Chapter 4

"So, you are a fake?" I asked, getting up.

"I'm not a 'fake'!" the replica said. "I don't care if you're real! You're not better! We share the same body and same talents. But there is one easy way to tell us apart, though." he pointed at Riku, "Unlike you... I fear nothing."

Riku got mad, "Are you calling me a coward?"

"Like your girlfriend there, you're afraid of the dark!" I growled at him. "The darkness inside you still frightens you, no matter what you say or do."

"I..." Riku growled and looked away.

"I'm not afraid!" I stepped up.

"Oh, please..." the replica rolled his eyes, "Don't waste your breath. But I'M different. I embrace the darkness. I can make it do whatever I want." he changed into Riku's dark body suit and resummoned his sword. Riku held me behind him.

"Piri, get somewhere safe." he whispered.

"But-"

"Remember, you have a baby... I won't let anything happen to you or her." he summoned his sword, "I got this."

"Aw, adorable..." he got in his fighting stance. "But I'll wipe the floor with you!"

He charged forward and I jumped away. I watched the two fight and felt like I needed to throw up again. I looked around frantically and found a unused pot. Perfect. I throw up in that and put it in a corner. I wiped my mouth and looked back at the two silvers fighting. I couldn't tell which one was my Riku- both of them were using darkness. I gasped. One of the Riku's slashed the other and that one was sent backward. He knelt down panting.

"Hey, Fake." one said. That had to be mine. "I thought you said you were going to wipe the floor with me."

"Hmph, don't forget, I'm still new at this. I'll get stronger and stronger!" I walked up to Riku. "The next time we fight, you're finished."

"Then let's fight now!" he ran and attempted to do a jump strike but the replica's darkness flung him back.

"Riku!" I ran to his side and that bastard laughed.

"It's nice having darkness on my side. You two are SO missing out."

"Well, maybe that's a good thing!" I shouted to him, glaring. Riku tried to sit up but was struggling to. I healed him.

"How could you be scared of something so thrilling?" he asked.

"Enough!" Riku growled.

"Oh, so you're playing tough guy, now? So long, real thing. Hope you don't miss me." he ran towards the steps ahead.

"Come back!" Riku got up but it was too late. He tsked, "No way... I'm not afraid. I'm not a coward!"

"Riku, don't let him get to you." I stood up. "I know you're strong and brave."

He turned to me, "I'm glad you're okay!"

I giggled, "Never been better... now that I'm here with you. So, what should we do now?"

"We need to pursuit that replica!" he said and I nodded. We ran carefully up the stairs and got to the next floor. "Come out! Show yourself, Fake!"

"Fake? Oh no... That's not exactly the right word." I gasped at Ansem's voice and we both looked around. He showed up in darkness in front of the white door. "At last, you arrive, princess..."

"Go jump in a lake of lava!" I growled and Riku put me behind him again.

"Wait, what do you mean? Is that replica just a copy of me?" he asked.

"More like a model. He is an example of what you should try to be. He excepts the darkness... just like you couldn't help but accept me. But now you are afraid. Perhaps you are the one who is fake. Fake and to pretend to have no fear."

"When have I been afraid of the dark?" Riku asked.

"You tell me... Inside of the card worlds, you grappled desperately with the darkness." I gasped at this. "Desperation is fear. You fight the darkness because it is what frightens you." I had a feeling he was also talking to me.

"Be quiet!" Riku summoned his sword and I stepped a little ways back. I shook my head not wanting to believe what I heard. Riku lunged forward and Ansem blocked him, sending him back. Riku landed safely on his feet as I sighed with relief. He stood up straight and slashed the air, making a whoosh sound to it.

"Stubborn boy." he took out a cards and throw them to Riku, who caught them effortlessly. "Continue to fight, if you must. However, you will learn you cannot resist the darkness." He disappeared as quickly as he came.

I looked at him, "Riku?"

"I will continue to fight, not just for me but also you and Kiyoko." I sighed at this.

"Aw, did you hear that, blueberry?"

'Shut up, blackberry!' I growled and asked Riku, "So, what are those cards for?"

"They're made up from my memories... but none of these look familar..." he looked at the three cards.

"Let me see," he showed me them and I recognized them as Olympus Coliseum, Halloween Town, and Atlantica.

"You wanna pick one?" he asked and I smiled.

"Alright," I picked out Olympus Coliseum. "Let's go here!"

"Alright, hand it here and I'll show you how to got to this world." I handed to him and he stood in front of the door. He held it up and the door opened, bursting with light. He held my hand and we walked through. On the other side was the battling arena.

