind closed lids, the replica saw beams of light suddenly begin to dance. Startled, he opened them just in time to see the lucky charm begin to glow. Numb with shock he watched as it sparkled and shimmered like the star it was meant to resemble until the brightness became too much to bear.
Finally the glare subsided and the replica was able to open his eyes once again, but when he did he had to blink several times to make sure he was not hallucinating. But even if he could deny seeing it, his hands could clearly feel the change that had taken place. Clenched between his fingers was a crown-shaped card emblazoned with the image of a tropical island. It was not the soft toy Naminé had gifted him with in his memories, the possession he had been made to cherish above all else. It was just a card and it had never been anything more.
"All this time…" he said weakly. Though the notion that he was a replica and not Riku had been impressed on him so many times, it was not until that moment that he truly accepted it for the reality that it was.
The revelation caused a blind fury overtook him. Fleeing to a world created by his fake memories was absolutely useless – Axel probably had handfuls of Destiny Islands cards on him and would be able to follow in an instant. He would erase him the way he had done to Vexen, leaving the replica's body to bleed out alone in an empty world.
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT?!" With a grunt he hurled the card towards the door. It fluttered through the air, turning and flipping like a leaf gently falling to the earth. Finally it landed at his feet. Unable to stop himself, the replica glanced down at it. His heart nearly stopped.
The card had two sides - the other was Castle Oblivion.
"There's never been a card like this. One card, one use, one world. That's how it always went." The replica reached for the card, yet froze with his hand merely hovering over it. "Is this what it comes down to? I could live out the fake memories until Axel finds me. That…" the replica pulled away from the card as his eyes fell downcast, "that might be the best thing for me. Axel was right – no world will ever want a replica. I could at least pretend I belonged somewhere, even if just for a little while, if I went through."
The replica began to imagine all of his favourite places on the island, places that he suddenly had the ability to see for himself, like the islet, the Paopu tree, and the secret place. However, as the replica pictured it, a lingering shadow of his time with Naminé tainted every one, turning the memories cold.
"But it wouldn't be real… just like me, it would never be real. They aren't even my memories – they're Riku's and whatever else the Organization wanted to make up. If I choose to go there now, I'll probably die there. That would be the easy thing. But then I'll never know what it might be like to make my own memories, never know anything other than what was forced onto me. I want to be able to choose the memories I make and I'll never be able to do that as long as I'm a prisoner here."
Gently the replica scooped it into his hands and flipped it over to the Castle Oblivion side. It felt warm and oddly comforting, almost like it approved of his decision. Though he knew she likely had nothing to do with it, the replica could not help but believe it was a final gift from Naminé. He presented the card to the door. Light enveloped him as it swung open to permit his entry. For a moment he considered throwing away the now useless card, but shoved it back into his pocket. Worthless or not, it was the only thing that was truly his.
He was halfway up the stairs when the replica caught a new scent that made him freeze, as if all the warmth had been sucked from his body. He had been wrong; the card was not the ultimate proof of his nature.
Riku was waiting for him at the end of the hallway.
And he was not alone – the other two scents remained by his side like silent and watchful keepers. Even worse, the replica noticed that Riku's scent had shifted in the time that he had been away. It was much more powerful and kept an equal balance of light and darkness, keeping both tides perfectly at bay.
"I should have known. I should have been tracking him." The replica backed against the door, allowing it to support his body completely as he tried desperately to think. "Maybe he hasn't sensed me yet." He glanced behind him at the door – he could use the Destiny Islands half of his card and wait until Riku moved on. It was far from ideal, but given the choice, the replica would have much rather taken his chances hiding from Axel in a world he knew well enough than fight Riku.
"Come out, fake!" the replica heard Riku bark, his voice echoing coldly off the walls.
"Okay, forget that."
The replica took in three deep breaths to calm himself. It was inevitable that they were going to fight as Riku would be on him in an instant if he tried to run, and he needed all the time he could get to recover his dark magic. He had used Dark Aura so many times that it was beginning to take its toll and his recovery times were getting longer and longer. However he knew that it would take far more time than Riku would allow for him to return to his full strength.
"I can't kill him," the replica reminded himself, squeezing his eyes shut and shutting out all sounds except his frantic heart. "I just have to get past him."
