Fabricated Affections {RepliRikuXVanitas/KH FanFiction}

Chapter 11: The Original

The original Riku stood before his replica and Vanitas, a large bulky Keyblade in hand that hung loosely by his side. The replica Riku swallowed a lump in his throat as he came face to face with his original after all this time. The replica clenched the broken blade he wielded nervously but refused to break that eye contact, forcing himself to straighten his shoulders and put on a brave face. As the original drew near, the replica was shielded by Vanitas stepping to the side and completely separating the two from each other.

The Replica felt his face run hot with embarrassment, despite Vanitas' intentions he didn't need to protect him. "Vanitas I-"

"Shut it." Vanitas snapped at him while his eyes were still fixated on the original. "And you. Back off."

Riku stopped in his tracks, only a few more steps and he would have been toe to toe with the boy of darkness. Sparks seemed to fly as their glares were piercing each other, between Vanitas' hostility and Riku's suspicion the two weren't getting along anytime soon. That thought made the replica hold his breath.

"I don't trust you, and you being here makes me nervous." Riku spat at Vanitas. "But I'm not here for you. I'm here for him."

Those exact blue green eyes rested from Vanitas to the replica, where he took a nervous step back. The Replica remembered his last encounter with the original yet he couldn't recall how the original truly felt about the situation. Riku remembered hating him. He hated his original so much he wanted him dead, he antagonized him, he attempted to murder him as if his existence was his fault. All those issues only for him to realize he was a phony; a fake. His feelings were fake, his memories were fake, and even his alleged death was fake. He was supposed to die there and yet his heart went to the Dark Realm.

He shouldn't be alive after all.

"Don't you dare come a step closer." Vanitas was spitting venom towards the original Riku, his voice was low and harsh. If words could kill, the original would be dead in an instant.

"I'm not here to pick a fight." Riku said calmly. He slowly blinked towards his Replica and refused to take his eyes off of him. "We're here to gather information and supplies, we weren't expecting to run into you."

"Great, so we'll be on our way." Vanitas snapped.

Riku felt a twinge in his chest. Vanitas, a boy who hated everything and everyone was being awfully protective. That action made Riku feel a way he's never felt before even with his fake memories, like butterflies in his stomach. His cheeks ran hot and his head was spinning. Riku desperately wanted to focus on the task at hand but found it hard to do so with Vanitas standing there and acting the way he was.

The original Riku shoved a casual hand in one pocket, the other arm holding out his bulky Keyblade. He wasn't threatening anyone, but instead holding out the blade as if showing it off. "This? My new one. Yours is broken and I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better one. Should we go and fix it?"

The Replica stiffened, and finally those feelings caused by Vanitas went away as they were replaced my confusion. Why was he being offered a new Keyblade? Especially the offering coming from the one he attempted to kill over and over again.

"Uh... I..." Riku desperately wanted to respond but he found his voice caught in his throat. He peered over Vanitas' shoulder, staring at the blade being held out towards him.

"I don't hate you." The original slowly shook his head and finally lowered the blade. His comment had an earned scoff from Vanitas but ultimately it was ignored and he continued. "I just... I want to help. Your Keyblade is still broken and I want to help fix that."

"And why is that?" Vanitas snarled.

The original met his gaze with a harsh glare. "Because he didn't ask to be created and replicate me and didn't deserve to have some identity crisis." He snapped back at the boy of darkness, words harsh and hissing tone. Vanitas seemed almost taken back as the replica noticed a physical change in his body language.