"Wow!" I grinned and looked around.

"Yeah, the only that bothers me is I only seen people that were on the side of darkness..."

"Why is that?" I asked, curiously.

"It's because I pushed away everything for power... including you..." he looked down in shame.

"Let's not worry about that! What's important now is the here and now... and what you're going to do about it." I pecked him on the cheek. "Don't worry, we'll get through this together.

khkhkh

We went through Olympus Coliseum, Atlantica, and Halloween Town, while facing Hades, Ursula, and Oogie Boogie. I opened the doors with the help of Riku and we saw a guy in a black coat. Wait, that axe sword was the one of...

"Aeleus!" I ran up to him but he stopped me him pointing his axe sword at me. "Aeleus, it's me! Don't you remember little Ri?"

"That scent... Piri! get away from him!" he ran between me and him. "That's not him, Piri!"

"What?"

"You've done well thus far..." his stabbed his sword into the ground. "But to possess your powers, and yet fear the darkness... What a waste."

"I do not... fear it!"

"I sense that you do." he said to Riku, "I understand you control the darkness. Cast away your useless fear. Open your heart. Embrace the darkness."

"Aeleus! Stop that!" I cried, "This isn't like you!"

"My name is Lexeaus, not Aeleus." I gasped and shook my head, stepping back. "I am the Nobody of which the person you know."

"What?"

"What if I said no to darkness?" Riku shouted to Lexeaus.

"Then you lose but light and darkness- and disappear." he bursted into some sort of powerful darkness that blew me back into the wall behind. I slid down the wall and just sat there. The darkness disappeared.

"Piri!" Riku said. I healed both of us.

"Don't worry about me! Focus on the task at hand." I pointed at this imposter and he nodded.

"I will not yield to the frail heart- of an infantile coward. Stop resisting... and let the darkness in."

Once again, had to watch from the sidelines. After a few hours, they both slowed down, them both breathing heavily for air.

"You're finished!" Riku did a jump strike.

"Don't mock me!" he did an uppercut on Riku, which sent him crashing into the ceiling, taking his breathing, and gravity brutally slamming him into the floor.

"RIKU!" I rushed to his side and he was unconscious.

"You two are too much trouble." I felt my darkness growing as he walked towards us. Darkness surrounded both me and Riku. He had his body suit on and my hair turned black. Riku got up and grabbed his sword and I summoned a new keyblade. It was completely black and dark grey. I looked like Sora's. Riku looked at me and nodded. I nodded back and smirked at Lexeaus. We slashed through him with much speed and force. He dropped the giant axe blade with a bang.

"Too slow." we said together but it wasn't just us.

"You... boy... you are the superior's-" I turned to me, "Forgive me... little Ri... This was a fight I should not have started." he disappeared.

We turned back to normal and I sat down. My hair turned back to normal, with an exception one was a black strick. Then Riku fell to the ground unconscious.

"Riku!" I cradled him.

"Oh, is this adorable!" I gasped and looked towards the stairs. Blackberry was walking down them. "He's becoming weaker thanks to his fear and you're always there with him, aren't you?"

"You bet your ass I am!" I said and she laughed.

"Have you forgotten? Your darkness is taking over, too." she wickedly smiled. "Just like Ansem is slowly creeping to control him."

"NO! S-SHUT UP!" I shouted with tears in my eyes. "He... he won't..."

"You're missing the pointed blueberry!" she left the darkness surround the room and Riku disappeared.

"Riku-!"

"Your heart belongs to darkness... to me! The only way you can escape is to give in." she reached for me and I stepped backward. I tripped and scooted away from her.

"N-no! Stay away from me!" I raised my hand.

"Why? You still afraid?" she smirked.

"No! I don't you to hurt the baby!" she laughed at this.

"Wow, you are afraid... you belong with you're boyfriend- in darkness!" she was about to grab me and and I closed my eyes. Three lights fought her off.

"Don't touch her!" three voices called out. One was Riku, another was Mickey, and the last one was Kiyoko. I opened my eyes to see a little girl with blue hair, like mine, and a white mini dress. in front of her was Riku and Mickey, but all of them were see through. The girl turned to me.

"Fight mommy! Don't let her win!" she had cyan eyes! the girl really was her.

"Kiyoko!" she nodded and turned back to the Darkside.

"You can't have mommy!"

"Yeah, We won't let you have her!" Riku said and Mickey nodded in agreement.

She hmphed and I fell unconscious.