The replica began to picture himself approaching Riku. He walked confidently along the while hallway of Castle Oblivion without even acknowledging his reflection. Riku too paid him no mind and simply stepped to the side, permitting him passage. The sounds of clashing swords did not echo along the corridor and the stench of blood and darkness failed to permeate the walls. The pair never looked at each other, never said a word, and went their separate ways without acknowledging the other existed.
The impossibility of that scene filled him with a strange, tremendous calm. Like a warm mist, it slowly spread down his body and lightly tickled against his skin. His eyes fluttered open and his heart slowed as he detached himself from the door. The replica could feel Riku's strength and perfect mastery over both light and darkness emanating from his scent. His destiny was going to play out in the way that it was always meant to. Even with Zexion's power reviving him, the replica knew it was over.
He was going to die.
"It was stupid… to think I had a chance."
With a final exhale, the he began to ascend the stairs, his mind going blank as he stepped onto the floor. The replica was careful to walk with his back straight and his head held high. Regardless of how he saw himself, he wanted Riku to believe he thought a replica was worthy of existing.
The replica felt ready to face the boy who had taken everything from him and looked upon Riku's face for the first time.
Vexen had clearly been exceptionally skilled at his work. If the truth had never been revealed to him and he had simply encountered Riku in the castle by chance, the replica would have certainly believed he was looking into a mirror. The reflection was so flawless it was surreal and dreamlike; he truly was a perfect copy.
Though Riku's were narrowed in thinly-veiled disgust, the replica could instantly tell that they shared the same bright, ocean coloured eyes, along with the same feathery silver hair that fell to just past the chin, the same narrow nose, and the same curved lips. Until coming face to face with Riku, the replica had been unaware how perfectly on display his body was in the dark suit, especially since the sinuous blue and crimson colour choice suddenly seemed to have been designed purely to emphasize their muscles, and instantly felt flush with embarrassment despite how completely it covered him. As expected, the replica noted that Soul Eater was gripped tightly at his side.
The replica raised his own sword to mirror Riku, indicating that he was ready to fight. Riku hunched over like he was going to pounce and summoned Dark Firaga to his other hand. The flames danced tantalizingly in his palm. The replica merely shifted his weight to be better balanced and readied himself to fight for his life and at least give Riku a challenge.
However Riku's next words were something the replica could never have prepared for.
"I know you're here! Stop hiding and face me."
Certain he must have misheard, the replica's jaw fell nonetheless. "W-what?"
Riku continued to glare at him, but the replica suddenly noticed that his eyes were darting and unfocused. He followed Riku's line of sight straight behind him to the staircase he had just come from.
"Can he… can he not see me?" he thought incredulously. The replica flashed Riku a quick wave, but he continued to stare straight through him, not even registering the movement. "Is he blind?"
In answer to his question, three heartless materialized in the air above his head; without even blinking, Riku dispatched of each one with a perfectly aimed flare from Dark Firaga. One was so close to his ear that the replica had to duck to avoid being scorched.
"I know you're here!" shouted Riku. The replica could see his muscles straining with tension as he glanced around anxiously.
"I'm standing right in front of you. I really don't know what else you want from me." Hiding behind the retort, the replica's heart was pounding fiercely. He glanced down at his shoes. They were still there. His hands were too. For a moment he had been terrified that his body had vanished again. This knowledge provided no explanation, but gave a small amount of relief. At least he was safe for the moment.
However whatever anomaly was causing him to be invisible to Riku could not last forever. Standing starkly vulnerable in the middle of the corridor, too scared to even breathe in case it would give him away, the replica knew he would be exposed and killed the instant Riku could find him.
"Riku," a kind, high-pitched voice said from behind the pillar on Riku's left, "maybe the replica isn't here."
Riku's eyes flashed as he whirled on his companion. "No. It's here. I know that scent." He began firing off dark magic at random in hopes of hitting something. The replica flinched. If Riku got impatient and used Dark Aura, Riku's sword would be drawn to his heart whether he could be seen or not. "I. Know. That. It's. Here!" snarled Riku, punctuating each word with a blast of Dark Firaga. The last one was so powerful that the statue to the replica's right exploded in a shower of stone and dust.
"How is he so strong?" the replica could feel sweat running down his neck. In the past minute Riku's scent had matured even further, becoming darker and more potent. "I spent ten minutes trying to take down a door."
