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Challenge: #72 - Desperation
Title: Even beyond the grave...
Word Count: 503
Characters: Namine' and Nisemono
Notes: Set post-Chain of Memories, a time before the start of Kingdom Hearts II. Spoilers for CoM and KHII. Also, first time posting, so I hope you enjoy. It's a very spur-of-the-moment thing, really.


Namine' gathered flowers, picking them from the wild patches growing in the Old Mansion's courtyard. Even Nobodies needed rest, so DiZ had allowed her to take a break from restoring Sora's memories, if only for a little while.

With a bunch of flowers in hand, the teenage blond sat at the base of the pegasi statue in the center of the courtyard. Laying them out before her, she took out a large book, pressing a flower at a time.

"Namine'..."

Namine' jumped, dropping a flower to the empty fountain beside her. Looking around, she saw no one. Picking up the dropped plant, she proceeded when she heard it again. "Namine'..."

Standing now, Namine' shouted, "Who'se there? Riku? Is that you?" The voice sounded the same, but different as well.

A soft chuckle filled the courtyard, and the voice replied, "Close, Namine', close." The sound of a portal alerted the maiden, and she turned to see Riku appear out of a portal. A Riku wearing the armor of darkness.

Silence echoed between them, the two teenagers gazing at each other; the silver youth calm, the memory witch shooked. "Riku Replica..." Namine' whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "Namine'," said the replica, smiling. Running to her now, he shocked her with his embrace.

As she hugged him as well, she could feel his tears mixing in her hair. "How I've missed you. I think of you every day," he began, backing away a bit to look at her. "Look at you. You've grown so much in this past year." Riku Replica stroked her hair and check, marveling, "You've even let your hair grow more."

"Replica, this is...how is this possible?" asked Namine', taking his hand in hers. "You're...dead."

The replica looked down at his other hand, a sad smile cresting his lips. "I am."

"Then how?" asked Namine'. "How are you here?"

"A reward for services done," was all Riku Replica said as he looked at her, his smile now gone. "There are powers that be that exist beyond death. Yet I am willing to go through every task, every hell, just to see you again."

Namine' smiled, and asked, "Why? Why would you do that for me? Those memories were fakes."

The replica smirked, saying, "Call me desperate. I love you Namine', even if those memories that I have are fake." Kissing her brow, he hugged her one last time before stepping back. "I may not be able to be with you like before, but I'll always watch out for you." A portal opened before him, and Namine's watched him begin going through it.

"Riku..." began Namine', reaching out to her old friend.

Smiling, the replica interrupted, "It's Nisemono now. At least until I have my own identity." Before she could say anything, Nisemono walked through, and the portal was gone.

In the silence that followed, Namine' remembered. Nisemono. Imposter.

A sad smile came to her, as she shook her head, the tears dropping to her sandals. "You're not an imposter. You're my friend."