"Riku…" said the voice with a veiled command lingering in its tone, "as your friend I am asking you to calm down. You know you're better than this now, but you're letting him take over you – it's what he wants."
"Does he mean me? I really don't." With a jolt the replica remembered and latched onto the dark scent. Once he had laid eyes on Riku, he had completely forgotten about the others. The light scent, he was certain, had to be Riku's short companion who was concealed by the pillar. But there was no physical presence of the other, though the replica did not expect there to be. He had been right – it was lingering on top of Riku. It was the scent he had felt growing. "What's going on?"
Riku's glare slowly softened. He lowered Soul Eater a fraction and turned to his companion. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right," the voice told him comfortingly, the way the replica imagined a parent would.
With a sigh Riku lowered Soul Eater further and turned towards his companion. As he turned, the replica's attention flashed to his other hand; it was clasped around a Castle Oblivion card. The replica gasped.
Since he had spoken, the replica had been silently pleading for Riku's friend to convince him give up the hunt and head into another memory. He had no idea what he would do if that happened, but it would at least give him a little more time before he would have to fight Axel. But everything had changed as getting safely past Riku and escaping the Organization had suddenly become intricately the same thing.
The replica needed that card.
"Maybe you're right," said Riku. "Maybe it isn't here. Maybe Zexion is trying to trick me again."
"I thought you said Zexion's scent faded?"
Shrugging, Riku replied, "I wouldn't put it past him to fake it somehow." Riku's friend gave a cheerful chuckle in affirmation and even Riku allowed himself a small smile at the sound.
"They must be really close." Riku's friend was obviously the source of the light scent and the replica felt inclined to think of it as his guardian. Even in his desperate situation, the replica felt an awful envy knot in his stomach. "I wonder what he'd be like without his friend backing him up."
Suddenly a thought came to him. It was an idea that made him feel horribly ashamed, though the replica knew it would be his only chance to escape – Axel was nearly upon him and he would be completely trapped the instant Riku used up that card.
He was so close to freedom.
The replica steeled himself and concentrated his darkness. As it swirled around him, he fixed his aim on where is mark would be. To his shock, he found Riku staring back at him in wide-eyed fury. Somehow that action had made him visible again. The replica knew he now had even less time to make his move.
With a grunt, he shot a small flare in Riku's direction, causing him to fly back against the wall and widening the gap between himself and his friend.
"You -" Riku began as he braced himself to defend against the replica's Dark Aura. It took Riku a second too long to realize that he was never the target.
Powered by darkness, the replica leapt forward and crossed the expanse of the room in a flash. His vision was mired by blackness and he was relying purely on scent. He kicked off the wall at an angle and slammed the full impact of his attack onto Riku's unsuspecting partner. The replica never even saw what he looked like as the tiny body was flung limply behind a pillar. When the replica landed only a large pair of yellow shoes were still visible to his eyes.
"Mick - augh!" Riku cried as the replica slammed him back against the wall. He pressed the curve of Soul Eater's blade against Riku's neck the way that Axel had done to him.
However, Riku was more prepared than the replica had been then and his lunge with Soul Eater was quicker and more calculated as he swung it in an arc towards the replica's ribs. But the replica had been anticipating his actions and struck the sensitive spot at the base of Riku's wrist with his free hand, causing his grip on the sword to slightly loosen. Before Riku could recover, the replica ripped Soul Eater out of his grasp, now holding both swords.
Swallowing a gasp, Riku's hand twitched as he tried to recall Soul Eater. The replica did not dare to tear his eyes away from Riku, bracing himself to feel his left hand suddenly closing around nothing. Seconds later the sword remained firmly clenched in his grasp.
The replica fought back a sigh of relief. He didn't want Riku to know how much blind faith his plan had required. Since the moment the version of Riku in his memories had received the sword, the replica had known how to call it from shadows. Similarly to how Axel could only summon his chakrams and Sora his Keyblade, the replica was only able to call upon Soul Eater. As the replica understood it, this meant that the two weapons had to be intricately tied to their owners' identities.
However, neither Riku nor the sword he wielded were unique; as Riku's Soul Eater was the original template for his sword, just as Riku was for him, the replica felt nearly certain that he would be able to control it as well.
As far as Soul Eater knew, it had never left Riku's hand.
"My move, Real Thing."
If he was scared by his position, Riku certainly failed to show it. "How did you do it?" he ordered fiercely. "How did you turn invisible?"
The replica ignored him, though wondering the same thing himself, and shifted Riku's Soul Eater. Riku fell silent as his eyes followed the swords path until it came to rest, pointing sharply at a pair of bright yellow shoes. A black flare began to pulse at the tip of Riku's sword as the replica delivered his ultimatum. "Give me that card or I'll kill your friend."
"H-he's not…" Riku trailed off anxiously. The replica could see a small spark return to his eyes as they darted towards the shoes.
He shook his head, trying to imitate Axel as he maintained his smirk. The replica knew he would never act on his proposition unless it was absolutely necessary, but it was imperative that Riku not know that.
"Not yet. But that all depends on you. Give me the card and I'll let you go."
Entranced the replica watched as Riku's eyes first narrowed in hatred, then darted about in search of any other option, and finally dimmed in hollow resignation. As far as Riku knew, he would either have to give in or watch his own weapon steal his friend's life.
The replica knew he had won. But it was not the triumphant victory he had expected as a hauntingly familiar memory replayed in his mind.
"All you have to do is follow exactly what I say and you'll have your freedom."
Axel's promise. A promise that led to another Riku being restrained, helpless and desperate, while his tormenter bargained escape. Escape with a cost. A cost that nearly ended in an innocent death.
"Maybe I'm more like Axel than I thought." His resolve was wavering by the second as stared into the eyes of his reflection. "Just this once. Never again."
"I'll give you the card," said Riku. His voice dripped with sheer loathing. "But don't think I'll let you get away with it."
The replica's heart wasn't in it, but he forced a sneer. "You'll be joining him on the ground in a second."
Riku rolled his eyes, though the replica felt him stiffen against the sword. Slowly he began to raise the hand holding the card, muttering, "I don't get why you don't just use a portal."
Those words smacked him harder than the shield had. Incredulously the replica stammered, "Y-you can do that?"
"You can't?" Riku countered. His grip on the card tightened.
"I can," the replica lied, fighting back the blush on his face. "I'm just... surprised you can too."
"I didn't know Riku could open a portal – I thought it was something only the Organization could do. They almost never carried Castle Oblivion cards because they didn't need them to move around like I did." He drew into Riku's memories, but found nothing to support his claims. However the replica was certain that Riku was telling the truth. "They probably took them out so that I wouldn't know how to get away."
"I've done it a few times," added Riku, "but if you don't know what you're doing it's dangerous to travel the corridors without a vessel."
"I know that," he growled, despite not having any idea what Riku meant.
A smirk crossed Riku's face as he appended, "You also need a strong heart to bend the darkness to your side so it doesn't consume you. If a fake heart was enough, you would have gotten out by now."
The replica flinched as Vanitas' words resounded in his mind. "If your life was worth anything, you would be able to fight back."
"But instead you had to be a coward," continued Riku icily, "you hurt my friend when he hadn't done anything to you."
"I haven't done anything to you either and you want to kill me just for daring to exist. I didn't ask to be created, Riku."
A curt reply played on his lips as the replica caught Riku's eyes straying behind him. This situation had once again become was uncomfortably familiar. Abruptly the replica realized that Riku was goading him into losing focus while waiting for his friend to wake up. It was the trick the replica had tried less than two hours ago on Vanitas. He growled and pressed Soul Eater into Riku's neck. Riku winced as blood dribbled down into his collar. "Give me the card!"
With a hard glare, Riku again held up the card. The replica was about to make a grab for it when he realized a problem. His body was the exact same size as Riku's, making it impossible to tower over him the way that Axel had done. While Axel had been able to hold down both of the replica's wrists in one hand while still have two fingers free to dangle a chakram, the replica would either have to lower Soul Eater and risk Riku overpowering him or relinquish Dark Firaga and lose his leverage.
Cautiously he flexed his grip on Riku's sword and moved his hand slightly away from Riku's friend, intending to snatch the card from Riku as quickly as he could manage. The replica held his breath, hoping that Riku would never notice the lapse.
He did.
A sickening crack echoed through the hallway as Riku's knee connected with his ribs. A swift punch to his injured shoulder followed. The replica screamed as he was tackled to the floor and both swords were ripped from him. Suddenly Riku was sitting on top of him, his knees pinning the replica's hands to the floor and suspending Soul Eater over his chest.
Struggling violently to throw Riku off him, the replica's eyes darted around for his sword. He finally found it trapped under Riku's foot. Desperately, he turned back and locked eyes with Riku. His face was an impenetrable mask as the blade began to tremble in his taunt hands.
"Do it!" spat the replica. "Just get it over with!"
An eerie calm spread across Riku's face. His eyes fluttered shut as he inhaled deeply. The scent of a suffocating darkness began to choke the room as Riku shifted his weight forward. Wordlessly, Riku twisted the replica's head to the side and exposed his neck. The replica flinched when he felt cold metal press along the curve of his jaw.
"Just get it over with," he repeated in a hushed whisper.
"I'm afraid, replica, that the peace of death will have to evade you for a while longer."
The replica started at the sound. He tried to look up, but was restrained by strong hands. The voice had been Riku's and the words had been delivered from his lips, but there was another quality to it. Another voice with a deep, commanding tone had overlain Riku's. The replica recognized the scent – something else was in control.
The voice continued speaking as Riku's finger trailed along the wound left by the shield. "He was wrong – your heart is stronger than even you know."
Seized firmly in place, the replica could do little more than shift his gaze to meet his assailant. The replica fought back a gasp; Riku's eyes – his eyes – now swam with gold.
"And I have now realized that you could be of use to me," said the voice as Riku's face contorted into a thin smile. "We could always use a spare."
The blade sliced into his skin. The replica could not fight the scream that was ripped from him. He felt a terrible cold enter through the wound, rushing through his body and settling in his heart like a poison. In desperation, he lurched sideways and, to his shock, toppled Riku off of him. Riku scrambled to his feet and backed away slowly.
"W-what did you do to me?!" The replica pushed himself off the ground and frantically traced along the gash Riku had made. It was difficult to tell with his glove on, though the replica was certain that Riku had added another slash to cross the first one. He pressed his hand to the spot and nearly retched.
Staring at his hands in horror, Riku barely seemed to acknowledge him. "I thought it was under control," he whispered in shock.
"Well, clearly it wasn't. Tell what that was!" the replica quickly recalled Soul Eater to his hand. He tried to straighten, but felt his vision swim. The replica shuddered.
"First Vanitas and now this… I really can't take much more."
Riku finally looked up and the replica could see the terror in his eyes give way to fury. With a roar, Riku cloaked his blade in darkness and lunged at him. The replica parried, feeling Riku straining against him as their swords locked. Riku knocked the replica's blade aside with a rotation of his wrist and summoned Dark Firaga in his other hand.
The replica tried to think quickly as Riku lunged. He grounded his weight just as Riku struck. His sword deflected against the replica's Dark Barrier. Shattering his shield, the replica created a minor shockwave that forced Riku back across the hallway. The replica panted in exhaustion and a swift glance told him that Riku was doing the same.
"This is my fault," he gasped under his breath in a voice the replica could hardly make out, "I have to fix this before anyone else gets hurt."
The replica said nothing, only tightening his grip on Soul Eater as he charged. Riku too lunged for him with his sword raised, pulsating with a level of darkness the replica never thought he could match. He braced himself for the cold clang of metal on metal. Suddenly he saw Riku halt.
"Look out!"
For reasons the replica would never understand, he listened and pulled back. Axel's chakram sailed right past his nose imbedded itself in the wall. It vanished in a spark of fire and returned to its owner's hand as Axel ascended the stairway to their floor.
Knowing that his situation had abruptly become far direr, the replica could not help but smirk at his handiwork. A heavy purple bruise was already forming along his nose and under his eyes, and his skin had turned sickly pale with an underlying greenish hue. Axel looked like he had seen better days.
Axel pointed a chakram at him and snarled, "Alright, I really don't have time for this so you're -" he cut himself off, glancing anxiously to the side and suddenly making eye contact with Riku. He spun to the side, pointing his chakram in Riku's direction and then back to the replica. Axel's eyes darted rapidly between the two of them. "Oh you've got to be kidding," he muttered darkly.
The replica's mind raced as he glanced around as carefully as he could, not wanting Riku or Axel to realize what he was thinking. Finally found what he was looking for – the Castle Oblivion card, lying forgotten under the shadow of a pillar.
"Look, I am really not in the mood for dealing with both of you. I'm only here for the replica, so - ugh," Axel's eyes rolled back as he groaned. He doubled over at the waist, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. When he reopened them, the replica noticed that his left eye was facing a different direction than his right.
"What happened to your face?"
Axel straightened instantly, staring intently between the two Rikus, clearly believing that whichever one had asked the question had to be the real one. However it was the replica who had spoken and Axel responded exactly as he had hoped.
Though it appeared to cause him pain, Axel's eyes narrowed as he gestured between them with the chakram. "Don't play dumb – you know which one of you did this."
"But you don't. You can't tell us apart."
The replica was certain that in normal conditions, Axel would have picked him out in an instant and he would have been incinerated by now. However his broken nose was obviously affecting his vision and concentration. The replica hoped it would stay that way for at least a minute longer.
He tilted himself sideways make it slightly more difficult to tell which one of them was covered in blood, dust, and Heartless drool. Riku shifted too, glancing frantically between Axel and his replica; Riku's darkness was roaring from him as he prepared to be the target of a three-way clash. The replica, however, was not planning for their confrontation to get that far.
There was a soft moan to his left as Riku's friend finally began to stir. Riku heard it too and turned his attention away from the replica for a second too long. The replica unleashed a sharp blast of Dark Firaga straight into to Riku's side. Riku was flung across the room and smashed hard into a pillar.
Pointing down at Riku's dazed form with his sword, the replica addressed Axel. "I'll save you some time - that's the replica."
The replica felt certain that the ear-splitting "WHAT" that erupted from the floor would have been hilarious in any other situation. As it was, he instead rolled his eyes and turned towards Riku with a look of disdain.
"Nice try, fake," he said coldly, using the derogatory name Riku had called him earlier. It had the desired effect as a quick glance out of the corner of his eye told him that Axel was now honing his attention more on Riku.
"No, I'M Riku. You're the fake!"
The replica shrugged as he cautiously picked the discarded Castle Oblivion card off the ground. "Think whatever you like – it doesn't make a difference to me."
The replica could not have planned Riku's response better if he tried. "You turned yourself invisible," he shouted furiously, "that's not something a real human being could do."
Giving Axel a sigh, the replica said, "I think it's breaking down. It was going on about voices it was hearing before you showed up." With a dismissive wave of his hand to Axel, the replica fixed Riku with a cold stare and added, "Anyway, feel free to take out the trash."
He was positive that he was playing up Riku's hatred far more than necessary to the point he wasn't sure he was even being Riku anymore. But he wanted there to be no doubt left in Axel's mind; the template of Riku in his memories was extraordinarily arrogant and it was likely that Axel believed that his inflated sense of pride would have prevented the replica from talking about himself in such a disparaging manner even with his life at risk.
To the contrary, the replica found it incredibly easy.
Riku started to run at him, but Axel summon a quick fireball to block his path. Concentrating all of his abilities to sense for any other movements in case Axel changed his mind while the replica's back was turned, he held up the card and watched as the door began to glow. Finally it opened wide.
Feeling Riku's stare on his back, the replica was halfway through the door when he said, "By the way… you'll never deserve her."
Meaning Naminé, the replica had intended that line to be the final scrap of evidence Axel needed to condemn Riku. What he had not expected was for Riku to suddenly attempt to use Dark Aura to get to him. The replica had to throw himself through the doorframe to escape his wrath and had to slam his full body weight against the door to shut it before he made it through. He heard Riku crash against the door, making the entire structure shudder. A second later he sensed Axel flying at Riku and heard the sound his chakrams clashing against Soul Eater.
He knew Riku was not in any real danger. It would take about thirty seconds before Axel would be able to pause their fight long enough to realize what had happened, and by that time Riku's friend would have woken up to help him. But the replica had wagered that Riku would not let him leave easily, especially if he had known what role Axel had played in the Organization's deception of Sora and Naminé. And even with his injury, Axel was strong enough to defend himself against Riku. Eventually, the replica guessed, they would realize that they had a common goal and would come to an understanding. The replica hoped he had delayed that conversation long enough for him to get to safety.
The replica knew that he did not want either of them to die in the fight, though he figured that he would probably not be adverse to them suffering major injuries, such as the loss of all their limbs, which would prevent them from coming after him.
The replica turned around slowly, knowing that if he had merely reached another floor in Castle Oblivion he would have no hope left. He gave a heavy sigh in relief. The hallway that lay ahead was bigger and more elaborate than the others. But more importantly, at the end of it stood an ornate white door that was very different from any of the others in Castle Oblivion. The replica knew he had to have found the way out.
Reaching his hand out to the door to push it open, he was suddenly struck with a thought that made him freeze. Even now, the replica could not let her go. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to.
"She hates you, don't forget that. None of it was real." His eyes travelled towards the ceiling, reflecting on the image of Sora in the metal flower and knowing that his being there had to be Naminé's doing. "I know it's what she wanted and I just… I just hope that she's happy up there with him. And she has Riku too now. With the two of them, the life she wanted can be her reality." He tried to smile the way he had done when he had left her on the thirteenth floor, but his lips, or perhaps his heart, would not allow it.
Chasing Naminé from his mind as best he could manage, the replica slammed his body against the massive door. Slowly it opened and he felt a rush of cool air rush against his face and ruffle his hair. Riku's memories had told him how wind was supposed to feel, but it felt much gentler, much sweeter than those memories could recall.
With a deep breath, the replica took his first step beyond the castle walls. Gravel, sand, and rock crunched under his feet. He had to pause in amazement at the sound and texture. In Riku's memories the ground was always flat and even, but now he could feel how there were tiny rocks beneath his shoes. Some were larger, and those he could feel more clearly, while others were smaller, sinking into the sand. Again the wind tickled his skin and hair as he kept one foot firmly entrenched beyond the castle and the other still lingering in the doorway.
"Is this what real feels like?"
Even though he knew he was being pursued, the replica wanted to just stay in that moment forever, taking his first breath of real air and feeling real earth below. Sensing Axel, Riku, and his friend halting their battle, he quickly stepped outside and slammed the heavy door shut. Turning around, the replica got his first look at the outside of Castle Oblivion and raised his eyebrows quizzically.
The inside of the Castle had been orderly; each floor was pure white and identical to the next. But the outside was a pale brown, sitting on jutting cliff side set against a dark, swirling violet sky. Towers jutted out at odd angles from the rooftop, giving the castle the appearance of something a child had chaotically slapped together with building blocks and then turned on its side.
Again he turned around. Before him was a winding dirt path that seemed to stretch into nowhere. Despite the urgency, he hesitated. Behind him lay everything he knew and ahead the path looked bleak and lonely. Instinctively he reached into his pocket and nudged his fingers against the Destiny Islands card.
"Bye Sora, Naminé. Even though I was never meant to be a part of your lives, I hope we can meet again. I know you won't remember me… or won't want to… but I promise that one I'll be worthy of knowing you."
Not daring himself to look back, the replica darted down the road with a single thought guiding his way.
"I'm free."
When I was coming up with the scenarios I wanted to use with the Riku Replica's character, I came up with a list of both positive and negative personality traits he would have. I tried to make a lot of them stand out in this chapter.
For instance, he is very courageous, daring, chivilrous, clever, strong etc.
But on the flip side, he is also obsessive (putting Sora and Naminé on a massive pedastal and trying to impress them), agressive (seen in his fight with Riku), and more than a little hostile.
However, the main thing I want to address regarding his flaws is his crippling sense of negative self-worth. He is furious that others think of him like an object, but doesn't realize that he thinks of himself the same way. This comes out continuously in the fight with Riku and nearly every time he mentions Sora and Naminé. As an example, the replica doesn't even consider trying to talk to him. He has no idea that he made an earlier bad impression and for all he knows Riku is just freaked out that he suddenly has a twin. He is so set in the idea that Riku will never see him as anything worthwhile that he just knows automatically that Riku will kill him - an alternative never even crosses his mind. Another example is when he becomes ebarassed by how he looks in the dark suit - he is just ashamed of how he looks in general. Overcoming this will be his biggest challenge throughtout the story.
(I also want to note that Riku automatically told the replica to get out of the way - Riku just has a natural tendency to care about people and its hard to ignore)
Oh, yeah, and if you're enjoying the story so far please leave a review :D